Private Date under a nebula

[Talohn Atar]

Talohn's ship would definitely be bigger than expected when Zlova got to rest her eyes on it. It's obvious this merc perhaps makes more money than she previously thought. With his goofy attitude and silly costume he had at the party, one would find it hard to believe he's top of the line in his work. Then again, perhaps that's what makes him effective. No one expects him to be effective, therefore always giving him the element of surprise, Either way, before Zlova is a 175 meter long corvette. Absolute beauty of a thing too, likely a new model. It even has a bay for her to dock her ship if it's not too big.

Talohn's voice would speak up on her Holocom. "Oh! Zlova, you're here! Just fly on in, I'll meet you in the hangar. I think you'll like the wine brand I found." It's cute, how excited he sounds. Meanwhile, another voice speaks on the holocom, cutting off Talohns as he was about to speak again. "Oh! Hi! Are you Talohn's date? Do you want to she the flash ba-" Talohn speaks again, silencing the child. "Please don't interrupt me on the holocom....oh...don't give me that look Monari..." There's a few moments of silence before a teep sigh is heard on the mic, and Talohn speaks again, his voice monotone and exasperated. "Monari wants to know if you want to see her inventions. There, happy?" an excited 'uh huh!' is heard in the background before something else grabs the child's attention, and footsteps can be heard as she scampers off.

"Opening hangar." The cathar states, allowing the hangar doors to open on the bottom of the ship, so that her ship may enter.

Zlova Rue

 

[Zlova Rue]

A long, almost spear-like craft swept in toward Talohn's ship. Zlova had borrowed an interceptor from the Confederacy. For business purposes, of course. Maybe a little exaggerated, but killing slavers was sanctioned activity and she would get to that right after a brief layover. Well it was that or someone could try to come repossess the ship before the mission was done; but good luck with that.

Zlova smiled to herself as the channel was opened, but was soon caught a bit off-guard by the intrusion of another. Oh, yes, the child. Couldn't very well ion grenade the little one. Presumably Talohn had a plan for that, or perhaps the energetic youth was better behaved than the first impression. Not that the Twi'lek was complaining too much. Fortunately for the child Talohn was no Sith Master, and a little spirit wasn't a crime in Zlova's book.

It seemed no response was necessary, though undoubtedly the topic was far from settled. Well, given Talohn's profession and their aptitude for invention... Well, it couldn't hurt to see what they were working on, she thought.

"Can't wait." With that, she guided the ship into position beneath Talohn's ship. Being such a small ship it'd easily fit inside the hanger. There hadn't been any need for an oversized vessel of her own; the Twi'lek preferred close-combat to anything so removed as a strafing run.

Once the ship was settled, the Lethan rose from her seat and turned to descend out of the rear gangway. She'd donned a black dress showing about as much red skin as it hid; with generous portions along the arms, sides, and down the center while wrapped leggings wound about her legs. An evening dress fit for a Sith. The hilts of her sabers were secured along her back mostly out of sight and out of the way, but within reach if something went wrong. Not from Talohn, of course; but it was wise to be prepared for anything.

Tag: Talohn Atar

 

[Talohn Atar]

The hangar is a smaller space, for sure. Meant to park a ship and nothing else. She would soon hear Talohn's voice echoing down the hall, talking with his droid companion. "Talohn I think the tie is on wrong. How do you not know how to tie a tie? For fuck's sake." Then, Talohn's catharese accented voice counters. "I come from a tribe, the height of fashion is a loincloth and some boots!"

The droid can be heard chuckling. "I mean, I'm sure she wouldn't mind seeing you in a l-" There's a metal ding, cutting the droid's words off. "Do not finish that sentence, now shoo." Talohn hisses, sending the droid chuckling on it's way down the hall. Talohn himself finally steps into the hangar, smiling happily. He's excited for this. He's opted to dress in a simple suit. Simple stuff fits him well. It's a light grey suit with a slightly loose grey tie, likely due to being tied wrong, and a grey suit jacket which he hasn't buttoned up. He somehow manages to make a business soon look casual. "I uh...hope I dressed up right..." He's never been on a date. Just a long stream of one night stands.

He then shakes his head. "Anyways, enough about me. you look...." He pauses a moment to take in the pleasant sight that is her dress. "You look,,, uh, the dress fits you." It's not the highest or most flattering compliment, but the real compliment is in his reaction, and how he paused multiple times. The sight of her caused his brain to do a full reboot. He offers her his arm to take if she wants. "You want to go straight to dinner? Or do you want me to show you around first?" He asks, leading her along to the main room first.

It's a nice place for sure, obviously brand new with some touch ups to make it homey. The main room area is sort of the living room, split up into two parts. One part being the luxury area, with a few couches and booths up against the walls. coffee tables sitting in of the couches, and a circular table with a holographic gameboard built in to the booths themselves. There are also a few holocomputers sitting on the coffee tables, sleek and nice tech from denon, meant for people to enjoy themselves and browse the Holonet. Finally, there's a large holographic screen projected on the wall, obviously for family movie night.

