Ask Coruscant In the Dim Light

[Emilia Vuth]

Even though Gatz brushed off what she said, Emilia and her stubbornness felt like she needed to make a follow up comment, "You're a good man Gatz. Truly. I sense it. I see it. You might doubt it but I call out what I see."

Quietly she watched him command his droid to make scans. Emilia watched the droid (she really didn't like droids) before looking back up at Gatz who explained himself and made himself clear. Emilia did work on her own, although that wasn't something she'd done for a long time. She'd worked in a pair with her master for most of her life, and Gatz had proven himself to her, so perhaps she could trust him.... somewhat.

"Very well," the small Jedi answered after a few moments lost in her thoughts. "The Drek Kor have a couple bases on the lower levels of Coruscant. It might be worth a trip to one of them. I can guide you to their largest base of operations. I've dealt with the group before. Usually they work for politicians and highly influential men and women because they have credits to spend. Though I do not know why anyone would pay to have me targeted."

It was certainly a mystery to her. That was unless Gatz was the target. He could be deep into something illegal. The possibility had crossed her mind early on, and her eyes settled steadily on him after she spoke. Despite that thought however, no matter what he was involved in, deep down she still sensed he was good. Good people could get into bad situations.

Though she heard a grumble from her stomach a few seconds later. Emilia shifted somewhat uncomfortably in her seat, not liking that she was not only hurt but hungry. It was hard for her to appear anything but strong to someone. Appearing weak was against everything her master trained her to be, but... "But maybe.... I should eat something first."

@Vicc125

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

"Well, if you're gonna sing my praises, then I guess I won't argue."

This was far better earlier in the day, when she chiding him and generally having the social presence of a brick wall. Not that Gatz could really blame her for those things: most Jedi were impassive and haughty. Didn't meant they weren't good people, but, well, it was why he often found himself annoyed with them. Still, if they were going to be stuck together until this problem was solved, he may as well try and be pleasant.

"One assassin almost took us both out. If we're going to go after them, we'll need help: resources and people. I... have ways to get us arms and armor, if we need it, but I'm fresh out of hired hands."

Smuggling was best done alone, or in very small groups. Having a crew meant dealing with leaks, or double-crossers. They could always try some of the seedier parts of the galaxy, and find some mercenaries willing to earn a few credits, but Gatz would feel better taking on assassins with people he trusted. He hoped that Emilia, who he was still certain was a Jedi, had a few friends they could call upon for assistance.

Her stomach growled, and Gatz let him smile at that.

"We can talk strategy later. The fresher and the galley are down the hall, opposite side of my room. Get something to eat, shower if you need it, and get some rest. And mind your feet: some of the floor panels are rough or sharp."

The Long March wasn't in the greatest of shape, after all. Or, at least, she wasn't pretty. Not on the inside or the outside. Just like Gatz liked it.
@Lilith

 

[Emilia Vuth]

While there was no sign from her expression, Emilia was pleased Gatz actually choose to listen to her. There was goodness somewhere inside him. Besides, he'd do better if he listened to her in general. About everything. Infiltrating a Drek Kor base was no small feat.

"I have some favours I can cash in. Maybe I can get us temporary help," Emilia added. Insofar as weapons and armour, if Gatz could get her a blaster at least that'd be helpful. She'd lost hers in a different accident. Her life wasn't exactly the safest and neither were her weapons apparently.

With Gatz suggestions Emilia stood up, but not before her purple gaze settled back on the man. "If you have not eaten or rested, do so as well. You will need it. I've had my fill of rest so I will be meditating in the cargo hold or somewhere quiet after I eat." Emilia turned to walk down the hall.

Her steps echoed on the ship, the sound nestled between the white noise of all the parts of the ship working together. However, before she took too many steps she turned around after a second, "Gatz, how do you know about Yavin?"

It was a question that'd crossed her mind awhile back when they first met. At the time, however, there were much more important things to focus on and so she'd pushed the question aside in her mind. Now that she had a moment to stop, she wondered if he'd give her an honest answer.

