Cheese crackers and the funny pages

OOC: This takes place after the Oord Tupa thread. If you would like to still be a passenger on Layla, PM me.

Cathar was an exception to the rule of my luck. It was about the only port I'd weigh keel in outside of Hutt space without worrying about getting jacked, robbed, hoodwinked, or otherwise exploded. The downside to that was that it was a fair bit of a ways away from my usual stomping grounds.

It wasn't exactly the most profitable enterprise, either. My client had a taste for cleaner cargo, so that left me with a boat of the galaxy's finest bootlegged holos, as well as some cheap clothes following the latest Core fashions, and a few other fineries from the core such as fire water.

No hard stuff. No glitter. No ryll. Probably for the best, as the Hutts would want a franchise shake at anything getting passed outside their reach. They already took their slice of the candy coming in from Kessel and Ryloth, so as long as it stayed in their house, it was a free market, so to speak. The key to being the Red Light District of the galaxy was all about consolidation, it seemed.

Of course, the Cathar didn't mind selling me some of their hallucinogenic spikeflower, which made a decent sale in whatever head shop I could unload it in. Nobody used the stuff but mystics and wannabes, so it didn't carry enough market for the Hutts to care about.

I'd gotten the call-in two days back, and so my cargo wasn't very respectable. In fact, I was still pulling fares from as far back as Oord Tupa, so it was a bit of a rush job to haggle for some wares out of Malastare. The usual bootlegged holos and fire water were easy commodities, but the clothing wasn't as cosmopolitan as I'd like. Not that the tribals would care. I'd still get credits for it.

The planet began to grow in my viewscreen, and I broke from sublight approach, sling-shotting Layla into a pattern of computer-generated orbit and descent waypoints. James sat in the reclined seat to my left, bare feet resting in the console's corner as she napped, with my jacket as a blanket over her. I hated to make any noise at all with her around, but it was becoming unavoidable. I flipped the comm on, and adjusted to the appropriate frequency.

"If you're still down there s'Il, the ice cream man's here. Make sure the kids know I'm coming."

The Joffa market was full of traders, Cathar salesmen crowding in on passerbys in an attempt to sell their goods while holymen and con artists did the same.

Want to travel to Imram'Lien? Then Brother Saanra'ssa would take you!

Want a charm to help protect you from the armies of General Mogadu? Look no further friend, Kherris has every protection charm you'll ever need!

Want authentic pottery? Or how about a rare amulet worn by Anun'Khet, the fifth ruler of the Jagga Dynasty? No? Then perhaps you would be interested in something a little more exotic, like this sunstone - rumored to come from Uruk'Lien, the Buried City? Mystics say that it is from the Great Statue of A'Ra, The first ruler of Cather after the Cataclysm. Just think! To hold a fragment of sunstone that came from a statue of our greatest king!

Such things were not uncommon, and there was always some poor offworlder taken in by the historical mystic claptrap and ended up buying anything that was shoved at his face - as long as it was from the ancient world of Cathar and its' great kings and rulers, that is. It was all just a part of the Cathar's greater inner commodoties engine, and conmen everywhere took advantage of it. Most Cathar paid these traders no mind, knowing better than to be pulled in by one. They were at the Joffa marketplace for supplies, not trinkets and superstitious buggery.

And while most offworlders were vulnerable to the less than legitimate market-goers, there were those that had been on the planet long enough to be as savvy as the natives.


Tak perched atop her shoulders, s'Il threaded her way through the Joffa market, intent on reaching the small spaceport which sat farther within the walled city. It was seldom used, other than to allow the odd tourist to land, and more often than not nary a ship was seen gracing the bays. But today was different, and s'Il was expecting. She was fairly certain that Sanis would take what he could from the stopover, and sell whatever offworld wares he could manage to scrape up in so little time. Yet, even if he had nothing but a toothbrush and eyeliner to sell he'd still have a gaggle of wide-eyed Cathar ready to purchase. The Lupine wasn't sure how he'd managed to pull it off, but for some reason Sanis had built up his own little following in Joffa, and his goods were usually gone within a day.

Hopefully, a day was all that he'd have to spend here.

Dan was behind her at the moment, and s'Il pointed ahead as the crowds began to thin at the peripheral edges of the market. "Docking bay 2. He should be here within ten minutes."

