A Mercenary's Tale - Chapter One
Cruel to be kind
"Well, welcome to the Mercenary life, Jaro." Maria told me as the Freedom's Fate landed on the docking bay. I nodded in her direction, I didn't expect her to take the news so well, but somehow she managed to. "I just despair over the fact that you were assigned the job of finding the Parysidian, and failed." She added, I raised my eyebrow. Maria turned and looked at me. "What I mean is, the Hutt you bargained with will probably send bounty hunters after you." She said. I watched as she got up from the seat and left for the sleeping quarters.
Maria and I hadn't exactly been getting on during the trip there, which was to be expected. She was a lone hunter, she didn't need some old guy watching out for her all the time. No, Maria could look after herself and I don't think she liked the idea of Parda suggesting that she needed otherwise. To summarise our trip to Ahto City and Manaan, I would say that we mostly mumbled and grunted greetings at each other. Maria and I never have and probably never will engage in any kind of conversation about each other. Although, from what she said to me previously, I have a feeling that the womans technique of questioning will finally set in and I'll be digging my heels firmly into the ground.
Maria walked back into the cockpit and sat down in the pilot's seat. "We leave under the cover of darkness. After the scuffle that Revan and Bastila had all those years ago the Selkath law hasn't been quite the same, however, it's still incredibly easy for us to be caught." She told me, I nodded in her direction.
"I know a lot about this place." I replied to her, leaning back in the co- pilots seat and staring out at the sea that surrounded Manaan.
"Oh really?" Maria enquired, playing with her hair. "What do you know about here?" She asked as she started to untie her hair from the ridiculous tail she had it in.
"I know that Manaan is covered by water and that Kolto is how this planet makes its credits. I suppose you could say economy is booming here, that was until the Revan and Bastila incident. I don't know why the Selkath let the Sith back here, but I guess we just have to accept that." I said to Maria, placing a cigarra between my lips and lighting it whilst watching her play with her hair.
"What languages do you know, Jaro?" Maria asked as she bent forward and started to tie her hair back in a small bun.
"Basic, obviously." I said, sighing. "Ithorian, Duros, Twi'lek and Wookie." I replied to her. I noticed that the fact I understood the Wookie language was enough to emit a small chuckle off the petite woman.
"Wookie.. Heh. Oh well, I know that language too. I guess we're both equal then, except that I know more languages than you." Maria told me, leaning back in her chair and looking up at the ceiling.
"Ah... Talented I see." I said to her. She turned around and glared at me and I replied by shrugging my shoulders.
Well that was a good sign, at least she still hated me.
I stood up with the cigarra hanging out my mouth and decided to go and wake Rivu, she was having far too much beauty sleep. I entered the sleeping quarters and yelled "HEY, sleepy sister. Get up! It's 5am!" I heard a groan coming from underneath the bunk and walked over to the young Twi'lek. I prodded Rivu in the shoulder a few times "Wakey wakey" I told her. She silently gave me a finger gesture, of which I could say was very rude. "Now now. I'm a lot older than you and you should have listened to my wisdom last night with that Correlian ale! What were you thinking?" I asked her. Yet again Rivu responded with a tiny little groan. "Right then. Have it that way Rivu." I stated to her, storming out of the room.
I prompty walked out of the Freedom's Fate and onto the landing bay that Maria had landed us in. I scanned the area and saw Maria bargaining for our landing fee. I grinned and walked straight past her. "Hey Jaro what's the big idea?" She asked me and I just turned, flashing her a big grin before carrying straight on. I looked to my left and saw a pot that was being used for.. Nothing. I picked it up and walked to the railings that seperated me from the ocean of Manaan. "Jaro, what in Kun's name are you doing?" Maria asked me as I hopped over the railings.
"Just hang on a minute sister and I'll be right back." I replied to Maria as I started to clamber down. Maria popped her head over the railings and watched me on my descent.
"Careful, you may pull a muscle old guy." Maria quipped to me with a cruel laugh. I stopped temporarily and gave her a glare.
