Log Date:
	5/6/99

Log Cast:
	Athena, Karm (NPC), Ariani (NPC), Shenner, Emma (NPC), Dillon, Jairen

Log Intro:
	Ever since the battle that freed Plaxton City from the Empire,
the survivors of the war have been coming out of hiding to make sure that
they can indeed rebuild their homes and workplaces and get on with their
lives. In one particular well-known bar in the Fountain Square, efforts
have been underway now to get the place rebuilt -- and a surprising number 
of volunteers have managed to show up to hasten the Sandbar's reconstruction
along.
	In the midst of it all, Shenner has been having to wrestle with
assorted changes in her life that the war's brought on. Her lead singer --
and her beloved friend -- Rekkie has been killed. Another friend, Aidon
Semmes, was wounded in the Battle of Liberation, though he's done his best
to shrug it off; Aidon has, however, abruptly vanished off again on business,
but not without leaving Shen the surprising gift of a commlink, the sort
of thing clearly intended for wealthy ladies.
	And Shen still hasn't quite figured out what in the world possessed
Jairen Windchaser, who has declared her a 'Warrior-ess of the Jaer of the
Tribe Windchaser, Clan CloudStrider, and Initiate in the Order of the Grooved
Blade'. She is, however, about to begin to find out...

----------
Athena enters slowly the sand bar, opening its door peeking since, as she 
  calls softly, "Hello? Anybody at home?" she asks and steps finally inside, 
  looking carefully wherrs he steps into.

Well, in so much as the Sandbar -- now that there's a proper building here 
  again -- is 'home' to what's left of its staff and the members of the band, 
  then indeed, there's somebody home. The front door's currently under the 
  watchful eye of Karm a-Veris, as the tall and lanky horn player is occupied 
  applying a cleaning agent to the massive marble bar, taking off myriad burn 
  marks that scorch its surface. "The bar is closed, madam," she calls out in 
  her deep accented tones.

Ariani, Shenner, and Emma are all in the room, too; Ariani's directing a pair 
  of droids involved in putting up wood panelling along one of the walls, 
  while Shen and Emma seem to be occupied putting a table together. Three 
  pairs of eyes all turn in Athena's direction, though, as Karm calls out.

Athena oohs and smiles softly at the "door guard". "Oh hello.. I didn't wanted 
  to interrupt, I just came by and wondered whether I could helped... you know 
  the Sand Bar and esp Ariani helped me so much during the war,providing the 
  kids always with some milk, that I am deeply inthe debt here." she tries to 
  explain blushing why she came.

Well, unlike during the war, Karm is not parked at the door with a rifle in 
  her muscular brown arms, though she has been and continues to keep an eye on 
  it. She merely inclines her braided and beaded dark head to Athena, though, 
  while Ariani calls over, "Well, if you want to help put a few more tables 
  together, you're welcome to take a crack at it. We've got... how many, Shen?"

"Three left, I think," the redheaded singer chimes in, from where she kneels 
  on the floor using a multitool to properly attach a table leg to the table 
  she and Emma are assembling. Shenner glances Athena's way and nods evenly to 
  her by way of greeting; Ariani's little sister, on the other hand, flashes a 
  sunny smile and a wave.

Athena smiles and waves with her left hand back to Emma, saying softly, 
  "Heya!" Before she moves over to Shen, "Ho you too, well how can I help? You 
  know I am not a great mechanic, but I dont mind really to get on my knees 
  and dirty." she offers softly.

Shenner straightens from her crouch, settling back to sit on her heels, and 
  she rolls her shoulders in a shrug. "Not much to know," she says gruffly. 
  "Put the table together, screw in the screws, flip it over, ya got a table."

Emma puts in with a giggle, "We actually got the instructions decoded this 
  morning, and we picked up all the screws the cleaning droid spit out, so 
  it's been going a lot faster. Here!" She presents a somewhat rumpled 
  flimsiplast of instructions on how to get a table out of the assemblage of 
  parts scattered around on this area of the floor.

Athena accepts the small sheet by Emma, glancing shortly on it before she 
  looks at the scattered pieces, sighing deeply... asking soflty, "Isn't it 
  not just easier to buy new ones?" she asks and looks at Emma and Shenner, 
  her expression on her face not easily to read whether this was now serious 
  or a joke. Athena smiles at Emma, want to help me, I bet you know better 
  what parts we need form these assamble." she grins.

"We got these cheaper 'cause they weren't assembled," Shenner says dryly, 
  turning to attach the table's third leg. "'Course, the trader didn't tell 
  Ariani the instructions were written in Ancient Jawa, but well hey, you get 
  what you pay for."

And again, Emma giggles. "Oh, it's really easy, here, look--" And she points a 
  dainty finger at a hastily sketched but still rather clear diagram. She also 
  offers Athena her own multitool, handle first. "Just follow the printout! 
  Shen and I put together five of these things this morning." Her youthful 
  face is full of pride.

Shenner's mouth curls up briefly on one end, and she casts a mild, amused 
  glance at the other young woman. Apparently, the redheaded singer has at 
  least a bit of appreciation for Emma's enthusiasm.

Athena deeply and long siiighs in played resignation "Well then I think its 
  too late to escape now..." she chuckles back at Emma nd smiles at Shen, 
  "Okay here I go..." she says and gets a few pieces out of the garbage 
  thinkingthese are the right ones. So she sits down onher dirty floor, not 
  caring for her expensive clothes and tries to attach the first leg on it, 
  soonly cursing old Coruscantian idioms as she jits her finger with the 
  multitool.

Dillon enters the Sandbar.
Dillon has arrived.

Well, the dust of a number of fresh planks of wood -- and one must wonder how 
  many credits Ariani shelled out to get actual wood in here -- does litter 
  the floor near the open table carton. But aside from that, the floor's 
  reasonably clean, probably due to the third droid in the room who makes 
  periodic sweeps of the place, taking care of sucking up random bits of 
  debris and who once stops to accept what's left of a rag from Karm. The horn 
  player is still diligently working away at scrubbing the marble surface of 
  the bar, her hands protected by thin gloves.

