The Wheel Keeps Spinning

[Adron Malvern]

The Wheel~ 0200 Hours​

​

A slight smirk came over Adron's face as he looked at his security team dispersing from his hanger bay. The Count had recently finished a host of meetings held on The Wheel and was allowing his security escort a few days of R&R before they left back for Serenno. It was the least the man could do, these soldiers followed him from one end of the galaxy to another mostly just to sit and listen to some of the most boring transactions in galactic history.

With his own business completed Adron was considering a trip to a cantina to wind down a bit. Though he didn't have any type of taste for alcohol the scenery was often very amusing. Pulling his hood over his head he too made his way out of the hanger, turning down the main hall.

Quickly searching his waist for his lightsaber he exhaled softly as he continued down the hall. Thousands of species from all across the galaxy often gathered here to partake in the many luxuries offered, some luxuries being slightly less legal than others. However, Adron was not here to disrupt the flow of the station, and he had no intention of doing such.

His eyes lit up when he saw a cantina with a red sign over it.

The Wayward Mynock.... Adron mused on the name of the cantina while making his way inside. As he entered his nostrils were filled with a mixture of smells, mostly alcohol and tobacco.

Had he not cared so much for his own personal health Adron may have considered a drink, but the thought of poisoning his body just to get a momentary sense of satisfaction seemed idiotic. "Might as well find a booth." He muttered to himself.

Making his way to a booth in the corner, Adron pulled his hood down, sliding onto the leather seats.

[member="Daniel Imura"]

 

[Daniel Imura]

Daniel sat in a nearby booth, quietly enjoying a cold beer, as he leaned back in his seat. He'd only been to The Wheel once before, and truth be told he didn't really favor doing so, but it did have its perks. At least here, people seemed to know their way around, and that often meant he could relax without being stared at. Planetside, especially in particularly local bars, he would sometimes get strange looks and scowls. Maybe it was the way he looked, but people always seemed to think he was in the business of making trouble. Honestly, he wasn't. Sure, he liked to make a quick buck here and there, and sometimes that included not-so-legal activities, but that didn't make him a bad guy, did it? Thankfully, he didn't have these thoughts on his mind, as he closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again, what he saw piqued his interest, and he sat up to get a better look. A man, possibly around his own body's age, crept into the bar, in all honesty seeming lost. His head was hooded, but Daniel could still make out the features of his face... which damn near exactly mirrored his own. Oblivious to Daniel's cocked eyebrow and curious expression, the man sat down in a booth not five feet away. Now, Daniel wasn't typically the social type, but this was a special case. Taking a sip of his beer, he kept the bottle with him as he got up and casually slid into the other booth, across from the stranger. He didn't say anything then, but instead just gave a small, knowing smirk.

[member="Adron Malvern"]

 

[Adron Malvern]

A service droid rolled over to Adron's table, beeping softly before her audio function gave a soft click. "Get ya somethin' ta drink, hon?" The imitated drawl succeeded in amusing Adron as he nodded at the automaton. "Sure, do you have spicy sapir tea?" There was a moment of pause from the droid, as if in consideration. "Sure thing hon!" The droid said before rolling away from his booth. The moment of solitude did not last, however.

Moments later a man was sliding into the other side of Adron's booth, without so much of a hello. "Oh, hope I didn't take your.....your...." His words trailed off as he looked over the individual who sat across from him. Words were cut from his tongue as he looked over the man who seemed to be a slightly older Adron. Aside from a slight difference in the coloration and style of their hair, as well as a different eye color the two shared a rather stunning semblance.

"Do....I know you?" Was all Adron could muster from the mass confusion that served as his mind.

[member="Daniel Imura"]

 

[Daniel Imura]

Daniel sat there in silence for a moment, enjoying the look of pure shock and confusion on the man's face. They may have been technically around the same age, but his own past memories as a result of his being a clone clearly made him the intellectual superior. Though he had to admit, he was a bit shocked too, even if he didn't show it. "That's actually a question I was wondering myself, if i'm being completely honest here." Finally finishing off his beer, he ordered two more, looking with interest at his twin's tea. It made sense now, with his obviously more up-line style of clothing, even if it was similar to his own. The material looked a lot more comfortable, and it seemed to be tailored to fit. This guy was royalty, or at least something like it; pampered and proper. When the beer arrived, he popped open both and set one down in front of Adron. "First thing's first: You come to a bar, you have a drink. Hot tea is for relaxing back home."

