Private Pest Control

[Ara Sheridan]

”You don’t need to be afraid,”

”I have designated you as a friendly to the War Droid. You don’t have to worry about the iron beast stirring up to neutralize you anymore,”

”Well, as long as you do not display acts of hostility towards it or me, that is.”

A nervous chuckle escaped her as she glanced at him and back at the Basilisk. Her hand quickly shifted away from her weapon as she studied it. "Makin' me feel real safe over here..." She quipped, though it was hardly sincere. Thankfully he joined her beside the machine which helped her to feel far more at ease, particularly when he simply started to pull open some of the maintenance panels to expose the internal bits.

The quality of the machining and design underneath already gave her an idea of what she was working with. Something rare and exotic, but far from complicated in a luxury sense. This wasn't some Nubian yacht with hand-built components and assembly. The crucial maintenance sections were easily reachable and capable of being swapped out in record time. Ara practically ignored him entirely as she hopped up and into the fuselage to get a better look at what was ticking inside. "You know how much easier my work at the temple would be if more ships were designed like this?!" Her muffled voice echoed from inside. "Granted, nothing's universal in here so sourcing parts will be a pain in the ass, but I guess that ain't really an issue for y'all?" She peaked out from inside with a smirk before disappearing inside again.

"Looks like your number two cannon stabilizer could do with some calibration..." She reached for her lightsaber and checked its setting before she worked on tightening some bits and checking the balance with a firm yank against the gun barrel. "You're gonna wanna take it out for target practice to dial it in properly, but she's steady for now... just don't ask me where those bolts are gonna be hitting." She commented further. "But hot damn, this thing's tight. Looks like it can handle like a dream. I wish the Alliance fighters were built like this, not gonna lie..." She rambled on as she dove further into the body of the machine.

”I could let you check out the cockpit after we’re done,”

”If you promise me you won’t tamper with the control dashboard and panels,”

"Dude, you let me take this baby for a test flight and I'll karkin' kiss ya, hot damn!" She quipped with a laugh as she studied its connections and systems further. "You might wanna sort out the condensation regulator as well, it looks like it's goin'. Won't show up on the diagnostics, they're purely mechanical. Unless you want your engine and repulsors to seize up, you gotta get it swapped out before another big trip off-world. But yeah... that's gonna take a three man team, a crane and the better part of an afternoon to get to this part... by the way, do you fly this thing like an old lady or what? There's barely any fouling or anything goin' on!"

She finally came crawling out with some fresh new stains on her hands and face, though it was overshadowed by the enormous smile on her face. "Holy kriff this thing's awesome. By the way, when my podracer gets back to Coruscant, I gotta bring it over to you. Thing's been misfiring like crazy since I rebuilt its engine and the damn thing's computer is sketchy as hell." She quipped as she gave him a slap against the chest.

Kayl Krayt

 

[Kayl Krayt]

Coruscant | Coruscant Underworld, Lower Levels
Tags: Ara Sheridan

​

"You know how much easier my work at the temple would be if more ships were designed like this?!" Her muffled voice echoed from inside.

A sincere yet brief chuckle escaped him as his lips curled to a big smile at the sight of the exhilarated Jedi disappearing under the fuselage; her interest towards the intricacies of machinery -and quite an exotic one at that she laid her hands on- had overwhelmed her previous apprehension she had towards the iron beast. She moved and spoke at a much more relaxed tone now, voicing a complaint how difficult it was to maintain the crafts of the Alliance.

An actual mechanic!

Producing a small yet powerful glowrod from the black toolkit beside him, the kid shone light into the fuselage to help her see more clearly inside as he himself reached in with his hydrospanner, and began carrying out a maintenance routine for the Basilisk alongside her.

"Granted, nothing's universal in here so sourcing parts will be a pain in the ass, but I guess that ain't really an issue for y'all?" She peaked out from inside with a smirk before disappearing inside again.

”Oh not at all,” he answered in between a muffled grunt and the squeaking of the hydrospanner in his hand. ”Foundries back home are churning out quite the number of spare parts of all kinds to maintain the iron beasts. Though of course, it would be quite difficult for me to get my hands on replacement parts once I run out of spares, seeing as I’m several dozen light-years away from home,” he remarked, explaining further.

"Looks like your number two cannon stabilizer could do with some calibration..." She reached for her lightsaber and checked its setting before she worked on tightening some bits and checking the balance with a firm yank against the gun barrel. "You're gonna wanna take it out for target practice to dial it in properly, but she's steady for now... just don't ask me where those bolts are gonna be hitting."

The Misfit confirmed her assessment with a muffled, acknowledging grunt and a nod of his head in response. ”That is correct. The diagnostics check also recommends a recalibration. Though I’ll have to look for a place to safely discharge the cannon in order to correctly zero it…“ the kid said, concurring with Ara’s sentiment. Perhaps an abandoned bolo-ball stadium could do the trick,” he muttered, theorizing. ”That game has never been popular on Coruscant, anyway,”

Recalibration of the cannon would not exactly be at the top of his priority list, as he wasn’t exactly fond of the idea of taking his Basilisk out for a spin unless he really had to. Getting the wrong kind of attention from the local authorities and provoking the cartels and other types of organized crime groups in the surrounding area was not something he desired, as much as he possessed the capability to deal with them.

But seeing as he would have to relocate to a different safehouse after tonight, he could get that squared away then.

"Dude, you let me take this baby for a test flight and I'll karkin' kiss ya, hot damn!"

The Misfit heartily chuckled along with the Jedi at her quip. ”The Basilisk’s controls handle somewhat differently than your usual fighter; you would have to spend some time in simulations to get the hang of it first,” the kid remarked as he shifted his gaze onto systems Ara was looking at, shining light on it for to make it easier to see for both of them. ”It would be preferable to head over to a less populated, almost abandoned level to take it out for a spin,” he continued with his remark, as she made a comment on the condensation regulators of the beast. He extended a silent acknowledgement at her words with a nod. ”I’m aware, I’ve got its spare but as you said, that’s one of the most time consuming repairs for a Basilisk,” he said, heaving a sigh as he tilted his head to the side to see the systems better. ”I might just take care of it this weekend. You know, chip away at the repairs,” no doubt it would take quite a long while to do that all by himself.

... by the way, do you fly this thing like an old lady or what? There's barely any fouling or anything goin' on!"

Unable to stifle his laughter, he cackled at her innocent quip. ”N-no, like I said, I periodically perform maintenance on it,” The Misfit clarified, even though he was aware the Jedi was only pulling his leg; one of the reasons why he meticulously carried out maintenance and diagnostic checks on the Basilisk, making sure it was in great condition, was that the droid had a sentimental value for him.

One day, when he would return home, he wanted to return the Basilisk to its true owner in the condition he got it from his Clan Chief; though he entertained several ideas in his mind to upgrade the beast, in the form of extending his gratitude for the Kel Dor.

Seeing the Jedi was starting to crawl back out of the fuselage, the kid pulled himself back, getting out her way and giving her space. When his eyes met hers -and the biggest, most heartwarming smile emerging on her features he had ever seen- as she emerged from the fuselage, he felt his heart leap for a brief moment, leaving a strange, foreign feeling in its wake; he felt a moment’s exhilaration washing over him, replacing the mild and brief confusion he felt. He suddenly felt more energetic, his fatigue suddenly gone; the aches from his bruises across his body simply swept away.

"... gets back to Coruscant, I gotta bring it over to you. Thing's been misfiring like crazy since I rebuilt its engine and the damn thing's computer is sketchy as hell." She

He half heard what she was talking about as he was trying to process what was going on with him. It would take The Misfit a brief moment to respond to the Jedi. ”Y-yeah! Yeah, absolutely!” he almost sputtered as he answered; The Misfit blushingly averted his gaze from her visage shortly after, trying to focus on the maintenance as he looked back at the systems under the fuselage. ”It… could be a multitude of problems causing misfires; the most common ones as you might know would be worn, improperly installed or mishandled spark plugs, malfunctioning ignition coils, faulty spark plug wires or vacuum leaks. The computer might be also a culprit, trying to draw more power from its power source than what the ship's engines can feasibly produce,” The Misfit theorized as he continued his work, leaning into the fuselage as he took a closer look.

