There's No Such Thing as 'Luck'

[Rev]

Cuiparnam Spaceport, Ansion
Ansion System, Churnis Sector, Mid Rim

Zekk's finger tips ran through oily tendrils of hair as he stood in front of the Port Master. It'd been several weeks since he'd had a chance to make a stop, and perhaps his hyper-drive acting up was an opportune time to 'settle' down for for a night or two. His hands would come across the table top in front of him just as the man made his way into the lobby. He offered a smile and nod, one that wasn't returned by the young spacer, before opening his mouth.

"I got some good news for ya, son." He paused to gauge the situation before continuing. "Your ship isn't complete scrap!" He let out a short chuckle before continuing on, the glances he was receiving moved him along a little faster than his usual gimmick would run. "I'd give our mechanic 7 hours and your ship will be up and running. Come back any time and I'll let ya know where we stand."

Zekk gave the stranger a final return nod before turning on his heel and heading towards the port exit. There had to be something around here worth looking into, perhaps he could pay for his ship while waiting for it..

@Megilwen @Kaylara Dornelles

 

[Kaylara Dornelles]

Kara had done something she swore to herself she'd never do, forget to to be prepared for something. Namely, in this instance, her unusual forgetfulness had manifested itself in not completely refueling her ship before setting out on the lengthy journey to Ilum. While there were certainly bigger mistakes to be made, the Jedi cursed internally at her self as she was forced to find a nearby refueling station.

Interacting with the holoscreen on her ships' dashboard she set a slight detour in her hyperspace direction to the nearby planet of Ansion. While not entirely familiar with the system itself, Kara deemed it to be adequate of her quick needs. Landing at the Cuiparnam Spaceport, but before exiting the ship, the Jedi changed into a more discreet version of her Jedi attire, wearing somewhat loose fitting brown pants, with a pair of leather boots, and a brown tunic. To the average being, it would appear most normal. The last thing she wanted was to get into some sort of Jedi related situation. This was simply a refueling stop.

Tieing her blonde hair into a loose ponytail, Kara exited the ship, and proceeded to locate one of the attendants, paying him for the service and the cost of the fuel. While waiting she looked around the large area observing the incoming and exiting ships, while feeling something she wasn't quite sure of. Was something off here? Or had she just been in space too long and needed a break? Sighing quietly, Kara furrowed her brow somewhat, returning her gaze to the spaceships.

 

[Rev]

The starport began to rumble as if something below the surface was erupting... almost splitting the very ground below it. In reality it was the sound of a fuel line bursting as was a common occurrence in this sad hole of a planet. Turning to his left Zekk was able to watch as two alien creatures shot across the port's hall as fuel burst from a line they were working on. The balls of fur puffed out and splattered the liquid every which-way; then the two erupted into conversation as they stormed off in a hurry.

"..the hell was that?"

The young spacer watched as a technician sprinted past, nearly taking Zekk down in the escapade. Coron's eyes focused as the yellow suited tech stopped in front of a brown pants woman with blond hair pulled back in a ponytail. He hadn't noticed but his feet were carrying him closer to the two's conversation until he was within feet.

"Bad news Ma'am. Fuel lines just burst probably be up... 3-5 hours."

The tech reached out to hand her a small ticket that gave her a list of numbers to call if she needed any information or had any of her own to give. Before she could speak he sprinted off into a direction to follow suit with the next poor pilot that wasn't fortunate enough to fuel up only an hour ago. Luckily for Zekk he got his answer as to what was going on, but unlucky for the woman she wasn't moving on as quick as she'd hoped.

Taking a step forward he gave Kara a nod. It was a blue set of eyes that somewhat caught him off guard. Offering the stranger a friendly smile, the best he could muster, he'd break the silence.

"-and they say the Outer-Rim has bad spaceports..."

Looking around the rather run down Spaceport he couldn't help but laugh as some fuel leaked from what he thought was a cooling vent. At least they knew that fuel was in abundance, just that it wasn't quite put together how they'd hoped. Looking around the emptying port he quirked a brow at her before posing a question.

"You haven't by chance heard of a pirate group around here, have ya?"

Reaching into his jacket pocket he was able to extract a cigarra and place it to his lips before giving it a quick light. Giving the woman a long stare down from behind the smoke he'd light up his face as he took a long pull from the hand rolled spice.

"..I don't deal in slaves, but I was told to meet one here."

Giving the woman a bit of a look up and down he didn't read her to be a slave, but she was dressed different than everyone else he'd saw.

