In the Silence ((vexmun))

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Silence…

A deep and profound silence had blanketed the glade the Consul was settled in, wrapping the ship up within its folds, outside and in. Every once in a great while a short animal call, bird sound, or pecking of a beak against wood would ring through the silence, but not enough to shatter the placid stillness. The past week had been clear skies, but the newly gathered clouds had caused the inhabitants of the forest, bird and beast alike, to nestle themselves in their homes to ride out the storm and the new promise of rain. The silence that had settled about the area wasn’t a simple one, however. Certainly there was a lack of sound, but this silence went further. It permeated the air, seeped through the force, and there was even an odd sort of emotional silence.

For the first time in the two weeks since the arrival of the ship its occupants were noticeably missing from the meadow outside. As the birds and beasts of the forest had cozied themselves up in their dens, two very different creatures had also seemingly curled up for the day within the ship they claimed as their own, taking a while to retreat into the warmth of their home and rest. If any of the creatures that poked about at the edges of the meadow thought this was odd, it would have been nothing compared to the oddity of the silence within the ship itself.

Indeed, the two humans were aboard the ship and in keeping with this soothing quiet, both in their respective corners and having had nothing to do with each other since the start of the day. It wasn’t overly unusual that the man aboard the ship should be silent and withdrawn…it seemed he was that way typically, and so the woman aboard didn’t find it out of keeping with what she expected. The same could not be said, perhaps, for her.

She sat, quietly, in her room…not caring to speak or move, her legs drawn up to her chest as she gazed unseeingly at her knees, back propped up against the wall and that flickering waterfall of crimson hair cascading down around her shoulders and upper back. This wasn’t where the oddity stopped, however. The sapphire eyed woman was emotionally silent…calm and neutral as any statue. Her thoughts were practically silent as well, mere whispers to her own mind and easily hidden beneath her growing mental defenses. What was most odd though, was the silence in the force around her. Since her re-awakening to her power there had constantly been something emanating from her, most typically music…song. There was no such thing from her at the moment, just a subtle in and out flow of the force, much like breathing or like the natural ripples of water as they lapped against a rock. Had her eyes not been open, one might have thought her asleep, despite it being only mid morning.

Aunna was decidedly not asleep…in fact, she was studying. It may seem an odd thing to say, but it was the truth of the matter. Vex hadn’t deemed it time to work on her force abilities yet, it seemed, and so she was resigned to puzzling things out on her own in the short term. Today was as good a day as any. Her…well, she still wasn’t sure what Vex was to her so she’d started deeming him her ‘companion’…constantly told her to feel the force. That, in itself, was all well and good…but how could she possibly know what the force ‘felt’ like if she never had the time to figure it out. She’d asked him once, of course, but his answer had been little to no help as he’d stated that the force felt different for everyone and so he couldn’t accurately describe to her what it felt like for him, much less how it would feel to her. She’d started to figure out how the force ‘felt’ to her on Coruscant…its ‘warning’ feeling…then further on Corellia when she’d started to connect the near physical urges to move or an almost physical weight to stop with the urgings of the force…but it still just didn’t give her enough information.

This was why she was so silent now…this was what she was studying.

She’d woken earlier than she would have liked, but didn’t bother going back to sleep. Instead she’d propped herself up like that and settled in with the blanket over her legs. It was surprisingly easy for her to sit calmly for fairly long periods of time, and the gentle lull of the day only helped her sit silently for longer. That start had been several hours ago by now, not that she really noticed the length of time, and she’d started making connections. There was a gentle flow…something like wind or water, but not tangible…and it moved around her and through her gently. In her mind’s eye it almost seemed to glisten and shimmer, like the sun off of the subtle waves of the lakes or rivers on Corellia, but there were more colors to it. It was almost warm, but again it wasn’t a physical warmth…not that she could tell anyway. At times she could almost see strands of this glistening energy with her physical sight, but as soon as she tried to catch hold of one of them with her eyes, it would vanish. This was the reason for her eyes being open, yet unfocused to the point of almost being completely unseeing. This was after the first two hours of her experimenting.

