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surfersquid In reply to StravenLite [2010-12-11 05:27:18 +0000 UTC]

Linli stared at her glass of water in practiced concentration as she was rebuffed by the other woman. Couldn't this masked female let Lin alone to try to believe her own lies? If she told herself things were fine, they were fine, and that was that. After all, in the grand scheme of things, she was well enough, she supposed.

She nodded politely as the woman left her, relieved as she rolled the bottom of her glass around the table absently. The water left a sour taste in her mouth. She would have to find some elsewhere. Then again, what could she expect for free?

Linli gave the glass back to the bartender and was about to leave, when she overheard the conversation between the masked woman and the resident Hutt. Concern overcame her, and not unduly. Lin was grateful that the universe had given her a plain face; it meant less trouble with males. She had always been disgusted at her fellow female Jedi who used the wiles of their gender to accomplish their missions.

Leaning against the wall near the doorway, she scanned the room, stealing furtive glances over at this woman who had yet to show her face. So she was a fighter. She certainly looked the part, Lin had to admit.

The fighting rings held no joy for her; she could not stomach watching the matches. She looked down at her hands and sighed. What good could have been performed with those hands. What potential she had wasted, possibly to never be regained. If she could just but grasp the Force again...

However, she had kolto. Her hand slipped across her unassuming earth-tone tunic and pants, to a cloth satchel at her side. Silently, she stole over to the fighters' entrance, and waited, arms crossed, eyes half-closed. These sentients knew a life of nothing but violence and pain, and she often doubted that she could ever convince them to change their ways. But she could show them that someone cared. She knew most of them came from troubled lives, as broken as hers was, even though their histories were probably vastly different. If she could be the one bright spark in their dark lives, it would be worth it.

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StravenLite In reply to surfersquid [2010-12-11 05:51:25 +0000 UTC]

The bloated crime lord laughed, "<>"

It was hard not to gut the sour smelling tyrant right there. But Ky left with the Gamorian guard and headed towards the fighter's entrance. Her hair rose a little bit when she saw the human she'd seen earlier, leaning against the wall. Oddly enough, she seemed to be waiting. Ky's ears twitched when the woman moved away from the wall; she could tell right off the bat, this female was a warrior.
The way she planted her feet was precise, her movements were carefully planned whether or not she meant them. She was trained. Ky had the sudden desire to spar and see if she could learn anything new from this human.

"Hold." Ky told the guard.

"<>"

"No. She just wants to say something." Ky turned her head to the woman, "Yes?"

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surfersquid In reply to StravenLite [2010-12-11 06:07:33 +0000 UTC]

Linli could not disguise the way she moved, nor did she feel any need to. She was swift and sure, deliberate, yet with the grace and effortlessness of flowing water. Every little nuance of her movement seemed to blend with the flow of the universe. And that was just the way she liked it. It pained her that she could no longer feel the Force surging around her as she made her way through it, but she did the best she was able.

She was surprised when the fighter woman spoke to her, and she looked up at the female again, curiously. What to say? A thousand words ran through her heads, a myriad forest of phrases she might utter. She thought for a moment. She used words sparingly, and tried to use them wisely. They were powerful things. Finally, she tilted her head, eyelids wrinkling in the faintest hint of a smile. "Stay safe out there," she offered. "If you are wounded, come back to me. I can help." Linli knew that many fighters were proud and independent, and preferred to nurse their wounds themselves, but Lin had never seen the point in pride. The smart ones knew to take care of themselves in any way possible.

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StravenLite In reply to surfersquid [2010-12-11 06:52:55 +0000 UTC]

"Stay safe out there," she offered. "If you are wounded, come back to me. I can help."

Ky looked at the woman, her hair poofing in surprise. It'd been a long time since anyone had offered help, much less after a rebutal that she'd given.

"I will. And thank-you." She looked back at the Gamorian, "Lead on."

She slightly inclined her head at the woman. A mixture of firmiliarity in the air. She was getting the faintest recollection of sitting with this woman and others in a room...
The door slid shut behind her and she found herself back in the present. She rolled her shoulders and got ready for the battle as the announcer's annoying voice echoed through the ring.
At the sound of the bell, Ky's hair spiked as she looked at her opponent. He was human and held a viroblade. She felt a snarl creep up the sides of her mouth-desiring to tare into him, but decided to test the man's metal.
She'd gotten to the middle of the ring before he'd decided to move. He ran at her with a war cry and she easily avoided his charge, goating him into revealing his weakness through his pride. He yelled and turned with a hard slash, blocking with her cuff and grabbing the man's arm with her left hand, she yanked him forward and kneed his stomach. She slammed her elbow down on his back and kicked his viro blade away. The man tried to rise and Ky lifted him up like he weighed as much as a leaf.
He looked with fear and a small bit of hatred into her lenses. She brought her head forward and knocked him clean out. She dropped him to the ground and went back through the opening, not waiting for the announcer to finish.

Well, if they're that easy. I'm turning in early. I have a few minutes before the next match, perhaps that human will still be out there?