​

 

[Ara Sheridan]

Ara snickered from inside the fuselage at his remarks, though the Mandalorian received a daring grin when he mentioned the difficulty of flying the Basilisk. "A ship is a ship is a ship. They all fly the same, one way or another. Plus this thing's got a brain, it can stop bein' lazy and help out." She commented before looking back in again. "Clearly ya don't want that kiss, huh?" She snickered from inside.

Crawling out of the Basilisk, however, Ara was caught off guard by the guy's bashful and blushing look for a moment. It pulled a laugh out of her, that much she had to admit. Though she couldn't help but wonder if it was her joke or something else.

”Y-yeah! Yeah, absolutely!”

”It… could be a multitude of problems causing misfires; the most common ones as you might know would be worn, improperly installed or mishandled spark plugs, malfunctioning ignition coils, faulty spark plug wires or vacuum leaks. The computer might be also a culprit, trying to draw more power from its power source than what the ship's engines can feasibly produce,”

"Nah, the rest of it's solid. I made sure to actually use new parts when I rebuilt the engines, so mechanically it's perfect. The issue is definitely the computer. I pulled it out of an Imperial TIE years ago, worked perfectly and everything, but I think it got hurt when someone sabotaged my coolant and stuff." She explained as she leaned against the machine. "As far as pods go, though, the Arrow's definitely not the most high end thing, but she's solid. It's just the computer and I'm too broke to get a new one right now." She admitted with a shrug.

Turning around, she studied the machine before bolting the panels back into place. "Alright then, chrome dome! Open this baby up, I wanna take her out for a spin." She quipped with a slap on his back. Though, she couldn't help but keep thinking on that stupid grin he had. She paused and looked over her shoulder at him with a smug grin. "I'll slap it on the cheek for ya if you're nervous." She quipped.

Kayl Krayt

 

[Kayl Krayt]

Coruscant | Coruscant Underworld, Lower Levels
Tags: Ara Sheridan

​

"Clearly ya don't want that kiss, huh?"

His eyes widened at the voiced notion of the Jedi; silent as he leaned further into the opening of the fuselage, he tried to hide his reddening features from her gaze. Uncertainty regarding a response to her settled in him. Her jolly laughter that followed in the wake of her quip only flustered the young Misfit further; it was obvious he could no longer hide his interest and admiration for her. She was… different from the people he had met in his life thus far.

A part of him expected the Jedi to just brush him off when he had begun talking about the iron beast, like how his kin usually did whenever he passionately spoke of a topic of his interest; but it appeared that only sparked her interest for the Basilisk more. That was something he could not recall experiencing with a fellow kin of his clan.

He did not feel like an outcast around her!

"Nah, the rest of it's solid. I made sure to actually use new parts when I rebuilt the engines, so mechanically it's perfect. The issue is definitely the computer. I pulled it out of an Imperial TIE years ago, worked perfectly and everything, but I think it got hurt when someone sabotaged my coolant and stuff." She explained as she leaned against the machine. "As far as pods go, though, the Arrow's definitely not the most high end thing, but she's solid. It's just the computer and I'm too broke to get a new one right now." She admitted with a shrug.

Although the kid would be surprised that she was talking about a pod racer, he would be quick to recover from that; he thought she was talking about a fighter craft at first. ”Ah I see… If that is the case, the computer surely has to be the culprit behind the issues you’re having with your ride,” the kid remarked with a profuse nod of his head as he went over the internals of the iron beast one last time, making sure everything was in good shape. ”If it is not correctly integrated with the systems of your pod racer -which, it appears to be so- then, it is bound to cause you more problems than just simple engine misfires. The computer and its software was meant to be used for aerial platforms to begin with,” the kid added. The fix would not at all be difficult to apply to her computer, but it would be a lengthy progress; tailor made for a specific fighter craft, it was not meant to be used by earth-bound platforms when it was conceived.

He would have to carry out significant changes and overhauls in its operating parameters and directives for it to function the way Ara wanted for her pod racer.

Finished with the maintenance with the Jedi’s help, he bolted the heavy armored panel back onto its slot with her assistance. ”Thank you,” he extended his gratitude to her with a mutter; as much as it would be a futile attempt he continued to avert his flustered visage away from hers when he spoke.

"Alright then, chrome dome! Open this baby up, I wanna take her out for a spin." She quipped with a slap on his back.

Crouched beside the iron beast as he packed away his toolkit, The Misfit spared her a glance over his shoulder as she slapped him on his back with a quip. He was not so quick to respond, giving it some thought in his mind; wanting to not draw too much attention to himself from the habitants of the Coruscant Underworld, he was not keen on going out on a joyride with his Basilisk.

But today… the Jedi, and the deeds they’ve done in that warehouse… it all brought novelty to his life; something he was looking for.

And he could most certainly do with living a little; he was tired of having to worry about drawing attention to himself from the unsavory inhabitants of the Underworld, tired of worrying the troubles such things could cause.

He could deal with the lot of them if they were to endanger his, or the Jedi’s life anyway; he had the skills and the know-how to do that.

It was time to stop worrying, and have a little bit of fun.

"I'll slap it on the cheek for ya if you're nervous." She quipped.

Making up his mind after a moment’s consideration, and with her quip encouraging him to take the step forward, The Misfit rose from his crouched stance with the toolkit in his grasp. ”Okay then,” he said with a hearty chuckle as he tossed the toolkit on the desk. ”Come on, hop in!” he beckoned with a bright smile on his face as he looked at her; climbing the fuselage, he slid open the armored cockpit and hopped inside in one swift motion, sitting on the passenger/co-pilot seat behind the pilot’s.

Flipping the master switch “on” from the panel beside him after fastening his seatbelt, the electronic instruments in the cockpit would flicker to life. ”Running a quick pre-flight check,” Interacting with the control panel in front of him as she settled down in the pilot’s seat, The Misfit powered up the iron beast with the press of a few buttons in sequence; the Basilisk growled to life shortly afterwards. ”All systems nominal,” the kid reported back after a moment passing in his silence. ”Alright! Taxi us out to the courtyard, slowly.” he beckoned at the commercial garage door in front of them with a nod; its sensors picking up the Basilisk’s movement, it would grant them exit automatically.

”Show me what you got!”

​

 

[Ara Sheridan]

The Zabrak found herself rather intrigued by the mix of emotions coming from Kayl. Between the blushing, bashful behaviour and generally just the feeling of admiration she felt from him was oddly... nice. They weren't that well acquainted, but already it felt like he found himself someone he could really talk to. If what he said about his clan was true, then he probably never had a chance to just be himself like this.

It was rather fun to see herself making someone happy like this by simply talking about stuff.

He quickly opened up the cockpit and hopped in to start the beast up for them. With a parsec-long grin, Ara clambered in as well and dropped into the pilot's seat in front of him. Immediately she found herself studying the interior and the quality. "This is nice." She commented as she acquainted herself with the controls.

When a low, mechanical growl erupted from the machine, Ara's excitement skyrocketed tremendously at the thought of what she was about to do. The power at her fingertips, the simplistically utilitarian design that still managed to be comfortable and efficiently laid out. "This is weird. This is super weird." She giggled as she turned the Basilisk around and guided it out of the warehouse. "Never drove a walker before or something. Holy kriff, this thing's big." She snickered as she glanced down to the viewscreens and the cockpit windows beside them.

