[init] Making New Friends

[Luster]

The cantina stank of smoke, spilled alcohol, and the mingling odors of a variety of species and somehow that relaxed Lupo. He sat in a booth along the wall opposite the bar and facing the door, hunched over the table and staring into the blue abyss of his drink. But that's not to say he was not paying attention to his surroundings, he picked up every movement in his peripherals and somewhat discreetly watched every patron for a single aggressive movement.It had only been a couple of weeks since his meeting with Raddo the Hutt and he didn't exactly take the slug's word that the bounty was off his head.

With a sigh he lifted his drink and raised it as if in salute to the air in front of him before bringing it to his lips. He let the alcohol linger in his mouth for a moment before swallowing it and letting out a heavy sigh. He needed to do something soon or he was going to go insane, he needed a job.

 

[Nevermore]

"I said don't touch me, filthy nerf herder!"

The sound of glasses crashing to ground pervaded the air, a patron crashing to the ground after a swift left uppercut to his jaw. An infuriated woman, none other than Naomi Whiting, stood with fists tightly clenched only a short distance away. Some other patrons watched the brawl, antagonizing the two to continue, while others ignored the situation all together. The man on the floor rubbed at his jaw before getting back to his weary feet, running towards Naomi once again.

"You'll pay for that!" he bellowed in a drunken stupor. Shortly after, the man did a 180° turn as he dropped to the ground once again, his face connecting with the back of Naomi's heel. She had delivered a quick spinning kick to his jaw, effectively flattening the man in one strike. She grabbed her drink and stood over him, pouring the liquid on the man's head. She set the glass on the tray of a droid that was passing by, then kicked the man while he was still down on the ground.

"Go back to whatever pit you crawled out of," she sneered, relocating to a table farther away from the collapsed drunkard. The audience that had gathered cheered and whistled at Naomi as she departed, the irritated woman turning around to give them a quick smile and a wave. She took a seat and rest her forehead in her palms, brushing back some loose locks of hair behind her ears.

 

[Luster]

The clamor was a welcome distraction for Lupo and he, like many others, had focused on the fight shortly after the woman's first shout. By the time the man was getting to his feet such a crowed had gathered that he couldn't see, so he stood and walked over in search of a better view. He managed to find a good enough spot behind a devaronian just in time to see the kick connect, the man's face perfectly framed by the horns. After the woman had acknowledged the cheers the crowed began to disperse and go back to their original business. Lupo, though, carefully stepped over the man on the floor and worked his way over to the table the beauty had taken as her own.

"That would have to be the shortest fight I have ever seen." He said with a little smile spreading across his face.

 

[Nevermore]

The somewhat distressed Naomi glanced up at the newcomer, giving him a prompt and polite smile. Despite her tired mood, she failed to let it interfere with her manners.

"Well, when you're raised during a rebellion you learn to take care of yourself," she answered with an exasperated chuckle. She offered to let the man sit down across from her, calling over a waiter droid. After she had told the droid what she wanted, it asked the same question in the same monotonous, mechanical voice it had asked Naomi with. The woman interrupted the droid by tapping it on the shoulder, prompting it to turn around.

"Give him whatever he wants. It's on me," she told it.

"As you wish, madame," the droid answered and toddled away. Naomi resumed her seat and went back to examining Lupo. Why was he here, and why did he seem interested in her? He didn't look or act the part of someone wanting to hurt her, unlike the man she had dealt with just moments ago. She decided that the only appropriate course of action to take was to let things run their course.

"Name's Naomi Whiting," she said, flashing him another bright him.

 

[Luster]

That answered at least a part of what he wanted to know. Still sporting his small smile Lupo sat down, never taking his eyes off of her. She moved with a fluid grace only a few gained from extensive training and even fewer possessed naturally, she could do damage. Oddly it was comforting to be near someone like that, or that might have just been her genuinely friendly nature.

"Thats very generous of you." He said after the droid had left them. "I'm Lupo Sharradde. And don't worry, unlike him" he said chuckling and motioned to the man she had dropped, "I'm just here for some good conversation." While that was the truth, it wasn't the whole truth. There was something very curious about this human and he just had to figure out what it was.