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surfersquid In reply to StravenLite [2010-12-12 05:31:15 +0000 UTC]

Linli watched the dour alien lead the woman into the ring, her eyes narrowing. Something about the female's voice, and especially her mannerisms, was familiar. Linli couldn't place her; perhaps they'd randomly come across each other years before, like starships passing in the eternal night of space. But the familiarity seemed to run deeper than that.

She spent the duration of the match ruminating near the entrance, her eyes closed and arms crossed, deep in thought. Meditation didn't avail much more than calmed nerves and cleared mind without the Force, and she had to rely on her hearing alone to make sure there was no trouble headed her way, but the fact that she recognized this woman yet couldn't place her was gnawing at her.

Before Linli knew it, the match was over and the tall female was walking back out the doorway. Lin heard her armor clanking and looked up at her expectantly, arms still crossed. "Are you hurt?" she asked, glancing at the woman before looking past her to see if her opponent would be walking out as well. Linli hoped the mysterious warrior's opponent hadn't been too badly brutalized; she had barely heard the cries of battle from her position outside the dueling ring and didn't want to know the particulars of what had happened in there. She'd seen enough fighting for one lifetime.

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StravenLite In reply to surfersquid [2010-12-12 05:51:16 +0000 UTC]

"Are you hurt?"

"No." Ky replied, disappointment thick in her voice, "I doubt he even knew which end of the blade was which."

"<>"

"Sure."

The pig ran off and Ky knelt down on one knee, placing her arm over it and staring at the woman until she shifted uncomfortably.

"What's your name, human?"

I've seen you before. I know I have. And it's driving me nuts! Ky's hair bristled and flopped with puzzlement.

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surfersquid In reply to StravenLite [2010-12-12 05:58:10 +0000 UTC]

Linli stared at the woman curiously, her arms dropping to her sides and her stance straightening as the female warrior dropped to one knee, unsure whether to anticipate an attack. (It was frustrating not having the Force to forewarn one about such things.)

Lin's glance darted about the cantina to make sure no one was overhearing their conversation. Her name was not something she gave out lightly, but she was sure this (apparently alien) woman would not take well to having a question declined. "...Linli Arathasis." She bowed slightly, wondering what hid beneath the mask.

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StravenLite In reply to surfersquid [2010-12-12 06:25:44 +0000 UTC]

"...Linli Arathasis."

Ky's hair stopped flopping and then spiked, making the back of her mask look like there was pins underneath. Ky remembered her now. They and Ann's other trusted generals were in a war meeting, including Malak. Ky and Linli had sat diagnol from each other for the duration of that meeting. Ky had been for Ann, while Lin had been against some of her tactics and suggested different alternatives. Ky had admired Lin for having the guts to speak up...Ann hadn't seen it that way.

Ky's head drooped a little as she tried to stamp down the hurtful memories and feelings that came from that war.

"You don't have to bow to me, General Arathasis. I mean, it's not like we're serving in the war anymore." Ky swallowed her emotions and stood.

The Gamorian came back, "<>"

Ky took 100 and let him keep the other, "I'm ready. I need a good fight."

"<>" he gesutured.

Ky looked back down at Linli and extended her hand, "If you want to grab a table, I'll be right back, Lin. If not, I'll understand."

Ky stepped back into the ring, the door sliding shut after her.

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surfersquid In reply to StravenLite [2010-12-13 20:19:22 +0000 UTC]

Called by a title she had discarded years ago, Linli looked up at the woman in disbelief. Who was she, to know who Lin was? Memories bubbled up to the surface of her subconscious. The most prominent was of a war meeting a few weeks before Malachor, the one where Linli had raised General Willish's ire and had been reassigned to the Malachor system as a result (Lin's tactics resembled, at times, that of General Malak's far too much for Willish's liking). All of the other generals were there, Linli recalled. But only one female general had a stature anywhere approaching Malak's.

"...General Ekonte?" Linli choked in a whisper. She didn't care if anyone else overheard--right now, the rest of the galaxy didn't exist, and it was just she and Kyla, caught in a pocket of their own memories.

Just then, however, the Gammorean returned. Linli stepped back and let him conduct his business with General Ekonte (who was still as ferocious as ever, it seemed). She fidgeted awkwardly when Ky addressed her again, and merely replied with a nod.

As the door shut, Linli pushed herself away from the wall and meandered numbly over to the nearest empty table, leaning slowly back in the booth and closing her eyes (she needed to stare blankly, but as everyone knows, staring in a cantina is not the wisest idea). She thought General Ekonte had died--she thought everyone at Malachor had died except for herself and the Zabrak technician. To learn that one of the top-ranking generals in the Republic Army had survived...did anyone else know she was still out there, making her way as an arena fighter? What was she doing here? Where was she when the Sith attacked? Lin took a few deep breaths to calm herself. These questions would be answered in time. For now, however, she had to wait.

