The Wheel's Strongman Club

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Taking some valuable down time on board the Whaladon, Cirr had managed to sequester a corner of the massive cargo deck to himself. Assembled there was a bench he'd relieved from the Rogue's briefing room, a pair of ordnance racks, and what he'd learned from Master Chief Kochanski were excess engine drive spacers that she had either graded out of spec or didn't need. It looked like an unrelated pile of junk, but to Cirr, who'd been cooped up in a light freighter too long, they were gold in durasteel form.

All he needed to do now was a little creative cutting, and weighing. Donning goggles, he fired up a flare torch, cutting out circular blanks of durasteel from the bulk parts he liked best. Bit by bit, each hit the deck with a thunderous clang. As each one cooled, Cirr carefully slid it onto a nearby mass scale, jotting down the reading on each as he rolled it into a pile near the bench.

[Abarai Loki]

"Lieutenant Raurrssatta."

The familiar voice came from behind Cirrsseeto, patient and cool. Once he was satisfied he had the Cizerack's attention, Loki clasped his hands before him and continued.

"Lieutenant, across the room Master Nytherciria is attempting to guide padawans through a session of strict meditation. I use the word 'attempting' because you appear to be operating under the delusion that this Jedi training facility is your own personal workshop. The din is appalling. Have you ever tried to meditate through the relentless hiss of a cutting torch?"

Suddenly his hard face creased in confusion and his icy gaze glimmered at the sight of the assorted objects behind him.

"What are you doing?"

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Cirr made an expression of embarassment, looking down at his feet. Of course he should've been more considerate. He thought because they were at the far side of the bay that it would have been alright. Thought wrong.

"Well, even Jedji have to worrk out, rrjight?"

Ears lifting a little bit, Cirr's eyes met Loki's and he shrugged a little.

"jI've been jin deep space on Layla too long. We don't rreally have enough space to do thjis sorrt of thjing. jI fjigurred jit would not only be good forr me, but forr everryone else too."

The big Cizerack peeled out of his work shirt, revealing his broad frame, that while obviously quite muscular, had perhaps less definition than was ideal. In particular, he was looking slightly soft at the middle, which he emphasised by giving his belly a slap.

"jI feel weak. Rreally need to deal wjith jit."

[Abarai Loki]

"I can see that," Loki said, glancing at the felinoid's torso with a frown.

Once more he stared at the arranged objects and this time realised what Cirrsseeto was doing. He folded his arms and his eyes narrowed, moving from the hulking lieutenant to his latest project and back again. A tilt of the head.

"Impressive. This is quite a display of resourcefulness and, with its rather makeshift design, it is one which is appropriate given our current... aesthetic."

To emphasise this, he surveyed the rest of the cargo hold, everywhere there were training stations juxtaposed from an endless variety of junk. He returned his attention to Cirrsseeto.

"I praise your innitiative, Cirr, the padawans will most certainly benefit from it."

"If you are about finished with the power tools, I am available... to help."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

To help...


"Oh! You mean wjith the uh...forrce, ljike a spotterr?"

He flashed an eager grin.

"That'll be grreat, yeah! And, jI can do the same forr jyou too!"

Eager to begin, Cirr tossed his rumpled shirt to the side in earnest, windmilling his arms back and forth as he squatted to loosen up.

"Now, let me thjink. My best would be thrree hundrred seventy kjilos."

He paused mid squat, checking his numbers, and counting on his fingers.

"Yeah, thrree-seventy. jI'm prrobably way off that now. Maybe down to thrree-twenty-fjive, and the barr wejighs fjifteen."

Leaping up and bouncing on his toes, he grabbed his right ankle with his right hand and arched his back a little to stretch out his leg, torso, and tricep on that side. Pausing, he glanced at the weights, counting the piles and figuring out the best way to do it.

"Okay, sjix of the bjig fjifty kjilo plates, thrree on each sjide, then two ljittle fjiverrs, that outta do jit."

[Abarai Loki]

On cue, two of the large plates floated into the air, gently bobbing as if carried on a rising tide. In unison they rotated and slid onto the bar poised over the bench. A second pair followed then another until all the was left were the smaller plates, which flew gracefully into place, and a pair of suitable restraining bolts. Loki tightened them manually and watched Cirrsseeto finish his warm-up.

