I Like Pretty Rocks

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Eralam"]

It made sense, but it was a little too black and white for Kaile. Maybe she still had a bit of optimism. It could very well just be her cheerful nature, the fact she hadn't been witness to the true evils of the world. Her job in the Galactic Alliance as a sleeper agent meant that all she did was embed herself. She was out for the long term, blending in with the common man.

Kaile would socialize, be her friendly self, learn more and more on the items of her mission objective and then report back. The Lorrdian was never in the trenches, nor was she consistently in the line of fire. This is why Kaile did not go straight to lethal force. Instead, she chose to incapacitate. Be it with her fancy tricks or gadgets, but they would do the same thing.

Only when she had no other choice would she hitch up the power setting in her morp gun.

"Or what about a third option?" she would suggest, scooting forward again as she became more enraptured by the conversation. Even all thoughts of pie were forgotten! The dark slash of her eyebrows would draw forward, "What if one simply taught them how to defend themselves?" she meant the little folk he was referencing to. Those stuck in between.

"Why be the savior? Why be the executioner? Why not teach 'em how to fish instead?"

 

[Eralam]

"Too much work," Eralam replied after a moment. "Situation like that, people don't wanna be told they're gonna have to rebuild and replace everything they ever loved, at least not at first. They revert back to the basic needs: food, shelter, and safety. Any sort of long term planning goes out the window, at least at first."

He leaned back again, lost in the memories of a thousand battlefields.

"Give 'em a week to get their headspace and timing set and maybe they start to worry about the long term, but by then, folks like me are long gone. We stick around too long and they start looking for someone to blame, and as often as not, it's the ones that got there in time to save their lives, but too late to save their homes or their loved ones. So we bug out once the threat is gone, and leave the rebuilding to the ones equipped to handle it."

The Shard shook his head, climbing out of the abyss of his mind.

"I guess that's what folks like you are for, right?"

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Eralam"]

Kaile would give a slight frown, cradling her ale as she considered Eralam's words. It made sense, but to Kaile, perhaps she was too idealistic. She wanted to believe the good in people. Being with Bobo placed her in a unique situation, with the inability to really determine through the Force if anyone was light, or dark, or any flavor in between.

Her first impression was built around actions instead. Not in looks, not in a Force Aura. But in actions and the intent of those actions. "Maybe..." her ale came up for her to take another sip, but this time a bit larger than the rest. She was clearly pensive, mulling about it all.

"I guess folk just fear what they don't know." a slight aura of melancholy hit her at that. Her shoulders gave a small droop, and she set her ale to the side so she could pluck that last orange slice.

 

[Eralam]

"Ain't that the truth."

About this point, the bartender came back around with a fresh drink for Eralam and a plate of orange slices for [member="Kaileann Vera"]. He was an astute fellow, which is why this particular cantina was considered something of a well kept secret among its regular patrons.

"Still, it ain't necessarily a bad thing. Fear of the dark led to the invention of artificial light. Fear of death brought about ways to extend life. It's that fear that drives people to create all these wonderful things. They say that alcohol came about because people were afraid to drink the water, but they realized if they put in the right sort of grains and let it ferment, they didn't get sick anymore. There are some theories that say that beer led to the development of the first human civilizations."

Never one to let a point about alcohol go to waste, the Shard took a healthy gulp from his new glass.

"The Jedi say fear is bad. The Sith say fear is power. I say it's perfectly natural, and it's what you do with that fear that makes the difference."

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Eralam"]

Just like that, Kaile's expression would brighten as if kissed by the sun.

"Thank you so much!" she would exclaim out towards the bartender, gratefulness in her eyes and her smile as sunny and once again light-hearted as it had been. With the eagerness of a youngling, she set down the two rinds upon a napkin. Then, she would pluck another orange slice to bring to her mouth.

"Well, fear is natural. Everyone feels it. Fear is what can give you courage, can save your life," she took a bite and began to chew, licking her lips to continue mid-chew, covering her mouth "--can do all sorts of things. It is being able to control that fear that matters and not be reckless."

"I just think that most get too concerned over what to do and what not to do."

 

[Long Gone]

The Greater Calama Cantina​

With a resounding sigh, Mira made her way inside of the cantina – followed closely by her purple and white BB Unit, Pixel. She took a moment to look around, taking a hard look at each of the patrons beneath a darkened hood before she moved towards the rigged counter that was setup for the bar. Pixel beeped something behind her, perhaps a question of sorts that caused Mira to wave her hand at her side – dismissing it rather than answering it outright. She found a seat, a couple down from a drunken Weequay and a Jawa companion who appeared to be jabbering on about something she couldn’t quite understand. Mira pulled the stool out and brought herself up and onto the creaking wood, a loud groan echoing across the cantina that made Mira look around for a moment – a sigh escaping her lips as dusty boots came to rest upon a footrail. Her gaze came back to the assortment of alcohol ahead of her.

