EliteCommander

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei responded with a lighthearted chuckle. "Well, it is not as if we have done much to...dispel such rumors. It can be useful to have both allies and enemies alike to think of myself and my pack as being much larger-than-life figures. Of course, we did not create the rumors ourselves. They are based in the experiences of those who have witnessed our accomplishments out in Tamriel. I do possess knowledge of ancient and forgotten forms of magic, but...perhaps I do not single-handedly call down powerful storms from the heavens." Meesei said with a grin. "No, I would require some assistance for that feat."

"At any rate, there is no absolute guarantee that we will be able to work on such a project. Naturally, it is not a priority, so there is much that could pull us away from it, but I would like to at least try." Meesei paused, breathing in deeply and taking another moment to appreciate the feeling of the spring water. "But I am sure it would be wonderful for morale to have something like this in our clan."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei nodded. "Indeed, the enchantments in the Bruma clanhome warmed the water to make it comfortable. The source it flowed from would have been almost freezing cold otherwise. But, it merely warmed it. The pools were nothing like this hot spring."

Laying back, Meesei carefully rested her horns on a few rocks under the water so that most of her head stayed just out of the water. She stretched out her arms and legs as she felt the heat seep into her muscles. Though she could not sweat, it was certainly soothing regardless. "I suppose the enchantments could be tuned to be stronger, but they would have to be tested thoroughly, given how hot we want the water to be. Too much more heat would be dangerous. It simply has not been a priority, I suppose. The water delivered to the city itself by the pipes is already warm enough for most people. Still, it would be a good project, if we can ever find the time. Perhaps, Sabine, once we are finished with our current task, and if we end up spending enough time in our clanhome, we might work on it together? I personally would love to work on a project which does not have lives depending on it."

Star Wars - Lawless Galaxy

Paradise

Nightclub

For Sirka, it seemed like she just could not get a break today. If the Mandalorian trying to sweet-talk her sister wasn't enough, now there was a droid trying to bother her. "Huh? You malfunctioning? These droids aren't supposed to...wait. No, you're not one of the Paradise's droids. You're not a relic like them. You're something different."

Sirka flicked out her nose-tongues, though it was of course a wasted effort. For a nose as sharp as hers, droids did certainly have their own unique scent. The kinds of grease in their joints, the types of paint on their plates, anything that could be even slightly volatile could mix into a unique scent. However, for a droid, that scent was entirely divorced from their thoughts. They did not have chemical-driven emotions that she could perceive, and for that reason, Sirka hated dealing with droids. Even if she did not have a problem with droids themselves, the fact that she could not read them nearly as well as an organic made them much more of an unknown to her.

"Okay, so what's the deal with you? What are you, and what's all the questions for?" Sirka asked.

Delni too found herself curious about the droid, though she also noted how it was distracting her sister. With a chuckle, she glanced towards the Human, Elias, and spoke more quietly. "Hmm, what kind of luck do you have; it seems this thing is distracting my sister for you? Or is it a friend of yours?"

Star Wars - Lawless Galaxy

Sirka is certainly interested in work.

Star Wars - Lawless Galaxy

Paradise

Nightclub

While Sirka was still reluctant to answer, Delni was perfectly willing to be social with the charismatic Mandalorian. Sirka was not much closer to warming up to him, but the steady flow of free drinks was, admittedly, helping.

"Business, this time. My brave sister here is finishing up a job for a client. But as for myself, I am simply hoping to meet people." Delni explained, leaving it intentionally ambiguous on whether she was seeking to meet others for business or pleasure. "It's just so rare to find a place in this part of the galaxy where you can really just relax without having to worry about keeping a blaster at the ready."

Sirka gave an amused huff and nudged Delni's side with her tail. "Easy for you to say that when you've got 350 kilos of muscle sitting beside you." She finally joined in on the conversation, even if it was also a subtle warning to the Mandalorian, should he try something of which Delni did not approve.

"You know I'm always grateful for you, sis." Delni replied before looking back at Elias. "Ah, but where are my manners? I haven't even introduced myself. My name is Delni, and this is my sister, Sirka."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Would you say they would both likely end up going through an evening of heavy drinking?

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Meesei put an arm around Lunise and hugged her, mostly so that she could get close enough to speak softly into her ear. "Okay, you can take your time. I can occupy Karl. And you need not worry about being embarrassed, if you can help it. I promise, they will not think twice about your scars. There are people back in our clan with much more unsightly wounds. Once we have been in the water a few minutes, I guarantee those worries will have left your mind."