"I'm not *that* old." I retorted as I puffed on my cigarra a few times. I carried on with my descent and when I reached the bottom I carefully dipped the pot in the water before ascending again.
"Are you out of your mind?" Maria asked me when I got to the top. I climbed over the railings before even considering answering her.
"No. I just need to wake up our resident Twi'lek alcoholic." I replied to her letting the cigarra fall from my mouth and quenching the last of it with my foot.
"But it's only 5am!-" Maria insisted.
"Rubbish. I used to get up at 4am-" I retorted.
"Must have been a Soldier at some point then." She interrupted.
"Enough." I stated to her in quick succession. How did women manage to always do that? I began walking and Maria soon followed me until I was back on board the Freedom's Fate. I giggled to myself menacingly and whispered "Time to get you back for the little bed clothes trick you played on me a year ago." Maria raised an eyebrow at me.
"Bed clothes trick? Wait.. I.. Uh.. Don't want to know what Rivu has done with you." Maria answered me. I stopped and turned, gawping at her.
"Yes.. I really *did* take Rivu down to the beach and make mad, passionate love to her." I said with more than a hint of sarcasm before taking a deep breath and adding "What are you, crazy? She's half my age!"
"I never said it, so obviously you were thinking it." Maria retorted with, an obvious attempt to annoy me. Again, I glared at her.
"You know, I can always throw this pot of water over you and get some more for Rivu, if you really want to continue annoying me." I told her, holding the pot of water up with a mischievous grin plastered over my face.
"You know, once you throw the pot of water over me you'll be dead in 3 seconds." Maria replied to me as the grin suddenly disappeared from my face. I began walking again and stopped inside Rivu's quarters.
"Hey Rivu, remember me?" I asked her, the young Twi'lek just groaned in response. I was pretty much sick of her attitude.
So I walked over and tipped the pot of water over her head.
Rivu shrieked and jumped out of bed before slapping my chest a few times in outright temper "How dare you do that, you beast!" I chuckled at her.
"Got a headache, sister?" I asked her feeling victorious.
"Ya.. And his name is Jaro Kep, BROTHER." Rivu replied, drying herself off with her bed clothes. "Maria, just do me a favour. KILL HIM!" She yelled at Maria who was now quite amused by the whole idea. "Hey.. Maria, what are you laughing at?" Rivu asked.
"It's just.. I've never.. Nevermind." Maria said, unable to control her laughter. She carried on that way for a few minutes before leaving. I gave Rivu a small grin which was returned by a evil glare and left also.
I returned to the cockpit, stretching and sitting down in the co- pilots seat. "That should wake our Twi'lek friend up" I said, noticing Maria in the other seat.
"Indeed." Came Maria's one word answer. Maria gently scratched her hair and took long, drawn sips of her Caffa that she must have made but a few minutes ago "So. You were a soldier?" Maria asked.
"Enough. I don't want to answer questions about my past. I talked about it once to a lady and that was enough, never ever am I doing that again. So please.. Maria? Just drop it." I replied to her feeling a little bit sad over my past.
"Well.. Answer this for me. Where were you born?" Maria asked. I grumbled softly.
"You.. You're not going to give up are you?" I asked her. Maria turned and shook her head, I sighed. "I was born on-" I was promptly interrupted.
"Let me guess.. Telos." Maria interjected with.
"You're right, but, how did you know?" I asked, furrowing my eyes with suspicion.
"Simple. Your accent screams of it." She replied, taking another sip of her Caffa. "Was it bad after the war?" Maria added.
"Goodbye Maria." I said, angrily.
"Hey.. Why? It was a question I've asked other Telosians.. The destruction of Telos is no secret, you know!" Maria retorted also angrily.
"I don't want to talk on it. We're in this as a partnership, it's nothing personal. And I hope for the galaxy's sake it never *will* be." I replied to her.
"Well so do I, Jaro. So do I." Maria said, smirking at me. "I'd like nothing better but to put my blade to your throat, but I can't so I live with it." She added, promptly turning and leaving me to my own devices and thoughts.
