The Warrior's Path (Lilith)

[Colton Hunter]

Colt walked in silence for the moment, pausing to look toward her.

"When I have a choice, I try not to kill, the Force is a strange thing, but it binds us all together, even the morons," he told her, "But if it is based upon my survival, or the survival of someone else, I won't hesitate to kill, I have a body count larger than most, but I need a damn good reason," he explained, "Preferably in a fight," he pointed out, "That? That was no fight," he explained, noticing how she had paused, Colt glanced toward the woman momentarily.

"The kind of girl you are? A girl who has only ever known the Sith, and found she hates it, I see a girl who doesn't agree with the cards life has dealt her, and wishes to deal her own, preferably from a stacked deck, a girl who is unsure of things such as destiny, or fate, who would rather create her own," he told her, "I see a girl who is stubborn and headstrong, who rebels against her darker nature, and wants to see more of the galaxy, a girl who is unsure of me, who doesn't understand my motives, because there has to be one. No one does anything for free. No one is good or noble, not truly. Everyone is in it for themselves," he smirked giving her a small smile, "Sound about right? I get it of course, I was once in that same ship," he shrugged, "Maybe I'm just tired of meeting people's expectations, maybe I'm a nice guy out of spite," he added with a wry grin, "C'mon," he offered, turning away from her, to continue their stroll to the space port.

"Maybe I'm just going to help you as long as you need me to, to spite your father, maybe because I think it's funny, who knows? If I told you, you wouldn't believe me anyway, no matter the answer," he added, "But I see a girl with the ability to do whatever she damn well wants, with or without me, I'm just offering a head start," he told her.

[Lilith Xandir]

For the first time in her life Lilith felt the chill of fear twist up her spine. Unnatural fear as every being could feel the pinch of a startle or even a chill of uncomfortable bumps blistering the skin in a dangerous land. Lilith herself was raised by the Sith who bred out fear via heavy hands less death root yourself out completely. Except in this moment a stranger had disarmed her entirely.

Silence fell on Lilith.
Colton was right, of course, on all accounts. Rightly so if anyone in Lilith's life knew so damn much to put her off that might inspire ill intentions. Such as Lilith's sudden desire to break the bottle in her hands against the wall and split Colt's throat open wide laughing as he choked. Then again she wasn't about to murder the help that graced her situation so suddenly. Instead she rotated the beer in her hand and chugged it entirely.

Dwelling in the moment she admitted to only herself everything that was true. Lilith was in fact a child of the Sith. Made for a Sith Lord by a dark Mistress murdered after her use was long gone. A fact that lead her to hate her role within their dark machinations and actively 'stack the deck' in her favor against them.

Everything else Colton stated was right on the money to include her suspicions of his own character. Though as Lilith's daydreams of violent murder subsided she seemed to trust him, contrary to what he thought, if only a little bit more thanks to his candor.

That is why it was so easy to discard the bottle over one shoulder and follow him where Colt had lead them out into the rain soaked ally. When her eyes sealed to embrace the wet droplets that kissed her face Lilith finally begged her last question. "and what head start do you offer?"

Her tense figure relaxed and that same golden stare fell on Colt for an answer once more.

[Colton Hunter]

Colt contemplated how to best phrase that. He expected nothing of the girl, but he also, in the same breath, expected so very much. There was a potential there he wanted to see flourish, with or without him. Her path, like so many of his adept students would be her own. And she didn't need him to be her mentor. She had too much of that in her life already. He shrugged, as they reached the space port at long last, and he strode to his ship, a Trilon Aggressor, a Mandalorian vessel in nature, a single fighter, but had enough space to seat eight, plus the pilot. It was painted a glossy black, with white specs flicked across it's hull, giving it a sort of star pattern. The ship could be invisible to the naked eye in space, though it could still be picked up with electronic means.

"They know you're here on Nar Shadaa," he told her, "A headstart would be far away from here, where you want to go, what path you wish to take? That's all on you, I'm just your ferry," he told her, "Though you'd be welcome to come to Jakelia with me, its safer there, surrounded by warriors, not like the Sith who seek to kill each other for more power, we're family, we have each other's back, no matter what," he mused, "They follow me even when I make a bad choice, fortunately they tell me when I'm being stupid, just the same, so I can reconsider," he added with a smirk as the large ramp to the fighter opened up and he strolled up it, into the ship, which was already begin to power up.

"So what'll it be, gorgeous?" he asked.

