Ask Smuggle Me Daddy

[Karys]

Troiken was a world of weather extremes, one side frozen, the other burning deserts, with a habitable area near the equator. It was a world that Karys would have never normally visited but he had heard of a particular pagoda that sold some of best tea this side of the galaxy. As such, he had flown there to see and taste the tea brewed by the owner himself.

Karys had come wearing clothes that were appropriate for his climate preferences. As he grew closer to the structure, he took off his sunglasses and hooked them onto the front of his button down. He paused on the approach to take in the scenery that had been so carefully crafted, it was unlike anything he had ever seen. His world didn't have gardens that were tended to for the sheer pleasure of the gardener, everything planted along the shores of the thermal lakes had a purpose. What he saw here was a variety vegetation that had been meticulously cared for, this was someone's passion and he could appreciate that.

With that in mind, Karys took great care when continuing his approach to the pagoda, only stopping a handful of times to gaze at a plant or flower that particularly interested him. Once he came to the massive entrance of the building he could see a large tree at the center of the ground level. Surrounding that was a striking contrast, a sand arena. Karys needn't guess what the arena was for, he'd seen similar made from ice and snowbanks on Ziost. Not wanting to simply intrude on whoever had taken the time to create such a tranquil place. He instead rapt on the frame of the door once, waited a moment and then called out.

"I'm sorry to intrude." His baritone voice rumbled out. "I've heard this place offers some of the best tea in the sector." He continued. "I was hoping to sample some, and I'd be willing to pay."

@TheDudeMike

 

[Param Vour]

Shortly after the knocks, a red and silver BD-unit scrambled from a stair-case just to the left of the entrance, looking up at the pureblood. It beeped and woo'd excitedly. It was of course, plying the pureblood with questions about his business at the pagoda, what his intentions were, and all sorts of accusatory questions to make the little droid look like it was defending its home. Param drifted down the steps with graceful movements, taking her time with the journey.

"Oh stop, Vee," she said, reaching the entrance. Vee turned to her and hopped up onto her left shoulder, settling into his little perch. Param gave him a gentle pat on the head before turning her silver eye'd attention to the pureblood. While he was dressed in something that Param had really only seen the college boys wearing in the city, Param was in her usual lounging clothes; a black crop hoodie and a pair of grey joggers, leaving her athletic midriff bare.

She folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the door frame, eyeing the Sith up and down for a moment. "Yeah, okay," Param said, the suspicion in her expression completely replaced by a warm smile. "C'mon in. I just brewed a fresh pot." Vee made a series of annoyed beeps. "Yeah yeah, you're right, Vee. You brewed it, but it's my recipe." She returned with two ceramic, handle-less cups and a ceramic teapot, setting the cups down on a table just outside of the kitchen area to the right first before pouring the tea.

"Hope you like some heat," she said. "It's a blend of spices and peppers from the garden."

@Apollyon

 

[Karys]

Karys had expected a person or perhaps a tree-person, the strange creatures called Neti, to come from within the pagoda. Instead, a tiny red and silver BD droid raced down a staircase to the entrance. The small droid chirped in expectantly in binary at him.

Karys cocked an eyebrow ridge at the tiny droid, hadn’t he just announced why he was there? He once likely would have felt a flare of annoyance that soured his mood. But he was a different person now, the trials he had overcome had changed him. While he still felt some level of annoyance, it didn’t linger. Instead, it was a reactionary streak that faded almost as quickly as it had emerged.

“Is your owner home?” He asked as he crouched to address the tiny droid.

However, before the droid could answer, almost as if summoned by the question, she came down the steps. An Echani woman, roughly his age, rounded the counter and gently chided the droid. Karys smirked at the interaction.

“It’s very protective over this place, you have a well programmed droid.” Karys stated, his eyes flicked from Vee and back to his owner.

After the short exchange between Vee and its owner, the Echani invited Karys into her pagoda without a second thought. As she turned around. A look of raw confusion was plastered to Karys face. But he leaned down unlaced his shoes and left them by the entrance before following the woman deeper into the Pagoda.

She led him to an area right outside of her kitchen, where she eventually came back with a ceramic kettle and two ceramic cups. She placed the kettle in the small table, once she had seated herself, Karys would take the seat opposite of her.

