Hotsprings, massages, & hostage situations!

After that conflict on Malastare, Zabasaz simply had to let things cool down and this meant relaxation was in order. When the Kuat system came up, a resort seemed like the way to go. Unfortunately, however, getting off-planet and out of the Malastare system drained him of all his credits. Fortunately, though, the resourceful Iridonian managed to dig up a means by which he could cover the fees of staying in the resort - and by Wortan he needed it.

Some... strange woman, no eyes and no hands, had attacked him. She was fairly powerful, likely one of the strongest foes he had encountered even since he left Iridonia. The fight had left him a little shaken to be honest, a sensation he had never experienced to such lengths since his life was in the hands of Iizeer, an opposing tribal warrior during his rite of passage back at home. Fortunately, though, he left in one piece - but she had, too, as far as he could judge. This meant she was still out there... searching, waiting to strike again. And she had found him on Malastare when he thought he had taken the best care to hide, and in only six months. Truly she was quite the huntress, so he needed to catch his breath, and a hidden-away resort in Kuat would be just the place to get that breath.

Where there was something good for Zabasaz, though, there was always. ALWAYS. Something dubious. He couldn't escape it, so after a couple of days his dues were getting pressed. While he didn't much value honesty, enemies were the last thing he needed.

Sitting in his suite, he simply waited for the follow-up. He had been contacted on his holo-phone by the party responsible for funding his stay, and go-time was approaching swiftly. There were a shifty lot, even considering that Zabasaz had spent his fair share of time among the shiftiest of the shifty, and he could see that they were blood-thirsty as well; enthusiastic for some action. Zabasaz couldn't say he felt the same, but his aptitude in performing what the task promised to call for lent him much confidence.

His holo-phone flagged an incoming call, which with some delay and hesitation he received.

"I'll be there."

Grizzelda nodded, an expression of curiosity dancing across her features. Working with a group was not something she'd done much in the past, and so it required a touch of adapting. Nothing she couldn't manage, though. She wasn't about to become a herded Bantha anytime soon, either.

"Clever. Where exactly do I fit into this little act? I must have time to achieve the proper state of mind, after all."

Even as she spoke, Grizzelda gazed out the cockpit's glass, watching Kuat roll into view below. It really was beautiful, the terraform planet. Swirls of green forest and blue sea. Neat, clean wildlife; sweet breezes and soft grass. A welcome respite after Felucia and Nar Shadaa. Perhaps Grizzelda might actually relax. There was no doubt she would enjoy herself; she always did that. But her job invariably held a hint of danger, and she had little time for things such as resorts. It would be amusing; of that she was certain.

Confident hands guided the controls, and Grizzelda eased the Slipstream closer to the Shadow Ark. She was a proficient pilot, for certain, thought it wasn't her specialty. Even so, her technique was a bit unorthodox, just like the rest of her. and that's how Grizzelda liked things.

"Well, Kuat is a matriarchy. This means female spies would be able to get around easier, and none of my current female spies are good for undercover work. I can't right well go alone into unknown territory, so we'll pay you to come along. What do you say to, oh, fifteen hundred ( 1,500 ) credits for a simple guard and snoop mission? Of course, we'll also pay for a refuel for the Slipstream." Strae thought for a moment, "Of course, you can pose as either a relative, maybe a cousin..." She said, thinking of their differences in appearance, "Or just a close friend. I haven't quite decided, which one do you believe would work be more realistic? Can't have him catching on, can we?"

As she said this, a million thoughts passed through her mind, mostly introspective, but also cognitive thoughts about the future mission, and some thoughts about actual relaxation. It was something she did very well, in fact, she'd even strung a hammock in the corner of her own bedroom. As she thought about it, a small part of her decided that she was bringing that Hammock down with her. It would be a comfortable thing.

"Oh, and Griz, do you want separate rooms? It'll cost some more, but if that's your preference..."

