You, Me and Trouble

[Rekha Kaarde]

She sat staring at the console everything was low. Yeah she had missed something when prepping the ship to get off Nar Shaddaa and now she was sitting quiet out in the black, alone.

She had been alone with her thoughts for about 3 hours now fighting with herself about what to do next. "feth" she sighed staring ahead.

She was no closer to the truth of what was happening than she had been six months ago. She had to admit it she needed help. She had intentionally stayed away from everyone that she held dear, cept poor Jarrod who had no choice but to follow her about. She was fortunate she had not gotten him killed, a bounty, or a death mark.

As good as she was on her own she needed someone who wasn't afraid to tell her where to go and how fast to get there. Someone who could handle a weapon. Someone who hated evil. Someone she trusted.

//Transmission to [member="Coren Starchaser"] -

I'm in over my head. I need help.Can you come to these coordinates. I'll be the ship sitting there running almost silent.

oh yeah I could use a new fuel cell, do you have one? I promise to pay you for it.// end transmission

 

[Coren Starchaser]

The galaxy around Coren was falling apart. But he was slowly working on getting it pieced together. And that meant a lot of attention was on him and what he did. The company he kept and the people he assisted. The galaxy was going to spin on, but the people who he assisted? Their legacy was built on their day to day lives. And the small teams, the small actions, that was what shaped the galaxy.

Governments were one thing, but the actions of the few to save many? That was what the annals of history remembered. Smiling as he replayed the message, he nodded and stepped to the cockpit of his YT-2000. The trusted ship was going to be meeting his new courier, the FarStar-inspired CR-90 known as the ‘Auriga’.

“Porter, get a message to Rekha, tell her we’re on our way.”

---

It wouldn’t be long before the corvette entered realspace and contacted Rekha’s vessel. A CR-90, this vessel had smuggler routes, but was definitely an Alliance minded vessel. Her IFF was shifting numbers, and able to find his Scythe-Cruiser on auto pilot should the worst happen. But the Auriga was the new home-away from home for Coren, when he was making the rounds to foreign governments, and moving allies around.

“You know, you can just call, you don’t need to be on empty!” He said over the comms to Rekha, laughing from the bridge of the ship. “We’re pulling you into the hangar, hang tight.”

[member="Rekha Kaarde"]

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

One boot sat on the edge of the console, the other on the deck, her green eyes continued to look at the black around her. It was a lonely quiet place for sure not many ships that she could see, and so was lucky no one had jumped into her position.

She sighed heavily the space began to move, she immediately dropped both feet to the deck. She was hoping for a friendly. Biting her lip anxiously she waited, then a voice echoed around the cockpit. She couldn't help it she just began to laugh, call it nerves, relief whatever at that moment Coren's voice was exactly what she needed.

"I could have called I know but I'm not that kinda girl I like the guy to call." The smile couldn't help be felt through the link, "I'm not going anywhere Flyboy." She watched to make sure that Coren's folks didn't ding her baby.

What a relief though.

"Up for a drink?'" She'd bring the bottle.

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Coren Starchaser]

A bit of music was playing on the ‘Auriga.’ Coren was learning a bit from his Apprentice and others in the Alliance. Sure, the galaxy was all doom and gloom, but if you didn’t enjoy being alive sometimes? It was just not worth it. Maybe he was humming when they reverted to real space, but it wasn’t a bad thing, right? Nah. He was here to assist and compared to the warfront against the Sith? This was nothing.

The baseline, a bit funky and eclectic was heard through the commlink back towards Rekha. Coren was laughing a bit and shook his head. “Yeah, yeah I know. Gotta make it difficult to chase you down!” He took the comm forwarding to his own personal unit as he made his way to the hangar bay. Off the hangar, in the pilot rec room, he went and grabbed a bottle.

“Yeah, what you lookin’ to get?” He heard the ship enter the magcon shield and knew he would need to get over to her soon.


[member="Rekha Kaarde"]

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

"What am I looking to get.wow Coren that is a loaded question. How shall I answer it." She had went and grabbed a bottle as well from her quarters, can't be going empty handed. If she had learned anything it was come bearing gifts.

She headed towards the exit, pulling her clothes into place and not trying to look like she had been sleeping in them. She would give the Flyboy sometime to figure out an answer while she figured out what to tell him.