[member="Adron Malvern"]

 

[Adron Malvern]

The man across from Adron already seemed to have his differences from the Count. As he was told about his needed change in drinking habits he couldn't help but offer a slight chuckle. "Drinking is bad for your body you know?" He said, never the less he took the beer into his hands and offered his glass towards the man in cheers. "So I assume you're not going to tell me you're some long lost brother are you?"

His words were offered in humor though there was a small part of him wondering the very same. It was apparent that the man had no knowledge of Adron and it's possible their share appearance is merely a massive coincidence.

As they spoke Adron could not help but dip himself into the nether of the force and reach out to the man before him, curios if he was touched with the Force as Adron was. "If so, you owe me about...seventeen years of quality time." He chuckled before sipping at the beer the man had offered him.

[member="Daniel Imura"]

 

[Daniel Imura]

"Bad for the body, good for the soul." 'Assuming I have one', he added quietly. Daniel still wasn't even sure how this whole cloning thing worked, but he was learning. In fact, seeing the man before him, he began to wonder. He looked almost nothing like the man he was supposedly cloned after, even though he shared DNA with his brother, who he did in fact have some similar features with. However, the man in front of him, who had taken to the beer, was almost an exact mirror. He was told he was an imperfect copy... Could it actually be that he had been cloned using two different strands of DNA? If that were the case, would he not be living two lives in his head, instead of one? Unless his Morna half was stronger than the half provided by his doppelganger here, which was entirely possible. He could definitely feel something coming from him, but nothing close to what he felt around Nick, and he was said to be more powerful than his later brother. Those thoughts he kept to himself as he took a large swig from his own bottle, listening to Adron talk. "I can guarantee you i'm not your brother, that's for sure. I have one brother, and even he isn't fully bound to me by blood. Cousins, perhaps?" He smirked at the comment, aiming simply to gauge the man's reaction to his words.

[member="Adron Malvern"]

 

[Adron Malvern]

Cousins? Not even remotely possible, Adron's father was an only child, though there is the possibility of them being distant relatives. Yet that does not even almost explain the fact they could pass as twins. He took notice of the man's red eyes and immediately felt himself go into deeper thought. Just about every member of Adron's family had brown eyes, except for Adron and his siblings whose eyes had been hazel because of their mother's genes.

"Perhaps so." Never the less a lighthearted chuckle was offered up to the man as Adron continued to sip on the beer he had been gifted. No, the only solutions to this would be that this man was either an illegitimate son of Adron's father, which still would not explain the matching features of this length, or he was a clone of Adron? Another thing that seemed rather far fetched.

"So, what's your name, cousin?" He said, in a manner that was an interesting mix of kind and mocking. "Mine is Adron." He elected to leave his family name out of the mix for the moment, until he knew more about his mysterious twin.

[member="Daniel Imura"]

 

[Daniel Imura]

Daniel rarely ever smiled, but admittedly this Adron was intriguing. Even he seemed to be giving the idea of their relation some thought. As far as genes were concerned, he had often wondered where his red eyes had come from. Whenever he saw Nick, his eyes were a fiery red, but Daniel doubted wholeheartedly that it was their natural color. Could it have been a product of the force? Maybe being cloned from two force wielders, one of them being particularly powerful, had caused a permanent change in him.

"My name's Daniel. Call me Danny, and i'll kill you." If the comment was meant as a joke, he didn't show it, or rather, his face remained in the same curious smirk. In all honesty, nobody had called him that before, and he had no desire to be. It was idiotic to think that he would have any name but the one he was given. "So, Adron, anyone can see that you come from money, so what is it with you? Duke? Prince? Your father owns some private company?"

[member="Adron Malvern"]

 

[Adron Malvern]

Adron knew that he tended to stick out like a sore thumb in this type of environment. Since he generally walked with the aura of nobility it was something he knew would be an identifier, as it had been right now. "Danny sounds like you're a six year old kid born on Nar Shadaa...I don't care for shortening names, it's rare you'll see me do it." He gave a nonchalant gesture before crossing his hands and settling his chin on them. "I suppose I look like I bleed credits?" He questioned, a curios tone taking over his voice before he nodded at the man.

