Ask Takodana A wonderful coincidence

[Arden Kryze]

Takodana/Takodana Castle​

13:22 local time​

There were some jobs Arden really wasn't familiar with. Bodyguard was one of them. He was usually hired to kill important people, not protect them. But in this case he didn't complain, the money was way too tempting to refuse the job. So with that in mind, he set off toward Takodana to meet with this contact of his. He was told the name, but that didn't help much at all. So instead he memorized the appearance. He would recognize her once he saw her.

His YT-1300 landed on one of the nearby landing pads and he disembarked, sliding his helmet over his head and making sure his jacket was in place. His other armament was ready to rock in the blink of an eye. His ship closed up behind him and he took a look around, just to make sure things were alright. With a hum he started walking towards the castle, his hands resting on his grips. He wasn't even sure what he was supposed to protect this girl from. He only knew they needed to go somewhere dangerous.

He entered the building and looked around, spotting his target. He casually walked towards her and rested a hand on his hip. "Well, well! Wha' a pleasant coincidence! How you doin', luv?" he asked her cheerfully, fondly remembering when they first met. Only now he actually knew her name.

@Pyrenees

 

[Ines Panteer]

Whilst it might become more rowdy during nights, the locals she was in were rather pleasant during the day - hearty laughs and loud discussions, sure, but there was a definite friendliness to it all, creating a rather familiar atmosphere. Ines stuck out. Sitting in a relatively isolated booth, she was very nervous. Naturally, there were some risk to her errands from time to time, but never had her parents thought it necessary to hire protection for her. Usually they just relied on her skills in fencing and being able to slip away from danger - and the former skill had barely been used anyways.

The tea she had ordered was still uncomfortably hot, but the one who was going to protect her during the day's journey was about to arrive soon. Taking a sip from the cup, her forehead furrowed. Slowly, the girl realised that she really didn't know very much about the person she was about to meet. A name and a message saying "He has quite the reputation, sweetheart. You will be safe" At times, her parent's ability to be vague was highly annoying, this was one of those occasions. Still, she did trust them to keep her safe.

Taking another somewhat uncomfortable sip from her cup, the noble spotted someone she wouldn't forget anytime soon. The familiar leather jacket and helmet with a T-visor appeared by the entrance. Quickly making herself small, Ines looked down into her cup and began drinking, almost as if it would be able to hide her. The situation was only getting worse, however, as the man seemed to be approaching her. Memories of how he destroyed the trader in the skyrise flashed through her memory.

Then it happened, he spoke to her. The Alderaanian held the hot tea in her mouth for a while, prolonging the time it would take before she had to respond. Finally, she swallowed and looked up at him. Her eyes quickly scanned his person, taking note of whatever armaments were on open display for her to see.

"It is rude to remain seated when greeting someone" she thought. Wanting to stay on his good side, Ines stood up and curtsied with her knees feeling as weak as ever. "H-hello" she said, having a rather hard time establishing eye contact. She was far from sure how to deal with the events from last time they met but decided to take the safest possible route. With a slight stammer, she spoke "Thank you for saving me last time, sir" and hoped that he would go away. The last word of her sentence, 'sir' was forcefully added as she still didn't know his name. This being the person hired for her protection had not even crossed her mind.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Arden Kryze]

He took note of the fact that she seemed really off about his appearance, not that he was surprised. He did kind of commit genocide in front of her the last time they met. In a bit of a rush she got to her feet and greeted him, thanking him for saving her. He gave a chuckle at her formality. "No worries, luv. Also, the name's Arden. Now where are you off to that is so dangerous?" he asked her. He sank into a seat across from hers and glanced around. "Is it someone here or do we have a bit of a journey ahead of us? Your dear ol' mum didn't exactly gimme a good explanation of what needs to be happenin'." he said as he sat back, stretching his legs out and crossing them while his arms rested on his armoured stomach.

A waiter came by and he ordered a pint of ale -complete with straw- before looking at her again. "What's your job anyway? This place isn't exactly meant for kiddies, ya know." he said with a raised eyebrow. The angle of his head might just also translate the look on his face if she was perceptive enough.

