We Meet Again (DragonsFlame/Farn)

[Tallia Farn]

Rain drizzled gently on the landing platform as Dobin Pahr directed men with large crates of spice into his rusty cargo ship. The Rodian male smiled as best as his greenish snout would allow and bellowed to his men.

"This spice is gonna make us rich!" He announced loudly to his haulers as he popped open one of the containers and held up a dark vial. "One single strand of glitterstim is worth a small fortune in the Core Worlds!" He said excitedly.

A hundred yards away, hidden in the smokescreen of one of Nar Shadda's many factory roofs, was the faint silhouette of a woman crouched low with her neck outstretched, trying to over-hear a conversation. With her force-enhanced hearing, Tallia Farn was able to make out everything the slimy Rodian said.

"If you think you're going to sneak another shipment off this planet, Pahr, you're a bigger fool than I thought." She whispered to herself while pulling out her datapad to review his wanted ad. "Any normal smuggler with a bounty as high as yours wouldn't show his face 20 parsecs from this district, but I guess it's my lucky day."

Tallia ran to the edge of the factory roof and called on the force to propel her body toward the top of the next building in the direction of her target. It only took her a short time to close the distance to the landing platform and slip behind a stack of crates unnoticed. If all went according to plan she'd have a nice stack of credits to spend by the end of the night. The hired thugs moving crates were a slight complication, but they didn't seem like to much to worry about for a force-user like Tallia.

Patiently, she waited for the most opportune moment to strike. She couldn't wait to wipe the smug look off that Rodian criminals face.

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

It seemed the former Jedi Knight wasn't the only one on Nar Shadda tracking this shipment. The Rodian had another watcher, another witness, and another, in future, dealer of his plan's destruction... If things went his way. For on top of a roof stood a cloaked figure, hood up, watching.... Waiting. Josh DragonsFlame had returned from a self imposed exile, and had wasted no time in getting back to where he had left off. While the Jedi Order was no longer home to him, and his attempts to re-connect with friends and allies unsuccessful, Josh knew that there were plenty of ways to continue his work helping the galaxy, by himself if he had to. He had made regular visits to Kashyykk since his return, ensuring that illegal slave trade, the enslavement of the Wookiee people, was not a factor. And when it was... Well, Tallia of all people would know the answer to that, if she knew that he was still alive. His first foray into that division was with Tallia, actually... Of course, he had been unable to find her after returning, to his disappointment.

With his own force-enhanced hearing, Josh could hear everything... And he prepared himself for the moment to strike. He didn't want to kill if he could help it, but knowing the rough times... It was inevitable that casualties would be had. Finally, the time was nigh, and the Jedi Master would leap off, using the Force as he would fall to slow his descent, then stopping his fall near the ground to land quietly and without harm. He would quickly roll behind a stack of crates as he would land, and peek around the corner to ensure he hadn't been seen. He would nod and slip back behind the crates, but as he turned his head... His eyes would meet another's. He had company.

The blonde haired Jedi Master, with his cloaked hood covering the upper half of his face, would allow his fingers to drift to his lightsaber, preparing to meet his assailant if they would attack...

[member="Tallia Farn"]

 

[Tallia Farn]

Just as the darkly cloaked figure reached for their weapon, so did Tallia. She was taken off guard by this sudden appearance, but her reflexes were incredibly quick as she flaunted a vibroknife under the chin of her opponent. She tried to analyze him as much as she could. He stood several inches taller than her, and she caught a glimpse of blonde inside the man's dark hood.

"Who the hell are you?" Tallia growled lowly. She looked down as she noticed the glint of a hilt on the stranger's belt. A lightsaber. "A Jedi?" She continued to question as she pressed the knife closer to the man's neck.

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

His own reflexes matched hers, and the moment the vibroblade went to his neck, he would grab it, his other hand grabbing his lightsaber, but not igniting it as not to alert the criminals. The motion would cause his hood to fly off, exposing his face to Tallia. But it was when she spoke that he recognized that voice, and took a close look at her...

