thefinaljedi | Appointments

[She doesn't mean to stare at the lightsabers. It wasn't her intent- but two. And Ben's dream echos in the back of her mind. Their conversation.

'You would never'.

'No one is above darkness.'

It's not fair. She knows it isn't, but it puts her just the tinest bit on edge. Not out of fear of Luke. Out of fear of the unknown. The Malnosso can change so much of a person so very easily. Who is to say they wouldn't, couldn't, force Luke back to that darker time in his life? Couldn't do the same for Anakin, for Ben?

For the first time in awhile, she's terribly aware of how very unable she is to protect herself or others should it ever come to that.

And it burns her.]

Good evening Luke.

[It doesn't take Luke any time all to notice Adele staring at the weapons clipped to his belt. He can feel her unease, and for that he is deeply sorry. Walking towards her, Luke sets down his satchel and offers a tight, genuine embrace.

Wordlessly, he unclips both of the lightsabers and hands them to her. Levarre's memories may or may not be there, but Luke hopes that she understands that to do that is a token of absolute trust and esteem. These were weapons meant to fight the enemy, not her, and he trusts that she would return them if battle found them on the beach tonight.]

Thank you for coming. Lets go.

[She comes out of it when he approaches. He told Levarre he'd overcome what had sent him down that path. Papatine wasn't in the village. And for all that the Malnosso could twist minds- she has to have. Faith. In Ben. In Luke. That he can handle himself.

The hug is returned, and it's almost apologetic. She shouldn't doubt him. It's not fair of her to do so. Not when she has so much faith in Ben.]

Luke?

[The lightsabers- he. She stares down at her hands, struck dumb for a long moment. A gesture of trust. For a moment Adele's tempted to return them. She can't hold these- she can't use them. Isn't worthy of them.

But that would be spitting on his intent, and after what she'd said this morning? It'd ruin this.]

I. I am sorry I said what I said. Especially where I said it. I do not know what I was thinking.

Not here.

[Pulling her through with him, Luke steps through the teleporter and walks out onto the beach. Looking around he checks both with his eyes and with the Force to see if anyone was around, but the sand is deserted.]

Adele. I shouldn't have told you, I shouldn't have told Levarre either. I understand just how shocking that revelation must have been. Yes, I fell to the Dark Side, for a few months. I was in a dark place before then, and was more susceptible to Palpatine's influence than I should have been.

Its not wrong of you to doubt me, knowing that. Make no mistake, I do not fault you for your question. I do question your sense at speaking of it in such a place, though.

[He throws down a meditation mat, and sits down on the beach, patting it down and gesturing for her to sit]

Adele, what if Anakin had been in the room?

Edited 2012-06-14 02:07 (UTC)

[She follows. Not much of a choice, after all, but still. Satchel in hand, she follows. Stares out at the ocean for a long moment while Luke speaks, trying to arrange her scrabbling, failing thoughts. Takes stock of how things stand.

Rett speaking, so earnest.

The threat from the Malnosso.

Their mad pact with Law and Lupin.

Ben's distress.

...that terrible, horrid flicker of a vision courtesy of Rei.

This first misstep. Because there would be more. She's been on a downward spiral like this once before, but not while in the village. It'll end roughly the same way, though. With isolation, self induced, and far too much work and anxiety for her health.

Now's not the time for it.]

I don't know what compelled me to ask what I did, where I did. I'm surprised we were so lucky as Anakin and Ben were not present.

[She hesitates a moment, trying to order her thoughts, and sits. Tucks her knees up to her chest like a younger woman. Loops her arms around her legs and rests her chin on top.]

...you'd have something in common to talk about though- no. That. That is in poor taste.

Edited 2012-06-16 03:16 (UTC)

[Luke turns to her with a look of genuine hurt on his face. That was unnecessary, uncalled for, and quite frankly completely unwarranted. What had he done to invite such slings and arrows?]

Adele? Is something bothering you? Have I done something to hurt your feelings? It feels like you are upset with me. Is it because of what I told Levarre? I can assure you that there is no trace of that man's influence left in me.

No, Luke. I. No. You've done nothing wrong. You've said nothing wrong. You are not at fault.

[She massages the bridge of her nose and looks back out at the ocean.]

You are a good man. You say you are past it? You are past it. You say you are above it? I believe you. I trust you.

You didn't deserve that and I apologize.

This is all just...so.

[She rubs the thumb of her hand over the edge of a wooden charm. That vision. This situation. She can't avoid it- of could she?]

You are not at fault.

[For once, Luke doubts her just enough to reach out with the Force and double check. Her words have been nothing short of cruel, and seemed pointedly aimed at hurting him. Maybe she's just tired, and maybe she's just on edge. But...he senses no lie from her, but he does sense a deep, dark fear.

Something has genuinely terrified her. When he notices her running her hand along a small trinket, he can't help but raise an eyebrow. A charm of some sort? A sort of power radiates from around it.]