Still, though, neither Emma nor Ariani nor Shenner seem particularly bothered 
  by the amount of detritus created by their remodelling efforts. As Ariani 
  continues to call out instructions to the droids helping her re-panel the 
  wall, Emma beams and chatters encouragements to Athena. And Shen, as the 
  newcomer manages to enact that less than friendly interaction between her 
  finger and her tool, merely sticks a hand in a pocket of her fatigues, pulls 
  out a small packet with a sterilized bandage in it, and holds it out to the 
  other woman.

Athena smirks and looks the index of her right hand, where she hit with her 
  mutlitool and suddenly the open wound isn't bleeding very much but a shining 
  object is just visible under the broken skin surface. Athena looks 
  thankfully at Shenner and accepts the bandage murmuring, "Well we dont want 
  to get any dirt inside there... the arm was so expensive enough." she grins 
  and after putting the bandage on she continues to work on the table with the 
  same motivation soonly cheering loudly as the first table leg is attached on 
  the plate. "Hey I got it!!!" she laughs happily and proud about her work, 
  althought the leg isn't attached very straight at all on the table.

A cool breeze entering the room signals the opening of the exterior door, and 
  the enterance of a new patron. The cool breeze seems to reflect the humor of 
  the new arrival, as Dillon bounds in with a jovial step and a gratuitous 
  smile. No longer the nostalgic vistor from two nights previous, his gait 
  leads him directly to Ariani, "From the looks of this place you and your 
  staff have either been working non-stop for the past two days or you know 
  some cleaning rebuilding secrets the rest of the galaxy doesn't." He says 
  endearingly.

Ohhh yeah. Synthetic arm. That she blinks and momentarily looks surprised is a 
  testament to the fact that Shenner had temporarily forgotten that Athena 
  O'Laurin had, in fact, required replacement limbs. "Can't have that," she 
  agrees after a moment, though, quickly regaining her aplomb. And she grins 
  slightly at the other woman's obvious enthusiasm, though it's Emma who 
  actually chatters out vocal support.

"Here," the waitress lass pipes, pointing at the place where the leg is 
  supposed to be joined to the table's surface, "You want another couple of 
  screws there."

And Ariani, in the meantime, turns to survey the newcomer. So does Karm, 
  though the big black woman near the half-scrubbed marble bar merely notes 
  Dillon's presence before returning to her work. As the man comes over, 
  though, the bartender smiles crookedly and says, "We've been at it pretty 
  much non-stop, yeah."

Athena hmms and nods to Emma, she carefully follows her instruction, bititng 
  her lower lip as she works with the multitoool now more carefully as she 
  attaches the missing screws on the plate, and finally the table leg is 
  standing straight into the air, provoking Athy to cheer, "Yeah got it... 
  well at leasst one..." she grins at Emma, "Now lets get the others one as 
  well. " Athy turns for a moment to Ariani and calls softly over at her "Btw 
  how about some free drinks for the hard working girls here?" she chuckles 
  asking but oohs and gets quiet seeing the necomer.

A faint rumbling outside the bar, which began as just the regular murmur of 
  passerbys when the door opens, now grows louder even with the door closed. 
  The low *hum* of repulsor lifts belonging to heavy machinery grow louder and 
  louder, as do the muffled voices of men. As all this is heard, Dillon keeps 
  his gratuitous smile, yet he seems to blush a bit as he launches into an 
  explanation, "Madam, when I was here the other night, I was here as a 
  solitary and nostalgic pilgrim. I took some time off from work to come here 
  and visit Plaxton city to view what I had read about first-hand. I did not 
  know why I had to come here, I just knew I had to." As the muffled voices of 
  men and machinery grow louder still, Dillon's check turns yet another hue of 
  pink, "Since the previous night," his explanantion is interrupted by a loud 
  shout of "Pile that material over there, by that wall!" Dillon's cheek now 
  turns from pink to red, "Well I received some good news. It seems my 
  employer has donated the services of professionals and buidling material to 
  aid in the rebuilding of this planet. I have been granted permission to 
  offer out assistance, and in my haste to help I think I've been a bit 
  foward. As you can hear, the men and material are gathered right outside, 
  but they have strict orders not to commence work until you agree to allow 
  them to. I hope you can forgive my forwardness."

The noise from outside the bar can't help but raise the heads of the 
  bartender, the waitress, and the two musicians. Only the two droids by the 
  wall and the cleaning droid making the rounds and sweeping up the floor 
  continue about their business. Shenner and Emma exchange startled glances, 
  while Karm rises to her full nearly six-foot height, stepping to the door 
  and peering outside with curiously intent black eyes. Ariani, in the 
  meantime, peers with a similiar curious intensity at Dillon. "Who would your 
  boss be?" she inquires after a moment.

Athena watches the man for a few seconds before she comes back to her work, 
  slowly attaching with Emma's help a second leg on the plate. Out of her 
  corner she continues to watch the newcomer wondering about him shaking 
  slowly her head as she must have been wrong.

Shenner, too, gets to her feet, her brow crinkled, surveying Dillon with the 
  same sort of curiosity displayed by the taller musician at the door. "And 
  what's up with wanting to come help rebuild a bar? Your boss one of Rekkie's 
  fans, or just hurtin' to get plastered?"

