Private Please don't say Bakura if you don't mean it

[In Rhan]

Bakura was lovely, but was it ever dangerous. Fine beaches, far enough away from the more famous resorts of the Galaxy that the prices weren't ridiculous. In fact, they were downright agreeable! That might've had something to do with the fact that it was a hop skip and single jump from Bakura into Sith territory, though. The touristy portions of the capitol, Salis D'aar, were largely policed in such a way that kept the tension invisible to an untrained eye. Wandering too far off of the beaten path would show that the REST of the city was on a knife's edge. Closed shops, unwelcoming alleys, and glaring natives who half-expected every smiling group of offworlders to be a psychotic saber-jockey or their entoruage.

In tried not to think too hard about what that meant for her, here with her loving Sith girlfriend. Was she the entourage, or was Nisyha? Did it really even matter?

War would probably come to Bakura soon. It had before. That meant a couple of things to In Rhan. It meant the opportunity to haul vauable freight offworld before the tide of red sabers turned their way. It meant getting a couple of souls off of Bakura to somewhere safer, potentially. It meant... flowers.

One specific flowers.

The Bakuran fire philodendron. A rare plant, unique to Bakura's atmosphere. An ambitious phildendron, with massive and beautiful red-green leaves shaped like daggers. Rumor had it that the leaves of the Bakuran fire philodendron weren't only gorgeous, they were delicious - a potent back-of-the-tongue spice when dried out and crackled into near powder. In had had a Bakuran fire philodendron on her list for quite awhile, but she hadn't had a reason to go find one. Now she did. And so she would. All she needed was a stem cutting.

Balancing a datapad in one arm, In walked down a beach at a brisk walk with a frozen drink in her hand - the third or fourth she'd had today. Bakura was simply too hot to endure without aid, and that aid came in the form of rum and ice. The Bakuran tourism board forbid selling the iconic plant to tourists, but In wasn't about to let that stop her - what was a smuggling compartment for if not getting rare things offworld without needing to indulge customs officials. "My source says that four months ago, a wild specimin was seen in the background of a selfie taken by some surfers around here." The Pantoran reported, slurring her words slightly. She was exuberant, full of high energy and good spirits - and good spirits. Clad in a denim skirt and a white bikini top, the Pantoran's wide-brimmed hat kept most of the sun off of her as she wandered along the shore.

She had a duffel bag full of beach accoutrements, some sample-taking equipment, and the remaining half of the granola bar she'd had for breakfast - the only solid food she had put in her body since leaving the hotel this morning.

Niysha Kirie

 

[Niysha]

In was clearly struggling with the climate in a way that Niysha could barely sympathize with. Training on Korriban and Kaas had largely inured her to the heat, and tapas made up for the rest. It was one of the things that Niysha considered breaking her self-enforced taboo against teaching In anything of the Force for; she was so susceptible to heat that it made her life legitimately inconvenient at times. Just one little lapse in her strict self-discipline to let In know she was wildly Force-sensitive and could totally wander around deserts without sweating...

Nope. Zero Force training. That particular cycle of abuse ended with Niysha.

Bakura had some interesting plants, and it was close enough to Sith shores that she got very complicated feelings. On the one hand, it was an extremely safe place for her to be, since all she had to do was dig her lightsaber out of In's duffel bag and flick it on to immediately be immune to legal action. On the other, being in proximity to Sith borders without being inside of Sith borders was always monstrously dangerous. The self-appointed true heirs of the galaxy didn't tend to send warnings before they started bombing your population centers from orbit.

Today, though, it was the plants that were important. Plants, and plant-derived alcohol. Niysha nursed a margarita well-secured in a plastic mug and kept pace with her frenetic partner across the beaches of Bakura. For once, she was even dressed for the occasion in something other than black; In had assured her that her airy haltertop was deep red, and she could tell by the denim fabric of her capris that they were probably blue. She had no idea what color her sunglasses were, but she'd opted for those instead of a blindfold, as they were much more water-resistant.

