Moments of Peace

[Ra'a'mah]

Lithios, Jovim's Noodle Shop

The wet and rainy location was picked a while ago to meet up at sometime in the future. That moment had arrived. Luckily the patrons and owner of the shop did not appear to mind a droid loitering around. At least that is how Ra appeared. She didn't think the desguise would need to last much longer though.

As she had escaped certain death by faking her own, she wanst sure how Ar'ekk would react to learning she was actually alive and well. Word would have reached him of her death and conversion into the droid. It had been in several colums on the holonet when it happened. A video of her trail by HK and her 'death' had been spread.

So far only a select few knew the truth and perhaps Ar'ekk would join that number.

He would know she was here and now she waited at the noodle shop for him.

[member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

​

LITHIOS​

Jovim's Noodle Shop, Ethos City​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Ra'a'mah"] ​

Word got out fast.

Surfing the Darknet after a considerate amount of time to try and keep himself up to date with Ra's current status with everything regarding her bounty, Ar'ekk hoped that their reunion would take place soon enough. Losing track of time mixed with the news of her "death" and becoming a droid did not him as hard as he thought.

She was a very intelligent woman.

The rest of his days were as common as they could be, a trip through the rainy streets of Ethos City to meet up with Jovim at his shop like he always did. A friendly chatter with his good old friend helped him to cope with the pain and depression that built overtime within his mind and body, taking any more losses could be fatal for his health.

A droid loitered the streets behind his back as he sat down on one of the free stools which made him take two glances over his shoulder, wondering if that could be her but dismissing the thought right away. Turning back to face Jovim and ask for his usual plate, Ar'ekk made the inquiry nonetheless.

"How long has that droid been standing there?"

The sound of the grill and steak being cooked overtook their conversation for a moment as the rain downpoured on their heads with tenacious strength. Jovim eventually spoke out, placing a bowl of wet noodles and Bantha grill in front of Ar'ekk.

"Don't know! Not long, I focus here! Food, good. Hm?"

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[Ra'a'mah]

In an environment such as what was on Lithios, it might be odd there was a droid out in the rain. However, her presence was not actually noticed by Ar'ekk to the extent he approached to speak with her personally. Thanks to the helmet, she had enhanced hearing and could listen in on the conversation between him and the owner.

That owner certainly wasn't as stupid as he was pretending to be. He had noticed her walk up and then the time it had happened. Organics did not pay attention to what they did around droids since they were known not to have a sense of morality. A droid wouldn't care if it was being lied to or deceived. It was something no droid would ever do either.

She wasn't a real droid though, but fully organic under the suit. Pretending to be a patient droid, once Ar'ekk started eating, she would walk up to him and deliver a message through her modulated voice.

"I am the Lady of Honesty and Ra'a'mah Numare wishes to meet with you."

[member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Jovim's Noodle Shop, Ethos City​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Ra'a'mah"] ​

Not even managing to slurp a single noodle, Ar'ekk was poked in the arm by the very same droid he passed by and spoken to in a very direct manner. Looking up to the robotic individual with a quizzical glance and hearing Ra's name it didn't click at first that this was her but instead she had sent a messenger in place.

Interesting? Definitely.

Leaving his food aside and instead standing up from the stool, he decided to follow the droid suit as it commanded him. A cancer stick would reach his lips already ignited, blowing smoke out of his nostrils as it mixed with the cold weather.

Rain droplets fell from his blazer as he found himself again under the unforgiving rain, no more shelter.

"How is she? I didn't expect Ra'a'mah to send a droid in her place but I'll take it."

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[Ra'a'mah]

Since this was still a public setting Ra maintained her cover. While Ar'ekk had to get wet with the rain, she remained untouched by it. Sometimes the suit was a blessing and in this case it was.

After working with the Metal Lords for so long, Ra had actually picked up a great deal on how things worked. With the addition of the suit which was very technical, she could accomplish many more things. Prior to this, she was a novice at many things, even if she was a master in certain aspects of her life, technology wasn't one of them. Now she was a little more understanding of how things worked.

In preparation for this trip here, Ra had made arrangements to let a room for a day and it was here she lead Ar'ekk. It was under a false name just in case anybody was attempting to track her still. The woman lead Ar'ekk to the inn and to the room.

"You will find out soon what the fate of Ra was."

It was all she said on t​he way unless he spoke further.

[member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Ethos City​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Ra'a'mah"] ​

Being dragged to a nice hotel in the middle of a bustling city such as Ethos City, Ar'ekk couldn't help but wonder of Ra'a'mah's whereabouts and current state. Sure, things didn't look great on paper but she had to be alive and well for all he knew, despite not knowing she was right there with him.

Things didn't click yet.

