Private Something Bazaar

[Aether the Iron]

TATOOINE - BAZAAR

The heat reminded him of Home.

Home being a relative word as over the past seven years. While the distant world of Verun was not his birthplace, it was where Aether had rested his head for nearly a decade. It was a quiet, yet desolate place. Characterized by sprawling deserts and monstrosities waiting in the dunes. Thus, when the Mandalorian ventured to Tatooine, it felt like he never left home. He had simply traded one sandbox for another. The bemusing thought caused a light smirk to play on his lips as he browsed the local bazaar.

This day, the warrior was not looking for anything radical. His sources said that contraband from the Galaxy's latest wars had managed to work their way southward. Weapons. Artifacts. All manner of tool that would give a competent fighter an edge were said to be available. What's more, all forms of currency were accepted. Money was money around these parts - and during wartime, there would always be good places to spend them.

Thus, the armored figure plucked a crystal up from one of the bazaar's covered stalls. The Trandoshan overseeing the stall huffed and strode over. "Good Jedi stuff. Fair price." came the beast's voice. "Define fair." he quipped.

Haley​

 

[Mae Tecono]

Mae was sick of this place and its dry heat. Her skin was dry and the air was stuffy. She stood from the bench from where she had sat to ponder her life as it was now. She was alone, probably for the first time in her life. She had neither friend nor family left in the galaxy. All she did have was pockets full of credits from the ships she had just sold.

Not 24 hours ago did she see the last of her family slain and she turned murderous in a frenzy to avenge them. She came here, to this desolate world, towing the two other ships. She planned on keeping the pirate ship for herself, but instead, sold it like the others. Why would she need a ship if she did not have a purpose?

She was at a stall looking at creams to add some moister back to her dry skin when she over heard a Trandoshan talk about "Jedi stuff". She normally would not have care as much for that comment, but after the day she just had, wondering where she gained the use of the force to carry out the killings that she had, she knew that it had to do with Jedi or Sith. She did not know about either or even the differences between the two. All she knew was whenever someone talked about the force, they either mentioned Sith or Jedi in the same breath.

She looked at the man who the Trandoshan was speaking to. Looking him up and down, wondering if he was one of these force users. She stared too long as the man glanced her way in which Mae quickly turned her gaze back to the lotions in front of her. She quickly bought the one that was already in her hand and quickly walked away, past the man she had been admiring.

Aether the Iron

 

[Aether the Iron]

TATOOINE - BAZAAR

One could almost feel the eyes upon him.

Given the circumstances of the local systems, seeing a Mandalorian was not too uncommon these days. Seven years ago, when the south was ruled by his father's Confederacy, that reality would have been different. But now? Beskar-clad folk were no longer equivalent of spotting a unicorn in broad daylight. Thus, Aether's eyebrow cocked ever so slightly when he caught the sight of the woman. At first, he thought it passing curiosity, but the swift departure raised the Mandalorian's hackles.

Was he being targeted? Or was it simply a curious individual?

Aether contemplated whilst the Trandoshan prattled on about the quality of the crystal in his grasp. Something about being pried from the lightsaber of a Jedi Master during the recent battles. Lovely. "I'll take it." he said, depositing the asking price in the beast's hand. He then pocketed the crystal, re-donned his helm, and strode off in the direction of the woman.

"Excuse me, miss?" he began. "You dropped something."

He was lying through his teeth, but the reaction would tell him all he needed to know.​

Mae Tecono​

 

[Mae Tecono]

Mae was startled when she was approached from behind and the man spoke to her in his deeper voice. She was in a trance like state of thought when he had said "Excuse me, miss? You dropped something." May turned to see the man, now completely covered in his armor with the helmet on. She looked up at him, a man who stood more then a foot taller then herself. She wondered briefly what his eyes looked like under his helmet before bringing herself back to reality and his question. "Ummm oh.... what?" She said dumbfounded as she patted her pockets wondering what she had dropped. "I don't think I dropped anything...." she replied as she looked at his hands to see if he held something that she may have dropped.

