At Wit's End [Talau]

[Mara]

[.... from An Intriguing Offer]

It was a couple hours after the Trailblazer had entered hyperspace on its circuitous route to the planet of Mygeeto. Ean Stenner, bounty hunter, newly recruited by the Republic military was on his way to search for the missing Major Aunna Borgonia, who was suspected of being with a Dark Jedi. His most challenging prey yet.

But what made it more interesting, because of the delicacy of this new mission, Ean had "borrowed" a military secretary to help him. For a bounty of this caliber, he hadn't wanted to do his usual of traveling civilian on public transports. In a way, she was his unofficial chauffeur. Officially, she was one of the pieces that might help him find the major, as she was Borgonia's former secretary. A rather fortunate meeting on his part.

Earlier he had unpacked his various blasters and rifles, cleaned and assembled them, checked them for working order. And satisfied he dismantled them and put them all back in their respective places in his cases. He did the same for his various knives and blades. And darts. And about anything imaginable that he thought would help him along his various journeys searching for prey.

With his cases snugged up against the wall, and his clothing still in their bags, he was sitting in the galley scrolling through information on his datapad. Behind him, the food processor was working on a specialty of Ean's. Special because it was all he could do with the various foodstuffs he had found in the galley stores. Bantha stew.

He had had to do a stew with the meat he had found. It was way two freeze-dried to do any good without giving it a good soak and moistening it up a little bit. Added to that some stock he had quickly whipped up when he first arrived to the galley and a few vegetables from the freezer unit, and it was beginning to look vaguely like stew and something edible.

Ean wished he had some herbs to add to it, but he hadn't found anything after he turned the galley almost upside down looking at his food options. No matter, at least the meat would be palatable now. And chewable. He could already smell it boiling, but it wasn't quite done yet. And so he read through what he could find on the planet of Mygeeto. And a little bit of tabloid postings he had found, rumors of this runaway couple. Sometimes the unofficial sightings were better leads.

The 32-year-old Corellian hadn't seen or heard from the other passenger in the couple of hours since they had exited sublight. But it didn't bother Ean. She couldn't be far; they were on a ship in space, after all. He shrugged it off. Maybe she was off prettying herself in front of a mirror or something. Who knows...

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

She'd plotted and plugged their rout to Mygeeto easily, it wasn't that difficult a thing to do really...just find the planet, and punch in whatever numbers you wanted to make your jump points until you reached your destination...all you had to do was make sure there wasn't another planet or a star in your way and the astro-maps did that for you. After everything was set she allowed the ship's auto pilot to do the rest.

Taking her time to meander through the ship, she'd passed silently through the galley as Ean proceeded to turn the blasted thing inside out, looking for force knew what, and headed to the back of the ship where the crew cabins were. Peeking inside the first one, she found it empty and slipped inside, the bag that contained her uniform held in her hand. Sitting down on the small bed she sighed heavily. What was she going to do now? Her communicator was still at the base, so was her main datapad...the only thing she had with her was what she had on her back, her uniform, and the small work tablet she carried around the base while on the job...oh, and the credits Ean had allowed her to keep. Chewing on the inside of her bottom lip, Samantha pulled out the tablet and scrolled through it with her stylus to see what options she still had available to her. Pleased by her findings, she swiftly connected to the banking system and into her account. Cursing, rather loudly at that, she flopped backward onto the bed and gave an exasperated grunt. They had frozen her account! Already they had frozen her account!

That just topped her day. Kidnapped, frozen account...what next? Well, one thing was for sure...no account meant no way to keep her apartment paid for. No apartment paid for meant all her stuff would be packed up and sold...not that she had much, mind you, but it was still HER stuff! Her clothes, her bed, her books, her furniture, her family pictures...her father's coat...his favorite coat. The one he'd forgotten to take with him...it would be sold too no doubt. The tears pricked at her eyes as she thought about the consequences that stupid man had brought upon her. No doubt they'd label her as AWOL or worse. Most likely worse considering her ties to Miss Borgonia.

Scooting herself up onto the bed, she curled up and cried. It wasn't so much because of the possibilities of being hunted as a traitor as it was about knowing that she wasn't about to be able to get her father's coat. It and those pictures were the only thing she had left of him now, and to think that they would be trashed or sold was just too much. She calmed after a few minutes, however, and simply lay there silently. Sam didn't know how long she lay there, just that she did, staring blankly at the wall across from her. After what seemed like both ages, and only minutes, she tried her tablet again. Maybe, if she could get a message through to the base, something could be worked out? Yes, that was a start....and an end. She couldn't access the military communications system or mailing system through the tablet.

Giving a long sigh, she pushed herself up off the bed and walked out the door, tucking the small tablet into her other pocket. It was time to face Mr Stenner again and try to get some information out of him. She found him sitting, still in the galley, looking through his datapad. Eyes, still pink from crying, watched him try to navigate through the thing with his large fingers. Sighing again, she pulled out her stylus and held it out to him as she dropped into the seat across from him.

