The chronicles of a haunted planet

[Armaud Eden]

And just like that, they were off to the races. Maud had done his fair share of running from government officials, he was known for getting into serious trouble back home when he got the inkling for humanitarianism. Releasing some animals, sabotaging a potential illegal trafficking ring, or being quite open when the vendors food was spoiled. This would be the first time he would have the pleasure of dealing directly with what he assumed was an empire in a format that wasn't a direct conflict.

He was once a member of the Alliance, after all. He had known the brief moments of war.

Rushing into the ship, he couldn't help but appreciate the way the interior was put together. Finding a spot for his staff, he took in the views and even took the opportunity to pet the various potted plants. He was hoping one of them was sensitive to touch. They weren’t.

“An ice box in a spaceship?” He stated incredulously has he looked around. Things weren't frantic yet but he found it in good time, yanking on the lever. Setting his man satchel down by the locked door, he proceeded to enter the cockpit and take a seat in the co-pilot slot. With a wave to where the pebble droid sound was originating, he looked over to Kinsey. “Alright... What buttons can I press?”

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Armaud Eden"]

"She's more than a ship. It's home," she commented quietly, hands running along the switches like she'd done it a thousand times before. Except. The girl could be this at ease with figuring out almost any ship, transport, speeder. Anything with an engine and controls. The sith hunters began getting closer to the ship she was parked immediately behind. Luckily it was a slightly larger one. They weren't exactly hidden but she'd take whatever advantage they could get.

"And what?" Sheema slipped from around her mouth and chin, resting more in scarf position. The canopy was slightly tinted anyway. She wasn't too worried about being recognized anymore. "No buttons. Zero."

The engines rumbled to life beneath them. Sensors began coming online. Pre-flight was booting up. Slowly. The sound of engines had caught their attention.

"C'mon. C'mon," teeth grit as her blue gaze darted between the readouts and the movement outside the cockpit. Fingerless gloved hands - yup, they were twinsies- gripped the steering tightly.

Pibs, her faithful pebble drone, tweeted at Armaud. "I've got my eye on them. You keep your sensor on him."

She was joking. Maybe. Hopefully.

 

[Armaud Eden]

The was the first time he had seen her face...that he could recall. He hadn't noticed before but she had been fairly religious with keeping that face scarf thing clung just around the nose. With the amount of species in the universe, with all their differences in physiology, it could have been a mouth beneath that scarf or a number of other things. Or...a mouth with a lot of teeth.

Nope, just a mouth.

He shrugged at her answer, pulling his hood up over the assorted dreadlocks of blonde and brown. Crossing his arms he nodded, thinking to himself. "Yes, you must be careful with me. At any moment, I could..." He stopped. "I could make some ice cubes." He flung his finger over his shoulder as he eyed the droid. "I know how to use that thing."

He looked over to Kinsey as if realized he might have use. "I could make some tea?"

There obviously wasn't much he could do up in the front seat, what with all the buttons being off limits. That was probably for the best given his general dislike in technology. Based on the impending presence of the Sith, easily felt through the force, he imagined this takeoff was about to get very exciting.

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Armaud Eden"]

Pibs spun its domed head in Armaud's direction. Funny. [member="Ember Farseer"] once made a comment about how spacers tended to pick up or program droids with personality. Maybe it was because spacers tended to be thrifty and the only droids available in that price range were quirky. Didn't matter much. That quirkiness fit Kinsey's lifestyle just fine.

Tea?

Index finger punched down on the landing gear as the green light came on. "Sure. Knock yourself out but don't you know, really knock yourself out. Bacta patches are expensive."

Teeth gnawed on the inside of her cheek as one of the troopers came around to the door Armaud sealed not too long ago. He used the butt of his rifle to knock on the thick glass. "By lifeday would be good, Pibs."

That got her a whistle.

Without waiting for the readout, the girl yanked up on the controls and they were suddenly airborne

 

[Armaud Eden]

Bacta patches were...expensive?

Perhaps he had grown too accustomed to his healing mother or his natural inclination towards self repair. He had known significant injuries and had the scars and cover-up ink to prove it, but he always managed to land on proper footing. Maybe he was just lucky.