Slowly, she began to feel something else. It was far more subtle, almost like a ripples rebounding back to her from something else. It was odd to say the least, and she wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. At first it was barely noticeable, and she remained still to see what it might be or if the feeling would get stronger. When it only became marginally more noticeable, the auburn began to actively seek out the source…or try to. Bringing her focus around to where she thought the feeling was coming from, Aunna attempted to reach back toward it, curious as to just what this thing was that she was feeling. She didn’t believe it to be Vex…but then, she’d never tried to discern just what his presence felt like either…she would imagine, however, that she would have known it was him. Wouldn’t she?

That made those blue eyes blink and come back to reality for a moment before unfocusing once more. The question she was faced with now was…how did you find something you were sure if you could feel or not, and if you COULD feel it, how would you know you’d found what you were looking for if you didn’t know how it should feel to you? She puzzled over this for a moment before closing her eyes completely. She had felt more open to the force before, sitting quietly like she had been, but with her eyes closed it was…different. An arm muscle twitched slightly as she settled herself in further, feeling her mind relax a bit further and those vibrant colors appear before her mind’s eye. She felt herself shifting position physically, folding her legs before her so she was sitting up straight. The new position only seemed to enhance the mental ‘reach’ she had through the force.

Confused, but not questioning it, Aunna allowed herself to sit like that for a while as she watched the colors and movement passively. Slowly she began to extend her mind outward in her search. In one direction there was a bright, vibrant, green that pulsed ceaselessly, almost reminding her of a heartbeat. In that green there were shimmering flickers of other colors and warmth…for a moment she was almost entranced by it. Reluctantly she withdrew her attention from that area and focused in another direction…she wasn’t sure how, but she knew that wasn’t Vex. Searching in this new direction there was…very little for what felt like a long distance and then, more green. Odd. The next direction she chose was much the same as the last only it seemed a shorter distance to the green. That was about the time it started to click in her mind…the ship was that near void of color…the drab, almost nothingness, that she felt…and the green was the forest around them.

With this in mind, she chose her direction more carefully. Sure enough, there was the muted, and almost unwelcoming, grey and tan of the Consul…but buried in it was something else…something with color. Extending out in that direction it felt to her, only recently tested, senses further than it really was, but she found…something. It was bright (if black could ever truly be ‘bright’), and it was strong. To be perfectly honest, the swirling mass of black and red was intimidating…but the traces of gold that threaded through it at points kept her from immediately withdrawing back to herself. This had to be Vex…that first day they’d arrived here, when he’d first come at her with that purple lightsaber to strike at her knee…she’d seen those colors around him then too. She remembered that, now that she thought about it, and slowly she edged in closer, wondering what would happen if she brushed against that whirlpool of color. What might it feel like in this respect? Would she feel anything different at all? Certainly she and Vex both had brushed against each other’s presences before, but her attempts had always been reactions…only consciously done a very few times and never like this.

She could feel the ripples of energy from him like this, and ‘seeing’ the way those colored moved…Aunna was almost worried that he would injure her somehow if she were to try to reach out to him all the way. It took her a moment to decide that she would take the risk, but finally she did decide. Extending out the rest of the way toward him, Aunna calmly brushed against those dark and dangerous colors.

[Vex]

Vex had retired to the cargo bay, choosing to leave Aunna alone. After the altercation in the comms room, his mood has been...less than pleasant. A proper adjective would be something along the lines of "murderous". Fortunately, the only person that was around was the one person that he would not have any desire to kill or harm. If that wasn't apparent, then one would have to be even more blind than the Jedi Ryn.

He hadn't been terribly stirred to interact with her after that. His thoughts were better tailored toward figuring out how much of a threat the one known as "Wizard" could be, intentional or not. Just because she believed the man wasn't a threat...just because the man may not intend to be a threat...that did not mean he may not be one anyway.

She simply did not understand that. She was so stubborn. His words then, while meant to be vicious, had been truthful as well. Some of their problems, some of their hardships, were caused by her inability to do what he wanted at times. Corellia had been a prime example. His intent, truly, had only been to distract...to ward the Jedi back long enough for her to escape before he disengaged. That she had done the opposite and come towards them...it had forced him to battle more desperately to try and end the battle to keep her safe.

She simply didn't understand. She didn't get the way he thought.

It was frustrating beyond comprehension.

