Angels and Demons

[Garza]

D A N T O O I N E
Garang

Holding the Kinrath egg, I gently placed it into the cargo container. Each egg was put in a separate box. These boxes lined with felts, and cloths and even have a cocoon of a wrap around the eggs to protect them during transit. Thalia was holding onto a datapad and running through the various numbers of what we caught today, and even the eggs we gathered. She was running this whole operation. Even telling me what to do in some cases. Which was fine. We had worked together in the past, and she had a slight OCD problem where I would have just thrown the eggs into the boxes haphazardly.

She was the driving force behind all the paperwork I had to do. I smiled a little as she stood there in the Iron Empire fatigues with her hair tied up in a rather intricate braid. Much like someone would weave yarn together to create string. Using end over end till the tip of her hair held together with a hair band. Standing up from the crouched position over the now closed box holding another egg, I walked over to her with a hand on her shoulder.

"Keep working, I'll be headed into town to make sure all the preparations for the ship are completed. Com me when its all done here."
"I know what to do father. No need to be on my case."
"You know I voice it even when you don't like it. Now get back to work."

She gave me a dirty look. One that showed she would be trying even harder next time we crossed blades to try and prove that she was good enough for me to not act so much like her father. Hence calling me it. She knew I hated it because her father was a Slimeball of a man. I would not be so easily called as such. Walking over to the cargo speeder, I sat down in the seat. Turning it on.

We had various other speeders here to take the rest of the eggs, so I thought I might as well take the first shipment back. Less time spent on traveling there for the others. The engines turned over and the wine of the repulsors came to life. I shook my head before I even pushed the throttle. I couldn't quite put it, but ever since I had cut her off on a conversation between a new ally and myself, she has been mad at me. I still couldn't put my finger on why. Breathing in a moment through the mask that covered the bottom portion of my face, I pushed the throttle, and headed toward town.

I didn't go very fast. There was no need to, and Thalia would be even more pissed if I broke any of the eggs. And it was honestly nice to take it slow for once. Ever since I came back to the Empire from working with the Crusaders that seemed to crash and burn after their leader Isley perished, I have been in an almost non-stop train of working here and there. The little time I had on Commenor was nice. Politics was difficult, but not as difficult as sleeping.

It always seemed to be the worst. Trying to not think of that, My eyes played across the countryside as I sped across it. The grass growing wild and playing with the wind. The rock formations rising to create roads between the plains and the terraces which people lived upon. Rumors of old temples resided here still whispered among peoples lips as I got closer to the city. Even making it on sacrificial dirt roads. Though, that wasn't what caught my eye.

It was something happening up ahead of me. Straining to try and see that far away, I pushed it a little to try and get closer. Driving with my left hand, my right hand reached to my thigh, and released a strap for me to gain access to my blaster pistol. Honestly, it was just a stunner, but was still rated to be powerful enough to kill a human would it be necessary. Not punch a hole, but give them a heart attack should I rate the power on the weapon high enough. Legal, but deadly in the right hands.

As well, my hand moved to the small of my back to make sure that my lightsaber was still in its sheath. Waiting to be used should the need arise. As I was getting closer, I could see people, and something was going down. Still unsure, I slowed down a little to make sure I wouldn't come up on anything like a hasty cop, or even someone just speeding past.

Still, I felt a presence up ahead. One that was untapped, and clearly not hiding their existence. Were they new to the force? And if so, why were they so... held back? Almost as though they wanted to explore, but didn't want to extend too far? It was almost as though they didn't want to hurt anybody? My link with emotions allowed me to pick up on small things even to Masters. Yet this person seemed almost as though they wanted to be found.

Fearing it was a trap of some kind, I prepared myself for the worst.

[member="Diana Veneris"],

 

[Diana Veneris]

