Sand and Sun

[Munin]

Jakku - Imperator City
[member="Spark Finn"]

Jakku was no ones idea of a home.

This world was situated in almost the exact same galactic stereotype as Tatooine, if only slightly less notable. Jakku was hailed as a graveyard world, and while the Hutt's liked to stretch their fingers over Tatooine, no one wanted Jakku. By all accounts this planet was completely and entirely worthless save for the scrap and salvage to be had. No one really came to Jakku if they had a choice in the matter, and similarly pretty much everyone left this worthless scrap world as soon as they possibly could. It was no coincidence that someone would try to hide here, after all, why would anyone look?

Munin found himself asking that exact question as he sat on the edge of a small scrap pile in the middle of Imperator City.

The not so cleverly named settlement was located besides a crashed Imperial Star Destroyer that had gone by the name Imperator.

The ship had been lost to the sands of Jakku centuries ago, having only resurfaced over the last two or three decades. As one would imagine the Star Destroyer had become one of the primary sources of salvage, with the residents of the city having quietly eaten away at the inside of the ship for the last few years. It was an oddly sad sight, at least to Munin anyway, the appearance of the once great Star Destroyer picked apart was a reminder of just what would happen to anyone's Legacy once they were gone.

Of course, for him that would never be much of an issue. His eyes finally tore away from the grand ship, moving instead towards the small communicator in his hand.

"Come on." He said to himself, frowning slightly.

He had been on Jakku for half a day now, having spent the last week gathering the resources that he'd needed for this little adventure. Behind the pile of scrap he was sitting on was a small speeder, it's cargo hold filled with supplies for two that would last several days. His clothing had changed, though his hair and eyes had remained the same as they had been on Coruscant. He fidgeted slightly, his leg pumping up and down as he glanced once again at the communicator.

He was waiting, waiting for her.

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

Things were still a little too hot #nopunintended for her to take the Flying Nuna. The slicer still had a bounty on her head, even if she hacked into the bounty board and deleted it - there was no telling if someone noticed it before. Or if a new one would be posted from any of the Sith Tri members. Although, most of those peeps were dead. The rest probably just thought she walked out. [member="Ashmedai"] was really the only one she still needed to worry about.

So, it was on the public transport out to Imperator City on Jakku that she got a chance to take out her comm and send a text to Munin #Sawyer. Would he even be there? Was she about to look like a fool? Was this a trap? What if his feelings had changed?

#endlessquestions #doubt

Gulping, thin-digits clearly meant for datapad typing pecked off a quick, encrypted message:

Sawyer - sorry I'm a day late. Got held up. On public transport and about to land in Imperator City. Where should I meet you?

-Spark

P.S. Brought a gajillion tons of sunblock in case you don't have any.

The transport rocked slightly as it began its decent to touch down on the sandy fields. Fingers came up to adjust the wide-brimmed hat on her blonde-haired head. Munin might be surprised to no longer see a brunette. She wondered if he'd even recognize her. Or if she'd even recognize him.

 

[Munin]

[member="Spark Finn"]

The text came through a few minutes after it was sent, his communicator finally beeping. His face instantly lit up, half hidden beneath the scarf that was protecting him from the blaring heat. A wide grin crossed his face as he read it.

She was here.

That meant something at least. Whether she was with a bunch of soldiers or a dozen Jedi...well that remained to be seen, but at the very least she had held up her end of the bargain. He wondered what public transport actually lead its way here, though with the way Jakku was situated in the junk trade it wasn't too surprising. He looked up towards the sky for a moment as if he would see the ship she was on, a foolish endeavor of course. Munin smile slightly, then sent her back a quick message.

I'm here.

I'm at the southern end of the city, near The Star Destroyer's engines. I'll wait for you here. I'd come pick you up, but I don't want to drive the speeder into town or leave it behind.

-Sawyer

The name wasn't the one that he was going by here on Jakku, but it was what she had chosen to calling him.

Munin didn't mind the name, and in truth the more she used it for him the more he would come to like it, that was something he already knew. Half of him wanted to throw caution to the wind and go and find her, but he knew that taking the Speeder into town, especially with all of it's supplies, would be a risk. Although Jakku was mostly safe in areas like Imperator City, he didn't exactly want to advertise that he was heading out into the desert laden down with weeks worth of supplies.

That was an enticing prospect for anyone.

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

She was surprised by the quick response but thankful for it at the same time. He was here. #stillcouldbeatrap Jaw set. It didn't matter. She'd risk it. Grabbing her small satchel, she filed out with the few other passengers. She typed off a quick response - encrypted again:

See you soon.
-S

#hopefully

The heat blasted her before she even got out the door. Prescription shades were up her freckled-nose. Blue-eyes still watered slightly. One thing was certain. She was going to die. If Munin hadn't set a trap for her, the heat would definitely finish her off. The technopath did what she usually did when feeling stressed and let her mind wander...trying to plug-into any surrounding tech. It was comforting and it usually grounded her.

