Crossroads of the Galaxy

[Rekha Kaarde]

[SIZE=12pt]The Underground Bar of Bespin[/SIZE]​

​

[SIZE=12pt]Rekha looked up at the sign again how much longer would she be on Bespin. The green eyed brunette did not know the future was uncertain.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]The lights inside the Underground gave off a soft yellow glow it was easy on the miner’s eyes giving them a sense of ease encouraging them to stay longer hang out and have another drink.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Her gaze looked into the bar she saw the miners sitting, laughing having a meal they loved coming in telling a tale from the day. Flirting with the girls, and trying to tease the single male waiter she had. It was like having family for dinner.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Family. ok Kaarde get it together She had done the right thing, right? It was for the protection of everyone right? If it was the right feth thing then how come she felt so fething bad. Feth! Many things weighed on the mind of the smuggler, bar owner. She should have dealt with the first thing long before this.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]The band was arriving waving as they passed by her[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Hey Rekha you look good tonight [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]said the whiphid one of the better drummers in the galaxy as he passed by. What is his name she thought.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Rekha laughed, “Are you saying I don’t look good other nights Woop?” Her voice going up a few octives as she yelled back. With the teasing beginning Rekha headed back inside.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“OHhhh baby we can’t be filling your head it’s big enough” quipped the bith named Figin, laughter broke out in the bar.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]“Really?? “ Shaking her head as she moved, “I got a round of drinks that says you can’t imitate the Mos Eisley band tonight for two songs”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]The group looked at her. “What two songs and they’ll need a drink” They were shaking their heads, “Ohhh I get it…the audience wants in…for…what..discomfort..farkle…everyone gets a drink IF you can do it” She nodded and head towards the bar.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“I’m not even asking for perfect” [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]She smiled it was a way to get the night rolling.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=12pt]An update came in letting her know that four more ships had just docked. It was going to be fun tonight![/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt][member="Condor"][/SIZE]

 

[Condor]

There were two thing that were certain in life. The first being death, the second being that after finishing some insane job, Condor wanted nothing more than to get a drink. Luckily, he happened to be nearby Bespin, which was home to The Underground bar. Personally, he'd never been there, but his buddies had said it served some stunning drinks, and that the owner and waitresses were to die for. He tried not to pay attention to the latter part, as with enough alcohol in your system even a Hutt can look sexy. But the prospect of a good drink he could never turn up. He wasn't a heavy drinker, but it helped him take his mind off of whatever job he'd just finished.

He was fortunate tonight to be hitching a ride with a friend that happened to be going past Bespin. The guy was a real pal and agreed to drop him off at the bar, knowing Condor could always find another ride. Thus, he found himself outside of the bar with enough credits for several good drink, as long as the prices were fair of course. Hesitantly, he poked his head inside, taking a brief look around and inhaling the scent of booze, cigars, and sweaty miners. Not a tantalizing combination, but if he'd wanted to smell something nice he would have bought some flowers.

Speaking of flowers, the waitresses there surpassed his expectations. They actually were almost as good looking as his buddies had said. Of course, he wasn't there to admire women. Idly, he strolled over to the counter before plopping himself down on a stool and turning before saying, "Hey barkeep. Can I get a Settov Hammer?" It was a great drink, and he never opted to have it on the rocks, as it only seemed to dilute the flavor. He could't really see the bartender, so he just called out in their general direction.

[member="Rekha Kaarde"]

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

Rekha would not have been noticed right off, she always wore black the color often hiding her in plain sight. Her clothing fit her wearing something that left nothing to the imagination was not her style. However there was no mistaking that the emerald eyed brunette was female once she was noticed. Rekha had a way of leaving an impression on people usually from her forward personality. Rekha spoke her mind.

She often laughed a little loud, and knew all the names of the regulars who lived on the station. It paid to have good neighbors and they were all good neighbors give or take a few here and there.

Rekha held a cup in her hand, “bar dice huh, and what do I have to get to win?” She nodded as they gave her the highlights. “Ok.” She made some funny faces twisting her lips and moving her eyebrows, there was a sudden thud as the cup hit the bar. Her hand rested on the bottom.