Grizzelda considered the offer, as was always her nature. Fifteen-hundred credits was decent, to be sure. Though, most of that would be consumed by fuel costs and sustenance... Ah, but Strae had that covered. Free food, free fuel, and some spending credits. At the very worst, Grizzelda would be breaking even. And despite the facade she put up, nowadays, that's really all she cared about monetarily. In fact, loosing credits for the proper cause was allowable. The substancial stash of credits, hidden away at a particular bank would keep her going for a good long while. Once, it had all been about the credits, and credits had been something Grizzelda earned well. It had taken Grizzelda good long while to figure out there was more to life than credits, and it would take the rest of the world another long while to figure her change in perspective. But Grizzelda liked it that way.

In any event, she was still young, and venture-lust ran thick through her veins. A paid vacation, to do what she always did? Of course she'd accept.

"Yes indeed, I am quite... familiar, with Kuat. The Slipstream bears a few of her shipyard's brands. The compensation is certainly fair."

Grizzelda's eyes watched sharply as the Slipstream drew close and closer to the Shadow Ark.

"Second-cousin or friend, I'd think. Not really much of a difference between the two, save for bickering. Ah, but where's the fun without a bit of witty banter? As far as rooms go, I have no strong preference. I've nighted in crowded barracks, lonely caves, Felucian jungles..." Grizzelda sounded most pleased by the last one, "So my perspective is somewhat skewed."

ooc// Is the Shadow Ark big enough to have its own hangar? Or does it simply feature a docking port? //

( Hangar all the way. )

"Ah, but most of those were probably by choice, weren't they?" Strae chuckled, "Especially that last one. An perhaps it would match for cousins, I'm older than you and all." She didn't know Grizzelda's age, but she knew the woman was younger than her, that was for sure, "Just put her in, we won't be staying on ship too long." Grizzelda said, absentmindedly, "And the Shadow Ark won't be moving any further either. We'll be all alone down there."

ooc// Interestingly enough, Strae is only one year Grizz's elder. Grizz hides her age well, though. And being force sensitive slows her aging a bit... a definite perk. Oh, and welcome Aaron, Zab! //

"Yes ma'am." Grizzelda's tone was somewhere in-between mocking and sincere. As usual.

The Slipstream shuddered ever so slightly as it passed through an ethereal sheet of plasma, into the Shadow Ark's hangar. Hydrolics hissed as they splayed, landing gear catching the Slipstream as Grizzelda eased her down. Her hands began to leap back and forth as she disengaged the thrusters and released the Cockpit hatch. She had to do it the roundabout way; otherwise, she'd trip that faulty security patch. Worked great when it came to preventing engine stalls, but shut-down was a pain.

It didn't bother Grizzelda, though. The Slipstream was her pride and joy, and it was De'n fast. Such things came at a price, but she was fine with it.

As the cockpit swung open, Grizzelda motioned for Strae to disembark while she finished the after-flight checklist. Everything was still in working order...

Grizzelda turned and exited the craft herself, swinging down to the ground and crouching low to absorb the shock, completely ignoring the small step-ladder which had already been pushed over for their convenience. She looked over at Strae expectantly, awaiting further instruction.

Strae crawled out of the Cock pit, her gear in her arms. She did use the step ladder, coming down gracefully and shaking her head at Grizzelda's style. When convenience is there, use it. "Well," She said, "My ship is your ship, go ahead and travel where you want, but I shouldn't be long." She said, walking off into a hall and moving through it. It wasn't long before she entered her own room. She found herself four suitcases, and began packing them full of things. One was filled with simple clothing, another she put a few misc weapons and equipment inside of. With a simple smile, she made sure to unhook her hammock and roll it up, placing it into her bag.

Placing her gaudy orange dress, she searched for some other type of clothes. She decided to keep her black undershirt and pants. They were more casual outfits for a casual mission.

Taking a quick shower, she stepped out, drying her hair, and tying it up into a neat ponytail. She knew what the very first thing she was going to do when she got down to her room was. Sleep, it had been forever and a day since she'd gotten any real rest. She called in one of the spies and asked them to carry her extra suitcases for her. Those ones would be for Girzzelda, to further their little disguise as tourists on vacation.

