Rush

[Delilah Keyes]

She had his attention, and it was more than just the pheromones.

Their faces were close enough that to look him in both eyes her own dark gaze had to cast back and forth. The flicker of his gaze downward brought a deeper curve to her lips and she brought her arms together, propping elbows and forearms together on the table and creating a frame below where his eyes had been a moment before.

"Well, most people are... overwhelmed.... their first visit," she explained softly. "So it's a bit of a game, for those who are more familiar with how Zeltros feels. But that always seemed a bit.... unsporting to me, you understand."

She didn't close the gap, small as it was. It would have been incredibly easy to do that. Too easy.

Her other foot slid forward, between his, toes hooking ever so lightly around to the back of his ankle. That leg now, between her own foot and calf.

"So. Yes. I could educate. But. I'd have to be certain you could..... handle the lesson."

[member="Walker Ducote"]

 

[Delaney Wilder]

Part of it was maddening.

The close proximity and the taste, he could almost taste it already. Cinnamon and honey just brushing against his tongue and then the frame was made.

"Oh, I think I will surprise you." Her touch was light, but insistent and the tips of his fingers added towards the brush on her skin. "With just how well I can handle it."

Now the glance was bold and attentive, after all... courtesy dictated that attention was spared, once it was requested and even lured out into the open. At least for a moment, before Walker returned his his glance to her lips (they were wet now) and her eyes looking with amusement... but curiosity?

"Where would you like to educate me?"

His ship.. maybe... it was close enough, but was she comfortable with that?

This was her run now- push too much and the chance would escape, let the chance rule and you would be surprised just how far you could take it.

Touch faded and disappeared under the table.

 

[Delilah Keyes]

Her own gaze stayed on his face, appreciating his appreciation, the smile never leaving her lips. It was the same smile as on the ship before. Something shy of a smirk but full of promise. Only this time, she had no intention of leaving him cold in the hallway.

"There are a thousand places to learn, if you are open to the experience," she murmured, low and warm. "Anywhere can be a classroom."

For just an instant, her eyes broke from his, flickering to a hallway that led toward the back of the building.

"But....." her eyes came back to his.

She slid her whole body forward on her own chair, knee sliding against and bypassing his as that light touch found new flesh without even having to look for it.

"But saying you'll surprise me.... of which I have no doubt.... isn't the same as accepting the lesson," she murmured, her lips close enough to his that her words were warm on his mouth.

This was important. For all of the flirting, for all of the apparent game here, this was one, unbreakable, uncompromisingly thing.

"It isn't the same as asking me to show you, just what we do, for people who are new to Zeltros. It isn't the same as a Yes."

He needed to say yes. Not simply let the pheromones play a rump parliament in his core. For others, sure, that was more than enough. But Del didn't work that way.

[member="Walker Ducote"]

 

[Delaney Wilder]

Silence was left in the wake of her knee pushing farther in and the breath clinging to his lips.

The tension rose, pitched and was about to snap, so high that in that very moment... Walker didn't want it to stop. Never. To let it run on forever with no ending in sight, until everything else had turned into symphony of sound and taste.

Then the touch rose and clenched, if not demanding than surely supporting.

At the exact moment Walker leaned in.

Almost as if a kiss was about to happen, but before their flesh locked and sealed the beginning of the rite, his cheek brushed past and a whisper touched her ear directly.

"Yes," It sang in hushed and husk. "Show me what you do."

There was a lingering there, his breath washing past, the seconds passing, before Walker retreated back fully.

 

[Delilah Keyes]

The Yes sold it.

It was easy and, frankly, lazy, to take what Zeltros offered, and Delilah had no interest in things of that nature. But that which was freely given- that which was asked for? That meant that she could fully stop ignoring the pheromones herself, allow the curling warmth they so persistently offered to fill her. Even without them, there would have been no hesitation, no ho hum why not? That singing tension was enough on its own and she was ready to see just what he could do, and if, indeed, he'd be able to surprise her.

Her hand reached out, hooking the lapel of his jacket and drawing him back toward her across the small table. Her smile widened with how little effort that took. Knees pressed against thighs under the table and she leaned.

