Grettings from the Ghetto (Open)

[Kale]

Kale had been at the GJO long enough that he no longer stuck out like a grease stain on a Jedi robe. It wasn't so much that he fit in, he just blended in. He had a gift for being inconspicuous, not a hard thing for a 5'6" scrawny human teen. The guard at the door of the Bar and Grill barely gave him a second look; he didn't have any weapons to hand over.

Kale wasn't wearing the Jedi robe Oriadin had given him. He still wasn't used to how the extra length of fabric felt against his calves. His old street clothes had been laundered--he didn't know by whom--so he was dressed in his faded blue jeans, the old gray ski jacket, and a white Jedi tunic in lieu of his black T-shirt which someone must have decided was too tattered to return. At least they hadn't done anything with his sneakers; they were the only part of his outfit he'd actually bought once upon a time.

He didn't pay much attention to the other patrons at the bar, and, for the most part, they didn't pay much attention to him. He was used to that sort of arrangement. Anyway, he'd just come down for a quick--and, hopefully, cheap--dinner.

Kale plopped himself down at an unclaimed booth and waited for a droid to sidle up. "Medium rootbeer and a cheeseburger. Hold the pickles," he told it unceremoniously.

As the 'bot wandered away toward the kitchen, Kale slumped back in the padding of the bench and glanced around at the other diners. He considered making his way over to one of the empty seats and joining someone, but he decided it probably wouldn't be worth the trouble. Where he came from, friendship was cheap, and he couldn't afford to waste time on such a risky commodity.

Of course, he wasn't on the Coruscant streets anymore. His chances might be better here. But he wasn't about to make the first move.

[imported_Blade Ice]

Blade wondered over to the boy he just saw enter the bar. He sat down across from the boy with out even asking for seat. Blade could tell the boy had a bit of Jedi in his blood, it was something with his mannerisms but still this kid had a street style about him.

"How's the Order treating you kid?"

[Kale]

Well, that was abrupt. Kale lofted an eyebrow as he sized up the stranger sitting across the table from him. Blade looked like a rough-edged character, not the sort of person he would have expected to see in a Jedi bar. But then, Kale was far from a model of a modern Jedi himself.

What the heck. He was here, might as well talk.

"I can't complain," Kale replied flippantly. "They're good for free room and board, anyway. Who's askin'?"

[Jackson DeWitt]

"Medium rootbeer, and cheeseburger, no pickles...that you?"

Jackson approached the table, setting the food down in front of the boy.

"I haven't seen your face around here before. You one of the new Jedi?"

[Kale]

Kale glanced down at the tray and chuckled. "Huh, that's faster than usual. And it even looks like they left the pickles off this time."

Hunger took precedence over conversation. Kale grabbed the cheeseburger out of its platter and put a sizeable hole in the side of it, then, noticing Jackson was still there, he shoved the mouthful to the corner of his mouth and answered, "Yeah, of a sort. You a waiter here? I thought most of the waiters around here were droids."

[imported_Blade Ice]

'who's asking' blade had to laugh at that. It wasn't everyday a young Jedi meet one of the darkside but today was kale's lucky day. Blade noted the young waiter hand kale his food and blade wondered why this one was stuck doing the dirty work.

Blade just shrugged off he normally didn't care about anyone but himself but ever since he had come back he saw things differently. By no means was he becoming good but he just didn't have the hate for Jedi he use to.

"Who's asking kid, well the board for a better chosen path is."

[Kale]

Kale swallowed his mouthful of ground beef and melted cheddar and gave Blade Ice a peculiar look. That hadn't been the kind of answer he was expecting.

"Better chosen path? What, you selling insurance or somethin'?"

[Jackson DeWitt]

"Well...just during the nights. Daytime, I'm over at the academy, cleaning up and making my rounds. Figure it'll give me a good lay of the land, for when I'm over there for real, y'know."

Jackson smiled.

"You like being a Jedi? That's gotta positively be the top of the world."

[imported_Blade Ice]

The kid was fun blade had to give him that but even more funny was this waiter kid. Speaking of how great the Jedi where, yet he stood there serving food these arrogant snobs that wouldn't let him into there society. He dropped out of thought and back into the mainstream as he looked at Kale to answer his question.

"No I'm not selling insurance but I'm willing to give the both of you some free advice on how to become great Jedi's. That is if you’re willing to listen of course."

A wicked smile would have crept up on blades face but of course that would have given away too much. He stayed serious awaiting the answer from the two boys’.

[Kale]

Kale looked dubiously between the two strangers. To DeWitt, he said, "I've only been a Jedi for about a week; I'm still trying to figure it all out. Top of the world? I don't know about that yet."

