For Kadra, going to a bar always used to help to relieve the stress after a major engagement. Some people would find the high – energy atmosphere stressful after being shot at for days on end, but she found the pounding music, the flashing strobe lights, the wild, sensual dancing, the drinking… intoxicating, invigorating. For a glamour – loving girl like Kadra, a bar was a great place to 'charge her batteries'.

Used to be, anyway.

Charging my batteries, yeah, Kadra thought as she pushed her way a little closer to the dance floor. I can't charge anything anymore because I don't think there's much of anything left to charge. I just want to lose myself for a little while.

Instead of feeling exciting, tonight felt like out – of – body experience. Kadra felt almost as if she was watching her body do things, knowing that she was doing them but separated from it all. An outsider, watching.

As she inhaled the smells of sweat, perfume, foods, and alcohol, feeling the press of hot bodies all around her, Kadra felt a sudden urge to scream as a wave of dizziness poured over her.

When her vision cleared, Kadra blinked hard, clutching at her head. What was she doing here again? Oh right, she was having fun. Or at least she was trying to. Maybe she would have enjoyed, truly enjoyed, tonight one, two years ago. Now, she was just trying to fill the charred emptiness gnawing at the center of her chest with noise, trying to forget that her insides felt as crisped and black as the hull of a spaceship after it had been through the fires of a Yuuzhan Vong plasma barrage.

Tears stung her eyes as Kadra pushed blindly through the crowd. It didn't happen all that often, thank the Force, but nights like these crept up on her every now and again, nights when she hit rock bottom and it seemed like there was no light at the end of the tunnel, even though there was. After the post – campaign debriefing on the Pride of Selonia, she'd decided she wanted a break before going back to the Alderaan's Fury. So she'd put on a clubbing outfit and come down to the entertainment sector of the GA Star Destroyer.

And then, instead of feeling invigorated by the animation of personnel celebrating a great victory, she crashed and burned in a way she hadn't in six standard months.

From a logical standpoint, it was actually better she crash and burn here, here where she was just another girl trying to forget the war for a night, than on the Fury, where she was supposed to be the Colonel who knew what to do when everything was falling apart, the one who rallied her forces and kept everything under control.

The Colonel, right, Kadra thought bitterly as a girl who was obviously in a hurry to get to the dance floor bumped into her, nearly knocking her over. She certainly didn't feel like a responsible naval officer now. She felt like a little girl, lost and on the verge of tears in the middle of a crowded bar.

Get it together, Kadra, she ordered herself. You're not a little girl who goes running to papa with every little problem anymore. You're an adult, and a leader. Stop crying pathetically.

Crap. She hadn't felt this bad in a long time. Sometimes, at totally unexpected moments, the war just…got to her and she fell apart like this. Tonight the trigger had been seeing people partying much the same way she and her friends used to back before she joined the navy, back before the Yuuzhan Vong invaded and ruined everything, including her own life.

But Kadra was also getting angry with herself. Why did she have to be so weak? Why did something as small as seeing people party have to get to her so badly she was reduced to an emotional mess in the middle of a bar? Why couldn't she always be strong, the way she needed to be, both for her own sake and for those she led?

Well, if you're going to fall apart, you might as well leave. Kadra turned against the flow of people pressing toward the already crowded dance floor and began elbowing her way back through the crowd. It was a good thing the only way to move around in a bar like this was to push people; Kadra could feel her negative emotions dissipating somewhat as she took out her anger and frustration by shoving people out of her way.

Kadra was nearing the door, where it was a lot less crowded, when she bumped into something solid, hard, and very masculine. Oops.

She had gotten a little too wrapped up in her own world of angry shoving and self – deprecating. Kadra felt her face burn horribly as she glanced at who she had nearly knocked over.

And felt her mouth drop open. What the kriff is Kyp doing here?

As always, for some reason, the first thing Kadra thought when she looked at Kyp was that he looked a lot like Quinlan Vos, a Kiffar Jedi Master of the Old Republic . The resemblance between the two was uncanny: same tanned skin, long black hair, and brown eyes, though Kyp's hair wasn't dreadlocked like Quinlan's and of course he didn't have the distinctive yellow qukuuf band.

The second thing she thought was: Murderer. She couldn't help thinking about how Kyp had destroyed the planet Carida as a teenager whenever she saw him or thought about it.

Whatever his past actions, though, she had rudely bumped into him, so she had to apologize.

Kadra loosely linked her fingers together in front of her and gave Kyp her sweetest, most contrite smile. "Hello, Kyp. Sorry for running into you. I wasn't looking where I was going."

=()=

Kyp kept up a steady stream of mental complaints as he elbowed his way towards the entrance of the bar. He hated crowds, and he was still trying to understand what the kriff had possessed him to let Ryza Tyreed drag him out of his quarters for a 'celebration' in the entertainment sector of the Pride of Selonia.

Celebration, my ass.

Ryza's idea of a fun night seemed to be a window - shopping spree and dancing at a bar. Sometime during the few minutes it had taken to get to the dance floor from the entrance, Ryza had disappeared into the crowd, leaving Kyp alone with no reason whatsoever to be there.

So he did what any good Jedi Master did when surrounded by drunks and women wearing…non – clothes; he turned right around and ran like a bat out of hell.

He was near the door when something tall, soft, and most certainly feminine slammed into him from the side. Kyp staggered for a moment before quickly regaining his balance, recognizing the presence of the girl through the Force.

Kadra Bres?

Kadra was smiling sweetly as she looked at him with a contrite expression. "Hello, Kyp. Sorry for running into you. I wasn't looking where I was going."

Kyp barely heard her. Normally all he saw of Kadra was her face, which was always plastered in heavy makeup, but tonight she had apparently decided to throw protocol to the wind, and Kyp couldn't help but…notice.

The Navy Colonel was wearing a black, very insubstantial - looking outfit whose purpose seemed to be to cover her...'important parts' while still exposing as much of her as possible. A skirt made of silver - beaded layered black leather fringe secured with a gaudy silver belt left her long, tanned legs bare to the mid - thigh. Kadra's chest was covered by her heavily sequined halter top, but her toned stomach, arms, and most of her back were exposed. Her long flame - red hair, usually braided or put up in a ponytail or bun, hung around her shoulders in loose waves, and jangling silver bangles completed the 'skanky' look. The lively, animated expression on her face belied the pain Kyp felt swirling at the center of her Force presence.