She smiled like she had just stolen the very last cookie and got caught. “No cheating” She slowly lifted the cup, she peered at them and then down at the dice…she had no idea what it meant. To her disadvantage.

Her green eyes darted between the two faces, watching for a hint. “I was never really good at dice” Then there was a call for a drink

A voice, she did not know, “oooo” she turned, “ONE SETTOV HAMMER” She echoed back. “Time to work boys” She didn’t care if she won or lost really she liked the interaction.

Rekha grabbed up a glass and for good measure rinsed it out and put it through a quick dry. Then she put together the drink, “WHERE’S THE MUSIC” she shouted it was time to put some life into the bar.

The squeal of a woodwind answered her,oh they aren’t ready guess I should give them five more minutes. She thought as she picked up the last bottle needed for the Hammer.

She headed towards the customer drink in hand she paused for a moment he was new she did not recognize him. He isn’t a miner. Her gaze went to his hands, hmmm interesting. She smiled she liked getting to know new people. She moved to where she was standing before him set the glass down, “Evening, welcome to the Underground. Do you want ice in this? You can drink it neat or on the rocks, what’s your pleasure?”

He was handsome and now that she was closer she was able to get a better look.

[member="Condor"]​

 

[Condor]

At first, he thought the bartender couldn't hear him. The noise level in the bar was about halfway between standing next to a turbine and putting your ear up the barrel of an artillery piece as it fired. The squealing woodwind of the band didn't help anything. The man next to him, a miner by the looks of his dirty face and dirtier hands, was giving him a glare. Not that he could blame him. He was by far the cleanest man in the bar, having sponged off the blood, sweat, and dirt off while in hyperspace. He didn't make any particular effort to look nice, such as gelling his hair, but people tended to be put off by a guy with blood splatters all over him.

As he was about to call out again, he could hear the bartender shouting out his order. By the sounds of it, the bartender was a woman. Uncommon for this type of bar certainly, but not unheard of. The risk you ran, of course, was being harassed by drunken miners who hadn't seen their wives in months. He could see her mixing his drink in the back, and was surprised when she came out to greet him with the drink in hand. He was used to people sliding it over, as was the usual in most bars he'd been to.

He was pleasantly surprised when she talked to him, and now that she was close enough he could see her face. She was attractive, enough so that he was shocked that more miners didn't catcall her. She greeted him and welcomed him to the bar. Her voice was nice, not too high and airy, but not a deep throaty voice either. Right in the middle.

"Neat, please. I don't want to dilute the taste," he said, drawing a glance from a couple miners. A Settov Hammer was a very strong whiskey, and most drank it on the rocks or with plenty of water. Having it without either could burn the hairs off your chest, but he'd had enough of them to enjoy the flavor as is and ignore the burn of alcohol.

He was a terrible conversation partner, but he made an effort to try to improve. After all, when he spoke it was usually to bark orders or relay information through comlinks. As such, he wasn't one for small talk, but it made a lot of situations so much less awkward. "Nice place you got here. How long have you owned it for?" he said, turning to survey the bar again. It didn't appear to be that old, but you could never tell. Some people made lots of internal renovations, while others held theirs together with spit, hope, and tape.

[member="Rekha Kaarde"]

