Shared Stories

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Mindabaal
Inner Rim

Kaalia didn't really have a reason to be here. She didn't have a history with this planet, and she wasn't sent by the Ren either. She just needed some time to let some recent events sink in, and she needed to do that alone. A whirlwind of emotions that was kicked up after a confrontation with Ara Ren had left the redhead with unexpectedly fortunate results. It brought the two closer in the end, while she personally found the true power of the dark side within her. From that day forward, she was a confident and empowered person, letting little stand in her way toward gaining more knowledge and power. After all, it was the only way to make sure she wouldn't leave her destiny in the hands of others. The redhead was close to losing her closest friend in those moments however, and she was mentally drained. She walked through the streets of a city she didn't even know the name of, simply clearing her mind and recharging. It'd help sort her brain out and make sure everything was figured out.

Travelling was one of her favorite things to do, exploring new places and getting to know the environment always interested her. It was the only thing left now that she kept from her days as a Jedi, her master and her constantly going from planet to planet in an attempt to teach her. Those teachings were useless to her now ever since she abandoned the Light, however. It had enslaved her, created a weak version of her that controlled her actions. Now that the pretender in her mind was killed, the darkness had freed her from her shackles. These were exciting times for Kaalia, and the thought of it drew a smile on her face. Her emerald eyes observed the sights of the city around her, and her vision locked onto a cantina. A drink definitely wasn't something she'd pass up on.

The redhead made her way inside, and the first thing she did was take in the Force auras around her. None of them stood out, and it actually was something pleasant. If she couldn't pick up on another person strong in the Force, there was a good chance nobody else could pick up on hers. A few faces looked her way to observe the scar at her left eye, but she didn't mind. Kaalia was humored by some of the people, feeling some kind of interest well up within them. It wasn't something that happened to her before. Perhaps it was the confidence? She sat down and ordered a brandy, enjoying the sounds of talking and laughter around her.

[member="Aria Vale"]

 

[NightSister]

Maena was a wonderful planet. Very pretty views, sort of, nice enough people, sort of, and a career - sort of. However, as fond as she was of the planet she'd taken to calling home, Aria honestly couldn't say she at all found the planet relaxing. That was fine usually, of course; she liked excitement as much as the next girl, after all. It wouldn't be at all unreasonable to say that she liked excitement a little too much, in fact. Sometimes, though, the impulse would arise to pick a nice peaceful spot in the galaxy, simply to take off for a day or two, then return and carry on with her otherwise fantastically hectic lifestyle.

As it turned out, good things were said about the drinks on Mindabaal, which for a weekend off was all the Dark Jedi needed to know. Tying up her loose ends had been a relatively straightforward matter, and then she was off at once, simple as that. Two days and two nights to rest up, explore, and sample the alcohol - the prospect never lost its appeal.

She'd landed about an hour or two ago, and after wandering down the streets for a while, Aria had ambled into a reasonably nice-looking cantina. The often stressful buzz of activity was at a manageable level - a pleasantly quiet hum of chatter that underwhelmed more than it did overwhelm - and so she'd taken a seat by the bar and swiftly ordered a drink.

For the first little while, she'd merely kept herself to herself, listening to the radio behind the counter as the contents of her glass disappeared gradually. By then she'd loosened up a little - not tipsy by any standards, but less uptight than was typical of her and less attentive to thematters that would've otherwise had her stressed out. One could even go as far as to say that Aria was in a rather sociable mood by the time she'd downed her first drink. So she'd ordered another; reasonably-sized, not nearly strong enough to nudge her into her stages of giggly drunkenness but enough that she would remain amicable a little longer.

And so by the time the next person wandered in and sat down nearby, Aria remained perfectly sound but had temporarily shed her usual reserve. She cast an eye towards the girl who'd just happened upon the scene, mildly curious.

"Hey," she said in cheerful greeting. "Uh - you from around here?"

