Private Unlikely Allies

[Cadere]

Mos Espa Spaceport
Tatooine

​

Tatooine, what a planet... what a completely unremarkable scorching death ball. Cas was on the way back to Kashyyyk after completing an assignment, realising he was low on fuel the Padawan decided to stop off at the nearest planet. Which, unfortunately, was the binary sunned planet. Docking his starfighter in one of the hangar bays, still inside the open cockpit, Cas addressed his astromech "Stay with the ship, BB. Make sure a Jawa doesn't try and con the docking officials out of it or something." before climbing out of it.

Now, the real challenge, navigating his way through Mos Espa as well as trying to conceal his identity as a Jedi. Using a poncho to conceal his lightsaber, Cas made his way toward some of the hangar bay employees and paid for the appropriate fuel he would need. After being told it would take a bit longer than usual due to equipment problems, reluctantly, agreed to let them do their work and in the meantime he would explore the settlement.

As he did so, he hoped things would go smoothly and that he'd be back on his way shortly... although, the life of a Jedi is never that simple...

Sam Sheridan

 

[Sam Sheridan]

A girl was running through the sandy streets of Mos Espa with five thugs chasing after her. Her face was covered by a tan balaclava with a dirty poncho over her body to shelter her fair skin from the harsh suns. Every now and then she looked behind her to see where they were. She stuck to crowds to stop them from getting a shot in on her as she ran, but that also meant she was losing speed.

She drew her pistol and tried to shoot when an opening presented itself, but it failed immediately when a volley of bolts flew past her. She needed a break to get the drop on them, otherwise she was in big trouble.

Her plans got ruined pretty well when she suddenly crashed into someone. She fell to the ground with a groan, holding her head in an attempt to recover from the hit. Her pistol was on the ground, far out of her reach. "Motherkarking..." she looked up at whoever she hit, then immediately scrammed for her pistol. "You too?! For kark's sake." she shouted as she picked up her pistol and moved back. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted her pursuers reach them as well. Without hesitation she drew her second pistol and pointed it at them, ready to start firing at whoever came at her first. The last thing she needed was a Jedi to be after her as well...and not just any Jedi. This Jedi. Though what was a bigger concern now was the thugs all drawing their guns and aiming at her.

This was a rather depressing situation...

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

After purchasing some food from a vendor, a bantha burger, Cas began his return to his starfighter. Eager to leave and so focused on consuming this fantastically made bantha burger, he neglected to anticipate an oncoming individual crash into him causing him to drop his burger. The sight of the sauce, and half-eaten bun and patty scattered across the coarse, rough and irritating sandy floor stirred feelings of sadness and contempt within him.

"MY BURGER!" he cried out in despair, visibly upset at what had just transpired. As his gaze turned to the monster who knocked his burger out of his hand, sadness turned to anger when he realised who it was. "Of course! Of course it was you! I can't have anything nice with you around can I?!" he hollered, however, his tone and demeanour quickly changed when he noticed she looked worried and afraid.

Then she had to go and point a blaster at him "Seriously? You ruin my lunch and now you want to put a blaster to my face?" annoyed, he then realised who she was running from - a gang of thugs. Aiming their blasters at her. In broad daylight. Cas rolled his eyes, that's Tatooine for you, who'd she manage to anger this time he wondered. As the bystanders scattered at the sight of a standoff, Cas stood in place, "Just so you know, I'm not with her." he assured the thugs, tilting his head at them and grinning stupidly.

He was half tempted to let them execute her and be done with it... but then he'd be a pretty crappy Jedi, not to mention it'd add to his guilt issues. With a sigh, he stretched out both hands and used the Force to push them all back except for Sam. He then yanked the arm that was pointing a blaster at him, spinning her behind him before letting go thus giving her a head start of their escape. Trailing close behind her, he called out to her, quipping "Making friends everywhere you go, huh?"

Life of a Jedi was never simple.

Sam Sheridan

 

[Sam Sheridan]

Sam's finger tightened around the trigger as she prepared to fire. She knew she was alone in this fight, maybe even heavily outclassed if Cas decided to fight her as well. She was rather badly neck-deep with this one.

...then suddenly not anymore.

