Private Just a Taste

[Amber Blake]

Corellia | Whyren's Distillery | Tasting room
Drifter

Amber drummed her fingers against the bar, her nose in a book as she stood alone behind the counter. A Tuesday afternoon didn't bring much foot traffic through her family's distillery but she liked to keep the counter open for the spare stragglers that wandered in.

Her attention flickered off the old paper-back and to the screen of her holopad.

2:03, 0 notifications.

She rolled the left side of the book a little tighter into its spine and resumed reading again--

2:03, 0 notifications.

She frowned and forced her attention back to the novel. A sniff of her agitation killed the quiet of the room.

 

[Drifter]

[ Is this what life amounted to? ] The wry annoyance in the man's voice would resonate with a metallic tilt, his polarized helm turning over towards his floating droid companion. The small ocular droid's hover repulsors would sway, arriving to a stop at his left as the pair stood on the ramp overlooking a field of Corellian wheat and rye.

[ The life of a pack mule just for a few measly credits? ] Beggars couldn't be choosers. This job meant he had to drop off a shipment of hops from Dantooine. The latest clue into who he was chasing went cold there. Now, he had to pick it back up, but to do so, he needed to at least ensure he had enough fuel to make his way through the Tingle Arm.

[ There are other options. ] Alex purred, her sultry voice a devil in disguise.

[ Don't say it. ] Drifter began, already moving towards Whyren's main drop-off area. He had to get confirmation of delivery to be paid.

[ You could contact your-- ] the sudden blast of Zed Lepplin blared through the ship's sound speakers and in Drifter's helm.

AHHHHHH-AAAAAAHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

[ I can't hear you! ] the man said with a skip beat, dusty boots hitting Corellian soil. He was in remarkable spirits considering. Perhaps it was because the months at his great uncle's ensured that he now had his full faculties. An alchemized metal arm replaced the lost limb on his left. It wasn't visible under his light armor or gloved hand, but now he wasn't just a one-arm show.

Nope, got two hands to cause some havoc and make a scene. Well, as much as one could. The physical therapy had been a queen.

 

[Amber Blake]

2:04, 0 notifications.

Amber huffed and picked up the pad, her fingers moving furiously over the keyboard as she pulled up comms chain.

Where are you?

...
...
...


2:04, 0 notifications.[/I]

Amber chewed on her bottom lip and pushed the pad back aside. What she wouldn't give for today to be a Saturday tour rush. It sure was easier to stay out of her worries when her head was full of orders. She lived for the chaotic clamor of questions and glasses and tables.

She picked back up the book and rung it into a roll inside her hand- Her holopad beeped. She whipped it over and pulled up the message. Her stomach filled with dread.

Sorry cuz, Haz won't take it.

Says our shipments are tagged now. Too much interest.

Gonna have to lose this order. Lay low for a while.

This will pass.

The blue light of the halo reflected a sickly cast across her cheeks.

 

[Drifter]

Alright, just where am I supposed to be getting this signed off? Drifter mused, idly taking his datapad to review the instructions. The music was still playing within his helm, not loud enough for others to hear, but enough to keep himself entertained and Alex annoyed.

[ Right, so it looks like we're headed into the main tasting room. ] How does one know which one is the main tasting room? He spun left and right, and thankfully, there was a sign. It pointed north-east. With a shrug, he made his way up there.

[ You cannot avoid the issue for much longer. ] Alex's nagging continued the proverbial angel - or devil - on his shoulder, reminding him of family matters that he would rather not dwell too much about. As much as he missed his parents and his twin, he had to locate his missing sister. In the messages he'd sent to his mother and father to let him know he was okay, he'd yet to hear anything back regarding their youngest. Part of him was grateful that no news was good news. Another part wondered why his father didn't just use every single bit of power, he held in his hands to put an end to it.

[ It has been years since you were home. Your mother -- ] those two words brought an immediate halt to the Hunter, turning towards the floating droid with such speed it was uncanny.

[ I won't repeat myself again. Keep on this train, and I'll shut you off. ] While the helm of his polarized visor wouldn't reveal his expression, there was a distinct flare of an orange glow within his eyes, an emotional surge of the Force at the reminder of his mother.

Alex's hover flaps gave a quiet curl inward and then out. She paused before stating, [ Understood. ]

Immediately, Drifter's body language changed, relaxing as he reached out to give Alex a light pat [ Fantastic! Now, let's get this signed off. ]

He needed to refuel and buy some goods before hightailing out of here.

