Grit (Open)

[Blair Hart]

Gravity gives way only for the briefest of moments. You can feel like your flying. Gravity inevitable comes back and you find the ground quicker than you realize. Blair smashed back to earth hard. Dragging across the dust to settle in a crumpled heap. This would be the last time her old man would ever beat her.

"And never come back ya dumb queen. Ah' have no daughter!" A duffle bag came flying out the door along with her hat and a few other possessions with a nice slam of the door to accompany. Landing near her as she clutched her stomach. Blair rolled up to see her mother looking down at her from the screen door. The look of disappointment and anger didn't even phase her anymore. Too used to it. It was a little different this time. Since now it was for good. She left with closing the door and the deadbolt made its clunk locking it.

Blair spent a few minutes recovering from the blows she took. Then collecting up her things from the ground and stuffing it in the bag. Moving hurt but some pain wasn't going to keep her here to go another round. Blair slinged the bag over her shoulder with a knee to the ground and grabbed her hat. It went right to sit on her head without dusting it off. Blair didn't yell back through this ordeal. Kind of stoically took it. Sure she was angry, but doing something right now was just stupid and going to cause more trouble. Blair spat out a glob of blood in front of the house. Turning about down the drive to the road she didn't look back.

Blair strolled into town a few hours away. Sweat trickled down her face. All that dirt she got on herself had caked up. Lookin' worse for the wear but nothing she could do about that now. A destination was in mind. It tempted all mind, body and soul. Where the wanderers go and lost find themselves to wash what ails them away with liquid poison. The Cantina.

It was smokey inside, but cool. The cantina was built below ground and hid it from the sun. Didn't smell nice, was worth putting up with. Now there really wasn't all to many folks in here. It being mid day meant most of the locals were out working the fields or some line of work. Didn't stop some people with nothin better to do. The wanderers and the lost.

Blair quit staring around at the door and headed on in proper. She took a path to the right side of the bar and dropped her bag between it and the seat. Didn't want some thief taking the few things she had. Now the bartender here she'd seen before. Big red horned Devaronian. Mean looking fella who used to bust heads for a living like many in Mando space. What did a farmer know about that though.

"What'll it be kid?"

"Whiskey. On rocks. And a glass of ice on the side."

"Right then."

He had the drink to her right away. And the ice. Blair took a sip and it tasted like mana. Cold on her tongue and it cleared the dust from her throat. Wasn't going to be a hydrating drink but she'd take care of that latter. Blair took up that glass of ice and pressed it to her cheek. It wasn't going to save her the bruises but it would help with the swelling.

 

[Fenrir Wolf]

Fenrir watched as a young woman entered the bar and sat rather despairingly on a bar stool. She was a little scrawny, but she had a tough exterior that said she was worth more then her share of salt. She reminded Fenrir of his sister Snorri. Not in the sense that she was a two hundred pound shield maiden of Mandalore, but more of that feeling that exuded from her that said "I know how to handle myself". Fenrir guessed from the hunch in her shoulders she seemed a little down and out and decided to cheer her up.

Over two hundred pounds of muscle went walking her way, nudging people politely as he went. "Excuse me. Pardon me," He said in his lilting accent. If anyone wanted to object they became quickly quite as they turned around and saw the man beast clad in his Beskar'gam. Fenrir sat on a stool close to the woman with a loud THUMP.

"Hello Verd'ika. Why so glum?" Fenrir asked as he sniffed her drink then said "Ah! I now know why, that stuff is for pixies! A Tihaar for my friend and I!" He roared in his strange accent at the Devronian. His great axe thudded on the ground making a man nearby jump. "Now tell me truly friend, what ail's you?"

[member="Blair Hart"]

 

[Akio Diachi]

The Blue Pilgrim shifted the backpack on his back slightly as he made his way through the streets from the space port. He had, once again stowed away on a ship and hopped his way here. This wasn't his final destination, it was just a stepping point on his way to--

Well, he honestly didn't have a preset determination. He was on a pilgrimage, following the flow of the Force and learning what he could as he made his way through the galaxy. He was learning, not just about the Force, but about people, himself, and what the future held for him. Memory loss of who he was wasn't a fun thing, it was like trying to put a puzzle back together with only half the pieces. He knew he had been an assassin. He knew he had been trained as a child, he knew about Dryzl, his love who had changed him from that murderer and gave him a chance to be someone new, something new.

Akio thought about these things as he walked barefoot through the dusty streets of Concord to one of the local cantinas. He was not normally one to haunt these establishments, but he was here to help, and he had a feeling he was drawn here. Someone here needed his help, he supposed.

The Chiss crossed the threshold into the place and took a seat at the bar, shifting the pack of his weapons and gear on his back.

"A water please," he said waving towards the bartender before offering the others a brief smile and nod. It was the poor man's drink and Akio was a very poor man.

