Private A Chance Encounter

[Ettiene Kharne]

Location: Water Gardens, Theed, Naboo
Attire: X | With Black Trousers
Tag(s): John Locke

The clouds which spotted the sky were painted in a myriad of colors as the sun’s ray broke over the horizon. The gentle rush of water soft tweets of various avian wildlife were all that broke the silence of the serene tranquility in the early hours of the morning, but it was this that had become something of a routine with the half-Morellian man. He sat cross-legged along a ledge that lined a small pool tucked away into one of the smaller alcoves of the gardens. His eyes were closed, and his attention directed on simply centering himself in the present. It was a sort of meditation he performed before he set out to begin his day. It helped to relax him and prepare him for whichever stressors would be thrown in his direction throughout the day. And with his position as the executive assistant of the Exarch, Srina Talon , such things were becoming all too frequent. It was the Exarch that laden the man with such a pile of taskings throughout the day, but simply the nature of the duties with which his position entailed.

By this point, his routine would be no secret to those with whom he tended to interact, nor to those that frequented his boss on matters contributing to her own responsibilities as an Exarch to the Confederacy. In fact, Luca had on more than one occasion invited others to join him through his daily ritual within the gardens before heading back to the Presidium for the mundane roil and toil of everyday business. Whether or not this day would be any different, was yet to be known to the man, but it was here he remained.
​

 

[John Locke]

Location: Water Gardens | Theed | Naboo
Wearing: Guess...wrong! It's a suit!
Tagging: Ettiene Kharne

​

Nobody would ever mistake John Locke for a country boy, he'd grown up in the middle of the slums of Coronet City. While some greenery had existed it wasn't exactly proliferate, a bush here, a patch of grass there or a little apple tree outside that house. It wasn't until he was a fully grown man, till he had truly seen the countryside, the horizon that stretched out as far as the eye could see. Till he'd seen a sea of green, an ocean of colours…and promptly retreated to the safety of the city. That was the John Locke known to most of his cohorts, to most of the galaxy.

That was the John that was known, but not the real John. While it was true that the city was where he'd grown up, a landscape he could wear like a second skin, it wasn't necessarily where his heart was. The man just had to close his eyes to feel the touch of the sea breeze on his face, the smell of lemon trees. There, lingering at the edge of his vision was a familiar laugh and a glimpse of red hair dancing away. The smell of home.

Only that was almost halfway across the planet, while his duties and responsibilities kept him tied down to Theed most of the time. It had become a habit of his to pass through the water gardens on his way to work each day. A few moments stolen from his schedule, a moment of peace before the travails of the day overwhelmed him. Hands slipped into his pockets, shoes tapping on the path as he heard the sound of water flowing, the smell of flowers transporting him back, that flash of red hair…only that wasn't a memory, there was actually a flash of red in an alcove, a familiar colour but…

Dark eyes peered at the alcove, brow furrowing for a moment as the man shook his head. For a moment he'd thought…but Gianna was on the other side of the planet, though…she would love the water gardens. A wry smile touched the man's lips, the man in the alcove looked familiar…Srina's new executive assistant.

"Hey Taida, meet the competition, think he could out organize you?"

"I'm going to pretend that you didn't say that…by the way, I'm currently organizing a thousand pizzas to be delivered to your apartment. You're welcome."

 

[Ettiene Kharne]

Tag(s): John Locke

Luca was in a meditative state as the Exarch, John Locke , came into range where he could hear the man. And even though the half-Morellian wasn’t Force sensitive, there was something about the Exarch’s presence that made the air around him feel different. It wasn’t a bad thing. It just was what it was. Different. And so it seemed now that someone had taken him up on his offer to start their day in the way he did as there was something about it that seemed to lead to a certain level of betterment. At least for him. As mental preparation was just as important as physical. And at times, even more so.

His eyes still closed, Luca was able to better focus on the sounds and sensory aspects of the nature around him. He opened himself to all of it and embraced it. In a sense, he became one with it. To the point, even, that although he could not make out the words he was able to depict the muffled sounds of the Exarch’s voice in the distance behind him through the ever present flow of the fountains and falls that surrounded him.

He breathed in deep, and let loose the breath in one long, extended and deliberate exhale. “It’s nice to have you here, Exarch Locke,” he said, his voice calm and compassionate. “May I ask how you fair today? How is your other half?”
​

 

[John Locke]

Location: Water Gardens | Theed | Naboo
Wearing: Guess...wrong! It's a suit!
Tagging: Ettiene Kharne

​

A small ghost of a smile played over John's lips as he held out a hand, palm held up to the sky. Dark eyes flicked up towards the sky for a moment before settling down on the red-haired man's face, a faint light dancing at the back of the man's gaze. He let the silence drag out for a moment, for two, before speaking.

"Well, it's not raining now, so that's something right? Nothing worse than trying to walk to work…or to…sit on a damp rock…in the rain."

It was entirely possible that the man, Luca Donskoi according to John's implants, was meditating in the garden. John was aware that it was an activity that was meant to be helpful to those who wanted to find that inner peace, that relaxation that they all sought. Most people that was. John rarely found himself with the time or inclination to spend his day in quiet contemplation, but he could appreciate the effects on those who did choose to focus their mind that way. Personally, there was little better than taking apart or creating a blueprint to relaxs the mind after a long day of work.

"And yourself? How is Exarch Talon?"

His fellow Exarch's assistant had made reference to Gianna, a polite enquiry that John met with just a smile and tilt of his head. It was inadvertent but Luca had touched upon perhaps the single element of his life that didn't belong to others. Not to the Company that took his name, not the Confederacy he served. A bright point in a galaxy of darkness, and one that he rarely shared even with those closest to him. To a man he barely knew…it was the humanity at the core of John's being, shrouded by armour and masks, by power and experience. The dark-haired exarch's life had shaped him, formed him into a monster, a spider sitting at the centre of an economic and political web. To protect those he cared about, those he was responsible for John had schemed and planned with the best. Had absorbed companies and manipulated actors to achieve his means.

Yet, the red-haired Jedi had shown him another way, a…better way.

All this and more, a swirl of thoughts in his inner core, not a flicker touching his face as his head bowed politely.

"Isn't the morning a little…cold to be sitting out here alone?"