Sand and Sun

[Munin]

[member="Spark Finn"]

The trip went on the same way for an unsurprisingly long time. Jakku wasn't packed with dense scenery or huge amounts of things to look at. Rolling sand dunes, half buried starships, maybe a jawa or two every now and again, but aside from that this world was rather empty. Munin sat in silence for a long time, pressing the speeder as fast as it would go in open space and pushing them along the pre-drawn line he'd created on the map days ago.

Finally however he grew sick of the silence. "What did you do?"

His voice was surprisingly even. The speeder had been built in such a way that the windshield at the front and the half raised windows drew most of the wind away, allowing for them to talk at a mostly normal volume instead of shouting above the sound of rushing air.

"While you were..." He didn't exactly know how to put it. "Away."

That was the only word he can really think of. They weren't exactly...well...this was all very complicated. He didn't want to come off possessive, but he also didn't want to come off as need. Yet he had missed her during the eight days of absence, and more than once he'd found himself wishing that she'd simply stayed by his side, or oddly enough that he'd gone with her. He knew the latter was especially silly, given that he still suspected she was a member of the Alliance or some other do good organization that would likely throw him in prison.

Still, the heart wanted what it wanted.

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

Blue-eyes beneath shaded lenses tore away from the endless landscape to settle on Munin's profile. He rarely asked her a lot of questions. But she found when he did, she liked it. It took some of the awkward pressure off her as an introvert to lead conversations. And with him so far, she didn't have to squirm at the attention or feel like she was under an uncomfortable spotlight.

Had she been staring too long?

#answerthequestion!

"I went to...," she paused. She trusted him enough to show up alone in the middle of a desert, couldn't she tell him where she went? She wanted to but found she wasn't quite ready. There were too many others like family that would be put in danger. And this was just the second time meeting Sawyer. The man with a thousand names.

It's not that she wouldn't tell him. Eventually. If he asked more later, she probably would. But for now, she left out some details. Though with his skill set, he'd probably be able to figure it out on his own if he really went digging.

"My home. Well, a place that's as much of a home as I've ever felt. I have friends there that were worried about me. Hung out for a few days."

She thought of Gabe, Ava, and the twins. Seamus. Even that other blonde chick, Kana.

#lotsofpeople #needavacayfromthevacay

"Accepted another slicing job after this...with a hutt. I don't want to get lazy or rusty just because I just got out of undercover work." Bony-shoulders shrugged. "What about you? Setting up mostly for this job?"

 

[Munin]

[member="Spark Finn"]

He smiled, not minding the lack of details. He knew that she eas just being safe, and he didn't blame her for it one bit.

In fact, it only made him like her more.

There were some that played it loose with their own lives and the lives of others. Munin had seen it dozens, if not hundreds of times during his work. People who had put their entire lives on the Holo-net. Munin had never really liked it, even though it generally tended to make his job far more easy.

The fact that Spark left things out meant she cared, or at least thats how he saw it. She hid what was important to her, just like he hid Huginn...for now.

"Entirely." He told he truthfully. "It's surprisingly hard to get all of this stuff in just a couple of days, especially when you add a second person."

Long lasting rations were hard to find, so was all the electronic equipment, not to mention the sleeping bag, multiply it by two and add single tent for both of them...well it had been a tall order in just eight days. He looked at her for a moment and then reached over to take her hand, gently squeezing it. "Worth it though."

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

Somehow Munin found a way to pry her somewhat loosened death grip off the speeder seat. Well, one hand at least. His touch still made her blush. And maybe it always would. She smiled behind the scarf. Fingers clearly meant for datapad typing gently squeezed back. Although her nervous gaze flickered between Munin and the speeder controls.

#bothhandsonthewheelbuddy

Lips clamped closed. It wasn't like some sandcrawler would just pop up in front of them. They were pretty safe. Relatively speaking.

Blue-eyes narrowed beneath sunglasses. "Something tells me you'd be able to scrounge up enough supplies for a dozen people, last minute. If you really wanted to." It was just a logical observation, after all he'd told her about how many names and identities he had. Even back at that party, he had gotten himself in as a guest.

A second, small hidden smile would be lost on him.

 

[Munin]

[member="Spark Finn"]

She was probably right, but that didn't make it all any easier. There were things to be considered after all. Jakku didn't have many resources to begin with and delivering things...well delivering things wasn't always safe either. Pirates liked to hang around this world for the same reason that scavengers liked to pick it bare, it was easy, far too easy. Luckily for Munin one of their Little Birds actually made their home out here on this dirtball, and thus things had gone rather smoothly.

