A Long Ride Ahead

[Leah Reach]

The journey from one end of Ord Mantell to the other was long. The ride to the nearest spaceport was tense and awkward. Her last moment revelation of her Force abilities likely struck a chord with the dashing smuggler she met only hours ago. No matter what he wanted, regardless of his questions, ignoring undying curiosity, the Jedi Master only waved her hand and promised to explain later. Then had become now. The pair reached the port they were after. Whatever ship Crix mentioned was parked there, waiting for a speedy departure.

But Leah wanted to take her time. The trip to Savareen would be long but she wanted a drink. A chance to rest on the ground before she launched back home, where she would provide a mission report. Commander Ion would not be pleased with the results. Then again, she imagined he would be more upset with Rebel Intelligence for the mistaken information rather than her for turning up with nothing. Not that it changed how she felt about the turn of events. While her mission may have ended miserably, but had on a hopeful note. She was disappointed by having to return to the Alliance with empty hands, but eager to return to the Jedi with a new and promising student.

First things first, Leah needed to explain everything. He deserved to know. Who she was, what she could do, and what he could do. Crix had every right to know. Naturally, she chose to tell him in a shoddy cantina. Legs like lead, she drifted inside the bar. Sand caked her shoulders, to which she brushed away, plainly done with her stay on the planet. Ignoring prying eyes, she wandered and slipped into a private booth in the back of the cantina. Somewhere she could recline and enjoy a few drinks, water or wine. Nothing special, nothing strong. All she wanted was some peace of mind before she began. When the local waiter served her what she needed, and likewise with Crix, she sipped from her glass and breathed relief.

“I know what you might be thinking, but no—” She set her glass onto the table, certain nobody else was around or listening in. “—I’m not a Sith. I’m not with the Empire.” Leah imagined that would cool the smuggler off a bit. When encountering a Jedi, most jumped to conclusions. She wanted to make sure he didn’t. “I am with an ongoing rebel movement tucked in the Outer-Rim. I am an ambassador of a cause who is finished allowing the Empire to subjugate the galaxy. I am a Jedi Master, a dying breed, but alive.” She grazed a fingertip along the cusp of her drink before she leaned back and observed the man’s reaction. Leah hadn’t taken it “slow” at all. Rather, she leapt straight to the point and drowned the man with information.

How might he take it? She didn’t know. All the Jedi could do was smirk and add, “Satisfied?”

@Zay

 

[Crix Dolan (TL8)]

The only thing Crix wanted right now was a drink. After the freaky lightsaber show in his head and the weird magic trick, Leah revealed just as they exited the ship left him desiring nothing more than a stiff drink. He took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair as he tried to process what in the hell just happened. Thankfully, Leah seemed just as hesitant to discuss the ordeal as he was and the shaken smuggler embraced the awkward silence as a respite for the conversation to come.

Exhaustion suddenly overwhelmed him as they shuffled into the transport for the Spaceport. Crix slid to the window and watched the passing horizon while fighting sleep. He'd been awake for nearly twenty-four hours and it was starting to take its toll. He stretched his stiff shoulders as the stress of combative flight began to settle in. He apologetically glanced at Leah, knowing full well she'd taken a far greater beating than he had, and she just looked a little tired... The smuggler sighed and sat up trying to force his body awake. Luckily just as he started to lose his fight the speeder came to a stop. He perked up suddenly glancing around and then pretending to have been awake the whole time.

Crix exited the vehicle and got a second wind. The fresh air and activity got his blood going and he regained his wits a bit. In the back of his mind, his addiction to shitty cigarettes gnawed at his self-control as he fought to refuse the vice. He craved a cigarette but felt embarrassed to smoke in front of Leah. He wasn't particularly proud of his habit and for some reason, he cared what she thought. Why did he feel such a strong connection to her? Sure, they'd just had an exciting evening, but that was pretty typical in their line of work, right? It made him feel unsettled like he was being manipulated somehow, but none of his normal internal alarms were going off.

The smuggler hesitated a moment as Leah entered the cantina. As she disappeared within he looked toward the hanger, then back to the door. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. As he passed through the threshold of the smokey cantina all of his inhibitions left him. Crix pulled out a cigarette and lit it up taking a deep drag and momentarily relishing the taste of the terrible habit. He blew out a plume of smoke and added to the cantina's haze. These dingy hole in the wall establishments were the smuggler's bread and butter.

The melting pot of species within the cantina was always amazing. Beings from all over the galaxy could be found in the bar. He scanned the crowd for Leah and spotted her in a privet booth.

