[SWAW] Kestic Station [Kelb S1]

Adam

So the last jump out of hyperspace went off without a hitch! There was a tense aura in the air as you waited patiently for the familiar blasting of turbolasers to hit the hull of the ship — but they never came. Jaina interrogated Cadan — that went about as well as you could expect, given their years of working together. She's been rather quiet since that discussion. Jazz spent the rest of his trip blissed the kriff out on pain meds — he's feeling markedly better, though still not 100%, as you'd expect. You even caught Squall skipping out of Adill's room. She seems proud of herself. What did she tell you they did behind closed doors? Do you believe her?

In any case, you've docked at Kestic. Pem has already left to lock down the deal on that T-2c, and he's brought Burr with him. Squall and Jazz are gone reporting Cadan to the authorities. Jaina approaches you, "got time for that drink?" She looks really tired.

What do you do?

Rich

Squall told me that they talked about shipping schedules, holovid dramas and data security. Unfortunately... I believe her. I think she got too nervous, or maybe he wasn't into her. She's still pretty bubbly about it, maybe they did have fun together. Makes me shake my head, though. I mean... a Zeltronian? I would have, hrm, done things differently.

I'm quietly happy that Jazz let me bliss him out. I tried to get him to sleep more tonight, but I don't think he will. He'll probably range around, find a seedy bar, try to pick up some girl. It's his own brand of healing. As long as he doesn't show up with some kind of space herpes, he can have his fun.

I give Jaina a grin when she comes up to ask about the drink, "I do." I give her a little skeptical look, "You sure you're alright? It's alright with me if we take a rain-check. It's been a long flight. I'm worried you might pass out on me." My tone's playful, but if she wants to beg off, it's up to her.

Adam

Jaina nods, "Yeah. I just need to get off this ship for a bit. Jae can handle the offloading — hell, he insisted I take a breather. Come on — fruity cocktails on me."

Presuming you don't disagree, where do you end up, Kelb?

Rich

Jail. That's where *I* ended up. It wasn't my fault.

Jaina and I were busy on our fourth fruity cocktails, and I was... wait no, she'd stopped at three, right after I ordered refills. Fine, so five cocktails, and I'm telling her the story of me, Jazz and Jaeger on a jungle training op when we were teens. Jaeger was talking all kinds of trash about me when WHAM, he runs right into the branch of a tree, falls down like a Wookie had punched him. Jaina's laughing, I'm feeling real good, so I show her how it looked. Well, I meant to show her, but instead, my arm, which was the branch, I throw it right into an unsuspecting Devaronian's face.

Jaina laughs. I apologize. He's not having it. He seemed much more upset that Jaina laughed than the fact that I'd hit him, and he starts calling her names. So I hit him on purpose. A few times. I don't know, a lot. I wasn't counting. He did his sharp teeth trick, which still freaks me out to this day, no matter how many times I see it. I didn't hurt him too bad.

Mr. Burr bailed me out. At least station security didn't arrest Jaina. That could actually hurt her business. Probably helped my rep. Not that I go looking for that stuff. Because jail is incredibly boring.

So that happened.

Adam

Burr is signing a few forms for your release while you get your personal possessions back. What was in your pocket when they arrested you? He talks while they return the items one by one, "Rumor at the bar was your Devaronian friend's missing more than a few teeth. I take it he did that freaky sharp-tooth thing?"

Rich

I try to snag that little bottle as soon as the sec officer drops it on the desk. It's a personal lubricant, and yes, it could be used as a warming massage oil. Nunya.

Nunya what? Nunya business!

"Yes, I hate that," I reply sullenly. Stupid Devaronian tooth trick. Always freaks me out. "I tried to wait till morning before I had them comm you. Didn't want to wake you. But they don't have chronometers in there. I lost track of the time... when is it?"

It's not all bad. I met a pretty amusing Sullustan in there, Punien Nunb. He might be a good back-up if Squall runs off with Mr. Handsome.

Adam

No judgements.

Burr is keeping his eye on the forms, "that's messed up, Kelborn... They didn't wake me though — Jaina had us informed long before they ever gave us a call. Covered your bail too... Said she felt bad she got you in trouble. It's a little past 0200."

