Our Own Little Shadowport

[Munin]

Spark,

Hey you.

I've got a lot to tell you. I figured out what that thing from Jakku is, got a few more clients, and I've had an idea. I think you're going to like it a lot, and it should help us see one another more.

Can you meet me on Bestin? It's in Alliance space, I'll be at the Hilith Starport, Hangar 43 on Bedunday.

I hope you can make it.

-Munin

[member="Spark Finn"]

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

Encrypt Code 1989://

On my way. I should be there in two standard days.

-Finn

\\

Things were mostly cleared up on her end with the Alliance. But she wasn't taking a lot of chances. There were sith spies still out there, even with the Tri's dismantle. She'd been doing this for...too long to become careless. Blonde hair was tucked up into a light grey smashball hat. Her skinny-jeans, light-blue tanktop, and converse-self skittered through the hangar's shadows and outskirts, taking care to walk in the blindspots of security feeds.

Any feeds.

Glasses were adjusted as her blue-eyes searched the crowds for the man with the sandy hair. A man who she was beginning to care about so much...it was the scariest thing of all.

#dontforgethashtags

 

[Munin]

[member="Spark Finn"]

Munin sat quietly at the back of the hangar.

His datapad sat in his lap, his hair was unchanged from the last time he had seen Spark but his clothes were noticeably more fancy. Instead of the outdoor desert wear he had on a finely tailored suit, one that was cut to his form to perfection. It was a remarkable difference, and made the shaggy looking slicer appear almost respectable. That had been the point of course, and from the looks he got he supposed that it was working out rather well.

Every now and again he would peer over the top of his datapad, searching for Spark among the crowd.

Unlike her he hadn't bothered with blind-spots, if only because nobody knew him and nobody was looking.

Eventually he caught sight of her, slowly moving within the crowd and peering around every now and again. A small smile crossed his lips as he saw her, fingers slowly reaching up to pull the top of the datapad closed. He took a deep breath, nerves playing across his fingers as he slowly stood and began to move towards her. He approached her from behind, her head swiveling about as she kept on searching. He had no idea if she could sense him or something, but before he knew it Munin stood behind her. "Hey you."

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

She could shut off an entire space station with her mind but she'd never been good at sensing others. With the sudden voice behind her, shoulders and muscles tensed in her spindly limbs as she spun around. Fight or flight was clearly written on her feckled-face. Blue eyes widened. Then slowly....recognition.

Hand was at her throat. "You scar-," a quick, meek glance around to make sure no one noticed the odd exchange.

It took her a moment longer to take in his dapper appearance. Reminded her of when they first met but more relaxed. Not so snooty aristocrat.

#nicethreads

"Hi," she said rather shyly.

 

[Munin]

[member="Spark Finn"]

”I’m glad you could make it.” He wanted to hug her, kiss her, sweep her up in his arms, but he knew that she wouldn’t be comfortable with such things. So instead he just smiled at her, a goofy, almost idiotic smile, but it was there.

”I got us a ship.” Munin continued. ”We’ll have to travel for about half a day.”

Bestine was a bit too...full for him.

The planet was a trade hub, sitting right on a hyperspace lane in the middle of Galactic Alliance territory. While he wasn’t known for any crimes here, Munin didn't want to take any chances with what might occur in the future, so he thought it best to set up his little surprise for Spark in a place that had a little bit more privacy.

”I’ll tell you about what I figured out on the way.” He offered her his hand to take, that same goofy smile still on his face.

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

"Me too," she said quietly and slipped her palm into his. His smile was contagious. Hat was adjusted again and her face became more wary as she gave another glance around.

#dontworry

Converse-feet plodded next to him. "Was it what you were hoping to find? Was your...sister happy too?" Chin quarter-turned as her blue-eyes gave him a sideways, questioning glance. The smashball cap casted a slight shadow over her features.

 

[Munin]

[member="Spark Finn"]

Munin instantly began to head towards the hangar that he had rented. The shuttle he’d taken here was still resting there. The ship had no name and was by all accounts untraceable, so there wasn’t any issue of anyone following them or finding them. He lead her around one of the corners of the space station.