@Pyrenees

 

[Ines Panteer]

Swallowing hard, Ines looked at who she now realised was the man hired to protect her, Arden Kryze. Apparently, the saliva didn't go quite where it should, causing her to start coughing. Desperately, she looked down as she coughed, even going so far as to closing her eyes. She was terrified of the man, still remembering how he mercilessly slaughtered dozens of men without batting an eye.

Still standing up, Ines watched as the man leisurely sat down in the booth, thinking for a bit, she soon followed suite. Whilst he back was kept relatively straight and both hands were kept in her lap, she couldn't help but to notice herself slouching a bit with her shoulders. It was a typical sign of fear, but sitting in front of who seemed like a force of nature last time she saw him, hiding her fear was a hard task indeed. "We are going to a small gathering of buildings a few kilometers away" her words were timid and careful. While the Alderaanian mostly gazed down at her cup on the table below her, she did throw a few careful glances at the killer. Speaking once again, her previous tone was maintained "The forest is thick, so we will be travelling by land, following a small road network"

Normally, the hired help wouldn't ask many questions about her, about Ines as a person. But it appeared that Arden was curious and she was definitely not too set on getting on his bad side "I just help my parents" she said innocently "I help them with errands, finalise deals, check out properties, wares and deliver stuff. Whatever they need" Now, her lack of confidence was twofold. For one, her parents had high expectations of her and with her rather unclear position, she always feared disappointing them. And the other reason was rather obvious as she was still trembling in his presence.

Feeling that she had answered his question to a somewhat acceptable level, Ines produced a forced smile. Objectively, she looked more afraid than happy "I have a rental outside." she said. Her eyes went to his beer - she did not want to rush him and just added "We could go after your beer, perhaps. Or stay! Whatever you feel is, uh, the safest"

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Arden Kryze]

Arden casually sat back, listening to the girl timidly trying to explain the situation. It was amusing to watch her practically shiver in her boots. Was he really that terrifying? Like sure, he blew up an auction house and killed some people, but he wasn't that bad. "Well, that doesn' sound too bad. Should be a walk in the park." he said with a shrug. "Course, that depends on wha' is hiding in the woods for us." he continued with a chuckle.

She went on to explain what she does for her parents. He had to admit, he was taken back. "I hope mum and dad pay you for all these errands." he commented. His bar arrived and he took it, sliding the straw underneath his helmet. He glanced at her as he started to sip his beer, watching her freak out over when to depart. He started to sip quicker and quicker. In a few moments the beer was gone and he gave a satisfied sigh. "Alrigh', let's go." he said with a slap on his leg and rose to his feet.

He made his way outside, making sure to stick close to Ines as he walked. "Alrigh' luv, lead the way." he said as he stood outside. He would follow her towards the speeder she rented and slide into the passenger side.

@Pyrenees

 

[Ines Panteer]

Working for the family was, complicated, but she liked doing it nonetheless. It was part of her duty as a member of House Panteer at it was almost always fulfilling. At this instance, however, she wished that she had hired the protection herself. These thoughts would remain in her head, however, as the conversation - or whatever it may be called - soon moved on. Sitting in silence, Ines quietly watched as the man across the table finished his drink through the straw, a curious method to say the least. Upon seeing the killer rise, the noble did too - not a moment earlier.

The two soon arrived at the rented landspeeder. It was quite new and she had paid extra credits in order to improve the insurance, knowing the risks of her task. Carefully, she watched whether he wanted to drive or not and quickly hopped into the driver's seat as he took the passenger's seat. Without any delay, the girl started the engines and took off. Despite her young age, Ines had had plenty of time to practice her command of the speeder and was relatively good at piloting it by now which allowed her to maintain a high speed, even as they swooshed through narrow passages and bad terrain.

As a child, the Alderaanian had always been taught to treat the protection well. Actually, she had been taught to treat everyone well, but the protection had to know that they were appreciated. It didn't have to be anything expensive as long as it was genuine in order to build some form of connection. The one protected always benefited from knowing their protector and vice-versa. Glancing at her neighbour, the girl couldn't even imagine herself showing him true appreciation. Still, the preparations were already made. Maintaining her one arm on the wheel, she opened the compartment between them and brought out a gift, wrapped in red paper and a champagne colored band "Here" she said timidly, offering him the package. In truth, she was quite afraid that he was going to snap at her and mentally prepared herself to keep the speeder steady in the case of anything sudden happening.

