Don't Call Me Princess

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Zeltros.

Lori's Mom didn't like the pleasure planet, even though they were close friends with it's rulers. She understood the reasons. Morals were loose and so were the people. It had been cleaned up a bit though.

Brandy was one of Commenor's biggest exports and Lori needed the work to help pay off her debt for her ship. So when a shipment was prepared, Lori jumped on it, not only to give herself something to do, but also to see if her Mom wasn't just being too overprotective when it came to Zeltros and Zeltrons in particular.

She piloted Jaster's Sparrow on her own as it wasn't too far of a trip and her crew were on leave. It wasn't as though she was going to take them to Zeltros. They might not want to leave.

Once the Mantis-class vessel touched down, she lowered the ramp and then hurried down. The paperwork was on hand and she pocketed it, making sure to lock her ship back up as she left it. No sense in letting anyone steal it. Or her cargo.

She made her way into the bar, probay looking a bit too young to be there in the first place, but she held confidence in her stride. Lori walked right up to the bartender [member="Ryder Zeshatt"] . "I've got some Commenori Brandy for you guys.
Where would the crates go and could I get some help woth them please?"

 

[Kev'vazulan]

Zeltros was a beautiful place according to Ryder, and a big reason behind of it would be the embrace of Zel. The warmth that came from the sun was enough to never feel uncomfortable, but it was never overbearing. The sky was bright with few clouds looming above - and this was the weather on a daily basis, year-round. He saw that as more than enough reason to live here indefinitely if he had the ability to do so. Unfortunately, certain circumstances prevented him from staying for more than a few days at a time.

This was the first time returning to Zeltros since his encounter with the Zambrano family line, and there was much to do. The family establishment which he worked at had been at a bit of a decline due to being understaffed, so when they heard he returned to the planet they found him right away. They needed help, even if it was just for a single day and night - and Ryder obviously couldn't refuse. He enjoyed working there after all.

Knowing that the hours before the sun begins to set consists of delivery management and the likes, Ryder knew tha the was more than likely going to have to carry the incoming cargo. Therefor, he put on something appropriate for physical exertion, the apparel being useful if one didn't want to sweat too much. He made his way towards the bar counter where the delivery list was set, looking at the delivery closest to current time.

Commenory Brandy. Brandy tended to sell out the quickest, if he remembered right.

Not long after, he noticed the figure of a Human approaching the outdoors establishment. His right eyebrow arched when she got closer, noticing that she did indeed look a bit young, yet she had the confidence of a mature woman. It reminded him of several of the popular figures upon Zeltros who can flaunt about without any consequences, causing him to itch his nose with his left hand. When she approached, he was towering over her, since he was a tall being - not as tall as an Epicanthix, but his height somehow had the same intimidating feel at first sight.

"Ah, so you're the one with the Brandy delivery." His low-pitched voice sounded surprisingly neutral, Ryder entering a business-oriented mindset. "Do you have the contract papers?" His violetblue eyes scanned her body to see if she had it in hand. Once the paper was revealed, he pointed with his thumb behind his shoulder. "Don't worry about the crates, I'll take care of carrying them. I suggest you speak with the Zeltron back there with the blue blackslick. He's the one in charge of finances, so he'll be the one paying you."

He took a few strides past of her frame after that, before coming to a brief halt. He turned his around, right palm scratching the back of his neck. "Actually, where are the crates?"

---​

[member=Loreena Arenais]

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori handed [member="Ryder Zeshatt"] the packing slip and invoice for verification, making note of the description of the Zeltron that she was supposed to get payment from. Blue blackslick. Blue blackslick. Blue blackslick. Right.

The bartender was a lot taller than she had thought he would be when he was behind the bar. Some establishments have that area elevated for a number of reasons, but it appeared as though there was no need for that here.

She turned on her heel as he walked past her, his question causing her to raise an amused brow. "Back on my ship. I can't carry them by myself and I gave my crew the week off. So I need a hand." Lori gestured for him to follow as she began to lead him out of the bar to where the Jaster's Sparrow was parked. That is until she was stopped by one of the male patrons that stepped right in front of her.

