Stranger Danger

[Willulf Montari]

Umbara

Wil messed up... really bad this time.

As a job hopper he found himself seeking employment anywhere and everywhere. Money wasn't hard to acquire by any means but he had left behind that quick and easy way of collecting credits. So job hopping became a center piece of his lifestyle. It wasn't so bad really. There were times even when he had money that he lived simple. Only buying and using the minimum of what each day called for. Life was normal that way for him.

So how did the job hopping man mess up? An ad had been posted on the net about a demand for hunters. The employer claimed to provide the weaponry, various tools, and transportation that would be needed. Wil was skeptical of it but money had to be made for his survival. He went for the job and everything seemed alright. Along with a couple other dozen men, he showed up to the designated location anand hopped into the ship. All was going well as they headed for their drop off. The ship ended up taking a detour towards a sinister looking world.

It was all a blur but these other men sent various attacks his way. Wil reacted fast enough to take down the first few. The rest quickly overwhelmed his physical strength. After some struggling, the hatch opened and one of the guys sent Wil flying out of the ship onto the ground. The fall was almost fatal... he recovered however using a bit of the force as well as a few calculated rolls. He attempted to get up and he found success but a sharp pain appeared in his head. His hand reached to feel the inflicted area, only to find a nice gash in his head. Some blood made it's way out.

The whole environment was extremely odd. It was difficult to see in all directions and it was nothing short of creepy. Wil had to find shelter soon. He was unfamiliar with this world and an injury sprung itself upon him. Anymore attacks and he would fall victim to the darkness. His conciousness was also hard to hold onto. Time was scarce.

Eventually he discovered an empty building. Perhaps abandoned. He cautiously entered while searching for something to rest on. Luckily, a bed was in there. That's where he chose to rest his eyes. Doing so may have been risky but he felt like he'd pass out any second anyways. Whatever would happen, he could only accept. Wil removed his coat and set his blasters beside his waist on the bed, just in case. And nap time followed. What would become of this mess?

[member="Seo Linn"]

 

[Seo Linn]

The unlucky Knight had pulled the short straw on this and found herself on Umbara. Luckily she wasn't here on a mission of some sort. Nor was she on vacation. Who would pick a planet such as this for that?

It was a good thing Seo didn't need to worry about money. At least not in the same somebody not in the Silvers did. Her actual wage mattered little as everything was provided for her. Anything from food, to clothes, a starship and even a home. However, her real home would be on Lorrd where her family was.

Something unexpected was about to happen though. A ship came flying out of the darkness and hanging low to the ground. Almost low enough that she needed fall to the ground to avoid being decapitated. Seconds later, there was a fleshy thump as a body was hurled out of the open port. It rolled a few times and came to a stop.

Watching as the ship flew away, she noticed the movement from the body that had been thrown out. While he moved slowly, it became clear he was searching for shelter. Following him at a distance, she had no idea they had met previously. Wondering why his body had been dropped, she waited until he entered an empty building.

This was a Silver contolled world so Seo felt no issue entering the building after him. She was only a few steps in when she heard the breathing of the man. Tilting her head to get an idea of which room he was in, she walked along the hall to join him.

Taking up more of a guard position, she looked at his sleeping form. Umbara was a dark world, but there was enough light for her to make out some of his details. Not enough to see he was hurt, but that he looked familiar. Since she did not know he was injured, she moved no closer and wouldn't until he woke up.

[member="Willulf Montari"]

 

[Willulf Montari]

The world felt cold... it was so damn cold here. The temperature was probably not to blame though since he was injured. His bleeding wasn't bad enough to require immediate medical attention, which is why he allowed himself to flop and pass out. But he still experienced much discomfort. Shivering ensued and it probably made him look like he was having a seizure. So much pain mixed with the cold was just miserable.

Willulf could handle many things and this was hardly nothing, but his body still reacted. He'd worked non stop prior to this job so the lack of proper rest was showing. Well, the fall didn't help. On the bright side he didn't think he had a concussion or anything like that. His body had just gave out. Not for long though. He woke up in a panic with heavy, quick breathing. Wil tried to jump up but raising his head was almost impossible. He needed a boost.

He struggled to even stay awake and that was becoming an issue. It was sit here and rot away or get up and find transport. Wil chose to try his chances. All of this time, he had no idea Miss Linn watched from a few feet away. They hadn't seen each other for quite a long time so this was about to be an awkward reunion. The weakened state of this young man was about to temporarily change. He knew what he was about to do could make things worse physically. It was all he could do though.

