Ask Catfish out of water

[Talohn Atar]

It would be on one dreary evening that Zlova rue, being the nearest available Sith Warrior, would get a call on her holocom. A summons to an old space station near the planet of cathar. Apparently, they had work for her. Though they seemed very hush hush about it, refusing to disclose any info until they got there. Considering this was the sith empire, a trap was a possibility. Though the officer on the commlink seemed more excited than shifty or concerned.

Upon her arrival at the space station, she was given clearance to land inside, and an officer was waiting for her outside of her ship when she would emerge. Upon seeing her, he salutes. He was a younger blonde fellow, eager and with something to prove. One could tell with how full of life his stride and movements were.. "Sorry for the discretion, m'lady. While not exactly dire, this situation does require....some discretion. Follow me, if it would please you." He then turns about to begin making his way towards the exit of the hangar. The walk through the halls was long and grueling, as was typical for larhe space stations. Walls and panels of gray, white, and a lot of nothing else with the occasional trooper or officer passing by. Eventually, the arrived at a door where the officer scanned a card, making it open. He steps aside so that she may enter first before stepping in behind her.

Beyond the door, she would see a simple interrogation room with one sided glass. Through the glass, she could see someone sitting across from another imperial agent at a table. Quite the tame interrogation as far as imperial standards go. Upon closer inspection, she'd see the one sitting across from the imperial agent is a cathar. While not a horribly unusual sight in the galaxy, to see one dressed so....natively, was a different story. His attire consists of leather pants an fur moccasins, with chest attire made up of various furs and leathers, a beast tooth necklace about his throat for the cherry on top. His arms have no sleeves, showing off lean muscle with greyish blue fur and the occasional black stripe. The lower part of his face is currently covered by a translation mask they seem to have put on him to make conversation easier. The upper part of his head consists of the same greyish blue fur with black stripes, and black slightly spiky hair atop his head that's been slicked back. His eyes are a distinct mix of yellow and orange with black slitted irises.

After giving her a moment to observe, the officer beside Zlova speaks. "He's a catharese native. Fresh off of the planet, bad understanding of basic, outdated attire. The whole lot." He then hands her a handheld holographic projector that's currently projecting a bounty poster of a bearded older man. "From what we've gathered. he says he can lead us to this man we've been looking for. A czerka spy that stole some important information from one of the Darths. Apparently, he chose the planet of cathar to lay low, killed some of the native's brethren." He states, gesturing to Talohn. "He says he'll lead us to him so we can get the information back....provided the kill is his. Cathar is a hostile planet. So sending one of your sort there with him on the empire's behalf is...." He shrugs. "Our best bet. After he gives you what we need, feel free to do with him as you please. Not like his life is important in the grand scheme of things. Plus, letting him live means paying him....Killing him is free." The officer is making it obvious what he'd do. Luckily for the feline on the other side of the glass, it wasn't up to him. The other agent in the interrogation room stands up and opens the door to make his way out, leaving the door open so that Zlova can go inside and meet her temporary companion for this new assignment.

@Zlova Rue

 

[Zlova Rue]

A young Lethal Twi'lek stepped out of the shuttle that had brought her to the unremarkable space station. Her golden eyes swept over the interior of the bay as an officer nearby saluted. A dark tight, sleeveless vest, loose leggings, and broken in boots adorned the Champion as she stood there atop the ramp. A lightsaber was affixed to either hip.

After a second, her gaze fell on the man eager to make her acquaintance. It wasn't that she thought of less of people unable to use the Force adequately. Zlova simply wasn't in the mood to think about how advancing their career might help her. Perhaps if this weren't some backwater hostel, or if the man impressed her somehow in their disposition or skill set.

With the invitation given, the red woman strode down and began to follow the man.

Discretion? It wasn't as though Zlova had much of a choice. Being a Champion gave her some latitude to act independently, but there were still plenty of self-righteous Lords and Ladies haunting the galaxy to bother her. To say nothing of the Navy and the precarious balance of power between it and those that used the Force.

When they arrived at long last, she stepped through the door without hesitation. The Force would warn her if there were any threat. Even if it didn't, Zlova was quite confident in her ability to cut down anyone foolish to stand before her. Arrogantly so? Perhaps. Perhaps.

Lips pressed together, her golden rings shifted ever so slightly in the officer's direction at his remark about the man's attire. Yes, that was the most salient observation about the Cathar male in the room -- his clothing. It went beyond noticeable, but it was hardly important -- certainly not enough for idle chatter. Thankfully, the man didn't drone on about the trivialities for long before he got on with the point.

Zlova reached over to accept the handheld device to get a look at the bounty displayed there.

Revenge, was it?

It seemed an unfortunate tick, perhaps, that the officer seemed inclined to ramble. Perhaps he thought he was ingratiating himself to a bloodthirsty monster. Even a Lord or Lady would probably have told him to shut his mouth by now, however, and they were the only ones that likely wished to see the galaxy burn for whatever reason. At that moment, he was going on about the lack of value the Cathar's life held in the officer's eyes.

"I'll see to matters. Have the ship ready to depart. We'll be aboard within the next fifteen minutes if I have to drag the man there." Not that Zlova expected she'd need to. The man wanted to go back. She was being forced to go with him. Might as well get it over with, and give the officer a bone to gnaw on with the whole threatening bodily harm shtick.