"Let's seal the deal and get out of here then," she whispered just against his mouth-

The report of a blaster from near the front door, followed almost instantaneously by the singe and burn of the bolt burying itself in the wall right behind them shattered the weight and the heat of that moment and offered an adrenaline counter point of a variety that neither of them had been looking for.

Using her finger, still hooked in his jacket, Del threw both of them backward, elbowing the table over in front of them. As if by legerdemain there was a blaster in her free hand (where she'd hidden *that* was a mystery) and she was cursing a blue streak in a colourful variety of languages.

[member="Walker Ducote"]

 

[Delaney Wilder]

From one moment to the next everything shifted.

Walker wasn't cursing about a lost opportunity and in truth he didn't really care about it either. This wasn't a zero sum game and if they got out of here alive? There would always be a next time. But that was exactly what was occupying his mind right now: getting out of here alive and not dying in a random bar on Zeltros.

That wasn't what he had envisioned for himself.

His back was against the heavy-set table, but he knew that wouldn't keep them safe forever.

Del returned fire and that gave him an opportunity- hanging low, he peeked from around the turned-over table, sneaking a look at what was happening. The fair few patrons of the bar were either dead from stray fire or clutching themselves to the ground, hoping they wouldn't be caught. The barkeep (couldn't remember his name) was out of sight, but there were burn marks behind the bar and a stray verpine rifle clinging to the surface of the table.

Dead?

Hopefully not, Del and him seemed to be well-acquainted.

After the affair on Kwann he had made sure to have his blaster with him this time around. Never would he be caught without one, even if he hated the feel of the stock against his palm. Just then a head popped out of the other turned-over table, a Rodian and Walker took his shot.

Pure plasma burned into the alien - not a full-hit, but it cut the ear antenna straight off, sending the thug to the ground, whining and crying in pain.

He felt Del's touch on his sleeve, but he shook his head. "No, can't have him recover." Instead Walker jumped up and pushed himself towards the other side of the room.

Only one thug... rushed business?

Still clutching his head, but any movement to grasp hold of his blaster was halted once the Rodian noticed blaster aimed at him.

"Do.. don't shoot, please!"

 

[Delilah Keyes]

She wasn't cursing for the paused opportunity. But for a variety of other reasons not the least of which being that Delilah Keyes didn't have very many people she might call 'friends'. So having one of them on the receiving end of trouble probably brought down on his mandibles by *her*? That irritated.

Del covered Walker when he emerged from behind the table, checking down the hall in the back and closing that door before doing the same with the front door. She peered over the bar, making eye contact with Rench, some small measure of relief clear on her face when he nodded back at her. Some small comfort that.

It had all happened so fast that there wasn't really time to consider much. React. Choose.

She stepped over to the Rodian and beside [member="Walker Ducote"], before leveling her blaster in a mirror of his own.

"Who sent you?"

​It was a simple question, but he shook his head.

"P-please, I can't! He'd kill me!"

Well, that didn't narrow it down.

"The alternative is dying now," Del said, flat and cold. Was she bluffing? Her hand didn't shake, her gaze didn't waver, not for an instant. If she was bluffing, she was good at it.

He, clearly, came to the same conclusion.

"S-Sonny the Bantha sent me! Please, please don't-"

Del thumbed her blaster to stun and without hesitation or pity shot him in the face.

It didn't surprise her. Though she'd expected to have more *time*. They'd gone to one of her contacts- if they'd gone to one of Walker's, they'd have been more likely to run into goons sent by the Hutts.

"Just one of them, so they didn't have time yet to arrange something bigger," she said rapidly. Without thinking, she reached into her satchel and dropped a stack of credits on the bartop.

"I'm sorry Rench, but I have to-"

"Nah, you're fine. What did you do? To piss off Sonny? That's a dangerous game there, Del."

She grimaced, contemplating kicking the Rodian in the side just out of anger for a moment. "Nothing," she answered honestly. "A misunderstanding. Can you tell him that for me, if he comes asking?"

"'Course. Least I can do. Head out the back, and stay safe."

Walker gave her a bit of a queer look as they ducked out.

"'Least I can do? What does *he* owe you?"

Delilah smirked.

"I introduced him to his wife."

 

[Delaney Wilder]

His eyes did brush the glass with whiskey still standing at their table, before moving past it.

