Why?

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Gravity seemed to have a singular effect on Kurt, pain. The instant that he switched it back on he felt a throb go through his entire body, agony erupting from bruises, cuts, and shattered bones. He winced, letting out a loud groan and squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to shake the feeling that he was about to pass out and fall onto the floor. His hand immediately clutched against the wall, fingers tightening around the metal as he tried to steady himself against The Messa.

A hot breath escaped his lips, pained agony.

"Oh shit." Kurt said, his voice breathy and lost. "Frak. Oh God."

The pain crept up his spine and around his ribs, his head bucking back slightly as he let out a yell of frustration and pain. He swallowed hard, trying to gain a bit of balance and control, trying to steady himself. His eyes fell on the ladder just ahead of him, but the pain in his ribs told him that climb would be nearly impossible. A hiss escaped his teeth as he slowly began to psyche himself up. A single step forward felt like a knife in his side, but slowly he managed to move forward.

In a sad, almost broken limp Kurt made his way over towards the broken and frayed hyperdrive, taking small baby steps until he collapses before the open metal panel. What he found was disheartening to say the least. The hyperdrive wasn't just fried, but burned out entirely. Metal was jagged and broken, entire bits of circuitry were missing, the shell of the device was completely ripped apart. "No."

Kurt whispered to himself, head shaking.

This couldn't be right, this couldn't be how it ended. The Hyperdrive...The Messa, it was...he couldn't. No. "FRAK!"

Kurt lashed out, his fist burying itself in the metal grating beside him.

 

[Kaile Vera]

DENON___________________
Arceneau Trade Company
[member="Kurt Meyer"]


In the end, Yum Bunnies was something familiar to Kaile. She knew the ins and outs. The layout. The menu. The drinks. Every Yum Bunnies Restaurant was the same; it offered the tacky yet friendly atmosphere that sapients around the ‘Verse could enjoy. Stepping into one Yum Bunnies meant that it would be exactly the same down on the Mara Corridor as it would be in the Core Worlds.

There was a mighty large drive to latch onto that piece of home.

The aroma and scent of fried spicy Nuna and ale hit her like a ton of bricks, but it was a welcome reprieve. A hand ran through the limp and slightly frizzy strands of her strawberry blonde hair, pushing it back and tucking it behind her ears.

“Hi! Welcome to Yum Bunnies!” a bright cheery Bothan would greet her, flashing a full set of straight teeth. “How many today?” came the subsequent question, drawing a pang of homesickness and another wave of melancholy.

“Just one.” Kaile told her, giving a weak smile. Yum bunnies had been one of courier’s and Kaile’s favorite dives after she moved in with him. They would banter over the table, joke about who he could potentially convince to use his wiles, and then the best part of the few times they went out to dinner - dessert. It was a fun little thing that happened out of the blue. Kaile had a sweet tooth, and was wont to try new things. Being a bit conscious of money, she had originally ordered one and then had encouraged Kurt to try it. Over time, it just became their own little tradition. Picking and having fun selecting a desert and then eating it together. Rather silly but…

It was something that Kaile treasured very much.

“Bar or table?” the long lashes of the Bothan would blink out at her warmly. Kaile bit her lower lip. She couldn’t bring herself to sit on a booth. It would make her feel worse because Kurt wouldn’t be sitting across from her anymore like he used to.

The Lorrdian gave a slight mournful sigh, shoulders dropping to answer quietly.

“Bar, please.”

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Blood dripped down from his knuckles, his hand unfurling from a tight fist, his head laying back down against the cold metal floor. Kurt shook slightly, the pain, the anger, the loneliness quickly settling in on him. His eyes were squeezed shut, his face contorted in misery and agony.

How?

Why?

Why had he done this? Why did he push The Messa this far? He could have done it, he could have made it there before her normally, he didn't have to press the hyperdrive so fast, he didn't have...tears began to form in his eyes, slowly sliding down his shattered cheek. A sob pulled through him, his lips letting out a hiss as the breath caused his bruised ribs to ache. He tried to curl his fingers, tried to move, but the pain was too much. His knuckles were bent and warped, not broken but displaced. The force of his punch against the metal had pushed them aside, dislocating them in his rage.

