Chop-chop, dig-dig (open to any Sith/Jedi who feel like ruining my IC life)

[Sinful Justice]

:: Grem wiped his forehead on the sleeve of his blue tunic, it was too hot to work, but he had to. The fact that no one had come down the woodcutter's path didn't bother Grem one bit, in fact a days work with no intteruptions was a rare thing lately ::

"Chop-chop. Cutting down trees is the life for me. Chop-chop. Better than any life a wandering Jedi could give me!"

:: okay, Grem's singing sucked, but no one was around to critize him, so he kept singing quietly to himself all while hacking at the trunk of an old tree that needed to be taken down. The fact that Grem has been hacking at this tree for the past two days didn't bother him either ::

[DarthHERA]

" And so then I said....'Its only true if you're bald!'"

Hera was almost weeping with laughter at the memory of it, and Daiquiri was slapping her sides in hilarity as she listened to the story her friend recounted.

Hera had almost forgotten that event with the Wookie raider but being in these woods had jolted the memory like it was yesterday.

"You probly ruined him for life" Daiquiri observed, and this sent them off into peels of laughter again.

It was the reason they hadnt heard the methodical thudding of the axe against the tree and that they stumbled onto the man as he laboured without warning.

Hera wiped at her eyes and tried to bring herself under some form of composure as the man turned in surpise to look at them, his axe buried deep into the trees trunk.

[Daiquiri Van-Derveld]

Struggling to catch her breath, Daiquiri wipes at her eyes before the tears from laughing roll down her cheek.

"I never get tired of hearing that story! Its as funny as that one I heard back on Ven--umph!"

She had run right into Hera who had stopped dead on the dirt pathway and was now staring at some guy who was staring back at them. Daiq's eyes shifted up and down his form then takes in the ax lodged firmly in the tree.

"So.........either of you ever heard the one about the Hutt, a Jedi and a trick mouse?"

[Sinful Justice]

:: Grem looked at the two women for a moment, they didn't look like any of the other woodcutters wives or that they could be frontiersmen wives either. He grinned slightly ::

"No actually I haven't, but if you move abit down the path, I can finish up here and you can tell me."

:: Grem still smiling like a dork, grabbed the handle of his axe and brought it up to rest on his shoulder, and waited for the two women to move ::

[DarthHERA]

Hera took her lightsaber from its clip at her side, and ignited one end. She stepped forward not taking her eyes off the woodsman.

"Let me save you some time."

With one clean controlled swipe of the glowing blue blade, she sliced through the remnant that needed yet to be chopped and the tree began its long fall to the forrest floor.


She smiled wickedly at the man, but spoke to her friend. "Maybe, Daiq, you should tell him the one about the two Shadow Cats that ate the woodchuk.."

[Daiquiri Van-Derveld]

Leaning a shoulder against a large old tree, a smile to match Hera's slides across her lips.

"We dont want to scare him..........do we? That woodchuck story has been known to make grown men cry, women faint and children wet thier beds."

As the last leaves flutter silently down through the foliage caused by the felling of the tree, Daiq plucks one from the top of Hera's head and lets it fall onto the path before looking back at the man.

"Is this what you do all day? Chop trees and sweat? Or do you consider this a backwoods workout? Nice cut, by the way."

Her last words were directed to Hera who was clipping her saber back onto her belt.

[Sinful Justice]

"Nice cut..."

:: Grem mutterd under his breath ::

Great! I thought I left these types behind!

:: Grem frowned at that thought ::

"Actually, I do, much better than killing and Jedi and Sith. Like I used to do....Would you two care to join me from a drink? There is a town, (well not much of one) down that way."

:: he pointed the way the two women had been heading ::

[Daiquiri Van-Derveld]

"If they serve rum and Corellian whiskey and youre buying...why not?"

Hera grinned at the mention of rum and Daiq knew that she too was getting a little parched. They had walked for several miles, starting off at dawn and still seemed no closer to their destination than when they had begun. All she knew was that they were supposed to locate an old man in some one-horse village, who knew the whereabouts of another old man who knew something about an amulet that Hera wanted.

Turning his back to them as he bends down and picks up his ax, both sets of blue eyes follow his movements then shift quickly to look at one another with a grin. Hera clears her throat.


"How much further is this village?"

[DarthHERA]

As she waited for the reply, Hera wondered just what Jedi and Sith this fellow had been killing. And which side he had more of an affinity with? Why did he now weild an axe instead of a saber? Perhaps he had lost his nerve for killing. How could anyone lose their nerve for killing and with this her thoughts strayed until the sound of the new acquaintances voice broke into her thoughts.