"I made them myself last night" she said with her speech comparable to a kath-pup walking on ice for the first time. "I didn't know what you liked, but I have heard that they are good" she said. The box was filled with home made snacks based on an old Panteer recipe.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Arden Kryze]

Outside Ines led him to the speeder and jumped into the passenger seat. He'd make himself comfortable while she drove them towards the location. To his surprise, Ines fished out a little gift and handed it to him. He looked at her for a second in surprise before accepting the gift. "Cheers, luv...uhhh, don't you think this is moving a little too fast?" he joked as he looked it over. He hoped a joke would help her relax. He doubted it, though...

She explained what it was and he opened the gift to look at a box full of some good looking treats. He hummed and glanced back to her. "I can guarantee tha' it really wasn't necessary. Money is good enough." he spoke with a chuckle then looked straight ahead.

He glanced around them, taking note of the terrain. He slid the box into his jacket's inner pocket and proceeded to check his weaponry. He drew both pistols and made sure they were loaded before checking his vambraces as well. Everything seemed to be ready in case things went south. He looked at her again then forward. "I half expected you to have a driver or somethin' to ferry you around. You always do everythin' yourself?" he asked her before looking around again.

@Pyrenees

 

[Ines Panteer]

Covertly, the Alderaanian let out a sigh in relief as the killer sitting by her side accepted the gift without complaint. She shot the man a confused look until she finally realised what he meant "What, no, I'm sorry. No, no, it was not..." she stuttered until it finally started to fade out. Her eyes returned to the road for a while as her brain processed it all, finally realising that he was joking. "You son of a Hutt!" she was about to say it, momentarily forgetting who she was travelling with. Fortunately, Ines came to her senses and managed to stop herself after "You" and quickly added "are welcome" with a slight smile forming on her lips as she returned her attention to the road.

With the somewhat lightened mood, Ines replied "Just wait til you've tasted them" with a voice that carried a stronger resemblance of her normal self. It seemed to be a calm drive as they quickly made their way deeper into the forest. She was still uneasy in his presence, however, having seen first hand the brutality with which he had killed before. Seeing him drawing both blaster pistols caused a chilling shiver to go down her spine. Still, the Alderaanian kept quiet, praying that the mercenary wouldn't do anything rash.

Her eyes still lingered uncomfortably on his blasters as he spoke. Subconsciously, Ines had lowered the speed in which they traveled with more and more of her attention being devoted to the killer's weapons. "Yes, mostly" she replied hesitantly. "Hiring a chauffeur would be an unnecessary expense when I can drive myself" she said, explaining why she didn't have one - although in this case, it was mostly a repeat of what her parents had said. "But hey, now they could hire you instead.." she said, forcefully producing a smile and then continued hesitantly "..to keep me safe" It had been a very long time since Ines had last had a conversation as awkward as this one. Usually, she would be able to salvage the talks and steer them into a direction that was enjoyable by both, but now, she found herself rather paralyzed by fear.

It was fortunate that Ines had slowed the speeder down earlier. A large tree had fallen across the road, going as far up as to brush into the shrubbery of the trees which were still standing. Comfortably, the noble brought the speeder to a halt a few meters in front of the tree. "It's virtually impossible to get through the thick tree crowns" she commented whilst taking off her seat belt, preparing to go out to see if there was anything which could be done to remove it, or at least give them some space. Little did she know that a circle of bandits had planned it all. A smaller crew was already waiting for them to come out from the speeder and thereby springing the trap.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Arden Kryze]

Arden was glad she was finally lightening up a bit. He was starting to get nervous with her sitting like a statue next to him. She bragged a little over the taste and he gave a smile. "Well, I hope they won't melt or somethin' otherwise I'll be rightly miffed." he said, glancing down at the little box outlined by his trenchcoat.

She explained why she didn't have a driver, and he had to admit he was of the same minda s her. He preferred to drive personally. He hated it when people insisted on driving him around. The only reason why he didn't have an issue now was the fact that he was paid to do this. Plus Ines was a decent driver, so he could give her a pass on that. "Well, as long as you keep drivin', I'll keep shootin'. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy, Bob's your uncle." he quipped with a chuckle, glancing around again. Sure enough, they encountered an issue. A tree was blocking the entirety of the way.

