"Master?" The query was unnecessary; Lerrek Vaarn had already laid down his datapad as the door to the apartment swished open. Barin bowed, and let the door close behind him. "Ah, padawan." The knight's heavy, handsome features spread into a grave smile. "I trust you were successful?" "Yes, Master." Barin held up a small handful of datachips. "Tikahren's 'Prince Organa' and 'Chancellor Organa'-" "Parts one and two?" Vaarn asked, head-tails twitching in interested enquiry. "Of course, Master." "Ah, good. I believe that completes our collection of Tikahren's work." "Yes, Master. I also bought 'Permutations on a Dream," Barin added, a little hesitantly. Vaarn lifted an eyebrow. "The title is not familiar." "By Xi-Win Kon. I read a collection of his poetry," the padawan was outwardly composed but his eyes remained uncertainly on his Master, seeking his approval. "I thought the play might be worth reading." He held his breath, waiting for a reaction. "Kon." Vaarn frowned slightly in thought, then smiled again. Barin relaxed. "Ah, yes," the knight said. "His 'Visitations' has had some very good reviews. I believe it is still showing at the Royale. Perhaps we could attend a performance." "I would like that, Master." A smile crept onto Barin's face. Vaarn nodded in approval. "Then we shall. It is nice to see you smile occasionally, my padawan." Barin froze, his mouth remaining locked in position as the pleasure drained from the rest of his face. Vaarn sighed. "Oh Barin. You used to be such a cheerful child. To become a Jedi is a most serious undertaking, but enjoyment is not forbidden." The tall Twi'Lek rose gracefully and placed a hand on Barin's cheek. "Must I remind you of that?" His voice became deeper, rich and velvety, sending a shiver down his padawan's spine. "My padawan. We should enjoy ourselves more often." "Yes, Master," Barin whispered, with a mixture of thrill and repulsion. Vaarn's brows lowered, his pupils contracting to red pinpricks. One head-tail snaked beneath Barin's chin and tilted his face upwards to meet his penetrating yellow gaze, then recoiled away. "You need to shave," the knight said, distastefully. "You were such a beautiful little boy, you know. Exquisitely smooth skin." Barin tried to look away, but the hand on his cheek shifted down to hold him fast. "Do you find me unattractive, my padawan?" "N- no, Master." "Have I displeased you in some way?" "No, Master." "Barin, the relationship between Master and Padawan must be of the closest kind, the most intimate and intricate contact of body, mind and soul. You understand that. Why do you hold yourself away from me?" Barin's eyes slid sideways as he remained silent. "This girl. Juli. You have a relationship with her." Barin swallowed convulsively. "Barin, I thought you got over all that nonsense after that business with your sister Karen. I cannot allow it, my padawan. Nothing must disrupt our bond this way. Women bring nothing but trouble. I cannot let your training be interrupted in such a fashion." "Master?" Barin's expression reflected his anticipation of what was to come next. "You will end this... passing fancy." Vaarn's tone of voice was not threatening, but as stern and unbending as stone. There was no escape from the Twi'Lek's steady gaze. "M- Master." "Hmm?" Vaarn's brows lifted slightly. Barin's eyes dropped in defeat. "Yes, Master." "Good boy." Vaarn's voice purred with approval. His hand released its hold, and stroked softly through the padawan's hair. "Are you going out this afternoon?" Barin dipped his head submissively. "If I may, please, Master." "You may. You will attend to matters then. Until that time, let us see what Kon's 'Permutations' might be like." "Still babysitting, Xani?" Juli gave Sara a fake smile, her eyes full of contempt as she looked the girl up and down. Sara managed to smile back, not letting Juli see that she cared. Xanatos pulled Sara's hand further into the crook of his arm. "Juli." Barin appeared around the corner, the last of the group to arrive. He gave Xanatos and Sara a grin, placing himself between them and Juli, and offered Juli his arm. Juli took it, but otherwise ignored the blonde-haired young man. "A new top?" Barin asked her. Juli flipped her hair over the shoulder of the shimmering, deep green shirt, looking away. "My Master gave it to me." "She knows what suits you." Juli's eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Like you'd know." Barin ignored the remark. "So, Xan, where to?" "Zolto's," Xanatos replied. "It's time we introduced this one to more than lightsabers." He looked fondly at Sara, and Juli gritted her teeth. "Are you sure that's wise?" Juli asked acidly. "The poor girl might shoot something off by accident, and I'd so hate for her to lose what few