Bespin: (Black Sun's) Cloud City

[Hou-Jo Poleb]

He was annoyed now. He lifted his hand up and pulled the other glass from her hand and it floated in the air in front of him.

 

"I appreciate your trying to help me free myself from the Order. But I'm still a Jedi. I will always be able to use the Force and manipulate it in extraordinary ways; it will always be a part of me. Ridding the symbols of the Order from me is one thing, but you can't change who I am."

 

He turned away from Rajah and threw the glass at a table. The glass landed first and the drink landed inside the glass seconds after. He then did walk to her, but past her, toward the door. He went outside and stood on the platform.

[Rajah]

Rajah's smile widened after Hou-Jo left. She tipped up her glass, finished her drink, moved to the large window that spanned the entire room. She sat on the narrow ledge and muttered "And he says I need to relax?"

 

She sat quietly. Mused over Hou-Jo's reaction for a while. She'd expected a negative response. After all, the whole 'walk for me' thing was but an infantile retaliation to his earlier comment for her to 'relax.' Some things about a person are changeable. Some are not and never will be. Rajah would never be able to truly trust or relax...just as Hou-Jo would never be able to truly escape or evade the influcences of the Jedi Order. Each of them had been fashioned to deal with life in their own unique ways. Expecting someone to instantly deviate from habituated traits was pointless. Even if the expectations are well meant.

 

Rajah leaned back onto the window, closed her eyes, concluded that it couldn't be wise to want to annoy a Jedi master. She couldn't help it though. She felt an insane compulsion to bedevil the man. Probably a subtle passive-agressiveness brought on by her dislike and distrust of force users. The two force users she'd encountered just recently weren't so terrible. She opened her eyes and glared towards the door.

 

"Damn it all." she whispered as she realize she was about to chase after another 'ex-Jedi'. Almost as if against her will, she stood and went after Hou-Jo. She found him out on the platform. "I came to say ...I'm ...I ...regret acting the way I did. Only did it because i knew it would annoy you."

[Hou-Jo Poleb]

Hou-Jo didn't say anything. He just stood there, with his cape flowing in the wind. He heard what she said but he was compelled to stay silent. He could feel her presence and that she was trying to apologize. She had no need to do so, though. He could feel that she was about to leave and he spoke.

 

"I'm... dangerous, Rajah. I know why I was set on the path to come here and that's not it at all. I'm not on a path to Cloud City. You are the path and forces beyond my control are trying to keep me on track. I've done so much good in my life. I've saved countless lives, brought down entire monuments with my power. The Force makes me dangerous... but on my own I'm dangerous. Everyone close to me suffers by association. My parents were murdered right in front of me. I sought the power to save others that I held dear and I did save many." His thoughts shifted back to his brother, Xen-Que.

 

"But I couldn't..."

[Rajah]

Silence slid between the Rajah and Hou-Jo as she carefully weighed his words. His confession had completely disarmed her. Not quite knowing how to respond to it all, she decided to pick up where he'd left off. She stepped nearer to the man, hesitantly laid a hand on his upper arm. Her eyes searched his as she quietly urged him to finish his final disclosure, "Couldn't what?"

[Hou-Jo Poleb]

He sighed. "Why did he have to die? Why couldn't I save my own brother?"

 

Hou-Jo was silent for a few moments. "He sought out the Dark Lord of the Sith to avenge my loss to him. The Dark Lord defeated Xen-Que and crucified him on his warhammer. I went to Kakuto's lair and rescued him... but it was too late. Nothing's been the same since then. He spent his entire life looking out for me and for almost 20 years I thought he died with my parents. Xen-Que has brought me here, and I think I know what where he would have me go... but I don't think it would be a safe place. Safe perhaps for me; but not for the path he would have me take. What am I doing here?"

 

He stood up straight, realizing that he was being reigned by his emotions. He regained his posture. "I'm sorry. Sometimes I just wish I could escape it all."

