Faction Of Gungans and Men [RNR]

[Eaton Waters]

Eaton saw the look from Atlas and took a deep breath. He knew Freeport way too well, mostly because of who the official-unofficial founder of the village was. His sister. She was really good to people, he had to respect that, but it didn’t mean it was going to be part of his life. He wasn't going to step in with that knowledge, though, best to keep his family’s involvement around this world separate from him.

But he did bring up a good point, even Eaton would need a speeder to get this far in the water. Sure, he had a bit of the vision that Atlas didn’t, but still, the other man was the explorer type. Eaton was hired-help, and he knew it. Never had any other vision.

But the kid?

She was… well, a kid.

A verbose kid, all the same. And actually, the girl was reminding Eaton of his own mother. More close to the full blubreen, she was another type of siren herself. Then his sister showed up and used it quite literally. He opened his mouth to speak after the whole ruling statement but didn’t have the chance.

“Planet’s a lake…” He was fairly certain he said, but the way she kept just moving on.

And on.

“How’d you swim here? The size of the critters down below.”


Atlas Drake Mellomere

 

[Atlas Drake]

ROYAL BOATHOUSE
THEED
Mellomere Eaton Waters

“How’d you swim here? The size of the critters down below.”

"She's...not a local," Atlas crinkled his brow in confusion, "Sorry little lady, you can pass pretty well for one of the natives."

The planet is a lake. Eaton had a folksy way of being succinct, but it was an apt description. If this wayfarer hadn't journeyed to Theed on a water speeder, that left dense country forests on foot or a labyrinth of rivers that sometimes only connected beneath the surface. He looked closer at the girl's shark teeth really seeing her for the first time.

"If you know these waters that well," he glanced back at their gungan guide, "Then I might be willing to offer you a job. First we need to know if you can keep up, beat us to the trench and I'll take you with us to Gunga City."

Without waiting for a reply, Atlas swam for his Devilfish speeder and plunged under the Solleu River's waves. It was deeper here near the royal boathouse so it took a few seconds of descending through murky water before he could make out the trench's blinking marker buoy. He knew Eaton would object to bringing the girl along even if she could swim like a gungan but from Captain Drake's perspective the blonde pamarthen was almost as young.

Bioluminescent flora filled the trench which connected Solleu to the planet's subterranean network with an otherworldy glow. Atlas finally risked a glance back to see if the others were close on his tail.