Abolition is such a interesting word.

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Joza Perl"]

Solan yawned as his foot was lodged in the throat of the man that laid at his feet in fear, being pushed into the filth of the Nar'Shadaa back alleyway that made interrogations all the easier. He enjoyed his job sometimes, a bit more than he should but in the end it was all about doing what you love, and crushing this man's windpipe with excruciating slowness was more than enough enjoyment for the week.

Why was he sitting here with his foot halfway through crushing the life out of this man?

Well the answer was simple, it was his vacation hours and he decided to use them to wipe away the pesky, infuriating bugs that tried to prey on those they think are nothing more than mercendice. He would definitely need a drink after this, probably rum... or a glass of wine. "What do you think, Red wine or white?" He looked down at the man who struggled for air as his thought went on to anything that would compliment the drinks. "Im thinking Red with a Bantha steak, maybe some greens from Naboo?" He shrugged and snapped his fingers, vines reaching out and taking each of his limbs in their hold, then pulling him into a X shape while he started to stand and let the man have a bit of air.

He would need to get his clothes cleaned too, one of these bastards had bled a bit too much for his taste. "You know, im feeling merciful today.." He looked over his shoulder and smiled. "Internal combustion it is." His hand snapped again and at first nothing happened until his chest started to expand before bursting less than a second later, the man's chest bursting like a balloon as the lungs and heart were both consumed while Solan walked away, the man slowly becoming the ash pile that Solan was known for on Nar'Shadaa. "I do enjoy vacations..."

He slowly made his way for the street once more, closing his coat and pulling the hood over his head, looking around to see if anyone stuck out.

 

[Joza Perl]

Joza had many memories of Nar Shaddaa, all of them having heavily impacted her life. There were the good ones, such as meeting her father for the first time in the Spice and Dice—though she’d actually classify that as more emotional than good. And then there were the decidedly bad remembrances, such as the night she was seduced and captured by a Zygerrian slaver. The time she’d spent with her new Mistress—a Sith Inquisitor—was anything but pleasant, and had changed the Zeltron. Scars etched into the skin of her chest and arms served as a reminder, though it was the ones that scored across her mind that were more prevalent.

Ever since her escape, she didn’t want to return to Voss. Initially she had wanted to go back to the Sanctum capital, but her rescuer had refused. After parting ways with him, Joza meandered around the galaxy. For what reason she did not know—perhaps she was looking for an answer to the shame and guilt she felt so heavily? Revenge? Whatever it was, it stirred at the back of her mind as she skulked along the darkened streets of the smuggler’s moon.

It wasn’t hard for a decently skilled Force user to find work, though some of it was less than legal. It just so happened that she’d overheard a pair of intoxicated young men at a bar talking flagrantly about their “new shipment of twi’lek goods” that would be arriving. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that they were a part of one of the many slaver circles on Nar Shaddaa, after a few bribes of course. Joza had been trailing them for a few days, careful to conceal herself lest she be found out—her caution came at a price, though. It seemed that someone had already gotten to her targets.

Oh. Sensing a dark presence, the Knight’s instinct was to turn the other way. But curiosity had gotten the best of her and she’d arrived at the mouth of the alleyway in time to witness a man’s chest burst, his screams of agony dying out into the flames that consumed him. As the smell of burnt flesh tickled her nose, her face wrinkled in mild disgust. Gross. That was kind of cool though. I wonder how he did that?

Her eyes flickered to the perpetrator and she took a step back, realizing that he’d likely seen her already. Kark. Though her body was garbed in all black, she hadn’t concealed her vibrant pink face.

“So, uh…did that guy owe you money?” She tilted her head towards the pile of ash, hoping that he didn’t see fit to turn her into one as well.

[member="Solan Charr"]

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Joza Perl"]

Solan blinked as he heard a voice behind him and his head turned ever so slightly until Joza's face came into view. If there was one thing he had not been expecting, it was seeing someone in the alley after he had dealt with these slavers and for a few seconds he kinda just stood there.

Joza had caught him off guard after all and it was very clear that he had not expected her or even known about her until her words had rang true in his ears. Infact he was a bit slower than normal and only after taking a few moments did he finally recover and speak, granted the words that came out were no different than to be expected from the twenty something year old man who spent his time doing this in his free time.

"Huh, these guys? Naw, if they owed me money it wouldn't have gone this far. They were just slavers." He paused for a moment and ran a hand over his eyes and rubbed them. "I must say though, i am surprised to see someone with beauty greater than even than that of the Century flowers on Thustra, though not quite as delicate i suspect?" He ran his hands behind him as he stood there and looked at the woman. She was someone he had never seen before and yet, there was something all too familiar about her for him. What was and where had he seen the face infront of him, perhaps it was a mission he had served on.

