Life Cycles - Heliophobia Remedy

[Miranda Dunleavy]

OOC: Continued from here (http://sw-fans.net/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=30175) . Thread is unfinished but you get the point

The door swung inwards with incredible force that it hit the side of the wall, startling the guard stationed there.

"Hey! Watch it woman. Ya almost took my head off. Hey......"

He got a good look at the frantic red head's face and leaned in with some concern.

"... you all right."

Miranda straightened up, but her eyes were wild with fear. "Yes. Fine. Just was ... getting away from some street thugs." Normally she was a good liar but even the NRSF Officer gave her an odd look. Something frightened her but it wasn't that. Any woman that carried a long sword on her back and sabre at the hip could take care of any common criminal.

He played along.

"Yeah. Being it's almost sun up, lot of 'em are heading indoors but some are out and about."

She was only half listening as Miranda acclimated herself to this new Jedi bar. Just her luck it was the only place open at fifteen to five AM that provided enough cover. Considering how different she was now, Miranda wasn't keen on breaking into a building for the morning incase what happened hours prior was not permanent. Looking around bar, the walls had less windows then the bar on Arcan. Perfect.

"Here." She slipped off the scabbard from her back and handed the officer her two weapons. "I presume that rule hasn't changed."

The guy chuckled.

"No, Ma'am."

Hugging her black cloak to her body, Miranda made her way towards the back of the room by the corner where there were ample shadows to provide comfort from the sun outside and from prying eyes. Which, thankfully, were rare at this hour.

She slid into the booth and began to run down her options. It was a short list. Everyone that Miranda once knew was dead, including the Shrine, who would be after her eventually, if they found out about her condition. Roon was off limits indefinitely. That left her finding a way off of Coruscant or possible staying. But, that required money ... something she didn't have at all.

A driod beeped at Miranda to get her attention to take her order.

"Huh? Oh... um. How about a ...menu?"

Accepting that request, it wheeled off, leaving Miranda alone and frustrated. She sighed deeply, fitfully, cupping her face in her hands to fend off tears. Gods, they wanted to come so much easier as a human then as a Vampyre! Why did this have to happen to her? What little life she finally had was complicated enough and now fate decided to throw this in her face. To be human.

If she was. Miranda wasn't sure if the affect that Morgan's blood had on her was permanent or not, hence the sulking in the dark corner to be away from first light. How was she to know if all the detriments pertaining to her kind were gone from her new body?

[Marcus Telcontar]

It had been a rough night. The bust up of a slasher gang hadn't gone as smoothly as it should have and he had a few cuts on his face, plus a beauty of a black eye. The gang had turned out bigger than expected, with some much heavier muscle and backup. A minor arrest had become a fairyl major battle to get out alive. The fact was, Jedi were not Gods, they had their limits, even Jedi like him. He had to split Athona into two and go two-handed, after he had been belted with a right hook from behind.

Still, mission accomplished. The slasher gang was no more. Just.... not arrested as he intended, rather dead in that warehouse. When the Coruscant Watch got there, they would find the remains of one hell of a fight and a few notorious crims cut to pieces.

Still, he felt like <smallfont color={hovercolor}>-Censored-</smallfont>. Oh man, could he do with a sit down and breakfast. Dexter's was a fair distance away, but Yog's wasn't. Allright, that would do. Hood came up to cover his face, though he still would bet he looked like crap - dirty, ruffled, cut and bleeding.

"Good morning Sir"

He glanced at the Bar's guards, nodding in acknowledgement. Even though he was clearly armed, they stepped aside and let him through without further comment. They didn't know whom he was, but the fact he could walk in without being disarmed meant he was either a ranked Jedi or a NRSF.

"Who do you think that guy is?" said one guard quietly

"Dwayne reckons it's Tohmahawk"

"No <smallfont color={hovercolor}>-Censored-</smallfont>? You agree?"

