Private Cloak of Deception

[Judah Dashiell]

"I'd be happy to escort you down."

Judah had no real plans. If the Togruta hadn't asked for him to join her in the walk the day would probably dissolve to lounging on the couch and dozing in and out.

"Didn't know enough about me? I'm sure a quick HoloNet search would have gave you some idea, but as you mentioned you just wanted past the low level staff."

He twisted around to look at the food in the oven, a few more minutes.

"What can I tell you to put your mind at ease?"

Elbows rested on the countertop and he leaned a little closer to her, thinking.

"I was born on Saleucami. Farm kid, we grew up working the harvest. Wanted to escape, naturally, but I didn't exactly have credits so I joined the Republic military."

"Became a fighter pilot, met my ex-wife. Saw some battles, experienced something to know I didn't want to continue. So after my term I was determined not to deal with war and decided to salvage. Used my credits from that time to buy a vessel and I just hit the hyperlanes."

"It was post war, so I got amazing hauls, which helped me grow the business."

"When my son was four or so I found myself a sudden single father. I didn't want to leave him with a nanny so we hit the hyperlanes together. At this point I had gotten major investments from Arceneau and major governments, so Salacia started to grow quickly. We moved from manufacturing to salvage and mining."

"A bunch of years go by and here we are. Still working the hyperlanes."

 

[Azula Tindara]

She sat upright and paid attention to the story. It was one thing to read around a subject, but very different to have them explain themselves directly.

At the end of it, the selfish side of her felt a little small. This wasn't about her, but that piece of her couldn't help but look at what Judah had built with his life and what she had built. He had a son. The ex-wife was clearly out of the picture - she tucked that away without feeling any particular sorry. But he had a family and an entire industry.

"Yeah," she said, "I was kinda hoping they'd just go for the Jedi act. Wow Arceneau investment. Got a lot of cash to throw around," she said.

A few beats of silence followed.

"Kinda the opposite of me," she said. "I grew up on Nar Shaddaa. Not a patch of farmland. Started there, ended here with nothing. And to get here I...er..."

Azula trailed off.

"Escort me down? Didn't you say that the gardens were up?"

Frustratingly close to receiving more of an explanation of how she had ended up where she was.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

"They are up. Just my folksy farm boy expression. Like being on flat land and stating we are going down to the mountains. Clearly a turn of phrase."

Judah resisted a roll of his eyes. It was clear she wasn't comfortable going much further in her story. He had already pushed the envelope this morning so it was wise to tread lightly.

"Nar Shadda is...intense. Can't say it's in my top places to visit."

He got up and pulled their baked egg puffs out of the oven. Judah plated for both of them and placed Miss Tin'daras in front of her with to the fruit. Hopefully she would eat enough, he doubted she would get any better off of snacks alone.

"As for why the staff didn't go for the Jedi act, I'm not sure. We don't cross paths with many so they probably thought you wanted to see me."

Fork cut into a puff.

"What else would you like to know?"

 

[Azula Tindara]

"Folksy farm boy expression," she repeated for her own amusement.

She turned her plate towards herself, looking pleased with the outcome. She cut down the middle just so she could watch some of the runny yolk trickle onto her plate.

"Nar Shaddaa is a lot of things to a lot of people," she agreed. "Good place to fly a swoop bike if you like pushing your luck."

That was something she missed. Those early days when she had learned to control her abilities and had her own swoop which she kept tuned up and ready to fly.

"Just you here now?" She asked, glancing around. "How old is your son?"

She cut a smaller piece of baked egg puff and popped it into a mouth. Azula made a soft sound of satisfaction and offered an appreciative nod.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

"Can't say I'm a big swoop bike racer so I shall take your word for it."

Judah wondered if that was her first foray in with the Hutts. From what he heard swoop bike racing could be linked to parts of the underworld and various mob like organizations.

He wasn't sure if she was fishing for more information or merely curious. If there was a guess it was most likely a mix of both.

"Just me,makes it easier to be murdered in my sleep."

Judah couldn't help but joke about what she mentioned when the knowledge of staying as his neighbor was revealed.

"Early twenties, just finished university not too long ago. I've got him on a mining project right now. I probably should go and check in on the progress of that site."

 

[Azula Tindara]

"Got him on a mining project sounds like sent my son to the spice mines," she said. Azula offered a small, genuine smile again.

The contrast between the silvery white and deep blue patterns on her skin accentuated expressions in different ways.

"You left me a lightsaber and just one door between us. Don't think another person in your bed would have slowed me down much in a murderous mood," Azula said.

