Private Chasing a Lead

[Tycho Arak]

Location: Coruscant - Upper Levels
Outfit:

Spoiler

When he'd run into a Jedi while getting the Ansion Toxin analyzed, she'd mentioned that there were people still hanging around on Coruscant from a previous battle with dark forces. His investigation into the toxin had lead him to discover that it was created from a series of other toxins and benign chemical compounds. Tracking down sales of them had been relatively easy, but the problem was that none of them had been purchased by the same person. Additionally, none of the individuals who'd made the purchases had any connections to each other. The majority of the sales were legitimate purchases, and the ones that weren't, well, each person reported giving the compounds to someone different. It was likely the same person, but given their use of illusion, they could look like anyone.

The only lead he had to go on, for the moment, was the potential that the culprit was someone testing the compound on a smaller world with the intention of deploying it on a much larger world. A world such as Coruscant. This would make sense if the culprit was part of a cell that had been left behind during the previous battle. This small incident that he and Katarine Ryiah had settled on Ansion was turning into a much larger plot.

"Get ya something?"

He looked up from his datapad at the human woman who was asking. She wore a waitress uniform and a thick coat of grease that said she'd been in this job most of her life. Still, her appearance was pleasant, so at least she enjoyed herself.

"Just a cup of caf, if you would," he said, offering a brief smile before looking back to his datapad.

"You got it."

If he was going to get anywhere in this investigation he really needed someone to help him out with a further understanding of the battle that had taken place, or where to start looking for these insurgent groups. There wasn't anything in the mainstream news outlets about any attacks or encounters with the groups, so he had little to go on.

"Where are you..."

Ran Serys

 

[Ran Serys]

"Oh! Hello! It's you again." The hostess greeted Ran. "Yes. Hello again." Ran said as she entered the diner. "I haven't seen you in a while. Not just you. Everyone. Everybody is scarce since the invasion." She observed noisily. "That tends to happen during wartime. The Capital has changed, the Jedi and the Defense Force have mobilized to protect the Alliance, and mass evacuations are hard to undo." Ran agreed. "We do have a lot more contractors in for the rebuilding though. It isn't hurtin' business any, if you know what I mean." The hostess waved flirtily at a table of men in hardhats. The men blushed and exchanged happy hushed words and giggles between each other. "I suppose I do." Ran said with a smile of amusement. "Right this way, Master Jedi." The hostess announced as she sat Ran down at the counter next to a man in a white tunic.

While waiting on the waitress Ran noticed the man seemed to be reading the news on his datapad. "Anything in there about the Underworld?" She asked the man curiously. "Excuse me… I mean- the Lower Levels." She corrected herself as she pulled down the hood of her guardian's mantle and flashed him a set of glowing toxic yellow eyes.

The waitress arrived with a caf for the man and set it in front of him. "Anything I can get for ya', Master Jedi?" She directed the question to Ran. "A cup of caf and a cristiff, if you have any left." The waitress eyed a container of coruscanti pastries from across the counter. "Last one just for you, Hon. I'll be right back with that."

Ran thanked the woman as she speedily poured her caf and plated the pastry for her.

Tycho Arak​

 

[Tycho Arak]

It surprised him when he was spoken to. Aside from the waitress, no one else had said a word to him. Granted, the place wasn't that busy outside of the construction workers, but still. Given the outfit he was wearing, he half-expected curious questions as to what the symbol on it meant. As such, he paused in reaching for the cup of caf and turned his golden eyes to look at her orange ones. Striking. He'd seen plenty of such eyes over the years, but she was no Sith.

"Hmm?" he asked, before looking back to his datapad. "Oh. Not really. Not enough for what I need, anyway. There's too much of a focus on the upper levels and mid-levels. It's almost like they think the lower levels don't exist."

Which he partially knew to be true. Not that they didn't think they existed, but that they ignored them because they didn't care about the people that lived down there. He cared, and he was certain that the people he was looking for were probably hiding among them. That was problematic, which was why he needed intel.

