New chapter up, finally. Sorry for the wait. Been too busy to write much. Enjoy.

Vala strolled through the promenade's lower level. She could have gone to any of the various cantinas on the planet, but she figured the less courageous target options would most likely be congregating in the more centralized locations. She needed a high ranking or powerful target, but being high ranking or powerful didn't necessarily make you brave or required you to be overly courageous. Many people rose up in the ranks of their chosen professions by means other than bravery or force of will.

Vala had dressed down, only wearing a simple shirt and pants set, along with shin high boots and a well worn leather jacket. Her lightsaber was tucked along her lower back, invisible to all. She looked more like a smuggler or merchant than a Force user, which was the point. The only Force users that practiced seduction were Sith or those who followed closer down the darkside path. She needed to appear to be just another semi-legitimate spacer, looking for a drink and a good time between gigs.

Entering the cantina, Vala took a very discrete look around with her eyes and a very deep dive with the Force. The cantina was almost full with every type of character you'd expect to see in a seedy dive. She went up to the bar, ordered a glass of local bourbon on the rocks and headed over to a table at the side of the room. She'd used the Force to convince the two twi'leks who were sitting at the table that they had important business elsewhere.

This was going to be her table moving forward, since it was ideally located. She took a small sip of her drink and examined the room closer. Through the Force, she detected smugglers, merchants, soldiers, gamblers and criminals. There weren't any Force users of notable strength, only a pair of very weak Sith to the back. So far, there were no potential targets.

Vala leaned back and got comfortable, making sure to hide her own Force sensitivity to anyone powerful enough to sense it. She also modified her own appearance through the Force just slightly, so if anyone she knew came in, they'd pay her no mind. Now, she'd wait patiently and find the perfect target. Marr had indicated they'd be staying on Nar Shaddaa until she'd completed her task, which meant she didn't need to act until she found the person. You couldn't rush a seduction like this, if you wanted to do it right.

Vala spent a full week in the one cantina, with no luck. She'd seen Republic sympathizers and only a few representatives of the Republic itself in that time. She was slowly becoming a regular and catching the attention of several men, but they weren't the type she was looking for. She needed to find someone who was not interested. Someone not looking for a hookup or simple one night stand. That would be too easy.

Sometime in the early morning, when Vala was about to give up for the night, someone with a very distinct Force signature walked into the cantina. He was dressed in a simple brown robe, with a darker brown cloak around his shoulders. He was a young human, probably only mid twenties, with neatly cut dark brown hair and deep blue eyes. Vala could feel his power through the Force. He felt like a Jedi. Though he wasn't strong enough to be a master, he was definitely more than just a padawan. She also noted the man was handsome enough to get attention.

All Vala had to do was get him to pay her attention, though he didn't appear to be in the cantina for any recreational purpose. Making their interaction his idea was going to take some careful manipulation. She doubled her efforts to shield her Force signature and headed to the bar, where the Jedi stood, talking with the bartender. The man had to be a Jedi. No self respecting Sith would ever go out in public looking like him.

Once standing at the bar, Vala was able to encourage the bartender to ignore the Jedi's questions and turn to her.

"Another, please." She asked politely, holding up her empty glass.

As she was waiting for her drink, she noticed the Jedi wasn't even looking her way, though he had noticed her and was doing his best not to say anything about the bartender walking away, mid sentence. Vala was an attractive female, he certainly shouldn't have been surprised by the bartender's actions, even if they were nudged by the Force. She could sense his emotional battle. That was perfect. An emotionally conflicted Jedi meant she might be able to get him to go against his teaching and follow his more basic human needs.

Apparently, that was the trick with Jedi, you had to get them to put aside years of emotional training. She knew Jedi gave in to physical temptations more often than anyone in the council would like to admit. For crying out loud, Satele herself had gone against the code. The practice was actually more common with males than females, since it was easier to hide a child when you weren't the one giving birth to it. A bit sexist, perhaps, but that fact didn't make the statement any less true.

After a few long moments, the Jedi turned and looked at Vala. She ignored him, waiting patiently for her drink to arrive.

"Forgive me, but you don't look like the type to be in a place like this." He said.

That was probably the worst line Vala had ever heard and she'd frequented the cantina in the Sith academy when she was training on Korriban. That cantina was full of people who had no idea how to flirt, since seduction wasn't a part of an acolyte's basic trials.

Vala turned, allowing her eyes to scan over the Jedi subtly. "I'd say you look even less likely to be in this kind of place than I. If I had to guess, I'd say you're a Jedi. I always thought Jedi were too high and mighty to drink."

The bartender returned with her drink. She took it, put a few coins down on the bar and stood to return to her table. As she'd hoped, the Jedi followed along behind her, no doubt to defend his kind from her 'high and mighty' comment. Being a former Jedi helped her know what buttons to push with those of her former religion.

Vala sat back down at her table and the Jedi sat across from her.

"We do drink, we just have to be responsible about it."

Vala smiled at him. "So, you admit you are a Jedi."

The Jedi laughed. "I guess I am. My name is Jedi Knight Conner Graily."

Wow, she got a full Jedi introduction within the first five minutes. Maybe this man wasn't as tough a target as she'd thought.

"Since you don't have a drink in your hand, Conner, you must be here for other reasons than drinking."

He leaned back in the chair, arms crossed. "Jedi business."

Vala nodded in understanding. "Fair enough. If you're here for business, why are you wasting your time following me to my table? I certainly can't be what you're looking for. My life isn't that interesting."

He shrugged. "I'm not going to get anything from the bartender. I'm waiting to see if a source shows. I might as well have some company while I wait."

It seemed Vala's mental manipulations were just as effective and invisible to the young Jedi as they had been to the Sith on Korriban. She hadn't been sure if a Jedi's perception of the Force would be more able to pick up her manipulations than one following the darkside. It seemed lightside followers were just as susceptible.

"Well then, if you plan for me to keep you company, then you'd better go get yourself a drink. It's rude to make a woman drink alone. It also kinda looks like you're trying to get me drunk, so you can have your way with me. I'd hate for your reputation to be tarnished."

With a healthy chuckle, the Jedi stood without comment and headed back to the bar. He spoke with the bartender for a few minutes, then returned to the table, drink in hand.

Let the games begin.

To Be Continued...