Private Suspicious Samaritan

[Ara Sheridan]

Ara listened carefully as Zoar commented on what she did to protect herself, though it felt like the words weren't just commenting on her. "That... yeah... that's exactly that." She admitted softly with a nod. "Eventually the lie gets a little heavy after a while..." She continued, looking up at Zoar from her plate.

He understood. Not many did. Not many could. They were never in a position where they could understand. Zoar understood. Better than anyone else, Zoar understood perfectly.

She was yanked out of her thoughts once he illustrated his expectations of what an actual podrace was like to see in person. She stared at him with wide, startled eyes for a good long moment before bursting out in a fit of laughter. "That's... something like that, yeah!" She managed to choke out before folding over with laughter once again. She finally recovered, rubbing some forming tears from her eyes as she sat back to look at him. Immediately a few more chuckles escaped as she shook her head. "Not a bad presentation, I gotta say!" She admitted, rising from her seat to check on the ship's status.

The uneventful, yet pleasant flight ended as they descended towards an open dock in Mos Espa. Immediately Ara had to chase off a few Jawas trying to peddle all kinds of scrap to her and Zoar. "Don't give those dudes half a gap. They'll carry off your whole ship in less than a second if they could." She remarked. The heat and sunlight beat down heavily upon the surface of the planet, the unforgiving heat immediately forming a few beads of sweat along Ara's brow.

"Come on, let's get things sorted... I can show you around too. Mos Espa ain't really all that glamorous, but hot damn it ain't boring by any means. There's always something going on around here." She gave him a light tap before shutting the ship. A few button presses later and the freighter was entirely locked down, just in case.

"I hope you got air conditioning in that suit of yours." She asked with a far more serious tone as she stopped to face Zoar.

Zoar

 

[Zoar]

The little Miln fell into a giggling fit as Ara did, amused by his own theatrics, and her over-the-top response. Wiping a few tears away of his own, he went back to eating his sandwich, having to stop eating to force down another laugh. Nobody ever saw this side of him. The silly side. The happy side.

Nobody until now, that is.

"Why, thank you," he said, bowing grandly to the Zabrak as she left to check the ship.

---

Zoar's mech plodded from Ara's ship, each heavy footfall leaving a crater in the sand beneath them. Watching on uncomfortably as his fellow Jedi chased off some Jawas, the armored being folded it's manipulators demurely.

"Come on, let's get things sorted... I can show you around too. Mos Espa ain't really all that glamorous, but hot damn it ain't boring by any means. There's always something going on around here."

//Love that. G-great.// Already, the Miln was feeling a little crowded, his head on a swivel as he walked alongside Ara. He only returned his attention to her when she asked about his suit. A little color returned to his voice. //Actually, yeah. Nice and cool in here. Internal filter and air supply, too.//

//Not that I could really feel it now, though.// Leaving it at that, Zoar thought about the upcoming event.

//So... what are the chances of you... y'know, dying in this race?// There was obvious concern in his voice.

- Ara Sheridan -

 

[Ara Sheridan]

Ara immediately picked up on his nervousness as they walked through the busy street. She spared him a glance as she tapped the suit's arm. "Hey, don't worry. In this kinda place, people leave you alone if you leave them alone." She reassured, electing to leave out the part of Jawas trying to carry him off... or the occasional thug looking for a fight.

Or the cartels.

Or the Tusken Raiders.

He didn't need to know about those...

"Eh, my chances are better than most. I actually bothered to put some safety measures into my pod in case I crash. If something goes wrong, I'll at least be able to bail." She remarked with a shrug. "But hey... it'll be fun! I bet you five creds that one trip around the track will have you itching for more." She flashed him a daring grin as they moved on.

Eventually they reached the track offices and the sign up was quickly finished. Zoar was ordered to stay outside due to the "no droids" policy while Ara sorted out the paperwork. Whether Zoar wanted to admit that he was simply a little dude in a big suit was up to him. She wasn't going to bust his secret.

The Zabrak finally emerged with datapad in hand and a glimmer in her eyes. "We're set! We're actually a bit early as well, race is tomorrow. Gives us a chance to take the Arrow out for a spin, make sure everything is running smoothly." She suggested as she studied the datapad.

