Private Sensing How The Wind Blows

[Sergeant Omen]

One step in front of the other, Omen looked like any other man. With a paper bag in his hand, the Clone walked through Empress Teta's many parks. Aren had her shop, Jett and Korda had their training together and he had his walks. The spring winds swirled around him as he found a park bench, the Clone sitting down with a bag in his hand. Soon enough a flock of Kiros Birds flocked at his feet, happily chirping as they bounced around him. "Hey fellas, don't worry I got your food." Unwrapping the brown paper bag, he unraveled the paper bags in his hands and started to toss out bread crumbs and small berries for the birds to feast on. Even with the food, their was something strange the right person who notice that attracted them. If he wasn't covered in them in a few minutes, he would be surprised.

As he glanced around while indluging the birds, he noticed two policemen walking past not far away in the colors of the Sith Covenant. It was the only sign anything was different on this world then when he and Aren settled on this world. Atleast they usually were respectable to the average person who didn't get in their way. And Omen diffently didn't want too. Not that he couldn't deal with them but it would wreak that life they all had created and he doubted Aren would forgive him for that... So he was here to stay and there was wrose company than the cripping birds.

Braze

 

[Braze]

Tags: Sergeant Omen ​

Braze had come to Empress Teta aboard a Fugu frigate, seeking carbonite resources for larger developments he meant to set into motion on Veridia. The trip was practical , but he wasn't only here to load cargo and leave. He took time to look over the world for himself, moving with caution through a planet that now sat beneath Sith Covenant control. That alone made him careful in all that he did while he was here, his hood shadowing his face beneath a fur-lined, poncho-style wrap cloak.

The last time he had passed through this region of space, he had seen Varin Mortifer and Meliant while trying to help Ko Vuto retrieve his little bonsai tree from the temple on Coruscant. The recollection lingered in the back of his mind as he surveyed the area now, softening none of his wariness…

So it caught his attention when he noticed someone in what appeared to be a park, calmly feeding the local wildlife...The scene before him felt almost out of place.

Braze slowed, his gaze lingering on the figure a moment longer than he meant it to. The odd little scene caught and held his attention, stirring enough curiosity to draw him a little nearer. He padded closer curious to see the birds that were flocking to this odd fellow.

 

[Sergeant Omen]

Omen felt on someone's eyes on him as he strained to listen over the chirping. He first sighted the... kid... in the bomber jacket looking at him like he was a museum exhibit. God, the clone hated when people did this. Putting up his leather hood up around his head, he wished gawkers didn't exist. Still he was just a kid just out of high school probably.

The white haired young man looked out of place and Omen hadn't seen him before. That just meant the futher possiblity of trouble. If he was a Sith agent or force user that had noticed him... That would be more trouble that he could handle at the moment. Dumping out the rest of on the ground, he slowly got up as the bird swarmed their meal. Causually walking nothing was wrong, he started to walk out of the park and toward some of the public alleyway's nearby, trying to lose his purser before this turned into a mess.

Braze

 

[Braze]

Tags: Sergeant Omen ​

Braze blinked, watching the man depart after dumping what he had been feeding the birds.

What an odd fellow… he thought briefly.

His gaze moved over the square before returning once more to the retreating figure, as though some missing detail might yet make sense of the man's sudden departure. For a small while after, he watched the birds instead, their little bodies crowding and pecking at what had been left behind.

Had Braze been noticed?

The thought touched him with mild concern. The man had left rather suddenly. Braze did not think himself important enough to be recognized. The last thing he needed was the wrong sort of attention in a place like this… so he let the thought go and turned to move on, meaning to leave the strange little moment where it belonged.

"Oi… you."

Braze glanced aside at the sharp voice. One of the nearby vendors had fixed him with an open scowl, broad hands planted on the edge of his stall as though Braze himself had become some personal offense.

"You planning to buy something," the man demanded, loud enough for those nearest to hear, "or are you just going to stand there lurking and upsetting people?"

Braze stared at him, caught for half a breath between surprise and offense. "I was doing neither."

The vendor gave a rough little huff through his nose. "Mm. Funny, because from where I'm standing, you looked like some sticky fingered thug casing the square and staring down my customers." He jerked his chin toward the lane, toward where the man had gone. "One leaves in a hurry, and you're still standing there skulking after him. Doesn't look good, does it?"

Braze's mouth parted, then closed again... Of all the absurd things… Before he could answer, the vendor had already turned his head and raised his voice. "Covenant… over here."

