thecapitol | Thicker Than Blood Start

Thicker Than Blood Start

For Tributes with keen eyes, they'll notice that Peacekeeper presence seems increased and yet infinitely more ineffective in the last few weeks. Peacekeepers seem harried, as do the Stylists, and most of the Escorts titter and plot without alerting the Tributes as to what, exactly, is so exciting. They simply say that this weekend they'll know.

And so it happens that on the weekend in question, the Tributes are woken by their Escorts early and brought to a restaurant for a hearty breakfast. The restaurant is nothing spectacular, although they seem to be trying to make an impression on the television cameras that float around. The sleepy, cranky meal goes by and then the Tributes are led back to their Suites for a mandatory meeting.

Sitting on couches and the floor, in chairs and on windowsills, standing off to the side - people from the Tributes' homes are waiting to greet them in each District Suite. Some are confused, some accepting, some frightened and some elated to see their beloved. Either way, it should be an eventful reunion.

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Kota was used to the weird and unusual. You don't spend decades hiding in the furthest corners of the galaxy to be around the most average people, after all.

But somehow, this all took the cake. The fact that he'd been grabbed and shoved inside a room, one apparently full of people yammering, the fact that he was apparently supposed to be expecting someone... This was a new form of weird for him. He hadn't been that drunk that he'd start hallucinating.

But he could play the game for now. He'd wait and see what was going to happen and react accordingly. Probably. His hungover was pretty bad, and the noise around him wasn't helping.

Edited 2014-04-17 08:25 (UTC)

Starkiller didn't know what to expect. Not in the least. It didn't help that they were pretty tight lipped on what was even going on. He didn't appreciate being lead around without a choice, but he cooperated. It was that, or cause a scene for no reason at all. That would just bring on pointless drama that he wasn't in the mood to deal with.

He honestly didn't know who he was supposed to be meeting, either, as he was lead that way. Who could it possibly be? Was it someone to do with the Games? They seemed to excited about it, he couldn't help but be on edge.

When he stepped into the room and laid eyes on the person he'd been made to meet with, he froze. Of all the people he'd ever expected to meet, General Rahm Kota didn't even make the list by a small margin. Starkiller couldn't fathom why they had decided to bring him here. It made no sense. He felt anger boiling beneath the confusion, Kota sending him back to when he was Vader's puppet. That life was behind him, why were they drudging something like that up? It was insulting.

But at the same time, guilt and sympathy for the man fought for dominance over the anger. In hindsight, Kota's "death" seemed unnecessary. Justified at the time, with Vader's betrayal, he questioned why he ever had to in the first place. To do Vader's dirty work. That's all it really boiled down to, in the end. He regretted it if only for the fact he resented being used by Vader. Sitting before him appeared to be a broken, tired man. Not at all the proud general he had fought that day, what felt like a lifetime ago. The Capitol had cleaned the man up a little but the difference was still extremely obvious.

As he thought about it, let go of some of the anger and let the pity take over, he relaxed. It wasn't by much, but it was enough to spur him forward. He stopped in front of the man, aware that he couldn't see him for his blindness. As he did so, the last words of the general came back to him.

"I sense only...me," he had said. Starkiller hadn't known what he'd meant. Obviously he couldn't mean this, could he? That seemed unlikely. A part of him wanted to know what Kota had meant. But did he want to reveal his identity to Kota now? He... supposed he had no reason not to. Except for possibly dealing with an angry Jedi, but he was probably as powerless as Starkiller, so he didn't have much to fear.

With a deep breath, he squared his shoulders. "Kota," he spoke. The former general wouldn't recognize his voice, since he hadn't spoken to him that day. "You look far different than I would have imagined after all this time." He forced himself to sound casual, if a little condescending. Better than sounding as strange and borderline awkward as he felt.

... And then there was a voice. Did he know that voice...? His head pounded as he tried to remember, only to come to the conclusion that no, he did not. Whoever this... Boy was, it didn't seem to be anyone that he knew.

