Private Law of Nature

[Colette]

Drifter

A genuine smile spread on Colette's lips. Drifter allowed himself to be vulnerable and part of her felt a lot more at ease for it. Obviously it had been some kind of coping mechanism, but to know that he was aware of it was important too.

"Right," she shrugged. Her smile lingered for a moment longer until she spoke again. "I think I get it. Life is easier when you don't look back. Focus more on the next step than the ones before. The steps that you can actually do something about."

The skin was rolled into a bundle. Colette held it for a moment before she extended her hand to offer it to Drifter. She didn't say anything, just waited for him to take it whether he wanted to or not.

"My apprentice and I had a… Falling out." She admitted. A truth for a truth, a small offer of peace for the vulnerability shown. "I tried to make her something she wasn't. She… Lashed out at my entire being. Not physically, mentally — ideologically."

"I can understand that, but I won't forgive it." Colette muttered. "I enjoy who I am, what I think and what I do. I find strength and purpose in the structure I've set up for myself."

"Life is a struggle and I find that Jedi are too prone to comfort. Big enclaves, big spectacles. A lot of posturing for something they shouldn't have." She was starting to get riled up now. "My own adoptive mother is running around underground trying to start fights for liberty, but…"

"Is it so wrong to ask if people want us to do that? Are we supposed to be the ones judging right from wrong? Who gave us that authority, you know?"

 

[Drifter]

Interacting With: Colette

Drifter took the bundle without a word, giving a slight shift to adjust the coarse weight of the Oggdo hide settling in his hands. For a moment he didn't look at Colette and just listened.

He learned the hard way that more often than not, women just wanted to be heard and vent rather than get someone to fix things.

The last thing he wanted was to get smacked across the back of his helm.

When he finally looked up, while Colette couldn't see it, the smirk that usually came so easily was gone, and instead, he responded with more understanding than most. Came from growing up with three sisters and a mother who was more than happy to be emotionally available.

[ Sounds like you care more than most, kid. That's not a bad thing. Just… not an easy one. ]

Those toned shoulders gave a slight shrug as he crouched down beside her again, tying off the folded hide with practiced ease.

[You're not wrong, either. Everyone talks about balance, but really, they just want to be the ones calling the shots. Jedi, Sith, Republic, Empire, it's all the same deck, just shuffled different. ]

He gave a quiet huff through the voice modulator that was almost a laugh but not quite.

[ You askin' questions like that… that's what makes you different. Maybe even dangerous -- but there ain't nothing wrong with that. Askin' questions is good. Makes you think. Wonder. Want to explore and learn more. Never stop asking questions. ]

The word hung there for a moment before he pushed himself back to his feet, brushing off the mud from his gloves.

[ You don't gotta forgive her, y'know. Some people ain't meant to stay. They're just there to remind us when it's time to move on. ]

Well, unless one was as stubborn as he at not giving up looking for the one who went away.

[C'mon. Let's get outta here before I start soundin' like a philosopher with bad hair. There's a cantina a few clicks east. I'll buy the first round. ]

Even with the helmet on, the grin in his voice was unmistakable, worn, genuine, and just a little bit reckless.

 

[Colette]

Drifter

It wasn't bad, and it wasn't easy. Kindness would always create more kindness. It wasn't a theory, it was a truth. Colette had shown kindness, and Drifter gave her some in return. It made life easier, created less friction, and made people feel good.

No balance, but wanting to call the shot. It felt like a shot through her nerves, but not in pain but relief. Her head tilted ever so slightly, her mouth agape as all pretenses of the cold and distant Jedi Knight evaporated for just the briefest of moments.

She had never thought of it that way, but it felt so perfectly… It. What her problem was. The 'it' she had tried to define for so long. Why 'it' felt so wrong to be a Jedi and yet right at the same time. And then the point about Reina too. Had Drifter not mentioned the Black Sun earlier she might've just hugged him at this point.

Drifter began to move and Colette had to snap herself out of her state just to jog up to him.

"Yeeeah…" She whispered and approached his side. Her eyes glanced up at her own reflection in his visor and then back to the road. "Nobody ever really told me that, you know. The part about being dangerous."

"I don't feel dangerous." Colette rubbed her bloodied hand against the back of her neck and recoiled once she realized what she had done. Her pants leg was draped in a thin smear of crimson before she turned back to the conversation.

"I mean, I know I'm dangerous but I've never really felt like my questions were the dangerous part."

