Private Been Waiting For You

[Kay-Larr]

[member="Ghorua the Shark"] had been on her mind lately. Recently Kay had had some people popping by to visit her. How they figured where to find her was another matter that she wondered. Some used the Force to guide them, while others reached out through holonet messages. Regardless, her little hiding spot wasn't going to remain hidden for long.

And given all of that, she had to reach out to her favourite Herglic. No doubt he had wondered what had happened to her since the attack on Zakuul and the assassinations of her government officials. No doubt he was probably beside himself when there was no word of where she was or if she was even alive. Kay kept her survival to herself, mostly in part because of [member="Darth Tacitus"] . She doubted that he was hunting her down for escaping her execution, but she didn't want to find out either. So she did whatever she could to avoid getting into any spotlight.

There was much for Ghorua and herself to catch up on. And right now she could use the company and advice of one of her closest friends.

Ghorua,

Its Kay. I know that we've been out of contact for a while and I think it's about time for a visit. You can find me on Altiria. I'd go to you if I could, as you're more than likely on Bakura, but outside of public transport, I have no means of getting there. And it's a long, long way to travel.

Just let me know when you can get here and I'll have the tea ready. I have a whole shop full of it.

~Kay.

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

When the world goes sideways, the smart ones get off-world.

Those were words Ghorua had lived by for most of his life. Even when he began to discover himself, his own definitions of right and wrong, he kept this lesson close to his heart. Living was far more important than dying for a noble cause; the latter, he could do only once. The former, he could live on, to find more good to do.

That didn't mean he felt good about what happened.

- - -​

Ever since the First Order officially fell, Bakura had been caught within a perpetual sigh of relief. Ghorua could feel it as he walked it's city streets gathering supplies for his next job, or relaxing in the cabin with Minna, or even when he hiked the back trails of the temperate planet. Ghorua had lived to see his fair share of evil empires crumble. He could only hope that this time, it stuck.

But Kay, too, had been on his mind. Of course, he would never have been convinced of her death without seeing it himself. Ghorua had long since learned not to bet against the slight human. But each passing day, of not receiving a communication, or hearing any news, chipped away at his resolve. He had begun to doubt.

That was until he received the message. Luckily, he was in his ship at the time. He'd heard rumors, whispers, that an old gang he used to run with was gaining traction in the Outer Rim. It had warranted a closer look. But when his communicator lit up, and Ghorua read the message, all thoughts of the Black Sun dissipated from his mind.

//TO: LADY KAY
FROM: THE SHARK

I'll be there. Tea sounds lovely.//

A quick holonet search, a few plugged-in coordinates, and a hyperspace jump later, the Shark was on his way.

We can't keep meeting like this, he thought, a bittersweet smile revealing rows of sharp teeth.

- [member="Kay Larr"] -

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay smiled a little as she got the message from [member="Ghorua the Shark"] informing her of his impending arrival. Well that's good to hear. He was alive and seemed to be well. Although the message didn't divulge much. More than likely that was due to the fact that anyone could intercept their messages.

Sounds wonderful, Ghorua. I'll see you when you arrive.

~Kay.

With that done she had something else to ponder. She needed a chair and table fit for the Herglic's size. It was time to go shopping, and fortunately she had the time to do so.

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

The Jawsome dropped out of hyperspace over Altiria, and after clearing his landing at an unassuming spaceport, Ghorua was shocked by the normality of it all. Whenever he had come to visit Kay before, it had always been at a palace, or giant tower in the sky, at the center of galactic affairs, and at least a few assassination attempts.

After his star yacht descended into the upper, then lower atmosphere, and finally, the spaceport, Ghorua left the controls, and went to put on his armor, but stopped himself. He was so used to putting it on, wherever he wasn't home. It had gotten to the point where it felt so natural to step into, like putting on shoes when headed outside. But why did he need them here?

With some difficulty, the Shark pulled himself away from the beskar plating, only strapping on his slugthrower pistols, and leaving his vibroblade in his boot. Hopefully, he wouldn't attract too much attention here. Having fewer weapons on him would help.

Ghorua stepped out of his ship, and drew his datapad. The Sphaera Tea Shoppe was on the edge of town, if his researching skills were to be trusted. Which they were.

The walk was relatively short, even shorter for the long-striding form of the Herglic. Ghorua's eyes were constantly shifting, making sure he wasn't being followed, or stared at for too long. He was putting Kay in danger by being here. Maybe he shouldn't have come. Maybe he should turn around.

And, like magic, he was there. The shop was incredibly, unnaturally quaint. No place for a politically-minded aficionado. He hesitated at the door for exactly two seconds, seemed to build up the courage, or dispel the shock, and stepped under the doorway.

