A Breath of Recycled Air

[Jeremy Varin]

Most times when Khera'Va'ss'io was at Jovan, he spent his time pouring over the myriad of flight logs that invariably ended up in his hands. It wasn't a bad job, and it certainly beat a permanent desk job, but sometimes having to sift through those entries was tedious. At least he didn't have to deal too much with the other stuff that came with running Captain s'Ilancy's ship. Or the ship itself, for that matter. Serving aboard a vessel that talked back was a new experience, and he'd not exactly formed a solid opinion on how he felt about it. At least he got to have his own little kingdom confined with the Aereth, the old Nu-Class shuttle that the Captain seemed to prefer. Not as much as he did, though. It was his pride and joy, lovingly cared for and kept in pristine working condition.

But now he'd finished his duties upon the initial docking, and shutting down the 'pad he'd been working on, tossed it to his bunk. It bounced only a few times before finally landing on his pillow.

The docking area for Spire 3 was mostly empty, many of the already small crew having passed through, but the customs agent on duty was at least still at her podium, and at the tail end of the last small group of stragglers exiting the ship, he passed along his identicard without fuss. She took a quick glance, gave a nod, and in the next moment he was stepping onto a lift. The ride down to the main concourse was only filled with idle chitchat, and he listened only half-heartedly.

It wasn't long before the lift slowed its' descent, and upon stopping completely the doors opened to disgorge the small group.

Jeremy had only been on Jovan a few times, mostly to grab something to eat that wasn't a bland ration pack. He enjoyed his time spent in the service, but the food was... well, it left a lot to be desired.

Making his way to the merchant's quarter, he couldn't help but stop at a small kiosk. A Shistavenan smiled at him with a toothy grin.

"Got some nuna kebabs with special spice sauce, just off the grill. You want?"

The smell was beyond enticing, and Jeremy gave a once over of the veritable pile of food just waiting for him to slap down the credits.

"How much?"

"Five credits, you get the combo meal. four kebabs, some hot butter rice, and a pastry."

It sounded like a good enough deal, and Jeremy pulled out a chit, keying in the amount and handing it over.

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

Just as he was about to pay, a sudden impact blindsided him from the left, knocking him and his chit to the floor.

[Jeremy Varin]

He had at least the presence of mind to try and twist in the air as he fell, managing to slam into the composite decking on his shoulder with a heavily expelled breath of air.

Herrnnh!

Rolling onto his back, the Alliance pilot stayed put for the moment, blinking up at a myriad of faces now looking down at him. Slowly he began to sit up.

When he spoke, it was more of a grumble than anything else.

"Did anyone get the tag number for the speeder that just ran over me?"

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

"Oh soorry!"

A looming figure over Varrin spoke in a nasally patois, blinking from behind the commpad she held up in two enormous hands.

"Shoot, lookit. Gettin' all distracted by a text-com, naat payin' attention to where I'm gooin. Easy there lil' fella."

Putting away her commpad, Gradoona Pod-Floewander reached down a hand, swallowing up Varrin's own corresponding appendage and half of the forearm that went with it as she hauled him up to his feet. The Herglic then went about tidying him up, smoothing down perceived wrinkles in his jacket and looking for any signs of contusions.

"Ya ookay there? Gaat yoour bell rung a little? I'm soo soorry...how many fingers eh?"

Gradoona held up two. With digits of that size, only the clinically blind could get it wrong, and they'd need help to miss.

[Jeremy Varin]

Helped up with a bit more force than he'd expected, Jeremy took a few moments to collect himself. A few stragglers still gawked; or at least rubbernecked enough for him to be aware of as his front was brushed down with a quick hand that was most certainly not his own. He opted to ignore the watchers before turning to the massive Herglic talking.

"What? Oh... "

A look to the two fingers she held up.

"Looks like two, to me."

Someone was kind enough to hand him his dropped chit, and he gave an appreciative nod before tossing the thing to the Shistavenan who in turn began preparing a plate of food.

"You got a mean shoulder there, gal," he went on ruefully, trying to smooth over her apology.

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

"Alright!"

Gradoona's toothy grin grew a little wider as she squee-clacked.

"Guess the ool' naaggin's naat too boogered up."

Before Varin's chit could even stop rattling on the counter top, Gradoona's hand slapped over it, causing the Shistavanen to yip in surprise.

"Oh noo! Ya can't goo aan and pay foor yoour food, naat after takin' a chin-check like that! Let me pay!"

Pinching the chit between thumb and forefinger, Gradoona stuffed Varin's money back in his jacket pocket.

"Least I can do foor ya!"

[Jeremy Varin]

Well, this was unexpected.

The Shistavenan didn't seem to care who's credits he got, and with little fanfare handed over a plastic carry bag of wonderfully-smelling food. As long as he got his credits, he'd pass out the meals he made with enthusiasm.

