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Post by Whill Shaman Xixo on Feb 27, 2013 16:42:42 GMT -8
*Nar Shaddaa was similar to Coruscant in that its surface was entirely overgrown with city sprawl for millennia. But unlike Coruscant—which was only relatively rundown and dangerous on the lower and under levels of the world city—Nar Shaddaa was filthy, polluted, and infested with crime everywhere.*
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Ayren
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Post by Ayren on May 30, 2013 10:37:13 GMT -8
WAREHOUSE
Andrea Skywalker and Netalek/Ryan Soundouly
(Andrea wrote) *she looked at her lightsaber confused* i found it myself. it belonged to one of my ancestors. all i know is that it's special. it's mine and you can't have it. i know what you want. you're trying to trick me so you can steal it! well, you gotta wake up pretty early to trick me. i may be a Skywalker but i'm no moron! i swore to guard this thing with my life. i can only hand it over to my family members and all of them are dead!
Netalek laughs and then sighs in annoyance.
I was merely suggesting if you knew how to use the weapon, and seeing if you could use it. Oh wait. I should know better, you're a child.
He turns around then comes in to smack Andrea across the face, with the back of his right hand at a very fast speed, for her only to flinch. If it would work he would then say,
You have to learn to expect the unexpected... girl.
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Post by Lishra Elaric on Aug 10, 2013 20:31:56 GMT -8
“Five hundred thousand credits.”
“One hundred thousand.”
“Four seventy-five.”
“One fifteen.”
“Four twenty-five.”
“One thirty.”
“Oh come on!” Lishra Elaric huffed, forehead crinkled in irritation, and ran a hand through her long, ragged brown hair. “It’s a luxury yacht, heavy on the luxury! Massive gilded pool, professional shooting range, two-story glass observation deck, a fully stocked bar on every floor... It’s worth at least five hundred thousand and you know it!”
Hoffi from ‘Hoffi’s Good Deals’ wiped his hands on a dirty cloth and threw it over his shoulder, folded his thick, greasy arms across his chest and fixed her with a condescending, mocking little smile. “One…thirty-five.”
Lishra gaped at him, her mind floundering. Uncertainty gripped her, and she chewed distractedly on her bottom lip. “Uh…” Now what? How was she supposed to get this jackass to buy anything, he obviously wasn't taking her seriously and she had no idea what she was doing. Not one damn clue. Her frustration swelled like a feeding tick, but she plastered on a smile. “Well…can’t you just..reconsider my offer? Please?” she tried, shrugging her shoulders a little. Maybe if she was nice…
Hoffi laughed at her.
Kriff, she was horrible at this. That wasn't entirely her fault, though. She’d never haggled before, never sold anything before, and Lex knew this. He knew this! But he’d towed her into the stinking streets of Nar Shaddaa and propelled her towards the nearest buyer with nothing but the words ‘ok, go haggle’. No advice, no ‘this is how you do it’, nothing. Typical Lex. Learn by experience, not example. Figure it out yourself. Etc, etc.
She could feel his gaze from the shadows, and she wiggled uncomfortably under it, her anxiety climbing. He was probably enjoying this. Somehow, that made everything worse. Lishra ground her teeth, slid one hand behind her back, and flipped the shadows the middle finger. He knew he deserved it.
“Little lady not so good at the haggle, eh?” Hoffi ripped another scornful laugh out of his throat and threw it in her face. He smelled like old cheese and engine grease. Lishra tried not to breathe through her nose. “You seek to cheat Hoffi of credits? You take one-fifty now or no deal.”
She blanched at him. Was he serious? “That’s it? Can’t you—“
“One-fifty!!” he snapped. “No higher for bad seller!!” He glared at her for a moment, his previous jeering humor having rapidly dried up.
Lishra racked her brain, scrambling for something, anything to use to get her money and wrap this up. She couldn't take one hundred and fifty thousand for her father’s ship. Even she knew that was far too low, no matter how badly she wanted to be rid of it. But it was clear she was lost here, completely lost and anxious, and Hoffi was taking full advantage of that. In her silence, his sharp eyes wandered her form, and Lishra caught the familiar greedy expression as it crawled over his face. Though what he was staring at was beyond her; the baggy grey coveralls and thick boots she was wearing gave nothing away, and her hair looked like it’d been greased up and exposed to hyperspace.
Either way, she knew what was probably coming next.
“Unless…” Hoffi gave her what he probably thought was a charming grin. To Lishra, it simply advertised how badly he needed a cleaning. “Unless little lady gives some extra, eh? Sweeten deal? So young...” His smile widened. Scratch that, cleaning wasn't enough. He needed a whole new set of teeth. The ship dealer stepped forward a little, his grubby fingers probing at her hair. The startled, vulnerable, lost little girl. He could see she didn't belong here. An easy target. Why not take full advantage of it? Undoubtedly, he expected her to curl away in nervous shyness or be too scared to do anything but go along with it.
Instead, Lishra drove her knee into his stomach, shoved him backwards into the slimy wall, and pressed her punch dagger to his throat.
Overkill? Definitely. But she had very good reason to overreact when it came to personal space. It was an almost knee-jerk reaction now, after a lifetime of barely tolerated abuse and a long four weeks of running with Lex Ryjin. At least she was putting his self-defense lessons to use. “Don’t touch me,” she growled at Hoffi, who looked just as shocked as she did. Alarm flew nauseatingly through her body, at the situation and at the violence of her own reaction. Immediately after she’d done it, she wished she hadn't. Not because Hoffi didn't deserve to be threatened, but because she was so completely out of her element here already. Adding weapons and savagery just complicated things further. But it was too late to put the knife down and restart. Now she had to follow through.
