Stormy Skies [Kail Ragnar]

[Harland Gates]

Glances of morbid curiosity combined with looks of disgust in both the physical and emotional sense lit up the Daplona thoroughfare that ran between their corner alley and the markets on the other side. The only time these fair people of the city had seen people come up out of the sewer was when it was getting routine maintenance by the road crews. Even they didn't come up looking half as bad as the current pair who had just escaped a new disposal bath of fresh waste. Giving a coral eyed glance towards the townsfolk, Gates offered a two finger salute with a wink and a sly sardonic grin plastered on his dirtied face. The end result being grimaces of the higher society turning up their collective noses and cutting their gaze from his location. The volley of reactions bounced back into his court and was spiked with a roll of his eyes and a turning of his attention to the man standing to his right flank.

"Not rightly sure. It wasn't breathing or ticking - which means I don't ask anymore than that." While he didn't like to admit it, Hal still held a fairly compelling conscious, and he preferred not to have it nag the pit of his stomach on every job he did. Palms pressed to the permacrete behind him, drawing leverage from the press and flexing his knees to draw his form up to a standing position, a small groan from his sore shoulder (among other places) was heard in a belated sigh. He'd been shot at, fallen a good distance into the river, washed up in the sewer and was now feeling the after affects of a lousy day. "As if that global sand trap isn't bad enough?" He asked, his words laced with rhetoric before he matched the hand of Kail with his own and gave a firm resolve in latent greeting. "Harland Gates, generally go by Hal." It'd been his choice growing up to shorten the name, thus making it all the more pointed when people, like [member="Kiskla Grayson"], used the full version. The press of flesh ceased as he gave a side glance to the traffic speeding along the lanes, looking for something that might resemble a place to get cleaned up - and fed.

"Looks like we're in the same boat though - me and my clothes are itching to reduce this sludge look. Probably get a better reception if we hit the town together." He already knew the SSX didn't have any ammo, and his own pistols were water-logged. However that rifle looked nice and shiny, and he figured if Kail could of had his way, the rifle would of put into practice down in the tunnels if things had gone -more- south. Still, the two of them faced with adversity of store clerks, and bartenders could probably muscle through objections if credits weren't going to speak loud enough. Gates was also under the impression that at least this one wasn't out to collect his head, or shoot it clean off just for fun. Enemies were easy to come by, friends were harder, and he'd take them where he could get them.

[member="Kail Ragnar"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

He shook the damp hand and offered a small smile.

”Pleasure. And thanks for introducing me to the Daplona sewer.”

Wiping his hands on his trousers, he was thrown from where to go next. He had no working weaponry and now, in all manner of speaking, a witness. But he knew Harland – Hal – was pretty much one of his own, cut from the same thread in wanting to be something, to be seen as someone, and make their way in a galaxy full of opportunity. There wasn’t anything to worry about around this one.

”I think there’s plenty of places to hide out in, there must be,” Kail said.

Daplona certainly held itself as a large city and there would be places to either bed down for the night or simply to waste a few hours. But apart from resting, Kail had to get more ammunition and supplies which was going to cost him. He could afford it, just, with his credits from the cell, but it wasn’t going to be enough to make him feel comfortable. He hadn’t counted on losing both sets of weaponry without even firing a shot before the assignment had started.

Tapping his fingers on the wall, his brain was thinking of all possibilities now for the man he had to trace. He couldn’t abandon such an assignment, but then again he wasn’t about to bring Hal into something that wasn’t either his business or his fight. There would be time, but Kail couldn’t lose much more of it.

”You got anything to your name on you? I’ve got a little, maybe enough to get cleaned up. Are you gonna stay on the planet long or are you passing through?”


[member="Harland Gates"]

 

[Harland Gates]

Having originally come to Ciutric IV to deliver the package and get paid, Hal too was at somewhat of an unknown point in this journey as to how to proceed. The package was in the hands of the courier, but the payment had been confiscated before he had the chance to download it into his account. He was without the product to meet the recipient, and he didn't even know who that rightly was. Trying to find the Gran without a name would be a lot tougher with the Daplona security force detaining the hired guns that had tried to confront him earlier. If they said what they knew, he wouldn't even get within a kilometer of the three-eyed alien - assuming he was still on planet. Gates knew he wouldn't be were he in that situation. Leaving the planet would have been the safest bet, and one he generally assumed anyone else would have taken.