Not bothering to return the device, the Twi'lek turned and strode through the open doorway and into the interrogation room. Zlova crossed right over to the table and flippantly tossed the device with the bounty's face on it down on the table. "You want him? You come with me. You do as I say, when I say. You betray me, I gut you like a pig. Agreed?" How much did the Cathar understand? She'd made an effort to use simple words. Whether he truly understood the meaning behind it, she expected her firm tone should make things clear despite the language barrier.

@Talohn Atar

 

[Talohn Atar]

"Whatever is to your satisfaction." The officer states simply before making his way to the nearby security console. He uses the intercom to speak to the being inside. "You have abother guest. Once again, don't try anything." He then looks back to Zlova. "Another word of caution. Personally, I don't believe we have the full truth about this one. He says he's a native...but I know of no one from a native society that could manage to fire up a broken down shuttle and get it off world alone. Smells a bit off to me." With that, the officer stands aside, allowing her o deal with the cathar in peace, but remaining to monitor the situation through the glass.

Those orange slitted eyes lock on the red twi'lek as she enters the interrogation room, following her as she approached and tossed the bounty display device onto the table. His eyes dart down to the familiar, and hated, visage of the man who killed his companions, then back up to her. A few moments of silence pass, which are spent by him through staring directly into her eyes, assessing her, just as she was assessing him. Finally, he speaks up, his true voice obscured by the mechanical voice of the translator mask upon his face. "Not exactly. i grew up on the plains of Cathar. I give you advice, I point out something, you listen. It'll make the environment less trouble, listening to a native, yes?" He tilts his head, the question rhetorical. With that, he stands up, unfazed by the threat. Though it seems Zlova's terms had been agreed to...sort of.

He leans his head in the direction of the door, gesturing for Zlova to go first. He follows behind until they're outside of the room, which is when he addresses the officer. He turns to the man and points a finger his way. "You. I would like my blaster back. It is important."

The officer scoffs, shaking his head. "I'm not giving it back, A savage like yourself? Probably can't even shoot the thing. I think I'll keep it as...evidence."

A snarl is audible from under the mask. "It is by that blaster which my brothers and sisters were killed. It is by that blaster that my prey shall die. I will have it no other way. None." The fury is burning in his eyes as the mechanical translator states his will. He takes steps closer and closer to the officer as he speaks, agression oozing from his aura. The officer, obviously intimidated by the fury of a trained warrior, begins backing up.

Suddenly, he stops, thinking better of it. His gaze turns to Zlova. "I request that you get my blaster from him...or that you allow me to do it myself." He points at the A-180 that the officer has stowed away in one of the holsters on his belt. "It will serve us well on cathar, and he is not keeping it from me out of duty. Just a...." He looks back at the officer, his eyes narrowing. "A cripplingly racist complex of...superiority."

@Zlova Rue

 

[Zlova Rue]

Zlova didn't respond to the man's rhetorical question. The muscles of her face didn't so much as twitch. His bravado was commendable, if inexcusably foolish. Did he honestly believe he held some control over the circumstances that surrounded him? The bounty wasn't worth that much. They hadn't assassinated the Emperor, destroyed some Council member's homestead, or broken some lofty, crazed alchemist's glass tubes. She had a mind to correct the Cathar -- hard -- but instead Zlova decided to give him a little more rope.

To think the man even wanted to follow. That should have told him enough that Zlova didn't hesitate wondering if he planned to stab her in the back with some flimsy, hastily-made stabbing implement. A pen, perhaps.

She stopped outside of the room and turned to regard the mouthy Cat and the officer once more. There was neither smile nor scowl on her lips. A blank stare observing the exchange as it unfolded before her. Not even the aggressive steps toward the officer drew the tattooed woman to act.

Then, much to their surprise, the 'feral' man stopped advancing. He asked her to retrieve it -- as the officer was unwilling to part with it -- or that she allow him to do so. Not entirely unaware of his surroundings then. Not entirely ignorant of the galaxy. Probably some vague resemblance of how things were conducted in his tribe. However, neither permission nor refusal was granted, whatever stayed Talohn from earning a painful punitive action. It didn't matter how much Zlova might not like the officer, a certain decorum and respect for the uniform should be preserved.

Instead, the Twi'lek's hand lifted from her side. If the holster was buckled shut it would pop open, and the blaster would simply fling itself away from either male and into Zlova's waiting hand. The A-180 slowly turned in her grasp as her eyes regarded its construction. Not native at all. Had it come from the ship? Her eyes snapped up toward the Cathar only a second after her examination had begun.

"You're taking great pains to fasten that noose around your neck," the Twi'lek replied at last. "We're leaving. Unless you want me to throw this in the incinerator." The A-180 spun in her grasp until she sandwiched the barrel between her fingers and the meat of her palm, barrel pointing at the floor and its grip out for Talohn to take as he made his way to the door.

@Talohn Atar

 

[Talohn Atar]

The officer is unable to speak any words of protest as the rifle is suddenly pulled from his belt by the ghostly grasp of the force. He didn't bother to try either. Zlova's actions already spoke of her decision on the matter, so there was nothing else to do but cross his arms and stare with discontent. Talohn, having the same sentiment of silence as the man before him, turns about to face Zlova as she speaks. Carefully, he takes the blaster from her grasp and carefully places it a pocket of his fur armor.

