The bar set just a bit too high...

[Gabriel Sionoma]

He blinked, realizing that she was right. He laughed and rubbed the back of his head, walking over as he put his hand beneath her elbow. Helping to ease, not sure if she was trying to sit back down or walk around. Maybe she needed the sun, heaven knew her complexion screamed of it. Not that pale was a bad thing, but the contrast was particularly expressive between her and the Kiffar hybrid. He realized she may have not been comfortable with him helping but at the time, he didn't seem to really care.

"Reverance is but a cog in the clock, a large one at that. But there are more. Dark Vornskr, Vrag, Darth Carach, Darth Isolda, Sage Bane..." He could have gone on. "Each one of them I have particular knowledge about, more on some then others. But enough. Most Sith Lords beneath the OS hierarchy were known to me in some regard."

He blinked again, catching her initial comment about the bounty. Coren was a starship pilot, a commander and active participant of the GDAF. Chevu was a Jedi Knight, likely approaching the power of a master, and she was constantly seeking her position back as Jedi Marshal. Last he had heard, she had gotten it back. Why would it make sense for them to work together, like mixing two separate functions of the much grander operation. He shook his head, not understanding. "Wait..." He let go of her arm. "Why would it make sense for them to work together so much?"

Coren was the reason she was removed of her rank, the leader of the circus court. He had threatened the life of Gabriel on numerous occasions. Granted, they trained together, but that didn't necessarily preclude some sort of sense in hitting a techno union facility together.

[member="Spark Finn"]​

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="The Revenant"]

#personalbubblespaceinvaded!!!!

She was proud of herself for not immediately jerking away. #practice #alcohol His hands felt like she imagined they would, sandpaper-y. A man who took the time to shape and build things with his hands.

"Well good then." An index finger reached up to lightly tap him on his temple once. #feelinprettybold. #soclosetothebeard! "We just need to get all that info from there into a data pool. I can even add some info on Sage Bane and Carach." A slight tremble ran through her body at those names. Hands came down to her sides, small fists clenched then relaxed. Blue eyes widened at his question.

"Uhhhh."

#abort #abort #abort

The technopath stumbled backwards, heel catching on the flooring. She teetered but even that couldn't stop the words from tumbling out of her slightly inebriated lips," they're together."

#awkward #falling

 

[Gabriel Sionoma]

"Well..." He shook his head, not fully understanding. "Of course they are together. You just said they were together when they were on the Techno Union facility." He stumbled over his words, revelation as an idle hand felt the back of his head. Scratching, he stared with a form of stubbornness, as his eyes drifted towards a particularly unequal grain in the wall. Breathing in, breathing out, he shook his head, feeling numb. "She could serve her role for the Galactic Alliance from here as well as on Sullust. So, that's why she wouldn't come with me..."

He didn't understand. How could she have feelings for that...man. Expression darkened, a certain weight cast against his shoulders, he trudged across the boards once more, hand rubbing his beard. Seems he wasn't done with the whiskey just yet, as he pulled the bottle from the cupboard and filled his once empty cup with a triple serving. Bracing his weight against the counter top, he cracked his neck and tried to shake away the feeling of that deep cut. That even though this person, whom Gabriel knew very little of, knew about the circumstance of the mother of his children, he had been too blind to see it.

Lifting the drink, he took a large sip, wincing at the strength of it. He pursed his lips, worried that if he spoke, he might say something he regretted. So he found strength in the silver-lining, looking back towards the book worm. "Thank you for being honest with me, Spark. I appreciate it." Finishing off the whiskey, he felt the warmth of it as he exhaled. "I wont have you leaving here, not in your current state. Please, find somewhere comfortable and relax. The holonet access is open, you should have no problem with it." He faked a smile. "Feel free to wonder, there are rooms and facilities up stairs if you need to clean up." He rubbed the back of his neck as he approached the exit, entrance into a breezeway out into the field. The ducts needed tending to, starting with an assessment. "I'll be back in a few hours to check on you."

He needed space, he needed to digest. Most of all, he needed the sun and the idleness of productivity. He strode out through the courtyard.

