It's all on Canvas

[Judah Lesan]

Two canvases sat on display in the lounge of Xander's yacht "Cinnemon Merlot." They were still wet with paint, depicting two scenes. It was odd to him. This had never happened before, and Xander was completely perplexed. His face was stubbled, eyes dark from lack of sleep, and his clothes were unkempt. Stands of hair pulled out from the tie which was meant to keep his long, dark hair in a pony-tail.

The first scene was of the death of a woman. Her face was unfamiliar to Xander, but she was pretty. Her death would prove to be a waste of a beautiful woman. The second scene depicted the two of them together standing at the mouth of an ancient vault. Her necklace the key to the door. Xander's dilemma was to discern which would happen first, and how he would meet this woman.

Sleep elluded him, and the man needed a distraction. For someone who rarely watched the HNN broadcast, Xander was tuning in. Some famous senator was going to be making an appearance to protest the slave trade as it existed among certain factions. The platform was prepared, and strikingly similar to something Xander had just painted. Then he saw the face of the senator. There was little time to react.

"Get us in the air now," he said to his pilot, his voice carrying down the cooridor. "As soon as I have exact coordinates for you I will let you know. For now head senate building of the Republic."

Xander hoped he would make it in time. There was going to be an assassination attempt, and he knew it. Ironically, the assassin was going to have to stop it. Xander smirked at the irony, and rushed to his quarters to prepare himself for what had to be done.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

[member="Darth Vizios"]


Chazwa. Not exactly the prettiest of places, but it was heavily fortified and that was what the Senate had voted for. The One Sith had surprised the Republic and had attacked their former Capital, leaving it in ruins and causing it to be moved. Kay was away at the time and didn't find out until a few weeks later when the vote was called.

For the moment, she was just settling in to her new office. It was small with a big bay window and she was trying to determine which corner of it to place her potted tree. Finally she settled on the left one. After that it was time to unpack her one box. Kay had no assistants or secretaries as she preferred to do everything herself. She took out various datapads, paperwork and commlinks, placing them in the drawers. Then came the holo pictures. Most people would have pictures of their families, but she just had pictures of Naboo and Commenor. Both were places that she had called home, the latter due to her position as Senator.

And then finally she took out a smaller box. Kay had forgotten that she had purchased it. She opened it up and took out the custom made cameo, tracing her thumb along the profiled portrait of her late husband. It would serve as a reminder of what she had and will have again in the afterlife. She still wore her wedding ring, and had his wedding band used in the cameo, crowning the top of it.
Kay draped it over her neck and looked at herself in the reflection from the window. Perfect.

Down below preperations were being made for a rally for the Republic and for Kay to call for another push against slavery in the galaxy. Security was tight, but most of the guards were combing the area and searching for detonators and other such devices that could ruin the party. Just a couple of hours to go, leaving plenty of time for nerves to kick in.

 

[Judah Lesan]

Xander's yacht landed using his code from the Indupar Crown Worlds. The man could pose as a dignitary showing solidarity for the anti-slavery rally. Truth be told, he hated the very idea of slavery. Her rescued one, and made an attempt to rescue another. What happened to the Mirialan he could not say.

His senses were on guard. Just because security gave the all clear did not mean there was not a sniper anywhere. In fact the painting had indicated a sniper wound. The best solution was to meet this [member="Lady Kay"] at her office and convince her to cancel the speech. How did he do this without revealing he was Sith. Certainly she wouldn't trust a Sith.

He knocked on her door hoping she was still inside. There was a very narrow window, and he did. It want to miss it. If he missed this, then he would not find the key to what he was searching for. His lavish coat, vest, ascot, and top hat would be what she would remember most of his ensemble. His charm however, that would be most notable. Vizios was a king after all.

"Senator if you are in, it is urgent I speak with you. Your security has missed something."

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay was shuffling through her notes when the knock came, as well as the voice that she didn't recognize. What was said also gave her pause. How did the last attack on the Capital happen? Was it from firepower from above? Or just something the security missed.

She got to her feet and answered the door, puzzled as [member="Darth Vizios"] didn't look like anyone that she's come across before. Kay remained at the door, not yet stepping aside to let him in. "They've missed something? Who are you and how would you know what they've missed?"

 

[Judah Lesan]

"I'm afraid if I were completely honest with you, you would not trust me. Yet, if I am not you will not trust me either,"

Xander said as he stepped into the office, offered a small bow, and used the force to close the door. This would be one answer of many he was going to have to give.

