R & R [ Mandalorian Empire & Friends ]

[Joza Perl]

Joza hummed in mild agreement, glancing around to see if anyone had overheard their little induction into whatever, but they all seemed to be occupied elsewhere. For a moment, the Zeltron appreciated how closely bonded everyone seemed. Family was a positive concept to her, something she’d pushed out of her mind while growing up under the care of her mother. Zef hadn’t been around, and Joza convinced herself that she didn’t need a father. But there had always been a nagging feeling in the back of her mind of what could have been. Who knows, maybe she would have grown up as a little Mandalorian warrior child.

When her eyes met with Alkor’s again, she found her own confusion reflected in his gaze. It seemed that he was as green as her when it came to the Mando lifestyle.

“Huh?” She gave him an inquiring look, though it soon faded from her features as he softly grasped her hand. Joza did not pull away, but remained still and steady, unable to deny a spark of wariness that hardened her stance. Though it didn’t feel as though he was going to strike or hurt her, it also didn’t feel as if this was normal behavior for the man. And when he pulled away, she almost got the impression that the movement was involuntary.

“Are you alright?” Leaning forward, her fingertips instinctively grazed across his forehead, moving his hair out of the way as they did so. It was almost a maternal mechanism, likely something comforting she had pick up from her own mother. For a few moments she studied his face with a pensive frown, trying to discern what was going on inside his head. She wouldn’t poke or prod him with the Force, seeing as how that would come across as intrusive. It also took away from getting to know a person’s more physical nuances when they spoke.

Realizing that the contact might not be welcome, Joza pulled back and shifted her weight to one hip. “If I’m making you uncomfortable, you don’t have to keep making polite conversation with me. Really.” She took another sip of her drink, offering him a small smile from behind the rim of the glass. "Though I guess we're part of the family now, or something?" With her free hand, she gestured vaguely to a group laughing about some inside joke.

[member="Alkor Centaris"]

 

[Alkor Centaris]

He stared at her hand for a moment longer in quiet contemplation of what significance the phenomena held. Since he was able to comprehend what exactly he was sensing, it had been a thing of horror and excitement in perfect unity. The ability to glimpse into the inner workings of the Force at all was beyond words. Jedi grasped at straws to explain what they felt when they drew on the ethereal font, and Sith managed only to cow themselves before the immense power it traded in exchange for their souls. What he could see was even more breathtaking than that, and even more damning. "I'm fine," he expelled the breath he had held for several long moments as he spoke quickly.

Alkor recognized the instability of his actions and demeanor and shook his head. "I wonder how I could explain it," he muttered absently as he glanced out at the sea again. There weren't many people in the galaxy properly trained in the art, and the known number of them had most certainly dwindled during the Gulag Plague. If anyone else in the sector could perceive what he had, the Dark Jedi would have been surprised.

Shatterpoints weren't like Force Bonds. The power to see those bonds was magnified by such keen senses, but the two occurrences were not synonymous. Whereas people developed bonds over time and were able to share in feelings, thoughts, and sensations through them, Shatterpoints were the convergences where entities in the Force overlapped, like fault lines. One slight shift was akin to an earthquake: instantly devastating.

How could one have just... appeared?

Joza stroked his forehead in a tender display of endearment, and his gaze shifted quickly back to her. No one had ever touched him in such a way, nor was he sure of how to feel about it. Did this woman have some sort of agenda, or were these kind and warm feelings intended for him? Alkor did not stop to assume an answer to that. When she pulled away, he listened to her words and realized that she thought something was amiss between them in a sociological sense, and he understood that his actions might have sent that sort of message to her.

"I apologize for my abruptness," he said, bowing his head. "It isn't you, not the way you're thinking." Alkor raised his eyes to level with hers and pondered how to tell her what he had seen.

"Have you ever looked at something," he asked, "and wondered how it came together? What made it function, and how it... exists?"

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

Not the way you’re thinking. Basically, what she just heard, is that it was her. Before paranoia had a chance to set in, Alkor elaborated. Joza watched him carefully as he spoke, trying to discern what he was thinking through body language and facial features. Something had struck him, that much she could tell. Beyond that, the Zeltron hadn’t a clue what was going in the Dark Jedi’s mind.

Considering his words for a moment, she idly swirled her drink and pursed her lips in thought. Though she’d cast the title Jedi aside, Joza had been introduced to the ways of the Force by those who still called themselves Jedi Knights and Masters. Admittedly, she still drew on some of the Jedi fundamentals to work through difficult situations. The young woman had slowly been settling into a more patient, pragmatic way of handling things—though the days of hysterical aggression and brazen lack of self-control were not very far behind her at all. Maybe that’s the sort of thing being in chains taught you.