He felt the presence of something in the Force, something coming near. He opened his eyes and looked around, but nothing was around. The presence was still felt there in the Force, however. Drawing in upon himself and closing his eyes, he reached out his senses. When her presence brushed against his, those blacks and reds spiked, an instinctual reaction...another show of force and defense that he kept about himself at all times...a defense based on a simple principle. The best way to defend was by attack.

That aura wrapped about hers, holding it, not allowing it to slip away. The full brunt of his signature in the Force was poised to crush this interloper...this brazen intruder....but then he recognized it. Much like before, it was like he was holding onto her by the throat, pinning her against the wall...making her vulnerable, open to attack.

His presence drew back then, easing down, calming and relaxing and leaving her unharmed. His thoughts reached out to hers. -And what do you think you are doing, pet?-

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

There were so very many words she knew, in several languages, that tempted her mind the moment he bristled and latched onto her presence. She settled for a language she was fairly certain he wouldn’t know…the first, and only, word being “droyk” as she immediately stilled as her experience with the man told her not to struggle and make things worse. Tensely she waited, uncertain just how to react in this position. At last she felt him ease away and relax, those words sifting into her mind. For a moment she was still too stunned to respond, but swiftly recovered as she took a calming breath and relaxed slightly once more.

--I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to intrude. I was…well, I was experimenting I suppose…and then I began to wonder if I could find you like this and so I decided to try. I mean there’s nothing but green everywhere else…well, aside from the ship’s grey and tan that is…and since I’d seen these colors around you before and there was absolutely no other colors around. It was only logical that this was you.--

Well didn’t she feel rather foolish now? And just what kind of explanation was that? She huffed a sigh and settled herself down completely.

--Are you in the cargo bay? This feels like you’re forever away and it’s difficult to talk like this for long, but I’d like to explain better than I just did…--

That certainly was the truth. At close range, speaking mind to mind seemed far easier than over a distance like this, especially with as stretched out as she felt. Aunna had made an approximate guess of where Vex might be, but she couldn’t be entirely certain since all she ‘saw’ was color and vague, extremely blurred, forms. Her data pad beeped quietly and gained her attention…losing this focus she felt her senses withdraw back toward herself slightly and immediately she refocused on keeping that extension. Another huff of air escaped her quietly. This…was certainly going to take some getting used to.

[Vex]

-Your ability to sense using the Force works however best for you. Though I understand your meaning behind the colors...it has never been my preferred method. Your logical understanding is laudable...but does it feel like me? Did you recognize me for something other than the fact that I was the only presence out of place? And yes, I am indeed in the cargo bay.-

He pushed himself to his feet after uncurling himself from that meditative position. Long steps took him from the cargo bay, drawing him out from there and into the hall. It wasn't long before he reached the ramp and keyed it to drop down. Surprisingly, there was no rain. It was close to twilight, though it would be hard to see with the curtain of clouds overhead. The temperaturewas warm, however..and it was surprisingly dry. The rain threatened, but for the moment, it was an empty boast.

-I am heading outside if you feel the need to follow suit-

Stepping down, he crossed into the grass and stopped. The darkness was relaxing and comfortable. It mantled over him as comfortably as the cloak he was wont to wear. Directly above, the clouds had broken...the dark of space clearly seen overhead, spiked with the diamond hard gleamings of stars and the cool disk of the moon. His pale face tilted up, gazing up at it as he stood there.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

She listened quietly as Vex replied. It seemed he did understand her…rather hasty and laughable…explanation, but Aunna wasn’t entirely sure if she was pleased by that or not. Shrugging it off, she furrowed her brow at his questions. She still didn’t quite have an answer for them, he’d startled her enough with his reaction that she’d not fully had time to digest what might distinguish him from someone else. Well…at least she’d gotten the area of the ship correct. At his…half invitation, Aunna opened her eyes and unfolded herself, standing from her bed and pulling on her shoes.

--I’ll be there in a few moments.--

Gathering the pieces of flimsy and her pen from the bed, she stowed them away in a drawer and meandered outside. It didn’t take much for her to find him, even dressed as he was and facing away from her…it wasn’t fully dark yet and that dusky shadow was still easy enough to see. Some of the sun’s color still brushed the edges of the sky, but the space above them was swiftly turning a deep black, accentuated by the brilliance of the stars in all their glory as the glade basked in the soft glow of the moon. With his face turned toward the sky like that, pale features and dark hair and clothing covered in a soft silvery glow, the scene painted before her was rather striking and the auburn took a moment to soak it all in.

