Decisions At Dawn

[WhiteSheWolf]

~ You haven’t lived until you’ve seen a Coruscanti sunrise, Brooke thought. She stood on a high ledge of one of the many towering skyscrapers of the city, standing under the shadow of a fabric awning, watching as the sun rose over the city-planet. Golden rays of light haloed the towers of the more affluent districts, rimming them with light that splintered off the prismatic windows to throw the rainbow on the shorter towers of the slums, casting light into those dark depths that Brooke often frequented. Brooke stepped out from under the flimsy awning she herself had created, onto the ledge of durasteel that protruded from her ‘apartment’. ~

~ This particular spot had taken her some time to procure. Even in the slums the higher ‘apartments’ were pricy, though the word ‘apartment’ could hardly describe her current setting. Brooke assumed it had been some sort of garage at one point when this tower itself hadn’t been quite so run-down, but its glory days were far gone by now. There was no 'door' to either end of the garage; so her ‘apartment’ was more of a large flat space with a ceiling and floor; a tunnel through one particular tower. At one point, there might have been mechanical doors for storing vehicles on either end, but since this specific haunt wasn’t a living space so much as a place to think, Brooke didn't mind the lack of security.~

~This morning, as the strong high wind swept through Brooke’s short, bright red hair she was here to think. Much had happened in the night previous. The 18 year old had pushed the events to the back of her mind, sequestered them off for a more appropriate time. Here it was. She sighed, leaning against a low railing on the edge of the protruding ledge. Brooke cut quite a figure in the dawn light, dressed as she was in soft-soled knee high combat boots, tight black pants and a close fitting tank top over which was a standard, slightly ragged long-sleeved jacket with various pockets for odds and ends.~

~ From one of those pockets, Brooke pulled out a thin, seemingly blank card. As she looked at it, holographic letters projected to form the initials “B.H.G” the bounty hunter – at least, from his multitude of weaponry, Brooke assumed him a bounty hunter – had given Brooke his card as he left the Outlander Club. A new line of work. Doing…what? Brooke didn’t plan to be tied down to any one organization or person. And she wouldn’t kill. Images of the dead body of The Dark Man, of the bounty hunter’s sword at the Dark Man’s throat, flashed through Brooke’s thoughts. A new line of work. She frowned, bright blue eyes troubled. Others had certainly died for her actions in the past; but never in front of her eyes. Had she caused that man’s death? Regardless of if he had deserved it…Brooke shook the feeling. Morality wasn’t something she paid much attention to. The only thing that mattered to Brooke was Brooke – it was simply easier that way. No one controlled her, no one told her what to do. Freedom. She thumbed the holographic calling card once more. The bounty hunter had been the only one she met last night who had treated her as an equal. Well, maybe that was a little unfair.~

~Brooke grinned as she remembered the - well, he certainly wasn’t a Jedi – force user to mind. He had been entertaining, at the very least, before the trouble broke out. But what he said as he left… But if you want to learn some new tactics, just find me. Through the Force. The force? It wasn’t possible. Brooke was 18 – surely she would have noticed long ago if she had been sensitive. Surely her parents would have actually cared if that had been the case. No, he had to be mistaken. Besides, she didn’t even know his name. Brooke nodded to herself. She was lucky, always had been. That was the explanation and it would be, until life events pushed Brooke’s nose so far into the muck that there was absolutely no alternative except to realize her latent potential. Brooke Antell was, if nothing else, stubbornness incarnate. If she didn’t want to realize she was force sensitive, she wouldn’t, and that was that. End of story. Besides, even if she did acknowledge… that …what would change? Brooke was perfectly content in her life. She certainly wouldn’t bow to some ‘master’ to be ‘trained’.~

~The young woman slipped the holocard back into a pocket and continued to gaze out at the city. Various colorful speeders could be seen in the distance now as the residents of Coruscant went about their day, same as always. Nothing would change. Brooke Antell woudn’t let it.~

 

[FallenKeeper]

"C'mon, give it up," snarled a Duros in his native language as a brown-robed man stepped down the narrow aisle of the public transport. For days he had been followed by someone and now he was confronting him. Whoever the man was, it was clear he was human just by the smell. Sweat and dirt, common for primates. The Duros brandishes a large vibrosword in his meaty hands, his eyes eerily reflected in the mirror-slick metal.

