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Jazen
Beelzaboot
1,617 posts
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Rocking from the Great White North
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last online Apr 20, 2022 19:46:47 GMT -5
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Aug 6, 2010 16:50:02 GMT -5
Post by Jazen on Aug 6, 2010 16:50:02 GMT -5
A gambling planet like Umgul never really slept, the streets crowded with people from early morning to the late night. Not that it was easy to tell what time of day what with mist clinging to everyone and everything, but if one paid attention, you could see when the mist was brighter or darker. In this case, it was just growing dark. And as Shine was saying to himself, Umgul was always alive. But after a race like the one Shine had just attended, they were especially crowded. To the point of being almost impossible to maneuver through them without accidentally shoving someone. A pick pocket's haven.
Gambling halls were alive with people coming to spend the money they bet on the races, while others were merely there to gamble with the hard ended money they worked day in and day out to acquire. Shine had disliked the idea of coming back to Umgul considering what had happened the last time he had been here, but when your low on funds, you have to make the hard choices. And the quickest way to make a buck was by playing the odds on a gambling world.
He had just come from one of the said gambling establishments, the smell of well won credits seeping through his light apparel. He would have worn his larger trench coat so that he could carry more, but trying to move around this insanity wearing that was like walking into an acklay nest wearing fresh meat. It was just asking to be swarmed. Instead, he wore a light vest, black in color, with yellow slashes lining the pectoral area. A white scarf was wrapped around his neck, for Umgul wasn't exactly the warmest place. His pants and shirt were also black, his pants having yellow-gold stripes down the sides. His shirt was actually green, but it was a dark dark green, making it hard to tell the difference. Worked good for blending in without having to wear black.
He shuffled through the mass of bodies yelling and partying in the streets, a sense of urgency in his walk. Before he had decided to part some people with their lovely credits, Shine had been at the airspeeder race. He hadn't gone there to bet; no, he had gone there to race. Being the captain of your own ship was all well and good, but piloting something as big as a several houses wasn't as thrilling as piloting something no bigger than a hovercar. Plus, when jobs often seemed to need more than one person, looking for talented help was always on his mind. And even if he couldn't someone to recruit, learning a new trick he could put to use when flying his craft wasn't exactly a loss either.
And the race didn't disappoint. Despite his skill, Shine still found himself tested harshly by the intensity of the thing. He was mostly lost to his senses during the race, but it didn't mean he couldn't be in awe of some of the other pilots that he came neck and neck with. He was amazed not only at the skill with which the racers navigated the mist covered course, but the speed at which they flew while doing it. One slip, one wrong move, and the rider could easily end up a burning wreck to be eaten by the native creatures later. It took skill, luck and the most honed reflexes to avoid that most unpleasant fate and the racers showed that. Well, most of them.
Add in all the tricks, traps and the timer for the one in last place and you had a sport that was just as thrilling and entertaining as podracing. One fellow pilot in particular caught Shine's eye as it passed, a dark gold one that zoomed past. Whoever piloted that one was either the most insane flyer he had ever seen or the most gifted pilot he had come across in a long time. He had been neck and neck with him right till the final lap, in which the pilot had pulled one amazing backdraft to slide past Shine to win.
So amazed by the pilot that he actively sought him after the race, still trying to figure out how he had allowed the pilot to slip behind him. It hadn't been hard; the guy wore an olive drab flight suit that had the words "You Can Run...You'll Just Die" in black across the upper right chest. His helmet was colored to match his craft; dark gold with green trimming's lining it. Compared to the drab grey one Shine had borrowed for the race, the guy looked like a spoiled prince. It hadn't taken much to strike the guy for a conversation, although Shine got the impression that the guy was hiding something. And it had nothing to do with the fact that he didn't remove his helmet the entire time they talked. Finally, the man had told Shine if he wanted to talk more about the race and such to meet him at a bar in Umgul city at 1700 hours. And with that, he had slid off into the crowd.
And it was in front of this bar that Shine finally found himself. A quick glance at its sign told him that it was Corellian in nature, which made him double check his blaster. He loved his homeworld and was proud to be a Corellian....but even he knew they were prone to getting into a dung fight with the smallest provocation possible. And he didn't feel like getting blasted at tonight. Pushing his way inside, Shine looked for any sign of the pilot, hoping that he would signal to him since Shine had no idea who he was looking for. Unless of course, the pilot wore his flight suit and helmet still, which would have struck Shine as odd. Managing to shuffle his way to the bar, Shine turned to the crowd once more, looking in vain for a face he didn't know. Finally, he relented and ordered a glass of whiskey from the bartender. It was then that he noticed the lady.
If he could sum up her appearance in one word, it would have been.....stunning. Long blond hair reached down to her shoulders, wavy like the ocean in the wind. Her skin was a fine shade of creme, proof that she hadn't been in the sun for long periods of time. And for a brief moment, Shine caught sight of her eyes, which were a shade of grey that Shine had seen very rarely. Her figure was blocked by the crowds of people around and her own clothing, but that didn't bother Shine. Her face alone would have drawn him over. Managing to slid past the people on the bar to the seat beside her, Shine took his drink from the bartender and glanced over to her.
