Lost Causes

[Breanna Volsh]

Hot wind and scorching sand no place for a zeltron but her travels had brought her to Tattooine the planet of history. Her blue eyes looked around blinking, and watering as she acclimated to the temperatures and the light.

Bree was spending too much time in Cantina’s as of late. This one reeked almost as bad as the last one she stood in the doorway contemplating entry. The bright sunlight flooded the door her silhouette the only thing visible.

How bad could it be? Being on her own was not as awkward as she thought it would be, though it had too many times where she wished for home, and familiar people.

Bree found her way to the bar away from the doorway she could see it, and others in the bar she still had a blind side and if anyone approached she’d be caught off guard.

There were a few whispers about her home world. The descriptions that followed were not encouraging. She had waited too long to go home, and now there was no home to go to.

[member="Orick T'ane"]

 

[Orick T'ane]

He hated Tattooine. Hated it more than he hated Weequay pirates. BUT, his shipment had to be delivered here and he needed the money. Low risk high profit jobs were becoming harder to find these days. Smuggling was starting to become the crutch he didn't want in his life.

He stepped into the cantina and let out an audible sigh; seedy cantinas were another part of being a smuggler that he hated. Way too many beings that wouldn't hesitate to sell you out for a free drink to be found in his experience. Checking to make sure the strap on his blaster was loose, he wandered over to one of the tables in the back, hoping beyond hope that that Devaronian trader would get his merchandise down to the docking bays soon.

Leaning back in his chair, he gave the bar a once over and stopped for a second before finishing. What in the hell is a Zeltron doing here. His thoughts focusing on the obviously out of place being at the bar. Taking out his datapad, he sighed again and tossed it on the table. His eyes boring into the things, ocularly prodding it to *BEEP*

[member="Breanna Volsh"]

 

[Breanna Volsh]

oh ok Bree thought as she ordered her drink a bit of prayer that it would come in a clean glass and actually be something she could and would drink. There were eyes on her she looked and turned her gaze met the eyes of [member="Orick T'ane"] that look on his face though did it mirror his thoughts, he looked surprised.

When he looked away she did not she watched him now. By comparison of the others present in the Cantina he seemed a bit more interesting, and she would bet that he did not want to be here.

Being a social creature Bree picked up her glass which had just been set down. A quick inspection of the glass it was clean she began to walk towards him. Men stepped out of her way as she moved, they knew about zeltrons or at least thought they did.

"mind some company" she asked as she stood next to his table. It would be assumed that she was propositioning him that worked to her advantage at times, and to her disadvantage at other times.

 

[Orick T'ane]

Orick saw the movement out of the corner of his eye, hand moving ever so slightly towards his blaster. He looked up when she began talking, his blue eyes gazing up, focusing on her intently. Shifting in his chair, his boots hot the cantina floor with a *Thud* an inquisitive look on his face, " Not at all, please have a seat." he replies to [member="Breanna Volsh"].

His mind was racing a mile a minute trying to figure out her angle. His eyes roamed her body briefly, noting that there weren't many places to conceal weapons, She's a Zeltron, that's weapon enough, he thinks to himself trying to remember all of the things that he'd heard about them. " Don't mind the sand, this place is covered in it" He says, a light chuckle escaping his lips as he glances around the cantina, looking for her partner.

 

[Breanna Volsh]

Beer swept the little grains away and sat down. "Its Tattooine there's always sand. So my blue eyed friend I've seen you before where is your little green eyed companion?"

Bree took a drink, yes she remembered. Her gaze stayed on him if there was indication of something sinister she hoped for a bit of warning by watching

[member="Orick T'ane"]

 

[Orick T'ane]

Orick blinked a few times, trying to remember when he had been careless enough to not remember this companion she was alluding to. His thoughts stopped suddenly and for all of his concentration his body tensed up slightly, memory of the last time he had seen the Blue haired alien flashed in his mind.

Nar Shaddaa, the dingy cantina not unlike this one. His glanced around the room quickly, scanning it for any other familiar faces from that day. His mind screaming TRAP at him louder than the gusts of a wind storm. He sets his eyes upon her with a knowing glare.

" Who exactly is it you are working for that you followed me all the way to Tattooine? Who did I piss off this time. The Ecxhange? Black sun? the Hutts?"


Remembering to breath he decided to wait long enough to figure this out, and hoping that his skills would hold up long enough for him to get back to his ship while he was still breathing.

