Ask Coruscant Zero Zero Zero

[Manuk Gagak]

“Sometimes I think this planet is nothing but a hellhole.”
― Natasi Daala, to an unconscious Nek Bwua’tu

In the lowest levels, in the abyssal urban depths, of the ecumenopolis that was Coruscant, it was a rare thing indeed to see sunlight. For the inhabitants of the baroque and gleaming cloudcutters, skytowers and superskytowers – the latter reaching as much as two kilometers high – the sun was something taken for granted, just as were the other comforts of life. Since WeatherNet guaranteed that it never rained until dusk or later, the rich golden sunlight was simply expected, in the same way that one expected air to till one’s lungs with every breath.

The latter was the life that Manuk was born to. Or rather, one she inherited.

But hundreds of stories below the first inhabited floors of the great towers, ziggurats, and minarets, in some places actually on or under the city-planet’s surface, it was another story. Here hundreds of thousands of humans and other species lived and died, sometimes without ever catching as much as a glimpse of the fabled sky. Here the light that filtered through the omnipresent grey inversion layer was wan and pallid. The rain that reached the surface was nearly always acidic, enough so at times to etch tiny channels and grooves into ferrocarbon foundations. It was hard to believe that anything at all could survive in these dismal trenches. Yet even here life, both intelligent and otherwise, had adjusted long ago to the perpetual twilight and strictured environment.

And, oddly, it was this way of life that Manuk was being more and more often drawn to.

Down amongst the jetsam of the galaxy, a motley collection of sentients dismissed by those above simply as “the underdwellers,” who eked out lives of brutality and despair. It was merely a different kind of jungle, after all.

And where there’s a jungle, there are always those who hunt.

For now, moving quietly, she made her way from her bathroom – the size of which a family of ten would aspire to live in ‘down below’ and crossed the expanse that was the living room of her apartment. She proceeded out onto the balcony, where she stopped and stared out across Coruscant’s endless cityscape.

Traffic in the galactic capital never stopped, and she found the constant buzz and blur of shuttles speeding by soothing – or at very least a distraction. She leaned out over the railing of the balcony as far as she could, her eyes unable to pierce the darkness to make out the planet’s surface hundreds of stories below.

“Don’t jump, Mistress. I don’t want to have to clean up the mess.”

She chose not to turn her head at the sound of her protocol droid’s voice behind her.

‘He’ – for she decided it was male – stood at the threshold of the balcony door. Its rose gold plating gleaming in the light. She hadn’t re-programmed it – instead it had changed from an entirely obedient and servile droid which she inherited with the apartment – to a sarcastic and surly servant over time. She often mused it was actually programmed to keep her sane – and this was the persona that would do precisely that.

“Are you planning to go out again tonight? And if so, shall I wait up?”

Her night-time excursions were becoming more frequent. She’d experimented with alcohol and death-sticks when barely a teenager. Gambling and illegal narcotics followed. Which still did not satisfy her. In truth, she did not know what she was looking to sate, but she knew whatever she tried, it came up short.

Next came petty crime – but when you have credits, it seemed the authorities turned a blind eye to such matters. She received and paid fines and soon got bored. She contemplated serious crime – like murder – but dismissed the notion, for now. Instead she did what she was about to do – go walkabout and see what trouble she could end up in.

###​

She walked through the colourful crowds that thronged the marketplace. It was a euphemistic name for an ongoing rowdy street fair. In the upper levels, it had a sector name. Down here, below the layer of smoke and fog, it was simply more of the same. While much of Coruscant’s lower levels comprised less-than-desirable real estate, some areas were loci of particular and concentrated trouble. The Southern Underground, the Factory District, The Works, the Blackpit Slums – these and other colourful names did little justice to the harsh realities of life under the perpetual smog layer that hid them from the rarefied upper levels.

She walked softly, gracefully, in a long black cloak with its hood pulled up to hide her face. Even she was not to stupid as to reveal exactly what she looked like down here. Many in the crowd accidentally bumped into her (it was never the other way around) and she neither gave nor received an apology.

She reached her intended destination a few minutes later – a small cantina in the far corner of the market that offered drinks, dancers, and gambling. It’s reputation said it catered to the seedier elements of Coruscant society: black-market smugglers; thugs and bounty hunters; stim and spice dealers. As a result, the clientele was predominantly a mix of species with unsavoury galactic reputations. Scattered among the Rodians, Chevin, and Kubaz were a handful of humans.

Manuk took a seat and ordered two beers. She chose a small table in the far corner of the cantina, her back to the wall. She kept her hood up and scanned the room. A scantily clad Twi’lek dancer was giving one of the patrons a private performance as he sipped on a green-tinged drink. Sliding past that table, she saw the usual mix of scum and villainy and wondered how long it would take before someone approached her.

@Topher

 

[Alyse Ti'Varnus]

So this was it, the supposed Jewel of the Core worlds, seat of the historical epicentre of democracy and civilisation for the wider galaxy? For all the wonders that the ecumenopolis supposedly had, with the towering shards of duracrete and glass that reached out beyond the clouds, the countless trillions of credits poured into the architectural marvels that littered the upper levels of the planet spanning City over the centuries - Coruscant was disappointing to say the least. Through the eyes of the blonde Sith as she traversed through the various levels, she could see little more of the world other than a festering cesspool of corruption and dismay. Having now spent the best part of the last few days on Coruscant, the young guardian was starting to learn and appreciate just how the Dark lord of the Sith was able to manoeuvre himself into the seat of Emperor unnoticed by the ever vigilant Jedi Order, just by reading the sensations of the Force that resonated throughout the central seat of galactic power.

