Not So 'Commenor' Anymore - The Power of Industry Grows

[Jorvan Hatha]

[member="Lady Kay"]


“What the **** is this chit?” Chacha chuckled. “This was the group you were bragging about? These little amateurs?”

She was speaking to Jorvan but his mind was in another place. He was still goofing off with Corbin, trading come-up stories, and the two of them hadn’t paid attention to the concert since the first band had started playing.

The women sitting in their laps were another distraction.

Chacha crinkled her nose and realized she was wasting her time. What was the point of them even coming here? She turned her attention back to the main stage below them, and she felt an uneasiness from one of the band members. She had an inkling of what the problem was, but Jorvan was too tipsy to fix it.

“Move it, thotbot.”

Chacha didn’t care if he was tipsy. She shooed away the woman that was in his lap. She might not have been able to locate Kay, but she would at least do something to make the day worth it. The teens weren’t on that level yet, but Chacha felt a little potential in them. It was just something they were lacking right now, and after reflecting on Jorvan’s earlier words, Chacha knew exactly what it was.

“Mind telling me what this is about?” Jorvan asked her.

Chacha had grabbed his hand and led him out of the luxury box. They were moving down the hallway towards the main floor when she said, “Just shut up and follow.”

He was tempted to make a smart remark but there was a rare purpose in Chacha’s footsteps. He followed quietly, and as they made their way onto the main floor, Jorvan became aware of the sound that was filling his ears.

This was Vanity. The teen’s band.

He looked at the big screen and smiled a bit at seeing her on the big stage. She looked good up there. He looked at Chacha and started to brag that they would be the next act to earn him a fortune, but something about the music had caught his attention.

Something was off.

This wasn’t the same band that he had heard earlier today.

“So you noticed?” Chacha asked him. They were still moving towards the front of the crowd, when she suddenly stopped and looked in his direction. “You can feel it can’t you? They’re holding back.”

“They’re not holding back, they just don’t know how to tap into that next level” Jorvan said with a sudden clarity. He was still a bit drunk, but the music had sharpened his mind for the moment. He started to remember how Kyla and Reiya were in the beginning and how he had to babysit them for a while before they could stand on a stage like this without messing up.

Maybe the teens needed him in a similar manner? Maybe they needed to know he was watching in order for them to step their game up? He certainly wouldn’t sign them to Lusha if this was the extent of their ability.

Chacha seemed to read his thoughts because she said, “Well now that you now-” She nodded in the direction of the stage. “Go let em know you’re here. If they can’t turn up after that-”She shrugged her shoulders. “Throw em to the bushes and let’s leave. I don’t got time for this chit.”

Jorvan agreed but as they got closer, he was temporarily distracted for the moment. He looked at a peculiar person in the crowd, and he tilted his head a bit with laughter.

It couldn’t be.

He could have sworn he saw Kay getting hyped, but Chacha had pushed him forward before he could get a good look. He’d just have to find her again, he thought, but for now, he had to deal with this music that was disappointing his ears.

As he stood on the front row, he waited for the teen to catch his gaze, and when she did, the teen stopped singing for a moment. She stared at him with a look of surprise. You actually came, her eyes seemed to say.

But Jorvan’s eyes didn’t greet her warmly. He showed her with his expression what he thought of her performance.

Do better.

There were a series of boo’s that started because the teen had stopped singing, but the girl just stared at Jorvan blankly until she gradually started to smile. I’ll show you, she seemed to say. She went back to the mike and there was an intensity there that sent the crowd into a uproar when she started to sing again. She had finally reached that level. The one that had impressed him earlier.

As her and her bandmates got the crowd to go into a frenzy, Jorvan thought it was mission accomplished. Now there were other things he had to take care of. Like breaking down Kay’s defenses.

He disappeared out of sight as he went back into the crowd.

He knew just how to approach Kay when he found her.

He wouldn't let her run away this time.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay watched as Vanity hesitated, or rather the teen did. She followed her gaze and once again saw [member="Jorvan Hatha"] standing there staring right back at the teen on stage. It wasn't too surprising that he got in, but more surprising that he would take an interest after what had happened at the restaurant.

Whatever went on between them, it had worked. Vanity played better than ever, and the cheers of the crowd boosted their confidence even more. Their set included an encore before it was time for another break. Kay looked in the wings and gave the teen a thumbs up, before turning away from the stage. She did what she came to do, now to take her leave. No doubt she would find out the result tomorrow. Which meant that she had to stay another day. Terrac probably wouldn't like that.

Kay exited the arena and started making her way back to her ship. She pulled out her commlink and contacted him. "Terrac, I'm on my way to you. But we won't be leaving tonight. I've gotta see this through first."

"Don't tell me that you're picking up a stray,doll."

"I'm not. I swear. I'm just going to be sure that everything is good before we leave."

"Couldn't you have done that tonight? Things are not the same here as they were when you were in charge."

"Tonight is too soon. And I wasn't exactly in charge, you know."

"Well the election is coming up soon. Maybe you should be. Something to think about, doll."

"Yeah...right. See you soon." Kay grumbled to herself as she pocketed her commlink. Become the Madam President of Commenor and answer to the Elders? No doubt Terrac was growing a little tired of all of their travelling and wanted to reign her in a little bit. Even Mantic wanted the same. But she liked her freedom to go where she wished. It gave her the opportunities to run if need be.

But with her departure from the Senate and from politics all together, things have been gotten a little shadier on Commenor. And with the Sith territory a hair width away, there was going to be a lot of fear going around.

It was a lot to think about. At least she had the night to do so.

 

[Jorvan Hatha]

[member="Lady Kay"]

By the time he caught sight of Kay, she was already heading for the exit. It was like she had a sixth sense that he was trying to get in her pants. Well, that wasn’t what he was after really, but he wouldn’t pass up on the opportunity if it presented itself. He was a man after all, and she was quite attractive.