The restlessness of the workers outside can be felt and heard inside the bar, 
  "You!" shouts a foreman, "Put that vibro-hammer down! You know we're not 
  supposed to start until given the green light!" Dillon's gratuitous smile 
  now turns into an embarressed grin as he confesses, "I myself am just a 
  humble reporter working for the Outer-Rim News Service." He adds with a hint 
  of resentment, "I think they allowed my trip here hoping that I could write 
  something about the devastation and rebuilding." and then returns to his 
  confession, "My immediate supervisor is an old miser named Roark, but above 
  him I loose track of exactly who authorizes the deposits in my account. You 
  see..." He draws out his explanantion, "the Outer-Rim News Service is a 
  subsidiary of some other corporation, which is a subsidiary of some other 
  corporation, which is a subsidiary of some other corporation. Some where 
  along the way, one of those corporations gained a bad image as cold-hearted 
  monopoly. My guess is that this mission of mercy and charity is intended to 
  downplay that image." Turning now to Shenner, he addresses her question with 
  a shrug, "I have no idea who, or how the allocations of building material 
  and men are being made. I just know that the Sandbar had been targeted for 
  assitance and I volunteered to be the one to deliver the good news."

Jairen enters the Sandbar.
Jairen has arrived.

Something in this sets off Shenner's internal bantha-dung alarm; she hadn't 
  survived a year on the streets of Mos Eisley without learning to be 
  suspicious of unexpected largesse. Her eyes narrow as she looks Dillon up 
  and down, and then glances outside at the call of that unidentified voice.

Ariani too looks a little wary, but her expression is a bit more mannerly, 
  still. "We do have some work to do on the place yet," she says after a 
  moment, "but there are a whole helluva lot of homeless people in the city 
  who could use your and your supplies rather more immediately, mister. If you 
  really want to contribute, I'd suggest you check in at the refugee housing 
  developments."

Athena sits on the ground, wokring on a table to get its legs fixed again.

Jairen steps in to the Sandbar... or rather, what's left of it, and looks 
  around. His left hand rests on his sword hilt as usual. In his right hand is 
  a long package wrapped in some cloth. He arches his brows as he glances 
  around at the gathering of men and machines outside, but passess them 
  without a word.

Quite busy, the Sandbar, for a place that isn't actually open for business. As 
  the external door whishes open again, the latest arrival into the building 
  can note the presence of several humans and three droids; Emma and Athena 
  are at work assembling a table, and the young waitress is glancing around 
  periodically with wide curious eyes. Dillon is near Ariani and a pair of 
  droids working on repanelling the wall, and the two appear to be in intent 
  conversation. Shenner has just risen to her feet, and is peering warily at 
  Dillon as well. It is Karm, though, who marks Jairen's entry first, as the 
  big horn player is closest to the door. Her black eyebrows go up, and she 
  immediately calls to Shenner, "Shenneret! This one is for you!"

Shenner blinks, abruptly distracted from her survey of Dillon by Karm's 
  accented tones. Once she spies the swordsman at the door, though, she blinks 
  again, all thoughts of the motivations of the man who's brought the 
  construction crew dropping down a notch on her personal list of priorities. 
  "'Scuse me," she says distractedly to Emma and Athena, and with that, she 
  goes to greet the new arrival. A slight bemused grin curls her mouth, and 
  she can be heard to say gruffly by way of hello, "Jairen... hiya."

Though the mood in the room is strange mixture of the staff's apprehension and 
  the worker's, those men assembled outside the bar, restlessness. Through it 
  all, Dillon remains calm and smiling. In a reassuring tone, he retorts, "The 
  men and machines gathered outside are but just a small fraction of the help 
  proffered by my employers." As the door parts open, he allows himself a 
  quick glance and makes eye contact with one of the foremen. He shakes his 
  head and mouths the words, "Not yet." before turning back to Ariani, "At 
  this very moment, another of my employer's representatives is offering 
  assistance to the President." His tone now turns a bit pleading, as if he 
  feels and shares the workers anxiousness to begin, "Please, accept this 
  humble offer. Crews larger than the ones outside are already at work around 
  Caspar, and the sooner they finish here, the sooner they can move on to the 
  next rebuilding project."

Jairen nods slightly to Shenner with a calm "Greetings, Inititiate." Tosses 
  the long package he has in his hands to her. "Something for you."

Jairen
        Jairen stands about 5'7" tall and has long, sliverish colored hair 
  that comes down to about the middle of his back and is usually worn in a 
  pony tail with a silver clasp. His body, though small, is obviously almost 
  completely muscle. He moves gracefully, almost seeming to glide over the 
  ground, leaving hardly any trace at all as he steps. His eyes are a piercing 
  blue color. They are more almond shaped than perfectly round and seem to 
  have a slight slant to them. The tips of his ears also seem to have a slight 
  point to them, but that could be just a trick of the light.
        He wears rather simple fair, a dark green tunic with a brown leather 
  vest designed to stop knives and such. His brown trousers are made of some 
  sort of leather-ish material, and he wears soft black leather kneeboots that 
  fold down at the top.
        On his left hip is an intracate blade in a scabbard suspended in a 
  baldric. The rapier-like weapon has a swept basket hilt that is ornately 
  carved with scences from what seem to be some sort of story or fairy tale. 
  The blade, when seen, also has ornate engravings in some odd language.
                -=-=-=-=-=-=<<Carried Virtual Objects>>=-=-=-=-=-=-
=> Protective Vest <Worn>
=> Sword 
=> Vibro-Knife 
                  -=-=-=-=-=-=<<Carried Real Objects>>=-=-=-=-=-=-
=> muldes

Athena hmms and remains quiet as she continues to work on the table, but 
  listens carefully to the newcomers, she doesn't want to draw any special 
  attention on herself but searches just her peace. She smiles softly at Emma, 
  asking her whether she could help as she fixes the third leg to the table 
  plate.

Jairen pages: BTW, wrapped in cloth is a rather elaborate Fencing-sabre. It's 
  a little heavier than a RL fencing-sabre, and even the markings on the 
  handguard are similar to Jairs. It is weighted as a real sword.

Jairen places his free hand on his sword hilt and waits for Shen's reaction to 
  the package.

Emma bobs her head to Athena, silently. Apparently the waitress is in 
  agreement with the other woman; for now, as far as Emma is concerned, best 
  to keep her mouth shut and work. Still, though, the young Sarian woman can't 
  help but peek wide-eyedly back and forth between the man addressing her 
  sister... and the individual who's just come into the room and is now 
  addressing Shenner. "Wow," she breathes, though it's hard to say what 
  specifically awes her.