"You're a fighter pilot? You must have ridden a swoop before?"

 

[Judah Dashiell]

"Whoa, whoa. Just because I was a fighter pilot doesn't mean I was a good one. There's a reason I only lasted two years and barely made it out alive. I had convinced myself I didn't want to be cannon fodder but I might as well been."

A few bites of food.

"No, no swoop. No desire either. Most extreme thing I do in my downtime would be surfing."

"Even then, no big waves."

 

[Azula Tindara]

"Hmm," she went, turning her head aside but keeping her eyes on him. She clearly didn't believe him.

"You must have been on regular speed bikes? I mean, not to be crude, but all this money you must at least have a nice speeder somewhere."

"And...what's surfing?"

She offered an apologetic shrug before resuming her meal. Azula had planned to slide past her ignorance, but found she was too interested to hear what this sport was.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

"No, never. What do you think, I'm some sort of rich superhero with a fleet of swoop bikes? Besides, where would I even drive it around? Laps around the station?"

Granted the space station wasn't his main residence. However, living on an island didn't necessitate a swoop bike or speeder. A boat of course but the Togruta didn't know that.

"Surfing is...uh...standing on a board in the ocean and riding around the waves as they push you to shore. Some waves are nineteen meters or so but uh, I don't have a death wish."

It was his turn to shrug.

"Apologies to be so boring, I'm sure you were expecting outlandish tales."

 

[Azula Tindara]

Azula visibly tensed at the idea of riding around the ocean on a plank. Apparently it felt safer to him than a swoop bike, but she could not imagine how.

"So you don't have your own private race track on here, but you have you own ocean?" She mused.

Azula placed both of her elbows on the counter. She leaned forwards until she placed her chin on her hands. She tilted her head to one side, regarding him curiously.

"Actually think you're more interesting than I expected," she countered. "Though I am surprised you don't have a silly shuttle or bike or speeder."

Azula decided not to be explicit that her stereotyping was based on his species, gender, age and wealth.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

"Uh, incredibly sorry to disappoint."

Judah was doing his best not to show his bewilderment and amusement at the same time. He wasn't sure what type of holo dramas she had been watching or what type of men she tried scamming in the past.

Although he did have an amusing mental image of Miss Tin'dara in an upscale viewing box, watching a swoop race in an over sized brim hat, trying to scam a room full of men too rich to know what to do with their credits.

Best not to share that with her.

The rest of breakfast was mercifully short before taking a lift up to the exotic garden. Stepping foot inside it was humid compared to the rest of a station. Near the walking trail, a middle aged woman worked on a water color.

Gentle sounds of insects and trickling water echoed through the space.

"Let's hit the walking path."

 

[Azula Tindara]

Azula had invented a game on the way up - or down - to the gardens. She would save it for another day. It would involve looking up the rich donors who hadn't been able to hold eye contact with her and finding out how many of the owned superspeeders.

"Can I have just a moment?" She asked. She turned her back to a wall and leaned into it. "It's the furthest I've been in a few days."

Azula didn't hide the frustration on her face. She was lucky to be alive, but she still hated being this frail. She knew she wasn't going to recover like she had done in her twenties either, no matter how much Bacta was flooded through her system.

It was going to take her a few weeks to get back to her best. That was going to be the longest she had gone without playing any parts for years.

"For someone who enjoys the ocean, I guess it's nice to at least have a little oasis like this?" She asked, looking around. She was clearly quite impressed by the space offered over to the climate controlled gardens. It was clearly a social space too, not just a hydroponic zone for growing food.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

"Its nice, nothing in comparison to the real outdoors but its good to come and walk or clear one's thoughts. Not to mention, having some open spaces on the station is ideal for the employees. I've worked on vessels for months at a time and it takes a special person to do it, not everyone has that type of fortitude. Folks start getting claustrophobic."

He noticed the frustration and annoyance at having to stop. Judah could understand. No doubt the Togruta wanted to get a move on and track down those who shot her. Or maybe not. It was hard to tell. Tin'dara was a mystery beyond a woman who was used to playing a part and apparently loved speeder bikes and swoops. Odd combination - really he thought she would have stole a swoop from one of her targets at this point. Maybe that was next on her bucket list.

Judah offered his arm to her for some stability as they walked. He fully expected her not to take it but his own personal morals wouldn't allow him not to at least attempt.

"Are you done interrogating me or are there more questions on the docket? I feel like I'm being quizzed for a security clearance."

