A Short Hop

[Asmus Janes]

[SIZE=12pt][member="Joza Perl"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Sullust Spaceport[/SIZE]

Vents hissed and engines ticked cool as the dispersed crowd of bodies moved through the hangar. The bay was, in essence, a form of shadow public transport node. It was fairly well known that if someone couldn’t afford to travel in luxury that smugglers, haulers and all sorts would park up here and take on passengers for a low board if they were heading in the same direction.

As was the norm, Asmus and Mai sat on folding chairs in front of the Quintessence with a sign between them that read “TION CLUSTER”. He was told that his Uncle, [member="Kairon Rees"], and the first mate would be conducting business. Yet in the last few months he’d started to suspect that the pair hit the nearest bar and left him trying to talk to strangers as some form of punishment.

Mai was hardly good company. The ornery Cathar had never much taken to Asmus. She had a nasty streak beneath a temper that wasn’t quite long enough to cover it. Instead Asmus people watched. His emerald eyes followed the people as they walked past each of the ships in turn, checking their destinations. He liked to invent stories for them as they passed. The one-armed Gran in a duffle coat and worn trousers was perhaps a veteran who’d been discharged and had hoped to find work with the Alliance. The curvaceous Zeltron was maybe…oh hang on, Zeltron, he thought to himself, sitting bolt upright. Asmus was a big fan of Zeltrons.

 

[Joza Perl]

Shuffling through the spaceport, a young Zeltron grumbled to herself as she adjusted her Padawan robes. They felt stiffer since she had recently laundered them, leading her to wonder if she hadn’t used enough fabric softener. They were itchy and bland look as it was, no reason for them to be even more uncomfortable to be in. Sighing in defeat, she quit tugging at the uncomfortable fabric and resigned herself to smoothing out the hair at the crown of her head. Her red waves had been pulled back into a tight bun, flyaways secured with a metric ton of hair product and pins. All in all, she looked like she was trying too hard to look like a good little Padawan.

Removing her focus from herself, Joza remembered why she was here in the first place, scanning the busy hub to see if anyone was heading in the direction she needed to go. After reuniting with the mysterious Jedi she met long ago on Zeltros, she’d decided that visiting the Silvers might be good for her. Her eyes flared slightly when she caught sight of the words “Tion Cluster”. Well, that was quick.

Clearing her throat, she approached the pair that flanked either side of the sign. How exactly was an exchange like this supposed to go down? She wasn’t sure, but she assumed that credits were involved. “How much for a ride to Voss?” Her face reflected no amount of friendliness, her tone all business. Well, as much as she could muster. She wasn’t exactly the intimidating type.

[member="Asmus Janes"]

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Joza Perl"]

Emerald eyes watched the Zeltron carefully as she meandered through the bay. If she was looking for a trip back home, she was out of luck today. Yet as she saw their sign she made a beeline for them. It was at that point Asmus noticed the Jedi robes. In his mind a set of great, brass scales appeared and rocked back and forth. On one end a pile of Jedi robes and a lightsaber, on the other scale danced that enticing Zetron he’d watched in the Diamond Dust club just two nights ago. He had, frankly, pictured that scene a few times since.

The scales hung in the balance.

On one side appeared a window into some particularly vivid memories from his first ever stay on Zeltros. That weekend he’d discovered the talk of hedonistic Zeltron nightlife to be entirely accurate.

Creak. Thump.

The scales went crashing down. But then, Jedi robes really didn’t weigh very much…

“Hi there,” Asmus replied, smoothly getting to his feet. One hand brushed his heavy, forest green jacket back before coming to rest on his hip. If Joza was observant, she might notice the Cathar with bright gold and scarlet fur rolling her eyes.

What had Kairon said again? Start at eighty credits?

“Just sixty credits,” Asmus said. “Same price as any liner you might take and instead of getting a just seat with no leg room for the two day trip, you’ll get your own room, three meals a day and as many tales of adventure from the Outer Rim as you care for.”