He disembarked along with Ines and looked the tree over. At first glance it looked like a natural incident, but when he spotted the end of the trunk, he drew his pistols. "Ines, get back in the speeder!" he ordered her then started to scan the area, but it was likely too late. They were already in the trap.

All that mattered now was making sure Ines was safe...

@Pyrenees

 

[Ines Panteer]

Not entirely sure how serious he was, Ines threw him a careful glance. She did not want him to be, 'miffed'. "I-If this badge turned out to be bad, I could get another one for you" she offered. While it didn't seem likely that they would go bad from simply sitting in his trenchcoat, she was no Arden expert - for all she knew, he could be putting it in the oven every 50 minutes. Still, the offer was there, so that front was covered.

His way of expressing himself was odd, she couldn't recall ever having heard a mercenary express themselves like that. And the last part was completely alien to her. "Easy peasy, lemon squeezy" she repeated, with her own softer and lighter tone contrasting rather starkly to the harsher voice of her protector. She didn't use to say it, not at all. But it felt appropriate, seeing as he seemed to be rather fond of that kind of expression.

With the two investigating the tree together, the Alderaanian brushed away some of the tight shrubbery in order to get closer into the stem of the tree, trying to find a few places they could saw off. Maybe that would allow them to squeeze past the fallen tree. It was all that was needed, really. It was then that the killer's somewhat urgent voice could be heard, calling for her to get back into the speeder. Making her way back out, the girl pushed a few branches aside and pushed as quickly as she could.

Upon her upper body becoming clearly visible, sticking out from all the shrubbery, a blaster could be heard being fired in the distance. The little scare it caused ensured that the noble tripped on one of the branches. It wasn't very elegant at all, but it did save her from being shot and probably killed. The bolt entered the thick of the leaves behind where she had stood, causing a fire to start. "Blast it" she thought, being rather well trained in avoiding swearing out loud. Soon, another blaster bolt from a new direction impacted near her, starting another fire among the leaves. There was no question about it, this was way more scary than spending some time in the speeder with Arden.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Arden Kryze]

Luckily Ines tripped on a branch, causing a shot to miss. Both pistols left their holsters as he backpedalled towards her. The second bolt zipped past him, but luckily bolts point both ways. He spotted the shooter from the other side and fired away, slamming a bolt into his forehead. That's one down.

When he reached her he holstered his right pistol and grabbed hold of her arm, yanking her to her feet. With his hand behind his back he placed himself in front of her and made for the speeder, firing away to keep the shooters at bay. When he reached the speeder, he practically threw her in underneath it to shelter her then took cover behind it.

"Here!" he called to her, dropping his right pistol on the ground by her hand for her to use. With his remaining pistol he kept firing wherever he saw bolts flying, but his pistol was falling short. He couldn't keep it up at this range. That's when he spotted a backpack in the speeder with an A-280 next to it. Not hesitating, he moved and grabbed the rifle before moving back to the nose of the speeder. From there he was able to fire much more accurately, but they couldn't stay where they were.

"We need to ge' out of here!" he shouted at her. "I'll make a diversion then we run for the trees, go' it?" he asked her, glancing down at her.

@Pyrenees

 

[Ines Panteer]

If Ines had an 'unsafety-meter', it would be peaking by now. The next bolt which could be heard came from much closer - it was Arden. This time, hearing his gun go off made her feel safer which was a rather nice change from how she had been terrified of him since the met. Before she had even had the chance to get back up on her feet, the mercenary was there with her. His rough grip around her arm was not without pain - but it was barely something which crossed her mind as the two were still under fire from the assailants. The man didn't stop at gripping her arm, however. He moved with purpose and after a few short moments, she was on her feet again.

Sticking as close to him as physically possible whilst still maintaining enough space to keep up, the noble ran along behind him as they headed for the speeder. Apparently, Arden had one more thing in mind for her as he 'guided' in below the speeder. There wasn't much she could do to fight him on it and at this point, there was no reason to do it either. If he thought that the safest place for her to be was under the speeder, than that's where she'd be.