The sea was an unforgiving one on this accursed dawn. Red sky at morning, sailor take warning was the age-old caveat, passed from seafarers lips old and young. The young deck hand strained his eyes to the horizon, which was obfuscated in every direction by treacherous icebergs, slate grey and calm seas, and wisps of fog.

The sea was still as death, a coiled spring ready to be released into chaos. The only sounds in the young man's ears were the silky folds of sea water surrendering to the advancing ship's keel below his feet.

The skipper's shadow overtook the deck hand's feet, and his age-gravelled voice broke the faceless calm.

"Thar be a treacherous sight before mine eyes."

The deck hand looked starboard and port, and turned to the grizzled captain, unsure of his meaning.

"Sure as my skin be salted, these waters be infested with nefarious sea beasts, lad!"

Pish posh, the deck hand thought. Those were the tales of old, told by those wishing to put fear in the hearts of the inexperienced, or perhaps by those too ignorant to explain the world around them.

"There's no such thing, Skipper."

"Keen on lecturing this Salty Dog, are ye? I sail by my word, boy. Fast beneath the waves and the caps, he be. Watchin us. Smellin the marrow in our bones. I've yet a nose on this drift-scarred crown, and I declare it smells the festering scales of the beast, casting his lazy humps across our wake! Avast, he means to strike us before midday rum!"

As if on cue, a vast shape cut the surface of the water. Where icebergs bisected it, so they were cleaved and tossed away. In scant moments of terror, it could be seen by the deck hand and the skipper that the old man's tales had indeed come to pass. The great beast of the north seas unfurled its ghastly coil, and mounted for the sky, before turning down upon the lonely trawler in hell's spite!

The sea roared, boiling itself forth and conspiring in terrible purpose with the beast to consume the seagoing vessel and the souls that gave her course. By the time the waters were still once more, the ship and the beast had retreated from sight.

Cirr reached down with cupped hands, and gathered enough water to rinse the shampoo from his hair, as he pushed the toy boat to the far side of the tub with his tail.

They would be touching down within minutes, so this was probably the only time he'd be able to get a little alone time, hygeine, and entertainment. Then, there would be plenty of time to undo the process again, and begin coating himself with engine oil and other exotic aphrodesiacs.

Daani pursed her lips as she hotwired the door lock to the refresher, grinning in impish satisfaction as the door silently unlocked. Gathering her energy she slid the door open and burst in on her brother.

"BOO!"

Giggling madly, Daani turned tail and ran for the ladder to the cargo hold where she could hide out in the crates until Cirr calmed down. He always calmed down. Eventually.

"Climb you fool! You'll kill us both!" The image of the man dangling by his hand was blurred with motion, and his surroundings were far too murky to make out. His eyes tracked to the Watcher's, and a venemous hiss erupted from his wrinkled throat. Darting towards the Watcher like a snake, ready to kill -

"Ah!" I jerked myself awake, throwing Sanis' jacket off as I leapt to my feet. "Wha -?" I fell back into the co-pilot seat, pulling at the restraints. "We're landin' already?"

"Mm hmm." Sanis battled the jacket that seemed to have wrapped itself around his head, and I blushed as I reached over to help him free.

"Sorry." I draped the jacket over the back of his seat, and hoped he wouldn't say anything about my rough transition from sleep. "Heard anythin' from the fares about this stop? No one's said anythin' to me, but personally I wouldn't be too happy at how long it's takin' us to get to..." I subsided at the look on Sanis' face, and added, "Ah.. um."

He had been most likely the only indervisual who had remained silent the entire journey since his acceptance on board Layla. He had not slept nor had he taken his eye off the other passengers surrounding him. His growing paranoia since his name had been thrown out to the galaxy for capture had crept steadily upwards since his imprisonment with Khendon Sevon.

Dangerous times called for drastic actions, he had never felt comfortible with traverling with space 'transporters' or anyone more likely to throw the cuffs on him and let the Imperials drag him away, but whatelse could he do? He had changed his name, tried to look unimportant, and it was the fault of another feighter pilot that he had been banged up the last time.