[Lilith Xandir]

Lips pursed into one another until a rather large sigh departed them in a dramatic show of exaggeration. Lilith was almost positive that her brother could seek her out anywhere pending a choice to do so. As for the almighty all-father of mania Lilith couldn't be positive. So was it true that they knew she was on the Smugglers Moon? Yes; would they follow her? Now that was the real question.

Colt's words offered a little assurance even if the prospect of a 'family' wasn't what the girl wanted or needed right now. The description of a band of strapping good muscle heads beating their chests and whipping space tail was indeed appealing. A group dedicated to each other for the sake of chasing the 'thrill'. Most of all following a leader that they were allowed to speak their mind around without reprimand made Lilith look at her own Father with a hint of a pained expression.

Still that 'family' could be just as much a prison as her own family is.

For now Lilith stepped on the ramp of Colt's ship and leveled a deadpan expression, "Don't flatter me and yourself, stud." All joking aside her head spun back to the city lights breathing in one more scene of the battle she had just fled from before accepting Colt's offer. Turning back her feet stepped one in front of the other, "I don't need a family and if that were not true I'd point out that I had one back there-" She pointed with a thump over one shoulder. "I was slaved too. Though Jakelia sounds far from here and far from here is a start."

Who knows what may play out with Colt. Maybe she found a place to lay her head without fear of being used or at least lied to consistently. Lilith stalled within the shuttle as Colt passed her by and added something that even sounded like she had not uttered it often, "oh, and. Uh, thank you."

[Colton Hunter]

Colt glanced at the girl as the ship began to take off without him in the cockpit. The ramp closed, he rose a brow at that.

"Could you consider that a family?" he asked her. "And it's just one of a thousand options, but the other options you'd need," he said with a smirk, finally making his way to the cockpit, the ship was already turning toward a Hyperspace coordinates. A droid sitting in one of the nine seats in the cockpit of the fighter. The rest were empty, though an astromech droid seemed hooked up to one of the terminals. Colt sat down and strapped in, just in time for the ship to make the jump.

"But, you're welcome, like I said, anything I can do to annoy the piss out of your father is a good time for me, you have to enjoy the little things," he said with a smirk, then turned to watch the screen before him, taking control of the fighter. "And for the record, I'm naturally flattering," he said, watching the stars as they continued stretching out before him.

[Lilith Xandir]

"Could you consider that a family?" That question stuck with Lilith as her eyes closed and the bright streaks of hyperspace faded into soft blurs. It manifested thoughts of doubt, hope, but most of all fear. Destiny seemed to laugh at her giving her a ride on the back of a scoundrel of a man rooted more in mystery rather than an easy road sign marked, "this way for all the answers."

Who knows how long she dwelled on the topic of "what if" until the ship rattled her from slumber and into reality. "We there?"

Silly question as it was either that or a betrayal. However as the haze of sleep lifted its alcoholic effects Lilith realized she never asked the real questions about this place they traveled towards. "So, this home of yours." If it was rustic as he was then there was no hope for a club dance nor easy going lounge. "Say I stay and all that. Got a horrifying ritual I should fear?" She played a dramatic roll as her legs crossed in the seat. "Drink the blood of a bantha or run naked through the jungle?"

[Colton Hunter]

He adjusted the nose of the Trilon, turning it down, toward the planet. It looked like an emerald floating there in the darkness of space. He hit the thrusters, and began their descent.

"We are," he added, touching the com system, to turn it on. "This is the Jensaari, coming in through sector three-five, northern arc," he said.

"Roger that Jensaari, pad one still empty," came the response. With a nod, he brought them into the atmosphere. Flames lancing around the ship as they pierced the veil, and the ship soared over the trees. There was more to the planet than just forest and jungle, however, as they passed over a white and brown expanse of desert, a large green expanse, then a blackened swamp. Some building seen in the expanse between. He shot over that, slowing as they came across a crystalline sapphire of a lake, then the a large wall. He began their descent inside the walls, revealing a sprawling complex, the buildings made of a combination of metal, and quaintly, wood. Carvings in both materiel seemed to tell a story on every building as the ship touched down.

"If you want to stay? No rituals, if you want to adhere to the code of Mando'a? One," he explained as the ship began to power down, atop a large disc of metal, suspended about fifteen feet into the air, with a stair way leading to the softer ground. "Every Mandalorian, as part of their rite of passage, is given a target in the wilds, and a few weapons from those who have gone before them," he explained. "Usually a knife, or a spear, and they are sent out with nothing more, to survive and bring back proof of their kill," he added. "My daughter, when she chose to take her rite, was tasked with bringing back a part of a rabid rancor that had been terrorizing some of the less defensible locations on this rock," he explained as the ramp fell open, and humid heat blasted into the interior.