Finally she approached him quietly, barely making a rustle in the grass as she came up beside him and looked up also. Her eyes weren’t for the moon, however, but the stars that surrounded it, those twinkling celestial bodies never ceasing to amaze her. She was still, silent as she took in the enclosing night and seeming just as comfortable in it as her dark companion. For all her love of the day, she loved the night more…sunrise, sunset, and the dark of night were (to her) the most awe inspiring times of day…the most beautiful.

This is the second time I've seen you gaze at the stars like this...

It was true enough. She'd noticed the first time on the Pendragon, and again tonight. It made the maturing force user curious...curious about him. True, Aunna remembered her argument with Vex on their way here, how she'd spoken in anger, hinting at the fact that, perhaps, she didn't WANT to know about him and wouldn't ask about him simply because of how he'd acted. It had been an impulsive thing to say, and she'd known even then that it wasn't the truth...she was just...a bit nervous about asking him anything about himself. Sighing slightly, she shifted that blue gaze to him.

Vex, I...

She paused, hesitating slightly and looking away, off into the darkness of the forest around them as she mulled over what she should say.

Would you mind answering a few questions?....Personal...questions, I mean....

[Vex]

Quiet though she might have been, it wasn't quiet enough to escape his notice. Even if it hadn't been through sound, he had enough other senses with which to perceive her drawing near. He did not need to look for auras to know when another was drawing close, especially not her. He was quite succinctly in tune with her signature in the Force. Hearing her words, he lowered his face, glancing over his shoulder at her. "Indeed. Before I was taken in by the Order, I was an urchin living underneath Coruscant. I had never seen the stars until the night I was brought to the temple. It has always been rather profound....and it reminds me that the galaxy is vast and filled with possibility. It rekindles my belief that I will find a way to undo the damage done to me."

Well, she received a bit more about him than she'd been expecting, even before her question. A dark brow quirked as she hesitated with her questions, a small ripple of amusement flowing through him. He gestured for her to follow him as he began to drift away from the ship and toward the edge of the forest around them.

"That entirely depends on the questions, Aunna. What is it you want to know?"

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Those first words, that unexpected bit of insight into his past, caught Aunna off guard completely, the surprise rippling off of her and disturbing the placid calm of the force around her. It shed a good deal of light on a great many things, that little bit of information that he’d chosen to bestow upon her…and something more…something else crept up at his words, but she shook it off as he bayed her to follow him. Quietly she paced beside him toward the edge of the forest, trying (for once) to actually notice what his presence felt like. At such a close range it was far easier, and took only minimal awareness, to do. At his question, she chuckled a little and smiled slightly.

I want to know a great many things, but I think those things would take a lifetime to learn. As for what I want to know about you…

That thought trailed off as she pondered the questions she wished to ask. There were too many questions…just too many, and some she couldn’t even put into words yet.

I’m honestly not sure where to start questioning…

Another pause and she sighed a little as they reached the trees outlining the meadow the Consul was settled in.

Your time as a jedi…from what little I actually understood of your memories, you enjoyed it didn’t you…

It might not have seemed like a question, but in truth it was. She wanted to know about him…not just facts, but feelings, what had made him who he was. His statement about how he began life, where he was found, it helped her understand a bit of that, but she needed more to build on…something to branch out with, to lead her to other questions. Hopefully this would be a good way to start that.

[Vex]

The feeling of her surprise was a palpable wave of sensation washing over him through the Force. It was like feeling the tide washing up against the shores of the island of his mind. It was amusing, if nothing else. Quirking his brow, he tilted his head..."listening" to the confusion and indecision that was radiating from her.

"Comparatively speaking, yes. When viewed alongside my life prior to the Temple, of course I enjoyed it. It had been a place where I was wanted and welcomed...a far cry from the life I lived prior. Then I was only valued for my usefulness...for my ability to find salvage that held value. The Temple showed me why I was so adept at doing so...and helped me grow stronger. Being chosen by a master, of course, was very meaningful as well...even if my time with her was as trying as it is now with you. So, yes...until the end, I did enjoy being a Jedi."