Here. It'll help you more than it will me.

She said bleakly. Really, all she needed to tip everything over the edge now was to have a run in with a band of pirates. Yes, that would just make everything so much better...she thought sarcastically, her eyes becoming unfocused as she stared blankly at a spot on the table. Seems fitting...maybe I'll be killed by them too? Seems to be the trend when the owner goes without it...Sam let out a pathetic, rueful, little chuckle at the thought.

[Mara]

He saw her enter out of the corner of his eyes, but kept his attention on the datapad in front of him. So far, his information all added up to a big fat zero. Really, he thought he would have gotten at least one rumor that was based partly in fact. But so far, Mygeeto seemed to be a dead end. That didn't meant that the Major wasn't there, or hadn't been there previously. He would have to sniff around a little, gather information. Along with--her words interrupted his thoughts, and he looked up at Samantha, looking a little more worse for wear than she had been when they first departed Coruscant.

Ean saw the offered stylus and took it from her hand, nodding his thanks. The small instrument might not work much better in his hand, but at least the tip was a lot smaller than his fingers were. And by the look on her face, he wasn't about to pass up on her offer. The man wasn't sure how women's minds worked. Maybe she was thanking him for the credits. Or the clothes. He didn't know.

Snapping the 'pad shut, he slipped it and the stylus into one of the pockets of his leather jacket. He looked at the blonde sitting across from him, lost in her own thoughts. Ean wasn't the most observant being in the galaxy, but even he could tell something was bothering her. But if they were going to talk, they might as well over some dinner.

He stood and started the task of dividing up some of the stew into respectable servings into a couple of low dishes he had found. Not soup bowls, but their rims were high enough to serve the same purpose. Busy ladling out the bantha meat stew, he missed her chuckle as she stared at the table. Satisfied with the portions, he picked up a couple spoons and placed them inside the makeshift bowls. He hadn't found anything to drink in the stores besides a couple bottles of wine, and he wasn't about to crack those open. Not right now. So Ean filled a couple glasses from the tap connected to the freighter's store of water.

Picking up one of the glasses of water and a bowl of stew, he walked over and placed it near Samantha without a word. It was probably not too far from the spot on the table she was staring at so intently. Ean really didn't understand women sometimes. Obviously something was bothering her, but she wasn't speaking. And wasn't about to offer to play the sympathetic friend. Shaking his head, he moved back to the counter for his own dinner and sat back down in the seat he had vacated. He spooned some of the steaming stew into his mouth and smiled to himself; tasted pretty good with his limited resources.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Samantha had only barely noticed the stylus had been taken from her hand, much less the fact that Ean had stood up and was moving around behind her. The smell of the stew hadn't gone completely unnoticed, however, and as he'd removed the lid to dole it out she felt her stomach growl silently in hunger. Even so, she didn't hardly move until he set the high rimmed dish and water glass down before her. Blinking at it, she tilted her head slightly and tentatively reached over and pulled it closer to herself, along with the water, and stirred it slightly with the spoon that had been set down with it.

So this was why you were turning the galley inside out...

The statement was more meant for herself than him, but she made no attempt to stop her thought. Instead she wondered if perhaps the food was poisoned...yes, Samantha was just THAT paranoid right now. Lifting her gaze to see him take a bite of his own food, she deemed it a risk worth taking. Giving the stew another half-hearted stir, she scooped up a spoonful and took a bite. The blond was more than a little surprised at how good this actually was. There was no trace of herbs that she could discern, just whatever flavors came from the food itself. A ghost of a smile touched her face as she chuckled a bit. Her father had been a rather good cook as well. Maybe it was true what they said...men did seem to make better cooks. She wasn't a BAD cook, but she certainly didn't know how to cook much more than basics...and even then, some of the basics just hadn't been taught to her...stews for example. She hadn't the first idea where to start for a stew, but then, stews weren't much different from soups...were they? She could make a decent soup given the right ingredients and-- Samantha cut the thought off there with another chuckle and a shake of her head. Really, those thoughts were less than helpful at the moment.

This is...well it's really good Mr Stenner...thank you.

It was awkward, calling him Mr. Stenner all the time, especially when she knew his first name from the instructions she'd been given by Colonel Vinay, but it wasn't like he'd told her to call him anything else besides "Mr Stenner" either and she certainly didn't want to piss him off and have him toss her out the airlock. Well...if he didn't offer another name soon, she supposed that the only way to get around it would to be to ask if she could use his first name. It was only polite after all. Taking another mouthful of the food, she chewed rather greatfully on bits of veggie and meat in the comforting stew.

