Ask Corellia Ramen and Muscles

[Natalie Hope]

The cities of Corellia were a lot like the cities of Ord Mantell. Just without all the bombings, syndicates, and other non-sense Ord Mantell kept getting picked on with. Thinking about it, the similarities actually end at both planets have cities. Didn't matter to Natalie though, sitting at a ramen kiosk in the street slurping up the delicious noodles. Why was it that every place that wasn't a Jedi Temple had the most amazing ramen? Her petition to get ramen vending machines on the Starlight were all but denied with only her signature on it.

Natalie was up to her usual antics in between training sessions; traveling around for a week or two to find evil. Usually meant cleansing a grove or telling a hermit to kick rocks out of a temple while they wave an ancient sword they found. Sometimes things would get interesting. What better way to find evil than to sit yourself down in the middle of a bustling city, eating ramen that restores your faith in the galaxy, and wait for the darkness and evil to present itself to you.

Besides, Corellians were fucking hilarious. Almost run them over with a speeder, and it's like a chain reaction of "Ay I'm walkin' 'ere!" through the streets. On one street there would be an accident with meatheads beefing it out, and on the very next street no more than fifty meters away there would be a small parade to celebrate some sort of historical event. It was absolute chaos and madness in the most entertaining of ways, and Natalie was content to eat her ramen and watch.

@FreelanceGarbageMan

 

[Kotru Eabrod]

Kotru never liked taking jobs in the Core. This was the stomping grounds for all the major players in the Galaxy, seeking to control the trade routes that cut through the galaxy's beating heart. The last thing he needed was to cross some Czerka suits or some prissy Imperials. With so many big names so deeply entrenched, the Iridonian kept his cards close to his chest and his blaster closer.

At least the grub is good.

He had arrived a while earlier than anticipated, having been hired to act as muscle for some local trader. Apparently, they had some rather expensive parts and wanted to get it to their manufacturer without trouble. And it just so happened that he was meandering the Corellian Trade Spine when the call came through.

While he waited for their arrival, he had followed a warm scent that drew his attention to a stand that was selling some kind of soup. With nothing but time and hunger to kill, the Iridonian bit the bullet and handed over a small fistful of chits.

Just across from Natalie was the Iridonian, spoon in one hand and sticks in the other. Judging by the sweat on his face, he had gotten one of the spicier broths and was enjoying it even as his tongue burned. "Hey," Kotru spoke up between mouthfuls, looking over to the brunette. "Ain't from 'round 'ere, what're these folks celebratin'?"

@Natalie Hope

 

[Natalie Hope]

Natalie looked up from her bowl of ramen, searching for the voice that had called out. Wasn't too hard to find the culprit. "Ah, a horny boy approaching the lonely girl. Who'd have guessed," she quipped. Her hazel eyes turned to the celebration down the street. Was that a giant fathier float? Adorable. She shrugged, turning her gaze back to the boy. "Wouldn't know. I assume it has something to do with fathiers though."

She pointed at the float in the distance, then took a few more bites of her ramen. Oh fuck it, why not? Natalie waved the boy over. With any luck he'd be more entertaining than the city around them. "Natalie," she said, without context, slurping up the rest of her noodles.

@FreelanceGarbageMan

 

[Kotru Eabrod]

"Ah, y'know. Any Zabrak whose heard that one a thousand times," Kotru retorted with an amused smirk as a tilt of his head showed off the polished horns that crowned his head. "'Sides, I make 'em look good."

With that brief exchange concluded, the Iridonian's gaze turned outward from the stand to watch the parade once again. The chorus of distant horns played nicely with the performer's coordinated march, each collective clunk of their boots droned over with the victorious sounding instrumental. He took another mouthful of noodles into his mouth, taking some of the bean sprouts with his slurp as the heated broth burst out from each crunchy vegetable.

He noticed the girl's wave out of the corner of his eye as he chewed, swallowing before collecting his bowl and moving to the space beside her. "Kotru," He returned before drinking some of his broth. "Somethin' like that. Ain't really seen many birds though."

