Catching Up, Slowing Down

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua had asked himself how he had come across a child as perfect as Minna many times before. He had never believed that the Force controlled the universe, but the pairing of the child and the Shark made him doubt. She was so eager, so full of life.

"Don't worry, Queen. Minna the Fish will teach your baby how to fight!" The little girl bounced in her seat, ever energized. Ghorua had hoped she would tire herself out by now.

"How do you know they want to fight, Minna?" Ghorua ruffled his daughter's hair in one massive palm, covering her eyes with his fingers. "Not every good guy fights, you know."

Then, ever serious, she spoke. "They'll have to."

Ghorua narrowed his eyes slightly, suddenly pensive. Minna was a mystery, even after they had been together for so long.

"Besides," she continued, returning to her joyful self, "we could be Jedi together! And I need this baby to watch my back when he or she gets older." Minna nodded, happy. "Until then, I'll watch them."

"A Bounty Hunter Jedi?" Ghorua raised an eyebrow. "How are you going to pull that off?"

Minna blew a tuft of hair from her face, smiling. "I dunno. But I will."

- [member="Lady Kay"] -

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay laughed as Minna made her promise to teach her baby how to fight. It was comical to try to picture; a little baby nestled in a blanket and pulling out a mini lightsaber from it's hiding spot. She could easily picture Minna assuming the superhero pose of hands on the hips. She wondered if [member="Ghorua the Shark"] was picturing the same thing.

When Minna got serious, Kay looked to Ghora, noting the narrowing of his eyes. Could she see possible futures? It made her wonder how often Minna had moments like that. She may have to mention it to [member="Veiere Arenais"] at some point.

"Well Minna is right. Her little cousin will have to learn to defend itself, just in case. And know how to protect it's family. With all of us, that gives them the chance at being one of the best ever." Certainly better than herself.

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua took a big breath in through his blowhole, smelling the tea in front of him. It had a subtle sweet scent, both earthy and smooth. Before he'd discovered the substance, he'd had a soft spot for the occasional hard liquor. He was a big guy, so he could afford to risk heavy drinks. He'd enjoyed the simple pleasures of alcohol until he was introduced to tea.

It was smooth, sophisticated, pleasant. Nothing like the rough, burning taste of grog.

Perhaps that was how Ghorua's change of heart began; with Sapir tea.

"Little cousin..." Minna clapped her hands together. "I like that. Hi, little cousin!" She waved at where she presumed the baby was. "You're gonna be my little cousin!"

Ghorua looked on, a little somberly. Besides him, Minna had no actual family. No aunts or uncles. No grandparents. No mother.

Just him.

Minna cocked her head, as if listening to something. She looked up to face her father, concern etched in her face. "What's wrong?"

Ghorua smiled, realizing his sudden mood shift would be caught by the little girl. It seemed the limited Force training he could give her was paying off. The Shark looked between the ladies, grinning. "Nothing, Minna. Just thinking, is all."

The Shark turned his attention back to Kay. "I'm sure they'll be strong." Ghorua's dark eyes lit up. "Which reminds me."

He rubbed Minna's head. "Go check on the egg, little Minnow."

"Fine."

Begrudgingly, Minna stood up, and left for the shed outside. Kay would probably be curious about 'the egg', but Ghorua would save that for another time. For now, Ghorua looked distractedly across the room, making sure his daughter was gone, before continuing.

"She wants to be a Bounty Hunter Jedi." He laughed, somewhat forcefully. "Travel the galaxy, solving disputes and taking down criminals, all the while dueling baddies with blasters and lightsaber blazing."

"I'm worried for her. I'm afraid she isn't getting the training she needs. Which is why I feel she should get a lesson from a Jedi." He looked pointedly at Kay, feeling his mood lighten slightly.

"Would you be willing to sit her down? Meditate?" He waved his hands in the air. "Whatever you Jedi do?"