He flashed her a disarming smile to see whether she’d mirror it or maintain her stoic visage.

 

[Joza Perl]

Joza didn’t know how to haggle. She never had any need for the skill, really. Her “customer” interactions were limited to passing out drinks, smiling and making sure that her hips had the right amount of sway when she moved. So she was relieved—and somewhat surprised—when the price was lower than she had expected. But wait…was it really the lowest he could go? Was he playing her? Did he somehow know that she was completely new to this and would probably mess it up if she tried to haggle?

She caught the Cathar’s subtle movement out of the corner of her eye before refocusing on the young man in front of her. Was he being nice to her because she was a girl? Or a Zeltron? She wasn’t sure, but either way it made her a little suspicious.

She paused for a moment, scrutinizing them with her gaze. She sensed no ill intent about them, so…that was good. And really, that was all she could do. With a curt nod of her head, she reached into her robes to fish out the agreed upon amount. “Sixty credits.” She held the coins out in her palm, responding to his smile with an indifferent expression. If she wanted people to take her seriously, she had to act serious, right? So far so good. Probably.

[member="Asmus Janes"]

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Joza Perl"]

“Perfect!” he said, taking the credit chits. She didn’t appear to have any heavy bags. But then Jedi didn’t keep many material possessions right? “Let me give you the quick tour then,” he said with a jovial smile.

“Welcome to the Quintessence,” he said as he walked her up into the ship. “She’s an old Space Master class but Kuat built these girls to last. You’ll probably have seen the additional weapons we’ve mounted recently, so you’ll be perfectly safe on the trip and on top of that she’s got a point five, top of the line Silk hyperdrive. They would go up and into the galley and living area first.

“So…business or pleasure?” he asked suddenly, as he turned to meet her eyes. She seemed on the serious side for a young Zeltron. Perhaps in this regard Jedi training topped Zeltron nature. That would be a little disappointing if true. They were usually good for a few rounds of drink and some good stories in an evening at the very least. Perhaps she'd silently meditate in her room and he wouldn't see her through the whole voyage. That would be an awful shame in his opinion.



OOC/ details on ships layout here: http://starwarsrp.net/topic/67485-the-quintessence/

 

[Joza Perl]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

Joza only nodded vaguely, trying her best to keep up her stoic appearance. It was difficult to do, however, with her robes tied incorrectly. Or did she layer the fabric wrong? Either way, it felt as if part of it was bunched at her waist, making the already uncomfortable robes even more annoying. She did her best to ignore it though, clasping her hands behind her back in an attempt to appear more sage-like.

Following him onto the ship, she gazed around its interior as he pointed things out to her. He caught her off guard while turning to face her, causing the Jedi trainee to flinch. “I…er, yes. Business.” She readjusted her weight, trying to look poised. “I’m going to visit the Silver Sanctum Coalition on Voss. Have…you ever been there?” She hadn’t, and was hoping that maybe he had some perspective to offer on the planet.

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Joza Perl"]

“Voss?” he asked rhetorically, coming to a halt in the galley. Instead of heading down to the bunks, where she may hide herself away, he paused to get himself a glass of water, gesturing to see ask if she wanted one.

“Yes I've been to Voss. I assume you're probably going to see the Silver Jedi. A lot of times we just see the inside of space ports on our travels so even though we visit everyone corner of our vibrant Galaxy it always looks the same,” he said with a low chuckle. His eyes went down to his glass and then came up slowly to regard her curiously.

“It's a really good season to visit,” he said earnestly. “I've never been past any of the Silver enclaves, but I did go and visit the Mystics once. At this time of year the vista of the mountain ranges from Voss-ka is unbelievable. All the leaves on the trees are bright red and as the sun kisses the jagged horizon it seems like the sky is on fire.

“Nice really,” he added quickly, suddenly flipping from an intense look in his eyes and soft tones to an almost flippant comment and a cheeky smile. “Made the pilgrimage up to the Shrine of Healing on foot. Stunning. Took my breath away. Actually you should consider the Mystics,” he said, keen eyes noting her discomfort. There was a lopsided smile on his face. “Their robes are lightweight fabrics, clean white. I daresay a bit more comfortable than those heavy things.”