D A N T O O I N E​

​

​

“Please, sir—I missed my shuttle, and I must get off-world.”
“That isn’t my fault! If you were half as sensible as you are pretty, you wouldn’t have gotten yourself into this predicament in the first place!”
“ . . . please, you don’t understand. I’ve never traveled before, and I have nowhere to stay on Dantooine.”
“Again, I emphasize: that isn’t my fault! Bat your eyelashes at any passing gentleman and I’m sure he’d be happy to take you in, but rest assured that your charms are lost on me, girl. The shuttle station is now closed. Away with you, I say! Away!”
Diana Veneris watched as the old shuttle master turned his back and hobbled off down the beaten dirt path, his gangly features dwarfed by the soaring rock formations and lush promenades that led to the city of Garang. The bustling capitol was not far from the shuttle station where Diana now stood, abandoned, but it was far enough away to be only a hazy silhouette on the sunburnt horizon. Diana cupped a palm across her porcelain brow, shading her eyes as she peered into the distance, her crystalline blue gaze caught somewhere between despondence and panic. A forbidding wind had begun to stir, whipping through her moon blonde hair and raising chills along the curve of her exposed shoulders—the sort of wind that foretold of storms that would come on the heels of sunset and rage long into the night. It would be dark soon, and the girl was utterly alone.
If Diana were a normal woman of twenty-two standard years of age, the prospect of being alone under such conditions would not be terribly problematic. As it were, Diana was not normal at all. Most young women her age would have traveled away from their homeworld and visited other planets—other systems—multiple times, but Diana . . . Diana’s exploration of the galaxy had only just begun. Born with an almost archaic-level of Force sensitivity, the girl had been branded a pariah among her pragmatic, warrior-centric people. Her fellow Echani had feared her strange and uncontrollable powers, but none of them quite so much as her uncle. The cruel man had locked Diana away like a damsel in a tower for years, until her recent escape; she had purchased her freedom with his death, and left her homeworld of Eshan for the first time in her life.
Now—with her exile and the fallen glory of House Veneris far behind her, and with scarcely another friend in the world besides her pet loth-cat, Nairobi—Diana had set out to see the world that she had only read about in books . . . one planet at a time. Dantooine had been at the top of her list, with its rich history and stunning landscapes. Unfortunately, it appeared that Dantooine would be the only place that she would visit, given that she had missed the last shuttle off-world.
"I don't know what to do, Nairobi."
​The flowing silk of Diana's gown pooled around her delicate figure as she sank down to the grass, curling her legs beneath her and bracing one hand in the moistened dirt. Her chest had begun to rise and fall heavily, plush lips parting to keep time with her quickened heartbeat, as she felt the all-too familiar rise of emotion bubbling inside of her like a tide. Nothing good ever came of her emotions; they were often the trigger for her unpredictable, and violent, bursts of Force-driven energy--the energy that she still did not understand, the energy that she still could not control.
Nairobi, sensing her master's dismay, poked her feline head out of Diana's rucksack and immediately leapt to the girl's side, weaving in and around her slender limbs before jumping into her lap. A subdued smile ghosted across Diana's lips, but it did not reach her eyes; the anguished girl only bent her shining blonde head and buried her face in the white fur of her little cat, heedless to the hum of an approaching speeder.

[member=Atheus]​

 

[Garza]

The speeder that was ahead of me started to speed up and leave. I guess it must have not been a problem if they were already making their own way into town. Whatever it was, it had been solved. Or so I had thought. I started to throw the speeder into the higher gear, Pushing in the clutch and was about to change over to the second gear when I noticed a very bright, and slender figure in the grass. I lost my attention to what was going on because the speeder started to sputter at me and had an awful grinding noise. Releasing the clutch, the grinding stopped short, and stopped only continue onward. Forcing me to buckle forward in my seat, then be thrown back into it. Shaking my head, I stopped the speeder. Breathing in through the apparatus on my face, and then released the breath slowly.

Why would a girl be left behind by someone? She looked to be needing help. I was not really the kind of person to do this, and I had to keep to schedule. Something Thalia always wanted of herself, and other who worked for the company. Recently, I have had a few... meetings with others who I trusted and wouldn't admit it, but I did care for them as well. They were wanting to help me to move on from my past. To try and make something of all the pain I had. Maybe I can take one more step in the direction they wanted? Maybe it was just one more thing I can do to breath easily.

Pressing on the break, I slowed the speeder, then put it into a U-turn into the grass and back out onto the trail leading to the girl. Pulling up just to the right of her, I pulled off to the side of the little trail and threw it into park. I breathed in quickly and tried to make sure that I didn't look as dangerous as I seemed. Stepping out of the vehicle. I was clearly bred for war. The metallic arm, military styled gear, a rifle in the speeder seat, a pistol on my thigh, and even a lightsaber on me.

Walking over to her, I couldn't quite tell what she was doing, but I did see that she had some kind of animal in her lap. The dress she wore was rather nice. White, and accented her hair slightly. She seemed entirely all too bright with the pale skin, white garments and the hair that could reflect the star's rays like a mirror. However, I knelt down close to her, getting onto one knee so I could be close enough to speak.

"You know, I don't think a white dress is the best clothing to be sitting on the side of the road in."

I hoped that I wouldn't startle her, or even startle her little friend here. Not a damned clue what it was, nor what it could do. Likely more dangerous than myself or even the fauna natural here. Even fur can disguise the greatest of strengths. Either way, I offered her my hand. There was no glove upon my fleshly hand. There was one on my metal arm, but I considered it rude to hand someone your metal arm instead of your "real" one. Just didn't seem right.

"If you don't mind me helping you off the ground."

One thing my mother had taught me before... well before, was that I needed to treat women with respect. Even more so than other men because women were sometimes fragile. Better to be kind, and learn later they are stronger, than assume they are strong enough to take it, and break them. Much like picking up something unknown, to discover its either metal, or glass.

So, the next question to answer, was this woman of glass, or made out of tougher stuff?