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay smiled as Minna took to talking to her belly. No doubt there'd be more of that in the future. It made her wonder if both her and [member="Veiere Arenais"] would be able to communicate with the baby before it was even born. Was that even possible? Did others do that? It was certainly something to think about.

She watched the exchange between [member="Ghorua the Shark"] and Minna while she sipped her tea, raising a brow slightly as an egg was needing to be checked on. An egg? Just what was it that the two were up to?

After Minna left, Kay's attention was brought back to her friend. She gave a half smile as she tried to imagine what a Bounty Hunter Jedi would be like. It wasn't exactly the easiest thing to picture as the two sort of contradicted eachother. But maybe Veiere would know.

Kay had to laugh a little as Ghorua called her a Jedi. As far as she was concerned, she wasn't one at all. True Jedi don't murder as she had done, forced or not. No. Kay was too tainted in her opinion. "I'm not a Jedi...but I can certainly try. Veiere would be better at it, given the Praxeum that he runs, and the Jedi temples that he looks after. He's had far better training than I have. Meditation is easy however."

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua leaned back, enjoying the moment, the silence that came with Minna's departure. As much as he loved her, it seemed he never got a break from the excitement with her around. In that way, he mused, caring for her was much like being a Bounty Hunter; never a moment's rest.

"Thank you," he said genuinely, caressing the fabric at his side, mind dwelling on other things. He suddenly grinned sharply, remembering Kay's husband. "I want you to help her, not Veiere. I've barely had the chance to meet him, and it was under... stressful circumstances." The Shark's good mood died, replaced by mute observation.

"Perhaps in the future, she'll go to the Praexum." His tone was quiet, pensive, as he drank his Sapir tea. "I'm sure she'd learn a lot there. How to be a proper Jedi, and all that."

Ghorua wanted her to be better than him. To do some actual good in her life. He wanted her to learn how to help others, to see the galaxy for what it was, and instead of join it in it's squalor...

To rise above it.

"That's all in the future," the Shark muttered dismissively, returning his thoughts to the present. "I don't suppose you'd want to stay for lunch? That might give you time to sit her down." Ghorua stood, dusting off his pants. ​"We can head into the city. It's got some great restaurants."

- [member="Lady Kay"] -

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay blinked, quite surprised at [member="Ghorua the Shark"] insisting that she be the one to train Minna. Of course she was the closest to the pair, so it made sense. It had just seemed like ages since she had taught anyone anything other than making Sapir tea.

She sipped from her enormous cup and nodded, giving her old friend a reassuring smile to help lighten his mood. "Alright, I'll train her. I'm sure that I'll be able to spare time for her and she could help me out as well. I'll look after her while you're on your missions and see to it that she makes you proud."

One of these days [member="Veiere Arenais"] and Ghorua would have to get together, maybe have a drink or two. Ghorua was one of her closest friends, brought together by times of danger to one another. She cared for him. He was like family, and by extension, so was Minna.

He got to his feet then, asking her out to lunch. Kay set down her cup. Although she loved her tea, even she had some limits and that was a huge stein. "Sure, I'd love to. Lead the way. It's been a while since I've eaten out."

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua smirked when Kay spoke, both finding solace in her words, and grinning when she called his bounties 'missions'. It was a nice way to look at what he did.

"She already makes me proud, Kay." He looked to where the girl had exited, imagining who she was, and what the future had in store for her. "Very proud."

Ghorua stepped outside, admiring the sudden crispness of the air, the smells of the forest, the chirping of distant birds. It was so different from Coruscant, or Nar Shaddaa. Nature was everywhere, and Ghorua liked it just as much as, if not more than, the city-planets.

Ghorua walked up to a small shed, and rapped on the door. He heard the growling of Bones, and an exasperated sigh from Minna.

"One minute!"

"We're going to lunch with Kay in the city," he responded, rolling his eyes to his friend. "Don't you want to come eat?"

"He's almost hatched, though! I can FEEL it!" Minna poked her head through the doorway, cheeks puffed out in defiance.