"You're welcome, though next time I suggest a travel agent." His smile mimicked Kail's while he also tried to dislodge some of the gunk stuck to his jacket to feel a little less than grimy. It wasn't going to help much. "I don't exactly need to lay low, as much as I want to get cleaned up and enjoy some Corellian stew - if they even serve that here." The spacer offered a shrug and peaked out from the alley again. This time getting a good bead on the shops and other interest spots. Two stories up and about three blocks away, the bold big letters in Huttese spelled out the word for Hotel in their language. It was more of an inn, but if it was marked in Huttese, than he figured the standards weren't five star - which would do just fine.

"Looks like there's something we could try, if you need a place to crash, and....re-stock." He gestured towards his sidearm, and then towards the sign he saw in the distance. Any city like Daplona was going to have enough ammunition stations around to get what Kail needed. Any good mercenary knew to get stock ammo, as it wouldn't help to have a need for custom slugs, and power packs if you were ever in such a situation. Hazards of the job. "I've got enough for a couple of nights, could probably spot you a few if you need it as well. I was planning to be a whole lot more stable by now, but I think that dream had taken the first ride off this rock. I'll have to chase that lead down later on though." He still had a contact he hadn't gotten back to, and if he could get that signal traced, he might have a starting point to figure out who had set him up.

[member="Kail Ragnar"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

-----

Standing in the lobby of the hotel Gates had led them to, Kail certainly appreciated the muted décor inside. It was warm and inviting for a place run by Hutts, but that meant that on the outside it WOULD look respectable. It would be inside and behind how many doors and secret panels that the real darkness would be; gambling, smuggling, slavery – you name it, the Hutts did it.

Standing by an open fire, he let the warmth dry him slightly and nodded to Harland as he returned.

”So what you get? I could do with a drink first, and then I’m gonna get cleaned up and make tracks. If you can help me out however, I would be in your debt.”

Kail walked forward steadily through the large lobby towards the bar area, populated by a number of patrons who didn’t pay them much attention.

”You didn’t tell me what you were really running from anyway. You in some sort of trouble?”



[member="Harland Gates"]

 

[Harland Gates]

An expected slum if he ever did see one. The decor was reminiscent of something thrown together with driftwood, and the patronage wasn't exactly high class for this side of the Mara Corridor either. The rancid stench of the sewage on both himself and Kail was wearing off from his nostrils, but it was fresh in aroma for those that were behind the front desk. If credits had been a problem, at least there was something to say of wanting to get these two into refreshers and to the sanitizes post haste. It had taken a few minutes to get his affairs in order, leaning over the desk and trading some small talk, and intentionally flashing the glinting metal of his holstered blasters. Even non-functional, they were still worth something by just a glance. His Huttese was a little rusty, but he got the distinct impression that as long as he had enough credits to cover the basics, they weren't going to look too closely at either of them.

"Got a bead on a couple of refreshers upstairs with our names on it." Hal offered as he dropped a token into the hand of Kail. His own slid into his pants pocket. He hadn't taken the idea for a bed yet from the front desk, as he wanted to save the credits he had if something else came up urgently, like needing to refuel and jet off this rock if things got worse with the local port authority. He really didn't want to be land locked here on a planet he didn't have a friend on, save for the mercenary at his side. "I can swing a meal, I believe I'm starting to get something of a report with the clerk." He shifted his coral blue eyes towards the twi-lek who looked hopelessly bored and annoyed as she flicked debris from the front desk counter with a scowl on her angular face. Ever the ladies man.

"Not much more than usual. At least this time I didn't talk my way into a detention center. Believe me, it's happened more than once." Hal commented on being in a spot of trouble. "As I said before it was a delivery went south, and now I've got to drum up a lead and see if can salvage it. Otherwise I'm staring down the barrel of losing fifty grand. Gambling bills are stacking up and I'd like to get outta debt before I put myself in further." His predilection for the games of chance and skill were putting an even bigger price on his head from loan sharks than actual bounties. He managed to get by most of the time, but he'd run into some bad circumstances lately, and lady luck seemed to be matching the amused and agitated facial expressions of the aforementioned Twi-lek. Fate was a cruel mistress and lady luck played the part spot on.

Tossing a few credits onto the bar as he took a stool and gave a chin nod towards the bar keep and the happy hour special. There wasn't much more you'd get from a glass of Corellian ale, even if it was just a passing emotion. A bowl of soup to warm up, and a glass of ale to take the edge off. He had enough for a similar order for Kail, and then he was gonna have to get real creative if he wanted much more than that before he'd need to scrounge up another paying customer.

[member="Kail Ragnar"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Taking a seat, Kail chuckled at Gates with the Twi’lek at the desk. He certainly had confidence that was admirable, and confidence in him to just be…himself. Not pandering to anyone, not changing for anything. It was a valuable trait.

”Thank you,” said Kail, humble for the token for the facilities.

