Open Log

[kallig]

WHO: Altair Kallig & You
WHERE: Greenhouse, Exploring
WHAT: First thing's first when coming to new situations- ensuring survival.
WHEN: First day (green house), and second day after arrival (exploration)
WARNINGS: Some introspection about the death of a planet, but nothing beyond that.


[Greenhouse]

Survival depended on many things. Water. Food. A willingness to continue on despite it all.

Not too long ago, the Sith had watched the death of an entire world. He'd watched a world and its inhabitants be devoured, helplessly, from orbit. He'd felt a great shudder through the Force, deep and chilling, heartbreaking. Here, that didn't matter. Imperial deaths, his own feelings on the matter, they would have to wait. For he was on another destroyed world now- there to return it to how it had been.

For now, that didn't matter much.

For now, his own survival sat prettily at the top of his list of priorities.

His trek had seen him arriving at a glass building- a greenhouse of some sort? Seemed like.

Another Data Point waited inside, and with no hesitance, reached out and touched it.

A brief flicker of fear flashed through him at the second's immobility as information was jammed in there with all his other knowledge, before it settled once he realized he could move. And as expected, the Data Point had come with information. A little different, but no more frightening or shocking than a Sith relic or some screaming ghost. Nothing ventured, nothing gained-- not a motto he often followed, but when he did, it tended to serve well enough. As it had, now.

With this new information, he moved farther into the greenhouse. Navigating well despite the veil that covered his eyes, only peeking up here and there to ensure he wouldn't trip.

A plant with leaves of a glossy black caught his attention, comically large. Buds along the stem were unripe vegetables, his brain told him, but that wasn't his focus as of just now- the leaves were sturdy, tough- almost leather-like, and large enough to be of use- grabbing his dualsaber off his back, he cleanly sliced through where a leaf connected to the thick stem- doing this several more times, until he had more than a few.

He sat, and began folding- a makeshift bag to carry food in, making it easy to transport.

His own first, then several more to leave behind. Surely he wouldn't be the only one wishing to haul food off somewhere else- and while he was there, he might as well do the strangers around him a kindness.

Secretly. Privately.

A Sith Lord gets a reputation for being good, he loses all respect, after all.



[Exploration]

Even as a member of the Dark Council, even as a Sith, crowds of any kind were uncomfortable things. It reminded him of being surrounded when he was a slave, of being surrounded when he was an acolyte on Korriban, and it was honestly claustrophobic.

So, makeshift bag full of edible fruits and vegetables in hand, dualsaber on his back, Altair wandered.

Past what seemed to be a hospital- no thank you, he had thought. Abandoned hospitals seemed like the sort of place you could catch some long dead disease. Like the Dark Temple on Dromund Kaas, except less fun. Past other buildings.

To the power plant- drawing his attention- power was necessary for life. Still. Someone else's headache today- perhaps his, tomorrow.

Eventually he found himself a good, open area. Safe enough it seemed, and deserted for the moment.

He put his bag full of food down, and focused. Drawing on the Force, he put his focus to merely levitate anything around him. Rocks, fallen branches, various debris.

It wasn't difficult. Such small things. Still, it felt... Different.

Weaker.

Something was wrong with part of his connection to the Force, he could tell. It would require further testing...

Comments

[art_of_war]

"I see. My mistake then."

Only it did not sound as if it was a mistake at all. Thrawn sounded like that remark was intentional. It was actually meant as something of a test, a way to learn about this stranger. And Thrawn had learned something interesting. As far as he was aware there were only two Sith at any given time. It was rumored that the Emperor was one and Darth Vader made two. There was no talk of a third, yet this stranger had plainly shown a flare of temper at the suggestion of being a Jedi. How interesting...

"Should I then assume you were likewise brought to the fountain without knowing why as well?"

[kallig]

"Your mistake, and yet no apology. Should I take that as an insult?"

Despite the brief flare of anger before, he did not sound like he actually desired an apology, nor like he expected one. Nor did he sound like he actually thought he should be taking it as an insult. The anger was gone again already, leaving only a slight tension, as he worked on adding a long shoulder strap to one of the bags.

"Yes. At rather an inconvenient time, too."

There was a brief moment when that tension intensified, before he shook his head as though quietly dismissing thoughts and feelings that served no purpose here. He was far from relaxed though, even as he worked. Every now and then he would turn his attention back to the other Chiss, a slight tilt of his head. Eyes covered as they were he wasn't looking. It was just somewhat of a habit, around other Chiss.

Or perhaps he was looking, at the very least at Thrawn's boots, if the angle he tilted his head at was any indicator.

It gave away the fact that he could see, under there. But he didn't care all that much.

[art_of_war]

"If you feel that you need an apology then please have that as well."

Though in Thrawn's experience, an apology most often was an admission of guilt and Thrawn did not feel he had done anything wrong. The subject was dropped fairly quickly though.

"I very much doubt there would be a convenient time for being kidnapped."

Thrawn was also curious about the veil since it seemed as if it wasn't necessary to cover sightless eyes. But he felt it would be gauche to ask about it that openly. There seemed to be something tense and inwardly focused about Altair too.

[kallig]

"I do not. But you should take care to watch your tongue around Sith who may not have my sunny disposition," He said, though it sounded half-way like a joke. The man sounded intelligent, and would likely know to not approach any Sith- or Dark Jedi for that matter- who seemed to be in less than a good mood. He had been busy working on creating makeshift bags, not only for himself, but also for others.

An excellent indicator to suggest that he was not a typical Sith.

Of course, his outfit should suggest simply Jedi before anything else, given that he wore no armor at all, and his outfit was in colors atypical for his Order.