“Please think with the right head,” Chacha chuckled. He must have had the eyes of a predator because she suddenly told him to wait a while before he approached her. “Come up with a gameplan,” she said. “If you go over to her right now I feel like you’ll do something stupid.”

It was a possibility, but Jorvan didn’t think anything would change if he kept waiting. His mind wasn’t clear enough for him to think with his usual calculations. The liquor had him buzzing a little. He was just wanted to go at it raw and shoot his shot. It wasn’t like he had anything to lose. She already didn’t think highly of him anyway.

As she started to walk through the parking lot, Jorvan got an idea however. Just a back-up in case things didn’t go his way. He sent Chacha ahead to get things ready, although he hoped Kay wouldn’t make him resort to such a tactic, because he respected her to a certain extent. He thought her interference with the Commoner underworld was bothersome, but he was generally fond of people who weren’t afraid to stand up for what they believed in.

It was just his job to make sure she believed in the things that he wanted her to believe in. But that was a conversation for when he actually had her in his corner.

He waited until she was a little distance away from the arena. She was walking on the sidewalk when he pulled up beside her in his landspeeder. The roof was down and there was a grin on his face when he said, “I thought I saw you back there in the arena, but I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me.” His eyes roamed over her clothes, and there was something about what she was wearing that obviously amused him. “I didn’t think you knew how to have a good time but I see I was wrong about you, Ms. I-don’t-go-to-the-Commons.” He regarded her with a curious smile. “So which is the real you? The reserved woman I met at the restaurant or the lively woman I just saw at the stadium?" He kept his landspeeder at a slow crawl to match her walking speed. “How about you tell me on the way to wherever we’re going? Hop in, I’ll give you a lift.”

While he waited on her answer, his gaze traveled to the group of suspicious looking people who had just turned the corner and were walking in Kay’s direction on the sidewalk. Jorvan’s eyes went back to Kay and asked her a silent question. Did she really think stalking the streets this late at night was a good idea? Especially when she was alone?

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay ignored the speeder that went along side her, until she heard [member="Jorvan Hatha"] speak. He followed her? So she didn't hide well enough. Next time she'll have to try harder. The look in his eyes that he gave was unnerving to say the least. He was planning something, working his way into establishing control. But how much she would allow him to have remained to be seen. She whispered to herself, almost a mantra that helped her deal with being hunted and captured by bounty hunters. "There's always a way out..."

She ignored his comments on inquiring about her true self. She hid that from nearly everyone. Selected few would be allowed to see different versions of herself. But the situations dictated what part of her that they would see.

Kay kept walking, and it wasn't until she had spotted individuals making a b-line towards her, that she stopped. Normally she would handle it on her own, but she had no weapons on her and wasn't comfortable with letting her secret out, especially to Jorvan. Her Force signature slowly decreased as she focused on shrinking it down. She could feel the darkside, the coldness of it that caused the hairs on the back of her neck to go up, brought on by at least one individual in the group. Already the Sith seemed to be here, perhaps gathering intel for an invasion. Terrac was right. Things had changed.

"Alright. Thank you..." She climbed into the speeder and sat beside him, belting herself in before placing her satchel on her lap. "East Docking Platform. I was going to my ship. Gate 23." Let him think that she was leaving straight away. That could be a good idea. And with the speeder, the ride should just be about five minutes long. Five minutes before she could be free of him and safe to talk to Terrac and decide on her next move.

 

[Jorvan Hatha]

[member="Lady Kay"]


She was dancing to his tune but she didn’t know it yet. As she got in his landspeeder he smiled, “So are we back to playing this game again? Where you retreat into your little shell every time I ask you something?” He was referring to her dodging his earlier statement. It was clearly said in humor, but he was starting to realize that no matter what he said, she was determined to find something to have a problem with. “It’s almost like you’re nervous around me,” he chuckled. “Or rather not me, you’re nervous about your own self. What, you think if you let down your defenses around me your heart won’t be safe or something?” He was joking but she could have took it as a serious question.

He looked at her and he wasn’t sure what to make of her. On one hand, he understood why she was this guarded, but on the other, he hadn’t said anything yet to give away his motive. Unless she was a Jedi who could read his mind or she was a fortune teller, there shouldn’t have been a reason why for she was putting up DEFCON 2 level defenses for this soft-ball teasing he was giving her.

It didn’t matter though. He’d just have to keep rolling with the punches, because it wasn’t like he was willing to alter his plans and give up on her. She had a purpose in his schemes, and until his dreams were realized she was necessary.

While he waited on her reply, he started up the landspeeder again, and he resisted looking in Chacha’s direction. The two of them had manipulated Kay perfectly so far, although Kay wasn’t aware of it.

The men who had been walking in Kay’s direction were actually Jorvan’s men. The Red Wave. He told them to spook Kay a bit, but he didn’t think she would get in his landspeeder so easily. He thought he would have to break out “Plan B” and really work for it, but he wasn’t complaining. He was long overdue for a break anyway, although the night was just getting started.

He sent a quick message on his datapad and told Chacha to get ready for Phase 2. While he didn’t know where Kay would ask him to take her beforehand, he did know she would pick a short destination and make this a brief ride.

Unfortunately, things weren’t about to play out quite like that, but she would learn that eventually.

 

[Kay-Larr]

As soon as [member="Jorvan Hatha"] spoke she started to regret making this decision. But there was no cover as the top was down. Sure she was belted in, but she could undo that and jump out if she felt the need, Sith or no Sith. He poked fun at her worse than Gray Raxis did, but at least she knew that Gray was merely joking.

"It's not my heart or my safety that I'm worried about, Jorvan. But people like you don't understand."

She almost started to talk about the circumstances surrounding her husband's death, inquire about his wife, but then changed her mind.

Kay was determined to try to make this short ride not an uncomfortable one, or at the very least, not uncomfortable all of the time. So she did what she normally did. She switched topics to something less personal. "So what did you think of Vanity? They started a little on the low side, but then really picked it up. Are you going to sign them if they still wanted it? I'm sure that they could have their pick of companies now, but you seemed to be their first choice."