[member="Spark Finn"]​

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="The Revenant"]

#feth

The slicer offered a numb nod of acknowledgement as Gabe exited. The pain was evident on his face. In his forced smile. And this was why lightweights shouldn't drink. She waited until Gabe was out to pick herself up from her tumbled position on the floor. A splinter from the wood bit into the soft pad of flesh on her fingertip.

"Shhhhii-gorram." The prick reminded her of the pain so freshly buried beneath the surface. Dumping what little alcohol was left in her glass, she filled it with water and drank, working out the splinter.

The little bugger was buried deep.

Fresh tears of frustration welled in her eyes. #gladGabeisoutside A short, bitter laugh escaped her throat. When she thought she was done with this emotional nonsense, all it took was a splinter....

#anddrinklullz

Eyes dried up and she used a shirt sleeve to take care of the rest. After escaping Sage Bane, she found solace by sleeping at the base of the servers on Coren's ship. She didn't want to be reminded of that, now. So, she snatched up her datapad and headed outside. There was a bench in the garden with her name on it. And it was in the opposite direction from when she last saw Gabe.

#needsunblock

#bugspray?

She would try to siphon some funds from one of [member="Sage Bane"]'s accounts. It would be cathartic. Then maybe she'd hit up [member="Darth Adekos"].

 

[Gabriel Sionoma]

"What are you thinkin'?"

Gabriel clutched the walking stick in hand, kneeling beside a plume of vegetation. Along the corridor for the ducts, the sparse vegetation was interrupted by the growth of weeds at random increments. Placing his hand upon the ground, he pulled at the grass and tested its vigor. With a smile, he looked up towards the sun and exhaled.

"Well..." He pointed. "I imagine the failure in the ducts can be pinpointed to where the grass is growing..." It was a rather simple answer, not such a simple solution.
"How do ya figure?"
"Well, where it's leaking, that's where the waters going. That's what you have all this growth here."

The baron scratched his long wispy beard and patted the former Wrath on the back. "I knew you coming around was a good thing for this place."
"Don't thank me just yet." Gabriel smiled. "It's going to take a while to repair. I'll of course focus on the front side, close to the tap tree first. But I'm going to have to dig out from the underside and replace the couplings."