He would raise an eyebrow, shocked at the prospect of seeing her again. ".... Tallia?" He would whisper. He remembered her now... He could feel a rush of memories rushing back, and a rush of old feelings as well... Feelings he had long pushed away when he had dedicated his time to voiding his old attachments, to become new again, to erase the damage that the Jedi in their betraying him had done. But for now, those didn't matter...

"It's me..." He said quietly, staring into her eyes. She seemed... Different, somehow. Her aura was different, harder to recognize. But... Of course, he was a different man now as well.

[member="Tallia Farn"]

 

[Tallia Farn]

"Kark." Tallia sighed, taking a slight step backward. She pulled the knife away from Josh and sheathed it next to the lightsaber hanging at her side. Silence hung in the air as she processed the situation. Encountering someone from her past hadn't been on her list of complications, especially out on a scum-infested planet like Nar Shadda.

The man certainly appeared to be Josh, given the slight difference due to aging. Tallia wondered if she should check his force signature to be sure, but that would put her signature out on full display. That was something she'd rather not reveal right after a reunion. Before he could pick up his trailing sentence, Tallia covered a hand over his mouth.

"Follow my lead, and we can talk afterward." Tallia whispered then removed her hand. "I'm guessing the Jedi sent you to shut this smuggler down." She remarked as she turned and peeked around the stack of crates. The last several crates of spice were being moved as she spoke. "Allow me to give you a hand." She said, holding her dual lightsabers at her sides. "We can take them together. Like old times."

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

It was indeed Tallia, it seemed. He wasn't sure why she was on Nar Shadda, but it was safe to assume that she had been sent by the Jedi Order in order to stop this thing, just as he planned to. Of course, he hadn't been sent to do anything. He just got wind of it and made plans to do it on his own. He would release his grip on her vibroknife as Tallia would sheath it, nodding a bit as he took a light breath. Still, he couldn't remember the last time that the Jedi had sent anyone to do anything on Nar Shadda... Perhaps this was a bit more... Complicated then he had previously assumed just moments ago.

Josh hadn't aged much since they had last met. Of course, if she were to check his Force presence, it would certainly seem much different then when they had last seen one another. He had become a different person, despite the key core traits still being there. He had taken a lengthy amount of time to clear himself, erase himself in a way... Start over. Start anew. Push aside his attachments, even his.... Attractions, and become someone new. He had become more... Human, in a sense. At first, it did not work well for him when he returned to his "duties" as a Jedi, even without the Jedi Order. He had gone to Zeltros first, and had almost fallen victim to the pheromones. It had nearly ended... Quite badly, and Josh would likely never speak of it. It certainly wasn't near as fun as the time that a group of Jedi, Josh and Tallia included, had gone to Zeltros for a little party time.

Still, Tallia was the last person Josh had expected to find on Nar Shadda. Nor did he expect to find her on basically the same mission he was. Alas, he supposed it was the doing of fates, and of the Force. He considered correcting Tallia in that the Jedi had not sent him, and that he had left soon after his ousting from Grandmaster, but it was something that Tallia had likely forgotten. They would have time to speak of this later, after this... And hopefully then, they would have time for a proper reunion. Still... It felt... Comfortable, somehow, working together with Tallia again. He couldn't really explain it, but it felt... Right to him.

The Jedi Master would nod as he would peek around the stack of crates they were hiding behind, smirking faintly when she alluded to it being like old times. "I'm sure we can. Shouldn't take us long" He would remark with a small smile. The absence of the usual joking flirting from DragonsFlame that usually followed every time the two worked together was notable, but perhaps that was just a change that had been made. Or perhaps, it would rear it's head later... He couldn't help but sense something... Different, about Tallia. But he couldn't trace it, couldn't put his finger on it. That would be a question for later. He would spin his lightsaber between his fingers and wait for the signal to attack.

[member="Tallia Farn"]

 

[Tallia Farn]

"Good, Josh is on-board." Tallia thought to herself. "That should make this even easier." She readied herself next to Josh, but instead of charging into an attack, she leaped upwards and landed atop the stack of crates.

"Greetings!" Her voice boomed as she enhanced it with the force. "I'm a bounty hunter, and my contract requires Dobin Pahr's head." She scanned the faces of the thugs as she delivered her speech.

