Hyperspace Is So Boring

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori nodded a little. It was true that the first thing that drew her attention to [member="Curtis Learchin"] was his armour. Although grabbing the attention of others all of the time wasn't so good. Sometimes one needed to be sneaky. Like her.

She took another sip of her drink, only to almost lose it all when he wink at her. Combined with his comment and cocky grin, oh boy did that give her pause! Lori managed to swallow her mouthful of the fizzy drink however. But barely!

She chewed the inside of her cheek a little as she worked to compose herself, scratching at an imaginary itch on the back of her neck. "Yeah, maybe." Lori chided herself for not coming up with a comeback right away. "So...umm...do you cook? I mean...we all pull our own weight here, you know? There's no designated chef on staff."

 

[Curtis Learchin]

Curtis smiled at [member="Loreena Arenais"], he could tell he was having an effect on her from how she acted. Awkward but not confrontational about the flirting, it was exactly how he would've reacted. She was changing the subject quickly though, so maybe he was coming on too strong. He'd have to dial it back a bit.

"I have been known to cook, learnt some things as a kid." The truth was, that a lot of his life on Dathomir had been hunting and preparing meals, the two activities went hand in hand most of the time. In essence, he could cook, but mostly meats. "And before you ask, yes, I will cook for the crew if that's what is needed of me." He replied quickly in a joking manner, the smile still plastered on his face.

This was a lot of fun for him.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Why did his smile seem so...charming? Maybe she was just tired. Or maybe she had cabin fever? Yeah, that could be it.

Not to mention she was alone most of the time. It was usually just her and Arla running the Jaster's Sparrow on their own. It made her wonder what it would be like with just [member="Curtis Learchin"] on board with them? What sort of adventures would they have?

She nodded her head a bit as he said he'd cook. "Great. What's your specialty? I like cooking bantha steaks. My mom taught me how to cook them juuuust right."

 

[Curtis Learchin]

"You can never do wrong with a good bantha steak." Curtis replied, his stomach rubbling slightly. He was getting hungry, that was the one problem staying awake longer than expected. Maybe there was something in the fridge...

He had a think about the food he used to prepare back home. A lot of Dathomir's fauna was tough and uncommon in other parts of the galaxy, but there was a number of fish. He had preferred cooking ranchor, managing to kill one of them would feed the tribe for a week, and they were the fiercest beast on Dathomir, so you would work up an appetite hunting one.

"Well, I can do fillets of fish, had a lot of them back home." He kept it short, he had never been a professional chef, nor had he ever thought about food as anything more than a source of energy. That's what he had been taught back home.

[member="Loreena Arenais"]

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

"Well you could go wrong by the steak if you don't cook it enough. Although...some people like it really rare." Lori wasn't one of those types of people, however. She prefered her steak cooked medium well.

Her brows lifted as [member="Curtis Learchin"] spoke about being very good at cooking fish. That wasn't something that she's had a lot of. "I haven't cooked fish before. You'll have to teach me sometime. That is if you want to, of course." It wasn't as though she was going to force him. However she was already starting to imagine it. Maybe a little too much.

"What's your view on the whole Jedi/Sith conflict?" Yeah, that was just thrown out there. She was known for throwing such curve balls.

 

[Curtis Learchin]

"Tell you what, you teach me how you make bantha steaks, and I'll teach you how to fillet fish. How does that sound?" Curtis replied with a jokey tone. In reality he was more than happy to show her how to make fish, especially since they would get to spend more time together. That last part played on his mind, and it was more pleasing than he had thought.

Then she asked about the Jedi/Sith conflict, and he nearly choked on his drink. He had purposely avoided talking about it, given his background. He still wasn't sure of her allegiance, but the Sith were not loved, that he was clear about. Revealing himself was a bad idea too, especially if she turned out to be a Jedi herself. These days, it was difficult to tell who was and wasn't force sensitive.

"That's a very different question to your others, fish not interesting enough for you?" He joked, trying to change the conversation with humour. He would answer, but only after [member="Loreena Arenais"] did.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori gave [member="Curtis Learchin"] a thumbs up in response to him offering to teach her to cook fish. Although he seemed to be joking, she thought that it was a great tradeoff.