[Mara]

Samantha's complement got lost for a moment in Ean's ears. He had a few more spoonfuls of stew before sipping from his water. She kept calling him by his last name, and it was beginning to grate on him. Really, only usually his employers called him that. And that was usually only a couple times, and he could deal with that. But this woman, used the formal address over and over and over again. Ean swallowed his water slowly. Even more infuriating to him, was not that it made him feel old or in charge, or somehow above her or others. It was that he was sure she knew his name but refused to use it. Either because she was scared or because she was trying to stick it to him. If the latter, it was working, unfortunately, but he stuffed it inside, keeping his eyes down and on his stew.

Just then his mind registered the complement before the hideous formal address. Ean almost felt flattered, but he knew it was good. He had made and tasted it himself. Years in the kitchen with his mother and then many years of practice afterwards had given him a gift in the kitchen. Something that most people who met him, if they got that close, were surprised to learn.

He swallowed another gulp of water and looked up at her. Though the address had seemed insulting, the complement appeared and sounded genuine coming from her. He consented and said simply with a shrug, "Thanks." Ean ate in silent for a few more bites, focused on the stew before lifting his head again. "And call me Ean," he said, this time with a slight edge in his voice. Not mean or menacing, but with a subtle, "please-or-there-might-be-trouble" hint in it.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Sam could almost feel the tension mount as he focused on his water and the stew before him. Instead of biting the piece of potato she'd thought she'd had she bit her cheek and yelped slightly giving a grimace of pain and rubbing the outside of her cheek with a hand. As he finally replied to her compliment, adding that she should call him Ean, she sighed in relief and visibly relaxed. Oh thank the force...finally something other than "Mr Stenner" to call him by! Samantha very nearly grinned at that.

Again, thanks...the formality thing was, well....heh...I was about to ask you if I could call you Ean.

She stated with a shake of her head and taking another bite of her stew, chewing on it more carefully this time around. Well, that's what she got for being so uptight, she supposed.

Ean....why? Why the hell did you kidnap me like that? I'm no use to you, really I'm not...

To be perfectly honest, the woman was just as confused as she sounded. Despite her sneaking suspicion that the man couldn't fly a paper airplane across the table, she didn't understand why he hadn't just hired someone to fly with him...someone more useful.

[Mara]

He grunted softly when she thanked him for letting her call him by his name. Ean had told her to call him that, didn't he? It wasn't like he was giving her an option of whether or not to comply. She seemed flustered about it, and he didn't quite understand why. So he just worked on finishing up his stew and cleaning up the bowl in front of him.

It felt good to cook again. It really did. No matter what happened when they got to Mygeeto, whether or not he found the missing major, he really needed to get some better supplies for this ship. Especially foodstuffs. He had enough here to last for a while, yes, but it would be a lot better if he had options. More than canned goods that had ambiguous ages and freeze-dried meats. He may be a hard-as-duracrete bounty hunter, but Ean didn't have to eat like one.

Ean drained his glass as Samantha spoke again, asking her question. By her tone, it sounded as if it was something that was bothering her the whole time. And again he was reminded of how attractive she was, now that she wasn't running her mouth or glaring blaster bolts at him. He set his dishes to the side and folded his arms on the table. She deserved an answer, but he wasn't sure how much of one to give her. "You underestimate yourself. Of all the people who know this Major Borgonia, you are probably one of the most useful beings to me.

"There are things that you know about her that no one else does, yes?" He leaned in a bit over the table, focusing his eyes on her. "That is only part of the reason that you are so useful to me."

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

She half noticed that he'd finished eating as she took another bite. Honestly she didn't have much left either, but that was fine, she didn't typically eat much. As he answered her, Sam simply looked down at her stew and continued to eat silently, mulling over his answer. It made sense, she didn't like it one bit, but it made sense.

Yeah, I do I suppose...but....this is so much out of the norm for someone like her that I don't know what she might or might not do. I can't even say I know her as well as you might hope I do...I...I just don't know.

She sighed slightly and ate the last bits of the stew in the dish. Setting it aside, she toyed with the water glass for a moment.

You've caused me a hell of a lot of trouble you know, Ean. You might not care about having a price on your head or whatever, but I'm trying to get away from that life...on top of all of that everything I have will be sold because of this. I can manage with that, but sith's blood Ean, my father's.....never mind...Just know that you've cause me no end of pain today and eventually I'll find a way to repay you.

Tears had sprung to her eyes again at the thought of that familiar coat, but she decided that one way or the other he wouldn't care what she'd lost so she just let it go, her shoulders slumping slightly as she continued to toy with that water glass in her hand. Her voice was rueful at the end, and as much as she didn't want to do anything to anyone, she would make good on her words...she didn't like vengeance after all, but sometimes there were exceptions. The pirates who set up her father, and the ones who killed him....they were exceptions, and Ean was now also...just to a lesser degree. She wanted the pirates dead, she didn't want Ean dead.

