Private Picking Up The Pieces

[Jonyna Si]

TAG: Akeela Garval

The last few days had been exhausting. Jedi coming and going, but she never left. She looked tired, even if she kept herself well kept.

The woman watched as a trio of service corps members telekinetically lifted a pillar of stone into place. "Right....right...just a little bit more...there!" She called out, smiling. The small bags under her eyes were wiped by soft furry fingers, shaking her head as she tried to keep herself-

Oh no.

A sudden shift in the pillar left it leaning, and she had to scramble to catch it. For a moment, she caught it, but her own exhaustion was wearing on her. She couldn't hold on for long...

 

[Akeela Garval]

Coruscant, after attempted invasion by the Dark Empire. It was a scatted mess as that Galactic Alliance, especially the New Jedi Order, began the process of rebuilding. Families displaced from homes. Reassignments of Padawans who lost their masters. Grief of all sorts.

Jedi Knight Taneon Darr took everything in stride as he helped out with the cleaning up efforts at the Order's main temple on Coruscant. Using the Force to clear debris and move misaligned structures back into place. The Chandrilan-born fencer heard a commotion nearby, as one of the pillars slipped.

”Got it!" He dashed to help.

He slid toward Master Si's side, and raised his hands, lending his power to keep it from collapse. He helped guide it back with the Force.

”We need to stop meeting like this." He gave a wry smile, though his voice strained, ”"I like excitement as much as the next, but I don't think literally bringing down the house is the way to go about it."

He noted the exhaustion on the Cathar's face.

”Once we get this stable, let's get you stable." He spoke more straightforwardly, "You need a break."

Jonyna Si ​

 

[Jonyna Si]

TAG: Akeela Garval

"...yeah..." Jonyna admitted as she pushed forward, finally getting it upright again. She flopped to the ground after, letting out a groan. "I haven't gotten out in a week..." She paused, idly turning her head to look at the man before her. "...you're that guy from when me and Braze dueled, yeah?"

She could get up from the ground, but at this point, she didn't want to. She was tired, so tired...

 

[Akeela Garval]

Once the pillar was back in place, Taneon sighed. He looked to his feline compatriot, who had slumped to ground. He gave her a brief nod to her.

"Aye. One and the same." He gave a smile, "Taneon Darr, of Chandrila....or if my father were here, Corellia."

He could remember the clashing personalities between his parents. The prim and proper Chandrilan gentlewoman that was his mother. The roguish Corellian spacer that was his father. But they managed to make it work. The fencer looked to the Cathar again.

"Come now, Master Si." He chuckled, "That position is unbecoming of a Jedi Master."

He knelt down to her level and offered her a hand up.

"If need be, I'll carry you." He eyed her up and down, "When did you eat last?"

Jonyna Si ​

 

[Jonyna Si]

TAG: Akeela Garval

Good question. She could go for a snack...

Taking the hand, she hefted herself up, letting out a groan. "Too long ago." She admitted. "You up for a lunch run, Knight Darr?" Her tone was tired, but sarcastic. Clearly, her jovial spirit even in the face of a sore body, never tired. "Jonyna Si, Cathar of Cathar." She joked, attempting to give a bow before letting out a groan of pain. "Oh gods, that was a mistake. Maybe a spa run too? You think there's a good spa open still in the Enterainment district? If not, there's a hot tub on my ship."

The fact she offered that so casually was really a sign of her upbringing. The trust of another jedi, of another person to enter her ship, maybe it would come to bite her in the ass someday, but she didn't care. She wanted a bath.

 

[Akeela Garval]

Taneon kept a hand behind her back, ready to catch her if she stumbled. Hovering, however. Despite his roguish tendencies, his mother still raised him to be a gentleman. He gave a sigh before answering her.

"Lunch first." He nodded, "I believe they have the commissary functioning. Or, I'm sure there's plenty of places outside the temple."

He certainly knew a few taverns and dives around the Temple district. Yet, he could not help but wonder the state of things. After all, the Temple was not the only place the Dark Imperials had brought their onslaught to on their fine city.

"As far as the hot spring. I feel your ship might be the better option." He nodded again, "Last I heard, the Entertainment district still is trying to get its chit together. Looters and opportunists."

Such were the types who always wormed their way out of the shadows during a time of crisis. Unfortunately, he had seen it many times. There would always be people who would take advantage in any suspension of order.