 

[Jorvan Hatha]

[member="Lady Kay"]


"It's not my heart or my safety that I'm worried about, Jorvan. But people like you don't understand."

That was a start, Jorvan smiled. She was opening up a bit. She was showing a little emotion. He thought his words would rile her up a bit, but maybe it was wishful thinking that she would joke with him back? It was clear she wasn’t a complete stiff. Try as she may to act like a wet blanket now, Jorvan had seen her at the arena. He had seen her smile and he had seen the energy she was moving around with when she tried to get the crowd hyped around her. She could clearly be a fun person, the two of them could clearly have a good time, but she was putting on this show for him, pretending like she didn’t have humorous bone in her body.

Well, he’d work on that. That and many things. The fact that she was referring to him by his first name was already a sign that things were progressing in the right direction. One step at a time with this one, Jorvan had to remind himself. Baby steps.

"So what did you think of Vanity? They started a little on the low side, but then really picked it up. Are you going to sign them if they still wanted it? I'm sure that they could have their pick of companies now, but you seemed to be their fist choice."

She was running away again but it was expected at this point. He let her have her way though for the moment. “They were better than I expected,” Jorvan said. “Like you said, they started off a bit underwhelming but once they got going……they got going. They remind me a little of Coruscant actually. The Fifth Ward if you know anything about it.” The Fifth Ward was the slums, but it was still the birthplace of many great musicians. “As for whether I’ll sign them. They seem like an easy bet so far. They have the talent and they have the look. Maybe not for Commenor but in Denon and Coruscant and it wouldn’t be hard for them to blow up and have a big debut. They’ll just have to work on their stage performance and learn how to start off of the bat with that energy, but I think they’ll be fine with a little coaching. Are you into their type of music by the way?”

It might have been a simple question to Kay, but there was always a purpose when Jorvan asked a question. Small talk was something he never indulged in.

After she would answer his question, he would return to her earlier statement. The landspeeder had slowed to a crawl for a moment because of traffic and something that was happening further down the road. Jorvan knew what was happening, but he was sure Kay didn’t. He turned in her direction and there was a mischievous smile. “So about what you said earlier. That’s a pretty alarming statement to be coming from the mouth of a former senator. People like me wouldn’t understand?” Jorvan couldn’t resist a chuckle. “What ‘people’ are we talking about here? I get the feeling that I’m being unfairly profiled.”

He was messing with her again, but he hoped that she would bend and not break from his words. She gave off the air that she was looking to book it at the first opportunity, but Jorvan wouldn’t tip toe around her when he spoke to her.

She had to get used to a little teasing, because it wasn’t going to go away. At least not when he was around.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay wasn't familiar with many bands. She didn't have the time for much. She was always travelling, always moving. Any time to herself was always interrupted. Even when she thought that she did well enough to hide her whereabouts, someone always found her. Or someone needed her. Most of what little spare time she had, she used it to catch up on sleep. Pretty dull for most people, but it wasn't as though she had a family to go home to. Her father didn't want anything to do with her and her older brother was busy being a First Order captain. Her friends had families of their own, were busy with their own lives. So she made sure that her schedule was as filled up as it could be. "I liked what they played, yes. I don't have any particular kind of music that I like best. I'm not around it enough to make a choice."

She saw the line up of traffic and was already peeking past to see if she could see what the hold up was. [member="Jorvan Hatha"] just wasn't going to let anything that she said go. Kay let out a small frustrated sigh. "I'm not saying it in the way that I think everyone is beneath me. I don't live that way, I don't see myself that way." She was glad that they were just in his landspeeder instead of anywhere public. "I just have too much going on and I can't let anyone get hurt or killed because of my choices. Understand?" Her husband died because of her defiance, her stubborness with a rival. There was just no way that she'd go through that again.

 

[Jorvan Hatha]

[member="Lady Kay"]


Jorvan resisted a chuckle as Kay took notice of the traffic. She probably thought this was going to be a short ride, but the night was just beginning. Already, his men had secured the uniforms and stolen the vehicles. They had done it before he even came up with the plan actually. Chacha was to thank for that. She was always a step ahead of him, although there were times when she pretended to be dumber than a box of rocks to fool people.

She had certainly fooled him when they first met in Serenno, but that was a story for another time.

He looked at Kay as she spoke, and her words brought him back to the present.

"I'm not saying it in the way that I think everyone is beneath me. I don't live that way, I don't see myself that way. I just have too much going on and I can't let anyone get hurt or killed because of my choices. Understand?"

He didn’t understand and her answer was disappointing. What he said was light-hearted and playful, not meant to be taken serious, but here she was turning it into a grim topic. He scratched the back of his head. This woman was damaged goods. He knew that before he spoke to her, but he didn’t realize she was damaged to this extent. This was bothersome. This wasn’t something he was in the mood to deal with when he still had a little liquor in his system.

He chuckled a bit, “I can't let anyone get hurt or killed because of my choices?” Jorvan just shook his head with a snort. “You mind telling me what any of that has to do with me trying to have a normal conversation with you? I mean, I get it. You have a lot of enemies. You have to always be on guard, but you know there has to be a balance, right? You’ll run out of steam and break if you can’t cut loose every once and a while.” Jorvan patted his chest to refer to himself. “Or is it just me that you can’t relax around?” His expression would tell her that this was a genuine question, because he was genuinely confused. Even if her instinct was spot on, Jorvan didn’t think it was possible that she had his motives figured out. “Use your datapad, search me on the holonet if that’s the case. It’s not like I’m some dangerous person with a mysterious background. People know me. There’s nothing I’m hiding.” Jorvan shrugged his shoulders. “Look, if you don’t want to open up and tell me your life story, that’s fine. That’s not what I’m trying to do right now. What I am trying to do is-” Jorvan elbowed her side playfully. “-get you to loosen up. Relax a little. Blow off a little steam. You can worry about whatever you’re worrying about tomorrow, but at least for tonight, you should enjoy yourself. Take a day off.” And by that he meant taking a day off from her usual self, because she surely needed it.

