Sneaky Actions

[Vash Tembra]

It was good to be in civilization again.

It seemed that all Vash did nowadays was go to some remote, dangerous place and poke his lightsaber at things until the problems were solved. Now, as he entered a little bistro on Andara, the Jedi Knight realized how long it'd been since he was last on a metropolis, with proper speeders all over the place and things happening in every corner.

Vash had chosen a very fanciful bistro to meet his would be accomplice (for they were technically going to commit a crime together), a place where he knew the upper classes of this planet liked to go to - even though at this time of day, it was pretty empty, to better suit their needs. If he'd got it right, Aellyn, his fellow Rebel, was a rich kid, so he figured she'd enjoy meeting someplace beffiting of her status.

In order to not raise any suspicions, the Echani had taken care to dress according to the place he was in: his usual Jedi robes would have done no good in a covert mission such as the one they were about to embark on. Instead, he had taken to wearing one of the more usual styles used by Andara's nobility: a light blue silk shirt, and black pants. Just to make himself even more fanciful, and more easily hide the lightsaber dangling on his belt, Vash had also taken to wearing a cape, also light blue. It made him feel sort of ridiculous and flamboyant, but it served a purpose.

Now all he had to do was sit, sip his water, and wait for her to come. Then they'd talk bussiness.

@ModernMarvel

 

[Aellyn Kerrisoni]

Aellyn walked down the busy afternoon Andara City sidewalk, waving in and out of passerby’s. The warm weather a slight crisp cool undertone to it, as the hemisphere of the planet was entering one of its cooler seasons. A slight breeze ruffled Aellyn’s loose top, which she had decided to accompany with a pair of dark stretch slim ankle length pants. Her heels clicked on the stone, having chosen more fashionable footwear, knowing that it was highly unlikely she would be required to perform any athletic heroics. Not that such an occurrence was something she frequently did anyways.


The Rebel wished she was in a better mood, but had been slightly put off by her partner suggesting that they meet on her homeworld of Andara. Nevermind that it was a core world with a very high Imperial presence. Aellyn knew that her parents suspected her of engaging in actions for the Rebel Alliance, but their own authority in the system wouldn’t prevent the Empire from locking her up quicker than she could offer a flimsy excuse should she be caught. Nevertheless, the Alliance had sent her the intelligence for the mission, and Aellyn intended to keep the appointment.


Her destination was a small cafe on the high street, which she hoped was crowded than the street was, as they needed to be quite careful to ensure they their conversations were not overheard by anyone. Aellyn had been provided the information page on her pattern, an Echani Jedi named Vash. The Andaran was relatively unsure what to expect, as the other Jedi’s that she had met had all varied wildly in personality and temperament. Plus, Aellyn knew very little about the ‘Force,’ and the mystic side that all Jedi seemed to possess.


Aellyn arrived at the bistro after a few brief moments of walking, briefly scanning the room. Luckily, as she hoped, the room was relatively empty, leaving the Echani not terribly difficult to find. On first glance Aellyn appreciated the fact that he appeared to be attempting to match the Andaran fashion of the moment, leaving a reasonable first impression in her mind. She approached the table, and sat down opposite the Echani, offering a “Vash, right?”

@Larry Kenobi

 

[Vash Tembra]

Vash grinned widely, looking at his contact as she sat down before him, acting as if the stranger were an old friend, so as to not draw any potential attention - not that he expected anything, but it was always better to be safe than sorry.

"That's me," he confirmed. "You must be Aellyn"

Since the alternative was that someone very similar in appearance to his contact had just sat down before him and knew his name, Vash was really hoping it was the woman, or he'd be in a lot of trouble.

"So, we'll be heading out to the spaceport soon, to get a little delivery, but I figured we'd order something first, so it doesn't look weird for any onlookers," he stated, gesturing for the serving droid to come. "You know this place better than me, I'll just go with whatever you order"

He'd wait a little bit for Aellyn to choose whatever she thought was best. He'd figured it'd be better for the one who'd been born in this planet to choose, rather than him - especially considering Vash's familiarity with bistros and the like had diminished as of late, what with all the crazy jungle planets he seemed to go all the time. After the human woman had interacted with the droid, the Echani spoke again.

