I am number one...

[Taro]

I am the driving force in your life. I. Am. HATRED. I drive you on...and consume you!

Pride watched the goings on of the bar. Every being here bore another being malice. Every being here hated someone, something. They hated for petty disputes, for wrongs real and imagined commited against them by their peers. Anger Pride hated them for the simple purpose that they existed.

[Diego Van Derveld]

Diego brushed against the dour-faced man as his broad frame entered the establishment.

"Excuse me."

[Taro]

Watch yourself, dog!...if he felt like speaking. Anger was best kept inside, stored for when a suitable purpose or target was found to unleash the rage upon. Instead, Pride simply sneered and walked to the bar. As he sat, the seats to his left and right cleared. Such was the power of hatred.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She walked in beside Diego, her footfalls silent as she watched her... partner? Yes, that's what he was; her companion, and the only one she felt would accept her. After all, he was the one who made her the being she now was. He was who she'd run to, nearly blind with fear with what she'd become.

And he took her in.

Her fear had subsided gradually as Diego began showing her who he said she could become; and she followed him. s'Il had abandoned everyone to run with the man standing next to her now. This was her new life, and strangely enough, she was starting to enjoy it; to reap satisfaction from this new existance.

Her metallic gaze traveled northward to look Diego in his eyes.

"What are we doing here... ?"

[Diego Van Derveld]

"Now that is an interesting question."

Diego smiled down at S'Ilancy, turning his blue eyes sidelong toward the belligerent man at the bar.

"Do you often feel restless, S'Ilancy? Like the world grows too small, or things move too slowly, and you have to assert yourself to feel free?"

[Taro]

Pride listened in with interest. Unless he was sorely mistaken, the man had challenged his female companion to take a seat next to the man no one wanted to mess with.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il followed Diego's glance towards the man sitting at the bar. Empty seats on either side of him; apparently people thought him someone not to be messed with. She smirked, her eyebrows raised... she'd wait on sitting down next to the man for now.

"Every day...

"Why do you think I came to you?"

[Diego Van Derveld]

Diego ran a hand through her auburn locks.

"The challenge of hunting me. And hunting yourself. You chase what you are. And what you are is the chase."

[Taro]

Heh, perhaps they were more intelligent than he'd given them credit for, even if they were spouting lunacy. Neither had approached him; a wise move.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The chase. The hunt. It always boiled down to those two things. More and more she was seeing this. The more time she spent with him the more she understood him... his ways... and his desires. And yet she'd never given in fully; never allowing him that last bit of possession that she knew he so sorely wanted.

His hand running through her hair wasn't surprising; she'd come to accept it as another of his signs of affection just as she'd come to slowly accept the gift he'd given her.

Her eyes met his, and her hand sought out his own, resting over his calloused fingers.

"I suppose that's what Naboo was all about... "

[Diego Van Derveld]

Diego's eyes shifted to the man beside them again.

"Yes. There are many chases. Life is a summation of every pursuit that one makes. Some won, some lost."

He smiled thinly. S'Ilancy could see his smile, though his eyes were still directed at the other man.

"Even the ones you lose, you would rather lose than not chase."

His eyes seemed to sparkle, and his nostrils flared. Though his faculties of smell were dulled now, he could pick up the man's subtle smell of rising ire, as the adrenaline washed through his pores.

[Taro]

"There is no point to pursuing a goal you cannot achieve. If you are to set a goal, succeed in it. No matter what the means."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She could feel it then, through the tone of his voice and the look in his eyes. It was contagious. The need to chase something, and to run that thing into the ground.

She looked more fully at the man Diego had his sights set on.

Her head tilted to the side as she let her other senses take hold, her nose and ears telling her she needed to know for the time being. It was delightful to have such things broadened in the spectrum of everyday use; to have their abilities heightened. She loved it.

Taking up a stool next to the man, she presented him with a simple metallic gaze; obvious as the sun in the sky before turning back to Diego, ignoring the man's words for a moment.

"Even when what we're chasing isn't worth the effort?"

