Old Friends

[Michael Cline]

::The doors to the bar pushed open as a lone figure walked in, a small white mouse stuck it's head from his shirt pocket and glanced around. He carried a small duffel bag with him, and found himself a table isolated from the few remaining patrons of the bar. Reaching into the duffel bag he pulled out a book, keeping it's cover low, and started reading to himself::

[Kat Kariena]

It had been a long time, a long long time, since this young woman had dared to appear in this establishment. She wasn't quite so young now, or atleast her eyes and were presence wasn't. So much had happened in her life, so many choices, good and bad. She almost turned around and walked away, but something was drawing her back.

Cloaked in black, a hood over her face to hide her features, she walked into the bar and grill and looked around before she noticed a firmillar face that stuck out from the rest of the patrons. Michael? she thought. Last time she had seen him he was half crazy, or so it seemed. Then again, she had been the same.

Wraping the Force around her to hide her presence she walked over to his table. "Excuse me," she said calmly, just loud enough for him to hear. "Mind if I sit?"

[Michael Cline]

::He slammed the book closed with a start and slipped it back into the duffel bag. He looked up to see who had disturbed his reading. Who he saw he almost couldn't believe::


"Kat?"

::He said rather timidly::

"Um.. su... sure..."

[Kat Kariena]

Kat allowed a slight, timid smile to cross her face, as she sat down across from him.

"Why so surprised?" she asked still quietly. "How have you been doing, Michael?"

[Michael Cline]

::He rubbed his hands, sweating slightly, and used his foot to push the duffel bag under his seat::

"I've been... pretty well. You know, except for the whole, crazy thing, and the institutionalized thing."

[Kat Kariena]

Kat nodded, "Doing better than the last time I saw you then?" she asked. She wasn't quiet sure what to say... or ask. She was nervous being here herself. She hadn't exactly parted on the best of terms with the Jedi.

[Michael Cline]

::He sighed a bit and looked at her::

"If your asking what's going on up here..."

::he tapped his temple::

"Then all you need to know is that it's a one man show again."

[Kat Kariena]

"That's good to hear," Kat replied, then she looked down at her hands. "Atleast one of us is sane again."

[Michael Cline]

::He arched his eyebrow slightly, then blinked::

"What... do you mean?"

[Kat Kariena]

Kat sighed, "Let's just say this Kat isn't the same one that you, or anyone else who might of known me remembers."

She closed her eyes against the images that flashed through her memmory. When she opened them again her eyes seemed older than the rest of her, like her entire spirit had been drained.

[Michael Cline]

::He nodded slightly::

"Seems no one's quiet the same anymore..."

::His voice kind of trailed off at the comment::

[Kat Kariena]

"What's your story?" Kat asked, her eyes glancing at the bag he had put the book he was reading when she appeared.

[Michael Cline]

::He coughed slightly::

"A long one... one I really don't feel like sharing."

[Kat Kariena]

"You make it sound like you can't trust me..." Kat replied, her voice a little quieter.

[Michael Cline]

::He kept his eyes focused on hers, very quietly mouthing the words::

"It's not you I don't trust..."

[Kat Kariena]

Kat looked slightly puzzled, "Then who?" she asked. What happened to you, my friend? she thought.

[Michael Cline]

::He shook his head slowly::

"I... I shouldn't have come back here."

::He stood up grabbing the duffel bag and swinging it out from under his chair and over his shoulder, as he did the book he had been so quick to put away slipped its way loose and flopped on to table with a thud.::

[Kat Kariena]

"Neither should I," Kat replied, picking up his book and standing. She glanced at the book, then looked back at Michael's eyes. "If there is any way I can help..." her voice faded off as she handed the book back to him.

[Michael Cline]

::He snatched the book from her hands trying to make sure she hadn't seen the title, and quietly stuffed it into the duffel bag::

"You can't help me..."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

A woman pushed open the doors to the Bar & Grill, a dark blue cloak partially obscuring her face, and covering her body. De'Ville lifted her hands, and drew the hood down, settling it on her shoulders as she walked further inside.

There. She spotted her target, and felt a stab of anger in her heart.

"Cline!" De'Ville walked towards the man and his lady companion, between him and the door.

[Michael Cline]

::Cline spun sharply, his face beading with sweat as De'Ville approached. He took a leap over the table to get some distance::

"You stay right there De'Ville! Don't come any closer!"

[Lilaena De'Ville]

De'Ville's eyes widened at his display of dexterity, and she paused, standing still. Then she shook her head firmly, and walked forward again.

"You have stolen from me. Return what is mine!"