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StravenLite In reply to surfersquid [2010-12-13 23:39:26 +0000 UTC]

Ky walked into the ring, part of her wanting to just return to Lin and understand her reason for coming there, the other part, glad for the distraction; it would help her have time to form her questions better. If Lin decides to stay, that is...
After a short battle, Ky left her opponent bleeding face down, in the ring. She returned first to the Hutt to collect her winnings and then left to search for Lin amongst the tables. When she found her in a booth, she smiled a little. Lin hadn't been one for large crowds or fan fair (like Malak had), more the kind to stick to everything until it was accomplished. It was good to see Lin again. Ky'd been told that everyone else had died.

"This seat taken?" Ky pointed and watched Lin sit up, her clear grey eyes looking at her.

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surfersquid In reply to StravenLite [2010-12-14 03:41:49 +0000 UTC]

Linli was jolted out of her thoughts by Kyla's voice; she sat up attentively, repressing the urge to salute her former commander. Old habits died hard, and even though the war was over, Lin still instinctively felt respect and deference toward the superior general.

"No..." Lin replied, shaking her head and trying to formulate some sort of sentence out of the million thoughts forming a maelstrom in her mind. "I--you're alive," she finally said, incredulously. "I ought to have guessed you'd survived--I mean, your kind are awfully difficult to keep down," she continued by way of a compliment, her expression still stone-set in seriousness. This was so strange. She really had to work to keep herself from easing into the familiar mindset of small talk amongst officers in the mess hall. Much had changed since Malachor. "...I was told by the Council that I was one of only two survivors," she continued. Clearly, something had gone wrong there. Either reports had been insufficient, and she had left before she could get more accurate information, or--she didn't want to believe it--the Council had lied.

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StravenLite In reply to surfersquid [2010-12-14 04:56:40 +0000 UTC]

Ky sat down at Lin's "No".

"I--you're alive," Lin's voice full of surprise, "I ought to have guessed you'd survived--I mean, your kind are awfully difficult to keep down."

Ky gave her a faint smile under her mask, "You can't keep a good Kumari down."

"...I was told by the Council that I was one of only two survivors." Lin's grey eyes were searching Ky's black lenses for answers.

"I was told, I was the only one." Ky looked down at her gloved hands, "I was certain no one survived, when they all screamed..."

Her hair spiked under her mask and she shut her eyes as the death cries of an entire planet came back to her. Both of the women were silent for a little while. Ky shook her head, pushing the dark memory away and looked at her fellow general.

"Lin? Follow me. There are too many eyes and ears here."

Once they had arrived and Ky had checked her rented room over, she jammed her window's and door's codes so they'd at least have warning if someone tried to break in.

"There's some goo-loch bars and sandwiches in the compartment if you're hungry. Capped water is on the dresser."

Ky pulled off her mask, breathing in fresh air.

"You know, I honestly don't know how Ann could stand it." she gave Lin a sad smile, "I prefer not breathing through my own sweat."

Ky grabbed a capped water and tossed it to Lin, then she took one for herself and guzzled it. She sighed and tossed the empty container into her waste basket.

"Now that you've actually taken a drink and look a little less ruffled, maybe we can begin again. Yes, I'm alive and I'm more than pleased you are too." Ky sat down on a thick chair, opposite of the younger general, "I don't think I've felt this happy for some time...minus last year. But that's a long story."

Ky's face grew serious as she looked at Lin, her hair bushing with puzzlement, "Perhaps you could honor me by sharing how you survived? And I will do the same."

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surfersquid In reply to StravenLite [2010-12-15 02:40:30 +0000 UTC]

As Ky mentioned that horrible moment, Linli closed her eyes, a pained expression coming over her face as she swallowed hard. That was something she hoped she would never have to revisit.

Lin nodded to Ky's suggestion to leave--of course, talking about this in public was dangerous, and Lin was glad Ky had somewhere to go.

She watched in appreciation as the Kumari secured the room; Kyla had always been sensible like that in the war, unlike Lin who more often than not had charged in without considering all of the factors, and more often than not paid for it. Much had changed since Malachor.

"Thank you," she said with a polite nod. She was hungry, but mostly just craved fresh water. After a few moments of inner debate, she opened the room's cooling compartment and pulled out a goo-loch bar, nibbling at it while she watched Ky take off her mask, intensely curious as to what she would see underneath.

The result was not very surprising; Ky looked very much the same as when Lin had last seen her. A little older, perhaps, but of course that was to be expected. The woman's eyes still held the same fire Lin remembered.

The Human woman caught the water deftly (although she wished she could have used the Force to do it) and appreciatively swigged down the cool liquid that tasted much cleaner than what she had in the cantina. She gave Ky a curious look when the Kumari mentioned last year, but smiled when she saw Ky was happy. At least someone had been able to find happiness. Lin possessed a vague sense of peace, but happiness...that was beyond her grasp, and beyond her deserving.

Linli's eyes narrowed when Ky asked her to recount how she survived Malachor. They were memories she did not like to return to often, and the whole thing had been so confusing that she didn't have much to tell, at least not coherently. Finally, staring into the distance and folding her hands beneath her chin, she began. "I can't remember much," she admitted. "I was on the bridge of one of the battleships, orbiting Malachor. We were engaged in battle with the Mandalorian forces. Suddenly, before I knew it, someone had given the command over the comm...and the entire planet died before my eyes." She cringed, in spite of trying to keep up a calm demeanor. "The ships in orbit were hit a moment later. The last thing I can recall is heat, and pain..." Her gaze fell to the floor for a moment. There was something else. But she didn't care to share it, even with someone who had been there. Linli had no way of knowing if Kyla had experienced exactly the same thing, or if Lin's fate had been a chance twist of the Force exacted upon her.