Yeah she needed fuel cell to fix the ship. But there was a deeper reason for asking for him to come. She just wasn't sure how to explain it all. She was shaking her head when the gangplank dropped.

She put that same smile on her face that she wore when greeting a customer, while her mind raced scenarios. She could see him coming across the hangar bottle in hand...oooo a two bottle night? That meant something to her about him the galaxy and all it's problems had laid left a mark on him again. Fething galaxy.

She wiggled her fingers hi

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Coren Starchaser]

The Alliance was moving on from where they had been to where they were going. Coren Starchaser was moving on with them. He was still the patriot, and a leader within, but on the outside? He was the one who was hoping to help connect the ones who were lost. The Alliance supporters who were still bouncing around. And helping to keep them connected.

“Well, knowing you…” He laughed as he responded to her.

Seeing her step into the hangar, he grinned. Commanding a corvette was different than his typical freighter. But not the Cruiser he typically had as commander of the Sector Forces. Spear of the Alliance was helping defend the bases on D’Qar and her suburbs.

“Welcome aboard the Auriga! Now, before we get to catch up, what are you doing out hee?”

[member="Rekha Kaarde"]

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

"Well Coren I thought that was obvious, I'm waiting for you" She had been it wasn't a lie just a bit of a diversion, evasion, or her way of not quite yet talking about what was really going on. Wasn't their time for that?

He still looked tired, "you look tired Coren, how are things with you?" She was concerned how long had it been since she had seen him..she couldn't remember it felt like years.

She smiled though more genuinely a look that showed a softness that she possessed for her friends.

She looked around at the hangar, she was already formulating questions to ask him about it...least till she was ready for the conversation that needed to be had.

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Coren Starchaser]

He laughed and shook his head. The nice thing about working with [member="Rekha Kaarde"] is that there was never a dull moment. The pair knew each other well, she was there, he believed, since the beginning, the charter of the Alliance. She was always closer to his smuggling roots than he was nowadays, and that was good. It meant he remembered his past.

“You’ve heard the news I’m sure, right? The Alliance…” He shrugged. He didn’t need to go into it. She would know. He wasn’t worried right now. Most people had made it out, the ones that were worth saving. It was only a matter of time until they turned the tide.

“But right now it’s the grass getting things moving, so I’m out here, on another official assignment.” Was it an official assignment? Not quite, but Alliance Intel could use the leads that Rekha would provide, and Coren knew that this was a woman who didn’t ask for help lightly.

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

The green eyed brunette looked at Coren, "yeah I was there actually Coren. I heard the boots on the ground..." She paused, "Did you know I was there the other time too?"

She had seen Sith on Coruscant twice now the first time they burned her out she had left in her slippers and pajamas, her accounts locked and her ship impounded. She ended up somewhere Abregado Rae and Dekkan who saved her. The old grouch, she had tried to reach out to him a few times but he never answered he was either dead or something.

She looked down at the deck for a minute, "I made sure Jarrod got off Coruscant Coren he has a family, kids. His wife would kill me if anything happened to him. Ya know." She gave him a weak wobbly smile as she looked up, "then I protected my assets"

She looked at the bottle just so she could look somewhere, "so GA is now...out with Jorus? Cause I can handle that..I can handle a lot of things right now...but I protected my businesses...and getting ready to start another...party boat.." She smiled big now.

This was where she would start to think about what she wanted to tell him, "So...how about that drink flyboy." Why was her heart sinking in her chest, why did this all make her feel lost, being with Coren should help her feel connected.

Maybe she was afraid all she was getting ready to do was get him hurt and she hated it. Really hated it.

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Coren Starchaser]

“I’m… sorry. Its not been exactly easy since the fall. Jedi have been chased away from the Alliance, I was fething in a Sith prison for… However long.” And now he was working on setting up the exiles, but it also meant he needed to get to his regular work. And that included helping out his friends.

“Did you get Jarrod out of Alliance space? A lot of us are falling back to the Coalition. Y’know, back to our outer rim roots.” He grinned at her. Rekha and Coren had worked together for a long time, they had taken so many missions, that getting themselves back together was not a hard move. And knowing which each other meant?

