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Thread: Wherever the hyper lanes take me... (Nikole)

  1. #1

    Closed Wherever the hyper lanes take me... (Nikole)

    Dark blue eyes scanned the cantina. Despite the raucous shouting from patrons in Huttese and Shyriiwook at the next table over, the raven-haired woman sat with a leg crossed under the table, looking perfectly calm and composed. She ignored their argument and continued to watch the others expectantly.

    Something is about to happen here, Aurelia Wayne thought, but what?

    This was just one stop of me on her journey. An orbital refueling station on the Outer Rim, of all places, and her instincts were pinging hard. Aurelia knew to trust them, even if she didn't fully understand what she was looking for here.

    Clad in a non-descript, utilitarian black and gray flight suit, she sipped from the mug in front of her. Her right arm rested on her similarly dark travel bag. Setting the mug down, she continued to watch and wait.

    "Another, miss?"

    Aurelia nodded and the barmaid poured her another surprisingly good mug of stimcaf. The server smiled; she smiled back and took another sip.
    Last edited by Miranda Tarkin; Sep 11th, 2017 at 07:04:39 PM.

  2. #2
    It was a simple refuel and restocking trip before The Ronan head out to Jakku. The Nystrom family had been hired to secure supplies from a junk dealer that happened to score on a particularly lucrative scavenge run. To capitalize on time, the three of them split up the work. Katja stayed at the ship to oversee refueling and do some light repairs while the twins, Nikole and Kalyn, went to restock the pantry and upgrade some tools. Kalyn went shopping at the market while Nikole took care of the food supplies.

    A Kel Dor by the name of Tiast owed the family a small favor and currently ran a cantina here, and Nikole was quite certain that he would allow the Nystroms take whatever was needed from his storeroom to replenish their stock. Especially if he wanted to call things even.

    Gently pulling off her mirroshades, Nikole walked down the steps and already winced at the choice of bass metal music competing with the garbled yelling and heated debates inside. Brown eyes quickly scanned the room and didn't recognize any of the servers.

    Has it really been that long?

    She saddled up at the bar, setting at arm against counter as she adjusted her vest. Nikole was always practical in what she wore and looked like any other smuggler here.

    "What'cha want, Nystrom?" barked the approaching Gran bartender.

    "A shot of your best whiskey and letting Tiast know I'm here to collect," she said with a smirk. "Trust me, Isk. He'll know what it means."

    He snorted, nostrils flaring. "We don't need any trouble. I've got enough of that shit here. Transients always starting fights."

    She held up a hand and looked innocent. "No fights. Just a simple transactions that your boss will be delighted to complete."

    Isk slammed a shot glass down and filled it up. "Fine. Just behave until I get back."

    "Behave?" she said, feigning hurt. "I didn't cause any trouble last time. That was Katja."

    "Yes behave. And I don't care who started it before. You sit there and behave," he said, jutted a finger out at the stool she was sitting on.

    With a sigh, she nodded. "Very well."


    *This is the start of a reboot with the Nystroms and the Waynes
    Last edited by Nikole Nystrom; Sep 11th, 2017 at 08:08:07 PM.


  3. #3
    Sipping her caf, Aurelia tracked the smuggler through narrowed eyes. It was nothing personal; she'd done the same for every other being who'd entered since she'd been sitting at her table. She watched as the bartender got animated with the smuggler and again, it was nothing the Corellian had not already observed in him.

    The sense of expectation was still there, though.

    She glanced up at a vidscreen, skimming the news feeds. This far into the Outer Rim, the data was nearly a full light cycle old, she knew. By now, Aurelia had been journeying long enough to be used to that. Curiosity sated with old news, her gaze shifted back to taking in the cantina's patrons.

    And then, back to the brunette smuggler.

  4. #4
    She took out her link to check in with her siblings.

    "Katja? Please tell me you're behaving?"

    The answer was surprisingly immediate. Totally!

    "Totally?"

    Yep. Ship's almost refueled, and I'm upside down in the main holding doing repairs. I'm behaving.

    "Why are you ... Nevermind." She knocked back the drink instead of grilling her sister's work habits. "Let me know when the repairs are done. I should have the food soon."

    Is Isk still made at me?

    "Quite. So mad that he's mad at me," she said while shifting on the stool to get a good glance at the entire cantina.

    Oops. Sorry, Big Sis.

    "Sure you ..." she paused for a moment as brown eyes drifted past a woman that was watching her and felt the room tilt on edge. She slid off the stool and had to catch herself by grabbing onto the edge of the counter or fall!

    Sis?

  5. #5
    As they made eye contact, Aurelia's eyes widened. It felt like electrical current coursed through her, making her sit up straighter. She watched the smuggler stumble at the same moment.