Ghorua placed his hands on his hips, raising an inquisitive eyebrow. "Fine. It looks like the Queen and I will go have fun by ourselves," He began to turn away, hiding his smile. ". . . And leave you here with your egg, if that's what you want."

"I'm coming! Hold on!" She shut the door hastily, and rustling could be heard on the other side. Minna exited the structure a moment later, toting a small bag. For a moment, the interior of the shed was visible. There was a pen, the floor covered in warm straw. A bright orange light shone overhead it. And in the center...

An enormous egg, roughly two feet high, smooth like sandstone.

"Alright! Now we can go!"

As the three of them walked around the house, to an enormously-proportioned airspeeder, the Shark clasped his hands behind his back. He felt the peace of the coming noon

"I don't suppose you have any favorite places on Bakura?"

- [member="Lady Kay"] -

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay smiled, glad that [member="Ghorua the Shark"] was already proud of Minna. That was perfect and just the way that fathers should be with their children. It was a sign of good parenting. Well, at least in her opinion.

She followed along, raising a brow at the conversation that she was hearing between the two of them. Were they playing? Or was it something else?

And then he mentioned an egg. Kay raised a brow as she caught a glimpse. Everything was set for it to not be some kind of game between the two of them. So what were they raising? Some kind of pet? Surely they knew that she'd have to be told eventually, right?

But Ghorua switched the topic and led them to his speeder. She climbed inside and waited for Minna to sit down beside her. "I do. Bantha Burgers and Buns. You guys might know it as Triple B's. How does that sound?"

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Minna hopped into the airspeeder, content to nuzzle up to the queen. Ghorua took the driver's seat, powering up the vehicle. It had been difficult finding a speeder large enough for him on Bakura, but he'd managed.

"Never heard of it," Ghorua said, making sure his daughter was fastened securely to her seat. "To be fair, we don't go to Salis D'aar very often. Gotta keep a low profile, y'know?"

With the growing tension between Ghorua and the First Order, the Herglic figured it might be moving time again.

The only reason they hadn't sniffed him out so far was because Ghorua hired a slicer to keep them off his track. Any report of the large Bounty Hunter suspiciously vanished from the FO's reports.

They'd have to go somewhere so remote, so useless, that no one would ever think to look for them there.

The airspeeder zipped over the trees, leaving the quaint cabin behind.

As they traveled, Minna fidgeted with her shirt, no doubt performing some internal monologue. She reached out, and tapped Ghorua on his side. "Can I tell Auntie Kay about my egg?"

Ghorua grinned softly, encouragingly. "Go ahead, Minnow." He turned his face back to the empty space ahead of the speeder, peeking at them out the corner of his eye.

"Alright!" Her voice lilted excitedly, and she cleared her throat. "So, my daddy was taken by some really bad men. They were stealing animals from their homes, and selling them!" Her face scrunched up in disgust as she thought about the poachers. "But I got away, because I was fast. Anyways, a Jedi Master helped me find him again, and together we beat up the bad guys, and I got my egg! And together, he and I are gonna fight bad guys!"

Ghorua huffed through his blowhole affirmatively, thinking back on his decision to let her keep it. When she talked about the egg, she sounded so confident, as if she could see into its future.

Ghorua's smiled faded a bit as he looked back at them. "I took it to a zoologist the day we got it." He looked ahead again.

"Krayt Dragon. Don't know if you've heard of 'em. Big, big creatures. Live in the dune seas of Tatooine, if memory serves." He narrowed his eyes ahead, remembering. "I did some research. Apparently, some Forcies can tame them. And Minna said she could..."

"I will," she interjected, tapping on Kay's shoulder. "I've already been talking to him. He can't really think right now, 'cause he's only a baby, but I think he knows what I'm saying." Ghorua's shoulders tensed. Of course, she'd already told him that she can talk to the egg, just as she could communicate to Bones. Still, it showed prowess, talent in the Force that even some trained Knights didn't possess.

"...So I figured I'd let her try."

