When The War Is Over

[Noire]

Corellia. Coronet City.
1,016 ABY

Caden Ansgar rubbed his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt as he scrubbed the last of the black grime off of the floor. He made especially sure to avoid the long scar running down his face as he did so. It still stung as if it was a fresh cut, and served as a constant reminder of what had happened just the day before. A day that he would have preferred to erase from his memory altogether, but he knew in his mind that that wasn't at all possible. He jumped to his feet and tossed the rag onto the counter, placing his hands on his hips as he looked over his work. The shop was spotless now, but he knew by the time he would return tomorrow it would have regressed back to its state of utter filth. That was the only thing that kept him from admiring the result of his labor. But that wasn't even the worst part about it; Caden never received any credits for all of his hard work. He was a slave to both this meaningless and menial job and to his father's every whim. It was his father, Korto Ansgar, who had insisted that Caden help "old Vado'lan" with the upkeep of his shop every day. He had said the hard work made for, "a good and honest man" but Caden didn't believe one bit of that nonsense.

He wasn't planning on being just "a good and honest man" just as he wasn't planning on being on Corellia much longer. He would be a powerful Jedi, one day. He'd have his own lightsaber and go off and fight in the war, one day. He would save the galaxy, single handed, and become the hero, the savior, that everyone now was waiting for. He just knew it. And in his mind, there was no denying his destiny. The thought alone brought a wide smile to his face but he quickly erased all signs of it and huffed loudly as he observed Vado'lan, a dark blue Twi'lek, slowly hobble from the back of the shop. The store itself was no bigger than any other small-time shop in the Blue Sector, hardly large enough to fit ten people inside, but the old Twi'lek treated it as if it was the largest bazaar on the planet. Vado'lan stopped and looked around the shop for a brief moment before nodding his head. To Caden, it seemed as if he barely cared at all.

"You did alright. Good enough, Caden." Vado'lan said simply, shaking his cane about. "Close down the shop for me, will you boy?" He asked. Then he turned and began to walk back toward the rear of the shop without another word. Caden was taken aback. That was all? Caden shook his head immediately, his eyes narrowing and his hands clenching into tight fists as the anger welled up inside of him. His arms ached, his legs were sore, his eyes stung, and his body was tired from another hard day's work while Vado'lan had done nothing for hours on end, hadn't even made one sale, and yet he had the audacity to say that Caden had done just good enough? Caden wanted to bite his tongue and keep his thoughts to himself. He didn't want to say anything that he would regret later, but the words had already formed themselves and were demanding to be said aloud. And in a voice Caden didn't recognize, he spoke, loudly.

"Good enough? Your worthless shop is spotless! I'm always the only one working and you never do anything. And yet, all you can say is good enough?" Caden shouted. Vado'lan simply halted, keeping his back turned to Caden, and exhaled very loudly. Caden didn't know how, but he could tell that Vado'lan had suddenly become...saddened. Caden's shoulders slumped and he went still for a moment as it struck him just how frail Vado was, truly, and how harsh his own words had been. He knew at the back of his mind that Vado'lan had no chance of keeping the shop up alone and that Caden was his only hope of doing so. Suddenly the young boy felt very, very stupid and immature. His heart sank and he drew a very sharp breath into himself, already imagining what his father might say, and directed his eyes to the floor. What was I thinking? A Jedi would never act like that. "I didn't - "

"I know, my boy." Vado'lan said, interrupting Caden's apology, and turning around and offering a weak smile. Despite his grin, Caden still could tell the old Twi'lek had been wounded by his outburst.

"Korto is a tough one," Vado'lan continued, "and sometimes you just have to let your anger and frustration out. Old Vado does the same, every so often. The key is, not allowing it to control you. Understand my boy? Now, you better get home before it gets dark." Caden quickly nodded, glad that he wasn't in any serious trouble, and yelled out a goodbye to the Twi'lek before grabbing his bag and slinging it over his shoulder. Caden rushed over to the control box and powered off the lights in the store, so everyone would know that the "Krayt & Katarn" was officially closed for the night, and then stepped outside of the shop. Vado never failed to warn him about getting home before it got dark outside. Sometimes, Caden thought that the old man might truly care for his safety. Other times, Caden figured Vado was probably only worried about what would happen to his shop should Caden be injured and unable to help him out any longer. Despite the fact that Caden was only thirteen years old and wore soot-stained rags for a living, his chances of being mugged weren't lowered in the slightest. On this part on Corellia, there lived some truly desperate beings.