She hoped Lex was taking notes. Maybe this will be you, next time you touch me, she thought with old anger. But she knew she was no match for him. And to be fair, he hadn't laid a finger on her since the Coruscant Underworld.
Not since the cave.
Her best criminal face on, Lishra swallowed her initial anxiety and tried to look convincingly menacing. That was always a problem for her. No one ever took her seriously or measured her as a threat. She was too small, too innocent-looking, too…feminine. Hoffi was staring down his nose at her, pale and quiet but not quite scared enough. Time to fix that. She jammed the edge of her dagger into the soft, jiggly flesh of his neck and curled her lips in a snarl. It felt alien on her features, all kinds of wrong, but she was nothing if not a good actress. Well…when it had to count, at least. “Give me my five hundred thousand, Hoffi, or I start harvesting your internal organs. Black market is booming. I hear intestines are in demand, but a liver always sells for decent credits these days…”
Hoffi gave no more expression than a statue.
Sometimes, you have to do what you have to do.
Lishra stabbed her punch-dagger straight through the fatty tissue of his arm.
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Lex Ryjin
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Post by Lex Ryjin on Aug 10, 2013 22:06:30 GMT -8
She kinda reminds me of a rat trying to face down an ogre. Though that's probably not very fair to the rat, to be honest. He was watching from the shadows alright, and was not at all impressed by her performance. He had to make her stronger; tougher. She had to learn how to survive on her own, and if she kept up at the rate she was going she wasn't gonna last the week without him. I can't leave, but I can't stay either. What a fine frakkin' mess you stuck yourself in the middle of, Ryjin. Just frakkin' great. The grand display of ineptitude before him was getting almost painful to watch, so he turned away and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the railing he'd been leaning against before.
He wasn't sure how it managed it, but as he swept his eyes over the various levels of Nar Shaddaa that presented themselves to him he realized once again that this city was even darker and more chaotic than the underworld of coruscant. Here, there was no pretense of civility, however thin, and no upper city gleaming above the rampant violence and decay that would be found below. The entire frakking planet was just one huge undercity, filled to bursting with murderers and thieves and cutthroats. It was the kind of place where a million people a day could disappear forever and no one would even notice. I really think I'm gonna like it here. It's got my kind of ambience.
He was startled out of his casual observations when his ear caught the very distinctive sound of metal sliding on leather, the universal signal of an imminent shiv in your spine, and he spun back to face Lishra and the greasy salesman. Already? We just got here for frak's sake. Can't I have three minutes peace without someone trying to ki... whoa. I was not expecting that. "That" being, of course, the petite (and remarkably still clothed) young woman holding the push-dagger to the throat of the horny haggler, rather than the other way around. Whaddya know. There really are miracles. Then she pulled the dagger back and stabbed him in the arm, and Lex's eyebrows rose. Impressive. At least as far as beating up an unarmed fat man goes...
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Post by Lishra Elaric on Aug 11, 2013 20:16:21 GMT -8
Hoffi’s slick-dealer demeanor vanished with a choking scream as the blade burrowed deep.
Great. Everyone in the area probably heard that. Although, in her limited understanding, screams were a daily part of Nar Shaddaa life. Even so, Lishra bit back the urge to look wildly around, focusing all her energy on the man in front of her. This needed to wrap up, and wrap up fast. She’d spent far too much time here already. What if someone had seen her? What if they’d recognized her (not likely, given her current appearance, but still)?
Lishra sighed, nauseous. This wasn't her thing, stabbing people. It was Lex’s. But she’d chosen this life. And they needed this money. And she was nothing if not persistent. “Hoffi… I’m waiting.”
He looked on the verge of saying something, panting in pain, clearly slightly worried now. “Little lady is…Hoffi wrong about her, yes. Very wrong. She good at this! Hehe..” He gave her a nervous, shifty chuckle, and swallowed audibly.
She wiggled the knife a little, wincing inwardly at his squeals. It suddenly occurred to her that she probably could have walked away from him, been the indifferent seller, played the ‘fine I’ll go somewhere else to sell’ card. He probably would have taken her offer in a heartbeat. Annoyance at her own complete inability to live outside her gilded cage on Coruscant surged inside her. “You know my price. Pay up. Now.”
He might be a smelly jackass, but he was certainly stubborn. Hoffi glanced at his arm. “Er…Yes, know price, but…maybe you take…three hundred thousand instead? You stab me. It hurts Hoffi, see? Need the credits for the— AHHhgg!!!” The knife did a little twist. Apparently, he’d reached his pain tolerance limit. “Ok! Ok yes, here, here, take and no hurt Hoffi anymore, here…” The ship dealer dug through his pocket with his good arm, producing a small, handheld transfer machine. Lishra gave him her blank credit chit. She watched him fumble with the thing for a minute, wanting to help him if only to make this go faster, but she wasn't sure what would happen if she took the knife out. Finally, the machine let out a chirp, indicating the credit transfer was complete.
Frowning suspiciously, she turned the machine and checked the amount, and then double checked. Four hundred and ninety-eight thousand. "Really?" she sighed at him, half disbelieving. He just stared back nervously, shrugging one shoulder. She swiped her chit from his hand and slid her knife from his arm. Blood ran from the wound, trickling to the ground. He made a tiny groaning sound and clutched at it, shooting her a sour look.
“It’s docked around the corner,” she said, a little shaky herself as she stashed her credits in her pocket. “Her name is ‘The Paramounte’. I’d change it quickly if I were you.” Lishra reached down to help him up, but he shrank back, scrambling up on his own and taking off down the alley without another word. Probably a good idea, she thought, quickly sheathed her punch-dagger, and turned in the opposite direction.