"I'm not one to argue with a free meal," he took the bag happily, "... or the Herglic buying it for me."

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

"Hey, if the pazaak table's haat, then who am I to argue either!"

Gradoona clapped Varin (lightly this time) on the back with a hand as she ponied up the money for his food. After all, it was good to pay a hot streak forward a little bit.

"Yaknoo what? Make 'er a deuce, eh? Whatever he's having."

The Shistavanen's nose crinkled, and replied brusquely with "Nine-fifty."

Despite her lack of a neck, Gradoona shruged. "Oh, suure." Then, she paused, glancing at the size of Varin's meal.

"Saaay, that's a lil' mooore fun-size than I was thinkin'. Yaa gaaat anythiiing....yaknoo..."

The Shistavanen's beady eyes flicked from Varin and back to Gradoona, seeming to understand between their size disparity what she was asking. Again his reply was brusque.

"Family meal, ten credits extra!"

The Herglic's tongue curled behind her smiling teeth as she squee'd.

"Alriiiight!" She clacked, then authorize the amount for the full bill.

"Yaknoo, I doon't even knoow whaat I just oordered..." she commented sidelong to her human acquaintance as her order was filled.

[Jeremy Varin]

"Nuna kebabs, some rice concoction, and a dessert pastry," Jeremy was more than happy to fill her in.

"Smelled better that what I normally eat, so I figured I'd have a go."

Casting a look around, he tried to get a vantage; it wasn't exactly easy with the crowds milling about.

"There a place to eat all this?"

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

On account of having no sense of smell, Gradoona would have to take his word on that. That being said, after five gallons of lager, everything ended up tasting like chopped penguin.

"Ya could try yoour luck at one aaf the caancoourse tables, but I doon't think ya waana wait fifteen minutes foor a seat befoore ya tuck in."

Gradoona stuck a stubby digit out, toward a balcony that ringed the merchant area.

"I uusually go to the aabservation level. It's naat exaactly a dining area, but yaknoo as long as ya doon't throow things abouut like a kowakian monkey lizard you'll be peachy."

[Jeremy Varin]

"Then the observation level it is," he grinned, making an executive decision based on her recommendation.

With his bag of real food, Jeremy was more than happy to go wherever he needed to tuck in to something that tasted... well, something that had taste to begin with. He was fairly certain that Dage smuggled in spice packets to flavor his own meals with. He'd have to see about doing the same.

As the two made their way toward one of the stairwells that would take them up to the observation level, he looked sideways at his new dining companion.

"So. You posted to Jovan... ? Or just passing through?"

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

"Junior Engineer, guilty aas chaarged!"

Gradoona mock saluted, tapping a stubby hand up to her beak.

"I poosted oover here abouut three months agoo, from the Hoplite. Foor an engineering post withouut aan engine, it's supriiisingly busy!"

[Jeremy Varin]

Jeremy let out a light chuckle at her enthusiasm.

"So I've been hearing," which was an understatement. He'd been aboard Khera when the first explosions blew them from their spire. After that it'd been a scramble to try and hastily repair the damage caused to the ship as well as the chaos of trying to find a way back to the station for boarding.

"I suppose never having a dull moment makes you appreciate the quiet time a bit more," he grinned, moving to an empty table and setting his sack down.

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

"Weeell, I dunnoo abouut quiet. Even when the woork settles down, I'd raaather haave something gooing aan. Lessee, between the sabacc, pazaak, chaance cuubes, blaab races, the smaashbaall toourneys..."

Gradoona was illustrating her examples by sticking out fingers on each hand, quickly realizing she was running out of fingers.

"Naat t' mention the night life!"

[Jeremy Varin]

Jeremy just about fell into his seat. It was strange, how you appreciated the act of sitting down so much more when there was no real task to complete. He was often enough sitting, having been unofficially chosen as the favored shuttle pilot of the Captain, but being able to sit without having to actually do anything? Well, aside from eat, but still. He leaned back, allowing himself the chance to relax and just bathe in the moment of... nothing.

A smile, his eyes closed, and he let out a long breath before once more setting his attentions to his food and lunch mate.

One hand dove into the bag while the other deftly pulled from the bottom, effectively sliding the plastic container of food out with ease.

"Sounds like you try to keep your options as full up as possible," he grinned.

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

"Ooh welll...I've always hated thinkin' that something fun's happening and it ain't aan my waatch."

Gradoona opted to sit, but chose a ledge protrusion rather than any of the seating more suitable to humanoids. The Herglic daintily eased down, her wide frame eclipsing the area offered by a good six inches in both directions.

"Herglics doon't sleep as much aas humans doo, soo I hear. Couple aaf hours is all we need, soo it's best to spend time naat twiddlin' thumbs."