Beneath the glossy veneer of the upper levels, lay a rotten festering core that lay not much more than a kilometre below the upper streets. The Force was rife with the cold oppressing air of the darkside, bubbling away from the countless millions that resided in the lower levels suffering from disease, malnutrition and pretty much everything else that could be wrong with society. The bitter irony it seemed to the Guardian was that for countless Millennia the Jedi who once sat in pristine marble halls of the Grand Temple, clearly had turned a blind eye to the very suffering that they were literally sitting atop of.

As to why the young Sith had ventured from the very outermost reaches of civilisation to the centre of the Galaxy, little reason was known. Hailing from a back water world such as Bakura there was little need for the long winded series of jumps between along the almost never ending Hyperspace trade corridors, even for someone in her position of being a junior within the Bakuran government - the galactic senate, well it's current incarnation of it had long since been re-sited off world. From a political stand point there was no reasoning for her to be here, the answer lay within an more intangible sphere - as if there was a sensation within the Force that had pulled her interests to the ecumenopolis, yet for the particular reason that was yet to make itself clear. Ever was the joy of the Force's will, it would drag you halfway across the kriffing Galaxy without the faintest hint of a clue as to the reason why.

Still here she was walking through the smog filled streets of the undercity, noticeably sticking out like a sore thumb against the dingy backdrop of the locals, clothed in a combination of black trousers, red jumper and a black leather jacket, that in comparison to the attire worm by the residents of this level did little to conceal the fact that she was clearly an off worlder and seemingly lost - coupled with her slight and petite build just screamed out easy pickings to the more unscrupulous of the locals. Not that that had escaped Alyse's attention, she could sense that eyes were watching her movements and sizing her up as an easy mark - though whether it was arrogance or confidence in her own abilities, she thought little of the stares and hushed whispers being cast in her direction.

Opting in part to satiate her thirst and longing to find a moment of rest from walking through the market streets, the blonde Sith elected to enter the closest cantina, figuring that even perhaps by doing so the less opportunistic of would be assailants would lose interest in their potential mark. A light momentary expression of discomfort crossed the blonde's alabaster features as she stepped into the Cantina, the acrid smell of stale smoke and alcohol lingering in the air, barely masking the stench of some of the more... unsanitary of patrons. Taking a deep breath, Alyse mustered the Force through her - focusing on her perceptions through the Force rather than her normal senses that were currently being bombarded with the ambience of the cantina. Driving herself deeper into the cantina, the blonde approached the bar, her chestnut eyes fixing on the service droid that swung round from a suspended railing towards her before requesting through a static laced voice what her order was. "Rancor's Breath" Alyse spoke out simply towards the droid before tossing over a credit chip in payment and leaning against the counter, keeping a wary gaze out of the corner of her eye for whomever may had followed her into the cantina.

 

[Manuk Gagak]

Manuk had no idea what brought her to the lower levels – not really. Not specifically. Yes, she came here in the hope of something – anything – that would relive the monotony of staring out of her apartment balcony at the same vista day after day after day.

No, it was more that that. In many ways it seemed counter-intuitive, which is why she dismissed it initially, But, as she sat here and glanced around, the thought came unbidden into her head again. Here was a maelstrom of emotions. Anger, greed, suffering, envy. She couldn’t sense them precisely, but somehow, she knew they were here, almost as if they were an aroma she could inhale. But it was more than that. In a strange way, these negative emotions made her feel stronger. Could she explain it? Absolutely not, but as an introvert gained power through isolation and an extrovert drew strength from crowds, she seemed to somehow feed off of the negative energy of these people. Not that she could channel it, that would be impossible, but she felt it none the less.

She’d even researched it – but the results were inconclusive at best and far-fetched at worst. So, she sat here - not attempting to make sense of it, but to drink it in.

Which prompted her to take a swig of one of the bottles of beer. At home she preferred something altogether classier – Daruvvian champagne was her tipple of choice – but for this locale, the local ale would suffice.

Which was when her attention was drawn to the newcomer. Manuk was something of an oddity here – but she knew enough to keep her head down, her face covered and her gait humble. Most if the patrons were down and out, and the few that exuded swagger had blasters that could back up their claim. What Manuk could now see fitted none of the stereotypes she’d come to expect from cantina’s like these. The young blonde decided she was either rich and stupid – or had back-up. The former happened from time to time, bored socialites visiting to see how the other half lived. Fewer than that percentage ever made it back to the upper levels.

Carefully Manuk scoured the room. Who looked as though they were watching the woman’s back? As she wondered, she saw the man toting what had to be the biggest blaster in the joint dismiss his Twi’lek dancer and saunter over to the newcomer. Maybe he thought she was entertainment?

Maybe she was?

@Topher

 

[Alyse Ti'Varnus]

Quietly the lone blonde rested against the counter of the bar, her gaze shifting away from her cursory glances over her shoulder and onto the what seemed to be after further scrutiny a rather run down and barely functional service droid. The sound of glass shattering on the floor beneath it as it its mandible arms failed to grasp the glass for the drink she had ordered for the second time - at least its sub routines were intact enough to acknowledge that the drink had hit the deck. A slight sigh of exasperation passed the blonde's lips, lowering her head down a little in resignation and frustration. Opting now to take a moment and reach out with the Force, partly to center and focus herself but mostly to read the general mood in the room.