With the tell-tale snap and hiss a silver beam erupted from the human's clenched hand. "Iggie, just give it up. That way I can turn you in, afford a nice hotel and then catch you when you escape again. Sound good?" The man taunted and the glint of teeth could be seen through the shadow of his hood. Iggy growled and baited the hunter with several stomps and shoulder rolls, attempting to display dominance. Unlike most Duros, Iggy acted more like a feral pet than human.

A foolish human, it seemed. The robed man charged after Iggy's act had finished. He came in high and missed, swinging with one hand and overshooting his aim, or so it seemed. The Duros reared back and shouldered the human into the wall, pushing him through a compromised hatch and sending him into Coruscant's morning sky.
_________________________________________

Thair sailed through the sky, catching a final glimpse of Iggy whose chest had the most tiny of blips now from a well placed tracking device. Now all the Swordmaster needed to do was find a way to not plummet to his death. Sprinning wildly in mid-air, Thair shifted himself to gain control. With his arms and legs spread wide, he used his robe as a sail to catch the air and slow his descent. Which actually wasn't very far as he plunged deep into a fabric awning a few dozen stories below. The fabric gave in to his magnified weight and stretched downwards before a loud ripping noise signaled what was to come. The awning ripped and deposited Thair onto the floor below, right in front of Brooke.

He lay there now, staring at the sky with a wild smile at his predicament. "What a ride."

 

[WhiteSheWolf]

"What in the?!"

~Brooke jumped as the awning - the awning she had built, mind you - ripped asunder. Disturbed from her unusual peace, Brooke was practically snarling, hands up, eyes cold, ready to pound the living daylights out of whoever dared to - oh, funny joke - drop in on her. As she tossed the ripped fabric off the man now sprawled on the ledge of the Tower, she gasped again, expression turning from anger, to shock, to disbelief, a glint of familiarity, and settling - of all the reactions she could have had - on outrageous humor. Brooke laughed, and kept laughing, wiping a tear from one eye before she was done. Of all the people in this City- Planet , the one who drops through her specific awning happens to be not only one of the handful Brooke knows - but one of the two force users she knew? It was almost as if fate was testing her.~

"Wow. Just, wow," ~Brooke said, regaining her composure and running a hand through her red hair before crossing her arms over her chest,~ "Of all the scum in this city, you drop in on me? There better be a story behind this."

~It occurred to Brooke quite suddenly that she didn't know his name - that they had fought together in quite the bar fight but never exchanged the most basic of information. Interesting, how these things work.~

 

[FallenKeeper]

"I went to extreme measures just to see if you were sunbathing in the nude," he said in a questioning tone, giving her a feigned look of disappointment. "Clearly the Force was not with me on that goal." Thair pulled his right side away from the ledge and fought off the remaining portion of fabric to stand. In the end he appeared comical with his robes dishelved and a nice welt on the back of his head where the floor had smacked him oh-so gently.

He couldn't tell how the redhead would react to his comment but he smiled broadly just the same and gave her a playful stare. She certainly wasn't a shame to look at.

 

[Raider]

*Change was much like a river, one could build dams to contain it or direct its flow, but every so often a surge would send it sweeping over all obstacles that tried to restrict it. No matter how well constructed a dam or greatly someone tried to resist the direction of the current. Somethings were simply inevitable. Haik reflected on this piece of wisdom, it was an analogy some of the masters liked to use to explain the nature of the Force. The Jedi could effect the current of the galaxy, but there were times when the Force allowed an outcome that was impossible to prevent. He had heard many of the same masters claim that the outbreak of war with the Hutt Empire was one such case of inevitability and it was the Jedi's role to now direct this new current.*

*Something plummeted pass the window nearest him. Pulling him into sudden awareness of his surroundings. How far had he wandered and just where had he wandered too? Very far was clearly the answer to the first question, just where he was could wait as he pressed his nose against the window. Trying to see what had fallen and if it had hit the building. He decided to go down and check it out.*

"Sometimes the current directs us."

