Chapter 16

[i]2 years later… (28 BBY)[/i]

The Coruscant Landings apartment complex was old and sections were crumbling. There was a lone maintenance droid that was in charge of all three-hundred apartments in the facility and it was older than the building itself, it seemed.

Once again the lift wasn't working so Kyn was forced to walk ten flights of stairs to his apartment. This wouldn't have been a problem other than the fact that he was coming off a sixteen hour shift.. He had just 'celebrated' his one year anniversary at [i]Big Loluh's Air Taxi and Accommodations[/i].

Flying people around Coruscant all day and all night might not seem like too taxing of a job as you get to sit down all day. The fact was Kyn would have preferred to be on his feet a little more. Sometimes he thought his back would one day just refuse to straighten and he would forever be in a hunched over, sitting position.

His back was aching as he read the 10th floor of the complex. He looked at his wrist chrono and he rolled his eyes when he saw that the sun would be rising in a matter of minutes. He pulled out his keycard to unlock his apartment door when he realized it was ajar. He pushed it open slowly and saw a blond haired, young woman standing in the small kitchen.

She was waving a towel over the stove trying to lessen the effect of the smoke coming from the burning food. Kyn saw her notice him out of the corner of her eye and he braced himself.

"Oh. Hi, Kyn." She said, still waving the towel.

The only thing Kyn noticed her wearing was a long shirt that barely covered her backside. He could only hope she was wearing something under it.

"I'm cooking breakfast for Cole. Do you want some?" She asked.

Kyn threw down the keycards to the apartment and his speeder on the counter and shook his head. Her name was Gynni and she was Cole's long distance girlfriend of three months.

"Cole!" Kyn yelled.

"Yeah?" Cole's voice came from behind the door which contained a small fresher.

"When is your leave over again?"

Cole walked out a few seconds later and walked past Kyn to the kitchen and sat down to a burned breakfast.

"I told you, I can stay with mom and dad." Cole reminded him. "And I have one more week before I have to head back."

"Time is just flying by," Gynni said woefully, throwing her arms around Cole's broad shoulders and hugging him from behind as he picked at his food.

"No, that's fine. I'm not here as it is." Kyn muttered, crashing on the used, dirty couch.

Kyn tried to close his eyes but he could feel the aura in the room. He looked over in disgust as he saw the half dressed Gynni on his brother's lap kissing him.

"Please tell me you guys are actually using the guest bedroom when I'm gone. I do occasionally eat here you know." Kyn spoke up rudely.

"Kyn, you work like a mad man. I see how much you make in tips on your double shifts. You could get a better place than this. Turn it into a real bachelor pad and invite some women over." Cole said between kissing Gynni.

"I'm not going to waste a ton of money on rent when I'm barely here." Kyn said.

"Cut back at work," Gynni suggested.

"Then I couldn't afford a better place. I'm happy here. If you want a better place to fool around, then move out of your parents place." Kyn told her.

"That wouldn't be very smart. I mean Cole is hardly ever around as it is." Gynni said sadly.

"Whatever…" Kyn muttered. "I'm going to bed. Will you two kids try to keep it down?"

They didn't answer Kyn as they were now too involved with each other's lips. Kyn had noticed a difference in his brother since he had joined the Republic Navy. Not that that was a bad thing but it was a little annoying sometimes. Cole was much more confident and outspoken. He just figured that's what the military did for people.

The fact of the matter was Kyn didn't want a better place. This was his lot in life for now and he could accept that. He didn't even like thinking about it but he had absolutely no aspirations, no goals in life. Well… maybe one.

But there was nothing he could do. They had not been in contact for two years and it was impossible to impress a Jedi. Kyn figured it was hard enough to impress just a regular girl, let alone one that was a Jedi. Nothing he ever did or became would be enough to sway her. Nothing could make her love him.