He crinkled his brow as he registered Blade's enigmatic offer. He knew that appearances could be deceiving, but this guy didn't strike him as the Jedi profile. There was just enough of a tilt to his head to tell Kale he knew something he wasn't telling.

Kale grasped his straw and swished it lazily through the fizzy foam of his rootbeer. "You ever hear of a race called the Ferengi? They have saying: 'Free advice is seldom cheap.'" He took a measured sip, swallowed and, said, "Shoot. I'm listenin'. But don't expect nothin' in return."

[imported_Blade Ice]

"Nope never heard of that race kid but if that’s there line it an interesting one."

Blade went into the cruel depths of his mind figuring out how he could play this. It had been so long since he could remember the Jedi code but he was pretty sure he could wing it.

"Don't worry I never do expect anything in return. You see a long time ago I used to be good friends with this Jedi, he is dead now. Any way he told me that if you want to show your master and the council that you’re worthy to be a great Jedi that you need to be willing to get your hands dirty.

What he meant by that was sometimes to rise above the rest, you had to go beyond the code. My guess is you’re a padawan and some day you will want to reach knight. Well there is a simple enough way to do that, you need to go out and find a Sith or Dark Jedi to fight."

Blade put a crocked smile on his face.

"I happen to know a few of these docksides and some of them will even be willing to lose a fight for the perfect price. Now if you’re interested just say the word. Oh yeah and since I'm very generous today I'll even be willing to pay the cost for you, I will make sure that the sith takes a dive and makes you like a hero.

So what do you think kid?"

[Kale]

Kale stared blankly at Blade Ice, unsure of what to make of the offer. It was a clandestine deal, he could tell that much, but he hadn't the foggiest idea why Blade was even interested in him, much less why he was willing to try pulling the wool over the eyes of the Jedi Order on his behalf.

Or, for that matter, how Blade knew a few Siths and Dark Jedi. Kale had never met one of either persuasion.

"Let me get this straight," he said skeptically. "You're offerin' to set me up for a duel with a Sith who's gonna throw the fight so I look like the next Luke Jaywalker?"

He gave a nervous laugh, then shook his head. "Look, I wasn't raised in a nunnery. Nobody does that sort of thing without an agenda. What are you gettin' out of it? And why am I the object of your 'generosity'?"

[Jackson DeWitt]

Jackson's brow furrowed at this "special offer". He was getting a bad vibe about this guy, and was about fed up with his special deals.

[imported_Blade Ice]

"You’re the subject because you’re the first person I spotted with the potential. As for the agenda and what I get out of it, well yes there is a little something.

You see I was a prize fighter once before I got injured by some one who was a force user. Now I am looking for someone to take my place maybe. Now you don't have to accept the offer I give you now or the offer I will give you if I judge you worthy if you fight the sith I know."

Blade was a good liar only a good force user could call his bluff and it was apparent from the two in front of him they had no such chance.

"All I ask is you except my first offer or maybe I'll go find someone else who will be willing but I think both you have potential and I offer you the chance to prove yourself. It won't be a straight fight no but the sith will put up a descent enough fight for me to see your skill."

[Kale]

Kale considered Blade's offer as he took another large bite out of his cheeseburger. His story sounded a little fishy, not that Kale had any Force-powered clairvoyance in the matter, but he couldn't imagine what made Blade think he'd make a good fighter. Kale was a scrawny-looking five six; on the street, he'd become used to running from fights, and his Jedi training hadn't yet progressed into combat applications.

He finally swallowed--Blade could probably tell he'd been stalling--then replied tentatively, "Well... even if I did want to, I don't know that I could. I'm pretty new to the order. Knighthood's a long way down the line for me, and I'm not sure I want to take the risk of doin' something that might get me kicked out. Besides, I ain't much of a fighter."

The truth was he'd never even held a lightsaber. But he didn't want to be that honest. Blade's offer scared him a little--he didn't know how Oriadin would react to something like that. But still, it appealed to some part of him, the cynical part that still believed he wasn't going to get anywhere with the Jedi because of where he came from.

[imported_Blade Ice]

"Well I guess there isn’t much I can say beyond that it seems you have made up your mind and I won't try to pressure you into anything you don't want to do. I won't be able to keep the offer open so you have made your choice and now I will leave you to your meal."

Blade wasn't disappointed no he thought maybe he would have another chance to tempt this kid again later. For now though he would let the kid continue his trip down the path of goodness. He stood from where he sat and looked down at the boy with a half cocked smile.

"You had potential kid it just seems you don't have the heart."

[Kale]

OOC: Sorry for not posting in a while; I've been busy. Also, my senior trip starts tomorrow, and I'll be gone until Saturday afternoon. After that, I should be able to resume regular posting.