That drew a stillness into Braze's frame that had not been there a moment before as his whole body became primed for fight or flight as his mind became aware already mapping out possible exit strategies.

Two figures in the colors of the Sith Covenant began to make their way over. They moved with the ease of men accustomed to being obeyed. The nearer of the two slowed a few paces from Braze, his gaze raking over the the pale line of his face.

"There a problem here?"

"There is," the vendor said at once, eager now that the matter had been handed to someone else. "He's been standing about, watching people. Spooked one clean off and has been skulking around my stall long enough to put off paying customers."

The second Covenant man looked him over with no sign that the distinction mattered much. "Name."

The square seemed to go on around them in that peculiar way public places did when trouble began to gather… feet kept moving, voices still rose and fell, and the birds still fought over crumbs in the dust, yet attention bent toward the scene all the same.

"I have done nothing worth this fuss," Braze said at last, his tone cooler now.

"Maybe," the first one replied, "and maybe not. You can clear that up easily enough." His stare did not leave Braze's face. "Chain code."

Braze held himself still beneath the demand, one hand flexing faintly at his side before stilling again.

"Is that truly necessary?" he asked

 

[Sergeant Omen]

As he was clambering up a firescape, Omen heard the commotion behind him and felt something. Maybe it was the force telling him something, or maybe he just felt sorry for the young man being ostracized just because he felt a little uncomfortable. But he needed to help. And some he turned back, already forming a plan in his head.

Hiding around the corner, the clone quietly spied the interaction between Braze and the two cops. It appeared hard asses were going to be hard asses. No way they were going to let him go easily. So, Omen would have to force their hand.

Braze would first hear a shrill whistle from the alleyway behind him. And he would hear the angry flutttering of wings as those same birds flew between him and the two police officers. All talons and furious squawking, they were enough of a distraction for Blaze to get away. He'd better bring more breadcrumbs next time to make up for their trouble.

When Braze turned around, he would see Omen gesturing from behind the corner before disappearing back behind the corner. If Blaze decided to follow, the Clone would lead on for alittle ways, making sure they weren't followed. Only after they were far enough away from the incident did he decide to speak. "Sorry about that. They were right, though, it's impolite to stare." The impish grin on the Clone's face told the Jedi he didn't mean anything by it. Just making some easy conversation to break the tension. "They are going to put a notice out for now, but you should be fine as long as you get to ground for a while. If you don't have any place, you can stay at my place til you are ready to go." Sticking a hand out, he made his introduction. "I'm Omen, and welcome to the New Empress Teta."

If Braze accepted, Omen would lead him to an ordinary townhouse, but as he opened the garage door, Blaze would see that what was inside was anything but ordinary. A weapons locker with Mando Armor and Firearms stood up in front for any visitor to see, telling anyone who visited whose house this really was. There was also a workstation that had been cleaned up since Aren had moved her tools into her new shop. It was mostly used for weapons maintenance of his arms and storage for blaster parts. Walking up to a refrigerator and opening the door, he got out two glass bottles of Jogan fruit-flavored Tihaar and offered one to the emerald-eyed young man. "I'm going to assume you are old enough to drink this. I made it myself, and dare I say it's pretty good. At least the neighbors think so when I hand them out sometimes." As Blaze took a sip, Omen leaned back and asked a question he had been thinking since they had started walking together. "So... Business or pleasure?"

Braze

 

[Braze]

Sergeant Omen ​

Braze startled at what happened with the birds and did not need to think twice before scurrying away from the men and the sudden storm of feathered furry that reigned down upon them with all the voraciousness of hungry birds.

He spotted the man in the distance caught the gesture, and darted after him without hesitation. Braze followed him to the hideaway as though it were the most natural thing in the world, and with zero fear for the stranger.

“Omen? I’ll take our meeting as a good one, then,” he chirped simply in reply. “I’m Braze.”

Rather than offer a hand, he reached for the man’s forearm and clasped it with his own, forgoing a handshake for something more in the way of a warrior’s greeting.

He followed him farther into the hideaway, amazement left plain upon his face as those large green eyes wandered over the place taking it all in. " Wow... " He blinked when the drink was offered, It seemed like something he had already filed away under Mandalorian booze.

“Huh? Oh… yeah. I came here for business,” he chirped, lifting it to sniff at the contents.

Alcohol was still very new to him, and so… he took a cautious sip.

“Oh… I think my Aunt, Saram Kote , would like this,” he mused, then took another, longer drink before adding with complete sincerity, “I do intend to become a persistent inconvenience to every Sith cult, slaver ring, and black market broker I can reach.” Said the diminutive young man.

