The First Step

((Character in play: Ashaiya Sin))

The streets were buzzing, air-speeders shadowed the surface and every one seemed like they had somewhere specific to be. She had never been to a place so noisy, so alive. It was rather overwhelming for her. Though she had heard of this planet before, Coruscant. But her limited imagination did not give this planet it's due credit. But what was she to do now? ...Well, she ought to find an apartment to rent. With no ship to make it anywhere she figured she would be here for a while. Sighing, she began to make her way down the seemingly endless street, and while walking she attempted to stop a few people for some directions and friendly advice.

Of course she didn't receive the answers she was hoping for. Instead she either got a "space off", "looking for some death sticks?" or something in a language she did not recognize. Although guessing by their tone it was probably an insult or something. A common attitude she had found on this world. But fortunately she had never been to sensitive over insults, or words.

As she made her way down the street completely lost, she was still wearing her Kiffu Guardian armor. Which was basically thin black armor with white padding on the breast, dark red sleeves, and white bandages wrapped around her forearms. Her pants were loose-fitted black pants, with a red belt that was connected to another red cloth that fell down the front, and back of her legs. But was think enough to not appear as a skirt. On the shoulders and upper-chest were gold stars enclosed by a circle. On her feet she wore simple shoes. While she looked like an off-worlder, she'd probably still not be a target for thieves due to her weaponry and armor. With a black strap over her left shoulder, she had a DLT-19 heavy blaster rifle hanging down her left side. While in her right hand she carried a shock staff that she rested on the back of her shoulders.

She sighed once more, a little lonely at the moment. Completely lost and with no one willing to help her she would have to figure something out soon. Brushing her light brown hair out of her eyes, she let the rest of her hair simply fall back to the center of her back. The sixteen year old's gray eyes quickly fell upon a busy cantina, maybe she'd stop by for a drink?

Genner was thoroughly lost in his own thoughts, and in the streets. He wasn't paying any attention to where he was going; he was afraid. His fear allowed him to blend flawlessly with the people around him. That was good; he couldn't allow himself to be found. He was of the hunted -- a Jedi Knight, a skilled slicer, fallen from grace in an action of reprehensible implications. He had sins to atone for; but who would listen, and who could forgive?

Genner was pulled out of his reverie, though, by colliding with someone midfall, tripping over a Trandoshans thick boot as he stood off to the side of the street convering with a Deveronian. His fall was interrupted by a black armored woman; a girl, more like, practically tackling her, surprised as he was with tripping.

He stumbled up quickly, still managing a modicum of grace. Jedi training and all of that always allowed for a modicum of grace. In the fall, his lightsaber fell, rolled between the womans feet, and stayed there. He tried not to give it any notice; when she walked away, he could collect it. He just needed to put a bublbe of sorts around it.

He focused intently on the lightsaber; from there, he allowd a psychic impression to plant itself in the minds of those who might accidentally stumble on it or kick it or otherwise move it, telling them to avoid it. Genner hoped the girl wouldn't notice the three or four feet of clearance that appeared as people steered around her.

To the girl he stammered an apolgoy. "I'm...I'm sorry, miss. I was lost in thought and not paying attention to where I was going, the fault is mine."

Genner wasn't much older than she was, in retrospect. He was....twenty? Something like that. He had messy black hair and a slightly pale face, and a thin, not trim or toned, just thin, wiry build. He was wearing all black clothing; something popular amongst his type of people. He seemed nervous, and glanced over his shoulders frequently. Overall, he just seemed a little strange.

"Damn..."

She whispered to herself, still scanning the area for any sign of rent-able apartments. She decided to not bother with the cantina after all, deciding that finding a place to live would be more important. However these thoughts were quickly washed away as she turned to gaze outward and was met with a man tackling her. Reflexing to grab her rifle she wasn't successful since this was such an awkward position. Though as he backed away, seemingly as startled as her she let her guard down for the most part. Her eyes met the odd cylinder object he had dropped though...she recognized it slightly, from her past studies. Though she couldn't quite call it to mind just yet. But regardless.

