Kuat - Shore Leave

[Braun Stoker]

Braun would have contested the conversation…had he understood a word of Ryl. He was certainly not fluent in the languages of Ryloth and was only versed in languages of his home planet. He was blessed that his confusion and bewilderment was hidden behind the visor of his helmet. He was honestly in pressed with the vocal precision of their enunciation and rhetoric. He, yet again, was a simple man who took everything at face value. What a smooth language, Stoker thought to himself as he watched the two converses with each other. He folded his arms, pretending to understand maybe some of the words they spoke.

He could remember some of the twi’lek scrapers from Corellia and their intricate language that was beyond him. The idiomatic nature of their speech and gestures helped him infer some of what the pair were saying. When Alema’s Lekku moved, it expressed some of her intent. Alema had probably asked this woman if she was a lady of the night or something of that nature, Braun concluded as he noticed the skimpy dressings of the other Twi’lek. She could have been a dancer of some kind or maybe a singer? But the likelihood was probably as great as the latter.


It was about at this moment that the woman made what seemed to be some sort of quippy rebuttal. She even seemed to be enjoying her teasing as the dancer Lekku seemed to have a more playful movement to it. He grimaced behind his visor; his expression hidden by his helm. He figured it would be best to let Alema address her fellow Twi’lek, and thus made the social decision to remain silent. Then a man approached the group.


He spoke to the Twi’lek, apparently named Tara, very casually as he approached them. He seemed very forward and familiar with the woman. Something about the fellow made him feel tense. What had been a lovely walk was slowing becoming a social event at this point. He was unsure of what to say or do. “your friend?” Braun asked, unknowingly quipping back at the Twi’lek’s pointed comment about the Lieutenant, his head gesturing to the newly arrived person.

@Sandshark @Tsara Tarr @Red Pyramid

 

[Alema Torr]

Alema was completely scandalized. Her face lit up a bright orange, until even the tips of her lekku were flushed from embarrassment. It was exactly the kind of retort she deserved for saying something so offensive in the first place, but it still bit hard. "Braun isn't my-!" she began snippily in Basic, then caught herself. She shouldn't have said that. Then another thought passed briefly across her mind: I got upset, and I yelled at her in Basic. The exchange revealed the depth of the gulf between the two women. One of them, despite being in the historic trap of her people, was still an authentic child of her homeworld. Alema, struggling so hard to escape the stigma and stereotype of her people, had trained herself to be Coruscanti. It was a thought she had often, and it made her skin crawl every time. She still wanted to believe she was a Twi'lek somewhere besides her appearance, whatever that meant.

"I apologize for saying that about you. I'm Alema, and this is Braun." She said, trying to include the others now, finally, in the exchange. She, too, got a strange feeling from the man who had just arrived. He struck her as a smuggler, or some other kind of ne'er-do-well, but that alone wouldn't really rouse her curiosity. There were plenty of bad boys in the galaxy with an interest in exotic colored women. What made her brows furrow was the way he acted. Beyond a cursory inspection he didn't look much like a smuggler. Someone who knew how to shoot would have their hand closer to their waist in a place like this. If he was just some rich poser, he didn't look like he was involved with Tsara either. The way he came up on her was either platonic or just awkward.

She shrugged inwardly. It wasn't really her problem, and there was no way someone like him was dangerous to her. Besides, this Tsara seemed like she could handle herself. Just to clear the air, she directed her next words at Tsara directly, in Ryl. "Tama men geesa, noba pungee toba chuta." <<You don't understand, we're not paired.>> It was embarrassingly open-ended about how she viewed the matter, but it was a denial that they had any relations. She gave a small smile and riposted back. "E toba, Numa?" <<What about you two?>>

@Tetsu @Tsara Tarr @Red Pyramid

 

[Tsara]

Tsara noticed the males acknowledging each other readily. Alphas were so adorable. The soldier next to his flushing counterpart even asked with the confidence of a Dewback chomping adolescent Womp Rats who he was. The range of emotions on display from her fellow Twi'lek was initially very funny, and kind of cute, but the break from Ryl to Basic revealed that she'd left Ryloth more than just physically in her past, but emotionally as well.

