Wake me...I'm sleeping...(Sene)

[Quay'Na Rakai]

It had been an extremely tiring day and Quay'Na needed to really catch up on some more reading of animal biology, she had so many texts and data that she had found, it was unbelievable. It was in her personal study time that she wanted to learn all she could on any type of animal known.

Her table was strewn with texts, a datapad, data sheets and a cup of expresso. But, it didn't help much, it only took one second of closing her eyes and she was dozing.

[Sene Unty]

Sene smiles as he enters the B&G and spots Quay'Na. Sleeping. He shakes his head as he approaches her quietly.

Must be really tired because I can't imagine anyone falling asleep with all this noise.

He looks at the table and everything makes sense.

What a bookworm!

Silently, still not trying to wake her he leans in close to her ear and whispers, "You should really be careful where you fall asleep."

[Quay'Na Rakai]

"What?!" She asks as she jumps about a mile in her seat. Shaking her head, she blinks and sees Sene standing there with a rather amusing grin on his face.

She smiled. "You scared me. Want to have a seat?" Quay'Na offered as she began moving some of her mess around.

[Sene Unty]

"Are you sure there's room?" ,he says have joking. "What is all this stuff?"

[Quay'Na Rakai]

"Animal biology and anatomy, you name it, I've got it." She smiled as she cleared off a spot for him. "There ya go. I even gave you some elbow room."

[Sene Unty]

"But where am I gonna put my drinks?" He laughed to himself, "Kidding."

"Animal Biology? Anatomy?" Sene raised an eyebrow, "What for?"

[Quay'Na Rakai]

"For animal healing, it's one of my specialities. I'm a symbiant with nature meaning basically I can communicate, heal and 'feel' an animals instincts and emotions." She shrugged. "Learn something new everyday, don't we?"

[Sene Unty]

"Yes. Yes we do." Sene gives her a look as if to say his answer was to more than just the animal biology.

"Anyway." He leans back, "I just came in here for a drink. If you want to get back to studying than I can go...."

[Quay'Na Rakai]

"No, this studying can wait. I was just kinda bored, but since you're here. I may have a drink too." She wrinkled her nose at the now cold expresso. "Perhaps, something new. What are you having?"

[Sene Unty]

"Ehh...Corellian Whiskey." Sene smiles, "After all that's where we're going right."

She throws him back a smile.

Sene's face becomes serious for a second, "I know I promised that we would leave immediatly, but it's been harder then expected."

"But now I got the kinks all out and I'll get the ship tommorrow. Found this little place near the Temple that's run by this Rodian that has good ships at good prices."

"We should be out of here by tommorrow...latest."

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na's eye brightened. "That sounds great, I can't wait. I really can't thank you enough for this." She looked away for a moment.

She looked back at him with a gentle smile. "No one has ever done something like this for me. There is so much that I want to share there with you."

[Sene Unty]

"Well there is so much I want you to show me." Sene points down at the papers, "Like this. I would love to feel this connection to nature like you do."

"Like you said, we all learn something everyday. That's what I want. I want to learn everything and anything from you."

Sene grins, "But first lets get a drink."

He calls over a waiter and makes his order quickly. Silently he waits for her to make hers.

[Quay'Na Rakai]

"I'll have a Corelliian Skyblaster." Quay'Na ordered as she moved a few more books and put them in her bookbag.

The waiter quickly leaves to get their drink orders.

"I'd be glad to share anything that I know with you." Quay'Na smiled dreamily. He was so easy to talk too, it was...unbelievable.

[Sene Unty]

Sene smiles at her sigh. She was filling with life again. She cared when no one else did.

"So this is your like regular hang out huh?" Sene looks around, "Where are all your friends..because...lets face it..."

He covers once side of his mouth with his hand, "...a beautiful girl like you has got to have a ton of friends."

Sene leaned in and smiled, "I gotta meet them."

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na blushed and nodded. "Yes, I have plenty of friends and I'd be glad for you to meet them, Sene. We can arrange it whenever you'd like. So, how have you been?"

[Sene Unty]

"Me?" Sene looks at the ceiling, "Really, really good. Since our talk the other night I've been kinda given a new prespective."

He points at her, "Which I just have to thank you for."

Then his face grows serious, "How about you?"

[Quay'Na Rakai]

"I'm happier now than I've been in a very long time and that's because of you, so we're even." She felt very forward telling him this, but she just couldn't help it.

"I can't believe how well we've clicked. It's like...amazing. How do you feel about what's happening here..." She stopped and blushed as she looked away. "Maybe I shouldn't have said that..."