"So, i assume seeing as you didn't run seeing this, and came instead to talk to me, that you are curious about something?"

 

[Joza Perl]

Just slavers? She blinked, momentarily taken aback by how nonchalant he appeared about the fact that he’d just reduced a man into a pile of cinders. Sliding her eyes over to the pile of softly glowing ash, she kept that in mind as she cleared her throat. He didn’t seem to have any interest in threatening her at the moment, which was good.

But when he mentioned her looks, she paused and any words she had died in her throat. Subconsciously, a gloved hand rose to brush against the faint burn scar on her left cheek. Normally Joza would have covered such a mark, but she’d taken less care of her appearance lately, focusing inwardly. She found that, at times, she disliked her pink skin and currently concealed bright red hair—it drew attention to her. Too much attention. And while she had liked all that attention in the past, it was part of what led to her capture.

Still, the compliment brought a flicker of a smile to her face. Even bare-faced, she still had her vanity and felt good about having her looks praised. “Not quite.” She agreed, a light chuckle almost riding on her words.

“Actually, I’ve been tracking this particular band of slavers over the past few days.” Flicking her left wrist in order to push the wide sleeve of her abaya-like robe, she revealed a wrist mounted blaster. But instead of pointing it at Solan, she turned it to the side and opted to scroll through the embedded datapad. “The Husk Lizard slavery ring. New to the scene, and rather inexperienced from what I hear. But armed and dangerous. That guy you just, uh, blew up—“ Pausing to bring an image of the man’s face onto the screen, she tilted it toward Solan. “—is allegedly part of the group. Been scouting for exotic women, mostly Twi’leks. I was hoping to catch him in the act, but…”

Joza trailed before shrugging and exiting out of the man’s profile on her datapad. “Looks like you beat me to the punch. By the way, how did you do that?” She was a fire shaper herself so she got the whole burning a man until he was nothing part, but his chest had expanded and popped like a balloon before combusting. And truthfully, she hadn’t ran because she thought she’d been spotted—that, and she was morbidly curious as to who this man was and why he was killing slavers in such a way.

[member="Solan Charr"]

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Joza Perl"] (Stop making me write decent sized and thought out posts, its weird )

While her thoughts drew inward and she took the compliment in the better of lights, he himself was looking up and around him to make sure he hadn't gone soft and missed others that might be taking position to attack him. His head never moved, nor his eyes, and instead he looked through the force so that his attention would remain outwardly on her while he checked his surroundings. He was a man that would probably have more than a few assassins looking at him for more than a few reasons. So as far as he knew when it came to the first appearance of the woman, she was the decoy while her men set up and moved to strike.

But he found nothing of course and smiled when he saw the color touch her already colored face. It was tiny, and not that of a blush. More that of someone who finally felt a tinge of pride and happiness. That was enough for is own smile to rise and his head to turn to the side slightly, hiding the crooked smile mostly.

"Sorry about that, i usually have a kill first, then use as bait policy when it comes to slavers. And normally im blowing apart their base of operations, not dealing with a squad of greenhorns in a dirty alleyway. But as you said, these guys are new and i wanted to cull their actions efore someone else was grabbed by them... not that i couldn't save the person. But that trauma is enough on a family to not want it to come to pass." He touched his hand to his hood and brought it down so she could see him without any more hiding.

"As for the blowing him up part, well I did promise him mercy. Most of the time the death i cause takes an entire minute or two to shut off the senses and then a minute more to achieve death itself. Assuming they haven't passed out from the pain by that time... err anyways. I used the force, well im sure you could tell that. Your connection to it is a pretty decent strand compared to most so i assume you have had some training." He shrugged as he stated that, his eyes moving back to her and not once leaving the force as his primary method of sight. To him what he saw was something that an old friend had taught him. You looked around one, instead of at them, and that could tell you their influence on the force as a whole. While you would never be able to pinpoint just how strong someone was with this method, nor how experienced they are, you can tell if they have had training or where they are if they are trying to hide their presence.

"How i did it was a bit of a mix in Pyrokinesis and Convection, utilizing the latter to cause the initial burst and rupturing both lungs and his heart before using pyrokinesis itself to finish the job. Burning up all blood and sinew that was within his form and leaving a much cleaner kill than if i had cut him down. Im sure sanitation will thank me for that bit when it comes to making their jobs easier, well mostly. Im sure the smell is bothering you?" He looked at her face now and turned his head. "Perhaps we can talk more if you want away from the alley where i had just killed four slavers, their buddies will come and this time wont be so easy to deal with if past experiences has taught me anything."