“Spices are good.” He replied with a pleasant smile. “I’m Karys, by the way.” He continued, introducing himself without all the preamble for the first time in his life. “Your home is beautiful, I was admiring your garden outside.” He told her before blowing some of the steam from the top of the cup she had filled for him.

Slowly, Karys would take a small sip from the cup to sample the tea and close his eyes. He let it rest on his pallet, enjoying the taste of the different spices and herbs blending together. It was not a subtle blend, instead it was striking and bold. It stood out from other teas he had in the past and yet somehow, it reminded him of home.

A small smile formed on his lips as he opened his eyes. “It seems they were right, you do make one of the best teas in the sector.”

@TheDudeMike

 

[Param Vour]

"Param," she said, taking a sip of her tea almost immediately. It had taken her most of the free time between training sessions with Master Thel to get a blend that reigned supreme over all others in the sector, but she had finally done it, and she loved every second it lingered on her tongue and in her throat. "Thank you, it's an echani design. Eshan is full of temples like this." She looked around the inside of the pagoda, as if seeing it for the first time herself. It still amazed her just how amazing it had come out.

Vee beeped and woo'd at her in an angry tone. Param shook her head, putting the tea down to pat the little droid's head. "Some people don't see droids as friends, buddy. It's not our place to try to change their minds." Vee answered with a resigned woo. Even Master Thel called Vee an "it," though Vee had gotten used to that. She turned her attention back to the pureblood, one that seemed to be full of compliments and wasn't afraid to use them.

"You must really like tea, Karys," she said. "I can give you some pre-packaged bags if you want? On the house since you made the trip all the way out here from Korriban." The only other pureblood she knew was Cyu, and she was from Korriban, so Param assumed he would be too.

@Apollyon

 

[Karys]

Param, the name was familiar, he’d heard it somewhere before. Karys expression flattened slightly as he searched his memory for where he’d heard that name before. The answer came to him, Master Thel’s apprentice! A calm smile appeared on his lips at the revelation, she too was Sith.

Karys would sip his tea in silence while Param’s little droid chirped to her in binary. He listened with extreme interest while she explained to the droid how not everyone treated droids as friends. The thought was amusing but potentially useful, he’d make a note of it for later.

It was her final offer that struck Karys, Korriban? Korriban?! Why in the world would she assume he was from Korriban? Karys half choked on his tea in reaction to her offer.

<It’s a pleasure to meet you Param. But I’m not from Korriban, I’m from Ziost. What made you think otherwise?> He replied in a Ziosti dialect of the Sith language.

As he spoke there would be a look of genuine shock and confusion was written on his face. The only two words in “basic” being Korriban and Ziost. As the names of the worlds were the same in both languages. Since Param clearly knew of his people and was the Apprentice to such a notable Sith Master, Karys assumed she could also speak his language.

 

[Param Vour]

The moment Karys began to speak in his native tongue, he would be met with widened silver eyes and a mouth that was slightly agape. She shook her head, in small almost unnoticeable movements at first but then full on oscillation. To add to the show of Param not knowing what the hell the pureblood had just said, she raised her hands just above the table and shook them slightly too, the universal hand signal for please stop.

"I don't know what you just said," she said bluntly, expression relaxing when he was done. "My EZ Pods are upstairs so if we could stick to basic. I think I heard Korriban and Ziost?" The only time she'd ever heard such a language was in a potions class she took on Umbara. Not even Cyu had spoken her native tongue to Param. It was an interesting language, but it was lost on Param.

Vee picked it up though. He beeped and woo'd excitedly at Param. Her silver gaze turned to the little droid as he hopped off her shoulder and onto the table, translating what the pureblood had said. Param's expression turn to one of shocked horror. "Oh, I'm so sorry," she said, looking up at Karys. "My... friend is from Korriban and she's a pureblood like you. Is Ziost like Korriban?"

@Apollyon

 

[Karys]

Karys cocked and eyebrow at Param’s display. She made it perfectly clear that she didn’t speak his language. Karys place his cup of tea down, propped his arm up, and rested his chin on the balled fist. His crimson eyes glinted with amusement as Param explained herself to him. His face tightened in faux offense. He wasn’t actually offended of course. While it was uncommon for some Acolytes to not know the Sith language it wasn’t unheard of either.

