Half Empty

[Sene Unty]

He was growing constantly but he didn't even realize it. Aging, but becoming more a man everyday. The Jedi were good to him, no doubt about that, but he was alone. Always alone. He was strong. He could feel the force, but it did him no good

Sene Unty stares at his reflection and wants to cry. A deep swelling of emotion bursts through him like an explosion.

Hollow. Where are the Jedi now?

He sighs at the thought. Silly comment. The Jedi have been great. A family to replace what he had lost.

You are alone Sene. They don't know who you are.

"Shut up", he whispers. But the thoughts don't go away.

He wants to smash th mirror to pieces in front of. Walk down the streets of Coruscant and spray death and destruction. He feels it all, the heat. The power.

Silly thoughts.

Instead he tears his eyes from his reflection, grabs his robes and exits the Temple.


The streets are alive around him. Always alive, teeming with the constant flow of various bodies. A melting pot of the galaxy. The scents and sounds draw Sene back into a peaceful mind. This is what its for.

So much good to give. So much bad to fight. Sene sighs. He needs a drink.


A bar of little distinction. Just a bar with the regular crew of shifty inidviduals and dirty prostitutes. A beast that was fed by the beautiful misery of others. A bar. Funny how everyone always ends up in a bar....

"Something hard and straight." He whispers to the tender on the other side of the counter. He nods.

Seconds later a brown glass of liquor rests in his left hand, half empty of the liquid it had once contained. The liquor is strong, there's no question, and it immediatly begins to take effect on his senses. As any Jedi would Sene subtely nudges his mind back into focus. This is no place to lose ones cool.

Sene sighs. Now all he needs is some company....

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Yog's was definitely out at least for a few more days as Quay'Na Rakai walked down the street. She noticed a young man pass her up, who was in a Jedi robe and entered a bar.

A rather grungy-looking bar to say the least.

Tucking her padawan braid into the collar of her brown leather jacket she wore, she decided to follow.

The rest of her attire was a dead give away that she was indeed part of the Jedi, along with the sabre that hung at her belt.

She quietly walked in and looked around. Quay'Na sees him at the counter and walks up to him casually.

"Something hard and straight..." She heards him say. "Make that two." She tells the bartender and leans against the bar, beside him.

[Sene Unty]

Sene turns his head slightly and looks at the newcomer. He smiles softly.

"Hello." he whispers.

He looks down at her waist and sees the lightsaber. A jedi. Probably a padawan.

He waves his hand at the stool next to him, "Wanna sit?"

[Quay'Na Rakai]

"Sure," She answered and took a seat. "I couldn't help, but notice when you passed me outside. You seemed a...little down. I hope you don't mind that I followed you, I could use some company as well." She gave him a light smile.

[Sene Unty]

"You followed me?" Sene smiles, "Jeez I must have been in deep thought because I didn't sense you at all."

He laughs lightly.

"And no I don't mind. Kinda hoping for some company right before you came in."

Sene takes a look at his glass. The liquid shimers in the soft light around the bar. Galaxies within galaxies.

"So your a Jedi huh? How do you like it so far?"

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na received her drink and eyed it for a moment before she picked it up. "I like it, though my master has been away for a while and that's been kinda tough. But, I keep myself busy with exercise and my own study in the Archives." She took a sip, it burned going down, but she didnt' falter she welcomed it.

"How about yourself, do you like training?"

[Sene Unty]

"Training?" He chuckles more to himself than anyone else.

"No miss. I don't train anymore. I train others. Or at least I did. Once."

He isn't making sense.

'What I mean to say is that I'm Jedi Knight. I don't train anymore."

He takes a deep breath before continuing, "Funny that you wouldn't know that. Can't expect you to since I'm never really around."

He drifts off, the half empty glass taking away all his focus. Silence. After a few seconds he gives a startled jump and looks back at the girl.

"I'm sorry. I'm probably horrible company right now."