"Why do I feel, like I'm gonna be lectured?", he muttered to himself as he moved in her direction. As he passed a server droid he deftly slid a drink off the tray without notice and sipped at its contents as he approached.

"To a job well done, eh?" he joked and took a seat across from her. The smuggler slid the tables ash trey over toward him and flicked his cigarette over it. He took a drag and followed it with a sip of the drink he'd stolen. He wasn't taking this well...

C'mon Crix get it together. Everything that's happened has been totally normal you're just tired and once we get into space you can sleep!

He mentally berated himself. The waiter arrived and Crix switched to water. He just needed the edge off, he was good this was all just a weird case of wrong place wrong time, he must have misinterpreted his need to act with indigestion. He reasoned trying anything he could to avoid the impending confirmation.

The server returned and he took a sip of the ice-cold water. Crix lowered the glass as Leah spoke. He didn't like that she knew what he was thinking. That only made him think that his suspicions were true... His eyes narrowed in suspicion before a feeling of calm fell over him like a warm blanket on a cold night. He was filled with certainty that what she said was true. It was as if his spirit was vouching for her. Honestly, it was very unsettling.

Upon the completion of her explanation, Crix was not satisfied. He was in shock. and when the waiter returned Crix abandoned his concession to sobriety and embraced his vices as long lost friends.

"I need a double Dantooine Brandy on the rocks." he said before returning his attention to Leah with an awkward smile.

Realizing she was waiting on his response he said, "Oh sorry, that was a lot, just... all at once, and honestly, I'm trying to get past the whole space wizard rebellion thing right now."

The server returned and Crix lifted the drink to his mouth and took a small sip. He knew he needed to remain calm. Overindulging could lead to a life in service to some crazy cult if he wasn't careful. He cleared his throat and sighed a little disappointed in himself.

"I'm not sure what literally any of that means." Sure, he'd heard of some disgruntled terrorists, but a rebellion? No way. And Jedi? Now that was laughable. The Jedi were a ghost story mother's told their kids. Scary force practitioners that stole children from their parents if they wanted to. Crix remembered the story from back in his days on Coruscant, but now one was sitting in front of him? What in the hell did any of this mean?

Crix sat forward on his elbows and asked, "What does any of this have to do with me?" A smile on his rested casually on his lips, but it was simply a mask that belied the apprehension in his gut.

@Deviant

 

[Leah Reach]

Crix was quick to turn from water to liquor. Enough to elicit a chuckle out of Leah, which she swallowed down and hid with an amused smile. It was strange how far the pair had come. In the span of a day, they went from random strangers to passing allies to spontaneous friends. She imagined that was what escaping a criminal syndicate and fighting captive Sith did to some people. A wild way to mingle and make friends, but she welcomed it. She would not have met Crix if not for everything. The rebel ambassador may have failed to find what she was looking for but the Jedi Master succeeded in bringing a new force-sensitive individual into light. Although, he had not agreed to anything yet and neither did he seem inclined to. Yet.

Leah was too abrupt with her words. Easing into the conversation should have remained a priority. However, as much of a Jedi Master she was, she was not always so patient. It was better she serve the worst of the news onto his plate, evaluate his reaction then allow him to digest the details. Thankfully, the smuggler had not ran out of the cantina screaming. Better yet, he hadn’t threatened her with a blaster pistol, not like one particular man had done with Master Luy. Ridiculous as the conversation was, she believed it was off to a good start. If Crix looked mildly interested and was willing to listen, then Leah was willing to talk. She held the answers to his questions. If she wanted to reel him in, then she needed to make sure he understood.

“Space wizard rebellion thing is certainly one way to put it.” She answered and sipped from her drink. Cherry wine slipped between red lips. Savoring the taste and the slow buzz in her head, Leah continued, “I know it’s crazy. It makes no sense. But sometimes, it doesn’t always have to.” She shrugged. “Five hundred years ago, the Sith Empire destroyed the Jedi Order, absorbed the Old Republic and subjugated the galaxy. I’m sure you know the story.” She raised a finger. “But there were a few details you might have missed— don’t worry, you’re not alone, the Empire missed some too.” A smug grin lined her mouth. “The Jedi survived. Skip five centuries, and we still do. Gathering our strength, fostering a rebel movement, hoping to restore what was lost all those years ago.”

After another sip, she set the glass down with a thud. “You said you wanted to know what this had to do with you…” She repeated after him. Her eyes wandered down to her drink before she leaned in, elbow on the table and chin in the palm of her hand, and focused on Crix. A new smile took root. “Are you sure you want to know?” The question was rhetorical. The Jedi Master already knew the smuggler was dying to figure it out. Maybe he was afraid, maybe he didn’t— but his curiosity would always get the better of him, she figured. After all, he was not a smuggler for no reason.