Taking it in hand, her eyes widened when a vision quickly ran through her mind. She could see the man before her, although a bit younger looking. Apparently being taught by an individual she did not recognize. But this was merely for a moment and wouldn't be too noticeable. With the vision gone she too now got back up to her feet, and subsequently handed him his lightsaber. Waiting for him to take it from her hand she spoke after hearing him apologize.

"It's alright, just a mistake I suppose."

She took note of his behavior. He acted as a poorly taught Smuggler would trying to dodge security. Glancing over his shoulder, giving off that aura of being nervous, basically being quite obvious. But then she also took note of everyone around her, and a good majority were similar. So perhaps his behavior was acting like a good cover-up. But whatever, she was thinking a bit too much again.

Genner paused as he took back the lightsaber. She had given it back to him, but said nothing. Did she know what it was. His general demeanor took on something a little more serious and composed; instead of looking over his shoulder, he stretched out with the Force over the immediate area. With a much more calm, serious tone, he asked her quietly, "Do you know what you gave back to me?"

He didn't know why he was asking. He just needed to know if someone knew. If his cover was blown, or anything like that.

What cover could be blown, anyways? Was anyone even after him any more? He struggled to find an answer to that.

She had looked him over, analyzed him. She looked like someone used to being obviously observational. A bounty hunter? It didn't quite fit. She didn't have enough auxilary devices. Although some bounty hunter types went in with just a blaster. It depended what you hunted, he guessed. No, some sort of Guard or milita-type seemed more likely.

"I've an idea. I know I came across it a few times in my studies."

Recalling back to her studies she could remember reading about the religious wars between the Jedi and the Sith, which she only went onto because she found record of a now dead Kiffu Guardian that was also a Jedi Master. But calling back to a specific story she read, about the forces of the Sith and the Jedi in war. She remembered the book referring to a weapon of some sort called a 'Lightsaber'.

"I believe it is a lightsaber. A melee laser-weapon that was often used by those called Jedi and Sith. But I am unsure if it is restricted to them, because I recall stories of non-Jedi or non-Sith wielding them. But whatever, it's some sort of powerful sword."

She always had a tendency to go on and on, and that would become rather obvious in a moment or two. As she now recalled some other things she read about lightsabers, mostly about certain materials that could actually block these laser-swords.

"I also know of certain metals capable of resisting the burn of the lightsaber's blade. In fact, I believe my shockstaff is made out of one of those materials."

But finally focusing her eyes back on him, she was now a little curious as to why he would ask such a question.

"Why do you ask?"

Genner sighed, almost with resignation. He had to double-check to make sure this wasn't some sort of special even the needed to be paying attention to. Will of the Force and all of that. The Will of the Force tended to be unpredictable as all Hell and probably equally annoying.

"Actually, making a shockstaff out of lightsaber blocking material is completely unnecessary. Electric fields suffice to repulse lightsaber strikes. That is, if you're fast enough. The difference between a shockstaff, and a lightsaber, assuming equal training, is weight. The lightsaber wielder is going to be able to strike, then whip around and hit two different locations in rapid sequence while you're still twirling that thing around."

He paused.

"I.....I'm a Jedi Knight. Used to be. Still am. Might be still. I don't know anymore. I'm me, and I'm trying to do my best to do good in the world, but I'm not sure that I still am. I thought I was. Or I think I am. I'm not sure which. Neither? Both? It's becoming hard to say. I....think I'm being hunted. I'm afraid. I've never been afraid -- not for myself, anyways. For others, yes. I've had those that I've feared for. Yet...never for myself. It's new to me, and terrifying. Then again, fear is terrifying by nature of the word. That's what I get for assuming fear is an artifical construct. Or maybe it still is, and something else is bothering me. Listen, I want to know why you're here. Maybe this is important. I don't know why. All I know is nothing significant has happened in the past three goddamned months and maybe this is something I need to pay attention to. Or maybe it's a distraction, or a hint, or something."

He didn't seem to be fully talking to her for all of it. Sometimes, he talked to himself. Sometimes, he talked to her. Sometimes, he talked to no one in particular. A deep-seated intennal unhappiness was seemingly preventing any kind of coherent communication past his announcement that he was a Jedi Knight. He walked away, but motioned for her to follow.