As for what the boy said... Well, that just made Kota snort. Different, he said; understatement of the galaxy. You don't lose your sight, everything you worked for, and a lot of your strength and just shrug it off. And then there came some punk condescending him. Oh, how he wishes he could see and show the brat a thing or two. "If you were looking for a hero, you got the wrong guy, boy."

The first thing Starkiller noted was the bitterness in the other man's voice. He was hardly surprised, given the man's circumstances. He couldn't really blame him, though he also expected more... grace from the man, he supposed. So he was blind, that didn't mean he had to give up entirely.

"You considered yourself a hero before?" he asked, both a mix of condescension and legitimate curiosity in his voice. "Did you expect killing Darth Vader would somehow purge the galaxy of his influence forever?" The idea seemed laughable, even with his new found sympathy for the man.

Vader would have lived on within him, if circumstances had been different. And even then, Kota had no hope of defeating the Emperor alone.

"Not what I said, boy," was Kota's response. No, he did not think of himself as a hero; that was an act of arrogance that wouldn't have sat well with him as a Jedi. No, being hailed and called a hero wasn't for him. And as for what he expected out of killing Darth Vader... Well, if killing one of the most powerful men alive, severely crippling the Empire's forces and showing that it is not invulnerable wouldn't be enough of a spark to start something to change things, he didn't know what would. But no, he was not a hero, that was just what everyone that hadn't turned on the Jedi called him.

Not that any of it mattered, anyway. His connection the Force was either gone or so weakened may as well have been, he was blind and with no militia or influence to him... Whatever he was back then, those days were gone. "Let me ask you a question, now. Who the hell are you?"

And there it was, the question he had been waiting for. It was enough to dissuade him from engaging the first part, and he supposed he didn't particularly want to talk about Darth Vader anyway.

But he wasn't sure if he wanted to talk about who he was- or rather, tell Kota who he was. It would invite hostility and hatred, no doubt. If the man was even capable of feeling hatred- wasn't that banned from the Jedi anyway? Starkiller didn't know. But what he did know was that his guilt over what happened to Kota was making it hard to justify lying to him.

"I'm..." He closed his eyes, fighting back the urge to sigh. Starkiller steeled himself for a negative reaction, idly looking around for something he could use as a makeshift weapon in the event that Kota decided to turn violent. "I'm the one you battled above Nar Shaddaa."

Well, that was just... Hilarious. As much as he knew he'd regret it when his head started protesting, Kota couldn't help but laugh at that. Of course it was. Vader didn't take well to failure, he knew that. Why wouldn't he come back? "Came back to finish the job, did you?" His voice just dripped with bitterness and amusement. "Well, you're not getting much of a fight out of me, boy. No sight, no Force... Just a hungover old man that's been drinking his days away."

Which he supposed begged the question of what the point of this whole set up was, but frankly, Kota wasn't really in the mood to ask about it. If this were his last moments, he wanted them to just end quickly.

"I'm not here to kill you!"

Ironic, how he ended up being the more hostile one in this situation. But the idea that he was working under Vader still, sent to kill the man, was enough to induce anger in Starkiller. He fought to control it, having an easier time without the dark side fueling him.

"Neither of us are here of our own free will," he continued. With the realization that Kota had no intention of fighting him, he figured he didn't need to stand there defensively. He stepped forward, idly kicking the former general's legs as he stepped beside him and sat a couple of feet away. It was cathartic. "But regardless of that, I wouldn't have any intention of finishing the job. You've clearly suffered enough."

... Well. This was interesting. "Well didn't you get generous."

Sarcastic quips aside, what the boy said about them not being there on their own free will was... Well, troubling. What exactly was the point of them both being kidnapped and thrown in some room together? It just didn't add up to anything. So, once Starkiller was sitting down (earning a frown in his general direction for the kick), Kota changed the subject. "You say neither of us is here on our free will. Explain. What is this place?"