His attention turned to Vee when the droid chattered away. The immediate response is what caused Karys’ icy features to break into a small grin. He gave a half chuckle at Param’s apology and waved it off before returning to his tea.

“I’m more surprised Master Thel hasn’t taught you of the Ancient Sith.” He responded. “But as a cursory lesson, Korriban and Ziost have very little in common.” He began. “Korriban is the birthplace of my people but Ziost was our civilization’s cradle.” He explained. “While Korriban’s deserts represent the heat of passion and ambition. Ziost is the counterbalance, her blizzards represent the chill of rage and the will to survive.” He concluded.

Karys would then sip his spiced tea. He’d listen to any other questions Param might have about his people and do his best to answer. Then it dawned on him, she used the term “her” for her friend from Korriban. Karys eyes shot open and he almost choked on his drink. He only knew of a few others of his kind in the Order and that realization hit him like a ton of bricks.

Fuck. Please not her.

“Your friend from Korriban, tell me more of her.” He asked as he with genuine interest.

@TheDudeMike

 

[Param Vour]

Param listened intently as the pureblood educated her, at least a little bit, of his people. It fascinated her, both because she had never really met any other purebloods other than Cyu, and because there was still so much of the galaxy she'd never experienced yet. Even with all the events and happenings recently, she learned something new every day. It was sad this time though, hearing about the blizzards and chills of Ziost. Not many plants would be able to survive that sort of climate.

"Master Thel has more of a..." she paused, choosing her words carefully. "Practical kind of teaching. Everyone and everything is either an asset or a liability; there's no room for histories and pride of your people." It was true. One of the very first lessons Master Thel had taught her was to treat everyone as an asset until they were a liability. She of course never really followed that lesson, choosing instead to have friends people she cared about. There wasn't even a deep rooted hate for the people that had wronged her anymore.

"You should have seen the face of disappointment he gave me when I went back to Eshan for a bit to get in touch with my echani roots," she giggled. She took a couple sips of her tea. His question about Cyu was odd. Why would he want to know about her friends? He was here for tea, and Cyu had nothing to do with tea. Param pursed her lips, thinking of how to respond. "We met as some honor duel, and then she helped me with a mission I wanted to accomplish to impress Master Thel. She comes by pretty regularly now."

Param decided Karys didn't need to know that she was a little more than a friend. They hadn't really talked about what they were after that night. Param spent longer than she probably should have thinking and over thinking it all.

@Apollyon

 

[Karys]

Params response about Master Thel was a curious one. No room for histories or pride of origin? The Order they both served in was based in his people’s beliefs and traditions, in part at least.

“Yeah, I don’t know.” Karys replied. “Most people and things fall into those categories, I suppose.” He continued. “But I think remembering where you’re from is just as important.” He explained. “You wouldn’t have this beautiful home if it weren’t for your interest in your own culture.” He pointed out.

When Param joked about her Master’s reaction to her returning him, he gave a faux smile and half of a laugh. This was something he couldn’t sympathize with and hoped he never would. The idea of being enslaved to another being sickened him. He already had a chain binding him to his House, he didn’t need another.

But Karys didn’t allow those feelings to breach the surface. Talking about them served no purpose. Instead he simply followed along with the line of conversation.

“She sounds like a loyal friend. Especially if she did all that.” He replied. “That’s rare for us Sith.” He stated after sipping his tea again. “You’re very lucky.” A sad smile flashed on his lips for just a moment, then it faded entirely.

@TheDudeMike

 

[Param Vour]

Karys was quite enlightened. She knew enough about purebloods to know that it was likely that he was in the Order. Most Sith she knew were the brooding, only feel hatred and anger types. They usually caught off guard when Param came around with her bubbly demeanor. It was rare to find a Sith that could think outside of two emotions. It's one of the many things she liked about Cyu.

"She is," Param said with a warm smile, sipping her tea again. "Just goes to show that being hard all the time is no way to live. Sometimes you have to have a little release." She got up, taking the kettle back into the kitchen. When she returned, she had a small box of teabags filled with the very same blend Karys was sipping on. When she sat down, Vee hopped up onto her shoulder and settled in. She slid the box of teabags to him, though she noticed his smile had faded.