Kyp could feel tendrils of strange heat coiling in his abdomen. Something deep within him growled appreciatively, lustfully, and for once, his tongue was almost, but not quite, frozen.

Kadra waved a hand in front of Kyp's face. The Jedi Master noted that her long fingernails were painted silver. "Pride of Selonia to Kyp. You okay? You're looking…a little out of it."

Kyp grabbed her hand to make her stop. "I'm fine." He actually wasn't feeling all that great, not with Kadra wearing that evil ensemble a few centimeters away from him. He suddenly realized he was still gripping Kadra's slender fingers and dropped her hand as if it was on fire.

Kadra looked down at the hand he'd just dropped. "That was rude."

"What?" Kyp wondered if there was something about dressing well that immediately made a woman more imperious than usual. If it was so for Kadra Bres, he'd better run. The woman was imperious enough normally – being a Navy officer – and he didn't even want to know what she'd be like if she got up on a high horse.

Kadra gestured with a hand, and her bangles jangled musically as they sparkled in the light. "If you held my hand for that long, you should have done something with it. Not just dropped it like a….a hydrospanner or something."

Imperious didn't even begin to cover it. Kadra was getting picky about courtly manners; was it mating season? "Like shake it? I can do that." Kyp extended his hand and wrapped his calloused fingers around the hand he had so rudely dropped. He lifted it and shook it quickly before he let go again.

Kadra's eyes narrowed almost thoughtfully as she crossed her slender arms across her chest – did she know what that did to her breasts? She probably did; females learned that sort of thing at an early age. "That's not enough."

"Not enough for Your Highness?" Kyp fought the urge to gape at her. "What do you want me to do? Kiss your hand? Kneel before you? Prostrate myself on the ground before you?"

Kadra tapped her chin thoughtfully with a fingertip. "The second would be acceptable; the third is your best option."

Kyp turned away. Something had come over Kadra – if she was even Kadra, for that matter, and he wasn't going to stick around to see what other…ideas she was going to pull out of her bag of tricks.

"Wait!" Kadra grabbed his arm. "Kyp, I was just joking. I thought you would be able to take it."

Kyp tore out of her grip, then whirled back towards her and glared into her brown eyes. "Not when you're asking me to prostrate myself on the ground before you in public, Colonel Kadra Bres!"

Kyp derived a perverse pleasure from the annoyance that flashed in her eyes, but it was gone in an instant. "You could always do it privately," she said sweetly.

The sheer arrogance of this woman was almost unbelievable. Kyp laughed in Kadra's face. "I wouldn't prostrate myself before you anywhere, Colonel, whether it's on top of the Senate Building or down in the spice mines of Kessel, so don't get your hopes up. Jedi Master Kyp Durron isn't that respectful." He paused for a moment. "Do you have a twin sister?"

That threw her for a loop. Kadra blinked. "No. Why?"

Confident that he had the upper hand, at least for now, Kyp crossed his arms and gazed at her with an arrogant smile. "I met this very nice, respectable Colonel," Kyp was pleased to see Kadra scowl at his implication, "a couple days ago. You look an awful lot like her. Same red hair, brown eyes, and yellow stripe tattooed across her cheeks and nose. I was wondering if she had an identical twin sister who expects men to throw themselves down to kiss her feet at every turn." Kyp smirked and waited for her response.

"Very funny, Kyp," Kadra tried to scowl, but she was obviously trying not to laugh.

"No, seriously," Kyp said. "Have you developed a multiple personality disorder?"

Kadra scowled, and this time it was more real. "First you're rude to me, then you insinuate that I'm someone else, and finally you question my mental faculties. That all merits a good standard hour on your face before me, I think."

Kyp smiled arrogantly, baiting her. "Not on your life, Colonel."

Kadra looked irritated. "Drop the rank, especially since you're being so rude to me, Kyppie."

Kyp started and stared as Kadra's full magenta - glossed lips twisted into a smirk. The last time he'd been called 'Kyppie' had been twenty – seven years prior, by his brother Zeth, before the stormtroopers broke into his family's home on Deyer and… he felt tears welling from somewhere deep inside him and crushed them back before they could hope to escape. "Don't call me that." His voice came out rough and scratchy.

"Why not, Kyppie?" Kadra baited him, but he could see a kind of vague…understanding in her eyes.

"You want to play Bait the Rancor with me?" Kyp asked, forcing his arrogant smirk of seconds earlier back into place. "Fine. Just be prepared to…lose. Badly. Because I never lose a game, especially to a woman who's been insulting me."

Kadra grinned wickedly. "Not playing, Jedi Master. Even I know when a certain rancor's too dangerous to bait." She paused and glanced around them. "I'm leaving. Too many people are staring at us. Coming with me?"

It was true. Kyp could feel several individuals casting subtle – or not so subtle – glances in their direction. He followed Kadra without protesting as she left the bar, trying not to look too hard at her long, toned legs, eyes involuntarily following the gentle motion of her swaying hips. Kyp half - wondered if Kadra had been a dancer or a model at some point in her life. Whatever she'd been, she obviously knew she was beautiful, and knew how to show it off too.

They were quiet for a little while, and then Kyp broke the silence. "What brought you onto the Selonia anyway? Got tired of the Alderaan's Fury?"

Kadra turned to him, dark eyes flashing. "I never get tired of my ship, Master Durron. I came here for a massive post – campaign debriefing, and when it was done I was tired and decided I wanted some entertainment before going back."

"Your ship?" Kyp goaded.

"Yes, mine," Kadra gave him a haughty look. "I know you starfighter jockeys don't understand at all, but we naval commanders are just as protective of our ships as you are of your little…snubfighters."

Kyp, scowling, rose to the bait. "Believe me, we understand. We're protective of our 'little snubfighters' too. What we fighter jockeys don't understand is how you naval commanders expect everyone to kiss the ground you walk on."

