Beta read by: LMSharp
"Duelist? Heh, I guess it's a worthy first challenge for you," Is Canderous' response after my declaration. Encouraged that his reaction wasn't an outright laugh or something else dismissive I grin up at him, my chest filling with pride. It's gotta mean something that The Canderous Ordo thinks I'm up for the challenge. "Do you even know how to use that blaster, and where did you get it?" He asks gesturing at my latest prize lying on top of a makeshift workbench comprised of a wide durasteel beam laid across two large permacrete blocks.
"Off a Black Vulkar who was threatening me with it." I shrug, like it was nothing, even though inside I'm giddy at the chance to brag, if my chest gets any fuller with hot air it'll pop. "I know how to shoot it and I'm a pretty fair shot, but it's been awhile and I was hoping you could give me a refresher course. I need to be a good shot to keep my opponent at bay since I've never handled a vibroblade."
Saying nothing, he walks to the weapon, picking it up for inspection, "This isn't a rifle, it's a Czerka C5 Blaster Carbine. It's much lighter and fires at a faster rate than a rifle though less accurate especially at a distance. It has a fifty round energy cartridge - and that can last much longer if you don't fry the cells by overheating. This one comes with a close range stun setting, and retractable stock so you can use it as a one handed weapon," He demonstrates, pressing his thumb down on the small button at the front end of the stock causing it to fold in on itself, cutting its length in half. Cool, I didn't know it could do that! This and the stun capability will make it perfect for the tight quarters of the ring "Though keep both hands on it if you switch to full auto." He warns and I roll my eyes, of course I knew that; it's basically like an SMG then. Though now that I think about I didn't know the difference from a carbine to a rifle-didn't even know what a carbine was until now; so I can't blame him.
"Alright get over here, let's get your 'refresher course' over with so we can move on to with Stun Staff sparring. The duelist don't use Vibroblades. The Energy Suppressor Fields within the ring are useless against blades. So they use stun batons or staffs." Makes sense when you think about it, wonder why that wasn't a condition in the game in the first place? "When you duel switch to what I taught you if you're forced into hand to hand combat with the baton, until you're competent with a staff."
"Do you watch the duels?" I ask, coming to stand at his shoulder, eager to learn where the stun setting is and how a blaster bolt comes from such a small clip. I had assumed the matches would be too mundane or 'somehow honorless' by Mandalorian standards for Canderous to be interested.
"When I first came to Taris," he admits. "But there's little to no challengers beyond the five. There's no honor in being stagnate when you have already defeated your enemy, not testing yourself against new more worthy foes," Canderous lectures proving my earlier suspicion. "- Among my people 'Dead-Eye Duncan' would not survive the day." He adds as a disgusted afterthought, putting special emphasis on the duelist's title, surprising me so much that I choke out a laugh, biting my lip to try to stop from smiling.
...
I thought Canderous was a hard-ass when he started teaching me hand to hand combat. Now after being shocked by a double ended three pronged staff, he got from who knows where over and over again - he's just an ass. I don't care that it was on the lowest setting! He just kept at it following every failed parry or swing I attempted until I was steaming. With roiling frustration and anger bubbling up my chest these feelings were just about reaching their limit when he jabbed my side following yet another missed swing causing it all to burst forth in an shockwave rolling outwards as I swore. In the blink of an eye all that anger and frustration became physical energy tinted with a red aura that knocked Canderous off his feet his lower half landing safely on the mat while his head and elbows connected with the permacrete floor. He didn't groan or shriek or yell like I did with every jab I failed to block, he just snapped his head back up staring at me surprise and confusion written all over his face.
Stareing back at him, stunned, freaked out and a little petrified I follow his eyes down to my arms still gripping the staff. The skin on the inside of my forearms is glowing faint red symbols similar to the three bumps raised beneath my skin on my back. Before they all faded away leaving me feeling drained as my breath quickens. "You're a Force Adept." Canderous finally speaks, it isn't a question. Tearing my eyes away from my skin to look at him, he's already rising to a crouch, looking guarded similarly to the look he gave me while trying to figure me out in the back alley of the Cantina.
