Trix, Porkchop, Wild (Ric Ardellian)

[Lugus Porkins]

This was a rocky period in Lugus' life. He found out two weeks ago that his sister stole a ship and defected from the Republic. To make maters worse, he only found out after Republic agents questioned and interrogated him about being a spy first telling him that he sister squealed and told on him. They knew he was committing treason. Only until they hooked him up to a lie detector did they realize that Lugus didn't know anything. Still they suspended him from the navy until they could clear him as a terrorist and traitor. Lugus' faith in his Republic wavered.

His heart broke. Cricket didn't mention anything about wanting to leave or thinking about leaving. He worried that someone was after her and that she didn't have time to tell Lugus. This whole event seemed to be too sudden. He had no idea where she was and that worried him the most. He was the big brother. His job was to protect her but he couldn't. He didn't.

The always happy and cheerful Porkins became occasionally happy and rarely cheerful. He wasn't confined to his home but he couldn't go to military star ports or hangars while suspended. He had never been suspended for anything in his life and he wasn't taking it well at the moment. His time was spent either staring off in deep thought or taking long walks with his two tails as he called them. Really they were Intelligence operatives making sure Lugus wasn't a spy. The thought was so absurd. Lugus Porkins? A spy?

This day started like the rest. He woke up couldn't eat breakfast, sat and stared at the ceiling until lunch time and then couldn't eat lunch. He decided for an afternoon walk however heading to the market and meeting a wiry little Squib who offered him what he was told was a map but the Squib called it bogus since it was just a symbol on a piece of leather. A map to where? Epsilon. It was just a rumor wasn't it? Lugus loved the stories as a child so of course he took it anyway.

When he got back to his loft he studied it more before finally taking a drastic measure and requested the week off for his buddy Trix claiming a family emergency. The guy should have known better than to leave his holomail account logged on to Lugus' datapad. Lugus then sent him a message asking him to bring him some blue milk before heading into work and how he forgot it when he was out earlier.

[member="Ric Ardellian"]

 

[Judah Lesan]

Blue Milk!? Since when did Lugus need Ric to get him blue milk... and why was his comm blowing up with text messages about sincere condolinces for the death in his family. What was Porkins up to? This was something Ric was going to get to the bottom of. That's why he showed up to the appartment without the milk, and rapped on the door pretty hard.

"I know you're going through a pretty hard time bud, but open this door and tell me what kind of fething trouble you're getting me into?"

A guy deserved to know when he was playing hooky. Ric didn't mind. Since the loss at Telti things had been upside down in the GR and honeslty Ric wanted nothing to do with them anymore, but with the Angels CO on leave, the XO had to keep things bolted down. Seems like Lugus was getting him out of that. Hopefully the "tails" didn't hear what Ric just said. Right... he needed to play it more coy.

"I just had a death in the family and I don't have time to play babysitter for you. I'm mud if I don't show for this funeral, and you aren't allowed to leave..."

Hopefully that helped.

[member="Lugus Porkins"]

 

[Lugus Porkins]

In the short time between asking for milk and waiting for Trix to arrive Lugus managed to get a bit done. Securing a ship, getting supplies, and establishing away to escape his loft with out being seen. The plan would hopefully work. No, for Lugus' sake it had to work. He heard the knocking on the door which actually seemed more like banging to him but he went to get his last minute things ready before letting him in. He even chuckled lightly at the mention of Lugus getting Trix in trouble. Trix was the one that was trouble. Lugus kept them out for the most part.

Lugus hand went for the handle as Trix's second comment was made. He paused for a second taking the words in. Mainly how Trix wasn't a babysitter and how Lugus wasn't allowed to leave. He placed his forhead on the the doorframe and took a deep breath before straightening himself and opening the door.

"I'm not bugged. They've just got all of my electronics sliced and the front and back watched," Lugus motioned Ric in shutting the door behind him. "This nice bothan checked the loft for me. Then she unsliced their slice as well so to them it looks like I haven't turned my datapad on since she came over."

Lugus paused looking over at the small bag he placed by the window, "This might sound crazy but... I need a vacation. You're not my babysitter but you're free to come along. It would give me an alibi at least."

Lugus pointed at the window, "We go out the fire escape and into the alley. They won't see us there then we walk into the bakery next door, slip through it and back out to the street. Then all we have to do is walk a block to a red and white speeder, take the speeder to private starport and grab the ship that was left for us... that is if you want to come with me. If not..."

Lugus wasn't wanting to tell his best friend bye. His face scrunched up at the thought of it.

[member="Ric Ardellian"]

 

[Judah Lesan]

"Slow down secret agent man, where are we going?"

It wasn't a matter if Trix was going. Porkins knew his friend would not disappoint. However, he wasn't going without any kind of destination in mind. He wasn't some fool that just went somewhere because someone told him to. Unless it was his CO, but that was Porkins anyway. He sighed.

"You've got it planned out, I can see, so just start over and tell me what brought all this on suddenly."

Ric sat down and looked at this friend. He wasn't moving til he had answers, and Lugus knew he was stubborn enough to do just that.