[Quay'Na Rakai]

She winced slightly. "I'm so sorry, I had no idea that you were a Knight." She tried to nod a more formal greeting, through her embarrassment. But, it was rather sad, so instead she held out her hand.

"Quay'Na Rakai...Padawan learner and no you're not horrible company."

[Sene Unty]

Sene gives a laugh.

"Don't worry about it Quay'Na." He says as he grips her hand, "Wasn't your fault."

"Name's Sene by the way. Sene Unty."

He lets go of her hand but doesn't lose the smile, "So anyway; who's your master?"

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na relaxed again. "It's nice to meet you, Sene. Sage Hazzard is my master, though he's on a leave of absence and I'm not sure when he's coming back."

[Sene Unty]

Sene nods his head, "Sage huh? Yeah I've heard of him. Jedi Master and all. That's great."

"Do you mind if I ask you a question? It's kinda of a heavy one but I'm interested in knowing what your answer is."

[Quay'Na Rakai]

She smiled as she looked at him. "Sure, ask away." She took another drink.

[Sene Unty]

He takes a small breath, "Why?"

She looks at him questioningly.

"What I mean to say is: Why do we do what we do? The Jedi I mean. Truth, Justice, and all that other stuff. What's the point?"

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na sat back for a moment, pondering on his question. No one had ever really asked her that before.

"I do it, because it calls to me. It refreshes my soul and my entire outlook on life. I've known I was different ever since I was a child and yearned to know why, now being a member of the Order. It has changed me."

"And the point I guess, is that if I can change just one thing or save just one life, animal or whatever...that makes a difference in my life. Makes life worth living, at least for me, now." She looked at him. "I don't know if that was the answer you were looking for but about three months ago...I couldn't have said that, by a long shot."

[Sene Unty]

"Perfect Jedi response." Sene leans back in his seat and stares at her.

"But do you feel it? Does it burn inside you, this desire to help...to save?" Sene looks at the ground and sighs.

"I don't mean to jump on you like this. Please understand that wasn't my intention its just that..." He opens his mouth to say more then shuts it. Another sigh and then he swipes a hand through his hair.

So much time wasted. The glass looked more empty than it had before. This glass was always half empty.

[Quay'Na Rakai]

"I feel that it is a desire within me to help whenever possible, even more now than ever. You see...a few months ago, I didn't see things this way, you could say I got lost. I had done things that weren't the Jedi way. And in the end...I tried to commit suicide." She wouldn't have normally told anyone this, but Sene seemed so down.

"You see, I fell for a Darksider and I felt that I let everyone down, the Order, my master, my friends. I felt so alone that it tore me apart. But, the thing I didn't know was that I was still loved by friends, by the Order and they were there for me. They helped save my life, that was their desire. And now it is mine once again." She looked down at her glass and took another drink.

Quay'Na hoped she hadn't said too much.

[Sene Unty]

Sene smiles.

"So much pain Quay'Na. Too much pain in this galaxy."

She was opening herself up to him. It tugged at his heart. She was opening to him, maybe he should open to her...

"Suicide. Touchy subject Quay'Na. Very touchy."

Oh might as well....

"In a way, suicide is what brought me to the Order in the first place. After both my father and mother killed themselves I really had no where to turn but the Order."

Sene nods, "And for a while they were a family. In many ways they still are. Just a distant one."

Sene stares into her eyes, "I don't know anyone anymore Quay'Na, but maybe that's my fault. Maybe I don't try hard enough to reach out to those that exist. Maybe I hold onto ghosts for too long."

[Quay'Na Rakai]

"Getting to know people can be a very difficult thing to do sometimes, Sene. It's like walking in the dark and not knowing your terrain. There are bumps and hollows and sometimes you'll tumble, but only if you'll take the chance. And as I see it, you've just taken your first step." Quay'Na told him gently with a warm smile.

