A New Friend

[The End Narrator]

One of the many perks of her business was being able to travel.

Before, she was able to travel as she pleased as well, now she could travel and atleast accomplish something - and make a living. Perhaps it was the best of both worlds for her. She was branching away from the Rekali name in her own right, well, quite literally. She was doing it under a persona, trying to do her best to stay out of the Galactic conflict and chaos that consumed everything that meant something to anyone. A sigh escaped her lips as she stood at the edge of the hangar, watching the rain hit the permacrete. A flash of lightning in the distance caught her attention, followed by a rumbling echo of thunder across the foothills. A nice storm was rolling through the outer edges of Theed and moving into the city, causing the many citizens to scatter into the hanger or places beyond.

Her fingertips touched the talisman that sat on her chest as she watched the storm roll in, her mind idly drifting off to the thoughts of [member="Fiore de Noir"] and what had transpired on Tatooine. The memories of the two of them, the fondness she held for Fiore and the conflict of having to leave it all behind. She remembered everything. There wasn't a single moment she couldn't recall with Fiore, it was her own doing as to why she chose not to recall them. It was no different as to why she chose not to recall her mother, Aaralyn. It was her own doing as to why she chose not to acknowledge the Rekali name. None of her so called memory loss had anything to do with the talisman itself, every bit of it was her own doing.

Mira did none of it out of spite or malice, she did it out of fear.

There was a time when the Masters of the Order whispered about Mira becoming a Master in her own right, and Mira insisted she wasn't prepared. She felt she lacked experience and perhaps was flawed as a person. When pressed, she couldn't present a reason - she just knew that she wasn't ready. Maybe that is what made her ready, she was never sure nor did she ask. Conflict after conflict and fight after fight, Mira's fear continued to grow - until she finally fled. A crack of lightning snaps close to the hanger, causing Mira to snap to reality with a startled yelp.

Embarrassed, Mira grimaces and settles down for the moment - moving further back into the hangar. "Enough daydreaming for now..."

[member="Isar Kislo"]

 

[Isar Kislo]

"Nomad 3, you're cleared through Theed airspace to your destination. Priority arrival has been coordinated with RSF."

Isar rolled his eyes as he banked the jet black Soruna-class Interceptor sharply to the right. "Direct to priority, Nomad 3." The callsign felt foreign on Isar's tongue. To be sure - it wasn't one that he ordinarily utilized. All iterations of the 'Nomad' callsign over Naboo were registered to House Veruna. According to information he'd received, his father was away on Kiffar with his mother. It would certainly make his unscheduled, inaugural visit to Naboo much easier.

As Isar descended through the clouds, turbulence racked his nimble starfighter. "Weather could be better..."

R8 made a series of beeps.

"No I can handle it, but thanks."

R8 offered a low whir in disappointment.

Isar had no response. He didn't really have the emotional spectrum to relate to a droid, and this one was still new. Eventually, the interceptor broke through the clouds just as it was crossing over the city enroute to the start of its final approach along the cliff running along the edge of Theed's boundary. Lights doted the horizon and Isar found himself accepting the reality that Naboo was, in fact, a beautiful place; even under the inky blackness of a thunderstorm.

Once the hangar loomed in Isar's vision, his fingers deftly and casually moved over the controls bringing repulsors online and completing the before landing checklist. Seconds slipped by as the Soruna Interceptor eased casually into the hangar, all black paint scheme keeping any light from reflecting in areas where most Soruna-class Interceptors had a chrome finish. As Isar nestled the starfighter onto the permacrete, a number of crew members and two security officials approached the vessel, taking up positions just in front of the nose.

Ten seconds later, Isar emerged from the cockpit to the sound of engines winding down from idle to shutdown. As was typical, Isar allowed R8 to handle most of the post-landing procedures. Pulling off his helmet, Isar set it on the deck just underneath the nose of his fighter. Long golden locks fell to his shoulders as he nodded to the crew chief. "Typical refit. I shouldn't be longer than a few hours before I depart to the estate."

"Excellent. We'll be ready for your return, Mi'lord."

Isar managed a simple nod before stepping away from his spacecraft, making his way towards the rear of the hangar. There really wasn't any activity right now. It wasn't exactly...ideal weather for flying. His blue eyes did, however, catch sight of a woman seemingly lounging in the hangar.