He led her into the trees, passing through them, winding his way along them slowly while he grew silent, waiting for for her next barrage of curiosity.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

The calm waves she could feel from him slowly tinted with something else, and (judging by his expression) Aunna could only assume it was some form of amusement. She listened quietly to him speak, but there was something more to it, emotions rippled beneath the words, she just couldn’t tell what the meaning of them was. Instinctively stepping over a thick fallen branch, Aunna furrowed her brow at his description of how his life prior to the temple had been for him…how he’d only been valued because of his usefulness in salvaging. That got the woman bristling angrily, a short swirl of fiery anger rising up in her and licking at the walls of her heart and mind before she consciously settled it down again.

She’d seen the same thing before…Selonia, Talus, Tralus, Tatooine, Coruscant…even Corellia wasn’t free of that kind of treatment of children. Every time it was the same for Aunna. She would see the hungry and depressing faces of those children…sometimes frightened, sometimes angry, sometimes curious about the outsiders in the official looking uniforms or combat gear…and she would have the distinct urge to find those DNA donors (she couldn’t bring herself to call them parents) and put the fear of whatever deity they worshiped into them. A few times she’d been able to, and oh how she and her buddies had loved it, finding a sick sort of pleasure in harassing the adults for falsified (or sometimes not so falsified) crimes. Some of that dark amusement and satisfaction bubbled up in her again as those memories came to the surface, easing that anger down further.

As she caught the rest of his words, Aunna nodded slightly, the vision of that twi’lek woman appearing before her mind’s eye once more.

The twi’lek woman…the one from your memories…she was your master then?

That was when his full statement caught in her mind and she paused in her step a moment before trotting up beside him again.

Wait…what? Your time with her being ‘as trying as it is now with me’…just what is that supposed to mean, Vex?

A mixture of amusement and annoyance bubbled up in her as she tried to decipher just what he could have been implying. Certainly she could be a rather trying person at times, but how could he even liken his time with the twi’lek to his time with Aunna herself? Both were very different circumstances, no doubt they were very different people and personalities, his outlooks had changed as well since then undoubtedly…how, then could he justify his statement?

[Vex]

Her indignation and wrath at hearing about his childhood prior to the Temple was felt quite readily. Though a part of him might be able to appreciate the fact that she felt anger at the way he was used, her emotions were misplaced. As he was quite aware of now after their time at her estates, she had never wanted for much of anything. The hardships of her life...such as that in the military, had been largely self-imposed. She had never felt much want for anything, save perhaps someone to keep her mother from putting her through all those dance classes and such. She didn't fully understand the dynamic of places like that...how the underworld of Coruscant really lived. It was a baser, harder world than much of what she knew. Survival was paramount. Everything else was negotiable. What had been done, what use he'd had, had been utilized to ensure some modicum of food remained on the table.

Then she spoke and questioned him about Uthustra. Apparently she'd gotten some of those memories. He shrugged non-commitally. "Uthustra Velora, yes. She was my Master. And yes, this time is, in some ways, like deja vu...if one wasn't aware that it was the Force guiding everything. Both of you were very important im my life...both cause me to learn and grow...or at least attempt such."

Pausing at the base of a tree larger along the way, he turned to look at her fully, resting his back against the tree as he looked her over. "Both so very important...and yet capable of actions beyond exasperation. Both stubborn and unable to listen to the reason even if my logic makes sense most of the time."

Shrugging, he moved past her and along the path once more.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Aunna paused in her walk as he spoke, turning to look at him as he paused and leaned against that tree. Blue eyes glinted slightly in the low light, the moonlight catching on her dark auburn hair. Déjà vu? She didn’t fully understand how it was like déjà vu to him even as he continued. It mildly surprised her, but she shrugged that surprise off easily…far more easily than the surprise she got from his blatantly stating that she too was important in his life. Certainly she’d deduced that he held her in some kind of importance, for whatever reasons, but to have him say such out loud? It was…odd.

With the beginning of that second statement, she carefully withdrew into herself, checking that she was as shielded from him as possible emotionally and mentally. Aunna wasn't certain she wanted him to know just how those words, his tone, had made her feel. Unfortunately, she wasn't as swift as she would have liked to have been considering her newness at being able to fully shield her emotions (or even having to shield them) from others. Because of this, it was likely that he would have been able to sense the pleased embarrassment at his words that made her heart rate rise ever so slightly for a few moments. Of course his master had been important to him, that much was a given even for the (relatively) minor amount she knew about the him and the Order in general, but for her to be added...to be ranked in importance with her....

