The Darker Side Of Life

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Ayvari Dorian"]

Every now and again, Kurt found himself in a bit of a bind.

It wasn't really something that he planned, wasn't really something that he could control, it just sort of, happened. He would have gladly avoided it if he could, but as it seemed...well everyone had a bit of bad luck every now and again, and Kurt had seen plenty of bad luck over the last day or so. It was his own fault really, he'd fallen for the oldest trick in the book, a long pair of legs and a pretty smile that told of a bit of danger and more than a little mischief.

He couldn't help himself.

At a certain point he was just doomed.

Of course he very likely could have turned her down, could have said no and simply walked away, but The Courier had never once done so in his life so why start now? In the end he had come to regret his decision, waking up in an empty bed with his credits gone, identification stolen, and his pants nowhere to be found. Thankfully the latter had been eventually located atop the fan in the hotel room, the former two? Not so much. Obviously the girl had stolen them, though that did leave Kurt with a conundrum, mainly that he had no money and no way of getting back to The Messa and his roommate who were waiting patiently for him on Byblos.

It was unfortunate really, even more so since he was stuck on Nar Shaddaa.

The planet was a cesspit, not a place that most people would want to go to or even really ever talk about. The Smugglers moon they called it. For Kurt it was a place that held bad memories and attracted bad decisions, though the latter was his fault, not the planets.

The Courier walked down the street, his head tilting back and his eyes closing as he let out a loud groan. This day couldn't get any worse.

 

[Lief]

One small step for man could easily be one giant leap for mankind... Or just a quick jump through space.

From planet to moon, though fortunately not the mythical darkside, Ayvari made it to Nar Shaddaa in record time for someone who didn't know how to pilot a ship. The Painted Mynock wasn't the prettiest of vessels, but it served its multi-faceted purpose. She spent most of her time onboard, it had to facilitate every whim. And currently it housed one of her prisoners... Students.

When the vessel landed on the LSD-inspired world of flashing lights and nightlife Ayva was already waiting by the ramp. "We have arrived at the desired destination, Mistress" came the not-so-chirpy voice of KayFour, which was rather monotonous for a droid of his kind. Without waiting for a response he lowered the ramp, and the woman descended at a leisurely pace.

Her eyes immediately scanned the crowd.

"She can't have gone far" the woman finally replied, her voice housing the stereotypical rasp of the Ubese with an Imperial twang which spoke of the former Empire - specifically the Tingel Arm. "Deploy the Guard, have them search the City."

Not waiting for the squad of droids, Ayva strode forward and merged with the ever present crowd of the Smuggler's Moon. Had this been any other world there wouldn't have been many places a fourteen year old could hide, but here there wasn't really a legal age for bars and the like.

There was no doubting that Sohna was here, though; She could practically smell the young girl's fear.

Let the hunt begin.

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Ayvari Dorian"]

Well, he had to give credit where credit was due, Nar Shaddaa was certainly an experience and a half. He hardly ever visited here so when he did...well everything kind of stuck to him more than usual. The clubs, cantinas, and...entertainment houses all seemed to have bright neon flashing lights to attract people to them like bugs. The streets were filthy, and the crowds were generally disgusting, but it did all pile up to create a rather unique atmosphere.

Most would've hated that atmosphere though.

Kurt let out a loud sigh. "Alright Kurt, you got no money, no communicator, nothing. How are you gonna get out of this one?"

Suddenly there was a scream down the street, his eyes snapping open. Screams weren't unusual for Nar Shadda, in fact they were downright common, but there was something that accented this one, the snap of a blaster pistol ringing out followed by the scream of a man. Kurt broke into a sprint, rushing down the street and pushing through the small crowd that he had found there. The scene was an odd one, a droid standing over a now crippled man, his wife crouched by him holding him tight.

Kurt watched in silence, his eyes flickering to a woman quickly approaching.

 

[Lief]

Ayvari made her way toward the Promenade; while the Undercity would have been her personal preference, had she been in the girl's situation, Sohna was only fourteen and the woman doubted she had the gall to mingle with mindless criminals. Not intentionally, at least. So it was that she was more than surprised when her comms began to blare into her earpiece calling her toward the Undercity. Whether or not her Guard had found Sohna wasn't certain, but it warranted checking out all the same.

Backtracking she hastily moved through the crowds until the screaming came into her hearing. Slowing her pace Ayva narrowed her eyes at the scene and all but pursed her lips in displeasure. That wasn't her, and now they had a crowd of people monitoring the droids.

