Ask Yavin IV Secretive Supply Lines

[Vren Mallick]

After a few sessions and classes, time had finally been given to him to do what he pleased. Vren laid flat across his bed, the top one as it was a makeshift sort of bunk with multiple padawans calling the temple their temporary home. He was dressed casually and for comfort as a book was pinched between two of his fingers and prevented it from falling on his face. The other arm was tucked behind his head and stretched down his back comfortably. There was no one else in the room with him and it left a peaceful environment for him to enjoy.

Normally, reading wasn't the sought-after activity after classes and training but it was a helpful distraction for him. It was a story he had read numerous times but it still somehow managed to captivate his attention, a fictional tale about a warrior who claimed what was most precious to him after succeeding in a few trials. As he read, the sleeve of his shirt slightly dipped, revealing a broken key that had been tattooed on his wrist. Golden amber eyes flicked to it momentarily before returning back to the pages, letting them fulfill their purpose.

The reading didn't last long however as thunderous footsteps boomed down the hallway and directly for his room. The door swung open and collided against a wall, the sound ringing through the room momentarily as it caught his undivided attention while he sat up. Another padawan entered the room, his gaze swinging around until he found Vren situated on his bunk to the left, "V!" Rushing over, he hopped on one foot so he could use the bottom bunk as a support for his feet while elevating him above his normal height when he landed. "You heard? She just came back and I'm understanding she got some rare catches."

Vren shook his head and fully collapsed back into his bed, "Last time you heard this, we were an hour late and she was picked clean." With ease, he picked up his book with the same hand and began to open the cover, intent on staying in bed. The fellow padawan shook his head vigorously, "First time was a mistake but this time I'm serious! We got to go now though!" Before he could be offered resistance, he pushed off the bed and rushed out of the room.

Vren sat up again, opening his mouth to shout after him but realized he was far too gone. He was about to lay back down but with a soft exhale, he tossed the book onto his bed and hopped down. "Wait!" He shouted after before following.

@Wit

 

[Kalam Mekhar]

In a small room in the far corner of the Temple, Kal sat hunched over on a chair that was much to small for his large frame. Besides him was a tall table, so tall that seated on the little chair it rose above his eyes level, and his mop of red hair was hidden completely behind the sacks of god knows what. He was sure it was better not to ask, the less he knew the less trouble he would get into if he got caught. If? Who was he kidding, there was no if here, it was a matter of when he got caught.

He was about to get up and leave, most of the crowd having come and gone by then, when he heard sounds outside the entrance to the room. "No," came a boy's voice from the other side of the table, "don't tell me we missed her again! I'm sure her twitter post said we had another fifteen minutes!"

Letting out a sigh, Kal pushed himself to his feet, rising to his full height and turning to spot two boys close to his age standing near the entrance. "You're here for Beck?" He asked, regretting every bit of this, if not for his honor that he do this to repay that infuriating girl he would have destroyed everything in those sacks and walked right away. "Not much left, but what little we have is in there." He gestured towards the sacks on the table. "You know the drill, either pay the printed price or leave your info if you wanna owe her a favor. And trust me, you don't want to owe that she-devil a favor."

Having given that warning, he walked to the table and started pulling items out, meal packs from Coruscant, gaming cartridges, data disks full of things he wish he had never seen, and a bunch of other oddments. He was about to step back and let them peruse the items when his datapad started buzzing. Pulling it out, he opened the program Beck had installed on it that would let him cut into the feed of a holocam she had made him stick to the top of a door a few rooms over. It was one of the temple guards, and he was coming right this way.

"Shit, that's trouble. Help me pack this up," he scrambled to undo all the unpacking he had just done, "come on, you're in just as much trouble as me if we get caught!"

@Orbit

 

[Vren Mallick]

As they went through the temple, the halls were empty and Vren interpreted that as not a good sign. Tocklin led the way into a room that was more off to the side in the building compared to others. When they went down the stairs, a quick stock of his surroundings showed the pipes embedded throughout the walls and how this room helped contain some of the intestines of the temple.

The pair approached the table before the other padawan made his acute observation that the two were late again. Vren just shook his head as he crossed one arm over his chest and placed the other on top as that hand would act as a support for his head. "And you were so sure this time." A look was given that silently spoke that he had acted the exact way the last time when he dragged along Vren to come claim some items.

As they were about to turn away, Kalam stood up to his full height and revealed himself by the table and bags. With the simple sentence that there were still things for them to browse through, Tocklin edged slightly toward Vren before slapping him on the chest and walking back down to the table. The Echani chuckled before stepping shortly after as they opened the bags and checked through their contents.