“Probably not in the way you’re trying to describe.” An honest answer, as she was confused at what Alkor was trying to get at. Her thoughts could sink deeper into the mysteries of the Force and the galaxy as a whole during meditation, but she wasn’t sure what he was getting at. “Did something just happen relating to that…?”

[member="Alkor Centaris"]

 

[4ND-R0]

A tan, Kom'rk-class fighter / transport hummed over the skies of Dubrillion. The great ship's wings folded upwards and began to land not that far from the resort where the others of the Mandalorians and their aruetyc (outsiders, not traitor) friends resided. The ship had a couple markings on it on it. First of which were a string of Mando'a letters, spelling out the word "Bes'galaar", a seeming compound of the word "Beskar" (Iron) and "Galaar" (Hawk). The other was the familiar symbol of one of Mandalorian Clans, the one of Clan Betna. Out of the ship came a woman dressed in brown, earthen beskar'gam, a small capelet of fur drapped over her right shoulder. "Kadi'ka, k'olar!" The woman spoke.

Following her as she approached the retreat was an anooba, one seemingly bonded to her. The beast padded at her side, rather like a domesticated canine, its tongue lolling out. Behind her back, in its collapsed state, was her energy bow, her signature hunting weapon. As she got even closer, she removed the owl-like helmet from her head, revealing a young woman in her late-twenties to early thirties. She raise her hand in greeting to the other. "Su cuy'gar! Mirdala. Aliit Betna." She said to the others, smiling.

 

[Alkor Centaris]

"It's difficult to explain," he told her, "but essentially, yes. Perhaps when we have time, I'll try to elaborate."

He glanced down at his own hand for a long moment and decided that he did not want to try to understand the meaning behind all of it. The others had started to swim or eat, and a majority of the ones drinking had already sufficiently drowned themselves to a point where conversation was pointless. It seemed like he and Joza were the only ones in an infinitesimally small universe, and the stars were judging him for it. The feeling did not sit well with him.

"We should... ah... I don't know. I'm not a fan of these sorts of things," he said honestly. "I want to leave."

Alkor was unsure if she wanted to leave, so he did not want to push that option on her. Instead, he decided that it might be best if he took his own leave and let her decide on her own where to go from there.

It did not occur to him that he might have just inferred something else entirely.

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

Oh.

Despite her best efforts, Joza felt her heart drop a little when he mentioned leaving. The young Zeltron found that she legitimately enjoyed talking with Alkor, even as their conversation extended beyond their mutual friend. And now he wanted to leave? Was he getting bored? Uncomfortable? Her lips twisted into a pout for a moment before her features darkened with a knowing look. His words connected in her mind, and unfortunately her thoughts went in a different direction than his.

At first, she figured that he wasn’t that interested in her—at least, not in the way she was usually approached by men. But then he’d suddenly grabbed her hand, and now he was asking her to…leave with him? Leave him alone? The message seemed scrambled, but it was cause enough for her to go on the defensive.

Over the course of a few seconds, all traces of congeniality would drain from her face, gaze sharpening and features hardening. Her posture reflected her wariness, and the once affable Zeltron woman now seemed wholly unamused.

“Why?”

[member="Alkor Centaris"]

 

[Alkor Centaris]

When she asked why, his gaze turned directly toward her and he blinked once. The question seemed laced with uncertainty, but with more... malice? Her tone shifted quickly from kind to something else, and Alkor finally found something he did understand in her demeanor. Whether or not he comprehended the cause, he knew that she was displeased. "I'm not comfortable in large groups," he said without hesitation. "I want to go somewhere quieter."

His thoughts moved back to another time, in the Hapes consortium when he was hired as an escort for a highborn lady. It was different this time, in no small part because his duty did not involve the murder of Joza Perl, but it felt almost the same. The noblewoman wanted to remain at the party, but Alkor needed her isolated. Her reaction was volatile. What had he been instructed to do to pacify her?

Alkor glanced around at the others and knew that any display of affection might not be well met. The quick kiss he had afforded that Hapan may have been meaningless, but it had gotten her to cooperate. Would that be the case with Joza, or would he make things worse?

There was no point in trying to debate it internally. His goals were ultimately the same- get out of this situation, and placate the woman. The pieces fit together. Alkor gently took her by the nape of her neck and planted a soft kiss on her cheek. The number of times he had rehearsed the action to get the feeling right showed- his eyes were half open, his lips parted only a fraction of a centimeter, and his breath fell hot against her skin.