At least Tsara had the advantage of still being very much a daughter of their world. This uniformed woman wasn't anymore. Hadn't been in awhile, in fact. Whether that was a good or a bad was a debate for the boundaries and bureaucrats that divided up the galaxy far bigger than themselves. The apology was almost heartbreaking. Then the explanation. And then the follow up question. It showed Tsara that she was barely of the same culture anymore, but also told her that she needed to offer up a mea culpa. They'd both acted rather terrible to each other. yet Tsara had an unfair edge.

She decided to do it all in Basic.

"Please don't apologize...That was uncalled for on my part. I've been bad..."

And she threaded her green arms around Atraxis' muscular mid section, pressing her scarred cheek to his chest.

"...but that's how I get work; so my apologies for the sharp tongue." And Tsara looked up into Atraxis' chiseled face, rubbing his abs. "This darling man here is my ride; dropping me off at places to work..."

Letting that hang in the air with the phantom of a mischievous grin on her face, Tsara counted several ticks silently. Keeping up appearances like this helped them travel territories occupied by Mandolorians without suspicions. Everyone noticed a man who traded in favorable company, but no one ever cared to ask such a man for his books and budget. She looked back at Torr and Stoker.

"Not paired, but closely employed."

She added, knowing it only compounded the prior insinuations.

The joy of language. Ryl or Basic, didn't matter. With speech, one could clearly say one thing, but give the impression of something else entirely because even the most upstanding boy and girl scouts of morality couldn't help their minds from reading the dispatches to be found in the gutter.

"My name is Tsara Tarr, and this 'gentleman' is Atraxis. And to whom have I been so awful to?"

@Red Pyramid @Sandshark @Tetsu

 

[Atraxis Aburay]

Let out a small sigh as he heard what seemed to be the ending of a rather forward and very daring talk between girls, most likely involving Tsara and her mischievous nature and the natural sexuality of the Twi'lek race. Lets be honest here, you could not look at them and not think they weren't one of the most beautiful races in the galaxy. Though it seems Tsara was attempting to give him a bit of cover, or just further pull on the orange ones chain just to mess with her. So Atraxis decided to oblige her.

Reaching up, he ran a finger softly down one of Tsara's lekku teasingly once before he put it on her hip in a confident manner, then again nothing Tsara had said was incorrect. "Tsara, do not tease the poor girl to much. It would be a shame to run her off. She is quite adorable, a little solider if her companion is anything to go by." he said softly, almost in a reserved way if not for the steely inflection in his voice and the hard glint of his eyes. He turned and looked at both the trooper and the Twi'lek woman.

"As she has said, I am Atraxis and I am a pilot. Tsara her is my lovely friend, and she is ever so helpful in so many ways. I must say she really helps me out, and makes quite a bit of money. She is quite daring sometimes, so I apologize as well for any offense she may have caused." he said softly all the while stroking her hip, attempting to reinforce whatever image Tsara was attempting to sell. He gave Alema and Braun a soft smile, which he assumed was friendly enough. Though....lets be honest, it was probably evil looking or at the very least predatory.

@Braun Stoker @Alema Torr @Tsara ​

 

[Braun Stoker]

Apparently the conversation had involved him. Braun looked confused at Alema's words as she blurted out that he wasn't her something. commanding officer? Best Friend? Body Guard? thought the daft trooper to himself as he missed the nuance of the conversation. This was a prelude to Alema introducing them to the pair. When Lt. Torr mentioned his name, he nodded his head in acknowledgement. The pair seemed, at least to Braun, as some sort of smuggler duo with a strange side gig. Braun kept his opinions to himself about the pair for the time being as Alema spoke again in Ryl.

He would have to make it a point to have the Twi'lek teach him some of the language, as he was clearly missing out on quite a bit. He would ask the Lieutenant at a later date. It was about at this point that the green Twi'lek referred to them as not paired, but employed. This sounded like some kind of jest to him as he glanced at the Lieutenant from behind his visor. He did not understand what paired meant, or even the context. She was not his partner by any extent of the word. They had only just met only perhaps an hour prior! Braun kept his stoic disposition, trying not to shake his head in annoyance at the strange term. He thought for a moment about the implications and decided to deport the thought elsewhere.