In short order, he was by the door. Dark clothing, armor, and his helm gave him the aura of a mercenary for hire. He poked his head inside.

[ Uhh... hello? ]

 

[Amber Blake]

"Oh!" Amber startled, flicking off the screen. She leaned over the bar and craned her head to sight of newcomer. He leaned unconfidently through the door. "Oh," she repeated, her worry lines softening into a welcoming smile.

"Yes, we're open. Come on in."

She hurried to tuck away the screen and grab a rag. The old bar was already polished to a t but she gave it a few vigorous rubs, her blond curls bouncing as she went. "Welcome to Whyren's Distillery! Only the best whiskey in all the Galaxy-- here for tasting?" She asked, a hopeful lilt to her words.

She noticed the book and quickly snatched it, tucking its bent pages out of sight. There. The empty bar top gleamed welcomingly.

 

[Drifter]

Well, Blondie had the look of somebody caught off guard — or, more aptly caught in the act.

An unseen brow rose, then with a swagger, Drifter came inside, tablet in hand, confidence in his stride.

He gave a button on his right button, a press, lowering the volume of his music so he could hear what the girl had to say.

As he drew closer, his steps became less assured, and once he stopped beside the bar, the nagging feeling he felt crept down his spine finally made sense.

Young girl with blonde hair, blue eyes, fresh face, looking as if she got caught with her hand in the bin of dad's mechu deru gear.

A brief flashback came. Another time. Another place. The crash of waves and the sea. Giggles. Freshly baked bread. Getting punched in the face and hitting the sand.

Kai.

Amber Blake reminded him if his sister.

He'd have the posture of a man held discombobulated before Alex's nudge at his should broke him out of his reverie.

That polarized helm reflected Amber's visage, and after a second, Drifter finally said, [ Here for the Dantooine Hops drop off. Need a signature confirming delivery. ]

 

[Amber Blake]

Amber's concern reflected back at her. "... Can I ... help you with someth-"

[ Here for the Dantooine Hops drop off. Need a signature confirming delivery. ]

"Ah, right." That rang a bell. At least one delivery was going well. She dropped the rag behind the counter and turned the screen for the register towards her. "Yeah, I suppose that was coming in today, wasn't it," she chattered, pulling up the logs. Turns out pirates didn't care much about the product pre production. It was the after product she couldn't get out there.

Her worry lines repaired over her forehead as she fussed through the logs.

"You drop it off at the back warehouse ok? You got your codes?" She turned the screen for him to enter them. They would have been provided by the droid that received him.

She managed to give him a more decent look over then, her warm flow of chatter continuing. "...You find any trouble out there?" It was clear she meant for the run.

 

[Drifter]

Droid? What droid? There had been no droid.

The tipping back of Drifter's helm would clearly indicate that the information regarding the droid and where to drop it off had not been relayed. This was only confirmed when he added, [ Uh... there was guard, but no droid. ]

He swung back to the door and then panned again to Amber Blake.

[ How about you show me where you need the goods dropped off and you can sign this yourself? ] he did not want to end up having to go searching for a droid. If he could get in and out get his pay, all the better.

As for her question regarding the run. He gave a nonchalant shrug. Honestly, his ship had a pretty fast hyperdrive, and it had been designed to be able to move as stealthily as possible [ A little bit of column A and a little bit of column B. ]. Maybe if she thought that it was difficult, they'd increase the pay.

He decided to lay it on thick.

[ But there were a few moments there, let me tell you, ] he shook his finger at her as if to say, whew! [ I could have sworn I'd have met my end! ]

Maybe that worked? It wasn't quite a lie. If he ran out of fuel, he would have been strange in the black and have met his end.

 

[Amber Blake]

Amber raised a brow, for some reason questioning that. "Mhm." She scratched under her chin. "Alright, I'll come around myself. Let me get someone out here."

"Greg?" She called out, glancing back at the set of double doors behind the bar. They didn't budge. "Sorry, one sec- Greg," she repeated, disappearing behind them and calling out again.

Thirty seconds past. And then a minute. The stranger was left to the silent emptiness of the tasting room.

Her book fell from the bar shelf and onto the floor halfway through. The adventures of Rey and Merlin. It look well loved- boarding on abused.