She carefully began to unpack her family meal, opening the first carton of steaming vittles. Well, whatever the cubes of meat were, that's where she was starting first. She speared one with a fork, and tested the first bite.

"Ooh."

And after that, Gradoona opted for the more expedient approach of simply putting the carton up to her mouth and using the fork to tilt in the rest of the meat.

"Soo...whataboout you? Gaat a name?"

[Jeremy Varin]

Pulling a piece of meet from the skewer, Jeremy popped it into his mouth just as the question was posed. A hand held up, one finger out in the universal gesture of 'just a moment.'

He chewed, swallowed, and finally nodded his head.

"Jeremy Varin. Glorified taxi driver."

Flashing a smile, he proceeded to go after the second bit of sauce-slathered meat.

"And you?"

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

"Gradoona Pod-Floewander."

She extended a hand that swallowed Varin's own in a shake.

"But yoou can just caall me Gradoona, yaknoo."

[Jeremy Varin]

He'd often been told that his hands were disproportionately large, but even despite that Gradoona's massive fingers engulfed his own in a friendly shake. In a way it was nice not to feel like the meaty-handed person. It made his grin widen as his own eyes met hers with a glint.

"A pleasure."

Of course it wasn't long before the scent of his food pulled him back to the rather delightful meal in front of him, and Jeremy returned his attentions to his lunch.

"You know, it's been a minute since I've seen a Herglic about."

He gave a wink, then. "Though, to be honest I guess I don't really get out too awful much. Spend most of my time holed up on an old relic of a warship."

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

"Huh. Ya'd thiink my foolks woould make a bigger splash, eh?"

Herglics were some of the most ardent space-faring people in the galaxy. So much so that the Herglic diaspora living off Giju was nearly as big as the homeworld's population, if not a bit bigger. The notion of getting out into the stars and seeing as many of them as possible was written into Herglic DNA. It made sense in a way. Herglics of old times used to travel impossible distances across the seas in search of food, friendly neighbors, or both. While Gradoona missed Giju, it hadn't been a hard choice between going back home and seeing the galaxy.

Moving on from the meat to the rice and veg, the herglic engineer shoveled both of those things in her mouth in unison. Hmm...meh. Not nearly as good as the main event.

"Wherre'd ya fly befoore yoour current posting?"

[Jeremy Varin]

"Mostly flew Y-wings back on Bothawui," he started amiably.

"Spent a lot of time with the defense force and not much else. Food was good there, though I gotta admit being around that many Bothans can get a little... tiring after a while."

He shot her a wink.

"Got picked by Commander Dage when he took command of the Levantine, and so I accepted. Shipped out for duty to Ossus, and well, I'm sure you know how that went."

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

"I apprenticed as a mechanic aan Y-wings!" Gradoona piped up on their common past. "Uglier than mangy gundaarks but wooow, they suure fix in a jiff! Build's robust, taalerances loose. Naat many fighters out there thatcha can caalibrate with a little spit aand a maallet!"

Gradoona pantomimed the act of swinging a hammer at her now-empty food carton, before she crumpled it up in one hand. She stuffed it back in the bag, and moved on to carton number two.

"Ooh."

She let loose a few brief whistles followed by a clack, closing her beak momentarily in contemplation of the heavier part of Varin's resume.

"Jeepers, Ossus, eh? Thaat was a reeal pickle, huh? Gladya maade it ouuta there in one piece!"

[Jeremy Varin]

Jeremy laughed at that. "So am I!"

Spearing another bit of meat, he made it disappear in short order, chewing thoughtfully. He'd not had as much invested - emotionally - in that ugly time as Dage, or even Captain s'Ilancy. But he knew the weight of everything that'd transpired all the same, and had doggedly clung to fighting back against General Thrule.

"I didn't have as many friends as the Commander did aboard Dauntless, so while losing them is horrible, I wasn't exactly put in the position of firing on friends, as it were. Comrades yes, but close friends? No."

It was still a heavy issue to think on, despite that fact.

"Afterwards I just kind of stuck around the Commander, and when he took the XO position under Captain s'Ilancy, I followed him. Now I'm a glorified taxi driver, and could be happier."

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

"Eh, it is whaat it is, yaknoo."

So she wasn't the only one operating in something of a career holding pattern. Gradoona exhaled ponderously from her blowhole before pulling out carton number two.

"Me? The way I figure it, two - three years taaps, get a poosting to, ooh I dunnoo, somethin' cruuiser weight oor soo..."

The Herglic paused mid-thought to shovel half the carton's contents unceremoniously into her gullet.

"Kiiinda gunnin' foor chief engineer aaf a real ship, the kind ya aren't just by yoour lonesome in the engine room, beatin' aan a maanifoold while whistlin' Laapti Nek. Chief here's kiinda saalty in that been everywhere way. Figure I'll pick his noggin' till I can haap up the ladder."

