Private You Again?

[Phineas Karr]

"Sounds like this might be the last time we are around each other then darlin'."

Phineas had been special forces before joining this group. Sure, he could fly and he enjoyed it, just wasn't his main focus in life. Not like it was for Naomi Carolina .Which was fine, everyone had their own interests. Phin didn't know how to take the fact they probably wouldn't be seeing each other again - if they found her family alive she definitely going to be occupied.

"I'm sure we will find her...if not, we will find at least one of them."

The little rust bucket was fine to land, Naomi landing them at the massive spaceport. He quickly put on a holster and a blaster, grabbing a knife and...that was about it. Being too armored to the teeth would mean bringing attention they didn't need. Phineas decided he looked like a space or run of the mill smuggler and that was perfect. No one glanced twice.

Ramp was lowered and he went to the droid to pay their docking fees. Getting unwanted attention from a fine wouldn't help them. Blue eyes squinted around, looking at the spaceport. The entire planet felt off.

"Wonder where this Blue Sun is..." The redhead was mainly muttering to himself. Until the spaceport attendant droid spoke up.

[ Lanta Lounge. Entertainment District.]

Phineas looked to Naomi.

"Lets go."

 

[Naomi Carolina]

"Sounds like this might be the last time we are around each other then darlin'."

The teen blinked. A small roll of her hazels as he used his favorite nickname. Maybe he was right and maybe he wasn't. The 'verse had a way of changing the best laid plans and Naomi preferred to take things one day at a time. React in the moment. It's probably why she was such a good pilot. But she couldn't help but feel...what was it? Disappointment at the idea that after this little adventure he'd be gone from her life forever?

Why was that when half the time he'd only gotten under her skin. Especially with the squadron.

Maybe it was because deep down she had a feeling he was a decent guy. And the 'verse didn't have a lot of those out there.

Grits warbled next to her as they went further into the city district which was deeper into a very large cave system. There weren't a lot of females out by themselves. Seemed mostly males. And the ones that were out, had their heads covered and heads bent. Naomi certainly felt out of place with hher blazin' red hair. At least the cave systems made it feel a bit more like home.

Barkesh had 'em though a lot smaller.

"I've got some credits from my Uncle," she whispered to Phinny as they walked. "It should help finance our expedition for a bit. Maybe even pay to get my Ma and bro back if we find 'em. Pay you back," she added lowly. Even as a shiver went down her spine. Just because of how things were here? Maybe it was the group of sith troopers that passed them. Dressed in black armor with lightsabers attached at their hips. One glanced over his shoulder at the pair of redheads but didn't linger.

"You ever run into a sith before?" She paused, approaching a line for public transport that would take them to the Entertainment District.

 

[Phineas Karr]

"It should help finance our expedition for a bit. Maybe even pay to get my Ma and bro back if we find 'em. Pay you back," she added lowly.

"Let's not worry about that right now."

Phineas was trying to keep his head on the swivel. There were unknown dangers in the area, as evidenced by the troopers they were passing. It seemed like this planet had a high military presence, but given they were near the borders of Sith Empire territory, he wasn't horribly surprised. Border planets always tended to have a build up of various forces. That was true for any government or military out there, just common sense when one wanted to strike quickly.

Besides, it wasn't wise to discuss their plans openly. Too many variables.

"Not that I'm aware of. Kobothi didn't have too much going on, just a lot of focus on protecting our sector from pirates and slavers more than anything. A long history of supporting the Republic and do-gooders, despite being so far out...and not really important. What about you?"

He slowed down a moment to check the directions for the Lanta Lounge. Seemed they were going in the right direction and so his pace was picked back up. Arm came around Naomi Carolina to keep her close. From the outside, they would just look like some young couple and that might cause them to avoid some problems.

"If we get stopped, you're Naomi Karr, wife to the amazing Phineas Karr. Newlyweds.Refugees. We're looking for work." He kept his voice low, he didn't anticipate questioning but one never knew.

 

[Naomi Carolina]

Amazing.

Naomi couldn't help the slight roll of her eyes. Nor could she help the warmth that wanted to spread across her freckled face as he tugged her close. And the gratitude that was always there for Phinny. Even if he tried to play it cool all the time and drive that swagger in his step.

"Are we just going to be traders when we get to the district then? Or the husband," she swallowed and her whispering voice may have gone a slight pitch higher, "wife duo?" She forced her gaze outward. Her head very much on a swivel as much as Phin's was. She couldn't stop that nagging feeling as they wove through the crowds.

It was odd. Almost like she sensed something. Naomi didn't know what to do with that, so she ignored it for now.

