Straying from the pack (open)

[Elena Van Derveld]

Soldiers fight wars. Elena knew this much. The problem with being a soldier, then, was thinking of something to do when you did not have a war to fight. Of course, you could be preparing or gathering information on the enemy, but at this moment in time, she could do neither. Their goal was to wipe the galaxy clean of, first, the Van-Dervelds lead by Vega and, second, to destroy the Force users. The second goal was far too large to accomplish alone, and the first too difficult. It was because of this that Elena found herself languishing in one of Coruscant’s coffee shops, idly flicking through the days news.

[Shade Magus]

Shade walked into a side coffee shop, hoping to find something that would warm him up from the weather outside. He walked over to the counter and looked at the menu before placing his order.

"I'll have the largest cup of you strongest coffee."

When he got his cup he laid down the credits and took a sip of the drink. For a second he had no reaction and then he smiled. It really was the strongest coffee the Jedi Knight had ever had. He turned around and went and sat down in from of a holo-vid showing all the recent news.

[Elena Van Derveld]

Elena liked tradition. It was in her nature. That was why she read the news either on a data pad or on the archaic medium of paper if she could find it. Today, she had the latter, which she flicked downwards as she felt the presence of a Jedi within the coffee house. She watched him as he sat down, his carriage full of confidence and warmth. For a moment, she found herself smiling, before she righted herself and decided to go over and pester him, as her father would have wanted.

“A Jedi not up to date on the latest political goings on?” she asked, as she slid down into the seat beside his and gave a nod towards the holo-screen, which showed some debate going on in the senate, “Don’t tell me you’re another Senator Evenstar,” the Lupine added, with a quiet laugh, wondering if he would understand the joke.

[Shade Magus]

Shade shook his head. Not clear what the young lady meant by the Senator refrence.

"Sorry. Politics really do not intrest me, but it is the only thing on so therefore I watch it."

Shade turned towards the woman who spoke and smiled.

"My name is Shade Magus. And you are?"

Shade kepy smiling as he took a sip of his drink.

[Elena Van Derveld]

"I'm pleased to meet you," she replied, with a small smile of her own. It was amazing how quickly you could get personal details out of a Jedi. They seemed to be dying to tell you their life-story.

"Elena," she added,

"I'm a politics girl. You've got to watch those senators. Give them too much power and they'll exploit it. Don't want another Palpatine on our hands... you of all people should understand that."

[Shade Magus]

"I do, but I also trust the senators until they do something that would break that trust."

[Elena Van Derveld]

She wanted to roll her eyes and laugh, but she just gave a sort of impartial nod.

"Wouldn't you say its better to prevent the problem before it happens?"

[Shade Magus]

"Yes, but I also like to watch people reach their full potential. Besides if a Senator wished to misuse his powers I am sure there are those out there that could stop them before they did any real harm."

[Elena Van Derveld]

"Perhaps," she made a point to draw out the s.

"We started this conversation on rather serious footing, didn't we? Why don't we lighten it? Tell me a little about yourself, Mr Magus. I've already guessed you're a Jedi."

[Shade Magus]

"There really isn't much more to know about me. I am a Jedi. I am 22 standard years old. What would you like to know?"

[Elena Van Derveld]

"Why did you become a Jedi? What do you like to do when you aren't saving the world?" she replied, with a slight tone of gentle humour in her voice.

[Shade Magus]

"I became a Jedi because my father was a Jedi. And I really don't save any worlds, just people."

Shade took another sip of his drink.

"When I am not doing anything Jedi oriented I just like to have fun. Try and talk to my friends, or one could usually find me practicing martial arts. Wha about you? What do you like to do?"

[Elena Van Derveld]

"Oh, I..."

Thieve, extort, bite, maim, kill, screw, not necessarily in that order, thank you very much.

"... write. I write. About politics, actually, or any current affairs. I like to keep abreast of the times. That doesn't mean I can't have fun though. I..."

Elena's mind darted back to the list she had previously ran off in a split second to herself. For her, work and play were one and the same.

"Run. I like sport. And animals. Especially dogs."

[Shade Magus]

Shade smiled.

"Yes animals are very nice. I also love dogs, but then again I kinda had to get used to them when m feind was still around."

Shade paused for a moment.

"So, who do you write for?"

[Elena Van Derveld]

"I'm freelance. Anyone who'll take me, I write for."

She paused a moment, making a double take.

"You had to get used to them why?"

[Shade Magus]

"My friend. You see he was a Jedi, but he was also a.....what is the right term? Lupine I think? Yes that was it, anyways he was my best freind and he had a huge three headed dog and that was how me and most of the Jedi I know can to like dogs."

[Elena Van Derveld]

Her eyes widened, "A three headed dog? My word! What's a Lupine? Is that a type of Jedi?" she asked, with genuine curiousity.

[Shade Magus]

"Actually, a Lupine is in what one would usually refer to them as is a werewolf, but he was a great Jedi."

[Elena Van Derveld]

"Oh? What was his name? I've heard of a lot of Jedi through reading the news, you know. You get a lot of their names cropping up in stories about stake-outs and such," she said, pretending to be interested.

[Shade Magus]

"Verse Dawnstrider. He also had two children Xazor, and Chaos Alexander. They tried to stay off the holo-vids, because they thought that Jedi shouldn't flaunt."

[Elena Van Derveld]

"I've heard of the daugher... feisty one," she said, a risidual trace of her former life sparking up some bitterness in the form of a churning in her gut. In an attempt to calm herself, she steered the conversation in another direction.

"What about you, have any kids?"

[Shade Magus]

"None that I know of. What about you?"

Shade took a sip from his drink.