Moving to the bar area, he sat alongside Gates as he spoke; a chancer and a rogue. BUT a man like Kail, making his way in the galaxy with the abilities and contacts he has, nothing more. Kail was able to take up his contract soon enough, but if he waited too long he was going to compromise not just he target, but also Gates and himself with all this interaction.

He wouldn’t suffer from it, but the cell back on Tatooine would know he’d let a target slip and that’s never easy to return to with your tail between your legs.

Watcing the angry Twi’lek, he chuckled again as an order arrived with 2 bowls of yellow soup and the rich smell of ale. Kail was genuinely surprised.

”I owe you one. Seriously. I won’t forget your name and I’ll get you enough to cover your losses here.”

Picking up the glass, he raised it to Gates.

”To the stormy skies that brought us together.”

He took a long sip of the drink, savouring the warmth and taste of the drink. Smacking his lips, Kail nodded his head and tapped his hands on the table, eager to tuck in to the food.

”You have good taste. In food AND women, but I don’t think she’s too impressed!

Kail hadn’t relaxed like this for a while and laughed so innocently, and it felt good.



[member="Harland Gates"]

 

[Harland Gates]

Sitting closer than spitting distance from a mercenary was probably a laser-brained move most of the time, unless you were on friendly terms. That seemed to be the case for the pilot as he earned not only a thank you from Kail, but a promise of helping him with his credit flow situation. His former life relied little on the credit, despite being situated smack-dab in the heart of the Republic, the Jedi were not as fortune friendly in their respects. The lavish Temple was a community project, and when a community as big as Coruscant, the meeting place of the entire Senate got together, tax day meant silken sheets and crushed velvet carpeting, hewn marble pillars, and glistening towers. That was all gone now, as was the presence of the Jedi, but that really hadn't done much more than raise the spacer's notice when he heard about it. Things would have been very different years ago, especially when he first started out on his own -- but now he was a self made man, and those credits...well they meant a whole lot more to him now.

"Probably a safe bet to say that a person of your profession not forgetting my name may not be the best of investments, but I'll take that gamble." Like he took any other gamble that generally came his way, with gut instinct, and a charming smile of bravado. First impressions were often entirely true, despite the book and cover phrase that was so often thrown around like it was gospel. "If you can swing that, there's an empty seat in the Wild Goose whenever you need it." Hal was skeptical that the man beside him with no ammunition to speak of was going to be able to collect a fee large enough to not only cover himself and his own credit troubles on a planet where he had no contacts. He knew about devotion to the Force, and the faith it took to understand they were making a difference. At least that kind of belief had some evidence to back it up - but this line was far more leaning towards a blind faith notion - so while he appreciated the offer he wasn't going to hold his breath.

"Let's hope for better weather." The clink of his glass resounded even while he took the first sip and set to enjoy the bowl of yellow tinged soup before him. Steam rose in wispy trails, and he could really take in the hearty aroma that radiated from both bowls. The rich and hearty mixture contained a substantial and filling creamy texture with hidden pockets of meat and vegetables laden within the thick broth. A welcome balm to the earlier part of his day and the reason he was sitting here in the bar rather than making hyperlane trails from Daplona's port to the stars above. A good meal wasn't anything to sneeze at though, and he'd have most likely indulged in something along these lines before he had taken flight anyway. A few spoonfuls of the substance hit his gut and warmed his palette to be chased down with the ale at his side. "She is easy on the eyes, but I don't generally win them over in the first five minutes, unless they are one night stand material -- and by the looks of it she may be bored, but she's also not cheap. Still, I think I can swing a discount if I play my cards right." He offered with a healthy shrug and downed another sip of the beverage.

Gates had a string of fly by night connect-disconnects under his belt. He also had more than a few physical hallmarks of his crimes of passion that dotted the framework of his body. Mementos of not so nice women who lashed out from his amorous love'em and leave'em type of commitment. He certainly had his own trust issues, coupled with a lack of committal that made most of the women he'd been with entirely annoyed by the time he left. The word your searching for....scoundrel.

[member="Kail Ragnar"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Nodding in appreciation of the drink and warm food, Kail hadn’t eaten this well in a while, and it felt nice to not be looking for signs of trouble every second. He was almost relaxed in the bar. Almost.

Gates was still a man of mystery, but there was nothing dangerous about him that Kail could pick up on. Two men cut from the same cloth but torn in different directions; both chancers, gamblers with destiny and out to make their name and stay alive.

”I think I’m going to bail from this planet. I’m no good for the job as I am. I’ll need to return in the next few days to finish. Y’know?”

