Falltyl, Pedducis Chorios

Adrian turned his eyes skyward, to the burning sunset, which cast swaths of orange and yellow light across the savanna skies. Dark shadows continually soared overhead, descending and rising every few minutes. Though their outlines were fuzzy, the Jensaarai knew they were all freighters and shuttles whose crew and passengers had all been attracted to Falltyl’s markets. Falltyl, a town of incongruities; a spartan people who depended on complex and exotic art. Most of the settlers led simple lives, partially because of the recently ended war, and partially because the harshness of the wilderness around them. And from the wilderness came their livelihood; beautiful sculptures carved from arcadia wood, pelts of animals, and an assortment of raw materials. With the war having just ended, a flood of merchants and travelers had come to acquire these otherwise rare offworld goods. And with them, came organized crime.

Acting on a tip, CSIS had sent Ravenna to investigate an increasing volatile area. Just yesterday, twelve corpses wearing the uniforms of Falltyl customs officers had been found in a disused warehouse. They had been missing for a little over a week. The docking area that had been assigned to was known for some of the more shady elements of Falltyl’s aerial traffic. What exactly had happened, or what was happening, was anybody’s guess.

Adrian sat down on a crate recently unloaded from his own ship, and closed his eyes. He breathed increasingly slower, taking deep inhales of the savanna air with its grassy scents blended with that of Falltyl’s civilization. Focusing his mind, the man immersed himself in the Force, letting it flow and ebb within him. His mind probed outwards; feeling and taking in the area’s aura. Adrian felt the giddy excitement and the rising passions of the merchants haggling for goods across the street from him. The Jensaarai felt the impeccable curiousity of one of the younger tourist as he stared at the pelt of a Corellian sandpanther. A grin crossed Ravenna’s weathered face at the boy’s thoughts. Was I this bad when I was a kid? Maybe mom had to use some magical force power on him…or more likely, she used the patience taught to her by the Saarai-kaar to put up with me. Shaking his head, the man banished the thoughts to the far reaches of his subconscious. What I need to find…is something malignant. Or something odd. Something that shouldn’t be here, or least that I hadn’t thought about. The Susevfian projected his will out farther, searching for the presence. He felt a slightly familiar presence; that of another Force-user. He jerked out of his Jensaarai meditation and pulled himself off the crate. Well, it’s something I should at least take a look into. Could be an enemy, could be a possible ally. But I must know who this is.

And the Susevfian wandered into the streets of Falltyl, seeking the other presence.

It had been a long time since Adhee had walked such... turbulent space.

She was a quiet person, one who usually spoke only when needed and rarely placed herself in such populated areas. She may have even appeared out of place, in the midst of the throngs of bodies spilling back and forth through Falltyl. With the dance-like grace of a woman well-versed in athletics of another nature than mere travel, she twisted through the shifting crowd and as far away from physical contact as possible, her footwork set well apart from the heavy rhythm of everybody else's. Her eyes seemed elusive, downcast... she never met any other gaze, and yet her perception reached all around her, seeking even the quietest confines of the normal mind. It touched light thoughts like ever-curious fingertips, brushing delicately and quietly only to leave no trace of its existence. And then with her passing her entire presence seemed to shrink away, as she took with her this observational shadow of hers and left little in her wake.

Still, this curious woman appeared to attract no gaze in her journey through the markets, a fair creature with a contrasting void of onyx locks and shadowed, empty eyes. It was a question in itself why no one cast her a questioning stare, or an interpretive glance in the hopes that perhaps they could discover her nature was not truly human. For despite her appearance, while beautiful at best, seemed genuinely lacking of a facet of humanity that gave those around her a natural warmth of being. It was not as though she attempted this, or as though it were a facade to dispell those who may be able to trace this strange characteristic to her. It was almost as though it were something she had brought with her from some far reaches of another galaxy. Or perhaps it was not another galaxy, but something comparably smaller... something in her subconscious that did not seek to find its way outward, but managed to nonetheless.

It was something of an odd reflection.