His eyes looked hungry and not in a way that food would satisfy.
"Need a hand, miss?
I'm good with my hands. Let's say after you're done with him, you come right back over here and we'll discuss payment over drinks." He grinned and scratched an itch his chest as he eagerly awaited her answer.

Lori was taken aback. Well this was a first. She just stood there for a moment, unsure of what she should say or do. It wasn't as though she wanted to start up a brawl. She just wanted to do her job. Was the man a Zeltron? No. His skin wasn't that particular shade of pink. "No thanks. I'm just making a delivery."

"Oh come on. I've got a package right here--"

He clamped a hand on her shoulder as he began to speak, yet Lori pulled back, stepping right into Ryder. She looked up at him, almost as though she was asking for permission to handle the situation in a way that was probably against the rules of the bar. Her hands were already curling into fists.

 

[Kev'vazulan]

She was here on her own?

Ryder certainly didn't expect those news. Whilst he wouldn't admit it, he was throwing some prejudice onto the young woman - after all, she didn't look like she was above 20 standard years, yet she was travelling through space without a crew, fully confident in her ability to fend for herself. The prejudice came in the form of surprise, astonished by the fact that she was capable of being independant at a relatively early age. It reminded him of the man who had abducted him not long ago, having learned how to protect himself through the use of the Force at a very early age.

And it reminded him of himself, when he gazed upon the roaring flames and coming to the realization that he was alone.

Rolling his shoulders back as a means of waking up from his internal thoughts, he did indeed begin to follow her towards where the Jaster's Sparrow would be, but not before Loreena was interrupted by a visitor who was here early. It wasn't the first time Ryder has seen him here, and it was certainly not the first time he has seen him acting in a harassing manner. It made him roll his eyes, but remained silent as he didn't believe he would attempt to do something towards a woman of her age.

And then, it turns out that he did.

He's warned him before of his behavior, and that he would be thrown out with violence the next time he acts in a way which discomforts the other customers. Loreena wasn't a customer, but she was still an important visitor. Ryder thought that the man might've felt at ease due to Ryder's brief absence from Zeltros, falling back into habit. That didn't mean the warning had suddenly been revoked. He began to approach the two from the slight distance he was away from them...

... But then felt her bump into his chest, and his gaze wandered down to look at her. He noticed her expression and the clenching of her fists, and his ability to read heart signatures indicated a frustration, as her heart was beating quicker than before. He wouldn't have minded her taking care of it under regular circumstances, but this was Zeltros - a planet which served as a 'pleasure planet', but also a major information hub. Rumors in Zeltros would no doubt spread throughout the galaxy.

So what's better, a bartender throwing out a misbehaving customer or a random woman knocking out a regular visitor?

He shook his head at her before moving around of her figure, moving his right hand to grab along the man's left wrist. The man looked up at Ryder and could already tell where this was going. "L-Let's... t-take it easy, yeah?" Ryder couldn't help but smirk, looking towards the beach. "Didn't I tell you to take it easy last time? I already gave you a chance." Ryder's other arm went towards the elbow of the arm that he held, and he dragged the man a few paces away from Loreena. The man sprawled in his grasp and became increasingly more loud. "Hey, hey, hey! Let go of me! You're not goi-- I'm sorry! I'm telling you I'm sorry! I'M SO--"

The right leg of Ryder lifted itself up to get the right momentum for a throw. The pleading man was flung towards the beach ahead of them, at a speed which was seen as unnatural. Rather than moving at a sluggish pace, his body was swirling through the air more akin to a rock being tossed. He slammed into the sand and rolled three times before simply laying there, unconscious. The throw should be impossible for anyone human, the strength required to throw it usually only being done by beasts or those who applied the Force.

Whilst he was Force-Sensitive, the feat was done solely by natural strength.