[Michael Cline]

::Cline's eyebrow ticked a bit as she said "Stolen" and he backed up more::

"I... I don't know what you're talking about..."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

She lifted a hand, and the book bag was yanked from his hands, to spill on the floor. "Books, Cline, rare and very expensive books."

De'Ville used the Force to pick up one of them, and drew it to her hands. "Books about the Dark side of the Force." She smiled. "What did you want with them, Cline?"

[Michael Cline]

::He glanced around... all eyes seemed to be on him::

"They.. they were good for a laugh.. yeah... funny stuff in there. Complete... nonsense..."

::He swallowed hard and continued to back away from her::

[Lilaena De'Ville]

De'Ville scooped up the rest of her books, putting them back into his bag, and slinging the bag over her own shoulder. "Nonsense, hmmm? I could help you see what true sense these books reveal."

Her eyes narrowed. "In fact...I believe you are already understanding them more than you are letting on."

[Michael Cline]

::He began to sweat more, as she spoke::

"Non...nonsense. What would I want with Darkside books other than... than to laugh at."

::He tone took a sharp drop as he looked her dead in the eyes::

"Let me leave. Just let me leave De'Ville."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

She smirked. "Is that all you have to say to me? I was the one who rescued you from the prison of your own mind, at a great cost to myself. Did your precious Jedi friends visit you in the asylum, Cline? No!"

Her voice lowered, and he noticed that she had drawn nearer to him, much nearer. "They left you there, to rot..." Her voice was a whisper in his ear. "I can release you from another prison, Cline... Why be so dependent on these fools?"

[Michael Cline]

::He took a step back from her::

"I'm not dependant on anyone De'Ville... including you."

::He clenched his fists tightly::

"Just... let... me... leave..."

[Lilaena De'Ville]

She stepped back from him and folded her arms in front of her. Around them conversations had stilled, and stares were on them.

It was an uncomfortable silence.

She snapped, "What are you looking at? Cline if you wish to leave, then do so. If you wish to learn, then follow me." De'Ville turned on her heel and began walking out of the bar.

No doubt Tondry would hear of this. She sighed, but kept walking.

[Michael Cline]

::He shook his head slightly::

"Crazy People... huh?"

::He said to the gawking crowd trying to ease the ever heavy tension, the patrons slowly started turning back to their own business and Cline looked at Kariena who was standing in shock at the events::

"I... I need to leave. I shouldn't have come back here."

::Cline said and exited the bar quickly, once outside, the same morbid curiosity that had convinced him to steal those books from De'Ville, the same curiosity that had convinced him to read them, once again took control of him. And he found himself looking for where De'Ville had gone::

[Lilaena De'Ville]

She was walking up the street, towards the spaceport. The hood on her cloak was up again, and the bag was still on her shoulder. De'Ville could feel a presence behind her, following. She smiled, but did not look back.

[Michael Cline]

::He followed at a distance hoping not to be noticed... he still had no clue why he was even following her.::

[Lilaena De'Ville]

After a few minutes, she stopped in the middle of the street, and looked into a store window.

[Michael Cline]

::He stopped and watched her, from his pocket a small white mouse poked it's head to glance at the world around::

"So Ichabod... any ideas why we're following this crazy woman? No? Me neither."

::Cline stroked the little mouse's head with his pinky and continued to watch and wait for her next move::

[Lilaena De'Ville]

She turned to look straight at him, and beckoned him to join her.

[Michael Cline]

::He gulped down and patted the mouse on the head, causing him to skitter back into the pocket::

"Better stay down Ichabod... this could get unpredictable."

::Still not sure what was compelling him, but a little more comfortable now that all the eyes were off of him, he slowly made his way towards her::

[Lilaena De'Ville]

"Curious still, Cline?" She turned her eyes towards him. "Curiosity killed the proverbial cat, you know."

De'Ville continued on, in a musing tone, her eyes tracking back to the display. "And yet, it has led to your salvation."

[Michael Cline]

::he raised an eyebrow::

"What do you mean my salvation?"

[Lilaena De'Ville]

"I think you know what I mean." She looked up the street away from him. "My ship is at docking bay 92. Meet me there tomorrow morning at 0600, if you are still interested, Cline."

She hiked the book bag up a little higher, and then walked off down the street.

[Michael Cline]

::Cline's mouth draw into a tight line, as he considered her offer. He glanced to the window display and stood there for a while, just... thinking.::

[Kat Kariena]

Kat watched the whole scene between Michael and De'Ville emotionlessly. She knew what was going on, she knew what was going to happen. I should of never come back, she thought. I should have just stayed away.

Alone in the bar and grill without a firmillar face, or atleast one that she wanted to speak to, or have her presence known, she walked out of the establishment and off into her own thoughts.