Ariani, in the meantime, glances towards Jairen just long enough to mark his 
  presence. To Dillon, she frowns mildly, obviously trying to figure out what 
  to make of the man, before she finally reluctantly concedes, "Well, I'm not 
  about to turn down help... if your people want to make themselves useful, 
  for starters, they can check the integrity of the outside walls and start 
  prettying them up. We're gonna need help to rebuild the loft, too."

_Initiate...._ Shenner stares at Jairen for a long moment as he proffers that 
  single word, a strange little tangle of reactions crossing her face as she 
  does so. She then blinks as she accepts the item from him, something of her 
  usual unrefinded air falling away from her as she says bemusedly, 
  "Thanks..." Only then does she pull the cloth aside, revealing... a sword. 
  Her breath catches, she blurts then, "Holy suns..."

Athena hmms and follows Emma's glance at the young muscian and raises at once 
  an eyebrow seeing as Shen gets the weapon not liking this idea at all and 
  indicating this by a loud sigh before she turns her attention back on the 
  table, now being motivated to get this finished as soon as poosible.

Karm, a tall dark presence shadowing Shenner, is close enough to the singer to 
  get a good look at what exactly Jairen has bestowed upon her, and the 
  normally unflappable horn player is visibly surprised. This means for Karm, 
  at least, that her dark brows go up over her equally dark eyes, and her eyes 
  widen enough to show the whites around them.

A small, slow smirk touches the corners of the swordsman's mouth, something 
  rare and unsual indeed for someone to see. "I am glad you like it." comes 
  Jairen's musically overtoned voice. "Now... defend yourself..." At that, with 
  no prior warning, Jairen draws the sword at his side and takes a slash at 
  Shenner with it in one smooth, practiced motion.

What perfect timing. No sooner has Ariani assented to Dillon's offer, than 
  does a foreman open the door and inquire in rustic tones, "Yo boss, what the 
  deal?" At that very same moment, a beaming smile lights up Dillon's face and 
  his demeanor is one of extreme gratitude, "Thank you. I cannot confer my 
  graitude in words worthy enough." He says hurriedly and then turns to the 
  foreman, "You may commence work. Start by checking the integrity of those 
  outside walls and making any and all repairs necessary. Remember," he adds 
  in a tone of extreme authority, "you are now at the disposal of this lady." 
  he says referring to Ariani, "until the job is finished. When you have 
  finished, check back in with the relief center to get your next assignment." 
  The foreman nods simply, providing a rural balance to Dillon's extreme 
  formality and courtesy, "Will do." Before even allowing the door to open, he 
  is already shouting orders at the men standing around, "Alright! We gotta 
  check to see if these plaster cakes will hold up. It wouldn't do to have 
  this place cave in on us as we're sittin around havin a drink now would it? 
  Get to work you filthy animals!" A loud and collective grunt of acceptance 
  is the only reply as the men hurry to fulfill their orders. In the meantime, 
  Dillon has once again returned his attention to Ariani and gratiously says, 
  "I hope you will excuse me for the moment, as I cannot stay to help in the 
  rebuilding. There are other crews that need to be dispatched and much work 
  to do."

Whoa! No warning, indeed. Shenner has no time to fully unwrap the sword she's 
  been given; nor does she really have time to twist the blade into position 
  in her right hand, the one with which she'd been training, at least before 
  the University had been bombed out of existence and her fencing teacher had 
  perished in the Imperial assault on the Residential District. And 
  accordingly, unthinkingly, the girl grabs the hilt with one hand, bunches up 
  some of the cloth wrapping to protect her palm where she grabs the blade's 
  other end, and brings the sword up fast to keep Jairen from striking home.

Karm is closest to Shenner, and so she reacts first, starting to lunge towards 
  the girl and separate her and the swordsman, but a sharp breathless bark 
  from Shen stops her: "No, no, Karm, it's okay--!"

Eep? Emma's head spins round in Jairen and Shenner's direction, her multitool 
  clattering out of her startled fingers. And Ariani starts at the sound of 
  Jairen's unsheathed blade smacking into Shen's; she, too, instinctively 
  moves towards them, but halts at the redheaded singer's call.

Jairen seems to ignore Karm's near-interferance with the attack(?). However, 
  he does press in, not giving Shenner time to regain her blance. "Lesson one, 
  Initiate." He says in a rather matter of fact tone. "Never be astounded too 
  long at one thing." He drops his tip underneath her blade and swings around 
  from the other side now. "Lesson Two, talk during battle is wasted energy."

Athena watched Emma as before and as she cries out, Athena jumps up, bringing 
  her left hand into her jacket searching for something as she closes her 
  right hand to a fist, ready to strike down any aggressor, but as Emme stops 
  at once she nearly stumbles over her and just stares at the man fighting 
  with the young musician, shouting out loudly in displeaure, Oh goddess, we 
  all just survived a war and who dont search other joy insteet of fighting?" 
  Athy looks at Ariani pleading "Please tell them to do it at least outside... 
  I can't watch this, how somebody can enjoy a fight after such a bloddy war!"

All the commotion inside and outside the Sandbar seem second nature to Dillon 
  as he does not at Jairen's attack upon the young woman. In fact, the only 
  part of his body to actually move is his head, as it follows Ariani still 
  with a gratious smile in place and still awaiting permission to leave.

"Yeah," Ariani mutters distractedly at Dillon, while the optical scanners on 
  all three droids in the room whir around to take in the apparent altercation 
  in mechanical variations on startlement. "Go on, and don't get in their way 
  -- Shen!" This comes out of her in a firm shout, as she takes in Athena's 
  horrified reaction as well. "Shen, and you too, pal, lay off, this isn't the 
  place for it!"

