Corellia: 18 BBY
"Mythos"
Lesia Mirri

Les sat on the hard metal floor and began stretching her ankles. She'd taken up the exercises as part of her daily routine. Already, the results were beginning to show. Her dancing had improved a bit and her ankles didn't hurt as often as they once had.

Nakoa was seated nearby, seemingly lost in thought. Oni had left for Kessel the day before and Les had to admit that it was nice not feeling judged with every footstep. Les ran through a few more exercises, then got to her feet.

She switched on some music and began to dance around the room. The sheer purple fabric of her dancing costume swirled around her legs. Lesia grinned and twirled again. The costume always made her feel beautiful, for some reason.

A wave of sorrow brushed past her. Les stiffened and took a wrong step. She gasped as one of her ankles buckled. In an instant, Nakoa was there. He caught her before she went down.

"You're surprisingly good at catching me," she laughed, ignoring the pain that flared through her ankle.

"You always wind up falling," he replied.

Les sensed the heavy weight that surrounded him. "I'm going to take a small break." She got to her feet with a grimace and dropped into a seat. "You seem sad."

"How could you tell?"

"Your demeanor and your voice," Les explained. "What's wrong? Is it Galaar?"

"No." Nakoa sat down with a sigh. He drew his vibroblade and ran his finger down the length of it.

Les scooted closer to him, eyeing the blade. "Whose was that? I remember Oni saying it meant a lot to you when we were on Geonosis. You always mess with it when you're stressed or bored."

Nakoa offered it to her. She took the blade and inspected it. It was heavier than she had expected. There was a signet carved into the hilt as well. It matched the signet that she had seen carved on his necklace. For a moment, Les wondered if he was wearing it.

"It belonged to my mother," Nakoa said, at last. "She gave it to me the day she died. I'm...sad...because that date is coming up soon."

"You never told me about her." Lesia handed the blade back. "Actually, you never told me anything about your past, really."

He clenched a hand into a fist. Les saw his fingers tremble a bit as he relaxed them again. "I don't...like talking about it. I don't even remember it all. I made myself forget."

"Oh." Les knit her brows. "Well, now that we're on this subject, I suppose I can tell you a bit more about my own past. You asked about what happened on Mygeeto. What do you know about that planet?"

"Not much," he admitted.

I have to phrase this right, Les thought. She pursed her lips, then spoke. "One of the last battles of the Clone Wars was fought there. I was near where the fighting happened. A few weeks before the end of the war, some new clones arrived. I met one, Cole, and things progressed between us. I was there during the Purge."

"You saw the Jedi be killed?"

Lesia lowered her gaze and nodded. "That's how this happened." She gestured to her scarred ankles. "I was...mistaken for a Jedi and they tried to kill me."

"Mistaken for a Jedi?" Nakoa asked. His tone was full of disbelief. "What happened to Cole?"

Tears sprang into her eyes before she could stop them. Les blinked, willing herself to stay calm. "I killed him in self defense."

"You killed him?" A tear slipped down her cheek as she nodded. "I can't imagine what that was like." Nakoa fell silent for a moment. "Did you love him?"

"No, it wasn't as deep as that. I cared for him and if things were different, it might've grown into love, but..."

She faded out, at a loss for words. Another tear followed the trail of the first. Nakoa leaned over and brushed his thumb over her cheek. Les glanced at him and he drew away, seemingly embarrassed.

"Did you tell me that as a ploy to get me to reveal something too?" Nakoa chuckled.

"Maybe." She smirked, wiping away the last of her tears.

"Well, I suppose it's only fair. You've heard Oni and I talk about Tarek Vizsla, right?"

Les nodded. "I think so." Her thoughts drifted back towards the wanted poster of him in Nakoa's cabin.

"He led an attack against my Clan and destroyed it. My parents were killed when they saved me." Nakoa's hand stilled against the vibroblade. "A building caved in around us. After that, all I remember is waking up and screaming. Their bodies were crushed by a beam that would've killed me."

Les could almost hear the echoing screams in her own mind. She brushed her senses past Nakoa and felt the deep turmoil that had taken root in his mind. She drew herself back in and hesitantly dropped her head against his shoulder.

He tensed, that small act pulling him from his thoughts. "I suppose it's good that I screamed, though. Otherwise, Ketei wouldn't have found me."

"Is this your Clan signet?" Les pointed to the mark on his vibroblade.

He nodded and pulled the wooden necklace out from beneath his armor. "The signet of Clan Ralius. I don't wear it on my armor anymore, but I have it on this necklace. The wood is from the beam that..." He broke off and flipped it over, revealing the carved words.

"What does that mean?" Lesia asked.

"I vow revenge."

"Revenge?" She lifted her head and arched a brow.

Nakoa nodded. "I will find Tarek and take vengeance for my Clan and my family someday."