"Here's my proposal. Hand him over to me and that's one less person you have to split the spice with when you sell." Tallia waited for their response as they exchanged nervous looks between each other.

"You should really do your research!" Pahr shouted back from the landing ramp of his shuttle. "We work for the Hutts. Trading away assets is bad business, and that's something the Hutts really hate." The Rodian let out a harsh laugh, and his men followed suit nervously. They were clearly conflicted.

"I'm sure these men would rather take their chances with you than face the wrath of the Hutts." Pahr continued. Tallia curled her lip in an snarl.

"Well, their loss." She shrugged and activated her lightsabers, which shined purple and green. "I'll try to make your deaths quick."

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Josh would watch as Tallia would leap onto the crates, and attempt to trick the criminals. He would smile faintly. It was smart, he had to admit. Tallia had become quite resourceful in their time apart. He was proud of her for that. He remained hidden for now, deciding to allow Tallia to handle it. If she could knock one of them down a peg, it would certainly be easier...

They weren't buying it. He could sense conflict between some of them, but this Pahr guy was adamant that they were in this together. No matter, then. But it was Tallia's next words that caused a frown to spread across his lips. That sounded so... Cruel and ruthless, uncharacteristic of Tallia. Josh regretted every death he dealt, even if necessary, but Tallia's words were.. Well, a little bit unsettling. Regardless, this was something they'd need to address later, and as Tallia would activate her lightsabers, the Jedi Master would crack his neck before igniting his own lightsaber, which shined a brilliant blue as he would leap up on the crates and stand at Tallia's side.

His discomfort was forgotten, for now, they had work to do.

[member="Tallia Farn"]

 

[Tallia Farn]

Tallia launched herself forward at the group of thugs who had only just drawn their weapons. Several blaster bolts scattered around her haphazardly as she flew towards them with her lightsabers extended. The closest of them, a skinny Devaronian, recieved a boot in his face as Tallia landed. Her lightsabers sparked and burnt the metalic platform as she dragged them at her sides. She kept her eyes on Pahr, even as she skewered one of the thugs who strayed too close.

Tallia left plenty of gunmen for Josh to wipe up as she walked up the ramp to Dobin Pahr. The Rodian's eyes grew extraordinarily wide as she approached. After a moment, he bolstered enough courage to fire a shot at Tallia, which she easily blocked back at him.

He slumped against the wall as smoke poured from his seared shoulder. Tallia stood over him, and he could feel the heat of her energy blades mere centimeters from his face.

"End of the line Pahr." She said coldly. The Rodian tried to sputter a plea for mercy as Tallia prepared to thrust down on him with her lightsabers. "You should have seen this coming when you started working for the Hutts."

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

And just like that, it was on. The moment that they had drawn their weapons, Josh had leaped toward them with the aid of the Force side by side with Tallia, blocking blaster bolts the whole way before leaving his hands up only for a moment before clotheslining one of them with a hard left arm. A Twi'lek, if he recalled by what he'd seen before he'd blasted them with a muscular arm slamming into their throat and knocking them right down and dazing them. He would continue to use the blue lightsaber as a means to swiftly block blaster bolts as he would kick the blaster away from the guy he'd just clotheslined, before lunging toward the next guy and landing a swift boot to the chest, and then quickly following up with a roundhouse kick, right foot, to the side of the head, knocking the guy out cold. He would also kick his blaster away. It seemed that the Jedi Master was holding back, as well as keeping from killing any of his foes. Their deaths, in his eyes, were unnecessary. Sometimes, a scare was all that a smuggler needed in order to reconsider everything they had done. Knowing that their work could have been the death of them if not for the fact that the blue lightsaber wielding Jedi who adeptly outmatched them was merciful. Josh knew that the authorities would take care of them, because they'd be here by the time these guys woke up. This pattern followed until the gunmen were neutralized, and just Pahr was left.

