Ask Coruscant The underworld

Manuk Gagak

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“So no date,” Manuk replied, her smile ever-present. Not that she expected the rendezvous to be romantic, but it was good for the woman to at least come clean about her reason for being there. Not that she was being entirely open. The fact he was dead and this out-of-place woman was asking about him suggested her interest was not to pick up tips on engineering hacks. “Oh, well, there are plenty more fish in the sea.” She glanced around the cantina, “But I’d choose different waters if I were you – plenty of bottom-feeders around here, if you catch my drift.”

But if not a date, what was the connection? Manuk was tempted to ask her straight, but suspected the answer would not be entirely transparent. Maybe she was a journalist? Or maybe even law enforcement? If Manuk had to bet, she’d put money on the former. But, despite her decision not to ask the obvious question, she had to find out more, so went down a slight tangent to see what she could uncover.

“I don’t take you for the engineering type yourself, the nails are a giveaway. So, what is your line of work?”

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Brienna Lanaamer

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"No, no date," Bri replied with a laugh and a shake of her head. Takes care of that part of the story. She proceeded to nod understandingly as the woman offered a warning in trying to find a romantic partner at Daxa's. I might know next to nothing about romance, but even I wouldn't think about looking here. Still, the subject area was not part of her forte, and the woman moved on to asking about her line of employment.

The Jedi had come up with a few possible answers about what sort of work would bring her to Daxa's on a crowded weeknight. She imagined that the woman might have even guessed some of them. A short list ran through her head. Fellow engineer colleague, law enforcement, journalist, criminal, spy, bounty hunter, headhunter, bookmaker; there really was a lot of options. However, for this particular vignette, Bri created a scenario of quasi-corporate espionage. Attempting to gain insider secrets from a rival corporation on some kind of new project or product. It was flismy-ish, but the Jedi judged a few lines of question that she may be able to steer.

"Ah," she laughed with a smile once more, looking down at her nails after the woman spoke. It was true. Her fingernails were obviously kept up, and painted a soft shade of grey. "What, engineers can't have nice nails?" she ribbed back, sarcastically. After a brief pause, she added. "But, you're right. That sort of stuff really isn't for me. I do a little of this, a little of that," she waved her hand airily. "Mainly consulting work," adding in a shrug and sideways frown. Taking another sip of the drink she looked back up. "What about you?"

@Corbeau
 

Manuk Gagak

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In a sense the conversation was going nowhere. Manuk was blessed with a degree of patience, but only when she saw a prize at the end of the line. Here, she was becoming frustrated and had to keep reminding herself that this was something of a cat-and-mouse affair. But if the cat was supposed to enjoy the chase, she could not see it herself. Catch it and eat it, she thought to herself. Or let it go.

And maybe the lack of patience led to a lack of focus, which in turn turned into a lack of control – as Manuk began to open up to the woman.

The suggestion she was a consultant was weak – but not in itself a definitive clue. She was clearly hiding something, which kept Manuk fascinated, but what? If not a journalist, maybe she was bribing the engineer and wanted to know why he’d stopped doing whatever he was being paid to do?

But the conversation had flipped back to the Sith. “I do as little as possible,” Manuk said, nodding to the bar tender and pushing an empty bottle across the counter. Taking a long draught from the new one, she turned back and faced the Jedi.

“No, seriously, I am a lady of leisure. More money than I can spend, I use to seek thrills as a way of passing the time. But none satisfied me. Until I found…religion. And don’t worry, I’m not about to try to convert you. But it gave me a purpose in life and for the first time I felt truly alive. Empowered. Which is a good thing, right?”

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Brienna Lanaamer

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A few parts of the equation in Bri's mind didn't exactly sum up. The woman stated she did, 'as little as possible,' possessing more money than could be spent. I'm sure that's hyperbole, but still, how does that mix in with her being down here?