"Yeah, that guy is one bad <smallfont color={hovercolor}>-Censored-</smallfont> mother <smallfont color={hovercolor}>-Censored-</smallfont>er. He also kicks out anyone who takes the booth the General used to be at"

"I thought Tohmahawk died"

"You kidding me? tohamahwk would bitch slap Death and tell it to <smallfont color={hovercolor}>-Censored-</smallfont> off. I've never met anyone like him"

"Yeah, your probably right. wouldn't mind if it was. Excuse me, weapons please..."

--

The interior of Yog's was fairly dark, but it was warm and welcoming. Hebreathed the familiar breakfast smells in, breathed out and felt a wave of peace and calm wash over him. While Dexter's was hme, there was still something about coming back here - somethign good and wholesome. He made for his reserved booth, unbuckling his weapons belt as he went. It was thrown onto the table top, an old fashioned leather belt with a sword and two holsters with rail guns inside. The other belt had his Jedi knife and Athona attached, which he flicked on top. At this hour, there was really no one to be looking. Just a few drunks and the bar staff.

He settled into his usual chair with a sigh, followed by a grunt of pain. The droid, knowing exactly what Marcus had, had already bought a hot cup of tea and an icepack.

"Ice pack?" he asked

The droid twittered.

"Oh... yeah. Thanks"

He leaned back again, icepack now being put against his face. Yep, the droid was right. He looked and felt like <smallfont color={hovercolor}>-Censored-</smallfont>.

[Miranda Dunleavy]

As a Vampyre, Miranda's mind was geared towards the rising and setting of the sun. Now that it was taking from her, she found herself scratching at her arm incessantly, wishing it contained a means to tell time. Her only means of gauging sunrise was by how the darkness began to grow lighter. Possibly by the minute?
Miranda couldn't tell and found herself fidgeting in the booth as someone entered.

At first by his dark visage and presence, she had thought it was one of the Vampyres coming from her. She could feel her skin grow cold with fear and her heart beating fiercely, wondering what would happened if they found out and she was stuck this way permanently. The reactions by the guards made that assumption untrue and she settled back, trying to get comfortable when the droid came with her menu

"Thank you." She muttered, bringing an arm out from within her cloak to take the menu. It rolled away and Miranda was left sitting there wondering why she even bothered asking for this when she couldn't pay for a simple juice beverage, let alone a meal. And then a sound was heard that made her pause in wonder. Her stomach growled ... It actually growled in hunger. Miranda was amazed and looked down, placing a hand over it to feel the rumblings of her belly. She was still like a child with these once familiar, now new, sensations that had to be relearned again.

But with a frown, Miranda came to realize that as much as it was fascinating to feel her stomach growl, there was no money to pay for food to make her hunger pains go away. Sighing, she threw it spinning across the booth, resigning herself to water.

[Marcus Telcontar]

Even while reclining back witht he ice pack on his face, he could still hear the menu being flciked away, seemingly in disgust. That was unusual - the menu was chock full of things that were mouth watering. The insane chef, whilst rather dangerous with his cooking methods, was however was highly skilled and Yog's had what was generally asccepted as some of the best food in the Galaxy.

"You know, the food here isn't that bad" he said out loud. "At least give the nerf slices on egg a go."

[Miranda Dunleavy]

She tensed up, nervous. Interaction wasn't something Miranda had wanted but considering where she was, it was going to be inevitable.

Miranda berated herself for being completely on edge. Vampiric nature aside, she was a highly trained Assassin! Taking a moment to calm her nerves, she spoke evenly, though Marcus could definitely tell something was amiss with the red-head. "It would be hard without currency. I am rather .... strapped for cash." She did have the story she told the Officer about being jumped by that gang to fall back on incase he asked why.

The driod beeped when it overheard that admission. It was returning to take the woman's order. It took the menu back from off the cushion and set down a glass of water, since that was free....

