Sanis Prent and the Urns of Korriban

[Sanis Prent]

Bespin

I'd gotten the summons two days ago through a courier on Sullust. That was the first strange thing. In this day and age of whizbang instant communications, a courier seemed pretty anachronistic. Either somebody too important to talk to me face to face, too busy, or just way too incommunicado. The courier had kept it simple. There was lucrative work for me, and I'd find it on Bespin. Good for me, nobody's schedule was full. We had seen as much of Sullust as was necessary to get our fill, so we pushed on.

* * *

I nudged my co-pilot's shoulder, as Layla began her descent, cutting a vapor trail through Bespin's feathery stratus periphery, leading to the glittering metropolis suspended on sun-sweetened cumulus dunes.

"Hey, we're up on approach. You want to navigate the vectors?"

I smiled lopsidedly, stretching in the pilot seat I'd occupied for too many hours.

[Sanis Prent]

"Yeah and I don't get shot everyday either. That's insurance and it's free."

I looked down to the shell gun at my hip, and back to her.

"This too."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Her features showed a small bit of surprise then, and s'Il only stared at him.

"I've already got a gun, you know," she smiled lightly.

[Sanis Prent]

"Not like this one, you don't."

We'd been friends and acquaintances for years now, but until a few days ago she'd never seen me even draw and fire my shell gun. It was Mandalorian, older than anything I'd ever seen, and the ammunition was hard to find, made by order from a handful of craftsmen around the galaxy. The upkeep was expensive, but there were few weapons in the galaxy more reliable. Maybe moreso than a Jedi's lightsaber, even.

I could've long-since made a mint off selling it. No doubt there were plenty of people who would be interested in such a thing. It was crafted in trim and wood, in an age of blasters built by the hundreds in a stamp forge.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Accepting the weapon, the Lupine cast her eye over its' lines.

It was a fine piece of workmanship, she had to admit; where Sanis had gotten it she could only imagine. She looked up to meet his eyes once more, her own taking on a rarely-seen softness.

"Are you sure?"

[Sanis Prent]

I gestured to the shoulder I still gingerly protected.

"I'm hemmed up in here, and if things jump off, you'll need me on a dust off. Right now I can fly a lot better than I can shoot. Take it."

I unclipped my gunbelt, handing it to her.

"I've got thirty shells for it. Seven durasteel penetrators, six flechettes, five shaped charges, four field projectors, three incendiary shells, two microfilament nets, two lightspeed slugs, and this..."

I pulled out a shell that differed next to the other colorful ordnance in that it's casing was a stark black.

"A cortosis slug."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

s'Il carefully took the belt, easing it around her waist and buckling it. She had to tighten it though, and meticulously made sure that it rested comfortably over her own gunbelt.

Staring at the shell Sanis held out, she stayed her hand.

"... and that does... ?"

[Sanis Prent]

It might have been a tricky subject, but our initial meeting had left me with a mind to be prepared. I wasn't sure she really wanted to know who that bullet was meant for when I bought the thing. Then again, I don't think it would've suprised her.

"The Mandalorians traditionally battled the Knights of the Old Republic. Cortosis is a brittle ore, but one that will effectively nullify a lightsaber's containment field, if you find that sort of thing useful."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

A pause.

Glad the she had kept her hand back initially, the Lupine shifted her gaze to the shell he held. Hr eye still held that same soft gaze, but a touch of nervous trepidation could be seen creeping its' way into her one metallic blue iris.

But it was not the Jedi in her that suddenly had become hesitant...

"If I touch it, will I be touching cortosis?"

[Sanis Prent]

That was a strange question.

"It's jacketed, so no. The metal itself would disintegrate in the barrel without a sheath."

She seemed reluctant to even handle it. Were Jedi somehow allergic to the stuff? I'd never heard of that before.

The old man was eyeballing me something fierce, not that I gave a damn what he thought.

"Check yourself. I don't have to explain a thing to you."

[Zem Vymes]

"Sure. Everybody might as well prepare for a random Jedi attack. They're as common as gundarks in the woods, right?"

