Strangers

[Placeholder 04]

Kinthar was a dingy little town. Half the denizens lived in poverty, the other half struggled to sustain a comfortable life. The streets were largely unpathed and generally rather dirty. All manner of illegal business passed through the town just below the Imperial Garrison's nose. Plenty of people came through trying to help - Cyril being one of them.

He strode wistfully through one of the main streets, dressed in a leather jacket, jeans, and combat boots. A DC-15 sidearm was strapped to his belt. His lightsaber was hidden discretely in the confines of his jacket. Kinthar was a Sith controlled town, and if he were to be discovered...There would be issues.

He had sensed something off in the town today. A presence within the force not entirely usual. An outlier. Something unique. A force user that was not a part of his group.

And so he had opted to go on a morning stroll through Kinthar in search of this adept, in hopes of ascertaining whether this stranger was benign or, if the worse came true, malignant.


[member="Callie Sha'Co"]

 

[Callie Sha'Co]

Despite the town being Sith controlled, Callie was unafraid. She had nothing to identify who she was, no lightsaber of her own or attire that linked her to any faction or culture. As long as she blended in with the people here, there wouldn't be a problem. She wore loose fitting clothes and had a single braid in her hair. The streets weren't very clean and the whole town wasn't exactly welcoming, but it was nothing that fazed her, nothing she hadn't experienced before.

Callie, despite being early on in her training, could sense another force user in the area and used the skills she did have in attempt to seek them out, though not realising that they may not have been a... good person. She became so engrossed in finding out who the other user was that she didn't look where she was going and knocked shoulders with [member="Cyril Grayson"] as he passed.

"Sorry, sir." she said quickly.

 

[Placeholder 04]

There it was. The outlier in the town. The little bristling of energy he'd sensed from deep underground in the resistance hideout. The person he had took off into town to meet.

It was this little slip of a girl. She was still young - younger than his smallest sister whom he adored. She reminded him of his sibling. It was the hair that did it. The long blond locks that tapered down her shoulder on a singular braid.

Cyril smiled.

"Watch out there little Robin." He snickered, arms falling down to his sides. He was a tall man, standing a little over two meters. "Don't want to step on a Rancor nest. Granted I don't qualify."

He motioned around, toward a group of Ithorians gathered in a nearby alley.

"They might." He mused. "Bit dangerous to be out here all alone. My name is Cyril - do you have family nearby?"

He lofted a brow, and made a point to 'flourish' his signature in the force. In other words, he stopped hiding it.




[member="Callie Sha'Co"]

 

[Callie Sha'Co]

Callie turned around when she head the man speaking to her. She hadn't expected him to be so tall and found herself having to lift her head for her eyes to meet his. Was he the force sensitive?

"I can protect myself." she said plainly. She wasn't particularly arrogant, rather she just thought she could take care of herself and didn't need protection, which wasn't true, especially at her level.

"No, not nearby." she said, her voice fading off at the end. Though she did have to admit it was far more dangerous alone than it was with company.

[member="Cyril Grayson"]

 

[Placeholder 04]

"You mind if I join you then?" He asked politely, bowing his head forward in a show of respect. He was doing his absolute best to look like an upstanding citizen rather than the leader of Kinthar's resistance cell. It held up somewhat.

"I'd feel guilty if I let you walk through these streets by your lonesome. I'm absolutely sure you can protect yourself, but loneliness can only be cured by companionship." He slipped his hands into his pockets, and turned toward the road. "Or something like that."

Silently, he examined the girl. She was bristling within the force, an island that just barely rose above the surface of an ocean. Those with no connection to the force were swallowed by its depths, forever governed by its currents, but the few with command over its power stood above. That confirmed it. This girl was the force sensitive.

"You're not from here, are you? It's alright, I'm not either."






[member="Callie Sha'Co"]

 

[Callie Sha'Co]

"Not at all." she responded, quite glad to have company for once. Although she didn't even know his name, he seemed friendly enough, and certainly not dangerous. Even if he was, she wouldn't be afraid. There were few things she was afraid of, and people weren't one of those things.

Callie smiled a little, she was curious as to who he was and why he was being to nice to her. Most people just left her alone or ignored her because she was a padawan. She could hardly blame them, she was near enough useless to the Jedi, or at least saw herself to be. Despite the odds against her, she was still confident that she could and would become a Jedi Knight or even a master.

"No... How did you know that?" she asked, wondering if it was what she was wearing, how she spoke... then she realised. Force sensitive! She drew on the force to seek out the other user and it only confirmed her suspicions. It was somewhat comforting to be with another force user. "Are you a Knight?" she asked innocently.

