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Post by arri on Oct 22, 2011 10:31:28 GMT -5
Following the direction she'd heard his voice eminate from, Arri found him at the helm of their newly appropriated craft, and settled in beside him at the co-pilot's chair. It took more than a brief glance at the controls to know she was dealing with a craft she wasn't overly familiar with, but the basics were still the same, Zanear need not have worried if she could pilot this thing or not, more what would happen if they came under attack. She could fly casual, but combat was another thing entirely.
A small shrug and slight cant of her head later and she nodded affirmatively. Keeping them in the air would not be a problem.
"Sure, just don't expect to hold onto your dinner if we encounter hostility, I certainly won't be able to hold onto mine." She knew better than anyone what sort of pilot she was, easing the craft into a series of moves wasn't what she did, sharp turns and swerves, well there was that.
"Why, where are you going?" the former telbun cocked an eyebrow curiously, following his line of sight to the control console and just what, exactly, he was cycling through as they spoke. Upon the small vidscreen display, showed a variety of transponder codes and faux names for the vessel, everything one would expect a well equipped smuggler from Corellia to have on their ship. But she bet her right food Miranda hadn't seen this coming. She was going to be one pissed Corellian when she woke up. Arri had hoped that would be later rather than in flight, as Zanear had suggested.
"We can't just confine her to her own quarters? I can jam the locks if you think it would help...of course that doesn't cover her blasting her way out of there. I've never known a smuggler not to have a secret stash of weapons wherever they might need one."
Sweeping aside a strand of blonde hair from her eyeline, she gazed almost sullenly at him then, her voice was deadpan serious, but it was all for effect rather than the geunine article. Whoever had uttered the phrase that Kuati had no character nor sense of humour, needed to visit sometime. Sure it was a different brand, bordered on bantha-shit crazy at times, but it was still humour.
"We're resorting to queue jumping now? How uncouth."
Arri resumed looking out of the main viewport, searching for a space in the seemingly never ending line of traffic...stars, this place was worse than Kuat during the lockdown, whatever was going on here had to be bad for things to be this congested. No rest for the wicked, she thought, smiling at her earlier comment more so than her current inner musings.
"Jeweled Lady it is, then." She added, continuing as she meant to go on. "What are we going to do with the good Captain when we land, just leave her here? People are going to remember us when we get there, by the looks of these lines, they aren't going to be scrimping on the security either."
And then there was the small matter of her wanted status, where were they going to find a being that hadn't been watching the holonet recently, to remove the posessive tattoo she still bore on her hip. No two ways about it, unless she really did change her appearence, they were going to have trouble navigating core worlds and possibly those further out. If she really wanted to go 'missing' as it were, then she needed to be looking further afield for a good hiding place and that meant some backwater world in the middle of knowhere. Criminals and mercinaries had no true friends, or few at the very most, it wouldn't have taken long for someone to rat them out.
"That report is going to cause me problems," She said softly, a certain ammount of distance in her eyes, "If you want to continue on without me once we're there, I'll understand. " It wasn't what she wanted, but she'd spent the majority of her life as selfless, it was a habit that was hard to break. And if she was going to be a problem for him, what else could she do? She didn't want to tie him down, even if they had come so far, and what a fun little jaunt that was.