The other half of the room is a medium sized fully stocked kitchen, equipped with utensils, pots pans, an old style oven, a smoker. Everything needed to make real meals instead of microwaving processed food packs. In the middle of both these areas is what could be called the kitchen table. Currently sitting on the table is a plate of peppers wrapped in some sort of bacon. On second observation, the kitchen has a whole small garden on a platform against one of the walls, with various fruits and such growing.

She would finally get to meet the mysterious child she heard over the holocom as well. Currently, the kid was sitting on the couch in front of the projector, watching some sort of animation. She's a cute kid, half calamari and half cathar. What an odd mix, she's a little catfish. Upon hearing them entering the room, she spins about to face them, a smile lighting her face. "Ello Talohn and uh....." She squints at Zlova. "I forgot your name, so I'll just call you sith lady." Wow, that was fast.

"Be nice kiddo." Talohn points out, unable to help but chuckle a bit. "I made snacks" He points to the plate of peppers. "Food is almost done. About ten minutes or so. Don't worry. We'll have some peace to ourselves after that....right?" He says this to Zlova, but is looking at Monari as he says it. Monari puts up her hands in a surrender gesture. "Don't worry. I will not ruin your love life. Maybe." She giggles.

Zlova Rue

 

[Zlova Rue]

Stunning. Ravishing. Deadly. Zlova smiled as the Cathar was unable to finish his observation. The deadliest thing about a female Sith Lord was they weren't afraid to use carnality against their opponents. Why did so many Sith women look beautiful despite their rather violent lifestyle? Because they were both capable of killing people with their own hands and luring them to their deaths. Fortunately for Talohn, he wasn't on a kill list, but that didn't mean a Twi'lek couldn't impress.

Slowly, the red woman stepped forward and snaked her arm about the Cathar's at his invitation. Her other hand was laid atop his arm as she turned her golden gaze toward him. Plenty of Sith women knew how to behave gracefully in these conditions. Most people only saw them interacting with strangers or long-term spouses -- and two angry people were bound to get feisty in public. When it came to courtship it wasn't all "let's dissect a Rodian."

Not all of it.

"We have time," she cooed. "I would love to see more of your ship. You've kept it in such great condition." Nothing wrong with a little tour of the ship. One's living space could tell you things about a person you might not otherwise think to ask.

Of course she'd let Talohn lead her through the corridors. He knew the ship, and it was the romantic thing to do. It didn't hurt to let someone fawn over you now and then. Perhaps that was just Zlova. She didn't buy into certain Sith ideologues that taught betrayal and unrestrained ruthlessness was the best way to live one's life -- maybe that's why she was ultimately blindsided by the only person she trusted. Well, no point dwelling on such dark tidings on such a pleasant afternoon.

Smile on her lips, the Twi'lek soon found herself face to face with the previously faceless youth. Bright, like her father, but a touch... too honest as well. Children were like that when they weren't surrounded by Sith Lords. "Sith Lady." Her attention turned to Talohn for a moment. "And just what have you been telling this adorable little girl? Not every red Twi'lek is a Sith you know." Though anyone that knew Sith glyphs or runes, the tradition of Sith tattoos, or saw Zlova in combat would have a fairly grounded belief she was in fact Sith trained. Dark Jedi at worst.

And the "Dark Jedi" were worse than Sith. No one liked someone that was indecisive. The Sith as they were today were once Dark Jedi. Playing at "I'm not a push over, but I'm not a monster" was just deluding one's self. Inevitably people strove to spend all their time meditating -- like the Jedi -- or they spent their time trying to change the world -- like the Sith. It's why Zlova hadn't renounced her past.

"My name is Zlova." She slowly unwound herself from Talohn to extend a hand toward Monari. "And you don't need to worry about ruining anything. Though," she spared a glance back toward the Cathar before she feigned lowering her voice, "you might embarrass him and have that nosy droid crowing for the next month."

Tag: Talohn Atar

 

[Talohn Atar]

Monari giggles as she chastises Talohn for stereotypes. "In his defense, he didn't tell me a thing. In our travels we've run into....three, yes three lethan. The only one that wasn't a sith didn't have those black tattoos. Therefore, though I don't know what they mean, I'm left to assume those black tattoos are indication of a sith. But unlike the last sith we met, Talohn has not sent me to my room. He has brought you directly to me, his child. Which means he trusts you to an extent. Be nice to him." She states, pointing an ominous looking pen at Zlova, before putting it away and grinning, once again looking the part of an innocent child. She proceeds to happily shake the hand Zlova offers her. "Name's Monari." When speaks about embarrassing Talohn, and making Madlad giving Talohn shit, she cackles. "You kidding? How do you think I get my entertainment around here? Those two giving eachother crap is better than anything that shows up on that projector." She points to the random animated show she's watching on the wall. This kid is sith material.