Taking hold of his blaster, Ines felt how weirdly the weight was distributed. Still, as long as she laid below the speeder on the side close to Arden, no one would be able to shoot her, and she would not be able to shoot anyone else either. Watching his feet and how they changed position during the battle, Ines heard each and every shot whine through the air. Soon, the protector were looking down at her, shouting his plans to her under the heavy noise of the blaster fire. As the girl crawled out from underneath the speeder, she noticed that he held her rifle. It made the Alderaanian think of her own weapons: The stun blaster was at the front whilst the sabre was at the back seat. Deciding that she already had a blaster, the girl quickly reached for the sabre. With that attached to her belt and Arden's blaster firmly in her hand, Ines moved closer to him, still crouched behind the speeder.

"I'm ready!" she shouted, competing with the surrounding blasters for his attention. In case he didn't hear, she put a soft hand on his back and repeated her words again. "Just give me a signal and I'll run!" she shouted. Once the signal was received, she would make a run for the treeline on the opposite side of the road from where the shooters were coming from - at this point, she almost fully trusted him to keep her safe.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Arden Kryze]

Once Ines confirmed she was ready, Arden moved quickly. He threw a grenade into the speeder, before yanking Ines out from under it and pushing her towards the tree that was starting to burn more and more. In one motion he wrapped his arms around Ines, then blasted off over the tree with his jump boots just as the explosion went off. He regulated it carefully, using the thrust to slow their descent and touch down gently. The explosion from behind the tree sent a big plume of fire and smoke into the air, hopefully buying them some time.

They might have been out of immediate danger, but Arden didn't slow down. He led her into the woods, going deeper and deeper until they were thoroughly lost. And even then he didn't stop. He kept moving forward, one hand holding onto a pistol and another onto Ines' wrist to make sure she was right behind him. Every few seconds he glanced around to make sure they were safe.

He finally slowed down once they reached a small stream deep into the forest. There were no indicators of where they were and that was what he wanted. His breathing was slightly heavy, but he was far from exhausted. "Looks like we're safe." he commented, holstering his pistol. He reached up and removed his helmet, placing it on a nearby rock and bending down to take a few sips of water. "You go' any idea who they were?" he asked Ines, glancing around again while wiping off his mouth.

@Pyrenees

 

[Ines Panteer]

"Wait!" she screamed upon seeing the mercenary bring out a grenade. While she had already brought her sabre before, she new reached into the front of the speeder and brought out a bag which was important for the mission and also happened to contain her stun blaster. She then gave him a nod "Ok, go" As soon as the word had escaped her mouth, she saw him roll back into action.

As always, Arden was unpredictability incarnate as he pushed her towards the fiery tree and clasped his arms around her. "Wh-?" she said before he triggered his jump boots, flinging them through the air to the other side of the tree, causing a frightened scream. Naturally, the gunmen failed to adjust their aim quick enough in order to hit them.

After the ensuing run, Arden finally stopped. Ines leaned against a tree as she recovered, it was fortunate that she had maintained a good physique and was still at a young age or else the run would have rendered her very much out of air. "I hope so" she replied between breaths. "They might have speeder bikes though" she continued, making a guess based on their willingness to saw down the tree to block normal speeders.

Although the girl remained quiet, she did appreciate that he revealed his face and spent as much time as she could observing it as he drank. For some reason, the man was less frightening when not wearing the helmet. Maybe it was the cold T-visor associated with the destruction on that rooftop, or maybe it was because he had just saved her from the ambush. "No, we were just told by our allies that this is a risky path. You know, limited law enforcement, ease of setting up ambushes, den of scum and villainy nearby" she said, her words repeating what had previously been conveyed to her.

It did not take too long before the teen had recovered and started looking around "I think we have quite the walk ahead of us" she said relatively casually before bringing up a personav from the bag. Nodding, the Alderaanian confirmed her suspicion and pointed a hand northwards "That's the way" she added before stowing the device away, bringing out the stun blaster and and throwing the bag onto her back.

"Thanks, I think you can have it back now" she said, handing Arden his blaster before putting the stun blaster back into its holster at her waist "I'm not quite used to how yours feels." Before long, the two would find themselves walking in a relatively quiet an peaceful forest "Lucky that we paid that extra insurance money for the rental" she chirped jokingly.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Arden Kryze]

Ines' guess made Arden chuckle. "They can try their luck with speeders through this forest. Tha'll probably be the easiest way to take 'em out." he explained taking another sip of water. She continued to explain who they were. Nothing but bandits trying to get lucky.