"And here I thought the sun didn't shine down to the surface of Umgul. Clearly someone was wrong, for its sitting right next to me and making this room all that more brighter. Oh, I'm Shine by the way. A pleasure to hopefully make your acquaintance."
Shine winced inside at his words; they had sounded better in his head.
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last online Jun 4, 2023 4:58:38 GMT -5
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Aug 7, 2010 21:17:05 GMT -5
Post by Talau the Ever-Lurking on Aug 7, 2010 21:17:05 GMT -5
The last three days had been a whirlwind…not that her life wasn’t always a whirlwind of her own (or others) creation. These past three days, however, had been more than that. With that fourth race over she and Athar were nearly set to head back to Tatooine. The first day had been that fateful race…the one that had brought her and Sev face to face once again. That, of course, had been something to remember…not to mention the fact that they’d run into trouble in this very bar. Truth be told, it hadn’t their fault…it had just been very bad timing and coincidence that those men had to have been there. That evening had been blurred, here and there, with emotion and drink, not to mention the brawl and everything that entailed.
Day two had been restocking the Exodus and planning for the final leg of her and Athar’s mission. It had been a busy day, overseeing the ship and trying not to get into too much more trouble…as well as getting a new Ident-card for ‘Namra’ with the hair blond. There was nothing Sam could do about the missing length of her hair, but she could at least put it back to its natural color. That left them a bit low on funds, however, so she’d made the decision to enter the next days (today’s) race. Entering as “Bomber” once more, she’d shown up in full gear and escorted by Athar and Sev. One of the entries had approached her then, having heard something about the racer from her previous exploits. Of course, she’d been in full gear at that point (helmet and all, since she never wished to reveal her identity to the other racers), so the man…Shine, his name had been...didn’t know she was, well, a she.
The race earlier today had been a whirlwind of an entirely different kind. While she’d raced like usual…taking her time to work her way up in the ranks and wheedle out the poor racers from the ones who would give her trouble…she’d had to admit that the new guy, Shine, was a pretty damn good racer. Not Sev good (and certainly not Hunter good), but good enough to give her the most trouble. With a trick up her sleeve, she’d detonated a mine early, spewing fire and shockwave just in front of them both…and right before a target ring. It hadn’t taken much to reroute the power from the targeting and trap detonation systems over to the engines, giving her just that little bit of edge as she rolled so their craft were belly to belly while she slid past below him and through the explosion and ring.
She’d been just in time as the timer on her flight craft reset to 35 and held, blinking a “1’st place: All other Eliminated. Race Complete.” Now those were words she liked to see. No doubt her whoop of victory hadn’t gone unnoticed by Athar and Sev, who she’d both deemed crew for this last race, as it came across their head sets. She’d landed with high adrenalin and high spirits to two happy men and…more reporters. Well, at least this time she didn’t have a sore loser after her. What she did have, was a fan.
Shine had hunted her out, obviously impressed.
She’d been more than a little hesitant in meeting him as he’d requested, but between needing to get out of dodge ASAP to finish prepping for departure, and the man’s tenacity, she’d scribbled down when and where to meet her…she could decide later if she’d let him know just who she was or not. Of course, she’d had to find a reason to ditch Sev and, if she were honest with herself, she didn’t find the idea of leaving him behind a pleasant one. For some reason she just didn’t like being out of his company (okay, so she knew the reason, but that didn’t mean she was admitting to it, even to herself…especially to herself), so as she Houdini’d her way out of the hotel room, Sam felt just a bit guilty. Alright, a lot guilty.
Either way, she was here now, and sitting at the bar casually, nursing a Corellian whiskey and watching the people mill about and eat and talk…and drink. There was a lot of drinking. Well, it was a pub after all! The serape she had folded about her hid a good portion of her body, but that was a preference of hers…it was better to read than be read, after all. She had been in the middle of studying a rather good looking couple fawn over each other across the room as she leaned backward against the bar, when someone sidled up beside her. Glancing over, she was more than a bit surprised to find Shine there.
Blinking at him, she wondered how he had known it was her…but his words swiftly cut off that line of thinking. For a moment she almost gaped at him, one eyebrow quirked upward, more than a little amused at his…well it was obviously meant to be a compliment but, wow it was corny. Giggling a bit, she decided to play along and tell him who she was later. Or maybe she would tell him now? No, most certainly later.
”Hey ya. Um…nice ta meet you too?” Her reply barely masked how amusing she found his words as she held out her free hand to him from under that desert colored cloth that was draped about her. ”Do you greet every woman that way, or am I a special case?”
