Long time no talk

[Coren Starchaser]

The pilot looked around. He was at the station somewhere on the outskirts of Alliance space. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust the Alliance, it was just he didn’t want to deal with them right now. Setting up the way the Jedi were? It was disturbing. What he needed to do was get some distance and he had that, but right now? He was making the trips he needed to gather the teams he needed, the people he could trust.

And the first name that came to mind once all the military stuff settled? [member="Rekha Kaarde"].

The trick was that she was in the Alliance, in Tiburons and he wanted her there. He didn’t want to risk her job and standing with the Alliance, hell, he didn’t want to risk anyone’s task with the Alliance. Probably why he was talking to Nemo Ven about it. Moving people to new units, and getting them shipped out to him.

Still in the Alliance, just working under Coren’s command, a bit of a new unit, a new style, something he had wanted to do, but now had the clout to do. He was waiting for her at the station’s cantina. It was loud, it was dark, and hopefully he would spot anyone listening, but really, he was here, a smuggler from a smuggling destination in a dirty ship ID.

Simple.

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

[SIZE=12pt]A cantina, not unusual and Rekha liked cantina’s she owned one after all. But now what was interesting here was that Coren had invited, and considering all the whispers about him she couldn’t help but wonder what was up. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]The cantina he invited her to had a reputation, you know the kind that went along with who shot first Han or Greedo? It made her careful, and she made sure she had her blaster, and that it was easily seen.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Walking into the cantina wearing the usual outfit of black, her favorite color she looked around and saw the familiar form of her friend, commander, and well…he’s pretty to look at too.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Rekha walked over and sat down staring across at [member="Coren Starchaser"] , “So do I get a drink first before you tell me what the feth is going on?” She tilted her head as her emerald green eyes locked on him.[/SIZE]

 

[Coren Starchaser]

It was easy to get time away and for people to not listen to everything that was being said by two spacers in a cantina. Coren liked the atmosphere of them, anyway. He might not be from Lorrd, but he was definitely able to mimic accents, part of his Special Operations training with a defunct Imperial group at one time or another in his past.

Chameleon, he could really blend in most places that had humans, or near-humans. Confident in the cantina, Coren was waiting for his friend and when he saw her, he nodded in her direction. He didn’t bother getting up, because, well, Coren and Rekha went far enough back.

When she spoke, the main grinned and pointed the chair across the table and gave a nod at the waitress. Sometimes Coren could make people do what he wanted when he wanted. “Safe trip over here?” He ordered himself a whiskey on the rocks and pointed to Rekha, she as a grown woman, could order her own drink.

[member="Rekha Kaarde"]

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

"Make it two" She said her eyes only for a moment looking at the waitress. Slowly she sat back in her seat taking in the face of the man across from her. How many battles? How many drinks?

"Trip was uneventful" She hated quiet time it was a death watch, the slow ticking of a clock winding down to the moment where you breathed your last. Could this man make her do what he wanted, depended on what he offered in return................sometimes.

She had yet to tell him what had happened on that space station with mon loup but that was a conversation for when? And then there were other things. Oh Coren Coren she thought what is going on behind those beautiful eyes.

The waitress was back with their drinks, she quickly left catching the bits of tension that seem to linger over them both. Rekha lifted her glass, "To friendship"

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Coren Starchaser]

There was something great about seeing Rek, he wasn’t sure what it was. Familiarity? Someone he knew he could trust? Definitely along those lines. Right now he was on the mission, well, his mind was. That was one reason he called Rekha up. Part social call, part needing someone he could trust, and a third part of seeing just how crazy his idea was.

He never wanted to force his ideas on other people, but he needed pilots, he needed personnel, and the Supreme Commander had given him ideas, and permission. Sure, to the public Coren had left Alliance space.

A grin on his face as he relaxed into his seat, looking not unlike a certain smuggler who was calm and collected when speaking to a Rodian. Sure, this conversation was not going to go that way for the person talking to the smuggler, no sir, but it was just the air and attitude Coren was putting off. He took the glass that arrived and nodded to his partner-in-crime.