 

[Joza Perl]

(Never! But forreal you can write any length and I won’t mind )

“So you’ve done this before,” She stated her thoughts rather plainly, no surprise leaking through into her tone. With what she saw, he was clearly experienced at…this. This being slaughtering slavers like there’s no tomorrow. Not that she could blame him. “I agree. Slavery is an ugly thing. A blight in this galaxy that needs to be exterminated.” Her voice hardened as she spoke, though not completely. Conscious control of her emotions was something that the Zeltron was figuring out, especially after her ordeal. Still, her fists would clench and unclench for a few moments as she steadied herself.

As he lowered his hood and revealed his face, she tilted her head to the side. He was…pretty cute, actually, younger than she had expected. And she had a thing for danger. Though, she tried not to let it factor into her decisions too much anymore. Strangely enough, he seemed to be looking around—and maybe through—her? It took her perhaps too long to realize that he was sensing her though the Force. Probably. She could never be too sure. “You’re right. I’ve been trained.”

At his explanation, Joza raised a gloved hand to her chin and she moved closer to the pile of ash out of curiosity. “I haven’t really seen anything like that. I’ve got the fire part down, but convection? I’ve never thought to try anything like that.” It was an interesting method indeed. Oh, how she would love to roast Cadoc Raal alive. The Zygerrian slaver would suffer dearly when she got her hands on him. “Ah,” She realized, turning back towards him. “A little. This probably isn’t the safest place to be…” Tilting her head upwards, her eyes scaled the high walls that sandwiched the alleyway. “Where did you have in mind?” Retaining a bit of caution, a thin red brow rose as she regarded Solan with a wary gaze.

[member="Solan Charr"]

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Joza Perl"] (More than happy to do these longer posts lol.)

He listened to her speak before simply shrugging. "Blight is one word for it, I rather not even have a word for it. Too much trouble for such a trivial practice that has no right to even be in our vocabulary." His voice, in contrast, held little to no real emotion when he spoke about the practice, almost to the point of utter apathy for it in any sense. In truth, he couldn't be bothered to think about it for too long without getting the urge to slaughter them and that was something that while he enjoyed doing, was probably not good for his sanity... or his wrap sheet with the Jedi. Pains in the asses that preferred to spare people whenever possible. Certainly not the people that Solan wanted to piss off.

So as far as he was concerned, it wasn't worth worrying about the men he killed. "Either way, I've made a career out of mercenary work and killing, switching my target and reasoning is simple. What makes me curious is if you have been at this work long? You say you are trained but honestly, I said that at one point and still burned half my body out of pride and stupidity." He smiled now, strangely as his face still showed little emotion and it looked a bit unnatural. He wasn't questioning her abilities, or even how much she was trained... well he was but not completely. No, instead he was questioning her as a person rather than anything else. He wanted to know how she would react to the words, how she would retort and how her body would react. As well as any shift in the force itself to tell him just how she was taking it on an emotional and psychological level. Everything was able to behold through the Eye and through the ear.

He had figured it was enough to trust she was who she was, and as her hood had come off earlier he had made a few extra observations following the metaphysical ones. She was definitely pretty, and what more she was exactly as he thought and subconsciously he through up a small filter in front of his mouth and nose through the force. Zeltrons were known for their very unique ability, and to be able to counteract their pheromones would usually take a device or extreme focus, right now though he had neither the first and the second was busy analyzing her. So instead he had to resort to breath control and the force in keeping her pheromones from effecting him if she decided to use them.

What followed though was a bit unexpected. Interest and a bloodlust that he recognized ever too much. He wondered, who was it that harmed this one so that she thought about such acts against slavers that Solan had concluded long ago made him nothing but a demon and monster. Was she at that point too, where she enjoyed the sight of watching them die or was a pain that she wanted to get rid of by harming them. That question would have to wait, though.

"I know of a few places but considering I just became acquainted with you, I'm going to have to go somewhere public instead of my hideouts on the planet. I know of a few places that fit but how about we get moving across the rooftops, assuming you can jump to the fire escape?" He smiled and waited with his hands coming out from behind him and crossing in front of his chest. He was half curious about if she could and more so curious if she would come along. Most of his expectations assumed yes, but it was him after all and he had scared off weirder people before.

 

[Joza Perl]

“Trivial?” A bit taken aback, she scrunched a red brow in surprise. She understood where he was coming from; they shouldn’t even be having this conversation if all was right with the galaxy and slavery was not an option. But it was, and remained a very integral part of many businesses and systems. Despite being outlawed on some planets, a large portion of underground traders dealt in trafficking, sad as it was. To simply yank it out from under them could potentially have unintended consequences…why is why Joza figured that they best way to deal with it would be to slowly erode the known slavery rings. Even then, it wouldn’t stop—but if lives could be saved, then so be it.