Josh would walk up behind Tallia as she would raise her lightsabers, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Tallia" The Jedi Master would speak, calmly yet firmly as he stared into her eyes, but not keeping his guard down and remaining wary in case the Rodian decided to use the opportunity to attack. "Killing him is unnecessary. Let the authorities have him. They might not be very good in Nar Shadda, but restrained or unconscious guys aren't very difficult to arrest"

"Besides..." He began, cracking his neck. "Everyone deserves a second chance. And if you find him out and doing something illegal again... Well, obviously he's not gonna learn, so feel free to kill him" He would add with a cheeky grin her way. The joking side was back.. But the look he gave the Rodian told that he was deathly serious. The only reason he hadn't killed him himself was because it was unnecessary... Once they made it necessary, there was no mercy any longer.

The way he emphasized it might cause it to occur to Tallia that he was intentionally scaring the Rodian into reform. He just hoped that Pahr didn't attack.. If he did, he wouldn't stop Tallia. Still... He was growing more and more concerned by her mannerisms. What in the world had changed while he was gone?

[member="Tallia Farn"]

 

[Tallia Farn]

Tallia lowered her lightsabers as Josh spoke, but she didn't put them away just yet. Pahr didn't dare to breath as she continued to loom over him.

"The Hutts are the authorities on Nar Shadda." Tallia informed Josh. "It's either kill him, or give him back to those bastards."

She paused. Her words probably didn't seem fitting of her from Josh's perspective. Tallia had changed a lot, but she wanted to ease Josh into those changes.

"Listen, you have to think about it." She said quietly to Josh. "Disrupting a spice smuggler, getting thugs off the streets," She pointed out to the gang of aliens who were now laying in heaps on the ground. "This is going to save lives in the long run." She turned back to Pahr with a solemn stare.

"It's time to end you." She stepped towards him, preparing to plunge her lightsaber into his gut.

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Josh was quite upset with Tallia due to her sudden change of demeanor, her willingness to kill as if it meant nothing. It was nothing like what a Jedi was supposed to be... A ruthless killer. Just like most of the rest of the Order that he had left for the same reason. Had Tallia fallen victim to the same thing? It was a difficult, bitter pill for him to swallow. He had always held a high respect for Tallia, and thought her to be one of the more intelligent members of the Jedi Order that he knew. She was a smart girl, even if she had gotten frustrated at times over her heritage. But... Even Jedi got frustrated. He knew that from experience.

He listened to her explanation, and though he was upset about it, upset about killing in cold blood... She had a point. His face fell, and he would nod faintly, biting his lip. ".... Alright. Do it. I trust your judgement, Tallia" He said quietly. "Make it quick, please" He whispered. Killing a defenseless man... It just didn't sit right with him. Kark, at least give him a weapon and let him fight for his life. But, of course... Josh had kicked the weapon away, thinking that Tallia would spare him.

His hand slowly left her shoulder as he would look toward Pahr with a solemn look.

"..... I'm sorry" He whispered, a tone of regret leaving his lips. He would turn and walk away, to make sure that they weren't seen, shooting Tallia a nod meaning to convey to meet him over there once she was finished.

He didn't want to watch. Not that he was squeamish... But the death of someone defenseless and unarmed unsettled him deeply.

[member="Tallia Farn"]

 

[Tallia Farn]

Josh turned away as Tallia raised the squirming Rodian to her eye level with the force. She stared into his dark pupil-less eyes.

"There's no need to be afraid." Tallia tried to channel calm energies through the force. "Death will lead to your assimilation into the galaxies flowing ebbs. You will finally know peace." Tallia slid her blazing lightsaber into his chest. His life blinked out as she burnt a hole through his heart.

"I wish I could say the same for myself." She whispered quietly. Tallia took no pleasure in this loss of life, but at the same time her resolve had never wavered. It was better for him to die by her hand than to cause the death of others in the future.

"Of course, this mission wasn't all for justice's sake." Tallia's thoughts reminded her. She drew out her datapad and took a DNA scan of the body. It confirmed her bounty kill and deposited credits into an anonymous bank fund for her to withdraw later. Satisfied that her work was done, Tallia turned back to Josh. Her face held a blank and unemotional stare as she walked up the landing platform to catch up with him.

