Private Woman and Machine

[Ortega Krayt]

Krieg, Heimskringla

Tag: Aerith Krayt |

Spoiler: Clubbing on Krieg

<"What do you mean Half price?!"> The Chiss mandalorian demanded, Planting her fist against the club table, Her voice crackling through her imperial supercommando helm like an angry droid's. Across from the duraplast encased mercenary was a sleazy looking querren thug, Who simply laughed.

"The contract was for 20 gamorrean heads. You only brought me 19."

<"And? I wiped out the warparty, Just because one slipped past your idiot mercs doesn't mean-">

"I've heard enough mando. Half. Price. You missed one, You failed the job, That's your problem." The querren slaps the credits on the table and crosses his arms. The chiss wasn't negotiating today.

<"Ugh! Fine. But I'm done working for your chitty guild."> She says, Snatching up the credits and pocketing them while getting up, Headed off to the bar for a drink most likely.

The querren however wouldn't be satisfied without getting one last word; "Do what'cha like mando! But that little blue tribe of yours won't last long without the guild's protection. The empire has no use for shrewd businesswomen such as yourself, Haha!"

By the manda... What she wouldn't do to put this place back under mandalorian control. Real mandalorian control, Not the fake freedom the empire had "gifted" them. But, She had her tribe to look out for now, And starting a war would only hurt them. Her sister had already lost so much when they stood against one empire, There was no point in getting her killed by the next...

Little did she know however, That she would be offered a new home for herself and her tribe. Aloy Vizsla had dispatched Aerith Krayt to find the chiss mandalorian, Unbeknownst to herself. The chiss had served Darsch Vizsla during her time as Warmaster of clan Naudir, And when Aloy had learned of the Chiss Naudir's survival, It was decided that she and her tribe could be of use to the Nite Owls and the Mandalorian Union, And so Owl Aerith had been sent to find and recruit her.

She was however, Blissfully unaware, And merely sitting at the bar ordering drinks, Her shifty red eyes darting from place to place as she examined the other bounty hunters around her. Was this how far she had fallen? From captain of the royal guard to keeping company with these scum? No matter, She had her sister to look after now, And this was the only mandalorian way for her to make credits now...

 

[Aerith Krayt]

Tag: Ortega Naudir

As the Dragon Pearl began to settle down, Aerith unhooked herself from the Navigational Computer, moving now to link herself into her armor. It wasn't a process she enjoyed, but given she had no one else on board the ship to watch her 'get dressed' as she called it, she very much so at ease. Stepping into the work bay, she powered up the work station, and waited for the droids to do their work. Her suit stood, unmoving, awaiting it's wear to don it, something that would take several minutes, as she felt the droid arms lock around her mid section, uncoupling her arms and legs and placing them gently into storage. The chest cavity of her suit opened, the connection points for her arms and legs illuminated as the droid arms positioned her into her suit, before detaching and withdrawing back to their place on the work station. Feeling her limbs become connected with the suit, Aerith sucked in a breath as the chest cavity closed onto her, the aqua helmet coming down over her head, a sharp 'sting' entering the back of her head, as her eye and HUD were connected.

Text began to scroll across the screen, as information about her suit flashed before her eyes. It was something of a comfort now, knowing her suit was functional, her invulnerable shell would keep her safe from here on out.

Not one could ever hurt her so long as she put it on.

Initiating System Check: Zero Percent.
Weapons Check: Satisfactory.
Hydraulics Check: Satisfactory.
Deflector Shield Check: Satisfactory.
Cybernetic Integration Check: Satisfactory.
System Check: Complete.
Smiling faintly, Aerith stepped forward, her legs whirling in response, as it was clear that everything was in working condition. Just another day in paradise, no one would be able to screw with her today. Bringing up the image of the woman she was sent to find, she ran the image through her facial recognition software and disembarked. Her plan? Hit up every cantina and find a girl with the right shade of blue.