"My full name is Adron Malvern, I'm the Count of House Malvern of Serenno and the Lieutenant Commander of the 2nd Sector Army of The Dominion." He placed a hand to his lips, making a shushing sound as he did. "But don't tell anyone. You can imagine how those type of things can be pestering in this climate." He offered another smile as he downed the rest of the beer Daniel had given him.

"So what about you? What planet are you from? I'd guess not Serenno, we're not that lucky for this to be that simple."

[member="Daniel Imura"]

 

[Daniel Imura]

Daniel nodded to himself, he was close then. A Count, huh? Made sense, and it also meant that his bodyguards were no doubt somewhere hanging around. So the possible other side of his DNA was in fact royalty. Perhaps he could get himself some better funding for his company... Clearing his throat to push down the thought for now, he looked Adron up and down for a moment before speaking. "Well, you spilled your beans, now it's my turn." His next comment would do one of a few things. First, he'd piss his pants and run off. Then he'd know they weren't related. Second, he'd end the conversation here and now, choosing to just head out of the bar and never look back. But what would cement his belief that he came from the same bloodline, was if he stood his ground. "My name is Daniel Imura, and I come from a line of very powerful force users from Kro Var. Specifically, i'm a clone of Morna Imura, a fire shaper who became a Sith Lord before he died. Me? well." He touched his finger to the table, and a singular line of frost trailed from it, making its way to the opposite side, and crawling up the beer bottle. "Any questions?"

[member="Adron Malvern"]

 

[Adron Malvern]

As their conversation continued he returned to his tea, taking a sip of the spicy sapir with a great deal of satisfaction. As he drank he arched a brow at Daniel, who seemed content to reveal more about himself as well.

He gestured to Daniel, urging him to tell his own story, and as would be expected from such a story there was a generous pause from the Count as he listened to the man. The story itself was amazingly shocking, so Daniel was a clone? That still did not explain how the clone of a late Sith Lord resembled the son of a famed Jedi Lord.

As a trail of frost crept from Daniel's side of the booth to Adron's own beer bottle his eyes watched with a mixture of awe and curiosity. Again the pause ensued as Daniel questioned if there was anything else to be said. Only one word came from his lips as he ran a hand over the ice that had crossed the table. "Amazing." He muttered.

"A clone? Of a Sith Lord no less? You must be exceptionally powerful in The Force...I knew I sensed something emerging from you." He said as he crossed his arms with an amused smile. As his mind flourished with questions he decided against letting off a barrage and simply let out a simple one. "So how old are you? If you're a clone it stands to reason growth acceleration was used, unless you were unmodulated."

[member="Daniel Imura"]

 

[Daniel Imura]

Daniel actually smiled then- he was now sure that there was some connection there. Sitting there quietly now, he let his counterpart rattle off whatever questions that came to mind, as he could see the gears turning furiously in his head. In the end, only one question came out for the time being, one asking how old he was. Had he been a woman, he would have made a joke about rudeness. "Currently, i'm seven years old, but I was created to physically be in the prime of my host's youth. I have access to his memories, though not in the way I typically prefer." He grimaced at the last bit, but quickly turned his face back into a small smile. "Next?"

[member="Adron Malvern"]

 

[Adron Malvern]

Adron considered his words for a moment before asking his next question. "So...why were you created? To give life to a fallen Sith's power or just in some attempt to recapture something that has already passed?" His words could seem calculative and harsh to a person of soft emotion, however they were meant only so Adron could ascertain the man's purpose. If nothing else he was proving to be a very interesting bar companion.

With a sip of his tea Adron took notice of the man's hair once again, it reminded him of his yet not as dark. There was also the slight want to point out the man's hair would look better in a ponytail, but he withheld that information, for now.

[member="Daniel Imura"]

 

[Daniel Imura]

The question was a fair one, Daniel reasoned.