[Rajah]

At the first mention of his brother, an icy daggar twisted into Rajah's heart. Her hand steadily gripped tighter to Hou-Jo's arm as he spoke of Xen-Que and his death at the hands of the Sith.

 

"I know your pain. I too lost a brother." she admitted weakly. Her gaze became stonier. "He was 'the good' one. Destined to become so much more than I could ever hope to be." Her hand slid from Hou-Jo's arm. She stared off into the distance for a few seconds, sifted through conflicting emotions.

 

She finally drew in a breath, looked back to the Jedi. "I'm sorry for your losses. All of them. Your brother sounds like he was an honorable man. I'm sure he wouldn't steer you wrong." Her words sounded fake and forced, but she meant what she'd said.

 

She dared place a hand on his shoulder, "And don't apologize for your emotions. It's okay to express feelings, occasionally. Surrendering to one or two won't make you weak or inferior."

 

What she did next was not driven by pity or even sympathy. It was an alien feeling that urged her forward. She took her own advice and surrendered. Shocking even herself, Rajah lightly wrapped her arms around Hou-Jo, willing to deal with the aftermath that might be brought about by her abandon. "Emotions are what keep us human. You're still human, aren't you?" she asked in a half fearful whisper.

[Hou-Jo Poleb]

"A Jedi's life is the Jedi. I've been a Jedi... but I've been wanting a life of my own. I was on the high council and was one of the most decorated Jedi in the Order. I've forsaken it. I told the leader of the Jedi, upon resigning from the Council, that I was never returning to that temple. I meant it, my path will never bring me back there. I know that I wasn't meant to be there anymore, that a bigger purpose awaits me here. I was haunted by visions, they were signs that I was not where I belonged. They've stopped now. Maybe I can move on now that I have a foothold to something else."

 

He put his arms over Rajah's, surprising the both of them again. "I've found a human-worthy emotion."

[Rajah]

Rajah pulled back from Hou-Jo. "If what you've found is true, I'd say indulge in it. You probably deserve it. And it's probably long overdue."

[Hou-Jo Poleb]

Hou-Jo turned around to face Rajah. "Long overdue is probably right." He got closer to her, he was feeling something he'd never experienced before. He ran his hand through her hair and rested it on her cheek. "Maybe it's time somebody saved my life."

 

It felt right, but somehow he felt like he was taking a risk. He leaned in and kissed her. He slowly lifted his head away, half expecting a negative response.

[Rajah]

Normally she wouldn't let anyone touch her in such a manner. Rajah would have and should have struck, like a riled viper, a moment before Hou-Jo's lips met hers. But she didn't strike. She let the kiss happen. Even liked it. And when it was over she was bewildered beyond words.

 

Conflicting emotions riddled Rajah's mind. She angrily wound her hand into Hou-Jo's cloak. Her other hand clenched into a fist and she tensed. Wanted to force herself to hit him. But she didn't. Instead she let him go. Stubborn guilt warred with the surging affection Rajah felt for the man. She turned and stormed off. Made it half way across the platform before she stopped.

 

She turned back and strode toward Hou-Jo. Rajah stared up at him, her eyes awash with apology. She cautiously placed her palms on his chest. "I don't think I'm capable of saving anyone." she said softly.

 

Her hands slid up his chest, up either side of his neck and into the hair at the nape of his neck. She leaned in, eager to kiss him again but her lips stopped just shy of Hou-Jo's. "I don't know. I don't know whether to kiss you... or kill you."

[Hou-Jo Poleb]

Hou-Jo had let his emotions get the better of him and he was now in a peculiar situation. He put his arms around her shoulders and his hands drooped over her back. He tried to think of something to say.

 

"Well you have two choices. I'd go with the process of elimination by considering which one you could do well. Maybe you should take some of your own advice and indulge in your feelings?"

[Rajah]

"I like to think half decent at both." Rajah decided to take Hou-Jo's advice about taking her own advice. She closed the distance between them. Her lips barely caressed his then pulled away again.

 

"I could be greedy and go for both. Kiss you now..." she leaned in, her mouth found his and pressed fervently against it. She pulled away after a few seconds and whispered, "...kill you later."