Finally they were in the clear and Ara had her chance. She gingerly powered up the engine and repulsors to raise the machine into the air, albeit quite shakily. She was trembling with excitement and nervousness as they rose higher and higher until they were well above the surrounding buildings. The scanners were crystal clear and no obstacles were in sight. "I see what you mean with the controls, it's like a mix between a fighter, a walker and a speeder. But... these controls I know..." The thrusters were powered up and they blasted ahead, shoving Ara and Kayl hard into their seats as the inertial dampeners worked to counteract the force.

The throttle was opened more and more as Ara piloted the machine towards the level exit. "Holy kriff, she moves!" She called out with a maniacal laugh. Upon reaching the exit, Ara banked up hard and weaved through the traffic until there was only night sky above them. "She's heavy. Not like a freighter or something, more like..."

A war machine.

The weapons, the howling engines, the mechanical rumbles, the armoured panels of impervium and, what she suspected, beskar... it all added to the weight at her fingertips and it made it very clear what the machine was built for. "Hot damn, I hope I never gotta be on the receiving end of one of these. Thing feels karkin' invincible." She muttered as she spared an awestruck look at Kayl. "I want one." A maniacal snicker escaped her as she banked left and flew rather recklessly through the traffic of Coruscant.

Kayl Krayt

 

[Kayl Krayt]

Coruscant | Coruscant Underworld, Lower Levels
Tags: Ara Sheridan

​

"This is weird. This is super weird." She giggled as she turned the Basilisk around and guided it out of the warehouse. "Never drove a walker before or something. Holy kriff, this thing's big." She snickered as she glanced down to the viewscreens and the cockpit windows beside them.

With a bright smile the young Misfit chuckled at her natural reaction to the controls of the Basilisk; he couldn’t help but get carried away in her excitement as well; her joy was highly contagious. ”That’s one of the tricky parts of handling a Basilisk; not many are able to perform an on the spot transformation from flight to the walker ground assault mode. It takes some practice and training to get the hang of it,” he remarked, just as excited as her as she steered the beast to the courtyard; its servos whined and groaned with each step forward at a pleasant pitch.

It was not long after the Jedi had timidly given power to the engines of the iron beast they ascended well over the derelict and abandoned structures surrounding them, stretching as far as the unaugmented eye could see.

"I see what you mean with the controls, it's like a mix between a fighter, a walker and a speeder. But... these controls I know..."

It was then -before he could say anything- as if an invisible hand firmly pressed them to their seats when the beast shot forward at an unprecedented speed; he found it briefly difficult to breathe -as if someone punched the air out of his lungs- under the excessive G force until the inertial dampener kicked in. The cockpit mildly rattled under the power of its thrusters as the Jedi flew the iron beast, taking the exit out of the level.

"Holy kriff, she moves!" She called out with a maniacal laugh.

The Misfit met her laughter with his own as they ascended further and further into the heavens above.
”Woah! Hahaha!” he couldn’t help but feel impressed at her display of skill with the Basilisk’s flight mode; weaving around and over the lanes of traffic strewn across the skies, it wasn’t long until she took them high up to the clear night sky. Her more timid and nervous demeanor when it came to steering the Basilisk, was all swept away after a few moments of steering the beast.

"She's heavy. Not like a freighter or something, more like..."

A war machine.

The kid nodded profusely with a chuckle; she did not need to finish her remark to convey just how powerful the iron beast felt. He had felt roughly the same during his first ever flight with a Basilisk. The growling rumble of its engines at full throttle, the first time he heard it was etched into his memory; he had felt afraid of the power he wielded at first, afraid of it overwhelming him, but eventually he had drifted along.

It did not take long for the Basilisk to feel like an extension of himself afterwards.

"Hot damn, I hope I never gotta be on the receiving end of one of these. Thing feels karkin' invincible." She muttered as she spared an awestruck look at Kayl.

”You don’t have to worry about being on the receiving end of this one,” The Misfit chuckled as his gaze met Ara’s awestruck features. ”As long as you do not display acts of hostility towards it or myself that is,” he quipped with a laugh, reminding the Jedi of the beast’s set identification parameters.

"I want one." A maniacal snicker escaped her as she banked left and flew rather recklessly through the traffic of Coruscant.

Shortly after her comment they entered a shallow dive into the traffic below them, sweeping past, over and under the vehicles of all sorts, driving in the sky lane. ”Do you want to know how many traffic rules we’ve just violated?” The Misfit said with a cackle as he paid a brief glance at the vehicles they left behind, over his left shoulder. ”Here, gain some altitude and unlock flight controls for me,” he would say after a long moment, allowing the Jedi to have some more fun, flying at an unbridled speed in the sky lane.

Momentarily assuming control of the Basilisk after she allowed him, the Misfit would direct the iron beast to an even higher altitude; not long after, they were looking at the bright, lively lights of Coruscant from space.

Silent for the moment, The Misfit heaved a sigh as he took in the view; he found the planet to look more appealing from space than he did in person, on the ground. Teeming with life in every corner, even in its skies, it was quite an inviting sight from an outsider’s perspective.

But the grass always looks greener on the other side; there were generations of people living in the lower levels of Coruscant that would never bear witness to such a sight.

A pair of blips emerging in his scanners would prevent him from mulling over further, however. ”Looks like we’ve got company,” the kid muttered as he shifted his gaze at the scanners; a pair of Alliance patrol vessels were in rapid encroachment to their position. He had no intention of paying a speeding ticket, or whatever punishment they saw fit to hand out to the both of them.”But not for long!”

Powering the thrusters full throttle at the push of the lever, The Misfit steered the iron beast directly underneath the rapidly approaching Alliance patrol craft, towards the bustling planet; not long after leaving the patrol vessels far behind them, they would see flames dancing all across the fuselage, over and around the canopy as they punched through the atmosphere at an incredible speed.

Propelled even further with the gravitational pull of Coruscant itself, the kid demonstrated to Ara how his ancestors would utilize the revered war machine against their enemies in an era far bygone; not long after the flames disappeared after entering atmosphere, their surroundings -the city lights miles below them, and the lights of the vehicles on the skylanes alike- would become nothing more than a mere smudge and a blur in their vision as the kid expertly soared past them in the skies, continuing his dive.

Never minding the collision and the “pull up” warning blaring in the cockpit when they got real close to the terrain below them, The Misfit only raised the nose of the Basilisk just a few moments before a very much possible collision with the roof of a high-rise building; he could feel his ears ringing from the sharp, iconic howl of the Basilisk at this speed, despite the secured canopy negating most of it. ”What do you think of that!?” he asked with a hearty laugh, mirth and excitement apparent in his voice as he switched off from controlling the beast, allowing her to assume control of it once more as they continued to soar over the buildings in high speeds at the surface level of the planet.

​

 

[Ara Sheridan]

”Do you want to know how many traffic rules we’ve just violated?”

”Here, gain some altitude and unlock flight controls for me,”

"Won't be the first time I got cops on my ass!" She cackled away as she flew the Basilisk like a maniac. The amount of close calls she had with the wide ship was frightening, but it was easily avoidable. Even before the systems warned her, she could feel through the Force that she had to move. It was exhilarating. But she did as he asked, gaining altitude then hovering in place to flip the controls over to his seat.

Immediately he pointed them up and eventually broke through the atmosphere to show her one hell of a view. Ara sat back in her seat with a gentle smile as she looked over the stunning view of Coruscant. "You know... so far up... you can't even begin to think the planet's as rotten as it is with a view like this..." She muttered with a shake of her head.

The moment was quickly shattered with two blips popping up on the scanners. "Let's maybe just tell 'em we're- woah!" She fell silent as the Basilisk took off with a hard shove. Kayl took it one step further and entered a dive back towards the planet at as fast a speed as the machine could manage... it was a lot. With wide eyes, a runaway heart and her hands clenching her seat, Ara could only sit and watch as they breached the atmosphere and raced to the planet's surface until Kayl yanked back on the controls at the last second, barely avoiding a face-first collision. The Basilisk howled and whined with its engine fluctuating under the pressure in its attempts to respond to his control.