"So, how are you?", he asked, observing the bistro for a second. Still pretty empty, and no signs of that changing. That was really good indeed. Maybe Vash would be able to have a normal meal for once, before practicing criminal activities.

@ModernMarvel

 

[Aellyn Kerrisoni]

Aellyn nodded upon being addressed, adding a, “pleasure” with a tilt of her head as she sat down across from Vash. The Andaran was never sure what to expect when it came to Jedi’s, but she figured Vash to be about right. Hopefully whatever trouble they may be getting into didn’t require his abilities of the Force to bail them out. It still made Aellyn uneasy that they were out in public discussing nefarious actions to take against the Empire, and as a result she spoke in a quiet voice, hoping to ensure that no one around could eavesdrop on their conversation.


The server droid approached, and Aellyn looked over at Vash as he indicated for her to order before him. She nodded at his comment, before requesting just a tea from the droid. “Sorry, I’m not terribly hungry at the moment. Everything this place serves is good though, so pick your fancy,” Aellyn added with a smile in return. The server droid seemed much in agreement with this statement and nodded in vigorous approval. After Vash ordered, Aellyn replied with a shrug, “as well as can be expected,” which was an oversimplification as to how she was actually feeling.


Her parents tried their best to ignore their daughters attempts to do what was right in the Galaxy, while she knew that if she got caught, her parents would be implicated in her actions, regardless of if it was right or wrong. “How about you?” Aellyn asked in response, accepting her tea with thanks from the returning server droid.

@Larry Kenobi

 

[Vash Tembra]

The Echani wound up settling with a salad - being a Jedi had the unfortunate side effect to make one less prone to eating meat, he found.

He gave Aellyn a kind smile after she'd awnsered his question. While Vash wasn't actively trying to sense her through the Force, he did get a few glimpses of his fellow Rebel's state of mind, and could tell she was a bit anxious. It can't be easy to do something illegal in your home planet, not when you have something to lose, the Echani realized. He wished it could have been different, but the delivery of the tech the G.A needed so badly would more easily be hidden here, in plain sight, until the two Rebels took it away. That was what he'd been told, at least.

"Ah, you know - working a lot. You should see the places I go to, they're simply gorgeous," he replied, in a casual tone, as the droid placed a plate before him.

The salad looked a little flamboyant - like most anything in this place, including Vash's clothing - with its big, colorful slices of fruit intertwined between leaves of some local vegetable, but when he tasted it, the Jedi saw Aellyn wasn't lying: the food was really, really good. The wonders of civilization!

@ModernMarvel

 

[Aellyn Kerrisoni]

At first, Aellyn couldn't tell if Vash was being sarcastic about the places that he visited being 'gorgeous.' Sure the galaxy was huge,and diverse, and there was so much to see and experience, but Aellyn had just spent the better part of a week trying to wash the smell of Ord Mantell off of her. Trying to check her privilege somewhat, the Andaran did her best to try and remember that not all were as fortuante with their upbringing as she had been. It was part of the reason she worked for the Alliance. The hope that despite the vastness of the galaxy, one person could make a difference.

“Well I'm glad you enjoyed them," Aellyn respond with a smile. "I fear our employer may be assigning us different travel destinations. I think some of my clothes still smell like Kessel, and I was there a few months ago," she added with a grin, and a soft laugh.

Aellyn looked up and nodded at the server droid as it returned with Vash's salad, which, to her pleasure, he seemed to enjoy. Fearing their conversation may lull into an awkward pause, Aellyn asked, "Is this your first time on Andara?" The way he was dressed indicated that he may have been on the planet before, or at least had studied local fashions and trends. Jedi's tended to live rather mysterious lives, however, and she wouldn't have been surprised if his response to her question was in the negative.

@Larry Kenobi

 

[Vash Tembra]

Vash was beginning to like this woman: at first, he'd been afraid that she'd be too arrogant and proud of her own status to be pleasant company, yet that was not the case. She was polite, and downright kind, he found, two things that the Echani appreciated very much, and really hadn't expected. Just another lesson in not judging a book by its cover.

