Wheeling and Dealing [WWFF, sparrow]

[Mara]

((Okay, bear with me on lack of any details... since I haven't done the previous thread yet, haha...
But, anyway.. here's your chance to get Zero involved. )


[...from Bittersweet Homecoming]


Ean wasn't much of a drinker and while he had stopped through a small cantina for a couple drinks, the atmosphere inside was stifling him. So many changes in the last few hours, few days, really, and he just didn't feel like dealing with them in the conventional way. Most people he knew who were dealt the cards he had would be spending lots of time with family or out drinking their sorrows away.

Not this Corellian. All the family he had actually cared about was gone now. The rest were just cursory. And Corellian whiskey just didn't do it for him. So he was outside, walking the streets of Tyrena, trying to let the cool night air make some sense of everything. Or anything.

He didn't want to remember the message he had gotten while still on Zeltros just as he was preparing to settle things with Sam before he left again on his search for the missing Major Aunna Borgonia that the Republic had hired him to capture back for them. One of his brothers had somehow found his private comm number and urged him to come home. Their aging father had finally succumbed to his illness. Ean hadn't seen his father in many years, yet the loss was still a hole inside of him.

And so he went back to Corellia, back to Tyrena, back to the small dingy apartment he had grown up in. Back to help his older brothers with the arrangements. Brothers he had hoped to never see again. Ean had also thought he would never come back to Corellia again, but fate had a twisted sense of humor. Another small hiatus from his bounty job as he buried his father.

This man wasn't one for attachments and open display of emotions, but he had fought for a few small things left in the apartment. Things of his mother's that his father had kept out of remembrance. Mostly it was just old cookware that he grabbed, hording it away into his ship, Heleen's Hope, named for his mother. His brothers just thought he was odd, rummaging through the kitchen and taking items from it. They were more worried about any inheritance that was left, one that was substantial from the credits Ean had been sending back home for the past few years.

Of course, he had fought with his brothers on that one, forgetting that his new partner Felze Zeng the Zeltron was with him, no place else to go. Later, though, during the proceedings with the rest of their family, he had let him go back to the ship or to wander Tyrena on his own. Ean had given Felze some of his pay for helping on Zeltros and given him the day off. It was the least he could do. If only he could do it himself, wishing to also avoid his brothers.

Pausing in his wander down the side of the street, Ean looked up at the dark sky. Tomorrow he would have to continue on the job. But right now his father deserved some peace, and so Ean would not think about anything important. He would just walk and walk, gather fresh air and try to set his head straight. Aunna Borgonia could wait till morning.


(((Blah, it sucks... but it gives you ample room to ambush Ean )))


[EDITS: Here and following posts, to match with changed plot regarding Sam.]

[WWFF]

Beautiful Corellia. The bright little rural gem of the core worlds. A green, lush forest and hillock dominated landscape made this particular rock floating about the galactic core a destination for many to start a life, raise a family, and so on. It would seem that few planets out there could match the utter pristine mixture of nature and urbanization of the planet. Golden beaches, blue oceans, and winding rivers; side by side with farms, settlements, and cities… how she hated beautiful Corellia.

Five years, nearly to the day of his death, had brought her back to this happy little world; and how she loathed everything about this damned place, with a fiery, burning, passion. She hated it with every fiber of her being. Upon seeing the little green gem Zero’s body went into revolt, tensing every muscle just to stop from screaming out with pain and hate; a hate born so deep within her heart and soul that not even she knew how to put it back. Oh yes, this was a loathing and bitter hate which would never leave.

The city was different, but the streets were the same. Everything about this damn place seemed the same. It was the air. The smells were the same. It smelled like the deep dark soil of the planet; it filled the air everywhere, coupled with the damp smell of the nearby river running. Unknowingly, her face twisted in disgust as the atmosphere invaded her senses. Luckily she had her cigarra to drown some of that wet, earthy smell from her nostrils.

She brought the little white cylinder to her lips, breathing in the smoke from the burning herb inside; holding it in her lungs for a moment before blowing it out. Her dark clad form leaned up against a cold wall as she continued smoking the nearly fully burnt cigarra. The feeling of the chemicals coursing through her body, helping her muscled relax, as she kept watch from her perch on a building. She did prefer to be on top of a situation, able to look down at the task at handle which was no exception this night. She stood peering at the streets below though a scope she had taken from one of her rifles.

A sigh emerged from her body as she cracked her neck. She had been on this roof for hours, waiting. It was amazing how fast news about a mark could travel through the hunter ranks. Especially a mark put out by the republic. It the current state of galactic turmoil, the call for bounty hunters had been increased greatly by both sides; though everyone was finding the vast majority of these jobs to be borderline suicide missions. Of course, this had little meaning for Zero, as she had never been discriminatory as how difficult a job was; but it was the Ean’s bounty which aroused her curiosity.

Word on the circuit was that Ean had been commissioned by some Republic official to retrieve a lost officer who may or may not be in the company of a “Jedi”. The latter was more than enough for Zero to want in, but there was a morbid curiosity which truly compelled her to seek out this Ean Stenner. What lunatic would take a job involving a Jedi? Even she steered away from those since the incident.

It was this curiosity which had caused Zero to get information on Stenner and where about he could be found. To Zero’s dismay; chasing someone who’s chasing someone was slightly more difficult than she had anticipated, even for a seasoned hunter. She had arrived on Zeltros a day after he had left, and at that point decided it wasn’t worth the time and credits she had been spending on finding this Ean. She set a course back to Coruscant, though about midway through the trip back she received a message from a Herglic ‘friend’ of hers whom she had recently completed a job for. He informed her of the death in the Stenner family being announced in the Corellian obituaries. It truly was amazing how luck sometimes worked.

Setting a new course and arriving on Corellia earlier in the day, after Ean should have. She, of course, was gambling on blood ties, which really didn’t mean that much to some. Though hours ago she had done some asking around, found that her query had indeed come back to this miserably beautiful little planet. Finding out where his family lived, was easy, and following him to the little pub was easier. All she had to do was wait until he decided to stop drowning himself and come back out. To her surprise, he walked back out mere minutes after entering, with no more time that to have a couple drinks. If there was one thing about sorrow Zero knew, it was drowning it too far longer than a few minutes.

From her vantage she watched the man walk from the cantina and start down the nearly empty streets. Zero flicked her cigarra butt from the roof and pulled her torch and lit another, before she made her was to a series of ladders and landings, to land on the street below. Making her way through an alley and stopping just before she made it to the street which Ean had started down.

She leaned up against the wall, waiting for the man to make his way around the corner where she could approach him. Puffing on her cigarra, her keen, emerald eyes picked up the steady, distracted swagger of a man deep in thought. Zero watched for a moment, noting that he hadn’t seen her, yet. She took another puff from her cigarra, already at the butt, before flicking it at the ground in front of man’s feet.

She looked him from foot to head, and back again. Before pushing off of te wall and making her way toward the man. He was good looking, and cut an impressive silhouette, but Zero stayed mostly unimpressed. She’d killed bigger men. He smooth voice flowed from her lips and she approached the man.

“Ean Stenner.” She stopped feet from him, hand resting on her blaster handle, incase he took her presence the wrong way. “I have a proposition for you.”

[Mara]

He wasn't sure if it was his years of experience in his various jobs that required some degree of instinctive thinking or if he had been born with some undeveloped ESP or sixth sense, but as he was coming near an alleyway, something just didn't feel right to him. Ean continued on, however. Another thing he had learned early on was to keep the jump on any attackers. If they sensed you were aware of them, you had already lost. Though he carried his blaster with him wherever he went, there was more than one way to skin a nerf. He didn't need the gun to defend himself.

Ean did allow a little surprise to show in his face as the butt of a cigarra suddenly flashed white on the dark permacrete in front of his feet. He came to a stop, just staring at the object a moment before turning to look where it came from. Not only was it odd that someone would try to assault him, but it was odd that they would show their arrogance so early in the game. "Look, you mean nothing more than a burnt out carcinogen to me," is what the Corellian took it to say.