 

[Nevermore]

Naomi's eyes narrowed, her lips curling into a half smile. She took a quaff of her beverage, setting her glass down on the table after she had finished. She took her right hand and traced her thin fingers delicately across her lips, both to get any excess of the beverage off and to think. She knew there was something else this person wanted. It wasn't often that someone approached you in a cantina for conversation, unless they had an ulterior motive.

"Look, Lupo," she said, trying to remain as polite as possible, "I've been through a lot, and so I know quite a bit. What do you really want?" she inquired bluntly, taking another sip from her glass. The droid that had taken their order approached once more, setting down a drink in front of Lupo. Naomi waved the droid off, and the droid made no attempt to make a rebuttal. She frequented this place whenever she wasn't on the Ethereal Reach and was regarded as a regular, and a very good customer.

"Are you looking for 'work?'" she asked in a hushed tone of voice, leaning over the table so the two of them could have a more private conversation.

 

[Luster]

Beautiful, deadly and smart, Lupo was really starting to like this woman. His smile broadening he picked up his glass and took a long drink, giving himself a little time to mull over his next few words. The way she said "work" implied the kind of business he was good at, it also implied that she was familiar with it. But the problem was that if she was in someone's employ she may think he was setting her up for a trap. He decided to take a gamble and leaned in, pointing at her casually with his right hand, still holding the glass, letting his left drop out of sight just in case.

"Straight to the point, I like that. And even though I did come over here in the hopes of striking up stimulating conversation I guess you could say I am in the market." He finished by taking another drink and setting the empty glass on the table. It was her move.

 

[Nevermore]

"I'm just a 'straight to the point' kind of girl," Naomi confirmed with a smile. It seemed Lupo was the kind of person the Initiative was looking for. She wasn't entirely sure if he was truthful in his words, but there was naught to do but to find out. If he was conning her, she would be able to take care of herself. Not to mention Jon would certainly have a few objections, and would likely take matters into his own hands once he found out. She doubted that this would turn into that kind of situation though, and so decided to let Lupo in.

"I'm with a group called the Initiative," she began. "We're always looking for able-bodied people to do some dirty work, expand our territory, things like that. It pays well, too," she continued. Naomi lifted up her glass to her lips, taking another drink of her beverage.

"You have to prove your capabilities though, and you need someone to vouch for you," she began again, setting the glass on the table. "I could certainly vouch for you but, as I said, you have to prove yourself first. This would likely mean you would have to come on a mission with me, and maybe another member or two of our organization. How does that strike you?"

 

[Luster]

That name was unfamiliar to him, and that could spell trouble or it could mean they were just getting off the ground. He eyed Naomi wearily for a moment, she was bold to say the least and as much as he liked that in people it was worrisome she would come out and name her employer after being so cautious. But there was no hint of a lie in her eyes, and that smile pushed the point that she was telling the truth.

"I wouldn't trust any organization that just hires on anyone who asks, they have a tendency to be more trouble than profit. But I wonder just what your "Initiative" intends to gain from services like ours. I only ask because there are a few groups that I will never, and I do mean never, work for."

 

[Nevermore]

The sly grin that Naomi had on her face never ceased to go away, and in fact only got wider. She beckoned the waiter droid over, watching the thing waddle over. She slid her its drink, and the machine waited to see if Lupo needed a refill as well. As he inquired about the intentions of the Initiative, she laced her fingers together and set her elbows on the table.

"We're looking to... be destroyers that save," she answered doggedly. "We're not out to murder anyone and everyone, we're not out to do things simply because we know we can, we're really attempting to try and make the galaxy a little bit better." The woman was being truthful. She had no intention of leading Lupo on, and realized a way that she could assuage his doubts.

"Would you like to know why I joined?" she inquired, looking at him curiously.

 

[Luster]

Lupo was done drinking, choosing instead to focus on Naomi and all the information she dolled out. It was odd the she chose to describe her group, destroyers that save? it didn't begin to hit home what she meant until she mentioned making the galaxy a better place. But that last question threw him off balance, no one he had ever know had offered to open up about their past so quickly. His fingers instinctively tightened on the handle of his vibro-knife but he made no other moves.