"Uhh..." He got up as they left the ground and held various components of the cockpit to steady himself. "No promises."

With a hop over the center, he was back down into the belly of the U-Wing. Shuffling around by all the nick nacks, he did his best to navigate the various components of the kitchen. If she had an ice box, she definitely had something for boiling water. He was sure of it.

"Ahh, here we are." He rubbed his hands together as he looked around for what he assumed would be a box of various teas. He found the mugs no problem and slipping hydration packs into the kettle, they'd be ready to go in no time. "Do you have a preference?" He yelled up towards Kinsey, though the droid was free to reply as it saw fit.

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Armaud Eden"]

One might wonder how a girl like Kinsey had a little tin of so many different kinds of tea let alone tea at all. Caf seemed to be the standard currency around the verse. It was usually cheaper. Well. Where Kinsey traveled anyway. Just so happened there'd been an exotic tea trader who hired her to get him out of First Order space and his tea. Something about the taxes being too high. Since the guy was flat broke anyway, he'd paid her mostly in tea.

Therefore, that little tin had a decent variety: Matcha, roobios, mate, Kashyyyk Forrest cake, white Wookiee (not actually from a Wookiee), Nabooian Peach cobbler, Dac Island, and Hoth Winter. He might even find something else in there.

"I'll take the Dac Island. Hang onto something and don't break my mugs!" The island one was her favorite. Had a nice coconut, cocoa, nutty flavor.

Their shield took a few hits from the rifle as they zoomed off through the tunnels. No serious damage. Sensors were still coming online. But Kinsey didn't need them. Was her force signature hidden? Buried deeper than a sarlaac's lunch. But intrinsic and Astro navigation was her specialty.

She could fly blind through these tunnels.

Her hidden signature might slip. Or it might not. Hard to say. She'd been doing this for a long time.

 

[Armaud Eden]

Maud gave the origin of the tea selection about as much thought as Kinsey's force signature. None. IF he felt her presence, he didn't make it obvious because, obviously, he wasn't force sensitive or anything. Just a wandering hobo with a collection of rocks and an infinity for xenozoology and xenobotany.

What did bother him was her name. Was it just Kinsey, like a famous celebrity he didn't recognize, going by one name? Or was it Kin Sey and she just had one of those rare two syllable full names that could fit neatly across the identification decal of a ship? It didn't occur to him that she might have purposely hidden her last name.

"Dac Island?" He replied over the sounds of the thrusters, fumbling clumsily into the crash webbing below the hammock. Taking a moment to collect to his thoughts with the tin in hand, he was suddenly thankful for those doors that held the mugs in and the way the ceramic vibrated but didn't break.

Swinging nonchalantly along as they moved through the tunnel, he thumbed through the collection. "No...no...definitely not. Too spicy...eh, not enough spice." He stopped. "Oh. Tattooine cactus blend." He turned the tea over. "Huh, none of these sound familiar." He shrugged as they stabilized before standing up and getting things ready. "One Dac Island coming up."

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Armaud Eden"]

The tunnel torch lights went by in brief flickers as they zoomed through the twisting and dark passageways. She could see the light ahead and soon enough they broke into the open air of the planet, immediately buffeted by the hot, dry air. Teeth grit as she eased the controls skyward.

Pibs warbled.

"Yeah, well scramble their signals. And here," reaching into her vest pocket, she pulled out the drive she got from the Elom. "This should get us through the rest of the way without trouble."

Pibs tweeted.

"Fine. MOST trouble."

She risked one glance over her shoulder and downward at her strange passenger and well, client. Hopefully he was strapped in because readouts weren't looking good for sith ships above atmo. They'd have to make an atmo-jump which wasn't always the gentlest of experiences.

"Making a jump in three....two....," sheer force pushed her form against her seat, threatening to rip her hands from the controls. Good thing Kinsey didn't have to confirm the nav-computer coordinates to punch it.

One.

