High Up (Kyashi, future)

[Kwiet Ideya]

Kwiet Ideya is ten years old, a rather mature age by his standards. He's been working hard since he was six years old on his Force abilities and natural skills, the better to impress his mother, and more recently, his best friend Hana.

Lately he's taken to climbing to high places using his daggers and the Force, the higher the better. He spends a lot of this time just thinking about everything and nothing. The sun set hours ago, but he just doesn't want to come down. He'll get grounded when he gets back to his room, but he doesn't care.

[Sudoku]

Kyashi is back on Coruscant. Although he can't stand this planet, he's always ending up here. Tonight he's indulging in something many of his fellow darksiders enjoy, sitting up in the rooftops. He's never really seen the appeal of it, but at least it was quiet here.

His silent musings are interupted by the sudden appearance of a younger boy lifting himself over the edge of the building. Kyashi barely raises his head to acknowledge the new-comer.

"Isn't it past your bedtime?"

[Kwiet Ideya]

"No," Kwiet says stubbornly, though it probably is. "What about you? Don't you have someplace to be?"

That's a lame comeback, but it's all he's got. Besides, this guy's on his rooftop! Kwiet's picked this one as his favorite for the week, and it's irritating to find someone beat him up here.

[Sudoku]

Kyashi shrugged. "Not really."

He shifted his weight, turning to look the boy over. He was much younger than Kyashi, at least 9 or 10 years old. He turned completely around, greeting Kwiet with a polite smile.

"So...what brings you all the way up here?"

[Kwiet Ideya]

"What brings other people up here?" he huffs. "There's never anyone up here normally."

By now he's just being mean to be mean. Tolerant, quiet people always had this...this aura thing that shut down his ability to be mean and mean it, if you know what he means.

[Sudoku]

He quirks an eyebrow at the boy. What he says is true -- most normal people don't spend their time hiding out on rooftops...

"That's true. The only people I know who spend time up here are Force-users. Which would make you, what? A sith brat? Or a jedi?"

[Kwiet Ideya]

"A Jedi!" brags the smaller boy, grinning proudly. "The best one ever!"

Well, sort of. He's been blowing off his classes lately and using his abilities for a lot of mischief. He's trying to teach this little four year old kid some stuff, but it doesn't seem to be taking. All he ever does is talk about keeping his mom safe. Safe from what, Kwiet's not sure. He's just glad his own mother isn't in any need of protection. She's tougher than most.

[Sudoku]

"Oh, I see."

He gets up from his spot on the edge of the roof, paciing slowly towards the boy.

"The best Jedi ever? Somehow, I doubt that."

[Kwiet Ideya]

"I am the best!"

He wishes he could do telekinesis better. Then he could float right up in this guy's face and prove it. He has to settle for glaring up at the guy and looking determined.

[Sudoku]

He takes his time walking around the boy who glares up at him as if one look will convince the darksider that he is, in fact, the best Jedi ever.

"The best at what? Cutting classes? Missing his curfew?"

[Kwiet Ideya]

"Yeah, and best at Force stuff, too! And tons of other stuff!"

He's being vague on purpose; he knows better than to give away his best skills.

"I'm better'n you, at any rate!"

[Sudoku]

"Sure, you are."

Kyashi folds his arms across his chest, hands slipping up inside his sleeves. In one quick motion, a pair of senbon slashed across the younger boys cheeks.

[Kwiet Ideya]

Kwiet's hands flash as the needles graze him. His own throwing daggers slice the strips of cloth attached to the hat, cutting so closely that not a trace of them is left attached.

"Ha! I'm way more accurate than you!"

[Sudoku]

Kwiet can see the older boy roll his eyes as he slips the hat from his head.

"If I wanted you dead, you would be. "

He pauses, twirling his senbon between his fingers. "But...I think we should have some fun instead. If you're up for it, I mean."

[Kwiet Ideya]

Dead? Kwiet would challenge that if Kyashi hadn't mentioned it first.

"Yeah, we can have some fun," he answers, pulling two throwing knives and clamping them in his fists. "What's the idea, brainiac?"

[Sudoku]

He gestures for the boy to follow him. He walks to the edge of the roof, resting his hands on the cool ledge. People are milling about below them.

