Insomnia

[Anbira Hicchoru]

It had been a year removed since Felucia, but an old ailment plagued Anbira Hicchoru even now.

SNAP-HISS!

The lightsaber was in his hand before his eyes were open, and he bolted up from the floor, his hairy chest glistening with the sweat of a restless sleep. What did he expect to find? A Rancor? A Nexxu? An Imperial death squad in a jungle he hadn't seen in a year?

Living a life of solitary confinement for years made one extremely sensitive to the closeness of others. Confined in a crush amongst hundreds of people on a ship meant it was all too easy for light sleep and fight or flight responses to have you ready for a fight if somebody so much as walked down a corridor adjacent to your room. Consequently, on Bespin, and here on the Wheel, Anbira slept little.

Shaking his head, he deactivated his lightsaber, exhaling. His thick beard and long hair hung down in locks as he looked down at his weapon. It would do him no good to try to sleep now. He needed to purge this sense of expectation from himself.

Kneeling, he emptied his mind of such thoughts. A voice came to him.

"Troubled you are?"

Through half-lidded eyes, Anbira stared ahead.

"I do not think so. Perhaps the normalcy itself is trouble?"

"Around others like yourself, you have not been. Embrace them, you should."

It had been Master Yoda's expectation of him for some time. It was an obligation he had difficulty fulfilling.

"I feel like a stranger, even here."

"A man apart, a Jedi must be. Learned this lesson, you already have. New lessons, you must learn."

Anbira bridged the cryptic gap with some empathy.

"Life was simpler in the jungle."

The disembodied voice laughed.

"Yes. This truth, I too knew very well! But your destiny, belongs not in such a place."

There was little debating Yoda on that point. Anbira rose to his feet, toweling the sweat off with a nearby towel before slipping a shirt over his frame.

"What is my destiny, Master Yoda?"

The voice paused.

"Find that out there, you will."

It didn't surprise Anbira at all to hear that answer. He knew it was the one he would, and should, get. Tying his hair back into a rough ponytail, he hit the door controls to his quarters, stepping out into the Whaladon at large.

[Tionne Thanewulf]

Having been in a stasis-like condition for more than a quarter of a century, Thanewulf found no amusement in sleep. Certainly, a few hours had to put aside for rest on a daily basis, but not a minute more was wasted in bed. Instead, the Knight concentrated her efforts on more productive things, such as optimizing her lightsaber. Carbonite freezing left marks on the crystal's focus; the dissonance was not substantial, albeit palpable. The gyration of the core was somewhat slower than usual, thus it had to be readjusted.

Seated on a high stool, Tionne overlooked the table before her, its surface littered with tools and delicate equipment fit for a task of fine tuning. The redhead reached into one of the side pockets of her black cargo pants, rummaging the pockets for her datapad. Upon finding it, she endeavoured to open up the casing of the electrum hilt, idly humming to herself in the process. It seemed like ages ago when she last did this, having never fiddled with the lightsaber from when it was constructed. After a substantial pricking, the cylinder opened up, revealing the mechanisms inside. A sigh of satisfaction left her lips - there was no damage to the crystal, it just needed recalibration.

A hand reached out, pulling a bottle of whiskey via the Force; somebody was foolish enough to leave such fine brew lying around one of the compartments of the cargo bay. Thanewulf drank from it, as if not expecting company.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Anbira walked aimlessly down the corridor. Where was he going exactly? He had no idea. There was no real purpose to this outing, which meant that he spent his time trying to justify himself, and consistently finding his reasoning lacking.

He paused at another door to crew quarters. At this hour, it was nonsense to expect anyone to be awake, but his feelings told him otherwise. If not here, then where.

He tapped the door chime, expecting whoever answered it would greet him with an incredulous response at being roused at this hour. Nevertheless, the deed was done.

[Tionne Thanewulf]

As the door sounded, Thanewulf raised an eyebrow. Who could it be at this late hour, the ginger-haired Jedi mused. Concentrating her Force powers on levitating the hilt in the air, she could not reach out and identify whoever was standing before the metallic door. She would simply have to let the person in, whoever it was.
''Come in, it's not locked!'' the redhead exclaimed, loud enough for her voice to permeate the durasteel walls that separated various sections in the Whaladon's belly. Luckily, inner plating was thin, unlike the outer shell of the ship.