She held up a finger to the bartender, and a small glass of Corellian whiskey was produced before her – a single shot with ice. Mira looked down at the rather large shot with garnet eyes of emotions run rampant. Her eyes were bloodshot and she had circles under her eyes as if she had been deprived of sleep and crying uncontrollably for long periods of time. That had all passed though, now she was drifting from place to place – feeling sorry for herself. She had left [member="Fiore de Noir"] on Concord Dawn and promised she’d meet her on Ruusaan soon, but only after she spent some time alone. Maybe that was the last thing she needed right now? Who knew.

She had no idea what was actually transpiring or what had happened – she just knew it had happened. The Force was a damnedable thing. To feel something from so far away and not know, was a killing notion. There was a reason she was here though; Force only knew why. And somewhere in the Cantina she heard the conversation between two patrons – a girl and someone else. “Fear…” She muttered to herself, a hand clenching the glass tightly as she brought it to pink lips. “I wonder if she felt fear before the end.” She tossed her head back and downed the honey colored liquid, squinting harshly as the burning sensation spread from her stomach and up into her esophagus. She slammed the glass down with a reverberating thud before holding up another finger requesting another shot.

[member="Kaileann Vera"] | [member="Eralam"]

 

[Eralam]

The Shard shrugged noncommittally.

"I'd rather people thought about what they did rather than going off half-cocked. I've seen too many wars kick off because folks were so sure they were right, they didn't even bother to stop and think and let those pesky facts get in the way."

He couldn't actually cringe, but if he could, he would have as the newcomer entered the bar. The Shard was terrible at reading emotions. The concept wasn't foreign to him, but for a human, it was a bit like trying to read a book in a strange language. He had enough of a frame of reference to pick out particularly strong ones close to the surface, but it was an imprecise art at best.

That wasn't a problem here. This woman practically reeked of pain, loss, and maybe a little fear. Something had happened to her at some point, something drastic. What's more, while [member="Kaileann Vera"] was a void in the Force, this newcomer was practically glowing with it. He was terrible at keeping his own presence hidden, and between his tendency to wash out lesser powers with his uncontrolled aura and his substandard talent at reading and detecting emotions, Eralam rarely noticed things like that.

It was enough to peak his attention. The Shard began to gather the Force around him, the action an instinct from countless years of strife, before he forced himself to relax. This was not the time and the place for conflict. And paranoid though he may have been, he wasn't eager to get kicked out of his favorite watering hole without reason.

"Now that's interesting," he muttered to no one in particular.

[member="Mira Rekali"]

 

[Kaile Vera]

Kaile gave a slight jerk at the sudden noise, her eyes going wide as saucers as she swung her attention towards its origin. She had been so enraptured in the conversation with Eralam, that she didn't

While Kaile may not be able to sense [member="Mira Rekali"] 's emotions like [member="Eralam"], she was a Lorrdian. Concern immediately would bathe Kaile's face. There was a deep hurt there. It went down to her bones. She could read in in the bow of her back, the subtle nuances that the body displays in grief.

"She ain't doing so well." she'd say, turning over to Eralam, in a look that would say, we should help her.

 

[Eralam]

"Who's we, you got a miniature ysalamir in your-oh, wait."

Eralam was only half joking; this wasn't something he would consider to be in his wheelhouse. Putting a bullet between someone's eye? Sure. Helping with this sort of thing was not something he was good with.

But hey, what was the worst that could happen?

"Invite her over if you want, but I'm not sure what good we can do."

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

 

[Long Gone]

Mira hooked yet another shot of whiskey before again motioning to the bar tender.

The man gave her a look before pouring another and then made a gesture. “I think you need to slow down miss…” He said quietly.

She looked up at him beneath the shadows of her hood and then looked down at the glass. “I’ll go as I please, if you’re getting paid – what difference does it make to you…?” She said abruptly before reaching across and taking the bottle from his hand and placing it down firmly next to her glass. “Here is a chit, now go bother some other patrons.”

Yes, it was possible that Mira was a terrible drunk. That coupled with her grief, well she didn’t make a lovely person at this point. Not quite the Mira that people were used to seeing. She tossed the chit against the back wall, just behind the bartender before she snatched the bottle and rose up off the chair. A glass in one hand and the bottle in the other, she quietly made her way over towards a table – stumbling slightly as she did. She raised both hands in the air and let off a quite drunk laugh. “To those bastards in the Republic! May they burn in the nine circles of hell!” She brought the whiskey to her lips and slammed it before throwing the glass to the ground, shattering it into countless pieces.