Like she had felt as she traversed the streets and as she had entered the bar, the Force was rife in the corrupting taint of the dark side; anger, lust and general debauchery carried in the currents that flowed around her - yet there was something else,relatively close by, there was a ripple in the Force that carried itself much stronger than the ambient flow of the life forms around her. A Force user that from what she could feel was lacking in training and control, the ebbs and currents that fell from its origin were presenting themselves as a flaring star - a spark of pure potential.

A light smile crossed Alyse's lips at the sensation, as elusive as the reasoning was, it was now clear that she had found what the Force had brought her across the galaxy from Bakura to Corsucant for. Someone that she could mold and train so that they could achieve their full potential - yet the question was, who was that person to be?

Breaking out of her thoughts, as the sound of glassware connecting with the counter top touched upon her ears. Looking up to find that the service droid had eventually managed to compensate for its failing servos and delivered her drink, a crimson liquid that gave off a slight illuminescant glow covered by a layer of a white haze that hung closely to the liquid. The scent from the beverage was noticiably strong, and intoxicating enough just by the smell. Slowly moving her hand to take the glass into her possession, only to stop in her advance as a large leathery hand clamped itself on top of her wrist. "That looks a little bit too strong for you to handle" a rather gravelly and laboured voice rang out from behind her, accompanied by the sensation of heavy breathing against the back of her neck - sending a shudder of repulsion down her spine.

Once the instinctual shudder had passed, a sinister grin curled on the edge of her lips, her mind plunging itself into the twisted energies of the Darkside, coercing them to flow through her to be commanded at her will. The currents of the Force that surrounded her suddenly grew cold with an icy chill, enough to make even the most blind to the Force to react as if wild animals sensing an oncoming storm - the audible din of the bar falling silent. If only for the briefest moments, before the sound of a pained welp emanated out from the stocky muscle headed man.

The sight of the young petite looking stranger standing over the man hunching over in pain as the blonde Sith tightly held the offending wrist in an increasing vice like grip, the sound of bones cracking under the abnormal stengh of the young woman's grasp audible over the still silence. Alyse did nothing more than to look down upon the man with cold piercing eyes as she watched him writhe in pain for a few moments longer. "Touch me again, and you'll loose more than the use of your hand" Alyse spoke simply her words carried not with a tone of anger or malevolence, but of an stern sharp one. With a sudden lurch her grasp of the offending and now broken hand was released sending the man stumbling back a few steps as he attempted to recoup his ballance, the blonde's chestnut hued gaze coldly staring at the man whilst she reached for the ordered glass of Rancors breath before swiftly necking the contents and turning her back away to the onlookers and back to the service droid. "Another" Alyse instructed as she set down another credit chip beside the empty gkass, hoping at least the next round she would get to enjoy without drama.

 

[Manuk Gagak]

In a planet of an estimated one trillion inhabitants, she always felt alone.

Always.

Even her droid could not be considered a companion. For all that he had done for her and the scrapes he’d bandaged her up after, she could not care if she never saw the machine again. For that was all he was to her…a tool. To be used and discarded when it no longer served a useful purpose.

Today was no exception, except there promised to be an intriguing floor show. Nothing excited the locals like violence – unless you counted naked flesh. And who knew, maybe this encounter might generate both?

Most eyes were on the odd couple at the bar. Manuk was aware that bets were already going down. Not on the outcome per se, but how long it would take for the brute to do whatever he wanted to do with the young woman.

Manuk was logical. The odds were infinite that there would be any outcome other than the man getting whatever he wanted out of the situation. So why was she expecting the woman to endure? Futhermore, why was she rooting for the woman to prevail?

Manuk felt the energy in the room rise – so much so that it was almost palpable. And then it shifted. The how and the why she could not explain, any more than she could say how or why she knew. But she knew. It was if someone had opened a door and a vacuum beyond had sucked all of the energy out of the room. Yet this made zero sense. And what made even less sense was the feeling she had that the woman was the open door. It was as if she was the vacuum, the magnet – whatever analogy worked best. And her logical brain was allowed to get in on the act again as it surmised that all that energy was being taken for a reason.

So, unlike every other patron in the bar, she was not at all surprised at what developed.

But, unlike every other person there, the display did not scare her as such. Not in the way that made the others avert their eyes, for fear they might be next.

For Manuk did not seek avoidance but knowledge. One word kept running around her head like a Kath hound on heat. Finally, she could contain it no longer and, staring right at the woman, she lowered her hood – not caring that her face was now revealed – and uttered a single word…

"How?”

@Topher

 

[Alyse Ti'Varnus]

The excitement and also sense of dread within the cantina seemed to have passed, as the muscular brute retreated back to his corner cradling his shattered wrist and hand, the ambient din slowly growing back to it's previous state, only with more muttered whispering about what had just taken place. The blonde stranger payed the other patrons little heed as she instead watched the service droid, seemingly un-phased by all that had taken place pour out the young Sith's replacement drink, before successfully serving it to the blonde without dropping it.

As Alyse was about to bring the glass up to her lip to take a sip from the potent alcoholic drink, before she was cut short by the approach of younger blonde female - questioning her rather succinctly. A light smirk curled at the edge of the Sith's lips, lingering for a brief moment before she took a sip from the drink, slowly savouring the smokey bitter taste as it washed over her pallet. A satisfied gasp escaping her lips as she sat the glass back down onto the counter. "Have you ever heard of the saying looks can be deceiving?" she continued as a light teasing smile curled at the edge of her lips, her chestnut hued gaze shifting over to regard the younger blonde fully, panning up and down, paying particular attention to the hooded cloak that had been drawn back - a curious thought crossed the Sith's mind as she wondered why would someone down in this level would look to conceal themselves, was she in hiding or was she like the Sith, not one of the immediate residents of this level?