By the time he relinquished control, Ara was numb in her seat and neatly guided the Basilisk back to his safehouse.

”What do you think of that!?”

"I think you're gonna get an act of hostility displayed if I can't fly this thing again." She joked as she spared him a glance with a grin that spanned ear to ear. When they reached the safehouse, Ara carefully guided it back in and powered down before opening the cockpit up. She found herself unable to stand up for a moment as her legs shook violently beneath her. "Holy kriff, that was awesome." She muttered as she held onto the dashboard. "How did it do that? Just... dive down and yank back on a dime?! Fighters can't do that, it'll tear them apart in atmosphere at a speed like that!" She asked him as she managed to carefully clamber out and lean against the rotary cannon for support.

"Oh man, this things' epic. You better not be karking off anytime soon, I'm comin' back for more of this baby." She gave the beast a slap as she looked it over.

Kayl Krayt

 

[Kayl Krayt]

Coruscant | Coruscant Underworld, Lower Levels
Tags: Ara Sheridan

​

Relinquishing the flight controls back to her, the kid watched her fly them back home to his safehouse. The Misfit silently watched her with fly them back, with a smile pulling at his lips; the pair of deep brown, widened pupils glared with a glint of excitement as his eyes met hers and the parsec-wide grin spanning from ear to ear, feeling his heart skipping a beat at her warm, bright and heartfelt grin.

"I think you're gonna get an act of hostility displayed if I can't fly this thing again."

Wordless, the kid muttered a chuckle, laughing along at her quip as he averted his gaze from her green eyes when she turned her visage forward, looking out the cockpit as she steered the beast back home. Switching to its walker mode and gently landing on the courtyard of the safehouse, she steered the beast into the small loading bay, and powered down the War Droid.

As she lifted up the canopy at the push of a button, the kid unfastened his seat belts and climbed out the cockpit with ease, expertly sliding off the fuselage and onto his feet on the ground.

"Holy kriff, that was awesome." She muttered as she held onto the dashboard.

He met her words with a snicker as he watched her pull herself out of the cockpit with some struggle; he could see her muscles, her arms, hands and legs trembling after all of it. He assumed she was under the effects of adrenaline, coursing in her veins. Assuming she indeed raced with her pod-racer, quite an adrenaline packed and a verydangerous -one where a single mistake could see one killed, bits and pieces of their body strewn and plastered across the racing track- he reckoned she was used to such dangerous maneuvers.

But the key difference was that he had gone at an unprecedented speed that not many fighter craft could match, let alone a pod-racer.

Seeing her struggle after paying her a glance, the kid shifted forward towards her, helping her climb down the cockpit.

"How did it do that? Just... dive down and yank back on a dime?! Fighters can't do that, it'll tear them apart in atmosphere at a speed like that!" She asked him as she managed to carefully clamber out and lean against the rotary cannon for support.

The Misfit profusely nodded at Ara before he remarked, answering her question. ”Many fighters do not possess the durability of a Basilisk that would allow them to pull off such high G maneuvers in the atmosphere. What the iron beast can shrug off without an issue, it can take its toll on other fighter craft’s fuselage, weakening their structural integrity,” the kid explained with a wide smile.

"Oh man, this things' epic. You better not be karking off anytime soon, I'm comin' back for more of this baby." She gave the beast a slap as she looked it over.

The kid hurriedly shook his head, momentarily averting his eyes away from Ara as her words pulled out a chuckle out of him. ”I’ll be residing in Coruscant for a while,” The Misfit murmured with an innocent smirk as he leaned his back against the cannon of the iron beast, standing beside her. For a brief moment the kid would fall silent, as he gazed upon a fleck of dust beneath his feet.

Her remarks, her quips, and above all, her smile; it filled him with the warmth of a bright, burning star. At her bright smile he had stammered, and flustered; excitement had washed over him with every smile she had spared him.

But after such feelings followed some form of… timidness. Apprehension. Mild concern.

Did she like him back? Or her quips, were they something more than just that? The feelings he had began harboring towards her… was it mutual? Some of her remarks suggested so, but he was unsure nevertheless.

There was no way of finding that out; not without shooting his shot.

”So uuhm…” self aware, he could feel his features blushing as red as a red giant when he shifted his gaze to her visage. Aware of his stammering, he pushed through the rising sense of timidity, and continued. ”A-bout that kiss,” He fought back the urge to avert his gaze away from hers as spoke somewhat nervously. Mustering his courage, he slowly leaned towards her. His heart beat faster and faster as his visage came down to her own, and gently locked his lips with hers.

​

 

[Ara Sheridan]

With a moment of comfortable silence between them, Ara turned to face the machine again with a lingering smile. She simply couldn't get enough of it. But sue also couldn't help but notice the hint of nervousness coming from the Mandalorian next to her. What was he so nervous about? Did she take it too far with her joking? She didn't grab hold and kiss him like she did with Jasper. They managed to clear the air, but she still felt guilty about the existential crisis she had a hand in causing.

Then again, with how they were kicking it off, she didn't mind those little quips she threw at Kayl.

He spoke up again, drawing the concerned Zabrak's attention back to him. She was about to apologize to him and explain herself, but she never got the chance as he leaned in closer... and his lips found hers.

With wide eyes and burning cheeks, Ara stood in place as their lips touched. When he pulled back, Ara blinked as a sheepish smile took hold.

Yeah, he didn't mind the teasing one bit.

"Um... I, uh... heh..." For once the Zabrak was speechless and not for the wrong reasons. With her lingering smile she turned away as she tried to wrap her head around it all.

He was into her, that much was obvious. She couldn't help but take some pride in it. Someone was actually attracted to her and this time she didn't have to wonder or make the first move. She was completely petrified in the moment, unsure of what to do now that she was on the receiving end.

"I take it you don't like losing a bet, huh?" She quipped as she glanced up at him with a hand caressing her chin. Maybe it was worth a shot. He wasn't a Jedi and she was pretty sure that he wouldn't hurt her like Kyell did. He was nothing like Kyell and Mandalorians had a reputation of loyalty.

Still, she had to be sure.

"There's still some beer left, ya know." She quipped as she made her way upstairs and grabbed a can from the pack as she waited for him to take his seat. Once he did, however, Ara loomed over him as her lightsaber hilt pressed against his gut. "Just one ground rule. You cheat on me, you'll wish you hadn't." She muttered as she gave him a glare that could pierce Beskar.

She let the tension linger for a moment longer before she leaned in and reciprocated the kiss. "I'm willing to give it a shot. Now relax. Drink up." The lightsaber was set aside in favour of a beer. With a wave of her hand, the Zabrak held the other can up in front of him as she sat down beside him with a smirk.

"I just hope you won't mind the occasional heavy metal music if I decide to come over." She joked as she leaned back in her seat and lit a cigarette.

Kayl Krayt

 

[Kayl Krayt]

Coruscant | Coruscant Underworld, Lower Levels
Tags: Ara Sheridan

​

A tidal wave of sensations washed over The Misfit. Her lips were soft, almost silken, and pillowy against his own; the soft tickle of her breath, the almost dizzying fragrance of her scent, and the pair of green eyes, widened, glowing with a glint of utter, complete surprise. Even as he pulled away after he locked his lips with hers, the warmth that blossomed within him continued to burn brightly; a smirk pulled at his lips as he shyly averted his gaze from her eyes.

He had taken his shot, but even after that, a moment’s apprehension settled in briefly; did he step out of line? Was a slap on his face imminent?

Her sheepish smile he could see from the corner of his eye, and her sweet, innocent stammering that followed in the wake of the former, had completely swept away such concerns from The Misfit’s mind; he hadn’t overstepped a boundary, and he wagered she would have let him know if he had, presumably in a rather painful manner. She too harbored some feelings towards him then, The Misfit presumed.

