Shadows of Bankor

As things were calming down, and folks were sitting down for a rest, maybe a drink, it was the right time to do a little to improve morale. With a little impromptu performance.

An upbeat song didn't feel right in this moment, but something more... sentimental. Soothing. They could all use a little bit of that.

With her guitar and backing track, Dove played a song for those who would listen. The backing track, pre-recorded earlier with piano playing and Dove's own background vocals, flowed in synch with her performance.

"No more crying for you
Now we've made a bed of stone
Leave a light on for me
And I'll find my way back home

And it's been forever
I don't wanna wait too long
Now that we're together
I will never do you wrong

Just lay it all on me (Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
Lay it all on me (Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
Just lay it all on me (Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh)
Lay it all on me

I'll leave a light on for you
In the darkest of the nights
When your pulse is racing
And the world won't make you run

Now it's been forever
I don't wanna wait too long
Now that we're together
I will never do you wrong

Just lay it all on me
Just lay it all on me
Just lay it all on me
Just lay it all on me

Just lay it all on me
(Where would I go? Who would I be?)
Just lay it all on me
(I need you here with me)
Just lay it all on me
(I'm not afraid, why can't you see?)
Just lay it all on me
(Together we're wild and free)
(Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
Just lay it all on me (Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
(Where would I go? Who would I be?)
Just lay it all on me (Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
(I need you here with me)
Just lay it all on me (Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
(I'm not afraid, why can't you see?)
Just lay it all on me (Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
(Together we're wild and free)"

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D6 EVENT: Rebellions Are Built On Hope. Charm/Presence. Destiny upgrade. Boost from equipment. Average difficulty: 2eP+1eA+1eB+2eD 1 success

Dak was there with a drink in hand as he listened. He was still fuming about his cabin being set a blaze so his resolve against the empire was stronger than ever. He sat and listened Dove's voice helping to soothe his fiery spirits for a time at least.

Since the first song was well-recieved (judging from Orokos' roll), she decided to continue. "Someday, I'll find my way home..." she spoke, letting the moment linger a little, before letting the backing-track of the piano begin to play.


"Someday I'll find my way home
The trees in the wind will lead the way
All of these years on my own
They flew right by so what can you say

There's no need to be sad
You're on a path and you know where it heads
There's no need for despair
Just walk on and you'll find you are there

Someday I'll find the one
The trees in the wind will lead the way
All of these years alone
They flew right by so what can you say

There's no need to be sad
You're on a path and you know where it heads
There's no need for despair
Just walk on and you'll find you are there

Someday I'll find my way home
Someday I'll find the one
The trees in the wind will lead the way
The trees in the wind will lead the way
All of these years alone
They flew right by so what can you say
They flew right by so what can you say

There's no need to be sad
You're on a path and you know where it heads
There's no need for despair
Just walk on and you'll find you are there

Someday I'll find my way home
Someday I'll find my way home
Someday I'll find my way home"

Dak had been listening for a while and enjoyed watching and listening to the lovely Dove. He sat drinking his drink and relaxing for a while but as her song ended he stood and walked on stage with her "Mind if I borrow the guitar love?" He asked and sat on a stool behind her "Your voice will carry us through anyway."he said with a smile.

He started playing something slow and simple an old song known by most who called themselves musicians he gave Dove the intro a few times so she knew what he had in mind. Once they were flowing together he played in earnest, the song was simple and slow but Dak played the song to hit the emotional notes perfectly allowing the tension and grief of the last few weeks to come down through his fingers. He added his voice but he was no great singer and allowed Dove to lead the vocals.

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D6 fluff coordination roll destiny flip boost from assistance boost from instrument: 1eP+3eA+2eB+2eD 4 successes, 3 advantage, 1 Triumph

((Damn you Orokos xD))

Dove took the lead on the vocals, keeping the tone the same as it had been earlier. As the song ended, she let the silence linger for a moment, before speaking. "I'll need a drink now. Not too shabby playing, Dak."

Understatement of the week.

He set her guitar on a solid surface or in its case whichever was more readily available. He took a deep breath "yeah. I uh dont know where that came from honestly, dont think I ever played that well before."

He smiled and ran a hand through his hair "glad I could do some playing worthy of your voice." He said giving her a wink.

"Aw, flatterer," she chuckled at the praise and moved over to fetch a beer.

"I didn't know you were that good of a guitar-player. And here you led me to believe you just dabbled in music."

"Always." He said with a sultry smile.

"Yeah I usually am only ok at playing, not really sure where that came from but hey I guess when its time to impress." He said shrugging his shoulders.

