Back to the Unknown

[Kibbles]

(OOC): Anyone can hop in, preferably people who wouldn't mind a tag-along. Just...Try not to start a bar fight you silly peoples :3 (End of OOC)

In some backwater station in the blackness on the way to Hutt Space, Jicelli Masin would do her daily routine. Wake up, get sorted for another boring "day" on the station, leave her boring quarters, and live her currently boring life. She hated it the small living quarters provided to her, and with her diminishing amount of credits she knew she had to get a move on. The station served as a small rest stop for travelers and traders. It was also a hub for petty criminals to figure out where their next potential profits will be. To her, it served as a reminder to her life.
Jicelli despised the loneliness she obtained after being ditched on the station some short time ago. The previous crew she was on treated her fairly, but quickly gave her the boot when they learned how weak she was when it came to violence. Hardly anyone would want someone that can't put up a good fight for them. Ever since then, she's tried to find someone to tag along with and resume her exploration of the galaxy. Curiosity, it compelled her to brave the unknown, even if she couldn't fight what it contained.
"It's not my fault..." She'd mumble to herself, leaving the dim corridor of the living quarters and heading for one of the small bars. It'd be filled with various species, figures of different shapes and sizes. Some look smart, some look dumb, and some look dangerous. Adjusting the messenger bag and making her way to a seat against the wall, she'd retrieve her datapad from her bag then visibly scan the room for a moment to see if there are interesting figures in the fresh cycle of passerby. Perhaps she won't have to bore herself to death reading some junk like last time.
I'm probably the only Pantoran on this whole station, let alone this region of...Nothing. Figures. Anyone of these strangers could be willing to throw you in some slaver's den for a fair price. Just bide the time Jice...Bide the time...Don't make a reason for trouble..

 

[Soup]

OOC: I'll do my best. But Xel tends to be involved in those a lot... Also, a sort of partnership between my character and yours would be pretty interesting. Non-romantic would fit my character best, as he is a very oblivious when it comes to such things.


Another hard day's work. Xel had successfully delivered a small shipment of Spice to some low-lives for a decent amount of Credits. 7,000 wasn't all that bad for a simple delivery run. Now, like usual, Xel traveled serveral parsecs away from the planet on which he had made the drop off for safety purposes. He now found himself at a simple bar at some station. He was sitting at a table where he found company in only the table itself. He wore his usual attire; a black, long-sleeved turtle neck, black cargo pants, and a pair of black boots. All matching his black hair done up in a pony tail and bangs. His clothing choice contrasted heavily with his somewhat pale skin. He bad his FRAB blaster rifle slung on his back and his BP01 blaster pistol in his right cargo pant pocket.

Xel sat and stared at the contents of a cup that sat on the table before him. He hadn't a clue what it was, but he swore it moved at one point so he refused to touch it, let alone drink it. This seemed to be running theme along bars and cantinas alk across the galaxy. Crappy drinks. He sighed and looked up to see a Pantoran walk through the door. He had only ever heard of Pantorans, but he only seen one just now. The bar was crowded with thugs and pirates, but yet the Pantoran seemed a bit out of place in the bar. Pretty small overall. But of course, it was none of his business and he wouldn't go asking them about their life story or anything. He slid his cup of who knows what as far fron his as he could without it falling to the ground. He let out another sigh and stretched in his seat. He hadn't any idea what he would do now. The station he was at seemed to aslo allow for people to reside there, however that would not be necessay for Xel, as his massive frieighter had more than enough room to start his own hotel.

 

[Kibbles]

She didn't see too much that surprised her or really caught her eye. There was a human, she assumed from first looks, wearing all dark clothing sitting at a table alone. They didn't seem interested in whatever they were having, and weren't really doing anything. They too, seemed quite bored to be on the station. The stranger didn't appear to be any of the other trash that floated in, which was a good sign.

This could work. He doesn't seem too bad, not some scumbag either. Plus, it sure as hell beats waiting in this place for nothing again..
Putting her datapad away in her bag securely, she'd hesitantly start to rise only to sit back down. Then, as if resolving the two conflicting choices in her head she'd stand up and leave her table, heading to the other table where the man sits. She'd awkwardly take a seat, readjusting her bag into her lap and giving the bar a look around before extending a hand to introduce herself.
"Hope I'm not bothering anything, the name is Jicelli. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, if I may?"
Hoping for the best, she'd put on a happy smile and wait for a response.