Blade's last remark stung a little, even though Kale knew it shouldn't. For all he knew, Blade could be lying through his teeth.

"Heart?" he repeated. "What kind of heart are you looking for, exactly? You want some disgruntled Jedi drop-out who just wants to go and crack some heads together? Yeah, that's some offer. I could've gotten all I wanted of that on the streets. I don't know if I'm all gung-ho for the Jedi, but at least they're offering me something I can eat, wear, and sleep under. At least for the present, that's good enough for me."

[imported_Blade Ice]

"The offer all that at a cost of course kid but you haven't met that cost yet. In your own words everything comes at a price and for the most part your right kid. The Jedi will steal away everything that makes you, you.

So live on being one of these people I was going to show you the real way to live life. You don't need to get rid of your emotions to be a Hero. I don't credit myself as being a good guy but at least I can do what takes to get the job done, as Jedi you have to wade through all the diplomacy first."

Blade stared Kale for a minute letting his words sink into the kid head. He was now letting Kale see who he was for the first time a Jedi but of the Dark verity.

[Kale]

OOC: I'm back, sorry about the delay in getting back to this thread.

Kale narrowed his eyes. "What kind of 'job' are you talkin' about? You're no prize fighter. You sound more like some kinda Jedi desperado, or..."

Cold realization struck him upside the head, and the kid bucked backward against the cushioned seat back of the bench, his eyes wide. "You're a Sith!"

Kale didn't know much about the Jedi's adversaries of old, but he'd heard stories on the streets that had kept him up at night. The only crime lords who ever dealt with them were the kind who kept a tight grip on their wallets and a loose grip on their souls, and half of them still ended up double-crossed in the end. At least, that's what he'd heard.

[imported_Blade Ice]

Blade's eyes flashed a bright orange and anger could be seen crossing his face. It was almost pure rage it seemed as if he was going to jump across the table and kill Kale where he sat. The young Jedi said the word Blade hated more Jedi. He was not sith he had forsaken that path long ago he now walked the path of a true darksider.

"You better watch your mouth kid, I'm far better then any sith."

[Kale]

Kale didn't know the difference between a Sith and a Dark Jedi, but he could tell he'd obviously said the wrong thing. Putting up his hands in a staying gesture, he said, "Okay, okay. Whatever. You're a Force-user who's got somethin' against the Jedi. So what are you doin' in a Jedi bar?"

[imported_Blade Ice]

"Who said I had anything against the Jedi I just feel they have choose the wrong path and need to be enlightened about the true path."

He began to calm down but his eye's still stayed a bright orange as he stared at Kale who seemed to be cowering a bit. Pathetic Jedi keepers of the piece but didn't know how to deal with someone who had pure hate in there bones.

[Kale]

Kale's fear had less to do with a love of peace than a love of his own good health. That little eye trick of Blade's had unsettled him a bit.

"Out of the goodness of your heart, no doubt," he replied. "Sounds to me like, underneath all this 'true path' talk, you're just lookin' for recruits to pull to your side. I've seen it before. Street gangs are always lookin' for some dupes to throw into their stupid little wars. So, tell me, where does this path of yours go? I run on facts, not fairy tales."

[imported_Blade Ice]

"I didn't force you to leave I gave you the choice and that’s what makes me different then most. The path of mine leads to the truth this truth being that the sith are corrupted by power and that the Jedi are corrupted by there holy crusades.

The sith believe through power and fear you can control the universe, as for the Jedi they believe shedding there human emotions and claiming to be protectors they can control the universe. As for me and what I teach power lies between both lines fear and diplomacy, there is a time for peace and there is a time for war.

I am not sith and I am not Jedi. I don't claim to have power like the sith and I don't represent myself as a protector like the Jedi. You ask yourself then what do I do? I play both sides so in the end I and many like me will come out the victors after the sith and the Jedi rip each other apart. Your Jedi though so I wouldn't expect you to understand."

[Kale]

"To be honest, I'm more streeter than Jedi," Kale replied. "And you're right. I don't understand this fight between the Jedi and the Sith, and I don't understand your part in it. But whether you're in it for yourself or you're workin' for another faction, I ain't got any reason to leave the people who I know are helpin' me out. It ain't luxury, but it's a lot better than where I came from. 'Scuse me."

Kale had finished his cheeseburger, and he stood up, taking a long draft from his rootbeer. Turning to set the glass down, he knocked a fork off onto the floor just under Blade's side of the table. "Ah, shoot..." He stooped and grabbed for the fork with his left hand, clumsily bumping Blade's foot in the process.

Taking a step back, Kale tossed the fork onto the table and dug his hands into his pockets. "You wanna get somethin' to eat, go ahead. Me, I'm on my way out."