In no mood for an attempted mugging in an alley, not really feeling for once like beating some useless beggar to a pulp, he turned his face to the alley. In the shadows he saw a figure. A very feminine figure it seemed. Ean wasted no time and went right to her face, trying to see through the darkness of the alley any emotion that lie there. Sometimes disarming an adversary was just figuring out their thoughts before they voiced them. This one, though, was closed off. So he just stood there and waited, assuming this woman had a reason for interrupting his peaceful walk.

Years of training allowed him to show absolutely nothing in his face as the woman came closer to him, revealing herself and addressing him by name. It wasn't as if he thought he was an unknown; Ean was just unused to strange people coming up to him and knowing how he was. The types of people who did know him well enough to know his name generally weren't in a position to act as this woman was acting. Definitely a strange situation, and he vowed to keep his senses alert.

A harsh chuckle escaped his lips then. "A proposition? For me?" Ean shook his head in disbelief. He really had misjudged this woman. For all his wariness, this woman was just a common prostitute hoping to score it big with a known bounty hunter. And she had the gall to subtly threaten him with a show of possible force. What was this galaxy coming to now? He folded his large arms and slightly cocked his head and added after a sharp snort, "Don't flatter yourself. You're not my type." Ean nodded at her before turning his brown eyes away and starting to move back up the street as he was.

[WWFF]

‘Not his type?’ The words echoed in her mind as realization and disbelief flooded in. Her face stayed emotionless as slate as her wild green eyes snapped at the arrogant man in front of her. That he could make the assumption that she was a common prostitute, was… unfathomable! ‘Why you arrogant son-of-a… She quickly took control of her anger and allowed it to subside.

She sniffed as he walked past and she reached around to the back of her utility belt into her cigarra pouch, producing yet another white cylinder and her torch; lighting her little addiction as she watched the man resume his route. She shook her head as she took a long drawn lung full of smoke, and exhaled slowly through her nose. Her words were simple as she watched the man’s form from the corner of her eye.

“I could care less what your ‘type’ is, Stenner.” She stated coolly and took another draw from the cylinder. She still could hardly believe that the man had made the jump to prostitute. Perhaps the small amount of time he was in the cantina was more than long enough to successfully effect him. She simply squared herself to the man carrying on the way down the street, as a smile ran across her face.

“I was thinking something more along the lines of helping you find your missing Major…” The smug smile spreading across her lips was only made more effective by the utterly dead eyes staring out emotionlessly. She cocked her head as she took another drag, and blew the smoke from her lungs.

If she knew anything, it was that no hunter liked the fact that their private missions weren’t so private. A private job was a safer job. Less competitors to get in the way – or shoot you in the back – and fewer enemies prepared to fight when they didn’t know someone was coming. Oh yes, if there was one thing hunters hated it was a public job.

Zero shook her head as she watched the man, taking another drag and blowing out the smoke before speaking once more. Her voice dripping from her lips in seductively level tone. “And maybe someone with some experience killing Jedi? Word is there could be one involved here, mate.” Her dead-eyed smile returned as she awaited the man’s reaction.

[Mara]

Hearing her voice again, Ean had to pause in his steps. He just wanted to be alone, and this woman was making it increasingly hard for him to be at peace with himself. He signed and cocked his head upwards, staring at the dark sky, a sky that would show stars if the city lights around him weren't so bright. Tyrena was no Coronet City, but it was still larger than a village. The best idea would be to just ignore her and move on, but a part of his mind told him that that would just exasperate things. He would be better off just dealing with her and moving on. As quickly as possible. Though few and far between, the bounty hunter took his vacations very seriously, even if this one had been unplanned.

He turned around slowly, still uneasy to the fact that this stranger dressed in dark attire, smoking and ambushing in a dark street knew his name. And he had no idea what her name was. Or who she was. If anything, perhaps he could find out who this woman was, how she found him and why, before he sent her on her way, and he went on his way. Find out some intel, deal with the problem, wipe his hands of the matter, get some sleep. That was all.

At least, until she said something that stopped him in his tracks again. Ean just stared at her a few moments, no emotion on his face, at least nothing she could see in the dim lighting of the night sky. It was hard to keep secret the fact of his hiring by the Republic to find their AWOL Major Borgonia. He knew he probably wasn't the only one they had hired; Sam had hinted at that much earlier back on Coruscant. Plus, despite extra credits in their pockets, a few of his sources might find it worthwhile to spill a few details here and there along the way.

No, he didn't expect the job to be secret. He just didn't expect others to want to get in on it with him. Generally bounty hunters and mercenaries were hired; they just didn't go around contracting for odd jobs here and there, hoping for a few credits. Like Ean, they wanted all the reward for themselves and the less they had to split it, the better. The fact that this leather-clad woman wanted in was indeed strange.

The situation was odd, but he was willing to hear this woman out, if only that it might help rid him of her presence more easily. Which is why he just stood there watching her smoke, waiting for her to say more. Ean wasn't the smartest man around, but he had made a living out of watching people's tells, and there was something about her face that said she had more to say. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his worn nerf-leather jacket, not bothering to keep one near his holster and blaster. Quick reflexes were another thing that kept him so successful.

Ean nodded at her last response, clearing realizing she wanted some kind of validation for her information. It wasn't just word; Colonel Vinay himself had told the bounty hunter during his briefing that Aunna Borgonia was suspected to be in the company of a dark Jedi. He wasn't sure if this woman was hinting that she had killed Jedi in the past or just was the middlebeing for someone who had, but he kept an open mind. This whole job was changing the way he did things; he had already taken on Felze Zeng for some help back on Tatooine. Now this woman was trying to wheedle her way in as well. Something Ean would have previously shied away from, but this job was getting complicated all the more. An extra set of hands might not be so bad.

"Go on. I'm listening." He betrayed nothing in his emotions, though his annoyance was lessening, and his curiosity was increasing. If nothing came of this conversation, at least he might leave with some more information and be rid of this woman once and for all.

[WWFF]

“Go on. I’m listening.”

Zero stepped out from the shadows, revealing herself to the man. She drew in a long breath of smoke before exhaling it out of the corner of her mouth, taking the tiny cylinder from her lips with her middle and forefinger and allowing her hand to drop to her side and her weight to drop into her left hip. The same (almost) cocky smile spread to the corner of her mouth as her tongue moistened her rosy lips. The cold, careless expression in her eyes never changed, even as she smiled; it was of course a smile for nothing but show.

She scanned the face opposite her. It too showed very little emotion; that is, any emotion other than irritation. Again, she understood his frustration, but in reality she was just trying to save his skin and make some credits while at it; if he took her help, or not, it didn’t really matter to her. Her soft features released the smile and returned to their normal state, as she drew another drag of smoke, holding it in for a moment and exhaling.

“Oh good,” Her calm voice dripped with a seductively level amount of confidence. “Because if your Major is in the company of a Jedi, you haven’t got a chance in hell at getting her back… Without my help of course.” Her reference to the Corellian ‘hell’ seemed to drip from her mouth with a suitable amount of distain, though she found it fitting enough, knowing Stenner would comprehend what she was saying. Her strange accent seemed to reflect any small amount of sarcasm or contemptible inflection in her voice and magnify it; unconsciously of course.

Her wild green eyes scanned the face of the man standing before her. She stared on in anticipation as she watched, wanting to hear her response. If he turned her down, at least she had tried. Though she did have one item of proof should he ask; the lightsaber which had killed Bett those years ago. After finishing the job, the man who had commissioned the death of the Jedi allowed the girl to keep the weapon as a memento as he had no use for it himself. He told her it could b her prize. Well, she didn’t prize it, most days she hated it, and merely kept it around to loath and stare at; though She knew Stenner might need more proof, so after waiting for a moment and sensing his annoyance grow, she produced the saber hilt from a clip on the back of her belt, and held it forward for the man to examine.

“It’s real I assure you.”

