Silence of the Lambs

[Lief]

Ah... He hadn't forsaken his Order. This was simply a trip down memory lane, a brief detour before he returned to their fold. That made sense. Offering a smile she gave a subtle nod of her head.

"I understand... I misread the messages you were sending, and for that I apologize."

Chewing the inside of her lip, she let out a small sigh. "Didn't like what you found here? I do hope you're not regretting your decision to walk alongside the Jedi. Sometimes you have to accept the fate you've drawn for yourself, and try it out. Full enthusiasm. And who knows, maybe you'll find it isn't for you, and that's fine too. You're allowed to change your mind, you know?"

She sighed a touch. "If you ever do wish to speak about what's getting you down, I have a rather impartial ear. Bottling it up won't end well, I promise you that."

[member='Ar'ekk']

 

[Arekk]

Ar'ekk seemed to feel back at home. The sorroundings remained untouched as he never left. People would recognize him on the street randomly, commenting the same thing on and on. "Young Ar'ekk is now a Jedi. Look at him, and to think he was so small."

Giving his undivided attention to Jyn, he replied. "It's a long story but don't feel bad, I don't wish to talk about it. Not right now, maybe another time. I don't feel any signs of regret walking alongside the Jedi Order. I had no choice but to pursue this life, otherwise I would be walking a path you and I wouldn't like to follow."

He sighed before continuing. "What about you? What's your story?" feeling the intrigue of finding out who this girl was.

[member="Thédus Lorr"]

 

[Lief]

She couldn't help but notice that in this particular bit of Coruscant the young lad seemed to have made an impression. Enough that several people recognized him by sight, no less.

It was a strange thing for her to watch, in all honesty, she had never stayed long enough in one place to have people remember her. Nor had she really been around anyone who had swayed the crowd like that. Except maybe Tirdarius but he had a lot of contacts it seemed.

"Then we don't have to talk about it" she said with a light shrug, turning her gaze away from the natural light and to the buildings surrounding them instead. Not quite the economic district but a helluvalot better than the slums she had once known.

When the table was turned on her, however, Jyn simply... Frowned. She shook her head just enough to keep the thoughts from rising, and offered a light smile in place of it. "Oh me? There's nothing to tell." Nope, not one little thing of interest...

"Say, have you eaten? There's got to be at least one diner or cantina around here..."

[member='Ar'ekk']

 

[Arekk]

He didn't want to ask further. It was not his business and it wasn't the best moment to do so. Maybe on another time, he thought.

Lifting his head up, Ar'ekk smirked at the mention of eating. "Actually, there's a cantina two steps away from here. Come on."

The Padawan led Jyn to a nearby cantina, owned by Zitha the Hutt. Zitha was a Hutt crime lord that controlled the gambling scene of that part of Coruscant. Races, mostly. The place was crowded, as usual, but the bar was wide open for Ar'ekk and Jyn to sit and enjoy a cold beverage. He made a signal to the bartender for two drinks and he waited for Jyn to order.

Whispers and looks made the Padawan uncomfortable. Not for anything, he was a Jedi sitting inside a cantina that was ran by a criminal. But in his mind he thought there was no harm to have some time of leisure.

"What do you want to eat, Jyn?"

[member="Thédus Lorr"]

 

[Lief]

It didn't take the duo too long to reach the cantina. Even the exterior looked shady, but truth be told Jyn didn't care. She was a nobody, she owed nothing to this Galaxy. A simple lunch would not cause any problems... Or so she hoped.

Inside was claustrophobic, though, and she could feel her skin prickling. Slowly she inhaled, doing her best to calm down, before following the strange Jedi over to the bar.

A cool drink was more than welcome. Non-alcoholic, of course. She chugged it down, cherishing each drop, before finally turning her attention to the menu. What did she feel like eating?

"Maybe just a hotcake?" She didn't know if she could stomach too much, her earlier outburst had drained her. And besides, nobody could mess up a hotcake!

