Jelucan't Be This Ripped? (Walker)

[Alnice D'Lessio]

Valentia City, Jelucan
Alnice wandered around with sheer wonder in her eyes. Sure, she'd been to big cities before, but Valentia was a whole new scale of huge. There had to be millions of people here! Millions! With an M! It was crazy to think that there might be more people in a ten-kilometer radius of her than there had been on all of Auratera for the last five years. And all of this without having to follow her parents around? Yes and please! Today was the best day of her life, thank you very much.

Every ounce of Alnice D'Lessio screamed "tourist." She was rubbernecking at everything, from skyscrapers to food carts to traffic jams. Her datapad had a new charm on it about Thane and Ciena, two star-crossed lovers whose story allegedly took place on Jelucan. She had a wrap in one hand and a map program on the other, and was unabashedly bathing in the wonder of Valentia around her. The fact that this was a po-dunk compared to Coruscant didn't register in her frizzy head.

At least she was dressed... semi-appropriately. Not that that mattered much, of course. Her metabolism was under her own strict control, which included her body temperature. Her soul furnace burned with enough passion and inner fire to keep her warm in a mild blizzard - this mountain climate was nothing. As a result, she was showing more skin than most other humanoids around her, and that made her look less like a country girl fresh off the bus. It was, however, the only thing that did.

Speaking of metabolism, keeping her body running hot to reduce the effect of a cold climate was making her a little hungry. She'd probably finished that wrap off a few minutes ago while wandering around like a yokel. The wide-eyed little Lorrdian stopped at another food cart. Maybe soup this time? Ooh, or one of those pita things!

[member="Walker Twin-Sleeves"]

 

[Klar]

That tourist right there was exactly what Walker needed. She stuck out, she was clearly not a local, but large and tough-looking enough to not be an easy mark for the local thieves and such. Likely some backwater farm girl off to blow her college savings for a week in 'the big city', by his estimation. In other words, perfect.

"You there!" He called out, rushing through the crowd towards the towering mocha rubbernecker. He had enough time for one pitch, had to make it count. "Yes, you! The beautiful, tall drink of mountain water - I've got a deal for you, do I ever!"

Walker stumbled, breathless, up to Alnice before standing upright - flashing her a stage-perfect, charismatic smile that very nearly sparkled. "You've the look of a woman who takes care of her skin, I could tell from miles away - and I'd NEVER forgive myself if I didn't contribute in some way to the radiance that is your inimitable beauty! Here. Walk with me a moment."

With a hand on Alnice's back, he guided her away from the cart - and the direction he'd been coming from. "Now, a woman of the lanes - like yourself - doubtlessly knows that there's no better skin lotion than that infused with rancor oil, but what if I told you that adding a mixture of herbs from such isolated locales as Lorrd and even the fabled Q-27 can have rejuvenating effects that'll really make you shine?" Walker asked proudly. "I've just such a blend, proprietary and I'd love to offer you a free sample - I'm THAT positive you'll love it, that you'll tell your friends, sisters, mother - that I'm going to take a gamble on this one."

Covertly and with great dexterity, Walker slipped an envelope into Alnice's bag while they walked. It'd have to do for now - he could retrieve it later, when the 'rightful owners' weren't shoving through a crowd, looking for the staff-swinging huckster. "I'm talking gen-u-wine free and safe, just five minutes of your time, or my name isn't Walker Twin-Sleeves. Can I persuade you to swing by Stardock 19-Z in an hour?"

 

[Alnice D'Lessio]

Wha?

In a somewhat confused, startled rush, Alnice spun around at the man who was shouting at her. She had to choke down pita and lettuce in order to speak, but this curious young man was already talking. Babbling, more like. It was hard to get a read on him, as the sprint over to her and general panic of his demeanor made it really easy to misjudge what his body was saying. That said, "panic" was a pretty good indicator that something was wrong.

The hell was he talking about, skin cream and rancor oil? Alnice took a long moment to wait for him to stop rambling. "Hey... uh... if you're selling something, I'd just like you to know that I'm really poor." She frowned a bit, her eyebrows tilting away slightly. Kinetically, a sign of obvious regret and a bit of discomfort. "Like, two meals and a cheap room poor. I can't afford what you're selling."

Somewhere between salesman babble and offers of free samples, though, she got a name. Immediately, Alnice offered her hand for a shake. "Well then, nice to meet you, Walker. I'm Alnice." She skipped her last name. Nothing good ever came from being famous. "I could follow you now, if you want."

