Consulting was probably the more interesting jobs that she was sometimes asked to do, aside from Scouting as was her usual task. In regards to the ship she had been requested on she had helped the politician come to an agreement with a man that usually gained the upper hand. Her former Master had sent her because she’d been the closest, even though he knew she hated politics. She had dressed as nice as she felt prudent, but as she got off the ship she headed straight to the hotel she’d been given while she waited for the next transport to head back to the temple. She knew many of the names of the individuals that were going to the summit meeting, but thank the Force she wasn’t required to go, looking shabby was a gift she was happy of.
 
Once she signed in at the hotel she took a long hot relaxing bath and didn’t stint on the bubbles. Yates had been kind to put her up in the room she’d been gifted, though she doubted he even thought much about it. People with money never really put much thought in to what all they did with it, a simple thing like a room was hardly a bother, that’s even supposing he’d done it himself. She was just laying down to go to bed when the door chimed, she tied the robe around her waste opening the door and to her surprise some strange woman stood there with boxes.
 
“Can I help you?”
 
"Sorry to bother you. Are you Absynia? My name is Laural and I work for Azrael Wryn. You know, of Zekwryn Corp. Anyway, he heard you weren't coming to his party this evening because you hadn't packed for the occasion. He didn't want you to miss out on the fun so he sent these for you. When you're ready we can go." She said cheerfully handing the boxes to her. "And don't worry about the cost. Mr. Wryn doesn't. I heard he's in negotiations to buy his own planet.” Before she could even say anything the woman handed her the boxes walking away “I’ll be waiting in the lobby.”
 
She stared down at the things seething with anger, the arrogant bastard neatly trapped her! She slammed the door tossing the boxes on to the bed her blue eyes blazing. Yet when one of them spilled open to reveal a dress nearly worth her current hotel room she couldn’t help starring in horror. Oh sure, she could appreciate nice things, but to want to waste credits on something like that? She wanted to drop all those things in a bag, dress in her comfortable clothes, crash the party and dump the lot at his feet before walking out. However she couldn’t help at least looking everything over, she couldn’t help being curious even as she was furious. She took the dress fully out of the box holding it up, her mouth opened in silent awe as she looked it over. She’d only seen stuff like this in advertisements and in descriptions of things her sister used to tell her.
 
She had to admit for an arrogant prick he certainly had a good eye, but would it even fit? She fished around in the boxes pulling out a few things holding makeup, but she was looking for the shoes. She held up the dainty little things biting her lower lip, she honestly was impressed, but her pride was bruised. He hadn’t even bothered to ask her if she even wanted such things, just made assumptions and trapped her. She closed her eyes willing stillness, she reached with her mind hoping her old Master would Sense she wished to speak to him. Not five minutes later her Comm buzzed, she picked it up.
 
“Master…I seek your guidance.”
 
“Synnie, how many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that hmm?”
 
She smiled teasing him “Not gunna happen old man, but really…I need your thoughts on something.”
 
“Tell me and I’ll see what I can offer.”
 
Syn sat down and ran a hand through her hair “Some man named Azrael Wryn saw me leave and sent me a bunch of fancy things to go to his party, apparently he heard that I was too shabby to come.”
 
“Sounds to me like what your problem is, is pride. I can well see some well off man throwing gifts at a beautiful woman like you Absynia. I understand too that you must be thinking that ‘I am a Jedi such things are only a burden when it comes time to leave.’ Yet, I can name several female Jedi I know who received such things and even still have them. Go enjoy yourself, you’ll learn much and…try not to slap the man? He saw you through a crowd of fussypants and looked at you long enough to imagine you in the gifts that were given. Just send them back to the temple, a day may come when you’ll look back at them and have memories that you might be able to tell another redheaded Padawan that you’ll be cursed with. Don’t be too hard on him and by all means, tell me [i]almost[/i] everything that happens when you come home, your family might even get a few chuckles out of it on your behalf.”
 
She sighed and chuckled “Right, fine… If its my burden to go to this dratted thing so be it, this is supposed to be your job, I’m just a Scout.”
 
From her Master’s end she heard him snort “Absynia, you have skills when it comes to charm that an old man like me just does not. Yes, as the highest authority in the Jedi it is within my ability to attend, but I am telling you to go for you would see more than I. Trust the Force to guide you, you are meant to go the Force has spoken and…a certain gentleman would be very disappointed for he is no doubt waiting for you. Have a good night and I will hear this tale over tea when you return.”
 
The click was final, she stood up shaking her head, he was right and she hadn’t needed to call him to know all that he said. Really she just wanted to have him give her permission, she would have gone regardless, but would have felt guilty. Once she was ready she walked up to the woman and gave a shy smile, the dress fit her like a glove, the shoes fit, the bastard really did have a good eye damn him. She’d found a few silver clips to dress up her short hair and the earrings to add more sparkle. The men in the lobby had stopped what they’d been doing to watch her, but she didn’t even notice them. Part of her felt a little silly as she couldn’t remember the last time she’d been dressed up outside her formal robes. She’d used a bit of dark around her eyes, a touch of color on her lips and a hint on her cheeks, it was all she needed.
 