Only thing was, out here? There wasn't much. This was the wilderness. If it weren't for the tech in the salvaged pieces near by, she might've gone mad. It would've been a little too much like the world Darth Adekos had marooned her on as a form of torture.

Palms broke out into a cold sweat just thinking about it. Booted feet trudged through the hot sand, shaded eyes looking up for a familiar face. If she didn't see him soon, she might lose her nerve. Gangly-form continued to walk and walk...jumping from whatever few shadows vending carts or huts provided. But pretty soon, even those structures thinned out as she got closer to the location Munin described.

 

[Munin]

[member="Spark Finn"]

He would see her first. By all rights Munin shouldn't have been able to recognize her. She wore glasses half the size of Jakku's sun, a hat large enough to cover her entire body, and her hair was no longer the same color it had been before, but he knew instantly that it was her. It was the way she walked, the way she carried herself, the odd sort of quirk to her lips as she glanced around the small clearing within the buildings. After eight days he thought that he would have trouble, but as soon as he saw her he couldn't help but smile.

The Information Broker stepped out from behind his speeder.

He slowly began to walk towards her, reaching up and pulling the scarf away from his face. The odd bandage dropped from his head to around his neck, his eyes lighting up and his lips quirking up into a smile as he slowly began to walk towards her.

A part of him had been sure she wouldn't come.

This entire thing, this mission was crazy enough as it was. There was no guarantee of success, there was danger from a dozen different sources, and everything...everything was about an object that Munin wasn't even sure existed. Yet she had showed up. She had gone through whatever she needed to do, and she had kept her word. He found his heart began to race as he drew closer to her, his lips turning into a goofy, almost idiotic looking smile.

He couldn't help himself, he was just happy to see her.

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

She didn't see him at first. But when she did her lips twitched into a timid smile. There was that mop of blond hair, his swagger, those eyes, and that smile. She couldn't tell if he was glowing or if that was just the sun reflecting off his hair. Shoulders began to relax as she saw there wasn't anyone else waiting around. No ambush.

#nosurprises

She stopped as he came near - half in shadow of the star destroyer leftovers. Feet shifted awkwardly. Did they hug? High five? #lol She didn't know quite what to do or what was appropriate. A finger tipped the brim of her hat back so she could get a better look at his face.

"Hi." Shaded-gaze traveled beyond his shoulder and saw the loaded up speeder. "Wait. We're not staying in the city? I mean town. We're gonna camp out?" There was a slightly squeaky and panicky edge on the last two words.

 

[Munin]

[member="Spark Finn"]

Munin ignored her for the time being.

Not out of rudeness of course.

He half wanted to laugh as she squeaked out a protest against camping, his eyes lighting up. They were of course not going to stay in Imperator City, not only because the place wasn't very nice, but also because they wouldn't find The device he was looking for anywhere near here. The Imperator had crashed here centuries ago, but all over Jakku there were dozens, if not hundreds of capital ships that had been thrown into and drowned in the desert sands. It was in one of these ships that the Star Cabal had made their home.

Munin knew that, he had read it on the datapad. He had wanted to tell her then...in fact he had thought he'd done so...but he'd been so lost in her that it was difficult to remember. Their time together had been brief, and in truth the last thing he remembered was that long kiss they'd shared an in the cargo hold. It was that Kiss that stuck firmly in his mind, that kiss that passed through his thoughts as he stepped up to her, wrapped his arm around her, and pulled her into a similar passionate embrace.

He kissed her, his lips pressing against hers and his arm tugging her right against him.

A second passed, and then finally he pulled back just a little, letting her breath long enough for him to say; "Hey."

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

#scoundrel

An arm snaked around her waist and she sputtered as his lips met hers. Wide-brimmed hat knocked off her head, only secured by the chin strap pulling at her slender neck. Blonde-tangled hair swirled in the hot desert air. Cheeks blazed hotter than a Jakku sunburn.

Spark's kisses would always be awkward with Munin. That's just how she was. Who she was. He certainly found a way to break her comfort bubble, though. #thatrogue Her flustered level was on high alert.

"Sawyer!" She squeaked, pressed against him. Fingers tangled against the fabric of his desert wardrobe. "You always do that," she looked around self-consciously hoping he couldn't hear or feel how fast her heart was hammering against her ribs.

 

[Munin]

[member="Spark Finn"]

He blinked, still holding her close.

"Are you complaining?" The question was a genuine one.

There was just something about her that drove him crazy, something that made him wild. He couldn't have explained it...or rather he couldn't really apply the same logical thought to it that he usually did. Maybe he didn't want to, maybe he wanted to keep it a mystery and not explain it away, but the truth was that he simply enjoyed it. He liked being more impulsive, he liked holding her, embracing her, kissing her. He liked the way she reddened and flustered when he went through with it.