They all flew back and she was shoved into a direction. Before she knew it, Cas had fallen in behind her and they were running away. She was completely caught off guard by his actions. He just saved her life...for no reason whatsoever. "The kark you doing?" she shouted over her shoulder. When they were far enough from the thugs, she ducked into an alley, pulled him along and shoved him into the wall. With one hand around his neck and another pressing the barrel of a pistol against his cheek, she eyed him with a dangerous glare. "You wanna finish me off yourself or something, huh? The kark you doing here?" she asked him harshly.

"Not by a longshot is it a coincidence you're here. The Hutts also got the Jedi in their pockets now?"" she continued, pressing her body against his and standing on her toes to get right into his face. "You better start talking, punk, otherwise it's your brains decorating the wall behind you."

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

"Saving your life?" he retorted, catching up to her slightly. Jeez, he'd met some ungrateful people in his life but this was ridiculous - she didn't even have to say thanks, at least acknowledge the fact. At a safe enough distance, Cas was about to follow her inside of an alley way before being promptly yanked inside and pinned against a wall.

She had her hand on his throat and a shoved a blaster to his cheek, her whack job glare only earned her an irritated eyeroll from the Kiffar. As she bombarded him with hostile and accusatory questions, Cas discreetly pulled out his lightsaber from under his poncho and hovered its emitter in front of Sam's abdomen. Using his free hand, he raised it to garner her attention and extended his index finger"First of all, this is the last time I try and be nice and help you out, especially after you messed up my lunch." he quipped in a deadpan tone, then he raised his middle finger alongside his index "Secondly, you really think the Jedi would stoop so low as to ally with the Hutts? I'm just here to refuel my ship."

Smiling, Cas then raised his ring finger and made a '3' sign "Third, are you trying to kill me or kark me?" he joked again, grinning and winking at her flirtatiously. Finally, placing his thumb against his palm, Cas raised all of his fingers before digging the emitter of his blade into her belly and placing his thumb over the switch, his face turned serious and cold "Fourth, maybe think twice before threatening a Jedi. You pull that trigger, I'm taking you with me, schutta." he threatened.

His face then switched to a feigned happy smile "Now, if you don't mind, remove the blaster from my sacred qukuuf please and thank you." if she would do so, Cas would remove his hilt from her abdomen and fake dust himself off before clearing his throat "So... what did you do? And how can I help?" he begrudgingly asked, knowing he'd feel worse if he let her run to her death out there.

Sam Sheridan

 

[Sam Sheridan]

Sam held him in place, her cold glare watching him as he listed his reasons and excuses. By the third one she was thoroughly annoyed, however it was the fourth answer that made her eyes go wide. She looked down at the lightsaber pointed at her gut then back to him. She shot him one last look before slowly holstering her pistol and releasing him.

She took a step back then looked around the alley. "I didn't do jack shit." she stated simply, keeping an eye on the entrances to the alley. "I got set up by a rival gang and now I got a target on my back. I have the proof to clear my name with the Hutts, but the other gang will still keep coming after me." she explained rather coldly, looking back to him. "But why do you care?" she asked him bitterly. "Last I checked, the Jedi were too high and mighty to care about lowly dregs like me." she said as she looked around again. She didn't trust him at all, and the fact that he was a Jedi didn't mean much to her. As far as Jedi stories went...he was a rather poor example.

But she couldn't deny that a Jedi would be one hell of a useful asset to have at this point. Plus any Jedi was miles better in a fight than she was. So with a begrudging sigh she looked away. "Fine. I...I need your help to clear my name." she spoke softly, almost too soft as if she was afraid someone would hear her. "Getting past the gangsters is gonna be difficult and I can't do it alone." she admitted to him, still unable to look him in the eye. "Not to mention the other gang will also be coming after me and I can't take them out alone."

She finally managed to look at him properly, embarrassment still very clear on her face. "Can you help me?" she asked simply.

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

Cas stood there, lightsaber still in hand, and fiddled with it as he listened to Sam's story involving her current predicament. When she asked him why he even cared, the Padawan shrugged "A dreg you are, but still, I don't sit by and let people suffer when they need help. Damn my morals right?" he said, joking in his last sentence.

He wasn't surprised at all that she was involved in something ridiculous like this, although it baffled him, he'd seen her in action she had skill but she was completely wasting them on trivial stuff. When she asked him if he could help, he had to fight a grin and a witty remark about asking him of all people for help but... he was trying to turn over a new leaf, be more 'mature'. So, he simply stayed straight faced and nodded "Welcome to Team Jedi, you'll have a blast." he quipped extending his hand for her to shake.

