Vespa Dawn, chapter 2

[Rekha Kaarde]

She needed clothes and a map chit. She needed to phone home and tell the kiddies where she was and ask about the fort.

Seemed they got along fine, Rekha explained. They listened.

Rekha did her happy dance. Guys watched.

Unable to think of more to caution them on, she cut communications and headed towards the ship.

Hapan space outer rim places to see and hopefully see one drifting ship.

[member="Malcom Renolds"]

 

[Malcom Renolds]

The man was leaning up against bulkhead of his ship at the top of the loading ramp waiting, when he caught the sultry form of his newest partner. A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth as he pushed off from where he was leaning. "Welcome to home sweet home, darlin'. Come, let me give you the grand tour and then we can be off.

Normally he wasn't to find OS taking people around his vessel, but as they were going in on a mission by themselves, it only made sense to have her acquainted with where everything was in case of an emergency.

As the tour concluded, he wrapped it up. "And finally, this is my room, and that's your room." Despite their teasing and flirting, he didn't suggest anything to forward when showing the rooms. He wanted to show he could be professional too. "Anyway, when you're all situated, come meet me up on the bridge and we'll get those coordinates plotted in."

[member="Rekha Kaarde"]

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

[member="Malcom Renolds"]

Rekha saw him leaning on the ship as if he were advertising his business all he needed was a bit of straw hanging from his lip, and a sign. Her appreciative eye wandered over the ship, yes she looked like she could do it alright.

"Nice ship, cupcake" She smiled as they walked she liked the feel of the ship sitting still. The sounds didn't echo it was solid and full. Good all of this so far gave her confidence, he showed her the room, tossing her bag in, "I'm situated". She looked to his room, "you're not too far away I see" She winked at him as they moved toward the brain of the ship.

She pulled out the datapad and showed him the coordinates, "a few days in, few days or less on it, few days out" Rekha liked things that seemed simple, and yet so seldom were they ever that simple. Sliding into the co pilot seat she smiled and waited, "i'm ready" She shimmied herself to get comfortable.

 

[Malcom Renolds]

He hadn't even turned around before she simply tossed her bag in and declared she was ready. This woman was really starting to grow on him. Easy on the eyes, obviously. Adventurous, fun, and easy going. Fantastic. Never did care for those prissy uptight types that had to have everything perfect before they could do anything. Her comment and subsequent wink on the rooming arrangments brought on a smirk of his own. "Well of course. What kind of a host would I be if I wasn't nearby to take care of any needs you might have?"

Entering the bridge, he sat himself in the pilots chair and began to activate the engines and other systems. "Sounds good. A quiet little get away just for the two of us." A couple flipped switches later and the engines rumbled to life. "Navi computer online, feel free to enter those coordinates while I get us off this rock."

Taking the controls of the vessel, they soon found themselves airborne and about to break atmo. "So if you don't mind my asking, how did you manage to get tied up with the underground?"

[member="Rekha Kaarde"]

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

Rekha quickly had her fingers gliding across the keys punching in the numbers to take them the the precise location of the Vespa Dawn. Once complete she sighed heavily and sat back.

"The underground. I fell into it. It's all [member="Coren Starchaser"] and his side kick [member="Spark Finn"]. They said hey. There's a group. I Saud hmmm. So. Well I went. Bespin gets boring so you know a little slap tickle hunt some Sith meet some Jedi it's all good."

She smiled, "so um why aren't you part of it? and don't give me the make my own rules thing" green eyes blinked and waited. She wiggled her toes and stretched long day. She wasn't sure what made Mal tick but she would find out more during this little jaunt.

[member="Malcom Renolds"]

 

[Malcom Renolds]

He chuckled lightly as he stole a quick glance at her stretching form. "I'm a Mandalorian darlin'. We always make our own rules. But even beside that. I've just found I usually work better alone. Very difficult this day and age to find someone you can trust long enough to even get through a mission with, much less actually sign up with. Besides. If Mandalore calls for aid, I'd have to answer no matter what the underground needed. I don't sign up for things that would make it impossible for me to honor my word." He finished with a light shrug.

Turning back to the console now that she had entered the coordinates, he punched in a few commands and soon they saw white streaks flying across the transparasteel glass that covered the bridge viewport. Throwing his hand behind his head, the man continued. "Besides, I find the pay to be a bit better when you freelance for only a job or two as apposed to long term servitude." Another light chuckle escaped his lips as he meant the actual words used as more of a joke than anything else.

"What about you? Why do you so fervently supporting this group of rabble." He did say it in an almost endearing way. Malcom had always been a fan of underdogs, and as such like people such as the underground and rebel alliance.

[member="Rekha Kaarde"]

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

"I like company and giving a black eyes to the Sith every once in a while suits my sleeping capabilities " she smiled, "we've had other mando among us answer your leaders call never seemed a problem."

Rekha wiggled to get comfy, "I like the pay days with them. Transponders that get me past blockades friends who drink." She looked ahead to the passing space of white streaks. "Alone is ok until you can't stand it anymore"

Deep sigh.

Green eyes glance about.

"So. Food? Drink? " she was already hungry.



[member="Malcom Renolds"]

 

[Malcom Renolds]

He eyed the woman trying to figure her out. She was quite the determined little thing, seemingly not capable of accepting no as an answer. Not that he minded. That kind of stick to itness was what got the job done when all else failed. From the way she spoke though, Malcom was guessing there was more aof a reason to her devotion than simple pay, drinking buddies, and a chance to hit the Sith. You could do that with just about anyone. Still, the man also knew when he saw a hopeless case of trying to pry.

