Leyna had just gotten off kitchen duty when the ship docked on Teth, so she filled a large thermos with hot caf to keep her energy level up and met Tynan outside the ship to tour the jungle planet. It turned out the jungle portion was what the locals considered the lowlands and there were tall mesas in their highlands, both with fortresses left from the B'omarr Order like Tynan had said. All of them were taken over by Hutts and weren't currently open for tour, but they did get a look at one abandoned and half eaten away by the forest and it was still an impressive structure none the less.
Leyna saw a can-cell fly by when they took a break for lunch on the veranda of the cantina. "That's a very big insect."
"Yeah, they're kinda like Hutts. The older they get, the more massive their size. Rumor is they also bring good luck to whoever sees them." Tynan winked at her.
"Oh come on, who could believe something like that?"
"The locals. Even if they're wrong, what harm could it do to indulge in their culture while here?"
She wondered what Atun would say to such a belief as she shrugged and kept that thought to herself. "Nothing I guess. It just seems as silly as old man Farnel saying he can fly."
Tynan laughed. "Farnel has a few screws loose in his brain I grant you, but at least he hasn't tried to take anyone besides himself flying. The natives here don't expect you to believe right away, only to accept that's what they consider true."
"That's reasonable." She smiled, sipping her caf. "What's left to see?"
"Just some shops, though we can skip those if you want. A lot of them have slaves for sale and that can be unnerving to see if you haven't before."
She knew that was a part of Wild Space, the Outer Rim and even the Empire, so there was really no avoiding that in the long run. "I have to get used to it at some point. Besides, it's not like slavery was uncommon on Lysatra.
He nodded. "Alright then, we'll go there after our meal has settled. Want another drink instead of caf?"
"Maybe later when I don't need the energy."
"By then I'll need it to stay awake."
She laughed at his mock pout and puppy dog eyes. "Okay, fine. One glass of blue ale won't hurt."
He smiled and waved the server over. "Two blue ales, please."
"Certainly." The server took their empty plates away and returned a few minutes later with their drinks. "Will you be wanting anything else?"
"Just the bill."
The server nodded and brought it, collecting the payment from Tynan before going off to tend to other customers.
After they finished their drinks, they resumed their tour and looked at all the shops before going back to the ship. Leyna was almost sad to leave, apart from the fact that there were more slaves on Teth than she remembered on her home planet, but that was normal for a Hutt controlled part of space since a lot of their business was in the slave trade. She said good night to Tynan reluctantly and watched him go off to do the night shift. She read a little to wind down for bed, then tried to sleep and gave up after nearly two hours of tossing and turning. She went to the observation room and sat down to watch hyperspace sky fly by.
"Cannot sleep either, Leyna?"
She smiled a little. "No. What did you think of Teth, Atun?"
He sat near her. "I must admit I found the architecture to be quite interesting, as well as the local fauna. Gaur warned me there were slaves out here, but I hadn't seen any till today and found the matter a little unsettling."
"I know what you mean. I grew up knowing that was normal, but it's not as common on my home planet. Tynan told me we could skip the shops and I'm thinking now that I should have. I wasn't expecting it to affect me." She found herself admitting. It was easy to be honest with Atun whereas there were times she felt too ashamed to admit this sort of thing to Tynan, lest he say she was too naïve.
"Slavery isn't allowed on Pantora, most likely stemming from during the time of the Republic. I think everyone in some way has that inner desire for there to be no slaves, yet no matter the species or planet outside the Republic has had a semblance thereof over the course of galactic history." He looked out at the stars for a long while, then turned his attention to her. "You mentioned your homeworld, will we be stopping there for a tour?"
"Lysatra? Yes, we'll be going there after Pion if I remember the cruise schedule correctly. There's not much there, it's considered a backwater planet by Wild Space standards."
"That cannot be true if it has people like you living there."
She sighed. "I wish I shared your idolized view Atun, but when you grow up as nothing but the daughter of farmers barely scraping by, you realize pretty quickly that you're not special and you'll never amount to anything unless you get out of there."
If he had an expression or reaction of any kind, it was impossible to tell behind those goggles and his blue lips revealed nothing except words when he finally spoke again. "I have obviously upset you, I apologise. I suppose I am too used to the opportunities afforded to all on Pantora, though that didn't mean you could get what you wanted without a lot of hard work. I cannot truthfully say I understand where you are coming from because being a farmer there is considered an honorable and vital job, but I do know what it is like to long for things that seemed beyond my grasp for a long time."
"When you talk like that I would swear you're older than thirty-six."
"Gaur would tell you I was born with an old soul."
She smiled a little. "You two are very different, aren't you?"
He inclined his head. "Yes, but that has only made our friendship stronger. It isn't always the same for others, especially when related as we are."
"I know what you mean. My cousin and I used to be best friends, but ever since she married an engineer she acts like we're not even related, let alone friends."
"Such is the nature of some relationships, unfortunately. I believe I am ready to retire now, I hope you will not have trouble much longer."
She hid a yawn behind her hand. "I don't think I will. Good night, Atun."
"Good night, Leyna." He bowed and disappeared down the hall and she wasn't far behind.
