Something Stirs in the Force

[Dragon Lancer]

L'kas had to really think about that one. Usually Izumi was out of earshot and deflected L'kas's questions. After several seconds, something flashed in his mind. "This is only vague," he began slowly, "but they kept mentioning her padawan days, and a friend of hers. I never got more than that, and any questions I asked got deflected. I got the feeling it was something she didn't like to talk about."

 

[LadyMatsudai]

"Every Jedi has a secret they don't wish to relive, L'kas...always remember that. And don't forget, it might be something they might kill for to keep it a secret," warned Sage before finishing her drink, gesturing to a waiter to fetch her another one. "So...do you believe me now?"

 

[Dragon Lancer]

L'kas nodded. He sensed no ill intent coming from the woman, and her words rang true. If anything, she did seem to be genuinely as concerned with finding out why Izumi died as L'kas did. The longer he thought about it, the clearer it was that someone was trying to keep something from getting out. The harshness of the punishment handed down to L'kas for the Micayan delegate's death suddenly made more sense. The reason for Izumi's death, however, was still a mystery. But then there were still things L'kas didn't know about her past. "Alright, so you're not here to kill me. So how did you know my master?"

 

[LadyMatsudai]

Watching L'kas start to relax a little more to realizing she was not a threat to his life, Sage sighed deeply to the question, leaning back against her chair as she stared into her reflection in the glass of her drink. "She was my best friend, if you wanted my honest answer," she said a little quietly before taking a large gulp of the beverage. "She was the only one who didn't scold me for clinging to my emotions so much..."

 

[Dragon Lancer]

L'kas nodded again. "She did seem to have a soft spot for us emotionally charged Jedi." He smiled as he recalled a fond memory. He had just been through the basic training and was up for selection by a master. Weeks had gone by and nobody seemed to take any interest in the boy. But then that was probably because he was known for the more than occasional emotional outburst.


Of course, all of the masters that he saw during training told him to be mindful of his feelings. Even the emotions generally assumed to be positive could easily lead to more negative emotions and thus the Dark Side. Then one day a woman came up to him in the training area. Most of the younglings had already left for other lessons, but since L'kas was out of basic training, he didnt have to leave. He remembered that he had been meditating. He felt her presence, but he didn't stir. He figured that she would pass, just like every other master that met him. When she sat down in front of him was when L'kas stirred. She simply reached out with the Force to brush against him. It was a calming experience, and before he knew it, he was following her to another master's office so that he could be registered as her padawan.


"Sorry," he said, realising that it had been a bit. "She definitely did have a soft spot for jedi like us." He was suddenly glad that this woman had been the one to find him. "You obviously know my name but I don't know yours." He figured that if she was going to hang around, he could at least get her name.

 

[LadyMatsudai]

Sage remained quiet after L'kas seemed to dwell on some distant memory. It had to be a nice one...since she thought she could see a hint of a smile on his lips while she lowered her glass to the table. Not wanting to disrupt the young man, Sage sat in her chair staring at him for what seemed like a long while before waving her hand to his apology. "No need to apologize, L'kas...I have had my fair share of those moments," she explained before she grew a little tense to him wanting to find out about her. Turning her gaze down to her drink, Sage glanced at her reflection in the liquid, frowning a little to herself. "My name is Sage..." she introduced simply before taking a large sip of her beverage. "Nothing much to say about me though."

 

[Dragon Lancer]

L'kas thought about it for a second before replying. It seemed that she was hesitant to say any more about herself than what she had already revealed. It wasn't that surprising though. After all, L'kas had some things about himself he'd rather Sage not know yet. Things he did after Master Izumi's death and his subsequent banishment from the Jedi Order. Really, though, he just wanted a name to attach to her, especially if she later decided to try to kill him, though the odds of that were slim.


He shrugged and said simply, "So be it. So where do we go from here? The Jedi Order wants me taken care of, you're not too keen on killing me, and Master Izumi's death is looking more and more suspicious. I can't even set foot on Temple grounds, and from what I can tell, you're barely welcome there as it is. But of course, the best place to look into Izumi's death *is* the Temple. The only other place I can think of to look would be Micaya, but even there I'm probably a wanted man. See my previous question."