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Calm Before the Storm (Star Wars Rise of the Empire) IC Main Thread

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Kam certainly wasn’t expecting an Imperial Customs officer to inspect the ship, but he gave the busty woman a charming smile as he handed her his identicard and the Hand’s registry. “Just acquired her recently, ma’am,” he said, taking back the credentials. He didn’t move out of the way, making Kara have to push her way past him to board the freighter.

“Just my mechanic,” he answered, unable to keep his eyes from drifting down to the seat of Kara’s uniform slacks as he followed her in. They were pretty snug around her hips and rear, causing a distinct reaction down there for the Corellian. “He’s back workin’ on the hyperdrive.”

A worried look crossed Kam’s face as Kara wandered through the ship. Her familiarity with the layout made him nervous. A few deck plates had been replaced with moveable pieces, covering a couple spaces made for smuggling things under the Imperials’ radar. “We’re not haulin’ anything right now... and we just got back from a shakedown, ma’am, so Coruscant.”

Kameron’s eyes flicked to the panel the lieutenant stood in front of. Tp a regular observer, it was just an unobtrusive bulkhead, nothing special about it; Kam has discovered that here was a secret compartment behind the panel whole exploring the ship soon after he obtained it. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean, Lieutenant,” he said, looking at the dark haired woman curiously.
 
Inside the Lucky Hand
Kara and Kam

Kara looked up quickly as Kam mentioned he had just acquired the ship, she quickly recovered her cool demeanor however as she pushed past him to do her inspection. As Kara walked with the Captain to the spot she expected her package to be located, she managed to pump him for information while seeming completely disinterested in the process. "Is there a problem with your hyperdrive Captain?" She asked while maintaining her air of superiority and disinterest, as if this crappy little ship was barely worth her time. "Hardly a way to pay off your investment I would think." A hint of suspicion entering her voice as her heals clicked along the deck plates. "I've found that freighters without cargoes either go broke or are hiding something." She offered as her mind seemed to be working on determining which path the Lucky Hand would take.

Things were quickly going from bad to worse, this should have been a milk run but it was beginning to look like the previous owner skipped out and left this guy holding the Nexu. "Perhaps your mechanic would know, or is he new as well?" She asked, her frustration mounting. "Open this." She said, nodding to the access hatch. "Or do you need your mechanic to do it?" Her tone becoming a bit surly as her frustration mounted.
 
Sev and Aly

Speeding through Coruscant’s airspace, the unknown client proved himself adept at outmaneuvering the imperials. In other circumstances, like a tale told in retrospect, this might have been intriguing. Now, though, it was worrying. Her heart accelerated with the engines, jumpstarted by each near miss.

Buildings and blinding lights blurred by as he made the journey into the bowels of the ecumenopolis. Paying close attention only served to make Alythra even more nauseous, the downward spiral churning her stomach. So she screwed eyes shut, blocking out the sensations least they overwhelm her. Still, heightened senses warning her against inattention, and when she did open her eyes, those senses screamed at her.

Working on instinct, she reached over and grabbed the control yoke, yanking it as far left as she could. He fought her for control for just a second, until a vehicle turned the blind corner, occupying the space they were headed towards. When he stopped resisting, and pushed the yoke, the speeder turned, missing the other vehicle by mere centimeters. Still, the sudden turn caused them to lose control of the speeder, and it clipped a sign before spinning out into a retaining wall.

Alythra called upon the force to cushion the blow from the crash. Beside her, her nameless client lied still. Too still, while his chest pooled crimson. “Shit,” she whispered, coughing away the dust and debris of impact. Blood soaked the fingers she pressed against his chest, calling on the force to close his wounds and heal his injuries. But there was a foreign object in his chest that prevented her, and all she could do at the moment was stem the blood loss by slowing his heart. Dangerous, but blood loss would have killed him faster than a heart attack.


Nykei and Jiljoo

Nykei followed Jiljoo into the dressing room, finding herself unable to resist or deny the sultry Twi’lek. Still, it was difficult not to feel shy and she pulled off her clothes, comparing her thin figure to Jiljoo’s curves. Still, the pieces Jiljoo picked out looked good. Especially the tight little black number that hugged curves Nykei didn’t even know she had. Minutes later, Nykei found herself in line, paying for the new dress. No idea when she’d get a chance to wear it, but she had to have it, regardless.


The screech of steel into stone ripped Nykei from her carefree relaxation with Jilljoo. Fire and leaking fuel filled Nykei’s nostrils, recalling painful memories. Steel fingers closed into a fist, suddenly aching, but there wasn’t time for that.

“We have to help them,” Nykei declared, pulling Jiljoo along. That the vehicle wasn’t a ball of fire was damn near miraculous, but her passengers weren’t safe yet. Within, a crimson-skinned woman tended to a blond male human. She turned once, and again, disbelief in her dark eyes.