@Vicc125

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Already, Gatz's mind was on the weapons they'd need to handle this problem. Luckily, he knew exactly where to get them: the shipment Benji had him picking up on Balmorra. He'd agreed to smuggle a few crates of weapons and armor to Serenno. But he never promised that the shipment would remain sealed. With military grade arms, they were certain to have an advantage.

And all it was going to take was a hop, skip, and a jump away.

"Where's this help at? We're going to have to jump to Balmorra, to secure the weapons I can get us. May as well pick up your friends while we're at it."

It wasn't like the Drek Kor was going anywhere. And honestly, if they did, the two of them might be better off. Either way, they had to leave the system. Unless they wanted to do this with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Gatz didn't think that was the best idea: all he really had to his name was a blaster pistol and rifle, not exactly the full loadout he wanted to crack open a base of assassins.

Emilia chided him, and he rolled his eyes, but only after making sure his head was turned away from her. Gatz didn't need to be nagged at to take care of himself: he wasn't the one with a growling stomach and second degree burns on his arms. Besides, he didn't sleep very well on most nights. No point in trying to force a nap.

Then came the question. The one that he always tried to avoid. It wasn't often that people knew of his background; of his Jedi upbringing. That was because Gatz tried to keep that hush hush. Most criminal organizations didn't want to hire someone they feared would bust them. And the second you started tossing the word "Jedi" around...

But Emilia was no Hutt. No Black Sun. No scoundrel. She was a Jedi Knight, and if there was anyone in the world he could share this secret with, it was with someone from the Order.

"I wasn't always a dashing smuggler with a penchant for saving pretty girls," Gatz tried to smile, but found that it faded from his face rather quickly, "I... well... once upon a time, I was a Jedi youngling. And Yavin was my home."

@Lilith

 

[Emilia Vuth]

"I don't have friends," Emilia corrected Gatz immediately. She was attached to the protection of life, not to people. That was what she told herself anyway... it was how she was taught. Her master was more traditional than most in the order. Perhaps that was why he travelled around and kept minimum if no contact with the Order.

"They're all on Coruscant. I can send some messages out and we can meet up with them on the planet once we have the weapons and armour." Emilia paused for a few heartbeats and her eyes uncharacteristically wandered to the side as memories filled her thoughts, "I've built up some good will here. I've been stuck on the planet for many months since... my master went missing with our ship..." her speech which was usually plain, hinted sometimes with confidence, wavered slightly as she spoke.

The one and only thing that chipped away at her confidence was her masters disappearance. Had he actually abandoned her? Had she done something wrong to lose his confidence and therefore lose his guidance? He'd always expected the world from her. Perfection. Losing herself in thought for a few fleeting moments, her left, burned and bandaged arm rose up and she stared at it. Another mistake.

But she hardened her gaze and balled her left hand into a fist. No. She couldn't allow herself to slip into this. She needed to have confidence. Those she protected depended on that. On her ability and the split second decisions she made under pressure. The ones that made the difference between life and death.

She came to when Gatz explained himself. Emilia looked back at him. She was curious and surprised, though it did not show through her expression per usual. "Why didn't you finish your training?" Emilia asked plainly. It was hard to understand why someone would turn away from this path, no matter how hard it was sometimes.

@Vicc125

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

"Everyone has friends, Emilia."

But that right there, that... detachment from the world, was *why* he'd left the order. Most Jedi weren't quite as stone-faced as Emilia was, but they lacked a certain human quality. The Jedi may have accepted emotions now, unlike the days of the High Republic, but they still restrained them. Sometimes, it was like being surrounded by droids. Except the droids took children from orphanages and brainwashed them into their culture.

That line of thought was cut off, as Emilia mentioned that she'd been stranded on Coruscant. Gatz spun around in his chair, despite being in the middle of making hyperspace calculations. How could a Jedi be stranded on the Republic's capital world?

"Emilia, are you not on this planet by choice? Do you need me to take you elsewhere?"