One hand with delicate fingers pulled his long chocolate hair back and over one ear, lightly tracing the back of his jaw line. He idly wondered what would sent a young Zeltron down the path of the Jedi. Their kind didn't usually settle down to ant serious endeavours until the middle years.

 

[Joza Perl]

She shook her head gently to the side when he motioned toward the water, indicating that she was alright without a drink. Instead, she peered at him with a thinly veiled curiosity as he spoke of Voss, interested to hear his take on the planet.

From what he said, it seemed that Voss did live up to its reputation for being a lush, beautiful planet. In all honesty, she was excited to visit…but wouldn’t let it show outwardly. As much as she could, anyway. She hoped that the peaceful environment of Voss would help quell some of her homesickness, as the harsh atmosphere on Sullust was unable to for obvious reasons.

At the mention of the Mystics, Joza noticeably frowned. Not that she had anything against them, but she was a little miffed that he had caught her uneasiness. “I appreciate your concern, but I can assure you that my robes are quite comfortable as they are.” She insisted, scoffing lightly.

In an effort to casually make herself more comfortable, she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, smoothing out the front of her robes with the palms of her hands. It was this act that caused the offending piece of fabric to become dislodged, slipping down the leg of her robes and onto the floor with an unexpected metallic jangle. Joza stared down at the ground blankly for a few moments before the realization hit her. It was the same coin scarf she had used to cover her face that night she danced at the Diamond Dust on Sullust. She must had folded it into her laundry by mistake and in her haste to get dressed, didn’t notice it.

She bent over and hurriedly gathered the silky dark fabric in her hands, the bright golden coins jingling lazily against each other. Inwardly she cursed, noting how she was failing at acting like a wise Jedi that knew what she was doing.

[member="Asmus Janes"]

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Joza Perl"]

The scoundrel's jaw hit the floor. Fortunately she was bent over as he snapped it closed again. His uncle always referred to it as a weak jaw, but in truth the more effeminate features he'd inherited from the female line on the Rees side suited him well.

If her mind was receptive to his emotions through the Force right now the game would be up, regardless of how he tried to hide his realisation. Asmus turned his back to hide his wry smile. He could have fun with this. His pulse fluttered as a vivid memory played out in his mind. Gyrating hips, catching the light as they swayed before the crowd. She'd had many sets of eyes following her, the chance of her noting his green eyes across the bar would be very slim, he decided. Then was she pretending to be a Jedi? He thought.That was a slightly chilling thought.

“Right then,” he said, placing his glass down. “Your room.” Asmus led her to the ladder that took them down to the lower deck. In the saucer section of the ship the lower deck was devoted to databanks and living space. As he landed softly on the floor, his eyes turned briefly upwards through the fronds of his hair to catch her stepping down.

“This is yours,” he said indicating the room two down from his. “I'm afraid it's a communal refresher room with two sonics through that door. Not much room,” he apologised with a shrug as he opened the door. “But it is your own room. Got a music player linked into a holonet streaming service in case youre a music fan…” he said, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards.

 

[Joza Perl]

Joza’s teeth caught her lower lip as she picked the fallen scarf up from the floor, attempting to will away the slight blush the came to her cheeks. It should have only been a minor embarrassment, but in her mind it was if all of her secrets had been revealed. What, it’s not like he was at that particular club on that particular night, right? Well, he could have been. Was he the type to go to clubs? Maybe. Who knew. Regardless, she was too flustered to do much more than have a minor panic attack as she folded the scarf neatly and stuff it back into her robes, this time in a more comfortable and secure manner.

Luckily their eyes didn’t meet again until the red tint on her face faded into her natural pink. Nodding curtly, she regained her composure and followed him down to the lower deck. Her gaze followed his gesture and she grunted softly in affirmation, not minding the accommodations.

