Private There’s a Song About This

[Arlo Renard]

Kai palmed the door to the diner, holding it open with his foot while he reached back to coax Iris along. He'd all but held the easily-distracted girl's hand on the way there, afraid she would get lost gawking at all the sights.

<This is the place. No, not over there. Iris—>

They finally made it inside, boy, girl, and boy's giant pet wolf. Sophie immediately put her nose to the ground, sniffing the tiles. Kai's telepathic command kept her from wandering too far, however, and she plopped down on the floor beside their table to keep watch.

<I like this place because they give you a lot of food for cheap,> Kai told Iris. <If you can't eat it all, just give it to me. Or Sophie.>

Sophie looked up at Iris, blue tongue lolling.

Kyric Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

Iris had gotten a lot better at not getting lost in a city. Her small attention span, if it could be said she even had one to begin with, had grown vastly. She had grown vastly. Yet walking around the city with Arlo Renard seemed to have completely reverted her to the wide eyed girl lost in color. Yet, she wasn't truly lost. She was well aware Kai was trying to guide her. Knew where he was leading her, knew he was probably talking to her.

She was just.. Distant. The whole walk she'd been holding the black glove that covered the newest addition to her growing scars. The life of a Jedi in this day was truly violent. That's what she'd learned. It was.. Disheartening. Right now she wanted to forget everything and pretend like nothing had changed.

"Mm? .. Oh, right." Iris followed along into the shop, taking a seat only to stare out the window towards the glowing lights of the city. Not for long though. Best puppo easily pulled her attention as she felt eyes on her. The Padawan immediately gave Sophie the best lovings, scratching behind the large wolflike creature's ears. "Don't worry Sophie, I'll give you allll my leftovers."

Kyric

 

[Kyric]

The area's gray in a one, two, three...

The music blasting through Kyric's earbuds served two distinct purposes for the young man. One, it reminded him of his time back home. Coruscant wasn't all that different from Denon. The lower levels were basically the Suicides, only stacked atop each other like one big shit sandwich. Walking the streets, he could almost imagine turning down one to see the End of the Road waiting for him. His father always kept the music playing. He claimed it provided them with feelings they couldn't find in a hole like the Suicide Slums. Kyric didn't really get that back in the day. Now, it made plenty of sense.

Regardless of the memories, the plethora of voices in his brain clawing at one another for his attention were more annoying than anything Galactic City offered. Music's ability to drown out whatever the hell his Losa or Kyra could visualize and force front and center was pretty great. And so we arrive at reason number two. Peace of mind.

That is, until something much more interesting than music could latch onto his senses. Vhi loved the weird shit.

Why's there a giant wolf on Coruscant?

Shut up. There's isn't a wolf on Coruscant.

There's definitely a wolf. Look at the wolf.

Kyric stopped midstep when whatever part of his brain commanded logic pointed it out too. He watched as the hulking beast disappeared into a diner alongside... familiar figures?

That one's Dagon's stray. The white-haired punk with the baby blues. Maybe we should go over there and teach that freak a thing or two about taking what doesn't belong to them, Kyric old boy.

"You know you're the last person I'm gonna listen to, you dumb fu-" Kyric stopped midsentence when he noticed a passing couple staring at him alarmingly. "Er- sorry about that," he nodded and hurried across the street.

Is that the painter girl? She was cute, wasn't she? Go talk to her. Dad had a girlfriend around our age, didn't he? If we're gonna be here in the big city, you need to have an awesome story to tell him when we get home.

"Will you just stop talking if I do it?" he asked aloud, his senses a jumble at this point.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

"Fine! Fine," Kyric shook his head. He pushed the door open, his presence announced by the soft tingle of a bell overhead. He scanned the room as he practiced, placing each entrance in his mind before moving towards the table housing Kai, Iris, and the canine. "Hey uh," he cleared his throat. "You're Kai, right? Dagon mentioned you a few times back home. I was wondering if maybe you guys had room for one more?"

Arlo Renard | Iris Arani​

 

[Arlo Renard]

Sophie was enjoying the attention, though she became distracted by Kyric as he approached the table. She managed to bark once at the newcomer before Kai quieted her with a mental command.

Looking up at Kyric, Kai was taken aback. <Dag mentioned me?> Dag talked about him to other people? When he barely even talked to Kai himself?

Wild.

