Risks are taken every second

[Garza]

Umbara - The Shadow World
​Capitol City
Mid-day

Another pit stop. One that was rather cold and secluded. A place where sunlight was rarely seen, and if it was there, it was less than a lightbulb in the sky. Seeing as how I was only 20 or so years old, from my looks that is, I was somewhat of a target. If I carried no weapons with me, I was a liability. I could be killed by some of the other Bounty Hunters that thought I was a threat. Hell, even a Civi could have a vibroshiv in their pocket and stab me just because I look at them wrong. So I decided to wear a version of my clone era armor. The boots, Glove/gauntlets, chestplate, and helm were all that I had for armor. While the two blaster pistols I left in the ship, I had my vibroblades that were attached to the gauntlets. Hidden to look as though it was just a design on the armor, the blade would slide out through a slit in the armor and become a wrist sword. Hey! at least it was something.

Though to avoid all the white armor, I had taken ash and mud and rubbed it all over myself, as well as earlier taking the blaster pistol and had and fired a few rounds into the chest plate, and other piece to make it look like as though it had been used. It looked better, but not perfect. Best I could do after that was take ragged cloth in different strips and have it over my body in places to look as though it was ripped clothing that I let hang just because it was still there. being an experimental clone on my lonesome was kind of scary. That I would not deny to myself.

Looking up to the sky as I was standing on the ramp of my Imperial Shuttle that was considered an antique to even the oldest of ship collectors. Hell, even my armor was older than the ship. But, it worked, and that is all that mattered to me. Walking down the ramp, A pudgy man ran up to me with a datapad. Requesting credits to land here. I dug in my pockets and handed him the amount he requested, with a tip to let him leave it here even if someone else wanted to land here. He nodded his head and was off. I had collected alot of stuff from the ship that I was on, and in the places that I have been so far. And well, it was a lot.

if I had a list, I would keep it with me, but as of this moment, I had not really taken inventory to the items on my ship. I just threw whatever I could fit in there and left. I shook my head. remembering that I had to find a place to get supplies. Moving along the city streets. I walked into just about every bar down the lane. looking for a place to find to get materials. Heck, even a place to stay for the night would be nice. I stopped on the corner of two streets and sat down on the bench. Taking my helmet off, I revealed my face with the deep blue hair that was considered a Genetic mutation of clones. I hated it, but in a sense, it saved my life, because if I was not in the center of the disposal chute, I could have been killed when the ship was attacked by someone.

Running a hand through my hair, I ruffed it up and let it stay there as though I had bedhead. Once more, it looked like I would be stuck on what to do. Apparently I did not have the Leadership gene.

[member="Maria Natalja"],

 

[Nikolas Faselli]

It was a wonderful evening, the capital city's outer areas were indeed a nice place to live. It felt like living in a place where it's always the evening, twilight. And that was so cool, it was a rather exotic place, considering the fact that her previous home planet had been quite full of light during summer days. This one, however, was colder and darker, not necessarily more dangerous. It was under the Republic's control and she felt safe there. That was indeed the place where Maria felt like she is at home. Her home was in the more suburban areas of the city and that is where she was headed.

On that day, she had gone to the theatre because of a lovely musical about a troubled heart. She had really liked the best parts of it and she knew the money she had spent had been spent for a thing she enjoyed. She was still wearing a black beautifully decorated dress and a black handbag which basically held only her money and some makeup inside, nothing else would have fit in.

Walking down the road towards her home, she enjoyed the night, she really did. Many benches and many streetlights were passed, but at one bench, she saw somebody, a toubled heart maybe? The troubled heart had blue hair, that's what she was able to see. And she was wearing a trooper armour. She had seen those, but as she remembered, these weren't used anymore. Maybe they were clone trooper armour? Or stormtrooper? Whatever, it was the past and held no matter anymore.

"Hi!" Maria said with a friendly tone while she was taking a seat next to the man. She smiled to her.

[member="CC-4277"]

 

[Garza]

UGH! all I wanted to do was find a place where I could belong to a group. A place where I didn't have to look over my shoulder every thirty seconds. Nor did I want the attention of having natural blue hair. I mean, who had that kind of crap? Sure the Zeltrons had weird colored skin and hair, but that was normal for them. But a "human" with blue hair was abnormal. A rock was at my foot. Looking at it for a second. I literally almost started to scream as even the rock had a place and a time to be in. But I stopped when I heard a voice. Smooth yet somewhat small for a single word.

Looking up I saw a woman in a black dress and a matching handbag. Small as could ever be, I doubt air could have fit in the thing. She sat down next to me and I was just looking at her as though I questioned her life choices. Her smile was sweet. Calming almost. I leaned up and rubbed my eyes. Trying to get rid of any evidence that I was close to tears.

"Um... hello?" I scooted away from her for a moment. making my rear reach the end of the bench. Not that far from where I was before. "What do you... want from...me?" Once more my voice was not so good. messed up in a few ways. it almost seemed as though I was purposely trying to pause just to mess people up in their speech. Really it was because my vocal cords were damaged somehow. I forgot about that when I looked the woman over again.

