Just Beneath the Horizon [Open]

Her Padawan's words caught her ear amid the gentle whispers of the wind, the Mirialan's voice nearly as tender as the air itself and endowed with a girlish brightness that did not seem to fade for her. Its effervescing pitch contrasted warmly with Charity's own narrower, even tone, thought they both possessed disarming potential in quarrels--quite advantageous for a more placid duo of Jedi. Neither of them were known to expend such voices at any frequent rate, however, and so when Kaiza spoke, it was most often to be taken as substantial. The tall human opened her eyes for a moment and glanced at the smoky vessels sailing above, still playing with the droplets between her fingers and manipulating their teary trails across her palms.

"Such beauty the rain holds from afar..." she said, then shut her eyes once more and scooped up a new sample from the shimmering water. She cupped her hands this time and allowed the majority to fall out, but some of the water lingered upon her skin and dispersed in silent journey along the inside of each steady finger.

Charity breathed in deeply when Kaiza resumed, but she did not turn; did not open her eyes; did not interrupt her steering of the water. It was not an unusual question for a Jedi learner to ask, nor a problem that was absent from those more experienced. It was ignorant to believe that all struggles and temptations were vanquished with time. Perhaps the Dark Side itself may not always have a hand in it, but the universe had enough vices of its own to pull one astray. There was no judgment from the Knight. She had her own vanities.

"I did not grow up like you, Kaiza. I was first raised as a Jedi at a younger age than you were, so I was not confronted with attachment to the extent you have been." She breathed out. "That is not to say I have never had similar thoughts."

The Jedi at last arose from her knees, brushing a few broken strands of grass from her coat before turning about to face her younger companion. "It is natural to cherish your time with others; to value those near to your heart. It means you are a conscious being and a compassionate person. It is not a flaw, dear Kaiza.

"There are many types of love. Even the Jedi show love in their treatment of life; in their faithfulness to their brothers and sisters in the Order. But failure comes when we place our love for something or someone before our purpose in the Force. That is our vow... for as long as we serve."

Kaiza Pawaro

Charity nodded to her student, a soft, proud smile curving her lips beneath her crystalline eyes. Kaiza had always been compliant and accepting of advice, yet there were occasions--such as this--in which she worried if her words could carry a cold and disheartening touch to them. Regardless, the truth needed to be spoken, and Charity hoped that her Padawan would not stray from it. The tall human brushed a hand briefly atop the Mirialan's shoulder in affirmation. "All of us are fallible, dear Kaiza. I confess it will be a tribulation for me when comes the time that we must part ways on our journey. Just as I am your guide for this time of your life, the Code and the Force are also mine, and will be yours as well as you become more attuned."

Placing credence upon the mission at hand, Charity acknowledged the younger Jedi's wisdom. "Indeed. We must not delay too long." She gazed up into the sky for a moment, shielding her eyes with the palm of her hand as she squinted into the last remaining rays of sunlight before the roiling clouds casually consumed it. Bidding her Padawan follow, the Knight embarked towards the outskirts of the city, her steps betraying no urgency though her pace was quick, enabled by her long reach and purposeful step.


About ten minutes passed before they arrived within the barricade of the ancient, decaying walls, skies darkened and wind rushing through the streets ominously to whirl up a frenzy of leaves. A light drizzle melted into the ground like liquid darts, barely coloring the pavement before dissipating. But they would soon give way to stinging drops of a more furious variety, given time. Charity planned to be within the local pub by the time the true downpour initiated.

Unfortunately she wasn't entirely prescient, and the violet hues of her hair were more of a dark purple by the time they arrived within the stooped doorway of the humble cantina. The thunder outside communicated just how violent the storm had so quickly become, and Charity was thankful to be wearing a coat rather than her traditional cloak this time. A few patrons took a look their way as the pair of undercover Jedi entered but gave little thought to it, other than perhaps an extra look to measure Charity's unusual height.

She didn't linger in the main dining area for long. A narrow doorway in the back opened to a rickety staircase the descended to the pub's basement, its dim lighting and ill repair possibly intentional to dissuade overly curious people. The creaks of each step alerted her enough to walk cautiously, and she kept her left hand raised just enough to be able to pull the concealed cylindrical weapon from within her coat should she need to.

Fortunately that was not the case. As she made first footfall upon the basement floor, Charity was able to ascertain the nature of the environment. It contained a rather quiet, wary group occupying chairs around card tables, or standing about concave pits and rolling dice of all sorts of shapes. A few gentlemen in the back corner seemed absorbed with some sort of small animal duel--most likely illegal. In the opposite corner, a trio of human, Rodian, and Neimoidian woman danced serpentine without much clothing. The Jedi Knight shook her head shamefully and averted her eyes to scan the rest of the underground casino for the contact they had been informed of.

She didn't like dealing with disreputable types, but beggars can't be choosers.

Kaiza Pawaro

As the conversation veered onto the topic of Imperial spies, Charity began to feel somewhat reassured that this was indeed the right place and right person. There was still the matter of determining if this whole meeting was a setup or a genuine exchange of mutual goodwill--or at least a beneficial exchange of material. The man was quite upfront about his more-or-less apathetic position in this event. Apathetic could be a positive, all things considered. If he expressed too much of an interest, it would betray something more costly and potentially sinister at hand. The Jedi remained relatively relaxed, and her demeanor showed nothing but her usual neutral-warmth.

"Considering the business we are discussing, Mister Vol'gen, I would say it is wise to adhere to the warnings we have received. The Empire is not entirely discriminating about how they deal with people they don't like." She kept her voice to a gentle, breathy, and almost husky timbre as she traversed the subject. There were many ears in the area. Sabacc players tended to be very observant; spies naturally more so. The tall Knight kept her hands in her lap in a rather ladylike manner, though it also served to make her lightsaber more accessible.