Meesei capped off her words of encouragement with a brief kiss, then released her hold on Lunise. Sabine had already started to lead Karl into the water, so Meesei quickly undressed and found somewhere clean and dry to secure her belongings. She followed soon after, though she was slow to settle into the spring. The water was hot enough that she needed to take her time to allow her body to acclimate bit by bit. Eventually, she got her head under the water, though she made an effort to avoid breathing any of it in. While she likely could breathe the water, having hot water in her gills could be uncomfortable.

Once she felt she was sufficiently acclimated to the temperature, Meesei found a place to sit and lean back near to Sabine and Karl. "Quite a treat this place is, would you agree?" Meesei commented to them. "I have had the thought that we might be able to accomplish something like this back home using the Dwemer steam system. I do wish we could spare the resources to try."

Star Wars - Lawless Galaxy

Paradise

Nightclub

Sirka craned her head over to face the new arrival, flicking her nose-tongues out at him. He exuded confidence, or over-confidence as Sirka saw it, in both scent and expression. Were she alone, Sirka might have wanted to humor his charming approach, but not with her sister present. Of course, Delni could not have been happier about it. As if the drink was not enough, the timing on this just seemed almost too perfect.

"Yeah, I think you can take that helmet and..." Sirka began, but Delni immediately cut her off by reaching up and quite literally putting her hand over Sirka's mouth. Delni could not even get her hand around Sirka's snout, much less hold it closed, but the motion alone was enough to stop her.

Delni spoke up with a smile, and a far more friendly tone. "You may. We're just here trying to have a good time, but it's so expensive buying drinks for my sister here."

Feeling somewhat defeated, Sirka finally decided to relent partially for now. She would not directly chase him off, at least. Delni was clearly feeling 'social' at the moment, and ultimately, she could not really boss her around without making her legitimately upset. Still, she would be keeping a sharp eye, and nose, on him. At the very least, she may have been able to get some drinks out of it. "Won't argue there. I could drink a bantha under the table."

Star Wars - Lawless Galaxy

Paradise

Nightclub

It was nought but a few moments after Sirka had finished giving Delni a hard time that the bartender droid suddenly delivered the pair two drinks, and pointed them towards a Human further down the bar as the source. The timing alone was enough to give Delni a laugh. "You see, I do love drinking expensive drinks, I admit, but no one said I had to be the one buying them."

Sirka rolled her eyes at her. "Right, I forgot, you're a mammal. You can just buy drinks with your breasts."

Again, Delni jabbed Sirka in the side with her thumb. "Oh, you're so cynical. Maybe he just felt like being nice? You don't know what he intended by it."

"Oh, please. I know exactly his intentions. Gruff-looking mercenary guy sees a gorgeous Togruta in a tight little dress, buys her a drink. You know exactly what he wants." Sirka replied.

Delni took the first sip of her new drink. "Maybe, maybe not. But it's not like it would make him bad for trying. We are in a club, after all. That is kind of exactly why a lot of people come here: to meet people. Can't fault him for that. Besides, he got you a drink; maybe he's interested in you?"

That comment was enough to give Sirka a legitimately loud laugh. "Riiight. I'm sure the Human can barely control himself looking at the giant lizard. Doubt he can even tell I'm a woman."

"Again, you're too cynical for your own good. You can't be afraid to put yourself out there, meet people. In a place like this, that's how you can get yourself some nice-paying work." Delni said, arms crossed.

Sirka gave another glance towards the Human. "Eh, he looks more like the type that takes jobs than makes them."

"Sis, you're just impossible. Well why don't you tell me exactly how he's feeling right now?" Delni suggested.

Sirka flicked out her nose-tongues in the Human's direction, even though she knew before she tried that it would be pointless. "Hmph, too crowded to do it from here. I'd have to get closer to tell for sure."

Delni paused for another drink. "Well then, maybe you should shut that big mouth of yours until you know for sure what you're talking about." As she went to set down her drink, Delni looked over to the Human that sent it to her and made eye contact, smiling and raising her glass towards him to acknowledge him. She would see what he did with that.

Meanwhile, Sirka huffed again and started to down her own drink much more quickly. It was not as if she was going to pass up on it, after all.