 

[Armaud Eden]

As far as Maud was concerned, Kinsey was rattling off words to herself as he worked his magic on two delectable mugs of tea. One island based, the other based on the fruits of a desert. Seemed to match, if he thought about it enough. Truth be told, he could tell just what sort of terrain they were flying in by the sounds that were permeating through the thin hull. The transition from tunnel to open sky was particularly pronounced.

"Oh no..." He uttered as they hit the expanse of sky around them. He knew what was coming next and force forbid, he wasn't intent on losing a mug on this day. One in each hand, he bit through the pain of hot ceramic, as he sat back down in the crash webbing.

Hyperspace travel wasn't as bad as the holenet made it out to be but when push came to shove, it could knock a man off his feet.

Looking around, he whistled as she counted down. "You're right...this is an adventure."

He managed to get the words out just as they made the jump. Time would tell on whether the drinks or the mugs made it, intact.

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Armaud Eden"]

A sigh of relief escaped her lips. She finally allowed herself to slouch in her seat as they were safely inside the tunnels of hyperspace. "Watch the controls Pibs, yeah?"

The droid warbled and swiveled its head. Hands came up only to realize she never strapped herself in. Shrugging, she stood and took the few short steps down to the main cabin. The main door that wasn't blocked up with shelves and nick-knacks showed the swirling patterns of hyerpspace as well and for a moment, she found herself lost within the patterns.

"Not too hard to find adventure these days," blues finally tore free and back to her eccentric passenger. Kneeling down, she rummaged in one of the shelves, pulling out a very small jar of honey and some sugar packets. "Now, Armaud, was it? Want to talk price? Not sure of exactly what you're looking for. Would help if you knew where we were going. Ever hear of Jandoon?"

 

[Armaud Eden]

He had to stifle a laugh as the woman pretended like she didn't remember his name. At least, he hoped she was pretending. Otherwise, he had made a huge mistake in trusting her to fly him around space. He was all about adventure but not the sort that put his life in the hands of a pilot with memory loss concerns.

"Mmm, yes, we can talk price..." He narrowed his eyes, pointing at the jar with a finger extending from the mug. "Is...is that honey?" His eyebrows raised as he sighed. "We gotta get you better honey. I know a place. We'll sort it out later."

He'd take his cactus based tea in it's current format, unmolested by sweeteners. But he wasn't judgmental, if she needed some extra oomph than by all means. Handing her the cup, he sat forward in the crash webbing.

"Well, Kinsey..." He took a sip of his warm tea and was undecided on it. "What are you looking for your price? Lets start there and maybe do a bit of bartering?" He put on his poker face but as a Sulon native, this was his specialty. He was just hoping she was willing to play ball.

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Armaud Eden"]

Seemed like her fishing to get a last name came up short. Eh. Didn't matter as long as he wasn't a bounty hunter or masquerading Sith Lord. And the girl was pretty confident on that.

And honey?

Blues squinted at that slightly bearded face of his as she took a seat in an open chair across from him, taking her own tea. The seat itself groaned on the hinges a bit. Needed a bit of oil. Quality honey was well and good. Just wasn't high on her priority list. She scraped by from job to job just to fill up her u-wing's tank and get some quarter portions of rations.

Things weren't as easy since she'd spent less time with the vagrant fleet. But that was okay. She'd skip a meal now and then for her independence and to explore just that one more star. The Duros captain's agenda had always been a bit of a mystery to her and she hadn't seen Xin Boa in ages.

Reaching up, she pried loose a small table that folded down from the wall between them. It was clear she was efficient with the space a ship this size had to offer. Mug came down and her hands folded over themselves on the surface. Oh, she'd play the game.

"Fine by me." Was that a twinkle of mischief in his eyes? "How about the value of three full tanks of fuel and two weeks worth of rations." They'd be burning fuel on the trip there and back. And a few days of rations. She'd be able to use some of the fuel cost for that power converter.

 

[Armaud Eden]

Taking a sip of the tea, refreshing yet tart, emerald view lifted and followed as the table came down. Setting the still steaming cup down, he nodded.