He grabbed the nearest cup he could find and filled it with an amber liquor from his flask and passed it to her "feel honored I'm sharing this with you dove, it's the last bit or Corellia I have lost most of my liquor in the fire." He said passing her the cup and taking a draw from his flask. Dak had amassed quiet the collection of spirits over the years and almost all of it went up in flames.

"Last drops, huh?" she gave a half-smile as she considered the liquid. "Guess they were pretty thorough even out in the wilds... I'm sorry, Dak."

He returns her smile with a slightly melancholy one "ahh it is what it is, I knew I'd have to make sacrifices at some point. We both knew this kind of thing was always possible." His smile broke a little "watching them fire bomb my place still sucked though."

He took a draw from his flask and shook his head a rueful smile appearing on his lips "But hey now I'm angry and I always do my best work when I'm angry."

"Oh?" she raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I've often heard it said that anger makes for poor judgement and lack of clarity in doing what needs to be done. Though far be it for me to critize your methods. Whatever works, works."

Dak shrugged with a smirk "Well it doesnt work for everyone but I was trained to shut out useless emotions and channel useful ones. Anger if left uncheck is blinding sure but if taught how to control it, it can be driving, it can sharpen focus."

Another sip from the flask "but you cant survive of it alone, need to release pressure sometimes return to zero."

"True that..." she couldn't deny she didn't let her emotions fuel her either, but her Arkanian maker had been much more of the opinion that the Doves should be as detached as possible to make the best optimal field decisions. But that was to be expected of an Arkanian.

Dove sipped the Corellian whiskey, savoring the precious drops.

"What emotions would you call useless then, that you've learned to shut out?"

He thought for a moment "I believe all emotions can be used for fuel, some are just more efficient than others. From an operational stand point? Pity, compassion, affection sometimes." He paused before he said that last one.

"Just how I was trained not sure how much I agree with it now." He said in contemplative tone.

"Oh?" Dove gave him a quizzical look. "What can we trust in if not our training?"

He cast a glance sideways at her "Our friends. We dont have to be islands anymore." He said turning to face her "we can depend on each other."

"What if we decide what training is best? I mean this resistance will need intel and operatives to acquire it. Who better to train them than veteran operatives?" He ask half present in the conversation half lost in thought."

She raised an eyebrow at such a suggestion. "I dunno... you and I come from very different backgrounds of training, Dak. The training I had isn't something that can be easily replicated."

Dak nodded "but mine can, and besides your training you have experience and frankly you're smarter than me. I think it's something we could do but we need eachother to do it. And it's something the resistance needs."

He grabbed her hand his eyes locking onto her "listen we are only two people and only you can do what you do, I can do similar things but different emphases we'll need more than two operatives for this war and our experience and train is better put to use making more rather than trying to do it all ourselves."

Freeing one hand, Dove brushed a hand over her face, pushing back her thick bangs, and running her fingers through her hair as she leaned back, sighing softly. Judging by her expression, she was seriously considering it.

"I... sure. Just... I need some time to get myself down from this mission, Dak. Think things through, get myself together."

Dak smiled softly "of course, I wasnt saying we should start tomorrow. You take all the time you need, you've been through hell this past month," he paused a bit "and I bet you've got a lot on your mind."

He stretched a bit releasing her hand "Take as long as you need to recover Dove, I can handle things in the beginning stages, at least I think i can." He finishes with a chuckle.

"Heh, thanks..." yeah, it had been hard. And she needed to come to terms with where she had failed. As well as the consequences.

"You've ever done that kind of thing before? Training others, running ops?"

He nodded "A little bit towards the end of my career with the republic, trained a few other wet work assets that showed promise once I was experienced enough."

He gave her a curious look "What kind if training did you go through?"

"The kind that the Republic no doubt would've called inhumane and unethical," she replied dryly before taking another sip. Not that it had bothered the Republic too much when they had a handy-dandy clone army though... but that was the problem with a corrupt body led by the nose of a manipulator.

"Wetwork, infiltration, intel-gathering, and networking covers it in what I can do though." Where she knew Dak relied on his species' natural stealth, Dove relied much more on infiltrating in plain-sight. "Though I'd think we'd steer away with the hard work to start with. No need to create a bunch of cleaners to take out the trash."

Dak smiled a bit at her "first you say you want some time and now you're already thinking about it."

He chuckled and nodded along taking a sip of his drink "but yeah we're building an intelligence network not an assassin division. I figure for the time being you and I could handle any smelly garbage that needs taking out. At least until we can identify people that can handle the stink."

"I did say I have a hard time turning off," she said with a soft sigh.

She really didn't have to think about this now, Dove reminded herself. "We'll see what happens, and take it from there."