Afterglow | The Clone Wars

55 | Jedi

"Can I get you another refill, doll face?"

"Get lost"

The bartender jolted, yanking the bottle away from her empty glass. Her icy blue eyes looked ready to slit an exposed throat if anyone said or glanced the wrong way in her direction. It shouldn't be this much of a surprise to the bartender, he gets shady figures such as this all the time in his rundown joint. He gave her a careless shrug of his shoulders in return and went to assist the next customer without another word.

Asajj Ventress stared empty-headed at the glass, spotting only one drop left at the bottom. It had been her sixth or seventh drink, but alcohol doesn't tend to have a big affect on her. Her training as a former apprentice prohibited such intoxication to a degree.

Smoke from lit cigars drifted throughout the room, with laughter echoing from the corner near the live sabacc table. Men and women drank freely with their companions and conversed loudly about their egotistical achievements and the latest politics of the galaxy.

The Clone War seemed so far away from where Ventress was. Not a soldier was in sight, at least not on this planet. Nothing but crooks and bounty hunters for as far as the eye could see. She never imagined that this would end up being her life, but she was there nonetheless. Waking up each morning with her own destiny in her hands was an existence that she wouldn't give up for the world.

Located over at the back corner of the bar near the sabacc table, a glowing holographic screen projected a numerical stream of wanted fugitives that held a bounty over their heads. Ventress had kept her sights on the screen all afternoon in hopes of securing a wanted criminal with a wealthy bounty.

Credits were the only way to make a living in this galaxy, at least for people such as Ventress herself.

As swing music swirled from the instrumental trio by the stage, the main door of the tavern slid open, followed by the sound of boot buckles clicking against the musty floor. For a brief moment, all inside the building paused to look. Heads swiveled towards the new arrival with interest. Everybody knows everybody in the joint, meaning that it's obvious when an unfamiliar figure rolls in during the middle of the sun-baked afternoon.

Ventress sensed the presence of the new individual and cut her eyes to the left as the sound of their boots neared her seat at the bar. In an instant, she could feel the familiarity of the figure.

"Well, isn't this a surprise" Ventress rested her elbows on the bar's surface as the person slid into the unoccupied stool beside her. The music kicked back into gear as the drinkers returned to their inaudible chatter and laughter.

"I wanted a drink" the woman replied, waving to the bartender just after sitting down.

"You seem to be getting around alright" Ventress noted coldly, referencing to her bionic leg that was covered over with a fresh set of clothes that were clearly thrown together without much attention to fashion. A grey scarf was pulled up just over her nose, leaving little to look at, besides her piercing emerald eyes which could be recognized anywhere by someone who already knows her.

"Walking is about all I can do, right now"

The bartender poured her a cup and sent her a wink, but it went unnoticed by the Jedi in disguise who already gave her full attention to Ventress. She was sitting with her body facing towards her with one arm resting against the surface of the bar.