stopping by

[sIlancy]

s'Il walked into the bar and grill, another busy day behind her. Making her way to the farthest end from the door, she flopped into a booth and leaned back, letting a sigh escape her lips. She was tired; had been for the last few days, and now she was here to rest. Her businesses were operating smoothly, and she smiled to herself as she beckoned to a server droid.
"Bothan spice wine," she said, taking her sunglasses from her face to expose metallic eyes. Setting them gently on the table, she waited for her order to arrive.

[sIlancy]

Her drink arrived, and she accepted it gratefully. Her eyes wandered about her surroundings, and she smiled faintly to herself. Bringing the cup to her lips, she took a sip.
"Gods that's good," she muttered, setting the glass back down on the table. Her fingers brushed a few unruly strands of hair from her face, and she cast her gaze around once more.

[Tevit Ramadon]

As if by some loop in its program, the droid returned again with another cup of the same order and set it in front of her.

"I believe you usually order a second round after your business day is done." A cool voice said, approaching from behind her. "At least, that is what my information tells me."

Rounding her side to come into view, the speaker adjusted his grip on his own cup of wine with one paw, and held the other out slightly with his palm flat up. "Reason states that booths were made to hold more than one. Otherwise, the bar would be a more appropriate place to dewll while here. But you never were one for reason, were you, s'Ilancy Loklorien?" He finished with a slim smile.
The speaker was Nehantite, a race of humanistic mongooses from a rather backwater world. His fur was gray, but shimmered with the look of utmost care, and was trimmed to surgical perfection. A long, nearly black greatcoat tailored his frame well, and it was embroidered with plenty of silver, and belted with a muted silver sash belt. His weapons resided at the front counter, as he had checked them allready. Two long strands of headfur hung down the sides of his face like curving tapestries, and his pink eyes seemed bitterly cold, like winter rosebuts caught in silverthaw. But the most distinctive mark about him was the shape of the large crest emblazoned upon the flat front of his greatcoat. The crest of the Death-Shadow.

Taking a seat across from s'Il, he kept his thin smile and took a light sip from his cup of wine. "I believe you know someone very dear to me. His name is Tevit, Tevit Ramadon. I was told you knew where I might find him."

Through his cold conversation, the gray beast was careful not to use his name, lest it provoke reaction too quickly. J'ktal Anajii was a man not well liked in some circles.

[sIlancy]

s'Il merely looked at the second glass of wine, then let her metallic eyes work their way up slowly to the face of the Nehantite who now sat across from her. Her brows furrowed as she leaned back, studying the new arrival; her own appearence quite decidedly less formal than his. Yes, she knew the man, though only in reputation, and she would have liked to keep it that way; unfortunately as they say, all good things must come to an end.
Her eyes closed as she brought her drink up once more, taking a long swig and downing the rest of the contents. She looked up at him.
"Reason," she said quietly, her eyes drilling into him, "is something that I seldom listen to." She set the empty glass on the tabletop, but made no move for the second.
If he had information on her drinking habits, then she was willing to bet he had knowledge of her past, and there were a lot of things she didn't want circulating.
"Well. A Death-Shadow. You honor me with your presence, sir," she finished with a touch of slight sarcasm.

[Tevit Ramadon]

"You are correct in that." J'ktal replied, calmly sipping his wine as if she had made no reaction at all. Setting the cup quietly on the tabletop, his right paw pulled away from it and slid itself into the front of his greatcoatl, withdrawing a small, rectangular piece of paper. A photograph.

With no rush, he set the picture on the table and slid it over to her. It was of himself and anotehr Nehantite, a younger , yellow-furred one with red eyes, and the appeared to by both genuinely smiling in it. "The one on the left, Tevit. Will you tell me where I can find him?"

[sIlancy]

Leaning forward to look at the photo, s'Il kept her face nuetral. She'd done her homework on this guy as well, knowing he'd show up sooner or later. Apparently it'd be sooner than later.
She sat back, calling to a server droid. "Get me a pitcher of water." Bringing her gaze back to the Nehantite on the other side of the table, she frowned slightly. "I might have seen him. Why do you care."

[Tevit Ramadon]

Placing his paw flat on the photograph, he pulled it back across the table and deposited it again into his coat. Folding a paw over one fist on the tabletop, the gray Nehantite blinked lightly and looked at her with an appearance of hurt. "Miss Loklorien, you presume I have mal-intent for him? No, I do not. I was scheduled to meet his ship in three days time for his twentieth birthday, but, alas, he is no longer part of that crew, from what I understand. Now I understand that he works for you. I have a gift for him, and something to tell him. You would not begrudge me that, would you?"