"That seems like a very fair deal..." He replied casually, understanding neither the value of a tank of gas for this rig or the cost of a days worth of rations - let alone a whole week. But he gave it time, like he was pondering a counter ploy. Which he was, but he already had some things in mind. "But it seems steep for just some mild adventuring...doesn't it?" A tease mixed in with a bit of baiting.

He raised an eyebrow, gauging a response, while he picked at the ceramic of the cup.

"Make it two and a half tanks of fuel and one and a half weeks rations. And..." He lifted his finger. "One jar of Ankarres Honey. Only one place in the universe you can get that and people pay top dollar for it's medicinal and force related benefits." He lifted his chin. "I know a guy."

His middle finger lifted, right next to his index finger. "And...you tell me your last name...unless..." He leaned in. "You're a celebrity that only goes by one name?" He had a ongoing bet with himself and he wondered who would win.

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Armaud Eden"]

"Hmm," she picked up her mug and took a nice, long deliberate sip of tea before placing it back down. Fingers of one hand drummed lightly on the surface of the table. Eyes looked beyond his lanky shoulder for a moment before reconnecting with that mossy-green gaze of his. The force-related benefits of that weird-sounding honey made her a bit uncomfortable but she didn't show it. At least she could sell it if she needed to. Sounded valuable. She was pretty sure if he knew what she was thinking he might be offended.

Good thing he couldn't read minds.

A lazy, lopsided grin spread across her mouth. "Come, come. This adventuring will be light years beyond MILD." Her turn for a wink. "Sounds mostly fair. Except. You haven't given me your last name either. How about you give me your last name first. Then we have a deal."

For good measure, she took another relaxed sip of tea, leaning back in her chair.

 

[Armaud Eden]

In all his thoughts regarding her name, it hadn't occurred to him that he hadn't provided his own. In a way, he felt it was a form of culture among those who wandered. One name was easier to say and no one stayed around each other long enough for it to really matter. As he recalled it, a number of civilizations felt that once you gave someone your full name, you gave them a part of you. It was equivalent to giving them some measure of power.

Armaud didn't buy into that.

A name was almost meaningless when a tree shook beneath the heavy winds, cluster of branches rattling and crackling above. Next to the ocean of a world, or of space, what was a name if not entirely meaningless?

Didn't keep him from being curious.

Clearing his throat, he offered his hand, nearly knocking over the mug of tea on it's way to Kinsey. "Armaud Orion Eden. Mystery solved, huh?"

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[SIZE=10.5pt][member="Armaud Eden"][/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt][/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]Eden?[/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt][/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt][/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]Liquid had a way of going down the wrong pipe. And for a second she couldn't breath. That second quickly passed as she coughed, clearing her throat. Eyes watered slightly. Arm came up as she coughed into the crook of her elbow, palm came out to stay any movement from her traveler.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt][/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]Was he related to Avalore Eden? Was the 'verse that small?[/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt] If he was, it was too risky telling him her last name because that meant they were tied to the Alliance. Well, what was left of the Alliance. She knew her Uncle Coren had been looking for her for a long time and Kinsey had no intentions of being found. Not to mention the other danger of her last name. If Sage Bane ever got a lead on where she was, she knew he'd stop at nothing to find her again. Hurt a lot of folk in the process. Folk like Armaud.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt][/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]"Orion," she gave her throat one more measure of good clearing. "I like it."[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt][/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]Reminded her of the stars.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt][/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]Leaning forward, her own fingerless-gloved hand closed the distance to shake his. The girl didn't know he was Kiffar. If she had, she might've been more careful about if their fingertips touched. Because if they did he might see a memory or two: herself plagued by sith poisoning and the darkside influence of the mind, body, and soul being healed by Avalore and rare force crystals, a memory of her calling someone he might recognize as 'Uncle Coren,' or the time when she'd been clawed by a nautolan who'd turned into a nexu from a very specific amulet.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt][/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]"We have a deal. And I am a woman of my word, however," there was a mischievous glint to her eyes. "You never said when I had to tell you my last name. So you'll get it when we return to Port Canverous."[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt][/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]That way she'd be on her way and he'd be on his. Any potential ties to Coren wouldn't matter because she could easily disappear like she normally did. Badda-bing-badda-boom.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt][/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]Pibs warbled from the cockpit.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt][/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]"And don't you dare cheat and tell him, Pibs." She'd glare at the astromech from here.[/SIZE]

