Sploosh

[Hira Mitsae]

​

M A N A A N​

​

Another day.... another job.

Except that the job was done and I was still here.

Wet, fishy and, well, at least the wind was nice. The job had gone well- except that somehow someway they had figured out a Mandalorian had done it. Now the security forces were screening every flight that left. There had been two options there. Either leave without the armor or don't leave at all. That is how I found myself cheering on some local swoop crew, as they burst past the last inning and won the race.

What a thrill.

The only thing I hoped was that the Alor wouldn't suddenly call a crusade, while I was stuck here. Having a.... vacation, I guess. After the match I flopped onto the seat of the nearby open air bar.

Fruity drink.

It was tasty.

Next seat to my left was a girl. Right was the corner. A second glance confirmed it to me- we had been sitting next to one another during the match as well. Funny coincidence that. "Amazing they got a win out of that, right?" Another slurp from the strangely-looped straw. "What a ride."

I smiled, but at the same time... I couldn't help but wonder if it was a coincidence.

Security? I hoped not. Left my armor at the rented apartment, so this would turn bad all around.

[member="Loske Matson"]

 

[Loske Treicolt]

Ahto City, Manaan ​

Mood.https://open.spotify.com/track/3KJ7rmrp8u37yJwx2zDsVH?si=76eEx5JOSC6U2HRafbRuOA ​

[SIZE=11pt]As it was, Loske was watching the final stretch over again on a projection her companion, Frank, had recorded at a different angle than the news reporters. She’d been so immersed in the proceedings of the race, that she’d forgotten to order a drink -- much to the kindred Selkath waitress’ chagrin. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Hmm?” She quirked a blonde brow, distractedly glancing to the owner of the voice and blinking before pausing the recording. It was fine, she’d seen it several times already. She was going to race it in the upcoming days -- the tournament had just started and they were running it like a round robin. She was watching the recordings to ensure she knew what she was going to stack up against. There was a feeling she’d been here before, however, and although the track had been reconstructed, the real curiosity in the case was adjusting the the nuances of a swoop bike above the aquatic terrain, and inertia and all that. She had a feeling, a faint memory that she’d already succeeded this; the vision was so clear to her that some would assume it was a technique she employed to ensure competitive success (False: Implanted memory from Marcello Matteo’s younger days, when he won the race under the Alias Mr. Soto). [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Oh yeah[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt],” she agreed “Apparently a long running descendant from [/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]Queedle Molto[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]. You can see here,” she adjusted her datapad screen to an angle that would benefit [member="Hiron Vizsla"] “He uses the same raw technique with reversing his swoop’s underbelly thruster for that final turn. All the other entrants kept it at full speed. This guy,” a nail tapped on the screen and followed the winner on the recording “-knows his physics. And is on to the next round.[/SIZE]

You watching that too?"

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Loske Matson"]

This was probably the moment Loske realized she wasn't talking to an amateur.

No.

A complete and utter neophyte.

I just learned that word this morning and really liked it. Had a certain ring to it. Neophyte. Is good. Either way, the facial expression would probably give it away. Just clueless. But at least I didn't pretend otherwise here.

"I have never heard of... Molto? Sounds like Kolto." Maybe that had been the point of it back then. "So, I will take your word for it."

That didn't mean the new angle wasn't appreciated though.

It looked even better from this one. Closer up, more detail, almost like we were on top of the action. "Sounds like he isn't the only one who knows his physics." Smart one. That only inflamed his suspicions more, because this wasn't the kind of thing any random person would just know. Not a time to freak out, but a time to be careful.

"Oh, yeah, wouldn't miss it."

Two days from now. That is when the next round was going to be on account of the weather. Seeing as I was stuck here for the week.... didn't much matter to me.

"You too then?" More slurping from the fruity drink. Mmmm. "Want me to buy you a drink?" Some girls didn't like it. Others wanted something to eat instead.

Player's choice.

 

[Loske Treicolt]

Loske shook her head "I should hope he's not. Otherwise, that'd make this a very predictable tournament. Can you imagine? Just bikes," she leaned back and gestured as if sweeping her hand in front of a painting to illuminate all the strokes "swoop bikes everywhere."

