Now we can talk about it

[Xin Boa]

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

As she walked right into him his hands shot up to grab her upper arms to keep himself on his feet. The laugh that followed was a mixture of amused, incredulous and embarrassed. Once he was stable he removed his hands and held them out to the sides as if the accentuate the fact that they hadn’t gone anywhere untoward this time.

“Have to stop meeting like this Starchaser. But I think that proves whose fault it was. I wasn’t even invisible this time.” There was a note of victory in his voice. He gave a lopsided smile as he turned towards the cockpit.

He moved to the console, hinging at the hips to lean over it. One hand braced on the edge as the other started flicking switches to bring the systems online.

“I suppose I did thrown you under the speeder back on that ship. In my defence I was a little nervous about what you were up to. Rather thought asking the question with a couple of Jedi Masters around was a good way to not have you kill me.” He turned and looked over his shoulder. The head tails over the front of his shoulders nearly brushed the hyperspace leaver. Xin offered a shrug, but it wasn’t much of an apology.

“But I’m not a man for schemes Starchaser,” he almost sighed. “You get what you see with me.”

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Xin Boa"]

A bit of heat rushed up along alabaster skin typically lit only by artificial light and starlight as his fingers caught around her arms. Kept her from falling further over. Her own heart raced a tad faster from embarrassment and a huge chink in her pride. Wide, uncertain blues peeked at Xin, thankful of the teeny space of separation between them and the feathered strands of auburn hair splashed across her face like a shield. Lips parted but he stepped away just as quickly.

Relief flooded her system. Gave her a chance to muster back up her mask of cockiness and spitfire attitude.

"At least I know you have quick hands," quip came before she really thought about it and how it actually sounded. Especially considering where his hands went the first time they met. Fingers quickly tucked wayward strands of hair behind her ears. Throat cleared as she struggled with backtracking on the comment or just owning it.

She went with owning it and changing the conversation.

Turning, she sealed the door behind them before joining Xin in the small space of the cockpit, sliding into the co-pilot's seat. It squeaked when she sat down. She stifled a laugh. "You thought I could kill you? Really?!" Hands pushed the sleeve of her shirt up, flexing her bicep. "Must be doing something right." Lopsided grin was now all over her face.

 

[Xin Boa]

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

"Oh you have no idea," he answered without skipping a beat. The odd thing was that Xin didn't even look up from his pre-flight checks to make the quip. He reached down and took a wired microphone from its mount on the console.

"Clear to go?"

"Hold fire Xin. Got a freighter coming in."

"Got it."

It wasn't the most professional as far as traffic management went, but the Fleet for by. Xin kicked back his chair. For an instant it seemed the reclining mechanism was broken and he was going to tip over. His hands shit out and his eyes widened. Then it creaked to a halt. Xin pretended that hadn't happened and crossed his arms over his chest.

"You had a lightsaber and an invisibility cloak. For someone like me that kind of elevated you up the 'dont feth with' list. Even if your arms are pathetically small. Should spend some time locked up. Not much to do but lift weights there." He had to remind himself several times since being released. As weird as things got interesting was normally better than absolute boredom.

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Xin Boa"]

A sly smirk crossed her face as she caught Xin's flailing from the corners of her eyes. "Real smooth." A quick laugh left her lips and she tugged her sleeve back down putting her bicep twice as if to consul it from the nautolan' snub. Leaning forward, blues traveled over the instrument panel on her side. Fingers rose and adjusted the compressor.

Girl knew her ships.

"Lightsaber is more for show which seemed to work," head panned back to Xin. "And the cloak was a lucky trade."

That was an entirely different story.

"Spent some time in juvie for a few months. Underage drinking." A spark of mischief caught in her eyes but she shrugged. "What were you in for and how long?" Curious eyes were solidly focused on Xin.