His hypothesis was only further reinforced with a quip that cut the comfortable silence that befell the both of them, following a moment after the kiss.

"I take it you don't like losing a bet, huh?" She

”Ahah, I… uuhhm…” still reminiscing and utterly overwhelmed by the sweet, utterly dizzying sensation of her lips against his, he stammered for a moment. ”I guess you could say that,” he muttered with a chuckle as he shifted his gaze back at her. His smile grew wider at the mention of more beer; that was right, they had only downed roughly three cans in total.

Without much thought The Misfit followed close behind her as they ascended the staircase and headed over to the living room. Taking a seat on the couch as she took a can of beer from the pack, the lingering smile on his face would be replaced with confusion as the girl firmly pressed the hilt of his lightsaber to his abdomen at an instant, looming over him; her glare was utterly cold, and unmistakably sharp. It felt as if she was peering into his soul.

"Just one ground rule. You cheat on me, you'll wish you hadn't."

He slowly took a glance at the saber pressing into his gut, then back at her visage. Uttering not a word, The Misfit gave an acknowledging, slow nod of his head, extending his indulgence and understanding; the digits of her elegant appendage were nowhere near the button to ignite the saber. Whatever the reason was, that warranted such an attempt to intimidate him, was completely unknown to him. He simply lacked the necessary data to assess the reason behind this action; all he could theorize at the moment was that it more than likely had something to do with her rough upbringing, from the gutters of Coruscant. She was a hardened street kid after all, and not to mention her seemingly short fuse.

Concluding the matter at that in his mind, he gave the matter no further thought as the girl leaned in towards him; her lips felt impossibly soft and warm as his own melted against hers. Parting them slightly, he allowed her tongue to slip inside as he breathed her in. Slowly raising a hand as their lips remained locked for the moment, his fingers gently carded her flowing dark red hair as he passionately responded to her gesture; he hoped this wordless response would be sufficient for her to find solace in the fact that he would not hurt her by cheating on her with somebody else.

He was now spoken for.

"I'm willing to give it a shot. Now relax. Drink up."

As she pulled back and offered her a can of beer, the kid accepted with a heartfelt smile. Cracking it open, he took a hefty swig of the drink as she sat beside him on the couch.

"I just hope you won't mind the occasional heavy metal music if I decide to come over."

”It appears I will have to invest into some form of noise insulation in the near future,” he quipped back as he lowered the can from his lips, shifting his visage to meet her gaze; he would not at all be bothered about blasting some quality music over the loudspeakers, as long as the music did not escape the confines of the safehouse. "And a good sound system. My current set-up is somewhat rudimentary." he continued with a chuckle. The set-up he had was nowhere near as good as the one he had to leave behind with his clan.

”Are you hungry, by the way?” he asked her with a warm, wide grin; he gently leaned his head against his hand as his elbow rested against the back of the couch, facing her as he looked at the Zabrak. His eyes glowed with an affectionate, exorable glint as he met hers.

He felt like he could be forever lost in that gaze.

​

 

[Ara Sheridan]

Ara found herself lingering for longer than intended as his hand cradled her head, caught in the moment. That spark was rearing its head again the longer she kept her lips against his. Yeah, she could get used to this.

As she pulled away and sat down, she let out a snicker at the mention of insulation. The offer of a good sound system, however, had her perk up. "That definitely won't hurt. But hey, look on the bright side. You don't got neighbours to worry about... plus nobody would be stupid enough to mess with a Mando. Especially with that karkin' behemoth downstairs." She quipped as she took a drag of her cigarette. "I feel really sorry for the poor thug who thinks he can break in." She giggled like a maniac at the thought.

He really shouldn't have let her fly that thing.

His next question caught her off guard... along with his starry-eyed look as he leaned against his hand. Ara stared at him for a moment as a blush took hold again. She scoffed as she glanced off for a moment, helping herself to a sip of beer. "Dunno what you're twinkling away at, ain't much to look at this side." She muttered as she tried to hide her burning cheeks behind her beer.

Looking back at him, however, she gave a nod. "Yeah I could do with some dinner, those thugs were keeping me busy all afternoon." She admitted as she finished her beer and set the can aside.

She tossed her empty cigarette into the can and picked up their trash to throw away. "Come on, I'll help you. If there's two things I love doing, it's makin' food and playing guitar." She admitted as she followed him to the kitchen.

Immediately she got to work on assisting him with their meal for the night in whichever way she could, though she let him take point. It was his place and meal, after all. She wasn't going to judge or interfere. "Ya know... apart from the location, you got a real sweet spread going on. Everything you need for a home up here, garage space for your ship, hell you can even fit a speeder or something downstairs with it as well. You can turn this place into a proper house for yourself if you don't wanna move out." She commented casually as she helped herself to a glass of water.

Apart from the chipping paint and other obvious "fixer-upper" indicators, she was a little bit jealous.

Kayl Krayt

 

[Kayl Krayt]

Coruscant | Coruscant Underworld, Lower Levels
Tags: Ara Sheridan

​

"That definitely won't hurt. But hey, look on the bright side. You don't got neighbours to worry about... plus nobody would be stupid enough to mess with a Mando. Especially with that karkin' behemoth downstairs." She quipped as she took a drag of her cigarette. "I feel really sorry for the poor thug who thinks he can break in." She giggled like a maniac at the thought.

The Jedi’s remark drew a snicker out of him, laughing with her at how horrible a thug’s demise would be if one, or a group of them, dared to intrude the safehouse; as funny as it was to imagine, no doubt the clean-up afterwards, when they would be reduced to little more than chunks of flesh, would be arduous one. Scrubbing them off the walls and the ceiling was not something he wanted to do to spend an evening.

He wanted the sound insulation for another reason however, as much as he’d be safe even just by himself without the Basilisk as his guardian angel watching over him; he’d need it to keep the disguise, using the looks of the derelict exterior of a structure to his benefit, selling the idea that the building was simply abandoned and had no residents living inside.

And if they were going to blast tunes at full volume every now and then, he’d definitely need some noise insulation to retain that disguise.

"Dunno what you're twinkling away at, ain't much to look at this side."

At her comment a cackle escaped The Misfit’s lips. He shook his head at her notion even as she scoffed at him, and averted his gaze for the moment; as much as she tried to hide that from him by looking away, and raising the can of beer to her lips for a swig, he could see her blushing. ”Oh, I disagree,” he smilingly muttered to her; his twinkling gaze continued to linger on her reddened, blushing features and the pair of green eyes.

"Yeah I could do with some dinner, those thugs were keeping me busy all afternoon." She admitted as she finished her beer and set the can aside.

”I had asked you before if you were hungry or not but you were a bit busy having a mosey around downstairs,” he quipped at her with a chuckle as he stood up; the kid nodded with a wide smile when she extended her assistance with preparing a meal. As he helped her gather the empty cans of beer and other trash, The Misfit would be quick to take a mental note of her interests when she admitted to him. ”My primary interests are tech and slicing. As much as I like listening to music, it just becomes less than a background noise to me when I’m on my computer,” he revealed to her as he threw the trash into a bin nearby and headed over to the kitchen together.

With practically everything else about the safehouse, the kitchen too was rudimentary at best; a portable electric cooker on a counter, a cheap fridge and a freezer. At least the recreational area and the small kitchen that once served the employees working in the warehouse had some kitchenware, plates, glasses and cutlery.

”I was planning on treating myself to some franikhad tonight,” he said as he quickly washed his hands in the kitchen sink. ”Came across a food stall making them and other street food, just a handful of levels above,” he continued as he gently tossed the ingredients on the counter after getting them from the nearby fridge. ”Although it lacked some spice, by my standards at least, it was quite tasty.” he remarked smilingly as he reached for a cutting board and a knife, starting to cut up the large strip of steak into cubes.