By Bri's judgement, the conversation should have just about reached its conclusion. Yet, it of course was still ongoing. The Jedi knew of her own motive to keep the woman talking, but surely she had her own as well. Otherwise she would have found an opportunity to excuse herself. Right? Bri had not forgotten that she was the one who had been approached in the first place. This woman -Sith- must want to find something else out about me, or she totally doesn't buy my story.

The line about religion lingered around the Jedi's mind. Surely she was inferring about her understanding of Sith teachings? Or maybe I'm overthinking. Naturally there were near limitless beliefs across the galaxy, and it figured into probabilities sake that this woman had found one of them that worked for her. However, the pieces of the puzzle seemed to fit too well to allow for a simple coincidence. Bri flashed back to the sickly shade of yellow she had spotted in the woman's eyes. The memory still made her shudder.

"Oh, of course. Whatever can give you purpose and meaning," the Jedi nodded with a smile, trying to sound as understanding as possible. She decided to pull it out a little further, choosing her words carefully, "I'm glad you found something that has given your life such... significance," In an effort to keep this line continuing, Bri offered a contribution of her own. "I think I've got some more searching to do to find what you have," she lied, with a slight chuckle.

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Manuk Gagak

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Either this woman was precisely who she said she was, in which case Manuk knew it was pointless in continuing the conversation – or she was something more, in which case the Sith daren’t walk away until she knew the full truth. But which was it, and how to find out swiftly?

As the woman spoke, the options and possibilities ran endlessly through Manuk’s mind. If the woman were innocuous, who cared if she declared her true allegiance. But if the latter, it could prove disastrous.

Making a bold decision, Manuk concluded she needed to push the conversation and if the woman proved to be trouble – then she could always silence her. So, bolstered by her decided approach, she relaxed and opened up.

“Oh, believe me, it has. I inherited untold wealth and nothing was beyond me. But because of that, nothing I could buy satisfied me. Does that make sense? I tried alcohol, stims, gambling and even petty crime. And that was before I was even a teenager. I felt unfulfilled. But I knew, somehow, I was destined for more. The what I did not know, but I sensed it anyway.”

She smiled sweetly. “And then I found it. Or maybe it found me? Either way, it’s an ancient religious order. And it is enlightening as it is a means to becoming your true self – to become the best you can possibly be. And its ultimate aim is to bring order to the galaxy – which it has done from time to time.”

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Brienna Lanaamer

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Uh-oh. Bri's suspicions were practically confirmed as the woman described being, 'destined for more' and then finding purpose in an ancient religious order. The red flags and alarms in her mind started to blare. Bri herself had felt similar feelings of being unfulfilled when she was first beginning her own Force journey in her teenage years. However, the light side and her training as a Jedi helped to fill the missing pieces within her, becoming balanced. She didnot share the sentiment for being 'destined for more,' however. That seemed to be a trait of Sith who felt like their own power warranted excess. Always looking for more; greed and rapacity.

A Jedi, this woman certainly was not. Describing an ancient religious order that had sought to bring 'order' to the Galaxy sounded an awful lot like the Empire or the First Order. Bri knew that she had to do something about the situation, but felt conflicted on how to proceed. An investigation had led her to the Coruscant underworld, and then segued into a chance run in with a Sith woman. Probability suggested the two events had a small chance of being connected. Right?

Bri felt stuck in the quickly devolving situation. There wasn't exactly an emergency contact for Jedi who thought they had discovered a Sith. Nor did Bri have any actual proof that this woman had done anything wrong. There were most likely other individuals out in the Galaxy who had felt a connection to the Force and then used it to their own selfish gain, without being trained in the Dark side. However, the 'do-gooder' nature in the Jedi forced her to try and come up with a solution.

It still appeared that the woman did not know Bri's Jedi identity. That was a positive. In past experiences (which were limited) Bri had judged Sith to be moody, dramatic individuals. Perhaps pushing a few of the woman's buttons might cause a reaction? Narrowing down on the details might be my best be to get something out of her. Bri tried to look engaged. "Wow, sounds dramatic. Where does one stumble upon an ancient religious order?" She paused and narrowed her eyes in a joking manner. "Wait, you're not one of those kooks who believes in that Force junk, are you?" Bri waved her hands around and wiggled her fingers in a comical manner. It was ironic that as the Jedi joked about the Force, she tightened even further her own output of connection, hoping beyond hope that the woman didn't sense anything in her.

