Star Wars - Tales from the Outer Rim

"Perada's Spire"
Dargus Kandran - Crimelord, Kandran Syndicate
Oot Kovan - Grand Dame, Tarabassic Syndicate

Location: Perada's Spire nightclub, New Plouton
Date: Saris 17, 3 ABY

***

Drovan entered his master's offices. He bowed low before his Lord and master, Dargus Kandran. "My Lord, this was delivered to your offices in New Plouton." He handed the padd to Kandran, and bowed again.

Dargus activated the padd and began to read. He smirked and handed it to the nearest droid. "Drovan, fire up the speeder, and get twenty guards in position at the Perada's Spire. The Lady Kovan has requested a meeting."

It was an hour later that Dargus arrived at the Perada's Spire nightclub. Flanked by his Wookiee, Gor'garr and Mer'rrar, Dargus strode with a pompous air towards the maitre d'. "A Lady Kovan is expecting me," Dargus said with a smarmy grin. "Show me to her."

The Toydarian flapped its wings in obeisance, and whirled around before leading them towards the Twi'lek. He bowed his head once stopped at the lady's table then backed away. "Enjoy your evening, Lord Kandran."

Dargus' lips stretched into a hungry smile as he set his wandering eyes upon the woman. He at once wondered how much it would cost to convince her to join his harem. With Gor'garr and Mer'rrar on either side, he took the vacant seat and inclined his head at the woman.

Oot Kovan gave Dargus Kandran a slow nod, her tails swaying slightly at the movement. They were adorned in a gold mesh covered with black diamonds today. She figured Kandran would appreciate the ostentatious display. The rest of her attire was a pair of black breeches, a silver top of Rodian silk, and a black coat slashed with deep blue that came to just above her knees. She figured wearing a dress would be restrictive to her movements, and had opted for something comfortable.

At her side stood a gungan. He was tall for his species, and stood with the stance of a warrior. His single eye took in everything; the stalk of the other eye ending in a cauterized nub. He wore a pair of blasters, one slung low on each hip. His hands were held casual, but spoke of someone who could have both weapons cleared of their holsters and firing in a split second. His confidence was nearly palpable. His eye never strayed from the Wookiees shadowing Kandran.

Oot Kovan gave her bodyguard a nod and moved to the table. "I am surprised you accepted my offer, Mr. Kandran," she said, her voice musical and light. It was a gift of her species, and she used it well. "I thank you though. We have much to discuss."

"I must say," he began, his voice deep and rich, "that I am" --his eyes roamed slowly over her body-- "intrigued by the Tarabassic. They say you are a clever, dangerous woman and that your talents are far and in between." His eyes met hers and her offered her a hungry smile. "So, now that the pleasantries are aside, how can we be of service to one another, Ms. Kovan?"

Oot smiled, a practiced expression that one in her position needed while playing the games she played. "As I understand it," she began, "you have a little war going on with Gorda. Now, I know that you are a human male, and therefore driven by your lust for violence and vengeance, but I would like to take a little heat off you. Of course, my reasons are nowhere near altruistic, I would turn a tidy profit from this venture, and you would be able to devote more energy to your syndicate and less to fighting the slug."

"And how do you propose to do this?" He grinned and leaned forward. "And how much is this going to cost me?"

Oot smiled again. "Well," she began, "you and Gorda are obviously fighting over something. My guess would be one of your operations. I will acquire the operations in question, we can negotiate a price later." She pulled out a datapad with some figures worked out across its surface and slid it across the table to Kandran. "Those are preliminary numbers I've worked up. They detail profits to your company with the war with Gorda, and then without. As you can see, you are much more profitable when not fighting the Hutt. And, as I understand it, Gorda seeking allies, and has been somewhat successful so far. Your war gets even uglier when you face more than Gorda."

Dargus' snaky grin grew in size. "And why help me, Ms. Kovan? Judging from the latest reports, we're still enemies."

Oot smiled. It was a dangerous smile. "I'm not helping you, Mr. Kandran," she said. "I'm helping myself. It just so happens that my actions will benefit your syndicate. I could wait for you and Gorda to batter each other to a bloody pulp, but I would rather acquire these properties while they still have value. I do run a syndicate after all, not a salvaging service. I want a piece of the...what do you humans call that? ...pie? I would rather it be fresh out of the oven, rather than dropped on the floor. Fresh out of the oven is a much better dessert, don't you agree? My proposal will benefit us both I assure you."

"Oh, I'm sure it will, Ms. Kovan." Again, he could do nothing to keep his eyes from taking in her supple curves. "Though, before we agree to anything, shall we discuss the little matter of compensation? As in you compensating me for running business on my territory?"

Oot's smile widened. "Compensated? You see the figure I'm willing to pay for the properties in question," she said, indicating the datapad. "And, this is a big sector, I'm sure we can keep out from under each other's feet if we want to. You don't want to fight a war on two fronts do you, Mr. Kandran? You don't want to start a fight with me while you're still exchanging blows with Gorda and his new alliance, do you?" She smiled and then turned her attention to the menu. She knew he wouldn't go for it, but she had to push hard. Pushing hard earned respect. But, she knew that Dargus Kandran respected no one. He would come to respect her though, she would make sure of it.