Talohn sighs. chuckling a bit. "Alright, I suppose you'll want to see the workshop. Or I suppose Monari wants you to see it. This ship is new by the way. My old ship was smaller, A barloz class. I got this a few days before we met actually. Company made a deal with me. I get the ship, first of it's kind, and I send then performance data." The walls are sleek, like the buildings on Kamino, though the walls are grey instead. He leads them both into the workshop, which is likely the messiest place on the ship. Various parts strewn about on the counters attached to each wall, shelves full of various tools and other spare parts, half built droid parts...just a whole assortment of things, along with a hologram pedestal in the middle of the room, the touchscreen on the side of it showing a list of schematics that can be pulled up. Overall, it's a good setup. No workshop is ever clean.

Monari heads to the left side of the workshop, where her own projects are. So far, it's a whole mess of odd looking pens. "I've been working on an assortment of pen gadgets. Small, easily hidden, discreet, also they function as actual pens. This here is my latest success. The flashbang pen. You press the button and it emits a quick flash of light that blinds for a short time." She states, holding up a white pen. She then proceeds to pick up another. "This is the smoke pen. One time use. Press the button and drop it. Works like a portable fog machine." She's so excited, eyes shining as she rants on and on about her homemade gadgets. If Zlova looks at Talohn, she'll notice he's smiling the entire time. So proud.

Zlova Rue

 

[Zlova Rue]

Zlova smiled as she crouched down before the observant child. "These are special tattoos," the Twi'lek added before they'd whisk away. "Given according to certain rites none can imitate." The mimed threat with the pen didn't cause her to flinch in the slightest. If you weren't prepared for a little pain then why be a Sith? Open a bakery; it's "safer" that way.

"The real world always is," she agreed with Monari's remarks about the animated show. Part of why Zlova hung out at clubs was not only to interact with people, but to watch them. That and hanging out on the streets. Even when she wasn't a participant it was fun to watch, sometimes. It was possible the tyke could become a worthy Sith with the right instruction; though Zlova wondered whether Talohn would want that for her. It was not an easy life, but neither was that of a Mandalorian. Might come down to just how talented in the Force the young girl was.

As Talohn mentioned the workshop, the red woman stood to her full height once more. Sounded like they were off to a new venue. "Performance data? Planning on a few dogfights?" Perhaps it was just engine data, but Zlova was curious about the ship's capabilities. Couldn't be toothless. Talohn wouldn't leave Monari defenseless.

Soon enough they found themselves in the messiest part of the ship with the little one demonstrating a few... gadgets. Flashbang. Smoke grenade. A Jedi would probably lament the girl not playing with toys or romping about some meadow. Zlova had to admit, however, this level of sophistication was unexpected of someone Monari's age. "Keep that up and Talohn won't need to worry about being caught unprepared for anything, Monari. Those are such great ideas. But," Zlova paused to smile, "if you want to make sure he keeps the Force users off him, see if you can make a piercing sonic emitter. Being blinded is easy to overcome. Turning the ability to hear off is a far rarer skill."

There was no weapon that could handle every foe, but certain weapons were especially good at dealing with particular kinds of adversaries. Being blinded and gas-based attacks were rarely effective against Jedi or Sith; but they were people too. As someone that put down more than her share of sensitive and non-sensitive alike, Zlova knew that better than most. It's why she didn't spend all day worrying about whether she might die. Betrayal was something she couldn't tolerate, but that was... a special circumstance. Zlova didn't see any reason not to give the budding inventor a little tip on one of those circumstances, even if it seemed like it could be turned back against her. Exchange safety through obscurity for a little relationship building.

Not that it seemed necessary. Monari was content with Talohn's decision here, even if she was prepared to threaten a Sith of dire consequences should things go poorly. Kids.

Tag: Talohn Atar

 

[Talohn Atar]

Talohn grins as she mentions dogfighting. "I try not to get this ship into combat too often since it's where Monari is. She's also the reason I've spared no expense on the defensive and combative systems of the ship. But don't worry, I didn't spend it all on guns and shields. I made sure the rooms, and beds, are nice." Was the bed part a playful hint towards the twi'lek? Hard to tell.

Either way, the joke flies over monari's head as she rants on about her pens, until she looks pensive for a moment at the prospect of sound based weaponry. She points at Zlova, grinning widely, showing off those trademark cathar incisors. "That's a fair point." She opens a cabinet under her workbench, and a bunch of blue schematic rolls fall out. It seems she does all her stuff on paper before saving it to the schematic archive in the middle of the room. There's a lot of papers, and they now cover the floor at her feet. "Oops...." She says, chuckling nervously as she crouches down to sift through the pile, picking up what seem to be some theory schematics and failed attempts. "Sound is quite the pick you know. It doesn't work like light or smoke or....anything really. Directionalizing sound is a struggle for even the minds on the planet of Denon. I have a very developed mind for my age, but I'm not that good."