Leaving his bomber jacket folded on a chair nearby and walking around the room while he waited, he'd turn back to the female droid and nodded to what she said. The waiting was killing him but hoped that everything would be alright, it had to be that way.

"She's coming here?"

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[Ra'a'mah]

Dragged wasn't quite the right word for it since he followed the apparent droid without any physical force. Once they were inside the room, the droid made sure there were no listening devices or hidden recorders. It was something she had done before, but did it now every time she returned to any place public.

"Yes, she is already here."

Lifting a hand to the he​​lmet, the face plate that was hiding her face, slid up inside and revealed who was inside the suit.

"Just a simple precaution I have to take these days. I trust you won't reveal my secret?"

[member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Ethos City​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Ra'a'mah"] ​

Not dragged, indeed.

The reveal caught him by surprise as he was definitely not expecting to see Ra's face underneath the helmet, thinking it was nothing but a droid speaking on her behalf considering she was in great danger if she made it out alive. People would still want her head either way, so taking an extra security measure as this one was great thinking.

A sigh of relief and holding his temple in disbelief, Ar'ekk paced around the room attempting to gather his thoughts. The night at the Hapes came to mind first when she revealed the upcoming plan, what she'd have to do to make sure she stayed out of the spotlight and try to survive.

She did and was here with him on Lithios as they had agreed in case everything went "alright" between her bounty and the rest.

"Ra. You have no idea how happy it makes me to see you."

He felt a warm and fuzzy feeling in his chest, one that he had not felt in a long time, after so long blaming himself for the death of a woman. Seeing her alive was a nice sensation for a change. Not everything was obscure anymore. Ar'ekk was happy and nothing could take that away from him.

"It's a miracle we found each other like this. I didn't believe it was you."

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[Ra'a'mah]

It took a few moments for her news to sink in before Ar'ekk was able to speak again. Ra gave him what time he needed. Her news had waited this long to tell him, it was only fair she be patient with him.

When he did recover, he said he was happy to see her again and that he found it hard to believe it had been done in such a way.

Something dawned on her, their entire previous evening, neither one had mentioned they could the Force. It wasn't actually something she relied upon heavily, but she didn't know how he might feel about her having that ability. Since he had not told her he could either, she wrongly assumed he could not use it.

She finished taking her helmet off and set it on the table.

"That is exactly what I hoped to hear. If you can be fooled, then I would think somebody that never met me would be as well."

[member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Ethos City​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Ra'a'mah"] ​

They were gifted in the Force, that's for sure. Ar'ekk was a former Jedi Knight and Ra, unbeknownst to him, used to be a Sith long ago. Everything about that, the conflict and ever insisting fights over ideologies and doctrines were left behind at least by him. It wasn't necessary to ask each other because they could palpate their signatures through this gift.

Holding Ra's helmet between his palms and inspecting it thoroughly, he wondered how everything worked to conceal Ra's true identity. it was a marvelous piece of technology, something that was custom-built for her and could have only be done by one individual in the galaxy: The Metal Lords.

Someone in specific? HK-36. The droid himself and the Jedi then met briefly for a mission that required his usage and knowledge of the Force to reach a certain place where HK couldn't. That was long ago and it was futile to keep remembering that...

"You're right. That's one hell of a disguise, let me tell you. But boy, I do love seeing that face instead."

He cheekily smiled.

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[Ra'a'mah]

If he had noticed when that faceplate was down, it entirely obscured her face. She could see out of it, but nobody could see in. Only when it was retracted did her face show. There were many tools that came in the helmet and Ra was still learning about the different functions. She didn't think there was ever going to be a time when she used everything.

"Thank you. It's nice to be alive and not some droid."

As he had been looking ​over the helmet, she had removed the rest of her armor. That didn't mean she was without clothing or anything. A simple jump suit was all she had one now. It was about the only thing that fit under the droid disguise.

"So what have you been up to since we met?"

[member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Ethos City​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Ra'a'mah"] ​

It was an interesting piece but he didn't see its utility for himself, considering his need to conceal his face was almost if not null in its entirety. Nonetheless, it did its work well with Ra and he was pleased that was the case given that she needed to keep up appearances and avoid detection.

Lithios was a place where everyone knew each other by name but never adressed you unless necessary. While necessarily true and the planet was off the charts, the chance of a bounty hunter popping up around was high enough. People would talk about their presence and word would eventually get out fast, giving those that are hunted a brief chance to escape thanks to that.

"You know, the usual. A few jobs here and there but nothing else. Besides that, I've been thinking about you and that night at Hapes."

Clearing his throat and standing by the window, Ar'ekk watched the rain droplets hit against the glass with the utmost attention. It was definitely great to have her back, one way or the other, unharmed and safe. She could spend here as much as she could, the inminent danger to getting caught was zero under his presence.