 

[Sergeant Omen]

Well, so far so good. Omen had taken the forearm shake in stride as he examined the new young man over. He seemed... energetic, and that could be a good or bad thing. "Well, I'm glad I got you out of a night's stay in a jail cell, Braze." Like anything could make this kid stay in one place, he didn't want to be. There was clearly something more than meets the eye with this kid. He just needed to figure out what it was.

At least he had shocked this Braze into submission with his gear. This kid looked like he was a kid in a candy store as he walked over to the locker. On top of the gear already described, there was a small safe inside the locker that held the lightsaber he had held onto for years by then. Call it a memento of the good old days. There was also another locker that looked like it was customized by a young woman, but all its gear had been taken out for some reason, for who knows why.

And at least Omen had good taste in Alcohol for this young man's first time. Guess his still set up in the backyard worked after all. And then the name Saram Kote came up. It took a second to place the name, with that nagging feeling that he had heard it before. And then he remembered... the lake on Eshan. So that's where he remembered the name from... The memory came all back at once of them sharing his creations by the lake. To Braze, he probably looked like he was a long way away with glassed-over eyes for a moment "Yeah, they did like it... At least a long time ago." He did think about her a lot that long time ago, and even had a crush on her. But the family business had sucked all of her time away. And Omen... well, Omen's path had gotten a lot more rocky before getting better. It's only natural that they had drifted from each other. "Next time you see her, tell her hi from me. Nice knowing she is still above ground." And to tell her the clone was somehow still living despite all that he had been through.

As Braze talked about culling the Sith from existence, the clone could only shake his head and chuckle. "Well, good luck with that... I spent a long time being ordered to do the same thing, didn't work out as we planned." Patches from different units of the Silver Jedi and GA that covered the inside of his locker told Braze that he was lying. The Clone had seen some nerfed situations... A lot of pretty nerfed situations. But who knows, maybe this eager young man could turn this galaxy around where his peers couldn't.

Omen went to pull out a drawer, taking from what looked like a flute. It was dented and its paint chipped, but it was still playable. Omen hoped its wielder was still up to the task. "Well, all I can do is wish you luck." As much as he wanted to help the Jedi, it would mean risking his home and the people he loved most. And for the Clone right now, after he was just getting out of the rainclouds... Stopping an endless horde wasn't an option. Playing his flute was. He gave a slow, cautious puff on it, knocking the dust off before blowing into it for real. It took Omen a bit to knock the rust off and catch his stride, but soon, he was playing a song of love and loss, of possibilities and roads not taken in this always-spinning galaxy.

Braze

Saram Kote mentioned

 

[Braze]

Here's the full post cleaned up and expanded with hooks for Omen:

Tags: Sergeant Omen ​

Braze huffed out a breath that was almost a laugh.

"Yeah… me too. Last time I got thrown in the slammer, it wasn't exactly fun. Tatooine's planetary penitentiary is basically hell with bars on that dust ball."

He rubbed at the back of his head, the memory of that harrowing experience with @Diodoros still far too easy to summon to teh surface.

Then he looked up, with cattish grin slowly etching its way back onto his face.

"You could say hi to her yourself, if you want~ I do have her comm link, and I'm going to see her soon," Braze chirped. "She's been helping me on a few projects…"

Stealing and burning tons of spice from black-market dealers might have been a bit more than 'project', but he didn't talk about that at present.

"She's been helping me with travel quite a bit, too. I'm hoping to see her when I take the supplies I picked up back." His grin softened at the thought, though his shoulders still carried the weight of unfinished work. "I still have so much to do back at the Tidewatch Aerie."

When Omen spoke of being ordered to cull the Sith from existence, Braze's expression shifted. The faint grin faddd, losing some of its mischief. His eyes drifted toward the old patches inside the locker, lingering there a moment longer than idle curiosity allowed.

"Ordered…?" he repeated softly...The word sat badly with him making him look a bit un settled.

"I don't think I want to do it because someone ordered me to..." Braze said pausing for a few long moments. "And I don't think I mean… every person who ever touched the dark side needs to die, either. That's not…" He frowned trailing on the thought.

"I mean the machinery. The trade routes... The slavers and cults. You know just the people selling poison... The the kind of rat bastards who make children afraid of the dark...I want to make it harder for them to reach people... I want to build places they can't just walk into and ruin."

He glanced back to Omen.