[Sinful Justice]

"....Bout 15 mintues with a good following wind, and yes they have some Correllian wiskey, and if two such lovely ladies are joining me for a drink then I guess I'm obliged now aren't I?"

:: he spoke casually to them, as he headed off down the path, leaving the chopped down tree blocking the other way ::

"Don't worry 'bout the tree either, I gotta borrow old man Pik's ox again to move this one."

[Daiquiri Van-Derveld]

Playing dumb at times had its advantages as did being the one to do the questioning. Whenever Daiq took the lead it allowed Hera to stand back and assess situations and people in releative peace, while Daiquiri took the brunt of any verbal jabs and punches. She didnt mind. Hera was the boss and the one who signed her checks so anything that got the job done worked for her.

"We're that close? Hey, while we're here, why not go ahead and move the tree now? We wouldnt mind helping and think of the wear and tear you'd save on ol Pik's ox."

In silence, Hera had given Daiq's mind a gentle nudge and in accordance with the unspoken suggestion, Daiquiri had left a deliberate opening for Justice to reveal if he had any force ability or not. Like Hera, she too was curious about the thoughts they had both picked up on at thier approach. "Better than any life a wandering Jedi could give me."

Interesting.

[DarthHERA]

Hera quirked an eyebrow with interest at Daiqs challenge. Shuffling over toward a tree that had so far escaped the woodsman's axe. She plucked a long thread of windgrass, chewing on it meditatively, leaning her shoulder against the rough trunk, waited to see what the young man would do.

[Sinful Justice]

"Ah...Naw, Pik's ox doesn't mind, and I'm bettung you two wanna meet Old Pik anyways."

:: he turned and continues down the path ::

"You two sure are loud ya, know? More so then the folks at the town. And they aren't even Jedi!"

[Daiquiri Van-Derveld]

Chuckling, Daiq turns and amused look on Hera.

"Im not sure but I think we've just been insulted."

Taking the couple of steps that will bring her up along side Hera, the two women watch as the ax bearer heads off down the path.

"Whaddya think? Maybe this "old Pik" is the one we're looking for."

[DarthHERA]

She spoke quietly to Daiq, as she made her decision.

"Hmm..."Pik" is one of the more original names he's come up with, it if is."

Pushing off from the tree, Hera agreed with her friend. Might be worth the time following this guy.

The two Sith moved to either side of Sinful Justice and walked along with him.

"You from here are you then?"

[Sinful Justice]

"nope, I'm not...I'm from...Well it's been awhile since I've been home, so I'm not sure anymore, since I have been travelling almost since I can remember.....Oh, and you might be a bit shocked at the town, considering that half of the houses are tents."

:: he continues down the path, knowing quite for sure that the two women can keep up with him ::

"What is amasing about Old Pik is that he knows why almost everyone comes to the town, and the fact that he has the only fully built house too."

[DarthHERA]

Well, they would know soon enough if Old Pik was the man they had come to speak with. Hera could see the small settlement at the base of the next hill.

"Thats quite a scar you have on your face. How did you come by it?"

Daiq looked curiously at the scar also. The two women were warriors from way back, and a scar story was always a good tale. One could learn alot about a person from the battles they had faced. Although, so far, this stranger had been quite ambiguous with his answers...almost as if he didnt want them to know too much..

[Daiquiri Van-Derveld]

Why not just cut to the chase?

"Im not able to pick up any force sensations from you. Yet you stated that youve killed both Jedi and Sith. Mind telling me how you managed that?"

Glancing at Hera, Daiquiri shrugs lightly. It was worth the shot just flat out asking him.

[Sinful Justice]

:: he didn't say anything ::

"Pik should be home, Mattie is talking to the ox again....."

:: he stopped and turned to face Daq and Hera ::

"My scar? This old thing? Got it from my own master, when I killed him......Not interesting enough, then look behind you too, should explian why you felt nothing from me."

:: he pointed behind them to the large tree that had been chopped down, and was following them like a dog ::

[Daiquiri Van-Derveld]

Daiq spun on her heel and her eyes caught on a tree trunk. A trunk that only moments before been prone on the ground, like any properly cut tree should be.

Her blue gaze travels slowly up the length of the tree then quickly runs back down to the jagged chop marks still showing at its' bottom. One side was smooth, where Hera had finsihed slicing through the wood with her saber.

With slow, measured timing, Daiquiri turns a quizzical look on her companion.

"Well, now Ive seen everything!"

[DarthHERA]

Hera started to chuckle, the tree looked ridiculous.

"And what the hell is that supposed to be?"