 

[Klar]

"Hey, you're poor, I'm poor - so much in common, which is why I reiterate free sample." Walker hurriedly explained. She wanted to follow him? He'd been trying to save her the potential danger is getting ID'd as his associate, but if she insisted. "Gotta spend money to make money, that's what they say, that's how advertising works, and there's no better advertising than a beautiful young lady who loves your products." He continued, leading Alnice off at a brisk pace. His pitch was as much an autonomive response as his breathing, it seemed. "But hey, we poor folk gotta stick together, right? Fat cats get fatter, and we all lose if we fight over the scraps, eh?"

Largely unaware that he was doing it, Walker shook the girl's hand. He had a FANTASTIC handshake, even while pulling her into a turbolift. For a moment, Walker allowed himself a breath of fresh air, warily eying the destination ETA.

Wiping his palms off, Walker cleared his throat. "Are you here looking for work, then?" He inquired likely, the flood of words slowing to a more reasonable trickle. "Mercenary, labor, paralegal, what sort?"

 

[Alnice D'Lessio]

Well, that was a decent shake, at least. He was coming off less and less like he was trying to sell her something and more like he was trying to talk her into something. When he tugged her into a lift, Alnice almost resisted...but quickly realized this might be trouble, and figured she'd need to be there. Safety was all too scarce a commodity in this dangerous galaxy for her to be greedy with her surplus.

When they were inside, he led off with "mercenary." That in particular - that and the panicked babbling and the constant checking everything and everywhere - led Alnice to conclude that this man was on the run. She reached up and ran her fingers through her hair. "I think you need to calm down a little. It's just you and me in here. We've got a few floors to talk. What's going on?"

She could have just answered 'mercenary' and been paid for protecting him, but then, what if he was just paranoid? Or tripping? Spice had some weird effects on people, sometimes. She couldn't quite tell if he was high or not, but whatever it was that had him scared, his body language was officially completely divorce from the rhetoric he was spouting. He'd compartmentalized. Another sign of panic.

"Talk to me, Mr. Walker. I'd like to hear more about this magical lotion you're offering, and why we had to hide in a lift to talk about it."

 

[Alndys]

..

 

[Klar]

"Magical? An embellishment even I wouldn't use." Walker promised the tall bumpkin glibly. "Gets the crazies with the sabers curious about what you're doing, and before you know it, half the planet is dead and the other half's enslaved. No, what I've got is better than magic; it's CHEMISTRY. Essential amino acids, clarifying and cleansing base with an appealing, fragrant parfume that you'll not be able to get enough of." Walker assured her, tipping his hat up with his walking stick and winking slyly. "When the galaxy is filled with vibrant, happy women sporting flawless skin, that's more than enough reward than any man such as myself could possibly ask for, in a general sense although I DO plan to start charging a fee to cover costs once the words gets out, you know how it is, wish we lived in a galaxy where good deeds were their own reward ALAS! Credit is the death of altruism, even such a slow death as this one."

The lift chimed. Five floors left. Walker adjusted his collar anxiously, shaking his legs out as though stretching in preparation for a run. "Ever been to to the Kathol outback, Alnice? Hear the lanes are lovely this time of year. I've got a deal for you - three hots and a cot plus standard wage for the trip, if you get me to my ship." He proposed, offering his hand. "Deal?"

 

[Alnice D'Lessio]

That was by far the most well-reasoned lie Alnice had ever heard. The kind of delicately-crafted falsehood that an artisan labored lovingly over for hours trying to get it just right. It was respectable. It was admirable, even! Alnice grinned, crossed her arms, and raised an eyebrow; all carefully-chosen movements that would have been dreadfully loud to her parents. "I have to admit, you are quite the salesman."

All of the panic and fear earlier was gone. Walker was preparing for a sprint to safety with all of the pomp and circumstance of a morning jog. He'd done this before, then. Either way, Alnice didn't really care. This man was in trouble. He was charming, and cute, and he needed her help. The money might as well not have crossed her mind.

The young Matukai closed her eyes and flexed her arms, palms down, fingers spread into a diamond patter. Down, in, out, all in time with her breathing. She felt the flow of her blood, the vibrant thrum of life in her veins. Each piece of her was aflame with the Force; as it existed in all things, so too did it exist in her. Each of her cells, each of her hairs, every inch of her skin...all of it wasn't just matter. It was the Force in physical form, and the Force had no limits. As she pushed, it moved. As she breathed, it burned within her. And as she opened her eyes, it was with her. She was empowered. She was the Force.