[Mara]

He merely smiled at her as she cut herself down about her knowledge of the major. She might think she was useless to him, but Ean knew better. There were just some things that Major Borgonia's military compatriots wouldn't know. Intimate things. Things that a secretary may be keeping secret, things that the Major would only tell someone she trusted deeply. Ean knew enough to realize that military personnel didn't like to disclose personal matters with each other, preferring to stay at a professional level.

Ean stood and brought his dishes to the galley's sanitizer to be washed up. He was halfway out of the galley to leave her alone and head back to his cabin, when Samantha just broke apart in front of him. He saw tears well up as she mumbled on about all her personal things back on Coruscant. He didn't know why, but he stood in the doorway and listened, waiting for her to finish.

His mind flickered around in different directions, processing the information. What did she mean, she didn't want to be involved in a death sentence, again? This woman was indeed quite the puzzle. Ean just hoped that she would pull herself together by the time they reached their destination to start his, their, search for the missing major.

And she had the presence of mind to try and threaten him. Him! Ean almost laughed out loud at the idea of this blonde woman trying to enact revenge on him. It was one of the funniest things he had thought of in a long time. No one could best Ean Stenner. Not even this major and her supposed Jedi ally. He always captured and delivered his prey back to where they were expected. This job wouldn't be any different.

But the thing that seemed to trouble the woman the most was these possessions of hers that she had left behind in the hurry to leave Coruscant. Ean didn't understand it, but then again, he didn't have many personal items of his own that he carried around. Nothing sentimental anyway. It could be because he was a man and not prone to those kinds of things. Or because he just didn't have anything like that still in his care; most of his personal things were back on Corellia at his father's home.

With the woman lost in her silly thoughts of revenge, Ean finally left the galley and headed towards his cabin. Perhaps there was a way for Samantha to realize her useful potential. A way to persuade her to help him. She was clearly suffering; if he did something... nice for her, maybe it would help heal the rift that was forming between them. Ean sighed as he closed the cabin door behind him.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

She simply watched him get up and take his things to the sanitizer. Honestly, Sam didn't expect anything less from the emotionally constipated bounty hunter. As he left she half thanked the stars, half wished he hadn't. Taking her own dishes to the sanitizer, she stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do as she drank down the last bit of water while waiting for the dishes to be done. Once they were, she lifted the doors to the metal box of a washer and allowed the steam to roll off of them before pulling the tray out and watching them air dry. It really didn't take long for them to do so, and before long she was stacking them and putting them away before finding a suitable container to put the last of the stew in.

With that no finished, she rinsed out the pot a bit then put it into the sanitizer as well, shutting the metal doors with a click of metal on metal. The slight rumble of machinery turning on and the rush of water told her that the machine was at least in decent working order. Looking down at the timer, temp setting, and size setting, she nodded to herself. The gauge worked too, good. That was one of the first things to go...right after the motor itself. Either way, she decided it would be a good idea to head back to the cockpit and make sure that everything was running smoothly.

It didn't take her long to get there, it was a fairly small ship, and so she found herself settling easily into the pilot seat after only a minute of walking. Gazing across the panel of lights she sighed. Everything here was fine as well...no surprise really. Leaning back, she pulled out her tablet and scrolled through it again mindlessly, just looking for something to do while she waited for whatever was going to happen to happen...and to hopefully take her mind off the coat she had such fond memories of.

[Mara]

An hour later, Ean clicked off his commlink and wrote something done on a piece of flimsi in his awkward scribble of handwriting. Everything was coming into place. After calling around various contacts, including Colonel Vinay, he had managed to use enough of his clout and influence, and some credits, to be able to divert the secretary's belongings to one of his storage units on Coruscant if he so wished. A unit he rarely used but still kept in case he ever returned to the city planet on a job. A unit that came in handy right about now.

Everything was just about settled, but he paused in his room yet, not sure whether he wanted to tell her or not. Not knowing how she would even react to his offer. Especially if there was a catch. Which there was, of course. Ean never did anything nice just out of the goodness of his heart. He always did things expecting a return on his investment. That's how one got ahead in his business. And Samantha would expect no less from him.

Ean stood and quickly tuned his commlink to the frequency number he had scratched down a note of. The number would be a direct link to his contact that would finalize the order. Without Ean's call, the boxed-up items would go their separate way to be donated. With his call, they would go safely and securely to his storage unit. He held the power in his hand.

He slipped the commlink into his pocket and left the cabin behind. Stopping past the galley, he saw that it was empty and continued on his search for the blonde woman. She couldn't be far. Moments later he found her in the cockpit. Ean stood outside of the doorway, thinking things through for a final time before continuing on to announce his presence.