"Thank you. My mentor, she was shot dead with this. I've killed her killer...but the one who commanded her killer...he still remains." He states, providing Zlova some more information. So he wanted to kill his prey with irony? How spiteful. In response to her words, he speaks once more, waving a hand dismissively. "There is more at stake here tha-" Suddenly unable to take it any longer, his left eye twitches as he suddenly grips the translator mask on his face and rips it off, throwing it on the floor. "NO! No more of mask. Does nothing but stifle breathing and make me sound like machine without emotion!" His words filled with finality, he stomps on the mask.

The catharese accent and broken basic are clear as day now, alongside the emotion behind his words. He takes a few moments to brush down the bristled fur on the lower part of his face that had been made a mess of by the mask. The cathar had sharp features to go with his obviously sharp teeth, and it seems he had stripes that went around his neck and on parts of his face. He was quite the handsome creature, in terms of cathar at least. With his lean frame and his face having been revealed, one could say he had charm in a sort of rogueish way. A nervous smile appears on his face as he raises a hand in greeting. "Sorry. Had...sightest of outburst. This is real voice though! Much better than dumb machine." It was indeed. His voice was a lot more light hearted than the cold tone of the mask let on.

Hurriedly, he gestures to the door. "You lead way to ship, yes? Excited to see it. Will be the second ship I ever have seen!" He then looks down at the floor of the space station he was currently on. "Oops. Meant third. Is...is space station considered ship?" He rubs his chin thoughtfully.

 

[Zlova Rue]

The Twi'lek wondered if the Cathar was aware of just how still and seemingly unaffected she was with his outbursts. Others -- say, Imperial Officers -- would tense and be on-guard if not outright hostile toward anyone 'acting up.' Others were constrained by the laws of physics and their own reaction time. A Knight, however, had the Force. It might not solve all the galaxy's problems, but it was close enough.

Zlova's golden eyes remain lidless throughout Talohn's entire exchange. Only when he finished did the red woman close the distance between them with her eyes fixed on his. "I lead, you follow. If you disobey an order, you die. If you attempt to escape, you die. Your friend, the Imperial Officer," the one that stood in the corner like a good Officer, "knows this and as a Sith Knight I expect you to know it as well."

She didn't ask if he understood. She didn't wait to hear a response. Zlova paused for a moment as though her eyes alone could pierce the flesh and know he had heard and would obey. Then she turned on the spot to glide from the room without a command for him to accompany her. Where she led, he would follow -- a test to see if the Cathar had heard or whether he needed a lesson in why he should obey.

Not that Zlova felt like crushing the man, but she did have an image as a Sith to uphold. Couldn't let the Imperial Officers think the Sith were getting soft -- it'd only lead to their destruction if they thought to undermine them.

The Lethan would lead the way back to the ship with measured strides and her chin held high. The same sort of strictly-business attitude she'd held in the Officer's presence while he nattered about the captive she was to meet. They weren't there to sight-see, and what they both wanted was no where near the station -- not that it was a station worth remembering. She'd tell the Cathar when he should be suitably impressed once they saw a real space station.

Shortly after she strode up the ramp to the ship, said portal would begin to close regardless of how close on her heels Talohn had been. What if he got locked outside? Well then he had better learn how to hold his breath when the bay depressurized... or so someone in her position would have such a person believe. Obviously, Zlova couldn't get the Cat killed at this point in the mission.

Once the ship was sealed then the red woman turned and stepped back into Talohn's personal space. Only this time she pivoted in toward him and thrust a hand out to slap against the wall beside his head. A smirk pulled at her lips. "You do like testing your boundaries don't you? I can appreciate that. Long as you can learn when to push them and when to hold your peace. Can you?"

@Talohn Atar

 

[Talohn Atar]

The cathar doesn't even lean away as Zlova gets in his personal space to scold him. As far as she can tell, he is completely unafraid. Partly because he was a brave warrior, sure, but also because the word 'sith' likely meant nothing to him. His eyes narrow as she states the rules for at least the third time. Before addressing her statement, he looks back at the imperial officer, who scowls at him. "That man many things. Many unpleasant things. Friend is...too pleasant to make list of things that he achieves." He states, proceeding to show his teeth in a snarl at the man for a few moments. It was a bit of an unnerving sight. With how reminiscent of humans his face is, it was strange to see all those face muscles contract, forming light folds in the skin on his features that made him almost look like an angry wildcat. A reminder of how much savagery was hidden under that cute humanoid exterior, muscles in his jaw being flexed that could grind and tear. A reminder of the fact that he could use his teeth to rip off a human arm if he wanted. The officer, unintentionally acknowledging this, finds himself backing up against the wall slightly. Quickly, Talohn's features return to comforting humanoid facade as a smug grin spread across his face.

With his social battle won, Zlova becomes the main focus of his attention once more. "Yes, yes. You lead. I follow. However, if we get lost in jungle and eaten by kiltik?" He cackles. It'd a strange cackle, almost a mix between laughter and a felinoid hiss. After his laugh, all the emotion drifts from his face as he points at her. "Our bones serving as fuel for circle of life will be big fault of yours. Yes? Also...What is sith? You are warrior? I see no weapon." He looks her up and down, then leans side to side to look at her holsters. "Hmmmm, specialist of bare hand? Hard knuckles? I have heard of aliens with sich strengths. Heard they were....Bigger. You are built lean. Like acklay." He states this happily, as if calling her an acklay was a compliment. This also meant some species of acklay must be on cathar. Great. As she strides out of the room, he happily obliges with following her, his excited and curious gaze drifting about the space station as he follows her to the ship.