"That's fine that's fine. I'll get my boys to come and help when their chores are done."
"I appreciate that..."
"Hey..." The Baron interrupted. "You have any kids, before the twins?"
"Yeah, once upon a time."
"They ever...ya know...act weird?"
"Weird? How so?"
"Well...I don't really know how to explain without seeming paranoid."
"They seem to predict things? Oddly lucky?"
"Well, one of them, yeah! How did you know?"
"Don't worry about that..." He scratched his beard. "Send that one when I need help. We'll sort it out."

~~~​

​

The sun had found it's way low on the horizon, night quickly approaching and the smell of storms and ozone followed. That was good, they needed rain with the aqua system not yet functioning properly. The homestead was built with subterranean water catchments, helping for times such as these. He entered the garden slowly, the external lamps slowly flickering on, where he found Spark sitting quietly. Odd, that she would choose being outside but maybe like him, she needed fresh air.

Tightening his grip on the walking stick, twisting the bark with rough hands, he exhaled and sat down next to her on the stone bench looking towards the garden. "You stayed. I wasn't sure you were going to."

[member="Spark Finn"]​

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="The Revenant"]

The illumination of the datapad screen gave the slicer an ethereal glow in the expanding twilight. So ingrained in her work, she didn't know Gabe was that close until he shared the same bench with her. She jumped slightly.

#startled

She tried to play it off by stretching. #realsmoothSpark Flashes of lightning lit up the sky on the horizon. "And you came back. I wasn't sure you would." A small, timid smile played on her lips. The blonde sobered and switched off the datapad screen. Bony-shoulders shrugged as she regarded his face, illuminated by the garden's soft lamplight glow and the occasional flash of lightning from a storm that seemed to be getting closer. "Plus, I was too tipsy to fly. Y'know...I didn't mean to say that, earlier. With Chevu and Coren. It wasn't my place to say anything."

Fingers came up to adjust the black-rimmed glasses on her face. She looked away from his bearded face and toward the bright lights of the homestead in the not so distant distance. "Anyway, sorry. But thank you, for your hospitality. I don't want to be in your way....here."

#causethat'snotawkwardatall

 

[Gabriel Sionoma]

"A small thing like you? I doubt you could be in anyone's way..." He looked towards her and smiled. "No matter how hard you tried."

He twisted his hands against the staff once more, as if ringing out cloth. The bark was peeled clean from it in the early afternoon sun, the bleached white skin beneath it furrowed from the crawl and consumption of insects. Exhaling, he showed his teeth as he looked up, the canvas of the night sky riddled with the pox of lightning and it's dull clap of thunder.

"It's not your fault Spark. You merely stated the truth. There is no world where facts aren't friendly, I would have it stay that way." He wasn't looking to punish her with the guilt inherent in his silent walk off, it was merely that he needed time to digest the news. Though in retrospect, he may have always suspected something. Something keeping the Mirialan always outside of grasp. "But this is my home, I wouldn't be long from it."

He looked towards the now dimmed screen of the datapad. "So, what did you do to pass your time here in the gardens?"

[member="Spark Finn"]​

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="The Revenant"]

"You'd be surprised," she smiled in the lamp-illuminated darkness. "And just the usual," speckled gaze panned from the dark screen up to the shifting shadows on Gabe's face. His eyes caught the soft glow of the lamplight at just the right angle. "Liquidating accounts from a few prominent Sith Lords, scrubbing the funding, and transferring to the alliance," a mischievous-look dominated her expression in a sudden burst of lightning that lit up the sky. "Tried to scrub the bounty on my head but the joker reinforced their firewalls and re-posted."

"And I can see why you made this your home. Is this your five year, ten year plan? Are still going to fight on the front with the Alliance?"

#curious

A single rain drop splashed into her already humidity-induced frizzy blond-hair. Hand came up instinctively. Rain didn't exactly mesh with electronics.

#hopeitwasntbirdpoop

"You feel that?"

 

[Gabriel Sionoma]

"Mmm..." He nodded. "Rain. We are in dire need of it." Moon so close to the burning world, it created an odd relationship between planet and satellite and atmosphere. He lifted a hand from the staff and felt the prodding of a single drop, offering them a moment before the downpour. Clutching his fist around it, he thought over her time spent on the holonet. She seemed capable, didn't seem he need to worry about tracing back here. Not when so deep in the heart of a more aggressive enemy than the Sith had known in some time. But for his plans...

He barred his teeth, an expression softened with a warm smile as he exhaled. His plans had changed so much in his life, from Arkania to Tattooine to Dagobah to Selvaris. And all the planets that had been crossed in the in between, until he was thrown away to live this life he now lived. Imprisoned on Sullust, finding a place to exist on Sulon. "Plan...no. I exist in the moment." He said with a look back towards the sky. "But this will be my home until my moments cease to exist."