The woman seemed to had settled down some from her outburst earlier in the galley. At least to his eye, she seemed calmer and not as emotional. But what did he know about women? Not a whole lot, as he was learning in the company of Samantha. His knowledge of them was slowly degrading after every second he spent with her.

Mentally, he shook his head. Time to move on. He cleared his throat and pulled the commlink out of his pocket, making sure Samantha saw it. [clor=sienna]"The frequency on here is hooked directly to one of my contacts back on Coruscant. This man currently has all your belongings in your possession."[/color] He waited for those words to sink into her before he continued on. "At my signal, he will do one of two things. Bring them to the local shelter as donations. Or... to my private storage unit to be locked up."

Ean looked at her face, unable to tell what she was thinking. But he hit her with the catch anyway. "It is up to you what I tell him." He could have gone on about what should we need to do for him in order to keep her personal items safe, but for now he wanted her to just think about the implications. Blackmail wasn't exactly his strong suit, and he didn't really want to use that ploy on her, but if it got him what he wanted and what, ultimately, the Republic wanted, he didn't care which methods he used.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

He isn't exactly a silent man, is he?

Samantha stayed reclined back in the pilot seat, eyes closed, as she listened to him come down the hall. As he stood there behind her, she opted to keep her relaxed position and allow him to announce himself. There wasn't going to be a motion made that she knew he was there before that time. After a moment of silence she wondered just what was taking him so long to say whatever it was he intended to say. When he finally cleared his throat to make himself known, she allowed her grey eyes to slide open slowly, gazing up at him in this upside down position for a moment before sitting up and turning to look at him properly. She had noticed the comlink in his hand, but thought little of it until he spoke.

Storm cloud eyes widened at his words before her jaw clenched and those shrewd eyes narrowed again. So, he was giving her a choice. No doubt there was a catch to all of this, but again, what had she expected? He was a typical bounty hunter, out for only himself just like everyone else in this galaxy. Well, nearly everyone...she couldn't say that she'd ever seen the former major act in such a selfish way, but she was one of the few and far between. Folding her arms across her chest she tilted her chin up slightly.

Name your price, Mr Stenner. I doubt it'll be money you're asking, which I suppose, is good for me.

She stated, her tone cold. Sam didn't like blackmail, and she didn't like having a price put on the one thing that meant the most to her, but if that's what it took, so be it.


I already told you I'd help you, what more do you want from me for the ONE item I want back?

It was rather obvious from her tone that she wasn't liking where this was going. For the life of her she didn't know what else this man wanted...she'd tried to give him back his money earlier, and obviously he didn't need more, and she HAD told him that she would help him to the best of her ability with any information she might have. What more could she....oh no...no no no...she was NOT about to give him anything of THAT kind no matter WHAT she might lose.

[Mara]

He nodded. Yes, she had said she would help him. But there was no guarantee that she would continue to do so when they actually found the major and he had to bring her in to the Republic. Loyalties, in his experience, always ran deeper than casual commitments. Ean also folded his arms across his chest, still with the commlink in one hand.

This wasn't exactly going the way he had wanted it to. Then again, he didn't expect the woman to be happy with betraying her old friend. Because it would come down to betrayal no matter how he tried to cover it up. She was helping him, a bounty hunter, hunt down and capture the former major. And Ean wanted to make sure she knew where her new loyalties lay.

"Nothing, except your promise that no matter what happens, you remember that you are helping ME." His voice was low, almost gravelly. "You no longer have any ties to this Borgonia woman. And you will use everything you know about her, every detail, to aid in her capture."

He paused then to step back towards the doorway of the cockpit, ready to leave and make his call to his contact. Ean realized the offer was a little weak. She had, after all, already agreed, mostly, to the demands he had just made. And that didn't sit well with him, making him feel a little... stupid. He turned his back on her, unfolding his arms, not wanting to betray any of his thoughts, though he kept these ones deeper than any of his other ones.

It was then that something else came to him. Something that might make the trade a lot more fair, at least in his eyes. And maybe, just maybe help heal the rift, as his latest idea hadn't worked out at all in that regard as he had hoped. It had just made it worse, it seemed. He almost sighed, thinking about it. Still not looking at her, Ean spoke up again, this time more softly, almost gentle. "And I would like it if you could teach me some of what you know. About flying."

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Samantha could only gape at him. He wanted promises? He wanted HER to promise HIM that she was going help betray her friend, and a woman she'd worked for?!


Isn't it bad enough that I'm helping you? Now you're making me promise?! Hell in a hand-basket! Much as I want that coat back I don't think it's worth it! For once in my life I don't think that my father would turn over in his grave if I did something so low just to get his....you know what...call your friend and tell him it can go to the donations! I gave you my word already that I'd help you, to have to actually PROMISE it...to someone like YOU!

She stood up angrily, having ignored his second request completely, eyes flashing dangerously, a roiling storm of anger and emotion.