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Post by Zanear the Edge on Oct 29, 2011 11:28:07 GMT -5
"We can't just confine her to her own quarters? I can jam the locks if you think it would help...of course that doesn't cover her blasting her way out of there. I've never known a smuggler not to have a secret stash of weapons wherever they might need one." He shrugged as she spoke. If worse came to worse he'd simply use the Force on her again, although he preferred not to rely on it over-much. Sweeping aside a strand of blonde hair from her eyeline, she gazed almost sullenly at him then, her voice was deadpan serious, but it was all for effect rather than the genuine article. Whoever had uttered the phrase that Kuati had no character nor sense of humour, needed to visit sometime. Sure it was a different brand, bordered on bantha-shit crazy at times, but it was still humour. "We're resorting to queue jumping now? How uncouth." Arri resumed looking out of the main viewport, searching for a space in the seemingly never ending line of traffic...stars, this place was worse than Kuat during the lockdown, whatever was going on here had to be bad for things to be this congested. No rest for the wicked, she thought, smiling at her earlier comment more so than her current inner musings.[/qoute] So sorry mi'lady, I know its just so uncivilized of me to make your highness wait. He spoke it in mock Kuati accent, just cheeky enough for her to know he was simply teasing. "Jeweled Lady it is, then." She added, continuing as she meant to go on. "What are we going to do with the good Captain when we land, just leave her here? People are going to remember us when we get there, by the looks of these lines, they aren't going to be scrimping on the security either." He paused before answering, thinking about the whole situation. I have no idea. We'll just wing it, I guess."That report is going to cause me problems," She said softly, a certain amount of distance in her eyes, "If you want to continue on without me once we're there, I'll understand. " It wasn't what she wanted, but she'd spent the majority of her life as selfless, it was a habit that was hard to break. And if she was going to be a problem for him, what else could she do? She didn't want to tie him down, even if they had come so far, and what a fun little jaunt that was. He looked at her funny right then. Whats this talk?Bored with me already? He shook his head and mused for a moment. The thought of leaving her never crossed his mind. he'd fallen for her madly, why would she even think he'd ever want to let her go? Arri... he said softly, now turning his chair towards her and taking her hands in his own. How could you even think such a thing? His right hand moved up to caress her face, gently he let his fingers trace the lines of her cheekbones. I love you...I could never willingly leave you. Your captured my heart, my soul, my life. No matter what happens, it will be us, forever. He leaned in and kissed her lips, the gentle merging soft as rose petals. Standing up he pulled her up with him, snaking his left arm around her waist he drew her body tightly against his own, his right hand now stroking back the blonde hair on her head. His lips now met her neck right below her earlobe, and those gently caresses moved down her jawline, then under her chin, then up it, until he reached her soft warm lips once again. He held the kiss for a long time, letting his feeling flow into her, his body heat rising as his own color went from green to red, and his embrace held her ever closer to himself. Still the passion he put into the kiss only increased, and he keep it for long minutes, pouring his heart and soul into her, in that kiss that spoke volumes. |
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Post by arri on Nov 6, 2011 10:42:57 GMT -5
It would be ideal if the pair of them were out of the way and indeed far away when Miranda woke up. The blonde could just imagine how angry she was going to be when that ocurred, only to find out just how much trouble she was going to be in via extension. Of course, security forces on world would take their sweet time finding out just what had gone on. That came as standard, and by then they could have covered their tracks quite profficiently.
Arri shook her head, her hair had long since fallen into disarray, she'd given up trying to keep it tame and out the way for the time being, the mad dash here hadn't exactly left her with time to keep up appearences. Yet another habit she was going to have to lose if she wanted to survive in the real galaxy as it were.
"Not that, it's just - " Had she thought about striking out on her own? The thought hadn't really crossed her mind, not consciously anyway. Subconsciously though? Her reservations were born of a simple fact she had known all along, she was a liability now. There were profiteers out there in the unknown, mercinaries and people just looking to make a quick cred, who would jump at the chance to take the bounty that had been put on her head. Sithspit, thought Arri suddenly, she didn't even know if the appeal had said dead or alive...Suddenly she wished she'd never contemplated it at all.
Ignorance was bliss. And you can't have pleasure without enduring pain...you know this better than anyone.
Her green eyes, once averted, looked up to meet the exotic violet of his own, and she couldn't resist a smile, however melancholy.
"I'm a burden to you, a risk. There are people out there looking for us both and I am terrified that I could very well be the one who lets you down and seals your fate for good." She would never forgive herself if that happened, if he got captured and imprisoned for everything they had done together. And they were racking up quite the list of felonies. The Kuati lamented that she couldn't have explained to Khari that this was nothing personal, what had happened at KDY had happened the way it had because she needed a means out of that arrangement. Her whole life had been decided for her before she was old enough to comprehend her own wants and needs. She had gone through each day knowing exactly what tomorrow would bring and it was monotonous. But then along came Zanear...
And everything changed for the better, she couldn't thank him enough. Which was why she was so concerned, what if she did get captured, would he leave her and run, or come after her and risk his own life? She already knew the answer.
