50/50

[Sin Vamel]

It was something akin to what a cheap glass of Bantha Blaster would feel alongside a bottle of Cassandran Brandy, aged twelve years. Sin could feel his cheeks burn slightly, no doubt a gentle shade of pink by now, as he wandered awkwardly inside the recruitment centre. There were many others here waiting, a handful were already being seen to while he would have to be content with taking a seat until one of the robed people approached him.

The seat beneath him squeaked too much for comfort as he slipped into it and was greeted by a smile from the young man next to him also waiting to be seen to by one of the Jedi. Sin gave the young hopeful a curt nod and quickly diverted his attention; he didn't want to have to open his mouth unless it was absolutely neccessary. And all he could think about was: Could there really be a Jedi inside me waiting to get out?

[Wei Wu Wei]

"So, you want to be a Jedi too?" Wei said sfrom the other side of Sin.

"Being a Jedi is not an easy feat. It must have taken you some long time to decide to even set foot in the door."

Jedi Knight Wei Wu Wei was doing something he had not done in a short while: greet incoming Padawans. It was a nice change from the hustle and bustle of Council work and teaching Padawans, and Wei enjoyed it.

As per usual, Wei made his language ambiguous so as not to give away his rank. Wei remembered his recuitment and how it set him somewhat at odds when he was confronted by Jedi Knights. Wei had honestly not known what to say.

"Everyone has their reasons for stepping through the doors," Wei said in hushed, excited tones. "So, why did you decide to do it?"

[Sin Vamel]

"I guess--" Sin started, his voice gruff from having remained mute for the best part of the day, he cleared his throat and gave himself some time to think about what he was going to say. "I guess it's because I think it will help me start afresh, you know? Turn over a new leaf?

He shrugged, now feeling a little less stressed out. "Best way I can think of to do that is to go about making a difference and do the opposite to what I've spent most of my life doing. But that's my life story." Sin cut himself off quickly and gave the young man a grin. "So what's your excuse?"

[Wei Wu Wei]

"I promised my grandpa I would expand my talents and use them for the betterment of those around me."

Wei leaned back in his chair and folded his hands on his stomach. "So, how do you think becoming a Jedi will help you right all those wrongs you did before? Not all problems can be fixed with a lightsaber or telekinesis."

[Sin Vamel]

Sin sighed.

"Actually, I'm not too interested in fighting, to be honest. I've been firing blasters since I was eight and have seen enough fighting to last a lifetime. I'll be happy to leave that all behind. Just like you, I want to make something of my life. Something real."

Sin gave his comapny a quick sidelong glance, he was expecting to be on the recieving end of a puzzled look but to his suprise, the man seemed to be nodding in agreement. So on he went.

"So my shady past might give me a bit of an edge out in the field, it'll help me better understand people who are like the way I used to be - I could reason with them and help them turn their lives around before it's too late. Looking back, I'd say I'm lucky that I'm not pushing up daisies right now." He sat up and extended a hand. "The name's Sin, by the way."

[Wei Wu Wei]

"Wei Wu Wei," he replied, accepting Sin's handshake. "Most people calle me Wei."

Wei brushed his bangs out of his eyes and turned over Sin's words in his head. "I must say, that's a noble aspiration you got there. But not all people will want to listen to what you have to say. They might even hate you for it. What about those people? What will you have to say in response to them?"

[Sin Vamel]

"Not everyone can be expected to turn the life around in a day, the best way to deal with the type of people you mention is with patience, at least that's what I think. The bottom line is that you can't force someone to change who they are. For a change to occur they are first going to have to want to change. I think my job would be to help them understand that there are alternative ways of living."

Sin was quickly becoming tired of talking and was eager to meet a Jedi now, whatever he was churning out sounded like good stuff to him and he didn't want to use it all up at the wrong moment. He slumped back into his seat and asked casually: "So what did you used to do before you came here?"

[Wei Wu Wei]

"Travel with my family, doing odd jobs while my dad traded rare items to the well-to-do of the towns we visited. What did you do?"

[Sin Vamel]

Sin hesitated, then sighed defeatedly. "I was involved in Coruscant's drugs underworld. I started out as a delivery boy and quickly became the boss' muscle after he saw me with a blaster in my hands."

He glanced across to Wei, rubbing the back of his neck with evident discomfort. "That entailed the usual, going to unpaying clients and relieving them of their credits one way or another. Then came the gang wars; that wasn't pretty."

He didn't elaborate, everyone had heard of the gang wars.

[Wei Wu Wei]

Wei nodded. "I can imagine it wouldn't be pretty. But at least you got out."

Wei leaned forward. "So, you want to prevent other people from making your mistakes?"

Wei wanted to make absolutely sure before he let Sin Vamel into the Greater Jedi Order.

[Sin Vamel]

"Yes and no." Sin answered quickly. "You see I don't want to force people to make the change in their lives, that would never have worked on me back in the day. Prevent is a strong word. I want to help people and make a difference, Wei."

He sat back once again then snapped upright, staring at Wei with curiosity. "Hey, if you were in my place, what would you do?"

[Wei Wu Wei]

"Probably the same thing you are doing." Wei got up and headed over to the desk settled across from the entrance to the Recruitment Center.

"Come along," Wei said to Sin.

Wei got to the desk and began shuffling around for some stuff. "Sin, I think you would make an excellent addition to the ranks of the Jedi. And..." Wei opened a few drawers. At last he found the small datapads with maps of the GJO compound. "I would like to be the first one to welcome you. Finding a teacher might be a bit difficult, but I'm sure you'll manage. I've got several Padawans myself, so I'm afraid I cannot help you."

Wei chuckled. "Sorry if I've surprised you. I just wanted to make sure you were being honest."

[Sin Vamel]

Sin stared at Wei with mixed expressions of bemusement and amusement. He only managed to shake his head and laugh, pointing at the Jedi. "You, you're a tricky one, Wei!"

Taking the datapads from the Jedi, Sin thanked him and extended a hand. They shook hands once more but something had a feeling that would be the last time he'd be doing that for a long time; Jedi normally bow. With a megawatt smile, Sin said: "It's a pleasure to meet you, Wei. I look forward to seeing you about the Order."

[Wei Wu Wei]

"Indeed. I'll be watching your progress very closely. I'm interested in what you have to bring to the Order. Now go find a place to stay. You need to get settled in."

[Sin Vamel]

"I'm on it like flies on-- well, I'm on it." Sin stopped himself from saying anything grotesque and headed off, waving back to the Jedi. "Thanks again, Wei. See ye 'round."