"Thank you" she finally said, looking across at him, "for not just leaving me there to burn..."

@[member='Ar'ekk']

 

[Arekk]

To accompany Jyn's hotcake, Ar'ekk would only be having water as it's strictly prohibited to drink alcoholic beverages in the Jedi Order. The water going down his throat caused him to experience a soothing feeling.

Paranoid, he kept glancing over his shoulder for good measure in case danger abruptly interrupted the duo's evening. This was more than justified given the cantina was a known hotspot for low-life scum and bounty hunters. The evenings were relatively calm and there was an increase in security that day, to their advantage.

The person behind the counter seemed to know Ar'ekk pretty well and in the most friendly tone uttered: "A hotcake and two drinks. They're on the house as always, my Jedi friend." The Padawan nodded in a thankful manner.

As the duo clashed glances, he seemed genuinely appreciative of such kind words. "No need to thank me. I know how it feels to be in such position." he said, lowering his head as if the conversation brought bad memories.

"How's the hotcake?" he finally said, smiling profusely.


[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

Jyn too seemed to be on the wary side of paranoia. Every so often she could be caught casting glances over her shoulder, as though waiting for a shadow of her past to walk through the door. The Butcher King, or another face that she did not completely remember. So hazy were the memories... Would she even recognize the fiend if he stood before her now?

She turned her head to the sound of the stranger, who wavered any sort of bill, and somewhat sheepishly she muttered a sincere thank you. The hotcakes smelled fantastic, and true to her thoughts they were perfectly done. A safe option, as always.

With a few bites taken, she wiped her mouth politely before smiling to Ar'ekk. "The hotcake is wonderful, were you not hungry?" She had noticed that he had only water, nothing to actually eat.

For a second she mulled over his other statement, noting the way that his head seemed to stoop upon saying it. Yet again she was met with a small influx of emotions, clearly he was still doing his best not to cause her discomfort. Thankfully she was able to brush them off, her mind back in tune with Sargon's teachings of clarity and control.

"The offer to talk about it still remains, friend."

It was odd. Sitting here, eating, chatting away, seemingly without a care in the world. It felt almost... Normal. And Jyn did not experience normal on a very regular basis. It was nice, freeing. Perhaps that was why her skin barely even prickled.The smile which had settled upon her lips was most genuine, infectious even, and it lit up her bright blue eyes in a way that very few had been able to achieve.

Friend. Yes, though short their time together had been this young man was definitely more friend to her than any she had met before.

[member='Ar'ekk']

 

[Arekk]

Ar'ekk appeared to become slightly relaxed now, knowing they were safe inside the cantina. His body language switched massively, going from an on-alert status to more serene and less pacey gestures. His eyes fixed on Jyn's hotcake, he seemed to drool and the thought of ordering another plate came to mind.

Without skipping a beat, he replied: "I bet they taste really good. But I guess I don't want to eat right now." and now that he brushed that off in the first place, the second question took him a bit to answer. "My family lived there, in that house. Before I left to begin my training, I made them a promise. That I would protect them no matter what. But... they're gone."

The last sentence was said with such coldness and tremble, you could feel the pain coming to ache Ar'ekk once again. A small flow of emotions seemed to flood him but dissipated right away. He didn't want Jyn to feel that, it was too personal. Too much for anyone else to know.

The young Jedi had been away from Voss for a long time now. Working alone, like a wolf. He still endured the Jedi Order's rules and abid by them but it was no one's land he was walking on. Good and evil were present in his heart but which one prevailed the most?

He felt a profound sense of calmness by talking to Jyn. It's been too long since he had an honest conversation with someone.

[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

She could practically hear the hunger in his voice. So it was that when she finished up one of the two hotcakes on the plate, she shoved it in his direction along with a serving of carbosyrup for good measure. Everybody had to eat, even if they didn't necessarily feel up to it.