“Yeah, we’re out there. Just back to where it all started. Our fleets are helping to patrol a few worlds that the ORC has given us a berth on.” He smiled at his mission partner, Underground operations and all, and nodded to the rec room.

“Lets.” He pointed to a table.

[member="Rekha Kaarde"]

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

"You can count me in for whatever is needed out there. Know me I like a good fight, a good..anything." They were starting to gather a bit of attention she standing there looking down toeing the deck and him looking at her with his voice low. Rekha knew what the Alliance had met to Coren, she had been there since the beginning.

"I got Jarrod out I'm doing things a bit solo right now. I don't want anyone hurt..." Ok...they were being...sad..she took his arm and turned him around careful not to knock any of the bottles, "How about a private corner somewhere so we can talk.. without prying eyes and sensitive ears." She looked at the bottle he brought, "did you bring something good.." She smiled even if her eyes still held some of the sadness she felt.

They were headed toward the Rec room that could work..she'd start telling him now..

Maybe she'd do better walking and talking, 'Do you remember when we went out to the station, ya know the time I wore the red feathers?' Did he remember that? They had gone after transponders.

 

[Coren Starchaser]

The pilot-Corellian-Jedi nodded and smiled. “Trust me, Rek, I know that. Same with me, you need help, you call me. Though, I do have the perfect tasks for you, when you’re ready.” It’d be sending her to her Underground roots, the way to handle things would be similar to how Coren and Rekha did, back when [member="Spark Finn"] was in their life. But the fact that Rekha was still around? It spoke volumes of her character and capabilities. He nodded.

She could do the things he wouldn’t be able to without some form of disguise and alias. And that was going to be so worthwhile in the coming months. Listening to her, he nodded. “His family all safe?” The man smiled as he looked towards the rec room, somewhere private, and with something to drink. “What do you take me for? Former smuggler, of course my room is stocked.”

“I do… what are you getting yourself messed up in nowadays?” He could only fear what was going on.

[member="Rekha Kaarde"]

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

She really wanted to be sitting or moving feth she didn't know..."I ran into someone I use to work with before I got out on my own. He asked a favor of me I owed him so I did it. I thought that would be the end he'd be gone." She wished for the drink right now some liquid courage because she felt like bantha poo saying all this to him.

"The Lucky Lady on Coruscant some months back my shipments starting going missing at first a case or two then more. So me and friend [member="Mariya Fleischer"] checked out the gang that had been scarfing my stuff." She blew out....thinking ok this really doesn't sound so bad right.

"I got in there. and...well...accordingly made a fool of the leader in front of his men which he didn't appreciate." She looked up at Coren she kept thinking would he hate me if he knew? God I hope not if he hated me just put me in the box and jettison it out the air lock.

"Anyhow the guy from the station was the leader. Since i made him look a fool...he decided a little revenge was needed...so...he had three of his guys...can you imagine 3 of them come to the Lady and...pretty much leave me for dead." She bit her lip anxiously.

"After I half way recovered thanks to a Healer friend....I followed a trail to a warehouse on....damn what was that places' name...I can't remember..they caught me looking their stuff over. I lied a lot and they couldn't prove what I was there for...but they were moving crates with a symbol on them looked like GA symbols...mixed with something else that I can't find yet."

She sat down finally and pulled the top off the bottle reaching for the paper cups on the table and poured them both a drink. She inhaled hers and poured another, "I went to Canto Bight to set up the Little Gem the party boat business there, and he was there again...they want me dead. But it has to be with something I saw that I don't realize I saw...it has to be warehouse..or maybe their headquarters on Coruscant. Anyhow. They might looking or waiting for me to let my guard down. I don't know which."

She took a sip this time, "I need to find out what it is I saw that is so important to them, and to know if they played a role in the Alliances fall." There she said it all and now...she'd wait for any questions if he had them. "OH and there's some guy named [member="The Prince"] involved too now"

"I'm failing doing it alone. I need help." She smiled.

 

[Coren Starchaser]

That was the way of the galaxy, wasn’t it? Ran into someone from one’s past, and always owed a favor or two. Coren knew that too well. Someone could call on him, and so long as he wasn’t directly in a military movement? He’d take a quick leave and run off to do what had to be done. As the drinks arrived, he took a sip and watched his long time Underground partner. He nodded. Shipments.