She took a breath and continued. "When I came to, I was in the medbay of a ship heading back to Dantooine...for my trial. Bao-Dur, the Zabrak, had left me a message of apology, so I knew he was still alive. But...they told me everyone else had died. I suppose they were too ashamed to admit the truth."

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StravenLite In reply to surfersquid [2010-12-15 04:53:10 +0000 UTC]

"I was on the bridge of one of the battleships, orbiting Malachor. We were engaged in battle with the Mandalorian forces. Suddenly, before I knew it, someone had given the command over the comm...and the entire planet died before my eyes."

Ky's eyes closed at seeing Lin cringe. She opened them again and they were filled with raw anger and pain.

"The ships in orbit were hit a moment later. The last thing I can recall is heat, and pain..."

Ky's hair spiked and wilted in turn. The screams...the screams of Republic soldiers, Jedi, and Mandos alike all rushing up to meet her! Ky involuntarily shook her head, willing the memories away. Her hair bristled with her inner fight. She had to answer for each life. But if she hadn't given the order, the Mandos would've over run them all and then the Republic would've been defensless.

Lin took a breath and continued. "When I came to, I was in the medbay of a ship heading back to Dantooine...for my trial. Bao-Dur, the Zabrak, had left me a message of apology, so I knew he was still alive. But...they told me everyone else had died. I suppose they were too ashamed to admit the truth."

Ky looked at the younger general, her shoulders feeling heavier, "It was my fault, Lin. I'm the one who gave the order...the Mandos were overwhelming the ground forces. It was only a matter of time before they took to the skies. Once our fifth batalion went down, it was either to retreat or to destroy any chance they would have at recooperating." Ky swallowed, "I chose the later...and I was punished for it."

Ky's eyes were haunted and her voice trembled, "The screams, each and everyone of them came at me! I felt them die! All of them! They came with that explosive wave you mentioned. I'd been covered in gore, held my men and women as they died, I'd heard death screams...but none of it compared with how intense and terrifying those screams were when they decended upon me." Ky's hair wilted and poofed with the memory, her eye teeth shown in a frightened grimace, "I couldn't handle it...I severed my bond to the force and flew back as the ship was smacked with the impact. When I awoke, I found my men dead and drug myself to the escape pods. After that, I logged in the only coordinates I could recall, Dantooine. I passed out again because of my wounds. I guess some farmer found me and took me to the Council because he saw my saber." Ky swallowed passed a particularly hard lump, "After a week or so, I came to. I was brought to the Council in restraints, unsure of this behavior until I saw Atris. There was quite the debate on my life. Council member Atris cried for my death, the others thought exile was a better choice. I was so mad, I couldn't think straight! Here they were, debating over my life while my Sista needed me...huh. I was a fool."

Ky glanced at the ground, "In the end, they forced me to turn in my saber. I did, I returned it to their stone by jamming it straight through and glaring at Atris, wishing it'd been her. I left, but not before the Jedi told me that I was to remain "deceased" on Republic files. I hated them then for it...I hate them now. My glorious teachers..." Ky spread her arms, "the knights of the Republic, who were supposed to give their lives to keep it safe, teaching their beloved Padawans the same, backstabbed us all."

Ky looked at Lin, curious to see if she felt the same way. Lin was gifted with the ability to remain straight faced. No one ever knew what her decision was, until she spoke it.

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surfersquid In reply to StravenLite [2010-12-16 04:32:45 +0000 UTC]

Linli looked up, surprised, at Kyla. Lin had always wondered who had given the fateful order, and now they were sitting in the same room. That order had caused more needless death and pain in one second... Lin brushed the thought away. There was no use stewing on it now. All of that was behind them, she reminded herself.

It happened differently for her.

Linli nodded attentively to Ky's recollections, her folded hands slipping up to her mouth in a position of deep contemplation. Inside, she was feeling as much turmoil as Ky was showing, but she dared not show it. Peace. In peace lies true strength.

"That explains a lot," she finally said, once Ky was done, sidestepping the disturbing way in which the Kumari had lashed out at the Council. Lin would rather not have to deal with that issue. "I was probably brought back to Dantooine after the Council had exiled you," she explained. "I must have been found by the salvage crews a few weeks after the battle."

How had I survived? I have my theories. But that is all they are--theories.

Lin searched for words for a moment. "...They exiled me, too," she said quietly.

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StravenLite In reply to surfersquid [2010-12-16 05:24:40 +0000 UTC]

"That explains a lot." Lin said.

Ky shook her head, "Ahh Lin, you've got one of the best pazaak faces I've ever come across. I know you're thinking, I see the gears turning in those grey eyes of yours, but what about? That's my real question." Ky leaned forward, looking at her curiously, her hair bushing, "Do you want to cut me down? Do you hate me for what I did?..." Ky looked away, "There's nothing I can do to take it back. I've replayed that scenario countless times in my head..."