He looked over his left shoulder at Loreena after that, giving an apologetic smile. "Better me than you." His eyes then wandered towards the direction they were heading. "So, the cargo's that way?"

---​

​

[member=Loreena Arenais]

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

[member="Ryder Zeshatt"] seemed to not only be the bartender, but a bouncer as well. And the way in which that nasty customer bounced on the beach was a clear indication of that. However the speed and distance that he was throan caused Lori to raise an eyebrow. Sure Ryder had the muscles, but were they THAT big? He must be a Force user. He wasn't on any spice. That was obvious.

She shook her head a bit from her thoughts as he asked where the cargo was. "Yeah, it's this way." Lori led him to her modified Mantis-class ship. The style was old fashioned, but the build was not. Some scorch marks indicated that she'd been in a battle or two, but other than that it was a pretty decent ship, a ship to be proud of.

Lori punched in the code to unlock it and lower the ramp. "There's just three crates today. That's why I took this one on. I figured that I'd get some help on this end. What's your name by the way? I'm Lori. Do you like my ship? She's pretty good and not that difficult to fly. It's easier with more than one person though. But this was such a short trip anyways that I thought it wouldn't matter. It's not as though I'd be running into any Imperials or Sith Lords, am I right?" The words just poured out of her mouth rather quickly, one of her habits while her mind was distracted on other things.

With the ramp lowered, she walked inside, heading right to the cargo bay hold. The only crates within were the brandy ones. So they were pretty easy to pick out.

 

[Kev'vazulan]

Ryder didn't think much of the event that had occured. He simply did what he had to do, since it was better if the one working at the establishment did the dirty work. His eyes fell upon the Jaster's Sparrow, immediately noticing the remnants of battle in the form of scorched metal. His eyes fell upon the young lady once more, making a mental note that she was definitely an experienced combatant. Ryder's had his fair share of fistfights, but he's never had a battle in space. Looks are certainly decieving.

He nodded along to her explanation as to why she took on the mission on her own, lips parting in order to answer to her question. "I'm Ry--" He blinked twice as she asked another question, trying to slide in a response once more. "Yeah, it is pre--" Ryder was frozen in place. Was it out of humiliation that he couldn't keep up with someone younger than him? Is he becoming that old already? Or was it that it felt like a comedy bit out of a holotheater where a person gets repeatedly interrupted? He wasn't quite sure if it was the former or the latter, and he didn't have the time to make a conclusion. "Huh? Uh, right."

He wasn't sure what he just replied to, since he couldn't focus on her buzzing words and his conflicted thoughts at the same time. All he could do was smile blissfully, watching as the ramp lowered itself and met the ground. "Bring them over to the ramp one by one and I can carry them the rest of the way." he said, waiting for her by the end of the ramp. When the three crates were brought over, he piled them up and lifted them with one swift motion, the crates tall enough to cover his field of vision, but it didn't matter to him. Given how fast she was talking, he figured it'd be wise to direct the questions to her. "So, you're from Commenor? What's it like?"

---​

​

[member=Loreena Arenais]

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Of course Lori didn't realize that she was cutting [member="Ryder Zeshatt"] off when she was spouting off her sentences at lightning speed. It was just an old habit of hers and most people that she was around weren't so talkative anyways.

But she heard his instructions well enough. Lori saluted him and grinned.
"Roger that." She quickly got her hands on the first crate and pushed it towards the ramp. Then she got in front of it for it's way down as she didn't want it to go end over end and break. Gosh THAT would be embarrassing! Once the first was down, she brought down the other two in the same manner.

Ryder soon piled them up and lifted them as though they were nothing. Wow. It made her wonder how much he could lift.

She raised up the ramp and secured her ship before hurrying up to catch up with him, just to be sure that he didn't walk into anything. "Oh it's a nice place.
Much better since the Sith were kicked out. They occupied us for a while. They captured my Mom and tried to capture myself, my brother and my Dad too, but we kept out of their clutches. The Zambranos may think that they are all super powerful and scary, but they can't get everything that they want. What about you, Ry? Are you from here?"