[Mara]

His face was unremarkable, expressionless, as the woman stepped forward closer to him, out of the shadows of the alley where she had first verbally ambushed him. Ean only let himself a quick glance at the rest of his body before focusing back on her face to wait for more information. He hadn't been lying earlier when he told her she wasn't his type.

In fact, he really didn't have a type, all things considered. It wasn't that the bounty hunter was picky when it came to female companions; he had had his share of company in hotel suites along the years. It was more that he just didn't bother paying much attention to the women. They were all basically the same beneath their different attired and colored outside wrappings. And also he felt that he kept more alert, more able to do his job, if he forewent any female distractions. He hadn't been with a woman since months before getting this Republic contract, and that didn't bother him one bit. The lack of female attention hadn't done him wrong so far, so why change it?

Ean only blinked when the woman finally spoke. In the back of his mind he made a mental note to get her name before he took his leave of her. Besides the information she might provide about the dark Jedi and the major, information he wasn't sure yet if he could trust, he was smart enough to know that this one could prove to be a useful contact later on. And he wouldn't be able to contact her without a name.

What she said wasn't anything new. He had known ever since the colonel told him that their intel had Major Borgonia in the company of a possible Jedi gone dark that this task of capturing her would prove to be one of his more difficult jobs. With narrowed eyes, he waited for her to continue, only focusing on her tone of voice and not so much the words she said. Her tone said everything he needed to know about this woman. Any reference she made to hell had been lost on his ears. He didn't like the woman's tone, her arrogance. As if she was saying only she could be the one to get his target back.

Some part of him was surprised, though he didn't show it. Ean thought that already knowing his name and his current job, she would also have known his reputation. The Corellian bounty hunter wasn't one to back down from anything, or to leave any mission unfinished. Who was she to judge what he was capable of? He knew his unassuming appearance made others underestimate him. Which could have deadly consequences to those others.

So far, though, all she had done was talk and talk. Trying to convince him with words that he had to talk her along with him to secure the conclusion of his job. And so far Ean wasn't convinced that this woman was any more than just hot air. She hadn't given him any new information, just reiterated what he already knew, and then berated him for it. He was getting annoyed and finding it hard to keep his feelings from showing. Thankfully his fists were hidden yet in his jacket pockets as he clenched them.

A harsh laugh escaped his mouth then when she reached back and pulled forth a lightsaber hilt, trying to emphasize the nature of her request. A second later he spoke without thinking, just reacting to her motion. "I've seen a lightsaber before." Ean wasn't sure if this was her proof to show him that she could deal with Jedi or not. If it was her only proof of what she could do, it was a sad excuse in his eyes. Anyone could get their hands on a lightsaber through any matter of ways and killing a Jedi was the least of them. All he he was left with now was a woman claiming she could help him with his 'Jedi problem,' and that was it. Suffice to say, he wasn't impressed.

"Perhaps a collector will be interested in your little trinket. Me, I've got a job to do." If this woman didn't provide him with anything more solid of her fairy-tale Jedi killing ability, and soon, he wasn't going to stay around much longer. He would do all right on his own. Ean hadn't failed himself yet. Removing his hands from his jacket, he started to turn back around, wanting nothing but to be free of this woman and her crazy stories and propositions.

[WWFF]

Zero was taken aback. The arrogant bastard had the gal to stand in front of her and belittle her proof. She felt her lip curl into a snarl, had it been any other occasion she’d have blown a toe off just to make a point, but she knew Stenner was no pushover, and to top it off she was there during a rough time. While emotions escaped her anymore, she did understand loss, and regardless of his connection or closeness with his father, the man had died.

She shook her head and placed the saber back on the back of her belt. Even with her attempt to understand his ‘pain’, it took every bit of strength to restrain her trigger finger. It stead she did what she would never have thought she would do; she smiled that dead smile she had become accustomed to flashing, and with a level voice replied to the smug Corellian.

“Fine, Stenner.” She sniffed and took another drag from her cigarra and blew the smoke directly at Ean. “You don’t need my help and I honestly could handle less competition. The galaxy isn’t as large as most think and there are too many hunters as it is.” She flicked the cigarra butt into the alley she had been standing in minutes before.

“Just remember; when you’ve got a beam of solid energy searing everything it touches, burning a hole through your body. When you feel the heat of that saber burning your flesh as your life slowly flickers away… just remember. Zero doesn’t have your back, Stenner.”

She sniffed and spat at the ground near his feet as the venomous words slid from her mouth. She walked past the man, brushing against his shoulder in an aggressive attempt at making a point. Her steps were even as she started off down the street. Each step falling perfectly in line with the last causing a feminine sway to her hips. She simply hoped he had understood that she was right. He couldn’t take a Jedi by himself; and while she wasn’t capable of taking one on her own either, she knew the two of them could most likely do it together. She had left the ball in his court, she just hoped he knew what to do with it.

[Mara]

It took every bit of his restraint to just keep ignoring the woman and keep walking away, despite the fact that she kept verbally jabbing him. Kept trying to lure him back in to whatever crazy scheme she had cooked up with herself involving him and his bounty job. Ean had already broken his personal code by hiring on Felze Zeng to help him. And before that, kidnapping Sam. But both had been justifiable to him; he needed their skills. Without them, he couldn't do his job the way he wanted to. It wasn't as if he brought them in as partners. More like... employees. No, his ship was crowded enough; he didn't need to listen to this crazy leather-clad woman.

At least he was glad that she was finally coming to her senses, concluding that it would be best off if she left him alone. He was Ean Stenner, a bounty hunter renowned enough that the Republic had even called him for a job, having a reputation more wide-spread than he had thought it was. Why he would need someone's help was completely beyond him. Yes, Felze was helping, but with the flying, not with the actual capture. And this woman seemed to had wanted to offer her services for that and for helping against the dark Jedi the major was traveling with. Well, Ean didn't really believe that this target would be any much harder than previous ones. A little more complicated but not overly difficult. No, he would be just fine, he thought, as he continued walking down the street.

Unless... unless by what she said she meant she was going after his bounty. His paced slowed down a bit. No, that couldn't be true. After finding out that Colonel Vinay had hired other bounty hunters to go after Major Borgonia -- it was his choice after all -- Ean had done a little research on them and found none of them to be much of a threat to his reward credits. And the woman standing behind him in the street hadn't been one of them. So then... why she wanted to help him so badly confused Ean. Money was the obvious choice, but she also looked obviously like she didn't need it. He signed quietly to himself and blinked his eyes shut hard a couple of times. Maybe he just needed some sleep. Then he could pick up in the morning and get back on the trail of the major.

As Ean continued away, he didn't catch all of the woman's parting words, but the ending ones caught his attention. Something the way she said the word 'zero,' the emphasis on it. There was a bit of a click in the back of his mind, and he stopped in his tracks, wanting to sift through his memories and find out what was odd about that word in relation to this recent encounter.

Lost in his thoughts, he barely felt her come up to him, passing by and jolting his shoulder a little bit. Thinking took a lot of concentration with him, something that didn't really do much good to him in his younger years in school. But he had developed a few techniques over the years to help him with memorization, one of them being visualization. Ean closed his eyes and tried to shut out everything else and just saw the word 'zero' in his mind, putting it around in different ways, trying to figure out what was familiar about it. And then he had it, just as quick as someone turning on a glowglobe.

Ean's eyes snapped open and he looked around for the woman, who was now past him, walking down the street, in the way he had been headed until he stopped to think. He couldn't believe it, but then again, no other explanation made sense to him. Zero was not just something she was using to ply him; Zero was her name. And now everything she had said to him earlier started to make sense. Not all of it but most of it.

Forcing himself not to immediately jog forward and catch up with her, Ean started forward slowly. He had a reputation to maintain after all. But he still couldn't keep some of the surprise out of his voice when he spoke, a little loudly, a few moments after. "You're Zero Gantori?" And then he added, a little lamely, when he had gotten closer to her, "I was expecting a man." The name had come up a few times over the past couple of years, something that Ean had just filed away along with anything else he heard relating to other bounty hunters. Information that might be useful from time to time, but he generally didn't put a lot of focus on it. Hence why he was a little surprised at the moment.