No time... no time or probably all the time in the world - after all, if there was a second squad of goons to storm through those doors? They would have all done it together, instead of speeding through and forcing one Rodian through. No, this was a botched job, something patched up quick the moment they heard the news. They had a single asset in place... maybe for spying or smuggling and decided to insert him, before the duo could escape.

Before Delilah could escape anyway.

Bantha.

Not Nuna.

This meant that the reputation of the Red Lily was holding the Hutts back from retaliating, but for how long? How long before Fredo decided that enough was enough and decide to extract him, no matter the repercussions for a large-scale gang war?

"You are full of surprises, aren't ya." Before they ducked into an alley way some distance away of the bar. "We got options here. The Bantha ain't after me, but the Nuna ain't after you either."

"We can get the money, split it and move our separate ways."

The next thought made him frown, because he didn't really like thinking like that.

"But we might be stronger together."

 

[Delilah Keyes]

"You are full of surprises, aren't ya."

She didn't look toward him and her words were low, not particularly meant to be heard.

"You have no idea."

Del's own assumptions weren't quite in line with his. Not that the presence of the Red Lily had kept him safe, but that why would the hutts even look for him here? Her though... Sonny knew where she went to ground. Enough of them anyway, and if she were going to sell the information she had to someone? It would be to the Red Lily. If they had gone to one of Walker's haunts, well, someone from Nuna would have showed up there, and Sonny would have had no reason to look for her in that place.

She had drawn ahead of him, her gait determined and business again. She paused at a cross alley, glancing around the corner before continuing on.

"Let's get the trade done, assuming they're not going to be difficult about it," she said by way of answer, her eyes not meeting his. "Then we can sort out what to do next. Make sure that last thought of yours isn't just the pheromones talking."

Her voice was a touch grim at that last part.

She had just two places she was sure Sonny didn't know about. And both involved letting Walker into her *space* in a way that had nothing to do with what she'd been offering just a few minutes ago. Something she didn't normally do.

Sex? That could be fun but mean nothing. This was different.

Besides. She'd always worked better alone.

[member="Walker Ducote"]

 

[Delaney Wilder]

Walker blinked.

Pheromones?

While they walked back to the Red Lily's club he inspected his feelings. The tension build up just a while ago had dissipated by now and the adrenaline was still coursing through his veins. Heart pumping and beating against his chest, there was anxiety and fear causing his fingers to twitch - the danger had passed after all, leaving a man weaker than he was during the action.

If it hadn't been for Del next to him he may have just sat down.

His legs felt like glue.

But no, Walker did not think it were the pheromones making him want to stick together for now. It was simple sense of survival, he had a ship (she needed one), she had the skills (he needed them).

A few minutes later they entered the club again, being guided to place to be. The Red Lily was already waiting on them there. Most of them hung back, lazily, sipping from a drink here, girls... or boys sitting on their laps, only a Zeltron was standing in the center of the room. Next to him a table and on the table a bag with presumably the money they were owed for the glitterstim.

"Good?" Walker asked, while the male Zeltron studied him and then Delilah.

"Acceptable. We will pay..." The rest faded as the price was named and it was not only not close to the market price... it was in fact maybe only thirty percent of it. The zeltron smiled, to Del.

"Oh, don't look that way, darlin, we know about Sonny and about Fredo." Walker looked across to Del. What were they supposed to do here?

These ones had them over a barrel and they knew it.

What were they going to do, after all, find themselves another buyer? While dodging both crime lords trying to kill 'em?

 

[Delilah Keyes]

"No, I understand," Del murmured, it taking all of her self control to not clench her teeth and snarl at them. But she kept her expression that netural, friendly of before. Because anything else was dangerous. "It's nothing personal, of course."

It wasn't at all. But when she had told Walker that the Red Lily crowd was ruthless, it was just in this way that continued to keep them on top of the criminal maelstrom of the Zeltros underworld. They had the upper hand here. Del had hoped that they would have more time before the news got out.

On the plus side, she knew that the value of her future usefulness to them combined with the profit they'd make from this deal, was more than Sonny was inevitably offering for her.

Small comfort that.

"We are glad. We look forward to working with you, and your friend, again in the future, of course."