“To friendship and freedom.” He smiled. Freedom of the skies and freedom of action.

[member="Rekha Kaarde"]

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

"Friendship and Freedom then" She offered up her glass and then took a long draw, the burn was smooth and lit her belly up. She rested her hand on the table fingers still curled around the glass, already beads of condensation rolled downwards.

She laughed then "you have this I just ate the canary look on your face love" Rekha took another sip of the whiskey, it was good to sit back and not think about too much right now. She licked her lips making sure to gather any of the amber liquid in a single sweep.

"Coren. Are the rumors true?" She looked at him emerald green eyes fixed on his face, slowing looking into his ocean blue orbs. "cause....I won't believe it until I hear it from you" She took another sip, and he was a smart man he certainly would know what she was referring to.

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Coren Starchaser]

Friendship and freedom. Clear skies and safe hyperlanes. All those things were what Coren was always after. Right now, though, it was definitely friendship and the freedom to act how he wants. Not necessarily outside of the Alliance, but the Alliance had to deal more with protection, as Nemo Ven had stated, it was the Galactic Alliance Defense Force. And he could only convince the others that the best defense was a good offense for so long. Hence why Coren was doing what he did.

Omai Rhen’s offer to the Wrath was only the perfect timing.

Now Coren could make his strike teams, and organize them to be ready. He took a sip of his newly arrived drink and looked at Rekha. “Are what rumors true?” He wanted to hear what the rumors were. Did he play the part right?

He hoped so.

[member="Rekha Kaarde"]

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

[member="Coren Starchaser"]​

​

"Well there's one rumor that says you've gone rogue and quit the Alliance, there's another rumor that says you lost your nerve flying and you've tucked tail and headed home, and I think the last one I heard was something about buying a planet." Rekha sipped her drink again, "My personal favorite this week though was the one I heard on the way over here was that since we couldn't beat the sith you were joining them"

She smiled at him, "So, you tell me love, which one holds water cause I know you haven't lost your nerve, and you don't have enough credits for a planet, no matter how much [member="Spark Finn"] can whiz through accounts." She toyed with her drink for a moment, her emerald eyes staring down and then looking across to Coren.

"So..rogue, or joining the sith?" She would bet a check that it wasn't joining the Sith but feth stranger things have happened.

 

[Coren Starchaser]

Coren laughed, Rekha always knew what to say, and well, the middle one was just offensive. What were people thinking? Rogue, that would be the best one. “They’re sayin’ all that, huh?” He sipped his drink. “No, no planet. Definitely haven’t lost the nerve behind the stick. And, join the Sith? Yeah, that would happen when the Celestials show up and bring back Luke Skywalker from the dead.”

If he was even real.

Looking at the fellow smuggler, and Underground extraordinaire, he smiled, one of those Corellian grins.”Lets call it rogue. For now. Its far more complicated than that, but its… sort of sanctioned.” In that Ven knew Coren knew his stuff. His blew eyes met her greens.

“Which is why I’ve contacted you. I’ve got a free pass to handle situations how I see fit. If you’re interested?” He needed a second, after all.

[member="Rekha Kaarde"]

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

[member="Coren Starchaser"]​

​

"Free pass you say" Rekha looked at her friend the whole time, the Corellian grin yeah that was suppose to be a charmer did he think he was Han Solo the Smuggler? She laughed just a little.

"How much of a free pass, like 100% or does it really have some limitations?" To her free pass meant anything goes, but did it mean the same thing to those who had given it, or was it an assumption that it was.

She took another sip of her drink, "And the follow-up question is when does it start?" She smiled this time, it was a Keladian smile. You know smuggler home world...

 

[Coren Starchaser]

A free pass from the military, from the reach of everything else. Coren nodded, with a grin. He had a lot of things he couldn’t do, but they were basically things he wouldn’t do anyway. Besides, with a limited budget, it was hard to get out there and do the good work he wanted to do, but it allowed him a special card to do it how he saw fit, not some brass move between leaders of the Alliance.