She didn’t elaborate, seeing no need to. Slavery was not a trivial matter to her, and it brought to mind what had happened to this man to make him the way he was now. When he questioned her skill, the other brow went up. Instead of responding to him in time, she shrugged and tilted her head, as if analyzing him in the same way he was looking at her—through the Force. Not as perceptive as he was yet, she took the time to feel the energies around him. “I haven’t, actually.” She confessed, seeming unperturbed by her lack of experience. “What I meant was, I’m trained in the way of the Force. Not completely as you can probably see, but enough.” She left out the part about Jedi because, well…she could sense his darker presence and that tended to clash with Jedi ideals. Not that she considered herself much of one anymore. “Guess I’ve got more to learn. Like that neat little convection trick.”

“As far as this sort of work goes…not very long. I’ve done some mercenary work and some odd jobs, but no one was paying me to go after the Husk Lizards. More of a pet project, if you will.” The corners of her lips upturned in thought. Joza could tell that he was feeling out her emotions, with empathy probably as natural as her own. It was no trouble to her if he felt her anger—it wasn’t something she was trying to hide. Regardless, the young Zeltron would take care.

A quick nod of agreement signaled that she was alright with the terms—she’d rather have them be in public than skulk off to somewhere more secluded for him to turn her to ash. Though she didn’t sense any malicious intent from him, Joza had a neat ability to turn situations against herself. “Not a problem,” Came the breezy reply as she gathered the Force to her. With a quick leap, she’d managed to latch a hand onto the rail of the fire escape. Twisting her body over the bar, she landed with a subdued thud onto the scaffolding.

[member="Solan Charr"]

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Joza Perl"]

"Yes, Trivial. Their lives are of little concern to me and as far as i care, all of them will be burned into the ashpiles that they are. Do not mistake the meaning of my words for their practice, its simply that their lives are trivial to me and as such should be removed with the swiftest of actions so to avoid dwelling on them for too long. Does that further explain what i mean?" He looked at her once more, his eyes tearing from the metal stairwell above and watching her while she had misinterpretted his words internally. While he could not exactly see what she was thinking, reactions alone gave him insight into the general ideas floating in her head and she would not mistake him for someone who saw that slavery was something that he would allow existing in this universe.

When she spoke of training, he got curious about who had trained her, so with a smile he shrugged now and prepared himself for the jump up to the stairwell.

"Well, just as long as you aren't one of those stiffs over in their temples, you and I will get along well... then again Harrison is a bit of an oddball among them. Oh, and i hope you aren't one of the Sith. Me and them got a bit of bad blood, and i would rather not have to fight a sith today." He moved his feet into the correct position now, generating the force under the ball of his foot and waiting for a few seconds. It wasn't too far off but he would make sure to ive himself a little bit extra of a boost just incase he under shot it.

While she spoke of the pet project of hers, he shot himself like a bullet upwards, curving enough to land on the metal with a slight omph. Only then did he turn his head and watch her push herself off the ground and up to the railing, which she moved over with a bit of a ease. "Whoever you are Red, im sure that your friends are missing your talent." He smiled and started moving up the stairs, aiming to reach the roof while they continue their conversation.

 

[Joza Perl]

“Ah,” Her voice smoothed in understanding. “I see what you mean now. I believe that all beings have a right to their own life. However,” She paused for a moment, securing the covering over her red hair once more. It was easier to blend in without it showing. “When you choose to take that right away from someone,” She tilted her head to where the slavers once stood as men, indicating that she was referring to them and their chosen profession. “You forfeit that right yourself. And to protect innocent lives from the horrors of slavery, sacrifices must be made.” She shook her head, almost wanting to laugh. “I don’t know why I’m telling you this, though. You already know it, I assume.”

Though she didn’t necessarily agree that the lives of slavers were trivial per se, Joza insisted that eliminating them in the most economical way was essential.

“Harrison? You know Connor Harrison?” She was genuinely surprised to hear this, and it showed plainly in her voice. “And don’t worry, I’m not a Sith. Not a temple stiff either, though I used to be.” A vague smirk played across her face in remembering her early days as a Padawan. So anxious and uptight, and now she’d grown into a different woman. “I was trained among the Jedi, and remained loosely aligned with them. Mostly the Sanctum, which I’m sure you know of seeing as how you apparently know Master Harrison.”

Moving to follow him, she shook her head with perhaps a bit of hesitation. “Doubt it. I have a habit of coming and going, so it’s not like they would’ve m—“ A pause when she realized she didn’t know how to phrase the next part. The whole being enslaved and tortured by an Inquisitor thing…not exactly something you tell someone after knowing them for only a few minutes. “Name’s Joza, by the way.” She offered, figuring that if she didn’t tell him he’d just end up calling her Red. Not that she particularly minded as she’d been called worse things.