Every time he saw her, he just couldn't help himself.

He was sure that eventually it would backfire, that maybe one day she would smack him, tell him no more, or do something that would make it all cease, but for now he would do what he could. He liked seeing her smile, and even now as she glanced about and squeaked out a half-heart protest he could see the quirks of her lips moving up, already answering his question from before without even a word.

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

"What? N-no, maybe," she sputtered. Swiveling head finally looked back up to meet his gaze. She still felt the blaze on her cheeks. Fingers looped up and around his neck. She pulled in close in an embrace.

#boldmovesforaFinn

She pressed against him, arms tightening. "I missed you and I think that's kind of crazy," she finally admitted against him." Sunglasses fell lopsided down her freckled-nose. In the back of her mind, she knew she already had to reapply sunblock soon.

#burnyburn

 

[Munin]

[member="Spark Finn"]

He smiled at that, gently squeezing Spark as she pulled herself tighter against him. "I'm glad you made it."

Munin genuinely was.

The trip wouldn't have been fun alone, and he couldn't think of anyone that would be better company than Spark. Huginn wasn't much for the outdoors, and although it seemed Spark wasn't either, she had at the very least come somewhat prepared for the desert heat of Jakku. The Information Broker pulled back from her slightly, looking her over with the slight hint of a smile touching his lips. "I brought some extra supplies for you."

He figured she wouldn't come as prepared as he had.

"Extra water, sleeping bag, even some clothes." The necessities of course. "It's all in the speeder."

They would be traveling for a few days at least, and they needed to be prepared for pretty much anything. The Speeder ran on solar power, so did most of the equipment that Munin had brought. He had also brought a tent that was sufficient enough to last through most sandstorms. Although there were plenty of ruined starships to take shelter in, he didn't want to be caught unprepared by one of the giant storms that Jakku and other desert planets like it were famous for.

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

She peeked behind his shoulder again at the speeder and finally wormed out of his grasp to get a better view. "Good," she gulped. "The wilderness and I aren't on good terms." Again, her thoughts drifted to Adekos. Hands clenched at her sides to keep them from trembling. She put on a brave smile.

"But I brought tons of snacks: chocochews, barbecue chips, laffy taffy's, and instant caf. Lots of instant caf."

Gaze traveled beyond the speeder.

"How long do you think we'll be...out there? Any leads for where to find the cube?" The hot desert winds continued to weave through her tangled, blonde-hair.

#I'llnevergetthesandout #Ihatethebeach

 

[Munin]

[member="Spark Finn"]

"A few days at least." Munin said. "Two weeks at most."

That would be...unfortunate.

He had already decided that if they were in the desert for longer than eight days they would head back. He had enough supplies to last them for fifteen days in case of emergency, but after eight...it would become unlikely that they would find what they were looking for. "The Senator had an approximate location of where the installation was."

Munin explained.

"But...well it's not an exact location, and we can't take a ship there." That was perhaps the most unfortunate part of all of this. Taking a craft into the middle of the desert and simply throwing themselves down where they needed to go would have been the perfect answer, but unfortunately Jakku didn't really want to cooperate with them on that front. "The area is littered with downed capital ships, and time has eroded things so much there that it's now prone to sandstorms. Flying there with a ship is basically a death sentence."

So they would go in the speeder. "It'll take us two days to get there, then we search as best as we can."

He had brought probe droids too, plenty of them.

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

She began walking toward the packed speeder. "Let's hope for a few days," sunglasses were adjusted up the bridge of her nose. "And sandstorms?!" She froze and looked at Munin, mouth slightly agape. She heard legends of the worst of storms. The kinds that brought winds strong enough to rip flesh from bone.

Even in this intense heat, she felt a chill run through her spine.

Throat cleared as she tugged on the passenger side's door. "I should be able to sense it - the cube tech....when we get close. Hopefully that'll help." Bony-shoulders shrugged. Reaching behind her, she tugged the hat back down over her head - pulling it nice and low so it would stay on through the speeder ride.

#wildernesshereIcome #sunblock5000 #camping #EEEeeeep

 

[Munin]

[member="Spark Finn"]

He watched her for a moment. "Maybe."

It was important to remember who they were dealing with though. The Star Cabal, by all accounts, had been formed primarily for the destruction of force users. Force Users like Spark. Munin found that rather deplorable. He had no hatred for any one group of people, he had long ago learned that most everything was nuanced in some way, including race, religion, creed, ability, and yes even force potential. There was no hatred in his heart for anyone, but the Star Cabal...the Star Cabal had hated people like Spark.

"Remember who we're dealing with though." He said as he walked up behind her and then slowly around the speeder. "The Star Cabal was made to...deal with Force Users. I wouldn't bet against the fact that they set up defenses or something around their base to keep them out."