[WWFF]

Zero's felinesque steps came to a slow stop as she placed her wait once more in her left hip. She couldn't restrain the slightly bemused smile which tickled at the corners of her lips, barely curving them upward as the words hit her ears. Now he wanted to speak. She half contemplated simply ignoring the arrogant bastard, though her deep respect for her own time, and the fact that everything she did had to be calculated to ensure no time was wasted made her stop. She had figured Stenner would be touchy, even a bit hesitant, but the way he had reacted was something she didn't calculate, a silly move, but she was counting on remorse and sorrow to lighten his attitude.

She twisted slightly from her hips turning her shoulders and head to peek back at Ean. “Men usually do.” She had dropped the smirk and turned to face the man. “But, I'm not gonna go gob about that, Stenner. I came her for one reason.” She said as hr feminine strides took her back to the face the man. Her green eyes scanning him up an down seeing his demeanor visibly changed.

“I hate Jedi, Stenner. I'll let you have your Major Borgonia, but if she's keeping company with a Jedi, you've got no chance without help. Zero's words reflected the contempt which she held within her soul for the Jedi and then the sincerity for her belief that no one person could single handedly take down a Jedi, no matter how skilled. A belief stemming only from her admiration and belief in the skill of her late love. She shook her head as she watched Ean, she truly cared less whether he lived or died, so long as he wasn't killed by a Jedi or their ilk. He was a good enough man, or so she had heard; captured some bad people, done some jobs she herself would have liked... though he let the perpetrators live, which was something she probably would have changed. This was all neither here nor there, however, and she was growing tired of waiting for his answer.

“Look, Stenner,” her smooth voice slid slowly from her well shaped lips, breaking a momentary silence. “It's up to you. I can help, if you want it. If you've heard of me, you probably know I don't usually do things like this – I'm not the helping kind – but you know I've got one of the best shots out there, and keeping from being gobby about meself, it'd be a good thing to have the help.”

She paused briefly to let the words sink in. Hopefully he was listening – she did hate wasting breath. “If you don't want it: I'll head out and you'll never have to see my face again...” She shrugged as the words left her mouth and another thought crossed her mind. “Unless you managed to escape and someone throws a number on your head... but again, you wouldn't see it then either so I'd be breaking no promises.” He odd accent left a tinge on the air as the words left her mouth. While it may have seemed brash and like a threat, she meant nothing of the kind, she was simply speaking the words he mind was formulating; not really caring what he thought of it as she honestly would put a bolt or a slug between his shoulder blades if the need arose, regardless of 'knowing]/i]' him or not. Again, she had no filter, so she just relied on his brain to pick out the sincerity of her words and take the rest how he wanted.

“You need time or something?” She shifted her wait after another pause, cocking her head impatiently as she waited for his next words.

[Mara]

(((Sorry for the wait...)))



Ean still regretted the way he had responded to the woman. The surprise in his voice had actually stunned him a little bit. Here he was, a bounty hunter taking a break from a job in order to bury his father and help his detestable brothers get their father's affairs in order, and he was getting pestered by what could pass as a colleague in his business. And he had no idea she was a colleague until just a couple minutes before. He wasn't sure if it was all the strain of the day finally paying its toll on his emotions or the impatience of his bounty... but the Corellian could tell that he was losing his touch a bit right at this moment. Nothing ever surprised him; and if something ever did, he never let it show. And he he was, standing mouth agape, trying to make sense of what he did just.

It took him some effort to gather his wits about him again and turn back to his mask of indifference that generally covered his face. Thankfully it was in place by the time the woman who he knew now as Zero Gantori looked back at him. Reflexively, he braced himself for more biting words in response to his rather unsubtle and awkward surprise. Instead, she didn't seem to took much offense at it, and Ean relaxed slightly at that. It was good to find someone who didn't get sidetracked. In this instance he was glad Zero had a one-track mind at the moment.

And now still a little unsettled by this new revelation of who this stranger was, Ean found himself inclined to listen to her now. And actually seriously consider her offer. Partly because he knew of her reputation aligned with the name of Zero Gantori and partly because he felt he had to make up for being such an ass earlier. And that's what he felt like, at least a little bit, though he didn't show it. One advantage of not having a classically intelligent mind was the blank stare that went with it. And it was something that Ean employed a lot to unnerve his prey and enemies.

As she talked, he thought he understood her motives now. She didn't want to take his job; she merely was hunting Jedi. And she had heard that there was one in the company of his bounty target. All Zero wanted was access to her own personal target, not the major. He could tell that she truly had strong feelings for Jedi, though she said little. The tone of her voice, her body posture... everything spoke to Ean as clearly as words would. He wasn't about to ask why; those details didn't matter to him. What mattered was he might have a possible ally in the fact that Zero could take on this dark Jedi long enough so that Ean could get the major aboard his ship.

Suddenly it was clear to him how difficult this job actually was going to be. Especially since the 'Jedi' that was in the woman's company was told to be a dark one by the colonel. And in his limited knowledge of the Force and Jedi... the dark ones were almost always the most dangerous once because they had no code of ethics to follow. And Major Borgonia herself probably would not be one to stand back from a fight either. So he was looking at two foes here, not just an easy capture. And if this Zero really was telling the truth... Well, even if she wasn't, she appeared to have enough drive and passion to follow through on her threats. In his mind that was 95% of getting a job done, experience making up the rest.

The words of her offer hung in the air as Ean's mind chewed over the possibilities, weighing the pros and cons. And that's when he did something completely unexpected, something he couldn't believe he was doing, as he came to the obvious, and smartest, conclusion. He gave in. The help would definitely be appreciated. And though he hated the fact that he had taken on yet someone else, in the long run the good would outweigh the bad. As least he hoped so.

His eyes closed briefly and he cleared his throat before focusing back on Zero, pushing away thoughts that perhaps he really was going soft, something that had bothered him since meeting Sam. "Okay. I accept." Before he continued, he folded his arms. This new partnership was still not complete, as far as he was concerned. Just because he accepted that he needed help, and that she could help him... A few things had to be straightened out. "Let's go to my ship and talk things over." His eyes narrowed slightly. "My acceptance of your offer means nothing. This deal ain't done until we both agree on the terms." Ean would have preferred a more neutral location, but he also knew that he could more easily control things if he was somewhere familiar without a lot of other beings around.

"Now if you'll follow me... Another reason for going to his ship to further their discussion was Ean's idea of gaining more control of things. No more subservience for him. He was going to call the shots from now on, and he needed Zero to understand that. She was helping him, not the other way around. First, home-field advantage. Then, his terms for the agreement.


* * * * *


A half an hour later they were seated in the common area of the Heleen's Hope in Tyrena's spaceport. She was a Dynamic-class originally but had been completely modified and changed by Ean a few weeks prior. The only thing standard was her hull and even that was now painted matte black. Engines, shields, guns, everything was new and state-of-the-art. She was Ean's pride and joy. And he was showing a certain amount of trust in letting Zero Gantori inside. Just because he knew of her, didn't mean she still wasn't a stranger.

He got right down to things after offering her a glass of Corellian whiskey. Ean himself had declined anything to drink. This was something he wanted his entire focus on, and staying sober would help that along. Using his fingers as demonstration, he started. "One, this is my job. I'm in charge. You can offer advice, but I get the final say. Two, I will pay you. Whatever you think is reasonable, I would double it. Three, I will provide transportation and any supplies you may need will be provided also. Four, you have to be ready to leave tomorrow." He paused and looked at her. "Any questions?"

[WWFF]

Zero’s wild green eyes scanned Ean’s face. He wasn’t the easiest to read, even for her; though she felt fairly confident that she not only caught hints of embarrassment, but also what seemed to me amazement at the fact that he had been so poor a judge of her. She blinked slowly as she dug deep for her most hidden reserves of patients, and just when she had found them it seemed they wouldn’t be necessary. She could see it in his eyes: Stenner had made up his mind.