"I'm going to have to work out a deal with you for those transponder codes if you're saying they are operational now. As for the lonely thing..." Here he stopped to think about it for a second. Being an introvert, Malcom was rarely annoyed with having only himself for company. But then the way she said it had him curious. "...I suppose being a lone wolf all the time can definitely have its drawbacks. It's just finding that right partner is what's difficult." The hunter finished with a mischevious grin, curious how they would operate together.

Gesturing with his head to the direction of the door, he smiled. "Well of course. Food, drink, and guns. A few of my favorite things, those are.". Leading her to the galley, he pointed out the fridge. " Help yourself." Malcom said hospitably as he moved on over to the liquor cabinet. Pulling out a bottle of wreyren's reserve rum, he held it up to her. "This work for you?"

[member="Rekha Kaarde"]

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

“Partners are never hard to find, its making sure they don’t stick you in the shebs when a better offer comes their way” Rekha was following Mal didn’t hurt to be honest with him what the feth they were in a small ship, traveling together. If it came down to it , well it was her vs him.

“Food, great. Got anything like really sickening sweet, and then something salty crunchy” Rekha moved to the fridge and began perusing what was inside, she turned when he said will this do.

The color drained from her face damn. DAMN. She nodded, “Yeah that will do just great” Did everyone in the galaxy carry that bottle? At one time it was hard as feth to get now BAM there it was. She turned back to the fridge, yep..hide your face.

She reached in and found something that might do it for her a container of…bantha? Ok…that worked, and ooo chips. Now that was more like it.

“I can make something out of all this in your fridge you seem to like leftovers, or your making too much” She turned holding the containers much like a juggling act.

[member="Malcom Renolds"]

 

[Malcom Renolds]

"Sickeningly sweet? Naa. There might be some semi sweet stuff in there. But I haven't really been one for dessert. Salty, there should be plenty...and yes, I do love my left overs. Makes food prep quick and easy." He shrugged as he poured a couple shots of his rum of choice. "I'm naturally lazy, but I'll work when I have too." Malcom finished with a smirk while walking over with her shot. Though he did let her set her assortment of items down before actually offering the glass to her.

He was thinking about her bit of honesty though with double crossers. "As for betrayers. You needn't worry about me darlin'. I'll live up to my end of the bargain. You'll only have to fear me if you try to pull a fast one. Besides, if all works out, one should never bite the hand that feeds it. Wouldn't want to miss out on more credits...or fine partners in the future." He finished with a wink before helping her sort stuff out.

"So what you thinking about making with all this stuff?"

[member="Rekha Kaarde"]

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

[SIZE=12pt]“Fast one me?” She looked over at him, “Hell I spent half the night trying to convince you to do this, and you’re worried about me?” She laughed, “I find that funny”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]Rekha pushed the containers around, and then reached down for the knife in her boot, she always had it. Grabbing a towel from nearby she wiped it down and began opening container, and sliding through the vegetables, and the leftover bantha.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“My cook Jared is always telling me how to do things, so leftovers usually end up either fried or stewed. Tonight you get fried, I’m in the mood for crispy salty” She moved through the meat quickly, [member="Dekkan Fray"] had taught her to do that at the diner. [/SIZE]


[SIZE=12pt]“I’m hoping we find the lock box in a safe, the gems are small, and would likely be in the Captains quarters, now there might be some other things on there salvageable but I’m not sure. It’s’ been out there a bit and may be stripped of most things, but…no one knew about the box.” She smiled [member="Aiden Merritt"] had passed that tidbit to her.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]As she headed to the stove, pulling out a pan and adding everything to it, “Think stir fry” She shuffled the pan about.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]“There should be a place on Nar Shadaa or we can risk the Cluster and see about going to Hapes and getting a deal.” She looked over at him, he was kinda cute, and she’d give him that. “What do you think?”[/SIZE]

 

[Malcom Renolds]

He wasn't going to try and justify his comment and tell her he was referring to her trying to cut him out of the deal and leave him standing there with nothing, not that the gems weren't real. Malcom knew what he meant, and she would to if that moment ever arrived and she tried to take it. Instead, he simply smiled and let her continue on with what she was saying.

"Sounds good." He said with a shrug when she said they were having a fried stir fry of some sort. The Mando was always up to try new things. And whatever she was doing was smelling pretty good too.

When Rehka got to the part on where they could take the gems to sell, he tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Hmmm. Well I'm used to working on Nar Shadaa and no more of the shops there. But I would be fine heading to the cluster if you think we could get a better deal. Aren't they a rather secretive and isolated bunch? Because if they don't really appreciate visitors....I say just go to Nar Shadaa. Better safe than sorry."

He raised his shot and took a small sip while he waited to hear her thoughts.

[member="Rekha Kaarde"]

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

He was a bit insulting wasn’t he? Though it was good to know he thought about it, and now it would linger in her mind, was he going to double cross her? After all this effort to try and get his help, and…if he were. Well he best make sure she was dead for she would look for and find him.

But. That was not now. Right now they were headed off, she was cooking. She looked at him, “make yourself useful and find two bowls please” She was almost done. Steak and veggies, dinner, and breakfast of champions.

“I’m hoping when we find the ship, we are able to find a few other things on it. Though Aiden is a trustworthy bugger, I know he only tells me so much.”

She pushed everything around in the pan.

[member="Malcom Renolds"]