With eyes focused on the rotating cylinder hovering in mid-air, Tionne paid no attention to the door. She figured the person would wander in by themselves upon seeing she was busy. Her wrist turned, unlocking the focusing mechanism from its barring. Faint golden glow of the Solari crystal within illuminated her freckled face, the lustre of the gem mirroring in her steel orbs. A faint smile crossed her lips when her gaze settled on the crystal; its captivating luminance reminding of both brighter days of the Old Order and the radiance of the Galactic core from where it originated.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Anbira took the invitation for what it was, opening the door to reveal a woman predisposed to her work, and with her back to him. Now what?

"It's going to sound patently absurd, but I can't sleep, and I was looking for somebody like-minded."

He took a step in the room, still not sure if he'd made a good decision or not.

[Tionne Thanewulf]

''Mhm.'' the Knight mumbled affirmatively, her concentration solely on removing the magnetic stabilizing ring without damaging the energy modulation circuits. With palms hovering over the cylinder, she could use a spare pair of hands.

''Do you see that miniature hydrospanner on the shelf to your left side? Do you mind handing it over?'' the redhead pleaded, canting her head to the side as if gazing over her shoulder.
''I'm kind of... busy here.'' she uttered quiescently, making a grimace as excessive effort was exerted to unscrew the shroud emitter.
''Oh, come on...'' Tionne muttered to herself, cursing inwardly at nobody else but herself for fastening the ring so meticulously all those years ago.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Making himself useful, Anbira found the proper-sized spanner, plucking it from the shelf and easing it down, adjacent to the red-headed Jedi. From his own experience using captured Imperial tools and pilfered tech, he knew the assembly and maintenance of a lightsaber was a feat that required total dedication. It was no time for chit-chat.

Taut-lipped, he gave a curt nod.

"I'm intruding. My apologies."

[Tionne Thanewulf]

''Why apologize? You already here, aren't you?'' the Knight said, voice laced with trademark cynicism. Then a faint smile came, indicating she was not entirely serious. Her gaze barely flicked away from her lightsaber, briefly examining the man that now stood beside her.

''Thank you. Now, sit.'' Thanewulf suggested, motioning to a spot on the other side of the table. It took quite some skill to remain seated on a barstool, especially after emptying almost half a bottle of whiskey. Still, Tionne had quite the tolerance for liquor, very much like her late grandfather.

Finally, the ring was off. A sigh of relief left her lips, as the cylinder was placed back on the tabletop. It was only then that her eyes skimmed across rugged features of what seemed to be a fellow Jedi - the lightsaber clipped to his belt delineating through the thin textile of his shirt revealed his affiliation.
''Need your one polished?'' offered the Coruscanti, her meek smile transforming into a lop-sided grin. Reaching for the bottle, she took a plentiful gulp, then extended it across the table.
''I ain't contagious. Well, as far as I know.'' jested Tionne, nodding to him to take hold of the bottle and drink.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

He sat as commanded. She didn't mince words, which was good.

Her mention of his own lightsaber brought his hand down to his side to feel at it's contour. He unclipped it, giving it a cursory inspection. There was some carbon scoring that needed to be attended to. Pride would demand he settle the issue himself elsewhere, but that was unbecoming of a Jedi. Perhaps the mutual act of lightsaber maintenance itself would be a good bridge.

"I'm a bit overdue, it would seem."

He sat the weapon on the counter. It was somewhat brutalist, lacking much finesse at all. It was a product born of his situation, and one he'd become inseperable to. It was spartan and with hard, utilitarian edges.

Looking up, he found the woman extending a bottle to him. He eased the mouth of the bottle towards him, the fumes from the top causing him to momentarily avert his nose. Well, it wasn't tea.

It wouldn't be poison if she was drinking it, so there was no use protesting the strange. Anbira sipped of it, his jawline tensing a bit as he parted the bottle from his mouth. A few scant drops of whisky dripped into his beard as he grimaced, looking up to the other Jedi.

"That's...different."

