Private Eight Ball

[Yula Perl]

D E N O N
// The Blue Flame​

The Blue Flame was as routine of a haunt as you could get for the Shadowrunners of Darkwire.

"Trandoshan Ale, Isaac." Yula folded her jacket neatly on the barstool, then slipped atop the seat's makeshift cushion. Typically more cheerful, the Zeltron was somewhat subdued in her arrival. Fatigue creased the edges of her eyes and dulled the sharper features of her face. Still, she didn't seem as worn as some of the more…frequent fliers. Just a tired woman who'd worked a full day.

Then the dreams came back.

They'd been more frequent ever since Sev Tok. A wide-eyed girl, the death of a Master. A pained smile, an assurance, and a lie. One time her own hands had melted into pools of sticky blood, that one was weird. Probably some symbolic meaning to it all, but Yula didn't do esoteric. They were just bad dreams twisting a memory round and round. A memory that had rotted to the point where she couldn't be sure which parts were real or not.

She received the ale with a muted smile, sliding a few credits the bartender's way. An amount memorized, she realized with a quiet, mirthless snort.

Yula's time as a Jedi Padawan has been brief and tragic, ultimately launching her into the Outer Rim life as a spacer and smuggler. The Force came to her in the form of rogue Jedi and assorted neutral affiliations, a smattering of teachers and mentors who taught on the job here and there.

Meeting Dagon made her realize that she was never destined to be a Jedi, nor did she want to. Like trying to force on a shoe a few sizes too small. Yula still hadn't told him about that snippet of her past, largely because she didn't know how or when to broach the subject. How do you talk about something you've never had the words for? As she stared down into the pale surface of the ale, only one thought bubbled to the surface.

You didn't.

Caltin Vanagor

 

[Caltin Vanagor]

“Like a dance, conflict escalation generally requires the participation of both parties.” - Brian Mistler​

” Reactor Core” please. Top shelf. Strongest proof you have available. The drink request was not meant as a slight to the bartender, or the establishment, even though it seemed to be taken as such. The truth is, it had everything to do with the big man making it. His recent physiological changes hit his metabolism as well. It had always been strong, but now it seemed to be military-grade hyperdrive strong. This meant that he burned through calories like a lightsaber through an E-11… sorry… for you kids out there, that is what the original Galactic Empire issued its Stormtroopers.

Anyway, this increased metabolism meant that he could eat more, eat more times a day(not that he needed to, he could) and he would gain no weight or it would go to muscle. Also, he could drink as much alcohol he liked and would never get drunk. This could prove useful and could be a killer at parties(not that he was a partier), it meant that he could never get drunk. Vanagor had yet to truly figure this out yet as right now he was just annoyed.

The big man just pulled a kid out of a major beating, and while the boy was getting his gear and they were prepping to head out and get to safety(he did not really know all of @Kyric’s resources) he decided to pop in for some appetizers and a drink. The drink sucked though. Had the effect of water, tasted fine but no kick, and his look of disdain as he drank it down told the story.

“What? You don’t like it?”

I’m sure it’s fine… it…

The bartender was insulted, now he was pissed off. “Hey, buddy! That’s high credit stuff!”

Look, it’s not the alcohol!

“Oh?! What? It’s the atmosphere?! You too good for a place like this?”

~” Yeah, to be honest.”~ he thought to himself.

Look, let me buy the bottles. In fact, let me buy everyone a round of drinks. No matter the shelf? Fair?

“Alright money man. You need to leave!” a rather large Trandoshan grabbed his right elbow. Caltin just looked at him.

I’ll leave, but you.are.going.to.let.go.of.my.arm.

“Who do you think you are, womprat? Some kind of Jedi?” the bouncer laughed. So did Caltin though his laughter showed no hint of humor whatsoever. He used to enjoy deploying this intimidation technique.

Not anymore, but if you think that makes me less dangerous, you can call your three colleagues at the door, the one roaming the back and your cooler who is makin’ out with that Twi’Lek over there but I guarantee you will be unconscious before they get here. If you think that makes me more dangerous then you can let go of my arm and I will be on my way.

His eyes were shimmering with electrical energy.

