An Old Acquaintance(Sasha and Je'gan and Open)

[Zatania Duvall]

The cold of space bit at her lips, gently pulling at her eyelashes as she slept soundly in the back of a shuttle. She had been so tired and just passed out, sprawled out on a small cot with only a pillow to spare. Her trip had been long and hard, and now she was back on another journey, so obviously it would be arduous and tiring. Thankfully there was someone else with her to pilot while she rested.

Alas her dreams were not left untainted, filled with nothing but heartache from the past and digust and disappointment. It only made her feel more tired as she opened her eyes from yet another nightmare. She lay there staring at the cieling for a good long time, feeling very alone again. Everyone she ever knew back then was long dead, and even if she cared about any of them, all she wanted was to control these thoughts of them. They were making her weak.

Hopefully things weren't as bleak as she thought they would be. If she didn't put these memories under control, she would never come to grasp her long awaited dream of destroying the tainted bloodline in which she had created without knowing. Nor would she be welcome in TSO, since these sudden jolts of events past caused her to become efficient as a warrior.

She sat up and slumped her shoulders forward, then back, and moved her neck about in order to get rid of a few kinks her strange sleeping position had left her with. Of course, some of these kinks were due to bruises from a struggle she had with her final enemy and her enemy's friend. On top of that she also had a few other streaks of bad luck.

When she stood up, she placed one palm against the wall and slowly brought herself to the front of the shuttle where Je'gan was.

OOC I'll PM the two of you details you'll need to know.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

To tell the absolute truth, Je'gan Olra'en had never flown a shuttle quite like this before. Oh, sure, he'd logged some hours on old decommissioned Lambdas, but this appeared to be a newer model...and as he hailed from the Outer Rim, that meant that it was entirely outside his experience. Still, he thought he was managing quite well.

He turned his head as Zatania entered the cockpit. "Did you-" The sleep well? was choked off as he belatedly saw that her rest had been anything but restful.

"-have any particular location on Tatooine in mind?" he continued almost unbroken. "Mos Espa, Mos Eisley?"

[Zatania Duvall]

"Did you-" He sounded like for a moment he lost track of his thoughts but continued on as if it were nothing. "-have any particular location on Tatooine in mind? Mos Espa? Mos Eisley?"

Zatania looked out beyond the little window ahead at the approaching planet. Not many pure souls were there, the harsh elements almost playing off onto how a lot of the people there acted.

"Mos Espa. I've had luck in the past with getting informants there. I just hope things haven't changed since then."

She sat down in the co-pilot's chair and intertwined her fingers together, resting both joined hands against her mouth in contemplation.

[SashaKovalev]

He really liked Balmorra at this time of year. And it was a good thing, because during this past month, he’d had a lot of free time. It might have, in the past, made him a bit anxious, made him restless and in needed of something to keep his thoughts occupied. This year it was welcome, this time off. Because this was the first of many years to come in which he had learned to accept the quiet – and to learn to make good use of it.

He’d spent much time writing. Writing and still studying the annals of history of Balmorra. This had been his newest obsession for some time now, and he could not be easily distracted from it.

Except on a day like today. Today was the sort of day that reminded him of his years on Corellia. The weather was similar. The quiet of the gardens in which he walked made him think of the gardens of the Sith Order, where once he had walked, where once he had befriended a dragon by the name of Shenraun. Where he had trained apprentices. One, in particular came to mind. He had not thought of her in quite some time.

Not because she had been forgotten, but because there had been much in between the time she had left the order in search of herself, in search of what she’d felt the need to pursue, that had served to keep his mind occupied.

He had supported her. He had worked with her, meeting her by random chance one evening, and later helping her in the Sith Order when she had chosen to join. And when she’d felt the need to leave for a while, he had been the first to go to Lady Vader seeking support for the woman’s travels. He had thought that perhaps he would be with the order long enough for her to return – but fate, he’d learned, played interesting tricks from time to time. And he had moved on.

Moved on to the Black Hand, and now simply studying under his Master and his Uncle on Balmorra. He had learned much in this time, but foremost of them all, was a bit of temperament, and patience. He was not so easy to anger as he had once been. He was much more patient.

