Flying Tin Cans

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

((For Vex....from Crashing the Party))

The escape from Coruscant had been far from easy for anyone involved, least of all the two humans who now found themselves in the care of the devaronian mercenaries who's ship they were occupying. The first day out from Coruscant had been...tense...for Aunna, to say the least. Vex was far from trusting of anyone or anything, least of all mercenaries on a ship in close quarters to her when he'd gone through the trouble of saving her life time and again. This lack of trust, and Vex's already sour mood, had put everyone on edge, and Veera on edge was never good.

The headache had only grown when Kuuto had made some off the wall remarks to her. Thank the force they hadn't been in earshot of Vex, and she told the devaronian so. Food had been prepared that evening and she'd noticed, yet again, that Vex didn't eat...not that she saw anyway. It baffled her and made the mercenaries edgy. Eventually, however, things managed to settle down...albeit only slightly...and Aunna had finally allowed herself to settle in and get some sleep. That was just about where she was right now. Sleeping.

They'd been given separate quarters, sure enough, but she hadn't bothered with locking her door. There was little point to it. Kuuto and Veera wouldn't enter unannounced, and Vex...well...if he wanted in, he'd get in. Doors weren't a problem for people with lightsabers, and she wanted to keep damage to a minimum, so she just opted to keep it unlocked and she'd told him so. After that, Aunna had curled herself up on the bed and fallen asleep easily, despite the tension in her muscles and throbbing of her head...she was just too tired not to.

[Vex]

Vex wasn't there to make friends. He hoped he'd made that as abundantly clear as possible. Certainly, these people knew Aunna and she trusted them enough to call them to get smuggled from the planet. That didn't mean that he felt the same way. Besides, after being forced to chaperone a pair of nobles and babysit an ailing Jedi, he was understandably in less than a pleasant mood.

He'd all but barricaded himself in his room during dinner. It was a pointless affair for him anyway and he had no interest in making public relations milestones. It would only lead to more questions, specifically about his eating habits. In this case, it was more the "lack thereof". It had given him the time he needed to rest and recouperate from the exertion he'd put out healing the Jedi and made it so that he could recover more effectively via meditation. Now, in the false twilight of the ship's forced day/night cycle, he found himelf in her room.

She'd been sleeping when he entered, not that it bothered him. She was safe enough and looked rather peaceful. With that in order, he settled himself on the cool floor of the room and crossed his legs, settling himself into the trance of meditation and allowing his body to rest while keeping his senses in the Force acute...to watch over her. Her own rarely slumbering watch dog.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

It had been several hours that she'd remained asleep, thankfully free of any significant or worrisome dreams. Once during the "night", she'd half woken, eyes fluttering open long enough to notice a shadow among the shadows, a familiar form, but her tired mind swiftly pulled her back into slumber as soon as she'd readjusted herself. As the 'day' came again, and her consciousness bubbled back to the surface, her mind was once again plagued with the more disturbing memories of her past, that moment on Nar Shaddaa when she'd thought Vex had been about to die. It was of little concern to her mind that the man was still alive, still protecting her, she still held the lingering fear of that singular moment.

Blue eyes snapped toward the sound as her head shot up, her entire body going ridged. The red line streaked toward the battling force users and she was on her feet and moving, grabbing the knife Damien had tossed aside and the blaster she had dropped along the way. She watched as he tried to move...tried to maneuver that violet blade to defend himself, but it was too late. The bolt slammed into him sending him spinning and stumbling forward. The bolt had punched a hole through Vex's side and out the front. Sparks were crackling from his life support system and smoke crackled from the cooked circuitry. The blade died out, as he dropped to his knees before he fell onto his side, rolling back a bit. Aunna was shocked out of her movement as she watched, a cry of emotional pain tearing from her throat, her heart seeming to stop in a painful lurching motion inside her chest. Time seemed to stop around her, those blue orbs glittering slightly with fresh tears that threatened to overwhelm her.

.....why....why him?

She'd been at the end of that torturing cycle of memory when she woke with a start, sitting bolt upright with a strangled cry of dismay and panting. Haunted blue eyes darted wildly about the room as she forced herself to calm down again as she covered her face with her hands..not once did her mind register the presence of the very man she'd dreamed about.

[Vex]

Most of the evening was pleasantly uneventful...almost lulling in the placid nature of the passing time. With the mercenaries asleep and her calmly and safely tucked into her bed, Vex could almost relax himself, floating along the currents of the Force, only paying attention for a ripple in its surface. Nothing disturbed them for the longest time, however.

Gradually, however, he would come to notice the slight tremors of the water, the way the Force was disturbed with increasing power as she dreamt. The dream, whatever it might be, was fueling her emotions and making her frantic. That drew him up, focused him towards her as he pulled himself fluidly from his drifting through the Force and came back to the present, standing just as she woke up with that piercing cry.

She was wild eyed, crazy and irrational as she looked about. He wasn't even trying to hide himself, but he knew she hadn't seen him. The end of that dream had been so vivid it had been all but poured into his conscius memory. His near death...what was supposed to have been his end. What he had seen.

Like a wraith, he moved over to her...her first indication of his presence the shift of the bed as he sat down next to her. He wasn't exactly...schooled...in the art of comforting. He chose honesty instead. It would, however, only highlight his terrible skill at empathy.