    With a soft gasp, Auri looked around the cantina, trying to work out what had just happened. She expected to see others stumbling or looking similarly zapped. She was prepared to see the power flicker or to note vid screens gone offline.

    Nothing.

    Her gaze went back to the smuggler, eyes narrowed shrewdly.

    Well, that was interesting, she thought dryly.

    Taking a deep, steadying breath, Aurelia then swallowed the last of her stimcaf. It bought her precious seconds to try and decide what to do now. The jolt was "interesting"; but what did it mean? She lifted a brow, staring directly at the smuggler, then tilted her head toward the open seat in invitation.

  6. #6
    Yo SIS?! Talk to me...

    "I ..."

    Nikole was confused as she righted herself. Never had she been so clumsy.

    "I'm fine, Katja. Sorry. I'll talk with you again later..." She said distracted, tucking the link away and wondering what to do with the invitation.

    She wondered if the woman was taking pity upon her as they continued to stare each other down with curiosity.

    "Nikole?" A gruff voice from behind her forced her attention.

    "Tiask." She acknowledge him with a nod and glanced back at the other woman.

    Unfortunately, Nikole didn't have time to dawdle with a stranger. They were on a schedule, but it took an exorbitant amount of willpower to tear her eyes away from her.

    "Come on and let's get this over with," he said, sweeping the waist high bar door open for her. "We'll talk business in the back..."

  7. #7
    And, just like that, the connection - Or whatever it was, Aurelia thought - had been broken. She was free to look away again, and around the cantina. Still, no one else seemed affected.

    Frowning to herself, she grabbed her pack and slid it onto her shoulders. She squared away her tab and left a few extra creds to cover the time she'd spent taking up the tables. Auri glanced around the cantina once more, gaze lingering on the bar door that led to the back. The smuggler was out of sight range. Pursing her lips, she went out the front and merged into foot traffic moving through the commercial area of the space station.

    Trusting intuition yet again, Aurelia was headed toward the docking bays, even though she wasn't certain why​.

  8. #8
    Delighted that Tiast was eager to made good on his favor, Nikole was loading up a borrowed hoverlift by herself. He knew better than to offer assistance, knowing that the young Morellian was more than capable of lifting the crates herself. With a grunt and a sigh, one by one they were placed perfectly onto the lift, the secured with a touch of a button. A blue barrier shimmered around the supply boxes, making sure that if they got jostled, they wouldn't fall off and become dented.

    Another switch and the lift rose off the ground. Nikole curled her fingers around the comfortable, foamy grip, and was on her way back to the docks and didn't have one good reason to go back into the cantina to see if that woman was still there.

    She couldn't understand why that bothered her so.

  9. #9
    Watching the fellow travelers - spacers, smugglers, tourists, and whomever else - Aurelia didn't see anyone else who gave her such a jolting feeling as the brunette fem had back at the cantina. She mused on that as she walked toward the docking bays, deciding that the sense of expectation she had was simply that it was time to go. She'd already been bunking on this space station for a few days, after all.

    Aurelia approached the dock master. "I'm looking for outbound passage."

    He smirked. "Aren't we all."

    She chuckled softly. "Right. Any recommendations of spacers to talk to?"

    "Hmm, hang on..." The teal-skinned Twi'Lek skimmed his docking schedule, lekku twitching slightly as he reviewed the options. "There's a couple options, depending on what you want to pay and/or put up with."

    Auri grinned at that qualification. "Alright. What do you recommend?"

    "There's a surly Wookiee and then this outfit here, next bay over. They seem like they'd give you less attitude per parsec for the price, anyway. Assuming they're going anywhere you have in mind," he commented, "as they're normally cargo haulers."

    "I've spent time sleeping in cargo holds before," she quipped, amused. "So, I could sell myself as space junk, hmm?"

    He eyed her, fanged teeth gleaming, reptilian eyes alight with humor. "Hardly. But, I'm sure they'd be willing to work with you. A crewer is still aboard, I think."

    "Alright, thanks for the help."

    Auri glanced around and made her way down to the bay door that he'd indicated. She glanced at the display, noting this as The Ronan, then peered through to assess the ship. Knowing more than a thing or two about spaceworthy vessels, the Corellian gave it an approving nod based on what she could see of cleanliness and how the ship was maintained. Aurelia let herself into the bay and looked for said crew member.

    "Hello... anyone home?" she called out.

  10. #10
    Katja was chatting it up with one of the maintenance droids assigned to their bay. The exuberant blonde frowned as the droid in its mid beep as he heard a female voice speaking basic near the ship.

    "Hold on goldie. Lemme see who's come a calling." She gave his dome head a little pat and was off, leaving the little guy to disconnect the fuel hose.