“Whether it is necessary or not, it was not a custom design. It’s in fact a regular addition to the staff. As well, that’s only assuming the non-lightsaber-wielding opponent isn’t as arrogant as you seem to be.”

She sighed; she wasn’t too surprised to hear he was a Jedi. Their arrogance was well known. But then again…she too was arrogant. So that wasn’t saying much was it?

”Because any one willing to face a lightsaber does not tend to come unprepared. They arrive with armor, and weaponry. So while you try to push your one-pound lightsaber through their armor, you’ll already be attacked, and sorry to say. A lightsaber doesn’t offer much in blocking when a heavier weapon is pushing against it. If anything, you’ll have a sore wrist, and then a bloody wound.”

But she would move on. There’s no point in arguing with a Jedi. The opinion of another means little to the concern of their little Lightside rituals.

“Why am I here? I’m here because…well, I don’t know why. I’m here because that’s where my Uncle decided I should start my life off. I’m here because I’ve no place to actually go, as well no means of going. I’m here simply because I am here. Despite that not being any business of yours, stranger.”

Renner had to supress the smile at the assumptous vibes he was getting from her. She thought him arrogant; he was a lot of things. Conceiterd, perhaps, being on the top of the list these days. But arrogant was not there at the top of it all.

"I think I might have to concede the point on that. A lightsaber is a weapon that burns through most materials casually, but if you can have a staff that blocks a lightsaber and you're ready to face a lightsaber, than it can be assumed that you'd be ready to wear armor that can stop a lightsaber. Good point; I'll remember to try running from someone like that."

He heard the rest of what she had to say; he could relate. "Corsucant was the city of my dreams. I came from New Alderaan. I got good with computers, got involved in some crazy adventures, but then I decided that this was my kind of place. I do and don't have a place here. Legitimately, I'm pretty homeless. In a practical sense, I have a small complex to myself. If you need a place to stay while you're looking for something, I'd be happy to share space. I mean, I have an entire complex, and I use a single floor of it. No reason to be greedy or anything."

He paused.

"You haven't heard of a city block in the Coruscant plaza district on the South Side that was damaged in a massive electrical explosion, have you? I heard it was some kind of terrorist activity. You look like an aware type of person; who do people think is behind that?"

He kept walking; presumably to the apartment complex he had been referring to.

She kept his offer in mind. Though before she spoke any more on the subject, she’d confront something first. About her sudden…explosive manner?

”I apologize about my sudden outburst. Just a ‘tad ‘bit…annoyed. I prefer planets where I can go out and peer at the ocean, the meadows, or make my way through a forest. I’m just not use to this planet, and a little frustrated about some family matters. Once again, I apologize.”

She wouldn’t agree to share the complex with him just yet, but she was considering it. She needed a place to stay after all. But she would think more on it later now walking on his right. Following him, although not quite sure where she was being lead. But she’d keep an eye out for any thing suspicious. Since she was a little hesitant about his offer, considering she didn’t think this planet would spit out the most generous. Despite him not originally being from here, he seemed to be here long enough.

”But…I heard a few guards at the docking area speak of an explosion. Though I didn’t hear much beyond that there was apparently some electrical overload, or something to that extent. Though I heard one of them say they remember seeing a man shooting out flame or something in the street, and that the fire probably was a cause of the explosion. The other guards seemed to just laugh at him.”

Brushing her hair from her eyes she then glanced at him for a moment, and spoke again.

”As well, I wouldn’t consider myself aware yet. I’ve only been here for about four, five hours now.”

Genner nodded, and commented no further on the nature of the electrical explosion.

"It's all right; I don't get offended easily. I hope it doesn't bother you for me to say this, but I've dealt with a lot of teenaged girls who are prone to outbursts that they apologize for."

He had a broad smile on his face that he hadn't had in a while; a patient, happy, teasing smile nonethless. Somehow, he managed to be seriously reflecting on his own experiances while still giving her crap.

"Coruscant is a jungle of it's own right, if you learn how to get through the people. It requires skill and understanding to be able to appreciate it. Time here will show you the reality of the city-construct."

