Downtime Down Level.

[Spark Vallen]

Coruscant - Lower Levels

"...nice doin' business with you too," Spark Vallen replied with a smirk.

Creds slipped out of sight and he offered an ironic bow before heading out onto the street. Clad in a dark reinforced shirt (http://underthedometv.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/mike-1024x576.jpg) with a light jacket over it, a weapons belt slung low, the bearded man was lightly roughed up from the work he'd just completed, but he looked good compared to the guy he'd just brought in for trying to skip the system without paying off a few debts.

Applying a bandage to his forehead and brow, Spark slipped his hands into his pockets and glanced about. The mercenary checked his chrono and realized he could cool his jets awhile. Taking a lift up a few levels, he saw that the more raucous entertainment was just coming to life and decided a few drinks and entertainment could be just the way to celebrate finishing up this job. He popped into a garishly lit cantina and winced at the too-loud party music. Too tired for that, Spark also figured it too much hassle to go elsewhere so he leaned against the bar and ordered an ale.

He grinned at a couple human and humanoid beings that caught his eye before taking a pull on the bottle set before him...

[Katja Nystrom]

Towards the back of the establishment, a vibrant and young Morellian blonde was living the life! So happy for this downtime as her older twin sisters were doing business, Katja had all of Coruscant to herself. This was the first place on her itinerary to visit, even though she really didn't have anything planned out truthfully. She just happened to find this little cantina first and would soon be off in search of other fun things, or beings, to do.

She bounced back and forth, sitting atop the booth cushion and raised her bottle in appreciation towards the cantina band. Her antics had given her a few odd looks and some smiles, but everyone let the girl be as she was no threat despite the way she dressed. Despite being pristine and pretty, her clothes definitely were worn and seen better days. She did that on purpose - sticking out for being her but not because of flashy clothes. An orange flight jacket with the patches removed, grey shirt, black pants and boots with a gun belt really didn't scream anything special. Everything else did!

[Spark Vallen]

Ale in hand, Spark meandered through the cantina, getting a feel for the place and its people. The music wasn't great, but it wasn't downright terrible. Regardless, he wasn't the kind of guy to bop his head or sway to any beat, so he just noticed the tunes and left it at that.

Sip.

Swallow.

Blue eyes scanned the crowd. No familiar faces, but that was hardly surprising. Spark worked alone and tended not to socialize much. It kept life simpler that way. There was a bouncy blonde in a booth that countered his natural stoicism. Spark couldn't help but grin; she was clearly someone who knew how to enjoy the moment!

[Katja Nystrom]

She went for a drink and frown when nothing was tasted! Katja peered an eye down the bottle neck and frowned when her suspicions were confirmed. It was empty!

"Well, this sucks," she groused and left the remains standing upright on the booth back. She hopped down to bop and weave through the crowd quite gracefully to the bar. Not as annoyingly busy before where you had to elbow your way to get a drink, Katja found some space to leave over the counter. She waved and got the attention of the bartender.

"Jus' a sec." He was in the middle of mixing drinks.

[Spark Vallen]

Spark found himself tailing the blonde just because she had caught his eye. Her enthusiasm was cute! He went over to the bar too and tried to make eye contact with her through the mirror that hung across the bar from them both.

What am I even thinking? She's way out of my league. Be lucky if she even gave me a smile​, Spark thought.

[Katja Nystrom]

Fingers drummed against the metallic counter top in time to the music, a light sway in her stance as Katja enjoyed the music. As she bounced her head, she caught a glimpse of someone's reflection looking towards her in the mirror lining the back wall of the bar. She caught his gaze in the mirror. Scruffy looking had gotten into a recent fight by the looks of those lightly blood soaked bandages on his forehead. The guy looked rather innocent with his soft blue eyes. It made her curious what sort of scrap he got himself into where he was the one drinking victoriously at the bar.

She turned her head and nodded at the damage on his head. "How's the other one looking?"

[Spark Vallen]

"When I left him, unconscious but intact. Now that he's with the people who wanted him..." Spark shrugged and grinned. "We'll see."

