Private Chance Reunions

[Tenn Kalos]

Tenn hadn't expected to be coming back down here any time soon. Level 3000 specifically was an old haunt he thought he’d long left behind. Once the only semblance of a home he had, but now, just a reminder of how bad things used to be; Stealing for scraps, fighting just to get a place to sleep, and always on the run. Whatever silver linings there once were to his life here, Tenn had long since accepted that they moved on without him.

That is, after all, what he had done.

But it seemed that his cash in on the Jedi had downsides of its own. Playing the role of peacekeeper tends to get one on the bad side of those who were a lot less interested in said peace. As it was, Tenn couldn’t even say for certain who he had pissed off this time, but they managed to hit him where it hurts:

They took his dog.

He assumed it was a deterrent. A warning that if he didn’t stay out of their business, the worst was yet to come. But for the padawan it was a challenge, and so he charged headlong into the breach to rescue his loyal companion.

In truth, the perpetrators had put out a local hit on Tenn. Small time bounty hunters, or just crooks looking to make a quick buck, were now out on the prowl for an overzealous Jedi. On the back of a speeder bike, Tenn weaved through streets and alleys at breakneck speed for any sign of a lead. None the wiser that Shep was merely the bait, and he had fallen for it hook, line, and sinker.

Ren Bishto​

 

[Ren Bishto]

Scanning her job description first time around didn't raise any blaring alarms. At least not all at once.

In all transparency, the static image of an unnaturally hued Jedi leached into the back of her mind like some nagging splinter. Sparking a weak sense of familiarity she was quick to brush off. He looked too artificially put-together, no chance he sunk this far below his social strata on the regular. Not enough for her to recognize him at least. But here he was nonetheless, baited into the jaws of the seedy underground for some reason or another she didn't quite have the attention span to learn. After all, keeping things impersonal often made the moral ramifications go down easier. All that concerned her at the moment was tracking him, and his complete disregard for any standing traffic laws.

That's when confirmation of her target barreled past in a speeder bike, seemingly keen on testing the limits of the sound barrier.

With something of a grin playing on her lips, she drew her mask for a semblance of discretion. Though in all honesty, she placed enough confidence in Tenn's apparent tunnel vision to let her fly cleanly under the radar. Rolling her shoulder habitually she cut through a throng of pedestrians with ease, tailing the rogue Jedi on her own speeder loyally.

Whether or not he took notice of his shadow didn't particularly matter as a moment later she disappeared down another branch of lanes only to reappear cutting directly through his course. That's when she stopped, engine protesting at its sudden disuse while it fought to buck her off. Instead of giving into inertia, she swerved, planting her feet soundly on the ground as she grew to a labored halt. Directly in front of Tenn as it were.

She hoped he'd panic, the response any decent bounty hunter was looking to illicit. But for good measure, she reached out, summoning crude tendrils of the force to haul the bike horizontally. It was undeniably sloppy, but still hopeful in achieving its intended purpose of forcing him to skid a good couple meters. That was before losing virtually all control.

Before any amount of deliberation, she had her gun pointed squarely at the kid. Hesitation, in all its inconvenience, kicking in only a moment later. Suddenly grateful for the mask, she stifled her reaction as that sense of familiarity flared up again.

Tenn Kalos

 

[Tenn Kalos]

Little else would have been able to catch Tenn's focus as he was caught up on the warpath. But the sound of a speeder was one he recognized all too well. Not that it mattered, because as soon as it registered, the source was already gone. He'd assumed it was someone on the hunt, already given up as they were unable to keep pace. That overconfidence quickly became his downfall.

Tenn looked behind him for just a flash, and when he turned back, the speeder was dead ahead. Even still, he was ready to make a daring escape; The young padawan had once been a racer by trade, after all. And those races were a lot more dangerous than this. But whatever attempt he might have made was halted by the warping emergence of the Force, careening the bike out of control.

Not even he could work his way out of that one.

Instead, Tenn abandoned the speeder as soon as it succumbed, and he slid across the ground towards the figure. He was a daredevil, but at least he was sensible enough to wear the right gear; in tandem with the Force cushioning his landing, the padawan remained unscathed, and came practically face to face with his would-be attacker.