[Tionne Thanewulf]

Thanewulf shook her head, grinning. The beverage was far from mild; a strong, illicit brew left a potent aftertaste. Undoubtedly, the drink was intended for the black market, where criminal tongues oft savoured such woody aroma.
''Aye. I'm past drinking herbal tea. That was in another lifetime.'' she stated, gaze diverting to her disassembled weapon, then to the sordid cylinder of his own saber.

''You built it yourself?'' the redhead inquired, finding it easiest to start a more personal conversation over an item all Jedi took special care of.
''It needs cleaning.'' the Knight remarked, tossing a polishing cloth in his direction. ''Here.''
Attempts of socialization were furthered with general comments on the state of his saber. Tionne's hilt was a relic of past, more peaceful times; even in the Clone Wars, the Coruscanti rarely resorted to physical conflict. Hence, the electrum weapon was rarely used.
''Looks like it slew an entire legion of Stormtroopers.'' she added unknowingly.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

"I did." He replied on the question of building the saber. "It took me a year to find the material for it."

Anbira took the polishing cloth in one hand, holding the lightsaber in the other. Transferring the saber to the cloth, he reached for a spanner, loosening a catch that opened into a smaller compartment in which thumbscrews held the power supply hatch. He began to work at those.

His concentration was broken slightly at her comment about slaying stormtroopers. He looked up at her a little blankly, falling into a thousand yard stare and lost in thoughts of the past.

His tongue briefly parted his dry lips to wet them, and he looked back down to his saber.

"It's fought enough of them." he replied, not caring to aggrandize that fact at all.

[Tionne Thanewulf]

Clearly, this was a man of few words. Thanewulf remained observant; whilst pricking through the blade generating mechanism of her weapon, she looked at him from the corner of his eye. His face was studied without him even noticing, inductive reasoning used to draw out conclusions. Long hair, beard, the way he sat down, straight in his chair - all indicated some military background. And the apparent lack of assertiveness.

''Which colour is it?'' she asked, hoping to get a question in return. The needle used to clean remaining carbonite out of the primary crystal mount was pushed too far towards the diathium power cell, causing a small power surge.
''Owww! Frell...'' cursed the redhead, licking her index finger and thumb instinctively.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

"It's blue."

Anbira thought back to the day he found the crystal, submerged waist-deep in a Felucian fungal swamp. The crystal was still within a lightsaber, or what was left of one, which looked to be severed at the hilt in some long-ago unlucky fight lost by a Jedi. That he didn't have to go far to find one spoke of the brutality that had occurred there.

"Are you alright? Let me see."

He reached forward tentatively, only going further if she cared to.

"I had enough runs afoul of plasma discharges that I wore insulated gloves when setting my power supply. Here."

Reaching to his pocket, he pulled out a black synthetic glove and handed it to her.

"It might help."

Some more silence, and he hazarded an introduction.

"I'm Anbira Hicchoru. What's your name?"

[Tionne Thanewulf]

Blue.

For a moment, Thanewulf closed her eyes, reminiscing of her first training saber upon being granted one as a youngling. To a child, its coruscating azure glow was magical. When other children of her age were given toys, Tionne had received a weapon, a tool, a symbol. An entire lifetime would pass before she learned how to use if effectively. Her musings were broken by a kind, albeit unexpected gesture. Flashing him a wry smile, the redhead took the glove.

''Men! Always carry protection around, don't you?'' she joked, offering a hand for a handshake before gloving it.
''Tionne Thanewulf. Former Jedi Watchman of Corellia. Now I just... watch out.''

[Anbira Hicchoru]

"Seem to, I suppose!" Anbira laughed briefly about the glove, which was part of a standard-issue Imperial stormtrooper's body liner. He'd taken pains to keep up with his kit, repairing and replacing when needed. For a large part, it was a second skin to him.

He took her hand, giving a curt shake as he appraised his host.

"Good to meet you, Tionne. Glad to have somebody to talk to and pass the time."

Diverting his eyes back to work, he finished with the thumbscrews, working the power supply housing free before pivoting a retaining pin out from the other side, which allowed him to unthread the crystal focusing superstructure.

