Should old Acquaintance be forgot

[Harlequin]

Alex took a booth against the west wall of the Bar and Grill. It was in the middle between two other occupied ones, not ideal, but it was the only one free. Seemed the Cloud 9 was a popular spot here in Cloud City.

She tossed her battered duffle bag on the seat ahead of her, and slid herself in beside it.

The duffle was worn and weathered, and patched with a variety of appropriated bits of cloth to keep it decently useable. Its appearance was not dissimilar to its owner. Alex was looking a little worn and weathered herself. Her clothes were a little shabby around the cuffs and collar, as if they'd been made much use of. Her hair, which looked as if would tend to rich and glossy, had a dull, unkempt aspect to it. She looked every bit the weary traveller.

Hunching forward, her hands on the tabletop, fingers intertwined, she scanned the room quietly, not much impressed by the patrons she saw.
Coal sighed quietly to herself.

She'd been looking for months now, with no luck. Not even a whisper of locating the object of her search. She was beginning to despair of any success, and this bar would probably be no different from all the other places she'd been.

Still, there wasn't much for it but to continue on. What else was she gonna do?

Alex looked around for a server, droid or otherwise. For starters, she could have a beer, thats what she was gonna do.

[Mu Satach]

Mu closed the door to Lili's dressing room behind the stage and grabbed her forehead. <i>That woman drives me insane. Why? Why for the love of God does she need a herd of wombats?</i>

Lili had a great set of pipes and a loyal audience that came in for her shows, but Mu definately had to question her artistic vision. She was still paying off the repair bills for her "<i>Water Extravaganza Experience</i>"

"I need a drink." She cut through the backstage area, popped out on the empty stage, down across the dance floor, through the dining area, past the booths and made a straignt line for the bar.

[Harlequin]

"Corellian Ale"

She wouldn't have minded a 'Tatooine Sunburn', but quite frankly, she wanted to put all thoughts of the dry, torturous bad lands of the Jundland Wastes behind her for the next while. Alex swore she could still taste sand in her mouth, even four months after leaving Tatooine behind her. Sand still sifted out of the seams of her duffle from time to time, and she felt she might never be rid of it.

Alex slumped back and waited for her beer to arrive, again surveying the brimming bar.

"Wonder what brings the crowds..."

[Mu Satach]

"Terry," Mu reached the bar, "pour me somthing hard fast." the barkeep nodded and quickly set down a shot of whiskey. She slammed it back and grabbed the bottle out of Terry's hands. "Thanks." and waved him back to the other patrons at the bar.

Mu sighed and slumped against the black wood. Things were so much clearer before the <a href="http://www.sw-fans.net/forum/showthread.php?t=16076">bombing</a> last month. She took another shot. <i>"He won't like that I've been drinking again."</i> Her thoughts drifted to Henning. Her skin still tingled and ached even though he said she was healed. Barton's face floated in her mind and morphed into his younger self surrounded by the great halls of the Temple.

Mu clenched and unclenched her jaw and shoved the new old memories away and poured herself another shot. Turning around she surveyed the bar's patrons and told herself, "<i>Just keep working, lady. Just keep working."</i>

As her eyes washed over the mass of people and then she spotted a woman about her age sitting alone in a booth. An electric current shot up Mu's back. <i>Something...</i> it was a strange sensation. <i>Something....</i> her eyebrows furrowed as she looked at the woman.

[Harlequin]

Alex held the eyes of the woman at the bar, unphased by the frown, for only a moment.

Dont know what her problem is. Dont care.

Her beer arrived and Alex drank from it with relish.

"Keep these comin'" she added before the server dashed off, the way servers did when business was keeping them hoping.

"A menu would be good, too" she called as an afterthought, not sure whether her request had been heard.

[Mu Satach]

Mu swallowed another shot. The warmth hit her belly and started climbing up her insides numbing things as they went. "<i>Strange...</i>" She turned from the bar and started heading back to her office to see if she could track down the wombats for Lili.

The memory of Barton pushed it's way back into her mind. They were walking down a hallway, brown robes slowly flowing behind them as they walked towards the training hall. Surrounded by other Padawans coming and going. She said something that made Barton laugh. Several other padawans looked in their direction. Barton reached out and playfully shoved at her a bit. She reached back punched at his arm in return.