[member="Diana Veneris"],

 

[Diana Veneris]

Diana did not hear the disjointed hum of the approaching speeder from where her golden head was burrowed into the thick white fur of her little cat. It was Nairobi who caught the sound first. As the newcomer’s engine sputtered to a halt, the shrewd feline sprang out of Diana’s lap with a low, warning growl. Diana snapped to attention in the same moment; her crystal blue eyes flickered upward in alarm, widening from beneath her thick eyelashes as she absorbed the sight of him.

The man who stepped out of the speeder was unlike anything Diana had ever seen. His stature alone would have been enough to strike fear into the most formidable of men; he was a titanic specimen, easily dwarfing her by more than a foot in height and at least a hundred times in strength. He wore all black, but even the dark colors of his armor could not disguise the lethally muscled body underneath; the steady, robust movements of his strong limbs were enough to show that he was a purebred warrior—the perfect killer. A pistol was strapped to his sturdy thigh, and on the lower half of his chiseled face was a mask. The sight was both beautiful and nightmarish.

For a moment, Diana could neither move nor breathe. He was growing closer now, and she suddenly felt quite small. Panicked. Vulnerable. Afraid. The plush cushion of her lips parted as her breathing quickened, the soft curve of her chest rising and falling to keep pace with her furiously beating heart. Foolish girl, she thought. How could she have been so careless? Who was she—a sheltered exile of a girl—to think that she could travel the stars alone? There had been certainty to living in exile, a twisted comfort to life locked away in a tower. Even the abusive fists of her uncle had been hideously predictable. For years, he had kept her hidden from the world like a stolen jewel. Now that she had broken free . . . now that she had set out to explore the world that she had been so cruelly denied . . . she feared that it was all about to come to an end.

Diana remained as still as the statue of an angel, her clear gaze fixed on the dusky man as he advanced upon her—a wolf advancing upon a lamb. He knelt down to her level with a remarkable gentleness, but as he extended his large hand down to her, something deep inside Diana was triggered. In her world, the only time a man had ever reached out a hand was to strike her; her uncle had been fond of raising welts across the baby-like porcelain of her cheek with the back of his palm.

When this strange man reached out his hand toward her, Diana responded on pure instinct; she inhaled sharply, fear welling up in her soulful blue eyes as she lifted an arm to protect her face, waiting for the blow that never came. Instead, all that came was the man’s voice. It was deep . . . but kind. Slowly, steadily, Diana lowered her arm and looked up to him. As their gazes locked, even with the lower half of his face covered, something told her that he would not harm a hair on her head. It was a warm sensation, flooding her body with an energy that resembled the Force—the Force that imbued her body, the Force that she still did not quite understand. For the moment, she knew that she was safe.

“Thank you,” Diana murmured at last, her cultured accent hitting the air like the whisper of a bell. To the untrained ear, her voice would sound gentle, soft, impossibly sweet. The more perceptive would know that her voice was that of a girl who had been beaten into subservience . . . whose hidden strength had been pushed deep within, whose strength was just waiting to be drawn out. She moved to take his hand, but before she could, Nairobi—seemingly out of nowhere—pounced in-between them and hissed up toward the man who loomed above her mistress.

“Nairobi,” Diana gently scolded, furrowing her brows and gathering the plucky loth-cat into the crook of her arm, then placing her back on the ground—away from the man. Nairobi mewled disapprovingly but contented herself to simply glare from afar.

Diana lifted her eyes back up to the man. This time, when she ventured to slip her small hand inside his, their fingers actually met, and there was a small spark of energy. Diana might have jumped, but it was not unpleasant. With his help, the girl rose like a phoenix from the ashes, the sheer folds of her gown unfurling and re-settling around her petite form. As she stood before the man, the top of her moon blonde hair barely reached his shoulder. Like inverted mirror images, they could not have been more opposite; where he was fierce, dark, and forbidding, she was all things light, delicate, and soft.

“Thank you,” Diana spoke up to him once more, her voice still quiet. “I missed my shuttle off-world. I’ve . . . never traveled before.” She lowered her lashes, a subtle tinge of pink filling the apples of her cheeks. “I have nowhere to stay here. I must get home."

Home.

The word struck Diana deep in the core, as she remembered the truth: she no longer had a home.

[member="Atheus"]​

 

[Garza]

I watched as the little creature in the young woman's lap seemed to bark at me. I recoiled away from it for a moment as it snapped at me. Seeing that the woman was not just sitting there out of exhaustion, but out of necessity. This was the only place she could be. I could see the disappointment upon her face, and even the feeling of being completely alone. I knew that all too well. It was one thing that I have dealt with so often, I had grown accustomed to it. However, the woman pulled back her little feline? Not too sure what the creature was, but it seemed to growl and purr like one. I onlt has assumptions to go off of.