She arched a brow at his last words, arms coming to fold across her chest. “Good to know…what was your name again?” She didn’t try to hide the bit of suspicion in her gaze, almost asking him what he was smiling about.

[member="Asmus Janes"]

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Joza Perl"]

"I'm Asmus," he said, slowly inclining his head in a semblance of a bow. "I'm a pilot here on the Quin."

Now whilst he wasn't the most observant of people, the arch of her brow was clear. Damn, but had he given the game away already. That would be greatly disappointing. He paused for a moment, there was something in that testy expression. Perhaps he saw challenge, or perhaps he was wondering if he'd ever seen a Zeltron with green eyes before.

"I've got to dance on up to the cockpit and start running preflight checks in a moment," he said, gesturing over his shoulder with one thumb. Far from wilting under her attempt at a stern expression, that slight twitch turned to a small smile. "What should I call you?"

 

[Joza Perl]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

Joza figured that maybe it had been a fluke—after all, who didn’t like music? Perhaps he was just being polite, and she was really in the clear. She nodded at his mock bow with a gentle dip of her head, prepared to offer her own introduction when he mentioned that he was going to return upstairs to prepare for the flight. Or rather, how.

Her left eye would visibly twitch, an indication that she had indeed caught his subtle wordplay as a frown curved her lips. If there was any doubt in her mind that he didn’t recognize her, it was certainly crushed. Still, she was determined not to let him get the best of her.

“Joza.” She responded, the scowl fading gradually into a neutral expression. With slow movements, she reached into the folds of her robe, fetching the silky black scarf from where it rested. Holding it out to the pilot, she spoke again. “If you’re going to dance, you might need this.” She paused, letting her gaze slide up and down him for a brief moment. “That jacket certainly doesn’t show off your curves.” A brow arched, and the beginnings of a smile twitched at her lips.

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Joza Perl"]

“Oh ho!” he exclaimed softly, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. “I’m afraid this coat isn’t hiding the kind of curves required for that kind of dance,” he said. Leaving the scarf held out, his hand grabbed his coat at the waits, drawing it back over his hip with a flick. He thrust his hip out to the side in an exaggerated motion and placed his hand on it.

A grin broke out on his face and he let his forest green coat slide back into place over his holster. “But you were good,” he said, a wistful, almost pained expression on his features as he thought back to that nightclub. He swallowed, she was so out of his league it wasn't even amusing. “So come on, tell me. The ill-fitting robes, it’s just a cover to avoid trouble when travelling isn’t it?”

This seemed to put his world view back on track. Surely a zeltron wouldn’t give up the hedonistic lifestyle in the younger years. They had far, far too much fun to spend their time meditating and training.

 

[Joza Perl]

Both of her brows raised at this gesture, a vague smile on her lips that reached her eyes in amusement. With a slight shake of her head at his antic, she gathered the scarf as neatly as she could before placing it back into the folds of her robes. At least he had a sense of humor, which didn’t surprise Joza. She supposed guys would be too concerned with their masculinity to joke about it.

She could feel the blush trying to resurface on her pastel pink skin as he commented on her dancing, this being the first time that either of them spoke directly of it. Fighting back the flush of her skin, she opted to clear her throat instead. “Thank you.” She said simply with a nod. There was nothing to be embarrassed of, right? At least she was good at dancing. Good enough to garner positive attention. She wasn’t all that graceful when she started learning, that’s for sure.

Any semblance of a smile vanished from her face at his question, her eyes finding his own and staring at him for a few moments. At first, it was almost as if she couldn’t believe what he was asking her, but given what he knew about her…she could understand. Sort of. Still, she had worked too hard to get here to be questioned!

“No. I am a Jedi. Well…an apprentice Jedi. I—seriously. I am.” She faltered slightly in trying to sound as if she were some sort of seasoned warrior. But the strength and experience just weren’t there. Still, she finished with a serious note in her voice, her gaze daring him to challenge her on that.