The bartender went to object but Mira spun on her heels and pointed to him. “I’ll pay for that.” She said with the bottle in her hand before bending over and letting out a heart chuckle.

[member="Eralam"] | [member="Kaileann Vera"]

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Eralam"] [member="Mira Rekali"]

Another jump at the sound of crashing glass. Eralam made a point, if she wanted to do something, then she could very well invite her over. Compassion took to Kaile, and after a small nod to the Iron Knight beside her, the Lorrdian slowly drew up from her seat.

A small smile was directed to the bartender, an apology for what he had to go through. Treading carefully, cautiously, Kaileann would amble her way over towards the darkhaired young woman.

"Hey there..." Kaile began, a friendly tone in her voice. "Would you like to join me and my friend?" she said it rather earnestly it was hard to deny her. Typically at least.

"I have some oranges you can have if you like." Kaile gave her the sweetest, encouraging smile she could.

 

[Long Gone]

Mira stood upright from her sudden outburst of laughter and looked over at Pixel and then to the girl. Something felt odd - and she couldn't quite place it.

With an eyebrow raised, Mira motioned Pixel over and knelt down next to the droid. "Hey, what do you think?" She gigglesnorted as Pixel made a noise that resembled something obnoxious. "Yeah well, you smell like a ball of grease thrown in a pit of starfighter fuel." She stood and nudged the BB unit with her boot before taking a look at the girl again and sipping from the bottle.

She gestured to the girl, hand gripping the bottle. "And why would you want me to join you at your table?"

[member="Kaileann Vera"] | [member="Eralam"]

 

[Eralam]

"Because you're leaking grief into the Force like a reactor with a containment breach," Eralam said loudly enough to make himself heard.

He sighed to himself, then stood up and joined the pair.

"Look, don't get the wrong idea here. I'm not exactly equipped to care, but Sunshine here is the sort to get upset when she sees people out of sorts. So come on over, let her chat you up for a bit, and I'll foot the bill for the drinks. I've got the credits to spare, and she's got the empathy. What's the worst that could happen."

The Shard nodded to the bartender, who nodded back. He was used to Eralam running up extravagant drinking bills, and he always payed promptly.

"What do you say?"

[member="Mira Rekali"] | [member="Kaileann Vera"]

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Mira Rekali"] [member="Eralam"]

Kaile would nod a bit to eagerly in agreement, but that was because she did want the young woman to come over and sit with them. Poor girl seemed like she needed some cheering up, and she could relate to that.

"We can get some pie." Kalie would add with encouragement. "Would be nice, with all the fixin's too!" a small gesture of beckoning along with her sunny smile followed.

She met plenty of folk down on their luck or all kinds of melancholy while working at Yum Bunnies. It was for one reason or the next, but what she learned from those experiences is that most had a mighty fierce need to simply talk. To let it all out. Kaile would lend her ear, pour a few drinks, get a fresh piece of pie, and simply kept them company.

Sometimes, all one needed was to feel as if they weren't alone.

 

[Long Gone]

Mira took a moment to look at the [member="Eralam"] and then Kalie before nodding. “Fine.” She said reluctantly before wandering over to the table. When she got close to the table, she felt an odd sensation – a disconnect almost that made her feel a bit off balanced, one to which she dismissed as probably being side effects of the alcohol. With a sigh, she sat down across from the droid and placed the bottle on the table before them and did her best to use it to prop herself up.

She eyed the oranges and then Kalie and then the droid and then the oranges again. A hand snuck out from beneath her cloak as she snatched one up and began to bite into it feverishly. She was starving, she didn’t remember the last time she had ate – perhaps a day or two ago? Maybe longer. Ever since she had found out what had happened, Mira had neglected herself and began drowning in her sorrows despite the argument with [member="Fiore de Noir"] and her pleading with her otherwise.

If the girl could only see her now.

Hopefully, for Mira’s sake she’d straighten out before she got to Ruusan.

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

 

[Eralam]

There is always a subtle tension whenever two sufficiently strong Force Users meet for the first time.

This phenomenon has been rather well documented over the centuries, though naturally everyone attributed it to something that fit their worldview and handled it accordingly. Jedi mostly ignored it among themselves and used it as proof that the Sith were evil when they ran into each other. The Sith, never ones to turn down a good stereotype, used it as an excuse to be evil.

Eralam saw it for what it was, which is to say, he formulated a theory based on his worldview that matched his preconceived notions of how the Force, and people, worked.

According to the Shard, it was something like the resistance between two magnetic fields with the same polarity. When fields of a certain strength met, they sort of pushed against each other. It wasn't anything physical, but it was noticeable if you knew what to look for. What's more, certain personalities were naturally more forceful (no pun intended) than others, which added to the affect.