"Ya know... apart from the location, you got a real sweet spread going on. Everything you need for a home up here, garage space for your ship, hell you can even fit a speeder or something downstairs with it as well. You can turn this place into a proper house for yourself if you don't wanna move out."

”This was my first pick among the list of other similar points of interest I would make a safehouse out of,” The Misfit nodded at her sentiment, paying her a glance as he spoke. ”It would not be wise to remain here after tonight, however. The occurrences over the past few hours… I hadn’t had the time to cover my tracks yet,” he explained further. As much as things turned out to be one hell of an experience he would never forget in his life, that still did not change the fact that he broke several rules he had set for himself. The ride at the back of a police cruiser they took here bothered him the most; corruption and bribery in Coruscant's police force was a real thing, after all.

As much as everything they did tonight appeared to be worth all the risk, the danger… that did not change the fact that he still had put himself and his safehouse at great risk. He was compromised. He had to be; and that elicited a relocation.

”I will have to relocate,” the kid muttered as he turned the cooker on and set a large saucepan over its plate. ”I would of course share the details and the address with you,” the kid hurriedly added with a chuckle as he poured a drizzle of cooking oil into the pan, heating it up.

”So, what’s your favorite tune to play on your guitar?” The Misfit casually asked her with intrigue; when the sizzling of the heated cooking oil reached his ears, he added in the meat and seasoning. ”How do you like your food, by the way? Hot and spicy by any chance?” The Misfit asked her as he occasionally stirred the contents of the saucepan with a spoon, waiting for her to prepare the vegetables before he added them in as well; depending on her answer he’d add generous amounts of spice, or leave it as is.

As much as he sought after the tasty mouthburn, loving very spicy meals, he was not just cooking for himself tonight.

​

 

[Ara Sheridan]

Following after him, Ara giggled mischievously at his comment on her snooping around. "Hey, in my defense, you're the one that said 'don't touch' with something that was asking to get touched. I just did what anyone would." She quipped as she leaned against the counter.

As he explained what he planned on making, Ara thought for a moment. "I've never had that before. So fire away. The spicier, the better." She flashed a confident grin with a wink as she took a sip of water. She couldn't help but pick up on his very formal way of talking. If he was a soldier, it would make sense. But Mandos weren't soldiers. Her train of thought was interrupted, however, at the mention of a safehouse and relocating. His dismissal of music also didn't help the situation.

"Hey, whoa... hold up. Firstly, if I play music it ain't gonna be background noise... secondly... what the kriff do you mean by safehouse?" A suspicious glare took hold as she shifted away from him.

"If you're a wanted criminal, you better come clean real quick." She warned him with a pointed finger. "I ain't gonna be goin' out with someone who's gonna get me in jail again. Otherwise, just get an apartment like a normal person."

Immediately her concerns and paranoia were getting the better of her. After her stint on a transport and her ongoing community service, she wasn't going to risk her neck by going out with a criminal. "Normal people don't need safehouses." She continued with a hand on her hip, close to her lightsaber.

Kayl Krayt

 

[Kayl Krayt]

Coruscant | Coruscant Underworld, Lower Levels
Tags: Ara Sheridan

​

"I've never had that before. So fire away. The spicier, the better."

”Very well,” The Misfit snickered at the Zabrak’s remark as he went about adding generous amounts of spice into the saucepan; the juices oozing from meat as they began to cook nicely, coupled with the hot and spicy fragrance of the spices, was simply tantalizing. Continuing to cook their meal, he couldn’t help but realize the sudden shift in the Jedi’s demeanor; shifting his gaze onto her visage, a quizzical expression took hold of his features as he listened to her.

”I-” he would begin in an attempt to explain himself, but before he could say that she more than likely misunderstood him, she continued as she took several steps back away from him.

"If you're a wanted criminal, you better come clean real quick." She warned him with a pointed finger. "I ain't gonna be goin' out with someone who's gonna get me in jail again. Otherwise, just get an apartment like a normal person."

"Normal people don't need safehouses."

Bewildered, he was taken aback for a moment as he remained silent, listening to her, and pondered her words carefully. She took him for a criminal now? Through his choice of a place he called home? And she had served time at one point? For what was she tried and punished for? And when was she sent to prison to serve her punishment?

Such inquiries he had whirling around and about in his mind would have to wait however; one thing at a time. As much as her reasoning for acting suspicious and paranoid towards him remained unknown to him at the time, other than the very much understandable desire to not get into trouble and face the law’s judgment, it was clear to him he needed to explain himself to her and calm her down if he could; he could see her hand shift closer to the lightsaber hanging from her belt.

”I have never been an outlaw, and I certainly do not intend to become one, either,” he began; as much as he was taken aback by her reaction he did not at all expect, he remained calm as he spoke to her and explained himself; he set aside the spoon in his grasp on the countertop, and leaned back on the counter as his gaze lingered on hers. ”My line of work… it’s not a nine-to-five, “normal people” job I do. I get paid by either bringing in people alive, or bringing back their heads as proof, as per the set parameters of the contract,” he said, giving a brief nod of his head towards the freezer without averting his gaze from her. To avoid decomposing, he had stored the plastic bag with the severed heads of his bounties inside the empty freezer; he hadn’t had the respite to turn them in for a payday yet.

Not after the events that occurred after killing them in that backstreet.

”I go after the unsavory people the likes of which I killed today, both in that warehouse and in that backstreet… It cannot be said that their friends are also the type to simply let someone get away with taking them into custody, or killing them.” he explained. ”And I am fairly certain there are people looking for the ones responsible of the disruption of their slave trafficing operations as we speak,” It certainly would not be for the first time a gang of criminals came after to avenge their fellow brothers-in-crime when they were killed or taken in and handed to the law, be it at the hands of a bounty hunter or a lawman.

”Hence, why I think I should relocate… hence, why I do not reside in an apartment complex in the more… civilized levels above us. It's much more difficult from remaining hidden from such people as a resident in an apartment complex in the upper levels, than it is residing in a place like this,” he gestured to his surroundings as he explained his reasoning. ”Not to mention the ridiculous prices for a flat, too…” he muttered, gently crossing his arms over his chest; there were several other reasons as to why he had chosen such a location for himself, as dangerous as the Underworld was.

For starters he would never be short on work; and then there was the fact that no landlord with a sensible mind, that would allow residence to a person bringing a war droid along with them; he wasn’t just going to lock it up in some depo, too. Wherever he stayed, the basilisk would stay with him, too.

”And as for the music,” he said; paying a brief glance to the saucepan behind him on the hot plate, the kid turned down the electric burner to avoid burning the meat to a crisp before continuing. ”I sort of… zone out, when I’m browsing something, anything on my computer or my datapad or anything electronic for that matter. I don’t hear it or, hear anything most of the time,” he said as he turned around to face her again, explaining the drawbacks of his uncanny hyper focus, whenever he had to look at a screen for more than five minutes.

Although he couldn’t tell if she relaxed at his explanation at that moment, he hoped it was enough to dissipate the sense of suspicion that settled into her mind.

​

 

[Ara Sheridan]

”I have never been an outlaw, and I certainly do not intend to become one, either,”

”My line of work… it’s not a nine-to-five, “normal people” job I do. I get paid by either bringing in people alive, or bringing back their heads as proof, as per the set parameters of the contract,”

Ara listened carefully as he spoke, giving a light nod. "Yeah, I know how the game works." She muttered as she glanced away for a moment. "Just don't know any hunters that move around the whole time." She admitted as she looked back at him.

”Hence, why I think I should relocate… hence, why I do not reside in an apartment complex in the more… civilized levels above us. It's much more difficult from remaining hidden from such people as a resident in an apartment complex in the upper levels, than it is residing in a place like this,”

”Not to mention the ridiculous prices for a flat, too…”

The last remark earned a snicker from her as she nodded in agreement. If there was one reason she never bothered to look for her own place, apart from her duties as a padawan, it was the absurd pricing of more liveable places on Coruscant.