"I think we should practice our throwing, so I can see how good you are."

[Kwiet Ideya]

Kwiet looks over the edge, tapping the flat of the blades against his ribs, something he probably shouldn't be doing but does anyway.

"Okay. What're the targets?"

[Sudoku]

Kyashi reaches into his cloak, taking out a smaller version of his weapon - this one with a tiny piece of red thread at the end. Kyashi closes his eyes, focusing on the crowd below. He flicks his wrist, the senbon flies through the air, landing on the ground. It's unseen to the many passersby.

"That will be our target."

[Kwiet Ideya]

Kwiet squints down at the target.

"Didja hafta drop it in the middle of everybody? Hitting it's no problem, but it's hard to judge bullseyes when someone steps over it and the knife gets lodged in their skull."

[Sudoku]

"Well, that's the whole point. To avoid unneccesary killing. Isn't that being a Jedi is all about? Protecting people?"

He reaches inside his cloak for more weapons, and gestures with a slight shrug of his shoulders. "Your turn."

[Kwiet Ideya]

"It's also about not endangering them in the first place," Kwiet grumbles, but he steps to the edge anyway. He looks down into the milling crowd, seeing the target with great clarity. He waits a long while, seeking an opening, and throws when he gets one. The knife lances down, striking the target precisely. "There."

[Sudoku]

"Nice shot. I guess I'm up, huh?"

He takes his senbon, gripping three between his fingers. He closes his eyes and focuses, before releasing his weapons. One hits Kwiets' blade, bouncing off the hard steel of the handle. The other buries itself into the ground beside the target. The third, unfortunately, hits a passing man in the side of the neck.

Kyashi laughs. "Oops, looks like you win round one."

[Kwiet Ideya]

"Jeez, whaddaya think you're doing!?" Kwiet yells, peering down to see what's going on. It seems some people are calling the medics, so he should be okay...hopefully. "You couldn't have hit it with one needle? Dammit." The boy seethes a little, then wheels and snaps at Kyashi. "Next time put the target somewhere else!"

[Sudoku]

"That isn't any fun. And a needle can not bury itself into steel."

He sighs and rolls his eyes as Kwiet seethes in front of him. "Fine, I'll pick a different target this time..."

He leans over the ledge, scanning the crowd, searching for another...human target. He spots a young girl, one with bright hair who's window shopping. Beside her stands a tall man in some type of uniform. He points a senbon at the back of head. "There, that's the next target."

[Hana Forester]

Hana Forester is completely unaware of what's happening on the rooftops. She's too busy looking over window displays. Her families' driver, Matthew, waits patiently beside her. Although she *is* eleven now, her parents still insist she not go out too late without an adult.

She turns, starting to walk to another shop...

[Kwiet Ideya]

Kwiet leans over the side, squinting down at the proclaimed target. By his language, Kwiet believes Kyashi to be pointing out some item, like a garbage can or a newspaper stand, but when he sees what the older boy really means, his attitude changes from competitive to protective in a heartbeat.

"No," he says flatly, whirling to face Kyashi. "No way I'm lettin' you throw at her, basket-hat." His fists squeeze tighter on the handles of his throwing daggers, clutching so hard his knuckles turn white.

[Sudoku]

"You don't have much of a choice, do you?"

Two senbon are flung from Kyashis' hand, all of them seemingly aimed at Hana as she walks down the street. Both immediately hits the uniformed man at her side, sending him to the ground with a cry. The two boys watch him fall to his knees, clutching his bleeding neck as the young girl screams, rushing to his side.

[Kwiet Ideya]

Kwiet's knives shave off a bit of Kyashi's hair close to his forehead, lifting his hat off and carrying it away over the other side of the building. He draws two more to replace the ones he threw and readies himself, blocking Kyashi from the street below.

"Don't throw your sorry needles down there again."

The voices floating up from the street fill the boys in on the situation below. Someone's calling medics, people are checking Hana for injuries, seeing that she's okay, and still more are looking around for where the needles came from.

"You'd best leave before I ruin your dren."

[Sudoku]

"Oh boo-hoo. It's not like I killed someone, Jedi." He ran a hand through his hair. Kwiet could get a much better look at him now -- the black hair, red eyes, and scars. Especially the long one across Kyashis' neck as he watched the other boy arm himself.

