Afternoon drive

[Hask Jen]

Petram Prime/Middle of nowhere​

15:34 local time​

Theme​

The silence was thick in the cabin of the truck, though thankfully the song playing over the radio was making it a bit more bearable. The truck was fully loaded with a bunch of crates full of raw Cortosis, worth a fortune to the right people. And Hask knew just the right people. All that was left to do now was get back to the Hurricane, fly to Nal Hutta and get their paycheque. It sounded easy and quick, but with this much open space between them and their destination anything was possible.

Hask would occasionally cast a glance over to Irolia who was riding shotgun with him. He was still properly rattled over what happened barely an hour ago. First she tried to kill him, not holding back in the slightest, then suddenly she kissed him and thanked him. And after that she didn't say a word, leaving him all the more lost. Finally he gave a sigh and shifted to look at her. "Alright, so mind telling me what that was about?! First you attack me then you kiss me? What the hell?" he asked her, giving her a flabbergasted look. He wanted to get to the bottom of this. For both their sakes.

@Raven_41

 

[Irolia Shen]

You wouldn't think awkwardness could be so bad as it was between Irolia and Hask, but the silence between them just proved that. They had been driving for a shuck in the massive desert without a word been said. Well, that was, until Hask decided to break the silence and ask Irolia a very fair and reasonable question. Irolia didn't reply back immediately as she sat with closed eyes and a content smile. As she opened her blue coloured eyelids, the red crimson eyes turned along with her head, looking at Hask.

"It's hard to describe. I think for the first time... at least for the time being, I can only hear my own voice in my mind" explained the Pantoran with a small smile and closed her eyes again. "Not one of the voices in my head are speaking to me and I think your lightning is the reason for that" explained Irolia, still with her eyes closed.

Off in the very distance, in the direction they were going, up the mountain, a very small and faint white glow flashed for just a second, before disappearing. Irolia didn't notice it due to having closed eyes and even if Hask saw the quick flash, it could have been anything from how far away it was.

Irolia opened her eyes and turned her head again, looking at Hask and giving him a small smirk, "what? Did you not like it?" Asked the blue-skinned Sith half teasing and yes, she was referring to both the fight and kiss. Well, Irolia enjoyed both things, fighting Hask made her blood boil and got her adrenaline to run wild. While kissing Hask felt like electrocuting her heart on purpose.

Looking down at the two pieces of her lightsaber hilt in her hands, "was it really necessary to destroy my lightsaber?" Asked the Pantoran as she examined the two broken pieces, seeing if anything could be salvaged.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Hask Jen]

Her explanation caught him quite off guard, surprise evident on his face. He gave her a look before focusing on the road again. He knew about her condition, about the voices never leaving her alone. He had wanted to help her since he first found out about it but he didn't know how. So hearing that he actually helped her to relieve this burden, even if only for a small amount of time, made him feel good at least.

A faint flash caught his eye, but it was both too far and too quick for him to figure out what it was. His instincts immediately went to a sniper scope, but he didn't need to get paranoid now. Nevertheless, his attention was focused on that spot, his senses wide open for any sort of danger. Indeed he could feel that something was off, though he couldn't get a handle on it.

"Huh?" he said absentmindedly, not entirely focusing on her teasing question. "Oh. Yeah well...for course I liked it. Very much. Though I can't help but wonder...well...was there anything more to it?" he asked her a bit cautiously and nervously. Her question was clearly a lot more serious to him. He had been wondering for a while now if there was something between them and that kiss didn't help him at all to put his mind at ease. He eased up a lot as she asked him about her destroyed weapon. "Yes, actually. You tried to kill me, and destroying your weapon was the easiest option. It was either that or your arm, so I think you should be glad it was your lightsaber." he explained casually, shifting in his seat to get comfortable.

He held his hand out and summoned the weapon to his hand. "Don't worry. I have a ton of nice parts on the Hurricane, I can build you a new weapon." he said, flashing her a smirk. He didn't want to admit that he didn't like her design at all. In his mind he did her a favour destroying the weapon.

@Raven_41

 

[Irolia Shen]

Hask's cautiously and nervously answer made her look at Hask, "what, do you want it to be more?" Asked Irolia very curiously. She very much liked the kiss as it made her feel alive anew, but she wondered, no more likely wanted to know if he felt the same or something close to it. She never really given it a serious thought, being together with her travel companion, as in together-together. Would she even be able to handle it? The voices were draining enough as it is and would she even be able to function in a relationship?