His eyes drifting down to his cup, J'ktal let one of his paws free and lifted the wine to his lips, taking another drink. "Besides, I wish to speak with Anauri as well." He added after setting the cup back down, his mouth free of any excess moisture around the drinking edges; a hard feat when one has fur.

[sIlancy]

s'Il calmly watched him drink, then shook her head slightly, her eyes closing. "I don't presume anything, sir. I don't have the patience for it tonight."

[Tevit Ramadon]

“You will make patience for it.” He answered back, his words clipped. “He knows I will come, he expects it. Do not think you would do him a favor by keeping me from him.”

[sIlancy]

"I'm not trying to do anyone any favors, I'm just trying to relax.* I've no doubts he knows you'll come." Her voice became harder, "But like you said, he works for me now, and I protect my own. You say you mean no 'mal-intent'. I don't believe you." Her eyes picked him apart, their metal gaze unrelenting.

[Tevit Ramadon]

J’ktal remained still in face and expression, an emotionless, deathly stare returning hers. “If wishing him a happy birthday, and being the legal witness to his ascension is mal-intent by you, then I would be guilty.” Reaching one of his paws down into the folds of his belt, the Nehantite didn’t take his gaze off of s’Il, even when he placed his paw flat on the table again, a dull clink sounding under it.

[Tevit Ramadon]

“If you would not let me see him, then you will give him this and tell him he will have no witness, and his ascension will be forfeit.” J’ktal spat, pulling his paw away to reveal a gold ring with a surface decorated with jet-black obsidian inlay around a design of gold.

[sIlancy]

She looked at the ring, then back at J'ktal. "Short temper you got there, pal." Her water came, and she poured herself a glass. "Put that thing away; you don't want it sitting out on the table in the open. And that's experience talking." She lifted the cup to her lips and took a drink. "I never said you couldn't see him, it's not my place to decide that for people. I merely like to keep an eye out for my crew. Don't fault me for that."

[Tevit Ramadon]

J’ktal made no move to take the ring back, and instead waited for s’Il to finish speaking and set her glass down. “I believe the ring is safe there for now.” He said with a tone that hinted at what could be called prideful boast. “It will stay there until you tell me where he is, or you take it off the table. It was Tevit’s father’s ring; I had the task of pulling it from his finger after the crash. That ring has been in the Ramadon family for centuries. Now, will you tell me where he is so that he might have it, or will you be the one to deliver it? I fault you for nothing but being impolite in telling a man where his query is so that he might give him a present; no more.”

[sIlancy]

"Impolite, eh," her eyes no longer held their steely edge, instead they now glinted with mirth. "That's one of my more endearing qualities. With your supposed information on me, you should have expected that."

[Tevit Ramadon]

“Would it have impressed you if I had instead remarked about that lovely eighteen-inch scar down your chest caused by a poor turn in a fight with a man who used your own saber against you?” He shot back, his left eyebrow raising ever-so-slightly.

[sIlancy]

"Not really," she growled, going on the defensive once more, "Lots of people know about that; it's not like I can exactly hide it, can I." She tipped her head just a little bit, showing off the portion of the scar that blazed a vertical trail down her neck before disappearing beneath her shirt. "Of course regardless of the fact that I was dead for a while as a result of it, I'd venture to guess it's not as impressive a trophy as your arm there, is it."

[Tevit Ramadon]

“My arm is of no concern to this matter. As another point, neither is your past. I am here because of Tevit.” The mongoose cut the argument abruptly short. “Has Tevit said he is afraid of me? That I hurt him? I never did. I will admit I did not play a father or brother to him, but I was not cruel.” Drinking the last of his wine, J’ktal picked up the ring and held it between his thumb and foredigit, examining it. “It shines with a rich history, one than has always involved the houses of others. Tevit’s tragedy is not the first in his line, and not nearly the worst. You treat him as family, as I saw from his treatment after the diamond incident. I will trust you to make the right decision on whom should pass this ring to him.” Slowly, he set it back down, withdrawing his paw from it once more.

[sIlancy]

"Ah, that little adventure," s'Il said, a tired note coming to her voice, then she leaned back and looked at J'ktal. "You can give it to him; no one's telling you otherwise; certainly not me. "I know you in reputation only, Death-Shadow. It's a vicious reputation at that. I trust you understand my caution."