There was no weakness in admitting one wasn’t prepared to take on a job, but with the current situation he wasn’t. His position was compromised, his ammunition was out and his guard was down after relaxing longer than he had expected.

Eating in silence with Gates, he thought about his next move. He couldn’t stay here over night, not at all. For all he knew, he’d wake up fleeced, or worst – dead.

”Do you – “ he started, working the food around his mouth before continuing, ” – have anyone waiting for you off-planet? I mean, a team or family or something? Who do you work for?”

He took a sip of his drink, offering a wry smile in recognition of his forward questions.

”You don’t HAVE to answer. Trust me, I think I know your game, pal. It’s all good.”

Looking over his shoulder, the girl behind the bar was still watching them. He couldn’t help frown a little as he turned back to his meal.


[member="Harland Gates"]

 

[Harland Gates]

As red flags went - a known mercenary asking if he had anything to return to, or anyone waiting for him was one of those obvious ones. While he didn't peg Kail for someone to lure him into a false sense of security, Hal was keeping a healthy distance in his mind from providing too much information for free to a man whose job it was to collect on bounties. He'd already had a few of those on his head, and you didn't always get an update on your bounty status ahead of time. For as much as Gates knew, he could be the actual targer of the man next to him, and he bought him dinner! Still, he wasn't one to tip his head in either direction, but he was one to talk - as that seemed to be his most beneficial trait, and his biggest downfall. Well, when the chips are down, and the debt's piling high, you bluff something fierce and hope it sticks.

"Actually, and you likely won't believe this coming from a guy like me...." He paused for effect and lowered the volume of his voice. "...the Jedi." A smirk touched his face and he took another ladled spoonful of soup while he let Kail digest that information. "Well one to be more like it, but they're kind of a big deal with the Order of the glow sticks." Another coy smile flashed his way. He wasn't gonna offer up freely any names, or the fact that he also used to be one of those space wizards on a very low level. He had done the basics, he had trained to further his career and advance, but that hadn't panned out exactly. Why else would be covered in sewer sludge swapping stories with a mercenary in a Hutt controlled hostel? "Not something I generally brag about though." Gates offered a shrug, as Kail at least did provide him a face saving way out of that question if he wanted to take it.

"Well if you want my advice, don't jet-set on those Vee-Kir 4 Bulk transports they've been known to push out this way. They rest power from the hyperdrive if the auxiliary thrusters start to sputter, and they always do." His love of ships and flying had leant it to quite an engineer mindset when it came to picking crafts and keeping his in check. He wasn't exactly a mechanic, and you wouldn't see him working on a hyperdrive cooling unit unless it was on his own boat. In point of fact, if you ever saw Hal's legs jutting out under a ship's fuselage in a docking bay, and it wasn't the Wild Goose, you best call the medical team, but he'd be dead. "Where do you think you'll go...back to that sand-lot for a planet?" He didn't suspect Tatooine would have much of a restock and resupply policy open to his kind. Especially after he mentioned a 'cell'.

[member="Kail Ragnar"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Kail was half-way through tearing a piece of white bread when Gates dropped his little bombshell.

Jedi.

JEDI?

A little grin crossed his face, turning into a chuckle from the mercenary. He shook his head and picked at the bread, warm aroma still coming from the food around them and general nature of the inn.

”Of course, my Lord. First thing when I saw you on the bridge I thought – BAM. Jedi Warrior!”

Kail laughed again.

”W…a Jedi? Seriously? C’mon. You don’t look like a Jedi. Not that I’ve SEEN Jedi, but you know. Beards, robes, old looking guys.”

He cocked his head and squinted.

”Old, perhaps. And I can JUST see a beard on you.” Kail chuckled again. ”C’mon, what are you? Smuggler? Merc? Lone-wolf? You just don’t seem to fit any cell I’ve come across before.”

He glanced around the room a little and paused for a few seconds as Gates talked about the ships, not something Kail was knowledgeable in, but he listened, because he replied on many transports and public ships to get him from place to place. With a nod, he acknowledged his information and question.

”By sand-lot you mean a planet that brought the strongest people into our galaxy into existence? Yes. My home. It’s not all bad. You should come by. I reckon Mos Eisley is right up your street – plenty of places to lose yourself and a nice spaceport.”

He chewed on some bread as he spoke.

”I operate from there. It’s all I’ve known, so I’ll head back, stock up, refresh, train and then either return here in a day or two or take on a new task. I can’t say where I’ll be one day to the next, but hey – it’s just me to depend on so no loss. I got my com, got my brains – and looks – and my sidearms. When they’re gummed thank to some adventurous, sewer crawling Jedi.”