Curtis was quick to take note of her change in subject. Not to mention how it was quite a serious topic in comparison to the others. It was good to note that he was observant. She'd need that if he was to watch over her.

"I was just curious. I mean, I think the whole thing is stupid, but at the same time I get it. The Sith don't like my parents, so in turn they don't like me or my brother either. But that's if they can pick us out from a crowd. I mean, it's a huge galaxy out there..." Like a needle in a haystack. More than likely they'd only be searched for if there was an immediate purpose for it. So far that hadn't been the case.

 

[Curtis Learchin]

"The Sith don't like anyone, least of all themselves. In my opinion, both sides have merit, but I'm keeping out of that galactic mess as best I can." Curtis replied, lingering on her comment about her family being hunted by the Sith. That could present a problem for him, or an opportunity. But he didn't want to hurt her... Truth be told, he was fond of her, and despite any ideological differences, they got on well. And he had been truthful in saying he was staying out of it. Even though his master was a high ranking member of the Empire, he hadn't been in contact with him for some time, leaving Curtis to do his own thing for the most part.

"I don't suppose you'll want to get involved in any conflicts between the two?" He probed, curious if he'd find himself fighting those who had trained him so far. He had found himself in a strange position, one where he could play both sides for the time being. But he would have to choose... Eventually.

[member="Loreena Arenais"]

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

"Yeah, my parents told us about different Sith Empires that have been around, and how they usually just destroy themselves in the end." One just needed to survive and be patient for the Darkness to subside again. It was a continous cycle in the Galaxy. The same went for the Light as well.

Lori chewed the inside of her cheek for a moment as she pondered on the question that [member="Curtis Learchin"] had posed to her. Was she going to want to get involved? More than likely not. The Mandalorians tended to be involved and they weren't well liked right now. She had already told her Dad that she wouldn't be pitted against her friends. She'd rather throw down her arms.

"I don't plan on it, no. I'm not a soldier for hire. But if the battles came to me, I'd have no choice but to try to get out of it. Sometimes that involves fighting. But I'd rather not be caught and used against my parents. I don't want them to be in that kind of situation. So it's better if I avoid it."

Lori looked upon Curtis now, her curiosity growing as he had cleverly had her answer her own questions while he revealed very little. "Does your family serve on either of the sides? Or do they just stay away from it all too?"

 

[Curtis Learchin]

"My family aren't a part of the conflict, no. They weren't ones for getting involved with galactic affairs." He said, his eyes darting to the window. The memory of his family was still a painful one, it hadn't been that long ago that they were cut down in front of him. It was a tragic affair, one that was stuck to his mind like a parasite. The Sith hadn't filled that gap, no matter how much pain and torture he endured, they would never be able to make his sorrow disappear.

He didn't want to tell her that his family was dead, bit too heavy a detail to drop now. But with everything happening, it would come out sooner or later. Him speaking about them in the past tense wasn't helpful either. Maybe it was about time that he moved on, found new people to call family. But letting go of that pain would be a struggle.

"Well if you get involved somehow, you won't be alone."

[member="Loreena Arenais"]

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori raised a brow slightly as [member="Curtis Learchin"] looked away after speaking about his family. Something bad must have happened. She had touched on a nerve without meaning to. But at least now she knew of a subject to tread lightly on. Or if she ever wanted to get him mad then she could approach the subject again. Yet she wasn't the type to hurt people on purpose unless it was a tournament or if she was defending herself. Now wasn't one of those times.

Her expression lightened however as Curtis seemed to suggest that he'd be there with her if her parent's enemies came for her. Of course she found herself liking that idea. So much so, in fact, that she placed her hand on his arm. "Thank you...."

Uh oh! Abort Lori! Abort! Her hand probably lingered on his arm for too long. She felt her cheeks turning red at the very thought that she was starting to warm up to the guy. She removed her hand and cleared her throat a little before finding her voice again. "I mean..., the chances if me being captured are far less if I have others looking out for me." Yeah! Good save! Or so she thought.

