A calm night on Coruscant (PM to join)

[Zereth Lancer]

Location: Coruscant

A slight breeze whipped through the mant streets and boulevards that connected the city planet. Nature having been tamed, put down, and now controlled by the technology that covered the planet. Trees only existed in special parks, a few lakes dotten the planet, and a single artificaly created ocean existed. Taverns and bars dotted the planet but this perticular tale does not take place in one of those places. It takes place down the street from the tavern known as the "Hapan Princess", at a small cafe with outside seating so its patrons could enjoy the fresher air. it at one of these outside tables at a mysterious and shadowy man sat, a stim caf in his hand. The other patrons had no idea who he is but keep a safe distance from him all the same. The man wore a pair of pants, full boots, and a sleeveless shirt; all black. His eyes eyes were consentrating on the datapad in his hands. Every now and then he lifted his caf to his lips and sipped the hot contents.

[Ashe Sieris]

Ashe had been wandering through the city for a while now. She had gotten used to the surroundings, which places to avoid and how to avoid them and various other things about the city. She knew were to get into some trouble but also where to get out of it. She also knew where to get a good drink when she wanted one. And that was what she wanted today. So she headed to the Cafe near the Princess, as she called it.

A cool breaze picks up and she pulls her short jacket closer over her tank top. Her black cut off gloves stuck out under the sleaves of the jacket as she pulled it closer around her chest. Her black leather combat boots made little sound as she walked quickly towards the cafe. Black shorts with fishnet stalkings and a black skirt cape finished off her rather strange outfit. She defanetly did not fit in with the normal croud. Her nose and eye brow was peirced along with her upper ears. Her eye liner was on a bit thick but seemed to look good on her and her dark red lipstick finished her off on her pale skin. Her short black and blue hair was pulled into two small poney tails and her bangs fell in her face a bit.

She pushes open the door of the cafe after passing the fenced off porch area. The fence wasn't high but in order to get your drink, you needed to go inside so there was no point in hopping it. She orders her drink and quickly pays her credits for it then slips outside to enjoy the afternoon. The outside was pretty crouded but there was one cafe table open next to a different table with only one man sitting at him. He was not that bad looking but Ashe had never been one to go up and confront a person right off the bat. So she sat down at the other table and relaxed for a while, looking up at the sky with a small smile on her face.

[Zereth Lancer]

The sound of soft of booted footfalls came from behind Zereth. He tapped a few buttons on his datapad and pretended not to notice. The last thing he needed was to get mixed up with the locals, or have one of them find out who and what he is. He tapped a few more buttons on the datapad and continued to read over the list of planets. One thing an education observer would see is that all the planets were ones with powerful force natures. Dagobah, Corascant, and Nal Shadda where among those listed. That was why Zereth was here. Corscant was thick in force energy and ancient texts hinted at a temple having existed at one time, there was no trace of it now.

He was visiting these planets one at a time. Stories of Ben Kenobi's spirit appearing to to Luke Skywalker at Dagobah had passed among the stars and made Zereth think about possible other planets with such a high force power that spirits could appear. He had searched many, and for what? He was desperatly wanted to find the spirit of Jezreal Darkshard; a Sith Knight who had died only a few months ago. Zereth had accounted her spirit on Tatooine. Jezreal mentioned comming back again and Zereth assumed that ment she would appear as a spirit. If only he knew how wrong he was.

He let out a sigh of frustration and dropped the datapad onto the table and lifted his cup to his lips again. While he drank he let his eyes shift to the side and look at the woman at the table next to his. Something about her stood out to him. He couldn't place his finger on it but something was there. He noticed her gazing up at the sky. He followed her gaze and looked up at the rapidly darkening clouds. "Its going to rain soon." He said to himself, but loud enough for anyone near to him to hear.

[Ashe Sieris]

Ashe smiles and nods. She loved the rain. Not for any particular reason but she still loved it. Probobly the whole chaotic nature of it all. And at the same time how calm it could be. Her eyes glanced over at the man beside her then back up to the sky.

