Straight, No Chaser(Meira) | Star Wars Universe RP

Beelzaboot

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Rocking from the Great White North

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Jan 14, 2011 0:06:14 GMT -5

Post by Jazen on Jan 14, 2011 0:06:14 GMT -5

{Couldn't think of anything else so...I bored your title idea. plzdonthateme}

If there was one place in the galaxy, one planet among the hundreds that were out there that Shine didn't want to visit again, it would have to be Tatooine. It was hot here, hotter than any planet he'd ever been too. There was little relief from the blazing twin suns that gave the planet light and warmth, unless you stayed indoors or hide in the shadows of the buildings that littered the settlement. And the sand....the sand got into everything. In your hair, in your eyes, in your mouth, in your clothes, into your equipment...the list went on. Shine still remembered his last visit here, back when he came to find a job in order to give the Cat the upgrades he needed. He also remembered it had taken him a week to clean the sand out of his equipment and clothes. And don't get him started on how much had come out of his boots.

So why, if he hated this planet so much, was he here again? What would compel him to land on this desert wasteland where the only thing to do was drink and gamble and try to avoid getting cast out into the endless desert. The answer, actually, was quite simple. He simply cared for his vessel more than his petty grievances against the world. The Cat was his home, his ticket to the skies and to his livelihood. Without it, he would be grounded, his wings clipped, his freedom stolen. So when the Cat needed repairs, Shine would have landed on Korriban if it meant he could make sure she continued to fly.

It had only been a few days since the operation at Jaemus. After the mission had been completed, more or less, Shine and the others had gone their separate ways, as per their plan. On the way out, Shine had run into some unexpected trouble and as a result, the Cat had taken a bit of a beating. Nothing too serious or life threatening....if attended to quick enough. In their escape, Vis has chosen an exit per Shine's command and when they came out of hyperspace, Shine had found the the damage to his ship was greater than he thought. The hyperdrive was failing and if he didn't pick a place to jump for repairs soon, it would die out, leaving him stranded in the middle of endless space, not sure of when rescue or relief would come. A quick look over the charts didn't give him much options in the way of planets he could make....until he saw a familiar system that made him wince. But with no other choice, at least any that had a 100% guarantee of success, Shine had put aside his groans and launched the Cat for Tatooine.

He had made the system just in time, as the hyperdrive cut out and died as he floated into sight of the browny-orange planet. After setting her down on the planet's surface(in a different settlement than his last visit), Shine had quickly set about using some of his newly acquired funds to pay for the minor repairs the Cat needed. This also included a repainting to cover the blaster scoring and to get a replacement for his dead hyperdrive. It hadn't been easy to locate a dealer that had the exact hyperdrive that he needed, most of them dealt in cheaper drives that wouldn't last more than a day. But after some prodding and a few credits in the right direction, Shine had finally found a shop that could produce the drive he needed....but the installation of the drive had taken longer than Shine had expected, which when coupled with the other repairs that needed to be done, meant he had to stick around the planet for a couple of days.

That had been two days ago. The repairs were nearly finished and if lady luck was with him, he could be out into space again before the twin suns managed to rear their heads again. That would be a blessing. With the repairs only needing the final touches, Shine had decided to visit one of the local cantinas for a drink or two to celebrate his recent string of luck. He had gotten a substantial pay and more to the point, was still alive. The Cat would be back up to full strength, actually better than before and he'd be off this sand ball headed for the core worlds to take a really needed rest. He'd left Vis behind to watch the ship, as he not only wanted someone he trusted taking care of her, but he didn't want to bring the little guy into a place where corruption bled from the taps. That wizard guy surely wouldn't be happy if Vis got stolen because Shine made a mistake.

Shine had kept his eye open when he was shopping earlier for a good bar to hit when night fell. He saw a few places that peeked his interest as he wandered the sandy wastes, but it was on his return trip that he found a suitable place to "dine". It was just a little off the main path, which could be seen as a bad thing in some eyes. But the cantina was located in between two larger buildings that shaded it from the sun fairly well, the shadow of a large rock often falling upon it. In other words, a place that, once darkness fell, would be good for keeping low profile. It wasn't like he expected trouble of any kind but one in his profession never took chances if they could help it. Okay, they took more chances than most actually. But after his latest adventure, he just wanted to have a simple drink without any complications of any kind. Everyone was entitled to those now and then right?

The sun's had just fallen when Shine shuffled his way into the street that held the cantina, its small patch of lights the only way to recognize that it was there. The streets were mostly empty at this hour, with the occasional occupant moving about here and there. Shine made sure his blaster was handy at his side, along with a few knives and a small vibrosword. He didn't think there would be trouble, but like he said, he wasn't going to take any chances. And on a planet like this, where the law was determined by crime lords and the worst of the worst well, Shine wondered if he didn't bring enough.

That though doubled as he approached the cantina entrance. And had he not stumbled when the sand below him shuffled, the man that suddenly came flying through that door might have plowed into him. Shine lifted his head to look, half in surprise, half from nerves reacting. The man groaned once, twice, then tried to get back to his feet a few times before flopping in the sand for good....and leaving a little present for the sand to cover. Shine made a gagging motion with his mouth and tongue as he got back to his feet, his eyes lingering on the door frame that had been smashed though. Drunken fight, go figure Stepping through the mangled remains of the door, he found himself in a room that was lit only lightly, giving it a gloomy kind of feeling. There was enough light to see the people inside through and to move around, so Shine quickly made his way to the bar, watching the occupants closely.

Upon arriving at the bar, Shine leaned against it and ordered a small glass of Corellian whiskey if they had it. As the bartender went to fetch his drink, Shine noticed that several of the men were glancing back and forth at a booth in the corner. Shine's eyes drifted to it as well but what he saw there wasn't what he expected. It was a woman, wrapped in a cloak that covered most of her body, a standard for the planet. And what he could see of her face showcased a beautiful woman, her expression somewhat....both lost and empty. Turning to the guy beside him, he asked what the deal with the booth was.

"Ah, that's the girl that just kicked little Frega out on his arse. Girl's fast, I'll give her that. Bloody idiot for coming onto a gal when hes as deep in booze as this planet is deep in sand."

"She did that? To that huge guy? Man, she must be one heck of a fighter." Tossing the man a credit, he said the next round was on him and took his drink. His destination, of course, was the table where the lady was sitting at. He sat across from her, reminding himself that this girl had apparently knocked out someone that could easily have been twice her weight. He watched her for a moment in silence before finally letting a smile grease his face. "And here I was thinking today would be boring. Mind if I offer you a drink for that outstanding show you put on earlier?"

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Meira

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Jan 21, 2011 10:57:14 GMT -5

Post by Meira on Jan 21, 2011 10:57:14 GMT -5

She was beginning to understand, now, that knowing the definition of a word was not the same as knowing the meaning of something.

Betrayal, abandonment, solitude. These were words she knew, words that she could define. They'd never been useful words, but she'd known them. Just as the words like anger, sorrow, and loss, she was starting to find that though words had a definition, they also had a meaning. This concept, though still utterly confusing to the young assassin (or was it ex-assassin?), was beginning to unravel in her unhindered mind.

That was not entirely accurate. The RELIC was still functioning at time, though unpredictably. It would spark to life at times, sending a jolt through her body, other times it seemed utterly broken. Victor had done this to her. When the RELIC was working, she could not attatch any sort of emotion to the act, but when it wasn't working... she resented him, or so she thought, for the inconvenience his tampering caused.

At the moment, the RELIC was working. It had allowed her the focus and the proper amount of adrenalin to dispatch the male that had attempted to initiate a mating with her. She'd applied a series of simple, but effective strikes to his torso, groin, and neck, then removed him from the place where she had decided to wait and think. It was not the most subtle thing to do, but on such a planet, renowned for its rough inhabitants, it did serve as a warning to others who might have tried a similar means of accelerated courtship.

So she sat back down in the booth that she'd taken up residence in and continued to puzzle out her circumstances. Tango and Victor were gone, along with the man she'd been tasked to capture, Axle. They left without her. She did not know why. For a time after she realized they were gone, she had felt a painful sensation in her chest, accompanied by an overworking of her tear ducts. When the RELIC kicked back in, the emotion, sadness, was gone and she immediately began the process of deciding how to get offworld, and where to go.