Dargus grinned darkly at the woman, and his voice was menacingly low as he replied, "And what makes you think I can't handle such a scenario, Ms. Kovan?"

Oot's smile faded for a moment, her eyes turned to blue steel as she held his gaze. The smile returned again and her eyes softened a little. "You wouldn't want me harrying your flanks while Gorda and his alliance attack from front and back, would you, Mr. Kandran?"

Dargus sat back slowly, regarding the Twi'lek with a mixture of irritation and respect. She was a worthy competitor, and a minor nuisance, though keeping her around might prove fun and highly pleasurable if he could appeal to her sexual desires. Now, though, he needed to appeal to her survival instincts. "You have many enemies in the Imperial ranks, do you not, Ms. Kovan?" He grinned. "Well, I have many allies, and for a 30% stake in all your profit, I can make certain they keep you out of an Imperial stockade."

Oot's smile shifted again. "You don't think I've made my own assurances with the Imperial Sector?" She shook her head, tsking. "Mr. Kandran, I believe our business here may be at an end. I would thank you for the meal, but it appears that we have not been served." She pulled out another datapad and slid it across the table. It contained information regarding cloning facilities not sanctioned by the Empire, facilities recently used. The fingerprints of the Kandran Syndicate were all over the place. The casual observer and most law enforcement agencies around the galaxy would miss the evidence, but someone with the knowledge of what to look for could pick it out easy enough. She wondered how long it would take Dargus to decrypt the hidden file containing information on three of the operatives Gorda had planted within Dargus's organization. She gave him another smile. "I believe this is good day, Mr. Kandran."

He chuckled lowly and snapped a finger at her. "Sit down. You have a deal, Ms. Kovan." He paused, his smile broadening. "If you tell me what your favourite colour is."

Oot resettled into her seat again and flashed Dargus a coy smile. "That depends," she said, "what color are Imperial credits these days?"

His eyes focused on her voluptuous curves again. "You have fine taste, Ms. Kovan," he drawled. "Perhaps you and I can be close partners? Hm?"

Oot smiled and inclined her head slightly. "We've just ordered food, Mr. Kandran," she said. "Let us save the discussions of businesses and alliances for another time."

"Yes," he agreed, his smile exuding pure lust. "Another time. But for now, what shall we discuss?"

Oot smiled. "You have been here for some time," she said, taking a sip of her own wine. "What are the good places a Crimelord would wish to go for sightseeing?"

"Oh, I know a few places," he replied. The large bed on his cruiser came to mind. "Planning on some company, then?"

Oot's eyes flashed in the light of the club. "I'm not certain yet," she said. "I don't have anyone to take with me at the moment, but you never know. As a rule, I try to avoid more intimate contacts. I've always found it's too dangerous for a woman in my position. Why don't you give me alone and with someone..."

"I know plenty of Tae'Karada's more up scale locales," he began, and proceeded to detail the ones he most often attended. If he could perhaps catch her alone at one of them.... The possibilities were appealing and created a stirring in his pants.

Oot glanced up at the gungan behind her. He nodded slowly. "Thank you for the list," she said, turning back to face Dargus. "I will have to check them out as I have time. You seem to be knowledgeable of the artistic side of life on Tae'Karada. Do you partake often?"

"Always," he replied with a deep, resonant chuckle. "Though, I'm never without a woman on my arm, even if it is just a visit to, say, the museum." His smile was suggestive as he gazed into her radiant eyes.

Oot smiled a casual smile. "You don't seem the type," she said. "I would place you in the sweaty mob watching a pair of women wrestling in the mud before I'd place you in a museum. It just surprises me that a man such as yourself would enjoy the finer arts of the galaxy."

"Of course I do, Ms. Kovan," he said, his tone chiding. "I am not a barbarian."

Oot laughed, a musical sound filled with the mirth that also danced in her eyes. "I guess we'll have to see about that, Mr. Kandran," she said. "Though, from the things I've heard, your actions do run well into the barbaric side of life. So, how many women have been subjugated into your service as concubines now? Yes, yes quite barbaric. And, how many women is it that you've forced to your bed against their will now? How many women have you raped?" Her eyes turned deathly cold and all the laughter disappeared, instead an anger burned there, an anger burning with the hatred of all the women Dargus Kandran had forced, an anger of all the women forced by men like Dargus Kandran. When she spoke again, it felt as if the temperature in the room had dropped. "You are nothing more than a thug and a barbarian, you just live a wealthier lifestyle than your street scum brethren." She stood and dropped the linen cloth across her plate. "Good day, Mr. Kandran."

Dargus' once enticing smile became feral and malignant. In an instant he was on his feet, with pure rage emanating from his glare, and one hand roughly clutching Oot's wrist. "You would do well to hold your tongue and learn your place, woman," he growled.