He didn't exactly remember the coordinates to any of the Jedi temples, but surely Emilia knew them. If she needed to return to Jedi space, he could accomplish that much for her. Gatz owed her, after all. She had quite literally saved his life, and in return, he'd gotten her blown up.

He spun back around in his chair, to find the navicomputer had finished its calculations. So Gatz brought The Long March to bear in the direction of Balmorra's parent star, but didn't quite engage the hyperdrive just yet. It seemed his Jedi companion had more questions for him, which only made sense. For a Jedi who hadn't left the Order, what he'd done must have been quite the shock.

"I didn't finish it because I wasn't Jedi material. Too rambunctious, too selfish, too... attached. So I left, voluntarily."

It wasn't the complete truth. But it was all he was willing to reveal for now.

@Lilith

 

[Emilia Vuth]

Everyone has friends? Emilia wasn't sure she believed it, specifically for the fact she had none. She didn't even have a master anymore. That line of thought however she allowed to pass for the time being.

"After all of this assassin business is done, I would appreciate being dropped off at any other inhabited planet. I'll deal with my problems on my own, starting with saving up credits for a ship," the small Jedi girl answered stubbornly. If she charged for her services she might've had enough credits for a ship already, but not everyone had credits to spare and she could not bring herself to take from the poor.

Emilia had to fight against a frown when Gatz spun back around in his seat and answered her question. "Believe it or not, not all Jedi are the same. You just happened to stumble upon a proudly grumpy one," the small sephi started, a statement she knew could be considered defensive--and maybe it was in a way--but she had a point she wanted to make, "I've seen your kindness, Gatz Derrevar. I sense the good in you. I believe if you had continued with your training and been given the opportunity to explore who you are more, and the Force and what it is to be Jedi, that you would've made a good one."

Turning again to leave, she added, "It was unkind of your instructors to allow you to leave with those thoughts, regardless if you would've stayed after or not. Now I'm going to eat." With what she wanted to say out of the way she continued down the hall. She didn't always have access to food, let alone free food. Maybe she should shower too.

@Vicc125

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

"Why not Yavin? Or any of the other temples?"

It wasn't his business to ask, he knew, but Gatz didn't understand why Emilia wouldn't want to return to the Order. If she'd been stranded on Coruscant, than clearly the Jedi must be missing her presence. Or at least curious as to why they hadn't heard from one of their Knights. Naturally, the Jedi would at least want regular status updates, right? Maybe a "hey, I'm alive and I haven't fallen to the Dark Side."

Or maybe not. His time with the Order had been limited, and many of his memories of that time were tarnish by a child's ability to embellish things.

Emilia talked a little bit about the Order, and about how not all Jedi had sticks up their rear end. Maybe he really had been remembering things wrong. It was something to consider later, when they weren't planning on dealing with assassins. He did snort a little though, when his Jedi companion admitted to being grumpy.

"Maybe. But that time is long past now," Gatz spoke quietly.

It was about fifteen years too late to regret leaving the order. So, instead, Gatz dismissed the thought for now, and made the jump to hyperspace with the pull of a lever.

@Lilith

 

[Emilia Vuth]

"Because I can take care of myself," Emilia said curtly. It was partly true but not the whole truth. Before Gatz could respond the small sephi went into the galley, hoping the door would close promptly. Why she had no desire to go to a temple was none of his business. Yes what she had said about him was true. She believed he would've made a good Jedi, but just because she hadn't been crass towards him in those moments did not mean she was opening up to him or giving him permission to ask personal questions.

The soft humming and all the white noises of being on a ship was something she'd almost forgot, even though it'd only been a few months since she was last on a starship. She tried to focus on that instead, especially after she got her food and ate. Once she was finished she cleaned her dishes, listening to the water trickle onto the plate.

Soon she found herself in the shower, the warmth of the water kissed her pale skin, her breasts and small fit frame, refreshing her. When she got out of the shower she tried to dry her hair somewhat with a towel, then tied it up into a tight bun, which made her pointed ears--that distinctly marked her as not human--were clearly visible.

Once she was dressed, Emilia went straight into the cargo hold. There, despite all her efforts to relax, her mind went back to the one thing that troubled her.