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Jazen
Beelzaboot
1,617 posts
86 likes
Rocking from the Great White North
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last online Apr 20, 2022 19:46:47 GMT -5
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Aug 8, 2010 0:59:10 GMT -5
Post by Jazen on Aug 8, 2010 0:59:10 GMT -5
As Shine took the woman's hand, he used the moment to get a glance at the body that had been shielded by the crowd . Most guys would linger on her body, admiring that view for as long as possible. A good portion of them, he knew, would talk to her body and not her face. Shine wasn't like that. He would give her a look over; it would be weird if he didn't. But it would be only for a few seconds before his eyes returned to hers. He wasn't raised to be an animal, he was raised to be a gentlemen. And that meant to talk to the person, not the flesh.
It wasn't much to look at. Well, not that there wasn't much to look at; it was just that he couldn't see it. Her entire upper body was covered in a desert colored serape, hiding any details of her frame underneath its shielding embrace. Shine couldn't deny the slight ping of disappointment that slipped through his body and for a moment, that slid onto his face. Shine was quick to catch himself though and his conversation face was back, a simple grin his answer to her comment.
He caught something from her when she answered him. It didn't show on her face, nor give any hint of its existence in her words. But there was something in those grey eyes that tingled his instincts. The instincts that had saved him more than once while flying, the ones telling him to be cautious before proceeding down a path. Shine quickly slid that caution behind a wall of reason, but he never let it fade away completely. Releasing her hand, Shine took a sip of his drink before striking up the conversation again.
"Well...no, I don't usually start my conversations like that. Usually my opening lines aren't so....well, corny. But there is never any lie in my words, no matter how poor sounding it is. Every woman I greet gets her own special greeting, based off something about them. Got to admit, that wasn't my best one.
But ignoring my poor attempt to simply say hi, I must say its a pleasure. You don't see many woman of your caliber relaxing in places like this alone. Perhaps I could get a name to call you by? Not that I mind identifying you as "beautiful woman" for the duration of the conversation, but I would hate to insult you by calling you such when you have a real name I could use instead."
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last online Jun 4, 2023 4:58:38 GMT -5
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Aug 8, 2010 18:09:30 GMT -5
Post by Talau the Ever-Lurking on Aug 8, 2010 18:09:30 GMT -5
Grey eyes noticed subtly as he looked her over, or tried to. A smile played about her face as she finished her drink and ordered a spiced ale as she also saw the mild look of disappointment on his face. If Shine wanted to take a look, she’d let him, for a little bit anyway. As she waited for that drink, she’d turn back to face the bar, leaning against it, one foot on the bottom rung of the stool, the other on the floor and stretched out behind her. Casually, she hooked one part of her serape over her shoulder so her body was shielded from the others in the cantina, but on his side those curves and the close fitting brown shirt beneath would be visible enough against the tans and browns of the serape on the other side. To him it would likely seem like little more than her allowing some air below that protective covering, but it was, in fact, her way of gauging his reactions to her form…as well as giving him a good solid look at what really lay hidden beneath the flight suit and helmet he knew as “Bomber.”
Thanking the barkeep for her drink and giving a quiet ‘heya, how you doin’ to Katee (one of the waitresses), she shook his hand and gave him a bright smile before taking a drink and flipping that folded bit of serape down again as she turned once more to lean back against the bar as he spoke. Storm cloud hued eyes watched him intently as he replied. She couldn’t help but giggle a bit as he called his words corny and admitted that they hadn’t been his best greeting ever. His asking her name brought a mischievous little grin to her face, not so much because of his ‘beautiful woman’ comment, but rather because she was wondering just what to tell him.
She could, of course, tell him her cover name…state that she was named Namra Raquad. Then there was the option of telling him her real name, but…well, that just didn’t appeal to her at this point, maybe later she’d give him her first name. Or there was the option of dropping the ‘Bomb’(er) on him. Yeah…that’s what she would do…maybe…or not. No, that was certainly what she was going to do; the opportunity was just too perfect to pass up. ”Well, you could call me Bomber if you like?” she suggested, an impish playfulness in her voice and grin as she gave him a little wink.
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Jazen
Beelzaboot
1,617 posts
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Rocking from the Great White North
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last online Apr 20, 2022 19:46:47 GMT -5
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Aug 8, 2010 18:59:43 GMT -5
Post by Jazen on Aug 8, 2010 18:59:43 GMT -5
Shine's eyes followed her movement as she ordered another drink, this one a spiced ale. Oh, how he remembered those. He loved the initial taste but the secondary ones made his skin crawl. Shine didn't like having more alcoholic drinks than he had too; they just didn't seem to suit him. He also didn't like to have anything affect his movements or decisions, in case he had to act on the fly. But he could out drink just about everyone he had ever come across and still be able to walk a reasonably straight line. Must have been something he inherited from his family...or someone from his greater family. Or maybe it was just something he alone had. Either way, he was particularly happy with that immunity, but that didn't mean he flaunted it whenever he could.