"You're a Jedi," he said, not batting an eye, "so I assume you might know something about the events of the invasion that transpired here. Since you asked about the lower level, do you also know anything about it? I'm interested in hunting down some cells of holdouts from the invasion. They may have a connection to a crime I'm investigating."

He finally picked up his cup of caf and took a sip of the refreshing liquid, but lets his eyes linger on her.

Ran Serys

 

[Ran Serys]

She wondered what he needed on the lower levels. She almost asked but she didn't care to pry, not yet anyway. "I agree completely. The lower levels are often forgotten." She tried to keep the resentment out of her voice, not for herself but for the denizens of the lower levels. The ones she worked so hard to protect in recent events.

The conversation continued. Ran was taken by his eyes. There was something about this man. Something in the way he looked at her. It wasn't untoward but there was a tension. She found it distracting but still managed to listen.

"I know a great deal about the lower levels. I might be inclined to share what I know, if I knew who I was sharing with." She paused to sip her caf and turned towards the curious stranger. "Ran Serys, Jedi Knight." She said and held out her hand for him to take and make his own introduction.

"What do you need to know about the Lower Levels?" Ran asked. "And what is the crime you're investigating? Maybe I can help." She continued. She had connections to the syndicates, or at least had dealt with them before and would deal with them again. She still owed the syndicates a few favors after their "cooperation" during the invasion. She'd end up down there soon enough. Why not now? She thought to herself.

Tycho Arak​

 

[Tycho Arak]

Someone else that was fond of the lower levels? Not that he was fond of going down there, but that was purely because it was just too dark and musty and it made him miserable. Which was exactly what it did to the people that lived there, as well. Only thing was, nothing he could do would change the fact that people lived down there. All he could do was try and keep them free of dangerous threats as best as his position allowed him. Which basically meant not as often as he would like.

And she had a good point that it did make it easier to speak with someone if you knew who they were. Usually. In this sort of conversation that was likely true. When she introduced herself and offered her hand, he reached out and took hers in a gentle, but firm grip. His touch belied that of a man who had seen and done a lot of things, but at the same time was gentle enough to indicate that even though he'd been through it, he was still a person who cared.

"Nice to meet you, Ran, I'm Tycho Arak," he said, releasing her hand after a slight moment longer than he probably should have held it. "I suppose you would rank me as a Master if I ascribed to an order. As it is, I'm the leader of the Sentinels, a private security and investigation group."

Since she seemed to want to help, he turned in his seat to look at her. Mirialan. He hadn't met many, but there was no mistaking it. He found her own eyes stunningly unique. Orange, but not in the 'I've become the darkside' sort of way, just natural.

"I was told that after the invasion some enemy forces were left behind and formed terrorist cells, hiding in the lower levels. These people may have a connection to a crime I'm investigating that took place on Ansion, but that I traced back here. Someone with powerful darkside abilities unleashed a toxin into the water supply in one of the major cities that attacked the brains of those who ingested it, creating a completely apathetic populace. I believ this may have been a test for a larger plot, so I'm trying to take down the person behind it."

Ran Serys

 

[Ran Serys]

Tycho Arak. She repeated his name in her mind, committing it to memory. The force was with him. She could feel as much. And his expertise in security and intel was noted.

"That is a concerning tale, Tycho," It was. "And my instincts tell me it's the truth." They did. "So I will help you." Ran continued with another sip of her caf.

"I think we may be able to kill two birds with one stone here. I owe a favor to a Hutt, Kajidii Iyba Tebbic. She says she's been dealing with a group that refuses to pay her… tithe, let's call it. This group has responded to her collectors with violence, and blaster bolts. The kind that come from Imperial issue blasters." Ran raised an eyebrow at Tycho. "This could be one of your cells, establishing a homebase in the Coruscanti underworld. Iyba wants me to deal with them." She informed Tycho. "Maybe you scratch my back and I scratch yours. Even if this isn't your cell, they'll likely have connections. Not many can operate in the underworld without drawing the ire of the syndicates, so they likely have other connections and outliers they've allied themselves with."