The woman was a little sheepish. Even recoiling herself away from my hand as I presented it to her. As though she were afraid of me. She was scared of what I was. She could see the suit and the covered face with the much larger frame that I had, and was scared of me. However, I stayed still. unwavering like a statue. Holding my hand out to her. As she realized I was not going to strike out at her, she accepted my hand with a Thanks. Her hands were incredibly soft. Smooth as though she hadn't worked in fields a day in her life. However, I could feel the firmness that came from pain. She was scared to accept it. Skeptical of what I might do. Cold and small compared to mine, I stood up, and lifted her from the ground. Almost having to look down to even meet eye contact with the woman.

Her voice was different. Beautiful, but I knew the dialect. Having traveled the galaxy a few times over, I could tell with the white hair and the fair skin she was not quite human. The soft voice finished it all. Echani. A rare few have been known to travel the galaxy. This woman was not traveling, but running. She wanted to create a new life for herself, but was unaware of the dangers. I smiled underneath the mask as she stood there. Straightening herself and then blushed so brightly, I was scared she may have gotten sick. Either way, I released her hand, and stood there for a moment as she spoke about missing her shuttle off world.

Looking down at her, I knew what that was like. The first few years of me trying to find ride to ride to different planets until I could get enough credits to by some form of a ship. She had the same problem, but I had bad thoughts about what women had to do in order to get credits fast. I closed my eyes for a moment as she looked up at me. Almost straining herself to do so. Motioning behind me, I pointed with an open hand to the speeder,

"Well, I can help you find a ride. Just um... make sure your friend, doesn't snap at me while I am driving?"

I looked at her with empathic eyes. Really, I didn't want the creature to snap at me again. I'd likely smack it with my arm out of the speeder hard enough to kill it. And I'd rather not do that. Letting my arm drop to my side, I looked her over, and then pointed to the dress.

"You might want to keep a hold of your skirts. It's an open speeder."

I may be a man, I may be a monster, but I am modest. I understood that some women kept their bodies to themselves for the "Right man" and would even turn down chances to be with others for that fact alone. With this woman rather afraid of me at the moment, I didn't want her embarrassed by an accidental slip of the dress. I was sure that she would understand and take that as a sign that I could be trusted to some extent. looking around her, and at the ground, I tried to see if she had any bags or anything that she could call her own.

​"Um, if you have any possessions with you, you can throw them in the back of the speeder."

I wasn't sure what else to do. She was very... beautiful. She was more than pretty. Pretty was a word used for women who were fishing for compliments. Pretty was a word men used to make girls fall for them. She had this... aura? Yeah, aura around her that just wanted me to keep looking at her as though she were a piece of art, or a blade that I had forged by my own hands. Simply looking at her made me question what god made her? Either way, I shook my head and walked over to the speeder. going to the passenger seat, and standing there. Waiting for her to follow, so I could aid her up into the speeder.

[member="Diana Veneris"],

 

[Diana Veneris]

Diana faltered. Soulful blue eyes followed the man as he gestured toward the speeder, before venturing back up to his face. For a moment, she merely studied him. Accepting the help of a stranger meant being at that stranger’s mercy. Diana was a sheltered child, but she was no fool. Her uncle, loathsome wretch though he was, had done well to teach Diana that nothing in life was free—especially not in dealings with men. Every man had his price. What would this man’s help cost her? As the wind began to pick up, whipping mightily through her white curls and the voluminous folds of her gown, Diana knew that she had no other choice. A storm was coming, and she had better be out of the open fields when it did.

“You’re very kind, but I have nothing to pay you,” murmured Diana. This was the truth. House Veneris, in its former glory, had sat upon great wealth. What her uncle had not squandered, however, he had carefully hidden away during one of his fits of paranoia. The morning Diana escaped, she had taken only what she could find, and then only what she could carry. Her rescuer and benefactor, [member="Siobhan Kerrigan"], was generous enough to provide for her daily needs, but Diana never asked for more than what necessity required.

This man did not request anything. The kindness in his eyes traveled outward in the way that he spoke to her and in the way that he moved, as if he were a great bull tip-toeing carefully through a delicate china shop—only that Diana was the china. Diana did not think herself to be so breakable, but only a severe lack of self-awareness would have denied that this tremendous man could snap her diminutive body in two with one hand. For all of his might, she took comfort in his benevolence—right now, it was all she had.

Diana knelt to the earth to retrieve her rucksack, draping the leathery straps over one pale shoulder before opening her arms to Nairobi. The small white loth-cat had hunkered down among the thick stalks of grass and eyed Diana jealously, clearly displeased by the man who had stolen her mistress’s attention. “Come, Nairobi,” Diana coaxed, her voice gentle but firm. With a dramatic show of feigned reluctance, the little feline obeyed, stretching luxuriously before springing into Diana’s waiting arms. “I assure you that Nairobi will be well-behaved,” Diana said pointedly, narrowing her eyes at the little cat like a mother might warn a child. “She’s a protective creature.”