 

[Natalie Hope]

"Is that what your mother tells you," Natalie quipped, eyeing the polish on the horns. He polished them too? Oh this was going to be too easy. She liked him already. He also liked ramen, so he got some cool points for that. Not enough to save him from her targeted sass, but enough that he got to be graced with her presence.

"Saw a few birds a while ago," she said, picking up her bowl and taking big gulps of broth. "Think they were plotting to shit on someone. Better watch out; those shiny horns of yours make a good target for some creamy dive bombings." She turned to him, giving him a good look of her black robes and lightsaber hilt clipped to her belt. By all accounts, the Hapanese could mistake her for any number of things, not realizing she was very much a Jedi.

This was also Corellia, and no one gave a shit about who you were or what you did here on Corellia. The one true blessing and curse of major cities: No one cared about you enough to pay attention to who or what you are. Even so, Natalie kept her senses about her.

@FreelanceGarbageMan

 

[Kotru Eabrod]

"Nawh, I say that m'self," The Iridonian retorted after a moment, having finished his mouthful of noodles and broth first. His gaze looked over the darkly coloured robes, drawn to that iconic hilt on her belt. 'Voa's tits, that is a Jedi.'

Not like that was going to stop him from clapping back, anyways.

When Kotru looked up again, he'd flash a toothy grin and make his reply "But, I 'unno if y'can say that. Didn'cha ma' ever tell ya' not to go around in your jammies?" His chopsticks would move back into the bowel, securing themselves around a generous portion of bantha steaks, noodles and bean sprouts before hoisting the tasty portion into his waiting maw to slurp it all back down.

"Shides," Kotru swallowed. "You're the one in all dark 'ere, sister. They bomb you, ain't no bath gon' get that out."

@TheDudeMike

 

[Natalie Hope]

"Do you normally talk to yourself for pep-talks or is that just what the voices tell you to do?" She fired back. He was at least shooting back, made this a far more interesting conversation. What his name? Kotru? Nah, too normal. He's be HornyBoy now and forever. He could fight it if he wanted, but he'd lose that battle. She was a master at being stubborn.

She noticed his eyes moving down and then back up. Natalie could have hit him with the "eyes up here" technique, but she'd let him have his fun. Her mind worked like an army of soldiers, coming up with the best responses to his quips and jabs. So many ways should could take it, so little room in the conversation. Perhaps a defensive option this time around? "What can I say, I like naps. Never know when it's gonna be time to just lay down and catch some Z's."

"If," she emphasized. "I have my ways of staying clean, HornyBoy."

@FreelanceGarbageMan

 

[Kotru Eabrod]

"Nah, I just know I'm a handsome young man. Don't need t'be told it, unlike someone 'tween us," He hummed in response, swirling the spoon in his broth as he used his other hand to snag a few of the disturbed noodles into the spoon and bite down on the utensil as he listened to her fire back. A small chuckle escaped his throat, finally finding something to do while he waited on his contact.

Oh, this is going to be fun.

"Naps are pretty good, but I'da figured you'd at least have a home to rest in rather than the gutter," The Zabrak chortled back. "And yeah, anyone can use a laundry machine."

@TheDudeMike

 

[Natalie Hope]

"Horny, a mama's boy, and delusional. There's a camera around here someone, isn't there?" She feigned looking around for a hidden camera as if she were getting punked. Settling her gaze back on Kotru, she raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Does it look like I have enough credits to own a home? In this economy?" Natalie turned back to her empty ramen bowl, wishing that it would automatically fill back up but knowing it wouldn't.

"If you aren't from around here, what are you here for?" she asked. There were all sorts of work to be had in a city like this one. Couldn't imagine anyone coming to it because they liked it. She eyed the way he held a spoon and chopsticks. Definitely not a pianist if he can't just use chopsticks. It was like a little tickle in the Force that gave her a hunch that the guy would lead her to the no good she was looking for.