“I know we just met, and I’m sure the others will call me stupid for having told you everything, but there’s something else about you. Something special. Something you either haven’t seen yet, or don’t want to see.” The palm of her left hand hovered above her drink. The liquid inside began to tremble, a hundred small ripples forming. She blinked and the glass coasted down the table and circled back. No touch, no strings, no gust of air. Only the Force. “At first, I believed our meeting was just coincidence. Pure, dumb luck. Then, I felt it. I could hear this calling to you…” The Jedi unveiled the Sith’s lightsaber and shook it in the air nonchalantly. The blade was inanimate, still smothered by her Light. “…I should have known sooner. Still, I do now.”

“You have the Force, Crix. Can't you feel it?”

 

[Crix Dolan (TL8)]

The Smugglers emerald eyes delighted upon Leah’s smile, he found himself momentarily without words as she spoke, which was a first for Crix. The scoundrel found himself beguiled by her charm and realized he'd been admiring her lips a little too long... Embarrassed, he broke his trance by clearing his throat and leaning back in the booth. He was out of his scope of practice with Leah. Crix quickly rebuilt his wall, distancing himself a little while maintaining his charming veneer. He was good at keeping people at arm's length and that distance had kept him safe for his entire life. But with Leah, he could feel his defenses slipping and that scared the shit out of him.

As his eyes met hers he smiled and looked away, hopefully hiding the vulnerability he suddenly felt. Crix lifted the brandy to his lips in a feeble attempt to avoid the real conversation. For a moment he considered pursuing his infatuation, maybe he just needed to roll the dice, put it out there. He was a gambler, right? The thrill of chance was supposed to be his forte, but the thought of ruining his current friendship with her gave the gambler pause. It felt rude to ignore the seriousness of the situation and he convinced himself it was the brandy mixing with the lingering testosterone surge he'd been through earlier. He shelved his feelings, taking a drag on his cigarette and then putting it out. Leah explained the Jedi's survival and clued him in on information that was conspiracy level crazy, but the smuggler knew without a doubt she was telling the truth.

Logically, he knew she had no reason to lie, she believed what she was saying, and he’d watched, with his own eyes, as she’d dodged blaster bolts without looking and summoned an inanimate object to her hand. However, it was the illogical almost faith-based acceptance he felt that kept him on edge. Everything she said went against what he knew to be fact. Crix had grown up on the streets on Coruscant's vile undercity. He'd survived by running cons and stealing speeders, but what drove him to escape the planet were the dark robed defilers, The Sith.

As a kid, he'd been hunted for months by a man in black. The eerie predatorial gaze of the man's golden eyes still haunted him, but when he looked at the woman before him, he felt... safe. It was unsettling for the loner to feel at home with a stranger. Yet, he clung to every word and allowed the knowledge to replace the lies of the Empire.

“You said you wanted to know what this had to do with you…”

The scoundrel's brow inclined with interest as he leaned forward meeting her body language. Sudden urgency took hold within him. He waited on the edge of his seat as Leah teased, "Are you sure you want to know?" Her smile was infectious as he found himself following suit.

He nodded saying, "I'm sure." With as much confidence as he could muster.

Leah's glass glinted off the dim overhead light and caught his attention. The glass's contents reverberated within its confines without anything touching it. The seemingly sentient libation proceeded to complete an independent cycle on the table and as it moved Crix could sense the invisible tendrils of a... power? A force? THE FORCE?

Crix knew the feeling he was experiencing, it'd been a part of his life for as long as he could remember, it'd been this same feeling that he'd protected him from the sith as a kid... He hung on each word as Leah continued to lead him on. Crix swallowed a sig of brandy and set his cup down, encapsulated in her speech. She revealed the lightsaber from before and its appearance unconsciously caused the smuggler to inch away. He didn't like that thing whether it was inanimate or not. Even in her presence, he could feel it trying to whisper into his mind and that it kinda creeped him out. Luckily, Leah's next words carried enough weight to shatter his focus on the vile instrument.

"…I should have known sooner. Still, I do now.”

Crix unconsciously held his breath as she confirmed his suspicions.

"You have the Force, Crix. Can't you feel it?”

