What am I doing here, anyway? (Complete)

[Rhea Kaylen]

This was such a bad idea.

Rhea Kaylen nervously shuffled inside the noisy Bar & Grill, squinting as her eyes adjusted to the indoor light. She had to remind herself not to gape at her surroundings; this was like nothing she'd ever seen before.

Well, okay, so there was little or no difference between this B&G and every other bar in the city. But for the first time since she'd moved back to Coruscant, Rhea felt brashly out of place.

It was almost certainly because she knew this was a Jedi establishment. What business did she, a lower-class woman with essentially no ties to the Temple, have in a place like this? She was no Jedi, and that fact alone made Rhea feel as though she were under some kind of pressure, to impress or to act a certain way.

Which couldn't possibly be the case, as she saw many around her who very obviously weren't Jedi. Or at least not Jedi who took themselves seriously. Still, she could also pick out individuals who definitely fit the bill as Jedi Knights or, even more frightening, Jedi Masters.

This shouldn't have scared Rhea. Absolutely shouldn't have bothered her in the least. But it did.

She glanced back down at the scrap of paper in her hand. The B&G's address was scrawled there in Kale's untidy scribble. She certainly had the right place. Now if she could only decide whether to try and enjoy herself or run screaming out the door.

This had all been Kale's idea, Rhea decided, ducking a flying credit chit--and the man who went diving after it.

Yes, I blame that little weasel for dragging me in here. Even though he technically isn't here...but it's still his fault. If he hadn't suggested I "get out more"...

Oh, what was the use? She was here, frell it. She'd just stick around for a bit, decide whether she really hated the place, and deal with Kale later, accordingly.

It was just a bar, after all.

[imported_Grev Drasen]

With her entrance, a mindful stare followed as she wandered somewhat nervously inside the Bar & Grill. She wasn’t the only one out of place, though Grev preferred to keep his irregularity a bit less obvious.

The place was congested with Jedi and hopefuls, which he only assumed she consisted of the latter. Though he abstained from making assumptions, and would only observe, if only for lack of anything better to elapse his stay.

He had his own reasons for being here, though seeking counsel from the Jedi remained at the derriere of his agenda.

Though he seemed more than remote, he continued to muse her actions. She seemed a bit ambivalent and timid, two qualities that he seemed to prey on for amusement.

The thought of approaching her crossed his mind; what could be the harm in shooting the breeze with one so anxious as to be fearful of a Jedi bar?

He was having too much fun picking at her faults. So he sat.

[Rhea Kaylen]

Rhea figured she was probably getting a bit conspicuous just standing in the doorway, so she forced an air of nonchalance and moved on into the establishment.

The whole place was crowded, so avoiding people altogether would be unlikely. She chose the next best course of action--by winding her way through the clientele and sitting at the bar, elbow-to-elbow with an oblivious Knight and and inebriated older man, she hoped to disappear into the crowd.

From her perch, Rhea quietly observed the B&G as she tried hard to relax. This place wasn't really so bad, now that she'd realized that the management wasn't going to have her expelled because she wasn't a Jedi. Now that she really looked, it seemed she wasn't the only civilian in here, by far. The guy snoring drunkenly next to her had the look of a spacer; that group over there playing cards looked like dignitaries on their break.

Sweeping the faces around her with her eyes, Rhea noticed the man across the room. The dark-haired one. The one watching her.

She blinked and looked away, nervous, then glanced back to make sure she'd been correct. Yes, he was definitely watching her. What was his problem?

She turned back to the bar but could still feel his eyes on her. If he was trying to get her attention, he had it, but if he was hoping she'd come skipping over to inquire about his habits of observation, he was about to be disappointed.

Rhea ordered a drink.

[imported_Grev Drasen]

He’d been spotted; it seemed she was a bit more attentive than he had assumed.

It hadn’t really mattered to him, though. She had caught his preying eyes, but that didn’t relieve their fixation upon her. Now rather than just observe, it was simply a game of irritation to him. His stare was making her uncomfortable, and her discomfort was absolving his lack of entertainment.