He waited a beat, watching her watch him, the smile never leaving his face despite how it made the cut on his forehead ache even worse. She was gorgeous! How could he not smile and stare?

"Buy you the drink you're waiting on?" Spark offered.

[Katja Nystrom]

"Depends," she replied coyly. "Did you bring him in unconscious because you had or was it a dead or alive kinda thing?"

It wasn't entirely a trick question, but Katja wanted to know what sort of Bounty Hunter this fellow was before this went any further. Not all innocent looking boys were always so and with the way he was staring at her in a daze, she was sure he'd be greedy to tell the truth!

She waited, lips puckered in curiosity with a brow raised in challenge. Would he try and impress her and make up some ridiculous half truth tale, or just be himself?

[Spark Vallen]

"The target owed creds. A case of being worth more alive than dead. Not the type to have their debtors as the life insurance payees," Spark observed with a grin.

He shrugged loosely and touched the bandage on his forehead. It was dry, if ugly, so that was good. Likely, it wouldn't even scar.

"So, how about that drink?"

[Katja Nystrom]

With a smirk, she turned around and leaned back against counter and lightly shrugged.

"Sure. Why not?"

He did give an honest answer and she was still thirsty.

"Does Mr. Bactabaid have a name?" she asked curiously.

[Spark Vallen]

Spark extended a hand and smiled.

"The name's Spark. And who am I buying for, pretty lady?" he asked, blue eyes twinkling.

If she had any idea how much of a stretch this was for him, being so social! The work-a-holic wasn't the type to pick up girls, let alone extremely hot ones like the blonde stranger.

[Katja Nystrom]

With a nod of her chin, she took his hand and squeezed it. The girl had an impressive grip for one of her stature.

"Katja." Green eyes twinkled right back as she smiled. "So... Spark? Not a name I've ever heard of. What system names their kiddos Spark, Mr. Bactabaid?"

The bartender returned. She ordered another whiskey and mischievously freed her hand to pat Spark on the back.

"This one's buying too. So here." She pulled out some creds and slapped them on the table. "For the first drink and a little extra."

[Spark Vallen]

Spark Bactabaid. Huh. Not bad. Been called worse! He chuckled to himself, amused at the pet name.

"I grew up on Corellia," he replied with a grin. "Outskirts of Coronet City. Where do pretty girls called Katja come from?"

With her whiskey order came his ale. Spark lifted the bottle and gestured for cheers.

[Katja Nystrom]

"Corellia too. Home away from home," she replied whimsically before glasses were clinked together.

It was the closest thing to the truth. Corellia was a home away from a home that was no longer inhabitable. And it was the only home she knew besides living on the ship.

"To home, huh?" she said with a wink and swallowed an impressive gulp of whiskey.

[Spark Vallen]

"Small galaxy," Vallen replied with a grin.

He took a healthy swig of ale, nodding with pleasure as he swallowed. That hit the spot after the night it had been on the job.

"On Coruscant for business or pleasure?" he asked.

After all, she didn't quite strike him as a local.

[Katja Nystrom]

"Both! My family's off adulting so I get some time to myself," she said with a cheeky grin. "Some big hot shot needs something. I honestly didn't pay that much attention."

She actually did pay attention but despite the handsome mug she was sitting with, he really didn't need to know any details of the job. That was for her older sisters to take care of.

"How about you? Business and now pleasure?" Katja asked with twinkle in her eye before lazily bringing the glass up for another sip.

[Spark Vallen]

Spark's grin widened. "Business done for now. Time for pleasure indeed."

He took a sip of his ale, blue eyes regarding Katja with interest and amusement. She was intriguing with her self-confidence and bit of swagger. It was, he supposed, a totally Corellian trait the way she came across. At any rate, Spark liked it.

[Katja Nystrom]

With a quick swipe of the tongue across her lip, Katja scrutinized Spark. "Pleasure can be defined in a lot of ways, Mr. Bactabaid."

She leaned forward, closing the distance between them as her head gently fell towards her shoulder. "How do you define it?"