An assortment of unique trinkets was pulled out, some common, some rare at least to Yavin and the two took their time. It didn't last long however as Kalam eventually got a buzz that a guard was coming. "Shit," Vren mumbled to himself before acting hastily, stuffing things back in the bag as did the rest of the group. Not really knowing where to put them, it resulted in him just tossing it in the dark corner by the pipes, with the force at least so he didn't break anything inside.

After a few bags, the only evidence left would be a small container. Vren walked over and closed it with his foot and then placed it on top of the box. Right when he pushed it with his foot, the guard entered the room as the door slid open loudly. Because of the sound, Vren stumbled back but regained his footing momentarily after. At first, he didn't know what to say as he didn't look at the guard but when he saw Kalam standing across from him, he got an idea. "Good, you're tall so you got reach. Use it." Taking a sort of teaching tone to his voice. His eyes passed the message to just play along.

Once the words left his mouth, he then spun to face the temple guard, one of his hands coming to the back of his head as he rubbed it, glancing over to Tocklin and Kalam as well, "A little late-night training session. About all there is." His gaze then turned back to the guard, waiting for judgment.

@Wit

 

[Kalam Mekhar]

Kal was more than a little worried when he saw Vren toss the sacks, he was convinced that if anything broke Beck was going to hold him responsible. But now was not the time to think about that, if the temple guard caught them then that would be the least of his worries.

At first he didn't get what the silver-haired padawan was trying to do, but thankfully for them he managed to catch on quickly enough and nodded as if accepting instructions. He continued nodding for a moment, as if to himself, and mimed a few attack patters from the first kata that came to mind, hoping to really sell the point, before "noticing" the guards and straightening himself.

The guard said nothing for a moment, and Kal was sure the ruse had failed, but then the temple guard grunted and took a step back. "Diligence will serve you well, but this part of the temple is off limits to padawan learners. I won't write you up this time," he gestured towards the open door, "but off with the lot of you!" Glancing from the guard to the others, Kal couldn't think of a way to avoid doing what the guard said, and finally nodded and started walking towards the door, gesturing with his eyes and a jerk of his head for Vren and Tocklin to follow.

Once out of the room, he would start walking down the corridor, in the direction that would take them to the higher levels, glancing back to see the guard locking the door. As the guard gave the trio one last look, which Kal responded to with another nod and a smile, he walked off down the corridor away from them.

"He might not have reported us, but he'll remember this. And whenever someone goes in there and spots those sacks they'll come looking for us." Kal didn't even mention how much pain he expected to get from Beck if he lost all her merchandize, he might end up paying her off for the rest of his life. For now the guard was the bigger issue, and his interactions with the trader girl had taught him enough to leverage some aid. "All of us. We're going to have to get back into that room and get those sacks before anyone else finds them. This way." With that he started leading them around another corner and towards a set of stairs, hoping to go up and around and come back to the room from another direction. "I'm Kalam by the way, Kalam Mekhar."


@Orbit

 

[Vren Mallick]

Silent seconds ticked by but Kalam followed along, even throwing a few shadow boxing sets before he acted like he noticed the guard as well. Tocklin just remained silent a little off in the distance, still and erect as a statue as a sort of defence mechanism to avoid any of the scrutinies from the guard. Hopefully, the whole charade put together would be enough to convince the man that they were just innocent padawans that wanted a leg up on the competition.

Thankfully, the guard almost stretching it out for them, eventually informed the group that he wouldn't be writing them up but that they had to leave. None of them moved at first, each one of them knowing exactly the contents that were in the room and that if the guard walked down, they were fucked. Kal made the first move though and headed towards the door, the action snapping Vren from his slight haze as he peered over to Tocklin before motioning him to follow with.

Leaving the sight of the guard, Kalam mentioned that all of them would have to go back in and retrieve the items. Vren knew exactly what was happening and at the same time, Tocklin opened his mouth to argue. Before a word could get uttered out, the padawan would feel a light smack on his chest before an answer, "They saw us together. Were linked." Tock wasn't exactly pleased but it answered his question.

After Kalam introduced himself, Vren paused for a moment before he responded. "Name's V." His full name wasn't going to be given, especially in a way that can connect him to whatever was happening if they got caught. He tended to brush with the rules too much to risk it. The other padawan nodded and answered too, "Tock." With introductions out of the way, Vren spoke up again, "Let's get this over with quick. It won't be long before someone checks out the room."

