Ask Naboo Now There Are Two of Them

[Quin Leonkri]

Seeing as Sola was going to be staying a while on Naboo and he was going to be leaving soon, Quin thought it best that he show her around a little so she had a basic idea of where things were. After a fair deal of explaining and persuading his parents, he’d finally gotten their approval to let Sola stay at their home for a while until she found her own place. Maybe today, she could begin her search if she so chose. That aside, Quin wanted nothing more than to have a little fun with his new friend.

The latest stop was in the outskirts of the city, where the urban part of Theed began to melt into the suburbs. It was a nice place for the most part, except for occasional reports of swoop gangs disturbing the peace and quiet. However, Quin had never encountered one of them before even with all the time he’d spent here, so he saw no reason why not to bring Sola here to at least have a look around.

“This is a good place to stay in my opinion, if you want quieter surroundings but still have access to the busier part of the city,” he explained as he walked. “What do you think?”

@Reylo4evr

 

[Sola Zappal]

Sola had grown a little more comfortable in her time on Naboo; it was like she was an entirely different person here. She wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing yet. “It’s nice,” she said. She wondered if even after she got her own temporary place she would still be able to talk to Quin. For information, of course.

She looked around. The sky was a bright blue, and the buildings and plants were colorful. She had never seen so much color in her life.

@Sicadorito

 

[Quin Leonkri]

“I’m glad you’re liking it. There’s no place like here,” Quin responded with a grin.

As the pair continued to walk, he’d gotten so invested into his tour that he didn’t even notice the dull revving noise that sounded from behind the next corner. So much so that when he and Sola turned into it, he nearly took a step back in shock when they were face to face with five glaring men on speeder bikes.

“Um…” Quin’s eyes darted back and forth between Sola and the riders. “We’ll be out of your way, now. Sorry.” He grinned nervously before immediately turning around and making to leave, but not before the engines of the speeder bikes suddenly roared behind his back.

“Sola… let’s get out of here!”

@Reylo4evr

 

[Sola Zappal]

Sola jerked when they were suddenly face to face with men that didn't look so nice. Sola forget herself for a minute and gave them her darkest glare. She didn't speak because if she opened her mouth it was likely she would spit fire at them.

She followed Quin back the way they had come, thinking this wasn't a good place to live. If these guys lived here too, there might be some murders that would be difficult to explain away.

When she heard the engines coming closer faster, Sola looked over her shoulder. What had they done? They had done nothing wrong. Was there some territory rule they were oblivious to? Sola turned around and started running with Quin before she could teach them about territory.

@Sicadorito

 

[Quin Leonkri]

Even though he was running as fast as he could, Quin knew that a pair of teenagers wouldn’t be able to outrun or outlast anyone on a speeder bike. And when he heard the engines getting closer, in the heat of the moment, the only thing he could do was to suddenly turn around and plant his feet firmly in the ground, outstretching his hands.

Closing his eyes, he reached out with the Force to grab the leading bike, and when he had a firm enough hold on it, he jerked it to the side. The two men who were riding directly behind the first one didn’t have enough time to stop their vehicles, and slammed straight into him. A huge plume of sparks and smokes erupted from the wreckage, yet two more speeders simply zoomed right through it and straight at him and Sola. They would get to them any second now, and Quin didn’t have time to attempt another maneuver like that.

This just keeps getting better…

@Reylo4evr

 

[Sola Zappal]

Why were these speeder guys even after them? Had they found out about Sola? She barely had time to think or process anything that was happening on Quin's end. The bikers got closer and more and more appeared and Sola followed her instincts. She turned around quickly, her boots turning up dust. She flung out an arm, preventing the bikes from moving any closer. The engines roared higher and the wheels spun up dirty but didn't move. Sweat dripped down her brow. "Run!" she grit out at Quin. Hopefully he wouldn't try and be heroic and stay with her. She didn't think he would particularly enjoy what she wanted to do to these nasty creatures.