Of all of the ways that one could define it, Katja was the kind of girl to generally agree with 99% of them too. She was a happy, fun loving, girl that enjoy loved to enjoy whatever her long life was going to offer!

[Spark Vallen]

Ah, she's a cute one, Spark thought with a grin, watching the little coy head tilt.

"Well, Katja the Great... this is a good start. Drinks with a pretty girl." He chuckled, blue eyes dancing as he studied her. "I've got two left feet, but I'm not afraid to show it if you care to dance..."

[Katja Nystrom]

Her face scrunched up - lips pursed with confusion as brows narrowed tightly together to piece together what was just said.

"Did Mr. Bactabaid just call me Katja the Great?" she said with a striking blink before cracking up. "Alright there. Let's not get too carried away."

After she recovered from that momentary outburst, green eyes twinkled towards Spark. She purred her words and allowed a finger to run underneath his chin to trace until clothes block any further descent. "At least not until you've gotten to know me enough that I really do deserve that title."

She gave him a wink, knocked back the rest of her drink and slammed the glass on the counter with a little shimmy as the alcohol burned a trail down her throat.

"Wow! Alright." She grabbed his hand while sliding off the stool. "Let's see if ya really got those two left feet."

[Spark Vallen]

Spark gazed at her, unblinking but with a crooked grin, as Katja's finger traced down his chin and throat. He thought she liked the nickname, even if she told him to hold on that. At the very least, Katja didn't seem offended, and that was good.

Setting down his now-empty bottle of ale, Vallen grinned and followed her out onto the dance floor. It was a nice view! Spark just hoped he didn't trip over his two left feet in order to dance with her...

[Katja Nystrom]

She navigated the small crowd easily enough and thus far, Spark's two left feet hadn't caused a commotion. He was able to keep up with her as she started to bop and sway to the beat of the synthesizers and drums. After she moved passed a Zeltron grinding up against a human, Katja found a small pocket before the next couple.

"Woo!" She lifted up Spark's hand and twirled herself more than anything. Face to face, arms looped around his neck. "Let's see what ya got."

The Morellian had rhythm in her movements, stepping and swaying in a pattern that would be easy for Spark to adjust to.

[Spark Vallen]

Spark laughed, grinned, and let Katja take the lead. Clearly, the girl had moves and he was happy to enjoy her dancing as he "assisted." When she came to face him again, he let his hands fall to her hips, loosely, and fell in step with her.

Lot more chaste than the Zeltron over there! he thought, amused.

"Come here often?" he asked, shouting over the music.

[Katja Nystrom]

She laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. "That is a LAME come on, Mr. Bactabaid. C'mon! You can do better since we're already dancing!"

Katja brushed the back of her hand along his cheek, grinning as the music reverberated through the floor, making her skin pulse with each beat.

[Spark Vallen]

Spark laughed, then smiled as her hand brushed his cheek.

"No, seriously! How often are you on-planet? Do you come here often to hang out?" he asked, moving with her.

[Katja Nystrom]

"OH!" she giggled. "Just depends on the runs. Not always here. We're basically everywhere where needed. So for now, that's Coruscant and then? Wherever the boss for the moment wants us to go!"

Little did Katja know how permanent an arrangement this was going to be!

[Spark Vallen]

Spark nodded in understanding. That's about what his business was like; Coruscant was just one stop of many as he bounced from job to job, but he did like his return trips here. Coruscant was vibrant. And so was the blonde he was dancing with.

"Gotcha!"

He reached for her hand and twirled Katja himself, laughing.

[Katja Nystrom]

The twirl was a haphazard attempt, but Katja possessed nimble feet and managed to salvage the move. At the end of the turn when they were face to face, she pressed their bodies together and ran fingers through his short hair with a playful grin.

"You really weren't kidding about those two left feet, huh?"

[Spark Vallen]

Spark swallowed hard and grinned at Katja, his heart hammering loudly in his chest with their closeness. It was the perfect opportunity to have a smooth line in response to her question, but the merc suddenly found himself tongue-tied and rendered stupid!

"Uh... something about better moves... in other activities?" he laughed nervously.

