Of Geese and Gundarks

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Two hours was an eternity, especially when one had nothing better to do than sit and stare at the ceiling. Yup...that was about where Samantha was right now.

Laying in her cabin, the blond gazed up at the ceiling above her full to the brim of anxiety and utter boredom....the combination of the two, when it came to Sam anyway, was never a good one. She'd managed to go to sleep for a grand total of half an hour before waking again and resuming her boredom where she'd left off....staring at the ceiling. There was nothing particularly interesting about the ceiling, but it was something to look at, and if she let her eyes unfocus she could let her mind wander, making out the form of her brother and wondering just what he was doing and if he knew she was missing yet. Or the form of her father, and wondering what he would think of this whole mess. Once, she even imagined a strapping young man, all well muscled and mysterious and brown haired and lean and fit and....no...it couldn't be Ean....right? Right. Ean wasn't exactly as young looking at his guy, and she wouldn't exactly call Ean lean....he was certainly fit and well muscled but...lean?

Nope. Not Ean. Simple as that.

Heaving a sigh, grey eyes returned to the ceiling again.

Booooored....oh so bored. That's it. We get to Mygeeto, I'm finding a decent shop and picking up the first decent sized book I see, even if it's the dictionary!

Groaning like a tired dewback, Sam sat up and blinked around at her surroundings. Her alarm hadn't gone off yet, but it wouldn't hurt to head up to the cockpit and check on the systems....again....for the fourth time....in the past hour and a half. Honestly, she didn't know why she bothered coming back here to lay down, only to get back up again and go look to see how things were up front. At least she was quiet about it, doing her best not to wake Ean up...or disturb him...or whatever she might do by walking back and forth so many dratted times.

Again she slipped past his door and made her way to the front, sliding easily into the pilots seat and gazing at the panel and all the readouts. Everything normal...like usual. Sighing heavily, she gazed at the alarm. Ten minutes until they exited hyperspace over Mygeeto. Propping her elbows on the edge of the console, the blond rested her chin on her hands and gazed out at the stars flashing past.

So bored...

[Mara]

For Ean, two hours could almost be considered too short. He could have easily slept at least twice as long as that, but they would be exiting hyperspace soon, and he needed to be up for that. It was also too short because one could never have enough time to plan for a mission or a job. Time was almost more precious than credits or jewels. The man could think of plenty of things to do in a 2-hour period, probably more things that he actually had time to accomplish in such a short time.

His short nap concluded, Ean stretched and got himself out of bed, glancing at his chrono to make sure his inner clock was on the same time. It was, and so he gauged he had enough time for a quick wash in the sanisteam next door in the refresher. He hadn't cleaned up since before he went to meet with Colonel Vinay the previous day. Just a day that felt like years ago. Ean couldn't think of why; time never played tricks on him like that before. It always felt like it was. Maybe it was just sharing air with that woman that made he think as if he had been on the Trailblazer for years, instead of just many hours, almost filling up a whole day.

He shook his head and left his room for the refresher for a quick shower. Just a couple minutes later, he was dressed in his clothes once again, glancing at his appearance in the small mirror. Ean wondered if he should shave or not. He no longer had a Republic officer to impress, but he also didn't want to look like a complete slob when they landed on Mygeeto. Sighing, he headed back to his room where his small bag of toiletries was and used a mirror in his cabin to clean up his face. The man also used the opportunity to change into a fresh set of clothes. Clean gray trousers, clean white shirt. He completed the whole ensemble with his worn leather jacket and boots that he had taken the time to shine up a bit.

He regarded himself; Ean thought he looked a lot better. At least more professional. Ean ran a hand through his now-dry hair, setting it to rights. With a glance around his cabin, he decided it was time to head out and see what Samantha was up to. He didn't need to grab his gear quite yet. The man still wanted to finalize his plans in his mind as to where he would be headed first for information and to which of his weapons he would take with him.

For now, he just decided on his trusty blaster and fastened the belt and holster around his waist, shoving the blaster into its snug resting place. The other gear would wait; it would be best if they just landed and had a look around first. No need to lug all his things around until he was sure of the major's location. Then he could better decide on whether to use the sniper rifle or something more... creative.

With everything else packed away and hidden about his cabin, Ean walked out, locking it behind him. By his count, they should be exiting hyperspace any moment now. Halfway between the living area and the cockpit, he felt the slight jolt as the 'Blazer slide back into sublight. Steadying himself, he made the rest of his way to the front of the ship, finding Samantha already there in the pilot's chair. Without a word, he slipped into the copilot's seat right beside her.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Dropping out of hyperspace, Sam smiled. It was beautiful, seeing the snowy world below, all icy white, the sun coming around the edge of the planet. Of course...there was always the fact of the fleet of sith war ships and wreckage to muck up the view, but over all it was a fine looking place. As Ean slipped into the seat beside her, she smirked a bit and nodded to him. At least he looked awake.

Welp, there she is. Mygeeto, got you here just as I said.

A beeping from the com system had Sam sitting up attentively and eying the massive Centurion cruiser that was looming up over them, casting the David sized freighter in it's Goliath shadow.

Well, time to face the guard dogs.

She sighed and pressed the button for the com.

"Unidentified freighter, this is the SES Pendragon, you are in an occupied zone of the Sith Empire, identify yourself and your purpose."