looks she's got." "Concerned that she will better your score, Juli?" Barin asked with a raised eyebrow. Juli scowled at him, then carefully painted an expression of disinterest onto her features. Barin's eyes glinted knowingly, and Juli felt her hand clenching. Xanatos watched them both with dark amusement. The afternoon was already turning into a shooting match, and they hadn't even reached the blaster range. Sara looked with interest out of the window of the air taxi. It was heading into a part of Coruscant she had never seen before- an older section with narrow, close-packed streets, bright shop awnings, exotic clothing and mobile food stalls. The taxi set down on a flat roof, and the four padawans descended via a narrow metal stair to ground level. Sara had already seen the bustle and colour from the air; now it was joined by the noise and the smell- the jabber of conversations and bargains in many languages, the off-key hum of badly-tuned repulsor vehicles, the chanting of children as they played a game, the waft of unfamiliar spices and fabrics, the stench of the rubbish piled at the edges of the streets. "Close your mouth, you look like a tourist," interjected Juli's voice. "Or were you hoping to catch some refinement?" "If you knew how to do that I am sure you would have done so yourself," said Barin, coolly. Juli pulled her arm out of his, but he only smiled superciliously. His self-assurance grated on Juli's nerves, but she wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of hitting him. "I was trying to blend in with my present company," Juli told him. "Except for Xani, of course." "I hardly consider gutter trash to be company," Barin replied lazily, flicking his fingers towards the side of the street, "but whatever makes you feel comfortable, I suppose." "Aren't we charming today?" "Charm seemed to be a wasted effort; mud has been sticking much better. However I would be quite willing to return to the neglected art of civility." Barin gave a mocking bow. "Ladies first, of course." Sara could feel Xanatos holding back laughter, but the verbal contest between Juli and Barin only made her feel uncomfortable. Those two always managed to bring out the worst in one another. They didn't even like one another; yet Barin seemed to make a point of pairing himself up with Juli. At least it diverted Juli from her ongoing put-down campaign against Sara herself. Maybe that was the point. They ducked through a low doorway into one of the district's warren-like buildings, blinking as their eyes adjusted to the gloom. Sara could make out the muffled thump of blaster-fire from somewhere nearby. They were in a narrow hall, one wall occupied by a window of reinforced clearplas and durasteel mesh, doors clustered at the far end. A sharp-faced, dark-haired human leaned against the counter on the far side of the security window, eyeing them with an alert but friendly air. "Yousa bringen me new customers, eh? Howsa tings?" "Same as usual, Zolto," replied Xanatos. "This is Sara." "Eh, the little lady yousa talking so much about?" Zolto flashed a gold-toothed grin at her. "Isa see why yousa get caught. It's a pleasure to see such a beautiful lady here, Sikita," he told Sara, with a deep bow and a blown kiss that easily matched one of Barin's more flamboyant efforts. She felt her cheeks growing hot. "I find you a good blaster, eh? Yousa tried one before?" Sara shook her head, and Zolto gave her a careful and assessing look that had her blushing all the more. She could feel Juli silently fuming behind her and squashed her embarrassment, refusing to let the other girl see her squirm. She would let Juli feel jealous instead. Zolto rumaged in one of the durasteel lockers that lined his little room, and came back with four blasters. Sara didn't know enough about them to know what make or model they might be. "Yousa listen to these boys, eh?" Zolto told her. "Theysa know what to do. Eh, Xanatos, yousa take good care of this one!" It wasn't clear whether he meant Sara or the blaster. "Thank you Zolto." Xanatos smiled at the man, handing blasters back to Juli and Barin, checking a third before giving it to Sara and taking the last for himself. Xanatos turned towards the doors, but Zolto leaned forwards and beckoned Barin with a finger. "Yousa met my daughter Arina?" Barin gave a start of surprise, but hid it well. "I do not believe so." "Shesa just back from college. Eh! Arina!" Zolto shouted over his shoulder. A young woman appeared through a door at the back, dark-haired as Juli, slim and graceful, with a heart-shaped face and intelligent eyes. Sara caught Juli's expression, and knew it was hate at first sight. Then she looked at Barin, and had to close her eyes as a premonition hit her. Something very, very