#slthlsms

Tarre does not let himself react outwardly: he's been a Jedi for far too long to make a mistake like that, and even if he were to react, what would he do? What would he say? That his time is long gone, and he's still yet to understand why the Force has brought him here?

Nobody would believe him, and there comes the irony: he doesn't believe the other either, not entirely. Maybe he just thinks, Tarre considers, that he's younger than he sounds under the buy'ce. Or maybe he's been more long-lived than expected.

Still, the Force is sharp, and clear, and so of course Tarre tilts his head.

@slthlsms comming in! -> ❛ You see scars—I see reminders of every fight I didn’t start but had to finish. ❜ [ hellboy prompts ]

Cal just barely stops himself from sassing Exar in response, biting back the reflexive yeah, that's what scars are biting at the tip of his tongue. Perhaps wisely, he chooses to keep that particular remark to himself, instead turning his attention back to the door panel he's dismantling. He's been trying to get their cell open for the past thirty minutes or so, though it's slow-going without his tools or access to the Force.

"Rrrright," he mutters under his breath. "Got it." A bit louder this time, he adds, "Okay, so what fight are they from, then?" He shoots a cocky little grin at the Sith. "C'mon, you show me yours, I show you mine--how's that sound?"

This conversation topic had started when Cal had idly asked about the scars on Exar's face, the trio of claw marks permanently gouged into his skin. They almost remind Cal of his own, even if at a glance they seem to be from completely different sources.

So, he's a little curious, and he'd decided that there was no harm in asking. Not like they have much else to do right now besides talk.

Right now, they're being kept in the same cell, each stripped of his weapons and bound with Force-suppressing cuffs at opposite ends of the room, kept just out of reach of each other.

Cal isn't so naive as to assume the cuffs mean he's safe from Exar, of course, but he figures they both have bigger problems to worry about. (Namely, whoever managed to capture them both and stick them here, and what their intentions are.)

And as long as Cal and Exar are useful to each other and can help each other escape, that should be enough to keep the peace between them. Hopefully.

Still, maybe antagonizing his cell mate isn't the best move, Cal realizes after a moment. He sighs, turning back to his work again and peering back at Exar from the corner of his eye.

"You're stricken by grief..it's rare to see a Jedi fold to it in the way you have." || @slthlsms

Obi-Wan's stomach dropped. A wave of unease settled in the pit that replaced it as his stare turned calculating. His grief and sorrow were something that was so deeply ingrained in him. Obi-Wan had folded it within the confines of his Force presence so well that it was nearly impossible to find through the light and warmth that he had so carefully curated by way of study and meditation.

He felt laid bare.

None of this showed on his face, however, save the calculating look. Instead, he cocked an eyebrow and looked the other man over. The stranger's presence was unnerving, and the Force sang of apprehension and danger. Not even mentioning what the man's words implied.

@slthlsms asked: "I had a master much like you once. Before my blade struck him down."

HE IMAGINES it's meant to be a threat . there's little other way for qui - gon to interpret it . there is a slight raise of the older man's eyebrows , not moving from the spot where he sits , legs crossed .

then again, there must be something stronger and heavier lingering beneath the layers of his composure than a quickly passing bafflement, as questions of this nature wouldn't stem from emptiness. the easy answer would've been that she couldn't afford to lose her faith, especially in times that demanded for determination and spiritual 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡. but every person who'd met senator amidala even once could likely tell that she didn't do easy. ❝ it is a conscious choice i have made. the war might rob all else but faith will stay. ❞ a pause. ❝ where's all of this coming from, i wonder ? ❞