"Do you find it difficult being inactive? To see your physical condition deteriorate?"

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Cirr's face turned a bit awestruck, as he frequently did when witnessing the power of the force in action. It was even more spectacular when performed by the little prodigy.

Realizing that he'd been spoken to, Cirr answered the question, even as his makeshift weights continued to rack themselves.

"Well, jI've always been gjifted wjith strrength. Mama always taught that jit was jimporrtant to embrrace yourr gjifts. jI was gjiven sjingjing lessons when jI was young, wejights when olderr, and when no one was lookjing, books."

Cirr shrugged.

"Seems wrrong to let a gjift go to waste."

[Abarai Loki]

"Indeed. Shall we begin?"

Something confused Loki. Cirrsseeto failed to respond to his attempt to goad him into action. It was a technique his grandfather had used frequently in the past to great effect and given the Cizerack's simplistic nature, the boy predicted similar results. Of course, never had he required such psychological motivation during his years of training, his discipline was flawless... but Cirrsseeto? Instead he just prattled on about his mother and an upbringing which was quite...

"Singing lessons?"

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Cirr eased his back onto the bench, his tail flopping lazily alongside his right ankle as his thick arms lay out to each side, bouncing lightly to stretch out his pectorals. The question caused him to look up, his ears cocking a bit.

"Long tjime ago, ljittle man. When jI was yourr age jI guess."

Now, focused on his task, Cirr carefully eased his arms up, fingers carefully tracing the length of the bar to find a width that was ideal for him. He found it, and his big fists laced around the bar in a slow and deliberate action, gripping the bar fast. The muscles in his forearms rippled as he kept his sure hold.

His chest heaved in and out a few times as he took big breaths of air in and out, his nostrils flaring as he looked straight ahead. He paused to lick his lips slightly.

"Spot me up on thrree Afterr that, let me go untjil jI can't anymorre."

More deep breaths.

"One...

Two...

Thrree!"

[Abarai Loki]

"Long tjime ago, ljittle man."

"Loki," he corrected, his eyes closed in exasperation.

By the time Cirrsseeto was ready to begin, the hot prickling sensation on the back of his neck had subsided and Loki exhaled, calm. He sensed the barbell, guaging its size and weight with practised speed, it was heavy but as he concentrated, its imposing mass began to fall away and in his mind it diminished, small and intangible. On some level he was also aware of the compressed energy now gathered about it and when Cirrsseeto lifted, it was weightless. Slowly, he removed the telekinetic pressure from the barbell, watching the Cizerack compensate for its growing mass, clusters of shoulder and chest muscles bunching up until at last he beared its full weight. Loki folded his arms.

"Now, let us witness the extent of your Cizerack superiority..."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Cirr took the weight, inhaling sharply as he eased the weight downward to his chest. At about two inches away, he began to exert full force, so that the bar thumped against his broad chest just enough to be audible, but the entire apparatus shook as he pressed it up with a sharp exhale of breath.

"hrrm....PSSSSSSHHHH!!!"

The bar and weights rattled again at their zenith, and Cirr eased it back down again, keen to maintain good form, as well as his pace of breathing. Inhale going down, exhale going up.

"hrrrm....PSSSSSSSSHHHHHH!!!"

His tail curled taut, then slapped against the deck as he worked. Lips peeled back exposing his clenched sharp teeth as he bore down for the third rep.

"hhhrrrrrrrRRRRRUUUGHHHH!!!"

The sound coming out of him now was deep and guttural. To those not paying attention, it might have sounded like somebody let a wampa loose in the Whaladon

Cirr continued onward. Four reps. Five. Six. He began to slow down.

[Abarai Loki]

"Your form is faltering. I should hope that after all that racket you can at least make it to ten."

Although he sounded terribly bored, Loki's eyes were fixed on Cirrsseeto, studying his exertions with the barbell. He felt it rise and fall in time with the Cizerak's hissing breath and was ready to relieve him in an instant. From the edges of the cargo hold spectators watched, distracted from their normal affairs, and fascinated by the spectacle. Another rep, then another, and the arms started to tremble.