<You're Kyric, right?> He glanced at Iris, wondering if she would object. Assuming she was even paying attention while she was busy petting Sophie. <Okay good, okay fine.> Kai scooted over to make room, wondering belatedly if Kyric was trying to score a free meal out of them, or if he was mainly here for Iris. Things like this just plain didn't happen to Kai.

As Kyric sat down, Kai heard some strange noises coming from the kitchen. Not really anything worth jumping out of his seat for, but enough to give him momentary pause before he shrugged it off and went back to flipping through the holo menu.

Kyric Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

Iris's gaze stayed on the pupper even as she felt another approach. At least until Sophie barked. The Padawan jumped a little and raised her gaze to Kyric , blinking. Was he.. Oh. She did actually recognize him. Her gaze shifted to Arlo Renard and she shrugged. No objection on her part. Though, Kyric? Was that his name? She raised a hand to wave, though the second the gloved hand was in eyesight she immediately tucked it back under the table.

".. Hello. I'm Iris. I'm not sure if we've been introduced, at least that I can remember."

 

[Kyric]

"Yeah," Kyric answered Kai's initial question. "He gave me the rundown on stuff that's been goin' on while I've been livin' on Denon. You were mentioned. Among other things."

Looking over the table for a moment, Kyric removed his earbuds and slid in beside Kai. He pressed in a bit close to the Sithspawn. Probably too close, but he seemed focused on the holo menu held in other boy's hands. Kyric looked from the menu to Iris, and he offered her a smile. She seemed familiar. Tython? Probably Tython. He hadn't spent much time with Jedi other than Dagon or his old man. Tython was ground zero for his eventual descent into the madness of being a Jedi.

"Nah, no introductions yet," he watched her gloved hand disappear beneath the table. "I'm Kyric Karis, a new padawan to the Order, I guess. Nice to meet you, Iris."

What was that?

Just noise from the kitchen. Kitchens get noisy, genius.

Then why did the kid beside you zero in on it, too?

Kyric glanced at Kai from the corner of his eye but shrugged.

"So, you guys got any recommendation for food around here? I'm thinkin' something greasy, maybe with way too many calories. A burger? Some pizza? A shake? I dunno."

Iris Arani | Arlo Renard​

 

[Arlo Renard]

Among other things?...

Pushing the menu over so that Kyric could have a better view, Kai side-eyed him. Did he know he was sitting next to a Sithspawn?

They all introduced themselves with their full names. <Kai Bamarri,> he added. He was still getting used to having a surname; he’d been known as just Kai for so long, he’d made a habit of it.

<I usually get a burger.> Or two. Or three. His metabolism was out of this world, after all. <Or anything with meat, really. But that’s just me. I have to eat meat for the protein.>

More noises from the kitchen. A rattling, a scraping, and a crash. Sophie turned her head toward the sounds, sniffing the air as she stared. Kai sat up a little straighter, trying to see for himself.

Kyric Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

Iris tilted her head, debating for a moment if she should add her own last name. Though before she could choose the crash in the other room caught her attention, pulling her gaze from Arlo Renard and Kyric to 'look' that way. It was more a glance through the colors. She'd noticed it when they came in. Dim colors. Stress, sadness. Anger. Her lips thinned. The colors had only darkened further.

"People are fighting."

 

[Kyric]

There it is again.

Do you plan on ignoring it? That sounds stupid.

"No, I'm not gonna ignore it," Kyric said aloud. He didn't seem to notice his mistake, though he did push himself up to his feet and look to the door leading to the kitchen. Others seemed to catch wind of the commotion. Whispers sounded softly throughout the diner, while employees began the arduous process of trying to quiet them.

Kyric looked back to his companions. "I'm gonna go, uh," he motioned to the door. "Do the thing, I guess. The er-" what would he even call it? He wasn't exactly a padawan of the Order yet. And would anyone even take the title of Junior Marshal seriously?

No. Probably not.

"- helping people thing," he concluded after a brief stretch of silence.

He shoved his hands into his pockets and strode towards the door.

Arlo Renard | Iris Arani​

 

[Arlo Renard]

Kai also jumped out of his seat, heading for the back of the diner. Sophie followed at a trot by his side. Upon reaching the archway leading to the kitchen, he hung back, peering inside from around the corner.

The scene in the kitchen consisted of a group of terrified cooks huddling in one corner, while a massive canine beast casually rifled through the fridge. In response to their whimpering, the creature flashed sharp teeth.