"That sure is a different goal from the ones I have run into, but sounds like something I can get behind. And if you're willing to share I am more than willing to listen."

 

[Nevermore]

The feeling of mistrust was mutual; Naomi was ready to spring at a moment's notice if anything happened, but the tension seemed nothing more than typical between two strangers conversing illegal matters. As the droid returned with her drink, she took the beverage and set it on the table. She made no initial attempt to drink it, and instead left it where it sat. Her brown eyes strayed down to the table, showing a certain reluctance to speak. It was clear from her facial expressions that she had a deep-felt regret about offering, but had no option than to do so now.

"Suffice it to say that I was part of a rebellion," Naomi began, "and someone died that shouldn't have. I'm getting the opportunity to fight for her to make sure something like that doesn't happen again." It was all the information that she felt like disclosing, especially to a stranger. She had been a tad bit overeager to have another member join the ranks of the Initiative, and now she realized that was a bit foolhardy of her. Still, she had shared the information to help get the point across and that was all she needed to do. She took her drink and sipped at it, unlike the quaffs she had been doing earlier.

"Normally I'm the one serving the drinks," Naomi said with a hesitant chuckle. "It's odd to be the one drinking them."

 

[Luster]

The muscles in Lupo's shoulders relaxed and he released his grip on the knife but kept his hand in place. The fact that she had summed it up vaguely and briefly put him at ease, she wasn't so trusting as to tell her whole life story to a stranger. It was good to be around someone who thought before they acted, rather refreshing compared to the "shoot first, maybe ask a few question later" approach most mercs had. Weather he wanted to or not, weather it was wise or not, he was really beginning to like this woman. He let silence linger between them for a few seconds, seeing that she was still absorbed in her past then he looked her in the eye and pressed on.

"As long as there is strife in the galaxy people will get hurt, and it seems like the ones we love pay the most, innocent or not. Thats all I have to say on that." The smile had vanished from her face and the humor had been sucked out of him when she hinted at her sorrow, causing his mind to flash back to his own departed. "A fightiong bartender huh? That right there would have been an instant hiring qualification in most any group."

 

[Nevermore]

Naomi's smile resurfaced; she couldn't help but think at how happy everyone was when she had been hired on as the bartender. Ariadne had always appreciated Naomi's abilities as a bartender, only after being a fighter of course. Jon had always been glad Naomi was the new bartender, and never made any hesitation to show it. He had always seemed to display some sort of romantic interest in her as well, but she couldn't deny that she felt the same. They were a tightly-knit group, and it was all because she was the bartender. It seemed Lupo appreciated that fact as well.

"Well, our second-in-command really appreciates it, as do several of the other members," she said. "So I suppose I have a one-up on most people." Naomi pushed her glass to the side, having left the last half of her beverage unfinished. She had lost her desire to drink right now, but she was willing as always for a good conversation. Maybe she would even get some sort of special notice for finding a new recruit for the Initiative, if Lupo was interested.

"So, can you tell me a little bit about your skills?" she inquired, crossing her arms as she leaned on the table. If she was going to vouch for him, she needed to know what he was capable of and where he would fit best into the syndicate.

 

[Luster]

It felt good to have run into a sociable member of the Initiative and for the briefest second Lupo wondered if everyone one in her group was like that. Reality kicked in quickly and he knew that it was unlikely that everyone was so positive, just made him feel all the luckier that they had run into each other. But how to answer her question? She was interested in him as a recruit, if she wasn't this little chat would never have gotten so far. But now it was time to try and impress her a little.

"It's one thing to be good with a blaster, and another thing all together to be fast. What you want to look for are the people with few scars, then you know they can really do their jobs. Unfortunately I have this." He said leaning toward her and craning his neck so she could see the blaster graze. "That di'kut skanah was hiding in a crate waiting for a lucky shot. But if you just wanted muscle you be hiring thugs and not people like you, which tells me you are looking for brains as well as skill."