Strae stopped, as an idea came to her. She walked over to a small ships module, her personal little 'computer'. Looking at the log, she grinned widely, apparently, they'd already pulled up quite a few public files on Grizzelda. This was not a command given by Strae, and she could easily guess who. Either someone was jealous, or someone didn't trust their newest acquaintance.

~*~

The hangar remained empty for a bit, save the Slipstream, Grizzelda, and two gunships, one of which were out of commision. Occaisionally, the whirring of maintenance droids was heard. The ship was sparkly clean, due to the combined efforst of droids and off duty spies. Before Grizz could do anything, though, footsteps were heard. A man walked into the hangar, wearing a pilots suit...And a large scowl.

"What the hell did you do, Grizzelda Xanxere?" He asked, "Do you know what I had to go through just to be able to board this ship?"

ooc// Hehe, have fun with those recods... ;D "Various Aliases and an unnatural aversion to being caught in the records have allowed Grizzelda to drift in and out of the official world." //

Grizzelda watched as Strae walked purposefully off, noting which exit she used. She quickly completed a once-over of her craft, ensuring it was parked straight. If anybody clipped her craft, it would not be her fault.

Everything was as it should be, and fifteen minutes later, Grizzelda was at the shower-rooms, having asked for directions. It seemed Strae had already been by this way. Grizzelda got the distinct impression that she was hugely mis-trusted by the majority of Upezza Keeza, and on this she mused as she cleaned away every last bit of Felucian grime, unpleasant memories shed like the dirt under her finger-nails.

Grizzelda stepped into the halls looking quite different. She really didn't have an eye for fashion, but a Corellian friend had once insisted on taking her out to browse. She still had the spoils from that trip, and her figure hadn't changed much over the past five years. Her top was not unlike the robes the Jedi wore-- a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor there,-- with a strip of pale green cloth coming down over each shoulder, and cinched by a wide fabric tie at her waist. Skin-tight lilac sleeves stretched down both arms, the same color as her leggings. She'd traded her boots for soft pseudo-slippers. Grizzelda was never one to sacrifice functionality, though, and her shoes would allow her to move silently. She had a feeling she'd be doing a good deal of eavesdropping.

The green of her top caught Grizzelda's hazel eyes, lending then an extra spark. Her short hair was neat, as always, resident smirk present. The only jewelry she wore was a beaded choker, its inch-width catching the light with violet and emerald flare.

As she made her way back to her ship, Grizzelda turned a few heads, but their eyes were filled only with jealousy and mistrust, save a few expressions of simple curiousity.

Upon returning, Grizzelda dove into the cargo-hold, almost literally. She'd had to remove a few stabilizers to make room... but she was more than capable of handling the Slipstream without them. She began to gather the various bits and pieces she'd need for the mission. A few changes of clothes, a pre-counted wad of credits, a few bugs, some hacking tools, several flash-grenades... The usual. A slight smile flicked across her face as she handled her old saber, quickly stowing it again. She deposited her faithful heavy-blaster-pistols; they'd be too conspicuous here on 'Vacation'. Instead, she favored an elegant sporting blaster. A last-minute decision also found herself with a bit of a curio; an old Verpine Shatter Gun. For some reason, she felt the need to have a concussion weapon with her. And Grizzelda always trusted her gut.

The supplies ended up in neat piles on the floor, and as Grizzelda dug, she mused. No doubt the Up-Tighta Keeza would be checking up on her records. The thought brought a smile to her face, and she wondered what they'd find. Surely, there would be the record of her time as a Padawan, and her rejection of the order. She'd been a bit sloppy at the beginning, but for the past Decade, Grizzelda had done a great deal of avoiding official documentation. Hm, excepting that time someone stole her identity and racked up several thousand credits of gambling debt... It was a crime of spite, Grizzelda had captured the woman's lover. It was an interesting story, actually. She wondered what the Keeza folks would make of those particular records...

Suddenly, she heard a voice echo from the other side of the Slipstream, sharp and demanding. "What the hell did you do, Grizzelda Xanxere? Do you know what I had to go through just to be able to board this ship?"