His eyes, sharp and piercing, quickly took in the frame hidden beneath her serape. Shine had to bite back the whistle that tried to escape his lips, silencing it with a drink from his glass. Her figure was just...well, spectacular. She wasn't too meaty, nor to thin. There was a balance there, giving her a frame that many women would dream to have. Her arms weren't petite either; Shine could see a sign of muscle hiding beneath that creme colored skin. That put her profession either in the same stock as his or military duty, although those were only the major choices; there could be thousands of other reasons for the muscle that Shine would probably never guess unless he asked.
As quickly as she had showed him the figure beneath, she hid it again, turning to lean against the bar to face the crowd. His grin never faded, Shine chuckling to himself a little as she giggled at his noting of his own poor lines. Well, that was a step in the right direction right? Laughter meant at the least, she wasn't displeased with having to talk with him. Course, the conversation wasn't going to go well for much longer if he didn't have something better to call her than something based on her appearance.
He waited patiently after he asked for her name, watching those grey eyes intently. There was something at work in that head of hers, gears ticking about how to answer his question. It shouldn't have been that hard, unless she was trying to think of a false name to give him. Maybe he wasn't doing so well after all. When she finally gave him something to use, Shine took only a heartbeat to catch the meaning behind her choice.
Bomber.....Bomber......there was a Bomber in the race. A Bomber who pulled the most beautiful trick to steal the race from him. A Bomber he had talked to after the race and had told him to come to this bar at this time. A Bomber who, up until now, Shine had thought a man. He couldn't help his jaw gaping open at her, a snort of laughter slipping from its open void. Shine quickly caught himself though and tried not to snicker at the revelation.
"So your...I mean you were.....oh wow. I feel like the biggest idiot in the universe right now. And that's saying something, considering Corellian's have a tendency to be called stupid when we explain the stunts we're about to pull. Well, stupid or crazy, usually a mix of both.
Well, I have to say, you got me good there Ms Bomber. I don't know why the possibility that the person who schooled me could have been a woman never crossed my mine. Lord know, I've seen a fair share that could do so in my travels. I suppose your attire at that time was for the purpose of hiding that fact, wasn't it?
Well, I suppose this merits a better introduction. Shine Albatross, Captain of the Black Cat, at your service Ms Bomber. And I'd love to share a drink with you now more than ever. You certainty have some eye catching moves that I'd like to talk with you about."
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last online Jun 4, 2023 4:58:38 GMT -5
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Aug 19, 2010 18:45:14 GMT -5
Post by Talau the Ever-Lurking on Aug 19, 2010 18:45:14 GMT -5
Just as she’d thought…his reaction was priceless with his mouth hanging open and letting the flies in, not speaking literally, and his eyes wide as sensor dishes. The disbelieving snort of laughter that escaped him, she took a drink from her mug and winked over at him.
“So your…I mean you were…oh wow.”
Lowering the mug and holding it easily in one hand as she propped her arms up on the bar behind her, Sam listened to the group in the corner singing loudly and boisterously. Ah, she knew this song from her time with the Sevens when they’d run up against the navy folk in the local pub.
”And it’s up and away in the mornin’ And the salt spray tastes finer than wine Dawn on the horizon And the size of the prize For the takin’ of a ship of the line And it’s up and away in the mornin…”
Her voice was quiet as she sang along with the growing clamor as the song spread through the pub, still listening to Shine. A smile tugged at one corner of her mouth as he mentioned he was Corellian, grey eyes turning to him just moments before she slightly turned her face to do the same, a bit of her Corellian brogue showing in her voice as she nodded and replied.
”Oh aye…I have more than my fair share of rocket fuel for blood so I know what you mean. Why d’you think I fly like I do? It’s a pleasure, Shine, and my name’s Samantha, though Sam or Sammy are both fine. But yeah, it was. That and because I was an atmo-fighter pilot for the Corellian army. You learn a thing or two when you fly with the best. Goddess knows I earned my bloodstripes doing it.”
Not that I have them to wear any more…she mused silently, giving Shine a mischievous grin, knowing she’d given him a more than satisfactory answer as to why she was such a good pilot with that short counter. Turning her gaze back to the sights of the pub, she grinned happily and joined in the final (and often left out because of it’s slightly risqué content) stanza and the final chorus, adding her voice to the din…which had added the band’s drum, fiddle and some small guitar-like instrument during the interim.
”After two months hard toil We docked in Port Royal Our virtues to spoil or at least to curtail But the trouble with the boisterous Sailors who roister’s Their choice is to run or to end up in jail!
And it’s up and away in the mornin’ With the wind to our backs we will sail And the ship may well take ya From here to Jamaica Where the storms and the waves They will toss ya and shake ya And you’ll do desperate deeds For which God might forsake ya But there’s nowhere that we’d rather be And it’s up and away in the mornin’!”
With a clamor of shouts and laughs the rowdy crowd ended the song and shouted for another. With a bout of nostalgia, she looked down into her drink, swirling it around and shaking her head. How many times had she hung out in places like this with the Sevens and had very similar situations arise? That thought made her chuckle before she lifted the mug and took another drink.