"And here I was thinking today would be boring. Mind if I offer you a drink for that outstanding show you put on earlier?"

Amber eyes quickly studied the figure that lowered itself across from her into the booth. Human, by all appearances, though the eyes were... altered. Perhaps an offshoot race. Average height, strong enough, clothing was practical, could hide potential weapons. The pendant around his neck, Corellian. Human then. And... a pilot? A spacer, no doubt. Potentially useful. Potentially harmful.

Mimicking his posture, Whiskey created an air of relaxed confidence. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. One finger tapped the glass of water that sat before her.

I have my drink. And that was not a show, it was a necessary precaution that I will not hesitate to use again. I suggest you find another place to sit. Her tone was calm, though it carried that flat, toneless air it had when her RELIC was functioning.

Beelzaboot

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Rocking from the Great White North

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Jan 22, 2011 14:12:59 GMT -5

Post by Jazen on Jan 22, 2011 14:12:59 GMT -5

Shine raised an eyebrow when the woman spoke, a possible laugh silenced internally as he listened to her. He'd run into a few women in his days that spoke bluntly but this one....her response had almost sounded like she'd scripted it. Calm, direct, heck it almost seemed machine like in its tone. Whether this was her normal way of responding or perhaps something that she was doing because she was in a foul mood, Shine couldn't tell. Didn't seem like the latter though; everything about her stance and voice told him that she seemed to be in perfect control.

She wasn't the only one studying the opposite. Golden eyes, cat like in their appearance, fluttered over what he could see of her, which in this case was mostly her face. From this range, even the dim light wasn't able to hide her features and his eyes had long become accustomed to noticing little details in the poorest lit rooms. Black hair, short and wild covered her head. Her skin seemed to be of a light milky color, and when he brought his eyes to hers, he noted they took on the color of honey. Very interesting; especially considering the way those honey colored eyes seemed to both look alluring and yet challenging at the same time.

Well, seems like I'll have to tread lightly in order to just talk with this gal. He eyed her glass of water when she tapped it and grinned; now that was a clever way of denying someone's offer of a drink. Obviously the big guy from before hadn't listened...and neither was Shine about to simply walk away. The woman had caught his interest and for better or worse, he at least wanted to have a longer conversation with her. Taking his own drink in hand, he swirled it around before finishing its contents, putting the glass aside.

"Well, whether you intended it or not, it was still a grand performance. I'm only sad I missed the start, only catching the ending. And I don't blame you for using it; sounds like the guy was cruising for a bruising.

But you can relax a little there; my only intention in coming over here is to talk. Have a little company while I cool kill the time before I head offworld. And if you don't mind me saying, I'd rather be in the company of a girl like yourself than some of those drunken blokes behind me. Name's Shine by the way. Shine Albatros." He'd extend his hand to shake hers, although he wasn't certain she would do that. Either way, he continued on, retracting the hand after it was shaken or not.

"If it's okay with you, maybe I could get a name to call you? I mean, I'm fine with calling you mysterious woman but generally, a given name is much better than an applied title."

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Meira

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Jan 31, 2011 18:15:51 GMT -5

Post by Meira on Jan 31, 2011 18:15:51 GMT -5

The male continued to speak. He did not stand and leave, as she'd instructed. Why? Was it not considered rude? She, along with the others, had been schooled in the etiquettes of the most predominant cultures of the galaxy. Though many were peculiar, all seemed to hold a common bond in that when one expressed disinterest, it was polite to retract from that being's company and leave them to their preferred solitude.

Yet Whiskey found that here, such was not the case. The man that she'd dispatched had not been the first to disturb her. When she'd arrived at this cantina, she had seated herself at the bar. This, she learned, had been a mistake. Though her training had indicated that sitting at the bar tended to provide one with an optimal position for eavesdropping, let alone access to the bartender and their usually large wells of local knowledge. However, where alcohol was involved, a female had to be wary of the reduced inhibitions of the males around her.

So Whiskey had retreated to a dark booth after the first two or so attempts at winning her favor. Here, she was more out of sight, but still maintained a sufficient visual of her surroundings. The number of men that approached her dramatically reduced to just the one, though now she had to count a second. She would have expected that the boldness of this one who was called Shine Albatros was aided by the consumption of a considerable amount of alcohol, as had been the case of the previous man. But she knew this to be untrue, as this Shine Albatros had only just entered the establishment and had yet to finish his first drink.

His hand extended across the table, Whiskey studied it, the slightest hint of confusion on her face. She knew this greeting custom. Names exchanged, palms, sometimes forearms grasped as a friendly gesture. Why, she wondered, would Shine Albatros ignore one custom, yet hold to another? All of her training seemed to indicate that all manners, within their respective customs, must be followed. Her eyebrows furrowed at the thought and she had a certain feeling- was that the right term- that she would soon find many of her questions unanswerable.

"If it's okay with you, maybe I could get a name to call you? I mean, I'm fine with calling you mysterious woman but generally, a given name is much better than an applied title."

Whiskey's studying eyes moved from Shine Albatros' hand to his face at the comment. Her confusion becoming more prominent. Within the networking of her neurons, the RELIC was again shutting down, allowing neural signals to travel down less efficient pathways. This brought Whiskey's thought off the task of weighing the pros and cons of giving the man her name, and allowing those thoughts to stray into far less beneficial areas of thoughts, such as "Is Whiskey even my name, or is it an 'applied title'?"

"A given name and an applied title both serve the same purpose."

Her eyes dropped down to the glass of water in front of her. She lifted it quickly with one hand, drained it, and then stood, walking away from Shine Albatros as if he weren't even there. Her heart rate had quickened, her eyes were darting about the room quickly. I am nervous, she thought, gaining an ounce of calm at being able to identify the sensation. She'd drawn too much attention to herself in a place where conduct had it's own rules, outside of generally accepted custom, or none at all. This was not a safe place for her. An inn, where she could seclude herself in a private room would be better.

On Tattooine, even water cost money. She left the credits on the bar, along with the empty glass and made for the exit. Outside, the night air was already considerably cooler than it had been when she'd entered the cantina and the suns were still up. Whiskey pulled her wrap closer to her frame as her eyes scanned along the empty street for a place where she could stay for the night.

Beelzaboot

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Rocking from the Great White North

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Feb 6, 2011 13:45:14 GMT -5

Post by Jazen on Feb 6, 2011 13:45:14 GMT -5

When offering to shake hands with someone, there were two things you always had to remember. The first was to use a firm grip when you shook that person's hand; not too strong and not too weak, only enough to be respective of the other being. The other was that if the person you were offering it to didn't shake it within the next minute or two after you extended it, put the hand away. At that point, they either didn't want to shake it....or were contemplating what they could do to harm it. And after what Shine had seen the woman do to that man earlier, the latter reason didn't seem so far fetched. He'd scoffed at that idea the first time his father had told him it but after dealing with some of the nasty pieces of work in the galaxy, he'd taken the lesson to heart.

Shrugging, Shine brought his arm back and down, resting it horizontally on the table before him, his fingers twirling around the glass. He left his other hand where it was, before, resting on the wrist of the other. Should any trouble arise, either from the hooting drunken fools behind him....or lord forbid the woman before him, that hand would easily be able to reach his blaster in an instant. Something else his father had taught him and to this day, Shine had found it worked almost every time. His golden eyes watched the woman, wondering if she was going to give him any kind of response at all; the furrowed eyebrows seemed to leave the impression that she was either struggling with how to answer....or whether or not to answer at all.

Or maybe she's wondering if I need a "reminder" to leave her alone. The chances of her tossing him out into the sand for just a little friendly conversation was pretty slim...but then again, what did he know about her? A pretty face with the skills to overpower a man twice her size and likely weight. She drank water in a bar, which meant she wasn't out to get drunk. And she seemed to be almost emotionless in her responses, like a machine. Had he not seen her eyes furrow at his questions, he might have actually thought she didn't have any emotions at all. The thoughts were like a storm in his mind, whirling around and around, none of them able to find a purchase without something to catch them over the others.