How powerful would she be with some real training?

- [member="Lady Kay"] -

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay raised a brow as [member="Ghorua the Shark"] hadn't heard of Triple B's. But then his further explaination revealed the reason why. Made sense. Athough she knew little about his relationship with the First Order, she knew that his reputation as a bounty hunter didn't help in making him fit in anywhere.

Her arm wrapped around Minna's shoulders as the speeder started off. Another brow was raised as she mentioned her egg. Kay listened intently, looking to the both of them while they spoke in turn. Krayt dragons she had heard of, but never had she seen one in person. That would change in time apparently.

The tension in Ghorua was noticed while Minna was speaking about her abilities. She looked down to Minna as her shoulder was tapped. More than likely the look on Kay's face was one of someone thatjust wasn't sure of what to think. It was hard to tell what could happen with a Krayt dragon. "Well, if you believe that you can look after the dragon and clean up after it, then you'll have a very special friend. And if you come to Commenor for a while, we have some desert climates that are more suitable for him. More suitable than Bakura, anyways."

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Minna leaned into her seat, excitement on her face. "Cath will be a good friend, trust me!"

She'd already named it. Minna hadn't told Ghorua that.

"And I want to go to Commenor soon. The egg and I can go together!" Minna practically beamed, pride in her features. Ghorua chuckled, banking a soft right.

"Soon, soon. I've got a few info-gathering meetings coming up, so she can visit then."

"Yes!"

Finally, the trio could see Salis D'aar in the distance. The buildings were tall and industrial, but simultaneously rustic and calm. Bakura seemed to have the perfect balance of untamed majesty and mild tranquility, a dance of dualities that sat well with the Shark.

Technology, wilderness. Warrior, father... It proved that even with sides so conflicting, so opposite, they could marry in such a marvelous way, that even the First Order's regime couldn't completely black it out.

They landed in a small outer spaceport, the airspeeder touching down heavily, laden with it's passengers. Ghorua stepped out, waiting a moment as Minna jumped off acrobatically. He gestured to Kay, making a point not to help her out. Queens had to do some things for themselves, after all.

"So, where is this 'Triple B's'?" Ghorua frowned slightly as he saw the glean of First Order Stormtrooper helmets patrolling. There was no active warning out there for him yet, but it was only a matter of time. "Not too far, I hope."

- [member="Lady Kay"] -

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay raised a brow at the mention of the name. "Is Cath a boy or a girl dragon?" Her knowledge of krayt dragons wasn't very good. If anything, they could be hermaphrodites for all she knew. Bur Minna's enthusiasm was great to see.

Soon they were at their destination, however, or at the very least, close enough to it. Kay exited the speeder after [member="Ghorua the Shark"] and Minna did, taking note that he let her handle it on her own. That was just fine. She didn't need any special treatment. Out on Bakura she was no one special. She wasn't a Queen, or some noblewoman. She was just Kay, and that was fine with her.

As Ghorua asked about the restaurant, Kay looked around. She spotted the Stormtroopers as well, but she had the right to pass through First Order space without hassle. Or at least that's what she's been told. "This way." Kay pointed to the left and led them down the street. "It's just a couple of blocks down, if memory serves me. And the burgers are so good here, but messy too. So...be prepared."

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

"I don't know," Minna said, looking over the her shoulder at the Lady. "But Cath is a good name. It can be by itself for a boy, and short for Cathy for a girl!"

They walked towards where Kay pointed out, Ghorua trying his hardest to exude his trademark confidence. If the Shark was uncomfortable, he didn't show it outwardly, walking with a swagger and a hard stare forward. Nonetheless, as if she sensed his true emotions, Minna held his hand, waving to Kay to grab the other one.

Ghorua couldn't help but keep a cautious eye out. It was his nature. Ghorua cared for the two he was traveling with immensely, and if anything were to happen to them...

He tightened his grip on his daughter's hand, but only slightly.