He hurries up the ramp, making it past the door just before it shuts. He looks back at the aformentioned door and squints. "You try to cut me in half? ....Is rude." He frowns slightly. He turns around just in time for Zlova's palm to slam the wall beside his head as she once again invades her personal space, their faces inches apart. He's silent for a moment as he internally trnaslates the meaning of her words. He then smirks widely at her in return. "Such fiery gaze with baring of fangs. Your eyes, They have powerful charm." This cat was trouble. Lots of trouble.

Once she let him free of her grasp, he would scurry off. not out of fear. No, out of curiosity. Suddenly all manner of things within the ship would be poked at stared upon with wide curious eyes, from Zlova's batle trophies to even the light switches, which get flicked on and off a few times. How cute his curiosity was! Also annoying, but one couldn't ignore the childlike wonder in his eyes.

@Zlova Rue

 

[Zlova Rue]

Zlova took hold of the scruff of the Cathar's neck as she strode toward the cockpit. She had to wait until he crossed her path just so as he darted about the inside of the ship. The man was not going to have her running around chasing him as some holo-comedy sketch!

A finger of her free hand stabbed at the co-pilot seat as she released Talohn with the slightest pushed in that direction.

"Sith," the Twi'lek hissed, "are power-hungry monsters with delusions of grandeur and a sate-less appetite for trouble. I am a Sith Knight. A Warrior. One that commands great magick and won't be eaten by some mere kiltik." No one said a Sith had to agree with everything they did as a collective whole. If anything their upbringing seemed to encourage hatred of the self as much as any other. Whatever tickled your nethers.

The ship lifted off the deck and began to slide back out of the station hanger.

"You should thank whatever gods you believe in for meeting me, Talohn. I'm not only incredibly hot," Zlova turned to look over at the Cathar with a toothy grin, "but I don't feel inclined to tear one of your arms off to beat you with it for being so carefree in my presence. You do feel fortunate meeting me, don't you?"

With a sparkle in her golden eyes, the Twi'lek turned back to the controls and punched in coordinates for Cathar. "Let's see if your not-friend feels the same way. Anything you want to share about how we'll find them?"

@Talohn Atar

 

[Talohn Atar]

Naturally, with his mind focused on sating his curiosity, he didn't see it coming. The back of his neck is grabbed, causing him to stop in his tracks. His eyes follow where she points, and he makes he makes his way towards the seat after being lightly pushed in that direction, a bored expression on his face. "Ship full of wonders. Unable to touch them. Sadness." He shakes his head, arms crossed as he sits down in the directed cockpit seat.

"So sith are sort of....shaman? Home on cathar has shaman. Shaman can fight. Just not like warrior. Warrior are up close, intense. Shaman are at distance. Mostly healing. Maybe occasional real combat. Saw one send group of kiltik flying with strange green energy." He rubs his chin thoughtfully. Though he described it, it seemed he had no idea what he was talking about. Zlova, if she had studied the topic, would easily be able to draw parallels to the witches of Dothomir. Perhaps his clan had developed something similar? It's not beyond reason. It made sense that an isolated tribal society would develop the force in such a way.

The shuttle he had been on before didn't have windows to peek out of. So, naturally, he was practically pressed up against the glass as the ship left the hangar, his orange colored eyes reflecting the stars as he stared into the void of space with infinite wonder. "Is....a big expanse. Bigger.....than....I could ever have dreamed. Have always been curious about the stars. Since childhood."

He turns his head, gaze meeting hers once more as she begins speaking. What came next was something Zlova would find quite interesting. His mind was not trained, so there wouldn't be too much resistance. Yet it was there, she would feel it. The automatic reflex of a force sensitive mind. The cathar would wince, holding his head in his hands as he hunches over in his seat. A slight hiss leaves his lips through gritted teeth. Though he seemed bright eyed and curious, he was smarter than he acted. The language barrier just made him sound less intelligent than he actually was. He was smart enough to know that he had yet to give Zlova his name, and his head had begin hurting the moment she said it. It was an easy connection to make. "Careful with.....pulling thoughts from mind! Is a rude thing to be doing. Privacy is to be respected, yes?" He looks at her, now pouting. "As for fortune of meeting you. Do not truly know this yet. Time will tell us, no?"

@Zlova Rue

 

[Zlova Rue]

Shaman? Zlova glanced at the Cathar, but didn't say anything at first. No, the Sith were certainly not anything like Shaman. Not that the man seemed to know what it was he was describing. "Magick." The Lethan snorted. "Powerful in its fashion, but slow." She wouldn't profess to be an expert on it. From what she'd read it could be powerful, but it wasn't without drawbacks. It was often its strongest in groups, which among Sith was... a touchy matter.

Strange to hear Cathar knew anything about it though, if it was magick.

Golden eyes shifted to the side as the man suddenly planted his face against the window. Great. Maybe she could introduce him to the pain of cleaning windows on the far side of a console later. She wasn't doing it. Royal pain in the ass. "Bigger than the night sky. You won't really understand how big until you visit somewhere other than your own planet." Yeah, space was breathtaking since it was all around instead of just above, but space was just that -- a lot of empty space. Once you visited some places in it, however, then the real mind-breaking would start.