With any luck, she'd be done before the day ended.

Combing through her third Cantina, Aerith found her mark, or at least the body types matched up; it was a little hard to tell from behind after all. Seeing what she believed was her mark, the cyborg moved forward, and standing at over six feet tall, it was a little hard to not notice her approaching. There was something about the color blue that she always enjoyed, perhaps it reminded her of Drommund Kaas during her childhood; before all the surgeries and torture stole that away from her. Or maybe it just reminded her of her armor. Either way, once she reached the bar, the Cyborg attempted to slide in next to her, her voice nearly droid like as she spoke. "Are you Ortega? If so, I got a proposition for you. If not well...." Aerith halted, her head trying to think of how to go about this. Social interaction was her worst skill by far. "I don't have a proposition for you in that case."

Smooth Aerith. Real smooth. Leaning onto the bar, Aerith quickly realized that to be a mistake, as the metal began to warp with her weight and pressure added onto it. She instead moved herself back, hovering over the barstool as she didn't wish to destroy it under her suit. Perhaps this was a mistake sending her for this mission. She was making a damn fool of herself.

 

[Ortega Krayt]

Tag: Aerith Krayt |

She could hear the cyborg, or droid or whatever it was approaching the moment it had entered the bar. Her first thought was something along the lines of How do I fight it? Quickly running through the scenarios in her head however, And it quickly became apparent that she didn't have the equipment to handle the hulking machine right now. Her second instinct was to mentally run through all possible escape routes, Which she had calculated quickly, But it was too late. the cyborg had already drawn near, And her possible routes went from precisely 315 to 3 plausible means of escape.

But, To her surprise, The machine was no bounty hunter. The empire hadn't terminated her contract and her along with it.

" Are you Ortega? If so, I got a proposition for you. If not well.... "
. . .
. . .
. . .
" I don't have a proposition for you in that case. "

She turns to give the apparently feminine cyborg a once over, Scanning her with her glowing red eyes and a single raised brow, Distorting the black warpaint that slid down in streaks from her eyes like grim tears. The first thing to catch her attention were the Nite Owl signets painted on the warrior's pauldrons. Interesting, Is she mandalorian?

Curiosity peaked, She turns back to the table and sips her spotchka, Letting the glowing blue liquid satisfy her taste buds before speaking in neutral, If not cautious tone.

"Who wants to know? You a bounty hunter or just so paranoid that you need power armor to fetch a lowlife lowly mercenary such as myself?" It was a joke of course, But then, Ortega was never good at expressing her sense of humor.

 

[Aerith Krayt]

Tag: Ortega Naudir

Aerith had done crazy things in her past before. She was an assassin after all, or used to be, not to mention had charged head long into the field of battle to fight Sith Warmechs and trying to throw down the walls of Bastion. She would dare say she was unflinching for the most part, very few things could catch her off her guard. But every now and then, something managed to slip through and shatter what unflinching manner she had. Such as right now.

As her target turned to meet her, she found herself a bit taken about by the red glow to her eyes, something that the war paint only called more attention to. Going silent, Aerith blinked several times, her eyes fixated on the anomaly before her, as she tried to figure out what to do now. She had heard of this species before, but what were they called?

Match Found.

Aerith nearly jumped out of her skin as the message flashed in her HUD, as a high light of Ortega's face displayed across her cybernetics. The data streamed up in short order, confirming what Aerith had forgotten; Ortega was a Chiss. The woman took a drink from her cup, giving a remark that Aerith wasn't sure how to take, but her first instinct was to get defensive. Though as she went to speak, she found a sense of unease creeping over her as she stared into the ruby eyes of the woman, something that made her want to just melt into her armor and hide. It wasn't a sensation she cared for, and certainly not one that assisted her in this mission right now. So, she did the most reasonable thing she could do, averting her gaze away from the woman, head craning away from Ortega's direction. Instead, Aerith focused her efforts on responding to the accusation levied before her. First of all, she wasn't paranoid, and secondly, even if she didn't have the armor, she was certain she could handle a Chiss upstart. Probably. Though Ortega stated she was merely a low life merc, from the quick glances Aerith took from the corner of her eye, the woman certainly wasn't built like one. Besides, Aloy would never be interested in some low life joining their ranks.

