Smuggler's Candor

[Linn O'Conner]

Linn O'Conner felt much safer now that she was back in the ship, safely away from the Hutt palace they had just escaped. But there was still a fear in the pit of her stomach. One that she couldn't pinpoint the origin of. She made her way to the cokpit, setting down the box of security data and files she had been toting with her, and leaned down slightly on it.

Her head was hurting slightly, as she unbuckled her holster and piled the leathers next to her foot and stared down at the box as if it had done something to her personally. She could see the big bold letters on the side blaring the name of the man who had been behind her only a moment before.

Linn crouched next to the box, rubbing her temples and slitting her eyes against the pain in her head as she observed every surface of the box. This would surely tell them what they wanted to know. Or at least, she hoped it would.

[Garret Treborn]

Garret took his seat in the cockpit and began preparing the ship for departure from Tatooine. He had never been more happier to leave a planet behind. The desolateness of the planet was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. Not once had he seen any living thing on their trek to and from the Hutt Palace. He couldn't even begin to fathom what it must be like to live on Tatooine.

As hard as the smuggler tried, he couldn't keep his thoughts from straying to the box of security date and files that Linn and himself had procured not even a few hours past. Securing the box had proven to be not much of a challenge for Linn and Garret. He was certain that the information in the box would prove him innocent of the crimes of which he had been so wrongly accused. Nevertheless, he could feel a miniscule shred of doubt pitted in his stomache.

Glancing over his shoulder, Garret saw Linn staring at the box as if transfixed by it in some way. He knew the doubt encompassing her was far greater then what he was experiencing. It had been sheer fate that had led them to their first encounter, of that he was certain. The bounty hunter could have just as well killed him as helped him. In the end, Garret's word was all that she had taken as proof of his innocence. At the time, it had been something of a mystery to him, but he felt now he knew her reason for helping him. It was the very same reason he would have given for helping her. Love.

[Linn O'Conner]

Linn felt the ship shudder as they began to take off, and she could feel the fear rushing from her stomach to all her limbs causing them to shake and pale. Linn bit her lip so hard she tasted blood in her mouth. She was a bounty hunter. This was ridiculous! Getting this worked up over someone. She had learned a long time ago never to get attached. And yet, she had gone and done it.

Standing, and touching to place on her lip she had bitten. When she looked at her hand, there was a little blodd on her fingers. Her heart was pounding in her ears for a moment before she looked up at Garret. She felt as if she hadn't looked him square in the eyes for hours and hours, and now that she did, she was once again surprised by the intensity of his eyes.

Clenching her jaw, she nodded at him, and pushed the box towards him. Even with her mind screaming for her to just open it already, see if the man was innocent or guilty, see if her feelings were misplaced, she could not let herself do it. She bit her lip again and winced slightly when she felt herself bite the same place she had bitten a moment before.

"I think you should do the honors," she said, her voice sounding as if she were screaming in the silence when she was only barely speaking at all.

[Garret Treborn]

Garret didn't say anything but nodded his head before briefly returning to the instrument panel of his ship. Once out of the planet's atmosphere he set a good cruising speed and kept the ship level. He didn't want to enter hyperspace just yet until Linn and himself had discussed what would be their next destination. He turned his attention back to Linn and the box of security data.

Seeing no reason to take his time, the smuggler reached out quickly and tore open the box. He grabbed the first data pad and flicked it on. The screen showed a picture of someone that resembled Garret but clearly was not. He handed the data pad to Linn so she could see this first piece of evidence. Someone clearly had been masquarading as him.

[Linn O'Conner]

Linn felt a breath hiss past her lips as she looked down at the pad. She hadn't realized she's been holding it. The person on the security pad was definately not Garret Treborn. Obviously, the Hutt didn't care if he got the right person. This man had found some way to show up as Garret and that's all the Hutt cared about. Linn felt the muscles in her body relaxing as she realized that not only would she not have made a very wrong decision in coming with him, but she knew that she could now not be so critical of the feelings she had for this man.

Linn flipped off the security screen. It was all she had needed to see, although she figured Garret would probably want to see the rest of it. She didn't realize it until she saw her reflection in the security pad that she was actually smiling. The first real smile she had given since they had just taken off hours and hours ago.

Linn moved from her crouch on the floor over to a chair next to Garret and sat down in it, leaning back and being able to relax for the first time in what seemed like ages.

[Garret Treborn]

Garret rifled through the box and grabbed another data pad. This data pad contained a DNA analysis that definitely did not match with the real Garret Treborn's. He passed it along to Linn as he had done with the other.

After searching through the remaining contents of the box, Garret found nothing that could be used against him. It was apparent that the retinal patterns of the individual had even been changed to match his own.

"What a mess this is. I'd be greatly surprised if you were the only bounty hunter hunting me."

[Linn O'Conner]

Linn nodded up at him as she scanned the the information his passed to her. The retinal scans had been tampered with so that they almost matched Garrets. And if Linn hadn't really been looking for a problem with, she might have missed it. And if she could have missed it, surely an enraged Hutt with a thirst for revenge and bad eyesight to begin with wouldn't have seen it. To the Hutt it would have been someone to blame, whether it was the correct person or not.

