Hard Knock Life

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahli had been waiting within the vast spaceport of Denon with a datapad in hand and a cart floating behind him. It was another routine day of taking a shipment from point a to point b, and now he just needed the buyer to arrive. Soon enough the Rodian appeared, tossing in his hand a small bag of credits in hand.

It was a short meeting. Kahlil handed over the datapand, the nameless Rodian handed over the credits, and the transaction was done. It's what brought the ex-Sith to Denon. What kept him there was the small coffee shop he had seen on his way to the meet up. The young man sat at a lone table, his hazel eyes watching the crowd as they walked by.

He was drinking a monster of a drink, special made with whipped cream and frozen caf. Kahlil did like his drinks stupidly sweet. For now, he was just relaxing before he'd try and find himself another job. The life of a spacer had him always on the move.

[member="Bella Rimini"]

 

[Bella Rimini]

A small alien woman walked past [member="Kahlil Zambrano"] and quickly stumbled in her footing. Her drink almost went flying across the cafe had it not suddenly been caught by some invisible force. Levitating in place like puppet without strings. Then, just as suddenly, it returned to her hand with a quick *slap*. Nearly shocking the small women enough to stumble backwards once more.

At the register, a bright human woman smiled. Her two fingers quietly returning to her palm as she put away her magic gesture. Bella Rimini loved such easy deviations. How funny it was to be one of the few people in the galaxy who could use the Force. It always made catching poor flying latte's such an amusing treat. Even now, she turned her head from the befuddled alien woman back towards the man with a monster of a drink. Whipped cream and frozen cafe. Ah. But had a chosen wisely indeed. And, as if to say, "Excellent choice", with only her magic expression. She gave good Kahil an easy *wink*.

Playfully, as Bella turned to pay for her own confectionery caf. It could be seen that she wore a blue cashmere trench coat and tall white boots. Large fuzzy fur collar, silver electronic bracelet, and wide sashay of blue ribbon about her waist. A woman of good height, ageless features, and ladylike posture. You couldn't see the tall silver lightsaber she kept inside her glamorous purse, but any easy Force User could ascertain it's probable proximity. After all. Such was the fashion of the Jedi Knights and their popular place in galactic media. Always one step away from carving up a whole city block, blowing up Corellia again, or, (and probably mistakenly,) maybe even saving the world too.

This fuzzy blue glamour turned and grabbed a straw from the condiments stand. Then moved to greet Kahil.

"Why hello there." She purred in a strong and confident tone, "My my. What a clumsy day someone else is having. Hehe. ...Well? Not us, of course. We're different, I suppose."

She smiled deviously and pressed a single perfect nail against the side of her mouth.

"Say? Aren't you going to ask me to join you?"

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil prepared for the worst as the woman tripped, refusing to us his power in the Force to prevent the surely outfit ruining spill. He closed his eyes and braced. A moment passed. Another. He opened a single eye to see the alien walking off and [member="Bella Rimini"] giving him a wink. He raised a brow curiously at the display, though offered a kind smile as the woman approached.

"Different? Well, I guess we are." It didn't take much guesswork to figure out what the difference was. The fuzzy blue glamour before him was clearly able to manipulate the Force. "Sure, why not. Companies always nice in a place like this."

 

[Bella Rimini]

Bella purred a smile.

"Excellent!" Then took a seat across from [member="Kahlil Zambrano"] .

She decorated the table top with her small purse, her caf, and quickly withdrew her phone. Then smiled playfully as she took a picture of herself. Lips pursed, shoulders tilt, very glamazon, very silly.

"There!" She exclaimed. Happy to have a new snap for her online profile. "Now. You're turn! ...Say. Cafe' Latte!"

Bella leaned back and snapped a quick photo of Kahil with her phone.

"Perfect!" She laughed. "And my my. What a handsome devil too. White hair. Dashing height. The strength of youth and the powers of the Gods. Truly. Such a keeper! Hehe."

The fuzzy woman stroked her lush collar and leaned deep into her seat. Eyes bladed like a playful hawk. Toying with her prey.

"Ya know. We don't get a lot of our kind here anymore. Since the droids absconded to, bah well, heaven-knows-where. It's been nice and quiet in-system ever since."

