No Rest for the Restless [regnier, zett]

[Mara]

(((Apologies for the delay...)))


Her eyebrows raised a bit at his admission that this wasn’t his first time on the planet. From the little she already knew about him, coupled with what she had personally inferred and guessed, Ambria wouldn’t have thought a peaceful place such as Alderaan would have much to draw this Zett to it. And especially on more than one occasion. Of course, as she followed the train of thought a bit farther, she supposed that such facts could be precisely why he was here. Despite its reputation, Alderaan would have its dirty secrets, just like any other planet in the galaxy, though perhaps more thoroughly hidden than on others.

Ambria smiled politely at their server as the blonde woman placed her glass of water in front of her before departing their table once again. Before turning back to her companion, she took a long sip of the refreshing liquid, closing her eyes briefly in delight. She hadn’t realized how thirsty, or hungry, she was until just a few moments before. After the exhaustion of her run and then the chaos of the speeder accident and the chase Zett had put her on, there hadn’t been much time for sustenance. Plus, she had been so focused on what she had been doing that it hadn’t occurred to her in the first place. As a soldier, she was used to sorting out priorities; food and drink sometimes slipped down the list.

Looking back at Zett, she put down her glass, having also taken the time offered by the delay of the drink to decide how much to give away with her answer. “Oh, no. First time.” With a wry smile, the dark-skinned woman added, “I’m actually here for a bit of vacation.” The young man obviously wasn’t being too frivolous with details himself, and Ambria didn’t want to start doing so either. If her true identity ever came out, they—she, mostly—would end up in a heap of trouble. She planned to hold onto her role as tourist, plying her focus on his armor as mere amateur curiosity and not professional interest; plus, she hoped it would help Zett to lower his guard and let something slip.

[Adobi-Wan Kenobi]

Zett ate his food when it was eventually brought to him. He made note when she told him that this was her first visit and that it was as a vacation, which Zett found funny sense that was his reasons as well, this time at least. Sad to say though, it wasn't turning out like much of a vacation, he was actually starting to wish he hadn't left today, and perhaps done a tune up on the speeder instead.

Zett still though did go with the flow, and for now was spending time with Ambria was part of that flow, and for now wasn't turning out to be a bad thing, despite the over interest in his helmet.

He took a drink and returned her smile, "So i take it this wasn't your idea of a vacation?" Zett smirked knowing how he could put a crimp in not only his day, but others as well.

[Mara]

When their server delivered their food, setting plates in front of each of them, chitchat stalled in favor of eating. Ambria forked some greens from her salad and passed the bite to her mouth. Though its arrival had made her feel even hungrier—not to mention the aroma wafting from Zett’s dish was making her wonder if she should have ordered something more substantial—she exhibited great self-control and ate slowly. Not daintily like a lady, but still womanly and polite. It was a fairly average salad in her opinion, nothing spectacular about it, and yet it was fresh and crisp enough, serving its purpose.

She had kept a partial but unwavering gaze on Zett the whole time, even while they ate, and so was not surprised when he eventually turned from his food and continued their current line of conversation with a question that was more rhetorical than probing. Swallowing her latest forkful of salad and then taking a sip of her water, Ambria pondered again how much to reveal. The dark-skinned woman wanted to remain vague about who she really was while also saying enough to make him feel comfortable about giving up more information himself.

Setting her glass back on the table, she smiled wryly before answering. “Not exactly the relaxing time I had been hoping for, no.” A shrug before continuing, a trace of bitterness coming into her voice. “Then again, this was more my… boss’s idea than my own. He felt I needed a break, thinking I had been working too hard in recent months.” She leaned forward conspiratorially, as if she had found a kindred spirit. “Between you and me, though, I’d much rather be back, doing something useful, than…” Ambria waved her fork around in emphasis. “Hanging around here on Alderaan pretending to enjoy myself.”

The dark-skinned woman straightened in her seat and spiked another bite of salad before deciding to hammer home her guise, simultaneously trying to find out more about the young man’s Mandalorian armor. Softness was in her eyes when she spoke again, her voice having returned to its normal timbre. “I do want to apologize for all my questions about your helmet earlier. I hadn’t meant to be rude, really. It’s just…” Ambria paused, as if trying to pick out the right words. “You see, I’m a bit of a history buff, Mandalorian especially—sort of a hobby of mine. And when I saw the helmet you had, I’m afraid I got a bit overzealous.” She smiled, both suppressed excitement and apology in her emerald eyes.

[Adobi-Wan Kenobi]

Zett raised an eye brow for a moment when she spoke about her boss.

Well, least your boss cares, there are worst fates in the universe... Zett mused as he took another swipe at the meat on his plate. Then she went on to apologies about her earlier questions, this caused Zett to be a slight bit surprised but not taken back or caught off guard, simply put he hadn't expected it to come from what he knew about her so far. Which truth be told wasn't much.

Zett smiled slightly, Trust me, no need to say sorry, if i knew more about it or where it came from, i might be able to help, but i can only say i got it as reward for a job. You'd have to ask the man who made it or got it for me. Zett took a bite of his food as he ended the reply to her.

