Fare For A Brigand: Part II

Chapter I

"I wish you wouldn't do that."

Naala gave Wes a scornful half-glance, not fully diverting her gaze from the speckled darkness in front of her. Safely out of Nal Hutta's orbit, the pair had perched themselves on the ledge of a platform in the ship's rear observation deck, which was essentially a large, transparent hemisphere on the ship's rear. The sight was spooking - the lack of girders or reinforcement beams made a forward glance seem as though one had nothing to separate himself from the vastness of space. During galas, the Hutt from whom the ship was lifted would position his repulsorlift in such a way as to be able to soak in the majestic view throughout the party's duration.

Wes ignored her momentarily as he cracked open the small glass tube, filled with glowing red crystals. Gently, he tapped the rocks out onto one of his blaster pistols, laid dutifully across his lap. Reaching for the other pistol, he used the butt of the gun to crush the crystals in a fine, red powder. His efficiency in doing so evidenced his frequent use of ixetal cilona. Popping a thin, steel tube from within the same blaster he'd used to make the powder, he gently nudged the sloppy pile into a narrow line. Naala averted her eyes, half in denial, and half in disgust. A sloppy snorting noise resonated throughout the chamber as Wes inhaled the powder. When the line was gone, Wes threw his head back jerkily and breathed a sigh of relief.

He remained still for a moment while the drugs took their effect, finally replying to Naala as the blackness of space became a canvas for a multitude of colors to paint pictures conceived in the depths of Wes's imagination.

"I handle myself just fine - Trust me, huh? My hobbies are none of your business, anyway..."

Naala quirked a brow, replying with palpable disdain.

"Those things will kill you, you know..."

Wes, finally leveling his gaze, though it remained forward-locked, retorted with morbid sarcasm.

"My job will kill me before these things do."

The silence hung for a bit while Wes and Naala lost themselves in the scenery. Naala made a weak attempt at meditation, though other thoughts distracted her - although their mission was technically a success, the close calls were far too frequent, and in some cases, far too close. She thought of Wes, too. Initially, he'd just been a vagabond smuggler, another partner to whom she'd randomly been assigned in the course of her duties. As time passed, however, she realized that he'd become more than a mission partner. To deny that the pair had become friends would be unthinkable - to suggest that even, perhaps, they had become more... Naala forced the thought to the back of her mind. Feelings like these made meditation extraordinarily difficult. Wes helped, however, by breaking the silence.

Wes announced casually, "We're back on a navigable route now. I'll activate the hyperdrive."

Naala had heard him, but did nothing to acknowledge this as Wes stood shakily. Naala was impressed by Wes's ability to navigate - his intuition for astrogation exceeded her own, even when augmented by the Force. He had no computer or scanning system with him, and yet, he knew immediately when their path aligned with a plotted route through hyperspace.

Wes made his way cautiously to the ship's bridge.