For a moment his eyes left her only to take a quick glimpse of the surrounding occupants. The Jedi had their fair share of chivalrous altruists who felt it was their sole duty to relieve every bit of distress and malaise the galaxy had ever weathered – and within this deluge of righteousness and benevolence it never failed that one of these naive idealists would be lurking.

Taking into consideration he was in fact in the depths of a Jedi establishment, a confrontation with one of these aforementioned pricks would be quite irrational on his part. So he leaned back, his eyes cantering in her direction once again.

He wasn’t one to utilize the Force so trivially, but his voice carried over into her mental grasp; well aware that a majority of the surrounding populace would easily detect it.

“Does it bother you that much?”

[Rhea Kaylen]

Rhea's fingers tightened around her sweating glass as she felt the weird, prickling tendrils of someone's awareness curling into her brain. She bit back a cry and glanced wildly around her to see who it was. But she knew: the only person it could possibly be. Him.

Suddenly his voice was in her head. Does it bother you that much?

Rhea jumped, her heart throbbing a little harder. Who was this guy? And what did he want with her?

Only one way to know. Rhea licked her lips as she drew the Force to herself like a cloak. Carefully, slowly she focused it. She hadn't done this in years, and it wasn't going to be easy. She had never been really trained in it, after all.

She visualized her voice wafting across the bar towards the man, like fog.

Does what bother me? The fact that you're staring at me or that you're talking in my head?

[Rhea Kaylen]

Hmm...well, that was weird...

Rhea heard no response, physical or mental, from the stranger across the bar, so, forcing herself not to look back at him, Rhea shook away the impending shiver she felt and reassessed her situation.

She hadn't gotten very far along on her decision whether to leave or to stay (though, to be honest, she was rather comfortable, thank you very much, and didn't really feel like leaving just yet) when a flash of shock-pale hair caught the corner of her eye. Rhea glanced over to see a lithe, tough-looking woman toss back a head of platinum hair while fairly bolting a large glass of something decidedly alcoholic, and suffering no ill effects. She was a hard-faced human female shrouded in a hooded green cloak and sporting bizarre, manacle-like bracelets on both wrists at which Rhea could not help but stare.

[Linn O'Conner]

Linn O'Conner savored the burning sensation of the alcohol as it slipped down towards her stomach.

She rested her hand on her holster, wishing there was a sturdy blaster there for her to hold. She threw a look over her shoulder at the man at the door who had taken it from her.

"Stinking...dirty..." she mustered before she felt someone's eyes burning into her back.

Linn's first instinct was to whip around, all guns blazing, and shoot thier head off.

"No blaster," she muttered. So she went with her second instinct: order another drink and turn, non-chalant, to see if she could see them.

Ordering the drink was out of the way. She straightened her back, tucked some of her hair behind her ears, and began to spin the bar chair around.

She executed the turn beautifully, but couldn't immediately spot who the offender was.

Then she spotted them. It was a rather small girl, with black hair striped white. She wore blue pants, along with a plain shirt and a limp jacket with a hood.

Linn was unimpressed. She had hoped to see a tall brawny man holding a blaster and ready for a battle. But she saw what appeared to be a young girl sitting there.

It wasn't long before the girl noticed Linn watching and averted her eyes.

[Rhea Kaylen]

Oops, she'd been spotted. Rhea looked away, but kept her peripheral view on the woman. Something about her sort of scared Rhea, not least because whoever this chick was could probably pound the living Force out of Rhea and never break a sweat.

Rhea tried to make her observation of the caped woman a little less obvious.

[Linn O'Conner]

Linn snorted. If this girl had a problem, she was going to fix it.

Linn got up and strode until she was a seat down from the girl.

"So what's your problem, kid?" she demanded.

[Rhea Kaylen]

Rhea turned her eyes back to her club soda for two seconds, and when she raised her head again, the cool, stone-faced blonde was sitting much, much closer.