"I was supposed to die then. I had seen it already and was only tracing the steps until the end of the dance...."

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

She'd just about managed to calm herself as he would come to sit beside her, the bed sagging slightly under his added weight. Aunna had nearly brought her face out of her hands, but those words of his only cut more deeply. His honesty was NOT helping. Tears pricked her eyes and she growled at him angrily before turning and leaning against him, curling up and bringing her hands down finally, only to wrap around him. She honestly didn't give a damn if he was uncomfortable right now, he deserved it after saying something like that...truth or not. At least she wasn't crying, he could just settle himself for being thankful for that.

That didn't help. If anything your words only made things worse.

A shaky breath was drawn and she pulled away from him, bringing her knees up to her chin and settling her face on the tops of them. Much as Aunna wanted to know that he was there, to stay close to him, she didn't want to make him uncomfortable by her being so near. Instead she settled on her previous method of comfort, curling up and just allowing the position to comfort her. Another breath, a sigh, and she closed her eyes for a moment before opening them and gazing up into the deep pits of his eyes.

You knew what I was dreaming about.

It wasn't a question, it was a statement. Obviously by his words Vex had known the dream, at least in part, and so there was no need to ask.

Saying something like that...even if it's the truth...hardly helps a person calm down. That....was far from a pleasant memory for me to relive...try that kind of honesty with some of my other ones and you might find that I swing at you before I think to stop myself.

The tone she used was quiet, almost dead sounding, in the dim room. Golden brown hair fell to one side, cascading down her knees, an odd color contrast to the darkness, the grey lifelessness, she felt from the dream.

[Vex]

He, of course, stiffened as she wrapped herself about him, seeking comfort. He didn't pull away, but he wasn't really certain on what he should do. Just wen he'd been about to resolve the situation and try to do something, she let go and curled herself up like that. Everyone seemed far more relieved by it and that was good for him. He heard her chiding words, but simply shrugged him off. It didn't occur to him to apologize. He was honest, after all. At her statement, he simply shrugged.

"I couldn't much help but know. You were unconsciously projecting it like a holovid. It was...unusual, seeing it from the alternate perspective, however. But imagine how it would be to have dreamt that before it happened. Knowing that it was going to happen, but you were unable to change it."

He didn't waver his attention from her own, those black eyes staring into hers...almost seemingly filled with some undefiniable emotion that almost made him vulnerable...then it was gone and his demeanor hardened.

"To have tried to change it would have resulted in...circumstances I wasn't willing to accept. My death was more agreeable than the alternatives."

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Something in her mind clicked at his words and she blinked in mild confusion before returning her eyes to his. Blue orbs studied them, attempted to see into them, through them, to find just what that emotion was. Her brow furrowed in concern for a moment, but soon as she'd been about to say something, the look in his eyes vanished, buried again. A harsh chuckle worked its way out of her as he informed her that his death had been more agreeable than the alternatives he'd seen.

It was not more agreeable to me.

She stated bluntly, and a considerable amount more harshly than she'd intended. Sapphire eyes had frosted over as she shielded the hurt she'd felt at the thought of his death with something far more aggressive than was warranted. Sighing, she let go of the anger and her eyes softened considerably.

Vex...I'm going to try and help you get into the temple.

It was, perhaps, an abrupt topic change, but Aunna was far from comfortable with discussing her feelings on the topic of why his death was so much less "agreeable" to her...it would likely reveal just how deeply she felt about the man sitting beside her, and that wasn't something she wanted to acknowledge herself, let alone allow him to know.

[Vex]

To say that Vex was rather surprised at her words would be quite an understatement. This was, perhaps, the first time that she had truly surprised him...save for when he had found himself a hair's breadth from death only to realize that he had been saved by her hand. That rebreather, fortunately. kept his jaw from dropping visibly and he simply shook his head.

"Let us not worry about that for the moment, Aunna. For now, our focus should be on finding your brother and getting what you need. Then we must focus on your training and clearing your name. Until you do that, your ability to assist me in my quest is going to be rather limited."

Standing up, he'd reach to his belt and pull out one of the small vials there that held the gels with which he subsided on. Concentrated to such an incredible degree, he only needed one a day in order to sustain himself with all of the proper nutrients. Standing, he'd move away from her, looking down in disdain at the item in his hand. Absently, he spoke to her again.

"I sensed the mercenaries are up. By ship time, it should be breakfast. A good meal, such as it is, would do wonders for exorcising unwanted nightmares from your mind..."

He trailed off, trying to remember wen the last time hed been able to do that. Pulling the stoppered end of the vial off, he tilted back his head a bit and downed his contents, making a face at the concoction. It was not designed with taste in mind. Simply...efficiency.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Standing, the lithe woman stretched upward for a moment before blinking at him. He was right, she wasn't much use to him at the moment, but even so...Rook might prove to be a considerably weighty ally. Just as he would stand, Aunna knelt and pulled on her boots, lacing and buckling them snugly. Long locks still got into her way, despite the fact that she'd cut her hair, making her flip it from one side to the other as she worked at the shoes.

I understand. Veera said that the Pendragon should still be above Mygeeto, so that's where we're headed. After that, we might want to try to find somewhere to lay low for a while...but then again, I'm not sure what this training consists of so....I'm not sure if staying anywhere is even feasible.