"What do you say, Tycho? You and me and a trip to the Underworld?" Ran questioned. Never looking away from the man. Her eyes were intense but sincere.

Tycho Arak​

 

[Tycho Arak]

She had some odd connections for a Jedi. He'd never heard of them working with the Hutt's before. Gangsters, the lot of them. They didn't exactly do things above the board and he had some serious misgivings about doing anything that might benefit criminals. The very idea of it made him frown. Still, there was potential there to take care of something worse, and he could see the wisdom in utilizing the needs of one group to take care of the problem of another, especially when one was far worse than the other.

"I have qualms about doing anything for a Hutt," he admitted, reaching for his caf and lifting it to his lips, where it paused for a moment. "Don't care much for gangsters."

He lowered the cup and turned his gaze to her once more. But help her and he could help himself.

"But, I see that we can eliminate a greater threat by doing so. There's wisdom in that, despite my feelings. So, yes, I will help you."

Hopefully he didn't live to regret the decision, but there was still something about this green skinned woman that he really felt a connection with. He couldn't place it, because the feeling was foreign to him, but it was there nonetheless. Working with her was going to lead to something more, if he had his guess. Maybe she was going to take him to the lead he was looking for. Or maybe it was something else entirely.

"I don't know my way around down there so I'll follow your lead."

Ran Serys

 

[Ran Serys]

"It's settled then." She smiled before finishing the last of her caf. The pastry that she had neglected for the man's conversation was wrapped up and intentionally thrust into one of the many hidden pockets of her mantle. One that she'd remember later, or at least one that she hoped to remember later. "I only ask that you do not slow me down, Mr. Arak." She teased, making herself more comfortable with her traveling companion for the Coruscanti night.

As they made their way down to the lower levels Ran explained to Tycho the story of how she became indebted to the Hutt, Iyba Tebbic, and a few of the other nefarious elements in Coruscant's criminal underworld. Like many stories involving the Jedi it was tied to selfless acts and a desire to protect the innocent. Ran had been the one to broker a deal with the criminal syndicates in efforts of evacuating and protecting those forgotten souls in the lower levels during the Dark Empire's Invasion of Coruscant. There was a brief scuffle with Tebbic's men which resulted in civilian injuries and injuries to Tebbic's men, but an agreement was made for the safety of all as Ran preyed on the Hutt's greed and the Hutt preyed on Ran's desire to protect. Ran had gotten what she wanted that day, but the Hutt waited until recent to cash in on her prize.

After a series of stairs, lifts, back alleys, ruined terraces, and grimy promenades the duo had reached the lower levels of the ecumenopolis. The location specifically was a dead drop Ran had been instructed to reach, she explained to Tycho that much. Ran pulled a hidden datapad loaded with information on a cell of Imperial holdouts. Their leader was a dangerous looking human, a salt and pepper head and beard behind a helmet, named Tour, and they made their base of operations in a long abandoned medical facility not too far from the dead drop. The datapad came equipped with a holo-blueprint of the facility and a firsthand account from one of Tebbic's men detailing the shift changes in security. Ran had to admit the Hutt's goons were smarter than she gave them credit for. Ran handed the datapad to Tycho. "This man doesn't look so sinister, but maybe he is the one you're looking for." Ran pointed at the image of Tour. "What do you make of the rest of this information? Is it enough to work with, or are we to conduct our own stakeout?" Ran asked.

Tycho Arak​

 

[Tycho Arak]

Tags: Ran Serys

"I'll do my best, Ms. Serys," he said with a smirk. "Even though you're likely faster than me, as Mirialan's come by speed naturally."