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Manuk Gagak

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If Manuk was being played, she had no idea. Instead, she was intoxicated by the chance to talk about her great passion with someone who apparently knew nothing about it. Was it boasting, possibly? But even given her current state of intoxication (from the conversation and not the alcohol) she was at least aware enough not to share too much information. Of course, the definition of too much was entirely subjective.

“Where does anyone find out about such things? Is it hard work, luck or perhaps destiny? I suspect an element of all three. There is an portion of research, I spent weeks scouring records and in more recent times tracking down obscure and tenuous leads across the galaxy. Some were dead ends – yet others revealed rare glimpses of the past. It was almost like a jigsaw puzzle, finding pieces that seemed unconnected and then suddenly seeing the similarities until you end up with a much bigger picture. Is it complete, no, but that is part of the attraction. Things that are worth having should be a challenge, don’t you think?”

“And as for fate, I could have spent my entire life feeling unfulfilled – but a chance meeting opened up my eyes to the possible, but the rest has been down to me.”

“And there are many things in the galaxy you would not believe until you saw them. So how is the idea of some unifying force any different. Most stories attributed as fairy-tales have more than an ounce of truth in them. It’s just about seeking the right ounce.”

“Surely you believe in something that can’t be readily explained – but you believe in it none the less?” She spoke in an earnest manner now, not quite a sermon, but not far from it.

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Brienna Lanaamer

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It was obvious that Bri had touched on a part of the woman's ethos that meant a great deal to her. She spoke with passion about digging into the past of the ancient religion that she had found. Yep, gotta be the Sith. Seemingly eager to share about the dead ends and 'jigsaw pieces' that she had found in her studies and travels. While not considering herself to be a gifted liar, Bri struggled to imagine that the woman was faking the obvious enthusiasm for that which she spoke. It offered more than a glimpse into her thoughts.

The picture that was forming in the Jedi's mind was coming clearer into view. This woman had the privilege of being disillusioned in her very affluent life, yet sought and wanted more. The hole that she was searching for had been filled by the Dark Side and Sith teachings. Bri found it almost fearful, in a way, that someone could speak with such fervent passion for an ancient religion that encouraged suffering. Still, the point remained, there was no proof this woman had done anything explicitly wrong. Other than starting to creep me out.

"Well, challenges are fine, but I'd never pass up something given for free," Bri joked, starting to respond to her questions, and pushing more buttons. "Perhaps, I'm just not as ambitious as you are," another smile.

The woman was right, and Bri agreed, that there were a great many things in the Galaxy that were entirely unexplainable. The Force accounted for some, but the Jedi thought the character she was playing may not feel the same way. "Umm, I suppose? I guess I'd never really thought it about it like that. I just try and take things one day at a time," Bri hoped that the woman would interpret her unassuming comments as a indicator to begin to underestimate the Jedi. Hopefully this comes across as a little naïve.

There was, however, another line in the woman's response that caught Bri's attention. "What happened in that chance meeting? Who'd you run into? Someone famous?"

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Manuk Gagak

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“Ambitious?” Manuk echoed, the word playing across her lips as if she were drinking some fine wine. “Yes…and no. Is a desire to be the best you can be ambitious or simply pragmatism? I do not seek to be something I am not, but to merely fulfil my capability. I do not want to rule the galaxy, or even a planet. I just want to explore my potential.”

Her tone was hushed, but she spoke with fervour and absolute conviction now. Any pretence of light-heartedness was gone. Maybe it was because she’d never spoken of this to any one before – not even her mentor (the woman had refused to be called her Master) in such detail. Whatever the reason, once the cork had been popped, there was no stopping the flow of conversation.

