Madrugada

[Ayessa Kroan]

Open Space, Rook's Ship, Undetermined Time
Interacting with [member="Rook Lokar"] ~ Trouble
——————————————————————

To contrast, a bold opener on Ayessa's part, moving a larger creature out-- A queen. Her eyes were focused on the board but her attention was split between his question and his next move, and she answered slowly, "No. Recent career opportunity. Before that, I was..." Oh, she really should not have said that. A tight expression crossed her face and she swallowed, gently letting her finger pass through the king piece as she waited on his move, as if she could pet it somehow, "Nobody, really." The hologram only flickered when she touched it.

It wasn't really wrong. The Ayessa Kroan who had led men into battle had died, and become someone weaker. A nobody if anyone had ever seen one.

"And you haven't been smugging your whole life. What did you do before?"

 

[Rook Lokar]

Rook never was a big believer in throwing all your cards out on the table straight from the get go. He was the kind that advanced his pawn wall up, creating a line in defence that was capable of being scaled if the opposition was bold enough, but then they were quickly cut down by the more advanced pieces within his set. It never lasted, though. Always descending into anarchy with pieces scattered left and right, up and down the board. Maybe a metaphor for his life, where everything was steady (albeit if unfair), but soon became chaotic.

"Some street kid." It was the best he could offer, and whilst it brought about unfavourable memories it was something he could look back on and smile. Knowing that those days were behind him, that he'd defeated whatever kept him there. "I've never been someone worth knowing." He further added, that much was the truth. Seemed he was more truthful than he was a liar in these moments.

Another pawn joined the fray.

 

[Ayessa Kroan]

Open Space, Rook's Ship, Undetermined Time
Interacting with [member="Rook Lokar"] ~ Trouble
——————————————————————

Ayessa moved a Knight-- How apt --next to her Queen, as if to protect it from his pawn spam. That's how it went, anyways, the defender and the defendee. Her words were contemplative as she eyes his growing strategy, already hearing the clanking of droidparts in her head as she surveyed her new battlefield, "I know that feeling all too well, don't worry." That much was true. Despite how much the Order had touted and spewed, and how much their wisened Grandmaster had paid attention to the children, she had always felt like the youngling who slipped through the cracks. The one who wasn't quite that good with their blade, or with their discipline, the one who's only saving grace was her nascent talent that desperately needed a catalyst who never found one good enough, "And, when did you learn to play this game?"

Perhaps it was a mistake to move frontliners up first, but that had always been her strategy, even in the war.

 

[Rook Lokar]

War was nothing but a game from a certain point of view. Much like a tactician who valued the completion of an objective, Rook cared not for whether these creatures in the form of pieces lived or died. That's all they were, pieces of a game. Where Ayessa's Clones the same way, in the grand scheme of things, or were they something more? To her, maybe, but to the command those Clones were an expendable army you could throw down an enemy's throat within an a heartbeat.

Rook reached forwards, his eyes glued to the game, moving another Pawn up alongside the rest. They had their gaps in their line, but mostly held true. It was all for the flankers in his team, really. "Uhm." His face scrunched up in thought, inspecting the pieces further whilst trying to anticipate her next move as well as his own, "I was only a kid. There wasn't much to do, so I turned to this." He didn't really want to reveal his past, it was something he preferred not to touch up on.

"Did you never have anything like this growing up?" He snuck a look at the woman who sat adjacent to himself.

[member="Ayessa Kroan"]

 

[Ayessa Kroan]

Open Space, Rook's Ship, Undetermined Time
Interacting with [member="Rook Lokar"] ~ Trouble
——————————————————————

"Some did," Ayessa seemed a little hesitant, like him, not willing to lay everything bare quite yet, "I chose not to. I had better things to focus on." Now a pawn slid up, to enter combat with one of his on the left flank. She took the piece with flair as the diminutive creature took down it's equal with zeal, but was stuck afterwards, her pawn vulnerable to attack now behind enemy lines.

She had been like that one, too.

Briefly, her hand raised to her face, thumb rubbing at the snakehead of her marking in a habit-like way, a tic again, fingers curled a little, "How did you get anything like this growing up, if you were a street kid?"

