Chasing dreams (Open)

[Brooke Waters]

She smiled. To her hearts content… that was a lofting list. Token always found someone that reminded her people she knew in real life in her fictional tales. Or maybe it was the other way around? She found people in real like that reminded her of her fiction tales. “That makes sense, I know some tribes are… still … sexist?” Now that men couldn’t do all the things women could, but each side had something they other couldn’t, and that was the form of procreation, but hey, they needed one another. Probably why the other was always captured, by witches, by warlords in the wastelands of desert worlds where gasoline and water were the biggest reasons to fight.

He was one of those people. Token could get that feeling off of him. The type like the… Mandos and those Obsidian Force users in her former nation, the Techno Union. Lived for their armor and within their armor.

“I’m a Force user.” Right, see? This is why Token wouldn’t last a day during Palpatine’s regime. “And I’m hoping that the Withes could teach me a few things. I hear word that there is a clan on the coast, one that’s equal parts men and women, and I’m assuming their spellbook is more in line with what I’m after to learn.” She looked at him, now would be the time, if there was a bounty on Force users.

[member="Char-Li Luzerei"]

 

[Teh_Asian]

"Oh that's right, you're a force user. Which makes me feel a whole lot safer that you aren't with Palpatine's regime. I'm not exactly into the Empire's state of mind but I try my best not to mess with them." Char-Li nodded, chuckling softly. He had met a few force users, one that was former sith and another who was...strange to say the least. Either way, he's had a small respect for them.

Char-Li may life around his arm, within, and through his armor, but there was a saying the Mandolorians have, 'Verd ori'shya beskar'gam.' A warrior is more than armor. He could live off the land, not to say that he would like to, but his armor was merely an enhancer of his skillset which was plenty if you asked him. The Clones were like that. The weapons were extensions of himself, however, knowing that if he lost them he would be useless in battle, so he takes great care of them, no matter what they are.

"The sexism wasn't the problem for me, it's the question of how hostile they guys will be or not. I don't want them to consider me a threat because I look like a Manda or a Storm Trooper." He hated when people saw him as a threat because of his culture or armor, appearance or not, he had rules. He never attacked first unless absolutely necessary. No woman unless they're sith or pose a threat. Never children, only set of stun. Men are fair game unless they're Imperials or Rebels, never will Char-Li really take a side unless it's absolutely necessary.

"Speaking of Palpatine, however, whose side are you on?" He asked, merely curious, not real reason behind the question.

[member="Token Waters"]

 

[Brooke Waters]

Palpatine? Token was over 800 years too late to be part of that regime. She was familiar with it, of course, but to actually make the quip about it? She bite her lip and looked at the trooper-hunter-man. She recognized the date because she did her homework, but he was talking about the Empire, and it didn’t seem like he was a Sith… Or part of their army. “When are you from?” She bit her lip and looked around. Was she on some game show? No… not on this world, right?

Please?

It was just a bit confusing to her. And not to say she was ditzy… but well, yeah, you get the picture.

“I’m not really sure how they handle outsiders here. They’re under… is it Mando controlled space we’re in?” She thought so. The Mandos were pretty cool, their armor was an art form, and Token respected that. It was an expression of self, like the lightsaber. She just hadn’t found that one item that would echo her. Maybe she should get to finding that. “And a side? I don’t really… I’m kind of a free agent?” She shrugged. It wasn’t that she wanted to be on the fence, but she was just Token-Side of the Force. Simple.

[member="Char-Li Luzerei"]

 

[Teh_Asian]

"If I'm honest, I'm from before most of today's times. It'll freak you out but Clone War times. Believe it or not," he took off his helmet, brushed back his hair and looked at her, "I'm an Anti-Trooper. Oh-- that's what the numbers mean, my designation is CT-0411, I think. It's been a while. But my name's Char-Li Luzerei and if you tell anyone, I'll have to keep you silent."

That was dark but it wasn't a threat, he just didn't want anyone to know. "It's not Mando controlled, no. But Free Agent is better than a side."

