Interrupted Vacations

[Syler Drayke]

Raider's Cove was the perfect vacation spot for ruffians, hooligans, smugglers, and bandits. The southern part of the town was a trade port centered around Bootlegger's Market, while the northern district was more sturdily built—with a thick stone boundary wall and polished buildings—and centered around the Blaster's Path Cantina.

The tropical beaches made for a popular hangout. But the local residents were a less-than-honorable lot who preferred to keep to themselves. It was a stunning location, kept safe from tourists and families.

Syler was there to recover and regroup from her last down-spiral. She was focused again, and driven to work, so she took this time to explore the Market for employment opportunities. Her shock of white hair was tied up in a messy, braided bun to keep it away from her neck in the heat. She was naturally pale which made her stand out in the mass of smugglers and pirates used to the tropical environment. She wore two blades crossed between her shoulders, one a long, elegant saber hilt; the other a distinctly Echani vibrosword. Other than the weaponry, however, she was a fairly unassuming presence in the crowds. Simply distinct.

She stopped at a stall selling fabrics and ran her fingers over the silks. She wasn't quite ready to find an employer but she knew if she was out and about long enough someone may find her.

( [member="Kurayami Bloodborn"] )

 

[Kurayami Bloodborn]

Kurayami had taken a bit of a hiatus from combat flying after the insanity of Seltos and the droids turning on their former masters. While he did admittedly feel a bit out of place here now, he had visited Raider's Cove a few times during his stint as a mercenary. Bootlegger's Market was where he had originally picked up his T-6 Thunderer super heavy blaster pistols. That didn't include the countless hours spent on drinking at the Blaster's Path Cantina, his current destination. The market though was known to have rather rare materials for a decent price. Given that he was finally getting around to making himself a proper mobile home/workspace it would be nice to not have to banrupt the company to do so. So the first stop was the market for high end fabrics and other materials for the interior decoration of the ship.

As he wandered his eyes scanned the area as he wandered, keeping track of any notable threats, of which there seemed to be rather few thankfully. Most of the people here drew little attention outside the cursory scan by him. Then again the diversity of the crowd was a bit lesser than some might have expected given it was a haven for the dregs of society. He was dressed in his armored flight suit as was standard for him. As far as weaponry was concerned a simple lightsaber hung from his left hip and on his right was holstered one of his MSD-32 disruptor pistols.

As he approached the stall where he had last picked up some very well priced and fine leather, he took note of one woman who seemed completely out of place amongst the rest of the populace. She was almost his height and looked to be of a similar age based on a quick guess. She stood out due to the fact that she was strikingly pale, and her hair was a stark white coloration, otherwise she didn't seem to be anyone to worry much over. Though the blades on her back were a bit of a worry. As he approached and made his way to speak with the dealer about acquiring fabric for his project he, paused next to her a moment.

"Careful, the silks here tend to run far higher than most other places. I wouldn't say that it is unfair, but just be ready to pay quite a bit for that one you seem to like so much."

[member="Syler Drayke"]

 

[Syler Drayke]

Syler didn't quite jump at Kurayami's address but she did visibly tense. Damn, she was out of practice with people right now. She looked over her shoulder and eyed him up and down. His blade and pistol catching her eye before she met his gaze and turned around.

"I don't intend to buy anything. Silks are too rich for my blood anyway. I like to keep things simple."

She clearly did, as her outfit was a simple pair of knee-high soft leather boots, loose-fitting black pants, a black bandeau across her chest, and the two leather straps that held her blades in place. Her mid-section was bare, though her arms were wrapped in gray linen from palm to elbows. She wore a belt that had several pouches hanging from it, but otherwise, she was very lightly and simply adorned.

As she turned back to the fabrics she kept her senses tuned to him. It was a habit now to pay close mind to anyone that was paying attention to her. She didn't try to hide the fact that she was hyper-aware of his presence. In fact, she hoped it would drive him to leave her be. She ran her fingertips over a pale blue silk that cascaded between them like rippling water while she considered it.

[member="Kurayami Bloodborn"]

 

[Kurayami Bloodborn]

The visible tension from the woman when he addressed her was not unexpected, but he still wasn't entirely sure how to take it. If it was a good or a bad thing, or if it was entirely neutral. Too many things to consider that he didn't know and those he did have an idea of he wasn't even sure were correct. She did turn around and address him though so that was a plus. Maybe? Okay so at least once he got a good look at her she was admittedly quite attractive. He smiled at her response.