 

[Drifter]

Interacting With: Colette

Drifter slowed his pace, glancing over when she caught up beside him. The prairie stretched ahead, endless and bright, the wind tugging at their clothes and carrying the smell of bloood and distant rain. Colete would be able to see her reflection staring back at her on his visor, a little worse for wear, tired, but still doing okay.

[ That's the thing about danger, ] he said after a pause. [ You don't usually feel it. You just are it. It's not the blaster or the blade, it's what's behind it. The part that makes people listen when you speak. ]

The Bounty HUnter adjusted the strap of his rifle across his shoulder, looking toward the horizon where the sun dipped lower.

[ Questions shake things up. Make people look at what they don't want to. That scares them. And scared people do stupid things. ]

Drifter glanced back at her again, giving a cant of his polarized helm, and this time when he spoke, the smirk was gone from his voice.

[ You ever notice how the ones who talk about peace the most are the ones who can't sleep at night? They don't want peace, kid. They want quiet. You... you make too much noise for that. ]

For a moment, the wind filled the space between them, carrying the quiet rhythm of their footsteps through the dust. Then true to form, the grin crept back into his tone.

[ Still, if you ever start feelin' too dangerous, don't worry. I'll make sure to keep a safe distance. Like... two drinks apart at the bar. Maybe three. ]

He gave a light chuckle, the sound a husky rough and low gravel before he gestured toward the distant glint of metal where their ship waited.

[ Alright enough jabbering. Let's get this big boy put away. ]

 

[Colette]

Drifter

Quiet. The word lingered between what was being said. Colette listened and slowly nodded along as Drifter shared his thoughts. Part of it frustrated her in its clarity. It was like another piece of her own puzzle and understanding suddenly appeared on the table after having been lost. It clicked into place and revealed one more aspect of the picture she was trying to give shape to.

To her these questions were natural, just regular common sense things to wonder about. The right to end a life. The idea of right and wrong in general. In her pursuit for equal footing in the world it would seem as if she was actually poking at threads that some people preferred to leave untouched.

Authority and righteousness, things that let people control others however they wanted. It made sense then that they wouldn't like it when someone dared to talk back and pierce the social fabric with the most dangerous question of all: why?

Why would death fix anything? Why wouldn't that simply put their sins on your own shoulders, and why would you deny their victims the closure of justice? Why was death justice and why was it seen as closure? Why are you the person to provide that?

These were exactly the thoughts and questions she had provoked her apprentice with, and they were all valid questions that had gone unanswered.

The simple answer was the one she already knew: it wouldn't fix a damn thing.

"Hm?" She hummed in surprise. "Oh, yeah. Let's."

She had tuned out once that glint of humor began to drip from his voice modulator again. As they approached the ship she pulled out a small book from her bag filled with notes. Colette wrote her number on a page and then ripped it out for Drifter to grab.

"In case you need me to save you again, you know?" She offered with a smirk of her own.

 

[Drifter]

Interacting With: Colette

Drifter took the slip of paper, looked at it for a moment as his polarized helm dipped, only to lift back up to reflect the dusty image of Colette.

[ Well now, that's the fastest a lady has ever given me her number. ] He joked, clearly being light-hearted over the situation, but tucked away the comm number nonetheless.

[ I'll hand you my digits -- comm me if you need anything bagged and tagged. Or transported... really anything that will get me some credits to make sure the ol' girl has her fuel. Alex would never let me hear the end of it if Inari forbade us to end up with an empty tank. ]

They arrived at the ship, and the ramp was activated, allowing them to go inside. Drifter got straight to storing the Oggdo and its parts. They could sell it, get the gains, and the bounty for themselves later.

[ Alright. I'ma get cleaned up. You are welcome to wash the stink too. Just go on to the third cabin to the right. Don't mind the knick-knacks there or the plushies. ] he told her, for that had been Kai's room when they were kids.

[ I see you brought another stowaway. ] a sensual feminine voice would pipe in off the overhead speakers, prompting Drifter to freeze, grimace, and then shake a hand over.

[ Well, that there is Alex. Don't mind her. She's a rather onery woman, but she pilots the ship so guess one has to deal with her sass. ] he told her, chuckling.

[ I am the ship! ] Alex shot back, but this time the voice didn't come from the overhead speakers, but from a small hovering droid that floated over from the common area. Alex's ocular sensor went over to review the Oggdo, and then turned around to snap a look at Drifter.

[ You were supposed to capture it alive. ]

Drifter gave a shrug, going [ Eh....minor technicality. I can get another one later.]

 

[Colette]

Drifter

If it took people this long they might just be missing out. Colette wasn't particularly interested in Drifter in that way, but he still showed enough heart that she'd take a chance in him if he wasn't older than her.