In one fluid motion he sprung up and ignited his saber: a yellow blade that now hovered threateningly to the side. Tenn remained unmoving even as the barrel of a gun was point blank at his face. What sight couldn't yet prove, the Force had tried to tell him, even if he couldn't quite register it. A sense of familiarity that echoed Ren's own, but remained ignored.

"...You're in my way."

Ren Bishto​

 

[Ren Bishto]

With the sort of inconvenience that prompts an audible sigh, his reaction time revealed to be shockingly decent. Internally she let loose a slew of choice words. Torn over letting the opportunity slide. Hesitation wasn’t like her. She was supposed to be better than this. More disciplined. Now her situation grew infinitely more complicated. Facilitated by the yellow laser sword waving in her face. Reflexively, her grip on the blaster tightened, sizing up Tenn as he began to speak.

“You’re in my way.”

Ren couldn’t help but blink in response. On the surface she fought to keep neutral, but behind the helmet her eyebrows pinched together cautiously. Familiar, way too familiar.

She brushed it off, no more hold ups.

“That’s the idea.” Delivery flat, she spared a glance down towards his lightsaber, which remained menacingly stationed at his side. “Brandishing a weapon like that doesn’t get you many friends down here.” The unsolicited comment, tainted by a slight dash of amusement, was by all means a stalling tactic. To reassure herself more than anything. Returning to meet his gaze, although the only true indication was a slight tilt of her helmet, she pressed on with a small grin. “Though I trust you’re smart enough to have figured that out for yourself.”

Fighting to keep the playing field even, she remained steadfast in her aim. Ren trusted he’d be able to deflect well enough if she felt so emboldened as to fire. So, keeping her cards close, she eyed him before bringing a commlink to her lips.

“Found your man- or boy more like.” She kept her voice even, radioing in confirmation to whoever happened to be on the other end, “Feel free to pick him up.”

With that, caution was damned. Her aim dropped to his speeder which she subsequently fired a round into the base of, aiming squarely for the engine. There weren’t going to be any quick escapes.

Tenn Kalos
​

 

[Tenn Kalos]

Her snark earned an unamused stare from the Jedi, only the 'boy' comment eliciting more in the form of a single raised brow. She didn't exactly sound old herself. In fact, there was an annoying familiarity that continued to tickle at the back of his head with each word, fighting to be recognized. But through the emotionless helmet, it was hard to focus on anything more than their confrontation.

He extinguished the saber, knowing full well the attention a weapon like that brought, as she had said. And perhaps even a half-hearted attempt to diffuse the tension. But as soon as the pistol was pointed off of him, Tenn made a move. With one hand he swatted at her wrist, hoping to grab hold and keep the weapon out of the way, maybe even sparing his bike if he was lucky. With the other hand he tried to push her to the floor and keep her down, which would give him some needed leverage, "Who sent you?" Straight to the point.

Ren Bishto​

 

[Ren Bishto]

Only finding the time to brace her arms protectively, the asphalt didn't help to cushion her impact. Causing Ren to land roughly on her side with enough force to dislodge both gun and helmet in one fluid motion.

Pinned and unmasked Ren seethed, immediately put on defense. Her eyes a pooling mix of disdain and casual annoyance the girl glared up at Tenn. Her fighting spirit only sobered a moment later when that same puzzling look returned, as if she couldn't quite make sense of what she was looking at. His demand completely lost on her. She searched to answer a question of her own, eyes widening in subtle recognition.

With that Ren wasted no time separating them. Her mobility limited, she opted to draw up a knee, striking him in the chest with purposeful force, slipping out in the recoil and forcing herself to recover. She scooped up the gun, but instead of renewing her shot point blank, Ren kept the barrel lowered.

"Kark-" She looked Tenn over skeptically. This could not be the same guy. After a prolonged moment spent with bated breath she shifted. A single word almost dying on her lips.

"Tenn?"

Tenn Kalos

 

[Tenn Kalos]

Tenn struggled to keep his assailant down, glaring down at her expectantly for an answer as the mystery faded. Then, as his gaze lingered, memories were forcibly extracted from his mind. The mix of emotion and realization on his face mirrored that of Ren's almost perfectly as they seemed to be struck by the same understanding.

Then, a sudden sharp pain in his gut threw Tenn out of the moment, and off of the bounty hunter. He groaned, and scrambled to redraw his saber, only managing to get the hilt out before realizing he was too slow on the draw. But then nothing happened. The padawan remained on one knee, waiting anxiously for her to do or say something.