"That is fair, just make sure you don't say that too loudly. As far as keeping things simple, you may have wandered into the wrong marketplace."

It was definitely clear from her style of dress how much she preferred to keep everything simple and uncluttered. She was very obviously not a fan of armor, or even full coverage clothing, not that he would ever complain about such things, especially with her figure. He just shrugged and did what he could to keep his eyes from wandering too terribly much. He likely would have failed at that. The fact that she was keeping an eye on him through the Force did not escape his notice. It was difficult for him to keep his eyes glued to hers, but her hope that the hyper-awareness would drive him away was sadly, not going to happen for her as of now. Perhaps later, but time would tell. The blue silk that she was looking at wasn't half bad.

"That could be made into something very pretty and still rather simple. It would look good on you I think."

[member="Syler Drayke"]

 

[Syler Drayke]

She was used to men noticing her figure. His wandering eyes weren't anything new to her. She took note of his build as well and noted that he wasn't half bad himself. She found herself lingering on his muscular build and noting the small bit of height he had on her, which was a nice change of pace. However, she was far from one for attachments. And mentally she was nowhere near recovered enough from her last down-swing to deal with being hit on. Syler's gray eyes gave the man a once over and then she stepped away from the blue silk and folded her arms across her chest.

"I don't need fashion advice from a flyboy."

She tilted her head to one side and several loose strands of hair fell over her shoulder.

"Is there a particular reason I caught your attention or are you simply trying to annoy me?"

Syler knew full well that he was merely interested because of her unique look and scant dress, but usually, when she directly confronted the men who stared they got flustered and left. She didn't have time to deal with an adventurous military macho man who thought he could make her swoon with pretty compliments. She knew that she'd have to find a job before the afternoon was out, otherwise she wouldn't be able to afford her room tonight. The fleeting impatience was clear in her eyes and presence if he was sensing her at all, but she waited for him to respond before completely stomping off.

 

[Kurayami Bloodborn]

The fact that she didn't seem flustered by his wandering gaze was a good thing. Meant she wouldn't be easy to fluster most likely, and that was definitely a good thing. He did happen to catch on that her eyes lingered on him perhaps a bit longer than she had intended. He wasn't really looking for anything romantic as of right now. At least he wasn't planning on it but wasn't entirely adverse to the idea. He wanted something more than just friendship again, but was he really ready for such things? Probably not. But maybe? Well damn these things always had to be complicated.

"Not fashion advice. Just thinking out loud given your seeming like of the fabric."

The head tilt was cute, admittedly. He shook his head trying to keep his mind from going to any places that would be too risqué. Not that her outfit left all that much to the imagination as it stood.

"A particular reason that a woman far paler than anyone else here, myself included, caught my eye? Probably the lightsaber and sword combo you are carrying. Odd choice, but I could think of at least one type of person who might."

Her thought that he was merely interested because of the obvious reasons wasn't entirely wrong, but he was interested in making sure the others in the market didn't give her too much issue. He was sure she could handle herself physically, but the way that merchants tended to bargain was less than legitimate. Besides it wasn't like they wouldn't make sure that they had backup to deal with her.

"Only partly to annoy you. Otherwise, make you a less tempting target for the scammers and other little bastards that like to hang around. Sure physically you might manage, but just wait until one of the merchants tries bargaining with you and then the whole of the marketplace decides that if you won't fold that they don't need your business, period."

 

[Syler Drayke]

Syler quirked an eyebrow and listened to his explanation but clearly wasn't having it.

"And what makes you even think I'm here to bargain?"

Her look was harsh but more defensive than offensive. He wasn't leaving her be and that was... Irritating. The fact that he was pinning her and making assumptions based on her weaponry was not surprising but she still waved a hand at the lightsaber on his belt.

"You're one to talk anyway. Saber and pistol? What type of person are you?"

She tucked the loose hair behind her ear and turned completely to face him. Unfortunately, he was now taking all of her attention. It was inconvenient because likely he wasn't going to hire her for anything. He clearly didn't know who she was. He hadn't even asked her name yet. Not that she'd given him the opportunity. She wasn't exactly giving off the "nurturing healer" vibe most people looked for in a medic. She decided to stop and take the most direct approach.

"Look, unless you need a healer I'm not interested ok?"