wrong was going to happen. If only she knew what perhaps she could do something to stop it, but all she had was a sensation of looming blackness. "Arina, thisa Barin," Zolto told the girl. "Thatsa Xanatos and Sara, and thatsa Juli. You keepa them company today, eh?" "Yes Father." Arina's voice had none of the accent of her father. She slipped out into the hallway. Barin offered her his arm, and she took it with self-possessed poise. Juli's eyes blazed angrily as she was left to walk alone. "Number seven," Zolto told the group. "Yousa got one hour." They thanked him, Juli with a visible animosity that he indifferently shrugged off. Xanatos led the way through one of the doors and along an open-sided passageway to range seven, a long lane with a target at the far end, an electronic scoreboard above and benches at the near end beside a computer terminal. Arina sat neatly beside Barin; Juli promptly placed herself on his other side. Xanatos handed Sara into a seat on the other side of the range, his deep blue eyes dancing with amusement. "After you," Xanatos said, looking between Juli and Barin and waving an inviting hand towards the target. "I want to show Sara the basics. I expect you can fight it out between you who goes first." "Oh, ladies first," said Barin, daring Juli to refuse. Juli glared at Arina then rose from her seat and lifted the blaster two-handedly, pointing it at arm's length. "It is usual to take the safety off," Barin added helpfully, without the slightest hint of sarcasm. Sara wondered for a second if Juli would spontaneously combust. "I'm getting a feel for the weight. If we ever used the same blasters twice it wouldn't matter." Juli clearly realised how lame the excuse sounded. Her face closed into a well-practiced sneer. She clicked the safety over and rattled off a handful of shots. They sprayed across the face of the target, and the score flashed onto the screen. Juli glared at Barin with narrowed eyes, waiting for a disparaging remark, ready to bite back, but he said nothing- merely eyed the scoreboard and rose to his feet. Juli's hand clenched again. Barin braced and fired one-handedly, three with the right hand and three with the left. Then, with a grin at Arina, he pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket, tied it around his eyes and did the same again. "A Jedi never uses the Force for attack," Juli reminded him as he removed the handkerchief with a flourish. "But then you're not much of a Jedi, so that wouldn't bother you." "You're Jedi?" Arina asked, looking around the group. "Indeed," Barin told her. Arina looked directly at Juli. "I should have thought Jedi would have better manners." Once more Juli waited for a comment from Barin, and yet again he said nothing at all. This time he smiled, then looked back at Arina. He'd hardly taken his eyes off the girl since he'd first seen her. "Isn't Sara going to have a go?" Juli said suddenly, eyes slitted. "We could all use a good laugh." "Come on, Sara. It's really not that hard once you give it a go," Xanatos said, pulling the reluctant Sara forwards to face the target. Barin lifted an eyebrow at Juli. "I wager that by the end of the hour she has a better score than you." "I think you could be right," Arina said, smiling at him from under her heavy fringe. "Put your tongue back in, the floor's clean enough already," Juli snapped at Barin. "Some date you are." Arina sat back in her seat. "You're with her?" she asked, without her previous warmth. "Under protest," Barin said quickly. "Her protest, I might add. We are more in the nature of sparring partners." "That's not what you said that evening at The Sanctuary," Juli pouted. "Which would be the same evening you called me a crawling little cockroach?" "Children, children," interrupted Xanatos. "Leave this to Uncle Xani. Juli, you don't think Sara can possibly beat you on her first time with a blaster. Arina, you think Sara can. Whoever's right gets the date with Barin." "Some prize," declared Juli, rolling her eyes. "You were quick enough to complain about losing it just now," Sara pointed out. She met Juli's vibroblade stare, and it was Juli who looked away first. Xanatos gave Sara an approving grin. Sara glanced at Barin, expecting to see his usual expression of faintly mocking irony, the one that suggested he felt the world was one enormous joke and only he had spotted it. Instead, he seemed uncharacteristically vulnerable. "I agree," said Arina. Sara saw Barin's throat bob as he swallowed. There was no doubt about it, he was very taken with Arina. Once more a sense of premonition trickled down Sara's spine. "Oh very well," said Juli, venomously. Xanatos put his hands on Sara's shoulders. Sara could feel Juli's glare like a laser-point boring into