How long you been here? Zett asked knowing both of them where about done with their food, and it was better then awkward silence.

[Mara]

(((Apologies for the delay…)))


Ambria had merely nodded at Zett’s comment about her boss’s altruistic nature before she had gone on to apologize for her apparent rudeness regarding his helmet. She didn’t dare speak any further on the matter less he figure out who her ‘boss’ really was. Of course, the woman knew her commanding officer did care about his troops, including herself, in his own Mandalorian—and respectable—way. And there were worse, much worse, treatments than being forced to take an unwanted vacation. Her words had been meant more as a tool to soften up her companion into revealing something than to dwell on her own disgruntlement at being on Alderaan. 

She had hoped her story about her innocent interest into Mandalorian history would get the young man to divulge more about his helmet’s provenance. Instead, he just repeated what he had already told her he knew about it. Ambria pushed down her disappointment, hiding it with another forkful of her salad. He did seem genuinely sorry that he couldn’t tell her more; she didn’t suspect any deception of covering a secret coming from him. Perhaps she really had discovered all she would glean from Zett about the helmet, and further questions would just keep her going in circles. “I see,” she said in response.

Then the woman smiled warmly. “Thank you for being so understanding. I know my endless questions be a bit of a nuisance to some.” Turning to her salad, she finished off the last bits before answering his rather mundane question. Ambria wasn’t sure if he was trying to end discussion of the helmet or was simply just continuing their conversation, believing the subject closed. “Oh…” Sitting back against the seat, she crossed her legs under the table, suppressing an urge to rub an itch that was developing between her stump and prosthetic. “This is only my third day here.” She didn’t go into any more details, keeping her reply brisk. Her intention wasn’t to talk about her vacation with a stranger. 

The dark-skinned woman still hadn’t given up quite yet on her original mission at accepting this lunch invitation, especially since he had seemed, whether intentional or not, to give her an in on the man who had had the helmet before him. She picked up her glass of water and took a sip before continuing. Ambria kept her voice light, not betraying any of her excitement at having a possible lead at more information. “This man… do you know his name? Where he is? Do you have a way of contacting him?” Another friendly smile with a slight raising of her eyebrows. “You know… so I can assuage my historical curiosity?”

[Adobi-Wan Kenobi]

Zett shook his head remembering Marcus. His Name was Marcus, But he died on Corellia a few years back... Zett said with the mostly honest answer, it was true the Cantina Had been blown into a Crater, but it was also true that Marcus had survived much more then that, So Zett didn't really believe he was dead. It was also true that Zett had no means of Contacting a man that had vanished as he had.

Zett finished the drink and the food by this point. Then after a couple of moments he decided to continue again on the last bit of conversation they had. I'm probably about to leave myself, been here for about a week myself now. Zett sat the cup on top of the plate and slid it to the side of the table with a credit chip that both payed for the meal and the tip. You here for about a week or so? Zett asked again before leaning back a bit.

((OOC---Sorry for another short post))

[Adobi-Wan Kenobi]

Zett shook his head remembering Marcus. His Name was Marcus, But he died on Corellia a few years back... Zett said with the mostly honest answer, it was true the Cantina Had been blown into a Crater, but it was also true that Marcus had survived much more then that, So Zett didn't really believe he was dead. It was also true that Zett had no means of Contacting a man that had vanished as he had.

Zett finished the drink and the food by this point. Then after a couple of moments he decided to continue again on the last bit of conversation they had. I'm probably about to leave myself, been here for about a week myself now. Zett sat the cup on top of the plate and slid it to the side of the table with a credit chip that both payed for the meal and the tip. You here for about a week or so? Zett asked again before leaning back a bit.

((OOC---Sorry for another short post))

[Mara]

(((No worries… Length doesn’t bother me.
Anyway, I think this thread is winding down to its conclusion after another round or two. I don’t mind continuing it, though, if you’d like.)))


It was with remarkable composure that Ambria kept herself from blinking widening green eyes in surprise at Zett’s revelation that his friend was no longer among the living. From his earlier statement, she had assumed the man he had mentioned was still around somewhere; in her mind, he hadn’t really talked about this Marcus and the helmet as if it was a dead end, pardoning the pun. Even so, her mouth had opened slightly at the news, and she quickly covered it with a smile she hoped was heartwarming and full of condolence. “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. Truly. It sounds like he meant a lot to you.”

Inside, though, the woman wasn’t feeling all too apologetic. Oddly, she felt a bit betrayed by this young man sitting across from her. The whole time he had been speaking of the helmet, he had never once thought to bring up the fact of the previous owner’s demise. In fact, had let her think the complete opposite about the man. Ambria supposed she could contribute some of that to Zett’s continued mourning for this Marcus, but he had said it had been a few years already. As far as she was concerned, extending this conversation to gather more details about the Mandalorian helmet had been a complete waste of her time.