Why? Why had he abandoned her?! As hard as she tried, a frown took over her and she felt a sting at the sides of her eyes that she loathed. She didn't want to cry. She didn't like this part of her. But she felt lost without his guidance. Emotions swirled in her and without much thought she brought herself over to a wall, curled her right hand into a tight fist and slammed it into the wall, crying out softly from the pain of the impact. She did her best to not yell, because she didn't want Gatz attention. She wanted him to stay away.

Falling to her knees, her small frame lowered to the ground for a moment. I need to meditate, the words rang in her mind. Turning around, Emilia folded her legs under her. As swiftly as she would draw them in battle, Emilia brought her lightsabers to her hands then placed them on the ground in front of her.

Her violet eyes settled on her lightsabers. Her and the crystals nestled within them were connected. She felt the light from them and took a deep breath. Then she began to repeat words she'd heard from her master, closing her eyes and fixing her posture for meditation.

"Imagine you're holding a cup of water in your hand," the words left her mouth in a soft breath. In her mind she was surrounded by white nothingness, holding the cup with her injured, burnt arm. "If you hold that cup for a few minutes, you barely notice it." Her hands of her physical body gripped tightly. "If you hold it for hours you start to notice it more. If you hold it for an entire day, your arm begins to become sore and your focus slowly becomes it." A figure not unlike her master appeared in the white abyss and a pang of pain curled in her gut. "If you hold it for days and days your arm ends up in pain. You become crippled by it and your world starts to revolve around it."

Inside the warm, white abyss in her mind, Emilia slowly lowered her injured arm, placing the cup down into the whiteness. Ripples of white surrounded the cup. The ripples slowly dispersed over a small area. "Remember to put that cup down sometimes, Emilia," she said softly, breathing out, allowing her hands to relax and her chest to slowly raise and lower.

The Force stirred around her softly, gently, naturally, wrapping around her sabers and the crystals nestled inside them. Her lightsabers rose up in front of her and Emilia allowed her mind to empty. She allowed herself to let go for the moment and bath in the white abyss in her mind.

@Vicc125

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Emilia gave him a clipped, curt response, and then the galley door closed behind her.

"Well, I guess I shouldn't have asked," Gatz rolled his eyes.

He supposed maybe that he was digging into a history he had no right to, but his question had been innocent. Just like Emilia herself asking him why he knew about Yavin. That wasn't exactly a cornucopia of memories he wanted to revisit. Still, he had, when asked. Gatz had thought if he could trust anyone with his past, it would be a Jedi Knight.

But then, that was part of the issue, wasn't it? To him, Emilia was a Jedi, a guardian of peace. But to her, he was just some smuggler who had happened to do the right thing. She could be trusted. Him? Well, Gatz would like to think that he could be trusted too, but given that he was a shady character who did shady things, he supposed he understood her reluctance to speak with him.

Didn't mean it didn't sting.

He sighed it off, and turned to his aging droid, "come on Arfour, you still have that stuck motivator, right? Why don't I grab my tools and we finally fix that?"

The whooping and beeping the droid gave off could probably be heard throughout the whole ship.

---

A short time later, the shower was running, which Gatz could hear in the cockpit by the way the water hit the tiles. Currently, he and R4 were on either side of the console that separated the pilot and co-pilot, each with cards in their hands. Or, uh, in R4's utility arms. It wasn't often that an astromech droid could play cards, but hyperspace travel took awhile, and Gatz usually traveled without passengers...

So R4 knew how to play cards now.

Gatz was certain he had the winning hand this time around, unlike the last two hands. With a smirk on his face, he slapped his cards on the table, "ha! Pure Sabaac! This hand is mine."

R4 beeped something obscene at him, and then the droid slapped down its own hand. Gatz gawked.

"An idiot's array? Seriously? What are you- are you counting cards? I should scrap you..."