[member="Solan Charr"]

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Joza Perl"]

He laughed as she spoke of why she was telling him something he already knew. That was true enough that he already had his own ideas about why he was doing this. Though in truth they were not as selfless as the girl behind him spoke of. Instead, his were so that each of them paid with their lives for even existing. Sure his actions protected innocents but that was not why he did it. He had the sick satisfaction of watching them die and watching that life they stole fade from their very eyes. He was there to seek revenge for those that had been more or less abandoned by the galaxy and forced into servitude.

He was every bit a murderer that they were, he just murdered the right people.

As she covered up her hair he understood but none the less had to smile as he made a quick comment about it. "You know Red, I'm sure that people would rather see the hair than the hood." His smile didn't fade and he seemed to actually show some emotion now with that smile. He was relaxing after having done what he did with their conversation keeping his mind occupied.

Then Connor's name came up and he learned a bit more about the person. "Ahh, the Silvers. Not just Connor though, Nima Tann is quite a beauty, and if there is anyone I can say are wise it would be those Heavenshields. I always enjoyed hanging out around their temple and I must say that it's long overdue for a visit to their home. I actually teach while I visit too, though not many have really picked up on those lessons. Guess my gardening skills aren't really needed." His voice changed as soon as the silvers were brought up, life actually in it now rather than simple apathy. It was like he finally had something he truly cared about to talk about.

"And Red... err Joza." He corrected himself as he saw the tinge of sadness touch her features before clarifying her name. "I'm sure that those there miss you. The Silvers, be them Jedi as it is, are good people. They had to care enough to miss you if you had become a knight of theirs... hell even if you were just a student, they would worry about you. Well most of them. I'm sure I'd be keeping Harrison occupied with a few drinks to stop his worrying."

As his feet brought him up to the roof he breathed in the air and looked over the buildings around him. "There is one thing about this place, it's certainly got its charm... my name is Solan by the way."

 

[Joza Perl]

When he commented on her hair, both brows arched up into her hood. “I’m sure. Too bad for them, though.” Noting how his smile seemed to reach his eyes now, Joza nearly snorted. When she wore flashy clothes, or even dressed a bit more modest, some people seemed to think it was open season to touch or kiss her as they saw fit. The Zeltron in her reveled in the attention, but recently she preferred not to attract such attention to herself. If she were to dig deeper, perhaps she would realize how uncomfortable she now was in her own skin—she didn’t trust people to see the pink before they saw her.

But when the conversation turned to the Silvers, she perked up more. So he knew Masters Tann and the Heavenshields as well? Perhaps she’d seen Solan at the temples at one time or another, though it would have had to been in her days as an apprentice. “I don’t think I’ve seen you there. Wait, you teach…gardening?” Again, surprise leaked though. Though now that she thought about it, the Masters probably wouldn’t approve of him teaching Padawans to burn someone from the inside out.

She remained silent when he expressed that the Sanctum would have worried over her. In truth, she hadn’t integrated as well as she’d hoped into the Coalition, but they’d accepted her all the same. “I don’t know, I…” Whatever she thought to say drifted away as she brought to mind the rescue operation on Balmorra, and her complicated lover(?) of a Sith Knight who’d spirited her away while the Silvers occupied the Sith there. Of course that erupted into a fight between the two, him undermining her own need for revenge and the role of the Sanctum. Hence her sneaking away from him once she found the chance.

“You might be right.” She shrugged. “I don’t really know many of them too well, but you’re correct about them being good people. I’ve been in contact with an old Master, so I’m sure they know that I’m not dead in an alleyway somewhere.” The stern faced Jericho Hex was the first Jedi she’d ever met, back on Zeltros when she was just a child and long before she even started her training. Even he had expressed his concern for her mental health in his own way, so perhaps she was not as alone as she’d come to assume.

The cool night air hit her face in a pleasant manner as they made it to the roof. “I agree,” She nodded, a faint smile touching her lips at learning his name. “So, do mercenary work and garnering occupy all of your time?”

[member="Solan Charr"]

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Joza Perl"]

"Too bad indeed, but to be fair, I understand the wanting to avoid being seen for what's really there behind a hood or a mask." He looked at her with more understanding than would be expected of the man who had his own hood down and let his sapphire eyes peer out without any cover over the buildings of the city planet. In truth, he hid what his true body looked like under the illusion he had to keep up. If there was anyone more afraid of their appearance affecting how people approached them, it was solan, but that was something he would never even think about telling anyone. His fears were his alone and not something that he told others.

And then she mentioned the gardening.

His smile broke for a moment to be replaced with a raised brow. He supposed he wasn't quite clear so instead of just using words he reached to his side in one of the pouches on his belt. Pulling out a smaller seed he held it in hand and breathed in. The single seed would crack slowly and roots would reach out and around his hand, covering the appendage in a cocoon like a shell of plant life. Growing upwards though was a small stem, budding at the top in a bright red and orange flower that shone in the light that was cast down on the roof of the building. "This is what I mean. I use Plantsurge and it's quite often I come to Voss to teach anyone that wants to learn... this one is called a Pyro flower, I'm sure you understand why I enjoy it specifically."