"Okay. I accept."

It seemed she had made a good enough point that Stenner was finally seeing the light of the situation. He invited her to his ship, which she merely nodded to. Zero keeping pace next to Stenner, but always with an eye on him.

The walk to the hanger was long, though she wasn’t in any hurry. Her fluid feline movements carried her with such ease as each foot made silent fall on the hard ground below. She kept her wits about her, as anything could happen even on a secret visit to a well known planet. All she needed was to have someone she captured, or whose relative she’s snuffed out, to make eye contact and start something; or call CorSec. She shrugged it off as she knew she would be able to see them far before they saw her.

Her vision was enhanced by three lenses which replaced the natural lens in either eye. These were however adjustable at will, and it had become second nature to simply switch when the occasion called for it. As a nice side effect to the painful and experimental procedure, her night vision was enhanced due to the reflective properties which the lens material possessed.

This being neither here nor there, Zero attempted to keep her surroundings in check, as well as her mind where is belonged: here. It had the tendency to wander when she was surrounded by sights which reminded her of the fateful night on this same rock. Again, she shook her head slightly to clear it of the thoughts, and the two continued on route to the hanger.

---

---

Ean and Zero approached the ship with the same even strides they had been traversing with. Zero noted that the ship class and paint job, silently noting the ‘new smell’ which it possessed upon entry. She strode slowly to a chair and sat quickly yet elegantly, with one long leg crossed over the other at the thigh and resting at the knee. Her host offered as glass of Corellian whiskey, which she nodded and accepted with a dead smile; she took a short mouthful and swallowed slowly, feeling the warming burn as the woody after-taste filled her mouth.

Secretly she could feel what was about to happen; it was inevitable. He was bound to try and ‘show her who’s boss’. It was male nature. A strong woman like Zero, who had already thrown him off by being a woman in the first place, could only mean a hassle to a dominant male ego. Or so she reckoned.

Her eyes never left his as she listened to him raddle off his terms of agreement; all the while sipping at the whiskey in her right hand. She couldn’t help but be slightly amused by the man’s ideas. Did he think this was her first time on the job? She needed her equipment, her ship, and didn’t take orders well. Perhaps this arrangement would be more fun that originally anticipated. She remained quiet as he spoke, however, and when he was finished she laid the drink on the table to her left as she stood from the chair and walked toward the man, stopping roughly a meter from him.

With a nod and a slow blink she was ready. Her eyes snapped to his, and her lips conveyed her thoughts.

“A few things, if I may. Her accented basic slid from her soft lips as she began her counter offer. “That sounds fine and dandy, Stenner, however; like you, I don’t take orders well, also like you I wont leave my ship behind. So already that puts us at a bit of an impasse.” A sly smile curled at the corners of her lips as she turned her back to the man and took a step back toward the table, reaching out with her slender arm to grasp the bulbous glass a quarter full of whiskey, taking a sip as she turned.

“So here’s my offer. She, like him, used her fingers to emphasize her meaning. “One; I can be ready to leave in half an hour. Two; I’m not leaving my ship behind and I need my own equipment. Three; You can be in charge, and I‘ll listen, but when that time comes for me to put a slug between that Jedi’s eyes, I’ll do what I see fit. Four; you keep me in the loop at all times, and we will be able to talk payment when the job’s done…” She stood with her left hand resting on her blaster handle, though in an unthreatening manor, with her weight shifted into that hip.

“Now,” She started after a brief pause between the two. “I’m willing to make a bit of a compromise. If you tell me where our next destination, I’ll think about stashing my ship somewhere safe, but I’m not leaving it on this forsaken rock.” Her voice filled with contempt as she referred to Corellia. Her dead gaze seemed unchanging as she sipped another drought from the whiskey glass, taking it near the bottom.

She stood waiting Stenner’s response, and only hoped he could get past his crotch and realize that a compromise was the only way to make this think work. She cocked her head in slight anticipation, for her reply.

[Mara]

(((Okay, I'm gonna have sparrow join us with Felze, if that's all right...)))


Quietly he watched her after he finished speaking, studying her face and not able to read her feelings off of it. Like himself, Zero seemed to be trained in the art of non-revelation, even better than the ultimate sabacc face. And Ean could respect that, to a certain extent. She was bound to have secrets and certain things she would never reveal, as did he, but if they were to work together, they would have to learn to deal with each other, read each other's mind, again, to a certain extent.

Like her, he remained still as she stood and walked towards him, starting in on her counteroffer to his preliminary demands. As much as he wanted to be in complete control, Ean also understood that there had to be some give and take, some compromise, if he was to keep this woman on his side, instead of going off on her own to kill this dark Jedi, as she might just probably do, and completely ruin any hope he would have at capturing Aunna Borgonia safely. He also knew his own plan was not to get all his demands met perfectly. That was foolish, even for a man like him.

Ean shifted his position in his seat when she was done, crossing one leg on the other, left ankle resting on right knee and settled deeper into the couch he was occupying. What she asked was not surprising. He wouldn't want to leave his ship either, unless he knew perfectly well it would be completely safe. The Corellian made a mental note to contact Felze; he would need the Zeltron back on the Hope to get back on the trail, figure out where they should head next. Ean'd let Zero gather what she needed, stash her ship and get back to him. One compromise taken care of. Check.

The rest... they would be easy. Once he had his bounty, what happened to her dark companion wasn't his concern. If Zero wanted her revenge, no skin off his back. Ean also preferred to pay in advance, but if she wanted to wait...well, he could wait, too.

He smiled at her then, having made a decision as to his response to her counter, hoping he remembered all the points she had disagreed on with his initial demands. "I think I can live with most of that. We can negotiate your payment later, if that's what you wish." A nod. "Any input you might have would be listened to, but like I said, the final word is my own.

"As for your ship..." The smile disappeared. "This is not a party. I'm going after a bounty, and a dangerous one. And I want to do my best not to spook her. You may take whatever you need, but you'll have to drop if off somewhere. We're flying in the Hope,, all three of us. And that is something I am set on. The rest I'm willing to compromise on."

Straightening his position, he dug in his pockets, looking for his comlink. "Now I need to call my... associate. A slicer who's working with me." He stood and moved a few steps from the seating area in the common area. "We won't be leaving so soon, but while I wait for him, you can go gather your things. When you get back, we can start in on our next destination. And get your ship off this forsaken rock." Ean nodded at her, and started towards the living quarters, to his cabin. He wasn't sure if she would take to this new set of offers or not; but he did need to get Felze over to the ship.

* * *

When the door closed and locked behind him, Ean turned his attention to his comlink. He wasn't sure what the Zeltron man was up to, but he hoped he had enjoyed himself. Because for now on, at least for the next few weeks, it would be all work. After a bit of a detour first for Sam (despite it being unfinished), then for his family, it was finally time to get on the hunt for Aunna Borgonia before the Republic got smart and took him off the case. There was no moer time to waste on finding Sam, not right now. He'd need the slicer to check for any signs of the former major; she was bound to be far from Mygeeto by now, where he had last been investigating rumors.

He thumbed the device on when he had logged in the Zeltron's personal frequency. "When you get this, I need you back to the ship A.S.A.P. Vacation's over. It's back to the trail. And I want you to meet our new partner. Ean out." With any luck, Felze would show up before Zero returned.

[WWFF]

Zero listened intently to Stenner raddle off his agreement and final compromises. She would let him have his way, for now. As he made his way back to his cockpit, she slammed the last of the whiskey down, catching his words about a third party… While it meant more money being spent, he experience as a slicer was no where near enough to be of any use on a mission such as this. This other member of the ‘group’ would most likely prove to be more valuable than initial doubts may allow. She pursed her lips, and stood as his quarters door hissed shut. It wasn’t like Stenner to take on companions; or at least not like the Stenner Kima had told her of. Kima… the ship… Where could she stash he ship where it would be safe?

