<div class="floatright">(https://i.imgur.com/GPPSGRC.jpg)<br/>(https://i.imgur.com/6r6oeF9.jpg)</div><strong>Name :</strong>Tikva Sia (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=2302493) & Aria Riversong (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kcSKF8ZpejDBAzAEUoiEomXw94htTcCYLZ_WTcT3f1c/edit?usp=sharing)<br/><strong>Hit Points :</strong>66 / 66 & 51 / 51<br/><strong>Condition :</strong>0 (Healthy) & 0 (Healthy)<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button"> Tikva's Defenses</div><div class="spoiler_body"><strong>Reflex :</strong> 20 (Flat Footed 18)<br/><strong>Fortitude :</strong> 18<br/><strong>Will :</strong> 18<br/></div></div><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button"> Aria's Defenses</div><div class="spoiler_body"><strong>Reflex :</strong> 20 (Flat Footed 18)<br/><strong>Fortitude :</strong> 19<br/><strong>Will :</strong> 20<br/></div></div><br/><br/><strong>Tag :</strong>Speakeasy<br/><hr/><br/>Pulling Aria into an alcove, "Okay... so those Jedi seem in a bad way... but if we can get our hands on several sacks of bolts, we can have the padawans and younglings use the Force to launch them at whomever attacks us, I think it'll be super effective" Tikva enthused.<br/><br/>Aria was yanked from her meditation. Frustrated of not getting her answer, she's instead presented by the very issue she was looking to resolve by meditation.<br/><br/>"That would barely do anything against anyone seasoned enough in the force. If anything, the youngins would just be giving more stuff for their enemy to throw back. And in a much more deadly way."<br/><br/>Why was Aria being presented with a silly idea? Even Aria could pick up a small hover cruiser and chuck it.<br/><br/>"Listen, Tikva... Those kids have a more serious problem. They're scared. They're mad. They're confused. They are a collection of negative emotions and now that I'm in the room with them; I can feel it like goosebumps on my skin. If there was someone much more trained in the force than I, they could track these kids. I'm pretty sure they already have, in fact."<br/><br/>"So you're saying their pain echoes through the Force... my mother taught me this too, she said it would help me find injured folk and animals... but I can assume it would only be stronger if they were unconsciously using the Force to amplify those feelings."<br/><br/>For all her, at times, childish naivety and excitement, the red skinned young woman understood the Force, "But I really do think those bolts would be easier to conceal and utilise than a tangle of inexperienced lightsaber strikes... I just thought it would take advantage of their numbers... it would be more about the uncoordinated fury of it all."<br/><br/>"Yet back to what you were saying, do you think it likely those hunting us would have personnel trained in the Force, who'd be searching for such chaotic outpourings of feelings?"<br/><br/>Aria choked on her words. Trust or Not?<br/><br/>"Tikva. Who do you think I am?" She'll ask.<br/><br/>"I think you're the closest thing I have to a friend and companion in these dangerous times... well, beyond Rex of course" she smiled warmly, having no reason not to trust the human who'd saved her life at least twice now and had united her with some of the Jedi, just like she'd promised.<br/><br/>Trust.<br/><br/>"If I choose not to abandon my life. If I choose not to leave everything behind. If I choose not to forsake everything I knew and believed in, to pursue my own truth... Then you'd be dead, Tikva.  Those stormtroopers who ambushed you when we met. I would've been on their side." She'll offer the truth of the situation. But also reveal her own struggles somewhat. Reveal her own pain and despair. Though she has a much better grasp on it. Esp. Better than the kids.<br/><br/>The Sith-blooded woman smiled, "But you weren't and that's what matters... I know there's a darkness within you, it makes me worry for your health to carry such toxins" moving to stroke Aria's left cheek, "But is this your way of admitting that those hunting us do have such capabilities?"<br/><br/>"Certainly. Those kids will be a giant signal for them. The Jedi ship crossing the barricade will be signaled out, if they aren't luring those people here." Aria will ignore Tikva's concerns for Aria's well being. Aria can worry about it later. She's in no mortal danger and can collect herself later.<br/><br/>"One more thing. I had a vision. An extreme cold in the Force. Seriously massive. Seriously strong. Seriously... Painful. I heard a mechanical whirl and pained breathing through a filter. Then the sound of a lightsaber. A red glow. And all of those kids and Jedi dead. If we go with them... We'll share their fate. Not to mention our own connection to the force will make it more obvious. It may be best for us to find our own way, and sooner." She'll reveal her vision and worries.<br/><br/>"And you want to see me sparred that fate" she sighed, "Are you afraid the Jedi won't listen to this warning... is that why you haven't shared it?"