[Marcus Telcontar]

"Hey rust bucket, give the menu back to the lady or I'll reprogram you with a meat axe"

The droid's head moved to regard the cloaked man, before beeping a question. The answer was Marcus moving a hand and tapping one of the weapons belts. The droid got the hint and beeped at the red-head, clearly asking rather sheepishly for her order. There were ways to tell if someone was a freeloader or genuinely in a spot of bother. He had the red-head picked for someone in need of a break.

"It's on the house. You dont even need to join me at my table - tho you are free to do so if you wish. And.... droid, I want another ice pack."

[Miranda Dunleavy]

Miranda tried to sense any motive coming from the beat up stranger, but there was no ulterior motive in his voice that she could discern. He also had that aura about him, the one where he wouldn't accept no as an answer; evident by the droid. And she was starving. By now, the rumblings in her stomach were so strong that it was making wince in pain, not to mention feeling lightheaded. A much different sensation then feeling the blood sick.

"I'll try the nerf slices on eggs then." The man suggested it and she had no clue of what she would or wouldn't like. She just wanted some food.

She wondered how close it was to sunrise and looked towards the window. The red-head felt her skin crawl as light filled the entire frame. Unconsciously she swallowed in fear and looked back to the man. His table was well hidden from any window and his generosity demanded courtesy; it was the proper thing to do. Hesitantly Miranda rose from booth and joined him at his. "It would be rude not to and .... Thank you. I'll pay you back when I can."

Even deciding upon coming here, she was quite nervous and kept glancing over at the window every now and then before the droid returned with a glass of water and another ice pack.

[Marcus Telcontar]

"I just said it's on the house" he said. "I dont pay for anything either - I know the owner rather well"

Which, along with the hardware that was on the table, it pretty much said he was a Jedi of some sort.

"Is something wrong?" he asked. "noting that the red head seemed on edge

[Miranda Dunleavy]

She once prided herself on being hard to read. Her motives would be elusive until Miranda thought fit to strike. Now the red head was an open book apparently. And no wonder! This man had the garb and weapons of a Jedi. Why didn't see she that before? Because you are paranoid of the sun. That's why!

"Aye. I am a bit. Ran into a few thugs before making my way here." She shrugged her shoulders, acting shy about the ordeal. Depending on how strong he was in Force, he might buy the lie, but in her frazzled state, Miranda was unwillingly projecting her emotions at times of great stress. Which of course, was now and why Marcus could sense things were amiss about her.

[Marcus Telcontar]

A slight hint fof a smile was how he revealed he knew she was lying, but...

" It's okay if you don't want to say what happened, I can sense it was unexpected and your not a sponger. That's all that really matters, that your genuine in your lack of credits. But satisfy my curiousity on one thing... why are you scared of daylight???????"

[Miranda Dunleavy]

First she blanched, becoming a color she was once quite intimate with. Miranda tried to recover but only ended up looking away, angry at herself for her severe lack of control. Emotions were so hard to contain like this!

She took a sip of water and winced at how cold it was. Such sensations were still new to her and wasn't expecting the ice cubs to sting like they did. That would only delay the inevitable for so long. The Jedi was looking for an answer. How was she going to explain what happened? There was no precedent for what happened! In all the known history of the Vampyres, Miranda was the first to be changed back.

The red head ended up sighed and found the silverware fascination. "You wouldn't believe me even if I told you." How could Miranda prove that she was once a creature of the night? Only if her condition was somehow temporary, would there be proof, and she doubted the Jedi was willing to stick around her long enough to find out.

[Marcus Telcontar]

"Try me" he answered.

[Miranda Dunleavy]

She half frowned while studying the Jedi and leaned back in the booth, crossing her arms in defense. Miranda was still able to read most people and this one was serious in his question.

"Well ..." The red head crossed her legs, finding some strength and comfort within to actually say this out loud. "I'm still not completely sure of the details as to how, but ...." She licked her lips and looked at him squarely in the eyes, still not understanding why she was actually admitting to this. ".. I was a Vampyre."

There. It enough was said. Easier then the last time when the change first occurred but it the words were quite foreign to her ears. Nervously her leg rocked back and forth, waiting for the ridicule of how insane she was. The story really had no credibility and no way to prove it unless she found that Evanar fellow again.