her back. "It's up to you then, Sara," Xanatos said, dark laughter and encouragement both colouring his voice. "Just like I told you. Point at the target and keep your wrist straight. Take a breath, and squeeze the trigger gently as you let it out again. Use the position of the shot to correct your aim for next time. Nothing to it!" Sara could feel her palm growing sweaty, the grip of the blaster becoming slick. She wished she could have the chance to practice in private, without Xanatos watching her, but that wasn't going to happen. She forced herself to release her tension into the Force, relaxing just enough to enhance her concentration. She focussed on the target, shutting out the other distractions. Xani made it sound easy, Barin made it look easy, but Juli's effort showed that it probably wasn't that simple at all. Sara's first shot went completely wild. Sara refused to let Juli's laughter put her off. Her next shot clipped the edge of the target. Everybody except Juli clapped at her success. Sara narrowed her eyes and kept her attention on the range, desperately trying to forget Xanatos' presence behind her. Her next shot was closer to the mark, her fourth closer still. The fifth and sixth were right in the center. She blinked the rest of the world back into focus and looked round. "Any good?" she asked. Xanatos and Arina were grinning approval at her. Barin was smiling with relief. Juli gave her a look that would have melted durasteel. Xanatos put an arm around Sara's shoulders, keeping it there as he took his own turn on the range. "Next target," said Arina, punching instructions into the computer. The round target flickered out, and a humanoid figure appeared in its place. "Three shots." Juli stood up unwillingly. She took more time over her aim, but missed her mark twice. Barin took his turn, spinning to face the target in a crouch and squeezing off his three shots in rapid succession, two to the chest and one to the head. Still shy of having to practice in front of Xanatos, Sara took a breath and concentrated. She tried to imagine the blaster as an extension of herself, the way she had been instructed for lightsaber practice. Two of her three shots landed squarely in the middle of the head, to another round of applause. "You're getting positively lethal, Sara," Xanatos praised her. Sara thought about doing that to a real person, and felt a little sick. She was only half watching when Xanatos repeated Barin's move in a swirl of black cloak, and returned to put his arm around her again. Arina kept calling up new targets. Barin started showing off, pulling gymnastic stunts as he fired, his eyes always returning to Arina. Xanatos watched him with benign amusement, and contented himself with hitting his mark every time. Juli became increasingly angry and increasingly erratic as a result. "It's this stupid blaster!" Juli declared. "The sights are all off, and it pulls! Who uses these antiques still anyway?" Arina's chin shot up. "We've never had any complaints before," she said, offended. "Zolto always keeps good blasters," said Xanatos, looking down his nose at Juli as if telling off a recalcitrant toddler. "Wouldn't you say, Barin?" he prompted. Barin took a second to find his voice. "Excellent blasters. A credit to the establishment- as is his daughter," he added, a touch self-consciously. Xanatos smirked and Juli seethed. Barin presented Juli with the blaster he had been using, in mocking challenge. "I wouldn't deprive you of your little toy," Juli snapped. "If it helps you feel good about yourself- not that it makes up for your lack in other areas." Her eyes dropped suggestively to his crotch, her eyebrows arching contemptuously. "Constant castigation of others is a sign of low self-esteem," Barin claimed, cold and deadly. Juli sniggered and rolled her eyes. "You're admitting to it?" Arina covered her hand with her mouth, her eyes dancing; but she was laughing at Juli, not at Barin. Barin's frosty regard blended into arch amusement, then into boyish mischief as he turned away from Juli and winked at Arina. Xanatos watched it all with suppressed glee, his arm tightening around Sara's shoulders. Juli hid her obvious confusion. "Is your pet mouse going to have another turn?" she asked Xanatos. "Never overlook a mouse," Barin pronounced, "for although they appear to be inoffensive, quiet and rather attractive little creatures in general, some turn out to be Kessel Hunting Mice: silent, intelligent, and deadly when cornered." Xanatos snorted. "Come on Sara. You've been doing just fine so far." Sara would much rather have sat in the corner and let everybody forget about her, but Xanatos tugged her out of her seat and planted her in front of the range. Without the option of retreat, she