Unpleasant Encounter (Cassandra)

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Varulla'aba had been checked out of the hospital without complications, and in the time she'd spent outside, she'd succeeded in two endeavors. The first was staying sober, and free from the dark side she'd yielded to while drunk. The second was completing the construction of her lightsaber, utilizing a very special crystal.

It was silver, and given to her by Koeing, her former lover and her Sith master. Even though their lives lay down separate paths, she could remember him. It would also protect her, help her resist attacks made against her, like the night when she'd been drunk. When a man had tried to violate her.

Never again would she live in fear.

Mercifully, her last incident of murder, as she couldn't help but call it, had been successfully covered up. No one would ever know of her involvement, and her life on Manaan was safe once more.

Var was back to being Dia Amersu, the Twi'lek swoop racer, bright new star on the Manaan circuit, with a great sponsorship from Incom. Her life was, once again, on track.

Alabaster hands tucked the silver lightsaber into a belt pouch, then pulled her headtails back over her shoulders, not trailing behind her as they did on her swoop.

Caw!

A large black bird flapped her wings excitedly, punctuating the silence of the empty swoop track. The spectators were all gone, and all that remained were a few mechanics, and Var. And of course Eleanor. The raven was a lot like her owner in fact. Somewhat asocial, and standoffish to everyone. But at her heart, she wasn't so bad.

"I love you too girl," Var said as she guided the bird onto her shoulder, preparing to make her way back home. With everyone gone and all the festivities over, it didn't make much sense to stay.

The Twi'lek woman pulled on her leather gloves again, black like the form-fitting racing suit she always seemed to be wearing now. She had to admit, she felt a little... sexy... while wearing it. Powerful? Confident?

Definitely better than those damned robes the Jedi and the Sith were so obsessed with.

Var stopped about halfway out of the track, freezing in her steps. Did she sense something? Another presence?

[Cassy]

The camera would show an above setting of the sleek streets of Ahto City, people went too and fro. Busy as they would be, involved in gods knew what. The Selkath, were well spotted even from a high aerial viewpoint at the birds eye as the camera began slowly panning down.

The noise and hum of a crowd grew louder and louder as the camera approached the building that led to the swoop tracks. The gigantic and magnificent archways lined the water gracefully along brilliant pathways set for the races behind the building.

Lallane Cassandra "Cassy" Novos, was somewhere in this crowd as the camera panned through the humans and Selkath alike until finally it seemed to stop and hover around a hooded figure, wearing brown robes with them undone in the front. Feminine net lace covered double C sized bosoms as a thin fan of underobes weaved with various cloth and net designs in the underobe of this woman.

Her features were striking too say the least, the gloss on her lips was an old habit, the last of a few that died hard, although the soft pink was barely enough to add a glisten. Sparkling blue eyes shot out of her round face and soft rosy cheeks that seemed to glow with life. Even a glance under the robes of this hooded traveler would be enough to make men caroon even as they passed her.

One reason why she remained robed as the crowd around her was pouring away from the Ahto City Swoop Track Building, and she was standing in it like a pin, unmoving, staring up at the building.

--------------------------------------

"Is there....someone here?" Cassy studied the building as the camera would go into a slow mo of her blinking, and her lips parting as she exhaled the force slowly but surely, and breathed it in. All around her it poured in instantly, as she was surrounded by people. But her training and focus, allowed the clear whirling and pulling of the force...barely traceable, amongst all the life, to be felt. A point of force, an attraction of some sort.

That she could sense it at this distance told her that this person was probably within the building still....she'd been here for 3 hours and hadn't felt anything nearly like this..

"Only one way too find out." Lallane made her way through the exiting crowd with little effort, if she'd been stopped she'd have just made up some excuse about leftover belongings or used 'other wiles'.

Eventually she passed through the crest gateway into the stands, as the camera was behind her robed figure a blinding glare coming in as she stepped into the open scenery. Water stretching, the stands looping about. It was breathtaking.

She took a moment too appreciate it, as the Force seemed to call at her. She reached up with both hands, and lowered her hood for the first time. Her long black locks, fell down around her face in a very Kim Kardashian like fashion as they slapped down onto her shoulders elegantly. Her eyes were closed and she breathed in through her nose, her mouth curving into a smile as miles of water stretched out in front of her, the stands glistening all around her, the bare clanks of mechanics in the not too far off distance.

Suddenly, the same whirling and pulling sensation and this time a noise like a loud sigh filled her ears. Causing her eyes to shoot open, and her expression to go into a 'surprised girl look' as she definitely felt like she was close too....someone.

She slinked through and around the stands, filing upward not too long too her left until she rounded the corner of one of the hallways of the stadium. Her footsteps echoing...as there was no one else around.

------------------------

With her (Cassy can tell from behind that this is definitely a woman) back turned to Cassy, a Twi'lek stood...she was curvy...similar to the human who she had her back turned on. The force swirled, and settled around her with another sigh like noise in Cassy's ears. She'd found the first Force adept since she'd been here, she had too be sure though.

"Well...doesn't that look good on you?" Cassy said from behind, her voice soft and echoing slightly. It was a somewhat friendly gesture, but very, very casual. Almost too casual in fact, since they were alone in the curved hallway. "You're a racer...? But you could be talented at so many other things....." her voice had a slight seduction too it, almost by habit.

"You look so good...I'd even care too ask you for a drink? I was in the stands...I'm a fan...I've always wanted too have a one on one conversation with a swoop racer, it would be like a dream come true for me!" Cassy's features lit up as she batted her blue eyes and puckered her lips once, her eyes lowered lightly as a viscous mind trick flittered through the air.