“You fleshbags had better shut up,” it growled. “If I can’t find enough meat to sate me, the one who keeps mewling will do!”

Kyric Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

All three Jedi got up to handle what was going on. The more Iris saw through the colors though, the more she realized there was something off. Dark. Hungry. She frowned as she moved beside Arlo Renard , similarly peering into the room. Sithspawn. What kind she didn't know, but she'd been dealing with enough of them to recognize the similar shade they all had. Sithspawn and hostages.

Inwardly, she sighed. All she wanted to do was not be a Jedi today. Relax. Vacation? <How do you want to do this?> The question was broadcasted to both Kai and Kyric , but it was mostly for Kai. She not all Jedi would want to try and diffuse a situation like this peacefully with a Sithspawn. She wanted to. Always did. But.. She didn't know Kyric.

<He might be open to talking.>

 

[Kyric]

The obvious answer is to eradicate the creature, yet they seem hesitant.

Kyric eyed the bipedal beast with no outward malice. If anything, the teenager seemed entirely amused by a creature that looked like it been ripped right out of a game and planted there, in a diner kitchen, on Coruscant. What a trip.

There's something going on here. Maybe we should sit back and see what happens?

He nodded towards Iris.

"Do the diplomacy thing," Kyric said aloud. "If it doesn't work out, I'll do the punching thing. I'm pretty good at it."

For the moment, the kiffar allowed his attention to drift from the sithspawn to Iris. Though she appeared stoic, the empath could feel her hesitance when facing the responsibility laid out before her.

She doesn't want to deal with this right now, c'mon, Kyr. That's obvious. Look at her, she's just a kid.

And?

He sighed.

Iris Arani | Arlo Renard​

 

[Arlo Renard]

Kai reached out to the creature. <You’re looking for free food. Why don’t you try a shelter instead?>

“Nothing but moldy bread and lukewarm broth. And what little meat they’ve got’s rotten!” The creature paused and looked around. “Which one of you maggots said that?”

<I did.> Kai slipped around the corner, accompanied by Sophie. <There are monsters in the Underworld you could hunt.> Kai would know; he had once eaten a Coruscanti ogre’s brain.

“Mutant meat’s no good. I want it fresh and still warm.” The creature turned toward the restaurant staff, saliva drooling from its mouth in long strands that reached gradually to the floor.

<I can’t let you eat these people,> Kai warned.

“You can’t stop me, worm!”

The creature slammed a fist into Kai. The doppelganger underestimated just how powerful the blow would be and was knocked across the room, his body slamming into a freezer. He got to his feet again just in time to dodge another swing.

So much for diplomacy.

Kyric Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

Colors darkened.

Within the unique bond Iris had with the Force, she could see it. The dimming, draining color from the world as the creature swung out for Arlo Renard . The people around were horrified, what little color they still had being consumed by that very same darkness. People were going to panic, and when people panicked they were only going to get hurt. So she acted.

As the second punch came Iris was already gone from Kyric 's side. Domxite ignited a deep orange, arcing up. The smell of singed flesh and fur filled the air as the Butcher's arm landed atop one of the work stations. A howl of rage, another swing towards the source of pain. Except Iris wasn't there any longer. Everything was wrong about this. She'd only wanted to eat lunch with a friend, but instead she was fighting another Sithspawn. Another battle.

The usually peaceful expression she had as she let herself go to the Force was far more placid. Almost like she wasn't there at all. She'd done it before, letting reality fall to the wayside so she could shed the burden of these battles. Domxite had stopped her from going to far before.

But she was no longer listening. Too much darkness, too many colors being swallowed. As the Gnoll brought his remaining arm down to where she'd been, her blade cut up for his neck.

 

[Kyric]

She's going to kill it.

Kyric nodded.

Aren't you going to do something?

He took a step forward as her sword sliced through the creature's arm. It flew across the room, bouncing against a wall, before coming to a stop atop the prep cook's counter. Kyric watched a thin trail of smoke rise from the charred flesh, ruined by the passage of the girl's saber. Fear flooded the room. Not only for the creature, no. Terror dripped from the fragile minds of those who watched a small girl strike to kill. Her instincts were savage, no better than the beast who came rooting around for food.

To them, people who could not hope to understand the greater struggles of the galaxy, she was no different. A primal fury disguised to walk among the flock.

Yeah, s'ppose I should.