When they arrived from the other side, Vren would be crouched down beside a pillar a little off from the room they had been kicked out from. Luckily, the guard wasn't inside but unluckily, he stood right outside, a datapad in hand as he texted on it. The Echani grunted softly in annoyance that the same guard was before them. Turning to face the others, their situation didn't look pleasant, "We'll need a distraction. He's posted."

Thinking to himself for a moment, his thoughts wouldn't draw anything conclusive until he slowly brought his gaze to Tock. The padawan noticed and offered an arched eyebrow back.

@Wit

 

[Kalam Mekhar]

Kal nodded as the two introduced themselves, glad that V had managed to convince his friend to help, they really didn't have time to argue on the matter. The sooner they got those sacks out of the room the lower the chances of anyone spotting them.

Once they were near the room, spotting the guard waiting outside, Kal watched as V and Tock shared a look, before Tock turned to him. "I saw a water dispenser back there," he said as he started walked back the way they had come, "go and grab the stuff as quickly as you can!"

Kal followed him with his eyes till he disappeared around a corner, and soon after a loud crashing sound and the distinct sound of water splashing started coming from the direction in which he had gone. Kal tuned to V to ask exactly what Tock had done, till he noticed that whatever Tock had done had worked as the guard was moving. The only problem was he was coming straight for them.

"Crap, this way!" He gestured for the nearest door and rushed in, the duo making it in just in time for the guard to walk past without spotting them. As they waited for the guards footsteps to recede, he turned to V inquisitively. "You two seem to be comfortable with situations like this. Not your first time creating trouble like this?"

Keeping the conversation going as he would lead the way back towards the room, he would try to swing it open only to face resistance. "Shit," he said turning to V, a look of alarm on his face, "I think he locked the door!"

@Orbit

 

[Vren Mallick]

Kal glanced over with a questioning look, which would earn just a sharp shrug from Vren as he waited. It was one of the situations where you just went with whatever happened, especially with Tock. To prove his point, the sound of water crashing came from behind but the guard moved to check it out. It was the window they needed except for the fact that he was coming straight at the pair. Kal suggested the door quickly and Vren extended his hands out wide while making a face as he stood up, silently asking how he expected the Echani to get across the hall without being spotted.

Instead of dashing across, Vren took a step back and glanced around him and then up, thinking to himself. There wasn't anything for him to hide behind and instead, he just jumped upward and to the ceiling. In the air, he jutted both his feet out to each wall in order to support him as he caught himself. At first, he began to rotate forward uncontrollably and waved his arms counter-clockwise before he was able to shoot out his hand and grab onto a corner.

Seconds ticked as the guard passed underneath him and began to walk past, his legs burning from the uncomfortable position. Both of them waited just a little bit longer to confirm he was gone and when the coast was clear, Vren dropped down with a soft thud. Upon standing, Kal asked if he was used to creating trouble and that earned a chuckle out of him, "For me, not in the slightest. Me and Tock together? Relatively new but we didn't know we'd be such a dangerous pair." The two had met through being roomed together.

When Kal tried to the door and revealed it was locked, Vren slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a paper clip before motioning the padawan to step back. A little glimpse into how they could be dangerous being offered. Getting on one knee, he bent the clip quickly before inserting it into the lock, finagling it inside as he struck the pins. It would take a few moments but eventually, the lock would click and Vren offered a glance to Kal before he opened the door wide and peeked inside the room.

The items were still there and instead of rushing in, Vren utilized the force, a bag shooting to his hands before he passed it on to Kal and repeating the process.

 

[Kalam Mekhar]

Stepping back from the door, Kal raised an eyebrow on seeing Vren pick the lock equal parts surprised and impressed. This was the sort of thing he had never needed to know, not till now, and seeing Vren make use of such a skill to get them out of a pickle made him wonder if there was some advantage to having talents such as these in ones repertoire. Who knew when it might come in handy.

Making a mental to ask either Gwen or Vren himself on the matter, he accepted the bag that Vren passed to him and prepared to lead the away when he remembered something just as Vren was about to close and lock the door behind them. "Wait." He said as he stopped the silver-haired padawan from closing the door and took half a step in through the doorway so that he could see under the table. The box he had slid down under it was still there, and a tug through the force brought it skidding along the floor to his feet. Scooping the box up, he gave a nod to V and pulled back. "Alright, we're good."

Once the other padawan managed to lock the door he would start leading the way at a quick walk down the corridor, the initial direction in which they had first escaped the guard. They would round a couple of corners in a hurry, till the sound of urgent steps suddenly approached from ahead. Slowing dow cautiously, Kal was about to start looking around for a place to stash the sacks when a jogging Tock emerged from around the corder.

