Sairi closed the backstage door quietly and turned to face the dimly
lit corridor. She did this every night; it was a familiar routine, but
this time the corridor was not deserted. As her eyes adjusted to the
light, Sairi was able to make out the outline of a human walking towards
her. The corridor was a dead-end, the only outlets being back doors into
other cantinas and seedy shops. Sairi eyed the stranger's silhouette. It
was a male human, tall, with a leather jacket, jeans, and boots. He walked
in a self-assured way that Sairi decided she didn't like. Just to be safe,
she slipped her hand into her purse and pulled out the miniscule triangular
disc blaster she always kept there. It couldn't fire many shots, but one
was all that Sairi would need, should things get out of hand.
Sairi headed down the hallway, keeping to the right, on the opposite side than the stranger. He adjusted his course slightly to intersect hers, and she pretended not to have noticed. When he passed under a dying lightstrip, his face was illuminated for a second, and Sairi caught a glimpse of sandy blonde hair and a pair of shocking blue eyes. As he came closer, she watched for the glint of silver studs or a blaster, but saw nothing. When finally he was within easy speaking distance, she was relieved to see that the leather jacket was free from any kind of gang or spicer symbols, as was his face.
His face. Sairi would never forget that first glimpse of the man that would become such a friend to her. His eyes, brilliantly blue and boyish, smiled warmly at her, and his tousled sandy hair showed him not to be self-conscious in the least. He flashed her a bright, open smile. "Hey," he stuck out his hand, "I'm Aaron D."
Sairi smiled to herself, but shook his offered hand. "Sairi Brink."
"You're the singer at the Lost Jawa, right?"
"Yeah."
"So, what brought you here?" Aaron sought for something to say.
"Just never left, I guess." When Aaron didn't reply, Sairi continued, "It's not like I have anywhere important to go."
"Really? What with the New Republic and all, I thought everybody had something to do."
"Here we're pretty far from the New Republic. Dekenbri and Sheloan- At'Katal," she referred to the two distant planets between which the station was situated, "aren't high on the New Republic or dying Empire's list of 'Most Important Planets,' and we're even less significant here at the station. So what's your great mission? What brings you here?"
"I ferry things across the galaxy for my uncle on Coruscant. I'm just returning from a job on Dekenbri. Got a small freighter and a lot of time to kill. In between jobs I just float around the galaxy, spending my credits. Uncle wants me to take over the business when he's through, but I don't like to stay in one place." They had reached the intersection between that corridor and another. Sairi was about to head towards her apartment, as she usually did, when she felt Aaron's hand on her shoulder. "Hey, have you eaten yet?"
"I'm not hungry."
"Then let me buy you a drink. You pick the place."
Sairi considered pulling out of his grasp, but it had been so long.she turned around to face him, and smiled, a little sadly. "How about the Lost Jawa?"
Aaron grinned, his eyes sparkling. "Of course."
As they headed towards the front entrance to the cantina, Sairi couldn't help but look at Aaron's profile in the better light of the main corridors. If his hair were red, and his jaw just a little more determined, he could easily pass for Ryan, she mused. Ryan. Where was he? Did she really want to know? She remembered Aaron's hand on her shoulder. It really had been too long.
Sairi headed down the hallway, keeping to the right, on the opposite side than the stranger. He adjusted his course slightly to intersect hers, and she pretended not to have noticed. When he passed under a dying lightstrip, his face was illuminated for a second, and Sairi caught a glimpse of sandy blonde hair and a pair of shocking blue eyes. As he came closer, she watched for the glint of silver studs or a blaster, but saw nothing. When finally he was within easy speaking distance, she was relieved to see that the leather jacket was free from any kind of gang or spicer symbols, as was his face.
His face. Sairi would never forget that first glimpse of the man that would become such a friend to her. His eyes, brilliantly blue and boyish, smiled warmly at her, and his tousled sandy hair showed him not to be self-conscious in the least. He flashed her a bright, open smile. "Hey," he stuck out his hand, "I'm Aaron D."
Sairi smiled to herself, but shook his offered hand. "Sairi Brink."
"You're the singer at the Lost Jawa, right?"
"Yeah."
"So, what brought you here?" Aaron sought for something to say.
"Just never left, I guess." When Aaron didn't reply, Sairi continued, "It's not like I have anywhere important to go."
"Really? What with the New Republic and all, I thought everybody had something to do."
"Here we're pretty far from the New Republic. Dekenbri and Sheloan- At'Katal," she referred to the two distant planets between which the station was situated, "aren't high on the New Republic or dying Empire's list of 'Most Important Planets,' and we're even less significant here at the station. So what's your great mission? What brings you here?"
"I ferry things across the galaxy for my uncle on Coruscant. I'm just returning from a job on Dekenbri. Got a small freighter and a lot of time to kill. In between jobs I just float around the galaxy, spending my credits. Uncle wants me to take over the business when he's through, but I don't like to stay in one place." They had reached the intersection between that corridor and another. Sairi was about to head towards her apartment, as she usually did, when she felt Aaron's hand on her shoulder. "Hey, have you eaten yet?"
"I'm not hungry."
"Then let me buy you a drink. You pick the place."
Sairi considered pulling out of his grasp, but it had been so long.she turned around to face him, and smiled, a little sadly. "How about the Lost Jawa?"
Aaron grinned, his eyes sparkling. "Of course."
As they headed towards the front entrance to the cantina, Sairi couldn't help but look at Aaron's profile in the better light of the main corridors. If his hair were red, and his jaw just a little more determined, he could easily pass for Ryan, she mused. Ryan. Where was he? Did she really want to know? She remembered Aaron's hand on her shoulder. It really had been too long.