“Jiljoo?” Alythra questioned, unable to believe the familiar face she found in her moment of need. But there was no time for that. “He was hit with shrapnel in the crash. I can remove it, but I need a to operate on him.”

“The ship has a med bay,” Nykei offered, assisting the Zeltron with the human by lifting his other side. “But wouldn’t a hospital be better?”

Alythra shook her head, “Not in this case. I slowed his bleeding, but that merely bought him time. If I don’t get that shrapnel out, he won’t last long.”
 
Jiljoo and Nykei Shopping

Jiljoo found herself attracted to a black, full body suit made from a thin and flexible material that would hug every curve but let her move as if she were naked. She eagerly entered the small changing room which seemed covered in mirrors, enjoying the visual effect of making it look like the room was full of the two of them. She stripped her skimpy attire off quickly and stood naked before the more modest human. She couldn't help but stop Nykei for a moment before she tried on the outfit she had picked for her. She took the other girl's hands and held them out from her body so she couldn't cover herself, she was gentle but firm. Her eyes slowly worked their way down her body. "Hirani" she said softly before releasing her and slipping into her own selection.

After changing back and paying for her clothes they headed out the door. The crash startled the nervous twi'lek but she followed Nykei who seemed determined to help. Jiljoo was equally shocked to find herself face to face with Alythra. She wanted to reach into the speeder and embrace her, one lekku extending inside to caress the red faced beauty and stroke her hair. Given the urgency of the situation that was all the greeting she was able to afford as she nodded as she quickly picked up on the urgency of Alythra's need. Not wanting to go to a hospital and the fact that the speeder was an Imperial one made the overall situation clear even without the details.

Seeing that Nykei was helping with the victim Jiljoo turned to the problem of transportation. It hadn't been a long walk but they had a critically injured man and more than likely someone was going to come looking for the wrecked speeder. Looking around she she glimpsed a pair of workmen with a utility speeder unloading crates. She strutted over to them, hheals clicking, boobs jiggling with each step. They noticed her still several paces away and stopped in their tracks. They weren't the kind that could typically afford the attentions of a slave like Jiljoo but here she was coming to them. The men smelled of poor hygiene but Jiljoo was all smiles and seduction.

"I need." Jiljoo said in her accented galactic base, pointing at the idling speeder as if they might just give it to her based on her good looks. The men looked at each other and the larger older one laughed and said "Well we have needs too darlin'." Jiljoo purred slightly but knew she had neither the time nor the inclination to satisfy their needs. She reached up, pulling down the simple top of her slave attire as both men stared at the unleashed bounty of blue tit flesh. Her small weapon, set to stun, fell into one hand while a lekku whipped around the neck of the younger man, cutting off his ability to yell. Jiljoo casually stunned the older man, then a moment after releasing the younger man, stunned him as well. She hopped into the flat bedded speeder and twiddled with the unfamiliar controls. It started with a jolt and she nearly ran over her friends struggling with the injured man before coming to a halt. She got out of the driver's seat and went to take Nykei's place supporting the man. "Maybe you should drive."
 
Aly, Jiljoo, Nykei and Sev

Nykei grimaced, but jumped in the pilot seat anyways. She took a moment to fiddle with the console while Alythra and Jiljoo helped the injured man into the backseat, pulling foward once they were in. It wasn't a fast model, built for carrying capacity over speed, but that was okay with Nykei. They didn't need to get in another accident. Still, she hit the throttle, ascending in altitude as they made their way through the marketplace. It was crowded, traffic choking each intersection, so Nykei took airspace laws as suggestions.

In the distance, blue and red lights flashed. Coruscant security forces converged on the crash. It wouldn't take long to track the trail of blood and find the stunned workers whose speeder they stole. Youthful memories returned then, banking into a tight turn between two buildings. Evade, she knew how to evade. How to duck and dodge and outrun the authorities. A quick lift to miss one passing skimmer, and a dead drop to miss the next. The pounding of her heart drowned out the angry beeping of horns, drowning out the voice of worry. I got this. I still got this.

Nykei's victory was short-lived, as they reached the spaceport. She'd outrun the snowmen, but still, an imperial speeder was parked before the Lucky Hand. Fuck, it couldn't be related, could it?
 
Aboard the Lucky Hand
Kam and Kara

Kameron offered the Security lieutenant a small, charming smile, pretending to not hear her request to open the panel. Instead, he leaned against the bulkhead, so that the panel couldn’t be opened even if one wanted to do so. “Well now. We don’t want ol’ Lar to get all worked up over a rusty access panel now, do we?” he cajoled, noting Kara’s surly tone. “I’ll get it open in a second, and you can get your fix.”

