From Coruscant to....(Closed for Apollo Wilde and Naphalm)

[Apollo Wilde]

Not hampered by ideas such as “delicacy,” she nosily slurped at her noodles, and idly wiped up the dots of broth that splattered each time she did so. Even though she was multi-tasking –eating, cleaning as she went, going back to the refridgeration unit for something to drink, setting a bottle of water down in front of him, since she figured he wouldn’t drink like she did-, she never gave the impression that she wasn’t listening. Her expression would range from neutral to thoughtful, and to distressed, before she’d do her best to try and bring it back round to neutral again. The lifestyle that he was describing sounded absolutely….horrible.

Though she hadn’t been particularly close to her parents, she had her sister, she had the kids in the slums that she grew up with and played with. There was always someone there, some warm confidant to tell secrets to or someone to nurse a scraped knee. She couldn’t imagine going through life without those minor comforts. Even the crush she’d had on the vendor’s son, and the joys and sorrows that had come with it.

“Was it worth it?”

Lifting her bowl to her mouth, she took a long swallow of the broth before carelessly wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. She hadn’t looked away from him since she’d asked, though her expression was neutral, the intensity of her eyes suggested something else. She didn’t have the face of someone who was angry, or even sad. She was clearly looking for something in his response, a sense of security, of knowing why.

Not that he’d realistically had a choice. Yogensha had. And so did Is’aevi.

“What happens when you get physical urges? When ya fall in love? Then what? Are you not supposed to? Just turn things off, just like that? D’you ever wonder what it’s like out there, outside of those walls? I…I need ta know. Was it all worth it? Worth giving up life for that?” Her words bordered carefully on pain now – she was holding herself back, keeping her emotions in check. Dac had done nothing to directly deserve her ire or her sorrow, and here it kept creeping back into her voice whenever she tried to actually talk to him, try to find some common ground.

What else was she to talk to him about? She’d traveled from one end of the galaxy to the other, seen things, experienced things, that in his naïve state, could be far beyond his wildest imaginings. There was, again, the overwhelming temptation to take him, right there, in those cramped quarters, and physically show him what he had been missing, but again, logic stepped in and snuffed the urge out. It wouldn’t be coming from a healthy place – and far be it from her to introduce him to what lay in the physical realm out of spite. He deserved more, no, better, than that.

 

[Naphalm]

Once again it was like Dac had said the wrong thing and Madoka reacted with a harshness to her tone that unsettled him. It was odd as he never really considered these sorts of questions before, but he knew the answer instinctively. He waited until she'd finished her furious questioning and simply smiled, though it was a serious smile that barely curled.

"Was it worth it..... up till the other day I would have said yes immediately. Consider the end goal, whether it's realistic or not is another thing, but primarily we're defenders of the Republic, we try and maintain peace and order, and we study something fundamentally dangerous. The Force, for those who are untrained, can be confusing and ultimately harmful. We provide a safe environment to learn or in some cases, ensure that those people can not hurt themselves or those around them. Is it worth sacrificing your life for? If the end goal could be achieved, then in my opinion, yes. If I save just one life then it was worth it.

... Of course the Jedi are potentially no more and the Galaxy is under a threat I don't understand so was it all for naught? Probably."

He took a pause and ate, letting the silence hang between them as he prepared to answer her other questions. The food was delicious, even something like the spiced noodle soup was more lavish then what he was used to. He ate greedily and very quickly was dropping the spoon into the empty bowl.

"We're meant to learn control over all urges, both mental and physical. Some find it harder than others. Even though I'm already a Padawan, I still find it... difficult to settle my mind and not have my emotions effect me. Love... no we're not meant to fall in Love. Those that do, well, usually they leave the Order. But if the Jedi Counsel see... saw... them as a threat then they had the power to strip the Force from them. It depends on the circumstances. Of course I've wondered, what it would be like to travel the stars and do what I wanted but... I've always thought what I was doing was for a higher purpose. I hope that makes sense?"

 

[Apollo Wilde]

She would listen respectfully. She’d asked him, and it wouldn’t be fair or make sense to shut him out. The painful part was reminding herself that he could not truly answer the question the way she wanted it to be – he couldn’t answer either for her sister or for Is’aevi. And, as he responded, it became clear how much of a stranger he really was. Like a splash of ice water, it seemed to wake her up from that idle shyness, from the dream of desire. It would be a non-physical change, no tells in her breath or her pulse to tell him otherwise, but perhaps it would filter through in his other senses, through his connection in the Force. The humoring she’d wrestled with, of there being, maybe, perhaps more, well, the door on that was quietly closed, and locked. She must’ve been out of her mind to begin with to even humor it.

Not that Dac was bad company, just…probably not what she needed in her life. And she certainly wasn’t something that he needed, either. It was clear that they had two different paths. “Well,” she said at length, finishing up the rest of her soup, “Maybe look into planetary law enforcement. I say that as opposed ta the Empire because planets, and all th’ things that make them up, like cities and th’ like, don’t usually have to report all the way up t’ the Empire. You could find a rural collective and work out there – nothin’ glamorous, but it might be th’ best course of action for ya. At least gives us an idea of where ta start with ya.” It had been a struggle not to want to talk about the brutality of stripping the Force away, and she wasn’t about to poke that hornet’s nest. Undoubtedly, he probably thought of that as the best way to handle that sort of situation. He was still too black and white; hadn’t lived enough to see any gray.

She’d pick up the two bowls, wash them in the sink, before drying and setting them up. While she did so, there was silence between the two of them, intermittently broken by the soft clink of the dishes. When she finished, she looked over at a chrono display above the stove. Looked like they still had quite a bit of time in their “day.” Rolling her shoulders back, she looked over him at the walls of media. “Why don’tcha do some reading about Zeltros and figure out somethin’ you might want to do, learn, while we’re there? I don’t trust myself to explain the planet t’ya, because, I think at this point, it’s clear our experiences are very different.”

That would be an understatement. She’d lived there, worked there, had a lover (or three or four) there – and still wouldn’t have called it home by any stretches of the imagination. “Realistically, I gotta find someone that can find us a place t’stay without askin’ too many questions. And you need time to buff off that, ‘I’m a Padawan’ look ya got goin’ for ya. The whole point is to blend in.” She’d walk out now, a new determination in her head and her breathing was clearer. Things would be much easier moving forward, that much, she was sure of.

 

[Naphalm]

"Sounds like a good idea actually… it would also allow me to continue my training without risk of discovery." He answered with an enthusiastic smile at Madoka's suggestion. The smile faltered however as they fell silent. Even though nothing had physically changed, there was something fundamentally different in the quiet, a subtle change of atmosphere. He frowned at her back, trying to work out what he'd said or done to affect this change. He opened his mouth to speak but his voice failed him, what could he say? It wasn't like Madoka was arguing or challenging him, she wasn't giving off any signs of being upset, but it was just… different.

"Oh… ok" he said, trying his best not to look a little hurt. He realised he'd actually been looking forward to studying with her, their heads together as they studied from some datapad or whatever. "Sure, that's… fine." He mumbled as she turned and left him alone. He sat there for a few minutes, shaking his head slightly, wondering how things could turn off so quickly.