Jorvan nodded in the direction of the traffic that wasn’t getting any better. The people walking on the sidewalk started to talk about some type of roadblock that was going on, preventing people from entering the East Docking Platform. “It looks like we’re going to be together for a bit anyway. Come on, let down those defenses a little.” Jorvan turned on the radio. “Relax.”

 

[Kay-Larr]

Yes, she needed time to relax. [member="Jorvan Hatha"] was right about that. Yet every time she went off somewhere, snuck away for a break, she found herself being hunted or attacked. And her idea of relaxing or letting loose wasn't to drink herself into a stupor or anything like that.

She clenched her jaw as she thought about whether or not it was just him that she couldn't relax around. No, there were others. Lord Mythos was one. He had a silver tongue and tried to have her fall for him on a few occasions. But she never gave in to the playboy's desires. Romeo Sin was another, but he respected the distance that she kept. Other playboys had tried and called her selfish, boring or other such things for turning them down.

As for looking him up, she planned on doing just that. But she didn't have her datapad on her this time. It was back on her ship. The same ship that she was trying to get to. She would have searched him earlier, but didn't have the time.

When Jorvan elbowed her side, she couldn't help but smirk. In truth he was making her feel bad about her behaviour towards him. But her reactions had all been instinct. So few have had his persistence. "I'm sure that my idea of relaxing and blowing off steam is a far cry from what everyone else does." Getting out of the city and into the mountains and canyons would be nice, but she had to talk to Terrac.

Kay was growing concerned as she heard the people walking by talk about the roadblock. Again she peered past to try to find out why. But if there was a problem, Terrac would try to contact her, wouldn't he? "Maybe tomorrow would be a better day..." She dug her commlink out of her satchel to signal her old pilot. "Terrac? Is everything okay? I'm trying to get back but there's a road block. Can you see anything where you are?" She looked behind them and then to either side, looking to Jorvan as she spoke to him. "It might be quicker to go on foot, maybe go around." She looked to her commlink, hoping that perhaps Terrac was just sleeping. "Terrac? Terrac are you there?"

 

[Jorvan Hatha]

[member="Lady Kay"]

"I'm sure that my idea of relaxing and blowing off steam is a far cry from what everyone else does."

He didn’t doubt it. She seemed like the type that rarely went out when she wasn’t working or rescuing slaves. It was possible that her idea of fun was lounging around the house in solitude. His late wife was like that sometimes, although she often did it so she could spend more time with the twins, who she always felt like she was neglecting because of work.

He looked at Kay and for some reason the thought of her being a homebody somehow morphed and twisted into him wandering what sort of underwear she walked around the house in. Lace? Black? Red? He was making bets in his head, when she said "Maybe tomorrow would be a better day..."

He blinked and it took a while for her words to register. It wasn’t what she said, it was what her words sounded like. She said "Maybe tomorrow would be a better day..." but in Jorvan’s mind he heard “Call me tomorrow, pencil me in your schedule.”

There was almost a desire to break out the champagne in celebration, but with Kay, Jorvan was learning that she rarely acted in the way that he desired. It was better to stay on his toes.

As she called her friend, Terrac, whoever he was, Jorvan listened carefully. From her words, he knew that things were going according to plan. While Jorvan was new to Commenor, some of his men had already been here for months. The law enforcement were always the first people they studied. Patrol routes, call signs, who what worked shifts, who could be bribed, they studied it all, so that when the time came they would know how to move against them, or evade them accordingly.

In this case, Jorvan’s men were impersonating cops and from the looks of it, they were doing a good job so far.

When Kay said "It might be quicker to go on foot, maybe go around," Jorvan told her to hold on for one moment.

He asked one of the people walking by his landspeeder, “Hey, do you mind telling us what’s going on with the roadblock up ahead? Is everything alright up there? What’s going on?”

The person was an older woman wearing a weary expression, “I’ll tell you what’s going on. Those damn kids from Madison Arena are probably what’s causing this. We never get these terrorism threats until the Fest comes into town. You have all of these little teenagers making prank calls and calling in fake bomb threats just to get a little chuckle.” The woman started to go into a rant about it. “But don’t’ worry, I can promise you that there’s nothing happening. Just give it a few hours and they’ll start letting people back in again. I wouldn’t hope for any sooner though, because I heard some important politician is supposed to be inside, and you know how they always want to be on their P’s and Q’s whenever someone important is around.”

Jorvan thanked the woman for her words and then he looked at Kay, “Well, you heard her. It might take a while before they start letting people back in again.” Jorvan nodded in the direction of a side street that led away from traffic. “How about we hit the town a bit? Or better yet, how about you show me your idea of a little entertainment? You got me curious to be honest. And it’s not like I don’t have my own peculiar ways of entertaining myself either.” Jorvan elbowed her side playfully again. “You’re already dressed the part anyway. Just make sure your friend is alright and then-” He nodded towards the side street again. “Let’s roll. It’s not that late anyway.”

At least for grown-ups.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Terrac's grumpy voice was soon heard on the commlink. "Yeah doll, I'm here. There's a few officers checking out all the ships and all of our ID's. And of course they asked about you. No one is allowed in or out for a few hours until they search every inch of this platform. Get back as soon as you can. I miss ya."

Kay frowned slightly. Something was wrong and his last two sentences were part of their code. Terrac had spoken earlier about feeling as though they were being watched. And now their ship was being searched from top to bottom. He said to hurry back, but she knew that he meant to come back later. It would give himself time to do his own investigation and perhaps even shoot somebody if he needed to. "Alright. I heard that it's some bomb threat, possibly a false alarm. I'll be there as soon as they let me." Another careful choice of words. But Terrac would be able to pick up on their meaning. Hopefully [member="Jorvan Hatha"] and whomever else was listening wouldn't be able to pick up on it too.