Ex-military perhaps? Trained to keep her emotion in check.....also means she could have been a Jedi. Or maybe she's just seen some of the worst the galaxy has to offer, suffered for it and cut herself off in order to retain her sanity. All guesses, no real proof to any of them. Maybe after a bit more talking, I'll get something that paints me a clearer picture.

Her answer caught him off guard though. He was about to answer in response to her when she surprised him yet again. In one fluid motion, she took her glass in hand, downed its remaining contents...and then walked away from the table without a second glance at him. His eyebrow found the middle of his forehead as it came up and for a few moments, he sat there stunned. He surely hadn't been expecting that. His wits returned to him quickly however, quick enough for him to glance over his shoulder at the woman. His eyes narrowed just a little to see through the darkness and when he spied her, he noticed that something seemed different. She seemed to be moving just a little too quickly, placed the credits for her drink rather abruptly on the bar and was out the door in an instant. Before her actions had seemed cold, efficient, someone in complete control. Now...well now it she just wasn't moving like that.

Never had a lady do that to me before. Must be slipping. But he wasn't just about to let things end like that. Odd as she was, the girl had skills....and after his recent missions to Rodia and Jaemus, Shine had come to a very clear conclusion. He needed a reliable backup, a co-pilot or two to help him aboard the Cat. True, he had no idea whether or not the woman was simply traveling on her own or had friends, whether what he was about to do next would work at all....but he hadn't come this far by being timid about it. Like she had done, he downed his drink quickly, made his way over to the bar, returned the glass to the bartender with a small amount of credits to pay for it and headed out into the cold desert night.

The good thing about it being late was that the streets weren't crowded, so spying the woman again wasn't hard. She was just ahead a little, looking from building to building before continuing on her way. Looking for a place to stay perhaps; that would be the most logical reason, though the idea that she was looking out for someone or something wasn't far-fetched either. Shrugging again, Shine headed off after her, speed walking till he came up beside her again. He had only one chance to likely get this right so he had to ask the right question quickly.

"Hey, if I said something back there that offended you, I'm sorry about that. I really did mean it when I said I was just looking for someone to talk too. Oh, and to answer your statement earlier; you're right, they are the same in some ways. So I should have asked it this way; what do others commonly refer to you as? He took a moment to let her response or not to it this time, then continued with what would be the harder part.

"Listen, you look like you need a place to bunk for the night. Now, I can't say the cabins on my ship are a five star hotel, but at least they're free of any nasty surprises this planet's inns might have. And just to sweeten the offer, your welcome to eat from the galley's stores and use the utilities should you need them; and I won't charge a thing.

There is one thing though, an offer I'd like to throw your way. It's nothing special really and it would not surprise me if you turned it down, it coming from someone you just met and all. But hear me out. You see, I'm into a certain kind of trade. The kind that, after a while, you realize it would be easier...and better for your health, to have a skilled partner backing you up. And after seeing how easily you handled that man back there, I figure you might just have the kind of skills that would help fit that requirement.

What I'm saying Ms, is that I'd like to offer you a job."

edited Feb 6, 2011 13:45:46 GMT -5 by Jazen

She don't mess around

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Feb 7, 2011 12:56:54 GMT -5

Post by Meira on Feb 7, 2011 12:56:54 GMT -5

The philosophical "right or wrong" question of what the scientists at Green Meadows did to Whiskey and the others was irrelivant when considering the advantages of the enhancements they received. It was near impossible to sneak up on the GM assassins, so attuned were their eyes and ears. The RELICs kept their sympathetic nervous systems on a hair trigger... well, when they were working.

Whiskey didn't need the RELIC to know that Shine Albatros had followed her from the cantina. She could hear his footfalls the moment he'd stepped out the door. She was vigilant of his distance from her as she moved down the dusty street in search of a place to stay. She knew exactly how long it would take to draw her heavy blaster, or unsheath the combat knife secured horizontally at the back of her belt under the wrap. Her muscles were poised, ready, but she doubted she would need such action. The streets were not completely empty, nor were they so dark Shine Albatros might risk anything.

Her assumption proved correct. Shine Albatros fell into step beside her and immediately began to speak again, continuing as if she hadn't ended their conversation in the cantina.

"...So I should have asked it this way; what do others commonly refer to you as?"

"That would have been more efficient, yes." Whiskey replied, her eyes still scanning the doorways and storefronts.

"Listen, you look like you need a place to bunk for the night. Now, I can't say the cabins on my ship are a five star hotel, but at least they're free of any nasty surprises this planet's inns might have. And just to sweeten the offer, your welcome to eat from the galley's stores and use the utilities should you need them; and I won't charge a thing."

Whiskey stopped and faced the man, her eyes locking on his with a flat determination. "Nothing is free, Shine Albatros." She turned again and continued to move, but the man still persued. If he continued much more, she would have to shoot him.

"There is one thing though, an offer I'd like to throw your way. It's nothing special really and it would not surprise me if you turned it down, it coming from someone you just met and all. But hear me out. You see, I'm into a certain kind of trade. The kind that, after a while, you realize it would be easier...and better for your health, to have a skilled partner backing you up. And after seeing how easily you handled that man back there, I figure you might just have the kind of skills that would help fit that requirement.

What I'm saying Ms, is that I'd like to offer you a job."

She had turned down a smaller street, darker, no people. If she was going to have to shoot him, this would be a better place. Discretely, she unclipped her blaster, hand poised on the grip under her wrap. When he mentioned employment, she stopped. She considered the notion. She would be out of credits very soon, some means of transportation would have to be acquired, a means that provided her with time to consider if she should return to Green Meadows, or do as the others and seek her own life, her own decisions. But she did not know this man. He was just as likely to be thinking of other, more nefarious plans once she agreed to board his ship under his ruse of employment. SHe would have to get the measure of the man.

In a fluid motion, Whiskey unholstered his heavy blaster, as she brought it to level with the man's chest, the motion pushed the wrap from her shoulders. As it fell to the ground, her left hand moved to the grip of the knife at the small of her back, ready to produce it if necessary.

"And what is stopping me from killing you, Shine Albatros, and taking your ship?"

Beelzaboot

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Feb 9, 2011 0:32:11 GMT -5

Post by Jazen on Feb 9, 2011 0:32:11 GMT -5

Obviously this woman wasn't going to be giving him something to call her anytime soon.She replied to his question easily enough, but once again, she replied only to the question itself. No name was given as a result and although the possibility was that he would have to ask for it again was there, he figured he'd let it go for a while longer. Hopefully his other propositions would trigger her interest enough to merit getting something to identify her as....he could always insist if she accepted though. He would almost have too.

They continued their trek amongst the dark and quiet streets, Shine keeping mildly aware of his surroundings as he passed his first offer to her. His eyes watched every shadowed corner that he could see, watching ever so carefully for possible "complications" that might think the pair were an easy mark. He silently chucked to himself at the thought of some would be muggers trying to score an easy payday by attacking them.....man would they ever regret that choice in the morning. If their blasters didn't discourage any would be robbers, a close combat beating just might. And after what he had seen...okay mostly heard of what this woman could do, he felt bad for anyone who dared try.

Most of his attention was on her though, so when she stopped and faced him, he was able to stop to meet those hard eyes of hers. Her reasoning for stopping was short and to the point, her response in a flat and not open to debate tone. "Nothing is free, Shine Albatros." He didn't even get a chance to respond to that before she turned away and started walking off again, him falling into quick step with her a moment later. He opened his mouth to give a reply to that, then shut his mouth just as fast about the matter. She was more or less right; no point in arguing a solid point. It was something that was especially true in his trade. Everything came with a price, whether it be money or material or something else entirely......heck, the offer he gave her after might have been seen as such. A price for staying at his ship.

Which it wasn't. If she didn't like the idea, she was more than welcome to reject it. He'd be upset yes and he fully intended to try a few more times if need be before he was sure he was turned down for good, but in the end, his first offer had been genuinely sincere. As he relayed the job offer, they turned down a much darker, narrow side street. He raised an eyebrow at the sudden change in direction and his voice seemed to dim for a moment as nerves and a tinkling of danger tugged at him, but he mushed on anyway.The main street had been pretty devoid of life; the side street had none at all. It was the perfect place for would be muggers to strike.....or for someone to be silenced without witnesses.