[member="Mira Rekali"]

 

[The End Narrator]

Mira’s crimson eyes caught the underside of the Soruna-Class as it made it’s way into the hanger, disregarding it for the moment. Her BB unit catching her attention with an eye-popping warble as he came in from the storm beyond. Mira turned and faced the wayward, wet ball of metal flying through the hangar. “Pix, slow down, you’re going to crash into something!”

That didn’t seem to register in the droid brain, neither did the fact that he was a sleek droid and the floors of the hanger were quite polished. Given all the factors - Pixel had become a weighted pinball that was uncontrollable.

Mira grimaced as she watched her droid struggle to regain control of his motions, sliding back and forth with a loud wail until he crashed into a stack of crates. With a thunderous boom, the stack came falling down and scattered about the hangar floor. Mira sighed heavily, shaking her head in dismay before casually walking towards the commotion her droid had created. Workers were already picking up the debris and muttering in different languages.

“What is the meaning of this!?” A burly Khormai sauntered over and examined the wreckage created by the small astromech. “Who owns this droid!” He exclaimed, looking between the workers and Mira, waving his flippers infront of him in anger.

Mira gestured to herself. “I do, My name i-”

“I don’t care for your name, peasant! I care for compensation! You damaged the goods of Lord Unger!” He shouted, waving a flipper in the face of Mira. “If you don’t have money, child - I’d be glad to take you into service as payment…” He sneered.

Mira grimaced and shook her head. “No, I don’t think so - just send me a bi-”

“No! You will pay me now.” He cut her off again, looking around at the workers who were feveriously picking up the goods and restacking them. “This shipment was around one-hundred thousand credits and given the damages and extra work - you’ve cost me double that…” He turned to gaze upon Mira once more, chuckling as he did.

Mira grunted. “200 k? You've got to be kidding me...” She looked around helplessly, turning back to him slowly. “I don’t have that kind of money.” Truth be told, Mira didn’t. She had spent most of her credits trying to get her shipping company off the ground and hide her identity. Credits didn’t grow on trees. She couldn’t ask her family because she no longer maintained contact with them.

“Then you can either serve me or…” He glanced over to the YT-2000 sitting in the corner of the hanger. “Sell me that piece of junk of yours..”

Mira’s hands rose up faster than a pod-racer on Malastare. “No, hell no…” She grimaced as her options were limited. This grotesque creature had her in a corner, and she had played her hand horribly.

Now what?

[member="Isar Kislo"]

 

[Isar Kislo]

No sooner had his eyes fallen on the woman than a BB unit came rushing past him. The aforementioned woman yelled out to the droid, clearly its owner, but it was too late. The BB unit quickly transitioned into an uncontrollable skid across the polished deck. Light blue eyes followed the unit as it crashed into a stack of crates. Closing his briefly, Isar shook his head with a slight smirk on his face.

As he opened his eyes, he could already see the woman coming to her feet to collect her droid. Isar's eyes remained...focus though he couldn't say the situation was made any easier by the curious woman's further involvement in the scene. Slowing his pace, Isar contented himself to seeing how the whole situation played itself out.

Eventually, Isar realized it was rapidly approaching a point wherein the attractive woman was either going to be beaten, abducted, or worse. Isar did not know anybody on Naboo, but he had a feeling this Khormai didn't really have the pull with the nobility to actually be throwing his weight around. Not on a planet such as the one they all presently occupied.

Exhaling heavily, Isar hastened his approach merely by elongating his stride. Stepping past the Khormai, Isar approached Mira - attempting to speak directly into her mind. Just play along. Sidling up beside [member="Mira Rekali"], Isar slipped an arm around her waist and kissed her lightly on the temple. "Sorry I'm late sweetheart." Shifting his gaze, Isar looked to the others. "Gentlemen. I see you've had an unfortunate run-in with my wife's BB unit. Allow me to offer my apologies, you know how droids can be."