[member="Kaalia Voldaren"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

The person next to Kaalia started talking to her, causing her to quickly swallow down the brandy she was tasting. A small burning sensation was left in her throat, and the liquid gave her a small buzz. "Hey." Her tone was friendly, signifying she was up for a chat. "Just a visitor. In fact, this is my first time visiting the planet. I tend to pick out random planets from time to time and pay them a visit. This time it was Mindabaal." She turned to look at the source of the voice, immediately noticing the amber features in her eyes. It was clear she had touched the darkness. In the past she would've been alarmed, but now she wasn't. People like her were kindred souls now, people who understood the value of freedom. "The question makes me think you're not from here either. Am I correct?" She took another sip of her brandy, and took in the sight of the woman. It could be made out that she was of echani descent, and that she was definitely a bit older than herself. It was clear that she had a commanding presence in the Force, a presence that felt funnily familiar. It was one of newfound confidence and discovery of one's true self, which forced the redhead to hold back a chuckle. Kaalia didn't know what was more coincidental; the fact someone so similar to her in that respect walked around the galaxy, or the fact she was talking to that very person right now.

The woman tapped the fingers of her left hand to the music that was playing in the background, relaxing in the amosphere of the cantina. "Kaalia. Nice to meet you." She didn't bother masking the darkness in her presence, instead letting her conversation partner take it in. Perhaps was the redhead bit too trusting in doing so, but she figured that she wouldn't try anything in a crowded place.

[member="Aria Vale"]

 

[NightSister]

Her eyebrows lifted in pleased surprise; hearing that someone was of a similar mind to herself in any respect tended to have that effect on her. Smile widening slightly, she allowed herself to study more intently the girl who'd introduced herself as Kaalia. Darkness painted her aura - to her mind, equally as pleasing a realisation. Always one to take pride in her tolerance - unless you were talking about the Jedi, of course; Aria definitely wouldn't claim to approve of their ways - Aria never attempted to lord her use of the dark side over others or beat people down a similar path, but she felt a certain fondness for the dark. The appreciation frequently extended to those who used its power. There were...exceptions, of course, but the woman opposite her didn't yet seem to be one of them.

"Mhm," came her confirmation to the redhead's assumption. "I was raised on Eshan, if the accent didn't give it away, but I live on this lovely little planet called Maena. Excellent views." Usually, anyway. It was true that the odd exploded beach could put a damper on the scenery, but chaos of that sort seemed to save itself for when Aria was nearby. Not that she minded, of course; even as one who frequently needed a fill of solitude, for her excitement was intoxicating.

"Aria," she added after a beat, turning to better face Kaalia as she introduced herself in turn. "Nice to meet you too." She lifted her glass to down more of its contents, grinning as the alcohol tickled her throat, and paused momentarily in thought.

"So, Kaalia, what d'you do when you're not visiting random planets?"

- [member="Kaalia Voldaren"] -

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

There was a smile on the woman's face, which was most definitely a good thing. Kaalia hated the careful dance one had to do when meeting someone powerful in the Dark Side, and was glad to move past it. Perhaps it was too early to hope for such a thing, but forming an alliance with someone like her would prove to be a very beneficial thing for the both of them.

She mentioned being raised on Eshan and living on Maena. She would remember the names for later. "Can't say I've been to either, but perhaps I can pay them a visit in the future." She didn't mention her own homeworld, or her current residence for that matter. Mentioning living on Virgillia would most definitely raise suspicion. The Bastion of Ren that was situated there was kept hidden from everyone not involved with the Order. Would Aria ask about it, she would mention living somewhere in neutral space. Her homeworld however was a more interesting issue. The redhead had no idea of her origins, and so couldn't answer that even if she wanted to.

Kaalia followed Aria's example and took a swig from her glass of brandy. She nodded at her introduction and gave her a smile as she turned. "I do odd jobs here and there, it's often paired with my planet hopping. Take a job, go there, do it and use the rest of my time to explore." It was her standard answer to the question. It was similar to what she used to do inbetween her Jedi days and joining the Ren, apart from the fact she had no real home to speak of during that time. "I picked up the habit while growing up, I was raised by a man who had no real home to speak of. He travelled around the galaxy with me and I haven't been able to shake that." Her accent reflected that past. It was an odd mix of different accents found all across the galaxy. She picked up small bits everywhere she went, forming her way of speech. "This visit was merely taking time off, though." She readjusted on her seat, and finished her drink. She continued as she motioned to the man behind the bar for another drink. "What do you do for a living?"