"Push past the pain, Cirr. Focus on your goal."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Cirr could feel himself slipping, and his form starting to go. He focused, trying to maintain his rhythm and breathing, but he knew he was losing steam. Another rep went down and up. Then another down....and up. The bar began to shake with his fatigue as he struggled against it. He nearly crested his ninth repetition when there finally wasn't anything there anymore, and the bar started to sink a few inches. He adjusted his breathing for a second push, but he had no rhythm or strength to maintain it. Flushed in the face, he shook his head quickly.

[Abarai Loki]

The barbell became lighter and lighter until it floated in Cirrsseeto's grasp, he then eased it onto the rack without difficulty. Loki swung around the bench, arms folded, as he assessed the performance. He glanced at the great hunks of metal on each end of the bar and nodded.

"You now know your limit and you can build on it. How are you?"

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Despite feeling sapped in his chest and arms, Cirr felt flushed and euphoric from the heavy lifting. He panted a few times, collected his breath, shook his head, sat up, and bounced up to his feet, bouncing a few more times to shed the adrenaline.

"That...was...grreat!!!"

Somebody once said the journey of a thousand miles began with a single step, and it was always true with getting back into working out. Cirr was immensely glad to get his first reps in.

"Now you! Come on!"

[Abarai Loki]

Taking a step away from the large bouncing felinoid, Loki tilted his head, first to look at the sweaty bench, and then to stare up at Cirrsseeto once more. His eyebrows knitted in confusion.

"I beg your pardon?"

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Cirr looked at Loki with confusion. What part of this whole thing had he been unclear about.

"Worrk out? You'rre the age jI was when jI starrted. jIt's a healthy thjing to do."

He appraisingly enveloped a hand around Loki's decidedly small right arm.

"Wouldn't a Jedji also want to get strrongerr?"

[Abarai Loki]

For a moment, his narrowed gaze lingered upon Cirrsseeto, looking for a hint of something which betrayed his intentions. He looked as cheerful and enthusiastic as ever, and that hand wrapped around his arm so easily. Loki frowned.

"Very well."

Retreating to a pyramid of crates stacked against the wall, he removed his family haori and folded it into a perfect square before placing it on top of a crate of grain. Then he returned to Cirrsseeto and circled the bench once before turning back to him. His eyes scanned him from top to bottom, taking in his impressive bulk, then crept over to the barbell.

"Perhaps, to begin with, my workload should be somewhat... a little... something more befitting a... novice."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"Surre. Let me thjink...forr a human yourr age...we'll starrt wjith the barr and go frrom therre."

Cirr's guess was partially grounded in estimation of age, but also grounded in his assumption that humans in general were a bunch of weak pinkies.

Happy that his young friend was receptive to the notion, Cirr worked to manually remove the plates. It might be slower for a non force user, but it was reciprocation of a common courtesy. After he was done, he took his shirt and wiped down the bench to clear it of his sweat.

[Abarai Loki]

"The bar..."

The quiet tone in his voice was one of controlled and completely understated outrage. His burning eyes were fixed upon the contemptuous piece of metal suspended gingerly above the bench. Once the cleaning was done, he sat, then lied down. Again, he saw the length of durasteel, this time hanging overhead. Cirrsseeto nodded at him with big honest eyes and flopping ears. Loki opened his mouth to speak, sighed, then picked a spot on the ceiling. His hands wrapped around the cold metal, lifted, dropped stiffly, holding it in place close to his chest, still staring mutinously at that spot on the ceiling, then lifted and racked it.

"I think I can handle the bar."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Cirr's ears perked up at Loki's domination of his expectations.

"Well...look at thjis forrda!"

Beaming, he quickly grabbed a pair of ten kilo weights and slid those on, one on each side.

"Alrrjight, now we'rre at thjirrty fjive kjilos."

Cirr eased his right hand under the bar, ready to ease it over Loki on a spotted assist.

[Abarai Loki]

While there had been some weight to the bar, it was infinitely more satisfying to see the discs on either end of it, and Loki lifted it out from the rack, accepting assistance. Right away, his breathing mirrored Cirrsseeto's, breathing in as the barbell lowered and exhaling with the push. He was comfortable with the load, it was about two thirds of his body weight, giving him a challenge with room for improvement.

"Aaaah-hooo! Aaaah-hooo!"

The sensation of feeling his muscles tense and respond to the demand was invigorating, and his effort redoubled. Although he was only small for his age, his physical condition was excellent, and he was yet to find an equal amongst his peers. He prided himself on it.