She smirked a little as Jorvan nudged her again. He had been drinking, but she didn't know how much. Maybe she could scare him a bit. He was right though, she was dressed the part for what she had wanted to do. "We're not hitting the town. We're getting out of town. I don't normally do this run in the dark as that'll be really dangerous. But you're lucky. I know the route like the back of my hand. Head out west to the Jerbyllaa Cliffs."

It would take them about twenty minutes to get there, once they were out of Chasin City. Kay would spend her time giving him directions. Once they were at the cliffs, she unbuckled herself and got out of the speeder. It was a clear night, which made the conditions perfect. She had never done this at night, that part was true. But what was also true was that she knew the route well.

"Wait here." Kay headed off into the nearby bushes. Some rustling noises could be heard and then two minutes later, she came out with a speeder bike and helmet. "Sorry. I only have the one bike. I don't normally have company. And since you had been drinking, you have a greater chance of falling off than I do. So here." She tossed Jorvan the helmet and got onto the bike, saving him room to hop on behind her.

The moment that he was on and had his arms wrapped around her, she started up the bike and headed straight for the edge off the cliffs. With no Force users around, she relinquished her focus on suppressing her abilities, using the Force to guide her movements. Instead of slowing down or turning away from the edge, however, she let them drop right off of it, smirking as she hoped it might make him nervous. A few seconds later she used an outcropping of rock to ease their quick decent into the canyon. From there it was a series of twists and turns, some sharper than the others, until finally they reached the ocean.

Kay put the speeder bike on full throttle, opening her up as fast as she could go on the sand. Then she slowed the bike down, coming to a stop near some boulders. She got off of the bike as soon as Jorvan let her go and examined her hair. It was full of knots now, something that normally didn't happen when she wore her helmet. She looked to Jorvan, hoping that the late night ride would have him rattled. But then again, he was full of surprises. "Certainly better than some stuffy, crowded club, isn't it?"

 

[Jorvan Hatha]

[member="Lady Kay"]


"We're not hitting the town. We're getting out of town. I don't normally do this run in the dark as that'll be really dangerous. But you're lucky. I know the route like the back of my hand. Head out west to the Jerbyllaa Cliffs."

Wait what? She was giving in? Just like that? Well he got what he wanted, but for some reason he didn’t feel satisfied. There was something about her sudden turnaround that told him to be cautious. She was stubborn. Too stubborn to all of a sudden talk about “getting out of town”, when a few minutes ago, she could barely stand to be in his presence.

And now she wanted to go somewhere that took a twenty minute drive? Hmm. There was a desire to ask her what she was up to, but if she was up to something, he was sure she wouldn’t tell him. He could only play along for the time being. See if he was being paranoid or see if his instincts were kicking in for the right reasons.

As they drove to Jerbylla Cliffs, there was some small talk while she gave directions. She was back to being quiet again, but she wasn’t as tense as she was before. She was relaxed this time. More comfortable around him. There was even some times when she cracked a smile when he joked a little. They were making progress he thought. Still not there, but he could feel they were inching closer. Slowly making that bond that would tie their fates together, although he was starting to desire other things as the liquor started to influence his judgement.

He knew she wasn’t one for one night stands, but ****, was he close to testing that theory. Especially with the draught he’d been having thanks to his daughters who always seemed to blow up his comlink at the wrong times.

Just thinking about that missed opportunity with that lingerie model last month was enough to give him a headache.

And she was flexible too.

“Wait here.”

While Kay was gone, he got out of the landspeeder and stretched his legs for a bit. He was getting ready to light up a cigarette when she came out of the bushes with a speeder bike and a helmet.

“A moonlight drive?” he chuckled. He didn’t picture her for a biker, but he was more curious about how she was suddenly comfortable with him wrapping his arms around her. She did know how two people on a speeder bike worked didn’t she?

Apparently she did, because she didn’t flinch when he wrapped his arms around her waist.

“So where are we going?” he asked.

She was silent but she started up the engine.

There wasn’t even a “hang on tight” before she took off like a demon. They were going fast. Too karking fast for Jorvan, who didn’t even go on rollercoasters with his children when he took them to the theme park.

Why the hell wasn’t she slowing down? And ****, was that a cliff?!

“Hey, I didn’t sign up for any suicide pacts!” He tried to tell her to slow down, but her crazy ass drove them right off the cliff.

You got to be chitting me?

Thankfully death was, because they miraculously survived, landing on an outcropping of rock that wasn’t too far down from the edge of the cliff, allowing them descend down into the canyon safely, although Jorvan’s heartbeat didn’t slow in the slightest.

Why the hell was Kay taking him on this demonic ride through hell, with these sharp ass turns and close calls? She terrorized him for what seemed like hours before they finally came to a stop.

"Certainly better than some stuffy, crowded club, isn't it?"

By the time they arrived at the beach, Jorvan was exhausted mentally. He hunched over, almost like he was about to throw up, but stubbornness had kept his pride intact.

He looked at Kay with a snort, “Well if your goal was to scare the hell out of me, consider it mission accomplished.” He sat down on a boulder and searched his body for his pills. Even if it wasn’t time for him to take his medicine, **** it, he needed it. He popped a few in his mouth and took an extra one just because. He looked back at Kay, shaking his head. “You know you were wrong for that, right? What if I had a heart condition?” He laughed a little, but his body was still trembling slightly. It wasn’t that he hadn’t experienced something like this before, it was just that she had caught him off guard. He hadn’t expected this wildness from her, but he would know better for next time.

As he slowly regained his bearing, he started to notice his surroundings, and there was a slow smile as he looked in Kay’s direction. “By the way. You’re not trying to seduce me by bringing me here are you?” He was talking about the sound of the ocean, the moonlight and the fact that they were here alone.