[Taro]

Pride watched her take her seat, still talking to the fool. What point was there in a worthless goal? Goals that are too easily achieved mean nothing.

[Diego Van Derveld]

He canted a look of playfulness at her.

"It depends on what you aim to get."

His eyes glanced back.

"He seems fit enough."

Stifling a yawn, he turns back to S'Ilancy.

"You have to abandon whatever cross of morality that you carry on your shoulders. Even death, is inherently a part of life. Do you hate this man? I don't."

He smiled.

"I don't even know him."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il smiled back at Diego; a coy smile. She'd lost most of my morality about certain things since coming to him.

"Hate is such a strong word; and no, I don't hate him. It's stupid to hate or be scared of something you don't know. Cautious yes, but hateful? it's not worth my time."

Her smile shifted a shade close to vicious then, as she turned back to look the man in the eyes, acknowledging him with a simple, taunting question.

"And yet, what if that which I'm chasing isn't even worth the breath I use right now... ?"

[Taro]

Do you hate this man? I don't. I don't even know him."


Pride didn't know Diego or s'Ilancy either, but it didn't stop him from hating them. Their babble of chases and the pursuit of worthless goals stirred his ire.

"Chasing worthless goals is the past time of worthless people."

[Diego Van Derveld]

"S'Ilancy...what you stand to gain isn't the reward you can quantify and count, or put under your mattress. You'll understand. I'll help you."

The man's blabbering distracted Diego. He turned again, casually as ever.

"Shhhhhhhhh...."

Diego turned to the man, holding an index finger to his lips.

"I'm having a conversation with my ladyfriend. Please, don't interrupt."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Ignoring the barkeep as he inquired about a possible drink, s'Il watched Diego and the man. This would be interesting.

[Taro]

He scoffed and ordered green tea. Silent observation would do for now.

[Diego Van Derveld]

"Actually...I've changed my mind."

Diego rose from his seat, walking around to the opposite side of the man, and taking a seat on the far side, so that both he and S'Ilancy were to either side of him. He had a strange smile on his face.

"Hi. What's your name?"

[Taro]

"Pride."

He said it without so much as a glance at Diego.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il snorted, finally acknowledging the barkeep, and after ordering a glass of water, turned to face this 'Pride'.

She watched him closely, then let her eyes flit across to look at Diego, her brows raised a little before turning back to Pride.

"Interesting name," she murmured, closing her fingers around the glass the barkeep had just set before her.

[Diego Van Derveld]

"Isn't it, though?"

Diego mused, without much inflection of interest in his voice. A corner of his mouth turned up a bit.

"Um...Pride...if you wouldn't mind my asking, seems you've got something eating you up inside. Care to talk about it? S'Il and I are great listeners."

[Taro]

"What would I gain from it?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Sipping from her glass, s'Il let a smirk form on her lips, and setting the cup down on the bartop with a dull thunk, she answered Pride, though not even bothering to look at him.

"You'd be surprised."

[Taro]

"I don't like surprises."

[Diego Van Derveld]

"Well, we never said you did, nor did we ask."

Diego laughed, placing a hand on the man's shoulder.

"It just strikes us that you're...very angst-ridden...very bitter. Something to do with Jedi? Sith? You're in impeccable physical shape...one has to ask, I guess."

[Taro]

"It is who I am. That's all there is to it."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il only sat silent, watching Pride with a sidelong stare. She tapped her glass lightly, fingernail hitting the glass and sending a hollow tink tink tink into the obvious tense air around the three.

Her feet shifted on the stool a little, and she gave a slight snort.

"Must be fairly boring life then, only having one mindset."

[Taro]

Pride scoffed.

"There is nothing boring about things done for oneself."

[Diego Van Derveld]

"It sure is boring to me."

Diego yawned, slapping him on the back.

"You know, you are way too philosophical. You should get out more, relax, eat some fruit, or something."

He smiled in a sly manner.

"I know...how about a stroll outside? What do you say, Lok?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"I say the fresh air would do him good; give him some... perspective on life."

She winked at Pride, then drained her water before tossing the glass to the barkeep, and shifting her small bulk once more, she smiled at Pride.