[Marcus Telcontar]

"A.... vampire?"

Funny, she didn't look like one of those blood sucking beings he had once seen on Tattooine. Piteous creatures they were, shunned and hunted. Suppose anything that lived off sucking blood was pretty repellant to most beings. But, she was human, right? And the other things were some kind of bat, or bird, he couldn't quite remember what... and didnt they commute some sort of.....

"Ahhhhhhh. I've heard of vampireism, it's a disease that affects the mind. Does really weird things to you as it degrades the mind as well, right? Makes you sensitive to odours and sunlight? Last I knew, that disease was difficult to cure"

Of course, he didn't believe for a second, or even consider it could be somethign else. Those were child's stories, meant to scare the gullible. Who would think there could be such a ridiculous thing as Undead?

[Miranda Dunleavy]

"I ... guess that is one way of looking at it...." Miranda frowned as she thought about it. From a certain point of view for those that weren't knowledgable about Vampires, thinking of it as a pyschological disorder would be a much better explanation then the truth. To protect the Shrine, as well as herself, she'd rather have the Stranger Jedi keep thinking that.

She didn't feel so frightened around him. There wasn't any ridicule and that helped Miranda greatly in her willingness to talk about what had happened. "But, you're right. About there being a cure. I didn't think there was one either."

[Marcus Telcontar]

"Oh, well maybe you can tell me one day how you were cured. As a Jedi, knowing such things can mean I can help others. But anyway...."

He looked at the sunlight just starting to creep into the Bar and Grill, wondering what it would be like being afraid of soemthign as common as that. He blinked, then remembered the vague set of manners he sort of had.

"Oh, how rude of me too. Around here I am known as Strider, if I choose to give a name. Got a name you choose to give?"

[Miranda Dunleavy]

"Strider?" Odd name but this was an odd galaxy. Repeating his name also afforded Miranda sometime to ponder if she wanted to give out her name. Her name was a dead one. The Dunleavy's were extinct as far as she knew. The Shrine were the only people to really utter it. Though, some in the Jedi might remember her from Arcan. Perhaps it was fortunate that she never caused any trouble there.

Besides, she had a sense that being truthful to Strider would be all right. He was safe. "Miranda is my name. Miranda Dunleavy."

[Marcus Telcontar]

"Glad to meet.... ah, breakfast!"

The droid placed Miranda's order in front of her, along with Marcus' usual - tea, egg, rashers and somethign called mushrooms he discovered he rather liked when he on Ukio a year or so ago. Feet off the table he drew out the rather nasty looking dagger from his belt, cut one of the mushrooms up and picked up a slice.

"Excuse me for a moment, I sooooo need this. It's been a rough night"

With that, he got stuck into the steaming hot food.

[Miranda Dunleavy]

The smell of the food cause the craving inside her stomach to exponentially increase in intensity. It was the smell of the food that did it, which reminded her how the scent of blood would drive her mad in her earlier days.

The dagger and Marcus' explanations had fallen upon deaf ears for Miranda was too busy devouring her breakfast to care about mushrooms.

[Marcus Telcontar]

He did note, after the edge of his hunger had been taken, the way the woman across from him simply mauled her breakfast. And the way she called for seconds.

Hmmmm.

He was wiping the plate with a bread crust after he finished, thinking.

"Apologise for being a bit... rude I guess, but I havent seen anyone eat that fast in a long time. When was the last time you ate? A few days?"

[Miranda Dunleavy]

Miranda looked up at Marcus with a confused look as a small piece of egg fell off her lip. "Hmm?" Then the actual question asked registered and her cheeks became quite bright. Just as bright as her hair. This was her first meal. Her first real meal and the food tasted so good! Not only did it quell the grumblings of her stomach but there were so many flavors to taste that made her tongue overload with sensations long forgotten. She was simply taken in by it.