The Sullistan — Punien — what was he in for?

Rich

"Grimey" was trying to fiddle with a cred reader. Said he lost his creds at a little vending machine, wanted them back He probably would have spiked in, but SecOps happened by. Lucky for him, it was just a vending machine, so they'll probably give him a slap on the wrist.

"She didn't get me in trouble, it was my fault, Mr. Burr. I was the one who punched him, she didn't have to do that." I say, feeling guilty about that. I'm going to go check on her. I'll leave with Mr. Burr, find out where he's staying, then go find Jaina. I assume she's sleeping in the docking bay, saving a few creds on a room in the station.

Adam

Burr finishes up the papers, and takes you in. Actually, Jaina's waiting outside the station for you — she's by a rented transport, looking guilty. "I'd have gone in myself," she calls out, "but you know what the Empire does to business owners who've bailed out criminals..."

Rich

I walk over to give her a hug, friendly-like, then step back, respectable distance. "Don't worry about it. I over-reacted. Sorry. I'm glad you didn't get in trouble. Thanks for calling Mr. Burr."

I'm not looking at her so much, I feel odd now, sort of guilty, mixed with a bit of sudden shyness, like this illustrates the gulf between us. Me the merc, her the respectable business-woman. "This isn't... how I imagined we'd end up the night." It seems like she's alright, no need to check on her. I guess I can head on with Mr. Burr back to quarters, get some sleep.

Adam

She smiles, "well you might as well hop in, I'll give you both a lift... We never did finish that conversation."

Rich

I smile and nod, "Alright, Captain!" Then I turn around to face Mr. Burr. If I can finagle it, so she can't see, I'll give the polite "buzz off" look to him. If he catches it, great. If not, well, them's the breaks.

Adam

Burr's observant enough that he catches the glance, he nods obediently and offers, "Actually, I think I'm gunna take my chances back at that bar... There were a few decent looking young things back there... You never know."

Jaina looks a little confused, but she smiles and nods. "Alright..." She walks around the transport, and slips into the driver seat. "So... Jaeger goes down like a wookie punched him?" In a moment's notice, the transport flicks into the air and syncs up with the station's autopilot controls.

What's the conversation like on the way back, Kelb?

Rich

I finish the story, a good deal more sober, so it is less lively. I mean, I'm still acting out Jaeger's facial expression when he hits the ground, because I will never forget it for the rest of my life. It is probably my funniest story in my repertoire.

Then it's quiet for a bit. At least, I'm quiet. My hand slides into my pocket, I toy with the oil with my fingers, just thinking about what I'm doing. Or what I should do. I'm still drunk-ish, which makes my decision-making badder. Worser. Ugh, I'm still drunk, and Jazz is... I'm lonely.

I like Jaina, she's really nice and smart. I've had a little girl-crush on her for cycles and she asked me for a drink, and I blew it. But here we are. Did I read her right? Am I about to make a fool out of myself? Are we "just" becoming friends? I'm throwing that out the window if I mess this up.

Put me in a firefight, I know what to do. Get a few drinks in me at a bar or a party, and I most DEFINITELY know what to do. You can even toss me blind-folded onto a speeder about to fly over a chasm, I'll figure it out, right quick. No really, true story.

Right now, though. I'm locked up. Stuck between choices. And I'm going to chicken out. That's okay, I'm nearly committed to it. Just playing with that little bottle that Mr. Burr ignored and waiting for the ride to be over. While wishing it wouldn't be.

Adam

The silence has turned the mood a little somber, and the transport takes the final turn into the main bay. You can see the Astral Hawk sitting in bay 13, scored up the wazoo, and in need of some repairs. The ship's quiet though — nobody coming in or out. Just you two, alone in the transport.

The transport shuts down, but Jaina doesn't get out. She looks contemplative. After a moment, she says, "So Cadan wouldn't talk..." She seems disappointed, "outright refused... I told him I'd let bygones be bygones and everything. 13 years I've known that Duros, and he wouldn't even give me the time of day..." She chuckles to herself, "said it was a vocational hazard — pissing off crewmates."

She turns to you, "I don't know what would have happened to us without your crew on board, Kelb."