Eventually, he got up and stretched, and wandered around till he found Madoka's holo-terminal. It was covered in clutter – paper and rubbish – which he pushed on the floor to make room for himself. The terminal was fairly standard, and he quickly accessed the Holo-net, the information highway that spanned nearly the entire galaxy. Dac smiled faintly to himself, he was in his element now, studying a new culture, a new world. As he absorbed the information, he lost all track of time and his surroundings…

************

Zeltros – an Inner Rim world and home to a race of humanoids called Zeltrons. It's a world of opulence and luxury since records began, abundant with amusement parks, theatres, night clubs and everything in between. It's essentially one big party running 25 hours a day, 312 days a year. Zeltros is, or was, a part of the Galactic Republic if that even exists anymore, and is ruled by an elective monarchy. Despite the atmosphere of leisure, the planet holds a strong defensive force. The planet itself holds a mixture of grand cities full of art and architecture as well as vast Forests, oceans, lakes and rivers. The Capital City is also called Zeltros.

The Zeltrons are a near-Human species, the only physical distinction being the colour of their skin and hair. There are two biological differences between a Zeltron and a Human. The first is the secretion of potent pheromones which can enhance their attractiveness and likeability. The second is a limited telepathic ability which not only makes them empathic but also allows them to project their emotions onto others. Most Zeltrons are highly influenced by sexuality and the pursuit of pleasure in general, however they are more than capable of becoming formidable warriors. However, they have a tendency to be rather gullible; in fact there is a long-running joke that it is easier to trick a Zeltron than it is to confuse a Gamorrean.

Dac drank in the information, spending at least a good hour simply looking through some of their famous art work. They were highly skilled in the art of holography, and created some truly beautiful holographic sculptures. Of course every model was naked, with pain-staking detail put in to every curve.

******

Finally, he shut down the terminal. It had been several hours and he felt like he had a fairly good grasp of what to expect. It both terrified and excited him. He'd looked into their law enforcement and it seems like they did take other races on-board if they showed a willingness to defend the nation and could prove themselves. Dac was sure he could do that. Unsure of what he should do now, he wandered around to find Madoka and tell her of his progress....

 

[Apollo Wilde]

She hadn’t missed the small falter of his smile, and it tugged at her heart. But, she had to remain firm. There was no way that they could have had anything. Not now, not ever. They were entirely different; and twice already she had pushed his boundaries to the limits. Although she still ached (as much as she tried to force it down) to touch him, to be closer, she had to be focused. He was confused enough. And besides, he hadn’t reacted (much) to her earlier advances. But they were pretty subtle. Weren’t they?

So, while he studied, she took a long hot shower. Then a cold one. Then a hot one again. And then another cold one, hoping to chase the thoughts of him out of her mind. Whenever she had these idle moments, especially now, outside of his grasp, it was much easier to let her mind wander over what she’d seen. The ridges of muscle in his back, his lean legs. His arms. And, as her mind wandered, so did her hands…

++++++

Well, that was one way of getting the stress out. At least it took the edge off. Allowed her to focus a little more. She’d gotten dressed, checked the progress of the flight. Wouldn’t be too much longer now before they made planet-fall, and she had a few calls to make. Settling down in the pilot’s chair, she propped her feet up on the dash, and plugged in a number sequence. Within a few moments, a form materialized on the dash, rippling and pale blue.

“You’re going to live a long life; I was just about to call you,” Said a handsome Zeltron that answered. He was dressed in the bright and garish colors that Zeltrons seemed to favor so. A deep gold form fitting bodysuit with a startling red clashing pattern that left nothing to the imagination, with the sheerest of orange robes thrown over it. His dark violet hair was brushed back from his striking face, and the smile he wore was gentle, understanding.

“Wakusei! It’s so good to talk to you!” Her tone was jovial; a far cry nicer than it was when she’d been called earlier.

“Is it?” His smile was coy, but gentle.

“It is…You know me and your brother don’t get on well.”

“Most people don’t get on well with Fuyu,” and he folded his arms in front of him. Various golden bangles caught the light from wherever he was standing, making it seem like his form was spattered with white. “But he did tell me, a little, of what was going on. And I’m happy to say that you’re more than welcome to stay with me.”

“Oh, Wakusei, I couldn’t.”

“You can and you will.”

“But it’s not just me; I’ve got someone in tow. An old favor called in, but it’ll be the last one he’ll ever call.”

Wakusei’s perfectly arched brows rose, but he didn’t say anything. If it seemed odd that she would be divulging, or even hinting at Dac’s status to a complete stranger, well, things weren’t always what they seemed. And even a smuggler could have a few true friends.

“I’ve got a few things for you to take a look at. Once Fuyu told us that you were coming, Saku went out and nearly bought out the market. She’s going to have quite the spread set out for you. I…” He trailed off, and the calmness of his demeanor shifted as he idly toyed with a long strand of hair that fell free from his brushed back bangs. “I…I’ll be glad to see you again.”

“It has been a while, hasn’t it?” A note of tenderness had slipped into her voice, and she quickly cleared her throat to disguise it. It hadn’t slipped by Wakusei, and his shy smile grew.

“It has. We’ll see you soon. Let us know what docking bay you’ll be landing into, and we’ll come out to greet you.”

“I will. Hey, Wakusei?”

“Yes?”

“Thanks.”

He didn’t respond, just smiled, and cut the connection.

The timing was excellent; she could hear Dac wandering the hall looking for her. “I’m in the cockpit, kid,” she called, not leaving her seat. When he’d entered, she was dressed in much more casual clothing – a large deep red tunic that nearly drowned her form, the smooth fabric broken only by the firm nubs of her nipples against it, and second skin black leggings under it. Her feet and ankles were bare. Before she could elegantly fold her legs under her, he would spy tattoos across her ankles – simple black bars that wrapped all the way around each ankle, and what looked to be an initial branded on the sole of her left foot.

“It looks like some old friends of mine came through for us on Zeltros – we’ll have a place to stay and some steady gigs to look into. They’re good people…” Her gaze was a little wistful, before she steeled it again. “I’ve known them all for years and trust most of them with my life. Most of them. Anyway, it’s a family of Zeltrons. Sort of. The kids are biologically related, but they were adopted by another Zeltron family when they were all babies. Wakusei’s about your age – maybe a year or two older. Fuyu’s the oldest and a snake in the grass; you avoid him. Saku is the baby sister; she’s younger than you. I think she’ll love you on first sight,” and she gave him a sly grin. “They don’t know anything about you; just that you were the last favor someone called into me. So don’t give them reason to think you’re a Jedi. Let Wakusei know you’re interested in going into law enforcement and he may be able to help you out.”

 

[Naphalm]

Dac peered through the portal into the Cockpit and spied his companion, lounging in the pilots seat. His body warmed at the sight of her, even in an outfit designed for casualness, she exuded a sexuality that seemed to strike a cord with him. His gaze quickly traversed her body, noting the tattoos. He made a mental note to ask her about the branding, perhaps when the subtle coldness of the air had dissipated. Dac could still sense it, that distance that had grown in the last few minutes of their previous encounter.