Finally, they made it to Triple B's, and Ghorua sighed in relief. It seemed like a fine establishment, the scent of meat wafting out into the street. Ghorua hid his disgust, smiling as Minna began to bounce up and down.

"It smells so good! C'mon!"

They found their way inside, to a cozy booth. The server gave the strange trio a double take, before getting their orders. Something sloppy off the kids menu for Minna, and a nice fruit salad for Ghorua.

Ghorua leaned back, stray eyes darting around to make sure the area was safe. This was pretty standard when Ghorua and Minna went out together, so she hardly seemed to notice.

Ghorua did not like the First Order, that was obvious. He'd even sided against them in the raid on Bespin. With the Galactic Alliance, of all factions.

Politics makes strange bedfellows.

- [member="Lady Kay"] -

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay nodded in agreement. Cath was indeed an androgynous name, so Minna's choice was a good one.

The little girl caught her attention as she waved, and Kay figured out what she had wanted. She looked and saw [member="Ghorua the Shark"] seeming to hide his stress. Yes he swaggered, but his movements were a little stiff. So in following Minna's lead, she took hold of his other hand and gave it a small squeeze.

Once inside she placed her order, noting that Ghorua was still keeping watch. Her brows furrowed as she leaned over to him and spoke low. "I don't expect that we'll get any trouble. This is a quiet world...Just try to relax."

Kay had forgotten that Ghorua was a vegetarian. It's easy to forget, given his size and well, those teeth certainly screamed carnivore. She had ordered a big burger for herself. Normally she'd order a smaller one, but she was eating for more than just herself now.

"This is my treat you guys, so if you want more, you can have more." It made her wonder what krayt dragons ate. Were they expensive to raise? They could be. But then again, so are children.

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

"Apologies. Force of habit."

Ghorua hadn't realized his paranoia had become apparent until it was too late. He kept forgetting that both in his company were Force-Sensitive, and his emotions would be all too easy to interpret to them.

That's what he got for surrounding himself with Forcies.

The different smells of the restaurant were slightly unsettling. The scent of meat was everywhere, tickling some part of his brain he couldn't identify. But he'd had the Blood Frenzy in him for years, and had more than enough practice suppressing it. Still, Ghorua couldn't wait for his salad to come.

Ghorua smiled widely as Kay offered to pay, content not to refuse. "I was hoping you'd say that. Just because I'm a successful bounty hunter, doesn't mean I won't accept handouts." He figured the Queen could take this one. She had more than enough money to go around, he was sure.

Minna spoke up, leaning her elbows on the table. "When was the last time you were on Bakura, Auntie Kay? I mean, besides today?" She looked out the window, imitating Ghorua's cautious glare. "There are lots of Stormtroopers here now."

- [member="Lady Kay"] -

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay laughed as [member="Ghorua the Shark"] graciously accepted her offer to pay for the meal. But she didn't do it because she was well off, she did it because she cared for them and wanted to do it. Even if she didn't have much to her name, which has happened more than a few times in her lifetime, she'd of still offered to pay.

She looked to Minna as she spoke, tilting her head to the side a bit as she mulled it over. "Umm..." Kay watched as Minna copied Ghorua's mannerisms. The two of them were quite the pair, as comical as that may seem. "It's been a few years, at least. I know that this is First Order space, but it's been that way for a while. Any reason for the escalation? I'm...sort of out of the loop with these things." Outside of her own borders, she knew little. Major superpowers were fighting eachother, bouncing around from one enemy to the next. It was hard to keep track of it all sometimes.

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua thought about the Lady's question mutely, thinking back through current events.

"Well, there was a kidnapping a while ago. A Rivanon. They're big shots around here, but I don't know if that's cause to ship in more troopers."

Ghorua had a sneaking suspicion that the First Order used the disappearance as an excuse to tighten their grip on the planet, but that was simple guesswork and hearsay. He had no idea.

"Most of the time, it's not this bad. Bakura is... generally overlooked. Not too many resources for the war machine to exploit, unless they like tea." The joke was accompanied by a dry smile as he put his hand on Minna's shoulder, comforting.