Shadows hung thickly in this area. I know you’re here somewhere…
Lishra ground her teeth in suppressed anger, glaring into them. “You can come out now, Lex.”
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Lex Ryjin
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Post by Lex Ryjin on Aug 11, 2013 21:07:12 GMT -8
Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap.
The sound echoed faintly off the nearby walls, refusing to carry very far into the night, and Lex stepped out of the shadows in front of her. "Not bad for your first time." He pulled his new pair of sunglasses out of a jacket pocket and slipped them on. "Except now he'll never forget you. Anyone asks, he's gonna give them everything he can remember, and probably a couple things he can't. Let's try and avoid that in the future, 'kay?" He stepped past her and patted her shoulder lightly, a gesture clearly meant to convey condescension rather than comfort. It'll be easier if she hates me.
Now that he was out of the shadows, he was grateful for the tinted glasses that kept his usual headache at bay. Without them, there was a near-constant throbbing ache behind his eyes, due to the bright neon colors of the nightlife that contrasted very vividly with the dark shadows that surrounded them. I honestly don't know how the humans can stand this. It's like having a strobe light flashed in your eyes every time you turn around. He stopped walking after only a few steps. Stop putting it off, Lex. It won't get any easier for you if you wait longer. He sighed heavily and half turned, reaching a hand back toward Lishra. "Let me see the chit."
Once she handed it to him, he pulled a small datapad out of his pocket and plugged it in, siphoning off eight thousand of the nearly five hundred thousand she'd just bargained for. That done, he pulled it free and handed it back, then stuffed the datapad back in his pocket. His eyes closed behind the shades (not that she'd be able to see), and he found himself trying to stall again. Just frakkin' do it already. He steeled himself and opened his eyes. "You'll want to find a nondescript ship. Something common that would fit in anywhere, then stock it up with fuel and rations. Make sure it has plenty of spare parts too, and hire a mechanic if you think you need one. After that, get moving and stay moving. There are plenty of people who need cargo hauled and they're willing to pay to have it done. What's left over from the sale should hold you for a while, but you'll want to find work sooner than later." He stopped and looked like he was on the verge of saying more, but just let out a long breath instead. Come on, Lex. Tell her you're sorry. Tell her you'd do anything if she'd just forgive you. Tell her... "Goodbye. And good luck." She knows as well as I do that this is the best solution.
And then without another word, he turned and walked away.
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Post by Lishra Elaric on Aug 11, 2013 21:34:15 GMT -8
Her anger froze, shattering into minuscule pieces.
She hadn't seen it coming. Despite witnessing the anguish in his eyes since Coruscant, the regret as it tore him apart over and over again, she had honestly not expected Lex to just… leave. She should have, though. Why would he stick around, why expose himself needlessly to the source of his guilt and grief? Oh, he hid it well enough now as he walked away, but she knew it was there. She should be deliriously happy he wanted to go, elated at the thought of life without the man who’d raped her, breathing sighs of relief. She should run. Fast. In the opposite direction. Take her chances somewhere else. She should be pleased with his departure.
But she wasn't. Not in the least bit.
It made no sense, and yet, there it was.
Lishra wrinkled her brow, staring at him, trying to find the right words. Too many emotions bubbled under the surface; she didn't know which one to let out first. “You… hold on. What? You want to leave?” she scoffed. Her face pinched in affront, eyes wide in disbelief. The young woman watched him go, shouting after him. “You-…you saved my life a dozen times in the Underworld, broke through a wall to protect me, killed half the Faust family and who knows how many guards to help me escape my father, and now, now you just wanna move on?!” She knew she was crazy. She must be. What kind of sick, twisted person wanted to keep someone so dangerous around, so on-the-edge, someone who’d taken advantage of them, who’d once ripped away their free will without a backwards glance? Lishra tried to summon the agony she’d felt in the cave, the cold shock of violation, the aching pain of his betrayal. She tried to focus her memories, her anger, tried to see him as the monster.
But she couldn't. He wasn't. Not anymore.
Anger tipped her words, not just at him, but at herself, at what she was about to admit. She glared at his back, making for the disappearing Umbaran like a bullet. “Have you learned anything about me these past few weeks? I trip walking up the stairs, I have no idea how to really defend myself, I attract trouble like a magnet, I cannot keep my mouth shut, I’m about as stealthy as a reek, and I have no sense of direction whatsoever. What happens when I mess up and my father finds me again? What am I gonna do, throw credits at him?! Be dragged back home to more men like the one you threw over my balcony?? No.”
Lishra ran a few steps, turned, halted in front of Lex and reached up with both hands, grabbing the collar of his shirt and wrenching him towards her, drawing his face down to her eye level. Her forehead puckered as her eyebrows flattened, brown eyes earnest, lips pursed stubbornly, harsh alarm in her voice. She knew it was dangerous, to be so close to him, but she didn't know how else to get his attention. He knew how precious her personal space was. This was the only way to make him see how serious she was. “I have no one else in this universe. I've been pampered and sheltered my whole life, everything was done for me, and I hated it. I want to put all that behind me, I want to learn, I want to survive, but I don't know what I'm doing. I need help. I want y-... I need you. Ok? And you’re gonna stay, because I KNOW part of you wants to be here, and if you don’t stay, I’ll be dead or back in my father’s hands by the end of the week, all your work with me will be for nothing, and I'd really like to keep living.”
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Lex Ryjin
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Post by Lex Ryjin on Aug 11, 2013 22:01:01 GMT -8
Of course it couldn't be that easy. She's far too stubborn to let it be that easy. "And what about your free will? Do you want to keep that too?" He reached up a hand and pulled his glasses off, glaring down into her brown irises from his own violet orbs. "I'm trying to protect you, Lishra. I can't trust myself with you. I can wipe away your will in an instant, and you have no way to fight back."