A relaxed buzzing and sighing hum would be all the Twi'lek heard too signal the Mind Trick. And IF she was aware of such things, and didn't get put under a spell...and come following her aimlessly to a bar to chat...then Cassy had just gleaned quite a bit of information either way. Whether this person was trained or untrained...was about too come to light.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Var turned around, and Eleanor cocked her head curiously.

The speaker was a curvy woman wearing a brown robe that instantly brought the word 'Jedi' to mind. More curiously, the woman's tone made the Twi'lek narrow an eye and raise the eyebrow tattooed onto her forehead.

Was she coming onto her? It was like she was trying to sell seduction, and that was pretty futile with Var. Even if her tastes had been directed towards women, her standards were still a little bizarre and intimacy, or the promise thereof, didn't usually sit well with her. In fact, she had every intention of asking what exactly the woman was saying.

The question was cut short as the Jedi, or presumed Jedi, tried a mindtrick on her.

It wasn't powerful enough to be a serious threat, but it was still as clear as could be, unmistakable. There was a buzzing, a humming sensation she could associate with the act.

The pale woman sealed off her mind tightly, calling in every barrier she had. Her mind was too important to suffer intrusion, and she wasn't about to put anything past someone who would so casually attempt to coerce her.

With her mind secure, Var folded her arms over her breast and shot a vicious glare at the curvy woman.

"I don't drink with people who try to violate my mind. Not very Jedi-like of you. If you want a meeting, talk to my rep."

The pale Twi'lek started to walk off, her boots clicking against the hard floor with each step, her senses trained on the woman in case of foul play. She'd met a Jedi once before here, by pure chance. She wasn't sure this was chance again.

It was possible this woman wanted her back in prison. And Var wasn't about to go back.

[Cassy]

Cassy was taken aback when the Twi'lek responded with a bit of a snide remark, Cassy sensed, heard and saw the thickening of the force around her mind with a slight ripple of the air in animation around her head.

With a small smirk, Cassy let her finish. Feeling quite apologetic and a little bit insulted. Her glossed lips curled up into a small smile again, this time though her eyes, startling blue were kind of creepy...cold and calculating. She was amused, but now...she knew a few things.

"I don't think you're going anywhere...not until you at least answer me a few questions." Cassy let the intimidation slip through her voice as she spoke once more. "That Mind Trick I used...was child's play...merely a gesture to see how well you did...and you passed with flying colors, sister."

She emphasized on the last word to let this Twi'Lek know that she knew. Knew that she'd been trained...by one side...or the other. Had some form of past that was worth looking into...worth knowing. If the Sith trained her....then the obvious was about too occur. If the Jedi did....well...the obvious was STILL about to occur. Cassy was about to be knighted herself soon, and didn't remember seeing this chic around the halls recently. A deserter....perhaps?

"What are you doing here? And are there more like us here." Cassy spoke elegantly, softly even. Attempting again to pull the Twi'Lek in with her words and calm. "If there are...please they may be in danger...you must understand. The Jedi Order does not wish too see any of our future harmed....least of all that."

"If you don't cooperate then......I'm afraid I'll have to be a little more concerned with you. So again...what is it that you're doing here...out in public? Trained in the ways of the force, and living the simple life of a swoop racer? How very Grey you must be." Cassy smiled a little bit. Ultimatum given, she folded her hands across her open robes and laced bosom, hands covered still by her draping threads, hair glistening off the reflections of sun and water as she stood in the curved silver hallway....awaiting this Twi'Lek's choice.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Var ignored the intimidation and continued her progress down the corridor, heading for the exit. Her pace was steady, forcing the other woman to follow her to keep up.

The maddening calm the other woman kept relying on was getting under Var's skin, like nails on a chalkboard. Grating dissonance masquerading as friendliness. Her true intentions were likely far less savory, and she relied on threats too much.

How very typical of a Jedi. Claim to hold the high ground, claim to be the ideal being, then turn around and bully a girl into telling you what was none of your business. It made her grit her teeth, and it tasked her patience.

Finally, the Twi'lek decided she'd had enough. She stopped abruptly and spun around, her eyes full of fire and her voice dripping with an icy aura.

"My business is none of yours. In case you hadn't noticed, Manaan is a neutral world. You have no authority here. You can't bully me into telling you anything. Even if we were in Republic space I'd still tell you nothing. And you know, I'm sick of your Jedi attitude. Why don't you take your pretty little self and parade back to your ship, and leave me alone?"

Eleanor cawed loudly and flapped her wings, her owner's anger not lost on her.

Var turned again and resumed her march out towards the exterior of Ahto City West, in search of fresher night air and the eventual way home. And also for a public place, where this Jedi couldn't stir up much trouble.

[Cassy]

Cassy simply sighed as the Twi'lek decided too further jibe at her and pursed her lips together, her eyes narrowing a little but her features remaining slightly emotionless.

She would raise her hood, and follow. Slinking off behind the Twi'lek far enough so that she could still keep an eye on her...and so that the Twi'lek could still make her out. Each time she'd look back and make eye contact with her, Cassy would stare her down.

When she'd reach Ahto West, a more open part of town, Cassy approached her once more.

"I can't believe that you'd hide under the cloak of civilians." Cassy prodded once more, "Afraid that you couldn't escape me on your own, or handle me shall I say." Cassy wondered if she could learn more about this stranger by standing across from her in combat. Perhaps she could glean her trust, and if anything have eyes unassociated with the Jedi Order out and about through not only this planet, but others.