And Rhea realized that she really was that much smaller than the newcomer. Which wasn't saying much, considering, but in any case Rhea did not want to get on the woman's bad side.

"Forgive me," Rhea replied nervously, trying to gather her composure. "I--I was just admiring your...bracelets."

[Linn O'Conner]

"My bracelets?" Linn said, raising her wrists to look at her shackles. they were brown and a little rusty, with a link attached to each of them.

Linn laughed out loud.

"These aren't bracelets, kid. Don't ya know binders when you see 'em?"

[Rhea Kaylen]

"Erm..." Rhea was a bit taken aback. "Forgive me. I didn't expect someone to be wearing, um...binders voluntarily."

Yes, you Amazon, I know binders when I see them. And I'm not the kid, by the way. I'd be surprised if you've graduated nursery school yet.

Rhea kept a half-smile on her face the whole time.

[Linn O'Conner]

Linn could see wheels working behind those brown eyes.

"So, ah...what brings a girl like you, here?"

[Rhea Kaylen]

Okay, that was it.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?"

[Linn O'Conner]

Linn hated smart alecks. She extended her right hand, exposing about five tattoos on the plam and back of her hand.

"I'm Linn O' Conner. You?"

[Rhea Kaylen]

Rhea shook her hand, not caring about the marks that traveled the smooth, tanned length of skin. She'd seen far more grotesque body art than that at her place of employment.

"Rhea. Nice to meet you."

[Linn O'Conner]

"You live around, Rhea?"

[Rhea Kaylen]

Again, the question flashed across Rhea's mind. Um, I'm sorry, but do I know you!?

"If you mean, 'Do I live on Coruscant', then, yes," Rhea responded charily. "But I really didn't want to bother you--"and I rather just wish you'd go away"--so, please, don't let me disturb your drink." She nodded, suppressing a grimace, at the foul-smelling drink before O'Connor.

[Linn O'Conner]

Linn looked at her severely alcoholic drink of choice and shrugged.

"This? This is just something to keep me from drying out. You don't disturb it at all. So, whereabouts here do you live?"

Linn was tempted to say, 'You smell. You must live in the slums', but refrained herself from doing so. Though this girl was small, Linn noticed a great deal of courage and power behind her eyes.

And to Linn, that was a challenge.

[Rhea Kaylen]

Rhea could see no polite way to do this, so she just decided to be blunt.

"Look, Miss O'Conner," Rhea sighed, turning to face her and drawing herself up as tall as she could. "I am sorry I was staring at you. This is my first time in the B&G, and I was a bit overwhelmed by some of the people in here. To be perfectly honest, I don't know you, so perhaps we should find something a bit less personal than where I live to talk about. I mean no offense."

Rhea took a gamble and smiled wanly, trying to convince Linn not to strangle her on principle.

[Linn O'Conner]

Linn's eyes glinted with malice. She smiled, bearing her teeth in an almost animal way.

"Well." Was all she said before rising from her seat and downing the rest of her drink without a twitch.

"I suppose if you were overwhelmed then you shouldn't have come in here. And don't tell me that your friend said it would be fun, becuase I don't really want to know the kind of company you keep, and frankly, if I weren't on the run, I'd stay and just chat up a storm with you, Kid, but i really gotta get myself out of harms way, and if anyone sees me, Linn O'Conner, talking to a shrimpy little child like yourself, then they're apt to get suspicious, and believe me, having suspicious bounty hunters on your tail isn't pleasant."

Linn flung her hood over her head and turned.

[Rhea Kaylen]

Rhea blinked, stunned. W-what did I say?!

Obviously, Linn had wanted to get as many insults into one sentence as possible, and she'd done an admirable job of it. Rhea turned away, back toward the bar, letting Linn go.

[Linn O'Conner]

Linn stopped. She considered her options.
She could walk out and risk being caught. She could could stay and risk being seen. Or she could...