Gradoona shoveled away the rest of meal number two, and similarly discarded the carton.

"I mean, naat that I'm sick aaf Joovan, just that it kiinda feels funny stayin' in one place."

[Jeremy Varin]

He gave a nod in agreement.

"I suppose I'm lucky then, since my 'taxi service' lets me travel a bit without being too penned in."

She was charming, and Jeremy couldn't help but find himself smiling when she spoke.

"Stayin' inone place can be good though," he ventured.

"Lets you recoup and get your feet solid under you. Plus I'm sure the locals around here are entertaining to a large degree."

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

"Ooh they're naat baad." the engineer clacked, shifting a bit on her perch.

"Kiinda get the ol' side-eye from the Cizeraack here and there, but I'm kinda uused to thaat, being like fouur times the siize aaf moost aaf youu guys. Once they get to knoow ya, they're good people yaknoo?"

Gradoona squee'd, rolling her tongue in happy recollection.

"Ooh, thaat remiinds me. Soo, they've gaat this tea houuse here, but yaknoo it's naat abouut tea, but it's moore abouut this biiig haat tub fulla foolks aan' heavy petting aan' fweeeee leeeets juuust saaay I knoow hoow the ool' navy thing gooes when in poort, and thoose feline gals haave gaat yaa covered!"

The Herglic paused, coughing into a fist almost bashfully.

"I mean, naat thaat it's my siize aaf ice floe. But hey! I'm an aavid people watcher!"

[Jeremy Varin]

Her description of the teahouse was not in keeping with what his initial thoughts had been on first mention, and as her words painted a very different picture to what he'd imagined, Jeremy couldn't help the odd face he pulled. It was not exactly unheard of, especially on a station such as Jovan, but the veneer was very different from what he was used to.

"A... teahouse."

Pausing in his meal, he couldn't help but reach up to run a hand across one side of his face and over his chin in thought.

"Seems a bit too much for my tastes, I'm afraid. Grew up on Prakith, so the old-fashioned nature is a bit hard to shake."

Still though, it was curious, her mention of such a place. Jeremy gave her a prodding look.

"You've been there before though, I take it."

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

"Cla-a-aaack whaddya take me foor? Yaa ever see a Herglic pass aan the chance to paark their tuchus in a body aaf waater they can actuually fit in?"

Gradoona laughed, then reached for the third dinner in her bag.

"A niice spaat to flooat, caamplimentary fish, oopen baar, pssh! I'd be there with bells aan even withoout a free shoow! But hey, I get it. Naat yoour cup aaf...heh...yoou knoow. Soo whaat then? Whaddya doo foor jollies?"

[Jeremy Varin]

"Afraid I'm a bit of a boring guy."

Which, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that 'boring' was an understatement. Perhaps visiting this 'teahouse' wasn't exactly outside the realm of possibility?

"Usually if I go somewhere, it's a small bar that has little but the basics; drink, a bowl of nuts, and salty demeanors."

He ventured another bite of his meal, chewing thoughtfully before swallowing.

"Though I suppose I could always broaden my horizons."

He speared a piece of meat with the plastic tines of his fork, not bringing it to his mouth just yet. Instead, he gave a wink.

"So. A hot tub you say?"

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

"Moore liike a haat poool, really. I'd guess she's an easy fiive hundred cuubic meters, give oor take a splash. Plenty aaf rooom foor an easy twoo dozen randy carouuserss, hehe."

The Herglic busied herself with opening her third carton of food, and shoveled half the contents in her mouth. That little wink of Jeremy's didn't go unnoticed.

"Ya thinkin' abouut testin' the waaters, eh?"

[Jeremy Varin]

"Perhaps."

There was a moment as he continued to deplete the contents of his meal.

"I admit I'm not exactly the most adventurous of people. I generally stick to myself and keep out of trouble. Not exciting I know."

Jeremy gave a shrug, then.

"But there's a first time for everything, yeah?"

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

The Herglic leaned closer, looming over Varin as she batted her best approximation of doe eyes.

"Yaa waant me to hoold yoour hand, shy guy?"

She leaned a little too close, it seemed, as a sharp and punctuated FWEEP sounded from behind.

"Oops! Squeaker."

[Jeremy Varin]

There weren't many things that could take him by surprise, but being stared down by a Herglic who summarily let fly a tiny trumpet was one of those things.

He blinked, eyes wide and fork frozen halfway to his mouth. His jaw snapped shut as his mind raced to formulate an adequate response.

"Well," a cough, and he slowly lowered the fork back down.

"That your usual pickup line?"

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

The herglic took the question as a philosophical one, leaning back as she propped a hand on a knee.

"Noo, but if I'm gaanna be toootally haanest abouut it, it's uuusually a topic that turns up after a night at the bar."