*He murmured as he started to descend deeper into the building.*

 

[WhiteSheWolf]

"OH, riiiight. Sunbathing. In the nude. Mmm." ~Brooke rolled her eyes for dramatic effect and poignantly shifted her weight to one hip, raising an eyebrow as she watched the man stumble to his feet.~ "Clearly, the force is not all-powerful when it comes to prophetic pervertedness. I'm so sad for you, truly."

~Brooke sighed audibly - as if annoyed - though in truth she wasn't, not really. This man had proved entertaining before the violence had started in the bar, and she always enjoyed conversation with those who were at least close to her level of witty sarcasm. Made for fun, scathing conversations. After the drawn out sigh, Brooke looked at the disheveled force user straight in the eyes, smiled broadly, showing teeth, and then very purposefully winked at him. Then she waited, completely silent. If there was any register of another presence in the building, Brooke would ignore the silent warning of the force in the back of her mind. Afterall, she'd already decided it didn't exist.~

 

[FallenKeeper]

That was the second time Thair had seen the woman wink at him, though her posture now made it seem more flirty than the last time. He didn't dare act on the presumption, people were well capable of hiding their motivations. "Its a funny thing, balance," he said looking over the ledge and catching a twinge of nauasea as he realized how fortunate he had been. Had he missed the awning he'd have plummeted down a sheer drop with no discernable ledge to cling to.

Another presence seemed to come within Thair's senses, but he could not yet feel whether it was a threat or not. He kept himself alert and hopped over the bunched up and ripped awning to land squarely in front of the woman, nose to nose. "Keeps me from falling," he said, remarking on his earlier comment of balance. "And it wouldn't be pervertedness," he smiled broadly as well, "it would be healthy curiousity."

 

[Raider]

OOC: Afraid is this my last post for the night. Gotta go to sleep. Sorry for the wait as well.

*Haik took a breath and opened himself to the Force. Sinking into it he expanded his conscientious outward. Searching for someone who may have been injured when whatever that thing was collided with the building. The expected pain and confusion of an injured person was not what he felt however. There was another with the Force here. Who's presence most certainly not that of a Jedi and who felt more like a raging thunder storm. Haik's expression grew grim as he moved closer to the person who gave off such an aura. He didn't think it was a Bogan, they felt differently, like a violent supernova or sometimes cold like the void of space. Still it was darker than he liked, the Force had clearly not guided him here for a piece of falling trash. As he came closer he felt another presence, it was faint, but there and close to the darker presence.*

 

[WhiteSheWolf]

~Brooke was grinning with renewed fervor now, blue eyes full of mirth as the man stood not even inches in front of her. Since Brooke was only 5’ 2”, the man had a good few inches on her, but she wasn’t phased by the fact that she had to look up to meet his eyes. Healthy curiosity indeed. Brooke’s hands were on her hips now, and she didn’t move away from the man. Brooke loved to toy with people. It was a hobby, really. So she would toy with this man…and if he tried anything, well, there were a number of options from this distance. Forehead to bridge of nose, knee to groin, fist to face…~

“You have an interesting definition of ‘curiosity’. Odd seeing you here again. Stalking me or something? Looking for trouble?”

~Brooke maintained the minimal distance between them…testing him. Again the ridiculous thought that she didn’t even know his name popped into Brooke’s head. Somehow, it made the situation that much more entertaining. Mischievousness was written in every line of Brooke’s face. ~

 

[FallenKeeper]

"Well, I was stalking someone," he said tilting his head to the side as he noticed the woman place both her hands on her hips. This only seemed to accentuate her figure, which he was already in appreciation of. A few flashes crossed his mind, he felt as if she were preparing herself for some sort of reaction. One he thought on testing in good fun. "Then that someone threw me out of a bus and voila! Here I am in front of an attractive redhead who I again regret was not sunbathing." With a jerk of his head his hood dropped down, fully unveling his face. A few scratches raced across the brim of his nose and a light blue surrounded his left eye. It was clear he had been busy lately.