"I just have a bad feeling about it, if ya know what I mean."

 

[Kaylara Dornelles]

Kara heard the low rumble beneath her feet and sighed in resignation to herself that this was certainly not turning out to be her day. Turning around, she saw fuel leaking from a nearby pipe, and two of the creatures who were obviously now tasked with repairing the problem. She watched as they squabbled back and forth, before one of them approached her with the news she had almost expected.

Leaving before she had a chance to comment, the small technician was already off informing some other poor soul who would obviously now be here longer than they intended. She could only nod and look down at the piece of paper which would probably be no use to her. Looking up from the note for a moment, she noticed a nearby pilot seemingly looking her over. He wasn't out of place with his attire and looked relatively like the other beings in the space port.

Before Kara could complete her estimation of him, he offered what she perceived to be an attempt at a joke regarding the state of the spaceport compared to those in the outer rim. "Indeed" she replied, plainly. When it came to demeanors, Kara's could be as frosty as the Ice planet which was her destination. Yet, there seemed something odd about this particular pilot, and she thusly listened to his following comments.

"I have not" was her response in regards to if she had seen or heard of any pirate activity in the area. Looking over as he lit a spice cigarra she offered an uncommittal "Hmm" to his comments concerning his prospective meeting with a slave and his particular 'bad feeling.' Kara did find those choice of words somewhat preculiar however. Most pilots she had been around in spaceports concerned themselves more about facts than feelings. She didn't really spend too much time in rundown spaceports, however. Unknowingly, her appearance of being somewhat aloof served to further illustrate how she didn't quite belong.

 

[Rev]

The woman's first response had Zekk on edge, something about her said she was 'cold.' His eyes looked up and down her body once again and took in just exactly what she was wearing and another flag shot up and a chill ran up his spine. The spacer's instincts rarely failed him, but whoever she was or whatever she was here for.. It wasn't by plan. Hiding away the few remaining 'cards' he hadn't shown to the stranger he instead looked out to the street that was only a few meters away and took a step towards it.

"Have you ever been to Ansion?"

His hand pulled into a wave suggesting she followed him. He'd been in and out of cities and towns for the ladder part of his teens until now. If there was one thing he knew, it was the common layout of a backwater planet's infrastructure. They always varied from one city to the next, but there was always a pattern.. always a way of finding the chosen path. Leading Kara outward he didn't look back to see if she followed, at this point he was on a search. A search she could choose to join him in or wait for the fuel lines to get repaired...

"I think it's this way!"

 

[Kaylara Dornelles]

"I can't say that I've had the pleasure, no" was Kara's response to Zekk's inquiry on her previous visitations to Ansion. From what she could make out on her short time already on the planet, it also did not warrant a return trip. The Jedi wondered what the pilot was inquiring about as he strode a few steps onto the nearby street and beckoned her to follow.

There was something curious about him, which Kara couldn't quite put her finger on. She could tell he wasn't a Sith or anything, and in fact Kara took a fair amount of pride in her Sith seeking skills. Regardless, he seemed to be walking somewhere and intended her to accompany him. Letting her instincts guide her for once she silently accepted his offer, and traversed onto the dusty streets.

"What are you looking for?" was her question to Zekk's rather vague, superfluous statement.

Perhaps her detour on Ansion wasn't solely a cause on an empty fuel tank.

 

[Rev]

"Yeah.. it's a bit of a lost rock that shoulda stayed that way!"

He shouldered past a group of Twi'lek's as he called back to her, his shouldering offering enough time for her to follow suit if she was close enough. As he strode through the crowds his nose searched, taking in a deep breath of the natural air and getting nothing from it. Her question sort of caught him off guard as he shot her a look of curiosity. It did make sense that she was asking, since she was following, but everyone knew a Cantina was the first place you go after a spaceport.

"The Cantina! I can tell you need a drink, and I'm not about to let new spacer dehydrate out here."

He pointed up at the rising sun, it was nearly at full sun-up but it still had some time before it'd get directly overhead. As his finger lowered from his pointing his eyes spotted the largest building within the city thus far and he knew he'd found it. Once the soft sound of music began to fill his ears it was all he needed and proceeded into the establishment that luckily held no security. Plopping down in a booth which could seat four he again used his arm to motion someone, this time a server.

"Whatever's on special."

As the woman started to turn he stopped her with a soft grab of the woman's arm.

"4 of them."

He smiled up at her and slipped a credit chip into the apron she wore and relaxed into the seat. The proceeded to finally introduce himself.