A curious expression crossed her face, and Grizzelda ducked around the nose of her ship. She leaned back against it, arms crossed over her chest as she faced the pilot. Her mind immediately shifted to the tactical. If confrontation resulted, she could pin him... her height was an advantage, and though he was probably stronger, Grizzelda was fast. She could wrestle away his blaster; if he had one, and then she'd be Golden. However, that would only be necessary after democratic negotiations broke down. And when it came to men, democratic negotiations usually involved a bit of... special persuasion.

"What did I do? I've killed my share of men, stolen more data than you can count, and shot a wasp from 50 meters." Her tone was confident, and bordering on downright sultry. "But you mean today? I followed standard landing procedures, took a shower, and started packing for my vacation. Look, I even parked inside the lines." She gestured with her foot, movement almost graceful. "I wasn't informed of any non-standard instructions. And that can't be my fault, can it? You make it sound as if I've done something wrong. Enlighten me."

The pilot actually grinned. Her answer was unique, and cocky. Her attitude just right for this type of crew. And suddenly, he began to understand Strae's decision as well. But that didn't mean he liked it, "Our captain, Strae...When it comes to picking crew, only ever picks the most loyal, the most gifted, and the most loyal." he said, stressing the last part, even though he'd already said it twice. "I went through...We, every member, went through months of training, and the most mind-numbing tests of loyalty one could imagine. And here you come, waltzing right upon the ship after just two encounters. Hell, she was inviting you after one encounter." He replied.

"That would be why we're so uptight. And it isn't anything you did. It's what Strae did, and she knows it. You are not welcome here by any but the Captain, Grizzelda Xanxere, ex-padawan, spy, and swindler. Because you haven't earned passage." With that, he began to walk away. The man she had just spoken with was the second in command around here, and though he was angry, no mutinous thoughts crossed his mind. Jealousy and anger weren't enough to push him over the edge, as well as the rest of the crew. But it was certainly bad for Grizzelda. He disappeared around the corner.

~*~

When he was gone, Strae's voice sounded through the room, "I see you've gotten acquainted with the crew!" She said, walking out into the hall, one of the spies carrying the extra bags. Strae's tone and demeanor was non-chalant, almost as if she'd planned that whole encounter. And in truth, she had predicted it. And planned for it. "Don't worry about it, their all fuse, and when the fuse runs out, you learn that its just a dud. So long as you have the right insurance." She said with a wink.

"And by the way, Zelda, did you know that the vacation spot we're going to has a casino?" She teased, packing a few things into the ship.

Grizzelda watched the pilot leave, eyebrows raised. This shall prove to be most interesting...

Strae trusted Grizzelda, that was clear enough. To what degree, only time would give testament. The seeming-trust made her wary. Though that was nothing new; Grizzelda was always wary.

Grizzelda heard a familiar voice behind her.
Speak of the Devil, and he doth appear...

She chortled at Strae's last comment. "Eh, you'd be surprised at how well I can handle a Paazak deck." She winked.

Grizzelda accepted the bags which were thrust roughly at her, even going so far as to toss the spy a mock-salute. There was no use developing a bad rapport. In any event, Grizzelda surely had a reputation. And so quickly, too! Her job was getting easier and easier by the minute. The hostility of the crew did little to bother her. She'd prove her worth eventually. It was a 'when', not an 'if'.

Grizzelda's supplies practically leapt into their bags, so quickly were her hands moving. She ended up needing only two of the five provided; one large and one small, and she watched with amusement as the Spy grudgingly carried the remaining ones away. Grizzelda thanked him, though he ignored her. This was better than holonet...


The passing of twenty minutes found Grizzelda at the controls, everything stacked and stowed, warming the Slipstream up for her departure. A few subtle re-calculations, and the engines hummed to life. So she had decided to keep behaving.

"Where precisely are we headed?" Grizz inquired, watching carefully as the cockpit began to close. It had a habit of not latching properly.

"The resort would be called Sunset Hills, not surprising since the whole planet is grazelands, hills, and forests...The coordinates are *Insert numbers and Directions here^-^*." Strae replied, quickly and curtly, then threw in a quip, "You seem very fond of gambling, Zelda. Whether or not its on a Paazak table seems obsolete."