"That should last you quite a while, but you'll have to come back here for more if you want them," she said. "I don't quite have a shop up and running that can deliver just yet."

@Apollyon

 

[Karys]

Karys had been in the midst of sipping his tea when Param had begun to clean up the pot and her cup. He wasn’t quite sure how he felt about her, she seemed pleasant enough of a person and she held quite an esteemed position for an Acolyte by training beneath Master Thel as his Apprentice. However, she was everything contrary to what was expected of a Sith. Kind, bubbly, and trusting they were all traits that could get you killed in their world. Despite this, Karys knew that some would say the same about him, too independent, bold, and rash were written on his file.


He didn’t really care though; they were accurate descriptions of him. He did value his freedoms, the ability to do as he pleased, and had been applying Lady Cyutadakyr’s lesson about the simplest path. Before Zygerria he had refused to operate with other Sith, viewing many of them as liabilities that were incapable of anything other than brooding and ranting. After Zygerria, it was a feeling that had only intensified and his need for independence had only grown.

All of these thoughts were sent crashing into the ground at Param’s words before she turned to leave. In the midst of swallowing the spiced tea, Karys sharply inhaled. The tea rushed into his lungs which caused him to sputter and cough. He knocked over his cup as he tried to catch his breath, tea went everywhere. His eyes wide in shock of what she had just said and in pain from spiced fluid being in his lungs. He beat on his chest with a fist until he was able to gasp for breath instead of relentless cough.

“Say what?” He asked between deep breaths.

He blinked in disbelief for another few moments, he then glanced at the table and the mess she had made him cause. Gingerly he picked up the ceramic cup, which thankfully had not fallen off the table and followed her into the kitchen with it. He glanced around, clearly looking for something.

“Do you have any towelettes?” He asked. “I can clean up the mess.” He explained.

Once that was taken care of, regardless of who cleaned up the mess Karys would be gifted with a box of tea bags by Param. A gift that he couldn’t accept for free, his upbringing wouldn’t allow it. He placed a hand on the top of the box and steadily shook his head.

“I can’t accept this for free.” He replied. “And unfortunately, I am tight on credits right now.” He lied. “What if we were to trade? You opened your home to me; it only makes sense that I would do the same for you.” He explained. “If you haven’t eaten, I would love to treat you to some traditional Ziosti dishes.” He offered. “If you find this is acceptable, you can find my ship in bay 22-3-A at the spaceport.” He continued. “Feel free to bring the tea with you.”

With that, he would depart. Regardless of if she showed up or not he had preparations to make. Ziosti meals took time to make properly.

@TheDudeMike

 

[Param Vour]

Param was confused as to why Karys began choking on his tea. Did she do something? Say something? Once he had it under control she helped him clean the mess anyway. It was no big deal; nothing had gotten on the plants or the sand. His invitation to his ship for a meal seemed rather exciting. She'd never had any Ziosti food before. Eh, why not?

When she arrived at the spaceport bay Karys had instructed, she had changed into more appropriate attire for an outing. The tight leather pants were able to support her lightsaber hilt without a wardrobe malfunction, and the off-shoulder sweater came down low enough to cover the hilt entirely. Aside from the heels that clicked along the duracrete flooring, she looked like a casually dressed goth girl just taking a stroll through the spaceport.

She stopped at the bottom of the ship's ramp, holding the box of tea she had offered earlier. "Hello?" she called, "I have the right bay, right?" Param looked around the bay for numbers, finding them printed boldly along the wall. It was the right bay, he may just be inside. Just in case he couldn't hear her calling, she closed her eyes and reached out with the Force, finding him and giving his mind a gentle nudge to answer-your-door.

@Apollyon

 

[Karys]

Karys had been busy in the extended kitchen of ship since leaving Param’s pagoda. The dish he was serving was a rather simple one, but it was good for someone who had never tried his culture’s food. It was a stew made from the flank of Ziosti the repto-mammals that dwelt near the thermal lakes, whole stalks of Ziosti Frost-grain, the root of a wild flower called “Ember-blossoms” that caused the stew to take on a more spicy and bold taste, with the broth made from a base of repto-mammal bone marrow. This was served with traditional bone-bread made from a mixture of yeast, “Fire-honey”, and the finely powdered femur of the same repto-mammals.