Perhaps it's Ariani's shout that distracts her, or that Shenner _is_ a novice 
  at the art of swordplay, or that Jairen -- as he has already proven once in 
  the Sandbar -- is blindingly fast with that blade of his... Regardless, 
  although Shenner does manage to get her newly gifted blade into something 
  resembling a proper grip, she can't manage to fully block the warrior's 
  second strike. "Shiisa," she hisses involuntarily, the first curse that 
  comes to mind.

It is quite simple how someone might enjoy a fight after such a bloody 
  conflict. Jairen is a Warrior. He has fought more battles and wars for 
  longer than anyone in this room might think possible. Besides, this isn't a 
  fight, it's a lesson. As for taking it outside, with a flick of the wrist in 
  some odd move, Shen's blade flies into the air a good 5 feet and comes down 
  hilt first in Jairen's hand. The edge of his blade is quickly at Shen's 
  throat. "Lesson Three, Always be ready, and never let yourself be 
  distracted."

With a small, yet solemn nod, Dillon makes his way silently out of the bar. 
  Amid the construction calamity outside and Ariani's wrath inside his exit is 
  hardly noticeable except for the suddenly louder sounds of construction as 
  the door opens.
Dillon walks out of the Sandbar and the door closes automatically.
Dillon has left.

Athena hmmpfts and moves over to the so called warrior, her right hand raised 
  to try to slap his left check, growling angered "How dare you even to get 
  Shenner into this madness!" she scowls at him and turns to Ariani, "And you 
  were just watching this insanity?"

Three pairs of eyes -- Ariani's, Emma's, and Karm's -- are now all riveted on 
  Shenner, and Shenner herself has frozen, forgetting to breathe as Jairen's 
  blade stops with exquisite skill, resting against her skin without so much 
  as indenting her flesh. Of all those in the room, only _she_ shows no sign 
  of dismay or shock. Surprise, yes, but that's only part of the tangle of 
  emotions she sitll hasn't quite managed to bury behind her eyes. Only when 
  Athena surges forward does she unthinkingly start, trying to block the older 
  woman from striking the swordsman, though her motions are a trifle off 
  balance since she also strives to avoid slicing herself on that sword-edge 
  at her throat.

Jairen drops his sword quickly as he senses Shenner move, as to keep her from 
  hurting herself. As for Athena, he simply lets himself be struck, that is if 
  Shen doesn't get in the way. He then says, rather unphased. "M'lady, this 
  lesson was to show the point of being ready at all times and that conflict 
  may not come how we expect it, when we'd like it to come, or from the 
  quarter we expect." Turns to Ariani and bows deeply at the waist. "As for 
  the disturbance, I am sorry. From here out, the lessons will be in a much 
  more appropriate location. I beg your forgiveness."

To Athena, out of respect for the woman's clearly offended sensibilities, 
  Ariani says in simple and polite tones, "Shen can cross swords with whoever 
  she pleases, just as long as it doesn't happen in here. If you have a 
  problem with her having a sword in the first place, though, I suggest you 
  take it up with her."

Shenner, in the meantime, as soon as her throat is sword-free, catches 
  herself. Jairen's taken the blow and has delivered his own response, and so 
  the girl throttles down her own instinctive reaction to smack Athena 
  O'Laurin upside the head for hitting a friend of hers. Reminded now of the 
  older woman's apparent disapproval for her participating in the war, the 
  musician scowls and diverts her attention to retrieving the cloth that had 
  been wrapped around her new sword and which had gone flying. Well... most of 
  her attention. She slides Jairen a measuring look as she scoops the cloth up 
  off the floor, the scowl giving way to a grin tugging at one end of her 
  mouth.

With that, Ariani adds to Jairen, "Thanks. I'll appreciate you doing that."

Jairen nods to Ariani, and holds the training sword out to Shenner, hilt first.

Athena doesn't understand that the "warrior" comes so easy away and looks 
  disappointed at the other persons in the bar, as she hoped they would help 
  her until she looks at Shenner and sighs, being really surprised for her 
  urge to fight, asking her softly to try to understand her, "Why... just why 
  are you learning how to kill somebody else? Dont you think can do just much 
  more better things with your music? Remember as you played for the refugees 
  inthe base, this was much more better then one added weapon into the CDU 
  military, so just tell me _why_?"

Shenner's fencing professor had only taught her for a scant three months, but 
  that had been certainly long enough for Shenner to have drilled into her the 
  proper way of passing a blade from hand to hand, even one without a real
  edge. She accepts the hilt of the training sword and gives an even nod to 
  Jairen, by way of a thank-you; her attention, though, is diverted yet again 
  by Athena's anxious questions. With slightly narrowed eyes, the musician 
  looks the other woman up and down, and then stares her steadily in the face. 
  "What makes you think," she replies without batting an eyelash, her tone 
  cool although not yet hostile, "that this is simply about killing people?"

Jairen releases the blade at the nod, putting his own away. Leaving Shenner to 
  deal with Athena, he moves over to where the bar at least used to be. "I 
  suppose it would be difficult to get my usual wine, would it not, m'lady?" 
  he asks Ariani.

"Wow," breathes Emma, very tinily, ducking her head again and hastily 
  finishing up the last of the assembly required on the current table. Then, 
  as unobtrusively as possible, she waves to try to get Karm's attention, 
  miming needing assistance. The horn player gives Athena the sort of 
  measuring stare one might usually see upon a large feline, before loping 
  over to help the smaller woman turn the table upright.

Athena hmms and brings her hands closed to fist on her hips, as she looks 
  seriously at Shenner somehow disappointed by her behavior, esp Shen as 
  musician should know this better, "Then tell me just _one_ reaso why people 
  do train with weapons? And dont come me with such apologies like you have to 
  train your muscles or dexterity... you could train this all by playing your 
  music!" she siighs deeply, "I am neither your mother nor anybody close to 
  you, but it really hurts to see a person who sings about the beauty of peace 
  and the horror of war , practicing fighting herself, so at least think about 
  it!" she says and gets quiet finally.