Without thinking much about it and closing his eyes, he placed his right hand on his thigh and released a small amount of lightening. He yelled out in anger and pain before receiving a surge of adrenaline. Wil was able to get up but only slowly. It was just enough to allow basic motor functions. Once he was up on his feet he began towards the door. He only made it one step before he started going dark again, unfortunately. Willulf felt his disoriented vision slowly fade, eyes rolling back. "Allison..." He mumbled calling for her.

This was it, he figured his demise would come young. Or so he thought. On his way down to the floor, he caught the slightest glimpse of light hair. He was certain she was an acquaintance. Either way, he needed help. In a weak voice Willulf said "Please he-" He lost consciousness again. It was his first time asking anybody to help him in years. He trusted this person though, they had a familiar and calming presence.

[member="Seo Linn"]

 

[Seo Linn]

As soon as Willuf started to wake up and stir around, she stopped leaning against the wall. Something startled him, but it was clear he wasn't aware of her presence yet. He had helped her before and then saved her life, in a way, she owed him and so remained near him.

He finally stood up slowly after jolting himself awake. Turning to try and walk in the direction of the door, he moved with what looked like extreme care. That wasn't it though. Hardly taking more than one step, he stumbled and started to fall. Seo heard him call out a name and then he as he fell, he noticed her.

On his way to the floor, he called out for her to help and that was when she stepped in. Catching his falling body, she prevented him from hurting himself further and put him back on the bed he had used before. Just off that brief contact, she knew he had been injured and needed some help.

Once he was covered, she sat down on the bed and embraced the Force. With as careful of a touch like a surgeon would use, she went over his body from head to toe and back up to ascertain what was hurt. When she completed that, unless he woke up to stop her, she would focus on the worst of his hurts and heal him to the best of her ability.

Sitting back when she was done, all he needed to do was wake up.

[member="Willulf Montari"]

 

[Willulf Montari]

Thank the force she was nearby when he completely lost all power. Willulf was a goner if she hadn't been around. It seemed like he had always been alone before so he tried to get by without any help. Everyone around him ended up getting hurt, and he chose to only involve himself as a result. This scenerio was a great example of why people sometimes needed assistance from another. His frail human body and mind wouldn't be able to recover alone. If he survived, Willulf planned on thanking her too. Considering all she did for him though, he probably owed her something for the trouble. Before that however, he'd have to wake up first.

The sleepy man felt uncomfortable even in his sleep, moving around and grunting every so often. Healing him must've been a pain. His discomfort slowly went away though as the kind lady speeded up his healing process. Waking up would still take a little bit but at least he didn't have to wake to too much pain. She really had helped him out more than he deserved. The last time they'd encountered one another she was a jedi. His display of dark power was slightly concerning for her, he was sure it had to make her senses feel tingly. Users of that power were typically seen as the opposing side by her people, if he remembered correctly. Of course he'd have to take in all these thoughts when he awoke. The individual in the room, realizing who she is, realizing he used a sith-like power in front of her... it all would be interesting to react to.

Some time passed since the healing was complete. It felt like nothing to him but it must've lasted a good amount of time. Enough to read a book. Willulf began to open his eyes, slowly. Nothing was hurting too bad but he was definitely still tired. Feeling loopy and hungover, despite being completely sober. He sat up and analyzed the room. The room was quite dark now that he was able to see it clearly, or clear enough. One thing caught his eyes though, a fully grown human. This honestly spooked him and he went into fight mode, reaching for a pistol. No pistol was on the bed or at his hip though. He looked down to were he last remembered landing. Two metallic object were beside the wall. He must've kicked them off the bed when he got up.

Confusion fell over him all of a sudden. He clearly remembered falling down.. and requesting help? Ah, so that was it. She hadn't claimed his life yet and his major pain seemed to have gone away. This person was his savior. He returned his view to the lady, still uncertain about what to think. "Hello there. My name's Daxter Noth, and I believe I'm alive thanks to you?" That's all he could say, not even sure if she was real. With his injury hallucinations wouldn't be abnormal to see. Of course his healed injuries couldn't be his mind playing tricks on himself. Everything so far was quite the shock but the realization of who she was would be the ultimate eye opener.