That likely meant that his lightsaber had been seen and recognized sometime before he'd even sensed the other Chiss coming.

It was no matter, of course. Altair had his pride as a Sith.

"If you know the Sith, you should know that most Sith are, in fact, morons. Dangerous morons who like to act before they think."

He had his pride as a Sith. Not much affection for most of the rest of them.

"Of course I do seem to be the only Sith here at the moment."

He wondered how Darth Marr would take being yanked away from his life. Or Vowrawn. Or stars forbid, someone like Ravage.

"And you do have a point. But I'd say it couldn't possibly be more inconvenient for me if it tried."

Even as he spoke, his head kept tilting- between what he was working on, and Thrawn's boots. As if checking that he wasn't stepping anywhere nearer to him.

[art_of_war]

It is dangerous to say to either a Sith or a Jedi, though with one it may also be lethal. But Thrawn had a habit of taking dangerous risks and he was already confident that this one would not get him killed. He did raise his eyebrow at what Altair was doing though.

"...I must admit I am curious what you see that you feel you must keep such a careful watch on."

[kallig]

"Your species is unique, in how you feel through the Force. Like a great big wall has been built, where with everyone else, it's an open road."

If he was familiar with any Jedi or Sith, he likely knew this already, but still. It was a decent enough excuse, as to why he kept glancing.

"I can sense you're there, certainly. But if you were to try and stab me while my attention is elsewhere...," He said, making a slight motion with a hand, "I'd very much prefer to keep an eye on the distance between us, Chiss."

He was not normally so rude, even to his own species that he feared more than he feared just about anything else. But he had no power, no status here, with which to protect himself. So leaning hard into the mannerisms of a typical Sith, and speaking as though he was some other blue alien entirely, worked.

[art_of_war]

Very tense and watchful. But that watchfulness had nothing to do with seeing where Thrawn physically was at any given time. Altair spoke about Sith and between the lightsaber and his reaction to 'dark Jedi' Thrawn was convinced he was one but at the very least the Sith he knew of would be aware of Altair, wouldn't they?

"I assure you that I am not going to suddenly produce a blade from up my sleeve and stab you."

It's said rather dryly but Thrawn is well aware that the particular racial trait in question means those that are Force-sensitive can become nervous (or annoyed) by the presence, or lack thereof, of a Chiss through the Force.

"If it would make you feel more comfortable I will move out of any possible reach."

In illustration, Thrawn moved to stand roughly 20 feet away which put him thoroughly out of range for anything but a blaster shot.

[kallig]

"No? And how am I to be certain of that? simply because you assure me?" Altair asked, in the driest possible tone he could manage. After all, he had already established that Chiss minds were a great big blank in the Force, leaving any Sith or even Jedi to rely on other methods to get any read on them.

When Thrawn actually moved away though, he couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"Does it make you feel uncomfortable when I keep an eye on where you are?" He asked, "Some Chiss pride that feels offended, perhaps?"

He sighed, and shook his head, "You can stand closer if you'd like. I'm going to keep an eye on you either way."

[art_of_war]

...contrary isn't he? Of course, Thrawn suspected now that Altair would complain regardless of anything Thrawn did or said. Still, there was a definite tone of amused irony to his voice.

"Since you don't hold my assurances very highly, I doubt there is much else I could say. But I do not have much in the way of pride about my species."

Ah, if only Altair knew that among the Chiss, Thrawn was already something of a problem even before any talk of exile.

"And you are doing me a favor, therefore it would be more courteous of me if I stay at a distance regardless of whether you keep watch on me or not."

[kallig]

That actually made him turn more fully to face him- even if he couldn't see him, those words caught his attention, and what could be seen of his expression was almost curious- if not a little confused.

"No?" He asked, the curiosity coloring his tone of voice as well, "Strange. I have never met a Chiss who wasn't proud before."

Except himself, of course.

"Proud, pragmatic, intelligent. That has been my experience with," There was a brief pause, perhaps a flicker of fear, "Most of your species."

He turned back to his work then, "Might be wrong, I suppose. I only know a Chiss or two in passing, anyway."

A lie, of course.

[art_of_war]

While Thrawn certainly didn't lack for pride, he had little of it for other Chiss as a species. Watching the minor shifts in Altair's body language (curiosity and confusion followed by physically turning inwards as he focused on his work) it was interesting to note the subtle lie woven in. Thrawn did not call attention to it, though. But he wondered what it meant that Altair would lie about how many Chiss he knew.

"Your experiences are valid, at least from what I have seen. It can be easy to assume any given member a species is much like another. But it is also just as easy of a trap to fall victim to."

[kallig]

"Point taken," He said, thoughtfully.

After all, he had some experience. Sith were big on slaves only knowing how to be slaves, and he had certainly proven them wrong. So he supposed he shouldn't go into the business of making generalizations, be it about a sentient species or anything else.

He finished the bag he was working on then, standing, and turning to the other man to hand it over, "Here. I wouldn't go filling it with something entirely too heavy, but it'll be sturdy enough to carry daily supplies. Apparently these leaves take a while to rot when forcibly separated from the plant, so it will serve you for a while at least."

That was what the knowledge from the Data Point had seen fit to tell him, anyway.

"Thank the stars for the strange qualities of this particular alien plant, I suppose. The men and women of the Sphere of Production and Logistics would have a field day here..."

They were, after all, the ones in charge of keeping the Empire supplied with all the resources necessary. An new supply sources were, apparently, always interesting. Especially supply sources with strange qualities to examine and decide how to best make use of.

Nothing he needed to think too much on now, he supposed.

"... Never mind."