SES Pendragon, this is the Trailblazer ID code 15346-5A-73H49. We're just here to pick up supplies before going on our way again, we've been out in deep space for a while and need to restock.

Grey eyes narrowed slightly at the silence that followed, her muscles tensing as she nearly held her breath. Every three seconds she'd glance up at the readings or sweep her vision across the field of lights that was the control panel as she looked for any oddities or signal that they were being tracked, scanned, or about to be tractor beamed into the hull of the beast that was now floating above them.

"How many aboard?"

Two ma'am, both human.

"Cargo?"

None.

"I'm transmitting your landing codes, your ship will be subject to inspection upon landing."

Alright.

She clicked the com off again with a heavy sigh and leaned back into her seat. A light chuckle escaped her as she pulled her hair back again and tied it up into a sloppy bun.

Well, now the hard part is done, let's get this boat on the ground. Ean, I need you to check the computer linked to the com system and see if they gave us a landing code or if they were just yanking my chain.

A few switches flipped, stabilizers on, everything set for re-entry, and the woman smiled to herself. Now the fun part.

Oh, and you might want to buckle up, things can get a bit shaky goin' back in if there's a storm or something.

The ride to the planet itself was rather bumpy, snow flurries drifting swiftly around the ship and battering against the hull, shrouding everything in a monochromatic greyish white. Sam, however, seemed to be loving every minute of it...in fact, she was. It was all the blond could do not to take a risk and barrel roll them as a burst of wind tried to knock them off course, or loop up and over as a flurry of snow and gust of wind hit the nose, trying to drive them back. It was just too much fun, she could barely contain herself.

Finally something interesting...

She mused aloud as the storm continued to shake the ship's descent. The fun, however, was over far to soon. The docking bay appeared and she settled the ship down into it as the shields closed over to keep out the driving snow and wind from above. Sam patted the console fondly before looking back at Ean and smiling.

You know what the first rule of flying is?

Love. You can learn all the math in the 'verse, but you take a boat in the air that you don't love, she'll shake you off just as sure as the turning of worlds. And love keeps her in the air when she oughtta fall down…tells ya she's hurtin' 'fore she keens…makes her a home.

With a wink, Sam unbuckled herself, stood up and walked toward the landing ramp, waiting for Ean before leaving.

[Mara]

Ean sat next to Sam in the cockpit, gazing out through the viewscreen at the planet, hardly hearing what she had said. He couldn't remember if he had come to such a cold planet before. But it was quite a sight, nonetheless. He was definitely glad for his leather jacket now. It would keep him warm enough for their first trip out into the planet. Mygeeto was sure a far cry from his native home of Corellia, that was for sure.

Despite the beauty of the planet, Ean's eye was mostly focusing on the fleet orbiting the planet. The Sith fleet, he surmised, based on his research. Plus a few of his contacts had mentioned the coming attack a few weeks ago. The man had put it out of his mind because it didn't directly concern him. But now that he know this traitorous major had a brother working in this fleet, he needed to pay it better mind. Based on what he found out searching on his datapad, with help from Sam's stylus, during the trip, it seemed as though the Sith were in control of Mygeeto now.

Which is why he was slightly uneasy when the comm chimed and one of the ships in the Sith fleet addressed them. Ean hoped that, although the Trailblazer was given to him by the Republic, it didn't have any Republic codes. Because flying into a Sith-occupied zone in a Republic ship would be equal to suicide. And he had a mission to finish; he couldn't die here.

He held his breath as Sam and the officer had their brief exchange. If they didn't get through... well, it'd be a lost worse for both of them. And Ean would have quite a beef with the Republic. He really hoped that Sam's explanation would satisfy the Sith officer enough to let them land onplanet.

But the ship the officer was on, the Pendragon... it sounded vaguely familiar to him. Like the name had been mentioned to him recently. Ean ran back on his thoughts and memories of the past week or so. Finally, he remembered where he had heard that name before--Colonel Vinay. That was the exact ship the Borgonia woman's brother was on. Now this could prove useful. If the bounty hunter could somehow get in contact with the man, or someone on his staff... He filed the information away for later. He had more pressing things to focus on.

Ean let out a breath as they were finally given clearance to land. So the Republic had at least been smart enough to attach neutral codes to the Trailblazer. Not smart enough to keep one of their own captive before her execution but smart enough to keep away the bounty hunter's wrath. At least for now.

And the inspection should be fine. Most of his weapons were hidden away, but even if found, they were pretty stock items. And the few that were more... unusual or illegal, he had them in shielded cases that would shield them from being revealed in a routine inspection. Otherwise, everything else aboard was placed there by the Republic. Various supplies and whatnot. Besides his tools of the trade, he had nothing to hide. Ean just hoped that Sam didn't have anything suspicious in her own belongings.

When she spoke, he followed her direction, checking the computer for a transmission of the landing codes. It took him a few moments but he finally found the right display and scrolled through it. He glanced at her and nodded. "They're here." He pressed a couple more buttons on another display, zooming out from where the codes led, showing their destination on the screen. In the city but now in the center of it. On the outside but not quite in the outskirts. Good. It would do well for a base while they were on Mygeeto.