Her own train of thoughts got interrupted by Hask's second question, which made Irolia raised her eyebrow a bit, "oh please, did you rather want me to recite that Jedi code nonsense?" Asked Irolia with a snort and turned her eyes to the road in front of them. "Now, how did that Jedi say it again? Something about no emotion, but peace... or was it no harmony and chaos?" Started, actually trying to remember what that Vardon Jedi recite to her when they fought. She thought the Jedi to be idiots, following a code blindingly without hesitation. Even some Sith took the Sith code way too literally in her opinion.

"I'm perfectly cable of building my own sabre" responded the Pantoran casually returning her broken weapon to her own hand. And then, silence again for a bit.

And then, suddenly started Irolia to laugh a burst of heartful laughter, "no, actually trying to take the Jedi code seriously is just stupid" said the blue-skinned Sith with a grin. She had tried in her mind to first remember the code and then actually try to take it serious by comparing it to the Sith code. She couldn't, the Jedi code just sounded so silly and way too controlling over one's self.

After her laughter died down, she looked to Hask and then notice a red dot on his forehead, much redder than Hask's skin and without thinking she grabbed the steering wheel and yanked it hard to the left. Just as she yanked the van to the left, shattered the front window and blew a large hole in the back on the van. What followed was a series of events coming at them from the mountains on the right side and front.

"Ambush" stated Irolia, but she was sure Hask realized that as well by now as she placed her broken lightsaber pieces in a compartment in the van. She reached for one of the rifles and loaded it up and got the window down, before shooting at the incoming Rust Dusters storming directly at Hask and Irolia. Not only that but now the same flash showed again and was followed by shots, much like the one that took out the window and made the hole in the van's backdoor.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Hask Jen]

Hask looked at her with a small smile, his eyes gentle. "Depends. Do you want to?" he asked softly. He looked back at the road ahead of them. He gave a light chuckle. "I mean, what's the worst that could happen? Either we actually function in some way or another...or you try to kill me in an attempt to grow stronger in the force and I need to defend myself." he explained to her, still smiling all the way. "So, up to you." he finished with a laugh, leaving it there.

She teased about reciting the Jedi code, making him chuckle rather sarcastically. "You do that and I'll blow you out of this cabin." he warned her with a fake cheerful tone. "Between the six or so Jedi I've run into over the years I'm absolutely sick of that bloody code of theirs. It really is a headache." he confessed, shaking his head. While he secretly admired and even strived (rather very loosely) with some of their beliefs, he hated their code. She tried to defend her lightsaber-building capabilities, making him laugh. He unclipped his seconds lightsaber, mechanically quite impressive and a lot more solid than hers, and extended the hilt with a hiss. "No you can't. That thing was garbage. You can do a lot better than that one." he explained without hesitation, not missing a beat as he tore into her hilt's looks and feel.

They sat in silence again for a few minutes, but this time it wasn't awkward or deafening. "It is!" he agreed, laughing with her. "I usually compare it to a droid! It's so stupid at times." he continued, laughing all the way. He cast her a glance and gave her a smile as she looked at him, with his attention on her he didn't sense the incoming attack at all. Thankfully she noticed and, much to his surprise, yanked the wheel. He was about to chew her out when the windshield shattered and a blaster bolt barely missed his head. "You don't say?!" he shouted back at her rather logical statement.

In the distance he saw some raiders quickly pursuing before another shot tore through the van. "What the hell kind of gun is that?!" he asked, looking around before yanking the truck into a direction to dodge another shot. His let go of the wheel before grabbing his carbine, collapsing the stock and smashing out the driver's window. A vehicle was coming straight for them, but Hask shot off a wheel and watched as the vehicle tumbled and crashed into the sand. "What kind of backwards savages are we dealing with?" he asked, firing another few rounds off. "Last thing we need now is a bunch of pursuers..."

@Raven_41

 

[Irolia Shen]

Ugh, Hask just had to destroy her lightsaber and now she had to rely on blasters and the force! And the interruption of their little bonding also pissed Irolia madly off, however that was directed at the interlopers. Another shot was fired and flew right by the van at incredible speed, but was unable to hit due to Hask dodging, "they're NOT messing around, some kind of heavy blaster!" Yelled Irolia as she leaned out of the side window at her side, returning fire.