Turning her attention to the drink, which like Ar'ekk had proven to be lovely fresh water, she gulped it down gratefully and felt it soothe her burning insides. Would it feel the same if she were to submerge herself? Go for a swim?

Who knew.

She looked back to him as he spoke of his family, a sharp jab of emotion striking right for her heart when she wasn't expecting it. Her skin prickled, and a few places turned to flame which she deftly controlled so as not to burn the place down.

A small exhale, and she brushed it off. Acknowledge, and remove.

Thankfully he did his part to quell it, too.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Who knows, maybe you'll find them again..." She knew better than to do that, to give someone false hope, but how could she not? Was she herself not hoping to find a remnant of her past somewhere in the Galaxy?

@Ar'ekk

 

[Arekk]

False hope. It would've been a great thing to have and hang on for the future. But unfortunately, that thought had already left Ar'ekk's mind the moment he found out the terrible news. She did not seem to understand the question and didn't blame her.

Who could? She had no way to know.

By gathering himself, he proceeded to correct Jyn's assumption which he believed to be an innocent one. It was decent of her to give this young man some hope for the future. He appreciated and will not forget that.

"I don't think you understand. They're gone." he finally uttered before grabbing a hotcake. He just stared at it, waiting for a reaction.

Silence took over. In that exact moment, Ar'ekk felt his family's life fade away faintly as if he could experience their last breaths, last words, last goodbyes.

It was over. He was alone in this big Galaxy and without purpose.

What was next for him?

What about her?

[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

Oh...

Looking away, Jyn felt utterly terrible. Beneath the bar her hands glowered, just out of sight enough to not cause a scene within the cantina. Colour likewise rose within her cheeks, but this was pure embarrassment in place of flames.

"I... I am sorry" she whispered, as the air around her heated. Somehow she was keeping it contained to just her hands, but she knew that at any moment she could lose that control. She had to get out of here... There were too many people.

Panic rose, and she shifted up from the stool and put her hands in her pockets. Her eyes shifted to the door.

"I... I need air."

Without another moment of warning she turned and hurried back out into the streets of Coruscant, and not a moment too soon. A pained cry escaped her when she turned the first corner and entered a shallow alleyway.

With Sargon it had been easy. He had placed her upon a world that the Force could not touch, contained her. It. He had given her the option to remain there for all eternity if she wished it, her own ship, her own home. Anything she could have needed.

Why had she been so foolish as to leave it?

She was a danger unto herself, and to others.

[member='Ar'ekk']

 

[Arekk]

Looking at her, he could understand that reaction. It wasn't an easy thing to swallow, even for him. Ar'ekk saw how her hands lit up, provoking the same effects as seen before.

The place felt crowded and asfixiating for him too, so he rose from his stool. They gazed into eachother and he answered back: "Do you feel alright? I can he--.." were the last few words he could spit out before Jyn made her way out and ran into the cold streets of Coruscant. She made it outside way too fast for him to react quickly, therefore he lost sight of her once by the time she turned at the closest corner.

He felt that pained cry as if it was his own. He felt all of the sudden the necessity to run after her and so he did. As he shifted in the corner, a dark alleyway seemed to have caught his interest.

Ar'ekk always felt it was his life debt to help people in their worst moments. He wasn't going to let that slip this time. That's how he was and nothing could change it. His brother taught him that and he would never, ever forget.

The alleyway was dark and made it difficult to see beyond. A faint word came out of his mouth, full of uncertainty.

"Jyn?"

His voice echoed by the thousands.

[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

Sat within an indent in the wall, away from sight even should one step into the alleyway, Jyn clutched her knees to her chest and tried to breathe her way out of it. It was difficult when it started though, the flames, because the pain only antagonized them. Only caused them to worsen. It was a double edged blade, and right now it had cut straight through her gut.