She was again beside herself and she could not understand why. He was just being polite this time and letting her know she dropped something. But this time, his gaze and his words were on her and not some merchant. His gaze and words just sunk into her as she looked at him with confusion.

Aether the Iron

 

[Aether the Iron]

The Mandalorian watched closely.

He was no stranger to being at the opposing end of a hostile barrel. And thus, he anticipated that the woman before him would stiffen at his approach. That was the usual tell that something nefarious was afoot. But, in this case, she simply responded as normal. She patted her pockets to see if everything was in place, remarking that she hadn't.

"Apologies." he began, shaking his head. "I mistook you for someone else."

With that said, the Mandalorian extended his palm, offering the crystal that he had just purchased. "Here. For the trouble." Aether wasn't exactly hurting for a new lightsaber crystal at the moment, and thus he could part ways with the purchase. After all, this surely had to be what she was gawking at then, right?

Mae Tecono​

 

[Mae Tecono]

"Oh, it was no trouble..." May said before trailing off as she looked at the beautiful purple crystal. "What is it?" she asked before saying "No, no, I cannot take something so valuable for a simple misunderstanding of identity." As she said that, she reached forward and grasped his larger hand and used her two tiny hands to fold his fingers back on the crystal in his grasp.

She looked up at the man in his armor and let a soft smile creep across her lips. She parted them ever so slightly to say "I will gladly take your name, instead, if you would allow it?" She looked up at the man hoping he would introduce himself. She may be too bold in doing so as many Mandalorian's or at least those that wear the armor don't care to share their name to strangers.

She then retreated her soft hands from his and waited politely for his response.

 

[Aether the Iron]

More signs.

Those motivated by fortune seldom turned down an opportunity for gain. If one dangled a shiny gem in front of a mercenary, there was a high chance they'd grab it and try to finish the job. Yet this woman proved yet again that she wasn't out for his blood. And, strangely enough, she wasn't out for the crystal either. From behind his visor, Aether's eyebrow raised. Quietly, he watched as she folded his fingers back over the crystal. Then, with a smile, she asked for a different reward: introductions.

Curious.

Aether reached for his helm and tugged it free, pausing to shake out his dreadlocks ever so slightly. "Well, to answer your question," he began. "it is a crystal formerly owned by a Jedi. Used in their lightsaber specifically."

He offered a light smile in return, taking the time to deposit the crystal into one of his utility belt's pouches. "My name is Aether...And if I may be so bold, you don't strike me as a local. Trader, perhaps?"

Mae Tecono​

 

[Mae Tecono]

Her eyes opened in surprise and wonder as he explained what the crystal was and where it came from. She was happy and a little excited when he removed his helmet to properly introduce himself like a gentleman. In her history in dealing with men, let alone people, there has never been a gentleman nor a person of politeness.

"My name is Aether...And if I may be so bold, you don't strike me as a local. Trader, perhaps?"

"Nice to meet you Aether.... No, not a trader... I am..." Mae replied but paused as she tried to describe who and what she was. She has always been a slave and this literally is her first day of freedom. The choice had finally been up to her to decide what and who she would be. As the thought crossed her mind her eyes got wider and wider. It had to look pretty comical from his standing to see the different changes of expression on her face.

"I am a traveler, seeking something" She finally replied. Her response was very cryptic and mysterious even to herself. But it best described herself in this exact moment. She was searching for purpose, something to give her meaning. So a traveler in thought was a traveler none the less. She just stood there and smiled at him with that same smile on her face. Not really waiting for a response, but expected him to probably just not care and turn and leave.

 

[Aether the Iron]

The woman trailed off.

After the Mandalorian introduced himself, the stranger confirmed that she was not a trader. And judging by her words, she certainly wasn't a local as well. It seemed that...she didn't really know what she was, as evidenced by how wide her eyes were growing. Oddly enough, she seemed...excited? As if the idea of describing her occupation was something to be thrilled over. The expressions which claimed her features caused the man to chuckle softly.

"A traveler, huh." he said. His sable gaze gave the woman a once over. She definitely did not seem to be the type that lived for battle. Nothing on her person screamed I'm heavily armed, but concealed arms were always a possibility. Nonetheless, she was vague in what she was looking for. Aether parted his lips, intent on pressing a little bit further, when he felt something.