The cat was painfully naive. It'd get him killed.

So she let him know just how fortunate he really was.

"Perspective, Cat. Like space, you know nothing of the Sith. Meet another one and you'll understand why we have a reputation." She paused to study the man for a moment. "Sith Masters have no patience or time for privacy. The galaxy's a screwed up place, Talohn, and I mean to make sure you know how to survive it."

Zlova reached over. With a glance at the man, the Twi'lek smirked. "Try not to soil yourself." With that she engaged the hyperdrive engine for the short trek to the planet nearby.

@Talohn Atar

 

[Talohn Atar]

Her words about Magick fall deaf on his ears while he peers out the window into the endless void of space, the stars reflecting in his eyes as he feeds his curiosity. After she comments on the true size of space, he once again looks out the window, his expression ponderous. "Hm...Have heard tales of places beyond home. Far beyond. Stories of...Places without trees. No plants. Only cities." He reaches his arms upward, outstretching them to express size. "Large metal structures. Higher than comprehension." His arms fall back to his sides as he leans back in his seat. "Mmm.....Sounds....awestriking.....also sad. Maybe scary perhaps. World without trees doesn't sound like world. Seems more like living upon world corpse, yes?"

Talohn was indeed naive. But not as much as she might think. Though the language barrier didn't help his case, she still had to consider the fact that he had managed to get off of a tribal world with an old shuttle, while being from a tribal society completely lost in the ways of technlogy. How he had done it was still a mystery though, and he was just as confused about it as the imperials were.

His expression is unimpressed as she states what sith masters do and don't have time for. He crosses his arms, eyes narrowed as he looks at her from the window once again. "Hm. No patientness for time or privacy? Sith masters? Good thing you are Sith Warrior instead of Sith master, hm?" Even with the language barrier, he certainly had wit.

He jumps a little as the hyperdrive engages, eyes going wide as stars begin speeding past them, creating countless white lines. After taking a moment to stare in awe, Talohn looks at her. "What....what about this would make me cover self in soil? How dirt relevant?"

 

[Zlova Rue]

Zlova stared at the Cathar for a moment. "We just traveled around the vast wilderness of your world five times in the blink of an eye, and you ask about a colloquial misunderstanding? You are fortunate I am not a Sith Master. You aren't impressed by dazzling things, but in the contents of a ship and the emptiness of space?" Sure, he'd stared in awe for a bit, but one might as well have had their understanding of Euclidean geometry annihilated and gawked merely about the differences in size.

The Twi'lek slowly shook her head before she turned back to the controls. The planet of Cathar loomed up before them as she started their orbital approach.

"Are you going to tell me about the man we hunt, or am I going to tie you up and leave you here while I lop off their head?" The Cat was cute, but Zlova still hadn't heard the man say anything relevant to the task at hand. Indulging him wasn't enough, so perhaps a little stick with the carrot to get his attention. Not that she wanted to leave him behind. He knew the land better and it would be nice having someone to talk to between butchery.

She kept the approach toward the planet so to give Talohn time to make his decision. If they landed on the other side of the planet and he suggested they'd walk on some grand adventure... the Twi'lek would find a nice, tall cliff and suspend him over it with the Force.

@Talohn Atar

 

[Talohn Atar]

As Zlova stares at Talohn in a dumbfounded manner, the cathar shrugs. "Ship go fast. Ship I left planet on go fast. Is to be expected that your ship go fast, no? Is not new to me. How it look? That is new. Shuttle at home did not have window for seeing through." He then sits up in his seat to look back at the rest of the ship from the cockpit. "Of course I am interested by contents of ship! Shuttle was old. Rusty. Had nothing. This is lived in ship! Your lived in ship, and you are interesting person." He grins cheerfully.

He leans up a bit to peer through the ship's front viewport, eyes sparkling as he sees his planet from space for the first time. From the looks of it, the planet was mostly a mix of plains and jungles, with a ocean or desert here or there. A warm, temperate planet. Confusion spreads across those catlike future as he realizes that, from this angle, finding home would be hard. "I....Hm. Have never had to find home from such angle. Give me...minute...." His eyes dart about the landscape of his planet. While he doubted Zlova would actually kill him, he feared her anger to an extent. She was relying on him just as much as he was relying on her, after all. It's then that Zlova would sense something...Interesting. A presence force emanating from Talohn's mind his his eyes dart to the navigation console of the ship that was in between them. To the untrained eye, it would seem he was using the force to luckily guess the correct buttons as his confused gaze watched his hands press the buttons and turn the knobs. He manages to activate a topographical scan of the surface, scanning different plains and locations in search of...something. Finally, the scan picks up a massive tree, and he exhales with relief before clicking a button that sets their landing course.

The cathar would then go still, staring at his hands, absolutely dumbfounded. "It....happen...again?" He had no idea, but Zlova, Zlova would be able to tell. He had not just used the force to make lucky guesses. Somehow, someway, he had used the force to connect to that machine. In the moments where he was touching the console, the force flowed into it and then back out and into him, forming a temporary bond that allowed him to instinctually inderstand the navigation system's inner mechanisms, even if he didn't realize it himself.