At any rate, if it weren't for a particular coincidence - for fate, to her, seemed as complex as religion to assume - she may have gone completely unbothered by those she had managed to pass that day. But someone, in touch with the fabric around them that went unseen by many, felt her in her moment of nearing, and found her of enough interest to seek out. There was a flicker of something in her own perceptions as those same fingers reached out toward this person's mind, and as she had not been looking for any familiar presence like her own, she momentarily withdrew them in surprise. Something crept along her skin, as though she knew she had given herself away somehow, but she was aware that he/she would have noticed her in some way or another. For a moment she had the inclination to move, to go anywhere - to withdraw quickly from this person's awareness and to retreat into that same world where she left herself to think, evasive and alone.

But what had she, to hide?

Unaware of her reason for twisting away from this unknown being, she stopped right where she was, feeling the gradual closing of the space between the two of them. She waited, quietly, her mind a mix of thoughts and emotion, until finally she felt them close enough to draw her eyes toward. She glanced a bit over her shoulder, lifting it somewhat as though to guard her lips after she breathed words she was not meant to speak, and they parted to give way to a cool, rather soft voice, its curiosity masked by apathy.

"Looking for me?" she inquired. It sounded rather conversational.

Adrian let himself flow with the current of the crowd; past the noisy din of the bazaars and their heckling salesmen, past the throngs of people going about their everyday life. They ignored him, for the most part, because he appeared to be one of them. A loose tunic of calico and trousers of similar making concealed his ebony battle armor. There were hundreds like him within the market, most of whom were homesteaders who lived several kilometers beyond the city’s outskirts. The Susevfian plodded along with the rest of the milling crowd, occasionally bumping into other people. He idly grunted as one the beefier members of the throngs bumped into Ravenna. The man uttered an apology in a rustic voice, which Adrian never heard. His mind was elsewhere; swimming through the current of the Force, attempting to furtively trace the fading presence in the Force imprint. He felt the presence grow stronger, becoming increasingly steady within the current until it was a steady pulse of life. Unconsciously, the man’s right hand slid into his tunic’s pocket, resting on the cold, metallic hilt of his lightsaber. He briefly hesitated. Quietly tracking targets was something I was never good at…he has to know I’m coming. Which means he is either an man who hasn’t tapped his latent talent or someone very confident…or curious. His grasp on his saber hilt tightened. This presence…doesn’t feel natural, it is missing something...

A feminine voice interrupted his reverie.

"Looking for me?"

For the first time in minutes, Adrian consciously looked at another being. She was a startling beautiful woman in his eyes. But something was different. A frown briefly surfaced on his face. The presence. She is the presence. She knows who I am too. Not hostile. The Jensaarai hesitated; his baritone voice questioned the woman with a guarded tone.

“Perhaps. Who are you? And what are you doing here?”

"Hmm."

Adhee regarded the man sidelong for a moment, her lips moving absently as though she were lightly chewing on something - words, perhaps.

Her eyes were alight with thought as she shifted to completely face him, and despite what apparent peace there may have been in her physical presence, her lack of speech was proof that she was choosing her words carefully. It was a while before she responded fully, as she seemed to seek something intricate in the way this man carried himself, yet her eyes were so veiled in their message that it was hard to tell if she saw anything at all. As she moved into clearer view, it could not be seen whether or not she wore a weapon, though as with all Force users it was probably safe to assume so. She made no movements toward one, though her eyes did travel to where the arrival kept his arms. She knew where one hand rested. But she felt he would not make any hostile movements unless she gave him full reason to do so.

Despite the noise about them, the silence between the two had deafened her for long enough. Her bright eyes lifted again, and rested on his own. For a moment they seemed about to relay something, a tentative thought she meant to share with him. And just as quickly, she seemed to realize what she was doing, and these eyes flitted away from him, and rested at his feet.

They remained there only long enough to dismiss any errant contemplation, and then shifted back to his face.

"Adhee," she murmured, searching his eyes now, as though for his own name or form of identification. She hesitated.

"I have been travelling," she continued gently. "There is no particular reason for my being here."

It was partly true.

"I don't recognize you," she continued, her voice distant, as though in thought. She knew they had never met, but she was looking for answers to questions she did not know, and therefore how could she ever ask them?

Silence.

It spoke so loud he didn’t know what she was saying.

Silence could mean many things; denial, anger, wisdom, unfriendliness, but to him, it meant only one thing currently.

Caution.