Hand tightening, Aerith let out a breath, relaxing her hand as she did so. She really needed to work on her anger management. "Aloy Viszla, of the Nite Owls. Said you do good work." Keeping her gaze towards the bar, away from the Chiss woman staring her down, her gaze fixating at the slightly bent bar table she was hovering infront of, trying to grapple with the paranoia question; probably for a bit longer than Aerith herself knew How could she not be parinoid? She still got the nightmares, nearly every week they came back, leaving her wondering how long she might have before they came back for her. How long could she still be hereself? And who was she really, aside from just another Sith killer? These were questions she never learned how to grapple with, and awnsers she wasn't sure how to obtain. "Given Aloy wanted you, I'm considering the potential this might go south. In which case, I'm prepared." She responded, the tone cold, as the modulator continued it's work. Daring to look at the woman once more, Aerith tilted her head in Ortega's direction, eyes fixated on the woman's neckline so she could at least look like she was staring in the woman's direction. "So, I take it you are Ortega?" The woman hadn't outright objected to it, so Aerith had to assume this was her target; not to mention the facial software checked out.

 

[Ortega Krayt]

Tag: Aerith Krayt |

"Doesn't ring a bell." She states in an equally cold tone, Going back to her drink while her ruby eyes stared at nothing in particular, A look of deep thought evident within.

"The only thing I recognize is Vizsla. My queen had a lover by that name. Darsch Vizsla. But then, She never mentioned an Aloy. And last I heard, Darsch died on Aeten II about three years ago.."

Something about this didn't seem right, But then, Perhaps she was overthinking it? Aloy could have been a relative, Or simply an associated. But who were these "Nite Owls" ? They weren't the original, That's for sure. The Nite Owls of legend had faded with history over the past thousand years or so. The cyborg had peaked her curiosity, That much was certain, But the chiss had other matters to tend, And curiosity had only brought her people suffering recently.

"I am indeed Ortega. Captain of the guard to Queen Vhei Naudir, My aunt. And to Darsch Vizsla, My Warmaster, Once upon a time."
Her tone is mournful as she stands from her seat, Paying for her drink with a few imperial credits as she turns away.

"That was a long time ago, Nite Owl. Only thing left that concerns me is my sister and my tribe. Aloy and this mandalore of yours will have to look after themselves, Just like my people... We've bled enough for outsiders."

And just like that, She was already sliding her helm on as she walked towards the door, Side cape and holsters swaying with each step as she hurried to leave, To return to the desert where she belonged.

 

[Aerith Krayt]

So, this wasn't working at all. Seeing the woman go back to drink, explaining her life story in the process, Aerith fumbled with a way to persuade her into coming back with her. It wasn't going to be easy. After all, words weren't really Aerith's strong suit. She responded, her head turning to the side as she got a nice side view of Ortega. Just as she thought, Ortega wasn't just a merc, she was a soldier after all. Just like her. Well, what she used to be. Still, she could see the regrets that were shown across the woman's face. It was a feeling that Aerith was used to, but thanks to the helmet, hardly anyone could see how pained her expressions were now. She was just another disenfranchised soldier, probably just drifting like Aerith wanted to do at times.

As Ortega began to set down her credits, Aerith could see her dilemma she now faced. Ortega was going to leave, and she wasn't even close in getting the woman to come back. Aloy wasn't going to like that one bit, and truthfully....Aerith wasn't willing to give up that easily. Success was quite literally beaten into her after all, but how could she get this woman to come back with her? To Aerith's relief, the helmet came on, banishing those devious eyes from tormenting her any further. Least she could make eye contact now without having a system error. Still, Ortega had to be coming back with her, but how?