---

The Long March exited hyperspace with a shudder, and the hull groaned. Normal sounds for his ship. Looking out the window, Gatz saw their destination in mind: the factory world known as Balmorra. He knew where they needed to land for this covert pick up: Benji had provided him with the coordinates for a small outpost near one of the oceans. Before he took them in for a landing, though, he figured he ought to grab Emilia.

So Gatz stood from his seat, and sauntered down the hallway to the cargo bay. The doors slid open, and Gatz found himself graced with a rare sight. Emilia was on her knees, meditating. Her twin lightsabers hovered in the air around her, but Gatz really didn't find that to be all that incredible.

No, what got him was the expression on Emilia's face: she looked peaceful. Not stoic. Not like a brick wall. Like she was enveloped in a trance that left her relaxed. He almost didn't want to interrupt the Jedi, but he knew there wasn't much of a choice at the moment.

He lightly rapped on a wall panel, "we're above Balmorra. Figured you'd want to know."

@Lilith

 

[Emilia Vuth]

Quiet rapping echoed in the white abyss in her mind. Then a voice. A male voice. It was Gatz. Emilia opened her eyes. They fluttered when the dimness of the room made her feel disoriented for a few fleeting moments, until she heard her lightsabers clink against the ground because she'd lost grip of them.

Instead of answering Gatz right away, Emilia reached out and called her lightsabers to her hand with the Force. She stared at them for some quiet heartbeats, feeling the warm, comforting light in them. The light reminded her of her meditation and the calmness she found in it. She felt better, at least for the time being.

Finally looking back up at Gatz, Emilia clipped her lightsabers back to her belt. Her white robes obfuscated the hilts once she took her hands away from them and stood.

"Alright," was all that left her lips for the moment.

Emilia's small sephi form brushed past Gatz, barely acknowledging him, and she turned into the hallway, walking down it until she found a seat in the cockpit. The problem was, despite her displayed indifference, something inside her was starting to grow fond of Gatz in a small way, even though he had a bad attitude. And he was a little nosy. And a little stupid too.

She wasn't suppose to have any sort of attachment.

Seated she spun towards Gatz, "So how illegal are these weapons and armour, and how dangerous is your contact?" she asked, mostly to gauge how on guard she needed to be. Gatz may not appreciate the questions, of course, though they were good ones in her mind. If things went sideways here she wanted to at least be ready.

@Vicc125

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Just when he'd thought the two of them were making progress, here Emilia was, giving him the cold shoulder once more. Dammit. Well, Gatz supposed that he couldn't blame her: he had gotten her blown up. Her survival was attributed only to her strength with the Force, and had nothing to do with him. He had, after all, merely bandaged her arm.

And she thought he'd have made a good Jedi. What a joke.

Her followed her- what was that about, anyways? Why was he following her in his ship? -to the cockpit, where he took his usual spot in the pilot's seat. R4 worked quietly, plugged into the center console as usual. With his hands on the yoke, Gatz began to bring them into a descent toward the planet. Light turbulence began to shake the ship

And then came the question. Definitely not one he wanted to answer. But, well, he did want Emilia to trust him.

"Two crates of A-280 blaster rifles," Gatz began simply, "three crates of medium duraplast armor, I don't know the make or model. And a crate of anti-repulsor mines."

All in all, nothing downright illegal, for once. It was still an obscene amount of weaponry to be delivering, but at least if they were scanned by the authorities, he could claim he was just running a delivery route. Technically that was the truth. Technically.

"If we're playing twenty questions, I've got a few of my own."

@Lilith

 

[Emilia Vuth]

His answer, to at least the first question, wasn't bad. She did not have a lot of training on what weapons and armour were illegal or legal on various planets, but neither of the weapons were illegal on planets she knew.

Obviously the fact that transporting that amount of weapons on such small ship was obscene did not escape her. Still, it wasn't that unheard of.

The ship moaned against Balmorra's polluted atmosphere, leaving Emilia to her thoughts until Gatz spoke again. She felt herself stiffen somewhat after. It was not easy for her to open up to anyone. Of course it did cross her mind that this smuggler had, in fact, helped her instead of killing her or cashing her in for some hutt bounty, so he was somewhat trustworthy.