Zafii was too good for him and he knew it. He reminded himself of that fact everyday and beat himself up for it. Yet the beating of this idea into his head did nothing for his ambitions to be better. What use was it? She would never again come to him; she would never again seek him out for any reason.

He had shut himself off from his family for the most part. He only saw his parents on birthdays and holidays now and he couldn't remember the last time he actually had spoken to Kyra. He requested shifts on these days, knowing he could use it as an excuse to leave family functions early.

At the end of the day, Kyn knew he was depressed. In a way he actually preferred it. Why did he deserve to be happy? He deserved the bad karma for almost getting Kyra killed so many times and for making Zafii sick.

As for Cole's suggestion of bringing women back to a bachelor pad… Kyn wanted absolutely nothing to do with that. What would be the point? They could never be as intelligent, as kind, or as great as Zafii. If it was Zafii or nothing, he chose nothing; he couldn't settle for anything less than her.

She was an unattainable star. She could have lived a thousand years ago and be nothing but a distant, untouchable memory. She was an obsession.

Gynni and Cole had decided to leave Kyn's apartment and go out shopping.

"I'm going to let you buy me something really sexy and I'll wear it for you tonight." Gynni purred in Cole's ear.

"Thanks?" Cole laughed.

The two walked into a women's clothing store and Cole felt himself blushing at the fact that he was the only male in the place.

"Loosen up, Cole." Gynni laughed. "Guys come in here all the time."

"To try things on?" Cole joked.

"That's better," Gynni chuckled. "But who really needs to loosen up is that brother of yours. I say we clean up his apartment when we get back and we throw a big party tonight. When he walks in, he'll have no choice but to join in on the fun. I have a couple of girlfriends who would like him."

"How do you know they would like him?" Cole asked, naively.

"Because they've all told me how cute you are."

"Really?" Cole said, now sounding much more interested.

"Don't get any ideas, Stud! But he is your brother and you favor each other. So I'm sure if they like you, they'd like him too. And as they can't have you, they'll have to settle for the next best thing." Gynni explained.

"I don't know." Cole, rubbed the back of his neck. "About a party that is. Kyn might be pretty steamed."

"What about this?" Gynni said, holding up a thin, black piece of lacey cloth that was trying to pass itself off as clothes.

Cole's eyes nearly popped out of his head when he thought about Gynni wearing what she was holding.

"I'll let you buy me this... only if we get to throw Kyn a big party tonight."

Cole not-so-reluctantly agreed.

Kyn arrived home late that night from a normal shift. He had asked for another eight hours but Big Lohul told him that there just wasn't enough work for the night. When he pulled into the parking garage of Coruscant Landings he noticed there was an unusually large amount of speeders there. He knew for a fact that at least half of the apartments were no longer in use in the building.

"Someone must be throwing a party." Kyn said to himself.

He thanked the Force that the lift was once again working. Although it was a bit of a jerky ride to the 10th floor, it sure beat the stairs. When the lift reached its destination, Kyn quickly realized that the party must be on this floor.

In the distance he could see his apartment door wide open and smoke billowing out of it. It was not smoke from burnt food or a house fire. Instead it smelled like the cantina's that Salue used to drag him too.

Kyn was a bit shocked when he saw a young man and woman stumbling out of the doorway of his apartment, laughing and holding onto each other for dear life.

"COLE!" Kyn yelled.

There was literally no open space in the entirety of the tiny apartment. If air was visible, it would not have been on this night. People were chest to chest; rear-end to rear-end trying to move about. Drinks of assorted colors were being passed around in plastic cups.

"COLE!"

Kyn felt a hand on his shoulder, he turned to see a tipsy Gynni standing there.

"Hey bro! How do you like your party?" She asked.

"What are you talking about? My party?" Kyn asked, his voice highly annoyed.

"We thought you needed to loosen up," Gynni informed him. "Have my drink."

"No thanks, I value my immune system." Kyn said, turning away from her.

He was now in search of Cole. He found him outside on the tiny balcony.