He gave a soft sigh as he thought of his once apprentice. And a small smile. Through the force, he knew her to still be alive. He would have felt it, he was sure, had she passed on. But there was nothing more that he could feel.

“I do wonder what has become of you….” He spoke aloud, though there was no one with him to hear this but the trees and shrubbery surrounding him, before his thoughts moved on to the others he had once worked with as he continued to walk the gardens of his uncle’s castle.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

With a few now-deft flicks of his fingers on the controls, Je'gan brough the shuttle down through the atmosphere for a relatively smooth landing in the dust outside Espa. He powered down and swiveled to Zatania.

"The next move is yours, I suppose. Lead us to our messenger."

[Zatania Duvall]

As soon as the shuttle stopped moving, Je'gan turned his chair towards Zatania, who was already in the process of standing up herself. She reached into a small compartment just beside the co-pilot's seat and took out a change purse full of credits.

"I don't know anyone inparticular, but I'm sure we'll find someone."

She motioned towards him and limped lightly towards the door, her injuries feeling much better after resting.

As she pressed the button to open the hatch, she thought of the information in the papers that Je'gan found about Sasha. Why had he turned his cheek against the darkside? What was so damn intriguing about being a Dark Jedi? She felt angry with him, and yet, she couldn't forget how helpful he had been to her in the past. Maybe if she hadn't of disappeared things would have been different. But maybe that was just wishful thinking.

"Our best bet is to head to a cantina. We'll find someone that'll do anything for a cred or two there."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"True enough. People like that don't seem to be good for anything but drinking their life away." He tapped the doorpad and ushered Zatania down, then locked it behind them and headed for the nearby 'town centre'.

"If I may ask, Zatania, just for reference...what are the extent of your abilities with the Force?"

[Zatania Duvall]

"If I may ask, Zatania, just for reference... what are the extent of your abilities with the Force?"

Zatania turned around, trying very hard not to get any sand in her shoes as she did so.

"A little bit of meditation, which I used to try and revive these old memories. I can also sense different things, like force presences, danger. Picking up things with the force, throwing them, breaking things with it. But I've only done the latter once. I might be rusty on it. And finally, a little bit of saber training. Not much though. I only just recieved mine before I disappeared for a while. So my technique is a bit amateur."

She sighed, realizing just how far behind in her studies she was, even with her renewed memories she couldn't remember her past lessons enough to not need the training. Was it possible that she never finished them before her death?

"Well, lets get going. Looks like a sandstorm might start at any moment."

Her eyes turned towards the heavy darkness approaching from the west, several animals and people hurrying towards town away from it.

OOC Sasha, if you remember what all I did and I'm wrong, tell me so I can edit. I have a bad memory and don't remember what training I did do.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

OOC/ Guess I'll just adjust as necessary if changes need to be made.

IC/ Je'gan nodded and set off, scrutinizing the town briefly before turning his head half to ward off the first gusts of wind-blown grit, and half to look again to Zatania. "That's still more than I can do in the field of telekinesis...and all too often I find that my weakness in that area's a serious liability. Don't underestimate the Force, and don't undervalue yourself."

[Zao]

Zao got off the Shazor… his cloak flowed behind him. His icy blue eyes, a vast contrast to his white skin. His hood was up, and he trudged along the sands of Mos Espa, a barely thriving spaceport. It had often been described as a wretched hide of villainy and scum, much like its sister port, Mos Eisley. Personally, Zao couldn’t tell the difference. It all looked the same to him, nothing but sand for miles on end. He stepped into the port, it was a bustle of Spice miners, and smugglers, the dirtiest group, merchants. This was certainly not the place for a Royal to be, not unless his name was Jabba the Hut. But, even Jabba’s reign here had ended, when the JedI Skywalker had killed him. Zao had met Skywalker once, when he came to visit Chiss, Zao’s home world. But that was another time, in another dream. This was there here and now, his master back at the GJO was always telling him that. But Zao couldn’t help it, his mind wandered, he truly was the seeker of illumination. Zao pulled out a map of the town, its major docks, and restaurants, he noticed a Cantina just over the ridge… a small, but certainly one with a reputation for good cuisine. He turned around, he thought he saw something.. Must have been nothing, he told himself… he turned back around and ran into a woman, knocking her over, “ oh dear miss, I am sorry. I’m a cluts in the sand.” he got a good look at her, she was a beautiful young woman, and he also.. He sensed something in her… he helped her up, “ I’m so so sorry. You’d better hurry and get in, there’s a storm coming… Tell you what, I’ll make it up to you? Can I buy you --” he looked behind her to see a gangly man walk up beside her, “ and your companion a drink?” he gave an unfaltering smile. He pointed to the Cantina just over the ridge…hoping they’d take his offer…