The Padawan then proceeded to scan the alley way and all the exits before, placing his lightsaber under his poncho, he approached one of them. Standing at the corner of the alley wall, he turned to look for any of the thugs before turning round to look at Sam "We're good, I'll follow your lead." he revealed giving her a thumbs up. Cas proceeded to step outside of the alley way and waited for her to follow, when she would arrive, he asked her "Mos Espa is foreign to me... so, where are the Hutts located?"

Sam Sheridan

 

[Sam Sheridan]

She was utterly relieved that he didn't throw it in her face. It was hard enough to ask anyone for help, let alone him of all people. He extended his hand but she simply walked past. She led the way out, covering up her face again to try and conceal her identity a bit. Though it was useless at this point. "We need to figure out our plan of action. I got a place for us to stay and plan everything." she explained. He asked about the Hutts' location, which she responded to by pointing at the only massive and luxurious building in town. "The same style of place they usually stay in." she answered. "I don't want to deal with them first, not if I can help it. However getting the green light from them makes things easier." she said softly to him as they walked through the streets.

They reached a small building and Sam opened the door with a key card, then walked in. Inside it was quite cool, though the thin layer of dust can't be helped. "Make yourself at home." she said flatly as she dropped her poncho and balaclava on a table. She walked over to the small open-plan kitchen and got a can of beer from the fridge. The windows were all darkened and she made sure to keep the lights off inside the house to make it quite hard to see inside.

She leaned against the counter and pressed the can against her head. "I won't lie, I'm not geared for this and getting gear is way too much of a risk." she said to him as she opened the can and took a long sip. "Though last time I checked, you guys aren't that big on killing. Why the change of heart?" she asked him calmly as she looked up at him.

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

The Padawan ignored the fact Sam rejected his offer of temporary friendship - he wasn't really bothered by it, its not like he valued her opinion on him or anything. After she informed him of where the Hutts would most likely be located, he looked to the stylish building "Nice." he sarcastically stated with an undertone of disgust, despite the fancy looking structure on the outside; the Hutts had one of the worst living conditions in the galaxy. With that, he accompanied her back to her place of residence, albeit temporarily.

Entering inside her home, he couldn't deny the cool breeze was appreciated which prompted him to take a deep inhale from satisfaction, although a dry cough followed - "There's... a lot of dust in here." Cas rubbed his chest before scanning her apartment "Don't spend much time here?" he asked. Cas then removed his own poncho and placed it on the arm of the couch, his eyes tracked Sam's movements as she made her way to her kitchen. He had no trust for her.

Placing his hands in his jacket's pockets, he tilted his head as he listened to what more she had to say. "It's cool." he said shrugging off the danger "A Jedi's worth a lot in battle, especially one like me. I'm not that same kid you met on that train last year." Cas pointed to himself, referring to his more combat focused nature as a Jedi. Placing his hand back in his pocket, he would answer her second question "As far as killing goes? You're right. We try not to when it can be avoided..." Cas revealed, glaring at Sam to drive that last part home. The Padawan then placed his hands behind him and approached the darkened window "But... if it can't be avoided, I guess we don't have a choice." he said solemnly, the thought of taking another life made him uneasy.

Body still facing the window, Cas turned his head to meet Sam's gaze, imploring "So, can you at least try and not kill anyone." he then returned his gaze to the darkened window. The Padawan took a deep breath and relaxed his arms to his sides "What's the proof? How're you going to clear your name exactly?"

Sam Sheridan

 

[Sam Sheridan]

Cas commented on the state of the place but Sam merely shrugged. "I only stay here when I have downtime on Tatooine, which isn't a lot. Plus I'm not that bothered by the dust. Helps with keeping a low profile." she explained to him. The conversation kept moving, with him voicing his thoughts on the situation. Sam looked him over at his mention of his combat prowess. He certainly seems to have been around a bit by now, though she still didn't see him as a hardened fighter. Not like the people they were going up against. She huffed with a smirk, folding her arms. "If you've ever dealt with groups like this, you know it can't be avoided. The only language these people understand is this one." she said, tapping the pistol holstered under her arm. "Plus I'm not leaving loose ends on this job. I got plans and leaving them alive isn't a risk I'm willing to take." she continued with a serious note.