Starkiller let out a sigh. He really wasn't looking forward to having to explain what was going on to Kota. It was more of an inconvenience than anything. His whole being there was a major inconvenience, to be honest. He was dealing with more feelings than he wanted to deal with.

"We're in the Capitol of a world called Panem," he said, the irritation in his voice. "I'm not sure how they take us, but the reason is to make us fight in a death tournament. After each one, we're all brought back to life in order to repeat it again a while later. But you... I'm not sure why you're even here. Something about this is different. They're never this excited to bring people in. You must be here to get some sort of reaction out of me."

Otherwise why would it be such a spectacle? "There's not much more I can tell you, so don't bother with asking me a lot of questions. I probably won't know most of the answers."

... Yes, this did take the cake for weird. What in the world was all that? Were people really enjoying seeing people kill each other over and over? Even the Emperor would eventually get tired of such a thing. And this? This was even weirder. Why bring him in, of all people? He wasn't particularly close to Starkiller, and they wouldn't even give the audience some sort of permanent death spectacle. So... What was the point?

After a few moments of silent pondering, Kota finally spoke. "... Well, this should be a disappointment, then," he said plainly.

Starkiller truly couldn't fathom why they had brought Kota. It made no sense. If they truly wanted to torment him, it would have been Vader. That would have given them an interesting show for sure. But Kota? It made no sense. But at Kota's words, Starkiller let out a less than amused scoff. "I think you're underestimating them," he said. Because for as much as it made no sense to him, he had no doubt that the Capitol was getting something out of this. "They can find amusement in anything."

With the knowledge that Kota wasn't going to attack him, he allowed himself to relax back into the seat, folding his arms loosely over his chest. "But I guess it gives me the chance to ask you a few question," he said after a moment. "And... to apologize..."

The last part came off a little more awkwardly than he intended it, but he thought it was a good a time as any. Their fight had been pointless, he knew that now. That, and he figured Vader would be pissed that he was apologizing at all. That was a good enough motivator, to be honest.

And there was a bomb he really wasn't expecting. An apology? Really? That... Wasn't a thing he was expecting. And he really didn't know how to react. "Well... I suppose being here did you some good after all," he said simply after a moment. An apology like that had no place in a Sith's code or beliefs. If Starkiller was moving away from his master's teachings that much, then maybe if he returned to their own world, there was still some hope.

"That's still to be determined," he murmured, his voice vaguely amused as he thought about it. This place had it's ups and downs, to be sure. It was eye opening, to be away from Vader. To be able to make his own decisions. To be... free. It had taken him a while to let go of the intense anger and hatred he had felt for Vader, but when he realized that he could live his life, it became... easier.

Of course he resented being placed in murder arenas, but at the same time he wasn't entirely bothered by it, either. Everyone came back. It wasn't as if he was killing innocent people, or even killing them forever. He couldn't feel too guilty about it. Of course he didn't like the part where he himself had died, but he could let that go, too.

"It has it's good parts, at any rate." Particularly Hans- meeting that man had been good for him, even if he didn't want to admit it. While it was strange at first, being with someone so cheerful and friendly, he had come to enjoy the other man's company quite a bit. It felt nice to have a friend, for once. Even if friendship wasn't his forte. "But it isn't the reason I feel the need to apologize to you."

No, that part came from Darth Vader's betrayal. "I've come to realize acting under Vader's orders is... suicidal." He didn't want to admit that Darth Vader had actually killed him. That would be a bit too much of a blow to his pride, so he would prefer to keep that to himself. "I prefer to make my destiny my own."

Kota listened to Starkiller attentively, not saying anything even after the boy finished. Yes, this really wasn't the Dark Lord of the Sith in the making he met over Nar Shaddaa. Whether he could the Jedi the galaxy needed was to be determined, he supposed.

"Well, good for you," he said, half amused, half earnestly. Of all the place to reform someone, he really didn't expect one like this, but he'd take he what he could get. "Try to remember that if you ever return."

Starkiller was glad for the lack of interruption. It was a bit awkward enough without having someone interrupt. But when he was finished and still there was no response for a while, he felt a little more awkward. He generally liked it when people acknowledged what he had to say.