"I suspect such circumstance will come in my defense of the Alliance...of course I will continue to fight against the Sith." He stated quietly, standing up from the bench as he looked down towards the woman. Gripping the staff, he looked towards the smoke rising from one of the Chimneys. "It's been a long day. I'm going to go clean up and make some dinner." Rubbing his beard, he looked towards the cement as it darkened from the slow trickle of the deluge to follow. "You hungry?" He smirked towards her, likely the case if how she went about that grilled cheese sandwich was any indication. He strode into the house, to clean away the grime and sweat of working in the fields.

[member="Spark Finn"]

​

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="The Revenant"]

"You're very brave, Gabe. And strong." Obvs she meant more than just the physical kind. Stomach rumbled as if on cue to his question. Pale-cheeks colored in the night air. #gratefulforthedark

"Was it that obvious?"

She shot to her feet, hugging the datapad against her chest. An invisible force bubble crackled to life around her, acting as an umbrella, forcing the steadily increasing rain drops to pool and slide away from her form. #dryslicerswerehappyslicers

The shield extended in the air above Gabe's head, and would follow the pair as they made the short journey back to the dwelling of the homestead. "Just put me to work, Gabe. I can probably clean things erm....cooking might not be a good idea, though."

She smirked, her mind, for once, finally off all things Coren.

 

[Gabriel Sionoma]

"You being hungry? Obvious? Not at all..." He smirked as he waved her on, to join him in the house before it started downpouring. Leaving her to her devices for a short while, he ventured upstairs to wash up and clean out his hair. His beard was relatively kept so he wasn't all that concerned about it, helped fend off the wild that one might endure while tending to the field. People were always asking him if it was hot with a beard like that. He would always shrug and laugh, declining to answer. In all earnest, he simply liked the way it looked, that despite how young the body was, the salt and pepper reminded him of his true age.

After braiding his hair back together, he came back down to find the woman in the kitchen. Not one for cooking, he cracked his neck and approached the refrigerator. "Put you to work huh?" He said, feeling the cold air billow out from the cold storage. Inhaling, he pulled out two packs of meat in plastic containers. Placing them on the island, in front of her, he placed his nail against his top teeth and clicked. "I've always been pretty indecisive. Maybe you can help me with this."

He pointed to the first container. "Endorian Chicken, butchered pretty recently. Marinaded in thick Atrisian sauce. Heavy in ginger, soy, and wine made from ghoba rice. The other..." He shifted to the other container. "Nerf tenderloin, butchered yesterday. Marinaded in sweet red wine, garlic, herbs, balsamic vinegar." He shook his head and looked up towards her, with a smile. It was obvious the choice wasn't important. Or was it? "Thoughts?"

[member="Spark Finn"]​

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="The Revenant"]

"You clean up well, man of many hats." She smiled as Gabe came down the stairs, gangly-limbs leaning on the kitchen island. It was funny. Still less than a day but she already felt....comfortable around Gabe? It's not like it would be hard to. The man practically exuded hospitality.

Grey-blue eyes widened beneath glass lenses as she looked at the raw slabs of meat slapped onto the island surface. She was used to eating so much processed foods from McYoda's and other places that were easy to grab on the run. This was so much out of her sphere.

#hopefullyhewon'taskmetobutchersomethinglater

Blue-eyes finally tilted up to connect with Gabe's gaze. "You had me at ginger." She ate nuna nuggest just like nerf burgers. It was the seasoning that won her over. But only by a hair cause the other sounded just as good. There was a pause and her pale cheeks paled a bit more.

"Wait. You're not asking me to cook this, right?"

She gulped. She'd rather face a sith.

 

[Gabriel Sionoma]

"Well, I'm a fan of good ideas...so we'll keep it to me cooking for now." He spoke with a smile as he put the nerf tenderloin back in the fridge. Approaching the island, he grabbed the Endorian Chicken in marinade. Grabbing a brush and some tongs, he nodded for her to follow. Out the opposite direction, he slid a glass door open as they walked out in a stone patio with an overhang. A fire place sat structurally at the end of the canopy, slate providing additional stability. To the side, a gas powered grilled.

Opening up the top, he set the meat down on a side tray and ignited the grill. Pulling out some spray, he shook the aerosol along the grates. Beyond the massive expanse of the canopy, rain hit the remaining patio hard as the storm showed its teeth. Pulling the chicken pieces out, he lined the grates and brushed the marinade on before flipping it over. Helped cooking the bacteria out.

"So..." He said as he continued the process. "Besides our unfortunate circumstances, relationship wise, and the need for a change in scenery: tell me about yourself. Where are you from?" He closed the top of the grill and rubbed his hands together. "You could tell me about your work with electronics. But once you get too specific, you might lose me..." He stopped, pointing a back thumb at the kitchen. "You want anything to drink? I've got a rather sizeable selection of white wines and some home made honey wine." Old habits, from Selvaris, die hard.