Only then did he realize the words had come out all wrong! Spark flushed, mortified that - now - Katja was seeing that his tough merc exterior was just that. Behind the armor and grizzled look, Spark was a bit of a dork and awkward!

[Katja Nystrom]

As Katja gazed into Spark's embarrassed and slowly turning shy face and realized his truth. That Mr. Bactabaid was this squishy, dorky filled center underneath that gruff exterior. The man could take a mark down easy enough, but put a pretty face scrunched up against him and he lost his cool. It was positively adorable and unlike anyone that had ever gravitated towards her! They were usually too shy to compete with the more boisterous crowd trying to get Katja's attention.

She nuzzled her nose along his jaw and whispered in his ear. "Care to explain which activities you refer to?"

[Spark Vallen]

Spark bit his lower lip to try and hold back the next nervous chuckle Katja now illicited from him. It mostly worked.

"Well, you know..." he replied, his voice at least gruff again and thankfully not cracking.

Spark pulled back and grinned at her, a bit embarrassed for his dance moves and the awkward come-on. Not that he wanted to see the look on her face if she was just toying with him now because he was a doofus, he at least needed to know if that's where things stood now.

[Katja Nystrom]

He was still so nervous and shy that Spark couldn't admit he needs with specifics. His chuckle was adorable and the nerves were radiating off of him that Katja could feel it herself while caressing the back of his neck.

"You sure you're up for it?" she said, grinning back mischievously while caressing the wound over her forehead. "Don't need to passing out on me when things are getting good. Because believe me..." she pressed her lips against his neck and whispered, "you're gonna need all your strength tonight handsome."

The Morellian found Spark refreshing and honest and she was very sincere with her response back. There were no lies at all that he could hear, just the throaty promises of a pleasurable evening.

[Spark Vallen]

Spark swallowed hard, so surprised that this was going so well! He skimmed his hands up and down her sides, regaining some of his confidence because Katja was sending every single that she was definitely interested in him.

"Yeah, I'm sure I'm up for it," he said with a grin. "My ship's on a pad not far from here... We could take the party there."

[Katja Nystrom]

"Then let's get the fuck outta here," she purred and slipped out of his hands, "and finish this party there."

She snatched his hand, squeezed it, and led Spark out of the cantina. Once outside, she took a step back to press her back against him and the hand she was holding was slipped around her waist. "Which way, handsome?"

His Bactabaid nickname wasn't gone - just tucked away for a later date since things had heated up between them.

[Spark Vallen]

Spark groaned softly, setting his hands on her hips. She'd been able to feel him, and that made his blood boil. He kissed her neck and murmured against her ear.

"Make a right and up the lift a few levels."

He slipped around and reached for Katja's hand, walking with her in the direction he'd just described. He thought to himself about the state of his JumpMaster 5000, A Sure Bet (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/JumpMaster_5000). Satisfied that it was tidy enough and presentable for such lovely company as Katja, Spark moved with purpose to the turbolift, giving her hand a squeeze.

[Katja Nystrom]

She was never close enough to realize how much of an effect she had on Spark to arouse him so and it made her grin with impatience. The hands resting on her hips from behind gave the Morellian a very vivid idea of their activities and was so delighted that his ship wasn't too far. Because after that little move, if it was, she would have found a nice secluded spot along the way to take care of the growing itch he was having.

Actually...

Once inside the lift and after Spark hit the controls, she waited a beat before taking out her pocket knife and popped the panel free. With disturbingly quick skills, she had the lift paused and overrode the emergency response system so there was no immediate recourse being stopped. The computer system would realize there was a problem in roughly ten minutes of no movement. Well, at least not the kind the system was used to - and the camera feed was silenced. It was perfectly private in here.

She coyly turned around and pushed the blade back into place, hungrily looking at Spark as if he was about to be dinner. "Couldn't wait. Party in here?"

[Spark Vallen]

Spark's eyes went wide when Katja went to work on the control panel and gave them a secure, private space.

We'd make a good team, he thought.

"Party in here is a good start," Spark replied.

He pressed her against the lift's doors and kissed her passionately.