Star Wars Roleplay: Chaos

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The bar set just a bit too high...

Sulon

Katarn Homestead

Early Afternoon

Comfort often comes in many forms. Some seek the silence, some seek out the hustle and bustle. Some seek out their own minds to sort the mess. And Gabriel, he looked for an edge to straighten himself out against. And that edge came in the form of work. Work for the homestead, for the children, for the local den cities and fuel stations of Sulon. If he stopped, he might dwell on his thoughts and that was the last place he wanted to be. So instead, he stood vigilant over a large slab of wood in the family room.

Glass doors opened for the breeze that passed through, he chewed on his nail and inspected the grain with his free hand. It was a solid piece, pulled from the heart of dying tap tree and left in a barn to age. He had traded it for three restless nights of work, camped out on a roof top, watching for stone thieves. Apprehension came easy enough, it was the sleep that he longed for and the memories of past deeds not following him into the darkness. Barron Higgins, that was the farmers name, and he was quickly becoming a close friend. Traded a years worth of bubse bushels for slate and stone, the barter system thrived in a place where money seemed scarce.

Gabriel had grown accustomed to the coming and going of strangers, quickly turning to friends over small talk. Everyone was anxious to meet the new specialist brought into town, the one who might make the Homestead something more than the eyesore it once resembled. And he worked with all the time he had to better it, maybe better himself in the process. Therapy through work, mindless and mindful, he was starting to find pride in his station. There was something to be said for a humble occupation.

Using just an ounce of force, he lifted the long piece of wood onto the bar top, securing it down with pre-laid adhesive and upright pegs. Ruffling through a bag of tools, he pulled out a coarse grain of sand paper and began working on the top. Once it was done, he could set the gravel against the load bearing trunks on each end. The top was rough and splintering but with enough time, it would smooth out. Just like everything else, it would just take time.

[member="Spark Finn"]
 
[member="The Revenant"]


Sulan

Perhaps due to the force but more likely due to serendipity, the slicer found herself in a place she had never been. It would be easier to delve into her work in a place like this. Things would be new. No reminders of the past that seemed a little raw around the edges.

Speaking of raw around the edges.

Converse-clad feet carried her into the wide open glass doors of a bar? Bar-in-progress. This was supposed to be the Kataran Homestead. That dude at the spaceport said it was a good place to go. Only, he didn't say it wasn't finished yet.

Thin-fingers clutched the strap to the small satchel slung over her bony-shoulder as she hesitated in the threshold. Speckled-gaze fell on the man at the newly installed bartop. She stared for a moment. She couldn't help it.

#dudelookedlikeamountainman

#remindedherofsomeone

Or, maybe she recognized a kindred spirit going through loss. Going through change. But more likely, she really just wanted a drink. Lips finally worked. "Oh...sorry. Jerry at the spaceport told me I should come here and kick my feet up, lay low. But...uh...looks like I came a little too early?"

She should've stayed on the ship. But the ship had too many memories. It was too raw on the inside and around the edges.

#lameemotions
 
Just having finished the first sanding, he was busy wiping the table countertap with a wet rag. Helped to remove the sawdust, let it dry and sort out whether additional sanding was needed. Looking up, he squinted his eyes as the woman entered room. Giving a smile, he motioned towards one of the leather chairs. "Ottomans behind the seat, prop your feet up."

A new person, that was refreshing. Inhaling, he turned towards the finished glass cabinets and pulled out two glasses. "Seeing as I don't know why you're here, I can't say whether you are early or not." Of course, he knew she was referring to the renovations. When everything was right, work would still need to be done. That was the nature of the home and the fields around the facility, to distract him. He had even taken to lightsaber work, fabrications and the like, to keep his mind burdened in a task at hand. Avalore and Meeristali hadn't shown up, he was too easily caught in the thoughts. But what he was caught in now was more a feeling of the downtrodden.

The women seemed to be concealing something. Whether that was a clue in the aura or in her expression, he couldn't quite place it. But he knew its character, had felt it before, felt it still. "People around here call me Gabe. At least, that would be my preference. Can I offer you a drink?" He tilted his head, catching the stray glimpse of her pale complexion and freckles in the orange lighting and cascade of sunlight washing through the open breezeway. She didn't seem to get out much. "Maybe something to eat..." His words trailed off, giving her the opportunity to introduce herself if she felt it appropriate.