Letting the thought slip for a moment, Alyse retrieved her glass of Rancor's Breath and took another sip, her eyes closing as she reached into the Force to probe and measure the younger female who had approached her. It seemed that the earlier spark she had felt within this cantina, had been drawn in towards her like a moth to the flame - how fortunate that was. Slowly Alyse's eyes opened as she set the glass back down on the counter top, fixing in on the purple hues of the young stranger. "I suspect however you may already know the answer" the Sith resumed, casting her an inquisitive look. "I'm sure if you reach into your thoughts and that strange sensation in your gut, it will make sense" Alyse added, before she focused her mind on the Force once more to channel the energies of the Force through her, drawing in on the lingering air of the Darkside that had seeped into the foundations of Coruscant's lower levels from the millennia of suffering that had been imposed on the less fortunate of the populate.

Whilst she had not disillusions that her words, were beyond a doubt cryptic and quite nonsensical. The young Sith wanted to test whether this young stranger had yet grown to be aware of her own gifts, or had even drew upon the Force herself, going by the initial questioning however, Alyse had her suspicions that active awareness of the Force for what it was and is might be lacking, and that she was bordering on her awakening to the Force. Then again her suspicions may be mistaken, but either way she was curious to hear just what the stranger had to say to offer an insight into just what she knew of the Force and the Darkside - as she had clearly been drawn towards it by the Sith's earlier display.

 

[Manuk Gagak]

As Manuk walked towards the woman, oblivious of the fact that all eyes were now on her, she considered just how calm the newcomer was. Manuk only came here with her semi-disguise and was on edge the whole time. Not that this was an uncomfortable feeling – in fact she got a thrill from what she assumed was an adrenaline rush.

Yet those observing the young blonde’s walk from the table to the bar might assume she was all poise and confidence – but nothing could be further from the truth. Her bearing was due to her upbringing and dancing prowess. Her lack of fear was due to her laser-like focus on the woman she was approaching.

Yet, despite seeing what had just happened to the man, Manuk did not fear for her own safety. Not because she was fearless, nor due to any faith in her own abilities. But rather her thirst for knowledge overrode all such thoughts and emotions right now. She was a junkie looking for a fix – and the drug was knowledge. Not information – she’d read plenty of that – but what lay beyond the theories, concepts and hearsay. What she’d glimpsed on the news and researched on the public portals and the not-so-legitimate sites.

The woman spoke and Manuk wondered if she was being toyed with. Not in the bone-crushing way the meathead had – but in her mind. Or maybe, just maybe…

Manuk bit her tongue – figuratively. She had many thoughts and ideas but wanted to present them in a way that belied the babbling diatribe her brain wanted to share right now.

“You’re no Jedi,” she said confidently, and paused for a split-second to see if she would be challenged on the assertion. “But what you did defies physics. Which means some other force is at pay. Which means…”

Manuk closed her eyes and did as she was told. She felt power. And the power was linked to her emotions. No…the emotions of those around her…kind of. And this woman! It was as if the people around her, with their raw emotions on display were somehow warm to the touch. But this woman…she was white-hot.

“You’re a Sith,” she said. It was not said as a question, but as a statement. And her voice was raised barely above a whisper. “But that tells me why, or maybe what. But not how.” She paused again.

“Can you teach me. I am young. I will learn.”

@Topher

 

[Alyse Ti'Varnus]

A bemused expression crossed the blonde Sith's features, holding it for a few moments before a light chortle escaped her lips in reaction to the declaration that she was no Jedi but infact a Sith - it was amusing just how that the classification of Force users was so binary. Yet whilst there was truth in how Manuk had concluded that she was no Jedi, Alyse was far too deep in the energies of the Darkside to even remotely pass for a Jedi - but as a Sith? It would be the closest approximation, she shared some of the ideals and view points of the Order, but the blonde liked to consider herself removed from the sterotype of the more barbaric of those within the Order that relished in the senseless slaughter just to satiate their connection to the darkside.

But the semantics of Jedi and Sith aside, what did catch the blonde off guard was the all so sudden appeal for her to train the young woman in the ways of the Force, not as much as the young Jedi Padawan Brahe had done, imploring her to teach him on how to temper the darkside. All of which did make her start to wonder, has the stigma of the Sith and the actions of the Galactic empire, the First and Final orders all at the helms of Darth Sidious been so readily forgotten all of a sudden? Figuring that if anyone came to that conclusion a century back she would have mercilessly been hunted down. How times change it seems.

Pursing her lips in thought for a moment ,the blonde guardian reached back down for her glass and took another sip of the beverage. Mulling over the situation that was being presented to her, the young blonde female imploring her to teach her of the Force. Whilst there was the untamed spark of Force potential, she could sense that there was a growing darkness - whether it was from Manuk's own projection of her thoughts and emotions into the Force, or perhaps more likely the effect that the lower levels of Coruscant has had on the young woman, gradually seeping into her core.