"Sorry," Cole muttered.

"I think we are the only two here that aren't completely sloshed." Kyn said. "What the heck were you thinking?"

"I wasn't," Cole admitted.

"Obviously."

"It wouldn't hurt you to have a little bit of fun. Mom and Dad are worried about you. To be honest, I am too."

Kyn looked out into the Coruscant night, trying to block out the loud music and screaming voices from inside the cramped apartment.

"There is nothing to be worried about." Kyn said seriously.

"If you say so," Cole shook his head.

"Wow, they do look-a-like." A female voice said obnoxiously loud.

"Told you," Gynni's voice rang.

Gynni threw herself into Cole's arms and kissed him sloppily.

"I'm Tarah, Gynni has told me everything about you." The girl introduced herself.

"Highly unlikely." Kyn retorted.

"Wow, you're smart too. Don't use big words, I've had a few too many to drink." Tarah replied.

Kyn shot Cole a look as if to say, are you kidding me?

"Wait, what did you say?" Tarah asked.

"Nice to meet you," Kyn said, trying to brush her away.

Kyn walked back into the party, trying to lose the scantily clad brunette. Suddenly Kyn found a drink shoved into his hand. He finally gave in and downed it in one.

It was the first drink of that nature he had had since hanging out in the cantinas with Salue. The liquid quickly boiled Kyn's blood and he became slightly dizzy.

"Those are great, huh?" Tarah asked. "I've had seven so far. Or was it nine? I can't remember."

Kyn didn't answer. He only stared at Tarah and reached for another drink. She wasn't Zafii but she was attractive… at least physically.

"So you drive an air taxi, huh?" Tarah asked, not sure if she had remembered correctly.

"Yeah," Kyn replied, his throat was on fire from the drink.

"It's a little loud in here, want to go show me?" Tarah asked.

"Yeah."

Tarah took Kyn by the hand and led him to the lift. They took it down to the parking garage, all the while she was leaning on Kyn to keep her balance.

"Oh, is it this one?" Tarah asked, running over to a newer model speeder that obviously belonged to someone at the party.

Kyn shook his head and pointed at his speeder which was company owned. 'Big Loluh's Air Taxi and Accommodations' was painted on the side of it in horrible pink paint.

"Let's get in." Tarah suggested.

"I shouldn't drive," Kyn said, trying to hold down a burp in his throat.

Tarah hopped in the passenger seat and patted the driver's seat, enticing Kyn to join her.

Kyn sighed and opened the driver's side door and plopped down next to her. He stared at the steering wheel, avoiding eye contact with her.

"Are you being shy?" Tarah asked, scooting closer. "That's cute."

Kyn closed his eyes when her hand touched his clothed knee. His eyes remained closed when he felt her wet lips kiss his earlobe.

"Just pretend it's Zafii; just pretend it's Zafii." He thought to himself.

He felt her lips getting closer to his own and he reacted. He jumped out of the speeder and began pacing back and forth.

"What's wrong? Don't you like me?" Tarah asked, slowly getting out of the speeder herself.

"I guess." Kyn said, rather rudely.

"Is there someone else? I bet there is. You don't want to cheat on her."

Kyn shook his head, "There is someone but it's not like I can cheat on her."

"Oh," she purred. "Tough luck in the love department? That's okay."

Tarah put her hand on Kyn's chest and tried to nuzzle up to him.

"I can't." Kyn said.

"What's her name?"

"Zafii…"

"You're in luck. My name is Zafii too." She smiled and began to kiss him fully on the lips.

Kyn grabbed her by the shoulders and gently pushed her away. "I can't."

This was the final straw. Kyn had completely embarrassed her now. She slapped him across the face and made a rude gesture to him and walked back towards the lift.

"Fine! Gynni said you were a loser but sheesh!"

Kyn did not respond. He simply got back in his speeder and fell asleep in the backseat.