For a moment, he was on the verge of proving it, of reaching out with his mind and impressing his will on hers, forcing her to do something she wouldn't do herself just to show her how dangerous he was. No. You'd never be able to let go. You're not strong enough to hold back, not with her. And then the moment passed and he let out the breath he'd unconsciously been holding. "I'm no better than any of them, and I can be a lot worse. I have been worse." She has a point though. She's proven again and again that she needs a guide, and more often than not, a protector too. He brought his hands up and forced hers off his shirt, then turned away and took a few steps, putting some distance between them to get her scent out of his nose and think more clearly.
There has to be a better option. A protector should protect, not take advantage of. To be honest, he still couldn't figure out what was so different about this girl. Why this one out of all the billions on coruscant had managed to break through his stone-hard shell and make him care. But she did. You can't change that now. His shoulders sagged and his eyes closed in resignation, then he turned back to face her again. "If I'm staying, we do things my way or I'm gone. You get an opinion, but I have final say. I'm not going to get myself killed because you couldn't follow instructions. Clear?"
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Post by Lishra Elaric on Aug 13, 2013 16:28:54 GMT -8
Relief settled over her.
She didn't really need to think about it. It was an obvious ‘yes’ for many reasons, some of which she hated and would never admit, ever. But she gave pause and pretended to mull it over for show. She didn't want to seem desperate or anything.
Of course, that ship left port in her previous half-panicked speech.
There would be problems with his ‘conditions’, she knew that right away. He’d have complete control over their situation, and, by extension, her. That was something she didn't like at ALL. He looked in no mood to negotiate though, and she’d already pushed her luck today with him, so she kept her arguments to herself. For now. Besides, a back alley on Nar Shaddaa was no place to quibble about details. She’d wait until they got…home?
But where was home now?
“Okay.” Lishra angled her chin upwards and crossed her arms, leaning on one hip. “I accept your terms and we can talk about it further later.” There. That left it at a yes, but with room to wiggle. “You know. Hash out details and things, how much freedom I have, etcetera. For instance, do I get to pick out my own clothes, or do you have a final say in the color and fabric?” It came out snarkier than she’d intended, but she couldn't resist verbally poking at him a little, and she was still grumpy and on edge from her earlier failed haggling attempt.
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Lex Ryjin
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Post by Lex Ryjin on Aug 13, 2013 18:20:22 GMT -8
"Talk about it further later."... She still sounds like a topsider, arrogance and all. Even after she's agreed to the terms, she keeps trying to press her frakking luck. It would be an understatement to say that he was not amused. He was already dangerously close to angry with himself just for giving in and staying with her, and her little display of sass was not helping matters. "Shut it." Her mouth snapped shut as he spoke and then stepped right up in front of her again, not realizing that he'd made the words a mental command and not just an angry retort. "You can pick your own frakking clothes, but anything that affects us is my call. End of discussion."
He stood there, glaring down at her as he waited for her next retort, but it never came. His unconscious command had seen to that, temporary though its effects would be. She just glared back at him without speaking, so he counted himself lucky and stepped past her down the alley. "Come on. We need to find a new ship." And by new, I mean very old and very used and very common.
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Post by Lishra Elaric on Aug 16, 2013 21:16:14 GMT -8
Lex got about seven steps of silence before the effect wore off. To her credit, Lishra managed to quell the urge to hit him and swallow most of her angry retorts before they had a chance to storm out of her mouth and charge him, but she muttered some violently colorful phrases under her breath as she followed him out of the alley, burning holes in his back with her eyes.
Nar Shaddaa had been his idea, and she couldn't argue the fact that it really was the perfect place for them to hide. Every corner they turned was different; some streets were swarming with beings, others were completely deserted. There was no sense of routine here, no consistency with the way everyone moved and worked and lived. The flow of the crowds, the traffic, the stalls speckling the streets, even the scenery as ships relocated cargo containers and dropped off new ones… It was always changing, never the same as it was two minutes ago. There was something very freeing about that, Lishra decided as Lex towed her through a particularly busy intersection. Of course every inch of Nar Shaddaa stank, and not just because of the slimy trash and unwashed aliens. The smoggy air carried more than scent. There was a heavy, oppressive sense of fear and desperation, even in the sharper, cleaner parts of the city. This place was just as much a death trap as it was a place of refuge, she realized. Whatever positive feelings of shrouded liberty had risen in her quickly sunk.
The short taxi ride provided no new assessments about Nar Shaddaa. The pollution was so thick and the structures so close together she wondered (with no small measure of alarm) how the driver was able to see his way, weaving up and around massive buildings. There seemed to be no set traffic routes or patterns of any kind, and more than once they had to dodge a vehicle coming straight at them from the opposite direction. The traffic tunnels were horrifying. Not only were they badly lit and cluttered with collision wreckage, but apparently, they also doubled as a course for the galaxy’s most popular fast sport: swoop racing. By the time they arrived at their destination, Lishra was pale, trembling, and shrilly insisting on walking everywhere from now on. Lex looked on the verge of a smirk. She rolled her eyes, knocking his shoulder as she charged past. He caught up way too easily, and after a brisk pace, pulled her to a halt.
Apparently, they were here.
A massive hangar loomed before her, bustling with activity. This must be one of the spaceports, she thought. Lishra followed the Umbaran past it a short distance to the collection of open landing pads, where a Toydarian fluttered ungracefully back and forth between junk piles. It took Lex all of four minutes to strike a deal, and a decent one by the look on his face. He looked over his shoulder at her after the credit transfer, a ‘that’s how it’s done’ look smugly curling over his expression. She folded her arms and glared at him.