Ariani's gaze tracks from Shenner to Jairen, as she crosses the room to the 
  half-scrubbed marble bulk of the bar. The scent of the cleaning agent Karm 
  had been using on the marble is still strong in the air; the container that 
  holds the stuff stands on the bartop, once more sealed against accidental 
  spilling. As Ariani comes over, she glances at Athena mildly, keeping her 
  opinions to herself and saying to Jairen in rueful tones, "We're not due yet 
  for new wine supplies for a few days. I've got a small stock of our personal 
  food and drink supplies in the kitchen; we've got cocoa. Tea. Water. A 
  little milk and a little brandy. You're welcome to any of that you might 
  like."

Jairen smiles and shakes his head. "No... that is quite alright, thank you." 
  Looks around. "Do you require assistance?"

Shenner takes all this from Athena, her chin uplifted, as she rewraps the 
  sword that Jairen has given her. She doesn't bother to point out a large 
  number of the thoughts that cross her mind, a large number of arguments 
  refuting Athena's impassioned pleas to her. The redheaded singer _does_, 
  however, say calmly, "I have thought about it. A lot. And no, you're not my 
  mother; I barely know you, and you sure as hell have proven seven or eight 
  times that you don't know the first thing about me. My friends aren't bent 
  out of shape that I picked up a rifle and a blaster in defense of this 
  planet. They aren't bent out of shape about my friend giving me a sword and 
  teaching me how to use it, either. Why are _you_?"

Ariani glances Shen's way as the young musician makes her reply to Athena, and 
  then looks back at Jairen. If the bartender has opinions on this swordsman 
  taking over the task of teaching Shenner how to tell the business end of an 
  archaic weapon from the other, she's keeping them to herself at the moment. 
  "It looks," she says dryly, "like I got more assistance than I was 
  bargaining for, what with the crew that man who was just here dropped off. 
  I'll be going out to keep an eye on their work on the exterior walls. But we 
  got supplies to unpack in here, and the droids need to start on the power 
  systems. We need the sound system up in two days so the band can start 
  rehearsing. Can you do anything that help speed this along?"

Jairen smiles ruefully. "I shall help unpack the supplies. I am not well 
  aquainted with the more technological aspects." With that, he hops over the 
  bar, unbuckles his sword belt and places that and his vibro in a secure 
  location (as secure as he can find) behind the bar, then moves to help 
  unpack.

Athena shrugs and doesn't know it really herself, why she cares so much for 
  the young muscian, perhaps her play back on Etti once reminded her about 
  home. She just smiles softly at Shenner meaning no insult but just cared for 
  the younger one and sighs, she raises her right arm and shrugs, "You wont 
  loose your arm while playing music but war..." before she turns around to 
  the bar and sighs at Ariani, "I I am sorry... I know I shouldn't be lose my 
  temper so, I apologize." she smirks and looks at Emma, smiling at her, "Oh 
  now you nearly finished it, I wasn't a big help was I?" she says 
  disencourage and leave to the exit.

"Oh, you did just fine!" Emma pipes out earnestly, concern written across her 
  youthful face, though she doesn't make any move to stop Athena if departure 
  is what she chooses to do.

Shenner's only reply to Athena's words is a simple, "Rekkie wasn't a soldier, 
  either. And she's dead." Let the woman make of that what she will. Shenneret 
  Veery simply turns, wrapped sword in hand, and strides off to find somewhere 
  safe to place it.

Athena walks out of the Sandbar and the door closes automatically.
Athena has left.

There are a number of boxes stacked up near the entrance to the kitchen, a 
  doorway as of yet still unoccupied by a door. It is to these that Ariani 
  waves Jairen, as long as the swordsman wishes to make himself useful. Labels 
  in both Basic and Sarian, as well as a number of other languages signifying 
  their offworld origins, adorn the various little crates. There's a number of 
  raw ingredients for the making of the simple foodstuffs a place like a bar 
  serves: flour of assorted flavors, a number of vegetables in sealed 
  cold-packs to maintian their freshness, cans of soup in sealed heat-packs, 
  and several containers of makings for tea, coffee, and hot chocolate. 
  There's crates of glasses, too, and eating utensils intended for several 
  species' versions of hands.

Jairen picks up a utility knife and starts to help unpack. The rather distinct 
  lack of his ever-present weaponry makes him look much less menacing (if he 
  ever really looked it) as he opens crates and places things in their 
  appropriate spots, or hands them to others to do so.
The swordsman works without a word.

Two of the droids finish up the repanelling work on the south wall, and whir 
  and slide their way over to the next one to begin installing the wiring 
  cables for the power sockets that need to go there. The third droid, a 
  little cleaning unit, rolls off into the back room in Shenner's wake, 
  intending to make a sweep of the floor back there. Shen returns before it 
  does, the sword safely stowed back there with the instruments she and the 
  others had hauled here from Trinumvira Base, and strides over to join Jairen 
  at his work. It's obvious Shenner knows where all the supplies are intended, 
  and she periodically ducks back into the kitchen to fill up the newly 
  assembled cabinets back there. She, too, is silent. Her mouth is drawn into 
  a short little line, her brows lowered down over green eyes still full of a 
  number of barely suppressed emotions.

Jairen contiues to work, handing supplies to Shenner when appropriate. "You 
  did well, Shenner."

While Emma begins to strike up a tentative conversation with Karm about the 
  plans to erect a holovid theater two blocks away -- "With all the help we're 
  getting, I bet they could do it ahead of schedule, we got more than enough 
  people to build houses _and_ stuff like theaters at the same time, don't 
  we?" -- and while Karm smiles faintly at the bubbly young waitress, Shenner 
  glances sideways at Jairen as she comes out of the kitchen again to open up 
  a new crate. Her brow crinkles anew; this crate has parts for the power 
  system in it. She calls across the room to one of the droids, beckoning it 
  over to take the parts it'll need, and only after it accomplishes this and 
  whirs off about its business does the girl say gruffly to her companion, 
  "Well on my reaction time, or well on not takin' Miz O'Laurin's head off?"