And the Force was ready for a run. "I'll expect an explanation later," she replied with a smirk, her flesh tingling with sensitivity and eager need all at once.

 

[Klar]

"I'm full of explanations. I've got more than I know what to do with." Walker boasted. "I'll have plenty and more for you provided we get to safety, my dear, and also as a sporting warning to a beautiful boon companion, they're likely waiting for us." The lift chimed again, and the two young vagabonds found themselves looking down the barrel of two blaster pistols held by a pair of disreputable Rodians - one with a capped, synthetic eye and the other bearing no shortage of battle scars from doubtless years of work as hired muscle.

"Wootchi na-" Was as far as the one with the fake eye made it before the round, weighted head of Walker's walking stick smashed into his hand, knocking the blaster pistol away. Something in the blaster - and likely his hand - broke irreparably, giving Walker enough time to rush past his would-be assailant and break into a respectable sprint for the dock where his ship was waiting.

Alnice would likely spot it right away. It was the ugliest thing in the port, a cobbled-together old Washburne-Class. Most of it had been painted chrome to cover up the rust and burn sites, and two electric blue racing stripes flanked the dorsal spine of the vessel.

 

[Alnice D'Lessio]

Five years of grabbing arrows out of the air, wrestling Regan for buttered rolls, and sparring with a master of Teräs Käsi had left Alnice's reflexes sharp. When she saw a blaster, her first reflex was to smash the barrel away from her. Her right palm crashed into the blaster casing, sending it clattering against a wall. She didn't stop there, instead bringing her fist directly forward into the offending Rodian's stomach. A straight punch that left him gasping. Threat handled, nonlethally.

Walker was already rushing off, so Alnice realized she needed to finish up quickly. She took the Rodian screaming about his hand and the Rodian who couldn't scream due to a lack of air, grabbed them both by the head, and smashed the two together. When they physically collided, she rotated behind them and shoved them into the elevator, then turned to follow her ride on out. Adrenaline was a poor substitute for the joy of swimming in the Force, but it was a very nice garnish for the main course.

It took her seconds to catch up. As she skidded to a halt, the young Lorrdian blinked and smirked. "Racing stripes? That's sort of adorable."

 

[Klar]

Walker skid to a halt, too, nearly tripping over his ostentatious blue cape. Hand shaking as he punched a code into the cargo-bay access, he grinned over his shoulder at the girl. "Benefit of doing repairs yourself, you don't have to deal with some wrench monkey complaining about a paint job." He boasted proudly. "I think it's HILARIOUS."

The cargo door groaned halfway open, some ancient dent keeping it from opening completely. This didn't seem to surprise Walker, who merely slipped into the gap that had opened. From the darkness inside, Alnice heard what sounded like a wrench falling off a shelf, Walker mumbling a curse, and then the tired whir of an auxiliary engine groaning to life as the lights clicked on.

As ugly as the outside of the ship was, the inside was SPOTLESS. Not a speck of dust or dust in sight. Sure, there were a few cluttered shelves - most filled with bottles or useless trinkets - and some oddities, like what looked like a complete bedroom set clustered around a bright green four-poster bed. Shoved in one corner was a sleek black-and-yellow hoverbike half-covered by a desert camouflage tarp.

"Make sure you REALLY pull that door shut." Walker called out, bounding up the stairs - presumably towards the bridge. Alnice might at this point realize that half of the lights in the cargo bay didn't work, and had been covered in old Lifeday faerie string lights to provide illumination. "Life support's been making noises and smells for a week now, doing the dog an awful concern. Don't want make it work harder than it has to!"

 

[Alnice D'Lessio]

Well now, this was a friggin' mess.

Alnice had grown up on a deep-space patrol craft. It was well-maintained, but even so it was still a ship. Things broke, you fixed them, and it frequently wasn't pretty. She remembered one time when they'd had to use laundry cords to keep the engine from falling apart because all of the screws had been sucked out the airlock because- ...well, that story went on forever. Stuff broke and you kept flying. That was understandable.

This was a mess. Either he was dead broke, in which case he couldn't pay her, or extremely cheap, in which case he wouldn't pay her. It didn't really matter, though. This poor guy needed all the help he could get. Starting with this ship. Alnice took a deep breath to center herself, then closed the cargo door with authority. It was probably a good idea to get someplace safe before this deathtrap took off...