The Blue Sector of Coronet City was infamous for being the rough part of town and yet it always seemed to attract the most off-worlders. Most of the poorer residents of Coronet lived here as well, Caden being one of them. He didn't mind that much, though. He had a far better life here than he would have ever had back on Nar Shaddaa. His eyes roamed the streets and he observed every alien creature in various alleyways bargaining and making shady deals with one another. They spoke loudly at times, angrily too, often in languages Caden couldn't even begin to understand, and sometimes blasters were pulled from the depths of their jackets. Those were the times that Caden would run as fast as his legs could take him. But the next day he was always back again, observing. It was all so...fascinating. Since as long as he could remember Caden had been intrigued in the inner-workings of the criminal underworld. Not that he was at all interested in engaging in such activity himself, but he was simply curious about it. "Too curious", his father would say. With that final thought, he turned away from the shop and started off towards home.

 

[Jake]

((My apologies for the wait!!)

It was kind of ironic. Most of the time these kinds of places were called red light districts: paper lanterns strung up from the streetlights, the catcalls of veteran vixens humming out every door, the too-sweet smell of spice lingering in the air. Red wasn't really a color motif, of course, because whores and drug dealers come (or at least sell) in every shade, shape and size you want and can pay for... but Corellians just love to be contrary, so their own little private slice of the underworld would be the Blue Sector. Coronet City was big, and it reminded Orianna of a kind of Little Coruscant - neighborhood after neighborhood of slums like the rotting layers of an onion clinging to its shining heart. And yet... for the life of her, among all the shanties, where one would expect to find curio shops hiding half a dozen galactic treasures if you knew where to look, she couldn't find anyplace that sold some unspoiled nerf milk. Being unable to drink typical bantha-based products had always been a pain in her ass, but it usually wasn't so hard to find it.

Nonetheless she had practically scoured the Blue Sector for a carton. She had perused every shadowy corner of the city district and interrogated the locals, who had invariably pointed her in a common direction through Coronet's labyrinthine streets: towards old Vado'lan's Krayt & Katarn. And so Orianna had navigated her way through treacherous alleyways and across boulevards fraught with society's living detritus, wading through what felt like an alternate dimension where sound was hip-hop put through a Wookiee translator and the only smell was burning herb that adolescents smoked on the stoops of their apartments. Braving these horrors that made her experiences on far-flung alien worlds pale in comparison, she now faced ultimate defeat on the cusp of triumph.

She stood in front of the Krayt & Katarn, mouth hanging ajar. She could see the aisles inside and even spotted the half-light of the refrigerated section. She thought she could hear the hum even from outside. A glass door marked in Aurebesh flaunted her prize in a variety of sizes and invariably terrible alternate flavors. Her parched throat begged for a glass of Kashyyyk barkberry-flavored milk even though her brain knew she was inviting traumatic bowel movements for days to come.

Her white hair framed the shocked expression on her face, though her eyes were hidden beneath the hood of her coat. But even on the verge of hopelessness, as Caden Ansgar passed in front of her after closing up shop, a devious plan hatched in Orianna's mind.

"Hey. Kid," she called. She turned to face the boy, who she summed up to be about thirteen or fourteen. He looked rough for his age. "Listen. I am about to die. I have come from far away in search of a delicacy of unique interest to my people... it is located in this..." She gestured emphatically towards the store. "This Krayt & Katarn establishment. I inquire you to let me in and allow me to purchase that which I seek, for in doing so I shall offer you a great boon." She lifted her hood and stared into Caden's eyes; if he cared to meet her stare, he would see his own sun-kissed complexion reflected there.

Suddenly Orianna realized that at thirteen she had been naive but not stupid and let out a weary sigh. "No, but seriously, kid. I haven't had anything to drink in hours and I'm craving a cold glass of nerf juice." She knelt down a bit so they were level with each other. "I'll treat you to something if you do. You name it. And maybe I'll throw in a kiss on the cheek and a couple stories, if you haven't got anything to do."