The recording ended, and she disabled the screen; black replacing what had been a motion video. She pocketed it into her jacket and brought both her hands up to the desk, joining the conversation for real now and leveling her gaze at the fellow who'd chosen to strike up a conversation. It was at this point only that she recognized him from the stands. She'd been absorbed, certainly muttering the odd colourful comment here and there. She'd come there with a purpose, to watch and learn and observe, and he'd been pretty calm at first. She remembered thinking that was strange; but then he bought into it.

Maybe by the end of the tournament's two-week span he'd be sporting paraphernalia of the winner's face.

Maybe it'd be hers.

"Yea..h..yes. I am"

She sniffed idly after that elusive affirmation, then [member="Hiron Vizsla"] asked to buy her a drink. Truth be told, Loske only seemed to drink with her brother; and she couldn't usually handle more than three. Something about her genetics being weak and whatnot. Biochemics she wasn't too in the loop about.

"Oh, sure, what's that? It looks fun. That looks like a vacation drink, which begs the question: Are you here just for the races, then?"

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Loske Matson"]

"This?"

Looking down at the drink I suddenly realised I... didn't actually know. Had just flagged down the first fruity drink I had seen and that was about it. That was when the Selkath waitress came to the rescue. Well. She probably was tired of the girl hogging the seat without paying for a drink.

"Appletini, very popular right now!" Supplied helpfully. She was staring at me. A lot of expectations there, that much was clear.

"Sure. Two more then. Can I have an umbrella in mine?" Why not, right?

Pretty sure that was what tourists did here. The more people saw me as one the better. Besides those smol umbrellas were hilarious. As we waited for the drinks to come the questions started. "Nah, saw a lot of noise and fanfare, decided to see what the fuss was about."

New drink in hand it was raised in salute, before another sip was taken.

Mmm, yes, good.

"I have a skiff, surf on the waves and all that." Not... a lie. I do have a skiff. It was just used to assassinate this industrial leader, while he was opening a new platform on the sea.

Awkward.

"You sound like an enthusiast, yeah? Here for the races I assume."

 

[Loske Treicolt]

"You're just here...coincidentally at the same time Ahto City's biggest event ever is going on."

She stared incredulously at [member="Hiron Vizsla"], big eyes blinking with surprise. She snorted with disbelief, rolling her eyes "That's a coincidental time to come for a skiff cruise. There are lots of better beaches for that."

"Hard to believe mister....?" She left the blank for him to fill in.

Another nod of affirmation. "Enthusiast turned participant."

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Loske Matson"]

Oh, dear.

Definitely a potential problem.

Either she was a blood hound by birth or training. Former? Not an issue. Latter? Made me wish I had at least picked up some gear with me. The combat knife in my boot was basically burning a hole through the leather, it felt like.

The hold out blaster wasn't going to do much more, if this turned ugly. "Are there?" The smile send was as innocent as could be. "Maybe you can tell me more about those beaches."

A smirk.

Maybe that was too on the nose? Too obvious? Maybe. But it was all or nothing here.

"Maybe you can show me, by the end of these games." The obvious paaaause at the end of the sentence skewed towards the question. "Hiron. You can call me Hiro, if you'd like." I sipped from my glass again. Smacking the lips in obvious contentment.

"How about you, miss enthusiastic disbelieving participant?" Turn it around, shift the suspicion into a hole and move on.

"Got a name?"

 

[Loske Treicolt]

"They're more a show, than a tell." She responded simply, still not catching on to the paranoia [member="Hiron Vizsla"] was radiating. Ignorance is bliss -- until you get a knife in the throat.

"Hiro? Like I need a hero?" She grinned, before coat tailing that remark with a "Nice."

"Obviously I've got a name, you need to have an identity to enter - Loske. You can call me Loske."

The drinks got set before them, the little umbrellas twirling in impact "Thank you!"

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Loske Matson"]

It wasn't really getting any more comfortable, but the soft buzz of the drink did plenty to ease the edge.

A bit anyway.

"I can be ya hero, probably, depends on if ya need saving, miss Loske." I smirked there again. It was a cliche, but so was the song she was referencing. I had listened to it a lot years ago. Something... pleasant about it in its own way. Back when choices still seemed to matter and the path wasn't all that clear to ya. That was then though and this is now. Right now I was slowly coming to terms that I might... be looking into things too much.

Too scared.

It wasn't a pleasant feeling. "Something tells me you don't need rescuing though." A sip of the drink again. Halfway done already... gotta be a bit careful with that. They went down really easy and pleasant and there lied the danger, no?