"I want you to promise me something." Placing her hands on his forearms, she needn't have sought his attention, she had it in full, so anything more was just emphasis, "If someone comes for me, you won't follow. What happened on KDY was my fault, if fate decides that I must pay for it, then so be it. I just wish I could have explained myself to Khari, this was never malicious, it was meant to do her a favour." Shaking her head sadly she groaned tiredly, what a stinking mudhole of an issue this was, now a childhood friend thought she was a traitor, which she supposed in some small way she was. But Kaur....he was always meant to die. Zanear's help or not, that man had exhausted all the time he had left. There was much she wasn't telling the Falleen, and there would be time for explainations when they got on world, but they needed to eat one piece of the bantha at a time here. Get to a safehouse, make plans, strike out from there.
His question wasn't so much just that as it was an answer too. And she had never doubted his intentions, not of late. What had seemed as a jolly come likely had turned into something else completely. They had made a good team when escaping the array, and back there aboard Centerpoint station, her epic proportionate jealousy brought on by the pheromones or not, at least now she had something to compare against when she wanted to know if he was really using them or not. Her desire was genuine enough, she distanced herself out of fear more than anything. If she went missing that was just one life, if he came looking and lost his too, she'd never be able to last knowing that, in life or death, if indeed there was more beyond this mortal coil.
"Please, just promise me?" She persued gently, a whisper, relieved when he kissed her so softly she had to rely on the heady scent of him to be absolutely sure he'd done so. It wasn't enough, it never was with them, and just as soon after she leaned in towards him further, kissing him firmer, more insistant in her ways as he drew her near. Moments like these, she committed them all to her memory, because really, she had only just started living.
The flush of his skin's subtle changes seemed to make the heat radiate from him in an exotic manner, or it could have just been the fact she felt irrivocably warm herself. Intense feelings flooded her mind, making her smirk pure sublime into their passionate kiss, now that was all him - well if he was going to be poking around up there in her mind, she would give him something interesting to focus on.
Telling him her plans could wait, during which the whole truth about what had happened prior to their meeting could be discussed, and why she needed to rectify some things. Right now though, there were a few things that needed reaffirming.
Breathless she pulled away from him, which might well have earned her a confused look had he not gotten a single inkling as to what she was going to do. Slipping expertly from their embrace, the blonde smiled at him encouragingly, then nodded towards the door to the cockpit with intention. It was a small space, so it only took her a couple of paces to reach it, hit the activation switch and close it. The lock cycled a few seconds later and she turned back to where he had been left standing bereft.
That smile had since turned into a grin and she stood there looking him up and down like a ravenous sand panther.
"I know you promised Miranda something good but I'm really not in the mood for sharing. It's a long line out there, so let's pass some time."
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Post by Zanear the Edge on Nov 24, 2011 1:32:17 GMT -5
She had begged him to promise her, she pleaded with him to let her go if something bad happened, but she was truly wasting her time if for a moment she thought he would ever leave her to rot or worse. She was intwined in his life, for good or ill, and he would have it no other way.
Her movements brought forth the passion that had risen and he took her there, many times and in many ways they expressed that mad passionate lust that lovers have when they feel the press of time upon them. And so it was for hours until they had both been sated, lingering in each others arms as they rested in the pilot's chair. Time itself had no meaning except for the moments, and even knowing how fleeting such moments are, he savored them as a fine wine.
And that was when the red light on the console had begun to flash. It was Orbit Control signalling them for their turn at a docking bay port. Answering it with a simple reply, he manuvered his way back into the controls, gently helping Arri up and into her own co pilot seat. Flying down the atmosphere corrider he could see the great cities and the hustle and bustle of ships...
Best to get dressed dear, we will be landing soon...
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Post by arri on Dec 11, 2011 14:59:57 GMT -5
The hours that transpired between them seemed like fleeting moments to her, though the blissful ache she felt to her very bones told her otherwise. It was strange how all happy times seemed to slip away so quickly, allowing the onset of more mundane, necessary tasks to bleed into the sublime and mar it enough to catch the attention of the mortals experiencing it.
Now, though it was a crying shame, was no different, and by the time that Arri stirred from her sated haze, Zanear was helping her to the chair beside his own, the cold chill of the frame sucking the warmth from her skin and eliciting a small shiver. One that coincided perfectly with what he'd advised.
Smirking, the former telbun stretched languidly, extending one arm pointed skywards, the other following suit before falling to her sides again as she released a long, contented sigh.