"I hope it does. I like it when it rains."

She looks down at the table then takes a drink. Her eyes then drift back to the man beside her. He seemed to enjoy the thought of it raining as well. But she could be mistaken.

"What about you? Do you like it when it rains?"

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth raised his face to the sky and closed his eyes "I do enjoy the peace it brings. When it drives away the crowds and leaves the streets empty, when there is little other noise then the sound of a rain drops, when the light shines through all the falling water a sense of peace, serenity perhaps, fills my soul" A smile cross his face as he finished.

He lowered his face and gazed over at her "I do enjoy the rain, so much more then most. For with it comes not only peace, but also sorrow as the clouds block out the sun, cut off the sky, and shroud the stars. Like the whole universe had been stolen away from you. Only to return once the rain has gone." He turned his face away from her's. "But that sorrow comes the memories of past sorrows, ones that most people who not want to be reminded of. For that I dislike the rain. But when the rain bring peace then the sorrow is forgotten." He smiled again at how confusing his statements were.

[Ashe Sieris]

Ashe looks at the ground a moment as her mind drifts to her master. She misses her like a daughter misses a lost mother. But there was nothing Ashe could do about it now so she figured she might as well get over it. But every time it rained, her thoughts drifted back to her master.

"Aye. I supose that the rain awakens a sorrow. But perhaps it is needed in order to get over our lost loved ones. When my... mother died, I could not stand to think about it. I got angry at everything. But every time it rained, the pain from her loss was easier and easier to take. Now, every time it rains, all I think about is the good times I had with her. Thats not saying I dont miss her because I do. But I supose it is better to think about the good times."

She looks up at the man and smiles. She holds her hand out to him.

"I'm Ashe. And you are?"

[Zereth Lancer]

Her words of her mother's death made him think of Jezreal again. The pain surged back through his very soul again. But somehow it seemed less painful since he started speaking with this young woman.

"Ah, yes. Perhaps a soothing grace is another side of the rain, along with the peace and sorrow. Yes, I must admit that it is easier to except things when every thing has gone dark and gloomy." He turned back to face her and reached out to take her hand and it a curt shake. "Zereth" His crimson eyes looked into hers. Such eyes were not umcommon among some species but for a human to possess them was rare.

He held her hand a moment longer then was necessary and then released his hand and gestured to the chair on the other side of his table. "Please, sit with me. Its easier to talk across a table instead of between them."

[Ashe Sieris]

Ashe looks back into his crimson red eyes with her deep dark blue eyes. She felt almost traped in his eyes but it was not a type of trapped like she couldn't escape from them. It was more she wanted to be there then anything else.

Finaly the two pulled their gaze away from the other. She nods at his offer and transfers her things to the table that he is seated at. Her eyes drift down to the data pads placed before him. Her hand drifts to one but doesn't touch it. More motioning to it.

"What are you studing, if you dont mind me asking?"

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth looked down at the pads and instantly wanted to hide them. He remained calm, despite the fact that if she knew anything she might be able to place the connections between all the planets listed. "Not much," He started, "Just studing a few planets. I grow tired of this planet and its never ending city. I was thinking about visiting a more natural planet." He tapped a few buttons on the pad and slid it across the table to Ashe, while desperatly hoping she would was not was brain child who knew that all the planets listed were noted for their high force energies. "Do you have any suggestions?"

[Ashe Sieris]

She looks down the list of various planets. All of them, she noticed, were rather strongly connected to the force. She passed it off as conincidence or as if he is just interested in studing it. It happens at times.

"Well you might as well cross of Coruscant beings you are already there."

She points at the name on the list.

"Nal Shadda would be bad as well. Been there before. Its all city. Like Coruscant but alot smaller. Not to mention it is filled with criminals."

She points at that name. She motions to a few others that are overly populated or just plain boring or ugly, including Dagobah. Finaly she points at one.

