Riptide

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

The Messa gave a shudder and then the Lorrdian felt the g forces press her back against her seat. There was another rumble as they hit atmo, followed shortly by the sudden beading of moisture against the Messa's viewscreen. There were thick, gray clouds streaking the sky, the bulk of it making visibility low. Good thing Kaile was already at the sensors, because they would have to use their instruments to fly through this.

"There are some sort of disturbances on this planet --" she tapped a sensor. That sense of uneasiness grew. "It is messing with the instruments." rain pelleted the Messa, but every now and then coral rays of light from the distant sun allowed them a framework to work with.

"Just... be careful -- we won't know if something suddenly decides to --" just then a massive cliff face seemed to rear out of nowhere. It jutted out of the earth, black ragged rock as warning alarms echoed through the cabin.

"Watch out!"

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]
Kurt took a jagged turn up, the Messa suddenly banking and swooping over the black peaks of the mountains, rushing back through the atmosphere and up into the air.

He could feel his heart pounding in his chest.

The Courier let out half a curse as he pushed the ship back to even ground, suddenly pulling the engines to a stop and switching on the repulsor drives. There was a loud whirr, and then a sudden lurching drop as The Messa came to a complete and frozen standstill within the upper clouds. A breath raced from his lips.

”That was close.” He said quietly.

They had to get themselves situated.

Pull up a topographical map maybe...something that would keep them from getting killed.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

"Keep your focus," Kaile told him even though her own heart felt as if it was about to leap out of her throat.

"Lemme see what I can pull up." her fingers flew over the sensor array, bringing up a holographic topography map. It was pretty basic, but it would do to have them be able to navigate through this without crashing on the side of a mountain.

"There," she told him, trying to keep the quiver out of her voice as she swung the small holographic display over for the pilot to see. It wouldn't reach very far, but enough to give them fair warning of anything big.

Her face was so pale. She'd blanched earlier with the fright, and now even more so due to the growing uneasy feeling. Up ahead, the mountain range would dip to reflect a deep valley. There at the center would be some remnants of a city.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

North of that city was where the delivery was due to go, a small manor that had apparently been kept intact for many hundreds of years. He frowned slightly as he looked at the map, giving Kaile a weary glance as he realized that this may not be as easy as it had all seemed. A part of him wondered if it wouldn't have been better just to take a series of smaller jobs, but the greedy side of him...well the greedy side of him dismissed that idea.

"Twenty thousand credits." He told himself quietly, quiet enough that Kaile would have to strain to hear.

It was a lot of money, especially for the two of them. It could buy fuel, food, and parts that they needed with a little bit left over. They weren't rich, and twenty thousand credits didn't come easy. That alone made it all worth it, and thus Kurt once again gripped the controls. This time he didn't push The Messa too hard, instead he gently pressed the ship forward, driving the engines just enough to send them darting into the valley.

He wanted to move fast, but...well avoid crashing.

The storm kept raging on, even as they slowly approached the only clearing Kurt could find on the map.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

"I think I see something." it was more of a wish than actual reality. Kaile bit her lower lip, trying to make sense of the holographic topography image. Who would even be living out here in the middle of nowhere? Much the less in an area like this. It boggled the mind, not to mention made a shiver run down the back of the Lorrdian's spine.

"There!" she gestured to a flat area. Well, as much as one could be. "Should be good enough for us to land." At least in this weather. Kurt gave a nod, his face a little pale and his hands a little bit too tight on the piloting yoke. But with the VT throne and the pilot's skill, Kaile was sure that he would be able to land them just fine.

Now what they would find or meet down there? Well that was another story.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

The Messa shook slightly as they came down onto land, the gears ratcheting as struts slowly backed out of the red hull.

As soon as they touched down Kurt let out half a sigh of relief, shifting slightly in the pilots chair and pulling free his straps so that he could actually take in a breath. The rain outside was still thundering down hard as ever, wind buffeting the outside of the ship. He half wondered why anyone would choose to live here, though his immediate hope was that the storm was a one time thing rather than a constant feature of this planet. With another second of hesitation passed Kurt slowly rose from his chair.

"Alright." He said quietly.

"I'm going to go deliver this package." That was why they were here. "Then we can get off world."

The trip was intended to be quick, not something where they would stick around and see the sights, if there even were any. "You stay put."