He still could hurt her, no matter what he'd done before. Still, she was in a better mood than before her meditation, and with a soft sigh and a break of eye contact, Emilia spoke, "I may be willing to answer some questions."

Her eyes were firmly planted on the windows, out into space, towards the planet they were approaching. Emilia tried to focus on it more than her hesitation to answer any questions Gatz might have. Maybe he was just joking in order to avoid answering how dangerous this contact was. That thought made her grunt softly.

@Vicc125

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Emilia was, surprisingly, at least willing to consider some of the questions he had in regards to her. He had quite a few, he realized suddenly, as this Jedi was as unfamiliar to him as he was to her. After a second of internal debate, he came up with an appropriate first question.

"How's your arm?"

Just because he was full to the brim with curiosity, didn't mean he could skip ensuring that Emilia was alright.

His ship parted through the ugly brown clouds, revealing the jagged terrain below. Balmorra was far from a tourist destination: with its smog, polluted waters, and gross yellow skyline. Already, the young smuggler thought that he could smell the foul air. Gatz was glad that they were only here for a quick pick-up.

He spotted their landing pad, one of three, all of which sat outside a small walled outpost. It definitely didn't look like a central hub for transportation, and was far too far away from the factories to be producing anything. So it was a smuggler's den, which made sense, considering that these weapons had likely been stolen off the factory floor.

Well, there was nothing to do but land. So Gatz brought the ship down to bear on an empty pad.

@Lilith

 

[Emilia Vuth]

The question took her a little bit by surprise. In that moment her body relaxed somewhat without her really realizing it. Part of her was expecting him to ask about her age or something else personal. While, yes, she was an adult, in her culture and race she was very, very young.

Sephi were long lived, most especially compared to humans and many other races. The first time she'd visited her planet with her master she didn't like the way the elders treated her. She wasn't a baby. She did not appreciate being treated like a baby. Maybe age made it so she couldn't understand the elders. That had crossed her mind but still did not make her happy.

The young sephi raised her bandaged arm up, settling her gaze on it this time. "It is in pain. Every time I move it the pain increases and surges through my arm," she gave an accurate report of her current condition. It was only fair to do so since she and this smuggler were likely to end up in combat togather. "But I wont allow my muscles to stiffen by not moving it, so I will be combat ready regardless."

When the ship touched down Emilia stood and walked to the exist, waiting for Gatz to open it. Outside the door a few men approached the ship.

Two of the men had rifles in their hands and heavy armour on their bodies. One was clearly devaronian while the other had a helmet on that prevented the ability to identify him.

Emilia worried slightly about her presence here because she was a Jedi after all, though most people never saw her lightsabers. Because of that they saw no threat, just a small girl. It was both a blessing and a disadvantage for her. People tended to try to take out what they perceived as the easy target first, but they were often caught off guard when she wasn't as weak as they thought.

Before the door opened, Emilia's gaze wandered slightly in thought. Her eyes went back to Gatz, but she didn't make eye contact, "Did you sustain any injuries from the explosion?" She realized she hadn't asked him. It was her round about way of asking if he was okay.

@Vicc125

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Her arm was still bothering her. Gatz hadn't expected it to be fine, not without her being immersed in a proper bacta tank, but he still didn't like the fact that she was in pain. Yeah, she was a Jedi, and she could take care of herself. But that arm of hers was only burnt because of him. There had to be more that he could do for her. He just had to figure out what that was.

"Let's get this taken care of real fast, and then I'll take another look at it, if you'd like."

Then Emilia was up and off, walking toward the cargo bay. Gatz stood as well, and gave R4 a pat on his dome. The droid shimmied and turned back to his console. The young smuggler made a quick stop into his room, and strapped his blaster pistol to his thigh, before he joined Emilia in the cargo bay. He approached the boarding hatch, still closed, but stopped before he opened it.

"No, just a little smoke in the lungs. Nothing to worry about: that wasn't my first explosion."

