After Hours (Open)

[Figrin D'an]

Tick Tock.... Tick Tock... Tick Tock

It was the only audible sound in the room... the gears of an old clock, clicking and thumping away as it had for many years. It was one of the little aesthetic pleasentries of the Bar & Grill... an old-fashioned chronometer. Few people noticed it, and even fewer ever heard it's rythmic beat, logging the seconds of time for it's own posterity. And whom ever would? During business hours, when packed with patrons, the sizzle of the grill and the clanging of dishes, one could barely hear oneself think, muchless something hanging on a wall 10 meters away.

But that wasn't the case now.

It was late... Yog's had been closed for the night for nearly an hour. The lights were off, the grill silent, the dishes stowed neatly for use at breakfast the following morning. Only the dim light from nearby buildings shown though the front windows, and onto a solitary figure sitting in booth... alone with his mind, a mug of tea, and the ticking of a clock.


Tick Tock.... Tick Tock... Tick Tock


Figrin stared out the window. He sat back in the bench seat of the booth, one arm folded across his chest, the other toying with the mug on the table, spinning it and nudging it as his eyes gazed elsewhere. Yet, he was looking at nothing in particular, nor thinking any deep thoughts. He couldn't feel his hand against the ceramic of the mug. It was like being in a consious coma, awareness all but vacant from his physical self.

Except for the ticking of the clock.


Tick Tock.... Tick Tock... Tick Tock


He winced. It was happening again.

Shocked back to reality, his hand pulled away from the mug and immediately clutched his right temple. The pain was getting worse. His control over it was waning, and self-healing just wasn't enough anymore. He would have to do something... soon. But determining what had proven an even greater challenge than controlling the pain...

... and was the reason for his sleepless nights of late.

He willed the pain away... slowly. The Jedi raised his head, and looked back out of the window, his mind wandering again. At last, his ears caught the sound again...


Tick Tock.... Tick Tock... Tick Tock


Alone with a blank mind, a luke-warm mug of tea, and the incessant ticking of a clock.

[Pierce Tondry]

There was a soft footstep by the kitchen door that drew Figrin's attention away from the window. Standing in the doorway was a man in a Jedi robe, with a dark black blindfold tied around his head. It was out of place in the dim light, but the wearer had no apparent trouble picking out Figrin by the window.

"You can stew in your own juices all night, Master D'an, but no problems ever get solved that way."

[Typhoon]

Actually, there was more than just these two in the Bar and Grill - but unlike them, he worked here. He was just coming out of one of the storerooms after putting away the mops and cleaning tools.

"Damn, someone turned the lights out on me again"

While he seemed liek a right goof, the tall thin man was in fact rather quiet and introspective, never talking about the past before he met up with that Elessar guy, never really been more than polite and hard working. Certainly, he was glad for the job here - but the emotions he felt from the sad, the lonely, the lost who came here to drink their lives away saddened him.

He hadn't actually thought anyone else would be in this place after closing, so he had left his red coat on a nail, bare chested so as best to scrub this place. Basically he was human wreckage, scarred, burnt and with bits or flesh missing.

One thing he was glad of - there was no need for the gun. Or the body armour. This place had the hulking brutes on guard and also these... Jedi. They facinated him, with their weird powers. Most of them seemed wise and peaceful too.

A few more minutes and he could go to his little room and have a nice sleep. He hadn't felt this safe in a place for a long time. For now, there was that tray of glasses to get away and final look around for anything else to do.

[Figrin D'an]

He recognized the man, though he did not know him well. It seemed to Figrin that an odd fate had interviened, as he desired to learn more about the padawan known as Pierce Tondry. Since his chance encounted with the young woman, James Prent, he wished to learn more about her interaction with Pierce and his young son. Now, here in an empty and dark Bar & Grill, stood that very man.

Ironic, isn't it, the Jedi Master thought to himself... the first words he'd thought in what seemed like hours.

But... that was a matter that could perhaps be discussed later.


"Sometimes such a thing is difficult to avoid, even for the learned and wise," he finally replied. "Of course, if you would like to join me in my insomniac tendancies, please, by all means have a seat."

He gestured toward large hot liquid carafs behind the main counter.

"The middle one still has some hot tea in it, if you like."

He raised his own mug and look a long swig. It still tasted good, even though it had lost much of it's heat.

[Pierce Tondry]

"I don't go for tea, thanks." The tall, robed shadow that was Pierce did not move. "I usually try not to drink anything when I'm on watch- self imposed or otherwise."

There was a pause, and then Pierce tilted his head. "You look odd to my senses- not as bright as the normal Jedi. Is there something wrong?"

[Figrin D'an]

He crossed his arms, returning his gaze to the empty street outside the front windows of the dinner.

"Headaches... migranes. Short and intense. They've been kind of a nuisance for me of late, and sometimes they strike late at night. So... when I can't sleep, I usually come here to sit, and try to clear my mind."

Figrin glanced at the clock.

"Some nights... it takes longer than others. Maybe I'm overworked... my schedule can't and won't lighten in the near future, however."