"After the death of Morna, the group he had been with at the time wanted to recreate him, though I suspect they wanted more control. I was born and raised in a lab, where I was trained to be like him, except I turned out to be a polar opposite. He favored fire shaping, while I immediately took to ice. He used a saber, I used a sword. A blastsword. So, other than having some of his attitudes, I'm his exact opposite. Anyway, they finally let me go, albeit with a tracker, so I could explore the galaxy for myself and find out where I came from. I tracked Morna's life down, but even though I went through seemingly all his memories, new ones still pop up from time to time. I then found Nick, his younger brother, and we bonded, sort of. He got rid of the tracker, and I've been free ever since."

[member="Adron Malvern"]

 

[Adron Malvern]

The entire story left Adron speechless, in the end all that erupt from the Count was one long drawn out whistle. "Well....Drinks are on me then." He smiled at the man before holding his cup of tea up to him. "So what do you do now? Just odd jobs or do you follow any certain government?"

Leaning back into the booth Adron downed the rest of his tea before clearing his throat. "Well. You seem to have a lot of excitement in your life if nothing else, I don't think my life is even half that interesting." Adron offered a quick chuckled before gesturing for the bar droid to return to the booth.

"Want another one?" He questioned.

[member="Daniel Imura"]

 

[Daniel Imura]

Daniel was about to answer, then he stopped himself. What was he doing? He'd only met this guy ten minutes earlier; so why was he opening up so easily. He may have had a connection to him, but that was still yet to be seen. So instead, he clamped his mouth shut, though acknowledging the second comment with a nod. Upon being offered another drink, he simply waved Adron off. "I'm sorry, I think you've gotten the wrong idea. We're not friends, we just look alike. Excuse me." He got up and turned to leave, already feeling himself again. He was done chasing memories, he told himself as his eye twitched a little. He took a second to himself, then began walking away, already knowing the conversation still wasn't over.

[member="Adron Malvern"]

 

[Adron Malvern]

The response did not overly surprise Adron, but it did not sit well with him either. He felt as if there was something more to be had between them, perhaps they were not friends but they seemed to be something. Tosses a few credit chits onto the table Adron turned on Daniel's heel with a content smile on his face, to some it would seem almost bliss. He often had such smiles when he felt he was going to do something fun.

"We both know there is more to this than it seems. The Force brought us together for a reason Daniel." Adron stated, still following the man out of the cantina. "I'm young but I'm not stupid, you sense it too don't you?"

[member="Daniel Imura"]

 

[Daniel Imura]

The voice seemed to tear Daniel around forcefully, and when he looked back into Adron's eyes, he paled, and his vision went black.

He stood with his family as the outer doors closed. Their guards tried to keep the family behind them, but it wasn't good enough. Blaster fire ​

came down like a storm, pelting the Malvern family mercilessly. Next thing he knew, he was on the floor, his upper body all but swiss cheese as he looked around, coughing in anguish. ​

Except for one of his sisters, the rest of the family lay dead. He then fell unconscious. ​

​

Daniel gasped as he came to, his eyes going wild as he looked around him, hand on his pistol. No assassins surrounded him, to his surprise. 'No', he thought. He had it bad enough with one set of memories plaguing him, two was simply too much. "You have no idea just how closely we're connected. You're my other half. Now leave me alone", he growled, his eyes flashing a deeper red than before.

[member="Adron Malvern"]

 

[Adron Malvern]

Adron's steps came to a halt when Daniel turned around to face him. To his surprise he was not met with a lash out of how he was pestering the man, or even a request for him to leave. Instead, Adron watched as Daniel simply stared blankly through the Count. As fast as the moment had come it passed and Daniel seemed to return to his old self...for the most part.

Daniel's words caught Adron by surprise, more so than even he thought was possible. "Other....half?" If what Daniel was insinuating was true it would more than explain their similar appearance. "What are you talking about Daniel?"

[member="Daniel Imura"]

 

[Daniel Imura]

"I said, leave me alone!", Daniel retorted strongly. "You don't know what I go through with just one person's memories in my head. I can't do this." On top of all of that, he hated looking weak, and right now, he wasn't exactly doing a good job of hiding that side of himself. Truth be told, he was terrified. It was one thing to keep reliving memories, but he seemed to recall the most painful ones the strongest. It was no small wonder that he hadn't gone insane yet, instead of just being cold to others, pun not intended.

[member="Adron Malvern"]