Turning her head to one side, she seemed more than content to just watch him for a moment, consider all that had landed them in this very spot. Stars...they hadn't stopped since their escape, not truly. That would have to change, if only for a moment of respite, she wanted to consider things, their next move would be a crucial one.
"And was I, set to wander through spaceport security as I am..." That subtle smile she always seemed to wear lately made it's self a little more prominent, "...Anything to declare?"
Her smile had turned to a chuckle, she could just imagine the look on the faces of the security personnel had that actually been what she had done. It was far from subtle though, and they needed to lay low for a while, what with there being a warrent out of both their arrests - and that blasted bounty on my head, what did I ever do to him? Wherever Tress was now, she really hoped he didn't still hold Khari's favour, their resources alone might have been enough to persue a reasonable hunt, together? She didn't want to think about it. They'd end up living the life of hermits at this rate.
Rising casually, she picked up her discarded clothes and began pulling them on, rearranging her hair into a quick, but neatly drawn back style that looked more generic than anything, nothing compared to the ridiculously fancy was she was accustomed to adopting. Inconspicuous was the word of the month, and that was the way she wanted it to stay. No trouble, no drama, just get there, get what they needed, and then get out again once they had it. Then? Well, that was the question wasn't it, any bolt hole in a storm.
"You think we'll be able to find someone here to remove this?" Arri's hand fell subconsciously to the tattoo that adorned her left hip, it had been many years since she had recieved it, but she still remembered the pain as if it was yesterday. The fleeting stings that turned to a fleshbound burn, it had been weeks before she'd been able to so much as touch it. "Perhaps turn it into something else if they are feeling creative."
Pulling on the pants she had stollen long before they had ended up here, then settling back into the seat beside his own, she glanced at the control board, only for a moment, before looking out as they made their approach vector. Finally, they were getting somewhere.
Flipping a few switches, she let him take the reins for this one, keeping an eye on things in the meanwhile, it wasn't a complicated procedure, not if everything went according to plan.
"I don't know about you, but right now, I can't wait to have solid ground beneath my feet again." First the array, then Selena, Centerpoint, it had to have been months since she'd been able to touch solid ground. Kaur had been so intent on keeping an eye on Vestra, that he'd practically moved half his family to his quarters aboard the array, she was no exception. He had to have most of his worldly possessions with him after all.
An untimely clank resonated from aft, drawing her attention back to where the cabins were located. Miranda...she would be coming to soon, then they'd need to make themselves scarce.
"What about our friend, what happens when we land?" They couldn't just lock her in here and hope someone cared enough to check the ship that hadn't been touched in weeks. She didn't have access to food or water back there so far as Arri knew, and she didn't know how healthy it was to continually be kept in a force induced sleep. But why did she care? Had she not just killed a man, injured countless others in their mad dash to get away?
"We want to be far away by the time she wakes up."
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Post by Zanear the Edge on Dec 13, 2011 18:09:45 GMT -5
As he watched Arri stretch and get dressed, he got dressed again himself. However he made a few subtle changes to his outfit, making it less flamboyant. When she brought up the tattoo again he just nodded. Yes I know a guy, we'll get it taken care of. We can make it go away or change it, your call darling.
The Falleen had gone silent after that, pondering exactly what kind of trouble they would find on Corellia. It seemed that security was extra tight, and their little ploy hadn't worked as well as they thought it might back on Kuat. Oh well, it's a big Galaxy, right?
He nods at her comment about land. It had seemed like a lifetime ago since he was actually on a world. Come to think of it, it was Coruscant. Long time ago after all. When he heard the noise in the back, he looked that way and concentrated. The thought of Miranda up and about already wasn't a pleasant one, the trance he had put her in would have her awake but fully alert, healed of the effects of the alcohol. Reaching out with the Force he tried to sense her, but it was difficult. He really hadn't done too much of that kind of training before. So he just shrugged it off. I guess we'll find out soon enough.
Of course...you could go back there and tie her up, at least until we land. Then give her a point blank stun blast. I'd blindfold her first though, so she doesn't ID you. Her memories might be a bit muddled, so no point in taking chances.
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Post by arri on Dec 29, 2011 17:37:07 GMT -5
Some time later, their ship made it to ground, berthed in what had to be one of the busiest spaceports Arri had ever had the displeasure of being in, in the middle of Coronet, the former telbun seemed more cagey around the hussle and bustle than when they were inside the stollen ship.