[Taro]

They clearly had something up their sleeves, a plan of some kind. Perhaps they meant to attack him. Perhaps they meant nothing more than to go walk and continue the conversation. Either way, he hated them. Pride finished his green tea. Now that he'd had his drink, he had no reason to remain here. He rose to leave.

[Diego Van Derveld]

"Come on, lets go outside."

Diego walked with Pride, S'Il opposite him, as they exited the bar. Outside, it was a cold, crisp day, and their warm breath exhaled in puffs of steam. Diego looked to the trees in the distance, half-closing his eyes and smiling.

"I love the outdoors, don't you?"

[Taro]

Pride ignored Diego, instead following his gaze to the trees. He turned and walked in the opposite direction, towards the heart of the town.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Coming to a slow halt, s'Il watched with seemingly uninterested eyes as Pride turned, walking in the opposite direction that the party had originally been travleing.

She gave the man's back a disdainful glance, then looked back to Diego. "Awful rude.

"It's a surprise he's not dead.

"Yet."

[Diego Van Derveld]

Diego laughed a bit, his breath becoming steam in the cold. Glancing to S'Il, he winked, and gestured, mouthing words but not speaking them.

"Stop him."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She only raised her brows, giving Diego an odd look before exhaling; her breath visible in the cold air.

She doubled over then, a pained groan exiting her mouth as she felt the change; her bones rearranging and dislocating, muscles shifting to fit over her reshaping structure. Tawny eyes blazed as she threw her head back, mouth opening to reveal lengthening canines growing to vicious points, and a silver sheen of lush fur soread over her body. The bones of her face narrowed as she fell forward, paws hitting the ground in the place of hands as a newly formed tail waved from side to side.

With a huff the vornskr stood, staring in the direction Pride had gone, and shaking her body, she cast a gaze up at Diego.

With a low growl she surged forward, paws pounding the ground as she headed off after Pride.

[Taro]

He heard her coming. Big wolves have methods of making noise and drawing crowds of bystanders. He turned and watched her coming, then did a split as she pounced. s'Il sailed over his head and he rose, watching her.

"I suppose you belong to those two in the bar."

How he hated animals. They had no self at all.

[Gurney Devries]

"Bartender!"

His voice was gruff and low, and easily became indiscernable from flush of other voices in the bar. Still, he was close enough that the being behind the counter that it heard him. Gurney wasn't even sure what race it was, and was hardly sure of its gender. Still, as long as it didn't try to tack on extra charges to his tab, he didn't care.

"One more Spice Beer, iffin ya would."

The bartender grunted, then walked off to the far end of the bar to get his drink. Gurney turned around on his stool, letting his eyes slowly pass over the other patrons. Couldn't let his eyes linger too long on any one individual... there were several beings in the establishment that were looking for any excuse to pick a fight. Looking at them funny was good enough for them.

Still, the aspiring Jedi found these excercises useful. For nowhere else will you find as diverse a collection of beings all in the same place as in a cantina or bar. It allowed him time to study people and their habits.

A slighly foamy drink slid over the counter, stopping precisely where it was meant to. With an inaudible grunt, Gurney spun back around, picked up his Beer and began to drink.

[Diego Van Derveld]

Diego approached the man, who had deftly avoided S'Il's agile leap.

"Loklorien, enough."

He raised a hand to her, his face passive and calm. He returned his eyes to Anger.

"You'll have to exuse her, but we'd quite enjoy your company elsewhere."

He smiled.

"Its good, autumn weather. Fine for a walk."

[Gurney Devries]

The chattering and general commotion of the bar had mingled together into a singular throb of noise. The liquour had begun to go to his head, as it always did when he drank too fast, and his vision was swimming. Just moments before, he could have sworn he'd seen... a vornskr? Was that what that was? In the middle of the bar? Nah... couldn't have been. They wouldn't allow them in here.