Mu squinted her eyes shut and poured herself another shot. She reached her door and threw the drink back. The memory wouldn't stop replaying and then it hit her, a pair of eyes with dark hair were looking at Barton.

Mu spun around and looked back at the booth. The face was older but the eyes and hair were the still the same.

Mu grabbed the door frame to steady herself.

[Harlequin]

"Are you a Jedi?'

Coal hadn't tried that direct approach yet with anyone, but was seriously considering it.

Or, "Can you tell me where all the Jedi are?"

That'd be a good one too, if it didn't end you up in some Imperial prison pinned by your toes and tortured for seditious communications.

Oh yes, she'd heard a whooooole lot about how the Empire dealt with force users, or suspected force-users. Even, that there was a dreaded sub-group of Imperials dedicated soley and religiously to seeking out and destroying any remant of any possible presence of Jedi. And right here, in Bespin, where it was flush with Imperial military personell -- it probably was not the smartest thing for Alex to now change to a less subtle tactic.

Still, she was sore tempted at times. Coal could feel like she could almost guess who -- if not force-user specific -- atleast might be sympathetic and know something..

Trouble was, everyone was all so frelling afraid.

It was a pity she hadn't paid more attention to those search your feelings lessons back in the Academy days. She'd been too busy making spit balls to shoot at the freckled-faced kid at lunchtime to take that cosmic stuff seriously.

Coal sighed. She was such a stupid kid back then.

Instead, she said to the server, "I'll have steak, medium-rare, potatos and whatever vegie's you got going. But none of those round leafy ball things"

The woman at the bar had slipped from her attention, and Alex cranned her neck to try find her again. It paid to pay attention to those who paid attention to you, Alex thought inwardly. She was trying to not be so stupid as she used to be, these days.

[Barton Henning]

The door swung open, as it had done so many times already that day, and two men stepped inside: Barton Henning, colloquially known as 'the Doc' (in spite of the fact that he was not the only man of his profession in the city), and a young Zabrak with intricate swirling tattoos patterned over his cheerful face. The Doctor gave his co-worker a pat on the back and they shared a joke with one another before trying to find their way to an unoccupied table. A few of the patrons called out to them as they squeezed through the closely arranged tables, causing Barton to smile awkwardly as he looked hopefully for somewhere quiet to sit.

[Harlequin]

The eye was involuntarily drawn to the Zabrak, it was impossible for it not to. The tattoos were fabulous and fierce, though softened by the smiling eyes they surrounded. It was an incongruous image, Alex thought mildly, but not an unappealing one.

And speaking of appealing, the tall dish of oh-yeah beside him wasn't so bad himself. Coal appreciated a good looking man as much as the next girl and the Zabrak's companion got a fair share of head-turnings his way.

Alex nudged her glass absently, fingers tapping its frosted side, half of a mind to nod the pair into the free side of her own booth, when he smiled..

Her fingers froze mid-tap and her mouth went bone dry. She knew that smile.

Or more correctly, remembered it.

From where? No....from when?

Alex realised she was staring, and she forced herself to drop her gaze.

Looking intently into her beer, her heart thudding like a horse kicking down the barn door, Coal went back..

*****

Itchy brown robes.....gleaming cold cathederal corridors....hushed voices.....a shy boyish grin......

*****


Alex tried to look up sideways without lifting her head, she had to be sure..

[Mu Satach]

"Heya Doc!" the friendly calls caused Mu to raise her head. The corner of her mouth pulled upwards in a half smile at the sight of Barton. Mu pushed everything else aside, the wombats, the haunting memories, the bills, the aches and pains. The sight of Barton brought a strange sense of peace and calm to her mind. Something she hadn't had for ages.

Quickly stowing the bottle at the bar Mu called out, "Barton, over there," and waved the doc and his co-worker to a reserved booth Mu kept for herself and special customers that had a good view of the stage. She then grabbed the arm of a passing waitress, "Doc's in the house, send one of the gals out to the table pronto and make sure his order is put on lightrails." The waitress nodded and scurried back to the kitchen.

