Youthful Ambitions

[Val Ticon]

Sitting on the rooftops of a skyscraper overlooking the streets of Coronet City, Val sat on the very edge of the roof. Laid out before him was the planet the Jedi had heard so much about over the years. He hadn’t been here for the breaking of the planet but he was glad to see Corellia restored to its former glory. Dressed in black robes the youth looked through a pair of macrobinoculars scanning the streets down below. More specifically a shady cantina that had reopened called the Mynock’s Haven.

Far too young to even think about entering such an establishment the young padawan was instead staking out the area. Many would ask why Val wasn’t at the temple, but in truth no one within the Order knew the boy had left. He’d rigged together a breathing mask, a bag, and pillows to make it seem like there was still someone in his room sleeping.

This was the only freedom the boy ever had, it was something he could do without the stress of being a Sedair, of being a Ticon, of being a Jedi. Plus if he didn’t who would? Corsec? Possibly but it was more fun if he could solve it on his own. “Should I call myself Mynock-man?” Val muttered aloud testing the name on his tongue and quickly dismissing it.

There had been news of a recent string of break-ins taking place within Coronet city and from what Val knew from holodramas, and what he read was that people often met up in cantinas when planning such things. The boy didn’t know if it was true, but why would the holodramas lie?

The sounds of the city below came to life filling his ears. In the distance, sirens blaring. Even from far up he could hear the faint echoes of those below being loud and boisterous after having a few too many drinks.

[member="Milla Caranthyr"]

 

[Milla Caranthyr]

Moving through the dark streets of Coronet City was easy. There were plenty of side streets and shadows to disappear into. The odd ledge or fire escape were great places to stay out of sight. Cause honestly, who looked up anymore? To stay on the safe side, she wore all black with gray accents to break it up. Heavy fingerless gloves protected her hands, and as much as she hated wearing shoes, she had a pair of black combat boots.

All of this was second nature to Milla. Being an orphan on a less populated planet meant that hiding was a little more difficult. A city the size of Coronet, well that was more places to and more crowds to blend into. Although a larger city brought even more risks, like larger crowds and more places to get "lost" in.

That's why she was being extra cautious tonight. She was on a foreign planet searching for some thieves and no one knew that she was gone from the ship. At least not yet, so her time was limited. Luckily she had a clue. She held up a small token with a mynok on it, one that matched the sign sitting above the Mynok's Haven. Not the best thieves in the galaxy, but they seemed to be making a name for themselves over the past few weeks.

Milla placed the token back in her pocket. Her blue eyes drifted from the sign to the front of the building where a small rowdy crowd had gathered. She was too high up on her fire escape perch to make out what they were saying. Although from how much they seemed to have drank, they probably didn't know what they were saying either.

The sound of distant sirens meant that the small group below might take their leave. Which meant that Milla would be as well. She pulled the black hood over her head, allowing her horns to stick up through. Her tail twitched some in anticipation.

[member="Val Ticon"]

 

[Val Ticon]

Finally. The thugs that had been loitering in front of the cantina had finally began to move. Perhaps they were spooked by the sirens? Maybe they had a meeting to attend, one thing was for certain they weren’t the brains of any operation. Especially not such a successful string of robberies. Though they may at least be able to point Val in the right direction. Quickly stowing away the macrobinoculars within his robes Val kicked off the side of the building into the Coronet night, the light of the moons above silhouetting his figure.

The wind whistled in the boys ears as he plunged through the air at terrifying speeds, yet Val was still calm. His breathing even, fear not overtaking him… If anything he felt free. Raising up his hand and firing off a fibrecord with a practiced motion and guided by the force the adolescent felt his fall turn into a swing.

The wire grew taught supporting the Juvelines weight and bringing him down to a lower building. Snatching and withdrawing the wire Val entered a roll letting the momentum carry him up and into a full-on sprint across the rooftops. The thrill of the hunt filling the boy, whats ironic is that the Ticon legacy was one of being criminals yet here the heir to that same heritage was attempting to stop criminals.

Approaching the Mynock’s Haven rooftop Val noticed a figure in the relative darkness. One drabbed in clothing that resembled that of well, a criminal. Perhaps it was a lookout for the group below? Or someone to ensure they stayed silent?! Thats what they did in the holodramas. Not on Val’s watch, leaping off the roof entering a dive Val intended on tackling the figure off the fire escape and taking them both down into the alley and into a pile of trash that had been piling up for only the force knew how long.