A half-truth at best... but, even to his fellow Jedi, he was cautious about addressing any details of his condition.

[Pierce Tondry]

"I'd think you could find some way to clear things up if you really had to, but to each their own." Pierce finally moved, stepping over to the bar and resting his arms on it.

"I know what it's like to be driven," he added as an afterthought. "So I'm not much of one to talk about taking time off. Two hats keep a man busy."

[Figrin D'an]

Figrin noded and smiled. "So have I heard. A Jedi in training AND NRSF operative... quite a combination, I must say."

He chuckled.

"Then again... so too would be Jedi and Senate Advisor to some."

Nostalgia took over for a moment, as he though of his own situation.

"It's such an odd animal though, isn't it? There's that initial burst of ambition and eagerness to take on a new challenge, that slowly wears away over the years to reveal... reality, sometimes cold in it's truth. But, for all of the struggles and frustrations, all of the trials and tribulations you may encounter along the way... when you look back on it, you realize there is no other thing that you would rather do."

He played with his tea mug, spinning it slowly on the table top between his fingers.

"Well," he concluded, "here's to those who wear two hats... be they brave or foolish."

He finished his remaining tea in one swig, then stood and walked behind the main counter to refill his cup.

[Pierce Tondry]

Pierce considered Figrin's toast. "I'll back that," he agreed. He reached over and slid the carafe down the counter to Figrin, who caught it neatly.

"I'm an Intel op, by the way," Pierce added after a moment. "There's a difference, even if you wouldn't think there's one. NRSF is more shoot 'n loot. Intel is sneak 'n peek. The two jobs do mesh, but an Intel agent in the middle of an op is always gonna be looking for info, regardless of what else he's doing. Anyone with those tendencies usually gets transferred to Intel, even if they're a good match for the NRSF."

He took another moment to consider something, then looked at Figrin. "And this isn't what I want to be doing. It's what I have to do."

[Figrin D'an]

He laughed lightly at the last remark.

"Have to... want to... in the end, that's all irrelevent. It only matters that you did it, and you did it for the right reasons. And some would even say that the second of those reasons is mearly an indulgance to satisfy personal ethics. Personal, I feel that it should matter to the individual if it matters to those upon whose behalf the individual acts."

He poured a fresh mug of tea.

"And that... is the essence of service."

A gentle sip offered a moment of pause, checking that the liquid was satisfactorily flavored.

"We do what we do because... well, you can fill in the statement with just about anything, making layers upon layers of reasoning and justification. Strip all of that away, though, and you're left with a simple truth. Which, in it's own way, is more satisfying."

Figrin slowly walked back to his seat.

"Intel, huh? Must be interesting work."

[Pierce Tondry]

"Everything you never wanted to know about everything," Pierce quoted. "You find out more about how low people can sink than anything else. Some days, I really feel like the universe could use a dose of cold, hard justice."

Pierce abruptly took one of the overturned glasses sitting on the bar and filled it with water from the nearby fountain dispenser. "Water's never so good as when you're thirsty," he said, his last words turning into gulps as he drank deeply.

[Figrin D'an]

"There are times that I very much share that sentiment," the Jedi Master responded. "You see the lowest of the low that is hidden from view in your Intel work... I see the lowest of the low that is often in plain sight day in and day out in the Senate. The justice we seek cannot be doled out quickly enough or in vast enough quantity, unfortunately."

"There is something to be said for the effort and the struggle, though...," he concluded, the thought trailing off.

A speeder moved swiftly past the window, momentarily illuminating the front of the establishment. The wind-wake it created rustled a few loose pieces of trash that lay strewn on the sidewalks and street. They fluttered on the breeze before coming to rest in new locations, only to be disturbed in a few minutes when another speeder would likely pass by.

Both men had been silent for a short time. Figrin chose to bring up a new subject... on that had been on his mind for some time.

"I... bumped into James Prent at the Temple Rededication Party a while back. Interesting young woman... has some strange quirks, but she seems to have a good heart. I understand you know her?"

[Pierce Tondry]

Pierce's head turned away from the window. The night was peaceful, and Figrin had just called his attention away from it. Regret panged briefly inside him- peace was too rare for him- but he nodded in continuance of the conversation.

"Yeah, she looks after Jax when I can't," Pierce said. "She's a little rough, and the droid tells me she swears sometimes, but she's good with Jax and I appreciate what she's willing to do."

The water burbled forth from the tap again as Pierce began reflling his glass, but then went back to silence after he shut it off. He drank deeply, then wiped the drops from his mouth with the back of his hand. "And if by strange quirks you mean 'has visions' then yeah, I'd agree."

[Figrin D'an]

The Jedi Master's eyebrows raised at Pierce's last comment.

"Oh, so you are familiar with her... visions?"

Pierce nodded in acknowledgement.

Figrin leaned back in his seat. His brow furrowed, as he recalled his conversation with the young woman in his mind.

"When she and I met on the balcony that night, we talked briefly, then she seemed to trance and lose her sense of reality. She nearly fell over the railing. When she came back to a consciousness, she was frightened. It was obvious. But, she was hesitant to talk about details. I said that I would help her if she wanted me to. She agreed, although she seemed a bit reluctant."