Oot looked down at the hand Dargus had placed upon her arm. She looked up at Dargus with a venomous look. Kambra took a step forward, a hand lingering near one of his blasters. "Remove your hand from my arm," she said gently. "If you ever touch me without permission again, you will require a prosthetic replacement. Our business is concluded, Mr. Kandran. You are barbaric and the charm of the Wookiees you hang around with. When you realize there are ways to deal with people other than pushing them around, other than just taking what you want, perhaps we can have future dealings together. But, as long as you continue to be have as a boorish primitive, I will seek my business dealings with the Hutts, at least they possess a modicum of civility."

"And if you possessed even a modicum of intelligence, Twi'lek," he replied coldly, "you would sit down. You may have a gorgeous ass and magnificent tits, but I won't hesitate to harm either of them if you defy me."

Oot glanced down at her backside and then up to Dargus. "Yes," she said, "it is a nice ass, isn't it? Take a long hard look at it, because that's the last closest you'll ever get. I'd let you touch it, but I wouldn't want you to stain my pants." She started toward the door with Kambra falling in step beside her. She turned back, a smile still on her face. "And, I've actually had dinner with Jabba the Hutt before. He can be quite charming when he needs to be, as can Gorda. Your reputation precedes you, and from the women I have talked to, you are definitely no teddy bear. I'd say you come closest to a reghaest boar when in heat. Good day, Mr. Kandran." She turned and resumed her walk toward the exit.

"Trust... A Tentative Thing"
By: Elisia Melouet - Padawan
Kylas Thoamis - Jedi Master

Location: Landro IV
Date: Saris 17, 3 ABY

***

Kylas had landed the ship on Landro IV a small isolated jungle colony; the nearest settlement was over ten miles from where he landed, a small secluded dwelling. He grabbed his traveling bag and walked off. Elisia may very well still be sleeping. He walked off and dropped his bag and started his martial art movements to focus his thoughts and rocks lifted around him as he focused on moving them in the air.

Elisia had awoken with the stilling of the ship. She had no idea how long she had slept. She did truly feel relaxed. She stretched. She got up and cleaned up. She changed into clean clothes and went to find her new mentor. She stepped off the ship and stood staring at the surroundings in wonder. Elisia had always either been in space or in large cities.

"Welcome to Landros IV." Kylas smiled. "My home, it is your home now. You will find a room waiting for you fully furnished. It is not a small one, but I hope it is comfortable," he replied.

She looked around in disbelief. "Where are the people?" Elisia had never been anywhere that had no people.

"The closest settlement is a fishing camp about ten miles away. I got there to trade for supplies, but there is only about thirty people there. Not many people live on this jungle hell hole." He smiled. "Nice and quiet."

"It is beautiful," she said, stepping down off the ramp and slowly turning to see. "It is the most beautiful thing I think I have seen except maybe the Clariete Nebula."

"Yes, but you can live here in the open space without the confines of a ship or space." He looked at her and smiled. "Here you can learn many things freely."

"Are there beasts?" she asked with concern. She fingered the saber he had given her.

He laughed. "Here yes, but the biggest thing you'll find is a Tylian swamp Lizard, no bigger than your forearm and a bite of 90 year old man, no teeth." He walked behind her and massaged her shoulder. "Not everything in this galaxy is out to get you."

She moved away from him. "That remains to be seen," she pointed out cautiously. "So we are here, now what?"

"You explore, both physically and mentally. You must learn to open your mind and spirit to your surroundings." He nodded. "You have to be able to read not just people but animals and objects as well." He looked at her.

"So I can just go exploring?" she said, a light gleaming in her eyes.

"Yes, leave your saber here, and you can go. Nothing will harm you but you must open your senses." He looked at her.

"Leave my saber?" Her saber had become almost a security blanket for her. Since learning to use it, she had not been far from it. She had yet to practice with this new one and its two blades.

He sensed her fear. "You must learn to be able to sense things before you can fight. It will do you little good against a predator that knows what it is doing, and as there are no predators on this world you do not need it."

"Okay. Okay then. I will go explore." She was dying to anyway. Elisia was still a child at heart in many ways. "I will be back before the sun goes down."

"Very well. I know where you will be, that is not a worry." He smiled and continued his exercise.

***

Elisia searched the surroundings for hours. She wandered far, enjoying the solitude, the presence of animals. She reached out with her senses. Here, unlike the city, everything pulsed with the colors she could see when she focused. It was as if it were everywhere. Elisia found a large rock by a stream and climbed up on it, extending her awareness. By doing so, it was as if all her troubles extended out as well.

Kylas remained at the dwelling. "Hmmmm." He looked around and started moving his more personal effects from his room to the ship and moved Elisia's bag to the room. "Well, I hope that works."

Elisia finally forced her awareness back to her own heartbeat; her own breath. She got up and hopped off the rock. The sun was going down and she still had to find her way back. She reached out with her senses, and finally honed in on a direction. As darkness truly fell, she wandered back into the clearing where the house was. She opened the door. She looked more relaxed and at ease than since Kylas had met her.

"Enjoy your journey I see." He smiled and sat dinner out onto the table, a type of stew. "I took the liberty of moving your things to your new accommodations." He nodded and walked towards the door and out to the ship.