@Sicadorito

 

[Quin Leonkri]

When Sola yelled out for him to run as the two remaining speeders came after them, his first instinct was to listen and do just that. However, he couldn’t leave a defenseless girl who was younger than he was behind to face those bikers alone. As a Jedi, his duty was to protect her. He’d already used the Force, and his cover was blown if she’d noticed. There was nothing to lose. His expression hardening in determination, he turned around when she stopped.

“I’ll take care of—”

Well, he wrong.

The bikes’ wheels were still turning, their engines still running, but they weren’t moving. His jaw agape, he looked at Sola extending an arm using what was obviously the Force.

“You’re Force-sensitive?” He practically yelped it, and the bikers seemed to be as surprised as Quin was. Abandoning their dignity, the pair scrambled off their unbudging bikes and ran off in the opposite direction. Only after they were gone would Quin turn back to Sola, unable to muster a single word as he stared at her in barely disguised surprise.

@Reylo4evr

 

[Sola Zappal]

Sola shook her head a fraction when Quin didn’t run. Of course he didn’t. When the men ran away, Sola released her hold and the collapsed in a pile, useless without their riders.

She turned to him. “Obviously,” she replied. “You are too,” she added, finally processing it. She guessed that was likely what he was hiding, or at least part of it. Her mind put the pieces together. “You’re… a Jedi,”

@Sicadorito

 

[Quin Leonkri]

So she had noticed. But she didn’t sound angry. Or happy, or surprised. It was simply a statement.

“Yes.” He shifted on his feet for a moment before looking at the pile of bikes. “And you… you’re trained in the Force. Even in a situation like that, someone without guidance would only be able to manage a push or two, if anything at all.” His gaze turned back to Sola, half-thoughtful, half-wary. It seemed they had both been hiding something, and he didn’t know whether to feel betrayed or sorry for doing it himself.

“Does this… change anything?” The question escaped him before he could figure out another way to word it. He’d been enjoying her company so much, without the knowledge that she was Force-sensitive and hers that he was a Jedi. It was something resembling normalcy, but even that was gone now.

@Reylo4evr

 

[Sola Zappal]

Finding out Quin was a Jedi was quite painful but Sola figured if he found out she was Sith it would be even more painful for him. When using the Force, she had used the dark side, and she didn’t know how well trained he was but it wouldn’t take him long to realize just what she was hiding. She decided she wanted to go out on her own terms.

She nodded at his remark about training, and then was still when he asked if it changed anything. To be honest, she felt a strange sense of fear and disappointment. The first person to be truly nice to her was a Jedi; he would likely feel different when he found out she was on the opposite end of the spectrum. So yes, it changed everything.

“I’m trained in the dark side,” she said, her voice soft but confident. He would have discovered anyway, at least this way it was in her control.

@Sicadorito

 

[Quin Leonkri]

“You’re a- a Sith?” Quin couldn’t quite believe it. There had to be some kind of mistake— Sola didn’t fit the description at all. She didn’t seem to be the bloodthirsty, vicious type who would plot behind his back. At least, not the image he had of the Sith in his mind. Of all places he’d thought he would meet one, it was definitely not on Naboo, and definitely not the circumstance he would have expected.

Sola sounded unapologetic and even proud, despite her relatively soft tone. It was clear that she wasn’t ashamed of which side of the Force she was on, and though apprehensive, Quin could respect that. But what was he supposed to do? Sith were the sworn enemy of the Jedi, yet he found himself actually liking Sola. Was this even allowed?

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. Quin sighed inwardly. This was one of those times the Jedi Code didn’t help.

“I…” Quin ran a hand through his hair, not knowing what to say, before the words suddenly spilled out of his mouth. “They don’t have to know. We could pretend like this never happened. No one but those bikers saw us, right? They wouldn’t know who we really were. We could go back to my place, you could stay for as long as you need to, and then… we can part ways. Never mention it again. We’ll probably never see each other again.”