"You idiot." Kurt whispered to himself. "You karking idiot."

He had no one to blame, no one but himself. His chest rose slowly as he forced another breath to enter his lungs, his eyes slowly folding open as he prepared himself for the pain that was to come. Slowly he stood, agony burning through his entire body. With a snail like pace Kurt picked himself off the floor, using his good hand to prop himself up and push to his feet. Another hiss pulled through his teeth, and slowly Kurt limped over towards a small metal panel in the back of the cargo hold.

The Courier sighed, opening the panel and pulling the lever inside. "They'll come get me, then I'll get her."

He wasn't giving up, he was never giving up.

 

[Kaile Vera]

DENON______
Arceneau Trade Space Station
[member="Kurt Meyer"]


"Here you go, sugar. Krie will take care of you soon," a holomenu was set in front of Kaile, who gave a weak smile in gratitude. The establishment was crowded, what with it being on a major intersection of two hyperlanes. A thin cloud of haze hung around the dive, joining with it the jovial ambiance multiplied by the jazzy bepbop of the cantina music just down to the main hall, where a live band was playing.

There was such a sense of familiarity. She had spent two years at Yum Bunnies. She met a lot of people, heard a lot about their pasts, their goals, their desires and woes. She spent many a long night pouring drinks, getting the fixings on orders, and giving just a little extra to the nice ones who were kind customers and treated people right. It made her wonder, what if she had simply been a waitress, where would she be? If she wasn't part of the Alliance or the Pyre. Would she have met Kurt then? Would she have been the same person?

With downcast eyes, Kaile would start to play with her napkin. She didn't need to read over the menu, she knew it by heart. Here she was, sitting at a bar, feeling all alone despite the crowd of patrons around her. The barkeep came up, shining her a smile. It was a young Firerreo, his skin glinting as if gilded in gold, two toned blue and black hair drawn back away from his face in a short ponytail.

"Welcome to Yum Bunnies," oh his smile was nice, but it didn't make her heart pitter patter like it normally would.

"Hey." Kaile would answer, a half crooked smile on her pallid face, fingers still playing with her napkin.k

"Want me to get you anything to drink there Miss?" his brows furrowed a bit, inching closer.

"Just a Cassandra Sunrise." One of the heavy hitters, and it was enough to warrant an arch of his brows as if silently asking if she was sure.

"Keep 'em coming." maybe if she had enough of them, she'd be able to finally crash into oblivion. And forget how miserable she felt at being at Yum Bunnies without Kurt, drawing ideas on napkins about upgrades to the Messa and the excited look upon his face as they'd done so.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Kurt didn't know how long he waited, didn't know how long it was for someone to find him, and he didn't really care.

The Courier had sat himself down against the far wall, his eyes closed, his body screaming in agony. There was no explanation for what he was feeling, no way that he could relate to anyone or anything that was around him. Of course that seemed like an empty suggestion given that he was alone, but for Kurt...for Kurt he simply felt alone. Even if he had been surrounded by family, if he had had his parents there, his family, he would not have felt at home.

Without Kaile, without his best friend, Kurt wasn't sure he could feel whole.

To some that might seem like a romantic gesture, it might have seemed like Kurt was in love, but that wasn't it. Kaile had simply done so much for him, had cooked him food, propped him up, had always made sure that he came first. What could he do without her? What could he accomplish without her by his side?

He couldn't just leave her, couldn't just live with having chased her away.

That was the only thing that Kurt could think about, even as a message began to play over the comms, even as he spoke to his rescuers, as they asked him questions and he answered, Kurt felt completely and utterly alone. He did not know what to do, he did not know where to start. Even if he made it back to Fondor, even if he walked into that office and asked them where she was...she would already be gone. She would have to chase after her, find her, and right now...that seemed like such an impossible task.

Kurt closed his eyes, tears rolling down his face.