This wasn’t a Jedi or Sith who was inexperienced, or if she was curious, she was exceptionally confident. He felt the gaze of her eyes on his own. One of the most basic communications one could do; even the most animals did so. But its simplicity did not detract from its power, conveying even the thinnest strand of emotion. But staring back into her abyss-like eyes, Adrian wasn’t sure what it could be. Nothing seemed to escape them; to the Jensaarai, they were like blackholes, mysterious, powerful, and somehow captivating. He couldn’t help but wonder who she was, or where she had been. As Adhee’s gaze wavered down to his boots, a flood of disappointment and relief swept over his mind to be replaced by a sharp alacrity. An attractive, mysterious woman? Weren’t they always the hero’s undoing? Her eyes swept back up to his own.

"Adhee. I have been traveling. There is no particular reason for my being here. I don’t recognize you.”

He felt an urge to identify himself.

“Daska Tainer,” announced the man, ”I too have been traveling, looking for something I lost once.”

It was a complete lie, and while his CSIS training might have made it pass to the common person, he had very little doubt she would realize its true nature. He didn’t care if she knew the falsehood, if only she didn’t know who he truly was. That was the only thing that mattered to him. He gestured his head to the side.

“So why are you traveling for no reason? Trying to forget something, or are you like me, trying to find something you’ve lost?”

Adhee dipped her head to the man as he introduced himself, a simple gesture of formality and respect. It was a slow and meaningful movement, and yet it held more purpose than a simple acknowledgment; it hid her eyes from his own as she listened to the tone of his voice and the very pulse in the life force around him. In a moment's time she had reinforced a hesitance in her intake of the information given, a suspicion in the story he offered. Though despite the obvious lack in complete truth, she gained a new outlook on this Daska fellow. He was a smart man, to veil his words in swift but purposed falsity. The skill with which he did so spoke to her of a basic wisdom that many seemed to lack. And in this she held respect.

She stood up again, her eyes once more meeting his own. There was little way of telling whether he spoke half lies or twisted truths, or whether or not his name was the one he had been given by birth or by those who knew him well. She would not question it, for it was not her place to do so. All that mattered was that she had a way of connecting a face to a name, and it served her well enough.

"I suppose one could say I travel for a bit of both reasons," she responded, her eyes drifting subtly toward the skies. They reflected the color oddly, becoming a multitude of eerie colors that may have, for but a brief moment, masked the distance that was often drifting between those gateways, and her soul. As they faltered and fell from the skies, however, they were left shadowed by her lashes and cast back into a familiar, darkened glow.

"I suppose I have not gotten used to the way things change with time. I've had to grow accustomed to... everything, and for a time I needed a way to think... on my own. It was a settling thing, for a restless spirit, to go places where I knew no one, and found no place familiar. One accomplishes some measure of self-discovery in those precious moments of peace, and solitude...." As she cast her eyes through her lashes and for yet another time, settled them on the man before her, a corner of her lips quirked upward in a mild smile. It was a gesture she appeared a bit unfamiliar with at best.

"You are trying to find this misplaced thing of yours, here in Falltyl?" she inquired.

A good conversation is like a good lightsaber duel. One performer acts, one performer replies. One attacks, one defends. One probes, one mystifies. And one always kept his guard up. Always.

But as the woman spoke, the man let his curiosity lower his guard, to get a better look at this performer. When she bowed, his curiosity grew even larger, and his complacency more so. Her eyes were to the ground. She was vulnerable. With one fell swoop, he could knock her fully to the ground with his meaty fists. With any luck, she would be unconscious, and the Jensaarai would be free to do with her as he pleased. This was power: intoxicating power. But as quickly as Adhee had lowered her head, she raised it again, shattering his forbidden dream. Adrian involuntarily squinted, not so much because of the woman’s eyes, but rather, understanding that he had just faced a slight tug from the dark side. He shook the thought away.

"I suppose one could say I travel for a bit of both reasons,"

The deflection.

"I suppose I have not gotten used to the way things change with time. I've had to grow accustomed to... everything, and for a time I needed a way to think... on my own. It was a settling thing, for a restless spirit, to go places where I knew no one, and found no place familiar. One accomplishes some measure of self-discovery in those precious moments of peace, and solitude...."

The footwork….

"You are trying to find this misplaced thing of yours, here in Falltyl?"

The riposte.

