Gutterflower [Sasha]

[Lilaena De'Ville]

De'Ville was waiting outside a training room as Sasha exited from his morning workout. She lounged against the wall, watching the sweaty Knight start to walk by her. "Sasha." Lilaena straightened and stepped forward, intercepting him. "I desire a word with you."

[SashaKovalev]

He raised the tshirt in his hand to brush the drops of sweat collecting on his forehead. He’d taken it off while working out and never seeing anyone in the hallways, hadnt expected to run into anyone as he left the training room. He looked for a moment as if he wasn’t all that happy about being intercepted – a shower was exactly what he was looking forward to, but it was rare – or – more than rare – it was a miracle that De’Ville was initiating a conversation with him at all. And recognizing this opportunity, he set aside common basic desires, such as a shower, and stopped in his tracks.

“Yeah, sure.” He replied, casting a brief glance at his chrono. He had to meet with Wargrave in a little over a standard hour but in this case, he figured that this one time, it wouldn’t matter quite as much if he was late.

He nodded towards the hallway, as if requesting she walk along with him so he could at least get back to his room and grab a clean tshirt to throw on.

“Whats up?” He asked as they fell into stride walking through the halls of Bast.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

She fell into step beside the taller man, and looked up at him. "I was wondering how your friend is. The woman we spoke about when you joined the Hand." The hallway was straight, but plenty wide as they walked side by side. De'Ville waited to see what his reaction would be.

[SashaKovalev]

Though he hadnt meant to, quite visibly, his posture stiffened. The shirt in his hand he now slung over his shoulder in an effort to regain the composure he had momentarily lost. Things with Feliciana were....well....things had never been easy since she'd left the Sith Order to join that forsaken group of rebels. And as of late there had been new developments that had him rather on edge.

(ooc: do you want this to be pre or post finding out about her cheating on him?)

And more, he had not forgotten De'Ville's words to him when she had given her approval for him to join the Hand.

Relationships are a danger. Never forget that. Both your enemies and your allies will use them against you.

He wondered now whether she was enemy or ally in her asking of the question; was she asking simply to generate conversation, or was she using what she had once known, or now knew, to get something she wanted. He didnt know her well enough to be able to discern. Didnt know if he would ever know her well enough, for she seemed rather elusive and difficult to understand.

"Why do you ask?" He replied answering a question with another interogatory.

Violet eyes stared straight ahead down the hallway rather than looking back to De'Ville. He was semi-guarded now and though he made an effort to seem it, clearly not as relaxed as he had been only moments ago. Already the release he'd found from working out had faded at even the simplest mention of the woman.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

ooc: i didn't know she had...it is up to you. After is great though /ic:

"I could tell you that I want only to help. That ...the Force has told me something and I must see it through. But you would not believe me. And I commend you for that. I would not believe me either." His guard had gone up instantly, and in her heart of hearts, De'Ville felt his pain.

"However, the dark haired woman of my dream last night is of some importance to you, I believe, and I must confess that I am fishing at the moment. I do not even know her name. But I feel I must go to Naboo."

[SashaKovalev]

(ooc: *grins* You got it…)

IC:

He sighed quietly, disturbed either way that he would be commended for not being able to trust someone On the one hand, he was maturing, growing, learning. On the other hand, it was a sad state of affairs when he couldn’t trust someone who was supposed to be his ally.

But her next few words caused more than a disturbed feeling. They caused alarm. Feliciana was on Naboo. It was where together they owned a tract of land – it was where he had left her while he went on this mission with his master, until he could get back to Balmorra to speak with his uncle about allowing Fel to come to live with him there.

They had been keeping in touch – but the last time they’d communicated was before they’d gone to sleep. That de’Ville had had a dream about a dark haired woan on Naboo….

“What happened in your dream?” He somewhat demanded rather than politely inquired. When it came to Fel, his emotions were difficult to control. Particularly when he worried that something wrong.

Things had been ok when he’d left – but after a discussion where she’d admitted to cheating on him – admittedly, things had not been easy between them. It would take time for wounds to heal – and with some of the things Fel had said, he worried that she would perhaps do something foolish despite his attempts to prove to her that they would work through these difficult times.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

The dark haired Master of the Force looked at him sideways through her green eyes. "She can take care of herself, Kovalev." They walked in silence for a few more moments, Sasha barely restraining his emotions as they splashed all over the spectrum.

"As to my dream," she broke the uncomfortable silence, "The woman was looking at me. She said she was lost. Just like that, 'I am lost...'" De'Ville used the Force to imitate the voice she remembered from the dream/vision, and Sasha's breath caught as he recognized Feliciana. "I think it is my destiny to find her. And she said your name, your first name, Sasha. So I came to find you."