Just then, a beeping rings from down the hall. Talohn jumps a little, and rushes off. Seems the food is done. This leaves Zlova and Monari alone in the room for an awkward moment of silence. Monari ends the silence by grabbing Zlova's hand, and placing three different colored pens onto her palm, those golden eyes moving up to meet the sith's. "I don't know you well, but Talohn seems to like you alive, and I like Talohn happy. He does the best he can for me, even though all I've done is fall into his care by chance. So I'm going to do my part in making sure he's happy by helping make sure that you do not die." She giggles. "Blue is smoke, red is flash, purple is breaching laser. I'll give you the sound one if I ever figure it out." With that, she scurries off, likely to her room. Hopefully Talohn isn't on fire in the kitchen.

Zlova Rue

 

[Zlova Rue]

Zlova blinked as the schematics tumbled free. Paper? Talohn had mentioned pen and paper before, but the Twi'lek hadn't really expected so much of it. Obviously there were ancient Sith scrolls and so forth, but a modern use of such material? Certainly an oddity in the galaxy. Well, she wasn't going to deride the girl for her inclination. After all, Monari was surprisingly talented for her age. There was no telling just how helpful such a person could be. Trust Zlova did not do, but that did not mean she couldn't use a resource that was right in front of her.

Just hadn't thought someone so young might turn out to be a resource. Talohn, obviously, being trained as a Mandalorian. Fortunately, Monari's talents wouldn't put her in any more danger than she already was -- provided Zlova could cultivate the budding relationship here. A source of supply for unique gear. Naturally one compensated for their efforts. Nothing was worse than a Sith Lord that squeezed the life out of talent because they were a miser with their credits.

"Good for you, Monari, you have plenty of time to figure it out." The Lethan gave the young one a wink. The rest of her life, in fact; and being so young that was quite some time indeed.

Abruptly the Cathar flew out of the room in the direction of some beeping. Zlova looked after him before her golden gaze swung back to the small one she'd been left with. Hm, seemed the man trusted her a fair bit with someone he'd professed to go to some length to protect. Honestly, Zlova wasn't sure how to take that. Should she be flattered or insulted?

An 'ordinary' person would naturally be flattered. Sith weren't ordinary people. It was like leaving a baby in the arms of a Mandalorian warrior. What did you expect them to do with one? What thoughts must run through their minds being given one? Well, Sith were warriors as well; and like Mandalorians believed strength came from conflict. To be trusted with something delicate or fragile when they should be seen as brutal, perhaps even savage was... Well, her own fault for being such a tease. Something to contemplate later, perhaps.

A smile spread across the Twi'lek's lips as Monari thrust a few pens into her hand, commented on the circumstances, and darted off. "Something to look forward to," she said as the young one bolted.

It'd been a precious moment, though not one Zlova took to heart as others might. A moment that might contribute toward a bridge over the moat around her heart, but not in isolation. People smiled so easily. Said kind words so easily. All while hiding the blades just out of sight ready to strike whenever it became convenient. Even a child could kill.

Zlova took another, brief look around before she turned to follow Talohn back toward the kitchen.

"I hope you added at least a cup of hanlokk [hemlock]. Even that might not be enough," Zlova remarked as she stood stretched out along the wall, one hand overhead with her curls curled about the corner. A small joke reminiscent of their time in the club. If you were going to poison a Sith, you should never skimp on the amount you used.

She slowly stepped forward and away from the wall. "She's adorable. Far more talented than I expected. It's good you encourage her to pursue her craft." Zlova said of a more pleasant topic, she was sure.

Tag: Talohn Atar

 

[Talohn Atar]

Talohn was internally chastising himself for leaving Monari alone with a sith. Zlova was right in the regard that such was too much trust to give this early, but the thought didn't cross his mind since he was focused on the food not being ruined. For now, he decides to take it all in stride, not say a thing, and be more careful in the future for Monari's sake. "Personally I'd use vikar viper poison. My tribe used it often during warfare. Tipped our blades with it." He responds with a slight grin, pulling that brisket out of the smoker to place it on the counter. With that cooling, he opens the oven, taking out what seem to be wings of some sort. Either way, it all looks delicious, though the smell....It seems he likes to make food with a spicy kick to it.

When she brings up Monari's Talent, he smiles once again. "Yea...I'm proud of her. It's an odd feeling, being proud. I'm new to this parent thing, I just hope I'm doing a good job. I haven't been this proud since I found out Madlad was sentient....which he promptly ruined by saying he 'craves violence, and has the need to break the spines of his enemies'. Or was that a reason to be even more proud? I honestly don't know. The questions never end with that droid." Placing both the brisket and wings on the counter. He then proceeds to place two plates down, both with forks and knives. "Help yourself to as much as you want, then we can head to the viewport where we'll be sitting.