Before long she walked through the double doors, the party looked like it had been going on for some time so upon her entering she drew eyes. Those gazes looking at her wondering who could have been so late, turned to interest in many at the red headed mystery beauty. Yates knew her after a short moment and came over taking both her hands his eyes sparkling “My goodness, look at you… I thought you said you’d had nothing to wear?”
 
She ducked her head a bit, mostly to think of a less annoyed reply, but to others she’d have seemed almost shy. “I guess it’s a surprise to us both, I’m sorry for being late…”
 
Yates gave a loud laugh gently patting her cheek “Not at all, you’ve missed none of the fun, I am very glad you could make it. I’ll let you go so I don’t hog all your time, I have it on good authority that a young man here noticed you as we got off the ship. I believe he had hid himself on the balcony, he’s in bad need of a beautiful woman to cheer him up, why don’t you head his way?”
 
She nodded spotting the area he spoke of, she had asked the woman who’d given her his gifts a few things about him. She’d been more than happy to tell her what she knew, she’d softened a bit more when she’d heard about his loss, though she wasn’t going to mention it. She supposed that those he was surrounded with might have done much of that already, no one wanted to be reminded of loss, especially by those who knew so very little about the one lost. It was somewhat a habit that she was careful to make as little noise as possible as she walked, made a bit more of a challenge due to the shoes. Still she leaned against the railing next to him, though with respectful distance watching him from the corner of her eye.
 
“You had to ruin my careful planning, didn’t you? Trapped me in this mass of ego and lies, I ought to call you a bastard, but I find myself instead thanking you for the beautiful gifts.”
 
Her tone was playful and teasing, though she was also serious and he’d see that she was also a shade angry at him still. The smile she gave him was mischievous, as if she was plotting something, her blue eyes glittering like polished lapis lazuli reflecting the lights and stars as she looked up at the sky. She’d been eye catching as she’d been walking away from the ship, but dressed in his gifts she glowed with brilliant fire, like her inner light could be barely contained by her skin. She had a delicate build, like a willow, grace and pride, fire and light, teasing and shy, she was a temptation and knew it. Yet wasn’t full of herself nor did she seem to notice the eyes still drawn to her, all her attention was on him.

One eyebrow rose as she turned to watch the woman dance “Does she know that you call her such?”
 
Though if that’s how she’s left an impression, not that she can really argue given what she was watching, but she couldn’t help feeling a bit sad on her behalf. She turned back to watch the man before her studying him carefully. Even if she hadn’t known he’d lost his wife and child she’d have been able to see he’d suffered a recent loss. He carried his guilt like a shroud, it was in the lines on his face and hidden in his eyes, she could tell that the party wasn’t all that was upsetting him. “Absynia Maddock and no, I shan't call you names mister Wryn, I have too much pride to be rude. Though believe me the arrogant assumption had tempted me to come as you’d seen me and hand you back these nice things, a ‘please’ goes a long way. Still, knowing you feel just as trapped as I, at your own party no less, is a better apology as now I know I’m saving you from this stuffy little mob.”
 
She turned back to looking back up at the stars a smile still touching her lips “I do thank you for the compliment, I don’t remember the last time I dressed pretty, though this is not the usual formal wear I am used to. I do have to admit you sized me up pretty nicely” She looked over at him a few locks of hair falling along one cheek “Is it really true you bought your own planet?”
 
The very idea that someone can buy a whole world was incredibly silly to her, what would someone do with their own planet? What about the original people who lived there? Did they all agree to such a thing? It was also that she couldn’t imagine a single individual owning so much money that they could just lob enough credits to do such a thing. If it was true she was looking at the most wealthy man that might exist, though what was a planet even worth? Did people value their home so little that they took for granted the life they lived on and with? She looked up at the stars sadly, people just didn’t really hold life sacred anymore hardly if buying a planet took hardly a thought. Truly it was a shame, but then that’s how things were in certain circles and the politics behind it were rather hard to swallow. If one were to approach the Wookies with such arrogance they’d invite a blood feud. The furred friends would see such appalling assumption as the highest disrespect for they held their home very sacred, so too did the Jedi, so did she.
 
How many people bought worlds like clothing? How many treated life so casually? She didn’t want to even ask for fear of the answer, the very idea of getting the answer left her a shade cold. Life was too wonderful and special to treat like an object in political games.

Well it was a relief to know that he hadn’t taken a planet, but it was a sad fact about the galaxy that he probably had a flourishing business. When he told her to call him by name she smiled “Alright mister Azrael.”
 
