Private You're Lookin For The Other Guy

[Kahlil Noble]

Where she didn't pull her feet up he did. He was pretty casual, and he certainly wouldn't care if Raya Krayt did the same. He stopped with the chips to watch the movie in silence, smiling and laughing as the parts demanded. Wincing at the violence and cheering on the hero. By the end he was tired himself. Usually when he was in between jobs he'd be sleeping, and since he saw those kids getting swindled he hadn't had the chance to actually take a nap. He yawned when the credits started to roll, glancing to his companion.

"Was a pretty good movie, yeah."

 

[Raya Krayt]

Raya turned to face Kahlil when he spoke, though her reaction was delayed. "Hm?" She asked before registering what he had said. "Oh, yeah. Definitely." She replied before pushing herself off of the couch, tiredness evident from her heavy eyelids. "I'm going to head to bed, or have a nap or... I don't know what time it is but I haven't slept in a day. Goodnight or... something." She mumbled before walking past him to her room.

Once in her room, she shut the door and began the laborious process of taking off her armour which she placed on the floor beside her bed before stripping down the final layers down to a tank top and shorts and then peeling back the sheets and climbing into bed. Although she felt safe enough to do such a thing, she kept a blaster within reach for whatever reason, in case something happened to the ship. Within moments, Raya fell asleep.

A few hours passed peacefully but the events of the day weighed on her mind, namely the revelation of her companion being the man who commanded the siege of Mandalore and committed atrocities towards her people. She grew troubled as her mind relived the turmoil of the events subconsciously until she awoke with a scream and sat bolt upright. It took her a moment to realise where she was but once she did was no more comforted as the fear of betrayal was fresh in her mind so she reached for the blaster beside her bed.

Kahlil Noble

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"I'll probably do the same. You like eggs? Eggs are pretty good. I'll be making some in the morning." He gave Raya Krayt a small wave as she headed off, then glanced to R6. The droid offered a suspicious beep, which only earned a chuckle from the Jedi. Kahlil wouldn't stay up too much longer himself, just long enough to make sure everything was in order on the ship. Then it was off to sleep himself. Or at least an attempt. Sleep wasn't something that came easy to him. Too many dreams. Too many nightmares.

The scream caught him off guard. He was quick to act, hopping to his feet to rush out and into the guest room. "Hey! You alright? What's going on?"

 

[Raya Krayt]

Upon seeing the door slide open, she directed the blaster she was holding in both hands at the person who entered. She knew who it was which was exactly why she was aiming for him. "How do I know you won't betray me?" She asked in a shaken voice, ignoring his question while her own question an insight into what had happened for her to get into such a state.

The dreams of the past were scarce but the previous day had been an emotional one which had reignited some previously buried emotions. To someone perceptive enough, it would be evident that a nightmare had shaken her sufficiently enough to warrant her trust wavering in her host despite the fact she had trusted him mere hours before. However, now she was fuelled by fear and irrationality rather than logic.

Kahlil Noble

 

[Kahlil Noble]

For a moment there was surprise in his face. Then, slowly, Kahlil held up his hands. He kept a calm expression, not a smile. No, he knew what she was talking about. "I'm not my family. I can't give you anything to prove that, though. Other than my word. I'm not here to hurt you, Raya. I'm a friend." Slowly he'd step forward. He knew just how dangerous it was to be armed in a state like this. Carefully, step by step, until he was close enough to at least guide the gun down and away from shooting him.

"I promise, you're safe here."

 

[Raya Krayt]

Raya watched as he approached but made no effort to attack, though her finger remained on the trigger. She listened to his words and considered the truthfulness of them. He was a Jedi, not a Sith. They weren't known for their manipulation and like she had said before: he was not his father.

The reassurance was enough as she allowed him to guide the weapon away and loosened her grip on it, suggesting she believed him without explicitly saying it. She calmed down from her heightened state and shifted into one of sorrow as she had just relived the battle of Mandalore in her subconscious. She nodded to show she agreed but didn't get any words out for a few more moments.

"It was about the battle of Mandalore. I watched my home burn and my people with it." Her gaze fixated on nothing in particular for a moment before finding Kahlil's gaze. "Do you ever have nightmares?" She asked.