[member="Milla Caranthyr"]

 

[Milla Caranthyr]

They were moving and it was about time. Milla hoped the small group of thugs were heading back to their hideout, cause that's where thugs went, right? Either way, she couldn't be out here all night so she had to follow them or she might lose them all together.

She was about to move when she felt a tug in the force, a simple signal she knew well to heed. Danger! The young girl whipped around and braced herself for the coming attack. What surprised her was the speed and direction from which it came. Milla just barely had enough time to adjust herself for a decent defense. There was no way to stop from being tackled over the fire escape, but she could determine the outcome and she wasn't going to be pinned down.

Drawing in on the force, she braced herself for impact. An impact that still almost knocked the wind out of her. Relying more on instinct, she made a quick strong swing with her elbow down on her attackers head. If successful, she would roll off the pile of trash. Braced for the next attack, her tail twitching in both agitation and anticipation.

[member="Val Ticon"]

 

[Val Ticon]

Having managed to catch his target by surprise Val believed himself to have the upper hand as the momentum carried them down and towards the trash heap. Their fall cushioned by the mass of garbage but the rank smell was enough to cause the boys eyes to water. Soon after the scent hit Val, something else did, something more solid and painful. A blow to the top of his head that made the boys ears ring and vision spin.

Reaching up and clasping his head with one hand and grabbing the training saber from within his robes with the other Val rolled off the heap and up to his feet. Clinging to the shoulder of his robes was a rotten fruit peel that smelled so vile the adolescent was on the verge of losing his dinner. You’re tougher than that. Val reminded himself mentally but his stomach and insides seemed to disagree as he visibly gagged.

Azure eyes rising to meet his foes equally blue eyes, Val’s head tilted slightly. He was almost a full foot taller than the one he faced and she had ears and tail. Yet she didn’t have the fur of a Cathar or Togorian. Just what species what she? How old was she? Activating the training saber a blade of green energy came to life, springing from within the hilt. Thankfully training sabers looked exactly like the real thing, just instead of being lethal they left bruises or burn marks.

“You’re under arrest scum! Give up now and I’ll go easy on you! I know who you work for!”

[member="Milla Caranthyr"]

 

[Milla Caranthyr]

The pungent smell of garbage filled Milla's nose as she took a deep breath to center herself. The smell alone almost made her eyes water and her stomach turn. She was glad that she wasn't the only one, as she watched her attacker visibly gagged from the smell. An opponent she was now sizing up.

He was human, that much was sure, and almost a foot taller than her. What caught her attention the most wasn't the black robes he wore, but the fact that he looked only about a year older than herself. This confused her some, as to why a boy about her age would tackle her off a fire escape? Then again....why would a girl her age be tailing some thugs down a dark street at night?

Milla's blue eyes locked onto her attackers azure eyes. Each sharing a look of equal determination. She wasn't sure who her attacker was, but she had to guess that he might work for the people she was tailing. That didn't surprise her at all. When she lived on Nar Keeta, gangs would sometimes employ street urchins as their eyes and ears. Her opponents sudden attack, if he was with the thugs, was definitely something she hadn't seen before.

What happened next caught the young girl by surprise. Her attacker pulled out a lightsaber and activated it. The green blade shot to life and gave the distinctive hum she had heard several times before. Milla's mind was at a lose as to what was happening at the moment. She was just attacked by a Jedi, a really young Jedi. There was no way that he was a knight. He looked more like the age of a padawan.

Her gaze went from the blade back to the Jedi. Then he spoke. What he said brought her mind to a halt. Scum? Under arrest? Who exactly did he think she worked for. There was a long awkward pause before she could finally get the words out to speak. "What...?"

Her attacker thought that she was a criminal? He was going to arrest her? This was not what she was expecting, not at all. "You..you think I'm a criminal? You're going to arrest me? But...I'm not a criminal and I don't work for anyone." She pulled back her hood to reveal how young she was. "I'm not old enough to havhave a job. Well..unless you count when I help my mom."

Milla stopped herself short and gave her foe a determined look. She needed to remain focused. Maybe he was just trying to catch her off guard for the thugs to sneak up behind her. Then again, he had a lightsaber and where else would he get one like that around here other than the Jedi? Or....she pushed all the questions from her mind. She raised her hands some and slid her right foot back. "I don't want any trotrouble. I'm just trying to find the people who stole mmy stuff."