Mostly she was teasing him as she knew very well he wanted something less formal, but she couldn’t help it. She’d call him by name the next time she needed to say it, but wanted to have a little fun with him first. “I’m afraid I am here for only this night as tomorrow I get on a transport home so I can make my report, relax for a day or two then go back to my usual work. However if you give me the coordinates I’ll try and swing by if I’m in the area, though I can’t make any promises. I have no idea what area I’ll be sent to this time and I’m usually off in the outer regions, but I was close for mister Yates to have me picked up for the job I was assigned with him as I was already making my way home. Lucky me that I’m uniquely suited for such work, but it was a nice break, even if I don’t much like politics.”
 
The outer regions were notoriously unstable as most planets were not under government regulation and subject to trade hands depending on whatever power was trying to take hold in the area. It wasn’t a place one went to for mundane reasons, it also took one into danger that may or may not require fighting out of. If one studied her carefully one could see from how she stood and how alert she was that she was indeed a fighter or at least a practiced one. She carried herself with a fighter’s grace and confidence, something that more submissive personalities would instantly recognize and react to as she could be easily seen as a protector. Yet dressed as she was she hardly fit the image of one who was used to constant unsettledness, but it would be clear she had many secrets.
 
She seemed so at home amongst the press of people at the party, she seemed able to adapt and seem a part of wherever she was. Like a fox, crafty and adaptable, walking amongst sheep, it would take a lot for someone to try and keep someone like her and only if she chose to be kept. Yet when her eyes drifted towards the stars there was a hint of sadness, as if she knew something secret that dogged her steps. There was a secret part of her that longed to settle down, to stay in one place and maybe have a family. Yet she didn’t think it was possible given her occupation and disinterest when it came to getting involved with someone of the Order. So much of her life was being a Jedi, she didn’t want it to also claim her personal life too, what little of one she had.
 
She loved her work, loved being a Jedi, but wanted to at least have the illusion of freedom, to have it claim every aspect of her life would feel too much like giving up her freedom. So what few lovers she had she was happy with, but kept her secret desire buried for it would probably never be fulfilled.

She debated telling him something else, but in the end decided that it was better to tell him the truth. “Kashyyyk is home.” Only two ways anyone nowadays lived on the Wookie homeworld, she was either allowed by one of the clans or she was a Jedi. “I’m am a Scout, though one of the senior scouts, I could also say I am a master Jedi, but really that sounds too arrogant, so I preferred to be called by my job title instead of my rank. Though, if I am really honest I just like being called by my name or simply ‘Syn’ whatever you prefer to call me Azrael is fine though.”
 
When he offered to take her now her head tilted slightly to the side and a mischievous grin appeared on her face. “You mean you’d escape your own party for a date with little red haired me? Won’t you make all those fussy pants offended if you ditch them? Surely they don’t think little me worth you ditching them for. Besides, all those pretty painted ladies out there would miss you, I can just see their tears of disappointment now…”
 
She leaned on the railing looking down trying to judge if she’d be able to jump, land and catch him by way of escape that way. “Think if we jumped I’d be able to keep us aloft enough to land safely so that we can make our escape without them noticing? I could probably keep us from going splat, though I’ve honestly never tried. Might be fun though…”

Syn laughed “My business actually has nothing to do with you, I’d been done by the time I arrived and then your invitation brought me here. If any of the council has their eye on you its nothing I’ve heard of and my former teacher and master is the Grandmaster so I am very sure he’d tell me. Especially if I was in the area, but not a hint of a thing, I was merely asked to help with something. It’s a common misconception that the Jedi watch everything and everyone, so far there has been nothing going on that has made any of us worried, not a single tingle. So don’t be so suspicious!”
 
She turned away from the balcony watching the goings on in the room behind them. “It would be nice to say good bye to him, he’s a nice man, though a bit more…boisterous in his appreciations of life, but truly a good man. How he got messed up in politics I don’t know, but I am glad to know him.”
 
When he put his hand on her back she shivered, it wasn’t the touch of someone who was just going to guide her to the crowd, it was too controlled for that. It sent a thrill through her blood and she looked up at him from the corner of her eye just wondering what he had planned, not that she was worried in the least. When Yates spotted them coming back in to the room he came over grinning “What did I tell you hmm? He looks in better spirits already, you certainly have a gift with people my dear.”
 
She smiled “I thank you for that tip Senator, but also for the reasons for my being here.”
 
She did make note of those who did indeed really seem more interested in the food and drink, but also noted that Yates clearly didn’t seem one of them. From what little she had spent in his company he was a shrewd man, he’d not have gotten where he was so successfully otherwise. She wondered if Azrael knew just how much the man was acting as he was sincere. “Nonsense girl, you said it yourself you’d have been headed this way, I just helped that along. I take it you won’t be staying till the end of this party?”
 
She gave a shrug “All depends on what mister Wryn does, I am merely along for the ride enjoying myself at this point.”
 
Yates eyed them both and chuckled “I bet… Well, I won’t keep you, I am just glad you came lass. Truly you are something special and should have eyes kept on you just to see what comes of it!”
 
He then turned around and walked over to someone talking to them, she had the impression it was about her from certain gestures, but didn’t know what to make of it. She smiled shaking her head slightly, following Azrael watching what was going on around her.