Cruel to be kind
"Well, welcome to the Mercenary life, Jaro." Maria told me as the Freedom's Fate landed on the docking bay. I nodded in her direction, I didn't expect her to take the news so well, but somehow she managed to. "I just despair over the fact that you were assigned the job of finding the Parysidian, and failed." She added, I raised my eyebrow. Maria turned and looked at me. "What I mean is, the Hutt you bargained with will probably send bounty hunters after you." She said. I watched as she got up from the seat and left for the sleeping quarters.
Maria and I hadn't exactly been getting on during the trip there, which was to be expected. She was a lone hunter, she didn't need some old guy watching out for her all the time. No, Maria could look after herself and I don't think she liked the idea of Parda suggesting that she needed otherwise. To summarise our trip to Ahto City and Manaan, I would say that we mostly mumbled and grunted greetings at each other. Maria and I never have and probably never will engage in any kind of conversation about each other. Although, from what she said to me previously, I have a feeling that the womans technique of questioning will finally set in and I'll be digging my heels firmly into the ground.
Maria walked back into the cockpit and sat down in the pilot's seat. "We leave under the cover of darkness. After the scuffle that Revan and Bastila had all those years ago the Selkath law hasn't been quite the same, however, it's still incredibly easy for us to be caught." She told me, I nodded in her direction.
"I know a lot about this place." I replied to her, leaning back in the co- pilots seat and staring out at the sea that surrounded Manaan.
"Oh really?" Maria enquired, playing with her hair. "What do you know about here?" She asked as she started to untie her hair from the ridiculous tail she had it in.
"I know that Manaan is covered by water and that Kolto is how this planet makes its credits. I suppose you could say economy is booming here, that was until the Revan and Bastila incident. I don't know why the Selkath let the Sith back here, but I guess we just have to accept that." I said to Maria, placing a cigarra between my lips and lighting it whilst watching her play with her hair.
"What languages do you know, Jaro?" Maria asked as she bent forward and started to tie her hair back in a small bun.
"Basic, obviously." I said, sighing. "Ithorian, Duros, Twi'lek and Wookie." I replied to her. I noticed that the fact I understood the Wookie language was enough to emit a small chuckle off the petite woman.
"Wookie.. Heh. Oh well, I know that language too. I guess we're both equal then, except that I know more languages than you." Maria told me, leaning back in her chair and looking up at the ceiling.
"Ah... Talented I see." I said to her. She turned around and glared at me and I replied by shrugging my shoulders.
Well that was a good sign, at least she still hated me.
I stood up with the cigarra hanging out my mouth and decided to go and wake Rivu, she was having far too much beauty sleep. I entered the sleeping quarters and yelled "HEY, sleepy sister. Get up! It's 5am!" I heard a groan coming from underneath the bunk and walked over to the young Twi'lek. I prodded Rivu in the shoulder a few times "Wakey wakey" I told her. She silently gave me a finger gesture, of which I could say was very rude. "Now now. I'm a lot older than you and you should have listened to my wisdom last night with that Correlian ale! What were you thinking?" I asked her. Yet again Rivu responded with a tiny little groan. "Right then. Have it that way Rivu." I stated to her, storming out of the room.
I prompty walked out of the Freedom's Fate and onto the landing bay that Maria had landed us in. I scanned the area and saw Maria bargaining for our landing fee. I grinned and walked straight past her. "Hey Jaro what's the big idea?" She asked me and I just turned, flashing her a big grin before carrying straight on. I looked to my left and saw a pot that was being used for.. Nothing. I picked it up and walked to the railings that seperated me from the ocean of Manaan. "Jaro, what in Kun's name are you doing?" Maria asked me as I hopped over the railings.
"Just hang on a minute sister and I'll be right back." I replied to Maria as I started to clamber down. Maria popped her head over the railings and watched me on my descent.
"Careful, you may pull a muscle old guy." Maria quipped to me with a cruel laugh. I stopped temporarily and gave her a glare.