Finishing off the remainder of her beverage, Alyse set the glass down on the counter, before giving the young stranger another look over, her eyes narrowing in thought for a further moment. "Age is of no consequence, only your willingness to learn" the Sith spoke, offering a wry smile at the edge of her lips. "I will mentor you, but i shall warn you that this path is not for the faint of heart" she cautioned, before directing her attention to the surrounding cantina, feeling the subtle change in the atmospherics and mood. "You will be tested, and you will find yourself confronting parts of you that will make you question who you truly are" Alyse added before ensuring that she had everything to hand, something was telling her that perhaps it would be time to vacate the cantina.

"Come with me" Alyse spoke, loosing the soft cautionary tone and replacing it with that of stern instruction. before pushing herself away from the bar and leading Manuk towards the entrance of the Cantina. Taking a brief moment to assess her bearings as soon as she crossed the threshold, before leading the young woman back through the streets - hoping to get ahead of any retaliation that had been simmering from the dented ego of the muscle head, as well as to get to the more private confines of her ship so they could discuss the topic freely without the risk of being overheard.

 

[Manuk Gagak]

Manuk was transfixed. Not in any other way than she saw in front of her what she hoped – desperately – was the answer to her many questions. Moreover, the solution to her future happiness. Her eyes narrowed at the woman’s chuckle, and she wondered if she’d made a huge mistake or that she was being made fun of. But her usual reaction – to lash out verbally or physically – she kept in check…for now.

The pause that followed felt an eternity and this time Manuk literally bit her lip as her paper-thin patience barely held.

Aware she hadn’t breathed since she spoke, she exhaled nosily and took a deep breath. The next words were music to Manuk’s ears and she would have gladly danced to them. ‘She said she would mentor me. Which means she can mentor me.’

“I will not lie. I have displayed a short attention span of late. But that is because the trappings of what society says it desirable bores me. I can buy anything I want. But when credits mean nothing, what they can purchase becomes equally worthless.”

Manuk unclipped her cloak and revealed a simple, elegant and no doubt highly expensive leather body suit underneath. She then performed a series of highly technical and complicated ballet moves – even in her boots. Picking up her cloak and re-attaching it, she added, “But if I put my mind to it, I can achieve. Pain and hard work and sacrifice brought me to that level of skill. I know it won’t be the same, but I wanted you to know I am dedicated. ” Her eyes flashed as she spoke and she felt more alive than she’d ever done – even under the influence of the most expensive champagne in the galaxy.

“The truth is, I do not know who I am and so will relish the journey – regardless of the outcome.”

Nodding she fell into step with the woman, albeit slightly behind. Regardless of her arrogance, she understood the teacher-learner relationship and respect was integral to that in her experience.

A moment later, they’d left a cantina so quiet, you could hear a pin drop – or more accurately the sound of a glass hitting the floor as the droid failed to collect the woman’s finished drink from the bar.

@Topher

 

[Alyse Ti'Varnus]

After the pair had left the cantina, Alyse remained silent for a prolonged period of time, offering only a tense silence in response to the young girl's words - the narrowed gaze plastered on the blonde Sith's features showing that for the time being, Manuk's moment of excitement and revelry in the promise of a life and journey that will her re-discover herself was going unheeded. Yet it was not out of choice, that the Sith had barely shown any glimmer of acknowledgement. Alyse's mind and her senses was lingering back on the Cantina, the eyes that fell on the pair as they left was enough to put her hair on end - she didn't trust the atmospherics within the place as they parted, there was a brewing air of resentment and indignation and if she was to stake a wager, her credits was on the muscle head being the origin.

After what must of been an uncomfortable prolonged silence, the blonde Sith turned her head over the side a little to regard the young woman beside her. "At the end of your training you will certainly know your true self, the journey you might not relish" the Sith spoke, as she turned her gaze back to the street ahead, her eyes focusing in on a small alley way off to their side. "Take a left here" Alyse instructed, as she felt that they were not going to be alone for long. perhaps four maybe five people had vacated the cantina not much longer after the pair had left, and they were steadily following the two.

As the two started to traverse deeper into the alleyway, Alyse's eyes panned over the area, it looked little different to any normal run of the mill dingy service alleyway, full of grime and refuse. "Your first lesson will be to focus and channel those energies you felt, draw upon them and make them yours" she spoke out, as she started to do likewise for herself, pulling in on the energies of the Force and drawing them through her, her emotions tempering and becoming focused, a chill in the air that would be felt by others seemingly accompanying the process.

Whilst to many it would be unnerving, walking down a dark alleyway - being followed by a group of thugs lead by a muscle bound goon with a bruised ego. Alyse was seeing the moment for what it was, the opportune time for her to assess the character of the young lass who would soon become her student. Nothing like diving into the deep end! Not that Alyse would allow harm to fall to her potential ward, she wanted to observe just how Manuk would react when her life was being endagered.

"Oi you two, stay put we want a word with you!"

 

[Manuk Gagak]

They walked in silence. Manuk was comfortable with this. With a droid as company for most of her life (she was expelled from every school she attended until her attorneys decided to fund home-schooling remotely) she was used to silence. Not that she was introverted, she was simply comfortable with the quiet.

When the woman finally broke the silence, Manuk listened intently, as if every word was valuable beyond comprehension, each syllable untold riches.

She nodded her accord. She was surely arrogant and somewhat stubborn, but she was no fool. If the Sith repeated her warning, it must have been for a good reason. So, Manuk stored the wisdom away, for reflecting upon later.