He knew she wasn’t, but after what she just put him through, she deserved a little ribbing. Hell, she deserved payback, but she would learn about his pettiness later.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay was a little proud of herself for seizing control of her situation. She managed to make [member="Jorvan Hatha"] nervous for the first time since they had met earlier today. And, she took him away from everyone else. There was no way that they were followed through the canyon. She looked over to him as he started popping pills. "What are those for? To fight off a hangover? And I didn't think the ride would bother you that much, especially after all of those daredevil feats you did while rescuing slaves. Unless....." She smirked as she figured that most of what Amanda had spoken of earlier was exaggerated

As she was climbing up one of the boulders to reach her sitting spot, he spoke of her seducing him. Kay smirked, scoffed and shook her head. "Seducing you? I don't make it a habit of seducing strangers, so that would be a no. And besides, you wanted to see what I did for fun and for relaxation. Well..." She pointed to the canyon. "That's for fun and to relieve stress..." She then pointed to the flat boulder that she was climbing to. "..and this is where I go to relax."

Though Kay wondered for how long. She reached her sitting spot and sat down. Well, normally she'd lay down on her tummy with her chin in her hands and watch the ocean waves, tea cooling beside her. But not tonight. With the whole seducing remark, she was sure that Jorvan would take her lying down as an invite for him to get close. And she didn't want that. So she sat cross-legged. and stared at the ocean instead.

"Don't worry. The way back isn't bad. By the way, are you a good swimmer?" Of course she wasn't suggesting that they go swimming. But there was a reason for every question. She was trying to figure him out still, trying to learn what he was after. At least she knew that he could hardly handle her driving the speederbike through the canyon. Jorvan was probably more bark than bite, despite some of the looks that she saw in his eyes earlier.

 

[Jorvan Hatha]

[member="Lady Kay"]

From the smug expression on Kay’s face, he could tell she was enjoying this. Let her have her little victory though. Payback was coming. She didn’t know how petty and childish he could get when people tried him like this.

He was already plotting things in his head when she said, "What are those for? To fight off a hangover? And I didn't think the ride would bother you that much, especially after all of those daredevil feats you did while rescuing slaves. Unless....."

She was testing him again, to see if Amanda’s words carried weight and honesty. He wasn’t surprised at this point. He wasn’t sure what the teen had told her, but he thought Kay had been suspicious of him since the beginning. It was alright though. He was a better liar than her and he knew he was slicker. He could tell her a thousand lies and remember ever single one. What could she possibly do to uncover his mask?

Nothing.

Because she wasn’t built for this game.

He smiled at her words though while shaking the bottle of pills, “Just for headaches,” he told her. A lie. They were what kept him alive but he didn’t see the point in giving her such key information. As for her jab at his daredevil feats, “I’ve already said it before,” he laughed. “Me and you can team up to rescue slaves anytime. If you doubt me, then you can just see me in action. Might just do a better job than you actually,” he said with a humorous expression.

She was climbing up one of the builders when she chose to respond to some of his teasing. She said she wasn’t seducing him, but she was the one who had brought him to this quiet place when she knew he had that look in his eyes.

But let her keep thinking she was safe from his advances.

He continued to listen and he watched her curiously as she climbed up to a peculiar boulder and sat cross-legged.

He thought of joining her up there, but her question caught his attention. He smirked a little. “Am I a good swimmer? What are we going to go on a hi-speed boat ride this time?” He shook his head with a snort. “I’m not even sure if I want to tell you the answer, but yeah, I can swim a little. Why are you asking though?”

His eyes started to follow hers and he looked out towards the ocean with curiosity. She wasn't planning something ridiculous was she? Maybe he should take another pill? He raised his eyebrow a little while he waited on her answer.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay raised a brow. Just for headaches? No doubt it was to help him sober up. Although she was sure that the speederbike ride helped out in that department too.

She looked over her shoulder at [member="Jorvan Hatha"] as he spoke about the two of them teaming up to free slaves. By this point she was doubting those stories. Terrac would have to look him up for her when they were on their way back. There could be mentions of it on the holonet some where. "I think that my personal involvement with freeing slaves has to be put on hold for a little bit. But I will have others that will be able to take over for me like before." Running in an election would take up a lot of her free time. Not to mention if she had actually won. She'll need some help this time. Yet she wasn't even going to think of including Jorvan in that.

Kay looked back to the ocean with a smirk as he suggested a speedboat ride. It shouldn't come at much of a surprise that he would think that, given what she had already put him through. "No speedboat ride. I haven't even been on one myself. I just asked because if you came here again or slipped off the rocks, the undercurrent and tide are unpredictable." It just wasn't the same without having her tea. And as it was dark, she couldn't explore the beach properly. Besides, Jorvan just standing there was making her uncomfortable.

She got to her feet and climbed back down, before jumping down the last few feet to land beside him. "By the time we get back, the road block could be over. I could use a good night's sleep, and by the looks of things, so could you."

Kay clenched her jaw a bit as she walked over to her speederbike. Hopefully Jorvan didn't take her words as meaning that she was inviting him to spend the night with her. That would be absurd. She got onto the bike and waited for him. "I'll take you to your landspeeder so that you can go home." Hopefully that'll help clear the air.

 

[Jorvan Hatha]

[member="Lady Kay"]

"I think that my personal involvement with freeing slaves has to be put on hold for a little bit. But I will have others that will be able to take over for me like before."

Jorvan wasn’t surprised to hear this. There was only so long she could keep indulging in her extracurricular activities when she was a CEO with a business to run. He heard some grumblings in the underworld that she might be running for president, but Jorvan didn’t think it would happen for some reason. That would almost be too good to be true, he thought. Kay the President of Commenor? The things he could get away with on this planet if he had her under his influence. Hell, if he got her into his bed.

He would definitely have to look into these rumors later, he realized. Depending on their validity, he might just have to help her out a bit. Maybe a few donations? Maybe making her enemies disappear? The options were limitless, all she had to do was reach out to him, but he knew she wouldn’t.