He wasn't joking, he wasn't making anything up. He was older than he looked, but some how he was still twenty-ish. He slid his helmet back on, sealing the thing before looking at her. There was something about her, maybe her honesty? Something like that, maybe her welcoming demeanor. He felt like he could tell her certain things and not have to worry all too much, probably because he had been alone for a really long time and needed someone to talk to.

[member="Token Waters"]

 

[Brooke Waters]

She’d heard stranger things, but not really out of someone’s mouth. Unless she was involved in some sort of game, which she did play from time to time. But this? This man was serious, wasn’t he? “How…? And I won’t tell. I just… it’s a curiosity.” As they were walking, she looked over at him. “And what’s an… Anti-Trooper?”

Token was very… open, honest and forward. She didn’t want to stress anyone out about anything and as such just was herself all the time, even if it was a bit overbearing. She was one of those people who really couldn’t keep anything under wraps, and as a result, she had very few walls and lived life with this unbridled passion for… well everything.

“Yeah, I mean, I don’t want to get wrapped up in space wars, just want to live my life and do what I do.” She nodded. It was better this way.

[member="Char-Li Luzerei"]

 

[Teh_Asian]

Char-Li nodded, a bit relieved to finally give off some of the stories that he's held in for the longest while. "Anti-Troopers were clone created during the Clone's installation with the Empire as a response to the Storm Trooper. Anti-Troopers were quickly dispatched however, but it doesn't matter. I'm here, the last of them and I have little to no idea as to what happened to my brothers in Tipoca."

This was a personal piece for Char-Li but it was one that he was okay with telling to anyone with an open ear and mind. He was happy to actually be around someone who wasn't going to shoot him for being a clone.

[member="Token Waters"]

 

[Brooke Waters]

She didn’t know much of the history from that long ago. Sure, it all seemed romantic, the Empire hunted down the Jedi, that made them clearly the bad guys, the Rebel Alliance overthrew the Empire, that made them the good guys. But the whole deal with the Clone Wars made her… anxious? And this story, it was something she still was having trouble placing. She didn’t want to be rude, but she needed to ask.

“What year do you think it is?” She bit her lip, looking down at the ground as they walked, really hoping to not offend him.

[member="Char-Li Luzerei"]

 

[Teh_Asian]

"Who knows, I sure as hell don't. Cryo-sleep does a lot to your memory. Look, it doesn't matter, I'm just here to grab a ride off of this planet and off to some place safer." He didn't meant to sound irritated, but his timeline was knocked way off and his lack of physical aging didn't help him one bit. He was beyond confused with stuff like this, he didn't really bother with any sort of timeline or log, he just did what he had to do and move on.

"Besides, if I do find out, I'm afraid I might turn into an old man. Plus it's the pure question of if I do know the truth and try to tell it to someone, will they see me as a person or as a relic? And if I were to find a spouse, if they knew, would they see me for me? I don't intend on finding that out."

[member="Token Waters"]

 

[Brooke Waters]

She nodded when he went on. Yeah, maybe it didn’t matter. Time was irrelevant after a cryo nap, from what she heard. Someone close to her had done the same thing and it messed him up, from what she heard from her cousin on that side of the family. Fun thing, Kaia and Token sent messages to one another. Close in age and both dealing with the galaxy the same way, so why not be close cousins, right? It was the little things that made a character.

“I can respect that. I promise that if you find this tribe with me, let me make contact, I’ll fly you out of here, wherever you want to go. Or wherever you think you belong, okay?” Token Waters, everybody, friend to creatures big and small.

[member="Char-Li Luzerei"]

 

[Teh_Asian]

Char-Li couldn't help but smile under his helmet from the amount of kindness that was being shown to him. "Thank you, really. But we don't have to leave so early. If you're here for training then maybe I could just stay and watch. I've always wanted to see a Jedi in training." He was normally bombarded with insults or was treated as just another coworker. He didn't really know what it was about him but he seemed to attract hatred. But it didn't matter too much, either way he knew that everyone he met wouldn't really want to see him again after they see who he was.