[member="Spark Finn"]​

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="The Revenant"]

"Don't worry, I'l rummage around and bring out the drinks," she called over her shoulder as she headed back toward the kitchen. It seemed they were the only two around for now, so she didn't mind blabbering loudly across the kitchen space. #lullz

"What do you want? You've got me curious enough to try the honey wine even though I should probably lay off anything fermented." She grinned. Whatevs. Spending the night didn't seem like it would be a problem. The blonde disappeared back into the kitchen and Gabe would hear clinking of glasses and opening of cabinets as she rummaged around. Her voice would filter back out to him.

"And to answer your first question, I was born on Denon but I've kinda lived everywhere. Shipped off to different boarding schools since I could remember. Never really stayed in one place too long. I got along with datapads and codes more than people."

Blond-haired head popped out as she gave him a sheepish look.

"Things just clicked. Codes. Electronics. Systems. Databases. I just see it as a puzzle and the force always worked through it with me, helped me to see stuff that other people couldn't. It's hard to explain."

#keepingithighlevel

"What about you? How did you become the way you are?" Ooops, that sounded weird, she back-peddled awkwardly, ducking back into the kitchen. "I mean, I don't think I've met anyone so trusting...y'know, openly hospitable before, not in this way." She stammered and blurted out a more practical question. "Paper or ceramic plates for the table?"

 

[Gabriel Sionoma]

"Sounds like you have a particular talent, Spark..." He brushed the chicken with another coat of sauce. "Many people would kill to have that ability with technology." He smiled as he saw her at the threshold between patio and kitchen. "Ceramic plates are fine. Maybe once we're done, you can be put to work helping me clean..." He narrowed his eyes, jovially, as he turned back to the chicken and turned them after braising. Closing the top, he ringed his hands against one another and shrugged.

"Umm. Well, I've never had anything of my own. Even my body, for the longest time, was shared. Well...shared isn't the right word. Taken from me, but all the same." He approached and took the glasses from her hand, bottle of mead as well, as she sorted out the serious ceramic versus paper debate. It was an endless one, he knew all too well. Setting down the glasses, he popped open the bottle and filled both cups. "Like you, I've traveled all over. Manaan, Kashyyyk, Prakith, Telti, Ord Mirit, Balmorra, Contruum, Selvaris...the list goes on." Recorking the bottle, he set it down on the table. "In every instance, I was there to do harm. Well, not me, but it might as well be the case."

He took a cup in hand and swirled it, mead he had made himself. He started it back on Sullon, in his spare time, and it was just not fully matured. "Good people, bad people, everyone in between. When you've lost control of your body, lost the ability to communicate, you learn to watch and understand people. Tell from the good and bad." Taking a sip, he smiled. It was a bit sweet but still had a kick. "In the end, with my impeccable skill in judging the quality of someone..." He smirked as he looked back to Spark, offering her a glass."...I've also grown accustomed to sharing. I prefer to think everyone can be trusted until proven otherwise."

[member="Spark Finn"]​

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="The Revenant"]

"Thanks," thin-fingers that were typically glued to the datapad took the glass. Freckled-nose took a hesitant sniff before her lips tasted the liquid. And of course the 'thanks' was for more than just the drink: his compliment, his willingness to listen, and his openness with his thoughts and the homestead. The liquid felt like fire running down her throat. It was good, but fire. Hunching over, she cleared her throat.

"Wrong...pipe."

#lies

Moving around the table, she placed the last set of silverware on the surface. It was clear she didn't know etiquette, which piece on the right or left but it was also clear it didn't bother her. Everything was there, right? What did it matter? Usually her silverware was plastic and in a pre-wrapped packet. #McYodas #Nuna-Fil-A

"It's pretty amazing that you're like that, Gabe. Considering. I hope you don't get jaded...at least anytime soon." #staygoldenGabe

The blonde was so opposite. Jaded. Cautious. Skittish sometimes. It was refreshing to be around someone that challenged her to trust again.

Nose picked up on the cooking meat. "Smells really good. It's been awhile since I've had a home-cooked meal." Mouth was already watering. "And if part of the price is dishes, I can certainly handle that." Grey-blue eyes sparkled beneath those glass-lenses in the light. And suddenly, she felt a little more self-conscious. "Are you...expecting anyone else to drop by tonight?"

 

[Gabriel Sionoma]

"You're welcome..." He said, chuckling as she coughed. "Sorry, I put a good deal of ginger in it."