"Aaaah-hooo! Aaaah-hooo!"

Ten. Eleven. He wasn't going to be upstaged by a giant cat. Twelve. But his muscles were starting to burn in a way he'd never felt. Thirteen. His paced slipped. He tightened his grip.

"Aaaah-"

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Cirr kept a keen eye on Loki's progress. Inevitably it would slow and falter, and when it did...

...he had his fingers beneath the bar, catching it as it began to float back down rather than rise as Loki tried to will it. Then, Loki surprised him with second effort, pushing away from his fingers and reaching the top of his rep, before going back down again. By that time, out of gas, Loki barely got the bar an inch off his chest, and Cirr hoisted it up to rack, peering down at the little Jedi with a big grin.

"You arre a machjine! Look at you go!"

[Abarai Loki]

"Fourteen," he huffed with a hint of triumph.

On his feet again, he rotated his arms and arched his back. The tingling across his chest and shoulders was an entirely new sensation and while his face expressed curiosity at best, he found it quite pleasant. He returned Cirrsseeto's gaze and nodded.

"Crude, but a satisfactory excercise. It will benefit... the Jedi very well."

He closed the gap between them and rested his hand upon the stationary barbell.

"Out of curiosity, what weight did you begin with when you were my age?"

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Cirr looked away distantly, recalling some long-ago portion of his childhood. His tail changed tempo as he thought, swishing a little quicker.

"Seventy-fjive kjilos, jI thjink. jI rrememberr bejing teased forr bejing weak by otherr boys."

His ears momentarily fell, but raised up again.

"Took that as a challenge, and got jinto ljiftjing frrom a young age."

[Abarai Loki]

"Seventy-fjive kjilos-"

The barbell suddenly jolted, tilting violently under the extra force in the boy's grip, then crashed down, rattling the ordnance racks. He cleared his throat and quickly stepped away from the apparatus, hands clasped behind his back.

"I understand. Taunting peers can motivate a man beyond his limits. It is also healthy to have a strong spirit of competition. Round Two?"

The bar was stripped of the ten kilo discs, and just as quickly reloaded with the larger discs, which slotted into place a little forcefully. Loki remained silent throughout, it took all of his concentration to levitate numerous objects at once, especially when they were that heavy. He eyed Cirrsseeto as they each secured a restraining bolt in place and a thought occured to him.

"Does the Cizerack Pride have any history with the Jedi Order?"

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Cirr crossed his arms over his chest as far as he could, keeping himself loose for his second upcoming round on the bench. He shook his head at Loki's question.

"Not that jI know of. Maybe? jIf so, nobody at home made a fuss of jit. jI've neverr met any of ourr people who had that abjiljity but that doesn't mean they don't exjist jI guess."

[Abarai Loki]

"I find it hard to believe a species such as yours wouldn't make a fuss about such a thing. It's a pity; a Cizerack armed with the Force would make a truly formidable warrior."

Loki rolled his shoulders irritably, unsticking the damp undertunic from his back. The excercise had affected him more than he'd realised. He double-checked the stability of the weights on the bar and took his place at the head of the bench.

"A Jedi with your build would think little of lifting double this weight."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Cirr made a face at the thought.

"That's amazjing. jIs jit somethjing you can teach?"

He'd never really given the whole notion of Jedi mystics a thought. They were amazing people and mainly he was content to remain awed by what they did. Was it possible for somebody like him to own that sort of power?

[Abarai Loki]

"First, you need to have the gift. Being a Jedi is a way of life. A fish cannot swim without a tail and a man cannot become a Jedi without the Force. Can you feel the Force?"

His eyebrow arched at Cirrsseeto's expression and he folded his arms. He continued wearily:

"Do your powers of perception exceed the normal? Have you ever experienced a premonition or heard the thoughts of others? Have you ever done anything unnatural?"

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Confused, Cirr put his hands in his pockets as he thought about the deep question.

"One tjime jI opened the frrjidge, and jI just knew the carrton of blue mjilk had gone off, even beforre jI got a good look orr even smelled jit."

Seeing that his testimonial of clairvoyance had probably not met Loki's lofty expectations, Cirr's ears fell a little bit.

"jI guess not then."