You MUST be trying to insult me! As for teaching you ANYTHING about flying...HAH! I would have done it for free if you'd asked! Hell! I'd have taught you the ins and outs of smuggling if you liked, but now....NOW....

Her fists clenched at her sides as she stood here bristling, her anger, hurt and overall consternation at the situation and subsequent insult to her honor...what little she had to cling to anyway...had tears pricking the corners of her eyes. Shoving past him, she started down the hall, taking a few steps past him before pausing and turning her head just enough for him to hear those next words, her tone low and dark with her self loathing, anger, and the pain she felt at losing her only connection to her father.

Yes, Mr Stenner, I WILL help you still...yes I WILL teach you to fly...but NO I will not take your pathetic offer. It's not what my father would have wanted, and I refuse....REFUSE...to dishonor his memory for someone like YOU.

With that she continued silently down the hall to her cabin, punched in the key code, entered, locked the door once again, and flopped down on her bed face first.

[Mara]

((Haha, this thread title is coming true. ))


Ean stood there outside of the cockpit, clenching and unclenching his fists, still feeling the reverberations from the woman's verbal assault. How dare she defy him! Him, Ean Stenner, one of the best bounty hunters around. The man suppressed a menacing growl as he looked in the commlink in his left hand, his right going to the comfort of his blaster. He had half a mind to walk down there to her cabin and blast the thing to pieces, killing her.

With these thoughts of rage broiling through his mind, he had stomped halfway to the living quarters of the Trailblazer before he stopped and sighed to himself, turning his gaze upwards. Ean closed his eyes briefly and counted to ten. Anger would get him nowhere at this point. He did need this secretary and her information, her personal remembrances of the time she spent working for Major Borgonia. Killing her would solve nothing, but it would sure make him feel better. If only for a few moments.

Not only did he need her information, but he needed her flying skills. Having to ditch and find a public transport now would set him back even farther. And he was sure the Colonel had not called him in right after the Republic learned of her escape. Time was running out every second. Every lead was going colder as the hours past. Ean leaned a shoulder up against the nearest bulkhead and stared at the commlink in his hand.

A lot calmer now, he surveyed what had happened. Perhaps he had gone a little too far with the promise, used the wrong choice of words. It wouldn't be the first time his education had gone back to bite him in the ass. But he had wanted to make sure the woman knew whose side she was on. Ean could not afford a turncoat while he was on a job. She was helping HIM find this major; she was not along for a joyride to see an old friend.

At least her outburst had revealed how much of her loyalty still set with the major. He hadn't been sure about that at first when he met her. Samantha didn't speak all too much about Aunna Borgonia. A little nostalgic, maybe, but he hadn't suspected her to get this worked up about it all. He was only doing a job, following orders after all. The man wouldn't be here if this major hadn't behaved in the first place. Something the secretary should have seen coming, unless her affections for the other woman had blinded her to it all.

He sighed again. Now he had her cooperation, but at what cost? Now she was unstable, and Ean didn't know how loyal she would be to him. She could sabotage the whole mission now. What had he done? He wasn't supposed to let his emotions get in the way of anything. That wasn't how he operated. He just saw his openings and took them, no second thought, no scheming, no blackmail.

She had thrown his request for flying lessons back at him as if it were a consolation prize. She would help him out with that and with finding the major, but she could not promise anything once they found her. For Ean knew that if they came face-to-face with Aunna Borgonia, Samantha might not be so torn as to which side she stood on. Odds were she would stab him in the back. But if it came to that, he would be ready. He was always ready.

And she had stormed out before he could even speak up about his own offer of a skill. In return for the flying lessons, he had thought of offering up a lesson in one of his many skills. But he wasn't sure he wanted to do that now. Give the woman more of an advantage against him, should she turn on him? Not in all the worlds. He could learn to pilot this ship and dispose of her--the only option that would save him worlds of pain. For his own sanity, he hoped the major was not on Mygeeto, to give him more time to learn before he had to focus on the job at hand.

Ean straightened and continued on to the living quarters, more quietly and a lot calmer now. He entered his own cabin and closed the door behind, but did not lock it. Sitting down on his bed heavily, he removed his hand from his holster and again focused his gaze on the commlink. Ean clicked it on, the embedded frequency getting in touch with his contact on Coruscant. It was quickly answered, and he gave the man the code.

The code to deliver the items to his storage unit.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

((lmao! oh you've no idea. lololol))

Sam had seethed as she cried silently into the pillow, half willing herself to suffocate in it. Such was not her luck. Just as she's been about to fall asleep, a side effect from sore eyes and emotional stress, the alarm she'd set went off and she practically lept off the bed. Unlocking the door, she hurried up to the bridge of the ship just in time for it to drop from hyperspace. Wiping the tears from her eyes so she could see more clearly, she plugged in the next coordinates she'd set earlier. She paused a moment then, thinking. If she wanted to royally muck things up for this man, she could do so right now and he'd have nothing to say about it...he most likely wouldn't even know. Her hand hesitated over the controls that would set in the next jump. Just the touch of a few buttons and she could send them off in a new direction, maybe even be so lucky as to ram them into a star. Sighing, she shook her head and entered the original coordinates she'd set.