Releasing Mira's waist, Isar stepped in between her and the Khormai. "Fortunately, I know that all legitimate merchants utilizing this system for fair and legal trade are required to purchase and show proof of insurance on all goods and resources connected with their business." Isar managed a brief laugh as he motioned with his arms, indicating the planet at large. "I mean how else could the Queen guarantee her people that they were free to participate in legal trade without fear of reprisals for any loss incurred through accident or non-criminal negligence?"

Taking a step closer to the leader, Isar stopped within a few inches, the stench of the Khormai almost overwhelming. When he spoke next, his voice was lower. "Not to mention Naboo laws against the exploitation and acquisition of people as property. That translates roughly to...slavery is illegal. Shall we take up your claim with the authorities? Or would you rather get on with your day?" Not that it mattered, Isar would report them the moment they left either way.

He found it was easier to negotiate with people if they believed...they were winning out in the end.

That woman smelled way too good to be a grease monkey of some kind.

Such was the nature of Isar's often rapid, disjointed thoughts.

 

[The End Narrator]

It took Mira a moment to realize what was happening, between the arm that suddenly encased itself around her waist to the kiss upon her temple. Her cheeks flushed as red as the rocks on Geonosis but she offered no resistance against the handsome knight in shining armor. Well, he didn't have any armor, but he sure was a knight of some kind.

A familiar tingle touched the lobe of her mind, causing her to stir lightly within his grip as she heard his voice. ~Just play along.~ That sensation was something she had forgotten about, cast aside in an attempt to put her life together and walk another path. Did he know? Could he feel her presence in the Force? Had she broken her talisman?

So many questions began to run through her mind, but they were soon drowned out by the sheer awe of what he was doing. She caught herself watching him, listening to how he was handling the situation so easily - without any threat of violence.

If it were just that easy for her sometimes, Mira always found a trigger point to incite violence in people.

The Khormai known as Lord Unger watched the blonde male, huffing loud and hard. His wrinkles and fat packs jiggled as he bellowed to the workers around him. “Back to your stations, load these crates.” He looked to Mira who was just beyond his reach, eyes narrowing into very small slits. “You watch yourself human.” The ground seemed to shake as the rotund humanoid sauntered away from the duo, muttering.

Mira blinked rapidly, her attention moving away from the now diffused situation to the rather handsome, blue-eyed man before her. She stared at him with dreamy, girlish admiration but that dissipated as Mira turned her attention back to her droid who created the whole debacle. “Pix! You can’t just do that!”

“What if you got this man hurt, or worse!” She gestured towards Isar, kneeling down to disconnect his antenna from his dome. “You have got to seriously consider the consequences for your actions - like, you’re going to get us in alot of trouble one day.” Pixel let off a sorrow beep and whistle as Mira fixed him up quickly. She rose back up to her full height, turning her attention back to the guy who stopped her from becoming a slave once again. “I want to thank you, for saving my droid and my ship..” She chuckled as she extended her hand to him. “My name is Mi-Aelyn, Aelyn Blue.” She said through a slightly winced face, trying her best to sound as convincing possible.

[member="Isar Kislo"]

 

[Isar Kislo]

Isar smiled subtly at the large Khormai as he retreated and went about his business. Isar hadn't caught [member="Mira Rekali"]'s glance. In fact, he didn't even turn around until he heard her voice hit the air once more as she admonished the little droid.

Turning, Isar gazed down at the woman, smile dissipating into a more neutral expression as he afforded her a subtle nod of the head. When Mira extended her hand in greeting, Isar extended his own, grasping it firmly. "Nice to meet you." Slowly, a roguish grin reminiscent of his paternal donor slipped across his lips as he spoke in a deep, accented voice. "Isar Kislo." Tilting his head to the side, he offered a simple question. "So...is it Mi-Aelyn, Aelyn, or some other name you started to say in the first place?"

Stepping in closer to Mira, Isar continued to gaze down at her with an easy smile. "Then again we are already married, so I suppose a secret or two is par for the course." Releasing Mira's hand, Isar laughed softly. "And don't mention it. Guess I was surprised to see a display like that given the stories I've heard of this planet and its general benevolence. Anyways...I don't want to keep you."

Isar offered the woman a wink before turning to start for the door. "Pleasure meeting you, Mi-Aelyn." Smiling thinly, Isar initiated a casual pace.