Turning his back to the uniformed woman, Kam rapped a peculiar pattern onto the panel, which made it give a rather grumpy-sounding groan as it popped open. He reached into his jacket, his body shielding what he was doing, and activated his comlink, opening it to the engine bay. “Now where’d that package go...” he hummed, deliberately stalling for time. “Ah. Gotcha.” Turning back to Lieutenant Starglow, he handed over a small, black-wrapped box. “Glitterstim, yeah? That’s what you’re lookin’ for?” He chuckled, shaking his head. “Don’t let your commanders find that on ya.”
 
Aboard the Lucky Hand
Kara and Kam

Kara was visibly nervous that the young freighter Captain wasn't being fully cooperative and her Troopers were out chasing who knows what. His charm displayed a certain confidence that she didn't share and made her feel all the more vulnerable. She had her blaster, but she wasn't exactly a hardened fighter and didn't want to get into a shoot out with this guy even if he was practically a kid. How he managed to own his own ship at his age was a puzzle to her. She tapped her blaster but was careful not to make a move like she was going to draw it on him, she had to trust that her authority alone would be enough. Hopefully this kid wasn't fool enough to think he could get away with shooting an Imperial officer, even one on the take herself.

"Oh I don't use it, it's just business." She said, visibly relaxing as he agreed to open the panel. "Should be good for your business as well. What is your next destination?" She asked him, opening up the possibility of more business to be had. She took the package from him, judging its weight before running a quick scan to verify, then placing it into a small satchel on her belt. "I'm fully aware of the proper precautions, I can assure you."

"I don't use glitterstim, but I do have other vices." She offered as she headed back towards the crew portion of the freighter. "Perhaps we can discuss a little business before I clear your ship for departure?"

Arriving at the Lucky Hand
Jiljoo, Sev, Nykei, and Alythra

Jiljoo had her hands full trying to keep the three of them from being thrown out of the evading speeder as Alythra tried to keep the man alive. It was physical work and she enjoyed the close proximity to her friend but would have preferred some other fluid than a strangers blood to anoint their reunion. "We are supposed to pick up a Zeltron on the Lucky Hand, is that you?" If so, she couldn't believe her luck, despite the crazy nature of their coming together, she was delighted at the prospect of spending more time with the sexy crimson female.

Jiljoo, who could be surprisingly strong when called for, lifted the injured human herself, allowing Alythra to continue to tend to his wound. They were a bloody mess as they staggered up the ramp and towards the sick bay, running headlong into the Kam and a uniformed Imperial Officer.

Inside the Lucky Hand
Everyone but Lars, (where the hell is Lars?).

The Imperial Officer looked at the bloody mess coming towards them, stepping back to ensure no blood got on her well fitted uniform. "What the Kark is this? She asked to the group at large as they continued to the sick bay. "I don't suppose it's a coincidence that half the troopers in this sector have been mobilized?" She seemed more annoyed though than alarmed, as if it were just another mess to be cleaned up, and she wasn't talking about the blood. "If you're going to be a successful smuggler Captain, may I suggest a bit more...subtlety... from your crew?"
 
Aboard the Lucky Hand
Kam and Kara

Kameron couldn’t help but chuckle at Kara’s suggestion, walking along with the curvaceous woman towards the crew commons. “Well, sure,” he said, placing his hand on the small of the lieutenant’s back. “If you don’t mind following me...” With a bit of gentle pressure, he guided her towards the captain’s quarters, only to be interrupted by the sound of the boarding ramp lowering. “What the...?”

Everyone but Larasen

Kam couldn’t help but sigh, his free hand coming up to rub his temple. “Kark. Just when I thought the girls could handle themselves,” he muttered, shaking his head. Leveling his gaze at the three women and the bloody mess of a man, he frowned. He definitely wasn’t angry with them, just... annoyed. “Someone wanna explain just what the chubba is goin’ on here?” He motioned to Sev, who was still unresponsive and leaving a bloody mess on the deck plates, then Alythra. He couldn’t help but notice the fiery crimson of her skin; surely this was their contact? “Who the hell are these two, and why hasn’t anyone given this guy medical attention?” He guided Kara aside, giving the rest of the crew enough room to get by. “Get him to the medbay, stat!”
 
Alythra hardly had time to worry about the Imperial officer or the befuddled Captain, all her attention focused on keeping her client alive. If he were to be arrested now, it would be unfortunate. Alythra didn't agree with the Empire thoughts on criminal rehabilitation, seeing as they were akin to slave labor with a thin veneer of formal authority, but she wasn't going to compound his problems by resisting his capture. Luckily for them both, she let them go with only a minor admonishment.

"Apologies Captain Kameron Brenner, this isn't how I wanted to met you, but circumstances have forced my hand. We will have to exchange formal greetings at a later time."

Jiljoo helped her get the man to the medbay, laid out on an examination table so Alythra could get right to work. As they entered, a humanoid droid stirred to life, unblinking white eyes focused in their direction. "Oh my, this man is in serious need of medical attention!"

"That's why I am here," Alythra declared, gathering a clean towel and pressing it into the droids hands, "Here, keep pressure on the wound."