Eversio had taught him that. A master of seduction, well known for his skill with diplomacy as well as brazen sexual conquest. In many ways, they were opposites. Still, it was a powerful skill in the right situations. The man had explained how a lip kiss meant significantly more, and ought only to be used in a time of great necessity and even then not lightly. Use it at your peril, Alkor Centaris, for it denotes great interest and passion toward the recipient. They may wrongly judge your intent.

Right. Don't kiss her on the lips. Still...

A kiss is a kiss. Between loved ones, it is a display of affection. Placing your lips anywhere on the body of another shows a significant amount of intent. You need to be careful.

Did I... miscalculate?

He watched her warily for a moment, unsure of himself. Will it soothe her, or enrage her more? "It was never my intention to offend, Joza," he uttered softly. "Please do not take it personally."

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

Joza’s contained wariness seemed to wane as Alkor explained that he didn’t like large gatherings. That made sense enough, but her guard still hadn’t dropped completely. She stared at him pensively, trying to discern whether he was being sincere or if he was trying to manipulate her further.

As his hand slipped along the nape of her neck and his lips brushed against her cheek, Joza stilled suddenly. The contact was unanticipated and out of place, but what surprised Joza the most was how she felt her stomach twist at the gentle touch. She was a Zeltron, she craved intimate contact at the core, so why was something as simple as a light kiss eliciting this sort of response from her body?

It wasn’t exactly a flashback, but her mind briefly dipped into more recent memories. Unpleasant ones. Chains, slave collars and skimpy outfits. Greedy hands, roving eyes and harsh words. You brought this on yourself. You asked for this. This is your own fault. No one had told her that she didn’t deserve to be tortured and humiliated, so Joza had taken it upon herself to tell herself that. Stop that. You’re better than that. You know you are. Alkor’s kiss had scrambled her senses for a few moments. There was no hint of aggression, but there was nothing that said it wouldn’t lead down a potentially regrettable path. She barely knew him. And even though they were among the vacationing Mandalorians, her instincts to protect herself won out over any calming effect the gesture would have had on her.

As he spoke to her, Joza’s hands found his shoulders and pushed him away from her roughly. “Don’t,” She bit out, a mix of confusion and anger swirling in her eyes as a flicker of fear passed through them. “Don’t do that.” Her voice dropped an octave, but remained steady. Joza didn’t want to risk drawing too much attention to the pair, not yet at least. Straightening, she sighed shortly from the back of her throat and fixed him with a heavily critical gaze. “What do you even want from me?” By this point, she had half-turned away from him, right hand toying with the left sleeve of her cardigan out of nervous habit.

[member="Alkor Centaris"]

 

[Alkor Centaris]

Miscalculated had been an understatement.

Alkor felt her push him violently away and his instant response was to grip the lightsaber tightly. Is she going to try to attack? He glanced sidelong at the others present- no one was looking their way yet. The sound of a lightsaber snapping and hissing to life would draw their ire rapidly, however. He let the weapon rest at his side when he heard her question, and the Dark Jedi turned away bitterly. This is the last time I try to use Eversio's method to calm a woman down, he told himself.

"Nothing," he said. "I don't want anything."

That was true, yet for some reason he could not help feeling that everything was wrong. Alkor shook his head. Joza seemed guarded, upset, and uncertain. Anything he could say to her would be pointless. "I was told that kisses elicited an opiate response," he admitted, "and could be used to diffuse hostilities, or help to circumvent the defenses of a more wary target." His eyes moved to his hands, which he moved in a circular manner as he examined it.

"It worked on that Hapan Noble," he told her. "She wanted to leave the room quickly, and get away from prying eyes. She kept saying such strange things. She wanted to... I didn't... I don't..." Alkor let his hand fall. "Killing her was more of a relief than I like to admit. Her words made me uneasy."

His eyes were fixed on the horizon now as he considered the memory. "I'm not meant for this sort of thing, so I apologize. I don't understand any of this. These cultural taboos, social constructs, friendship... none of this is what I was taught."

Alkor leaned his head back and stared up at the clouds.

For a moment, he considered whether any of this was worth the effort. A killer past his time was little more than a killer without a reason to kill. He was like garbage, useless, without a drive. There were no Dark Jedi to call brother, and he had no other skills. His life had no point, and he had no value.

"I'll take my leave," he said finally. "I have no reason to remain."

The Jen'jidai reached up and pulled his hood over his eyes, then turned and headed off.

[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Joza Perl]

oops