 

[Yula Perl]

Something was going on a few seats over, at the end of the bar. The commotion snapped Yula out of her own thoughts, and a familiar feeling breezed through her.

Huh?

Still nursing her drink, she glanced over. A big fella was engaging with the increasingly irritated bartender. Over what, she didn't know—her attention had been drawn too late to hear the start of the argument. Either way, it was pretty clear that the big guy wasn't about to let anyone push him around. Yula slipped off of her stool and went to gather her jacket, intent on finding a quieter corner away from the line of fire when something gave her pause.

She didn't know what it was exactly, but a trickle of recognition seeped into her mind. A few steps forward, drink in hand, she realized what it was.

"…Vanagor?" She sounded out, squinting at his face. "What are you doing out here?"

Caltin Vanagor

 

[Caltin Vanagor]

“Help people see themselves in your future to motivate them to help make change happen.” - James Kerr​

Perl? Another directionless Force User? Well, that is not true, she had direction but that was a debate for another time. The bouncer seemed still all too eager for some level of violence, almost as if he was either trying to prove his worth to the others or the place was so calm and peaceful that he had not thrown anyone out in a while. With a reach, the big man put his hand on the bar security’s own and squeezed. The growl was a painful scream as other members of the team began to converge. The big man let go as he took his attention back to the wayward wondering why he was this far out.

As the cooler seemed to be smoothing things over with the bartender, Vanagor finished his drink and with a shrug, he still left enough credits to buy everyone the next round.

Don’t really know what brought me here, but so far I pulled a kid out of a fight and seemed to get into one of my own. So it’s been an eventful few hours.

 

[Yula Perl]

Yula watched carefully, her eyes following the movements of the bartender and bouncers—a few of which seemed ready to knock some heads. Caltin's was probably the wrong head to try and knock; on top of being a big guy, he was a renowned warrior among the Jedi.

Denon didn't really care about Jedi, though. Or Sith. No one found a hero's welcome on the planet ruled by CorpSec.

So when things petered out, Yula decided to slip into the seat next to Caltin. "No shortage of fights 'round here." She snorted. Something was different about Caltin—but she couldn't put her finger on it, largely because she hadn't known him very well before. They'd crossed paths once or twice in the Silvers, but she'd never been anything more than Jedi adjacent.

"You here for credits?" She sipped passively from her drink. "Or working security for the Alliance?"

Caltin Vanagor

 

[Caltin Vanagor]

“Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.” - Oscar Wilde​

The Force brought him here. Heh. “The Force”, he was connected but not in the way she was so he was not “pulled”, he was “called”. A tone called him here, it would not cease until he arrived. This was his life now. This was his connection to the Force. There was still one more idiot who was looking to start something so as the bartender brought him a Corellian ale, which tasted like little more than bland soda, he turned and was eye to eye with the fool.

Only his eyes were a power source of incredible electrical energy. It was a sight to see, and the funny thing is, the big man didn’t know it was happening. He thought he was just glaring at the Evocai.

I came here just to come here… if that makes sense.

Downing half the ale and looking back at her, he asked...

You live here?

 

[Yula Perl]

I came here just to come here… if that makes sense.

Yula hummed into her glass.

"Not really, but it doesn't have to." Nobody just came to Denon to be here. There had to be a reason, even if that reason wasn't clear. Still, she didn't feel the need to push.

As Caltin turned to her, Yula's thoughts paused. She'd seen a lot of oddities, but never someone with visible energy coursing their eyes, surging like an electrical storm.

"I…yeah, I live here. Moved my garage from Terminus to Denon a while back. Better for business." And Shadowrunning. Terminus had its own underworld, but on Denon it was burgeoning. Exciting. Dangerous. Purposeful.

"Are you feeling okay? Cybernetic eyes malfunctioning? Could give you a tune-up."

Yula had no idea if Caltin had any cybernetic enhancements, but she'd never seen a bionic eye steadily burn with electricity like this.

 

[Caltin Vanagor]

Look outside.

When she would, all she would see was a cloudcover forming. She would see lightning hitting in various places at an alarming rate. This was not "Force Lightning" but appeared to be more powerful than the natural effect. As random as these strikes were, or at least seemed, they slammed into very specific places where no one could be hurt.