Mu knew it was rare occasion that the Doc had time to eat a hot full meal, so the faster they got his order to him, the better chance he had of eating something before being called back to the clinic. She then joined them at the booth wearing a genuine smile.

[Barton Henning]

Within a matter of moments, Barton was being ushered to a freshly cleaned table by a bright-eyed waitress. Her face lit up with a smile, that said she was all too happy to be serving one of the bar and grill's most important customers. The bluster with which he was escorted to his table kept the eyes of the other patrons on him for a while longer, and the Doctor did his best to maintain a cheerful appearance, hiding his weak smile as best he could behind a fold-out menu. There was hardly a moment to think before a shadow filled the booth entrance, Mu Satach beaming a huge grin down at them. The patterned Zabrak broke out into a smile of his own, and even Barton's cheeks dimpled with a little more sincerity.

“That's some service you've got there, Mu,” he said. “I hope you treat all your customers this well.”

[Harlequin]

She'd lost him.

To gain him back into her view, she'd have to twist around in her seat, and that would make her obvious.

All those long forgotten sensations of soul-crushing awkwardism that she used to feel when she'd catch that smile all those years ago came rushing over her in a wave. The familiar frantic dilema of where to put her hands, how to turn her head, flip her hair, did she notice him or wait for him to see her? did she act like she even knew he was alive or strive for the casual "hey"?......all those stupid teenage girl inadequacies came flooding back from where-ever. Things that had been relegated into obscurity as maturity and experience usurped their dominion and took their own rightful place of confidence in her life.

Quite suddenly, and more shockingly, Alex felt that same flush creep up her neck and the panicky feeling that attended a crush and everything that was dreadful and wonderful about it.

"Dont be ridiculous" she chastened herself under her breath. It wasn't like she still carried a torch for the guy. How many years had gone by since she even spared a thought for him?

She forced herself to turn boldly and re-locate him again. There, seated behind her to the left, the woman from earlier had joined him.

He looked as good as his memory. Better.

Alex's steak arrived.

[Mu Satach]

Mu sat down with them, "Yeah the service here has improved quite a bit now that I've got the torture chamber installed." She took a drink of water as a waitress zipped by depositing a plate of hot appetizers and breadsticks. "It's done wonders for productivity." her mouth quirked up in a half smile.

"So, what brings you two in today?"

[Harlequin]

The memories kept coming, and as Alex carved into her steak, the action was automatic rather than out of any enjoyment of the food.

The day she first successfully conducted the blindfold test came to her mind. A solemn-faced Jedi master.. Figram, Figrand...something like that, had taken the class. Alex had tried to hide in the back, not liking the pressure that came from being singled out and expected to perform like some trick tuan-tuan. But the Master had been adament, and to center-stage she'd obediently trotted.

*****************

"You must not rely on the 'physical' in this exercise, young padawan"

"No, Master" Alex responded.

"Only as you trust in the Force and become sensitive to its nature will you be able to succeed"

"Yes, Master" and the blindfold was lowered against her eyes.

Funny how different the world instantly becomes when vision is gone. What once was comfortable and familiar transforms into an unknown environment that almost seems hostile in its strangeness. It is even hard to balance on one's feet properly. Movement suddenly becomes a precarious enterprise and Alex felt quite frozen to the spot.

--Reach out to me, Padawan -- the Jedi Master spoke to her mind alone, the room itself remained silent.
--Try....you are able, I know it --
Alex grimaced with the effort, but that eased gradually as she placed her focus on the Jedi Master and on no one else. She could "see" him now. Not in her imagination, but actually see him - his form and outline. Even his face, watching her intently.

--I see you, Jedi Master -- she spoke in silent return, excitement in each word.

The Teacher smiled, and Alex beamed with pride.

"Well done" he said aloud, removing the blindfold. "You did well"

**********************

Alex washed down the food with the beer.

That was a good memory, she smiled to herself. One of the last. Before she'd fled.

[Barton Henning]

“Slow day!” said the Zabrak, grinning. Barton opened his mouth to explain, but the tattooed intern interrupted. “I'm sure Mu knows I was joking, doc.”

Barton's eyes fell and he nodded with a small, familiar embarrassment. He stopped his mouth with one of the delicious looking snacks that had been laid out in front of them. He glanced up at Mu, covering his mouth for a moment before speaking.

