Survival With A Pyne

[Cenric Marus]

[member="Mariya Pyne"]

"I'm not going to be sick!" He told her with a wave of his hand.

Cenric was feeling somewhat dizzy, but he wasn't about to pass out on the ground and throw up all over the place. All things considered he actually felt pretty good, a bit tipsy, but that was normal at this point. Glancing at the empty bottles that Mariya had taken away he frowned slightly, then refocused himself.

"I'll be fine." He told her. "But I'm gonna stay up a bit."

There was something he had to do, something that might not help him at all, but something all Jedi did in this situation.

Meditate on the force.

 

[Mariya Pyne]

“You know what every person says before they get sick?” She made a mockery of his voice, “I’m not gonna get sick!” Her eyes rolled, something she’d picked up from her elder sister, a bad habit, but one that got the point across. With a lazy hand waive she made for the corridor, pausing only a moment to turn and face Cenric.

”Alright, but if you break anything you’re getting spaced. R7 is watching you!”

The droid fuuuuuuuweeeeeeet’d from across the ship, hearing the statement.

She made that I’m watching you gesture with two fingers, darting them between her eyes and his before disappearing beyond the archway and heading towards her room.

[member="Cenric Marus"]

 

[Cenric Marus]

[member="Mariya Pyne"]

"Ha!" Cenric replied as she was walking out the door of the galley. "I'm watching youuuuuu!"

The Padawan pointed afterward.

In reality though he barely managed to keep himself from doubling over. At the very last second he put his hand on top of the table and caught himself, steadying for just a moment as he took a deep breath. A smile touched his lips, and then he looked around for a brief second.

Cenric waited for a moment, and then stepped out of the galley in search of a room he could tuck himself into. Perhaps something with a view.

 

[Mariya Pyne]

Three days later....​

​

Mariya's tension remained high throughout the trip, even as the ship raced closer and closer to Naboo. The girl was becoming restless, finding herself constantly biting at her fingernails and pulling at her hair whilst pacing various areas in the ship in an effort to both distance her mind from the thoughts and plan what to do once she actually arrived on Naboo, as well as what actions she would take depending on what the state of the planet was in upon her arrival. It was all a lot to think about and it was driving the poor girl mad.

"Anything yet, R7?"

She asked the astro droid for what was likely the 300th time thus far. But bless his circuits the droid didn't get irritated with her. Even though he had never been memory wiped he never seemed to get irked by some of Mariya's habits, constantly asking for reassurance being one of them. A few beeps and chirps recited the same answer he'd given her every other time she'd already asked. Mariya sighed, slumping her shoulders as she dropped back down onto the couch, hair falling over her face as she willed to sleep the remainder of the trip in hopes it would get them to Naboo faster.

[member="Cenric Marus"]

 

[Cenric Marus]

[member="Mariya Pyne"]

For Cenric the past three days had been filled with introspection and uncomfortable questions for himself.

He had spent most of the time either in silence or sleeping, with a short few bursts of conversation with Mariya interjected every now and again. Both of them were fixated on their own problems. For her it was Naboo and her sister, for him it was Lorrd, the Jedi, and the things he had done on Celanon. The last was really the greatest thorn in his side, the death of the Sith, leaving those civilians behind. That was something he knew he would have to deal with.

Something that would haunt him.

On this particular morning, or perhaps it was afternoon, Cenric found himself wandering around the small freighter. The ship was just large enough that he could move between three rooms without having to climb a ladder, though eventually he got tired of that and the constant noise that his boots produced on the bulkhead. Without much else to do Cenric sighed, running a hand through his hair and finally stopping his pacing. With a slight shake of his head Cenric banked a right, stepping into a different part of the freighter.

There he found Mariya, laying on the acceleration couch with R7 nearby.

He watched her curiously for a time, unsure of what to say. Then finally he just willed his tongue to move. "We should do something to get our mind off things."

The padawan blurted out.

 

[Mariya Pyne]

The smuggler looked up, or rather, turned her head. Through the curtains of chocolate colored hair brown eyes stared over towards Cenric blankly.

What?

"What exactly do you propose we do? I can't train you how to fly, we're in hyperspace. You can't train me, I'm not one with the Force or whatever it is you are. Do you speak understand binary? I can teach you how to understand R7, but that is probably about as boring as it gets."

