A lovely evening, (Expecting) (Day 4, ME)

[Breela Po]

Wearing a red evening gown and a nervous expression she arrived early and found a table. Unlike the gown from the mixer this one was recently purchased and hugged the contours of her body. The only thing she had learned from the night of the mixer was that she had actually managed to lose weight, likely muscle, in the years of peace between the civil war and her time during the great war. As for her current look, it came at the expense of several hours tediously trying on different dresses, shoes, perfumes, and other accoutrements, with half as much time spent getting ready for the evening.

Then between leaving her quarters, the taxi ride over, and finding the table, her confidence had almost vanished entirely.

What am I doing? She thought while perusing the wine selection.

[Omandri Rist]

Omandri arrived at the Silver Spires dressed in a navy suit with a lighter powder blue undershirt, the whole outfit was well tailored and made the most of his rather in shape physique. His hair was styled a little sides freshly shaved down and long on top going to one side it had a healthy sheen and wave to it with a well groomed beard lining his jaw making his jawline stand out stronger.

He smiled, a white lash of teeth contrasting with his darker skin as he approached her "Well you look exquisite tonight Miss Po. That dress does you many, many favors." he said with a mischievous tone as his smile shifts to a bit of a grin. He leans down and kisses her cheek in greeting before taking his own chair.

[Breela Po]

"Omandri-" she managed as all the breath seemed to leave her lungs. She accepted the kiss and grinned, "You clean up well yourself handsome!" She said, recovering with a playful growl. "I'm... I'm so glad you're here. Today was exhausting... really exhausting." She smiled, "I needed something to look forward to."

[Omandri Rist]

Omandri let out a long breath "yes today brought a lot of troubling news, tensions rising I'm betting things are only going to get worse before they get better though." he glanced at a menu for a moment "Though the beach was a nice distraction, I must say you certainly make a good sight in a bikini." he grinned his eyes darting up from the menu to meet hers.

"What did you get up to today? besides the beach that is."

[Breela Po]

Her face flushed with embarrassment, "You tease." She grinned back. "And I took just as much pleasure watching you play."

Her eyes drifted a bit as she continued, "And... well, a lot of things. I've been of course helping Baesal out with her Killik research, mostly showing up and acting as muscle. This morning I helped her, Azura... I can't remember her last name, and," she sighed, "the Sith Count-" Any other setting and she might have spat the words, "-return some bodies to House Syrush's Baron."

[Omandri Rist]

Omandri fully looked up from the menu "Ah yes I had heard something happened with the Kiliks. Heard a hive of them got wiped out in Syrush lands. How is the research into them going? I meant to lend a hand but haven't got around to it quite yet." He admitted "they seem like a fascinating species if it weren't for the enslaving other people bit."

[Breela Po]

She looked over the menu and soon settled on the Artisan Fish Trio, with a salad and glass of Daruvvian Pinot Gris.

"Yeah... I have no idea." She admitted freely, "when it comes to that stuff I'm completely out of my element. Philosophy, sure I get it, but... computers, xenobiology, linguistics, archeology-" she shook her head, "-forget it. All I can offer is the sequence of events. First the Sith, on contract with house Syrush, delivered a weapon into the center of the hive with Layne Hoshin and Azura. Afterwards the poor things went crazy and started killing each other, saying something about sour notes. By the time we got there only a handful of the hive were left."

Her face became sad with grief.

"The killik's were doing everything in their power to protect their young. That's enough for me to see them as worthy of understanding, of protection. If we could just find out how and why people become 'joiners'. Then we could prevent pointless bloodshed in the future."

[Omandri Rist]

Omandri frowned a little but nodded "yeah that sounds like the snag here with them. So many view them as a menace, we just need more understanding about what's going on with them and the 'joiners' I'll reach out to the others involved and see if I can help. It's not exactly what I studied but I think between my different disciplines I might be able to help." He said with a hopeful smile.

Looking back at his menu he made his own selections of a bantha steak with a house recommended red to pair. Setting down the menu he took a drink of water "So how are things at the gym? Still getting a bunch of girls hoping to see the Cap?"

[Breela Po]

"I believe in you," she smiles warmly, "anything you can do exceeds the limits of what I'm capable of on that particular front." She puts the menu down, "By the way I'm ready to order if you are."

"So how are things at the gym? Still getting a bunch of girls hoping to see the Cap?"

"As for the gym, yeah," she snickers, "the daily struggle continues. Which of course I'm happy with. The more kids come by, the more reasons they find to keep coming." She smiles distantly. "I don't care about the money, or legacy, or anything so... so vapid, so self-centered." She looks him in the eyes, "I just want the kids to have a place that they feel safe, I want them to have people that they trust. And in a sense I want the soldiers that train there to know what it is they're fighting for."

"So," she asks, "fair's fair, what's new with you? Anything exciting?"

[Omandri Rist]

"Yeah I think a good bantha steak sounds about right for the evening." He said with a smile and chuckled a little as he listened to the story and smiled softly "well thats really good of you. I definitely understand the urge to give back."

When she asked about him he sighed taking a long drink of water "Well mixed bag recently, good news in that my sister called off everything with that jedi which is a relief but....she did it because she found out our younger sister, who we thought has been dead for about six years isnt. At least she isn't the one in the grave we marked for her." He said with a mix of emotions on his face and an almost sarcastic chuckle "literally universe decides to replace one problem with another."