She took a sip of her drink. Her eyes never leaving Kahlil's. Studying him deep from within and long from afar.

"So. Business? Or pleasure? Call this kitty, curious. I suppose."

.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"I.. What?" Kahlil watched in a stunned silence as [member="Bella Rimini"] thoroughly repped 856 with a flurry of tech and selfies. His picture would just be him wide eyed trying to think of something to say to deny what was happening. He had nothing though. The sudden change of subject to how he looked had him faintly blushing, then back to the confusion as Bella danced through conversation and again changed the subject. Droids? He was about to ask when she asked him more personal questions.

"Just finished a job. Y- .. Kitty?" Kahlil took a long sip of his drink, just staring in bewilderment.

 

[Bella Rimini]

Business. Good.

Bella pursed her lips like she was sucking through a straw and bladed her eyes. Obviously perplexed at [member="Kahlil Zambrano"] lack of snark, or violence, or showmanship. The most overt traits of a waylaid Sith Warrior looking for something to conquer. Which? ...Was also good. It meant this wandering Force User before her wasn't an immediate threat to the planet.

She leaned forward and played with her purse,

"Sorry. I forget that not all Epicanthix's are wandering robots of destruction. My mistake."

She held up her phone and showed him the screen,

"I took your picture so I could run your identity through our system of know Sith criminals. Standard procedure for identifying extra-planetary threats. And guess what. You passed!"

She smiled and put her purse away. Clasping her hands together in mock celebration as she finished,

"Sorry. But one can never be too careful these days. You understand, yes?"

Bella leaned back in her seat and winked at him again. Taking a sip of her drink with casual pride.

"...So? With all that ugly police business behind us? Ahem. ...I'm Bella. Wonderful to meet a fellow adept all the way out here in the colonies. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Police? Ah, yeah. That figures." Kahlil let out a sigh of relief. At least [member="Bella Rimini"] wasn't as crazy as she seemed. Well. Maybe. The young man seemed to relax as he leaned back in his seat, taking another sip of his drink. "Right, makes sense. Can't have just anyone running around the free worlds making problems, right?" Seemed a bit much to judge the whole race, but that's what happens when the ruling family were indeed just wandering robots of destruction.

"Kahlil, though I'm not much of an adept anymore. I don't use the Force anymore."

 

[Bella Rimini]

With the hard part behind them. Bella could relax a bit.

"You don't? That seems... So strange. Why, I don't think I've ever heard of an adept ever quitting their magic so quickly. And, you're so young to have made up your mind completely. Pity."

She took another sip of her caf. Shrugging easily.

"Alas. You know you best. So, I'm sure you have your reasons."

Bella licked her lips and turned to stare out the window,

"Did you hail from a local temple then? I hear the Silver's often venture out far, far from Kashyyyk these days too."

[member="Kahlil Zambrano"]

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"What and how I learned is far to violent, with too high of a cost. It's not in me to keep using it." He gave his own casual shrug. If he could help it he'd avoid using his spells. "Not somewhere local, actually. Or Jedi, for that matter." Kahlil again sipped at his drink, glancing to [member="Bella Rimini"] . Well, no reason to hide it at this point, especially if what ever group she belonged to could help.

"Kahlil Zambrano, son of the Emperor of the Sith. Decided the Sith wasn't my life."

 

[Bella Rimini]

Bella's eyes went wide as they went white.

Did. ...Did he just say, son of the emperor. Fuc...

"Oh."

Was all that Bella could manage to say. Apparently, her police database had missed that little part. Well, I mean. Not that Kaine had any lack of children either. Probably an army of them by now, really. Still. That definitely changed things.

"You don't look much like him. Height aside."

She calmed down and quickly broke into a pleasant smile. Her brain zipping around at a million miles an hour. Trying to figure out just what on earth an imperial son could be doing in the middle of Denon. The tactical data that could mean for the Academy. Or, wait... Did he just say, "The Sith wasn't my life anymore"?

Oh gosh. Just what the heck was that supposed to mean. Fact check time. Didn't he realize that his blood was some of the most potent stuff every conserved of since the Great Darkness. I mean. There was probably only, maybe,.. five great houses left in the galaxy with that much space magic born into their bones. Wow. Just wow. Talk about a rare meeting. A rare, rare meeting indeed.