 

[The End Narrator]

Mira grimaced as he mentioned the assortment of names as if he were listed off something from a menu. She tried to hide her smile and ignore the smart assery that came with it, tolerating the hefty dose of medicine that she usually doled out to others. When pressed about her name, Mira chuckled softly and gestured towards the BB unit with her free hand. "I was mixing my name and his name up. This is Mixy Pix..." She looked down at the BB unit who tilted up abruptly at the new name he was suddenly given. "I call him Pix, you know - like people shorten up other things?" Mira smiled a bit half-cocked, tilting her head slightly.

~Wow, I didn't realize how dumb I sounded...~ Mira kept the smile upon her face, knowing full well she was going to eventually have to tell him the truth.

As soon as he leaned in and made the crack about marriage and secrets, she giggled as if she were a school girl being noticed by that one guy. As soon as their hands departed and that girlish moment faded - she felt something nudge her leg causing her to come to her senses. Abruptly and out of nowhere, Mira shouted to him as he walked away.

"Are you going to be around?" The second those foreign words exited her mouth, her face became flushed and her hand came to her face - attempting to conceal it.

~Nice, better recover quick...~ She thought to herself.

Her hand extended towards him, giving a wave as she stifled a laugh.

"I meant to say, I hope to see you around." She said quickly, turning away before he could spot her embarrassed look. Just as she turned and started to walk away, she tripped and stumbled over her BB unit that was beneath her feet. Mira grunted and caught herself, quickly rising to her feet and adjusting her clothes. Now mortified, Mira managed to salvage what dignity she had remaining and left the hangar.

~Maybe I need some rest, yeah, that's it.~ Mira chalked it up in her mind. Clearly the issues with the company, her recent interactions with her ex-girlfriend [member="Fiore de Noir"] and other things had gotten the best of her.

[member="Isar Kislo"]

 

[Isar Kislo]

Isar made it maybe ten feet before [member="Mira Rekali"] asked her follow-up question. Casually, he turned to fix the woman with an easy smile and a shrug of his shoulders. Mira's quick effort to adjust the syntax of her comment only caused his smile to broaden. Before he could give a legitimate answer, however, she turned and tripped over her own droid.

The lab-produced Kiffar-Naboo hybrid had to clamp a hand over his mouth to keep a raucous laughter from erupting from his body. When Mira had finally departed, Isar dropped his hand, still laughing somewhat. "Who is this woman." The completely rhetorical question wasn't heard within earshot of anyone else. Between the weather outside and the vastness of the hangar, her tripping over her BB unit seemed to mostly have gone unnoticed as well.

Shaking his head, Isar turned and departed the hangar, quite confident he would forget about the woman entirely by the time he was back in the hangar to depart for the lake country. A reality that would hopefully settle over him in less than four hours.

-----
Following Morning

Isar lowered himself back to the ground from the pull-up bar in the fitness center of the small but rather exquisite hotel. Grabbing his towel, the Zeison Sha Warrior wiped beads of sweat from his face and neck. Just over two hours of a mixture of calisthenics, upper body circuits, and even a long distance run and Isar's head was still no clearer. He felt like his mind was a constant, shifting conglomeration of images and thoughts that he'd not really known in his deceptively short life. The usual methods of clearing his head had failed him consistently since the night prior.

Following his brief meeting at the Royal Palace, Isar was supposed to depart for the lake country. However, the storm had grown to such intensity that Isar had decided it was simply...safer to wait until the next morning. At least, that was the excuse he told himself. Then the morning came with the rising of the sun, and Isar decided he may as well get in a solid workout before departure.

Exhaling heavily, Isar through the towel over his shoulder. "Get it together Isar..." Exiting the fitness center, Isar weaved his way through the adjoining garden. Once he'd re-entered the main building, he took the stairs back to his room. Thirty or so minutes later, Isar was in the lobby, checking out of the hotel. "Can my bags be sent to Theed Hangar? I'll be departing today."

"Certainly, Lord Kislo."

Isar winced at the term of address but managed a smile. "Thanks... It's just Isar."

The receptionist gave Isar a quizzical look before allowing a smile to return to her face. "Certainly. We'll take care of it...Isar."