 

[Armaud Eden]

Unlike his uncle, who shared similar genetics for reasons unknown to Maud, Maud had learned from a very early age to keep his empath and memory tendrils to himself. He cherished his privacy and independence more than anything else, so he took care with others. When he was young, he used to get the most vibrant displays of memories with a single touch of an item or of skin. But time spent with Jedi Master Vandal, beneath the tap tree, had given him insight into the interconnections between all things.

And by doing so and truly understanding it, he was no longer a victim to the intrusion.

Besides...fingerless gloves.

"That's fine." He retracted his hand and took a sip of the tea. "Whatever form of payment I have will arrive upon total completion of our agreement." Meaning no last name, no rocks. Reaching into his hip pouch, he placed a sprig of green in between his teeth before offering one to the one-name adventurer extraordinaire. "Sorrel?"

It was too bad. He was really hoping she was a celebrity.

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Armaud Eden"]

"Fair enough," leaning back in her chair, she took another long sip of her tea. Gaze flickered to the sprig of green he offered. Face scrunched up in contemplation for a moment. "Sure," there was a bit of hesitation as she leaned forward. The girl had learned to identify berries and wild fruits and vegetables on her travels. And mint. But anything beyond, not so much.

Mimicking Armaud, she popped it in her mouth and began to chew lightly.

Yup, definitely peppery.

"Whelp," the plant shifted to the back of her mouth so she could chew and talk. "I aim to rest a bit. We've got a few hours 'till we reach Jandoon. Make yourself at home - WITHOUT touching any of the ship's controls." Standing, she walked toward him only to pull herself up to the hammock a bit above his head. Foot hung lazily out as she got situated, hand cradling behind her head as she stared up at the marked up ceiling of her ship.

Wasn't like he could get into too much trouble. It was a small ship.

 

[Armaud Eden]

If at any time, Maud had suggested that the sprig would taste good - that might have been an outright lie. The sorrel worked wonders for a tight spot, when cooking and absent legitimate cracked pepper. But as it stood, it was simply a mechanism for his oral fixation. Though, pine nuts worked as well.

"Rest, huh?" He tongued his cheek as he laid back in the crash webbing beneath the hammock. He had the odd super power of being able to sleep anywhere and in any position. Made for good times while climbing trees, finding himself laying flat in the leaves after falling out mid dream. "I wouldn't dream of touching any buttons..." He remarked as she climbed up and sprawled about.

He stuck another sprig between his teeth, like an old timey farmer chewing on a blade of hay.

"Well, I can't really control what I dream about..." He scoffed. "Would be nice if I could though. Say..." He reached into his pouch and tossed a pine nut at the woman, though he wasn't inclined to say where exactly it hit her. "What's so special about Jandoon?"

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Armaud Eden"]

The girl discreetly took out the peppery sprig from between her lips and tucked it within the folds of the hammock. Eyes drifted closed, hearing the sounds of Armaud beneath her. He wouldn't be able to see the brief shimmer of her teeth as he talked about controlling dreams.

Wouldn't that be nice?

Eyes flew open as something hit the tip of her nose and skittered down her cheek. "Hey," fingers came up to find the nut. "Something tells me you'd get along really well with a zelosian because it's like you're part plant."

Did this Eden randomly keep pocketfuls of herbs and seeds? Seemed like it. Eyeing the nut suspiciously, she tucked it in one of her vest pockets.

"And Jandoon. Well." Loose foot swayed beneath her, getting the hammock to rock slightly back and forth. "Ever hear of the Eye of the Beyonder?"

If he scoffed, she wouldn't be surprised. That's what Alistair Fenn had done when she spoke about finding treasure. Though the Keenjay Clan and Guavian Death gang seemed to believe she knew something because not too long ago they'd almost caught up with the explorer on Coruscant. Good thing it had been an ALMOST.