Dealing with Miranda hadn't been a problem, in fact, the woman hadn't woken at all during their descent. Now, though, the affects of what Zanear had done to her would be kicking in, a small mind rub would put pay to her remembering just what had happened prior to her unconsciousness, including what He or Arri herself had looked like. Not that it would matter soon anyway, she intended to see to it that she got one hell of a makeover while she was here. No more grabbing whatever she could to wear, and no more slap-dash sanisteams on the run. But what she wouldn't have given for a dip in an actual tub right now. Her muscles ached from all the excertion, though she knew part of that was down to her own doing, as much as it was Zanears.
Chuckling to herself as the thought played precariously across her mind, she turned her head back a little to regard the Falleen as he made his way down the landing ramp. She'd left it to him to close up as it were. Arri had insured that Miranda wouldn't be getting out of her cabin anytime soon, disabling the door mechanism with - quite literally so - a spanner in the works, had been no trouble at all. In fact, it had been her pleasure, she was certain it was an after affect of the pheromones she'd ended up inhaling, either that or she really was jealous of the other woman...and that prospect didn't thrill her much at all. So much for remaining emotionally innocuous.
"I can't wait to get out of this place, there's too many people around, too many chances of being spotted...but at least we can lose them in the crowd." She commented, shouldering her way through the throngs of people heading towards the exits.
Their path wound them through the usual customs droids scans, and predictably, they found nothing wrong with either of them, any reports would take some time to reach the surface and distribute themselves when Corellian security forces were still searching Centerpoint for them. They'd be kicking themselves in the backside when they realized what had really happened, though, she thought. For a tense moment, however, one such customs scan had drawn attention to the fact she was augmented with a high spec anti-poisoning infuser, the likes of which only went to the ridiculously rich and important, they and their staff. And here was she, dressed as a simple spacer, it raised a few eyebrows. Arri had been ready with a response for that one though, many people had the inclination to travel incognito, and for a variety of reasons, too. Not all of them were illegal, but luckily for them, the attending officer did not decide to raise the flag on this one.
She nodded and afforded him a small smile of thanks, before they could finally pass into the city beyond.
Outside the spaceport, it was a world of difference, but the increased security displayed a quiet, but conscious tenseness over all the hoi polloi that was happening here with their government - Corellia's bid for independence, she was surprised this had not happened sooner. Well good for them, and good for her homeworld too, if she had read the reports right. She'd had ample time to catch up with the news when she wasn't otherwise engaged with Zanear during the trip.
"What do you suppose became of our friend, the Kage? He'd have to be insane to show his face around here, now. What confuses me is what he sought to achieve, and I'm not sure I want to know." The truth was, she was glad he was gone, he'd taken a bit of a shine to her in a way that was unsettlingly disturbing to her. His display of might through devastation aboard the KDY array had been enough information about his mental state for Arri.
It was all change now, though.
"We should find ourselves somewhere to stay, at least until we can figure out where we go from here. But first thing's first...find this friend of yours, I want to be rid of everything from my former life." Now her gaze wasn't so distant, and as she looked his way, she locked eyes with him in that instant, "Everything."
This had nothing to do with her concerns of them being tracked, nor the bounty that had been placed on her head for her 'safe return'. No, this was personal, it was about discarding that part of her that had never truly been her. From there she could find her feet, and without being constantly reminded of just how she had spent the first twenty-something years of her life.
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Post by Zanear the Edge on Jan 9, 2012 14:12:10 GMT -5
Once the pair were back on the ground Zanear shut down the ship one system at a time. He then activated a cycle purge system that would recharge both the sub-lights and the hyper-drive engine, effectively making the ship unflyable for about 12 hours. He figured that would keep Miranda busy while they disappeared into the Corellian night.
And what a night it was! The hustle and bustle of the city life, he loved every moment of it. The Falleen took a deep breath and held it, only to release it slowly and center his person. He loved the city, he loved being around so many people, it was so borderline chaotic that it gave him a thrill. In fact, so wrapped up in his own excitement he completely missed the fact that Arri was tense and nervous.