It wasn't more than another fifteen or so minutes before Isar was seated outside a small cafe near the center of Theed. Dressed simply in a pair of khaki utility pants and a short-sleeved gray shirt with an athletic fit, Isar sipped casually on a glass of cool water.

 

[The End Narrator]

The city itself was bustling with activity, perhaps a bit more than normal one could say. The Festival of the Sun was set to begin within a few days time. A time of the year where the people of Naboo celebrated with blossoming of the Sun Orchid, a rare gem of flower that blossomed once every eighty-eight years. There were people moving things about, prepping their homes and shops for the celebration to come. The morning routine for Mira was probably less strenuous than that of others. Mira rolled out of bed and did her normal routine of nibbling on a bit of starfruit while catching up on the holologs before getting the idea to walk about town.

Of course she knew she needed a change of clothes. Mira took the recommendation of a local tailor and purchased a simple sundress and some sandals. The sundress was modest in it's design and cut, floral patterns in pink and yellow with a white base - rather colorful and bright. Perhaps something Mira wasn't exactly used to wearing but the change was welcome. She took her time to clean and change before she strolled out onto the streets of Theed - adorning the accompanying sunhat that the tailor threw in as a gift. Mira's hands reached up to adjust the bow ontop of the sunhat, gazing down into a small puddle of water at her reflection. "There we go, not bad." She said with a soft chuckle.

Mira had considered herself lucky so far in her little journey. She had managed to be in the right place when it came to seeing a very rare event and hopefully made a new friend in the process - that was if he was still around. "I never got to thank him properly for that..." She said quietly as she moved along the street, looking at the decorations that were being put up. Mira gestured with a free hand, continuing her little talk with herself. "Then again, he was my "husband". He doesn't need to be thanked..." She chuckled softly, covering her mouth with the free hand.

She did love having these little talks with herself sometimes.

[member="Isar Kislo"]

 

[Isar Kislo]

Isar, on the other hand, had not even been remotely aware of the impending Festival until this morning. As he sat at the cafe quietly drinking water to hydrate his body and eating a selection of meats and fruit to replenish his energy, he watched people casually pass by. He'd heard that most of the citizens of Naboo dressed in somewhat vivid colors and intricate designs, but it seemed to be on full display this morning.

As the minutes ticked by, the crowds began to thicken at a steady pace. Isar wouldn't say there was so much foot traffic as to be uncomfortable, but it did seem like people were...excited about something. When his waiter returned to refill his water, Isar made two inquiries. "May I have a small cup of caf, please?"

"Certainly sir. Anything else?"

Isar started to shake his head but stopped short. "Yeah uhh...is there something going on? It just seems like...the crowds have a certain energy about them."

The waiter glanced to the street before returning his attention to Isar. "Well. The Festival of the Sun begins in approximately three days. Is that not why you've come?"

Isar nodded his head slightly. "Ah yes. How silly of me."

The waiter gave Isar a look before disappearing to get his caf.

Exhaling softly, Isar returned his gaze to the crowds. Technically, he wasn't visiting for the purpose of any Festival. More importantly, he was quite literally a citizen of Naboo, though his heavy Kiffar accent likely did not give the impression. The young noble sipped at his caf casually, contemplating leaving for the spaceport to head to the lake country until his blue eyes fell on the figure of a beautiful woman approaching in the distance.

The more his gaze lingered, the more he felt the faint hints of recognition washing over his mind. Eventually, the face beneath the large hat became visible, and Isar was made immediately aware of the fact that it was the woman from the night before. He didn't much believe in coincidences but even if he did, this would be a pretty large one. Theed wasn't exactly some small, backwater village.

Even as his heartbeat initiated a steady increase in tempo, Isar forced himself to appear perfectly calm and unaffected as she drew closer, making no real effort to hide his lingering gaze as a thin smile slipped across his lips.

 

[The End Narrator]

Mira stared at the budding Sun Orchids, sighing happily as she touched the edges of them with her fingertips. Something caught her attention as she gazed upon the silky pink-orange petals. A sensation that tugged away at her core, a soft touch that beckoned her to turn. Mira frowned lightly, confused at the feeling as she gazed upwards - searching for the source of the sensation. She had felt it before, when she could use the Force. The talisman was working, otherwise she'd be able to sense and touch more than what she could now - but where was this feeling coming from then? Mira blinked softly, looking around curiously until her eyes made contact with his.