[Abarai Loki]

"No," he said flatly, feeling a twinge of disappointment. It had been foolish to humour such an idea.

"No matter. We develop the gifts we have, what we don't have is irrelevent, for example, I-"

Loki faltered, and his eyes wandered while he was lost in thought. At length, he returned his attention to Cirrsseeto.

"Nevermind, Cirr. Where were we?"

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Cirr noticed him hesitate, looking at him with a curious expression.

"Forr example?"

He gave Loki his undivided attention, as the boy rarely said anything that wasn't in some way profound.

[Abarai Loki]

"We all have our weaknesses, Cirr. Even me. For example, I... cannot sing."

He stared out across the cargo hold as he saidi it, and despite the enormity of the room, he lowered his voice. His jaw clenched for a heartbeat before he added:

"Singing, I discovered, was a skill I didn't possess and consequently, one I felt no obligation to cultivate. What Jedi needs to sing?"

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"Sometjimes jit comes jin handy. jI don't do jit ljike jI used to, because my vojice was betterr when jI was young."

His brow knit as a knowing smile crossed his face.

"Most people who say they can't just need a ljittle help."

He pointed at Loki's stomach, mindful not to encroach on the serious child's personal space.

"Frrom therre, and up!"

For example, Cirr pushed with both hands at his stomach, straightening his back and tilting his jaw back slightly.

"Djiaphragm. You learrn that, and the rrest jis confjidence.

jI tell you what. Maybe some day, jI'll show you."

[Abarai Loki]

While Cirrsseeto gave his impromptu lesson, Loki regarded him with the same morbid curiosity with which one might observe the bearded lady at a circus. His head tilted and he gave a slight shake of the head.

"No, Cirr, I don't think you will. The chances of me ever singing well are on parr with those of you using the Force to pull the moon into the sea."

A knowing glint was in his eyes and suddenly, the confession no longer disturbed him as much. He gestured to the bench.

"In lieu of which, let us focus on more attainable goals."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Cirr nodded, content to not push the issue. He felt, however, that they'd return to the topic soon again. It was just how those things worked.

Back to the bench, Cirr psyched himself up for the lift, checking again through his usual hand-spacing, breathing, and everything else.

"Thrree...

two...

one..."

The lifts began again, Cirr thundering through them as the assembled crowd around began to watch the felinoid iron man push through the pain. His face contorted into a snarl and his eyes clamped shut as he struggled to maintain breath, rhythm, and technique against the rising tide of exhaustion. He struggled to crest his eight repetition and began to falter. Before Loki could intervene, he snarled at him, shaking his head violently.

"No, not yet! jI've got thjis one...."

Hands shaking, Cirr pushed with a second effort with everything he had, cresting to the top of the eighth repetition before casting Loki a look of that's enough and nodding his head for the spot.

[Abarai Loki]

Loki's fingers closed around the bar and it became light, he eased it away from Cirrsseeto and allowed the rack to take its weight with a creak of metal. Glancing down, he saw Cirrsseeto draw two large hands over his glistening face, turning creases of tension into lines of joy. He bounced up from the bench again, full of energy.

"Impressive, Cirr, you are already making progress."

He took a seat at the end of the bench, hands clasped in thought, and after a moment, he raised a look of curiosity up at him, "I see you are well motivated. Has Miss Quez expressed a fondness for muscular men?"

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Cirr looked like a tauntaun caught in a snowspeeder's high-beams. Shit! Was he that transparent? If Loki knew, did Lyanie know too??! Quickly, Cirr tried to play it off cool.

"jI, err, don't know what you'rre talkjing about."

[Abarai Loki]

"Lyanie Quez, the Knightfall's mechanic," he continued in a nonchalant air, "You've been spending plenty of time with her lately."

The barbell started to strip itself of its weights, the discs floating to the ground in two neat piles. Loki saw the immediate change in Cirrsseeto's demeanor, there seemed to be no subtlety to Cizerack emotion, or deception for that matter.

"It's only natural for two adults in frequently proximity to develop an attraction towards each other. You are attracted to Miss Quez, are you not?"

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Cirr grimaced, wringing his hands. There were people around, watching. His blue eyes flashed up through the faces. Lyanie, Lyanie, Lyanie, no, not there!

He stooped down to whisper in the teen's ear.