As they made their way through the crowd, however, he caught a glimpse of that nervousness when she began to grouse about the crowds. Walking slightly behind her he simply smiled for a moment, but offered no comment. For in fact they had approached the security check points, and the process of getting cleared began. As they waited he began to scan the crowd, the security personnel, the checkpoints, avenues and divergences for different escape routes. In his mind it was always better to be safe then sorry. However with the exception of a slight hiccup concerning her anti-poison implant, it had been smooth sailing.
Soon enough they were out in the streets of Coronet. There were more patrols then he had remembered from the last time, but other then that, the vibe was the same. The highly independent minded Correlian's exuded that in their own culture, and it was evident in the multitude of shops and stores that lined the streets. And while there were large centers that boasted the Galactic wide names and brands, they didn't dominate like they did on most other worlds, instead it was the small local business that thrived here.
It was at this point that Arri began to consider the Kage. He had done quite a number on her back at the Array, and still she was disturbed by his memory. The close encounter on Centerpoint certainly didn't put either of their minds at ease, but he couldn't be controlled, his own version of mad chaos would spin him which ever direction the space-lanes would take him. So when she asked about him, he simply shrugged, and responded with a just as simple I don't know.
In a way, Zanear actually didn't even care. Corey Dooku would do as he pleased as the madness within his mind swayed him. There was equal chance that they would never see him again as there was of him following them to the next world they went to. If necessary Zanear would kill him. But he felt after their last encounter that scenario most likely would never need to happen.
Snake his right arm around her waist, he drew Arri close to him and kissed her briefly on the lips. He listened to her muse on what they would do next, and to find his friend. Her demeanor was set, and she had made up her mind to make the changes needed to move forward. Yes, we can rent a room at a local bed and breakfast, you still have that million credit chip I gave you? Best to hold on to it once we meet with Cletis. He's good but a bit expensive.
Moving further into the city, they wound their way into the center of downtown Coronet. It was a beautiful sight of enterprise and local beauty. Heading into family owned hotel Zanear made arrangements for them to stay a week. the place had a beautiful view from the top floor that showed on the west the city in all it's glory and on the east had a magnificent view of the Gold Beaches. He had paid in advance for the entire time, and got a pair of keys. Ushering in Arri he took her to their room, a splendidly furnished one bedroom apartment that was quite spacious none the less. All the furnishings were Corellian (of course) and yet were quite modern and stylish. And while they had no bags of luggage, simply dressed in the outfits they had on their backs, he felt relaxed and settled for the first time in a long time.
Looking out the windows at the night lights he grinned, and turned to call out to Arri while she had begun examining the room. Welcome Home darling....Welcome Home...
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Post by arri on Jan 10, 2012 8:45:53 GMT -5
For the first time in what felt like forever, Arri relaxed a bit. Nintey nine percent sure it wasn't anything force-bound nor pheromones that were persuading her to do thus, she relenquished a smile that added some inner light to her eyes. She had to hand it to him, he knew how to brighten her day.
"Breakfast sounds really good. I'd take that over anything else right now."
It was the early onset of the evening when they had arrived at Coronet, but she had scarcely eaten since they had left Kuat. A few scraps here and there, whatever they could pilfer from Miranda's ship, and Selena before that - though Arri had tried to steer clear of that option, if just because she knew the ship was actually 'jealous' of the fact she so much as breathed the same air as Zanear. A crazy concept, a ship that could think like a being. But then people on many worlds used creatures as mounts, did they not? Why not ships too?
"And normally I would say there's no rest for the wicked, but I think it's high time the wicked recharged their power supply." She winked at him then, in no means at odds with her frankness, they really hadn't had any downtime lately...Miranda's ship didn't really count. It felt really good to have solid ground beneath her feet again, and this place was poles apart from her native Kuat.
The people here, for one, seemed warmer in demeanour, even though there was quite clearly an increased military presence. Somehow, the people of Corellia just carried on as normal, but it wasn't as if they really had a choice, she just found that the notion solidified one aspect of their independence. If Corellia wanted, it really could have gone on alone for the most part. Backwater worlds managed it all the time, but a place this affluent and steeped in trade-bound glory, Arri had never supposed they could do it alone.
Her homeworld had always been big on the idea of independence, but what had made them one of the biggest powerhouses in the galaxy was down to trade and acquisitions. It had begun with a handful of like minded aristocrats and ended with their distant spawn, too foolish to see that they would be their own undoing in the end if they didn't see things how they should be. In either case, it wasn't her concern now...it had never been.