[member="Spark Finn"]
 
[member="The Revenant"]

Sandy-brows rose in surprise. She fully expected to be turned away and instead, she found herself being warmly invited in. "Thanks...Gabe. And why would anyone come to a place like this? Maybe to distract oneself with a strong drink." And to hack some sith lord bank accounts, like [member="Darth Adekos"]. She managed a small smile but it was more for herself. Slinging the pack down, she sunk into the chair's embrace, almost getting swallowed by its cushioned, thickness. If she wasn't careful, she could go to sleep in this thing.

Her thin-form sat up a little straighter. Fingers dug into the pack at her feet, pulling out a well-used datapad. "Name's Spark Finn. A drink sounds like what I want and food sounds practical." The lightweight didn't want to get too plastered in a foreign place. And her diet probably needed a little more oomph than that pint of caramel chocolate mynock tracks icecream. A little tipsy would be fine, considering the break-up i-comm message.

She winced.

#rejection

Gray-blue eyes cast about the room, uncertainty still there about the functionality of the establishment. "What do you have on tap? And it looks good," she said quietly. Social situations were never her thing but her chin tipped to the finished bar top. "You a carpenter and barkeep?"

Why were men with beards always able to build stuff with their hands?
 
"Barkeeper and carpenter?" He laughed as he pulled some bread from the cupboard. Some pre-sliced cheese, soft like brie, a bit of honey and spicy mustard, some shredded cheese. He didn't know if she was vegetarian or not but nothing helped quite like a fancy grilled cheese. Quickly buttering the bread, he assembled the hefty sandwich and placed it on the griddle on the other side of the cabinet and turned on the heat. "Only when I have the time. Which I have an abundance of now, since leaving Sullust."

Turning back towards the glass bar overhanging the already completed top, he pointed a finger towards the tap. "Umm, no tap. I have various liquors and water and wines. And caf and hot chocolate. Haven't gotten the tap installed yet." He exhaled and turned back towards the woman who seemed comfortably situated in the leather seat. She seemed tired and weighed down by something or another. Pressing his finger against the damp bar top, he thought about her question in regards to why anyone would come here. "Well, on Sulon, we live a good deal on the bartering system. Goods for goods, goods for services, et cetera. So people come her to trade or to socialize. This property was recently foreclosed and for offering consulting to the law enforcement here, they granted me ownership. But there's a lot of history here."

He clapped his hands together, the smell of the grilled cheese starting to loft upward. "Now, whiskey, caf, or hot chocolate?" He smiled, raising his eyebrow. "Maybe all three?"

At one time, he had stopped indulging in liquor. Because of what it did on Taris and the fact that Chevu couldn't drink. But those times were long behind him now.

[member="Spark Finn"]
 
[member="The Revenant"]

"Sullust?" Attention found its way back to Gabe - a man of many hats. "You with the Galactic Alliance, then?" It was a dangerous question. Not a lot of people liked the GA. But those were the good ones. Worse ones were those who went beyond dislike and leaned more toward murdering tendencies for GA members.

Her instincts about this man were about to be proved right or perhaps she'd end up on the menu as the Spark Finn special.

#betterbeacombo

"And bartering? I was just hoping to pay with credits but, uh," she gulped but sat up a little straighter, adjusting her glasses. Looked like most of the work here was manual which wasn't her forte. "If you have any tech needs, setting up firewalls, security systems....droid programming, I could help with that."

Thin fingers clutched the datapad like a lifeline even though her attention remained on the bearded man. "And better make it two parts whiskey and one part hot chocolate." Lips twitched. Nothing wrong with adding a little chocolate. Chocolate was great break-up medicine. #duh

The grilled cheese smell made it over to the tip of her button nose.

"Apparently chef is also mixed in with property owner."
 
He flipped the bottom half of the grilled cheese on top of the other and let it slow cook, pulling a plate from the cupboard. Pulling the sandwhich off, he walked around the bar and handed it off to Spark with a smile. "Making a grilled cheese sandwich hardly makes me a chef." Turning back over towards the bar, he started prepping a two parts whiskey, one part hot chocolate. Sounded good, he would make two. "Don't worry about paying for anything. Though maybe once I have a security system installed, I'll call on you for a favor."