The astro droid swiveled its head and beeped a multitude of times at the girl. "You know I love you, don't get so bent out of shape!"

Twisting a bit Mariya adjusted herself to sitting up straight, and only taking up one of the three seats on the couch. Her hand swept across her face, fingers pulling the hair away from her face. "You've walked through the whole ship several hundred times already. There isn't much in the way of things to do."

[member="Cenric Marus"]

 

[Cenric Marus]

[member="Mariya Pyne"]

She wasn't like.

For some reason he had never considered that spacers must face untold amounts of boredom when it came to long-term trips. It was a wonder that the suicide rates weren't higher, especially considering that most vessels like this carried weapons of all sorts. Cenric frowned for a moment, walking around the common room before he found himself next to Mariya and plopped himself down on the acceleration couch.

"Dejarik?" Everyone had a dejarik board, but he didn't exactly mean for the suggestion to be taken seriously.

There just wasn't much else to do but be bored out of their minds. The worst of it was that the trip would still take some time, and he was starting to feel a little bit caught in this space. Not to mention that for this entire damn journey he had to wear the same clothes, his shirt still having a hole in it.

Humiliating.

"Don't smugglers have like games or something?" He asked. "What the feth do people do on long space voyages."

 

[Mariya Pyne]

Did he really want to know what people typically did?

"Usually they have sex." She said jokingly. "Spice use is also pretty high up there on the list I believe."

He asked.

Mariya pulled her legs up and tucked her feet beneath her bottom, sitting on the couch. "No Dejarik board. The terminal was broken when I bought the ship so I just had it taken out." Plus she hated that game. She was always more one for Sabacc or other card game variants. Plus bluffing played to her strengths rather than mathematical calculations of the brain.

"I have cards, if you want to play. But I'm really good, so if you don't like losing I'd suggest we skip that."

She smiled confidently. "I've swindled my fair share of tables on some of the scummiest worlds. Though if you've never played I suppose I could go easy and teach you."

[member="Cenric Marus"]

 

[Cenric Marus]

[member="Mariya Pyne"]

Cenric turned a bright shade of crimson at the mention of sex.

For a brief second he was worried that somehow she'd managed to glean his...untoward thoughts that he had a few days ago while drinking, but after a moment he managed to convince himself that she was simply messing with him. At least he hoped that was what it was. The Padawan cleared his throat, looking pointedly at the ground. "No...umm...I."

Oh he wasn't doing good at all.

"Yeah." He cut in finally. "Cards are okay."

Cenric took a breath, calming himself and trying his best to push particular thoughts out of his mind. Now wasn't the time for that, it was inappropriate. She was a princess, as much as she hated the title it still meant something and he most certainly shouldn't be having those thoughts about her. "If you don't mind teaching me that is."

He'd never had the opportunity before.

 

[Mariya Pyne]

Mariya simply laughed at how comically uncomfortable the mere mention of sex made Cenric. Why were Jedi so bashful and prude?

"You've never had sex, have you?"

The question was entirely rhetorical. She knew the answer already, she wasn't even expecting him to answer, she could read it all over his face. From the flush of red to the stammering of his words to the uncomfortable fidgeting he was doing, and avoiding eye contact. Stars was he bad at bluffing. Cards was going to be child's play if this was how he concealed his feelings and tells. Honestly she felt a bit badly for him.

Shaking her head she decided to tow the line with his discomfort a bit.

"Yeah, sure, I can teach you."

She leaned forward, pulling out a small drawer in the center table in front of the couch to reveal a stack of cards. In her hand she waived the deck back and forth as she prepared her words.

"But since we both know you're as broke as a beggar on Nar Shaddaa, the ante will be clothes. Every hand you lose you have to take something off."

What was wrong with catching a bit of Jedi eye candy?

[member="Cenric Marus"]

 

[Cenric Marus]

[member="Mariya Pyne"]

"I'm sorry?" He asked with a start, the color of his face already having moved past the bright shade of crimson it had been before.

She couldn't possibly have just said what he thought she said. There was no way that she could ever say anything like that. She was a princess. Sure the title didn't mean anything to her but...but she was a princess! There were standards! Someone like her couldn't say things like that to him and there was no way...he frowned slightly, replaying the moment in his head and then finally clearing his throat again. Okay she must have been joking, yes that was it. "I think I heard you wrong."

That was certainly it.