That much he knew for certain. Never had he seen people as fast as Mirialan's were. Even their youngsters could often outrun him if they really tried. Unless, of course, he amplified himself with the Force. But Ran had him beat in that department too because she could also amplify her natural speed with the Force. If she broke into a full run it would be a devil of a time trying to keep up with her. But that was fine, and he was pretty sure she was just joking anyway. That line was often used in jest.

He followed her deep into the underbelly of the city. He'd been down that far a few times, but he'd never liked it. Too dark and he kind of stood out because of his natural skin tone and hair color. Hard to blend into the dark when you were as white as a ghost. There were ways to get around that but he didn't often use them. Took too much to maintain it and keep an eye on his surroundings.

The story she relayed to him as they moved made sense and he understood why she would have made the deal she had. Protecting others sometimes required that you do things you were morally against, like working with Hutts. He didn't fault her for that. In fact, he found her ability to look for a solution that was unorthodox while dealing with a difficult situation. Most people would have just treated the criminals as criminals and dispatched them, probably himself included, in that situation, but her methodology had saved more lives.

Eventually they stepped and she pulled out a hidden datapad with readouts and information on their targets. Admittedly, he didn't think this person was the one he was after. A buckethead leading a squad of troops wasn't likely to be a secret dark master.

"I doubt it's him. Don't think he'd hide behind a helmet."

He scrolled through the blueprints and readouts of their target, noting the shift change times. Catching them between shifts would make life a lot easier.

"I've an idea about how to handle this. Do you think you could sneak in the back if I draw their attention to the front? If you get control of their leader while he's alone, the rest will stand down, most likely. Then we can arrest them and turn them over to security."

 

[Ran Serys]

Ran noted Tycho's doubt as he stared at Tour's image. She found that a force user's first instinct was usually the correct one. Still the woman hoped they could glean some useful information toward Tycho's investigation. She wanted to help the man. His mission was important.

"I believe I can." Ran answered as Tycho proposed his plan. "But what happens when you have their attention?" She asked. "How will you keep it?" She continued. "A distraction will be enough for me to sneak in, but I don't suppose it'll be enough to find the man." Ran informed realistically. "Also should any part of this plan fail, what happens then? Although I am a Jedi, I am but one woman. I can't take down an entire contingent of rogue imperials alone, or at least not without significant planning." The Knight admitted, even though she probably could. Playing her version of the damsel, even hypothetically, was an idea that amused her.

Ran retrieved the datapad from Tycho's hand and gave it another glance before pocketing it. "Let's walk and talk, Mr. Arak. We have time before the next shift change and we are only a small ways away. We'll even get there with time to spare." She suggested as she turned to him, studying him and his reaction. For someone who worked in private security and investigation, Ran thought Tycho was easy to stick out. All white garb, gray skin and hair. He wasn't exactly invisible, but she was sure he navigated around that using the force. Still he wasn't a Jedi. Then what was he? Ran questioned subconsciously. He was a mystery and she was curious.

Tycho Arak​

 

[Tycho Arak]

Tags: Ran Serys

He hesitated to say that he expected it wouldn't be a problem, but he was certain that it wouldn't. These were basically just soldiers, and they weren't expecting resistance from anyone other than fellow soldiers or maybe a Jedi. He was neither of those, though, and knew that he could take care of them. He might incur a few injuries, but nothing some short rest and maybe a few bacta patches couldn't handle.

"I don't expect you to face very many of them," he said as he moved to walk with her.

There was an air of curiosity emanating from her. It wasn't unexpected. Almost every Jedi he had met since moving to Coruscant had expressed a level of curiosity about his nature. He wasn't something normal. Most people who used the Force chose a side and stuck to it with religious fervor. Most would never think of being like him and using the full spectrum. It wasn't easy to do. It was difficult to maintain control and not fall into darkness. He was certain his upbringing was part of why he was able to.

He was silent for a bit as they walked, wondering what she would think when they arrived and he engaged the Imperials. Would she balk? Would she hate him after? He found that he hoped she wouldn't. There was something unique about her, and he wanted to explore why he felt that.