Carefully his hand worked the roots out from around his hand and then cut the stem just enough to be able to be held in his hand. Only then did he hand the flower over to Joza. "Go ahead and keep it Joza, I have a garden full of them and others back at my home." He smiled and would let her take it and if she didn't would carefully place it in a crook where it would remain upwards. "If you do keep it, though, it needs to be supplied with force energy every day, or it will die."

The man would start walking now with the question about the gardening done, it wasn't that he didn't want to continue talking, but they were still too close to the scene of his little murder to feel safe.

"The Mercenary work and... 'garnering' are both side jobs and even at that one I barely would call a job anymore. I have a bit more important of work to be done most of the time. This is more of a vacation for me in all honesty, I needed to blow off some steam and these slavers are always so kind to let me do so. Why do you ask if I might know myself?"

 

[Joza Perl]

“It’s not an uncommon thing.” She shrugged, and deep down she felt that it was true. The galaxy was a dangerous place for a Force sensitive, especially when they received training and picked a side. Her story and reasons for doing what she did were not unique, nor would they mark the end of her hardships. There was something in him, perhaps it was a note in his voice or something she perceived from the Force that told her he had his reasons as well. She didn’t know of a Jedi or Sith who lived a life without obstacles.

Angling her gaze down to his hand, she watched as Solan retrieved a plain looking seed. Her eyes widened in fascination as he applied plant surge—a technique she was aware of but hadn’t used—to encourage the seed to grow into its form. It was a gorgeous plant, and she took a few moments to admire the transformation that had just taken place in front of her. She blinked in surprise when he offered the flower to her, and for a moment she seemed to hesitate. Not out of suspicion, but she ended up taking the flower as it was offered, handling it gently as if she would break it. “It’s beautiful. Thank you, Solan.”

“Next time you find yourself on Voss, I’d love to learn from you. Assuming I make my way back there, of course.” A soft, genuine smile curled her lips, tucking the flower into a pouch on the inside of her robes for safekeeping. She nodded in understand when he mentioned it needed to be fed daily. “Where’s home, if you don’t mind me asking?”

A low hum thrummed in her throat when he mentioned this little excursion being only a side job. “Mostly out of curiosity, really. I personally wouldn’t consider killing slavers to be a vacation activity, but to each their own.” She laughs softly, not wanting to push him on what he did for work. Something like that, she was aware, could be a sensitive subject. “All I know is that I’d vacation at a resort somewhere. Plenty of those on Zeltros.” Joza paused, as a sudden thought struck her. "Actually, I'd probably be dancing somewhere. Nothing invigorates the body and mind like a good performance."

[member="Solan Charr"]

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Joza Perl"]

He smiled and let his eyes fall on her before jumping to the next building nearby. "No need to thank me, its something that i enjoy doing and i would prefer to do without the need for thanks. A flower is something that can be used to match a person's beauty or even show someone it. Just as a painting, or a song, or how ever else you find enjoyment... infact you mentioned dancing and that is the same thing. I am sure that your dancing is just a beautiful as the flower you now possess. They are both simple, elegant ways of detailing those features is all."

He spoke while his head returned forward. He was, if anything else, a bit wierd and even he would admit that himself. Granted when your mind worked like his it was only natural for your brain to run away from itself and only to catch up when things are least needed to be focused on. Plus, it was how he kept people guessing about him.

Deception was a tool he employed in a way far different from how others used it. How he spoke and carried himself, it was all used to color him a joker and a madman, one with little more power than was to be seen too often. The problem he was having though is that Joza had seen him use the force, and had seen the results of such so his deception was not so easily used. Further she had caught him off guard and only now was he recovering and setting up those walls of flirting and jokes. It was a bit of vain effort in the end most likely, but he had to be careful.

Not that she presented a threat, infact it was the opposite.

She was a jedi from what he could tell, further a Silver Jedi. A Group he trusted to an extent and found peace around. She was another of those that he had found himself easy to be around, but even those in the Silvers saw him as a joker and a man who did nothing more than flirt when it came to beauty.

"Home?" He thought about the question she had asked him for a moment and nodded. "Well, Kesh is actually my home. I have a spectacular garden there, one that many of your jedi predecessors have come to visit before so i must say that i am honored whenever i meet one of you. And as for your dancing, i am sadly not able to symphathize with your view on it. As far as im concerned, i have two left feet and that hasn't changed for the last fifteen years."