[member="Seo Linn"]

 

[Seo Linn]

Falling into a light meditative state, Seo needed to recover some of her own energy after using it to heal Willuf. His display of dark no longer bothered her. Even though she was Jedi, she no angel and had even touched the dark herself a time or two. Killing a couple of men as she had defend herself ended up choking them. Light or dark, it didn't matter anymore. A person in need of aid was still a person in need.

When he started to stir, she came out of her meditation and looked at him laying on the bed. After he woke up, he laid on the bed a few minutes before sitting up. She didn't move to stop him and watched as he did this. Not having thought of looking or removing any of his weapons, they had ended up out of his reach. On a dark world such as this that was something she should have thought of.

He didn't make a move for them and introduced himself.

"Good morning, Mr. Noth. We've met before. I'm Seo Linn, it was a few years ago so you might not remember me."

While she didn't have the kind of memory that took everything in like a sponge, she did have a pretty good one. People she encountered on missions were usually remembered and he was one of them.

"How are you feeling?"

The weapons remained where they were and she wasn't going to stop him from picking them up, nor was she going to help him. Unless he asked for it.

[member="Willulf Montari"]

 

[Willulf Montari]

Familiar, official-like, and went by the name Seo Linn. Willulf definitely knew this person. He also was aware that she aligned with the Jedi at their time of meeting. If she'd been there the whole time then she must've seen his abilities. He glanced over at the weapons once more but shook his head after. Wil's memory of that day was actually pretty good. Remembering what went down, he decided to not feel threatened. She hadn't judged him at that time and he doubted it'd happen now. Considering how she reacted to saving his corpse-like body there was no need to be fearful. Something about her appeared to feel off anyway.

Willulf remained in bed while they continued the conversation. He even laid back down, apparently trusting the Jedi lady after finding who it was. Miss Linn asked him how he was feeling. "I feel like I'm in debt." Wil was joking but he gave no smile. It was a kind of dry humor. "I think I'll make it thanks to you. My body has been deprived of rest for a couple days now so the injury sent my body straight to sleep mode for healing. Your power allowed me to regain conciousness though. So I sincerely thank you, Miss Linn." Willulf was happy with how things turned out. Seeing Seo again was also worth avoiding death.

[member="Seo Linn"]

 

[Seo Linn]

There was very little light, but even the darkness, Seo could see the glance he made in the direction of his weapons again. At the moment, she was keeping this encounter professional. It was how they had originally met and something Willulf would be familiar with.

"You saved my life before, so let's call it even."

In the darkness, she felt confident in her tone and being able to convey some humor in it. He had glimpsed that just before their parting when they first met. This was something she had worked on showing a bit more instead of being entirely impassive around others. They had already met once and this allowed her to be more comfortable in doing this.

"Seo is just fine, Mr. Noth."

Of course, she kept it professional. Some of her nature was still there and would never entirely leave her. Until such a time that he told her to call him something else, she would continue to be formal.

"You're welcome. I would suggest resting a bit longer if you need it. Don't worry, I'll keep watch if you do."

She silently wondered why he had been dumped off that ship, but kept the question to herself.

[member="Willulf Montari"]

 

[Willulf Montari]

The lady claimed Willulf had saved her once before, making them even. He wasn't sure what she was referring to at first but then he remembered their eventful meeting the first time around. That wasn't really the same to him but owing somebody nothing sounded good. Although he still would probably pay her back somehow, he remained compliant for now since arguing wouldn't help him. Willulf couldn't imagine having an argument with Miss Seo though. He assumed she spoke with action, so he chose not to test it.

She told him he could call her Seo instead of being so formal. Willulf decided not to agree with this one. It was so unnecessary too. Nonetheless, he shook his head and spoke his opinion on the matter. Which was trivial in all honesty. "It will be Miss Seo, then." He was giving his acquaintance the respect she deserved. Willulf was sure the formality eventually became annoying to most. That didn't appear to stop him though. Of course he only did such things to keep distance and stay strictly business-like. In situations like these at least.

Miss Linn acknowledged his gratitude but offered to keep watch while he slept, giving him a friendly suggestion to get more rest. Sleeping would be near impossible while another person was in the room. With his injuries being almost fully healed, Wil could use his normal senses again. They sensed her presence and his eyes were wide awake. After trusting her a little more he'd probably end up being able to sleep. At the moment though, it wasn't happening. "I've trained my mind to stay awake when there's another body around. This is still rest in a way so I'll be fine." He appreciated the kindness she displayed.