Kadra gave him a slightly disgusted look. "General statement unnecessary. You're talking to me, fighter jockey." She paused, then changed the subject. "What are you doing on the entertainment deck of the Selonia? Aren't you supposed to be in the hangar crawling around on your belly in the hangar with grease on your hands and face repairing your XJ – Wing? "

Kyp scowled. "A couple of days ago I was fighting for my life in the slimy corridors of a Worldship swarming with scarheads so you could live in freedom from the tyranny of the Vong. I think I deserve some credit, and some fun, for that."

Kadra turned her head away and sniffed dramatically.

Kyp rolled his eyes; her fakeness was so obvious. "How do you know I fly an XJ – wing anyway?"

Kadra, pretend tears vanished, raised an eyebrow. "The Dozen isn't the most obscure fighter squadron around. Besides, I know…things."

Kyp mulled that over. She was a colonel; of course she was well – informed. Had she researched him or just picked up random facts?

Kadra, however, seemed to have lost interest in their banter. She was busy staring at a large holographic map of the entertainment sector in the middle of a nearby plaza. She seemed to make a decision, and then strode off in another direction, apparently expecting him to follow. Kyp hesitated for a few moments, just to see what she would do, but she didn't spare him even a backward glance, so he followed her.

"Where are we going now?" he asked when he caught up with her. Who did she think she was, anyway, dictating where they went and expecting him to follow without question?

"The Pinwheel," Kadra replied as if it was obvious.

"The Pinwheel? That's a bar, right?" Kyp was not going to be dragged into any more boutiques tonight. Ryza had done enough of that.

"Yeah. You can get food and drinks there, and you can gamble. I haven't played a good game of sabacc in a long time," – she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye –"and I was wondering if you might be an adequate challenger for me."

Ah, so she was a sabacc player. It fit with her ever - so - faint Corellian accent and rocket – fuel – for – blood attitude, though Kyp knew virtually nothing about Kadra's family or background. For all he cared, her slight Corellian accent might be entirely coincidental or she might be one of those people who regularly mimicked whatever accent they found suitable at the moment. She was a Kiffar in her early twenties; that was all Kyp really knew about her. How she had come to serve under Garm Bel Iblis, how she had worked her way up to her high level of command at her young age, all those other things, were a complete mystery to him. He admitted to himself that he wanted to know more about her, but asking her about herself would open the door to her asking about him, and that was a door Kyp was not ready to open to her yet. Probably not ever.

Kyp flashed her a cocky smile. "Be prepared to lose a lot."

Kadra turned her head to stare into his eyes, and Kyp suddenly noticed that pale amber flecks studded her dark brown irises like golden stars. "You be prepared to lose a lot."

"What are we betting on?" Kyp began sizing up his future opponent. Physically Kadra didn't look all that threatening right now, though Kyp had noticed the deceptively decorative – looking shiny silver pistol strapped to her upper thigh. Her great intelligence had never been a question, and depending on whether or not she was a cheater…Kadra just might be a very good sabacc player. But Kyp was confident he could still beat her, especially if he used the Force.

Kadra was seemed to be considering his question deeply. Then, a light broke over her face and she smiled a little too sweetly. "If I win, you have to walk through a...lingerie shop with me."

Kyp stared aghast at Kadra. This woman was inventive. And what was it with the shopping tonight? "Sithspawn, are you trying to get me out of my clothes already?"

Kadra shot him a disgusted look. "Don't be revolting, Kyp. What's your price?"

Kyp thought for a moment, and then smiled. "If I win, you have to kneel before me for a minute. Without moving or complaining."

Kadra shot him a quick, and much to Kyp's pleasure, slightly horrified look. "In public?"

Kyp grinned. He thought of saying 'yes' but that would make the whole thing embarrassing for him too, so he said, "In private." That way they could be alone, and he could relish the feeling of getting her down off her high horse.

"Okay," Kadra said, sounding rebellious. Kyp could see she had no intention of kneeling before him, and he became doubly determined to win their sabacc game just so he could make her do it.

Silence reigned for a moment, and Kyp suddenly realized what a connotation having her…kneel before him carried. He cringed. He certainly hadn't meant it that way, just meant to get back at her for ordering him to prostrate himself on the ground before her earlier.

The duo said nothing more to each other until they reached a large bar with the words 'The Pinwheel' mounted above in colorful holographic letters. Light effects designed to look like pinwheels flashed on and off at intermittent intervals, first flashing red, then orange, then yellow, on through the visible spectrum. Pounding music issued forth clearly, though the door was closed, and the tranparisteel fronts and brilliant strobe lights reminded Kyp of the bar where he'd met up with Kadra in earlier tonight. Sure enough Kyp could see a bunch of gambling machines near the back of the bar.

Choosing to be a true gentleman for once, Kyp stepped forward and pulled the door open for Kadra, opening it wide and stepping aside for her. She flashed him a dazzling smile for his courtesy, and Kyp suddenly realized she had deep dimples in each cheek that he'd never seen before because she'd never smiled so wide in front of him before. He cursed himself as he felt a slight flush rise on his cheeks. He usually prided himself on being very self – contained around the opposite gender, especially since so few of them were even remotely interested in him, but Kadra Bres had turned on the charm - and was showing a considerable amount of skin - tonight, and it was getting to him.

Get it together Durron, he ordered himself as he stepped into the Pinwheel after her. She's just a little girl anyway.

Hypocrite, his conscience chastised him. Jaina was a teenager when you had your delusional crush on her. Because that was what he admitted it had been now – a delusion. There was just no way he and Jaina could have ended up together, not since Jagged Fel came into the equation. Jaina had evidently found what made her happy in the Chiss – raised pilot, and he was happy for her. What happened to his nonexistent love life now was…unimportant.

Kyp saw Kadra reach out a hand instinctively, almost absently, to brush her palm over the doorjamb and leaned forward so he could whisper close beside her ear. "Are you using psychometry?"

She paused just long enough to shoot him a suspicious glance over her shoulder before nodding slightly. "Yes." Then her eyes narrowed. "What's it to you?"

Kyp leaned back and shrugged. "Nothing. Just wondering."

She gazed at him for a moment longer as if she didn't really believe him, and then shrugged and continued into the bar. It was crowded, but not overfilled, with personnel, and Kyp felt his instinctive hatred of crowds kick in as they wound their way to the back where the sabacc tables were located. Crowds always made him feel stifled, suffocated, reminding him of the claustrophobic darkness and mustiness of the spice mines of Kessel, and there was always the chance that he'd be recognized, which never ended well.