“Well, my actions aren’t sanctioned, completely. And the basics of how the Alliance holds itself needs to be kept in check. But it allows a new avenue, one that is not going to be tracked by those hunting down Alliance members. So, there is a good deal of freedom.” If she caught his drift.

When she asked her next question, Coren returned a toothy grin. “Well, we’ve been working on pulling a few people in, I’ve been turning others who are close to me, away. But I need a second. How does today sound?” He laughed. “Or whenever you can get yourself out to our rendezvous.”

[member="Rekha Kaarde"]

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

The glass felt odd in her hand she could see it knew her fingers held it tight and yet it wasn’t there. She was having one of those moments that she needed to hold on till it passed.

She smiled knowingly at Coren when he said, Actions aren’t sanctioned, completely/. Rekha had done quite a few things that weren’t considered sanctioned. A good deal of freedom meaning as long as they didn’t blow up planets things could be quite good.

She knew she should think on it, consider it before jumping. But this was Coren, she rarely denied him anything, call it a weakness. Call it whatever else you wanted. She nodded to him, “I’m in today is good. I didn’t have any plans anyhow”

That was the truth. Her bar was being run by the staff, people she trusted, she was not currently bound to any missions, and her boss was sitting in front of her. So.
“When do we leave?”

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Coren Starchaser]

He knew what he was on about. The man was going to take down the Sith, or die trying. He didn’t need the Alliance, though their military wouldn’t hurt the attempts he made. Just so long as they got their ducks in a row before the Jedi took over. But here he was, on his task, and ready to save everything the galaxy was worth.

When Rekha said she was in today, Coren nodded. He figured she might be. “As soon as we’re done with the drinks. Just need to get planning and once we get the whole team together, that will go much easier.” He smiled and held up his glass.

“To saving the galaxy.”

[member="Rekha Kaarde"]

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

"To saving the galaxy" She lifted her glass still holding tight the galaxy needed to watch out, well the Sith did. whatever they did after this would either be written in history books as courageous or the most foolish thing either of them had ever done.

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Coren Starchaser]

The pilot smiled at his long time team member. Having her working with him was going to help a lot. He knew that Rekha was determined, and they both knew each other’s skills and weak points. Coren could go down in books as either of those two choices, of course, so long as his people were writing the history of his story, then he did the right choice. If they were all grunting in Mando or Sith languages, then he pretty much failed.

“So, shall we get moving?” He said, after he drained his glass.

[member="Rekha Kaarde"]

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

She lifted the glass drained it. She smiled her best, "yep" her word was her bond once given it would take death to break it. The man across from her had been her friend, subjected to her flirting, and her touching him. He took most in stride learning her and who she was.

"Lets get this act on the road" there would be others to join them she knew, those that shared the vision, the commitment to the task.

 

[Coren Starchaser]

Coren wasn’t expecting anyone to die doing this. No, he was needing the help with the logistics, and in the hopes they would find useful military members to help bolster their numbers. The people he knew would be free to select the missions they wanted, and perform their tasks in the best manner they thought. It was complete freedom with the simple rules of taking down the dark side, and especially, the Sith, even if the First Order was causing concern lately as well.

“Our first stop is to pick up your gear, then we’ll get moving to our new home, for the foreseeable future.” The pilot grinned and stood, holding his arm out for Rekha, a bit overly chivalrous and outdated, but he was just glad he knew another person in the galaxy he could count as a friend.

[member="Rekha Kaarde"]

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

[SIZE=12pt]“My gear it is then” She linked arms with Coren, the two of them off on an adventure like Dorothy and the Tin Man following the yellow brick road.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Only thing was at the end of their rainbow was a verse without a bunch of Sith running around in it.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She smiled, “I don’t have much, just enough…”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]She leaned over, “Where is that exactly?” She signed up without asking too many questions, so..now when commited..she had at least that one to ask[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt][member="Coren Starchaser"][/SIZE]