Ask Ode to Caf

[Dr Ilana Morata]

Taking two steps out of the lobby, she took in a deep breath of dubiously fresh air, feeling the tension of her shoulders ease with every breath. Though there were many more souls wandering the streets at this hour, there were less people out here that she knew. More and more recently, she craved the life she had before the vaccine. Before MorataCorp, and before even, to a degree, learning of her Force Sensitivity. She missed being able to melt into a crowd without a dozen cams flashing in her face, asking impossible questions and expecting impossible answers.

So she slipped out quietly, away from prying eyes. She knew her security detail was not far behind, and yet... she wanted to be around someone that didn't know of her many sins. Someone she could just be Dr. Morata around, and not the creator of the vaccine nor the face of MC. She just wanted to share a caf with someone who didn't expect her to save the galaxy and didn't know much about her, or her life as Amariel.

So she waited for an affirmative or negative text back, or even his following her. Depending on what happened would rule how her night would go.

@Taz

 

[Covax]

Even thought they were less than 20 meters apart from one another before she left the lobby of the opera. It still took several moments for Covax to get the message. However once the datapad received the invitation he didn't hesitate. He finished and quickly made his way to the exit.

He took a side door, away from the press and the public who were waiting for drama just around the corner. The towering looking human was about to text when and where but a scent hit his nose that took him back to nearly a year ago. Her perfume was burned into his brain the way her amber eyes were. His head shot up from his comm. Seeing the long silver hair draped over the blue gold dress.

"You're a hard woman to figure out Doc." he said. His tone a little hurt and a little playful. He didn't know it, but she could feel his confusion. The feeling of butterflies, of caution and anticipation.

@Killa Ree

 

[Dr Ilana Morata]

Amber eyes leveled on his the moment he spoke. Her features didn't shift, but she did tilt her head slightly, coolly regarding him as she could feel the flickers of anticipation. Was she really so unapproachable, that even a stubborn man like Shane felt cautious around her? One hand settled on her hip, and she perked a brow in reaction.

"Why do you say that?" she replied. "I grew tired. Caf seemed the perfect answer."

She turned on a heel, head held high. In the side street next to the museum, she knew she didn't look like she belonged. Regardless, she kept herself tall and her stride long, before glancing over her shoulder at him.

"Are you coming?"

@Taz

 

[Covax]

Covax started to walk toward her as their eyes met, closing the distance between them to speak with to her a little more closely. The mask of cool indifference was nearly unmoved, until suddenly brown perked into an arch. He gave a coy before replying to her. "You looked right at me in there, and were going to make a b-line for any other direction but mine, until your friend appeared near by, and who drinks caf at this hour ?"

Ilana simply turned on her heel and strode away. Ice Queen of the galaxy. But he knew better. It was all for show, a cloak she used to hide herself from the verse. He wondered why. As she glanced over her shoulder at him, he realized he wanted to find out. "Of course," he said. Quickly following after, moving to join her side and reached out his elbow for her to take.

Once she took it they would walk to the corner, turning down from the opera house to walk yet another block with her security doing a poor job of keeping a low profile. "Are they joining us, or do you trust me enough to let them take the rest of the night off?"

@Killa Ree

 

[Dr Ilana Morata]

Ah. So he was bothered that she didn't approach him first? Why? As far as she was aware, he simply saw her as a physician. Why would it matter if she approached him or not? Giving him a sideways glance, she took his arm, keeping in step with him as the late hour wrapped around them, pulling her coat tighter around herself. "Should I have approached you first?" came the simple reply, amber eyes glinting faintly in the low light. "I don't have friends. At least not many." Briefly, she thought of Korre; did the woman count as a friend? She wasn't certain yet. And then there was Sevrin... but he was so much more than that. So much, she couldn't put into words. Was that was who she was to Shane? A friend?

Her lips definitely twitched into a smile at his question at caf. "I do. Something else in mind then?"

At the question of her security, she glanced back... and then a low hum slipped past her lips, head cocked slightly to regard him in this light. "Oh, I don't know. You seem like a scoundrel to me." However, there was a faint smile on her lips, and she briefly shook her head. "There are plenty of people in the galaxy who wouldn't mind my being dead. But..." she glanced up into his eyes, white brow perking again, "you're right. They can at least be more subtle... I will leave it up to them to decide."

Sending off a quick text, the figures abruptly vanished into the night. Whether they were now truly alone or not, was yet to be seen. But for now, it seemed as though they were simply two people walking down a quiet street.