[Breela Po]

When she asked about him he sighed taking a long drink of water "Well mixed bag recently, good news in that my sister called off everything with that jedi which is a relief but....she did it because she found out our younger sister, who we thought has been dead for about six years isnt. At least she isn't the one in the grave we marked for her." He said with a mix of emotions on his face and an almost sarcastic chuckle "literally universe decides to replace one problem with another."

She gives him a soothing look and reaches out to rub his arm, "So there's a chance she's alive then?" She tries her best to be reassuring. "That's a good thing isn't it?"

[Omandri Rist]

"Partially." He said with a little smile "but then the question becomes where has she been for six years? If she didn't die on the mission with Galen then what has she been doing?"

[Breela Po]

"Hmmmm," she hadn't considered that, hadn't wanted to. "I see. But maybe- or, I suppose it's my hope that some good news awaits you at the end of this."
Her mind started pouring over scenarios, tracing probabilities, weighing the ramifications.
"I'm here for you. And if you call, if you need me, I'll come."

The darkest thought came to her mind as she empathized with him. What would I do... if Khaji was alive?
She didn't like the answer.

[Omandri Rist]

"I appreciate that Breela, both the sentiment and the offer for help." He said squeezing her hand gently "but!" He exclaimed a little sitting back "tonight should not focus on such dark topics, I'm at dinner with a beautiful woman, at a fantastic restaurant, during a festival of love."

"So Breela we've become quite familiar in certain ways but not in others. Tell me about yourself besides Martial arts and jedi-ing around."

[Breela Po]

"I appreciate that Breela, both the sentiment and the offer for help." He said squeezing her hand gently "but!" He exclaimed a little sitting back "tonight should not focus on such dark topics, I'm at dinner with a beautiful woman, at a fantastic restaurant, during a festival of love."

"So Breela we've become quite familiar in certain ways but not in others. Tell me about yourself besides Martial arts and jedi-ing around."

She laughed a little, bitterly, "You silly adorable man. It wouldn't be possible to avoid dark topics and tell you more about me at the same time."

She flagged down the waiter, placing both of the orders. Once he was gone. She sighed bitterly, "You want to know about me, and... I want you to know about me. So I'm going to band aid it, that way we can get back to just enjoying each others company. Okay?"

She took a long breath to steel herself.
"When I was twelve years old I saw combat for the first time against the Sith Empire. I understand that's the equivalent of turning 16, or 17 for a human? I fought along side my Master for several years, as we followed Horus Kun first to victory, to independence from the Republic, and eventually annihilation."
She nods, "Yes, I splintered off from the republic and the Jedi order at one point. I chose to, because I believed in my Master, and I believed in King Kun."
"Then after surviving the rebellion I fled into exile. Having lost my purpose in life, my order, my master was dead, I sort of drifted. Then twelve years ago I met my-" She smiled, "-my future Husband, Khaji Po." She shook her head. "He was a lot like you, except- you know, Farghul. Quick to kick me in the ass, very intelligent. Brilliant really. We led a simple life on the frontier and..." Tears started forming, "we started a family... raised two adorable little kittens: Tor, and Zan'ja."
She wipes the tears away.
"... and umm, long story short. They were on Coruscant five years ago." She sniffs. "I searched for them for two years. At that point the order and I were reconciled and I- I had their resources, but... you know there was a lot of rubble on Coruscant, a lot of bodies. A lot of people missing. I couldn't... feel them, in the force. I-"

[Omandri Rist]

woah, was thinking more along the lines of hobbies and stuff but man. he thought while Breela gave him her life story. He frowned as she spoke and hesitated but reached out to cover her hand in his "wow" He said eventually "that's uh that's a lot there Breela. I'm really sorry to hear you went through all that." He said softly his thumb rubbing on her hand slowly offering the best he could think in terms of support in the moment.

[Breela Po]

"It's fine, it's who I am." She said recovering. "Now you can understand what it means when I say I'm here starting over." The wine arrived and she took to nursing it. "And now there are certain topics we can avoid, and others where you'll see... I- I know where you're coming from."

[Omandri Rist]

He nodded slowly "Yeah, yeah I guess you do." he said a little slowly as the drinks were delivered. he released her hand as he took a drink of his own wine. He thought for a little but not entirely sure where to go from there "Well it seems that we both have had some rough pasts but like you said its what got us to where we are today." he gave her a meaningful look "I hope you find what you are looking for here." he said with some sincerity."

[Breela Po]

Her face was swirling with darkness. Almost watching Keyhote die to that monstrosity, the ever looming conspiracy, her tenuous place on this planet. Everything was up in the air, even this... lovely evening, it seems. She looked at him with a tinge of regret.

"Well it seems that we both have had some rough pasts but like you said its what got us to where we are today." he gave her a meaningful look "I hope you find what you are looking for here." he said with some sincerity."

"Hmmm," she murmured quietly. "I hope things work out for you as well."

[Omandri Rist]

"Well I can't say it always does but I've survived thus far and don't think thats about to change anytime soon." He said smiling reassuringly seeing the mood take a darker down turn.

"besides preventing a Civil War, unraveling a myster of a missing person can't be much more daunting than my medical exams." He had a lighter tone "I thought the stress might have actually done me in with those." A light chuckle and a not very good joke, trying to lighten the mood a little.