"Enough" she spoke into her comm, turning so her back was to the crowd, "Head to the Promenade, before any non-civilians turn up."

Just as Ayva was preparing to head off herself, however, something caught her attention. From the corner of her eye she could see a figure scampering into an alleyway, and one of her Guard was close on their tail.

Forsaking her original plan the woman turned and followed after them, there was no doubt that Sohna had just been found... This close, her presence in the Force was unmistakable.

The Droids were quick to leave the husband and wife behind and follow their new orders, and Ayva wasn't focused enough to have them aid in chasing down the girl - besides, they could provide a useful diversion as far as the crowd was concerned.

--

"Kriff, kriff, kriff, I'm done for!"

That was definitely her captor she had seen, and now someone was close behind her -- she could hear their heavy footstep. Didn't her captor have a metal leg? It had to be her! Sohna was running so quickly that she could hear her heartbeat in her ears and felt sick to her stomach.

Despite the lack of wind in the promenade her hair was making a habit of blocking her vision. Coming to a crossroad she did her best to make a hasty decision, blowing hot air to cast aside her fringe. She made a right. Just a few paces on she was met with another right. There was no way to go except back on herself!

Well she couldn't turn back, the footsteps were getting closer, so instead she continued on. By now she was out of breath, panting despite knowing it wasn't wise. Just a few more seconds and she would be back within the crowd... She could only hope and pray that the damn droids were gone by now.

Just as she emerged from the alleyway Sohna felt a sharp tug at her throat as the back of her shirt was grabbed. Without much thought she dipped sightly into a crouch, trying to get out of her jacket... But it was no use. Whoever had hold of her had a grip of iron.

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Ayvari Dorian"]

Oh now this was interesting.

Kurt was no fool, not all, in fact most would describe him as too clever for his own good. So when he saw a woman like Ayvari, dressed the way she was with her shoulders back and her hair arranged in such a careful manner Kurt couldn't help but get ideas. It was clear that the woman was in charge, more than obvious that she maintained a certain level of control of herself and the things around her. She was born royal, or at the very least had been taught the ways of command. Kurt had seen that attitude before many times in his job, and it always lead to the same thing.

Strength, riches, and power.

Those were exactly the things that Kurt needed right now, the things that he would require to get off of Nar Shaddaa. A small smile pulled at his lips, a horrible idea forming in the back of his mind as the woman broke through the crowd and wandered after a cadre of droids into and alleyway. Kurt shifted slightly, pulling back and stretching his shoulders.

Oh this would be a fun one.

A very fun one.

With a smile on his face the Courier turned, moving through the crowd and staying parallel with the woman, a wide smirk forming on his face.

 

[Lief]

The Droid had hold of the girl by the time Ayvari made it out the other side of the alley. Her eyes narrowed toward the little one, while she couldn't blame her for fleeing she also couldn't allow it to go unpunished. But not here, for the world to see.

Grabbing the girl's upper arm, with the droid immediately releasing its hold, Ayva dragged her forward and away from the crowd, while her Guard fell in line behind her. But before she could get too far she felt something strange. Someone was watching her.

Turning in place she glanced across the crowd. There were lots of eyes in her general direction, due to the droids and what they had done to the couple earlier, but they weren't what she could sense.

And then she spotted him. A man in the crowd, staring directly toward her. There was no fear, like there was from the others. If anything he seemed to be trying to shadow her. Unluckily for him, Ayva's senses were enhanced by the Force.

Her grip on Sohna's arm was vice-like yet even so, the girl was struggling. Turning her back to the man, yet her senses keeping a watch on him all the same, Ayva pulled the girl close and grasped her jaw with her free hand, hissing something into her ear.

With a rough push she released the girl who fell into the dirt, and stepped over her. One of the Guard hoisted her up from the ground. "Return her to her cell. And forget to feed her for a few days" she commanded, dismissing the droids.

For now Ayva sorely needed to calm her temper, lest she outright kill the girl. She was disposable, both of the students were, but she had to try and make it work for the sake of her former Emperor. He had hand selected them, after all.

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Ayvari Dorian"]

She noticed him, her eyes following him through the crowd for half a second. Kurt didn't need special training or a sense of the force to see that, her own baleful stare helped with that. He watched her grip the girl, grasping her and saying a few words that he was not entirely sure of. His lips thinned for a moment, though his steps did not halt. Instead he kept moving through the crowd, eventually parting them and coming to the edge.