He was taking her to a darker part of town that seemed a little run down, and definately had people on street corners that looked shady and had bulges on their hips that looked blaster like.

"Don't worry. Or go ahead and worry. They're harmless, and they know me. I'm not with them in the traditional sense. They just know to leave me alone. Plus, I keep tax collectors off of them by filing all their reports electronically."

"Soon, I'll show you where I was thinking of letting you stick around. But just stick close in the meantime."

“I’ll bet.”

Responding to his teenage girl comment, though she glanced at the people around her. All appearing to be homeless, and most fairly desperate. Of course she knew she shouldn’t be judging by appearance alone. Instead she took note of his words, and soon began to theorize who he was. Of course she could simply follow him to his apartment complex, and use Psychometry on it. But what could she really hope to gain from that?

”You seem to like this planet quite a lot. Which strikes me as odd. But to each there own, I suppose.”

Her Uncle had mentioned something to her she had taken slight interest in. Apparently the Jedi Temple was located here. Maybe she could somehow gain access to the Jedi library? It was most likely not open for the public…but she would try. After all, they were Jedi. What would they do? Obviously not kill her. Maybe arrest her but hell... that wouldn’t be all that inconvenient to her.

”Could I see your lightsaber for a moment, if that'll be alright?”

Genner gave her a long glance. The request seemed odd to him for some reason he couldn't palce.

"Why would you like to see my lightsaber by chance?"

At the same time, he handed her his lightsaber...and also probed gently at her thoughts. He made sure not to disturb anything by probing too deeply; he'd simply pick up surface thoughts, such as what actions she might be desiring to take and what things she was considering actively.

He was skilled at Mentalism -- the act of touching and interacting with the minds of others through the Force -- so he didn't worrymuch about being detected.

As he did so, he stopped to watch to see what she wished to do.

Taking the lightsaber in hand, she held it for a brief moment. Still moving at a constant pace. But without any physical change she was capable of quickly seeing everything this lightsaber had gone through. He seemed to have made this quite a few years ago, which was fortunate for her. For it then provided quite a bit more history. She had heard of people who killed Jedi, and took their lightsabers as trophies. She just wanted to make sure she wasn’t being lead into a death trap.

But it appeared this man was a Jedi, mind you not the best. For one of the memories she saw was not quite the explosion of the street, but the process of code breaking he had gone through in order to cause it. Quite a bit of it she didn’t understand however she got a general idea. It was a rather…intense memory, and was hard for her to bottle up. But she succeeded in that.

Though she felt a slight eerie feeling, like someone was invading her. Suspecting the man beside her, she stopped the little slideshow of mental memories. Somewhat…difficult to react to. It seemed he was no lightsaber-collecting murderer. Just…a computer network specializing Jedi willing to destroy a block of city. She stopped moving for a moment, she had to digest all the emotions. The ones he felt at that time, and her own in reaction to this. The difficult with her Psychometry ability, was that she also got the feelings. She couldn’t even speak too much at the moment, the single memory was blocking too much of her mind.

”Hm…”

There wasn't really any way she could hide all of that. Her Psychometry focused herself inward and made her slightly exposed outward -- so while no physical change occured, it was easy for him to read the gist of what she was seeing. And unlike her, he understood all of it.

His smile suddenly became very, very sad. "I don't presume you want to give that back to me without a due explanation."

He sighed deeply, clearly unhappy. "There was a Sith of substantial power. He wasn't just there. He was killing, actively. He was blowing people apart -- literlaly. He had some kind of power over combustive energies that let him do such. I had to stop him. I couldn't stop him. I'm no duelist. Hell, I'm not even that powerful of a Force user. I'm like the computers I work with. I can get into things and see what they are, but past that, my powers are very limited. If he were to take my lightsaber and throw it across the room, I'd have to physically go over to it and get it. So I did what I could. I tried to kill him. I didn't start by blowing up the city block. I did what I could first. I tried to funnel gasses, first. Take exhaust buildups or other things, overpressuize them, and let them release in the street he was standing on. At first, no one got hurt. Then that became the issue. I wasn't hurting anything, not even him. So I tried to stop him, forcibly. It almost worked. It *almost* worked. It came so close to working. I felt a flash, as if he was relalizing his death. Then he survived. It gets better. Then a guy claiming to be from the Jedi Federation, or somesuch, tried to get me. He stuck his slicers on finding my location. He couldn't, of course. I'm too good for that; at slicing, at lesat.I got away. He saw me, though. He knows my force signiture. He could pick me out in a crowd. I think he hunts me. I think there is an outstanding warrnat."

