on the Plains (Riku, open)

[Zherathul the Voidscale]

as the sun shown down upon the grassland plains of the planet of Dantooine to signal early afternoon, the sounds echoing around the town were of work and daily banter. moving through the streets of the town with a hood and cloak covering and hiding their entire form, a female Fosh moved and looked around. as she had been sent here for personal reasons, her turquoise eyes scanned things before her from the shadows of her hood. having not found who she was looking for yet, she made her way towards the local cantina, as she had been walking for for the last few hours, and was feeling a bit parched. moving in and taking a seat in an empty corner, she ordered something strong, as she was getting frustrated in not finding her target.

[Fox]

At this moment, Kuroth felt like a walking cliche. An assassin who fled captivity for freedom, now nothing more than a vagrant scraping for money to survive. He accepted a few odd jobs here and there; providing temporary security for a high-end party to some rich snobs, tracking down a runaway child, and the occasional revenge assassination. While he had fled his life of captivity, he couldn't deny that killing had become a business to him and one that he was damn good at. If he had a way to make money, who was he to complain?

Dantooine had proven a fruitful venture. Another job that made use of his tracking skills. Nothing more than a simple search and rescue, but he had made a fair bit of coin. Now, alone at a table in a local cantina, he enjoyed the fruits of his labor in the form of cold hard liquor. The near-frozen beverage slid down his throat, freezing yet burning all at once. He let out a low "old man" grunt and slammed the glass to the table, motioning for another. The hood of his coat covered his deadened eyes from the world, sparing himself the awkward stares and questions.

Yet while his physical eyes did not work, his "true" eyes saw all and what he saw alarmed him. An undoubtable Force-sensitive moved closer and closer before entering the cantina. Kuroth's practiced Force Stealth kept his own presence hidden from any sensory abilities this individual might have, appearing as nothing more than a common patron. As the avian woman took her seat, it gave the Miraluka more time to study her and what he felt surprised him even more than her initial presence: she felt of both the Light and Dark, yet remained free of the corruption. It was the first time he had encountered such a phenomenon besides within himself.

Intrigued, he purposely dropped his guard, allowing the Force-sensitive to locate him.

[Zherathul the Voidscale]

as her drink was delivered to her, and she gave the waitress a credit stick with a decent size of a tip, she ordered two bottles of the drink she ordered, and let the waitress move away to get the order. as she looked at the drink and moved it in a circular manner, she drank it and took a deep breath afterwards, as if burned down her throat. as she went to take another drink, she stopped mid movement, as she looked over at where she suddenly felt the presence of another. looking at the Miraluka, her eyes hidden from sight, she narrowed her eyes and resumed her drinking. setting it down and laying her hand down, she let one of her taloned fingers slip from her cloak, clicking the talon on the table, as she didn't take her gaze off the male, as her eyes remained narrowed.

[Fox]

Though the feathered woman did not appear alarmed, Kuroth could still feel her eyes upon him. She was aware of him now and probably a bit cautious. It was understandable, looking like a damned Dark Jedi and all what with the black coat and his paled skin, not to mention his apparent sudden appearance. Yet still she remained seated. "Not too confrontational, eh? Luckily I am." His head was tossed back and the final contents of his drink went down the hatch with ease, wiping his mouth with his sleeve before slamming the glass back down on the counter and turning to leave from his seat, heading straight for the woman whom had taken his interest.

"You mind if I buy a bottle off you? It seems you've got the last and that happens to be my favorite drink." He bluffed, striking up a casual conversation to invite himself in without seeming too direct or aggressive.

[Zherathul the Voidscale]

as the female watched as the male moved from his seat and moved in her direction, she turned her gave to the waitress as her two bottles were brought to her before the male reached her. "thank you," she said simply to the waitress, and the waitress nodded and left to attend to other customers. pulling the two bottles close, and looking at her glass, she just listened as the male spoke. tightening her grip on the neck of one of the bottles, she made a sound in her throat of being not pleased at his words.

"i think i will be saying no," she spoke, then drank the rest of what was in her glass. as she drained it of its contents, she set the glass down, and dropped a credit stick on the table, before scooting out to stand up. "if you'll excuse me," she spoke, the frustration in her voice evident, as she moved to walk past him, wanting to find who she was here to find quickly.

[Fox]

Things certainly took a rather unexpected turn. Rather than striking up a friendly conversation, accepting the offer, or even respectfully declining, the alien became visibly agitated. She clutched the neck of the bottles as if they were made of gold and rather vehemently declined, nearly bumping into his shoulder as she brushed past him, leaving like she hadn't just arrived not even five minutes ago. "Didn't mean to kill your evening." He spat back rather sarcastically as he turned to watch her, clearly irritated himself now. "Ass." He said partially under his breath, partially hoping he had been loud enough for her to hear. The nerve of some people.

[Zherathul the Voidscale]

listening to his words despite not looking like she was, she stopped when she heard him call her an ass. chuckling as she looked at the bottle, she turned and gave him an irritated by amused look as the light from the bar gave some sight to her face. "its not even evening, so not much to kill," she spoke, then moved back to stand right in front of him. looking up at him, she chuckled again, and moved past him to take her seat. putting the bottle down and pushing it to the other side of the table, she pulled open the bottle she had kept, and took a drink from it. "well, sit down. you were the one who approached me," she spoke, then leaned back in the seat, as she set the bottle down. as the bar scene resumed after the little scene, she pulled her hood a little back, but not enough to reveal her face fully.

[Fox]

His insult surely hit as the woman stopped in her tracks and shot back a retort... Or was it her way of saying "No harm done?" It was difficult to tell with aliens. Too many different customs and mannerisms. Regardless, she turned around, took her seat, and offered the open seat to him, even sliding him the bottle he had inquired about. While not his favorite drink, there were few bad drinks. A credit chip was slid across the table; twice the drink's original price. "Apologies." He stated plainly.