The droid complied, but fussed all the while, "Organic bodily fluids are terrible for lubricants!"

"Can't be avoided," Alythra argued, scrubbing up for the impromptu surgery she was going to need to perform, "Because there will be a lot more blood before I am done here. I hope you are atleast able to suction blood, because otherwise you are just going to end up taking space in here."



After a harried twenty minutes, Alythra managed to remove the sharpnel and close the incision. A bacta wrap would spend up his healing, and within 24 hours he'd be mostly recovered. A scar would remain, but it could hardly be helped. Wouldn't mar his features much, though it might make it difficult for him to masquerade as a wealthy banker in the future.

"Heart-rate is slow, but steady. Ohtwo stats returning to healthy levels. He's lost a liter of blood, but he shouldn't need a transfusion if he doesn't lose any more in the next two weeks. Seems our patient will make a fully recovery," the droid explained, before turning its visual sensors back towards her, "And who is he, exactly?"

Alythra laughed, despite herself. "That is an excellent question."
 
What a piece of druk. Larasen felt pretty confident about the sentiment, but wasn't sure whether he felt that way about the Lucky Hand or the droid he'd built, or both. Larasen sat in the engine room, alone now that Kam had left to take care of other things. The sandwich Jiljoo had brought him was long since gone, along with most of the awkwardness its bringer had also provided. He'd had limited interactions with the former slave, and had noticed pretty easily that she wasn't fond of him, making her recent contact and offer to help more intimidating than warm. It wasn't that he'd never imagined physical contact with the blue-skinned girl. On the contrary, he'd imagined all kinds of contact with her. But there'd never been any sign of it happening.

He'd gotten enough work done for now, so he made his way out of the engine room and glanced out of one of the small windows. He recognized that there was some type of government speeder stopped by their landing pad. He wasn't aware of anything illegal that they'd done yet, but he was definitely nervous and decided to stay out of the way, though he did notice on a later visit that the two officers were gone, though the speeder was still there.

He stayed out of the way until he heard Kam's voice through his commlink. Glitterstim? And he was handing it over to an agent. Not good. Based on how he was talking to her, it sounded like she was a customer. Was he recording this to try to blackmail her? Just in case, he hooked his commlink up to the maintenance "droid" to save the recording, especially if she was going to mention other vices.

The noise from outside got his attention and he went back to the window to see another speeder, driven by Nykei, hastily pull up, with Jiljoo and two others on board. From the look of things, and the fact that they didn't own a speeder, he knew this was a problem. A few comments from Kam confirmed it, and Larasen made his way to the medbay, letting their "med droid" know about the incoming patient before heading to Kam. "What the hell is going on?"
 
Inside the Lucky Hand

As chaos enveloped the small ship, Kara listened in on her own comlink, switching to the tactical channel to get a feel for what was going on. There was a major search going on, shoot on sight orders being given, this was a serious piece of shavit and the Lucky Hand was ground zero. It wouldn't take long to trace the stolen speeder which would lead them right to the boarding ramp of her newest smuggling contact.

Kara took in the menagerie of a crew coming together. Several where obviously busy with the bleeding victim. She wasn't sure how much she trusted the Captain, he was charming and she had wanted to get to know him in a more physical sense but that was clearly no longer in the cards. It was about then that she noticed the one crew member who didn't seem to be bringing more chaos to the situation. He had a hint of Imperial training about him, perhaps he was someone who she could relate to and she could always use a bit of a spy on a new smuggler.

"Captain, we need to get rid of that speeder. I'll return your crewman within the hour." She said in her most commanding voice. She turned to Lars and without introduction told him. "You, come with me." She began walking with purpose towards the boarding ramp. "Just follow me, then I'll bring you back here." She instructed him, then set her comlink to sync with his before getting into her Imperial speeder and a deep dive into what seemed like the bowels of the ecumenopolis. She made a few turns but mostly it was a downward spiral, eventually coming to a stop in a dark dead end alley. "Leave it running." She instructed over the comlink as she exited her speeder and walked to the idling vehicle. "Stand back" She said and drew her blaster, firing several shots as the speeder burst into flames.

Kara seemed to take a circuitous route back to the ship. Whether it was to avoid detection or to kill time she didn't say. "You Imperial trained?" She asked as if she already knew the answer. "I'm Kara, Kara Starglow. How long you been with the Captain?" She asked him, trying to relax a little after getting some distance between them and the stolen, now burning speeder. She chatted a bit but as they approached what looked like a checkpoint set up by stormtroopers stopped talking. "Get down!" She ordered, but not waiting for his compliance she grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him down into her lap. His face rubbed against her large breasts on the way down. She hunched forward a bit as if to help hide him, so that his head was sandwiched between her thighs below and her breasts above.