So he used a little Force magic to make himself more inconspicuous than his glittering female companion. Not enough so that the people wouldn't see him at all, but just enough to make sure they wouldn't be likely to dwell on his presence too much.

Kadra, on the other hand, was drawing quite a bit of attention, and from what Kyp could feel in the Force and see of her expression she was enjoying it. Men, some in uniform and some not, paused when she passed to stare appreciatively at her toned, supple form, and a few had the audacity to let their eyes linger on her chest or hips. Kyp pled guilty to staring at some women like that in the past when he was younger and still easily affected by such things, and he was shocked to find himself nursing a vague desire to strip off his robe and cover Kadra with it to shield her from prying eyes.

Kyp wasn't deluded enough to think Kadra gave a toss about him. He realized she just wanted a boy toy to play with for a night, and he happened to fit the bill. She just wanted to flirt and let off steam and play a few rounds of sabacc. Feck, he probably wouldn't even see her again after this episode, and if he did it would be under a naval situation where they would be who they actually were – a Jedi Master and a Naval Colonel with absolutely no emotional attachment to each other whatsoever.

Deep in thought, Kyp wasn't paying too much attention to the buzz of conversation around him, and he was almost startled when he realized what the group of male and female personnel at the table one ahead of him were talking about.

"It's not fair that the Jedi get all the credit for the battles we win in this war!" A man in uniform fairly shouted, pounding his fist on the table.

His colleagues at the table agreed with him. "I mean, it's not as if they've won any battles singlehandedly, and they've gotten a lot of people killed," the only girl at the table, an attractive brunette officer, added. "Yet they're all you see when you turn on the HoloNet these days."

"Exactly!" another man said. "And yet all our generals are kowtowing to them all the time, rushing forces to wherever they say they should go. We're not a bunch of moisture farmers to be impressed by people lifting rocks with their minds. Since when did the military and navy become the Jedi's personal force to command as they wish?"

"I know!" the brunette who had spoken earlier spoke up again. "I mean, look at this last campaign. All the leaders were Jedi, and most of them were teenagers! Since when does the navy listen to teenagers?"

Another man made a disgusted sound. "They've befuddled all the politicians with their spoon bending and aura reading; that's why they get to run the High Council as they please. I was just hoping that the military and navy would be able to hold out better."

Kyp slowed, scowling. Those bigots had better just not mention any names, or they would have him to deal with. Even though Kyp didn't get along with the majority of his fellow Jedi, he still felt a certain kinship with them – they were all Jedi after all, and he felt a duty to defend them against hostile outsiders.

Listening as intently as he was, Kyp was fairly inching past the table. Ahead of him, Kadra slowed, shooting a quick glance over her shoulder.

Kyp's slow walking, as it was, turned out to be a very bad idea, as the man who had first spoken looked up and spotted him in the aisle between tables. "Blast it! There's one of those damned Jedi right there!" Completely tactless, he raised a finger and pointed it directly at Kyp.

As one, the man's colleagues at the table turned to stare at Kyp, and Kyp froze for a split second. Then in one huge step, he crossed the aisle to their table. He almost felt pity for them. They had picked the wrong 'damned Jedi' to mess with. Kyp, unlike some of his fellow Jedi, was not diplomatic in any way, and he was immature enough to start bar brawls if it got his point across.

Kyp laced his fingers behind him at the small of his back, sweeping his cape behind him so the silver hilt of his lightsaber glittered clearly in the light, and tipped his chin down. "Yeah, I'm one of those 'damned Jedi' you were talking about. You have a problem with us? 'Cause I'm more than willing to talk about it." Yeah, right, he was willing to talk. Kyp was just looking for a slightly good excuse to punch out these bigots the way they deserved.

The personnel at the table seemed momentarily stunned by his audacity, and Kyp sensed others at tables around them turning to look at them. He ignored them.

The brunette broke the silence first, turning to one of the other men seated with her. "Isn't that Durron?" she asked, even as she kept her eyes on Kyp. "The one who blew up Carida?"

Kyp felt his face flush hot as a wave of tangled emotions poured over him. He hated it when people spoke about him as if he wasn't there, and what she had said…

Just what he needed to make feel very guilty and very angry, and just what his unofficial date of sorts needed to hear about him right now.

"Yes, it's Durron, Elian," the man said, his eyes full of hate and scorn as he gazed at Kyp. "He's one of the more famous Jedi." He said the word 'Jedi' as if it was a curse word.

Kyp could feel Kadra had stopped walking. She was leaning against a table three down from him, watching. Kyp ignored her for the moment.

"I can't believe you would actually come down here," the brunette woman Elian said, staring at Kyp. "Who do you think you are?"

Kyp smirked. "And I can't believe I'm talking to such a snotty little brat like you either. Yet here I am." He threw his head back in mock exasperation. "Such is the life of a Jedi Master."

Calling the brunette a 'snotty little brat' was apparently too much for the first man, who didn't get the hint at all. With a cry of rage, he leaped to feet to punch Kyp in the face.

But Kyp was ready for this. With Force – assisted agility he slid gracefully out of the man's way, and since the man had placed a great deal of momentum into the punch, he overshot Kyp to land on his face in the aisle with a yelp.

Kyp laughed, looking down at the man. He nudged him in the ribs just a little too hard with the toe of his boot. "You fight like a girl! I'm sure that really impressed your girlfriend."

With an arrogant smile Kyp turned back to the man's colleagues, who were all glaring daggers at him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Kadra smack her forehead and shake her head. "Anyone else want to try me?"

As one, all of the table's remaining five occupants jumped up at him.

Kyp grinned. This was going to be fun.

Almost before one of the men was out of his chair Kyp reached out with the Force, picked him up – relishing the man's scream – and tossed him over towards the bar, not caring where he fell in the least. Kyp physically went at another pair, punching one man hard in the jaw so that his head snapped back and he staggered into the table, and elbowing the second hard in the solar plexus. He kicked the next man hard in the groin, enjoying his cry, and then picked the girl up and threw her across the room like a doll with the Force.