"Oh and how many Jedi are there nowadays?"

[member="Token Waters"]

 

[Brooke Waters]

Her master plan was really to kill the galaxy with kindness, then she could take over. Clearly Token Waters was supremely evil. “I mean, you’re helping me, and if the Witches here let me leave and come back, then I don’t mind bringing you anywhere. You’re, of course, welcome by me to stay and watch!” She smiled. “I don’t know how interesting it will be. These are the witches of Dathomir, not exactly the glowsaber wielding Jedi.”

How many Jedi were there? “There are a lot, all spread out around the galaxy. Sith too. Lots of people can use the Force!”

Was that scary? Should it be?

 

[Teh_Asian]

"Huh, then I'm Jedi blind or I'm going to the wrong places, either way I'm glad there are some Jedi. Speaking of which, I'll watch your Jedi training and help you whenever you need me to, if I can. There's something about watching training that makes me kind of at ease. I'm not really in the mood for being bounty hunter anytime soon, so I'll stay." He smiled softly behind his helmet at his comment, it sounding awkward from him.

This was pretty relaxing, watching Jedi train along with doing very little.

"Oh and don't hold your rifle around the Witches, might be just my armor, but they don't like people with blasters."

That was true everywhere, well, almost everywhere. Wait, there's a growl, oh, that was his stomach. He was happy that it was muffled by the movement of his armor through the brush, but it didn't stop the empty feeling in his stomach from the lack of food that hide just now. He held his stomach, sighing as he kept moving.

[member="Token Waters"]

 

[Brooke Waters]

Jedi blind. Now that would be a useful or very not useful skill to have. Token wasn’t quite so sure. Jedi were good, they were the good guys, but they lacked action, and while Token was more the party-girl at heart, she was the type of person, in this galaxy, who had a dark side, and approached it like she owned it. She was known for being a bit bitchy and manipulative, but right now? Char-Li and her goals rest in similar paths, so that helped. She was good at finding that, people who were going on the same path as she. “Well, you’re welcome to stay, by me.” She nodded.

Yep.

Oh, and her rifle. Right, she had to worry about that. She looked at the weapon in her hands. “I don’t really want to just… leave it. I’ve had it for a while.” Sure, she should be replacing it shortly with a sonic rifle, but right now? It was part of gunna, her personal gear. “Are you going to be okay, if it takes a little for them to trust us? To welcome us?”

[member="Char-Li Luzerei"]

 

[Teh_Asian]

"Never sell your first rifle. I haven't and refuse to. A weapon, forgive my Jedi like wisdom, is an extension of yourself. If your leave it, you're leaving a part of yourself. Pass it down to your kin or someone really important to you, not some old beggar or arms dealer." That was his wisdom from Alizun. Damn it's been a shit life since he was left to himself. Not to linger however, but he did miss his father, but kept to his teachings. He never stole what people couldn't replace, he never killed women or children of innocence (Even the men), and he never once forgotten his upbringing.

Char-Li nodded, "I don't mind, waiting for you in the comfort of a cave or hut is better than your storage unit. Just saying," he half joked, chuckling at his rather dark and twisted humor, "But either way, I really don't mind. I'm a patient man, have to be."

Char-Li's stature went from militaristic to more relaxed more comfortable, but still not letting his guard down. His hands ready to draw, head still on a swivel and move, his steps calculated and short.

 

[Brooke Waters]

She nodded. “Yeah. I mean… I got it from my brother. But I was thinking of upgrading for sonic weapons. Less… lethal?” And she could resonate in the Force, so it’d be like a trademark! Making things vibrate until people pass out. Or she could launch them into a wall. She had never really thought about it as an extension of herself, which is odd, because this was Token. Token had the first book and the first bit of any gifts, and jewelry she ever received. Kept them safe aboard her ship in a footlocker. It was the most important box in her life. Okay, maybe the second most.