She fumbled for a napkin and wiped her face. "I'm so terribly sorry! I'm the one that was rude, not you!" It took a few seconds for Miranda to feel presentable again to answer Marcus curious question. "Well, to be honest," she tore off a piece of bread and popped it in her mouth, mumbling her answer, "more like a few centuries."

[Marcus Telcontar]

He initially smiled at her joke, struck by her honesty and forthright...

Wait up. Hold the comm unit, Honest????? answer? A few centuries?!?!? That was not possible!

"Maybe I should excuse my rudeness" he said, leaning forward witht he ice pack (renewed by the droid while he was eating), "But as you might have gathered, I'm not the usual drifter that wanders in here, seeking to get mindlessly drunk. I am a Jedi.... in fact, if the truth be said, a Jedi Master of considerable skill and knowledge. Your emotions I can read fairly easily and I can tell if you lie or not. "

His voice, quiet, oddly accented, made it clear this was no boast. If anything, he could well have been understating himself.

"Thence, I have to ask and forgive me for being forward. You said you were a Vampire. You just said you had not eaten for centuries. You eat as if this is the best meal you ever had. All this I would dismiss as a tired and emotional delusion, for you are tired and emotional I sense as well. But I also sense you fully and completely believe you are telling the truth. So...."

He paused. The next question was obvious. But it needed asking.

"Are you seriously telling me that there are such things as Vampires and it's not just a disease? "

[Miranda Dunleavy]

She rubbed her lips together, removing the food and drink, in preparation for a lengthy conversation. "Yes. You were so adamant about Vampyres not existing that I went along with the mental disorder. It seemed easier."

The red-head closed her eyes and inhaled deeply to settle her fears. What she was about to say was forbidden by the Shrine when speaking with the living, but she was part of that world now too. "We've," she cleared her throat and spoke quietly, "They have existed for millennia, Strider. One of the most Ancient of them turned me over two hundred years ago. Which ended last night." Her hand waved over the breakfast, finding it strange how candid she was being with the Jedi. "Hence my appetite and fear of the light. Can you blame me?" Out of the corner of her eye, Miranda looked at the window. "How am I suppose to really believe that I'm not a monster anymore and not be killed by the sun."

[Marcus Telcontar]

Marcus glanced at the huge stone Gargolyle that lurked in the Bar, thinking about the horrific consequences when Lochabare spotted a 'life-theif'. Good thing it wasn't listening....actually just what the hell was Lochabre doing anyway?

Yeah. whatever.

"Monsters aren't children's stories, nor creatures of legend. Monsters are those like Palpatine. I've seen a lot of things in my time in the Galaxy and frankly, if your not like him, I dont care what you are. Or were. I'm not exactly human, even if I look it."

He suddenly sighed.

"This... place. This zoo. Whatever you call Coruscant, it was built by monsters, seeking to control others. This whole place is a trap and a jail. It wallows in misery, exults as one scum rules over the downtrodden and dispossessed. I hate this place. This sunrise all it does is glint of steel and plastiglass. It sucks. I want to devote the rest of my life to making sure others dont have to live in this cess pit. I want...... to be able to show my family the sunrise over Ukio."

"Have you ever seen it? It's magnificent. You stand alone in the fields and watch the sun rise over the hills. You see it's light shine on the wonder of Creation. You can smell, touch... even taste the life and vitality, the freedom, the clean air. It's a pity the first sunrise you see in years is in this dump"

[Miranda Dunleavy]

"In all my life, I've never been there." Her eyes had a distance to them as if trying to visualize the image Strider had painted for her. She was also trying to recollect her last sunrise, but it was near impossible. It was a privileged that Miranda took for granted and her kidnapping came from no where.

"And I've yet to see a sunrise since my change," she said sadly with still that touch of fear heard, "I've been hiding in here the entire time. All I've seen are filtered rays coming through he window."

[imported_Marcus]

"Are you game enough to come outside with me?"