The overly sexual pair made Braun a bit uncomfortable. He was familiar with the way that the Twi'lek people were perceived; however, he had hoped that there was more to their character than simply being exotic dancers. Alema was proof that this was possible, with the help of the Republic. When the smuggler introduced himself, Braun spoke up in response, "Its a pleasure to meet you both..." He expressed behind his helmet. The way Atraxis was looking at them made Braun a little uncomfortable. He instinctively moved a little forward between Alema and the smuggler, as Braun was also armed and could act as a little buffer. He made sure to respect her space when doing so, giving her Aa'kua, or personal space, in Olys Corellisi the language of his people. He was not trying to be overtly obvious of his intention. He would have offered to shake the man's hand, but his hands were a little...preoccupied at the moment in question.

"So you both work together then?" he asked inquisitively. He tried to assume the best in this pair, as the spoke to the Lieutenants. "You all seem like nice folks, Saltan valoramosa n telval mord as they say," he said eyeing the smuggler to see if he spoke the Corellian language. The phrase meant that assumptions were the first stage of failure in rough translation. Olys Corellisi was often used by smugglers and would offer them a more...stable common ground if the Pilot knew of it.

@Sandshark @Red Pyramid @Tsara Tarr

 

[Alema Torr]

Alema was beginning to warm to the green Twi'lek. Not despite their conversation, but because of it. As much as it embarrassed her to have her allegiances or her feelings poked at, there was something nostalgic about the whole thing. Tsara reminded her a bit of her younger sister in a way. Daring and brash... Well, to put it in the most charitable way anyway. She seemed sharp too. Whatever she was doing here was certainly making her money, or so it seemed, and even if this shuttle pilot was a creep it was Tsara who seemed most in control of the situation. She could tell he was following her lead on... Whatever it was they were pretending to be, and that was oddly reassuring.

She smiled in spite of herself. Giving a nod to Braun, she straightened up and adopted a more formal tone. "Well, Lieutenant Stoker and I are here on behalf of the Republic, for a short time anyway. And please, Alema works better for me than Lieutenant Torr." She reached into her uniform pocket and pulled out a small metal case. Flipping it open she slipped out a paper card and offered it to Tsara. "This is the number for the Republic Armed Forces Directory. Don't consider this an official Republic endorsement, but if you want to talk they'll connect you to me. Just ask for me by name."

With a gesture to Atraxis she continued, with a slightly somber tone. "It's been a long time since I spoke to someone from Ryloth. We could reminisce, or commiserate, depending on how you see it." This time she did follow her words up with unspoken gestures. Though it was less effective at accenting Basic, the shifts of her head and lekku underscored a second directive: this was an offer to help her relocate if things went sour.

@Red Pyramid @Tsara Tarr @Tetsu

 

[Tsara]

The very overt PDA was a bold move on Atraxis' part. It made her wonder if it was all playing along...and so she stuck a mental pin in it for thought and consideration later. The almost ascetic, and at times gallant Sith had always been rather hands off, most of their physical contact limited to combat training where he was picking her up off the floor of his ship. The soldier in armor was clearly bright in an understated, down to dirt kind of way. Very attractive quality. If Alema still held a fraction of the Ryloth culture left in her, then part of the reason she was even carrying a conversation at length with him was because of how anchored he was. Tsara didn't speak the language of the Corellians, but knew how it sounded. She wasn't sure if Atraxis knew, and there was a tension to the moment now because of Stoker's actions.

Stoker really was a catch.

Clever bastard!

The card offered was a perfect excuse not to reply to him, as Tsara made sure to make over it, and, given the retreat it allowed her and Atraxis, the emotions were very much sincere. The lekku movement from Alema wasn't lost on her either. This was more than an avenue of retreat.

This was an extension of friendship without any real strings or favors attached.

Something Tsara hadn't been offered in a very, very long time.

Looking up at Alema with gratitude, the smile was something vulnerable, and genuine. "Th-thank you...friend," she managed right as K'yellyth ran up to them. The busty Twi'lek looked a little tense. "M'shoda drank too much and is vomiting all over an astromech droid she mistook for a waste receptacle; we won't be able to use her for the dessert surprise...I hate to..." and she looked at Atraxis, Stoker, and then pleasantly surprised at the uniformed Alema. "...call you back early from your break, but we need you to take her place," she finished.

Sipping down more of her bubbly beverage, Tsara handed the rest of it to Atraxis.