Then it clicked with, Darsch wasn't dead. No, actually Darsch was very much alive. Damn it, why didn't she lead with that? "Actually, Darsch Vizsla is still alive. She's the one who adopted Aloy into the clan." Sitting upright, Aerith would follow the woman as she slide on her helmet, trying to make her way out of the cantina; all the while a bumbling cyborg was in hot pursuit. "Listen, you've been here for what? Three years? You don't have much going on, and clearly you aren't getting your credits worth out of it." The whirling of her suit indicated that Aerith was still behind Ortega, but the woman just didn't stop, nor would she. "I'm giving you a chance to put yourself to use. I mean we are, but-" She stopped, words starting to congregate and block her from making sense-able words. "Do you want to do something with your life, or just waste away here in mundanity? You are a warrior, don't let this be how it ends." She wasn't sure where those words came from, but they felt right. Perhaps they came from a place that the cyborg herself had been, just a few months ago in a cell on Mandalore.
Tag: Ortega Naudir

 

[Ortega Krayt]

Tag: Aerith Krayt |

<"Alive?"> She stops suddenly, Mere inches from the door. By her tone, She was just as relieved as she was shocked to hear of Darsch's survival. The news had just earned the cyborg a prolonged audience with the Ex-captain, Causing her to turn and hear the woman out.

"Listen, you've been here for what? Three years? You don't have much going on, and clearly you aren't getting your credits worth out of it."

<"Hmph."> She crosses her arms, Lifting her chin a little higher than before and making "eye contact" over the very edge of her visor. She wasn't being paid nearly enough for this chit, That much was true. She'd rather be fighting for her people anyway.
But... She had stayed for a reason.

The cyborg's next words however, Caused her to raise a brow beneath her helm.

" I'm giving you a chance to put yourself to use. I mean we are, but- "

" Do you want to do something with your life, or just waste away here in mundanity? You are a warrior, don't let this be how it ends. "

She looks to the side suddenly, Staring at the floor while her grip tightened on her own arms, Straining both the leather over her hands and the synthweave undersuit beneath them, Choked by the now obvious beskar gauntlet on her right hand, Which seemed to whir almost like Aerith's cybernetics.

<"I... I don't want this either, Nite Owl. But... I have people here I care about. Family. I can't just leave my sister here alone, Not with the the horde out there...">

<"I'm sorry."> Those words hurt her almost as much as the nite owl's mission. She didn't want to die here, Not under an imperial banner, And not to a damned gamorrean axe. But she had to stay for Ko'tii. Someone had to raise her the way her mother would have, The way a mandalorian would have.
She may have failed The Queen, But she wouldn't fail Ko'tii.

 

[Aerith Krayt]

Tag: Ortega Naudir

For a moment, Aerith thought she had the woman's attention, that maybe she had won the Chiss over. The little show casing of attitude indicated that Ortega was getting fed up with her, but if that was the case than tough luck; Aerith was here for a reason after all. Though it quickly became apparent that she had no such luck. The whirling of the woman's arm drew her attention, but the response that followed wasn't to her liking. Why did Aloy send her on this assignment anyways?

Under the visor, Aerith's brow twitched at being called Nite owl. It hearkened back to how she was treated under the Sith. 'Gladius'. Yes, the sharp tool to cut away problems. After all, who else to kill his political enemies than one's own flesh and blood. Family. The word that Ortega spoke sent Aerith on a trip, the sort that she was left to grapple with. For a moment, Aerith stood there, mind drifting back to her time in labs, her limbs being torn away, the burning of electronics and the smell of burnt wire filled her nostrils. She lost herself for a moment, her thoughts stretching on before they came to a sudden halt. She needed to focus on her mission. The past could wait. As Ortega began to step away, something sprung out of Aerith."Aerith. My name is Aerith."She blurted out, stepping forward to try and plea to the woman once more. "Listen, you can bring your sister. And if you need help with the Horde, I can lend a hand. Just...come on."