Even for Del (or perhaps especially), the level of smugness in the room was suffocating.

"Of course, Talos."

They couldn't take their spice elsewhere, and the look she cast over, the slightest nod at Walker, said that. The quality of the spice would degrade with time, making every pound worth less and less the longer they held onto it. While the larger syndicates, like the Red Lily, would hear about them first, it would only be so long until the smaller organizations wouldn't even touch them. They wouldn't be able to afford it, either from a credits standpoint or from a pissing off Sonny and Fredo. One of the rival syndicates? The Red Lily was one of them. And anyone else ran the risk of offering a far worse fate than thirty percent value.

"Although......."

Del arched an eyebrow.

"Although, I could convince my friends to agree to, perhaps.... another twenty percent...."

"If?"

Talos casually ran a finger over the table top.

"I made you a promise on Mandalore, Delilah," he tilted his head, watching her.

He wasn't the only one in the room. It was like a holo drama playing out for the rest of them. Bored. Hungry. Del had no doubt that he had already told them all, exactly what that promise was, and it made her nauseous to think of all of them waiting.

"It's not a promise if I decline," she said evenly. "And I am still declining. Thank you, but no."

He smiled, predatory and too warm for how public the exchange was.

"Oh, it's a promise. One day, Delilah." He switched gears then. "We will send a representative to unload. Be careful."

As much as she wanted to tell him to kark off, she just inclined her head. His be careful wasn't a threat. It was a genuine concern.

Time to go.

[member="Walker Ducote"]

 

[Delaney Wilder]

The exchange between Del and this Talos character was not lost to him, but it was not his business and Walker had made it his business to stay out of other people's business.

Unless there was profit to be had.

But by the pervy way the Zeltron was eyeballing Del and by the way the woman was rebuffing the attentions? Something told him that there wasn't anything good that would come out of asking about it. Instead Walker nodded - once - and then turned around, leaving the room with Del in tow.

He hadn't trust himself to say anything.

Not with the way his jaw clenched and the nails dove deep into the palms of his hands.

Bunch of schuttas... but it was just business and Walker was weak - not a fighter, no connections, just one man with a bright smile and brighter words and a load of drugs.

"This karks us seven ways to Corellia." she knew that already, but Walker had to say it. "We will look at our options once we are in the clear."

The next half an hour was spend supervising as one of the Lily crowd unloaded the glitterstim from the depths of his ship. From there a duffel bag was thrown to their side with their... profit. It was barely enough to cover everything, a little margin of profit... just a little bit, enough for them to figure something out.

Maybe.

The ramp closed itself behind them and Walker sat down on one of the crates.

The bag with nova crystals was still at his feet, the shine brightening his features and not showing the dark thoughts he was currently thinking.

"What do we do next." This time he didn't correct anything. Instead challenging her to try and correct him with a look at her.

 

[Delilah Keyes]

This was how everything she'd tried to accomplish in the last month had gone. Coming out the other side with *just* that much left over that she could move onto the next thing, but never really improving anything. She'd given up straight thieving for a while, an attempt to try her hand at something less blatantly illegal.

It wasn't worth the effort.

Not for the pittance it was offering. Living job to job was one thing if it meant living large and being able to pick and choose what job came next. This? This was for the mynocks, and she didn't like it at all.

Move. Keep moving. Stop and you're dead.

"First we get the kark off of Zeltros," she said, pushing off from the cargo bay wall. "Make a couple of random jumps before setting an actual course."

"To where?"

When your quarry goes to ground, leave no ground to go to.

Any of her contacts at this point was suspect. She might be able to smooth this over, clear her name if she could get together a gift big enough to make Sonny not care anymore. It would have to be a pretty big gift. She set that thought to the back burner, a slow simmer. His Fredo problem was different though. Hutts weren't known to be the most forgiving.

Not as though that were her problem. Not really.

Right?

HIs presence brought down a second set of eyes. A second vendetta that she simply couldn't afford right now. But she also knew that there wasn't a planet in this sector that she could set foot on to get a ship back home that wouldn't end up risking one of the two places she had actually managed to keep a secret.

Would they keep looking for them both together? Or decide based on what they knew that the pair would inevitably split up? She didn't know Fredo at all, or for that matter, what Walker's usual MO was, but Sonny.....