Ean grabbed his restraints and fastened them around himself. He trusted Sam's piloting skills, but he didn't know if he trusted this ship yet, nor the planet's conditions. The weather below them seemed to be changing as every minute passed. He was no expert on snowstorms, but he did know he wouldn't want to be in one. Trying to lean back in his chair and relax, Ean stared fixedly out the viewscreen. He wasn't exactly motion sick, but the fact was, most of his trips he was usually seated in a passenger compartment where he tended to feel less turbulence than up in the cockpit. Ean glanced at the inertial compensators, seeing if Sam had raised them, but they were in the normal range. He'd just have to ride the landing out like a man. It wasn't helping that he could tell there was an obvious joy across Sam's face, so he looked front one again, trying to gauge any details from the city they were approaching.

A few minutes later they had landed, and he was already unbuckling himself from the seat restraints. Even though they had gotten past security, they weren't out of the woods yet. Samantha was still a member of the Republic military. Though just a secretary, she could still be recognized. He wasn't really concerned for her well being as much as he was concerned with the mission ahead. A plan was forming in his head as to how he would solve this as Sam babbled on about loving a ship or something. Ean hadn't been really listening to her.

Before he could stop her, she was already unstrapped and walking through the ship. With a sigh, he got up as well and joined her by the ramp, absently checking his blaster with one hand as he walked. Standing next to her, he fished something out of one of his pockets, a stack of something that he quickly shifted through. Without looking up at her, he said, "How attached are you to your hair?"

[Dire Wolf]

Mygeeto.

A truly wretched planet. If the cold didn't get you, then the planet's native crystal worms did. If the crystal worms didn't get you, then the cold did. Ryn was beginning regret heeding to the secretary's advice, which was to go to the ice ball of a planet during the search for Vex and Aunna. In truth, it had not been that long since the events of the Senator's gala and his second near death experience within the space of about... a month. He shuddered to think of what would happen if he stayed with the Order... if things would have kept up the man would have been dead by year's end.

Though, he did silently curse himself for leaving the Order when they needed him the most: the Sith Empire just took Mygeeto, which meant that this planet was only the stepping stone in a galactic wide conquest. But that is not what brought him to that snowball of a planet, no. He was looking for Vex and Aunna... his reasons? Well, he figured that they should at least know that Vinay himself is sending bounty hunters after them. Maybe, just maybe, he could find a way to help them somehow. Not that he believed that Vex would accept it – nor would he honestly care to give that man any help – but Aunna, that woman needed assistance.

But those reasons paled in comparison to one burning question: Why?

What in the 'verse made the woman save that blasted Dark Jedi? Sure, they obviously had a history... but he couldn't help but think that something far simpler than he thought was at work. Ryn shrugged off the musing... he would soon find out just what the hell was going on.

Ryn's searching on the planet was all for not, however, he didn't even hear a whisper of anything that could be related to Vex Praetor or Aunna Borgonia... and he was especially careful not to mention the latter's last name among the presence of Sith Officers. While he did not fear them they would most certainly bring unwanted attention toward him and his cause.

So, that is how he found himself sitting in one of the darker corners of the cantina called the "Foc'sle." While pretending to sip at his drink while listening to the banter amongst friends. Hopefully he would hear something... anything... about Aunna or Vex.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

She blinked at the man as he dug around in his pocket then pulled out...something...and asked how attached she was to her hair. Sam scoffed at that question. How attached was she to her hair...what an idiot man. If she'd wanted her hair any different she'd have it done that way on her own time, not on his whim. Folding her arms across her chest, the blond stared at him defiantly. Yay him, he'd just soured her mood considerably, another black mark sullying his already bad reputation with her.

If I wasn't attached to it, it wouldn't be on my head. I rather like my hair just the way it is Mr Stenner.

And there it was....the last name. Seemed this would be a growing habit, using his last name when she was angry with him, and it had started early on. She growled slightly, grumbling something under her breath.

Just how much time are we going to waste here in the ship, huh?

It had occurred to her, on the journey to this icy planet, that she'd not thought to buy a jacket, only a long sleeved sweater shirt (which was blessedly a turtle neck), and that she would need to procure one here. I'm going to freeze in the first five seconds outside, I'm sure of it. This musing hadn't helped her mood one bit, and so that stare turned into a glare as she looked at the closed ramp.

My hair is up, Mr. Stenner, and I HIGHLY doubt anyone will recognize me, so there's no need for a hair cut if THAT'S what you're thinking.

Sam didn't know just how wrong she was in that statement. Somebody was, indeed, going to recognize her.

[Mara]

Ean shuffled through the small stack a few more times, glancing up a couple times to look at Sam before going back to what he was doing. He was glad he was looking down when she spoke up; he had had a feeling she wouldn't be happy with his suggestion, even the briefness of what he said about her hair. But that didn't matter any more. The man had to convince her otherwise. Besides, he didn't get what the big deal was. Hair grew back, didn't it?

He took a deep breath and sighed, running a hand through his own shortly cropped brown hair, looking back up at her before stuffing the stack of cards back in his pocket, keeping one in his hand. Ean just barely caught her grumbled question. But he was used to people not speaking with their full voices around the types of him and had gotten quite good at listening to low spoken tones. When he needed to, that was.

He kept silent as the woman in front of him spoke again, ranting about her hair once again. Ean refrained from shaking his head at her in amazement at her statement. She thought she wouldn't be recognized? That may be true, as she was only a secretary. But while she might not be personally recognized, there was sure to be Sith military on Mygeeto by now, searching for hidden members of the Republic. Even if they didn't have facial recognition programming, which Ean was sure they would, there was still that air about her. Something about Sam just screamed Republic, no matter what she tried to convince herself of.