Strae sat in the seat, watching as the cockpit closed. She noticed that the familiar *click* didn't sound. At first she didn't understand, then she realized how potentially fatal this could be, and quickly said, "What do we do if the latch doesn't seal? I'm not fond of death in a freezing vacuum of empty space."

( Um, sorry about the non-exactness about the Coordinates, but I not good at making stuff like that up. )

ooc// Hey don't worry 'bout it at all. xD Totally know what you mean. //

Strae's quip sounded quite emphatic. Grizzelda dissolved into laughter, which would no doubt confuse Strae, seeing as Grizzelda was the only one who would see it as funny. Very funny.

"I have no patience for gambling," Grizzelda said, still laughing, "Paazak or any other kind. Never have."

She left the clarification at that. Still chuckling, a dull thud, click rang through the cabin as the side of Grizzelda's fist connected with the latch.

"I was hoping you wouldn't notice," She said teasingly, "I find biological implosion so very fun to watch."

A shudder rippled down the Slipstream as the weight shifted from struts to thrusters. The landing gear folded, the thrusters roared louder, and the Slipstream gracefully passed through the wall of plasma. Grizzelda watched it with delight as the border shimmered across the cock-pit. Ah, wonderful...

After informing Strae that hanging on would be wise, Grizzelda executed a series of quick, controlled maneuvers, guiding the Slipstream smoothly through Kuat's orbital traffic. A few other pilots found it prudent to express their... displeasure over the radio, but Grizzelda had muted it long ago. In fact, this was tame by her standards. She didn't want the Keeza folks to think her reckless. Or did she? Grizzelda's expression was one of conspiracy as she leveled out over Kuat's surface. The HUD superimposed a latitude/longitude grid over the planet, and she was soon on her way to Sunset Hills. What a creative name.

Grizzelda could feel the cock-pit begin to warm as the atmosphere struck friction across her ship's fuselage. The small size of the craft magnified this effect. Luckily, Grizzelda managed to coax the atmosphere shields into cooperating. Hey, maybe they took four tries to start up, but only two things could turn them off. The button, and a Class 7 nuclear explosion. The former was far more likely.

The plains rolled away like a tan sea below as the ship continued losing altitude. Various vehicles cut this way and that, glittering fish, while clusters of grand buildings were islands.

If her coordinates were correct, and of course they were, Sunset Hills would be coming into view right... about...

Now.

"I have no patience for gambling," Grizzelda said, still laughing, "Paazak or any other kind. Never have."

See, that was a funny statement to Strae. It seemed a lie as well. To her, Grizzelda was gambling since the moment she'd met Strae. In fact, many people who met Strae were gambling their lives.

For the first part, she met an unknown group, and continued to travel among them. She'd taken in two more Mandolorians into her group, and any of the people she had been traveling with could have, at any time, shown a volatile half to their personalities. It was like taking a bunch of alegebraic letters and putting them into a function, then, with each situation, adding something and hoping that the outcome came out well.

To further add, she had walked into an unknown FELUCIAN cave, stumbled into a hive of angry plant men, and had to run out with an explosion greeting their exit. In fact, Strae's original plan with that explosive had been to blow Grizzelda and the others up, or trap them inside, and take the money herself. But given that they were being chased off by angry who-knew whats, and other circumstantial things, plans had been changed.

On top of that, she'd decided to deal with Upezza Keeza. An entirely different type of gamble in and of itself. A long term gamble.

And all of that was just recently. The life of a spy and a thief was full of gambling, because of unexpected situations and the need for split second decisions. The only reason Strae had been able to make it this far in her life was because she had a natural empathy. She was good at guessing what people wanted, and so she could play them well, like cards on a great playing table. She was good at gambling, and she knew it. She knew that Grizzelda couldn't possibly have gotten this far without gambling, because she knew she was a snake in the grass, just like Strae.

Strae simply smirked and let it pass. There was a time too, when she denied her gambling. Of course, back then, Strae had been cocky enough to say that it was because she knew the outcome. She would manipulate the outcome, for sure, and that there was no chance to it.