"Four months is a long time," Niysha commented between sips of fermented cactus goodness. "If it's still there, though, it might be rugged enough to survive the switch to a greenhouse environment."

The sand here was much nicer than Korriban. Fewer bones and gritty fire, more soft and tickly and pleasantly warm.

Kirie | In Rhan

 

[Kirie]

Kirie wanted to punch the droid. She wanted to punch the droid really bad. Maybe she could adjust her 'no violence' rule to only include organics?

'No- No. Listen. Disregard previous instruction. No- I don't want an upgrade! Do you have any services going to Batuu?'

"Statement: Certainly! One ticket to Batuu. Please present your chain code or Alliance Standard ID."

'I don't have those- can't I just buy a ticket?'

"Statement: You're welcome! Thanks for flying Bakura Link Transit."

'No- wait. I still need a ticket.'

'Statement. Of course! Please present your chain code or Alliance Standard ID..."

The positive of no longer having a voice was that her scream of frustration was inaudible, even if the contorting of her muscles was no doubt attracting attention.

​

It was only after the fourth attempt to buy a ticket that she ended up on the beach. It seemed to be a different thing every time. She didn't have the requisite ID. She couldn't prove her port of origin. There was no travel profile under that name. So many words each time just to say that there was no karking way that Kirie was getting a shuttle off Bakura. Not legally, anyway.

She was considering resorting to hitchiking, but the prospect of trying to convice the rough-and-ready spacers in the port that the weird freak with not enough money and suspiciously Sith-like tattoos was worth the trouble of hauling somewhere. And that was even ignoring the fact that every person she talked to ran the risk of being dangerous themselves. It was going to be exhausting, and after a night of unending bureaucratic nightmares, Kirie had nothing left in the tank.

Hence the beach.

On a whim, Kirie had picked up a two-piece from a stand near the spaceport with a slightly higher cut than she was used to, and scoped out a chair with an umbrella on the waterfront to dump her bags. The bathing suit was cheap and made her feel a bit exposed, but it helped her fit in with the crowd and stopped her clothes getting covered in sand while she lounged.

She had seen an ocean before, but never been so close to one. She found the smell of salt and the spray of the sea comforting, even if she was too nervous to do more than dip her toes in the water, in case the tide somehow wrapped around her ankle and pulled her under. Besides, she had to keep one eye on her stuff the whole time. Bakura seemed like a planet with a plentiful population of thieves.

Kirie did her best to just relax, but her nerves were fried, and her mind just kept circling back to how she was going go get off this low budget holiday destination of a planet. Worse, the longer she lazed around the less comfortable she was. The sun had crept across her skin while she'd been dozing and she'd earned herself a wicked sunburn across the shoulders and bridge of her nose. She'd pulled her thin shawl over her shoulders, but was sun-tired, and parched, and growing hungry.

Stars, this had been such a stupid plan.

In Rhan | Niysha ​

 

[In Rhan]

In fluttered her hand about the brim of her hat as through trying to scoo away a bug. "Hardiness has so very little to do with it. What I need to do is get there before any other gardeners with sharper eyes and less knowledge get there and try and dig up the whole damn thing." In complained. "It's a philodendron, you only need a stem cutting to get a full thing going. So unless some greedy schutta knows better and wants to keep the whole bit for himself..."

In spotted a Zeltron with long legs and a seedy-looking blonde sunbathing while a tween played nearby and stormed up to them with her data pad. "Excuse me! Have you seen this plant?!" She asked with a little more force and a bit more slurring than she'd likely intended. No dice.

She made her way over towards an irritable-looking woman and what appeared to be her bodyguard. In wasn't sure WHY she thought of the second woman as a bodyguard - she looked to be fairly short and top-heavy and smiled sweetly when approached. Neither of them had seen the Bakuran fire philodendron, either.