From where Diana knelt, gathering her sparse belongings, she was grateful that the man could not fully see her face—at his mention of her skirts, another blush crept up her swan throat. For a man so roughened, his concern for propriety was unexpected and disarming. Diana suddenly wondered what he looked like beneath his mask, but she dismissed the thought as quickly as it came.

Slowly, and with her composure intact, Diana rose to face him once more, her rucksack hanging on one shoulder, and Nairobi gathered in the slender crook of her arm. She made a sweet sight, albeit a humble one. “This all I have,” said Diana. “I truly cannot thank you enough.”

Beauty followed the beast toward the speeder, where it hovered above the sea of wildly dancing grass that had begun to whistle and whip with the wind. Diana allowed the man to take her hand once more and assist her in ascending to the passenger’s seat. Just before their hands parted, she gazed down at him and offered him the ghost of a smile. “My name is Diana,” She said simply, holding her eyes to his before letting go. With nothing more, the girl settled into the speeder, securing her skirts and hugging her little cat close. Somewhere in the distance, thunder sounded. As Diana felt a single droplet of rain hit the soft button of her nose, she felt grateful to no longer be alone.

[member="Atheus"]​

 

[Garza]

I could only smile as she asked what the price was for me to take her into town. She was a very graceful young woman, but I do not operate that way. I kill people. I end the lives of others, and cause many more to have pain, but I won't do that to anyone. Having my own mother resort to things such as 'entertainment' for a few credits was not how I wanted to live my life, nor put anyone, or have my actions force someone to make that decision. I have some honor in my heart.

Looking over to the whole interaction between this young lass and her pet was quite... cute? It brought a small sly smile to my lips. However, behind my mask, it would look as though I were just watching the interactions. As she had stated, the little companion was protective of her, and was not keen on being near me. However, as I spoke about the possible problems with the dress, she was turned around from me. Even then, I could still feel the emotions of the young girl. Embarrassed, but also accepting? Almost as though I had the hint that she was almost glad I brought it up? Either way, I let it slide and didn't push it.

As she picked up her belongings, She didn't seem to be carrying much with her. Even mentioned it that, this was all she had. I remember having to deal with that. Having to make ends meet however I could. For me it was fairly easy with my talents. Either way, I nodded my head. After getting into the speeder, and aiding the now know Miss Diana, I moved over towards the drivers seat, and sat down easily into it. Looking over to her, I bowed my head a little.

"Atheus. Its an honor to meet you Diana."

Turning on the engines, I put the speeder into gear, and started to slowly pick up speed. I kept my eyes on the road. One? I wanted to pay attention, and two, I didn't feel like staring at her would be a good option. Picking up speed, I decided to ask a few questions.

"Where did you come from? If you are here then you must be getting away from something?"

Part of me wanted to just ask more. Find out all I could about this woman. I don't know why. It was as though I actually wanted to see her again. I mean, I was just dropping her off at the space port and help her find a ride. So we wouldn't see each other for long, but I just had this feeling, this gut wrenching that we needed to see each other again. But the problem? How could I say that to a young woman who doesn't know who I am, nor seen my face?

"I come from Hora. Planet way out of the way from everything else."

Smooth right? Did that work? I guess I will just have to pay more attention to her after all.

[member="Diana Veneris"]​

 

[Diana Veneris]

"The honor is mine."

Atheus. There was something powerful about knowing a name. Diana looked upon the hulking specimen of a man with fresh eyes as he pulled his sturdy weight into the speeder at her side. From this close, Diana was able to run her crystal eyes over the smooth profile of his nose, to see just how far his dark hair brushed beneath the strong line of his chin—small details to be catalogued. He was no longer the stranger of her internal narrative. He was Atheus. Diana could not help but smile.

The speeder hummed to life, and soon they were rushing away over the windblown sea of grass, bound for Garang. Overhead, the sky had darkened considerably. Another droplet fell from the clouds, but this time, it splashed square onto the fur of Nairboi’s white head. The little cat squirmed in protest. “Shh, kitten,” murmured Diana, tightening her embrace around her furry companion before squinting up into the heavens, wheaten curls flickering wildly around her face. The storm was almost here.

Atheus’ voice called her attention back down from the sky. His question gave her pause. How much did she reveal? How much was safe for her to reveal? For a moment, Diana could not answer. She pressed the full cushion of her lips together and lowered her lashes to study the tightly secured folds of her gown.

My uncle killed my parents and made me his slave. I recently killed him with my unusual powers and escaped, you see. Diana dismissed this explanation immediately.

“Eshan,” She replied at long last, clear eyes glimmering upward. “I’m from Eshan. I spent my whole life there. My family was . . . ." Twisted? Murderous? “ . . . overbearing.” That was one word for it. Controlling or manipulative might have been more apt. Diana could not lie, so she settled for half-truths instead. “I was never allowed to leave. I—I ran away.”