He sat in the co-pilots chair, moving yet more clutter from the obviously seldom used seat. The leather creaked like it was almost new. He nodded in understanding, trying to remember all the information she was throwing at him. "If anyone asks about the Visor, it simply aids my vision as I was born with a sight defect, but with it I have no difficulties seeing." he told her seriously, clearing having experience with explaining away his Miraluken heritage. "If they suspect I'm Miraluken, then they'll at least know I'm a force-user as it's a racial trait."

He turned to look out over the dancing lights, feeling like there wasn't enough time to train for this. "Just a favour huh.... ok, at least we don't have to lie about that bit right?" The words slipped from his mouth, he didn't even know why he said it or why there was a taste of bitterness in his mouth. He flushed a little and quickly changed the subject, "Uh... so how do you know these people? How did you meet?"

 

[Apollo Wilde]

It wasn’t quite a “coldness” as it was a “coolness” – seemed like a minor difference, hardly noticeable, but there was one. She wasn’t cruel to him; in fact, she seemed as “friendly” as she had been before. Just…doing her best not to make too much physical contact. He wouldn’t reciprocate, and the idea of having a one-sided “crush”, for lack of a better word, wasn’t too appealing to her at the moment. There was much that she needed to do to ensure his safety – the world was still moving at lightspeed around them, and she was doing her best to keep them moving.


“Makes sense,” she said, leaning back and rubbing her chin as she spoke. “I haven’t spent much time around Miralukas; still tryin’ ta figure out how ya work. You seem as humanoid as myself, and I couldn’t see any real differences in physique from any other humanoid male.” When she’d gotten that look, she’d never tell. Realizing that she’d implied more than she intended, she chuckled, albeit nervously, and ran a hand through her hair. “Th’ problem is th’ attitude. You’re too stoic. Dead giveaway. But hopefully time around these folks will help loosen some o’ that up. Devil in that detail. I don’t think anythin’ else would give you away. I don’t see anyone goin’ after Miralukas.”


Shifting, she looked over at him. He was sitting stiffly, uncomfortably. While she longed to reach over; make some brief physical contact to reassure him – a hand on the knee, or his shoulder,- she didn’t. “Nothin’ ta lie about in that regard, no. The folks we’ll be with ain’t th’ kind to ask a lot of questions. That usually gets ya with a blaster bolt between the eyes.” She cocked her fingers into a gun shape, mouthed the word ‘bang’, jerked her fingers back. “What I told ‘em was enough for them ta know what they needed to.”


Then it was her time to flush a little - but might as well tell the truth. “After my sister went off with Is’aevi, I didn’t have much way to support myself. So I worked as a dancer at this sleazy club for a while down on Zeltros. Didn’t make much, no matter how hard I worked, but Fuyu was one of my regulars. Thought his money could buy anything,” and her face twisted a little, “But his mother, who owned the club, took a shine to me and took me in like I was one of her own. I still couldn’t tell ya why to this day. Maybe she felt that I held the other girls in line. Or that I was a good influence on Fuyu. Whatever,” she waved her hand, as if dismissing the thought. “After their mother died, I took off. I used some of the connections I’d made at the club to figure out what else I could do other than shake my tits in some slimy Rodian’s face. Been a few years since then. I’ve been in contact with Fuyu off and on, cause he’s usually good for tracking down leads or whatever, but I don’t go out of his way ta talk ta him. It’s been years since I’ve seen Wakusei and Saku. Wakusei was off-world at some university, and Saku was at boarding school and rarely came home. Their mother was firm on trying to make sure at least two outta three of their brood didn’t end up like me or in her line a’ work. I miss that old bag sometimes. She was always preachin’ ta me how I needed ta do more. I bet she’d be real proud of me right now,” and her mouth twisted into a wry smile – not quite sad, not quite bitter, not quite happy.

 

[Naphalm]

He grinned, not because of the physique comment as that went straight over his head, but more at the fact that she herself had laughed, and at least for him, it eased a little bit of the tension he was feeling. He still didn't understand the shift in emotion, the edges of which he was still detecting, if only minutely. He nodded, her words hitting home. He never really thought of himself with an 'attitude' such as what Madoka described but he'd only ever spent time with other Jedi. It was something he would have to work on, but he hadn't a clue where to begin. Perhaps she was right, and all he would need is time.


Dac tried his best to stay calm and listen politely to Madoka's story but he was having a hard time of it. If he'd known what the blush at the beginning had really entailed then he might have been inclined to stop her there and speak no more of it. As it was, he was suddenly plunged into her history, as ugly and depraved as he thought it was he had to remember it wasn't like she'd had many options. He tucked his questions about Is'aevi and her sister away in his mind, he was slowly learning more and more through little comments and throw away remarks that were starting to really intrigue him.


After she had finished, he gazed at her, trying to work out whether his image of her had diminished with this new knowledge. Instead it was the opposite. Before him sat a woman of independence, who had traversed adversity, and gained the skills and connections required that was useful here and now in saving his life, and maybe the entire Jedi lineage. It could only be the work of the Force. He didn't say that out loud of course, while she wasn't a total non-believer, he could imagine she would be sceptical if he told her that her Destiny had shaped her life.


Instead, he cleared his throat and tried to smile. "I am sure they will be happy to see you again. I look forward to meeting them." He sat back in the chair, his face flickering with the blue dancing lights of Hyperspace. He closed his sight and in that moment, felt on the precipice of calm. Yet the anticipation of landfall and the close proximity of his confusion – the lovely Madoka – continued to unsettle his meditation.


"Did you know that Zeltros has been invaded like twelve times in six centuries, but each time the invaders made planet-fall, they were overwhelmed by the Zeltron's pheromones and their party atmosphere and forgot their hostile intent long enough for the defensive force to just sweep them off the planet…" he remarked, in a half distracted wistful voice as he recited some of the information he'd been studying.

 

[Apollo Wilde]

“For the most part, they’re good people. I dunno how well they’ve done since Ma died, but I suppose we shall see.” Trailing off for a moment, she stared hard into the long blue white light of hyperspace. “I think you and Wakusei may get on well. Saku’d love you. She loves all handsome men. Even when she was a little girl,” she started laughing a bit now, lost in memories, “She’d latch onto the most handsome man in the room and wouldn’t let go until they promised to marry her. Even for a Zeltron that’s out there.”

Well, she may not be throwing herself at him, but she still recognized that he was an attractive being. So there was that. And that was something he’d have to just learn how to deal with, especially considering where they were about to land.