In the tongue of man, it was hard to describe - almost as if embers were radiating from her essence. More so than those surrounding them. As if there was a spark begging for more air and kindling so that it could ignite. The Mandalorian became keenly aware of the crystal which resided in his pouch - and called a spade a spade. This one had potential.

"Well, miss traveler. I'm in the mood for getting out of the sun for a spell. Have you spied a good watering hole since coming here?"

Mae Tecono​

 

[Mae Tecono]

She saw him about to speak when he paused and just kind of looked her over. She was still filled with enough excitement from before that she did not really notice or care to notice him look her over. He then looked as if he was being controlled by something else or his body language was at least. When she was about to ask him what had happened, he began to speak.

"Well, miss traveler. I'm in the mood for getting out of the sun for a spell. Have you spied a good watering hole since coming here?"

She had not really looked for one. As soon as she landed her ship, she went and hired a tug to go and retrieve the two ships she left in orbit. Once the three ships were grounded, she sold them to literally the first interested party that she could find. If she waited and bargained, she may have gotten twice the credits out of the ships but she could care less. She simply gathered her belongings, and grabbed a necklace from her mother and a ring from her brother as keep sakes. After selling the ships, she made her way straight to the Bazaar in search of some moisturizer.

She kind of looked around confused for a moment. "Honestly, I have not had a chance to explore since selling my ships" she replied. Just as cryptic and mysterious as before. Why would one sell their ship and isolate themselves on this world of all places? Also, she said ships, as in plural to more then one ship. She did not intend to reveal that bit of information, but it be odd to hear from anyone let alone her to know that they just sold multiple ships.

"But, I think....I think I saw a canteena somewhere on my way here from the spaceport." She again replied. "I have a feeling that one place is going to be just as good as another in this place" she finished saying.

In a matter of minutes, she had said more words then she has said to anyone in the past month. She was normally a shy and reserved person, but somehow, this stranger has got her babbling like a nerf herder. She again gazed up at the man. His amber eyes seemed to pierce her own gaze. She had never seen such beautiful eyes on a human before.

"Care if I join you at the Canteena? I will buy you a drink" She half spurted out and half asked. She was too blind to notice that, that was probably what he was doing by asking her where a good place to drink was. However, to her credit, she has never conversed with a male before, other then her masters and they cared little for what she said. It seemed like this man genuinely had interest and it has her confused to say the least.

Aether the Iron

 

[Aether the Iron]

Were the Mandalorian any less distracted by the woman's potential, he might have caught on the mention of multiple ships.

Instead, he simply nodded as she mentioned the plausibility of a cantina being nearby. Specifically near the spaceport. While Aether had not personally ducked his head into the location, he did notice quite a few people flocking to a single building as he disembarked. By his estimation, that would have to be the cantina - or some popular eatery. "Perfec-" he began, before she spurted out an invitation.

Aether's eyebrows hit the ceiling immediately. The curiosities just kept coming. "There's not a man alive who'd turn down a free drink, c'mon." he said with a chuckle. He turned to head back towards the port, but paused. "What do I call you?"

Mae Tecono​

 

[Mae Tecono]

"What do I call you?"

Again, Mae found herself taken back by his simplest of questions. It should be simple that is, however, the past forever, she has been a slave and called either slave or just plain girl. Mae would then look down at her mother's necklace and brothers ring, spinning it on her finger. "My name is, Maez...." She said. She was going to say that he could call her Mae like her family and friends called her, but thought she would let him reach friend status before she told him that.

She walked side by side with him all the way to the canteena before she let him take lead and enter through the doorway before her. She was surprised at how busy it was on the inside, like a mini city... She paused for a moment to soak in the atmosphere, but then hurried to catch up to Aether as he made his way over to an empty booth on the far wall.

They walked by countless different species, all of which but one or two, towered over Mae's short body. The glares she recieved both frightened her but also brought a touch of that fury from the day before out to her facial expression. She was done taking shit from anyone. If there was one thing that has changed after becoming free, it was that.