Gradoona's smile reaffirmed her bulletproof charm.

"Hey, I'm an engineer. Yaa doon't find an engine worth it's toorque withouut the system haaving an ouutput, hehe."

She jokingly slugged Varin on the shoulder, remembering at the last moment to pull the punch.

"Relaax guuy, I'm a daaisy. Aall souund, noo fuury."

[Jeremy Varin]

Even though she pulled the punch, it still packed a bit of a whallop. and Jeremy covered his surprised wince with as wide a smile as he could muster.

"I guess that's a good thing," he went back to his meal, using the fork to wrangle the last dregs of what was left on the 'plate'.

Scooping up a mouthful, he chewed with a thoughtful expression. A somewhat hasty swallow.

"Still though, I think I'll settle for a trip to whatever decent 'dive' bar this station has. Nothing fancy, and definitely not one of those places with a bartender that grows his own darianberries and presses them over some bit of ice that he says came from Echo Base or whatever."

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

"Gaatcha, noo meilooruntinis, haa!"

Gradoona finished the third carton without ceremony, up-ending it with the tap of a finger to dump the remainder of food in her mouth.

"I thiiink I knoow a place that'll suuit ya. C'maan."

With a little grunt and a puff from her blowhole, Gradoona rose up to her feet. She still had one remaining carton of food, which she returned to the bag.

"Guess I'll keep thaat one foor a second wind."

A pair of Cizerack officers headed up to the observation deck, making a very sudden detour around Gradoona's path as she breezily walked by.

"Gruffjacks ain't exaactly a cocktail-sippin' jooint. Soorta a spacer hangouut, aaand a few spanner-turners like me. You doon't look like a daandy, soo you'll praaabably be alriiight."

[Jeremy Varin]

Making quick work of packing up his own meal, Jeremy vacated his seat without ceremony. He followed behind Gradoona with a slight saunter, glad to let her be his crowdbreaker. Her reassurance that she'd not take him to some place that served overly fancy drinks was appreciated, and as they walked, he spoke up.

"Seems that on a station like this, places that aren't on the high side would be popular."

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

"Ooh suure!" Gradoona agreed heartily with a nod. "It's just kiinda situaaational. Ya gaat yoour uusual soort aaf waaterin hoole, then there's that soorta place with a Cizeeri accent."

The Herglic shrugged.

"Kiiinda the saame, kiinda different. Them lady cats tend ta stick too themselves. I braved the scene a tiime oor two. Coupla stink-eyes and some funny-tastin' liquor. Aboout the saame level aaf baawdy taalk. Saalt aaf the woorld is saalt of the woorld anywhere, guess you coould saay. Haaah! Hell, I've seen aall soorts. Ya waana try rough, goo drink with the Gamoorreans. Can't understaand a daamn thing until an aaxe staarts swingin!"

[Jeremy Varin]

He couldn't help the grin that washed over him. Understanding a Gamorrean was about as easy as trying to hear words out of mud bubbles. Her telling of the Cizerack establishments didn't exactly surprise him; he'd been to one once. A long while back, and the way she described it, things hadn't changed much.

"I went to a Cizerack bar once; I don't remember how I got out, but I do know I ended up in someone else's bed. Was about the last crazy thing I'd done before becoming a 'stick in the muck', as some of my shipmates tell me these days."

He gave a wry smile.

"Sad to say I don't remember anything. Wish I did, though."

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

"Eh, well liike they saay, sometiimes yaa drink the baar, and sometiimes the baar drinks yoou. Althooough I thiink whooever saaid thaat was taalking aboout soomethiing else."

Gradoona shrugged, then draped a heavy hand across Varin's shoulder.

"C'maan, it's riiight up ahead. Doon't woorry, we'll goo at yoour paace. Noo drunk taanks and noo baar fights, unless ya waave aaff the safety."

A flickering neon sign up ahead flashed the word G R U F F J A C K S in ascending aurrebesh script. The door slid open, allowing a very wobbly-looking Weequay to pass. He paused, bracing against the wall of the bar just long enough to wipe his mouth with the back of a hand, then shuffled onwards, muttering something in huttese as he parted.

Behind him, the interior of the bar was dim and smoky. Four dozen aliens in a dozen languages maintained a steady and slow burn. A few in the corner played dejarik. A half dozen played billiards on three tables in the center of the room. A sweaty-faced Askajian woman swabbed the bar, giving a dirty look to the two new potential customers.

"Credits up front, we don't do tabs here!"

A glass broke somewhere in the back of the bar, but no one seemed to bat an eye.

[Jeremy Varin]

A smile and half a nod, as Jeremy pulled a chit from his back pocket. He moved up to the bar, instinct driving him to slide himself onto a stool with the ease of a man who'd long ago memorized the 'dance'. The chit was pushed across the pitted bartop, scraping across parts of the lacquer that'd been dinged, scratched, and pounded. Well, it seemed the entirety of the bartop bore those telltale signs to be honest.