Standing again, she watched with curious eyes as he pulled out the vial and mentioned breakfast just before unstoppering the, rather unappealing looking, tube and downed its contents with a grimace. Didn't look like it tasted too good either. In the time they'd been together, she'd not noticed this ritual of his before...there had always been something to keep her attention elsewhere, or he'd chosen to be just out of sight at the time. It didn't really matter either way. Brunette head tilted to the side as she gazed at him. Well, that brought his lack of eating into better clarity, but....why? She walked up beside him and gently lay a hand on his shoulder.

I'm alright. I don't really eat in the morning if you've not noticed.

Aunna offered him a kind smile as she looked up from beside him. Her curiosity burned in her, willing her to ask the reason for the vial. Looking away from him again she shook her head lightly and chuckled. Perhaps it was best not to ask. The sound of footsteps and a knock at her door announced the arrival of Veera, the golden furred devaronian captain.

"Hey Aun, are you join...wait...what's he....nevermind, that's your business. Are you joining us?"

Aunna chuckled and grinned at the woman as she leaned against the door frame where she had moved to when she'd opened it for the devaronian.

No, Vee...thanks though.

Veera gave a catlike grin as she looked between the two and winked at Aunna. Obviously she thought that something more...personal...had been about to happen.

"Right. I'll leave you to it then."

Aunna's jaw dropped and as she closed it again she clapped a hand to her forehead, blushing slightly.

Vee....get that out of your head will you? I can't believe you would think...get out....shoo...I'll talk to you later.

Oh good heavens, I can't believe she really thought Vex and I...ugh..

As she moved and the door closed again, Aunna rubbed the back of her neck, embarrassed.

Heh...sorry about her. It's been her and Kuuto's mission to try to set me up with practically any man they comes across.

Aunna couldn't bare to look at Vex right now, not knowing how he would have taken the situation, so she opted to remain facing away from him. Blue eyes gazed unseeingly at the bulkhead before her as she suppressed any other thoughts that wanted to bubble to the surface.

[Vex]

Aunna still wasn't very well versed in shielding her own thoughts. That would have to be one of the first lessons that he taught her once he began her training. She had to learn to be able to defend herself if she was going to be able to have a chance against anyone with some ability in the Force. Her unintentional, subconscious use of it would only take her so far and without conscious application, risked failing her at the wrong time.

He didn't answer her thoughts or give an indication that he even knew. Those were questions he would be more than happy to avoid, if possible. It wasn't something he particularly cared to speak of...not that he wouldn't if asked. She deserved the truth, at least, ugly though it might be. Sliding the vial back into its slot, he would turn his head, the Force warning him that the other female was on the way.

He remained surprisingly quiet during their exchange. More than content to watch the play of words and surprise between them both, coupled with the embarrassment that soon radiated from Aunna. A dark brow quirked at it all, especially when she began to explain the Devaronians intent. He scoffed at the notion, shaking his head a bit.

"Clearly your friends are desperate then and not considering your well being if they would be willing to try and set you up with a creature such as myself."

He would move past her, moving toward the aft of the ship.

"I'll be in the storage area. There will, hopefully, be enough room to practice forms."

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

If Vex had caught any of her suppressed thoughts after Veera left, he certainly didn't show it. His words and voice held nothing but a self depreciating tone that made her bristle. She never did agree with his views on himself, and she highly doubted she ever would, but to hear him say that, to call himself a creature...not even human...If he was able to use force sight, able to see the aura colors of people, he might see the silvery aura around her flare angrily before dimming again to its more calming, and typical, brightness. If he was unable, or chose not to (if that was possible), he might only catch the slight stiffening of her form as her muscles tensed and bunched beneath her skin.

He moved around her, informing her of where he would be, but he needn't have. Two steps and she had 'her' belt in her hand and was clipping it around her waist even as she followed, hot on his heels. Aunna wasn't quite certain what he meant by "forms" but she was about to find out it seemed.

I never said they were the most intelligent beings in the universe...but Vex, I'll tel you again...you are NOT a creature, monster, or anything other than human. Your actions can be monstrous, but you, yourself, are not.

Aunna all but growled the words at him as she came along beside and just behind him in the narrow corridor. It didn't take them long to get to the cargo bay, the ship was fairly small, but the cargo bay itself was of a decent size, comprising a good portion of the ship's interior. It was, after all, a freighter...and what good was a freighter if the cargo bay was smaller than the living quarters? There wasn't much in the way of cargo in the brightly lit room, at least not at the moment, since much of it had been offloaded on the Pendragon when the two were last there. This left only the crates of supplies needed for the ship and a few odds and ends in trunks that the married couple tended to keep with them. The woman paused just inside the room, gazing about for a moment at the amount of space that was cleared away.

I think this is about the emptiest I've seen this place...they must have just unloaded.

The statement was more of a musing to herself than a comment directed at Vex as she tucked the silver chain into her shirt again. She looked over at him and gestured to the cargo bay with a motion of her head.

Will this be enough room?

[Vex]

"Even you voiced the unpleasantness the idea of such brought forward, Aunna...if only in your mind." He had heard her sentiments, though perhaps they'd been perceived differently than she had meant them. He'd heard that thread of thought, Oh good heavens, I can't believe she really thought Vex and I...ugh..