The revelation was stifling as unexplained events in his life suddenly acquired a new clarity. His intuition had been the guiding hand of the force protecting him. Even without his knowledge, he'd been led to this very moment and that left him feeling far more unsettled than he'd have hoped. What did knowing this mean? What was he supposed to do now? Did this connection mean he had to give up on his own dreams and aspirations? Even as the revelation was confirmed by a stirring in his spirit, the smuggler's mind rejected the possible implications. He wasn't sure how to respond to Leah's question as hundreds of questions vied for dominance in his mind. He ran and hand through his hair and scanned the cantina, allowing the impact to settle when he spotted a familiar looking man dressed in a long duster and cowboy hat.

Crix's attention remained on the man as a beautiful twi'lek woman joined him. The smuggler's eyes widened in surprise as he realized they were the group that'd been betrayed! He glanced toward the door as his intui-- the force alerted him to possible danger. Four Azure Twilight Enforcers entered surrounding none other than the dapper devil from before.

"You gotta be kidding me..." he said sinking into the booth a little more in hopes of staying out of sight.

"We need to go, now," he said in a calm and quiet voice. He peeked over at the other smuggler's, They'd already locked eyes with Azure Twilight and the tension between the two groups was enough to silence the entire bar.

The Dapper Devil stepped forward facing the other smugglers, "That was a cunning plan, Beau. I didn't take you for a man of tactics."

Beau Pritchett leaned back in his chair resting his arm on his seat's backrest and exposing the heavy blaster formally hidden under his duster. Crix eyed the smuggler with growing interest, How in the hell is he so calm?

Beau spoke with a casual draw that was adorned with a Dantooine accent, "Well, you know Daz, sometimes you've just gotta go with the flow." A friendly smile spread the across Pritchett's face and he asked, "How's yer ship?" The man's divisive tone was masked in his phrasing so well Crix nearly missed it.

This guy was growing on him. The Twi'lek woman stepped closer to him and rested a hand on his shoulder. She spoke in basic with a lilted Ryl accent that belied the intensity of her gaze.

"Now Beau my dear, you know better than to tease an Azure Twilight Captain for having his personal gunship stolen and trashed!" She chastised with an emphatic sarcasm Crix could only hope to attain one day.

The same compulsion he'd felt atop the roof when he'd first laid eyes on Leah sprouted anew as he watched the scene unfold. What did it mean? Was he just trying to avoid the situation he was in or was he supposed to help these two smugglers?

Daz Beletoph's contemptuous smirk soured and he frowned with displeasure, "The interlopers weren't with you?" He asked with actual surprise. Acceptance settled on his expression and that infuriating smirk returned to the bastard's lips. "Of course they weren't," he scoffed, "Kill them."

The order sent the cantina into chaos as a sudden gunfight erupted. Crix reacted without thought giving into the pull of the force. With supernatural speed, he deftly pulled his DH-7 from his holster and fired three shots, then flipped the table to their booth over into a makeshift barrier flashing Leah an apologetic smile as he entered the fray. Two of the bolts slammed into the back of the nearest enforcer dropping the poor brute in an instant. Beau and his accomplice flew into action as well.

Beau threw himself backward in his chair grabbing the heavy blaster from his holster fast enough to make one question his connection to the force. The gunslinger got two shots off as he fell backward in an attempt to avoid incoming blaster fire. One shot nicked Daz, and the other hit an enforcer in the leg dropping the being to a knee. Beau's accomplice pulled two blasters and dove to the left firing into the Azure squad with a warcry as she tucked into a roll and took cover behind the bar. Beau quickly joined her gaining respite from the deluge of blaster fire.

"Who do you think our new friends are Mal?" He asked pleasantly surprised by the unforeseen good luck. Malrax shrugged as she quickly reloaded and prepared to send another volley in their enemies direction.

"If the dumb bastard survives this we can ask them, right now could you help me shoot the bad guys!" She retorted.

Beau smiled lovingly at her, "Aw come one, darlin' you gotta start enjoying the little moments in life."

Daz stumbled back a step as he felt the blaster bolt rip through his suit's sleeve and incinerate the skin underneath. He didn't cry out, but his face displayed clear agony as he gripped the wound with his other hand.

One of the unscathed Enforcers stepped to his aid and began the retreat, into a com on his wrist Daz barked, "Send in reinforcement!" Contempt clear in his voice as he disappeared through the front door being quickly replaced by the Azure Enforcers ordered to storm the Cantina.

@Deviant

 

[Leah Reach]

Leah evaluated his reaction and response. The Force was in flux. He was conflicted, uncertain, but she could sense he knew. The truth sank through that hardheaded skull of his and wedged between his thoughts. It was impossible to escape and ignore. However, the Jedi Master watched him from afar, reclined into her cushioned seat, hoping to give him space as he considered everything. She understood it would take more than a few moments to stomach and digest what was said. Restless as she could be, the woman could be patient. She was willing. Until her eyes followed the other man’s, wandered to a familiar face, and noticed a pack of Azure Twilight Enforcers waltz into the cantina. Her attention spiked and her heart sank. As Crix slid down, so did Leah.