"That is one of the reasons I know your security missed something. I am Xander Blackmoore, Kind of the Induparan Crown Worlds. Your manifest will say I am attending as a dignetary offering my support to the anti-slavery rally being conducted today. In truth I am here to save your life."

A hand raised to indicate he was going to explain. This was simply to keep [member="Lady Kay"] from asking more questions than weere necessary in the moment.

"I have visions which haunt me, dreams, nightmares. I paint them to rid my mind of them. Something happened which has only once happened before. I painted to two scenes involving the same person, and one of them was her death, the other she was aiding me. You were the one I painted, and the stage as it is now is the scene of your death. You will take a blaster bolt to the head, and one to the chest. You are needed alive, and I am here to ensure that you stay alive. Cancel your speech, and if you will not, I request to be present as your personal guard on this matter."

 

[Kay-Larr]

She couldn't believe that he just walked right in and closed the door. And with the Force, no less. But he had a right to speak, especially as he had deemed it to be an urgent matter. So Kay just listened to him and in the process shrunk down her Force signature to that of a small tree nut, like she was taught. The fact that she was a Force user wasn't well known and she had to keep it that way, lest she lose her position as Senator. But that could be the least of her troubles.

But now it was her turn to speak. Here was [member="Darth Vizios"] , a King, coming to her rescue because of some dreams. Should she believe him, or no? It wasn't as though she was important enough to the Republic to be held for ransom. Even though she was a Senator, the Republic had thousands of them.

"Sempra really couldn't be that stupid, could he? To risk an assassination attempt would be political suicide..." Kay walked over to the window, on the left side where she had just placed her potted tree and looked down below to the stage that was being all set up. It was nearly completed. "I shouldn't cancel...yet I can't risk myself nor anyone else. That just wouldn't be fair." She turned to her desk and brought out her datapad. "I recorded my speech. For practice. I suppose that I could have it shown. Then we'll both be happy."

Kay studied the man. She had plenty of questions for him, but that might have to wait. First she had to see if he agreed with her compromise.

 

[Judah Lesan]

"If you want to do the recording," Xander said off the cuff, "And clearly the Hutt is too smart to make a public hit, but someone after the bounty on your head will take whatever chance they get."

It had been too late for her to pull her force signature back. Xander had sensed it at the forefront before he closed the door. The man had a strong mind, and was always connected to his surroundings. He did not plan on exploiting the knowledge though. Xander needed her help.

"I can keep you alive if you trust me? If you want to play the recording, you can do that as well. Should you use the recording then we can leave, and perhaps you can help me discern the location of the other painting. My Yacht is stocked with only the best wine. Your stay will be comfortable, I assure you."

All [member="Lady Kay"] had to do was agree to leave with him. The invitation was hers now, and Xander would abide by whatever she chose. Naturally there would be arrangements she would have to make.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay moved away from the window. If [member="Darth Vizios"] was right, then even being in her office was dangerous. "Alright. I'll have the recording sent off to the MC and then we can be on our way."

For some reason she felt like she was going to be gone for a while. So she grabbed her coat and well worn satchel that held extra clothes, her kettle, food and water rations, pouch of tea leaves and of course a cup. Just in case he didn't have any.

She picked up her datapad and sent off the recording before grabbing her blaster and slipping it inside her satchel too. "Okay. Lead the way. Although I must warn you that the last time I was on a luxury yacht, I was ambushed by pirates...So you'll have to excuse my suspicions."

 

[Judah Lesan]

"I promise that pirates will be the least of your concern."

The line wasn't exactly reassuring, but he could not promise going with him was any safer. Truth be told, Xander still had not discerned the events of what he percieved to be the scene of his demise. While he had never painted his own death, he was well aware of the death, destruction, and loss which awaited his future. This was the reason that as much as he knew there was one woman he could truly love, he could not ever let her closer than where she was now. Xander was protecting the only person who had managed to become more than an infatuation with him.

When they reached his yacht, Xander motioned for the couch which was in the lounge just off the way of the loading ramp. He moved to the bar right away, and pulled out two wine glasses, and an already open bottle of the wine his people made. It was not the recipe the ship was named after. Xander had plans for that label, a gesture for a friend.

"I want you to be able to trust me, so before this ship takes off, and I show you the paintings, you must know I go by other names. Xander Blackmoore is my given name, Aspect of Conquest is another, The White Assassin to some, and Darth Vizios to most. I am on a personal quest of sorts, and it has led me here, to you. You can help me if you wish to, and if not, I promise there will be no repercussions of refusing. Regardless, I have saved your life today, and I hope it would count toward something."

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Pirates would be the least of her concern? What in the Force would he mean by that? Just what exactly was she getting herself into?

