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[SWAW] The Elephant in the room [S3 Kelb Tott]
Both,
After about a half-hour of ditching your tails, you all manage to regroup at fourteen's. Jaina is sitting on a couch in the back of the lounge, her arms crossed, and her gaze vacant. Jazz is pacing on the floor. The rest of the team is running lookout on the perimeter of 14's in case someone spotted you. Squall and Pem are both looking to you on what to do here.
Kelb,
"Kelb," Jazz starts, "I know I was out of line back there, but you gotta agree that was the right thing — right? I mean, that kriffer was gunna cause trouble no matter what, and we just solved that problem. Bought us some time, and sent a message: no kriffing with Captain Jaina Dene."
Tott,
Jazz turns to you, "I mean, from where you were sitting, you saw what he did, right? Kelb decks the guy, flat out floors him, he pulls a blaster on her, and then she starts asking whether Jaina wants this guy dead? No. That sleemo needed a blaster bolt to the head like he needed air to breathe. My air — and I ain't in a sharing kinda mood, you know?"
Both,
He looks between you both, and says, "so what are we gunna do? This sleemo's employer's gunna send new goons? We're already running security for those merchants — we gunna run security for Jaina too?"
After about a half-hour of ditching your tails, you all manage to regroup at fourteen's. Jaina is sitting on a couch in the back of the lounge, her arms crossed, and her gaze vacant. Jazz is pacing on the floor. The rest of the team is running lookout on the perimeter of 14's in case someone spotted you. Squall and Pem are both looking to you on what to do here.
Kelb,
"Kelb," Jazz starts, "I know I was out of line back there, but you gotta agree that was the right thing — right? I mean, that kriffer was gunna cause trouble no matter what, and we just solved that problem. Bought us some time, and sent a message: no kriffing with Captain Jaina Dene."
Tott,
Jazz turns to you, "I mean, from where you were sitting, you saw what he did, right? Kelb decks the guy, flat out floors him, he pulls a blaster on her, and then she starts asking whether Jaina wants this guy dead? No. That sleemo needed a blaster bolt to the head like he needed air to breathe. My air — and I ain't in a sharing kinda mood, you know?"
Both,
He looks between you both, and says, "so what are we gunna do? This sleemo's employer's gunna send new goons? We're already running security for those merchants — we gunna run security for Jaina too?"
Comments
He turns back to Kelb, "you said no kriffing around, right? That was me not kriffing around."
"Jazz, you did fine. Both of you stow it." Stars, they're like a pod of Gammorreans. "Jana hired us to take care of him, you followed through. Simple as that."
He paces a few more steps, then asks again, "So what the kriff are we doing? Bolting, or staying?"
"We're bolting." I say. It was on the tip of my tongue, I was just sorting it around in my head. "We grab any of the newbies who want to travel, and the Hawk becomes our temporary HQ, Cap. With a bigger team, and mobility, we should be able to pick up some work, and put some distance between us and that Chiss' vaunted organization."
I purse my lips, "Any of the newbies, or any of you, who want to stick around can work security for Xixys and the Merchants Cabal. Me? I'm ready to let them slip through our fingers since once it gets out that we aced the Chiss, they won't be happy."
I hate cutting and running. But I like the possibilities of this. "So first things first. Cap, here's my pitch. No charge for security while we're working out of your ship, and if we can help out as crew, we will. Also, you and yours get a cut of the jobs. But we only pay for food and supplies used, not passage. Are are you good with this plan?"
Tott,
Are you OK with this plan?
Once Jaina nods, I relax a little. Good, we have a plan. Life always feels better with a plan. I'll get my little med kit and pull a chair over to the sofa by Jaina, "Alright, let's have a look at your pretty face, J. Let me fix up that lip of yours, alright?" If she doesn't object, I'll put some bacta gel on her wounds, and bandage her up, shouldn't take but a moment. Of course, it gets us close and personal, but I'm trying to keep it professional, especially in front of the team.
Speaking of professional, and the team... I wonder what Tott thinks about, well, earlier. Now. In this light. And why am I really, crazy turned on right now? Oh yeah, stupid worked up energy, does this to me sometimes. Stupid Kelborn. Don't make eye contact. Don't make eye contact.
What's more interesting to me are the swings in Kelb's control. She's fascinating, emotional in a way I've never seen. I'd heard this about human women, but I suspect that she falls outside the spectrum of the kind of behavior that generates such derogatory comments in stories. I suspect human men would not have the balls to say such things if part of these "mood swings" involved turning faces into bruised meat.
Something about that makes me want to stick with the team for a while, even though I'm fairly sure that I wouldn't necessarily be pinned by the Chiss' association - too new to the team, and I was out of sight. The opportunity to watch Kelb is irresistible.
