To strive, to seek, to fight, and not to yield.

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Trix Bastin"] [member="Havock"]

Jacen focused on Ayme, leaving the newcomer to deal with her tempestuous emotions. "Haunted? Have you ever stopped at a corner and avoided walking into someone even of you didn't see them? Ever instinctively know what someone was about to say? The Force is infinity, the Force is everywhere. Once you learn to open yourself to those whispers, you'll despise with its absence.

"You have it and our new friend at the bar has it. There is no limit to what you can do with the Force and that is why you must be trained to use it appropriately. This is where we make our stand against the dark. This is where we show people the Force and those who use it, are here to help."

Perhaps he had overdone the monologue. He shot her a small smile and raised the mug of caf to his lips when he was done.

 

[Ayme Katash]

Ayme rolled her eyes at the monologue. She shook her head and glanced out the filthy window. She had several experiences over her life she couldn't explain. Her ability to know intuitively what a device could do, to repair anything she could get her hands on, or those strange flashes she would get from time to time when touching older devices. They were all reasons she was called weird or strange by her peers. She never seemed to fit in. This place felt more like a home than anything she could remember from her childhood.

"Sounds good to me." Ayme downed the last of her caf and grimaced at the empty cup. "Think she's going to finish those eggs?"


[member="Jacen Voidstalker"] [member="Trix Bastin"]

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Havock"]

Jacen held out his hand, palm down. "Patience, she'll be back," he said quietly. "And also, I'm paying so I get first dibs," he added with a wink and a smile before retuning to his bacon.

"Where did you say you were from again?"

 

[Ayme Katash]

Ayme sat back heavily against the uncomfortable chair. She wiped any residue from her meal away from her lips with the back of her hand. Jacen was asking about her past, that was a subject that had proved to be one of her least favorite to speak about. Her uncle had been met with a violent response every time he dared to broach the subject, yet something about this man made it clear to Ayme that there was simply no point in being defiant. She needed to tell him to move forward on this path, and she found herself wanting to do just that.

"I was born on a farm in Ansion. Which isn't a shock, practically the whole planet is a farm. Anyways my parents were running, hiding, from the Black Sun." She frowned as her eyes became unfocused on a spot behind Jacen. "You know I don't even know why they had to hide from the Black Sun. Heh, but regardless, the bastards found them. Killed them."

Ayme sneered and looked away, towards the window looking out at the hangar. "My uncle found me days later...I think it was days, I don't really know I suppose. I hid in a closet, was covered in blood, can't remember whose. He took me to Corellia, so that's where I'm from, because the little girl on Ansion died that day."

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"] [member="Trix Bastin"]

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Havock"]

"I'm so sorry," Jacen replied. "The Black Sun used to control a swathe of space south of Nal Hutta. The Republic was a genuine force for good in those days and broke their powerbase. Unfortunately the Hutt Cartel set up their power base in that region, but they're losing their grip.

"How old were you?" Jacen asked. He spared a glance for their companion over his shoulder. He decided not to mention Corellia. The world had been almost destroyed a few years ago, with billions of deaths when an all-powerful being tried to merge a world from another Galaxy with their own.

 

[Ayme Katash]

Ayme scoffed as she turned back towards Jacen but still lacked the will to meet his eyes. She had the luck of either destroying people or planets in her wake it seemed. That was another aspect of her life she hoped to put behind her on Sullust.

"Six, I think. For a few years after I was pretty messed up, didn't speak. Couldn't shake the feeling my uncle blamed me somehow, or at least resented his new responsibility. He is a good guy don't get me wrong, but raising a kid just wasn't in the plans. I can understand that."

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Havock"]

"Kriff," he swore under his breath. "That's so young to see something like that. Well...that was a rather obvious thing to say. You might hear the Jedi are emotionless justicars, but it isn't true. A Jedi learns to make decisions objectively, to put emotion aside when making the big calls. The Sith play on negative emotions. They force their acolytes to relive their worst moments, drawing strength for fear and anger," Jacen said before sighing.