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil kept his gaze on Raya Krayt the entire time, the worry clear in his eyes. When her grip loosened he'd take the gun away and set it somewhere close. Within her reach. He knew all too well how important it was for a Mandalorian to have their weapons, and he certainly wasn't trying to insult her that way. Her question gave him pause though. He froze, his gaze falling off of her. "All the time. They're not easy." He'd meet her gaze after a moment, his own full of an unspoken sadness.

"You want some hot chocolate? I can make some really good hot chocolate."

 

[Raya Krayt]

It gave her comfort to know he had experienced the same thing. She supposed it was common for those who were often placed in stressful battle situations and it was probably worse for Kahlil who had to acknowledge the role his father played in such atrocities while following the opposite path. The galaxy was full of grief and the atmosphere of the room was no different.

"Yes, please." She replied as propped herself up against a pillow and crossed her legs, leaving Kahlil room to sit on the bed if he wanted.

The Mandalorian knew her host wasn't like his father, she had told him as much but it seemed it was harder to come to terms with than she thought but the combination of his demeanour and the bounty on him from the Sith Empire calmed any doubts. Still, she would ruminate on the matter until he returned.

Kahlil Noble

 

[Kahlil Noble]

Kahlil wouldn't be too long, mostly because he didn't want to leave Raya Krayt alone for too long. When he did come back it was with a couple of mugs filled with hot chocolate and whipped cream. He'd hand her one before taking a seat on the bed to sip his own. He was quiet though. What could he say? He lived with the horrors of his father, but he didn't loose anyone. Not like she did.

"Well. I'm awake. You wanna play a card game or something?"

 

[Raya Krayt]

Raya took the mug from him, gave a small smile and thanked him before taking a sip. "You really do have good taste." She told him calmly, referencing the earlier bagel he had advocated for. She thought for a moment before replying. "Pazaak?" She suggested.

The situation had her feeling a little embarrassed at how pathetic she seemed. While the toll of battle affected many warriors, she had never expected to present that side of herself to a Jedi - in the middle of the night no less when she was at her most vulnerable. "Sorry for uh... threatening you... again." She apologised awkwardly.

Kahlil Noble

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"I've got the best sense of taste. It's the side effect of being a noble." He flashed a grin before nodding. Pazzak was a good idea. He reached out to the nearby desk and lifted over a deck with the Force. So he didn't have to get up. A little lazy, for sure. Kahlil started to deal out the cards, though paused at her apology. "You'd be surprised how often that happens. I'm used to it by now. Have to be, with the kind of life I chose to live." A warm smile spread across his face as he pulled up his cards and readied to play.

"Now let's play. Got anything you wanna bet?"

 

[Raya Krayt]

Raya smiled and shook her head when he grinned at her but was still a little uneasy after what she had just done. She watched in awe as he moved the cards with the Force since she had little experience with Force users, being from the clan she was, and she knew of the kinds of powers they had but it was strange to see them used. She remained a firm believer that with proper instruction and leadership then Force Users could be a valuable asset to the clan rather than a danger and Kahlil was reinforcing that idea.

His following response reassured her and she began to relax back into her usual self. "Yeah, I suppose. It can't be easy being a Jedi. I mean I've got an extra layer of protection-" She gestured to her armour on the floor. "-but you don't." Though she knew the Force certainly had its perks and lightsabers were impervious to blaster bolts. She knew she wouldn't be nearly as confident or reckless without her armour.

"You know I don't have much. Unless you want a couple of grenades, a granola bar or my shoes." She replied with a chuckle.

Kahlil Noble

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"It'll make sense if I actually do get shot at. I'm far safer than you are in your armor." There was another light chuckle from him before he raised a brow. Right. There wasn't too much to bet. A grin formed after a moment as an idea came to mind. He leaned over, silver eyes bright with some kind of thrill in what he was planning. "I win, you gotta do the dishes when I make breakfast."

 

[Raya Krayt]

"Really? I know you can defend with your lightsaber but there's a lot of you to cover. I'd be dead ten times over if it weren't for my armour." She told him, seeming intrigued. She knew little about the Jedi, or Force Users in general, which gradually became more apparent. Most of her knowledge came from the destructive powers associated with the Dark Side which she had seen first hand in a battle against a Sith. The fight had left her shaken but her views on the Force remained steadfast as she still had a positive view of the Jedi.

