After the Party.

[Kiskla Grayson-Matteo]

At his success, Kiskla pulled her hand away and let the condensed cloud curl between them; eying it warily as it dissipated into the room's atmosphere. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. She'd taught him a technique he'd never known before today, and he'd adopted it with impressive rapidness. His insights proved noteworthy, and gave her confidence in his abilities.

"How do you feel?" She asked, withholding her compliments as usual. Her students rarely received commendation from her, despite their rapid advancement. Sometimes, they would get a 'good' etcetera. Asking him how he felt would decide whether or not he wanted to continue, or pursue other interests.

@[member="Valik"]

 

[Valik]

Valik watched as the water turned to steam. Kiskla had taken her finger back, eyeing the water but remaining neutral to his progress. He wagered that either every student made progress as fast or slow as he, or the woman was born to be a diplomat, or perhaps a spy. A dangerous one to learn from, associate with, use, but at the same time all the more useful and even entrancing, in a strange sort of way that he felt was likely because he was a Sith. Despite her poise, grace, it was not a romantic attraction, but one of power, one of wills and wits. Now was not the time, but he had hoped he'd have opportunity later to play some games with the woman, really test her, and hopefully him as well.

"A little hungry admittedly." He replied to the woman as he let his concentration falter. "You are teaching well, and I think I'm getting a lot of it, but it is more taxing than I anticipated." He said as he stood, getting out of his meditative squat. "Would you like to get some lunch and continue afterwards? Or if you wish we could begin putting together your armor." He said, showing interest in both paths, but ultimately letting the decision fall to the Jedi Master.

@[member="Kiskla Grayson"]

 

[Kiskla Grayson-Matteo]

Kiskla leaned back when he stood, and tapped her fingers against the stone for a moment. This was indeed an interesting situation. She was a woman of prisons and of peace -- a difficult place to balance as it was. But Kiskla was used to balancing acts. If he were her usual type of student, she would pressure him to make something edible with his machinations; but long story short, this was her planet, and she still needed to extend courtesies.

Slowly, she too stood and nodded. "Can't have you working on an empty stomach; galaxies knows what you'll produced." From experience, she got plenty hangry when deprived of nutrition and as a Princess, and a representative of her people and his, she wouldn't allow that to happen. At this point, that was her strongest card and the bond that could perhaps lead to a connection or a favour later in life. He wouldn't care that she was a Jedi Master, perhaps out of fear, nor would he care that she had taught him a very powerful technique; maybe, just maybe, his blood would speak.

But that was all in overthinking and foresight. Right now, her business partner was hungry. The woman gestured for him to follow her outside the dojo and across the walkway toward the courtyards of the stone palace.

"We can have lunch prepared, as we can have your working station prepared; any special requests?"

@[member="Valik"]

 

[Valik]

It took Kiskla a short while before she stood and recognized to get them some food. As if she were contemplating something. He wished he could see which cogs were turning, where her thoughts wandered, but he knew little of the woman's thought processes, save for tolerance of Sith who weren't attacking her. The lack of knowledge piqued his curiosity but he had no time to play games of the mind, as she soon asked if he had any requests.

"About six and a half kilograms of Desh-Terenthium Alloy, half a kilogram of durasteel, half a kilogram of any sort of crystal, an assortments of comlinks, oxygen filters, a flame- no a dart launcher, along with your measurements." He said, before realizing she might not have been referring to the workstation.

"Or perhaps you meant food. Uhh . . . anything that's not a ration bar would be much appreciated I suppose."

@[member="Kiskla Grayson"]

 

[Kiskla Grayson-Matteo]

Kiskla chuckled audibly; a rarity. While exposed to the sun, Kiskla squinted beneath her painted veil slightly while she walked. She was considering what he had said when they reached the courtyard's entrance and coincidentally were intercepted by some of the hands that assisted about the court. The princess and those aforementioned exchanged pleasantries, and they asked if assistance could be provided to which Kiskla confirmed with @[member="Valik"]'s mentions. They looked slightly concerned at the ability to have those materials ready, and pleaded the time for later in the evening.

Kiskla flicked her gaze backward "Afraid my knowledge of engineering and manufacturing is limited. Any suggestions for these resources?" The quantity was one thing, knowing where it would come from would be another "They're going to check the armoury, but should that fail..?" She left the question for her dark guest to answer.