Of course, that was just confidence speaking, and her naivety, she had been young then.

~*~

The resort was huge. Larger than the Shadow Ark in size, and width. The building itself was of architectural genius. At its core, a giant block of stone, plaster, and steel, but as it expanded you could see detail. A dome at the very top, and in the center of the large cube shaped building, that allowed a view inside. This planet was a result of terraforming, so its beauty was splendid, and inside of that domed glass, at the center of the cube building itself was an artificial park, and lake, barely visible from this angle. Strae peered into the glass, giving a slight, "Hmph..."

The edges of the building were well decorated, carvings of stone put into it. ( Patterns much like those of ancient Greece. ) There were terraces and ledges, balconies and outhangs, around the outside of the cube building, taking away that plain, simple feeling and making the design seem more intricate than it was. On the top, surrounding the huge domed, glass ceiling, which gave the building a beauty all by itself, were pools and other smaller buildings, each a different type of attraction for patrons.

On each of the four corners of the resort, were tall spires that stretched high into the sky, each of these spires lined with resort rooms, with an elevator running up each of the four corner spires. The spires themselves were where most of the rooms were held, with all of the others being along the sides of the cubed building. Each of the many rooms had a view of the rolling hills that surrounded the resort, and, further in the distance, the forest line on all sides.

The Resort wasn't near any colonies, all alone, far from any other civilization. This was for privacy reasons, and to keep patrons inside. Given that, it was a self-sustaining city in and of itself. Surrounding the building, was a rive-like moat, that seemed to continually flow around in circles. There was a bridge going over the river, with long, winding pathway that connected the buildings front entrance with a hangar bay, massive in size, for ships.

That hangar bay was their destination, and it was far away from the resort for a single reason. Nobody wanted to be walking around a beautiful resort, just to have their little vacation interrupted by a ship, blocking out the son, and causing wind to knock them over.

They couldn't see too many details from here, but the very stone that the building was made out of, plus the many, glass windows lining the edges was bright, vibrant, and appealing. The building stood like a stark white apostle in the middle of a beautiful land.

Strae stared at the building, taking in all of its traits, "Interesting." She murmured.

( Right, so, the interior lake is a bit of a trick that the resort plays on its guests, they have fishing and sailing sections, but you have to pay for a boat rental and all. Sorry, I'm not sure if you can picture the resort, I made it all up, entirely by myself, and I wanted to be original, and you know how most architecture is in most of the world anyways, especially cities and resort, large and rectangular, boxy and whatnot, but with exterior designs that make it look like it isn't a giant box. Facades that make it look nicer than what it is. And that is all of what the beauty of a vacation resort is, architectural facades put onto millions of coated layers of paint and plaster. ^-^, to put it in a more cynical sense. Anyways, if you don't like what I described, then substitute it for a mental image of some other building. XD I'm not that much of a decorator, and I'm a dude, so what do you expect? Plus, listening to Rush while doing that didn't really help my architecture muse )

Plus I just watched a thing on the Parthenon, and am listening to something talking about the Priests of the Temples of Cyrinx, so I'm thinking about big, huge, imposing buildings. )

ooc// Oh yeah, I can see it! ;D Chalk it up to my hyper-imagination. Your architecture shall do just fine. //

The building was tall, strong, imposing, intimidating. Very, very bold. Grizzelda herself would never have picked the architecture as a favorite, but it was certainly fitting. Grizzelda watched carefully as the building passed, observing the indoor lake, glinting below.

Well I'll be... I wonder how many ion thrusters I could buy with the credits it took to make this place... Probably a small planet, to boot.

Musing over this thought, Grizzelda guided the Slipstream into the hangar, craft landing gracefully as a dragonfly. The thrusters quieted slowly, and Grizzelda once more ran through her after-flight check-list, opening the cockpit for Strae. This time, the run-through was much shorter; she hadn't used the hyperdrive. That brought a whole new slew of procedures, but those were irrelevant.