The Courier stepped forward, his gait leading him directly towards the woman.

On his homeworld, Tatooine, Kurt had been notorious for making horrible decisions. These decisions had usually been made during the Boonta Eve Classic, a pod-race that Kurt had won three times within his life. The decisions he made had generally consisted of taking corners too tightly, challenging larger pod-racers, and of course engaging with the local Tusken Clans. Most people had thought that he would die by the age of twenty two, and truthfully he had come close to it more than a dozen times, but Kurt had learned long ago that life wasn't really worth living without a little bit of risk.

That's what this was to him.

A bit of risk.

He wandered over to the woman, offering her a charming smile before opening his mouth. "Hello there."

Kurt sounded chipper, happy, unconcerned with the droids or the girl that was apparently getting kidnapped. The Courier could worry about all that later, right now he needed to get home, and as far as he could tell this was the only option really available to him.

 

[Lief]

She watched them leave for a few moments before turning on the spot. There, moving through the crowd, she could see the man from before nearing her. Oh for kriff sake, she really wasn't in the mood for the types of idiots Nar Shaddaa usually attracted. Was this supposed to be their attempt at policing the sector?

But then she noticed the easy smile and the lack of haste in his footsteps.

Finally came the goofy greeting, spoken as if he hadn't just witnessed what had happened to Sohna - though Ayva knew that he'd had to have seen it, to reach her in time. Alright, Ayvari, remember Xanxus' teachings... Patience, composure...

This man was not the one she was pissed off with. He hadn't disobeyed orders. He hadn't tried to flee captivity.

Breathing in through her nose, Ayva looked at the man with a slight nod of her head. "Well met" she retorted, her gaze flicking past him for a moment. Thankfully the crowd was beginning to disperse. "Is there something that I can assist you with?"

Maybe choosing to stay behind was a bad idea. Dealing with Sohna right now would have been cathartic, purging her of the anger which boiled beneath her calm exterior.

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Ayvari Dorian"]

Bad decision or not, Kurt intended to follow through with the choice that he had made.

It was another mark of the unwise man.

Doing something you knew to not be right. It was foolish really, but then again everyone had to play the fool every once in a while, it was just fated that Kurt would take the roll more often then others. Slowly he moved towards her, his smile still pulling at his lips, his warm blue eyes looking the woman up and down. He seemed so at ease, so relaxed, as if approaching a Sith Lady was just a matter of confidence and nothing more. As he came to stand in front of her Kurt spoke with the same confidence as his stance behooved. "Perhaps you can."

He said the words with a smile.

"I'm looking for someone." His eye glanced past and around her for a moment, then set back onto her. "You seem to be excellent at finding people."

 

[Lief]

Ayva couldn't help but immediately feel as though she was being played for a fool. And this man's choice of words certainly weren't helping. He wanted her to find someone? What did she look like, some common bounty hunter? A tour guide through this psychedelic hell?

It was enough to make her scoff, her rage subsiding. Well, that was one thing at least.

"And what makes you think I'm the person for the job?" she asked, her raspy voice somehow managing to still sound smooth and calm.

She would go along with it for now, but she wasn't so certain it would last; sure, she had found her little runaway but she knew the girl on a personal level. Strangers on the streets were another matter all together. Ayva was trained to stalk her quarry for some time, get to know their habits and lifestyles before making her move. She was not as well suited to on the spot kidnapping... Or whatever this man wanted.

In fact he was very quickly becoming a nuisance.

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Ayvari Dorian"]

Kurt smiled.

"Well It's obvious really." Flattery had gotten him far in life, extremely far in fact. Growing up on Tatooine surrounded by Hutts and other creatures of Ego Kurt had often learned that flattery was the highest form of praise and the fastest way to a persons heart. Women were much the same as Hutts, though obviously he'd never say that out loud. They liked hearing about themselves and they liked hearing it often. Kurt found that compliments got one far.

"You're beautiful." He began with a smile. "Obviously intelligent, commanding, and carry a certain presence that tells of confidence and skill."

He moved slightly closer to her, though not by much.

It was obvious to him that she was trained in some form, the set to her shoulders and the way she carried herself denoted some form of combat experience. Doubtless she could kill him if she really wanted to, especially in his current state.