"I sugest Yavin 4. It has some awsome history there. Interesting temples but it is advised to be careful there. Rumor has it that the temples are for evil things."

She did not want to specificly say the dark side or sith. The temple there were the origonal sith temples. She had seen them before. Yavin was where she grew up and her master had taught her much about the force and how Yavin 4 was important to it, even if it was the begining of the dark side.

"Not to mention, Yavin 4 tends to not be very populated and I grew up there."

Her smile grows, showing white teeth. Her canines are a bit sharp, making it look like she has small fangs, but not nearly enough to make her look terribly dangerious.

[Zereth Lancer]

"Hmm..." Zereth mussed as he pulled the datapad back and, with the posh of a button, brought up a screen of information on the planet. He had heard of the planets darkside past and the large temples the sith left had behind. He really had no idea what had happened there and had always wanted to visit the planet, but never gotten around to going. There could be things he could learn or secrets he could uncover. Such discoveries would be of immense value.

While he was here he could only dream of the wonders he might discover. But if he went to Yavin four... Well, then he might actualy have a chanve of uncovering those secrets.

"Nearly unpopulated, you say." He looked through more of the information listed, "Very interesting. Perhaps this would prove an excellent place to visit." He looked up from the datapad to Ashe and smiled, "Thank you. I think I would have missed it if you hadn't pointed it out."

[Ashe Sieris]

She shrugs and her smile drops back down into the small smile that it was before. Her eyes drop to her hand that was still sitting on the table and thought about Yavin 4. She slightly regreted telling him about it. The fourth moon of Yavin was a bit dangerous. She remembered her training there. Her thoughts drifted to a memory on Yavin 4 when she had stumbled apon one of the temples.

~ I remember taking a few steps towards the temples entrance. The cold feeling that eminated around the temple was almost too much, but my curiosity was more. I had glanced behind to see where Master Niala was but she was busy mediateing. I had turned back and walked closer and closer to the entrance, every step growing colder. Something about the temple scared the hell out of me, but at the same time it was like it was sumoning me to it.

As I walked closer, Niala must have woken up out of her trance and saw me. I vaugly remember her calling my name but I did not really hear it. All I remember is reaching my hand out to touch the symbol on the door to the ruined temple. Such a strange yet beautiful symbol. My fingers had barely touched it when I felt that shock run through my body. Strange thought had run through my mind quickly for those few seconds that my fingers were touching the symbol.

Then it was all over. I remember waking out of those strange thoughts being craddled in Niala's arms while she was kneeling on the ground. My legs on the ground. I had only been eight at the time and still small enough for her to hold me like that. At the time, I did not understand what had happened. All I knew is that I felt cold. Very cold. ~

The cold had still not left Ashe sense that day. That day was the reason why she had gone a bit wild. Deep within her mind, that touch with the darkside still lingered. It made her a bit more wild than a normal jedi. Her peircings and strange hair was the result of it. She had been luck to not been in contact with it long or else it might have killed her.

While she had been lost within her own thoughts, her smile had totaly faded into a frown. Her eyes had half closed without her relising it. A touch on her hand suddenly awakened her from her day dream.

[Zereth Lancer]

A strange grey sorrow seemed to spread over the happy features that had existed on Ashe's face just a moment ago. It was not like him, but Zereth was concerned. He reached out his hand and laid it on her's. When she didn't react he gave it a little sqeeze aswell. "Are you all right?" He asked when she finaly returned to reality. "You don't look so good anymore."Her emotions were visable through the force aswell, although just barely. A sadness and breif images of a structure he did not reconize and the face of a woman he also did not reconize.

He looked down at his hand on her's and wanted to pull it back, but something inside him caused him to leave it there.

[Ashe Sieris]

Ashe looks up at him, almost a confused look on her face as she regained her surroundings. Their eyes met again and she fully returned. She looks away and smiles breifly.

"I'm alright. Just... an old haunting memory."