[member="Val Ticon"]

 

[Val Ticon]

Shifting his stance slightly Val held his ground looking across at his foe, muscles tightening as their hands came up. But as the hood of the robes were pulled back Val’s head tilted as he was welcomed to the sight of someone who was possibly no older than he was. What in the blazes was someone so young doing out this late and on this layer of Coronet City?! Val’s mouth hung agape for a few seconds before the adolescent's senses began to return to normal and his brain started working again.

“Wait if you’re looking to find your lost stuff…” Val said stopping and piecing together what lay before him. This had been nothing more than sheer coincidence that the two had ran into each other. Or if Val thought back on the words of his Master it was a fated meeting through the force. Nothing was a coincidence when it was involved.

“You’re too young to be out here trying to find your stuff on your own! Let alone trying to follow a group of thugs like that!” Val said in a hushed urgent tone, realizing just how loud the two had been with the crash into the trash heap and the subsequent conversation. “Tell me what you lost and I’ll be sure to find it and bring it back to you. This isn’t a job for some kid.”

The irony in Val’s statements were not lost on the youth but at least he was a trained Jedi… Well somewhat trained, but enough so to know how to defend himself and take on foes. The girl was nothing more than a distraction and would be more a danger to both of them than an aid in his eyes.

Preparing to head off Val heard footsteps drawing near. “Whats going on around there!” A voice shouted as shadows drew near and prepared to round the corner. Val had just got both of them busted and the only way out was up.

[member="Milla Caranthyr"]

 

[Milla Caranthyr]

Milla could see the surprise written on the boys face and the confusion that went with it. She wasn't exactly what she expected, even though she could have said the same about him. The odds of two kids running into each other while both were hunting the same thing. Well...those were very slim odds indeed.

"Which means that I'm not working for them." Milla stated in a hushed voice. "I'm too young?! You're what? Maybe a year older than me?" Her tail twitched some at being called a child by someone her own age. "This isn't the first time I've ever had to tail a group of thugs. So no, I'm not just going to let you go get my stuff...."

Her sentence was cut short when the sound of voices getting closer caught her attention. Apparently they were making enough noise to catch someone's intrest...or several someone's by the looks of it. Mills quickly pulled her hood up and scanned her surroundings. No where to hide no where to run, except up. Her blue eyes turned to the fire escape a short distance above them.

Drawing in on the force, Milla took two steps and jumped. As she did, she released the built up force energy in her, which propelled her to the ladder hang off the fire escape. Her hands and tail wrapped around the bottom rung of the ladder, which thankfully didn't drop. With surprising strength for her size, the small girl scaled the ladder to the fire escape with ease. Milla only paused for a moment to see if the boy was her her.

[member="Val Ticon"]

 

[Val Ticon]

The argument between himself and the girl was something that would have to be worried about later as the shadows drew nearer, the voices louder. Val gulped down air not even realized he’d been holding his breath and before he could give the suggestion for the girl to get out she was already scaling the fire escape with an ease and confidence that the Jedi wasn’t sure he could emulate.

Running to the wall planting one foot on it summoning the force to himself. His other foot came up and kicking off the wall, Val flew up grabbing the bottom run of the ladder. Preparing to climb the boy felt a faint click reverberate through the ladder which was followed by an obnoxiously loud clunk. Knowing what this meant the Corellian could only sigh knowing what was coming next.

With a loud series of clangs the fire escape extended falling back to the ground and being loud enough to speed the thugs up who quickly rounded the corner spotting the raven-haired youth trying to escape. There were no words of warning, instead there were the sounds of blaster bolts impacting the duracrete wall next to Val’s body. “There are mynocks with better aim than you!”

Val shouted as he continued to climb up the ladder, though a sense of urgency spurred the boy on. Eventually, the thugs would zero in on him and that was the last thing he needed. How would the Jedi at the temple react if they knew that Val had died being out in the city playing hero.

Reaching the top, Val rose up looking over to the girl before trying to take her hand. “While I do enjoy action I don’t think we should hang around here.” He said pulling on her arm to the other side of the roof.

[member="Milla Caranthyr"]

 

[Milla Caranthyr]

Milla let out a sigh of relief as the boy made it up to the ladder. He was definitely trained in the force, and showed pretty good skill for his age. Unfortunately, skill couldn't help what happened next, as Milla's smile changed to a look of panic. Her heart seemed to stop as the ladder came free and slid to the ground with a loud clang.

She watched as the thugs rounded the corner, and in usual thug manner, they shot first and asked questions later. Several blaster bolts landed to close for comfort, causing the young girl to scurry further up the fire escape. The sounds of the boy taunting the thugs could be heard over the blaster fire. At least she knew he was still alive.