"Yes, terrrjibly. Can we drrop jit please?"

Cirr's ears fluttered, and he felt about like he was going to spontaneously combust from embarassment.

[Abarai Loki]

"If the theatrics are to continue," he said, rising from the bench, "Gladly."

Now his pair of ten kilo weights slotted into place, he fastened them tight. His thoughts lingered on Cirrsseeto and the flame he carried for the greasy mechanic, it was strange, somehow he imagined Cizerack females to be warrior women and yet here he was, besotted with Lyanie Quez. Loki wanted to pursue the subject without risk of triggering his bashful antics again. He cleared his throat.

"Does a Cizerack look for manual skills in a mate?"

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"We usually don't get that sorrt of choice."

Cirr smiled lopsidedly at Loki's curiosity of his people, and tried to put as much clarity on the subject as he could.

"Forr my fjirrst tjime, jI was pajirred to a powerrful rrjival of my motherr, as a way to rreconcjile the two of them. Forr most males, ourr marrrjiages and ourr mates arre decjided by ourr motherrs."

[Abarai Loki]

"And now you're exempt from your mother's matchmaking you have the pick of the litter?"

He didn't look to Cirrsseeto when he said that, it was a rhetorical question, stated to assist his own grasp of affairs more than anything. While brushing a crease from his tunic, he considered the matter aloud:

"There is a saying on Nar Shaddaa: variety is the spice of life. I daresay even mechanics are accomodated by such a clumsy proverb."

He frowned suddenly, his gaze snapping back to Cirrsseeto, "Your first time?"

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"jI was marrrjied forr ejight yearrs ljittle man."

Cirr took on a slightly wistful expression.

"jIt was a bad marrrjiage, though jI don't rresent herr mjistrreatment of me. jIt just had to end."

[Abarai Loki]

"Loki! Did you give me your name so I could call you Big Cat? No, I thought not."

Rolling up his sleeves, he straddled the bench and lied back. Gripping the bar and with a glance to Cirrsseeto, he indicated he was ready. He shook his head.

"No wonder you had marital problems," he concluded, and began his set.

[Sanis Prent]

Pls delete thanks

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Always befuddled, Cirr's ears sagged as he regretted getting too chummy with the teen.

"Sorrry Lokji." He spoke softly as he carefully spotted the next set.

[Abarai Loki]

The discs clattered with the crest of the barbell, Loki hissing at every lift. First he glared daggers at the ceiling, the burning in his belly fueling each rep, but then his eyes wandered to Cirrsseeto, and he saw the look on his face. His technique faltered and after a couple more lifts, he racked the barbell at a meager nine reps. He stood and stiffly walked it off. Then he turned to Cirrsseeto wearing a soft, if ambiguous, expression.

"You must understand: names are important where I come from."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"Wherre jI come frrom too." Cirr empathized, nodding.

He helped ease the weight back to the rack.

"Njicknames, forr us, arre affectjionate. jI'm sorry jif jI was too forrwarrd."

It was water under the bridge for Cirr. He wasn't taken aback at Loki's offense, and understood it.

[Abarai Loki]

He buried his face into the sleeve of his tunic and wiped the sweat from his brow. The consequent wet patch elicited from him a look of scathing disapproval, like it had absolutely no business being there, tarnishing his pristine robes. Now he wished for the discussion to end entirely, apologies were truly ugly in conversation, no matter how sincere. And Cirrsseeto was probably the most sincere person he'd ever met. Suddenly his brow knotted.

"'Little Man' is affectionate?"

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"Of courrse. jIf jI djidn't carre, jI wouldn't make jit up."

Cirr prepared for his final set, bouncing in place to stay loose.

"jI thjink we've got a lot jin common, almost ljike err...te'jaa ai rakeei...brrotherrs of anotherr motherr."

[Abarai Loki]

"Brothers of another..." he repeated incredulously, trying not to pull a face.

What similarities could there possibly be between him and this common mechanic? The thought of it tormented him, no-one had ever identified with him before; should he be relieved or repulsed? Deciding the matter trivial, he pushed aside his internal dispute and addressed Cirrsseeto with folded arms:

"You are a strange individual, Cirr. I must think of an adequate nickname for you."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Cirr could tell the kid was having a time of the comparison, and as he stretched, he elaborated on it.