She looks back down at her hand and relises that his hand is on hers. Her paranoia sweeps over her and tells her to pull her hand away. But in the back of her mind, something is telling her to leave it there. For once, she ignores the paranoia and leaves her hand where it is.

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth noticed her notice his hand on hers. He looked away from their hands and acted like it wasn't happening. "Whats the memory of..." He trailled off as he realized how prying he was being "...Nevermind. I do not wish to pry into your personal affairs. Its not my place." He used his other hand to pick up the datapads and slip then into his coat pocket and then raise it to scratch the back of his neck.

[Ashe Sieris]

At the mention of her memory, she pulled her hand away and looks at the ground. Her hands drop to her lap and she looks at them and starts fiddling with them. She didn't like to talk about her past much.

"It's just a memory of my Ma... um.. mother. She saved me once from an almost certain death when I was young."

[Zereth Lancer]

Her slip of the tongue had Zereth convinced that she was hiding something. But he didn't press the matter. "Oh, I see." He paused "It must be nice having had a mother to look after you. I never had such a luxury. I never knew my parents. I grew up on my own on the streets of Corellia." He tried his best to hide the pain from his eyes. He didn't remember anything from before the experimentation that was performed on him. He might have had a family, at some point. But he doubted he'd ever he able to locate them.

[Ashe Sieris]

Ashe looks at him with concern in her eyes. In truth she knew what it was like to grow up without actualy parents. Her parents disappeared before she could remember. All she knew is that her master had found her near a house that was burned to ashes. Thus her name, Ashe.

"Hey, do you want to get out of here? Maybe go walk in the nearby park? Sitting around here can get depresseing."

The smile now returned to her face and, even though it was forced, it was still a warm smile.

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth looked up from starring down at the table. "Uh, Sure." He said and then looked up at the sky again. "I have a feeling its going to rain any minute." He looked back down at her and then stood up "Not that a little rain ever hurt anyone" He smiled and picked up a large black bag, that was on the ground near his feet.

A few minutes later the two arrived at the nearby park. Such places were rare on coruscant. The two walked for a moment more until they found a bench. Zereth carefuly set down the black vbag he was carrying and the two sat down. "So, Do you live here on coruscant?"

[Ashe Sieris]

Ashe shrugs.

"Kind of. I sort of wander around from place to place. I havn't really found a place were I belong yet. Life is always moving for me. Never a calm moment it seems. But every once in a while, I just seem to suddenly have some time to just relax."

She smiles and leans back in the bench. Her eyes raise to the cloud over head again. A few drops of water have begun to fall from the sky and her smile grows as they fall on her face.

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth did the same but suddenly lowered his face when a rain drop hit him directly in the eye. He rubbed his eye and grumbled about something in corellian. When he raised his face again the rain was coming down harder, they'd be completely soaked in twenty minutes, or less.

"Never a calm moment. I know what thats like. I'm suprised that I'm here. Usualy I'm off doing stuff and I never get a chance to just sit amd relax." He smiled "Or talk to a attractive woman."

[Ashe Sieris]

Ashe was smiling at the rain when suddenly it registered in her mind what he had just said. It was something that she was often refered to as. There were many other name, none of them choice, that she had been called but usualy it was while a bounty hunter was chasing her.

"What do you mean?"

She looked at him for a moment then stood up, shruging her trench coat off and closed her eyes, raising her head to the sky as the rain started to pour down. Her smile grew as she stood there, letting the rain drip and fall on her. It was not a terribly cold rain, but it still felt good.

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth remained seated and watched her with his red eyes. "I mean what I said." It didn't seem normal for him to call her attractive and her to ask what he ment. It seemed self explanitory. "I merely stated that you are an attractive woman. If I offend you in any way with such a comment, that I aplogize." Thunder crackled through the sky and the rain went from a sprinkle to a near down pour. Zereth glanced over at his bag and was about to grab it and take it somewhere dry when he remembered the material was waterproof,

[Ashe Sieris]

A smirk fell apon Ashe's face as he was looking down at his bags. She quickly dodges forward and grabs his arm, pulling him into the rain with her. She laughs and lets him go.