“And the meeting was with some thugs, in a bar near here. A woman I met dealt with them as they deserved. They were bullies and worthless and needed to be taught a lesson.”

“You talk of the Force, but do you really know what you speak of? The Jedi Order was founded over twenty-five thousand years ago by a group of beings who were strong with the Force. Before the Jedi Order, such Force-sensitive beings were isolated instead of united. Some were regarded as wizards. Others as demons. There were not many. Nearly all were considered unique on their own worlds. They were strong, powerful individuals. Free to live and die as they wished.”

“But the Jedi Order changed all that. They started by analysing the Force to understand its power. They found it had a wide spectrum that was influenced by emotions. They debated their findings. Over time, they discovered there was much they could not understand, and they chose to believe what they wanted to believe. They believed some mysteries were best left unsolved. They believed that the Force itself was testing them. Like narrow-minded, superstitious children, they created explanations for the Force.”

“And rather than embrace the full spectrum of Force, the Jedi ignored the infinite shades of grey that stretched between light and darkness. They declared the Light side of the Force was good and the Dark was evil. To them, there could be no in-between, no middle ground.”

Manuk let out an exasperated sigh. “It’s one thing to examine an energy-field that penetrates the galaxy. But to give an energy-field characteristics of good and evil? Really? One might as well say, ‘That cloud wants to protect us from solar radiation, but that other cloud wants to strike us dead with lightning.’”

“Worse still, the Jedi declared that to be born with Force powers was not a gift or a curse. They insisted it was a calling. They proclaimed the Force should never be used for selfish purposes, that all Force-sensitive beings were obligated to use their powers for the benefit of others.”
Her voice remained calm but a steely edge was creeping in now – she was clearly so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she effectively could not help herself from sharing her innermost feelings.

“Many Force users joined the Jedi Order, but the Jedi were not satisfied with their numbers. They sought out the so-called wizards and demons and gave them three options. Join the Jedi, cease using Force powers, or die.”

“Join the Jedi, relinquish any individuality and freedom, and fight only who and when the Jedi tell you to fight. Cease using Force powers? One might as well tell an ordinary life-form to stop living. Die... Well, I don’t believe that requires an explanation. And so, the Jedi not only increased their ranks but destroyed those who disagreed with them.”

“For many millennia, the Jedi were unchallenged. And they grew confident. So confident that they could hardly imagine the possibility that some Jedi did not want to be Jedi.”

“Of late, the Jedi have been making a come-back and have railed against any suggestion they are anything less than pure of thought and deed. But I ask you, is what I have described the action of a benevolent order or a dictatorial one?”

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Brienna Lanaamer

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Bri utilized as much as her concentration as necessary to try and keep a straight and interested face as the woman spoke. Being lectured by a Sith about the history of the Jedi, a history that she was a part of, slowly started to unnerve her. Not trying to be too obvious, the Jedi breathed in slowly further calming her mind. The woman was on a diatribe, and Bri slowly took a few sips of her drink as she tried to listen.

A new question dawned in the Jedi's mind. Where, or from who did she learn this from? Something inside of her had generated these strong emotions. It seemed unlikely that she had somehow come up with all of this herself. Or was it? In the natural pauses of the Sith's story, Bri offered general noncommittal sounds and nods of agreement. Regardless, the best way to ensure that her cover was held was trying to play ignorant. Any strong opinions on the subject could be interpreted as a betrayal of the cover she was angling to maintain.

Finding the right responses to ensure the Sith woman stayed on the proverbial hook was paramount. "I think I just don't know as much as you do on the subject," Bri replied with an unassuming shrug. "But what you say sounds right to me. It's way outside my lane though."

The Jedi took a few more sips of the drink, which was just about empty. "So if you're not a Jedi, what are you?" Bri looked inquisitively.