[Sene Unty]

Sene shakes his head softly, "No. There's no reason you shouldn't. Your right. There has been a connection. A strong one too."

He reaches for her hand and holds it. So soft, "Listen, I like where this is going. Let's not jinx it. Let's just let it happen...naturally."

He shoots her another smile, "But before we do I gotta ask, What do you think about it?"

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na looked into his warm brown eyes, his touch sent waves of energy through her. In a serious voice she told him. " I think, we have something very special going here and I don't want to jinx it either. I've never felt so connected with anyone and I hope we can remain this way for a very long time."

The waiter came back with their drinks and placed them on the table. "Would you like to order any appetizers or food?"

Quay'Na looked at Sene. "Are you hungry?"

[Sene Unty]

"Nah. Not really hungry." He looks at the waiter giving him a silent message to move on. His hand remains attached to hers. He allows his eyes to drift back to hers. So beautiful. He was so lucky she had found him that bar. He was so grateful.

"Tell me Quay'Na everything. I want to know it all. Your entire life."

[Quay'Na Rakai]

She could feel his sencerity from him, hear it in his voice. "Ok," she began. "First thing I think I should warn you about is, I have an identical twin sister named Yasmin Le'Kray. She has short brown hair so don't let her fool you. She likes to do that to people and got me into an awful lot of trouble a while back."

[Sene Unty]

"Don't worry..." He shakes his head. There was no way her sister could fool him. He had gotten to know her too well recently. The force signature she left would be entirely unique to her and he would sense if it were there or not.

He motioned for her to continue.

[Quay'Na Rakai]

"I lived on Corellia until I was fourteen and we had an inident at a village carnival, wth some animals and that was when my Uncle told my parents that he knew I was Force-sensitive. Of course, they wanted to prove him wrong and let him contact the Temple. It ended up that they were wrong and a Jedi Master by the name of Ira Valko came and tested me and found out that I was indeed Force-sensitive and took me on as her Padawan." A sadness came over Quay'Na, a heartfelt one for a brief moment.

[Sene Unty]

Sene frowns at her sadness, "But I would think that would be a happy moment for you Quay'Na. I mean getting a master and all."

[Quay'Na Rakai]

"Jescenia, my adopted mother disowned me after that, she told me that if I went I might as well keep going. She wanted me to go to the Naval Academy when I was sixteen and become the next Rakai fighter pilot." Quay'Na shrugged. "That just wasn't who I was, I wanted to spend all my time in that woods around animals. I had wanted to open wildlife game reserves to protect them and take care of them. Crazy, huh?"

[Sene Unty]

Sene nods.

"I had a similar problem with my father. He didn't want me to go through training and unfortunently he succeeded in stoping me when he was alive." Sene sighed, "After he died it made sense to go so I did."

He shakes his head, "But there I go again and I'm rambling. Go on please."

[Quay'Na Rakai]

"Well, after that I studied with Ira, we were at the Temple for all of about three days and off she whisked me from system to system to study my talent in communicationg with animals. Besides, training me in all aspects of becoming a Jedi. Then, about six months ago, we were on Naboo and ran into some poachers and tracked them to Kabal, had them arrested and was going to continue back to Naboo." She stopped for a moment and took a drink. "But, the poachers had friends and they planted a bomb in our ship and...we crashed back on the planet. The impact broke Ira's restraint and she died not long after." It was easier to say for once. It had happened a long time ago. "I blamed myself on that for a while, I was at the controls. But, now I know that it wasn't my fault. I had done my best for what had happened and it's done now. After I finally got back here I was assigned to Sage."

"I seems like so long ago. So, much has happened since then."

[Sene Unty]

Sene nods as if agreeing with her last statement.

"When you hit a certain point in your live everything begins to move at hyperspeed. You look back and even things that happened yesterday seem like forever ago."

He sighs, "I wish sometimes I could just stop time." Then he smiles, "Escpecially now..."

[Quay'Na Rakai]

"Me too." She answered while gazing into his eyes and giving his hand a gentle squeeze. Things couldn't be better and she wondered what would lie ahead of them in the future. Time would tell.

[Sene Unty]

He smiles at the pressure on his hand and then looks back up at her. She has such beautiful eyes...

"So then Sage took you as his Padawan. What happened next? When we first met you mentioned a Sith or something?"

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na sighed. "Biggest mistake of my life. It wasn't long after I arrived...I met Vega VanDerveld. His charm caught me and he swept me off my feet. Stupid me."

She took a drink. "I had no idea that he was a darksider. All I could feel was that Lupine in him and he used that to gain my trust. I feel so foolish, in all the years of my training, I had never been around men because Master Ira had me out in the field the entire time.