Zero had become to the automated co-pilot program. She proved to be an invaluable companion on many multiple missions, and allowed her to keep in practice with the fluency in her various spoken languages. She would have to explain to her why she was doing what she was doing. She knew Kima would understand, she had to… she was a droid essentially. Perhaps she’d get to take Kima on the next Jedi hunt, but this one she’d had to sit out. Stenner was right, stealth and surprise would be far more suited with a single ship, and even further with a crew. For some reason Jedi had the ability to feel when something was off, a six sense, they called ‘the Force’. Yes she had seen the force as work, though all she truly witnessed it as – was danger.

Stenner was locked away in his quarters, and she would have to find her way back to Kima. It was certainly a good thing she kept a com. with her, and a link open to Kima at all times. Kima’s auto pilot programing was top of the line certainly, though it was still no match for a biological pilot, she figured making it to this hanger wouldn’t be a difficult task. Pulling the com. from her belt, she began on her exit path from the “Hope”, as Stenner named his ship… what a wonderful name for a bounty hunter’s ship. Seemed like an ironic joke to her; a bad ironic joke. Never the less, she would be stuck on this ship for who knows how long, she might as well just get used to it.

“Kima… He smooth voice flowed from her lips in a hushed volume. “I need you to change hangers; Hanger 161, east of your current location.” A soft voice spoke; “Acknowledged, arrival in five.”. Zero placed her small com. back on the her belt as she settled into her left hip, beginning a short list of what she would need to bring. She had her armor, her blasters, though she would need more cigarras; which reminded her that she needed another. She would need her sniper, her own relaxed ware for the evening she would no doubt have to her self. He could spare some rations for making her ditch her ship. That was about, atleast that was all she needed for planning. She’d take what ever else she needed when the Dioltas arrived.

Her ship would be arriving any moment. It would be more than what she wanted to simply leave her ship somewhere, and so , she decided upon sending the Dioltas and Kima with a message for a group of people she would never have otherwise involved in such a dirty business. The Gantori clan, on Mandalore. It pained her more that she could ever hope to express to send the Dioltas to them to hold, and hopefully they would understand the she would be back to see them. It was (of course) against her better judgment, but all the while the safest place to hide her ship. The Gantori clan, viewed her as one of their own, and seeing as they were no fools they could tell when she was in need of help. Stashing the ship which the and he owned, would be like watching over the most precious of items.

As Zero exited the ‘Hope’ watched the ‘Dioltas’ make her way into the hanger and land gently. The walk to the freighter was quick, only a few meters away, which she moved speedily through and boarded her faithful ship. “Did he accept your offer, Mistress?” A single nod was picked up by one of Kima’s many sensor orbs, which acted essentially as he eyes throughout the ship. “Ideal! When do we depart?” Zero had already made her way through the narrow hall and was trucking down the stairs to the cargo hold, where her quarters were located. She stopped one step from the bottom as she artificial intelligence questioned her. A soft sigh exited her mouth as she turned about and looked up with winding stair case at an optic orb, a look of pure guilt which asked for an apology before her voice ever did.

“Actually, Kima… We wont be departin’…” She stepped off of the final stair as the ship voiced is confusion. “What I mean, Kima, is that we wont both be goin’ with Stenner. You’ll be headed back to Mandalore.” Zero strode across her modified cargo hold, past her training area, past the holding tank, past the kitchen, and finally at the end of a small hall she walked to a lock panel.

0489 The code ran through her head as the punched the buttons and listened to Kima’s protest. “But, Mistress! You hardly know this man. What makes you think he will not simply strand you on some planet and take the bounty for himself?” The AI raised a good question, though Zero dismissed it with a wave of her slender hand. “And, what would you do if you needed a quick escape? Does his ship have me?” Zero’s brow lifted questioningly at an optic orb across from her cot. Her personality had begun to rub of on the adaptive personality program that governed Kima. Zero shook her head as she went about grabbing a few item from a shelving unit, clothing mostly, though as she turned from the unit a thin object fell from what she was holding, clattering to the ground with a metallic *tink* sound.

Zero’s head snapped down, to what had created the sound. A thin metallic sheet with a holo-print of seven people posing happily in front of a little domicile: the whole Gantori clan, and her. It was taken only a couple months after the escape from the Hutt. Three brothers, a mother, a father, a lover, and a slave. The lovers, a warrior and a slave. Her head strayed from the print and to another positioned on a stand next to her cot. A slave and her warrior, locked in a kiss, immortalized on metal; frozen together ‘til the end of time. Or so it would seem.

It had been taken during sunset on Mandalore, on one of the planet’s beaches which he had taken her to on a whim. Her hair was longer then, she noticed as it was being blown back in the wind. She remembered being so taken aback by the sea, having never seen one before. It nearly brought her to tears; the way the sun sparkled on the vast empty plot of water. Though it was the sand which hit her more deeply than anything else; the way the sand would become scarred by her feet, only to have the water come and wash it away, leaving it as perfect as before, as though she had never been there. That was how she felt about Bett, you washed her past, as though it had never been there, just the two of them. He told her of the sparkles the sun made, and how each was a lover’s wish, or so he had been told once. He told her, “…my love for you out numbers them all.” It was that moment that Bett managed to use his helm to save the image of the their moment. A single moment in time, captured and given as a present to the girl. For the first time in a long time, Zero’s hard shell softened, and Anee was seen again in those vivid emerald eyes as they glazed over slightly; though as fast as she had arrived, she was gone, and Zero was back – thinking, calculating.

Swallowing and blinking her tears back, she shook her head to clear her mind as she looked around the room. Her eyes strayed back to the photo of her with the Gantori clan. It became perfectly evident that she couldn’t send the Dioltas there. If for any reason anyone wanted to find her, they would look for her ship, and that would lead them directly to the Gantori clan on Mandalore; and while she had no doubt they could handle anyone wanting to find her, though it was the horrible off change that causer a flood of worry to course through her body. Her head snapped back to her bag; she quickly snatched the print from the stand and placed both into the bag she had been packing, her eyes lifting to see the optic orb across the room from her.

“You’re absolutely right, Kima. It doesn’t…” She stated as she grabbed the bag which she deemed sufficiently full and made her way from her quarters and down the narrow hall once more, taking a left into her armory. “In fact, I need you to follow us, not within any kind of scanner range, but I will keep an upload of our location streaming to you via my com. Can you make sure you aren’t picked up by Stenner, please. I has some advanced equipment on the chunk of scrap.” Kima responded with ha simple (yet satisfied), ’Yes, Mistress.’ To which Zero simply nodded. She grabbed her favorite sniper rifle, and slung it across he shoulders; before turning about herself, to a shelf which held small metal boxes of slugs, she grabbed several boxes and stuffed them into her bag, along with three thermal detonators on a shelf just below the last. Spinning once more on her heal she grabbed an extra boot knife, and a throwing knife, which she stashed in her bag. A couple more supplies were added to the bag before she sealed it shut and took her leave of her armory for the last time in a while, or so she assumed.

“Does this mean I’m to wait until you depart to follow?” Kima’s voice buzzed from a speaker hidden somewhere in the wall. Zero didn’t break stride as she made her way back to the boarding ramp, stopping just before she came to the top landing.

“Wait on their moon – Talon I think it’s called – for us t’ pass, then keep your distance. Don’t let Stenner pick you up on his scanners.” Kima voiced her acknowledgment of her orders and wished Zero farewell, to which the young woman simply nodded with well wishes of her own.

She made her way from the boarding ramp and watched as Kima took the ship out of the hanger, hearing the whoosh of the engine in the distance confirmed that the Dioltas was clearing the area. Zero turned herself to face the Hope, and slowly made her way back and aboard, having memorized the set up of the ship, or what she knew of it anyway. She walked to the same seat she had taken earlier, laying her bag down next to her, she sat slowly and crossed her legs, waiting for Stenner or his companion to join her.