Kail had time for Gates. He’d be sure to remember the name.


[member="Harland Gates"]

 

[Harland Gates]

Stereotypes about the Order of his former affiliation were notably consistent from system to system abroad - and were almost always glaringly true. 'Robe-heads' as he and a handful of Padawans during his time had dubbed the Knights and Masters of the Order, parading around in their dark black and brown robes, almost always sporting a beard if they were humanoid in nature. With Kail admitting that he didn't look the part, it gave Hal a sense of pride to know that he certainly wasn't being grouped with the lot of those Forcers, and being pegged for someone that towed the line, bringing the gospel of light and peace to the fuzzy-wuzzies or some such. Gates didn't preach, and he certainly didn't lead by an example others should be apt to follow. Whatever honor bound notions Gates had, they were few and far between - as the spacer garbed in red leather and the taint of sewer sludge was out for his own game, and his own gain. His guiding star was often just a payday away. Kail however had misinterupeted his answer, and it caused the loft of one brow to rise up while he swilled back a touch of that ale to his side. A slow shake of his head was offered as the cup clinked against the counter, and his posture shifted to give a more face to face chat credence.

"I'm not the Jedi, Kail." He said in a matter of fact, but still lighthearted tone. "You asked if I had anyone waiting for me - and while I can't exactly say that I consume her thoughts enough to wait, she is a Jedi. Only one in the black I trust to be honest, but a Jedi nonetheless." Another shrug was offered to the mercenary, indicating it wasn't that big of a deal, and it was just one of many that might be expecting a return, or come looking for him if he disappeared. "As I said before, I'm a pilot - sometimes a courier, but I've put a few hats on in these past years. I stay out of the smuggling racket if I can though. I prefer consultant." Gates said with a smirk, turning on his bar stool and taking another bite of the bread that he had sopped up some soup with. A chuckle rose after finishing a bite, emerging into a hearty laugh as he tried to imagine himself in the Temple, or the Spire...or whatever they called that thing on Anaxes that the Jedi were using as home base. The chuckle continued though as it turned towards the next statement that seemed altogether boastful about Tatooine's heritage.

"You talking about that Force born family that flipped the Galaxy upside down nearly a thousand years ago?" He queried the mercenary as he offered a hand wave of unimportant trivia. "Maybe it's the conditions, maybe it's because anything getting off that dust bowl is considered a great achievement. Not rightly sure, but I don't think it holds the record anymore." The Skywalker family was famous, or infamous, depending on who looked at it. They however weren't the only people in the Galaxy that had made a name for themselves, and struck out only to find notoriety, to further engross those media hounds to promote them into infamy and legacy status. There were far more important players on the scene now, and he doubted they all had a birthplace on that galactic sand dune. Hal often thought that with the right array of turbo-lasers, a few destroyers could do a good bit of damage and turn the planet into a massive cosmic glass ball to hover in space. At least then it would be a decoration, or something nice to look at. Gates really didn't enjoy sand.

"I think I'll pass on the invite, but here's to finishing jobs, and getting paid." Gates offered up his glass for a second toast and downed the rest with a satisfied sigh. "I think I'm gonna take advantage of that discount on the refresher, and start working my way back to that payday. Might cross paths again, and I certainly hope we're both in much better shape." Hal said, sliding off the stool and giving Kail a pat on the shoulder. A smirk touched his face as he passed the man and shook his head again. "Jedi...yeah right." It wouldn't be long before another short chat of conversation had Hal claiming a discount on that refresher upstairs. How exactly he did that was unclear, but what was clear was the fact that he wouldn't be alone, and someone far less easy on the eyes was going to be watching the counter for the next few hours.

[member="Kail Ragnar"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Kail nodded with interest, pursing his lips at the new information – nothing really surprised him anymore about Gates and what connections he had out there.

In reference to his home world, Gates was right – there was much more to be said about Tatooine, and the planet, now in the galaxy, but with little to his name, he held little claims to fame close to his heart and at least it was a memorable calling card.

Raising his glass to welcome the toast to the night’s chaos, Kail nodded in acceptance of the conversation – two very different men but with an identifiable urge to make a name for themselves amongst a wild and unpredictable galaxy.

”If I don’t see you again, I’ll consider myself lucky. Take care out there, friend.”

Watching the pilot head off past the bar to the facilities, he saw the exchanges passed between the Twi’lek, and Kail chuckled softly to himself, savouring the warmth of the drink and the food, remembering what it felt to be human after all.

”Sleep well Mister Gates.”

He’d see him again, Kail felt that was for sure, but he just wouldn’t bet on who would instigate the trouble that brought them together.


[member="Harland Gates"]