"You know... there are times I regret applying to create the vaccine."

@Taz

 

[Covax]

Covax clutched her arm in his, letting them entwine as they walked. As they walked, the night seemed to be getting cooler. And the people fewer. But they continued on, walking step for step together as she questioned his feelings about her. "I don't know about first. You're a galaxy known doctor and apparently CEO of the largest medical company in the verse, I'm just a dude with a gun. But, a casual nod hello in passing would have been nice."

"I have one, one person in the entire galaxy." He said, without hesitation. Because Aska was it. His sister from another Mister, as he liked to call her. Covax could see the pale skin woman considering her own statement, and not for the first time wondered about her. What was her story, why was she always normally so cold. Why did she keep people at a distance, she was a doctor after all. Not a killer like him.

"By all mean have whatever you like, but I think another bourbon would be about right for me." He said about the drinks, as the then mentioned his character as a person with a playful grin. "Oh, I'm a very bad man. Very bad." he said playful. However it wasn't far from the truth. In fact, he could be one of the people hunting her if things were different. Now though, he was just happy to see her in a normal setting. Not edging death's door.

Covax would glance back to find the two men suddenly slipping away into the shadows. He assumed they were not all the way gone, else they were not worth what she was paying them. But at least they were out of sight and out of mind. The towering human guided them down about another block till he noticed the neon lights of a little cantina. Opening the door for her, he guided her in and followed after. Finding a table in the back corner, they were the only ones in the place.

A server droid approached. "Gammorrean bourbon for me, and....caf for the lady?" he said to the droid while glancing to Ilana. When the droid strolled off to get their drinks, Covax returned to the conversation. "It's grown from a virus, to a political weapon of mass destruction. I can see how stressful that must be for someone like you."

@Killa Ree

 

[Dr Ilana Morata]

She had never really had friends before. She'd had casual lovers, rivals, even a few who considered themselves her equals... but none she would have thought of as 'friends'. Such a concept was something she stood on the fringes of understanding. But seeing him mention having a friend of his own brought a sharp pain of jealousy in her chest; she smoothed it over by nodding, but it persisted, glinting in amber eyes. "I see."

At his words, her hand tightened briefly on his arm. "It may come as a surprise to you..." she answered, lowering her gaze. "I hate attention. Seeing you there... with the media crowd constantly around me, I supposed the last thing you would want was media speculation of whether or not you were a friend, or a conquest." She grimaced slightly, shaking her head. "Honestly. As if I couldn't enjoy someone's company without sleeping with them! Why do they always assume that?" She released his arm when they came into the cantina.

Relieved to see no media hounding her step, she glanced up at him, tilting her head slightly. "I was surprised to see you there," she confessed. "Had I known, I would have approached. I'm... sorry if I offended you." The cup of caf was set in front of her, and she closed her eyes for a moment, savoring the smell with a low hum of appreciation. The smile faded at his words, and slowly, her eyes blinked open again, before she let out a low sigh.

"...Do you know, when a Doctor is granted their license, they recite an oath?"

She reached for the sugar dispenser, eyes on the caf as she steadily poured in a good amount, followed by the cream. Stirring it with a soft clink of the spoon, she watched it disperse into the darkness of the caf, slowly swirling outward in brilliant contrast until it unified into a milky brown, fingers framing the warm mug. "The Hippocratic Oath. Do no harm... sometimes, I wonder if creating this vaccine, with the intent to heal, has caused harm."

Her shoulders sagged, and suddenly, she felt exhausted. All the years, months, trials, tests, announcements, threats, and events suddenly began pressing down on her, and she slowly lifted her gaze up, staring straight into his eyes. "From your perspective. Does my work merit some balance of good... or have I merely fucked over the galaxy more with my meddling?"

@Taz

 

[Covax]

As they sat he could swear he noticed Doc's pale skin had a slight hint of red, and he eyes seemed to almost burn rather then glow then soft amber. He couldn't be completely sure but it seemed that the fact he had others he cared for bothered her. Odd considering she didn't want to acknowledge his existence before. Now it bother her that someone else did?

He pushed the thought away and returned his mind to the conversation as she mentioned media attention. "I'm learning, but no not so much a surprise. However it wouldn't bother me one way or the other. "I mean I like friend, but conquest. Hmm. I can see the headline now of that Lis whoever. Doc not only defeats AMS, but mountains of men as well." he poorly joked. "Well, look at it this way. Least you're the one doing the conquering and not the conquered. Powerful women are few and far between." He wasn't sure if that really helped but it's what he had.