By now most of her torso was covered in magmatic lines which flowed just beneath the skin. It had been a long time since she had actually fully combusted. That usually ended only when she passed out. Truth be told that had been the most effective way of ceasing it she had found yet, short of returning to Myrkr or walking with a Ysalamir by her side at all times.

As much as she despised the Force, she could not imagine life without it. Her time on Myrkr hadn't cut her off entirely, but the connection had been lessened just enough that she could control its comings and goings. She knew that there were some in the Galaxy capable of ripping it from her entirely. But that was not an option.

Her skin glowered, casting light in her immediate vicinity. Her eyes were closed, the screams had lessened into mere breathless whimpers, and with each breath her fiery veins seemed to once again retract themselves. It was no quick process, however.

A voice sounded off to her left, but she had not the strength to call back to him. What had the poor boy gotten himself into? He should've cut his losses and fled when he first had chance. Instead he was out here searching for her.

She had not felt compassion quite like it before. It was strange, alien, and though she feared the harm she may bring to him it was also not unwelcome. A light in the darkness that was her life, a beacon.

[member='Ar'ekk']

 

[Arekk]

The Force had such a big meaning for him. It brought him peace and serenity and when he ceased to exist any longer, he'd become one with it. It was his life passion and goal to sacrifice himself so others could live. Although everything couldn't be good, he struggled with emotions of hatred, revenge and darkness.

He's been tearing himself apart for years, without the guidance and knowledge of his old masters. They had disappeared within the years, leaving Ar'ekk in the middle of his training. War had brought him much demise. Masters Rasu Gan and Tugoro Taidarious would be proud of the cunning warrior he had become, he had no doubt in that.

Ar'ekk could perceive a strong feeling in that alleyway, as if the flames led him to Jyn. The casted light from her skin ignited by fire made it easier for him to find her amongst the darkness. It was like poetry, finding light within the dark. Was this a sign for things to come?

He wouldn't leave her behind, despite knowing this girl for a short amount of time. He knew something wrong happened to her. They shared similar memories and feelings. There was something he could do for her, but what? At this moment, that was not the answer. He just wanted to help and understand.

Small steps forward was all he needed to stumble near her. He just simply looked down at the crying girl whose skin was lit up as an inferno. The moon surprisingly shun its light on them but rapidly faded leaving them in complete obscurity.


He sat next to Jyn in utter silence. That's all they needed for now.

[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

Nothing was said as he walked through the alley to sit at her side. Silence stretched between them, not uncomfortable but wholly welcome, as Jyn fought to keep herself under control. Grateful for the strength of the being beside her, for the light that permeated from his being.

How he could stand the heat of the air which lingered around them she did not know. To Jyn it was almost corrupting, suffocating, but she had no choice other than to stand through it. He could've walked away. Maybe he should've.

The minutes ticked by, until all that remained was ashen skin with tiny pinpricks of light. The heat had likewise dwindled, though if he were to touch her skin he would find it just at hot as it had previously appeared. That would not cease until her core ceased to burn.

Leaning her head back against the wall, Jyn sniffed.

"Tell me about them" she finally whispered, her eyes closed yet her attentions wholly fixed upon Ar'ekk. "Your family. Let their memories float freely between us, so that you may cherish them. Remember them for who they were, not what they became. Celebrate their existence."

[member='Ar'ekk']

 

[Arekk]

Ar'ekk broadened a brief comforting smile for Jyn as they both sat there. The good memories over the years flourished in his thoughts and so did the bad ones. So many moments, sayings, good and wrongs had all been taken away from him in a matter of seconds. But he wasn't going to let the good memories get away from his grasp. Cherish the last good moments they had was the best he could hope for his family.