And then, laughing, he spun to confront the others as they came at him from other tables. The air grew full of fists and kicks, and Kyp could barely stop laughing as he took out one opponent after another. It had been too long since he'd had a good brawl like this. Too bad some of the more pugnacious members of the Dozen weren't there to enjoy it too.

Master Luke Skywalker would have been horrified to see him doing this, but Kyp didn't care. He had grown tired of being a good little Jedi, plus he was having too much fun.

=()=

Perched atop the marble counter of the bar, legs crossed at the ankles and dangling over the ledge, Kadra sipped at a fizzy purple drink and watched the fight. From just being Kyp against those jumping him, the bar fight, as bar fights usually did, had expanded and escalated into being various personnel against one another as well as against Kyp. Kadra couldn't tell if some of the personnel were fighting because they were pro – Jedi or if there were other feuds. Built –up stress sometimes exploded after a battle.

There was actually something exhilarating about fights like these, and a couple years ago Kadra might gotten involved, even though she sucked in hand – to – hand combat. It was just a bar fight after all, and ones in military bars like this one never got as bad as those in cantinas in places like Coruscant's Undercity back when it had still existed or some places in Hutt Space. A black eye and some bruises were all she had ever gotten in a fight like this.

But she was not a GA personnel, and thus if, Force forbid, it was found out she had been involved in a brawl on a GA ship, things wouldn't be pretty for her at all. General Bel Iblis might even put her in the brig for a while if he found out what she'd done, and there would be other punishments. Kadra didn't want to stain her so far perfect naval record with a stupid, avoidable incident like getting involved in a bar fight, so she sat tight.

Besides, she was…enjoying watch Kyp fight, because sweet Sith, there was no other way to say it but that Kyp looked beautiful when he fought. He looked like a cross between a dancer and some sort of wild animal, in perfect control of every part of his body. Laughing, as he twisted and turned, meeting every opponent who dared throw himself or herself at him. He was obviously enjoying himself, and Kadra had a feeling that he could fight for a long time if he wanted.

Presently Kyp leaped up, kicking two opponents out of his way as he rose, and agilely backflipped to stand on a table. His cape billowed out behind him dramatically, his hair falling into his face as he leaned down to laugh at yet another man challenging him. He seemed to feel Kadra's stare on him, looked up for an instant, and caught her eye. He winked, and then someone jumped up onto the table behind him. Kyp didn't deign to look behind him, he simply waved a hand and the man flew across the room and crashed into a serving droid carrying a tray of drinks. Multicolored liquid flew everywhere, and man and droid crashed to the ground.

Kadra shook her head; her face ached from grinning. This was just too much fun to watch, even if it was very, very naughty.

Plus, it was helping to take her mind off the ache lingering around her heart.

=()=

The adrenaline roaring through Kyp's veins spiked as he sensed security personnel approaching the Pinwheel to break up the fight. Kyp knew it was time for him to get out of here; he wasn't about to be caught in this situation. Kicking the man in front of him out of his way, he drew a quick Force Cloak around himself and began threading his way towards the entrance. The Force Cloak wasn't a complete one, just enough to make sure that he was really unremarkable to those around him, sufficient for getting him the short distance to the door. Once outside the door, he dropped the Force illusion and sighed, glancing back over his shoulder for Kadra almost as an afterthought.

She probably didn't want to see him anymore anyway, but then presently Kadra glided out of one of the side entrances of the bar, glanced both ways quickly, spotted him, and walked over, shaking her head with a smirk.

Apparently she wasn't as angry as he'd feared she'd be. In fact, the predominant emotion he could sense from her was genuine amusement. Below that there were…other emotions, but they felt blurred and Kyp decided not to probe her further.

"Kyp," Kadra said as she came up, then glanced over her shoulder and jerked her head, indicating he was to follow her. Kyp obliged as she began swiftly making her way deeper into the entertainment sector, trying to stay to the edge of the crowd. When they were a distance from the Pinwheel, Kadra turned towards him at last, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"You really didn't need to start that fight, you know," she said reproachfully.

"I had to defend myself," Kyp said, feeling his face redden as he remembered the female officer's insults.

"Admit it, Kyp. You provoked them. You wouldn't have had to fight if you'd just walked away the way you should've."

"It's in my nature to be provoking," Kyp replied. "I'm the thorn in the ass that makes everybody uncomfortable. No one's ever known quite what to do with me."

"What about your position on the Council?" she asked. "I'm sure that girl will be more than happy to tell the security personnel all about you, maybe even…embellish some of what you said to make it more terrible. Plus there were security cameras in there. What are you going to do when that gets back to the Chief of State or somebody else in the GA government?"

Kyp shrugged uncomfortably. He hadn't really thought about that. "I'll get out of it somehow. I've gotten out of…worse things."

Kadra wasn't finished lecturing him yet. "That was immature," she said. "Aren't you like, forty or something?"

Kyp turned to her with flashing eyes. He knew what she was doing. "I'm thirty – five, Kadra!" Not to be outdone, he continued. "And I've always suspected you were one of those women who's like fifty but uses beauty products to-"

"Are you sure you want to finish that sentence?" Kadra asked, voice dangerously soft.

Kyp considered, then decided he'd already made his point and the pain she might inflict on him wouldn't be worth the pleasure of insulting her. "Uhm, no."

"I thought so," Kadra purred, bringing her face so close to his he could see her silver eye shadow sparkle. "You how girls get when guys…insinuate things about...how we look. You know better than to do that, don't you?"

"Well, it's not every day I get to see a Colonel acting like an alley cat," Kyp shot back, aware even as the words left his mouth that he might pay rather dearly for them.

To his surprise, Kadra just shrugged, completely unperturbed. "My mother was a streetwalker. The street rat, alley cat type. If I look like an alley cat, then I'm just a chip off the old block."

"Your mother was a streetwalker?" Kyp had never given much thought to what kind of family Kadra had, but he would've thought her mother was the…respectable type. But then Kadra would have to have learned how to dress and flirt from someone.

"Yup," Kadra said. "She grew up on the streets of Kiffu during the Dark Times, quick with her fists and quicker with her tongue."

So that was where Kadra had gotten her sharp tongue from – her mother.