[Miranda Dunleavy]

Miranda's skin turned pale; as pale as her skin used to be as a Vampyre. Fear was creased into her face. "I..I don't think that is a good idea." She hugged herself while looking away from Strider, "I don't even know if this is permanent or not. What if ..." The red head's breaths became labored, "what if I go into the light and die! It could trigger the change and I would be nothing but ash!"

[Marcus Telcontar]

He leaned forward.

"I'm not much with foresight, but I sense no danger in this. But if your goign to run away from what you fear all your life, you will always remain in darkness. I dont believe you want that"

[Miranda Dunleavy]

"No," her eyes drifted towards the door this time. "I don't. I've never been afraid of anything. No even death as a Vampyre. I... it's just..." Miranda sighed, frustrated. She also never needed helped before. "I feel weak for needing someone to help me.."

[imported_Marcus]

"The ability to ask for help when you need it can also be a strength too" he said. "And while it may seem humbling, in the end it strengthens you. Two is always stronger than one. Come. Lean on me if you want. I can help you"

[Miranda Dunleavy]

She wiped her mouth one last time and meticiously folded her napkin, bying herself some time to think, and to stall. What was Miranda going to do? Hide in here all day and loiter the place? Her body was human now. Every moment that ticked away was precious now. Life blood kept her alive and that same life blood was going to cause her to age and die. She was mortal ...

"All right. All all ... right." Miranda steadied herself with both hands at the end of the table. "I'm going to have to do this. I have to do this..."

[Marcus Telcontar]

"good. Come this way"

The Bar and Grill had more than just the front entrance. There was the kitchens and there was a secret one near the refreshers. There was also on that lead upstairs into a sleeping area that could be used by the Jedi if they needed a place to crash out, them or guests. It was a pretty simple crash pad, few doonas and mattresses, nothing really more. Up above that was a plant level, where the machines and scrubbers, power units of the B&G were, humming away. In here was a ladder and above that roof, there was a lock. It was up these levels and to this ladder Marcus lead Miranda.

"Okay. This leads to the roof. Keep with me"

He climbed the ladder and unlocked the latch. He swung the trap door upwards, letting in the pre dawn light. Up he clambered, smelling the cold early morning air, the stillness before dawn. He walked to the ledge and put his hands on the railing.

Not long now....

A few mintes later, the grey of dawn was swapped for a glimmering reddish gold, glinting off buildings. The line of the dawn could be seen up high, the windows sparking in liquid fire as the sun's rays touched them. Down the light seeped, turning each and every shiny surface into orange fire, the flames seeming to merge into one huge flame front, glinting and shining in a spectaclar reflected light display.

Then the reflected fire was joined by real fire as the the edges of the sun cleared buildings, finally striking the roof of the B&G. Marcus shaded his eyes from the dazzling sight.

"Never fails to impress me, does the dawn. But if you think this looks spectacular, you should see the sun rise over Ukio after a night of rain.... Miranda?" he suddenly asked, turning around, concerned.

[Miranda Dunleavy]

Miranda unconsciously moved backwards down the ladder as Strider opened the hatch. She winced at the clang and couldn't stop the fear that had taken control of her. Her heart was beating so fast now that she felt like passing out from the rush of blood.

Idiot. Get ahold of yourself!

After chiding herself, Miranda gripped the bars so tightly that her knuckles turned deathly white, and slowly she began the ascent once again.

It wasn't as bright as she thought it would be at this time and eventually took a place beside Strider. Her eyes were fixed upon the line of dawn approaching. Suddenly, her mouth felt horribly dry as anxiety took hold. There were very few times that Miranda had seen this part of the day, only to be pushed back by sensation of her blood boiling inside her veins to where she quickly found shelter. As the rays of light grew, she found herself in pain still! But it wasn't because of what she feared. After centuries of darkness, her emerald eyes weren't accustomed to such brilliance! Squinting and then forcing them to slam shut, Miranda looked away and grimaced, falling upon her knees.

[Marcus Telcontar]

"Ah, you frelling idiot Marcus. Think next time, will ya"

Into his pocket went his hand. Not long ago he had to wear these things for his own over sensitive eyes.