Suddenly, Diana felt self-conscious. Her true explanation would have shocked her new friend, but the watered-down version made her look like a foolish child. Diana, for some indeterminable reason, did not like the idea of Atheus perceiving her as a child.

“But I’m not alone,” She continued. “A . . . friend was kind enough to take me in. I’ve never seen the galaxy before, beyond Eshan. I’m traveling for pleasure, on my friend’s generosity. I read about Dantooine when I was a little girl, but I wanted to see it for myself.”

Relief might have feathered past her lips, albeit imperceptibly. Diana did not take Atheus for a fool, but perhaps her cover story would sate his curiosity for now. She was grateful when Atheus began to speak about his own home, quietly seizing the opportunity to volley the conversation away from herself and back to him.

“I’ve read about Hora,” Diana replied, her pale features illuminating with recognition. “If I may, how did you come to Dantooine? What is your profession?”

[member="Atheus"]​

 

[Garza]

After speaking, I got smacked in the face with a rain drop? Bringing my attention back to the road, I had noticed that Diana took quite some time to answer. I knew that feeling all too well. It was if so much had happened, or something seriously wrong went on. Having my own problems in the past, and my own sins to deal with, I wasn't going to push much more with that. With the purr from Diana's cat like friend mewing over the rain hitting them, I kept both hands on the steering wheel. while using the force to pull a jacket from the back. I wore it every so often when stuff would do this. Rain, or just wanted to cover up my mechanical arm.

I reached out as the jacket floated in the air between the two of us and then handed it to Diana. Just in case the storm came down on us as we came into town, She needed it more than I did.

"Go ahead and put it on. Don't want you, or your friend getting wet."

As she answered my own talk of coming from Hora, she said that she had heard of it. Likely because of my influences as well as my kings who have now perished, and was left in the hands of a dictator. I felt good to know that some people had heard of the place. I hoped that it was good though. Continuing with her own question, the young lady asked how I came to Dantooine. Smiling a little in the mask, I voiced what had happened.

"At first I was a mercenary. I worked for hire doing jobs. Assassination, aiding in war, guard duty. You name it, I have likely done it. After a while, I got a company through some inheritance from my mentor. He handed it down to me, and so I now run a company. Hence why I have all this stuff in the back. We make items that are... different?"

I didn't really want to come out and say this, but I guess I could at least somewhat mention how we made this stuff. It wasn't like she had her own company and was going to cheat me out of anything.

"We use a special process with the force to create stronger armor and weapons, or even trinkets that allow people to do things that you normally couldn't do."

That sounds good right? Didn't say what process, just that there was one. Either way, it was a bit of information that I have given as to what I have done. She knows I am a soldier, and knows I run a company. I didn't really want to go into detail about my allegiances quite yet because I didn't know if she had any the conflicted with mine. Somehow I would have to get that information from her. Gently though. She was like glass. She could take just the right amount of pressure and she would be fine, but if you hit her too hard, she might break, and I didn't want that.

To be honest, I didn't think she was easily broken glass. With the life she lived previously, it was clear she made her choices and was strong enough to do that. But she was still... fragile to an extent. She had this naive part of her that didn't quite understand the galaxy at large, and so forcing all of this on her at once would hurt her. Instead, I would just tread carefully in case. Though I doubt if I told her about my past, she would break from that.

"I well tell you this, even if what happened back then with you leaving, it was probably a good choice for you. I wasn't much different from you. I dealt with a rough life growing up. I left to find a different place where I could not be so... broken. So I will say that you are incredibly brave to leave what is known to you, and to come all the way out here with little help."

Would that help? Maybe it would free her up to speak a little more? She was a very interesting person. She had the gift of the force, but didn't openly state it. Was she afraid of herself? If so, why? I guess I would have to learn all of this later. But I wanted to learn more about her. Not just why, but who she was. Interesting and perplexing.

[member="Diana Veneris"],​

 

[Diana Veneris]

There was a stirring in the energy around them. Diana, still unattuned to her own sensitivities, did not realize that Atheus had called upon the Force until, seemingly out of nowhere, a jacket floated into the cockpit of the speeder and hung expectantly in midair, as if beckoning Diana to take it. Her breath caught in the snare of her swan throat, and for a moment, she could only gaze upon the jacket with wide blue eyes. It was only when Atheus spoke that Diana, heartened by his words of reassurance, ventured out a small hand to gently pluck the jacket from where it hovered at her side.

“Thank you,” Diana murmured, draping the heavy article over her shoulders. The jacket was enormous, engulfing Diana’s delicate frame almost comically, but it was warm and dry. Nairobi, opportunistic as ever, seized the chance to burrow deeper into Diana’s side, curling up inside the jacket’s abundant shelter. Diana chanced a small, wondering look up to Atheus. The offering of the jacket was another act of kindness that seemed almost incongruent to the dark shadow of a man who towered over her even while seated, warlike from dusky head to powerful boots. Diana did not know it then, but a seed of curiosity toward him had taken root in her soul. She listened closely as he spoke.