"Either you, sister, meet me on the north Ahto beaches in twenty minutes...or I go out of my way too make your life...difficult. It wouldn't be hard for me too have this place swarming with Jedi...all looking for you...waiting for you to slip up to cart you off, Grey. When you do come...be prepared for a fight." Cassy's eyes didn't belay anything but the truth.

"I expect you'll be there. If I win...you give me answers, and we'll see about that drink." Cassy finished, "You win? And I'll do everything in my power to give a convincing report that Ahto doesn't have even the slightest sign of Force activity in it...make it quite comfortable for you here...at least in the databanks....no?"

With that, the brunette raised her hood. Her sharp features still hung over the Twi'lek for awhile.

"My name is Cassandra Novos, Lady Novos too some, Cassy to friends. Call me what you wish....when I see you on the sands...I won't say a word....our sabers shall do the talking. Or have you forgotten all of what you were taught?" Cassy jibed as she, now hooded turned and headed for the rendevous point. Her breasts swayed a little as she walked with pep in her step, disappearing into the crowd after drawing a few male ganders.

She reached the beaches and jogged down at a slow bounce to a walk onto the shores (KOTOR area), she inhaled and exhaled at the very moment of her final footsteps for now on the beach, allowing the endless stretch of water in front of her and sand around her too do all the communicating she needed for now.

Through Body Force, she began to relax her entire body, until all was a tingle and breeze. She waited patiently for the arrival of her sister through force...

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

The desire to backhand the Jedi across the face was increasing exponentially with every passing moment.

Threats, insinuations, taunts... It was like she was a Sith trying to get under her skin. Only the knowledge that if a Sith was after her the methods would likely be more direct dissuaded her from action.

Nevertheless, the Twi'lek's anger was rising by the minute, and her eyes were narrowed, her fists clenched. This whole bargain, this 'arrangement' the other woman was proposing, it made her nauseous. Nosy, meddlesome, troublesome. There was nothing good about it, a singular waste of time and effort.

And the taunts. The mockery. It was as if a cruel god had sent a deliberate trial into Varulla'aba's life, to test her patience.

They said patience was a virtue. If that was the case, Var was hardly the most virtuous woman. She was average at best, but it was clear to anyone with functional senses that she had a short temper, and an exceedingly long memory.

The final insult settled it.

Var spat directly into the Jedi's face and made a rude gesture as she yelled three words.

"Go to hell!"

With fists balled, the Twi'lek stalked off in any direction, the bird on her shoulder seeming to recognize the severity of her mood.

It took two sides to fight. Var wasn't going to be one. She wasn't going to let her hot head get her into trouble, not anymore. She was going to play it by the book, going to go home and have a glass of wine, and perhaps watch the holonet. Anything to get her mind off this.

The Jedi could slam her head into a wall for all she wanted.

[Cassy]

As she had her back turned already, her cloak swooped away. The camera would be in front of Cassy, her hood raised. Behind her, the crowd, and the Twi'lek could still be seen.

'Go to hell!'

The camera would shift a little to the left, to show the Twi'lek, obviously livid. Beyond it even. But somehow managing self control. Cassy still had her back to her, as she stood behind her right shoulder, and the jedi slowly turned back too face her as she stormed off.

Calmly, she thought too herself about the person who seemed to be storming off. She thought about the words she'd chosen too use, thought about the facial expressions, the reactions that this woman had had. As Cassy stood there considering, her slightly glossed lips pursed as if too say "so you want too play rough", as she continued to realize that this being was slightly more than meets the eye. A swoop racer, adept in the force, trained enough too push out a quick Mind Trick, and emotional enough to definitely not be a Jedi.

Her brunnette hair curled down her shoulders and breasts freely, as her lips went into a small smile, and her eyes lowered, amused. She decided to set off, following the Twi'lek again.

This time, she let the Force resonate off of her, through Body Force, so that the Twi'lek would know she was following her. Cassy kept her hood up, the recruiter didn't want to draw any more attention to herself than need be. Unless it was someone else with some Force potential, this was one of the reasons she was resonating force through Body Force right now. One, to alert, and annoy the Twi'lek further, perhaps pushing her into conversation, or action; and two, too cause any Force sensitive, child or adult, too act a "certain way" that would obviously point them out in this thick, but thinning crowd.

As the day drew on, and night approached. Cassy was still following the Twi'lek, through Body Force, she stayed chipper and perky, finding it amusing how stubborn the Twi'lek was, she would've made a good Jedi if she'd chosen that life. She still potentially could make a good Jedi, although...she was already much too old...and much too rude, to properly take in their ways. Or so Cassy believed, she'd been wrong before though, and was content too be wrong at times.

When night had fully dropped upon them, and the streets of Ahto were all but an empty slick silver, moonlight hanging above; except for the occasionally shady person, or merchant moving some late night wares; they were alone.

"Stop." Cassy said once, the Force practically leaking off of her now. If the Twi'lek turned, she would see Cassy standing fifteen feet away from her on the slick silver streets. The water stretching too their left, endlessly across the planet, sparkled brilliantly at night. "I am done playing games with you, Grey. Many of my order would've stricken you down the moment you spoke." Cassy's eyes lowered, her hood was still raised, cloak hitting the floor and draping out from her slightly. Her thighs visible, and the net on her breast underrobes was too, as her robes were open still.