[member="Asmus Janes"]

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Joza Perl"]

Asmus cocked his head to one side curiously. She seemed to stumble over her own assertion, which added to his suspicions. "Sooo...were you raised on Zeltros? I mean, the culture doesn't exactly lend itself to young Zeltrons settling down to meditate and study. So...ooooh," Asmus stopped mid thought. "Come on, the dancing thing is your way of doing the Jedi thing without driving yourself spare right?"

Whilst he was actually quite intelligent behind his carefully crafted persona, he was never the most observant person. He also tended to be a little on the absent minded side. Pre-flight checks were entirely forgotten. This was far too interesting. A flustered zeltron Jedi dancer. No, a flustered zeltron Jedi dancer with outstanding hips. Asmus idly wondered if she had a lightsaber - if she was telling the truth, which he was yet to be convinced on. He'd heard stories of them, but never seen one in person.

 

[Joza Perl]

[member="Asmus Janes"]

Joza’s face twisted into a pout, miffed that he didn’t seem to believe her. Frankly, she wouldn’t have believed her own stumbling claim, but oh well. She opened her mouth to respond—some sort of retort about how not all Zeltrons are like that but they…sort of were, to an extent. And while she didn’t find it difficult to calm down and meditate when she needed it, she did find it boring a lot of the time. The Padawan hoped that eventually she’d just fall into it, but a thoughtful look crossed her face as he brought up her dancing once more.

“That’s…actually not a bad idea.” She admitted, considering the benefits of dancing herself into a meditative state. This brought to mind a piece of advice from a previous dance instructor: “Dance for yourself, not your audience.” It was something that helped her get over the initial stage fright, but also allowed her to remain calm and adjust her breathing accordingly. The particular style of dance she performed was meant to appear casual, as if the dancer was taking her time. Unconcerned with who was watching her, she was able to settle into a mix of relaxation and exhilaration. Not that meditation usually required the second part, but it was something she could work with.

Clearing her throat, the unamused expression returned. “I was raised on Zeltros, yes. Where do you think I learned to dance?” A dark red eyebrow raised, but she continued. “You’re right about that. Zeltros’ culture is far more hedonistic than the Jedi lifestyle would allow for. It’s fun, but it gets..old after a while. Night after night in some dark, sweaty club with men leering at you, trying to coax you into--” She cut herself off, shaking her head. She left out the part where she enjoyed that sort of thing, riding a pheromone high. She also left out the part where she was homesick for the self-indulgent lifestyle, because that was embarrassing to admit.

“I’m only half Zeltron, so that could have something to do with it.” She shrugged, that last bit added in more nonchalantly.

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Joza Perl"]

There was an amused expression on his face as she spoke. Asmus had very delicate hands, not the broad, calloused fingers of his uncle who ran the ship. He idly pulled some errant strands of hair from his face and tucked them behind his ear as she spoke and he tried to think of a response to her admissions. Clearly she was flustered by the whole affair. Probably was hoping to lock herself in her room for the trip, not field questions on what it was like to be a Zeltron and a Jedi.

"Now I've spent a few exceptional weekends on Zeltros. I think referring to male Zeltrons as leery does a disservice to some of the positively predatory females of your species," Asmus replied. Not than he minded attention from either gender. He had much in common with the hedonistic species in that regard. Why limit one's options when there was fun to be had?

"I suppose I can see it. If I tried to live my life that way I'm sure I'd want a change of pace at some point. So that's how it works? A bit of dancing from time to time, the odd trip home for a filthy weekend to get it out of your system and then back to meditation and silent study?" he asked. There was a cheeky smile on his face now, but youth and his looks had seen him get away with crossing lines too many times already for him to shy away from the topic. The folly of youth combined with appalling observation skills explained a great deal of Asmus' actions.

 

[Joza Perl]

“Actually,” She cocked a brow, folding her arms over her chest as she did so. “The locals are fine. It’s the off-worlders who come in for vacation that can be exceptionally unpleasant. To me, at least.” She flashed him a pointed look, as if questioning the integrity of his weekend adventures on Zeltros. But the gaze didn’t linger as she continued. “You know the type.” She waved her hand casually. “Think that just about anything goes. Even though it is the party planet, they get a little more than unruly. Starting fights, taking women as they please….as if we’re they’re toys, y’know? I’d take the male Zeltrons over them any day.” She couldn’t help but roll her eyes as if to punctuate her point.