"Yeah," I breathe, admitting it more to myself than him as I plant my staff into the mat to lean on it, my veins continuing to thrum with energy. Well I guess that answers the question if the Hand did anything more to me back on Korriban - I'm screwed. "I didn't mean to do that to you, it was a reflex reaction."
"And your not a Jedi?"
I shake my head. Could possibly become a fugitive from them, though, the pessimist part of me quips mentally.
"Or a Sith?" He adds getting to his feet. Opening my mouth my immediate thought is to answer no, then I hesitated, he saw me glowing red. He's fought Jedi first hand in the Mandalorian Wars. He knows normal Force powers don't do that, and I need to talk to someone about this before I explode. Unlike Zelka, I don't think Canderous would trust the Jedi to find me a cure, handing me over to them believing it was for my own good. Though he would probably think I'm stupid for wanting this power or whatever it is gone, and sure, if I wasn't terrified of the origin or purpose of this new found ability I would think this was awesome... Actually it kinda is anyway - I finally knocked Canderous on his ass! "I was never trained as a Sith, but they are the reason I could do that..."
"They uh took me from my home one night, from my family." I explain my voice unintentionally hitching as my throat constricts, fixing my attention on a spot on the floor beside the mat I clear my throat. Trying to avoid the thoughts that have had me up almost every night this past month. Will I ever see them again? "And did something to me on Korriban... I escaped, ended up here. Still don't know what they wanted me for or what they did to me. Since I can't go home; I ended up here."
"So what, you're hiding here from the Sith and the Jedi?" He asks after a long moment of silence. Well that wasn't the reaction I was expecting? Sure, I have no idea how someone is suppose to react to something remotely like this but still...
"Well, yeah - what else can I do? I didn't ask for this, there's no way I'd have anything to do with the Sith, and the Jedi wouldn't want anything to do with me, since whatever this is, is the product of the Darkside." Considering the Jedi of this era wiped away Revan's entire identity and will attempt to drain the Force from the Exile; I doubt they'll make an exception for me. I almost add before stopping myself.
"There's no honor in hiding from your strength pretending like it doesn't exist Kylie," He scolds me, bending over to scoop up his staff before straightening into what I like to call his 'instructor stance'. He assumes whenever he steps off the mat to have me run through a move by myself over and over again, until my muscles have committed it to memory, only stepping in to correct my stance when nessary. "Hey, I didn't even know I could do that until just now, and I have no clue how to even repeat it."
"Then learn, try to repeat what you just did." He told me simply. And despite my protests, out of fear of messing around with whatever they've done to me, trying to replicate what happened. Canderous even volunteers to be my human guinea pig to throw around. And trust me after 10 minutes of his pestering while I stood there like an idiot trying to concentrate, I really wanted to throw him.
"This isn't working Canderous." I sigh, straightening, reaching my limit of ridiculousness. "I'm more than confident that you could teach me practically anything, 'cept this."
"Hmmm, maybe we should replicate exactly what was going on..." Canderous starts, obviously thinking out loud moving towards the Stun Staffs we laid against one of the room's columns.
Already closer than he is I snatched the staffs in either arm holding them between us, depressing the buttons to have the ends sparking at him. "Hell, no."
Recovering from his surprise, Canderous crosses his arms, leaning back with an amused smirk. "Do you have a problem with that Kylie?" He asks in mock innocence.
"Come on, Canderous there's gotta be another way!" I plead uselessly. Before I'm forced to endure another aggravating spar with the hated spark-sticks with no results, though I think Canderous is letting up on me, either that or I am properly motivated to take to my training faster than usual.
...
"Ladies and gentlemen, draw your eyes to the center ring! We have a special presentation in store for you: You've seen him lose night after night after night. But this time, he's after fresh meat! In this corner I give you Deadeye Duncan!" The announcer shouts through the arena loudspeakers, eliciting a scattered applause throughout the spectator seats above. "And in the other corner, a relative newcomer to the Taris dueling scene. Starting from the ground up, a rookie looking to make her mark on the arena... Young Blood!" Ajuur the Hutt in charge of the duels came up with that one - at least it's better than Dead-Eye or Two Fingers.