She turned around to look at Rhea's back. Her face was shrouded in shadow from the hood. Linn slowly slipped her hand into the crook of Rhea's arm and tightened her vice grip.

[Rhea Kaylen]

Rhea jumped violently. She almost whipped around, but something told her not to make any sudden moves.

She looked back angrily at the shrouded face of Linn O'Conner, menacing in her cowl. The woman's sinewy hand was tightening painfully around Rhea's arm like a steel trap.

Rhea lowered her voice, both in volume and pitch. Rhea hoped she'd sound a bit more commanding in the alto register.

"Just what do you think you're doing?"

[Linn O'Conner]

Linn chuckled at the unnatural growl in the other girls voice. Rhea was obviously not used to sounding menacing.

"Do you like spaceships?" Linn muttered. "I've an especially intersting one."

Linn pulled Rhea up out of her seat (she weighed nothing at all), and began to walk towards the door.

[Rhea Kaylen]

Rhea was confounded, dizzy, and a bit light-headed...but most of all she was scared. Linn was a lot bigger than she, and could easily waltz right out of the B&G with her unless Rhea did something about it.

Unable to wrest her arm from Linn's grip, Rhea planted her feet. "Get your hands off of me," she demanded, maintaining a low tone so as not to cause a fight. That wasn't likely to last long. "Leave me alone, or I will scream bloody murder and bring every security guard and Jedi in this place down on you like a ton of bricks."

[Linn O'Conner]

Linn looked at the sprite-like girl. She lowered her head in a very menacing way.

"Not likely."

And though Linn was almost positive the girl would not do something that rash, she wrapped her arm around Rhea's shoulders and pinned a hand over her mouth to be safe.

Linn glanced around to make sure no one of import, especially Jedi, hadn't seen them. The last thing Linn needed was a fleet of angry Jedi on her tail.

She began towards the door.

[Rhea Kaylen]

Rhea had had enough twice over. She abruptly went limp in Linn's arms, allowing her full weight (not a lot but hopefully enough to stagger Linn O'Conner) fall directly against her assailant's arms. At the same moment, Rhea filled her lungs to yell and gathered what Force she could muster on such short notice, just in case it was needed.

[Linn O'Conner]

Linn realized she may have made a very bad mistake.

Not only had she tried to kidnap someone (not something she really preferred to do) but she had picked a girl who could probably scream loud enough to freeze hell over.

Suddenly, she felt Rhea fall against her knees and tripped forward along with her. Linn could feel Rhea's shoulders rising with the breath she was taking, and knew her fate was sealed.

Not many people were looking at them right this moment, but she knew in a few seconds her life may be in the hands of several Jedi, who would not only recognize her for the gigantic bounty on her head, but would probably turn her in without a twitch of thier mouths.

Desperate to save what little life she had, Linn began to struggle to work Rhea's body off her legs.

[Rhea Kaylen]

Rhea felt Linn's hands loosen as the woman staggered and tried to pull herself out from under Rhea's deadweight. Seeing her chance, the Imrani woman quickly scrambled to her feet and backed away from the recovering O'Conner, looking around to find the most convenient escape route.

[Linn O'Conner]

Though Linn was quite grateful for the realese of her limbs, she wasn't about to stick around. She began looking about. One door was blocked by, oh, wouldn't you know it, Jedi and at the moment she could see no other way out.

[Rhea Kaylen]

Linn was distracted, seemingly by the same predicament that held Rhea, and the latter had just found a likely gap in the crowd that was singing her escape.

She took it, ducking toward the front door, finally finding a real advantage to being short and slight--she certainly made good time.

In only seconds, Rhea had reached the door, avoided the puzzled looks of the guards on duty, and made it outside.

[Linn O'Conner]

Linn saw her only way of escape disappearing through the throng of people. Linn followed, barging through.

"Rhea!" she was calling. "Rhea!"

[Rhea Kaylen]

Rhea heard footsteps pounding after her and Linn calling her name.

Oh, no way.