Holding up a hand, the empty one, he finally answered her. "Just a few more moments. We can't just rush out there without a plan." Ean walked a few more paces closer to Sam, stepping between her and the closed ramp, and held his other hand out to her, palm up. Resting on top of it was a identichip of one Namra Raquad, a female human with short hair. Short red hair. "Nor can we even think about leaving this ship without the appropriate disguises.

"You may think what you wish, but you are still a member of the Republic. And this is a planet no longer controlled by your government. If you are attached to your life, you will have to let go of your hair." Ean waited for her to take the identichip from him before continuing. "Now wait here." He let a little gruffness come into his voice then, hoping she would listen to him and maybe think about what he said until he returned.

He headed back to his cabin then to hide away the rest of the fabricated ID cards before searching through another one of his bags. It took him a few moments of rifling through things, zipping and unzipping, but Ean finally found the items he had been looking for. Stuffing them under one arm, he locked his cabin behind him once more and rejoined Sam by the ramp once again.

Ean tossed a small box at her. "There's some dye for your hair. Do whatever you want with the length, but you need to change the color to match your new identity. While on Mygeeto, you are known only as that woman on that identicard. No one else. It should list you as my apprentice. Got it?"

Then he held out two more items for her inspection: a gray woolen cap and another of his leather jackets. The former was something to help disguise her face if they came across any nosy Sith agents. And to help hide her hair, if the foolish woman felt she could not cut it. The latter was something more utilitarian, for the weather of the planet. It was a size too small for Ean himself, but even so would still be fairly large on Sam. But it had an inner layer of nerfhide for extra insulation and would help with her cover ID as well. "Here. For your disguise. The jacket doesn't fit me." Ean added lamely.

After she took the clothes from him, he zipped up his own jacket and stuffed his hands in the pockets. "I'll wait here for you. Make it quick." Ean turned away then, to stare through a tiny viewport situated near the ramp. The storm had mostly abated, but there were still a few snowflakes fluttering in a soft wind. From the small hole, he tried to gauge their location relative to the city they had landed him, and thusly trying to gauge where better to start their search for the major. Perhaps a cantina near the spaceport. They would probably pass a couple on their way through, anyway.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

He HAD to be joking.

Right?

Wrong.

Sam looked incredulously at the picture on the ident-chip, she huffed slightly. This woman's hair wasn't much shorter than her own...a little length off wouldn't be so bad...maybe somewhere between the two? The color though....red...red didn't suit her. Sam had tried other colors before, including auburn, but it just didn't look natural. The blond, soon to be red, haired woman growled in distaste as Ean passed her to get to his room. Several minutes later, he returned and she was glaring again.

And where's YOUR disguise Mr Stenner?

She snipped as she took the item from him and headed off toward the refresher. It didn't take long to wash her hair out, it took a bit longer to cut it properly, and even longer to dye it properly. Why hadn't he had her do this on the way? It would have been far easier for everyone involved if he had, instead of springing it on her like this. After washing the last of the extra dye out of her hair, then toweling it dry, she stalked out of the room and over to where Ean waited...a good half hour later.

With a bit of notice ahead of time, this might have been avoided.

She glared daggers at the man before turning away from him and pulling on the coat he'd handed to her, not bothering to zip it up. She simply wrapped it about her tightly and folded her arms across her chest, shoving the hat into a pocket before braiding her hair and tying it off.

[Mara]

((I am assuming, with this post, that Sam doesn't run away. ))


Ean had ignored Sam's biting remarks and simply waited by the small viewscreen for her to return, going through the information he remembered from his research earlier in the trip. He had a few ideas of where to start looking, some not as savory as others, some that might have more military personnel than he would like. Either way, the woman would need a disguise, whether she liked it or not.

He couldn't understand what was taking so long; all she had to do was wash in the dye and cut her hair. On the rare occasions he had needed a dye to blend in, it had taken him mere minutes to change the appearance of his hair. Ean shook his head. Yet another one of those mysteries of the female gender that he would never understand. Even when they were dressing in a disguise, they had to primp and preen.

When she returned, he suppressed a sigh, knowing that he had made another oversight. Yes, the disguises could have been discussed earlier. But in his defense, it hadn't occurred to him until about an hour ago as they were approaching the atmosphere of Mygeeto. Plus, the woman hadn't exactly been outgoing and approachable during the entire flight. Well, it was over and done now. He had no need to dwell on it.

Without a word, he slapped the ramp release for the Trailblazer and headed down it into the chill of the slight Mygeeto wind. The snow still had stayed away, but the wind would pick up now and again. Ean was glad for his worn but warm leather jacket and shoved his hands in a bit deeper in its pockets. One of his few possessions he could label as 'prized.' He didn't look back to see if Sam was following, but kept an easy gait as he walked through the spaceport, scanning the surroundings for anything helpful... or suspicious.

He made it easily through the customs checkpoint and walked ahead a few more paces before stopping. Ean needed to think about where he wanted to head next. A cantina was the obvious place to gather information discreetly without looking too eager. As he had thought, there were a couple of cantinas nearby, one just a block over. Ean glanced at his watch, checking the local Mygeeto time and gathered that the cantinas wouldn't be too busy, but would have enough patrons to gather information from.