“I didn’t,” she said, lazily spinning around in her chair. “I don’t know much about the history of the planet. Never really had much of a chance ta do that,” and she finally stopped, propping her bare feet up on the dash and leaning back in her chair. The brand on the sole of her left foot was apparent now – it was fairly simple, a circle with a line through it. “Ma wasn’t much on history. Not more so than what was goin’ on with her folks. Apparently at some point they’d had money; that’s how she came by the club. Her dream was to turn it into this really nice place, y’know, like, this sparkling gem of a club. Classy joint, y’know, where you could talk to guys, girls, whatever tickled your fancy, and have good conversation and look at beautiful creatures. Then Fuyu took over and ran the whole thing in’ta the ground. It broke her heart. I still think to this day that’s what really killed her. I told her I’d stay on until it became that place. It felt like somethin’ I owed her. Of course, it didn’t turn out that way…”

She trailed off. Funny how things started coming back, once that initial dam was breached. “I guess I been avoidin’ the place fer years. Worried what Wakusei or Saku would have to say. Knowing Wakusei, he’d tell me that I had no responsibility, but I can’t lie my way outta sayin’ that I didn’t feel that way. I had nothin’ and Ma took me in. And all I did was stand by and let her son run her dream inta the ground and…” she stopped, hard, shuddered. That was something she wasn’t ready to revisit. “Y’wanna know the funny thin’? I was there when I found out Yogensha was hurt bad. I guess Is’aevi thought that going to Zeltros was beneath him and he just sent me a holo. I was lucky enough to get off planet quick enough to be there at her bed when she died. To actually get ta see her. And Is’aevi, the man that took us in? Left the two of us – I guess he had pressing business ta attend ta or whatever. To me, it always felt like he was runnin’ away because he couldn’t face me. Years I hated him for that. What makes it funny now is that I realize I did the same thin’ to Wakusei and Saku. Ma wasn’t even cold in the ground and I was off-planet.”

She laughed softly now, shaking her head. “Life takes us some places, don’t it? I never thought I’d be tellin’ my whole life story to someone I just met. I guess you’re just soothin’ to talk to. And that I had a lot of unfinished business with your teacher. Is’aevi picked up my sister n’ me after our folks had bought it. I guess he could tell that Yogensha was Force-sensitive; me, though, not a hint of it. But we were a package deal. Couldn’t just leave one kid at that age. But the minute I was old enough to fend for myself? They were gone. Even though Yogensha was all cold like most Jedi, I could tell it killed her to leave like that. I woke up in th’ middle of th’ night feelin’ like someone was screamin’ inside of my head, my heart. I went into the next room and they were gone. Left in the middle of the night. Not even so much as a note. I got my way off planet and headed to where the lights were the brightest. Been doin’ that since.”

 

[Naphalm]

He was listening of course, although it was always hard to tell with him since he remained motionless, staring into the blue and black. It was difficult to concentrate on what she was telling him, his mind was stuck on one specific word. But the trivialness of being called handsome wore off as he registered the story that Madoka was telling. The mental block, the one that had prevented Dac from seeing inside her mind and reading all those emotions came crashing down, whether she knew it or not.

Once again Dac almost drowned in overwhelming sensations, pouring from the bottle that was Madoka; the pain of abandonment, the horrific loss, the powerful anger and the heartfelt guilt. It was more than he could bare and he almost leapt up as he scrambled to his feet, turning away to hide the pain he was reflecting. However, her manner was calm and collected, totally at odds with the waves Dac was riding. He turned slowly as he composed himself, wanting nothing more to pull this woman into an embrace, and tell her it wasn't her fault. The words would have been empty though, how could he possibly understand everything she was telling him.

He ran his hand through his hair, mimicking Madoka's nervous tick. "I've been told I'm a good listener." He said softly, perching on the edge of the seat as he looked at her. That guard was up again, it'd only lasted a few moments as she poured her heart out. "I… I'm not going to defend Master Is'aevi. My memory of him is clearly very different but then, I knew what to expect from my relationship with him. But I get it… the way you feel about Jedi, it makes sense, of course it does. You had to make a sacrifice and you weren't even given the choice."

He sighed dramatically, shaking his head. "It seems I'm lucky that you could overcome your personal emotions to come to my rescue, I can see how easy it would have been to ignore Is'aevi's call. And you've done it again by taking us back to a place of personal pain. I am grateful, of everything you're doing for me, as I have mentioned before, and will likely mention again." He said the last with a chuckle.

What he didn't say of course was that he understood exactly what Is'aevi had done. He had found a young girl who was bordering on the age limit for training. At that age, the child would have already formed attachment to either parents or siblings. If he'd taken Yogensha directly to the temple, she would have probably been rejected, so instead he lived with them, taking Yogensha through the initial stages personally and keeping Madoka with them so that the young girl was not distracted or overcome by grief at their separation. Until that moment came, where Is'aevi had closed off those connections enough to separate the girls. It was heart-breaking, but Dac had read about this happening before in other cases, and usually the person is then accepted.

Instead he simply smiled, the lines of his lips forming a faint curve. "I am also grateful that you think I'm handsome…" he sat back in his chair, the smile becoming a genuine grin.

 

[Apollo Wilde]

“I’m not askin’ ya ta defend him, kid. I’m tellin’ ya how it was between he and I before he died. You had nothin’ ta do with the choices he made before he took ya on as a student. I guess I felt bad because all it seemed like I was doin’ was badmouthin’ a man that you felt strongly about, and I needed ta’ explain why. He’s done good by ya, so far, so I can’t say nothin’ bad about that. If anythin’, it makes me feel a little closer to okay, whenever I look at ya, and I see that somewhere, someone, seemed to do well by him. Isa’evi, I guess, never owed me nothin’, especially since his interest was only in Yogensha. I don’t agree with th’ Jedi, even more because of what happened ta’ me, and I don’t think no one should go through that. But where would Yogensha be, right now, if he hadn’t tried to make somethin’ out of her life? Maybe she woulda had a family, maybe she woulda been like me. I dunno.”

At his quip about being handsome, she coughed a little, looked to the side, then back to the panels in front of her. “Uh, yeah….” What else was she supposed to say to that? Was she supposed to tell him that she’d gotten off in the shower thinking about the little glimpses she’d seen of his body? Imagining him returning her kiss like he had outside of the Golden Hill? That she wanted him to touch her, and it was driving her insane because she barely knew him but she felt differently about him? What a mess it was all shaping out to be.

In the end, all she did was laugh a little. “I got eyes, don’t I?” And then, a clever little grin stole across her face. “Why would you be happy if I thought you were handsome? You can’t do nothin’ about it, can ya? What if I said I thought more than that? That I wanted ta take ya ta bed? Then what?” Her voice was jocular, though there was a bit of a more serious intent in her eyes. She wasn’t about to haul him to the bed - she’d told herself she wouldn’t do that, and just deal with the lust with cold showers, and jump on the first handsome Zeltron once they were planet side-, but her curiosity had gotten the better of her. She thought that Jedi were supposed to be immune to that sort of thing. And Dac, in the short time they’d been together, was nothing but respectful. The only person that had a problem with the situation was her.

However, talking to him had helped - more than she thought it would. He was surprisingly easy to talk to, and with the business of the old wolf man off of her chest, she felt her entire body ease. And now, she was left with what to plan of their future. Their future. Just thinking about it….their. Such a small word; so much weight. He was willing to trust her. And she had to keep him safe. Get him on his feet. Suddenly, it didn’t feel as daunting as it did before.