"Tenn?"

"Ren?" He rhymed, now standing up and taking a step forward, as if to get a closer look. Tenn wasn't sure how to feel, or what to say. The corner of his lip seemed to waver between a frown and a smile, "Wha-- What are you doing here?"

A bit of a dull question; Pretty much the entire time they had known one another was spent on this level. But this was more about the circumstance than the location.

Ren Bishto​

 

[Ren Bishto]

Instinctively she straightened, her eyes searching cautiously for a clear dialogue. Someway to vocalize the maelstrom of thoughts swirling the air between them. He only just beat her to it.

She lightly grimaced before shrugging the question off.

"Hunting Jedi as of now." With a flash of circumstantial humor she tried to distract from the more than legitimate meaning behind his question. Not like she had a genuine answer ready to surface. Years of instinctual survival paired with a series of bad decisions would lead any number of people down the same path.

Even then Tenn stood to contradict that.

Projecting a fake sense of nonchalance, she eased through the tension, breaking eye contact to holster her gun. A Jedi. And here she thought he'd been killed, or more optimistically fled off-world. But no, he'd been well within reach.

It almost stung, a sense of betrayal lingering in her chest grimly. She was quick to squash it, at least momentarily. There were too many emotions to sort through before allowing anger to override.

"You're running with a different crowd these days." Gaze lingering on the deactivated hilt, the girl struggled to wrap her mind around it. "I'm sure there's a long and thought-provoking story behind that."

While an attempt at humor, the words landed a bit stiff. Indicative of the wall of ice that seemingly stood between them.

Eyes flicking up to meet his gaze she shifted skeptically, "What are you doing back here?"

Tenn Kalos

 

[Tenn Kalos]

Tenn was unsure of how to react to her answer. It was Ren alright, but the sense of familiarity was off-put but an equal sense of disconnect.

He knew full well that the people he used to run with might have a less than warm reception for him on the chance that they ever met again, but actually confronting that idea in person was a lot different. However he imagined this conversation playing out in his head, was now lost in the moment.

“Said I was off to find something better,” Tenn sheathed his saber and shrugged, “I like to think I did.” The Jedi had given him a more stable life, if nothing else. A sense of purpose.

As for why he was back, the padawan grimaced, “I… pissed off some locals. They took Shep.” His pet charhound. He’d been with them on the streets for a good while, but left with Tenn in search of that ‘better life’.

The dots finally seemed to connect in his head, and he jumped back to her previous comment with his revelation, “They wanted to get me here didn’t they?” And now Ren was involved too. Instinctively he glanced around, like looking for another trap. “Since when did you get into bounty hunting?” Part of him had hoped that her participation was just another scheme. Even if she was just being used as another lure to bring him in, it would maybe mean they were still on the same side. The other part of him, however, feared that things were much more as they appeared to.

Ren Bishto​

 

[Ren Bishto]

Keeping her expression level she let Tenn speak, grappling with a myriad of conflicted feelings as they surfaced. The Jedi Order was never seen as a place of sanctuary to those scrapping the belly of Coruscant. And as such, she met Tenn’s remarks with heavy skepticism. At the mention of Shep however her attention diverted completely. Her passive indifference replaced by a progression of animosity. Memories of that small band of strays, four-legged and otherwise, flooding the forefront of her mind.

“Shep?” She echoed, brows pinched together in a flicker of genuine concern, “They took Shep?” Her realization mirrored Tenn’s. A lure, obvious. “They couldn’t touch you up there without bait-”

Then Tenn went to ask another question.

Before he even finished Ren paused, a silent sigh of exasperation rolling off her shoulders. Turning her head, she locked eyes with Tenn, a slight edge to her voice. “How long have you been playing Jedi?” Bounty hunting had been a way of life for longer than she could honestly recall. Longer than she cared to remember. Sure it brought her own morality into question everyday, but what doesn’t have drawbacks? Better than starving.

Brushing her comment off with mild regret, Ren turned to the matter at hand, slinging a leg over her speeder fluidly, “C’mon, we need to get you out of here- Find some form of cover.” It was only after she spoke that she realized Tenn had absolutely zero reason to trust her given the circumstance. It was too premature to judge how much they’d truly changed.