As the last words of his offer slipped from his mouth, she stopped mid step suddenly, prompting him to stop and face her again. Her eyes seemed to be distance, ticking back and forth when he glanced down at her. He knew the look; it was the look of someone thinking something over in their mind. Maybe his offer had finally given her a reason to speak to him; he was crossing his fingers that it did. Still, he hadn't quite shaken that uneasy feeling from before.....it gave him enough cause to droop his hands a little more closer to his waist, holding them across his belly. Just in case he needed his blaster.....

In one quick motion, the woman drew her blaster from its holster, leveling it at Shine's chest. Maybe not as fast as she had been, Shine drew his own as soon as he saw the motion underway, holding it against his hip and pointed at her chest. Either of them could fire at this point, had to love stand offs for that. Her left hand moved behind her, a move not lost on Shine; she likely had another weapon there as well. Least the girl came prepared. "And what is stopping me from killing you, Shine Albatros, and taking your ship?" A moment of tense silence followed...and then Shine reacted. And not in the way one would expect when being held at gunpoint. He grinned and then laughed a little. Gently, he looked down to his weapon, then to her, holding up his free hand in the air; an act that said he was surrendering, re holstering his blaster.

"What is stopping you indeed? I don't really have an answer for that; I guess you could just drop me here, head to the hangar, take my ship and leave me to rot in the sand. That is of course, if you can find what ship is mine. Oh, and get past the automated defense system that fries anyone who tries to enter that doesn't talk like me. Then you'd have to decrypt the ship's computer to get access to anything of importance, let alone start it.

I think, truthfully, if you had wanted to do that, you would have pressed on for more information before pulling the gun on me. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess that my offer for a job caught you by surprise; maybe because your in need of money or a place to stay or for whatever reason employment would be a good thing.

My offer stands. If you'd put away the blaster for five minutes, maybe we could get into talking about some of the finer details. Any questions you have about the job or about me, for that matter, are welcome. Though I would much rather prefer to do this in a less open spot, it beats getting shot for being insistent. So....what do you say?"

She don't mess around

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Meira

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Post by Meira on Feb 9, 2011 10:14:00 GMT -5

Whiskey had not expected that Shine Albatros would simply stand there once she pulled her blaster. And so she was not surprised at all to see that he too had drawn his weapon when she had. If he had not, the odds that she would have killed him would have been great. He would habe proved to be a useless man, not worth her time.

But he had produced a weapon, and with a quickness of his own. Whiskey's mind calculated the chances that she could disarm him. She was sure she would be able to, though not without considerable struggle. The fact that the man laughed at the situation spoke to one of two things: either he was mentally unstable, or he had found himself in a similar situation enough times before that it did not greatly affect his nerves. Considernig his coherent speech, Whiskey assumed the latter.

When he re-holstered his weapon, Whiskey cocked an eyebrow. Then he spoke, a lot. She let his speak his peace, but did not lower her weapon until he had finished. As he spoke, she considered his offer once again, now with his reactions to being held at gunpoint factored in. It was still a risk, but Whiskey was beginning to believe that everything carried a risk now that she was opperating outside of the control fo Green Meadows.

"So....what do you say?"

Sliding the blaster back into its holster, Whiskey looked him in the eye. "You talk too much, Shine Albatros." She paused, just the slightest bit of unease showing in her eyes. "Is your ship far?"

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Feb 9, 2011 22:00:38 GMT -5

Post by Jazen on Feb 9, 2011 22:00:38 GMT -5

A breath Shine didn't know he'd been holding managed to release itself when the woman lowered her weapon. It didn't fully escape until she slid the blaster back into the holster but once it was there, he barely resisted the temptation to wipe the sweat from his forehead. He'd been staring down the barrel of a gun plenty of times before, usually after a deal had gone south or he had to fight his way out of a bar brawl gone bad. It was never easy facing down someone who had a gun on him, but at least constant practice had given him the ability to do so with steady nerves. He had been pretty sure she wasn't going to shoot him from the way the situation was created....but that didn't mean he was completely sure.

But he'd earned, at least for now, a reprieve. His offer seemingly had peeked her interest, which at the least, merited him more time to get her to agree instead of a bolt to the chest. At her words, he chuckled slightly and carefully moved towards her....or at least to indicate the direction behind them. "Maybe I do. But hey, I think I talked a whole bunch less than some people do while saying hello to a blaster. As for my ship being far, no its not. It's docked in the main bays at the port; we gotta backtrack a bit to get to the road that leads there." He waved to the road they had just left, pointing to the only real thing that still had external lights showing just slightly in the distance. "Least we won't have any trouble knowing where to go. Come on then, I'll show you better half."

As soon as her was certain she was coming, Shine started down the sandy roads that led back to the port. Their little trek had thrown him of a little in terms of where he was in relation to the port but the desert city had one good thing about it. It didn't take long to remember what way you had come from. First they exited the alley, then walked back the way they came until another intersecting main road appeared on their left. They had to shift directions a few times in order to go around buildings at times, but all in all, they soon arrived at the spaceport. It was a little bit further to the bay the Cat was resting in, Shine having chose one of the side bays instead of leaving it in the main area and soon enough, he was heading down a dark corridor that led to the inner bay.

Lights flooded the interior of the bay, and Shine had to suppress an even larger smile from taking over his face. He had to admit, the repair boys had done a good job repairing the external damage; if he didn't know any better, he'd swear the ship hadn't even taken a small beating just a few days prior. It would never look brand new, not unless he built the thing from the bottom up...but he was happy just to have her running at close to peak efficiency once again. Shine admired her for a moment longer before turning to the other form of beauty that had followed him, smiling.

"Well, here she is. My pride and joy, the Black Cat. She may not look like a top of the line craft, but she's never let me down...and there's more to her then meets the eye. It's like my mentor always used to say; "you treat your gear and your ship like you treat your friends. Treat them well and keep them happy, they'll never let you down. Treat them bad and they'll abandon you when you need them the most." Truer words have never been spoken." He paused for a moment to let her take in the sight, if even for a moment, before continuing. "If there's anything you'd like to know about her, please, free free to ask. We can talk about the details of the job inside, maybe grab some food and drink if your in need of that."

With that, he waited. Should she agree to come inside, he'd move to the ramp and trigger the thing to descend, speaking softly into a small device in his hand to verify that it was him coming in. No point getting blasted by his own defenses; though he doubted his comrade inside the ship would let that happen. In the meantime, he'd answer any questions she might pose, provided he was able to answer them without giving away too much. He had said he'd answer anything, but some stuff he would keep to himself until he knew if she wanted the job; no point in revealing some secrets if she wasn't going to be using them for his good.

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Feb 10, 2011 11:11:49 GMT -5

Post by Meira on Feb 10, 2011 11:11:49 GMT -5

When he stepped forward, Whiskey stepped back. Her left hand still poised at her back where her knife was ready should she need it. But Shine Albatros was only indicating that they needed to turn around and head back the way they'd come. Whiskey stepped aside, allowing him to pass before picking her wrap up from the ground and dusting it off. She pulled it back around her body, then moved to follow as he led the way.

Their path backtracked to the more main roads, then Shine Albatros led them toward the spaceport. They arrived there, then proceeded to the docking bay where his ship was housed. Once they were through the dark corridor that led to the inner bay, Whiskey took stock of what Shine Albatros called the Black Cat. She'd piloted many ships in her training, and a few more that she could not recall due to memory wipes. This ship, though it appeared common place on the outside, no doubt held a few secrets. She didn't doubt Shine Albatros when he said there was more to the ship than what could be seen. That particular phrase made more sense to Whiskey than many sayings she'd heard before.

She herself was an example of it. By all outward appearances, she was simply a petite young woman, often described by others as pretty. But beneath that external self, were artificial joints, optical and auditory enhancers, and a state of the line neural implant that until very recently had made what she did possible. But now? Now things were different.

"If there's anything you'd like to know about her, please, free free to ask. We can talk about the details of the job inside, maybe grab some food and drink if your in need of that."

"Are there any others?" she asked, completing her walk around the ship and returning to him. "I will shoot you and anyone else in that ship if you try anything."