Elisia sat down and began to eat. She was starving. That was one thing that had never changed, she was always hungry. She had finished off a bowl by the time Kylas returned. "I did not know such peace existed in the universe."

"You must learn that feeling and hold onto it," he told her, "that must be at the center of all your focus, to allow you clear judgment. To maintain the Balance. Never stray from that. I hope you are ready," he told her.

"I am, I think," she said thoughtfully. "You will find that I learn quickly, most things not mechanical."

"Excellent. Follow me." He turned and walked outside into a marshy field. "Attack me."

"I...I don't have my saber and I have no hand training," she stammered. "You would just toss me to the ground like a rag."

"Very well we'll start with the basics. Do you know how to punch?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

"I know some street tactics." You didn't grow up on the streets and not know how to use a blade.

"I'm not talking street anything, no blades, just your hands." He looked at her. "You have to be able to disarm a person if you don't have your saber, and using the force all the time can be exhausting."

"I am willing to learn, but I have never been in any confrontation where I did not escape by wishing or using my dagger," she answered honestly. Well, there had been the one time that she had killed with the saber.

"The same movements you felt from me on the ship can also be turned into a weapon if need be," he said and stood beside her. "Follow my lead." He started arching his arms into various punches.

Elisia moved into position, mimicking his movements. She was still stiff, but not as stiff as she had been when he had worked with her on the ship.

Kylas now looked puzzled. "Ummmm I meant stand beside or in front of me, there is no need for me to manipulate your body to show you properly unless you are incorrect." He raised an eyebrow.

She blushed and stuck out her tongue at him. She moved beside him and waited for him to continue.

He shook his head. "I was about to say, my aren't we being forward." He laughed and started again.

"I am never forward," she said tersely. "Shall we continue?"

"Very well." He continued his lesson. He taught her basic punching and blocking. He taught her a few kicks and some blocking moves. "How do you feel?"

"Exhilarated," she said. "And...hungry," she admitted with a laugh.

Very well," he added and walked back into the hut and turned on the stove again and heated the stew once more. He opened a cold box and pulled some berries from it and set them on the table.

She watched him closely, not touching the food till the stew was done. "Why do you have a house so isolated?" She was intrigued by him. In many ways, she could feel a kindred spirit in him.

"I like my privacy. People tend to ask too many questions when you have no answers you can give," he replied. "And after all I've done, I need to help people, not live amongst them."

"How can one fall to the darkside and return? You did? Kace did sort of? I...I thought it was a one way trip?" she inquired curiously.

"For me, I had no choice in my fall. I was used." He looked at her. "When my eyes were opened I fought to come back into the light." He sat down with a bowl. "I fight to redeem what I was all those years."

"What of what you lost before you knew what you were? How can that be redeemed?" she asked quietly, pushing the stew in her bowl around.

"By finding the truth within your own heart." He looked at her. "Some people never learn that."

"How do you find truth? What if it is buried in lies and pain?" she asked with concern.

"You will know the truth if you feel it in every fiber of your being. It is there, the truth is different for every person." He looked to her and stood up. "Are you worried?"

"I am worried it is too late. I liked some things that the darkness offers," she admitted slowly.

"But have you experienced light?" he offered her back.

"I don't know," she said frowning. "Would I know?"

"If you feel satisfaction without the emptiness afterwards, yes you would." He looked down on her. "You have been harmed in so many ways, haven't you?"

Elisia looked down at her bowl. "I guess. I dealt with most of it."

He sat down and placed his hand over hers. He closed his eyes and focused. He tried to touch her mind, like a calm soothing feeling washing over her, to try and help heal some of the pain.

Elisia immediately tensed. To touch minds to her was a form of intimacy. However, she understood what he was trying to do and slowly allowed him access and felt the sense of calm he was instilling. She said nothing, just letting him soothe the hurts he could find. Only two things did she have so protected that he could not ease.

"Why are you hiding such pain from a chance to heal them?" He opened his eyes and looked at her.

"I don't know. I guess so I don't have to look at it at all," she said quietly. "I...I have always kept some things deeply buried."

"I am sorry." He stood up and walked around to her side. He gently hugged her, not knowing what else to do. "I am sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" She looked up at him, but did not pull away. "You did not do those things."

"Perhaps. But people by nature are both good and evil, and had I, in some small way, had control of myself then, I may have been able to help you if we had met earlier." He looked into her eyes.

"But the chances of me meeting you were slim. You are only with my now because the High Princess sicced you on me," she pointed out softly. "You are not responsible for my hurts and the biggest hurt of all is knowing that I have only myself to blame for the most recent."

"Why? Because you trusted and it turned out to be a bad move? It's called a mistake, people make them. You are human and are allowed to make them," he replied.

"I know...but it doesn't make it hurt less," she said. Realizing she was still in his arms, she moved away nervously.

"What's wrong?" He looked at her.

"Who said anything is wrong?" she asked, looking at him in surprise.

"I need not be a mind reader to pick you up being nervous." He looked at her. "Has your abuse been pushed that deep?"