Irolia kept on firing at the flash in the mountain and hopefully get him, though it more or less just provided cover fire. Two men seemed to have survived the car crash, and quickly pulled their rifles and used the car as cover. "Oh, you got to be kriffing me!" yelled Irolia and turned her fire at the two men behind the vehicle and just as she was about to fire, rained hellfire down over them. The surroundings of the van got lit up by a very rapid firing rate, forcing Irolia to slide in. "They have a farking rotary blaster of some sort!" Yelled the blue-skinned Sith and placed the rifle down on the van's floor and pulled her quick-draw blaster and continued to fire back.

Two other buggies almost flew out behind large rocks and came hot in pursuit of Hask and Irolia while firing at the van, especially the wheels. "They are gaining on us, step on that damn speeder pedal!" ordered the Pantoran, dodge her head, before firing back at one of the men in the newly arrived buggies and killing him. A lot of dust whirled around all three vehicles, even as they drow through a pass and ended up driving on a bumpy surface of mountain rocks on a little detour, thanks to the damn persistent wasters.

Getting into the van again, she reloaded her quickdraw blaster and then pulled her other one and popped out of the window again, to sit on the door. "Farking hell, will you guys piss off?!" Screamed Irolia angrier and angrier, so much so, that her eyes started to shimmer to their blood-red colour.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Hask Jen]

"That thing will tear us apart." he commented, swerving like a madman to avoid getting hit by the heavy blaster. He kept shooting with his carbine, being very careful over his shots to conserve as much ammunition as possible.

He did his best to take out the pursuing vehicles and dodge the sniper, but what he did not expect was for the van to be lit up with repeater fire. At least not with this magnitude. "What the hell is that?!" he shouted at Irolia, swerving to avoid getting shot...a feat not very well accomplished. She yelled at him to go faster, a comment that was slowly but surely getting on his nerves. "This isn't exactly built for speed, you know!" he responded with annoyance. They came upon the pass leading back to the space port. If they cleared this, they were homefree.

Her screaming gave him an idea. "Hold on!" he ordered her and slammed the brakes. The two pursuing vehicles raced past them, quite confused over what happened. Hask slammed on the throttle and raced after them, driving one into the canyon wall. The other one tried to fire at them, but between Hask and Irolia's combined firepower it proved futile. Hask pushed the remains of the windshield out with his rifle and opened fire. The last buggie didn't stand a chance as it crashed and burned. With their pursuers finally behind them, Hask breathed a sigh of relief and slumped in his seat.

He cast Irolia a glance. "So where were we?" he asked her with a chuckle.

@Raven_41

 

[Irolia Shen]

Irolia almost tip out of the window when he slammed the break, which also, almost made her upper body get slammed by the pursuing car on her side of the van. "What the hell Hask? Almost got hit!" Yelled the blue-skinned Sith as she then continued to fire and completely destroy the last car and the men inside. Crawling inside the van again, she took a deep breath and holstered her blasters again. She wanted to be annoyed at Hask for almost making her slam into one of the cars pursuing them but his charming chuckle and very handsome face made it very difficult. Damn her attraction to him, it's ruining her "being mad at him" attempts...

"You were about to announce your undying love and forever servitude to me before we so rudely were interrupted" teased Irolia and placed her hand very high up on his thigh, caressing her chosen spot as she blinked to him. She pulled her hand to herself again and placed her crossed feed up where the front window once had been, as she leaned back in her seat. Irolia crossed her arms, "I do look forward to getting a better ship" admitted Irolia with a content smile, watching the road appear up ahead as they would soon come out of the mountain area and be out in the open once again. However, unlike before the mountains, this open area was going up to the large spaceport, which meant no one would try to start anything with security close by.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Hask Jen]

Hask eyed her, not even budging as her hand snaked up his leg. "Eternal servitude? Someone's an opportunist today." he teased, focusing on the road again. She was getting under his skin...but at this point any form of lust from him was long gone, replaced by amusement to watch the emotional rollercoaster that is Irolia Shen.