Most of this had been pre-prepared by Karys earlier in the day while he traveled to Troiken. He hadn’t expected to feed two with it then and so he would need to make another trip to marketplaces to ensure he was well stocked to cook for the rest of the week. All of that would have to wait until later, as he felt the gentle brush against his mind, she was here. Karys quickly scooped two bowls of the stew out, placed them on the table, and scattered the petals of the ember-blossoms on the surface of the stew to finish the presentation. He knew the bread would still have a few minutes to finish baking, but they could wait to eat.

Karys would answer the door dressed extremely casually. Bare footed, a pair of jeans, a black t-shirt, with a cooking apron still over top. He padded down the ramp of his ship, paused to very openly glance up and down at Param, and then gave her a soft smile.

“You look very lovely.” He told her. “Come, the food is nearly finished.” He gestured for her to follow him inside.

 

[Param Vour]

"Thanks," she said, not quite sure what to say to him. It wasn't unusual for people to look her up and down; it sort of came with the territory of wearing semi-revealing clothing. She'd grown used to it, and normally would like it. Unfortunately for Karys, Param wasn't in the mental nor emotional space to be very receptive to his flattery and stares. Between Cyu and Kodi, she had enough people pulling her in different directions. His apron certainly won him an amused smile though.

Param followed him inside, making her way to where he was preparing the food and sat at the table there. "Smells delicious," she said. "And spicy. What's in it?" Her silver eyes watched him work over the food, reminded of a different dinner she'd had cooked in front of her. That one ended in fun, something she knew members of the Sith Order rarely had.

The nagging feeling like this get together was going to turn into Sith work, as it had so many times before, kept clawing at the back of her mind.

@Apollyon

 

[Karys]

Param's response to his attempt was neutral, not receptive. That was fine, not everyone was attracted to his kind and it was understandable. In his mind, there was a line that had been set and he wouldn't cross it again. But neither would he apologize for making his interest known. His gentle smile didn't fade as he turned and walked up the ramp towards the interior of his vessel.

Karys returned to tending to his kitchen while they waited for the bonebread to rise. He busied himself with cleaning dishes that were no longer needed, drying them, and then returning them to the proper place. Nothing would be out of order when it wasn't being used. When Param commented on the food that had or was being cooked, Karys would stop what he was doing, dry his hands on the front of his apron, and lean against a countertop in his kitchen across from her.

"I've made us a stew, it's called..." Karys paused, he realized in that moment there was no way to translate the name of the stew from Ziosti Sith to Basic. "Hmmm." He pondered aloud as he tried to think of how to convey the name. "You'll have to forgive me, the name doesn't translate well, but a close translation is Magma Soup." He explained. "We are only waiting for the bread to rise before we eat." He continued.

After this explanation and Param's curiosity, Karys would bring over raw samples of everything he had used in the stew's creation. He would explain what each item was and it's importance in the meal. He was delighted to share in his culture. Towards the end of this explanation, the timer on the oven would finally ding, and Karys would go to fetch bread for them.

"My home is arctic." He explained. "We eat everything hot and spicy, that way there is warmth in our mouths and bellies. Is your home like Korriban?" He asked as he began carefully slicing the fresh bread.

@TheDudeMike

 

[Param Vour]

Param listened, fascinated by the ingredients and the time and care it took to make such a stew. From the sounds of it, Sith culture was a deep and intricate one, not unlike her own, though she didn't quite live up to her culture's standards of etiquette and demeanor. She practiced her martial arts at least once a day, and there was that time that she tried teaching Cyu about how to get to know someone via fighting. It made her wonder just how off-shoot other people were from their own cultures.

"I"ve never been to an arctic planet before," she said. It was true. Despite everywhere she's been and gone in the galaxy, she'd never been someone where it snows or where fields of ice were common. The coldest it got for her was some of the lower levels of Nar Shaddaa. Come to think of it, Param had never seen snow before at all, not that she had any desire to.

She shoot her head at his question. "Eshan has a lot more green than Korriban. It's pretty temperate, at least the part where I'm from. I don't know what I would do if I couldn't plant gardens every where."