[member="Cyril Grayson"]

 

[Placeholder 04]

There wasn't much point in lying to the girl. Whatever she was doing, she'd found enough courage to make her way to Balmorra all on her lonesome. That was quite the dangerous trip. At the very least, she deserved the truth from a man who was every bit the stereotype of a stranger to her. Honesty was the best way to go about this.

"Of the Jedi Order, yes." He admitted in a hushed tone, his lips pressing into a tight smile. He took up a position next to her, walking casually through the streets so as to not draw any attention. To the random onlooker, they looked like any father and daughter taking a stroll through town. "I'm here to help Balmorra find a bit of peace. Maybe cause some mischief in between."

He gave a moment's pause.

"What are you doing all alone out here?"



[member="Callie Sha'Co"]

 

[Callie Sha'Co]

Callie sighed in relief, at least he was a Jedi. Out of all the people she could've met here, he was a Jedi, thank goodness. "I'm a Padawan." she said quietly, knowing it to be no secret from him if he was a Jedi, though speaking in a hushed voice because of passers-by who could be listening in on the conversation.

She smirked at him, liking his attitude. She had met some masters who were all too serious and everything was Jedi this and Jedi that with nothing in between. Though maybe that was the teenager in her talking.

"I came with my brother but..." she looked over her shoulder and shrugged. "I wandered off, I was curious."

[member="Cyril Grayson"]

 

[Placeholder 04]

"Curiosity is healthy, though I'm not sure you picked the best place." He mumbled, opting to stare straight forward. It was quite unlikely no one was failing them, but it was possible - Cyril had launched a raid on the local Imperial Garrison after all. His face might be known, even if he had taken precautions beforehand.

"No Master to accompany you, or did you just get tired of him?" He asked, amused. "I hope your brother knows what he's doing. Kinthar can be...exciting, and not in the good way."

For a moment, he was drawn to a recent night. One in which a Collocoid attack led by a deranged Sith had almost destroyed the town. The thought of the monsters' sickle-like appendages tearing armored men apart with minimal effort sent a shiver down his spine.

"What's you name little Robin?"

[member="Callie Sha'Co"]

 

[Callie Sha'Co]

"You're the first I've heard to say that. Everyone I've ever spoken to has told me that curiosity will get me killed and that I need to be careful in what I'm curious about. I understand, of course, but it's not like I can choose what's worth investigating and what's not." she said with a small shrug. She didn't really care what other people thought of her, unless it was here brothers. They were the only people she cared about since she had no master or friends at the Academy to hold on to.

"Oh I don't have a master." Callie said quietly, knowing it wasn't something that should particularly be shouted out. "My brother is fine, he can look after himself, or so I hope. He's seventeen so he should be able to." she said, matching Cyril's pace.

"I'm Callie Sha'Co." she said with a friendly smile. "What's yours?"

[member="Cyril Grayson"]

 

[Placeholder 04]

He cast his gaze down toward the girl. Kinthar was...dangerous. Especially given the recent rebel activities. Word was that one of the One Sith's greatest warriors was on his way to crush it, and if that was the case, then this would be a very dangerous place for a force sensitive girl like Callie. He would seek her out, and force knew what would happen to her when he did.

She didn't have a master.

He made a decision.

"My name is Cyril Grayson. I doubt you would have heard of me - after the battle of Kashyyk I served as the Prime Minister's adviser and bodyguard. After that I was the liaison of the order to the queen of Naboo." He explained.

"I felt you from my little hideaway. There's a rebellion Balmorra, Callie, and it isn't safe for a force sensitive girl. Is there anyway you could get back to the Order?" He came to a halt near a street corner, and lofted a brow. It was unlikely given the Sith blockade. If there was no chance for her to escape, then Cyril would have to take her on to ensure her safety.

[member="Callie Sha'Co"]

 

[Callie Sha'Co]

"Woah, that's so cool." she said with a smile, clearly excited about him working with the Prime Minister and the Queen of Naboo. It was safer travelling in groups or pairs and she felt strangely safe with this man, almost naturally.

Callie shook her head solemnly. "No where's safe for a force sensitive." she said, looking up at him. It was sad but true, there were high bounties on Jedi, Sith and other force sensitives, it wasn't a safe world, it was far from it.

The Padawan shook her head. "No. Honestly, I'm lost." she said with an embarrassed blush. She had been too headstrong to admit it, but she had wandered away, became distracted and got lost. Something she would have to learn not to do.

[member="Cyril Grayson"]