Green eyes finally looked up at Zoar's faceplate as she tucked away her device. "How's that sound? Hell, I can even give you a ride as well if you wanna? Just pack a datapad in and sit in the backseat." She continued.

A few feet away, however, a few pairs of eyes were watching them. Specifically, the weapons dangling from the two Jedi's hips. The figures were unassuming among the rest of inhabitants on Tatooine, blending in seamlessly with their surroundings. The figures eventually glanced at each other and moved on, wordlessly slipping away among the crowd.

Zoar

 

[Zoar]

Ara's assurances about Tatooine didn't seem all that assuring to Zoar. Still, he took what comfort from them that he could, with one last suspicious glance around, before making sure to stick like glue to the older Jedi's side.

However, Ara's assurances about her safety did assure him more than those previous. He nodded. //Okay. Yeah. As long as I'm not going to watch you get hurt, y'know?// Then, he scoffed. //I would take you up on that, but... I don't have money.//

After reaching the track offices, and being denied entry, Zoar looked on in concern at Ara, before giving her a big thumbs up, stepping to the side, and trying to contain his mounting separation anxiety. What if Ara got in trouble when he wasn't there. What if he got in trouble when Ara wasn't there? What if...

Oh. She's back.

"We're set! We're actually a bit early as well, race is tomorrow. Gives us a chance to take the Arrow out for a spin, make sure everything is running smoothly. How's that sound? Hell, I can even give you a ride as well if you wanna? Just pack a datapad in and sit in the backseat."

The mech suddenly began to fidget with it's hands. //Well... that's good. We got some time to make sure everything's working. Um... Suuuuuuure. I'd like to go for a spin. Why not?// Zoar put on a brave face for no one in particular. //Might be fun.//

---

Zoar stood before the Arrow, checking and double checking diagnostics in his HUD. //Well... doesn't look like anything got bumped loose on the way over. Fuel line held, so that's good. Nothing's gonna explode, at least.//

The mech took three obvious steps back from the pod. //Okay, start 'er up!//

- Ara Sheridan -

 

[Ara Sheridan]

Zoar's anxiety about driving in a pod wasn't lost on Ara. Then again, Zoar's anxiety about most things were pretty easy to pick up on. And she learned her lesson about "helping" someone like him out of that anxiety pretty well with Jasper Kai'el back at that gala.

She wasn't making that mistake again.

"Alright, starting up." Ara spoke up as she slid into the pilot's seat and began flipping switches along the dashboard. The repulsors lifted the machine up and the power coupling crackled to life, binding the two engines together. A low rumble emerged, soon followed by the typical whine of TIE engines. After letting it idle for a few moments, Ara slipped on her helmet and tuned into Zoar's comm frequency. "Whizzing Arrow is online. All systems good on this side." She commented, looking over at the giant suit.

The twin suns were beginning to set, but there was still plenty of sunlight shining down on the desert planet. Plenty of time for a few test runs.

"Alright, hop in!" She called out with a grin as she waved him over. Though a frown settled in as she studied the size of his mech, then the size of her passenger seat behind her. "Or, well... try, at least." She continued with a shrug. It was going to be a very tight fit. Flicking the throttle a bit, the twin ion engines shrieked in response as dust kicked up around them.

Zoar

 

[Zoar]

//Awesome,// Zoar breathed, both in response to Ara's assurance that everything was in good shape, and admiring the growling scream of the Arrow's engines. She really purred.

"Alright, hop in! Or, well... try, at least."

The mech suit studied the aforementioned seat, obviously doing some mental math. Then, he sighed. //Well... even if Golem does fit, the extra weight'd probably put unneeded stress on the engines. Hate to have to- fix it before the race."

Mid sentence, the diminutive Miln stepped from his suit, plucked the crystal from his greatsaber, transitioning it to a smaller saber at his side, and sank as far down into the seat as he could, trying to disappear within the pod. The cybernetics that ringed his head blinked pink as he responded in Ara's comms, sending his voice to her ears.

"C-can we go? Before I change my mind."

- Ara Sheridan -

 

[Ara Sheridan]

Somewhat to Ara's relief, Zoar decided to disembark from his suit and hopped into the passenger seat snuggly positioned behind the pilot's seat. Ara glanced at him for a quick second to make sure he strapped in before giving a nod at his comment. "Sure thing!" She yanked the glasteel door of the cockpit closed and opened the throttle.