He liked favors, they seemed more intimate. More jovial, an exchange between friends. Heating up the chocolate, he exhaled as he addressed the question. "Yes, I'm part of the Galactic Alliance." He scratched his nose. "I defected from the One Sith after meeting a Jedi Marshall, Chevu Visz. Long story."

Once the chocolate was ready, he stirred in the whiskey and walked around the bar. Handing off her cup, he took his own and took a seat next to her. Sipping, he sighed. "So what brings you to the rolling hills of Sullust? I'm guessing it's not for the tourist attractions?"

[member="Spark Finn"]
 
[member="The Revenant"]

She took a healthy bite of the hot sandwich. "Don't short change your talents, Chef Gabe." A smiled wormed its way to her lips as she chewed. "And yeah, I can totally handle a security system. I'll send you my contact info."

#givingoutmynumber

The sandwich and drink won her hands away from her datapad. #thelittlethings. And there it was. Chevu Visz. The One Sith.

"Ah feth," the hot liquid burned down her throat but she gulped it down. Eyes watered slightly. She remembered now. Seemed like ages ago. It was ages ago. The one sith invasion. "I thought you looked familiar," voice was more thoughtful than afraid or guarded. "But you have both your eyes."

She paused, leaving it open for him to share more if he wanted to. If not, it was fine by her. Feth, she had a drink two parts whiskey. She was set. "And maybe you should set this place up with the largest nerf-fur ball or something. You know, tourism. But sadly, that's not why I'm here."

The introvert took another sip of liquid courage. Being social was exhausting. Chevu was probably social. The blonde frowned as her thoughts went there. "I needed a change in scenery. Just got out of a relationship and too many things reminded me of him."

#layeditalloutthere
 
"I do intend to get some nerfs...good for field maintenance." Words came out absentmindedly, as he drank from a glass cup. It was hot, just a shade too much. But he didn't mind, it would cool on the coaster as he set it down. Exhaling, he smiled as he scratched his beard.

"Yeah, Reverance..." He squinted. "That's a burden I will carry for the rest of my life, being once a part of that monster. Though your response, your realization, is not nearly as combative as I have seen." He recalled the initial reception by the captain of the Galactic Alliance and then the turn. A utility improperly assessed, a dog that might bite, the man had grown insane with his miscalculation. Gabriel shook his head as he thought about it, two fingers pressed against his top teeth. He had the same tattoos that his brother, the tribal bars and lines of the Kiffu, misplaced on his torso and arms instead of his face. A call out to his mothers clan, a rebellious act replicated against a cloned body. And while working, he had donned a tunic with slanted high sleeves, trying to remain comfortable.

"Well, I needed a change of scenery as well. So I came here to get away from Sullust, to clear my thoughts, to build this home for my children." He turned his head slightly, inspecting her through the corner of his honey brown eyes. Another difference between him and his brother, the differences so staggering that it surprised him when people called him the Wrath. "Him? Hopefully not someone I know."

Sometimes people needed to vent, sometimes they needed to talk, and sometimes they needed the quiet presence of company that understood. He was happy to fill any of those positions, growing slightly lonely for the absence of his children and friends on Sullust.

[member="Spark Finn"]
 
[member="The Revenant"]

Bony-shoulders shrugged at his observation in her response. A ghost of a smile still curling at the corners of her lips. She shot him a look above the rim of the whiskey-cocoa mug. Long-digits curved around the sides as she clutched the warm container. Eyes flitted to his tattoos.

"I was with the One Sith once. Not by choice. Long story," one of her hands left the safety of the warm mug and waved through the air. It wasn't the place to tell that story. "Let's just say I can understand a lot. Or, I try to."

Even if Coren never could. He was always more violent. But he also had a fierce protective side. If he hadn't, she still would've been a prisoner of Sage Bane. Or a slave to the pirates. Or worse...

"You would certainly know him from the Galactic Alliance." Spark left it at that. She didn't want to bad mouth Coren. She made mistakes too. The Starchaser still hurt her but that would heal with time.

#moretime #morewhiskey

"Kids, huh?" Cerulean gaze beneath glass-lenses focused back to Gabe's honey-brown eyes. "Does that mean Misses Gabe is around here somewhere - entertaining strangers as well?"