Ky stood and walked over to the window.

"Everytime I look out into space I wonder...what would've happened if I hadn't. Would I still be able to touch the force?" Ky reached into her belt pouch and pulled out an old worn data pad. Looking at the scribbles a young boy had given her so long ago, her smile dropped as continued, "More importantly, would I have been able to spare you and all the others who suffered..." Ky took a deep breath, "-death? Or in your case, worse?"

Ky turned. Lin's eyes had widened. For anyone else, it would've been an open gape.

"You think I didn't notice, Lin? When I tossed you that capped water, you didn't force grab it. You used your physical reflexes." Ky looked at her sadly, folding the datapad and replacing it, "Whenever I'd tossed you water or fruit or whatever before in the mess hall, you always used the force. I thought I'd be traveling this forceless road alone...well, I guess not. And for that...I'm, truely sorry."

When Ky learned that they'd exiled Lin, to say she was shocked was putting it mildly.

"What?! Why would they do that to you? You didn't give the order!" Ky's hair spiked, "That was ME! MY decision! Not your's! Why would they-?" Ky's face went straight as her hair stood on end, "Because you left with Ann, right? They considered you a traitor with the rest of us. Heh, go figure."

Ky held up her cuff and stroked it as she thought about the Council. There were times when she wished so hard that she'd attacked Atty at that last meeting! I would've died...and it's all betrayal anyway. She betrayed me when I returned. I betrayed Ann by not rushing to her side when I saw her falling and again by not going to her when I was exiled...it wasn't for lack of trying. But my people needed help...and I needed healing. Ky's arm dropped.

"Don't worry Lin, I only use these on my enemies. You're not one of them. If anything...I need to make up for the injustice I've caused to hurt you." Ky's brown eyes softened, "I don't know everything that you're feeling. But I do know you're hurting. I want to help, but all I have to offer is friendship-kitiship, as my people say it. If you'll allow it."

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surfersquid In reply to StravenLite [2010-12-18 02:47:17 +0000 UTC]

There is no emotion; there is peace.

Lin met Ky's inquiries with a blank stare, waiting patiently for the barrage of rhetorical questions to cease. It was not the first time Linli had been told she'd had a great pazaak face (the only thing she thought her face might be good for), but she had never had an interest in the game. But that was inconsequential now.

"I forgive you," she said simply to Kyla, blinking slowly. "Don't worry about it. What's done is done." All of their mistakes were in the past now--it was useless to dwell on them. They had the future ahead of them to mold.

Linli felt a stab of panic run through her body as Ky's hair rose. Lin did not know much about Kumari - Ky was the only one she had known - but just from her acquaintance with the superior general Lin was well aware of what spiking hair meant on a Kumari. If Kyla were to let her anger get out of control, nowhere would be safe. And Lin did not like the way the Kumari had suddenly turned her attention to her cuff. Linli knew that Ky was not angry with her, but to be in the presence of so much rage was disconcerting. Even though Lin could no longer directly feel it through the Force (she felt so helpless and floundering with that sense deadened), the anger filled the room like electricity.

She was relieved when Kyla calmed down. There was nothing to make up for, Linli thought. What had happened to the both of them, had happened for a reason, even if it had not yet been made known to them. Her grey gaze averted to a corner of the room as she pondered Ky's offer, finally deciding to reply with an offer of her own. "General Ekonte," that title still slipped out so much more easily than the woman's given name, "you seem to be hurting, too. Malachor was difficult for both of us. I believe it was not coincidence that we met this day." Linli looked back to the Kumari. "Perhaps we were meant to help each other."

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StravenLite In reply to surfersquid [2010-12-18 04:03:16 +0000 UTC]

"I forgive you" Those three simple words were like a welcomed thick patch of kolto being strapped to her emense wounds that were hidden to the naked eye. Kyla felt her hair calm. Lin couldn't have had any clue how much that meant. But it's potiency was something that Ky couldn't and wouldn't overlook. She sat back down on her chair.

Lin had come a long way since Ky had first met her. She'd been a force to be reckoned with on the field of battle and one the enemy tended to dread. Something that Ky admired. They'd been able to spar once and not for long because they were interuppted by an order to go and see Malak. Ky'd always regretted not finishing that fight. She could tell a lot about a person as she crossed weapons. Lin had been determined, anxious and fluid in her motions. At the time, she'd thought the force had given her the grace and finesse she carried. But since the cantina where they'd barely met up over an hour ago, Lin had proven that assumption dead wrong. It was natural, talent that'd been honed through years of study at the Academy.

"General Ekonte-"

The title made the corner of Ky's mouth drop and she shook her head, "You don't have to call me that Lin, we're just two women trying to make our way in the world. I'd prefer you use my real name. That way I'm a person, not a glorified statue."

"-you seem to be hurting, too. Malachor was difficult for both of us. I believe it was not coincidence that we met this day." Linli looked back at her, "Perhaps we were meant to help each other."