As she did so, the Sith indicated a left turning – which as she rounded the corner – looked to Manuk like a narrow alleyway. If she was brave (or perhaps foolhardy) enough to frequent the area – even she would not venture down this path. But she did as she was told and then her step faltered as the woman asked her to channel the Force. Did she mean now?

Before she could ask, a voice called out from behind them. Manuk instantly recognised it as the goon from the cantina. Without looking at the woman, or turning to face whoever was behind them, Manuk realised that now definitely meant now.

She closed her eyes. What had she felt when she sensed all that power back in the cantina? She dropped her head, her eyes remaining closed. For a couple of seconds she was still and silent, forcing her mind to relive the moment. Emotions played across her mind and manifested themselves on her face: confusion, fear, grief. She trembled slightly and then, slowly, she felt anger begin to rise. And with it, the power of the dark side.

When she looked up again her eyes were open wide; and the lilac irises burned with a fierce intensity – darkening in hue.

“Who are they to determine where we go or who we speak to,” she spat. She felt her anger boil up now and she welcomed it. Embraced it. The dark side was building within her, growing in intensity until Manuk could almost feel its heat.

But the anger was tinged with frustration. Yes, she’d accessed the energy that she now supposed was called the Force, but she hadn’t been told what to do.

Turning, she was determined to unleash her frustration on someone.

Anyone.

Him.

Instinctively, she lashed out. She didn't know how she did it – it wasn't even conceived of conscious thought. She only knew he had to be silenced.

“You’re about to be taught a less-” Manuk knew what he was going to say but he never managed to utter the final syllable, nor draw the cudgel from his belt that his fingers were gripping. In an instant, his neck was snapped. He fell and landed like a dead-weight – which of course he was. His companions stared down at his still-warm corpse, his head twisted at an obscene angle to his body.

Manuk felt at once elated, shocked and confused. No remorse flitted across her emotions, just pleasure. Not in his death, but for finding out, finally, what she was put in this galaxy to do.

@Topher

 

[Alyse Ti'Varnus]

In silence, the older blonde stood back, her eyes fixed on the approaching goons - mind opening up fully into the Force, and allowing it flow through every cell of her body, her hatred and anger concentrating into the essence of the energies that flowed through her, building and focusing the potential of the darkside to her will, ready to be unleashed at a moments notice. As the swirling energies concentrated within her, Alyse's gaze turned towards the younger blonde beside her, she could feel that that spark of potential was indeed strong, and with her direction to channel the Force. A curious eyebrow arched up as she could feel that the energies ebbing from Manuk were almost instinctively growing dark, the light grin curling at the edge of her lips intensifying as the teen spat out her frustration towards the muscle head and his goons.

Yes she truly had the potential, yes she could call upon her hatred with ease, but will she have the control to not allow that hatred to consume her mind? That is something Alyse will have to work on at a later time, she wanted for her student to not become a slave to the dark side and it's influence, she will learn to temper her anger and frustrations with the galaxy, hone it and make it her weapon to be called upon at will. A weapon that will serve Manuk's desires, and not the desires of the Darkside.

Her gaze snapped towards the muscle headed goon, as the visceral sound of his neck snapping cracked throughout the alleyway, her eyes watching as his lifeless body slumped down onto the ground like a discarded rag doll. Though whilst she wanted to revel in the moment that the young teen had successfully brought the power of Force to her will, and she had learned to harness and control it - the remainder of the goons would not afford the time for that moment to be savoured. Her eyes narrowed as she watched them reach for their various weapons, blasters, knives and strangely enough a large solid pipe all appeared in a mere short moment in retaliation for their ring leader's demise.

Almost instantaneously the Sith's eyes turned a milky white, as she released her harnessing of the Force within her, and projecting tendrils of the sightless energy over towards the remainder of the thugs. Whilst Manuk would have the right of passage for taking the leader's life, Alyse was not going to make the initiate, over exert herself by clearing up the rest of the thugs.

Throwing her arms up so that they were diagonally across her chest, her hands swiftly balling up into tight fists and held them there. Binding the thugs in their current positions, holding them firmly in place within the grip of the Force. The Sith's eyes narrowing as she glared at the thugs, each one in turn as their faces shown looks of abject terror. Whilst she was not one for the senseless taking of life, in her eyes these men served no purpose than to harass and prey on the innocent, to Alyse their lives were already forfeit. With a sudden throwing open of her arms down to her sides, each of the remaining men's heads violently threw themselves round beyond their physical limits, snapping in a instant.

Their lifeless bodies falling onto the ground as the Sith opened her hands out and released her control of the Force, before turning her attention towards Manuk - the deaths of the thugs no longer worth acknowledging to her. "Very good, your control of the Force has great potential, together we will harness the full extent of your capabilities" Alyse spoke as her milky white eyes phased back to their natural state. "Now come, we can take the service carrier to the upper levels where my ship is waiting" she added, gesturing towards the end of the alleyway, figuring it would be best to get out of the area as swiftly as possible least more of the muscle heads gang come and discover the state of their comrades.

"Now, how did you feel? summoning the force to take that man's life?"

 

[Manuk Gagak]

Manuk heard a strange sound. It was almost feral, a ragged panting sound. It was only after a couple of seconds that she realised it was her own breathing. The act hadn’t just tired her, it had exhausted her. Yet the lingering feeling was one of craving. The Force was clearly addictive. She’d been warned of such a reliance when she’d tried narcotics and dismissed the notion. Fortunately, she’d discarded them as soon as she’d tried them. But this? This was different.