The man from the day before.

"No way..." She muttered under her breath.

Mira didn't believe it to be sheer coincidence that she ran him, so it only meant one other thing - it was fated. Of course, being the girl that she was, she wouldn't allow him to know such a silly notion. She cocked a smile and casually strolled over to where he was seated and placed her hands behind her back, clasping them together. "Well, you sure do make for a lousy husband. You didn't even come home last night..." Mira chuckled softly beneath the large hat as she nodded towards him. "And you aren't even dressed properly for the festival! I am so disappointed." Mira smirked slightly.

"I guess my dad was right about you..." She winked slyly.

[member="Isar Kislo"]

 

[Isar Kislo]

Isar's smile broadened ever so slightly as Aelyn approached him. Coming to his feet, Isar's blue eyes held the woman's gaze intently, ignoring the looks he was receiving from the other patrons. Despite her seemingly joyful demeanor, the good people of Naboo were no doubt creating the fantasy of Isar being the absolute worst sort of husband in their mind's eye.

Exhaling softly, Isar stepped closer to Mira. "Well you left in such a hurry last night, I thought perhaps I had said or done something to offend you. I elected to spend the evening in a hotel, to give you your space." Making a slight motion to his attire, Isar shrugged. "This was all I had in my bag, but if you absolutely must have me out of my clothing, we can return home right this very moment."

Isar offered Mira a playful wink before warm laughter escaped his lips. "Hello, Mi-Aelyn. Would you care to join me?" Stepping slightly to the side, the Zeison Sha moved to pull back the chair directly opposite the one he had occupied.

[member="Mira Rekali"]

 

[The End Narrator]

Mira's face turned red as her hands unclasped and came forward to gesture to him. "No, no. It's ok. We can get you out of those clothes...later."

~That did not come out the way I intended it to...~ Mira grimaced inwardly. ~Oh well, just roll with it.~

She chuckled softly and nodded. "Of course I'll join you but first..." She inhaled deeply and placed a hand upon his chest. "My name is Mira." Her hand lingered for a moment before she took a seat across from him. Hands fluffed out the bits of her dress before resting in her lap. "I was going by another name - for reasons I can explain later. I'm not in any trouble or anything, or wanted by the authorities." She chuckled softly. "It's complicated."

Her right hand unclasped and gently waved before her. "But enough of that, do you come here often? This is a beautiful place! I have been waiting for so long to see the flowers bloom! It's a once in a life time event."

[member="Isar Kislo"]

 

[Isar Kislo]

Isar nodded his head at the revelation of Mi-Aelyn's actual name. As she settled into her seat, the large Kiffar-Naboo leaned down to whisper into her ear as best he could with the large hat. "Sweetheart, we must stop the lies." The comment wasn't made in any tone that would have indicated any actual level of displeasure. In the end of the day, he had been a stranger to her. Truthfully...they still were strangers in a lot of ways.

As Isar returned to his own seat, he offered a brief, dismissive wave of his hand at her explanation. "Life is complicated, Mira. You owe me no explanation. We've yet plenty of time to cover uncharted territory." Leaning back comfortably in his seat, Isar stared at Mira with a mostly blank expression as she made several rapid fire statements. He was pretty sure he picked up on a question at the start.

When [member="Mira Rekali"] had finished, Isar laughed softly, allowing an easy smile to settle onto his lips. "You are quite energetic." A single eyebrow raised at the comment, but he otherwise did not pursue any form of...suggestive joke. "I do agree this planet is quite beautiful. I must confess I knew nothing of the Festival until but a few moments prior to your arrival. This is my first trip to Naboo." Isar paused. She had given up something that he could only assume she generally preferred to guard, so he would do the same. "My..." Father? Genetic donor? Best to keep it simple. "My family suggested I should come to see the part of my heritage I am most unfamiliar with. If you couldn't tell from my accent, I was born and raised mostly elsewhere. I am part Kiffar."

Another pause. "I take it this is not your first time to Naboo?"