In body at least.. Mentally, the jury was still out.

They stepped into the ship and were greeted by a disembodied voice of a woman. Colette looked around to find her only to find it came from a droid. She blinked for a moment at the stowaway comment, and even more so at just how normal she sounded. Whatever algorithm was behind it was clearly refined beyond anything Colette had seen before.

"I wouldn't have let him." Colette stated clearly for Alex before she looked over at the room that had been offered. "Unless to take it back home, but something tells me it would've been to some Black Sun slaver on the rim."

Without delay she made her way over towards the room she had been offered. There wasn't much of note in it to Colette. It seemed like somebody else's room and she was merely borrowing it for now. With that said she couldn't help but notice some of the small details. A lot of mechanical equipment. A photo of a blonde and some brunette that had weathered by age.

A hint of recognition sparked at the back of Colette's mind from the brown-haired one but she really had no idea why.

She leaned away, got herself set up for a shower and let the refresher sweep away the stresses of the day. Colette's hands found the wall. Murky water circled the drain and she let in a deep breath followed by a relieved exhale.

With the shower out of the way she dried off the worst of the wetness and got herself dressed.

"Drifter?" She called out once she stepped out of his sister's room, dressed in a fresh set of clothes from her bag. "Where'd you go?"

"Al- uhh, Alex?"

 

[Drifter]

Interacting With: Colette

Drifter turned at the sound of her voice, leaning casually against the corridor bulkhead just outside the galley. He had scrubbed up and put on the same armor. The only difference is that he tossed it under the sonic to get a good cleaning so now it was stinky free but still showed the wear of someone who practically slept in what he wore.

[ Yo! ] his voice came through bright and playful over the modulator. [ I don't know about you, but I am very glad I no longer stink to high heaven. ]

He gave a lazy wave, gloved fingers waggling for emphasis before he planted a hand on his hip, striking a mock-heroic pose.

[ Alright, I'm all for a drink and something to eat. ] He gestured down the corridor toward the galley.

[ C'mon, kid, Alex swears she's stocked up on ration packs that don't taste like cardboard this time. ]

The ship's AI hummed softly through the speakers, her voice velvet-smooth as ever.

[ They're not entirely ration packs, Drifter. I made sure to include seasoning this time. ]

Drifter chuckled, shaking his head.

[ See? She's a sweetheart when she's not threatenin' to eject me for touching her controls. ]

The Huner started walking, pausing only long enough to glance back over his shoulder at Colette. The grin in his voice was unmistakable.

[ You look better cleaned up too. Don't worry, I'll make sure to save you the good caf before Alex burns it again. ]

 

[Colette]

Drifter

Her shoulders rose for a second before they sank. There were worse things than stinking. Infections, unhygienic wounds, now that was the true reason to worry. Honestly, maybe it was because she was wired differently but rations didn't exactly sound that bad to her either.

"I grew up on dried gristle and water." Colette said and withdrew her canteen to put it on the counter. "Taste is a nice luxury and caf is a waste of good water."

With that said she took a sip from her canteen and put it back down again.

"So, 'Drifter'," she prodded at the question that had lingered from the start. "What's your actual name?"

 

[Drifter]

​

Kalee's Shadow
Colette

Drifter froze mid-step, one gloved hand still on the edge of the galley counter. The air between them shifted, quiet for just a beat before his helmet turned toward her. The polished visor reflected her face back at her, the faint tilt of his head betraying a smirk she couldn't see.

[ Uhhh... Drifter! ] he said finally, the hesitant pause giving him away before the playful tone kicked back in.

[ As real as it gets. It's on my bounty hunting license! ]

There was an unmistakable mischievous scoundrel's grin in his tone. He leaned an elbow on the counter, seemingly relaxed though she could tell by the cadence that he was dodging on purpose.

[ What's in a name anyways? It's just what one answers to. ]

The way he said it carried a flicker of something deeper, like there were things under that easy tone he had no intention of digging up. Whoever he'd been before 'Drifter' clearly wasn't someone he wanted to introduce. Especially since anytime he did, depending on the area of the 'verse he was in, his father's name had the same reaction as the boogyman.

Drifter gave a small shrug, reaching for a dented pot on the counter to redirect the conversation.

[ Other option other than food packs is tryin' to grill some of that Oggdo up. I'm not the best cook though. ] He nudged the pot toward her with a gloved knuckle.

[ You any good with a flame, or are we both about to poison ourselves? ]

The laugh that followed was light, easy, but it didn't quite hide the fact that he'd neatly stepped around her question.