Really, it was no use trying to do anything stupid like that. Sam didn't think that they would ever really manage to catch the woman or her...jedi, lover, guardian, whoever, WHATEVER he was....so she wasn't overly worried. Combing through her hair with her fingers, she brought the ship around to their next jump coordinates and initiated the jump. Once she was certain that everything there was in order, she stood up and headed back to the cabins. Pausing at the door to Ean's cabin, she knocked lightly and braced herself for what she was about to do.

Ean....can I come in? I need to talk to you...

[Mara]

Sitting full-length his bed, fully clothed, not bothered to remove his boots, Ean was again scrolling through data on his datapad, this time with the stylus Samantha had given him. Skeptical at first about its usefulness, he had actually find the tool quite handy. Instead of having to push buttons, he could use the small tip of the stylus to press different parts of the 'pad's screen to navigate through. He smiled a little reluctantly; how did a being go from being so charitable to being so filled with anger so quickly?

He saved a few articles for future reference and sat the two instruments down on the little table beside the bed and arced his arms around the back of his head. Ean didn't need to sleep or feel like it, but a few moments of relaxation would be good. He needed a clear mind and right now everything seemed foggier than usual.

Ean was just thinking about kicking off his boots when the ship lurched slightly; it had come out of hyperspace. It wasn't near enough time to be at Mygeeto it, so it must be one of their stops along the way. His body tensed as he waited. If that woman did something now, he wouldn't be able to stop her. But a moment later he felt another lurch as the ship slipped back into its hyperspace travel. He just had to trust that she was following the prearranged plan.

Leaning back against the headboard, he noticed a pain in his back. Ean reached back and pulled out the small spare blaster he had kept back there and set it on the bed beside him. He could put it away later. He also unbuckled his holster belt and laid it and the weapon besides its smaller counterpart. Now he could relax. Just close his eyes for a moment...

One eye opened as he heard the light tap and Samantha's voice. What now? Another browbeating from her tongue. He thought about ignoring her and feigning sleep, but that could just make matters worse. And he wasn't the type to back away from a fight. Ean stretched and got up off the bed, his still-booted feet moving him to the doorway. He paused and took a deep breath before triggering the door release. In its place, stood Ean with his arms folded across his large chest, his face impassive and quiet. His raised eyebrow was an invitation for her to explain herself.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

The silence inside had Sam wondering if he'd fallen asleep. She shouldn't be surprised, but for some reason she was...and a bit disappointed. Turning away and sighing, she shook her head and started to walk away just as she heard movement within. Pausing again and turning back, she watched the door slide open, him standing there, arms folded, looking irritable no matter how impassive his face was. Sighing again she shoved her hands into her pockets and lowered her head for a moment before lifting it again and looking at him for a fraction of a second, then averting her eyes.

Look, Ean, I'm sorry about all the shouting I've done, but...you've got to try and understand...this isn't easy for me, okay? I don't like it. I grew up running from the law, but I managed to get away from that life, and I've only just started getting my life back together again after finding out my dad was set up and killed because of a job he took. My former boss and friend was gonna be put to death and now I have to help find her after some big lug kidnaps me at gunpoint.

From there you've proceeded to threaten me and insult me, trying to use the fact that you have...had...control over the one thing that I wanted. What you don't understand though, is that what you were trying to bribe me with...it was the only thing I had left of my dad. It was like you were holding a family member of mine hostage in return for me giving you my word to help you...which I'd already done. It...well, I wasn't raised that way....to sell someone out for a material object, and I was taught to hold to my word. So....

She paused a moment, thinking. This was all beginning to give her a huge headache.

I don't expect you to care, but I need you to at least try and understand where I'm coming from and why I'm...well...why I'm so angry.

Samantha sighed and ran a hand though her hair to get it out of her face a bit better before shoving the hand back into her pocket and leaning back against the bulkhead.

Look, if it's a promise you want, it's a promise you'll get...but don't expect me to like it...or you. I PROMISE that no matter what, I will help you in any way that I can to locate the major, AND teach you to fly. I can't always be awake to do the piloting, so you'll have to learn sometime anyway...but I want it to be perfectly clear that I AM NOT doing this to get anything from you...NOTHING. I'm doing so of my own will.

It was obvious from her tone that she was hating every word she said about helping to find the major, but had resigned herself to the fate anyway. She sighed and lowered her head again.