She lokked rather pretty. Considering that she was wearing a fine dress, and had a hand bag that costed more than my ship, I found that I almost blushed because I was not used to talking to a girl that was.... well dressed up nice.

[member="Maria Natalja"]

 

[Nikolas Faselli]

[member="CC-4277"]

"I did not intend to make you feel bad. I'm so sorry," Maria spoke with a voice speaking of apology and shame. She guessed it was her strange appearance which may have frightened the man. She was still living through the transition and didn't look too normal - her eyes were still changing their colour and only a part of them were blue, the rest of her eyes was still ember-coloured like typical Epicanthixes were meant to have. Or maybe it was because of the person's own personality and... everything about him. She couldn't have been too sure about that.

"I saw you and thought that maybe you are feeling a bit lonely and need some company. I can leave if I am a problem," she continued. She still had her manners, they had actually even become a lot betetr since she joined the Jedi Order. Not being necessarily polite, because that would have been just awful and bland and stupid, she understood when it's correct to do something. And at the moment it would have been better to leave.

But she just couldn't leave the man here alone. He seemed so worried, so troubled.

 

[Garza]

She said she was sorry. I didn't know how to react so really all I was doing was sitting there gaping at her. She continued to say that she came over because I looked lonely. Saying that she could leave if she was the problem. I shook my head, mouth still agape before I finally replied.

"Um... no you are... fine."

I turned towards her and set my helmet down on the ground. I offered my hand in a greeting. "The names CC." While I was not used to talking to others, But I knew some of the things about people. Like not staring at them! I moved my eyes to move towards my hand as I handed it out to her. Maybe by looking at it for a second would allow me to not make the conversation awkward. "Just not used... to people... being so.... kind."

[member="Maria Natalja"],

 

[Nikolas Faselli]

[member="CC-4277"] (I'm so sorry for the delay)

"Um... no you are... fine."

Maria only smiled at the man and then handed her own hand to him as a greeting, as she realised the man may want to shake hands like normal people do. While shaking hands, Maria nodded after hearing the person's name and then continued the introduction with telling her own name. "It's nice to meet you, CC! You may call me Maria," she spoke with a friendly tone. "May I ask, if you speak of people not being too kind to you, what may be the reason behind it?" She was getting really curious. Every sentence the man spoke made her more and more interested in him, but also really worried.

The fact that CC was a bit awkward didn't matter to the woman at all, in fact it only made her friendlier and, well, feeling a bit better? She was really unsure of her own feelings as she was in transition from the Dark Side to the Light, making her emotions really unstable.

 

[Garza]

I nodded my head and smiled slightly as if though in pain. it was true. Most of the time people were not really kind as they were more so, not open for me to talk to. I felt as though I needed to talk to someone, but couldn't out of fear. and this woman seemed to be different. As our hands separated from each other, I spoke answering her question, "More like I want to be open and talk to people, but others are not willing to open up." I looked to her and decided that I could trust her. it was almost a gut feeling that I had telling me about how she seemed to be someone that felt almost the same or like in some way to myself. "I am not a normal person, in fact not really a person at all so it's kind of hard to accept for others to allow me to talk to them."

[member="Maria Natalja"],
(Forgive me, Didn't see this until now.)

 

[Nikolas Faselli]

[member="CC-4277"]

Maria nodded as the man spoke. She understood, even though her situation was a lot different. "I understand you. I myself are having hard times right now, too. I have been left alone in this great galaxy, without any family, without any friends. Now I am just... alone," Maria said as she moved her head away from the man, looking in front of her. Then she lowered her eyes a bit, even sad-looking she was. "May I ask, though, why do you think you are not a real person?"

it was a bit interesting to peek into the sad lives of other people, but... there were some things she didn't quite understand. Was the man a hologram? Well, yeah, probably not.

 

[Garza]

Maria spoke about also feeling alone, both without her family and friends. I didn't know which was worse. Having friends and family and being abandoned, or being a clone left to die without any feelings. Her sad look made me want to do the same. Her question of asking me how I was not a real person made me scoff to myself. I pointed to my hair. "I have naturally blue hair without being a Zeltron, I have a set of tattoos burned into my eye balls that I know nothing about, and I was deemed a genetic mutation from a batch of clones after the fall of the Galactic Empire when Darth Vader and Sidious were breathing." I was a clone that was supposed to be dead. However I was not due to the fact that the people who attacked the ship shut down the systems to send me into space to die a breathless death.

[member="Maria Natalja"],

 

[Nikolas Faselli]

[member="CC-4277"]

"I would say you are quite OK," Maria spoke as she looked back at the man. "Not as a clone trooper, maybe, but as a human." Maria took a deep breath and then set her little handbag aside. The discussion was a bit sad and emotional, it was only a matter of time of when would Maria start to cry. Along with the transition, the cry would be extremely panicking and horrific. Nobody had ever told her how powerful was the presence of the Dark Side when one decided to go to the Light Side of the Force. So many people doubted in her, many didn't want her to do some things at all. But she didn't let the hate bother her too much. At least on the outside.