Sonny would assume she'd drop Walk at the earliest opportunity.

"To Velusia," she said finally, her tone flat. "We'll head to Velusia."

"What's on Velusia? Another contact that's going to rake us over the coals?"

Del shook her head, for the first time since they'd crashed together, just looking tired.

"Safety. A place to regroup. To make a plan. Figure out a way..... to take something back from all of this."

[member="Walker Ducote"]

 

[Delaney Wilder]

He rubbed at his brow for a moment, while trying to get a handle on the situation. Just for a moment Walker had a little hope that this thing would turn out relatively fine- sell the drugs, split the share and then disappear for a few months, while living off the profits and trying to figure out his next step.

Instead they were left with barely enough cash to cover fuel expenses, food and maybe a bribe or two. Hefty ones that would get them what they want, but still only two of em.

"Alright, I will get us into space and going then." The bag was left where it was... right now the last thing Walker worried about was her taking some for herself. Part of it was hers anyway. Though he seriously hoped she understood that right now profit wasn't really an option for them.

Not with that one duffel bag anyway.

The ship lifted off a moment later. Engines roaring and the metal groaning against the sudden exertion of forces pushed against it, but the Daystar was a beaut and would hold for as long as they needed it to.

About ten minutes later the ship transitioned into hyperspace.

The starlight streaming past the cockpit's viewport was beautiful and mesmerizing in its own way. Enough that Walker decided to just lean back and look at them - difficult and dangerous, wouldn't be the first spacer losing his mind because of that cacophony of colors and movement.

Walker sighed.

He was already relaxing a bit and at least in the moment he didn't think there was anything that could make this more pleasant.

 

[Delilah Keyes]

He was right- Del didn't touch the contents of the duffle, though she did make sure it got stowed properly while he was doing his own thing up in the cockpit. She took a minute to change back into the more practical clothing she'd been wearing earlier. There was a time and a place for apricot silk.... and this? This was neither of those things.

She paused next to one of the crates, knuckles tapping lightly on the top of it. Dark eyes were unfocused, lips turned in a thoughtful curve.

****

"I have a philosophy," Del's voice came from the door of the cockpit.

She leaned against the door frame, much as she had earlier. But this was now on the wrong end of a failed venture. Maybe, she mused to herself, she'd have to recalibrate her definition of 'failure.' After all, they were alive, and that wasn't an entirely forgone conclusion not that far back in the day.

Walker was half mesmerized by the lights of hyperspace, his attention relaxed in a way it hadn't been before. She closed the distance, debating leaving him to his own musings for a heartbeat before his gaze moved to her and any doubt was banished.

"Take what you can. Give nothing back."

As she said it, her hand came out, finger tips just on his shoulder. She brought her other hand to his opposite shoulder as she swung a knee over his lap and settled there as if she belonged.

"So I intend to take back from this sorry mess whatever it is I can manage," she murmured, face above his as her hands laced behind his head.

"My only question to you, Mister Walker, is if your answer is still yes."

[member="Walker Ducote"]

 

[Delaney Wilder]

At first Walker didn't notice her presence.

The lights put him at ease, relaxed him and for a moment everything was peaceful. Until the vents filtered through and pushed her scent towards him, pouring it over him and making him hum in appreciation. Almost immediately the subconscious tension started finding its way back home and pulling at all the correct threads to make this right.

"That sounds like a philosophy I could get behind." He mumbled as her weight settled itself against him. His hands were already on her hips, softly exploring, until her voice spun against his ear.

The movement went from circular to up and the pressure eased downwards sloping, pressing her firmly against him.

"Oh yes, it is." Before another Rodian could sneak up on them his lips were already on hers, locked and intertwined. There was not a chance that this would get interrupted by anyone. Honey and cinnamon, just as Walker had tasted it in the air back at the lounging bar back on Zeltros.

Fingers dug in and applied pressure as tension broke, making way for a washing storm from south.

 

[Delilah Keyes]

She smiled against his lips before diving head long into that kiss. He tasted of whiskey and heat, and her teeth captured his lower lip for a moment before releasing it again.

"Good," she murmured against his lips, her hands running up through his hair with the barest bite of nails.