He asked about the proof and for a moment she hesitated. But she relented and pulled a datacard from her pocket. "This. It contains unaltered logs, camera footage and even a damn alabi. The Reavers claim that I stole a shipment of spice from the Hutts' storage facility while sorting out another deal. Naturally the slug is more inclined to believe a mutual partner in their business on Tatooine than a simple merc. I can't kill the Hutt without receiving a bounty big enough to catch the eyes of the nearest ruling faction. But I can kill a replaceable gang, especially if I got proof they've been stealing from the guy. Naturally the Reavers want me dead and this card destroyed." she explained before helping herself to a large swig of her beer. She fished a packet of cigarettes from her pocket and lit one, though her face curled slightly at the taste and she tossed it into a bin instead. Trying her hardest to avoid looking like an idiot she slipped the packet back into her pocket and shrugged. "Hate that brand..." she muttered, scratching the back of her head.

"So what we need to do is get this card to the top dog and take out the Reavers. Though the sequence is what's bothering me. Take them out first, we run the risk of having one very pissed off Hutt on our case. Go to him first, we might get shot or he won't react in time." she rubbed her forehead and eyes, trying to figure out how to approach the situation.

She looked up at him again with tired eyes. "Any ideas?" she asked him plainly.

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

Cas figured as much. Sam was the type too set in her own ways to make a change this drastic, probably one of the only things they had in common. The Padawan sighed, he lacked the patience to convince her not to kill anyone but he'd try to spare as many lives as he could.

The Kiffar sensed the slight hesitation in the mercenary before she let up and decided to fill him in. Cas took a few steps closer and folded his arms, listening to what she had to say, nodding along to every few words or so. It was a lot of information she was giving him, but that was a good thing, the more information meant more evidence which increased the chances that she'd get through this - with his help of course.

Once she asked him for ideas, his eyes trailed off as he stared at the ground trying to brainstorm ideas. Arms still folded, he wasn't much of a strategist unlike his Master - but he and Sam didn't have that many options regardless. However, he formulated an idea, whether it was a good one was up for debate. Cas relaxed his arms and would animate his hands to explain his idea "We go there in plain sight." expecting a confused or disapproving reaction from the hot-headed mercenary, he held one finger in the air to halt her from talking over him.

"Hear me out, I pretend to capture you and deliver you to the Hutt but as we are granted an audience, I hand him the evidence. They're more liable to trust me when you're in cuffs and I'm the one doing the talking. If we find any Reavers, I'll just mind trick 'em. Easy." he revealed with a shrug, feeling a little overly optimistic about his plan. The Padawan placed his hands in his pockets and grinned "That, or we fight our way there." he was interested to see what she'd choose, or if she could improve on his plan a little.

Sam Sheridan

 

[Sam Sheridan]

Sam looked at him and a frown started to form on her face. She was about to ask him what the kark the Jedi smoked in his free time but he cut her off. He explained it and Sam had to admit that she was not at all optimistic about it. But the alternative wasn't something she wanted to test out. She downed her beer and tossed the can in a bin before thinking the situation over.

"Alright." she finally said. "We'll do it your way. You pretend to take me in, we clear everything out and we get out of there. On three conditions." she said, turning to face him as she folded her arms over her chest. "First up, you keep the cuffs unlocked. I don't want to be screwed over because you weren't quick enough with your tricks to unlock them. Second, if this goes south, I blow your head off first before anything else. And third..." she walked right up to him and jabbed a finger against his chest as she glared at him. "You cross me on this, I will hunt you down. Got it?" she finally finished, walking back to the counter. "Alright. So, we'll need cuffs, you can probably hold onto these after we're on the move." she thought aloud, tapping the holster of her pistol.

She took a deep breath and sighed. "Alright then. Let's get this ball rolling already." she said with a hint of annoyance as she worked on loosening her shoulder holsters. Pretty soon they were off and she held the holsters out for him to take. She then walked into the small bedroom and rummaged about before emerging with a pair of binders. "There we go." she quipped as she dropped the binders on the table.

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

The Padawan would smirk once the merc agreed with his plan. He crossed his arms and listened to her demands upon her agreement, nodding along - her threats were beginning to grow tiresome and in fact, he would call her out on it, gently swatting her hand away Cas waited for Sam to return to the counter.