 

[Xin Boa]

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

"They put people in prison for underage drinking?" he asked incredulously. "We could do some overage drinking after we check out this ship if you want? My way of apology for the crash in the street. Not that it's an admission of guilt for what went down!" he added with a wag of a finger. Just the very tips of his headtails twitched after his words. There were little starbursts in the depths of his eyes too. Signs of mischievous amusement to any nautolan. He was returning to his more typical easygoing outward demeanour around Kinsey now. She was a lot more grounded than he had expected. A history not all that far from his own. Though that also seemed to prompt the kind of questions he didn't like answering.

"Two years. Got caught working as a lookout for a heist. Short sentence was a bad thing actually. Judge gave it me because of my age and 'general character'. The boss thought it was because I was the snitch that made the job go awry. Not a good place to be in. At least they trusted me enough not to shank me whilst I was in there at least. If the Dragoons hadn't picked me up for a job I think I was going to be in real trouble."

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Xin Boa"]

"Only if you get caught in the wrong system I guess," shoulders shrugged, a chagrined look on her face. Wasn't anything to be proud of. Too bad she hadn't learned her lesson after that or she might've never gotten into trouble with a Sith Lord.

Head turned and her fingers tinkered with one of the control panel switches. "Ha. Sounds like guilty admittance to me and I win," attention remained on the toggle. It needed a bit of grease. Seemed to be stuck. She caught that wagging finger though.

Grin only widened and head shook but she offered no further rebuttal.

"A drink...ONE drink might not be bad," she mused. Girl didn't get chit faced anymore for obvious reasons. Too many flashbacks. Too much chance of losing control.

Smile faded slightly as she listened, head cocked to the side as her attention went back to the stubborn toggle. Fingers absently drifted to her belt and plucked out a tool. She began to tinker.

"You know the saying, snitches get stitches. You're definitely lucky. That boss still holding a grudge? Oh, oh and did your prison serve that nasty brownish lumpy stew?" Nose crinkled and she made a gagging sound with her mouth, though she didn't look up.

 

[Xin Boa]

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

"I mean I don't think all prisons serve the same food. They...they probably use different catering companies?" He offered. Once again he had returned to light teasing to try and provoke a reaction. She'd either slap him or find it amusing by the end of the day. Xin had also found it a good way to keep people off-kilter. Especially when they seemed to have pertinent questions about his personal life.

Xin tutted at the notion of her victory, but he didn't have the heart to argue it further. He had full confidence that he would have gotten off the world under his own steam. He likely wouldn't have caught up with Merrill though. This way he'd got to meet the legend and get some of the credit for the rescue from the Fleet.

"The food wasn't great though. Company even worse. Wasn't even high security but the people of bastion aren't so hot on prisoner welfare. Does that switch do something useful?" Xin asked suddenly, leaning forwards to see what she was doing. He waved at the controls before him.

"I was going to use just these bits here to fly us over but now I'm concerned that that switch does something really important I'd forgotten about?"

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Xin Boa"]

"Yeah that's it, catering companies," she smirked. He'd poke and she'd poke back. Not a shy girl when it came to any topic of conversation besides the sith lord and not being able to swim.

And he definitely just question dodged.

For the moment, the spacer-girl had the sense not to push it. That sense might not last though. "Ha - the company. Imagine being with only chicks. No, no. Trust me. Not a cake walk." Tongue found its way pressed flat against her lower-lip as her focus remained on the toggle. Until he squeezed up in her business. Head turned, blues shifted to his inky depths.

"Well....part of the landing clamp mechanism. Wouldn't be a problem taking off. Might make us belly-land a slide like watching a smashball game if I can't get her fixed. This ain't free labor though. I fully expect the fleet to compensate me some meal vouchers. With some brownies. No prison-grade stuff."

Lopsided grin stretched across her mouth for a sec.

 

[Xin Boa]

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

"I am not sure we actually have brownies on the fleet anywhere," he laughed. "I promise I will find a snack for waggling that button around a bit. It's definitely worth that at least."

He sat back in his chair and warmed up the repulsors. Through the canopy he could see the light freighter turning slowly into the hangar. They would be off shortly.

"Ah that would have been a glorious landing though." He tilted his head as if being thoughtful. "Of course if it had been all girls I'd have been the only man in an all girl prison so that puts a bit of a spin on the notion. Actually no, that's a pretty terrifying thought when you actually think about it."