"Have a lot of faith in me?" He teased her, smiling as his hand slowly slipped from hers and back onto the controls.

They slowly began to buck towards the left, Munin pulling them away from the sloping reach of one of the taller sand dunes ahead of them. In the distance he could catch sight of a half buried ring of metal, a huge structure that one might have mistaken for a building if they didn't know better. Munin recognized it instantly, the remnants of a Lucrehulk class freighter, huge ringed ships that had once been popular as trading vessels, and then war ships.

It marked a sort of half way point to the starship graveyard they were heading towards.

They would still have a ways to go, and from this ship alone he could tell how far they had come. Certain vessels on Jakku were large enough that they served as waypoints for people, and this was certainly one of them. He cast a glance behind them, checking on the sun which was slowly nearing the horizon. It would start getting dark soon.

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

Nose scrunched up. "You haven't given me a reason to doubt you, yet." She teased back. Arms stretched. Legs next as she shifted in the seat. They'd been traveling for awhile. Leaning over, she rummaged in her bag for some water, pulling out two bottles.

"Want some?" She began unscrewing the cap and held it out for Munin if he needed it.

#passengerskillz

The heat of the day was already receding. She was glad, though, she wasn't looking forward to the desert chill. Even with her stylin' blanket. "Are we pushing through the night or finding a place to camp?"

#roughingit

 

[Munin]

[member="Spark Finn"]

He took the bottle and pulled the scarf down with one hand, chugging half the contents before replying to her. "Camp."

They could probably travel at night if they really needed to, but right now there was no need to rush it. He wanted the speeder to be fully charged whenever they moved and the best way to do accomplish that was by traveling when the sun was out and beating down on the solar arrays. Plus, he wasn't entirely sure that there weren't raiders about, and they had a better chance of seeing someone coming during the day then they did at night. He placed the bottle into the center console, looking towards the distant lucrehulk.

"We can find shelter in that." He pointed towards the ship. "Half of it is probably empty by now but I'll feel better with a bit of metal surrounding us alongside the tent."

The tent he had brought was technically rated against sandstorms, utilizing micro-tractors in order to keep the armorweave cloth pinned to the ground, but Munin didn't want to chance it. If there was a storm he'd rather be surrounded by a tent, and then a massive metal barrier. The more protection one had from the elements the better, not to mention those raiders that he'd thought about earlier. Slowly he pulled the controls to the left.

The dunes seemed to part for them, splitting open to reveal the half sunken Lucrehulk just a few hundred meters away.

The sight of the massive metal behemoth soaked in the light of the setting sun was enough to take ones breath.

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

She nodded at the word camp, taking a swig of her own water. Bony limbs tensed at the wrecked lucrehulk. Pale skin paled further. With the deep reds and oranges it would've been beautiful by its own right. But to her, it dredged up some recent memories.

#notgood

Jaw clenched. When she was captured #mysuperpower by Darth Adekos, the Sith Lord had taken her aboard his lucrehulk. Hand came up to rest along her slender neck, beneath the scarf that had been tugged down seconds earlier for water. Fingers trembled against her skin.

#stillfeeltheneedles

She wanted to utter a protest to Munin of why she couldn't stay there. Of why they had to keep going. But it wasn't logical. They were running out of daylight. It would be much more dangerous to sleep in a tent with the storms. And this wasn't the sith lord's lucrehulk. She wouldn't be a prisoner here. She wouldn't have the force taken away from her. She wouldn't be restrained and gagged.

#gulp

"Just for one night, right?" The anxiety and tension slipped into her tone against her permission.

 

[Munin]

[member="Spark Finn"]

He caught the change almost immediately. Someone else might not have, but to him her voice was something...something else. He found it encapsulating when she spoke, there was something about how she fleeted about words, how she was direct while being indirect...Munin found it endearing. He liked hearing her speak, and when the sudden press of anxiety flooded her tone he couldn't help but hear it.

"Just one night." He confirmed to her, the speeder beginning to slow as he half turned to face her. "Why? Are you worried about something?"

Perhaps she thought it would fall down on them?

The scenario was an unlikely one, especially considering the type of frame that held the ship up. The skeletal Lucrehulk would likely survive for another several millenia before it began to fall apart on its own, especially in the dry desert air where there was no water to cause rust.

Still, if she had a concern he wanted to hear it.

Munin cared about Spark, it was as simple as that, and if the ship made her uncomfortable he wanted to help. "We don't have to stay."

Not if she didn't want to.

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

Even though she felt Munin's gaze on her, her eyes remained fixated on the bones of the lucrehulk. Fingers still massages her neck. She blinked. Hand remained around the side of her neck but stopped moving.