“Of course, I’m not saying that they’re all like that. The majority are pleasant enough, just looking to have a good time without being too crass. Aside from dancing—“ She cleared her throat, trying to keep her mind on track. “—I also waitressed. And believe me, it was mostly foreigners doing all of the grabbing, pinching and feeling…at least in the seedier areas. The classier places generally had a “no touching the girls” rule. At least, certain ones did.” Oh, there were certainly classy establishments where one could touch the girls all they’d like.

Joza paused, realizing how much he’d gotten her to talk about Zeltros. She supposed that the nature of Zeltrons was a triggering issue for her, especially since she felt that it made people take her less seriously. Her own personality traits likely had something to do with it, but it was still an issue in her mind.

A brow arched at the thought of a filthy weekend back home. And that grin on his face—she wanted to smack it clean off of him for some reason. Instead she opted to shift her weight from one foot to the other and try to look even more unamused, if possible. To be honest, she had thought of going back home nearly every day for the first month or so since she’d left. If not for the hedonistic lifestyle, then for something familiar. “If I do go back to Zeltros, it would be to visit my mother.” She tilted her head slightly to the side in thought for a few moments before a challenging spark appeared in her eyes. “What, you think it would be difficult for me to get laid outside of Zeltros?”

[member="Asmus Janes"]

 

[Asmus Janes]

[member="Joza Perl"]
Asmus winced at her description of her time with off worlders on Zeltros. There was still amusement to be had in this conversation, she flipped back and forth quickly clearly still put off kilter, but he did sometimes have enough self awareness to realise when he'd gone too far.

“Having seen you dance, I wouldn't try and make that argument, no,” he said, with the hint of a very different wince flashing across his features. “And look, being serious for a moment. The thing I respect about Zeltrons is they're just open. You know everyone has tastes, but they keep them bottled up. Near every system has its own set of taboos,” he said, recalling a recent bar fight he'd started merely for describing another man's eyes as ‘exceptional’.

“They bottle it all up and then probably let it our on poor souls,” he said, nodding towards her, “when they're on holiday and tanked up. Zeltrons tend to just…not be hung up about it. As long as people know what they're signing up for and are having fun, why worry?” It was a philosophy he actually believed in very much, which was probably why he enjoyed trips to Zeltros, not the pheromones and party atmosphere. Though they helped.

“Anyway,” Asmus said with a slight incline of the head. “It occurs to me that I've been quite rude. If you'd started asking me how I could be a…an honest merchant whilst looking like a great space dandy then I probably would have been too amused,” he said, the wry smile returning. “I'll go prep the ship, you get settled in and join us for food in thirty?” he asked, giving her a slight wink and turning on his heel before she could answer. He walked away humming a very particular tune.

 

[Joza Perl]

Deflating slightly, Joza shrugged her shoulders and looked off to the side. She knew that she had spoken bitterly, but she understood his point. Her own feelings about Zeltros were a little complex. Growing up she participated in the self-indulgent lifestyle to an extent, but was put off by how that was typically the only pursuit. She’d wanted a challenge, not instant gratification, hence leaving Zeltros as quickly as she could.

Unfortunately she rushed into the decision and didn’t realize how much she relied on the pheromones and the constant gratification of her desires. She had essentially gone through a withdrawal during her first few weeks on Sullust but thankfully found a distraction in her Jedi training. But there’s no way she’d admit that. Things were beginning to even out for her now, at least.


Both brows raised at his parting words and she audibly sighed. “Alright. See you then.” She turned to head toward her room, catching a few notes of the tune as they parted ways. A thought struck her suddenly as she realized that no matter how moody she was on Zeltros, the other Zeltrons still seemed to accept her.

[member="Asmus Janes"]