"Come on. Loosen up and have some fun."

The smile once again grows on her face as she laughs again and spins around in the rain.

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth was suprised when he was suddenly grabbed and yanked to his feet. He stood there and watched her twirl in the rain. He felt like he should do something similar but too many years of strict training refused to allow him. It was a miracle that he had left most of his weapons at his hotel room.

He settled for just lifting his face to the sky and lifting his arms. This movement, though, caused his coat to open up and reveal the knife stuck through his belt. He didn't notice and continued to stare up at the clouded sky.

[Ashe Sieris]

Ashe turns to him and notes his knife. She raises and eye brow as she looks at it then looks at him.

"Do you always carry such hard wear around with you?"

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth stopped and looked down at her and then down at the knife. "Uh, yes." He said as he pulled his coat back in place to hide it again. "Just in case. You can never be to careful."

[Ashe Sieris]

She looks at him skepticaly but then shrugs it off. She turns around to look around at the city. It looked beautiful in the rain. All the lights sticking out in the darkness like a thousand stars.

"I love the rain. The way it makes the city look. Its... beautiful."

She smiles again and takes a step backwards, accedentaly bumping into him. She turns to look at him.

"Oh ... sorry."

The smile comes to her face agian and she looks at the ground.

[Zereth Lancer]

She almost sent him tumbling to the ground but he managed to remain on his feet. "Don't be. It was my fault. I should watch where I'm standing." He didn't ask, but he wondered if she had done it on perpose. Something hit him suddenly. A faint but growing attraction to the woman before him. It was getting stronger by the second.

He outstretched his hand and, with the side of his finger, lifted her chin so she was looking straight into his eyes. He was about to say something when a loud thunder strike sounded through the night sky and the rain become a down pour.

[Ashe Sieris]

Ashe turns her head up to look into his eyes. They reflected the lights of the city back out into the dark night. Once again, she becomes lost within them, but feeling safe. The feeling reminded her of something but she could not remember what. It had been too long sense she had felt this safe.

Slowly, she pulled her eyes away from his and looks back out into the city. A shiver runs up her spine. The temperature had suddenly dropped with the down pour and she had left her jacket back on the bench. It would not do her much good now beings it was soaking wet as well.

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth noticed her shiver and her glance to her soaked jacket. He weighed his options for a moment and then started pulling his own jacket off. His jacket was still dry on the inside, thanks to the waterproof leather it was made of.

He set his Jacket on her shoulders and wrapped it around her body. "Is that better?" He asked not paying attention to the rain that was now soaking his unprotected body.

[Ashe Sieris]

Ashe nods and looks up into his eyes again for a moment. The rain seemed to only come down harder as they stayed out there. She looked at his drenched clothing.

"Do you want to get out of here and find some place dry? I like the rain and all but there is a point when it is too much."

She smiles at him agian and begins to walk over to grab her things.

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth strained to keep himself from shivering in the cold. "Dry sounds nice." He said as he picked up his bag and slipped the strap around his shoulder. "Do you have somewhere in mind!?" He had to yell over the the roll of thunder that passed overhead. "Because my place is pretty far away from here and it would take about an hour to get there."

[Ashe Sieris]

She nods quickly then grabs her stuff and starts running.

"My place isn't quiet that far. We should be able to get there without much trouble. It's only like five minutes away."

Ashe used the force to let her voice be projected a bit better over the sound of the rain. It was a pretty easy move to use without someone noticing the force in it... unless they were a well trained force user.

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth felt something strange though his senses but dismissed it as a natural imbalance, perhaps due to the storm. He wiped some water from his face and let it drip from his hand. "Okey. Lerts get going before this storm gets even worse." The two started off down the path, with Ashe leading the way.