"By the way," the girl said, combing her hair, "I still have that flower you gave me." She smiled, and Ghorua was reminded of his first day with Minna. "It's still pretty. Not 'lightsaber crystal' pretty..."

Ghorua saw where she was going from a mile away. "Minna, you aren't getting a lightsaber. Not until we get someone to teach you how to use it." The Shark shook his head, unimpressed. This obviously wasn't the first time this conversation had happened.

"But if I'm going to be a Jedi, I'll need to use a lightsaber," she whispered, making sure no one was eavesdropping. She looked to Kay for help. "Right?"

- [member="Lady Kay"] -

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay wasn't on top of the goings on in the Galaxy. She had enough on her plate in her own corner to be so worried about what others were doing. Kidnappings happen often. He was right to assume that it wasn't enough of a reason for the added policing on the planet.

She laughed at his joke. "I would hope that some of my tea suppliers aren't threatened. Then what ever would I do?"

Their food had arrived. Kay picked up her burger and had a bite, listening to the exchange between [member="Ghorua the Shark"] and Minna while she chewed. That flower crystal was a great find and she was pleased to hear that Minna still had it. Still her desire to wield a lightsaber so quickly was a bit concerning. "Most Jedi do, yes. But I think that it takes a lot of training to get that far. Just as it takes a lot of training to be a good hunter. And there's a lot of commitment for it too. But you'll get there. Just be patient."

Patience wasn't something that came easily for Minna, she imagined. But perhaps mentioning learning to hunt being similar to learning to be a Jedi would better help her to understand.

 

[Ghorua the Shark]

Ghorua was amazed at Minna's persistence sometimes. She surprised him with her insistence to train, to shoot, to go above and beyond, and yes, to pester about making a lightsaber. He could only imagine how this trait would grow as Minna got older. Ghorua had never been a stubborn man, but he was beginning to understand the definiton of stubbornness.

Of course, Minna did not disappoint.

"But with other weapons, Dad says to get lots of practice to get good with it." Minna poked at a fork on the table, pensive. Despite himself, Ghorua smiled. Using his own words against him, is she?

"I'm already training with a blaster pistol, blaster rifle, wrist blaster, vibroknife, Teräs Käsi... Dad has even let me pilot the ship!" She counted off her skills with definite pride. "Why can't I start with a lightsaber?"

"Because that's a different kind of weapon," Ghorua interjected, tousling her hair. "All the other weapons we have, we use our heads and our arms." He poked Minna's nose with a finger gingerly, and she giggled. "But a laser sword? That takes heart." He gestured toward where he assumed his daughter's heart was. "You'll be ready for one eventually. Like the Lady said; patience."

Minna seemed satisfied with the answer, but Ghorua knew the questions would be back, and in greater number.

The food finally arrived, brought out by a young server. Ghorua thanked her, helping unpack Minna's burger.

- [member="Lady Kay"] -

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay nodded in agreement with [member="Ghorua the Shark"] . He was right of course. She took a bite of her burger and chewed it down, swallowing before speaking. "He's right, you know. Even Jedi don't get to use one right away when they are young. They learn other skils first. Lightsabers attract a lot of attention and sometimes it's best not to have it." Turning on a lightsaber was like flashing our a big sign saying 'here I am'. There were some situations where it was better not to do that.

As she went to take another bite, some of the sauces and veggies of her burger slid out and plopped onto her plate. Kay looked up at the two of them and grinned. "Told you they were messy." She took the bite and chewed it, looking to Minna as she pondered on all of the different skills that she has said she's learned. It was quite a lot for her to learn in such a short time. But she had a great teacher. And Father.

"So you can pilot a ship too? Wow. That's really good. I think that'd make you the youngest and prettiest pilot I know." Both were the truth. So there was no lying or buttering up being done there. "What's your favourite thing todo out of everything that you've learned so far?"