 

[Kaile Vera]

DENON______
Arceneau Trade Space Station
[member="Kurt Meyer"]

"Cap... Cap'tn." A finger rose, then a hiccup. Rosy of cheeks and hooded of eyes, Kaileann stared up at the Rodian Captain that was her flight ticket to Sullust with false bravado and charm. Well, tried to. If the good ol' Captain could just stand still! He kept moving from side to side, watching her through those big, black, bulgy eyes. Was he laughing at her? He was wasn't he!

Of course he was!

"I am here t-to check in -hic- in." well at least she made it here on time. Had to remind herself. Well try. Honestly everything was a bit of a blur, but at least.. at least...

"You come smelling like a bar there. Don't wreck my floors." Kaile gave a nod. A bit too quick of one which only made her head spin. She took a stumble, but righted herself.

"I'm okay!" she pasted a smile on her face. " Fine!" another gesture for assurity.

"I've been puke free... since forty three!" The Captain gave her an eyeful, but shook his head. He had his orders and this wasn't the only pick up. Looking back, she gave a shout up to the ship.

"Blaze!" the name at that exact pitch made Kaile's head pound. "Ow..." her hands came up to cradle her head.

"Cap'tn?" a deep voice came from the airlock. Black short hair, bright green eyes, and thick bushy brows that just somehow fit for the smuggler.

"Get Miz Leae up to her bunk. She's coming to Sullust." The Rodian Captain shook his head, leaving Kaile to the broad shouldered man swaggering over to her. A frown fixated over his face, looking her over.

She didn't look right at all.

"You gonna be alright?" he asked her out of concern.

At that, Kaile lifted her head, red rimmed eyes and wobbly smile met him.

"Maybe." she swallowed hard. The trembling of that lower lip grew. "Kinda."

Another pause. Then a sniff. Nek take it.

"No.."

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Kurt didn't know the people that had found him, though he had half expected Sif to show up. Instead it had been a carrier of some sort, a massive ship that he had never seen before. There was a brand on it's side, a huge symbol that reminded him of the one carried by the Republic. He wasn't entirely sure whom it belonged to in his current state, though as The Messa was scooped up by the carrier and brought on board it occurred to him that it could really only have two origins, and one was far more likely than the other.

His suspicions were soon confirmed when The Messa found itself dragged onto the hangar floor, the ramp opened by the access codes that Kurt had given his rescuers. The men and women that came aboard were dressed professionally, two soldiers and one doctor. The doctor was a female, a Zeltron in fact.

Kurt's eyes narrowed at her for a moment, then panned to the two soldiers. Their insignia was the same as the one located on the Carrier, and above it proclaimed their division and which operational branch of the military they belonged to. It read in simple terms Galactic Alliance First Marines. That made him smile. The Alliance, as per their reputation, were trustworthy folk, and Kurt felt like he had been rather lucky that they were the ones to pick up his signal. The Zeltron woman almost immediately dashed over to him, a gracious mammaquitia rolling over her chest as she approached him, a scanner in her hand and a rather stern expression on her face.

"What happened?"

Her voice was like soft honey, music to his ears right now, really.

"Hyperdrive exploded." Kurt said simply, not detailing how or why, just that it had.

The Zeltron nodded, and within the next thirty minutes Kurt was stabilized and taken off of this Ship, The soldiers escorting him to the medical bay and standing watch over him in case he tried anything.

 

[Kaile Vera]

DENON______
Arceneau Trade Space Station
[member="Kurt Meyer"]

"Steady there."

Large hands would come to catch her at her waist before Kaile bumped against the wall. It had been a long while since she had so many Casanddra Sunrises. A long while. Her world was a bit unsteady, and it took more help from Blaze than anything else.

"I'm good... I'm.." no. No I'm not. The booze didn't help at all. It just made her more depressed.

"Just ... lean here a bit." He told her, letting her rest against the bulkhead next to the door of her room. Kaile slammed her head back, the pain barely registering with the loud clunk.

"Oh shit."

Stars shone in her eyes and they began to fill with tears. "Yeah. Shit." she repeated, one hand rising and falling in a helpless gesture. 'Shit. shit... shit!" Big, brown watery eyes glistened with unshed tears.

"You alright? " the door slid open with a hiss, and Blaze stared down at her with ample concern. He might be an arsehole from time to time, but a woman in tears did him in every time. Couldn't stand it.