As Sam caught up to him, he turned to her, pointing to the cantina that had caught his eye. "Thought we'd start there. Get a drink or two. Listen for rumors." He raised an eyebrow. "I think you could use a drink." With that, he turned and led them to the cantina, which revealed itself as the Foc'sle. Ean didn't understand why people couldn't just name their clubs and bars, "come here for booze and fun" instead of all these cute little names.

They had been walking a short distance, about halfway to the bar when Ean decided to speak up again, try to work on patching up the relationship with Sam. He realized that he had never answered her question. Though it was spoken out of her anger, she still deserved an answer. He didn't look at her as he spoke. "The reason I don't need a disguise is because I am a bounty hunter and not in any way aligned with either government. I can come and go as I please. A stack of credits will make anyone forgetful."

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

((not got much to say this round sorry))

Sam simply grunted and followed along, glaring at his back as if she were looking for a good place to stick a vibrodagger. It was lucky for this blasted jacket of his or she'd have frozen like a meat popsicle. When they reached the checkpoint she grumbled as she pulled her hands from their warm places in the folds of the coat to hand over the new ident-chip. The man looked back and forth between the image and herself and she simply glared unhappily back at him. Ean had already passed through and she wanted to get going. Finally the man shrugged and handed the chip back to her, which she took and tucked back into the inner pocket of the coat as she followed Ean once again.

So he thought she could use a drink? Yeah, he was right there...she COULD use a good stiff drink. Maybe two...or three...or five. Maybe ten. Hell, maybe she could get herself a nice bit of alcohol poisoning? The woman snickered at the thought and followed him silently letting him babble about whatever. He didn't listen to her anyway, so why should she bother listening to him? Huffing as they entered the cantina she glared around at the patrons, scanning the crowd there as she brushed some of the ice crystals that had formed on her hair away and onto the floor. She was bloody freezing! Growling to herself slightly, she stalked toward an empty booth along the wall of the cantina, sliding into the booth and sitting down only to curl up into the coat as best she could to try and stay warm.

Whatever heat they had in here was NOT working...but then again, she never had been a fan of the freezing cold and needed to be in a well heated room to even consider being happy. Heaving a sigh, she shivered and looked around the room from the new angle. Her eyes lighted upon a man in a long brown coat and brunette hair sitting in the corner on the opposite wall and diagonal to where she sat, her back to the door. She couldn't tell from where she sat, but....she was almost sure she recognized him....

....question was....from where?

[Dire Wolf]

Ryn sighed. There was no information to be had here, or so he thought. He honestly couldn't be sure without using telepathy. Telepathy. He was never good at the skill. Why try and sneak through the back door of someone's mind when you could just ask them outright? To be honest, the man never had much of a mind for the non-martial aspects of the Force. He was a guardian at heart. Skulking around in the shadows for information wasn't exactly his strong suit... he was far to blunt for that. The young man was much better suited to run in and cut something in half.

He preferred that to sneaking around like a rat any day.

The Jedi slowly twirled a little stick in the soft red drink that he honestly hadn't touched since he sat down there in the corner. Another soft sigh escaped his lips as his unseeing gaze danced about the various auras in the bar. He missed it: his natural sight. Ryn longed to see a face once more, any face would do. Even Grawn's. The Jedi knight couldn't help but think that he was slowly going insane, only seeing colors where body features should be. The Force had a strange sense of humor. That was for sure.

Then he saw it. The same soft golden hue that clung around the feminine form that he met on Coruscant a few weeks before. It was Sam. So, she finally managed to remove herself from that loathsome General's presence. He slowly got up, leaving his still swirling drink, and walked over to Sam. Ryn leaned against the side of the booth and looked over at her with a semi-stoic look on his face. A small part of him wanted to hide those milky white eyes from her. Actually, a big part of wanted to hide his face from the woman. He didn't know why, either... she would probably think it ugly. So the Grey Knight tilted his head down towards his feet, attempting to hide those stark white pools from her gaze.

“So, I see you've finally escaped that pompous meat sack.”

The Jedi tilted his head slightly, using the new angle to look up at her without turning his head upwards. She was cold, he could tell by the way that she was trying to curl into herself and the way that she was shivering so. He pushed his weight off of the booth and took his brown coat off, offering it to the soft woman with a little smile.

“Here... you look like you've just been through a flash freezer. Its surprisingly warm.”

[Mara]

As they entered the bar, Ean made sure to put a couple lengths on between himself and Sam, deciding to let her make her own way for a while before they got together again. There was no need for the other patrons in the establishment to realize they were together, not yet. So suffice it to say, after she came in the door behind him, the man put the blonde woman out of his mind. It was time for him to go to work.

And the first order of business was to get a drink, something to warm him up a bit. Ean sauntered to the bar and sat down in one of the empty stools, putting a bored expression on his face (which for him wasn't very hard) and waited for the bartender. He slouched on the stool, leaning one elbow on the bartop, casually observing the other beings in the bar but mostly listening to the conversations going on nearby, especially the couple sitting to the right of him at the bar. Not that they were saying anything related to his mission, but they did seem a little overdressed for this particular bar and were talking fairly loudly.