"It won't be hard for me to keep their attention. Most will try to fight me. When it turns bad for them, I suspect their leader will make a break for your side. If anything, your position will be the trap for them, making it easier on you."

He glanced over at her.

"If you want to ask questions of me, because I'm not a Jedi, I am open to it. I've nothing I wish to hide."

 

[Ran Serys]

She nodded along, a confirmation she was comfortable with his plan. No additions, no tweaks. It made sense. Prey was easily caught herded in a panic. They'd have Tour in their sights soon enough.

Ran was more focused on what came next. As Tycho spoke a bold statement, at least Ran believed it to be bold. Everyone had something they wished to keep hidden. Everyone had secrets. Was Tycho just that much of an open book or was he a liar? Ran wasn't jaded or naive enough to assume either, so she took his words at face value.

"As you've said, you are not a Jedi. I'm curious to know where you've learned to master the force." She said, suggesting the question more than asking. She could feel his force aura. It was unburdened by darkness, but also lacked any significant touch of the light. It fell somewhere in the space between, or outside the normal she experienced.

"And why master it?" She asked more directly, leaving little time between it and her implied question, as she leaned closer into his bubble. Despite the mystery and their mission, she felt inexplicably calm next to him, comfortable even.

Tycho Arak​

 

[Tycho Arak]

Tags: Ran Serys

The way she worded the question was unique, and refreshing. He allowed his hands to clasp themselves behind his back as they walked, his eyes focused on where he was going so he could speak to her with confidence.

"I was born on Quarzite. My parents wanted a child, but not because they wanted to be parents. They wanted the prestige of having a child become one of the Kage Warriors. As soon as I was three years old, I was gleefully handed over to them without a second thought. I grew up in the warrior lifestyle and it shaped who I am even now. But the first mission I went on, barely an adult myself, was disastrous. My own people sold us out and the people we were rescuing were killed. My squad responded by wiping out a Belugan village. I found both acts to be wrong, and could not resign myself to being part of a never ended war that raged for no reason."

It didn't answer her question, not directly, but it was important that she understand that part of him in order to understand why he ended up becoming who he was now.

"I went awol and left. Ended up becoming something of a nomad. I never stayed anywhere for long until I happened across a group of anthropologists that were studying ancient sith history. I knew I had a talent for the Force, and I was curious, so I stayed with them for quite some time, studying the things they found and subsequently learning the ways of what you would call the dark side of the Force.

"Though I know many would succumb to that power, I did not feel drawn to it the way that Sith or even Dark Jedi do. It seemed, to me, merely knowledge and abilities that I could potentially use if necessary."

He paused in speaking for a moment to let that sink in.

"I later, after leaving the anthropologists to their work, met a wandering Jedi, and studied under him for some time as well, with the same outcome: I learned things that could be potentially valuable if needed. Which, as it turned out, they were. The nomadic lifestyle leads one to a lot of difficult places, and I found many times where people were in need and nobody would help them, or nobody could. With my blended set of skills, and my knowledge of combat, I could do things others couldn't.

"As for why master it, because I found that if I increased my knowledge I could help people better than just relying on rudimentary skills. I have developed the belief that the Force simply exists, that it doesn't really have sides, but that how we utilize it defines us. Skills meant to kill have their time and place for use, just as skills meant to heal do."

Turning his eyes to look at her, he wondered what she would think of that. Would it put her off to him? Or would she understand? Or would she have more questions about him? He was fine either way. He'd still work with her, if she allowed, and he would like to get to know her more, as she seemed quite interested in the same type of work as him, but he did not want to make her uncomfortable.

 

[Ran Serys]

With her hands clasped behind her back, Ran listened. She mimicked Tycho's stance. Not out of mockery or some sort of subtle manipulation, but because it was natural. It was a subconscious action that would help her feel connected to him and his story.