"You got any Corulag Imperial stout?"

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

The red-faced Askajian squared Varin up with a smoldering expression.

"A Corulag what?"

A few patrons at the bar fixed Varin with a side-eye as the eight-breasted barmaid tossed aside her wash rag, and planted both palms squarely on the table.

"Listen here mister, we don't do cute and we don't do characters, and we definitely don't serve any of that ten credit fancy core dreck. We serve Ebla Classic, Ebla Light, and Waakoo. Now are you getting a beer or not?"

[Jeremy Varin]

Well. Jeremy met the bartender's no-nonsense expression with one of his own. He wasn't so pampered that he'd not had his share of Blastech 45 or Selonia's Best. Stll though, When in Coronet...

"Waakoo, then."

No sense in antagonizing the locals.

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

"Heeey, mee tooo!"

Gradoona chimed in with a bright note of agreement, glad to see that Jeremy was drinking the home team's fashion. She raised a fist for him to bump, hovered awkwardly a moment as it went unrequited since he was looking the other way...then bumped him on the shoulder.

"Two pitchers, eh?"

The Askajian rolled her eyes, then went to fill the order. That left the herglic and the human at the bar to survey the landscape. Gradoona leaned her bulk against the counter, her head towering into a visible patina of smoke.

"Soo, ya ever get to Giju aaften?"

[Jeremy Varin]

"Cant' say as I've ever been," he admitted while turning back to face her. He smiled though, resting an elbow on the bartop.

"But the stuff I've had from there isn't too bad, I gotta say. Least it's better than that Sarlacc Malt Liquor."

He gave her a wink then.

"So. You've got a decent lay of the land here, and a good bit of experience dealing with the folks that've decided to set up shop. Anything I need to know about what to avoid and what to have a go at?"

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

Two frosty pitchers were deposited on the countertop, complete with tumblers. Gradoona pushed one of those aside, pawing a pitcher for herself.

"Well..."

Her tongue clicked, followed by a whistle from her blowhole.

"Ya mean besiiides the whoole thing abouut naat taking pretty necklaces from strange women?"

[Jeremy Varin]

A grin, and a slight chuckle as he poured himself a full tumbler.

"Yeah, I'd like to avoid that as much as possible."

He wasn't averse to marriage, but he also hadn't really found anyone who tugged at his heartstrings and made him want to settle down. There was still a healthy level of the old pilot bravado in his veins... not to mention he wasn't exactly what most would consider 'husband material'. He was normally a solitary sort, enjoying time spent alone or - as was the case now - out and about with no intentions to find some magical match-made-in-heaven.

"I'm really only interested in something to pass the time. Something, mind you, that won't land me in some sort of awkwardness that has to do with me explaining how 'it's not you, it's me'."

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

Gradoona considered the parameters, taking a few inches off the top of her pitcher as she did.

"Well, I suppoose it's naat a surprise I'd recommend the gambling. It's kinda in my blood, yaknoo. Aall soorts here too. Ya gaat sabacc, pazacc, chance cubes, blaab races. Hell, sometimes in a place like this..."

She stooped a bit lower, keeping her voice down.

"Ya miight even get a few fringers and freighter jocks to race."

A wink.

"Aaff the record, by the by, and soo a little birdie says, yaknoo? The Ciz ain't big on a whole laat aaf unlicensed fun-having, and the Alliance is getting moore strict abouut it too. But I've put half my paycheck aan a race oor two that's sprung up."

[Jeremy Varin]

He nodded in understanding, knowing all too well the stricter regulations that had been coming down the official pipeline were growing more rigid by the day.

"I'll not argue the Alliance side," he conceded.

"I've not been in for as long as some of the others, but I hear stories."

He took a pull from his glass.

"Like how back in the day, it was all hand to mouth and gut rot in mortar tubes and back alley rendezvous. I was just a fresh to Academy sprog when that mess was happening."

He gave a sideways wink to Gradoona.

"Sad to say I've got no stories about that side of the conflict from back then. Mostly just idiot pranks and shenanigans from the Imperial Academy."

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

"Ooh, a greycoat, eh?"

Gradoona uttered the pejorative in a lower timbre than her usual boisterous tone, glancing sidelong as she sipped. The bartender was staring at Jeremy again. So was the next person down the line of the bar. Gradoona leaned in towards Jeremy, gingerly draping a hand over his shoulder.

"Ya miiight waanna leave that part aaf the resumé out, eh? This is the soort aaf place that takes that soorta thing personal."

Not that she had any problem with Imperial defectors, but she wasn't everyone else. And in a place like Gruffjacks, even starting the war on the wrong side could get you in trouble.