 

[Soup]

Xel was quote surprised when Jicelli came and sat down. A pretty bold move in a bar, but that meant Xel didn't seem to scary. Unless of course he was entirely wrong about the Pantoran and she was a bloodthirsty criminal. That didn't seem to be the case when she extended a hand to greet him. Xel had a confused expression plastered on his face for a good two seconds before shaking the hand before him. He returned the smile and shook his head before he spoke in a soft, somewhat cheerful tone. "Not interrupting anything at all. I'm Xel by the way. Gand. Gand being my last name. That cane out weird... Anyways, are you going to try to sell me something now?"

 

[Kibbles]

"Huh? Oh no, I'm not here to sell something!"
Jicelli would give a slight laugh, realizing then how stupid her introduction was. She didn't put much thought into it as she wanted.
If this guy was like these other people, he'd probably have killed me as soon as I spoke...Idiot!

She'd clear her throat, putting her hands on the bag in her lap. Now she'd seem nervous, and skeptical of the stranger, sharply watching him. Normally she's calm, but the setting doesn't fit well with her now that she is actually at risk of something going wrong. Replying with a progressively quickening pace, she'd keep her voice a calm and positive tone despite her mind double-taking the situation more and more.
"I don't have anything to sell anyway, well, anything that I'd want to sell. I'm just interested to see what you're doing here. Just out of curiosity, not investigating or anything. Oh, and to see if there's a chance I could....Tag along on your next voyage? Assuming you have a ship and free space and are willing to accept a passenger and or crew member?"

Did I speak too fast? Maybe this wasn't a good idea. Ugh, this is what happens when you don't have anyone to speak too for awhile, you can't even make proper small talk and get to know someone before asking to join them in whatever they do! You don't even know what he does Jice!

 

[Soup]

Xel once more had a confused expression, but it was gone almpst immediately and replaced with a slight grin as he chuckled lightly. This Jicelli person seemed quite nervous, and with good reason. She was quick to ask if she could accompany him, which Xel found extremely odd as they had just met. He could have been a mass murderer for all she knew. Another bold move that was likely unintentional. Xel crossed his arms and set them on the table softly. His eyes closed for a few moments longer than a blink should have taken and then opened them once more, speaking right afterwards in the same tone as before. "Well I sure as hell have room on my ship, not sure why you want to join me though... I don't feel all that opposed to having another crew member with me, but from what I can see, you aren't exactly a thug like everyone else here. If you were, you'd have hijacked a ship and left this dump on your own. So you probably have little to no combat skills or piloting skills. Now a smuggler like myself needs those two things to live. You're probably pretty desperate to be asking a total stranger for a ride, probably permanent membership to their team at that... Enough rambling. If you can give me one good reason to let you accompany me on my planet hopping adventures, I'll let you come along."

 

[Kibbles]

"I...."
Now you didn't think about that did you Jice? What now?
"I mean..."

She'd slump her shoulders a bit, clasping her hands together under the table as she thinks of something to say. She'd seem unsure now, almost afraid now that he's called her out and countered her request with ease. After a moment of quick thoughts, she'd straighten up and set a hand on the table and boldly speaking to the smuggler. Hesitation would briefly be in her voice, and she'd get quiet as she goes on before stopping.

"I-I can take care of myself! I'm not useless....Completely..I mean, to be honest it just really sucks here and I've been out there before.."

 

[Soup]

Xel gave a wide smile and laughed faintly. He lifted up his arms and intertwined his fingers behind his head, allowing his head to rest on his hands. A small act of bravery was displayed by Jicelli, which was enough for Xel. He was a bit of a coward at the start of his journey across the galaxy. Back when he was probably about as old as the Pantoran that sat across from his was now. To think he was 30 now, what a large number... "Good answer Jicelli. You've earned yourself a spot on my ship. I'll have to teach you how to be a decent co-pilot, or a gunner at the least. Not that I need a co-pilot, but it's nice to have one just in case. We can leave whenever you'd like, I have no jobs right now. No jobs means I don't care where I'm going."

 

[Kibbles]

Hearing his response would prompt a sigh of relief from the young Pantoran, who'd relax in her seat.
"Thank you! I don't have much, and it's absolutely killing me just sitting here not being able to do anything. Any learning I can get would be much appreciated, and I'll try to pull my part in return!"

Easy now, you still don't know this guy. Plus, how can you just go with him when he expects you to learn how to shoot, and maybe even kill? Even thinking about being shot at makes you afraid. Think about it later Jice, this is the only chance you might have. Don't blow it! Slow. Don't make empty promises.

Jicelli would take a brief second to regain her thoughts, speaking in a more dignified manner, almost apologetically near the end. She still appears nervous, but much more positive from his agreement.
"I don't have really anything here worth staying for, but I shouldn't dictate anything. That's...Unfair of me considering the circumstance. You're in charge, plus I kinda...Threw this on you unexpectedly."