She looked up at him like a small animal about to be slaughtered. "I...I guess." She didn't know what else to say. She tried not to think about it, but his words drudged up memories.

He was being a fool, but he wanted her to get over the feeling of being harmed. He gently hugged her again. "Again I am sorry," he whispered. "What can I do?"

"It is my burden to carry," she said. "I will cleanse it when I find him," she whispered, letting him attempt to give her comfort.

"Burdens do not have to be carried alone." He caressed the side of her face. "You can ask for help."

"I don't know how to share this one," she whispered back. Her eyes were large and locked on his.

"By letting someone in." He looked back into her eyes. "But not always being afraid, not everyone turns on you the second you look away." He smiled at her. "You need to try and look past the darkness."

"How do you know who to let in? I already learned I don't have good judgment," she said, looking up at him.

"No, you don't have experience." He looked at her. "You are young, you just need to find a shoulder to lean on once and awhile and you don't have to keep your back to a wall." He looked back. "Your judgment will improve with age."

"Are you trying to say I can trust you?" she asked with a frown.

"Yes." He nodded.

"Prove it," she challenged softly. She didn't see how he could. She had trusted once and never even saw the betrayal coming.

"How do you wish me to?" he answered. He opened his mind to her once again and let her have free reign of any information she wanted. He reached his emotions out to her so she felt what he did. "What do you want me to do?"

"I don't know." She looked at him closely. His colors didn't swirl, they were consistent. They weren't dark. "Teach me."

"I can teach you?" He furrowed his brow. "But would you be ready?" He looked concerned. "Would I teach you the right thing?"

"If I can trust you... Then you will teach me the right thing," dhe pointed out. "If I cannot trust you, then I will know my path has been chosen for me," Elisia said with sudden insight.

"Good, but how do you wish me to teach you?" he asked. He looked into her face with a reassuring glance. "Would it be what you need to learn?"

"You are the master. I am but your humble padawan. I cannot even begin to know what I should know," she teased. "Except to learn to read."

Kylas smiled and kissed her deeply for a moment. "Perhaps in the morning." He kissed her forehead. "You have had a hard day as it is. Your room is through the curtains and the house is yours at night." He stood up and started for the door.

Elisia touched her lips, somewhat stunned. She had not expected him to kiss her. She watched as he left. Tomorrow she would ask what he meant by hers at night. She turned and went to find her bed.

"Returning Home"
By: Alisson Blair - Royal Messenger/Hitwoman/Spy

Location: Space, Landro IV System
Date: Saris 17, 3 ABY

***

Alisson had kept herself concealed while tracing Elisia and her actions. Kandran and Evie had been a surprise but they had not been able to make Elisia go back to Tae'Karada with them and thus had left back without the girl they had come for.

A Jedi master had also shown up, as it seemed, and Elisia could see that, just as her, he too carried a double bladed lightsaber. Apparently this man had found Elisia and took her under his training. They both left on his ship towards Landro IV, a small and isolated jungle colony.

She followed in her Slave II starship, under cloak and keeping a certain distance so that she was not seen or traced in any possible scans. She thought that it would not be necessary to follow them any more as they would surely stay there for the time being. She should head back home and inform the High Princess of the intel she had gathered.

Entering hyperspace, it took her some time to get back home. As she docked she ordered the men responsible by the docking station on the Royal Palace to reset the ship and re-check its systems as she had been on space travel throughout the galaxy and several systems.

As she stepped outside the ship she immediately felt a certain presence she had not felt for almost a year or so. But for as glad as she could be of being back and having such a surprise waiting, her duty had her report to the High Princess first.

She made her way, and apparently the High Princess was already waiting for her. Alisson bowed gracefully in respect to Her Highness.

"My High Princess, I return with news. I traced Elisia Melouet and she had set refuge in a distant planet. However, Kandran and his mate Evie paid her a visit and tried to make her come back with them. Alas the girl refused and decided to stay... Afterwards a Jedi Master came along and apparently decided to take her under his wing and train her. They are now on Landro IV."

She bowed again. "With your permission..." she said before leaving.

"Back Home"
By: Kal'Aran - Jedi Knight

Location: New Plouton, Tae'Karada
Date: Saris 17, 3 ABY

***

A Corellian Transport YT-2400 docked at Commerce City. Out alone came one man in his fifties wearing a dark brown cloak that concealed most of his face as well as his body, on the most part. It had been quite a long time since he had last set foot on Tae'Karada, and even though this was not his home planet it had become a home to him.

He paid for the docking position and made his way. The city was still filled with all types of smuggling and small trading business. Some eyes were set upon himself, but he attracted little attention amidst the crowd and was ignored. Just another person in the crowd...

A dirty looking man approached him. He had a grim face with large nostrils that were upwards. He seemed like someone with a disease of some kind as his skin seemed bumpy, with clusters and spots. Rather disgusting to look at but it was probably natural to him, as if part of whatever race mixture he belonged to. This man stopped him.

"That Corellian YT-2400 that docked in bay 24 is yours?" he demanded.