The cathar shakes his head, eyes looking to Zlova agan as he decides to ignore it for now. There were more important matters at hand. "Do not know much of him. Human male. Dark blonde hair....uhhh messy facial hair. Wears black uniform of...corporation do you call it? Shot rest of hunting party I was in dead. Only me. I remain. Happened near home tree. We will go to home, then site of incident. He had big vehicle. Has been a while since incident, but big vehicle still have big tracks. Have done tracking all my life. Will find him." He nods, a deep fire burning in his eyes. "Is likely set up in jungle by plains. Would have had to knock over trees to get through. The jungle will tell." He crosses his arms, leaning back in his seat once more.

@Zlova Rue

 

[Zlova Rue]

A few, choice Sith insults darted through Zlova's mind at the sight of Talohn appearing lost. The 'shuttle' he'd stolen had no windows. So this was the first time the man had seen Cathar from orbit. And just how had he piloted the ship in the first place? Surely he knew how to program the computer -- use its navicomputer -- somehow. Had he paid attention to his point of origin, however? That was going to be a huge spittin' deal.

Zlova didn't say anything, but her lips firmed and her eyes narrowed a hair at being asked to give Talohn a minute. Because that would help. All he needed was time... a lifetime should suffice.

Could always try relying on The Force. See if it was in the mood to just show them the way.

Then the Lethan pivoted her head back in Talohn's direction. Under different circumstances she'd have told the man to keep his paws to himself and not fiddle with navigation as he had. Certainly not actually enter coordinates. At least he hadn't locked her out of the controls, and some random Giant Tree was as good of a starting point as any.

"Right." The description was about as helpful as Talohn's directions, but his thoughts on how they would track the man were a little more... palatable.

Her eyes turned forward as she set to work landing the craft near the Tree. "When this is finished, we have much to discuss, you and I. About the future. About what it is you want, and how I can help you get it." The immediate desire for revenge was useful enough, but it wouldn't last forever. Talohn had to want something else. Perhaps she'd need to give him something else until he found something of his own. Whatever the case, she didn't feel like just letting him walk away when the hunt was over.

"How receptive are your people to outsiders, Talohn?" Especially red women like herself.

The ship swept in over Cathar and slowly settled onto the firmament.

@Talohn Atar

 

[Talohn Atar]

While any force user could likely learn what he just did with enough time and study, it was by no means a part of the natural order. The force did not typically flow through cold metal and dead wires. The fact that this ability was latent within him spoke of...a certain ancestry. How that ancestry ended up on the planet of cathar was anyone's guess though. Whatever the case, Zlova had quite the find in this innocent space faring cat.

Talohn seems slightly nervous, watching the fire as they enter the atmosphere. This was after all, his first time reentering such a thing. However, he assumed it was perfectly safe, judging by Zlova's reaction. He could guess she had done this plenty of times before, and she knew the ship much better than he did. Hell, she knew all ships better than he did. As they pass the tree while approaching the surface, her words addressing him cause him to snap out of his deep thoughts, gaze turning to look at her. "Much discussion?" He scratches his head. "Why interest in what I do next? I boring in comparison to galaxy you explore, no?" He raises a brow. Calling himself boring wasn't a self depreciating statement either. It was common sense that he as a person would not compare to the wide wonders of an infinite galaxy of opportunity.

He crosses his arms, now ponderous. "Do not know much of....galaxy currency. killing blonde man...make currency? Is natural to reward favor, right?" He goes silent for a few moments, possibilities racing through his mind before it finally settles on something. He sits up in his seat to look around the ship, his teeth forming into a smile of intrigue. "Will...payment be enough for ship buying? Could get own ship. See more galaxy. More planet?" His gaze darts to her once more as he leans over the armrest of his seat, his excited face entering her personal space. His eyes are wide with wonder as he speaks. "You help me get ship? Yes? Yesss?" Certainly not the sithlike ambitions that Zlova likely hoped for from him, but it was a start. While he was sad for the loss of his compatriots, he was still pragmatic enough to recognize a possible lifechanging opportunity.

When asked about how his people receive outsiders, he wiggles his fingers in the air. His culture's form of a 'so-so' gesture. "Are ok with those of outside. More open to those offering trade or services. Many bring gift to earn good will. Mostly alcoholic beverage. Warriors and hunters love alcoholic beverage. Me as well." He then turns to the window, watching the grass slowly get closer as they land.

 

[Zlova Rue]

Zlova glanced in the man's direction. "The galaxy has many amazing things to see, but those are fleeting moments that only come once. People -- as useless as most are -- have more potential, Talohn. You, in particular." Why? What need was there to elaborate further? Such talk would probably just fill his head with overconfidence and distract him from the events ahead.

Then the feline launched into talk about money. Reward? Apparently her comments had him thinking of the future in terms of what immediately followed their time on Cathar. Well, she hadn't told him anything else, but it would be interesting to find out where this line of thought led naturally from his point of view.

And that was to buying a ship.

The Twi'lek turned to look over at the toothy cat beside her. She made no effort to lean back as he leaned in closer. One eye was squeezed shut just a bit compared to the other, however. A ship... was probably ambitious from where Talohn sat. Dreadfully naive. Still, it was better than someone looking forward to buying a blaster pistol -- the weapon that was about as common as a steel sword. At least it was expensive. "At least. We're not buying one on Cathar unless you saw a ship that nearly stopped your heart." If he was getting a ship it wasn't going to be some beaten up fighter, or a discarded shuttle.