"Y'know..." he started, unfolding his arms "... these "threats"..." he air quoted "They're getting real old, Sam. Frankly, it sounds like crap too. I'm trying to help you out, I don't even have to. I, and literally anyone who decides to take pity on you, would appreciate even a modicum of gratitude." he complained, finishing off with an eye roll. With his rant over with that, Cas took the blaster holsters and as she disappeared into her bedroom he put them on, ready to give her blasters to her when the time came. When Sam emerged with the binders, Cas would retrieve them from the table before hovering them over her hands - giving her a look of sincerity but confidence, he hoped she would trust him "We got this, alright?" he assured her as he placed the binders around her forearms and left them unlocked.

Playfully punching her arm "I'll get you back to your boyfriend in one piece." he quipped. After Sam had given him the evidence to clear her name, the pair were on their way to the Hutt's palace - the walk there was thankfully uneventful and no Reavers were encountered... oddly enough, the Padawan appreciated it but something about it made him feel uneasy and cautious, he wondered if Sam had noticed it as well.

Arriving at the palace, the two were halted by two Gamorrean guards. He put on a deadpan expression to convey seriousness and in a joyless voice he would state "I caught this womprat schutta trying to escape in the hangar bay. I brought her here to appease the boss." the two Gamorreans look at each other before addressing him. Snorting at him in Gamorrese, Cas exchanged a glance with Sam as he was completely clueless to what they were saying. However, when one of them pointed at the shoulder holster wrapped around his poncho, once again Cas exchanged an uneasy glance at Sam as he knew exactly what they wanted.

With his lightsaber hid underneath his poncho and Gamorreans renowned lack of intelligence, he banked he'd be able to get away with keeping it on him in case things go south. After Cas removed the shoulder holsters he would hand them to the dumbest looking of the two. With the blasters now in their possession, the Gamorreans led Cas and Sam into the belly of the beast - he was still fairly confident this plan would run smoothly.

Sam Sheridan

 

[Sam Sheridan]

Cas' remark earned a hard glare from Sam. But she couldn't find anything to say back, at least nothing good. So she opted for a harsh "Kark off." under her breath as she walked away from him. Once she gave him the binders he reassured her that things will play out nicely. He attached the binders but didn't properly lock them which helped her mood a lot. He joked and gave her a light punch, and while she wanted to cuss at him, she merely gave a small smile. "As long as the important parts survive, it's all good." she quipped before turning to walk out of the building.

The way there was unnervingly quiet. She couldn't spot any thugs in the crowds but she constantly felt as if something bad was going to happen. By the palace entrance they had to surrender her pistols to her dismay, but she remained cool. Cas didn't understand what they wanted but he quickly caught on. "They want the blasters, dumbass. Learn the language." she quipped flatly, going with the act of being a prisoner. "I thought Jedi were supposed to be smart." she continued to berate him as they were led into the heart of the palace. While it was an act, she did somewhat enjoy going at him for a bit.

In the heart of the palace several dancing girls were doing some moves that made Sam watch for a second with wide eyes. "The kark she learn to move them like that?" she asked herself before being shoved forward by one of the guards. The music slowly quieted down and the dancers moved when they realized who entered. The Hutt on his hoverbed gave a hearty laugh. Soft murmurs from onlookers could be heard as they watched Sam being held in front of the Hutt. He spoke in Huttese to them with his bellowing voice before a droid translated for them. "The almighty Ardulla is happy to see the thief caught. But why would a Jedi want to catch her? Jedi are not bounty hunters. What do you want, master Jedi?" the protocol droid spoke to them. The Hutt continued to speak and the droid quickly continued as well. "Regardless, he is happy to see that she is caught and will face the consequences of threatening the alliance between the Hutt clan and the Reavers."

Sam glanced at Cas and raised an eyebrow. She was rather curious to hear what he had to say.

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

Cas rolled his eyes at Sam's insults, despite them keeping up a ruse he knew her comments were laced with some sincerity - "Smart enough to catch you." he retorted, returning her flat manner. Cas shoved her in front of him as they were led into the heart of the palace and as the four approached the Hutt on his hoverbed, Cas couldn't help but stare at the dancing girls after hearing Sam's comment. The Padawan leaned closer "I dunno but I want them to teach me." he whispered behind her.