Xin had a mental image of gaunt, desperate inmates pressed against the bars of the next cell and watching him carefully. It wasn't as glamorous as what his imagination had initially conjured.

"Xin you're clear." Came a shout over the radio.

"Best get that toggle fixed," Xin announced as he eased forwards on the throttle and tugged back in the controls to lift them off the deck. They would be landing against shortly. One way or another.

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Xin Boa"]


It was true. Brownies were rare unless you found yourself on the low end of the Rimma Trade Route. Cocoa powder didn't grow everywhere. "Better be a really good snack," she muttered beneath her breath. Head shook as her fingers tugged on the wedged toggle, using the B-wrench. Eyes traveled away from Xin's and back to work.

Definitely better be a good snack.

Teeth bit down lightly on her tongue as he described a potential prison massacre by female fawning. "Yeah because all girls in prison just wanna bang any guy around," voice was as dry as a piece of flimsy. Sounded more like a bunch of men locked up in prison. Not that she meant it as an insult to Xin. Didn't even think about the potential there.

Blues flickered up to the viewport as she felt them lift. One hand stopped messing with the toggle to tug on the crash-webbing. Didn't matter how short of a flight it was. She'd never flown with the nautolan before and as a pilot, she was very untrustworthy of others piloting skills - or lack thereof.

"Don't worry," gaze panned briefly to Xin, studying the patterns on his headtails for a moment. "I promise I'll get this fixed before we land. Have I let you down yet?" Didn't have time to see any reaction from Xin on that comment, as she jammed the wrench in further.

 

[Xin Boa]

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

If she was watching his headtails she'd see them retract a few centimetres as they coiled at the root. "Promise is just a word til yuh follow up on it," he replied. The hangar was left behind and they were out in space. The dark silhouette of the fleets vessels were framed by a burnt copper gas giant they currently orbited. Xin was no expert but he was a perfectly capable pilot. Especially given a simple shuttle. He certainly wouldn't be much use in a complicated starfighter.

"An please, men an women are nuh that different. Well depends on the species. I met a species of soft-bodied aquatic creatures wuh the males weren't actually intelligent enough to speak. The females evolved all the intelligence and kept them almost like pets. Men turned to each other just as much as I bet women duh behind bars. Just don't talk bout it as much. An nuh, before you ask I wasn't there that long."

There was a beep and a holographic image of a stern duros appeared on the console. Xin seemed to shrink back a little from it. "Xin. You're heading for the Champion?"

"Yuh," Xin replied curtly.

The duros turned between the two. "You should have asked first. But I agree. I'll let them know you're coming with the authorisation of the Dragoons." Tarn gave Xin a sharp nod and vanished. This was all a sensitive matter for the Fleet. The captain could end up exiled for this.

Xin brought them about and started closing on the medium freighter that Kinsey's least favourite pirate captained. "Yuh didn't. Let me down that is."

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Xin Boa"]

There was enough a change in tone to cause the Starchaser girl to look up and over at the nautolan. Hands slipped on the toggle and it popped, coming free. Blues noticed the tightening of those headtails of his. But she left it alone, saying instead, "See? Told you."

Hand slipped the wrench back in the toolbelt that curved along her waist. Grease-splotched fingers wiped down her pants, adding to the motley of colors already there. "Well, I haven't heard you talk about your boyfriend or anything so that makes sense," she poked back, a lopsided grin on her face as she finally leaned back in the co-pilot's seat. Sticking to the lighthearted conversation was always easier. Still, a part of her was curious as to why Xin had been so bothered just a sec ago. Fingers wove behind her had, checking out the dilapidated ceiling of the shuttle. Rust patches were everywhere.

Shuttle purred pretty well though. She'd rather the sound be on point over the looks. The 21-year old jerked upright as some military-type flashed on the screen, eyeing her up and down. But the stern look seemed mostly focused on Xin.