"I'm not very good at that, so you'll have to bear with me I'm afraid.

How long have you, erm, been here?"

[Tionne Thanewulf]

With a gloved hand and a needle, Thanewulf cleaned the primary crystal chamber, scraping residual carbonite from the inside of the cylinder. The Jedi blew into it, merely to remove any remaining shards, then peeked through the hole, satisfied with the state her weapon was in. There were no signs of rust or any other internal or external lacerations; the hilt of her saber remained as regal as it was on the day her grandfather gave it to her.

''Not very long.'' the redhead replied upon setting equipment on the table, hand reaching for the bottle.
''But if I told you of how I got here, you would not believe me.''
Taking another gulp of the golden liquid, Tionne savoured its spicy taste before swallowing a mouthful. Again, he was offered to follow, in hope that additional liquor would propagate communication between them.

''Not many do when I tell them I am in fact fifty-five years old. If they do believe me, they want the number of my plastic surgeon.'' the Knight jested, leaving her saber aside for the time being. Both of her eyebrows raised in slight amusement, simply to observe his reaction.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Anbira grinned in understanding, nodding as he again took the bottle, giving it another tentative sip. This was the first alcohol he'd ever tasted. Guess there were firsts for everything.

"My experience with the Jedi suggests it is proper to embrace the unusual. That we are here at all is in some way a miracle."

Returning the bottle with another slight grimace, he continued.

"That said, you certainly don't look your age. I suppose there's a secret to that youth, then?"

[Tionne Thanewulf]

''You familiar with the Jedi Purge?'' the redhead inquired, pretty certain he was. It was often stories of Jedi were turned into bedtime stories, overly romanticized into fairy tales. Children of the galaxy listened to these stories wide-eyed, recognizing in them heroes and role models in their simple, juvenile black and white world. Without much ado, the Knight continued upon gripping the bottle, ready to soak her tongue in whiskey if her mouth dried from all the babble.

''Sad days for us as almost all Jedi were exterminated. When the Council fell, the Order was no longer. A few of us Watchmen fled across the galaxy, running for our lives. Unlike others who spent their days comandeering the Force or swinging the saber, we had our networks branching out throughout the society, making our flight to the Outer Rim easier. Some of us had the ability to cloak our presence in the Force; the only way the Inquisitors could find us is if they looked for us, visually.''

Pausing, Thanewulf drew in a mouthful of bourbon, letting it simmer in her mouth before swallowing. It tasted more bitter than usual.

''Nevertheless, they found a way how to catch us; imprisoning the Watchmen they already caught, the Empire gave them a choice - cooperate or die. Remarkable how many people turned out more selfish than a Jedi should be...
With those who knew me well after me, my chances of survival were slimming by the hour.'' she explained at length, her eyes never leaving Anbira's dark orbs.
''A scientist always assesses the odds. I had a better chance of surviving carbon freezing than making it through the Purge alive. So I did. Carbonite blocked out the Force completely, as it froze my metabolism. I deposited myself in the vault of the Galactic Museum - one of the best guarded places in the galaxy. Prior to that, I left my ship on Skako. Given antialien tendencies the Empire exhibited upon establishment, I figured they would never look for it in that dense soup of a Skakoan atmosphere. And I was right.'' the redhead declared somewhat triumphantly, pleased she managed to outplay the Empire in the end.

''Over twenty five years had passed before somebody thought about pressing the thaw button... and here I am. A fifty five year old soul in a body of a twenty six year old. What's your story?'' she finally asked with a genuine smile, aware her banter probably bored the man to death.

[Byl Laprovik]

mods please plz delete

[Anbira Hicchoru]

"That's clever."

Anbira conceded his approval of her decision.

"The Empire did get rather good at finding Jedi during the purge. I would know."

His voice took on a more somber tone.

"I've been both the hunter and hunted. In another lifetime, seemingly ages ago, I was an Imperial Recon scout trooper."

[Tionne Thanewulf]

''Ages ago? You don't look that old.'' she voiced, attempting a compliment. As the conversation grew far more interesting than cleansing of lightsaber parts, Thanewulf pushed both the apparatus and the hilt to the side, then placed her elbows on the table, fingers intertwining before her.