It was mostly men out. She realized as she and Karr shuffled onto that transport. She didn't mind as she slipped into one of the seats closest to the windows with room for Phinny to take the aisle seat. Her head ducked as she clenched her hands in her lap. At least she didn't feel like there were too many stares on them. A quick glance out the window at the shifting landscape. They were going deeper into the cave systems with glowing crystals and other lights along the walls. Dwellings stacked upon eachother going straight up one of the walls opposite them. Streets and passageways disappearing back further into the shadows beyond where they could see.

Naomi was real careful to keep her voice lowered as she leaned slightly into Karr, so that only he could hear. "Phinny, when you flew. Did you ever feel like somethin' was wrong? Just like an instinct to roll or dive like sometimes we got in a dog fight?"

 

[Phineas Karr]

"Are we just going to be traders when we get to the district then? Or the husband," she swallowed and her whispering voice may have gone a slight pitch higher, "wife duo?"

"Both, be serious Missus Karr. We cannot afford to start a family on the measly savings we have now. We can barely keep the ship from crashing into the ground. Just a duo? Please, as if that will bring credits into the coffers."

Boarding the transport to head deeper underground, Phineas looked around. Fairly typical type of area - economically depressed. Folks looking to be avoided. A lot of roving men. Which concerned him a little. Men without a purpose often caused trouble. It wasn't being sexist against his own gender, just a fact he learned while serving with the S-Corps.

"Phinny, when you flew. Did you ever feel like somethin' was wrong? Just like an instinct to roll or dive like sometimes we got in a dog fight?"

"No, not really. I don't really think or feel when fighting - flying or on the ground. Don't really have time for it. Busy trying not to die."

Shoulders shrugged. He wasn't sure where the questioning came from but he didn't think too much about it. Naomi Carolina had been acting odd since he left the Alliance. He just chalked it up to her continuing to a little on the weird side.

 

[Naomi Carolina]

Her pale, freckled face warmed as he so flippantly called her Missus Karr. She caught her reflection in the speeder bus' plexiglass and ducked her hand, hand coming up between them as if she could hide the feelings so written plainly across her face as easy as the cover of a holovid. Still. At least all this talk he did. It was distracting.

And boy, did she need distracting.

Her stomach was a twist of nerves. She couldn't stop gnawing at the corner of her mouth.

Hand lowered from its pressed spot against her brow as they stopped again, folk crowding in around them. Didn't seem wise to chat now. Too many wandering eyes and half-bent ears. Plus, she'd only caught one other female who was silent and perched in the back. She had graying hair and eyes that had seen probably too much. That vacant look other pilots got sometimes after a battle or dogfight.

Their bus began to slow. More lighting as they neared what Naomi understood to be the Entertainment District. A pale comparison to the casino world they'd just left. A heck of a lot poorer. Just a bit seedier. Silently, Naomi pointed as they hovered to a stop.

This was them.

And the teen still couldn't shake the growing discomfort. That feelings that things weren't quite right. Beyond the obvious of this planet and its occupation.

 

[Phineas Karr]

"Looks like our stop."

Helping Naomi Carolina off their public transport, he searched around a bit before ushering her into the casino doors.

​

This casino was much, much older and dated than the ones he had just got done working at. It was the type one found in poor worlds in the Outer Rim, not somewhere near such luxury in the Core. An odd observation but he couldn't help it as he was scanning around for threats. So far it was quiet. Boring, lifeless, quiet. Not a good sign in a casino.

It meant they were going to be watched. He didn't like it.

"Okay" His voice was low, whispering. "What does our contact look like? Or what are we supposed to be doing? Just tell me and I can take charge."

 

[Naomi Carolina]

They passed a pair of sith soldiers at the door. There were lightsaber hilts attached to their belts and black coverings over their faces. Dark visors turned in their direction as they entered. Naomi couldn't shake that skin-crawling feeling. She forced herself to focus back on Phinny.

She leaned in as they walked, her eyes scanning the sparse space. Sparse of people and...general well-being.

She couldn't imagine her mother and brother on this planet for...years. Tore her gut up inside. Broke her heart, too. But she couldn't let the slurry of emotions that were threatening to overwhelm her take her away. Not yet. Not when it meant getting them back.

"The sabaac table. That's the point of contact if you're in the game of trading and slaving. Have to deal in and go from there. Should be a cerean there."

 

[Phineas Karr]

"Sabacc? I don't like sabacc. Never was good at arithmetic."

Too many negative and positives to follow in the game. However, Naomi Carolina didn't mention anything about actually having to win. It seemed more one had to at least start playing. Perhaps it was much like an open door office, the sabacc table. Come, sit, and ensure one wasn't going to stab the contact then go from there.

It made some sense on the surface level.