 

[Lief]

Flattery may have wooed most women, but Ayvari had been trained well and thus she didn't rise to the bait placed before her. What did rise, however, was one slender eyebrow. Was he being serious, right now?

He seemed very sure of himself, a trait which would no doubt get him killed later down the line. But not by her hand. She didn't waste her time on such trivial matters. Still, she did very much need to let off some steam lest she completely mutilate Sohna when she got back to the ship. Stupid girl, why couldn't she just stay put?

Crossing her arms, the Ubese woman decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and see exactly what he was after. She had nothing better to do for a few hours after all.

"And who exactly is it that you're looking for?"

And what reason did he want this person found, was more to the point. But she thought it prudent not to lead with that. Didn't want to seem too curious, after all. Better to seem aloof than too eager.

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Ayvari Dorian"]

There was the crux of it.

In the end of course Kurt wasn't even looking for someone specific, or rather, he had already found the person that he believed would be the one to help him do what he wanted. He just had to convince her to actually help him. How he accomplished that...well that remained to be seen. He smiled slightly, stepping just a tad closer to her and standing a bit more upright. There was no threat to his stance of course, not even the slightest hint of aggression in the way that he approached her.

"That's simple." Kurt said with a slight smirk spreading across his lips. "Somebody to get me off this world."

He was likely going to get himself killed, but he at least had to try. "Know anyone?"

Kurt offered her a small wink, a show of confidence in both himself, and her. Kurt had met women who could be dubbed Ice Queens before, had spoken with them and even melted their hearts a little. What was another one in the face of Nar Shaddaa?

 

[Lief]

If Ayvari hadn't been trained to keep her outward emotions in check, she might have groaned in frustration to the man's words. Did he think her some sort of taxi service? Absolutely ridiculous! That smooth smile and easy presence might have been enough to sway her if she had been interested in such things. Unluckily for him, she wasn't. Though it did cause a slight smile for his efforts.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're entirely too presumptuous?" she asked, with a shake of her head. Was that humour she was feeling? Certainly not.

"I don't know anybody, as a matter of fact, though I'm sure if you search real hard you'll find someone on Nar Shaddaa foolish enough to fall for that smile of yours. Now, if you don't mind, I have something to tend to..."

Turning on her heels, Ayva was about to set off before halting. Casting her gaze over her shoulder she stared at him for a moment, pondering the implications of having a real life passenger that was neither droid or prisoner.

Don't be so stupid, Ayva, you can't be the kind of idiot who falls for a confident smile.

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Ayvari Dorian"]

There was no sign of disappointment in his face as she rejected him, in fact, his only response was a slight smirk. "Oh come on."

Kurt began to protest as she walked away.

"Don't you want to have a little fun?" That was usually the way it happened, the way that a low-life Courier could tempt a noble like her. It was the idea of doing something different, of playing outside the wheelhouse. It excited them, made them more reckless and less careful. Kurt liked that. He liked the idea that everyone, no matter who they were, wanted to walk on the wild side every now and again. It was humanizing, turning even the most stuffy aristocrat into something more. "I promise you, you'll never forget the time we spend together."

As she turned over her shoulder he offered her a wide smile.

 

[Lief]

Ayva noticed that smirk almost immediately. He wasn't the least bit bothered by her, which in truth was a very welcome relief. She was used to fear and muted respect, but it wasn't borne out of any of her actual actions for the most part and more her position within the former Empire; even the lowliest of Acolytes had garnered the respect of the 'little people'. Not that Ayva saw ordinary people as the underdogs, she wasn't quite so stupid.

"Fun?" she inquired; she might have scoffed, only instead she felt... Intrigued. "And what could you offer me that would make the trip fun?"

Used to the company of droids and prisoners, Ayva had fallen out of touch with real life interaction on a more social level. Perhaps it would be good for her to let her hair down, so to speak, for once in her life. It wasn't as if she answered to anyone anymore, Xanxus was gone, the Emperor vanished, she was her own person.

Turning fully to face him, the woman crossed her arms and studied his calm expression and easy smile.

After a few moments she sighed, and gestured for him to follow.

"This is a one time thing, though; don't expect me to give you a ride if we run into each other in the future." Which she doubted they would, anyway. The Galaxy was far too vast for such coincidences.

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Ayvari Dorian"]

Kurt smirked.

One and done? Well, it wasn't exactly his policy but it had been done before. The thought made him want to laugh, though he didn't want to offer her any affront. Instead he tagged alongside her, or rather, right behind her. His hands slipping into his pockets and his eyes slowly wandering all around them.