 

[The End Narrator]

Mira let off a laugh, shrugging away the comment about the lies. She told no lies, only slight fabrications in order to avoid telling the real story - what were they called? Alternative truths? Yeah, something of that sort. She had to fabricate some minor details of her life, atleast at first glance - for now. How would he react when he discovered she could actually feel the Force? Manipulate it with relative ease? Maybe nothing would change, maybe everything would change. Worry and fear for another time. Mira rested her elbow upon the table, and then her chin within her hand. A look of enlightenment crossed her features. “Oh, you don’t have to tell me twice.”

~Energetic? Me? No way!~ She shrieked to herself.

Then again, whenever this guy came around it was like [member="Liam Quez"] all over again.

Maybe it was just a man thing.

Her hand dropped, allowing her to shrug as she brought the other to rest upon the table. Fingers would intertwine together as she spoke. “Family and heritage is important.” A look of curiosity overcame her features as she tilted her head. “What is a Kiffar?” She let off a nervous laugh and shook her head softly.

“No, of course not.” She looked around casually, unwrapping her hands from one and another before gesturing. “I’ve been here a couple of times. Mostly on vacation with my mother before she died - sometimes for spiritual exploration…” That was probably the best way to put training - for now. “I actually was looking forward to spending a few days here - since my schedule is pretty open.”

[member="Isar Kislo"]

 

[Isar Kislo]

Isar offered his own shrug to [member="Mira Rekali"]'s statement about family and heritage being important. He would agree that drifting through life alone and without any real understanding of what or who you are could be...irritating. However, in his very recent experience, some truths were just better left unsaid. Her query about Kiffar, however, was something he was prepare to have an actual response to. "Kiffar. Near-human species from the planets of Kiffu and Kiffex in the Inner Rim. They're...interesting places, much different than the serenity of Naboo.

Pausing for a moment, Isar added one more thing. "Typically easy to recognize by facial tattoos that are generally applied very early in life. Unfortunately, I was removed from my home at a very young age. Most of my development occurred on Yanibar."

Leaning back in his seat, Isar shifted the conversation back to Mira for a moment. "Spiritual exploration? You're not some vegan hippie are you?" Quickly Isar raised his right hand slightly as his arm rested on the table. "I mean no judgment. We just obviously can't be friends in that instance." An easy smirk settled over Isar's lips.

 

[The End Narrator]

Mira nodded sagely. “I believe I’ve encountered a few before.” She most likely had met a few Kiffar before, she just probably didn’t realize it. Mira was never one to get into the whole species-ism thing - unless it was one of those uncommon species. She watched him with interest as she too would lean back in her seat, crossing her legs properly. Her hands came to rest upon her knees, clasping together as she let out a hearty laugh.

“No, me? A vegan? Or a hippie?” Mira’s face was clearly delighted at such a notion. “If you only knew some of the stuff I’m capable of doing, I think I could give someone as strapping as yourself a run for their credits.” She chuckled. “I also happen to like Chandrilian tendermeat - whenever I can afford it.” Which was partially true, she had gotten lucky once and took a shipment to a restaurant that was serving the upper class citizens of Chandrila and made good friends with the Executive Chef. Needless to say - Mira can get a good meal anytime that she wanted after she saved him from a gambling debt.

“No, it’s more of religion? I guess you could say.” Mira gave a light shrug before engaging him in a bit of questioning. "So, how is your family heritage exploration going? I guess you could call it that?"

[member="Isar Kislo"]

 

[Isar Kislo]

Isar smirked at the thought of [member="Mira Rekali"] giving him a run for his credits. The expression was not born out of any level of arrogance or disbelief in Mira's ability. If anything, it was merely the visual manifestation of Isar's excitement at the notion. "Oh really? Well perhaps we'll just have to put that to the test one day." He did, after all, rather well thrive off of physical contest.

"I've never had Chandrilian tendermeat. In fact, I'm quite positive that I've never even heard of it." Isar's entire life had been the essence of humble. Certainly there had never been any amount of wealth attached to his name. That was a...distinctly recent development.

When Mira shifted the conversation back to the topic of family, Isar opened his mouth to respond but stopped short. Slowly closing his mouth, the young Kiffar-Naboo allowed a mischievous smile to spread across his lips. "If I'm being honest, it hasn't started much in earnest. I was just about to head out to my family's home outside of Theed."