"Have you ever fought in tournaments? What's your best fighting style? Do you have a favourite weapon?" Oh yes, she changed the subject again. Sort of.

 

[Curtis Learchin]

Curtis felt her hand on his arm and turned to her. He saw the red rush to her face, but he didn't care. His eyes met hers, and he smiled, fighting the urge to place his hand on hers. Before he could, she moved away, obviously embarrassed by what had just happened. Her response afterwards was an obvious coverup, but Curtis didn't say anything. If she didn't want to talk about it, that was her choice.

The change in subject was welcome, if a tad confusing to him. Had he really given of the gladiator vibe? The armour and weapon probably didn't help, and the less time she spent knowing about his sith background the better.

"I haven't, but it sounds kinda fun, doesn't it?" He admitted, his mind wandering off as he thought of fighting beasts, hearing the cheers of the crowds. "Well I'm sure you saw my swordstaff, bit hard to miss really. I like to stay at a distance, strike fast." He left out the part where he shot his opponents with lightning. "What about you? How do you take care of business when I'm not around to protect you?" Now that was a clear flirt, and one he was proud of.

[member="Loreena Arenais"]

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

[member="Curtis Learchin"] had a nice smile. Maybe one day she'll have the courage to tell him that. For now though, Lori just kept it to herself, as though it was her own little secret.

She listened as he described his fighting style, her mind already going over how best the two could work together in dangerous situations. Their styles were different entirely, but that didn't mean that they couldn't make a good team.

Lori snickered at his question of how she could handle heeself when he wasn't around. Truth be told she had been caught by the First Order a few times, but managed to get away through various methods, including befriending one of her captors. Her Mom did stuff like that too, so it was probably where she got that from.

"Well, after learning some hand-to-hand combat by my Mandalorian mentors, I fought in a couple of tournaments. So I guess you could say that my skills lay in that. Although I'm quite good at setting up booty traps, and piloting. I have some shooting skills and I made my own lightsaber, though I haven't really fought with it yet. I've been a bit too busy to practice." Well mostly it was due to her not being on Kashyyyk to study at the Academy like her Dad wanted her to. Lori just wasn't fond of all of the rules and restrictions. Why, she even had to ask for permission to see her Dad. How crazy was that?! No, Lori preferred to be able to do what she liked.

 

[Curtis Learchin]

There was a lot to sift through there. Mandalorians, tournaments, traps, and lightsabers. All interesting, some of it worrying, none of it off-putting. She could protect herself, which meant she wasn't gonna be a damsel in distress. She could stay at range, he'd get in close... Encounters would be interesting. Her owning a lightsaber was the most interesting part though. So either she just owned one, or she had some force connection. If she did, maybe she was able to sense his darker leanings, not a good sign.

Curtis had his own lightsaber of course, but he had hidden it. The blade being crimson was a slight giveaway of his background, and the longer it stayed underwraps, the better.

"A lightsaber? So you're a Jedi or something then?" He was playing the fool now, purposelessly pretending he didn't know the various factions of force users across the galaxy. There were so many though, that knowing them all was almost impossible.

[member="Loreena Arenais"]

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

"A little bit....sort of." Lori shrugged her shoulders a bit as if the brush the concept of it aside. "My Dad's a Jedi Master with the Silvers. He's supposed to teach me, but I'm just not so fond of all the rules and structure of the Academy. I'd rather be in charge of myself, you know?" That was probably why being a Captain suited her. She was her own boss and could do what she liked.

"I don't have a lot of Jedi training under my belt. I don't even really tap into the Force, I don't think. Well I can make a ball of light, but I taught myself that when I was really little." Her head tilted to the side a little in thought. "Maybe I tap into it when flying too. I'm not really sure. I just act on instincts."

Was she really considered a Jedi? Lori wasn't so sure. Especially guven their conflicts with the Mandalorians. She looked to [member="Curtis Learchin"] . "I have to stay away from all of that right now. I'm half Mandalorian and have trained with them more. And with everyone going after them, my Dad doesn't want me to be caught in the middle. So here I am...doing my own thing and staying away from everyone." At least she could handle the independence. But she wondered about the rest of her family at times.