She sputtered, her hand coming up as if she was in the midst of a shrug. "Mandalorian's take care of each other. If you have some unresolved problem, tell me, and we can sort it out." Yea, it was pretty pitiful. And she was fully aware that she wasn't coming on strong. But this wasn't about a show of strength, this was about getting someone to get out of their mundane life. Or perhaps, trying to stop someone from living the same life she had tried for a time.

 

[Ortega Krayt]

Tag: Aerith Krayt |

The chiss craned her head to the side in curiosity. The cyborg woman was being awfully... Human, For someone of her nature, Something Ortega was neither used too but not opposed to these days. "Aerith" as she called herself looked more like a machine of war than a compassionate human, Certainly more so than the chiss herself, Making her rethink just how far she'd really fallen, And yet this cybernetic death machine had not only offered her aid, But reminded her of the community she once belonged to.

. . .

<"Okay, Aerith. You've got yourself a deal. We protect my tribe from that horde, And I'll come with you to meet this Aloy.">

She holds her hand out to shake Aerith's. Whether she took it or not, The quick briefing came shortly after.

<"The gamorreans raid the brightlands 'round this time of year. Every year. So, Me and the lads beat 'em back each time. But this year? The feral pigs have been craftier than ever before, And their warchief has rallied more than usual.">

<"My tribe... Our village was damn near overrun last time, So, I've been trying to buy a big enough ship or enough speeders for us to travel to the Shi'lai'yaim and take shelter there. But I fear time's running out. So, We go to my village, A day or so's ride south of here, Either evacuate them or kill all the piggies. After, My sister and I... We'll come with you.">

It was a bit of a gamble, Trusting this outsider with her sister like that, But if she could provide a better life for Ko'tii, Well, Worth a shot. And if Aerith was telling the truth, Perhaps she'd get more out of it than simply stability.

 

[Aerith Krayt]

Tag: Ortega Naudir

Aerith found she had been holding her breath as she awaited Ortega's reply, but found herself exhaling as the answer came back. It was a relief to know that she could stop trying to be convincing, now she could just go back to her stoic self. She had already shown too much under the visor than she would have liked, but at least that concern would no longer be a factor. Seeing the hand being offered to her, Aerith took it, shaking it respectfully. "Sounds simple enough." She responded, her cybernetics were practically itching for some action right now. With the briefing that followed, Aerith was a tad relieved at what she would have to deal with. Gamorreans? Really? All she had to do was kill some pigs? Seemed simple enough. The terms that the woman used weren't known to the cyborg, but the basics were rather simple. Kill Gamorreans, get the Chiss. Done and done. "Well, if you just need to put them in a village, my ship can hold quite few people. Could pack some people up, drop them off, and kill off some piglets just for the hell of it. At least keep your people out of harm." She offered, trying to think how many people she could store in the cargo hold of the Dragons Pearl. Well, she could get her whole clan onboard without a problem, so a village of people....should at least be able to squeeze twenty or so.

"Either way, I'm in. The new hardware hasn't really had a good test anyways." She responded, holding up her gun arm as she cycled through her three weapons loaded on board. Several onlookers would be drawn to the rather obvious 'clanking' of the Mandalorian's power suit, but Aerith didn't care. Hell, the more that people thought her a droid the better. Turning her attention to the woman, Aerith offered her full attention once more, as now that they had an objective, they needed a method in which to get there. "So, how were you planning on getting back home? I can fly us if you just point me along the way." A pause followed, as Aerith realized she had slipped up once again. Talking like this wasn't in her wheel house. In fact, she was talking way too much. But why? Shai had been the only one that had gotten words out of her before, but that was before the pair's falling out. Now? Well, she couldn't be sure. Regardless, Aerith's gun arm retracted, coming back down to her side as the cyborg reigned herself in. She was too unfocused to get to fighting with this might set, and she wasn't here to make friends. No, focus on the mission; why was she having such a hard time with this today?