"Come peacefully back with me to my ship, sister." Cassy almost pleaded here, and the sincerity could be heard in her voice. "I really...do mean you no harm, I just want to help you. Earlier you mentioned this planet's...'independence', do you think the Jedi or Sith give a two Hutts about the galactic status of a planet? Don't be naive, see clearly. You're no safer here....than anywhere else in the galaxy. Even if you come with me to Coruscant, and are well protected....there's always going to be danger." Cassy's voice was like a sweet river, just flowing, but entrancing.

For awhile, the hooded and cloaked figure that was Cassy, remained silent her blue eyes piercing through the Twi'lek, letting all she'd said sink in.

"Come back with me too my ship, if you don't want too leave this planet....then fine. But you WILL cooperate with me, and we WILL converse about potential force sensitives on this world. I've already stayed my blade one hundred times over dealing with your stuck up attitude, even though you're a Grey and I should bring you in. I'm not going to do that, because we're sisters, and I'm the only Jedi from the Order present. But-----you are about to have a very long night if you don't cooperate."

Cassy motioned too the empty night streets around them, referencing that now 'the Twi'lek had no civilians to hide behind, and that Cassy would strike if she didn't strike first'

"Make a choice.....you have ten seconds." with that, Cassy's cloak would flutter a bit, as her lightsaber drifted into her left hand, from the right side of her waist beneath her cloak and robes.

She didn't switch it on, merely held it in her left hand loosely, her hood still raised, her blue eyes were very striking with her hood pulled up over her face. It was quite spooky looking underneath that hood, spooky yet entrancing as shadowed, her blues stuck out ridiculously.

She waited patiently now.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Much to Var's displeasure, the Jedi kept following her. Knowing that, she'd kept up a meandering path through crowded areas, hoping to lose her tail before she headed home for the night. Try as she might, the Jedi wouldn't drop off and stay away. She clung to her tail doggedly.

The Twi'lek knew full way what she had to do. She had to keep calm, to never make the first move. She had to wait, to let the Jedi instigate a fight. And then she had to endure the attacks until the Selkath authorities responded. If she attacked, if she caused violence... Then she would be in deep trouble.

Despite that knowledge, she would have dearly loved to break that pretty Jedi's perfect little nose with her fist.

When the Jedi finally called out to her and told her to stop, Var debated between continuing on or shooting a look of contempt at the woman. She opted for the latter, and turned her head to look at the younger woman.

Ultimatums. More threats. The not-so veiled suggestion that other Jedi would have simply killed her, which was a lie if ever there was one. And then she insisted on feigning familiarity, calling Var a sister. What she failed to understand was that a sister never threatened a sister.

When the ten second ultimatum appeared, Var laughed. Then it was her turn to speak.

"You don't seem to understand, sister. This is Manaan. The only source of kolto in the galaxy. If one side doesn't respect Manaan's laws, they get punished. You have no authority here. Not over me, not over anyone else. Turn your pretty little self around and go away. And go take a lesson on what it means to be a Jedi. Jedi don't threaten. Jedi don't intimidate. You act more like a Sith."

Var spat out the last sentence and turned her back on the woman, walking away again.

Let her rot.

[Cassy]

Cassy listened, and though she was hard pressed to not attack, she didn't. She steeled her resolve, and let her lighsaber float out of her hand and back into her robes. She was still hooded, her robes draping down onto the floor as she listened too the Twi'lek.

"I know fully, where I am, sister." Cassy continued "You're all too good and hiding beneath curtains of the kolto, such a life does not befit one such as yourself." Cassy drew silent, her lips and cheeks pursing into the look of actually looking disappointed at one's sister.

For awhile, she held this look until Var made too make off again.

"Don't." Cassy said once. Approaching the Twi'lek, her arms folded in her robes, her beauty showing more as a single strand of hair elegantly draped down in front of her face, almost at her lips, under her hood as she stood now closer to the Twi'lek than she ever had. Though her arms were folded in her robes in a sign of respect, non threatening for the first time since the beginning of their chance meeting this morning. Now it was night, maybe eight or nine o'clock.

"I have wronged you, and although my Order dictates what it does...I can no longer attempt to jibe you or manipulate you into doing something that I would not do myself." Cassy continued, mentioning briefly the fact that she herself wouldn't start a fight in Ahto City on any normal day or in any normal circumstance. "However, finding a Swoop Racer Twi'lek who is a little bit more than trained in the force isn't exactly your everyday trip to Manaan, now is it, sister? Forgive my insults towards your profession. I know myself that reasons are at time the things that provide us with the inner "why" the inner flame. Your reasons for being here....I couldn't imagine."

Cassy realized, that now she'd been walking next too Var, preaching, or perhaps, just mulling. Perhaps now they could speak. She looked over at Var as they walked an apologetic look traced her features each time they made eye contact. She'd tried to berate the Twi'lek's choice of career, path, and all of the above, simply too find information. She'd pushed it. But she hadn't thrown a blow, and hadn't even shown any emotion herself. She'd stayed within her bounds, but almost pushed someone way outside of theirs. How was she too anticipate how stubborn this Twi'lek would have been?

As they walked side by side now, Cassy eventually looked back over too the Twi'lek, and began explaining why she was here. Her job as a recruiter, and eventually began asking the Twi'lek if she'd found or seen any other force sensitives on this planet.

"I know that now...you may be less keen on turning any of our young brothers or sisters over too me...after what we've been through today." Cassy actually laughed at this, giggled in fact as she finished. "But I assure you....I won't be mind tricking children too find out if they're force sensitive or not...."