Once they were face to face with Ardulla the Hutt, they were greeted by the translator droid which earned a wooden "Greetings, exalted one." from Cas. Ardulla questioned his involvement in Sam's capture, however, to his surprise: members of the Reaver gang emerged from seemingly out of nowhere, armed and stood menacingly on both sides of Ardulla's hoverbed. Smirking nervously, Cas muttered an obscenity under his breath, prompting him to scan the area before coming up with an answer, Cas feigned a snicker and raised his arms slightly, palms facing the Hutt and his droid in a defensive gesture "I understand the confusion, but my allegiance is no longer with the Jedi. I'm just a guy now, a guy trying to earn a living. Surely you can understand that." he lied, looking Ardulla directly in his large eyes hoping to avoid any kinda of double cross.

"Still though, before you pay me and I'm on my way." Cas rummaged through his poncho for a brief moment before pulling out the datapad, which caused the Reaver members to stiffen slightly and radiate a hint of nervousness through the Force - "I'd like to give you this. As a token of my good faith of course." the Padawan continued, approaching the Hutt directly but he was intercepted by one of the Reavers "Careful, Ardulla. This could be a ruse." they addressed cautiously. Ardulla yelled out in laughter before communicating in Huttese, followed by the translation of his droid "Ardulla finds your caution humorous but warns if you dare interrupt an exchange again, it is on your head."

Suppressing a smirk, Cas glared at the Reaver before handing Ardulla the datapad. Stepping back a few metres, Cas interlaced his figures "If you give everything a look over, it can be very illuminating." Ardulla scanned Cas and Sam cautiously before looking over the contents of the datapad. After a few minutes of tension practically suffocating the palace, Ardulla squeezed the datapad in his hand and howled in anger before barking orders at his guards in Huttese, and in an instant, his guards turned on the Reavers resulting in heavy resistance from the gang members. "Goddamn you, Sheridan!" one of the Reavers called out aiming his blaster rifle at Sam.

Reacting instantaneously, Cas lunged toward Sam pushing her out of the way and taking a blaster bolt to the shoulder in the process. Ardulla's palace had just turned into ground zero for a gang war.

Sam Sheridan

 

[Sam Sheridan]

Sam kept quiet through the whole thing with an annoyed look on her face. Her eyes darted to the Reavers appearing around them. But they didn't make any problematic moves so she remained relaxed. Her eyes drifted to the Hutt as he read the evidence and an evil smirk appeared on her face as everybody realized what was going on.

She was suddenly shoved out of the way by Cas who, to her surprise, took a bolt for her. She returned the favour and grabbed hold of him as she ran for a nearby table. She flipped it over and threw him in behind it before taking cover alongside him. "Now that karking pig has my guns." she grumbled as she tossed aside the binders. She looked up as a Reaver leaned over with his pistol at the ready, but his plans got cut short as a bolt hit him in the back. Sam quickly grabbed his blaster and finished him with a shot to the head before peeking over the table to fire at any of the Reavers. In the corner of her eye she spotted the Hutt being escorted out by his guards while the rest of his thugs were caught in this firefight with the Reavers. To her dismay the back door behind him locked along with a few others, leaving the front entrance the only way out.

She glanced at the sound of glass breaking and spotted a fire starting over by the bar. "Kark me. Hey kid, we gotta move!" she spoke as she gave him a tap on his injured shoulder. "It's only a blaster wound, suck it up. Otherwise we're burning alive." she shouted over the gunfire. She glanced up at the Pig with her blasters and fired a sneaky bolt at its head, leaving her guns by the exit. She scanned the area while avoiding getting shot as she looked for a way to the exit. The fire over by the bar was quickly spreading but the gangsters didn't let up just yet. Sam got their exit as she glanced at a small space behind the stage the Hutt was on. "Move it!" she ordered Cas as she grabbed hold of him and pulled him along towards the space. She dropped a Reaver aiming at them before reaching the space. She tossed him in first and ducked in behind him. "Keep moving forward, we need to get out of here!" she ordered him as she crawled along behind him. Once free she took the lead again and dragged him to the exit, quickly grabbing her pistols and firing at some thugs before ducking out and closing the blast door. A quick shot to the console locked all the Reavers and the remaining Hutt gangsters in, allowing the two of them to escape with little problem.