concentrated on getting a feel for the weapon and not letting the situation affect her. There couldn't be much longer to go anyway. She squinted along her arm and the barrel of the blaster pistol, and let the bolts thunk into the target. She managed to almost forget that she was being watched, finding something relaxing in the way the shots hit home. The hour ended barely a second after Sara's final shot. Sara quickly gave the blaster back to Xanatos, relieved that it was over and she hadn't made a fool of herself. "I don't think there's any question who has the better score," Arina said, turning to Barin with a smile. Barin caught his breath. "Who'd want to date a grubbing little worm like that anyway?" declared Juli, flouncing away from the range alone. She looked scornfully back over her shoulder at Arina. "You'll soon be looking for a proper man." Barin's jaw tightened, a haunted expression crossing his face. He slowly relaxed, then tensed again as Arina leaned forwards and kissed him on the lips. He pulled back with a gasp, startled and unsure of himself. "I hate to part you two sweethearts," said Xanatos, laughter hovering in his voice at Barin's uncertainty and Juli's churning hatred, "but we are due back at the Temple. Come on, Sara." Barin caught Arina's hand, his blue eyes startled, hopeful and a little desperate. "When are you free?" "I'm not working tomorrow," she suggested, her head tilting so that her long hair spilled over one shoulder. Barin watched it, mesmerised for a moment. Then he swiftly bowed his head and kissed her hand. "Until then, oh beauteous maiden." Arina giggled. Barin gave her a shy smile. "I shall sleep with the memory of your sweet scent and the music of your voice. Your radiant beauty with lighten the darkness of the moment until we meet again." Sara had often heard him say similar things, but never with the same intensity or fervour. She shivered, and Xanatos held her more tightly. "Cold?" "No. Let's go home, Xani." "Your wish is my command-" He looked at her slyly. "-today." he turned his head to call to Barin as they moved away. "Come on, lover-boy! Our Masters will not be happy if we're late." Barin hastily surfaced, as close to being flustered and worried as Sara had ever seen him. He glanced back to give Arina one last grin, which faded bleakly as he turned away. He looked up ahead to where Juli was just heading through the door, then leaned towards Xanatos. "Xan- if you could not mention this to my Master, I would be eternally grateful." Xanatos chuckled. "For your eternal gratitude? I think I can manage that." Once they were back outside, looking for an air taxi, it was Xanatos' turn to look worried. "Barin," he muttered, "it's Mace." "Here?" Barin blinked. "I wonder why?" "I don't care, you know what my Master thinks about Jedi using blasters and if Mace sees me here I'm going to be answering some very pointed questions. Barin- please?" Sara looked between the two in puzzlement. Barin hesitated, his expression tightening. "Please, Barin," Xanatos continued hastily. "If he knows I brought Sara along he'll stop me taking her out- and you know what her Master is like. She needs to get out." Sara flushed and looked at the ground. They still thought of her as a child, someone who needed looking after and protecting. The worst of it was, in some ways they were right. She wasn't self-confident, or streetwise, or good in a fight the way they were. Barin was silent. Sara lifted her eyes in time to see his sympathetic expression as he glanced her way. He sighed, looked back at Xanatos, and reluctantly gave in to the appeal in his friend's expression. "Just keep walking, I will catch up later." Barin strode on ahead of the pair, slowing as he reached the knight. Sara saw him stop and exchange a few words. Xanatos kept walking her onwards. As she got closer to Mace she saw a puzzled, absent look settle over the knight. Mace paid no attention to him at all as they passed. "How?" she whispered to Xanatos. Xanatos smirked. "Barin can be very persuasive when he wants to be. Just like his Master." "He's using the Force to affect the mind of another Jedi?" Xanatos nodded, his expression introverted and darkly thoughtful. "I wonder if Lerrek would teach me to do that as well?" Sara looked back and saw Barin's face, fixed on that of the knight: twisted unpleasantly in a disturbing blend of concentration and revulsion. Xanatos pulled her away, and at the edges of her vision she caught sight of Barin breaking away and stumbling into the mouth of an alley, the blur in the corner of her eye as Mace continued on his way. A few moments later she heard the sound of retching from the alleyway. Almost at the same moment Juli materialised from a doorway, all resentfully swinging