 

An impish grin graced Rajah's face. Her fingers wound gently into Hou-Jo's hair. "Unless you can think of something to divert my attention away from the killing you part. I am easily distracted...remember?"

[Hou-Jo Poleb]

Hou-Jo, although it was beyond him how he thought of this, remembered that they were standing on the landing platform. He picked her up and cradled her in his arms and brought them back inside. "A diversion, huh?" He was finding it dificult to keep his face away from hers now as the two of them necked. He managed to pull himself away for a moment. "I'm very good at distractions -- I think I can see to it... that you spare me." He found that he couldn't even keep away to finish a sentence. He walked over and laid her down on the bed in the room. "You don't think we're rushing this, do you?" he managed to get out in between the smooches.

[Rajah]

"Rushing? Probably." Rajah admitted. She shoved Hou-Jo away, pushed him down onto the bed and sat atop him. "It's your life on the line here. If you want to live... you best get distracting." She smiled, leaned forward, gave him a quick peck on the lips then sat up again. "And it better be a big ...diversion. The more impressive it is, the more apt I'll be to spare your life...Jedi."

 

She was about to commence her 'attacking' on Hou-Jo, but an annoying buzz echoed through the living quarters. Rajah froze, suddenly remembered she was supposed to meet Lowe, her co-pilot, for a 'play date'. "Dammit." she muttered. She wondered if Lowe would go away if she ignored him. As if in answer, the buzzing came again, but in obnoxiously sporadic spurts.

 

She flopped onto the bed beside Hou-Jo and sighed. "He'll keep buzzing till I answer. Can't you use your mystical powers to send him away or something." she half kidded.

[Hou-Jo Poleb]

"Yeah, I have something that would do the trick. He'd have to be weak minded for it to work, though. Are you sure you'd be ok with me using the Force on your friend, though? Actually, me abusing my Force powers to benefit myself would help me break free from the bonds of the Jedi. So you should encourage me to do it." He got a mouthful of hers, hoping that it would be the explanation point that convinced her to let him do it. He didn't want to leave. There was something about this that was just right. He didn't want to leave it just yet, he felt.

[Rajah]

Rajah broke away from Hou-Jo. "Do it." she whispered, almost dared, anxious to see if he would abuse his powers. Another series of buzzes erupted as Lowe stubbornly rang for Rajah to let him into her room.

 

"Do it now." she said quietly. Her hand began to roam about Hou-Jo's body, adding physical encouragement to the verbal urging. She kissed him softly, smiled and added a sweetly teasing, "Please."

[Hou-Jo Poleb]

Hou-Jo closed his eyes. He didn't want to spoil the mood that was in the room, so he attempted to do the mind trick with a mental discussion. You're going to go back to the ship and take a long nap.

 

"I'm going to go back to the ship and take a nap, Rajah." was barely heard outside of the room.

 

A minute passed and there was no more buzzing. It was just the two of them again. He took off his cape and tossed it to the side. He also rested his vest on the floor with the cape. He rolled onto her and put his hand on her cheek. "You know for a smuggler, you don't look very rugged or scruffy."

 

He was a bit more passionate this time, kissing her as if there was no tommorow. He ran his hand down and under her shirt, touching her bare back. "Should I turn the lights off?"

[Rajah]

Rajah sighed into the kiss when Hou-Jo's hand touched her back. She was mildly irritated at being suddenly deprived of his lips when he pulled away to ask about the lights.

 

"No." she answered definitively. Rajah wanted all her senses available and able to experience Hou-Jo. She gently cupped her hands on either side of his face, moved up so that her lips nearly met his again. "For a Jedi, you're not exactly what I expected either."