The bell, of sorts, goes off. Duncan and I reach for our weapons. I'm quicker on the draw than him since the carbine is just slung over my shoulder as he fumbles to remove his blaster pistol from its hip holster, making this whole situation even more like a funny western showdown with a sci/fi element. Being the first to pull the trigger, I spray full auto trying to knock his shields down. This isn't as impressive as it sounds, considering a carbine still fires blaster bolts, that spit out at about a third of a rate slower compared to an SMG with bullets. Even less impressive when your target just stands there, cringing at the onslaught taking blind and widely missing shots.
This is so pathetic and ridiculous just standing here shooting at the cowering idiot (seriously it wouldn't be so bad if there was at least cover he could hide behind, it'd be somewhat of a challenge then, or more sporting I guess). I let go of the trigger once he gave up firing at me all together just as his shields gave out with a visible fizzle. Crossing the distance between us retracting my weapon's stock and switching to stun, I stopped about ten yards short of him just as he realized I had stopped shooting, lifting his head to blink at me in confusion. "Dude, just forfeit." I tell him, shaking my head. Why the hell is he even doing this, if this is how he handles it?
Because he's a moronic weasel, as evidenced by his chosen response to raise his blaster at me. I watch dispassionately as he falls over convulsing from my stun. Idiot. "It's over! The fight is over! Young Blood has won! But really are any of us surprised? Deadeye losing isn't news. You have to do better than that to impress us, Blood!" The north door of the arena opens and I exit through it, letting the medical droid pass, feeling far from victorious.
Before I can completely leave the arena though, I have to pass by the duelist view screen area within the ring's wall where the rest of the duelist sit checking out the competition, waiting for their turn in the ring. They all turn to stare at me, sizing me up. Keeping my expression neutral I try to ignore them walking up to my locker on the far wall to retrieve my things and return the mandatory dualist jumpsuit armor and shield band.
"I see you got your feet wet in the dual ring." Marl remarks approaching me as I disengage the arm band placing it in the locker. "Not bad... What you did for Duncan took real guts, giving up your advantage, and brains to have your blaster ready if he didn't take the out you offered him. You've got potential, kid, keep it up and you'll go places." He turns away before I can react beyond blinking in surprise. I really didn't think anything about what happened back there was something to be proud of, but that definitely means something coming from the veteran himself.
"Don't get full of yourself, Rookie," Gerlon comments, catching what Marl had said, "Deadeye's a joke, next time you'll be stepping up to the big league. I'll show you what's it's like to fight a real duelist!" He calls over his shoulder taking the stairs two at a time out of the ring. Leaving the locker area to myself since Twitch and Ice had already left, clearly not considering me as more than a speck on their radar. Actually it's surprising to me that Marl and even Gerlon are taking me seriously. All Ajuur needed was the lure of potential credits from letting new blood, so to speak, into the ring to accept me as a duelist. But back home people have always treated me as someone younger than I am, usually I attribute it to my looks or demeanor. I guess I just assumed the other duelist would immediately think I was a joke, just some stupid girl who needed to learn her place. Were they actually impressed with what I did back there, or are they just that desperate for new competition, which means more bets and more 10% in their pocket? Well at least I have some privacy to strip out of this jumpsuit armor and get my clothes back on.
"Master Ajuur always pays his debts. You won, so you get paid. Ten percent of the purse-that was the deal. Here's your credits." Ajuur's droid B2-PD translates for the Hutt depositing a handful of credits into my open palm. "You come back to fight Gerlon Two Fingers as scheduled and maybe you win more." I nod my thanks, before seeking a private corner booth to count my earnings. Honestly when the droid first dropped metallic kit-kat bars of varying size and colors into my outstretched hand I almost demanded real money out of the Hutt right then and there.