As they sat, Mae watched Aether order a drink before she decided what she wanted and put the appropriate credits for tge two drinks on the robotic waiters trey before he left.

Aether the Iron

 

[Aether the Iron]

Was this her first time in a cantina?

The question would soon find itself rattling about in the Mandalorian's head. Before they so much as set foot inside the cantina, the young woman introduced herself. Maez is what she preferred to be called. And so, Aether remarked simply: "That's a nice name, Maez." before striding off towards the local watering hole. Just as he had expected, the locale was bustling. There was all manner of species here - all manner of traveler seeking a drink before the next hyperspace dive.

And for the time being, they were just like the other patrons. Soon, they sat down in a booth and Aether wasted no time in ordering his promised beverage. Ti'haar. It was a drink of his people and an acquired taste if ever there was one. True to her word, Maez dropped a few credits and Aether raised his glass in thanks. "That's right kind of you." he said, before enjoying a swig.

When the glass returned to the table, the curiosity finally got the better of the Mandalorian.

"It's no business of mine, but I've got to ask...what're you really doing out here? I won't tell a soul, on my mum."

Mae Tecono​

 

[Mae Tecono]

"It's no business of mine, but I've got to ask...what're you really doing out here? I won't tell a soul, on my mum."

Mae looked to the bar and then to the table next to them. She was not sure what to tell him. The truth sounded crazy in her own mind let alone trying to say it. "I.... I found myself in some trouble and.... ah.... took care of it soooo... I am starting off clean, and this just happened to be the closest spaceport to do it from." She replied. She had not lied, but she hid a few facts. The fact that she had just slaughtered a ship full of pirates and her old slave master, after seeing her brother and mother mangled corpses was something she could not bring herself to say out loud.

She looked up at him as he tried to understand her answer. She sipped her drink which was a sweet fruity type thing and let the taste of it distract her from his gaze. "How about you? What brings a Mandalorian all the way out here?" She asked. She was getting a little giddy from her drink. She had not eaten in days and her small frame was soaking up the alcohol quickly from her drink. Her eyes came back to his as she smiled once more.

Aether the Iron

 

[Aether the Iron]

"Trouble, huh."

Whatever Aether thought about the vague tale was hidden behind yet another swig of his beverage. The alcohol was a welcome reprieve from the heat of the day. Cool as it danced on his tongue, with a satisfying burn. Even out here, it was hard to feth up tihaar. Once more, he spoke only once his glass settled down upon the tabletop. "Places like this are nothing but trouble. Here's hoping you've got it all figured out."

Then, to her question, Aether paused. He fished out the crystal from his belt and set it upon the table between them. "All sorts of things flow through Tatooine - most of them you can't find at the local grocery store." he answered, being just a touch coy. "So, I came to see what was on offer. Found this gem."

His offhand slid the crystal a little closer to the woman. Then leaned forward, lowering his voice to just above a whisper.

"You a Jedi? Because this little rock here likes you."

Aether then sat back and raised his beverage to his lips, as if he hadn't just asked the loaded question of the day.

Mae Tecono​

 

[Mae Tecono]

"You a Jedi? Because this little rock here likes you."

Mae looks at the crystal then up at Aether, and back to the crystal. Her brow tenses. She does not know about the Jedi or the Sith, but what she does know, is they both involve the magic of the Force. The Force has always been a part of stories she has heard from captain to captain or a intercepted scattered transmission. But what she does know of it frightens her, not because of the things she has heard but for the things she has done. Just 24 hours earlier, Mae found herself alone vs 12 experienced pirates and when they charged her, she moved in a way that she cannot explain, and grabbed a sword from meters away with a want or idea of holding it in her hands and then it was so. She had in fact, in some way, used the force.

She sat there, and with the way he was looking at her, there had to be a wrong answer, and he had to be one or the other. The stone likes her? Does that mean she is in fact Jedi? These thoughts rushed through her head and the only indication of her thoughts was her tense brow would shake in discomfort.