Cassy stood, her brown hood covering her brunette hair, slightly glossed lips and sparkles blue eyes, across from the Twi'lek, arms folded underneath her robes.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Var sighed and rubbed her temples, a lot. No matter how often she increased her pace, the Jedi was glued to her side, like some kind of shadow. An annoying shadow that wouldn't shut up. The half-apology hadn't soothed her ruffled feathers much, and the fact that the woman wouldn't take a hint and leave wasn't helping her any.

The slender Twi'lek set her course towards home, deciding there at least she'd have a door she could slam on the Jedi's nose, hopefully getting her away for once.

By the time the woman was done, Var was just about at her door.

With the Jedi silent, Var was able to make a reply. A reply that wasn't exactly friendly.

"I am not your sister, Jedi. I'm not about to become best friends with someone who antagonizes me and tries to pick a fight. If I didn't have to live here, I'd plant my hand right across your pretty face. You're a nuisance, your ego is immense, and I don't like your voice."

Var unlocked her door with a pass key and it slid open, and she paused in the doorway to utter a final few words.

"Now leave me alone. Go find someone else to bother."

The Twi'lek stepped inside and let out an exasperated noise that made the raven perched on her shoulder caw loudly.

[Cassy]

Cassy followed in a somber manner, as they appeared to be reaching some residential areas. Soon enough, Cassy's fears were confirmed. She'd pissed off the Twi'lek just a tad too much, as they reached the stairs of a building leading up into a door, Cassy stopped at the bottom of the stairs. She was in no mood to intrude.

When the Twi'lek got too the top of her steps she slid a pass key in and out, and the door slid open. The Twi'lek then turned and said a few final choice words to Cassy, who didn't even budge or show emotion at all as she finished.

Cassy merely stood there, and eventually smiled again.

"I do NOT have an ego, my mild-mannered friend, that's something I did away with long ago...as all Jedi have, and forgive me, I thought my voice to be a little more soothing than that." Cassy called to her as she finally stepped into her house.

"Well....that did NOT go well." Cassy sighed, she wondered for a moment if she needed to adopt a new strategy with this Twi'lek. As the only force adept on the planet she'd found so far, Cassy was more than interested in her, she however had made the mistake of attempting to use a Mind Trick to discover whether or not she was trained in the ways of the force. That little test, had backfired, and then some. However Cassy's resolve wasn't weakened, she was just more interested.

While she was sure if she looked hard enough, she would find a force adept child somewhere on this world. However a fully grown Twi'lek woman, trained in the ways of the Force and living life as a swoop racer? Either the Jedi, or the Sith, would be none too happy at this, considering one of the groups had obviously invested time and effort into this Twi'lek, all for her too what? Hide underneath the protection of Manaan and the kolto? Ridiculousness at it's best.

Cassy's mouth furled into a look of "bitch please", and although her body language belayed one thing, her mind belayed another.

Pain.

This Twi'lek had obviously built up some form of pain...something in her past. Sure Cassy had been aggravating, but not so much as too illicit some of the reactions she'd gotten. This Twi'lek was pent up if anything, ready to snap. She needed to release, and let the force flow. Let it take her in what direction it willed, not sit stagnant, uncaring in the center, aware of her blessings but apparently turning her back on them. It disappointed Cassy to say the least, she hadn't given up just yet.

Considering the Twi'lek had just said she wanted to slap her, it was obvious that her emotions controlled a good portion of her thought patterns. Something like this would not have been taught at the Jedi Temple. Sure, others had emotions, and such could be manipulated, you could learn from others emotions....as she'd done with this Twi'lek, but allowing emotions to seep within yourself? While the force lived within you? Dangerous. In fact, Cassy was almost sure...that this Twi'lek had once been a Sith.

Her skill with the force was honed, her words didn't have any hint of humour or light. She seemed aggravated just by the mere fact that Cassy was a Jedi, and talking to her, even going so far to say that she'd strike her if she were somewhere else. Sith...definitely. But why had she left them? What was she doing here, on Manaan?

Swallowing her pride once more, after being insulted, berated, and downright verbally assaulted by this Twi'lek, she still had an un-exhaustible amount of resolve, now that she'd deduced that this Twi'lek had probably been a Sith at one point or another, she was less prone to prod at her, and more prone to attempt to help her.

She'd move away from the darkness and toward the light already, if anything, Cassy could help her attempt to see the radiance of the light even more so than she already did. However there was a problem. The Selkath. As a Jedi, she was allowed here, and as a Recruiter, she was allowed certain other privileges, however she wasn't about to go snooping around for information on this Twi'lek, she'd already gleaned all this information she needed.

All she needed now was a distraction, something too draw her out of her Grey shell.

Cassy found a bench across from the residential building that the Twi'lek lived in. She decided to sit on the bench, and pull her legs up into indian style, meditating across from the Twi'lek's house, outside, her hood still raised as she sat on the bench. If the Twi'lek looked outside, the first thing she would see would definitely be a jedi on the bench across from her house, meditating with their hood raised.

Cassy didn't mind however. If anything, she would be a vision of the life the Twi'lek should have as she peered outside her window on this night. It was a little bit chilly, due to the water. But with her near mastery of Body Force, Cassy was able to heat her body up until she felt like she was surrounded by not only her robes, but a warm blanket through Tapas. 'Mmmmmm' filled her mind, as she relaxed under the inner heat of the force ability.