Her thighs tightened around the outsides of his, her body molding against him even as she tilted her head back just enough to look into his eyes. That smirk played across her lips.

"Take what you can-"

"Give nothing back."

Her mouth found his again. There wasn't much talking after that.

*****

"It's..... purple."

"Something something cynobacteria in the oceans combined with the black sands. That's Mount Hollow, follow the only line of traffic and you can't go wrong."

Partially dressed, she was nestled in his lap, facing forward with his chin against her shoulder. She shifted to get up, and his free hand tightened slightly on her hip.

Smirk.

"It may be a twenty four seven beach party down there, but I'm not walking down the boardwalk like this," she said with a chuckle, swatting his hand lightly before standing up and stretching.

[member="Walker Ducote"]

 

[Delaney Wilder]

She was right, of course.

It had been... pleasant. An understatement of the century, they had explored every single inch of the ship at least twice over... without paying much attention to the aesthetics of the interior, granted. But in the end they had ended up right where they started, at the cockpit with the starlight streaming past them and the mighty roar of the engine making the metal and everything vibrate at a single, defining pitch.

"Suppose we got work to do." Walker grumbled, before playfully swatting at her back in response to her own swatting. He angled the ship just right, before letting the automatic landing mechanisms do the rest.

Oh, on a good day Walk could do it manually, but there was rarely really need for it.

Plus it was just a risk nobody really needed to take, when you were using official protocols and landing zones. All of that crap was pre-programmed to minimize the risks.

Once it was all set-up Ducote pushed himself off the chair, pressing himself against her back for a moment, just long enough to plant a kiss on her neck and then detaching himself again. Brushing past her and towards his own cabin. There was no shame in him, to simply walk the way he was.

All natural.

"Where's your place located anyway?" He asked over his shoulder, while trying to find something good to wear.

 

[Delilah Keyes]

She cast an appreciative smirk after his own retreating assets before tugging jeans on. The spaceport loomed in the view screen, but it was familiar and unthreatening as his ship took them in.

"Boardwalk on the south side of town," she called. "Over looks the only stretch of open beach. The rest is cliffs and jagged rocks no one would go swimming anywhere near. No one sane anyway."

She stepped out of the cock pit, tugging the tank top down over her head and using both hands to fluff out her hair as she took the pair of strides to his door. Her grin widened slightly as she stepped in, tracing a finger down his shoulder right before the march of shirt covered up the line of a bruise there.

"Crate," she said by way of explanation.

They'd both be sore in the morning.

*****

Warm salt air was cut by cool breeze, as the pair walked down the boardwalk. Jacket slung over one shoulder, she'd already given him the spiel about Velusia and it's 'thin veneer of civilization.' It was dark, the night well advanced and marching its way toward dawn on this side of the planet, and considering just how tired she was, it was nice that the local time matched.

Grabbing take out from one of the late night corner stores, they headed to her building. Her landlord, the Herglic Kal was already long abed, and they moved quietly through the artisan's shop before heading up the back stairs. Once the door was closed and locked again behind them, Del kicked off her shoes and her shoulders visibly relaxed.

Mostly.

She didn't really like bringing people here. This was her home, her sanctuary.

As she dialed up the lights halfway, she shed her jacket onto the sand coloured couch, dropping the take out on the small table.

[member="Walker Ducote"]

 

[Delaney Wilder]

The bag was dropped next to the table.

It was sitting there as a reminder, a testament of what had been done, a weight on their collective shoulders.

Or maybe that was simply how Walk looked at it. Either way, he took a look around, not bothering to whistle, but also not hiding the appreciation in his eyes. It was a classy place, clean, neat and there was little in the way of... gaudy around it.

"Nice place." He remarked, before settling himself down in one of the seats. His eyes closed, fingers rubbing against them while a groan escaped his lips. It was only partially from the night, but mostly from the entire... thing. Just so much exhaustion piling up one after another until it overflowed. What was there to do, besides taking a moment to relax after all of it?

"Got any ideas yet how each of us gets out of their mess?"

Walker had been thinking.

There were no concrete plans in his mind... yet, but there were concepts running around. Things they could do and maybe get out of this alive. It was clear Del was the more experienced person here though.

So, he'd rather hear her out first.