@FreelanceGarbageMan

 

[Kotru Eabrod]

Having emptied his bowl of topping and noddles, the Iridonian lifted up his wide bowl and took a couple gulps of the broth before setting it down.

"Got t'keep an eye on our favourite homeless bathrobe girl somehow, righ'?" Kotru grinned back, taking occasional sips from the bowl as he lifted it up and set the dish down with every gulp. It's some pretty good soup, and he wasn't about to ask for a straw or anything like that.

When Natalie inquired about his work, the Iridonian hummed thoughtfully as he drummed his finger along the sides of the bowl. "Was hired for some work 'ere. Need to ferry some trader wit' my mean face on. What're you doin', lookin' for someone who littered?"

@TheDudeMike

 

[Natalie Hope]

"I'd say to keep your eyes above the waist, but you probably wouldn't listen," Natalie quipped. She watched him slurp the broth from his bowl. To many it would be disgusting, but many didn't know the intricate emotions that went into tasting good ramen. The reality was lost on the masses, ramen was the best food there was. Got some weird meat? Throw it in some ramen. Vegetarian? Throw those vegetables in the ramen. And it took all of five minutes to make.

Natalie was so lost in thought about ramen that she almost missed what Kotru said that he was doing. Hired muscle. That's odd; he didn't look like he had that many muscles. She would know what those look like, considering her face to face encounter with Ezra. "I'm looking for a bit of trouble. Kinda seems like you're the type of guy that would lead me right to it... Muscles."

She was completely taken with her new nickname for Kotru. Like seriously, who hires hired muscle that has no muscle!? Besides, she really wanted to judge this mean face of his. She wondered if it would look like that one war holo she watched a while back when she was supposed to be cramming for a Jedi exam.

@FreelanceGarbageMan

 

[Kotru Eabrod]

Kotru couldn't help but chuckle at her accusing quip.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't flatter y'self too hard, sister. Y'nice ta' look at, but not nice enough t'be weird," He replied as the Iridonian lifted the bowl to take another sip and finish off the spicy, hearty broth he had been enjoying. Having lived a majority of his life broke as hell, he was used to the cheap and salty taste of the instant noodles. The real deal was something he hadn't had the chance to try until now.

And judging from the slight sweat on his face and the satisfied grin on his features, he sure as hell didn't regret it.

When Natalie used that new nickname for him and inquired about his work, the Iridonian raised an incredulous brow. "Mmmhm, right. And I'm jus' supposed t'share work 'n pay wit' a Jedi? C'rect me if I'm wrong, but ain't you 'n your folk nothin' but plasma-cutter wieldin' cops? Don't exactly play nice wit' law enforcement, y'know."

 

[Natalie Hope]

Plasma-cutter wielding cops! Now that was a good one! If only the Jedi were so fun filled as to be able to go around policing systems with plasma-cutters. It was boredom in the Order that drove her to be a sentinel, and it would be boredom that drove her into trouble time and time again. The life of a Jedi was a lot of study, and Natalie more often than not fell asleep during it.

"Wow, judging everyone that has a glowbat all the same, are we?" she quipped. "I'll tell ya what. I'm bored out of my mind, so you let me have a little fun, and you can keep all the rewards. Plus, I'm dying to see this mean face of yours."

@FreelanceGarbageMan

 

[Kotru Eabrod]

Kotru's experience with the Jedi was minimal, to make even the vaguest sense of it. He knew only that they were some mystical peacekeeping religion, carrying swords of plasma and a general sense of righteousness. Something that the Iridonian had long since forsaken in favor of serving himself. An idly hand twirled the chopstick in his hand, watching her amused response.

"Yeah, I am. Ain't nobody else that carries one'a them pieces," He replied, stopping the spinning stick. "But hey, what'da I know? You're the cop 'tween us," Kotru continued, briefly checking his watch. He was expecting a call soon, his lips pursing in consideration.