He didn't blame her or even feel bad about it, as that was his own perception of himself and it simply correlated. His self-loathing had long sinced passed the stage of self-pity. In fact, he smirked a bit behind that mask, his tone lowering a bit and taking on the air of a mentor teaching a particularly slow student. "There are some schools of thought that say the essence of a man is judged by his actions. Monstrous actions, therefore, equate monstrosity."

As they reached the hangar, he peered around, nodding his head. The advantage of his particular fighting style was that he did not need a lot of room. With his grip on the weapons reversed and the way he sought to fight in close, he did not need much room. His was not the acrobatic, flashy combat styles that the wielders of the Force were known for. In many ways, it seemed more suitable for alley brawls and unfair battles.

Removing that cloak, he folded it neatly, moving to set it upon one of the supply crates that remained in the hold. He did the same with his tunic, folding it with the same meticulous care and placing it on top of the cloak. His flesh was pale...like a ghost's, compared to the umbra of his hair. He was powerfully built, more so than most Jedi who relied on their acrobatic agility to aid them. His was a strength that belied an entirely different type of speed and grace. It was like comparing a group of Tinallian razorcats to a Terentatek.

"This will suffice. Once we have a chance to procure training equipment, I will begin to show you Shii-Cho. Until then, I would rather you not handle a lightsaber unless absolutely necessary. You'll have a higher likelihood of keeping all of your appendages that way."

He stepped out into the main area of the room, gripping the sabers attached to his belt. Unclipping them, he held them loosely at his sides, the emitters facing parallel with the length of his forearms. With his head bowed slightly, he eased into the ready stance of his own version of Soresu, sliding a foot back to brace, his hands coming up, almost the way a boxer would with the hands at the ready.

She would be able to feel him drawing upon the Force, letting it fill him...letting it pour into his being and mix with his emotions into a heady, powerful brew that was as volatile and unpredictable as it was strong. Then he moved.

One moment he was still, the next, he was in motion. For him, the pace was slow as he went through the steps to stretch out and limber up, each move controlled and precise, flowing from one to the next, never stopping. She would know the moment he felt ready, as violet and crimson suddenly sprang to life with a snap-hiss of lethality.

He continued to move, always transitioning from one form to the next. She would recognize him going through practiced, memorized steps...steps learned and relearned until it wasn't knowledge so much as it was simply a part of his muscle. Embedded in their memory, it required no thought...the idea flowing much more slowly than the memory. Those strikes and parries were short and quick, staying in close to him as he kept those energy blades close by his own form for protection, only occasionally whipping out like a lightning strike on the offensive, the way a vornskr's tail would.

He often led with jabs of the fist or an uppercut with the butt of those weapons, followed with a sweeping strike of those blades against a stunned, imaginary opponent. With her military background, she would be able to recognize it for what it was: street fighting turned into an art form. For her trained eye, it wouldn't be difficult to imagine him facing an opponent and seeing him stepping from offense to defense, coming in low underneath an opponents guard to disembowel or dodge or a sudden flurry of light to defend against an attack or blasters.

As time kept passing and he poured more of himself into it, the less cognizant he came of the room itself. He focused on the opponent he pretended to fight...the image coming into sharper realization. The attacks began to get more aggressive, the blades twirling now in a halo of death around him as the face of his enemy became clearer in his mind's eye. The Rage was fueling him, becoming a font of power that bled out into the room. He rarely, if ever, allowed another to witness it. He never allowed himself to be released from control, from restraint, except when he was practicing.

Except for the time he had battled Ramseye Novak.

The sound started low...almost imperceptible but growing louder. It was a growl, one that turned into a war cry...that became a gutteral sound of pure, unadulterated hatred as he could now see every nuance of that nemesis that plagued him so. The viciousness of his moves were powerful now, precise, but held no eye for defense. Finally, more than an hour later, he moved through the last flurry of his assault, spinning about in a dervish of destruction...his imagination finally allowing him to strike down his opponent..to see the life drain from him.

But that spectral opponent would be back. Tomorrow, the next day...he always returned. That face never ceased to haunt him, no matter how many times he slew it in his mind.

That face...was his own.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Stunned into halting, Aunna could only blink at his words dumbfounded. That hadn’t been what she’d meant, but thank the force or whatever gods there were he hadn’t caught the actual meaning behind it. His second statement also twisted and deformed her words, but this time, instead of being stunned into silence, she grew angry, bristling from head to toe. Aunna focused this time, narrowing her mind down to only what she wished him to hear and forcing herself to put the emotion, the full meaning, everything she could to make him understand, into her thoughts.

That is not what I meant, Vex. Do not twist my words to continue in your self depreciation. I’ve seen a side of you I think you would rather hide from the world, or perhaps think is dead, a goodness in you that you refuse to acknowledge for some reason or other. My previous thought was simply one of the fact that we were doing nothing and I couldn’t believe that Veera would put more meaning to it than there was…it was NOT disgust, it was NOT any idea of unpleasantness. It just WAS.

