Inner Workings

[Fyl Terrano]

Fyl Terrano had been through one hell of a week, and he was glad to be doing something simple, straightforward, and relaxing.

He'd made it to the Mid Rim by the skin of his teeth, the massacre on Katanos VII still fresh in his mind. Aikhibba was the planet's name - far more memorable than the planet itself. It was peaceful, temperate, and outside the influence of the various governments that were slowly rebuilding the galactic center; in short, it was a perfect stopover, a calm port in the raging storm that had engulfed the galaxy practically without ceasing since the end of the 400-year darkness. In the sixteen cycles between the outbreak of war between Republic and Sith, there had hardly been a moment of peace or a world untouched as great powers rose and shattered. But here, you could almost forget it all.

Some part of him wanted to stay. His family had owned a ranch on Barkhesh, probably still did, and he'd grown up in the simple life they'd led. He'd been a teacher before the Insurrection; he could do it again, start fresh somewhere no one knew him. But practicality ruled that out. The last time he'd stopped moving, the wardens of Valko had figured out where he was with terrifying speed, and hundreds had died. His only real chance was to stick to the plan. Aikhibba was part of the Gamor Run, a freight route that could take him straight down to Hutt Space. He could get lost there, make a quick credit on the far side of the galaxy from his hunters. Then he'd figure life out.

So he was already working on paying his way. Fyl knelt on the open-air landing pad of a small local spaceport, the breeze ruffling his hair and gently pulling at his hat. He was leaning against one of the landing struts of a freighter, the Legend of Gallo, whose Gungan captain had agreed to take him as far as Nar Kaaga in exchange for a few repairs. He had a macrofuser in his hand, welding damaged panels back into place - the Gallo had run into a couple of pirates near Druckenwell - and the contrast between the cool morning air and the heat of the sparks felt strangely beautiful. He was sober, mostly because he didn't have the credits to get drunk, and almost felt serene. Almost.

He was trying not to remember all the times he'd done work like this with friends he'd buried. He was trying to hold onto the moment, the first good one in a long time.

[member="Karren Trask"]​

 

[RC 212]

[member="Fyl Terrano"]

Barkhesh was a stop on her way. She was wandering with no real intention of getting to where she was going. After everything she'd suffered in the past few months, she felt the force drawing her further and further afield from the serene homely halls of the Jedi Order and deeper and deeper into space. The void was madness and in a strange way, the now jaded Padawan was beginning to enjoy it.

Time away from dogmatic Masters and needless killing. Though a darker radical side of her was now emerging, bubbling just beneath the surface of her cal, poised Jedi exterior. She'd gotten a taste for blood and the darkside. And she was terrified to death that she actually liked it, even if she was sworn to destroy it.

"When are we landing?" She asked her smuggler Pilot.

"Soon, keep your briches on Jedi."

"I'm trying, I'm really trying. I'll be in the cargo bay. Here's your money. I'll be out of your hair as soon as we land."

"I'd like that. Landing in five."

When they landed, she made good on her promise, strolling down the ramp, recognizable in her robes. The first one to catch her eyes was a man in cowboy hat. Looking to blend in no dubt. She shrugged internally and approached. Something about the way the force swirled around him confirmed she was destined to meet him.

"Hey stranger. Names Karren Trask, and who might you be?" She asked, extending a hand.

 

[Fyl Terrano]

Fyl looked up as someone addressed him, snapping out of his intense focus on the work. It looked like another ship had come in, and apparently one of the passengers had made a beeline for him. He felt a tightness in his chest, and his hand dropped to his holster - had another bounty hunter found him? Could he not have one day, just one day, of relative peace? But when he laid eyes on the speaker, he relaxed a bit. It was always dangerous to assume, but she didn't look like a bounty hunter. She was about his age, tall and slender, with a look in her eyes that he recognized. She was drifting, just like him. The where didn't matter so much as the going, so long as it was going away.

Briefly he wondered what she was leaving behind. A bad marriage? Poor family relations? Lack of opportunities? Simple boredom? Then his eyes dropped to her belt, and he froze. He should have guessed from those brown robes that all the Force-monks liked to wear, but the lightsaber confirmed it - she was a Jedi. Immediately he reevaluated his estimation of her. He'd met a Jedi once before, a man with a presence so calm and peaceful that he could walk into a room full of armed men and defuse the situation like chaff on the wind. This one didn't seem quite like that. On the surface she was calm, poised, polite. But there was that look in her eyes, a look without peace.

Why would a Jedi drift? And when did they start making them cute? The old man last time hadn't exactly qualified.

"Morning," Fyl said, tipping his hat to her as he straightened up - and smacked his head against the underside of the freighter. Real smooth, Terrano. She gave her name, and he hesitated. He'd heard all sorts of things about the Jedi and their powers. If he lied, could she sense it? Would that only make things worse? He glanced around, checking if anyone else was in earshot. "Fyl Terrano," he finally said, opting for the truth. No way to know if she would have heard of him, a fugitive from the First Order. He extended his hand to shake hers, looked at it - the fingers were almost black with engine lubricant - and then quickly wiped the grease off with a cloth before offering it again.

"If you're looking for passage, you'll have to ask the captain," he said, offering an apologetic smile. "I'm just the hired help."

[member="Karren Trask"]​