Once the ship was down, Zlova stood and began to walk down the length of the ship. She tapped a control in the hallway and a panel slid up to expose two crates inside. "Grab one." The Lethan didn't wait on him to grab a bottle or a crate, whatever he felt was needed. It was full of strong alcohol. It pained her to think she might have to trade it away with a bunch of natives, but if it would keep them out of her way and get this bounty collected...

The ramp began to descend and Zlova turned to look at Talohn as she expected him to catch up. "Nothing wrong with loving a strong drink." She smirked. "Long as you can still someone that thinks you're vulnerable. How good are you drunk?"

@Talohn Atar

 

[Talohn Atar]

Talohn raises a brow, more confused than flattered by her saying he had potential. That was good. Despite his naievity and innocence, he was intelligent enough to not let praise go to his head. Especially praise from someone he had only recently met. No matter how beautiful. "If you are say so." Is all he gives her in response.

Her words about buying a ship causes catlike chitters of joy to leave his lips before he calms down, taking a deep breath. "Yes. No good ship on cathar." He shakes his head. "Ship I took to...space...station?" He stops, rubbing his chin in thought. Did he get that right? He then decides it doesn't matter and moves on. "Ship nearly stopped heart. Broke down for few minutes during trip to station." He shivers slightly. "Not of fun time. Said something about no life support. Figured heart would stop soon." He thinks about it for a minute, then squints at her. "Actually, ship should keep heart going, yes? Why get ship that starts heart? Life ship better than death ship." He states, seeming puzzled.

The cathar would continue to ponder these thoughts until the ship landed. He stands up to follow Zlova as she exits the cockpit of the ship, eyes once again darting about as they make their way towards the exit. When Zlova taps the door control, he jumps in surprise as a panel opens right beside him, his hands raised to claw at whatever the source of the noise was. Upon finding it was just a door, his arms fall limply to his side and an embarassed smile forms on his lips. "Noise is loud." When directed to grab a crate, he leans over one of the containers to take a long sniff. It was important to check substances before giving them to his people. He then proceeds to pick up one of the crates, using one arm to hold it atop his shoulder. Surprising strength for his lean form. "Will do nicely. Clan will trade with you, yes? What you crave? Weapon? Herb? Knowledge? Expansive library within city tree. Might find interesting. If you are historian sort."

Talohn follows her down the ramp as he speaks. He wanted to make sure she felt like trading the alcohol wasn't a complete loss. He pauses as she asks him how he handles booze. The grey furred fellow pauses, thinking of how to place thw words. After a few moments, he speaks. "Twi'lek...herbivore. Yes? Cathar carnivore. Body does not process alcohol as fast. Putting simply." He smiles slightly as he meets her gaze. "You likely better than me drunk." He chuckles, showing off those sharp carnivorous teeth.

With that being said, he walks past her. "Will want me up front when we reach home. Guard on edge after incident. Familiar face make conflict less likely."

 

[Zlova Rue]

The Lethan looked down the corridor at the cat as he started toward her with the crate. Trade? Kun, she just thought to buy their loyalty long enough to get the job done. Who knew if they already had an "experience" with a red Sith like her. If they had they might start thinking they should kill her the moment they laid eyes on her... Well, that'd make the booze a poor deal to keep that from happening. The galaxy was a screwed up place. She'd try to keep as many of them alive as possible.

Though, perhaps... if they did trade... "Knowledge?" A dubious flirtation there. Did Cathar have something worth learning? Any number of Empires might have rolled over on the planet, perhaps, over the long history of the galaxy. Perhaps a Twi'lek could dream. "Let's go with that. Ever see a triangle-shaped object that glowed? Maybe stories of people hearing voices around it?" Damn Sith Lords always claimed the good holocrons. Serious pain to acquire one worthwhile and keep them from learning about it.

On the ground, Zlova gave Talohn a mixed look as the man came to a stop contemplating how he handled his drink. Did it require that much contemplation? Guy wasn't a party-animal then. As charming as he tried to be around her, not the sort to try drawing all eyes to him. So why was he trying to get on her good side all the time? Something to think about later.

A snerk pulled at Zlova's lips when the man finally started to respond. "Herbivore? Which Zygerrian dog told you that? I can meat just as well as you can." Well, perhaps not. Cathar did have sharper teeth. And claws. Other than that, just as well.

"Make sure your friends know even when I'm drunk, I'm still lethal. Some people get the wrong impression." A flippant wave at her lekku followed. "Its the head tails." For some reason, most of the galaxy got stupid when it came to thinking they could 'own' a Twi'lek -- even when they were as red and deadly as her.

"Alright." Made sense for him to lead the way. It was his planet. "Long as they keep their hands to themselves, we'll be fine." Zlova didn't care if people looked at her. If they tried to grab her though... limbs had been known to mysteriously vanish.

@Talohn Atar

 

[Talohn Atar]

"Yes. Knowledge. People find out thing. Write thing down. Is how library is made." He grins playfully, the sarcasm in his tone evident. Though it's more good natured sarcasm than the moody sort. It's obvious he's just poking at her for fun. He uses his free hand to rub his chin thoughtfully, mulling over her question for a minute before he shrugs. "Do not know. If have, would be in library. Read some scrolls in library, but not whole library. Hope you are able to discover talking triangle though." He smiles, completely clueless about what she's speaking of as he gives her a thumbs up. How wholesome, if not completely oblivious.