"What do you do outside of the games?"

Now that was dangerous territory.

Because if she answered, then that deserved its own reply in kind, right? But on the flipside there was the fact of sitting alone... for a week... while company was just around the corner.

Yeah, no thanks.

 

[Loske Treicolt]

Loske had only been truly exposed to flirting probably all of once - and it wasn't quite of this nature. It was much more innuendo based and she hadn't understood a good 50% of it. She'd been out of the lab a little bit longer now, and had more exposure to the average interaction with real people who had intentions rather than forged memories inherited from both her maternal or paternal donors.

"Ah," She simpered, and looked down at the curly straw that disappeared into the rouge liquid in the curvaceous cup "only sometimes."

Saving she did not need -- only like...once in a while. She was humble enough to admit that, for certain.

And what did she do when she wasn't racing? Oh, just save the galaxy one handful of people at a time; following in the footsteps of the story her parents had told.

"I'm a pilot." A time ago, she might have added which squadron she flew with within The Alliance, but they were a rebellion now. Not so easy to talk about in unknown scenarios. She lifted the drink to her lips, and took a sip to the edge of the glass while the straw avoided poking her in the eye; azure gaze leveled across to [member="Hiron Vizsla"]

"So you can relax, I do my best dog fighting in the stars." She winked casually, not wholly realizing the potential impact of that comment. It was...partly true; she wasn't a joke on the ground either with a blaster or Teräs Käsi -- all very thank you to imbued memories.

"And you?"

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Loske Matson"]

"We all need some saving sometimes."

I shrugged with that, because it was basically the truth. The stories about the legends were usually overblown. Inhumane creatures that always won the day. No matter what. Didn't lose a soul.... except after the second or third sinking of Ahto City that kinda went out of the window, no? Honest truth was that all this flirting wasn't my thing. Oh, it was fun. Pleasant and she was pretty to look at. But. It always kind of felt awkward? As if you just needed to add that exaggerated wink wink wonk to convey what you wanted to say.

Hey, wanna mack?

That thought got a chuckle out of me, straight into the drink.

"You too? Same here. Uh. Ships that is, water or air or space... always liked it." It had a sense of freedom. That you could go anywhere you wanted, whenever you wanted. Just plop into the chair and off you went. Could ignore any and all your problems.

Except that wasn't how it was. Just how it felt like.

A nice feeling sometimes.

That sorta, technically, answered her question... even if it side-stepped the real meat of it. Maybe she'd notice, maybe she wouldn't. Hopefully the latter. Definitely the latter.

 

[Loske Treicolt]

"Oh yeah? Contract, private or military?" The girl pressed, poking the straw away from her face and setting the drink back down; less liquid in it than when she'd started.

[member="Hiron Vizsla"]

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Loske Matson"]

Oh, dear.

One of those people. Even if she wasn't a threat, she certainly poked deeper and deeper. It was partially my own fault. What did you expect when you literally make it known you share career paths? "Private, for sure, mercenary ops and the sort."

Probably best not mention that was just something for fun.

Rather than a full time job like garrotting people for a living.

"You, fly girl?"

 

[Loske Treicolt]

Fluffy brows arched at the mention of mercenary. She'd never met a mercen---actually. Yes, she had. One could say that Sarge was a mercenary.

"Mercenary ops, hm? Whats the toughest thing you've run into on the job."

It seemed like a challenging career as a whole, and for a person as naturally curious as Loske, the nuclear questions usually illuminated the most sensitive of answers. It was a benefit that there was something unassuming about her inquisitive persona that made it endearing to most. In the end, she'd experienced that people liked to talk about themselves. It was part of human nature, it was what elevated them above the rest of the galaxy. Partially what contributed to separating sentient from non-sentient, and the advancement of who they were -- sharing knowledge and information so that people could learn from inference, rather than repeating mistakes and whatnot.

Should the question flip to Loske, as seemed to be the nature of the conversation, she'd happily tell her dragon story.
Or maybe her Sith Lord story.

The galaxy was wild!

"Oh, me...military turned private."

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Loske Matson"]

Now that was a question.

Made me think about it a bit. Then a little bit more.... there were so many ones out there that would fit this bill- wait a minute!

Oh, she was good.