The Dapper Devil, the bearded menace, Daz Beletoph. A sleek scoundrel but on a scale far worse than the young opposite seated opposite of her. Captain of the criminal syndicate she stole from. No less the man she kicked in the face with an armored heel. From where she was, Leah could see a thin bandage over his nose. She broke it. “Oh, and you’re telling me?” She whispered back to Crix after his last demand. She made an embarrassing attempt to hide her face behind her hair as if it would shield her from the inevitable. The Jedi Master called the Force to her but could hear it screaming over her shoulder. A warning for what was about to come. By good luck, the syndicate failed to recognize the pair who had stolen their ship and instead hurled their undivided attention to a Twi’lek and a human smuggler. An opening to slip right through.

Of course, fate always had other plans. A kill order followed and shots rang throughout the cantina. Believing she could still salvage the mess and make it out, Leah was stunned to see Crix dive headfirst into the firefight. For all her superior reflexes, she barely registered what was going on before it already happened. The young man revealed his blaster, capitalized on a surprise attack and fired three shots against the syndicate thugs. Leah tried to pluck her drink from the tabletop but she was too slow and too late. Crix flipped the table on its side. Her drink shattered into the floor. Perfectly good wine wasted. Visibly upset, the Jedi hid behind the makeshift cover. A blaster bolt aimed at her newfound friend slammed into the table and burned through. It was nothing like the movies.

“And here I thought we were home free. This is great.” She said, voice laden with sarcasm. Leah could not believe her luck, or the will of the Force. Why did it always have to be her? Another bolt punctured the table, inches from her face. Her eyes darted over to the new hole and looked through to see the Azure Twilight Captain retreat only to be replaced by more Enforcers. Her nose wrinkled. She smelled something funny. As she tried to sniff out the source, Leah noticed the bolt had singed a lock of her hair. The Jedi nearly gasped. “Oh, it’s on now.” As she peered over her cover to inspect her surroundings, she pulled out her blaster and shoved it into the hole. Two shots followed. One armored body collapsed into the floor. It was just the start.

Azure Twilight came prepared, but for some reason, she didn’t believe it was set against her and Crix. Something else was going on. As she spotted the other couple who spoke with Daz, Leah remembered their faces from the landing platform. They were the ambushed gangsters, betrayed by the syndicate. No wonder Azure Twilight was out in full force. No wonder they knew what went down earlier that day. Not that the rebel ambassador cared about who they were or what they saw. All she knew was that it was awfully inconvenient of them to show up in the exact bar she was in, and convenient for Azure Twilight once they figured it out. “We can’t stay.” She hissed over to Crix, hoping he was not getting carried away. “There’s more coming. We have to go.”

Leah didn’t care if it meant leaving the other couple behind. They were criminals. Maybe they deserved what was coming to them. It was not her problem. Except, it was. As she moved for the fire exit closest to them and hurled the door open, she was immediately met by three more Enforcers. Face in full view, they recognized her in an instant. “Whoops.” She quickly slammed the door shut. Bolts burned into the metal. Leah stepped back and the door swung open. “Sorry, we’re closed!” She cried out as the first man marched inside. Before he could raise his blaster to shoot her or flank the others, the Jedi cocked back one hand and smashed into his helmet. With the Force, her fist shredded into the plastoid composite casing. The Enforcer was thrown a meter back, shocking his friends.

Leah cracked her knuckles. “Didn’t you hear me? I said we’re closed.”

@Zay

 

[Crix Dolan (TL8)]

theme​

Beau emerged from behind the bar, with both of his heavy blaster in hand. His weapons sent blaster bolts dancing in every direction as the gunslinger lived up to his title. Enforcers dropped like flies and Crix knew he needed to make his way to the bar.

"Be right back!" He called to Leah as he dashed to the bar. As he sprinted glass bottles were incinerated by blaster fire meant for him. He flinched as a particularly close blaster bolt slipped just past the left side of his face sending a spray of sharp debris into the side of his face. The scoundrel hissed in pain, but he made it across the bar. In a single motion, he cleared the surface and came down on the other side, landing flat on his back. He saw stars momentarily as the muzzle of a blaster rifle came into view.

"Move and I'll blow your head off!" snapped the Twi'lek woman. The Gunslinger laughed, still dealing damage to the enforcers with his twin pistols.