I knew that bastard had an angle, and this was all the evidence I needed. I just wondered what his price was, and when he planned on selling s'Ilancy out.

"Lucky thing she's on your side, isn't it?"

It was high time for me and Lok to have a talk about Mr. Prent.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Gingerly, the Lupine reached out to take the shell in her hand.

She felt no burning, though the faintest feelings of heat she could feel - even through the casing. s'Il held the shell out to Zem then, a wordless request fr him to keep it on his own person.

She smiled then, a somewhat thin-lipped smile that hid her previous nervousness.

She stepped in close to Sanis then, their faces mere inches apart.

"Thank you."

[Sanis Prent]

"Forget it."

I shrugged off her thanks, smiling reassuringly.

"You can have every dirty trick in my playbook, just do what you need to do and come back."

I looked to Zem.

"You too."

I meant it, even if I didn't like the guy. With the Empire as your enemy, even bastards like Vymes were indispensible allies.

I walked to the hatch leading to the Cat, and opened up. Daani was obviously itching to go, and I put both hands on her shoulders.

"You've got the ship, Captain."

I mussed her hair a little, looking back at Cirr. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall.

"No hot-dogging. Fly low. Bring her back the way you found her. Got it?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Sanis' concern did not go unnoticed, and for the first time ever, s'Il gave pause. She looked at the man, taking him in as if for the first time. Yes, he was injured, but held himself with... something... a certain kind of pride? She found herself able to identify with it, and for the first time since their meeting, Loklorien s'Ilancy allowed herself into a thought that she had once - very long ago - entertained. It was the look, however fleeting - in his eyes that made her consider him then.

Was he more than a friend? Was her constant badgering at him more than just that?

The Lupine blinked then, turning to Zem before letting her eye lead her forwards into the Cat.

[Daanarri Meorrrei]

Daani nodded as solemnly as possible. "Therrre and back. Low, no hot-dogsss."

She saluted Cirr, and darted inside the shuttle, getting herself settled in to the cockpit and starting the tiny bit of pre-flight the shuttle required.

"Betterrr sssjit down and hold on!" The cub hollered towards the back of the shuttle, and then giggled.

[Sanis Prent]

I stood at the doorway with Cirr, and closed the hatch. My eyes stayed on s'Il for a moment, until the airlock hatch sealed. Tak clung at my leg, and I dropped a hand to rest on her head.

"Cirr, we've got work to do."

Maintenance was a constant reality. You never seemed to have the time or money to do it all. Now, all I had was time. An eternity to wait, and hold my breath. Busying ourselves with a few tasks on the ship would keep our minds sharp and help the time pass.

"And you, little one. I'm gonna teach you to turn a wrench yet."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She'd stared at Sanis as he stared at her, then her eye went down to Tak and she gave the little girl a smile. Then the hatch closed. And even then she still stood, a perplexed look descending upon her face that; a look that fell uselessly against metal plating.

Shaking her head then, the Lupine found her hand going to the shellgun at her hip, and her fingers tightened imperceptibly over the clasp that held it snug in its' holster.

A turn on her heels brought her around to face away from the hatch - and quite unexpectadly right into Zem's chest.

[Zem Vymes]

"I think we're both making a big frellin mistake."

I scowled down at her, as the little Cizerack revved up the shuttle's engines. We made our way to our seats, and strapped in. Trai took the seat next to Daani, and we sat in the back.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She was taken aback by Zem's tone of voice, blinking a few times at him. The level of animosity radiating from him was almost palpable, and s'Il opened her mouth to speak. Nothing came out.

The shuttle jogged just a tad as Daani followed Trai's directions.

With a hand on the bulkhead, s'Il tried again, though kept her voice low. "What the - I've been saying that since this whole thing started; and now you start up?"

[Zem Vymes]

"Thats before I got the serious notion he planned on doing you in."

The vast steppes and plots of farmland moved beneath us as the shuttle picked up speed. Everything was close to the ground, as Daani kept to the low ceiling.