"We'll catch up later," she said to him, then, turning to Alema. "This has been a pleasure, and I'll definitely take you up on that offer sometime, but I have a rather large cake to pop out of for the delight of an old Muun project manager." and Tsara strutted off back to the party, card in hand.

Tsara had acquired something, she knew, was truly precious.

-Exit @Tsara
OOC: I'll let you two (@Sandshark @Tetsu) have the floor back, but thanks for having me! @Red Pyramid kick around here or follow me out if you like, your choice!

 

[Atraxis Aburay]

Stared at the next Twi'lek that had arrived, listening in to the conversation and using the distractions as an excuse to ignore whatever backwards language Braun had just used. He put his hand on Tsara's shoulder pushing her along, "Go ahead, I will come and get you later. Please remember to use the communicator more often, I sincerely do not wish to have a repeat of your last debacle. There are only so many times I can swoop in for the rescue before our luck runs out. Be safe Tsara, I do not want to have to break into and murder my way through a bunch of 'Outlaws' again." he said in what could be considered a teasing manner, between the two of them.

He turned back to face Alema and Braun, his face going from friendly to neutral the moment Tsara was gone. Braun had tried something clever, if Tsara's actions were anything to go by and the way Alema spoke to her in that almost supportive tone had led him to the same conclusion with her. He would have to watch them more closely it seems, they were quite nosy and that would be unfortunate if the wrong situation arose. He looked over them both, assessing them and their threat and finding them negligible at the moment.

"I am curious. What do two Republic soldiers have to do on Kuat? Last I checked this was still Mandalorian territory. Perhaps, oh....Interesting. The only reason you have to be here is diplomacy, perhaps the Republic wishes to use these shipyards but are wanting to avoid confrontation with Mandalore. A noble goal. Though I could be wrong, assumptions and all that. Please, forgive my rambling." he said with a smile, his eyes setting a bit before he turned to look out one of the massive windows into space.


"What a feat of Engineering, so much capacity and power can be found here. Just imagine, this station alone can produce dozens of ships all at once. Whoever controls it can increase their fleet power by leaps and bounds all in a single setting. I simply marvel at it, we have nothing of its like back home. Then again, the only ships you saw back home were freighters packed with slaves or with resources mined and harvest by said slaves." he said as he raised his hand up instinctively and rubbed at the back of his neck, where his slave barcode was still etched into his skin. Bad memories.


@Tsara @Sandshark @Braun Stoker ​

 

[Braun Stoker]

Braun watched with care as the fellow the Twi’lek woman made her exit. She had done so at a time where Stoker’s intrigue was taking place. He assumed the pilot had no malice for the time being. He then asked about the pairs assignments, which he felt very uncomfortable with sharing. Military personnel ordinance referred divulging details on military operations as a sanctionable offense. Braun, with this in mind formulated a very canned response.

“I’m here on PTO, and the Lieutenant was just joining me for a drink, right Lieutenant?” He explained in a half-truth. Honestly, he wasn’t much of a drinker, but he and the Lieutenant were on their personal time as it was. “We just happened to stop here to refuel before going back to republic space, which, as I’m sure you’re aware, is not all that far away.” Stoker expressed trying to hide the venom in his words the a relaxed tone. He looked a Alema though his visor, giving her a pleading look she would not be able to see. It screamed, help me out here.

Luckily for Lieutenant Stoker, the fellow began to talk about his homeworld. He was no smuggler that he could tell, Stoker thought to himself as he didn’t understand Corellisi, which was a common code language to use. He did sympathize with the man and his expression of slaver on his homeworld. Braun hated slavery and the idea behind it. Every man and woman deserved the freedom to choose their own path, even if it was the wrong path. He had been that person. He had seen torched worlds, slavery and worse...and now he could do something to change all that. He slowly approached the fellow, looking to show some compassion by reaching out to pat the fellow’s shoulder.

Yet something stopped his hand short, as if some ethereal force was surrounding this fellow in a way that was attempting warn Stoker of the danger. “It is pretty powerful station, if you’re interested in machinery I’m sure Lieutenant Torr could tell you all kind of technical details.” He would state, pretending he was not a mechanic himself as he recoiled back to his neutral space by Alema. Something didn’t feel right about this guy. He was certainly posing to be a smuggler that much was clear, but he played it off behind his helmet, figuring pushing into the issue in foreign space was a fruitless endeavor.