I fell for him and all he was doing was using me to get me to turn to the Darkside. It wasn't until after he was killed that I learned he was a Darksider and...that he was married...."

She sighed heavily and looked down at the table, feeling a wave of shame come over her.

[Sene Unty]

Sene breaths slightly, then stands up and sits next to her. He puts one arm around her and brings her body to his chest. He gives her a small kiss on her head. It is a bold move, maybe too bold, but he suddenly felt it was necessary. He has to comfort her...somehow.

"No shame. Never. The darkside is strong. Always has been. No shame Quay'Na."

He wants to hug her until all the pain leaves....

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na feels so secure in his arms, it was a feeling that she had needed and wanted. She holds onto him, never wanting to let go. She hears his voice tell her so many things, things she needed to hear.

"Thank you for understanding, Sene..." She feels tears well up in her eyes, but doesn't move.

[Sene Unty]

Damn her hair smells nice.

Her body is light in his arms as she talks to him. He grins and answers, "It's not about understanding. It's about feeling the same thing."

He tilts her face up to him. Her eyes are slightly teary. The water sparkles in the light of the bar.

And what a smile....

Then he does the unthinkable and leans in slowly. There lips touch...

[Quay'Na Rakai]

The Padawan's heart is taken when his lips touch hers, so gentle he is...so caring....so loving. And she responded with the same gentleness...

Quay'Na feels as if she were in a dream and Sene is her Knight in shining armor...he is.

As their lips part, she gazes into his eyes, those gorgous brown eyes of his and gives him a gentle smile. She swallowed hard and hadn't wanted him to stop.

She almost whispers. "Would it be too presumptuous to say that...I hold deep feelings for you?" She took the chance.

[Sanis Prent]

"Krasst, its like watching one of those old, sappy holos."

I walked up to the table, looking at the love-smitten pair.

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Caught off guard by the new guy, she sighs and looks at Sene. "Friend of yours?" She's never seen the guy at all, but then she'd hardly take notice to anyone with Sene around.

[Sene Unty]

Sene begins to talk but the newcomer cuts him off with his presence.

"He's no friend of mine.", he whispers to Quay'Na while he stares up at the man.

"May I help you sir?"

[Sanis Prent]

"Eh..."

I gestured to the guy, as if to tell him to hold on for a second. I looked to the red head.

"You Quay'N...something-or-other... Rakai?"

Damn, that name was like wrapping my tongue around a prickle fruit. Figures I'd flub the delivery. I reached into my pocket, grabbing a stim and wedging it into the corner of my mouth, lighting it.

Oops, forgot to ask...

"Mind if I smoke?"

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na sits up a little and looks at him strangely. "Yes, I'm Quay'Na and no I don't mind. What can I do for you, Sir?"

[Sanis Prent]

"Thanks."

I puffed away without regret, taking a seat across from the pair.

"Well, I'm sure this is going to sound a little weird and all, but I'm here to kill you."

I allowed a small, sheepish smile. Definitely an awkward moment here!

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na stiffened, "What?! Why?!" She was glad she was sitting down and very glad that Sene was right beside her.

[Sanis Prent]

I shrugged. Typical drama. Nobody seemed to face their doom in that quintessential mythological fashion anymore. Maybe I was just jaded on holomovies, I guess.

"Hell if I know. I'm just in it for the money, lady. I really don't ask the big questions. Its not good for business."

Flicking the ash off my smoke, I continued.

"Its not the worst thing that can happen. At least you've got advance warning."

[Sene Unty]

Sene isn't laughing anymore.

When the man had first made his appearance, Sene had taken him for a sad drunk with nothing better to do. He had wanted to humor him. Then he had to open his mouth...


"Well, I'm sure this is going to sound a little weird and all, but I'm here to kill you."

Sene smiles despite his lack of humor. It would be frelling hilarious if he didn't seem so serious...

"Business?"

Sene shook his head while he brought Quay'Na's body closer to him, "And who exactly might you be oh great deathdealer?"

[Sanis Prent]

"Sanis Prent, bounty hunter, smuggler, intergalactic man of mystery, and yours if the price is right."

I smile, move to shake the man's hand, and pause. Sometimes, these aren't the best social encounters.

"Eh. Forgive me if I don't shake hands, I guess. Its natural for marks to be a bit irrational once the jig is up & all."

[Quay'Na Rakai]

So much for our nice quiet moment... Quay'Na thought as she carefully watched Sanis...the man of mystery. Only mystery she wanted to know was, who wanted her killed?