[member="Aria Vale"]

 

[NightSister]

"Oh, this and that - whatever I can, whatever's convenient." It was vague, but there really wasn't much more detail to add - at least not on how Aria got her income. What other things she did with her days was more interesting, but it wasn't what Kaalia had asked and it likely wasn't the best thing to bring up in a bar full of potentially drunk locals - for all the respect Aria had for the Sith and their ways, she'd be the first to admit that not everything they did was in the best interests of their popularity. Which was also fine, in fairness, and Aria was still rather proud to train as a Sith; she'd simply be proud discreetly.

She paused momentarily, then spoke again. "I know what you mean, though - it's good to get some exploration and what have you out of making money." Aria made a point of it, in fact; nothing she did was without its deliberate opportunities to simply drift around aimlessly and soak up knowledge, or culture, or whatever else tickled her fancy. When other more immediate concerns didn't occupy the forefront of her attention, curiosity was what best served to motivate her.

"'Course," she added after a beat, "I usually try to keep all the planet hopping in roughly the same area, because y'know, fuel's expensive." Another sip of her drink, another grin. "But I make exceptions sometimes." Mindabaal was a decent trip from Maena, but there were indeed exceptions - and sometimes a long flight was what Aria resorted to when she needed to clear her head.

"Planet hopping and the odd job, then." Cheerful, she looked at Kaalia a shade more curiously. "Get up to much else? Do something like, I don't know, crossword puzzles?"

[member="Kaalia Voldaren"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Kaalia gave her a thoughtful nod, her curiosity piqued by the vague answer. She decided to not push on it however, knowing she was likely keeping it vague for a reason. "It seems we get by in similar ways, then." A small sip of her newly acquired brandy went down her throat. There definitely was more to it than just that, and in actuality the redhead was very tempted to keep that part of the conversation going. She figured it was something that could perhaps be brought back up later. "It keeps things fresh."

There was a small pause, giving Kaalia the opportunity to look around for a moment. There nothing of note going on, which was a welcome thing. To her it seemed the friendly side of places like these were hard to keep up these days. "It's not the best paying occupation in the galaxy, but at least it's exciting." There often was a lot to explore on planets yet unvisited. From cities to the wilds, there was always something new to feast your eyes upon.

The woman chuckled at her remark of fuel being expensive. "Luckily I don't have other expensive hobbies. That would have been an issue." Her answer segued into Aria's next question, which caused Kaalia to think for a moment. "Other than the fact I'm chasing down a charming pilot, not really. Planet hopping a time-consuming activity." The pilot's name was Ishana, a brunette who stole a kiss and her heart when they met during a pub crawl. She wasn't an easy one to pin down, but that didn't mean she wouldn't try. "Are you a fan of crossword puzzles? I should give them a try at some point."

[member="Aria Vale"]

 

[NightSister]

"I imagine it would be," Aria grinned - expensive hobbies on top of planet-hopping certainly would prove an issue. It was certainly fortunate that her own hobbies were affordable, she supposed. Flitting from job to job wasn't the most stable nor the most profitable way to earn, as Kaalia had said, but it was fun, and it did the trick. Besides, Aria was reasonable well off; she had everything she needed, at least.

She laughed at the repeated mention of the crossword puzzles, entertained at the very idea. Crosswords were certainly not her thing. Especially those cryptic ones. They were so confusing.

"I'm sure plenty of people enjoy them, but no," came her amused reply. "I do like combat, though - Echani style, of course. D'you like to fight at all - martial arts, swords, whatever?"

Of course, Aria relatively enjoyed most forms of fighting - and she made a point of being able to handle most weapons, simply because she'd learned one could never be too prepared. Echani, on the other hand, she revisited simply because it was a long-time hobby of hers - and, indeed, a perfectly affordable one as well.

- [member="Kaalia Voldaren"] -​

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

"Really? I really pegged you as someone who would finish one before most had even started." Kaalia shrugged and made an amused face. "I guess I was wrong. I was going to ask for recommendations, too." Aria moved to the subject of combat, which to the woman, wasn't a huge surprise given her Echani descent. It was a subject she would gladly indulge in, however. "Blade to blade combat is something I very much enjoy. I have been practicing it since childhood. I have practiced martial arts in the past as well, but it has been a good while. I don't really have a sparring partner for that anymore." She didn't outright mention her weapon of choice, the lightsaber, and would wait with doing so. "So that's something we have in common."