[Sene Unty]

Sene lets himself smile, but only on the outside. Inside the sense of isolation grows deeper; a swelling pit of ambiguity.

He was alone in this world.

He could say hi to those that surrounded him, but he would never be remembered. He was a ghost.

If that is how it must be then.....I will accept my fate.

"Thank you Quay'Na for those kind words." He looks into her eyes, "One day you will make a grand Jedi Master."

As he stands Sene glances down at the glass and for a split second the smile he once wore disappears. Since his arrival he had silently hoped that maybe the glass would look different when he left. Maybe it would look half full...

"Maybe I'll see you around the temple.", he mumbles.

It wasn't though....the glass was always half empty.

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na could 'feel' the sadness rippling off of him in waves. She knew first hand how it felt to be alone and yet at this moment she didn't know what else to tell him.

She sighed as he looked at his glass for a few silent moments, how she wished she could hear his silent pleas, but telepathy beyond the animal kingdom had been yet impossible for her.

"Maybe I'll see you around the temple," he mumbled.

No, she couldn't let him just walk off without knowing that someone cared.

"Master Sene," She said as she quickly slid off the bar stool. "Would you be willing to make a pact with me?"

[Sene Unty]

Sene turns when he hears her call him Master. It has been such a long time since he had a padawan, "A pact?"

He laughed despite himself, "Okay Quay'Na. Lay it on me."

[Quay'Na Rakai]

"Well, I think some things happen for a reason and I believe that our meeting here, just happens to be one of them." She bit her lip and looked at him.

"My pact is that we don't let this meeting be the last. That we talk more often and I don't mean just saying 'hi' in the corridor. I mean, taking the time to just sit and talk, I really enjoy your company. Would you be willing to make a pact with me on that?"

She gave him a playful grin, she knew it probably sounded kinda silly, but she had returned that smile to his kind face and had even gotten him to laugh.

[Sene Unty]

Sene starts to shake his head no, but her expression tells him not to.

But I hate making promises.

No. He needs to try.

"Your a difficult person to walk away from you know that don't you."

He sighs again, then he nods, "Fine. We'll do this your way."

He doesn't let her say anything as he continues, "But first you got to join me now."

He is talking without thinking.

"I wanna go out and do something."

He smiles. "I want to make a difference. You know; save some people."

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na's smile grew wider as she saw the change in him. "Excellent, we can do that. I'm sure there's people out there who need saving. Let's go."

This time it was her turn to do something without thinking as she held her arm out to him.

[Sene Unty]

Sene reaches for her arm and smiles. Then he winks. Then he runs, the force aiding him move in a blur towards the nearest skyscraper. At first Quay'na is caught of guard, but soon she finds her footing allowing her to keep pace with the Jedi Knight. Its easy, allowing the force to flow through your legs giving you an extra burst of speed.

Silently he wonders what she feels.

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na had never had this kind of connection with anyone. This was so different...it was stimulating.

The wind rushed through her hair as she ran beside Sene, her heart pulsing and her mind charging. She felt carefee with him, it was quite a unique feeling. A feeling, she very well liked.

They didn't stop until they reached the doors of the skyscraper.

It took her a minute to catch her breath. "Whew, I haven't done that in a while." She smiled and looked at him, with a sparkle in her eye. "Now, where would you like to go?"

[Sene Unty]

Sene can't stop smiling.

"Where?" He chuckles, "Up."

As the words escape his lips he's running again, this time not waiting for her to follow as he enters the building and begins to ascend by the stairs.

Up and up he climbs. Higher. Faster. Sometimes he forgets he's only eighteen.

Last door now and he's bursting through it and out onto to the top of the building. Ahead, the sky is bright with the twinkling of lights that go as far as the eye can see. Above the galaxy is alive.

He takes in a deep breath.

Unbelievable.

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na took off after him, through the doors and up the stairs. It was exilerating as her speed quickened, she was laughing by the time she had reached the top and burst through the doors behind him.