Well, she wasn't going to die tonight....or any other for that matter.

[Sanis Prent]

"Relax, not in here."

I opened my jacket, to show that I was unarmed.

"I know my limitations, and I'm not about to go past them. You're fine for now. Tomorrow at noon, meet me at the Coco district skytram station. Its open and fair game."

I paused, and then regrouped.

"Oh, and just you. Also, don't try to be clever and not show up. That really wastes alot of time, effort, and makes us both irritable, and I'll just end up killing you anyways, but on unannounced terms. Its a pretty fair deal."

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na looks at Sene and shakes her head. This guy is insane...

She gives Sanis an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, I'm all booked for tomorrow, perhaps in about two weeks? Surely, you can wait that long. I'm sure you've got other people to go after until then."

[Sanis Prent]

"Cute."

I smiled thinly. Obviously we weren't on the same wavelength here.

"It's either tomorrow at noon, or completely unannounced, and on less than equal footing. I'm not above a suprise bushwhacking, if thats what needs to be done."

[Sene Unty]

Sene leans across the table, putting his body in between him and Quay'Na. He gives him a glaring look. Then he smiles despite himself.

"One second here Mr. Prent."

He shakes his head, "Now this is seriously ridiculous. You seem like a reasonable man."

He points a finger at Sanis and then points back at himself, "Lets reason together."

"Now if I heard correctly you want to kill this young lady....tommorrow was it? Tommorrow. Now that's just silly."

"Ridiculous."

"How do you possibly expect to do it?"

[Sanis Prent]

"That's like asking a magician how he does all of his tricks."

I arched an eyebrow, leaning back in my seat as I exhaled smoke.

"C'mon, give me some credit here."

[Sene Unty]

"But your not a magician. You are a killer."

He shakes his head, "This is getting tiresome Mr. Prent. I'm tired of it."

"Who hired you?" Sene drops the smile but doesn't allow his muscles to strain. He is completly serene as he stares at the man.

[Sanis Prent]

"Oh don't be so melodramatic. I'm a Bounty Hunter. Hell, if you want to get technical, Jedi kill on occasion too, except they're in it for some greater good, and I'm in it for a paycheck."

I shrugged, snuffed out my stim, and stood.

"Don't waste your time asking. Confidentiality agreements work with hunters, same as anybody else.

Relax. Enjoy your night, and above all, forget about whatever heroic delusions you're contemplating. I run a tight ship, and that's only going to make it messy on your part."

I glanced over to Quay.

"See you tomorrow at noon, scout."

[Sene Unty]

"One second Mr. Prent."

Sene stands up and holds out his hand, "Apparently I have approached this situation all wrong. You caught me off guard and I reacted in haste."

"I didn't realize what it was you were really after."

Sene raised his chin and eyebrow as he stared at him, "How much can I offer you?"

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na stared at him, Sene was offering to pay him to get him off her back. She was shocked speechless.

[Sanis Prent]

I shook my head.

"Sorry, that's good in the short run, but bad for business."

[Sene Unty]

Sene looks down at the table and breaths out sharply. He gives himself a second before looking back up at the man, "So there is no way to do this peacefully?"

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na watches silently and wonders if she should not just meet this guy on his terms, she's pretty good in a fight.

But, Sene is a Jedi Knight and she is just a Padawan, so not only does she listen carefully to his words, she watches his actions as well.

To speak now, would only be disrespectful to him as a Knight and she would never allow that. Even in front of this shady bounty hunter.

Quay'Na merely sighs and crosses her arms across her chest and waits for Sanis' reply. Things are very tense at the moment.

[Sanis Prent]

"Guess not. I mean, she could off herself in dramatic fashion, but that wouldn't do anybody any good. She'd be dead, and I wouldn't be paid."

I shrugged sympathetically.

"Sorry. Them's the breaks."

[Sene Unty]

"And what makes you think that I won't come with her?"

Sene looks around the room, "What makes you think that I won't bring ten more Jedi to help me beat you?"

[Sanis Prent]

"Ah."

I smiled thinly. The inevitable hollow threat. It all had a cycle. Not that I cared.

"In that case, all bets are off, and I no longer play fair. These are the best odds in the house. Take it or leave it."

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na had had it with this man and before she realized what she was doing, she was up and in his face. "Fine! You want me there, I'll be there! Just get out of here and leave us alone!" Her voice was filled with strength, strength that she never knew she had. Quay'Na didn't falter at his stare, she merely kept her eyes on his with a glare that couldn't stopped a bantha dead in its tracks.