She was waved past the checkpoint but didn't immediately let him up until well after the danger had passed. Eventually she leaned back. "I suppose you better sit up before you start to enjoy yourself." She teased, though she didn't seem to be in a hurry to end the close contact.

Back on the Lucky Hand

Once the injured man was placed on the table in sick bay, Jiljoo stood back and watched Alythra and the medical droid do their work. She was a bloody mess and while she wanted to get cleaned up, she couldn't pull her eyes away from the sexy woman operating. Only after the surgery seemed complete and Alythra walked away from her patient did she spring forward, embracing the crimson beauty with blue arms and lekku. "Vape I missed you." She whispered into her ear as she held her close.
 
The last thing he remembered was Alythra grabbing the yoke and trying to wrestle it away from him. Under certain circumstances that might have been fun, but not while flying at high speeds through Coruscant traffic. He doesn’t not remembered shouting something like “let go you crazy bitch” and considering backhanding her, and then they nearly hit an oncoming speeder, and then...

And then?

They must have spun out and crashed. He couldn’t remember. Just snippets of pain and impressions of being dragged. Bad as his chest had hurt, blacking out had been a mercy. But now consciousness was returning. Consciousness, and a peculiar numbness and construction on his chest that spoke of bandages, and a fuzziness in his skull that spoke of anesthesia. Must have been a bad crash.

“Vape I missed you.” The words were spoken low and soft.

“Aim... for the... center of mass... next time...” he croaked. With an effort he cracked open his eyes, learning he was in a small white-walled room with some sort of droid standing over him. Nearby, a Twi’lek was wrapped around the crimson figure of Alythra. Blinking a few times, he wished he felt well enough to properly appreciate the scene. Only then did he register the bacta wrap on his bare chest.

“Ladies,” he finally said. “It appears I am in your debt. My thanks.”
 
Kameron watched as the trio of women heaved Sevastien over to the ship's tiny medbay, then shook his head. He barely registered Alythra's words as they pushed by, more worried about the unknown man's condition at the moment.

And then Larasen appeared, seemingly out of thin air. "I'm not sure, really. Nykei and Jiljoo just got back with these two," he responded, looking over his shoulder towards the medbay. In their rush, they'd forgotten to close the door, so a fairly grisly scene could be seen within. He shuddered and turned away in time to catch Kara's words. "Wait, where are you taking my mechanic?" he demands, following them out of the ship.

Kam sighed as the two took off in the stolen speeder, resting his hands on his hips. "Well... Turning out to be a hell of a job already," he mused, heading back up the boarding ramp. He wandered towards the medbay, hearing a few voices filter out of the small room. "Sounds like someone's feeling better." He stuck his head into the room, noting that Jiljoo and the Zeltron woman were in a tight embrace... and that the unknown man was awake and alert. "Must have been some crash, but you survived."
 
Alythras held Jiljoo close, clinging to a comfortable, familiar presence after the chaos of the day. She just resisted taking a kiss from her lips, deigning to instead plant one on each cheek, as was common among Zeltrons and their offword friends. An acceptable level of casual affection.

“Vape I missed you.”

“Aim... for the... center of mass... next time...”

Alythra half smirked, glancing over at her client. Looks like he is already on the road to recovery. "I missed you too, Kafayl Jiljoo." She indulged in the hug a moment longer, before pulling away just slightly, still holding her hands. "It is so good to see a familar face. I really must apologize for all the trouble I put the crew through."

The captain stood in the door, commenting on the bizarre train of events.

"The vehicle didn't make it out so well, but we both seem to be fine. Now at least." She took this time, then, to approach the captain and offer a formal handshake. Her skin was silken, very well tended from a life of care and pampering, and her grip was strong.

"Unfortunately, I am afraid I cannot introduce my associate, except to say he isn't Iantho Halfri." She flashed him a stern look, for just a moment. Not that she minded anonymous hook ups, or was opposed to clients who used pseudonyms, but there was usually an understanding ahead of time that was the case. His purposeful fiction was a minor annoyance.

Nykei stood just outside the infirmary, arms crossed over her chest. She was glad everything seemed to work out, but she still had questions. "What was the imperial doing here?"
 
Lucky Hand, Medbay

Kam chuckled as he shook Alyrhra’s hand, giving her his most charming smile. “No harm in it, Lady Alythra,” he said, his hand a little rough against her smooth skin. “I’m glad your, uh, associate didn’t bite the dust, thanks to your skill.” He looked over at the other man when he spoke, offering a mildly confused look. If this man wasn’t Iantho Halfri, just who was he? Clearly an imposter, a fraud, but who?

Nykei’s question brought the captain out of his mental musings, and he turned to face the scarred pilot. “Y’know, I think she had something goin’ with the last captain. She wanted a package of spice from the secret store in the cargo bay,” he said. “She seemed like she wanted somethin’ a little extra, too, but she took off with Larasen before I could find out.” He frowned, crossing his arms and leaning against the medbay doorway. “Dunno where they are, and I’m not gettin’ anything from Lar’s comlink.”
 