 

[Curtis Learchin]

"Doing your own think is good though, you get to carve your own legacy." Curtis replied. Though he said nothing, his mind lingered on what she had told him. Her family were Jedi, or at least one of them was. And she, she may yet become one. If things hadn't been difficult for him before, then now they definitely would be. He was Sith, by all accounts the two of them should be at each others throats, and yet they weren't. He admired her, enjoyed speaking to her, maybe the connection was becoming much more as well.

Would he ever tell her of his past? Unlikely. He didn't want to scare her away, and usually being a Sith was enough for people to run. Whether or not he told her, he would protect her.

"I'm with you, no matter the cost." That was all he needed to say, all he wanted to say.

[member="Loreena Arenais"]

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori snickered a little. "Yes, my own legacy and my own trouble! Or maybe my legacy IS trouble?" She grinned as she looked over at [member="Curtis Learchin"] . Of course she was just teasing, being her usual goofball self. And given that she was getting to be more comfortable around him, it was a little easier to be herself.

"I'm not quite sure of what legacy I'd leave behind, to tell you the truth. Maybe I'll be a good stolen relic hunter, or rebel smuggler. Or...I dunno...greatest ace pilot this side of the Galaxy?" There were just far too many choices, neither of which included settling down and starting a family. Lori wasn't certain that that would ever happen. But she wasn't counting or planning on it either.

With Curtis' last comment, Lori couldn't help but feel touched. It tugged at her inside and she just wanted to reach out and place her hand on his arm again. But then she'd probably do it for too long again and get all embarrassed. Her cheeks started to turn red at the thought and then her goofball self surfaced as a distraction. "You're just saying that because I'm your boss. And the one paying you." She gave him a playful smirk.

 

[Curtis Learchin]

"That does give me incentive to be nice to you..." Curtis joked back, noticing the red rush back to her face. Her not knowing what her legacy would be was not new to Curtis, he struggled with the same feeling constantly. He questioned his place in the galaxy, whether he was going to turn into a monster or not. The doubt he felt about the Dark Side wasn't particularly strong, but it was there, it had always been there. If he could conquer it, would he truly be more powerful?

"Your legacy will be better than mine I assure you." He said, trying to make her feel better about not knowing. "Who knows, maybe our legacies will be linked..." Maybe that was a bit much, but he felt he was close enough to her to say that. Then again, they hadn't been talking for very long.

[member="Loreena Arenais"]

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori slid down in her chair more, so that she could rest the back of her head comfortably. In truth she was finding herself able to relax all the more. She straightened out her legs under the console, having room just to cross her feet at the ankles. After setting aside her drink she folded her hands on top of her stomach.

"Better? I'm not so sure. Goofier, maybe..." Of course she had no idea of what was in store for [member="Curtis Learchin"] either. More than likely he'd be like some of her other crew; here for one moment, then gone for the next. It wasn't as though she blamed them. There were some jobs that even she felt bored with. But credits were credits.

At the idea of their legacies being linked, Lori raised a curious brow. "Maaaaybe..." She hung the word in the air for a moment, all the while contemplating on whether or not it was a good thing. "...if you play your cards right." She smiled, only looking to him from the corner of her eye. Oh yes, it could be a good thing.

 

[Curtis Learchin]

Curtis smiled, and relaxed his body further, almost mimicking what [member="Loreena Arenais"] had done. He took a sip of his drink, and smiled more at the idea of them linked by destiny. She seemed happy with the idea too, so maybe there was more in store for them than he had first thought. The time was passing by but he could sit there for hours with her, and he probably would.

"Well then, I'll keep that in mind." He said with a wink. She didn't flirt as much as he did, but her getting more involved with it wasn't such a bad thing. "So if we go off together, find something valuable, what would you want to do with it?" It was a vague question, but one he was interested in. If they found a force imbued artefact, he may try to keep it force himself...