To change subject and not become even sadder, Maria asked, "So how did you end up on this planet?"

 

[Garza]

Looking to her as she looked almost too sad to be sitting here and being happy, She commented about me saying that I am quite fine. Her words brought two meanings to me. One, that I was not just a clone, I was a person. Two, I was a human who had emotions and feelings, and that I should be treated as one. As because of this, she changed the subject to be how I got here. Smiling I thought I might as well crack a joke,

"How many... others do. By a ship."

I smiled and chuckled to myself. either I was funny, or she would not get it. "I came because.... I needed... to find a ...... place to stay.... kind of hard.... when you are .... alone."

[member="Maria Natalja"],

 

[Nikolas Faselli]

[member="CC-4277"]

"How many... others do. By a ship."

Maria chuckled. It was obvious the boy she had just met was turning a bit happier now. Maybe it was because Maria had come to him and treated him like a human, like a real person? She couldn't tell, but logically thinking that was most likely to be the reason why CC was about to feel better.

"I came because.... I needed... to find a ...... place to stay.... kind of hard.... when you are .... alone."

The girl nodded. "I understand you. I was left alone - or well, I left others, becoming alone - with much credits in my hands. Setting up a new home was not too much of a problem for me, getting a good home on a planet like this isn't quite difficult, either," she spoke with a tone of friendliness and understanding. "But there are so many people in the galaxy who can't afford all of that." So she took a deep breath, thinking at the same time, before she continued.

"But I am a Jedi now, money should hold no meaning for me. Thus, I could give you some money to find a nice place for staying. Though my heart aches in worry and I'd better let you stay at my house as I've got a spare room at the moment. But I understand it may be too strange, coming from a complete stranger."

 

[Garza]

Looking to her as she spoke, saying that she knew about the same feeling, but having credits to have the necessary items to get across the galaxy. Looking to her in some confusion to where she was going, when she got to the point of taking me to her place, I pointed to myself. "You want me.... to come to... your place?" I looked to her in some confusion, I looked off to the side trying to think of what to say. my mind jumbled. "Thank you?"

[member="Maria Natalja"]

 

[Nikolas Faselli]

[member="CC-4277"]

"I understand if it is too much for you..." Maria spoke, suddenly regretting her aid a bit. She should have kept her mouth shut instead of talking of taking a complete stranger to her home. She only desired to be good to him, but maybe the man thought it was really odd... "It's an option. Not all people understand you and I thought maybe even if paid, people wouldn't like having you around. But I know how you feel and I could help you. That is why I thought you could come to stay a night or a few at my place."

 

[Garza]

Shaking my head I reached out to her, but stopped as I thought I might hurt her. I do not really know my true strength, and while I may try to be gentle, I would really be rather hard and cause her pain. I shook my head once more. "You are.... trying to be.... nice." Standing up, I offered her my hand to help her up from her seat, "Kindness goes.... a long way when.... it is given.... with a.... clear mind and..... a contrite heart."

Helping her to her feet, I nodded my head towards the spaceport, "Depending on.... where you live.... will I need.... to bring extra?"

[member="Maria Natalja"],

 

[Nikolas Faselli]

[member="CC-4277"]

Maria smiled as the man stood up and handed her his hand. The woman took it and with the help of CC, she stood up. "I don't live too far away from here, only a few streets around the corner," she spoke. She didn't actually quite undertsand what the man was referring to, but she assumed it was money or something alike. "I will show you where I live and then you can bring all the stuff you need. Is that alright?" She really hoped so. It was so crazy to know that somebody would be joining his household and everything... Especially because it was nearly a complete stranger.

Starting to walk towards the house with small, relaxed steps, she thought of the matter and understood it was truly the right thing to do. Any caring person would have done that. Well, maybe not, but a Jedi would have.

 

[Garza]

I nodded my head as she mentioned about going to her house. While most people would have asked about that, I was only referring to clothes, and maybe my sidearm simply because I felt almost naked without a weapon. Even while I carried one under my shirt and jacket. I didn't want to scare her. She looked like someone who was almost... too girly for weapons. But since I was not so good at reading people, only actions, I didn't know if she had been around them or not.

Walking after her as we were going what seemed to be just around the corner, I spoke to her simply because I would rather have small talk, than awkward silence. "Yes that sounds.... fine." First answering her question, and continuing to speak, even in my lack of vocal abilities. "Why would a.... pretty girl like.... you be living.... in a.... place like..... this?"

[member="Maria Natalja"],

 

[Nikolas Faselli]

[member="CC-4277"]

"I live here... Because I ended up here. It is difficult to explain that, but people sometimes form emotional bonds with certain things or places. And well, this is the place I have an emotional bond with. It's so strong that it doesn't let me leave. At first it was annoying, but now I love living on this dark planet. Kind of reminds me of my old home, even though there was a lot brighter. The only thing I miss here is a fine morning. You can't have many of them over here," she spoke, and then smiled at the man. Maria had enjoyed the little silence, but there was nothing bad about talking, either. Maybe it was even good that CC had started talking to her.

"I like its people. They have kept me here even more than the emotional bond. It's the Republic...

It's my home."​