"No," she whispered. Throat cleared and she repeated. "No," eyes finally tore away from the beast of a ship to focus on Munin. "I'll be okay. I just...," she struggled between how much to say.

#vulnerabilitynotmything

"I was held in one of those ships once. Against my will. Not so long ago." Lips clamped closed. That's all she would say. Eyes flickered back to the ship to settle back on Munin. "But I'll be okay. Besides, I have you this time. I won't be alone." Lips trembled into a brief smile.

#andIhavetheforce #Icanfeeltheforce #noneedles

 

[Munin]

[member="Spark Finn"]

He considered her for a moment.

Held?

Imprisoned likely, and from her reaction maybe even tortured. He remembered her reaction when she’d heard the news about the Sith Lord’s death, those of the Triumvirate. He wondered for a moment if it was they who had held her. The possibility seemed likely, given that Lucrehulks were few and far in between and Sith liked to collect rare things.

Part of him wanted to ask her, but he also didn’t want to dredge up any bad memories for her. Munin frowned slightly as the speeder pulled to a stop just a few meters away from the Lucrehulks skeletal structure, the huge hangar bay half buried beneath sand. His eyes flicked towards her, settling for a moment as he pulled the scarf off his head.

The string of cloth settled around his neck. “You do have me.”

He reached out and settled a gentle, reassuring hand on her leg. It was all he could really think to say right now. Staying in the ship would provide them a measure of security, and they didn’t have to go too far inside. Perhaps once they were settled down for the night she would be able to forget where they were.

Especially given that they still had the tent.

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

She blinked. She jumped slightly at his touch. Not out of fear. Just out of surprise. He had a way of grounding her when she needed it most. Hand finally came away from her slender neck. She met his fingers on her leg and squeezed his hand gently. For a moment, she didn't move. Fingers were entwined with his but her gaze stared, un-moving at the bones of the lucrehulk.

She just had to keep moving. #don'tthinktoomuch

"Let's go. Before I change my mind." She couldn't offer a smile this time. She couldn't only keep the tremble from reaching her mouth. She withdrew her fingers and popped open the speeder door, sliding out. Hands switched out her sunglasses to her normal #stylin' pair as the sun set further beneath the horizon - only its lingering glow left.

Pack slung over one shoulder, booted feet hitting the sandy-ground and sinking slightly. Mind stretched forward, tentatively, searching for any life left in the ship. Not human life, but machine life. Powerboards. Circuits. Life support.

#technonerdstuff

 

[Munin]

[member="Spark Finn"]

Munin did the same, albeit in a much more analog fashion. Slipping from his seat in the speeder he immediately wandered towards the back of the craft. His fingers deftly worked at one of the cords that held down a large pack, untying it and unzipping the bag. For a moment the Slicer fished around then retrieved two large orbs. He held one between his legs for a moment while fiddling with the other, pressing a button and spinning a small dial before tossing it up into the air.

There was a slight red flash of light, and then the drone came to life. It was quickly joined by it's sibling. "I brought a dozen of these."

Munin explained.

"I designed them." He sounded somewhat proud. "Exploration drones. They'll fly around for a little bit and create a nice map of the area for us which we can pull up on..."

The broker turned around and fished around in the pack again pulling out a small flat piece of metal. "This."

he really had brought everything, and in truth he was mindful of just what Jakku could bring. The desert storms, the raiders, even the wildlife was extremely dangerous here. Munin didn't want to take any chances when it came to this place, and thus sending out the drones before they made their camp was only prudent. After all he didn't want to wake up to some giant sand monster attempting to eat him, that would really end up spoiling the mood.

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

A genuine smile finally pulled on her thin-lips as her attention shifted from the ship to the droids. Tentatively, she mentally dove into them. "Beautiful," she breathed. #nerdalert The design was fantastically simple. Nothing overly cumbersome or complicated for the purpose of these droids. Mind finally released them to do their job.

#lolmoodkiller

A flash of something caught her eye, just inside the edge of a deeper shadow within the half buried hangar doors. Blue-eyes narrowed but her feet were already propelling her forward. What was that?

A wiser person would've toward Munin as he was rummaging in the back of the speeder. But the blonde desert wanderer was too distracted to be wise.

 

[Munin]

[member="Spark Finn"]

Munin didn't follow after Spark, he didn't even notice that she was moving at first.

The datapad was popped open on the back of the speeder and the drones shot off, each in a different direction. They would explore the skeletal hulk of the crashed capital ship and hopefully point Munin and Spark away from any dangerous sections of the vessel. There was no doubt in his mind that at least some of the ship was falling apart, what with the Lucrehulk having likely been buried for more than a few centuries. He mused for a moment as the datapad powered on, his eyes finally moving away from the screen.