Grizzelda was about to toss her bags to the ground, when she realized that probably wouldn't be the most inconspicuous habit. And so she slung them over a shoulder, lowering Strae's more numerous and much heaver bags to the woman. It was little trouble; she wasn't unused to lifting heavy things. Grizzelda then swung to the ground, as she had become so accustomed to doing.

She looked up to survey the hanger, expecting staff to arrive at any moment. Isn't that how the wealthy were treated? Never sneezed without twelve hands whipping out with tissues? Grizzelda wondered what would happen if some real gold-ring were to get caught in a Felucian jungle. The ensuing mental image made her chuckle.

ooc// Not sure how much you had planned out, so I'll let you lead for now. I'd hate to step on anybody's toes. X) Feel free to move on significantly, if you'd like. //

Strae chuckled as she took her bags from Grizzelda, one in each arm. A group of men came out of a door next to them, some of them checking the ship, one quickly saying, "If you will dispose of your weapons here, that would be a wonder. We detected several self defense mechanisms on our sensors. The Resort has its own security system, and there is no need for such things. If you really feel that you need protection, we may ship one weapon of your choosing up to your room. However, you will not be permitted to take it out of your room."

Strae laughed, not wanting to break the facade of peaceful tourist. Inside she was torn between killing these men and hiding their bodies or just knocking them out. In the end, she went back to the ship, and dropped a couple of things into it, then coming out, and handing the man a vibro-blade. It was long and slender, and could make for a short sword, or a really long dagger. "It's my favorite, I simply love its look!" She said jubilantly.

( Erm, no more big surprises. Just a long walk or a quick vehicle ride, which they offer to people coming out of the hangar. Then a bridge over the river, and an archway at the lobby entrance. Strae's already got a room booked in the close left hand corner entering the lobby, and its about halfway up the spire. I'm not continuing my post so that I give you a chance to choose your characters choice of weapons, or see what she'll do. I'm pretty sure she can't fool the censors, their pretty high-tech. Maybe with a regular, non-vibro blade she could make it through. Otherwise weapons would be detected. )

And to think, Grizzelda was already carrying the minimum. Two flat-blades, one tucked into the cloth of each ankle. Simply sharpened metal, but still effective in a pinch. Another curved blade tucked into the fabric which wrapped around her waist. None of which would show up on any scans; they lacked the tell-tale signs. No power cells, and certainly not grenades.

The problem lay in the fact that Grizzelda had two blasters, and they would only be letting her take one. At least, that's what they thought.

"Weapons? Do you know what you're looking at?" she let excitement leak into her tone, a twinge of offense, a simple glimpse at her inner fanaticism. "These are not weapons." She opened her bag and displayed the two, first the Verpine Shatter Gun, and then the Sporting blaster, both carefully bundled like precious cargo. "See, this one," She pointed at the Gun, "Was created a hundred years ago by the hand of a Verpine. See the exquisite rifling in the barrel? And the embossing on the grip, it's a real masterpiece. A ritual piece." She then picked up the other. "And look at this one; Special edition, Arkanian release. Only 200 ever made. I have number 2. Worth more than a slave! Isn't it beautiful?" She spun the weapon so the guard could see, running a finger along the fine engraving of the brushed-silver barrel. Her gaze melted wistfully for a moment. "I assure you, they'll be staying in my room, where they'll be safe. Must keep them away from groping fingers. I'd simply loathe to part with them."

Grizzelda looked up at the man, her expression feigned-sincere. In fact, everything she'd said was true. Well, except for the promise to keep them in her room, but he didn't need to know that.

"Oh!" She continued, as if remembering something. "Don't need these, though. Defense systems, in the rooms? You really think of everything! So very worth the rent."
Grizzelda flourished a trio of flash grenades, apparent intent to tuck them in the ship after being given further instruction as to her blasters.


ooc// ;D Mahvelous. Though, the art of metaphor is totally escaping me tonight... X) Perhaps I'm up too late... *sigh* Do excuse any bland-ness in the above post... //

( Strae was thoughtful enough not to show them her piles of mass destruction. >.> LOL )

The guards frowned, looking at Grizzelda's things. "Well...I suppose you could...Although there is no place for such antiques on vacation. Ah, alright." He said, smiling, "Well, then come with us."