She raised her head and glanced first at her companion and then the rest of the men. She felt the Force – for she knew now, instinctively, that was what it was – rise within the woman at her side and it represented a tidal wave to Manuk’s ripple.

Then, her eyes snapped automatically to the remaining goons. Manuk just knew that they were about to be the focus of the action – and she was not proven wrong.

One moment they were preparing their various weapons, some ranged and others clearly intended for close-quarter combat. Manuk could not have forgiven them for running right now, but either stupidity or belligerence kept them coming for the two women.

Manuk felt the surge of power leave Alyse – but unlike the rush she expected, this was controlled and sinewy – but no less potent for it.

Manuk watched as first the men became rigid, not with fear but clearly held there by her would-be mentor. Manuk saw the wretched fear in their eyes and drank in the emotion, her breathing now calm and deliberate. And then the statues became marionettes, their strings pulled in many different directions simultaneously as Alyse, the puppeteer, toyed with them until their physical bodies were unable to withstand the forces and Manuk felt the life-force ebb from them and they flopped to the ground soon afterwards as Alyse cut their strings.

Realising the Sith was now looking at her, Manuk turned to face her. She was unsure how to respond. Did those that were mentored bow, or curtsy? How should she address Alyse? As much as she had unlocked knowledge through her research and had her eyes opened in the past few minutes, Alyse realised she still had so much to learn.

She simply nodded at the plans to leave and then paused before answering the question. Finally, she spoke. “I felt…alive. It felt natural…appropriate. They did not deserve to live and we did what was necessary. And…although the feeling was exhilarating, I was surprised how tiring it was. Is it always like that?”

 

[Alyse Ti'Varnus]

Nodding in response to the younger blonde's admission of the sensations she had felt in the wake of summoning the Force to her will, her eyes slightly narrowing at the mention of the feeling of exhilarating for a moment, as she cautiously eyed her potential ward through the corner of her vision - yet the light smile of understanding that flashed on her features masked the momentary point of concern for the time being. "In time as your connection to the Force grows, the strain it has on your body eases" Alyse responded, before stepping off to the side to open the access gate to the service lift, gesturing for Manuk to proceed first before following onto the lift platform and proceeding to punch in the required level for where her ship was docked.

Closing the barrier, and stepping off to the side, her arms folding across her chest as she lent against the frame of the lift vehicle, her chestnut hued gaze lingering over the young initiate to be, for a moment lips pursing in thought, as she contemplated on how to address the proverbial bantha in the room. "As for the feeling of exhilaration" Alyse spoke out as she reached down to one of her side jacket pockets, pulling out a slightly tattered pack of tabbac sticks, drawing one out for herself and offering the pack to the young woman in front of her. With a clear visual scan of the lift, just to make sure whether it was permitted or not Alyse brought a closed pair of hands upto the end of the tabbac stick and with a snap of her fingers ignited the tip by summoning and manipulating the Force into a small spark of fire which no sooner dissipated the moment after the cigarette had been ignited and the sensation of smoke being drawn into her lungs.

"When you pull upon the Force, well more precisely the darkside, you will sense a rush, that will overwhelm you" the Blonde Sith started to explain, waving her tabbac stick to the side almost pointedly. "The darkside's influence is like a drug, it will lure you in with the sensation of exhilaration or the rush of power, or adrenaline. Whatever your vice is. So the more you draw upon it, the greater a hold it's influence has on you" Alyse continued, pausing for a moment to draw on the Tabbac smoke and holding it in her lungs for a prolonged moment, before exhaling out a large plume of smoke from her lips.

"There is an aspect of the Darkside that very few openly admit, often because they don't see it themselves because they are blinded by it's influence. But the Darkside has a price for use of it's power, it will seep into and affect your body and mind, if you lack the will power and fortitude to resist, then the darkside will claim its due and leave you but a mere shell of yourself as you become a slave to its endless temptations" Alyse spoke out as she flicked the stub of her tabbac stick onto the floor and ground it out under the heel of her boot. "The Darkside is a parasite that feeds off of your emotions,and if you lack the power and strength of your own will, it will claim you and leave you just a husk of who you are" the blonde surmised, her features flat and almost stern conveying the severity of her words. "I will guide you, to wield the force, I will mentor you so that you bend the Force to your will,so that it serves you, not you becoming a slave to it."

 

[Manuk Gagak]

Manuk felt strange. It was not the realisation that she was Force sensitive. She may have hoped as much and have been delighted to have found it to be true – but she knew deep down that was not the reason for her malady.

Nor was it accessing the Force properly for the first time – for that did have a physical and mental impact, but she could readily identify those feelings, disconcerting as they were.

No…there was something else, something awry that she could not put her finger on. Like an itch that as soon as you thought you’d located and scratched it, it appeared elsewhere.

Finally, she understood – or at least believed she did. It was no epiphany, but a slowly dawning realisation as they talked. Like a sunset creeping over the horizon. There was no clear demarcation of night and day, but one moment she was in ignorance and then she understood.

She was pleased to hear the sensation of drawing on the Force would change – so she was duly listening whilst her subconscious worked on her conundrum.

She entered the access lift and opened and closed her mouth, like some fish out of water. She dismissed the offer of a tabbac stick with the wave of a hand. She’d tried them before she’d entered her teens and initially could not understand what all the fuss was about and then decided that if she were to become addicted, it would take more than these death sticks to hook her.

As she reflected, the sun rose metaphorically in her mind.