The words, the thought, came out half snarled and surprised even her at its vehemence. Momentarily puzzled, she blinked twice before huffing her agitation and settling down on the floor of the cargo bay, allowing the metal below her to sooth and cool her temper. Her legs had folded neatly beneath her as she watched him remove and fold his cloak and also his tunic. A whisper of a pleased smile touched her face only to vanish milliseconds later and return to her stony façade. He really wasn’t bad looking, considering all the damage that he’d taken over the years. There were scars, many of them, and there was the breathing apparatus, but neither of those things bothered her in the slightest. Vex was lean, well muscled, and over all looked to be perfectly fit. A light snicker, followed by a chuckle, escaped Aunna’s stoic mask at his words.

I completely agree with you…and I have to say that I would rather like to keep all of my body parts right where they are….I’m rather attached to them you know.

That trace of sarcastic humor died there as the woman settled into silence once again, watching Vex’s every movement. She’d always had a more photographic and tactile-kinesthetic memory, needing to see then perform hands-on in order to learn rather than simply read and perform like her brother could. Watching something or someone, the tawny woman could absorb information far more easily…and retain it. Azure eyes noted everything, from the position of the hilts and emitters in his hands, to the posture of his body and the light flexing of his muscles as he prepared himself. The swirl of energy around him gathered and bunched into particles of dark and light, reds and blacks and golds, as he drew the force into himself. Then he moved.

Fluid motions, calm and controlled, exercised and stretched the muscles and tendons, warming and preparing them, and her own itched to follow suit. The motions were noted, the postures, the muscles that flexed, her mind worked to absorb it all. A tense half second of movement and the emitters flared to life in his hands. The motions never once stopped, turning from simple exercise to a lethal dance. This, she noted, was more than any swordplay she’d learned. It was more fluid, organized, graceful and elegant in its lethality. Like her own staff and spear training, the movements were part of him, embedded under his skin, tattooed along his muscles, burned into his mind until it was no longer simply a man calling to mind practiced motions, it was a man moving. No more, no less. It was plain to see that there was no thought, no having to dredge up memories, to move like that.

Sapphire eyes danced along his form, one moment noting the foot placement, bracing, moving, bringing him closer to his opponent or stepping him away from harm…the next moment the fluid motions of hands and arms drew her attention as he would parry away a blow, deflect a previously unseen blaster bolt, strike out at a vulnerable target on his assailant. The motions, to her, were almost hypnotic as she watched him, taking in all she could of his motions, but something changed. It brought her back to awareness and caused those blue eyes to narrow. He was more focused on his opponent now, and she silently looked on as his blades blurred, strobe-like even in the bright room. Back muscles tensed and straightened her form as she felt the energy leeching tendrils of his anger lick at her. She reacted.

It was a silent brooding at first, simply keeping the tendrils at bay by closing herself off. As they became more persistent, she tensed and latched on to the first bit of light she could find, pulling it to her self, into herself and taking comfort in it. The tendrils of anger and hate withdrew slightly, and she was pleased by her findings. Slowly, as Vex battle his opponent, she battled these lecherous tendrils of malevolence that threatened to try and overwhelm her. With each attempt, failed or succeeded, at drawing in another bit of that light, those choking vines drew closer to her, trying to overwhelm the light where she sat as they had the rest of the cargo bay. One particularly offending tendril lashed out at her and she glared at it indignantly as the minimal amount of light she had drawn in managed to shield her from it before shattering. That was the last straw. Even as she heard Vex’s growl deepen in his rage at his unseen opponent, she forced her mind to open, to try and absorb all of the light she could and bring it to her, it worked to some surprising degree…more than she’d thought it would to be sure…and the glow of that comforting light she held onto, feeling the mounting anger from Vex as that growl was let out in a war-like cry of rage and frustration.

The wave of darkness was amazing, dimming her sight for a moment even as it rolled over her, leaving her untouched. Sapphire eyes simply glared at it quietly from behind that light that she’d worked for over half an hour to gather to herself. Even as the darkness dissipated, leaving Vex there before her, she didn’t allow that light to leave, just in case. There was still a residual darkness in the area, clinging to crates, skulking in corners…waiting.

Those sapphire eyes would watch him as she waited silently for him to speak or acknowledge her presence. Only then, when she felt it was safe enough, would she let it vanish from her.

[Vex]

Vex was still for a long moment, damp strands of that midnight hair clinging to his shoulders and back. Under the lights of the cargo bay, his skin glistened like alabaster. His head turned slightly those eyes boring into hers but, for the moment, he wasn't seeing her.

Those black pits were dark, deep, soulless, pulling upon her very essence and threatening to drain her of it. They were twin black holes, staring into the heart of her to draw her in and consume her...and then he blinked.

That darkness about him, that malevolence, seemed to sluice off of his frame and dissipate. He calmed and those eyes softened. It was something that would be imperceptible to most...but to her, the first one to have spent any continued amount of time with him, it would be noticeable. The edges dulled slightly and he looked away. Twisting on a heel, he faced her for a moment before completing the move to face the exact opposite of the way he'd been before.

It was in that motion that the apparatus about his midsection shifted a bit...letting light in for her to see the long, ugly scar that was a reminder of his near death. It was a few shades darker than the rest of him, a twisted, knotted line. Thought it was a belt for the most part...there were to places, low on his abdomen, where it hooked into the cyberbiology that had replaced his original organs. It worked to regulate the pump to his breathing cycle along with other factors for his continued well being.