She leaned to one side, hand on hip, and waited for him to give up the knight-in-shining-armor act.

[member="Kurayami Bloodborn"]

 

[Kurayami Bloodborn]

Kurayami chuckled as she quirked an eyebrow at him and listened to the explanation. She didn't seem to care for that one. Maybe he hadn't been clear enough on that.

"I don't think you are. Trust me though, it is better to at least try to, but also know when to not push. I've been here a few times before, and have also seen people beaten to within inches of their life because they argued too much over price. And those people were damn good fighters, also had some of the other...talents you seem to possess as well."

The harsh and defensive look was not one he was unused to from women. She seemed to be rather more irritated as time went on that he hadn't left yet. Too bad for her that he had no plans on leaving any time soon. Then she pointed out his own armament. Fair play he assumed.

"Gotta have varied engagement options. Sure getting up close and personal is great but sometimes you know that the other person outclasses you in one means of combat so you use what you can to your advantage. So if I can get a good shot in and injure or kill them? Yea, I'm takin' it."

He watched her brush her hair out of her face and behind her ear, smiling slightly as she turned to fully face him. The vibe he was getting from her was not exactly a friendly one. The she switched her tactics to direct.

"Well I am a pilot and an owner of a rather sizable company...it would depend on your rates and what KIND of healing you were offering. The list of healing services I need I would have to talk to you about in private. So you know there is that."

[member="Syler Drayke"]

 

[Syler Drayke]

He was making so many of the usual judgments about her that she faced on a regular basis. Maybe she should rethink her wardrobe? But no. She'd gotten away from the whole "Everyone should look the same so that combat is your true expression" belief from her childhood. She liked being a bit stand-out-ish. If it meant fending off a few wanna-be pirate pilots she was alright with that.

Then he talked about healing. And owning a company? That was actually promising for future employment. Damn. She would have to switch tactics slightly.

"Most of my customers prefer a 'don't ask' policy when it comes to my healing services. I don't ask how you got injured, you don't ask me for anything beyond medic services. No loyalty, no strings, no reporting you to the government."

She knew he was trying to be flirty but she wasn't really having it. She was all business in the upswings. She was even willing to call his flirtatious bluff and try an ultimatum. She kept her senses up and threw a soft telepathic thought out there, in case he was sensing as well. She figured he might be trying to give her more than a once-over but if he wasn't then he would simply miss her threatening to leave.

<Or I can walk away from this conversation and leave you to your fabric shopping.>

She looked him up and down once more and rolled her shoulders in a half-shrug. <Shame, he is nice to look at.> The thought was for herself, but it had been so long since she'd been around other force sensitives and tested a telepathic link that he could likely pick up on it. It was a small slip in her otherwise guarded presentation.

[member="Kurayami Bloodborn"]

 

[Kurayami Bloodborn]

The fact that he was making judgments that apparently so many before him had as well was lost on him. She definitely stood out in this crowd, of that there was no doubt, he was sure that she stood out in most crowds she found herself in. So far it seemed other people were keeping their distance from the odd pair. It was clear that he had peaked her interest when he mentioned owning a company and healing. Given that she was a healer it seemed to make sense. The switch in tactics by her initially caught him a bit off guard.

"I see. So a 'mercenary healer' in a sense. They pay you enough to not ask questions and you just do the job then leave. You wouldn't need to worry about reporting me to the government, considering I already have to report to the Confederacy of Independent Systems and the government of Nubia as well due to owning Nubia StarDrives Incorporated. They make sure that safety regulations are up to date, but there is an inherent risk to building starships by hand. So yes injuries are common enough that an on call healer would be good. Also, I do have a tendency to get hurt on occasion. So miss...what is your standard fee for work?"

He gave a slight pause before asking her price to give her a chance to introduce herself. He chuckled at her overly serious demeanor when it came to handling business. Pulling the flask of namana liquor from inside his flight suit, he took a swig before tilting it towards her, offering a drink if she wished. The telepathic link she opened was something he knew he had to be careful with, he didn't want to risk bonding with this woman if he could help it.

<<True. You could do that, however I wouldn't mind some input on a rather sizable project I have in development. See I tend to wander a bit, so I need somewhere I can work from but also live out of, never got used to staying in one place too long. Also pitched the idea to Nubia to make them a portable testament to the quality of their products, no weaponry but damn near impossible to kill. I can afford to pay you pretty well if needed, just for basic thoughts on decor for the ship itself.>>

Kurayami made no attempt to hide the fact that his eyes wandered over her figure again as she rolled her shoulders. While the thought had been intended to be a private one, he managed to catch it, either she hadn't done this in a long time, or it was a new skill to her. A playful smirk came over his features as he responded to her.