The sight of the city was breathtaking as Quay'Na calmed down her breathing and fast beating heart.

The young nineteen-year-old, found her place at his side as she looked out the beauty of the city.

"I've not had this much fun in a while, Sene." She told him, once her breathing was back to normal. "The view is breathtaking...to say the least."

[Sene Unty]

Sene closes his eyes and faces the sky taking in big gulps of fresh night air. Around, above and below him the hum of traffic moves. Inside he finds a peace.

"When I was a little boy I never wanted to be any where but here."

He smiles, "I have always loved Coruscant. It is my home. Has always been my home. The city gives me life."

He turns to her. She is slightly disheveled from the run. Small strands of rebellious hair cover her face.

He can only imagine what he must look like. HE looks down at the ground.

"So Quay'Na where do you come from?"

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na pushes the hair away from her face, the breeze blew strands here and there. She reaches up without thinking and brushes a lock of dark hair from his eyes, then abruptly takes her hand back.

"Sorry." She blushed and smiled kindly as she leaned against the cement railing. "I'm from Corellia...and will probably never be able to go back there...being Sith ruled now."

[Sene Unty]

Sene runs a hand through his hair. Her hand had grazed his face. It felt good.

"Corellian? Been to Corellia once and ran into those same Sith. Kinda left a lasting impression."

He shook his head at the memory, "Almost died there."

"But enough of that somber stuff right?" He stands straight and looks down at her, "We got to get to saving and from here it should be easy to sense any distress."

He closes his eyes and allows the force to spread over him. Waves of pleasure roll against him. From the force. From the woman next to him...

"There." He open's his eyes. "Alleyway. Two blocks. Robbery."

He grabs her hand, gives her his sweetest grin and then: "Go"

They are on the move again.

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Once again the adrenaline rush begins, but this time it's slightly different, they have a duty to do.

Quay'Na felt the strength within the Force flow from her as the two of them descended the zillion flight of stairs they had run up not too long ago. It was much easier going down.

Once they reached the bottom, out the front doors they went, all the while people staring at them like they were both insane.

Neither of them stopping they reached the alleyway the trouble was coming from, Quay'Na's sabre already in her hand, but not lit.

[Sene Unty]

Sene's face becomes steel as he removes his saber from his belt. With his right hand he pulls his hood over his head instructing Quay'Na to do so as well.

Darkness fills the alley. Four voices can be heard deep inside. If darkness could be heard it would sound like scratching. This darkness had a feel to it. It felt like terror.

"Please you have my money..."

Sobbing from a woman's voice. A soft gutteral chuckle. A glass breaks, but Sene can't see anything. A gurgle as a hand goes to a throat.

*Snap-hiss*

The alley is brought into focus; a nightmare brought into the light. A woman, her tears still wet on her face, kneeling in front of a group of men. Startled. They never expect that I'm near...

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na steps up beside Sene, her face expressionless as she takes in the scene. She knows that a robbery isn't the only thing on these men's minds and the thought sickens her.

*Snap-hiss* Her tourquois blade appears as she gets herself in a ready stance.

"I suggest you back away." She tells the men, her voice as hard a nails.

They don't move.

Quay'Na takes a step closer...

[Sene Unty]

Sene would smile at her strength if he wasn't so sickened by what he was seeing in the red light of his saber.

"Suggestion." Sene holds the blade at his side, "Listen to the woman and back up."

Sene opens the floodgates to the force, "Now."

The men pause. This was unexpected. Jedi. They should be running but a mixture of pride and fear holds them to the ground.

Sene shakes his head, "Too late." The movement of his hand is slight, but really unnecessary. He only likes the gesture because it reminds him he is human as opposed to a near-god.