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Jazen
Beelzaboot
1,617 posts
86 likes
Rocking from the Great White North
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last online Apr 20, 2022 19:46:47 GMT -5
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Aug 19, 2010 19:36:13 GMT -5
Post by Jazen on Aug 19, 2010 19:36:13 GMT -5
Shine watched Sam as she turned to face the stumbling, partying crowd all around them. His golden eyes sparkled with two different kinds of admiration; the kind a pilot would give to a fellow pilot after a display of skill and the kind a man would give a woman of her beauty. He had to admit; he'd been a little reluctant to come today, mostly out of a slight fear for how "Bomber" would be beyond the race track. Right now, he was glad he'd conquered that tiny little insecurity.
Noticing that she was starting to mouth something that her voice lent no audio too, Shine drifted his attention to the crowd around them, looking amongst them for the answer to her quiet opera. Didn't take him long once he set his mind to it; the only people really singing were doing so quite loudly. Turning in his seat to watch them, Shine cradled his drink in his lap while he tilted forward towards them slightly to hear it just a little better over the echoing sounds of the bar.
Though he wasn't ultimately familiar with the song being sung, he was quick on catching its basic tune and started to hum to it. When he realized Sam had turned her attention back on him, noticing the movement of her body out of the corner of his eye, he turned his head to listen to her speak, bringing his drink up to take another swig of it.
It was a good thing the drink hadn't managed to reach his lips. Her next words almost caused him to tip off the stool, bringing the drink down quickly and straightening out to avoid dropping the mug. She was not only a good pilot and a bombshell to the eyes, she was Corellian?! And had earned the famed Corellian Bloodstripes as well? Could she throw anything else his way that would make his growing interest in her expand anymore than it had already done? Correcting himself as quickly as he had faltered, Shine rubbed the back of his head, letting out a long yet strangely quiet whistle.
"Well, that would certainly explain that last stunt you pulled to win the race. Not many pilots would even consider that; only the bravest and craziest might let it drift into their thoughts. And only the ones who thought they had the skill on top of that would try it. Which pretty much describes every known Corellian in existence.
Well, its a pleasure to put a name to a face. Sam was it? Again, its a very fine pleasure to meet you."
Her gaze slipped back to the crowd once again and Shine was quick to follow it this time, placing one arm on the counter as he turned himself sideways towards her while keeping his head fixed in the direction of the singers. It shifted back to Sam as she joined in the song, this time her mouth moving with the appropriate audio to go with it. In quiet contemplation, Shine watched both her and the singers, managing to make her voice the louder of the two in his ears. He had to avoid letting his interest in her singing voice show on his face; it was a little rough, but nonetheless pleasing to listen too.
The song ended soon after that and Shine gave a silent raise of his glass to the singers, who were already being requested to let loose another song for the crowd to howl too. Swinging his head back to Sam, he let her be for a moment, noticing the look of someone remembering something from their past on her face as she watched her drink for a minute. Once she started to down it, he decided to ask about something she had said.
"So you flew in the Corellian military? I don't think I ever came across the unit you flew in; I would remember someone with that skill behind the stick. What group did you fly with?"
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last online Jun 4, 2023 4:58:38 GMT -5
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Aug 23, 2010 21:10:54 GMT -5
Post by Talau the Ever-Lurking on Aug 23, 2010 21:10:54 GMT -5
Now there was something Sam never got tired of: nearly knocking a man out of his seat with surprise using nothing but words. Seeing Shine nearly drop his drink as he almost fell off his stool had her grinning impishly even as she took a drink of her own. She didn’t bother commenting on his actions, however; that would have just been overkill…besides it was more fun for her to pretend to ignore it as he floundered about before righting himself and letting out that whistle. Shrugging to his comment, she didn’t even bother telling him she didn’t see things that way. She knew plenty of Corellians who would think of doing the craziest stunts, would rather live than attempt them.
When he spoke again, she gazed at him from the side of her eyes before nodding and watching the crowd again. While Sam was typically a ball of energy, she could sometimes take a while to warm up to someone and it didn’t help that she was feeling rather mellow today after the scare she’d gotten the night she and Sev had met…again. This was the main reason why she wasn’t sitting in a booth somewhere and why she was keeping her eyes latched onto the crowd. Certainly she liked watching the people anyway, but this was more out of paranoia than anything else. Not that it would be particularly obvious, she was playing ‘cool customer’ tonight. ”Yup…flew with the Seventh Air Division, the “Lucky Sevens.” We flew the VTOL ‘Firehawks’ and worked as interceptors, close air support and ground troops. We may not have been space jockeys but…there were a lot of ace fliers there…”
Taking another drink of her ale, she fought back the memories. The dangerous crosswinds, the sand, the canyons, the desperate scramble to achieve their objectives and GTFO before they were swarmed…three quarters of them, gone. She’d almost been a part of that statistic…almost. Brathos had been. Shaking it off mentally, Sam decided that instead of mourning she’d try to focus on the fact that not all of them had gone down. Hunter was still around…Archer was still around…Sev was still around…obviously she was still around. Looking over at Shine, she gave him a small smile. ”What about you?”