"Look, here is your room. You can rest easy and --"

"You ever felt like your heart is just--" her hands came up, hands tightening together in emphasis. "all tied up in knots but then suddenly just.." her hands spread outward, "it's all torn apart?"

Blaze suddenly had a very panicked expression on his face.

"Does it ever go away?" she asked him, staring up at the strange man who seemed to want to be anywhere but here. "Like... do you think he ... he," now she was rambling.

"He's better off right?" tears began to fall down her eyes, rolling down her cheeks and she began to cry. She couldn't hold it back.

"Stars... I just..." her shoulders began to shake.

Oh this was going to be a long night.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

The Medical bay of the carrier was surprising comfortable, it's beds large and segregated from one another, spacious enough that didn't feel claustrophobic but small enough that one felt Secure. Kurt woke up here only an hour after he had been sedated for treatment, bacta patches and bandages now lining his body, his shattered face having undergone light surgery to replace a bit of broken bone with a titanium plate. Modern medical equipment really was a miracle, Kurt having been treated in nearly no time.

Now he lay patiently in bed, waiting for his doctor to appear.

"Mr. Meyer, I'm glad to see you're awake."

"I'm glad to be awake." He quipped back at the Zeltron woman, though there was no amusement in his voice and no smile on his face. "When can I go?"

The woman gave him an off look, as though she were surprised that he had asked the question at all. most wouldn't have of course, most would have simply kept on the Alliance Carrier and stayed there until they reached a port, but Kurt however, he had something to do, somewhere to be. The Courier saw the woman's expression, frowning slightly and continuing on. "I have to find my friend."

The Zeltron nodded, though hardly seemed to care.

"I'm afraid we can't discharge you for several days, Mr. Meyer."

 

[Kaile Vera]

DENON______
Arceneau Trade Space Station
[member="Kurt Meyer"]

It was just a way to get high to keep him out of her mind, a way to keep her mind in a haze. A way to try to try to forget that she was missing Kurt... from missing Asmus. Deep down Kaile knew that this would never work. This was merely a way to fill the emptiness.

Blaze had left her be, likely relieved to not have to deal with a crying woman. The door shut with a hiss, the strawberry blonde with the bruised lips and the tear marks down her cheeks. Kalie was tired. Exhausted. Flopping onto the cot, Kaile felt the world spin. High in her inebriation, her mind wandered, unable to forget. Unable to block it all.

In that she imagined she was back in his room. Her mind painted in the strips of orange that illuminated the room in that soft glow. The sound of their breaths, the scrunch of fabric under her fingers. Lids fell shut in her play pretend. She pretended she felt the whisper soft brush of his hands, that she sank her fingers into his hair, imagined the press of his lips. Sleep sometimes was difficult for her. She imagined herself with him, and for a moment she even pretended she'd heard him say, ‘Make love to me.’

Her hands came up to rub her face, feeling the wet of her tears, the hum of her body. Hands would drift in her play pretend. It was easier now. Just had to keep on imagining, until knees grew weak and tracing circles caught her breath.

Only him and me.

The murmurs turned to sighs. The slow lave and gentle tug. The rasp of his voice as he whispered her name. The scent of lavender and the sweep of his hands. Asmus. He fed her imagination, rocked her insides, begged her to come apart and she did. Kaile fell back with a feeling of bliss giving her that glow.

I’m good.
I’m good.
I’m so karkin' good.

And then Kaile opened her eyes and saw the darkness of her cabin. Her hand slid up and the feeling of bliss dissipated.

I’m not good.
I'm not good at all.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Kurt sat in his bed, he fidgeted, he waited, and that was all he did, that was all that they would let him do.

It was so frustrating, so breaking, so emotionally disparaging that he couldn't help but want to scream.

He knew that Doctor Misha wanted the best for him, that the buxom and slightly too comforting Zeltron woman simply wanted to take care of him, but Kurt wasn't having any of it. He didn't want to be taken care of, he didn't want to be loved on, he didn't even want to sleep with her. All that he wanted, all that he needed was Kaile back. She was his only friend, and she was alone, she was out in the galaxy alone, without him. That thought hurt him.

