A Festival Under the Stars (Open to All)

[Kay-Larr]

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]


That didn't quite make her feel better. Especially with the thought of getting kicked out and not having the power to do anything to stop the bloodshed. But then how many times had she been able to stop bloodshed on her own? Not many. She had always had help. Until now.

"I can't....promise anything. But I will try. When they do get rid of me, I'll be on the run." Again, she thought. Maybe she could become a hermit again and escape any order against Force Users. She succeeded in hiding from her enemies for five years after her husband's death. Perhaps some day soon she'll have to do so again.

"Let's try to talk about something lighter, shall we? Do you like brandy? Commenor has an amazing brand that a lot of people covet."

Kay just had to change the subject. She hated death, though she understood that it was the way of things. Yet still, as a healer and diplomat, she did what she could to avoid it from happening.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

It wasn't a topic he like discussing either. The possibility of another Order 66 was more real then it had ever been in years, unfortunately. Otherwise, he'd laugh at the idea. But he had made himself clear. His former loyalty to the Republic was far outweighed by his love for the Jedi. He was a Jedi, first and foremost, no matter what Order he was in. And if the Republic were to ever wish to execute them... They'd have to go through him first.

"Well, when they do get rid of you, maybe you could become a Jedi?" He would suggest, shrugging his shoulders. "Silver Jedi might take you. I wouldn't bother trying Jedi Order. Halen tried to get back in after his Chancellorship ended. Didn't go well" He remarked. "Of course, that was under Halcyon. But the Grandmasters haven't been much better since either, and mine was too short lived to count"

The change of topic was appreciated and he nodded. "I'm a social drinker, but I have had a variety of drinks here and there. I've partaken in drinking contests from time to time... Even with leaders of races who're genetically attuned to kick my ass in them... Which they do" He remarked, laughing a bit. "Doesn't stop me from trying though"

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]


Join the Jedi. Kay didn't much like that idea. She had been kicked from the Order when she was younger and no doubt that if her fight against slavery would get her into trouble with the Republic, then it was more than likely to be frowned upon by the Jedi as well. Probably even the Silver Jedi too. Always the outsider. She was pretty sure that that's how it always will be. Though she was hardly alone. There were always friends out there willing to help her and protect her. She had that kind of gift of influence that just drew people her way and rallied them to her cause.

But she didn't comment on it as she had changed the subject. Kay smiled a little to herself as she thought of the types of drinking contests that he spoke of and tried to imagine him getting drunk. She would never allow herself to get that way though, for she hated not having control over herself.

"Well I remember to bring a bottle for you at the next social gathering. If anything it'll pay you back for your thoughtful advice."

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Well if the Silvers would hate her for constantly going after slavers, they'd hate him for sure considering it was how he spent most of his time. Since he didn't see Sith often, and the rest of the time used to be spent in Jedi politics, he sort of had a lot of free time on his hands after being done with the Jedi politics. So... Why not use it to fight the slave trade, hunting down slave camps on planets where slavery is illegal, liberating and freeing the slaves and busting the slavers? That's exactly what he did, and never in his mind did he think the Jedi would have a problem with it. If Kay were to bring it up, then he'd be completely confused. They'd never given him chit for it before. Even though he killed more then half of the slavers he dealt with. They were a special exception to his honour rules. Not personal reasons of course. The problem was, his usual honourable methods never WORKED. They just came back and started taking hostages when he showed up. Less innocent casualties the more he killed the hostage taking slavers.

He was an outsider himself, even to the Silvers. But he'd been accepted, even if he didn't work with them often. He doubted she'd have a problem.

He laughed a bit when she brought up the bottle. "I'd appreciate that" He said. "Perhaps a drinking contest sometime, see if you can beat me?" He would tease with a playful smile.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]


Kay had never killed. She would wound or knock out someone, but never kill. At least she hoped that it wouldn't come to that. And it wasn't so much about freeing slaves that would be frowned upon. It would be the locations and her methods of working with some of the Republic's enemies. Slavery wasn't always illegal where she would rescue them. Not every government was against it. Gladly she had cost the Hutt Cartel, an ally of the Republic, a whole lot of credits as a result of her efforts.