"My own little group of Jedi work heavily with the law enforcement in our sectors of space. Being able to read minds and cause a whole gang to panic at the sight of a Jedi are two things any policeman values on their side. Might be something you consider."

 

[Ayme Katash]

Ayme smiled. "To be honest I've always been better with machines than people." She thought back to her awkward interactions in the past. At best most people took her as strange and at worst she was an abomination, ether way people were something she tolerated while fumbling through life. The one source of serenity in her memories was when she was repairing speeders, or building a droid, the thrill of finding a Z-95 and managing to get it to fly if only one more time. Those were her moments of happiness. "When I touch anything mechanical, I know it. I know how to fix it, I can see every part as if it's a diagram. What if I could do that without even touching the object, disarm those gangs by moving the parts around in their blasters?"

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Havock"]

Jacen gave a slow nod to this bit of information. Mechu Deru. "Very rare that, if it's what I think it is. Very rare indeed. Even if you don't become a Knight there are plenty of ways you could use such a talent in he Force to help. There are plenty of Jedi who act in other capacities. The Agricorps, the Circle of Healers and several more.

"When I was armoured infantry I can think of a lot of times our IFV had broken down when such a thing would have been useful, that's got sure," he exclaimed with a smile. "The diagnostic system is always the first thing to fall over for some reason. You ever try talking to a data terminal like that?"

 

[Ayme Katash]

"Armored Infantry, huh?" Ayme leaned back against the booth. Her mind wandered to their other companion who had struck up a conversation, or possibly a mild disagreement with another patron at the bar. She had attempted to join the military herself. A restless soul, that's what one of the nurses told her once as she was getting stitched up for one of her more idiotic ideas. She just never could resist a dare, even if it involved jumping from a second story building window. She tried the Corellian Militia, the Republic, any other organized military she could think of and they all told her she would have a bright future with them, until the psych evaluation.

"I wanted to join, then I'd have these moments...they don't happen often. Just sometimes I feel overwhelmed like a can't breathe and all I can see is that closet." Ayme took a sharp breath and shook her head to clear the unpleasant memories. "Sorry, yes I have used it on terminals, if I'm not careful I end up moving the motherboard instead of anything close to hacking but yea I think I can learn it. I want to help, I want to use this for some good for once."

[member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

 

[Trix Bastin]

[member="Havock"] [member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

Trix tilted the grimy glass in her fingers, considering the amber liquid within for the briefest of moments before tossing it back with a quick snap of her wrist.

Feeling her empty stomach recoil, Trix swallowed hard and slammed the empty glass back down on the battered wood of the bar.

“Another,” she croaked.

The Gran blinked its three eyes in quick succession, one stalk swivelling to take in Jacen and Havock where they were still talking in the booth.

“You sure Jacen said he’d get the bill for this?” The alien asked her for the second time, his voice tinged with suspicion.

“Ask him if you want,” Trix jiggled the glass impatiently at the Gran. This would be her third in quick succession, and combined with the first drink when she walked in, the liquor had started to fuzz the corners of her vision quite nicely.

“Voidstalker wouldn’t pay for this,” a voice interjected from further down the bar. “She’s having you on Dajick.”

Trix tilted her head, meeting the eyes of the human male propped up on a stool with a plate of half-eaten eggs steaming in front of him. The kid had more grease streaked over his face than overalls, and a look of disgust plastered firmly on his face.

“I’m sorry,” Trix turned fully to face the man, the movement deceptively casual. “I must have missed the part where this was any of your business.”

The mechanic sized her up, a quick flick of his eyes up and down, before deciding he liked the odds. He pushed the stool back from the bar and came slowly to his feet.

“Why don’t you,” he jabbed his chin towards Jacen. “Go back and finish your breakfast.”

“You’re right,” Trix nodded and shrugged her shoulders, causing the kids gaze to track up and follow the movement.

So it was he was still standing, arms loose and body unprotected, when Trix’s right fist connected solidly with his throat.