[sparrow]

"Seriously, whose idea was it to take a drink every time the announcer said a racer's name again?" Felze asked as he brought the mug to his lips, draining it in one gulp. The only response he got was a slurred, "Ayyyyye Duuunnnoo..." from the purple-skinned twi'lek, sitting to his left. Out of the dozen men who had gathered around to drink and watch the podrace being broadcast on the holos, only three were still conscious. Felze, the purple twi'lek, and a scruffy-looking human at the next table.

"And Rees passes Ulu to take the lead!"

The three raised their glasses as best they could, the twi'lek spilling half of it as he did so. "Cheeeers..." He brought the cup to his lips, but his dropped before he could finish. Down and out. The human put his glass down, wobbled for a bit, tried to prop his head up with his hand. Down he went too.

The bartender shook his head, before tossing Felze the credit chip. "Pot's yours, Red. You people and your two livers. Why did those boys even bother?" Putting the chip in his pocket, Felze shrugged. "Beats me. I'm not complaining though."

The bartender smirked and nodded. "You even drunk at all."

"A bit tipsy. My face is red."

"It's always red."

"True. Very true. But slightly more than usual. Hold up..." Felze reached for the comlink at his belt, which had suddenly begun buzzing furiously, and checked the caller. "Hmm... And right on time too." He sauntered out the door and towards the hangar.

[Mara]

After Ean had gotten his message off to Felze, and hoping the Zeltron wouldn't be too tardy in responding to it, he had to think of something to do to pass the time of the slicer arriving and Zero returning. Opening the door to his cabin and coming down the hall he hadn't been surprised to notice that the woman had gone. Despite the cold and uncaring facade she kept up, Ean could tell that there was something soft deep within her. Emotions she reserved for someone important, and he knew it had to be her ship the way she talked about it. Something that gave him pause as he made his way into the galley to prepare something to eat. He'd get something going, and then he would need to make some calls. The Corellian had a sneaky suspicion about that Zero woman and her real intentions versus what she told him.

But first things first, he dug through the cupboards and deep freeze in the ship's galley looking for something suitable for what he had planned. Some kind of stew perhaps, or a braise. Something that was quick to prepare but required a long cooking time. Ean found some dehydrated ronto steak that would do; he chopped it into cubes and dumped them into the cooker along with a bunch of water. He would have preferred some homemade stock, but despite the wonders of his ship, it wasn't exactly a gourmet-style galley inside. The bounty hunter made a mental note to upgrade it when he got a chance.

While the meat starting searing, he pulled out a bag of frozen chopped vegetables, wrinkling his nose as he did so. Yes, he would definitely have to start stockpiling his ship with more than just freeze-dried packaged foods and military-grade stock. He could make do with what he had, but it still wasn't the same as having something fresh from the market. Ean sighed and added the vegetables to the pot along with the meat and liquid. Thankfully, though, he had a good store of herbs that he had taken with him when he had left home after hashing things out with his brothers. If anything could save this stew, it would be lots of seasonings.

He stirred everything together and then tasted it. Then he added in more herbs. And after another taste, settled the lid on. It would do. Now that he had wasted a bit of time, but Felze and Zero hadn't yet arrived, he could take care of that other bit of business that had come to his mind earlier. Ean headed up through the ship and into the cockpit and spent a couple moments deciding which contact in CorSec he should call but deciding on his friend in the Spaceport Authority.

A few short sentences and Ean had his answer. He thanked the man, promised credits to be sent into his bank account and stopped the transmission. Zero's behavior wasn't surprising, but still, he felt a little betrayed. After all, he hadn't really asked for much, except that they all travel together, alone, in one ship so as to keep as low a profile as possible. And since he didn't think that she meant getting her ship off Corellia meant parking it on the moon for safekeeping, the woman had to have something up her sleeve. Oh, well, he had a few cards yet to be played as well.

Booted feet on metal brought him to current awareness. Though he hadn't been in the Zeltron's presence long, he knew the man's gait, and that wasn't him. So Zero was back, then. Well, they would just have to wait for Felze then and get on with the planning. He would leave his information for later; it wouldn't be important until Heleen's Hope was actually leaving. And it wouldn't be leaving until he was sure where they were going next. And for that, he needed Felze.

Not wanting to leave his new partner waiting, Ean exited the cockpit and went down into the lounge area where the woman was sitting in the same position she had been in before he had left her to call Felze. The only difference now was she was without whiskey and there was a bag by her feet. He nodded and smiled to her. "All ready?" Ean then gestured off in the direction of the galley. "Felze isn't here yet. I have some food going if you're interested." The stew wouldn't be cooked to his standards, he knew, but by this time, it would be perfectly fine to consume, having been cooking about an hour, and considering most of what he had added had been precooked to start off with.

[WWFF]

(OOC: I am so sorry for taking so long. Here's the post. not my best work, but I hope it'll get us back rolling.)

Zero’s hears picked up the faint tap of Ean’s boots upon the metal flooring which made up the whole of the ship; moments later a door zipped open and the boots made their way through a short corridor. She watched as the man entered. He was tall, and broad, two good qualities; though she had a feeling beneath those pretty eyes was a large hollow place. She would never think to assume he was stupid, his survival thus far showed some sort of street smarts; he was simply thick. Of course, these were assumptions, and while they may have been far off, he hadn’t proven otherwise.

She was rather surprised by the aroma aerating from the cooker. Apparently he would be handling the food for this trip; a task which Zero had no qualms passing up. Sure, she enjoyed cooking as much as the next girl, but playing maid to two men on a little ship for an extended period would try he patients; hell they might start thinking she would clean up after them. No. Not her. She lived long enough in the kitchen working for others, she’d had her fill; metaphoric fill that is. How she remembered the hunger, the desire to simply eat her fill. It was kind of Ean to offer the food, though a simple shake of her head would tell him of her lack of desire for his food. For now anyway.

She looked up at him as he leaned onto a counted, absently stirring the pot of whatever he was making. He no doubt had questions, though like her, he had a shell. A hard one at that. Everyone had a tell though, and eventually she’d find his; and then she’d feel a bit better about her current situation. Until she knew him better, she would keep her guard up. This slicer, she didn’t know anything about him. “Should have looked harder, Anee.” She chided herself for not finding out more about Ean’s current company, which she was sure others would make it a point of knowing; usually she would have, had she not bee so damn distracted by the potential of hunting a Jedi. How she longed to see those cold, dead, Jedi eyes staring at her smiling face.

She glanced to the pot cooking, and back to Stenner. She needed a smoke. Uncrossing her legs and sitting forward slightly as to get at her belt pack more easily. She unbuckled the little pouch and produced a small cylinder; her cigarra holder. Air tight, keeping then fresh and safe if water accidents were to take place. She unscrewed the cap, reached in with a slender finger and pilled a small white cigarra forth; placing the butt in her mouth and screwing she screwed the cap back on and placed it back in her pouch, producing her small torch. She pushed the ignition button and the torch began to flame. As the brought the torch close to the end of the cigarra she glanced up to see Ean’s brow furrowed in a look which read entire malcontent. She took the hint.

Zero’s long legs pushed her from her seat as she stood; her lithe supple form stretching to it’s full height. The slight hyperextension of her legs, coupled with the soft definition and wedge of her boots, created a leg line most women would kill for. Though some would notice the trait was common to dancers, others were simply envious. She sighed as she looked over to Ean. He knew something that he wasn’t telling her; she needed find out what exactly it was. She had time.

“I’ll be just down the ramp.” This was going to be a long trip. She hoped he would tell her their next destination before they departed. It was one of her conditions which he had agreed to; being kept in the loop. She made her way down the ramp, though as she went to light the cigarra she noticed a particularly out of place looking man walking toward the ship. Her torch hand strayed beck to the pouch as she placed the torch back inside. The same hand strayed to the blaster on her right hip.

The red skinned man continued walking toward the ship, and Zero kept a careful eye on him, though it became apparent that he was no threat when their eyes met. Her wild emerald eyes peered into his; all she found was the typical Zeltron reaction to an attractive woman. She nodded and reached back into her pack for her torch as the man continued past and into the ship.