 

[Colette]

Drifter

She looked unimpressed by the answer, but her shrug said it was none of her business anyway. Some people liked hiding behind armor, others behind fake names. It would seem Drifter was the kind to do both. Cowardly but understandable given the earlier mention of the Black Sun.

"Grilled amphibian?" Colette chuckled. "No, thanks. That's a meat you dry for emergencies."

"So no, I can cook enough to char the worst of the bacteria away, but I wouldn't say it's what I do best."

"Please don't tell me you're one of those men who never bothered to cook."

 

[Drifter]

​

Kalee's Shadow
Colette

[ Oi, oi, oi! I'll have you know I'm a man who can take care of himself and grill a mean steak!]

Drifter piped up defensively, grabbing two meal packs from the shelf and setting them on the counter with a bit of flair. He tore one open and started working with the portable cooker, the hum of the inductor filling the small space.

[I just had a habit of bringing home the game, and my sister would turn it into something worth eating. ]He passed her a few vegetables with a tilt of his helmet, motioning for her to chop while he handled the main dish.

His tone shifted slightly, a flicker of warmth and something quieter threading through.

[ She was the best cook outside of our mother.]

There was a brief pause -- a weight that didn't quite fit his usual bravado -- before he cleared his throat and gave a small shrug. He tapped the side of the pot with the spatula, the sound light against the steady hiss of the cooker.

[But hey, single guy like me? I can handle the basics. ]

He angled his visor her way, the glow from the stove reflecting off its surface.

[ What about you, kid? What's the best meal you can cook up? ]

 

[Colette]

Drifter

He spoke in past-tense about his sister. Colette's brows sunk and her lips pursed with a small frown. The story between the lines was starting to take shape and it was a tale she knew better than to prod at.

He had mentioned earlier that he was on the move a lot but not without a goal. The room Colette had used for a brief moment felt untouched as if it had been kept the same for a reason. Speaking wistfully of his sister — the blonde she assumed — all pointed towards Drifter looking for his sibling.

The realization put the jokes in a new perspective. It wasn't a form of defense or petty annoyance. It was a means of releasing pressure from within.

"I can burn nexu meat pretty neatly." Colette answered his question with a joke of her own. "Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside."

Her fingers wrapped around the knife she had been provided. The knife's edge drummed against the cutting board with a quick rhythm as she got to work. Slices of roots and vegetables all made their way into a nearby bowl.

"I would like to know how to make Sushi, but…" The girl shrugged. "Eh, I never had the patience for fishing."

"Too much waiting around."

 

[Drifter]

​

Kalee's Shadow
Colette

Drifter paused for a beat as the sound of Colett's knife tapped against the board, filling the small galley. The smell of heat and spice rose from the pot between them, and for once, he didn't try to fill the silence right away.

After a second, he leaned an elbow on the counter, that polarized shiny visor tilted toward her. When he finally spoke the humor was back in his voice, but a little less armor and a bit more easy going.

[ Burnt nexu, huh? Sounds like a delicacy in half the Outer Rim. Chewy's just added texture. ]

The Hunter gave a short chuckle, stirring the pot as if the motion kept him busy. Steam curled around him, blurring the faint reflection of her face in his visor.

[ Sushi though? You'd like it. All balance and precision. Calm hands, steady breathing. Real Jedi stuff. You'd have to sit still long enough, though.]

There was the grin again and while the sarcasm was clear in his tone, he meant it in good fun. But when he glanced down at the simmering mix, it softened.

[ Patience never came easy for me either. Guess that's why I keep moving. Easier to chase something than wait for it to show up. ]

He didn't name what 'it' was, and he didn't have to, the pause said enough.

With a small shake of his head, he reached over, giving the pot a final stir before nudging her shoulder lightly.

[ Alright, chef. Let's see if this tastes like victory or regret. Either way, we earned it.]

The humor came back just enough to lift the air again, the way it always did when he didn't want her to see too far beneath the surface.

[ S'ides, fishing ain't so hard. And there's basic recipeis I'm sure anyone can find in the holonet. ] his mind wandering back to the extensive silly holiday diners his mother would attempt.

In that moment, Drifter missed home.

 

[Colette]

Drifter

This was nice. Domestic in a kind of unnerving way, but nice nonetheless.

"Right, but I would still have to stand in place and wait for the food to come to me." Colette shrugged between chops. "And I…"

The kid got quiet. Her teeth bit into her lips for a moment before she let it go with a frown.

"I'm not a good swimmer. So spear diving is out of the question."