But Linn's platinum hair flashed in Rhea's vision and suddenly Rhea drew up short, her path blocked.

"Leave me alone!"

[Linn O'Conner]

"Look, kid, I'm desperate! I need somewhere to go! To keep out fo sight and mnd for awhile! You gotta help me!" Linn said, her breath coming to her quick and short. She looked at the door they'd slipped out of.

"Please!"

[Rhea Kaylen]

Rhea backed up from Linn, making a placating gesture.

"I'm sorry, Linn, but I can't help you! I can't even trust you not to hurt me. I'm sorry."

[Linn O'Conner]

"Please, please, please! I literally have nowhere to go, my ship's a wreck and anyone who matters knows what I'm worth! I need help! I won't hurt you, I promise!"

Linn, trying to spur on her argument, she stripped herself of all her weapons, pulling them from her boots, cloakc, shirt pants, back plates, shoulders, anywhere she could remember arming herself.

[Rhea Kaylen]

Rhea's eyes widened at the sight of all that weaponry. If she'd had any doubts previously that Linn was a madwoman, the sight of so much gleaming metal banished them.

Rhea was backing away more quickly, now. "Linn, I'm sorry, I really am, but I don't know who you are or where you came from or what you've done to make yourself a wanted woman. I. Can't. Help you."

[Linn O'Conner]

Linn jogged in place, knowing, feeling that the Jedi were growing closer.

"Please. Look, I'm not crazy, and I just need somewhere to hide. Those Jedi in there are going to come out, take one look at me and say 'Hey, it's Linn O'Conner that girl who killed the representitive! We could turn her in for big bucks!' and that'll be it for me! Oh please!"

Linn remembered more weapons and began to pull knives from various boot pockets and her belts. Anywhere the man at the door had forgotten to check.

[Rhea Kaylen]

"You killed someone!?!" Rhea jumped, startled, and began backing away in earnest.

"Look, lady, if you just leave me alone, I'll forget I talked to you, but I'm afraid if you don't get out of here soon, I'm gonna have to tell the authorities you're here. I can't help a killer."

[Linn O'Conner]

Linn slapped a hand over her mouth.

Shouldn't have said that, she thought.

"Alright, listen. My name's Linn O'Conner, I'm nineteen years old, I'll be twenty in seven days. I'm a Bounty Hunter slash spacer. Killing people is what I do. But luckily, you aren't on the Bounty List. I wouldn't kill you if I didn't have a reason...well...I might, but only if you threatened me with my life. Oh please help me!"
Linn begged.

She looked over her shoulder, noticing a few brown robes swishing about.

"Those Jedi are right inside and if they decide they want to come out this way, they're going to see me and pull out those laser swords. I need help!"

[Rhea Kaylen]

Wow. This chick was desperate. And young, much younger than she looked.

Rhea squeezed her eyes shut. A bounty hunter. Not a murderer, per se, but almost as bad. As youthful as she was, however, she might not harm Rhea without reason. It was clear she wasn't entirely sane, but she didn't seem really unstable, so she wasn't necessarily a threat to Rhea.

All this went through the Imrani woman's mind in the space of a second. Then she sighed agitatedly.

"Look, Linn O'Conner, you'll come with me. You'll walk in front of me and you'll keep your hands where I can see them, or I'll sound an alarm so loud your head's going to buzz. Understand? We'll go somewhere you won't be seen; then we'll talk."

[Linn O'Conner]

Linn let out a big sigh.

"Thank you! You're helpful!" Linn took a step towards Rhea.

"You don't think I'm crazy do you? I'm not..."

[Rhea Kaylen]

Rhea backed up. Yeah, right... "Umm...look, just...walk, okay? That way."

Rhea pointed down the street. There was a green spot not too far away, maybe two city blocks, where they could talk in peace.

Rhea had no idea what she would do then, but she was hoping that would come to her. As Linn pivoted and began to walk, Rhea realized two things: first, that she had not paid for her drink; and second, that she fully intended to hold Kale responsible for this mess.