Despite trying intentionally to go slowly at first, the powerful machine accelerated with enough force to shove them into their seats. The readings were all green and all systems were all running at peak performance, but that hardly mattered to Ara, who was smiling from ear to ear as the howl of the engines filled her ears. The world zoomed past them at blistering speeds, faster than any normal person could think. But the Zabrak was in control to dodge past rocks and weave through the terrain as she slowly began to open the throttle more.

"How's it going back there?" She asked over the comms to make aure Zoar didn't have a heart attack just yet. "We wanna use some coaxium or not yet?" She laughed maniacally as she dodged another large rock, before turning on the pod's spotlights as they entered a tunnel.

Once again the stakes were amplified. The Force practically screamed at Ara with imminent danger, only to relax as she drew on her powers. "Nothing to worry about out here, chocolate chip. No people, no worries... just you." She admitted softly as the tunnel eventually opened into a large clearing, allowing Ara to slow the throttle a bit and enjoy the drive.

Zoar

 

[Zoar]

Zoar barely felt the g-force as the pod jolted forward, yet he still screwed his eyes shut, holding onto his tail as if he would lose it in the drag. The sudden sound was deafening, the rumbling of the metal around him promising danger...

Yet, he didn't feel all that scared.

He heard Ara's voice in his comms, and he chirped back. "Fine! I'm fine!" Perhaps he was trying to seem brave for her sake. Or... maybe...

After a while, Zoar pulled down his goggles over his eyes, and opened them, only to reveal darkness. They had entered a cave. Zoar put a hand on the Arrow, his fingers shaking as the machinery hummed and buzzed as one. He could feel it in the Force, the hectic clockwork, the harmony.

"Nothing to worry about out here, chocolate chip. No people, no worries... just you."

Zoar smiled. A silent, joyful thing, which only grew as they entered a clearing. He sat up, head turning every which way. "Wooooow," he said over the comms, holding up a hand to feel the air resistance. He giggled to himself.

No people, no worries. Just... him. Them.

- Ara Sheridan -

 

[Ara Sheridan]

At first Ara could feel Zoar's uneasiness as she sped through the famous track of Mos Espa, but soon it all melted away as the Miln became more and more comfortable with what was going on. It didn't take long for Ara to feel... peace. No more worries, no more fears and anxiety. Just the joy of the ride. A warm grin crept up on the Zabrak's face as she spared a glance behind her, watching Zoar stick a hand through one of the windows of the cockpit. She understood that feeling all too well.

It was what sealed the deal for her in the first place. She always loved the sport, never missing a season when growing up. Legends such as Anakin Skywalker, Zebulba or Ben Quadinaros were quite familiar to her. But to start her own pod up for the first time, to take it out for the first drive ever and to feel the rush of wind and adrenaline... it was peace for her. She always felt like nobody could understand that feeling, that people were either trying to relate or simply humour her.

Zoar understood it.

"Sun's setting. Fuel's running low too. Can squeeze in a few more laps but we'll have to turn back then." She spoke over the comms as she studied her dashboard. It only took a grand total of a few seconds to get another idea as she peered at the glimmering red button close to her handlebars. "Wanna feel this thing at top speed?" She asked with a maniacal giggle as she glanced at Zoar. Waiting for him to respond, her hand hovered over the red button. She didn't really need someone else's input, she was just curious about his response. Regardless, the Zabrak opened the throttle before hitting the red button, injecting a tiny amount of coaxium into the twin ion engines and setting off the highly volatile substance.

The pod immediately lunged forward, merely accelerating with seemingly no end in sight as the reaction overloaded the engines and supercharged the propulsion. What felt like an eternity lasted only for ten seconds, but it was enough to leave the Zabrak with a stupid grin and weak knees when she finally halted the pod and opened the glasteel door to exit her machine. "Holy kriff I need to use that button more..." She giggled away like an idiot as she helped Zoar out.

But in the pavilion, hiding from view, eyes followed every move the Jedi made. Once they seemed to have gathered whatever they were after, the figures snuck into the night.

Ara turned to regard Zoar with a bright smile before extending a fist out towards him. "You're pretty karkin' awesome, you know that?" She remarked with a light nod. "Let's load this thing up, get some sleep." She motioned to a nearby speeder truck before climbing back into her pod to shut it all down properly.

Zoar