The Dark Jedi stopped him in the hallway by lightly laying her hand on his arm. "I need to know exactly where she is."

[SashaKovalev]

Sasha snorted in contempt, anger simmering just below the surface. Fel could take care of herself?! She’d been taking care of herself for the past couple of years and look where it had gotten her. She’d taken care of herself so damn well that she’d….

He shoved this thought beyond reach. No one knew or needed to know that she’d cheated on him with a member of that frelling group the Krath.

And he wasn’t going to tell her where Fel was. No one knew of the land he’d purchased for them. It was a secret place for the two of them to escape to – not even his uncle or Wargrave knew of it. It was where Fel was now. It was where he could safely leave her. Not to mention, DeVille’s warning still echoed in his head.

Relationships are a danger. Never forget that. Both your enemies and your allies will use them against you.

He didn’t think De’Ville was using this against him…but he didn’t know her well enough to be sure. And more than that – he didn’t trust anyone around Fel right now.

He looked away, sighing. Her hand still rested on his arm – where she’d placed it to keep him from walking any further.

He weighed the risks against the possibilities. Fel was lost, there was no doubt about that. Part of him just wanted her to stay home from now on – didn’t want this woman who was to be his wife wandering the galaxy and risking her life…but he knew, also, that he had fallen in love with her because she wasn’t that sort of person. Because she followed her heart and was her own person. And that part of him wanted to do what was right - what was best for Fel. Wanted to help her be all that she desired to be. Didnt want to ever be the one who held her back.

Already she'd agreed to leave the Krath for him. The least he could do was.....

“And if I tell you where she is……” His gaze came back to the master.

“What is it you plan to do?”

[Lilaena De'Ville]

She released his arm, letting her hand drop to her side, and they continued walking toward his rooms. "I plan on helping her reach her potential. To be honest, I am not sure why this is happening. But I may bring her here, and continue her tutelage in the Force at Bast."

[SashaKovalev]

He was silent for a moment as he considered her words. He wasn’t a big fan of Bast – and to be honest, he’d been looking forward to having her with him at the castle on Balmorra for a while. They had a lot to work through, and more time apart wasn’t what he’d been thinking would be best.

But….this was an opportunity that in the long run would potentially be the better thing for Fel. She’d get to learn all that she’d been wanting to learn – she’d have a master like De’Ville to teach her…..And when it came to Fel, he wasn’t selfish enough to prevent her having that opportunity if she wanted it.

And he could come back to Bast whenever he wanted. Well…in between his studies at the university and his work with Wargrave. Or maybe Wargrave would even decide it was best to begin spending more time here. He had, afterall, dragged his apprentice here for a series of meetings anyway.

A part of him still didn’t trust exactly what she was telling him. And another part of him told him to trust her – she had been the last one to stand in his way of entering Bast when he had come seeking admission to the selective group. And she had trusted him.

“Alright.” He replied with a sigh.

“I’ll send her a com message and tell her I want to meet her at the Red Lion’s Den – its a quiet tavern just a few blocks from the spaceport on Naboo.”

His violet eyes stared at De’Ville.

“You can meet her there instead.”

His left hand opened and clenched in the only outward signal that he was not 100% comfortable with all of this. With anything else, he would have easily taken the chance at trusting De’Ville – but this was Fel he was talking about – and he didn’t take chances when it came to her.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

She noticed the hand clench, but chose to ignore it, looking into his eyes. "Very well. I will be there in three weeks from tomorrow. If she is not... I understand your hesitation, but I will stop at nothing to locate this woman."

De'Ville smiled slightly as she stepped away from Sasha, her words not intended to threaten. It was merely a statement of fact. With a swish of her cloak, the Master turned on her heel and walked back the way they'd come, leaving Kovalev alone in front of his door.

Feliciana...his one true love. If he were still so naive as to think there was only one love for every person. The galaxy was a huge place. Although sometimes it wasn't large enough.

You might look at one flower, and think it was the most beautiful thing you'd ever seen. But if you'd never been out of the gutter, then how would you know there were beauties beyond that gutterflower? Sasha was young, and had much to learn about love, and life itself.

[SashaKovalev]

He leaned against the doorway for a moment, watching De’Ville walk off down the hall. And then he released a deep sigh, mulling over words that sounded like a threat as he opened the door and stepped inside, closing it behind him.

Soon he would be meeting with Wargrave. And though he did not discuss matters of women with Wargrave, this was one that the apprentice would perhaps run by him. He wanted to trust Lilaena De’Ville, and perhaps he did. But sometimes, a second opinion could be invaluable.