"And as much as going down and doing the whole 'defend the common folk' duty would be great." He looked stern, "Neither of us are in any shape for that sort of adventure. I'm sure the Coruscanti police are doing their best..."

He then pulled up a portable HoloNet device, and began searching for food nearby, just in case the feline craved something other than whatever offerings the commissary made today...

Jonyna Si ​

 

[Jonyna Si]

TAG: Akeela Garval

"Oh please no cafeteria food." Jonyna whined. "Is there a diner nearby at least? I could go for some junk food for once, as gross as it is."

The entertainment district was dealing with looters? She made a note of that for later. The Service Corp could help the police deal with that, or at least help the victims dealing with the fallout.

Walking slowly alongside the man, she smiled. "I haven't seen you around much. You gonna be around more now that everything is on fire, or is this just your new home?"

 

[Akeela Garval]

Taneon took her input to heart. A few more strokes on the holo-device, and he narrowed his search area to places within a few kilometers of the Temple. There were still a few places open, despite all of the ongoing damage and cleanup. One in particular popped to his recognition. The Tipsy Porg, an old haunt of his.

"How about here?" He brought up the place's holo-site, "It's a little bit rustic, but I think it's within the area that you're craving."

Rustic was putting it lightly. It seemed to be some sort of tavern that took its aesthetic from old spaceport pubs in the Outer Rim. It was established by a Pamarthen chap. Kind of a greasy spoon. He then responded to her comment about his absence.

"No promises." He gave a smirk, "But, I do feel like I need to be closer to the Core, with the whole humbug about the Dark Empire."

Internally, he nearly slapped himself. Humbug? Really?! He forgot that he sometimes let the phrases of his dear grandmother slip out. But nonetheless, he did figure his time to galivant across the stars is over. Things were starting to heat up again between Jedi and Darksiders of all patterns and creeds. He would need to lend his saber more to the oaths he took.

Jonyna Si ​

 

[Jonyna Si]

TAG: Akeela Garval

All that got was a giggle from the tired woman. "I'll take an old tavern if they have a decent burger. You're cute."

Hailing a taxi was actually pretty easy, as those who stuck around did their best to keep those still running. "Yeah, I don't have much of a choice. Outside of my ship, this place is all I got in the Core. Still got my place on Cathar, but it's...a little surreal to stay there for too long. Used to have a whole family living in that house, now it's all gone. You got any family? You mentioned your father earlier..."

 

[Akeela Garval]

Once a taxi-speeder slowed down near their place at the temple's landing pad, he opened the door for the Cathar, allowing her to step in first. Then he himself. A gruff Abednedo driver addressed them in his native language, asking for a destination.

"To the Tipsy Porg, dear fellow." He nodded to cabby, "No need to do any fancy routes or shortcuts."

The cabby gave a grunt of understanding, gently launching off with the two Jedi in tow. Taneon reflected on her question of family. He had a small smile on his face. He was almost homesick, in his own way.

"Yes. The Force has blessed my family with good health. My parents are both alive, and run a small freight enterprise called Darr Shipping Solutions out of Coronet." He elaborated, "Father handles the physical aspects, while my dear mother is the finance woman."

He looked wistfully out the cab window as the lights of Coruscant went from a horizontal to a diagonal. Their cab softly began to switch lanes and descend toward the tavern.

"And then there's little sister Azelma, Zelly I call her." He chuckled, "Due to take over when she's older, as I cannot because of my Jedi oaths....what about you? Family?"

He looked at her, genuinely curious. For as much of a presence she had in the New Jedi Order, he felt like he did not know a damn thing about her...

Jonyna Si ​

 

[Jonyna Si]

TAG: Akeela Garval

Jonyna's tired smile fell a bit at that, even if she tried her best not to be all mopey about it.

"Used to, like I said. I'm like Valery, woman out of her own time. Got put in the ice 900 years ago, now...I'm the last of my line. It's weird, ya know? Before I went under, the order basically didn't exist. To be a jedi was asking to be hunted down by the Empire. Now...we're everywhere." She paused, letting out a chuckle as she peered out the window of the taxi, eyes fixed on the still burning skyline of Coruscant. "When I first showed up here, it was kinda surreal. Seeing Coruscant for the first time. The city, the temple, it was all stuff I had never had the privilege of seeing before. Now it's all on fire..." She slumped slightly as she buried her chin into her arms. "If you had asked me two years ago if I'd ever be on the council, I would've laughed at you. Now I gotta fix everything."