”And as for the music,”

”I sort of… zone out, when I’m browsing something, anything on my computer or my datapad or anything electronic for that matter. I don’t hear it or, hear anything most of the time,”

"Well... if I come over, you'll definitely be payin' attention, that much I can guarantee." She joked lightly as she looked up at him again. "I believe you. I get the game, I grew up with hard kriffers in Underworld, hunters and gangsters who can chew anyone up and spit 'em out in a couple seconds... but they didn't have a family or a girl to worry about." She closed the distance between them. "I wanna give this a shot and I can promise you, I'm gonna be bendin' over backwards to make this work. But... I don't wanna date a guy that lives in a new place every week, I don't got my own transport. And I don't wanna date a guy who's gonna end up on the wrong side of the law."

She took hold of his collar, albeit with a very gentle grip as she looked up at him. "So just promise me that you'll do things as by the book as possible... and you'll try to at least stick around for a while." Behind the firm look lingered a sincere voice. Standing on her toes, and pulling him down, Ara planted a kiss on his cheek before letting go. "I don't wanna go out with a desperado." She teased with a light punch to his shoulder.

Looking at the pan of ingredients, Ara paid attention to the contents. "Wait... is it basically all this stuff wrapped up in a piece of bread?" She asked him as she leaned against him. "That's karkin' genius, I'm gonna make this at home..." She remarked. Her gaze shifted up to his again as a faint smile took hold. "Don't get yourself killed, I'd like to at least try and make it to a year." She joked as she gave him a nudge with her hip.

Kayl Krayt

 

[Kayl Krayt]

Coruscant | Coruscant Underworld, Lower Levels
Tags: Ara Sheridan

​

"Well... if I come over, you'll definitely be payin' attention, that much I can guarantee." She joked lightly as she looked up at him again.

A faint smile pulled at his lips when her body language expressed her understanding towards him before she did with words. Wordlessly, the kid snickered at her quip as he listened to her.

"I believe you. I get the game, I grew up with hard kriffers in Underworld, hunters and gangsters who can chew anyone up and spit 'em out in a couple seconds... but they didn't have a family or a girl to worry about."

It appeared remaining calm and collected when talking to her, and simply just taking the time to understand where she was coming from when her fuse burnt out -or during an instance similar to this- went a long way with her.

"I wanna give this a shot and I can promise you, I'm gonna be bendin' over backwards to make this work. But... I don't wanna date a guy that lives in a new place every week, I don't got my own transport. And I don't wanna date a guy who's gonna end up on the wrong side of the law."

A few of her notions finding intonation stuck to him however, as she spoke. The only time he would have the intention to move to another place, would be when his current place of residence was compromised; like how it occured today. Even though they, the Mandalorian people, were a nomadic people at heart, he had no intention of changing his place of residence unless he absolutely had to.

And she was very right about the lack of worry for a girl, or for a family for that many in his line of work lacked. What set him apart from the rest of his colleagues now, was that he now had such a concern; he couldn’t just think only for himself when he planned something from this night onwards. He now had to account for another, just as she’d account for him in return; bending backwards, in her own words.

But before he could voice any of that to the girl, she closed the distance between them at a leisurely pace as she continued, not yet finished with what she had to say to him.

"So just promise me that you'll do things as by the book as possible... and you'll try to at least stick around for a while."

Averting not his gaze away from her eyes for even a moment, he remained wordless with a lingering grin as she reached up to him, and gently grasped the collar of his shirt. Leaning forth as their bodies pressed together once she pulled him closer towards herself, he couldn’t help but realize how addictively she invaded all his senses; he could not blink, or avert his gaze from those beautiful, ravishing pair of green eyes. He minded not the stern expression she gave him. Coupled with the sincerity tone in her voice, her words expressed concern.

For him.

Gently draping an arm around her waist, The Misfit lovingly caressed her flowing, silken dark red hair as he continued to look into her eyes; he spoke as they became locked in each other’s embrace. ”You have my word.” he muttered a sincere promise to her. He had left to find a place he could call home, a place he felt he could belong; and perhaps through sheer luck or fate, he had stumbled upon what he sought after.

"I don't wanna go out with a desperado."

The kid pressed a kiss on her cheek, returning her loving gesture in kind after she landed a light punch on his shoulder. ”You won’t,” he muttered, assuring her. It was not like he had the tendency or the need to turn to crime; he made a living out of hunting wanted men and women alike.

If anything, he was assisting the law.

But if she wanted to hear him promise that, regardless of the facts she knew of him, then he would not deny her that wish.

"Don't get yourself killed, I'd like to at least try and make it to a year." She joked as she gave him a nudge with her hip.

“I don’t plan on dying any time soon,” He murmured with a chuckle; caressively shifting his hands up to her cheeks, The Misfit’s eyes briefly closed as he locked his lips with hers for a moment. “But that might just come to pass if you intend to starve me to death,” he quipped with a smirk as he gently caressed her cheek after drawing his visage away from hers after the kiss.

”Come on, let’s get done with dinner,” he said with a smile; he aversely left her embrace as he turned around towards the counter behind him to continue cooking their meal.

​

 

[Ara Sheridan]

A smirk formed at the kiss on her cheek and the arm around her waist before disappearing as his lips met with hers again. Ara returned the kiss as she felt her cheeks burn up all over again. It was going to take some time for her to get used to this. No matter how smug or confident she acted, this kind of behaviour had her squirming like a teenager in school.

“I don’t plan on dying any time soon,”

“But that might just come to pass if you intend to starve me to death,”

”Come on, let’s get done with dinner,”

"Hey, I'll be doing you a favour. You look like you could use a diet." She joked as she gave his backside a slap. "Karkin' carrying Mandalore's ass with you right there." She laughed as she made her way back to her spot against the counter to watch him cook. She was genuinely curious about how the dish was going to taste... and how good of a cook Kayl was. Being able to cook with someone was always an extra layer of fun when working on dinner. Any time she and Iris Arani worked on a meal, it was a recipe for a fun day.

Being able to do it with someone who cared about her as more than just a friend was a different story.

"Um... probably a bit forward... but is it cool if I crash on the couch here tonight? It's, uh... it's a bit late. Getting back to the temple now is just gonna be a mess." She asked with a nervous smile. Sure, there was a healthy layer of truth to her request... but it also gave her and Kayl more time to hang out.

Kayl Krayt

 

[Kayl Krayt]

Coruscant | Coruscant Underworld, Lower Levels
Tags: Ara Sheridan

​

"Hey, I'll be doing you a favour. You look like you could use a diet." She joked as she gave his backside a slap.

In an attempt to hide his blushing features when she playfully slapped him on his backside, he averted his visage away from hers for a brief moment.”Oh is that so?” The Misfit muttered with a playful smirk and a chuckle as he turned to look back at her, casting a glance at her as he quickly went about handling the vegetables while the meats in the saucepan continued to cook at a low heat; with each swift stroke of the knife he cut them into cubes and chunks no larger than the meats themselves.

"Karkin' carrying Mandalore's ass with you right there."

Doubled over laughing at her quip, the kid paused for a moment to avoid cutting himself with the knife in his hand. “And you,” he began, after his laughter allowed him. ”You look like a gust of wind would be more than enough to sweep you off your feet,” he quipped with a cackle, continuing to chop the remainder of the vegetables on the cutting board. ”You could use some meat on your bones,” he joked further with a chuckle as he raised the cutting board over the saucepan and gently dashed the vegetables into the pan with the blade of his knife.

Setting aside the knife and the cutting board, The Misfit stirred the contents of the saucepan with a spoon, mixing the ingredients with one another nicely.

"Um... probably a bit forward... but is it cool if I crash on the couch here tonight? It's, uh... it's a bit late. Getting back to the temple now is just gonna be a mess." She asked with a nervous smile.