<<I'm nice to look at am I? Haven't heard that one in a bit. Gotta admit I am not disappointed by the view I have either. Tell ya what, your standard fee? Double it and if you need more stable employment we can work out a retainer fee. You could work as an on-call healer for me and still take side jobs, within reason. Something to think about for ya, beautiful.>>

[member="Syler Drayke"]

 

[Syler Drayke]

"Syler. And you are?"

She took the flask and a not-insignificant swig of the liquor. His initial offer was pretty standard. Construction project - where all the real work would be - and a personal suggestion that he could use her himself. But she didn't do loyalty. While she took a second swig, she telepathically sent him a price range. It varied depending on species, timeframe, risk of arrest, etc. But what he was looking for was fairly standard so she gave him a realistic range.

Meanwhile, the shopkeeper caught on to the fact that neither of them was actively browsing anymore and she was looking somewhat perturbed.

"Is this man bothering you miss?"

Syler handed the alcohol back to the pilot and shook her head. Her answer was faster than even she expected and had a lot less snark.

"No, we're fine."
<We might want to go talk business somewhere else. Unless you're gonna buy something.>

She quirked an eyebrow at him and shrugged. Then he offered to hire her for... Interior decorating? Had he seen how she dressed? She was the last person to ask for style and fashion advice. Aaaand he caught her thoughts. She blushed a slight crimson and made a note to be more careful with the telepathic link next time. It immediately slammed shut and she tried to scramble back from the compliment and the flustered feeling of being flattered.

"I don't do loyalty. Or retainer fees."

While the money was tempting, to say the least, Syler refused to be at anyone's beck and call. She wasn't going to go through that again. And she wasn't going to let anyone see a downswing. If he was still paying attention, there would be a soft hint of trepidation coming off of her mental state. Not enough to keep her from continuing to talk business, but enough to make her wary of his flirting.

Meanwhile, the shopkeeper was most definitely hovering near the conversation. He didn't quite believe that this was "fine" and clearly wanted to play some form of hero for Syler if her companion was anything less than amicable.

[member="Kurayami Bloodborn"]

 

[Kurayami Bloodborn]

"Kurayami Bloodborn. Pleasure to meet you, Syler. Apologies, I'm not the most adept in social situations, in case you hadn't noticed."

He smiled still as she took the flask from him and a long swig of the namana liquor, giving a slight nod as though in approval. The prices she quoted were not exorbitant, and the vairance based on species and other things made sense. The flash of a thought about the risk of imprisonment made him shake his head. That one he attempted to shut down by letting her know all work he had for her was through legal means. Sadly, it seemed that they had managed to attract the attention of the shopkeeper, he could feel that the woman was perturbed when she approached them. Taking a deep breath he closed his eyes momentarily and worked to center himself in the Force. It would not do to cause a scene here.

Syler seemed to quickly dismiss the accusation that he was causing her distress, so that was good at least. Even if only to keep things from escalating. The lack of snark was unexpected, but welcome as he took his flask back from her and took another sip from it himself before capping it and replacing it within his jacket.

"Apologies ma'am, I was giving her my view on her selected fabrics. When I asked her for input on a project I have in the works I derailed the active shopping while we tried to determine what materials should be used."

The gentle smile was ever present as he addressed the shopkeeper, gently pushing waves of calm toward sher through the Force.

<<Yes, there is a cantina not far from here. I would buy something yes, but you haven't given me any input as to what I should use. Hard to buy when you aren't sure what you are going with. So lets break it down to be easier. Upholstery and bedding to start.>>

He had barely enough time to finish sending his thoughts to her before she slammed the link shut. Well that was an interesting reaction. Ah...it made sense, or at least moreso when he saw the slight blush. Her next statement came as a bit odd, but he understood where she was coming from, she was trying to put distance between them. COuldn't blame her honestly.

"Look, I am offering you a stable position, one where you needn't worry about legality issues, where you have guaranteed transport, supplies, access to escort for dangerous areas, and a pilot provided for you. That is in addition to housing, other necessities, and your pay of double the standard rate for your job...oh yea, also the ability to take side jobs with utmost discretion. Plus the fact that with Nubia StarDrives you will never be lacking work, someone is always getting injured."