<br/><br/>"I'm trying to be discrete about my connection to the force. Not only that, but the way I've been taught and the way they've been taught conflicts. I've no doubt they already know about the vision. They are Jedi stronger than me potentially. My concern is teaching the little ones to mask their emotions better. But the way I'm taught conflicts with the way they're taught and I doubt the way of embracing the emotions and not denying it and just delaying them, will not go over smoothly." She's skirting around the edge. Her Sith aspirant training always taught her to embrace such emotions. Sometimes they may be a hindrance, and thus better to out them 'on hold'. Which is contrary to the Jedi teachings of abstaining and denying such emotions. To let go.<br/><br/>"Perhaps I should share this vision with them... tell them it came from me, so that you don't have to reveal yourself?" Pulling the human into a hug, "Thank you for telling me this... you've saved me from yet another death" pulling back to meet Aria's eyes with a look of concern.<br/><br/>"If you wish. I was intending on communing with the force to see how well my idea of teaching those kids a better way to mask their emotions would go over. I... Want to try something. Even if it is trying to thwart fate." She'll be honest.<br/><br/>"We may yet have a chance to do that... if time allows?" A bittersweet smile forming on her face, "Would you do me the honour of sharing a drink... it's the least I can do after everything you've done?"<br/><br/>Another denial of her own good.<br/><br/>"We can do that once we're safely in space? Right now, we still can't rest." Aria side glanced.<br/><br/>She had a feeling Tikva was trying something. Nothing malicious. But was she trying to pry Aria open? She was sympathizing alot with Aria and trying to declare Aria's motives. Also reflecting and side stepping the obvious implications Aria presented.<br/><br/>"I don't mind sitting and talking, but a drink won't do. I need to be in physical form."<br/><br/>"Huh? In physical form" her brow furrowed, as she tried to make sense of the comment, "Ooooooh... alcohol" Tikva starting to giggle, "No silly, of course not... I'm sure they offer other things too... just something to keep our tongues from drying out as we work out how to save the Jedi in training."<br/><br/>Aria stared. A blank look. Eyes blinked. Head tilted. Eyes blinked again.<br/><br/>Did Tikva never drink?<br/><br/>"Yes. A pop is nice. Thank you."<br/><br/>She wasn't sure if her services being worth a single pop was offensive or not. She was expecting something more expensive and hard coming from the adult. But perhaps her naivety ran that far? Aria really wasn't sure and wasn't offended and came to the conclusion that thinking more on the topic would just hurt her mind.<br/><br/>She sat at one of the booths.<br/><br/>Once she was served, she'd ask. "What planet do you hail from?"<br/><br/>Tikva looked at the beverage list, quickly finding entries for several flavours of fizzpop, "I grew up on a planet of endless forests called Kashyyyk... I don't know if I was born there, but it's where my mother raised me among the local population of wookiees, who are these big furry warriors who talk in growls."<br/><br/>A nod. "At least you haven't met a hut yet. Big ol things. Strictly business. Love their slaves, and their women."<br/><br/>A glance to Tikva. "I don't know what planet I was born on. Orphaned. Drifted here to there." Aria still wasn't too certain if Tikva understood the implications of earlier. Of the Sith. Of aspirants. Of the growing dark side of the republic that is now the empire in full force.<br/><br/>A compassionate look slid over the other woman's face, "So you never even had a mother... that... that must have been very lonely for you... I'm sorry you had to go through that... not that it was my fault or anything" she sighed, looking over as her droid ordered their drinks.<br/><br/>"But whatever hardship you've endured, I know they've left you stronger... strong enough to continue on despite those toxins that have me so worried... it's given you experiences that let you see the world in ways people like me cannot... and you have the strength of character to share that knowledge" her mood lifting somewhat, as she tried to find the reason why the Force had put Aria on this path?<br/><br/>"You call them toxins. I call them life. I am disturbed and off-balance, that much is true. But we all are. Things in a massive flux right now and we don't have the luxury to sort it out right now." A motion to the kids. "Just like them. Except we have more life experience behind us to better handle it."<br/><br/>“Look at your eyes, they’re just like mine... because those same toxins flow naturally through my own veins... but they are at odds with your body... disturbed, imbalanced... those words seem right, so why would you choose to be this way?”<br/><br/>"That question can be taken two different ways." Aria would point out.<br/><br/>"Why am I forsaking what I know and embracing something that my body is not used to? Or why did I embrace it in the first place?" Tikva was touching much more closely now. Naive Jedi she is not.<br/><br/>“What did you know, that you chose to forsake? I think that is the more interesting question” she asked, leaning forward with genuine interest as Rex returned with two sealed bottles of fizzpop.<br/><br/>A sigh. trust or not? That question delved deeper. That question dug at issues Aria was still trying to answer herself. At an innate lust of power that Aria entertained. Authority. Control. Sith aspirants were promised everything if they could become the apprentice. Aria forsaked it, initially, out of seeing the brewing storm and the lost opportunity of becoming an apprentice. But she saw more information when she met her new master. She'd process it if she had time.