“Unfortunately, I am afraid I cannot introduce my associate,” Alythra said, giving him a reproachful look, “except to say he isn't Iantho Halfri."

The other man, who seemed to be the owner of the ship,looked at him curiously as he shook the Zeltron’s hand. “No harm in it, Lady Alythra. I’m glad your, uh, associate didn’t bite the dust, thanks to your skill.”

“Technically,” he said, shifting experimentally and then carefully sitting up, “she’s also the reason I neededthose particular skills.” He flashed his most charming mile, trying to take the edge off his words. “But my name - my real name - is Sevastian Sergovia. Iantho Halfri was an assumed identity, offering me far more pleasant accommodations than I could have managed on Coruscant with my personal resources.” He glanced at Alythra. “Nevertheless, I promised to compensate you for your inconvenience. And so, if...”

“What was the imperial doing here?" asked a pretty, dark-haired cyborg from the doorway. The question made Sev freeze momentarily, then caused him to look around the medical bay for his disruptor and satchel as the owner spoke.

“Y’know, I think she had something goin’ with the last captain. She wanted a package of spice from the secret store in the cargo bay,” the man said, as if feeling through a peculiar chain of events. “She seemed like she wanted somethin’ a little extra, too, but she took off with Larasen before I could find out.” He frowned, crossing his arms and leaning against the medbay doorway. “Dunno where they are, and I’m not gettin’ anything from Lar’s comlink.”

No sign of his weapons or other gear. They must have secured it all. “Well,” Sev remarked, “endlessly fascinating as all of this is, I am quite certain that it is no business of mine. So,” he looked at Alythra, “if you would be so kind as to give me my satchel, I’ll settle my debts and be on my way.”
 
Medbay of the Lucky Hand

Jiljoo shrugged her lekku as a human might shrug their shoulders at the mention of a satchel. She didn't remember seeing one, just the near disintegrated speeder, a lot of blood, and her joy at seeing Alythra again. But at the recent mention of the Imperial officer had reminded her that there was perhaps a bit more to the story than had already been told. "Why no...hah-spit-ahl?" She asked, reverting back to her stilted galactic basic which would be a reminder to Alythra that Jiljoo was distrustful of strangers, especially male strangers. Though whether that distrust was just directed to her patron/patient or others in the crew was not yet apparent. Jiljoo could think of only one good reason not to have gone to a hospital, and that was to avoid any legal ramifications beyond just an assumed name.

Jiljoo listened for whatever answers were to be provided, then took Alythra's hand and introduced her to Nykei. It didn't take long to get to the point of the two of them being covered in drying blood. "Aly want shower?" She said as her eyes turned towards the Captain, not sure if he would want to show their passenger to her accommodations or if she would get to do so. She knew Aly well enough to guess she might want some company for more than to get her back scrubbed.
 
“If you would be so kind as to give me my satchel, I’ll settle my debts and be on my way.”

"About that," Alythra started, recalling the bag he carried from Halfri's penthouse. Offering a sympathetic smile, "Well, we were much more concerned with preserving your life in the moment, and I am afraid that was left behind in the speeder. Even if it hasn't already been confiscated for evidence, I very much doubt it's safe to try and collect it. Why, what was in it?"

Before Sevastion could answer, Jiljoo pulled her along, introducing her to the pilot who had delivered them to safety. "Nykei, where have I heard that name before?" The pilot was no help, shrugging and refusing to shed her icy exterior. That would be a challenge for another day.

For now, Jiljoo's offer was more tempting. It might have been the second shower of the day, but Alythra wasn't fond of being covered in blood. Still, she took note of Jiljoo's changed speech pattern and offered a comforting arm around her shoulders. As charming as Sevastian was ( or, perhaps because of how charming he was), Alythra didn't entirely trust him, and Jiljoo had her own reasons for suspicion. "I would love a shower, darling, but I really want to assure that my personal effects are on board. I get the feeling our timetable might be bumped up, and I'd rather not leave without them. I did arrange for them to be delivered ahead of time."

Nykei raised her hand. "I'll check on that, and see if I can't contact Lar in the meantime."

"Well then," Alythra acknowledged, squeezing Jiljoo closer, "Would you like to show me to the shower?"
 
"The med droid is online, should be ready to assist." Larasen didn't know who their captain had designated as "medic," but he knew it wasn't him. After all, it had taken him a great deal of time to learn to be an engineer, and only then with the help of system that automated damn near all of his tasks through its permanent connections to the engine. That wasn't exactly a viable option for their med droid, which lacked the proper appendages for surgery and the manipulation of delicate tools. So, basically it was only good for diagnosing and giving advice to whoever was actually doing the work. It was a perfectly viable way to ensure immunizations were correctly administered for new planets, or tracking check-ups, or even looking into a cough or rash some crewmember might come down with. It was not as viable a means to deal with speeder wreck victims. That didn't bode well for their new guest/crew member/corpse-to-be.