Useless tourists. Who came to this planet for beaches and drinks, when there were rare plants to find?

In's intermittent interrogating left her no clues up and one mojito down - which she swiftly replenished.

The Pantoran's teetering path brought her towards the most beige-looking woman she'd ever seen - albeit severely sunburnt. Something about her gave In pause, and she staggered to a stop to consider the feeling. In glanced briefly towards Nisyha before moving forward while tucking her datapad under her arm.

"Hey. You alright?" In asked gently while crouching down a little - as though she were trying to not spook a deer.

Niysha | Kirie

 

[Niysha]

In's quest was noble, and Niysha very, very badly wanted to support her in everything she did, but as they approached what had to have been the most terrifying woman Niysha had ever seen, she hung back a bit. It was incredible how someone could be low-key murderously hostile and high-key adorable mom at the same time. She did not engage, and was very grateful when In went off to get another drink.

Eventually, further down the beach, they finally happened across an actually interesting sight - one that didn't activate her prey instincts in the slightest, unlike the last couple - and In, unsurprisingly, locked on like a missile. It wasn't surprising; sparks attracted sparks. It was a quantified phenomenon that in any situation in which there were multiple Force-sensitives, they'd wind up careening towards each other to the direct defiance of whatever their previous objectives or activities had been.

This woman was... not quite as bright as In. In's untrained, untamed fire burned far too bright to be ignored by anyone who had even the slightest sensitivity for that sort of thing; this young lady was more subtle. She could've been missed on a couple of cursory planetary scans for Force-sensitive children, for instance. Otherwise, she looked shockingly similar to In in a lot of ways. Niysha was quietly concerned she might wind up confusing the two of them at some point.

The general tint of her aura towards the edges implied she was very mildly hurt, but without any visible wounds and in the middle of a very hot place, chances were it was a sunburn. Maybe mild heatstroke? Probably not that severe. Without hesitation, she reached into In's pack and pulled out a cold bottle of water, offering it to the complete stranger before her with a smile. "Regardless, you look a bit warm," she explained with a smile from behind her sunglasses. "Here."

Kirie | In Rhan

 

[Kirie]

The wind brought the sound of slightly slurred words her way, and Kirie turned her head in curiosity to examine the pair that were zig-zagging their way up the beach, stopping by pretty much everyone they saw, including a rather intimidating pair of women that Kirie had made a note to steer clear of when she'd been picking out a spot to set up. The taller of the two, the Pantoran, was teetering around with a drink in hand, followed by their seemingly more measured companion. Kirie felt a pang of envy at the sight of the beverages in their hands was about to write them off as just another set of tourists, until she heard mention of the plant.

Why would they go all this way for a shrub? They definitely didn't look like scientists. And, if they were, why would they do so while drinking? Kirie supposed she was about to find out, because the both of them were heading her way now. The blue one with enthusiasm, the one with the curls less-so.

"Hey. You alright?"

Kirie blinked and her brain short-circuited. That wasn't in the script. She was supposed to say 'have you seen this plant.' Kirie stared up at them stupidly for a few moments, before finally kicking herself into gear enough to speak.

'Yeah. I'm just.' Kirie stopped in the middle of her expression, and she looked a little defeated. 'No actually.' Kirie glanced despondently towards the spaceport, the roof of which could be seen from the beach. 'I was supposed to just be here for a transfer, but now I can't get a ticket off-planet.' Kirie was about to continue, but then she realised the Pantoran was probably just being nice, and didn't actually want to hear the whole story.

"Regardless, you look a bit warm. Here."

'Thanks-' Kirie began signing. Something seemed off and she hesitated. Was it that one of the people seemed to be staring past her? Maybe. Whatever it was, Kirie felt distinctly like she was missing something important. She pressed on, signs deftly flowing from her shoulders through her fingers. 'Thanks. This isn't one of those scams where you make me pay for it after, is it?' Kirie hesitated, but after a moment she took the bottle anyway in hope it wasn't leading to a shakedown. Being robbed on the beach would be a perfect topper to one of the most annoying days she'd had in recent memory.