Her eyes were steady again. it was not the work of the RELIC, not this time. The chip had not always been necessary for her, though she was not entirely aware of this. Whiskey had always been an emotionally withdrawn character. If anything, the RELIC functioned mostly to increase chemical signals in her brain in such cases were adrenalin or the like were needed.

So when her honey colored eyes connected with his, Whiskey was entirely calm. The thought of killing him caused her no more thought than chewing food, it certainly didn't bring any emotions up. She was deciding to take a risk, but that didn't mean she was going to be letting her guard down any time soon.

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Post by Jazen on Feb 11, 2011 8:21:08 GMT -5

Shine leaned against one of the landing gears and folded his arms across his chest as the woman took a stroll around the perimeter of the Cat, examining the ship for herself no doubt. Before the polish she had gotten at this port of call, the Cat would have been covered in blaster scores, faded color due to excessive use and maybe even the odd blur of wear and tear in some places. It was standard for most smuggler ships to end up looking like that as time passed; their jobs were not easy and the pay was often only enough to feed them and keep their livelihood running.

Now though, the Cat almost seemed to glow in the bright lights of the docking bay. Most of the scores and wear had been buffed away, panels that could be replaced were, a fresh coat of paint finishing up the touches to its appearance. Most if not all the damage she had sustained lately had been attended to, or at least for the moment, repaired to the point where it would last him long enough to get any more needed replacements. That truthfully, was something Shine liked about the smuggler's life. The constant repair of a ship you called your own; there was no greater feeling then hearing her purr after you replaced that engine block or replaced the hyperspace coils. It was one of the few things that only a man who loved his ship could appreciate.

He turned his attention back to the woman at that point, as her trek around the ship was coming to a close. Her eyes, which had to that point been skyward to look over the Cat, now turned on him, as calm and unfaltering as they had been when Shine had met her in the cantina. Whatever problem she had earlier had either been silenced or handled, giving her control of the situation once again. It unnevered him a little, but none of that showed, even as she threatened him if he tried to pull anything. He almost laughed at that; if he wanted to pull something he would have done it by now.

"Others, not really. I do have a droid onboard, but aside from that, its just me. But don't worry; I'm sure I can keep my robo-friend from trying to have his way with you." He laughed a little at that, then realized that this woman didn't appear to be in a joking mood. He hoped it got through to her a little though; he needed to ease the tension in the air between them. That small laugh died as quickly as it arose and with a quick cough to clear his throat, he triggered the landing ramp. As the sand hissed up a little around his feet when the ramp touched base, Shine nodded to her, then stepped up a few steps into the ship, pausing to look back at her.

"Come in, I'll show you around and then we can talk buisness. And if your worried about me trying anything, relax a bit. I already saw what you can do and I don't fancy getting myself shot over something trivial today. Now hurry up in here before the sand clogs the joints; a total pain to get that stuff out after all."

With that, he'd wait till she followed, if she did at all before heading into the ship. Truthfully, he didn't want to let her out of his sight as much as she likely wanted to let him out of her sight. There was a common bond there, and at least in Shine's case, that also included generally liking to watch a beautiful woman on top of worrying about whether or not he'd have a knife in his back at the end of this. Once she was inside, he clicked the ramp to close and took the lead into the ship. The ramp left them standing in the cargo hold, so he started there, indicating that the space around them was for holding anything he needed to pick up.

After that, he would take her around the ship, pointing out areas in some cases so they didn't have to backtrack too much. This included showing her where the medical and refresher rooms were, where the ship's manual gun controls were, the engine room where the hyperdrive also resided, and the storage lockers in the aft areas behind the cargo area. After that, they went forward into the galley, where Shine showed her where they could eat, and storage and prep areas for any meals they might eat, located on either side of the room. The crew quarters were next, pointing them out on the way to the bridge, which lay behind the area where the ship could manually dock with another.

Hitting the door switch, he opened the cockpit door and let her inside, leaving it open behind him. He pointed out the comms and navigation, located at the front of the ship on either side of the pilot and co-pilot seats. Life support and weapons controls sat to either side of the cockpit's back and a small locker to store essential items(aka some weapons just in case thing went sour) After a moment, he led her back to the galley and poured himself a small glass of milk, turning to face her and lean against the wall. Taking a sip of his drink, he grinned and waved to indicate the area around them.

"So, now that you've had the grand tour, what do you think? Don't me modest, I can take a bit of critism so speak your mind. If she at least garners some of your interest, then maybe we can talk some more about this place becoming your "home" for a bit...if you want to take the job that is. Oh, you want something to drink while I'm at it?"

edited Feb 12, 2011 15:24:11 GMT -5 by Jazen

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Feb 23, 2011 17:48:46 GMT -5

Post by Meira on Feb 23, 2011 17:48:46 GMT -5

"Others, not really. I do have a droid onboard, but aside from that, its just me. But don't worry; I'm sure I can keep my robo-friend from trying to have his way with you."

Whiskey's head tilted to the side slightly as she digested what Shine Albatros said. She could not fathom a droid having any way other than what it was programmed to do. And if its programming involved doing something to her, she was fairly sure she could disable it before it could do any such thing. Shine Albatros chuckled and Whiskey's eyes considered him. After a moment, she decided the phrase carried some meaning that she did not understand.

Dismissing the comment, she followed the man up the ramp and into the ship. They stood in the hold for a moment before Shine Albatros began a general tour. From what he pointed out, the ship seemed fairly standard. Whiskey's eyes were discerning, however, and she noted that bits and areas of the ship did not appear "stock". If she hadn't already been sure, she could now confirm that Shine Albatros did business in areas that might not always be considered legal. This was fine. Seeing that she was preferring to stay out of sight of authorities, Whiskey was fairly sure such a need would not be a problem for this man.

As they entered the cockpit, Whiskey eyed the controls. She had never piloted this model of ship, but she'd also never encountered a ship that she couldn't pilot. None that she could remember anyway.

With the tour done, they returned to the galley where Shine Albatros asked her opinion of the ship, and if she was considering his offer of a job, and if she'd like something to drink. Sometimes Whiskey wondered why people asked so many questions at once. She began her answers with the last.

"No." she said, standing in the doorway at first, then moving farther into the galley. She then realized that she had not indicated which question she was answering. "I am not thirsty." she quickly added.

"Your ship seems to be in good repair. But perhaps with a second person on your crew you can take on bigger jobs and earn the credits to complete more extensive repairs. I am an excellent pilot. You have already witnessed my other skills. If you wish to employ me, I will accept. But I reserve the right to leave your employment whenever I wish."

Her eyes met his again with those last words. They were stern, unmoving. She would work for him, but it was her choice to do so, and leaving would be her own choice as well. She would not hesitate to take action if he attempted otherwise. But if the impression that he was giving was truthful. Whiskey doubted that Shine Albatros would attempt such a thing.

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Feb 24, 2011 0:13:34 GMT -5

Post by Jazen on Feb 24, 2011 0:13:34 GMT -5

Shine was really, really glad he has just finished downing the rest of his drink. Had he not, he might have dropped the glass in surprise...or sprayed its contents out as he finished the last of it. He had expected to have to sweeten the offer to join him a little, add in some benefits to entice her to consider joining up. Heck, he was fully ready for her to throw down some terms that would benefit her more then him before she even considered giving him the nod. It was something he'd been pondering during their trip to his ship, all the way to the moment he popped that question again as they sat there in the galley. And he had been ready.

So when her reply to his offer was an unquestionable yes, Shine had to admit. He'd been caught with his pants down. He tried not to let that surprise play on his face but he figured by then, it was much too late. His eyes widened slightly and for the next few moments, he just sat there, watching her in silence. For once, Shine didn't have a sudden barrage of words he could reply to her with. The shock of the moment stalled his tongue and for what felt like a small eternity to him, he continued to sit there and stare as his mind mercilessly worked to find the next sentence to speak.

His mind finally got ahold of itself after a few minutes of that and his look of surprise went to a look of joy. A grin creased his face and a small laugh slipped from his throat. Clapping his hands in front of him, he hopped up from the edge of the table he'd been resting on to stand before her, watching her unfaltering gaze. He figured it had something to do with her stance on that term of hers, the free right to walk whenever she so chose. That was fine....just meant he had to work hard to make sure that time didn't come right away.