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Jazen
Beelzaboot
1,617 posts
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Rocking from the Great White North
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last online Apr 20, 2022 19:46:47 GMT -5
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Aug 24, 2010 1:39:41 GMT -5
Post by Jazen on Aug 24, 2010 1:39:41 GMT -5
Over the years, Shine had worked on many things, both inward and outward. One of these inward skills was the ability to read people's state to mind based on the actions of their bodies. Though he wasn't to the point of being able to read the very subtle motions of the body, he was able to read the more obvious motions. It was something that, while not extremely useful at first glance, was a skill that made his job that much easier...and safer. More than once, Shine had noticed the signs of a situation about to go south and managed to get out just in time. To him, that was better than any piece of technology one could purchase.
And right now, that sense told him that Sam's attention was, while on him for the most part, some part of her was focused elsewhere. Her eyes were constantly focused on the crowd around them, drifting from one person to the next. Was she expecting someone else? Or was there someone she was trying to avoid running into? That Shine couldn't tell, but just knowing that fact gave Shine something to watch out for. She was playing it off rather well though; Shine had only managed to catch a hint of this when her eyes flickered for a second when someone had shuffled towards them, only to pass by to a nearby patron instead. He could be wrong entirely as well...but it was something he would keep in mind. He knew that distance look in her eyes though; those were the eyes of someone remembering something from the past.
Giving her a moment with her thoughts, Shine thought about the group she had told him about. The Sevens huh......he knew that name. It had taken him a moment to remember it, but now that he had a name instead of just a reputation, it had come to him much faster. The Sevens were not only one of the best units out there, but the one a large portion of pilots wanted to join one day. They may not have flown in space, being a planet based air group instead of one that flew among the sea of stars, but they were the group that you didn't want to hear coming. Unless they were on your side. It was at the mention of her group that her eyes faded for a moment and thus, the reason for Shine's following silence.
Taking another go of his drink; which was actually a quick downing of what was left, Shine placed the mug on counter and clasped his hands together in front of him as he turned his thoughts to the past as well; to the days of his service in the home world's fleet.
"Ah myself? I was assigned to the Spiders, the flight squadron attached to the defense frigate, Spider's Dawn. We weren't the greatest group by far, even though we did like to think of ourselves as such. But we did quite well, especially when they sent us on little runs to investigate something hiding on the fringe of the system.
Most the time, it turned out to be a ship just lost or redirecting itself for another jump. But every now and then, it turned out to be there for a reason we didn't like. A slave ship or a pirate ship trying to make it in system to conduct that trade. So while we may not have seen combat like the kind you probably saw, we faced our fair share.
A fair share indeed. So since you said used to be, that means that your no longer in the service. What have you decided to do in the meantime? I mean, aside from showing the pilots around here a thing or two in how to school someone on the track?"
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last online Jun 4, 2023 4:58:38 GMT -5
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Sept 3, 2010 3:18:16 GMT -5
Post by Talau the Ever-Lurking on Sept 3, 2010 3:18:16 GMT -5
Silently she listened to him, remaining respectfully quiet and nodding every once in a while as she leaned there. Sam couldn’t say she’d heard of them, or the frigate, but then again there were a lot of frigates she hadn’t heard of, and attached to them were even more fighter squads that she didn’t recognize either. The mention of pirates and slaver ships brought a dark look to her face for a moment before it vanished again, hidden with the rest of her emotions. Glancing up at the time listed on one of the small screens in a corner with a sweep of her eyes, she looked over at him when he questioned her about her current occupation. Smirking, she shrugged slightly. ”Who says I'm not still? The Seven’s were disbanded…maybe I was just moved to a different squadron and I'm on leave?” That smirk widened considerably, almost becoming a Cheshire cat-like grin as she let him chew on that possibility for a few moments while she took another slow drink of her ale. Lowering that mug, she winked at him slightly and snickered. ”Not that you aren’t completely right about my not being in the service any longer, but you shouldn’t jump to conclusions so swiftly on such little information.” Setting the mug down on the bar top, she stretched lazily and yawned slightly. ”I've got my hand in a few things…mainly piloting goods, with a bit of playing the hero on the side if it’s called for. But I’ll juggle pretty much whatever people throw my way, so long as it’s in reason. From rice to breadfruit…though those last are pretty rare to come across.”She’d see just what he was with that last bit. Sure it sounded innocent enough, like she was a simple freight pilot juggling a busy small business with harmless enough foods and goods, but if he knew anything about the smuggler’s cant he’d catch on that she was talking business. Sam had run just about everything from spice to refugees from war torn planets. With a chipper smile, she shrugged slightly. ”I'm just here ‘schooling’ the racers for a bit of extra money to keep things afloat and running smooth-like. And you?”((Juggle=smuggle, rice/white rice=spice, breadfruit/breadfruit tree=refugee --and yes, there is such a thing: LINK ))
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Jazen
Beelzaboot
1,617 posts
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Rocking from the Great White North
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last online Apr 20, 2022 19:46:47 GMT -5
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Sept 8, 2010 1:50:31 GMT -5
Post by Jazen on Sept 8, 2010 1:50:31 GMT -5
Sam's face changed for a brief moment when Shine mentioned pirates, a detail he did not miss. Obviously a sore spot in her past, one which Shine knew from past experiences not to touch. At least until he got to know the person a lot better. Which from what he'd learned from his mother and the other gals of his old group, would take many many meetings to even skim the surface. Unless of course the two of them just *snap*, made that connection. But that wasn't going to happen here, at least as far as Shine could see. Didn't mean he didn't want to try his hand eventually. For now, he was just enjoying her company.