 

[Ortega Krayt]

Tag: Aerith Krayt |

She gives Aerith a satisfactory nod <"That'll do. There's a little less than 20 of us in total, No thanks to the damn raiders. Only a few of us are mandalorian, And the raiders have been employing vehicles that are tough to crack, Else i'd have cleared the horde myself... I was planning on taking my speeder, But I'd rather fly then, Better than a sore sheb on a day's ride" She chuckles ever so slightly before turning out of the cantina, Her visor immediately adjusting to the eternally oppressive sunlight of Krieg, Shining through the mist of the ring, Though it'd no doubt burn more intensely the further she went.

<"I suppose I should be thanking you,"> She says over her shoulder during her walk to... wherever they were headed, Likely the docking bays <"Your suit looks... Powerful, A real aid to this fight. I know I'm just an asset for your this Vizsla woman, But this will be a great help to my people. They can finally rest easy without the monsters, Yet they'll be too far out for imperial entanglements as well. And I... I can finally disappear elsewhere, My sister too.">

A sad way to look at it maybe, But realistic in her opinion. With mandalore reclaimed, Her sister could be brought up by real mandalorians. Her tribe could live in the safety of the Shi'lai'yaim and she could finally sit back and "Relax" like everyone always told her. Though in reality, That probably meant crawling into a bottle of tihaar and falling into obscurity. But then, What paths were left to her? She'd failed to protect her Queen, the very duty she had been trained for her entire life. Maybe it was time to settle down elsewhere, Set the armor aside for a time.

 

[Aerith Krayt]

Tag: Ortega Naudir

To Aerith's relief, the numbers she was told to provide for was well within her range. She felt a great pressure be lifted from her shoulders, knowing that she wouldn't have to stress about seeing this task be done. "I can fit everyone on board. Might be cramped, but it won't be that bad." She reasoned, listening to Ortega's explanation of the situation, as the Cyborg focused on getting the pair back to her docking bay. Of course, Aerith only managed to retreat back to her reserved persona for a few moments before the Chiss began to question her on her gear. Thankfully the grunt that Aerith gave was suppressed by the sounds of her suit, though she was blushing rather intensely under the helmet.

"You aren't an asset. In Aloy's mind, you are long lost family. Regardless, I'll help you with your people. It's...the least I can do." She responded, her steps quickening as she pushed ahead of Ortega, intent on avoiding any more conversations. The woman had distracted her enough today. There would not be another. The last person she had said this much to was Shai, and that woman had nearly met her end at Aerith's hands. If Aerith had it her way, the rest of the trip would be done in silence. Arriving at her ship however, she would lead Ortega on board, speaking for the first time in several minutes. The odd shape of the ship would perhaps catch the Chiss' eye, though it opened up regardless. "This is the Dragons Pearl." She said, her tone still robotic and cold as they stepped into the main hold of the ship. At first glance, everything looked neatly filed away, almost spotless in every aspect. Which given it was fresh off the line, it was to be expected.

But as the pair moved towards the cockpit, several cybernetics had been left out near the workshop, namely a pair of legs and arms belonging to Aerith; something the cyborg had overlooked. Seeing her mistake, Aerith grumbled, her hand clenching as she contemplated hastily throwing her parts into a compartment before they were noticed, but decided against it. With all the people they would rack up, she couldn't hide it forever. A large circular shaped device sat in the corner of the workshop, as well as several armor and weapon pieces that had been left around the room. "Pardon the mess, I didn't expect to have more than yourself joining me." She apologized, hastily moving to the cockpit, and spinning up a map display of the local area. Aerith would wait for Ortega of course before continuing; hoping the woman wasn't going to fiddle with her cybernetics as she waited. "I don't know where your village is, but if you could just so kindly point it out, I can get us there." Aerith commented, her left arm plugging into a link port at the helm, joining the cyborg with that of the ship; though to Ortega it looked as if Aerith had plugged her finger into a Scomp Link.