<br/><br/>Tikva unconsciously bit her bottom lip, eager to learn more about her companion.<br/><br/>And the answer without context or anything to prove Aria's different mindset.... It may get her killed...<br/><br/>Not trusting.<br/><br/>"Sorry Tikva. I am not ready for that. Perhaps when we are safely in space? If you worry for me, then I offer you one bit of information to still your concerns. I am not alone. My Master who pulled me from those dark hooks, resides with me. She is not one to let me go back to that temptation."<br/><br/>The raven haired woman nodded, “That’s okay... I’m already grateful for everything you’ve shared thus far” she smiled, “Maybe, if we live long enough, we could come to share our techniques with each other... perhaps then I’ll know what it is to be filled with ‘life’ as you are?” Opening her drink, as she expressed an interest in sharing in Aria’s corruption, encouraged by the taint her body naturally possessed.<br/><br/>Or maybe she was naive?<br/><br/>Aria's mind spun in her skull.<br/><br/>"Err?" Now she felt like she was explaining to a child. Though she looked and studied Tikva. Aria needed to study species a bit more if she was taking this right and proper.<br/><br/>"The dark side of the force.... It... Influences you if you entertain it. If you abuse it and use it too much. My eyes are like that because of it. The influence is still there but I am coming down from it since Dimra opened my eyes. I'm not 'sick' or anything. It's just a natural thing to happen by using the dark side. Which I've been using because of my upbringing; thus why I called it life?"<br/><br/>This was an easier way to explain without being specific. Since it was just getting more basic.<br/><br/>“Oh... there are sides to the Force? My mother only ever referred to it as ‘the Force’ not the dark side, or I assume a light side... how do you entertain it?”<br/><br/>"The Jedi and the..." Aria bit her lip.<br/><br/>This woman is making her drop her guard! She almost started rambling about this in the middle of a cantina bar place!<br/><br/>"There are different ways to view it!" She'll recover, though not without a stupefied look on her face. "Dimra keeps calling it spells and stuff." She was never taught that her force powers were 'spells'. So Dimra's take on it baffled Aria sometimes. Though Dimra was right on a few things. So she couldn't bash her too much.<br/><br/>"Basically! Keep being happy and cute and adorable and..." Now Aria truly bit her lip. She just ranted off and... Aria's cheeks turned red. "Just be you! You aren't you when you're angry." Whilst overly simplified, it does convey a warning.<br/><br/>“You think I’m cute... and adorable?” Her cheeks growing a darker shade of crimson, “And because of that, you’re protecting me again... as worried of me sharing in those toxins, as I am of you being filled with them?”<br/><br/>Tikva extended her left, soft boot covered foot to stroke it against one of her companion’s legs under the table, having seen a couple do it in a holovid once.<br/><br/>Aria was defeated.<br/><br/>She was unbeatable in bouts of power and skirmishes. She was the coveted Prodigy of using the force and combat. She couldn't be beat and aspirants had to try underhanded tactics against her only to fail more.<br/><br/>And yet Aria was beat... By naivety and absolute adorableness.<br/><br/>"Put extremely simply... Yes." She dunked her face to the table, no longer wanting to show the shades of red her face was capable of producing.<br/><br/>Tikva quickly moved to the other side of the booth to hold her companion and pull her close, so the human’s head was resting on her shoulder.<br/><br/>The dark haired young Force user’s heart was hammering in her chest and she found herself with absolutely no idea as to what she should do now that Aria was in her embrace?<br/><br/>Yet drawing from that same holovid again, the Sith blooded woman found herself straightening Aria up, before leaning forward to bring their lips together in an appropriately amateurish kiss from the greatly out of her depths virgin that Tikva was.<br/><br/>Aria would push back. She... didn't know. Certainly Tikva could do much better than her. Certainly Aria wasn't that important. And this certainly wasn't the time. They had stuff to do, and a captain to talk to. "Sorry Tikva."<br/><br/>She'll get up, unsure of Tikva's sudden advancements. "Go talk to the Jedi and tell them what I said about the vision. Warn them about the children's emotions making them too obvious. I know not what else we can do for them; but I'll see about a potential lead and a ship."<br/><br/>The young woman nodded, "Of course" yet before Aria could move to leave, the Jedi-to-be felt a surge of something dark and primal within, that saw her pull the human into a second and far hungrier kiss, before she just as quickly stumbled back, "Uh... and stay safe" looking incredibly confused as her eyes darted wildly, as if what she'd just done had frightened her. Tikva quickly turning amid the swirl of emotions within her and left for the gathering of Jedi survivors, to present the dark sider's vision as her own.