Linn looked down into the box and sighed. Well, it was clear someone either stumbled upon Garret and figured him easiest to blame, or someone wanted Garret in the center of all of this. Either way, Garret lost and this guy won. He got away with all the spoils, the money, scotch free. Linn shook her head and she dopped the information back into the box and turned around, looking out the window at the stars. She was going over things they could do about thier situation in her mind. It would be difficult to track this guy down if he was still masquerading as someone else. Although, Linn figured they could probably do it.

But it occurred to her, just then, that maybe Garret would prefer to find this guy on his own. Maybe he didn't want to tote Linn along. She hoped that wasn't the case, as she looked over at his form still bent over the box. But she knew it was possible.

[Garret Treborn]

Garret returned the evidence proving his innocence to the box and slid it off to the side so as not to leave it in the way. It was apparent to him that they would have to find the individual who had stolen his identity and clear this mess up. He didn't fancy the idea of always watching out for bounty hunters who wanted to do him in and gain a nice profit for doing so. Just the thought of tracking down the identity theif came close to giving him a headache. He didn't want to begin to imagine how hard that was going to be.

Garret wasn't about to ask Linn to accompany him on such a task. If she wanted to come he would not mind in the least, however, he didn't want t to force anything on her or make her feel obligated to join him. He looked at her and wondered to himself how he would feel if she decided not to continue helping him. He knew the odds of this were quite low but one can never be too certain.

"I know what has to be done, but that's as easy as things get."

[Linn O'Conner]

Linn looked over at him, blinking her eyes as she suddenly realized her head ache had gone away, and her body was beginning to return to normal. She took a deep breath and let it out, continuing to watch Garret for a moment before nodding to him.

"Yeah, I know," she muttered. She didn't feel like bringing up the fact that he might not want her along. She wasn't in the mood for facing what she might feel or think if he told that he didn't want her there. Looking back up at him, then glancing from him to the stars and back, she smiled a little, and stood. Leaning down, she kissed the corner of his mouth and smiled against his lips.

"I think I am going to go take a breather from this cockpit and that security data, they are likely to give me another head ache," she said, leaning back a little so she could see his face clearly. She smiled at him. "I'm happy, Garret. That we found what we did," she muttered as she stood straight again, touching his jaw. She didn't know why she had said that, he probably couldn't have given a royal rip as to whether or not she was happy.

Turning, Linn began walking towards the door to the hall. In all honesty, she didn't want to leave Garret. She wanted to be there with him. It was a funny need that wouldn't seem to go away. But she also knew, Garret probably wanted his space from her. She could give him some peace, it was the one thing he had lacked since he had met her.

[Garret Treborn]

Garret had gotten up from his chair before she reached the cockpit exit and, gently taking hold of her arm, turned her around to face him.

"Your help has been invaluable to me, Linn. I doubt I will ever be in a situation in which I can help you as much as you have helped me."

With that said he leaned down and kissed her.

[Linn O'Conner]

Linn was happy that he had said that. Somehow, it gave her more of a peice of mind. The familiar sensation of fire crawling up her spine accompanied his lips being pressed to hers, and she smiled against his mouth again.

He was a funny thing, Garret Treborn. No matter how many time he kissed her, Linn always felt as if it were the first time he had ever kissed. When they pulled away, Linn looked up into his face as she took his hand and smiled at him, unable to say anything back to him for the slight fear that crept into the pit of her stomach, causing her to tremble a little.

Once again, she was acting ridiculous. Why did he have that strange effect on her?

[Garret Treborn]

Garret smiled back and he knew, without asking, that she would help him with whatever he decided to do. The smuggler, however, did not like the idea of putting her in any more danger then he had already. It was inevitable that they would face more difficult obstacles in the days to come and it unnerved him slightly to think aoubt it. He didn't know what he would do if she got hurt, or even worse, killed. He felt a shiver go down his spine.

He held her close and didn't want to ever let go. If he did, he might lose her forever. The thought was unbearable.

[Linn O'Conner]

Linn's body, independent of any thoughts, moved closer to him and she wrapped her arms around his waist, lying her head on his chest and breathing in deeply, savoring the feeling of just being close to him.

Realizing suddenly that she might have been making him uncomfortable, she stepped back away from him and smiled a little. She wanted to take him with her wherever she went, never wanted him to go. And she knew that she would go wherever he needed her.

She hoped she wasn't heading for a big mistake.

[Garret Treborn]

Thoughts were whirling like a tornado within the mind of Garret Treborn. He felt like he needed to take some time and sort them out, but he didn't want to leave the compnay of Linn. Garret pushed the thoughts aside for the time being. There would be time to think later.

[Linn O'Conner]

Linn could see Garret was in deep thought and she knew that he needed time to think alone, though she wanted more than anything to take his hand and take him with her. She smiled up at him and turned.

"I suppose I will go, and let you think. If you need me, I'll be in the living quarters..." she whispered, touching his hand. She was aching for him to come with her. "I love you." She muttered. She turned and began to walk, her mind still turning with thoughts of what had just happened, all her feelings, and what would happen next.