[member="Breanna Volsh"]

 

[Breanna Volsh]

[SIZE=12pt]Breanna leaned back in her seat just watching him as he came suddenly unglued with paranoia. “No one sent me here, I travel at my own requests and needs.” Then she tilted her head and winked at him, “Maybe you should think that if I were inclined to follow you, I followed you for some.” She gave it a well-deserved pause, “Fun”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]What fun could be found here on Tatooine she’d have to find out? Rex had always said this place was a horror show and the participants would just as soon slit your throat as look at you. [/SIZE]


[SIZE=12pt]“Relax.” She smiled then trying to impress upon his mind imagery of comfort.[/SIZE]

[member="Orick T'ane"]

 

[Orick T'ane]

Orick frowns, but also seems to relax just a bit. " Well, have you ever noticed that whenever someone tells you to relax, that the farthest thing that you want to do?" Sighing deeply he lets the building tension in his body loose.

" As for this 'fun' that you have decided that I might be inclined to give to you. Starting off a conversation this way is a bad way to start. If you want fun, go find whatever Hutt is running this place today and offer up your services. " His tone has bite, but it lacks the venom that would make it truly spiteful. " However, If you wanted just some 'fun', you would have approached this entire conversation differently."

The BEEP if his data pad stops him for a second and a smile slowly plays across his lips. " So, that leads me to believe you have another reason for approaching me all together. Keep in mind that I no longer need to be here. My business on this rat hold of a planet has been concluded. Only thing keeping me here is how interesting this conversation becomes."


[member="Breanna Volsh"]

 

[Breanna Volsh]

She laughed, "That is a first that I would say have some fun and not be taken up on it, without question" She heard the bite in his voice he was quite direct and on the edge of belligerent not unexpected when she approached people. They always suspected Zeltrons of the worst kind of behavior. Was she not being friendly? Was she not at least ten shades cleaner than many of the others in this place?

She leaned forward onto the table, hoping that nothing would stick to her or infect her with some noxious disease. He really did need to relax such a cranky person.

"What would you rather here, Hey looking for a good time, that's so cliché don't you think? She toyed with her glass that she held looking at the liquid as it swirled round and round in the glass.

"Maybe I need to know what kind of person you are, are you to be trusted, and are you fair?" She still bore that horrid scar from her hip to navel the one secret she had. She focused her blue eyes on his as they spoke. There was the risk that he would get up and leave, there was also the possibility he'd sit still.

There were others that she could approach but she had seen his face before and that provided her a semblance of safety.

[member="Orick T'ane"]

 

[Orick T'ane]

He replies with a deep loud laugh. The other patrons turning to look at him and [member="Breanna Volsh"] as he does. He gives them a glare and turns back to her. " I am sorry that I didn't automatically want a romp in the sheets with you, but I'm not one on those types of guys, and I suspect that you are not that type either. Not unless it suits you're purposes."

He put his face in his hand and rubbed the bridge of his nose. " This is why I don't like jedi. One conversation with a jedi and people assume that I'm the ray of hope in this dark and dangerous galaxy. I must be a good guy because the jedi like me. You know what happens to good people? They get themselves killed for stupid causes. kriffing fools is what they are."

He downs his drink in one swig and sets it on the table. Looking up at [member="Breanna Volsh"] he shakes his head and sighs. " How bad is it?"

 

[Breanna Volsh]

Well she made him laugh; she did not need to look around to know heads turned towards them wanting to know what was so funny.

“Oh don’t apologize sometimes I say it just because I think that is what is expected of me” It was true while she had a very healthy sex drive; she also enjoyed boxing, gambling, drinking, eating, and dancing. Of course these were all different ways to party but not every Zeltron immediately jumped into a bed, or lifted their skirts in the alley.

“I have never met a Jedi are they the saviors of the galaxy?” She smiled she did not know if good people got killed over stupid causes. But she knew good peopled died every day and not so much of a blurb on page 6 of the news mentioned them.

“Not too bad, but then some would say suicide” She bit her lip a bit nervous a trait she had only recently picked up.

“Do you know where you are headed from here?” She hoped he would say something that was on the way to where she wanted to go, and if he didn’t then she might have to convince him.

[member="Orick T'ane"]

 

[Orick T'ane]

His grin was tinted with menace and sorrow, " So you just play to the stereotypes of your race and allow others to underestimate you. My kind of girl." He turned over the his glass and began shifting it on the table, leaving little lines of sand in it's wake.

" Jedi are a pain in the.. well you get it. They fight when it's prudent to run, talk when it's prudent to fight and run when they can clearly win. It's maddening. They mean well, but they have this view of the world that non jedi just don't get because we are blind to this all mighty force that they tout as the greatest thing since bantha steaks."



"Not too bad, but then some would say suicide"

He knew it s soon as she said it, she's gonna be the death of me. he thought.

"My latest client is taking me near the mid rim, planet named Naboo. Lovely little world, really. With any luck it's not near whatever death trap you want me to help you with, but I suspect we will be making a stop there anyway. I'm just another kriffing fool in the end.".