hips and angry, pouting expression. "You've got your little pet well trained on guard duty," she sneered, looking at Xanatos and ignoring Sara. "Pity you can't house-train him as well." Sara bit her lip, wishing she were back at the Temple, away from the whole situation. That was a first, wanting to be back at the Temple, but her Master would actually be a relief after this. She'd had enough of the snide comments, the unpleasant atmosphere, the wrongness of the whole thing. She could hear a familiar voice behind her, back in the direction they had just come. "Sorry I'm late, Mace," the voice called, cheerfully. Dex Berlingside, that was the knight's name. "I got a little tied up." "I don't want to know," came Mace's growl. Dex laughed. "I want to get to that little entertainment parlour. Something wrong?" "I thought I saw someone I recognised." Mace still sounded puzzled. "I must have been mistaken." The voices faded as the two knights moved away. Barin re-emerged from the alley, wiping his mouth on a handkerchief, his face pale. He barely noticed Juli as he rejoined the group. "This time you owe me one, Xan," he muttered hoarsely, eyes full of shame and self-disgust. "No, I think you owe me one." Juli planted herself in front of him, hands on her hips. Barin gave her no more than a passing glance, his shoulders hunched and his head turning away from the others. Juli's temper flared. "You bastard!" Her hand flashed out, catching Barin hard across the face. Barin made not the slightest attempt to avoid it. His head snapped sideways with the force of the blow, his eyes hardening and silvering with unmistakable pleasure. He shivered lightly, shrugged fractionally and started to walk away. "How dare you!" Juli kept beside him, spine rigid with fury. "You two-faced little turd!" "You would know all about that," Barin replied, coldly. "All charm when it suited you, and when it didn't you just treated me like dirt. You slimy piece of shit!" "It takes one to know one." "How dare you talk to me like that!" "I was merely following your example." Sara could feel Xanatos silently shaking with amusement, and miserably shook her head. Xanatos patted her on the arm. "I'd better keep order in the playground," he chuckled, dropping his arm from around Sara's shoulders and stepping between the other two. "Now children. No fighting over the lollipops. Juli, you mustn't mind Barin. He just has this thing about black hair, you see." Sara saw the mist that suddenly clouded Barin's normally clear blue gaze. Xanatos missed it. "Didn't Karen have black hair too?" Xanatos asked, grinning. Barin's fist took him totally by surprise, crashing into his jaw and flinging him down onto the ground. The dark-haired padawan winched himself up onto an elbow, staring at his friend in complete shock. Sara and Juli could only stand rooted to the spot in stunned amazement. Barin gasped, then rubbed at his face. He looked very young and just as startled as Xanatos when he lifted his head again. "Sorry Xan!" he said in agonised tones. "I... I am sorry. I should not have done that." Xanatos carefully worked his jaw, his midnight-blue eyes glinting beneath his overhanging fringe. "At least you haven't broken anything. Sith, Barin, you could just have said something! Now I've got to explain this to Qui-Gon." He held a hand tenderly to the line of his jaw. "I am sorry, Xan," Barin repeated. "Yes, so you said," replied Xanatos, ominously. "You'll have to make it up to me, you know." Barin merely nodded acceptance and turned away, shoulders bowed and eyes downcast. Xanatos hauled himself onto his feet. "I think we'd better get back before anything else happens." The four padawans headed for an air taxi in silence. "Ah, padawan. I trust you had a pleasant afternoon?" Barin shook his head, his expression sour. "Not particularly, no." Vaarn's lips twitched ever so slightly with pleasure. Gravely he studied his padawan's face, then brushed his fingers lightly over the reddening mark on his cheek. "As I told you, my padawan, women only cause trouble. Juli did this?" "Yes, Master." "And you will not be seeing her again?" "Only with weapons drawn- of one sort or another." Vaarn nodded in satisfaction. "Very well. I am glad you have carried out my instructions so obediently, my padawan." He bestowed Barin with an approving look, and ran his hand over the padawan's short, white-blonde hair. "I am minded to spend the evening in," he continued, the hand descending to delicately brush the back of Barin's neck, every hair standing on end beneath his touch. The knight gave a slow, hungry smile. "Just the two of us." |
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| Shooting Match By HaiGan |
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