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Manuk Gagak

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Manuk wasn’t really interested in the other woman’s thoughts or opinions. She had shared something that had been bottled up for some time. She’d never, actually, had any dealings with the Jedi and everything she spouted had come from records she’d found – across many planets and from many different eras. Was there the potential to be bias in the recollections? Of course, but what little information she had been able to glean about the Jedi, nothing suggested it was inaccurate.

So, the fact the woman broadly agreed with what Manuk had shared meant relatively little to the Sith, she knew her own mind and her own views on the subject. Maybe a Jedi might prove a useful sounding board – Manuk was definitely up for the debate – but for now, she had said her piece.

“I’m definitely no Jedi,” Manuk said, shaking her head. But she knew she was about to go that one step too far. Publicly announcing what she was could not be considered positive for the Sith, who – despite the efforts of some to shout their existence from the rooftops – valued secrecy.

“I am...me – a free spirit who likes to remain informed and makes decisions accordingly. Some religions require blind faith, my devotion is based upon logic. Is that an oxymoron? Perhaps, but there it is. What about you, what do you truly believe in?”


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Brienna Lanaamer

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Bri was not surprised that the woman didn't take the bait of the question. It seemed pretty unlikely that she would have just announced being a member of the Sith Order. Still it was worth a shot. However, her answer raised another possible possibility in the Jedi's mind. She didn't exactly doubt that the woman wasn't telling the truth, but what if there was something further there? Was it feasible that the woman had a connection to the Force, studied the Sith in her travels and research but didn't "sign-up"? Was that even possible to do? The question weighed on Bri's mind while she decided how best to respond.

The woman's further statement, combined with the just finished exposition of her views on the Jedi also served as somewhat of an outlier to their environment. It seemed unlikely that Bri could have picked a random individual in Daxa's and expected a nearly five minute explanation into the philosophies and history of the Jedi. Not counting me. Did that throw into question the woman's real reason for her visit to the Cantina.

Bri decided the best answer was to try and sound grounded. "I believe in where my next paycheck comes from. Or what keeps my ship flying," she responded with a slight laugh, in an almost deprecating manner. "I'd like to be as sophisticated a philosophical as you, but I think I'm just too stuck to the ground." She sighed, pausing for a few moments and then added another test question. "Sorry, I think I've forgotten to introduce myself, Kian Livsten," she gave a fake name. "Nice to meet you," holding out her hand.

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Manuk Gagak

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“That’s no belief,” Manuk replied. “Not really. I’m sure you can aspire to more. If you’re brave enough to walk in here alone, you’re bold enough to dream bigger.”

Manuk froze momentarily. As the woman held out her hand, she realised that there was a quid pro quo in such greetings. She would be obliged to share her name too.

And despite dealing in so many clandestine operations, she’d invariably worked alone and had never had the need for a cover name, or even cover story. To avoid sharing a name would be highly suspicious, but what name to give? Although she had no direct links to anything dubious, she was loathe to give her real name, so had to come up with something on the spur of the moment.

From nowhere, a name came to her lips. It sounded strangely familiar, yet entirely foreign to her – but it tumbled from her mouth before she had a chance to mentally debate its use.

Manuk took her hand and two things happened at once. Firstly, the name was shared. “I’m Fiach, Fiach Dubh,” she said. And as she experienced skin on skin contact, she felt the Force – and not form the ambient surroundings, as she was used to – but within this woman. And it felt…different. She pulled her hand away quickly and stared at the woman in the eyes, trying to understand what had just happened.

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Brienna Lanaamer

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"Maybe I'll get there, one day," Bri shrugged with a slight laugh, as the woman quickly shut down her own attempts to be as unassuming as possible. Such a quick negative response could indicate that the Sith was slowly starting to but through the web of lies she had been telling, or that her level of skepticism had increased. Neither were really preferable options.

The woman was quick enough to offer a name in response, and once more, it took an effort of the Jedi's composure not to betray her internal thoughts with an outward, facial expression. The question of probabilities of coincidences once more reappeared. For, Bri knew of someone else named Fiach Dubh, a Jedi Padawan, in fact. She had undertaken a mission with her a few months back. Did the Sith know her too? Had she met her before? Was there another linked connection? Or, simply, was it entirely a coincidence that they shared both first and last names. That seems unlikely.