Jairen smiles, handing a packet of silverware to the young redhaired woman. 
  "On the fact that if it had been an actual fight, you would have survived it 
  long enough for your allies to assist you and overwhelm your enemy." 
  retrieves another packet of silverware from the crate. "Lesson four, never 
  underestimate the value of those that would help you."
Jairen says, "This is a lesson that even I sometimes would do well to learn."

Athena enters the Sandbar.
Athena has arrived.

The redheeaded singer's mouth curls up again, this time into something more of 
  a smile. "Yeah. Caspar seems to be good for that kinda thing, I finally got 
  it hammered into my head after coming here." The silverware makes its way 
  into the proper drawer in the kitchen, a flat one just under the battered 
  countertop that has already seen the attentions of Karm's scrubbing efforts.

Jairen is behind the bar near the kitchen helping unpack, seemingly in some 
  conversation with Shenner. His weapons are conspicuously absent.

Athena opens the door of the sandbar and slowly comes inside, not being sure 
  about herself what she is just doing here 'Oh my... dont I have another 
  place to go?' she asks herself and finally steps in totally, smiling softly 
  to Ariani and Emma.

Jairen nods to Shenner's comment. "You have good instincts, if not quite quick 
  enough reaction speeds. But this is a learned thing, and battle is not your 
  primary occupation as it is. Nor have you been doing it as long as I, 
  therefore you are not expected to be quite as adept."

Ariani and Emma and Karm are all still in immediate view, and when Athena 
  ventures back into the building, it's the young waitress who sees her first. 
  Emma flashes Athena another one of her large sunny smiles, and Karm swings a 
  dark gaze around to take in the returning woman. The horn player inclines 
  her thickly maned head graciously, but otherwise is occupied with the task 
  of assembling one of the two remaining tables that needs to be set up.

Athena smiles at Karm before she moves over to Emme and kneels down beside 
  her, "Hi again, you need some help? I am not a first class guest in the base 
  any more and my home is just a collection of rocks... So I have some time to 
  help here." she tries to explains her return.

Shenner appears at the kitchen doorway long enough to see that Athena has come 
  back in, and this knowledge seems to catch the girl rather oddly. She stares 
  over at Athena for a moment, before belatedly realizing that Jairen has 
  complimented her. From the way she starts anew, her head jerking around back 
  to him and a flare of surprise momentarily crossing her eyes, compliments 
  aren't something she deals with often, or at least deals with well. It takes 
  her a beat before she grins that crooked grin again, saying as she opens up 
  a box of sturdy plastic plates, "Thanks." Her voice pitches down very low, 
  not carrying all that well, but more than loudly enough for 
  better-than-human ears to hear her clearly. And she quirks an eyebrow at her 
  companion. "How long you been at this, anyhow?"

Jairen looks up from the box he's just opened at the question posed by 
  Shenner. Seems to think for a moment. "Perhaps nearly twelve of my 
  homeworld's cycles."

Emma smiles warmly; the girl just gushes over with sunny sentiment, and even 
  more so since she started spending a lot of her free time soaking up the 
  attentions of one Loren Jarnes. "Sure! We just got a couple more tables to 
  put together, you can help me with this one, Karm, you wanna do the other 
  one?"

The horn player proffers that small cat-like smile of hers, rising lithely to 
  her feet. "I shall return to scrubbing the blast marks from the bar," she 
  pronounces, and she does exactly that, crossing the room again to take up 
  her bottle of cleaning agent and the scrub-brush and rags she'd previously 
  abandoned.

"How long's a cycle?" Shenner asks Jairen lowly, stepping off to put the 
  plates into their designated cabinet, but still well within earshot. As she 
  comes back over to the crates she glances at him for just a second or two, 
  face full of the curiosity she's frequently shown in this individua's 
  presence, mingled with a bit of the strangeness that has touched her eyes 
  ever since he walked through the door, presented her with the sword, and 
  called her Initiate.

Jairen hmms again, pausing as if putting some thought into this answer. "A 
  Cylce is one complete turn of all 10 seasons on my home... I believe it 
  translates to somewhere between 16 and 17 of your Intergalactic Standard 
  year."

Athena smiles back at Emma and nods to her softly, "Well just tell me what to 
  do and I will try the best." she says and looks just up for a second to look 
  at Shen and the warrior before she turns her complete attention back to 
  Emma, "Well you better handle the tool while I hold the leg, or this time I 
  might destroy the tool." she grins at her.

There is a kind of music in math, and not for nothing has Shen been vigorously 
  studying every forth of mathematics she can get her hands on ever since 
  she's had the means and motive. The conversion is swiftly performed in her 
  head, and she lets out a soft whistle at the result. "Well," she murmurs, 
  "no wonder you're a hell of a guitar player."

"Oh, sure, I can do that," Emma babbles cheerfully to Athena. The shift of 
  conversational target from Karm to Ms. O'Laurin doesn't seem to have much 
  impact on the girl, and as she settles into working with this new 
  compatriot, she picks up her previous conversation about where it had left 
  off. "So I figure, if all this help Caspar's getting _does_ let us get a 
  holotheater up, then maybe we _can_ get in a holo of _Thieves of the Sacred 
  Scrolls_ after all! Do you -realize- just about every other world in this 
  sector has gotten to see it _already?_ I've been about to _die_ just 
  waiting...!"

Jairen smiles at Shenner's reaction, beginning to unload the crate he just 
  opened.

Athena oohsand smiles softly, "Thives of the Scared Scrolls? Hmms, sounds 
  somehow familiar,Who is the director of this holo-flic? Isn't this G'org 
  L'nas?" Athena thinks about this and looks asking at Emma, "Well I am sure 
  that we just get this movie very soon as well." and continues to help her 
  with the table leg.