Facing the opposite way, he began to move again. These moves were far different from before. Though he could not use the Force to augment his acrobatic ability like many of his peers, his training and conditioning put him at a superior level comparted to most standard humans. The new moves he began showed this.

He was light on his feet, his movements almost like liquid. It would remind an onlooker of the way the ocean lapped against the beach. He crashed forward and ebbed back, those blades twirling around him like a energetic kaleidoscope, feigning an attack only to pull back and bring an opponent off-balance and straight into one riposte or counterstrike.

Now his feet left the ground, his body twisting in corkscrews and twirls, feet lashing out in precision kicks. He was giving himself up to the moment again...but this was different now. He'd exorcised his innr demon, for the moment, and now he was simply immersing himself in the one activity that brought him peace and tranquility. In that moment...as he moved, she would have the chance to see what the man, Enery Winsliyn, had been like.

There, punishing himself to the limit with ever-increasingly difficult combinations, he was calm. As he finally reached the end, he finished a flipping kick. One leg was beneath him, the other lashed out in a guillotine kick straight down, the heel striking solidly against floor panels as he crouched low, those arms out to the sides for balance, the twin bades crossing behind him. Slowly, he pushed himself back up to his feet. Rolling his shoulders slightly, he would turn around to look at her. One brow arched quietly in silent question.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Glittering orbs stared back into the depths of those black voids that were his eyes. She was rigid, muscles pulled tight beneath her skin, ready to take action should he forget himself. Through his hungry and challenging gaze, she could almost feel the pull on her soul, but he was not seeing her. Despite this, she smiled slightly, taking in the, almost majestic, beauty of him…the long dark locks of his hair clinging to his pale skin as it glistened under the lights of the cargo bay. Yes, she drank in every detail, almost hungrily, but she swiftly stopped herself, she allowed her mind to go blank, and that was when he returned to himself.

She watched those dark eyes soften, the change so subtle she nearly missed it, and she too relaxed, her bunched muscles releasing as she allowed that light to slip from her like a soft exhale. Her heart was still too fast for her taste, and she was almost certain he would notice. Taking a deep, calming, breath, Aunna settled herself inwardly. It wouldn’t do to have him…or perhaps more accurately, herself…getting the wrong impression. They were hardly what one could call ‘friends’ and only now were they entering a student/teacher relationship…there could not be any more than that. Besides, he was far from interested in any kind of…no. She stopped the line of thinking there, willing her mind to empty once more as he turned to face the opposite direction.

Again her eyes wandered, perhaps more than they should have, and she noted the scar that was the cause of his need for the machine at his waist. She had never seen a scar that bad before, but it didn’t do much to stop her eyes from taking it in and studying it carefully. That scar…it was more than just his breathing that had been affected by it. That calm gaze only had a moment to observe the injury before Vex was moving again. The motions were still fluid, but something was notably different. Held within these movements was a new type of grace, and she found herself not watching to learn, but just to watch him. The motions themselves almost entranced the woman, but what kept her from simply slipping into a lightheaded daze was the rippling motions of muscle beneath his skin.

Another breath was taken to slow her heart and clear her thoughts as she watched this new dance. It held within it the strength of the ocean waves, ever moving, ever flowing, one moment they seemed harmless, nearly gentle, only to churn into a raging flurry. Ever more complex the dance became, and she lost track of where one move ended and the next began. For such taxing physical motions, it almost seemed that Vex spent less energy, was more unwaveringly calm, now than he had been during the previous ritual of practice. Again she found herself responding, only half conscious of what she was doing.

A small smile formed on her face as a lilting melody formed in her mind, comprised of nothing more than music that ebbed and flowed as he did. She allowed it to take shape on its own at first, then she became curious…could she shape it herself? She’d honestly never tried before. At first she only changed minor things, the volume of the melody in her mind, gradually allowing it to crescendo as his movements became stronger, and diminuendo when they were more gentle and flowing. Pleased yet again at her findings, she worked at the tempo, after the volume it was simple, just a slight speeding up or slowing of the timing of the song. Then something odd happened…another melody appeared and layered itself with the first. THAT was certainly new for her. Her mind toyed with the two for a moment, wondering just what to do with the two of them. Finally she began to pick them apart, pulling bits and pieces of melody and counter melody that she liked and entwining them to create something new.

Even as he finished, she allowed the new melody she had created to weave itself, the dramatic crescendo in the music seeming to time perfectly with his final movements. She smiled, almost serenely, at her small accomplishment. As he turned, finally, to look at her, and ached one dark eyebrow at her in questioning, she mimicked his expression and tilted her head slightly.

Yes?

Pleased as she was with her accomplishments, she still noted his rather…appealing…appearance. Those thoughts were gently, and quietly, pushed to the back of her mind.

[Vex]

"I'm glad you managed to occupy yourself. Your talents in the Force are...unusual...to say the least. There is only so much I will be able to teach you. In time, you will find yourself needing another Master with which to broaden your abilities." He spoke the words matter of factly, even though the eventuality would be a long way off. Shaking his head...the last few notes of that song she'd been toying with leaving echoes in the Force around im...he moved toward his discarded clothing.

Picking it up, he would pass her, heading back toward their quarters. He couldn't very well dress again, not until he'd had a chance to bathe. This time she'd find him going into the quarters he'd been given, taking liberty with that refresher unit there and only appearing once he'd cleaned himself up properly once more. Then he would look for her again.