The twinkling silver streets a sparkle as she would wait there, outside of the Twi'lek's house, all night if need be, hopefully, she would invite her in. A Jedi camping across the street from your house was bound too draw attention that an ex-sith wouldn't be too fancy on, no?

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Var put Eleanor onto her perch, and promptly looked around the grubby apartment, putting aside her anger briefly as she wondered why she still lived in this dump. She was well-to-do now, with a great contract. She could afford some place nice, say in Ahto West-Central, with a view of the ocean.

She made a mental note to call a realtor the next day and improve her residence.

"Can you believe the nerve of her?" Var demanded of the raven who was scrutinizing her, her silky voice thick with exasperation.

Eleanor, of course, said very little, making only a slight croaking sound.

Var crossed into her room and unzipped the black racing suit that hugged her curves, letting the cool air of the room wash over her skin. She unfastened the boots, and she pulled them off, slowly shedding the outfit that she always seemed to be wearing.

The Twi'lek woman pulled on simple flannel pants and a tank top, the former in black and the latter in grey, keeping her usual colors in effect.

Meandering back out to the living room, she kissed Eleanor on the beak and headed into the kitchen, rifling through the pots and pans until she found one to her liking and put it on the stove. She turned on the heat and added some poultry stock, turning her attention to produce.

She cut up several vegetables with a knife, showing a remarkable level of skill all things considered, and added them. Then came some meat, cooked in a saucepan.

By the time the soup was done, Var filled a bowl and padded out to the living room, her pale feet bare, sinking into the carpet. She paused at the window and peered out through the blinds.

The Jedi was still sitting there.

Was it some tactic at intimidation?

Var sighed and turned on the holonet receiver, curling up on the chair with her legs folded underneath her, eating her soup. The holonet news was as grim as ever, and she almost regretted watching it, but she felt called back to the window, where she saw the Jedi still standing there.

The Twi'lek woman looked at Eleanor.

"What am I supposed to do? Go down there and exchange insults again?"

The raven cocked her head.

"I'd be an idiot to go out there again."

Eleanor gurgled.

"Fine, but it'll only be for five minutes."

Var went into the kitchen and heated up a spare bowl of soup, putting a spoon into it and grabbing her lightsaber and her keycard, stuffing them both into her pockets. Then she paused in the doorway and looked at Eleanor.

"Five minutes."

Bare feet padded down the chill stairs and the young women with an alabaster complexion crossed over to the bunch and stood there, still in her casual night-clothes.

"I brought you soup. Thought you might be hungry."

[Cassy]

Cassy sat across from the residential building, on a bench in Ahto City. A fifty foot lamp stood in the street, the bottom of the post not a few feet from the bench Cassy was sitting on, in these slick silver streets of Ahto. The silver radiance only seemed to glow more as the orb at the top of the lamp pushed out a bright white light.

Cassy took this time to lower the brown hood of her Jedi hood. Her lightly glossed lips parted, she expelled the force in her breath through Body Force, relaxing her entire body into a neutral like feeling, normal almost and inhaling the crisp night air as any person would. Her brunette hair glistened like deepest brown jewel in the light, she pulled it back into a single, long braid, and let one strand dangle across her face as she sat there, legs crossed under her robe, braiding her hair for awhile.

When her new style was done, she switched which leg was crossed and bounced her leg a little, smiling at the brilliant starlight of Ahto City above. She wondered how her family on Tatooine was....

Not too many moments later, a hiss and a click. Her eyes flecked downwards, and the blues settled on the Twi'lek, who seemed to have some form...some kind...of a change of heart.

Cassy stood and crossed to her, meeting her at the base of the steps too her place here on Manaan. The long braid hung down over Cassy's chest, between her overrobes as she took the bowl of soup, her hands emerging from the long sleeves.

She listened carefully too too her words, and the tone within.

"I....know I don't deserve this...why do you think I'm sitting out here?" Cassy looked up at her, from a step below on the street as she breathed in the smell of the soup vapors. Her rosy cheeks lit up a bit more from the heat of the bowl, as she looked up at the Twi'lek.

"My master...was a Twi'lek.......she was so beautiful...before the Sith took her from me that day...." Cassy rambled a little, standing there holding the steaming bowl of soup in her robed hands. For awhile, her reflection looked back at her....she forced herself too think nothing, as she was taught.

"Anyway.....could I have a seat...while I eat? If it's not too much?" she motioned to inside of the Twi'lek's house. "I promise, I won't try anything. I got overexcited before...you were the first Force sensitive I ran into on this endless ball of ocean...." Cassy took a step up, too stand on the same step as her, bowl of soup in her hands, so that they could look eye to eye.

"I never caught your name?" Lallane "Cassy" Novos, had for once...neglected to press the issue of knowing someone's name. Usually, she was the first to commit something like that to memory...it was a big galaxy...and remembering faces...and shapes...was a useful skill that she'd honed.

She waited for the Twi'lek too move, as she took her in at close range. She kept on seeing her master in a silhouette like glass vision standing in place of this new Twi'lek. However she knew it was merely her mind attempting to goad her into respect. Even when she wasn't training, her mind was training itself.

She wouldn't budge until the Twi'lek did. If she made for her house and rejected her, Cassy would turn and make for the bench with the swing of her braid and down the soup. If the Twi'lek did accept her, she'd follow in towe without spilling the soup best she could as she followed her up the steps.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Var stared at the woman for a few long seconds, debating what exactly to do about her.

Naturally her first instinct was to tell her to stay put on her little bench until hell froze over, but she knew better than to say that much. The Jedi wasn't actively threatening her anymore, so there wasn't a need to be rude, or any more brusque than usual.

