A dining hall was before them, with dark, regal splendor infused with art deco aesthetic, and the Twi'lek looked around, curious. "Never seen a mess hall this ornate, before. This is gorgeous." Mina smiled at that as she walked ahead. "The Empire reserves the best for the best, and this is it. Cafe Coruscant." The Twi'lek found the woman's elitist inflection amusing, and followed her to a corner booth out of the way. A smooth electro-ambient tune played in harmony with the scenery, and it helped ease her mind as she took a seat opposite of Mina. The two scooted inward, away from the table's edge, and got comfortable.
A pale hued waiter in formal attire strolled up and with a friendly smile greeted them. "What'll it be for you two, today?"
"We're both getting the lobster lunch, for today," Mina informed him. "I'll take some Jabba Juice, and," she paused slightly. "Whatever she wants." "Cherry cola with a shot of Doshka, no ice." "Certainly," he replied, and wandered off.
"Doshka, oh wow," Mina remarked, and the Twi'lek listened as she began to ramble. "Potent stuff. Your lizard friend, well, the Colonel, I mean, made that the official Imperial liquor, being the Game Warden, which has that as a weird perk, choosing a drink like that." Kyl'likki shot her a funny look as she sipped some water. You're talking a parsec a minute, here. What are you so worked up for?
Kyl'likki then raised her brows at the revelation. "Vardossk is a game warden?" "The," Mina corrected her, and she corrected her pacing in her words after she breathed, deep. "He's in charge of all manner of conservationism. You know, like animals, wildlife preserves, and the like. He's actually important in the grander scale of things." "Really? The scale of things?" Kyl'likki asked. Mina rolled her eyes, then smiled, and the Twi'lek smiled back. Maybe she's not so bad, after all.
"Your drinks, ladies," the waiter spoke politely, and the man set the two beverages down with a gentle clink! and strolled away.
Kyl'likki took hers and happily swilled from it. "Oh, that's good! Props to the bartender," the Twi'lek smiled. Mina sipped hers, slowly, and nodded. A silence followed, and the Twi'lek decided to speak, first. "So, what kind of music you listen to?" "Whatever's playing. I don't really care," she shrugged, disinterested.
"You should change that. Some Heavy Isotope concerts and more of this," she held up her drink and swished it. "Might loosen you up. You sit so stiffly I'd think I was having lunch with a mannequin!" "It's called military etiquette," she spoke with a less than friendly tone. Kyl'likki raised her brows at that, and swilled from her beverage. Another silence passed, and Mina looked the Twi'lek dead in her eyes.
"They made me rip open an animal carcass and eat the not-rotted part. When I was twelve." The Twi'lek stared blankly at her as she continued. "I never got to wear a dress and go for a little walk in the sunrise like the other girls...it was drills, training. Killing," she concluded with widened eyes.
Kyl'likki took a swig, stunned for a few moments. Zylas was right! Oh my word... "What are you really saying, with that?" The Twi'lek asked bluntly. "Are you trying to threaten me here, Lieutenant?"
"All I'm saying is," she replied, her tone now arrogant. "The Empire only allows the best in its ranks. The toughest." "Oh, so you think you're tough, huh, helmet girl? Pfft," Kyl'likki scoffed with a laugh. "Try hiking for days from a burning wreck in the desert, all while being hunted by hardened thugs on skiffs." "Try surviving the Carrion Plateau on Eriadu," Mina retorted. "I had to earn my family name in the wild, and survive alongside the most dangerous predatory animals on the planet. Spiced up scum that can't even shoot straight-" The Twi'lek glared at her as she did the Jawas on Tatooine, and the woman visibly shivered.
Mina's already fair featured paled, further as she shrunk back. The woman took the hint, and backed off the conversation with a loud gulp. "Um," she began as she fidgeted with her fingers, nervous. "So, uh, um, where did you, um, get your, um-" Kyl'likki looked away. You can't just spout off like that and try to fumble your way out of it...What a loser. Poor Zylas. She shook her head and sighed.
"My tattoos? Back when I was a professional dancer, I had some done, so I'd be prettier, and when I became the pirate queen, I had the rest finished as a status symbol." Mina shown a flash of fear and loathing in her eyes, and Kyl'likki jumped on it. "Yep, that's right! A real life villain. Raided so many ships, blasted so many merchant marine guards to ash."
Mina pursed her lips, flustered. In time, the main dish appeared, and the red carapaces of boiled red shellfish were surrounded by an array of vegetable cutlets, steamed rice pilaf, and sauteed shrimp scampi.
"This smells amazing," Mina spoke to herself. Kyl'likki wasted no time as she ripped off a claw, and cracked into it with a pair of durasteel shell crackers. She dipped the meat in a butter sauce, and enjoyed its succulent flavor. The song faded, and a whimsical chiptune ditty aired, and with it entered Lola and Vardossk. Once she spotted the seated women, Lola made a show of moving her arms as though jogging in place while she danced with a goofy smile to match.
Vardossk sat beside Mina and began. "So, we made some interesting, shall we say, discoveries, from what we recovered, earlier." Lola rested her head on the Twi'lek's shoulder as he continued. "I can say that we found an unreleased album in her files, and since it wasn't mission essential, I took it just for you. Well, a copy, as the original is still evidence." He paused. "We also found her diary, too," he finished with his trademark grin.
"It's probably all about how utterly insane she is, I'm sure." Kyl'likki spoke, then continued. "I really wanna hear that album, though. It was widely anticipated, but..." The Trandoshan nodded while Mina spoke. "I was excited to hear it, too, honestly." Kyl'likki shook her head. "Whatever's playing, huh?" Mina looked at her plate and grimaced. Vardossk cast a glance at the two, but decided to leave it alone.
The others got their meals in time, and once they finished in full, they stretched and walked off. "Ah. Top notch as always," Vardossk stated contently. He looked at the three women, and nodded his head toward the elevator, and they followed after him.