The young girl made it to the roof and looked around. They didn't have many options for hiding places, so running was in the agenda. Moments later, the boy climbed up beside her and made a grab for her hand. Milla's first instinct was to sway his hand away, but given the circumstances she figured it might be best not to argue. Holding on tight to his hand, she let herself be pulled to the other side of the roof.

[member="Val Ticon"]

 

[Val Ticon]

The other side of the roof approached and from behind the sounds of the thugs climbing the ladder made its way to Val’s ears. This was why he didn’t like working with other people, if the girl wasn’t here the boy would’ve turned back and attempted to fight the criminals but right now her safety came above his thrill. Breathing even giving himself over to the force Val sped up pulling the cat-eared girl along with him approaching the ledge even faster than they had before. “You trust me right? Even if not just jump when I say.”

Pooling the force beneath his feet Val reached the ledge and then yelled “Jump!” The force would release and Val would be propelled through the air and over the gap between the building they’d just come from and the next. Alongside him and Milla blasterbolts came by on both sides barely missing them.

Val landed looking back hopeful that he hadn’t lost his grip on Milla, and that she’d made it as well.

[member="Milla Caranthyr"]

 

[Milla Caranthyr]

They were running out of roof quick as they sprinted towards the other side. The sound of the thugs making it to the roof made things even worse. She wasn't exactly sure what Val's plan was, but she had a sinking feeling about what it could be. A feeling that was proven true when he told her to be prepared to jump. She hated the idea, but it was better than the alternative.

Milla steadied her breathing and instinctively drew on the force. She was sure Val was doing the same thing, but probably with more skill. Then he gave the order. Milla released the force built up in her and launched forward. Even still, she was practically pulled along by Val. Time seemed to slow down momentarily as they crossed the gap. Luckily they both landed on the other side without any injuries.

There was barely time to breath as blaster bolts flew by them. Holding tight to Val's hand, she began to pull him away from the thugs. Just up ahead was a stair well surrounded by duracrete. They could use it for cover while they thought of a plan.

Just as she was level with the door, it burst open with such force that it was ripped from its hinges. Milla just barely ducked as the metal door soared over her. Before she could move, a metal hand from a droid grabbed her and lifted her off the ground. The other hand then shot for Val. Behind the droid were several other beings coming through the doorframe with blasters raised.

[member="Val Ticon"]

 

[Val Ticon]

The landing jarred Val’s legs as his booted feet met the duracrete roof of the building. A dull ache radiating throughout his knees from not crouching or even having a proper landing. He slowed down his body wanting to stop and recover but this time it was Milla pulling him along. Their hands clasped tightly within the grasp of one another. If he had time to think about it Val perhaps would’ve been embarrassed by this action. However, with the opposition quickly falling upon him and his newfound ally he had little time to do so.

Casting a glance back at the pursuers on his and Milla’s metaphorical tails Val turned just in time to see a giant hunk of durasteel hurling towards him. It went right over Milla’s head but due to being taller Val wasn’t so lucky. Instincts are what kept the boy from having his head split open. Creating a thin semi-translucent barrier around his head Val negated a majority of the force behind the impact but what bit did leak through caused everything around the boy to go black.

When Val opened his arm was in the grasp of a rather large droid. His vision swam, nothing truly making sense as the sounds were muddled and drowned out. Coming from within the building up to the roof was a Duro that looked over the two its large red eyes taking them in. “Usually I don’t specialize in selling children but I think I could get quite a bit off you two.” The alien wheezed out before motioning for the droid to drag Milla and Val with them.

“I’m sorry.” Were the only words Val could mouth to Milla that came to mind as his head kept lulling attempting to fight off the darkness.

[member="Milla Caranthyr"]

 

[Milla Caranthyr]

Milla struggled in a futile attempt at breaking free from the droids strong grip. She couldn't believe that they had been caught so easily. Not only that, but they had walked straight into a trap. Exactly how prepared were these guys?

The struggling ceased momentarily as the Duros walked through the door. The way his red eyes scanned her and Val sent a shiver down her spine. He was going to sell them! There were fates worse than death and this was one of them. Milla couldn't bel this was happening, all she wanted to do was get her stuff back, not end up sold.

She turned to Val just in time to see him mouth 'I'm sorry'. Sorry for what, she wondered. This isn't exactly something they saw coming. Even if she knew what she was doing was dangerous, this is on a whole new level. The fact that they were captured so quickly was....disheartening in a way. Milla then noticed how Val was struggling to keep his head up. Was her injured? How did that happen? Was it the door? Was...was that blood she saw?