Normally he would have tried to negotiate further, but when he met the woman's dark eyes he could see a familiar passion behind those words and gaze. A kindred spirit? Maybe...

"Aigh'. We're business associates f'this one. Y'know how to use a blaster?"

@TheDudeMike

 

[Natalie Hope]

Natalie ignored his ignorance on lightsabers. She had neither the time nor the mental bandwidth to explain all the different groups that used lightsabers outside of the Jedi Order, but also just how self-serving the Jedi had become over the years. It was still very much a religion of the lightside of the Force, but a lot Jedi were very loose with the rules now. Natalie especially. She had learned pretty quick that you can't always play by dogmatic rules when seeking evil out.

Kotru saved himself with the blaster question, though. Natalie laughed. "From Ord Mantell. I was using blasters to scare off pirates when I was ten." Using a blaster would be for the best anyways. A lightsaber was like a beacon, but a blaster was a dime a dozen. "You got one for me, or am I just gonna have to pick one up as we go?"

The small parade was well down the street now, so far that the noise from it didn't even make it to the small ramen stand. A few more ne'er-do-wells were getting stopped by law enforcement. Just another day on Corellia.

@FreelanceGarbageMan

 

[Kotru Eabrod]

Kotru raised a curious brow when she brought up her homeworld, nodding his head.

"Aigh', I can work wit' that." He hummed in response, reaching under his coat and around to his back. After a short bout of fiddling with his clip, he drew a folded EE-3 Carbine. The stock was sat neatly on a hinge, a palm pressing on the weapon's barrel and folding it up against the pistol-like grip as a clip on the weapon snapped securely into place. The Iridonian sets the carbine on the table, sliding it across to offer it to the Jedi.

"Let's hope your aim's still good." He commented, watching the parade start to disappear around the corner. As if on queue, a small commlink on his hip began to chirp. The Zabrak drew the small cylinder, raising it to his lips. "Talk ta' me."

"Mhm? Yeah. Alright. See you there, brought a plus one. Doesn't change the rate. Done." Kotru finishes his conversation quickly, his tone noticeably shifting into a calmer and much more business-like one as he sets the utensils inside the bowl and pushed up to his feet.

"Fella has his shipment the next block over. Let's roll."

@TheDudeMike

 

[Natalie Hope]

Natalie picked the EE-3 carbine up from the counter and clipped it to her belt so that it hid the lightsaber. She got up when he did, sliding off the stool, and landing on her feet. "It'll buff out. The muzzle is the one I point at myself, right?" It wasn't surprisingly in the least when Muscles spoke in an almost completely different dialect of basic for when his contact called. The real crazy thing was the guy not having an EZPhone. Like who didn't have one? It was great! You got memes, nexu videos, little match-3 games to play when you're supposed to be paying attention to instructions.

She'd follow him down the block, pulling out her EZPhone and scrolling through Kathhound pictures. The ultimate flex. Call her a poor homeless girl? Yeah, she's can get instant dopamine. Take that Muscles. Natalie kept her senses in the Force about her. Intent was what she was looking for. One could hide from the Force in many ways, but one could never quite hide intent, especially on the verge of acting on it. As they neared the meeting place, she put the phone away. "So when does the mean face start? Or have you already started?"

@FreelanceGarbageMan

 

[Kotru Eabrod]

"Y'can sure try holdin y'self hostage. Not a clue if it'd work," Kotru advised, clipping the palm-fitting communicator back onto his belt and slipping his hands into his pockets as the pair started to walk. Most foot traffic followed the parade, leaving only the stragglers for Kotru and Naralie to navigate through. He favoured simplicity over the utility of an EZPhone, the attention-span destroying videos that the Jedi had occupied herself with leaving little to the Iridonian's imagination as they walked. It was not very far at all, soon finding themselves in one of the local parking garages.