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[Ra'a'mah]

He may not have seen the need for all the features the helmet had, but surprisingly Ra had already used several of them. Without the need to use the Force to accomplish something, that meant she had more to use when it was needed. Granted that rarely happened, but it was nice to know it was there for when it did.

When she had booked this room it was done under a false name so even if somebody was looking for her, she wouldn't be found here. Riahma Nere which was close, but not quite and different enough not to cause any lifted brows or bring up questions.

"Business has slowed for me, but that is what dying can do. The Lady of Honesty though has taken my place as lead of the merchant fleet and it is starting to pick up again thankfully."

[member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Ethos City​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Ra'a'mah"] ​

"At least you can relax here."

Finding the edge of the bed to sit down, Ar'ekk looked up to Ra once more and then back at the window. Millions of thoughts passed through his head but quickly vanished. A comfortable silence overtook their conversation, him not wanting to keep talking about business.

That's what he always did and never liked to do.

Lithios was the place where his troubles faded away, mostly. The nights continued to be deprived of any sleep and filled with nightmares and imaginary screams echoing around him. But under the rain, under the grey sky and under Ra's presence.. he felt serene.

"Well Ms. Dead. What's next for you? Not thinking in the future, I mean."

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[Ra'a'mah]

"That's the plan. At least until I need to become the Lady of Honesty again."

And with that, the talk of what she had to go through was dropped, unless Ar'ekk asked about it. Her suit was taken off and was hung up in the closet. Only the helmet remained out and that rested on the table.

He asked what she planned on doing next and she shrugged her shoulders.

"Not thinking far down the line? I have no idea really. Decided to let you know my secret and I trust you not to reveal it."

[member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Ethos City​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Ra'a'mah"] ​

"Your secret is safe with me. I give you my word on that."

He watched Ra as she removed her suit and put it aside, something about her captivated him just like the first day they had met. That she was allive and still kicking it was a miracle, considering how relentless bounty hunters were. Their stay, unknown for now, on Lithios would be at least peaceful.

Hopefully.

"It's too cold to go outside. Is there a stove here or something we can use?"

Looking out the window again to watch the pedestrians go back and forth in big swarms, going about their lives carelessly without any sort of preoccupation whatsoever to some extent. That's what he sought here: Peace and tranquility, the chance to rebuild his life.

Ra could do the same if that's what she desired, the only requirement was to put everything behind. Gah, that was too difficult to even think about. Whatever her choice could be, he'd be there to support it.

"What's on your mind?"

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[Ra'a'mah]

She trusted him enough to reveal her secret and nodded when he said it was took cold to do anything outside.

"Besides going out there isn't exactly something I want to do. It would appear odd for a droid to be wandering around in the rain."

Pointing to the small kitchen area when he asked.

"It has a few things, but not very much. Want something ordered? Treat's on me since I took you away from your lunch."

Taking a seat on the bed, she crossed her arms and looked at her company. With a small shrug, Ra shook her head.

"Not too much really. You?"

[member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Ethos City​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Ra'a'mah"] ​

His eyes followed hers until they reached the kitchen, shaking his head negatively. No appetite that late meant that he didn't want to eat anything, just be there without having to touch any sort of food. Beverage? Maybe something light for the road back considering he had been trying to quit the booze.

"I'm good."

Clashing glances with Ra, Ar'ekk let out a brief chuckle at her question. You never answered a question with another, someone wise once told him during one of his missions. Things that get ingrained on your head after hearing it once, one of those life lessons.

"If you ask me? You. With the whole bounty thing going, your "death" and the rest. Grimey stuff."

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[Ra'a'mah]

He had been the one asking for a stove and she answered, his sudden change of mind confused her. Shrugging her shoulders, Ra just moved beyond that confusion and listened to what Ar'ekk had to say.

His answer confused her even more really.

"What do you mean...me? For all intents and purposed the Ra you met is dead. This is what I need to be. A select few know the truth as I said."

Falling silent for a moment or two, she let out a sigh.

"All because of that bounty that was on my head."

[member="Arekk"]

 

[Arekk]

LITHIOS​

Ethos City​

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INTERACTING WITH: [member="Ra'a'mah"] ​

On second thought, he had the hunger of a drooling Rancor hidden in a cave for a milennia. Walking to the kitchen and raiding the cupboards, Ar'ekk had gotten hold of a bunch of delicious snacks, obviously not taking them all simply because Ra had to survive somehow and eating all here food would mean she'd have to go out and expose herself.

"You, yes. I know you're supposed to be dead but I've always thought about your status. Never knew you'd end up like this, like a droid."

His palm rose in self-defense, nodding. Maybe he wasn't thinking through whatever was being said and apologised for it. There was a new Ra and he had to get accustomed to such idea, sort of speak, if she wanted to continue living.

"You're gonna stick around Lithios, then?"

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