"Well, alright then. I think we've got ourselves an agreement here then. Welcome aboard the Black Cat. I'm sure this partnership will benefit us both." He'd lift his hand into the space between them, an outstretched hand waiting there for her. "I figure your not really into shaking hands but its like an unofficial way to seal this partnership. You still don't have to if its not your thing though."

Whether she shook it or not, he'd retract his hand after a few moments, then turn to the empty ship at his back. Looking over his shoulder at her, he made an indication for her to follow before heading into the cockpit and sitting himself behind the pilot's chair. With a nod, he directed her attention to either the co-pilot's chair or the seat at navigation before leaning back and letting out a short but sharp whistle.

"Sorry, calling for my little droid buddy. Best meet him sooner rather then later so there's no surprises. Anyway....you said you can pilot, which is good. Don't know if you've ever flown one of these before, but it shouldn't take long to show you how to handle the Cat like any other ship. And I've seen that you can kick some behind....a lot of it if my guesses are right. Any other note worthy skills you got that you can tell me; rather know what you can do before I need to find out the hard way. Like when we're knee deep in the dung and that's when I find out you know how to fix a faulty power line for example."

The sound of movement suddenly came from the open cockpit doorway. After a moment, a small, four legged droid that resembled a robotic version of a pine marten, came dashing into the cockpit. The small droid looked to Shine...then at Whiskey for a moment, almost flinching in surprise. For a moment, Vis sat there, looking back and forth between the two of them. Then Shine made a motion with his hand to come to him and the little droid ran over and scaled his way up to rest on Shine's shoulder.

"Welcome back Shine. I see...I see we have a guest. You should have told me sooner....I dislike being surprised like that." The little droid glanced at Whiskey wherever she sat or stood and slid a little more behind Shine, his receptors blinking at the woman as he assessed what the current situation was. Surely though, Shine would answer that for him in a moment. Shine chuckled for a moment, patting the little droid on the head before turning back to Whiskey.

"Ah yea...sorry about that little buddy. Anyway, this here is my little mate, Vistal, Vis for short. Picked him up not too long ago; he's been quite the handy friend to have around.

And yes Vis, we have a guest so be nice. She'll be sticking around for a while after all; we just reached an agreement on becoming crewmates. Oh right, that reminds me....so about that title or name or whatever we decide it is that you go by....would I be able to get that now?"

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Feb 26, 2011 11:03:22 GMT -5

Post by Meira on Feb 26, 2011 11:03:22 GMT -5

Surprise was evident on Shine Albatros' face. Whiskey was not surprised to see it. At Green Meadows, the scientists often submitted her to trainings that involved social situations. Their goal was to retrain her usually blunt and literal personality into something more social. Though she understood the value of the training, Whiskey apparently had very little aptitude for it. The Green Meadows Assassins were very rarely considered deficient in the tasks they were to train in, but this seemed to be one that Whiskey simply could not excel at.

And though she could not remember any mission she'd been given, spare for her most recent failure at capturing the escapee known as Axle, Whiskey did know that she was not one selected for missions that involved a more sociable aspect. Such was the benefit of having a whole team of assassins at one's disposal.

But Shine Albatros eventually came out of his stupor and stood. He approached, affirming the deal and holding out his hand. This time, Whiskey considered it more openly. She was, after all, about to become business partners with the man. It seemed that this gesture was slightly more appropriate and acceptable than it had been the first time he'd presented it. She did not, however, enjoy the act as she extended her own hand and clasped it with his. She had never cared for touching others.

Shine Albatros turned then, leading the way back to the cockpit. Whiskey followed, silently, and took the copilot's chair when he gestured. Her eyes immediately scanned the controls around her, taking stock. When Shine Albatros emmited a sharp whistle, her frame stiffened and her head jerked up, eyes scanning around the cockpit. Her hand was ready on the grip of her blaster, but Shine Albatros explained that he was calling his droid. While Whiskey relaxed her frame slightly, her hand remained ready.

"And I've seen that you can kick some behind....a lot of it if my guesses are right. Any other note worthy skills you got that you can tell me; rather know what you can do before I need to find out the hard way. Like when we're knee deep in the dung and that's when I find out you know how to fix a faulty power line for example."

Whiskey lifted an eyebrow at the question, the mental image of the scenario he presented puzzling her. "I believe," she began, eyes wandering upward in thought, "that if we were knee deep in dung, a faulty powerline would be the least of our troubles."

Just then, a small droid that had been constructed to resemble some kind of creature came scurrying into the cockpit. Whiskey's brow furrowed slightly as she studied the droid, which seemed to be displaying characteristics of a sentient being. The droid then moved up Shine Albatros' arm and spoke. The manner of its language led Whiskey to believe that it had not had a memory wipe in quite some time. She was aware that when such procedures were not followed, droids were prone to develop the appearance of a personality. With such advanced AI technology, many scientists, including those at Green Meadows, warned that failure to follow memory protocols would lead to droids that would choose not to follow orders, and would even seek ways to alter their programming independently.

Shine Albatros roused her from her thoughts with his introduction of the droid. Whiskey really didn't see any point in being introduced to a droid as if it were a sentient, so her eyes left it and returned to the captain's. He again asked for her name, and again, the giving of it seemed far more appropriate now than it had in the cantina.

"You may call me Whiskey."

edited Feb 26, 2011 12:21:12 GMT -5 by Meira

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Post by Jazen on Feb 27, 2011 6:53:21 GMT -5

Vis glanced over Shine's shoulder at the woman who had just identified herself as Whiskey. It was an odd name, almost as odd as Shine's was. In fact, she shared a name with a a drink Shine kept in storage aboard the Cat. Strange....who would name their offspring after something that Vis's logs classified as both a form of pleasure to one's senses that when taken in large amounts, lead to pain. Was the meaning intended or merely a name on the spur of the moment? Or was Whiskey even her true name. No file appeared in any database in his vast network regarding the woman, which made Vis squint his photo receptors at her. He said nothing more though, instead opting to slither back down behind Shine to watch over his shoulder.

Shine himself was busy musing over her name as well. Whiskey....sweet to the taste at first, bringing happiness to the senses and to the mind. But whiskey was bitter; it bit back with every drink and in excess amount, made the user sick, in pain, dizzy, lost, confused, and many other terms that could describe the after effects of having too much of the drink. Was that what she was? A woman good for you in short bursts but in the long run a danger to your health? Shine shrugged off the idea for the moment; sure, she was as cold as ice and as tough as daggers, but that didn't mean she was dangerous.....at least, to those who didn't try to harm her.

He snickered at her respond to his question about her skill set though. She had a great way of dodging the question with an answer he couldn't argue with, yet was one that was intended for the purpose of hiding a secret he wasn't allowed to know. That was fine he guessed; over time, maybe she'd grow to trust him enough to tell him some of those. Or at least, make him aware of them when the situation applied. Leaning back in the chair, he considered her for a moment before nodding, a grin lighting his features.

"Whiskey huh? That's a rather unique name; I think it fits. Whoever named you named you right." That grin faded after this sentence, instead replaced with a mask of pure business, one that said he was serious about what he said next.

"And if you don't want to answer the question at the moment, that's alright. I figured a woman like you would have her secrets, which I'm fair enough to let you keep. But I say this both lightly and seriously; if there is anything that would put me, Vis, my ship and now you in danger from your past, I wanna know about it the second it becomes serious enough to be concerned about. Same with any problems; if you need to go somewhere, just tell me so we can get it sorted out quick. I don't mean to sound anything other then concerned, but I take living very seriously and the protection of those who work for me as well. So long as we understand this, we're good."

He'd sigh for a moment, letting his breath catch up with him before sitting forward in his chair, fingers clasped together at his stomach. He regarded her reaction and answer to his words before choosing to continue on, nodding with a head to the controls and then the open doorway at their side. "You're welcome to any of the crew quarters; there are four just on the other side of the door and two more by the cargo hold. Mine's on the right side of the cargo hold. Lockers in the wings can store any gear you want to keep there if you don't want to keep it in your room. After your settled, rejoin me in the cockpit. You look like you need to learn how to fly this girl and you're gonna get a crash course. Vis, head back and make sure everything working with the engine. I'll check our systems in the meantime."