Natalie's supernatural perception didn't take long to catch onto the Zabrak, having no way to conceal himself against such sight. She felt his focus, narrowed down into a single point not unlike an arrowhead. He wanted the job done, so that is what he would do. Kotru was none the wiser to her empathetic gaze.

"Ah, half n' half. I save it for trouble," He answered, finally arriving at their destination. It was a relatively small cargo skiff, the tray loaded with a number of crates. An amber-skinned Twi'lek male stood at the driver's seat up the front, turning his cerulean eyes upon the couple.

"There you are. See your plus one there."
"Two blasters are better if the Swoopers try some zurscat. She'll take point. Got the bigger gun."

Grasping onto the side of the skiff, Kotru hoisted himself up and over the railing and into the tray. A thumb is gestured over his shoulder, motioning to the passenger side of the front. "Siddown, 'n lets go."

Once boarded, the cargo-hauling speeder would engage it's repulsorlifts and start to accelerate out of the garage, and into the opposite direction of the parade.

It was a quiet, almost peaceful drive for now. Too quiet...

@TheDudeMike

 

[Natalie Hope]

"Such a gentleman," she quipped, pulling herself over the railing. Natalie took her place on the front passenger seat. Pulling from her early life on Ord Mantell, she grabbed the EE-3 Carbine from her belt and unfolded it, holding it by the pistol grip in her right hand so that it faced down between her feet. It was just like going to the movies with the family back when the Hutts had their grubby little fingers on her city. Blasting pirates from a moving vehicle became a family friendly event.

Natalie was no stranger to boredom. Hell, half her life was spent in one Jedi Temple or another, being bored out of her mind and eating the worst food in the galaxy. As entertaining as it was to watch the skiff workers shit bricks while doing their jobs, her eyes were out and about. Somewhere out there, there would be someone to bring the fun to them. If only they would nut the fuck up and do it already.

Ten whole minutes of complete, horror movie levels of silence later, Natalie threw her head back against the seat and groaned. "Gotta say Muscles, your job kinda sucks," she said, her complete boredom plain in her voice. The skiff driver turned a very concerned toward her but she ignored it. Pretty sure he was mouthing what-the-fuck? Explains why they needed Muscles here to keep them safe.

@FreelanceGarbageMan

 

[Kotru Eabrod]

Kotru frowned slightly at the grumbling Human, the Twi'lek and him sharing a brief look only for the Iridonian to shrug.

"Yeah, well. If nothin' happens, that's just easy pay. Big karkin' if though, this is swoop gang territory we're crossin' through," He replied, drawing the DG-34 blaster from it's place upon his thigh. His thumb slides along the small safety switch sat above the trigger. A small light on both the cylinder and the underbarrel flickers to a vermillion shade, indicating a lethal setting.

Good timing, too.

As the skiff crossed an intersection, they found a quartet of speeders speed right through the middle in their wake. They were well coordinated in their movements, not once crossing the vehicle with the sound of roaring thrusters attracting the Zabrak's attention. Long enough for a following series of clangs as four grapple guns make their mark along the skiff's hull.

"Kark- Keep driving!" The Zabrak suddenly barked, the Twi'lek behind the wheel accelerating as the culprits were found by simply following the launched cables; The sidecars of said swoops, each one outfitted with a grapple gun and a repulsorlift to keep the 'boarding pod' afloat as the motorized cable begins to rapidly reel itself in.

Each car was loaded with a shoddily dressed individual, clad in a half-helmet and leather padding. Their hands were filled with simple polearms, surplus blasters taped on that fired wildly and inaccurately as they prepared for boarding.

"Off your ass, slick! I'll take left, y'on right!" The Zabrak moved to his respective side of the vehicle, ducking down to partially cover himself as the blaster pistol was raised and fired in a returning hail of cerulean bolts. A few miss their mark due to the sidecar's sway, but one finds itself searing and stalling the grapple gun's motors on one of the cars, his other bolt finding its mark on one of the other's arms with a guttural grunt and a harsh, alien curse as he got closer and closer.

@TheDudeMike