"Anyway!" She exclaimed to put an end to that. "I'm sure it will taste okay. I mean, as long as it's nourishing enough."

 

[Drifter]

​

Kalee's Shadow
Colette

Not a good swimmer.

That got a reaction out of Drifter, the man swiveling his polarized helm right back over to Colette.

[ Can't swim? Can't swim??! ] he gave a slight lean back as if to get a better look at her.

[ Nah, that ain't right. Everyone should at least know how to swim! ] he declared, giving a slight shake of the spoon he was using to stir the pot.

[ Ain't hard at all. 'Sides everyone pretty much already knows how to float. How about that. Let's get you learning how to swim? ]

 

[Colette]

Drifter

The chopping stopped. The kitchen got a really quiet for a moment.

"Uh, no?" Colette scoffed and crossed her arms. "I said I'm a bad swimmer, not that I can't swim."

"Besides, I can just make the water push me with the force. And more than that, you'd have to get out of your armor to stay afloat for lessons, and I don't think you have the guts to do that, Mister Never-Show-My-Face."

 

[Drifter]

​

Interacting With: Colette

Drifter's familiar chuckle echoed through the voice modulator of his helm, all smug in all the wrong ways.

[ Oh, I've got guts, sweetheart. I just happen to keep 'em wrapped in state-of-the-art armor plating. Adds to the mystery, you know? Besides, not everyone can handle this pretty mug of mine. It's really for everyone's benefit so they are not stunned by my beauty!]

There was no end to his shamelessness even as he set the spatula down and leaned against the counter, poloarized visor gleaming under the galley light as if it were grinning right back at her.

[ And for the record, pushin' yourself with the Force? That's not swimming. That's cheatin' with extra steps. ]

The hunter gave a playful shrug, voice all charm and tease.

[ Tell you what, though -- one day I'll prove I can swim circles around you. You'll be flailing in the shallows, and I'll be out there lookin' like some kinda aquatic holostar. ]

He gestured toward the simmering pot with mock seriousness.

[ But for now, I'll settle for survivin' this meal. Pretty sure it's gonna be the closest I get to deep water today. This just about done. Let's plate up! ]

 

[Colette]

Drifter

That was a lot of ways to say you were scared of being seen. Colette raised her brows with amusement as Drifter began to argue back. Adds to the mystery? Sure buddy, Drifter was free to assume the mystery went any deeper once you got to know his true personality.

Just a man afraid to be seen for who he was in case someone actually got close enough to hit him where it hurt. The armor was more to soothe his ego than anything else, and he knew it. He wouldn't be wearing it otherwise.

"Bigger women than you have made that threat, Wuss." Colette fired back at the dare. "My m-... Mmm-..."

No, that word was still difficult to say.

"... The person who adopted me has tried many times before."

She grabbed a bowl each and put them by the warm pot.

"So, what's your plan for the soup?" She asked with a raise of her brows. "A straw?"
That was a lot of ways to say you were scared of being seen. Colette raised her brows with amusement as Drifter began to argue back. Adds to the mystery? Sure buddy, Drifter was free to assume the mystery went any deeper once you got to know his true personality.

Just a man afraid to be seen for who he was in case someone actually got close enough to hit him where it hurt. The armor was more to soothe his ego than anything else, and he knew it. He wouldn't be wearing it otherwise.

"Bigger women than you have made that threat, Wuss." Colette fired back at the dare. "My m-... Mmm-..."

No, that word was still difficult to say.

"... The person who adopted me has tried many times before."

She grabbed a bowl each and put them by the warm pot.

"So, what's your plan for the soup?" She asked with a raise of her brows. "A straw?"

 

[Drifter]

​

Kalee's Shadow
Colette

Drifter listened with a spark of real curiosity, even as he gave a small huff at her lack of confidence in his survival skills.

He grabbed two bowls from the shelf, setting one down in front of her before picking up a small pouch for himself -- the kind that came with, yes, an attached straw. Classic Drifter.

[ Oh, don't you worry, kid. I've got my ways to make sure I'm fed. ]

He started ladling food into her bowl before filling his own, handing her utensils with a casual flick of his wrist.

As she talked about her mother, Drifter's helmet tilted just slightly, the gesture subtle but telling.

[ So... you mean your adopted mother? ]

Blunt, yes, but there was no bite behind it, only curiosity. She'd hovered around the truth, and he'd picked up on it.

[ Or is there something wrong with calling her that? ]

He waited offering the bowl in her even as his polarized visor gently reflected the steam curled between them and her face.