But they have made her pay in other ways. Small spaces, white buildings and people wearing white all gave her a bit more anxiety than was normal. It was why she started to build a safe house on this planet, with [member="Solan Charr"] 's permission. She didn't want to find herself being taken away to the mental institution again.

She smirked at the thought of a drinking contest with him. And then she laughed. "I'm afraid that a thimble full would be enough to floor me. But I can drink you under the table with Sapir tea any day."

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Slavers were an exception to a rule that he usually held strictly - He wouldn't kill if he didn't have to. He tried to spare any opponents he faced, usually just disabling them and making sure they were out of the way and not able to attack. Unfortunately, with how slavers were... They hadn't left him a choice. He had to. Despite his hatred of them, he'd tried. He really, truly had. But they refuted his attempts every time. So regrettably, he had to choose between the slavers lives, or the lives of the slaves they would take either to cover their own escape, or even just in bitterness of being busted again. They were sadistic monsters that would never reform.

Josh generally did his work alone. But from time to time he had help from a variety of people. He didn't care who it was with, no matter who they came from or why. So long as they didn't get in the way of his work, they could come if they wanted.

He had a home of his own, of course, far away from any Republic or Jedi influence. He was safe there, people generally didn't know what planet he lived on, much less where on the planet it would be.

He smirked a bit at her answer. "I don't drink tea. But I'm sure a few drinks would be nice sometime for a social occasion" He cracked. "That reminds me.... What happened with your husband anyway?" Josh would inquire, tilting his head. A sensitive subject, he knew, but he was curious.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

That was a sensitive subject. It had been six years since his death and they were only married for two, yet still there were times where it felt as though it was only yesterday that he had died. And her beloved saber that he had given her was now gone, taken by a Hutt Cartel assassin after he had tricked her into surrendering, using her humanity against her.

"Shaw was killed by a powerful Sith Lord. My husband himself was a Dark Jedi and this Sith Lord saw me as a weakness, a way to hold my husband back from his potential. So the Sith Lord did whatever he could to get rid of me, try to get Shaw to hate me and eventually try to kill me. But in the end he failed. Shaw had good in him. And when the two of us plus a couple of others were beaten to near death, Shaw struck a bargain, trading my life for his. The Sith Lord was an honourable sort and he took that deal, knowing already that his efforts to have Shaw as his own had failed. So he impaled him right in front if me, making me watch....I saw the life fade from his eyes....Then the Sith Lord approached me, spoke some strange language in my ear...and then left."

She hugged herself a bit, rubbing her arms to give her a bit of comfort. "I could use some tea now." Drinking it always felt like getting a warm hug. It was always soothing.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

He figured it was. Marriage was always a fickle thing when it ended, either because it was wet, wild and took your house and your car, or because someone decided to end it via sleeping in your bed with someone else for a few nights when they thought you weren't home. Or even better, someone outside of the equation just up and decided to kill your spouse for the fun of it. Like Sith Lords. They seemed to do that a lot. Where was the police for Evil Space Wizards? Oh right, that was him. But you wouldn't know the Jedi were with how much the Republic considered them their slaves that only did the Republic's work, and anytime they were in counsel for Jedi stuff like dealing with Evil Space Wizards, they were apparently letting innocent lives die. Y'know, like the Republic Senate did while they were handing out bills to try and enslave the Jedi. Idiots.

His face softened, and he let out a sigh once she finished her story. Honorable Sith Lord? Not with that attitude, he wasn't. He didn't take any deal, he didn't have any honor at all. He killed the man and made his wife watch. It just reminded him why he needed to continue doing what he was doing... To stop things like this because the Republic didn't know how.

"I don't have any tea but... I hear it's kind of like a warm hug, soothing and relaxing..." He spoke quietly, softly, but somberly.... He opened his arms a bit as if offering. "So... Will this suffice?" He croaked quietly. It was rare he did. But...