Outside Sam led Cas into an alleyway and threw him in behind a dumpster, ducking in beside him as well. Out of breath, she looked at him and then his wound. "Thanks for that." she said with a hint of sincerity before reaching over to check on the wound. "Just a flesh wound. I got a medpack at the room, we can patch you up there." she said as she helped him to his feet and leading the way. Once she was out of the hallway she glanced at the palace that was starting to smoke heavily. The faint sound of screams emanated from inside, but her blank expression didn't falter for a bit. Without a word she led Cas back to her place.

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

Cas grunted in pain clutching at his shoulder, luckily for him it was only a graze. Thinking on her feet, Sam managed to drag the Padawan into a safe spot behind a table she had flipped over - "Sorry about that." he apologised at her raving over her lost blasters, as Sam dealt with a Reaver threatening their safety, Cas pulled out his lightsaber from his poncho, igniting it ready to defend against any stray blaster bolts.

The sound of glass breaking coupled with the smell of smoke quickly alerted him, he hissed in pain as Sam tapped his grazed shoulder. His only response to that was an annoyed glare. But still, she had a point, they needed to get the hell out of there. As the mercenary scanned the room looking for another exit, Cas, while clenching his shoulder with his free arm, deflected any bolts that came their way and after that, he felt himself being grabbed once again. "I'm good, I'm good!" he assured, affirming Sam that he could escape without her grabbing onto him.

As the two rushed to the space behind Adrulla's hoverbed, Cas continued keeping the stray bolts away from them before being thrown into the space first by Sam. Deactivating his lightsaber, he landed inside the space with a thud, Cas grunted as he fell hard before complying with the merc's demand and crawling ahead - once they had made it out, the Kiffar continued to follow Sam as she led them to freedom. Finally outside, he was led into an alleyway where they both hid behind a dumpster.

As the two both panted, capturing their breath, he was surprised when Sam actually thanked him. Slowly lifting his hand off his shoulder, he allowed the merc to check his wound and looked at her, he simply nodded then responding with a "You too." she didn't have to help him out of there after all. With that over with, the two were on their way out of the alley and back to her place. Smirking and without making eye contact, he said "Your boyfriend owes me big time." he jested "I only take credits.".

Sam Sheridan

 

[Sam Sheridan]

As they walked back to her place, he made a light joke. She flashed a small smile but right as she was about to joke back, she spotted something. A street kid was stealing a wallet from a stranger and dashing right past her with it in hand. In one smooth motion she swiped the wallet from the kid's grip and fished out a handful of credits. She tossed one chip to the kid and slapped the wallet against the flabbergasted stranger's chest as they walked past. With her bored expression she counted the credits and then shoved them into Cas' pocket. "There we go. Twenty enough for you?" she joked with a smug grin.

It didn't take long before they reached her little apartment. Sam dumped her holsters on the kitchen counter and grabbed two beers from the fridge. She opened them both and handed Cas one of them. "Karking finally." she sighed before downing the bottle and tossing it in a bin. "Let's get that shoulder looked at." she ordered as she went to the bathroom to fetch a first aid kit. She motioned to the couch and got him to take off his shirt. "With a mouth like yours I expected something more impressive." she jested casually as she worked on cleaning the wound. In no time at all he was bandaged up with a healthy bacta layer covering the wound. Once she was done she dumped the first aid stuff on the dusty coffee table and sat back with a sigh. Just like before she reached for a cigarette, but didn't get further than lighting it before nipping it with a look of disgust. "Matt did a good job of ruining them for me, that's for sure." she admitted with a hint of amusement in her voice.

The light smile on her face disappeared as she looked at the floor. For several moments she was silent before clearing her throat. "I need to get out of this life." she confessed out of the blue. "Don't tell Matt or nobody. But I wanna get out. This mess..." she gestured to the direction of the burning palace. "It's not the first time. I've knocked on death's doorstep countless times. As a kid I killed to stay alive. As a teenager I heisted a lot of creds and killed a lot of innocent people. Now that way of living has given me reliable and good paying work as a merc." she looked at him with a look of sincerity. Her usually hard facial features were gentle and her gaze towards him was soft.

"But these days it's becoming too much. I'm getting tired of the killing and risking my life for pocket change. I want out of this life. No killing, no fearing for my life or those close to me, nothing. Just a simple life, maybe a starship or speeder mechanic or something. Just...not this." she confided in him, keeping her voice low as if she was letting him in on a big secret. For Sam, it pretty much was.