[Zatania Duvall]

Zatania wasn't paying attention for a few moments, her feet guiding her in the same direction she had wanted to go, only her mind was suddenly taken over by a memory jolt...

She was a teenager again, walking along the same sands here on Tatooine. By her side was her father's personal friend, a man who had been training her since her mother's death. He was a tall and brutal looking man, tanned from too many visits to Tatooine, his hair dark brown.

She was watching her shadow upon each grain of sand, which shifted each time her foot sank in, causing the shadow to look as though it were waves in the ocean for just a split second.

"OOF!"

Zatania was brought back to reality when she had bumped into someone, yet her mind still felt tired from the glimpse into the past. It took her a long time to register what happened, meanwhile looking oddly up at the stranger that had knocked her down. Her eyes seemed distant, until it finally clicked in her brain that he had bumped into her.

She frowned, pulling her arm from him as he began to speak.

“ oh dear miss, I am sorry. I’m a cluts in the sand.” He said. “ I’m so so sorry. You’d better hurry and get in, there’s a storm coming… Tell you what, I’ll make it up to you? Can I buy you --” He paused once Je'gan stopped by her side. “ and your companion a drink?”

He was inspecting her somehow, she could tell by the look in his eyes. But it was common sense, since she could feel the power within him to see what normal people couldn't see about others. But being the apprentice that she was, she could only recognize that he had the ability to use the force.

"No." She said plainly, trying to control yet another invasion on her mind.

She turned to walk away but turned to look at him once more, narrowing her eyes. "Unless you know of a good mercenary able to track down a Dark Jedi."

[Zao]

"No." She said plainly… She turned to walk away but turned to look at him once more, narrowing her eyes. "Unless you know of a good mercenary able to track down a Dark Jedi."

Zao thought a moment.. Who would he know on this planet? He hadn’t been here in years, not since his father needed refuge from the mercenaries on Chiss. He kept thinking, it was clear the woman was beginning to get agitated… and then it came to him, “ yes, I do in fact…” he once again pointed over that ridge, but this time at a diner just to the right of them. he was thinking that it was very unlikely that she would tell him why she wanted a tracker. But he was intrigued by the force that these two were putting out, so he would try in every way possible to spend more time with them, “ follow me, I will take you to him…”

They got right up to the diner, before he opened the doors, he stopped, “ why do you need a tracker?”

[Je'gan Olra'en]

OOC/ Zao, I'm no big fan of having anything about my characters RP'ed by others. Just so you know.

IC/ Something about this man, his appearance, his sense, his actions, perhaps all of the above, made Je'gan uneasy. As he stopped beside Zatania, his mind whipped through possible courses of action. Even the smallest choice could have grave consequences, after all.

He followed the stranger to the diner, careful to stay between him and Zatania. Uncharacteristically blunt, he decided to speak his mind.

"I find myself suspicious of your motives, Forcer."

[Zao]

Zao was taken aback by the woman’s companion’s remarks, “ why would you be suspicious of my actions. I have done nothing wrong… but you are a smart man, never trust anyone, especially those you don’t know. In fact I probably wouldn’t be speaking to you, if there wasn’t something about you guys…. My name is Zao..” he stuck out his hand to shake with the stranger…

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Je'gan shrugged. "Fair enough." He shook the proffered hand.