Before the Jedi could offer a response to try and subtly dig deeper, the woman took her hand in greeting. Bri judged that as they made physical contact, the woman might have sensed something. Based on her reaction, it appeared she did, though stronger than the Jedi had anticipated. Thinking quickly, Bri formulated how best to work the scenario to her favor. The woman quickly pulled her hand away and stared into the Jedi's face. Bri looked back, large blue eyes blinking remotely, a look of confusion slowly beginning to form. "Is...is everything ok?"

I might be playing with fire.

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Manuk Gagak

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Manuk’s cognitive capacity was working overtime – and simultaneously, she was trying to give the impression that nothing was on her mind. She would clearly fail in the latter. There was way too much to handle as well as comprehend to simply process it all instantly, and there was significantly too much at stake to laugh it off.

The name she’d given was actually troubling her. It was a nothing name in one sense – one plucked from nowhere, yet at the same time her brain was trying to tell her it was significant. But why? And why choose now to present the quandary, as she had bigger fish to deal with.

Was this the Force she detected? If not, what else might have felt like that – so familiar, yet different. Not so much tainted as uncomfortable. And if it was the Force, why was that? The obvious answer was that this woman was Force Sensitive. But to the degree that she’d been trained? Manuk lacked the knowledge to make such a leap of faith. And if so, was she a fellow Darksider…or a Jedi?

Breathing in deeply through her nose, she was at a loss for how to react. Open hostility was easy to counter, but this was uncharted territory for her.

“Yes…and no,” she finally responded. And then she remembered the woman said she knew nothing of Jedi and such-like. If so, she might be a future ally. If not, it was Manuk that was being played. But which way to progress?

“If I said I thought you were Force sensitive, what would be your reaction?”

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Brienna Lanaamer

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One of the two women was the cat, and the other was the mouse. Bri had initially felt more like the cat, but she was unsure if her gambit had actually worked or achieved any strong result. The Sith was now asking about Force sensitivity, clear that she had sensed its presence within her. Did she have a plan in mind with her line of questions, or was it purely inquisitorial? Regardless, what was the best way to answer? Based on her cover story, she surely had to respond in related unassuming way. Right?

There had obviously been a reaction in the Sith woman, the Jedi had seen how she breathed in deeply though her nose before responding. Bri didn't need to use any facet of the Force to see the internal gears working in her mind. In the pause before offering a reply, the Jedi attempted to put more pieces of the puzzle into order in her mind. What's the endgame? The conversation returning back to her and her mistruths surrounding her own identity was not of help. How can I get this back to where I want it to go?

There were a few options. Be bold and pull your lightsaber on her? Maybe. Not. Try and talk your way around her? Might take to long. At this point, the noise of the Cantina had reached the level of noticeable frustration for the Jedi. Having to maintain complete focus on minimizing her presence in the Force, along with listening intently to the woman's comments were only made more complicated by the general cacophony of Daxa's.

"It would surprise the hell out of me," Bri replied with a bit of a laugh, trying to sound a little incredulous. "I'm nobody special; just your average girl," she added with a shrug. The next step of a plan slowly came into mind after she spoke. Depending on how the Sith responded, there were a few different steps on how to proceed. Most involved taking their conversation outside. There's really no telling how she'll react; better to reduce the chance of any civilian injuries.

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Manuk Gagak

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Manuk was not precisely offering her services as a Master to the woman – but if she were Force-sensitive, better she ended up a Dark-sider than a Jedi. And she supposed that sooner, or later, she would find someone and teach them all she knew. And she reflected on the fact that it was in a cantina not unlike this one that she’d met her own mentor and started on the path that unlocked her true potential.