"Now, Mal, is that any way to talk to a new friend?"

Without wasting any time, and desperately worried he'd compromised Leah, he slid his frequency to Mal gave her a quick two-fingered salute and then moved to the opposite side of the bar. Crix saw Leah drawback and deliver a powerful punch to an enforcer attempting to breach that door. Crix instinctively recoiled in an empathetic flench before decided he'd better get over then and help her before she turned on him.

The Cantina had erupted into pandemonium and they needed to get the hell out of here. The smuggler reached Leah in time to see the three bewildered enforcers. One out for the count and two trying desperately to comprehend what they'd just seen. Crix didn't waste time with an explanation. His blaster already in hand he fired two shots from the hip killing both instantly. ...whoa, that was lucky... he thought, to Leah, he flashed a cocky grin.

"After you, Ambassador." He teased with mock formality.

After Leah, he'd rush out of the cantina. He was going to need another drink by the time they made it to his ship. Luckily, they were already in the spaceport. Now, all they had to do was get to the service hanger and hope that Azure Twilight wasn't guarding their escape route. He said a little prayer for the smugglers they'd left behind, but Crix had a feeling he'd be hearing from them soon enough.

As they entered into the crowed Crix slowed down to a walk. He'd already holstered his blaster and was brushing off his jacket, as he headed toward the maintenance hangar. They'd been walking a few minutes and he finally said, "I feel it."

His voice was small almost a whisper as if the admission brought him some kind of shame. Realizing the suddenness of his statement probably made no sense he stammered on saying, "The force, I can feel it... and it scares the shit out of me."

For the first time since they'd met his confident smile was absent. His brow was creased with apprehension as he spoke. "I've seen the force do terrible things.." his expression set into a glower as if the memory offended him.

"Knowing that it's in me... I-" he broke off unsure how to explain what he was feeling. The smuggler wasn't particularly good with words when they were connected to his emotions. His life hadn't allowed him the pleasantry of emotional stability. he could lie, swoon, con, and steal, but the moment he had to admit to feeling anything he was useless. He kept his gaze forward unable to look Leah in the eye. He felt exposed and after everything they'd already been through he wasn't sure he could handle much more emotional strain.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do..." The next four words to come out of his mouth were the hardest he'd ever uttered...

"Will you help me?" He glanced in her direction tentatively, unsure what he expected from someone he'd just met.

@Deviant

 

[Leah Reach]

Before Leah could bother with the remaining two Enforcers, she heard two shots ring out from behind. Her eyes widened. She glanced back to see a wisp of smoke out of a blaster, in the hands of Crix, and turned to see the armored thugs collapsed on the ground. One eyebrow raised, she gave him a thin smile, grateful. “Why, thank you very much.” She answered as he urged her through the door with a formality she hadn’t seen out of the man, even if it was pure sarcasm. Leah shot back. “But you know I could have handled that myself, don’t you?” She chuckled. It was partially true. The Jedi Master was prepared to mow down the leftover Enforcers blocking her path. She may have been outgunned but she sure did pack as much a punch than either of their blasters. In her case, literally.

The pair rushed on. Through winding corridors, clinging to walls, looking out for other members of the syndicate. She wondered if the couple they abandoned in the cantina would be all right, but by the look of things when they left, she figured they would mop the floor with the rest of the Enforcers. Her main concern was if she and Crix could make it to his ship in due time and without a problem. Knowing their luck? She had a feeling the trip was about to take another turn for the worst. Knowing the Force was on their side? She had a good feeling they would get out of it alive. They had on the landing platform, back in the sky, down in the cantina. If there was an ambush waiting for them, she would be ready. The Jedi Master always was. What she wasn’t ready for was Crix’s sudden uncertainty.

It was to be expected. Most wanted to reject the idea, most feared it. Nobody believed the Jedi were still around. The only connotation they held about the Force was the Sith. The horrors they committed with that power in their possession was unfathomable and inexcusable, but Leah hoped to dispel the young man’s fears. As he reached out to her, conflicted and vulnerable, she accepted. Blended with the crowd and moving ever closer to the maintenance hanger, the Jedi Master looked directly at him to show she was every bit serious as he. She nodded. “Always,” she answered with a reassuring smile. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a couple eerily dressed men carving through the crowd. Azure Twilight, without a doubt. Locking one arm with his, she added, answering both questions. “Don’t worry. I got you.”