"It's an awkward way to approach someone, sure, but I've never been too good with talking to people." He took a quick swig straight from the bottle. "Cutting straight to the chase I suppose, you interest me. You're the first Jedi I've felt a connection to the Dark Side within without feeling the taint of corruption, aside from myself." Awkward may be an understatement...

[Zherathul the Voidscale]

chuckling softly at his words, she took another drink as he did, and set the bottle down when he spoke again. leaning back fully and looking up, she sighed softly as she looked at the ceiling. "i was taught well, in both the arts of the Light Side and the Dark Side of the Force, the Jedi and Sith. the balance i walk, while dangerous and fragile at times, its all thanks to my masters," she spoke in a soft voice, so she wasn't overheard by others. leaning forwards a little, she drank again, and didn't stop until half the bottle was gone. taking a deep breath afterwards, she set the bottle down and slipped her hands into her cloak, running her fingers along the hilts of her Lightsabers, remembering the times she had with her masters, a small smile on her face.

[Fox]

Receiving training as both a Jedi and a Sith was a remarkable feat, at least to Kuroth. His own duality in The Force was not brought on by training from both sides. In fact, his training had been solely conducted by those that walked the Dark Side, including himself at one point. No, his own duality was because of his own moral ambiguity and his redemption from the corruption of the Dark Side. "The Force is so much more than Jedi and Sith. They are products of The Force, not the other way around."

"Tell me though, how'd you managed to train under both banners and obtain the independence I can only assume you have now? Freedom from either order doesn't seem all that easy to come by." He hoped his question wasn't too invasive.

[Zherathul the Voidscale]

looking at him and smiling as she was glad he understood that, she nodded and pulled her hands from her cloak. listening to his question as she drank from the bottle, she finished the drink and smiled at the question. "trust me, its not easy at all. Jedi don't trust you when they feel the Dark Side, and the Sith want to add your strength to their forces," she paused, to take another drink before resume. "i wasn't trained under either of them, but instead was trained under two individuals. my masters, a Dark Jedi and a ex-Jedi, trained me since i was eight years old. ever since their deaths, i have lived by their example, and have kept myself from straying from the fine path i have learned," she spoke softly, then pulled a side of her hood away, to show where the slash across the left side of her neck at the base of her head was, still on the mend. "thanks to this balance, i have gained the wrath of a Sith," she whispered, as she lowered her hood again.

[Fox]

"Trained under two individuals apart from the Jedi and Sith orders? You lucked out there." He commented. His eyes fell upon the gash along her neck as she pulled the hood back slightly to show this, pulling it back down securely over her face immediately after. If she was going to show hers, he'd show her his. His left hand reached up to his hood, the sleeve dropping and revealing the bare mechanics of his prosthetic hand. As hers had been, his hood was only pulled back enough to show her and only her what he had intended; the extent of his past corruption.

The dim light of the cantina hit his face, showing his paled skin, the blackened veins around his neck, his sunken eye sockets, and the pale white orbs that stared from within, looking at nothing yet seeming to bore right into the woman's soul. "I was forced down the path of the Dark Side, but my own redemption is what allows me to walk the line between both paths now." The mechanical hand pulled the hood back down and came to rest on the bottle she had offered him, lifting it and taking a swig. "Though I can still feel the corruption lingering, threatening to pull me back under."

[Zherathul the Voidscale]

watching him as he showed her his 'wound', and she got a look at what he looked like somewhat under the shadow of the hood. nodding at his words, she took a large drink with him, and set her bottle down after he did. "the corruption will still be there, even after an attempt of redemption. those that steep themselves into the Dark Side too far, and try to pull away from it, will always want to return in some way," she spoke softly, repeating the words one of her masters had spoken in her youth.

[Fox]

While likely not her intention - nor his for having approached her - her words hit him rather deeply, provoking profound thought. She did not look nor feel like one whom had previously suffered the effects of the corruption brought on by the dark side, but she seemed to understand its perils and allure. Indeed she had been trained well, at least in that respect. Kuroth let out a single low half-chuckle, half-scoff. "A wise man." His hand held out the bottle, pointing it lazily towards her as if to say "Let's drink in his honor", slamming down one more gulp. With the alcohol kicking in, he began to feel more relaxed.

"Pardon my manners. I'm not too good at this whole social thing." His uninjured right hand extended across the table towards his company. "Kuroth." He offered plainly.

[Zherathul the Voidscale]

smiling softly and lifting her own bottle, she followed his motion with a nod. "a wise woman," she spoke, then drank, not stopping until she emptied the bottle. after finishing it, she set the bottle down, and smiled, as she nodded in understanding at his social manners. taking his hand, she shook it and nodded softly. "no worries. my name is Avegira," she spoke, her name given soft enough to only be heard by him.

[Fox]

With awkward introductions and first impressions out of the way, Kuroth felt... well, awkward. He now realized that he had approached this woman with little reason other than the fact that she were another force sensitive and she seemed sort of out of place in these parts. "What's there to do for work around here?" He decided to ask to fill the silence between them. It was more than just filler though, as every vagrant needed some way to make money.

[Zherathul the Voidscale]

staying quiet and listening around as she waited for him to break his quietness, she looked at him when he asked the question. "to be honest, i don't know. i am only passing through, hunting someone for personal reasons," she spoke softly, as she kept her voice down, not wanting anyone to overhear what she says. pulling out a datapad, and opening the file she had on who she was hunting, she narrowed her eyes, as she was honestly not looking forwards to fighting another force-user, especially one who was under the one who still hunted her.