There was a Cerean at the table. He fished some credits out his pocket and tossed it in the middle as he sat, a card being dealt his way. A few wary looks as he sat down, but Phineas remained calm. A small smile as he took the card and looked at it.

"Gentlemen, hello."

Being mute would have drawn too much suspicion.

 

[Naomi Carolina]

Naomi kept track of those credits Phinny kept tossing around for her. She would pay him every cred back and thanks to her cousin, she would be able to do it for a bit. Hopefully, this little rendezvous would lead to the results she wanted. To her Ma and little bro. There were a few other humans at the table. All males. She slid in a seat next to Phinny, keeping her gaze cast downward.

The sooner they got off this planet the better she'd feel.

"You two not from around here are yah?" It was the Cerean who spoke, eyeing the pair of redheads, an assessing look in his gaze. "What drew you to a place like this?" Leaning back in his chair and drew a card from the deck. Naomi's eyes flickered to the hand Phinny held as she tried to keep her features smooth. And to not fidget.

The human man from across her had a nasty scar running over his right eye. He chuckled darkly in her direction and showed his hand.

 

[Phineas Karr]

"You two not from around here are yah?" It was the Cerean who spoke, eyeing the pair of redheads, an assessing look in his gaze. "What drew you to a place like this?" Leaning back in his chair and drew a card from the deck.

Phineas looked over his cards, frown growing on his features. It was part ploy, part real. He figured the first hand he would have to ease into and remember the rules. Winning right off the bat anyway would draw too much suspicion. Too much attention in their direction. They already had far too much attention tossed their way in his opinion.

"No. Refugees." He discarded a card, thinking. "Missus and I got married. Looking to strike out on our own but....as you know work has been scarce. Lots of refugees out there. Lookin' to start a new life and I was told this planet was a good crossroads for someone looking to work in hyperspace or get picked up by a crew."

Another card flipped over.

"When you ain't got much, not like its going to make or break us at this point. Worth the try."

 

[Naomi Carolina]

"Well," the Cerean smiled widely and showed his cards. He clearly won the round. And Naomi knew just from a glance at their own hand that Phinny had. Just add it to her bill.

She winced, inwardly.

She was going to owe her cousin A LOT when this was all said and done. But her family was worth any cost.

"Just so happens I've got an opening for two. Trying to smuggle some cargo past one of the security checkpoints on this planet. You two think you can handle that or pull it off? Sith don't make it easy, though. Not sure you'd be up for it." His eyes looked them over carefully as cards began shuffling out for a new round.

 

[Phineas Karr]

Phineas didn't show his disappointment with the hand. That would have brought out the gangsters that were hiding in plain sight - the dealer, the waitstaff, the refresher attendant. The redhead wasn't stupid, he knew that making a big deal and drawing attention to himself meant he was going to be dead on the floor. Didn't want that.

"Smuggling work? We are not opposed, like I said, we are desperate. Both of us were pilots before we become refugees. Never did smuggling work but we're willing to learn. I think we might be the perfect two for your operation. We don't look like anyone important - because we aren't. I think it would be easier to slip unnoticed between the cracks."

Phineas tossed in a card, shuffling his hand.

"I assume you have a ship for us to use."

Naomi Carolina

 

[Naomi Carolina]

The Cerean rubbed at his beard in thought before getting new cards and playing a round. His large head tilted in their direction, gaze assessing as if he were picturing them in their pilot gear. "It's on planet. We've got a a small transport. We need you to meet our contact for the cargo and get it through these mines and clear into the spaceport."

He played another card.

"My associate over there can give you a shot." He dipped his large cone-head in the direction of an older human man. Balding and skinny like he was on the verge of being sick. "Give you the details. And," he sighed, playing another card. "If you're successful we'll talk payment and some other jobs. If you aren't successful."

He didn't need to say it.

The sith on this planet would take them away or execute them.

 

[Phineas Karr]

Time to play it up, especially since they had just been given this opportunity. It wasn't the greatest opportunity but Phin was going to have to put his acting skills to good use. Or his natural, annoying charm. Either way, he was trying to do his best to get Naomi Carolina closer to her family. If they were still alive.

"Oh, thank you so much Sir." Phineas stood and bowed a little, trying to show how grateful he was. "If its okay with you we would like to get started right away. My wife and I have been struggling to find any work - we'd like to prove ourselves right away. We're just so happy for this opportunity."

Phineas stopped his little half-bowing, half-prostrated motions at the Cerean, instead taking Naomi's hand and moving back towards the associate. They needed to move too to show they were not only serious but also to work before the man changed his mind. Besides, they couldn't afford to lose any more credits in horrible sabacc games.

"Please, show us the way to this transport."

 

[Naomi Carolina]

My wife.