''Why did you leave the army? They found out you were Force sensitive? As far as I know, such were not welcome in the Imperial society. At least in the opinion of the general public.'' the Knight inquired, her tone pleasant to avoid being too nosy. This man seemed - very much like Tionne - stranded, left waiting in some time-continuum rift to figure out his purpose in this shattered world.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Anbira laughed a little at that, a hand idly drawing through the thick beard at his jawline.

"Credit something in the water on Felucia. The trade-off is that nearly everything else on the planet, while beautiful, is probably trying to kill you."

He didn't expect the Jedi to take his revelation of Imperial service this well. It was something that he never brought up voluntarily. Such service very understandably contained charged, negative connotations.

Shaking his head, he explained.

"I was never audited by the Inquisitorius. Our garrison was largely held in place to keep the locals in line. Suppression of force adepts and insurgents was secondary. If anyone had any understanding of whatever dormant ability I may have had, they were too busy with other enemies."

With a sigh, he gestured for the bottle again.

"As far as why I left, I'd like to say it was because of moral outrage at what we did. At who I was becoming. I felt all those things, and never acted on them because I was a coward."

[Tionne Thanewulf]

Handing him the whiskey, Thanewulf let her features soften, pale visage delineating compassion and understanding. Sometimes life prepared roles for people, roles they never intended to play; it took courage to improvise, deviate from the original script. Cowardice? The Jedi did not concur - bravery only paid out if there was even a remote possibility to succeed. Hicchoru needed to know this, distinguish between dauntlessness and outright stupidity. If he rebelled back then, he would not be sitting here, opposite of Tionne, drinking third class Corellian bourbon that tasted like mouldy cardboard at best.

''Moral outrage? You were just doing your duty. Doing what you are ordered makes for a good soldier.'' the redhead reassured calmly, chin resting on her knuckles, then offered a general, yet personal view of history.
''The Empire had their own ideas of how the society should function; democracy was the reign of choice and history showed people were indecisive most of the time. A change of regime commenced when nations of the Republic decided it would be easiest to have somebody decide for them - Palpatine came into office via a vote, not coup. In times of war, it is only rational to have one person in charge, as the Senate took months to reach an agreement. Politicians are the worst of opportunists, the squabbling kind. The Jedi, on the other hand, had to much trust in politicians at large, believing the Republic could not crumble. But it did, from the inside, consumed by corruption, war and tensions that built up for centuries. Peace is not the absence of war, a wiser person once said.''

Briefly pausing, the Knight searched Anbira's face for a reaction.
''Not the words you expected to hear from a Jedi, ey?'' quizzed the Coruscanti, tracing across rugged outlines of his face.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

"Not what I'd expect, no."

Anbira shook his head, taking a drink.

"I know there's rationalization to be found in my inaction. I'm just uneasy in accepting it fully. The fighting on Felucia was terrible."

Looking distant, Anbira closed his eyes briefly, and looked back to Tionne to continue.

"At any rate, fate gave me an outlet to leave the Corps. On a deep-forest pursuit of potential force-sensitive insurgents, my speederbike crashed and I was separated from my squad; nearly killed.

After a week of pursuit, I knew the procedure. I would be classified missing - presumed dead. After that, I was on my own."

[Tionne Thanewulf]

''We're always on our own.'' the Knight confessed with a sigh, images flashing in her mind in an unconscious retrospective. Betrayal, disappointment, fear, anger, suffering reverberating in the Force during some of the darkest days the galaxy had seen. Hicchoru and Thanewulf were both marked, burdened with a past that chained the freedom of tomorrow, with future looked upon with disdain and apprehension.

''How did you find the Jedi then? Felucia is a long way from here.'' she asked, licking her lips after another gulp of whiskey was downed. Heat dissipated in her throat, sending waves of pleasantry outwards, to her limbs. Slowly but surely, the alcohol was taking effect, relaxing muscles and rejuvenating spirit.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

"How did I find the Jedi?"

It was, admittedly, the most remarkable part of his journey. One he was still unable to explain.

"I heard them."

Anbira gestured to his head, a finger pointing against his temple.