Once she has her fill of food on the plate, he'll happily lead her along to one of the ships hallways, where he seems to have placed down a couch. It looks out of place in the hallway, for sure. But he wouldn't put it there for no reason. The window viewport is currently closed however. Once he gets seated, he pulls out his holocommunicator. "Madlad, initiate hyperspace jump to coordinates if you don't mind." The droid is heard on the other end, grunting with slight annoyance.

Zlova Rue

 

[Zlova Rue]

A smile spread over Zlova's lips, though she busied her eyes with surveying the meal. Not because she found it captivating -- though it looked well made -- but to obscure the lack of mirth behind the mask. "You're doing well, I think. She likes you, and you make sure she is cared for. If you were doing a poor job I'm certain you would know it by now." When her eyes lifted to regard Talohn the vibrancy and energy had returned -- whether a mask or genuine. "Don't forget to instruct her in the ways of the world, however. Make certain she can protect herself when she is older."

Talohn seemed beside himself when it came to the child. Zlova couldn't say she'd ever felt that way before. Nor did she feel it was something she ever would. Sith could feel like any other, but she wasn't just Sith. She was a Sith warrior. Battle was what she knew best, not... whatever it was the majority o the galaxy considered themselves. 'Normal,' no doubt, even if they couldn't come close to defining what that meant.

With fluid cuts and deliberate movements the Lethan carved the flesh and secured it on her own plate. "Sounds like the sort of droid you needed," she replied as she worked. "Imagine if it came online and started rambling on incessantly about protocol." Her eyes slid over to Talohn as she smirked. Not to say hearing a droid 'wake up' and its first thought it 'break the spines of my enemies' was comforting. Sounded like there was something wrong with that droid. More so than was already apparent. Probably a decent tool for a battlefield, but how far could it be trusted?

The Twi'lek carefully plucked two wings up and set them on her plate. A slight furrow of her brow had followed her examination of the first one. Couldn't say she was familiar with whatever the small piece of meat and bones was. Couldn't hurt to try one, could it?

When they were set, she followed Talohn to this viewport he mentioned earlier. With the port closed and the couch sitting there, she could only assume he intended for there to be a reveal. No complaint was issued as she settled in to make herself comfortable. Her eyes swung around to regard the Cathar as he instructed the droid in question to make haste.

Slowly she leaned in closer, curious if the comlink would be left open for a remark. "I hope that isn't a habit. I'm sure there are pretty droids out there that wouldn't understand such vocalization." Did the droid have somewhere better to be? Was it jealous? Maybe it was just bored. None of those were terribly pleasant thoughts -- droids shouldn't need examination like sentients. Worse, reading them was far more difficult than an organic counterpart.

Tag: Talohn Atar

 

[Talohn Atar]

"Yea, I'm making sure she knows her way around. Though, she's already learned about how cruel the world can be. Whether that will serve her well in life or not has yet to be seen...." He mutters. "Kid still has nightmares. She'll be able to protect herself when she's older. I'll make of it. She's gonna do great things, I know it. Anyways, enough parent talk." He can tell it's a foreign concept to her, and that it's slightly confusing her. This was a date, not a parent conference.

"No, instead of protocol, he argues with me about the technicalities of food. A hotdog is a taco, the ocean is a soup. A burrito is sushi. He knows how to get on the nerves, that's for sure." He doesn't sound genuinely angry though...it's more like sibling banter, like two brothers who love harassing eachother. The cathar smiles to Zlova as they both take a seat, and the ship's hyperdrive can be heard initiating as they're now going along through space.

When she questions about Madlad, he nods slightly. "Madlad is....complicated. Bored...annoyed, happiness, anger. I've run the tests. I don't know what's going on with his mental circuits. but he feels it all. He's a droid in all ways but mental. Though, he doesn't understand emotion like you or I. He understands loyalty, brotherhood. Has always had my back in that regard. Part of his reaction that he just gave is that he doesn't trust you, and wants to protect me. Point is, Madlad is sentient. Though a sentient in a droid body isn't a first. I see those...shards I think? Yea, shards. I see those around occasionally."

The sound of the hyperdrive powering down can be heard throughout the ship. The viewport in front of them opens, and Talohn's eyes light up. he never gets tired of this sight. So many colors, lights, contrast, it's better than any art he's ever scene. What's more, it's one thing to see a nebula from far away, but it's another to be right in the middle of one, watching the universe work. "So, you ever been in the middle of a nebula before? I do it when I can. Makes me realize how small we all are....Which is reassuring in a way, believe it or not. Means I can do as I please without running out of places to go and explore."