"Did it work?" he asked urgently, not even taking a moment to notice the sacks the two boys carried, "Did you get the stuff?"

Kal smiled, raising the sack to dangle it in front of him before stepping up to him. "Yeah, it worked." He came to a stop in front of him and showed the box into his hands. "That's for the both of you," he said as he gave a glance back to V, "on the house, as a thank you for helping get the rest back."

He wasn't sure how Gwen would feel about him giving away her stuff for free, but they had helped him out and honor demanded that he thank them for it. Besides, he already owed her, so what was a little more. Of course, there was also the fact that he didn't really know which box this was, so for all he knew its contents, which were a mystery to him as well, might be completely useless for the V and Tock.

@Orbit

 

[Vren Mallick]

Their pseudo assembly line was efficient and it only took a minute or two for the pair to empty the room of its contents. When the box was retrieved by Kal, Vren slid the clip back in the lock and with a few twists, relocked the door. With no sign of their tampering, he lifted the bags that he could carry comfortably before he began to follow after the other padawan as they left the scene of the "crime".

Navigating through the hallways, the pair would eventually find a resting spot before a hurried pair of footsteps came after them. Vren was ready to just heave the bags away but then saw that it was just Tock catching up with them, earning a loud sight from him as he dropped his head a little, his beating heart easing a little.

Before he could answer the question, Kal showed off their haul while Vren dropped his bags by the padawan's legs and returned the items. The box was offered as a reward and that earned an arched eyebrow from the Echani as he took it in his hands. Tock stepped over by him, excitement playing across his face as he slapped a hand on his friend's back, "I told you that tonight wasn't going to be completely worthless."

Vren cocked his head, unable to drum up an argument, and was about to open the box before he stopped his hand halfway. His golden gaze flicked up to Kal before he simply just handed the container back with a shake of his head. "No offense to you Kal, I don't know you and these aren't yours. It's questionable whether you're even able to make the offer you just did." Glancing over at Tock, his friend was just making a face before he took a step back while slapping his forehead, wanting the obvious reward.

Returning his attention back to Kal, "Compromise? We return everything in good faith and we get to meet the girl who actually owns all this. Would love a face-to-face to get to know her, can you make that happen?" Of course, he could most likely find her among classes when they had to be taught but it wouldn't have the weight of her partner behind it, or whatever Kal was.

 

[Guinevere Beck]

Kal didn't take offense at Vren's words, rather he found the boy's opinion on this matter commendable and accepted with a approving smile. The only problem with his request was that Kal himself never knew when or where he would actually find Gwen when he wanted to, she was either off somewhere getting into trouble, or locked away in detention after getting caught causing trouble. The good thing was that he did know here to find her today, when he would meet her to turn in the remaining goods and the earnings from earlier. So he had them tag along and lead the way to one of the abandoned courtyards that had been ruined by a ship or something crashing into it god knows how far back.

"You know," a voice said as they reached the courtyard, a dark haired girl sitting on a toppled pillar glaring in their direction, waving a datapad in her hand, "the whole point of those cameras was to avoid situations like this. When I asked you to install it at a good vantage point I didn't mean right next door to the room you were setting up shop in."

She hopped down the few feet to the ground from the ruined top of the pillar and started walking towards the three boys, and started talking as she went to each of them to examine the sacks and the box they held. "Can you imagine the sort of trouble we'd get into if Master Marr found out about this?" (@Logan) She plucked the box from Tock's hands and stepped back to open it up, inspecting it for a second before closing the lid.

"I guess introductions are in order," she said, returning her attention to the boys, "I'm Gwen, and you two," she let her eyes linger on V and Tock before locking in on the silver haired boy, having seen him help Kal get the goods out on the holocam outside the room, "are likely in line for a loyalty discount."

She briefly glanced at Kal, slightly irritated once more. "I was about to run over and get your ass out of trouble when my datapad started blowing up with alarms from that holocam. I was sure you couldn't get past that locked door," she turned to V again, an intrigued smile on her lips, "but you seem more prepared for this sort of work than boy-scout here. What do you say to working for me, in return for a nice employee discount on any future purchases?"

@Orbit

 

[Vren Mallick]

Vren's request earned a smile and he was glad his idea wasn't outright rejected. Kal asked for them to follow, both the padawans picking up their bags and box once more in order to finally drop off the contraband. While the Echani hadn't expected to be dragged into this type of situation that night, he couldn't help but sense the excitement that bubbled through him and adrenaline that coursed through his veins. Trouble always seemed to find him but the decision to head out hadn't been worthless at all.