"No speedboat ride. I haven't even been on one myself. I just asked because if you came here again or slipped off the rocks, the undercurrent and tide are unpredictable."

Why did it seem like she was trying to wish that into existence? As she climbed back down and landed beside him, she started to walk towards her speeder bike, but it was what she said next that made him stand in place for a moment.

“I could use a good night's sleep, and by the looks of things, so could you.”

She was playing with him. Putting the wrong imagery in his head when he was already horny and she was already a tempting meal.

When they were back on the speeder bike, he decided that he couldn’t let her words go lightly. As he wrapped his arms around her waist, he leaned close to her ear, “So how long have you been planning this? This little meeting of ours? The more I think about it, the stranger it seems. I think you’ve been toying with me this whole time. Plotting and scheming your way into my heart. I think you told Amanda to introduce us, and I think you told that teen to give me those concert tickets to the arena so we could meet for a second time. I mean, I didn’t know the teen beforehand, but you did apparently. Or was I supposed to believe that reunion of yours wasn’t staged? You didn’t even stay long enough to talk to her after the concert after all. Wasn’t that why you were going?” He paused to give her time to reflect on her actions. He was messing with her, but he wasn’t sure if she knew it yet. “And then you bring me to a quiet romantic place like this and make teasing comments that can easily be misunderstood. I could use a good night's sleep, and by the looks of things, so could you. Am I supposed to believe that this is another innocent coincidence? Just like the police blockade, even though you probably have connections to every police chief in the city?” He was struggling not to laugh at this point. “I’m not sure if everything that happened tonight was just a series of coincidences or you just being a clever temptress, but I will say that you’ve gotten my attention either way. I feel a certain connection here. I think we should explore a bit. Explore it a lot actually. What’s on your schedule for the week? Matter fact, when’s the next time I’m picking you up?”

He still hadn’t stop scheming for the night, but what he was doing was stalling for time. There was something that Chacha had to take care of for him. He wasn't sure if she could do it before him and Kay arrived at the landspeeder, but he had already sent her the message.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay was glad that [member="Jorvan Hatha"] got on the speederbike so that they could leave right away. But then he began to whisper in her ear. She could feel the heat of his breath and suddenly realized how close he was. She stiffened, tightening her grip on the handlebars while he spoke. What he was saying about plots and schemes would make sense to an outsider. But that wasn't what she was doing of course. She had been thinking on the fly and her efforts of trying to get to her ship have not been successful so far. As he paused she spoke quietly. "I was going to see her tomorrow actually....And I think that your meds and alcohol have gone to your head."

And then he continued while she stood there frozen in place, tightening her grip while clenching her jaw. She wasn't trying to seduce him! He was crazy to think that! His persistence reminded her of Mythos. He would try to impress her with his palace, gardens, and a larger than life statue of her made from lava crystals that glowed red in the dark. Would Jorvan tell her that she was being selfish for denying him what he wanted too?

Kay continued to retreat inside of herself while he spoke. It was similar to her Force training with Mythos. She had built a Force shield around herself and he had attacked it from all sides with blaster fire and Force Lightning for what felt like forever until she couldn't take it anymore. She had sent him back with an explosion of energy that sent a shockwave through the garden. Kay couldn't let that happen here. For Jorvan to know of her secret wouldn't bode well for her at all. She had to maintain control of herself.

What connection was he talking about? She didn't feel it. She wanted to run from him. Leave him and his warm breath behind. What's her schedule? When is he picking her up? This was all too much. He was getting it all wrong. Surely he realized this??

She had to switch tactics, change gears. Kay turned her head and shifted her body to the opposite side of where his face was, afterall she didn't want him to try to kiss her. She narrowed her eyes a little while she spoke. "There is no connection between us. Your drinking has clouded your thinking. I don't know what you hope to gain from me, but there's nothing. I live on my ship. I have no vast fortune, no inheritance for you to take. I can't even bear children! I will not dishonour my husband's memory by allowing you or anyone to take advantage of me. So just...put on your helmet and let's go!"

She turned back around and turned on the speederbike, pulling them away from the beach. As promised, she had to take a different route that was smoother. Kay didn't drive like a fast demon either. Her little outburst put her on the edge of tears, making her vision slightly blurry. At least the wind would dry them.

The route back was up a zig-zag path along the cliff at the other end of the beach. Then it was a straight line across the valley to where his landspeeder was. Kay spent that time thinking back on when her husband's killer tried to break up their marriage, as she was 'holding him back from his true potential'. One of his attempts almost worked. She was at home drinking her tea and reading one evening, when her husband came home and joined her on the couch. They spent some moments kissing, when the door opened. But who stood at the doorway wasn't a family friend or anything. It was her husband. Kay looked to the man that she was kissing on the couch, only to find that it was the same Sith Lord that was trying to break them apart. He had used the Force to change his appearance and fooled her. It was a devastating moment, filled with guilt and anger. They nearly broke up at that point and it wasn't until her husband took her place in death that she knew he had forgiven her. He would rather die than live without her. Yet she never forgave herself and had been trying to make up for it ever since.

Jorvan's landspeeder was in sight. If the blockade was still in place, then perhaps Terrac would bring her ship to her. That sounded like a good idea.

 

[Jorvan Hatha]

[member="Lady Kay"]


"There is no connection between us. Your drinking has clouded your thinking. I don't know what you hope to gain from me, but there's nothing. I live on my ship. I have no vast fortune, no inheritance for you to take. I can't even bear children! I will not dishonour my husband's memory by allowing you or anyone to take advantage of me. So just...put on your helmet and leave me alone!"

It was in times like these when Jorvan realized just how far he had come from being that sweet innocent boy who always had a warm smile. There was a part of him that genuinely wanted to comfort her. He wasn’t a monster after all. He had feelings, he had human emotions. But he knew he would keep hurting her. Keep toying with her. Keep playing with her mind until he got what he wanted from her.