Adele. What is bothering you? What happened. You must tell me.

Let me help you.

[She doesn't notice. If she did, she wouldn't mind it. Luke has a right to check, after what she's said. She wouldn't begrudge him this. As it is, she isn't even aware of his probing. Eyes on the shore, thumb running back and forth along the edge. That mangled image flashing in her mind, that laugh echoing.

Over and over.

It happens here.

She doesn't want to believe in fate.]

...a girl in the village. Rei. She made a small shrine and used the fire there for divination.

What did she say? I saw her broadcast, but...I didn't respond. I prefer to let the Force guide my path.

[His voice softens, and he reaches out to her, taking her hand in his as a sibling would. He can feel in her mind what she's seen, flashes of surface thought. But he wants her to tell him.]

Something she didn't want to see. Something I regret ever causing her to see.

[Her hand is trembling in his. That image flickers through her mind again. Broken fingers, bloody skin. Pain. So much pain and damage that no amount of surgery could ever repair.]

...it is possible that while I am in the village-

[Here it happens here why does it have to happen here-]

Someone. I don't-. I.

[She squeezes her eyes shut. Clenches her hand in his. Sucks in a breath.]

My hands Luke. They'll destroy them. Smiling. Laughing as they do so.

[The mental image hits him, and it hits him like a raging Gundark. Then her words slam into him, driving that vision home. They weren't just a bad dream, they were something that had been driven into Adele. For a moment, he could faintly feel the anguish of a young, dark haired girl, a psychic impression left by the nature of the shared mental picture]

Who? Who could do such a thing?

[Luke squeezes right back and moves closer, giving her a shoulder to lean on. She needs all the support she can get.]

I don't know.

[She sags against him, one hand curled tight around the charm, the other shaking in his.]

I don't know- all I know is it happens here. In the village. And it's not the Malnosso- there's no point in it, there's nothing to be learned from it or gained from it so it cannot be them but I don't know-

[That was the worst of it. Not knowing. Uncertainty has ever left her uncomfortable and this. Not knowing enough of this leaves her ill, twitchy. Irritable. Liable to say unkind things to those that don't deserve it by any means.]

[Luke wraps an arm around her, giving her a gentle squeeze. This is a new level of disturbing for him. Not even Palpatine was fond of...whatever it was he'd seen in Adele's mind. Something that the wrinkled Sith Lord had always insisted on was that the Dark Side was not something for mindless thugs and pointless sadism. And when one finds oneself thinking that the Dark Lord of the Sith is a classier form of villain...then you know you're in trouble.]

Adele, I will do everything in my power to prevent that from happening. You know that, don't you? If it makes you feel more secure, you can even move in with Anakin, Obi-Wan, and I for a time.

[Luke reaches out, this time with the Force, and pulls out a bottle of wine, a gift from Sabriel. He's trying to get her to relax.]

I don't know about you, but I think I could use a drink.

[She doesn't know why it feels so inevitable. She doesn't believe in fate, in a predetermined course of events- and yet was that not all Anakin, all Obi-Wan had to return to?

It leaves her shaken, frustrated, and terrified. Dying is one thing. Dying she can accept. But the utter ruin of what she needs to function as a surgeon, as a human being? She honestly doesn't know how she'd ever begin to recover. How she could handle herself, how she could remain sane. She simply couldn't.

Tired and trembling she leans against Luke and tries to put it from her mind. She has the charm. She has powerful friends- though she had never thought of them as such until very recently.]

I. I may very well do so, Luke. I cannot put enough locks on the house without causing trouble for Helios or Sabriel, I have not trained enough with what weapons I've earned here to defend myself and I still do not have my gun.

[She buries her face in her hands. Takes a slow, deep breath in time with the waves. Then another. Centers herself, or at least tries to.]

...that is an excellent idea.

[Luke nods, taking out a pair of glasses. The bottle hovers over them, pouring out two rather full cups of sparkling white wine. One levitates to Adele, the other to him. Taking a sip, the Jedi pauses a moment before responding, mulling it all over in his head.

That charm gave off a small aura of power, and she was right. He could feel the gears turning in her head. Almost like it was finally starting to sink in just who he, Obi-Wan, and Anakin were. Guardians of peace, heroes from her childhood given flesh by some strange twist of fate. More than that, Doctor Law, Sailor Mercury, and a host of other strange and powerful beings all bent on ensuring the safety of their friends. She may liken herself to an ant, but to Luke she was more like a very wise old soldier.]

If its a gun you want, that's not a problem. I've found a small assortment of blasters, mostly Czerka stuff but its small enough for you if you want. I'll make arrangements for you to move tomorrow. Tony and I have managed to rig up some repulser-sleds, so that'll make it easy.

[Another ponderous sip as he squeezes her hand]

Don't worry so much. You know what Master Yoda would say.

[Despite everything? This frivolous display of his prowess with the Force pulls a snorted laugh out of Adele. After that it was like a dam had broken.

