Thorn: Meet Miss Seto

[Salem Ave]

A speeder cab pulled up onto the curb. Inside, a man sat in the back with one driver, rodian, in the front. The green skinned alien turned to look over his shoulder at his passenger. This one was weird - white skin, black eyes, didn't say much and when he did it was in slurrs and stammers. In the end it didn't matter much, since either way he would be getting his money. Holding out a webbed hand, he waited for his payment.

"Downtown spaceport to the Vista resteraunt, 200 credits."

Two solid black eyes blinked, and the man - or rather boy, he didn't quite look old enough to be classed as a 'man' - shook his head. He rose up one hand slowly, passing it infront of the cabdrivers eyes. Quickly, as if panicking, the rodian turned and thudded down into his chair. The passenger disembarked out onto the street side, tugging his cloak tightly around him as the transport shot off away along the street.

"Ssstupid."

A quick glance up at the building he was heading for revealed it was unlike most other Coruscant dives. It had about 8 or so floors from what he could make out and was suprisingly well maintained on the outside, meaning it was clean, etc. At the door, two gatemen - or bouncers, whatever you want to call them - stood. They wore red uniforms and little flat caps that made them look like toy soldiers.

"Sssalem Ave," the man stuttered as he stepped past the two guards, "Reserrrved table for two."

Both nodded to him as he passed into the foyer. The resteraunt was labelled as being on the 5th floor, so that's where he was headed. The turbolift appeared for him with a light depression of the call switch, and he stepped inside, sighing to himself.

[Jen Seto]

(The afternoon was drawing in nicely. Outside the sun hung low in the pure blue sky, and in its warm glow the Coruscant skyline actually appeared to be amiable. Still though, no number of beautiful sunsets could cheer Jen up. She sat, elbow propped up on the table at which she sat, he chin cradled in her upturned palm. All around her, the other patrons to the resteraunt chattered and gulped down the fine foods served to them, whilst she remained silent - in a daydream.

The one who she was supposed to be meeting was supposed to have arrived some 20 minutes ago, yet there was no sign of him. She began to wonder just whether or not Salem would have even bothered to come; after all he was probably busy and all. Infact she did feel a pang of regret for inviting him here. In the academy, he'd always been somewhat different to the others. The teachers had told her when she'd arrived - as she was a late starter - to be careful around him, and that he had some eccentricities due to his species. His little quirks amused her though, and she'd always thought him cute.

But anyway, he was Sith now. A Sith, one of the killers of galaxy. She hoped that if he pulled out one of those light swords on her that someone would jump to her rescue, but she doubted it.)

"Ma'am, the porters inform me that your companion is here."

(Snapping out of her mind, Jen looked up at the waiter at the table with pleading eyes.)

"Mister Ave will be here in a few moments,"

(That said, the suited tender took a bow and retreated, leaving her alone at her table. Waiting.)

[Salem Ave]

There was a barely audiable hiss as the turbo lift came to a halt. The door slid open, and Salem was released from the cramped hell out into the foyer of the resteraunt. All the way up in the lift ride he'd been subject to torture through terrible music, and now here the ambient was no better. He shook his head and glared at the plush carpet, stalking his way towards were a tender stood - waiting to greet customers.

"Good evening sir. Can I help you? Would you like to book a table? Or are you here to meet someone?"

There was a silence, in which Salem rose his head and looked down at the man. He must have been used to unusual folk, since the Sith Disciples appearance didn't appear to phase him.

"Sss-alem Ave,"

He spoke in a serpentine sttuter and the man immeadiately jumped to life, smiling as he scooped up two menus in his arms. He nodded to Salem and swept away into the fray of tables, gesturing for Salem to follow. After a short minutes trek, he stopped beside a small table by one of the tall-paned windows - a woman sat there, staring out into another world.

"Your guest has arrived, Miss Seto!" the waiter said cheerily before bowing and retreating.

"Long time no sssee Jen."

[Jen Seto]

"And you haven't changed, Salem."