"Now that's an interesting thought, Lin. I wouldn't say 'no' to the idea of having another kiti. Especially now. But I need to be straight with you and I'd appreciate you being straight with me..." Ky looked down, "Could you stand me as a ki-friend? I'm an intimadating, hot tempered, blunt-battle blade that's always looking for a fight. It's a way for me to relieve stress and anger, my kind has a lot of that. We are meant to fight and kill, it's what we're good at. I'm a walking war machine." Ky looked at the younger officer, "Could you deal with that? Because, if you can't, I suggest we part ways...I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable. If you can, then I'll be by your side until you feel it's time we part ways or death occurs for one of us. Which ever you choose, is fine. I won't hold it against you, if you say no."

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surfersquid In reply to StravenLite [2010-12-22 20:02:12 +0000 UTC]

"My apologies," Lin replied, cheeks turning red in embarrassment as she looked down. "You were my superior in the military...I cannot help but give you the respect I feel you deserve."

The room fell into an awkward silence as Linli mulled over Ky's offer. She shifted positions several times in her seat, not really sure how to respond. Linli wanted to be Kyla's friend, but the Kumari's demeanor was off-putting. Somehow, Ky now lived by everything Linli abhorred. Lin didn't want to be friends with someone like that. But she had also pledged to herself to be friends with everybody--no matter how much she disagreed with them.

Finally, Linli decided to again answer with a question. "General Eko--Kyla," she corrected herself. "How did you come to be this way? What happened to the woman I knew in the war, in the Jedi Order?" Her eyes narrowed as she gave Ky a searching, ponderous look. "We are no longer Jedi, but that does not mean we must abandon principles we know are true. Nothing good comes from anger. You know that as well as I. Why are you doing this to yourself?" She sighed. "Perhaps I am uninformed--you are the only Kumari I have ever met. I do not claim to know anything about your culture or your species' instincts. But it does not seem right to me that you are letting those instincts control you..." she finished wearily, slumping in the chair and suddenly looking very tired of life. Standing up to people, giving her opinion, was a stressful task for her, especially when it involved something this important.

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StravenLite In reply to surfersquid [2010-12-22 22:31:14 +0000 UTC]

"I'm both flattered and confused about that, Lin." Ky gave her a meaningful smile, "You were always an admirable Jedi on the field of battle. Your style was impressive to me. I'm still sad we never finished that bout..."Her face grew serious, "But what impressed me more, was that day when you had the spine to stand up to Ann. That rarely happened with any of her generals, let alone officers. You had courage and honestly gave your opinion, no matter the cost. It was a breath of fresh air. And that, I thank you for."

After she asked her question, Ky watched as Lin slumped back in her chair, looking beat.
Ky opened her mouth and paused, she shook her head, deciding to say it anyway. She wanted to be honest, that way Lin could have no misconception of where she stood.

"The woman you knew, was destroyed when THorin was slaughtered on Duxn. My broken heart was torn again when I found Ann had become the monster...and I hadn't said anything to diswade her. The death screams of Malachor almost finished me off...but I'm a survivor.
After I left the Jedi Council and my saber behind, I felt like my old life died. I didn't know what to do with myself. I'd saved countless by pulling that trigger and killed many to do it. I wanted to find Ann and save her, be there for her, like I'd always promised. And I tried! But to no avail. Something would always happen, my ship would just miss her's, I would receive wrong co-ordinates or information, or the messages I would try to send, were never responded to. In the end, I ran out of what credits I had saved. Ann floated further away from me and there was nothing I could do.
I did the only thing a lost and broken kut-child would do at that point, go home.

"Kalamar, my home world, is vastly different compared to how I grew up at the Enclave. Fighting is encouraged, battles are a thing to be shared, and our Council is there to strictly settle any dispute there may be with our laws." Ky smiled wryly as she looked at Lin, "I will settle a rumor right now though, we don't bath ourselves in the blood of our enemies. We only get covered in it when we fight."

When Lin looked ill, Ky's hair wilted, "Sorry. Kumari humor there."

"There's a lot I could go into Lin, but what it boils down to is this: I was lost and alone. My race and what was left of my 'clan', picked me back up and helped me climb out of the hole I'd dug. I was able to laugh and smile again. They saved me. And I was even able to help return the favor later. When I came, I had no friends, but when I left, I had many. Including members of the Council.
I was taught how to hunt, gain respect through my bouts in the rings, and build up my clan's name again-very important to our race." She smiled, showing her fangs and her hair poofed a little with amusement, "I even had a few suitors vying for my buckle by the time I'd finished helping the Council with our world's defense system. Heh, I bet my clan would've been honored by having those males ask to court me."

Ky looked at Lin again, "I never did accept. It never felt right. I ended up leaving Abbi incharge of the Ekonte state and left, feeling I needed a break from all the fan-fair I was getting. As for me fighting in these places, Lin, I do that to keep my skills honed against other species. So that when I find Ann again, I'll be able to face whatever will come my way. I'm looking for her and I will continue to do so, until I die. I promised to be there, so I will be. Does that answer your question?"