The only way to stay ahead of the game was to be ahead of the game, noone messed with somone who looked as if they knew their position. Face value, you look tough, you clearly are tough, noone argues with face value. 'Jack' had adoped this tried and tested methord and it had worked so far. Look mean, keep them far from keen.

Although he knew he looked far from normal, he knew he also looked far from just simply approachible, which was more than what he wanted. Sitting up straight, he kept his eyes on everyone and every moving thing on the ship, he was going as far as this bus would take him, hopefully away from Imperial rule.

He was a Jedi through and through, and a wanted Jedi at that.

The Joffa Market


"Nanikhama san ss'imas!"

Perched on Dama's shoulders, Tak took in the Joffa bazaar with wide, excited eyes and a constant barrage of requests to visit any vendor selling something that caught her eye. Which was, of course, just about everything. Small fingers pointed every which way as the little girl exclaimed her desire for Dama to purchase her a trinket from every stand they passed by.

Leaning over rather precariously, she gave a wide smile to the small giddu dog that darted through Dama's legs. "San-San Akhu! Jukhida ss'o'oni sasama baan! A'nakha nakha!"

Dama had told her that they were going to meet Sanis today, and Tak was bubbling with anticipation. She hadn't seen him in what seemed like forever, and she couldn't wait to see what he'd brought her this time. Small fingers winding themselves through Dama's hair, Tak watched everything that happened around her with growing excitement.

Dama's friend had come as well, but the little girl paid him no mind. In fact, she refused to go near him, afraid that his wrinkles were contagious - and by A'Ra she would make sure that she didn't catch them.

Quote:

---

Originally posted by James Tau
"Sorry." I draped the jacket over the back of his seat, and hoped he wouldn't say anything about my rough transition from sleep. "Heard anythin' from the fares about this stop? No one's said anythin' to me, but personally I wouldn't be too happy at how long it's takin' us to get to..." I subsided at the look on Sanis' face, and added, "Ah.. um."

---

I shrugged, easing the freighter towards Joffa.

"I said I'd get them to their destination. Isn't unreasonable to assume there will be a few stops along the way. Besides, I don't plan on being here more than an hour or two. Won't put us behind schedule much."

The landing gear lowered, and Layla slowly drifted into a large cobblestone circle, which was used as a primitive landing pad. I switched the comm on, talking to Cirr belowdecks.

"I doubt we'll get much in the way of maintenance and parts, so keep it simple, okay?"

With Tak atop her shoulders, it made reigning in her wandering fingers that much easier, and s'Il had only to worry about Akhu. The stout giddu was easy enough to keep in check though, as he never strayed from Tak's presence.

Every exclamation for her to buy some shiny trinket was met with a following 'a'hga na, Tak,' and the Lupine repeated those words without tire. Years of the same routine had given her a fair amount of patience whenever they visited the Joffa marketplace, her daughter's exhuberance constant.

The arched doorway leading into Landing Bay two could be clearly seen through the thinning crowd. Making her way through the stragglers of the market's outskirts, s'Il slowed as she reached the doorway. She stopped beneath the stone arch, standing in the shadow it cast upon the ground and using the shade as meager protection from the unforgiving midday Cathar sun.

Tak was lifted from her shoulders, and s'Il set the little girl gently on the dusty ground while in the same motion making sure to keep a hold of her hand.

"Aiee!"

Cirr, mortified by the intrusion of privacy, spazzed and slipped beneath the soapy deep, as his sister fled the scene of the crime. He immediately drained the tub and towelled off, embarassment sagging his ears low.

He gingerly passed the distance between the ship's head and his quarters with a towel around his waist, hoping to spot his delinquent sibling so he could throttle her a bit. Of course, she was far too quick and smart for that, so he simply retrieved a fresh pair of coveralls, and suited up.

Exiting his room, he passed by a few passengers going to and fro between the general quarters and galley and the cargo hold access point. Living on the freighter had been a bit tight quarters recently, but it was something he'd almost become used to.

He climbed up the tube into the pilothouse, and took a peek at the viewscreen.

"jI love Catharr. Wjish we werre stayjing morre than a few hourrs."

He smiled, crossing his arms on the floor deck as he stood on a few ladder rungs down in the tube.

"Looks hot." I turned to look at Sanis, "And we need more parts? What has Cirr been doing, breaking things when he gets bored?"