Naomi tried to keep her freckled-face smooth. To keep those rusty brows scrunching together in indignation. The stakes were too high to let something like that get in the way of finding her family. And perhaps it wasn't all indignation. She'd be lying if she said there wasn't something there.

Perhaps not to Phin.

But a part of her liked the way his hand fit in her own.

The associate was that human male. Dark skin, no hair, and mid-age. He had a chipped tooth when he smiled. They were lead to the back of the casino into a dank warehouse. One of the outer walls was the cavern wall itself. The other side was open to a dark tunnel. Must've been the way in and out away from those prying eyes of the sith troopers.

".........and that's about it. You two must be smarter than you look."

Naomi bristled but the man laughed.

"Relax sweetheart. Got a real firecracker for a wife." He leaned into Phin as if they were best buds. Naomi fought not to roll her eyes.

"This is your contact." He handed them a comm with the coordinates and a picture on it. "Hope you make it." Shaking his head like he didn't believe they would, he wandered back toward the casino door. Naomi waited until he was gone before speaking and slipping her hand free from Phinny's.

"Okay. So we have to do some driving from point A to B. Can't be that bad, right?"

 

[Phineas Karr]

"I like 'em feisty. Keeps me on my toes."

Naturally, Phin was chopping it up with the man who lead them back to the ship and given them information for the contact. It wasn't all show, part of it was to annoy Naomi Carolina , part of it was because he was genuinely amused. A small laugh as he took the information from the man before he went back to the casino door. Naomi was annoyed, he could already tell before she ripped her hand from his own.

"Sheesh, you act like I haven't washed my hands at all or something. I have decent hygiene, thank you very much. Don't act like you didn't enjoy being Missus Karr for the evening. Or are you upset I didn't get you a better ring darlin'?"

She was trying to talk business but he ignored the point A to B part, knowing they would be doing some white knuckle driving through Sith Order space. It wasn't the location, more the fact if they dug into Naomi's background they may want to use unusual means to extract information from her. Information she maybe didn't have.

As for himself, he wasn't anyone important, so he doubted they would look at an oprhan-turned solider.

Entering the cab of the transport, he sat in the passenger seat.

"Alright, you fly now."

 

[Naomi Carolina]

A rusty brow was lofted oh so high it could've been higher than the stars above at Phineas Karr . And after their escort left, Naomi crossed her arms over her stomach and huffed, following him into the transport.

"Stop enjoying this so much," she parked herself in the driver's seat. Taking a moment to steady her breath, her eyes flickered over the control panel. Getting acquainted with the basics that all vehicles had. "I hate it here," she whispered. And it was a comment that had nothing to do with Karr. "I don't know how my Ma and brother could've survived here for so long."

If they had at all.

Hands reached forward, her grip tight around the wheel as she slowly maneuvered them out and down the low-lit passageway of the cave system. She couldn't lose it now. Couldn't give up now. Even though that raw, bare emotion nagged at her. Nagged at the corners of her eyes like hot irons.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to Phinny. "I know you're just trying to help and you've done so much for me already." Her tone was small. Not the usual bravado she liked to toss around. It was raw and real.

 

[Phineas Karr]

Phineas was a little slow, he'd admit it to himself. Not to anyone else. Still, despite being slow to pick up on things, he was wise enough to be quiet and not say anything further. Instead he would focus on being a passenger and co-pilot to the best of his ability. There wasn't much to do on a transport in comparison to a ship. It was more looking for danger or any thing odd up ahead.

"Haven't done much beyond quit all employment, give up everything I know, and came with you on this adventure. Nothing big at all."

Okay, he couldn't help but to risk a small little joke. Phinny wasn't sure how far that would get him but he risked it either way. Strapped in the transport, he knew they weren't delivering the goods. Or were they? He couldn't remember if this was part of getting a transport to move around more freely or if they needed to make a delivery to seem trustworthy.

"What next?"

 

[Naomi Carolina]

"Wha-at?" She found her throat closing. What Phin meant as a joke when soaring over Naomi's head higher than Endor's moon circling the planet. She pressed her foot down on the brake of the transport and turned to face him. There was a whole lot of guilt and burden in her green eyes, shadowed by little sleep and a whole lot of grief.

"Phinny, I don't want to," her voice cracked as she tried to keep herself together. Fingers tightened on the wheel as she took a steadying breath. "I know I asked for your help but if you want out just tell me now. I'll pay you back. But I can't-," she shivered again, this time her eyes stinging real smartly.

Water starting to drip from the corners as she could keep the tears in any longer.

"I can't take on ruining your life too. So tell me now if you're....you're being serious?"

Stars, how would she do this alone? She didn't want to. It was the last thing she wanted. But she didn't know how much bite to Phinny's words were true.