He knew that she would be safe, she knew that she would be okay. Kaile was trained, she could handle herself, but...but she was without a friend. "Misha...please. I need to go."

Kurt looked at the Zeltron woman, his eyes growing big and tears welling within them. The Zeltron peered down at Kurt, her clipboard tightly held onto her chest. Her teeth sunk into her lower lip, her eyes searching Kurt's as if she were trying to find something...something precious. The Zeltron shifted on her own two feet, her heels clicking slightly before she slowly nodded.

"Okay."

 

[Kaile Vera]

Hydian Way________
Sullust Space
[member="Kurt Meyer"]

The next few days went by in a blur.

The transport spewed out of hyperspace in a mottled tunnel of blue and white, coming within Sullust space with reasonable time. Kaile spent the most of the time in her cabin, eating a few things now and then, but really only tasting dry power rations. It was as if she was moving on autopilot. She got up, she had a ration, she went to the sonic shower, she got dressed, laid back down in bed.

A few times she would stare at the holoscreen of her portable computer only to have her eyes glaze over. Messages upon messages came, encrypted updates. Something about the Republic credit dropping in price and the tension filled question of if there will be a Mandalorian and Republic war.

There was always a battle. Always a fight. Always something, and something doing something to the other. Kaile just wanted to help people. She was happy to. She was good at what she did and it made a difference.

Just right now she didn't seem to have the heart to do much of anything.

Maybe she should ask for leave. Turn in those accumulated days and head off somewhere into the Wild Regions. Maybe travel to Tash Taral, Sanctum Space... yeah... she could blend in there. Sit tight.

She tried to push from her mind that it would just be her traveling alone.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Misha had agreed to help him, though she was not the head medical officer of this ship. The Zeltron was only a doctor, one that actually usually worked with the newly created Eve Foundation. She was on the Alliance Carrier because she was headed towards the future battle scene of Lujo, where apparently the Alliance had been invading the One Sith. It was surprising really, not something that Kurt expected, but not really something that he actually cared about either.

"Misha." Kurt said quietly. "I don't need you to come with me to the hangar, just to get me out of the medical bay."

That was really the only issues, the soldiers standing guard still, though that shouldn't be any issue for a Zeltron like Misha. It wasn't that men were weak, it was just...well yeah in the face of a zeltron with large breats and pheromones they really were weak. Once the guards were distracted Kurt would be able to get out of the medical bay and to The Messa. Misha had told him that they had repaired the ship somewhat and that the secondary backup hyperdrive was still operational.

That would be enough to get him to the nearest world.

From there he would be able to repair the main hyperdrive and hopefully get everything back to working order, then he would just have to find Kaile and get her back. Easy enough.

"Okay."

Misha said the word slowly, as if she wasn't quite sure that she believed Kurt, but she did slowly wander over to him and lift him out of bed. The Bacta had done it's work, healing him quite well and to the point where he could at least stand without being in agony. He shifted to his feet, pulling on the meager clothes that Misha had managed to gather for him before walking over to one side of the medical bay. The Zeltron took a deep breath, looking at Kurt with a pained sigh.

She didn't want to do this, but those big blue eyes had already convinced her.

 

[Kaile Vera]

Hydian Way________
Sullust Space
[member="Kurt Meyer"]

"This is the Captain speaking. We will be entering atmo in a few minutes, so it might be a little bit shaky but otherwise should be fine."

Kaile's head perked at the news. She was here. A deep, weary sigh flew from her lips and her shoulders fell. Her hands came up to rub her face, feeling the slight puffiness of another bout of crying. She's never been this way before. It felt unnatural. Strange. It wasn't who she was and that is what made it all the more painful.

Normally, Kaile was the one bringing the cheer, having all the smiles. Normally it was her checking to see if others were okay, and looking for every silver lining. Not this time around. This was the first time she ever truly had experienced loss -- and it shook her to the core. It was painful, made her feel miserable and as if she was under the weight of an aurodium throne. Nothing she seemed to do, or tried to do to get herself cheered up or have Kurt out of her mind worked.