Kurayami knew well that everyone had a price it was just finding out which buttons to push, that was why he wasn't backing down. Trepidation was noticable in her aura, but not something he made any hint towards having noticed, as he maintained his centered state of calm. The shopkeep was of no concern to Kurayami at the moment, though his left hand hadn't strayed far from the saber on his hip after he had put the flask away. Playing hero would have been a bad idea.

[member="Syler Drayke"]

 

[Syler Drayke]

Syler listened and nodded along as Kurayami gave more explanation to the shopkeeper and suggested that she help him buy something. Her? Design a home? HA! There was a half-snorted chuckle when he asked her to pick fabrics for upholstery and bedding.

"You're gonna need a lot of that-" She nodded towards his flask on his hip "If I'm going to design a home. It won't end well."

She paused to look around the stall and then walked over to a display of leathers and tapestry fabrics. "I mean, I don't even know you. I don't know your style or what you want from your home. Picking up a random stranger off the street and asking her for decorating advice has got to be the dumbest idea ever."

She ran her fingertips over the different leathers while he continued and presented his other offer. Some of it was appealing, but she thrived on the freedom she had to refuse work. She scoffed at the idea of needing an escort, but the supplies and pilot were good. Housing would be nice, but she got by. The double pay was exciting, but she would be selling her ability to say "no" which she needed. Desperately. But this was the first offer she'd had in a while that wasn't slapped together or emergency. The first guarantee of pay and a tempting chance to not go hungry.

"Let's head to that cantina you mentioned. If you're willing to buy me a drink I might listen while I sip."

[member="Kurayami Bloodborn"]

 

[Kurayami Bloodborn]

Apparently Kurayami would need to be a bit more specific with Syler, she seemed to not quite understand what he was asking her for. The design of the home wasn't up to her, that part was well taken care of by himself and the Nubian engineers who worked for him.

"Oh please, if need be I could set myself up with a supplier...actually now that I think about it I think my assistant did that years ago. Would explain why I never seem to run out of the stuff. And no the design of the home is being taken care of, though not a regular home by any means. A 10 kilometer long workshop and home. So lots of material will be required."

He was sure that if the shopkeep was still around that those words would have peaked their interest at the very least, he could have cared less though as he was currently focused entirely on Syler and their discussion. Letting his gaze follow hers he nodded slowly as he took in more of the selection of fabrics. "Well then we can remedy that and perhaps return here to browse a bit after having discussed a range of possibilities. Also while a bad idea, certainly isn't the dumbest thing I have ever done. Hard to remember exactly what was the dumbest thing I have done, but this isn't even in the top hundred I'm sure."

Kurayami followed her as she ran her fingers over the different leathers as he expanded on the offer and what it included, just from his side of things. He knew that some of what he was asking would make her wary, but that other parts would be rather appealing, like the promise of consistent work and pay as well as housing and other amenities being provided to her free of charge. Perhaps there would need to be some clarification on finer details, but she was more than welcome to ask questions.

"As you wish. A drink? That's it? Wow, that's a far smaller price to pay than I had expected. The Blaster's Path is a bit of an...interesting place. Usually a bit of a tense silence, but I doubt you will have issue given the fact you seem to enjoy discretion. Anyways, it's on the northern side of town. Thankfully not too far of a walk."

Motioning for her to follow him, he led her from the fabric shop to the cantina and to an empty booth. He would let her make the first comment and order drinks for them, he certainly wasn't picky.

[member="Syler Drayke"]

 

[Syler Drayke]

Syler followed him and while they walked they made traditional small talk. He found out she was from Eshan, typical, and that she had some battle medic training through working with Jedi. She learned about his piloting skills and listened to him describe the ship he was building. Both grew quiet though while they entered the bar and found a booth, out of the way and quiet.

She sat across from him and when the server approached she ordered two mugs of spiced Pulkay mixed with cider. The drink was served warm, but very strong. She waited until they had alcohol to begin asking questions. As she wrapped both hands around her mug her skin instantly flushed a slight pink from the warmth, but she seemed content with that. She rested her elbows on the table and leaned forward just enough to be distracting but not enough to seem flirtatious.

"So why, dare I ask, would you want to hire a mercenary healer with no knowledge of her background or her skills? Yeah, you need a healer around but you barely know me. So what is the catch?"