At Ara’s inquiry the kid gave a nod of his head without a second thought on the matter. ”I would have loved to be a gracious host and offer you my bed instead of the couch, but admittedly the latter is much more comfortable than the former,” he answered with a chuckle. He hadn’t gotten a good quality bed yet; his body made sure to remind him of that fact every morning when he woke up with a sharp pain in his neck.

He really needed to increase the quality of life in his household.

And moreso than ever, now.

He was quickly becoming aware of that fact more and more with each new interaction with the Zabrak. He made a mental note to do so, after getting settled down into a safer place. He had saved up some considerable cash in the past month, chasing bounties and finishing mercenary contracts on Coruscant, but he had reserved all of it and saved up to upgrade the hardware for his set-up downstairs.

But now that he was no longer alone, his priorities began to shift and change.

After he set aside the spoon and closed the saucepan’s lid, letting their meal fully cook at low heat, the kid turned around to face Ara, leaning his back against the counter, close to her; a question lingered in his mind. She had mentioned she did time in prison. He was not sure when she got arrested; hearkening back to the past behind the scar on her beautiful visage… he theorized she was sent to a juvenile detention center, perhaps at a young age. Lacking the data to assess the situation further, he did not assume she was arrested during her time now as a Jedi.

He wondered of the offense she had committed that saw her do time.

But ultimately, after quickly thinking it over, he decided against voicing his curiosity for the time being. Spending time locked behind bars in a small cell, inside a prison… it had to be a very unsavory period of her past, he thought to himself. He did not wish to sour her mood, or see her get upset when his question rekindled bad memories reminding her of a part of her past that she might have wanted to forget.

He could ask her sometime later; now didn't seem like the right time to him.

So instead asking what she had done to get punished by the law, he decided to ask a different question, one of which he hadn’t gotten an answer for when he asked before. ”So… you never told me what was your favorite tune to play on your guitar.” he said as a smile pulled at his lips. ”What genre of music do you enjoy playing, and listening the most?” he casually asked, passing the time until their meal cooked nicely, wanting to get to know her more in the meantime.

​

 

[Ara Sheridan]

Ara flashed a smug grin at the Mandalorian's retort as she crossed her arms. "Good thing I got a flagpole to hold onto when the wind picks up, huh?" She quipped as she closed the distance between them, hooking a finger onto his collar to pull him lower. "Plus it don't look like you're complaining about the lack of meat." She teased as she let go... mostly to hide the silly smile on her face.

At the mention of the state of his bed, Ara chose to rather not make a joke about it, though it did sound like a horrible way to get some rest. "I mean.. you're earning good cash with bounties, right? Go get yourself some stuff. If you're gonna be living on Coruscant, might as well live comfortably." She commented with a shrug. "Just don't ask me for decorating advice, I, uh... yeah, I ain't really clued up with that." She snickered.

Given the state of her room at the temple, her taste in decoration was more of an organically forming layout. "I mean... unless you like random posters, starship parts and stuff just piling up month after month, then yeah I can help out." She admitted with a smile.

His place definitely had the vibe for it.

As he worked on their meal and Ara watched him work with a trained eye, he brought up the topic of music again. The Zabrak brightened up at the questions as she turned to face him. "Favourite song... I'll play it for you. Not the same to point it out, but I'll swing by next week and bring my guitar along for you. As for genres... yeah no, that's easy. Rock. I do dabble in other stuff if I got the time... but seriously, you can't tell me you don't enjoy hearing a band go ham on a solid rock song." Her hands even simulated some guitar movements as she spoke with brimming enthusiasm.

"If there's one thing I'd love to do, it's to perform on stage sometime. Sure... it ain't really a 'Jedi' thing to do, but come on! Girl's gotta have a hobby at least." She flashed a proud grin as she took another sip of water.

After a few moments of watching the food, she looked back to him. "I'm gonna catch a shower real quick, while the food's simmering. You got a spare towel by any chance?" She asked him casually as she took off her leather jacket.

Kayl Krayt

 

[Kayl Krayt]

Coruscant | Coruscant Underworld, Lower Levels
Tags: Ara Sheridan

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"Good thing I got a flagpole to hold onto when the wind picks up, huh?"

The Misfit muttered a chuckle as the young features of his visage blushed red at the girl’s quip followed close in the wake of her rather smug grin; leaning forth towards her as she curled a finger onto the collar of his shirt, he found himself taking in the beautiful sight of her pair of green eyes once more.

"Plus it don't look like you're complaining about the lack of meat."

A chuckle escaped the kid at her teasing. ”No,” he raised his hand, affectionately caressing the faint scarring on her cheek with a heartfelt smile. ”Not at all,” he muttered to her before dropping a kiss onto her cheek. Pulling back afterwards, the kid turned to check on their dinner once they left each other’s embrace.

The mouthwatering fragrance of their food filled and wafted in the kitchen as he pulled the lid off.

"I mean.. you're earning good cash with bounties, right? Go get yourself some stuff. If you're gonna be living on Coruscant, might as well live comfortably." She commented with a shrug.

”Mm-hmm,”He extended his agreement to her with a muffled, acknowledging grunt. ”I have been saving up for an upgrade for my rig this whole month,” he remarked as he reached for his spoon to check the taste of their meal. ”I think it can wait for another month,” he said with a smirk. ”Needs a little bit more salt,” he muttered his remark to himself after tasting a spoonful of the filling of the franikhad.

"Just don't ask me for decorating advice, I, uh... yeah, I ain't really clued up with that." She snickered.

"I mean... unless you like random posters, starship parts and stuff just piling up month after month, then yeah I can help out." She admitted with a smile.

He chuckled along with her snicker. ”I cannot say I have a particular talent in decorating the interior of a house as well,” he admitted with a smile. ”Sounds like what my room used to be when I lived back home in The Mothership, with the exception of posters,” he remarked with a grin, paying Ara a glance as he spoke to her while adding just a pinch of more salt to the cooking filling. ”And well… tidying it up every now and then,” he did not mind whether a room looked disorganized or not, as he tended to memorize the where exactly he put a tool or a spare part he’d need later on.

He’d find what he needed in just a moment amongst piles of parts without an issue, unless someone moved it away to mess with him.

"Favourite song... I'll play it for you. Not the same to point it out, but I'll swing by next week and bring my guitar along for you. As for genres... yeah no, that's easy. Rock. I do dabble in other stuff if I got the time... but seriously, you can't tell me you don't enjoy hearing a band go ham on a solid rock song." Her hands even simulated some guitar movements as she spoke with brimming enthusiasm.

He couldn’t help but share her enthusiasm with a parsec-wide smile of his own at her reaction at the question of what her favorite song was; her joy was highly contagious. Her depiction of playing the chords of a guitar with her hands coupled with her enthusiasm was a sight to behold. ”I too enjoy listening to Rock, but you can never go wrong with Post-Punk and quality Synthwave,” he remarked jovially, sharing a part of her enthusiasm.

"If there's one thing I'd love to do, it's to perform on stage sometime. Sure... it ain't really a 'Jedi' thing to do, but come on! Girl's gotta have a hobby at least." She flashed a proud grin as she took another sip of water.

”Hey, maybe you could land a gig at a local bar,” he suggested as he closed the lid of the saucepan. ”Up in the more civilized levels. I reckon it would not be a flying start for a career but hey, it would be a start, he remarked with a shrug.

"I'm gonna catch a shower real quick, while the food's simmering. You got a spare towel by any chance?" She asked him casually as she took off her leather jacket.

”Shower and refresher’s in my quarters. And I do have a spare, yes. I should also have some clean spare clothing as well,” He nodded facing her with a smile as she took off her jacket. ”Though they might look a bit oversized on you,” he quipped at her with a chuckle as he went about preparing the bread-like wraps. Dinner was just a few moments away from being ready.

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