As he grumbled about both herself and Miss Velora being exasperating, stubborn, and unable to listen to reason, she chuckled lightly and stooped to pick up a pine cone at her feet. Turning it over lightly in her hands, she felt him pass her and followed suit.

Logic is all well and good, Vex…it saves lives many times, and can keep us out of danger, but…logic isn’t EVERYTHING in life. Some of the most beautiful things in life are illogical, or incapable of logic at all.

She paused again, wishing she had a bit of flimsy and a pen with her at the moment as she suppressed the song that bubbled up within her with a sigh.

Loyalty can be illogical, love is most certainly NOT logical in ANY way, trees are incapable of logic, as are the stars themselves…but all of these things are beautiful in their own rights...hells, even my songs aren't logical...and they have the most atrocious timing...

Blue eyes narrowed slightly as she grumbled about her songs, rather miffed at the persistence of the one buzzing about her mind as she suppressed it once more.

Besides…making a logical choice and making the RIGHT choice are not always the same. It wasn’t logical that I saved you on Nar Shaddaa, but it was right…it wasn’t logical that you saved me from my execution but…well, I won’t presume to say if it was right or not…only time and you can tell me that…

Somewhere off in the distance a night bird called out as it hunted for its food, the life around them prickling at Aunna’s awareness ceaselessly. Absently she hummed quietly as she turned the prickly pine cone over in her hands again. She was quiet except for her humming for quite some time as she allowed him to reply...or not...as he chose. Finally she became completely silent for a moment before pausing in her walk and looking up at him.

Vex…why are you helping me? I…keep trying to understand but…well, logically, you should have let the Republic do away with me.

The question had been eating away at her slowly for some time now, to the point where she'd finally asked him. Of course, recent...actions...had made her wonder just what she meant to him as well as just what those actions denoted (if anything), but, she was a bit tentative about asking that just yet.

I mean, yes, you say I'm important to you but...

With a slight shake of her head, Aunna furrowed her brow a bit.

...quite honestly I find that in itself....about as puzzling and surprising as when I found out that it was you who were acting as my escort at the prison.

She looked up at him for a moment a slight smile gracing her face before she returned her eyes to the pine cone in her hands.

...And don't give me any of that 'Gylif fho ihn gylif' nonsense that you tried with my father, because you wouldn't come for some guerfel ke'dem major if it was that sort of thing. I don't really see you as the life debt sort.

A light chuckle escaped her at the last comment, the use of those familiar Olys Corellisi words providing her some form of comfort and entertainment...as well as being a painful reminder of her situation.

[Vex]

He had felt the embarrassment, along with the pleasure that had entwined with it, at her understanding of his words...that he held her in importance. Still so much work to do...so much training yet to accomplish. There wasn't enough time...he knew it...and it brought a bittersweet expression...an odd curl of his lips. Thankfully, the mask kept it hidden from easy view. No doubt she would ask about it if she had seen it.

"Be that as it may, Aunna...you still do not know me enough to say what I would or would not do...or why. Certain...facets of my personality are, quite apparent. Of that I am most certainly aware. However, those are, truly, only facets and not the whole. There is still much you do not know or understand about me, ergo this...'interrogation', no doubt." A faint smile flickered up enough to pass through those dark eyes as he looked down at her before he drew his attention back to the path before them.

He then spoke lowly...but loud enough to be hear. "Our paths in the Force are twined more than you know."

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Even if she didn’t see the look on his face, or know his thoughts, or feel all of his emotions, Aunna could tell there was something wrong. At first it was just an odd prickling beneath her skin that made her look up from the amusement of the pine cone in her hands. As she looked up, those blue eyes caught a glimpse of his and she was suddenly uneasy. Luckily for her, she’d managed to keep a reign on this one; though, as she returned her eyes to her previous studies of that pine cone, the slight narrowing of her eyes and furrowing of her brow were the only traces of any of her troubled thoughts.