 

[Ortega Krayt]

Tag: Aerith Krayt |

" You aren't an asset. In Aloy's mind, you are long lost family. "

<"If you say so."> Otega didn't believe it personally. There was no reason to send someone of Aerith's confidence and perhaps capabilities unless retrieving an asset. It was a cold, Simple reality that Ortega had grown used to over the years. The Nite Owls wanted something from her, Else they wouldn't be here. That was a fact of life.

The trip from there was largely silent. Aerith seemed disinterested in speaking and Ortega knew better than to pry further, So she was content to simply march behind her, Mostly ignoring the busy but misty streets of Heimskringla, Which was full of mandalorians and imperial personnel going about their day. That mist slowly dissipated as they neared the docking bays where ships were coming in and out, Wafting the fog away with each pass.

One such ship was rather unique, Modern looking in comparison, Like some kind of mon calamari design but... Different. Better. Soon they stopped in front of that ship, Aerith introducing it as "The Dragon's Pearl".

<"Hm. Like a Krayt Dragon pearl?">

Finally they boarded and Ortega was met with a clean interior with enough space for her people, Good. It gave her a familiar military feeling that she hadn't felt since her Queen died, Causing her to assume her usual pose with her hands clasped together behind her back beneath her cloak and her posture straight, Chin up in a way that made her look like one of the many imperial officers they had passed earlier.

Further in however, The chambers weren't quite as tidy, With cybernetic parts scattered on nearby tables, The limbs informing Ortega that her new... Co-worker was more machine than woman. Physically at least.

"Pardon the mess, I didn't expect to have more than yourself joining me. " With Aerith setting herself up in the cockpit, Ortega couldn't help but pick up one of the arms, Turning it over and studying the internals while Aerith prepared. 'Interesting. Sith make.'

<"No need, Your ship your rules.">

<"I'll plug in the coordinates now, Should be a quick flight due south ma'am."> She puts the arm down gently and makes her way to the cockpit, Inputting the coordinates into the nav computer and then assuming her pose again, Standing there looking out the window with her hands behind her back again.

 

[Aerith Krayt]

Tag: Ortega Krayt

"Well, when they asked for a name it just...seemed appropriate. I'm not very creative in case you didn't know." She explained, getting a tad hot under the Beskar if she was being honest. Perhaps it was a bit on the nose, but Aerith rather liked the name. It was fitting, you know, given the Krayt Dragon and everything. Well, at least she thought it was clever. Maybe if River Kryze hadn't blind sided her with naming the ship she could have come up with something better.

Hoping against hope that the faded Sith decals of her cybernetics went unnoticed, Aerith was accessing her navigation controls, though she had several moments to admire the Chiss as she awaited the coordination inputs. There was something about this one that just....interested her. Perhaps it was the military manner in which she carried herself, or the military attitude she sported.

Regardless, Aerith had a hard time taking her eyes off the Chiss, though feeling the input be registered from Ortega's coordinates be slotted in, and with it Aerith began to map out the course. Punching in the auto pilot, she calculated how long it would take to reach the planet: Ten Minutes at quarter engine power. Plenty of time for small talk. Pulling out of the port, Aerith turned to face the woman, her mind trying to figure out where to take the conversation now.

"So...come here often?" She bumbled out, her head dropping down as she realized how stupid that sounded. Thankfully, she could process faster than most humans, which she quickly put to good use. "To Heimskringla, I mean. You said you worked for your queen. Do you often battle these Pig creatures by yourself?" Aerith knew the feeling of fighting a losing battle all to well.