They all eventually arrived at an abandoned courtyard, one that he had never been to before as he mostly spent time at the training grounds or other areas inside the temple. The group didn't get very far within before a feminine voice sliced through the air as it reamed Kal for his camera placement. Vren offered a quick glance to Tock, a slight smile tugging at his lips, his friend chuckling softly too but quieting himself shortly after. It was like one of those moments you went to a friend's house and their parents were yelling at them.

Sharp golden eyes swung toward that direction and found a lone girl who could only be Gwen, appearing around the same age as him. She approached the group after hopping down, inspecting her contents while making a comment about Knight Marr and her punishments. Vren had experienced one of her "punishments" first hand and how it resulted in attempting to steal an artifact, a smirk uncontrollably touching his lips at the memory. "I really couldn't..." It was just the plain truth but it would certainly be memorable. His bag was placed on the ground afterward.

When everything was in order and Gwen introduced herself, Vren gave her a slight cock of his head at the mention of a loyalty discount. "Appreciate it heavily but add reliable notification of when you're setting up shop too." Tonight would be the last night him and Tock missed her wares and got scraps. "Name's V," the Echani finally introducing himself back. Tock offered his own greetings too after.

Seeing the smile play on Gwen's face, he arched his eyebrow questioningly until she suggested that he became an employee of hers. Vren, at first, chuckled while he shook his head leisurely and walked over to one of the nearby pillars to lean on. His arms crossed over his chest, thinking about how a job offer hadn't been something he thought he would get that night. "And what type of work would that be Gwen? I'm not trying to sell your wares during the graveyard shift." The padawan glanced toward Kal then and offered a slight shrug as an apology before considering another aspect, "And I don't really want to start considering myself a thief." It dawned on him what she fully saw on the camera.

@Wit

 

[Guinevere Beck]

"Reliable noitification?" Gwen replied to Vren's comment about the timing of her shops, her left eyebrow rising inquisitively. "It's always the same, find out how long Master Roh's history class lasted for and the shop opens those many house after the dinner bell." She glanced from V to Tock, wondering how they had been tracking her pop-up stores without that info. "You did know that right? Were you just guessing all this time? You might be scraping the bottom of the barrel with regards to inventory."

Shaking her head, an amused and bemused look on her face, she let the matter drop as V introduced himself, taking a note to figure out later if it was just V or if it stood for something. Maybe Victarion , or Vercingetorix. She highly doubted it was Vercingetorix, but ever since she had learned of the name she really wanted to meet someone with the name.

"Don't worry," she replied in response to his question regarding the nature of employment she was offering, "none of this is stolen. Though given how you two handled that situation with the guard you might have a career that way." The grin on her face, and the tone of her voice making it clear that she was joking, though she was just as curious as Kal had been about how V knew how to pick locks like that. "No, what I'm asking for is help bring stuff in. People come to me for things they can't get, simple stuff that I could sneak in easily enough. But the Council's mandates make it a little trickier to sneak in and out, which is where you would come in." She grabbed one of the sacks and reached in to pull out some chocolate bars, tossing some to the others before begining to munch on one herself.

"I have the means to get in and out," she continued, "and I used to have a friend who's acocmpany me, but the fool went and got herself knighted and thinks it isn't right for her to help me anymore. So I need a second pair of eyes to take her place, someone quick on their feet and capable of getting out of tricky situations. Don't worry," she said with a look at Kal, who seemed to be bothered by the topic, "I won't ask you, I know how you feel about breaking more rules." Having placated Kal, she returned her attention to V. "No thieving, no illegal activities," she said, ""outside of breaking curfew and some sneaking around to slip off planet. See exotic worlds, visit new places, and get a nice little discount when you want something. Not a bad offer."

@Orbit

 

[Vren Mallick]

Vren was a little stumped as to why the idea of a reliable heads-up appeared to be extravagant as he arched his own eyebrow inquisitively at her, highlighting his lack of knowledge about her operation. After it was revealed that it was simply scheduled with the history class and after the dinner bell, both Tock and Vren slowly brought their gazes to meet each other. In unison, both letting out a collective groan, Vren would just turn his head away and smack the back of it against his pillar as he closed his eyes, Tock firmly face-palming himself as he dropped his head into his hand. It was safe to say that they had been guessing.