She'd been down this road before. Most outfits tried to hire her quickly and without investigating. But usually, she could sniff out the ones who wanted her for more unsavory reasons. Kurayami was different somehow. He was asking all the wrong questions. He was baiting her with too-sweet a deal. There had to be strings somewhere.

[member="Kurayami Bloodborn"]

 

[Kurayami Bloodborn]

The small talk was nice, and she didn't seem to mind the sometimes ridiculous and frankly hard to believe stories he told of missions, both recent and further in the past. While she didn't seem overly interested, she at least let him tell the story without too many interruptions. Finding out she was from Eshan answered many of the questions he would otherwise have had for her, the battle medic training from the Jedi was something he was sure would come in handy. Meant that she had enough skill to be able to take the fight to the enemy and still provide assistance when necessary. His description of the ship design seemed to bring a bit of suspicion from the woman, not that he could blame her, though once they entered and found a quiet booth they were both silent.

While Kurayami was happy to have the company, he still was wrestling with his own anxieties, especially about the telepathic link she had opened earlier. He was worried that it could have planted the seed for a Force bond to grow, though he had been careful, such things could not always be prevented. Spiced Pulkay mixed with cider, an interesting choice. Thinking back on it he wasn't sure if he had tried such a concoction but it did sound like it could be interesting to say the least. Looked like now was the time for questions from her. Smiling slightly as he saw the slight pink flush to her skin as she took hold of the mug, he took hold of his and took a sip of the drink while she asked about his reasons. Granted, he did have to fight to maintain eye contact a bit given the position she adopted, but that may have been intentional on her part.

Her question brought a sad smile form the Corellian as he set the mug down softly and moved his gaze to the contents therein.

"Well damn, looks like you noticed that I had ulterior motives in asking you to work for me. In all seriousness though, you remind me of a few women I was once very close to. That is a story for another time perhaps, but suffice to say that in many ways you reflect all three of them one an accomplished Jedi Knight, taken too early based on mistaken identity. One a Jedi archaeologist and very astute healer, where she wanders now I do not know. The third, a mercenary pilot, my wingman and closer than either of the others in many ways, lost her due to sabotage."

He took a breath and another sip of the very strong beverage before returning his gaze to hers.

"As a a mercenary I know that the best way to learn if you can trust someone is to push the standard things that would entice. The fact that you got so suspicious as the offer became more and more elaborate makes me think that perhaps you enjoy the work, but also knowing that you had somewhere safe to go when you needed time away from the carnage. The catch is that you would technically be contracted to me, however that would be done mostly to provide a legal cover for your work. The only restrictions I would place on you would be that you place my employees and myself as a higher priority for your services than other cases, depending on severity."

His gaze held little of the warmth it had before, but if she looked close enough she would still be able to notice there was a softness in his eyes still, likely from her earlier question and the very brief rundown he had given her. He still made no attmept to close his mind off or place mental barriers as she seemed a bit less inclined towards the telepathic side of the Force.

[member="Syler Drayke"]

 

[Syler Drayke]

Syler watched him over her mug with little to no reaction. Her eyes were free from any emotion beyond apprehension. She wasn't seeking much in the way of telepathic bonds, but she could sense his genuine nature and she was more concerned and bewildered by the fact that he was offering at all. Or that he was comparing her to important people when he barely knew her.

"First of all," She began. "I have no idea how I could remind you of anyone since all you know about me is that I'm a queen and a healer."

She took a sip of her drink and then rolled her shoulders, trying to find a comfortable spot in the hard-backed booth.

"Second, you're offering all the wrong things. I don't want a home or a stable job that I have to report back to all the time. I don't work that way. I do the work I want and then I leave when I want. I don't do contracts. I do cash."

There was a hesitant note in her tone as she tried to emphasize this. She was finding it harder to keep up her desire for independence the more he described the security. She didn't need protection, but it helped. She didn't need steady supplies, but they were convenient. She didn't need a place to stay, but it was certainly appealing. But what she was desperately fighting was the idea of someone actually getting to know her, and seeing her, and someone she had to be accountable to when she least wanted it. The idea terrified her.

While she waited for him to counter, she held her mug in both hands and sipped gently at it, enjoying the spice and kick.