Soon the two sat and their drinks before them. Covax took a sip of the bourbon as she continued the conversation. "Mmm." he managed. Surprising even himself. "Truth, I was surprised to be there. The tickets were a gift, a bonus of sorts for a job I did. I went expecting to make some new contacts. Looks like I got something better." he said giving a faint smile and slight nod to her.

He listened then about her oath, which he was admittedly aware of. How much he cared how much she wanted to help. The merc could also see the weight of it. He did not know the extent of that weight, how much it had taken from her. But he knew what it had taken from himself. What it cost him. He took another drink from his glass and returned her gaze. One soldier, to another. Because this was indeed her battle.

"You did what you felt you had to, doing what you have to. You are not the problem, your vaccine is not the problem. Those who seek to use your work to further their own agenda is the problem. Those who are limiting the distribution to gain something. That's the problem. Because the truth is, if not for your vaccine, the only other option is to be a glassing."

He let that sit for a second, then he pressed a little. "Tell me something. You run the company, it's your cure, who's in charge of production and distribution?" He asked, suddenly remembering Preef Callo's claims of foul play.

@Killa Ree

 

[Dr Ilana Morata]

She didn't expect a straightforward answer; the fact that she even unloaded to anyone, let alone someone so polar opposite, was even more shocking. Was there liquor in the caf? If so, it was too late to change her mind. She listened to what he said with a grave expression, nodding slowly.

"You'd think that, with all the times of being screwed over in the galaxy, I'd have stopped being an idealist in some ways." She took a long drink of caf, not breaking eye contact with him. At the question, she grimaced once, setting the cup by side. "I was merely the research," she scowled, amber eyes glinting. "A convenient scapegoat for all those holier-than-thou to point their fingers at. I gave the key to the galaxy, but it's the governments who dictate where they go. I wanted to give it safely..." she sighed, then rubbed her forehead. "I provided it freely. If I knew that it would become something to abuse... I would have never created my own company." She idly toyed with her spoon.

"I was the science; I had hoped others would work with my dreams. I forget that everyone has an agenda while I still have the mind of a doctor." She let out a short, harsh laugh, but it wasn't joyful. She took another drink of caf, then sighed again, scowling. "Damn the Hutts."

@Taz

 

[Covax]

Covax sat back in the old seat of the both they were at. Taking another drink from his glass as Lana started to speak. Something about her voice had a calming tone to it, even her deadpanning. It reminded him of a Jazz singer his wife used to listen to. The thought gave him a tiny smile. Odd given the topic of conversation, but all the same.

"Idealist, Doctor. It fits more then you think. Hell with your ideals and need to help you'd make a good Jedi." He said playfully. He wasn't an expert on the wizards, but he knew the Jedi got screwed by history more times then not. Yet still they "help." No good deed and all that.

"You don't like them, but you continue to mingle with them. Play the space chess game. I can't even imagine what kinda hell that must be. Could always walk away, sell the company to Blackwell or someone else. Let them deal with the fallout." It was to simple an answer. Likely she thought of the same action but her ideals prevented her from acting. He also couldn't comment about the Hutts or any of the other syndicates because most of them employed him at one time or another. They were slim, they were money hungry criminals. But then again, he also some of those things some of the time.

@Killa Ree

 

[Dr Ilana Morata]

She wasn't sure if his comment of calling her a Jedi was a slam or a compliment; she took another long sip of caf, and her lips twitched, arching an eyebrow. "I don't know if I deserved that slam," she commented, but the briefest of smiles touched her lips. "Perhaps there are more... extremist... idealists than I that roam the galaxy, then. I just wish I could provide the same care I witnessed being neglected... back when I was a simple physician in the Outer Rim."

Amber eyes bored into his own features when he mentioned playing the game, cocking her head slightly at his own words of selling. It would be easy, wouldn't it? But then... He didn't follow in her enthusiasm damning the Hutts. Interesting. She had her hunches about the man... but then again, there were parts of him that reminded her of being a physician on Nar Shaddaa. Of treating gangsters and thugs, and in some ways, she was homesick.

Ah well.

"Were it that easy," she deadpanned, then swallowed down the rest of her coffee. An idea glimmered in the back of her head; ridiculous, foolish even, but she wanted to test the man, see how much he was willing to bend the rules.

"Did you want to see the opera, Shane? And if so... how would you like to see it for free, and away from the crowds? Or..." The faint smile returned, this time curling a fist under her chin. "What does the mysterious Shane Covax do for fun?"

@Taz