Kadra was smiling almost nostalgically. "My father used to say that he wouldn't have known what to do with my three sisters and I if he hadn't had practice with my mother first." She suddenly seemed to realize she had volunteered quite a bit of information about her family and turned a questioning gaze on Kyp. "What about your family?"

Dangerous territory, must go back. "They're all dead." As far as Kyp knew there were no Durrons connected to him left in the galaxy, and the way things were going for him, the Durron line was fated to die with him. Perhaps it was better for the galaxy that way.

Kadra's intense dark eyes softened. "I'm sorry."

Kyp shrugged, uncomfortable with her sympathy. "It was a long time ago."

Kadra shot him a sharp, searching look. "That doesn't mean you don't miss them."

Kyp said nothing to that, and Kadra seemed to sense he wanted to change the subject. "If you were one of the personnel under my command, you wouldn't get away with starting a fight," she remarked.

Kyp glanced at her, curious in spite of himself. "What would you do to me?"

"Well, I'd put you in the brig for a day with nothing to eat or drink. Then you'd do refresher duty for three weeks. If you were good during the first week, no complaining or clogging your fellow personnel's toilets or anything, I might let you clean my personal refresher for the remaining two weeks in addition to your normal daily quota. "

Kyp blinked. "So, let me get this straight. I'd get more work for being a good little latrine cleaner?"

Kadra gave him a look that was positively royal. "Cleaning my personal refresher is an honor which should not be underestimated."

Kyp gaped at her. "Are you a lost member of the Hapan royal family or something?"

"No, I'm a Kiffar and I think you know that. I know I have the hair, but why would I be Hapan?"

"Listen to yourself! 'Cleaning my personal refresher is an honor!' That's…so arrogant."

Kadra grinned evilly at him. "I don't think you're qualified to talk about arrogance, Master Jedi."

Kyp scowled, knowing she was right. "I guess I can be thankful I'll never have to clean your refresher, then."

"Oh, you never know," Kadra said sweetly. "I might bribe Master Luke Skywalker into sending you over to clean it – just so I can sit and laugh at you as you scrub the floors. I don't get much amusement, you know."

Kyp could feel his face reddening. He could actually imagine Kadra perched on the counter next to the sink, swinging those killer legs, laughing her head off. "I'm not a refresher cleaner."

"Why not? Aren't Jedi supposed to have many talents?"

Kyp whirled on her. "Stop mocking me."

"Okay, okay," Kadra held up her hands in a gesture of peace.

Silence fell, and Kyp began to feel a little guilty. It wasn't too often he met someone – much less a girl – who was willing to talk to him civilly right from the moment they met, and he supposed he should be grateful that Kadra was…nice to him.

"Do you still want to play sabacc?" Kyp asked, almost tentatively. He looked around. "They're bars all over here. I'm sure a couple of them have sabacc tables."

"Nah," Kadra said, glancing at her chrono, and Kyp sensed their time together was winding down. He was a little surprised to find that he was going to miss her company. No matter how annoying she could be, he had to admit Kadra had a good sense of humor. "That fight you got into was amusing enough for me. Besides, I don't think either of us were" – she shot him a sweet, veiled look out from the corner of her eye –"willing to pay the prices we had set. I've got to get back to my shuttle to fly back to the Fury in a little while, so let's just grab some ice cream or something and call it a night."

"Okay," Kyp said. "I'm paying, then."

Kadra aimed another dazzling smile at him, fluttering her long, thick black mascara – covered eyelashes, and Kyp cursed himself as he felt his face redden – again. "How chivalrous. Thank you."

Kyp wasn't quite sure what to say to that, so he just shrugged.

=()=

The setting of the square booth at the café was very intimate, the darkened interior lit only by a pair of tall, flickering red candles on either side of a vase of lilies. Kadra knew the setting was supposed to feel romantic, but as it was, it was only making her feel uncomfortable.

Kyp had chivalrously opened the door for her when they entered the booth, and as she brushed past him she gotten a whiff of his scent, which turned out to be even headier than it had smelled earlier when she'd run into him at the bar. It was a very intoxicating scent, Corellian spice mixed with sweat and masculine pheromones…

Great. She'd been around the Jedi Master far too long if she was starting to think about how he smelled.

You've made such a FOOL of yourself tonight. Much as Kadra hated to admit it, even to herself, she had acted like an 'alley cat' tonight. When was the last time she'd been so obscenely flippant and...flirty?

Kadra fought the urge to fidget as it occurred to her how horrible it would be if one of the higher – ranking officers she'd socialized with during the past month or one of the personnel under her command walked in and saw her sitting with Kyp in this romantic little booth wearing this skimpy outfit. I'd probably just die on the spot.

What was it about Kyp that effortlessly cracked her carefully maintained control? What was it about him that made her mouth kick into gear before her head did, when it was usually the other way around? He wasn't nice; he was a snarky bad boy with over twenty – five million skeletons in his closet. Kadra would never admit it, but Kyp Durron scared her. Her nerves always felt as if they were wound tight, about to snap, whenever he was near. Then why ever did she even bother to talk to him?

Maybe it was so easy to talk to him because she didn't have anyone else to really talk to. Sure she could talk to her parents or sisters, but…they had their own problems, and she often couldn't send them messages for fear of the enemy tracking her transmissions. And as for those in her fleet…that was out of the question. She felt awkward talking to those of her rank because they were so much older than her. She felt awkward talking to those around her age because she felt they resented her for being so far above them. General Garm Bel Iblis was the only one she felt she had a true rapport with, and she dared not get any closer to him than she was already. There were enough rumors circulating that they were sleeping together as it was.

"Are you going to order anything?"

Kadra flinched at the sound of Kyp's voice. She'd gotten so caught up in her thoughts she hadn't even noticed when a serving droid placed a menu in front of her. Quickly, she snatched up the menu and began scanning it.

"Dame's Delight, Parson's Pleasure, Cafarel's Cream, Death By Chocolate, Tombstones…." Kadra read aloud off the menu. "…why are all the names of these ice cream flavors either all about pleasure or just plain morbid?"

Across the table from her, Kyp shrugged, eyes on his own menu. "Dramatic effect?"