”It’s…” He began quietly. ”Hard to describe.”

The Red Codex had turned out to be a boon like any other, a system that was in effect...a mass surveillance network that had been self building for thousands of years. It’s applications were numerous, and its value was limitless. Describing such a thing, even to someone like Spark who was used to technology was difficult. ”It’s called the Red Codex, and yes, it’s amazing.”

He doubted the name would mean much to her.

It hadn’t meant a single thing to him initially, but as all the data had unfolded...well it had been hard to keep his jaw off the floor.

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

She squeezed his hand. "Good. That's good. Codex."

Thin-lips pursed as she tread next to him. Sounded like it was chalked full of information, what she knew Munin dealt in. She noticed how he didn't answer her entire question. Didn't say anything about his sister.

She wondered why.

But she wasn't going to press him. So far no trouble. She didn't think they had any tails. No security feeds were picking them up, thanks to knowing where to move and a little nudge of technometry.

They were off to a good start.

 

[Munin]

[member="Spark Finn"]

They quickly found their way to a hangar bay filled with an old Lambda-class Shuttle. The ship wasn't by any means pretty, but it would do the job well enough. Munin slipped into the hangar bay, pulling Spark with and closing the doors behind them. "I didn't bring it with."

He wasn't sure if that would disappoint her.

"It's not exactly..." How to put this? "It's not like a datacron. The Codex itself doesn't actually have any information on it. The thing functions more like an access key to a network rather than a storage device, something that I didn't expect."

Munin was excited, Spark would easily be able to tell that.

As the hangar bay doors closed behind them the ramp to the Lambda shuttle began to slowly drop. The inside was colored with bright white lights, and as the vessel opened up Spark would be able to see a comfortable arrangement of acceleration couches mixed with a dozen or so data terminals and serves.

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

She released his hand. "Oh," she spoke quietly. Blue-eyes widened and she relaxed considerably as the hangar doors closed. "You rented out an entire hangar?" Blonde-brows shut up beneath the brim of the smashball hat on her head.

Maybe that was why he'd dressed so nicely. He was used to playing characters. He always knew how to play the part and wear whatever mask he needed to wear.

#Actingschool

Converse-feet strolled up the shuttle's ramp. "Nice digs. Pretty fly, Mun. Did you steal it or get it from one of your jobs?"

Mostly joking about stealing.

#srynotsry

 

[Munin]

[member="Spark Finn"]

"I didn't steal it." He had stolen the hangar though, technically.

He had registered the lambda under a false name and then tricked the hangars systems into thinking he was a VIP. The process had been simple enough, in fact he figured Spark could have done it with her eyes closed, but well there was no need to point any of that out, at least not right now.

"I paid for it." Munin said with a smile. "...With money I stole."

He walked passed her. "But let's not talk about it."

The ramp began to raise as they stepped on board the ship, it was clear that Munin was eager to show Spark the surprise he had in store.

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

A stolen-bought ship.

As he walked by, she lingered at the data terminals. Thin-fingers brushed the tops of the stations. Mind-wandered through the force.

#matrixstyle

She went in but not deep enough to pry. She wouldn't do that to him. Maybe just when they first met. She wasn't sure how long she'd been under until her blue eyes snapped open again. Slinging the bag of her belongings from her shoulder, she finally wandered after the information broker.

"Is this the idea you commed me about?"

 

[Munin]

[member="Spark Finn"]

He shoom his head.

The ship had been something he and Huginn had created ages ago. It was one of their few mobile data centers, somethinf he rather liked. They rarely used the craft since it was a bit ostentatious, but in all honesty...he had wanted to impress Spark a bit.

"No." He answered her as he stepped into the cockpit. "This is...well it was my first real home after we left the orphanage. Its old, but we remodeled it enough."

If Spark looked around she would notice there were no beds.

Back when they had bought this craft they hadnt really thought theys needed them. Both he and Huginn had simply slept on the acceleration couches. "The Idea...is similar but...youll see."