As for lunch, there was usually something waiting for The Guardians and the general.

 

[Valik]

Valik put up a light smirk at the lady's chuckle. Though the humor was unintentional it was something that people remembered. He had no doubts she'd remember today, but to have an inkling in her mind that wasn't 'He's a Sith' or 'He's a student' or 'The weapons guy' was a good thing. Put up a stronger basis for possible future relations, and a Jedi Master-Councilor-Princess was a strong ally to have.

He put up a hand above his eyebrows to cover himself from the sun as they reached some an ornate courtyard, where Kiskla was soon greeted by her aids. They expressed confusion at his list of items, and Valik kept his face neutral, hiding his distaste. Valik was not the kind of man who wanted servants, too many loose ends for his peace of mind, but if he was they wouldn't have questioned his orders.

"Desh-Terenthium is a strong but light alloy most commonly used to make droids. Desh-Maranthium is a cheaper alternative, but doesn't offer the same protection. Durasteel you should be able to find almost anywhere, commlinks and oxygen filters can be stripped from envirosuits if needed, and you can usually find dart launchers at any armory frequented by more experienced bounty hunters. Crystals are more difficult to obtain. I can work with any jewel, but anything that responds to the Force will be more effective." He explained, before the servants went off to gather the remaining supplies. They continued towards whatever food they were heading towards, and once the servants were out of earshot he spoke to her again.

"If you wish I could build you a droid to handle that sort of thing. Remote holonet access to near-instantly obtain data, letting it adapt to new circumstances quicker."

@[member="Kiskla Grayson"]

 

[Kiskla Grayson-Matteo]

Kiskla stiffened slightly at his suggestion — although it was a kind offer, it was one of her weaknesses. Droids made her uncomfortable. In her childhood, when her father wasn’t perusing the galaxy hunting down bounty, he was building things. Of course, being that his income was self-generated and he left on whims, meant there were a lot of unmanned, and unfinished projects he left lying around. Many of them short circuited, or if completed, flawed somehow and the wiring in the systems gave them a root of malice somehow. It had been..unnerving for a toddler. And it took quite a bit to shake her, but that was one of her like quirks. No droids.
Plus, the Kiffar were traditionalists. Clans were born into their roles and they followed them dutifully, if she were to introduce some sort of personal robotic she’d be likely to offend them.

“I appreciate your offer,” she replied and stepped into a doorway and into the shade as relief from the blistering heat outdoors. “But you can save your energies.” Simple technique; make it sound like a benefit rather than a refusal. It helped blanked over potential flaws and was something she did quite often. “Sounds like you’ve got your work cut out for you.” Funny, she swore she said something similar on Coruscant to a former grandmaster about a year ago. Funny how time moved so quickly!

Eventually, through some unknown series of walking, they reached something that resembled a mess hall; although there was a sort of regal air to it. The stones were smooth and curved, and the vicinity itself was cavernous. Idly, Kiskla swept up her loose hair into a ponytail and walked toward the figure that resembled a chef. He was just as tanned and broad as the Guardians — all Kiffar were predisposed to a massive physique. Kiskla, however, had inherited her mother’s genetics on that note.

“A guest?” The chef spoke.

“You didn’t expect everyone to leave after last night, did you? I anticipate you’ll be rather busy for the next few days.”

He nodded understandingly, and delivered a piping plate of..whatever. Whatever it was, would satisfy a rumbling stomach.

@[member="Valik"]

 

[Valik]

Though Kiskla had an aversion to the inorganic slaves that inhabited the galaxy Valik was none the wiser on such a weakness, only seeing a Jedi Master Princess refuse assistance. A typical response in truth, as he wouldn't expect a lady of her position to want assistance in picking her staff. He dismissed it without thinking further on the matter, instead following her to the mess hall.

"Haha, you'd think so wouldn't you?" He mused, before taking a moment to explain as they traveled. "I do a lot of work in broad amount of fields, it is intensive yes, but there is nothing more satisfying than creating something new and knowing it is the best. At what point does work end and play begin when your enjoy it?:" He questioned, before Kiskla put her hair up into a ponytail, a heavy contrast to the well dressed woman he had met last night, though that was not to say she wasn't what many sentients would deem attractive. That was one thing that the Jedi had over the Sith he supposed, a lack of aesthetic corruption with their rise to power. Valik, like Palpatine so many centuries ago, used Alchemy to keep himself presentable and thus less identifiable, but many with his strength were not so gifted.