"You're not going to "ruin" my anything. Especially if you don't want to find your little girlfriend dead in the street." With a flick of his wrist, Kwiet was knocked onto his back by a strong telekinetic push.

[Kwiet Ideya]

Kwiet seems to fall from the building, but this is not the case. The illusion of it is presented to Kyashi's mind with all the clarity the boy can muster. In reality, Kwiet is moving swiftly and silently to Kyashi's right, settling his fatal aim on the scar that failed to kill Kyashi earlier in his life. He lets a knife fly, stopping to watch for his success.

[Sudoku]

The knife hovers in mid-air, only inches from Kyashis' neck. In one quick motion, it's in his hand. He glares at the other boy, who's now to the right of him, and sends him to the ground with another Force push. Kyashi moves quickly to the edge of the roof, watching as Hana stands with the medics who are working on the man. The knife is sent down, along with another handful of senbon, straight at the small crowd that's gathered. More frightened screams are heard on the roof top, as the crowd scatters.

[Kwiet Ideya]

Kwiet loses focus, running to the edge to look over to find Hana, Matthew, and his knife. If that thing gets found in the middle of all those needles they'll think he threw the, and then he'll be in it deep with his mom and the GJO. At last he finds her, huddled over Matthew's body, face buried into his chest. His knife is nearby; it seems she hasn't seen it yet.

"Hana! Grab my knife! You can use it if someone comes after you!"

[Hana Forester]

Hanas' head rises from Matthews' chest, tears running down her cheeks. She looks around, hearing Kwiets' voice but not knowing where it was coming from.

She sees one of his throwing knives buried into the cement behind her. It's surrounded by the needles that had hit Matthew...she grabs it, holding it close to her chest, kneeling beside Matthew.

[Sudoku]

"Hana! Grab my knife! You can use it if someone comes after you!"

With that, Kyashi was off the roof, falling to the cement. He hit the ground, rolling to his feet. He stalks towards Hana, pushing anyone who gets in his way to the ground with the Force. Hana rose to her feet, still clutching the knife to her chest.

Kyashi smiled, and with a gesture, the knife was ripped from the girls' grasp and flung into a wall. His hand grabbed the young woman by the wrist, pulling her close as he spun around, facing the building where Kwiet was still perched.

[Kwiet Ideya]

A million swear words stream through Kwiet's thoughts, interrupted now and then by a tiny, piddling bit of planning and tactics. He wants to throw his next knives through the bastard's eyes, but he doesn't want to risk Hana. What kind of coward hides behind girls anyway?

"Of course, you know..." Kwiet mutters, disappearing over the top of the building, "This means war." He begins to climb down the side of the building furthest from them, moving stealthily so as not to be seen or heard.

[Sudoku]

Kyashi pulls Hana closer, dragging her behind him as he disappears into the thinning crowds. He keeps his senses open, waiting for some sign of the boy following them.

[Kwiet Ideya]

Kwiet trails them from the next street over, moving fast to try and overtake them, spotting them through alleyways as he runs. He climbs a building's fire escape after a few blocks of following and runs to the corner, looking back to search the crowds. Even in the pack of people they're not hard to find; Hana's pink hair stands out brightly from above.

Should he risk throwing? He'll throw a knife accurately at Kyashi's neck, but there's a lot at stake. He decides after a moment simply to jump from the rooftop. There's lots of people to break his fall and streetlight to grab should that fail him.

[Sudoku]

He stops dead in his tracks, pulling Hana to him and covering her mouth with a hand. She lets out a muffled whimper as Kyashi pulls her into an alleyway.

[Kwiet Ideya]

Kwiet lands nimbly atop a group of passing people, driving the lot of them to their knees before bouncing off them and sneaking to the alleyway. He pauses before entering, stopping to consider his strategy, then...

A bum with a bottle in a brown bag stumbles into the alley, glaring blearily at the garbage cans and big dumpsters that crowd the space. He waves aside imagined people, all of whom seem to be getting into his way.

[Sudoku]

He's crouched beside a dumpster, hand still firmly clenched over the girls' mouth. He watches silently as the bum stumbles into the alley...