The Self-Sustaining "Borrower" (Kerrick Sereta)

[Auralee]

Well, this was just great. Skye was out, up to her usual sneakiness. She lifted a few essentials and a can of spray paint from a store a little bit further away from her place than normal. WORST MISTAKE EVER... Even with her quick feet and agile dodging skills, she still wasn't quick enough to escape this time. The two men tracking her down had managed to catch up with her. They tackled her in the middle of the street. She dropped everything she'd "borrowed", and they picked it all up. Then they decided to take justice into their own hands. They grabbed her by her arms and dragged her into an alley. She fought a savagely as her thinly-built figure could, clawing and kicking and biting. But it was no use. The men slammed her into a wall. "We don't tolerate little thief scum like you," One growled, pinning her by her throat. Skye's vision went blurry from the impact for a minute. She spat on the man's face, giving him an icy glare that only she could give. "Go to FETHING Hell, fier'fek!" She hissed back. This was probably going to mess her up pretty good, but she'd be damned if she didn't go out fighting...
[member="Kerrick Sereta"]

 

[Kerrick Sereta]

Even as a smuggler and someone who worked on the wrong side of the law for credits willingly and often, Kerrick still had their own sense of honor and morals, no matter how skewed they might have been in comparison to those of your average galactic citizen. So when they caught movement out of the corner of their right eye - the one they could actually see with - it was really know surprise that they decided to take matters into their own hands in terms of law enforcement. Their blaster was in their hand almost immediately, and they stepped up almost casually behind the man closest, not speaking and instead letting the muzzle of the weapon pressed to their lower back do all the talking. "If you know half of what's good for you you'll step back, nice and easy, and give her," Here they nodded towards the young woman, "Her things back. If you don't, well, I'm not hard-pressed to shoot to stun."

Today was a decidedly decent day for them, all things considered, which was part of the reason they hadn't picked the men off from a distance before approaching. Another part of it was because drawing attention to themselves wasn't what they had in mind, considering they liked to remain fairly inconspicuous, especially on planets such as Nar Shaddaa, where a number of common thugs and the less savory types ran rampant. Sure, they might have been just as easily classified into that group, and most likely were, but that didn't mean they still had some sense of right and wrong.

They continued speaking, still keeping their voice low, absently running a hand through their hair, as if this were a calm, civil encounter instead of the matter of life and death it was turning out to be, at the very least for the two men. "Let's cut a deal. Leave now, don't let me see you again, and everyone walks away. Continue, and you get to leave either with assistance or in a bodybag. Take your pick." The audible sound of the blaster's safety being clicked off was heard, and they cracked a half-smile. "I don't have all day."

[member="Skye Reviar"]

 

[Auralee]

With the two men distracted, Skye did something drastic. She aimed her knee and brought it up hard and swift in between his legs. The man let go of her, crying out in pain and surprise. She rolled across the ground, getting on her feet faster than lightning. She was going to just run and leave the scene entirely. But they still had her stuff. She NEEDED some of that stuff if she wanted to make it through the week. So, she went and stood behind the woman with the gun. The first man helped his injured comrade up, and glared at the armed woman. "Fine. Protect the little scumbag. But if we catch her stealing from our store again, she isn't gonna be so lucky." As he said this, he shifted his gaze to Skye. Then they both went back out to the street, dropping her lifted possesions on the ground behind them.
[member="Kerrick Sereta"]

 

[Kerrick Sereta]

"Hanae huti haszoni!" Shouting an insult after them in Minnisiat, one of two languages they were able to speak fluently, the third in their retinue being more of a spoken code than anything. After making sure the two men wouldn't return they holstered their blaster after switching the safety back on, turning to the young woman in front of her with an amused smile playing across their lips. "Friends of yours?" A tone of ironic humor accompanied the rhetorical question, and they studied the woman for a moment, not bothering to be subtle in the action. It was obvious the two were more than likely up to less than legal activities, so guardedness wasn't their biggest concern. Figuring out who they'd just helped, however, was.

Flashing another, more open, smile, they decided that introductions were more than necessary. "The name's Kerrick. It looked like you could use a little help, there." Here they gestured to what possessions had been left behind by the men. "At least they were nice enough to leave those." They moved to begin picking up a few of the things, simply assisting where they could at this point, glancing up to her once more. "You have a name?"

[member="Skye Reviar"]

 

[Auralee]

Skye was already swiping up the Kolto cigs and a few cans of food. She didn't look up at Kerrick when she answered. "Thanks. I'm Skye. Yeah, no. They were NEVER my friends. Been on my tail for who knows how long. I'm usually too fast for them. Guess I was off today." She slipped the last little canister of water into the inside pockets of her black leather vest. She stood up. She was never really one for social interaction. She looked off to the side a little, combing her fingers through the long piece of her vibrant purple hair.
[member="Kerrick Sereta"]

 

[Kerrick Sereta]

The short, abrupt answers to their questions hadn't been expected, but Kerrick took it as a cue that perhaps her presence was unwanted, though they stuck around anyhow. Persistence might not have been their best quality when it came to the more sensitive areas of life such as this, but it served them well in any other. So they stuck by the new arrival, now known to them as Skye, whether it was a good idea or not. She seemed relatively harmless so far, but they knew just as well as anyone, if not better, that looks could be more than deceiving. It remained to be seen if this woman would live up to those same stipulations that were rampant among the criminal underworld.