A name... that was the most clear thought he could feel from her. "Thair," he answered.

 

[WhiteSheWolf]

"Well, for future posterity, I'll be sure to add 'sunbathing' to my morning routine."

~The man's story seemed plausible; certainly from their encounter in the Outland Club, he wasn't exactly a goody-two-shoes. Though being thrown out of a bus...Brooke herself had not accomplished that life goal yet. As the man's hood dropped, Brooke had to admit, he was good looking. And the darkened skin around his eye and scratches on his face only served to enhance his handsomeness. Oh dear. But Brooke would jump off this Tower before acknowledging that she actually found him attractive. There wasn't time for that sort of thing in Brooke's lifestyle - besides, romantic relations were another way to tie a person down. Not happening. Still, this flirting was fun. Brooke's eyes left his for a moment as she took in the new detail of his face; in the bar she had never gotten a good look, due to the poor lighting and outbreak of violence. Shame. As he said his name - Thair, aha! - Brooke returned her eyes to his.~

"Brooke."

~She was completely ignorant of Thair's reading of her surface thoughts, and would continue to be.~

 

[FallenKeeper]

"Brooke," he repeated, giving the name a test run. It seemed to flow rather nicely, and it suited her. The morning rays peered over his shoulder and highlighted Brooke's face. Before he had found her cute, but now she seemed more-so. He didn't quite have a word for it in mind. When her eyes locked with his a thought to touch her face crossed his mind. He found his hand raising slightly to graze her cheek but discipline stayed him.

An impulse was all it took to create a misunderstanding, one he would rather avoid. "I'll be sure to get thrown out of buses more often," he replied after a moment, letting a hint of a laugh in his voice.

 

[WhiteSheWolf]

~Who would have thought one could actually have a conversation without insults and rudeness? Brooke might have to try this type of experimenting more often. Anger was easy to procure, so she usually tried to aggravate. But this was far more entertaining, and less dangerous. Which, was a plus. Brooke did like to be alive, after all. Was that a hand moving in Brooke's peripheral? No, not at all. Or perhaps Thair had thought better of whatever action intended. Probably a smart move on his part.~

"Thrown out of a bus," ~she said, as if pondering the phrase,~ "how, now, did that happen exactly? As I'm sure you gathered from our last meeting...I'm no stranger to trouble but...I've never been thrown off a bus."

~Brooke was impressed by Thair's cool head despite the fact that they stood nose to nose. Usually either one of them would have stepped back by now, or one of them would have done something stupid. Perhaps Thair was stubborn in the same way that Brooke was? She entertained the idea as she waited for his reply.~

 

[FallenKeeper]

"I tracked a bounty from the lower levels of the city. It was this Duros by the name of Iggy. When I caught up with him it was on public transport. A fight began, he shoved me out. Very simple," he answer, maintaining a dangerously close distance to Brooke. He kept his actions in check though he was tempted to make a move he wouldn't. Not unless she did. Which wasn't quite likely.

Just like in the bar she seemed direct. Something he appreciated. There was no beating around the bush except for this game they were playing, testing each other's boundries. Personal space meant little to Thair, after all he grew up as a pickpocket. Still, the feel of Brooke's breath tickled the thin stubble on his chin.

 

[WhiteSheWolf]

"A bounty, eh? So what, are you some kind of hunter? Interesting career choice...especially since, I'm assuming the Duros got away?"

~Like Brooke had room to talk about career choices. But it did strike her a little odd, simply because he was a force user, he had a lightsaber. A quite impressive one - but he obviously wasn't a Jedi, that was clear from his demeanor and his words in the Bar. Brooke supposed those stuck with the force had to make a living any way they could...and it was foolish to think that all individuals with the force would either be Jedi or Bogan. Completely ridiculous. Brooke knew firsthand that the universe was not black and white, but many, many shades of grey. Brooke chuckled at another yet hidden thought.~

"Just be glad the Duros wasn't a Rodian."