"Alright," she burst back through the door, an older man with her same blue eyes lumbering behind her. "Show me where you are." She gestured for Drifter to take the lead, leaving all her tech behind.

 

[Drifter]

Drifter had no shame when Amber Blake returned, Greg in tow. He had the novel wide open between one hand, his polarized reflection mirroring the well-worn page where a particular scene had ended in a rather passionate kiss.

As soon as he'd seen the cover, he recognized the novel. Despite her stoic appearance, his older sister was a passionate, trashy holonovel reader. When he was younger, as a younger sibling was wont to do, he'd do his best to try and get his sister's attention. The only way it seemed to work was to break into her room and steal her trashy romance novels or her diary.

The result had him grounded more than once and a big rift between the siblings until they were older.

On the positive side, he knew the particular plot and story of the spicy adventures of Rey and Merlin.

[ Oh, not too far out. ] He admitted, still holding the book in his hand. [ Nice cover, exciting plotline. ] The wry tone of voice would certainly convey that he was perfectly aware of what sort of 'plot' it had.

 

[Amber Blake]

She was a woman on a mission, marching him right on out into the warm glow of the afternoon sun. She didn't realize what he was referencing at first, until his words dragged her attention down to his gloved hand.

She faulted, the rush of blood to her cheeks betraying her. Oh she knew what he knew. She knew what they both knew. "I-what- It's an adventure. And what are you doing behind the bar?" She tried to snatch it back, clearly equipped reflexes that suggested siblings of her own.

"Didn't your mamma teach you manners?"

 

[Drifter]

A healthy snort of disbelief came from the Hunter, as did the cant of his head and exaggerated nod of his helm.

[ Sureee… adventure. ] he chimed, walking towards the exit, the long length of his legs likely prompting the shorter Amber Blake the need to keep up. [ More like adventurous with, how was it? ] he gave a mocking pause in his amble to swing that polarized helm to the blonde, his body language conveying his teasing amusement as he said, [ ... After hastily casting off his armor, Merlin scooped her up and pushed her against the pillar. Rey's eyes went round as she felt his -- ]

 

[Amber Blake]

Amber hurriedly cleared her throat, "Alright, alright-" she chastised, glancing over her shoulder at Greg-- her uncle. She hailed him a flustered goodbye, then shoved the stranger the last inch out the door.

She was smaller but she was strong, with muscles gained from summers in the field and winters in the distillery. Her bony elbow jabbed right under his armpit to keep him moving. She kept up without issue.

"Honestly. Not much of a gentleman, are you. There's tons of adventure in that," She hemmed. "There's them spaceports. He breaks her out of that hutt's confinement-" She pointed out, only to stop at a realization.

"...But you already know all this."

Busted.

 

[Drifter]

[ He read the entire series. ] Alex finally added to the conversation, floating behind them as she interjected. The droid wasn't wrong, Drifter had read all three novels. To Amber Blake's credit, the adventures, side quests, and the overall plotline were quite addicting, even if the sensual scenes his sister had enjoyed were quite, ahem, spicy.

A jerk of Drifter's helm towards Alex's direction relayed that she should have kept that to herself. He'd been enjoying teasing Blondie.

[ Yeah, well, that wasn't the only breaking Merlin was doing concerning Rey. ] a rather vulgar euphemism, but it would have the desired effect—an immediate flare of heat and color.

A self-satisfied snort and Drifter carried on his way. [I never said I was a gentleman, Blondie. Just here to drop off your hops and get paid. ] he added with a cocksure scoundrel's charisma that bordered on equal parts aggravating as charming. Of course, the truth of the matter would be that in a past life, his experience had been peppered with galas and family affairs on Empress Teta, but that was neither here nor there. His great-great Oma would have had his guts for garters had he stepped out of line.

He led the way to his ship, the sleek, dark outline of the Sicarius-Class Stealth Yacht a stark contrast to the would-be mercenary smuggler in dusty armor and helm, working for transport credits. Though the market for Star Yachts is more than active many of the ships are showy, flashy, and sometimes downright gaudy. Ships like the J and K-type Nubian Star Yachts are chrome and incredibly noticeable in even the worst conditions. This is the tale with many Star Yachts; they are flashy, showy, and intensely prominent. One might argue that this is the point of a Star Yacht, but Santhe Corporation thought otherwise. Instead of forcing their customers to seek aftermarket stealth customizations Santhe Corporation created the Sicarius Stealth Yacht to fill the niche of people who want to travel in comfort, but also in secret.