“Assassination?” There was a note of surprise and apprehension in her gentle voice, even fear as her crystal gaze glimmered up to him in question. Aiding in war. Guard duty. You name it, I have likely done it. Diana, mind swimming with thoughts, looked over at his large hands where they gripped the controls of the speeder and wondered what terrible things they had done. A chill might have traveled down her spine had a small voice not reminded her, Your hands are unclean, too. The gruesome, contorted face of her uncle as he lay dying flashed like a morbid beacon in her memory. Diana, visibly unsettled, breathed deeply and glimmered her eyes away from Atheus, out toward the countryside that rushed by them in a windy blur.

A heavy silence fell over them as they rapidly approached Garang. Diana might have retreated inside of herself and remained silent for the rest of their journey had Atheus not spoken once more. His words were gentle and kind, so much that Diana felt something inside of her break.

“I’m not what you think I am.”

Her voice, usually so sweet and demure, had fallen to a cold whisper. She lifted her soulful gaze up to Atheus, still gentle, but filled with an unprecedented firmness.

“I’m not good, or brave at all. I’ve done terrible things to get here. I—”

She would not have the chance to finish. In that moment, the sky opened up, and at last the storm that had threatened to break through the clouds came thundering down in a torrent of sheeted rain. Lightening flashed, thunder rolled. They had arrived in Garang not a moment too soon.

[member="Atheus"]​

 

[Garza]

I smiled lightly as Diana thanked me for the jacket. Due to my size, She was wearing my jacket around her shoulders, and if she happened to pick her feet up, she might have been able to completely cover herself in my jacket and hide away. Including the fact that her little friend joined her. I wanted to say no, because then fur would get all over the inside, but I fought against it. The little pet was likely not a friend of the rain that was coming over the horizon. With myself intently listening to her, The word assassination came from her lips. Her voice filled with surprise and almost... fear. Fear of me? Fear of what I could do?

I could feel her eyes on me as I drove. Instead of pushing it and saying, 'why yes, I do kill people for a living even if it makes others squirm in their boots.' I might have made her jump out of the vehicle while it was still moving. I didn't want that. I was trying to become a better person, and that wouldn't help if I made everyone fear, or hate me. Instead, I stayed silent. However, it was as we were drawing closely to the city, that Diana spoke up. I wasn't who I thought she was?

It perplexed me to hear that. Sure, the girl was young, away from home, and likely had a rough life, so I had an idea of who she was. There was some silence as she tried to continue with her doing bad things to get here. Doing things that she regretted. She was cut half way through as it started to pour down rain, and lightning stuck off in the distance with a resounding thunderclap. I looked up as Diana seemed to be slightly shaken from it. We were pulling into the city as it started. Many people passing us by as they were running with coats on, or holding anything up to try and keep themselves somewhat dry from the rain.

I kept going on towards the spaceport. It was a nicely sized building that would be fine for us to get inside away from the rain. Pulling up fairly shortly from being out in the rain, I knew my hair was already wet as a mop, and Diana might as well be the same with only a jacket to protect her. We were closing the distance as I slowed down to not run into anyone. As soon as we got out of the rain, I used my right hand to push away the hair from my face. I would likely look like a goof, but it was better than having hair in my face.

I pulled around towards the large doors of my hangar bay. Bay 11 in which a cargo shuttle was sitting. Instead of some ship, It was a shuttle meant for carrying people, but was instead used to carry cargo that would be put onto the ship I had orbiting the planet. Dantooine couldn't support ships that were massive in nature in their local star ports. The planet had a few government buildings, and likely had a few larger pads I could have used, but I didn't feel like dealing with paperwork.

Once I stopped, I still had the feeling I wanted to continue our conversation about how Diana isn't who she seems. Instead, I left it up to her to continue it. If she wanted to share, then that was fine. And in all honesty, if she was going to be telling me, then I would share with her. It was only fair, and I guess it would help me overcome my own past. Instead, one of my men came over to me and spoke, while eyeing Diana.

"Its raining heavily. Local police forces are saying that the storm could last from hours to days, and the local area is put into a state of emergency. No movement other than what is necessary."
"Update is welcome. Continue working on filling the cargo. Go ahead and fill her up with this shuttle as well. We have one more out in the field that should be coming soon."
"Yes sir."

Getting out of the vehicle , there was a dry spot as to where I was sitting. Running my hand through my hair, I pulled it back to slick away from my face as I walked around to the other side. Offering Diana my hand, I would let her keep the jacket for now in case she was cold.

"Well since it seems there won't be a lot of ships moving out any time soon, Would you uh... Would you like to join me in going to the cafe?"