The bartender came, and Ean ordered a tall spiced Corellian ale. When it arrived, he took a long sip and smiled to himself as the liquid warmed him up a bit. After another sip, he pulled out his datapad and new stylus, perusing some information, trying to look busy as he listened in on the conversations going around him. Listening for anyone mentioning the Sith fleet, its commander or his sister.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

By the time Ryn was moving, Sam already had her cheek resting against her knees, back against the wall, grey eyes gazing around the cantina dolefully. The movement of him had her shifting her head again, however, and as he drew closer, she not only recognized him, but managed a slight smile. She remembered the man VERY well. He’d been one of the ones called in for questioning just after she’d gone to work for Colonel Vinay and after that crash in lower Coruscant. He’d stood up for her to Vinay, which was sweet…it had only managed to make things worse, however, so she’d ended the confrontation and given Ryn her com code. Well, that was one reason anyway…the other was that, honestly, he was good looking, sweet, kind, and well mannered…it was just too damn bad that the jedi had gotten to him, well, sort of. There was little doubt that the Order played a large roll in Ryn growing up that way, but it also meant he was “off the market,” and heavens knew she would have liked to have found a guy like him.

She watched as he leaned against the side of the booth, her head raising slightly too look at him, as he looked at her with that oh-so-jedi stoicism before turning his head down again. Now why did he do that, I wonder? Silly jeedai, trying to hide his face? Really…not like I haven’t seen it before! His statement made her give a soft sound of derision and shrugged ever so slightly.

Sure, if you consider getting away being kidnapped at blaster point by another pompous meat sack.

She gave a huff and shivered again. Why did it have to be so GORRAM COLD in here?! Wasn’t it cold enough outside?! After a moment, he moved again and pulled off his coat, offering it to her.

Aren’t you going to be cold? I’ll be okay, really. I uh….heh, I just got out of the shower and my hair didn’t have time to dry, so it’s making me more cold than I should be. Here…I have a compromise. Keep the coat on and sit here with me. The body heat will help, and I could use some company that ISN’T Mr. Stenner.

She patted the seat “beside” her lightly (beside being what it would have been if she hadn’t been curled up with her back to the wall and her feet on the seat of the booth). The young woman truly hoped that Ryn would have a seat with her; since the time she’d met the man she’d enjoyed his company, and right around now, she would enjoy a wookiee’s company compared to Ean.

What in the heavens are you doing here anyway Ryn… and so…un-jedi looking at that?

Her voice had lowered slightly so that only the jedi could hear her over the chatter and music of the cantina.

[Dire Wolf]

((Forgiveness please for Ryn's line, I thought it up and well... just couldn't resist. Also: He didn't really have much to say.))

Ryn's brow furrowed slightly as he looked up at the woman... or really the Aura... that held the soft golden hue. She had been kidnapped? At blaster point? By another pompous meat sack? Now this was not only a story she'd have to tell, but she'd also have to point a quick finger at this “Mr. Stenner” character. Not only so that he could have a stern talking to, but the Jedi would also have to introduce him to the blue sun that made up his lightsaber's blade.

“Sam, I won't be cold, the Force will keep me warm... you, however, have to rely on little more than your looks to keep you warm.”

The young knight let out a little smirk as he let out his clumsy little line, though he didn't think of it as such. Actually, he didn't know what he was thinking as the last few words of that sentence left his lips. He, again, offered her his brown coat... he wouldn't take no as an answer. It was right then, for some odd reason, that he realized that everyone behind him could see that he had a lightsaber sheathed behind his back after he took his coat off. This would most certainly solicit the attention of more than a few people. He didn't care. Any one that had a problem with him and his former affiliation could, put kindly, blow it out of their bantha-poodoo hole.

He sat down “beside her” or, to be more precise, he sat down next to her feet. Sam was a good woman, from what he saw of her of course, and she didn't deserve what the Force gave her. At least in his personal opinion. The Jedi looked over at the woman, head still tilted down as to avoid those milky white eyes from being seen, and spoke to her.

“Hmm? Oh, I am so un-jedi looking because, well, I am no longer a Jedi.”

A little rueful chuckle emitted from the man's throat as he looked away, reminiscing about his time with the Order. It was good... they taught him many values that he held dear, and probably would for a very long time, but he had to leave. Not only because of the Vex and Aunna situation, but he just didn't agree with them on many philisophical points.

The fact that the Order disallowed the ability to start a family was one of them.

[Mara]

((Okay... you can let me know, Tal, if there is something you want me to change about the info Ean gets...
Also sorry for the patheticness of it.... Ean is hard to read today.))


Ean Stenner, bounty hunter, was about to call the bartender over for a refill on his ale when a snippet of conversation caught his ears. Something about the disgraced Republic major. He couldn't hear much more, though, and so he signaled to the bartender, glancing over his shoulder at the same time to figure out who was discussing the information that had interested him. Ean quickly stuffed his datapad away in his jacket as he waited for his drink. Once it arrived, he laid a couple credits on the bartop as he sipped it. Casually, he made his way over to an empty table near the pair of beings he wanted to eavesdrop on, a loose-lipped Bothan female and a male Zeltron.

Sitting there, he pulled his 'pad out again as he nursed his ale. But this time instead of searching through information on his datapad in front of him, he was fact-checking on what the next table over was discussing. The name of Major Borgonnia had come up a few times. And, of course, her brother did also, but that could have been because the Sith were occupying the planet, not because of his sister. Colonel Vinay had told him that the major might seek out her brother, though, so he made note of it. Ean didn't catch the name, but he heard the couple whispering about a dark Jedi. Had to be the one the colonel had been concerned with. Despite the name-dropping, through, Ean wasn't hearing much else of useful information. It was hard to tell if they were just talking about the scandal in general terms, or if they thought the traitor was still on planet or in Mygeeto's system.