@Reylo4evr

 

[Sola Zappal]

Sola was shocked at his response. She was also surprised that he was surprised, and even more surprised he wouldn’t turn her in.

Sola crossed her arms. She could see the doubt on his face; he didn’t believe she was Sith. She steeled her expression. “If that’s what you want,” she said. She turned and made to walk out of the alley.

@Sicadorito

 

[Quin Leonkri]

The instant the words came out and he saw Sola’s face as she turned around and walked off, Quin realized just how terrible of a mistake he’d made.

“Sol- wait!” he called, running to catch up with her. “I didn’t mean it. It was just— I wasn’t expecting—” He let out a frustrated sigh, clenching his left hand into a fist as he tried to figure out how to word it. He hadn’t wanted it to sound like he was trying to get rid of her. He genuinely liked her, but her being a Sith… complicated things. His initial reaction was to ignore the whole thing, pretend like it never happened, but that was only going to be added on to his list of regrets and problems that he ran away from. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he someday did see her again, maybe even on a battlefield. Maybe he could even help her turn to the light side, if she was willing.

“What I meant was… I didn’t mean what I said.” Quin tried again, moving to go in front of Sola so that they were speaking face to face. Still, he couldn’t bear looking at hers, but he forced himself to go on. “It was my bad. I’ve just never met a Sith before, and you’re not…” He finally met her gaze. “You’re not what I expected. I’m so sorry for before. I wasn’t thinking straight.”

@Reylo4evr

 

[Sola Zappal]

The past few days of hiding everything about herself seemed to have had an effect on her, because when Quin suddenly called her back and apologized, she barely batted an eyelash. The last thing she had expected him to do was apologize. He technically had nothing to apologize, unless he was apologizing for being Jedi? No, that couldn't be right.

"Yes you did," she replied calmly, turning her body slightly but not moving her feet. It did not go unnoticed that he couldn't meet her eyes. She stared him dead on as he continued to speak. She felt a mix of insult and pride that he thought she wasn't Sith; either she hid herself well or she was lying to herself and pretending to be something she was not. Whatever it meant, she did not need this conflict right now when she had to handle so many other things. She didn't say anything when he finally looked her in the eye. His own eyes were darker than usual and she was sure so were hers. If she was being honest with herself, it had felt good to use the Force- to release that pent up energy.

"If you don't want me to go but you can't bear to look at me, what is it you really want?" she asked in the calmest, coldest voice possible. For a minute, she almost sounded like her master.

@Sicadorito

 

[Quin Leonkri]

The coldness in Sola’s voice stung. That was what he’d expected from a Sith… not someone who would have had the patience to listen to him rambling on and on about the most minute details of life on Naboo. But her question struck him speechless for a moment— what did he want?

“I…” Quin hesitated. “I don’t know.” He swallowed a lump in his throat. He didn’t know why Sola’s words suddenly made him so uncomfortable that he’d rather face the bike gang again, even alone. What did she want him to say? Would she attack him if he said something wrong? Was that something a Sith would do? But Sola wasn’t like them… was she? The farther the Padawan followed down the path of his rapidly derailing train of thought, the darker it got. Pretty soon he realized that this wasn’t helping anybody.

“I think I just need some time,” he finally managed to get out, “... to think. I wanted to apologize if I hurt you, is all.” That was the truth, he thought. He couldn’t even comprehend what he was feeling anymore, let alone put it into coherent sentences. If Sola found it an inadequate answer, he wouldn’t blame her.

@Reylo4evr

 

[Sola Zappal]

Sola was quiet for a minute. "You didn't," she replied. "Hurt me," she added as she turned to walk away again. She would walk slower in case Quin really did feel guilty enough to let her stay with him a little longer. His family was quite nice and even though she hated to admit it even to herself, he was a decent person too. She squashed down the urge to slaughter everyone in the vicinity just to prove that she was capable of darkness. It would be such a shame to kill Quin and besides, she would have nowhere to stay and her master would be pissed.