Ren wasn’t exactly sure how to go about changing that, instead looking over towards Tenn expectantly. She didn’t want to see him hurt.

Tenn Kalos
​

 

[Tenn Kalos]

The padawan appeared dissatisfied with her deflection. It's not that bounty hunting was a foreign concept to them, but there was a big difference between trying to bring in a small-time crook or a gambler late on his debts, and trying to bring in a Jedi. Tenn was more concerned with her safety than anything else on the matter.

At least she still cared about the dog.

He never gave her a direct answer either, beyond a shrug. At this point the years were blending together, and with the current state of affairs he hardly even had time to genuinely consider it before Ren suggested they head out.

Almost instinctively he stepped forward, then halted in place. Ready to spring into action with her all over again, only to remind himself that things were different now. Tenn glanced back to his own speeder, now damaged from running into the ground, then back at her. He chewed his lip in thought, then hopped onto the back of Ren's bike. Less out of having a reason to trust her, than it was just very much wanting to.

They'd find out soon enough.

"What about the old droid factory? That's still around right?" One of their band's old haunts back in the day, and a good place to lay low. Abandoned since long before any of them ever found it. He wasn't sure why it wouldn't still be there, but as their brief interaction had already proven, it only took a few years for a lot to change.

Ren Bishto​

 

[Ren Bishto]

With admittedly more relief than she’d let on, Ren scooted forward to offer Tenn enough allowance before turning to acknowledge him. To both his proposal and question she nodded in affirmation “Yeah it’s still standing- decrepit as always.” With something of an amused snort she pushed on, “Definitely low-profile enough to slink into. Guess we’ll both get a kick of nostalgia.” Shrugging, she revved the engine before addressing Tenn one final time, “Better hold on.”

With that she sped out of the lane, leaving behind a sure-fire mystery for whoever came to follow up on her report. Weaving through the inner-city to the outskirts of the sprawling underworld, Ren couldn’t help but feel hyper-aware of the Jedi behind her. The change was almost incomprehensible. Their lives once so closely interviewed, now hardly even within the same realm. What did being back even mean to him? Was he just biding time for the opportunity to resurface? All of this, just one big painful reminder to him.

Fighting to keep her eyes forward, she slowed to a much more gradual stop this time around. The abandoned structure looked almost unchanged since she’d last stepped foot on the rusted durasteel. Tall, foreboding, sheets of metal snaking their way down to ground level, converging around a gaping maw of an opening. While the structural security was certainly within question, Ren had no difficulty ducking under and into the warehouse, turning to Tenn as if to gauge his reaction.

Tenn Kalos
​

 

[Tenn Kalos]

Tenn took the advice, and hugged her waist as the bike took off. Normally, he became a lot more aware of the dangers of speeder bikes when he wasn't the one in control. Being in the driver's seat was ingrained in his nature early on, and anything else felt alien. Yet this time, he couldn't help but find his attention split.

Ren, in the flesh. Right in front of him, no less. He found himself starting, and could've sworn she was doing the same. But Tenn said nothing, letting the roar of the engine fill in the space. He wouldn't know what to say, anyway.

In time the bike slowed to a stop, its engine purring before it was then shut off, abruptly cutting off the noise and leaving everything feeling much quieter.

The padawan's eyes traced the silhouette of the factory, every inch of detail bringing back some new reminder of days past. This was the place alright. The monolithic ruin felt as it if were watching its two returning visitors; The foundation settled with a low metallic groan, like releasing a long-held breath in anticipation for their arrival.

He paused in lingering thought, then snapped back to attention when he caught Ren's look. Tenn followed suit, looking back and forth between her and their surroundings. He idly picked up a rusted old droid head, it's processor long since removed or destroyed. "It's a miracle none of us ever got tetanus down here," He even managed a smirk, in some hope of reigniting a sense of familiarity. Then again, being talkative was never one of Tenn's signature qualities.

Ren Bishto​

 

[Ren Bishto]

The disconnect between them was felt by both parties. But even then he managed to elicit an exhaled laugh from the girl. “I’m sure we came stupidly close. Not like either of us had a keen sense of self-preservation.” For a fleeting moment things were familiar or at least amicable. Some old feeling resurrected, resonating in the air between them briefly.