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surfersquid In reply to StravenLite [2010-12-28 23:32:31 +0000 UTC]

"You were a higher rank than I," Lin explained offhandedly. "And you were General Willish's right-hand woman. I was barely a Knight when I defied the Council to join you, Willish, and Zep; the only experience I'd had was my training at the Enclave. But I knew there was something more in the three of you. You had tapped into an inner strength that most Jedi don't reach until well into adulthood. You were perfectly equipped to become generals. I was promoted far more slowly. I'd only been a general for a month or so when Malachor happened." She could never really get over calling Malachor V an event rather than a location, for it was there that her life had taken its sharpest turn.

"I did it for the wrong reasons," she added in little more than a murmur, more to herself than to Ky. Linli had been very vocally opinionated before Malachor, but it was more out of narrow-mindedness and stubborn belligerence than anything else. Diplomacy had not been her strong point.

Lin listened quietly and thoughtfully to Ky's tale. It seemed Malachor had changed the both of them dramatically, although apparently in completely opposite ways. Lin had never had to deal with heartache, though, so she could not sympathize with THorin's death, nor Willish's betrayal. She supposed that was why the Council discouraged forming attachments. They seemed to be dangerous things. From Ky's description of Kalamar's culture, it also seemed like Kumari instincts would not allow most of them to adhere to Jedi philosophies. It was a shame the Order was not more discerning than to wantonly abscond with whatever Force-sensitive children they came across, disregarding their parent cultures, natural inclinations, and even personalities.

"So...you abandoned your loyalties to the Jedi Order in favor of the culture of your own species," Linli summarized. She couldn't help but feel a little envious--at least Ky had a culture to fall back on. All Linli knew about her life before the Jedi Order was that she had been picked up on Coruscant as an infant, and due to overcrowding in the Jedi Temple there had been sent to Dantooine. "And now...you're looking for General Willish."

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StravenLite In reply to surfersquid [2010-12-29 03:55:43 +0000 UTC]

"...the only experience I'd had was my training at the Enclave. But I knew there was something more in the three of you. You had tapped into an inner strength that most Jedi don't reach until well into adulthood. You were perfectly equipped to become generals."

Ky's smile was there, but it didn't reach her eyes. Linli had no idea of the personal hell the trio of friends had been through that'd brought them closer. Not many had, the Council had quieted any form of rumor once they'd returned to the Enclave and had those who'd gone on the accidental adventure promise to keep quiet about it.
Bastila Shan had been part of their group, making it a quartet of trouble. But that was a entirely different story, one that would take far too long to tell and was too intimate to share with a brief acquaintance. Ky didn't know if she would ever tell it.
Linli seemed the type that would listen out of politeness, but Ky doubted the former Jedi would like to hear it. It was not a tale for the faint hearted. And although Linli had seen her share of war, she didn't seem to like fighting now...and there was a lot of fighting and worse that'd gone on in the four's past.

I wonder where good old Basty is now? Ky thought to herself.

"So...you abandoned your loyalties to the Jedi Order in favor of the culture of your own species," Linli said.

"Loyalties." Ky felt her hair bristle and spike, she stood and walked away from Lin to avoid a sudden desire to maim anything in her path, "The Masters snuffed that out in a heartbeat when I found they wouldn't go to war to protect the very Republic they had taken oaths to defend. The oath we all took as knights!
"We have to look for the real source of this war. We must wait until it shows itself. Yeah, well Dantooine to Master Vandar, if we hadn't gone to take out the Mando threat there would be no meditating and waiting. The threat would've come. All of us would've been dead, I don't care how powerful or smart he was. Ann was better and she was right." Ky said bitterly, "I'm not sorry I went to war! I'm sorry-" Her hair wilted and her eyes moistened "-I'm sorry for the unnecessary fatalities. For those I cared about who were lost. Aneth...THorin...Cogs."

Ky's throat tightened , she couldn't speak.

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surfersquid In reply to StravenLite [2010-12-30 04:17:48 +0000 UTC]

Linli stayed calm and still as Kyla ranted. Willish was wrong. But she didn't think the emotional Kumari wanted to hear that right now. As it was, dredging up the past was already too painful for Lin. Every fatality in war is an unnecessary one. Lin felt that such platitudes would fall on deaf ears if those ears were pointed like a Kumari's. She was at a loss as to how to reach out to this woman or sympathize with her. Linli had prided herself on never having any sort of attachment in her life, and yet Kyla had clearly been greatly attached to several others during the war.

Linli tapped her fingers together for a few awkward moments, not quite sure what to say. "...I don't know if you'll have much further use for me," she finally admitted honestly, standing up. "I should probably get going." She did feel bad that Kyla was so obviously distraught, but Linli really couldn't do anything about it. She couldn't make those people come back; she couldn't heal Kyla's broken heart. Linli was powerless.

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StravenLite In reply to surfersquid [2010-12-30 05:43:17 +0000 UTC]

"...I don't know if you'll have much further use for me," Lin said, standing up, "I should probably get going."