She pulled out her Personav and commented on the distance. He walked over to her and glanced at the screen to see what they were dealing with. "Tha's no' too bad. Jus' gonna take a while." he slid his helmet back on and got ready to move out.

He paused when Ines handed him back his blaster. He was taken back at first, but then saw the smaller stun blaster she holstered and nodded. "Cheers, luv." he quipped as he checked the gun and holstered it. With that they started walking...only they weren't taking a straight route back. Arden was leading them in an entirely different direction than what the Personav indicated. He glanced at her as she joked over the speeder they blew up, smiling under his helmet. "I think tha's a better option when I'm around. Things tend to go boom." he commented, looking straight ahead again.

He pulled out his own Personav and made sure they were on the wrong route before stowing it away again and continuing with the route. "So, wha' now? You jus' gonna tell mum an' dad tha' you couldn't ge' the job done?" he asked her as they walked.

@Pyrenees

 

[Ines Panteer]

There was no real point in arguing about the speeders. Hopefully, Arden was correct, and if not, Ines had a feeling that he could deal with a loud threat coming from a distance.

It seemed strange, the direction they were walking in - it was not at all a very efficient route to their destination. Still, the Alderaanian kept quiet and followed along. If it weren't for the looming threat of another ambush, it would have been a pretty pleasant walk. Sure, the company may not have been the best, but her killer-destroyer-yet-also-protector friend seemed to be alright once one had gotten over the mortifying fear of him.

As soon as his question was posed, her footsteps behind him stopped. "What?" she asked, staring right where she knew his visor would be if he turned around. Bringing out the personav again, she frantically started looking at their location and compared it to their original goal "No" she protested, albeit more meekly than if it had been someone she didn't fear so much. "I am not going to tell them anything of the sort. I am going to complete my task." she said with determination. With that, she turned around and started walking in the direction of their original goal. "They should have transports over there and we've gotten about half way" she said, hoping that he'd come along.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Arden Kryze]

When he heard Ines' shock, he stopped as well and turned to look at her. When she refused and insisted on completing her objective, he raised an eyebrow. "In case you didn' realize, sunshine, there's raiders ou' there. And they're probably lookin' for us." he spoke up, walking towards her.

But she didn't listen. She flipped out her Personav and started walking towards the correct direction. Arden watched her walk off, his T-visor watching her for a good few seconds until he suddenly drew his pistol...

A shot went off, causing birds to fly up and sound off the sudden danger. Arden stood with his blaster pointed at Ines, but the shot wasn't meant for her. Several meters ahead of her a man fell out of some shrubs with a hole in his chest. Arden marched over towards Ines then walked straight past towards the man and kicked him over. He was still alive, but not for long. Arden raised his pistol then put another hole in the man's chest to finish him off.

He turned back to Ines. "He was a scout. Come on, let's move it. How far is that location from here?" he asked her as he holstered his pistol.

@Pyrenees

 

[Ines Panteer]

Turning slightly to face him, Ines hollered "Yeah, but since we've made it half way there, our chances shouldn't be that much worse if we head to our original destination. If anything, it should be safer since they won't know that that is where we are heading." she said, feeling like it was safe enough to speak loudly whilst walking backwards. Upon turning back around to walk normally, she realised her mistake.

A blast went off, but this time, the Alderaanian didn't freeze, instead, the noble threw herself on the ground by a bush. It only took a few moments for her to realise that the shot came from behind and that the bright bolt did too. Was it Arden who shot? Why? Confusion struck until she looked back up and saw a man dressed as a bush starting to crumble. Slowly, she got back up to her feet, blaster unholstered and eyes darting from place to place, trying to scan for more enemies. Once satisfied that no one else was there, even having an extra look at the bushes, she walked over to Arden, just in time to see him execute the man.

Shutting her eyes tight, Ines slowly opened them again. Of course, she did not like him killing the scout, but it was somewhat understandable, considering their vulnerable position. Seeing the mercenary holster his blaster pistol caused the noble to follow suit. "Thank you, Arden" she spoke carefully - it was meant as a thanks both for him protecting her from the scout, and deciding to come to the original destination "Well, we are about half-way there, so just as long as we have already traveled plus a few meters for the distance we just walked" she said, still having the map fresh in her mind.