Bella had definitely not seen that coming.

[member="Kahlil Zambrano"]

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Height? I'm one of the shortest of the Zambranos. Should see my sister." Kahlil laughed at his joke, though took note of the shock that had filled [member="Bella Rimini"] 's eyes. Oh. She really didn't know who he was. "Look, I'm just here on a simple drop off job. I'm not some space wizard bent on the destruction of all that is good and kind in the galaxy. Probably better if I hadn't said anything." He peered down at his glass before finishing it off. Probably better if he didn't stick around much longer.

"I'll just go, yeah?"

 

[Bella Rimini]

"Wait!"

She almost stammered. So unlike herself to shout or bother.

"Sorry. Just. ...I'm not used to. Well. I hadn't expected to meet someone like you. In such, uh?.."

She sighed and shook her head. Struggling with what to say or, how to say it.

"Why are you here, son of Kaine? Are you really just, working? Alone?"

She was almost dumbfounded how simple that sounded. Completely expecting that any son of the emperor would be commanding a dreadnought somewhere out in the reaches. It was almost incredulous to her that [member="Kahlil Zambrano"] could be anything less than an omnipotent political player. Could he really just be here, working? Hiding? On vacation?

Bella herself was no slacker in the terms of galactic power either. A Knight of the Force. Antiquated with powerful factions and players. Possessing a personal wealth of credits and investments so great that her own fuzzy garments could purchase half a planet by themselves. Yet. None of that compared to a familiarity with the one man who so violently refused to be vanquished by at least three great Faction Wars and the Jedi Masters who followed in them.

Talk about one in a trillion.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil paused as [member="Bella Rimini"] spoke, glancing over his shoulder as he was about to leave. He was content with listening to her, but the second she called him the 'son of Kaine' any friendly demeanor he had faded. "Don't call me that. I'm only his son because he impregnated the woman who gave birth to me. I'm not one of them. I got my chance to be free, and I took it. I just want to live a life where I can see all the galaxy has to offer without killing people or ruining lives. I'm no son of a Butcher King."

 

[Bella Rimini]

Free?

Could one ever truly be free of such a curse as a parent. How she pitied him then. Yet, with his patience fading. She knew she had little time.

"Then perhaps there is hope."

She quickly stood up and gave a slight bow of her head. Standing up tall and suddenly quite composed. She took a deep breath and pulled out a plasteel card from her pockets,

"If you ever want to be something more. Something incomprehensible to your father and his kin. Then, this is where you must go."

She held the card outright.

"There is a Jedi Temple on Kashyyyk. Home to a man called Joshua Dragonsflame. Seek him out. Ask him to teach you. And I promise you. Your family will never be a threat to you. Ever again."

There was a quiet desperation in her voice then. Like a queen pleading with her country. After all. If [member="Kahlil Zambrano"] was even half as strong as his blood father? He could make a difference. He could change the world.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil blinked slowly at the sudden change in [member="Bella Rimini"] 's attitude. It was the only reason why he stayed. Only reason why he took the card. He clenched his jaw as he listened. Jedi? It would definitely be directly against his father. But at the same time, it wasn't something he could take lightly. "I.. Alright. I'll give it a look." What really threw him off was the tone in which she asked. How could he refuse that?

"But only when I finish my other business, alright?"

 

[Bella Rimini]

She nodded. Her face only slightly less strained.

There was something to be said about being a good influence. In a galaxy this big, it was hard to think that just one person could make a difference. But Bella knew differently. She knew that even the greatest battles ever fought often hinged upon the actions of just two or three people. Though, she dared not think of such things as destiny. Or worse, fate. She knew people made choices. She knew luck was far more potent a friend.

So she took another deep breath and let [member="Kahlil Zambrano"] get back to business. She would no longer press herself upon his time. He was no threat to Denon. No mass murderer, like his kin. If she let him go. She wouldn't be condemning millions of people to their death. He was fine. She had hope enough for that.

So she said nothing else. Bella would let the text written on the card do the rest. For when Kahil looked down upon it's shining surface. All he would read was,

"This one is special."

Signed,

"Karen Roberts."