 

[Naphalm]

Dac's jaw opened and shut several times. His face flamed incandescently, hotter and brighter than ever before. His mouth dried and unbeknownst to Madoka, his body was reacting to her hard gaze and sultry words. He clenched his hands into fists to stop them from trembling involuntarily. Visions of heated passion and forbidden naughtiness danced before him and all he could do was laugh nervously. She seemed to be expecting an answer, her gaze was unwavering and he didn't know how to answer.

The question was, what would he do? Would he stop her? He knew that he should but could he really deny the obvious physical attraction he felt? He tried not to think about, instead he stood and straightened his jacket, trying his best to stand and not make it obvious that his body was intrigued with her suggestion.

He cleared his throat, despite the fact that he was still clearly embarrassed. "I uh… don't know." He answered honestly, his voice sounding as wobbly as he felt. "Can you uh, give me a shout when we're close?" He didn't give her time to reply as he fled from the cockpit, stopping just round the corner to lean against the wall and let out a giant breath.

"Well done…" he muttered, "You handled that brilliantly."

His fleeting thoughts flickered to their brief kiss, both in the training room and in the street before. He couldn't take it anymore, he hurried into the refresher and locked the door behind him. He moved to the basin like a man dying of thirst and splashed cold water into his face. It didn't help. He felt like he was burning and it was all concentrating in one place…

A little while later he emerged from the refresher, slightly hot and bothered, but with a calmer mind and body. He glanced in the direction of the cockpit and considered going back to apologise but he could still feel the heat from his face and didn't want to embarrass himself any further. So instead, he wound up back in the tiny 'training' room. He folded his feet beneath him, and once again struggled with his meditation…

 

[Apollo Wilde]

Well, she had her answer.

And waiting until he was out of earshot, she started to laugh. Laugh until the tears started in her eyes - and then they wouldn’t stop. From laughter, she dissolved into a light sob, her face crinkling. Everything that she’d spoken about brought back all of those memories, the heavy-sweet smell of the Zeltron she called Ma, the gap-toothed smile of young Saku, the shy eyes of Wakusei. She allowed herself a few cleansing tears, and, taking a deep breath, tried to round the circle out by laughing again. It was forced at first, then came easier, as she remembered the flush on his face. It was a low thing she did, but her curiosity had gotten the best of her.

Had it been worth it?

Maybe. She still hadn’t gotten a straight answer - for the time being, she was content with filing it away under “not interested.” Really, it wasn’t something that needed to be pursued.

+++++

She’d left him to his meditation, and went about prepping the ship. Putting her items from her brief vacation away, getting a meal started - the usual. She gave him a wide berth - not because she was avoiding him, but because she felt that he needed the space. It was only when the warm smells of a late dinner wafted down the hallway that she called to him.

“Hey, kid! We’re not there yet, but ya gotta eat. Food’s done!”

 

[Naphalm]

Gingerly, Dac edged his way into the room, trying for all the world to appear nonchalant. He seemed to have composed himself, especially since his body was no longer crying out for attention. That faint, characteristic smile eased onto his lips as he spied the steaming bowl, and his belly rumbled as he realised that it had indeed been several hours since they last ate. "Thank you," was all he said as he sat down and politely sipped at the soup.

His gaze wandered over to the holo-screen that was once again blasting out the news. It was all lies and propaganda anyway, and Dac had tried to avoid it since their escape, but the latest reports coming in about how the Jedi were complicit in starting the Clone Wars to destabilize the galaxy and overthrow the government. The new 'Emperor' was supporting these claims by citing that the Jedi's involvement in initiating the creation of the clone army without authorization from the Senate, and the role of former Jedi Count Dooku in forming the Separatist movement were all contributing factors. It was a careful manipulation of the truth, not that Dac had had any involvement with any of those things but he knew in his heart that the Jedi weren't at fault.

He tore his eyes from the screen, determined not to watch and instead concentrated on the food and flavours. "Good as ever", he said with sincerity. "How much further have we got to go?"

 

[Apollo Wilde]

Noting his discomfort with the news, she leaned over and switched it to another channel in the midst of a Bothan soap opera. Not the best viewing, but enough to provide background noise.

“Why, gettin’ sick of me already?” And it was said with a smile, meant to ease his fears. However, she wondered if she was only making things worse in her attempts to keep him lighthearted. She’d been relieved to see him smile, but knowing him, it would only be a temporary thing. Well, she’d just try her best to keep that from happening. “Just kidding. We eat, we sleep, we’ll be there in th’ morning. Preparations have already been made so all we need ta do is just land. Then you can go on about really explorin’ the world out there.”

It took her a few moments to realize that what she said could have easily been taken as her abandoning him in the middle of a strange planet. “What I meant,” she said, stammering and slightly coughing on her last sip of soup, “Was that you and Wakusei could get out n’ do some explorin’ - he’ll keep ya on the straight and narrow.”

At least I hope so.

It had been years, after all. And under the influence of Fuyu, there was no telling what she’d be coming “home” to. He seemed to be okay when she last chatted to him….because holos were always truthful representations of people. But at least thinking about this kept her mind off of how tense Dac was. As much as she -sort of- wanted to feel a little guilty, she felt that she’d done herself a service by actually telling him where her mind kept wandering to. He deserved that much. And now that it was out there - somewhat-, she could focus on other things. Like, the sleeping situation.

“Go ahead n’ take the bed tonight,” she said with an absent wave of her hand. “I gotta take care’a few things before we land.” Standing up, she scooped up his empty bowl. The tunic draped lazily off of her shoulder as she leaned down, the elegant swoop of her collarbones showing clearly. Moving to wash the bowls in the small sink, she hummed idly, not really recalling any tune, letting her mind drift over the task at hand.

 

[Naphalm]

He started, holding up a hand in apology but then he noted her grin and chuckled himself. "Of course I'm not getting sick of you, I'm just… I don't know, eager I guess. The idea of a whole new society and culture to see first-hand is pretty amazing, even if there will be some… surprising aspects to it." His smile fell slightly, if but for a moment. "That'd be good." He said unconvincingly, "Although won't you... want to show me around, or something?"

He knew how stupid that sounded, Madoka couldn't be expected to babysit him and while he knew she wouldn't just up and leave, she probably had more important things to be doing, or more interesting people to see he suspected. That last thought sent a pang of unexpected pain through his chest, but he refused to speak of it and simply returned to the rest of his dinner.

"Oh… ok" he said, unsure how to respond without sounding like he was asking her to share his bed. After what she'd said to him earlier, it was probably not a good idea anyway but for some reason he felt a little disappointed. Had he really been looking forward to the awkward situation, lying side by side with as much room between them as possible without falling off the edges?

As the silence fell between them, only broken by Madoka's humming, he decided to change the subject. "What does the tattoo mean? On the base of your foot?" he asked curiously, even as he finished the last mouthful of soup.