As he spoke, however, a small smirk pulled up at one corner of her mouth. She’d lifted her head long enough to glance about when he’d ended with that little quip about her interrogating him. With a snicker, she glanced up at him, one eyebrow raised and that smirk lengthening until it formed an amused smile on her face. At the smile that touched his eyes, she only snickered again and gave a mildly sarcastic roll of her eyes. Dratted man thought he was witty no doubt.

No interrogation…simply my burning curiosity of the more strange and mysterious things in life. I’ve found that, while I have no end of odd and mysterious things to be curious about these days…you’ve somehow worked your way to the top of the list. Though whether it’s the oddity or the mystery that has me asking questions….

I do believe it’s the oddity…the mystery in you might puzzle me ‘til the end of time, so I doubt asking will do me a lick of good except to make me even more curious.

She paused as he spoke again, stopping and turning to look at him curiously.

Vex? …Well…then explain to me…what to you mean by that?

Fire.

The scent of fire overwhelmed her as her vision was clouded by plumes of grey and black smoke, the hostile glow of the flames bathing the area in vicious oranges and yellows. Stunned by the sudden change, her breathing quickened as she looked about, the heat from the flames were at dangerous levels, making her shy away from the nearest ones slightly. Why was she here? What could have possibly drawn her into a building like this at all, much less one that was on fire…for she got the distinct feeling she hadn’t been in the building when the fire had started.

Vex was somewhere near her, she could tell, but she didn’t have time to think about that as she felt herself dart up a flight of stairs, bounding lightly over the top two and rounding a corner before darting down the hallway and stopping before a closed door. With a swift kick, the door cracked slightly and slammed inward. Two girls were huddled inside, the oldest not much over twelve, the younger being five or six. The younger wasn’t doing well…she looked like she’d passed out, or was close to it, and the older seemed to terrified to move.

Immediately she was before them, kneeling down and scooping up the younger one, allowing Vex to take the older and heavier one…if they were going to get out fast, she would need to take the lighter child. Not to mention he could sooth the older one far easier should the girl struggle in her fear. Somewhere in the distance, Aunna could hear something crashing to the ground…and that didn’t bode well for them…

As her vision continued, blue eyes narrowed against the heat she felt in from those fires. Her head pulled back as if she had been startled and stopped short in some sort of motion only moments before she fell to a knee, the knuckles of one hand on the ground and her head bowed. She’d slammed back into reality with that motion, struggling to get her heart to slow and her stomach to settle once more as her eyes regained their typical sight. She could still smell smoke vaguely and her skin felt hot still…at least to her, whether it was hot to the touch or not, she couldn’t tell.

Unnerved, Aunna didn’t move…uncertain of if it was even a good idea to do so. What she’d seen last had startled her beyond belief, and she wondered if she even wanted to know what might come after it.

[Vex]

He shook his head slowly at her questioning. "You are not the only one capable of visions, Aunna. My presence in that bar, at that time, on Coruscant was hardly chance. I knew to be there...knew that you would be be an important part of my future. At the time...I hardly knew for what reason. Your face, however, had haunted my waking dreams for weeks prior. I had assumed that, somehow, you would be instrumental in helping me find what I seek...in helping make me whole."

He shrugged slightly, those eyes sliding out, focusing on memories and not the world around him. The visions floated through his mind, letting the images of those old memories float through. She didn't know how he'd been able to follow her...been able to shadow her movements to Selonia...to Manaan...even then he had seen her...the visions providing him enough clues to do the rest of the work in the waking world to follow her...to set himself before her in her hunts. Drawing her from the base had been brought to mind through haunting images. His visit to her shuttle and its temporary lodging when Samael had come calling...truly auspicious coincidence? Nothing ever just happened when it came to the Force.

He had no intention of telling her all of this, however. Too much and she would erroneously think that he was simply doing everything according to some intangible script given to him by the Force. It was hardly the case. Though the major events had been highlighted, most of the journey was as much a surprise to him as it had been to her. Even the highlights that he did see did not end the way he expected them to. Nar Shaddaa was only the most glaring example.

He saw the change coming over her as she came into the thrall of that vision and was cognizant enough to realize what was happening. He could feel the way the Force seemed to concentrate and swirl around her. A hand reached out, coming to rest on her shoulder and give her a solid foundation for when she returned. The swirl of confusion that poured from her as she came out of it had him gripping a little tighter as he questioned her.

"Aunna? What is it?"