From his story she gathered several things. Some she could've guessed at and others she wouldn't have in a million years. Ran gathered that Tycho was a man of conviction. He was unafraid to forge a path of his own and travel outside the normal confines of experience. He didn't seem a man that would lose himself to passion, nor did he care to be awash with serenity. He was grounded, rooted in reality in a way that Ran might not have been. Not because she was a Jedi, but because of how she chose to express herself and act on her ideals. The possible difference aside, like her, she found the man to be intelligent, altruistic, strong, and present. He wasn't hiding and he wasn't lying. She liked him. She liked most people, but this was different.

She smiled when he looked at her. "You're an interesting man, Mr. Arak," She said with just a hint of playful mischief. She could've called him Tycho, she already had, but she decided she'd wait to be that familiar again.

Ran's cheeks turned from green to teal as she blushed.

"I'm sure your loved ones would agree." She said, beginning to fish for more information. "Do you have loved ones? People you care about intimately." She asked feeling like it might've been too forward a question.

"Sorry. I don't mean to pry into your personal life, at least not like that." She apologized. After all, he did include the caveat of asking questions because he wasn't a Jedi. She looked back to the road, feeling just a little nervous, as they continued on to their destination.

Tycho Arak​

 

[Tycho Arak]

Tags: Ran Serys

She called him Mr. Arak and he made a sour looking face. "Please, just call me Tycho. I don't even have my Sentinels call me Mr."

He wasn't chastising her, but saying it from a place of slight embarrassment. Being referred to in such a manner felt like it was making him more important than he was. He was just a man doing what he could in the galaxy to make it a bigger place. He had no desire to become powerful, to rule the galaxy. He didn't want to be a public face. In fact, he was perfectly happy to just work in the shadows, doing what he could, and to have people only know the symbol on his chest, rather than the face of the man who'd started the organization.

But he'd seen that smile when she looked at him, and it sent a flurry of emotions swimming through him, even as she blushed and looked away. What was that? What had he just felt? It was a sensation he wasn't familiar with. Not even the girls that he'd trained with had elicited that feeling from him. They'd just been fellow soldiers. So how had she?

"I don't have any loved ones."

He said it, and realized it seemed kind of a sad thing to say, and he didn't want her to pity him for it.

"I lived a nomadic life before now, as I mentioned. Hard to find someone to love when you never stay long in one place."

That was sure to change now. Little did he know but he was going to be a father soon. Not in the traditional sense, but still. For the moment, he didn't have anyone to love, to hold. Was that the feeling he had? Surely not. Not so soon. Attraction? He did find her fascinating, and beautiful. Distracting, but in a good way.

"I don't mind you asking, don't worry. What about yourself? What's your story?"

 

[Ran Serys]

Ran was impressed. It was an honest answer, brutally honest, to a question that the mirialan would admit wasn't very tactful. Tycho returned her questions in kind, although it sounded a lot smoother when he put the ball in her court.

"I have a few people I love, yes. Friends, family, students and mentors. That kind of thing." She answered, before looking at Tycho again. Maybe he would join that number. The thought had crossed her mind, even if attraction preceded it.

"As for my story, I've been told it's a bit tragic but I'm willing to share." She explained.

"I didn't know my mother or father as a child. I was taken from them by the Sith. They needed subjects for a series of experiments, infant subjects." She paused and gulped, before she continued. It was a hard story to share, but it was getting easier. "They poked and prodded me with Sith science and sorcery. I was corrupted by the dark side in some very unique ways." She blinked and her eyes glowed an even brighter toxic and alchemical yellow. A visual reminder of the dark side's touch. She frowned as she couldn't remember what her natural eye color was. To her they had always been yellow.

"The Sith turned me into a mutant and a weapon. With mind control they could pull the trigger anytime they wanted, and they did. They used my body to commit heinous acts against sentients of all kinds. Atrocity after atrocity committed by my hands for almost thirty years. One day, their control over me waned. It was the only time I allowed myself any semblance of revenge or justice against them. I killed the one who turned me into a monster, the one who turned all the subjects into monsters. After that I ran away from the Sith Armies. With a bounty on my head, I tried to disappear but in doing so I met a Jedi Knight. He saw my potential. Introduced me to others and brought me before the leaders of the New Jedi Order. It wasn't long after that I began learning the ways of the Jedi, understanding the force, and achieved the rank of Jedi Knight. Which brings us up to now, mostly."