And I want to make her look at me the way she looks at Captain Dene.
Jaina doesn't really require medical attention. It was just a glancing blow, and with a tiny bit of bacta gel, and some tape to shut the split lip, she'll be fine. Jazz is trying to distract himself by getting the newbies up and organized for deployment. Pem and Squall are chatting quietly in the back of the room. Jaina's eyes occasionally wander into your gaze; but she laughs nervously, and averts her gaze pretty quickly.
In no time, you have her patched up. "Thanks Kelborn," she whispers low, just for you.
Tott,
Jazz isn't addressing you, like he is the other newbies. In fact, he's blatantly avoiding you... Not because he doesn't want you around, per say, so much as he expects you to handle yourself. Nill comes up behind you at some point, and casually asks, "That was you that shot out buddy's blaster, right? Nice shot. Clean." She smirks playfully, "I'm Nill."
"No problem, J." I reply, but that's all I say. I mean, am I going to tell her I want to protect her? Should I just suggest she decline the deal and go? I'm trouble, Jaina. You're making a mistake here.
With all the activity, I ask her, low, just for her, sitting close like this its easy. "Are you really okay with this? Being trapped on your own boat with a bunch of mercs?" Still not making eye contact, looking at her neck mostly. Which looks delicious. No! Not delicious. Trouble.
Nill sniffles and casually brushes some of her pink hair behind her ear. "Infiltration and interrogation mostly. Cloak and dagger type stuff." She looks you up and down, "but you, I'd bet, are multi-talented. What do you do, other than sharpshoot like a jedi?"
She nods, "I think I need you guys a lot more than you need me — but I intend to make myself useful. I'm not trapped Kelborn... I'm here of my own free will."
What do you do?
In general, I'm not very sexual. I'm aware of the reputation Twi'leks have due to the slave trade, and I'm careful not to contribute to it. I'm nobody's manwhore.
Oh, that answer is bad news.
I can't. I can't have this kind of attachment going on. I'm bad enough now, and then if I'm all moon-eyed over Jaina just because she's dead sexy and I've had a girl crush on her for cycles and she's right here and she looks so good in her little beret and. And this is NOT HELPING.
I nod to Jaina, "Zeng." Pat her leg nicely, then scoot back and walk over to Tott. He's chatting with Nill? That's good, glad he's reaching out to the new members of the team.
"Hey Tott," I purr a little as I walk up behind him and put a hand on his back. "Don't we have some unfinished business?" My fingers brush against his lekku when I move my hand up a bit.
What? I can purr. Seriously.
He's right. Stupid Kelborn. Jazz is cleaning up your mess AGAIN. Well, I think I made my point. I'm sure Jaina saw. Why does this feel awful? She's...
"Sounds good." I give Nill a nod, "Good job on setting up the Chiss. Did you get his name, by the by?"
Jaina was watching you alright, and given the empty and confused expression on her face, I'd say you have most certainly made your point... Or a point... Nill saw your gaze back to Jaina, and raises her hands in defeat. "Vesk'raoz'busuz. They called him Vesk at the meeting. Look, Kelborn... I don't wanna tell you what's what, but I don't know if this is going to be a good fit for me..."
Nill's right. What am I doing? We need to be working. I'm acting like some teenaged Inner Core kid and we need to be working.
I look at Nill back off of Tott, stand at ease. At ease feels natural, I need to re-focus, "Your call, Nill. I could use somebody with your skills on the team. I know this last bit of work was unsavory, but it was personal. Now, we've got a ship and a full squad, I'm already lining up some work for us."
I'm not going to beg, but that's a fair pitch.
Nill looks to Tott, then back to Kelb, then raises an eyebrow to Tott, as if she's asking do you believe this poodoo?
I'm getting to work, that's what I'm doing. Tott doesn't want to interrupt that, Jaina wants... I don't care. I don't. Work.
"Jazz, anyone staying here?" I ask as I move over to him.
Nill sighs, and nods complacently, "just keep the creds flowing, yeah Kelb? I'm gunna go gather my poodoo." She turns around and heads out the door.
Jazz calls back, "everyone's in Kelb. We good to move?"
Jaina stands from her spot on the couch, and vacantly starts walking for the door. She makes a point of not approaching Kelb as she does, and answers, "yeah. Departure at 2100 hours."
What do you do?
I start rattling out orders, "Let's move out. In pairs. Tott, you're with Nill. J, you're with Pem. Uduun and Tezzik, Macks and Squall. Jazz, its me and you. We go direct and don't make a fuss. Only one team exposed at a time, use secure channels. J, lead the way and open up the ship."
"I'm going to go last. Any questions?"
"As long as they don't object." I answer with a chuckle.