When Kota finally did speak, he wasn't sure if he liked the amusement in the man's tone. It felt sort of condescending, but if he were to mention it, he felt like he would sound immature. So he rolled his eyes, thankful the other man couldn't see.

"Yeah, thanks. I'll be sure to try."

Anyway, that was enough talk of apologies and junk. "I think now is the time for you to answer a few questions."

Questions? What questions? What the hell does this kid hope to get out of him? Didn't he already say he was a washed out, blind, Force-less drunken Jedi now? What could he possibly help Starkiller with?

But whatever. If he wanted to ask, then, he could ask. Not like Kota had anything else to do, anyway. "Go on, then."

Of course Kota would answer his questions. It wasn't as if Starkiller would let him avoid them, to be perfectly honest. Sure he had apologized, but that didn't mean he wouldn't get rough with him. It would just be a restrained rough, as opposed to violently hurling him through windows to his death rough.

"I want to know what you meant," Starkiller said. "Above Nar Shaddaa. You said you sensed yourself in my future. What did you mean by that?"

Kota remained silent for a few moments before replying, eyes closing out of habit. He thought back to that day, to that vision he had of his future; once he opened his eyes, he spoke plainly, with no amusement or sarcasm in his voice.

"I meant exactly what I saw, boy. I saw me in your future. In what way, or what that means, I don't know. I didn't see much more. All I could tell back then, is that I'd be more present in your future than Vader."

Which was still a rather unsettling thought, now that he let himself think about it, but... What could he do about it now? It wasn't as if he was in a state of being of any use to anyone.

Edited 2014-04-28 16:28 (UTC)

"More than Vader."

It was a statement, more than a question, yet the more he thought about it, the stranger it was, even given Vader's betrayal. Starkiller saw no reason to ally himself with Kota after being betrayed by Vader, even if he'd somehow managed to survive Vader's attack.

"How can you not have seen anything more specific?" he asked. "You're a Jedi. Isn't that something you should be good at?"

Oh, the sweet summer child. What did he knew about what the Force showed people of their future? Nothing, clearly. Kota snorted at that.

"Do you think the Force is always clear and specific in what it shows you? Do you think just being attuned to it enough to glimpse into the future will show you everything?" Another snort, followed by a chuckle came out. "As if Vader and the Emperor would have gotten as far as they did if that was the case. No, boy. We can't see everything. We get glimpses, feelings, premonitions, but never the full picture. The future is still a mystery to us, Force or not. Learn that well, boy, since Vader apparently didn't teach you."

These were things that Vader didn't teach him. All he knew of Jedi were the lies and slander taught to him by his former Master. It wasn't as if it was his fault that he didn't know anything. Don't judge him so much, you crotchety old man.

"That doesn't sound as useful as I originally thought. What's the point if there's no clarity to it?"

He shook his head. "I guess it doesn't matter. Here you are. The question is what are you planning on doing now that you're here?" Because he didn't feel like babysitting a blind man, that was for sure.

He's gonna judge Starkiller as much as he wants, thank you very much. He's a crotchety old man, he has earned that right.

But he doesn't say anything about Starkiller's comment about the Force, because well, he doesn't entirely disagree. It is true that the lack of clarity is frustrating, even if simply a premonition of events to come can be just as useful. But he's not here to be Starkiller's master, so he pushes that aside. Instead, he focuses on the other question.

"I don't know. This place hasn't given me much for me to know what I should do. I don't know if I'm going to join you in those games, if I'm just going to be sent back... I don't know anything right now."

Well fuck you, he's not getting off your lawn.

"Well, it seems different than normal," Starkiller said with a small shrug. "Usually you aren't brought in like this. There isn't such a show about things. So I have no idea what's going on. What I do know is I'm getting tired of sitting around, so I'm leaving. You can come with me or just keep sitting around uselessly."

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Thicker Than Blood Start

Rahm Kota (for Starkiller)

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