@Sicadorito

 

[Quin Leonkri]

He wasn’t sure whether or not to believe Sola when she said that he hadn’t hurt her, but at least she didn’t seem angry at him anymore. It was strange when he thought about it— wanting a Sith to like him, but he really did see her as a friend despite their opposing ideologies.

“You can still stay with us if you want,” he said hopefully, following a few feet behind her as she walked off again. “As long as my parents don’t find out, you’ll be safe. And it’s not the Sith thing either— they just don’t like any Force user. I’m sort of, you know, the exception.” He scratched his head at that. “But I can put in a good word for you, even if they do.”

He stopped following her there, slowing down and eventually standing alone in the street. He would let her decide for herself if she wanted to come with him or not. He knew that she could take care of herself if she wanted to, and he didn’t want to force her into any of it. That wasn’t the Jedi way.

@Reylo4evr

 

[Sola Zappal]

Sola figured Quin would want space to process all his righteous Jedi ideals so she walked for a while around the city. She explored alleys she didn't know and eyed items and creatures for sale under colorful tents. Everyone seemed to be happy; laughter filled the wide streets. Even though she blended in with a borrowed lavender set of robes, she still felt out of place. Her face was pulled into a frown and her head not quite lowered but not held high, either. Her hair was down, the light brown locks covering her scars. They were hidden but not invisible; one boy smiled at her as he passed but frowned suddenly when he glimpsed the scars tracing across her nose. He hurried away as if she was contagious and everyone she made eye contact with would receive an identical scar.

Ignoring everybody, she turned into an alley and leaned against the wall. She almost hoped more of those men from earlier would come back. She needed to let out her anger. If she didn't, she was liable to snap. She was almost surprised she hadn't killed Quin on the spot. Maybe she was learning some self-control on this mission. Her master knew what she was doing, after all.

She did not shut her eyes but she took deep breaths. Someone passing by the alley would have to have a sharp eye to notice that every time Sola inhaled, every object and loose piece of trash constricted, and when she exhaled, the entire alley seemed to sag.

@Sicadorito

 

[Quin Leonkri]

She didn’t come back, and so Quin could only flick his gaze to the ground and shove his hands in his pockets as he headed back in the direction of his home. Was this the last time he was ever going to talk to her? The very first Sith he’d met, and he’d completely blown it.

Hey— stop being so dramatic. There is no emotion, there is peace. Remember? He tried to remind himself that a Jedi didn’t let emotions control him, but it was so hard not to. Why he took Sola’s decision to leave so personally he didn’t know or understand. Maybe it was that— fear of the unknown, that kept him from letting it go. Settling on that, he walked the rest of the way back, trying to think about what his next mission would be.

When he arrived at the front gates, deep in thought, the same two guards were still there.

“Welcome back! Without your girlfriend this time, I see,” the first one teased once he saw him. Quin’s face reddened.

“We’re not dating, Kam,” he corrected him. “We’re only friends.” Were they, still?

The second guard rolled his eyes. “That’s what they all say. Well, we’ll keep an eye out for her, in case she decides to stop by.” His eyes twinkling, they opened the gate for Quin to enter and he stifled a sigh.

“Thanks.” And with that, he made his way down the winding road that led to his front door.

@Reylo4evr

 

[Sola Zappal]

Sola took the long way back to Quin’s house. For a while she even debated on coming back but the longer she walked the more she schemed. She had never been a good actress so it would be a feat to pull off but if she did it, it would not only impress her master, but it could possibly rank her up to a Champion.

So now she found herself facing the two guards in front of the gates to Quin’s house. They did a bad job of hiding their surprise and shared looks. “I need to see Quin,” she said, adding a tad bit of desperation. The guards glanced between each other again as if they couldn’t make up their mind.

@Sicadorito