Now came the important part, a demonstration of sorts. "Aside from being able to pilot a good number of ships, I can tell you at least three easy ways this place could become more profitable, that the bith in the back is nearly deaf, there are at least people trying to hid in here, and that the blaster above the bar will explode if anyone tries to use it."

 

[Nevermore]

Perceptual, intellectual, and sociable. Naomi was liking Lupo more and more with each word that came out of his mouth, but on the flip side it was somewhat difficult to anger the woman to begin with. He was honest and straightforward, a quality that Naomi most certainly appreciated. She was sure that the Initiative would as well, but she would have to take it up with Ariadne first. It wasn't Naomi's job to go the recruiting, but it certainly wouldn't stop her from at least looking for potential candidates.

"Do you prefer to work by yourself, or would you be willing to work in a team and accept orders from a superior?" she questioned. This was probably the most important question she could ask Lupo. Whether or not you were willing to work with others, and the overall capacity of your skills, were the two biggest deciding factors of your place in the Initiative. Naomi's versatile number of skills and her well-developed teamwork skill had made her a specialist. From what she had seen, she was so far the only one too.

 

[Luster]

Alright, she was hooked and seemed to at least consider his skills to be adequate. As for the next question he hadn't seen her interact with her teammates as far as he knew, so he had to go to his fallback, the truth. "It depends on the superior really. Everywhere I have worked I have been under someone's command but a few of them have been osi'yaim, useless ineffective filth that don't deserve respect. Needless to say I will not follow idiots, but if your commander and their second are good at their jobs, willing to gamble with their own lives as well as mine, fair, and allow for a good amount of leisure time then I have no problem taking orders."

"As for working in a team, I know for a fact that I can't watch my back all the time and I enjoy having people around. And at the very worst end of the spectrum my previous working relationships have been all business but worked out well in the end."

 

[Nevermore]

"Our second-in-command is very competent and thorough, I can assure you that much," Naomi answered with a smile. The fact that Lupo liked working with others was a good thing. Even if he didn't, the Initiative likely would accept him as an operative. Given the current circumstances, it appeared as though he would function best as an enforcer. Naomi paused for a minute to mull over everything that she had learned about the man sitting in front of her, weighing her options carefully.

"Well I'll have to speak to the executive officer first," she answered. "You seem competent and intelligent, but she will have to observe your capabilities and kills for herself. Or have me do it, along with another member or two." Naomi figured that, if she took an interest in Lupo, she would ask him to attend Naomi and Jon on a mission. Her and Vega had exceptional skills when working as a team, and wouldn't lie to Ariadne about anything. Especially when it came to something as delicate as accepting a new member into the group. Her reputation would be on the line once she vouched for Lupo, and that was something she didn't want tarnished.

"Does that sound acceptable?"

 

[Luster]

By the way she talked about her superior Lupo could tell she respected the person in charge. That respect was a great sign, it meant more than the actual words Naomi had spoken. He listened to her and nodded in understanding. "Makes sense to test me, I wouldn't trust you otherwise." he smiles out of reflex, but wasn't sure why he did. "And I know you are putting yourself on the line for me, and I more than appreciate that. You won't be disappointing, but you'll just have to trust me on that." His smile grew even broader at that, asking someone's trust after just a short conversation was almost asking too much, but Naomi was a smart woman.

 

[Nevermore]

The smile on Naomi's face lingered as well, taking into consideration what Lupo had said. He was confident, and he was sure of himself. Being confident could be good, but it could also be a bad thing. She of course couldn't put her trust in him so quickly, but she had a feeling that he would be able to prove himself. Only time would be able to tell, and for now they would simply have to submerge themselves to go with the flow.

"I'll talk to her then, and see what she thinks," Naomi said with a smile. She wasn't sure how it would all pan out―would Ariadne want to see him and interview him herself? Would she simply want information over a comm? It would all have to be played by ear, and now their conversation had reached an awkward stopping point. Now that the business had been concluded, she wasn't sure what came next. The woman took her drink that had been sitting off to the side, stealing a few sips from the top as she waited for something else to happen.