 

[Azula Tindara]

Azula enjoyed open air over her head. A sense of freedom for someone who had been tethered down for her whole life.

She smiled as she cast her gaze around them. Her montrals cast out echolocation waves and she enjoyed have some space around.

"Actually I was hoping to get enough information to slice into your bank accounts," she quipped.

Azula pushed off the wall and wrapped her hand around his forearm.

She felt a flash of guilt. She had a range of plans forming. Some of them involved stealing a ship from the station. Those were not even the worst of them.

"Go on," she offered as they started to walk. "Anything you've wanted to ask me?"

She was certain there would be, but she wondered whether he would actually ask.

Or if she would answer truthfully.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

"I don't expect any truthful answers given what I've been told thus far. However, I don't have much in the way of entertainment right now so this might fill the void."

Judah figured most of what she told him were half truths. Cherry picking just enough from each category so she can keep up the lies easier.

Carefully he started to walk, being mindful not to take large strides.

"Why do you feel the need to hide behind a persona constantly rather than on the job, so to speak? Also, why fake being a Jedi? That is incredibly boring."

"Would it be up to me, I would have faked being a government official or security agent to get more unlimited access."

"Jedi are not always respected, and rightfully so."

 

[Azula Tindara]

"Well then, I do hope to entertain. The Jedi act is tiresome, but I also played it for several years," she said. "After a time I think sitting in the grass and responding to boring questions with made-up mantras was quite relaxing," she explained.

"As for why...I was in something of a rush. I didn't have any suitable credentials to hand for anything like that. No one IDs a jedi. There are so many Orders around the Galaxy that they can get away with a lot. If I was a man, I'd be invisible almost anywhere I went if I was wearing a construction jacket. People see the clothing first. Of course I could have made something levitate as proof."

Silence for a few steps. A shrug.

"As for the first question, I don't think I'm particularly projecting any kind of...persona right now. I never had a character prepared for the situation. I tripped up, I got shot. Nothing left in my pocket I can really use to play you right now."

She was too tired to even protest that he was an idiot for picking up her medical bills and giving her a place to recover.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

"So you don't have a 'Ive been injured and need assistance' persona? Seems like something you'll should have kept in back pocket. Must have had amazing luck."

While she was in the mood to talk, he was going to do the listening. Judah had no doubt she would be showing back up at one of his sites in the future. It seemed she had planted herself in scamming some of the circles he found himself in.

"How did you get involved in owing an incredibly large amount to the Hutts? Seems like someone with your intelligence would have known better."

"What is your game plan to get yourself out of the spend-debt cycle that burdens yourself to the Hutts? From what I understand you are close in age to myself with a similar lifespan. This does not seem sustainable in the next twenty years."

"If you have a multiple personas, why not invent a new one and escape into the faceless side of the galaxy? It seems like you are punishing yourself purposely."

Rapid fire questions but he had to know.

 

[Azula Tindara]

"Fucking ouch Judah," she exclaimed. The poke at her intelligence was taken personally and she didn't even register the assessment of age.

She laughed, but it was cut short with a hiss of pain and her free hand going to her ribs.

"That was actually the plan. I was keeping them happy and skimming enough to set myself up nicely. I've run twice and didn't do a good enough job to stay out of their reach."

Azula took a shallow breath, not wanting to hurt anything herself again. She let it out slowly.

"I've kind of always been involved with them. I just didn't realise it at first. What I thought of as a family...they were already in their pockets. Most people on Nar Shaddaa are. Whether they know it or not."

 

[Judah Dashiell]

Judah brushed off her perceived slight. In all reality, maybe if someone would have goaded her before, perhaps Miss Tin'dara wouldn't be in her current predicament.

"So the entire planet is essentially linked to the Hutts? Basically organized crime has it's hand in everything. Sounds like it would also be filled to the brim with small time scammers such as yourself trying to make a quick credit before your slug overlords notice."

Gaze left the walking path and settled on her.

"I noticed you skipped my last question."

 

[Azula Tindara]

"Actually for a while I was kinda...happy? We might have worked for the Hutt, indirectly, but we were our own group. I had someone training me to use the Force, I knew my place in it all..."

She offered a shrug with one free arm.

"Thought I had answered that, why I didn't escape? That was the plan. I just wanted a nice full bank account to enact it."

She waved at her midriff, where the high powered blaster bolt had gone right through her.

It had taken every ounce of determination to get back to her feet and stumble into the shuttle.

"They were watching me closer than I thought."