[Sanis Prent]

My smile broadened.

"See, thats all I wanted. Just a little cooperation here. Pleasure doing business with you."

I turned and left the bar, waving over my shoulder casually as I did so.

"See you tomorrow."

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na didn't do anything for a couple of moments, but watched him go and then slumped into the booth. She suddenly had a headache and felt the urge to cry, but she held it in.

The Padawan finally got the strength to look at the disbelieving eyes of Sene. "Woud you do me a favor if I asked?" She stood and looked deeper at him. "Hold me." Her body was trembling and she felt like she was being sucked into a chasm.

[Sene Unty]

Sene closes his eyes and breathes deep.

Well that didn't go well.

He looks down at Quay'Na and puts a hand on her shoulder. He sighs before reaching down and pulling her into his arms.

"It's okay...", he whispered. "It will all be okay."

[Quay'Na Rakai]

"You know, I don't have to go." She told him as she felt his arms around her. "I do have an alternative route I could take and we could be on that ship, just like we planned."

[Sene Unty]

Sene stares up at the door in which Sanis departed from. He shakes his head.

"I have no idea what to do. We could run but I don't know how far we'll get."

He looks down at her, "and I'm not big on running."

"But its up to you. What do you want to do?"

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na thought about it for a few moments. "Well, if we were to go tomorrow and defeat this guy, then whoever it is that hired him, will just hire someone else, wouldn't you think? And I don't like to run either, but right now we know who to watch out for and...and I've turned this thing into a complete mess."

The Padawan sighed heavily. "I wouldn't blame you if you just walked right out that door, Sene and didn't look back." He had every right too, she knew it.

The urge to cry was getting closer, but she tamped it back down again. She didn't want to lose Sene because she couldn't keep her mouth shut. "I'm sorry, Sene. My impatience gets the best of me at the worst times."

The Padawan never had a death threat placed on her like this and it was quite unnerving to say the least.

I am so stupid!! She thought with a deep sigh, the long months of being without a mentor were showing through more and more. What else could happen?

[Soolin Anjhurin]

:: Soolin glances at Sanis as he walks out the door and looks at the two he left at the table. Curiousity leads her to walk over and make an inquiry ::

"That man that just left here, what did he say to you?"

[Sene Unty]

Sene turns to the newcomer before he can say something to Quay. He shakes his head and looks back at his companion after the question.

"The man just upset us that's all." Sene tries to smile. "It's nothing really."

He shakes his head before turning back to her, "Who might you be?"

[Soolin Anjhurin]

"My name is Soolin Anjhurin. That man is Sanis Prent. Are you sure you don't want to tell me about it?"

[Sene Unty]

Sene stares at the woman for a second. He breathes deep before continuing, "So you know who he is huh?"

"Well Soolin if you want to know I can tell you..."

Sene sits next to Quay and motions for Soolin to sit opposite him.

"He came in and told us he had a contract on Quay's life."

[Soolin Anjhurin]

"I knew he was up to something."

:: Her eyes narrowed as she turned and started for the door ::

[Sene Unty]

Sene stands up abruptly, "Wait Soolin!"

He lets go of Quay and runs to the woman,"Where are you going?"

[Soolin Anjhurin]

:: she looks over her shoulder ::

"I'm going after him. He can't have gotten too far."

[Sene Unty]

Sene shook his head, "Who are you Soolin?"

"How do you know this Sanis Prent? Me and Quay have never heard of him and yet he threatens her life."

[Soolin Anjhurin]

:: She walks back over to the table and looks at Sene ::

"The jedi council needs to know about this, especially Navaria. Tell me everything he said to you."

[Sene Unty]

Sene blinks at the woman’s demand, "Um well."

He pauses, "He told us he had gotten a contract on her life, but he didn't tell us who is paying him. I didn't know what to say."

He looks down at Quay, "All I know is he wants us to meet him at twelve o'clock in the Coco district."

Sene chuckles at the ridiculousness of it, " He actually expects us to show up so he can kill her...."

[Soolin Anjhurin]

"I'll be sure to meet him then. You two go to Navaria."

:: then she turned, and exited the bar & grill ::

[Quay'Na Rakai]

Quay'Na had come up beside Sene as he explained what Sanis had said.

This was getting more and more complicated as it went. The woman basically ordered them to go to the council and talk to Navaria, whom at which she did know.

Quay'Na sighed and looked up at Sene as the woman left. "I guess, we'd better get going. I can't believe this, what a way to end the day."

She turned and went back to the table to gather the rest of her things and was ready momentarily. "Let's go." She gave him a weary smile.