"There have been many adventures in between but I believe those are stories for a different time." Ran smiled at Tycho. Everytime she talked about the past it got easier. She was grateful for that fact. Sharing it also made her feel closer to the man. There were Jedi she considered friends who knew less about her than him.

"What do you think, Tycho? Do I appear the mutant monster I was made or the benevolent Jedi I became?" She asked with only a hint of rhetoric. She truly did want to know what he saw when he looked at her, even if it wasn't either of the two.

Tycho Arak​

 

[Tycho Arak]

Tags: Ran Serys

He said nothing as she spoke, taking it all in. What had been done to her was similar to what he'd been through, but, in his opinion, much worse. To be used by the Sith as a war machine against your will was horrible. He was happy she'd escaped from that, that their control over her had waned, though it did make him wonder if what they'd done to her would allow someone else to take control of her if they found out about it. Might be something to ask her about later, when she was more comfortable talking to him about it.

There was a tiny part of him that wished he'd never known his parents, but he could remember them as soon as he saw their faces. Those would never go away, no matter how much he wanted them to.

What did make him happy, strangely, was when she didn't mention having a lover, just friends and family. He didn't have that yet. Nobody he would call friend or family, save perhaps Ran herself considering how much the two of them had shared with one another. He didn't know how much talking to her was going to open him up to so much more, but it would. For now, though, he didn't have anyone. Although, when she turned and smiled at him after saying there were stories for another time he, again, felt that strange flutter inside of him.

Then she asked him what he thoughts and he did his best to control himself, to try and not seem flustered as he looked at her.

"I think you are... you," he said.

She wasn't the monster, certainly, and she was definitely a Jedi, but that just didn't feel like the right answer to her question.

"I think you've become what you want to be and nobody will ever take that from you. I think you are someone who genuinely cares about people and is willing to make sacrifices, like working with the Hutts, in order to protect people. I think, if you weren't a Jedi, I would have made an effort to recruit you to be a Sentinel."

He looked back to where they were walking.

"I also think you're beautiful, inside and out."

 

[Ran Serys]

Ran was taken aback by the series of compliments. "Those are kind words, Tycho." She responded softly as the blood went to her cheeks. "I thank you for saying them. They mean more to me than you know."

She placed a hand on his arm. It was gentle and ginger, and somehow felt familiar. Her eyes trained on him. She admired his beauty, and his focus. She thought him handsome and in the moment that they made eye contact, she thought he was distracted by only her. He was complex and independent, and intent to protect what he cared about. Ran liked him even more at that moment.

"In another life, I would've accepted your offer." Ran smiled. "Shame this isn't another." She removed her hand from his arm. "But at least we still have the pleasure of working with each other tonight, if only for a night." She continued as their destination came into view.

They had enough time for a bit of reconnaissance before the shift change.

Tycho Arak​

 

[Tycho Arak]

Tags: Ran Serys

"Never know what the future holds," he added, agreeing with her sentiment.

He did appreciate the touch of his arm, the warmth of her gaze upon him. Their shared eye contact was like a brief glimpse into each other's soul. It was not something he was used to, but it was something he definitively enjoyed. Depending on how this little mission of theirs worked out, he was going to have to see if there was more between them. Strangely for him, he was very interested in the concept of their being more. He'd thought he'd given that up years ago, back when he'd realized he was only suited for combat and investigation.

Regardless, they were drawing close to their destination, so he grabbed her hand and pulled her off to the side. He'd stick out like a sore thumb if he walked right in front of them. While he fully intended to get their attention when the time was right, he didn't want it yet.

"Let's just watch for a second from the shadows, shall we?"