[Hou-Jo Poleb]

He met her halfway and kissed her, missing her as much as she did he, even if it was for a moment. Hou-Jo put his hand up the opposite side of the shirt that his other hand occupied. He slowly slid both hands toward her head, pulling the shirt up, running his hands up her upper body as he did so before finally taking it off her. "I learned a long time ago that I'm good at everything I do," he teased. He became aware of the windows normally found in Cloud City apartments. So with a twist of his fingers the blinds covered the windows so passerbys couldn't intrude. He couldn't explain how overwhelmingly attracted he was to her, perhaps it was bottled up emotions that were never explored. "Where were you my whole life?" he managed to slip out. He pressed his chest against hers, craving the shared warmth and being closer to her. Afterall, my life is on the line, right?

[Rajah]

"Lets see just how talented you are. If you live to see tomorrow...then you can claim to be good." she whispered back. Rajah felt irresistably drawn to Hou-Jo. It was powerful, almost magnetic. She pushed up against him. Her control steadily crumbled. A thought occured. She wondered whether or not he was using his force powers to seduce her. What if he was? She didn't care. She couldnt' care. She was officially beyond the point of no return.

[Hou-Jo Poleb]

The sun was setting on the city of clouds. He used the Force to fade the lights a bit to increase the feeling in the room. The night came and the passion would end sometime during the night and then the morning comes.

[Rajah]

She awoke, sat up carefully and glanced at the man sleeping beside her. A twisted half grin formed on her lips. She reached out to touch him but drew her hand back. She decided to let Hou-Jo sleep. Rajah slinked out of bed, disappeared to freshen up.

 

A little later, dressed in her usual black on black with sunglasses, Rajah crept through the room. She looked at Hou-Jo, wondered if he was like the others. 'Of course he is,' she thought. 'He got what he wanted. He'll leave. Never to be seen again. He's no different...' She turned and walked to the door, decided to make herself scarce. Make it easier for him to sneak off. No akward morning after confrontation. She chanced a final glimpse at him before she left. "It's easier this way." she assured herself while trying to supress what she truly felt. She hoped he wouldn't vanish from her life.

 

A short while later she was strolling through her ship. Faint snoring could be heard. A smile spread across her face as she stalked towards the creature that was sleeping in one of the tiny bunkrooms. Lowe was there, still 'napping', sprawled out on his stomach. He looked so angellic. She eased closer to him, her fingers crept up Lowe's sides and she ruthlessly tickled him. He woke up, laughing hoarsely and swatted at Rajah's hands. After a few minutes of his pathetic begging for her to stop...Rajah decided to spare the guy. She stood, grabbed a pillow and whipped it at him. "Enough with the beauty sleep boy. Get up."

 

Lowe yawned and stretched, "Why the torment first thing in the morning?" he asked groggily.

 

"You looked so sweet and peaceful and innocent lying there like that I just had to put an end to it. And to be honest...seeing you looking so angellic was kind of creepy." she answered with a playful smile then made her way to the cockpit. Rajah slumped into the pilot's seat, trying to occupy her mind with trivial matters. But her thoughts kept meandering back to Hou-Jo. She was exceedingly tempted to go back to him. She had to sever the man from her thoughts. Kept telling herself he was no different than the others. Rajah tampered with switches and buttons on the ship's control panel in attempt to occupy her mind.

[Hou-Jo Poleb]

There was a mild disturbance in the Force; Rajah getting out of bed. Just moving was such an acute disturbance, lesser Jedi could barely recognize such a disturbance if they were looking for one; much less be woken by one. He just laid still, though, keeping his eyes closed. He could observe what was happening easily enough with them closed.

 

"It's easier this way." he heard. He wondered for a few moments what she meant by that, but he had an idea when she left the room and went back to her ship. He got out of bed and got dressed. He left the apartment and went to her ship, where he could feel her presence. He got in her ship and walked through it for a bit, unbeknowst to Rajah.

 

He bumped into Lowe shortly. He looked at Hou-Jo's new clothes. "Oh, it's you, the Jedi. What do you want?"

 

Hou-Jo put some credits in Lowe's hand. "Roses."

 

Lowe looked at him confused. "Roses?"

 

Hou-Jo waved his hand while he spoke, "You're going to go buy a dozen roses for me."

 

"I'm going to go buy a dozen roses for you."