Ambria briefly thought about pressing further, but she knew a lost cause when she saw one. Zett had already told her that this man—Marcus—wasn’t a Mandalorian himself, so she couldn’t follow that trail towards any leads. And continually questioning him about a dead man whom he had obviously cared for while still alive was cruel, even for someone of her background. She was a soldier, not an interrogator. It was time to bury the matter of the helmet’s provenance where it currently lay. There would be no point in continuing to converse in circles.

With that door closed, she turned her attention back to her companion. He seemed bent on foregoing anymore talk on his friend Marcus in favor of more idle nonsense that she didn’t really care about now that it wasn’t going to lead to the information she wanted. But she forced control over her features, steadying a friendly look on her face in order to maintain the façade a bit longer. Nodding, “Supposed to be. But I’m thinking of cutting my vacation short and heading back. Alderaan is nice, but I’d feel more relaxed back at home.” Ambria’s eyes slid briefly to the table’s edge as he put down credits to pay for both of them, taking satisfaction that she had succeeded at least in her secondary mission to gain compensation for the trouble Zett had caused her throughout the day.

[Adobi-Wan Kenobi]

((Yeah it seems to be winding down to me too.))

Zett sighed bit, conceding the conversation, it didn't show on her face, it didn't show in her attitude, but for some reason, Zett didn't feel she wanted to continue with much else on the conversation. Or on much else of any conversation. So Zett stood up and pulled his coat back on before waiting for her to stand as well.

He sighed again as he faced her,Truly sorry i couldn't help you much, i thank you for grabbing my things though, and hope the meal is enough to repay that kindness. Zett smiled before stepping out of her way in order to let her go first if she wanted to, if there was something else she wanted or could ask for, Zett would be happy to continue the conversation on their way back to the shop, but something told him that once they left the small Cafe' she would go some other direction, which was fine with Zett, though he now knew how much he missed real people over simply just droids or Employers, it also did raise a question that he may Ask Marcus if he ever found him to still be alive, as Zett still believed. Zett followed closely behind Ambria as they walked for the exit, where he stopped on the out side of the door...

[Mara]

(((All righties… I guess I’ll just conclude here, then. Up to you if you want to do a wrap-up post afterwards for yourself…
Also, sorry for the wait…)))

She had expected the banal conversation to continue for awhile, if the brief time she had spent with this young man so far that day had been any indication of his personality. Ambria had thought Zett might have inquired further about her reasons for vacationing on Alderaan. Earlier, he had seemed willing and almost eager to take about more mundane things and only had gotten tight-lipped when it had come to the helmet she had prodded about. And though she really could have cared less about continuing the topic, such as it was, she did admit to a slight curiosity for his presence on the planet. Especially considering that the matter of the helmet’s origin was now closed to her, it would have been an adequate substitute to hold her attention until she had found a polite way to excuse herself from the café.

However, instead the young man merely stood up from the table and sighed before turning to look at her again, effectively putting a stop to the proceedings. Surprised at this sudden change in his demeanor, she remained in her seat, unable to move; whatever was the cause of this shift in mood for him, she was in the dark about it. The dark-skinned woman had been completely prepared, though not entirely excited, to wait out a sustained chat about her vacation since arrival and up until she had run into Zett, almost literally. And to perhaps hear about his own adventures while at leisure on Alderaan.

About a half second later, the implications clicked into place, and she relaxed. She was getting what she wanted, after all, an end to things between them. Ambria wouldn’t have to defend against any more prying questions into her time on Alderaan, why she was there, what she had done or planned on doing. All items she would have had to have been rather coy and vague about in order to avoid giving away herself to this stranger on a Republic world. It was actually a bit of a relief, now that she had time to process Zett’s movements.

Ambria slid off her seat and took a couple steps towards Zett. She pressed a small but sincere smile on her face. “Yes, thank you for the meal. It was nice.” In her mind, it was only a bit of a down payment, but she had enough training and experience to realize that stating such out loud would not help and could actually encourage the young man to want to spend more time with her to make up for it. Nor could she say anything like ‘no, no trouble at all’ or ‘I was only doing what anyone else would do’ or a host of other platitudes she would have choked on before finishing, because it would have been a lie.

“I hope the rest of your vacation goes more smoothly. Take care.” Then, after a nod and another smile in the young man’s direction, she headed for the door of the small establishment. Another being might have taken her departing words as a bit cold, but Ambria was a soldier who had just had a simple meal with an almost completely stranger who had sent her on a crazy quest and a to a dead end to her questioning towards the helmet. It was the best she could manage in order to keep her sanity in place and make sure she would never seen this Zett again.

Once out into the street, she stopped and got her bearings a bit. After a bit of searching her memory, she figured out in which direction her hotel was and started walking. Ambria supposed she was far enough away, and tired enough, to warrant hiring an airtaxi, but in this area of town, such luxuries were rare. So she strolled through a few blocks, always on the alert for signs of trouble, and finally made it to a corner where she could hail a ride. She told the Bothan driver where to take her and then leaned back into the worn cushion behind her. All she could think of now was getting herself into the hot springs and relaxing in her room with some room service food; the adventure of the day faded more and more with each passing minute.

[to A Familiar Stranger…]