He opened the grill, once more, and turned the chicken. Pulling a thermometer out, he stabbed the chunks of meat and with the temperature right, he nodded. Turning back to the table, he grabbed her plate and placed a piece of chicken on. He repeated the process with his own plate. "Oh...sorry, I forgot any vegetables. Ginger is a vegetable, right?" He joked with a smile, sitting down at the table.

Cutting into the chicken, the juice was a clear and his nodded approvingly, waving her to her plate. "Am I expecting someone?" He thought, as he pulled some chicken from the bone and ate. He wasn't truly one for manners either, having lived by himself for a while in the homestead, it surely hadn't helped the issue. "Well, I met with a Baron this morning. He's got a son who has been causing a bit of trouble later. I suspect a budding force presence, coming into his own, and it's causing some strife at their farm."

He tapped his knife on the plate, shaking his head. "But he's supposed to be coming over during daylight, help me with some duct repair back towards the tap tree..." He pointed behind him with a knife, absentmindedly. Smiling, he placed the knife down and tended to his manners, wiping his mouth with a napkin before taking a drink of the mead. He winced, it was indeed pretty strong, but still good. "The trick to this sort of place is to never expect someone, and always expect someone. That way, when unknown friends come to the door, they can always be greeted happily. So to answer your question, no, I'm not expecting anyone. But that doesn't stop anyone from wandering in."

He cut another piece. "Why do you ask? Are you expecting anyone?" He didn't know if she had told anyone about the intent to come here. Though she mentioned laying low, so he doubted it.

[member="Spark Finn"]​

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="The Revenant"]

Bony-shoulders shrugged as she took a healthy bite of the chicken. "Vegetables smedgtables. They're not usually a staple of my diet anyway." She grinned. Yeah, McYoda's didn't serve carrots in a cup. #needmoreveggies

She continued to happily eat and drink, not really picking up on manners or lack of from Gabe's end. She usually ate by herself or on the run. Any manners she learned from one of the many boarding schools were all but forgotten. #twopeasinapod However, Gabe might take offense to how fast she wolfed her food down.

When slicing at public terminals, she was usually always on the go. Sit-down meals like there were a rarity. Plate was cleared in a manner of minutes and she slouched happily back in the chair, cradling a swollen stomach. "And no. I just wanted to be prepared if you knew of anyone coming by." Chevu maybe. Or quirky healers.

Quirky healers would come later. #[member="Avalore Eden"]

She took another drink and winced but gulped it down, feeling the bite. "But Gabe. Just because nobody knows I'm here, don't think that you can pull one over on me." A lazy-grin pulled on her lips as she pointed a fork toward him. "I've been known to be pretty dangerous with a fork. I mean, just look at my plate." Sandy-brows lofted in jest.

 

[Gabriel Sionoma]

He held up his hands, eyes darting to the plate and back to the women. "Oh you are mighty with that thing. I'll have to keep that in mind."

She had finished off the meal quite quickly, he wondered where she put it all. Laughing, he took a sip of his drink and continued working on his chicken. "Well, no one of which I know. But in the future, the children and their adoptive parents will be relocating here to raise them. A house for them, more or less." He paused and narrowed his vision, of her plate. "You know, I'm going into Baron's Hed tomorrow?"

He paused at this first clue, carving a piece of the chicken away and dipping it in some of the juices. "I need to speak with the Police Commissioner, I'm heading up their expeditionary group for the time being and need to make some acquisitions. If you're interested, in need of a change of pace, you are more than welcome to come along. They have a budding technological division and could use some help, I'm sure." He knew for a fact that they needed help, the sons of farmers were hardly the most capable when it came to technological warfare or protection. And she had already shown she was more than capable. "I've actually got plans for a base of operations in the old alcoves beneath the house. Help with correspondence with the Alliance, intercepting communication traffic, slicing, et cetera."

He shoveled another piece of chicken into his mouth, washing it down with some mead. Seasoning blended well with the ginger spice of the sauce. "I'm woefully out of sorts when it comes to technology. I could use some help."

[member="Spark Finn"]​

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="The Revenant"]

Thin-frame perked up a bit. "Hmmm," blue-eyes beneath glass-lenses focused with interest. Was it possible to find something like a new home so quickly after she had just lost one?

Not saying that Gabe wanted her on as a long-term roommate or anything. #roomies

But maybe something temporary? And the work would help keep her busy. And help pay off her already opened tab. #bills The offer sounded solid but there was just one thing.

"You've got my interest," the technopath said carefully. Standing, she carefully cleared her empty plate, offering to take Gabe's if he was finished. "And I owe you anyway."

Girl could eat her weight in food. #duh

"But I'm worried about putting your homestead at risk with the bounty on my head. Putting you at risk."