(Jen smiled at her childhood friend and motioned him to sit down. She ran her hand through her blond hair and studied her friend for a long silent moment. Still the odd ball, just like back in the academy. She let out a small laugh. Finally, it was time to break the sweet silence.)

"What have you been up to ?"

[Salem Ave]

"Killing, mossstly."

Compared with Jen, he did indeed appear to be an oddball. She was the popular girl who all the guys thought was cute, he was the one they liked to use as a punching bag. She'd get all the dates, he'd get laughed at. It had always been like that, but it did not deter their friendship. For some reason Jen seemed to like him, and he was not one to quarrel with that.

"You look attrrractive."

Blunt, as ever.

"It isss good to sss-ee your face afterrr so long."

Nodding, without smiling, he took a seat across from her.

[Jen Seto]

(Killing ... It made Jen shiver. Salem said it as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Then he commented on her looks. Flashbacks running through her mind as she lowered her eyes from him, the corner of her lips going up. slightly. The other kids often picked on him, but she always liked him. He was different ... He was nice. But now ... He was still different, but not in the same way.)

"Thanks ... You don't look so bad yourself .."

(She mumbled without looking up at him.)

[Salem Ave]

"I do not have much time here, Ssseto. I am expected by at my orrrderrr sss-oon."

He folded his arms infront of him on the table, hunching forward as his eyes remained locked on the petite face infront of him. She was very pretty, there was no doubt about that, but Salem had never thought of her in that way before. After all, she was Jen and although he might have caught glimpses of her face-sucking with men, he didn't ever hold her in that state of regard.

"You mussst tell me what I came herrre to learrrn about."

[Jen Seto]

(Yep. Still the same. She told herself, even though she knew that Salem could read her mind. Salem ... You changed. She remembered how she'd get drunk at parties, and he'd be the one taking her back. Though the Academy was very strict, Jen never followed the rules. But it was all in the past. She exhaled swiftly, almost and turned her gaze away to make sure no one was looking.)

"You want to know about Thorn ...?" She almost mouthed.

[Salem Ave]

"Obviousssly."

Salem mimicked her studious glance. No one appeared to be staring at the table, infact the Disciple had engineered it so they wouldn't. To the others in the area, the table was empty and no one could be seen sitting there.

"I am verrry interrresssted in this ... token that you ssspoke of."

[Jen Seto]

(Seto sighed deeply, as she put her hand to the back of her neck, stroking it nervously. She looked at the table where they sat at for a long moment, before murmuring.)

"All I can say is that it's dangerous, Salem ... Very dangerous. You shouldn't be near that thing. If it doesn't kill you, then its guardians will."

[Salem Ave]

The thought of such an object elated his mind. If it was so dangerous, then it must have been a tool of the darkside, one to be reckoned with.

"Perrrrhapsss it would be bessst disss-cussed in private?"

[Jen Seto]

"If you say so."

(Jen stood up slowly from her chair, pushing it back silently. She looked over at Salem, waiting for him to stand up also. She studied him again, her face almost saddened. He'll never feel the same way.)

"Oh hey, by the way ... Any girls in your life ?"

[Salem Ave]

He followed suit and stood up, taking a few paces past her.

"Yesss, many," he said unknowingly, assuming she meant friends.

"Let'sss go."

With a stern nod he stalked past her towards the exit.

[Jen Seto]

"Ugh."

(Jen caught up with Salem by walking a bit faster, going through the exit at the same he did. Her face didn't look as amused as his. Taking her serious look, she asked again.)

"You know what I mean, Ave."

[Salem Ave]

"I do not carrre to talk of sss-uch thingsss, they do not interrressst me.

Salem and Jen stepped into the turbolift, and the Sith depressed the button to descend to the ground floor once again.

"You off all people sss-hould know that."

The lift door hissed open, and they stepped out onto the street.

"Now wherrre isss your apartment... "

[Jen Seto]

"We haven't talked in a long time. I had to ask."

(Jen mumbled. She stepped out into the crowded street and began walking in the opposite way most of the crowd were heading, sometimes bumping into people.)

"A few streets from here. You comin' ?"