Gwen joked that he could possibly have a career as a thief and while he could somewhat tell it was a joke, Vren tugged a forced smile to lips, one that held no humor and was primarily used to keep the conversation rolling on. However, she actually clarified what she would be requiring and was basically offering to turn him into a smuggler, it at least a couple of steps better than a thief depending on which angle someone inspected it from.

When she finished the rest of her hiring pitch, explaining how she lost her previous company for these little trips and that there actually wouldn't be any stealing involved, the Echani was clearly in his own thoughts, staring at her but his gaze distant while he twirled the covered chocolate bar in his fingers. Breaking rules wasn't an issue for him, it was the idea of thieving or other illegal activities. Vren had been told all of his early life that he was nothing and would just end up as a worthless leech to others, pretty much literally and figuratively. The idea of possibly proving them right could make him puke.

The Echani glanced toward Tock after a few moments, gauging his reaction that only earned a shrug of the shoulders, "Don't look at me. She's asking you, I just knocked over a water jug. I'm happy as hell with my discount already." The padawan couldn't really blame his friend for that line of thinking.

Vren returned his attention back to Gwen, exhaling slowly before unfolding his arms, finally arriving at a decision, "What would be our first job together? Which exotic planet do you plan on taking us to?" It was clear that the padawan was loosening up to the idea of working with her but there was still apprehensive in his voice, not against her but how they would collect. Vren then split open the wrap of the chocolate bar and took a little piece, tossing it into his mouth as he added, "We can talk about reward/payment later." A discount was nice but didn't mean much when he practically had no credits.

@Wit

 

[Guinevere Beck]

"Well," Gwen replied to Vren's question "exotic might not be the word I would have used, unless explaining you spent your entire life holed up in a little town and are wow'd by anything new." She winked at Kal as she made the joke at his expense, his reaction letting the others know that this wasn't the first time she had picked on him. "But if you like sand, crash sites, and people who don't bathe for months then you'll love Jakku."

She would take another bite out of her bar of chocolate before wrapping it up and putting it into a pocket, and rubbing her hands clean on her robes before stepping up to the boys to pick up the sacks. "It's cool if it isn't exotic enough for you," she said as she hosted them over her shoulders, "but if you're in then meet me at the secondary landing port on the south side of the temple. The one the engineering kids use for their crazier experiments, they have a ship there that they let me borrow." Borrow was a loose term, Gwen had slopped out with it on occasion and brought it back in one piece along with a peace offering so they hadn't complained. So she was sure as long as they didn't blow the ship up they'd be fine to use it once more.

"You can keep that by the way." She said with a nod towards the box, before gesturing for Kal to follow her as she made to leave. "Now we'd better scram before someone catches us," she said with a last look to V, "I guess if you're in I'll see you tonight, an hour after lights out. Otherwise we'll be in touch!"

Leaving V and Tock to talk it out, she would leave with Kal, to sort through the day's business, and then to go grab a bite to prepare for the little adventure that she had planned for later that night.

@Orbit

 

[Vren Mallick]

Tugging on the exotic string, Gwen quickly backtracked and amended that their destination would just be the desert planet of Jakku. Unknown to everyone else in the group, the number of planets that Vren had visited could be counted on one hand. A desert planet would be a first for him and there was a mix of excitement and nervousness at the idea of it. The heat didn't bother him, it was that if anything went wrong, it was practically the worst place to be.

The sacks were picked up by their respective owner before the box that the Echani had nearly forgotten about was offered as a reward to him. An eyebrow was arched slightly but a nod was given afterward in appreciation before he picked it up and placed it beside Tock. After the two had left, Vren exhaled before taking a couple of steps away from Tock and spinning on his heel to face his friend, his arms crossed once more, "Well, what you think?"

Tock rubbed the back of his head, glancing around as if he would find the answer out there before he came to his own, "I'm just here for the discount man. If you really want to go off to other planets, be my guest but it doesn't sound the most reliable." The padawan then gave a shrug of his shoulders.

Vren didn't respond at first as he thought to himself, his gaze mostly aimed toward the ground. There were no plans by him to run a sort of smuggling ring or to make a profit but the idea of adventuring out did appeal to him. The studies of Jedi were moving slowly, especially for him and what he needed. Possible new scenery and situations could be quite valuable experience to have and allow him to practice without any over-watchful gaze. The answer was beginning to form in his head solidly in the span of less than a minute.

The Echani finally lifted his golden eyes to Tock before nodding to the box, "Mind taking that box and putting it on my bed?" It was his answer to what he planned to do and his friend chuckled before stowing the box underneath his arm.