More to himself than anyone else, he would speak. "I hope we manage to make this trip quickly...I do not desire to stay on this ship any longer than necessary."

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

((RAWR! Modded significantly considering I misread the end of your post the first time o.~ ))

Aunna smirked slightly and shrugged.

I suppose it is...I mean I've not really heard of any jedi singing into peoples minds, have you? As for a new master...hmph...I'm not sure anyone could help me more than yourself Vex.

She stood as he picked up his clothing, her eyes glinting oddly as she watched him. Blue coloring darkened slightly as those eyes followed his movements as he walked past her, before turning and following after him. Those eyes wandered along his broad back as he walked along before her and still she managed to keep her mind shielded and silent. It was a wonder, even to her, considering just what her mind kept wanting to wander off to. Instead she simply chuckled and shook her head, shifting back to their previous topic after only a moment of silence.

It could certainly be an advantage, however, especially if no one's expecting it. Surprise can be quite useful in creating openings.

A short pause followed as she mulled over the thoughts in her mind silently. None of her questions were spoken, however, as she allowed him to go clean up. Her, much appreciated, shower had been just before she'd gone to sleep so she was fine until tonight so long as she didn't decide to go and exercise herself. To be honest, she wished she had a pole or something to practice with...heavens knew she certainly needed a different weapon. As it was, she took the time he was gone to speak to the two devaronians and by the time he finished she was settled in the common room of the ship. Having replaced the missing connector she'd used from the com-link and replacing the back of it before returning it to the belt. Subtly something began nagging at the back of her mind, a dull headache growing steadily until she finally decided to head back to her room where the ship's engines weren't so noticeable...not that they were particularly noisy to begin with.

As she moved along she absently started humming, the tune feeling oddly familiar. Oh yes! It was the one from Coruscant, the one that had felt so oddly entwined with her. Aunna chuckled at the notion...but honestly, it did have the strangest feeling of déjà vu to it.

Oh, life is bigger
It's bigger than you
And you are not me
The lengths that I will go to
The distance in your eyes
Oh no, I've said too much
I set it up

Her voice was quiet as she headed down the few halls, only half paying attention to the song as she sang it. It was odd though, how much it reminded her of what she had tried to tell Vex on Manaan, that life was worth more than he gave it credit for, even his own, the fact that he didn't know just what she would do for something she cared about, but even now, after she'd shown him that she was willing to put her life and her well being on the line for him he was still so distant. Even back then when she'd spoken to him in the dive bar, or in the shuttle, she'd said to much.

That's me in the corner
That's me in the spotlight, I'm
Losing my religion
Trying to keep up with you
And I don't know if I can do it
Oh no, I've said too much
I haven't said enough
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try

Aunna paused at her door, hands pressed against either side of the frame as she braced herself against the dizziness that ensued, her vision flickering in and out as something re-emerged from her mind that she'd somehow locked away.

It was Manaan she was seeing...brief flashes of it...her gaze shifted to look through the opening of the platform, she thought she could hear snatches of conversation. Walking closer she could almost hear the sound of air being filtered through a rebreather. No one in the military would be wearing something like that...so what...what was going on? Blinking blue eyes, she leaned against the entryway, one hand resting against the cold metal as she peered into the area. It was...empty? Not even a ship was docked there...The sound of a man's deep and heartfelt laughter rang in her ears, though it seemed from a great distance, as if time and space separated her from the sound...however...she was certain it was coming from here! Another look around, leaning a bit further into the hanger, the young woman blinked confusedly as she once again reassured herself that there was, indeed, no one else there.

The scene changed.

It was the dive bar. The place she and Vex had first spoken...but it felt different, she felt...no...

Blue eyes narrowed to slits as she gazed in the direction of the man, and though she seemed compelled to join the leonine man, Aunna stayed stubbornly where she stood. He motioned for her to go and sit with him, and cautiously she took a step in the direction of the booth. Once again her vision blurred and she blinked stupidly, looking only at an empty booth, people coming across her field of view. Confused, and now on edge, Aunna took a breath and took another step in the direction of the booth as if half expecting something else to happen. When it didn't, she shook her head again and moved hurriedly to the booth, sitting down in it and sighing heavily as she relaxed in it.

--this didn't happen before--

This relaxation was short lived, unfortunately, for she soon heard snatches of conversation...the same male and female voices she'd heard before in the hanger. Shivering slightly, Aunna sat and strained to hear what they said...but it was so unclear, so dim and distant, that she could barely make anything out....it wasn't until the vague, acrid, smell of burning air and skin came to her nose that she could even decipher any meaningful words out of the voices...and it was only the man's voice then...

"Look...me...Concentrate....not...pain...Look into...eyes....am sorry, little one...hurt...necessary. Others may have...stand by...withhold help...but...not do...same...you."

The scene changed once more...

A dark robed figure stood looming before her, red blade in a backhanded hold, bodies scattered around...cut down in the worst ways it seemed. The figure stood for a moment as that scintillating red blade withdrew into it's hilt before being stowed back in the folds of those dark robes. The figure turned toward her and she caught a glimpse of the man she'd seen in the bar, rebreather and all. He looked down at her for a moment before she felt her vision blur...she recognized the man as Vex, but he was soon replaced by a man holding a blue blade in his hand, but in nearly the same trappings and position as the man she now traveled with.