His own consensus was that she had moved on, otherwise there would probably have been more murmured discussions in the bar. However, most of the patrons were focused on themselves or on the Sith invasion, on both sides of the war. He wasn't sure if what he was hearing was rumor or actual fact, so he just made note of a few things to check out later. Perhaps go over with them later with Samantha.

Speaking of the woman, he idly wondered where she had wandered off to as he sipped from his ale again. Still trying to listen to the couple beside him, he lifted his gaze to look around the cantina again. He didn't spot her at first, as she had her back towards him, well, her head. Ean didn't see much more than the mass of red hair poking up over the bench she was occupying. He wasn't sure if she was trying to hide from him or was just cold. A smile played across his lips, and he almost laughed seeing the woman being taken down a notch by the cold of the planet. Obviously she wasn't as used to extreme temperatures as he was, being mostly stuck on Coruscant her entire life, he assumed.

Ean drained his drink, thinking about going up to the bar for another, when he noticed that Sam was no longer alone. His eyes narrowed, trying to get a look at the cloaked figure standing there by her table. No, sitting at her table, right next to her, his back also to Ean. Had someone seen through her disguise already? Was a Sith agent feeling her out? He packed his datapad away and set his glass down. There was no way someone would interfere with his job. The newly minted redhead didn't look to be in any trouble, but in his experience, trouble could always be deceiving.

He made his way through the crowd, slowly and casually, moving around clumps of people in conversation, not wanting to make a disturbance. Ean was hoping to have as little conflict in here as possible. He was just following his part, a bounty hunter taking his apprentice for a drink on Mygeeto. Nice and innocent. There was nothing more to it than that. For this whole thing to succeed, the major couldn't know that he was after her. Not him in particular, anyway. Obviously the woman wasn't stupid and would realize the Republic would be after her.



((I'll keep Ean there, letting you react to his coming presence... )

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Sam chuckled and blushed slightly at his words and nodded, taking the offered coat and laying it over her like a blanket so that her legs would be warmer as well.

My looks hmm? I'm not so sure about that any more...if you ask me the new 'improvement' my current 'employer' had me preform today not only leaves me freezing, but considerably less attractive physically. I'm just not suited for this hair color.

--Was he just...flirting...with me? Bah...don't be so naive Sam. Much as you might like that, he's still a jedi and they don't think that way.--

She smiled a bit as he sat down, but he still kept those eyes of his hidden from her. It bothered her. Why was he so concerned with hiding his eyes? Sure they were white, but then again, she'd seen others eyes who were white because they were blind. Blinking at his words, she tilted her head to the side slightly. Not a jedi any more?

Not a jedi? When did this happen? Why?...and speaking of why....why do you keep hiding your eyes Ryn?

No sooner had she asked her questions than she saw him from the corner of her eye and groaned, her head bowing as a hand came to her face in irritation and slight resignation of her fate.

Great...no sooner do I get to talking with you than Ean decides it's time to 'check up' on me....

It was obvious from her tone of voice alone that she was far from pleased to see the man coming, and if that wasn't enough of a clue for the former jedi than her frustrated and irritated emotions certainly would be.

[Dire Wolf]

(( gonna get technical with words I see? XD Ryn technically isn't cloaked... he doesn't have one, look at his profile to see his attire. ))

Ryn sighed slightly. To be honest, he wasn't even sure if she was beautiful or not... he couldn't even technically see her face. Only a soft, golden, beautiful aura that clung to her form, allowing him to see her shape... but clouded her features like she was in a fog. So it did with all the people that he saw, both through walls, floors, doors, and ceilings. A light blush appeared on his face as he caught the stray thought that flowed from her mind... she did catch that he was trying to flirt with her, and liked it. Though, she still believed him to be a Jedi.

“eh, to be honest I can't even really see your face. And no, I am not a Jedi any more... because of philosophical differences.”

His face flushed a beat red at the second part of her question. To say that the man was embarrassed because of his eyes would have been a massive understatement. A hot fire burned deeply within the man's cheeks as he contemplated a proper response... and luckily there was a coming presence. One apparently was awful familiar to Sam, otherwise she wouldn't have commented on his name and how he is coming to “check up” on her. The former Jedi promptly leaned forward, taking his lightsaber off of the bandolier on his back, and set it off to his side so that his leg was blocking it from view.

Once the bounty hunter got there Ryn would play the part of a blind man, unable to see anything but the crushing nothingness that normal blind people see. It was really strange, Ryn experienced it for a bit before he quickly developed his skill in Force Sight. When he was blind he didn't see the black like he did when he closed his eyes... no... it was hard to explain. It was like... turning your head away from the computer screen and trying to read this text with the palm of your hand. It just... wasn't possible.

“Can I help you with something, sir?”

He asked, head still tilted away to shield his eyes from Sam's gaze.

[Mara]

Coming closer to Sam's table, weaving through the crowd, he had a brief glimpse of the woman's movement to her face. Ean suppressed any sort of reaction and kept his face neutral. It didn't matter if she spotted him. She would have eventually anyway as the crowd thinned out among the tables and booths. There would be time to get explains later. Time later to let out his anger about her being with someone else, someone he didn't know, later... if needed. For now he just needed to figure out who this man was, and if he was a threat.