- [member="Kay Larr"] -

 

[Kay-Larr]

Before [member="Ghorua the Shark"] had arrived, Kay got the furniture that she needed for him. It took some effort to get it inside, but in the end it was managed with little wear and tear on the door frame. Then there was the matter of deciding where in the shoppe to put it. Finally she decided on one of the back corners. No doubt Ghorua would be more comfortable sitting there so that he could have a full view of the shoppe and those stepping inside.

Some time later, the door opened and the Herglic stepped in. Kay was working on her own then and the shoppe itself for the moment was empty. Seeing him brought a relieved smile on her face. Kay was dressed a lot more like some local civillian than the formal attire that he was used to seeing her wear. Now donning slacks, shirt and apron, she was quick to drop her towel on the countertop and make her way over to him.

"Ghorua! I'm so glad that you made it!" Kay almost ran towards him and upon reaching her friend, she wrapped her arms around him as well as she could. "It's so good to see you...."

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Stepping inside, Ghorua expected... well, not this.

The insides were cozy, as if Ghorua had stepped into a Bakuran restaurant. The illusion was assisted by the subtle scent of Sapir leaves, somewhere in the back, along with a plethora of other sweet and spicy odors. Ghorua wondered, if he had time, if he could sample them all. But, of course, that wasn't really his reason for being here.

His reason came around the counter and hugged him.

Ghorua hugged back, as gently as he could. It was slightly easier now, considering he wasn't wearing his tough, pointy armor. It was a good feeling, something Ghorua missed.

"Good to be here, M'Lady." Ghorua kept the hug for a hot second, before tensing slightly, and pulling away. He tried to keep his face neutrally happy, but being here, he suddenly found it difficult.

A sudden, violent choking chuckle broke from his chest as he looked around at the place. "Not quite a palace, is it?" Ghorua realized it might be insensitive, but he couldn't help it. He felt guilty. Real guilty. It showed on his face, as his laugh died, replaced by a twisted, almost pained smirk.

- [member="Kay Larr"] -

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay closed her eyes while [member="Ghorua the Shark"] held her. It was nice that he wasn't wearing his armour. There was less chances for her to get pinched that way. Yet still his body tensed up a bit.

Stepping back a little after he released her, Kay looked up and studied his eyes. She couldn't tell if he was a little nervous or what, but she knew that he was slightly uncomfortable. His chuckle seemed to reinforce that feeling. Of course she wasn't offended by it. Instead she just hooked her arm in his and led him over to the Herglic-sized chair and table. "No...no it isn't. But it has more tea, I think. Speaking of which...shall I get you any? Free of charge of course." Kay would never charge her family or friends and Ghorua was both. No doubt he had plenty of questions while she had plenty of answers. The tea would be of help to the both of them.

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

The second Ghorua saw the enormous chair and table, his spirits were inexorably lifted. "Did you drag these in here just for li'l old me?" The Shark went to his side of the giant furniture after being led to it, and examined the handiwork. "Must have cost a pretty penny. Trust me, I know." He flashed a pearly smile, a genuine smile. "How did you fit it through the door?"

He chuckled again, no longer choked. He'd shoved that feeling away, back into the deep, clouded depths of his mind, only to surface again when the time was right. But for now, he wanted to enjoy this, ride the high that was seeing his friend again.

"Tea would be lovely." Ghorua looked contemplative for a moment. "I was going to say 'hit me with a Sapir', but I'm feeling adventurous today. What do you have on tap?"

- [member="Kay Larr"] -

 

[Kay-Larr]

"Well there's a trick, you see.." Kay offered Ghorua the Shark a sly wink. "I had it all brought here in pieces and we put it together once it was inside." Which was true. Both her and Doyle did it. Of course it took some time to figure out, but they managed to do it, finally. And just in time too.

As Ghroua sat down she silently hoped that it wouldn't fall out from under him. So far so good as there seemed to be no apparent squeaks or groans.

"I think Cassius tea will do well for us. They say that it promotes good health, which is fitting for the two of us." With a small nod she turned and headed over behind the counter, fetching the cups and herbal tea bags. Preparing this tea was easy, as it came in bags. And given that she always had hot water available, she only needed to pour the water in and let it steep. Kay set it all on a tray, including some biscuits, cream and honey, before carrying it all over to him. After setting the tray on the table, she climbed up onto one of the Herglic sized chairs and sat herself down. After a childish grin, she picked up her cup and held it in her hands. "I bet you have a lot of questions...But could we talk about you first? What have you been up to? How's Minna?"

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua smiled, his sharp teeth and approving smile applauding the Lady for her resourcefulness. "I'll be honest, Kay. I've outsmarted hundreds of crafty, cunning, or dangerous people. But I had not considered that."