Which Alnice decided would be the cockpit. Co-pilot's seat. She strapped in and raised an eyebrow at him, a sideways grin playing across her lips. "The chair would like to motion that we add 'cleaning up around here' to the list of things we need to talk about."

 

[Klar]

"It's already clean." Walker complained absently, waving over his shoulder at her as he threw switches, levers, and other things in a tired old console. The ancient Washburne's engines flared to life all at once, the ship thrumming unhappily. Somewhere deep within the ship, an animal howled in tune with the rising pitch of the lift generators.

After all that preamble, though, the ship made it into the air with the smooth grace of a honeybee. Somehow. Sinking back into his seat with a relieved sigh, Walker wiped the sweat from his brow. "Close'n." He decided as he stood grandly from the pilot's chair. "Right, so-"

In one smooth, surprisingly quick motion, Walker retrieved the envelope he'd slipped into Alnice's bag and tore it open to reveal a modest sum of credits. He counted off half and pressed them into her hand. "As promised. Always pay my promises, especially when I have to live with them for awhile and the holder of that promise could break me in half - no offense intended, of course." Walker rambled. "Your clear strength in no way detracts from your beauty nor your apparent wisdom, my lady."

He swept his cloak back, bowing deeply at the waist - nearly far enough to bop his head against the floor. "My name is basically Walker, I more or less sell medications and cosmetics, and this ship will almost assuredly get us to the Kathol outback where I'll probably be able to move some potentially legal cargo and quite possibly turn a profit that I may or may not share with any crew. Including yourself." He promised generously. "I now open the floor to questions."

 

[Alnice D'Lessio]

Ooh! A smuggler! Alnice had never met one of those before! At least, not that she knew. Alnice didn't stop him from tearing into her bag for his ill-gotten gains; all she had in there was clothes and maybe a sandwich she'd squirreled away for later. He could hardly do any harm. She even accepted his money, though she was sure it was stolen and also sure she'd wind up spending a sizable portion on either food or repairs for this very ship. Shaking her head, she turned the chits over in her hand before slipping them back into her bag.

"Well then," Alnice replied with a smirk. "I can't tell if you're a smuggler, a con artist, or both. But I do need to ask - and believe me, I will know if you're lying - did you kill anyone for that?" Her persistent grin already revealed she was pretty sure he hadn't, but she had to make sure. "I don't mind helping you out. You were clearly in physical danger. But, like...that's contingent on you not being a murderer."

She sighed and shrugged. "Anyway. You included me in that crew roster. Any particular reason for that?"

 

[Klar]

Walker looked momentarily stricken. "Of course I didn't kill anybody for that." Truth. "I'm not a murderer." And a lie. He slipped his cloak off and hung it over the captain's chair. "I sold a man in Valentia some curios from the rim. He accused me of stealing them from his collection the year before, which is laughable, really. A year ago, I hadn't even been in space yet." Walker chortled merrily. "Suspect it was a ruse to try and keep the goods and his cash - which, by the way, were leaf clippings of some core-world succulent, nothing exciting. Used to treat burns."

As he rambled, Walker pulled open a panel in the cockpit wall, revealing a tightly-packed stash of water, rations, and treats. He retrieved a can of nuts and popped one pensively into his mouth, offering the rest to Alnice. "The lady I got this ship from left all kinds of junk, but some of it is useful. Anyway - You don't look like the sort of woman who's going to spend the whole trip in your bunk or whatever. Don't get a physique like that by being lazy, right?" He pointed out, smirking. "And since you already complained about a mess (that doesn't exist) I imagine you'll want to do something about it with me." He paused for dramatic effect. "...so I may as well call you my first crewman, right? Dazzling beauty that you are, seems my luck has finally turned around!

 

[Alnice D'Lessio]

Hm. That was...something difficult to parse through. This man was curious to read. He was just as loud as every other Human, but it was like he had a thick accent. She could hear him loud and clear, but he didn't make a lot of sense. Shaking her head, she passed up the nuts with a smile. "I eat a lot. I'd best not have access to things that are easy to snack on." You don't get a physique like that by eating light, either. She half-nodded towards the back of the ship. "I thought I heard a dog. Did he come with the ship, too?"

Of course, she was already making a list of things to fix. First, the easy stuff, like lights. She could likely keep the life support running, but fixing it would require a professional. Instead, she stretched and thought up ways of banging that door back into shape. "You sure are fond of compliments," Alnice replied with a soft smile. "Be careful filling the air with empty praise. When people catch on, they stop having any weight at all."