 

"Thank you, Lowe."

 

Hou-Jo went into the cockpit, projecting Lowe's image and voice over his with the Force. He sat down next to Rajah, acting as if he was her best friend for years. He looked backward into the ship and back at Rajah. "So... what's up with the Jedi? Seems to me that you like this one."

[Rajah]

"That Jedi..."Rajah said quietly. She closed her eyes and leaned back in the chair. It screeched loudly, again. "Dammit that's annoying," she muttered. "You'll have to replace this seat, Lowe, before it drives me crazy."

 

She relaxed again, smirked slightly, thinking about Hou-Jo. "That Jedi is alright. I think. Spent most of the night vigorously convincing me to let him live." Her smile broadened. "To be honest, he had me convinced after the initial round of negotiatons. But we conferred repeatedly until early this morning. Just to be absolutely sure I had sufficient grounds to warrent sparing his life."

 

Rajah pulled a little throwing knife from an inner pocket of her jacket. With expert ease, she flipped it up into the air and caught it deftly by it's blade. "If he sticks around, I'll have to make a habit of threatening to kill him." She grinned, tossed the knife into the air again and caught it by the handle this time. "Why you so curious all the sudden. You wouldn't happen to be jealous now...would you Lowe?"

[Hou-Jo Poleb]

"Just don't want to see you get hurt, Rajah. Gotta look out for the boss." He sat there for a minute and thought to himself for a bit. "I have a question for you, and probably your Jedi friend if he gets back. I went to your apartment to get you sometime in the afternoon; next thing I know I'm here in the ship. I can only assume he did something to me. Spill it."

[Rajah]

She sat up a little straighter and tapped the knife blade in the palm of her hand. Rajah thought it odd that Lowe had called her by her name. He'd only ever called her Red.

 

"Yes, Lowe." she answered finally. "The Jedi manipulated your mind somehow. I don't know what he did exactly, but it apparently worked." She tossed the knife into the air again and caught it in her other hand. "But truth be told, I asked him to do it. And I'm sorry. I really am. It won't happen again. You have my word."

 

She slid the knife back into her jacket. She got to wondering about how powerful Hou-Jo's mind tricks could get. "For all we know, he could be manipulating us right now." She said warily, feeling her paranoia begin to build.

[Hou-Jo Poleb]

He sat there for a bit, seemingly contemplating what Rajah had just said. "Do you know what you're getting us in to by having him with us? I did some research on him while we're coming back to Bespin and before I came to get you. He's big time. He's elite even among his own kind; holding some rank beyond Jedi Master. This guy single handedly leveled the Faust Memorial and the building it was on top of. Can we trust this guy?"

 

There was a long silence. "What exactly did you have him do to me, anyway?"

[Rajah]

"I just asked him to send you away for a little while. That buzzing was really damned annoying you know." She answered bitterly.

 

She stood and paced around the cockpit, "Don't worry about him. Don't worry about me." She assured Lowe. "If my luck holds true, Hou-Jo will be half way across the galaxy by now. I seem to have that effect on people."

 

She wondered if Hou-Jo had gotten around to fleeing the planet just yet.

[Hou-Jo Poleb]

There was another silence and he decided to project a bit with his next statement. "You like him, don't you?"

[Rajah]

Rajah glared at Lowe. She was partly shocked and partly annoyed by his question. "After all my ranting and raving and bitching and moaning about how much I detest force users, Jedi in particular, about how much I want to murder and maim them, you want me to profess my affecton for one of them?" She asked, her voice a shade shakey and high pitched.

 

She moved to her chair again and plopped into it. Rajah stayed quiet for quite a few minutes. Inside, a battle was raging. How she truly felt about the Jedi warred with how she was supposed to feel about the Jedi. Eventually she sighed. "Fine, fine, fine. Damn you for making me say it..." she muttered as if she were being submitted to the most cruel of tortures, '...I'm liking the guy. Are you happy now. I admitted it. And by admitting it, I am officially the biggest flippin' hypocrite in this sector of the universe."