The men walked out of the building, and just outside was a waiting hovercar. Strae smiled and said, "Shotgun!"

They climbed into the vehicle, and it moved forward at a steady speed, the rolling plains zooming passed them to the left and right. Strae only gave it a glance, more focused on the mission ahead. She did not get much time to think.

They stopped at an archway, with two glass doors beneath it. Strae got out, and the men carried her bags and Grizzelda's. Including their weapons. After walking up and having a slight chat with the chick at the front office, they found that they already had a room booked and everything. Strae looked around at the halls they traveled in. The decorum was some mix between your typical futuristic, fancy type interior and a real life style hotel. ( Like you'd see at a Hilton Inn and such. )

Ascending the elevator, the two guards stayed with them, holding their bags and trying rather unsuccessfully at small talk. ( Only speaking for Strae. )

"So, vacation?"

Strae looked at him oddly for just a moment, then looked back at the door.

"Or a business trip?"

She looked at him and chuckled, then looked at the door again. The man scowled while she wasn't looking, but Strae could see his reaction in the reflection of the steel elevator doors.

The other man turned to Grizzelda and asked her if her trip here was Okay.


~*~

( Skip, add room for dialogue, moving on! )

They stepped into the next hall, out of the elevator and onto the thirteenth floor. Their room was three rooms down from the elevator. When opening it, they found that it was a large suite, with a small living room, kitchen, and a bedroom.

"I call bed. You get Couch." Strae said with a smirk, the moment the door was closed, and their bags placed on the ground next to them.

ooc// How do you dodge blame for doing something? Admit to something else. ;) //

Grizzelda's smile could have been due to her excitement at the coming vacation. But it wasn't. No, Grizzelda was smiling at the stash of bugs and computer-spikes still hiding underneath the false-bottom of her bag. (Really, Upezza Keeza had their act together.) She'd been so very cooperative, they hadn't pursued the potential issue. Acting suspicious would have gotten her nailed. And so it was with peace-of-mind that Grizzelda boarded the hover-car, though she was still quite wary...

~

The resort was, dare she say it, impressive. Grand. Imposing. Yet welcoming. Grizzelda would have paid compliments to the architect, and she hardly ever paid compliments to anyone.

So this is how the wealthy waste away their years...

With a subtle hiss the elevator doors slid shut. The elder of the two bell-boys attempted to strike up conversation with Strae, the result of which was amusing. His scowl caused the younger to chuckle quietly.

"Was your trip here okay?" he asked, a moment later.

"Oh, decent. The same-ol'. Though, you might want to tell your friend at the hangar to get a personality. He's terribly drab."

"Oh, Brett?"

"Ah, that's the one."

The Bellboy chuckled. "He's been like that since he started working here, and he's been working here ever since I can remember."

"Hm, he is quaint." The elevator began to slow, a languid ding heralding the arrival of the thirteenth floor.

"If you ever need anything," The bellboy said as they stepped out, "Ask for D'reck. I work the afternoon shift."

Supposedly, he was talking to both Grizzelda and Strae, but his attention was more turned toward Grizz, sparing an odd glance at Strae. Grizzelda said nothing, offering no more than a sly smile as she slipped into her room, just behind Strae...

Who claimed the bed.

"Yes'm," Grizzelda said, chuckling and offering a mock-salute. Hardly even looking, she fell backwards and sprawled across the couch, reveling in its cushion...

"Y'know," she said wistfully, "If I didn't so enjoy getting dirt under my fingernails, I could get used to this..."

It was like lying on a piece of heaven, the warm fabric soft beneath her fingers... and it was probably cheap, by these standards. Grizzelda realized that she was letting herself get distracted. And then she decided it was worth it. If she died in the ecstacy of an expensive couch, then she would die happy...

She couldn't entirely remove her mind from the task at hand, however, which reassured her that her sense of adventure was still in-tact. "So does this dealer have a meeting-place? Or do we wander around aimlessly, rating the hotel's couches until we stumble across him?"