@Sandshark @Red Pyramid

 

[Alema Torr]

Alema nodded curtly. She could hear Braun's discomfort in his stilted language, and unlike their new companion it was easy for her to lie abut simple things. "Yes. I'm a shuttle pilot, and I had some break-time between shifts. It seemed like a great idea to spend it with a fellow soldier." She glanced to the soldier as he moved back to her and took up his position at her side. She didn't want to make trouble, and he obviously didn't either. It might be best for the pair to disengage before things took a turn for the worse.

"The station is quite impressive." She began, clasping her hands behind her back and straightening up just a bit. "I suspect most workers, and most Kuatis, spend their whole lives only ever seeing a small portion from the inside." Stepping back and turning to Braun, she gestured back down the hallway. "Speaking of which, it may be a good idea to head back to the shuttle lobby. Right, Lieutenant?" She also offered a nod to Atraxis. "I wouldn't want to keep you from your business either."

@Red Pyramid @Tetsu

 

[Atraxis Aburay]

Atraxis looked at them both, it seems he had distressed the man and uneased the woman, hmm and he thought he had been acting normal. It would take more practice in the future. But this showed him that he could fly under the radar, for the most part and that would be useful in the future when he had to go to more....guarded worlds. Atraxis gave them a nod, before he put his hands behind his back almost imperiously before staring out at the stars for a few more moments, specifically he inclined his head towards Sith Space or what used to be Sith Space.

"If it is something you can't talk about, obviously it is important. I will not press the issue, even if it is what I think it is in the end it makes no difference to me. War is no concern of mine, nor are alliances or diplomacy. As long as I can get what I want, I don't care what the rest of the universe does. You two should look after yourselves, it was......nice...to speak to someone. You should take care of yourselves in these coming days. I have a uneasy feeling about the coming times." he said as he rubbed his chin almost in contemplation.


He began to walk towards the cruiser Tsara was currently working on, before he stopped turning back to them. "You have sharp instinct Sir, they will serve you well in the future. Madam, for you....I would say to practice discretion, you never know who you will meet in this galaxy. You never know who you might understand just what it is you are implying sometimes." he said in reference to that little stunt with the card.

He waved goodbye to them as he walked away, a small grin and a sharp look was the silent promise he would remember them and keep an eye out for them in the future.

-Exit

@Tsara @Sandshark @Braun Stoker ​

 

[Braun Stoker]

“Right you are Lieutenant,” he responded with a concise nod as Alema turned to face him. He was glad he was the one with the helmet, as Alema’s deception was surely much more believable. The fellow turned and went on a rant about the coming times and his thoughts in general. He then seemed to complement the trooper and warn the Lieutenant in a manner that was unsettling to say the least. The pilot said no more and went on his way, possibly to join the Twi’lek Tsara at the party that was happening nearby.


That whole encounter had been strange. Stoker would look at Alema, waiting for her to move towards the shuttles before following in suit. “What was all that about?” He asked as they moved out of earshot of the pair. Braun just couldn’t wrap his head around the events. While he did agree with the sudo-smuggler that giving out your information was dangerous, Braun was more so curious about the Twi’lek’s disposition and the state of Rhyloth. He thought about his response for only a second as they backtracked their original path, probably with less of a leisure to their steps. His curiosity about the planet Rhyloth and the people blossomed with wonder. The language and the people seemed grittier than nails, and he empathizes with that.


He thought for a moment, trying to be delicate as he spoke, “What was it like on Ryloth Torr?” He asked, his tone somber as a low candle light. Braun was forlorn from his world, which was now under mandalorian control and understood feeling separated from one’s culture. Then he realized it might or be an appropriate question, “ it was insensitive of me to ask, sorry Lieutenant.” He corrected himself preemptively as his curiosity had gotten the best of him. He was a mechanic and his obsession with the inner workings of things translated over into every day life from time to time. This certainly was not the place for that however. He would otherwise walk on in silence, thinking about Rhyloth and it’s struggling people, unless the lieutenant decided divulge more.