"They were not exactly my blood family. I never really got the chance to meet my actual parents. Sodden, my brother... He was very wise and a kind person. A person that you'd love to have fighting alongside you, providing you a crying shoulder. He was one of the greatest things of life. And my mother, the person who assumed the motherly figure of someone who was vacant for me for so long. She was the light of my life, taught me everything I know. We spent so many years trying to get away from the bad things of life and we seemed to finally reach a point where everything would be better. But then, I discovered my gift and so did a Jedi Master. I was offered an opportunity and I took it." he said with confidence. Talking highly of them seemed to be the most important thing right now.

Ar'ekk took a brief moment before continuing his story: "I told them I had to leave to commence my training. We simply hugged and waved eachother goodbye. I told them I'd return and protect them from harm. But I was too late."

His eyes closed slowly as he remembered everything. His childhood, the hard moments, the good ones. Every small detail that meant something for him.

[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

Even if she had not been a true empath, Jyn would have been able to wholeheartedly empathize with Ar'ekk's past. She too had no knowledge of her true parents, her birth parents, likewise she had fallen into the care of another family. And then another. Passed around, though for most of her life she didn't realize that.

She did not interrupt him with her own tales though. He was talking through the positives, and she hoped that it would help ease the burden she knew he was feeling. The loss, the guilt. All things which would only continue to eat away at him if he allowed it.

"I am certain that you have made your family proud. Use the experiences to your advantage, ensure the same does not happen to another. You cannot change what has happened, but you can work toward a better future."

Jyn did not know how to do the same. The Force was not her friend, she did not utilize it. For light, for dark, for anything other than keeping this damn curse under control.

If she could call it such. Which quite honestly she couldn't. Look at her now, lit up like a parade.

"I have faith in you."

The last of the embers finally faded, and her skin began to pale. A small sigh of gratitude washed through her, and the stuffy air finally thinned out.

"Thank you" she finally added, when she knew that she was in the clear. While she would've eventually gotten through it were he not at her side, his presence had helped significantly.

[member='Ar'ekk']

 

[Arekk]

"Thank you for this." he finally said, expressing his gratitude towards Jyn. The pain and suffering seemed to have vanished and the feelings of hope prevailed. He was curious about this curse that seemed to imprison the girl by igniting her whole body in flames. She was a literal living inferno and that seemed to worry the Padawan.

He rose from the cold floor as the sunlight emerged from the horizon. It was a very bright morning, quite beautiful to be honest. As Ar'ekk look down to Jyn, he offered a hand so she could get up. He had no where to go now and because of that he expressed an interest on the girl's upcoming path.

"I am done with Coruscant, I believe. What's next?"

As he dusted off his robes, his eyes focused on hers. The curiosity had taken over.

[member="Jyn Sol"]

 

[Lief]

She stared at the hand when it was offered, having watched him rise and stand before her. For a moment she bit her lip, contemplating whether or not it was safe to touch him. By now however her body would simply be warm to the touch, hotter than anyone he'd likely ever felt... But not burn-inducing.

As a result, she gratefully accepted his help up off the floor and managed a meek smile.

His words were like music to her ears, though she wondered why he felt the need to stick by her. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate the gesture, far from it, but didn't he have better things to worry about?

"I have no set path, no home to return to. I go wherever my feet take me. What about you? Where will you be heading once you're free from this urban sprawl?"

[member='Ar'ekk']

 

[Arekk]

That question brought him doubt. He had lost touch with his masters long ago and the mission on Voss was left in uncertainity. The Silver Jedi probably forgot about him by now, so he thought.

"I was supposed to return back to Voss but I lost contact with my master and pretty much everyone I knew from the Jedi Order. I'm lost right now, so I guess we're on the same boat."

The touch he felt was really warm, more than he ever thought it could be. This made him grimace briefly but paid no mind afterwards. Ar'ekk wondered if she really wanted to go along with him or go back to pursue the lonely path. It was their choice, either way.

The pair made their way out of the shallow alleyway into the cold streets of Coruscant. Several merchants were setting up their shop on one side of the sidewalk, giving Ar'ekk and Jyn their morning greetings.

[member="Jyn Sol"]