Having been enlisted as long as he'd been, following a command from someone in an Imperial uniform was second nature. Having been single as long as he'd been, following a woman with nice breasts wearing a short skirt was similarly automatic. He walked down the ramp behind her, relieved at her words that she would bring him back, though he had started after her without the reassurance. He'd initially even followed her to her own speeder before realizing she intended him to pilot the stolen one. He wasn't used to driving in the traffic of what very well might be the universe's busiest city, but after Kara held up a time or two for him to catch up, eventually leaving traffic behind.

He didn't ask questions as she blew up the speeder. Spending a decade in the Imperial Army meant not asking questions about the destruction of anything. Fortunately, he was at least able to get in her speeder this time, exhaling heavily as he sat back against the seat. "I am, made it past the halfway mark and got out, thought I had a good idea." He shrugged. "Larasen Pike, by the way," he added, realizing he hadn't returned the introduction.

When she followed up and asked about his "crew life," he took a deep breath, nodding in minor embarrassment. Embarrassment might be too strong a word, maybe just self-consciousness. "It's not ideal, I know. Probably been about-" his answer was interrupted by his head being shoved down on her thighs, her significant breasts pushing down on the top of his head. With her leaning over him, there wasn't much in the way of air to be had. After a moment of awkward shifting, he managed to turn his head to face forward, which made breathing a little easier but also pointed his gaze toward her exposed legs, the skirt she wore not covering much of them, and he had several minutes to look at them and think about the fact that he could see them. Had his moving around ridden it up somehow or did she wear something that short? He'd been out for a while, but he figured this would have been well out of regs.

When she told him to sit up, he let out a sigh of relief before realizing that his head was lingering on her lap, at which point he jerked back up into his seat. "So...how long have you been in? Planning on going career?"
 
Kara and Lars on outside the Lucky Hand

Kara was pleased with Lars' instinct to obey, and she was more than used to the ogling of how she filled her uniform and didn't really consider it disrespectful. As long as she got the obedience, she didn't really care where the man's eyes roamed. When he at first followed her to the wrong speeder, she stopped and looked at him expectantly as he started to get into her speeder. "I'm guessing this is your first time for hiding evidence?" She told him as she nodded towards the stolen speeder used to bring the chaos aboard his ship since he didn't seem quite on task. She laughed a little to ease the tension, it was kind of cute how he followed her after all.

After destroying the Speeder.

Kara took a certain wicked satisfaction to feeling him squirm uncomfortably between her breasts and thighs. She might find a bit more use for him than just an informant, pity he would be heading out so soon. Once he was able to talk normally once more she discussed her own service to the Empire. "The Customs Service isn't really military, I started under the Republic but when the Empire took over...well you know how that went." The Empire was much more interested in making its presence known than the Republic had been and putting what were really bureaucrats in uniform seemed like an easy way to show the Imperial insignia all around Coruscant. While she initially resented her indoctrination, Kara had quickly learned that the uniform was worth a bit more than a salute here and there, and rank really did have its privileges.

"Do you miss it?" She asked, being sure to show a sincere interest in the crewman even as she piloted the speeder casually through the busy airspace. He was kind of cute, in sort of a puppy dog way and he looked a little lonely as if he didn't quite fit in yet with the rest of the crew. "So after today, how is your good idea looking?" She was always interested in an opening to a new contact, any insecurities or weaknesses that could be exploited. He didn't seem like the type that would be into anything as illegal as what the Lucky Hand was likely going to be into, what it was so heavily modified for in the first place. "Well if you see anything suspicious, I'll give you my priority code, keep in touch." She told him, a hint of seriousness returning to her voice. "It's probably clear to take you back to your ship. Unless there was...something... you wanted to do before you head out into deep space for who knows how long?" She turned to look at him with an eyebrow raised, wondering if he was bold enough to suggest anything beyond 'Yes ma'am or no ma'am'.
 
Aboard the Lucky Hand, Medbay

Kameron stepped out of the way to let Jiljoo and Alythra go by, then nodded. "Right. I'll go with you, Nykei. With the Imperials around, it's safer in numbers, yeah?" he suggested, looking over at the scarred beauty. "Don't want them to capture another one of us, right?" He didn’t know for sure that Larasen had been captured... but he wasn’t going to take any risks with another member of the crew. Particularly one that interested him so much.

“Jiljoo, go ahead and show our guest to the shower.” He have the shapely Twi’lek a smile. “I’m sure you know where it is.” He didn’t really need to give her permission; he could see that they knew each other. Very... intimately, it seemed. The captain began walking out of the small medbay before realizing that he actually had no idea where Alythra’s personal affects were being held. “Uh. Lady Alythra... Where are your things located?”
 