Briefly he wondered what her position was, just who she was in fact. There was suspicion within him at that, a slight bit of wonder. He had met nobles before, but usually they were located on the planet that granted them that nobility. Onderon, Naboo, Serenno, all planets that he had visited, and all planets on which he had met the ruling class of people. Nar Shaddaa, however, did not have a noble class, and neither did any of the worlds within a hundred parsecs. Nal Hutta had the Hutt's, but this woman was no Hutt.

"So what's your name?" The Courier asked slowly sidling alongside her, that same boyish smile flicking across his lips. "I"m Kurt."

The man practically radiated joy.

This might still end horribly for him, but as far as he was concerned he had his way off world. Anywhere was safer than Nar Shadda, or rather, most anywhere at least.

 

[Lief]

Ayva set off through the sickly bright world and weaved her way through the crowd, checking over her shoulder every once in a while to ensure he was keeping up - though truly she wouldn't have minded if he got lost. She was, however, becoming rather fond of the idea of having a real passenger for once. Someone to talk to. She wouldn't openly admit that though. More power to him if she did.

She hadn't come too far before running into Sohna, so the ship was just a few blocks over. In fact she could see the hangar even now. "Kay-Four, prepare the guest cabin" she spoke into her comms, before looking back at Kurt as he asked his question. "Kurt... I'm Ayvari -- Ayva."

There was no need in covering up her name, he wouldn't find much about her in any records anyway. Most of the Jedi Records pertaining to the group she trained with were long gone, lost when Tython and Coruscant fell, and as for the Empire well... That was long since gone. No doubt the Primeval had copies somewhere but they too were gone now.

"So, uh, what are you doing stranded on Nar Shaddaa, anyway? You don't sound like you're from here."

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Ayvari Dorian"]

Ayvari?

Yep, definitely noble.

Kurt hadn't heard a name like that since he'd traveled to Empress Teta. Nearly everyone on that planet was noble and their names often got...complicated. It was generally a good guess to say that if someones name was overly long and complex they were noble. Ayvari wasn't complex, but it hinted at the fact that she wasn't quite as...well common as Kurt. He had been born on Tatooine, raised in the dust and coming up in the sands. Somehow he doubted that this woman knew what that was like.

"Heh." Kurt began. "Funny story about that. I'm a Courier by trade. I travel the galaxy and deliver...well all sorts of things. I was making a delivery to a young lady, and unfortunately she didn't quite turn out to be everything she seemed."

Ah yes, that had been rather awkward. "She robbed me. Took everything, my credits, my security codes, all of it."

Damn human replica droids. One was never really sure if a person was a person, at least not in places like this. That had been his own fault really, but who the hell expected an HRD to steal from you? That was just silly, those androids were capable of so much that stealing from him had been a preposterous decision.

Or that's how Kurt saw it.

 

[Lief]

Funnily enough Ayva was certainly not a Noble; she had been born on Uba IV, which was mostly a wasteland, and raised on Ilum. Both were deadbeat worlds, with little-to-no population much less a hierarchy. Had Kurt expressed his views on her name aloud she would likely have laughed. Still, perception was what mattered to most in the Galaxy - how things seemed to be, rather than how they really were. For better or for worse.

As they came upon the starport Ayva took a very specific route through the crowd and away from the main hangars. Instead she led him into a more secluded area, where a small docking bay could be found. The vessel inside had seen better days, and someone as skilled a pilot as Kurt - Ayva herself couldn't actually pilot a ship - might recognise it as being an almost ancient Kuat Drive model.

Turning her gaze back to him as they entered the docking bay Ayva gave a slight nod of her head. "And so you thought it would be wise to risk everything you still have, your remaining dignity, your looks, your life, by following a complete stranger in hopes of getting off world? Why am I not surprised?"

Still it was fairly intriguing. Ayva wondered who it was who had managed to rob him blind, and more to the point how. Someone didn't just hand those things over, and the every day person didn't want someone's security codes really... Just whatever they could grab in that moment.

Gesturing for him to follow her onboard, Ayva led him through the sparce cargo hold, which had been severely cut back to allow for a training room, and into a modest lounge area. "Help yourself to refreshments, I'll show you to your room once we're making headway. Is there a specific planet you need to be dropped off at?"

[member="Kurt Meyer"]