She paused, looking down at the lightsaber on her hilt. "Sorry, that's not what you asked. I'm getting a bit sour because of all this...still got a bit of my family. My saber, the crystal was my mom's. It still holds her spirit, and my family's legacy inside..."

 

[Akeela Garval]

Taneon could not help but listen intently. A woman out of time, as she so said. He could not help but be filled with so much curiosity, yet he abstained because he could tell it was a bit of a sore subject. Perhaps in the future. Still, it was hard to believe that, in the seat next to him, was a living piece of history. Someone who witnessed events he had only heard of in archival holos.

"I'm sorry." Came his sincere response, "That time, centuries ago, was so filled with strife. I cannot even fathom it...."

He himself looked out the window of the cab, noticing the same desolation wrought to the planetwide city. Smoke, fire, and wreckage of all kinds dotting the landscape and unto the horizon. Perhaps he could imagine it somewhat. Yet, for as many times as the Dark Side rose throughout the ages, Coruscant seemed to endure. As did her people. He returned his gaze to his Cathar companion.

"And yet, the Force works mysteriously. For whatever reason, destiny has brought you to this time." He nodded, "And I feel we are better off for it."

What he had seen of her, and had heard about her, she lived up to the rank of Jedi Master. A councilwoman at that. The cab soon glided to a stop on a landing pad. Not too far was an establishment, whose flickering neon displayed "THE TIPSY PORG" in a stylized Aurebesh. Accompanying it was the holo of a cartoonish version of the aforementioned bird, stumbling as if drunk. Taneon pulled out a handful of credits, and paid their cabby. Enough for the ride plus a generous tip.

"This is us." He smiled, getting out, "Shall we?"

He offered a leather-gloved hand to her, always the gentleman to help a lady....

Jonyna Si ​

 

[Jonyna Si]

TAG: Akeela Garval

"Ooooh, so polite, taking a woman's hand as they enter a dive bar." Jonyna snickered, taking his hand and clambering out of the cab. "You can flirt all ya want, Casanova, but you'll need to do more to woo me."

It started as a joke, but she couldn't deny she enjoyed the compliments, and the man before her was cute, admittedly. "So this a regular place for you?" She eyed the neon sign. Was a wonder a place like this was still standing. Then again, places like this were probably high priority to be kept safe. People like to drink, and they love to eat.

Maybe some liquor wouldn't be a terrible idea...

 

[Akeela Garval]

Taneon could not help but blush at the teasing that he was recieving from the Cathar woman. He found her cute, too. But, that was something to explore later. He stood and looked the bar before quipping back at her.

"Just because the locale is rough is no excuse for poor manners." He smirked, seeming to make a mock of his own posh accent, "And, I've been here once or twice."

He lead the path to the bar, and brought her inside. It was a modest place, definitely not a fancy restaurant. Again, were it not for it being located on Coruscant, one might mistake the place for a seaside tavern on some temperate, oceanic world like Trask or Mon Cala. The furniture seemed to mimic various styles of hand-carved wood. Small fishing trophies and nautical knick-knacks. A couple patrons glanced up before returning to their drinks. The one person to notice, however, was the mountainous Crolute bartender. The massive, blobfish-like humanoid trudged from behind the bar, stern look on his face.

"Ye got some nerve showin' yer face here, Darr..." The Crolute snarled, his massiveness staring down at the two Jedi.

For a moment, there was a tenseness as Taneon and this fleshy barkeep stared one another down. But soon enough, the Crolute cracked and began a howling laughter and he swung over and picked the fencer up off his feet in a bear hug. Taneon gasped for breath, tapping his large friend's shoulder to be let down.

"Good to see you, too, Meb." Taneon smirked back, "Jonyna Si, meet Mebbarius Thult."

The Crolute gave a jolly smirk before doing an awkward, if charming, bow. "Please call me Meb. Go takin' a seat. Be wit'cha shortly." Taneon motioned to an open, two-person booth that seemed perfect for the occasion. He was, in a way, glad to see that his old friend made it through all the hell and horror. Comfort and familiarity in times of darkness tended to be little embers of hope for some.

Jonyna Si ​

 

[Jonyna Si]

TAG: Akeela Garval

"Nice you meet you, sir." Jonyna nodded, giving a small curtsey with her coat. "Hope your business wasn't too effected by the Imperials wrecking shop. I can help rebuild if you lost anything or need anything fixed."

Food sounded really good right now, and this was exactly the type of place she used to frequent back during her rebel days.