“About that," Alythra started, recalling the bag he carried from Halfri's penthouse. Offering a sympathetic smile, "Well, we were much more concerned with preserving your life in the moment, and I am afraid that was left behind in the speeder. Even if it hasn't already been confiscated for evidence, I very much doubt it's safe to try and collect it. Why, what was in it?"

Sev very carefully kept his features relaxed at the response. “Oh, just some personal effects. Nothing significant.” Nearly forty thousand credits worth of precious stones. The Zeltron wasn’t really listening though, as the Twi’lek was introducing her to the human woman and chattering about getting a shower. Good. The kind of shower she planed would hopefully keep Alythra distracted. Flat broke and twenty thousand in debt to a prostitute...

Gritting his teeth against the numb pain in his chest, Sev sat up. “If you’ll just return the rest of my property,” he gritted out, feeling light-headed, “I’ll see about” running like hell “covering what I owe.”

“That would be most unadvisable,” the droid suddenly announced, pushing him back down on the bed. “You need rest, to allow your chest to heal.”

“What I need,” Sev snapped back, “is to get going.” He tried to sit up again, and this time the droid pressed something to his neck. There was a hiss, and a cool numbness flooded through him.

“A mild sedative,” the droid explained, to help you relax.”

“Don’,” Sev slurred, feeling his thoughts grow foggy as the sedative took hold. “Don’ wanna... sleep. Gotta... gotta go.” He yawned. “Broke.” Then his eyes closed, and he began to softly snor.
 
Medbay

"Ka" Jiljoo replied as Alythra expressed her interest in the offered shower. She took a crimson hand in her own, the intense but familiar warmth of a twi'lek radiating through entwined fingers. The ship was spartan but spotless, at least the parts Jiljoo had had time to clean which included much of the common areas and of course their guest quarters. In their current state however it certainly seemed that the tour of the shower room would come first, it also meshed nicely with Jiljoo's passion for their sexy guest. Once alone she reverted to her normal speech, asking again why they couldn't go to the hospital. She also related what little she knew of the crew, how she adored the Captain for winning and freeing her. Her connection with the former swoop bike racer, and her reservations of the former Imperial soldier. Upon entrance there were a handful of lockers, enough for each of a normal crew complement, a bin for dirty towels and clothes, another for clean towels. It was clear this was a communal area, meant for a tight knit crew with little privacy between them. "That is a beautiful dress, I'll return it to you spotless" she said with an eager smile as she reached behind to help her remove it. Jiljoo's short skirt and smaller top seemed to disappear of nearly their own accord.

Jiljoo was careful to turn the temperature of the water down to something more tolerable for a non-twi'lek, it would feel a little chilly to her even if still near scalding for the Zeltron. Blue hands and lekku seemed everywhere though Jiljoo had always been fascinated with Alythra's long luxurious hair.
 
Despite how cool he played it, Alythra could tell how upset Sevastian was. She felt his heart drop with the knowledge the satchel was gone. Running again. But he'd have to learn that he couldn't run forever. That was something she could help him with, and while he was indebted to her, he couldn't rightly refuse. But that could wait for now. He needed rest, and she needed to get cleaned off.

Nykei motioned over at Captain Kam when he asked about their guest's belongings. "Here, it's in the manifest. Cargo to be picked up in Warehouse C. That's just the next building over."

"Oh Jiljoo, you don't need to keep the temperature so low. I love a steamy shower," Alytha giggled, turning up the heat until it fogged the mirrors. "Zeltros is much warmer than most planets, and there are times I truly miss the heat. I should take you one day, if you like."

Before long, it was like old times, with Jiljoo filling her in on the rest of the crew. That's right, Nykei was once a promising racer, before an accident cut her career short, poor thing. And the captain was genteel as he was charming, taking such good care of her. Alythra hadn't met the droid mechanic yet, so she'd have to form an opinion at a later date.

Then it was time to asnwer about Sev, and the trouble she dragged onto the ship. "Well, Sevastian has gotten himself into some trouble with the Imperials. While I don't approve of what he's done, I don't agree with Imperial justice, which is often more punitive than rehabilitative. Perhaps, if I can keep him close, I can help him reform his ways. He's not a bad guy, underneath the lies and the violence."
 
Kam chuckled as Nykei showed him the manifest. “Well. Of course,” he said, embarrassment coloring his features. “Should’a thought of that.” He ran a hand through his sandy blonde hair, then shook his head, grinning sheepishly. “Alright, let’s go get the lady’s things.”

The captain let the dark-skinned pilot lead the way, tucking his hands into his pants pockets while they walked. “She seems nice,” he commented suddenly, breaking the silence between them. “Lady Alyrhra, I mean. I kinda feel like there’s more to her than meets the eye, though.” He looked over at Nykei, gauging her reaction. “Plus, it looks like Jiljoo knows her. Which is great- Jiljoo’s a sweetheart, and I’m sure that any friend of hers will be good company too.”
 
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