"If I may Shayf Freya." He said as he sat down and readied his fork to dig into the nutritional contents below, using her title to ward off suspicion. "What hobbies do you put your time to, when you are not swarmed with the duties of your illustrious post?" He asked, not clarifying if he meant being Royalty or a Jedi, though in truth meaning both, just toying with words to keep the true nature of their relation less than public.

@[member="Kiskla Grayson"]

 

[Kiskla Grayson-Matteo]

Doesn’t matter what it was, Kiskla often ate it. This stemmed from her relentless curiosity and willingness to try new things, and her diplomatic approach to appease different cultures when on their grounds. She hadn’t had to do any of that lately.

However, she was hungry — although she was often hungry — and eagerly her fork dove into the contents of the desert delight. She was a chew or two in when @[member="Valik"] decided to fill the time with idle conversation. Hobbies. Did she have hobbies? She was honestly, a very busy woman. And when she wasn’t in one meeting or another, or instructing, she supposed she was interested in personal development and exploring what there was in the galaxy to offer her. Her latest pursuit had been to Tython with Master Syn to delve into the secrets of the White Current. But then there was so much more, she was interested in the Kethol Rift too — and that lead her to a hobby of hers.

“I fly.” Kiskla commented. Or rather, she used to; up until a visit to Anaxes she hadn’t touched her star fighter for both lack of demand and hours. She was better than your average pilot, mostly because she flew like she fought; uninhibited.

“What about yourself? I mean, I would assume you’re relatively unattached to a structure and are free to do more or less what you please.”

 

[Valik]

As Valik ate his food the Jedi master mentioned flying, but didn't elaborate on what sort of ship she piloted or what she flew. She was brief and to the point, not disclosing more information than necessary. Very interesting.

"You're correct. Most of my time is spent wandering around finding things to build, materials to build with, or even selling or giving away my creations. The galaxy has so many things out there, so many different metals, creatures, and technologies to study and intertwine." He replied, before taking a drink of the beverage provided.

"What is it that attaches you to structure Shayf Freya? I mean, your job is obviously important, as are our people, but what is it that keeps you in your usual company?"

@[member="Kiskla Grayson"]

 

[Kiskla Grayson-Matteo]

Her late master, and her inherent will to do good. “It keeps me busy.” The last thing she ever wanted was to be bored; the instant she felt her mind wandering she pursued it. She investigated it until it was uncovered and satisfied. Perhaps in another life she would have been a reporter.

“And,” she added, after swallowing another portion and tapping the butt of her utensil against the table “I like to think that maybe I can salvage some reputations and do that whole peace thing we’re supposed to do.” The we’re of course alluded to The Jedi. Times were changing and she was gaining more traction within The Council. She’d already brought forth the discussion of their embarrassing behaviour and been shot down -despite her accounts of evidence. They had, however, ended their rampage.

Her fork twisted in the delicacy on her plate and she frowned. "I respect The Force for what it is," she explained "If you go back far enough; it's all the same.
Which begs me to ask why you're still with the Sith if your parents were Jedi? Is t the alchemy and magics that draw you?" That also explained why she hadn't killed him yet. He might have been a Sith, but if he wasn't a threat she wouldn't be either.


@[member="Valik"]

 

[Valik]

'Busy' she said, and elicited a small laugh from Valik. No one was in this sort of business because they were bored. The lives at stake, the powers of the Force too great for mere amusement to keep one going. He assumed at first the woman was trying to hide something, but then she continued. Of salvaging reputations and carrying out 'peace'. A foolish sentiment, as the Jedi's creed did not allow for peace. He picked up on the distaste for the old Grandmaster's conquering ways, her fabricated wars, but in Valik's opinion the woman was the smartest of all the Jedi, realizing the true path to 'peace' was power. Funny that a Sith and a Jedi would agree so heartily on a matter. Made one wonder where her true allegiances lied.