And then they were walking down the rows of parked space vessels in varying states of disorder, hoping over fallen part piles and evading the creaky heavy lifting droids and side stepping the rolling, twittering Astromechs.
And then they were there.
Lex pulled up short in front of a YZ-775 of unassuming and entirely unexciting design, long past its prime with a dull, beaten hull. But it looked functional, if in some need of upgrading and a decent scrub down. It was perfect for their situation.
So, of course, she had to make some kind of quip.
Lishra stared at it for a long moment. “Is this the ship we break apart for spare parts so we can modify our newer, shinier ship? Because if it isn't, I think we got robbed.”
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Lex Ryjin
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Post by Lex Ryjin on Aug 17, 2013 21:00:42 GMT -8
He didn't even hear her snarky quip about the state of the vessel as he pulled up short. His eyes ran the length of her fuselage, from the oversized cockpit to the massive engine block that probably took up almost a third of the ship's entire mass. She was going to be fast, that was for sure. The power to mass ratio would probably be more than three times higher than that of the baudo they'd stolen to get here, and that was without any mods. She was built for power, pure and simple. Designed to the corellian specs for speed, durability, and adaptability as much as any YT-1300 or YG-4210. This one was just bigger and louder about it. And this one is all yours.
He'd dreamed about having his own ship once, before... well, before life beat him down and forced him underground. He'd worked with a dock mechanic fixing up the ships that came in needing repairs, a way to help support his mother and sister in the absence of his father and brother. He'd enjoyed it too, always wishing he could have his own ship someday, something that would let him leave coruscant and seek fortune and adventure among the stars. That dream had survived for a while even in the darkness and tragedy of the underworld, but no dream survived that place indefinitely and his was no different. At least, you thought it wasn't. Standing there, in front of a ship he could call his very own, he felt like that kid again, finally getting the one thing he had wished so hard for.
Then the moment passed and he began moving again, his mind jerking itself back to the business at hand.
"Come on. Lets see what she's got inside. We'll need to catalog the broken parts and sort them into usable, barely usable, and junk categories so I know what we absolutely need and what we can do without. I don't want to run out of credits before we even get her spaceworthy."
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Post by Lishra Elaric on Sept 24, 2013 21:54:26 GMT -8
She saw it. That tiny shift of approval in his expression, the hint of satisfaction in his violet eyes, the subtle catch in his breath as Lex saw the ship for the first time. He liked what he saw, but as Lishra watched him from the corner of her eye, she realized it was more than that. There was something else, some intimate reflection going on in his mind, some sort of bonding between man, memory, and vessel. It was a rare thing to see Lex Ryjin let down his frosty, sardonic guard; she felt a little like that girl from the holo-book she used to read as a child. The one with the red jeweled shoes and tiny pet mooka named Toto, catching a glimpse of the real man behind the imposing curtains. “I’ll check out the cockpit,” Lishra said, hefting her rucksack over her shoulder as the Umbaran snapped back to reality. She gave him a tiny smile as she stepped lightly up the ramp, cheered by her secret observations of Lex. Months on the run together and he was still mostly an enigma to her, so she cherished these tiny bits of information he gave her, knowingly or unknowingly. “Come find me when you’re done!” Into the YZ-775 Lishra went. It really wasn't all that bad, she thought as she plodded through the hallways towards the cockpit. Her father’s ship had always felt cold and unwelcoming despite its many luxuries. But this one… There was wear and tear everywhere, long dark marks on the floors from constant boot travel, dents in the walls. There was a spattering of blaster bolt holes near the galley entrance, and part of the small stove looked like it’d caught fire at some point. It had been lived in and lived in hard. But there was a warmth to the ship, the bulwarks had a personality, magnified by all the little personal touches she found. The tiny stick figure mural etched carefully into the blank spaces on one of the control boards in the cockpit was her favorite. Lived in hard, and loved harder. Dropping her pack, Lishra tucked her hair behind her ears and made her way through the room for the next ten minutes, taking notes. Not a whole lot was missing, as far as she could tell. A few of the lights were smashed in, and something had definitely been nesting in the pilots chair. She turned when she felt eyes watching her from the entrance. Of course he wouldn't make noise or announce himself. But she’d grown used to his silent ways. “Well, I’m not sure what you found, but things up here look pretty good.” She rattled off the checklist she’d made on her datapad. “Aside from some cosmetic things like the lights and the seats, everything else checks out. Oh, the nav computer could use some serious updating. And…” Lishra gnawed on her bottom lip in thought, scanning the cockpit again. “…the controls on the starboard side were a little sticky. But nothing some grease won’t cure.” The ‘topsider’ focused her gaze back on Lex, eyebrows raised slightly in questioning. “Find anything else?”
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Lex Ryjin
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Post by Lex Ryjin on Sept 26, 2013 14:42:09 GMT -8
"Port reactor looks operational, but the primary regulator on the starboard side is shot and the backup got lifted. I'll need to do a more thorough check in the morning, get in there and see what she's like under the surface, but we'll have heat and light at least." Which is not to say that I enjoy the presence of either. After living so long in the cold and the dark, one begins to prefer it to the warmth and the light. At least if one is Umbaran.
"You should grab your stuff and find a room. Get cleaned up." He pushed himself off the doorframe, which was polished to a near-shine where his shoulder had rested (apparently he wasn't the first to use it as a leaning post), and stepped further into the room, his gaze sweeping the instruments. It's definitely been lived in. Almost absently, he dropped into what must have been the "command chair" (from its position in the center of the cockpit), and began running a maintenance check on the ship's mechanical systems. Nearly half came up red. "There's even some water left in the tanks. I know how much you love to stay clean."