Unfortunately, Spark didn't realize that was the wrong question.

#awkwardmoments #bringonthewhiskey
 
He licked the tip of his finger, circling the rim of the chocolate and whiskey. The song sung itself, humming it's own tune as he listened to the small woman talk. A man that he knew? Well, he only knew a few in the Galactic Alliance. The boy in the hot springs that seemed so welcoming. No, couldn't be him. Sarge Potteiger. No, he would never turn his back on the woman he loved. Jacen Voidstalker. No, that man didn't seem her type, more likely to partake of someone in the New Jedi Order. In earnest, while he knew the man's leaning, he couldn't seem to place his interest for women over his interest for saving others. It was a matter of priorities. It was odd for him, as he considered Jacen a closer friend then any other in the Galactic Alliance.

His eyes set upon the figure of a lying commander. One quick to change his mind. He exhaled, realizing that unless Spark had been in a relationship with a member of the upper leadership, she was referring to Coren Starchaser. "Ah...Coren." He said plainly, fully appreciating the fact that he wasn't an easy individual to deal with. And the wounds that poured out from the woman, from her deep blue eyes, her freckles and her pale skin, it was all justified, he knew it. Lifting the drink to his lips, he sipped quietly in thought.

"No, Chevu elected to not come to Sulon with me..." He said, in a somber hush, the wound still as fresh as Spark's. They were both tarnished by the salinity of fleeting emotions, not tended to properly. "So I adopted out my children to my friends. So that they might have a more suitable life." He smiled, whether feigned or real, it didn't really matter. "I can provide them this home and safety, at least there is that small comfort."

He turned towards the woman, more direct than before. "I'm sorry about your experience with the One Sith. It's not a thing I would wish on anyone."

[member="Spark Finn"]
 
[member="The Revenant"]

Face like an open book, cheeks flushed red as Gabe deduced right. And further red when she connected the dots to Chevu, Gabe, and his children. "Wow," she finished off the two-parts whiskey drink. A mixture of alcohol and sugar now rampantly coursed through her small-form. "Talk about a load of serendipity. I didn't realize Chevu had...uh...kids. She's not gonna be involved at all?"

Sandy-brows rose. Maybe she over-stepped? #toomanyquestions? #nosy? #morewhiskeyplz

She put the empty cup down, already feeling a numbness in the tips of her fingers and cheeks. The blonde technopath shifted uncomfortably in the large, comfortable chair. "I was with the Underground first, then transitioned to Galactic Alliance for a reason. I'd like to think the work I do...we do," gaze looked pointedly at Gabe, "will stop something like I went through happening to someone else. But what about you? How did it work with you and Rev? What did you mean you were a part of him?"
 
"Involved?" He caught himself. "Oh, you mean with the children." He exhaled and took another sip, lifting his brows to the residual heat of the drink. "She said she would visit the children, her involvement remains to be seen. For some reason, she wanted to stay on Sullust. I assume because of commitment to the New Jedi Order." He wasn't aware of the involvement of Chevu and Coren, at least not beyond master and apprentic.

He listened to her describe dealing with the Galactic Alliance. It seemed similar to his dealings, somewhat vague and murky. Breathing in, asking about Reverance he smiled and set the cup down. "I was born Gabriel Adasca. On Arkania. On my shoulder..." he pointed to his left shoulder. "Reverance existed as a parasitic twin. My parents aborted him. Of course, not before our spirits interlocked around the same body. Over time, he slowly took over." He picked up his drink again. "Before meeting Chevu, I was a prisoner in my own body. Once she showed up, I more or less resurfaced, and Reverance tossed me from the body into this clone form..." He gestured towards his chest, proudly.

"Long and short, he was part of me. Though he would see things differently, of course." He paused in thought, fully aware of the particular...appearance of this woman. She was attractive, seemingly smart, charmingly shy, and as far as he could tell, clever. "If you don't mind me asking, why would Coren not stick around with you? Was it a calling towards his mission with the Galactic Alliance?" Coren, as far as Gabriel was concerned, was utterly insane. This rejection might be another notch in that category. He stopped and looked at her cup. "Do you need a refill?"