Unconsciously Cenric slid back slightly on the acceleration couch, though the distance between them didn't really change all that much. He felt his heart beating a little bit faster, and the warmth at the tip of his ears was practically that of two small flames.

"I thought you said..." He frowned but didn't finish his sentence.

She was a princess.

 

[Mariya Pyne]

Oh this was just too much fun. Maybe what she was doing was cruel in a way, but it amused her to no end.

The poor boy had likely never even seen a girl with anything less than a full set of clothes. Based on the deep blush of his face, and the ghastly stare he was giving her, Mariya had managed to give the young Jedi a small anxiety attack. If he had been a droid surely his circuits would have fried. The brunette cackled like a madwoman and leaned forward, closer to Cenric, hands pressed against the cushion in front of her, the tiniest semblance of cleavage teasing the Padawan as she smirked and repeated herself.

"I said, I will teach you how to play Sabacc, but you're broke. Therefore there's no credits to bet. So for every hand lost, instead of credits, it's clothes. Is that more clear?"

She sat back, passing the cards between her hands as their digits and suits rapidly switched on the small displays. There was something immensely amusing about frazzling others. Mariya took great pride in her ability to play on the minds of others. Sure she was no Jedi, but she could swear that some of that Mind Trick business was ingrained in her somewhere. It worked frequently enough to call it a gift.

[member="Cenric Marus"]

 

[Cenric Marus]

[member="Mariya Pyne"]

Cenric went through a rapid scene of emotions over the next few seconds, his face half contorting as he seemingly considered his options. He could refuse and stalk off, which would mean just going back to being bored. He could offer to give her IOU's instead, something he doubted Mariya would accept, Or he could just go along with her idea.

The latter option was...well not something he'd ever thought he'd actually have to make a decision on. His awkwardness around girls and lack of experience in that department had supposed to really not be an issue upon joining the Jedi, but here he was. The way she postured herself, half leaning towards him and prowling like a nexu ready to jump on it's prey made him profoundly uncomfortable. He could tell that she wanted this, if only to make him suffer.

He swallowed hard, taking a breath. "Fine."

Cenric said the word quickly. Mostly because he could already tell that if he refused Mariya would find a way to humiliate him further, likely by bringing up his refusal over and over again. Better to just accept it, lose a bunch and get it over with.

"But he leaves." The Padawan pointed at R7. "Nothing with a camera is hanging around while we do this."

He was already expecting to lose, and his humiliation wasn't going to be on tape.

 

[Mariya Pyne]

The girl mused, "You think I don't have surveillance all over this ship? That little astro droid is the least of your worries." Was that a bluff? Maybe. Maybe not. "Poor little R7 here would never do such a thing, you give him a bad name, right, buddy?" The droid beeped ferociously in defense of its character. "Exactly. Jedi, so judgemental." The girl clicked her tongue in feigned disappointment at Cenric. "Those nerves, Cenric, you've already lost and we haven't even dealt a hand yet. You'll never win a game of Sabacc like that. Eighty percent of the game is reading people, and you're a book that's been left wide open in a rain storm."

This was going to be easier than she thought. Nothing had even begun yet, and already he was breaking down into a panic.

For convenience the center of the couch allowed a split so that the table could actually be situated in the middle, allowing both Mariya and Cenric to remain seated where they were while playing.

"The rules are pretty simple. Each of the cards have a suit and a number on them. They could be negative or positive. The object is to get as close to -23 or 23 as possible. If you get a two and a three as your hand it's called a Pure Sabacc. The only thing that beats it is an Idiot's Array, meaning you get a zero, a two, and a three. If you go over 23 you bomb out. Normally the cards at legitimate tables have a feature where the cards will randomly change, and you can have the option to secure one card by placing it into an interference field, but I'm not that fancy so we're going to play without those rules. Whatever the cards show up as is what you've got."

Mariya spent the next several minutes explaining the ins and outs of the game, how to bet, how to call, and how to in theory, raise, though the only way to raise in this case would be to double up on the clothing removal which Mariya was sure he wouldn't do.

Before dealing out the first two cards she smiled wickedly and asked, "Any questions?"

[member="Cenric Marus"]

 

[Cenric Marus]

[member="Mariya Pyne"]

Cenric stared at the droid and then quietly grumbled something.