"I don't know how or why. I still don't, a decade after the fact. My first year on my own, I was completely alone. Cut off from the Empire, and from any rescue. I survived my injuries through intercession, but I never knew by who. The natives on the planet, we were fighting them, you see. If they found me, by all accounts they would have taken my head. I'd seen enough of that to know that's what they did to troopers they ambushed."

Feeling a bit unencumbered by the alcohol, Anbira pulled the tie from his hair, letting his ponytail spill down his shoulders.

"Later, I found the truth. It was the natives who took care of me. Someone among them could see as well. I wouldn't find that out for another two years though. I survived by my own determination, avoiding beasts and plants that would otherwise destroy me. If not for guidance, my fate would have been certain."

[Tionne Thanewulf]

Glad to see Hicchoru finally feel at ease, Tionne smiled. The way his fair framed his tanned face reminded of her long lost student; the Knight never thought Klo-Ude's boyish attitude and blatant bickering would be so greatly missed. A master-student bond was not easily broken, no matter how many lightyears stood between them. Yet Anbira was not a boy, but a fully grown man, burdened with experience, hands already stained. Much was on his mind, the Coruscanti Jedi sensed upon palpating his signature through the Force, like the touch of a butterfly's wings against the petals of an Alderaanian rose.

''The Felucians have an innate aptness in the Force - this is why they spared you. Ending your life would bring them too close to the Dark Side, with the person who killed you eventually being thrown into the maw of a sarlacc.'' the redhead deciphered, employing her expertise in xenobiology. Force-sensitive creatures always interested her greatly, as did natural occurrences of the Force.

''You said you heard the Jedi...'' Tionne continued curiously ''In your head. Do you hear them still then?''
The bottle was slid before him, nudged for him to drink - words flowed easier if oiled by scotch.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

"When they wish me to."

Anbira studied the bottle, tilting it from side to side to watch the brown liquid slosh inside.

"I admit I have no control over such intervention. It's not exactly a two-way street."

He shook his head incredulously.

"Sometimes I wonder if it's a blessing at all. I'm well aware that it makes me come off as quite mad."

[Tionne Thanewulf]

''Only a select few have a gift similar to yours. Force spirits only pick the most sensitive, the most attuned to the Force. You might not perceive it in such a way, but it is a great honour.'' the Knight voiced softly, watching Anbira's reflection in the polished surface of the metallic tabletop. He seemed not aware of the magnitude of these premonitions, nor of their importance; like any normal human being, he was just afraid of being proclaimed barking mad for it. Tionne understood, striving to find her own place under the sun, in this brave new world. Even Jedi craved acceptance, a sense of belonging that gave purpose.

''I wish I had something so special.'' she admitted with a long-winded sigh - ''But the Force only granted me with a big mouth and an inhumane tolerance for alcohol - which is not that bad, all in all.''
Quiescent laughter escaped full lips, whiskey gradually warming her on the inside.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

"It seems..."

Anbira began, finding his tongue a little heavier than it was before.

"...that is a gift I don't yet possess."

He took another drink, finding that the burn of the liquor was less than it had been. On the converse, he was starting to feel a bit out of sorts. He looked at his host again.

"Do you think there's some greater power at work in the force, ensuring that you're in this time, here and now, to effect real change?

[Tionne Thanewulf]

''Law of probability tells me otherwise. Just imagine...what are the chances of surviving the Purge and carbon freezing or a decade of roaming through the wilderness of Felucia? Both me and you could have died a thousand deaths, but we didn't. Both of us found a way to the Jedi, or what's left of them. From a statistical point of view - that's pretty improbable.'' the redhead discoursed, whiskey turning her into a sideshow philosopher. Alcohol made her even more talkative than she usually was; it was a real miracle that Hicchoru was still in her quarters, sitting and listening.

''Other than that - out of all the cabins on this gorram ship, you knocked on a door of another Jedi. Who was awake, not being able to sleep. Just as yourself.''
Clicking her tongue between pearly white teeth, Thanewulf savoured the aroma of yet another mouthful of moonshine.
''So yeah... I believe the Force leads us. To each other and through the world, to change reality, warp it in accordance to its Will. Nothing is coincidence, Anbira. Not even this drinking session we are having, believe it or not.'' said the Coruscanti, supporting her cheek by her knuckles as her head felt slightly heavier from all the liquor.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Anbira smiled at that.