I kicked my heels back up onto the console as we landed, and grunted non-committedly at Cirr's comment about the planet when he poked his head into the cockpit. "Looks like a hell-hole to me."

' That it does miss Tau.' Said 'Jack' indiffrently as the YV-666 came to a soft touch down upon the dust laiden landing pad. The sun was coming in from he west, the pad was basked in a rich sun light that positivly ached with heat. Perhaps wearing black was not such a good idea.

For an instant Jack began to turn away from the cockpit and attempt a decent down the ladder, but as he was turning Jack caught sight a blonde woman, hand in hand with a little girl by the side of the pad, no doubt expecting the ships arrival.

He had seen her before, somwhere, that beautiful long golden hair. His face behind the mask furrowed with thought and recelection but his memory simply refused point blank to think any further back than when he was in Khendons' custody.

Jack balanced the possibilities but nothing came really to light as a prominant idea. Shaking his head free thoughts of any kind, Jack slipped his leg onto the first rung and began to climb down, what exsactly he was going to do on this primitive planet for two hous he had no idea, as long as it was Empireless, he was glad to be here in any case.

With one hand being held securely by Dama, Tak wrapped her free arm around San-San Akhu's neck as he sat obediantly beside her. Blowing at his ears, she giggled when he shook his head and lolled his tongue out to deliver a sloppy 'kiss' to her cheek.

She caught sight of someone emerging from the ship, and with a quick tug was free of Dama's hold. Both girl and giddu took off running, the excitement just too much to hold in as her little legs pumped as fast as possible. She hoped Cirr was with Sanis - he never seemed to tire of listening to her chatter incessantly about everything that had happened since he was gone, regardless of the fact that he couldn't understand but maybe a few words of the Cathar language.

"Sanis! Makhi a'ss'umo khappa Cirr!"

"What the--"

The words were quickly cut off as Lamar's head banged against a nearby box as he rose to wake. Even as his eyes opened he only saw darkness. The helmet...it was backwards. From the impact he quickly was forced back, pushed by sheer agony. Failing about as he dropped back down as if he had gotten in a punch from a Teras Kasi Master.

"Frack, flack, frag..."

Not a restrain was hold as Lamar's trooper attired body struggled to hold his grumble free from his helmet covered lips. Frustration over took his being as he grabbed at the mis-directed helmet, unlatching and throwing in an enraged swift movement. Clanging against the very box he stood to bang against, he rose to his feet. Running his hand across his torso, he brushed off the unseen dust as he tried to calm himself.

Surprisingly there wasn't a bump on his head, but that didn't change must. In his eyes still was a glint of annoyance that was subsided like a shackle on a gundark.

"Anyone there?" Lamar shouted from the cargo bay where he had dozed off at. It wouldn't be a shock that they had left him, because his body was telling him that slumber wasn't just a nap.

"I, uh...hi Tak."

I stooped down to catch the girl and keep her own momentum from causing her to fall on her face.

Cirr was by my side to lay a big hand on the girl's mussed up sandy mop. With the bundle of energy seen to, I met eyes with the mother, standing up once again.

"Hey Lok."

The rest of the ship's passengers and crew seemed to unload on the gangplank behind me, eager to at the very least - stretch their space legs on terra firma.

It took a moment, but I finally recognized the old human standing discretely behind s'Ilancy.

"...and Dan?"

s'Il stepped from the shade of the archway, a gentle smile on her lips as she approached Sanis and Cirr.

"Good to see you again, Sanis." She nodded at the Cizerack, "And Cirr; I see you've still managed to keep Sanis from accidentally killing himself one way or another... " her lips fell into more of an easy smile as she stopped in front of them, "I feel I must congratulate you."

The Lupine made no move to accept her daughter back from Sanis though, instead letting an amused expression fall over her face as the little girl rattled off question after question without regard to anyone else who was speaking.

A throng of little felinoids began to approach the gangplank, and Cirr had seen it enough to know what was coming next. He raced back up the gangplank, lightly brushing by James and Jack as he went back into the main hold to retrieve a few medium-sized crates.

He nearly tripped over Lamar's frame as he returned, and nudged the ex(?) stormtrooper with the toe of a boot.