"Wait." She said, halting her steps. "I can't just leave that spice here for some other criminal to haul." Tallia turned back to the bay door of the ship, using the force to pull crates out two at a time. She cast them over the side of the platform and into the abyss of the lower city.

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

The Jedi Master wasn't happy at all, that was clear even in his aura if he hadn't hidden it awhile ago. At the same time, he was conflicted. Tallia was... Different, somehow. He couldn't put his finger on it. Her mannerisms, her methods, her actions, her words... It just didn't seem like the Tallia that DragonsFlame remembered. Perhaps.. He would find out in time. He knew it was best not to get too caught up in it. People changed, after all. He had changed himself. He had learned the hard way that losing everything changed you in ways that you could never have comprehended until it happened. It took everything that you were at your core, and it tossed it to the wind, no; to the stars. It left you in pieces, to reconstruct your own identity, and rebuild who you were again to find your peace...

As he heard Tallia's lightsaber move, he could sense the life leave the Rodian as he would pass on into the Force. As his body hit the ground, DragonsFlame would finally decide to look back again, perhaps curious about Tallia's reaction. He noticed her logging something, doing some kind of scan with her datapad.. What in the world...

Why would she need to do that for, he wondered? It seemed... Off. But he was too far away to see what was happening on the datapad. The blonde haired Jedi Master would simply shake his head and stare out at the stars for a moment, for a moment pondering the changes that appeared to have befallen this blast in the past that had come back into his life like a falling star. He took a deep breath then, allowing himself to relax, immerse his mind into the Force... Meditation, but standing, feeling the presence of all around him. And at that moment, his own force presence was finally revealed to Tallia. It was... Quite different from the presence she had known before, but at its core, there was something still there that would feel vastly familiar. If she had any doubts left of his identity, that was her confirmation. His demeanor was calm, yet slightly troubled.. But he would clear the idle thoughts from his mind before long, and as he did, he would hear Tallia's voice call behind him.

"Wait." She had said, and the Jedi Master would turn to look back at her, his expression as cold as stone, an emotionless visage to match her own in spades. He would watch as Tallia would mention the spice. She was right, again, of course. The blonde would nod faintly, before raising a hand, grabbing crates two at a time and following her lead, sending them plunging off the platform and into the abyss below. He doubted the impact would leave them salvageable. That was likely Tallia's intention.

"Then our mission is done here" He would finally speak, softly, as the crates would be cleared out and sent into the pit below. Finally, he decided to ask....

"I wouldn't suppose you'd be free to come and catch up with an old friend, would you?" Joshua would ask her softly, the faintest traces of a smile crossing his lips. While curious, and a bit suspicious, she was still Tallia. He had no plans to just abandon her on this backwater planet after so long without even a chat about how she had been since their time apart. He had disappeared so suddenly. Sure, he had lost contact with her prior to that, and it had been a factor in his decision to let go and disappear from the galaxy... But he felt he owed it to her at least. At one point in his life, Tallia had meant a great deal to him, more then he had let on perhaps. If that was still the case... Perhaps, in time he would find out.

Or... Perhaps not. The Force is a fickle thing, after all.

[member="Tallia Farn"]

 

[Tallia Farn]

"I promised we could talk afterward." She nodded. "But it'd probably be best if we got outta this district first. I don't want anyone tailing us." Tallia walked past Josh towards a turbolift terminal at the other end of the platform. She hit the switch to call it and it quickly zoomed up to the platform's level. She stepped inside and waited for Josh to join her in the cramped lift. Tallia hastily punched in commands for one of the lower levels and waited impatiently for it to descend to it's destination. She absolutely hated being confined to small spaces. It was an irrational fear left over from her trauma as a Sith prisoner.

The natural light of Nal Hutta's sun shining on Nar Shadda was soon lost in the intertwined maze of shantytowns and makeshift buildings woven between the duracrete supports of the upper level buildings. Neon signs advertising backwater bars and shady entertainment clubs provided the majority of the light on the lower levels and as a result everything had a dirty tinge of sickly pinks and greens.