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Post by Lishra Elaric on Sept 26, 2013 16:29:29 GMT -8
The questions primed on her tongue suddenly evaporated at the mention of clean water. “A shower?” Lishra perked up immediately, relief on her face. “Thank God,” she groaned, pushing a greasy strand of hair from her forehead. “You could probably write your name in 3D on my body with all the filth I’ve accumulated here…” She wasted no time swiping her pack from the floor and clomping out of the cockpit down the hall. “I’ll save you some water!” she called over her shoulder. Not that he cared much about showers. To Lex, water you didn't drink was probably water wasted. But just in case.
After a quick check of the rest of the rooms, Lishra ended up in the fully lit captain’s quarters. Not because it was the room with the most space or had the softest bed or its own mini office. No, she chose it because it smelled prettier than the rest of the bunks, and because it had a lava lamp on the built-in storage dresser, which she promptly dusted off and turned on. It glowed purple and yellow, casting little shadows as the spheres of molten wax roamed drunkenly around in their neon prison. She gave it an approving nod before spreading out her clean clothes neatly on the bed and making her way to the shower.
Never had running water felt so good, weakly lukewarm as it was.
The coveralls, she ditched. They were beyond hope of saving, and frankly, the potato sack material was highly uncomfortable. Her boots she threw in the shower with her, and by the time she turned the water off, there was a thin layer of muddy sludge gathered around the drain. It hadn't been hot enough to create much steam, but the build-up of moist air in the ‘fresher room was a little suffocating. So she grabbed a towel, wrapped it loosely around her, and threw open the door to the bedroom.
It was pitch black.
Lishra paused, staring in confusion. Even her lava lamp had gone dark, and the light from the ‘fresher room was too weak to reveal any clues. “What the hell…?” Where the lights on a timer? Or was it motion activated? They’d been on when she’d first entered the room. Baffled, she gathered her towel in one hand and cautiously entered her bedroom, using the wall as a guide. She remembered roughly where the door to the hallway was, but it took her a few minutes to make it there without tripping and breaking her neck. Her searching hand finally found what she figured were the light controls, so she poked at them. They flickered on at the lowest setting, washing the room in a soft, intimate glow. “Huh. Weird.” Lishra turned, intending to make for the shower room again. Her hair needed wringing and she was leaving little wet footprints all over the floor.
And then she saw someone laying on her bed. She almost dropped her towel.
“God dammit, Lex!!!” she yelped, startled, her heart in her throat. “Do you mind?? What are you even doing in here, my door was closed!!” Pulling her towel tightly around her, Lishra gave the Umbaran an outraged look. “You’re taking this ‘Shadow People’ thing a little seriously, aren't you?”
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Lex Ryjin
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Post by Lex Ryjin on Sept 26, 2013 19:18:17 GMT -8
Lex turned his head to look at her, then raised an eyebrow at her tirade but only moved to lace his fingers together behind his head. "Your door? I may have been raised in the underworld, but I can read, and the sign on the door says captain. Last I checked, that meant me." Then his eyes slipped lower as the towel tightened around her body, following the wet curves of the fabric as it hugged her skin, and his left hand clenched into a fist while his jaw tightened with determination. Fantastic frakking idea, Lex. Just go lay on the bed while she's in the shower. Of course she won't leave her clothes in the room and come out half naked. Frakkin' idiot.
Without waiting to give himself a bigger chance to lose control, he pushed off the bed and brushed past her, every muscle in his body rigid and tense as he forced his thoughts firmly away from Lishra, standing there in front of him in nothing but a towel, and what had happened in the cave. "Get your stuff and find another cabin. This one is taken." And then he was out. His voice had been harsher than intended, clipped and tense with stress, but he couldn't risk what might happen if he went back in there right now to apologize. Not with her. Never again. She's... what? What is she Lex? She's just a girl who was in the same place at the wrong time. Nothing more. He kept walking once the door closed, finding his way back to the cockpit. Then why'd you let her stick around? Why didn't you leave her that first night in the hotel? Or once they got to Nar Shaddaa? Or any one of the other dozen times you had the chance? It had seemed so necessary each time, sticking around to protect her from whatever wrath her father would send. But what if I can't protect her from myself?
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Post by Lishra Elaric on Sept 26, 2013 21:04:02 GMT -8
Her initial reaction to his terse words and snappy retreat was to slam the door on his back and mutter in disbelief at what an ass he was sometimes. So she did just that. It was as she was putting on her clothes that Lishra paused, thinking back on his sudden attitude change, and realized it had absolutely nothing to do with his usual anti-social angst tendencies. He was not, in fact, being an ass at all.
Lex had been protecting her. From himself.
She sat down quickly on the bed, one leg in her faded dark red jeans. Lishra wasn’t sure how close they’d come to repeating the incident in the Cave, but now his actions made sense. He was always so…distant and chilly, so in control of himself and his surroundings every day. He never let her see the struggle waging inside every time he was near her, so she sometimes (stupidly) forgot it was there. And just now, standing there all soaked and in a towel, completely and idiotically oblivious to his mental battle… Now she understood a little of what he’d been trying to ingrain in her mind. Trust was dangerous. She shouldn’t relax around him, not even for one heartbeat. She shouldn’t let her guard down. She shouldn’t trust him.
But she did. Inexplicably, she did.
Wiggling the rest of the way into her pants, Lishra swept her damp hair over one shoulder and pulled on a flashy little crop top that showed way more skin than she was comfortable with. But it was all she’d been able to procure from their last port stop. At least she still had her brown leather jacket, which she quickly shrugged on, making a mental note to grab some more practical clothing now that they had some credits. With a frown, she gathered her things, including the lava lamp, and stumbled down the hallway to one of the rooms at the end, throwing her things in a pile near the bed, which was nowhere near as big and soft as the one in the captain’s quarters. Strangely enough, she didn’t really care. Once she’d set the lava lamp up on the little desk, the room felt much better to her. So, leaving her belts, gear, and boots behind, Lishra pattered barefoot back down the hallway, making for the cockpit.