 

[FallenKeeper]

Thair chuckled a bit and turned his head partly away. It was a funny joke, seeing as the last time they met was when the Outlander Club had been assaulted by Rodians. "He only partially got away," he answered cooly with a sly grin as he directed his eyes towards Brooke's face.

There was an air about her that he couldn't deny was alluring. She had so far been rather complacent to banter without any real point. It amused Thair. "I like to mop up some of the more gritty criminals on Coruscant when the price is right," he started as he loomed closer to her. There faces were nearly touching, his nose seperated from her by millimeters of air. "And you, what do you do?"

 

[WhiteSheWolf]

~Brooke met the sly grin, returning it with one of her own. She had to admit, it was nice to have a casual conversation with someone instead of being threatened within an inch of her life. The latter was a little more exciting, but, she supposed everyone had to take a break now and again. Her own profession? Hmmm. How much to tell…the increased proximity was doing strange things to Brooke’s thoughts. She did not lean away, nor did she lean into Thair. She stood straight, eyes staring straight up into his – it was a little more of an angle, now. What had he asked again? His breath on her face had made her lose her train of thought. Gosh darn it, what was she? A school girl? No. Stop it. The mental interplay would not carry onto her face in the slightest – Brooke was practiced at concealing and even falsifying her actual feelings.~

“Me? Oh, nothing much. Some pickpocketing here, smuggling there, informing always. I shy away from grand theft – draws too much attention. I guess my main trade is information.”

~Brooke could feel the kick of adrenaline in her blood, refused to let her body’s reactions control her thoughts. They were awfully close, though. Brooke remembered, without moving her eyes from Thair’s face, that he carried a lightsaber. How hilarious would it be if she managed to pilfer it from him, even momentarily? And they were standing so close…Brooke’s sly grin grew, but probably not for the reasons Thair would think.~

 

[FallenKeeper]

Pickpocketting? So they shared a skillset. He knew full well how thrilling it could be. "I see," was the only answer he gave as he felt his pulse quicken. The hairs on the back of his neck seemed to warm his skin as Brooke's mouth grew into a wider grin. He could feel her surface thoughts, even though her expression hid them flawlessly. The man leaned in and tilted his head to the side, eyes staring deeply into hers. He'd bait her, just to see. And maybe even find out what was in her pockets.

Thair's left hand mover forward slowly around Brooke's side and craned towards her back pocket as he awaited a reaction. "An entrepeneur, like myself. I can respect that."

 

[WhiteSheWolf]

~Thair had that look. Brooke couldn’t really say it was a look she knew well; people tended to want to kill her, not kiss her. However, regardless of experience, she knew what that look meant. Oh, this was getting good. Good indeed. Brooke tilted her head ever so slightly towards his – not going the full distance still, and kept her eyes fixed on hers. Control, she thought to herself, absolute control . As she was unsure of which side Thair’s lightsaber was on, she slid both of her hands from her hips towards Thair’s waist – as if she was going to pull him closer to her. In response to his comment, she chuckled, even at their incredibly close distance.~

“An entrepreneur is one word for it. One of many.”

~Brooke was aware of his hand sneaking around her side, but let it happen for the moment. If she was successful in her venture, she would have more than the few credits in her back pocket.~

 

[FallenKeeper]

Thair's breath hushes as he closes in and pressed his lips to Brooke's. His arm reached around her waist, hand dipping into her pocket swiftly before continuing around to embrace her. If he was quick enough she might not notice his action. He could feel her arms at the sides of his body and had a faint idea of what her ulterior motive was. Perhaps he'd allow her to succeed, in the interest of entertainment.

The lightsaber he'd constructed wasn't all too special to him, but it was a useful tool that would take time remaking. Was the chance worth it? Indeed. Brooke's Force sensitivty would be easier to reveal if she snatched the weapon and activated it. Through the Force.