 

[Soup]

Xel was getting quite amused by Jicelli, as she constantly had emotional spikes in what she said. It would be fun to have someone else around. Usually the only other people he had with him were other Kjlljk Protectorate members, and they were only around for a breif period of time. Thinking of that made him remember that he should probably tell Jicelli about the Protectorate, and perhaps persuade her to join. He'd be getting pretty busy soon enough, with all of this teaching needing to be done. "Like I said, I don't care where I go at the moment, or when to be honest. But I would like to tell you about the organization that I'm a part of. The Kjlljk Protectorate. We serve as a sort of police force for systems that agree to allow us to help them. We tend to be fighting quite a bit, but we could still always use a diplomatic person like yourself. All you would need to do is learn a bit more about everything on a galactic scale and join the Protectorate. If you'd like of course, I did kind of just throw that at you."

 

[Kibbles]

Jicelli wasn't expecting an offer into a full organization. This changed everything about the meeting. Not only was she dealing with the possibility of joining a ship, but now some organization that is much more involved in the galaxy as a whole. She hasn't even heard of this "Kjlljk Protectorate" before, not that she can recall.

Thoughtfully, she'd lean back and cross her arms as she goes over the offer. It'd take her a few moments to respond, but by the time she does respond her voice isn't as excited. Her tone is more negative as she goes on, almost sad near the end with some disappointment mixed in. Her hands would gesture for every point she rapidly makes. It's apparent a fresh memory has been resurfaced, sparking such a response from her when moments ago she seemed completely willing.

"I never considered joining something like that. I mean, I never thought about it in the first place. I've always just hopped around and tried to keep out of trouble...It's an offer for sure, but I'm not sure if I'd fit in. I mean, you said it yourself there is a fair amount of fighting. I'm not sure if I'd be as much of a help. You did say diplomacy but it doesn't sound like you guys need nor use much of that, but of course I'm just assuming that. Maybe you do. I don't know, honestly...Honestly I've never really been in a fight. That's the truth, but of course you can probably see that. I've been useless to so many other people since everyone needs the same things. A skilled mechanic! A sharpshooter! A combat pilot! But a negotiator? A diplomat? Someone that doesn't know how to kill? Useless things in the galaxy now. It'd only get someone like me killed, probably. Then again, I don't know. I have only been one of those three things and still am...That's a given too. I can't even look like a killer if I wanted too, I'd probably drop the blaster if I saw them draw theirs..That's why the last ship kicked me off here. They didn't need someone like me. Neither did the one before, or before that one. "

Jicelli would put her hands down, giving a sigh as she looks down. She'd then shake her head, giving a nervous laugh before apologizing to him.
"I'm sorry..It's just been hard lately. Didn't mean to rant on like some little girl who expected something else. It's hard to actually socialize with others when all they want you to do is work, shoot, or get out of their way. Haven't spoken to anyone in awhile really."

 

[Soup]

Xel listened intently as Jicelli spoke. His facial expression became less and less pleased until he was near the point of frowning. After Jicelli had finished speaking, Xel shook his head. He hadn't thought about it, but he did make it seem like he only wanted to have someone around that could perform certain tasks, but he didn't try to mean that. Thinking before speaking was something Xel failed to do effectively, and it had almost gotten him killed on several occasions. Something else he needed to work on was his social skills, because he still managed to make others misinterpret what he had said, though he was the only one in the wrong for that. He hunched over a little and placed his right hand behind his head, rubbing it a bit as he spoke. Xel put on a bit of a happier tone during the last sentence. "I'm the one that should be sorry. I didn't mean to pressure you or anything, I was just blindly looking to the future without factoring in what you thought about anything. You don't have to be able to fight or be an amazing pilot to have a place in the galaxy. That's I thought you joining the Protectorate as a diplomat would work for you. You would always be guarded of course, and by none other than some of our best people. You would probably have protection from Kae'Tl herself. She's our leader by the way. But all of that aside, I'll take you in whether or not you can do anything with proficiency. You seem to be in a pretty bad situation here, and my morals say to help out. So, are you going to join me in my travels or not?"

 

[Kibbles]

Jicelli would look up as he responded, listening carefully to his words. She'd cross her arms again, and once he finished she'd understand his offer better. It'd comfort her to her how others would help her, and that he wouldn't rely on her to fit a specific role she couldn't do. Plus, it was true this wasn't a good place to sit around at so he had a point there. Straightening up in her seat, she'd give a slight nod before speaking to him.