[member="Kurayami Bloodborn"]

 

[Kurayami Bloodborn]

Her lack of reaction to his words was not entirely surprising, though he wasn't sure why. There was that twinge in the back of his mind saying that because she hadn't been overly cautious with the telepathic link before that she may have inadvertently planted the seeds of a Force bond. Kurayami shook his head, he had been careful with keeping the link to the bare minimum needed for communication. Still, the thought nagged him as she spoke.

"It isn't that difficult when the other party doesn't work at all to disguise their aura while browsing a market in a place known for black market goods and other less than legal deals. As for having no idea how you remind me of those people, well i gave you the reasons just a moment ago, or do I need to give you a recap because memory isn't your strong suit? queen and healer...yep. You nailed it. Want a gold star?"

The last bit was delivered with a slight edge to it, letting her know that she was playing with fire when it came to back and forth trades on insults or stating the obvious. Taking another swig of his drink he exhaled deeply as he felt the warm burn of the spiced alcohol.

"I'm not offering a stationary home, I'm offering a mobile home, somewhere that once built will be damn near the safest place to lay your head between planetary jaunts, free transportation to whre you need to get, a pilot and shuttle at your disposal, steady supplies of the necessary equipment, training and meditation space, a stable cash income, a legal front for your work, and the freedom to accept most any contract as long as it isn't an enemy of myself or the CIS. You wouldn't be reporting back constantly, only when there was need of your services at Nubia StarDrives.

The hesitant tone in her voice as she tried to emphasize what she wanted told him that there was something else behind her refusal. So she wanted cash? Fine that gave him enough impetus to push those details a bit more, but she would have to play ball as well. While he wasn't super thrilled about getting too close to her either, his reasons seemed to be quite different from hers.

You want cash? Fine I can pay you for the help with the materials for the ship as well as the first years rate, and I can do that anytime you actually name a price. The yearly rate is in addition to what you would make on a per patient basis. So tell me what you want and I can send you the credits in moments. But first you have to name the price."

Waiting for her reply he sipped at his drink, leaning back casually as if this were just normal talk for him.

[member="Syler Drayke"]

 

[Syler Drayke]

Syler waited a long time before responding. She was running the math in her mind, deciding how much she could request and how much would push him past his limit. She was also attempting to figure out what she would even charge for a year's worth of work. She usually charged variable rates per mission, depending on the amount of time and the risk involved.

"For one year... My standard would be $180,000. That includes protection fees, species variants, and complex procedure expenses."

She sipped her drink once more and waited for his response. She didn't want to like his offer, but right now it was the most appealing thing she had. She simply did not want to be forced to work when she couldn't think and function well, and she didn't want to have to disclose a weakness to an employer. She didn't completely open the telepathic link again, but she did open up a small fraction of her mind to sensing his reactions. He might, if he prodded, note a series of fleeting thoughts.

<< Hesitation... Frustration... Locked down... Pinned... Obligated... Safety... Resources... Fear... Too close... Don't know me... Pay... No hunger... No fighting... See me like that ...>>

 

[Kurayami Bloodborn]

Kurayami waited patiently as Syler ran the math in her head and worked out some sort of number. He continued to nurse his drink as she finally ran a number past him for one year. 180,000 credits. Alright so she didn't come cheap, but that was usually a good thing given that those with more skill could demand higher prices. The only outward response she got was a slight smirk before he nodded his head. He set his datapad down on the table and slid it over to her.

"So the final rate you want is 360,000 creds per year, all inclusive? If you are half as skilled as you claim to be then that is a bit more than standard rate, but would be worth it. Go ahead and transfer the money to your account, I already entered all necessary verification for you to initiate the transfer from my end. So just enter your account information and you have your first year's pay. The contract we can work out in more detail later and make it all official.

He noted that she went quiet waiting for his response, after giving it he was curious as to her reaction that he hadn't questioned anything about her rate, which many would have found ridiculous. Then there was the barest hint of a link again, while he did push a bit he did so slowly as to not startle her, catching the little snippets of thought that flashed through her mind. He made no outward sign to having caught them, but the smirk changed to a more genuine smile.

"So, she we start working out the details of the contract or do the drinks signal the end of this endeavor? I am sure the material costs will run almost into the millions of credits just for the basic interior fittings on the ship. So let's say you get... 20% of that total as well for your input?"

The payout would be massive if she accepted his offer, he never said that her ideas even had to make it to the final design, just that her input would net her that amount.

[member="Syler Drayke"]