 

[Apollo Wilde]

“I can imagine so. Coruscant’s all right,” she said with a light toss of her head, “But there’s some much else out there. I can’t imagine spendin’ all my time on one rock in an ocean of ‘em. I think it’ll be good fer ya as well. Rub some o’ that stiffness off of ya. In more than one way,” she gave him a playful wink as she set her bowl up. “And sure, I’ll show ya a few places. But I likely associate with the scum o’ the universe. Probably wouldn’t be too good for ya to tag around with me too much.” And that, she had meant. Even though she would be leaving him the care of people she knew –or hoped- were still good, there was much she needed to do planet-side. Check in, for one. Try and see if there were any jobs to be had, something a bit more steady planet-side. The thought of it made her internally groan. It was one thing to be running among the stars, piloting – an entirely different thing to be slinging bags of spice on the streets and hoping that the local law enforcement didn’t catch her. That, she wasn’t looking forward to falling back on. Well, worse case scenario, she could always try and land some sort of club gig – though the thought of that wasn’t too savory, either. Who knew she’d eventually come to a point in her life when she would turn her nose up at a job?


The bed decision had been an easy, and a hard choice, to make. She wasn’t looking forward to sleeping in the cock pit, but she didn’t trust herself not to end up violating the boy’s personal boundaries once they were in bed. The last time, she’d woken up multiple times to find herself wrapped around him, drawn to the warmth of another being. He’d either been kind enough not to mention it, or had been so tired that he hadn’t noticed it. The latter thought sent a small pang of annoyance -no, that wasn’t quite it-, anger? No…Sadness? SOMETHING through her that she figured might be close to being insulted, and close to being sad that he hadn’t let his guard down long enough to seek solace in the warmth of another person. After their conversations, she’d come to the conclusion that maybe he simply didn’t know how. But it was easier to think that he hadn’t felt it – he’d been through a lot, after all.


She paused when he asked her about the brand. Took a deep breath. She’d told him so much already. “I was a slave for a while,” she said, as if she was explaining to him the difference between bantha steaks and noodles. “My folks died when we were young, y’remember, and apparently they had some debts. The debtors came callin’. When they couldn’t find the both of us, they figgered one of us would be enough. I escaped a few times. The brand was one punishment. The tattoos were another. They said that way I’d always know I belonged to someone.” She paused, looking down at her hands. “Last time I managed to get away, I made sure they weren’t comin’ after me.” There was a dark finality in her voice that suggested a rightful vengeance. There was much she could consider that she might have regretted, or at least had turned out differently, but that? Never. She’d do it again, as many times as it took. “That’s when I headed to Zeltros. Ya’d think,” and she’d turn to face him with a grin, “that after all this time, and all these credits, I would’a gotten them removed. I’ve been close to it. Every time, though, I chicken out. Dunno why. Maybe as a reminder.”

 

[Naphalm]

At the suggestion, he flushed and shook his head, pretty sure he wasn't going to be involved in any of that. He guessed he understood that a prospective law enforcement ex-jedi wouldn't be the sort to hang around her 'potential clients'. She was clearly making no bones about the sort of work she did or the people she would be 'hanging with', but yet it still felt a little… sad that she wouldn't be around more.

He realised right away, based on her reaction, that this was another soft point for her and in a space of a few hours, he'd pried deeper into her personal life than he'd intended. Still, he listened in silence, slowly filling up with righteous rage. As she turned to him and smiled, it did little to quell his indignation.

"That's horrible!" he said, standing, his hands clenched in fists. "How could someone do that to another?! Of all the abject horrors I've read about, slavery has to be one of the worst. It's one of the reasons I strived so hard to become a guardian of the republic…" he trailed off, without anyone to really direct his anger to; it fizzled out till he was standing awkwardly in silence. "Sorry, I didn't mean to get so worked up, but I am truly amazed at your strength and will power to overcome such hardships.

He picked his bowl up and moved to stand beside her at the basin. He knew it might sound silly but in that instant, without any true goals, it seemed like the only sensible thing to say. "I realise how empty this might sound, all things considered but… seeing how I can no longer protect the galaxy from such terrors, I swear on my life that I will never let such a thing as slavery to befall you again." And he looked at her with such sincerity, like he meant every word.

 

[Apollo Wilde]

“It’s simple; most folk just ain’t no good,” and she gave him a slip of a smile. It was all ancient history to her, anyway - she’d gotten out, and knew that she wasn’t going to be a slave to anyone ever again. Even if she went through the galaxy, killing all of the slavers, more would spring up to take their place. Some would even be former slaves themselves. That’s just how these things worked.

At his earnest words, she looked quite surprised; caught off guard. A blush darkened her cheeks, and she shook her head. It wasn’t a pitying gesture; if anything, it was warm. His sentiments had touched her - she knew that he meant what he said. That much, she could take to the bank. If it would do her any good in the future, she didn’t know. But she was tempted to believe him.

“I…I tend ta do just fine on my own,” and the smile she gave him was real, soft around the edges. No mockery there - no attempt to undercut what he’d said. “And it’s okay. I suppose I wouldn’t have expected any other kind’a reaction out of you. It’s done, though. And I got out of it a helluva lot luckier than a lot of folks I knew. I’m alive and I ain’t too badly scarred. No one wanted to damage the merchandise that much,” she said with an offhanded shrug. “That’s why it’s at the bottom of my foot and just these tattoos. Nothin’ too bad to mess up what they were paying for.” She followed up with another shrug. “I don’t think about it much. One of the few things in my life where I have actual closure, y’know?”

She didn’t expect him to understand the feeling of sheer righteousness when she put that blaster bolt between Malo’s beady, stupid little eyes. She didn’t demand that he needed to beg or plead for his life. It wouldn’t have made a difference and she didn’t want to hear it. Musing back on her thoughts, it took her a short time to wake back up to the waking world and to pull herself from the stream of memories. “Y’knno, maybe you should look inta bein’ a psychiatrist instead of a cop. I haven’t talked about any of this stuff in ages and it’s been, like, this healin’ experience. So maybe instead of focusin’ all’a your power on fighting, you should realize the gift ya truly got. Sometimes it takes some really out there circumstances for us to see that sorta thing.”

Reaching forward, she took one of his hands; squeezed it gently. Then let it go. “Thanks fer offerin’, even if I can take care’o myself. Nice ta hear, sometimes. I’m gonna head on to the cock pit. Make yerself comfortable and try ta get some rest. It won’t be too much longer now.” With a kind smile over her shoulder, she slipped from the tiny little room, her bare feet nearly silent on the floor.

 

[Naphalm]

Seeing her smile, seeing her truly appreciate his words calmed him somewhat. He smiled bashfully, and there was just a fleeting moment between them, a moment where Dac wanted to wrap his arms around her, hold her, comfort her… he took a casual step back, putting some distance between them as Madoka continued. He tried to ignore the nagging feelings in his stomach and simply leaned against the worktop as he listened.


He laughed at her suggestion, and shook his head. "I'm hardly trained for that kind of thing. I'm only listening; I don't have any answers or solutions for you. Not that you need them…" he sighed, but maybe she had a point. Maybe there was something like that he could do, rather than thrust himself into battle head first. But what sort of therapist is needed on a pleasure world? And there may even be an opportunity to do some studying if they were going to be there for some time.