He was also kind of glad she'd began making conversation once he'd started eating: Vash had mostly tasted his own food lately, often foraging what he could from nature, which was the sort of thing he wouldn't wish on the most vile of Sith Lords. The contrast once he'd tasted an actually properly prepared meal had made him forget himself for a few moments and just happily eat away. That is, until he heard Aellyn's voice again, which caused him to take his eyes off the plate, straighten his back, and turn his attention back at her, as he cursed himself for the lack of manners.

"It's my first time here, yes," he confirmed in a light tone, taking a little pause in eating his meal. "Though it's not too different from Corellia, where I was raised, so I was able to get used to everything fairly quickly," the Jedi explained as he gave her a smile.

He started eating again, but in a much calmer manner now, and took the time to actually engage in conversation with his partner in crime. "So, how do you like it here, in this planet? It seems like a nice place to come back to, after a few days of adventuring," he commented with a light chuckle.

@ModernMarvel

 

[Aellyn Kerrisoni]

Aellyn sipped her tea, and did her diplomatic best to respond to Vash in the appropriate time when his mouth was not full of food. She felt a slight flash of emotion within yet hoped her expression remained stoic when her partner described Andara as being similar to Corellia. Perhaps it was her own privilege but, in Aellyn's not so modest opinion, Andara and Corellia were not very similar. Instead, she imagined that Vash was just a generally polite person, and trying to be content for the sake of their conversation. "I hope you find your time here enjoyable," Aellyn replied with a slight nod, her lips upturned in a smile.

"It's home" the Andaran replied with a slight nostalgic sigh, transitioning to Vash's follow-up question. "I love the metropolitan feel of Coruscant as much as the next girl (silently referencing the shops, boutiques, and nightlife), but it's nice to be somewhere in the Core where life slows down a little," she added, providing a simplistic view of her homeworld. While being located in the Galactic Core, Andara was much more rural than some of its neighbors. It had large cities, and bustling spaceports, but its people prided in being close to nature, and not feeling the suffocation that could develop on an ecumenopolis. "Every planet has its benefits and downsides, though," Aellyn continued with a knowing look in her eye, hoping that Vash would understand she was referring to the Imperial presence on the planet.

It had always been there, like a shadow covering the warm light Andara provided. Not until Aellyn grew up did she understand what it actually meant for the Empire to be so constant and present in disrupting their way of life. No one did anything, of course, not even her parents, who held a position of semi-regal authority. This was her driving motivation in working for the Alliance. To see the galaxy restored to harmony and peace.

Aellyn smirked and nodded at Vash mentioning adventuring, feeling the phantom pain of a blaster bolt long-healed on her left shoulder. The ‘adventuring’ has taken its toll on her, both physically and mentally, creating the dichotomy of feeling jubilation and depression with rather alarming consistency. Still, at the end of the day, Aellyn knew what she had to do. It was her job.

 

[Vash Tembra]

"I can appreciate that," Vash said, upon hearing Aellyn's remark about her homeplanet. It was a good thing when one could appreciate the little details in life, especially when so close to places such as Corsucant. "There's something... freeing about being in touch with our surroundings. Makes us feel more alive, in my opinion."

Of course, it was much easier for him to claim as such, being attuned with the Force and all, but he knew all living things had some sensitivity to the Force, and Vash really felt that small things like simply relaxing and watching nature went a long way into making people's lifes more complete.

"As to the problems," the Echani continued, wiping his mouth with a napkin and setting aside his fork, now that he had finished eating. "I find it's how we deal with them that matters - we can let what's happening, both whithin our minds, and in the world, take us down, or we can learn how to change the situation. Way, way easier said than done, of course," he added with a thin smile.

Part of him could tell his fellow Rebel had had her share of hardship, as had most everyone he knew, including himself. It was sad, yet beautiful, in a way: they were all wounded people, trying to heal the galaxy as best they knew how. Vash didn't know if he would ever see a galaxy free of Imperial influence, but he really did wish he could at least help people such as Aellyn deal with their woes, just like he'd been helped many times before.

@ModernMarvel