[Salem Ave]

"Obviousssly. Lead the way."

This talk of women made him nervous in a way. Having Jen insinuate such things got him a little on edge, and reminded much of how people would question him at the academy; as if he was some plaything for them to toy with.

[Jen Seto]

"So, then ..."

(Jen bumped into someone else again, and gave him a dirty angry look. A man. She groaned of disgust before sighing and putting her attention back on Salem, as her hand falls into the pockets of her loose trench coat.)

"You say girls don't interest you, Ave ? You haven't changed."

[Salem Ave]

"Why do you persssissst with thisss interrrrogation?"

Salem spoke without looking at Jen.

"I did not come herrre to be grrrilled by you, I came to learrrn about thisss arrrtifact."

He kept on striding firmly, knocking people out of the way where he saw fit.

[Jen Seto]

"Will you shush ? There's people everywhere, Salem."

(Jen continued pushing people out of her way, walking besides Salem. She groaned, but inside, she became nervous. Talking about Thorn in public was incredibly dangerous.)

[Salem Ave]

"Then sssilence yourself or else you too will be in dangerrr," he hissed in return.

[Jen Seto]

"I don't mind. Do you ?"

(She forced her voice a bit louder on the last "you". Jen had lost contact with her family ever since she joined the Academy and all of her friends. All either married, divorced, with a child, happy. She was alone. It was strange. She was popular in school. She had one boyfriend after another, but it never satisfied her. She looked at Salem silently.)

[Salem Ave]

"I don't not walk to talk about thisss anymore."

Salem spoke bluntly, stopping as he gripped Jen's shoulder tightly under one hand. Subtly and ever so slightly, he alerted her thought patterns so that her urge to further pursue the point would be numbed.

"Let'sss jussst get to yourrr aparrrtment."

[Jen Seto]

"Ugh. You're no fun."

(Jen shook Salem's hand off and finally spotted her appartement. It had a blue ready-to-fall-down door. She smiled as she walked up the stairs. They were old and each step they made was like an earthquake. They finally reached a door among others and stepped in as soon as Jen pressed her hand onto the identity verification.)

"The outside is a lot more different than the inside."

(She grinned and open the door, motioning Salem to come in. Everything was in order. From where they were standing, the view was perfect. A bit higher then most of the other houses. The walls were beige colored.)

[Salem Ave]

They walked steadily through the foyer area into the lounge to be greeted with an unsightly scene. The furniture had been thrown about so that splinters of wood were strewn on the floor, whilst ornaments had been shattered. Salem did not seem to be phased by the chaos, and simply approached something which he had spotted in the center of the room - a flashing datapad.

Kneeling, he picked it up and glanced over the text on it.

"It sss-eems sss-omeone hasss visited whilst you werrre out."

[Jen Seto]

(Jen's jaw dropped slightly as her eyes widened. After a while of being speechless, she lowered her gaze to the wooden floor, a layer of sadness covering her face as she sighed, kicking off a piece of broken ornament. Somehow, she couldn't help but slightly blame Salem for dragging her into this.)

"It seems ..."

(She ran her hand through her blond and red hair to snap out of it.)

[Salem Ave]

"Apparently someone knowsss that you know about Thorrrn," he nodded down towards the datapad.

It was from a character named 'Mask', and stated that if Jen didn't keep her mouth shut it would be more than chairs that would get broken next time.

"Do you, by any chance, know a perssson named 'Mask'?"

[Jen Seto]

"Mask."

(Jen repeated the name softly as the image (http://sithwolf.clanpages.com/salem/mask_ppic.JPG) of that Dark Jedi came back to her mind. She shivered. The silver hair. The menacing brown eyes. She nodded to Salem.)

"I've only seen him once or twice ..."

[Salem Ave]

Salem grunted under his breath.

"And he knowsss ... "

He gripped the edge of his cloak tightly and tugged in close to his body.

"I mussst return to the Empire .. there is much I will need to research about this Mask, and the Thorn."

He squinted at Jen.

"Don't be a sss-tranger, hmm?"