As the two walked, Ines figured that she might as well try to learn something from the man. She looked up at him a couple of times but hesitated until she finally summoned the courage to speak "So, how do you spot someone like that?" she asked, hoping that maybe she would be able to help looking out for threats.

@KinkyPrawn

 

[Arden Kryze]

He heard her thank him, but did little more than grunt in response. He knelt down and looked the man over as she continued to talk. He patted the man down and looked for a comlink. It was turned on, but luckily not sending anymore. "Le's hope they don' know where we are." he muttered to himself as he stood up and started walking.

They were silent for the most part. Arden didn't mind. It made it easier to pay attention to the surroundings. But after a while, Ines broke the silence. He glanced down at her then back up. "Experience. Experience an' a lo' of training. You always have to pay attention to your surroundings. Branch ou' of place. People lookin' off in a bar. A shrub with a face and eyes between its branches. Tha' one back there was a bellend, so he was easy. Bu' it's no' always tha' easy." he looked down at her again then glanced around them. "I grew up rough an' hard. Had to figh' to stay alive. I was probably as old as you when I became a Mandalorian. From there I kept trainin' to become better and even stronger." he rested his hands on his pistols as he talked. His head on a swivel despite him talking.

"You wanna shoot better and spo' things that' can kill ya? You need to start trainin'." he finished as he looked at her again. He stopped and pulled his Personav from his pocket, looking over the area. They still had a distance to travel, but it was manageable and there was a water source a couple miles further.

What did get his attention was the silence. He put it away and looked up at the trees. The only birds he could here was either very far or only singular. "Hear that'?" he asked her. "It's real quiet." he muttered, taking the rifle from his back. "Keep a sharp eye. Anythin' look off. You tell me." he ordered her, then started walking again. He walked slowly, allowing her to keep up more easily in case she got tired.

After probably an hour of walking, he stopped and leaned the rifle against a tree. He scrounged around his pockets until he found the small box of treats she gifted him. "Hungry?" he asked with a smirk behind his helmet.

@Pyrenees

 

[Ines Panteer]

Listening to him speak was fascinating to say the least. It was as if a well of very particular knowledge opened up and started spouting out a wealth of knowledge. The idea of starting to train for real combat now was quite alien to her, even though she had been combat trained from a young age. Combat trained might have been an exaggeration - her practice in dueling had surely made her adept with a blade and quickened her reflexes and her time spent hunting with her family had worked to make her aim true, but little did it prepare her to actually fight another person. She would just stop after they were defeated whilst they would want her dead. "I don't think my training would do me much good against these goons" she said whilst walking "But at least I might be able to see them coming if I can spot them like you can" she added, allowing her gaze to scan the surrounding area.

"Hear that?" he asked, after a few moments of listening, he received a confused "No?" Ines almost allowed the palm of her hand to touch with her forehead as he revealed what it was that she was supposed to hear. Instead, she simply rolled her eyes "Yeah, Arden, it is really quiet out here." she said and soon raised an eyebrow, "Isn't quiet a good thing?" she asked. Him bringing the rifle out was enough to answer the question and caused the girl to bring out her stun blaster from its holster too. Sticking close to the Mandalorian, she continued walking with raised attention.

At some point, Arden decided to stop. Ines didn't mind it much as she was happy to take a little break. She eyed the candy - eating it would break all sorts of etiquette protocol, besides, she wasn't very hungry. With a smile and flashing her palm, Ines declined the offer but brought out a canister of water to drink from instead. Raising it to drink with the left hand, Ines holstered her blaster with the right one again, obviously quite used to how the weapon handled. Once satisfied, she lowered the canister "Did you bring any water? Otherwise, you could have some of mine." she offered, figuring that they would both function better if they were well hydrated. Thinking that he was the one who had last checked a personav, Ines spoke whilst looking out for threats "How long do you figure we've got left? Two hours? Three? One thing is certain. We will be stylishly late" she joked, letting out a chuckle. Apparently being harder to tire out than expected, Ines seemed to be ready to get going again, straightening her back and doing a little stretch as she prepared for Arden to have them continue their trek.

@KinkyPrawn