 

[Breanna Volsh]

She put her hand to her mouth covering her smile and then took it away “So all this bluster is for show?” She arched a brow and gave him a smirk. “I don’t mind being under estimated it is an advantage I quite enjoy” she lifted her glass again taking a long draw but keeping her eyes on him as she tilted the glass back to empty it.

His opinion on Jedi was interesting and having never met any she was not sure if he was right or wrong, it was merely his opinion. She had a hard time imaging this all-encompassing force that the Jedi seemed to wield with such authority.

Now they were getting to the nitty gritty, “I need to go to Zeltros” What she wanted was to see if her parents still lived. She had not heard from them and did not know if they left or worse were killed.

It could be the last thing either of them did.

[member="Orick T'ane"]

 

[Orick T'ane]

Zeltros...

there it was. He didn't know what had happened there, but he knew enough to know it was bad. Standing quickly he dropped a couple of credit chips on the table and looked down at [member="Breanna Volsh"] , " Grab your stuff and meet me at docking bay 27. My ship is there, this conversation isn't something I want to continue here"

He took a quick look around and hoped that the last place he visited wasn't some dump cantina on an armpit world in the outer rim.

 

[Breanna Volsh]

[member="Orick T'ane"]

It was the quickest negotiation she had ever been a part of. "Ok Bay 27" Not that she carried around a lot of things just enough, and then sometimes a little more. There were times she wished she could read minds rather than plant images that was a skill that would come in handy.

She nodded to Orick and wondered out to retrieve her belongings from the room she rented for the night. She wouldn't be needing it, and after a haggle with the owner she was at least able to get back half of her credits. Now she started out for the spaceport. Would he still be there, or had he taken off?

 

[Orick T'ane]

The docking bay was littered with broken crates and trash that had collected over the years of neglect on the part of the spaceport operators. The ship wasn't much better, it was patched and rusty and it looked like it had seen better decades.

The ramp was down and Orick stood just off to the side, adjusting a small panel recessed into the side of the ship. His coat was off, his bare arms slick with sweat and sand, several tribal designed tattoo's ran the length of his arms before disappearing into the leather cuffs at his wrists.

[member="Breanna Volsh"]

 

[Breanna Volsh]

[member="Orick T'ane"]​

​

Bree sauntered up to the Bay she could see him standing there doing the things that pilots often did before shipping out, check the ship. She took a deep breath and formed a smile. "For a moment I thought you might leave without me"

She bit her lip slightly hunger had finally reared its ugly head at her, the power bar for breakfast had worn off. She had not been eating regularly as credits were not regularly given. She at times bartered everything but her pride away to get from one place to another. So far he had asked nothing, it was behavior she was not accustomed to.

 

[Orick T'ane]

He turned as he heard [member="Breanna Volsh"]. His smile was genuine, yet his eyes betrayed his feelings, the weary look evident. " I considered it. You have no idea what you've asked me to do. But the very least I can do is hear you out. Go ahead and get aboard. Go left about 2 meters and you'll see a door on the left, that one is yours. It's small but there's a refresher inside. Galley is just past that, another meter or so. I need to know more, much more. I need the full truth, no shab." He turned and made one final adjustment to the panel and closed it.

Wiping sweat off his face he turned to her, " I'm going to make my cargo drop on Naboo before i make up my mind. I'll be fair and honest with you, I only ask that you do the same. Help with the cargo and watch my back on the transfer and I'll give you a cut of the take. At the very least you'll be on a decent world and not this armpit." His tone was soft but it was forward, he wasn't trying to be some holo-hero. Tell her the truth and help if you can, but don't commit suicide.

 

[Breanna Volsh]

Bree nodded, "ok. I will tell you what I know" She smiled and headed inside counting off till she found the room. He was right small but adequate. She'd change in here before they went on to Naboo. Space as cold it seemed to seep into her she sat down she felt tired pulling her legs up she laid back closing her eyes

He didn't trust her. That was ok. Going to naboo could be fun. She waited for him to come on board [member="Orick T'ane"]

 

[Orick T'ane]

He hopped onto the ramp and stepped inside, he could still smell her in the hallway. How long had it been since he had anyone aboard the ship. He made one final check on the cargo crates to ensure they weren't going to be a problem and he made his way to the cockpit. there were 3 chairs in all. Two forward facing and one that faced port. All three had instrument panels in front of them. " We're getting ready to lift off, don't mind the ride, this baby gets a bit ornery is she sits too long." He toggled the comms off and started the start up sequence, his hands moving quickly across the console in front of him.

the ship jumped a bit as it left the ground and then settled into a steady, smooth acceleration. He always knew that one day it was going to just fall from the sky, too tired and weary to keep itself in the air any longer. It wasn't long before they were in space and leaving Tatooine in the distance

[member="Breanna Volsh"]