She didn't get time to think on these questions before the droid began to drag them along. They taken down back alleys, less the suitable facilities for children and other places of the sort. The entire time they were ignored by people on the streets. Like they were to scared to look up at the thugs and the droid carrying two children. They were on their own.

Finally the droid descended a flight of steps into a narrow tunnel. At the end was a thick steel door, one the Dyros opened with a datacard. Once inside, the door shut with a low thump. Milla's heart was racing now more than ever as they were carried through the hideout. At the center was a large open room that had been turned into a cantina, one her mother would never let her set foot in. The worst part was how crowded and loud it was. Several beings shouted their welcomes to the Duros when they entered, before their eyes landed on Milla and Val.

Luckily, they didn't stay long before being carried into a room farther back. The room was poorly lit and smelled awful. Several makeshift steel cells lined the walls. From what Milla could tell, they were empty, for now anyway. Both Milla and Val were tossed into the cell without much thought of their safety. The sound of the cell door closing was one of the worst things Milla had heard in her life. With that, the droid left, leaving them alone.

Milla went straight to Val and helped lean him against the wall. That's when she noticed that he was infact bleeding from a small cut above his right eye. She need to stop the bleeding, but with what? Then she remembered her cloak. Using her sharp canines, she pierced a small hole in the cloth before tearing off a strip. Unfortunately it was thin cloth so she had to double it up to before pressing it on Val's injury. Taking her boot laces, she used them to hold the cloth in place by tying them around his head. As ridiculous as it looked, it worked.

She tossed her lace less boots to the side now that they didn't fit properly. The girl cringed a little at first as her bare feet touched the cold cement floor. She sat down beside Val, close enough that their shoulders were pressed together. Taking her cloak, she draped it over the two of them like a blanket to try and stay warm in the cold cell. Milla was silent for a few moments, her tail and toes fidgeting some. "I'm sorry."

[member="Val Ticon"]

 

[Val Ticon]

With each passing moment, Val fought against the pain and the pressure against his skull that threatened to send him into unconsciousness. So out of it the Corellian couldn’t keep track of anything that was happening. Each blink seemed to take an eternity and when they came he’d be in a different place by the time they opened again. With the last blink, Val’s body jerked upright where he found himself next to Milla.

Groaning audibly, Val looked around the cage they’d been placed in and the others that lined the walls. Either the gang was also into slavery, or they smuggled creatures as well. Either way the cages were crude, cold and uncomfortable. A pang of soreness could already be felt creeping up Val’s back. “Did you happen to get the plate on that speeder?” The Jedi joked reaching up to touch at the wound to find it bandaged.

He couldn’t imagine criminals doing such things, so as his hand felt across the makeshift bandages and feeling the shoelaces, Val’s brain began to piece things together. “Thank you.” Feeling within his own robes the boy was disappointed to see that the thugs had been smart enough to take his lightsaber. “Well it seems they’re smarter than the average bantha.”

Not wanting to rise up and move away from Milla, Val knew his duty as a Jedi was to get them out as he’d been the reason they were captured. If he hadn’t jumped to conclusions before neither of them would’ve been noticed. “Alright we can’t sit here like some lost kids… I mean we are technically but I’m a Jedi and you’re… You!”

[member="Milla Caranthyr"]

 

[Milla Caranthyr]

Milla stirred from her thoughts when she heard Val speak. "You're awake!" She said with both excitement and relief. The fact that he was able to joke and move around meant that he should be okay. "I don't know about the speeder, but these people definitely have our number."

She gave a nod when he thanked her for fixing him up. "Just don't get injured again. I'm out of shoelaces."
A frown formed on her face when he mentioned that these guys weren't that dumb. Infact, they seemed to have quite the operation going here. Her blue eyes turned to Val when he said that they weren't going to sit around like lost kids, so maybe he had a plan. At the mention that he was a Jedi and she was...well, her. Milla looked down at the ground, since she misinterpreted what he meant, believing that he was just trying to figure out what she was like everyone else.

"I'm not sure what I am. I mean, I have horns and a really cool tail." She took her prehenprehensile tail and wrapped it around Val's forearm all the way to his hand just to show what it could do. "Then I have these really sharp teeth." Milla opened her mouth and showed of her fearsome looking canines. She closed her mouth and looked away for a moment. "I don't know what I am because we've found nothing like me." Her gaze went back to Val. Then she realized that's probably not what he was talking about. "That's...not what you meant, is it?"