[member="Blair Hart"]
[member="Fenrir Wolf"]

 

[Blair Hart]

Blair gave a sideways glace to the man who just invaded her personal space. It was returned quickly enough to her drink. Which was moved away from Fenrir. Didn't want him sniffing it again like a weirdo, or slipping her some drug. "I'm not looking to get drunk stranger". The glass of ice was set down next to her drink. Blair contemplated for a second interacting with the man again. His kind was all to obvious. Mandalorian warrior. Defeat was inevitable as he'd pester until she cracked under the annoyance. Another sat nearby on another edge of the bar. Blue skinned, red eyed, not a clue in her mind just what species he was. Didn't really matter though. Blair reached up and pulled off her hat. Removing the added shadow in the darkened cantina revealed her bruises. A shift in position had her facing him while still sitting. "This is about how well my days going. Glad you asked now?"

[member="Fenrir Wolf"]
@Akio Diachi

 

[Fenrir Wolf]

"AHHH! A fighter! By the looks of you i'd bet a million credits the other got it worse," Fenrir gave the girl a massive grin.

"Reminds me of the time I fought a wolf worm! Tore off half my face! What you see now is just a cybernetic replacement. Still as good looking as the real deal though, eh chiss man?!?" He shouted with a wink. Then Fenrir downed his glass with one massive gulp and shattered the cup on the table.

"You're paying for that!" Fenrir shrugged

"But in all seriousness, what's your name, who hurt you?"

[member="Blair Hart"], [member="Akio Diachi"]

 

[Akio Diachi]

The blonde fellow was certainly one of the local warrior types. What were they called? Mandolorians, right? They were a brutal culture. In his days as an assassin, he, along with his order, held a mixed view of them. On one hand, they were adept killers. On the other, they did so with intense rage. There was honor in the kill, but greater honor in an emotionless one. That was what they had taught him, it showed control.

But that had been a different life then. Almost a thousand lifetimes ago.

The Chiss smiled back politely at the human with a slight nod before taking a sip from his drink. He looked at the young woman between them and noticed her wounds. She was radiating a sense of both pain and resolve at the same time. The Chiss respected that, he knew that many of these warrior cultures also had strong senses of will and what self-dignity.

"If you do not mind," the Blue Pilgrim interjected, leaning in closer to get her attention, his voice carried an almost indistinguishable accent, "I am a Jedi, trained in the arts of both healing with the Force and natural remedies. If you do not mind, I would like to tend to your wounds."

If she allowed, Akio got to work channeling healing energy through the Force to her wounds or, if she preferred, the natural remedies of herbs and the like.

[member="Blair Hart"]
[member="Fenrir Wolf"]

 

[Blair Hart]

Fernir smashing his glass down to obliterate it into a thousand pieces gave her a kick. Seems she was lighening up a bit to these strangers. Still she was wary. "Jedi eh? Think I'll pass on the offer. Wounds like these just toughen you up." Blair flipped her hat back on and turned back to the bar. She was trying her best to avoid the big guys question. After all the answer was what she was trying to get away from now. The whisky was still waiting for her. Ordered for a little liquid courage and calming effect. Blair took up the glass to her lips and downed the rest of it with a single gulp.

"Names Blair. Blair Hart. You both give me yours and I'll tell you who did this to me."

[member="Fenrir Wolf"]
[member="Akio Diachi"]

 

[Khaldun]

Khaldun pushing open the door to the cantina as he had been told by a passerby. walking in he sees that its mostly empty apart from some farmers and a chiss speaking with a human and a giant in armor across the room. khald walked to the bar parched from his long journey the barman notices him. "what will you have" not one to drink he says "anything without alcohol." while the barman left to get Khald a drink the sith focuses in on the group speaking.
[member="Blair Hart"]
[member="Akio Diachi"]
[member="Fenrir Wolf"]

 

[Blair Hart]

Time past and more liqueur was too. Blake traded her name and story to the strangers. They passed back their own. Then more, and so again another from the girl. That was how the time passed. Until the sun burned low in the sky and the moon pushed to take its place. The bar was becoming more crowded as folks shoved off their work for pleasure. Blake gave her farewells to Fenrir and Akio. Telling them she'd find her own way despite the hardships ahead. Another stranger caught her eye as she made to leave. A red skinned man with a gaunt face and combed back hair. Like the blue guy he had the same kind of feel to him. A not of this world one, obviously, but it was a weird feeling. Black dragged her bag behind her, wishing to end this miserable day. She was drunk, her anger still simmered below the surface. She made it out of the bar into the cooling evening air. It was refreshing to say the least. A breeze tugged at her clothes, wishing to pull her with it. Blake fixed her hat lower over her face. A crossroads were ahead of her. She'd met a Mandalorian like herself. Strong willed and foolishly fearless. A helpful but mysterious Force wielder. There was one more she'd meet today. Sneaking up on her right now.

[member="Khaldun"]

 

[Khaldun]

Some hours later after hearing the girl's tale she was ready to leave. As she walked out onto the road Khaldun decided that he would follow something in him push him to. He followed close behind but not where she would notice him though he doubted a drunk girl would notice much. At a cross road, he approached her "why do you stand for being treated like a lesser when you're so much more than the one who did this to you". He had no idea why he was even talking to her the urge just made him.
"I have an idea why don't we both go to your home and you can take back what is yours". He spoke lightly applying the force in his words to make her more receptive to his words.

[member="Blair Hart"]