While the movement of hand is slight, the force is not. The man is instantly picked up by it and flung down the alleyway, his limps rippling in different directions has if he were just hit by a great gust of wind. He comes down hard and loud a few yards away. Sene would care to now if he had broken anything but he isn't given a chance to check. The other men are rushing the Jedi...

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na draws on the Force. Then leaps high into the air, does a double somersault and with a plummeting force lands on one of the men, crashing him to the ground with a loud 'thud.'

The wind is knocked from him, but he struggles and the gleam of a silver blade is seen as he swipes it at Quay'Na's face.

With lightning speed, she's off him for a split second and back on her feet. With a swift kick to his wrist the blade goes flying from his grip.

But, suddenly another goon is behind her, she can feel his presence and drops to the ground as he swings a rusty pipe in her direction.

Once on the ground, she rolls and swings her legs under his, bringing him to the ground.

[Sene Unty]

The last guy was running straight for Sene, his face contorting in rage as his hands sprung out to grip the Jedi by the neck. The man was large, easily outweighing Sene by 200 pounds. Sene smiles despite the stiuation and allows the man to grasp his throat. The man's momentum brings Sene's back crashing against the far wall. Sene feels a snap of pain but he lets the force handle it.

"Enough." He whispers into the man's face. The man gives a grunt as a reply. Sene laughs while he positions his feet to push himself away from the wall. He somersaults out of the man's grip landing on his feet behind him. The wall of flesh tries to turn, but Sene swiftly kicks at the back of the man's kneecap. He comes crashing down with a thud.

Sene pauses to hear the man scream before he delivers a quick blow to the side of his head sending the man unconcious to the ground.

[Quay'Na Rakai]

The guy with the pipe hit the ground, but not before he swung again and this time making contact with Quay'Na's leg.

The young Padawan yelped and rolled backwards. She was up in a second, limping a little but back on her feet.

The first guy she had taken down grabbed her from behind. He was easily flipped over her back into the other guy, toppling them both again.

They tried to gain some footing and move, but not before a tourquios blade was in their face.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, or you'll end up like your friends." She said coldly.

[Sene Unty]

Sene's face darkens as he sees Quay'Na get hit with the pipe. He stands next to her, "You alright?"

She nods. Sene looks down at the men on the floor and frowns.

"You move, you die. I have no patience for you."

The men don't answer and Sene doesn't wait for them too. Instead he walks over to the woman kneeling on the ground and helps her to her feet. Her head is bowed as her body quivers at my touch.

"Can you walk?"

The woman nods.

"Across the street there is a resturant. The man inside will let you use the holo to call the police."

The woman nods and moves. Sene sighs and looks back at Quay'Na...

-DANGER-

A blaster aimed at his companion's head from the man at the far end of the alley. Apparently the force throw hadn't knocked him out....

"Quay'Na!" He screams. "Duck."

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na hits the ground, just in time as the blaster bolt shoots throught the air, it would've killed her.

In her attempt to escape the bolt, the men were back up and coming at them again, only this time the one that was in the darkness behind them, still had his blaster.

"This is getting old!" Quay'Na grumbled as she quickly got to her feet as the two guys charged her.

With a sigh, she felt she had no other choice, with a quick leap in the air, she flipped over them and barely touched the bigger one in the shoulder with her blade, singing him rather badly, he hit the wall with a shriek.

But, it didn't stop the other one.

[Sene Unty]

Sene watchs Quay'Na flip over the men and bring one down. The other doesn't catch a clue and keeps coming. Sene frowns and does what he has to. He feels the force and throws his blade. It tumbles end over end until it collides with the man's leg, severing it at the thigh. He screams and goes down.

With an outstreched hand he brings the activated blade back into his hand just in time to deflect a few shots from the last man's blaster.

"Fool."

He slowly wals toward the man deflecting each shot away fom his body. The man's face goes from glee, to shock to fear as Sene inches closer.

In his mind Sene is locked into the force, not feeling the heat from the blasts or his saber. He is simply feeling. The force is his ally and he is strong because of it.