Then just like that... the storm was gone. When she looked back at him, all Yula would see was Caltin finishing his ale, his eyebrows playing the dance of someone who isn't telling her everything.

You normally have storms like that here?

 

[Yula Perl]

The sky above has been relatively clear when she'd entered The Blue Flame, but now clouds were gathering at an alarming rate. They roiled into a storm, surges of lightning exploding from the heavy clouds and lancing throughout the district. The storm was as intense as something you'd see in the humid jungles of Ossus.

Then the clouds lightened, breaking up and dispersing into disarming swaths of cotton. It was as if the tempest had never happened.

"Huh. Not really." Yula looked back to Caltin, noting the gesture of his brows as he downed his drink. "We get squalls sometimes in the wet season, but nothing like that."

She motioned to the window; there was something at play here but she wasn't sure what. From the glowing eyes to the sudden storm, there had to be an esoteric element at work.

"Did you do that?"

Caltin Vanagor

 

[Caltin Vanagor]

“The quality of your thinking determines the quality of your life.” - Boris Pasternek​

Grabbing some nuts (OUT OF THE NEARBY BOWL!) he tossed a few in his mouth as she looked around in amazing confusion. There were some who were also doing so. It was amusing and quite the show. This is made him forget about the exchange with the bartender and the bouncer. As he ordered another round, the big man just let his eyes flicker.

We all have our little quirks.

One more lightning strike slammed into the ground in front of the bar.

 

[Yula Perl]

A split second before the final lightning bolt exploded in front of the bar, the tiny hairs on the back of Yula's neck stood up.

She snorted.

"Y' call that a quirk, huh?" She'd call it something...more.

Inspired, a pink hand reached for the bowl of nuts as well. "Last time I saw you was with the Silvers," She chewed her way through a mouthful of almonds. "Been up to a lot since then?" The galaxy had been embroiled in war, and though Yula and Caltin were on the same side, they'd rarely crossed paths on the battlefield. Which made sense—Vanagor had been more involved in the efforts of the Jedi, while Yula had stuck to the fringes.


Caltin Vanagor

 

[Caltin Vanagor]

“The measure of intelligence is the ability to change” - Albert Einstein​

I still consider myself a “Jedi”, if that is what you are asking. I don’t align myself with the Silvers, or the NJO, or really any of them right now.

Letting the Zeltron munch on her almonds, the big man looked off a few onlookers who seemed to think that they were going to test their skills against him. It was when a rather portly Rodian thought was trying to scam the same bartender that got mad at him that the massive wanderer waved a mind trick in the idiot’s face. He was now going home planning to pray away his sins. Sitting back down, he decided against the new ale and just ordered water, they both had the same effect, but still... blech.

Just not the same thing anymore, so I’ll do what I do, they can do what they do and if our paths cross, I’ll help out. I’m my own man though, always have been.


Ghorua the Shark

 

[Yula Perl]

"Hmm…" A thoughtful sigh trickled from somewhere within the mouthful of almonds. Yula leaned an elbow heavily against the bar, cheek resting on a closed fist. She snickered at the Rodian's sudden change of heart—never got old.

"I'd say that's the way to go now. Never been a better time to be a fringer, I guess." She offered him a wry grin. Yula had never committed to a Jedi order, and likely never would.

Reaching for her drink, she washed down the almonds with a healthy swig.

"All we can do is all we can do." A shrug followed.

...Then a mischievous grin. "Can ya teach me how to do the lightnin' thing?"

Caltin Vanagor

 

[Caltin Vanagor]

"A sly old fish is too cunning for the hook" - George Crabbe
​

A sly look of shock crawled across his face as Vanagor's free hand-laid strewn over his heart. What trick? Another crack of lightning outside about ten feet away from the escaping Rodian who was now on his knees praying right then and there.

I suppose.

tag: Yula Perl

 

[Yula Perl]

Yula snorted at Caltin's lighthearted shock, consciously ignoring the Rodian in the background. Her look of surprise, when he agreed to teach her, was genuine. She hadn't expected him to say yes.

Her nails clinked against the glass, one right after the other.

"What's the first step, then?"

Caltin Vanagor