[member="Seo Linn"]

 

[Seo Linn]

At least, he agreed to address her with her first name. It was a start and both of them appeared they would remain formal with each other to a degree. Respect went a long way with Seo. Having grown up a slave, it was something that lacked through much of her childhood. If she was honest, the formality probably would not annoy her. That took a lot of work and she didn't feel he would do that to her.

All she did was tip her head slightly when he mentioned he wouldn't be able to sleep with her around.

"I could step out of the room if that would help."

It was an option and one she gave voice to. On this dark world, one never knew what might happen. Keeping an eye on each other seemed to be the best choice. He still needed a little more time to recover. No matter what her healing had done for him, he still had some that only his body would be able to accomplish.


[member="Willulf Montari"]

 

[Willulf Montari]

Willulf always appreciated that kind of vibe that Seo gave off. Proper and straight to the point. Hiding things from people didn't seem to be in her nature, or that's how he saw her at least. Usually he could figure out someone somewhat. She was mysterious in many ways though. He wouldn't be shocked if she turned out to be putting on a show. Thinking like that was unfair so he removed the thought from his mind. Either way, enemy or not, he would only prolong his suffering at his point if he were to fight anyone. He needed rest but decided to get up. Well, try.

Seo offered to leave but he shook his head as he turned his body around, positioning his feet on the floor. "No need for that, I'm ready to get up and moving. This will take too long." Wil applied pressure on his feet and stood up. He took a few steps until he started feeling weak. The impatient man stumbled but caught himself on the wall with a hand. It was harder than he had imagined it'd be. He just stood there and looked straight down. "Human bodies are so weak." Wil was disappointed in himself.

Seo Linn

 

[Seo Linn]

When the two of them had met before, Seo was far more closed than she was now. Shrugging her shoulders slightly, she held a hand out to help steady him if he needed it. So far, he was proving he could do this on his own, but that only lasted a few steps. He stopped himself from falling by catching himself on the wall with a hand.

Shaking her head, she moved to wrap an arm around him and allowed him to place his along her shoulders if he wanted.

"They are that. Where are you planning on going?"

With her free hand, she brushed some of the hair out of her eyes and stuck it behind an ear.

"If you can make it outside, I can get us a speeder and to my ship. It'll at least get you into a proper bed, a safe place and some peace."

That might not be much, but it was the best Seo could offer him.

Willulf Montari

 

[Willulf Montari]

Since Miss Seo was being so gracious to offer help to him he decided to allow her to assist him this one time. "I'll pay you back for this I promise. It is a heavy price though, I must say." She asked him of his next travel location and he found himself avoiding much business talk. "It's unimportant at this time, Miss Seo. Forgive me if that is rude on my part." Wil held on to the surprisingly sturdy Jedi lady and let her lead the way. He sure as hell couldn't in his condition. For once it appeared he was the secondary driver.

Willulf nodded when she mentioned offering shelter and nourishment to him. "That'll work just fine if you're okay with lending such a place to a man of my character." The injured man knew of how good of a person this lady was but he didn't expect any special treatment. He really seen it as a waste to help someone like him. Of course she had no idea about everything that made up Daxter Noth, or Willulf Montari rather. He knew and that's why he felt so ill towards himself. The man realized his own entry into a breaking point however and he desperately needed some help, or he was gonna be a goner.
so he listened and accepted the kindness presented by his angelic savior.

Seo Linn

 

[Seo Linn]

Though she had said her saving him this time would make things even, he insisted on paying her back. Not making any further comment on the matter, she helped him out of the room and found an abandoned speeder nearby. Assuming he wanted his weapons, she called them to her and put them in her backpack before closing the door behind them. If it could even really be called a door. Mentally shaking her head, Seo got him on board and climbed into the driver seat.

Tinkering with the wiring for a moment, the speeder roared to life and she took off quickly. In the silence of the night, it was rather loud and might draw unwanted attention to them. There wasn't anything the Knight could do to make the machine any quieter, she left the area in a cloud of dust.

They wouldn't need the vehicle for very long and in the short distance to where she ship was docked, they wouldn't have it long enough for anybody to give chase. Even if somebody did follow them, which she doubted would happen, she got them to her ship and was trying to help Willulf out of it. On the chance he had passed out again, she was ready to use the Force to accomplish getting on board her freighter.

Once that was accomplished, she would get him laid down on one of the bunks in one of the rooms there. Making sure to place his weapons where he could see them. She trusted him enough that she didn't think he would attempt to harm her now they were officially alone.