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

[SIZE=12pt]The timber of his voice, a bit of an accent that was either fading from not being at home to hear it more often. The chocolate colored eyes that looked as if they had seen a great deal already in life.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]But that accent she knew it, she had a bar there, The Lucky Lady. This man was from Coruscant. The home of technology, which was a contrast of where they were now. So. Would he like something that was a bit primitive. She wondered something then, how would he do riding a thranta, would the adrenaline from such a ride entice him, or give him pause. Time would find out if she should make such an offer.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“Ahh a purist neat it is” Rekha set the glass down. She looked at Gus the miner sitting next to the newcomer.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=12pt]Gus was not a trusting soul he kept giving glances over towards [member="Condor"] she smiled and shook her head slightly at the act, “Gus you know Leo and Barook are at the end of the bar playing bar dice, they could use another player”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Gus grunted and nodded as he got up to lumber towards the game. He threw a couple more glances their way before he disappeared.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]The band was starting to tune a bit more before they began to play their selections of galactic boogaloo with a mix of swing, and throwing in a few slow songs for those in the room that wanted them.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Rekha looked around the lights, the colors, and the furniture, “It is a nice place isn’t it. I’ve had it now about four years” Wiping her hand on a bar towel she extended it to the newcomer, “I’m Rekha and you are?”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]So who was this man before her and what was his story? She as the barkeep was prone to finding such things out. Some drinkers wanted to tell their story it kept their loneliness at bay, others were tight lipped fearful of reprisal for their line of work, and others started talking the moment their hands touched the bar. So, what kind of man was he.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Rekha a social creature by nature would find out.[/SIZE]

 

[Condor]

"Cond- I mean, uh, Connor," he replied, a little awkwardly. He was so used to giving out his nickname that it was his first reply, although the it sounded almost identical to his real name. He shook Rekha's hand, noting that it was softer than he had expected for a bartender. Most bartenders he had met had worked some sort of manual labor job previous to owning a bar, so their hands were usually hard and filled with callouses. Hers was very soft, but not in the sort of way that would be a result of someone who had never worked. There was usually a certain limpness involved with someone like that. She had a firm handshake, but her hand was still a little cold and moist from condensation on various bottles. Luckily for him, he'd cleaned his hands before going to the bar, so any remainder from the combat he'd been involved in only a few hours ago was gone.

He didn't want to reveal what his job was quite yet. People tend to think lesser of you when they find out you're a mercenary. Instead, he took a sip from his Settov Hammer, enjoying the slight burn of the alcohol along with the intense flavor of the whiskey. Better than most places he'd been to.

"Damn. This is one of the best Hammer's I've ever had," he said, drinking from it again. "How long have you been mixing drinks?" It had the subtle qualities and taste in it that he'd expect from a bartender at least twice her age. He set the drink down, not wanting to finish it too quickly, and glanced back at the door quickly.

It was a nervous habit he'd developed as a soldier, checking exits and entrances constantly. Having only been out of combat for less than 24 hours, his mind was still stuck in high-alert. It would wear off with a couple drinks, which was exactly why he was here in the first place.

[member="Rekha Kaarde"]

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

“Connor, pleasure” she held his hand with her left his fingers wrapped tightly firmly he had some light callouses on his hands, she figured he was right handed predominantly. Middle finger and forefinger. Most might think the middle finger was from holding something tightly when pressing down. It was the edge of the finger that leaned on the grip, and the edge of the fore finger that rested on the …the trigger? Maybe.

She smiled though, and then caught that little glancing look towards the doors. She had made that same movement a hundred times in the past, who came through the door, was it blocked, and then she’d look for the alternate just in case she needed it.

So. Was he running from someone? Was he waiting for someone? Or had his senses become such out of habit and endless conditioning did he look to the door.


The band finally found their niche and began to play the sounds vibrated through the bar. The music wasn’t loud and driving as was found in many places. This music was when played hit your soul vibrating through you as it reached over and touched someone else. It made you pause, take a breath, and ease the tension from the shoulders. For many the music was the reminders of home, for others of long nights with sweet company, and then there were those that could just appreciate music.

For Rekha it was a reminder of where she had come from, and who she was today.


She was glad her hands were clean she tried to keep them that way. Who wanted a drink made by someone with dirty hands. “I’ve been tending bar for the last ten years. I once had a place on Coruscant called the Lucky Lady, kind of an oddity there but it was starting to pick up, just in time for the Sith to stop in”

She let his hand go setting her own back on the bar. “I had to move” A lot of people moved, “I was quite the sight that day, got out only with my pajamas and ewok slippers” For a moment her green eyes seem to cloud as she remembered the fear she felt that day as the walls cracked and crumbled. Feth.