Kay followed [member="Darth Vizios"] as they walked to his ship, all the while being lost in her thoughts. She had succeeded so much and so quickly in her mission against the Cartel, that she had to get very creative in her means of freeing the slaves. Soon the Cartel would begin to suspect everything, so she needed to back off a bit, take a little vacation. Maybe this was her chance.

She hesitated just slightly before walking up the ramp and heading to the couch. After seating herself, she placed her satchel on her lap and listened to his many names. "So...you are an assassin, and a Sith. I have many allies among them, yet by a new Republic executive order, I am breaking the law. But I never liked that law to begin with, so I won't enforce it. I hate war, and I would rather both sides to co-exist instead of always fighting. Maybe my helping you will help with that."

 

[Judah Lesan]

"I do not have any hope for co-existence. The passing of the recent law only proves they are just as evil as they claim the Sith are. My alliegence is to myself first, so you can say what you will about either group and I won't be offended by it."

It needed to be clear she was in the company of someone who was more concerned with himself than a faction. He had friends everywhere, and most of them were not among the Sith. These days he seemed to be more involved in what the Techno Union was engaged in. Xander offered the wine with a nod, and informed the pilot to take off. The sooner they cleared the atmosphere, the less likely Kay could change her mind. Xander needed the pendant around her neck.

"Would you like to see the paintings?"

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

"I am of the same manner. I work by my own accord as no one else seems to want to take such a problem head on. I know that I can't put an end to slavery, but that doesn't mean that I should stop securing freedom for those that long for it."

She took the wine and had a small sip. Tea was her drink if choice, but she was being polite. At his offer to see the paintings, Kay got to her feet. "Yes I'd love to. I don't get much of a chance to view artwork, even if one happens to portray my possible death..." How does one prepare to see even a painting of their own likeness being killed? There just is no way.

[member="Darth Vizios"]

 

[Judah Lesan]

Xander nodded, and led Kay to the room he had set aside for the canvases. There were no words he could say to prepare her for what she would see. He'd seen his own nightmare many times over, and there nothing one could do to see it. Even now he was not desensitized to the sight of what haunted his dreams. It was his own living hell, a mystery he needed to solve.

The first canvas was the scene of her death. She would see herself laying on the ground with two chest wounds and a head wound, all from blaster fire. The precision indicated a sniper, and these were all reasons why Xander assumed what he told [member="Lady Kay"] already. She was going to see another painting, one of the two of them together, and he necklace opening a vault of some kind. How she came to have a key to the vault he did not know. What was in teh vault? Xander had no answer for that as well. All he knew was he needed in that vault. He knew where to go. The old chapel where he first found the two amulets.

"You can see the mystery then. I hope you enjoy a good treasure hunt, intrigue, and danger. We may both still die in the end, but the thrill is always in the unkown. As a seer, I enjoy what I do not know."

 

[Kay-Larr]

She nearly let go of the wine glass as she saw it. Slowly Kay approached the painting displaying her death and reached out to touch it where the blaster wounds were. It was....bizarre, yet disturbing. Looking at her own dead eyes brought a tear, as she remembered that look from her husband when she was forced to watch him die.

She just stared at it silently, drinking in the details for a good few minutes. If it was true, then [member="Darth Vizios"] did indeed save her life.

Onto the next painting. It was thankfully different, and clearly showed why he sought her in the first place. Her eyes were drawn to her necklace that was in the painting. She wrapped her fingers around the one hanging from her neck. "When did you paint these? I only just got this necklace this morning. I commissioned it, had it hand crafted. I've heard of foreseeing events, but the detail is uncanny." As far as she knew, the cameo was nothing special. But maybe her husband's ring was.

 

[Judah Lesan]

"Three days ago."

The canvas was still new, firm, and the colors of the paint still vibrant. The evidence was there for someone who knew what they were looking for.

"The place I know, how you are connected to it, I do not. That vault is something I have been trying to get into for a long time, and what it behind it is a mystery to me. Finally I am this close to getting in there. My question to you now would be, are you willing to come with me and find out what is behind that door?"

Xander hoped she would be. That was thing about what he painted in regards to other people. They always had a choice in the matter.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

She still held onto her cameo. If it was as simple as just needing it to open the vault, well then she probably wouldn't of been in the second painting.

Kay looked to [member="Darth Vizios"] and nodded. "I will, but while we're on our way, you must tell me what you know about it. I don't want to go in there blind. How did you find out about this vault and what do you suspect is behind the door?" She wondered if she should have brought more in the way of weaponry. Though the painting didn't show as much.