"It's alright, I get what you mean now. Just had to take it in for a moment."
Extending a hand formally to him, she'd clearly and firmly give her response.
"Xel, I think you have yourself a recruit if that answers your question. Oh, and you can call me Jice if you want. Slightly shorter."

 

[Soup]

Xel was pleased to see that Jicelli had lightened up. He was also pleased to hear that she was prepared to join his crew. He extended his own arm once more to shake Jicelli's. Once finished with the handshake that was more formal than Xel's entire being, he sat up straight and stretched once more. This was probably one of his more succesful days. He was sure that Jicelli would find her own way of being useful over time. "I'm gonna assume you live in the respective living area here, so you may wanna pack your stuff. You can sleep in one of the few rooms I've got on my ship. Also, I'm thinking Coruscant would be a good place to head off to. There are several places with some good food and drinks there, unlike this place..."

 

[Kibbles]

"I don't have much. Always put what I need to keep in my bag and hope I'll be leaving every time I head here. Coruscant sounds fine considering this place. Though, I don't think anything could beat the drinks here. You seemed to have enjoyed yours quite a bit."
She'd gesture to the hardly touched drink, giving it a thoughtful look before leaning back and looking back at Xel.
"Well, enough kidding around. If you're ready, I guess I'm ready. Won't be leaving anything too important in this dump. Plus, some better food does sound nice. Sometimes I think they use whatever they find behind the bar..."

 

[Soup]

Xel gave a nervous laugh when his "beverage" was mentioned. He glanced at it and wished he had some sort of container to be able to study it later on. Xel then gave another, much more relaxed laugh at the the last comment that Jicelli made. Xel didn't want to test the food that was provided at such an establishment. He honestly didn't know why people still ordered things from this place. Xel stood up and started spinning the two rings he had on either thumb with his index fingers on each respective hand. He began to slowly make his way towards the exit, giving plenty of time for Jicelli to catch up. Xel would be happy to get some decent food on Coruscant. It was a little while away, but certainly worth the trip. He would just have to avoid the Sith areas. Both the Kjlljk Protectorate and the Sith were trying to get friendly with the Gree because of the rare technology that they had access to. Xel didn't really appear to be associated with any organization, but he liked being safe in at least some aspects. "I'll give you the grand tour of my ship. There's certainly a lot to cover."

 

[Kibbles]

Jicelli would get up out of her seat as he did, but before following him she'd make sure nothing was being left behind. It'd be easy to catch back up though, as he'd wait on her before going on. She did notice his rings earlier, finding it interesting that they were on his thumbs of all places. Curious, she'd pipe up the question from her ever expanding pool of questions as they'd walk on. She'd have many questions to ask, but they can always wait for their time.
"Sorry if this is intruding in anyway, but I couldn't help but notice the rings you have. If I may ask, do they symbolize anything or are they for looks only?"

 

[Soup]

Xel lead the way through the exit and onwards to the area in which his ship located. He only knew because he came from that way. The question that Jicelli asked ran through his mind for a moment before answering. It was an odd question, but not without reason. After all, the thumbs are a strange area to put rings. "I just like them there. They feel pretty comfortable actually. However, they're just little trinkets I've collected over time. If you have anything else you want to ask, go ahead and do so. I really don't mind questions."

 

[Kibbles]

"Strange, I would have thought they'd mean something. I don't know, just seemed unique. Usually people have accessories like that as reminders or something. It seems likes that would be their purpose, but then again they can be trinkets too sometimes. Luckily for you I think I'll hold off on the rest of the questions and give you a chance to ask a few. Perhaps during this guided tour I have been so graciously gifted to receive. Probably because you rather not have me getting lost somewhere. That's good to know you care for your ship."
Jicelli would indeed find the tour somewhat humorous, but understands it's a necessary thing. Large vessels can have complicated and elaborate interiors where passengers can become lost. She can tell they have nearly arrived at his ship, as the station is quite clear when you go from another section. At least, to her it is. She's been waiting to head this way for some time.

 

[Soup]

As the arrived at the enormous "hangar" where ships docked. Xel pointed towards his PCHF-3. It was the largest ship there, and the other ships paled in comparison to its size. He continued leading the way to the ship and walked up the ramp. He pressed a series of buttons and the door opened up. Xel stepped and inside and waved Jicelli in. "I um, 'borrowed' this ship from some Rodians who found themselves in some trouble. They ended up dead, and I happened to be near their ship. I was in a bit of a pickle because there was a large firefight going on, so I got in the ship and flew off. The cantina I was at had blown up and crushed the ship I had prior to this one. But this thing is way better, and I got it for free."