He didn't like this. It was very clear to him now that Mariya was making him the butt of a joke for her own amusement. He could see it in the slight twinkle of her eye, the way that she twerked her lips and the posture of her body. She wanted to make him feel uncomfortable. Wanted to see him blush and feel awkward.

Worst of it was that she was succeeding.

Still, he realized that the best way to go about this was to beat her at her own game. She'd made the rules, right? So that meant she would have to follow them. When she explained the rules he listened carefully, asking a question now and again while picking apart what he understood immediately and focusing on what he would need to do in order to win. She had mentioned that sabacc was about reading your opponent, and he could do that at least.

”No.” Cenric grumbled quietly as he looked at the stack of cards.

He still wasn't sure about this, but at this point he wanted to play just to wipe the smug grin off of Mariyas face.

Have her be the one to turn red for once.

 

[Mariya Pyne]

The smuggler reveled in the Padawan's displeasure, knowing his predicament just as well as she did. Of course this was entirely for her amusement.

Mariya passed a card to Cenric, then one to herself, then another to Cenric and finally one more to herself.

"You're up first. What're you doin'?"

Mariya left her own two cards face down on the table, refusing to look at them until Cenric made his move. Her expression faded away to that of a stone faced droid the moment the cards were dealt. Sabacc wasn't something the outer rim planets took lightly. It was a game played heavily by thugs, gangs, smugglers, and many other less than noble characters. To be good one had to use every advantage. Mariya had her own set of strategies, chief among them to study her opponents opening decisions before she ever looked at her own cards.

"Wager? Shirt?" She teased, curious to know what article of clothing he would gamble with first.

[member="Cenric Marus"]

 

[Cenric Marus]

[member="Mariya Pyne"]

He frowned as he looked at his cards, remembering the rules and shifting on the couch so that he was more comfortable. He had to remind himself that he was a Lorrdian, and that his race, not any other, was known for their ability in reading people. The smallest facial twitch, the tiniest expression. Those were the things he would use go sink this little princess and teach her a lesson.

There was no going back now. ”Jacket.”

Maybe a cheap opener but he didn't care. If he was going to play this game then he was going to play it his way. He knew thay he wouldn't win the first few rounds, but eventually there would be a turning point.

Then he'd make her regret ever bringing this up in the first place.

He would have to do it carefully though. She knew what he was, and that meant she would try to control herself even more. The Padawan glanced at his cards, keeping his expression neutral as he finally responded.
”You?”

 

[Mariya Pyne]

If Cenric thought he had read Mariya's game plan he was all wrong. In fact he was so wrong, the expression he'd likely have after she answered his question would be as equally amusing to her as her initial suggestion of how to play without credits. See, she knew he was uncomfortable at the idea of having to take his clothes off. But he had also gotten rather squirmy when she had mentioned the mere word of spacers having sex to pass the time during long journey's.

Without skipping a beat the brunette replied to his question regarding her wager.

"My pants." She said with tenacity.

She then peeled back the pair of cards facing down at the table, then cast her gaze right back onto Cenric with a crooked smile.

"Your move, Jedi."

[member="Cenric Marus"]

 

[Cenric Marus]

[member="Mariya Pyne"]

Cenric’s jaw dropped.

”I uhh.” All thoughts of the game immediately left him and he was entirely focused on the image that Mariya had thrust into his mind. He stuttered for a moment, cleared his throat, tried to do his best to...do anything at all.

Shed knocked him off balance already. ”Call?”

Was that the right thing to say?

His gaze flicked to the lower half of her body for just the briefest second before they jumped back to her face. He had instantly forgotten everything that she'd told him about playing this game.

 

[Mariya Pyne]

The reaction was everything she had hoped for. Wicked smirk painted her face. This hadn't been about the idea of beating him at all. Mariya had spent enough time learning and understanding the Padawan that she knew exactly what would sweep the rug right out from underneath him. Sure, she could have started with something simple like her boots, her vest, anything that didn't activate that little switch inside his brain that short circuited his entire programming.

But what was the fun in that?

He thought her goal was to embarrass him a little bit and then beat him at a card game.

Cenric had been deceived.

"Alright then." She said, flipping the two cards over to reveal a -19, a combination of -13 and -6. Whether she won or lost it made no difference. She wasn't shy about herself, and the damage to his game plan had already been done now. Whether or not he chose to continue was the only thing in question now.

[member="Cenric Marus"]