A little while later, Vren would be at the designated hanger that Gwen had spoken of. His clothing was the typical outfit he usually wore, jacket, pants, and boots. It would most likely need to be modified when they arrived at Jaku but that would come later. The Echani was surprised, the ship that she had also spoken of was there and dormant. It led him to believe maybe these little trips weren't so as far-fetched as he thought.

Knowing that Gwen would most likely arrive soon, he decided to lean against a crate and just wait. There were still possibilities of guards with it past lights out and he kept a vigilant eye about in case one of the patrols decided to cross him.

@Wit

 

[Guinevere Beck]

Wearing one of her older robes, its brown fabric patched and mended in places, Gwen made her way to the hangar after a surprise spot check of their dormitory almost resulted in her getting detention for not making her bunk that morning, or for any days before that. She didn't get the point of making your bed when you would unmake it the moment you went to use it. A little buttering up, some false promises of having things in order in the future, and the knight who acted as their wing's resident assistant had let her go without writing her up. But the result was that she was a little late for her late night excursion, though not knowing if V and Tock would take her up on her offer she wasn't sure if she was keeping anyone waiting.

Arriving at the hangar, she found V waiting, raising a hand in greeting as she made her way towards the Echani padawan. "You came," she said, "Jakku too glamorous to turn down huh?" A lop-sided grin appeared on her face as she gestured towards the ship. "Meet Zed, the engineering club's crown jewel, and our ride off world."

Leading the way on board the ship, she would start giving V the tour of the decrepit old freighter. "She was just sitting on Ajan Kloss, forgotten and unused. When the Sith attacked a bunch of us were evacuated in her," she tapped the ship's hull fondly as she lead them towards the cockpit, "don't think anyone expected her to actually fly but she came through when we needed her. Since then the engineering kids have been looking after her, and the rest of us help out as best as we can with parts and supplies to keep her alive."

Once in the cockpit, she was about to jump into the pilot's seat before realizing that V might find if hard to fit into the co-pilot's seat, which had been modified to accommodate someone much smaller. "Why don't you fly," she said as she got into the co-pilot's seat, "I'll handle the navigation. The ship's got more than one droid brain dancing around in there and takes a little getting used to. I kid you not the first time I tried to take her to Coruscant I somehow landed on Dagobah."

@Orbit

 

[Vren Mallick]

It took longer than he expected but Gwen finally made her appearance in the hanger. She offered him a wave and he gave her a nod as a reply while she approached. The idea that Jakku was too glamorous earned a smirk from him and a little twist of his head, "Something like that." With the number of planets, he visited able to be counted on one hand, any planet that could have been offered for the trip would have been "too glamorous to turn down."

The third member of their party was introduced to him after, Zed, a frieghter that appeared more wore down than anything else but still stood there confidently somehow. Even though Vren wasn't exactly a pilot or knew much about ships, character and history radiated from the machine and he wondered just how much she had gone through in her lifetime. As Gwen entered onto the ship, the Echani would be behind her but pause for a moment outside, offering one more quick glance around at the whole body of the ship before he offered a soft slap to one of the ramp suspension poles, "Nice to meet you, Zed..." The Echani figured it was proper to introduce himself if he was entrusting this thing to get him to Jakku and back safely.

As he was given a small tour of the insides, Vren was surprised by the amount of space that was offered and was pleasantly comfortable. If only engineering kids were the reason that the ship was able to lift itself off the ground, they had something to be quite proud of in the Echani's mind. "Impressive." It was his only answer as he didn't know any specifics about ships and what to ask about the process of keeping it alive.

They reached the cockpit and Gwen first went to the pilot seat. Turning to the one option left, Vren didn't move at first to the co-pilot seat as even from where he was, he could tell it couldn't fit him. Thankfully, she caught the predicament too and he hoped he was going to be given the offer of just relaxing during the trip. Instead, Gwen suggested he be the one to fly as she nimbly went over to the other seat and slid in. Vren's gaze flicked multiple times silently between the pilot seat and Gwen before he responded, "Yeah..."

Most likely it was his stubborness and mixture of pride but he didn't want to admit he wasn't the best pilot when it seemed so common to everyone else. Vren understood the basics of flying but enough that he could get from one point to another with no guarantee of a safe landing. With one hand hand placed on the seat to spin it toward him, he conformed himself to the seat before facing the controls. Vren only stared at them for a moment but he flipped and clicked the switches and buttons needed for the engines to roar to life.