"Zekk Coron."

 

[Kaylara Dornelles]

It didn't take long for Kara to realize where Zekk was taking them, and his comment only confirmed that they were headed to the nearby cantina. While the Jedi wasn't entirely opposed to the idea of Cantinas', she wasn't a frequent visitor. There probably wasn't much else to do while waiting for her ship to refuel, however. Kara didn't exactly appreciate being called a 'new spacer' but she didn't feel like contesting the point.

Following Zekk inside she took a seat next to him at the booth he had picked out. Not entirely understanding why he would order 4 of the same drink, she figured he might be expecting someone else to join them. Her gaze around the cantina was drawn back as he introduced himself. The Jedi smiled somewhat and replied, "Kaylara Dornelles. Nice to meet You"

 

[Rev]

At the placement of the first alcohol he wrapped his hand around the tall narrow glass and slammed it down with a quickness unlike most in the galaxy were capable of. It was rich in flavor, a little sweet, and for the most part went down as smooth as water with of course the alcoholic kick behind it. Sliding the glass to the end of the table his hand took hold of the second and this time stopped it in front of himself before looking back to Kaylara.

"What is it that brings you to this... 'wonderful' planet?"

He paused to offer a smile at the sarcastic description before continuing.

"Hopefully not just for fuel. Ansion may have a spaceport, but their fuel's been known to get mixed with whatever else makes it explode.."

He'd let out a chuckle at his comment and relax back into his seat. Even as he sat across from the woman he could tell something wasn't quite as it seemed. There was something about her he couldn't put his finger on, but they both knew there was more there than she was willing to reveal. Putting the second glass to his lips for the first time he just as quickly stopped himself as he had downed the previous. Extending the glass out to her he offered a sort-of toast.

"To strangers and... fuel lines."

Once their glasses tinged he'd drink down a good portion of the second glass and set it down in front of him. Perhaps he could convince her to join him in finding these pirates, he doubted her knowledge of them and what any of them were worth and he could use an easy job that offered a rather large pay-day.

 

[Kaylara Dornelles]

The Jedi wasn't terribly surprised that Zekk downed one of the drinks within a few seconds, and she could very much tell that it seemed to be an activity that he participated in regularly. Taking one that he had ordered for her, she took a small sip before answering his question, laughing slightly at the joke.

"Actually yes, my arrival on Ansion was not planned. Just ran out of fuel" Kara replied, shrugging somewhat. She raised her glass up not entirely enthusiastic, and saluting Zekk by raising her brows slightly.

It seemed as if he had something else that he wanted to talk about, and Kara could read his feelings somewhat plainly. Probably something to do with the Pirates he had mentioned earlier?

"Weren't you supposed to be meeting someone?" the Jedi asked, inquisitively.

 

[Rev]

Zekk listened to her tale of how she arrived on Ansion and didn't react in any way to the information. In truth he wasn't surprised that she was 'stranded' here by the lack of fuel. Thinking back to overlooking her attire gave him that judgement of her being a rookie traveler. It was rare to see someone wearing what she wore, or a lack there-of. If he had to guess she had to be a farmer or trader, and one that didn't often go off-world.

"I met someone didn't I?"

He raised his glass to her yet again and took a short sip that ended with a smile. Looking around the Cantina his eyes searched the room for anyone else that seemed out of place. There was a group of heavily armored men a few tables away that were drinking more heavily than even himself. The ruckus they were causing was enough to draw the eyes of more than just Zekk, but the barkeep and a few other travelers that held places at the bar top. Leaning in close to Kaylara his voice fell to a whisper.

"I haven't seen them here before.. I've been here for almost a week now..."

He wasn't sure why he was telling her any of this, but something about her said to him she could be of help.

"..I've been watching the starport, and they didn't come in on a fresh ship."

 

[Kaylara Dornelles]

Kara dead panned some what at Zekk's comment. "Well, I had assumed you meant someone other than me." She paused for a moment before continuing, "Unless you knew I'd be stranded here?"

The Jedi noticed her counterpart looking around the cantina for a few moments, before setting his gaze on a group of men seated somewhat nearby. They didn't necessarily look out of place for the Cantina, and by extension, the planet. However, they did seem to be quite heavily armed, and they had definitely caught the attention of Zekk.

Not leaning her head closer to him while he whispered, she responded, "You think they have negative intentions in mind here?" While Ansion really did seem like a planet that people with poor intentions would flock to in general, these men perhaps seemed to fit that point a little too well.