So it was safe to say that he was aware of the tension as they all sat back down at the table.

It was unsettling to be that close to someone with enough power to be noticeable while they were so close to the ragged edge. People made a big deal about Sith, but even the most impulsive Sith had to have at least rudimentary self control. The Shard had always figured the Dark Side would lead to hedonism, but instead it was apparently more drawn to sadomasochists who had to make themselves miserable all the damn time.

It was people like this mysterious woman that scared Eralam. That close to what they imagined was the Dark Side, with none of the practice that came with being Sithy, they were truly unpredictable. Maybe it was a good thing Kaile had invited her over after all.

"So...", Eralam said after a minute of uncomfortable silence as the ladies devoured orange slices. "What brings you to Dressel?"

[member="Mira Rekali"] | [member="Kaileann Vera"]

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Eralam"] [member="Mira Rekali"]

Unlike Eralam, Kaile was woefully oblivious to any strength in the Force or raw potential of blowing up things from Mira. Instead, her sole focus was on cheering the girl up. It wasn’t about Force power, light or dark, or anything like that.

It was about being there to comfort and hopefully, coax a smile on the brunette’s face.

“Here you go,” Kaile would say, smiling that sunny smile as she slid the plate of orange slices over to Mira. “Just got them too! They are really sweet and juicy. “ Eralam asked a question, but Kaile would scoot her upper body just a bit closer over the table to say quickly, “I’m Kaile.”

She then would point to the Shard.

“This is Eralam.”

 

[Long Gone]

Mira stared at the one known as Eralam as she brought a sleeve up to wipe her mouth. A sigh escaped her lips as she set down the orange peels before her and began to spin them, idly flick them and toy with them as if she were having a nervous moment. “Trying to ignore reality for what it is.”

Her gaze fell to Kalie and she offered a weak smile in return to the girl’s obvious bubbly personality. It was refreshing to say the least and Mira took notice. She knew the girl meant well, she could feel it without even having to use the Force. “My name is Mira.”

Mira inhaled deeply, looking to Eralam and then Kalie before turning to gesture to Pixel. “And that rolling ball of metal is Pixel.” The droid let off a loud warble that was most certainly displeasure in the subtle insult but dismissed it with an introductionary beep of his own. Mira picked up another orange and began to peel away at it, a hand gently pushing away the whisky bottle. “I just needed to get away from the chaos that is consuming the Galaxy for a little bit and it seemed like a good stop.” She looked up from peeling the orange, her eyes reflecting that there was more to the story than she obviously was telling – clearly denoted by her abnormal behavior and actions earlier, as well as her overall composure. “Just seemed to have run out of luck it would seem?”

Again, another dodgy response that held limited truth. Mira looked back down at the orange as she continued to peel away at the thick husk surrounding the delicious core within. The first orange was quite a treat considering she hadn’t eaten in what felt like days – this one might just top it off.

Although she had to admit, she was feeling a bit queezy…

[member="Kaileann Vera"] | [member="Eralam"]

 

[Eralam]

Eralam tweeted a greeting to Pixel in binary. The little droid was a design he had seen before, but was not widely used. The metal sphere was considered something of an anachronism, a curiosity for the eccentric. The BB series had represented a radical departure from the traditional astromech format that had been so popular for so long, but despite a few high profile models, it had never really caught on. It was a shame, really, because the little droids were more maneuverable than the traditional astromech pattern that had held ever since the days of the Old Republic. They didn't have as much room for doodads and gizmos, however, and could often be more of a liability than an asset on larger ships trying to violently maneuver through a firefight.

Once that was out of the way, he turned his attention back towards the women.

The newcomer, [member="Mira Rekali"], was still pouring grief into the Force like crazy. He suspected that the alcohol wasn't helping her control any, but he could understand why she sought solace in the bottom of a bottle.

"I can sympathize with the need to get away. The galaxy has a way of wearing on one after a few centuries."

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

 

[Kaile Vera]

@Eralam @Mira Rekali


Kaile would nod, leaning forward to cup her chin in her palm.

"Nice to meet you Mira." Kaile said with a welcoming smile. She really was trying to help the brunette feel comfortable. It was good to see that she had focused on the oranges instead of the whiskey.

"Nice to meet you too Pixel," the Lorrdian added after, giving the BB unit a wide smile. Eralam had continued the conversation, slowly coaxing the younger woman to speak.

Kailed added what she could, "I think everyone has those moments." she would say, "It has been nice to wander away and get a bit of peace and quiet."

As she didn't know exactly what was going on with Mira, Kaile was going in blind, but she hoped that the conversation would help Mira calm down a bit.

"And if you feel you ran out of luck, just think of what may come tomorrow. New opportunities are new paths to take to turn things for the brighter."