He remembered the first time he danced with someone, the memory though took him out of his focus as he stepped off the building to move to the next, his foot sliding and his balance lost for a moment as he almost fell off the edge before sending his body across forcefully. For a few moments he hung in air falling before having shot himself like a bullet with telekinesis and the misstep would be more than obvious. He had simply lost his focus in more than one way though considering where it was he hung out... the apartment he still owned being in the same sector that they moved through.

 

[Joza Perl]

Joza listen to his explanation with an open ear, a smile settling onto her face as she tilted her head back and laughed. “Well, aren’t you quite the charming murderous gardener?” The smile turned into a cheeky grin as she teased him. “Honestly, it’s a nice change from ‘Hey babe, nice ass.’ Used to get that one a lot.” She mused softly at the memory, shaking her head. There was something a little off about him, but not in an immediately alarming way. She’d met powerful Force users with…eclectic personalities, so this wasn’t too out of the ordinary. Guess the galaxy does that to you.

Still, she couldn’t help the feeling that he was using humor to mask something. Being a Zeltron, she had a natural level of perception when it came to reading emotions, and that ability had only sharpened since she’d learned the ways of the Force. But everyone had their secrets or things they otherwise wanted to keep private, so she would not pry and instead make quiet observations. Her guard was still somewhat up despite the good mood, as it wouldn’t come down completely until she had a certain level of trust in him. As it was, Joza could count the number of beings she trusted fully on one hand.

“Oh, I’ve never been to Kesh, but I’ve met a few offworld Keshiri.” There was a note of fondness in her voice for the lavender skinned race. “Is that why you like Voss so much? The gardens there are soothing. The entire planet has that sort of feel, I found that out after training on Sullust.” She’d started her apprenticeship under the banner of the Galactic Alliance, on the hellish volcanic planet. Voss and the Silvers seemed to be a better fit for her at the time. “I used to be a dancer on Zeltros, and now instead of it being my main source of income along with waitressing, I do it more as a hobby. In a way, it’s a little like meditation. But I suppose anything would be that calms you down and forces you to focus on one thing.” She chuckled softly at the thought. “I actually run a little dance studio of my own on Lianna; you’re free to drop by and learn a few moves if you’d like.”

Joza caught the slip-up from the corner of her eye, pausing in her steps to watch [member="Solan Charr"] as he regained his momentum. “Doing alright there?” She arched a brow, a thin layer of concern in her voice.

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Joza Perl"]

"You forgot pyromaniac." He looked at her from the corner of his eyes as he landed, hearing her words and last of which the concern for his landing which honestly surprised him. "And as for my complments, i merely speek of what i see as true. I don't mean to use flattery as just that as in the end its useless and serves to do nothing more than decieve someone..." Ironically he was doing just that anyways. Even his explination was the exact reason as to why he gave his compliments but not in the same way one would expect. Rather than to distract her and play on vanity that one might have, he did it to instead affect how people saw him. It was a small difference, but one that he preferred.

In truth it was when he stopped the charade that one should feel a bit of concern over the subject. If Solan stopped his charade, it meant that he trusted the person to a degree or was actually starting to have feelings for them, thankfully for him that happens rarely and he had no reason to trust Joza yet. Sure, she had givenn him no reason to be hostile just as he hadn't, but he knew how the game worked. He had been a mercenary long enough to know that things normally don't just happen by accident.

"Actually no. There is honestly a place i would more quickly visit for peace. An old friend of mine has this beautiful garden on Alderaan where a good number of the seeds i keep with me come from. She has the most unique of trees too, absolutely beautiful to look at. Voss is simply a home away from home for me. I go there when im worried or i need to be around people that i can trust to a degree. The Silvers are one of the few groups in the galaxy that wont attack me for who i am or what i do, and that fact is reason enough to be around them rather than those of the Jedi order or the Sith."

Her offer made him laugh though and with his body moving in a much different way he brough one hand to his stomach and held the other out to his side. "And who would teach me these dance moves at this studio? I don't know if you can get in a good word with the owner after all." He had returned to joking, to that mask he held so well over who he was and never once had he addressed her question over his misstep, hoping to avoid talk of it.

 

[Joza Perl]

“Right, right. I do hope you can forgive me.” She chided back in jest at forgetting what might be one of his most distinguishing features. “Is that really what you think?” She looked at him with genuine curiosity, landing beside him with the swift motions of a trained dancer. She had to actually fight the urge to shimmy her hips upon sticking the landing. “I mean, sure, flattery can be used for deception. In fact, I bet you’re only being nice to me because you plan to take me back home and burn me to a crisp, right?” She face him with a teasing grin before briskly walking ahead. After a few paces, she would turn to face him, walking backwards with breezy steps.