A foot away Sene drops to the ground and extends his blade into the mans foot. Scream and thud. The blaster is removed from his hand with the force as he turns to Quay'Na.

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na blows out a deep breath as she hears sirens from the Watch closing in.

"We make a good team," she tells Sene as she walks over to him, limping a bit. '"Stupid choices they make."

She looks at the groaning and injured guys laying about. "They should know not to mess with Jedi."

[Sene Unty]

"You would think so huh?"

Sene can't hold back a smile, "Come on lets get out of here."

He turns to the thugs, "Anyway guys. This is it. End of the line. Try and keep yourselves out of trouble next time."

And then he is gone, with Quay'Na following. The night is far from over.

A few blocks later Sene stops running. He stands in front of a small three story building. He sighs and turns to Quay'Na.

"This was my home before I came to the Jedi."

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na looks around. "Really? Wow." She sighs wishing her home was just as near, but it wasn't...

"So, this was your stomping grounds, quite a bit different than my own, I lived by a woods."

[Sene Unty]

"Well it was my home for about three month's."

She looks at him, "After my parents died I was sent here to live with my grandmother. She was a nice woman. She died a few weeks after I ran away."

"Before then though I lived in the lap of luxury. I was a bankers son and was quite rich."

Sene put his hands on his hips casually, "But I was never really happy. Didn't need all of that really."

Sene looks at her and laughs, "I'm sorry Quay'Na. I'm rambling and not paying attention to my manners."

He turns to her completly, "You lived by a woods?"

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na nodded. "Yes, my parents had a very nice place just beyond a woods. They are both flight instructors at the Naval Academy, so I had pretty much whatever I wanted too. But, it was that woods that gave me the most enjoyment over everything. That's where I began to bond with nature and where I learned to be able to communicate with animals." SHe looked away for a few moments. Quay'Na wasn't exactly sure how he would take that.

[Sene Unty]

"Nature huh?" Sene shakes his head playfully, "Nah. I'm the big city type all the way."

"You won't really find anything like that here on Coruscant...."

Sene pauses, "I got a question for you Quay'Na."

He thinks for a second, "How would you like to go right now back to that house?"

[Quay'Na Rakai]

"My home?" Was that what he was asking her? Back to Corellia? She just looked at him, rather baffled.

[Sene Unty]

"Yeah. Back to Corellia."

Sene gives a crazy grin, "Why not?"

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Her mind strays with the thought. "I just ....never thought about it. I'd love to see my dad and my mom is gone for the time being on some sabatical. So..."

Quay'Na looked at him again, this time with a grin. "Yes, I'd love to go back, just to see everything and to walk in that woods again."

She could hardly believe that he had offered this to her. "Though, returning could be somewhat dangerous."

[Sene Unty]

Sene raises his eyebrow, "Danger?"

He scoffs, "A Jedi has no need for danger!"

He leans in close, "I don't even think Jedi know that word."

He leans back and gives her a hard look, "But in all seriousness you have to be sure. I don't want you to do something unless you really want to."

"As for traveling, I can book a private transport in an hour and have us in space by midnight."

He gives her a sparkling grin, "Sometimes it pays to be a bankers son."

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na laughed. "I accept your offer, it sounds wonderful. I would do anything to go back there just for a few moments even. I've really missed it and as long as my mom...or Jescenia, as I call her isn't there will make the trip all the better. Where we're going is noithing like this, Sene." Her eyes sparkled with excitement.

[Sene Unty]

"Well then preperations should be made immediatly..."

He leans back and points at his clothes, "But first I think we should get back to the Temple and get packed....after all, as nice as these robes are, I couldn't imagine wearing them indefinently."

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na nodded. "Yes, I guess I've got some packing to do. I can't beiieve we're doing this. I can't thank you enough, Sene." She told him. It had turned out to be quite an unbelievable night and it wasn't over yet.