Besides: if it really was a vornskr, it would probably be coming after Gurney himself. Still, he'd obviously had enough to drink. It was time to head home. The aging combat instructor stood up, flicking a credit chit onto the bar counter, and wobbly made his way out of the establishment.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She turned, paws quiet as they hit the ground, and her head lowered a little as she moved to stand at Diego's side, her tawny gaze locked on Pride.

[Taro]

"Elsewhere? Why should I follow you to the forest, where she will have an advantage? Here in the city you must hold back, and the surroundings give me an advantage."

[Diego Van Derveld]

Diego shrugged a bit.

"We just want to play a game, is all. You have my word that we will play fair. If not, we can be less than civil here, though."

He caressed the scruff of S'Il's neck

"But your odds are better if we don't force the issue."

[Taro]

"I don't have time for childish games. Good day to you, sir."

Pride turned again and started to walk away.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il took a single step forward, then halted, turning to look up at Diego with a questioning gaze.

Her head snapped to the left suddenly as a man; obviously drunk, stumbled from the very same bar she, Diego, and Pride had previously been. Tawny gaze curious, she watched his movements with interest while awaiting Diego's next words.

[Mockadane]

With Eldorack watching over the delivery of the shipment of the particle-servos, Mockadane and company caught a transport towards the bar that the ground crew recomended. Upon reaching the establishment, the scene outside kept the big man's gauze, Untill an intoxified being walked into Him.

The humblest opologies Mockadane gave, masked the fact that the drunks light-saber was passed to Synteck and tucked benieth the armored mans forearm, while passing around the disturbance and entering into the bar. After bidding a good-day to the intoxicated man Mockadane watched on with interest while calming DOG's low growling, while watching the Vonskr, with a gentle pat on the K-9's head.

[Gurney Devries]

OOC ~ I think it's highly unlikely that you could pickpocket a Jedi's lighsaber without him noticing. He's slightly tipsy, not delusionally drunk. Still, it makes little difference to me, as I had no intention of using it.

----

If he hadn't bumped into that oddly polite man, Gurney probably wouldn't have stopped to notice the fact that the strange vornskr was now outside - and fairly close to him, at that. Maybe it was coming after him, after all. But he had never heard of a vornskr stalking its prey quite like this. And it was pretty far away from home... it must have been some rich eccentric's pet. Why anyone kept these things as pets was beyond him.

Reflexively, Gurney's hand reached for the lightsaber inside of his cloak... only to find it not there. He was certain that he had brought it with him - since it was given to him, he had hardly let it leave his body. He would have to think about it later - his canine friend wasn't going to wait while he went looking for it. Instead, he reached down to his ankle, pulling free the Mistryl blade he kept sheathed there.

"C'mon then, pup."

[Tony Laciscero]

Pride was wrong. Tony didn't really hate anything or anyone.

Not even scumbags who didn't pony up after a job. Oh sure, he really disliked the jackoffs, but hate? Naw. You could always shove a blaster down their throat and explain the cost of not paying. After you cleaned the spittle off the gun, you were pretty happy.

Such is life.

He slid back a bit in the chair as the smell of spice beer wafted past. The guy drinking it had the bluest eyes he had ever seen. The stolen goods specialist had met few spice-heads in his time, but none had eyes that deep, nor did they usually appear so collected. Tony's eyes, and he sipped a bit of the draught as the philiosophical trio departed the doorway.

With Prent's help, he had learned a lot about Loklorien s'Ilancy. Aside from being an expert thief, she had shacked up with a Grand Admiral, crashed her ship, and then dissapeared about six months later.

A bit of detective work and a played hunch had put him in the same bar as Lok and her new companion. But there were a few pertinint rules in life, and one of them was that you do not rush a mug of Sullustan Dark that was on draft.

[Diego Van Derveld]

Diego ran forward, twisting over Pride in a fluid handspring. He landed squarely in his path, with a cordial, friendly look on his face.

"If you have time to loiter, there is time to play. Really, you barely spoke a word in the bar. I'll even offer a wager if you win, because I enjoy a good game, and the spirit of friendly competition."

He smiled at s'Il as she padded behind, to cover the way back around. Diego removed a credit chit from his pocket, and began to thumb the value incrementation button.