Leaning into Zanear's side-long embrace, that pensive look smoothed to a more cheery one. Now wasn't the time to be analysing things that were of little consequence, it was just difficult to get out of old habits. She had heard of how difficult it was for someone of her vocation to readjust to the galaxy at large, these things took a great deal of time so it was prudent to take them slowly.
As they traversed the pedwalks, lined with it's brightly lit signs inviting all manner of denizens into their cantina's and restraunts to sample a more traditional side to Corellia, the Kuati breathed deep, inhaling the rich scents of all manner of foods eminating from open doorways and ducts, and her stomach gave an empty sounding grumble.
"You know what?" Arri asked, looking across at him as the passed what seemed to be a cantina dedicated to the soul persuit of sabacc. "I think I'm going to like it here."
Slipping an arm around him in counter embrace, they walked on towards those quarters he'd promised her, taking in the sights and sounds as they went, and for once, she wasn't the one being stared at. Evidently, Falleen were scarcely seen outside their own homeworld, and henceforth Zanear drew more than the occasional, cursory glance, from both males and females of varying species themselves. If this was a good or bad thing, Arri didn't know, but she remembered just how striking she had found him, he had presence, and that was bound to be picked up on.
"I've still got it." She informed him, referring to the afformentioned credit chip he'd given to her for safekeeping, "And it seems that you do too." The double meaning was intentional and needed no additional explaination, he was no doubt as aware of the glances as she was. Perhaps she should have been more wary in her selfishness there, it was just good not to have lude comments or irksome and unanswerable questions thrown her way.
The times she would have loved to see Kaur take enough offense to quietly have such people disposed of, were too many to count on both hands and feet put together.
As always, his choice in hotel was flamboyant without being ridiculously austentatious. They didn't want to draw too much attention to themselves after all, which was a slight difficulty when you were travelling with a lesser seen species. The premise she was going under was that they were both merchants, simply stopping on Corellia in the hope of doing business with some of the local likeminded tradesfolk. The documents and ID to corroborate that would be easy enough to get since such things were only truly throroughly checked at customs. Here at the hotel, it was just for identification purposes, and they passed those without so much as a second squiz at the holodocuments.
Their room was sizable, comfortable with a simple layout that bespoke minimalism while still keeping that traditional edge. Things that Arri had never appreciated before, simply because it had never been hers to look at. It still wasn't, but it came a step closer - one day she vowed to have a place that looked half way as good as this. If they could ever stop running, that was.
Behind closed doors, they could definately relax, work out how they were going to do this. And although she didn't want to just yet, there were, perhaps, a few home truthes he needed to know about.
It occured to her, almost perplexingly, that she still didn't know all that much about him, either - and maybe that was half the fun, learning those facts.
Approaching him, feet moving softly over the plush carpeted floor, she slipped both arms around him to encircle his waist, then rose up on her tip toes to look out at the view from over his shoulder. It was stunning, just like everything appeared more appealing these days, that sense of optimism she wasn't quite used to yet, everything was a buzz, a thrill.
"Home?" Arri queried quizically, "One of many...I hope to see many more before I make a decision. You're only young once, correct?"
From here you could still see the last traces of sunlight, as the worlds primary sank lower in the sky, casting huge arcs of amber and purple light above the horizon that coloured the water that met it at the vanishing point.
"Things are quiet, it's easy to forget imminent dangers when they are like this." Musing alloud, she continued, "I wish there had been some way I could have told her about what Kaur was planning...that my involvement was to deliberately slow that process down without giving myself away. Khari, I mean." The woman would never know, now, and when she thought of Arri she would think thoughts of betrayal. What was more, Arri couldn't actually blame her for it either. Whatever their past, she had to follow orders.
Forgiveness was a step too far though, one that would never be taken.
The blonde let out a long, tired sigh, that bounty was going to be troublesome.
"I suppose now we're going to have to travel in slightly different disguises? So...who do you feel like being tonight, Zanear?" As if teasing him about his hastily put together pirate gear hadn't been enough, she'd made light of this too. "I want to meet this person you mentioned...Cletis, wasn't it? We can eat on the way."
Disguising themselves came first, as would a damn good spell in the sanisteam, but she was like a kid in a confectionary store, so much to experience and only one lifetime to do it in. She'd wasted enough years.
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