"Hey, wake up. We touched down on Catharr. Come out jin the sun forr a spell."

With that, he went back down the gangplank, custodian of all of the various goods from the outer rim an beyond...

I remained in the cockpit for a moment, allowing Sanis his little reunion. To tell the truth, I felt a bit jealous of this s'Ilancy.

However, the fact that the mask-faced serial killer-esque Jack was in the cockpit as well was enough to send me down the ladder and through the ship to the sunshine. Unfortunately, the man followed. I then had to skirt around Lamar, a shady character that haggled the ride under one name, and then introduced himself at the ship with another name. If that wasn't stupid, I didn't know what was. Stupid people also made me nervous, and the whole "wear my armor all the time" thing was weird.

I stopped just at the end of the gangplank, lightly kicking the sandy ground. Cathar actually smelled exotic. I thought that was only a turn of phrase from a cheap one cred novel, but here the scent of the marketplace was a living thing, tantalizing the nostrils with a spicy, heady aroma. It was almost enough to make me forget the sweat that instantly formed and trickled down my back.

s'Ilancy knew Sanis, and Cirr, and I felt like the little newcomer once again, backwards and bungling around the ship. I scuffed my boot again, told myself it was that time of the month and that I should get a real life besides being paranoid all the time.

I walked away from the ramp and began to stroll around the ship while the others caught up on old times.

"Maybe they'll have some clothes outside. I've been in this trooper crap since accident on Cardia." He grumbled to Cirr.

Twirling about, Lamar watched carefully for a moment the two ship owners go to the gangplank and out to this place called Cathar. Lamar was simply a Core Boy, and even with his stint around the galaxy, Cathar wasn't exactly the sort of planet he had ever expected finding himself on....much less with any knowledge of. So with that in mind, he stayed prepare and kept his eyes on the area where he kept his weapons in the room. Maybe...just maybe, they might come in handy.

Following the big Cizerak, he excited the storage bay and went on to the gang plank not too far from the large near-human. It was enough space, at least for Lamar, to observe and take in detail the surroundings leading up to the entrance to a grand land. Lamar had never even heard of the place, and the ship was no more comforting than the thought of the "mysterious", but at least he felt at ease enough to sleep there. It was a sort of run-down homey place, even in the engineering, and clutching in the details once more before dropping on real ground gave him something to look forward to when coming back.

Rolling slowly into the sun of Cathar, he felt the calm heat radiate over his body. The beads holding tightly at the end of his braids beat against the top-end of his pale and newly polished armor. Letting his eyes wonder, he dug deep into the ship landing grounds, soaking up the unique terrian. First his nose smelt, for his eyes were blinded by the change in light. The place was different than the ship...more lively, more lush. The aroma setting in drifted deep into the crevice of Lamar's mind until he could taste it. Slowly his lips smacked, his tongue swinging about in his closed mouth as he realized he had a dry throat.

"Man...do I have some demands," Lamar mumbled as he strolled down the ramp, catching up with the Cizerak.

"Can you ask Sanis for me where I can get some clothes. This armor is makin' me sweat like a eopie."

Though he had been awake for sometime, Akrabbim lay dozing in his bunk for several minutes after landing. He had been awoken earlier by the clank and bustle of a ship's landing, but figured he should keep up his appearance as a doddering old timer. In all honesty, it wasn't that bad of a disguise. You weren't expected to move quickly, the "younger" folk seemed to differ to him on a regular basis, and you were generally allowed to sleep in and eat whatever you liked. He'd have to use this again if he wanted a break.

The trip had been mostly uneventful. There were a few odd characters, such as the guy in the mask and the other guy wearing Storm Trooper armor, but other than that, nothing of note.

He rolls out of the bunk and onto his feet, checking his disguise in the mirror. After making a few adjustments here and there where his sleeping had distorted it, and headed out down the gangplank. Resuming the hobbling shuffle he'd affected for the disguise, he wanders over to where Sanis is conversing with a young lady and a child. He makes sure to keep a respectable distance... no use butting into someone's reunion. He is, however, close enough to hear the conversation with a bit of aid from the Force. He listens in mainly just to see when the reunion is over. He'd like to know how long they'll be on the planet, etc. Of course, any useful information he might overhear would be an added bonus.