"We'rre both prretty smarrt, and deal wjith people who assume at fjirrst glance that we'rre less than we arre. jI have lots of brrotherrs, but jit's...not the same. jI knew my sjisterrs morre. Sanjis jis ljike a brrotherr, but that's djifferrent."

Easing back to the bench, Cirr relaxed and breathed deeply in and out.

"Don't thjink about jit too much." He smiled as the Jedi prepared to spot him again. "That's the sorrt of thjing that just happens. You'll know when jit does."

[Abarai Loki]

"I wonder," he said as he floated the barbell into position.

Cirrsseeto recieved it with a grunt and commenced his cycle of lifts, hisses, and growls. Loki watched him intently.

"I had a brother. He also liked lifting weights. It didn't matter though, I was always the strongest one."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Cirr was losing quickly on his final set, the exhaustion and lactic acid building up in his muscles finally doing him in as his sixth rep ran out of gas. The bar sagged, and Loki recovered it, leaving the big alien panting a bit from exertion on the bench. He recovered, wiped his face, and looked up.

"Oh? Had a bjit of a rrjivalrry then?"

Cirr didn't have too much of an experience there, but his sisters were certainly no strangers to competing in every way possible with each other.

[Abarai Loki]

"A rivalry implies an element of challenge was involved," Loki answered simply, glancing over the secured barbell at Cirrsseeto.

"He made it... difficult for me growing up. I was the youngest. His words gave me the will to endure, and push, and surpass him and the others. And I find myself wondering if that had been his intention all along. I don't know if he was a bad brother. He was a good Jedi."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"Worrds arre powerrful. Motherr always encourraged me to learrn, even jif that sorrt of thjing wasn't socjially acceptjible."

He carefully wiped free the perspiration from the bench, and went back to clearing the bar for Loki's final set.

Something gave the Cizerack pause, and his ears twitched a bit.

"What happened to yourr brrotherr?"

[Abarai Loki]

Delete me please.

[Abarai Loki]

"He was killed by a fallen Jedi. He died defending his family and his honour. It was a good death."

His voice remained as frank and plain as ever, there was no discomfort in his body language, and he held his gaze until he reclined on the bench. There was a moment of hesitation, it was the first time he'd been so candid about his past and he wondered why: Cirrsseeto had shown an interest in him. Then, just before he accepted the weight of the barbell, he decided to return the sentiment in kind.

"Do you see your family?"

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Cirr solemnly looked down at Loki's mentioning of his brother's death. Either he was long-over the loss, or he treated it in what Cirr was now recognizing in typical Loki fashion, which was to slough off any emotional impact of it. He wondered if that was due to the Jedi training. Sure, Lok s'Ilancy seemed aloof at times, but the felinoid had never seen the sort of fastidious mind that was paired across from him.

Instead of offering condolances, which he figured would cheapen the shared moment, Cirr respected him enough to leave it alone, and answered Loki's question.

"Not much."

He shook his head, easing the bar down to let Loki begin his set when he nodded he was ready.

"jIt's harrd to go back to the clusterr, as jI am a fugjitjive forr what jI djid. jI trry when jI can. Motherr sometjimes trravels and looks forr me. jI thjink she feels gujilty forr everrythjing, but she does so much to take carre of Sanjis and jI."

Cirr turned introspective a bit, looking away slightly.

"jI can go back, but jI can neverr...go back, you know?"

[Abarai Loki]

It was his third fling with the thirty-five kilos of metal, and this time he was comfortable, having studied Cirrsseeto's technique. He felt relaxed and his breathing came naturally with the rise and fall of the sturdy barbell. The burning in his muscles returned quicker than before but he pushed through it, focusing on the sound of Cirrsseeto's voice, which was oddly comforting. Nine, then ten. He'd exceeded his last set, thankfully, but his pace became sluggish.

"No," he grunted, the bar an inch from his chest, "You cannot..."

Despite the exhaustion caused by such physical exertion, with it there came clarity; in the minds of the enduring, complex matters of life are boiled down into vivid shades of monochrome; obstacles shrink, barriers fall, and in simplicity dwells wisdom. Another push, his chest knotted, shoulders ached. The strain was in his voice as he sucked in air, lowering the bar in trembling hands.

"Never... lower yourself... argh!"