There were two guards outside, both in heavy armor and holding rifles. Intimidating, if not for the literal Jedi standing beside him. Still, Gatz wanted to avoid a fight if he could. These were Benji's men, after all, and that man scared him. Plus, Gatz didn't think he would get the overhaul of his ship that had been promised to him if he killed the Weequay's employees.

"Keep your lightsabers hidden. Let me do the talking. Then we'll be out of here without hassle."

Gatz pressed a button on the door's console, and the loading ramp slowly lowered itself. As it did so, the young smuggler sauntered down the ramp with a casual swagger. Then men hefted their rifles, but didn't quite point them at him, which Gatz thought was probably a sign that they were expecting him.

"Gentleman! How are you today?"

The Devaronian sniffed at him, "you the guy?"

"Gatz Derrevar, at your service. I hear you've got a few crates in need of shipping."

"Benji mentioned you were flamboyant," the alien gestured at his red jacket, "He didn't mention that you're a total tool."

Well that was just hurtful.

"A tool with exactly the ship you need to get these crates to Serenno. So, are we doing business, or should I go on my way? I'd hate to have to tell Benji that you decided to hold onto his weapons."

"Yeah, hold your horses, I'll go get the damn loading droids..."

The Devaronian grumbled as he walked off, waving for his helmeted friend to join him. Perfect. Now all they had to do was wait a few minutes for their cargo to be loaded, and they could be off. After watching Benji kill that Trandoshan that had cheated him, Gatz had been half worried that the Weequay was sending him into some sort of trap. But maybe the man respected those who did honest business with him.

@Lilith

 

[Emilia Vuth]

Emilia was glad Gatz was unhurt from the explosion. It was her fault for setting it off. Maybe if she would've waited for him to carefully open the door... Either way, the mistake would not be repeated again. At least, she would try not to. There were some events in life that opened your eyes; opened them widely to how dangerous and cruel life was, and how worth protecting it still was. There was so much pain in the galaxy, yet the opposite always existed. Peace. Love. Innocence. What was life without those things existing?

The Light was always there, and it was what guided Emilia.

The Jedi Knight decided to follow Gatz instructions, even though her lightsabers were already hidden. She watched Gatz talk to the other criminals, without moving down the ramp or talking. Nothing about the interaction bugged her. She had no qualms with stealing from big cooperations if it somehow benefited the less fortunate, aka Gatz and maybe the guards too.

What she didn't like was where the weapons and armour were possibly going. Were they going to someone who would use them to harm the innocent? Now, she wouldn't expect Gatz to choose other lives over his own life: his survival. Not that he couldn't have picked another profession where that wasn't something others would judge him by.

Emilia kept a close look on the guards, for any movements she had to worry about towards Gatz or herself. Nothing much happened while the pair waited. A droid (which she didn't like seeing) towed a large hovering dolly with crates on it towards Gatz ship. That was the only time Emilia moved and briefly lost view of Gatz.

The droid beeped in an annoyed tone while it hauled the load of creates up the ramp and into the cargo bay. Outside the door, Emilia heard the devaronian guard speak to Gatz, "We'll be watching you," with a grunt and a threatening look.

After the cargo was loaded and the droid went off the ship, the two guards walked back towards the building with it. Emilia leaned against one of the cargo bays walls and crossed her arms, waiting for Gatz to get back on. Once he did Emilia levelled her gaze on him. Her expression was stoic again, but she spoke slightly softly, "I wouldn't... mind you checking out my arm." Emilia raised her left, bandaged arm.

@Vicc125

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

Emilia, to her credit, did as she was asked. He'd expected an argument: that she was a Jedi Knight, and didn't take orders from a smuggler. Or something along those lines. It wasn't that he thought she was haughty or prissy about her status, just that she'd proven herself a bit of a grump. Gatz realized that he shoulder have given her more credit: she understood when she was in her depth, and when she was out of it.

In this situation, he was the expert.

"Relax, I'm a professional," Gatz reassured the guards watching him, "making trouble is bad for business."