Finally Zero lit her cigarra, taking a lung full and holding it before blowing the smoke from the corner of her mouth. She smirked, thinking at the situation she had landed herself in. A Zeltron, and a thug. These were her companions. She shrugged, it was better than going up against the Jedi herself. She made quick work of the cigarra before flicking the butt away and walking back up the ramp and back into the ship. Stenner and this Zeltron, “Felze”, seemed to be discussing something. Though the red man was scooping a bowl full of food from the pot, she blew it off as nothing more than idle chit-chat.

Zero took up her pervious seat and she stared at the two men, taking stock of the situation at hand before deciding the best course of action would be to attempt civility. She sighed before her smooth voice exited her lips.

“Felze, I take it? Zero, Zero Gantori.” She introduced herself to the man. “I’m sure Stenner here will fill you in on my part.” She stood and nodded, clearly waiting to get on with business.

[sparrow]

"Hmmm... not bad," Felze remarked as he took a sip of a stew. "Remind me to get you some Zeltronian spices though. Could use a bit more kick." But otherwise, it really wasn't too bad.

He put the bowl down when the woman entered. "Yes, that's me. Pleasure." He had passed her on his way onto the ship while she was smoking a cigarra outside, but this was the first chance he had to actually take a good look at the person that they would be working with on the next assignment. She was of moderate height, dark haired, fairly pretty, and given her profession, could probably kill him without too much effort. Ah, the perils of not being a fighter in such a dangerous line of work.

He turned to Ean, waiting for him to give him the rundown on the role of the new arrival.

[Mara]

(((Sorry for the wait!)))


Though the woman had turned down his offer to have some of his stew, she followed him back to the galley. Ean thought it curious that she wouldn't be hungry, but perhaps she had gotten something to eat while settling things with her ship while she was out. It was pretty absurd for her to think that he had poisoned the stuff somehow; they were partners now after all. But maybe after he and Felze had had some, she would turn around to it. There weren't many things he was good at, but cooking was one of them.

However, there was a lot more important things to think about than whether this Zero would ever attempt to eat his food. And there would be time later to ask her about what she was planning on doing with her ship on the Corellian moon. But in order to get the ball rolling on wherever Aunna Borgonia was and to get back on the trail, he'd need his slicer partner. Hopefully Felze was on his way. A glance at Zero told Ean that she looked bored. Well, not bored, just... leaking patience, perhaps.

If he thought she would have accepted, he would have offered to ladle her up a bowl. Instead, he just filled up a bowl for himself and sat by the small table at one side of the galley. It would be up to her if she wanted to get something, or just stand there quietly waiting for the Zeltron to arrive. Ean was himself content to eat. He always thought better on a full stomach.

But apparently she wasn't content with just standing there; when he looked up from his stew she had lit one of her cigarras. His brows furrowed; this was a new ship to him, and he didn't want that foul smell contaminating the Hope's air supply. It wasn't as if he was a staunch non-smoker or anything. Ean had been in plenty of hazy smoked-filled cantinas and bars. He just wanted to keep his ship nice and clean. Luckily Zero got his unspoken meaning and got up to leave, to smoke outside in the hangar. Turning back to his bowl, he made a note to mention the smoking to her later as well.

In the meantime, Felze entered the ship; even while in the galley he could distinguish the Zeltron's steps from that of Zero's. And just moments after, the man came into the galley, no doubt following the scent of the stew. Ean nodded at him in greeting as he went to get himself a bowl of food, and then proceeding to comment about its taste. A smile crossed Ean's face. It pleased him to know that someone enjoyed his cooking, even if Felze thought it wasn't spicy enough. "Thanks. And I'll consider that next time." Even though it was made of low-class ingredients, he thought the flavor was hearty enough; perhaps he would keep a store of Zeltron ingredients in case Felze wanted to add something to his portion, though.

Ean was just finishing up his bowl of stew when Zero came back again, smelling of smoke. He wrinkled his nose slightly but then disregarded it. At least it was only attached to her body, not all throughout his ship. Despite the earlier ground rules he had set about the mission, there would have to be one or two others, and he wasn't sure how Zero would respond to them. First, though, it would be down to business. They couldn't leave until they had a destination.

He nodded at the two of them after they had finished introducing themselves to each other. Small victory, that, Zero was being polite to Felze so far. Ean turned to look to the Zeltron, pointing to the woman as he spoke. "Sorry I couldn't give details earlier. Zero here is going to help us on the major's bounty. Mostly she's here to take care of the dark Jedi Borgonia is with, but she'll provide other assistance as needed as well." He stopped a moment, deciding how to go on, how much to reveal, and deciding to leave it short and sweet. The other man could ask questions if he had any. Ean was much better at that anyway, than just going off on a long speech. "We ran into each other earlier and decided it would be... profitable to each of us to partner up, since the major is proving to be a bit more difficult to get a handle on."

Looking away from Felze, he turned to Zero then, now indicating the Zeltron to her. "There's where he comes in. He'll help gather information on the major's whereabouts. Even my vast contacts won't know everything. And hopefully with us three, she'll be easy to locate. And capture."

Standing up, he gathered his dish and walked over to put it in the sink. He ran a little water on it to soak before turning to face the two of them, the woman and the Zeltron man, his new partners. Always a loner before, Ean couldn't believe he was doing this now. Perhaps that small amount of time spent with Sam was softening him up. He bit his tongue at the thought; he couldn't think of Sam now, it would only distract him. And so he cleared his throat, asking, "Any questions? Otherwise we should get down to business."

[WWFF]

Zero’s eyes strayed from Felze back to Stenner and back again. She sighed as she sat back down, watching Felze eat for a moment before looking to Stenner. He started filling Felze in on her part, if briefly only. She blinked hard as she cocked her head to the side, two loud pops and a couple smaller ones sounded before tilting it to the other side and repeating the process.

A slicer? The Zeltron was a slicer. The only thing she’d ever heard of a Zeltron excelling at was drinking and (rumor had it) one other thing… though she had no personal testimony to that. She hoped he was good, though more than that, she hoped he could handle himself. Finding and capturing a Republic Major, and killing a Jedi would be difficult, and there would no doubt be plenty of opposition along the way. She wasn’t about to hold his hand the whole time, even if he was an exceptional slicer.

She eyed the Zeltron coolly as he chomped at the stew. Oh yes, she was going to have to have a talk with this one. Though it would have to wait, because as circumstance would have it, she did have a question; a few actually. She sniffed her nose as he eyes strayed back to Ean.

“I’ve couple.” Her accented basic – colored by a combination of a singsong voice and a dead tone – piped up again. It was interesting hearing it in the new ship, the walls gave a different sound the what she was used to. Perhaps it was their thickness, or the area they were in, no matter, it was a brief observation.

“First: We don’t know where the major is, right? We’ve got no destination?” Her voice was on the verge of frustration as the reality of her words sank into her own brain; though she felt it necessary to voice her other questions and she proceeded with a systematic method of thought.

“Second: If that is the case, where are we getting our information from? If she is, and I’m sure she is, familiar with Republic methods of tracking and surveillance as well as how to access records of known informants at their whereabouts – which is to say where to stay away from… how do we have a hope in hell of finding a place to pick up a trail? Where was her last known location, where to she depart towards, and how long ago was it? And I’m lumping this on in there, too; do we have the means to catch up? ” She glanced at the Zeltron and back to Stenner.

These were the questions which needed answering. For her, she had a computer which could silently hack most Republic records, save special ones which had super security. She could find information about most registered citizens as wells as their most recent whereabouts which a simple query to Kima. Informants were easy if you knew who they were.

Another sigh emerged from her form as she stood up and walked to the counter on the opposite side as Stenner. She placed her hands on counter, leaning over it slights and cocking her head.

“And third, which is more fair warning: How much whiskey do we have? Because if I can’t smoke this is gonna be a long trip and I’m much easier to get along with when I’m calm.”