Rich

Yeah, betrayal hurts. I'm an idiot for thinking about me when she's still reeling from Cadan. I hate that guy.

"I'm sorry it ended up that way, about Cadan." I say, trying to show with my voice that I really do feel for her. "It really stinks when someone violates your trust like that. I mean, business is business, but when friends cut and run, it hurts. I had it happen to me, too."

I turn in my seat, looking at her. She's got the most beautifully high cheekbones. "Here's the thing, Jaina. It hurts, trusting people, thinking they're your friends when it turns out, they aren't yours. Or when they are, right up until they get a better offer." I break eye contact, talking about this stuff, especially when I have a buzz, it can make me weepy. I hate being weepy. In front of people most of all.

"When it happened to me, getting burned by a friend, I mean. I shut myself off from everyone for a while." I sniff, which is reflexive thing, and means I'm not winning the fight against weepy. I blink a couple more times. "Even Jazz. I thought it would be better to just, you know, do the job. Just be a merc, make the creds, enjoy the duties, pour yourself into it, wall it off, stay professional. Save the other stuff for when you retire."

"It was really miserable, Jaina. So trust me. Don't." I chance a look back up at her. I wish it were darker in here. Sitting sideways like this is making my ribs hurt a little. Is she crying? Please don't be crying. "I started hating the job, because it was all I did. It took Jazz bringing me out of it, and I'm glad he did."

Then I just reach out and take her hand. It's a gesture of camaraderie, but soft. "Its not like we see each other too much, Jaina. I don't want to cross paths again and find you a wreck. Alright?" I look at her. Did I make any sense? I hope this helps. I want her to work through this. The sting can actually help sharpen you. Or it can just cut you and make you bleed. Man! I should have said that instead of rambling on and on.

Gah, what's she doing?

Adam

Jaina listens to you very attentively, without actually looking at you. When you finally look to her, she's staring off into space — thinking about what you said very carefully. She nods, and turns to face you. "Yeah... You're right."

She clears her throat, "So Jazz... Are you and him... An item?"

Rich

"Nope." I answer it with a chuckle, not bitter or defensive. It's funny how many times I've been asked that question. "He's my brother-in-arms, there is nothing I wouldn't do for him. I love him like family. And we are not an item."

I could go on, talk about the few months we spent as lovers and tried to make a go of it. But it confuses people, when I tell them that. They think there's some kind of romantic undercurrent, or some other junk best read on a saucy romance datapad novel. We thought we might try love, and it was awful. I mark it in my "try anything once" list and I'm thankful neither of us are bitter.

"I can't believe I've never asked this. But, do you have, you know, somebody?" I really never have asked her. I mean, we've never gone out for drinks, either. Night of firsts.

Adam

Jaina shakes her head slowly, "nope." She looks over to you and smiles, "you might say I'm married to my business — and my business is wicked jealous." She chuckles, "but then, I also cheat on it regularly."

It takes her a second to realize how mixed a metaphor that is, but she shrugs it off. And sits there in silence.

Some time passes, and she turns to you — inhaling before she speaks, like she's waiting for reason to overtake her. It doesn't. "Wanna kriff?"

Rich

A half dozen replies flit through my brain, some sexy, some relieved, some just randomly thankful. Instead of all that mess, I just answer her with my lips. Because I've been waiting to do that all night. Hey, that's a good idea.

When I finally come up for air, I laugh a little thankful laugh and say just that, "I've been waiting to do that all night." Then, I'm back to work. And by work, I mean getting her to her quarters and kriffing her for all I'm worth. I guess I am glad I brought that warming massage oil after all.

Night of firsts. Hehe.

Adam

Go ahead and fire off your sex move, Kelb.

Rich

Hooray! I get a +1 Forward. Not that it matters, her being an NPC, but I give her one, too.

Adam

Let's fast forward a few hours. You're both spent — how do you handle the after-party? You're both pretty tired — do you sleep in her bed?

Rich

Nah, I need to leave early. I'll lie there with her, cuddle for a bit. An hour before the crew is supposed to meet up at Bay 42, my chrono beeps. I wake up, kiss Jaina goodbye, then head out. We've both got work to do.

Adam

-- END SCENE --