Most of his contemplation came from thinking about how to properly phrase his sentences....which still left a lot to be desired. But at least he seemed happy with the words that left his mouth, and it's not like he wasn't a party animal, but he definitely got drunk sooner than she would, and remained drunk longer.

"Not Herbivore?" He looks confused, brows furrowing as he thinks about where he went wrong. Then, his face lights up with realization. "Oh! Herbivore is not right word! Not right word. Omnivore. Meat and plant, yes?" He laughs at his own expense, not even embarassed that he got it wrong. After all, he was still learning the language. "You too muscular to just eat plant." He shakes his head.

While they're talking, he begins walking past her, happy to lead the way for the moment. "Do not have to worry. Will protect ypu." He teases, though he follows up his teasing with a serious statement. "Many in village have never seen Twi'lek. Me included. ONly saw twi'lek in art scrolls at library. Rendition was....slightly innacurate. Head tails were longer in drawing. Too long. Looked uncomfortable." He waves a hand dismissively. "Irrelevant right now. Point is, they will be more curious than...attracted. You will be getting stares, but doubt anyone will harass you."

As she makes a statement about people keeping hands to themselves, he pauses to stare at her, specifically her lekku. "Hmmmm...Be careful of tribe children. They enjoy tug things. Tugging and chewing. Baby cathar's favorite things. Keep lekku out of reach of crib, mother's arms, bundles. Places where you find babies. Cannot guarantee safety of headtails." He chuckles, the nature of his laugh slightly nervous. "In the case of head tug....please do not kill baby."

Talohn draws his blaster as they fully exit the ship, and he begins leading the way towards the massive tree. Lights and braziers can be seen upon it as the sun begins to dip low. Evening was here, and nightfall was soon to follow. "Keep weapon at hand. Kiltik more active in evening and night. Gross beetles."

@Zlova Rue

 

[Zlova Rue]

Zlova's eyes slid to the side to regard the sarcastic cat. "Just because it's written down doesn't meant it's worth learning." The same was true with holocrons, of course. The number of vessels used to house someone's ignorance and ego exceeded those containing genuine insight. She might be a little harsh in her criticism, but only because there were so many fluff pieces full of filler rather than information.

The Twi'lek grunted quietly as the Cat suggested he'd read scrolls in this library. And he didn't remember a glowing pyramid? Difficult to imagine someone forgetting seeing something like that. Perhaps they simply kept it hidden. It was possible, if they knew what it was or were under a dark influence. Otherwise, Zlova would have expected someone to be showing them off as a status symbol if nothing else.

"Omnivore," she affirmed. While these weren't exactly galactic-altering learning experiences, they were personal development. What Mastered wanted a dolt for a student? If they couldn't learn then they needed removed so someone that wasn't a waste of time could take their place. Talohn seemed like he could learn a thing or two from her after all. Later. Life-changing training didn't occur in the forest -- though the real-world experiences were always needed to cement the instruction.

A toothy grin parted the Lethan's dark lips. She threw an arm about his shoulders and pulled him -- crate and all -- in closer. "Don't forget it." Muscular? She certainly had some of those from being such an active killing machine. If fortune was with her, Zlova hoped to get out from under the thumb of her so-called "betters" to be more than a mere tool though.

The grip relaxed in short order, and Talohn began to stride ahead. To take the lead he'd championed for earlier. Not to pull away from her -- though a Sith always liked to think fear was the reason people scampered away.

"I'm red, strong, and a woman." Zlova grinned once more. "What isn't to stare at?" People could stare or harass her all they like. It was whether people or the community was prepared to deal with the consequences that was the real question. Well, the Cat would learn the Twi'lek minder didn't so much as give people her attention if all they did was stare. Even murderous intent wasn't worth acknowledging unless someone tried acting on it.

Then the man said the most curious thing... about babies. Zlova shrugged both shoulders slightly. "People say Sith eat babies. I'll try to restrain myself." If Talohn looked any more nervous, his companion would give him a smirk. It was always fun playing with people that genuinely didn't know better -- what was factual, what was exaggeration, and what was an outright lie? For all they knew, maybe Sith did eat babies. There were creatures in the wild that did so to survive. Fortunately for these furry felines, however, the Sith weren't desperately clawing at the world to survive after losing their rationality.

Now, they might blow up an entire city or planet filled with babies, but that was different. Generalized carnage. Nothing personal.

A drawn out sigh accompanied the advice her Cat gave. "Talohn, I am the weapon. Lightsabers -- the glowing sticks -- are for convenience and instilling fear. Any Sith that can't fight without a lightsaber deserves to be eaten by beetles." How embarrassing would it be to die from beetles? You could subjugate an entire race of sentient lifeforms wielding advanced technology, but you couldn't survive a bunch of insects. Zlova's pride as a warrior couldn't tolerate the thought, so she expected every warrior was the same and knew how to fight hand-to-hand if they had to.

"Tell me about these 'beetles' of yours. They must be large, yes?" The man had a blaster out after all. Overkill if you meant to stomp a few insects under foot.

@Talohn Atar