A pause. The question he wanted to ask should have been simple. After all, he'd asked plenty of questions in his life. For some reason, however, the words were getting caught in his throat as his light blue eyes danced over Mira's visage.

"You can come," he almost blurted out before clearing his throat awkwardly. "I mean. You know. If you want, that is."

Another pause.

"Probably some flowers along the way."

Probably some flowers along the way... Who are you Isar.

Obviously, Isar was much more comfortable being the one to unsettle another. How the shoe randomly ended up on the other foot, he couldn't say.

 

[The End Narrator]

Mira tilted her head and chuckled softly, nodding slowly. “Yes, yes we will. I will hold you to that - a promise then?” She left that to linger for another time as he brought up the Chandrilian tendermeat. Mira furrowed her eyebrows and gave a sage nod. “Oh yes, it’s quite delicious. Again, maybe something we’ll have to experience together.” She said with a hint of hopefulness to her voice.

~What are you doing!? Wow, this completely nuts.~ She chuckled inwardly.

“Now?” She looked around briefly as if expecting someone to jump out of the nearby bushes and kidnap her or perhaps even a holocam crew to say it was all some sort’ve joke. There was a momentary pause, one that alluded to nothing more than Mira being caught off-guard.

“Ok.” She said flatly.

~Wow, don’t sound so enthusiastic…~ She chided.

She rose from the table and nodded. “Flowers would be nice….” Mira laughed a bit, raising an eyebrow quizzically. “Does this count as our first date?” She’d casually gesture, moving around the table as she did. “Cause so far I’m liking it, however, I do hope you have better scenery than the city…” She joked.

[member="Isar Kislo"]

 

[Isar Kislo]

Isar afforded Mira a roguish grin in response to her initial comments. A series of retorts came to mind, but he managed to keep his mouth shut. For whatever reason, his mind was struggling to remain pure and direct in thought.

The woman's agreement to accompany him to some vague location out of the city didn't necessarily register as completely awkward for some reason. He presumed that had to do partially with his own understanding of how awkwardly he had worded the invitation. Plus - the entire situation was...random, and the emotions surging through his body were completely foreign to him. The urges they engendered not so much confusing as hard to control.

Standing when Mira did, Isar reached into his pocket before depositing a couple credit chits on the table. The wind briefly caught his long blonde hair as he walked around the table to Mira's side, offering her his arm. "I suppose it does," Isar commented amid laughter. "I hope the views I offer are better than the city too."

A pause.

"I mean...you know what I mean."

As the pair initiated their walk through the streets of Theed, Isar would engage Mira in idle conversation. She seemed to have a lot of information about the Festival, so his questions mostly circled around that. For some reason that didn't generally engage others in any type of friendship or otherwise, Isar was finding it surprisingly easy, even comforting to be around Mira. What that exactly meant...he couldn't possibly have known for sure in that moment. Fortunately, they weren't terribly far from the Palace District, and soon they were arriving at Theed Hangar. It was plain to see that activity had increased significantly.

The pair had taken no more than ten steps towards the polished decks before a uniformed member of the House Veruna guard approached them. "Uhh... Forgive my deception," he outright blurted to Mira. It was really more of an omission.

The large man stopped just short of Isar and Mira, dressed in the dark blue and gold of House Veruna and bowed respectfully. "Mi'lord, we have prepared your vessel and the estate manager is prepared for your arrival."

Isar exhaled softly before nodding his head. The whole 'Mi'lord' thing was already old. "It's just Isar, Captain. Also - a change of plans, we'll be taking my father's Apailana." With his head, Isar indicated a gleaming J-type sitting near the back of the hangar.

The Captain glanced first at Mira and then the vessel before returning his attention to Isar with a polite half-bow. "As you command. The Baron did indicate you were to have access to whatever you required." With that, the Captain turned to relay information and return to his duties supervising the Veruna spacecraft located in the hangar.

Isar turned his light blue eyes in Mira's direction, motioning towards the large, gleaming transport. "Shall we?" A simple smile was meant to make it seem as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

[member="Mira Rekali"]