 

[Noire]

Caden froze. The pause in his step had been almost instant. The minute he'd heard "hey kid" was the minute the blood in his veins had ran cold and fear began to set in. His hands trembled ever so slightly and his feet felt as if they were stuck to the ground. He had heard stories of children abducted in the night before, stolen by pirates and smuggled off-world to be sold into slavery for profit. Too many people had made the mistake of underestimating female pirates, but Caden wasn't stupid. He knew women could be just as dangerous as men, or even more so, especially around these parts. He wanted nothing more right now than to run, run as fast as he could, and hopefully make it back home before he ended up with a blaster to his back. But when he turned to face the woman he somehow forgot all about running away. If anything, he wanted to stay right where he was. He stood completely still, eyes wide and mouth hanging slightly open, as the fear that had been thumping in his chest was slowly drowned out by his natural sense of wonder. He knew his father wouldn't have wanted him talking to any stranger, but this wasn't just any stranger from off the streets of Corellia. This was a curious girl, not much older than he, and a beautiful one at that.

As she pulled down her hood, he could see himself in her eyes, and it was a shocking reminder of how terrible he looked. He quickly patted the stubborn clumps of dirt off of his clothes as fast as he could. His intent had been to make himself appear easier on the eyes, but the incessant dusting off of his clothes did nothing as the stains were as much a part of the cloth as the wool. But in Caden's eyes, it made all the difference. "No, but seriously, kid. I haven't had anything to drink in hours and I'm craving a cold glass of nerf juice. I'll treat you to something if you do. You name it. And maybe I'll throw in a kiss on the cheek and a couple stories, if you haven't got anything to do." She said, kneeling down until they were eye level with each other. Caden, for a moment, studied her white hair. How odd it was that, although the color was such a stark contrast to her person, it still fit her so perfectly. It dawned on him that he was staring and he snapped out of it. She'd asked for nerf juice. That's what she'd wanted.

Of all things, Caden thought. It would've been easy to get a carton of it had she come only five minutes earlier, but the store was closed now. And to old Vado'lan, closed meant closed, even if he hadn't made one sale all day. I'll have to find some elsewhere, Caden thought. But he wasn't very concerned about how he was going to go about getting the girl the nerf juice that she so desperately wanted, all he cared about was the fact that she'd offered a kiss in return! When Caden could finally bring himself to speak, his voice was slightly higher and cracked more than usual; something he hated greatly.

"I'm sorry but the store's closed and Vado is kind of...grumpy about after-hours. But we have some at my house! My folks wouldn't really care if I gave you some." Caden said, more excitedly than he'd intended to. He knew that was a bold-faced lie, and it'd be a challenge to get it out of the house without Korto noticing. But he was up for it. Caden had a feeling he might not ever get the chance to encounter someone such as her again, and he didn't want to ruin the opportunity to meet somebody new who didn't want to mug him. At least, he hoped she didn't. For all he knew, asking for nerf juice might've been her personal way of luring him into a trap. But he'd cross that road if he ever came to it.

"My name's Caden Ansgar by the way. I live down that way," He said, pointing down a street facing to the left of them. It was dimly lit and didn't look too particularly safe. But nevertheless, it was where he was headed, and where she'd have to go if she intended to follow him.
"You can come with me to my house, and I can get you some nerf juice." Caden offered. It was getting darker now, and his father would expecting him soon. He wanted nothing more than for her to come along with him, but if she didn't want to, he couldn't risk waiting around any longer and trying to convince her to. He shrugged and began walking toward the street he'd pointed out, every bit of him hoping she would turn and follow suit.

 

[Jake]

"Your house?" Orianna seemed wary. To begin with, she doubted exactly how pleased Caden's parents would be to receive a random guest at this hour, especially an interstellar wanderer such as herself. She wasn't worried that the boy was a threat: even in the Force, he radiated a jovial innocence that was rapidly becoming a commodity in the galaxy. She did however find it questionable that he saw an easier undertaking retrieving her precious nerf milk from his home than simply sneaking back into the place he'd just left, but she didn't care. It was that time of the month, and that meant that the random cravings she suffered ruled her actions more than the Jedi Code or morality ever possibly could. If her body demanded nerf milk, nerf milk it would receive.

"Well, Caden. For the time being I'm your charge. You could say that Corellia is new to a Coruscanti girl like myself," Orianna said, jogging to catch up after a moment spent ruminating. She tapped Caden on the shoulder in case he hadn't heard her, so that he would know she was tagging along after all. In that instant, it was as if light poured in through a newly open aperture in Orianna's mind, and the Hapan Jedi felt Angsar's connection to the Force. Dormant, sleeping, a vein of raw ore yet to be refined into something greater. But indeed, in sensing Caden's latent, undiscovered talent, she felt pathways open up for him, potential roads to be traveled.