He was pulled from his thoughts by the soft touch of her hand on his. He smiled gently as he returned the squeeze; even such a simple gesture sent his heart racing. "Sure…" he said in a small voice, "I'll probably retire soon, if I can't meditate I should at least sleep." As she departed, his eyes followed her till she disappeared round the corner. He let out a breathy sigh, and checked the time on the wall. It was still just a little early, so he did what only comes naturally to him. He began to tidy…

*******************

He retired to the bedroom a short time later. He hadn't wanted to disturb Madoka so he had slipped down the corridor on silent feet. The bedroom was dim and just as messy as before, but Dac felt exhausted after his physical training and emotional rollercoaster throughout the day. It'd only been a few hours since his cold shower but his body was aching again, although this time he chose to try and ignore it. He climbed in the warm covers, after stripping out of his clothes. It didn't help that they smelled fruity and feminine, and heady of Madoka.

But he was soon back in that fitful doze, images of the harrowing escape passing through his mind's eye…

 

[Apollo Wilde]

The “night” in the cockpit had felt longer than it was. Madoka was unable to sleep, and spent most of her time staring into the hard, white lines of hyperspace, thinking about nothing and everything all at the same time. More than a handful of thoughts were spent on Dac - what was she going to do with him, how long she would stay with him, if he’d ever find himself in a galaxy that no longer needed Jedi. From that point, her chin resting in the palm of her hand, she began to speculate on just what the Jedi were. It was an exercise of sorts for her; try to think about the Jedi without instantly dropping into the dull smolder of anger. Dac and the old wolf man were entirely different. Well, maybe not that different. Dac had a newness - but an oldness of spirit that made for an intriguing mix. She hadn’t sat down and talked about herself like that in years. Not since the last time she’d really sat and had drinks with Ma, in the few quiet places on Zeltros.

Ma knew what it was like to be a slave; to be owned, to be stripped down to nothing at all and the work it took to build yourself back up. And she’d repaid her by fleeing as soon as she could; leaving her family in the hands of Fuyu. Although from what she’d seen, Wakusei seemed…okay, there would be no telling until she actually got planet-side. But she’d already mulled over that. Didn’t make sense to keep trying to plan around something she had no idea of. She’d just have to keep her general plan B of “Run like hell” should anything go wrong.

___________

She hadn’t realized that she had actually gone to sleep until the chiming of the Alto alerted her to the imminent approach to Zeltros. Leaning back into a long stretch, her fingers ran over the dashboard, keying in coordinates. Couldn’t rely on auto pilot now; it would be all her moving forward. She was able to quickly raise someone on comm; further hash out details of their landing. So focused was she on landing (and actually getting off of the ship; she was getting, beneath everything else, a little stir crazy) that she didn’t think to call back to Dac to wake him up. Once they were landed, it’d be easier to really sit and talk with him over what needed to happen next.

Only the slightest jar of the ship landing in the ship yard indicated that they’d landed. The false gravity was turned off - they’d feel a bit heavier now, but not by much-, and the ship seemed to hum with contentment with the opportunity to finally rest. Finally swinging away from the dashboard, she headed down the hallway. “Dac? We’ve landed; I’m gonna grab a quick shower and change and then we’ll go over what we need ta’ do,” and without much more than that, she locked herself into the small refresher.

Emerging in a cloud of steam, a towel wrapped around her -not caring much for modesty now; her mind that much more focused on the task at hand-, she slipped back into her room and threw open the closet. “Go ahead and shower; you need to get changed and we’ve gotta figure out how to make ya look less of a Jedi. How to approach this,” and she grabbed a pair of rust red leggings, gesturing for him to leave with a light toss of her head.

By the time he came out, she was dressed again - a light orange flowing tunic over those red leggings, and surprisingly enough, sandals instead of her boots. Apparently this was more of a “casual” look for her. It wouldn’t do to look super business like on a planet known for pleasure, and, though she would have preferred something much more abbreviated, she was doing her best to be some sort of a sense of comfort for him. He was about to be inundated with sexpots of women as it was. “So, show me how causal ya can get,” she said.

 

[Naphalm]

Completely opposite to Madoka, Dac's night went by in a flash, as if he'd never slept but instead leapt through some kind of time distortion. His body and mind felt far from rested, even when, once again, he curled his feet beneath him and sort his elusive meditation. There would be no calming the storm.

He gave up after only a few minutes, the time he spent trying to find his centre was getting shorter and shorter, something he noticed with alarm. Not much he could do about it though. Instead, he stood amongst the littered clothes and tried a different tactic, combat forms. With slow, steady yet precise movements that cut through the air, Dac danced on silent feet, focusing on the movements and ignoring the steady stream of thoughts about a certain someone and her fruity aroma, wild hair… delicate lips….

The ship shivered, and deep in the bowels of the metal hull, the engine was cycling down. It was the slowing of the 'heartbeat' that first alerted Dac to their arrival. With the force he was able to detect the change in life surrounding them, and when he perked up and 'listened' he was almost bowled over by the vibrancy of it.

Madoka's dulcet tones drifted through the door, making Dac freeze. He of course, was doing his kata's in his underwear, not something he wanted Madoka to be walking in on, despite what his body was telling him. He used the time to dress once more in the items Madoka had bought for him, they were casual enough even if they were starting to become stale, having worn them for nearly two days, and exercised in them.

He was getting ready to leave when Madoka simply waltzed in without so much as a knock. He opened his mouth to speak but promptly shut it again as barely registered him. Instead, his mind boggled as he watched her lithe form barely hidden beneath a towel saunter across the room to her wardrobe. As she pulled out clothes, she dismissed him like a child and much to his chagrin, he obeyed immediately. It was clear who was in charge today.

He darted in the shower; at least his body was clean even if his clothes weren't. Upon his return, Madoka was waiting in the corridor for him, all business.

"How casual… uh…" he responded. He thought about it a second, and then stuck his hands in his pocket and gave her what he thought was a straight, casual expression, while idly looking around the place. He, unfortunately, looked like the most suspicious 'trying to be casual' man ever.

 

[Apollo Wilde]

“Uh…..huh.” It sounded more like a question than a statement.

She backed away from him, looking him up and down. Where to even start? “Slouch,” she started, pacing a few more steps back. Then she closed the gap again, noticing a detail. Reaching up, she ruffled his hair throughly, making sure to leave his braid alone. Stepping back again, she ran a finger under her lower lip before she leaned forward again, and mused his clothing, leaving his tunic wrinkled and half-slouched on his shoulder. “There…that should do it fer now.”

She would just have to have faith. “Listen ta how people sound around ya. Then do yer best to imitate them. Not gonna be perfect, but it’ll be a place ta start. We’ll leave most of our stuff here on board; better ta travel light at first and then come back once we get everythin’ squared away. I dunno how much space Wakusei has, but the last thin’ I wanna be to him and the family is a burden.” There was a firm set of her lips then, as if she recalled her last time on the planet. Moving fluidly through the Alto, it didn’t take long before they were standing in front of the door.