 

[Rook Lokar]

"Same way I got that fruit." Rook aptly replied, the idea of that very fruit he dropped not too long ago coming back to his attention. Damn, where was it?​ He'd of asked himself internally. "You got what you could." Life was simpler than, if not a little more difficult. Eating and drinking wasn't so lawful, and suppose that's why it remained with him into adulthood. It was just one of those things that managed to stick, even if it didn't have to.

Rook let a huff of air escape his nose, and slight grin tugged at the corner of his lips once more. Seemed he had enough smiles, smirks, and grins to go 'round. It was, of course, because he was able to immediately enact his retribution by taking that pawn that had taken his own, using it as a sacrificial lamb. He couldn't win in the end with that tactic, but it often proved a deterrent - the kind that made someone more hesitant, kept some pieces close to their chest.

[member="Ayessa Kroan"]

 

[Ayessa Kroan]

Open Space, Rook's Ship, Undetermined Time
Interacting with [member="Rook Lokar"] ~ Trouble
——————————————————————

Where was what-now? Fruit?

She kept her questions to herself, but if he started thinking any louder it was going to get hard to tell what was mentally spoken and what was verbally directed. Nodding, one of her rooks-- Again, very on the nose --slid up to flank her queen. Metaphors, metaphors everywhere.

"Well, how long do you think this crew will last?" Pragmatic question, treading away from depressing histories, to the potentially-hopeful future, just like she'd been taught. She was at least genuinely interested in hearing his opinion. For her, she wasn't sure, however long she needed to until something else pulled her away. That was the benefit of having no purpose, you could just drift.

 

[Rook Lokar]

That's a good question. A really good question, actually. Maybe one that he hadn't thought through as much as he should have. Now that, my friend, was the honest truth. He'd figured that she could be useful for the few jobs he needed a crew for, but beyond that would he only ever get jobs that required a crew, and in that case would he always need her? Damn. Maybe so.

His response, as a result, was nothing conclusive but gave a prompt response that answered the question with what is almost a question. Yet, a question Ayessa has to ask herself. "As long as you want it to." The smuggler replied, his eyes remaining glued to the Dejarik Table just before him. The holographic pieces flickering before his eyes, and ultimately twisting the nozzles at the edge of it on his side, making a piece move.

Rook's own Rook shifted from it's position, beginning to line up a shot to force a move.

[member="Ayessa Kroan"]

 

[Ayessa Kroan]

Open Space, Rook's Ship, Undetermined Time
Interacting with [member="Rook Lokar"] ~ Trouble
——————————————————————

Kriff, he was boxing her in.

Literally and metaphorically, perhaps, but the metaphorically seemed less authentic than the literal happening right now in their game. Grumbling a little, Ayessa tapped a button on her side of the table with her knuckles-- She'd been doing that, notably, instead of touching them like a normal person, but she wasn't keen to be swamped in memories whilst trying to focus on victory --And her second Knight moved up in reaction, standing between the Queen and the open battlefield and the enemy.

"As long as I want to," She mused quietly, mouth twitching as she eyed his side of the field, "Remains to be seen, then."

 

[Rook Lokar]

It seemed that the game of dejarik had not only been literal, but verbal between the two. Rook set up all the pieces, only for Ayessa to try and aptly navigate them, not get caught in a pincer and come out the other side unscathed. Perhaps a bit difficult, considering Rook's tongue may as well be plated with silver, knowing what to say and when to say it at seemingly every turn. Yet, she'd not been caught up just yet.

​She'd thrown up one hell of a wall, and Rook took a moment to ponder what could be said in return as well as what piece he was to move. His hands fidgeted at the edge of the table, forcing a bishop to sweep across the table and arrive in a position that wasn't favourable for the opposition.

"And here I thought you couldn't resist." Rook teased with a smirk tugging at his lips.

[member="Ayessa Kroan"]

 

[Ayessa Kroan]

Open Space, Rook's Ship, Undetermined Time
Interacting with [member="Rook Lokar"] ~ Trouble
——————————————————————

"Now, I don't think I said that. You were the one who offered me a drink." Damn those Bishops. Narrowing her eyes, a pawn moved up to intercept, taking an enemy piece in the process. Check? Not quite. His King sat behind tall walls, and now her pawn had no back-up.

