The Gates of Death : DJO Mansion

[The Thruvarans]

((Fun Fact: Despite the similarity, Corellia is not named for the area of Finland known as Karelia. Instead, Corellia is named after the Korellian Republic, a political entity in Isaac Asimov's "Foundation" series.))

"All about me. Yes, I'm sure Taaru tells you about our pub crawls," Miko says, finishing Avery's thought and chuckling at her nonplussed expression halfway between embarassment and laughter. "But those tall tales paint an inaccurate picture of yours truely. Taaru can't appreciate the things I can, farmboy that he is," he says, referring to their disparate upbringings.

...


Konrad, leaning back in a yard chair with his legs propped up on a tool bin, turns to regard Jet.

"Meaning? Oh, meaning of name ees not as glamorous as you may think. Like Mando'ade, Thruvarans are mostly open culture, and accept others who wish to integrate. My ancestors, who settled on Thruvar before the civil wars, were Corellian colonists. The place wear they settled, on the eastern island continent, was called Karelia. Hence my name."

"Since we are speaking of names, might I inquire what history Al'Meara signifies?"

[Jet Almeara]

"Really...well thats actually quite interesting."

Jet responded, she hadn't actually expected such a close relationship between the two - indeed she'd expected some sort of lengthy explanation or language lesson.

"I'm afraid mine's not even remotely interesting - Al'Meara is an adopted name, as far as I can tell the family who adopted me had absolutely no interesting facets in their genetic make-up."

And then they dumped me on the Jedi's doorstep - though Jet didn't mention that.

[The Thruvarans]

((I neglected to mentioned: "This fun fact brought to you by the Queen Mother Tenel Ka's Academy For Kids Who Can't Read Good and Wanna Learn to do Other Stuff Good Too."))

Konrad did not fail to notice the "genetic" comment.

"Ah, so Taaru has been practicing his skills as loremaster. I'm sure he has already revealed our people's many closeted skeletons. Some outsiders rarely understand our history. Then again, those outsiders don't understand the price of survival.

[Avery Heartshorn]

"Quite the opposite really, I didn't hear much about the pub crawls but I did hear we had alot in common in the way of... I don't know, relics and things I suppose."

She flitted her hand from side to side as if trying to sort through the words she was looking for, but still came up a bit short handed.

"If he HAD told me about the pub crawls, I may have been just that much more excited to meet you."

Those eyes of hers practically glittered.

[Jet Almeara]

"So very few people do"

Jet responded with a slight shrug before laughing slightly.

"He does like to tell a few stories now and again" She paused for a few moments "...although he's not always keen on discussing things of that nature - most of our discussions tend to be more on the technical side of things, as in he's typically blowing up part of The Gates here while telling me all about whatever new invention he's come up with"

[Aaron Starkiller]

"It'd be a lot more interesting without the suits," Aaron replied with his outward speakers before he had headed into the woods.

For a good while the Praetorian walked painstakingly through the difficult terrain, all the while scanning for Joruun with the basic imager. He had considered using the Force to locate her and just teleport himself behind her, but that would more than likely offend the girl. Hell, it'd probably offend Taaru as well. Of course Aaron preferred to offend people, but not in that sort of manner. This test wasn't about actually catching Joruun. It was deeper than that. So no, he would be using any advanced force techniques for this. He'd only be using his danger-sense, which came as naturally to him as his sense of smell.

Aaron activated the gauntlet mounted riot shield as a precaution, just in case Joruun decided to use some of the more lethal features of the suit. Activating his outboard speakers again Aaron spoke loudly. "Oh Joruun," he called mockingly. "We never discussed exactly what's going to happen between us if I win. Let's entertain the idea that you win though. What would you like to happen?"

[Taaru Masako]

"Without the suits, my friend, this would be entirely too mythological for comfort," is Taaru's response, delivered as Aaron disappears into the shadow of the canopy. Once again a cryptic reference from the savant; whether Aaron got it or not depended on his pleasure reading.

As Aaron continues into the forest, his HUD adjusting to the low light vision mode automatically, he sees a brief flash of what could be jump jets casting a blue light against the trees, and bringing to mind ancient rituals of witches' covens in the hexing hour.

His bravado is met with a girlish laugh, slightly contemptuous, its echo bouncing off the trees and canopy to make it seem like it's coming from everywhere at once.

"From you, I require nothing..." comes Jorunn's voice, seemingly from Aaron's right.

"...but to me, it seems you could use an added lesson in humility after your defeat...," now, from his left.

"...Taaru has told me Jet isn't very fond of yellow," this time from behind and above him."

"I wonder what you would look like in a yellow sun dress. You have the figure for it."

A fist sized rock hits Aaron in the front of his suit's chest.

[The Thruvarans]

((In retrospect, we should've probably moved the chase to the Mansion Estates thread.....ah well...))

Avery's sudden bestowal of interest caught Miko a little off guard, but he didn't let it show.