Gaze dropping to the wreckage on all sides, she grew quiet in shallow reflection. The silence enveloping the two, a harsh reminder of their new split realities. Ren did her best to ignore it, there was still plenty of ground to cover after all. But for the time-being she tried to push for information. “So- You’re bigtime in the Jedi Order now?” Summoning as much nonchalance as humanly possible she continued, a brow raised and slight smirk playing on her lips, “How’s that going for you? Considering you’re a wanted man and all.”

For what felt like the first time, she regarded him. His silhouette demanded far more of a presence than the scrawny kid she grew up with. Everything about him felt rebranded, warped by the Jedi ideals he’d embraced. His face matured years beyond what she’d imagined, maintaining a steady look of passive contemplation. Clearing her throat as soon as she caught herself staring, Ren’s eyes dropped to the floor before meeting his gaze. A new wave of emotion coursing through her, prompting a question they both knew was inevitable.

“You could’ve come back-” Without fully meaning to, the words slipped from her subconscious. Hesitating, her tone grew slightly colder before committing to the line of questioning, “Why didn’t you?”

Tenn Kalos
​

 

[Tenn Kalos]

Her laugh made him laugh, almost as much out of surprise that he even got her to, as it was at the actual memory. He blinked, and for a second they were kids again. The Ren he knew stood in front of him. Then he blinked again.

Still Ren. Different, but maybe not as different as he feared. Tenn couldn't help but smile wistfully as he saw her a little closer now. She seemed hardened, in a sense. Life was never easy for them, or any of the urchins, on Level 3000. They had all been forced to grow up, whatever semblance of a genuine childhood appeared in fleeting moments of peace and contentment, only to be replaced the following day by a new hunt for food, or shelter. But Ren seemed to shoulder that more than the others. She was older now, obviously, growing into what he couldn't quite yet know. But the fact that he still recognized the girl underneath gave him a twinkle of hope.

Her first question didn't quite register until a second later, Tenn himself caught staring in reverie. "Y-yeah, yeah. It's- well, other than this, I guess. It's been pretty.. pretty nice." He smirked back, "They gave me a place to stay, food to eat, trained me to be better," At first it had been about little more than finding a better life than what he had. But over time, it would be a lie to say those Jedi teachings hadn't rubbed off on him.

Then Ren's tone changed, and Tenn recognized it immediately. He felt the question bubbling up, and couldn't quite bring himself to meet her gaze as he prepared, "I…" None of the words seemed to strike him in the moment. It was as if the padawan was fighting some internal battle to recover an explanation, but came up short. He sighed, and shrugged, "...I don't know. I just got caught up with all of it. Wanted to put things behind me, start fresh. Once it finally registered, I guess I was just afraid… or hoped, in a way… that you had moved on too." If Ren had moved on, then it maybe would've meant she found something better of her own. Even if it meant feeling like he had turned his back on them. "I didn't think you'd want to see me again." He looked up at her now.

"...Did you?"

Ren Bishto​

 

[Ren Bishto]

Somewhere at her core Ren felt genuinely happy for him. He’d certainly gotten his life together. A taste of stability she was all but foriegn to. Which in truth, made it a degree harder to realize her underlying reservations to their full extent. Too busy fighting contrasting emotions.

Reeling in her immediate reaction, the girl let Tenn explain without interruption, mulling over his words with a faint look of distrust. Ren remained guarded, arms crossed and expression nearly unreadable. It was clear he didn’t quite know how to approach this, instead offering what he could of damage control. She couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt for ambushing him like this, there was already so much on both their minds. Still the only thing to draw her out of her conditioned detachment was his hard-pressed admission.

"I didn't think you'd want to see me again."

Surprise shadowed a more prevalent look of doubt as the words slipped into the air between them. Ren let her futile disbelief thrash around the confines of her mind a moment longer as she unfolded her arms.

“Tenn-”

Struggling to find the footing in a response, her gaze diverted to the floor before returning to the padawan. “Well, I hope you’ve finally got the impression that’s an utter lie-” Not one for vocalizing emotions, her posture stiffened, unsure how to feel in reaction. “Look-” her words broke in the wake of a small sigh, “I’m happy to see you.” Uncharacteristic of her, she let the vulnerable admission slip, “Whatever foot we left off on, that wouldn’t have changed.” Expectantly, she looked towards Tenn for a response.