For some reason, Geonosis echoed in her mind as she contemplated her next move, appearing extraordinarily focused on what could happen next. Marching right down the column into the jaws of the enemy, a cruel hand of Sabacc. Wrong game, focus on this one, "It could just be you that can't resist." She commented offhandedly, grinning a little loosely to shake off her glum.

It worked, somewhat. She finally looked up from the board to steal a glance off at him, eyebrow quirked slightly, waiting for his next verbal move with anticipation. Now this was a game she could get behind.

 

[Rook Lokar]

​Rook began to nod his head whilst he lounged in the seat, his hand grasping at his chin as he fell into a similar sense of contemplation. Across his face was an expression of amusement, for if anything that's what he was in this current moment: amused. Safe to say that he'd been somewhat caught up, distracted by thinking of two different things at once, both of which had to be precise in their execution. There was no other way, was there?

The Smuggler leaned forward, his hand beginning to make short work of the controls of the board. A Rook sweeping across to take out the latest piece Ayessa had played, and from there was another ready to take it's place should it fall, just as one more did the same. He always came prepared, well, not always. Meanwhile, he'd spoken in a seemingly disinterested tone, as if his mind was elsewhere and not quite on the conversation at hand. "Can you blame me?"

[member="Ayessa Kroan"]

 

[Ayessa Kroan]

Open Space, Rook's Ship, Undetermined Time
Interacting with [member="Rook Lokar"] ~ Trouble
——————————————————————

If he was one thing, it was crafty. Setting her jaw at the loss of her pawn, the Queen lumbered past her guards forward along a diagonal, to assault his right flank, "I suppose not." Ayessa could begrudge him that. Besides, it was time to pull her head out of the past and focus more on the now, not only to win these battles, but the war.

Because if she had one vice as a Knight and as a warrior, it was pride.

And no matter how much she was admittedly becoming to enjoy Rook's company, she couldn't give an inch, lest he take a quarter.

"So. What do you think will happen once we're done with Nar Shaddaa?" It was an innocent enough question to ask.

 

[Rook Lokar]

"Honestly?" Rook mused to himself as much as he had to Ayessa, his hands fumbling about over the controls, unsure of what to do in the current moment. He had all so many options, and each more enticing than the last. "I didn't plan that far ahead." He'd replied to his own question, as well as Ayessa's. That was the truth, though. He hadn't. Rook was bound to receive another job from there, and move onwards. Onto the next, onto the next, onto the next, and onto the next. That's just how this life played out, and if she had a problem with one could suppose she would leave it all behind. To his dismay, however.

Rook only ever pushed across a Pawn, furthering it's advance upon the field. There were the Kings and Queen that dominated the battle, shifted tides and made everything as they ended it. However, it was the Pawn, the grunt, the soldier who truly mattered. He always did enjoy making something more of a Pawn. Almost as if he was ensuring himself he could be more.

[member="Ayessa Kroan"]

 

[Ayessa Kroan]

Open Space, Rook's Ship, Undetermined Time
Interacting with [member="Rook Lokar"] ~ Trouble
——————————————————————

Ayessa had never had the perceived luxury of being a pawn. Maybe in the eyes of some she was, the Republic's attack dog with her pups in tow, but in her eyes, the galaxy-- And, on some level, the ever-present Force --had thrust her into a position as a higher piece perhaps long before she was born. She was to sit with the Queens, the Kings, the Bishops and the Knights, hold their council and lead their campaigns, never to reach the level of those Pawns and Rooks who churned below.

And yet, here she was, enjoying the company of one such Rook.

A grumbling exhale left her as her second Knight moved to match the Pawn, prepared to counter if it tried anything, "Of course you didn't." Her side of the field was a chaotic, orchestrated mess of pieces as they had shifted long from where they had begun, except for the King, the bastion in the storm.

 

[Rook Lokar]

Perhaps Rook was simply of low birth, no? His Mother was nothing more than a slave dancer who had met a Corellian Smuggler, much like himself, whom had departed the very next day. An unfortunate set of events that breathed life into Rook, and even a more unfortunate set of events conspired together to become his upbringing. That was the past, though. He had learned to let go, and even rarely think of it. None of that mattered anymore, and perhaps Ayessa must begin to start thinking the same way.