She nodded at the explanation of the Force and the effect of the dark side on a person. It made sense. Anything that exhilarating had to be addictive. And her sun inched further over the horizon.

Her brows now knitted, a sure sign she was puzzled, but she said nothing and continued to listen.

Finally, the woman stopped speaking and Manuk sensed it was her turn to speak. But like her time in the cantina, she was unsure which of the myriad of questions that now buzzed around her head to ask first.

Finally, she drew in a deep breath and as she exhaled, her sun cleared its allegorical horizon. “Regardless of who owns who, I sense an addiction. Maybe a symbiosis. If I embark on this park, I believe I will need the Force for the rest of my life. I shall not be a slave, but neither will I be a free woman.”

She looked into the distance, her eyes glazed over – clearly unfocused. “I say this not because I wish to walk a different path but because, for the first time in my life, I have a true decision to make. One that will form who I will become for the rest of my life. A commitment.” She spoke the last word as if it were foreign to her – which it was.

She sighed audibly and turned to face Alyse. “I pledge myself to your tutelage and will honour your teachings by abiding by your wisdom and learn to bend the Force to my will, and not the other way around. From today, I am no longer the foolish girl who sought kicks. Today I become an adult…”

She let the pause hang and the corners of her mouth ride up. “Admittedly a kick-ass woman, but a woman none the less.”

@Topher

 

[Alyse Ti'Varnus]

Nodding her head Alyse listened intently to the young girl's musings, a curious eyebrow arching at the pledging of herself to the Sith's teachings, a wry smile curling at the edge of her lips for a moment, before she tried to stifle a light chuckle at the final proclamation that she was no longer a foolish girl but a kick ass woman! This one will certainly go places, the belief and confidence in herself becoming the fuel that will drive her to greatness.

"Pledge yourself and honour my teachings, as you will" The blonde Sith spoke out as she leant against the protective railings of the cargo lift, her chestnut hued gaze lingering over the young girl for a moment. "But if there is anything that i might teach you that you feel to be flawed then I will expect you to make it known" She added after a moments pause, before raising a hand up to scratch at an itch at the side of her nose. "I will profess I do not know every element of the Force, much of my own education was with the expectation for drawing upon destructive strength for the gain of others. But like I say if you feel control of the Force can be achieved otherwise, then say so, that way we grow and learn from each others experiences"

Slowly the blonde's gaze shifted away from her apprentice, moving up towards the screen at the top of the elevator carriage, observing the current level that they were approaching - it won't be too long until the lift started to slow down in it's ascent, and they would be preparing to disembark. Reaching into her pocket, Alyse retrieved a small data chip that was tied to the landing platform that she had docked at, followed by her data pad before proceeding to plug the chip into the device. "Although that all being said and done, I can accommodate you at my residence, It should serve as a suitable location for your training" she spoke out whilst she downloaded the datastored on the chip onto her datapad. "My ship is not due to depart for another five hours, if there are any possessions that you cannot leave behind, then this might be the opportunity to gather them. We will be travelling to the furthest reaches of the outer rim" she added, before removing the data chip from her data pad and handing over to the young female. "This has the docking details for where my ship has made berth, once you are ready to leave Coruscant meet me at my ship, I will wait on your arrival" Alyse concluded, figuring that the young woman would perhaps want to make sure she has all her possessions and affairs straightened up before leaving Coruscant behind.

OOC: Thinking that perhaps we can start closing this one out?

 

[Manuk Gagak]

Manuk nodded as and when appropriate and listened not only to what the blonde Sith said, but what she didn’t say. In Manuk’s opinion, the latter was often more enlightening. It was not that she did not trust the woman – she had pledged herself to her after all – but she saw trust as a finite concept. Others might live by a life of infinite faith in someone or something. Manuk trusted as far as she could see evidence that it was well placed. Cynical? No. Pragmatic? Yes, in Manuk’s opinion.

“I shall be honest with you,” Manuk said, and meant it. “And I shall start by saying that I will seek the help of others in areas you are unable to help me in. Not in a master-apprentice way, but in an entirely self-centred manner. I wish to be the very best I can be – and not a jot less. If I learn of new things, I will share them. With you.”

Taking the data chip, she put it in a pocket without giving it a second glance. “Five hours? I shall be there.”

###​

When they arrived at the prescribe floor, Manuk nodded her good-bye and headed straight back to her apartment. Five hours? She suspected she needed five minutes.

Once home, she hushed her droid up, who was fussing over her as usual and explained quickly to him what needed to be done. He would keep up the pretence that she remained her. He was to book theatre tickets and accept party invitations and spend credits on lavish and entirely useless items – just as she would.

She planned to return from time to time and saw the benefit of a bolt-hole if and when she needed it.

As she glanced around the apartment, she realised her five minute estimate was in truth too generous. She would have no need of paintings and sculptures that cost more than most people on Coruscant earned in a lifetime.

Instead she downloaded all her Force-related research onto a datachip and then packed a bag of essentials – toiletries and clothes. The latter was entirely fruitless. Most of her clothing was entirely unsuitable and she therefore grabbed a large and empty bag and headed to the stores.

###​

She arrived ten minutes early. It would have been sooner but the dress-making alterations had taken time. She had only one outfit with her – it just so happened to be times five. Five identical pairs of knee-length leather boots. Five skin-tight body-suits – also leather. And five cloaks. All were as black as the Dark side of the Force she’d felt earlier.

She didn’t look back when she stepped onto the ship. Manuk had never regretted anything in her life, and wasn’t about to start now