"Does it matter? Is that important?" Kal'Aran asked back.

"Well, that spot is mine, and you'll have to pay," the man frowned angrily.

Waving his hand in a small circle Kal'Aran spoke: "My ship will be allowed to dock in bay 24. You don't need that spot."

"Your ship will be allowed to dock in bay 24. I don't need that spot..." the man repeated, almost robotically. And then he walked away.

Kal'Aran wondered if he could find Alisson in the Royal Palace. Probably so. The question was whether she had acted in the right way. After all, she was a wise person and had her training almost complete, but she could still be lured to the Dark Side if caught, just as Obi-Wan's apprentice had in the old days.

He made his way to the Royal Palace, in Arcadia, by renting a speeder from a local man in Commerce City. Upon arrival at the palace he requested an audience with the High Prince of Tae'Karada. They knew eachother from the past, as he had once requested tutelage over Alisson to teach her in the ways of the Force, and he wondered how the High Prince was these days, and whether he still had a neutral point of view over the war between the Galactic Empire and the Rebellion.

A Royal Guard came up to meet him. Probably to give him an answer as to his request to see the High Prince.

"Trivialities"
By: Kaysa Zenarr - Owner of Zenarr Inc.
Vrax - Kaysa's assistant [NPC]

Location: New Plouton - Zenarr Inc. Headquarters
Date: Saris 17, 3ABY

***

"Kaysa! Where ya been?" Vrax shouted, his voice filled not with anger, but relief as he pushed his chair back and greeted Kaysa at the door.

Kaysa sighed and dropped her bags of luggage on the ground. "Oh, I just spent three days with the richest man in New Plouton. In other words, nowhere really," Kaysa replied sarcastically as she stepped into her office and sank into the nearest chair. "What are you doing here anyway, Vrax?"

"Just holding up the fort for you," he answered. He moved to Kaysa's side and eyeed her inquisitively. "So...what happened?"

Kaysa glanced sideways at Vrax and laughed wearily. "What didn't happen? Well, I can tell you one thing that didn't," Kaysa quipped as she propped her feet up on the desk.

"And what would that be?" Vrax probed as he moved behind Kaysa and began massaging her tense shoulders. "Is he...well, is he out of the picture?"

Kaysa moaned as she felt the knots in her back begin to unwind. Vrax was an expert at massages, one of the reasons she'd kept him around for so long. He knew Kaysa's body language, could read her mood just by detecting the slightest change in the tone of her voice. He studied her and knew everything about her. In fact, he was the only person she'd ever told her most guarded secret to, the one that opened the door onto how Kaysa Zenarr, the woman she was today, came into being. He'd never told a soul, which gained him her trust, one he had never betrayed, nor one she believed he ever would.

It was that same trust that Rennor had demanded of her, and no matter how badly she wanted her plan to succeed, she couldn't give him that trust, which was why she couldn't give him her body. "That man, Rennor, he's...nice. I don't think I've ruined anything, but he's going to take more time than I thought."

"So you still think it'll work? You think we have a chance with this guy?"

"I think so, but it's going to be tricky. He wants me and wants me bad." Kaysa could feel Vrax's grip tightening and his hands turning cold against her flesh as she alluded to sex with Rennor. He always got that way when she talked about other men, even though she had made it quite clear to him that their relationship was completely a platonic one and nothing more. "I ran out on him this morning while he was still asleep. I...things were getting too complicated so I just had to get out of there before I ruined everything," Kaysa said as she shrugged Vrax's hands off her shoulders and rose from her seat.

"And you're telling me you haven't ruined anything?" Vrax asked, a bit stupefied. "How do you think a man will react to having a woman run out on him, Kaysa?"

"Vrax, you weren't there. He was all over me! Did you really expect me to stay there a minute longer so he could have his way with me? I'm not giving into him that easily and if you can't understand that, then screw you." Kaysa sighed and pulled off her jacket, throwing it over the back of her chair and turning on the vidlink on her desk. "Did I get any important calls?" she asked absently as she scanned through her logs.

Vrax cleared his throat and crossed his arms over his chest. He was used to Kaysa's temper, and used to having her rage directed at him. He never really took it to heart and merely let anything Kaysa threw at him, roll off his back. Loving her wholeheartedly helped a great deal with that. "Nothing too pressing, except...she called again."

Kaysa closed her eyes and sighed deeply. Her head suddenly began to hurt. "Did she say what she wanted this time?" Kaysa asked wearily.

"You know what she wanted, Kaysa. It's the same thing she always wants when she calls," Vrax answered pointedly.

"Dammit...I give her money every damned month! What more does she want from me?" Kaysa hollered as she slammed her hands down onto her desk in frustration.

"Well, you know how I feel on the subject, Kayse, but it is your decision, after all. Although, one day you're gonna have to come to the stark realization that you can't continue to run from it. He's your--"

"Shut up, Vrax," Kaysa interjected, raising her hand in the air and silencing him. "I'm well aware of my situation, but I don't want to have to live with my mistake for the rest of my life. Things are better this way for both of us."