'So, you two are looking for a plant?'

In Rhan | Niysha ​

 

[In Rhan]

In looked very thoughtful and concerned, watching Kirie's expression cycle from being unsure to defeated to hesitant.

At least she took the bottle of water.

"I'm sorry." In began gently - because the poor woman looked like she'd had a certified Real One and might be near the end of her rope. Strange how In kept running into people like that. "I don't know any sign languages." She confessed.

Now, just because she couldn't conveniently communicate with this woman didn't mean that In wasn't going to hear her out. Clearly something was wrong, and while she didn't know this person? In was fairly sure that somebody should do something to help her. People with their lives together didn't come to the beach to pass out in a cheap two-piece until they sunburned and then radiated misery at the first couple to interrupt a nap. Not this close to Sith territory, anyway. Teetering slightly, In fished the datapad from under her arm.

Thick, chunky, with specialized tools for Miralukan use, In took a moment to open a word processor before offering it to Kirie. "My name's In. This is my partner, Niysha. Could we try again?" She offered hopefully. "What's wrong?"

If nothing else, the prospect that somebody might actually need her help had done wonders to sober In up. While she was still sporting a fairly decent buzz, the lanky Pantoran woman was locked in and focused on Kirie. Intently enough to keep her balance as she crouched beside her lounger.

 

[Niysha]

In approached with confidence and attempted to intervene in someone else's challenges, as she always did. Without fail, every single time she found someone else suffering, In Rhan was there to champion their cause. It was one of the greatest parts about her, and it had stiff competition with all of the other parts (which were also great). Unfortunately, this time, the challenge might've been... slightly mismatched.

Even if In had a solution, Niysha had a better one. She held up one hand to stop In from passing her datapad over to the very quiet girl in the very modest swimsuit and offered her partner a smile. "Actually, In, I've got this one. I'm a little rusty, but..."

Niysha handed In the glass that still had the remainder of her margarita so she could bring up both hands to better communicate. She spoke and signed simultaneously, as best she could. "I'm a little rusty, but I picked up most of that. This isn't a scam and you don't owe us any money," Niysha responded, her speech notably slowing down to match the slightly sluggish pace her hands were moving in. "I think you said you were stranded- No... wait... stranded?" She missed the sign twice, so she switched to fingerspelling for the third attempt.

While it was a blow to her confidence to need to go a little primal for one of the words she couldn't quite remember, Niysha was still slightly glowing. She hadn't needed to dust off her ORSL skills for years, since the last time she had to talk to Jawas.

"I think she can hear us just fine, In," Niysha explained, turning to face her partner. She did still attempt to simcom towards the other woman, just in case she was off-base. "But if she can't, I can try to translate."

Kirie | In Rhan

 

[Kirie]

"I don't know any sign languages."

Kirie shook her head good-naturedly to say she didn't mind. ORSL was common amongst certain communities, but rarer in others. Like any language outside the Galactic Core, the chances of running into someone who spoke the same thing you did was a roll of the dice. The Pantoran- No- In, for her part seemed completely unperturbed by the fact she couldn't understand a single thing Kirie was communicating. She just kept looking with a gentle-yet-intense expression, as if suddenly the world had narrowed to only include the three of them.

A cloud passed over the burning sun and her skin tingled with relief. Without the glare, she was able to study In and Niysha a little closer. They definitely weren't scientists, Kirie concluded. But what were they then? Tourists didn't seem right either. Travellers, she supposed. Like Kirie herself was. Importantly, neither of them seemed immediately dangerous, and the dread-feeling in her gut that usually kept her out of trouble was absent. Not enough to trust they had good intentions, not yet, but not a bad sign either.