"I... Lost someone very special to me to the Sith as well..." He admitted quietly, biting his lip. "At... At one point, she was a Sith, like them... When I met her. But she wasn't completely cruel and vicious like they were.. She had a heart. And I saw that good in her when she opened that heart to me. And within a few months... She left them. She saw what she'd done and left the Sith to live a better life.... I... I like to think I had something to do with that. That showing her compassion showed her that she didn't have to hurt people to be happy... Happiness was right in front of her face. We started to live together for a good long time, and I was thinking of... Well... Proposing. I'd bought the ring and everything. Then she started to have aches and doctors said that she might have been... Expecting. We.. We never knew for sure. She was on her way to get tests and... Well... She didn't come back. The Sith.. They're... They're a ruthless lot. They didn't have to kill her... She didn't do anything to them.. She didn't backstab them, just gave a resignation and left.... But... They did. They killed her. And I never got to say goodbye... And I uh... I... I still haven't recovered..." He spoke, looking distressed as he relived that moment he'd found out all over again. "I still miss her... I haven't been able to let myself be with anyone else since because everytime I try, I think about the promises I made and I feel like I can't defy those even in death... But... I know deep down that she's never coming back, even if part of me constantly waits for her... Constantly finds myself looking out the window, waiting for her to find herself on some ship and come find me... But it's been over a year... She hasn't come back... She's never coming back... And part of me just can't seem to accept that..."

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

He was offering a hug? Well at this moment in time, why not? Solan did the same for her when they had survived a crash on an icy planet. There's no harm in a hug between friends. Kay had already decided that they would be, if their discussion was anything to go by. So she inched herself closer towards him and then leaned into the hug, wrapping her arms around him as she rested her cheek on his shoulder.

She listened to his tale, hearing the emotion in his voice and doing her best to keep her own emotion in check. Both of their stories had their similarities. And while Kay knew for certain that her husband was dead, Joshua did not.

"I couldn't imagine not being able to say goodbye. Shaw did, we both did. I saw it in his eyes as I was the last thing that he ever saw...." She wiped a stray tear that managed to slip out. "Don't give up on her. It's only been a year. She could have just gotten scared about having a child and ran off. Some women can be like that." Kay didn't speak from experience has she's had no child of her own, but she has heard of others going through that experience.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

The Jedi let out a sigh as he hugged her gently, trying not to squeeze her too hard. He shook his head at her advice.

"No... I already got the news. There wasn't much left of her... She's dead. She's gone. I'm.... Just in denial... I don't want to believe it, but I know it. I used to be able to sense her... Even if just a part.... A flicker... No matter how far apart we were, some aspect of our bond still remained.... No matter how far away we were, we were never truly alone... After she died, that feeling... It was gone.... She's gone.... And now I'm alone...."

He bit his lip, staring down at the ground for a moment, wiping away his tears for a moment. He didn't mean to get emotional like he had... Sure, they'd become friends but... Gah....

"I'm sorry... I'm going on a little too much about it...." He whispered.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]


Well that was bad news indeed. "I'm sorry....Sometimes I think that I feel Shaw watching me, but it could just be wishful thinking."

After he wiped his tears she pulled back from the hug and smiled a little. "Well, aren't we the best guests to a party. Here we are, sitting around and making blubbery messes of ourselves. Tsk...tsk...tsk.."

Kay got to her feet and held out her arm. "Come on then, let's go for a walk and find some tasty desserts. I hear that helps if there is no tea to be had..."

Humour she had learned, was one of her better ways to cope with her loss. All except for the time when it was near the anniversary of his death. Which was coming up. But that was a time where she was always sure to be by herself. It was her special day of mourning, a day of remembrance.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"Probably is.... Unless he's perhaps watching you from above" He responded, smiling sadly. "This conflict, between the world and those that wish to harm it... It's cruel. It destroys families.. It destroys people... Without a care in the world. It's destroyed you and me and taken those that we care for most from us... All because they feel they are entitled to it. As much as I hate the Republic's Black Flag Order simply because of it's savagery... The Sith, for the most part... Need to be dealt with. That's the cold truth of it. Sure, some may be decent human beings.... But they're so rare. Those ones... Well, perhaps one day they could be turned away from their ways instead of killed. I know I'd prefer it. Do I care if a Sith turns around and joins the Jedi? No.. I don't. I care if they turn away from a dark path and make something of themselves instead of killing people. Especially my own brother, in the Sith..."

He didn't talk about his brother much. And for good reason.