"Miranda, put these on. They are called sun shades, they'll make the light tolerable. I'm sorry, I wasnt thinking"

[Miranda Dunleavy]

She fumbled for the glasses, patting nothing but air until Strider placed them in her hands. The sting of the sun was abated but it was going to take some time for the pain to subside. Reaching out to find the ledge, Miranda eased herself up and slowly began to open her eyes. It was hard at first, alot of opening and closing them until they adjusted to the filtered light of the sun shades.

With a heavy sigh that matched the weight of her heart, Miranda slumped forward with a frown. Her first sun rise and she still couldn't see it. "It wasn't your fault. I should've thought of the same thing. I was just too, excited and frightened to really think straight."

Then something odd struck her. It was something that Strider had said, and she turned towards the Master Jedi. "You said your name was Strider, but you referred to yourself as Marcus." She started to back away slowly in suspicion, "Are you trying to trick me..." The last thing she needed was for this Strider to be some sort of spy for the Shrine.

[Marcus Telcontar]

"No. I dont tell anyone who I am until I can trust them. I buried my own past to protect the ones I love. I could have been.... anything here. Instead I'm a nothing. I fight in the gutters where the scum are. I do the things the Jedi can't or are unwilling to do."

He stared back at the unfurling sunrise, thinking.

"The Galaxy isn't a safe place. Beings dodge justice all the time. There are too few Jedi and even then, the Jedi can't really get their hands dirty, not in the way needed. Too close to the Dark Side for the Padawans and even the Knights. Wish it wasn't so, I'd give anything to be back on Ukio again"

[Miranda Dunleavy]

With each word, Miranda could sense the truth in them and slowly began stepping forward next to Marcus once more. She could respect his decision in why he hid his real name, though what harm it caused, she knew naught. What Miranda did know was the saddness in his voice as he talked about the Jedi and what they could do, but more importantly, what they could not do. The meloncholy hit her again when he spoke of Ukio and of the dark side. "Ah! Now that I know much about to my regret. Taking the lives of others to live is the path of the Dark Side and it fueled my power for centuries. I only did it to survive because I was afraid of death and punishment...." Her words trailed off momentarily as the memories of her enslavement took hold. With a sigh, she pushed them aside. "Strange though, how is it that I am not feeling its pull now? I should after all those long years.."

[Marcus Telcontar]

"Maybe you lost something else when you.... changed. Maybe you reverted to what you really are. Maybe now you know fear can be defeated"

The sun was still cold as it rose, but that would change soon. The noise of the city waking could be heard drifting in their direction as a breeze brushed the roof top. Soon, the streets would be filled with beings and speeders would flood the skies.

"yes... fear. even here, I can feel it, it saturates this planet. Fear is persuasive, it rules so many hearts and minds. But you, can you feel the freedom that a relase from fear gives? That in the absence of fear, comes hope? A knowing that you have a future? Ah, what could be done with such a people as are here if their fear could be broken. That's how the rebellion won over impossible odds - hope gave them courage, gave them strength. Hope gave them victory."

"That's what I do.... I give others hope by removing fear. Those who feed on fear, the evil that thinks they are safe, that's who I come against. About 4 km from here, the Watch will find a room shattered as if by a bomb. They'll find a drug gang, who dealt in misery and kidnap. They'll find one thrown out the window. Today, they'll be beings who wake up from their drugs and find their supply is gone. Maybe one or two will find the strength to find hope. Thats.... what I do. I break the cycle of fear and give others the chance to dare to hope again. "

He sighed. He knew how big a task - possibly a hopeless task. But his hope was in Ukio. One day, he would return and be at peace there.

"eh, listen to me. I sound like a preacher on a street corner. anyway, look, I dont know if you would want to, but there's a small diner nto far from here. It's run by a friend of mine. I can give you shelter, clothes and even if you want, a job there. when your ready, you can leave and go whereever you want. Or.... maybe stay. We could use a good hand to help with our little hope giving operation"