Yet, Ayessa's past was rather different than Rook's. With it, she had something to offer unlike the man within her company.

​"What's that meant to mean?" He asked, knowing full well of the answer already. His pawn, once again, further traversed the field. Approaching the end zone with each passing moment.

[member="Ayessa Kroan"]

 

[Ayessa Kroan]

Open Space, Rook's Ship, Undetermined Time
Interacting with [member="Rook Lokar"] ~ Trouble
——————————————————————

"I had expectations that you wouldn't, is all. Call it a stereotype if you must but I've got a good idea of how most of your type acts." That Pawn had to be stopped, but none of her pieces were close enough, so a Rook slid out to begin trying to cut it's pathway off -- Chances were it was just enough behind in the turn order to not be very effective in dissuading the rogue Pawn. Damn. He was winning.

Letting go of the past was surprisingly hard, even as a Jedi, who was meant to do that on a whim. She couldn't let go of her clan, who had died centuries ago, or the other silvertongue who had passed far before that, or the family of an Order that she had grown to love violently. All were plucked, one by one. The disconnect between the 'then' and 'now' was as strong as her ties to the Force, and at this rate, she was just going to have to live with it instead of changing things. Maybe she was taking a couple pages from his book.

If things got bad, she could just throw herself out the airlock. That solved at least half her problems.

"Here's hoping the next job needs an extra set of hands."

 

[Rook Lokar]

Rook's head crooked to the left, staring at Ayessa in a moment of reprieve from the game they played. His arms folded over his chest, and his lips pursed with an almost amused feature to them. "Stereotype?" He almost scoffed at the thought. "I've not been done before." Rook had said in response, uncrossing his arms, as his eyes diverted back to the game, "I promise you that." Some conviction stuck to those words like glue, just as they were to be spoken by someone who truly believed in them.

Whether it was the truth or not was yet to be seen. Rook had that air about him, the way most Corellian Smuggler's did. He may not be original, or may he break the mould.

A bishop of his, one that laid dormant for most of the game sweeped across to defend the Pawn. Slicing out the opposition that Ayessa had placed before it. Sacrifices needed to be made in order to achieve a victory, and this was simply one of many.

[member="Ayessa Kroan"]

 

[Ayessa Kroan]

Open Space, Rook's Ship, Undetermined Time
Interacting with [member="Rook Lokar"] ~ Trouble
——————————————————————

A scowl, the first one he might have seen, erupted across her features at the sight, "You haven't proven yourself a liar. Yet." Keeping any venom at his good play out of her tone, her King finally awoke to play, moving along the left-side of her battlefield to congeal power to that side of the board. She kept musing over his words, her scrunched expression relaxing into one of a smile, albeit at what wasn't clear, "And, you'll be hard-pressed to find a Kiffar quite like me." Unconventional Corellian and unconventional Jedi. Two always was better than one.

That Rook was now caught in the open, with her pieces shifting left side.

Sacrifices indeed.

 

[Rook Lokar]

A smirk. It seemed to be the most common expression that came over his face, and always for good reason. Rook was wonderful at creating his own amusement, things to laugh at, things to smile, things to... enjoy. He stole own final glance at Ayessa before reattaching his attention back towards the board at hand. His eyes flicking back up, one last time, as he spoke, "Luckily for you, I don't know any other Kiffar." And that was the truth. In fairness, he didn't really know many people. Knew of, but knowing someone? That was a little more than he cared to do.

Flick, flick, flick. His hand turning the nozzle, coming to a Rook on the far side of the table; the right side had been left undefended, and his dormant Rook soared to the other end of the table. Now in line, now on the flank. Maybe his Bishop and Pawn were to die, but the Rook was sure to be in the best position available.

​Was that a metaphor? The Rook letting others take the heat so he can achieve what he wants, perhaps in the literal sense in the physical realm or not. He was bound to let someone else take the brunt of something if given the opportunity, in reality.

[member="Ayessa Kroan"]