“Booze?” Coruscant could handle that with their local police, but if Rekha was calling him, she needed something more than just local security. The next statement was what put the nail in the coffin for these people. “They came after you? Their leader is weak if he can’t just take it like a man. We’ll find these guys…” He trailed off as she continued.

“Can you draw the other symbol? I can bring it to Alliance Intel and see what we can dig up that way?” He looked at his drink and nodded. “We’ll get these guys, Rek. Whats the first move? Just me and you, like old times?”

[member="Rekha Kaarde"]

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

"Thinking back on it I'm thinking they took the booze to draw me out. I was fool enough to go for it let my guard down Coren" She stared at the table, "that's part of the problem he knows me. Knows how to push my buttons, get me off balance" she sighed heavily, "he knows my weakness he'll use it." Yeah he would and then she'd have to get mean miserable and revert to that uncaring unfeeling person.

Her green eyes had not left the table she was focusing on what she wanted to do Loup limb by limb.

"Yeah Coren they got to me in Lucky Lady. I knew they were coming I had left him alive. I should have killed him. I know him too...its personal now. What I know only makes it worth while, personal just adds the level of violence." Torture. He wouldn't just beat her and leave her this time he'd take her captive and make her pay. She was forever looking over her shoulder.

She took another drink it wasn't enough nothing would numb how she felt, "he'll go after everyone I know, everyone I care about...to make his point. And this guy [member="The Prince"] I don't know his part I can't figure that out yet either. " Her focus was Loup the Prince was a PIA that she didn't need but one she had gotten anyhow.

"I'd like to keep it all small right now Coren..." She smiled, "keep you to myself" But that wasn't it really it was really she didn't want to put folks at risk. It had taken her getting the beat down of her life and fearing them finding her alone in space. No one would know anything..she had and was afraid.

"If you can spare some time flyboy..yeah me and you." She pulled out the data pad and shows him the emblem

"All I keep thinking is it looks like a C and an M . Who knows maybe I got it all wrong"

 

[Coren Starchaser]

Smart pirates then. Or adversaries, whoever. Coren was nodding as he listened to Rekha. People who were going after a supply line… That was a military move if the General saw one. He knew all about chasing down leads and cutting off the supplier. It was what got the rest of the military involved in… well, just about anything. “How well does he know you? Does he know all your contacts? Underground life kept us on the move, a lot.” And it also meant she had a powerful ally, who had a lot of friends. And the Force.

“You don’t need to kill him, its not your style. We’ve been everywhere together, and if you have a chance to save and work with someone? I feel you’ll always take that.” But he knew that Rekha meant business, or else he wouldn’t have been out there. He needed to help her. “Where do you need me?” He was not letting her out of his sight this time.

“And you know I’m here for you.” He laughed as he nodded. “I can put Porter…” His astromech who was so much more. “On the case of tracking down leads. Emblem, the people. Prince.” He nodded at the droid who had joined them. Not now, but once they got a pattern down.

“I see it to… Company? Personal signature?”

[member="Rekha Kaarde"]

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

How well does he know her? Perhaps now was the best time for a confession from her view her side before Loup got to Coren and made it seem....well it couldn't be changed it was what it was. But it was history, ancient history.

"He knows me very well Coren." Rekha stared at the table, "I met him at a time when things were looking hopeless. I was a prisoner on a ship, we both were. He's a bit older and had been there longer he offered me some hope. When an opportunity came up for us to run away we took it and didn't look back."She gave one of those uncomfortable laughs then looked at Coren.

"I hope after I tell you all this that you don't hate me Coren. I can take a lot but you hating me." Yeah she couldn't handle it and certainly he would see that in the look she gave him. Family. Friend, Sometimes more. No she couldn't lose Coren.

"I need to tell you this so that if he uses it to discolor things you will have heard it from me first." She half smiled trying to make sure her heart was really into this telling.

"Two things you need to know yes I killed the Captain of the ship he was making advances on me if you know what I mean I was 12 at the time. He thought I was property well he had already taken me from my family on trumped up charges and blackmailed my father into giving him contract on Kelada. But when my father died there was no longer a use for me that..well made sense to him. But I did kill him. I'd do it again." She said it flat emotionless detached. She knew Coren would understand that part of the story. Sometimes you had to grow up quick and she did. She felt like an old soul condemned to the nine rings of death.