But that was something to explore another day, or perhaps at least when Kiskla wasn't asking him his own reasoning for his work. He took a bite of his food and reasoned for a moment, before finishing his chewing and addressing her. "I might have told you this before, but my parents were captured by the Sith. My father was killed immediately, my mother was pregnant and kept around long enough for me to be born. I only know of their origins from records I've sliced into. While it is my past it's not one I've ever been beholden too." He explained, but didn't stop there.

"I can't say I believe any of us are beholden to the path of our elders though. If I had been born on Tython rather than in a prison I'd wager I'd have still became a scientist, and I'd have still discovered alchemy. It is a fascinating art, with untold possibilities. Ultimately though if I could practice Alchemy as a Jedi I stil wouldn't though, because I believe the Jedi are wrong. You seek peace yet you hope to encourage freedom, diversity, growth. Peace is not brought about by freedom, it is brought by Order. Give man a meter and he'll take a lightyear. It is the duty of the strong to rule the weak, the wise to govern the fools, for left alone they will bring only ruin to the galaxy."

@[member="Kiskla Grayson"]

 

[Kiskla Grayson-Matteo]

Kiskla was a fast eater, and a majority of her plate had already been liberated. She chewed while @[member="Valik"] spoke, and nodded every so often to show that she was indeed listening. As she had the night before. She was not however, in the mood to exchange ideals with a Sith Lord. They had their thoughts, and they had their ways. More and more she was hearing that Jedi were foolish for doing this, they were foolish for doing that -- and more and more it struck her that the opinions of others shouldn't matter so much. As another Sith Lord had said to her, in a similarly comfortably clandestine conversation.
"Yes, and I suppose riots stem from citizens who are comfortable with rigidity and regulations that oppress them?" She shook her head and finished her last bite, gently pushing the plate away and resting her elbows on the table to consider the conversation.
"We are guardians of The Peace. I believe in structure, I believe in allocating those who are capable to positions of esteem. I believe in governance. However, I don't believe in destruction and devastation and oppression. That is where The Sith and I draw the line, I'm afraid. I couldn't be part of that. The Fringe, I've no qualms with -- the way your system works is marvellous. It's a haven for light and dark alike."

 

[Valik]

Valik listed as the Jedi Master put forth her argument, flawed though it was, with the grace and careful words he'd come to expect in their short time together, finishing his food in the process.

"You are correct. Though the Fringe began as a place for criminals and the Sithly it has evolved into something more. It wasn't something I accounted for when I initially joined, but it's been good growth. Made the nation strong. I can't say I agree with all of it, but it is a home I suppose." He said as he began to gather his dishes and turn them in to whatever washer set up the Kiffar Princess had set up.

"Now, I'd love to continue our discussions and interpretations of political systems, especially in such a peaceful avenue but I suspect you'd like to get to your armor's construction. Shall we get to work?"

@[member="Kiskla Grayson"]

 

[Kiskla Grayson-Matteo]

The implication of we getting to work made her nervous. She was terrible with technology and building; but then again, she was a curious soul and if she was going to learn how to put two and two together then she wouldn't argue.

"Insightful." Kiskla merely commented as someone intercepted her path and whisked away her empty dishes with minimal clattering. She unfolded her long legs and went to stand, running her palms over her stomach in case there were any stray nibblets. Thankfully, she'd abstained from a mess this time around.

After walking once more again, to a new location, Kiskla started the conversation once more. "Your station should have all your requested materials..” she cut her sentence short when she entered the room adjacent to one of the armouries on the planet. On a planet of warriors, there was more than one station to find weapons — this one happened to have the roomiest area for building. She wanted @[member="Valik"] to be comfortable as he was both her guest, and her business partner for the time being. No malice to be had, despite their differing political views. What had stopped her from speaking however, were the pile of droids that had been obviously attempted to dismantle. Some, had been properly taken apart and were organized into piles, others — not so much. The other items he had listed, commlinks and even some Guardians had offered strips of their armour. As a side note, Kiskla had ordered that her own General armour be brought down for the alchemist to work with. Galaxy knows she could always get a new uniform refitted.

The only thing missing was a crystal.
As Valik looked about his temporary workspace, Kiskla unclipped one of her four lightsabers. One that she’d apprehended during a duel, and unscrewed the lightsaber. Into her palm dropped the glowing cerulean crystal and she observed it for a moment before floating it in the sith’s direction.

“Hopefully this space will be adequate. If you need anything else, request immediately.”