Now that I have them laid out in front of me on the table that urge comes back. Each piece is obviously made from several different alloys probably denoting their worth, if I knew what alloys were actually valuable. The symbols lasered into them mean absolutely nothing to me, What am I going to do just plop them on a counter and trust that I won't be cheated?
"Is everything alright? You seem troubled," asks a robed figure who had approached my booth without me hearing him above the music and chatter. Tensing my free hand immediately reaches for the medical bag Zelka gave me, where my carbine is stuffed in. Raising my face from where it had been resting on my hand to look up at a guy around my age around eighteen with a decorative blindfold over his eyes and a light saber attached to his belt. The Miraluka Padawan from the Undercity.
"I'm fine, thanks for asking." I tell him tightly, trying to look relaxed even though I feel like I've just been pulled over for speeding. Can he sense anything about me, is that why he approached me? You know like Vader saying, 'The Force is strong in this one.'
He doesn't take the hint, "That was... some duel." He gestures toward the view screens.
And I can't help but snort, shaking my head. "Yeah, that's one way to put it, certainly wasn't what I was expecting. So is this what Padawan's do on their downtime? Slog back a couple Tarisian Ales while betting on the duels?" I joke, curious despite myself. He was honestly the last person I expected to find here. He's not trying to arrest me yet so I better just try to play it cool for now. Right - I know how to do that...
"Yeah, no." His smile is actually pretty cute on him, uh not that mattered, focus Kylie. "Some of the intern scientists I work with insisted that I finally get out and see the city with them and we eventually ended up here. They wanted me to see the infamous Deadeye try yet again for Gerlon Two Fingers' ranking position, but instead we watched you, and I could've sworn I've seen you before...Weren't you with Dr. Forn in the Undercity a couple days ago? I remember you from the celebratory feast in the village center, you left rather suddenly after my master and I joined the gathering."
"Uh yeah, Dr. Forn and I wanted to travel through the Lower Districts before dark. Sorry we didn't get a chance to introduce ourselves. I'm Kylie." I offer my hand nervously only occurring to me after he hesitates to accept my handshake how an unusual custom it must be to him. When he eventually does take my hand in his, he takes the initiative to cup his other hand over the back of mine and stepping back performs a little half bow like the one Bastila performs to the Council on Dantooine. Still looks as silly now as it did then.
Noticing my poorly suppressed chuckle, he straightens, quirking his head to the side still holding my hand, "Not the proper custom of your world I assume, then?"
"You may have over done it, just a titch." I admit grinning, if I didn't know he was a Jedi I might've thought he was purposely making a fool of himself as a way of flirting. He's obviously trying to put me at ease. Do I look as anxious as I feel?
"May I take a seat? Then maybe the other patrons will stop staring at me." He asks jerking his head to small group of drinkers across the room who are watching us gossiping to each other. How can he tell any of this with a blindfold on? I never bothered to learn much about the weird humans with no eyes, actually thought the whole idea was pretty unimaginative for a species in the star wars verse. Who would ever thought that'd come back to bite me?
"You're a jedi, talking to a girl who just won the weirdest duel ever, alone in a Cantina. People are going to stare." I whisper conspiratorially, before sitting back as my voice returns to normal, "But you can have a seat if you want." It would raise too many questions if I gave him the cold shoulder and ran out again. It was hard enough convincing Zelka to leave the Undercity early the first time. I don't want to raise any more questions about my aversion to Jedi. I can already tell Zelka wants to question it, but so far he's held his tongue. Maybe what Canderous said about me hiding actually got to me. Or maybe I just wanted to actually talk with someone my own age who would treat me as an equal. Not that I didn't appreciate all that Zelka and Canderous have done for me, or that I don't realize how potentially dangerous this is to become something more than just a face to this Padawan that he would otherwise sooner or later forget. You're overthinking it, just stay calm and composed, Kylie, then once you figure out why he's talking to you, decide what to do from there.
"My name's Padawan Fane Benik," He introduces himself while sliding into the booth opposite mine, "You seemed more frustrated than someone who just won a duel," he comments gesturing towards the credits still in a miniature pile on the table between us.