Sadness and honesty seemed to permeate here. So did self-loathing. "How far from grace have I fallen to be a Jedi hunted by Jedi?"

He turned to her, the sad gleam still there. "What you do with this is up to you. You could take my lightsaber. I'd probably rebuild it, but it'd still be a huge black mark on my pride, and also my sense of self-worth. I might go into exile at that point. As if I haven't already. Or you could kill me. That would take out my ability to inflict anything, good or evil, on what's around me. Mind you, I have an apprentice who might go mad with grief over this, but you could. Or you could let me go. I'd go on doing....something. I'm not sure yet. Or we could talk more. You could keep an eye on me. Or what have you. Or you could arrest me. Capture me. Report me. Something of some sort. I'd probably escape if not immediately put to confinement of some sort. Despite all my failings, I still want to redeem myself, and redemption and imprisonment are rather mutually exclusive. But I'm rambling. Your turn."

He seemed matter of fact, completely honest and comfortable with the outcomes, with the choices.

It didn't sound like he had a choice.

She didn’t respond for a few moments. Not because she had a lack of what to say, but because she was sorting out all the feelings. Drowning out the ones that did not belong to her, and just making everything in her head make sense again. It took her a few minutes of awkward silence to this. Hell, she was barely listening to him. She hadn’t expected a memory like this. She had never trained her mind to an extent that would’ve brushed a memory like this off quickly. She had seen death before in her visions, pain, suffering, but she had trained herself to shake it off. This however…was different.

”Ugh…give me a second.”

Finally she sorted everything out, removing the emotions that did not belong to her. Suppressing her own emotions at the same time so she wouldn’t collapse right there.

”Right…there.”

Widening her eyes to adjust them, they had gotten watery for a moment. But she wiped it away and regrouped.

”I don’t intend to report you. I personally believe if someone is willing to redeem them selves, then they too deserve a chance.”

Yawning slightly she found herself a little exhausted after attempting to wash away all the confusion and false emotions. Or well, not really attempting. As she did succeed, just the process that was required to do so was not something she had ever expected. But it was a learning moment for her, or would be soon. Once the headache went away.

”Anyways. You were going to show me that apartment? I’m Ashaiya Sin by the way, a Kiffu Guardian of the planet Kiffu and Kiffex.”

Genner nodded. He took a deep breath, got back in the moment. "So can I have my lightsaber back?"

He gave a wolfish, humoring grin.

He kept on walking, nodding slowly as he did, as if deep in though. "Genner Lodride. I am a computer slicer. And a Jedi. I'm not sure which comes first. Both roles come with an ethics statement. Responsible ways to do both. Here's the complex, by the way>"

He pointed out a building with all the lights off, right in front of the sidewalk, no gardens of space between in and the sidewalk.

The door looked like all the other doors that opened to apartment complexes. Like crap. Except this one had a nice key pad on it. He didn't slow down as he walked towards it, and his hand flashed across it, and the door opened, without him ever breaking stride.

The door opened to a hallway, which lead into a kitchen, with two entrances covered by doors, one by beads, and one that opened into a training room. It was spartan; bare, simple. Like someone who lived there had very few material needs.

"There is a stairwell in back, but I also have a room or two here. People know not to come here. Everyone knows that I keep this part of town running. I make sure it has fresh water, that the tax collectors never come, and occassionally give them a few hundred to spend on groceries. That's about the only thing I can't do. I am habitually somewhat of a caretaker and sentinel. I watch, I wait, I learn. You're welcome to any of these rooms, as long as you leave it the way you found it."

“Alright, thanks. An’ I’ll keep that in mind.”

Finding an apparently unoccupied room, she entered and had the door close behind her. She’d be taking a nap for a bit.

((Post closed.))