Rekha let those memories slide away. She wanted to help Connor relax as much as could be here in the bar. She crossed her arms and leaned on the bar. Green eyes looked up at him her mind working on what would help aside from the hammer.

“When this place was designed it was designed with the front entrance, and a way out through the kitchen. I was concerned about fights in the bar.” Ok so she told him there was more than one way in or out. “Speaking of the kitchen, hungry? Have you been living on rations, they are nasty”
They were she had eaten her share as a smuggler. Smuggling was not always the romantic picture painted by writers it was at times harsh, and unforgiving.

Yes somethings were always unforgiving. But that was a tale for another time, right now her focus was the new customer and how to make him feel like he could be a regular.

[member="Condor"]

 

[Condor]

As a matter of fact, Condor hadn't been hungry at all until she'd mentioned it. He'd eaten a ration bar a few hours earlier, but his metabolism was still greatly enhanced due to the long stint of combat yesterday. She was right, too. Ration bars were nasty. Usually they tried to dump some artificial flavoring like "Naboo Rose Petal," but it usually tasted like something that came out of a Bantha. Smelled like one too. Hell, it was probably made out of the same material.

He looked at what the miner's were having to try to get some understanding of the menu. Greasy sandwiches and burgers mostly. It was enough to make his stomach rumble. It'd probably been months since he'd eaten something like that, and they were a real treat. A good cut of meat, medium well, covered in all manner of condiments and vegetables. It could make a grown man cry.

Now that his stomach had betrayed his hunger, he had no choice but to order something. He couldn't see the menu, but now that she'd mentioned Coruscant he'd gotten a little nostalgic. His homeworld had a diverse menu of various burgers, sandwiches, and stews, but there was one meal that always stood out.

"Hungry? I'm starving," he joked, accentuating his statement with another rumble of his stomach. "Do you have any Coruscant sliders by any chance?" he asked. "They're always my favorite meal when I get to go home." He finished with a small grimace. He'd maybe gone back to Coruscant twice during the last few years, and even then only on job. He'd made the effort to see his parents, of course, but he still felt bad considering they were never more than a short jump away.

[member="Rekha Kaarde"]

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

[SIZE=12pt]For a moment he looked far away but just as quickly as he had left he returned. She wondered where he had slipped off to. Rekha smiled pay dirt the sliders a hint of home, she had hit upon something, “Can’t have a man coming in here and starving” She grinned big trying to tease him slightly.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Now his request yes that wasn’t a confirmation of things but she just had a feeling she was on the right track with him. Now…could she keep it up. “Yeah we can do that, you know we have a pretty good menu of things.” She leaned down just a little whispering, “the miners they prefer a good meal for their hard work, so I keep steaks on hand, and a few other little things. It helps their disposition”[/SIZE]


[SIZE=12pt]She stood straight again taking a moment to look briefly down at where the dice game was. It seemed to be going well spaced thud on the bar told her they were playing nice. No fighting.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Eva, the twi’lek came passing by giving Rekha a nod of some kind of approval, which was lost on her. What was Eva up to now?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Then Ava slipped in behind her at the bar smiling and pushing her slightly. Rekha turned her head looking at Ava with her what the feth look. She growled low at her trying to warn her off.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Jarod with all that tact of a mandalorian came up to the bar, “have you eaten yet boss?” Rekha smiled sort of, ok ok she was getting it. She looked at Connor, “I apologize for the staff they” she paused she knew they meant well they would give her the clothes of their back if they needed it.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“They think I don’t I take time to eat” She nodded as Ava pat her arm, “I’ll have JC begin that order of Sliders, you have your usual Rekha?” Rekha’s green eyes focused on the woman standing by her.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“Sure.” Then she turned, “Connor, I should have cautioned your about the staff, they are.." Rekha looked from Ava to Jared, "busy bodies." She smiled, "So Connor care for some company while you eat your sliders? ” There she thought that should make everyone happy around her. Even the band seemed to have perked up a bit more.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]It was a conspiracy.[/SIZE]

[member="Condor"]