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

"Okaaaay," the slicer shot Munin a curious, sideways glance.

#alwaysfullofsecrets

She slipped into the passenger seat and snapped on the crash webbing around her bony shoulders. Darknet came up on her datapad. Fingers clearly meant for datapad typing tapped and swiped across the screen as she scrolled through some familiar contacts.

"Just promise me no sand planets. Or wilderness."

#nocamping

 

[Munin]

[member="Spark Finn"]

Munin offered her a warm smile ”Nothing like that, I promise.”

He took his seat in the pilots chair, making himself more comfortable before quickly running through the ships ignition protocols. There was a slight delay before the vessel's engines burned to life, and then a quick lurch as they were lifted from the landing struts.

Before long Munin pressed them forward and out of the hangar.

His surprise was waiting about a day and a half away from Bestine. They would be traveling through a little known, close to secret, hyperlane usually only used by smugglers and people who wanted no one to know where they were going. Security was important to both him and Spark, and he had that in mind more than anything else.

He wanted her to be safe, above everything.

That was what mattered.

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

Blue-eyes flickered away from the screen and back to Munin's face, catching his smile. She offered a silent one of her own in return but didn't say anything more. Back pressed lightly against the seat as he took them out and up.

#prettysmoothride

Attention went back to the datapad. She booked a few jobs. She couldn't ever let fear win. She'd never stay in hiding forever. Even though, as an introvert it wouldn't be such a bad gig. That's why she kept doing the jobs. It forced her to get out and make contacts. It forced her not to get too comfortable.

 

[Munin]

[member="Spark Finn"]

The rest of the trip wasn't very exciting. Spark and Munin sat in silence for a time, a pleasant and calm quiet that lingered until Spark's stomach interrupted it. The two of them ate dinner, cooked in the tiny kitchenette attached to the Lambda's cargo hold.

The time was pleasant and quick, the night spent talking about one small thing or another.

Then the alarm finally sounded that would signal they were nearly there. Munin's head perked up first, he and Spark having fallen asleep the night before watching a holo-flick. His eye popped open and spotted the beeping console within the Cockpit. Spark lay next to him, half leaning against him and half buried underneath a blanket that he had pulled from a nearby closet. Munin smiled down at her, then slowly extracted himself from her grasp.

He quietly moved to the cockpit and shut the alarm.

They had about thirty minutes before arrival.

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

Her cushion was no longer there. #Munin She felt herself slipping lower and lower on the acceleration couch until she was laying across it, legs curled up. Small, bony form was buried beneath the blanket.

She shivered a bit, missing some of the warmth Munin provided. She always got colder in space. Blonde-hair tangled in her glasses as they fell more down her freckled nose.

#lifeproblems

She clutched the blanket a bit tighter, only the tip of her nose and up exposed to the ship's recycled air. She muttered quietly in her sleep, the smallest sliver of drool running out of the corner of her mouth and onto the couch's base.

 

[Munin]

[member="Spark Finn"]

Munin wandered back over to the acceleration couch from the cockpit.

Fifteen minutes went by pretty fast when you were with someone you liked, though he imagined his chanced of slipping back into place on the couch were now slim to none. He smiled for a second as he watched Spark laying there, drooling just a bit and snoring just a little. He leaned down for a moment and tugged the blanket into place just a bit tighter, then squatted in front of her.

His hand gently ran through her hair.

"Hey." Munin said quietly.

His fingers would lace through bright blond locks for just a moment more, hand stopping at her neck as his thumb stroked across her cheek.

"Hey." He repeated. "We're almost there."

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

"Mmm," she mumbled as his touch and voice stirred her awake. "Five more minu--," eyes stirred and finally opened beneath lopsided glass-senses. Little form shifted on the couch. "Hi," she said quietly, still half asleep.

She yawned.

#napsarenicetoo

Limbs stretched beneath the blanket and she slowly wills herself back to a seated position. Fingers adjust the glasses on her face back to their normal position. Blue-eyes squint at Munin. "Where is here?"