His goal was never to make her respond like this though. There was no reason why he couldn’t be a good friend to her. The problem was that he didn’t know how. She was too broken. Too fragile. The slightest things seemed to set her off. Even when he said things without ill intent, she took it the wrong way and went on the defensive.

But Jorvan could handle her. She wouldn’t be the first broken woman that he had to put back together. He’d just have to keep being persistent.

As she turned on her speeder bike, Jorvan put on his helmet like she requested, but he couldn’t stay silent like she wanted.

“It’s a shame you only open up to me when you’re lashing out.”

He said it quietly, just barely above a whisper, although maybe she didn’t hear it?

He was silent the rest of the way to his landspeeder. She might have thought that he had given up, but he was only thinking of how he wanted to respond to her words. Her accusations. And then there was the fact that he had to get himself in that mood, and pretend like he really cared for her. He didn’t. It was only business, although there was a bit of carnal desire mixed in.

Jorvan started to realize that he would never get close to Kay, unless she could feel it from the bottom of her soul that he meant no harm to her. And that what he wanted from her wasn’t something nefarious.

He tried to find a solution but by the time they got to his landspeeder, he was still at a loss. All he had was his gut. All he had was instinct. Instead of heading over to his landspeeder, he remained holding her for a while. “Just give me a moment,” he told Kay before she could complain that he was lingering too long.

He was hoping that she thought he was trying to find the right words to say to her, because it was better if she thought that what he said next wasn’t calculated.

He let out a deep sigh before he finally spoke. “You know, I wonder why I can’t leave you alone either. I think it’s because you keep acting like this. It’s hard for me to ignore people when they’re crying out for help, although I know you don’t think you’re doing that. But when I look at you, I see a woman who’s so scarred and wounded that she can’t even distinguish friend from foe. You really think I’m here right now because I want your wealth or inheritance? I have more money than you, and even if I didn’t, I would rather get it on my own than beg. What’s next? You say I want children? I already have two on my own, and even if I did desire that from you, you not being able to have them wouldn't keep me away if I really cared about you. And you say I’m trying to take advantage of you, but what have I really asked of you so far? Just a little of your free time, right? Is that really such a crime? Are men not allowed to be men around you?” There was another deliberate pause while Jorvan let out a frustrated sigh. “I get it, I get it, you have your demons in the past, but what about everyone else? You think you’re the only one with a scarred past? You think you’re the only that’s afraid to put themselves out there and trust people?”

Jorvan got off the speederbike so that he could face Kay directly and there was a sad expression as he said, “One day, you’re going to wake up and regret days like this. Maybe not because of me, but there’ll be others who you could have forged a wonderful relationship with, and rather than that, you choose to be alone with just your cynical thoughts and your inner demons.”

Jorvan shrugged his shoulders. “I can’t say how I’ll feel about today once the liquor wears off and I have a clear head but for now, I still haven’t given up on you. You can say what you want about me. You can think what you want about me. But I’ll still be in your corner if you need me.” Jorvan took out his comlink and brought it to his ear in a gesture. “All you have to do is call.”

He started to walk away from her towards his landspeeder, praying to the gods that Chacha had already gotten here and disabled his landspeeder like he asked her to.

As he got in his landspeeder and tried to start it up, there was a sigh of relief when the engine wouldn’t start. He pretended to search for a solution to fix the landspeeder, but after a few minutes, he got out and said to Kay, “Just go on ahead. I’ll just camp out here for the night or something. I’m feeling a little drowsy anyway and I’d probably just get into an accident if I tried to drive back to the hotel.” He shooed her away with his hand. “Go on. Before I accidently say something else that digs me into a bigger hole I guess,” he chuckled.

He turned his back to her and climbed up on the hood of his landspeeder. He laid down with his arms behind his head and started to stare out at the night sky and prayed silently that Kay wouldn’t leave him here.

Work with me here, he told the old gods. If she left, he wasn’t in the mood to hear Chacha’s teasing about another failure.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay did hear [member="Jorvan Hatha"] when he spoke of her only opening up to him when she was lashing out. Was it true? Maybe it was. She reflected on that as she drove them to his landspeeder.

When they had stopped and Jorvan just held her, she didn't move. It actually felt...nice. She almost brought her hand up to hold his arms in place, but then stopped herself. Instead she just listened to him speak. Was she really that damaged and scarred? She didn't think so. Was she crying out for help? It didn't seem that way for her either. But maybe she was blind. Too blind to even notice the harm that she was doing to herself.

Now she used the handlebars to hold herself up while Jorvan continued. She had no problem being around others on her missions, organizing things, conducting business. But when it came to her personal life? Well, it was almost as though she didn't have one anymore. And if Terrac had his way and she ran for President, she'd still not have a personal life. She lived to help everyone else. It was a far cry to think that she was the one that needed help.

Kay kept silent still as he tried turning on his landspeeder. Was he out of gas? She wasn't a mechanic. When he shooed her away, she took her bike back to the bushes. It wasn't as though she had the fuel to get into the city. During the whole process of hiding it beneath the brush, she was trying to figure out how to apologize. How would it be received? Only one way to find out.

She quietly approached, her satchel over her shoulder and her hands clasped in front of her. "Jorvan?...I'm sorry for my behaviour. If I'm not on my missions or helping to resolve a dispute or negotiate a contract, I just don't know how to act anymore. Everyone wants something from me and the only...the only personal interest that anyone had was only for their own selfish reason. I find it....easier and safer to think of some as brothers, rather than anything else." She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I've made enemies as you know, and you are a father. The last thing that I need is for my enemies to hurt you because of me and then your poor daughters could grow up without you. I already lost my husband to that. I don't want to go through it again."

Tentatively, she approached the hood of his speeder and sat on the edge of it. "I'll get Terrac to pick us up and drop you off. The blockade should be over by now. And if not, then we can wait. You can sleep and I'll stay awake and keep an eye out. Okay?"