Is this why the Jedi said that they shouldn't have attachments? Because of how much it hurt to feel as if one had lost a piece of themselves without the other? Why did she feel like this? It confused it. It scared her. How long would it last? Would she ever be okay with it?

What did it all mean?

There was a tightness in her chest, one that prompted her to bring her hand down to clutch at it over her shirt. Kaile had heard all about love. She had heard about the many different kinds. Love of family. Love of friends. Love of someone who made the sun rise and the moons set. Idealistic in their quaint little stories that made Kaile a little bit giddy when she read them. Happy for the end to see everyone okay and so in love.

Maybe that was it. Maybe Kaile was just simply in love with the idea of being in love, but not ready to experience it herself. Instead she was drawn towards the one kind of affection that she could understand completely, the love of a friend. Of having someone there. Of feeling home.

Kurt was her home. It wasn't love. But it was home.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Misha did exactly what Kurt had asked, perhaps a tad too well.

She took the attentions of both the guards, slipping her top down and revealing a more ample amount of cleavage. She acted coy with them stringing them along and grasping all conscious thought of guarding Kurt. It made him wonder just how many times a Zeltron had done something similar to him, just how often he had fallen into that trap. A chill ran down his spine, and quickly Kurt dashed out the door. Pain still rushed through him, though a grit of his teeth saw the ache in his ribs silence.

He could heard Misha giggle behind him, his head turning back just in time to spot her looking at him.

She peered at him with big sad eyes, her lips pursing for half a second in what could be perceived as blowing a kiss.

The Courier smiled, though there was no joy in it, no mischief or mirth. His head swiveled back, his eyes setting in front of him. Misha had fetched him a flight jacket, placing him as someone who belonged with the Galactic Alliance pilot corpse. He quickly slipped it on over his clothes, trying his best to stand up and not limp as he began to walk through the halls of the carrier. He tried to remember how his Commanding Officers had acted, how they had walked and moved.

Emulating that would get him back to The Messa.

As he began to walk, he heard voices in the distance. His shoulders squared as he prepared for confrontation, his face, bruised as it was, growing stern. He walked past an open door, an operations center normally only open to officers. It appeared to be a basic briefing this time around however, something that Kurt was well accustomed to.

"...Information gathered by operatives from the Omega Pyre..."

Kurt stopped dead in his tracks.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

Sullust Base. Who would have thought that the Galactic Alliance would build their main base of operations at a volcanic world. It made sense none the less. It even grew on Kaile a bit. She spent more time coming back to Sullust for debriefings than anywhere else. It was here where she ended up with shrapnel on her upper arm. That had taken some explaining to Kurt, but at least it had healed over well by the time she met up with him.

The transport made a fly by over the base only to turn back. Landing struts deployed, and in a few minutes they touched dirt side. The other passengers made their way off the transport, but Kaile took her time. She still had a pounding headache, and honestly, she didn't want to spend the next hour debriefing the Big Guy and explain that she left Kurt because she told him about her self. It hadn't been all, but it was enough to get her into trouble.

They'll need to give her a new identity.

Grabbing her satchel, she murmured to Bobo," guess it's time to go."

The walk down to the exit ramp was a rather depressing series of her boots echoing as they hit the grate. The heat of Sullust hit her, a different if not slightly humid heat than the arid one of Tatooine. Vents of steam amidst the black pitch of black lava colored the landscape among tiny pools of bubbling magma.

Scrunching her face against the bright morning, the Lorrdian gave a sigh. She then began the trek down to join the others heading from the spaceport into the base.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

"Thanks to agents from the Omega Pyre working for the Alliance..."

Kurt ducked into the room, his ears perking up as he began to listen intently to every single word that the man said. Everything he would say was important, everything pertained to finding Kaile. The Courier knew that his friend had been trained by the Rebellion and had then begun to work for the Protectorate, moving to function as an agent for them. That was everything that Kurt knew, and it wasn't a lot, so if this man could impart some knowledge on him then Kurt would take advantage of it, even if he only had limited time.

"We've been able to recover some critical information on the operations of the One Sith. These agents, though technically independent contractors, are trustworthy enough and run by the Alliance itself, meaning that the intelligence we've received from them is good."