"I'm not *that* old." I retorted as I puffed on my cigarra a few times. I carried on with my descent and when I reached the bottom I carefully dipped the pot in the water before ascending again.
"Are you out of your mind?" Maria asked me when I got to the top. I climbed over the railings before even considering answering her.
"No. I just need to wake up our resident Twi'lek alcoholic." I replied to her letting the cigarra fall from my mouth and quenching the last of it with my foot.
"But it's only 5am!-" Maria insisted.
"Rubbish. I used to get up at 4am-" I retorted.
"Must have been a Soldier at some point then." She interrupted.
"Enough." I stated to her in quick succession. How did women manage to always do that? I began walking and Maria soon followed me until I was back on board the Freedom's Fate. I giggled to myself menacingly and whispered "Time to get you back for the little bed clothes trick you played on me a year ago." Maria raised an eyebrow at me.
"Bed clothes trick? Wait.. I.. Uh.. Don't want to know what Rivu has done with you." Maria answered me. I stopped and turned, gawping at her.
"Yes.. I really *did* take Rivu down to the beach and make mad, passionate love to her." I said with more than a hint of sarcasm before taking a deep breath and adding "What are you, crazy? She's half my age!"
"I never said it, so obviously you were thinking it." Maria retorted with, an obvious attempt to annoy me. Again, I glared at her.
"You know, I can always throw this pot of water over you and get some more for Rivu, if you really want to continue annoying me." I told her, holding the pot of water up with a mischievous grin plastered over my face.
"You know, once you throw the pot of water over me you'll be dead in 3 seconds." Maria replied to me as the grin suddenly disappeared from my face. I began walking again and stopped inside Rivu's quarters.
"Hey Rivu, remember me?" I asked her, the young Twi'lek just groaned in response. I was pretty much sick of her attitude.
So I walked over and tipped the pot of water over her head.
Rivu shrieked and jumped out of bed before slapping my chest a few times in outright temper "How dare you do that, you beast!" I chuckled at her.
"Got a headache, sister?" I asked her feeling victorious.
"Ya.. And his name is Jaro Kep, BROTHER." Rivu replied, drying herself off with her bed clothes. "Maria, just do me a favour. KILL HIM!" She yelled at Maria who was now quite amused by the whole idea. "Hey.. Maria, what are you laughing at?" Rivu asked.
"It's just.. I've never.. Nevermind." Maria said, unable to control her laughter. She carried on that way for a few minutes before leaving. I gave Rivu a small grin which was returned by a evil glare and left also.
I returned to the cockpit, stretching and sitting down in the co- pilots seat. "That should wake our Twi'lek friend up" I said, noticing Maria in the other seat.
"Indeed." Came Maria's one word answer. Maria gently scratched her hair and took long, drawn sips of her Caffa that she must have made but a few minutes ago "So. You were a soldier?" Maria asked.
"Enough. I don't want to answer questions about my past. I talked about it once to a lady and that was enough, never ever am I doing that again. So please.. Maria? Just drop it." I replied to her feeling a little bit sad over my past.
"Well.. Answer this for me. Where were you born?" Maria asked. I grumbled softly.
"You.. You're not going to give up are you?" I asked her. Maria turned and shook her head, I sighed. "I was born on-" I was promptly interrupted.
"Let me guess.. Telos." Maria interjected with.
"You're right, but, how did you know?" I asked, furrowing my eyes with suspicion.
"Simple. Your accent screams of it." She replied, taking another sip of her Caffa. "Was it bad after the war?" Maria added.
"Goodbye Maria." I said, angrily.
"Hey.. Why? It was a question I've asked other Telosians.. The destruction of Telos is no secret, you know!" Maria retorted also angrily.
"I don't want to talk on it. We're in this as a partnership, it's nothing personal. And I hope for the galaxy's sake it never *will* be." I replied to her.
"Well so do I, Jaro. So do I." Maria said, smirking at me. "I'd like nothing better but to put my blade to your throat, but I can't so I live with it." She added, promptly turning and leaving me to my own devices and thoughts.