...dad would have killed me if I did it to get his coat back, and I just couldn't live with myself knowing that I had done it for that reason.

Shrugging, Sam lifted herself up from against the wall and started down the short hall to her cabin.

[Mara]

He stood there quietly, letting her speak her piece. It would be easier if she just got all her feelings out at once, and he didn't interrupt. Looking back on the events of the day, Ean realized for the first time what he was actually doing to her. He had only been thinking of himself and the job and how to accomplish said job. Taking Samantha had only been a means to an end, but he had forgotten that she was also a being with her own feelings.

Ean knew what it was like to be forgotten and looked down upon, like when he was younger and in school. Of students not taking his ideas for any worth because of his grades and assuming that if he was bad at one subject, he would fail at everything remotely academic. He knew that if he ever came across any of those kids, he would show no mercy to them, just like they showed him.

But Samantha, she was like himself. But instead of being put down by kids, she was being put down by him. And Ean didn't like that he had done that, now that he thought about it, really thought about it. He had no respect for her life on Coruscant. Just knowing that she would be a help was his only thought at first. A source of information on the Major.

He couldn't sympathize with how she felt about her father and the personal belongs of hers, some of which obviously belonged to him by the way she was acting. His childhood had been pretty uneventful. Though his father had said he loved all his children equally, Ean knew that only his mother truly cared for him. And the moments he had spent with her, cooking, were the best memories he had. But he continued to send credits home to Corellia for his father. Without word that he had moved or passed away, they continued into the same credit line as always.

However he did regret the fact that he had tried to blackmail her for something that she had already agreed to, foolishly thinking that it would only strengthen her will to help him, not strain it to the breaking point. This was the first time in a long time that he had spent any amount of time in the company of another being that he wasn't hunting. Ean didn't really know how to act, other than in the focus of his jobs and hunting for bounties.

Ean forced himself to focus on what she was saying, and not on all his obvious failures. Failures to just stack upon all the rest in his life. He wasn't sure he could understand her pain of being kidnapped and losing her father's things--things she still had but she didn't know that--but he would definitely try. He had to, if this job was going to be a success. He did know that if he was in her situation, he would probably be steaming mad as well. The man knew he had screwed up again, big time. And not just on a job but with a fellow being and his relationship with her.

If only he could take it back, but he knew he would have taken her with him in the freighter if given a second chance. Made her fly the ship and taken him to Mygeeto. He might not have threatened her with the loss of her possessions or of betraying her friend. But threatened her nonetheless. Ean wasn't used to just asking people for favors and them listening. He had to always use force. Another new thing for him. He was learning a lot on this trip, in addition to the forthcoming flying lessons.

Yes, she would teach him, she told him. And promise to help him no matter what. Ean hoped she meant it sincerely, and that she wouldn't ditch him at the first sign of reuniting with her friend the major.

For some reason, it hurt Ean inside, what he had down to her, and forced her to do. He did regret it, but there was no taking it back. What was done was done. And hopefully now her acceptance of it all would help to smooth things over. At least they could be civil to each other.

He had listened to her entire speech and admissions silently, unmoving. But now he wanted to call after her, to tell her he had saved her things anyway. To say he was sorry. To offer up his own services. But he just let her go, and after a while, went back into his room and shut the door.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Samantha hadn't the slightest clue as to what poor Ean was thinking or feeling, if she had, she might not have left so easily. As things were, however, she didn't know and so she did leave him standing there. Part of her was waiting, straining to hear even a whisper of what might be an apology, but there was only silence. What else should she have expected? Did she really think there was a heart under all that muscle? Sure, there had to be a brain there somewhere, since he was obviously still alive and doing well for himself...one didn't live long on the fringe if they didn't have some smarts...but that there should be something even remotely resembling a heart under all that skin and bone was a rather far fetched idea.

Slipping into her own cabin, she shut the door again and set the alarm, this time a bit earlier than she needed, but she had a reason for this also. If she was going to start teaching this man how to pilot the freighter, she might as well start sooner rather than later just in case something happened to her and she couldn't do it. Groaning at the thought, she lay down on her bed and curled up, her back to the wall, and not even having bothered with locking the door. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep, and once she did she slept like a dead thing. No dreams were slipping through her head that evening. Sam awoke, however, an hour and 55 minutes later to the sound of her alarm. Groaning, she stood up and made her way to the door, combing through her hair with her fingers once more before tying it back loosely. Coming to a stop at Ean's door, she knocked on it.

Ean...if you're asleep, wake up! If not, get up! Time for the first lesson little birdie, so get your feathered rear up to the cockpit pronto.

It was amazing what a little sleep could do. True, Samantha was far from 'happy' but she could at least be in a more decent mood now that she'd explained everything to the big lug. Heading through the galley and into the cockpit herself, settling down in the pilots seat and allowing the ship to drop from hyperspace.