"Probably." Kadra glanced back down at her own menu, sighing. She was hesitant to order a dessert whose name was a reference to Zeltron…prostitutes, but the chocolate – chip studded deep pinkness of the Cafarel's Cream looked too good to pass up.

Presently, the serving droid whirred up to take their orders. "Good evening, gentleman and lady. What will your orders be tonight?"

"Cafarel's Cream, number 09," Kadra said.

"Death By Chocolate, number 10," Kyp said. "I'm paying." He extended a credit chip towards the droid, who received it with a mechanical arm, secreted it somewhere inside its body and then produced another credit chip – Kyp's change – and gave it to him. "Thank you for your time," the droid said. "I will arrive with your desserts shortly."

With a small sigh Kadra perched her elbow on the tabletop in front of her, resting her chin in the palm of her hand. Wisps of her her flame – red hair brushed the tabletop. With her other hand she traced idle designs on her menu, picking up memories of her own search for the perfect dessert embedded within the plastic surface.

Against all odds she had enjoyed tonight's…escapades. The flirting with Kyp, wandering the entertainment sector…kriff, she had even enjoyed watching Kyp fight.

Thinking of the fight, Kadra suddenly felt exhausted. That brunette back at the Wheel had been rude, but she'd been telling the truth. And as for what the man had said earlier…well, she agreed with it to an extent. Again the Jedi were being hailed as heroes at the end of this campaign, while the non – Jedi's contributions were overlooked, their sacrifices forgotten…

"Credit for your thoughts?" Kyp's deep, drawling voice broke the silence and Kadra flinched.

She shrugged, deliberating avoiding meeting Kyp's eyes. "Just thinking about what one of the men back at the Pinwheel said."

Kadra felt, rather than saw, Kyp's eyebrows rise. "Which one?"

Kadra forced herself to meet the Jedi Master's eyes. "The first one. The one who said the Jedi take the credit for the battles we've won in this war."

"And?"

Kadra turned her head away from Kyp, pressing the side of her face against the back of her chair, feeling her neck muscles stretch. She could feel his eyes on her, and at last she turned back to him, shaking her head slightly. "I agree with him. To an extent."

Kyp scowled at her. "Why?"

His scowl had the counterintuitive effect of emboldening her. She sat up a little straighter. "Because. Take this past campaign for an example. You see all the captains and admirals and everyone praising the Jedi Solos, but so far I haven't seen or heard of much acknowledgement of the non – Jedi's contributions and sacrifices that helped win the battle. Most of the time, it's all about the Jedi and what they've done." Kadra crossed her arms. "And you aren't the only ones who can be heroes."

Kyp seemed to almost not know what to say to that. "We're doing our best to serve all the people of the galaxy. It's not an easy job."

"No, it's not. But there are a lot of non – Jedi trying to save the galaxy too – like me. It doesn't feel good when our efforts and sacrifices are overlooked."

"I don't see the overlooking you're talking about. Are you trying to tell me something, or do you just have a problem with Jedi?" Kyp's voice was growing dangerous.

Kadra's narrowed her eyes across the table at Kyp. "I don't have a problem with Jedi. I have a problem with people acting as if it's only the Jedi fighting the Vong and bending at every turn to please them. Shut up for a moment, Kyp" – Kadra held up a hand as Kyp started to open his mouth –"and listen to me. I remember during that first meeting when I'd just arrived on Tatooine, Wes Janson said that we should finish the campaign quickly because Anakin Solo and his friends were still on leave. How does that sound to you?"

"What's wrong with that? They were sacrificing their leave time-"

Kadra felt pure anger spike in her chest and cut Kyp off. "Are you covering your eyes with your Jedi cape, or do you just not hear yourself?" she snapped. "The campaign started off rushed because of Anakin Solo's...ambition, and if something had gone wrong a lot of people would have died. And do you think I give a flying kriff about Jedi leave time? Billions of people involved in this war have had no leave since the war started – how do you think they would have felt if they what Wes said? I have a cousin who's a doctor who works at a major hospital on Denon. He works day and night trying to save lives, and I know he never gets leave. I can only imagine how furious – and rightly so – he would have been if he heard Wes's remark. I know Wes didn't mean anything by it at all, but still!"

"I'm not one for delusions, Kadra," Kyp said coldly. "It sounds to me like you just have an attitude problem." Despite his words, Kadra could see a crack in his bluster.

"Oh? I have an attitude problem? I think we're forgetting which order of saber – wielding monks has been getting up on a very high horse these days…"

The droid chose that moment to interrupt, pushing a repulsortray in front of it holding Kyp and Kadra's desserts. It unloaded them in front of its customers. Kyp ignored the droid entirely, but Kadra managed to say, "Thank for your service."

"You are welcome. Is there anything else you require?" the droid asked. Kadra felt almost as if it was lingering and gestured impatiently. "No thank you. That's all."

"Very well," the droid said, and flew off. Kadra looked down at her Cafarel's Cream. It looked lovely, and smelled just as good. Deciding she might as well enjoy the dessert, Kadra dug her spoon in and placed a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. It was wonderful, but the anger closing up her throat made it ever so slightly hard to swallow.

"Resorting to insults now, Colonel?" Kyp's voice was icy. "What high horse, pray tell, have we been riding?"

Kadra took her time answering, delicately scooping and eating spoonfuls of her ice cream, just to show her contempt. At last she raised her eyes to see that Kyp had not even touched his ice cream. He was staring at her, waiting for her response. "You Jedi sometimes act like you know what is best for everyone, and we're supposed to just accept it-"

"Wait a minute," Kyp interrupted. "What are we talking about now? Stay on the subject, which was Jedi leave," he gave her a challenging look.

Kadra felt her anger grow exponentially. "We are now discussing the High Council, Jedi Master Durron. So as I was saying…"

"What does the High Council have to do with anything? You have a problem with the High Council?" Kyp asked. Kadra sensed he was taking pleasure in interrupting her, so she shot him a fierce glare.

The glare must have been very terrible, because Kyp actually paled a little. Kadra gave him a deadly smile, knowing her eyes were shooting sparks, and continued. "So, as I was saying, the High Council. Yes, I do have a problem with the High Council. That Council is probably the most prominent example of Jedi domination around right now, and I'm sure you would be able to understand that."