"Tough to say. They all had their suicidal elements, you know? Do you have one then?" Quick about turn. More often than not people loved talking about themselves. Hopefully that was the case here too. "Military, eh? Who ya stripes- wait. Let me guess."

I leaned in a bit. Just a touch exaggerated.

Mostly to gauge her reaction. Would she lean back, in, stay the same? It would tell things.

"Protectorate. Nooo. Levantines." Squinting a bit, before I shook my head. "No, clearly I am talking to a fierce Sith trooper."

A smile, before I pulled my glass to me. Kept that proximity going for now tho.

 

[Loske Treicolt]

Oh, that was interesting!

"Suicidal elements?" She repeated, as if sounding out the words on her own tongue would add clarity for herself. "For..yourself? I mean, I guess that makes sense.." she was making assumptions as she spoke now, filling in [member="Hiron Vizsla"] thoughts for him. "-I suppose you'd have to question your own morality from time to time.

I heard somewhere that mercenaries are the exchange of ethics for finances." Her fingertip tapped against her chin as she considered the quotation. It could be offensive, but if someone was communicating their career as such they were likely exposed several times over to the opinions others had of their choices. It was a tough galaxy; folks had to get by.


Her musings were interrupted by him trying to pry into her world, she leaned forward, chin resting in the heel of her palm with a wry grin curling at her lips.

She reacted to each suggestion, like an open book.

A shrug for the protectorate.

A snort for the Levantines. Almost wistful -- ever the wisher for some Force abilities.

And a knavish simper for the Sith trooper, topped off with a non-committal shrug and a reach for her drink, this time using the straw. Gripping her back molars around it, she winked and let out a few words between clenched teeth.

"Hail hydra."

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Loske Matson"]

A shrug followed her initial observation.

"Not a lot of room for ethics in my life, I will be real." Already letting too much slip, no? She didn't seem all that much bothered by the fact she was talking to a merc. But maybe that was her own experiences adding to the mix of it. Maybe that was also why I was less worried to talk now. It was always more difficult with the goody two-shoes types. The Jetii and the rest of all that chit. Self-righteous and always thinking they got all the right answers to everything.

Ugh.

The reaction to the Sith part was amusing tho.

"Ah, yes, I imagined you were loyal to the infamous Darth Hydra. Fiercest Dark Lord of them all." Probably didn't exist. Hopefully. That would have been awkward. "Is the loyal trooper available to get out of here? Could show ya my skiff."

Relaxed smirk answered her wink.

 

[Loske Treicolt]

Her pointer finger reached out to poke at the straw in her glass, which in turn ventured to the other side of the rim as he returned the banter about a Darth Hydra. "As long as I can report back to my senior officer by twenty hundred."

Muscle memory prompted her to reach into her pocket for the credits, but recalled it had been [member="Hiron Vizsla"]'s offer for the drink. She dropped enough to cover her seat warming, until he'd ventured over.

Away from the pair in the chairs, who were quite secluded in the corner from the other patrons, a pair of uniformed guards approached the hostess of the resto. They exchanged pleasantries and explanations, before producing a palm-sized holo of a figure clad in armour. It was terrible quality, but it was enough to distinguish the different panels that contributed to the overall shape of the suit.

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Loske Matson"]

It would have been hard not to notice the security guards.

Not when you are paying attention to that sort of chit, because you had just assassinated a prominent business leader.

"Hey, ya can report back whenever ya feel like." Smirk there as he shifted a bit. Ensuring that if the guards looked this-a way that they wouldn't catch anymore than a shoulder. Maybe the line of his back. It was more out of precaution than anything else. He had left his armor back at his place for a reason, no? "My job is making sure ya dun want to." He dropped a credit chit on the table, before offering an arm to Loske. Oh, he was definitely not being subtle about it.

But that was Hiron for ya.

No time to waste.

Life went on and all you had was the here an' now.

 

[Loske Treicolt]

A simper crossed those inherited lips of hers, and she rose to the occasion that [member="Hiron Vizsla"] was offering.
She held back a comment about his job, because... she'd already poked that eye. Best not to make too many unnecessary enemies with rude, observational commentary.

Looping a slender arm into the crook offered, she matched his gait out of the restaurant, ignorant of the uniformed officers who were starting to glance around the patrons. Seemed the pair had evaded the cops just in time.

"About how big is this skiff? Are you a fast captain?"