Raya gave an inquizitive look as Kahlil seemed excited about what he was about to propose and once he did, she laughed in response before agreeing. "Ok, you're on but if I win you have to polish my armour." She replied with a smirk.

Kahlil Noble

 

[Kahlil Noble]

"Helps to know where you're gonna get shot to not be there." He chuckled lightly once more, then it was game face time. Kahlil's demeanor changed as he picked up his hand to ready the game. "Don't worry, I won't make too many dishes for you to clean." He was certainly confident. His eyes stayed on Raya Krayt, clearly enjoying the game for what it was.

And, ultimately, he lost. Kahlil let out a sigh as he slumped on the bed. "Well, damn. Guess I'm gonna have to figure out how to polish armor, huh?"

 

[Raya Krayt]

"Yeah right." She smiled and playfully rolled her eyes but she became more serious once the game began. However, upon the conclusion of the game, she threw her cards down in front of her in triumph. "Aha!" She exclaimed with a grin on her face.

The Mandalorian leaned down and picked up the armour that had been haphazardly piled beside the bed before dropping it in front of her, smugly. "By the time you're finished, everyone on Tatooine is gonna want a piece of this." She joked before patting her defeated opponent on the shoulder. "Good game." She told him.

In that moment, she caught herself smiling and wondered for a moment how she had gotten to be in this situation. Kahlil was so easy to get along with and it felt so natural, as though she had known him for longer than she had.

Kahlil Noble

 

[Kahlil Noble]

He laughed nervously as he looked over the armor as it was handed to him. Yeah, he wasn't going to be able to figure that out too well. And there wasn't a force power that could let him do it quickly. Regardless, Kahlil took the piece and started to actually polish it, cloth and wax n all. He paused though, as he caught her smile. He flashed his own after a moment, then went back to work on trying to clean Raya Krayt armor.

 

[Raya Krayt]

Raya averted her gaze for a moment when she caught his eyes, feeling a little awkward to have been caught smiling while watching him. "You missed a bit." She pointed towards one of the shoulder plates that had clearly already been polished, seeming like she was enjoying it a little too much. She then lay down flat and pulled her knees up since Kahlil was occupying the space where her legs would've gone.

Looking up at the ceiling as she thought for a moment, she uttered a question soon after. "So I think I understand the Jedi and the Sith..." She started, clearly leading up to something. "But what makes someone fall to the Dark side?" She pondered, figuring this would be a good person to ask. She needed to take an interest in the Force and gain understanding if she was going to convince her clan to change their mindset.

Kahlil Noble

 

[Kahlil Noble]

He blinked slowly as he looked back to the polished part, then chuckled. "Seems I did." He didn't, but he certainly didn't want to make Raya Krayt anymore uncomfortable than she was. Especially with the nightmare she had. He went back to polishing, his eyes focused there rather than on the woman laying right there beside him. Honestly it felt wrong to see her without her armor. Like he'd wandered in on her showering or something. Her question brought an end to that thought though.

"Anything. Pride. Love. Hate. Fear. But, I don't really know. I was born in the dark and had to find my way out of it." He paused for a moment, just staring at his reflection in the armor.

"I'm still figuring it all out myself. Not all who use the dark are like my father, after all. Some are good."

 

[Raya Krayt]

The Mandalorian pondered on his initial answer for a moment, a look of concern on her face as she did. While it was not unexpected that he had likely been raised a Sith, given who his father was, it was still disturbing to know he once associated himself with the people who had taken so much from her people. However, she knew he had moved away from that life and respected him for that. After all, he didn't have a say in the matter as a child and was likely indoctrinated.

His following comment caused her to sit up and give him a look of confusion. "They are?" She asked, trying to catch his gaze. "Then why are the Jedi so adamant on not using the Dark side?" She asked. From the little information she had, she at least knew that the Jedi and Sith were on opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of their Force alignment. "It's fascinating..." She said thoughtfully. "I've never really spoken to a Jedi before like this and I'm not sure you could call my experience with the Sith a conversation."

Raya looked at the armour and looked impressed. "You're doing a pretty good job."

Kahlil Noble