Afterward, In an attempt to break the tension she’d single-handedly created, the girl tilted her head towards the speeder bike loitering at the entrance. “Now how about we find that dog of yours?”

Tenn Kalos
​

 

[Tenn Kalos]

Neither of them were great at putting their feelings to words. Sensitivity was not a luxury often afforded by life on the streets, and on top of that Tenn’s Lorrdian upbringing had always been one that prioritized the language of the body over the voice. Yet despite that, and despite how much time they had spent together, Ren was one of the few people that could make him doubt his own intuition. For him, she was a subconscious blindspot, a fact that had endlessly confused the boy for years.

"I'm happy to see you."

But that made him perk up. Tenn knew full well the level of vulnerability she was offering was not one given lightly, and he couldn’t help but smile in relief. “I’m… happy to see you too. And… I’m sorry.” He built himself up for the apology years in the making, one deep down he had envisioned was coming since he left. Ren deserved that much.

She gestured to the bike, and Tenn blinked. It spoke volumes to the weight of their reunion, that he had almost lost track of the reason he was here in the first place.

Almost.

Shep had been with him through it all. He was as much a part of their group as Tenn, Ren, or any of the other urchins. It was only fitting that they bring him back together. “Alright-- But I’m driving.” The padawan smirked, and made an effort to hop on the speeder first. Either way, they were soon off.

Ren Bishto​

 

[Ren Bishto]

All she could give in response was a look of acknowledgement. Whatever guilt he’d spent the past years plagued by, now surfaced in the span of two words. Perhaps they still weren’t totally in sync, but an effort was made nonetheless. A silent promise to mend things.

The moment was short-lived, indicative of their shared lack of emotional eloquence. Instead they moved to the speeder simultaneously, set on their new agenda. She opened her mouth in protest as Tenn insisted on taking the helm, but the words quickly died on her lips. Given that Tenn was leagues more experienced than her, and the additional fact that she may have totaled his only other ride, Ren begrudgingly took a seat behind the Jedi.

Hugging his waist instinctively, it only processed a moment later the trust she was placing in him. How easily it went undetected for someone so inclined towards skepticism. Confusion blended with something else she couldn’t quite recognize made her pause for a fleeting moment.

Drawing herself up, she pushed it down deliberately. There’d be time to analyze that later. Maybe. “Hope you know what you’re doing.” The comment came with a well-placed look of sarcasm, if Tenn happened to be looking, “Try not to wreck my bike.”

Tenn Kalos
​

 

[Tenn Kalos]

"You wrecked mine first," Tenn's smirk grew. Nothing that couldn't be fixed, he figured. Well, assuming it would even still be there later. That was much less likely. Despite that, he couldn't find much reason to be annoyed about it. There would be another one. Opportunities like this, though, were a one-time thing.

He revved the engine and leaned forward, his confidence growing as he settled into what he was best at, "Won't leave a scratch." The bike lurched forward with a high-pitched whine, jumping to dangerous speeds in the blink of an eye. They careened across streets and alleys, between other cars and against walls. Tenn had been a podracer before he was even a decade old. This was nothing to him. "These… employers of yours," He shouted over the rushing wind, "Any idea where they're posted up?! They musta said something about where to bring in the bounty!"

Ren Bishto​

 

[Ren Bishto]

As if it were second nature, they tore down the lanes at break-neck pace, weaving through whatever stood in Tenn’s immediate path. Straining to hear him as a torrent of wind chopped his question, she bit her lip, trying to recall any and all information. “Some sort of decommissioned Spice Den in the Entertainment district-” She scrunched her nose against the onslaught of wind, “They weren’t very liberal with directions, obviously didn’t want me sticking around long enough to spread the location-”

Abruptly she paused, eyes dropping to the commlink on her wrist, an idea sparking. They didn’t have to go in guns blazing exactly. Without looking away she shouted somewhat casually over the roar of the engine, “Hey- just for a frame of reference, how good are you at pretending to be captive?” Not bothering to wait for a response, she lifted the commlink, shielding it best she could against the wind, “Bringing him in now- ping me your position would ya?” With an electronic beep that barely registered over the wind, confirmation came in the form of a string of coordinates, which she was quick to show Tenn.

“There’s your answer.”

Tenn Kalos
​