Zlova Rue

 

[Zlova Rue]

Zlova thought to respond about Monari, but figured she might want to save such things for later. Talohn had invented her into his home, exposed his daughter to her, and apparently made a poison-free meal for her. Yet they hardly knew one another. Kind of the point of little...dates like this one, wasn't it? Well, speaking how best to bring up his child according to the Sith ways was probably better savored once they understood one another. So he didn't think Zlova was advocating the best way to mentally or emotionally scar the girl.

As for the droid... "A sentient droid." The Twi'lek slowly picked at the food on her plate. "Don't imagine he's popular in places that learn about that. Droids have never been held in high regard over the centuries." Even those not inclined toward the Force were cautious around true artificial intelligence at best. People could barely bother to understand the Force seeing how infrequently it came up in their lives; sentient droids would be an even more foreign concept to them.

Her golden rings lifted toward the viewport when the door lifted to expose the colorful sight of the nebula around them. They slid to the side as Zlova turned her head to look back at the Cathar. "Small?" A smile spread over her lips. "Honestly, I never had time to just...look. Always something to do, somewhere to go. A life full of distraction. You're lucky to have found a measure of freedom in all this." These days perhaps she could have as well, only it hadn't occurred to Zlova to try. Clubs and brawls filled the empty spaces between artifact hunting and whatever battles the Confederacy put on the menu.

The Twi'lek took a moment to look at the nebula. "Do you return to the same nebula often? It is beautiful in its way," she agreed.

Tag: Talohn Atar

 

[Talohn Atar]

"I often get harassment about Madlad being an assassin droid. Which is not true, by the way...…Unless I give him a stealth field generator. He's a combat protocol hybrid in reality. The personality screams assassin though, so I get a lot of shit for it. People feel insecure....when something is more intelligent than they previously perceived it to be, perhaps out of fear, or a sort of....petty anger that they aren't as special as they thought they were." He shrugs. "People are weird."

"Yea, small." He confirms at her query, listening to what she has to say afterward. "You know, just stopping to look is a distraction in it's own way." His gaze turns from the nebula to her, and his eyes meet hers. "Hell, I think I'm distracted right now." He states, grinning playfully. His eyes really are a unique color for a cathar, that powerful orange and yellow. Makes one wonder about his heritage. "You should try to stop and look sometime, Zlova. After all, it is true that striving to attain more is in the way of a sith....But in my opinion, that sentiment feels a bit pointless when you never stop and take a look at what you've attained so far, be it to lift your own spirits or motivate yourself. After all, long as you've got eyes....well, even if you don't have eyes. Long as you're alive, you have time to look." Certainly wise for his young age.

He smiles slightly at her question. "I have a few nebulas stored in my coordinates log, I'm always tracking new ones, occasionally visiting old ones. I enjoy them quite a lot. I can send you the coordinates if you want to do some nebula watching yourself." He happily eats on the brisket, proper proof that it isn't poisoned.

Zlova Rue

 

[Zlova Rue]

"If you stop to take stock of what's around you, there'll be a legion of aspiring Lords that will pass you by." Zlova smiled back at Talohn. Her voice had been soft, warm, and paced in measure. No rebuke intended. Merely how things were in the Empire. "Motivation comes from aspiration. Morale is derived from seizing what you want from the unworthy. Beauty is in slowly picking your enemies apart long before you cut off their head. Though," the Twi'lek smiled again, "that doesn't mean there aren't those that notice the... subtler things in the galaxy. I wasn't one of them. Not until I lost everything, then I discovered in life it is a distraction, Talohn. What's important is deciding which of them is worth living for." Didn't mean it was easy to change one's closely held beliefs, or even desirable to try.

As the Cathar took a bite, Zlova regarded him for a moment. Without further comment, the red woman tilted over to the side until she was propped up against Talohn. Three fingers slowly lifted a chunk of meat. It slowly rose into the air before being presented for the Cathar to bite. "I don't like to be alone. If I'm going to watch a nebula, I'd prefer to be with someone like you, Talohn. Life's better when there's someone there that knows what you've experienced so you can talk meaningfully about it. And being handsome certainly doesn't hurt. A distraction from the distraction," Zlova purred.

It was a nice nebula, but not as nice as good company. Not as warm either. "Maybe you could show me a few more of them."

Tag: Talohn Atar

 

[Talohn Atar]

"Eh, I'm sure those aspiring lords will have trouble against a slugthrower. So how about this, you take a moment to look and I'll watch your back, eh?" He asks, playing around with the metaphor as she props herself up against him. He rests his head atop hers, leaning on her in return. He happily takes that brisket in his mouth. He's...never experienced this before. feeding eachother stuff. Not knowing if this is some sort of culture or social thing he never found out about due to being a cathar, he uses the fork to offer her a bite of his own food. Not as flashy, since he can't use the force to lift it, but the sentiment is there.