@Apollyon

 

[Karys]

Karys genuinely enjoyed teaching Param the little he did of his birthplace. It wasn’t something he often had the opportunity to do. When most people heard the term Pureblood they thought of their bloody past and the wars his ancestors had engaged in. Few knew what his people had become and the culture that flourished on their worlds now.

That is what Karys had come to love, not what his people were but what they had evolved into.

However, this passionate explanation was cut short by the chime of the oven. Karys pushed off from the counter and slid his hands into a pair of oven mitts that hunt above it and pulled the now risen bread out. He would give the freshly baked bread a few minutes to cool before gently prying it out and then cutting it into even slices. He brought the stew over with two slices of bread each. Once the meals were set, he would take his oven mitts off and sit across from Param. As he did all of this, he would be listening to Param at least partially.

"Arctic planets have their own charms." He finally replied, acknowledging what she had said earlier. "Many worlds are greener than Korriban." He joked, a smirk appeared on his lips. "But Eshan sounds like it is a beautiful place. Are there many gardens like yours there?" He asked before beginning to eat his stew.

@TheDudeMike

 

[Param Vour]

Param felt her stomach growl as the last piece of the meal, the bread, came to the table. It all looks so delicious! She had half a mind to just dig in, but took a more measured approach. The stew spiraled slowly as she moved a spoon in circles, watching the steam pour off it like smoke from a fire. Gently, and with a little more grace than what was probably needed, she scooped some of the stew with the spoon and brought it to her mouth.

The moment the stew touched her tongue, she could feel the spices. An assortment of flavors, all of them wonderful, excited her taste buds, and the spices brought a kick that made her want more. Between Tattooine Stir Fry and this? She'd probably take the Tatooine Stir Fry still, but Ziosti Magma Stew was a very close second. Before the first spoonful was even swallowed, she was scooping up another spoonful to add to it. Delicious.

She nodded her head, mouth full of stew. Once she swallowed, she gave an almost exasperated exhale to blow out a bit of the spice. "Almost every temple has a garden there, and from what I saw when I visited last, almost every community has a temple of some sort. It's usually taken care of by the whole community, since the temple is where the Echani perform rituals."

@Apollyon

 

[Karys]

Karys would occasionally glance up from his meal to check on Param as she ate, but he could feel her enjoyment of the meal. A feeling of contentment rolled down his spine at this, knowing that a piece of his culture was being enjoyed by another. He paced himself as he ate his meal, allowing himself to enjoy something he had eaten countless times throughout his life.

Karys listened to Param as she described her homeworld, it seemed an idyllic place. It was not like Ziost. Despite this, there was similarities or at least, at least he perceived them as similarities.

"Ziost too has temples where rituals were once performed." He began. "But my people have long abandoned them." He explained. "They stand now as relics or ruins, and are likely filled with monstrosities that guard ancient vaults." He continued, he smirked at this and tapped his spoon on the rim of his bowl.

"Your home sounds much kinder than mine though." He admitted, turning his attention back his stew. "Perhaps one day I will travel to see a Garden within one of your temples." He told her off-handedly.

@TheDudeMike

 

[Param Vour]

Param stiffened a little at the mention of Karys travelling to Eshan. She was sad to hear that his people had abandoned their rituals and temples, of course, but Sith going to Eshan was... bad. The only reason the group that had captured her when she went to Eshan didn't kill her was because she was Echani. The senator had even been guarded against her. A pureblood walking Eshan would either be rough for the pureblood or spell doom for her people.

"Eshan doesn't really like..." she paused, thinking of the right word to say. "Darksiders. Even I was stopped multiple times and captured once." She wanted to tell him that closest he would get to a garden on Eshan was hers on Troiken, but that felt a little too far. Besides, the Sith Order were a jumpy bunch. One wrong word or look and they'd be at your throat with psychotic laughs and giggles.

"You're welcome to come to my garden any time you want, though," she said. It was a compromise she was willing to make. Gardens were meant to be enjoyed by everyone, and if he would get the same amount of enjoyment from hers without risking her people, Param would give him that. The last thing she wanted was someone from the Order having an unhinged melt-down on her home world, especially not after she had reconnected with it.

"It's probably safer that way, anyway," she added. "Echani rituals usually involve combat while uh... not wearing very many clothes."

@Apollyon