"Well considering they're the only credits to my name, it's better than nothing, but not really enough at the same time. You know?" I'm not looking for his charity, but it's better then admitting that what was bothering me earlier was not knowing the difference from a dollar and a twenty dollar bill so to speak. Not to mention the numerous things I should know but don't, that one of these days will get me killed i.e. not knowing how much time I have before Malak's fleet arrives. The world could literally end tomorrow for all I know.
No I can't give in and wallow in frustration over my ignorance. The only way I can move forward is by learning. There's no stupid questions, right?
"Actually I have a small dilemma that you could help me with, as long as you promise not to laugh." I flatten the small pile, dividing each credit that was comprised of the same colored alloy or same length into it's own groups. "Where I come from... we don't use credits as currency; So, could you um please explain to me which ones are for which amount?" I ask hesitantly, shame heating my cheeks, trying to get a read on him is a lot harder than it would be thanks to the blindfold. Can he even see the credits? Though sitting in the booth directly under a light I can now see his clean cut hair is sandy blonde not the gray it had looked earlier in the shadow of his hood he has let fall down his back now. His facial expression remains hidden, to me though; like he's looking beyond me, contemplating something beneath the skin if that makes any sense.
Well whatever he saw he brokes it off before the look becomes too intense and further my discomfort. Sliding his arm across the table top he pointed to the group with two long golden colored kit-kat bars, "Those are twenty credit chits..." And he continues like that until every group was identified: 2 twenties, 4 fives, and 4 tens. Apparently Ajuur only handles small bills. That, or he purposely tossed them my way to give a false sense, that the more chits, the more the richer I am. "Where are you from, Kylie?" he asks as I collect the credits and deposit them into my bag with my thanks.
"A little rock no one's ever heard of." I answer dismissivly, thinking fast I quickly blurt out the first thing that comes to mind in order to change the subject. "How can you tell the difference between the credit chits without eyes? I mean, uh I didn't mean any offense, when I..."
"Their sizes," He interrupts my babble stating it simply, "Miraluka only see the woven energy of the Force: in beings, plants and the atmosphere. But objects like a credit chit that aren't imbued with the Force are just seen as dark shapes that the colors of the force part around. If I'm ever not sure of the shape I see, I read the laser etching of the chit with my fingers." Cool, does he see color or feature definition as we do? What would it be like to see through his eyes?
"And you're wondering why I didn't just do that myself, read the etching?" I ask once the silence drags out, with the unspoken questions hanging in the air above us, I really shouldn't have asked him to teach me.
"Well considering you don't know Republic currency, and the colors of your aura looked like you were genuinely lost, I assume you haven't had a formal education?" He asks gently, not judging, keeping the pity that has to be there successfully out of his voice.
"No, I mean yes I've had an education... Just not a Republic one, I guess you could say..." I really got to get the hang of thinking before opening my damn mouth. "Just handling Republic currency and reading Basic was lacking..." I explain awkwardly, but is that even true? Sure, I had a high school education, but ask me about the physics behind hyperspace travel, the geography of the galaxy or even the recent history of the past five years and I might as well be an elementary student again. "Wait, did you say my 'aura', does that mean you can see my thoughts or something?"
"An individual's colors change with their emotions, but it's only to the extent that a Human like you could read facial expressions. If someone has more control of their emotions they can easily mask their emotions as someone would their expressions." Great so not only am I uneducated, I can't control my emotions. Crap, this whole time I was like a open book to him, my emotions and intentions broadcast like a flashing neon sign!
"Not that your emotional." He hastily corrects, compounding the feeling my privacy has been invaded.
"So that's why you came over, because of what you saw in my aura? I can't be the first distressed aura you've encountered on Taris." There's something he's not telling me. If he can really see my emotions couldn't he see my apprehension over him, my fear at being exposed? Wouldn't it be his duty as a Jedi to figure out what I'm hiding?
"Yes, but you looked like you needed someone to talk to... We'll talk again Kylie." He promises as he suddenly leaves our booth, leaving me with more questions than answers, and with no doubt that he will keep that promise. I've got a bad feeling about this...