Hell, she wasted half of her life trying that. The truth of the matter was that she couldn't kill enough Sith to topple the Empire, but it made her feel a hell of alot better when she did so. It hadn't gotten her very far truthfully, in fact it probably made everything worse. True, she ended up serving the Mandalorians now, but....well there was blood on her hands. Blood that she would never be able to wash away. "It's impressive, regardless. To stand against an army on your own. Not something I would recommend." Speaking from personal experience. "But it's an impressive feat regardless." Of course, she left that middle portion out. The fewer that knew about her past the better; no one liked the whole Sith Assassin backstory anyways. Her eyes drifted to the small map that displayed their journey.

 

[Ortega Krayt]

Tag: Aerith Krayt |

<"I used to"> She chuckled gently at Aerith's choice in words while glancing at the cyborg over her shoulder, Still maintaining her militaristic pose <"Once upon a time anyway. I used to live in this city, Actually. There's a large fortress on the eastern side of the island where my family used to live. I was the Queen's niece you see. So, I suppose more than captain of the guard to her. Once."

She looks back at the dusty plains forming in the distance as they begin approaching the desert where she had been born. Funny, To think that she'd escaped them and come to grow up in a palace with her family. How far she had fallen since then.

"Anyway. I do battle these creatures, But not alone. There are a few that stubbornly chose to follow me despite my fall. Men and women that guarded the queen, Even when I could not. We may no longer guard our queen... But we kill monsters all the same."

There is a moment of silence before she finally regains her composure enough to let Aerith see her without dropping her usual stoic mask. She removes her helm, Setting it on the Dashboard and sitting down in the co-pilot's seat while running her fingers through her raven hair.

"And what of you, Aerith? You look like you probably kill lots. You hunt specific prey or just what these Nite Owls tell you to?"

 

[Aerith Krayt]

Tag: Ortega Krayt

So, the hometown girl? Yea, it seemed about right. Funny, it reminded Aerith of her time on Dromund Kaas. She used to be someone that was important. Yes, the daughter to a Sith Knight, a potential prospect for training under some minor noble. Except, that wasn't the life that fleshed out for her. No, she was the little experiment for her fathers 'prestige'. In the end, all that prestige got him was a personal grave a few years later than he deserved. 'Your just a piece of property, that's all you ever were to me.' Her father really should have picked some better last words, she might have gotten him a tombstone if they humored her enough.

At least Ortega wasn't fighting a losing war by herself, that much was more manageable to deal with. At least in Aerith's mind. One man wars usually turned the wager into something of a monster, of someone so devoid of hope they were better off dead. As Aerith listened to the Chiss, her eyes widened in alarm as the helmet was taken off by Ortega, revealing her face once again. Finding herself flustered once more, Aerith sought to distract herself by staring at the map; though sadly it didn't work at all. Ortega probably noticed the side glance that the cyborg gave in her direction, though Aerith wouldn't admit it even if she was called out for it.

Of course, it wasn't long after the Chiss' prodding that Aerith had the question tossed back at her, the response prompted her to dip her head down in the search for a better answer. You look like you probably kill lots. She didn't know the half of it. She killed so many that it just sorta left her feeling numb at the thought; only exception to that seemed to be anything aligned to the Sith now a days. "I used to just kill people. That's what I'm used to hunting anyways. Now I just hunt Sith, and find allies where I can." She answered, her head actively trying to avoid glancing at the woman. "I was with the NIO for a time, just wanted to kill Sith, then realized that they were just insolent jackasses out to stroke their egos. Now I'm doing more or less the same, save I know what my side is about this time." She elaborated a bit further, her head jerking up as they were nearing the settlement according to the display, prompting Aerith to cycle through landing protocols as the ship's speed began to slow. "Check the life sign sensors for me, if there's any trouble inbound I can pester them long enough for your people to get to safety." She commented, her voice still sounding cold and droid like, while idly she wondered just how many people she could afford to fight with this suit.