"Well, you do seem like the kind of girl we'd want in our camp," he says, noticing the blaster slung to her hip, "when Taaru gets a bit tipsy and calls a wookie a glorified duster."

...

Konrad nods knowingly at Jet.

"You are lucky," he says wistfully, "Lucky that you haven't seen the side of Taaru that some of us have..." he is about to continue, but thinks better of it. If Taaru doesn't share everything about his dealings with the Tears or the Diaspora with Jet, then it isn't Konrad's place to reveal anything.

[Jet Almeara]

A wry smile passes through Jet's features at Konrads remarks.

"We all have our demons. It's nice to have people to share such demons with when you want to- but it is also nice to have a place where such sharing is not required."

She paused for a few moments eyes once more ticking to the holoscreen where it seemed Aaron was now tromping through a swamp - much to the dislike of the bystanders whose view of the event was somewhat compromised by this. Her attention however was only half on the screen's, rather they were mulling over her own words. Despite her wish for a return of the past - or at least the camaraderie she had shared with those deceased, she valued greatly those few things which let her - even for the length of a simple conversation - be happy in the present. turning her attention back to Konrad she shrugged.

"Taaru seem's happy when he's following whatever technical,historic or biological puzzle that strikes his fancy - he's a good and loyal friend - if I can provide him the means to follow such whims then I'm pleased to do so, regardless of their results"

[The Thruvarans]

Konrad nods thoughtfully. He agrees with Jet in that her words carry a certain wisdom, but he cannot agree with her fully, for wisdom, unlike knowledge, must be adequately pondered.

"I am sure, eef you ever asked heem, he vould tell you. But by asking, you vould, without a doubt, change your relationship vith heem."

He let Jet finish her final thought.

"You von't be surprised to know that his relationship vith you and Corellia is not unheard of for Thruvarans. It is similar to the union of a liege and vassal, or patron, a a mutually supportive system Thruvarans haf used since they followed the Mandalorian custom of mercenary coalitions," he says, finally adding, with a crease in his forehead, "There are some who question his loyalty to the Diaspora, because of hees involvement with you, however."

And privately, he wonders whether Masako's relationship with the Diktat of Corellia is simply enabling him in burying his demons.

[Jet Almeara]

"would I?"

She didn't seem to convinced, casting her mind through the various activities several of her closest friends and even she had taken part of throughout their lives she didn't really think she would. Still there didn't seem to be a point in arguing this with Konrad so she turned her attentions to the later part of his statement.

"Well that isto be expected, whenever a friendship is struck between members of two separate groups there are always those who wonder just what side the person in question will take if push comes to shove. I'm rather hoping such a question will never be answered between our groups, co-existence seems far more beneficial"

"

[The Thruvarans]

((Can we just assume Scandinavian/Baltic/Slavic accents? I keep forgetting to write dialogue in them.))

Konrad's response is a grim expulsion of air, reminiscent of a chuckle.

"And yet, milady, sometimes the questioning and the answering are entirely out of our hands, and decisions are made despite the best intuitions."[/font]

[Jet Almeara]

(lol thats fine)

The use of milady inwardly amused Jet although she didn't comment on it as she was prone to do with those she knew well - or those she didn't give a damn about insulting. Her aversion to such titles were a product of her own history after all - and not everyone would understand.

"Life does like to throw such situations around, but as a good friend recently reminded me in as many words - nothing is completely out of your control as long as you keep control of yourself"

[The Thruvarans]

Konrad's facial features assemble themselves in that particular visage of agreement that, a long time from now in a galaxy far far away, would be reminiscent of any performance by Robert DeNiro.

"You have wise friends. I only hope their wisdom may apply to those unfortunate souls who are denied control over their own destines," meaning, of course, the billions of slaves and the destitute the galaxy had hosted since the beginning of time.

To Konrad, trite sayings on life were a luxury of the upper middle class.

[Jet Almeara]

Jet's gaze ticked to Khai, she stood out rather vividly in the crowd what with her red skin and all. Jet was well aware of Taaru's view on non-humans, he had after all thrown a small fit over her appointment of a Twi-lek captain but she was unsure if this was common to all Thruvarans - or simply a quirk of Taaru's in particular - and so she didn't point her out in particular as an example but merely commented. she wasn't the only one Jet had reached out through the guise of Devlin and many others to pull out of such a situation.

"I'm quite sure several on the Dangerous Waves team would agree quite strongly with that. "

The further comment on her part also recalled to her the plight of Rothk - something which made her eyes glitter for a few moment in distaste.

"It seem's even those you would think safe from such a fate are not always so"

She nodded towards the young boy who was still lingering on the edges of the crowd in the hanger.

"Rothk is my nephew, you would think of course this would save him from such a fate,here on Corellia he would have every opporutnity - but he was born on Dathomir where his mother is head of one of the clans and his sister poised to follow in her footsteps, Rothk on the other hand would be nothing more then a slave"

She paused for a few moments before continuing.

"I won't be letting that happen"

She left the comment to be deciphered however Konrad wished.