But finding an apprentice was not her aim. What she needed to be sure of was that this person definitely seemed to be Force-sensitive and knew nothing of the fact. The alternative was unthinkable. For if she knew, and was lying to Manuk, it pointed to her being a Jedi. And if you threw in the fact that she was asking questions about the engineer’s death, it was entirely probable that the young Dark-sider was in over her head.

“You’re definitely not average,”
Manuk responded – the double-meaning of her words possibly lost on the woman. “For I am sure you are able to connect with the Force in a way that would allow you to manipulate it and do wonderful things. Which maybe sounds crazy – but it’s true.” Yes, Manuk realised she was sharing possibly more than she should, but in terms of too much? No, she was not at that point yet.

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Brienna Lanaamer

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Bri was not surprised that the woman wanted to continue down the line of discussion on her 'newly' discovered Force identity. The younger Sith didn't exactly look like a teacher of the Dark Side, but the Jedi reminded herself to underestimate them at her own peril. Many had judged Bri on her outward, conventionally attractive appearance, which usually happened to work to her advantage. To a certain degree, there was only so far that Bri could act innocent and naïve and hope to get reasonable responses from the woman. It seemed unlikely that she would be prepared to give up any information on the murdered engineer, even if she did know anything.

The Jedi could continue her line of questions and innocent responses, however, upon reflection, she felt like she had fairly well completed the mental picture of who this Sith was. Let's switch it up.

Bri puffed out her cheeks and opened her eyes wide, as if hearing some kind of shocking information for the first time. Hopefully her level of interest will be enough to see past my bad acting. "I....." she started and then stopped abruptly, looking around. "Are you sure? I always felt just like a nobody, but now you're telling me I can do this magic Force stuff..?" Her tone sounded increasingly energetic. "I...." she paused again. "I think I need some air."

She turned and made her way to a side exit door that led to an alleyway behind the Cantina. This is only going to work if she's following me. Bri focused on her connection to the Force to calm the nervous feeling that had slowly begun to encroach on her stomach. The side door was pushed open, and the cooler night air did actually feel pleasant after the warm interior of Daxa's. The alleyway was empty save for a few dumpsters and stray litter on the ground. Another building stood within a few metres of the Cantina on the other side of the space. Immediately upon exiting Bri took a quick mental analysis of her surroundings.

The Jedi placed her hands on her hips, back to the Cantina, pretending to be lost in introspection. She eagerly listened to hear if her new 'friend' had followed behind.

@Corbeau
 

Manuk Gagak

Character
Sith Order
Rank
Champion

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Corbeau
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Manuk allowed the silence between them to continue. When she had it confirmed she was Force-sensitive, it was less of a shock. In a sense, it merely confirmed what she had hoped. Others, she imagined, would take it differently.

Unsure how fresh the air outside was, she didn’t push the point and simply followed the woman as they exited the cantina. Still, she remained tight-lipped – waiting for the other woman to come to terms with what had been said, and preparing from the onslaught of questions that it was bound to provoke.

@ModernMarvel
 

Brienna Lanaamer

Character
Jedi Order
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Jedi Knight

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ModernMarvel
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Bri heard the sound of the woman exiting the Cantina just behind her and mentally solidified for whatever came next. It was possible the woman was just going to run away, but that seemed unlikely. Perhaps the lure of finding out more about the Jedi would keep her to stay? A fight or flight response could be predicted, though was there an additional option? Stall or talk? The Jedi judged flight to be the least desirable option, a chase through the Coruscant underworld did not sound appealing at all. Bri took a deep breath, once more centering her connection to the Force in preparation for what was about to happen.

The Jedi turned and faced the woman, 'Fiach.' It was clear her demeanor had changed. Gone was the unassuming, somewhat darting glances of 'Kian.' Instead, Bri stared intently at the woman, her face nearly devoid of any emotion except a slight narrowing of her eyes as she spoke. "Who are you....really?"

Moving her hands down to her hips, Bri's jacket opened. The neon lights of flashing advertisements above glinted against something obviously metallic pocketed in the Jedi's outer layer.

@Corbeau
 
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