 

[Amber Blake]

Amber cracked an appreciative smile towards the droid, acknowledging its silent presence for the first time. The humor was lost to another wave of furious blushing, and then the reminder that she really didn't know this man at all.

"Eharl," she cursed under her breath, letting him keep the book and his games. Her boots crunched against the gravel path. She let out a low whistle as they they approached.

"I'm sorry, who did you say you were again?" She rounded on the vessel and gave it an appreciative rub. It was pretty. Prettier than their farming equipment or the rough shelves lining the warehouse walls. Who would use something so aesthetic to transport around messy cargo?

She raised a curious brow at him, expecting an answer.

 

[Drifter]

Did she just try to insult me in Olys Corellisi? As a child, his father and aunt had been adamant on his education. His penchant for historical artifacts and archeology required studies in languages. In this case, dealing with Corellians for crafting had required a deeper study into their culture. So while he wasn’t fluent, he had picked up on the curses and occasional sayings.

A heavy wave of amusement swept Drifter, and his pleased chuckle only grew louder as his modulator said, [ A Trickster? Well you are not wrong; my sisters would call me worse. ]

Fondness grew in thinking of them, as did that sense of determination to locate Kai again.

Brows rose at seeing Amber Blake caress the helm of his ship like it was a dark chocolate prailine cookie she wanted to gobble. Then again, who wouldn’t appreciate the yacht?

[ Drifter’s the name, here for my pay, and please sign your Senator Organa right here. ] he joked, handing her the tablet whole gesturing to the open ramp where the pallet of bagged hops sat. He didn’t have much for cargo space, just 30 metric tons, but it was enough for a few pallets or a small herd of Dewbacks.

He had immediately regretted the Dewback job.

The smell of their shit lasted for weeks.

 

[Amber Blake]

"Well hold on a second, I have to inspect 'em first." She pushed past the tablet and let herself onto the ship, clearly enjoying herself as she made the affair stretch on longer.

She walked around the pallet and let out a low whistle, inspecting everything but the cargo as she walked around.

"You don't freighter often," She hazard, glancing back at him. A twitch of a smile caught on her lips. She knew she was right, even if he might not want her to know it. She leaned on the pallet, that smile cracking into eager curiosity.

"Do you have a next destination in mind, Drifter?"

 

[Drifter]

Drifter seemed to give a roll of his eyes that was conveyed with the roll of his helm. [ Semantics. ] He quipped, joking, although he knew that Amber Blake had to double-check the goods.

However, when she was clearly inspecting more of his ship than the Dantooine hops, he started to give her a suspicious look. That mirrored visor would reflect the young blonde as she gave a devilish smirk. Behind his helm, the dark slash of his brows would furrow in wariness, and he'd narrow citrine orbs at her.

Oi, just what was she thinking? There was a pause, then recollection. Oh, for Aatrox sake, Feth no! The similarities to Kai were just too uncanny.

[ No. ] Was his curt answer, the man in the dusty mercenary armor straightening his shoulders and back as if to brace himself from assault. He even wagged a finger at her direction as if that would make any difference. [ I know what that looks means. That means trouble. ]

He immediately began moving towards her as if to usher her back towards the pallets so she could get the inspecting done.

[ No way, no how, nuh uh. ]

 

[Amber Blake]

Amber raised her empty palms passively, walking deeper into the ship. "What! You don't even know what I have to say" She protested, as if he was being utterly unreasonable.

First he steal her book, then he accuse her of shenanigans! She squared up to him and huffed a blonde curl out of her face, the wayward idea taking root. Well why not!

"We're a perfect legitimate business. We don't deal in trouble. Besides," she snuffed. "This was more of a personal request."

 

[Drifter]

The sarcastic snort did not need translation. Amber Blake could sugarcoat it all she wanted, but this stunk to the heavens of trouble.

[ Haha, nice going Blondie, but no way. Let me guess, does this personal favor mimic your Rey and Merlin adventures? ] it was obviously a joke intended to throw her off. Drifter brought both arms up to cross over his broad chest, bracing his legs a few feet apart as if by sheer posture he could continue saying no.

Besides, what could she even say to tempt to to change me mind?