Charity was a diplomat in a certain view; a mediator, peacekeeper, and even a therapist from another angle. A businesswoman she was not. How exactly should one suggest they would like to propagate militant idealists and saboteurs without actually saying so? She was irritated that she had overlooked this scenario, expecting their appointment to be a simple affair of meeting with the Neimoidian in question. "Well..." she began, glancing at her Mirialan compatriot. "We're interested in trafficking; transport... Moving people."

The tall Jedi nearly choked at her own words. Such terminology carried a disgusting connotation even if it was technically accurate--though for less obscene intentions than what Janos was probably guessing right now. "We want to be able to ship people in here at will, no matter who's in charge of the local government. My associate and I felt like now would be an opportune time to set up, given the imminent takeover. No one will be worried about you, or us...and hopefully not your client...during the transition period."

She glanced once more out of the corner of her eye at Kaiza, worried that the implication of trafficking could affect her in some discomfiting or even horrifying way. This was certainly not a circumstance covered in books or most training paths. Charity couldn't recall anything like this in her own apprenticeship. Sometimes she wondered who was really being tested during these trials--the master or the apprentice?

Kaiza Pawaro, Janos

Charity pondered thoroughly over every word spoken, though she was slower in processing the merit of the man's advice as she continued to feel out the atmosphere of the premises. It was something Kaiza might be unaware to. Truthfully she had likely been unaware of her own master's internal vigilance during her apprenticeship, even in spite of her reserved personality. It seemed to be a consciousness that had maximized upon taking on Kaiza as her pupil, like the protective instincts of a mother or father.

Surprisingly, the man before them was not radiating any significant emotions of alarm or stress, though she shuddered at the pain of a man at one of the card tables as he experienced a vicious, sickly cough. She took a guess at a diagnosis: internal hemorrhaging, she suspected. Diseased for sure. But perhaps that was why he was found in this sort of place. The Jedi Knight attempted to purge the distraction from her mind and concentrate completely on the conversation. It was something of a challenge for some with her gift--or curse, depending on the point of view.

Charity was slightly taken aback by her Padawan's interjection, but it bothered her little. It would be impudent to suggest that a Padawan could not be just as instrumental in negotiations. "I don't claim to know much about your line of work, Mister Vol'gen," the violet-haired lady confessed. "I trust you know how to operate your end of the business. Your explanations seem very reasonable. But what happens when you move on? You've made it sound like you're only temporary." It was the question she had been avoiding for the last several minutes, and it carried an ominous weight to it.

In other words, Can we really trust you?

Kaiza Pawaro, Janos

Charity noted Kaiza's lessened composure and briefly removed a hand from her lap to brush it across Kaiza's knee, signaling for her to calm down. There was no need to provoke this man. By now she was nearly certain he had no business with the Empire, though it was true that he could hardly prove he wouldn't turn on them for a high enough price. "I understand your position, Mister Vol'gen. It is clear that you have little interest in anything but your financial future." It was a not-so-subtle jab at the man's mercenary role, though her calm, soft voice helped alleviate the sharpness of her words. Her master had imparted in her a belief that standing for nothing was equal to promoting evil.

But now was no time to discipline the man for his amorality. There was little that could be done, and certainly nothing at this booth in such a momentary, transient relationship. He was undoubtedly a lonely man, which served as punishment enough for his choice in life. "Personally, I don't believe we will require any sort of permanent services from you." That was his client's business. Right now they had to act on simple faith that the Neimoidian had good intentions--or at least neutral intentions. Anything they could take advantage of to undermine the inbound Imperial operatives and politicians would be sufficient. The Jedi were not here to fight the war, and starting one with this solo character would be futile.

She wasn't the most confident about shadowy dealings, but Charity attempted to play a bit at his game. A Jedi should be honest. But that did not mean they could not be shrewd. "But say we should like to contact you at a later time to employ your services, or even merely seek your counsel? Surely you would value a consistent, reliable client that you have had prior experience with over a cold caller?" It was worth a shot. And if this man was as good as he boasted, it would be handy to have him more or less in the Resistance's pocket rather than give him idle time to entertain an Imperial contract. "Unless you truly live for a thrill."

Kaiza Pawaro, Janos

As both parties seemed to have drawn an understanding of each other's needs and expectations, Charity was fully at ease with their newly forged--albeit loose--tie with the man across from the two women. His motivations were rather clear, and though she had an internal disdain for his apathy, the Knight had to admit he was most likely the right man suited for just this type of employ. There was a form of paradox to how trustworthy he was for being transparently untrustworthy.

With a soft smile, Charity unveiled her off-hand from beneath the table and accepted the token that signified their deal, rotating the card briefly to study its shell. There were no markings or anything she could consider unique about the device, a fact that made it all the more imperative that it not be misplaced. The taller of the Jedi duo tucked it away securely in one of the snug pockets within her coat, then at last placed both of her pale hands on the tabletop and gazed into Janos' eyes almost knowingly, still trying to distinguish and assess his emotions apart from the rather glum cloud surrounding them. She was getting a feel for him.

"I don't believe anything occurs through simple happenstance, Mister Vol'gen," Charity remarked. There was calculation in every instance that she uttered his name. She had found that it had a placating effect on many people when one emphasized their personage. This was her chance to be more expressive in a philosophy she was knowledgeable in, unlike business. "We do not pave our own paths in life, friend. We simply choose which paths we travel."

Kaiza Pawaro, Janos