Vis would simply nod at his orders and scurry down to the floor before dashing from the cockpit, stopping to glance back for only a moment to speak. "A pleasure to meet you Ms Whiskey. I hope your stay with us will be an enjoyable one." With that, Vis headed off to work and after Whiskey replied and was off herself{hopefully}, Shine would turn to doing a preflight check of all the critical ship systems. He couldn't help the smile that slowly crept across his face though; today was turning out to be better then he could have ever hoped for. He just hoped it stayed that way.

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Post by Meira on Mar 4, 2011 20:11:07 GMT -5

"Whiskey huh? That's a rather unique name; I think it fits. Whoever named you named you right."

Her eyes showed her confusion. She'd never considered her designation. It certainly wasn't given to her for any reason, as far as meaning was concerned. If one were being technical, her designation was the letter 'w', with 'whiskey' simply being the call word for that letter. She was one of 26 Green Meadows assassins, they were each assigned a letter and its designated call word for ease of communication. That was all the thought that had been put into her "name".

Shine Albatros then addressed her response to his question. It took her a moment to understand what he meant when he told her she was entitled to her secrets. It had not been her intention to avoid his question. She'd been distracted by the example scenario he'd given, and then by the droid. But now that she thought about it, she DID prefer not to share the details of her situation.

As far as she knew, any trail that she'd left ended when she separated from Tango and the rest. likely, if any of them were to be followed, it would be Tango. She was one of the ones that had escaped, after all. But they'd taken great pains to hide their tracks and Whiskey was confident in their success. No, Shine Albatros did not need to know the details, not now at least.

He then offered her a chance to claim a space for herself on the ship. She stood automatically, but paused at the door, unsure of where she should go. This concept of choices was vexing. It was much simpler to be assigned, as she'd always been. But Shine Albatros did not assign her quarters, and the thought of asking him to do so caused a strange sensation in her stomach. To simplify things, she simply decided that the quarters closest to the cockpit would suit her best, and so that's where she went, ignoring the droid as she exited the cockpit.

The room was small, big enough only for a bunk, a foot locker, and the space require for one to turn around. Once in the room, Whiskey became aware that she had nothing to unload. She had no gear, save her pistol, and no extra clothing. Her assigned room back at Green Meadows was spartan in its contents, but still held items that identified the quarters as her own. It had a work bench where she adjusted and customized her pistol, it had a closet with clothing in her size, and it had a desktop holo through which she could research space craft and other relevant topics. She had none of these things to fill this room.

But this room was now hers, so long as Shine Albatros agreed to allow her to occupy it. Whiskey was struck with a sudden urge, a need, to claim the space in some way. Removing her wrap, she dropped it onto the bed. It was something that belonged to her. Leaving it here marked the quarters as her own. The faintest twitch of a smile tugged at the corner of her lips at the thought.

Whiskey moved to exit the room, but stopped at the door. Turning, her eyes narrowed for a moment. She then stepped back over and lifted the wrap off of the bunk. In quick, precise motions, she folded the wrap and then placed it squarely atop the footlocker. This was much better.

With quick stepd, Whiskey returned to the cockpit and settled back into the copilot's chair. Her thoughts were focused on the standard preflight checklist as she searched the dash and the control panels for the right knobs and switches. With the copilot's standard duties complete, she turned her head to settle her eyes on the man she would now call captain.

"All systems appear active."

edited Mar 4, 2011 20:13:26 GMT -5 by Meira

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Rocking from the Great White North

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Master

Mar 5, 2011 15:19:25 GMT -5

Post by Jazen on Mar 5, 2011 15:19:25 GMT -5

Again, the woman known as Whiskey appeared to go into a deep train of thought, as the time between the end of his words and an action from her seemed to drag on for longer then expected. Shine didn't fault her or say anything in that time, mostly because he himself was pondering as well. They had teamed up for what would hopefully be a beneficial deal for the two of them, but there were a lot of unknowns, as there always was when joining up with someone you knew next to nothing about. Things such as what secrets may lie behind their visage(and hers was both beautiful and terrifying at the same time), if anything in their past might rise up to haunt them, if their motivations were true or false. Luckily, Shine had gotten pretty good at reading someone based on their actions and for the most part, Whiskey held no hostile direction towards him....so long as he didn't try anything stupid.

The lady can toss a man bigger then me around like a rag doll....I think I'll avoid stupid pretty easily this time, he mused to himself. He was lifted from such thoughts though, when Whiskey finally stood to leave, her footsteps light on the floor below her as she made for the door. Oddly, she stopped just short of leaving, not turning to look back at him or saying anything. It was if something had just come to mind to her...and she was trying to figure out what to do with it.

That hesitation didn't last long though, as her frame soon moved off again, off to find a room to call her own. As soon as she started moving again, Shine spun his chair back around to do the preflight check. His eyes fluttered over the console before him, years of doing the task allowing him to spy all the necessary areas in succession and clarify that they were ready. Engine control, life support, weapons control, fuel injection.....all of them cleared the check in seconds. He lifted his head to look at several switches above, him, flicking them quickly in succession....and waited. A moment later, the hum of the engines warming up echoed throughout the ship, the sound music to his ears. He knew the Cat wouldn't let him down, he always knew it. But Jaemus had been too close and she'd sounded worse for wear after it. Hearing that gentle hum once again, a sign that she was healthy, would have brought a tear to his eye if he wasn't too busy thinking about his newest "friend".

A realization came to him that he could have directed Whiskey to the other rear cabin, the one opposite his. It was bigger then the one's outside the cockpit after all...and if he knew anything about women, they liked having more space for their stuff. Though Whiskey was stranger then most of the women he'd come across in his travels, she couldn't be that different from others. No, making that assumption would be bad and possibly lead to some awkward moments. Still, since she was going to be essentially his co-captain, it was only fair she have quarters that fit the role.

He'd have his chance to tell her that, as he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. As smooth as water and as quietly as a mouse, Whiskey settled into the co-pilots chair beside him. Lifting his eyes from the console before him, he folded his hands across his chest and watched her work. She mirrored his actions in her own way, though it took her longer to find the information that would show each of the systems then he had. She'd get used to it. Especially considering how well she did on the first try, even if she seemed to miss one or two things. After a time, she lifted her head from checking the console and with a nod, she turned her eyes on him. She would be greeted with a smile.

"Very good, very good. You got that pretty quick..and without me needing to say anything either. But here, let me show you." He proceeded to point out each of the areas on the console before them that pertained to the necessary systems, including the few that she missed that didn't stand out as much. Pausing after that, he let her soak up the information before continuing. "Alright, with that outta the way, let's show you how to take this bird up."

What followed was the same process he had done earlier. The switches to feed power to the engines, the momentarily silence before the engine hum echoed throughout the ship again. He showed her how to make sure there was enough power to the engine for lift, where the meters were for speed and altitude, indicated where to look if an alarm started blaring. Shield control and how to power them, life support controls and navigation were showed as well and as showed her the procedure for setting up a hyperspace run. She probably already knew how to jump to lightspeed, but he had to show how to do it with the Cat. Not all ships were alike after all.

"Its a pretty simple process once you get the hang of it. And listen to the hum of the engine...hear how consistent and rhythmic it is? That means the engine is working correctly....if you hear something out of tune with that rhythm, then there's likely something wrong. You'll naturally get that after a while and till then, I got it covered.

Obviously you can tell what the controls are for flying the ship so give them a grab. Oh and this," he said, reaching across her to indicate a small screen, his arm accidentally brushing against her,,"" sorry about that....this is a diagnostic screen that'll show information if something takes a bad hit. Again, may be a lot, but you'll get used to it I'm sure. And with two of us here....correction, three, we'll be able to separate who watches what. Still, doesn't hurt to learn right?" Once again he paused, letting her soak that up before addressing two more things he had to ask. "So, what do you think? And that's a broad question for the situation as a whole; about handling this ship and about your quarters? I know the rooms ain't much and if you want, the aft room opposite mine is a bit bigger if you need more space for....well your stuff."

She don't mess around

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Meira

Half awake in our fake empire

last online May 11, 2023 23:01:34 GMT -5

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Mar 7, 2011 14:15:11 GMT -5

Post by Meira on Mar 7, 2011 14:15:11 GMT -5

She settled back in the chair as Shine Albatros pointed out the few details she missed in her general check. Honey colored eyes focused intently on each thing he pointed out, memorizing the relative location of specific system readouts, or levers. All ships were different, but the general check covered enough so that Whiskey had very little to remember about this particular ship.