The redhead inspected the empty glass in front of her, tracing a finger around the rim. "Perhaps..." she pondered out loud, "you could help me pick up martial arts again? Depending on the distance I'd have to travel I could easily meet up with you every once in a while for practice. It's completely up to you, of course." The offer was seemingly out of nowhere, the likely cause the alcohol that went through her system. It was nothing if not genuine, however. Having a sparring partner for combat that didn't rely on her sabers would have been tremendously valuable. "I bet there would be a lot I could learn from an Echani." Perhaps it was also a way to get to know her better. It wasn't an uncommon philosophy that the best way to know someone was to trade blows, but there was no need to have that happen in a hostile situation.

[member="Aria Vale"]

 

[NightSister]

[member="Kaalia Voldaren"]

If, for whatever reason, she was asked, Aria could instantly and easily say that she wasn't the sort to seek out interaction. Not because she didn't like to do so, because sometimes she did. It was a matter of principle, or something along those lines - she simply wasn't good at talking to strangers, and by nature she didn't do things she wasn't good at without some tangible purpose.

There were a few things that changed that. Alcohol was one, without fail - and so was martial arts. Long her hobby - she'd grown up in a proudly Echani community who had urged her into martial arts, and it had managed to firmly stick - the sport was one of those things that always just excited her, and she doubtlessly preferred understanding through combat than through talking. The prospect of a sparring partner wasn't ever a thing she liked to turn down; besides, Kaalia was good company.

She grinned, genuinely pleased. "That'd be great, yeah. Maena's more or less my permanent residence when I'm not out and about, but I don't mind flying some distance to meet. Where did you say you were?"

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Kaalia smiled back, looking forward to the prospect of having someone to train with. Learning was always a good thing, and Aria seemed friendly enough. "Sounds like I got myself a sparring partner! I'll drink to that." She signaled to the man behind the bar for another drink. "You want another one, too? It's on me." Without much delay another glass of brandy was put in front of her and if Aria accepted her offer a drink of her choice would be served to her as well. After picking it up and raising it, the woman took a sip, once again feeling the burning sensation as it went down. She took the time she bought to think of an answer to the question where she lived, given she still had no place to stay apart from the Bastion of Ren. It was a place that had to be kept secret and she made a mental note to find an apartment somewhere for the occassions where she needed it. "And about my whereabouts, I actually just had to move out of my previous place. They're taking the whole thing down to build some fancy new complex. I mostly just live out of my ship at the moment until I find a new place somewhere. I was thinking of moving to another planet though, I could use a change of scenery." As much as she hated lying, especially towards people that bore no ill intent towards her, she simply had no choice here.

Hoping to have satisfied Aria with the answer Kaalia continued after another sip of her drink. She was starting to feel the alcohol get to her, and although it wasn't anything delibitating yet she decided that this would be the last one of the night. "So with that in mind, it's probably best if I visit Maena instead. If you don't mind, of course. Otherwise we can figure something out, I'm sure. Some people say the opposite but the galaxy's a pretty big place if you ask me. Tons of places we could go to." The redhead didn't like inviting herself, which was the reason she also suggested finding a neutral place. In the end it didn't really matter to her where they decided to practice, any place would do for her.

[member="Aria Vale"]

 

[NightSister]

[member="Kaalia Voldaren"]

"Oh - yeah, I'd love one, thanks."

Her cheer at the agreement was genuine, and that was rare enough. All too often strangers were a source of distress and hiding it took effort, conscious effort; but when comfort came easily it held a certain depth she couldn't replicate.

A tall glass of whiskey was set down in front of her presently, and Aria clinked it with Kaalia's before knocking it back. The curve of her smile deepened as the drink stung her throat and hit her system: the alcohol was certainly good quality.

She was faintly aware of the vagueness Kaalia was surrounding her whereabouts with, but didn't think enough of it to comment. Of all the reasons she could think of for the redhead's secrecy, none were particularly offensive (she hadn't the first clue about the Ren's existence beyond rumor, and paid only the barest of attention to the First Order). Any suspicions she might've had were washed away with the whiskey.

"Maena works fine for me," she agreed cheerfully. She was fond of her current port of call, perfectly happy to make it their designated locale. "I wouldn't mind using the opportunity to get out and about a bit, though." It was an afterthought, but as much as she liked Maena she would be glad to pair sparring with exploration.

It was whichever Kaalia preferred.