The floor was cold on her feet, but the freedom felt good. Her hair left shiny little lines on the shoulders of her jacket as it dried, and she raked it back away from her face as she hesitated in the doorway. Lex was sitting in the central captain’s chair, one hand gripping the chair arm so hard she thought it would shatter. He had his elbow propped up on the opposite side, chin and jaw resting in his fingers. For a moment, she considered leaving. He seemed deep in thought, or half of him did, at least. The other half was still on edge. But she found herself drawing a deep breath and leaning against the doorframe instead, arms crossed defensively over her chest.
“So I thought you were just being a jerk back there, and… then I realized I was standing in a towel and that’s why you were…acting like that..” Lishra moistened her lips, her voice soft. The uncertainty disappeared from her tone. “You won’t. Do it again, I mean. It’s been months, you've had ample time, and I’ve been within reach every single day since then. And if you need further proof, you just had it. I was right there, and you let it go and walked away.”
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Lex Ryjin
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Post by Lex Ryjin on Sept 26, 2013 21:39:46 GMT -8
Lex's chair spun just enough for him to look at her sideways, and the tension in his posture visibly released when he saw her, as if he'd been expecting the memories of the cave to hit him again at the sight of her. The rush of lust and power that he'd given in to and used to destroy her free will. He was relieved when it never came, the muscles in his shoulders and arm releasing their tension . The temptation was certainly still there, but it wasn't trying to batter down the thin veil of control he'd forced up inside his mind after that night. What did you expect? Her to come charging in here after you without putting any clothes on? She's not an idiot, Lex. But still... I would be so easy... When the expected rush of temptation never came, he had let his guard slip and his thoughts began to quickly drift toward the thrill of power and domination that... NO! Stop! I will not do it again.
"So far. But you have no idea what it's like. How strong it can be." His voice was surprisingly even, though tinged with pain. "Not just because you're beautiful and vibrant and perfect...Sappy? Yes. But also the only words he could think to use. ...but because the thrill of power, controlling someone else so utterly... it's the most difficult opponent I've ever had to fight. I'm not certain I can keep winning. I want it too much." His eyes drifted away from her and found one of the display screens to focus on before drifting off that too and toward the floor. "I want you too much. That's why I tried to leave. But you wouldn't let me, and I've come so close to doing it again far too many times. I can't keep it up forever."
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Post by Lishra Elaric on Sept 29, 2013 21:47:33 GMT -8
“I think you can.” Now she hesitated for a moment, gathering the thoughts Lex had scattered to the winds with his words. She’d expected his usual combative snark, not this...beautiful open honesty from him, and it threw her off momentarily, his voice stuck in her ears. Studying his silvery, angular profile, Lishra wondered briefly if he ever regretted not just leaving when he’d said he would. He must, at least a little. She heard the sting in his voice, saw the ache, the hunger in his eyes when he looked at her. Wanting something he thought he couldn't have. It had to weigh on him after a while, and his control had looked so fragile the past few days.
Except he was wrong about all of it, she decided. She had seen his anguish in the cave, the horror that had spilled across his face as he’d realized what he’d done. Even through her own overwhelming shock, through the paralyzing numb distress, she’d felt it consume him. Lex was not a monster. A monster wouldn't have reacted like that afterwards. He had a power, one he knew nothing about, and it had controlled him just as he had controlled her. And she knew, she just knew he would never let it get the better of him again. Not with her.
She had to believe that. She did believe that, or the next words out of her mouth were about to make her a very stupid girl.
“You can keep it up.” Lishra pushed off the door jam and moved into his line of vision, determination setting her expression. “Lex.” He was still fixated on the floor. “Hey,” she said gently, shifting to stand in front of him. “Lex… no, come on, look at me.” He did so, adding a familiar, semi-annoyed little eye-roll. She almost smiled. “You don’t need to be afraid of yourself. You can have me without obliterating my mind, I know you can, but you’re too scared to try. I get why, but you can’t…you…” She shook her head a little, briefly lost. She felt hot under his gaze, deliciously exposed, her heart hammering at the unanticipated urgent desire to touch him, to kiss him… There was danger there, in the curve of his mouth, the clench of his fists, and the mad longing to provoke him burned through her body, to shake up his control until it shattered over her. She didn't bother hiding it. Later, she’d question it viciously. There were so many things wrong with how she felt. So many things. But she didn't care right now. Lishra moistened her lips, her mouth suddenly dry. She had to get this out. Now.
“I asked you to stay here because I said I needed you. To help me, guide me, keep me out of trouble while I learn the ropes and figure out how to do all this by myself. Right? To be my ‘protector’. That’s what I said. But I think we both know I probably could have survived on my own, somehow.” A small part of her doubted that, but she wasn't about to mention it. Her hair had dried in long, twisted little curls; one fell in front of her eyes and she quickly trapped it behind her ear with a sweep of her fingers. She held Lex’s gaze, held it for dear life. “The truth is, I didn't let you go because I didn’t want to. I wanted you to stay, to be with me, and I know it sounds mental and none of this makes any sense to me, but there isn't a single part of me that doesn't want you back just as badly as you want me. And I’ll help you control this, I —“
Movement. Someone strolled into the cockpit, followed by two others. Lishra turned, startled.