The laugh becomes a giggle and grows until her arms are wrapped around her middle and there are tears of hysterical mirth pouring from her eyes. This is her life. Sharing wine with Luke Skywalker on a beach in a world where she has wings; where a priestess has a vision and gives her a charm, where she has hope. Faith. Friends. Where she dares to be optimistic.

Where terrible things can happen and people help one another through it without any ulterior motive. Where promises are kept.

She laughs for awhile longer before she can reign it in. Wipe her cheeks dry and stare back out at the ocean.]

This just...everything I feared in my own world. Everything I endured. This makes all of that seem so. So very small. Insignificant.

[Settled, more or less, she accepts the floating glass and takes a sip. Sighs. Something crisp, a little sweet. A good bottle, really.]

Mn. It's not just that it's a gun. It is my father's gun; one I am accustomed to using and maintaining. The weight of it, the recoil is as familiar to me as your lightsaber is to you. It is not the same by any means but...

[She shakes her head and has another small sip of wine. Squeezes Luke's hand back.]

Thank you. Truly, Luke. Thank you.

[For a long moment, Luke remained quite silent, sipping his wine and smiling around the edge of the glass. He couldn't begin to fathom what what so funny, so he chalked it up to the abject...strangeness of their entire situation. A world of wizards and dragons, where men could eat fruit and teleport, and where gods walked among men.

It was bizarre, yes, even for a man who'd traveled the cosmos, battled with dark forces beyond most men's comprehension, and was connected to the very essence of the universe. He pushed the images he'd borrowed from her aside, making a note of them for later.]

Don't worry about it. You know me, Mr. Helpful. I've got all the fun toys, so I may as well share. Guns, space ships, energy swords, robots.

[He sips again, not at all bothered by the strength of the drink. Its good, its not Corusca White, but its a far cry from Hutt-Swill]

Seriously, you've got nothing to worry about. We're in for rough times with the Malnosso, but honestly I'm sure it'll turn out alright.

A blaster I'll take. A lightsaber? I'll cut my self on accident- I still hit my shins during the defensive maneuvers Ben has been walking me through. It's frustrating- I do not know if it is the difference in the forms or if it is my own lack of familiarity with the art in general.

[Because it was an artform. A graceful, useful, deadly artform. She chuckles a bit to herself. The horror pushed from her mind for now. They'll be alright. Somehow. She hopes, at least but.

There was the time to consider. The Malnosso. That should be her primary concern.]

I've never been one for optimism. For hope. But damn you and damn Ben, I am beginning to become optimistic.

I agree. You are not ready for a lightsaber, and won't be for some time. A blaster you can handle.

[Luke sips again]

When did optimism mean something bad? I thought it was something that people who were comfortable and well adjusted felt. Not just Jedi. You seem pretty well adjusted to me.

Don't sweat it. Just...be careful. I'll make the arrangements to move you in for a time tomorrow, alright?

Optimism isn't bad- not when tempered with realism. I'm simply...not accustomed to looking on the brighter side of things. I prepare myself for the worst, brace myself for it, and live every day expecting some mode of crisis. In Paris? It made sense; I was a surgeon in a trauma ward. Something always went wrong, there was always a crisis.

Here...I do not need that wariness, yet I keep it because it is comfortable. But knowing you and Ben. Makes me think there is a better way.

[She shrugs. Takes another long sip of the wine.]

I will. I don't have much to move, honestly.

Perhaps here you can finally learn to accept it and let go. I think all things considered, you're a brighter more cheerful person than when we first met.

[He laughs into his cup again]

And there is nothing wrong with being wary, but too much of it? That goes into paranoia. Remember that.

I've had more reason to smile in my six months here than I had in the past three years back home. The company I've come to keep and the friends I have made have helped enormously in this.

[She turns to face him with a half smile.]

Luke, I'm not certain that you're aware of this- but I am terribly paranoid. I'm unarmed now, but usually I'm carrying at least three small knives, two lock picks, and six throwing knives.

I am aware, Adele. It always struck me as odd, though. There aren't too many people who'd wish you harm here from what I've seen. Those that would are intelligent enough to realize that you are well protected. But I never really wondered why you are so paranoid.

Why is that, my dear friend? You've said that you are going home to die, but what has made you so afraid that you feel the need to carry knives at all times?

[He squeezes her into a one armed hug again, almost like he would Mara or Jan, a trusted friend.]

I'm not accustomed to having protection. For years I have had no one but myself to rely upon when it comes to my safety. I could not always carry a gun- knives are easily hidden. When one works with criminals? It pays to be paranoid. To expect an attack. And I have been working with them for the better part of the past seven years. Such habits do not change quickly or easily simply because I am here.

[She scrubs her face and sags against Luke.]

For a time I was more comfortable, but. As much as I trust you, and trust Ben, Lupin, Rems- those I live with? I do not trust the Malnosso, or those that would work with them.

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