When it was his turn to listen, he leaned on the bar, his cat-like eyes watching her intently as she spoke. He felt his breath pause a little when she suggested that she was still in the service. He must have been losing his ability to read the words a person said and figure out their situation. That breath slipped out with relief when she said she was joking and started explaining her situation.
It was simple at first, but then she started saying things that didn't make sense. Unless you knew the language she was starting to speak in. Shine had to twitch his ears to make sure he heard her right, then twitch his mind to put himself in the right state of mind. While it may seem that this was a long process, it only took seconds and in his mind, he was running through all the possible words she could be replacing. Lord, he disliked having to use smuggler's cant when it wasn't in order to hide what he was doing at that very moment.
He couldn't hide a smile at the first one. The thought of people throwing things at her that she just suddenly juggled was priceless. But even as he mused that thought, his mind was juggling the word juggle for its hidden meaning. It didn't take him long to find what it was likely covering for; smuggle. So she was a smuggler, just like him. That was a good start. Rice...rice....most the time smugglers used words like mice and vice to cover for spice. So she ran spice from time to time. What smuggler didn't at least once in their career. Breadfruit....a breadfruit tree....wasn't many ways that could be read. Bread-fruit-tree - ref-u-gee. So she wasn't against ferrying passengers in order to earn some cash; or maybe it was just like she said, playing the hero and doing it just to be nice.
"Well, I can honestly say your doing a good job of schooling the locales and anyone else who comes along. Present company included. Its a good way to earn some bread and butter to make sure can keep a good "tip" on hand. A lot better than the way I had to fall back on.
Personally, I didn't even want to come back here. Bad luck the last time around. But when you need the money to make sure a certain "lady" keeps being good to you, then you tend to push aside certain misgivings and do what's gotta be done. Needless to say, I got the money to keep my "lady" happy for a while.
So how long you gonna be around? I don't have much time left, but I'd love another round on the track against you. Maybe this time I'll get lucky and manage to outwit you with a move or two."
[I'm not as good as ya at making up smugglers cant, at least not with floppy muse. But "tip" = "ship" and "lady" in that sense refers to his ship, like many smugglers tend to call their personal ships.]
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last online Jun 4, 2023 4:58:38 GMT -5
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Sept 8, 2010 16:16:59 GMT -5
Post by Talau the Ever-Lurking on Sept 8, 2010 16:16:59 GMT -5
Good, at least he understood what she was talking about. That either meant he was a smuggler himself, or a very good officer. If it was the latter she was in real trouble, but she highly doubted this was all just a cover story. He just didn’t have any of the tells of a liar. At least, not at this point in time. Besides, all his talk of a 'lady'...sure he could have meant an actual lady, but chances were he was talking about his ship. Heck, she didn't know many pilots who didn't refer to their craft as a female of some kind, even she did it. The Exodus was her 'girl', her 'hawk had been a 'banshee' and a 'vixen'...among other, less pleasent, termanology...and the one time she'd accidentally called the 'hawk a 'stud' the little wench had dropped a bolt on her head!
"Heh...yeah...I know how that goes, especially the bad luck bit. I wasn't here for floating money though...just here for a job. Needed a bit of extra, however, so I took up the circuit. As for how long I'll be around...we're actually leaving tomorrow so long as..."
She paused a moment as the owner of the pub came up to the side of her and started rambling on in Olys about the next leg of her and Athar's duties, though his tone sounded like little more than friendly conversation. Nodding, she grinned and chittered back 'happily' and shrugged before leaning back against the bar again.
"Um...yeah. We're leaving tomorrow so long as everything goes according to plan."
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Jazen
Beelzaboot
1,617 posts
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Rocking from the Great White North
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last online Apr 20, 2022 19:46:47 GMT -5
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Sept 12, 2010 17:41:13 GMT -5
Post by Jazen on Sept 12, 2010 17:41:13 GMT -5
Shine tilted his head to the side, crossing his arms to listen to her. He'd long finished the little drink that he had, although he'd forgotten exactly when he'd done that. Well, that's what happened when one thing took priority over in terms of importance; the less important details got shoved aside for the ones that mattered. Course, that only applied to situations like this, where you were just chatting with someone while relaxing. Whenever he was learning about a job or taking a general interest in what someone was saying, every detail would start to get etched into his mind. So the drink he may not have remembered, but everything she had told him was branded into his memory.