She was Corellian, so the ship was important. And her first ship was the one that Bright Star assigned to her. She used it as a personal vessel, a bit of family nepotism, really, but she was the only one aboard unless they needed to have her get a crew somewhere special, between liners, or rotate people away from their jobs. So the ship was the big thing, home away from home, and even more so with Corellia being… broken.

“Storage unit? Why would you be in a storage unit?” That just seemed silly. “We shouldn’t be too far from the beaches. I don’t think…”

[member="Char-Li Luzerei"]

 

[Teh_Asian]

"When you're desperate for a ride off a planet, you'd do anything." He chuckles at the thought of the things he's done for a ride off a planet to another. He's done a lot from being a personal servant for the ride to some Twi'lek female to a guard for a Rodian to a stowaway on a Sith's ship, despite being seen already. He sighed, shaking his head as the memories faded from his thoughts.

"I've never used sonic weapons but they pack a bit of a punch. I'd suggest a low recoil weapon with a high capacity if you're into moving fast and quick."

He's more into practicality of the weapon then the whole weapon type, look, or anything of the sort.

[member="Token Waters"]

 

[Brooke Waters]

Desperation did make people do different things. She couldn’t fault her new acquaintance, however, getting off of a world was sometimes tricky. She was one of the fortunate who had a ship of her own. She never forgot that. And she did try her best to help others in need. It was what her parents told her to do, and they were spacers through and through. Maybe that was why she couldn’t settle somewhere? Even her parents couldn’t.

She watched him, and tried to reach out in the Force, but if she wasn’t successful, that’d probably be just as much a fault in her. She didn’t like the Force, it made her nervous. But it was part of her, so she tried her best. “That makes sense. I kind of just use it to survive, you know?”

And that was when she heard the crashing of the waves.

[member="Char-Li Luzerei"]

 

[Teh_Asian]

Char-Li too heard the waves and came to a small crouch, pressing his fingers to the ground before standing back up. That was a mixture of sand and dirt, salt water was most likely in the air. He could've smelled it if he didn't have his helmet, small scents could've been picked up by Char-Li. He continued his walked, looking around rather cautiously, but not drawing or having his hands anywhere near his weapon.

"Hooah," he woofed quietly in agreement before looking upon the water in front of him.

Tipoca City, at least thats what this reminded him off. He's visited the place once or twice, never on good terms. He's always had to be under water, sneaking around, or using drones to view the city. Didn't matter in the end. He didn't need to go there again.

[member="Token Waters"]

 

[Brooke Waters]

Token’s rifle did have a strap for it, so when they were walking, she let the weapon dangle, hanging against her back, and bumping her leg. She kept one hand on it to prevent it from always hitting her leg. She didn’t want to trip, or have it knock her knee and cause her to trip. Kinesiology was fun like that. She saw the sand starting, meaning that there were some serious storm surges, if she was seeing sand up this far.

She looked at her armor clad companion and smiled. The beach was close. That was a good sign. She stepped up the pace and when they broke from the grass looked over again. “Well, found the beach. Now just need to find the witches.” That was the next step, wasn’t it?

Except this was Dathomir and witches were watching her since she landed. She wasn’t reaching out in the Force, so she wasn’t looking for them, but they were watching the pair from behind the mangroves. Yes, this was Dathomir but there were mangroves. The witches were traveling light and they were ready for nearly anything.

[member="Char-Li Luzerei"]

 

[Teh_Asian]

Char-Li nodded, looking around, nothing. There wasn't anything being picked up by his scanners or any of his equipment. But then again, would it have made a difference with force wielders? He shook his head, looking around before standing up and beginning to move. He knew that he had been watched this entire time, but hell, it didn't matter too much.

"I'll let you take lead with that, don't really want to take lead."

He didn't know this place too well, but it was fine. There was something about swamps he liked however, the ability to hide easily. He shook his head, wondering if there was something about to attack.

[member="Token Waters"]