“Ready?”

Like it or not, he was going to have to be. She thumbed a console next to the door, and the door hissed open.
_______

Zeltros was all she said it was and then some. Although it was night, the streets were lit as bright as day, with myriad signs in multi-colors and multi-languages. Girls! Boys! Full flesh! Suggestive word play, scantily clad members of both sexes calling wheedlingly to the both of them. Madoka took it in stride, laughing off one suitor after another as she wound her way through the throng of bodies. It would appear that she knew where they were going instinctively - and would be leading them through one of the busier sections of this particular town.

Spying a somewhat modest looking club, she waved him in. As they entered, they immediately stepped into a room heavy with the smoke of a plethora of different brands of narcotics, sweet and pungent. Waving the deep violet smoke from her face, she stepped in further. The club was smaller on the inside than the outside, and would have been close to cozy if such a word could be used to describe a strip club. In the center of the room was a small stage with an even smaller runway, a lithe, nearly nude Twi’lek undulating around a pole. About the stage clustered a few Devaronians, members of a stag party, perhaps. The rest of the patrons seemed to be just fine where they were, half-way hidden in the shadows of the club, briefly illuminated by the flash of a bright yellow light. Half-dressed women and men wove their way through the crowd with precariously balanced platters.

Flopping down in a booth, she waved him over to sit next to her. “We can talk a bit more in here, yeah?”

 

[Naphalm]

He tried to slouch, to look casual. He let her ruffle him up and tweak his appearance and when she stood back to look at him, he felt absolutely ridiculous. He gave a weak smile but his insides were slowly knotting, and he was already starting to sweat from the nerves. He barely caught what it was she was saying to him as they walked through the ship that had been their home for such a short time, yet it had felt like weeks.

"… around ya… do yer best…" he muttered under his breath, sounding like a posh boy on his first day of public school. He shook his head, probably best if he kept the talking to other people at a minimum for now. "No but…" he started in response to her question and then trailed off, he couldn't say anything to change what was about to happen. The door opened…

The blast of humid heat swept over them as the door opened slowly, the ramp lowering so he could step off the vessel and onto the landing pad. The space-port was essentially a hollow, cylindrical building, with pads sticking out the outside and inside like some kind of hair roller. The Alto had landed close to the top, affording the pair with an outstanding view of the city. Madoka hadn't been wrong, even from this height he could see every street heaving with night-dwellers, and the thrum of music made the platform thrum so much, Dac dared not get too close to the edge. He was awe-struck, gob-smacked, befuddled and amazed.

Madoka barely glanced at the beautiful scene, she was all business, reminding Dac that he should be too. He 'casually' followed her as they began their descent. A turbo-lift took them to the busy Port floor. Coruscant had been busy, the centre of the galaxy, but even when he did venture into its streets, it was never like this. In Coruscant, everyone was suspicious and even in the tightly packed streets, people kept to themselves and hurried to where they had to be. Here was the opposite, strangers rubbed against each other as they passed, throwing sly winks and lewd comments at each other. The Port must have been a central hub from the capital as all kinds of creatures were to-ing and fro-ing from ships or bartering for transport, or trading goods.

The hustle and bustle didn't end at the port, as the pair pushed their way onto the street, Dac's senses were pounded by a heavy drum beat and hot, sweaty flesh on all sides. It was all he could do to keep his hand on Madoka's shoulder as she led him onwards. Dac didn't know where to look, every direction there were sights that would make any upstanding Jedi blush. Out on the street, it was Zeltrons in all directions; no signs of any of the other races though Dac knew they must be out there judging by the Ports. But the sheer number of multi coloured hair styles and flamboyant skin tones pressed in on him. One particularly provocative woman, wearing only a tiny slip of material between her legs, thrust her naked breasts in his face while laughing. His heart skipped a beat as his fingers lost contact with his guide's shoulder for the briefest moment as he cringed back from his 'attacker', but managed to push past her, face burning red.

It only got worse as the pair ducked into a club. Instantly his head was filled with an unfamiliar, cloying aroma that stuck to his lungs as he breathed it in. He coughed violently, drawing some looks, as he wafted his hand in front of his face to ward off the strange air. It was making him light headed. Here he noticed the varying races, staring up at the gyrating figures dancing around with barely any clothes on.

He followed Madoka to a seat and put his head in his hands as he sat, taking a few deep breaths. "This… this is… how am I going to adapt to… this??" he muttered, more to himself.

 

[Apollo Wilde]

Okay, so he was sweaty.

And nervous.

And clearly out of place. Well, maybe not as out of place as he may have thought. If anything, it looked like he was coming down from a particularly bad dose of spice. Really, nothing that couldn’t be explained away. And with the way she had been leading him through the crowd, well, that was nothing to raise eyebrows at. If anything, it garnered attention in the occasional hoot and hollar from a passerby, congratulating the “stiff” on clearly relaxing.

That, well, that was something that not only had she not accounted for, but could work with. So maybe there was a way out of all of this after all. Once they’d sat down, she flagged over a particularly buff Theelin waiter. Under the muted lights, his skin was a pale lavender. He ran his eyes over Madoka appreciatively.

“What’ll it be, beautiful?” He leaned over, his pectorals covered in glitter and some sort of oil. This close to her, she noted -appreciatively- that at least he smelled nice, instead of body odor and bodily fluids. For a moment, Madoka wished that she’d worn something a bit more…revealing instead of her loose tunic. Well, there was a quick way around that. Like most of her tunics, this one had a series of laces down the front. Making a very obvious show of her deliberate pulling of the lace, she gave the waiter a coy smile. The laces loosened, exposing the tops of her breasts. The gesture wasn’t lost on the waiter.

“Gimme a Corellian pale ale, and just some water here for my friend; he’s coming down,” and she didn’t elaborate. And she wouldn’t need to. As if on an afterthought, the Theelin looked over at Dac, his dark brows slightly raised, before turning his attention back to Madoka.

“Sure thing,” and he gave her a knowing grin before walking away. Turning to watch him go, she gave him a firm slap on the rear before turning her attention back to Dac. And, similar to when they first met, her expression changed from playful party girl to all business. “Yer gonna survive it because you have to, kid. And, realistically speakin’, this ain’t even as bad as it gets.”

She had a point.

Though he’d been temporarily waylaid on their way there, there was a certain order to the chaos in the streets she’d lead him through. Though he wouldn’t know it, the city she’d chosen to land in was one of the more “quieter” spots. “Things’ll be like this until we get further into the city; that’s when the money starts to talk.” And that she’d meant. Little dives like this were meant to be tourist traps; to sucker in people right off the ship. Further in the city, where she was leading them, well, that was the upscale part of town. The part that cost thousands, millions, of credits. “The riff-raff’ll narrow out here in a bit, you’ll see. Until then, ya gotta keep talkin' ta me and we gotta keep movin.' We'll sit here for a bit until you feel like you can keep goin'."