 

[Lucy Lou]

Lael had come to Anison. Not on any Jedi business, but just to get away. The teen had been feeling closed in on Ilum. It was 'dead'. There was no green and having grown up in first the forests of Kiffu and then later in the forests of Tython, the ice planet put the girl on edge. So she'd snuck away for a little, making a short jump to Anison. The planet was mostly plains and grasslands, but it was better than the icy world. On the other hand, she would begrudgingly admit that the icy crystals could in fact be beautiful in their own way. Maybe she'd get used to it.

The girl landed the ship, with the aid of the astromech, in the Anison space port. Leaving the astromech, Lael wove her way through the people there. It was a bit more chaotic than she'd expected and it seemed that there'd been some kind of technical problem as there were a lot of port workers running around yelling at each other. The small girl was almost knocked over several times as she made her way to the exit.

As she made her way out of the doors, she took in a deep breath and was happy to be able to breath without ice crystals forming in the air from her warm exhale. Taking off down the street with a spring in her step, the young Padawan moved through the town set on exploring, maybe doing a little shopping and just having an all around relaxing day. Hopefully, she'd be lucky enough to just be able to relax for once.

 

[Rev]

"In truth, I didn't expect you at all."

He took a short sip off the drink yet again, this time letting the flavor settle on his tongue before giving it a slow drink down.

"..It's like I felt something, had a hunch."

His eyes would remain locked on the woman across from him; however Zekk's peripheral continued to keep an eye on the armored group of 5. One of them got up and headed towards the exit before shouting a drunken curse at his 'comrades.' Her second question caught him somewhat off guard, he didn't expect her to pay any mind to the men he was eyeing. Stopping himself from smiling her gave her a soft nod as an answer.

"I've yet to encounter anyone outside of a Mandalorian wearing an armor like that in a Cantina.. They're definitely up to something."

His hand tucked into his pocket and pulled out a credstick. Leaving at the edge of the table he pulled the final bit of the alcohol from his glass down his throat and finally revealed that smile to his counter-part.

"Any good at following someone?"

He stood up, with the 3rd and final glass in hand looking down at the Kara and motioned towards the door.

"I don't think it's a bad idea to follow the one. Might be able to get something out of him."

Taking a few steps towards the door he downed the third drink in quick fashion much like the first. The alcohol was setting in and he could feel the gentle embrace of the buzz setting in on him. It wasn't ideal conditions to be tracking someone under the influence; but he was confident and moved towards where he thought the thug went regardless; the port.

------------------------------------------------------------

His armor clicked heavily against his otherwise brittle frame. Looking back at the cantina P'or cursed outward in a rage unlike any he'd felt in some time. Narrowing his blurred vision forward he was heading to the starport under the crew's vote. Shouldering past a young female human the Quarren didn't so much as buckle his armor shielding past her frail body. It wasn't so much he did it out of rage or disrespect, but drunkenness. Up ahead he could see the entrance to the port hiss open as another young woman made her way out, again focusing his vision on her his head turned as if to investigate more fully even from meters away. It was then he realized that he was standing still and took steps in the girl's direction. Reaching across his body fingertips would clench onto the handle of an aged slugthrower, his fingertips fumbling around it in his drunken state.

 

[Kaylara Dornelles]

Kara listened to Zekk and then watched as the Quarren exited the Cantina. While she wasn't entirely sure of Zekk's intentions yet, the Jedi was sure that it probably wasn't a 'hunch' that led him to believe the armored group meant trouble. She could sense something..

"More or less" Kara shrugged at Zekk's inquiry as to if she's good at following somebody. In truth she was quite talented at that specific skill. Being a Jedi meant a lot of quiet following and observing. Some of her colleagues might disagree slightly and prefer more direct actions. Kara was the opposite of brash and direct.

Following Zekk out of the Cantina and frowning her brow slightly, the blonde Jedi wasn't entirely sure what her partner meant by 'getting something out of him.' Having already consumed three drinks in the Cantina, Kara internally marked 'making sure the inebriated pilot doesn't do anything stupid' to her list of what she needed to be doing.

 

[Rev]

Fumbling through his pocket the Quarren extracted a small device that was probably a datapad of some sort. It was common practice for the port authority to question those entering and leaving and requesting identification. The peer number of people however didn't allow them to get everyone leaving, but they almost certainly got everyone who came back in. Giving a glance at the woman he'd passed she too looked out of place, but he ignored it as he had a debt to pay.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zekk's eyes focused on the Quarren that seemed to walk at a heightened pace. Turning in and out of traveler's his eyes would occasionally glance at Kara to make sure she was still there. Whenever he made eye contact he was sure to cast out a smile. Giving her one as they came up to the Starport entrance his face quickly faded to a frown.