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

She started slightly as she heard his voice and felt the reassuring grip of his hand tighten. Aunna had come back to the present, but that didn’t mean she’d been fully aware of everything going on around her. Her breathing had quieted and, with another shaky breath, she straightened slightly so that both hands rested atop the knee that wasn’t planted against the ground. Looking up at him, she gave a weak smile that soon flickered and died away. She was thankful for his actions, just that simple touch helped her pull her still confused mind back into a more clear line of thought, but what she’d seen had her troubled in more ways than one.

I just…I think it was a vision…but…

Blue eyes unfocused a bit, but she swiftly pulled herself back again. Now wasn’t a time to be spacing out, no matter how much she wanted to. Vex needed to know about this if he was going to help her in any way, shape, or form…or if only to understand why she might suddenly bolt into a burning building.

…I don’t think it’s going to happen tonight…I’m not sure when…but it didn’t feel…well, it didn’t feel urgent anyway. Not like the night of the Gala…those felt urgent. This was…I smelled fire first. We were in some sort of building that was on fire. At first I didn’t know why we would be in there…I didn’t get the feeling that we were the cause, or that we were even there when it started…but…

I ran up a flight of stairs, jumping the top two and started down a hallway. When I came to a door near the end of it, I stopped and had to kick the door in. Inside were two little girls, they looked to be about 12 and 5…or maybe 6…the older was awake, but the younger one was unconscious. I let you take the older one so that we could move more swiftly. You’re stronger than I am, and I figure…if she struggled, you could manage her more easily than I could…I just…we needed to get out of there fast by that time since the structure of the building was….beginning to become unstable.

She had more than one reason to know that the building had become unstable. With the pine cone gone from her hand because of the vision, she rested one hand over his and looked at him seriously.

Vex, I think that as soon as possible you’re going to need to start teaching me how to control the force itself…even if it’s just to speed my actions consciously.

It wasn’t a request. If that vision did actually happen…she would need the knowledge, if only to better keep herself out of danger.

[Vex]

He sighed slightly, listening to her. More visions. In and of itself, it wasn't a bad thing. It was a sign that her connection with the Force was strengthening, solidifying. All that she had cut herself off from was coming back...was becoming stronger than before. Unfortunately, that also meant that she was getting visions about saving others. Indeed, that seemed to be the bulk of them. Saving him on Nar Shaddaa. Saving the Queen, Rook, and Ryn. Now this. It put them...put her...at risk. That was the last thing he wanted. It was one of the reasons that they'd come here...to be desolate and alone, without worrying about others and getting involved in the affairs of others. Doing so only put her at more risk.

"You want to risk yourself again for others...knowing that most likely they would not do the same. They would simply seek to turn you in, to cause you harm, to do ill against you....and you would have me help you do it. Willingly put you in danger. You know my feelings...that I care nothing about others...about no one, but you."

His fists tightened, knuckles white beneath those fingerless gloves...the one on her shoulder gentler, but evidencing just what her request was making him feel. Dark eyes slid to the side, away from her, the glare intense. Finally he looked back at her. "Just as you know that I will indulge you to try and keep you safe....or die in the attempt."

Looking back in the direction of the ship, he spoke once more. "We should return."

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

A heavy sigh escaped Aunna as he spoke, the grip on her shoulder and the emotions she could just barely sense from him (the ones only barely trickling through his defenses), having her look at him sadly through blue eyes as she stood. Stepping closer to him, she gently placed her hand against his corresponding shoulder, the thumb of it running once along the skin of his neck.

Vex…I…if we’re no where near it, I’m not going to go looking for it or try to make things come about…but these are children, not adults, and they’re worth the risk. I…you can’t understand what children mean to me, or why…if I have the chance to save a child, I will.

She sighed again and shook her head.

--Forgive me--…I certainly don’t mean to…

A sharp pain in her side had her wincing slightly and holding her breath for a moment before the pain eased again.

…don’t mean to cause you, or myself, trouble…but I find that helping others gives me confidence in myself and my abilities as well as I enjoy helping others. It’s one of the reasons I almost went to medical school.

As he looked back to the ship and spoke once more, she nodded slightly.

I suppose so…I just…heh…well I rather like it out here.

With a shrug of her shoulders, however, she removed her hand and backed away from him, making room so he could lead the way back.