And that was worth a whole lot more than nerf milk.

She chose to keep quiet as they continued towards Caden's house. She would wait and reflect on this new knowledge until she saw the kind of situation Caden lived in on a daily basis, so that she could choose the best way of breaking the news. At least she had a decent reason to give his parents for visiting them at such an hour.

 

[Noire]

"Well, Caden. For the time being I'm your charge. You could say that Corellia is new to a Coruscanti girl like myself," Orianna said, jogging to catch up with Caden after she spent a moment mulling over her options. She tapped Caden on the shoulder in case he hadn't heard her, so that he would know she was tagging along after all, but he'd definitely heard her. The wide smile on his face and the odd look in his eyes all but confirmed that. He'd never been in charge of anyone before, or anything, for that matter. He shook his head slightly with disbelief as he realized he was actually taking the lead here. She trusted him enough to not lead her into danger - and the fear doing so tingled through him like a kind of nervous energy. She was still wary, but that was to be expected. He didn't trust as easily himself, but there were times were he made exceptions. There was still another problem that he hadn't solved that continually nagged at him, though, and that was figuring out just how he was going to get the nerf juice out of the house. His father tended to keep a watchful eye on everything that entered and left the house. But he could always figure that out later. Like when I actually get home, he thought.

"You're from Coruscant?" Caden asked. He'd come from Coruscant himself, although he hadn't actually been born there. For a moment, the expression on his face darkened and his eyes lowered to the ground. But then as fast as the emotion had come, it left him, and he raised his head once more. "I use to live there. But we left because of the war. I think the Jedi lost." Caden said solemnly. I was supposed to be a Jedi one day, he wanted to say. But although he had already fixed his mouth to speak again, no words ever left his lips. She'd probably laugh at me, he thought. His father certainly never failed to every time he mentioned his dream. And his mother would try to tell him every once in a while that, "anything is possible", but even she didn't believe it would ever happen. Caden stopped walking abruptly and turned to face Orianna with a grave expression etched on his face. "I'm sorry you lost your home. But the Jedi are going to go back and save Coruscant from the Empire one day. I just know they are. They're the good guys."

He didn't consider the fact that he might've come off as sounding extremely naive, he didn't consider the fact that he might've sounded as crazy as those old spice traders who would sometimes hang around outside of Vado'lan's shop. He didn't because he whole-heartedly believed every word that he had said. He then turned and continued walking toward his home alongside Orianna.

_________________________________________
​

There was a rugged man, no more than forty years of age, no younger than thirty, who leaned against a wall shrouded in the darker recesses of the very same Corellian street. He stood beyond the shadow cast by the street-lights, as he often did at this time of night. He was draped in a tattered cloak, armed with a set of blaster pistols, and hidden by a hat that was tilted so low that it revealed nothing but a smug grin and a death stick wedged in between a set of yellow colored teeth. This was Daxel. A name spoken only in hushed tones, and not at all if he was present. He didn't often catch anyone walking down his street this late, unless they were specifically looking for him. But the two unfortunate souls he spied steadily approaching didn't appear to be doing anything of the sort. They were talking to each other, seemingly oblivious to what awaited them just a few feet further. Daxel had seen the boy a few times before, probably nothing but a street urchin, he figured, but the girl who accompanied the young boy was an unfamiliar face. He studied her carefully, the confidence in her walk, the calmness on her face. Both looked especially poor, but Daxel had long ago learned that attire hardly ever told the whole story. There could be untold riches lying in wait under the rags they wore. I've never held up a child before, he thought for a moment. But then he waved his hand as if his own thoughts were irrelevant. This would be as simple as anything else he'd ever done in his life. His fingers wrapped around the handles of his two blasters slowly as the pair came closer.

He stepped out of the shadows abruptly, and spat on the ground as he did so. "Didn't your parents ever tell you to be home before late?" He grinned and shook his head, "Credits, now." He said simply. There was no added or forced bravado in his tone, just a seriousness that couldn't be mistaken for anything other than a threat. There was no one else on the street. No one to witness the crime, be it robbery or death. And even if there was, no one would ever dare say anything, or they'd then too find themselves staring down the barrel of a blaster, either Daxel's or one of his "associates". It was only a matter of time before the girl and the boy did to, if they didn't hurry. He cocked his head to the side, his time was precious.