[Tevit Ramadon]

Picking the ring up and inserting it once more into his belt, J’ktal looked down as he did so and answered while tilting his head back up, “It was not a soft and fluffy reputation I ever set out to make of myself. Of course I understand your caution.” It was supposed to be a joke, but his tone was still cold and serious that it had little showing of being an attempt at humor. “Where is he?”

[sIlancy]

"Persistent sucker, ain't you." She leaned forward then, resting her arms on the table. "I want you to listen to me, sir. I'm not beneath reverting to my....'old ways'.... of dealing with things, so be careful with that boy. I've no inhibitions to lopping your head off if you hurt him." Her eyes narrowed. "Tevit's told me enough to know of your occasional "lessons" you'd bestow upon him. If I told you where he is right now will I have your word that you wont harm him."

[Tevit Ramadon]

Smiling wider than he had before during the whole conversation, J’ktal chuckled, “Madam, you would stand no chance against me in bladed combat. That much I am surprised Tevit did not tell you about. And I fear not your old ways, many a bounty has been put on my head by many a ruthless hunter, and their hands have decorated my office walls for years.” His gaze became intense near the end, all his humor quickly evaporating. “If I were to give you my word, what could you give me to ensure my safety from him? He is dangerous when angered, unless you have not witnessed that yet. I would suppose not, he is still in your employ, and all.” He left off, leaving the end to question.

[sIlancy]

A smile touched her lips, and she tapped her glass, letting a series of tinking be the only noise between them. "You must not think very highly of my skills. Your intelligence is not very extensive; but I won't be drawn into a fight with you; physical or verbal. I don't feel like it right now. I can't say anything about Tevit's attitude, and I won't try to control him, so I'm not even going to try to promise you anything. You don't work for me, therefore I won't give you any assurances." She sighed.

[Tevit Ramadon]

“And he does not belong to you, so therefore I cannot give you any assurances, either. We have a mutual agreement, then. Where is he?” J’ktal posed his question yet again.

[sIlancy]

s'Il threw up her hands. "I never said he belonged to me! Gods, man, get that through your jacked-up skull! I'm merely trying to make sure he's of the physical capacity to remain working for me. Call it common courtesy. Or do they neglect to teach that to you in your training." *six times he's asked, eh* she thought. She'd tell him; eventually. For now she was content to merely trade words with him.

[Tevit Ramadon]

Anger was the great deliverer, in some cases. It could drop guards and let out information previously held in secret. Often it was not a giant blow of revelation, but enough to piece clues together with. At the moment, J’ktal liked where he was going with his end of the conversation.

“My training covers many things, common courtesy is one of them, for your information. Family honor is another.” He replied coolly, his eyes still freezing cold in their stare. “A Death-Shadow can be a very dangerous beast to deal with, but I know how to handle myself with him, and he knows what to expect. Despite your belief, I am not a ruthless monster who thrills in seeing him in pain. Things are just done differently in our culture, that is all. Now, will you tell me where Tevit is, or will I have to repeat myself one more time?”

[sIlancy]

"I've heard enough about culture to have it coming out of my @$$," she muttered, taking a sip of her water. "And I'll tell you where he is. When I'm good and ready," she finished, mumbling into the glass. She gave him a lazy stare, and sitting back, crossed her arms. "And right now, I'm not really ready."

[Tevit Ramadon]

Tilting his head slightly to the side as if her were waiting inquisitively, the gray mongoose said nothing but instead raised his eyebrows in indication that he was ready to receive her information, whether or not she was ready to give it.

[sIlancy]

s'Il refilled her glass slowly, taking her time, and after a long swallow, leaned back, propping her hands behind her head. "How patient can you be," she taunted, watching him through half closed eyelids.

[Tevit Ramadon]

“I have waited this long, I believe that is evidence enough of my patience. But my patience does have its limits. If you will not tell me voluntarily where I might find him, I have other means. I merely thought it would be better to ask you first. Perhaps that was a mistake, and you are a deserving boss for him in that case.” He fired back, his tone biting. “But I can wait longer, if you wish to make a better impression upon me.”

[sIlancy]

She almost laughed. "Other means, eh? You pique my curiosity, sir." Her metallic eyes flashed, and she grinned. "I'm only trying to find your limits, Death-Shadow. Don't take it personally, I do it to everybody." Her water gone, she looked around the bar for the server droid, and beckoning it over, ordered a bottle of sake. "And no cup," she called after it.