Still, Var wasn't cuddly. She wasn't friendly. The only ones in the apartment were Donnie, and occasionally Blazinda. Donnie had gone off to Spearpoint now though, hopefully safe in her new life. The apartment now was... Quiet. It was a place of refuge.

There was no good reason to let the Jedi in. The only one that came to mind was pity. Var's feet felt cold now, her arms were prickly with the chill breeze coming off the water. But she had already brought the Jedi soup.

Isn't that enough? What more do i have to do?

Var folded her arms and cursed the fact that she was a genuinely better person now. There was a time when she couldn't have been bothered, when she would have rightly avoided the Jedi like the plague.

You're an idiot Var...

The Twi'lek sighed, loudly.

"You can come in, if you hand me your lightsaber. I need a guarantee you won't try anything. You'll get it back when you go."

The pale woman padded back up the stairs and keyed open the door, only then deigning to answer the other question, albeit with a half-truth.

"You can call me Dia."

[Cassy]

Cassy smiled at nodded in thanks, she didn't particularly feel like checking into a hotel at this late of an hour, or heading for her ship to write reports at all.

She followed the Twi'lek inside of the apartment, setting the bowl of soup and and unclipping her lightsaber from her hilt underneath her overcloak, she handed it over smoothly and slowly holding it out until it was taken. Albeit the thought of being apart from it was like losing a piece of herself, as she was taught, she somehow trusted this stranger.

She found somewhere to sit, after scooping up her bowl of soup and began to tie her hair back into a long braid down her back, after taking off her overcoat on her chair to show her revealing robes as she continued to braid, finishing the long braid and pulling her hair back she took a large slurp of the soup and decided that it tasted pretty nice. She drank most of it from the bowl after the flavor kicked in and only used the spoon to finish it off.

"Thanks for that.....it definitely hit the spot." she said in a half comedic manner. She let her face go into a somewhat serious expression, except for her glossed lips curled into a friendly small smile. "So......" she continued after a brief and thick pause "As I told you before...I'm a recruiter for the Jedi Order...I'd like to know if you know anything about...any force activities here on Manaan? Anyone involved with the kids in any way? Any Sith Masters lurking in the wings I should know about?" Cassy finished. "Sorry......I know it's not everyday a Jedi stalks you, but I'll bet it's not the first time, no?" she winked at Dia.

"Regardless if you're into anything illicit or not, I know you just want to be left alone....we all feel like that sometimes....I won't be adding a new Grey too our databanks, just because of how foolish I've been...I won't report your location too the Jedi Order, you have my word." Cassy looked up and waved her hands "Not that you care if we knew where you where or anything...." she said after another ten second pause.

She then rested her hands on her thigh, and sat in place in true elegant lady like form in the chair, her overcloak resting on the arm of the chair behind her. She waited in indifferent silence, to any response Dia felt like giving tonight. She looked so pretty in her sleepwear, Cassy felt like changing into hers...but it'd been left on her ship...all the way in the docking bay. Her underobes were comfortable enough.

"So........you're not bound by the rules of the Order....like me?" Cassy asked a direct question, woman to woman next. "Is it...because of a man?" Cassy had received many lessons on men from her Twi'lek master, but she'd never been involved with one herself beyond manipulating them to her whims. She wondered..if that had something to do with the Twi'lek being a Grey Jedi.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Var put the lightsaber in her other pocket, the metal cylinder protruding from it. Then she retreated to her chair and curled up on it, her slender legs folded under her.

Eleanor was adapting well to company, scrutinizing the woman in her own special avian manner.

With this woman, the questions and comments just kept flowing on and on. There wasn't a whole lot of give and take, and Var found her opportunities to respond rather few in number, only gaining it when the Jedi fell silent after asking a rather personal question.

With so many questions to answer, Var decided to just begin at the start and work her way through the list.

"I don't have sharp enough senses to pick out every force-sensitive in Ahto City. As near as I can tell, I'm the only one here right now with training."

Var shifted her position, extending her legs out before her and sinking down into the chair, superficially the very model of relaxation. Inside she was still devoting her full attention to the Jedi, not exactly trusting her.

"I'd really prefer the Jedi don't know I'm here at all, or the Sith. I'm not in the good graces of either the Republic or the Empire. People on Manaan know me as Dia or as Midnight, and I want to keep it that way. As to why I left the Order..."

The pale woman lapsed into silence and debated simply refusing to answer. None of her business right? Surely she couldn't protest if something stayed personal. But no, she'd probably be a nuisance over it.

"My best friend took me with him when he fell to the Dark Side. I fell too. I wound up a Sith, until I quit. I'm not evil enough to be a Sith, not good enough to be a Jedi."

Guess I'm just in the middle...

[Cassy]

Cassy nodded, swinging her long braid over her shoulder as she bounced her leg in her lap switching which legs were crossed, as if by habit.

"Don't worry.....I'll make sure the Jedi Order has no idea you're here." she was willing to go against protocol for a stranger? Well, the stranger part was waning a little, she was getting to know her. Right?

"The Dark Side......took away my Master....people choose the Dark Side, it doesn't choose them." she said almost fluidly. "It was people wielding those red lightsabers, the Dark Side can only wield you if you give in too it.....I'm glad you found some light too guide you out of it...."

Cassy maturity came through a bit, as the 21 year old Jedi seemed to sulk a bit, albeit thoughtfully as she looked around.