"Sith empire sounds crazy. Honestly...I pondered joining up when I found out I was force sensitive...but, I don't think I'm cut out for that. My culture, the cathar, we emphasize trustworthiness and honor. The sith are such a contrast for that I don't think I'd last long. I bet madlad would do great though." He jokes, snickering a little to himself. "So....you're not sith empire anymore. What is it you're fighting for? Or are you still searching?" He asks, arm reaching to go about her shoulders. That's the good thing about this cat, not only is he just a decent fellow, but he's culturally trained to honor his friends, and not betray them. Also he actually makes friends, that's hard to say for a sith.

If Talohn didn't have fur, his blush at her words would be obvious. "Talking about the deeper parts of life, in my opinion, is an important part of living life. I don't really get to do it often. Madlad isn't exactly the first person I would vent to. Monari...well you aren't supposed to dump your worries on your kids, at least I don't think parents are supposed to do that. It really is nice to...have someone to talk to about this stuff."

He turns his head a bit, pressing his forehead to hers with a smirk. He is quite warm, he takes care of his fur. It's all nice and soft. "I'll show you all the nebulas you want. The real beautiful ones are the toxic clouds. I'd have to upgrade the ship's shields with certain kinds of acids to go into those though."

Zlova Rue

 

[Zlova Rue]

With a smile, the Twi'lek accepted Talohn's offering in turn. Didn't often get a chance to be all romantic. Usually the closest it got was sitting across a table from one another as they hurried through the pleasantries. Places to be. Things to do. Things to do. So Zlova didn't mind taking her time here. Her companion wasn't making a mad dash toward anything. No dispensing with a facade. Inviting her into his home where his child slept had already suggested it was more than an eagerness for a one-night stand. Still wasn't sure about 'more,' but then he hadn't pressed the issue yet.

"Mm, there are honorable people there." A bitter laugh rose behind closed lips. "The trouble is, you can't afford to trust anyone. Especially those that seem the most trustworthy. Eventually you find those you can 'trust' enough to get a job done, but you cannot ever mistake duty for loyalty. You'll end up dead." As she nearly had.

She felt the Cathar reach behind her, which caused the Lethan to pause and smile once more.

"I fight because it's who I am. As for my life's purpose," she trailed off briefly. "Holocrons, mostly. Lost secret knowledge and artifacts. I enjoy hearing about how much has changed, and how much remains the same."

"Careful," she breathed, "a girl might think you were flirting with her." Her? Acidic? No, she was just a little red bundle of joy to those she grappled with. "Never know what you might find out there in the galaxy, Talohn. Might pick you up a shield modulator to do just that. If that's what you want most." A little curiosity about the man's aspirations wouldn't hurt. Protecting the little one was admirable, but what else? Or what fed into that desire?

Tag: Talohn Atar

 

[Talohn Atar]

"Ah, a history lover. The history of my people, the cathar, is fragmented. We developed writing a bit late, y'see. I've been learning mandalorian history, and I know some of sith history. Though, Madlad is the sith history expert on this ship. Apparently some of the salvaged tech I used for his head wasn't scrubbed properly....and some very interesting knowledge was left behind. Bane started the rule of two...I think he said? Personally i don't see the appeal of it, but I don't have the right to judge since I'm not a sith lord. Then there was something about the sith originally being a race? Found that interesting too. Sith history is fun. So much political intrigue and interesting conflicts. Part of my knowledge of the sith comes from being raised on cathar, which was sith occupied throughout my childhood. Empire modernized our tech, brought some of us out of the hunter gatherer phase. Though, plenty of us stay out in the wilds, embracing the old ways and such. Our history doesn't have much intergalactic stuff going on. Mostly ancient tales of heroes uniting the tribes, or tales of warring tribes with different ideologies. Typical stuff for a race that hadn't even made speeders yet." The droid knows sith history. Concerning. It's perhaps part of the droid's apprehension towards her.

"If you didn't think I was flirting, then it seems I'm worse at it than I thought." He chuckles. He was quite comfortable, holding her close like this. It's a warmth he hasn't experienced since corellia. He can tell she's poking at his aspirations, and he's happy to oblige. "Hm, what I want most. Honestly, I'm still figuring that out. When you grow up on a tribal world, not taught about the rest of the galaxy....you think your own world is as big as it gets, you know? Imagine what it was like for my little brain when I found out there was more. So much more.. I don't know what I want most, because I'm still making so many new discoveries that I would feel like I'm making the choice too early...If that makes sense?" He takes in a breath, looking from the nebula to her once again, leaning in so that they're both nose to nose.

"I guess we both like finding new things. Well, old things aren't new things. But they're new things if you haven't seen them before. Right?"