That was something he'd thought about since arriving, the fact that they probably had booby traps of some sort. "We have to be careful. I won't let you get hurt for this."

He stopped at the hood of the speeder, looking at her and trying to impart that he meant it.

Oddly enough, Munin found that he cared far more about her safety then he did his own. A part of him even wanted to just tell her not to go, but the larger whole of him wouldn't let him. The truth was that he was being selfish. He didn't want to see her hurt, but he also wanted to spend time with her, and right now...this was the only way that he could think of doing that.

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

Thin-lips pursed. She slid into the speeder and closed the door. His promise to keep her safe, she believed him. But that's what bothered her. She knew that look in his eyes. The self-sacrifice. She would do the same for him. She had already been willing to do it, back on Coruscant.

She had lost too many.

"No matter what happens, remember that I made my own choice to come. Got it?" He was right, though. They'd have to be careful. There weren't many jedi like her and she wondered if this group knew how to design traps for a technopath. And what would those traps be?

Even with Munin's good intentions, he wouldn't be able to protect her from everything.

#reality

She just hoped that if something did happen, he wouldn't blame himself. Taking out a scarf from her bag, now placed at her feet, she wrapped it around her mouth and face to keep the sun and sand off.

 

[Munin]

[member="Spark Finn"]

"Okay." For a moment Munin lingered at the front of the speeder. She was right. He wasn't forcing her to come along with him, and in the end she would make her own choices. He frowned for a moment though, wondering if she was expecting something to happen. Jakku wasn't exactly the safest place on normal days, and what they were doing definitely wasn't normal. The Red Codex wouldn't just be left alone out here, not without some sort of defense in place.

Eventually he pushed the thoughts away. He could worry all day and night, but in the end he would just have to get over it and push on. They were burning daylight, and at night it got far too cold to actually travel with the open top speeder. Quickly the Information Broker went around the side of the vehicle, not bothering to open the door and simply jumping over the edge of the door by quickly pushing himself up and over. He landed with a soft thud, reaching to wrap the scarf around his face once more. "Grab the navi computer."

He pointed to the glovebox.

The computer utilized pre-programmed maps of Jakku based on grid space and a secured Starting point.

There were no satellites orbiting Jakku, and as such a GPS was completely out of the question. Here they would have to rely on a good old mix of maps, compass, and grid targets programmed into the navi-computer. Munin would have preferred something more exact, but it had been too expensive to position an entire satellite in orbit just for this one mission. He doubted the thing would have lasted long anyway what with the damned scavengers hovering around this place.

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

Leaning forward, fingers popped the glovebox open. The little door cracked and fell to the floor boards. Sandy-brows rose as a nervous snort exited her nose. "Hope you got rental insurance on this." Fingers curled around the small computer as she took it out, cradling it on her lap as she peered down on the screen.

#notGPS #oldschool #thankthestarsIstilldonthavetofoldmaps

Head panned to look at Munin. "Need me to list off directions to...," she paused. The scarf around his face made his eyes seem even bluer. Or maybe that was just the angle of the sun. Was she getting heat stroke already?!?!

At least her scarf would hide most of the blush.

"Where we're going?"

#finallyfoundmyvoice

 

[Munin]

[member="Spark Finn"]

"Just put it on the dash for now." He patted the middle of the console, smiling behind his scarf. "I just need to be able to generally tell our progress. The Compass should really be doing most of the work."

He pointed towards the small needle that was inlaid in the middle of the dashboard.

The speeder they were in had been custom built for use in exploration. The compass could be set for various different magnetic fields and everything on board the small vehicle was made to survive harsher conditions. It was also solar powered, or at least augmented by Solar power, and thus they wouldn't have to worry about fuel for several weeks. Of course, Munin didn't plan on getting stuck in the desert, so fuel wouldn't be a problem no matter what...unless something went horribly wrong.

As Spark positioned the device on the dash Munin turned the speeder on. "Here we go."

There was a loud thrum of the engines and a rock of the speeder as Repulsors kicked into life. He Pressed the controls forward and without further warning they went rocketing off out of Imperator City and into the deserts of Jakku.

What they would find, no one could tell.

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

Back sunk into the seat slightly as they zoomed off. Hands gripped the bottom of her seat in a vice-like grip. The broken dash piece rattled against her feet. Even with the scarf, hat, and sunglasses, hot granules of sand in the air managed to find exposed skin. Shoulders remained tense.

#lettinghimdrive #dontbeasideseatdriver

There wasn't much to look at out there. Sure, there was a lot of ship debris but that was few and far between. Mostly it was rolling dunes of nothingness. Or lone scavengers. Or droids. Some beasts.

But that was good. They didn't want to run into any gangs. She had the force but they didn't have numbers.