He also noticed the movement that her companion made. To his trained eyes, it seemed the stranger was hiding something. Something he didn't want the bounty hunter to see. Ean tucked the information away for later, classifying it under "weapon." The tall large man didn't think it was a menu. The gesture was so quick, and with the crowd passing in front of his vision, he hadn't gotten a good look at it. But it looked roughly cylindrical. A bomb, perhaps. But Ean wasn't sure. Hopefully he would be able to keep weapons at a standstill and keep the cantina patrons blind to their conversation. He didn't want a mess in here.

Ean stopped at the table, not caring what Sam was thinking or how unpleased she was at seeing him so soon. He would have rather stayed where he was, gathering rumors and information that could be helpful, but that could wait. The safety and security of his job was foremost in his mind.

After a quick hard-eyed glance to Sam, he focused the rest of his attention to her companion, turning his gaze to other man sitting at the table next to her. His eyes narrowed; for some reason, the man was keeping his face hidden away from him. And, by its position, from Sam as well. Ean ran this information through his mind. Perhaps this was just a stranger, though the woman seemed to have been conversely easily with him. But what kind of man would hide his face from his own friend, if that was what the two were?

Glad that he had unzipped his jacket earlier upon entering the cantina, Ean casually rested his hands on his hips, knowing that with his jacket pushed back from his arms' position, his blaster and holster would be clearly visible. It wasn't a threat, not exactly. And he had other weapons as well, not as visible as the blaster pistol. "For one, good sir," Ean started, his greeting dripping with sarcasm. "You can start by looking at me when you address me. Didn't your mother teach you how to be polite?

"Secondly, I'd like to know what you are doing with my partner here." Ean kept his voice low and as nonthreatening as possible, keeping his posture casual, one leg relaxed, the other taking his weight. The patrons around them would just suspect a friendly conversation coming from their booth.

[Talau the Ever-Lurking]

Sam tried to wrap her mind around what he meant about philosophical differences. She didn’t know much about the jedi…and even less about their teachings…basically, her view was one of ‘they’re galactic sleuths and peace officers who double as guardians and have lots of this Force thing that gives them cool powers.’ That was about the extent of things as far as what she knew or had gathered about what they did. Despite the fact that she wasn’t done trying to figure out just what he’d meant by what he said, Ean was almost to the table so she didn’t have time to ask questions.

As the grumpy (putting it nicely) man reached the table, Sam caught his gaze and practically glared daggers back at him. Just who did this guy think he was anyway? As he shifted his stance so that his coat pulled back and the blaster was visible, Samantha rolled her eyes and shook her head, only to glare again at Ean’s words. Oh that was it. That was the final straw. She knew that casual little positioning of his hands was a subtle threat: ‘try anything funny and I’ve got a weapon that I’m not hesitant to use’…his sarcasm just pushing the blond…former…blond….further over the edge.

Just where do you get off Mr. Stenner…

It never occur to you that maybe if you weren’t such an insufferable…

Whom I talk to is MY business and NOT yours….however, right now OUR businesses coincide. I’m doing what you want, but it’s difficult to do if you pop up and harass me or whoever I’m talking to. Sit down Mr. Stenner, and for Goddess sake stop posturing, and you might find out something that’ll help you…

Sam didn’t want other prying into their affairs any more than Ean did, amazingly, so she’d kept her incensed tones down to a subtle…seething. Well…at least her voice wasn’t loud enough to attract any attention, though her frustrated, and angry, emotions radiated from her in waves.

[Dire Wolf]

Ryn tilted his head up towards the man so that he could see his stark white eyes as he layed down his sarcastic greeting. Then, he said something about his mother. The large grey Jedi may not have known much, but what he did know was that the nurses at the Jedi temple where awfully dodgy when it came to questions about how he got there, and especially on questions about his parents. That, and he had no mother that he could recall. He noted the blaster at Ean's hips and almost instantly a wry grin crossed his face.

This man really did not know who he was dealing with.

His air around Ryn soon became malevolent as he allowed the darker side of his persona to swirl around him like a hurricane. It soon became strong enough so that everyone, even a non-force sensitive, could not only feel it... but be drawn away from it. Everyone save one person: Sam. The blind Jedi more or less ignored Sam's comment to her partner as he slowly brought his saber staff from its position next to his thigh and allowed it to rest on the table. This was not a threat, not exactly.

The tall man slowly put both of his hands on the table and used it as leverage to stretch out to his full height of almost six and a half feet. He then proceeded to batter his oppressive aura against the man's consciousness while slowly walking up to press his chest into the shorter man's. His stark white gaze was set upon the man's eyes as he slowly approached, not that the man could see any indication of where the Jedi was looking in the Force. Ryn's was laced with even more sarcasm than the muscly man that stood before him.

“Believe it or not, you cannot intimidate everyone, sir, let alone me. I suggest that you calm down before you get yourself hurt.”

Sure, Ean was considerably larger than Ryn... but the ex-Jedi had three things that the large man did not. First and foremost, he had the Force. The ability to move things with your mind; like people, chairs, and things of that nature was amazingly helpful in a brawl. His second tooth was his double bladed lightsaber. A blazing beam of scintillating blue plasma did wonders against flesh, especially when your opponent had nothing but a blaster to defend himself. The third and final weapon that Ryn had was his knowledge of broken gate, one of the many martial arts of the Jedi Order.

So he stood there, dreadfully close to the bounty hunter, staring down at him.