She again looked up at him and said "I.... don't know....I have done...things that I cannot explain.... and it might have been with the Force.... but I don't know.... does that make me a Darth Jedi?" She clumsily mixed the two into one in her shock of the situation.

She then takes a big sip of her drink almost drinking half of the rest without taking a breath. She then puts the cup back on the table, taking in deep breaths as she waits for him to respond. She is a little on edge as if she may need to jump and defend herself. She still could not make out what he was asking her.

Aether the Iron

 

[Aether the Iron]

The young woman's gaze bounced from the Mandalorian to the stone.

There and back again she glanced in a display that brought a bemused smirk to the warrior's lips. It seemed as though the idea of being a Jedi was one that caused her to feel...was lost the correct word? As she mulled his question over, Aether finished off his drink in one deft motion. The empty glass clattered lightly on the table and he waved for the barkeep's droid to bring him another. Whilst he did so, her eyes found him once more.

...Does that make me a Darth Jedi?

The notion was almost laughable - a blending of two complete opposites. Yet, the Mandalorian did not show amusement beyond his existing smirk. In this, he found patience instead. For the young woman had indeed experienced the touch of the Force. Done things beyond her own understanding. And for the first time in the Mandalorian's history, ambition erupted within him. He was reminded of his sire, seated upon the throne of an empire, with mighty warriors at his beck and call. Chief among them being one of Aether's own mentors - his father's apprentice.

Was it not the sign of a competent Sith to take an apprentice? To mold the next generation as one saw fit? In that moment, Aether understood - and could not let such potential go to waste.

"No, I wouldn't say that makes you a Darth Jedi. Those are two different things entirely." he said. He raised his left hand. "Jedi believe in running away from the things that make us Human. Emotions, passion, etc. They repress themselves and call it the Light." He then raised his right hand. "But Sith? We embrace what it means to be Human. Emotion is our power. It allows us to do great things in the Force."

Aether placed his left hand on the table and offered his right to the young woman, as if requesting a handshake. Of course, this gesture came with the offer of a lifetime.

"I could show you, if you'd like."

Mae Tecono​

 

[Mae Tecono]

Mae had lost everything that she knew. She had landed on this planet with a clean slate. Looking for a purpose, a drive, or a new path. One had just presented itself right in front of her as Aether extended his hand. He was offering her a path, not a dark one as she had heard of the Sith, but one full of potential, power, and strength. She was done being a slave to her master's, done being a slave to the galaxy, it was the time to stand up and be strong.

Aether could undoubtedly see the fire or at least the sparks of her passion and desire for something new and strong, within her eyes, as she looked directly into his and reached forth and took his hand in hers, and shook it. She shook his hand with determination, to show him that she had accepted his offer.

"I accept" she simply said as she knew that this new path was going to be hers for as long as she lived.

Aether the Iron

 

[Aether the Iron]

Direction called to the young woman.

Though she spoke no words, the desire to be more oozed from the woman. Her wishes, her passion, all radiated in the Force. Aether waited until Maez made her decision. She seized her opportunity and shook his hand with fierce determination. Aether chuckled - briefly entertaining the notion of a deal made with the devil.

"Good." he said. "Then you shall be my Apprentice."

The word was far more formal than he was accustomed to, but it was the foundation of what was to come. One held the power, one would crave it. But before he gave, he would know. "Now, before I whisk you off to the ass end of the Galaxy, I need to know all about you. No secrets."

"So let's start with the basics, who are you, where'd you come from, etc."

Mae Tecono​

 

[Mae Tecono]

Mae looks around, then down at herself. She has never been asked about herself before nor done any type of interview, which this may feel like.

"I don't know where I am from, I was raised a slave on a cargo ship.... "

She continues to tell him her back story but does not go into alot of detail. He can tell that being a pilot and tinkering on droids are big passions of hers as her skin and eyes light up when she talks about them.

"Everything I own, is on me or in my pockets right now. I have no secrets... Other then...."

She pauses, unsure if she should tell him about yesterday or not.

"I have one secret that I am not ready to share." She says bluntly, hoping he will understand and leave it at that and maybe just swing back to it down the road.

Aether the Iron