"I think anyone terribly interested in probabilities would have long-since shunned our curious way of life."

He returned some attention to his work, looked up, and smiled.

"To the skeptics, it would all just be madness. I think I prefer it that way."

[Tionne Thanewulf]

Pulling the tray where her disassembled lightsaber lay, Tionne straightened in her seat, ready to commence the cleansing. Picking up a small leather cloth, she polished the magnetic stablizing ring, vigorously rubbing the tarnish off.

''Speaking of probabilities... My parents were quite disappointed when my grandfather took me to the Jedi. They expected a grandchild, in due time. As if joining the Jedi was an end of one's life.'' the Knight spoke, not fully aware she was thinking out loud - ''Like a centuries old scroll could ever tell a Thanewulf what to do.''

She blew into the ring, then set it down on the table, grabbing the remainder of the hilt.
''My grandfather always preached - rules were there to be broken. Me being the most drastic aftereffect of his violation of the Jedi Code.''

[Anbira Hicchoru]

"For all I ever learned in the wilderness, nothing was by code. Perhaps that's in my destiny later. I don't know."

Anbira thought long and hard over that.

"I would think there would be very little in anything written to truly explain away you or me, Tionne. I'd take solace in that.

[Tionne Thanewulf]

Nodding in acknowledgement, Tionne flicked the crystal out of its barring, to clean the mount that carried it. A few minutes passed in silence, wordlessly enjoying in the company of another Jedi, relishing calmness and serenity of spirits not frequently found in other people. Upon gently chaffing the energy modulation circuits, the Knight spoke again.

''You any good with that?'' the redhead quizzed, dipping her head in reference to the ascetic hilt of his saber.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Anbira took up the outer casing in one hand, examining it as he pulled away a cyllinder containing other internals.

"Fairly."

He gave a casual shrug, looking over to the red-head.

"I have practical experience in Shien, and training in Djem So. What that means is that I've had a lot of time to learn both, but only put the former to the test. Against stormtroopers, there's not much use for the latter."

He looked to her own weapon.

"And you? I imagine it's a wilder galaxy beyond."

[Tionne Thanewulf]

''Djem So.'' she echoed his words in amusement, her slate irises flashing with liquor-instigated lustre. Form V users were a nightmare to most lightsaber-wielding Force adepts, mostly due to the strength and vigour they employed in combat. It took a wall of resilience to block their attacks, only effective defence coming from a Soresuist. Thanewulf thrilled at the prospect of a spar with a Jedi utilizing Djem So.

''I use Soresu.'' the fair-skinned Jedi disclosed, keeping the details of her Ataru training to herself. That would be her secret weapon, if there was to be a practice spar between them.
''As for wild... I bet I could knock your saber out of your hands and zap you with it. I wager a whole crate of this.'' said Thanewulf, pointing to the half-empty bottle.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

"That's a wager I'm afraid I'm not yet willing to take."

Anbira conceded with a smile, looking back to his own weapon.

"I think it may be some time before I find a comfort zone in a duel. Small steps."

He knew full well what it meant that she practised Soresu. An ideal fight for her would be a long one, and rely on him eventually making a mistake, which Anbira conceded at this point would be inevitable.

"Some day, maybe we'll make that wager."

[Tionne Thanewulf]

Someday.

The Knight smiled, knowing his caution was probably justified. Thanewulf was one hell of a Soresuist, often wearing down more experienced Jedi. Unlike many, she was patient, waiting for the right opportunity to strike. One day she would show this to Hicchoru and earn his respect.

Once again, silence dominated the room. Lightsaber assemblage took great concentration; levitating the hilt over her palm, Tionne returned the crystal into its holder, slowly putting the casing back together. From the corner of his eye she observed Anbira, marginally paying attention to what he was doing. The affectionate way in which he held his weapon indicated very few possessions he had, like a true Jedi. Indirectly, she glanced to his reflection on the tabletop, seeing not just a man, but a friend.