“How's business? Any... interesting customers recently?”

[Mu Satach]

"Slow eh?" Mu looked at the Zabrak over her glass of mint flavored water she hoped would mask the whiskey on her breath.

She raised her eyebrows and her eyes twinkled a bit as she half smiled. While she was recovering in the clinic the young man seemed to have a knack for bursting, busting, or knocking over something around her. At first it was irritating, but as the sheer number of mishaps continued it became a running inside joke between them. "I'm sure you're finding a way to keep patients away."

Placing her glass down she leaned back in the booth, "Interesting clients..." she glanced at Barton and tapped her chin. "Had a couple of nerf herders through yesterday that got a bit grabby with Delia. Seemed to misunderstand the type of entertainment offered here." Mu sighed a bit. "Terry and Zed had some fun with them for a while out back. Spenny, of course almost passed out at the mess they made on the dance floor. Not to mention the fit Lili threw afterwards because the whole stage got covered with food splatter." She took another sip of water. "I'm never going to stop hearing about her dry cleaning bill."

She leaned in and placed an elbow on the table. "Other than that, just the usual crowd, locals, traders, etc." Mu began rubbing her temple. "I don't know. I feel like my mind keeps playing tricks on me." Mu started to fiddle with a napkin and avoided looking at Barton. "These jumbled images that have no context to them jump out at me from everywhere and nowhere. There's no telling what will trigger it. For example," she turned to face Barton directly, "just before you came in, the gal with dark hair sitting back that way... just... her... I, I don't know. I feel like I'm losing my mind."

[Harlequin]

Figrin!

Alex jumped a little in her seat as the Jedi Master's name rolodexed out of her memory file and shot with sudden clarity into her head.

She remembered him now - a name to go with the face - and the small victory brought a smile.

"I'd like dessert please" she nabbed at the closest server hurrying by. "Anything that's fruit in a pie will do."

Figrin D'an. A quiet, understated type, as many of the senior Jedi tended to be - a product of the whole "There is no emotion; there is peace" dogma, no doubt. Still...it was with fondness that she recalled him now. He'd obviously made an impression.

And there was another one who'd made an impression, she thought, turning in her chair to watch Henning. She had no problem remembering his name.

Barton Henning.

Even as Alex looked, the trio in the booth all turned to look back at her for some reason, and she was caught staring.

This was awkward.

But her's was not a bashful nature, and she boldly held her gaze.

[Barton Henning]

Barton nodded slowly. Though the Zabrak was aware that the Doctor and Mu had some shared past together, he wasn't clear on the details. Advertising that they had both escaped the Jedi Purge was not the wisest of plans, even in relatively trustworthy company.

Collectively, the three turned their heads to see the woman Mu was talking about. She was beautiful, in a way that Barton thought nobles and aristocrats might be. It was as if she was daring them to look her way, a definite defiance in her posture. As his eyes met with hers, Barton smiled again. He did not recognize her.

“We can talk about it when we're both off duty,” he said.

“When Chaos freezes over, then, eh?” the intern laughed.

[Harlequin]

They'd turned away again, and shared a joke and Alex mulled over what to do next as the server settled the dessert in front of her.

A mouthful, two, and she'd made a decision. She pushed the plate away, tossed some credits beside it to cover the bill - just enough and a meager tip. She didn't exactly have creds to burn.

Shouldering her duffle bag, Harlequin pushed herself up and out of the booth and walked casually, yet directly, over to the trio's table.

She allowed their conversation to stall as one by one the three lifted upturned faces and gave her their attention.

"I know you" she opened simply to Barton.

[Mu Satach]

Mu looked up at the woman. <i>"Brash as ever."</i> Pain shot through her head. Mu gritted her teeth and took a drink, it was like discovering a a stranger living in her mind that refused to answer questions but offered random information at most inappropriate time.

"Do you now." Mu looked at Barton, <i>"Clueless as ever."</i> The corner of Mu's mouth twitched. "I don't know Barton. I've heard better pick up lines." Mu's eyes twinkled a bit. <i>"This should be interesting."</i> Mu sat back and waited to see what the woman's reaction would be.