Finally, the turbolift stopped and Tallia quite nearly lunged out the doorway. She looked around, staring at the various bars scattered around the level. A crowd made up of mostly aliens milled around the pathways and catwalks. Tallia hoped two humans wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb.

"We should be fine down here." She told Josh. "And you can take your pick of cantina, they're all pretty much the same, and I don't drink anyway."

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

(Sorry for the delay, some school stuff came up and killed my muse, but I'm all good now)

Oh, right. Amongst all the fighting, Josh had almost forgotten about the promise Tallia had made. He would nod then, seeming to recall it after she had brought it up. "Right, right, almost forgot" He would admit, letting out a sigh as he allowed himself to relax. He wasn't happy about all that had happened, but meeting up with Tallia again was a pleasant surprise, even if marred in controversy from the events that had gone along with it. The blonde haired Jedi Master would gently follow behind Tallia as she walked, joining her in the lift when it came down.

A long time ago, Josh would have likely felt the same as Tallia about cramped spaces once they had entered the lift. He'd been a Sith prisoner back when he was a Padawan, and many of the tattoos that lined his body were the result of locked up tattoo artists getting creative with the little Padawan who'd been involved in an explosion that'd placed him in a coma prior to being tossed into the brig, and waking up with ink on their body. Of course, this was just a few months before he had his powers inhibited and he was thrown to their scientists to run their stupid experiments on. The end of his first run in the Jedi Order.

After he had escaped, coupled with amnesia, he had found himself sleeping in a cramped back room in a store in Tatooine. While cramped spaces still irritated him, he was more used to it after that experience. It seemed so far away now, yet at the same time it was as though it were only yesterday... Despite it being years ago. The Jedi Master watched as the neon signs and the sights and sounds of Nar Shadda zipped by them as the lift moved. His gaze moved to Tallia for the moment, sensing her impatience, perhaps a bit of panic... He considered questioning her about her well being, but the look in her eyes told him not to ask.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, the turbolift would stop. The moment the doors opened, he had to move to the side to keep Tallia from absolutely colliding with the poor guy when she would barrel out of the lift like a woman possessed. Did he smell bad or something? He wasn't sure, but he would briskly walk out, cracking his neck and stretching his shoulders as he would look around, catching sight of the bars and cantinas. He would turn to face Tallia when she spoke, and nodded.

"That's fine with me" He said in response, knowing which one to pick. He would take the lead, gingerly walking into a cantina he frequented once in awhile. He would shoot a small smile toward the waitress who walked by who he recognized from his last visit, as he would walk toward a booth near the corner of the cantina, the calming music seeming to be a good soother in what seemed to be a more tranquil environment then the more... Oomphy cantinas on Nar Shadda. He would take his seat, and wait for Tallia to join him there as he would fix up his hair a bit. He tried to forget about what had happened before, the death that in his eyes was needless... Albeit necessary, if you thought of Tallia's logic in it. It was still a shame, to him, but he tried to keep his mind off it. What else could you do, right?

[member="Tallia Farn"]

 

[Tallia Farn]

(Yeah I've been a bit busy lately too)

Tallia slid into the seat across from Josh and let out a breathy sigh as she sunk into the cushioned booth. She stretched her arms over her head casually as if she'd just finished a routine workout at a local gym. She then set her elbows on the table and rested her chin atop of her folded hands. Her focus drifted from the man seated across from her as she quickly surveyed the crowd of the cantina. Tallia wanted to make certain there was no one here who would try to cause her trouble. She hadn't quite developed a reputation yet in the relatively short time she'd been on Nar Shadda, but she was cautious none the less. Thankfully, she determined that the only stares in Josh and her direction were merely curious. Tallia made a mental note to keep her voice down.

"So.." Tallia said, turning her attention back to Josh. "I'm sure you have questions?" She took a sudden interest in her nails as she spoke, almost purposefully avoiding eye contact with him.