"We can let them search for an hour and then set up the te-." Munin's words caught in his breath as he noticed Spark's sudden absence.

"Uhh." The Information Broker looked around himself slowly. "Spark?"

He peeked out from behind the speeder just in time to catch her walking towards the shadowed corner.

His lips thinned, his eyes wandering after her and then ahead of her as he tried to focus on where she was headed. He watched her for a moment, eyes drilling to where her own gaze was falling. He saw nothing, though a weary hand moved towards the pack in front of him, fingers wrapping around the stowed blaster just in case she was about to uncover something dangerous.

There was no telling in this place.

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

The distance between herself and #Sawyer swallowed up his words. Booted-feet stopped on the edge where metal began beneath the encroaching sand. She saw the flash again and wondered if it was just something catching the setting sun. But it moved. Or, she thought it did.

Maybe just too much speeder travel. #neededmoresaltysnacks #needsomefizzypop

She heard Munin's voice caught on a growing breeze. She half turned, looking over her shoulder. "I thought I saw...," there was a sudden whooshing sound as a net launched from the darkness and swallowed up her thin-form. With a tugging-snap, she hit the ground in a bundled mess. Glasses knocked down her freckled nose and she yelped in surprise as whatever gun fired the net began to reel her into the darkness like a Mon Cal on a line.

#mysuperpower

 

[Munin]

[member="Spark Finn"]

The speed at which he broke out into a sprint was nearly unheard of. Though many would think of him as nonathletic due to his profession, Spark would know that Munin could run when it really mattered, and right now it definitely mattered. He rushed towards her as fast as he could, the net tightening around her and pulling her towards some unseen weapon that had snagged her. The blaster in his hand came up, his finger squeezing the trigger twice.
Two bolts flew over Spark's head, striking the sand where the net came from.

There was a slight surge of electricity and a wave of sand erupted up, but the net didn't stop moving. Munin let out a curse and continued on his sprint. He ran as fast as he could, eyes settling on her as he tried to figure out what the feth was happening. The trap seemed crude, and automated, his head dashing from side to side as he looked for raiders or any other sort of desert folk falling down upon them. When he saw nothing his mind began to race with half a dozen thoughts, eventually crashing away as she fell and slid towards spark.

His hand flew forward and grasped onto hers, the other seizing onto one of the rungs of the net.

"Hang on. beautiful." The information broker cried, his mouth half filling with sand.

The blaster had fallen onto the ground, sliding into place a little behind Spark as he tugged back on the net and pulled as hard as he could. The sound of mechanical gears creaking, cracking, and then suddenly breaking ringing out behind Spark as the trap splintered into pieces beneath the sand.

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

She blinked, eyes adjusting to the sudden darkness. Her forward momentum suddenly slowed as she felt Munin's hand on her own. She latched her fingers into his, netting getting caught between. With a sudden tug, she heard a loud snapping POP and instead of going forward, she rolled backwards, smacking right into her counterpart.

Her forehead smacked against the bridge of his nose. A bony elbow rammed into his arm. Her tangled and netted form finally came to a stop with his. Sand was...everywhere. #ugghHATEsand

She blinked. And blinked again, expecting to see pairs of glowing eyes, maybe Jawas, looking at them. But it seemed like they were alone. Maybe an automated trap, especially considering the broken gear sound she heard?

She groaned. "You okay?" Words squeaked out. She didn't move. She couldn't move. #tootangledup

 

[Munin]

[member="Spark Finn"]

"I don't think." He coughed and spat out some sand. "You're the one that should be asking that."

Munin licked his scarf, scrapping some of the sand from his tongue.

"I think it was just an automated trap, to capture junkers and scavengers. I imagine that someone will come along and try to 'claim' you in a couple of hours." That meant they wouldn't be staying the night, not if someone else was already going to make their home here.

They would have to go elsewhere.

"Do you have a knife?" He likely already knew the answer to that, but he wanted to ask anyway, mostly because he didn't want to leave her trapped in the net.

 

[Spark Finn]

[member="Munin"]

Icky-icky sand in her hair - everywhere. How did it get in her socks?! Blue-eyes focused on Munin's face, slightly blurry since her glasses were just half on her face. Good thing he was close in the darkness.

"A knife? N-no." One arm remained pinned at her side. The other, up toward her face. "Claim?" She snorted. "Please. I will...beat," she squirmed against the sandy-ground, "them up." Fingers flexed into a little, bony fist. But her cheeks blazed in the darkness.

#reallyembarrassing

"Stop messing around and just get me out of this thing."