He sighed deeply.

"She mentioned your son, as well," he continued. "She seems to be very fond of him. She says that Jax seems to like her as well."

He let the throught trail off, leaving the door open for Pierce to perhaps fill in some of the blanks that he had been wondering about.

[Pierce Tondry]

"I think she feels responsible for him," Pierce said absently. "Something is going to happen to him and she's the one there. And it's personal, too, because of Jax. She really cares for him, and she hates whoever's going to come after him with a passion."

Pierce tilted his head down to stare into his water glass. "Of course, these are just me putting together the bits and pieces. I could be wrong."

[Figrin D'an]

"It's been some time," Figrin noted, "since I've seen a person with the raw precognative potential that she seems to possess. Even though what she is seeing may be distorted by her lack of control... more often than not, there's an element of truth to such visions."

It was that aspect of the situation that had greatly concerned him. James had a lot of training yet to complete before she would be equiped to face any sort of significant threat. How far into the future this possible fate would meet her was impossible to tell... maybe tomorrow, maybe ten years from now. As much as they might wish to stave off fate, sometimes one simply had to trust the will of the Force.

Figrin's mind drifted back to subject at hand.

"Having James around to help with Jax must be extremely helpful to you. Raising a child alone is a tall order for anyone."

[Pierce Tondry]

Pierce chuckled. "It's not so bad, actually. I love Jax so much, what little time we do spend together is the best it can be. And so far, he's been a very good boy. With James and my grandfather both looking out for him, I don't have to. In fact I usually just focus on doing my job- well, jobs, but even then I have spare moments to myself. It's amazing how much free time you never realize is there until you start looking for it so you can use it."

"I generally use 'em to consider this dang countdown clock in my head," Pierce added offhandedly.

[Figrin D'an]

"Another truth," Figrin acknowledged. "It's also amazing, when one prioritizes the important things in life, just how much of the smaller truely meaningless things just fall away from consideration without much effort."

His tea now cool enough to drink, the Jedi Master took a sip from his mug.

"So, what is it that has you awake at this early hour?" Figrin asked.

[Pierce Tondry]

"I'm on watch," Pierce said. He looked at the Jedi garb he was in. "Official Jedi nighttime watch, that is. Covering a shift for a Knight who got called away unexpectedly. Which seems to be happening a lot these days."

He frowned. "Hell, if I didn't know better, I'd say something was up. A lot of Jedi I see are more on edge lately. Like something's getting into their heads, only they don't know where it's coming from."

[Figrin D'an]

"I've noticed it a bit, myself," Figrin said. "I think that a lot of us have just been high-strung lately. It's been a while since there has been a major threat that has needed our attention, and it's been a little too quiet, I suppose. We're trained to be prepared for anything, but sometimes... I think a lot of Jedi take that to mean 'expect the worst.' That can be a diffcult feeling to shake, even in a time of relative peace."

He leaned back against the wide seat of the booth.

"Then, there is these blasted headaches. Maybe I should take a vacation," he laughed singularly.

[Pierce Tondry]

"Yeah, you should," Pierce said. He gave Figrin an infamous Tondry 'no-nonsense' look. "Or one day, you'll wake up and you'll need a vacation. A permanent vacation that your body won't let you argue with. And then you'll know I was right."

Pierce turned his gaze back to the window. "Go on to bed, Master D'an," he said. "I'm on guard duty tonight. Nothing's gonna come up that I can't defend against."

[Figrin D'an]

"Perhaps you're right," he conceeded. "Good conversation seems to help relax the mind. Something one doesn't often have at this hour."

Figrin got to his feet, making his way to the counter and rising out his tea mug. He placed it in used dish bin... the breakfast crew would take care of it, he was sure. He started to walk towards the door, but one final thought came to mind. He glanced back over his shoulder at Pierce.

"Would it be alright if I stopped by your quarters some time? Just to see you and your son? And maybe James too. I'd like to watch her and Jax interact. And... I guess it might serve as a nice distraction from my other duties..."

He let the thought trail off, his gaze returning towards the doorway, though he made no immediate movement further towards it.

[Pierce Tondry]

Pierce's smile somehow broke the dreadful cast he had. A very human Pierce Tondry, in spite of the shadow and the clothing and the blindfold.

"Anytime, Master D'an," he said warmly. "Anytime."

[Figrin D'an]

Figrin smiled, as if to say 'Thanks,' both for the invitation and the opportunity to talk.

"Good night, Pierce," he said at last, turning back towards the door. He's just opened the door, when he caught a glance of the old clock, still ticking away on the wall. He realized that, all throughout his conversation with Pierce... he had been oblivious to it's rhythmic clicking. Even now, again aware of it's presence, the noise didn't seem quite as loud as it had earlier, when he sat alone at stared into the Coruscant night. For a reason unknown to him, he was comforted by that quirky truth.

He laughed abruptly to himself, shaking his head in mild amusement, before leaving the Bar & Grill and making the short walk to the Jedi buildings.