There was a sudden sense of calm within Kurt, a small bit of satisfaction.

Luck had turned into his favor, fortune itself had come and blessed him with a smile and a kiss.

The Alliance. It made sense really. Kurt had dropped Kaile off more than once in Alliance space, and a few times he could have sworn she had muttered something in her sleep about Sullust. If agents from the Omega Pyre were working for the Alliance, then it stood to reason that Kaile would be one of those agents. He smiled slightly, the first genuine smile that he had had since Kaile had left him back on Tatooine.

He had a lead.

A real one this time.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

Security checks were always a drag.

Typically, Kaile didn't mind them. Normally she had a nice time chatting up a bit by now whoever was traveling with her. She'd have either made a new friend or acquaintance. Maybe have someone to join her for lunch at the mess hall. Not this time around. Wasn't feeling too sociable.

Hungover, the light sensitivity stun her weary eyes. In the light of day, Kaile looked like she'd been dragged up the Red District and back. Her hair was limp. Her face pale. Eyes red and she clearly lost at least a kilo the past few days.

The little organized line and file moved along, and the Alliance personnel would hand over an IDchip. Kaile didn't have one. Instead she has a derma chip, one that was on par as a datasplint. It was heavily encrypted, and even under torture the data would be protected. As her turn came up, she passed her wrist over a scanner. Nothing came up save a simple pass. Which is more than enough to get anyone wondering, but since it was tied to her biometric file, she was okay.

"Do you have any food or illegal substance?" The TSA attendant droid would drone.

"No." Kaile replied.

His cybernetic oculars would flap and peered at her. Scanning, he then chirped.

"Please step to the side citizen, you have been randomly selected to be searched."

Gorram it.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

So he had a destination, a clear one this time. His target had switched from Fondor to Sullust. The Alliance were good people, or so Kurt had heard anyway. He knew that if Kaile was working for them she would at the very least have the resources she needed to get around safely. That was important to him, it meant that she'd be alright when he finally came to find her. Kurt frowned slightly, listening to the man go on about an operational strike on the One Sith.

Eventually the officer trailed off, beginning to take questions from the pilots in the room.

He remembered sitting through things like this before, the boring briefings, the instructions on what to do, when to do it, and whom to do it with. Kurt had always found them to be very boring, mostly because his only roll in the Navy had been as part of the fighter screen for the capital ships. Unlike most, Kurt had never really excelled at bombing or protection runs, his skill had lain in straight dog-fighting.

Not many had that skill, but Kurt did.

His commanding officers had always complemented him on that, though Kurt had never been entirely sure that the ability to kill someone before they killed you was something that deserved a complement.

Either way, it hardly mattered now. Kurt wasn't about to stick around and fly combat missions for the Galactic Alliance, he had a friend to find, and helping the Alliance was not going to help him with that. Slowly the Courier backed up and out of the room, taking careful steps so that no one saw him and readjusting his jacket as soon as he left the room. He tried to hike up the collar, pulling himself together so that no one noticed his face.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]


“Please stand behind the yellow line.” the monotone drone of the security droid would instruct the Lorrdian. A grimace went sweeping over her face at the bother. None the less, she ambled over towards the security search section set to the side.

“Please place your belongings upon the table.” another instruction, another sigh. Without further ado, Kaile slid the straps of her bag off her shoulders. She gently and quietly set her bag on top of the desk.

“Give me a sec,” she told the security droid, moving to remove the flap to remove Bobo’s nutrient tube. Before she could, the droid would wind his gears, and warn her the following:

“Citizen, please step back and do not touch your belongings. We are conducting a secured search.”

Her hands froze over her back, only to curl her fingers into tight fists.

“I have a ysalamir in my satchel.” she told him, blinking from under her messy tangle of strawberry blonde hair. Her hands came up to her face and she began to rub it, sliding her fingers back to tuck the strands behind her ears.

“Please be careful.”

She couldn’t have anything happening to Bobo after all of this.

There was a small beep from her wrist comm. Glancing at it, she saw the name that scrawled across it in Aurabesh sigils.

The Big Guy.

This was going to be a l-ooong day.