When they spoke again, their smile had faded to just a trace, though their tone of voice was still light. "You must have been busy, then, if you attract so much attention. Unfortunately it was people like them." At the thanks, they only shrugged. "It wasn't a problem. You looked like you needed help, so I decided to offer my services. It worked out in the end, so it's not a big deal."

Thinking for a moment, they began stepping towards the entrance of the alleyway, as if making to leave. "If you want to be alone, I'll leave you to your business. It isn't any concern of mine."

[member="Skye Reviar"]

 

[Auralee]

Skye looked over at Kerrick, a little wary. "Yeah, I've been busy. Busy SURVIVING. If that's what you can call it on this God-awful cesspit of a planet. I take what I need. That's it." She stood up straight, examining the marks on her body from being roughly dragged across the street. "Fething credit-bleeders. Think they can just push me around because I borrow food. I wonder what it would be like if they were in MY shoes for a little bit..." She mumbled, sighing. "Hey. Uh, Kerrick. You don't have to go if you don't want to, I guess. It's not like I get much company in this Hell." What was she doing? Asking this stranger to stick around?? Had that guy hit her in the head harder than she felt??? Company when you were obviously a bankrupt petty thief wasn't usually the best idea if wanted to remain unnoticed. But then again, Kerrick could've just turned her into the authorities a long time ago. Skye figured she could trust this one, even if it was just a little bit.
[member="Kerrick Sereta"]

 

[Kerrick Sereta]

Usually, when people tired of Kerrick's company, rarely were they ever called back to stick around. This was a rare occurrence in and of itself, without adding on the manner in which they'd met, not to mention the planet they were on as well. Nar Shaddaa wasn't known to be home to the more salient beings of the galaxy, with they themselves being no exception, at least as a smuggler. So the fact that [member="Skye Reviar"] hadn't either tried to kill them or otherwise cause harm in any other way was a rarity in and of itself. But it was a rare statistic that could be appreciated, at the very least.

At the mouth of the alley they paused and turned, blinking once in relative surprise before making their way back over to where Skye stood. By their best guess she couldn't have been more than eighteen or nineteen at best, and it was a mild surprise that she wasn't with one of the gangs that ran rampant on the lawless world. Nothing suggested otherwise, of course, but they had a feeling that their company wouldn't have been tolerated if she was. Besides, from the way she spoke of the planet, it was evident this was the last place she wanted to be. Which could have been attributed to the offer they made, which was uncharacteristic for them. "D'you want a ride off planet, then? I've got a ship, if you want to come along." Traveling alone got old, after a time, and they figured that if nothing else it would be a helpful gesture, even if she decided not to stick around.

For the moment they didn't elaborate on what it was that they did, though anyone would be able to guess that it involved less than legal activities just from the fact that they were on Nar Shaddaa of all planets. If Skye was interested, then more explanation would be given. But for the moment, a response from the young woman was in order.

((Sorry about the late reply, tags have been glitchy.))

 

[Auralee]

((No problem. Been a bit tied up with my newest character anyway. ))

Skye was a little speechless for a moment. Her face exposed her genuine surprise when Kerrick offered to get her off-planet. This was kind of a big thing for her. She huffed a little, looking at the permacrete for a moment. "S-seriously? Just like that?" She shoved her hands into her pockets. "I've lived here my whole life. Everything I know, and ultimately hate with an unadulterated passion, is here. I don't know what the Hell's out there. I don't know how to live anywhere else. I don't even have the credits to consider it living if I left. And then you come here and tell me that you can just whisk me away like it doesn't even matter? Do I really wanna leave?" She suddenly walked right up to Kerrick until her brown eyes was just inches from Kerrick's face. A silly, excited and rebellious grin formed ear-to-ear across Skye's face. "Oh, FETH YES!"
[member="Kerrick Sereta"]

 

[Kerrick Sereta]

The reaction received from that one simple offer had been a marginally expected one, but Kerrick still blinked at her sudden close proximity, unsure of just what to say on their own part for a moment. Their life was a quiet and modest one, as they only took what they could get and didn't leave much in their wake. Something told them that would change with Skye along, but then again, they didn't care all that much. A little more spark added to life couldn't be that bad of a thing, and besides, the ship they called home was a dull one, if they were being completely honest with themselves. This would probably end up being a change for the better. That is, if she decided to stick around instead of leaving at the next stop.

"I don't deal in the most legal business, so you know." They couldn't help a small smile at that. "But some company will be nice, I think. When do you want to leave?" It wasn't that getting off-planet right away was a primary concern, but knowing a timeframe was always beneficial. And besides, if there was work to be found before they departed, then that aspect of it certainly interest them as well. Credits weren't exactly the easiest thing to come by in the galaxy with no real structured job, as they'd learned quickly.