Realization dawned on the woman then...those things she was seeing...they were memories, but not like anything she's ever imagined. Odd as it was, they were memories from her past involving visions of her future. It all came flooding back to her and she staggered, mentally and physically, under the circumstances, her heart racing as she very nearly dropped to her knees. As her mind replayed everything, the song all but forgotten.

Now she knew why the song had felt so...fatal.

Her vision flickered again as she vaguely heard Vex's voice, but right now, she really didn't know if it was real or part of her memories. Aunna really didn't care, it was all she could do to stay upright.

Every whisper
Of every waking hour I'm
Choosing my confessions
Trying to keep an eye on you
Like a hurt lost and blinded fool, fool
Oh no, I've said too much
I set it up

Consider this
Consider this
The hint of the century
Consider this
The slip that brought me
To my knees failed
What if all these fantasies
Come flailing around

Now I've said too much
I thought that I heard you laughing
I thought that I heard you sing
I think I thought I saw you try

But that was just a dream
That was just a dream

But that was just a dream
Try, cry, why try?
That was just a dream
Just a dream, just a dream
Dream

Each verse brought up new memories. The second, that was Vex, she could all but feel him written into it, his thoughts, his feelings, it described him, just as the first had been about her. The third...it felt like Nar Shaddaa...he'd...he'd known, he'd seen it, just as he'd said he had, but...what fantasies? That last...that had been Coruscant, she knew it because it had emerged there, she hadn't known it before then. It was all too much for her to process so swiftly.

Unfocused eyes gazed dazedly at the floor, swiftly racing heart tried to escape her chest, her entire body threatened to give way and send her to the ground. Aunna stayed stubbornly upright, only daring to shift her weight enough to lean heavily against one side of the door frame.

....V-vex...I...

"...I knew..."

[Vex]

It wasn't exactly going to take the ability to comprehend advanced hyperdrive theory in order to realize that she was not right. Having come out fresh and clean, he'd left the room to look for her. He'd felt her there, by the door, and had thus spoken before seeing her. As he rounded out of his own door and faced her, he was hit with the maestrom, the chaotic flow of her aura. She was gripping that door frame so tightly her knuckles were paler than his own. He watched as she finally shifted herself against the side of the frame while she continued to delve through the emotions and the memories running through her.

He tried to reach in, but her mind was so jumbled and chaotic that he second-guessed trying to go in and find out was wrong. There could be any manner of danger there, waiting to swallow him up in the chaos. There was too much there, on her mind...the past and present.

He moved up next to her, his hand lowering upon her shoulder to help keep her upright. Whatever she was in the thrall of, it was sending reverberations through the Force. He thought the echoes from them held nuances of the strange music and lyrics that he'd only ever seen come from her, but he couldn't be sure.

His free hand slipped around her waist to further secure her and in his mind, he heard her call his name, then he was stilled by her spoken words." She'd been in the throes of something powerful, but she hadn't wanted from.

"You knew what, Aunna?"

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

As Vex put his hand on her shoulder he'd be able to feel just how much she was shaking. His sudden (to her) arrival startled her, made her jump slightly, and as his other hand snaked around her waist she tried to lift herself up again, to stand straight. She hated feeling weak and helpless and right now she was feeling both...with confusion added as a bonus...and she didn't want him to see her like this. Another shaky breath and she managed to calm her mind slightly, slowly sifting the jumbled mess it was back into some kind of order. Another breath and he asked her what she had known.

Aunna managed to turn herself toward him without falling, with help from those supportive hands, blue eyes still dazed as she trembled. Looking up at him now, and knowing she had seen him before...had known about all of this before...those eyes almost begged him for help.

I knew about you.

Those words seemed to hang in the air even after she spoke them, her voice quiet as she lowered her head, hair falling to either side and hiding her face before she looked up at him again.

Ten years ago....I...I saw you...I heard you...Five years ago I...I saw and heard you again, I even felt your breath on my neck once...I smelled the fire, felt the death from the bombing...everything...

She shook her head as she drew in a shuddering breath.

....I knew and I didn't even realize...

[Vex]

He stiffened at the words, something that could be taken most ominously if one thought about it. Precognition was a rare and fickle trait, even among the Jedi...and he had only heard of rumored instances of the ability to see far distances into the future. To have had precognition five...ten years prior to the event, that was phenomenal. He didn't even want to contemplate the fact that this happened while she was unaware, untrained...even trying to deny her natural Sensitivity.

He could see how shook she was about all of this. She was still trembling as she tried to put herself back together and calm down. As she turned towards him, he'd lift her up, a hand curling behind her thighs as he drew her into her room. He would settle her down gently upon her bed.

"Then I have much to apologize for... I certainly did not intend to torment your existence for a decade, Aunna. That is a form of torture even I find cruel and unusual." There was a dark amusement in his eyes as he spoke to her this way. He was well aware by now of her opinions of him in regards to his own self-image. She had made it very adamant and clear. Given her state, however, it stood to reason that a little anger might be just what was needed to stabilize her and help her overcome her realization.

"To be able to see that far, especially untrained, is nothing short of remarkable. Your raw talent in that area is almost unsettling."