    Coming around one of the landing struts, she saw an attractive woman nosing around the ship. Curious, she came out of the shadows of the ship with a raised brow.

    "It's not for sale, but I can see the look of appreciation," she said with a smirk, appreciating the view herself.

    The flight suit kept her figure hidden well so the Morellian's imagination was running a bit wild right now.

    "You lost?" her tone was playful.


  11. #11
    Aurelia smiled easily, gaze shifting to the young blonde, then back to the Corellian ship.

    "It's a beauty. Nice lines, well maintained..." Blinking, she looked back at the spacer, realizing that she ought to control her geekery for Corellian ships just a little. "Not lost. The dock master recommended you, and thought you'd be willing to hire out to carry a passenger."

  12. #12
    "Aww! You were talking about the ship, werentcha?" she said with a wink once Katja noticed the woman's eyes were oogling the ship and not her.

    She slid her hands under her arms and appraised the stranger. "Well, that's nice and all but we don't always do the schlepping of people from here to there. Gotta have a good reason to even consider it and all. Plus, my older sis has to approve. She'll be back soon."

  13. #13
    Auri chuckled at the blonde's quip, grinning.

    For some reason, at the mention of her having an "older sis," Aurelia's senses tingled. She noted it, though she had no idea why that resonated for some reason.

    "Well... alright. I was just thinking that if you were carrying cargo anyway, perhaps I could ride along as... another crate, as it were," she replied. "But, I can hang around awhile to speak with your sister. If you don't mind, anyway."

  14. #14
    The blonde shrugged and half turned, waving the woman to follow her. "Suit yourself."

    Katja allowed her close enough to be under the ship, but no where near the ramp.

    beep ... beep ... beep

    "No touching anything." She grabbed her link and walked a safe distance away to have some privacy. "Hey Nik. Almost here?"

    Yes... be there in ten. Is everything in place?

    "Yup. My arms and some droids here to get all us settled in with the shipment. There's a girl here too."

    There was a moment pause.

    What do you mean a girl?

    "I dunno. Someone that wants to negotiate passage as extra cargo. Said she had to talk to you."

    Brilliant. Well, I'll hear her out. No promises though. And she has to talk as we load. Not loitering around for lengthy discussions.

    The call ended. Katja pocketed the link and returned to her guest.

    "Good news... Nik's back in ten and delighted to meet you," she said sweetly, obviously exaggerating.

  15. #15
    Eyebrows aloft, Aurelia held up her hands in amusement, showing the blonde that they were nowhere near touching the ship or anything else.

    She's an odd one, the Corellian thought.

    She watched her wander off to take the call, eventually dropping her hands to put them back in her pockets. Her satchel was still hung on her shoulder. Dark blue eyes studied the underbelly of the ship as she tilted her head back, looking for signs of - and quality of - any repair work. Auri had to admit that - at least from what she could see - it all seemed well maintained.

    A lot better than some vessels you've toted around on so far, she though to herself.

    The look of being quietly impressed with the sisters' work shifted to a smirk at the blonde's tone.

    "I look forward to meeting with her, then. It's not as if I don't have credits to spend to make this worth your while. Plus, I can be quiet and out of your way if that's what you need," she said reasonably.

  16. #16
    With a sigh, she crossed the street and saw the main entrance to the docking port. She was not looking forward to half hearing someone lay out their reasons for needing passage. Unfortunately her delightful sister had made promises on her behalf to at least hear this woman out.

    The irony of who the woman would be was the trick here that Nikole was not prepared for ...

  17. #17
    "Well, just have to see if it's enough. We like being alone and all. Prefer the privacy and having someone else on the ship makes that not entirely possible," she said honestly. "Though, gotta love money paying cargo, huh?"

    Katja winked.

  18. #18
    "Self-sustaining haul for you, cargo that pays its own way," Aurelia agreed with a smirk.

    She waggled dark eyebrows and chuckled. Auri wasn't sure what else to say, if it was the sister who had to make the determination on her booking passage on the Corellian ship.

  19. #19
    She thought the woman was quite attractive and fun, if the banter was any indication. Part of her hoped that Nikole would be gracious enough to allow her passage because the sight was worth it, money aside. They had a lucrative business and Katja had her fun, but she left the fun on the planets, never bringing them home. In fact, she couldn't remember the last time someone was on the ship that paid their own way.

    "Ah!" She perked up and waved her arm high as she saw Nikole pass through the checkpoint into their bay. "You get to plead your case now."

  20. #20
    When she laid eyes on the back of the being that her sister was talking too, a strong sense of familiarity caused her to shiver, but not out of danger. Nikole approached cautiously, not returning her sister's wave, to try and get a better view of this potential customer ...

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