"Kriff. We go in after him we're going to be searched. I might be able to make up a port or two for us... otherwise we gotta break off."

Reaching into his vest he was able to extract two datapads that were no bigger than his palm, only enough to view small holovids or play a game. In this case he could write up a phony identification for the two; assuming it worked. Glancing up he saw they were 3 people away from getting checked out, and their client was currently getting looked at.

 

[Kaylara Dornelles]

Kara followed Zekk, as the two blended into the crowd of people looking to re-enter the spaceport. She noticed those in front of her take out data pads with identification that they presented to the port authority. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her own, wondering why this seemed to make Zekk look slightly nervous.

Listening to his comment, Kara asked, "What's the problem? Can't I use my own?" gesturing to the datapad in her hand.

 

[Rev]

A smirk would grow on the spacer's face as he took in her question. She wasn't quite aware of the mid or outer-rim as much as she had thought. The smirk would grow into a short laugh as he gave the woman a nod; she was honest, and perhaps the only one on the entire planet. He'd shake his head before giving her a tip, their presence growing closer to the checkpoint with each passing second.

"..around here, not always the best idea to use your real identification. No matter who you are."

His finger gestured towards their friend in front of them.

"Y'see if he decides to get a little blaster happy in a bit here we might be in for some trouble from those guys."

His hand then gestured at the several armed security guards around them. They patrolled with no real pattern or particular path, there simply were. His lesson however continued.

"You might be defending yourself.. You might be helping someone.. but depending who you just shot, who you just killed, who you just protected. Theymay not like it. Laws on every planet aren't the same, Kay."

He wasn't sure how she'd take the abbreviated namesake, but he played with the idea and threw it at her. Waiting a response his hand went back to his vest, pulling out a cigarra and lighting it which brought forth a puff of blue as it took light. Holding in that first inhale for as long as he could the smoke finally escaping through his nostrils. His eyes focused on the gang member as he moved into the building and to the right. Zekk would be pointed at just as Kara would, the two separating to be searched and checked out before sent through..

 

[Kaylara Dornelles]

Kara listened to Zekk's explanation about their surroundings and his impression of what it was like in the mid/outer-rim. If there was one thing the Jedi didn't like, it was being talked down to. Which was exactly what Zekk was doing. This certainly wasn't her first outing on a non-core world, and the patronizing tone wasn't helping.


Her response was a very cold, "Thanks." She sighed somewhat and worked on composing herself once more as they approached the security checkpoint. Her final comment was, "Just Kara is fine."

 

[Rev]

Kara?

His eyes narrowed on her as he took in that name, unsure how she came up with it, but he nodded and took note. The security guard would wave him by and he'd push towards the tail of the Quarren. Looking back he was able to see Kara get waved through and he signaled her to his position. Zekk didn't have an eye on the man any longer, but he knew the direction he was headed. Giving the woman another glance he gave her a soft smile before closing his eyes and standing completely still. He wasn't sure how he did it, but it worked... sometimes.

"Com'mon!"

Taking a few steps towards the eastern bay he brought the cigarra again to his lips and took a long puff. Even through the smoke it didn't stop him from talking. His voice however fought the strain, it coming off deeper.. scratchier.

"...I think he went this way."

Turning into a bay his eyes took in a medium sized freighter but an otherwise empty dock. Looking around ever so slowly his eyes came across the loading ramp and the movement it was showcasing. The audible click of the entryway closing was enough to tell him they were not alone. Pointing his left index finger at the craft his right hand came to the grip of his pistol and he found himself taking another couple of steps towards the ship.

---------------------------------------------------------------

P'or looked about the spacious vessel with a certain amount of impatience. He knew the datapad was here, he just didn't know exactly where. Gripping at his comlink he began to curse something into the device only to hear static in return. Smashing is fist down against the console in front of him the ship gave a slight jolt and shifted beneath him. Looking around in a bit of a panic he was happy to see that it was only the loading ramp he managed to open. Giving a long look over the console his eyes began to search for the override to cancel the action, but in the process of his fist driving down he'd opened an array of windows and found himself searching for the action he wanted. If anything it gave him something to do that wasn't frustrating.