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Havock"] [member="Trix Bastin"]

"Yes, ten years in fact with the Republic and a mercenary outfit," Jacen explained. A sad expression flashed across his face for just a fraction of a second. "Opposite way around for me. I got kicked out on my arse from the coruscant academy when I was in my youth. Wasn't a very good Jedi student back then. Military straightened me out somewhat. That was back before the Sith took Coruscant of course.

"Oh hang on," he said, hearing the ruckus behind him. He'd sensed the disturbance before it had all kicked off, but had waited to take the measure of this Force sensitive. Already a thought had occurred to him. Aela Talith. Oh how she'd love dealing with someone without a trace of discipline. The corner of Jacen's mouth turned up as he pushed out of the booth.

One hand came up and both combatants were hold frozen in place. "Right that's quite enough of that then. You can both apologise and then you...Trix...can sit down and have some breakfast. Solid breakfast."

 

[Trix Bastin]

[member="Havock"] [member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

The bar shifted into chaos in an instant. The mechanic let out a gurgle, hands clapping to his wounded throat, before stumbling directly into the bar stool at his back. Both man and stool went flying, the stool flipping back to topple the other remaining seats at the bar like dominoes, the man collapsing sidewards into a booth filled with a group of pilots.

One of the pilots screamed as glass smashed and eggs showered up into the air in slow motion.

Trix stood her ground as the mechanic, pulling deep tortured breaths through his throat and blinking away tears of pain, managed to disengage himself from both egg and pilot. He lurched away from the booth towards Trix – one hand extended blindly in rage.

Trix let him close the distance, subconsciously swaying in place to match the man’s demented footwork. She waited until she could see the bloodshot vessels of the mechanic’s eyes then moved swiftly to one side out of his path. As she danced away she drove her left fist up to connect with the man’s abdomen…and froze.

As quickly as the chaos commenced it stilled to silence.

Trix stared at her fist, muscles screaming as she willed them to action. She met the mechanic’s gaze, noted his sudden panic, then flicked her own eyes to one side.

Jacen fraking Voidstalker was standing there, one hand stretched palm out towards the pair.

“Right.” He said. “That’s quite enough of that then. You can both apologise and then you…” Jacen fixed her in her sights. For the first time Trix received the distinct impression of irritation. “..Trix, can sit down and have some breakfast.”

He paused and reconsidered his words. “Solid breakfast.”

Voidstalker lowered his hand and life flooded back into Trix’s limbs.

She considered lobbing a punch in lieu of the directed apology, even as the mechanic attempted to wheeze an apology, but something in Voidstalker’s stance suggested she was on a first and final warning. As if sensing her thoughts, Jacen nodded sharply to her seat and her plate of congealing eggs.

Trix clenched her jaw and stood back to let the mechanic limp past her towards the door of the cantina.

Ignoring the now hostile stares of every other patron in the venue, she lowered both arms and moved over to the booth.

 

[Ayme Katash]

Ayme watched as the fight erupted around the feisty woman and quickly was put to an end by Jacen. Trix returned to the table and began to poke at her eggs.

Ayme found the situation curious but not off putting. She liked her new companions they were interesting which was much better than boring.

"Well that was exciting."

[member="Trix Bastin"][member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Havock"] [member="Trix Bastin"]

“I was just thinking the same thing,” Jacen said. He held up his mug of caf and waved it towards the bar, where the proprietor have a curt nod. “They’ll be talking about this one for months now,” he said, his tone making it clear that he didn’t see this as a bad thing. As far as he was concerned it was worth these little establishments being reminded that they sat right under the eyes of one of the largest Jedi Orders in the Galaxy.

“Myself and Ayme were just having a little discussion about the Force. And how you both needed to be trained to use it safely.”

 

[Trix Bastin]

[member="Havock"] [member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

Trix set to work shovelling the quivering tower of eggs into her mouth, barely pausing to swallow. She was so used to the fare of spacers, to choking down freeze-dried ration packs of gruel and faux meat, that the slightly congealed mess was first class fare.