“And that’s all very nice, but I have neither the time nor the desire to stand around and listen to it anymore, so.” A Devaronian, ruddy brown skin marred by burn scars, his curling devil horns chipped and battle worn. He stood, blaster in hand, with a kind of rough arrogance that reminded Lishra of Tyris, an old nemesis of Lex’s. Obviously the leader of the group. On his right slunk a Nagai, clutching a set of Tehk’la blades and looking for all the world like the reanimated dead. His frozen grey eyes glinted maliciously in the shadows, and they were trained on Lex, unblinking. And flanking the Devaronian on his left was a Zabrak, tall and broad, red tipped horns, a chaotic zigzag of bright orange and black tattoos wildly scribed across his skin. He was tense, primed, his yellow eyes hopping from Lex to Lishra eagerly, as if trying to predict which one would make the first move. They settled finally on Lex, of course. Because there was no way Lishra could be much of a threat.
Pick any other day, any other situation, and that assumption was probably correct. But today? Today, she’d had enough of it.
The Devaronian flashed his pointed teeth at Lex, ignoring Lishra completely, his voice dark and smooth. He had a very good handle on Basic, which was surprising. “You’re new here, but smart, I suspect. You know how this goes. We’re here for—“
“No.” Lishra cut him off sharply, expression stormy. The alien stared at her, stupefied, like he’d just seen a talking reek. She didn't care. A reckless fury surged through her limbs, reinforcing her growing irritation. Could she not have one moment, just one moment free of disruption to restore some semblance of harmony in her life? Not even on their own damn ship? She was done putting up with it. Very done. “You know what? Just no. I don’t give a dewbacks ass why you’re here, or what you want, or how sharp your knives are. I am sick and tired of you mobs of brainless idiots just walking through my door and demanding things you have no right to demand.” She sidestepped Lex, advancing slowly on the group, jaw set and face pinched in disgust. “It’s not our problem you’re too stupid to acquire your own credits. You’re not as scary as you think you are, and your whole vicious boy band act? Not gonna work here. This is our ship, our money,” she snapped, nearing the Devaronian. “So why don’t you all back up and get the hell out of my sight before you end up like the last bunch that tried something like this. Dead. And while you’re at it—“
There was a loud smack. Lishra’s head whipped to the side, dark hair swirling as the Devaronian sent her spinning with a vicious backhand across her face. She tasted blood. To her credit, she didn't make a sound as she clutched her cheek, lips parted in outrage. He raised his blaster to Lex, clearly intending to keep him in place as he watched Lishra for a moment, daring her to continue.
She spit blood in his face, fist raised to punch. But the Zabrak’s fingers snatched her arm before it reached its target, swinging her backwards into the cockpit wall with a growl. He pinned her there with his body, his hands secured on her shoulders as she thrashed around, trying every which way to extricate herself. But he seemed to like this, so Lishra froze in his grip, eyes glimmering with hate. Her jaw hurt too much to speak, which was probably a good thing.
“Keep your little plaything on a leash.” The Devaronian wiped her blood from his eyes like an afterthought, focused on Lex once more. “Muzzle it. And learn to control it. What use is a wild one?” The Nagai had crept around to the side in an attempt to flank the Umbaran, knives flashing. “Now then.” With the confidence of someone who didn't know Lex Ryjin, the Dev cocked his blaster and stared him down. “Protection money. You’re paying, we’re collecting. See, this is our block. You want to stay here, you play by our rules. One hundred credits a week, no skimping, no extensions, and you get to live in relative peace. Reasonable, isn’t it?”
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Lex Ryjin
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Post by Lex Ryjin on Sept 29, 2013 22:33:01 GMT -8
Lex was out of the chair in the space of a blink when the devaronian's backhand caught Lishra across the cheek, but the blaster raised to his chest froze him before he could make it any farther. Should have heard them coming, Lex. You're getting sloppy, preoccupied. It's gonna get you killed. His mind, sent reeling from the revelations Lishra had just poured out, was jerked back to a crystal clear focus on the situation at hand, survival instinct reigning above all else. The demon's got the blaster, but the corpse is more dangerous. Knives in a place like this mean skill, a blaster just means not brain-dead. A glance at Lishra confirmed that the zabrak was too preoccupied to pay attention to everything else that was happening around him, and Lex's jaw went tight at the thought of his hands on her body.
The demon was too far away for Lex to beat his trigger pull, and the corpse was still circling to get behind him. That didn't leave a lot of options. Unless... He glanced at Lishra again as an idea began to form in his head. No reason it shouldn't work. Lex's eyes came back to meet the devaronian's, and for all the fury they held, there was something else there too. Something that the devaronian did not like the look of at all.
“Don't be stupid. There's no point in dying h...”
"Shut up." The Devaronian's mouth snapped shut mid-sentence, no longer able to communicate the words he wanted to speak, and his eyes went wide with shock and a tinge of fear. "This is my ship." Lex's eyes narrowed further and his face twisted into a sneer. The Devaronian's eyes grew wider in turn, the fear in them rapidly eclipsing the surprise as his trigger finger failed to respond to his mind. "Kill yourself." His eyes turned into saucers as his hand and the blaster in it began moving back toward his own head, and Lex turned to meet the soundless pounce of the Nagai. He couldn't have said how he knew the corpse was attacking then, other than a feeling and that's when he would have attacked, and even with the strange sense of premonition he barely managed to duck under the slashing blades in time. His elbow came up and drove into the Nagai's face as his overreaching attack carried him off-balance and straight into Lex... Ok, so maybe not the more dangerous one. ...and the sound of a blaster firing echoed through the cabin, followed by the dull thud of a body hitting the floor. A follow up kick sent the Nagai reeling for space, and gave Lex the time he needed to draw his own knives before he moved to close the distance again...
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