Zlova Rue

 

[Zlova Rue]

Zlova laughed as Talohn went on about Madlad. "I'm sure that has nothing to do with the droid being arguably 'sentient.'" A little bit of sarcasm even though ordinarily Force energy wouldn't affect something man-made. Not without a focus. She'd even laughed at the idea of 'scrubbing' something properly would have averted such an unforeseen development in Madlad's knowledge. Though, just perhaps, if the focus was some manner of script... A matter for another time, perhaps. Much like the droid being aware of any Sith history at all.

Was she concerned? Not especially. Not yet. Talohn implied it knew more than something anyone could learn if they bothered. Very few ever did. Not that they were missing out on much, really. The Rule of Two had been a terrible idea. Yes, it almost worked, and what had the Sith gained from one man's dashed hopes for ultimate power? What had that one man gained? A long trip down a deep abyss. Perhaps Zlova might see what other interesting tidbits the droid knew -- provided it didn't play dumb.

A soft hum followed the man's words as his comfort to their proximity grew. "All that matters is our own points of view. Age doesn't matter. What some grizzly scholar knows doesn't matter. If you don't know a thing, you can't act on it now or in the future." She lifted her free hand to slowly slid down the ridge of Talohn's nose. "Like if we hadn't met. I wouldn't be here right now." She agreed with his assessment, but gave a little insight to her own thoughts rather than leaving as a simple affirmation.

"I never had the problem understanding the size of the galaxy or my place in it," the Twi'lek added as she circled back to an earlier statement the Cathar made. "Trained from a young age to become what I am today. You are exposed to just about everything, whether you're ready for it or not. Everything... except what doesn't agree with the Sith Code." A smile tugged at her lips for a moment. "Everyone thinks their way of life is right until they actually hear about their diametric opposite. Can't say it shook my faith, but it may have tempered it."

Her hand fell to set her meal aside before she slid her hips up against Talohn's with their eyes locked together. "You don't need to have ten years laid out, Talohn. But I hope you at least have a ten day plan. Perhaps even a ten hour one. Otherwise opportunities might pass you by."

Tag: Talohn Atar

 

[Talohn Atar]

Talohn listens to her words, and raises a brow. "So, to condense that all down...knowledge is power." He states, summarizing her words quite nicely. "Or, considering you wouldn't be here if we hadn't met, knowledge is beauty?" He's trying his best. he's never been the best at this flirting thing. He depends on making a girl laugh.

"Never had a problem understanding your place in the universe? Hm....You were trained from a young age though. Didn't you ever like....feel unhappy that you couldn't choose your spot in the universe yourself? Unless you went to the sith academy willingly. Last I checked, most people aren't the most enthused to end up there. I hear it's like the average standard education high school...but more petty...and with a lot more death. Is that accurate?" He grew up on a sith occupied planet, but he never got to experience a sith academy. They didn't discover his force sensitivity. The cathar shrugs his shoulders. "I don't know if my way of life is correct or not. But considering I ended up right here, I must be doing something right, eh?" He chuckles.

His arms go about her waist as she slips up close to him. "Oh of course, silly. If I wasted a single opportunity, I wouldn't have made it this far." Speaking of opportunities, he takes one now, leaning in to press his lips to hers in a kiss. Cathar are affectionate folk.

Zlova Rue

 

[Zlova Rue]

A soft purr rumbled within the Twi'lek as Talohn sought to succinctly summarize what she had said. "Knowledge is knowing nine out of ten aren't half as beautiful as I am." Humility? What ever for? And as for beauty being in the eye of the beholder... well that was a nice thought. True, but also an incredibly empty sentiment. Zlova never tried seducing any Ugnaughts for it to matter how beautiful she appeared to them.

"Unhappy?" Zlova's hairless brow lifted slightly at the question. "Because I couldn't choose? Of course. Few Acolytes are happy with being only slightly more important than the nameless slaves outside. Or in being forced to do our Master's bidding -- often involving near-death experiences. But that's half the point, really. Complacency invites death of the soul, and an erosion of will." No one should ever willingly join a Dark Side steeped academy expecting to be coddled or shielded from harm.

Zlova chuckled with Talohn. "Jedi and I rarely see eye to eye, but I once heard one of them say the beginning of wisdom is admitting 'I do not know.' A little secret I've learned, Talohn, is there's no right answer. No one way if only everyone followed everything would be all right. If you're happy -- if your little one is happy -- don't worry about the rest." Of course she had thoughts about the Academy, but there was only so much time to talk and dispelling myths about Sith learning was not half as fun as the interruption that followed.

Seemed the Cathar did have plans for the next ten hours. Good for him. A little initiative went a long way.

Her hand lifted over Talohn's head before its slid down from behind and down the side of his face. The Lethan slightly rose from the seat and leaned in to add a little extra pressure behind the kiss. Was the Sith Code infallible? No. But it did get one thing right. Passion was a Sith's best friend. After a few seconds Zlova's other hand would gently press against the man's chest; not to dislodge him, but to encourage Talohn back so she could continue leaning in over him.

Tag: Talohn Atar