This was literally, THE first time I have ever asked anyone to come with me to somewhere to eat. Normally I would eat in the ship alone, or Thalia and I would sit and eat quietly. However, this was different. She was someone new, and I wanted to know more. As well, she didn't really have any place to go. So I might as well help more since I brought her here.

[member="Diana Veneris"],

 

[Diana Veneris]

Diana looked up to the weeping sky with intermingled surprise and gratitude. The sudden onset of the storm had broken the moment of unguarded honesty and saved her from delving deeper into her past than she intended. The sin she had committed to liberate herself from bondage—murder—had almost gotten her killed once. Diana silently rebuked herself for her foolishness in almost confiding her crime in Atheus now. He was a kind man, but a stranger. Diana could not afford to be so reckless with her trust.

She blinked away the raindrops that caught in her eyelashes and pulled the jacket close, careful to cover the squirming form of Nairobi as the speeder cut through the deluge and prepared to descend into the hangar bay. The effort at keeping dry might as well have been futile, however—what had begun as an innocent downpour, swiftly grew into a monsoon. By the time they reached the landing pad, Diana was thoroughly soaked.

The baptismal of rain had darkened her moon-white hair to a molten honey and dripped heavily down her back, slipping off the ends of her curls and onto the passenger’s seat. Even the generous breadth of Atheus’ jacket was not enough to save her, or her dress. The saturated fabric clung lovingly to Diana’s shape as she rose from the speeder and took her rescuer’s hand, blue eyes wide and full of questions as she looked up toward him. She had overheard that Garang was on lockdown—what would that mean for them? For her?

As she descended from the speeder, Atheus answered.

Would you like to join me in going to the café?

Diana froze. It wasn’t the prospect of accompanying him to the café that startled her, as much as it was the fact that he had asked her to accompany him. He didn’t seem the type to socialize over a meal, but then of course, how would Diana know? A life locked away in the proverbial tower didn’t exactly lend itself well to social observations, but Diana was a perceptive creature. For such a large, forbidding man, Atheus seemed nervous.

“Oh,” Diana murmured, a bit shyly. “Yes, I would appreciate that, thank you.” A small smile warmed her lips, hoping to quell his unease. What he didn’t know was that she had never been to a café before. The notion came with some excitement.

Diana followed closely at Atheus’ side as they hurried through the rain, dodging puddles that formed mini-lakes and skirting through the crowd of other hapless pedestrians eager to reach shelter. She was swept with an overwhelming sense of relief once they found sanctuary inside a cheerful hole-in-the-wall not far from the starport, but became acutely aware of the curious patrons who had turned to give her their attention.

From her soaking platinum hair, to her dripping dress, to the disgruntled face of Nairobi who, peering out of her rucksack, looked more like a drowned rat than a cat, Diana suddenly grew self-conscious. Her unique traits that marked her as an Echani often drew interested gazes, but now, those gazes felt somehow different—a little too interested. Diana couldn’t put her finger on it, but she found herself drawing closer behind the shield of Atheus. Her voice became small.

“ . . . perhaps we can find a table in the back?”

[member="Atheus"]​

 

[Garza]

While I tried to keep my attention away from the very nicely formed frame that only the gods could have given to Diana, I led her quickly though the streets to reach the cafe. Even while we were already wet, and entering the establishment only set eyes upon us. A small framed young woman in a wet dress with a nicely formed body? yeah. Eyes would be all over here. A tall towering soldier frame with a face hidden behind a mask and clearly could handle himself, eyes were over me as well. Stepping forward, I could feel Diana almost inch towards me. Even before that, I was moving my arm behind me to push her out of the direct attention of everyone else.

She mentioned finding a seat in the back away from everyone. Agreeing with a simple nod, I looked over to the bartender.

"Water for us at the moment."

Looking around, I decided that intimidation would be the only way I could keep the eyes off of us for good. Reaching behind me, I produced a lightsaber. Diana would clearly see it as I pulled it around and held it in my hand. My voice clear and concise.

"If anyone has a problem, speak now or forever hold your peace."

After a moment of people seeing the weapon I carried, with the fact of a metal arm, they knew I was a force user and not a person to be messed with. This is why I loved the soldier part of my life. I looked like a soldier who could well hold their own. But as soon as I showed I was also a force user, they knew they couldn't compete. It was a steep uphill battle for them.

Head turned away from us but I could still feel a few eyes who were just curious and wanting to find out more. Tossing the lightsaber to my left hand, I reached behind me with an open hand indicating to Diana to follow me. If she took my hand, it would be up to her, but I walked over towards a booth in the back where the closes person was two booths away. Leading her to sit, I moved my body to have my back to the wall so I could watch if anyone came close or decided to take a peek at what we were doing. A moment later, the bartender walked over with two glasses of water and sat them down.

As soon as he walked away, I spoke of an apology to Diana.

"My condolences for that little incident. I'd rather not deal with mouth-breathers."

[member="Diana Veneris"],