The loader droids went about their business, pushing dollies up the ramp into his ship. They loaded exactly what he'd been told to expect: six crates of goods. Gatz hadn't checked their contents, he'd do that once they back on the ship, but he trusted that Benji was being straight with him. As brutal as the crime boss was, he seemed to deal fairly with those who were straight with him.

With the cargo loaded, Gatz headed back up the ramp. He let it close, giving the guards a mock salute just before the doors sealed tight. Then Gatz quickly checked the crates, and found them satisfactory: three crates full of blasters, two of armor, and one of mines. He sealed them back up for the moment, and turned back to Emilia when she spoke.

"Alright, let's take a look at your arm."

Gatz gestured with his head toward the front of the ship. He walked out of the cargo bay, and down the hall, turning left into his room once more. It wasn't a medical bay, just his quarters with some medical amenities that he'd gathered in a panic after he'd brought Emilia back. Still, it should suffice for what they needed: Emilia's injuries just needed routine cleaning and bandaging.

Gatz handed Emilia a spare blanket, "undress and cover up. I need to check your shoulder, but I don't want to tear another one of your shirts. I'll wait in the hall until you're decent."

The young smuggler known as Gatz Derrevar was many things, and not all of them good. But even he wasn't wont to peek when a woman wasn't modest. So he left the room, and let the door shut behind him, leaning up against the wall in the hallway.

@Lilith

 

[Emilia Vuth]

The small sephi followed Gatz into the room. She accepted the blanket from him, saying nothing because of something that crossed her mind right then. Her purple eyes settled on the blanket and when he left the room she blinked at the item a few times.

He wanted her to undress? Of course she was going to be mostly covered by a blanket, but the idea of being disrobed in a room with a man (it didn't matter if it was a wookiee man or whatever; a man was a man) alone? Something about that oddly made her seize up for a few quickened heartbeats.

But it was stupid moments of hesitation. She was a warrior. A Jedi Knight. Why would this of all things make her feel shy? Stupid. She was stupid. Emilia shook her head.

A few seconds passed while she took off the bandages, exposing the fairly bad burns all over her arm and hand. It almost didn't look like her arm. It was something she didn't like seeing, but a price for what she did.

Emilia started with her upper robe, taking it off and leaving only the under robe that clung tightly to her lithe, nearly ethereal form. Her platinum blonde hair was still tied up in a tight, proper bun, so it didn't get in the way. She pulled part of her robes down and over her breasts and stomach, exposing her upper body and arms. The small sephi didn't want to completely disrobe so she choose to stop there and covered herself with the blanket, leaving only her burnt arm out.

Emilia then went to the door, pressing the button to open it. She did not say anything when the door opened, which she realized could be awkward but she didn't care. Instead she simply stared at Gatz, quietly waiting for him to do his work.

@Vicc125

 

[Gatz Derrevar]

The door to his room slid open, and Gatz took that as an invitation to enter. Emilia was there, wrapped in the blanket he'd handed her. Good. He'd hoped giving her something to cover herself with would make this a little less awkward. It probably wouldn't.

Especially since Gatz couldn't deny that Emilia was very attractive, even draped in something as plain as his blanket. But it wasn't the time for such thoughts: the Jedi needed him to look at her injury, not drool over her.

"I'll make this as quick as possible."

Her arm was covered in burns of the second degree. As far as he'd been able to tell, it was only her dermal layer that had been injured, and not the muscles beneath. But that didn't mean that it looked pretty: while the bacta had definitely helped her recovery process, her skin was still a mix of angry red ans mottled purple.

"So, if we're still playing twenty questions, then I think it's your turn."

He grabbed the bacta spray, and began to slowly coat her arm in it, starting at her shoulder. The explosion had done the least damage here, the burns being closer to first degree than second. There was still some irritated skin on the back of her shoulder, but it was almost healed.

When he'd finished with the spray, he moved to grab the bacta bandages. Gatz knew that rewrapping her arm wouldn't be a pleasant experience, but it had to be done. He doubted that she'd complain. She was, after all, a Jedi. A few burns were probably far from the worst of her injuries.

@Lilith