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

(I can tell, lol. So as not to crowd the post, I'll just ask about it in PM instead)

They had slid into their seats and gotten comfortable. Well, as comfortable as could be possible in a cantina in the middle of Nar Shadda, with its scoundrels and dirties and all sorts of other rot. He stretched his shoulders a bit, aligning them back in place properly after the swings he'd thrown to settle the matter from before as peacefully as possible without actually having to use his lightsaber and kill somebody. Tallia, of course, hadn't been as peaceful, but that would probably make its way into conversation eventually. Josh would rest his elbows on the table afterword, resting his chin atop his folded hands... Before raising an eyebrow when he realized Tallia had the exact same habit. That surprise turned into an amused smirk before he gazed around the cantina, obviously wary about the... Rather unsavory types that always flocked these sorts of places.

And so, the questions and conversation began. "Well..." He began, noting that she'd been unable to meet his eyes. Was she hiding something? Was something bothering her? He would raise an eyebrow. "Well, first of all, you can ask any questions you like as well. I've been gone quite some time after we lost contact, after all" He said. "And second of all... My first question is, what's wrong? You look... Uncomfortable. Like you don't want to be here, with me, at all" He said, getting right down to it. He'd always been direct like this.

[member="Tallia Farn"]

 

[Tallia Farn]

Tallia looked up at Josh. She was suprised that he'd caught on to her emotions so easily. It was impressive that he had picked that up simply from her demeanor, considering she made sure to veil her force signature thickly.

"He's even more perceptive than I remember." She thought.

"In a way, your absolutely right." Tallia admitted, looking down again. "I wasn't exactly expecting to see you here, and.." She sighed. "Seeing you again brought back a lot of unwelcome memories." She looked up to see his reaction.

"I haven't even seen anyone from the Order in years. I was planning to meet up with them again someday. To see my old friends again... It just wasn't on my agenda for today." She let out a short, nervous laugh. The confidence she commanded in a combat situation was gone, and she sounded much more like the awkward teenage padawan she had thought she left behind on Coruscant.

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Many things had changed during their time apart, such as Josh's self-imposed exile in order to clear himself. During that time, he'd learned quite a bit. With a clearer mind, he'd become much more perceptive, but.. That might also be just from knowing Tallia as well as he did. He watched her closely, and he had to admit... She seemed... Older, then he remembered. Not by just a year either. It was odd, but she wasn't the only one that had aged quite a bit since he was gone. Oddly enough, it had only been about a year since he and Tallia had seen one another last. Since he had suddenly lost contact with the Hapan Heir before finding that the suitable time to shut himself out from everyone, to fix himself. Gone was the teenage hapan girl that he knew, she looked to be about in her mid-20s now, or close to it. The 22-year old Jedi Master pondered these developments for a moment... Of course, he'd been on the far reaches of the Outer Rim during the time of the Netherworld happenings, but Tallia wasn't the only person that he'd reunited with only to find them much older then when he left them.

It seemed he was correct in his assumptions that something was off with her behavior. He listened to her carefully, and nodded along as he took in every word, curious to find out what had happened to someone that he had once cared for dearly. Unwelcome memories? Well, that wasn't very comforting. He had hoped she'd have been happy to see him after so long, but... Perhaps he was wrong. Maybe finding her here today was a mistake and would only bring her pain. He wasn't sure.

The Jedi Master frowned, obviously a little confused, and a bit upset. But he didn't let it get to him too much. At least, he tried not to. But it was that last statement that got to him.

Years?

The Jedi Master's eyebrows raised to Rock-level heights. What in the world was she talking about? Years? Had he really been gone that long? No, as far as he knew, he was only 22. He'd traveled the Outer Rim for quite some time, piecing himself back together, before settling down in Naboo for a time once he returned in secret, and remained there in secret until the Ession Reformation found him. But this just didn't make any sense...

"Years?" Josh would respond quietly, the disbelief obvious on his face. Was she sick? Had she been gone so long herself that she'd lost track of how long it had been? "Tallia..." Josh would add softly, staring her dead in the eyes. "I wasn't gone that long... Not even a year. Are you sure you're feeling alright?" He would ask. He'd bury his face in his hands, shaking his head. This was all just so confusing. His shield, his facade of stoic, was beginning to break, he'd likely be more recognizable to her now from who he was before.

[member="Tallia Farn"]