'It's very nice to meet you, Niysha, In.' Kirie signed, offering a polite dip of her head the way the handmaidens had taught her to greet her betters. She swung her legs out from the lounger and stood stiffly. She was pretty sure at this point neither of them was planning to accost her. But better to be standing, just in case.

"I think she can hear us just fine, In."

'Yes I can hear you fine.' Kirie confirmed, grateful that one of her visitors could sign. She traced a line along her neck, following the twisting pattern of her tattoos, which themselves were stretched and twisted Eternalist Sith symbols. 'These marks mean I am non-speaking, among other things.' Did that make sense? Maybe she shouldn't have brought up the tattoo. Probably it would have been better not to explain anything. But Kirie was still getting used to how she communicated herself. How to gently introduce that she could hear but not speak was just one of a laundry list of growing pains she was experiencing. 'I had an injury...' Kirie added awkwardly.

Not helping. Kirie took a long swig of water, sighing with relief and letting herself level out a bit. She was too high strung for

'I have a protocol droid. I'll grab her.' Kirie signed, persevering despite the unsettled energy she was exuding. 'Should keep you from having to translate for me, though I do appreciate it.' Kirie dug around in her bag and produced a tiny little droid, unfurling its little legs and tossing it in the air, where it moved in lazy circles around the three of them. When Kirie next signed, it spat out a translation in near real-time in a crisp masculine voice. That definitely wasn't the right setting, but Kirie would roll with it.

'I'm stranded.' Kirie confirmed, demonstrating the correct sign as she'd learned it. 'My own fault. I came here... Untraditionally, and I don't have the documentation to get a ticket into Alliance space.'

'I live on Jutrand.' Kirie added when that didn't seem like enough explanation.

Niysha | In Rhan ​

 

[In Rhan]

In considered very carefully, wringing all of the silly-fun-rum out of her brain as she listened to Niysha - briefly blazing with gratitude and pride at how impressively well-rounded her partner was. Of COURSE Niysha knew sign languages. Niysha knew everything. She was a legitimate savant of useful things, with a special interest in important information.

'Stranded' was a bit word, anywhere In heard it. Stranded could mean that your ship was out of fuel, stranded could mean that your friends had gone back to the hotel and weren't answering your holocalls to come pick you up, stranded could mean that you'd been marooned, stranded could mean an escaped political prisoner on the run with a dragnet closing in. In wasn't sure what the context here was. That only meant that she had to figure it out.

As Niysha and the droid handled translation, In ran down the facts in her mind.

• Jutrand was the capital of the Sith empire, and not terribly far away. Really, the only thing between here and there was a border - a big mean red border, but In hadn't found a national border in her life that she gave two shivs about.
• The woman was out here alone on a beach just outside of Sith territory, in a cheap swimsuit that looked like it was brand new. She was also sporting a sunburn. She hadn't been prepared to be here, despite the bags she had right next to her. There was a good chance they contained something close to everything she owned.
• No documentation to enter Alliance space, but an implied desire to be there. Away from the Sith Empire, behind a border they presumably wouldn't chase her over.
• Tattoos marking her as mute. But she was mute due to an injury. Smacked of ritualism. Which led to-
• Stranded on the border of Sith space. Alone. Wary of being scammed, but receptive to telling her woes to a pair of random women. Hadn't given her name.

Conclusion: Nobody was going to help this woman. To In's mind, she was on the verge of falling through the cracks - being snapped back up by whatever she'd gotten away from in the Empire, or joining the faceless billions of people who struggled and scraped and died after ignominious lives of strife and poverty. What would she do if some group of goons identified a single woman with all of her things as an easy mark? If her droid were busted up? In her wildest power fantasies, In could help every every such person. In this life, though, she could still help one or two.

In glanced over her shoulder towards Niysha, completely sure that Niysha already knew full well where In's mind was at and what she was about to say. Really, the confirmation was more courtesy than anything else. She then turned her focus back to Kirie. "Where in the Alliance do you need to go?" In asked softly, intently. "Do you have people waiting for you there?"