It was only when her fork scraped empty plate that she allowed herself to meet Voidstalker’s gaze.

“I appreciate the food,” she told him. And the whiskey. “But I’m not quite sure I’m ready to sign my life away to…” Your cult. “Whatever operation you have running here.”

She jabbed the point of the fork towards her own chest.

​"Besides, I doubt I fit the recruitment profile."

 

[Ayme Katash]

Ayme laughed at the blonde woman next to her. She's not the only one that doesn't fit the recruitment profile. "I'm pretty sure you and I have that one in common Trix."

She had never really fit in with anyone and given that she was not only clumsy but a head case. The nightmares drove most people in Retathorn crazy. Her uncles gang members were mostly teenagers themselves which made them impulsive. At least that's what she told herself when they threw boots at her to wake her up when she started screaming.

"Well I'll sign up, so what's the plan after breakfast Jacen?"

[member="Trix Bastin"] / [member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

 

[Jacen Voidstalker]

[member="Trix Bastin"] [member="Havock"]

Jacen turned slowly from one woman to the other. "Stubborn, determined, not afraid of danger and very strong in the Force. At the same time you'd both be exceedingly dangerous if left to your own devices."

Cutlery was set down meticulously as he too a slow breath. "You're both the exact profile of someone who needs to be trained to use the Force responsibly. There are many paths for a Jedi, and there are many within the Alliance who use the Force who would not label themselves that moniker. At the very least you both need to be shown a level of control and how to prevent your emotions from getting the better of you.

"Ayme, you'll find a level of peace you never imagined possible. Trix, you'll never have to run, ever again. All I need from you both is a commitment of time and effort."

 

[Trix Bastin]

[member="Havock"] [member="Jacen Voidstalker"]

Trix flicked her eyes down to the throbbing knuckles of her grazed right hand. The blood was starting to clot where it had wound its way down her fingers, flaked in her palm, and pooled on the plastic tablecloth.

Not running sounded too good to be true. And if there was something Trix had learned early, it was that too good inevitably translated to pain.

She spared a glance at Ayme. The woman seemed to fancy herself cut from the same cloth as Trix, perhaps a spacer, a merc, a drug runner. Perhaps all three. But there was something to her, that open face, the relaxed manner, that spoke of friends. Maybe even family. Could be that a stranger offering food, clothes and a bed was normal enough that it didn’t set off alarm bells. Could be the woman was mostly rocking air in that head of hers.

Trix looked back at Voidstalker. The man was dangerous but didn’t wield it like a weapon. His face was clear of the arrogant lines, or the half-smirk and dead eyes, that the powerful liked to flash around the weak. These were the little reminders that they held life and death within their hands and could snuff you out like a candle on the slightest whim.

He’d made the offer without demanding anything other than effort. Food, clothes and a bed. Somewhere to sleep for a few days without jumping out of her skin at every noise and shifting shadow.

Trix sniffed. There wasn’t anything better than death coming her way off of Sullust, at least not until she had the provisions and weapons to strike out on her own.

Stay a few days, refuel, then leave. Ain’t nothing holding you here.

“If I can learn to fight like you do…” Trix said aloud. “I’m in.”

But I sure as hell won’t trust you.

 

[Ayme Katash]

Ayme watched as Trix seemed to size the two of them up. She didn't know what to make of her companions either, but it had been a long while since she made friends. She had come to think of her existence as more of a stumbling through life than a journey with purpose. Unfortunate events seemed to plague her life and destruction was each experiences calling card.

That's why her uncle called her Havock, that and her clumsy nature she supposed. It never ceased to amaze her that the man took the risk to take her in. A terrified, broken, little girl with the black mark of calamity on her.

If the Jedi were wiling to take the same risk they would have the same loyalty she held for her Uncle, for her only family. She just hoped they all had more of a sense of humor than she had seen so far.

Ayme smirked, "So then we are all in agreement, sounds like it's time to get fitted for some of those sexy robes you lot like to wear."

[member="Trix Bastin"] | [member="Jacen Voidstalker"]