[member="Spark Finn"]
 
[member="The Revenant"]

She nudged a little closer to Gabe, giving his story her full attention. Bony-butt was propped on the edge of the lounge chair. Still, she managed to sneak in a bite of sandwich.

#didn'twanttobarf #foodformorealcohol

She swallowed. "Uggh. I can't even imagine....so you saw everything Rev did?" She shivered even though she wasn't cold. Shards of memories from Manaan surfaced through her thoughts. She remembered his lumbering form on the holovids and that army of vong. If Darth Carach hadn't gotten there first...

Blue-eyes beneath glass lenses then widened at his open question. He didn't know. "Yeah, I'm gonna need another drink. Make it all whiskey please. You might need one too. I mean..."

#thiswasawkward

Thin lips clamped tightly shut. She cleared her throat, suddenly finding the datapad very interesting instead of looking into those honey-brown eyes set into a bearded face. "I was away a lot. To be fair. Working on a bunch of slicing projects with the Alliance. Anything tech I could get my hands on. It's kinda my thing."

Still looking down.

"He was focusing on his thing. Other missions. You become close to those you go on missions with, naturally."

She winced and wasn't hungry anymore.
 
"His thing..." He nearly scoffed as he stood up, walking back over to the bar with her glass taken in hand. With a rinse form the sink, he dried out the glass before filling it with ice and whiskey. "Can I be honest with you, Spark?" The whiskey sloshed about, rose wood in crystalline, as the ice cracked in the change in temperature. "You're an attractive woman."

He was fairly secure in his perception. Having lived with Reverance, who was one to pursue anything with power and appreciated the flow of power intermingled with physical presence, he cared little for the notions of stepping on eggshells. "You're obviously very smart. Smarter than me, anyway." He said as he set the glass in her hand once more, the whiskey jumping about.

He exhaled as he sat down, his own whiskey sitting next to his cup of unfinished chocolate and liquor. He took a sip. "What you said, it sounds like excuses. If Coren abandoned you, I can only assume it was for a righteous path. Otherwise..." Well, Gabe would have assumed he was simply an idiot. Well, that was his opinion already, but this might increase it's accuracy in his mind. Oh kriff it. "He sounds like a fool." He stated it plainly. Evidently the day of work hadn't left much for food consumption, leaving him on an empty stomach. And it didn't mix well with liquor. A certain boldness crept in. "And yeah. I saw everything Reverance did, until the transfer. A boon to the Galactic Alliance, for those who would use it."

Cracking his neck, he looked towards the stone on the outskirts of the bar. The cobble and rounded stone was intricate and suggestive of a certain level of work. "I'm glad you came to Sulon..." He said, taking a sip and turning to Spark.

[member="Spark Finn"]
 
[member="The Revenant"]

#Gabedidntplay

The technopath blinked at him a few times. The only sound was the clinking of the ice against the glass rim as she lifted it to her thin lips. A smaller blush remained on her pale cheeks. She wished this place had a few more shadows to hide in.

Was it her place to tell him about Chevu and Coren? Probably not even if he deserved to know. He'd find out eventually. Unlike Coren, Chevu probably told Gabe before things...happened between Coren. And it was clear the man had wounds as fresh as her own. Was it worth twisting the dagger a little deeper?

"Thank you. I'm glad I met you, Gabe." She meant it. Blue-gaze didn't waiver even if the drink was making her feel a little giddy. "In fact. Maybe I can work with you to build a profile or database on Reverence. Any edge we can get against the Sith would be a good thing and since you kinda offered," she gave him a fleeting smile.

Still, they were brothers. Had to tread carefully. Gabe seemed willing but was he really? #siblingproblems

There was a pause.

"You really don't like him, do you? I mean Coren."
 
"Coren..." He smirked as he jingled the ice in the whiskey. "I do my best to not dislike people. Even people like Coren..." Whispers echoing out from the bottom of his glass, breath rippling against whiskey. Taking a sip, he set it back down and tilted his neck, stretching out the muscles. "But in the same vein, I prefer people who think before they act. People who go off more than the fleeting whims of a rash mind. No one is perfect, but we should all venture to better ourselves." He had inherent reasons to dislike the man, particular in how Chevu was treated during her trial and how he was later treated, even while trying to help the Galactic Alliance. People with power had a responsibility to wield it prudently, the swift removal of life not something that should be so quickly considered.