"Why don't you come to us....?" Cassandra paused for a minute, letting what she'd suggested sink in. "You can...travel with me, as a recruiter. Help teach kids to do something positive with the force." Cassy nodded slowly too her. "I'm not expecting you to join up today....."

She drew a long pause, deciding to remain silent for a few minutes. Cleaning her nails, and flicking through her com. She had various messages from desperate Jedi boys attempting to break the rules, even a few bounty hunter contacts of hers who were anxious to see her break the code. Ruffians.

She sat there flicking through her com for awhile, until she settled on an old one from her master. One she never deleted.

She closed the Com and tucked it back into her overrobes. After about fifteen minutes of silence, she asked another question.

"Do you feel regret?" Cassandra asked, silently, looking down as her glossed lips remained seriously in place. "The Jedi teach us too accept actions for what they are, and what they may bring. Too move Forward....and too only look back to the past for knowledge." Cassy finished "Don't let your emotions come from something that's already passed you by...whether you witnessed it...heard about it..." she smiled "It is peaceful...to live in the moment...do what you can to help, regardless of how hurt you are."

She sighed to herself.

"Did I apologize already? Because....I didn't mean to stalk you...or follow you...I'm just doing my job....but, I like you....you've found your peace...somehow. So...I'll keep my word, the Order will know nothing."

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Var laughed, and not a friendly laugh. It was the kind of laughter tinged with bitter sensation, something that was just as thoroughly not funny as it was amusing.

"I don't think so. Let's just say the Republic and I aren't on good terms, and leave it at that."

The Twi'lek woman felt increasingly uncomfortable, as after that statement there was a solid quarter of an hour's worth of silence. She found herself making cocoa merely so she'd have something to do, and for precious little other reason.

By the time she reemerged from the kitchen with two cups and a pot, the Jedi was feeling talkative again.

Var could safely say she didn't understand the other woman's nonchalance. Certainly the white Twi'lek hadn't let her guard down or allowed herself to be at ease. Her vigilance was constant, on guard for some trick. Yet this Jedi seemed wholly trusting, perfectly at ease with a woman she knew nothing about it.

That kind of behavior was foreign to Var.

Another deluge of questions and comments, ranging from living in the moment to a very partial apology. This woman just couldn't take things one item at a time.

"I do have regrets," Var hesitantly confirmed. "And I do live more or less in the moment."

She fixed an intent gaze on the Jedi though, with a look of rebuke over the third part of her comments. The apology.

"But as to your apology, you knew exactly what you were doing. You were trying to goad me into a fight. Want to cross blades? Fight an ex-Sith? Eager for a Trial of Skill so you can get that Padawan braid severed... You were putting your interests above your duties as a Jedi, and that's not something you should be proud of."

[Cassy]

Cassandra listened, her rosy cheeks, shimmering hair tied into a long braid across her chest, her blue eyes unmoving and almost unforgiving as she let the words from Dia sink in.

Instead of refuting what the Twi'lek had said, she absorbed what she could from her statements.

'Attempting to goad her into a fight? Is that really how she saw it? Talk about volatile. Sure the Mind Trick was a bit over the top.....' but Cassandra sensed a deeper feeling, one that was ready to lash out if anyone gave it the opportunity too. She continued to sit in silence after Dia had finished.

Eventually, she moved only for the teapot and began to skillfully and quickly pour, making herself some cocoa at the table they were sitting across from eachother at. As she finished, she inhaled the chocolate smelling vapors over her cup, not sipping it just yet.

"Indeed...the Trial of Skill is my final trial...." she said as she took one sip "However you flatter yourself, sister girl." her country accent laid on thick as she was more relaxed around the Twi'lek now. "I'd no intention of makin' you my Trial of Skill...if I had, then I wasn't very skillful now was I?"

She continued to sip and let the flavor flow. She raised one of her arched eyebrows as she flicked her eyes up and down at the Twi'lek.

"I did my job...I found a Force sensitive....however, I won't be taking credit for accomplishing this feat....penance for attempting a Mind Trick in place of simply walking up to you and starting a conversation...however if you were an undercover Sith, you could've turned around and gutted me with your ligthsaber in the blink of an eye if I'd taken that route.....I hope you understand."

Cassy bowed, her braid swinging over her shoulder again and bouncing off of her teacup. She swang it back over her shoulder.

"I didn't know what you were...and forgive me but you radiated the Force...I merely followed it to it's source and was surprised to see someone...fully grown, out in the open, living like...this." she made a somber expression.

"I may only be twenty one, girl, but I'm not that young..there's no need to chastise me. I'll be a Jedi Knight soon...we make mistakes. Forgiveness is very important." she furrowed her brow a bit, returning the intense look she was given. She was laying it on kind of thick wasn't she? Understandable, but she seemed...even more hermit like in defense of herself than most people Cassy had met.

Perhaps that was because she was a beautiful Jedi, or perhaps there was simply a lot for Dia hide. It seemed that she was put off by Cassy's willingness to trust. Put off by feelings of kinship, or mutual respect, regardless of the past. She definitely was no Jedi.

"Forgive me...if I've been to accepting of you, despite your rebuttals. My job within the Order is to be accepting...open to those who will accept me." Cassy "It's not that my will is iron, or that I'm trying to annoy you...it's just what I'm supposed to do."

She shook her head.

"We're all so important...those of us connected to the Force..we can make others feel...and do things others cannot....I just don't want you to sit here and do nothing with what you're blessed with." her country accent trailed off slightly as she sighed.