She made herself comfortable, using the open dashboard as a foot rest. He glanced over her relaxed form, smirking at the sight. "Me too. Then you can stop using mine." he quipped with a chuckle. Following her lead he made himself comfortable and pulled a cigarillo from his jacket pocket. Flicking his thumb like a lighter, a small flame would sprout which he used to light the cigarillo. He killed the flame and took a few puffs before holding it out to her. "I used to be big on death sticks, but those things mess you up. These are a lot better...besides, I think we deserve it." he commented.

The speeder broke out of the canyon and made its way through the desert. In the distance he could see the space port. They were almost home. "You know, all the joking aside...I wouldn't mind if you stuck around a bit longer." he commented softly, almost nervously. Now he was just feeling like an idiot.

@Raven_41

 

[Irolia Shen]

Looking at the cigarillo that Hask held out before her, offering her it. "Never smoked anything in my life, not about to start now" replied Irolia and a small grin formed on her dark blue full lips as she placed her hands behind her head, "last time I tried something new with you, ended up with us doing it in your ship... You gotta come up with better ways to get me in bed" said Irolia and released a heartful chuckle.

Her chuckle died down by his soft comment and the grin disappeared as well as she turned her gaze to the incoming spaceport. "I don't know... Hask, you better than anyone should know by now, that I'm not exactly sane in my mind" replied Irolia and notice his nervousness, both through the force, but also at the corner of her eyes. "But in all honesty Hask, you're not so bad a company to spend time with. Might stick around a bit longer than planned" stated the blue-skinned Sith with a content smile.

Right as she had said that, passed the van through the large gate to the spaceport, which suddenly surrounded them with a lot of traffic. "You gotta be kriffing me, is this national bring-your-vehicle-to-spaceport day?" She scoffed annoyed by the among of being in a queue for entering the area for parking their damn van. A lot of other people seemed to have the same thought as quite a few started to yell at each other when things took a bit to long.

The funny part was, the queue didn't make them stay completely still as they moved at a steady pace, it was just that there was a queue in the first place. When they finally got through, they were free to drive to the place Hask was heading for.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Hask Jen]

Hask shrugged at her comment about smoking, holding the cigarillo between his sharp teeth in the corner of his mouth. Her next comment almost made him spit it out as he laughed. "Well I can't remember that you complained much about it..." he quipped, looking her dead in the eyes with a sly grin.

Things got more serious as she spoke about her condition. She was right. He knew better than anyone. He could even feel through the force how disruptive it was on her being. But nevertheless she agreed to stick around. Giving the cigarillo one last puff he threw it out the window and looked to her with sincerity. "Irolia, you're talking to a guy that probably deserves the death mark in at least three systems. I can promise you that an unstable mind really doesn't bother me." he explained to her, not breaking eye contact. "Besides, you're charming enough to make up for it." he joked and focused back on the route.

Just as they entered, he had to slow down with a traffic jam. Unfortunately this also meant they had much more exposure than Hask would have liked. They received several stares from passers by who were shocked by the state of the truck. "Dammit, Irolia, you always break everything." he mocked her with a fake disappointed voice. At least the traffic wasn't too bad and Hask got them off the main road through a few alleys. In no time at all they were on the ship, busy loading the Cortosis into the cargo hold.

With that done he stood on the ramp and waited for her to follow. "Well come on, then." he said to her and walked off towards his personal quarters with all his gear.

@Raven_41

 

[Irolia Shen]

Loading the Cortosis into the cargo hold didn't take very long and they also didn't do anything as machines loaded it onboard. Irolia was, however, counting every single batch of Cortosis that was moved onboard as she was not about to have some "disappear" on them because somebody saw an opportunity. Fortunately, nothing was missing and within half an hour or so, was everything onboard and Hask entered his ship by the loading ramp. Standing with arms crossed, she scanned the area one last time, but when Hask's call for her sounded behind her, turned the Pantoran her gaze to that damn handsome pureblood.

Turning her back to the bay and started walking up the ramp, towards where Hask stood, waiting for her, was Irolia met with a very familiar robot. Parrot came flying out to greet Irolia, beeping happily, which earned it a hug from Irolia and a heartfelt smile. "I've missed you too Parrot, yes we will so get our own ship, as I promised" replied Irolia and as she walked past Hask, placed she her fingers at Hask's jawline, caressing it gently. She let her fingers move along his jawline and let go at his chin before walking deeper into Hask ship, giving Hask a quick blink, before turning her attention back to Parrot.

~~~End Thread~~~~​

@KinkyPrawn