The next part she wasn't sure. "Marcus and I escaped when the crew turned on each other to get the Captain's spot. Marcus and I ran away as far as we could get. We begged on the streets, we watched each other's back. Time went quick Coren I've stolen to survive but the thing I'm not proud and I try to fix every time we see it. I helped." Would he understand she was young, scared, hungry....she hoped he would.

She could feel tears welling up she took a breath and sucked them back. She was ashamed. She had to live with it. She set her shoulders back and looked at Coren wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "I helped lure people to be captured to be sold off as slaves." She said it made sure he knew she was truthful, "I'm ashamed of it and when I could I got out found my way to a Jedi and she took me to Coruscant to someone who looked after me, and gave me a chance. Someone helped me become what I am."

She wiped the tear that just wouldn't go away from her cheek, "I was stupid Coren. But I knew right from wrong and chose wrong. I'm sorry." She looked down then up wipig the tears away as fast as she could she didn't want to cry in front of Coren but for some reason she just couldn't make them stop. "please don't hate me"

She took a breath, "as for where I need you. I need to find this" she tapped the symbol, "what it means why its so important to them. I need your help to do this because I'm failing miserably on my own. I hate asking ya, I know you're busy..but I trust you." She hoped he still trusted her.

"I don't know I was concentrating on company, I didn't think about personal" She hadn't maybe that's why she failed.

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

 

[Coren Starchaser]

Dealing with people and their history was not always easy. Coren knew that Rekha didn’t show up just as her, she had a life before the pair had met, similar to how he had as well. He had a time where he was actually an indoctrinated dark sider, and would help with the path of an Imperial warlord. Sure, he was more an operative there than he was anything else. It was about the task, not about his own path. And here, he had a lot to assist with. Including Rekha.

“We’ve all been there. Remember, my folks brought me up as a smuggler. Just to keep under the radar of the various dark siders.” He shrugged. Not everyone had a glowing record, but it was where they went after that which mattered. But luring people into slavery? People did a lot when they were poor and scared… It was a lot different than when you were able to think and behave like a focused person.

“It kept you alive, right? You didn’t have an option. You can make up for it.” He nodded.

“Well, I’m here for however you can use me. We know that we can’t take down the guys after you the same way they’re going for you…”

[member="Rekha Kaarde"]

 

[Rekha Kaarde]

[member="Coren Starchaser"]

She sniffled just a bit getting her bearings back now but it was a relief. She didn't have to worry about him finding out from anyone else she had told him and he had accepted it. She nodded.

She did wonder though how much he really accepted of it he had offered no comfort not a hand on her arm, shoulder anything that was...friendly, or encouraging. So perhaps he was holding back on her out of some sense of obligation. She had just beared her soul on her deepest secret and cried and he poofed it all away. She...might be over thinking. She reached for the bottle and poured another drink picking the glass up and immediately chugging it down.

She nodded and put her emotions somewhere else. "I remember Coren" She did

"Yeah, um if you can help me identify the symbol whether it's a person or a company, or something that would be great." As for the other thing, "Why can't I take them down in the same way?" She wasn't really about the eye for an eye route but she had this thing about being threatened that it should be met with an equal and intimidating reaction.

 

[Coren Starchaser]

He knew what Rekha needed. Coren was a friend to her for how long? Long enough. Through relationships and shifts in galactic power. Back when he and Spark Finn were dating, and the three of them made a small cell for the Underground, the precursor to the Outer Rim Coalition. This pair though, had worked together through a lot, including the creation of the Galactic Alliance. Life had brought them around to a number paths.

Looking at her, he nodded to himself. He had so much on his mind. The military, and government he served had collapsed. “I didn’t even check. Are you ok? Do we need to take a minute? Refocus?” He wanted to make sure she was set, because to be honest, she was one of his best friends in this galaxy. A smile as he watched her.

“You’re better than them, that’s why. And the symbol, I can run it through Alliance channels. We can see what it turns up, that work?” He smiled, before looing to the side of the room. His eyes called one of the BB units over to assist.

[member="Rekha Kaarde"]