[member="Lugus Porkins"]

 

[Lugus Porkins]

Lugus smiled at his friend his lips curling like he was about to cry. He wasn't. He was just an emotional guy. Instead he went over to his bag pulling out the piece of leather - the map that the squib gave him. After he had it he pulled up his own chair next to Trix. It was probably a good thing he was sitting down because what he was about to say was sure to stun and surprise.

"Were should I start? I guess with the part that is the least crazy?" He forced a light chuckle. The sound didn't sound like it should have come from Lugus. He paused hanging his head. "So I met this Bothan and she told me about the guys that I told you were following me, she checked the loft for bugs and sliced their slice... Well she also offered to get me out of Republic space if I needed it."

He exhaled, "I told her I wouldn't abandon the Republic. She still insisted she would try to find Cricket for me and if I needed to get away she would still help me. I didn't know where I was going so I ignored her... But I know now."

He unrolled the leather and handed it to Trix. "Epsilon... And that's a map right to it. See right here in this part of the map? That's the Rimma Trade Route... That's were the Corellian Run is suppose to be... Right here is Epsilon. Trix, Epsilon is real."

Who hadn't heard of Epsilon Cluster? A list of planets. A kingdom- No. An Empire completely lost to the galaxy. So lost in fact it was said to never have even existed. Lugus grew up with the stories. He read books about the legends that the Cluster held. He pretended he would go there and unlock it's secrets.

[member="Ric Ardellian"]

 

[Judah Lesan]

Tales of lost cities, worlds, planets, empires, they were things of every child's imagination. Ric recalled the stories and looked at the map in disbelief. His mind had to reconcile what Lugus' had already. The reality of the stories was not as suspect as they had been made to seem as the mind of a child became that of an adult. Suddenly Ric was as giddy as a kid again, well as giddy as Porkins was. He smiled finally.

"We have to go, and fast before they figure out what the Bothan did. Lead the way and I will follow."

Ric started pushingLugus toward th window he had indicated earlier. The draw of exploring a lost empire had Ric excited. It was time to see how true the stories were. At this point, Ric was likely crazier than Lugus, but who would notice. They were going to get so busted for this, so very busted, but it would be worth it.

"Hurry up before I change my mind."

[member="Lugus Porkins"]

 

[Lugus Porkins]

Lugus grinned from ear to ear. He should have know better that his friend wouldn't let him down. Lugus was practically shaking with excitement.

"Let's do it! First though loose the shades and the jacket and wash that stuff out of your hair," Lugus might have been a little demanding but this was mainly so they wouldn't be recognized. They would be walking almost right past them after all. "You can use the kitchen sink and shove your stuff in the bag. I'll be right back."

Lugus ran to the bathroom grabbing the clippers from under the sink. He stared at them before taking a long last look at his long luscious hair. Bye bye hair. He buzzed the clippers through sighing a bit of relief as on of the longer combs were on it and he didn't give himself a total buzz cut. He already had his beard trimmed so he returned to Trix ready to go. It was now obvious with the lack of hair just how much being the last few weeks were affecting. He hadn't been eating. His face was much thinner than before but his gut was still very much there. That thing was probably never going to leave him but then again he didn't much care.

"Ready, bro?" Lugus wasn't going to give him the chance to change his mind. He grabbed his bag then headed for the window and down the fire escape hitting the ground with a thud as he slipped from off of ladder trying to go down to quickly. Rocky start. They need to be more careful. Correction, Lugus needed to be more careful.

Slipping through the bakery wasn't a problem. No one noticed them or they pretended that they didn't. Either way Lugus and Trix were back on the street shortly afterwards. Lugus pretended he was just another costumer of the bakery. Nothing to see here. A block down he noticed a white X-34 Landspeeder with red pin striping. It looked brand new but Lugus knew that it couldn't be. It was definitely antique. Didn't Obi-wan Kenobi have one on Tatooine? Corvus would get a kick out of seeing the speeder. Lugus hand stroked the side of it as he whistled. It wasn't the best thing they could be riding in but the fact that such a basic speeder back in the day looked so good in the moment blew Lugus mind. He tossed his bag over to Ric then found the magnetic key holder under the speeder.

A not so short ride later they arrived at the address the bothan gave him. Just like she said a nice gated hangar with an old Ugnaught guarding the gate. Porkins pulled a paper out of his pocket, "Blue Togorian."

He snorted at them but ultimately let them through. Hangar B is were they would find their loaner. A YT-200 know as The Silent Stargazer. It definitely not what Lugus expected. The YT-2000 Looked like some one cut it out of the stars. He could understand now why it had such a fitting name.

"Kark," Lugus wasn't one to just randomly swear without reason. "She has a lot of neat toys."

There wasn't a place to leave the speeder so Lugus loaded it into the ship. Lugus let Trix take her up. After making it to orbit he put in the coordinates for Epsilon and made the jump. They were officially in the clear. Lugus breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't notice however how the bothan left him a note taped on the dash:

A bets a bet. Enjoy your ship. XOXO

[member="Ric Ardellian"]