As soon as the transmission shut off, the back of her hand shot out and would close the short space between them to smack against the side of Xin's muscular arm. If he didn't move or intercept. Didn't stop her from swiveling her seat to him as well. More like she had to scooch and yank the seat to turn through a horrible screeching noise.

"I thought you asked?? That whole secret rooms with men and guns? Sealed doors and all?!" Accusatory gaze plastered across her brow as the unabashed explorer stared the nautolan down.

 

[Xin Boa]

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

He gave a grunt of a protest at the noisy slap against his arm. "I didn't exactly ask the boss himself searching the ship. Was more of a spontaneous agreement to your suggestion. I did say I could get in trouble. Seems like Tarn agreed anyway. Someone passed it up."

Xin smiled widely suddenly. Tips of his headtails twitched lightly in amusement. "His name was Hoohai. An eight foot wookie who kept me safe. He was a firm, yet gentle lover."

Xin made a show of looking off into the distance wistfully, as if fondly recalling his time there. "Nah I was only there two years. 'course that put me in all sorts of trouble." The shuttle came about as he fell in behind the freighter and eased up alongside.

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Xin Boa"]

Fingers that had smacked against his green flesh shook out slightly. Ouch. Like hitting a solid board. The hand shaking was done discreetly when his head was turned. Didn't need that smirk of his widening more than it already was.

Hand pulled back into her lap.

Seat screeched back to face forward. Arms crossed defensively beneath her chest. She grumbled. "Alright. Just wanna know what I'm walking into." Sour expression eased a tad at the wookie joke. "Figured you were one with a fur fetish." Mischievous-blues shot to Xin at the playful jab. Leaning forward, fingerless-gloved hands went to the controls on her side, ready to hit that toggle as soon as they docked.

"And what kind of trouble is all sorts? And chit...this ship is massive." She was hoping Larry just had a personal vessel to search through. Hopefully, if he'd had it and stashed it here - it'd be somewhere in his personal quarters. Else this would take forever. Or, they'd never find it at all. Lips thinned slightly.

 

[Xin Boa]

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

"Well, I'll have another chat with Larry after. Normally I'm pretty good at getting a read on liars. A man in dat much pain and being sedated isnt so easy. They might be a bit reluctant about da search. Dragoons sort of have a free license to keep everybody safe and sometimes it's not wanted."

"Xin Boa to Champion, got a spot?”

"Heard you were coming. On the port bay please."

"Got it." Xin replied. He turned to Kinsey. "Compared to me you've got a lot of hair," he chuckled. "But he was warm at night."

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Xin Boa"]

"Real snugly I bet too," hands released the docking clamps as Xin eased them in. "But which one of you hogged the sheets?" She smirked, carrying on the game. Behind that easy-going smirk was anticipation as her blues looked out the viewport into the landing bay. Had some folks milling about. Looked like a second in command outside too. Stomach squirmed.

What if it really wasn't here? What would she do then? And if they found it, she'd still have to find a way to destroy it. Lest someone already had and turned them selves into a nexu.

Bad. Bad. Bad.

Fingers unhooked the webbing. "Clamped and locked," the space explorer spoke a bit distractedly. "Hey. You never answered my question. What kind of trouble did you get in the clanker? Fist fights? Stabbings? I'm familiar with the former and not the latter."

There. She shared something first. Olive branch reaching out.

 

[Xin Boa]

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

"Sheets? Oooh nuh. We got one flannel each for sleeping under. Dat's why da wookie.... winter's nights." He grinned as he told this little escalation of nonsense. He'd been quite proud of that nice smooth touchdown, but he too has a sense of trepidition about meeting the crew.

"Things didn't get too bad," Xin replied in a more level tone. "Odd scrap out on the wards, but mostly voluntary in the gym. Learned a bit of kickboxing dere. I tink if dere had been a shanking it would ha' because of my old crew and been da last ting I felt."

It was only afterwards that he has discovered that they thought he'd set them up. Only curiosity about his motivations had stayed that hand until after he was released.

"Let's go chat."

---

"Xin boa?"

"Aye," he replied. Be stood before the small group and crossed his arms.