He lifted the chocolate cup and nodded. "A profile on Reverance, you mean a template for his habits and daily routine?" He thought about it. "That's not a bad idea. If you think it would help." Pursing out his lips, he drank some of the hot chocolate. It was starting to go cold but it still had the whiskey bite to it. "I mean, I of course knew all of his habits. But it's been a good deal of time since I was with him. I suspect much has changed, even in that short span."

Oblivious to the subtle hints, he focused in on an empty portion of the stone texture of the bar siding. Shaking his head, he made a mental note to fix that later with an additional cobble stone.

[member="Spark Finn"]
 
[member="The Revenant"]

She listened but chose not to respond on the matter of Coren. His brashness had saved her life on multiple occasions. It had also gotten a few people killed. He was certainly tenacious, for better or worse. There was a time in the under ground when he was more cautious, more concerned about saving lives rather than killing sith. But a lot had happened.

#understatement

The gangly-blonde refocused. "Yes, I think it would help," nearly empty glass was set on the table with a sloppy clunk. #lightweighteffects. "Habits are hard to change even with time. Maybe we'll find a weakness we can exploit. Maybe something to use against the sith as a whole. Even if I could get enough info to infiltrate their communications network. It would be a start. It...,"

A loud ding sounded from the untouched datapad in her lap.

Speckled-gaze tilted down and a snort left the tip of her freckled-nose. "Looks like a bounty was just posted on Coren and Chevu. And a separate one on me." She tried sobering for a bit but laughed some more.

"Sorry, that's not funny."

After all, this was a bounty on the mother of his children. And Coren. And herself. #lolsith
 
He finished off the whiskey and stood up, walking over to the bar. "You don't understand." Setting the glass down, he leaned against the wood. "Reverance and I, we are like day and night. Before, even when I was suppressed, I had small bits of influence and added prudence." He gesticulated, the alcohol getting to his head. "It's not a matter of habits. It's a matter of a machine once functioning with limiter or an artificial intelligence functioning under protocol shackles." He walked back over to chair and picked up what was left of the hot chocolate. "I was the limiter. Reverance now has nothing left to hold him back, candle burning at both ends. The only thing I can predict is simply how unpredictable he is."

He downed the rest of the hot chocolate and walked around the bar, listening to the revelation of the bounty. His brow furrowed with a darkened expression as he dipped beneath the counter, pulling out mandalorian orange. Four quadrants cut with a knife from the natural block, he exhaled. "No, it's not funny. But it is part of her station." She couldn't leave Sullust, she had told him that without having returned the affection. Shaking his head, he bit into the orange and enjoyed the mixture of citrus and sweet. "Who put out the bounty?"

Hopefully not Reverance. Heaven forbid that monster become acquainted with them on a first name basis. He knew the man had engaged Chevu during one of her outings into One Sith territory, a reckless and stupid thing for an expecting mother. Alcohol dulled his normally tempered attitude, finding it bothersome that she would put the children at risk for a cause that would demand it.

[member="Spark Finn"]
 
It was clear he was still very much in love with Chevu, though spurned. Worry was a natural reaction. No, concern. The slightly inebriated slicer stood and swayed slightly on her converse-clad feet.

"Looks like some chick from the Techno Union. Our duo hit up one of their facilities. Makes sense that they'd be working together so much."

The blonde didn't even realize the minor slip up. Nor did she mention anything further about the bounty on herself. It was anonymous which was slightly troubling and may have been more than slightly if it wasn't for the whiskey chocolate.

Finger came up to push the black-rimmed glasses further up the bridge of her nose. More of a habit than a necessity. She faced the barkeep, multi-hat extraordinaire. "You're right. I don't understand. Just a few minutes ago you said your knowledge would be a boon to the Alliance. If this isn't the way to start using it, I'm open to hearing other ideas."

Swaying on her feet, she snatched up her datapad and satchel.

"But I don't want to cause you any trouble. This is a safe place for your family and me being here makes it less so." Slim-shin banged against the ottoman as she tried to maneuver her way out of the space with as much coordination as a tipsy baby ewok.


#babygundark

[member="The Revenant"]
 

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