"Welcome to Jakelia," he said.

[Lilith Xandir]

Lilith remained silent as Colt began. Her fingers trailed the seat belts unfastening herself slowly as though she were focused on him entirely. The truth was her girl like interest in a fantasy land sparkled in green. Away from the loud thunder of the crowd and further still from the fires of industry or toil. Even as the ramp fell and the heat of the sun mixing with watery vapor she recoiled in delight. Eyes closing to embrace the chills that coiled around her spine while tingles danced upon the skin.

Opening her vision she witnessed a sky laced in clouds and not noxious gas. There was no doubt that the woman enjoyed the sights but what she never once conveyed to Colt was her envy.

This was their home? Not just Men of bravery but even his own daughter joined the ranks of challengers daring to take on a mighty Rancor? To the reach with Slade and his Sith, to the void with a bar stood home, this was her heaven. Even if she did not wish to be with these people Lilith could find a nice snug tree hollow and fill her life with daily obstacles of simplicity. Not once dwelling on manipulation or how best to take what she needed from others for self gain. Every victory here was hers and hers alone.

The day dream ended with Colt's final welcome, "-to Jakelia."

Lilith was at a loss for words and took the image of a coy girl in wonder land rather than the daughter of a crazed killer. Falling in line with the Mandalorian leader as he introduced her to his world.

[Colton Hunter]

Colt crossed from the ramp, and a few people acknowledged him with a simple salute of a fist to their chest, to which Colt returned, most often just gave him a respectful nod and let him move into the camp itself. The ground was soft with moisture, and green, yet trod upon by many a boot, and packed firmly. The buildings were works of art, each one telling the story of the Clan in some way, shape, or form. Carved into the metal frames and wooden bodies.

Eyes would glance up to see their chief, before pausing to linger on the woman that travelled with him. They nodded to her as well, until one man, a obsidian-skinned Zabrak, wearing black armor, with purple and blue trimming, approached. He had a dour expression, glancing toward the girl just briefly before looking toward Colt.

"Jensaari, I don't think I approve of being named quartermaster, the idiots that come to me-- every item that gets brought to me has been heavily modified in the short time the item was in their possession-" if one was to look up at Colt then, they'd see the corners of his lips twist upward into a crooked smile of sorts, an amused smirk.

"Sid, we're a clan of engineers, what did you expect? The items you've been issuing, have you had the chance to use them yet?" Colt asked him.

"No, I haven't much time, having a shield generator that is just an antennae is not easy to maintain," the Zabrak, Sid, growled out.

"Then perhaps, those items need to be reworked by our master engineer, hm, master engineer?" he asked. Sid glowered at him, before Colt withdrew a thick disc from one of his pouches, handing it to him. "Here, this came in handy-- but the power source needed some reworking," he added. Sid took the device, then stared at it, before looking toward Colt, wide eyed, mouth open as if he was trying to say something, but found no words. Finally he jabbed a finger to Colt's chest.

"You know how much work it took just to acquire these!" Sid said, Colt didn't seem annoyed by the outburst, now directed at him..

"I did, and they come in quiet handy, but they need an engineer's touch, and that's what we are Sid, incidentally, I need a flat," Colt explained. Sid jabbed him in the chest a few times, to which Colt merely rolled his eye, giving Lilith an apologetic look. At long last, Sid sighed, and jerked his thumb toward a series of buildings not far away.

"I have three empty there, pick one, gonna be staying long, or short?" Sid asked. Colt shrugged.

"Up to her, we're most likely going to be a layover for her, if she needs a ship that can take her anywhere, we'll provide one for her as well," Colt added, Sid muttered a string of curses, then nodded, turning on his heel and walked away. Colt chuckled softly. "Don't mind Sid, he's cantankerous even by Mandalorian standards, he's our head engineer, and now quartermaster, a part of my kith, actually, but we don't venture out together as much as we once did," Colt said, his tone grew a bit somber then, before he sighed, and nodded toward the buildings, moving toward them. He opened one of them, revealing the interior for her, it was a simple affair, though roomy. A refreshing room, bedroom, and living area with a kitchenette. Modestly furnished, everything within was decorative as well.

"This is yours for as long as you'd like," he offered her.