Hm. If food was on a budget...she might have to try that meditation thing Regan had tried to teach her. It sucked, and she was bad at it, but it was better than burning through all of their supplies in a couple of days.

 

[Klar]

"I'd more say the ship came with the dog." Walker corrected, offering a slight shrug. "Probably worth more. But she likes to sleep down in the engine room. Carries on if there's something wrong. Tried to take her out for more comfortable digs, but she's old'n lazy." And stubborn as a mule besides, though Walker would be the first to admit that he wasn't really a dog person. "Anyway, we're packed with provision. Got paranoid about being stranded if something broke, so I've got..." Walker paused, chewing on some cashews. "Probably half a year's worth of dried, canned stuff, veg an' packaged grain I picked up off a wrecked cruiseliner awhile back for pocket change."

He had promised meals and accommodations, after all. Mostly because he wasn't going to rip off a woman who could rip him in half, no matter how sweet she was. That just wasn't smart.

"Hah! Forgot your sample!" Walker exclaimed suddenly, nearly dropping the din of nuts. Without waiting for Alnice to follow, he rushed off back towards the cargo bay just as the ship broke atmosphere. The rattling, unstable chassis sent the blue-haired young man sprawling across the kitchen, landing on his face. Even so, this was barely enough to allow him down. In secondz, he was up and moving again, regards of a bloody nose.

 

[Alnice D'Lessio]

Well, that was reassuring, at least. Alnice ate a lot, but she didn't eat "half a year of food over the course of a week" a lot. Mostly she was worried about how dried, canned, and preserved foods were going to affect her nutrient intake. Hmm. Ah well. That was space travel for you.

When Walker stood to go freak out in another room, Alnice picked up the tin of cashews and started tearing away at it. There was a substantially bigger dent in it by the time her pilot, boss, or whatever go back. "...You okay there?" Bloody nose. Urgh. She wasn't a great medic, and up until this moment that wasn't a problem.

"I really hope that was important enough to hurt yourself over, because I'm not really convinced it was." Shaking her head, the Lorrdian girl popped another handful into her mouth and set the tin down beside her, looking around the cockpit for tissue paper. Hm...no tissues-and-lotion up here. He probably kept them in his cabin.

 

[Klar]

Walker returned swiftly, holding an embroidered handkerchief to his nose and clutching a small, sealed tin. "Worth it." He promised, grinning through the blood. "I bleed easy. Barely think about it anymore. Here."

The huckster pressed the small tin into Alnice's hands before falling back into the captain's chair with a surprisingly small flop. "I made it myself. It's ACTUALLY pretty great skin cream... So I hear." He promised proudly, giving the distinct impression that he wasn't used to making things that were in any way worthwhile. "I figure if I'm going to make it rich, I either need to make guns and ships like everyone else - and, ew, hell no. Or I'll get lucky and come up with something dumb or useful EVENTUALLY."

Walker sat up, checking his nose. The bleeding had slowed, nearly stopped. "Anyway, it's free. You're as much market research as you are advertisement - if you actually like the stuff, that is. Then you're bad advertising, but I'm endure it!" Again, he grinned at Alnice, propping his chin up on a fist. "I'll take the wager. So where are you from, and how bored were you that you just agreed to run off into space with some weirdo you just met?"

He leaned in slightly, waggling his eyebrows. "Escaping a terrible ex? Chasing down a terrible ex? Either way, count me invested in the tale!"

 

[Alnice D'Lessio]

Ah. Her turn. Leaning back in her co-pilot seat, Alnice ruffled her hair and shook her head. "Nothing so angsty. I used to fly around a lot with my parents. Charity work, missionary stuff, goodwill missions, that sort of thing." She shrugged. "One day Dad decided I needed to train with a guru in the mountains, and I recently got done. Parents are busy and I'm a legal adult, so I don't really have any outstanding obligations."

She smirked a little, tapped the side of her nose, and raised an eyebrow. "Plus, some weirdo ran up to me in a crowded market because I looked dangerous and shanghaied me to muscle him through some thugs. I don't make a habit of letting people get killed by muggers, regardless of whether or not their poor life choices led them to a situation in which that was a distinct possibility." A little preachy, sure, but she had a blaster pointed at her today because of this dummy.

"Anyway, I'll stick around until you get tired of me or until I find someone who needs me more than you do." Her smile faded a bit, softened with uncomfortable truth. "Or until you do something I find unconscionable. So far this doesn't seem to be hurting anybody. If you do start hurting people, we're gonna have another talk."