When it was prepped, the padawan lifted the sticks as Zed pushed herself into the air. Instead of just hovering in one spot however, she continued to go backwards and her behind would hit the roof of the hanger as the pair inside would lurch forward. Even Zed groaned practically groaned herself. Vren stopped himself halfway from smacking his face into the controls before he offered a glance to Gwen with a slight shrug following it, "Just warming up." The Echani readjusted himself firmly back into his seat and gave his whole body a little shake, "Take two."

Understanding her slightly more, Vren sent the sticks forward as he intended to calmly pull out from the hanger. Instead however, Zed, almost as if waiting for her opportunity to stretch her legs fully once more, practically screeched as they shot out from the temple like a bullet. The Echani almost was sent fully back into his chair as the ship screamed in almost exhilaration. However, they were coming out too fast and aimed right at the treeline, it growing closer and closer with each passing second.

With another yank upward, the ship heeded his command tilted that way before soaring into the air, the tips of trees scraping along the bottom as some of the branches broke off and fell. Vren breathed heavily but glanced out the window, almost surprised but chuckling softly, "Alright girl, easy now." Zed practically purred as she reached a cruising speed and broke through the atmosphere to be welcomed by a spectacle of stars.

@Wit

 

[Guinevere Beck]

Gwen gripped the console in front of her as the ship lurched backwards, hitting something behind them, letting go once V stopped their backward trajectory. "It's fine," she said as she eased herself back into the co-pilot's seat, "if you're gonna mess around then might as well mess around in a worthless old ship that already has more dents than you can count. Right?"

As the ship shot out the hangar, Gwen's eyes widened momentarily as she spotted the trees they seemed to be headed for, but she barely had any time to shout a warning because Vren got things under control just in time and they barely scrapped the treeline on their way out. Chuckling uncomfortably, Gwen let go of the tight grip she had on her seat's arm-rest, unaware that she had even done that. "You're not Corellian," she asked as she let her body unclench and relax into the seat, "are you? Cause that was about as Corellian a take-off as I've seen!"

Letting out another chuckle, this one much more good-natured, she shook her head and leaned forward to start punching in commands into the console screen in front of her. "Whatever you did," she said as she punched in the co-ordinates for Jakku and prepped the hyperdrive for the jump, "she seemed to like it, I haven't seen the droid brains be so co-operative." Satisfied with her work, she leaned back, and turned to V with a nod. "Coordinates locked in, hyperdrive prepped. Give the word and we're ready to jump."

@Orbit

 

[Vren Mallick]

Despite their rough start-up, the ship traveled in a perfectly straight line, Vren barely needing to touch the controls in order to center it. On the comment of being a Corellian, he could only cock his head as a response, his stomach silently cursing him out for a brief second at the riduclous speed they took before settling. Even with the close collision of the forest, the readings for Zed were indeed all healthy and cooperated with Gwen's statement as there were no unusual pops or bangs that transpired while they flew.

Vren didn't know what he did but he was grateful that it worked and it resulted in both of them alive and not in a burning wreckage. After the coordinates were given, he gave Gwen a nod and aligned the ship toward the direction of Jakku, fully grasping the power of Zed and understanding how to control her slightly more. It was also much easier to fly in open-space then their land take-off as well, at least for the Echani.

With everything set and double-checking the coordinates just to be precise, Vren put his hand on the shifter for hyper-speed before annoucing, "Jumping to hyper-speed." With a push, the shifter smoothly sailed forward and locked in place. Zed rumbled for a few seconds as she warmed up her drive, specks of blue beginning to form in the edges of the viewport before rapidly multiplying until they shot forward into hyperspace and into whatever awaited them.

 

[Guinevere Beck]

OOC: A few hours later...

"..and so I told her that I'd help her help her get another cake on short notice, and next thing you know people were coming to me when they needed something," she gave the console a glance as it blinked a warning, "and you know what they say, never do what you like for free."

"Anyways," she said as she turned back to check the warning light, realizing that they were about to emerge out of hyperspace, "we're here. I better not see any of that mentioned in the next Jedi Weekly."

Having passed the time regaling Vren about how she had nearly ruined a birthday party by ruining the cake, and then helping find the supplies last might to bake a new one, had lead her down this line of work, Gwen returned her attention to the console, saying a silent prayer as the ship slipped out of hyperspace. The last time she had done this things had gone horribly wrong, so seeing Jakku below them was a relief.

"Thank god," she said softly, before catching herself and turning to V with a confident smile, "I mean welcome to Jakku!" She typed a few quick commands into the console in front of her and an entry vector showed up in front of Vren. "That's our destination, no spaceports where we're going. Hope you brought sunscreen."

@Orbit