He smirked faintly once she released the hug. "Eh, we see so much of it with all of this death.... Not even the strongest can deal without getting a little blubbery" He'd tease somberly. He would nod as he took her arm. "A walk and some desserts could help, I suppose" He said, taking a deep breath.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]


He had a brother? Kay had no siblings that she knew of. She didn't even remember who her parents were. It was kind of lonely in that way, but at least she didn't have anyone that could be used against her. Yet she always tended to make friends and allies easily enough.

Kay led him passed some of the booths. She wasn't quite sure what she wanted. And then she found some frozen creams of various flavours, some with fruits, some with nuts. She purchased one of the nut varieties as she wanted something a bit savoury. "Pick what you'd like. My treat. It's not every night that someone asks for impartial advice and ends up gaining a new friend."

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

He didn't talk about his brother much. In truth, there was a good reason why, and the whole "Sith" thing that he had mentioned was... Well, honestly it was probably a good reason why. What Jedi liked to talk about the fact that their younger sibling had joined the Sith? Killed people for the sake of a power hungry cause? Committed cruel atrocities in the name of.... Force knows what? It hurt him to even think about it, but it was a reality...

He chuckled a bit when she offered to pay for the food. He decided to pick a frozen treat to put his sadness... On ice. "I appreciate it" He said, smiling a bit. "I wouldn't call it impartial. I'm a Jedi after all" Josh would tease, nudging her a bit with a smirk.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

Kay nearly dropped her frozen treat when he nudged her. She smirked and paid for both desserts before stepping away from the vendor's booth and eating her first spoonful of nutty goodness.

"Yes, yes,you are a Jedi. But your advice is still impartial due to the fact that you didn't know me,so your answers weren't influenced by anything about me. They were all about what you had experienced."

Sometimes it was easier to speak with strangers about things. Though now it was easy to see that they weren't strangers anymore. "How's your dessert?"

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Well that was almost disastrous. He hadn't nudged her THAT hard. He'd have been guilty if he'd caused her to drop it. And probably paid for it himself. Guess he had to be careful, aye? He would nom at the cone of frozen goodness - By the Force! It had been quite some time! The frozen treat tingled as it melted in his mouth! He could almost up and kiss a Senator, he felt so giddy! Of course, he doubted Lady Kay would all that much appreciate that, so he would withhold his frozen treat-induced affection.

"Fair enough" He remarked in his usual casual way of responding to just about everything. "I'm pretty honest about just about anything, so feel free to ask. I can be blunt though, fair warning" He teased with a slight smirk. "The dessert's good. Thank you" He added.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

It wasn't as though he had nudged her really hard. It was more so that she wasn't expecting it.

She wasn't always a fan of bluntness, especially if it was against her view on things, but there were times when it was needed. So she'd just have to suck it up and take it.

Kay had another spoonful of the nutty frozen cream and continued their walk through the marketplace. "Honesty is always appreciated. I am such a bad liar, myself, so I don't even try it. If I don't believe what I'm saying, then no one else will either."

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

The blonde would shrug. "I just can't lie very well. Nor do I like lying to begin with. Everyone in the galaxy lies. I'd rather be the rare one who constantly tells the truth" He would respond with an off-handed shrug. "It's easier to be blunt and tell the truth and just... Well, speak your mind. It feels better. There's no guilt in telling the truth, since you're not doing anything wrong. Some people hate it, but... Well, it's usually when you're disagreeing with them. And people just don't like being told they're wrong" He would add with a light chuckle.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]


"There is guilt involved when you hurt someone's feelings with the truth. But I agree that people don't like being told that they are wrong." She can include herself on that list, depending on the situation.

Kay took another spoonful of her frozen cream. "Are you much of a dancer? Solan had me dance with him earlier and thankfully, I didn't step on his feet too much."

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"Aye, I suppose there would be guilt... But are you really doing something wrong by telling someone the truth as opposed to lying to their face?" The Jedi would inquire, tilting his head. Could lying truly be a good thing, in any fashion? He didn't think so, even if it was what the person wanted to hear.

The Jedi would laugh when she inquired about dancing. "Not much.... With a partner, I'm.... Alright, I guess" He would admit. "You won't catch me dead dancing alone"

[member="Lady Kay"]