Her soft gaze hardened up again as she frowned, looking away with a look of shame on her face. "...I don't know why I said all that, just forget it." she grumbled as she got up, rubbing her forehead. She walked back to the kitchen counter and fished out a bottle of whiskey from under it. She leaned against it and took a swig of the bottle before holding it out towards him. "Drink some of this, it might help you grow some chest hair." she quipped dryly as she looked at him, struggling to find the will to smile at her poor attempt at a joke.

Cadere

 

[Cadere]

After his joke, the two would witness a pickpocket swipe a wallet off an unassuming stranger but before the kid could pass them - Sam, in a surprising feat of speed managed to swipe it from the kid's hand. After giving the kid a single chip and returning the stranger's wallet, Cas was shocked to see Sam place about twenty credits in his pocket. His humorous demeanour immediately shifted as he reached into his pockets, pulled out the credits and swiftly returned them to the stranger. Catching back up with Sam, he glared at her before chuckling "You keep me on my toes."

Once they had reached her apartment, Cas simply stood there and gently held his injured shoulder as Sam wandered into the kitchen. Right now, what he felt was a deep stinging pain, he just hoped it didn't have enough time to get infected. Cas accepted Sam's generosity and took the beer from her hand, taking a swig of it before, again, being surprised that the mercenary managed to chug it all in one go - "Wow." he said "I smell deep rooted personal issues." Cas jokingly stated, referring to her drinking habits.

When the foul-mouthed mercenary returned with a medical kit, Cas was directed to the couch where he, begrudgingly, took off his jacket and shirt. He wasn't ashamed of his body but being exposed in front of Sam made him feel awkward. Her teasing earned a light chuckle from the Padawan "Please, we both know this has got you feeling some kind of way about me now." he winked in a playful manner, she had a point though - he really needed to start working out again. When she'd finished patching him up, Cas let out a satisfied sigh, he was beginning to feel better already.

Cas watched as Sam pulled out her cigarette packet, dreading what she was about to do but... she didn't go through with it. Looking at her, he was about to make a joke before she mentioned her boyfriend "Right." he responded awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. What came next, he didn't see coming at all - uncharacteristically, Sams expression softened and she unloaded on him revealing that she in fact wanted to get out of this life, it wasn't something he was against that was for sure. As she did so, Cas watched Sam silently with wide-eyes and puckered lips, feeling a little awkward that she had just revealed all of that.

When she finished, her usual, cold and blank expression returned - he didn't need to be Force-sensitive to sense she regretted that. Cas shook his hand and his head declining her offer "Me and whiskey have a troubled past." he joked with a goofy smile, then his face fell serious "Look..." he called out, struggling to find the right words "... I get it. I'm no therapist but, I know I'm not significant in your life, so, it was probably easier for you to tell me all of that. Still, I'm honoured you felt comfortable enough to tell me all of that and I appreciate that you..." Cas cut himself off, he felt a rambling session coming on. The young Kiffar stood up and approached Sam, placing an affirming hand on her shoulder "This won't mean a lot coming from me-" he chuckled "As much of a pain in the ass you are, I don't wanna see you dead. Or anyone for that matter. I can get behind you turning legit. Hey, if you stick with me I can turn you into an upstanding citizen." he lightheartedly assured her.

Releasing his hand from her shoulder, he unconsciously let it hover between them slightly before asking Sam a question - "What'll Mathieu think of all this?"

Sam Sheridan

 

[Sam Sheridan]

Cas rejected her offer of the whiskey, earning a shrug from her. "Suit yourself. More for me." she quipped before taking another large swig. She looked up at him as he placed a hand on her shoulder, though she didn't make eye contact. She quietly listened to him as she nursed the bottle. He asked what Matt thought and she merely shrugged again. "I don't know. He'll probably be all for it, smiling all the way and making it seem like it's so easy. But it can't be so easy. It never is. If there's one thing I've learned in my miserable life it's that nothing is easy." she explained quietly, not looking up. "But I hope he'll be on board for this. He's the first good thing that's happened to me in a while." she confessed as she finally looked up.

She gave a smirk and took a large swig of the bottle, sighing with content. "You know, you're not so bad after all. Good looks too. If I weren't with Matt I'd have dragged you to the couch already." she admitted casually before taking another swig again of the bottle.

Her free hand idly played with her hair until she looked down at it. "I've been thinking of getting a haircut. You think I should?" she asked him calmly as she looked up at him with a hint of nervousness in her eyes.

Cadere