[Tevit Ramadon]

J’ktal did not smile, or order anything for himself. “You waste your time probing the depths for the limits you say I possess, and further do so by bringing more drink upon yourself in your attempt. If you will not answer my question, I will leave, and I will find him myself, when neither you nor Anauri are there to protect him as you seem to think he needs from me.”

[sIlancy]

*
"Slam your teeth," she said agitatedly, standing and plucking her sunglasses from the table. She donned them in one smooth flicker of motion, and accepting the bottle the droid brought to her, she dropped a few credits on the tray it carried. "I'm leaving now. You can come with me if you want. I won't stop you."

[Tevit Ramadon]

His drink, and the second he had bought for s'Il, still remaining untouched on the table, were already paid for, so J'ktal left nothing at the booth but a fading impression in the padded seat. Soon, that too was gone. "I will accompany if you plan on delivering the information I asked of you in one way or another." He said while following her out, and claiming his kris, katana and sidearm from the font desk, placing each neatly where they belonged on his personage.

[sIlancy]

"You can tell him yourself," she said tiredly, also accepting her own weapons from the guard; her cutlass and her blasters. "I'm assuming you have your own ship," she sighed, stepping out into the street.

[Tevit Ramadon]

“Never assume, it makes and ass out of u and me.” He snickered as he quoted the age-old joke. “But yes, I do possess means of transport. I take it you will be flying point, or will you simply give me the coordinates?”

[sIlancy]

"Oh you're a scream," she mumbled, rolling her eyes. "And I'll fly point, thank you very much." She led the way towards the port across town, her bottle of sake in one hand.

[Tevit Ramadon]

“I try.” Was the extent of his humor at the moment as he followed along, but split off slightly as they neared the port, his Shadow being located a small distance away from her ship. “I will follow at three kilometers, if you are going to take any sudden turns, let me know. I expect professional etiquette over the radio if there is to be any further discussion of the route.”

[sIlancy]

"Professional etiquette, he says," she muttered, "Am I that much of a pain?" She hit the ID pad and watched as the hatch to her small stripped down Tagwing slid open with a hiss, and craned her neck to look in the direction he'd headed toward. "Hey! I'll bet you don't have a girlfriend, do you," she yelled grumpily.

[Tevit Ramadon]

It appeared J’ktal took no security measures with his Shadow, the hatches opening at the push of a button, and the alarm system remaining silent. Most of his work was now done mentally, and he liked it that way. Once he had removed his weaponry and set them into a narrow cabinet, the Nehantite climbed up to the cockpit and slid down into the pilot’s seat. Plugging in a cord to his left wrist, and another to the back of his neck, he let the Shadow power up, then opened a comm. channel to s’Ilancy. “I am ready for liftoff whenever you are. And in answer to your catcall of a question, no, I do not have a girlfriend, thank you very much.”

[sIlancy]

She brought her fighter gently off the ground, and keying her comm, answered J'ktal. "Well it sure shows." She angled the ship up into the atmosphere. "And I wasn't catcalling. I was asking to see if my silent observation was right. Now just follow me. We'll be out of NRSF controlled space soon, then I'll give you hyperspace coordinates."

[Tevit Ramadon]

“Affirmative. Will await coordinates. Shadow CR-16 out.” J’ktal replied in businesslike tones while patching his navigational controls through the implanted ocular systems in his left eye as a HUD. The Shadow handled like a dream, its course not varying a mite from what he intended it to, and soon the blue of the sky dissolved into the velvet black of space, studded with diamond stars. Tagging along in s’Ilancy’s wake, he watched the border of NRSF space draw ever closer, and warmed up his ship’s sluice drive while he waited for her voice to come back through the comm. again.

[sIlancy]

Feeding him the coordinates, she flicked her comm once more. "Here ya go, slick. I'll see you in the Sarnikken Asteroid Belt." Throwing back the hyperspace levers, she watched the pinprick starpoints stretch into starlines, then slumped forward in the small cockpit, resting her forehead on the small dash and closing her eyes. *Man I need to go back to Nasha. Life was so much easier back then.*

[Tevit Ramadon]

Following in suit, J’ktal tripped into hyperspace and then relaxed as well. Though his thoughts weren’t nearly the same as s’Ilancy’s. Tevit had some questions to answer for, and he was going to make sure that he did so. But there also was the matter of his birthday, so business would follow pleasure on this run. At least, that was the Death-Shadow’s plan.