Even if nothing came of it, having someone else tag along would be a nice change of pace. And on the off chance that Skye did decide to stick around for longer than just a courtesy visit, well, things wouldn't stay boring for long. She certainly didn't seem the type to want to keep things quiet, which suited them just fine.

[member="Skye Reviar"]

 

[Auralee]

"We can leave today! Lemme just get some stuff first..." Skye replied. It was convenient that the alley they were standing in happened to be where her shabby little abode was. She turned and walked over to the fire escape on the left side wall. She was halfway up when she stopped for a minute and looked down. "Oh, and if you wanna come in, that's okay too. Not much to see, but hey. It was home for a good three years." With that, she scurried the rest of the way up. Opening the outside window, she ducked inside to start gathering up what little she had. The spray-painted murals on the walls would be the only thing to suggest that someone had been there. Extravagant works of art, of which there were two crowning jewels. The first was the massive, fiery Phoenix with wings outstretched that covered the majority of one wall. The second was the blackened ceiling dotted with millions of stars that shaped into a galaxy. Skye had spent many a day making her murals. It was either that or spend all her time on the street, and she wanted to spend as little time as possible down there.
[member="Kerrick Sereta"]

 

[Kerrick Sereta]

There was a moment of hesitation before Kerrick followed up after her, pausing in the entrance and studying the murals for a long few moments with undisguised amazement. With their lifestyle, they didn’t have time to devote to the finer aspects of life, such as art. For them, it was making enough credits to survive to the next day that mattered, and no more. Anything extra was only an added bonus, and that included any extra company or any jobs taken that garnered more income than what they considered average.

“I don’t exactly live in luxury either, so you don’t have to worry about it. Do you want me to drop you off anywhere, exactly?” They weren’t going to ask outright if Skye wanted to travel with them, not wanting to push anything on her, but it would be a welcome thing if she chose to nonetheless. “I can fly you anywhere, mostly. I try to stay out of any Republic or Sith space, but other than that we can make it work. And my ship’s plenty big enough for two.”

Stepping to the side of the door to allow Skye to leave first if she wished, they flashed a half-smile. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that there's room open on my ship if you need somewhere to stay for awhile. I'm not picky when it comes to the company I keep." Here they shrugged, simply observing her go about the work of packing up her things. "It doesn't mean you have to, but the offer's always there."

[member="Skye Reviar"]

 

[Auralee]

Skye scooped up her duffel bag, shoving what few pairs of clothes she had into it along with her pillows, her sleeping bag, all the cigarettes she had left, and the measley handful of credit chips she'd managed to obtain. Slinging the bag over her shoulder, she turned back to Kerrick. "To be honest, no. I don't have anywhere I wanna go. But if... If you don't mind having me around, then I guess... I'll stay with you?" She shoved her hands in her pockets again and looked round a bit. She was nervous. Leaving and all. Somehow the feeling of getting dumped on another planet and having to learn how to live there didn't sound very appealing. But staying on a ship, being surrounded by stars all the time? That sounded as close to heaven as she'd ever get.
[member="Kerrick Sereta"]

 

[Kerrick Sereta]

It seemed, at least to Kerrick, that Skye was more interested in the idea of traveling the galaxy than she was letting on, but there wasn't a point in pushing her. The answer was acceptance, at least for now, and if she changed her mind somewhere along the line, then things could just as easily be remedied. They smiled and nodded, finding that everything on their side had been settled relatively quickly, and it seemed that it wasn't necessary for either of them to spend any more time on Nar Shaddaa. Things had gone smoother than they'd anticipated, and that was more than okay with them. "Sounds like a plan to me. I'm not sure how neat things are back on the ship, but we'll make it work. There's plenty of room for you to have your own quarters and space to live."

After another glance around the room they looked back to Skye with a raised eyebrow as if to gauge whether she was ready to leave or not before moving to stand out on the fire escape. "Unless you have some other business that needs taken care of, we can get out of here right away. You don't seem to want to stick around for any longer than you have to, at least." With that they shrugged and made their way back down to the street below, studying the surrounding area for a moment before looking back to her, waiting for her to climb back down herself.

"And if you're worried about me being bothered, then I wouldn't be. I don't mind the company, and I think both of us could use another person around. I'll bet we've both got our war stories to share." That was all too true on their side. Though it wasn't a topic they were one to speak openly about necessarily, if Skye brought it up, they would explain things to a degree.

"So, what do you say to traveling together?"

[member="Skye Reviar"]

 

[Auralee]

Skye took a moment to glance back at her three-year home as she stood at the window. It wasn't for her memory. It was more to reassure herself of her final decision. She sighed. No turning back. You've never done it before, and you sure as Hell aren't doing it now. She turned back to face Kerrick and joined her on the fire escape. "Let's do it. Where to?" She smiled confidently.
[member="Kerrick Sereta"]