Kaysa sighed quietly as she sat unsteadily in her chair. Her mind always reeled when this topic came up, but there never was a way to evade it. Her mother was a very persistent, stubborn person and she never let Kaysa forget her responsibility. In fact, she called every month, and every month, Kaysa came up with some excuse to get out of speaking with her. She'd run out of excuses long ago, but that didn't stop her from trying the same ones, even if her mother wasn't fooled anymore.

The calls were coming more frequently now, for some reason, but Kaysa wasn't about to fall for her mother's scare tactics. She was intentionally trying to pique her curiousity so Kaysa would answer her call for once. She'd tried it before, but Kaysa had seen through her mother's charade. She was beginning to resent her mother, resent her for trying to interfere with her life, but she had to admit, her intentions were good.

"So," Vrax began, breaking the silence, "what's next with this Rennor fellow?"

"What?" Kaysa asked, narrowing her eyes and looking rather perplexed. "Oh! Rennor... I don't know. I'm going to definitely see him again, I have to. I can't ruin this, I refuse to."

"You're going to sleep with him then," Vrax surmised. His blood began to boil and his stomach turned at the thought of anyone touching his Kaysa.

"I don't know, Vrax. I don't want it to come to that, but this is alot of money we're talking about. I gotta ask myself whether my pride is worth more than a few thousand creds," Kaysa said. "I mean, I could screw him a few times, gain his trust, and I could go from there. It would be so much easier if I just knew what I needed to do to get this guy to accept me into his life. I really hate men," Kaysa grumbled as she placed her elbows on her desk and rested her head in her hands.

"Don't worry, Kayse. We've got lotsa time. You just think about things and I'm sure you'll figure it out," Vrax replied assuredly. "I better get going. I've got some things to take care of, but I'll check back with you later. Are you gonna be ok?" Vrax asked as he turned and headed for the door.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Kaysa called back, forcing a smile. "And you're right. I just need time to think."

"Alright. I'll see ya later, Kayse." Vrax smiled back, giving Kaysa a wink before he headed out of the door.

Kaysa sighed heavily. She pressed her fingers against her eyelids and rubbed them slowly. Seducing Rennor had worn her out, and combined with the current situation with her mother, Kaysa was exhausted. She had to come up with something to resolve the Rennor situation; she needed to put things into perspective and figure out how much she was willing to compromise to get Rennor to give her what she wanted. She didn't want to make any hasty decisions, especially when she wasn't thinking that clearly.

The situation with her mother was only adding to the already mounting stress. She'd called everyday that week, as far as she knew, which was rather unusual, considering her mother always stuck to a consistent pattern of calls. She wouldn't fall for it though; she couldn't. Kaysa knew the moment she started talking to her mother, the same argument would arise. She'd heard it again and again, the tune never once changing, yet the words never really sunk into Kaysa's head. She knew she'd made a mistake and didn't need her mother reminding her of it every day for the rest of her life.

Kaysa pushed the vidlink away, sitting back in her chair and staring up at the ceiling. She certainly had a lot of thinking to do, something she hated more than anything in the galaxy. She would think, but later, for Kaysa made it a point never to think when she was sober. She had a nasty tendency to remember things when she wasn't drunk, and remembering the past wasn't a luxury Kaysa could afford.

"Back Together"
By: Kal'Aran - Jedi Master
Alisson Blair - Royal Messenger/Hitwoman/Spy

Location: Royal Palace, Arcadia
Date: Saris 17, 3 ABY

***

While conversing with the High Prince, who welcomed him once more to the Royal Palace, Kal'Aran felt the presence of his Padawan, Alisson. He was excused and thus he had the chance to see his trainee once more. He remebered having left the Royal Palace about a year ago, leaving her with training unfinished.

Alisson was sad to see him leave at the time but it was not his choice but his obligation to leave the planet for personal reasons. He had feared to leave her alone, since her position on the Royal House was that of a spy and a hitwoman as well, and she could be lured to the Dark Side.

That had happened already with Vader, and he feared that Alisson might take the same steps. However, he also trusted her since she showed good character and willpower to follow a righteous path. Still, it was imperative that she would finish her training so he had promised to come back to the planet once it was possible. He had kept his promise and returned to Tae'Karada.

***

On the other side of the palace, Alisson felt a presence she had not felt for quite some time. She knew instantly that Kal'Aran was back as he had promised her before. She was quite glad about it and felt like rushing towards her dear good friend and master.

He had found her in the palace when she was a small child and had spoken to the High Prince as to train her in the ways of the Force. She was strong with it, he had explained, and if not trained to become a Jedi she could be picked up to become a Sith, and an enemy at that...

The High Prince had given his almost immediate consent and she had begun to learn how to control her emotions and feel the Force that surrounded all things. She was young and so Kal'Aran had not pushed her too far, for a child must be, above all, balanced and lead a happy childhood, he said.

Her master had been patient, and little by little he showed her and taught her in the ways of the Jedi. She learned to intervene with objects, being able to force push or pull them at her convenience, as well as to read minds and gain control over the weak-minded. However, she was also told about not using it for personal levels and to never give into wrath or anger.