Shine Albatros then offered his adivce on listening to the hum of the engines. She understood already, but there was no point in telling him. It was faster to simply allow him to say what he was going to say. She was barely conscious of a feeling, a sensation that seemed akin to the frustration she had felt earlier. She did not need to be told that the sound of an engine was a good indicator of a problem. In fact, it was highly likely that she could hear the hum of the ship's engines more acutely than he could. Then again, he seemed to have had certain surgical alterations of his own, perhaps her assumption wasn't entirely accurate.

When he offered her the chance to take control of the ship, Whiskey did so without hesitation. But when Shine Albatros moved, leaning closer to point something out, she sat back again. She did not entirely avoid being bumped by the man, but he grazed her arm rather than completely colliding with her.

Nodding her understanding of what he pointed out, Whiskey once again took the controls into her hands. The readouts were all there for her to look at and tell her when the ship was ready to lift off, but Whiskey's eyes gave them only fleeting glances as she allowed her hands to feel the ship through the controls.

Piloting came as naturally to Whiskey as breathing. No, that was not entirely accurate. She rarely, if ever, thought about her breathing. She did have to think about piloting, but it was a natural, easy thought process. Perhaps it was more akin to running, or shooting her pistol. In any case, Whiskey needed very little instruction.

Shine Albatros was speaking again, but she paid him only secondary attention. The engines were almost ready. Larger ships like these were slower than fighters, but they had an agility all their own and Whiskey couldn't help but admit to herself that she was eager to see just what this ship could do.

I know the rooms ain't much and if you want, the aft room opposite mine is a bit bigger if you need more space for....well your stuff."

"I don't have stuff."

There, the ship was ready. In a quick, but fluid motion, Whiskey pulled back on the controls. With hardly any complaint at all, the ship lifted from the hangar floor. Pulling farther, the ship rose accordingly, a slight rotation and it turned, angled skyward. Her lips tugged back ever so slightly, allowing a faint smile to cross her face as she eased into the accelerator, urging the ship upward just a bit faster than technically necessary.

The ship responded well, it was faster than she'd anticipated, but she expected that ships modified as this one likely was, were a bit above the industry standard. Whiskey continued the acceleration until they were at speed to break atmo. Scanners were clear, so there was no worry of a collision with another ship. The sailing was smooth, and Whiskey approved.

"I think your ship will do just fine." Whiskey said, not moving her eyes from the view port.

edited Mar 7, 2011 14:16:03 GMT -5 by Meira

Beelzaboot

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Rocking from the Great White North

last online Apr 20, 2022 19:46:47 GMT -5

Master

Mar 9, 2011 9:32:08 GMT -5

Post by Jazen on Mar 9, 2011 9:32:08 GMT -5

The friendly chuckle that Shine was letting out when she answered his question about her lodging was quickly drowned out and silenced as the ship's engines suddenly roared to life. Shine never got tired of hearing that sound, the hissing breath of the engines as they sprayed flame in order to lift the mass ton of steel they were attached to, the life and power behind them as clear in voice as any living being could be. And of course, he enjoyed the sound because it meant his ship could still fly, granting him that wonderful joy he had come to love.

He hadn't expected to take off yet but as he felt the ship rise, he let that decision change on the fly. Instead, he let his eyes fall on his newest co-pilot, folding his arms to watch her at work. Whiskey, calm as a light breeze in a Corellian summer, eased the ship up so that it was clear of the dock, of any nearby buildings, then turned the ship skyward and put real life into those engines. He couldn't help but notice the little smile that broke that otherwise solid face, prompting one to crease over his as well. Guess she enjoys the feel of a ship soaring in the skies as much as I do. Maybe.

Energy erupted from the four engines upon the Cat's back and within moments, the ship was sailing the skies for a higher altitude, Shine turning from watching the cool as ice woman at the controls to watch the dark sky light up with thousands of small white dots. In the many upon many times Shine had shot to the stars, he never got tired of watching that endless void close around him, to see a planet in the ship's "rear" view mirror. No being in the galaxy could argue that seeing a planet from the outside did not give them a strange sense of awe, even if they'd seen it time and time before. It reminded them of just how far they had come.

But for now, Shine had other things to focus on. Turning his gaze away from the black darkness, he twisted his head back to look at Whiskey, who's attention remained on the duty of flying before her. A hearty chuckle and clap of his hands followed as he settled back into his seat, smiling. "I'm glad to hear you approve. I might have had to dress the Cat up if she didn't impress on the first try.

You handled that well Whiskey, I'm impressed. So, you can kick the behind of men twice your size, fly a ship with a grace many lack and to boot, your nice on the eyes; I'm beginning to like you more and more. And the direct personality...heh, well I can live with that.

So one final detail I think to cover. In terms of payment share on jobs; depending on the needs, twenty to fourty percent goes towards making sure the Cat is in decent repair. Bad ship means no jobs means no money, so she get's special attention. As for whatevers left, we split the money, half and half. There's only the two of us and I don't use much more then I have to at any given time.

So, if there's no problems there, I can really really welcome you aboard Whiskey. I think we should toast to this; a toast of whiskey to Whiskey. Huh....isn't that such a strange play on words." He'd smile wider and try to avoid laughing before standing to head back into the galley, returning a moment later with a small pair of glasses and a small bottle. Pouring a small amount of the drink into both, he handed one to her and then held his in the air, hoping she realized how to do a cheer. "To new meetings and profitable partnerships."

She don't mess around

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Meira

Half awake in our fake empire

last online May 11, 2023 23:01:34 GMT -5

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Mar 14, 2011 14:56:23 GMT -5

Post by Meira on Mar 14, 2011 14:56:23 GMT -5

She kept her focus on her task as the ship punched through Tattooine's atmosphere and into the still black of space. Shine Albatros spoke about money, which Whiskey hadn't much considered. The concept of having money was not foreign to her, but earning money that was her own to do with as she saw fit was somewhat novel.

She'd been assigned an amount of credits when she fist set out to collect the fugitive known as Axle. Given the length of time she spent tracking that man down, she'd had to request more funds. But such a request was only a message away and the funds were promptly provided. That money, however, was only ever spent when needed for the mission. Whatever money she earned working for Shine Albatros would be hers and hers alone. What was she supposed to do with it?

She could probably start with purchasing more clothing. One set was hardly sanitary. The rest she could save. She would not likely be working for Shine Albatros forever. She would need credits if and when she chose to set out on her own.

Having little knowledge of what a fair split of credits was, Whiskey assumed it was and nodded. Shine Albatros appeared to be working hard to win her approval, which she found to be odd. Whiskey would have thought that it was the employee who would have to prove their worth to the employer, but then again, she was no expert.

"I think we should toast to this; a toast of whiskey to Whiskey. Huh....isn't that such a strange play on words."

Whiskey wasn't entirely sure what a play on words was.

Shine Albatros had left the cockpit and returned with two glasses of the alcoholic drink that was, in whatever way, her namesake. Whiskey set the ship to autopilot so that it might continue its trek out of the planet's gravitational hold where they could safely jump to hyperspace. She then turned and stood, taking the glass that Shine Albatros offered to her.

"To new meetings and profitable partnerships."

Mimicking Shine Albatros' movement, Whiskey raised the glass in the air. But she did not drink from it. Whiskey had never had an alcoholic beverage in her life. In fact, she very rarely ever drank anything other than water. So when Shine Albatros downed his drink, Whiskey handed him back the glass.

"The ship should be at a safe distance from the planet in a few minutes. I need to sleep."

And with that, Whiskey exited the cockpit and returned to the room she had claimed as her own. As she stepped through the door and it closed behind her, she saw that her wrap was still folded neatly atop the footlocker. Yes, this was her room. She locked the door and removed her pistol and its holster. Setting those on top of the nightstand next to her bunk, she settled her frame down on the mattress. She extended her legs on the bed, lying on her back, and rested her hands loosely at her sides. Closing her eyes, Whiskey concentrated on her rhythmic breathing until it lulled her off to sleep.

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