She pulled him forward and aimed to escape the Enforcers. They had yet to recognize them or where they were going, but at the rate they were going, it was inevitable. The pair needed to reach the ship as soon as possible. There, Leah hoped she could further put his mind to rest. He was not a Sith, not the enemy, he was a— “Stop right there!” A shout pierced her thoughts. She twitched. One of the thugs recognized the back of her head from afar and immediately pursued. Cursing under her breath, a part of her wished her hair was not the distinct color it was. She imagined her tattered robes didn’t help to keep her mixed with the flock of people either. “I’ll explain later.” Leah rattled her head to the hangar ahead. So close. She trusted they would make it.

Of course, she always did.

@Zay

 

[Crix Dolan (TL8)]

Crix felt suspended in disbelief as Leah looked him in the eye and said, "Always."

It's amazing how the simplest answers can sometimes mean the most. He noticed her glance and followed it, spotting a couple enforcers headed their way. Man, he wished they'd just give him a minute to get his shit together, but rolling with the punches Crix resumed their little charade. He returned to his casual gait, strolling toward the maintenance hanger, and bristled slightly before relaxing into Leah's embrace, as she led them toward the hanger. He couldn't help but admire the hue of her hair as she led him to the hanger.

“Don’t worry. I got you.” Leah's words carried a comfort with them he'd never known he needed. He knew their current entanglement was just an attempt to blend in with their surroundings, but given his current emotional turmoil, he couldn't help but welcome the support. If he were perfectly honest, this was probably the closest he'd ever come to a loving embrace, and no matter how fleeting it may have been, it was exactly what he needed.

“Stop right there!” Bellowed one of the enforcers.

Crix made his choice and leaned in close to Leah cupping her chin gently and whispering, "Keep moving toward the hangar, I'm gonna get these guys off us." He gave her a brief description of his ship and then before she could protest any more than the looks she was already throwing.

"Trust me." Crix added, giving her a sly wink and a smile before stepping off to the side and, reluctantly ending their embrace. Once he was a few meters away he raised his com and hailed Peetwo. The piloting droid warbled a worried welcome, and he quickly mollified the little guy.

"Don't worry, bud. I'm coming back. Actually, that's why I'm hailing." He put a little humor in his voice in an attempt to soften the blow of his next words, "We're gonna need to leave in a hurry." The droid whistled obstinately. Crix, growing a little impatient given his current predicament bit back, "I know, I know. I promised, but I couldn't help it, please get the ship ready, I promise I'll explain when I get there." Then remembering Leah, he quickly added, "Oh and there's an ambassador joining us."

The scoundrel cut the frequency but caught the beginning of Peetwo's alarmed chortle. He rounded a pillar and stopped surveying the crowd, looking for their pursuers. The pair of oafs ambled passed their gazes locked on in front of them.

They're after Leah. He realized falling in behind the goons. He had to come up with something quick. If they figured out where she was heading they'd have a lot more trouble to deal with than these two lunkheads. Deciding to make it up as he went, as if he ever chose anything else, Crix walked up right behind one of the enforcers, tapped his shoulder and as the thug turned around The scoundrel decked him right in the jaw.

Now, the strength of his punch wasn't quite equivalent to Leah's mega-punch from earlier, but having surprise on his side carried a little weight. The enforcer's body immediately went limp as their spiritual self was separated from the physical. The enforcer's buddy, however, had plenty of time to react. The brutish human snatched Crix up like a rag doll and threw him to the ground. The slam rocked the scoundrel momentarily, and by the time he looked back up the enforcer's blaster was out and aimed at Crix's face. A wry smile split his bloody lip as he glowered at the hulk of a man.

"How many adrenals are you on, pal?" Crix sneered.

The brute stepped forward, "Enough to deal with a punk like you."

"Oh yeah, what about her?" He inclined his head to a position behind the Goon. The Enforcer let out a gravelly guffaw as he ignored the figure slinking up behind him.

"You think I'm really going to fall for that?"

Crix smiled knowingly and shrugged, "Yeah, I think so."

@Deviant

 

[Leah Reach]

Leah did not want to lose Crix to the thugs. He was a skilled smuggler, perfect for the Galactic Alliance. He was a promising student, a model for the Jedi Order. If they needed to thwart the enforcers’ pursuit, it was better she do it. However, there was no fighting it. The young man winked, whispered into his comms and disappeared into the crowd and behind a concrete pillar. She tried her best to follow her focus with Crix but even in her superior senses in the Force would do little. Compelled to push on, she moved in tandem with the crowd and toward where she presumed his ship would be. At least, at first. The thugs made every attempt to pursue and when the smuggler dared to confront them alone in the open, Leah knew she could not stand around and watch. Neither would she run. The Jedi was done running.