There was no need for Kaile to come follow him up towards the manor, especially considering the weather outside. It was best that he just head off by himself. He doubted that there was any real danger, just a bit of wind and water.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

"Are you sure?" Kaile's expression didn't bode well for letting the pilot make the delivery on his own. This entire planet and the system it was in gave her the hibby jibbies. There ain't something right by it. Something that tickled the tiny hairs at the nape of her neck, making her feel a bit smothered. Just wrong.

"I ain't really keen 'bout this place." she emphasized, biting her lower lip. The tip of her toes gave a slight push, allowing her chair to twist and turn to face the man. She tucked her blanket around her shoulders just a bit tighter.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

"Twenty thousand credits." Kurt reminded her.

He always had a choice of course, but they had already come so far, why would he stop now? Sure this planet was a little bit creepy, but there was no reason to suspect that the people on it were just as creepy. He shifted slightly and tucked himself into his bedroom for a moment. He emerged a few seconds later wearing the outfit that Kaile had gotten him a few weeks ago, the one that was meant for deliveries that were a bit more...rough.

"I'll be alright." He wandered over to the counter and grabbed the package. "Be back lickety split."

Or maybe not.

Kurt had no idea what to expect up there at that manor, though he doubted it would be anything too severe. Pulling on the grav-glove a bit tighter Kurt shifted his weight one last time and then pulled the manual release lever on the cargo door.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

Kaile still didn't like it, but Kurt had a point. Twenty thousand credits.

"Alright." a tap of her fingers across the sensor board came next. " Take your glasses with you." they were the ones she'd specifically retrofitted and made for the pilot. They also had a way for her to check upon on him just in case. A direct link to her data splint too.

"I want just to make sure you aren't in there alone." rather silly considering it was raining, but he could just have them on top of his head, right?

He left with a nod and before she knew it, he was already out of the cargo door. Kaile swiveled back around in her chair. He may not want her there with him, but she could at least monitor the situation out here.

Outside, the storm was rolling up in the sky. Not the most friendliest of planets indeed.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

He slipped the glasses onto his face and put the package into the small bag he had come back out of his room with.

There wasn't really much ceremony to all of this, just a typical delivery. Kurt had done hundreds of them over the years, some that had even been creepier than this. He shifted slightly and then offered Kaile a smile. There was nothing to worry about really. "Just a little rain."

Of course, he didn't mention that he hated rain.

Tatooine had rain about...well never. Growing up as a child it was sandstorms and not much else as far as weather went. Rain was...well something of a mystery to him still. He understood how it worked of course, he wasn't a complete idiot, but for a kid from Tatooine, a planet where it had likely last rained thousands, if not millions of years ago, a storm like this was...daunting beyond all belief. Still he put on a happy face and stepped outside, shirking slightly as the first few drops struck him.

He let out a sigh, and then headed up the path.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]



Bundled up in her chair, Kaile turned on the outside surveillance cams. Nothing ventured nothing gained. It made sense. Didn't mean that Kaile was okay by it.

Her fingers came up to drum alongside her lower lip. There he was. The Lorrdian kept track of the pilot as he made his way up to t he manor. Rather creepy looking place. Didn't help that with the storm it only made it appear all the more sinister.

[ Got me, Kurt? ] the small crackle of Kaile's voice could barely be heard from the miniature comm.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

The rain was nearly unbearable, slashing down in droves that Kurt would have called physically impossible.

Half-way through his journey he started to miss the twin suns of Tatooine. He couldn’t understand why anyone would like rain, this was...well it was awful. Mud got all the way up his pants, rain soaked his clothes, and his hair felt like he’d just sat in the bath tub for three hours. He frowned for a moment, hearing the comm in his pocket start to chirp.

Kaile’s voice barely managed to reach him over the roaring of the thundering sky.

[Yeah] He said loudly, trying to cut in over the rain. [Almost there]

The journey was not a quick one.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

[ So far so good. ] but Kaile didn't quite give that sense of security.

[ Who would live in such a place. Just sends shivers down ones' spine y'know? ] conversation made things a little bit easier. After a few minutes, Kaile was unable to monitor the pilot through the outside holocams.

[ Alright... just your eyes and ears now on them glasses... ]

The rain seemed to increase, pelting down on the pilot and the ground. Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Eventually Kurt made it to the door of the manor.