[Ashe Sieris]

After several long moments of running out of the park and through the streets of Coruscant, Ashe stops. She looks down the street and sees three storm troopers walking towards them. Her eyes grow wide and she quickly dodges down an ally way away from them.

"Um.... short cut..."

She turns and begins running down the allyway.

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth saw the troopers and a fire was rekindled inside him. He suddenly wanted to see the troopers lying in a large pool of their own blood. It had been imperial troopers, such as these, that had killed Jezreal. He would never be able to look at one of the white armor clad soldier without the urge to kill them.

Before he could act on his urges he was grabbed and dragged off into a side alley by Ashe. He wondered why she had avoided them so, but he dismissed it. Anyone was afraid of the empire's troopers.

"How much further is it?" He yelled over the sound of heavy raindrops and cracks of thunder."

[Ashe Sieris]

She once again uses the force to fuel her speach

"Not much farther. Just around the corner really."

She turns the corner and starts climbing up an escape ladder quickly. One the second floor, she stops and slips into the slightly open window. Once inside, she shivers again and shrugs off the coat he had handed her. It was suprisingly warm inside but nice. There wasn't much furnature but there was a bed and a table. She quickly tossed some junk, that was not actualy junk, under the bed before he saw it and turned on the light.

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth arched an eyebrow in slight suprise as Ashe started up the ladder, and was even more suprised to see her go through a window. He hunched his shoulders and let out a sigh and climbed up the water slicked stairs and then carefuly eased his larger body through the window.

He glanced around the place. It wasn't that it was shabby, it was just not fancy. He had to stop comparing other people's houses to the ones that he'd stayed and lived in. Zereth wasn't a rich man, he was a man of other people's riches. He used to steal, cheat, and murder to live a luxurious life. On top of that; He fought in Tournaments and arena fights and made quite a bundle through that. His living quarters on Korriban were just about as nice as they could be, with the fact they lived underground a huge underground cave.

He nodded his head as finished his assestment. "Nice place. Its alot nicer then my place," For this he spoke the truth, "My apartment is about as grungy as gungy can be and it doesn't have any windows."

[Ashe Sieris]

Ashe flips the dim light on and closes the window behind Zereth.

"Its not much. But atleast it keeps a roof over my head for now. I'm going to go get changed out of these wet clothing. There are some larger shirts and pants in that drawer if you want to change out of yours. I pretty much keep them for night clothing."

She shrugs and walks into the bath room that is off to one side. There are two other doors and a door way in the room. The door way leads to a small kitchen, one door leads to a closet and the other to the outside.

Something glowing under the bed catches his eye. Some sort of data pad.

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth removed his shirt as he walked into the kitchen, revealing muscular chest and arms. He wrung as much water from his shirt as he could. He found that his pants hadn't gotten that wet and decided to just keep them on. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small line of string and tied his long hair back in a single tail, to keep it out of his face.

He walked back into the main room, after taking off his boots and leaving them in the kitchen to dry. Something under the bed cuaght his eye. A faint glow, like you'd get on the screen of a datapad. He was accostomed to snooping, but it just seemed wrong at this isntant. but then again, why would someone put a datapad under their bed, unless it was simply miss placed or hidden.

Zereth walked over to the bed and looked over his shoulder. The bathroom door was still shut and he'd have plenty of time to return the datapad before Ashe came out. Without bending down; he used the force to cause the object to spring up from the ground and land in his hand. He found it on already and looked through its contents.

[Ashe Sieris]

On the data pad at that moment was a journal entry from Ashe. The date was a little over eight years ago.

"He killed her. He must have killed her. She swore to me that she would return once he is dead but she never returned. I... I don't understand any of this. Why would he want to kill my master. She was a good person and would never want to hurt anyone. This... This Darth Vader or what ever his name was. Why? When I tried to find her, all I found was her lightsaber, sliced in two. Not even a body. I... I don't know what to do... I need to find out more about this person. I can't think right now. It all happened too quickly."

Nothing more was writen on this entry of the journal data pad.