While Crix was sprawled on the ground, Leah appeared behind the brute, larger than she assumed. Not that his size mattered. Not for the Jedi Master. As the burly thug leaned in to make sure Crix was staring down the barrel of his blaster, she tapped his shoulder and picked up where the young smuggler left off. “I think so too.” He tensed. Eyes rolled over to see whoever was dumb enough to confront him too. He found only the older woman and a very dumb smile taped across her mouth. She looked up to him but stood chock-full of indifference and nonchalance. “Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?” She spat, much to the enforcer’s confusion. Before he could respond or react, she slammed her knee into the armored space between his legs.

The Force surged. Plastoid cracked. The ends of countless nerves erupted. The thug was forced to his knees, hands reaching down to his groin. His blaster dropped to the floor before his jaw did. Leah didn’t bother to wait and listen for a girly scream and raised her hand high. Her fingers, rather than curled into a fist, were completely open. A split second later, she bitch slapped the enforcer with a tide of the Force. The blow almost snapped his neck. Lucky for him, but not so much once he woke up. Her slap left a bruise across his cheek and temple, and the smack of his head against the pavement would leave him with nasty headache. Sufficient punishment for what he did to Crix, Leah believed, and what he was planning to do to her after.

With the two enforcers out of the way, she reached out a hand to the young man. “Let’s ditch this popsicle stand.” Once he took her hand and she picked him off the ground, she would push forward again. Without the horde of bodies to block their path, given most retreated after the fight or were too scared to get in Leah’s way, the journey to the ship didn’t take long. But they needed to be quick. Realizing two more of their men were down, Azure Twilight was fated to renew the chase. Already, she spotted another pair of gangsters trying to intercept them. Close, but not close enough. When they reached the hangar, the Jedi Master rushed to the ship with Crix in tow. Thanks to his earlier warning, his hunk of junk was ready for liftoff. Ramp lowered, she basically threw him and herself inside.

Blaster bolts shattered harmlessly into the hull. Aside from a few new marks, the ship was strong enough to tank the soldiers storming into the hangar. Moving for the cockpit but fully expecting Crix to take the reins, she slid into the passenger seat behind his mechanical co-pilot. She didn’t have to scream at them to leave for them to do it. Escape was inevitable. The syndicate could do nothing about it. And as she noticed Daz Beletoph, the Dapper Devil, step into the hangar barking orders, Leah locked eyes with him. As the ship lifted into the air, she raised a smug grin— and her middle finger. A fitting, well-deserved farewell.

@Zay

 

[Crix Dolan (TL8)]

“I think so too," sounded the voice of Crix's daring hero. The Azure enforcer flinched jerking around to face her. The Ambassador continued her badassery by taunting her adversary and immediately delivering the hardest knee to the human male reproductive organs the smuggler had ever seen. Even though moments before the man was threating the smuggler's life, Crix still found sympathy for the, now, genderless being clutching the ruined remains of their family jewels. Then to add insult to injury, Leah literally open palm face smacked the enforcer with the force.

"Oof, the disrespect." He murmured both terrified and in awe. The only other woman he'd met that could handle themselves like this was Ghost, and that fact kind of scared him. I'm like a super woman magnet. He thought in a ridiculously self-centered "epiphany" he would later chastise himself for having.

Crix said a small prayer for the man before taking Leah's hand and getting up. He cleared his voice echoing her previous question back to her, "I could have totally handled that, you know!"

She laughed rolling her eyes and saying, "Let's blow this popsicle stand."

The smuggler gave her a sympathetic smile saying, "Okay, we're gonna need to work on your tough talk."

The pair tore off toward his ship foregoing any semblance of stealth they'd had before. They ran together, Crix just behind the Ambassador. They evaded encroaching thugs easily as they tore through the spaceport. Even though he was running for his life a wide smile was spread across his face. He felt alive, and as they scrambled up the ramp of this old XS-100 he couldn't help but hope they'd get to do this again, soon.

He sprinted just behind Leah, her strawberry blonde hair dancing just in front of him. She slipped into the passenger chair and Crix took the helm. Crix patted Peetwo affectionately thanking his little buddy for getting the ship primed. Flashing an excited smile he said, "Might wanna buckle up." He gave her a quick wink as she flipped the bird to the Dapper Devil as he entered the hangar. Crix gave him a mocking smile and then punched the throttle.

The XS-100 shot out of the spaceport and made for space. The journey ahead was daunting, but the smuggler knew with Leah by his side, it'd at least be exciting!

End.​

@Deviant