[Jeremy Varin]

Sending deceptively disinterested glances to those who were staring at him, Jeremy gave a shrug as he took another level from his drink.

"Honesty can get you killed and all of that, eh?"

His voice held a weary note as he swallowed.

"I'm used to it."

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

She was breezy and conciliatory again, draping a hand over his shoulder that mostly a show of camaraderie - but also maybe a little protective.

"Hey, the way I see it, juust abouut aall of us uused t' be Imperial citizens at some point oor another. Suure ya gaat edge cases like the Cizeraack aand a few foolks ouut in wild space, but foor the moost paart, we were different people naat too laang agoo."

"Yeah, but who'd this asshole have to shoot in the back before he got a guilty conscience?"

Well, shit. Gradoona hauuumed a weary sigh from her blowhole, pivoting back to get a glimpse of the guy who'd decided to butt into their friendly chat. Human. Burly, but not bodybuilder-esque. Definitely drunk, and definitely sitting at a table with a half dozen other people giving them the stink eye.

[Jeremy Varin]

At that, he couldn't help but send a look over his shoulder to the group sitting behind them. Of course, all he really got was a look at a smattering of angry faces; Gradoona's hand, still on his shoulder, was big enough to block off anything else below the neck.

"I don't shoot people in the back," he spoke with as level a tone as he could while turning back to his drink.

One hand moved to grasp the pitcher, and with a measured pace he refilled his glass.

"Ain't that kind of guy."

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

Six wooden chairs pushed in unison along the floor with a SCREE. The Askajian bartender glowered, shouting at basically everyone in particular.

"You idiots break anything in here, you buy it!"

Gradoona put on a charm offensive, stepping between Jeremy and the mob. Expats had a term for it - Herglic diplomacy. Be calm, be considerate, and also be four times as big as any troublemaker. It was usually really effective.

"Ookay fellas, ookay. Lookit, we're saaame teeeam, yaknoo? There's naat a single one aaf us that came here the saame way, but we're here now, right? Riiight? Soo how abouut you guys go home, sleep it aaff, and naat do something we'll aall regret, eh?"

[Jeremy Varin]

Jeremy had of course turned in his seat, his drink ignored for the moment as that telltale sound of scraping chairs heralded the already telegraphed mood of some of Gruffjack's patrons. He had to lean slightly to the side, to allow himself a view from behind Gradoona. The Herglic was monolithic, and from the looks of things, she had a fair bit of experience in trying to tamp down unfortunate behaviors.

"I'm just here for a drink, gentlemen," his voice was just as level as before, his features as serene and honest as he could make them.

"Not looking for trouble, I swear."

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

"Ookay?? Ookay guys! Eh??"

Gradoona turned palms up in a conciliatory fashion to make good on her peacemaking. The half dozen drunks simmered and mean-mugged, but nobody looked like they were gonna do anything crazy. The Herglic let out a sigh from her blowhole, turning her attention back to Jeremy.

"Yaknoo...maaaybe I staarted ya a little too salt aaf the earth. Maaybe we ouughtaa..."

...and before Gradoona could finish the sentence it was finished for her. A wooden chair smashed apart as it clubbed over the back of her head.

[Jeremy Varin]

"Ooh! Hey now, gents!!!"

And just like that things went from barely hanging on by a thread, to a whopper of an opening salvo. Jeremy was off his seat in less than a second, doing his best to sidestep while maintaining his hold on his drink without spilling. It was a difficult task considering two angry faces were closing in.

A helpless, pleading smile flashed across his features as his back hit a wall, and he lifted his glass.

"Come on... you wouldn't hit a guy with a full beer now, would you?"

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

"Oof!"

Gradoona got a little air taken out of her sail. She blinked, then turned around to face the direction the chair had come from. Wasn't too hard to see which of the rowdy fellas had been the one to swing the chair, on account of them not having one anymore.

"Ooh-hoo-hookay then fellas! Yaknoo, I was kiiiiinda hoopin' yaa'd feel that way!"

One grin on the Herglic looked like a lot of others, but maybe this time it looked a little more confident and brassy than usual. On the other hand, the provocateur in question just blinked in reply, staring up at the completely unphased cetaceoid who was in the process of finishing her beer...

...with what looked like part of a wooden chair leg wedged in her head.

[Jeremy Varin]

He moved on instinct, though it was a quick, shifting move that did nothing more than remove his head from the trajectory of an incoming fist. A fist that punched the air past his ear and into the durasteel wall behind. His attacker roared in anger and pain before recoiling back, one hand going to cradle three broken knuckles.

The second one unleashed an almost identical jab, which ended in much the same way.

With both men snarling as they held their wounded hands, Jeremy ducked between them, ever-mindful to make sure his beer was unspilled. A quick glance to his afternoon companion yielded a rather bizarre sight however, and he paused only long enough give her a double take before ducking another roundhouse strike.