Ky's hair wilted further and her face fell, "Use? That's a polite way to say 'you're freaking me out'. I must look like a great general to you now, right Lin? Almost out of my mind, abandoning anything the Jedi taught me...and all because of my choice, to follow one woman whom I consider salvageable when everyone else tells me it's impossible." Ky's large arms fell to her sides, "Lin, I still feel like there's some part of Ann that's still good. Some part of her that will recognize me. I have to believe it! Otherwise...I'll fall apart."

Lin stood there, patiently listening to all of it. They might've been friends, had things turned out differently. But from her responses to Ky's answers, she wanted nothing more than to leave. She only stayed, because of her respect for a superior officer, which no doubt was diminishing as they spoke.

"Lin," Ky grabbed her mask, "I'm sorry things couldn't be different. But, thanks for listening. For what it's worth, I've appreciated you letting me chat your ear off."

Ky put on her mask once more and walked Lin back to the cantina to make sure she was safe.

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surfersquid In reply to StravenLite [2011-01-01 22:35:20 +0000 UTC]

Linli paused, one hand lightly brushing against the wall, unable to bring herself to look at the Kumari. Lin was trying to be diplomatic, but Ky could read her like an unencrypted datapad. Ky was right, though. Being around this woman was making Linli uneasy. It was clear that Malachor had made her emotionally unstable--if Kumari could ever be emotionally stable in the first place.

But one thing Ky said gave Lin hope--Kyla's own hope for Willish's redemption. That was something Lin could connect with, however small it was.

"I am glad I was able to provide you with ears willing to listen," Linli said with a polite incline of her head as Ky escorted her back to the cantina. It was not a place Lin was going to stay much longer, but from here she knew the way back to the starport, to try to find a ride to another world. She would go where ever the stellar winds blew her, she supposed, until she found her place. If she ever found her place. She looked around for a moment before turning her gaze upward to the towering Kumari. "I believe in your quest to redeem General Willish," she said confidently, her expression clear and her stone-grey eyes lucid. "I no longer have the Force to tell me such things...but I have a feeling, perhaps by some instinct that runs deeper than the Force, that you will succeed. Never give up hope, Kyla Ekonte. And never forget who you are." Having said that, her message delivered, Linli retreated back inside herself and became the galaxy-weary, retiring woman Ky had first spotted in the cantina. "Stay safe," were her parting words as she entered the cantina once more. "May the Force find some way to be with you."

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StravenLite In reply to surfersquid [2011-01-02 00:19:29 +0000 UTC]

Ky watched Linli enter back into the cantina, feeling sad but understanding Lin's choice. Ky turned away from the cantina to return to her quarters to think things over.
Once she'd sat down, she looked back out the window to grasp some meaning to what she did anymore. Was she just lying to herself? Could Aneth be redeemed? Would she recognise Kyla if she were to stand before her?

Ky reached into her pouch and pulled out the worn datapad, just as she did every time she was questioning her reasons. She turned it over in her hands hoping and desiring for better days and an opportunity to turn everything right. She had to have hope...

Ann had made her laugh when she'd wanted to cry, other times she'd shared Ann's tears. They'd been through hard times and shared each other's victory when the other succeeded. They were more than just friends, they were sistas. And Ky would do everything in her power to reach her sista again...even step onto Malachor's surface if it meant retrieving her sista's soul.
Ann was her world. The one thing in the galaxy that made Ky feel at home and not a foreigner. THorin had been part of that, until his life was taken in the war.

Ky sighed and opened the datapad, once again revealing the scribbles of a youngling whom had believed in her with all his heart, that she was a "hero". When they'd both become older and before Ky had gone to war, she'd wanted to train him as her Padawan. He'd had the heart and skill that was necessary to become great and she'd wanted to help him develop it further. She'd taken him aside, when she'd found herself leaving to go and protect the Republic, she'd given him a gift.

"I wonder if he still has it?" She wondered aloud, putting it away.

Her thoughts wandered to her recent meeting with the former General. At the end of it, Lin said she'd believed in Ky's quest, that she'd felt Ky would succeed, and that's what Ky had needed to hear.

"Stay safe," and "May the Force find some way to be with you" were her parting words.

Ky closed her eyes, feeling her hair begin to rise with her determination as she stood.

"I will General Arathasis. And may the Force be with and protect you in all the coming years."
***
Hey, that was pretty good Misao. Thanks for doing it.
I hope you were able to learn what you wanted to about Lin. Thanks for exploring her character with me.
Mind if we post it?

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surfersquid In reply to StravenLite [2011-01-02 00:29:54 +0000 UTC]

No problem. I did learn a lot about Lin in the process.

And sure, go ahead.

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StravenLite In reply to surfersquid [2011-01-02 00:48:12 +0000 UTC]

Wonderful.

Thank-you. I will. We came up to about 20 pgs in MSWord.

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surfersquid In reply to StravenLite [2011-01-02 00:50:32 +0000 UTC]

Wow, nice.

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StravenLite In reply to surfersquid [2011-01-02 01:03:54 +0000 UTC]

I thought so.

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surfersquid In reply to Sunshine-tapir [2010-11-03 19:44:16 +0000 UTC]

Thanks.

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