“But it fosters friendship and good feelings all around. Positive emotions are an excellent catalyst for bonding and maintaining healthy relationships. Be it out of necessity or nature. Not that it doesn’t have its drawbacks, but I suppose I only feel that way because I was raised with those ideals in mind.” She paused, a wry smile replacing her grin. “Guess the lesson didn’t sink as well as it should have for a Zeltron. Mixed blood, though.”

“Aside from that, I’d say that you were hiding something.” She glanced at him with a little smile from beneath her hood, but there was no malice behind her words. People hid things, it was only natural. Joza hid a lot, probably too much from those she cared about. Obviously the two were not going to spill each other’s life stories at this very moment.

“A garden on Alderaan?” She paused, a thoughtful look coming to her face as she reached back into the depths of her memory. “I’ve only been there once, as a Padawan. My Master and I were investigating the presence of some alleged dead Jedi Master, and happened upon a temple. Lots of gardens, you’d probably like it. Some of it was unkempt and overgrown, some well-kept and manicured. Strangest thing too, I thought the lady there was gonna eat my soul or something.” She recalled the harsh gaze of appraisal she’d been given by the temple’s apparent keeper. “That’s why I chose to ally myself with the Silvers. They’re much more open and accepting of those who don’t wish to follow the strict lightsided path.”

At the mention of dance moves, her grin returned. “Well, I hear that she’s in need of more dancers for performances and is willing to train. Gender notwithstanding, of course.”

[member="Solan Charr"]

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Joza Perl"]

"You caught me, all i do is lead people back to a murder cave where i cook them up like its a friday night Barbeque..." He stopped at the edge of the building they were on, turning to face her with his hands crossed behind his back. His left brow raised as he looked at her before shrugging. "I wont lie where i don't need to, and this is one such time. Whether i tell you the truth like now, or deceive you, either serves no purpose in the end as we will likely not see eachother except on Voss. So yes, i am being fully truthful about your beauty to me. I have a feeling that you and I both understand I am probably stronger and as such i don't need to lie about your appearance... plus you tagged along with me." His smile at the last fact remained on his face as he pushed off and this time moved to the next building with much more grace than before.

Then he heard Joza talk about Alexandra. Unlike the last member of what their little trio had been between himself, her, and Yusan. Alexandra and Solan were still on rather good standing with eachother and shes the reason that he has most of the seeds that he does, as well as the reason for his own garden being the way it is. It made him laugh hearing her mention the words Jedi Master and how Alexandra might eat her soul.

"To tell the truth, that woman has that impact on most everyone she meets. I swear shes something of a demon from time to time, and other times one of the strangest beings to ever exist. Shes no Jedi though, as light and calm as that place might be, that woman is the farthest thing from a Jedi and if you ever call her that... well i woke up with my head ringing and im her friend."

The short blurb about Alexandra was enough he would say about her. They had more of a working relationship than anything anyways and with recent event... ten foot poles, he needed alot of ten foot poles.

"As for this job offer. I really do wish i could go and try out, but ive got so much other stuff to do on Kesh, plus if i start losing my vacation hours i wont be able to deal with the rat infestation on this planet. Plus, I might even lose the chance to see such exotic and rare beauties like yourself. So i really must decline joining on, do tell her though that i would love a lesson or two. IF she is half as pretty as you, i won't be able to take my eyes off her." Only then did he start to turn his body and walk forward now, never once moving from his last jump to the building they were now on.

 

[Joza Perl]

“I’ve no doubt that you’re stronger than I am, if that little display in the alley was any indication.” A polite smile accompanied her words, though she seemed to be preoccupied by her thoughts. And your presence in the Force, but we both know that. “But my point is that flattery is good for more than deception.” She wouldn’t further argue, feeling that it wasn’t a point worth pursuing to no end. Simply conversation, but it allowed them both a peek into how each other’s minds worked. “I tagged along with you for two reasons. One, our interests at the moment seem to align. And two, I don’t think you want to kill me. But I’m staying because you’re pretty interesting.”

On the subject of Alexandra, Joza shook her head. “This was a while ago, so I don’t remember much beyond our initial greeting…though nothing bad happened, so I will say that. If I ever run into her again, at least I know not to call her Jedi.” It seemed that there were many different types of Force users in the galaxy, not just blatant Jedi and Sith. Quite a few fell onto the middle of the spectrum, some straying far from any sort of alignment measurement.

A genuine peal of laughter, bordering on giggling came from the young Zeltron. Though flattery had its deceptive purposes as they’d discussed, it wouldn’t stop her from enjoying compliments on her appearance. “Well, if you can ever manage to tear yourself away from your work, she’d be happy to teach any willing parties. She used to perform too, and I’m sure you’re just crushed that you missed out on that.” Hanging back for a few moments, she chuckled before using a brisk walk to catch up with [member="Solan Charr"].