She had many good memories from those days... From learning to feel her surroundings and meditation to lightsaber training. She recalled constructing her own double edged lightsaber. It was a weapon used more often by the Sith, but a very powerful one and not easy to control. And since it could be used either with one or both blades it was a strong choice.

When Kal'Aran left Tae'Karada she promised to continue to train what she had learned, and she knew she had little more to learn. Everyday, when she found the time, would she train herself in meditation and feeling her surroundings as well as training in acrobatics and lightsaber.

She rushed in her way to where she now he stood by feeling his presence. She could make her way there even if her eyes were closed. Kal'Aran would be easy for her to track down as she had a strong link with him. However he had taught her to conceal herself from being felt by others with force training, so she knew that if he wished she wouldn't feel him at all.

***

They reencountered eachother in one of the main halls. She walked towards him and smiled. "Master Kal'Aran," she nodded.

"Alisson... It is good to be back." He smiled back.

Both embraced and laughed. They walked together in the outside gardens, side by side.

"Alisson, I trust you have continued to practice that which I taught you?" Kal'Aran asked.

"I try to keep myself under everything I learned and live by the code you taught me... I kept myself trained as I promised I would," she stated back.

In almost a nick of a second did he force pull his lighsaber into his hands and draw its bluelight blade, moving it in a circle motion towards where she stood. Alisson in return had a reaction movement and had her lighsaber pulled out quite fast also and with that her green blades encountered themselves, one blocking the other.

"Good reflexes..." Kal'Aran nodded.

"I try..." she said as she had the other blade spin around, taking his out of the way and thrusting the other one towards him. "I told you I trained."

Alas, Kal'Aran had blocked the second attack also, faster than she could predict. He safe guarded his lightsaber and smiled. "Your levels seem to have even increased, but you still have things to learn, my Padawan."

"I missed you, Master Kal'Aran," she told him as she put away her double edged lightsaber.

"Meeting With The High Prince"
Kal'Aran - Jedi Master
Airan Valreth - Ruler of Tae'Karada [NPC+]

Location: Royal Palace, Arcadia
Date: Saris 17, 3 ABY

***

A Royal Guard had come up to Kal'Aran and escorted him to one of the many large salons in the palace. Indeed it was a very pretty palace, that obviously showed traces of the Old Republic more civilized days. It was another world inside Tae'Karada, as it was so very different from the planet's other architecture.

The salon was empty, and Kal'Aran was told to wait there, as the High Prince would be over to see him shortly. He thanked the Royal Guard and took off his cloak, leaving him dressed in his Jedi clothing, with long dark brown boots, light brown pants, and a cream kimono. After only a brief moment in the salon, High Prince Airan entered the room. Kal'Aran bowed respectfully.

"Your Majesty..." he nodded. "It is good to be back."

"Kal'Aran," Valreth drawled, languidly motioning the man forward from where he was ensconced in his throne of gleaming, golden metal. "And to what to I owe this impromptu--" and inconvenient "--visit? And how is dear Alisson? I trust her training is not yet complete?"

"A promise is something to be kept your Majesty. I had not the chance to finish Alisson's training, and she needs to be a full Jedi..." Kal'Aran replied. "Afterwards, only time will tell of my future."

"It will be a very short one of the Empire hears of your dabbling in the Force." Airan's ringed fingers nervously smoothed out the silken robes at his chest. "It might be prudent if you kept your dealings as quiet as possible. It would not do for the Empire to discover I associate with--" He leaned forward, glanced furtively about the room, then whispered, "Jedi."

"Indeed... That is why some remain existent. But it is imperative that Alisson completes her training still," Kal'Aran stated. "Alas, I do not feel her presence. Is Alisson away?"

Airan sat back against his chair, and cleared his throat. "Yes. My dear, beautiful, obedient wife asked her for her services. I do not know her present location, but she will return. You may wait for her here if you wish. I will have my servants prepare guest quarters for you. It is the least I could do for Alisson's Master." Airan smiled fondly. "She has served us well. I wonder, though. Will you serve me also, Master Kal'Aran?"

"A Jedi follows the path of the Force and commits to do what is righteous... I thank thee for a room," Kal'Aran replied, somewhat avoiding the question.

"Do you question my righteousness, Master Kal'Aran?" Airan asked, highly offended by the implication. "I will have you know I have never once turned away an indigent. They come to the Palace begging all the time, and I have my servants toss scraps to them every single time. If that is not righteous, I do not know what is, sir."

"I was merely implying that a Jedi serves only the Force and commits to aiding others finding their own path. I cannot interfere, Your Highness."

Airan nodded his head briskly, impatiently. "Oh, I understand completely. Now, if there is nothing further...."

"I thank you for your hospitality once more. I require nothing further..." Kal'Aran bowed in respect. He then slightly tilted his head and stated, "Alisson has arrived..."

"Then you must go to her," Airan replied, attempting to rid himself of his guest as politely as possible. Kal'Aran took his leave, much to the High Prince's pleasure.