"I don't have a Council watching over my shoulder anymore. No one is telling me where to stand, or what kind of Knight I'm supposed to become." A small, crooked smile returned. "So I guess I'm trying to find out what I choose when no one is holding the leash."

Then the flute came out and teh soft song was played. Braze went still listening... His head tilted a little, white hair slipping against his cheek as he listened.

"…Did you ever do it?" he asked softly, once there was room enough for words. "Fight them on your own terms, I mean. Not because someone ordered you to...? Just because you chose to? And… does that song have a name?"

 

[Sergeant Omen]

Well, at least this planet's prison didn't fill up your cell with sand when it blew in through the windows. They both seemed to pause, with Omen putting the flute back in its drawer as he tried to force down his own memories in prison. When Braze said that he could connect the always busy Saram for him, there was an even longer pause as Omen said. "Just say that I say hello. See if she even remembers me after all these years." It would probably be better than him inserting himself in her life after all of these years. "I'll give you my comm number if she wants it. As for the song, I just came up with right now so... finding a name for it will take more than a millisecond."

When Blaze made that sour face, Omen guessed that he had phrased something wrong. "No, I wanted to at the time... Hell, I did some very stupid things to beat the Sith..." Like charging a whole enemy fleet in just a freighter... That was... a decision... "Maybe I just felt an obligation to those of my brothers that one threw away." Blaze probably knew who "that one" meant and what he had done. "And I feel pretty much the same." Otherwise, he would have to kill his future wife and that pert ass that the Ones gave her would be wasted.

The Clone couldn't help but chuckle at Blaze wanting to find his path. It was something he knew very well. "Welcome to Civilian Life except you aren't a civilian and never will be. I know the feeling well." He pointed over to the gun locker. "All I know is that but I'm learning the rest on the fly. And at least I got friends to help me do that. Those people I'll always be thankful for."

Braze

 

[Braze]

Tags: Sergeant Omen ​

"Yeah… friends are pretty great. I love all my friends, even when they're falling apart. Then I go and try to pick them up again…" Braze gave a soft little huff thinking to Loomi Aliris Tremiru and Ko Vuto ...

"Pshh… you sound like a bashful fawn. I'm sure she'd appreciate you calling her. Friends only stay friends if they reach out. Comms work both ways, you know?" He asked it simply, without much bite behind it. "But sure, I can give her your comm link if you want." He yawned, then settled down against a wall, letting his weight sink back into it. "Do you mind if I take a rest? I'm awfully tired..."

 

[Sergeant Omen]

Bashful fawn? Omen didn't know about all that. He just had fond memories of her that's all... Very fond memories. But he had made his choice, and he didn't think Aren D'Shade would be open to a threesome or swinging. She might dip into the dark side once and awhile, but she didn't fully wade into that Dark Side... And after not seeing each other for so long, it wouldn't be easy to reconnect. Still if he could see her again, that would be something he would try.

Shrugging Braze off, the older man managed a sigh. "You kids these days certainly are persistent." Granted that Omen was probably younger than the young man by abit. Ah the joys of being a Clone... "Come on, I'll show you where you can rest. You can share her number to me before you leave." And with that, Omen lead him upstairs. The only thing he wondered as he let Braze settle in is if he should order a litterbox or toys to entertain the cat-boy with.

Braze

 

[Braze]

Tags: Sergeant Omen ​

He blinked not expecting the man to offer him a more comfortable spot than the floor but scrambled to his feet none the less. He padded after and unlocked his com device which looked very much like a woman's compact mirror meant for powering their nose and offered it to him after scrolling to find Saram's number.

"I appreciate your help and aid, thank you. " Braze offered gently before stiffing a small yawn behind a hand. He really shouldn't stay away for three days straight it tended to do funny things to his mind but he'd been so busy as of late there was hardly time for rest... He would need time for the local law enforcement to forget about him any ways.

 

[Sergeant Omen]

Omen sighed as he rested at the kitchen table, looking at Saram's number in his dataslate. Despite how young the boy was, he did make some sense. It would be nice to call Saram a friend again.

The Clone really didn't know what to make of the young man whose snoring he could hear from upstairs. Supposidly, he was knight in rank atleast, seeing he had no master with him. Or atleast trusted enough to go on a mission alone. Though to Omen, he still seemed like someone his age, not a warn down most would be with the battles he must have been through. "Guess he holds some force resteration power I don't know about." Omen guessed this Braze had knowledge beyond his years then, knowledge he should act upon. And so, that was how he hit the call button connected to the Mandolarian CEO's private cell.

END​

Saram Kote , Braze