"You just rest and when you're ready, you can join me in the cockpit. Then you can tell me where you want to go."

Being true to her word, he would soon feel the ship taking off and then jumping to hyperspace. Having set a course for a planet a system over, it would be a safe place for them to just lay low for a while and wait until he had recovered enough to move on.

Willulf Montari

 

[Willulf Montari]

It was strange traveling with his acquaintance. People of opposing alignment weren’t usually seen traveling together in such a neutral light. Wil had nothing against her, it’s just that typically he’d avoid being seen with a Jedi. It kept away a lot of conflict that he did not desire to take part in away.

She was very generous and seemed to provide no threat. They’re first meeting was so cool too. Minus the explosions of course. For such an untrusting person he sure was letting his guard up. Being so vulnerable to death also made things a little harder in that light. Above everything at least they were getting away from that place. Wil appreciated that part of traveling with his Jedi acquaintance.

After some time Wil got back up. He realized how long he’d been taken out for and couldn’t take it anymore. His body was doing quite well considering all the damage he endured, however his head was still slightly hurt. Made aware of that he decided to take a breather and slow down. No matter the injury he wanted to know where they were headed. Wil stumbled to his feet and made his way to the cockpit. He couldn’t feel any movement from the ship so they had to be on the ground.

Once he made it into the cockpit he immediately spotted the Jedi. Wil was pretty sure she hadn’t noticed his presence so he went ahead and concealed it. Attempting to scare the woman. He was aware of her skills so he was gambling with his life. All he did was a simple attempt though, soft tap on her shoulder and ”BOO!”

Seo Linn

 

[Seo Linn]

Giving half of her attention to the space around them, Seo had the other half on her ship. This meant she could tell when Will started moving around. As she had requested he join her in the cockpit, she stayed there until he came.

If he looked at the viewport, then he would notice they weren't on the ground. A planet floated in space in front of them.

With her guest in the cabin, Seo rested her eyes until he joined her. One eye opened as Will approached but he probably didn't see since her back was to him. Not feeling any threat from him, she did not really react when he attempted to startle her.

Half smiling, she motioned to the seat next to her. Tipping her head in the direction of the planet below, the Knight was quiet until he sat down.

"How are you feeling?"

Willulf Montari

 

[Willulf Montari]

She reacted quite boringly. While she remained a mystery for the majority of his recollection of her since their first greeting - he could count on her calm and collected energy. That was a familiar feeling that never parted ways with his memories of her. The Jedi were peace keepers, or so he’d heard. Getting into the mix had never ended well for him so he had little knowledge on who the real saints were… choosing a life of ignorance for survival. No matter the right or wrong answer however, he couldn’t just dismiss her angelic behavior of saving him. Wil smiled at the thought of being comfortable for once. It felt good and refreshing, he’d always taken lives so being saved after having done all those bad deeds made him feel like he’d taken a better path. Did he deserve it though?

Wil accepted her invitation to sit down but he went slowly still feeling some side affects of his injury. In response to her question he sighed a little bit, followed by him leaning back in the seat.

“Honestly Miss Linn, I am embarrassed by my carelessness.” He closed his eyes briefly to remember his past. “I don’t know if I’ve shared this information about myself with you but my life has always been controlled by others until recently. Even now I am not free. I have a reputation among the crime world and they don’t take kindly to those who escape that realm.” He didn’t know if he was saying too much to this warrior of light, pausing momentarily, but he had a feeling she was curious about him anyway. Spilling the beans would only help keep things real between them. “Long story short I expected to die out there. You changed my fate today and for that I cannot thank you enough. I am not an individual deserving of being spared. Nonetheless, I’m actually feeling quite lively compared to before you saved me… maybe angels are real?” He said so chuckling after.

His eyes wandered across the stars and the giant mass in front of them. Wil was unfamiliar with the planet. He could’ve easily been out of it still from his concussion though. Out of curiosity, he asked her a question. “Where are we anyway? I assume you aren’t here on vacation.” He laughed at his own comment. “Perhaps another mystery?” He was genuinely curious but also trying to keep the mood up. The past day or so had been negative so he wanted to at least try to keep it positive for now.

Seo Linn

 

[Seo Linn]

(I know it's been a year or longer since we posted. I wanted to let you know what happened to me. If you're still around, let me know either here, DM, or Discord.)