@Sandshark

OOC: thanks for joining us @Red Pyramid & @Tsara Tarr! It was nice to meet you’re interesting characters! May we meet again sometime ^_^

 

[Alema Torr]

Alema walked along with Braun in silence for a while, before responding to his questions. "Ask me about it another time, Lieutenant. Maybe over a stiff drink." Her tone wasn't cold, exactly, but it was guarded. She didn't appear to be interested in discussing that, even though they had spoken about their past briefly before.

Whatever she had discussed with the other Twi'lek, alongside their encounter with the strange character who seemed to be her handler, had brought her guard back up. She walked with straight-backed, stiff-shouldered regularity, defaulting to the learned ideal of a naval officer as she considered what had transpired. It was eye-opening to speak to a Twi'lek in that way. She had come face to face with a realization that she hadn't wished to make, and it troubled her deeply. But she had also made contact with some intriguing characters. Braun seemed a good man and a reliable friend and ally, and this 'Tsara Tarr,' whose name sounded real enough to not be a pseudonym, offered her a chance to help someone from her homeworld.

As they approached the other end of the large, horseshoe-shaped concourse, Alema still wasn't sure if she had been right about what she said to the girl. She wasn't sure about a lot of things when it came to her homeworld, in all honesty. Though she knew the Navy suited her talents, she often wondered what it would have been like to stay on Ryloth, or to ply 'the trade' like her sisters. Last she heard, one of them had married a Mining Guild Factor, and the family had moved to Kala'uun nearer to the Guild spaceport.

Reaching the tramway annex she banished those thoughts from her mind. "I think it would be best if I go work on the shuttle. Take care on Balmorra, I really would like to see you again."

@Tetsu

 

[Braun Stoker]

Braun could tell that Alema’s guard was up when he asked, and he immediately felt a twinge of agitation with himself. How rude you buckethead, he mentally scolded himself as they walked on in silence for a moment. His curiosity was one of his greatest weaknesses. He had joined the Empire, in part, because he wanted to see the universe and the many diverse things that existed there. He would have to learn to keep his mouth shut. He kept thinking about the strange man that had been the “handler” for the Twi’lek woman. Something about that fellow seemed unsettling, as if he had been around that kind of presence before, yet his lack of force sensitivity would prove a detriment in this investigation.

They came back to the large shuttle well where they had started, and he thought about how he had appreciated the Lieutenant’s company. She had been a quite proper companion and he appreciated her considerate nature. He couldn’t help but smile at her desire to help her people, an admirable goal to say the least. He was just a simple mechanic, but he knew how the world was and had been educated the hard way that good people, even senators, could prove ineffective for people like him. He certainly wished the Lieutenant the best in her endeavors. He could still hear the fellow’s warning regarding the Lieutenant and her providing the information to the Twi’lek girl. Was its dangerous move? Possibly so, however he respected the Lieutenant’s boldness.

He suddenly started thinking about their impending mission and the things they would have to do. He dreaded the field, but that was the life of a soldier. He tried to keep his mind in the zone of their pending operation as they approached the tramway annex that would divert his path from the Lieutenant’s. He thought about how he would need to sleep for a least 5 hours to feel any semblance of prepared for their mission and sighed a bit as the Lieutenant expressed the same.

“You’re right Lieutenant, it’s probably best if I go rest before our engagement.” He told the Twi’lek as he tried to remember where the quarters there were sleeping in had been located. He continued, “But I appreciate your company, the wait periods between missions always gets me riled up.” He expressed as he dug in his belt for his own information card that would be printed with his name, rank, office contact and division (infantry) on the front. The card was bent and frayed at the edges and was not as neat and pristine as Lieutenant Torr’s had been. “Here,” he said extending the card to the Twi’lek. “If I survive tomorrow, I would be more than happy to see you again, I hear there is a charity ball on Chandrila…Well um anyway, see you around Lieutenant, don’t hesitate to contact me” He finished as he would curtly wave and turn the opposite direction down the corridor.

It had been nice to meet an officer of the Navy that was not as arrogant (or as English?) as the men he had served under in the past. His experience in the Empire had given him a bad expectation of what a military should be like. The contented Stoker made his way down the corridor to a door that seemed quarterly enough for the evening as he would join Drast and the taskforce in 6 or so hours to make the rescue attempt on Balmorra.

[Potential Exit]

@Sandshark

OOC: Thanks for the excellent Social session guys! This was so much fun!