"Just a moment of your time, I'm sure you can think of a number to make it worth it. We don't make it a point to ask just anyone."

[Taro]

Pride sighed irritably. The situation had now fallen quite apart. The drunkard and pickpocket's prescences were superfluous; he ignored them. Right now, the problem was with this strange man.

"You want to 'play a game' with me, is that correct? And am I also correct in thinking it involves me fighting for my life against you and your lady friend behind me?"

[Diego Van Derveld]

"Not necessarily"

He shrugged.

"I was thinking more of a footrace, of a sort...though I don't deny that fighting for your life may indeed be a part of it. It all depends on how good you are."

[Taro]

"The destination of this race?"

[Diego Van Derveld]

"There's a creek bed, about 5 miles north of here, with an old cobblestone terrace where a homestead used to be."

[Taro]

"Very well then. Whenever you feel ready."

[Diego Van Derveld]

Diego smiled. At last, there would be fun to be had.

"Here."

He slipped the credit chit into Pride's hand. It was worth 5,000 credits.

"If you make it to the terrace before we do...its yours with my blessing. You can start whenever you're ready. We will give you 30 minutes for a head start."

[Taro]

"A race...or a chase?"

Pride walked away, taking his time. Why give them the satisfaction of seeing him run from them?

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il looked up to Diego, then back to the man who'd.... pulled a knife? Shifting her stance, she turned to face the stranger, head tilted to the side as she watched him in curiosity. Her tongue lolled out to lazily swipe along her lips, and lowering to her haunches, she continued to watch the odd behavior of the man.

She would wait for Diego's signal; but until then, it was more interesting to watch the man with the knife as he seemed to be challenging her. Her tail wagged just a little in amusement.

[Gurney Devries]

The aging combat instructor's brow furrowed as he watched the vornskr's actions. It didn't seem to be quite as interested in tearing out his throat as he thought it would be. How utterly... bizarre. If anything, it seemed to be entertained , as it wagged it's whip-like tail back and forth. Gurney almost cringed at the thought of accidentally being hit by that tail.

"Hey mister!", he called out to Diego. "Is this yer pet, or something? It's quite oddly behaved."

[Diego Van Derveld]

Diego looked back to the balding man, a knowing smile on his face.

"Oh, she's nobody's pet. Does pretty much whatever she wants, I suppose."

He stretched a bit in the cold, and worked at the buttons of his shirt, slowly unbuttoning his way down. He paused, running a wide hand down S'Il's silvery-grey neck, and up to caress behind the ears.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

With a whuffle of happiness, the vornskr leaned into Diego, resting against his strong frame as she kept her eyes on the bald stranger.

[Gurney Devries]

Gurney nodded, not really knowing what he was assenting to. It just felt like something he should do.

"Right", he said as he leaned down, placing the dagger back in its ankle sheath.

"I hope you don't mind me prying, but... what's going on here?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The vornskr stood then, casting a yellow gaze behind her at Pride as he sauntered off, then she looked back up to Diego, opening and closing her powerful jaws in expectancy.

She turned to regard the bald man, letting out a small bark before snorting a little.

She was ready to run.

[Diego Van Derveld]

"Whats going on here?"

Diego cocked a thick eyebrow, looking at the man.

"Whatever do you mean?"

Pride had left only 10 minutes ago. It was still too soon.

[Gurney Devries]

Standing back up, Gurney rubbed one hand against the bald portion of his head, the skin wrinkling and smoothing out as he did so.

"I was just, ah, wondering what's the deal with this race. Is it open to anyone? And... what's with 'her'?"

He was pretty sure he'd heard Diego refer to the creature as a female. He was still surprised by how well-behaved it was.

[Diego Van Derveld]

Diego paused.

"The race..."

He looked down to S'Il, and back up to the man.

"I suppose it is...though you're quite a few minutes behind, if you want to participate."

His hand ran through S'Il's mane of fur on the back of her neck.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She inclined her head up, nuzzling his palm, and with a light lick at his fingers she stood patiently before casting a golden gaze up at Diego.