He could respond in so many ways: a subtle deflection, intentional ignorance, an aggressive counter riposte, a subtle lure, and, of course, the basic parry. And like an overly enthusiastic neophyte dueler, Ravenna chose not one response, but attempted to do several of them at once. The Susevfian exaggeratedly shrugged and adopted a slightly.

“Yes and no,” replied the man slowly, “I found a lead on something that could help me find them...”

The lure…

“…but I’m not too optimistic about it now. I’ve been here for two weeks now, and everything seems to just fade away. I’m not so sure I’ll ever be able to find them…”

Maneuvering to support the lure.

“…but tell me Adhee, why would you be interested in me and my story? A man you’ve never met?” asked the man, letting his curiosity finally creep into his voice.

A counter riposte with a built-in guard.

It was an edged strike, maybe even biting. But it did something important for the man; it took him from a vulnerable off guard position to a surging offence. If she was hurt from it, Ravenna truly would be sorry; it had been a while since he had found someone with a connection to the flow, and even longer since he had found someone who was non hostile as well. Yet, he couldn’t afford to let himself be at ease with her. At least not yet.

For now, a mild amusement remained dancing within this woman's eyes, as though she was willingly participating in this duel of words and was, perhaps, even enjoying it. It had been some time since she, as well, had come in contact with another Force user... but in truth, it had been a long while since she had even held a conversation as long as this one. For some time, she had been alone, in a world all her own. The opportunity for something different was strangely intriguing to her now.

"You sought me, and you asked me who I was and what I am doing here. As one who has expressed the initial interest, you have given me an interest all my own, Mister Tainer."

Naturally, it was not the whole of it, but it was enough to explain most of her questions. True, it was he who had come to her and she had initially wanted to shrink away from him, into solitude.... But the fact that they shared a connection with the force, and bore no ill will toward each other, - at least for the time being - was enough in itself to offer a curiosity as to why each would be standing where they were right now. What possibilities could be lurking amongst them, as the only two of their "kind" to be found, as they had been, in a place like Falltyl?

"You are probably wondering what I mean to you and your goals right now, as a person who understands the Force in ways like the other. And so am I. Questions are a natural thing in such an unpredictable position, are they not?"

“You sought me, and you asked me who I was and what I am doing here. As one who has expressed the initial interest, you have given me an interest all my own, Mister Tainer.”

There was truth in her words. People who showed interests in others generally received interest from those they were interested in, for better or worse. Not a problem for ordinary people, but Adrian was far from ordinary. And in his line of work, it was a particularly bad occurrence if someone discerned that he was interested in them. That would attract undue attention and most likely foil his mission. And yet, he had done just that, for the sake of curiosity, and the possibility of companionship. Ravenna opened his mouth to reply, but the woman continued.

"You are probably wondering what I mean to you and your goals right now, as a person who understands the Force in ways like the other. And so am I. Questions are a natural thing in such an unpredictable position, are they not?"

Questions.

People asked questions to gain information. Ironically, the very questions they asked gave away more information about themselves then the answers they would receive. Adrian arched an eyebrow. If anyone chanced to hear them, it would raise his profile in the crowd. They would either think that he and Adhee were delusional or they spoke the truth. And the truth was worse than the lie, if only because it would attract a lot more attention, and probably the notice of the officers’ murderers. Which would be less than ideal. The Susevfian man politely smiled.

“Perhaps,” admitted the man reservedly, “but questions like these are best discussed in a more…private area.”

The man pointed at a cantina several meters away from them.

“Would you perhaps like to discuss this over a drink and food? I’m paying…”

OoC: o_o Sorry.

Adhee dipped her head and smiled lightly in response to the man's request, a gesture she may have used too frequently within their short time of knowing one another. She glanced in the direction the man gestured towards and then gently nodded her head, locks of errant hair once more dancing in front of her eyes. She turned towards the cantina and then looked to him once more, unwilling to step out in front of him but willing to walk at his side as an equal of sorts.

"I wouldn't mind at all," she said, a little breath of encouragement. Indeed he already knew she was acceptant of the idea, but she was growing a little more accustomed to the social aspect of actually speaking. It was a little refreshing, to tell the truth.

"It isn't necessary for you to pay," she added quietly. "But if you are willing, then I won't complain."