Star Wars - Lawless Galaxy

Paradise

Upper Level Hallway

Sirka was stood in front of a balding, middle-aged Human man: her client. He was somewhat overweight, and dressed in clothes that showed off his wealth far too much for her tastes. Of course, in the upper levels of Paradise, he fit right in. It was a place made to cater to the wealthy and powerful. Just in the hallway alone, she could see that it was perfectly clean, and even with fine artwork on the walls and a polished droid guard on every corner. For Sirka, this client had been somewhat irritating to work for with his general paranoia, but for the sake of her own professional reputation, she could keep being nice.

The Human rubbed the back of his neck nervously. He spoke with a pronounced Corellian accent, which made him seem all the more an outsider. “Look, I just really think I could use you here. I don’t like the idea of being alone with them. Even I know the reputation of these people.”

Sirka was not an individual that a stranger would consider “calming” or “gentle.” In fact, many people she met ended up being nervous around her, for quite understandable reasons. She was a giant compared to most species, with more muscle in one leg than some had in their entire bodies. The claws on her hands and feet could easily disembowel, and she had a massive, toothy maw that might remind one of a Krayt Dragon. Her client had been terrified of her for a while after meeting her, but that changed once she ended up breaking the legs of a Trandoshan thug back on Nar Shaddaa that had tried to shake the Human down. Now, it seemed like he only felt safe when he knew she was nearby. Personally, Sirka almost preferred it when he had been afraid.

Regardless, Sirka hunched down slightly to be more on his level. “Sir, Genrick, we’ve been through this. The dangerous part of this little venture of yours is over. We got through your meetings back on Nar Shaddaa unscathed. Now, Paradise is basically the safest place in the whole of Hutt space. No one starts trouble here; you’ll be fine. You know I’d go in there with you if I could, but they made it very clear that no one’s security is allowed to sit in. You said this deal’s important to you, and I’m not about to be responsible for sabotaging it. If someone tries something, Paradise has plenty of security to put a stop to it.” She said, motioning to the battle droid down the hallway.

The Corellian turned his head to look back at the droid, unimpressed. “How am I going to feel safe with just those relics for protection?”

“Relic or no, those droids are still deadly. And if there’s trouble, they’ll report it automatically. So, if anyone starts trouble, they’re not getting off the station unless they can destroy every single droid inside it. You know what that means? No one is going to start trouble unless they’re suicidal. That means you’re going to be perfectly fine. You’ll get through this last meeting, then you can get on a transport straight back to the Core.”

The Human took in a deep breath. “Okay, you’re right. It is hardly like I am in the slums anymore.”

Sirka put on a fake smile and patted her client’s shoulder. “Good, very good. Now, I can’t loiter in this hall, so I’m going to be in that nightclub we passed by earlier. Just a floor down. If you need me, I’m only a call away.” She said, tapping a claw against the communicator device on the side of her head.

Once her client was finally confident enough to part from her, Sirka headed back to the lift to get back to one of the lower levels. As soon as the doors closed, she breathed out a sigh of relief. She quite needed the break from babysitting.

Paradise

Nightclub

The club that Sirka was going to be spending her break did give her a few reminders of home. It was lively and exciting, with plenty of lights and fast-paced musing. There was a dense crowd, scantily-clad Twi’leks, and more alcohol among the patrons than there was bad dancing. But, it still had a certain amount of class to it that did not exist back on Nar Shaddaa. At the very least, it was not nearly as filthy. It was certainly a place that Sirka could have a good time, but she had not chosen it randomly. She had someone of her own to meet.

Despite her size, Sirka did not have much issue moving through the crowd. People tended not to stay in her way for long. She walked up to the bar and leaned over onto it, entirely ignoring the stool that was far too small for her. Sitting next to her was a Togruta woman with skin that was primarily dark-orange, with bland and white bands on her lekku, as well as white stripes on other parts of her body. It was Sirka’s sister, Delni Rhiko. She was wearing a sleek black dress that hugged tightly to her form. She liked to show off her easily-recognizable beauty: a fact that made Sirka all the more critical of men who happened to associate with her.

Delni was sipping on her drink when Sirka let out a huff. “Hmm, don’t you look like you’re enjoying yourself? If I didn’t know any better, I’d say I’m paying for your vacation here. Why did I agree to let you come?”

“Like I said, sis, this is a great place to make connections. If you just let me do my thing, then I can have you another two or three jobs lined up before we even leave the station.” Delni answered.

Sirka chuckled. “Right. Guess it’s just a happy coincidence that you get to sip expensive drinks while you do it.”

Delni smiled back at her. “Hey, no one here is going to take me seriously sober.”

“You mean no one’s going to take you to bed sober.” Sirka replied, following quickly by a jab to her side from Delni.