There was really only one word that effectively described the place; creepy. He couldn’t imagine ever living in a place like this, much less building it. He marveled for a few moments, looking up at the structure and trying to settle his stomach at the same time. For some reason he had an incredibly bad feeling about this.


Without hesitation, something he had to force. Kurt reached out and began to knock on the door. There was a pause as the slashing rain cut into him, winding howling behind him, and then the door suddenly began to open.


A man stood in the doorway.


”Can I help you?”


His voice reminded Kurt of the sound of crunching gravel breaking beneath the weight of a starship. For a moment The Courier considered turning around and simply walking away. Of course, that meant he wouldn’t get his twenty thousand credits. He swallowed hard, and then looked up at the man. ”I have a delivery for this address.”


From his backpack he pulled the package.


The man stared at him for a moment, and then simply reached out and took the package from him. Kurt offered him the tablet that was used to sign for deliveries. The man stared, and then signed on the line at the bottom of the screen.


Then the door was slammed in his face.


”Uhh.” Kurt said outloud. ”Okay.”

 

[Kaile Vera]

Kaile heard all of it.

[ Well that was rather anticlimactic. ] her flat voice turned into mild amusement. In her mind, the Lorrdian could already picture the expression of confusion and stunned surprise upon the pilot's face.

[ Now if it continues on that easy until we leave this planet, all the better. ]

Kaile turned over towards the piloting console. It would be better if she kept the Messa hot for when Kurt returned.

[ Hurry back. Get out of that rain. ]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Kurt rolled his shoulders.

What else was he supposed to say? Do? He had delivered the package, he'd gotten the signature, and that meant within fifteen minutes his bank account would be filling with plenty of money. Still, he felt it was all rather...well anti-climactic as Kaile had said. For a moment The Courier lingered in front of the door, looking up at the manor one last time before he slowly turned around and began to wander back down to where The Messa was waiting.

"Weird." He said out loud.

It wasn't like he had expected to get stabbed or anything, but at the very least he'd expected a hello, or maybe a sneer, something...but instead he got nothing.

His head shook from side to side and he broke out into a light jog, heading down towards The Messa as fast as he could so that the cold wouldn't settle into his bones.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

Kaile hit the power to the ramp to allow the pilot to enter. Rain pelted down and the heavy fall of his boots echoed as he ran up into the ramp.

Once he was inside, Kaile flipped the toggle to bring the ramp up.

"We good to go?" she yelled out, turning on the engines as they began to hum. Outside the storm grew in intensity, wind whipping the sleet.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

”Not sure we want to go anywhere in this storm.” Kurt commented as he climbe aboard the Messa, pulling the cargo latch as he stepped on board.


His clothes were soaked from head to head, his hair was drenched, and he felt as though he had just taken a swim in the coldest ocean of Manaan.


A very unpleasant sensation ran up his spine, a shake running through his body as the warm air of the Messa began to touch his skin. He frowned slightly, and then began to strip off the wet clothes.
Kurt flailed for the dial of the thermometer and turned it up all the way


Immediately the hot engines began to redirect some of their heat into the ship itself, vents popping into overdrive as they spat out hot air. Kurt stood in his underwear in front of one of the vents, trying to dry himself while at the same time attempting to gain some semblance of warmth back into his weary bones.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

"Wouldn't take us much to hit atmo straight from here." Another suggestion over the overhead comm. However, as she did so , the storm picked up and became worse.

Kaile's lips thinned and she gave a sigh.

"It ain't gonna be safe to have the Messa out here in the open." she conceded. They had to find a place to at least take shelter for a while to weather the worse of this storm. If they were out in the open who knew how much damage the panels might take. They were already on limited funds and had a laundry list of fixits to do to add any more.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

She was right of course.

The rain wasn’t the issue, nor was the lightning, it was the wind. In the open the ship would be vulnerable to trash, debris, and rubble being thrown about by gale force winds. That was the issue they faced. The Messa’s engines were powerful enough that it could be overcome, but it was fairly clear that the flying would be hard.

”Alright.” Kurt said as she stumbled into his bedroom and pulled on some...semi clean clothes.

”I’ll be right up.” While Kaile knew how to fly, Kurt was undisputedly better than her, and in a storm like this...any little bit would count. He shifted slightly, pulling on comfy pajama pants as he threw his wet clothes into a laundry hamper. ”But it’s going to be hard.”

They could push through the storm in a few heartbeats, but they would be some terrifying heartbeats.