Emma's laughter peals out across the room, as she gives an airy toss of her 
  head and confides, "I didn't read the rest of the credits once I found out 
  they got Jacob Rawn Deegan to play Thane Grayson... oooooooooo!" And she 
  trails off into a squeal, before adding primly, "Even though Loren gets 
  jealous when I talk about that." Then she giggles yet again, and pounces 
  upon the next table leg.

Jairen suddenly stops and looks up and out one of the holes in the wall. His 
  demeanor changes almost instantly to one at ready as his eyes narrow and 
  scan the outside that he can see. Without a word, he leaves the crate and 
  retrieves his weapons, fastening them expertly and quickly on.

Shenner flicks a glance across the room at the waitress, smirks, and mutters 
  cryptically, "I still say his eyes oughtta be hazel." But most of her 
  attention is still with Jairen, and she rests a glance brimming with barely 
  restrained curiosity upon him. "So, uh..." And then she cuts herself off, 
  startled by the swordsman's abrupt change in demeanor. "What is it?"

Jairen glances over at Shenner. "I must attend to something. Do not concern 
  yourself." At least his tone is normal as he checks the edge of his sword, 
  then puts it away. Hopping over the bar again, he heads for the exit.
Jairen says, "We will continue this conversation later."

Athena ohhs and grins widely at Emma, "Oh thats the reason...." she smiles and 
  suddenly she says, "You know I worked once with Jacob... but forget about 
  him. In RL he is just boring to death, no compare to his movies... But so I 
  hear he is still loved by his fans?!" she smiles and asks softly "And who is 
  Lorn? your boyfriend?" she asks carefully.

Before Shenner has more than a chance to blurt, "Wha--?", Jairen is gone, and 
  she's left staring after him with surprise edging out the curiosity in her 
  eyes. Then, she sucks in a breath, moving to the door to see if she can get 
  a glimpse of where he'd gone, but to no avail. "I hate it when he does 
  that," she mutters to no one in particular as she stalks back across the 
  room to resume the chore of unpacking supplies.

"YOU'VE WORKED WITH JACOB RAWN DEEGAN?!" Emma squeals at the top of her lungs, 
  her eyes going as round as coins. Almost as an afterthought she babbles, 
  "Loren plays drums with our band, and we started going steady during the 
  fighting, but oh, oh, oh, is he as good looking in person as he is in the 
  holos? Are his eyes _really_ that blue?!" The girl looks like she's about to 
  pop from sheer maidenly delight.

The squeal from Emma is enough to make both Shenner and Karm start, and even 
  Ariani glances over at her ebullient sister. Ariani grins; Karm allows 
  herself a small smile as she continues her scrubbing, and Shenner's only 
  reply is a muttered, "Hazel," as she digs into another box.

Athena laughs softly and tries to calm down Emma, "Oh dear.. better stick with 
  your friend Loren..." she explains and says, "Well I think it was "the 
  Silence of the space." where I had a very brief appearance in one of my 
  small number of films. But to come back to your questions.. " Athena seems 
  really to love to tell about these times which weremuch more troubleless 
  then the days now, "Well I wont disagree that he has not such a bad 
  appearance, but not really my taste." she grins at Emma and pokes her 
  softly, not being able to tell Emma that the blue eyes are only contact 
  lenses.

One can virtually see the hearts and stars bursting across Emma's now shining 
  gaze. She heaves an enormous sigh, and then babbles happily, "Oh, well, I'm 
  not _totally_ silly, I mean, swooning over an _actor_ is one thing, but 
  Loren's right _here_ and so he's _real_, you know? But I'm gonna get him to 
  take me to see _Thieves of the Sacred Scrolls_ anyway and I'll be good, I 
  won't tease him too much, Corellians just get _so_ touchy about other 
  Corellians, don't they?"

"That's one way of putting it," Shenner mutters, bent over the crate from 
  which she's pulling out new glasses and mugs.

Athena laughs and pats Emma's shoulder, "thats the right point of view!" she 
  agrees and explains her view of Corellians, "Well .. I dont like them very 
  much... they have this hang to make dirty deals, smuggling and so ..." she 
  smirks and just can't understand all the years why the Corellians tried to 
  make money out of wars. "But well you are totally true, Plaxton needs a 
  movie theater!"

Shenner is not touching _this_ conversation with a ten-foot pole. She slinks 
  off into the kitchen with her glasses and mugs, noticeably silent, though 
  she does get a raised eyebrow from Karm as the horn player continues her 
  diligent scrubbing and polishing of the marble bartop and its sides as well. 
  Emma, in the meantime, gushes, "Oh, well, a lot of Corellians are smugglers, 
  sure, but _Loren_, he's a musician, and there are millions and millions of 
  Corellians, and they can't _all_ be smugglers, huh? I mean, that'd be silly! 
  And Jacob Rawn Deegan..." She pronounces those syllables as if she'd just 
  breathed the name of her personal deity. "... _he's_ an actor, right, so 
  there's two, and you gotta have people who do all the normal things on 
  Corellia, huh?"

Athena hms and thinks for a moment, and finally she has to agree to Emma, "Umm 
  well , yes you are right Emma, this was Emma, wasn't it. But my father 
  always warned me about Corellians, he told me that they mean only troubles. 
  And thats the reason I try to avoid them as much as I can. But if your 
  friend is a musician, I am sure he is just great, since all musicians are of 
  some strange group."

Karm's eyebrows go up rather higher at _that_; she's still well within earshot 
  of this little convresation. "On the contrary," she puts in smoothly, "we 
  tend to believe that it is those who do not play music that are the strange 
  ones." She might be joking; she might not. It's a little hard to tell with 
  the unflappable calm of her dark-featured face. Emma, at any rate, lets out 
  another peal of laughter.

Ariani in the meantime vanishes outside to oversee the workers that Dillon has 
  dropped off, after calling a request to Shenner to keep an eye on the droids 
  putting wiring and cabling into the half-assembled western wall of the room. 
  Shenner merely smirks as she crosses the room again, glancing over the 
  droids' activity. She's still not touching this conversation, not with a 
  _twenty_ foot pole...

[End log.]