Kyp clenched a fist on the table, and Kadra saw his ice cream bowl begin to bend. She took the time to eat more ice cream. "Why 'Jedi domination'?" he ground out through gritted teeth. "Why are you saying this, Kadra?"

Kadra sensed Kyp was feeling hurt and betrayed by her words and felt grim satisfaction well up inside her. Good. "The Jedi Order isn't up to what, two hundred individuals, yet Jedi make up half the Council. Reminds me of some Imperial policies of long ago. How can the composition of the High Council possible be considered fair?"

"We serve the Force," Kyp snapped, avoiding the question entirely. "I don't see why you're comparing us to the likes of the Emperor." He said 'Emperor' as if it was a curse word.

"You're avoiding the question!" Kadra snapped back. "Because you know I'm right. Planets with populations in the billions and trillions aren't nearly as well represented on the High Council as the Jedi, who number around two hundred individuals. The High Council is not a High Council; it is a Jedi Council that happens to have a few non – Jedi on it. And as for serving the Force – well, if you serve the Force, then why do you make up half the council that runs the galaxy's biggest government? You look like an order of arrogant, well – armed monks!"

"Arrogant monks? You have problems, Colonel," Kyp stared into Kadra's eyes, and she was suddenly nearly overcome with a desire to hurl Kyp's bowl of ice cream into his face. And then hit him with something heavy, like a chair.

Kyp's eyes narrowed. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Kadra."

Kadra realized he must have seen her intentions and resisted the urge to throw the vase of lilies at him in fury. "You heard me! The Jedi have far too much power on the High Council. You know it. 'Trust us, we know what is best for you' – that's the attitude you have! That is arrogance! We all saw how Luke Skywalker walked all over Borsk Fey'lya – Force rest his soul – back when he was still in power. The Jedi are getting deferential treatment from the GA, and it's not fair!"

"Is that why you and your relic of a general run your own private war?"

"Don't call General bel Iblis a relic," Kadra seethed. "But yes. General bel Iblis saw the ineptitude and corruption of the Provisional Council back when it was still a ruling body, and we don't like the way the GA kisses the Jedi's butts, so we're on our own. I mean, just look at it. I saw the way the Bothans were kowtowing to the Solos during this campaign, and if the HoloNet broadcasts are any indication, there's plenty more of it going on. More importantly, I don't know of any checks to remove a Jedi member of the Council if he or she commits crimes, I don't know of any limits on what you can do, and you don't answer to anyone. To me, it looks almost as if you are running the Council, which for all we care might be what you are doing! Tell me; were the Jedi members of the Council elected to their positions?"

Kyp's face was nearly white as he stared at her. "No. Luke chose who he thought would be best."

"See? The people you claim to serve didn't even get any say in who was to rule them. How is that…Council possibly even remotely fair? If I were a senator in the Senate, I know I wouldn't trust the Jedi on the Council at all. Yes everyone is equal, but some are more equal than others. You Jedi are monopolizing the power of the Council the way roba monopolize a farmyard." Kadra knew that remark was pushing it, but she was so angry she almost didn't care.

Kyp's eyes flashed in outrage. "You're comparing us to roba?"

"Yes, I am," Kadra said, holding Kyp's furious dark gaze with her equally enraged one. She suddenly felt unbelievably frustrated. Kyp had…avoided almost every one of her questions and accusations, and what was she going to do when the person she was trying to make see the faults of the Council didn't want to acknowledge the truth, even though it was directly under his nose? She might as well be talking to a block of wood.

Kadra stabbed her spoon into her ice cream. She hadn't even finished half of it. "If Luke just picked who he wanted for the Council, then I see how you got onto the Council," she muttered.

For a moment time seemed to slow, and then abruptly, everything seemed to freeze. Kadra heard her own words echo in her ears, and realized what she'd just said. She put a spoonful of her ice cream into her mouth, but it stuck in her throat and burned in her chest as it went down.

Carefully, Kadra peeked up at Kyp through her eyelashes. He was staring at her with an expression of pure shock that matched the shock that was fast enveloping her. Kadra suddenly knew she had to leave. This evening had not ended the way she wanted it to, and she sure didn't want to be around if or when Kyp's temper exploded. She swung her legs out from under the table and stood up in the booth.

She hesitated for a moment, then pulled out a credit chip from a small purse attached to her belt, enough to pay for her dessert, and all but threw it down in front of Kyp before hurrying out the entrance of the booth on rubbery legs.

She looked back over her shoulder once she was a few meters away from the booth, and Kyp was sitting very still where she'd left him, staring at the credit chip she'd contemptuously flung before him.

Kadra felt a sudden urge to start crying coming over her, and crushed it back before any tears could even wet her eyes. She turned and walked away as fast as possible.

Once outside the café, Kadra looked around quickly and then broke into a light jog. She didn't think Kyp would come after her, but he was unpredictable, and she wasn't going to stick around to find out.

=()=

Back in the booth, still feeling as if someone had shoved a lightsaber into his chest, Kyp watched as Kadra's slender form vanished out the door of the café, leaving nothing but the scent of her jewelfruit perfume behind.


A/N: That was FUN to write; I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.:) If you can, please leave me a review and tell me what you thought of it; constructive criticism is more than welcome.

Kadra Bres belongs to An Origami Fish; many thanks to him for allowing me to borrow her and play around in his A Destiny Altered universe!

Some trivia...cafarels are Zeltron prostitutes, and roba are the Star Wars equivalent of...pigs. For some reason, I imagine Kadra speaking with a slight Russian accent; I am officially obsessed with accents.:P

Kadra's remark comparing the behavior of the Jedi on the High Council to...pig behavior, her comment about the Jedi looking like 'arrogant, well - armed monks', her comment about some people on the Council being 'more equal than others', and her comment about the Jedi adopting the attitude of 'Trust us, we know what is best for you' were all inspired/quoted from comments/remarks made by a fellow aDA reader, SiouxFan, on the A Destiny Altered universe forum. Many thanks to him for allowing me to quote from his remarks!

Sometime in the future (hopefully soon), I'll be posting a fic, tentatively titled "Reactions" that will tell what happens to Kyp and Kadra after the events of 'Rendezvous.' It will expand on Kyp and Ryza's relationship, and introduce member(s) of Kadra's family.