Revenge is not the Jedi way, she couldn't help but think. Then again, he isn't a Jedi. Neither am I. Nakoa tucked the necklace back into its hiding spot and sheathed his blade. "Thank you for telling me."

"Don't tell Oni. She'll be furious that you know more than she does."

"I won't, but you might consider telling her more. It's only fair, since you know her story."

"I'll think about it," Nakoa promised. Les smiled and got to her feet. She switched her music back on and began dancing once more.

Corellia: 18 BBY
"Mythos"
Nakoa Sen

Nakoa watched Les as she danced around the room once more. Her skills had improved. She wasn't as hesitant as she had been the first few times. She spun and her lekku flew out behind her. The golden coins of her outfit jingled as she danced.

She noticed his gaze and flashed him one of her dazzling smiles. Nakoa looked away. After a moment, he stood and retreated to his cabin. He pulled his helmet off and scrubbed at his face. "I can't believe I told her all of that," he groaned. "Why did I?"

He dropped down onto his bunk and rested his head in his hands. "The more I'm around her, the less clearly I can think, it seems. This is so unlike me." He drew his vibroblade once more. Nakoa glanced up at his poster of Tarek. He narrowed his eyes and chucked the blade at it.

It buried itself in the wall, straight through Tarek's head. Nakoa stood and retrieved his blade, regarding the image angrily. He shook the feeling away shortly.

"And that clone she talked about," he continued. He couldn't exactly voice his thoughts. For some reason, he'd felt...jealous? Nakoa slipped his helmet on once more and left his cabin. Stewing wasn't helping him much.

Lesia was sitting on the floor rubbing her ankle. She glanced up with a sheepish grin. "I fell again."

Nakoa smiled to himself and offered her a hand. "Try not to fall unless I'm around, ok?"

"Why? So you can catch me some more?" Les winked and laughed.

"You have gotten bold," he muttered under his breath.

"Not really," Les replied, apparently having heard him. "I'm naturally this way, but I try to act semi normal when I first meet people."

"Oh." His face fell. So she doesn't really mean anything by her actions, then? Why does it matter anyway?

"How long will Oni be gone? It's kind of boring to just hang out around here," Les said.

"Another day or two, I imagine."

"Is there something we can do?"

Nakoa rubbed the back of his neck. "I suppose I can show you around the city?"

"Great!" Lesia switched off her music and disappeared into her cabin before he could say anything else. She reappeared, dressed in her normal clothes.

"Now?"

"Duh?" Les rolled her eyes.

"All right. Come on." Nakoa led the way off the Mythos and locked the ship down. They left the docking bay and started walking. Rain poured from the sky. Les looked up, eyeing the Imperial ships that flew overhead.

"Is there a shipyard near here?" She asked.

Nakoa nodded. "The Empire has taken over all of the planets with major shipbuilding yards. Same with breaking yards."

"It makes sense, I suppose. Those TIEs had to come from somewhere. I'm just amazed there's already so many of them in the galaxy."

"The Empire must've had blueprints for them before the war even ended. This way." He turned down a street that was partially sheltered.

Vendors lined both sides of the street. Canvases stretched across their booths and carts, protecting their goods from the rain. A few scrappy children snuck around them, snatching at food and trinkets. Occasionally, one of them would manage to get away with something.

"Those poor kids," Les murmured.

"They're thieves. Most of them work for Lady Proxima," Nakoa explained. "Her operations are most active on the other side of the city. Ketei has a sort of arrangement with her, I think. Some of our bounties go to Proxima and in exchange, she keeps her scum away from us."

"Still, that's a horrible life for a child." Les paused near a vendor's cart and quickly purchased a few pastries.

Nakoa opened his mouth to stop her, then waited. She carried the pastries around a corner and set them down, then tossed a few credits down beside them. Nakoa spied several of the little urchins eyeing the pile warily. As soon as Les rejoined him, the children scrambled towards the pile. They gobbled up the food ravenously and each managed to snag a few credits. They scampered off quickly. One little child gave Lesia a timid wave.

"Why did you do that?" Nakoa asked. "It makes no difference to them."

"It does," Les argued. "It won't change their ways, but they'll go through the day a little less hungrier than they would've been otherwise."

"And the credits?"

"They'll use them for something," she replied with a shrug. "Sometimes you have to take a chance on people. Where would you be if Ketei hadn't taken a chance on you?" She arched a brow. "Where would I be if it weren't for you and Oni?"

"Honestly, I'd probably be dead or just like those children," he admitted. "You might still be a slave for Jabba, or worse."

"See? It made a difference to you and to me." Lesia smiled and walked on.

Nakoa watched her for a moment, running over her words. She paused, realizing he'd fallen behind. "Are you coming?" Les called, amusement shining in her eyes.

Pale blue with hints of silver, Nakoa thought. "I'm coming." He rejoined her quickly and they continued down the street.