The world blurred around him. In the blink of an eye, he stood between Iris and the now wounded creature. His hand burst forth and took hold of her wrist like a vice. The other pushed out against the monster. It impacted the sithspawn's chest, the strike laughable compared to the blade that severed its arm. Then, the beast found itself lifted from the ground by a telekinetic surge of power. It flew across the room and slammed into a wall opposite the trio, unconscious.

Kyric looked Iris dead in the eye. His earlier mirth vanished.

"That's enough," Scion declared. "It's been beaten."

Arlo Renard | Iris Arani​

 

[Arlo Renard]

Between Iris slicing off the creature’s arm in the blink of an eye and Kyric narrowly stopping her from cutting off its head, Kai didn’t even have a chance to draw his weapon. His lightsaber hilt was in his hand, but remained deactivated as the unconscious beast slumped to the floor.

Wide blue eyes darted between Kyric and Iris. She had wanted to kill the creature. The idea seemed ludicrous to Kai. This was Iris they were talking about. Iris Arani, the happy-go-lucky, spacy Padawan who would rather paint pictures than go to war. Kai knew Iris, knew she wasn’t like this. If anything he would’ve expected Kyric, a comparative stranger, to pull a stunt like that.

But he had seen Iris lunged for the neck. The way she blindly threw herself at the beast, cold and unfeeling. It reminded him of Ishida Ashina attacking him in the abandoned theater, her white blade slicing his throat.

Shaking his head to dispel the memory, Kai turned to the frightened cooks and wordlessly began herding them out of the kitchen. They didn’t need to be told where to go.

<Thanks,> Kai said when the last of them was outside, rubbing his shoulder where it had slammed into the freezer. The flesh was already healing, bruises fading. <That could’ve been… worse.>

He gingerly approached the unconscious creature, checking its vitals. He could already tell the beast was fine, even missing an arm, but it kept him busy while he waited for the tension in the room to abate.

Kyric Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

Her wrist was snatched, and she froze. She only met Kyric 's gaze directly for a moment before her eyes drifted. Focused on him, what he was saying, but never truly looking his way. Observing the colors around him. Around the room. She'd acted. No hesitation, no panic. That's what Arlo Renard and the others had been telling her to do, right? Then.. Why were people scared?

Her gaze settled on Kai. For the briefest moment she saw it, the dim. Fear.

Domxite retreated back into it's housing as she yanked her wrist away from Kyric's grasp.

<That could’ve been… worse.>

Iris bit her cheek. Everything was easier when she could drift in the colors and avoid reality.

 

[Kyric]

Kyric scanned over the scene in silence. He looked from Iris to Kai, from Kai to the unconscious beast. Based on everything he was taught, he did everything right. The bad guy was down. Maimed, yeah, but alive. Everything went according to the Code.

What would his father of done?

The teenager shrugged and turned to the door. He stepped through and activated his commlink.

"This is Kyric Karis with the Alliance Marshals. I have an unconscious beast on level 213. My initial examination leads me to believe the creature is of the dark side in origin, likely an alchemical creation. I need sector security here for pick-up before it wakes up."

A muffled voice answered him with a string of cop-speech Kyric found tedious to decipher on a good day.

"Exact location is Starlite Diner," he finished and clicked off the device. "Fuckin' dispatch, man."

He made his way back to the table and took a seat.

Arlo Renard | Iris Arani​

 

[Arlo Renard]

Kai wasn’t afraid of Iris. Concerned, yes. As Kyric called for help, the doppelganger’s focus was entirely on her.

<You okay now?> he asked, then more to the point, <What happened back there?>

He listened to the dispatch, committing the "cop-speak" to memory. For now, Kai was content to let the authorities handle the beast, but depending on the circumstances, he might soon be involved in a jailbreak. Or an asylum escape. The Sanctorium had a mole in Azrael, of course.

<I guess we won’t be eating here,> he noted, despite Kyric having resumed his seat at the table. <Anyone have any ideas on where to go instead?>

Kyric Iris Arani​

 

[Iris Arani]

<Just let the Force take over, like you said.> Iris shrugged in response. She was already starting to feel more.. Numb. She shivered. ".. Did I do something wrong?" Her voice came out as barely a whisper. She wasn't sure if she even wanted to ask herself it, let alone Arlo Renard . And certainly not Kyric . Not that she didn't like him or anything, just.. He had to stop her.

She didn't wait for an answer from Kai, instead turning to walk out of the room once the report was sent in.

"I'm fine with anywhere."