[Zatania Duvall]

"If you two are done, I'd like to get a move on." Zatania said, obviously indifferent to Zao's introduction and inquiry about her motives.

She entered the diner by herself, leaving the two outside shaking eachothers hands.

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Right..."

Glancing once at Zao and disentangling his hand after only a brief shake, Je'gan followed Zatania inside. He looked around for a moment, then back over his shoulder at the bald man.

"Where are your 'contacts'?"

[Zao]

Zao followed to the strangers into the diner, and directed them to a booth in the far corner of the restaurant. a waitress droid ( 7-B) brought Zao and the other two some galactic coffee, "here ya go hun."
"thank you", Zao said politely to the waitress. he took one sip, looked up at the two and spoke, "ahh yes, my contact…”
“ ya need something hunny?”, 7- B said, turning back to him.
“yes, tell your Jax that an old friend… Slim is here to see him…”
“sure thing hun.” the 7-B droid sped away… Zao waited for his contact to emerge.

[Zatania Duvall]

Zatania ignored her drink, watching the crowd as she awaited the arrival of this contact. She didn't seem to be as calm as she had when they first left their shuttle, now instead she seemed rather aggitated and nervous. It wasn't anything in their surroundings causing this, it was merely something playing over and over in her mind also causing her not to pay much mind to the stranger's small talk.

[Zao]

Zao took a sip of his drink. He looked up someone was coming, he rose from the table, “ Jax! Old friend”
A stout alien, with green camouflaged skin tones, he had a cat like tail, and mechanical eyes, “ Hey Zao, you didn’t tell me you were coming!”
“ I hadn’t planned on it either! My ’friends here… ahem… need some of your ‘assistance‘” , Zao said with a wink.
Jax turned to the strangers, “ what can I do for ya?” he sat down…

[Je'gan Olra'en]

The Sith leaned forward, meeting the disconcerting mechanical gaze squarely.

"We need someone who can take a message to a Dark Jedi, no questions asked."

[Zao]

" well now that's the trick now ain't it? i mean, even i have bills, and people to come home to. now don't get me wrong, i've hunted dark Jedi before, infact i used to do it fro the Republic couple a' years back... but... who is this Dark Jedi anyways?" Jax was clearly hesitant, but Zao was confindent his friend could do the job...

[Zatania Duvall]

"Sasha Kovolev, an old aquaintence of mine that I would like to contact. But you will tell no one except for Sasha about this." Zatania said, almost as though it was an order instead of a request.

"The price will be right so you don't need to know anymore than that."

[Zao]

"hmmm..." Jax had to think about this deal, " well... she's an old friend of your eh? Dark Jedi too? hmm... deal" he stuck out his hadn to shake the stranger's. Zao was worried, he was beginnning to think he got himself into something he couldn't get out of, " will you be coming with us?" he said to the stranger...

[Zatania Duvall]

"Actually this Dark Jedi is a he. If you plan on actually finding him then we might as well get that straight now."

Zatania looked at Jax's hand then back up at him. "Good, then the deal is sealed. I just hope that you'll be able to find him fast."

[Je'gan Olra'en]

Je'gan said nothing throughout the byplay; he merely did his best to look his role as Zatania's backup.

[Zao]

Zao could tell by the look on Jax's face that he was very insulted. the fact that she wouldn't shake his hand clearly made him uneasy. " you'll get your guy alright, and had better be well paid too... now do you have any leads? just so i can get as much information from you before i go get my own?"

[Je'gan Olra'en]

"Not a whole lot. Some sources say he's connected to a planet called Balmorra. He was once a Sith and a member of TSO.

"Zatania? Got anything else?"

[Ceres Duvall]

OOC Crap, I forgot to log out. Ignore the fact that I posted under the wrong nick! >.<

IC

"From the files we found on him, he has an uncle. That information will probably be useful enough to help you find him." Zatania said.

"We'd like to leave as soon as possible. When do you think you can find sufficient information on him?"

[Je'gan Olra'en]

The Sith leaned close over the table.

"We anticipate your promptness..."