A small frown creased his face when she mentioned that she was more than likely leaving the next day. He was about to say how unfortunate that was when the bartender came up to them. Shine's eyes tilted to watch the exchange between him and Sam, speaking in something he had only started learning when he became a smuggler. Well, he'd heard bits and pieces of it when he was younger, but those had been more or less lost to the passage of time. It was Olys Corellisi, the language the people of Corellia had been speaking before involvement with other cultures and races had created the new Corellian language that they spoke now. Since it was so rare, Shine had found it hard to find anyone who could speak it, at least for more than a few words.
He listened carefully to what they spoke to each other, trying to pick out any words that he did not and try to piece together what they could be talking about. Their tone's were cheerful...but there was a hint of serious in them as well. Whatever it was, it was something that mattered, mattered enough that they would use an old, pretty much dead language to cover up what it was. As the bartender moved off and Sam turned back to him, Shine debated asking what that was about. But he thought better of it for now and decided to ask something that might allow him to ask later.
"Ah, that's a shame. Guess that rematch will have to wait for another day. Of course, in a galaxy this big, the odds of running into the same person again anytime soon is pretty rare. Many call it fate if it happens more than once in a year, if that.
And as much as I like trusting in fate, I much rather make my own luck and odds. So, if its not a bother, perhaps we could trade information so we can contact each other in the future should the need arise. You know, case you ever need a hand shipping around some of those goods of yours. You never know when a load of rice or breadfruit might be too big for one person alone.
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last online Jun 4, 2023 4:58:38 GMT -5
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Sept 25, 2010 20:03:49 GMT -5
Post by Talau the Ever-Lurking on Sept 25, 2010 20:03:49 GMT -5
Shrugging slightly she smirked a bit and gave a little laugh. ”I suppose it will at that, and I can give you a number, but I can’t promise I’ll always be able to reply…or when I might. Busy gal and all that.” Giving him a little, if a bit flirtatious, wink she pulled a small flimsy card from her belt pouch and handed it over to him, making the bandages around her arm glaringly obvious. The only thing printed on the card was a simple code that would allow people to send messages to her datapad. It was the only way she kept contact with those she held contracts with, those seeking contracts, or those she just didn’t quite trust yet. She checked it regularly, of course, but that didn’t mean she always replied to the messages swiftly.
With the card held between her first and middle fingers she waved it in front of him a bit, an impish grin on her face. ”You can contact me through this, I’ll see the message but I may need a reminder as to who you are. I get a lot of messages through this and I won’t know your code from a hole in the wall most likely.” Once he took the card she’d turn and hand her credit chip to the bar tender, waiting to get it back before she stood and straightened out her serape once more. ”I’ve got a long day tomorrow so I’d best head out before my guard dogs decide to come looking for me…” she stated with an almost embarrassed grin. ”Ol’val, Shine, ahn guld domina,” she added with a jaunty little wave/salute and a grin as she headed for the door.
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Jazen
Beelzaboot
1,617 posts
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Rocking from the Great White North
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last online Apr 20, 2022 19:46:47 GMT -5
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Sept 26, 2010 13:28:22 GMT -5
Post by Jazen on Sept 26, 2010 13:28:22 GMT -5
Shine grinned when she agreed to give him a number he could access her at, giving her a counter wink when she gave hers. As she produced the card, Shine kept his hands on the counter, waiting for her to offer it to him. It would be rude to simply take it and he'd seen once or twice a girl produce the card only to pull it away at the last second, making a joke out of it. He didn't read that she was that kind of person, but he gave it a few moments before he started to move his hand to let her drop it into his hand.
It was at this time that he noticed her arm was pretty bandaged up. True, it would have been hard to notice it before, what with her keeping that part of her body aimed away from him and under her serape. Still, she had to move her arms to drink and it was at then he should have noticed it. Or when she gave him a look at her frame. Was she that alluring to him that she was making him slip? Damn Shine, find out if she even would consider speaking to you again before you start getting ideas.
Grinning at her explanation of how to contact her, Shine calmly accepted the card, slipping it into the pouch behind his blaster. As he did so, he pulled out his own card and handed it to her. Shallow, perhaps, but Shine did this with most people he found worth keeping in contact with. Just in case they ever found a reason to contact him.
"Well, I'll just sign my messages with Kitty Cat then. Hopefully, that will strike up your memory of who has eyes like a cat. And you can use my card or not use it, although personally I hope you will at some point. Even if its just to vent a bad day or because your bored. I'm not picky."
As she turned to leave, Shine paid his own bill, watching the bartender grin a little when he left a little of his good fortune as a tip.
"Yea, I've got a pretty long hyperspace flight ahead of me as well. Guess I'd better make sure to get a good nights rest so I don't mess up the coordinates in the morning.
If you don't mind me asking, what's your destination? Somewhere a bit nicer than here I would hope. Mine certainly won't be."
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