"Heard you were coming," came the slow reply. Xin grew a little more nervous, but he didn't sense any ill intent. "Also heard the scrape you helped get our captain out of. Force-damned sith."

Someone spat on the deck. Xin tilted his head. "She helped," he jabbed a thumb at Kinsey. "But Jorus Merrill did da real leg work."

There were slow nods at that. That made sense to them, clearly. The kind of thing that man would pull off.

"But you need to see his room? Go over the manifest?" Now came a hint of suspicion.

Xin just nodded. "We'll try to be quick."

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[SIZE=10pt][member="Xin Boa"][/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Kinsey’s arms were crossed too. Smooth skin along her jaw clenched. She was certainly leery and cautious and all the more aware of the weight of the blaster on her thigh. Lightsaber hilt would remain in the bag slung over her shoulder. Xin had only seen it on her before because….well, she’d been invisible. The weapon was for show as a last resort.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“Name’s Kinsey,” she introduced herself and tried to relax some of the tension from her clenched-up shoulders. The Starchaser nodded in confirmation to Xin’s statement. “Real quick. Not trying to cause any trouble.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]With these kind of fleets? Folk tended to be die-hard loyalists to their leaders. Unless their leaders were real pieces of work. Most of the time those leaders didn’t last though and this group seemed to really like Larry. The girl wondered if Larry had kept his stealing outside these folk or if any of the people here had other complaints about Larry but were too scared to come forward. Another part of her didn’t give a frak about any of that and just wanted her amulet back.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]It would make things less complicated to leave.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]The small group’s leader who’d come to greet her and Xin let his gaze linger along Kinsey for a second before it returned to the nautolan. He gave a slow nod and tipped his head toward the interior doors.[/SIZE]

 

[Xin Boa]

[member="Kinsey Starchaser"]

Xin wasn't sure that telling everyone they weren't here to cause trouble was a good way to convince the ship's crew that they weren't here to cause trouble. They received some odd glances from the crew.

"Just need to clear something up," Xin said before changing subject quickly. "He's doing well. Considering."

"They really... Crucify him?"

Xin walked down the narrow corridor. It smelled like a well loved in ship. They probably hadnt landed it and recycled all the air with naturally fresh atmosphere for years. People were in tight on this ship. Half the cargo containers in the bays turned into living quarters. Not the captain though. He lived near the cockpit.

"Yeah, they didn't. He was lucky dey didn't cut out his tongue."

"My name's Dillion by the way," the human replied. "First mate."

"Good to meet yuh. This dah room?" Xin asked.

"Yeah." Dillion stopped at the doors. He tapped a code into the lock and the door opened. Another crew member walked up to them and passed a datapad who handed it on to Kinsey. "Manifest."

"Alright. Thank you. We won't be long." Xin managed to convey that it was time to be left alone. The crew looked to Dillion and then left them alone. Xin stepped inside the room. It was almost spacious compared to what most of the fleet members had was still cramped.

"Well..." Said Xin with a shrug. "...what's it look like then?"

 

[Kinsey Starchaser]

[member="Xin Boa"]

Shoulders relaxed visibly as the first mate and rest of the crew left. One hand clutched the manifest. Doors to his quarters sealed closed. "Lived like a king," she muttered, blues looking around at the space. Those in command typically had more. Didn't mean it was right. And Kinsey found herself in a judgy-mood for the man who'd stolen from her in the first place. Putting her life very much in danger.

The amulet was, "Red pendant in a gold encasing with a gold chain. Should be in a force-blocking case though. Looks like an ordinary brown-leather pouch with a brown cord."

With her back to Xin, she knelt down next to Larry's built in desk, pulling open the drawers and rummaging around.

"Maybe search his closet?" Datapad was dropped to the floor. Fingers pulled aside some logs. "Oh but don't touch it if it's not in the casing."

She didn't explain any further as she wrestled with another drawer that seemed to be wedged closed. Two hands went to the handle and with a wide-stance, she heaved. With a sudden POP, the drawer flew open, sending the contents flying behind her as she fell back hard on her rear.

"Ooomph," hot air puffed from her surprised lips.