The Shark sat down heavily, testing his weight against the craftsmanship. It held, and held strong, with nary a creak. Ghorua gave Kay a confirmatory nod, sinking deeper into the seat. It was rare that shops had seats his size. At the mention of the new tea, Ghorua nodded. He'd never heard of it, but it sounded appetizing. "Sounds lovely. We could most certainly use it."

As the conversation turned to catching up, Ghorua's poor mood showed through again, in the form of a skewed frown. "I... do have questions. But I suppose they can wait a moment."

"The First Order had their last stand on Bakura, you know," the bounty hunter began, his voice taking on a pensive affectation. "Minna and I were on-planet for it. Didn't have a chance to leave before the FO fleet locked up the system. We didn't take an active part in the battle, but you'd better believe I took down a few stray patrols." He echoed the thoughts he'd held previously. "Hopefully this time, it sticks."

"Ever since... well... the Eternal Empire, I've laid low. For both our sakes. It was difficult until the Order lost on Bakura. After that, it was easier." Ghorua knew the Eternal Empire still existed, with a new monarch. Placed there, by the First Order, another remnant of that galactic stain.

Ghorua cleared his throat, watching Kay as she made tea, eyes ever attentive. "What led you here?"

- Kay-Larr -

 

[Kay-Larr]

Ghorua the Shark

Kay listened as he spoke of Bakura and the battles taking place there. She sipped her tea at various moments. There was a time when she lived there. In fact she had many good memories on Bakura. It always held a special place in her heart. But now it was just too far away for her to get to easily. Not to mention it was probably dangerous for her too. Multiple fears kept her from doing a lot of things.

Ghorua turned the question on her. Kay wasn't quite sure of where to begin. But at least he already knew of her leading Zakuul for a time.

"War happened. Not so much on Zakuul, but between the Mandos and the Jedi. It sort of....tore my family apart. I thought that I had stabalized things enough politically at least. But then on my way home I was captured by the Eternal Empire. They held me for weeks, killed all that I had with me. Even executed others that served in my government. I was beaten, tortured, put on trial and set to be executed by crucifixion..." Kay paused as she sipped her tea. "No ine came to help. No one knew. As far as I knew, Veiere and the twins were dead. I lost my sanity and that was probably what freed me. I fled here, far away from everything and worked up enough courage to start this little tea shoppe company to earn a living. It's not much, but it's something. No one looks for me, no one needs to. I've lost everything and I'm not exactly eager to gain it all back." Not that she could trust herself to have much responsibilities anyways. Surely no one else would.

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

As Ghorua listened to the Lady's tale, he lamented the cruelty of the galaxy they found themselves in. It seemed to hold nothing but war after war after war, often accompanied by senseless death and useless destruction of innocent, hard workers. The worst of it was that his ally, his oldest and kindest friend, the one that deserved it the least, always seemed to get her fair share.

But that sadness quickly turned to anger. None at Kay, of course, none at his friend Kay. But his face scrunched into a snarl nonetheless, the considerable muscles across his body tensing and untensing, itching for a fight galaxies away.

But what Kay said last shocked him out of his rage. His face opened in surprise. He tried to formulate his next words, but came up short before letting his thoughts spill out of his maw. "I didn't know you were going through so much. I knew you were alive, I never gave up hope, but... I'm so, so sorry." The pain on his face was palpable.

After a moment of deliberation, he decided to press the issue. "Does that mean you're out of politics?"

He breathed out slowly, then pressed harder. "For all the time I've known you, you've always been leading something. Republic, Commenor, the Systems Alliance, Zakuul... Is this it? Are you content with your tea shop?"

He had yet to touch his tea.

Has the galaxy finally beaten down it's kindest ruler?

- Kay-Larr -

 

[Kay-Larr]

Ghorua the Shark

Kay watched as a series of emotions ran through Ghorua while she caught him up on events. The sadness, the anger, maybe even a bit of guilt too; she saw them all. Yet she didn't blame him for anything that happened. The only one that Kay was blaming was herself. It was her choices that led her to her troubles and pain. She wasn't always a victim. So of course it was all warranted. Every punch, kick, stab or injection was all as payback for any lives lost or harm caused by her choices.

At least that was how she came to see her life now.

To his questions, Kay slowly nodded her head. "This is my life now. Am I content? I don't know. I'm still working at overcoming my latest trauma." Not to mention the fact that no one looked for her. She was on her own. There wasn't even anything on the holonews about her other than that she was presumed dead. There was no investigation, no search. She was as Tacitus had said; a nobody; a fraud.

Kay sipped her tea. "Altiria is away from everyone, including those that were a threat to me before. Here I can just earn a bit of a living and drink as much tea as I'd like. There's no politics, no war. Here I can continue to be forgotten. It's probably better that way."