"Um... 'Doona... ?"

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

"Yeeah??"

Gradoona replied back, only mildly harried by her current attacker. He landed a few vicious body blows before she stiff-armed him away to safe distance, palming the man's head like a tangerine. Her expression didn't change much, but what passed for a smile and what passed for a grimace for Herglics was separated by a razor's edge. Her noggin smarted a bit more than she'd let on, but no sense in not putting her game face on for Jeremy's sake.

Apparently she'd left herself open, and one of the drunks picked up a head of steam, charging ahead and leaping to kick Gradoona in the belly. The kick landed, and so did the attacker...right on his back. Gradoona loomed over the misguided roundhouse artist.

"Oh ho ho you-hoo are juust adoorable."

With a sudden push, Gradoona's stiff-arm sprung the first attacker over a table. She held up her hand patiently as the second man stumbled to his feet.

"Caan yaa wait juust a sec?"

She glanced back to Jeremy, shrugging as if to urge him to spit out whatever he wanted to say.

[Jeremy Varin]

One hand holding his drink, the other gestured to her head.

"You've got- " He ducked a wide swing from one of his assailants and whirled about on his heel to give himself a bit more space. In the commotion, it had become a rather difficult thing to get, but Jeremy was determined. He dodged another incoming fist, letting his attacker's momentum do the rest of the work, and the man suddenly found his ribs against the edge of the bar, and his face inches away from an angry Askajian bartender.

"... a bit of wood- "

Another bit of quick footwork took him from the path of a chairleg club that would've rung his bell for sure.

"... in your head."

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

"Huh?? Oh."

Absently, Gradoona reached pack, pulling out a bloodied fragment. It was only a few inches worth, but that did explain the nagging little pain. Gradoona examined the oversized sliver, then tossed it away with a shrug as she massaged the back of her head.

"Good lookin' ouut there, buddy!"

Just then a bottle whizzed by and ricocheted off the Herglic's beak.

"Ow!! Maan!!" She massaged what passed for her upper lip with two fingers before focusing on the bottle thrower. Before he could wind up and throw a second one, Gradoona jerked the drunk off his feet by his arm.

"Ookay, guess we oughtta take ouut the traash yaknoo."

Winding up with a foot pivot, Gradoona threw her assailant out the front door, watching him ragdoll across the ground.

[Jeremy Varin]

Another duck, another swift shift to the side, and Jeremy found himself with just enough time to take another level from his glass. A second (or third?) table-full of burlies had entered the mix, and two were now advancing on him with healthy notions of putting their fists into his face.

"Easy now, gents," he tried a disarming smile that of course did not deter them.

"Why don't we just talk about this?"

Talking out their differences was also very much out of the question, and the pair rushed forward, each with an arm pulled back, ready to deliver their angry punches.

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

Sighing from her blowhole, Gradoona palmed a barstool and hurled it one-handed, catching both assailants across the chest and putting each man on his back before they could land a haymaker on Jeremy.

She'd stepped into the mix to cover her human drinking buddy, but that left a lot of blind spot. One of the brawlers took a running leap and splashed on Gradoona's back, holding onto her shoulders for dear life as he instantly regretted his choice. Without much leverage, he took a couple of weak jabs at the blood-slick patch of her head that had caught the wood sliver. The Herglic hauuumed with annoyance and just backed up to the bar to lean against it.

"Aaaaaagh!"

"Haad enough there? Ya gonna taap ouut oor what, eh?"

Reaching back, Gradoona found her pitcher and palmed it. She took a leisurely sip.

"Hey, I can do this aaall daay, yaknoo!"

[Jeremy Varin]

It was like a bizarre dance, and Jeremy pivoted his way out of the line of fire in a string of continuous movements. He managed another level from his drink, and it wasn't long before he was beside Gradoona, who had an attacker pinned rather expertly between herself and the bar. The man cursed and grunted in anger, droplets of spit making their way from between his lips as he groaned in pain.

"Atmosphere's a little crushing in here, don't you think?" He couldn't help but quip.

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

Gradoona couldn't help but groan through her blowhole.

"Daad jookes, eh? Aren'tcha a little young foor that?"

The Herglic righted herself, allowing her deflated attacker to fall to the floor as he gasped for breath. She paused to finish her beer, then looked above the rim of the pitcher to see the last drunkard standing. He'd upped the ante somewhat by drawing a vibroknife from somewhere. Blinking, Gradoona paused. She eased her pitcher down to a nearby table.

"Alright there fella, noo need to up the ante. We're haaving a friendly neighboorhood baar fight. Noo need to bring the ool' penguin sticker."

The knife-wielder took a menacing step towards the Herglic, who whistled with her hands extended.

"Thaat's trouble ya doon't want, yaknoo."