The barbell crested for the twelfth time with a final staggering effort and as it sunk, Loki glanced up at Cirrsseeto with gnashing teeth, and nodded.

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Cirr grinned and let loose a shout of "S'ai athree!", a Cizeri congratulations. Racking the bar, he held out a big hand over Loki for him to take.

"No worrrjies. We all have trrouble jin ljife frrom tjime to tjime. jI've made peace wjith mjine. jIt jis what jit jis."

Looking again to the weight equipment and back to Loki, Cirr crossed his arms.

"Want to do otherr ljifts?"

[Abarai Loki]

Loki rolled his head and rotated his arms while he listened to Cirrsseeto, surprised by his words, he hadn't taken him to be such a pragmatic philosopher. Something about that made him seem so human. When he gestured to his collection of junkyard plunder, Loki looked dubious.

"You have more in there?"

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"Don't need much morre."

Cirr patted the big bar on the rack.

"Actually, most ljifts you can do wjith thjis. We'rre both prretty tjirred up top, so jI thjink perrhaps squats and we'll call jit a day and maybe rrun a ljittle."

[Abarai Loki]

"I run two hours before breakfast," he blurted, as if the notion of running at any other time of day was completely unnatural. His arms folded as he eyed the barbell.

"How does one squat?"

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"Rrunnjing eh?"

Cirr made a face. How long had it been since he did that? A long time. He was never much of a runner though.

When asked about squats, Cirr tapped the bar for emphasis, then held his fists up to each side, just above and behind his shoulders. With his feet shoulder width apart, the felinoid bent at his knees and hips, sinking to the floor as his back stayed more or less straight. His tail flipped outward acting as counterbalance as he went down, until his backside was about six inches off the ground, then he rose back to his feet.

Smiling, he gestured down from his midsection to his legs, stopping to slap at his thighs.

"Thjis one worrks almost everrythjing. You can do morre wejight, but whew, jit'll make you feel jit. May want to starrt low untjil you feel comforrtable."

[Abarai Loki]

"It looks completely undignified."

The pair of ten kilo discs unscrewed themselves from the bar and were replaced immediately by a pair of small five kilo weights. Loki gripped the bar with one hand and gave it a light tug, it juddered in its racking.

"Twenty-five kilos," he said in grim appraisal, "That's half my weight."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Cirr nodded.

"Good forr a starrt. Majinly want to get a feel forr what good forrm feels ljike. Frrom therre, you can go hjigherr.

Rrememberr..."

He duplicated the precise motion again, emphasizing for importance.

"Back strrajight, bend at the knees, and go as low as you can go. Don't ljift wjith yourr back, you can hurrt yourrself."

[Abarai Loki]

Loki positioned himself beneath the barbell and took a firm grip. He lifted confidently and retreated from the rack a few steps, stopping once his footing was comfortable. First, he took a moment to right his balance, adjusting the barbell to accomodate his posture and then he dipped. It was a unique sensation, almost like being gently crushed, the muscles in his thighs and abdomen tightened with the growing load. Mindful of his form, he held the squat inches from the ground as Cirrsseeto had instructed, and then rose, breathing out.

The second time he was too eager to double-check his posture and as he reached the lowest point, the barbell started to slip away. His balance compromised, all he could do was follow the weight, rolling unceremoniously onto his backside like an upended tortoise.

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"Cha'esee."

Cirr quickly stooped down to relieve Loki of the weight, and to help the teen up to his feet. The felinoid paused, looked at the weight, and scratched at his crotch a little.

"Eh, jit's a starrt. Maybe best not forr us to overrdo jit today."

He looked back to the crowd they'd gathered.

"Plus, jI'm surre we've now got a crrowd of folks wantjing thejir turrn too. You hungrry?"

[Abarai Loki]

On his feet, Loki patted himself down, and regarded the weights with disdain. A hand outstretched then pointed briskly at the ordnance racks and the barbell snapped into place at his command. He glanced at the spectators, a pink flush in his cheeks.

"No, lieutenant, I do believe that will be all for today. My time is limited and there are matters of importance to which I must attend."

He retrieved his haori from the crates, unfolded it, then slipped his arms inside. He returned to Cirrsseeto, pausing to give a slight bow of the head.

"Thank you for your instruction today. It has been... educational."