| abstract | - Leaning against a swoop and smoking a cigarra, Krackor Reincus squints up at the sky for a moment before lowering his gaze to the city. After a moment, he leans closer to the swoops controls and taps a button. "D2, keep the ship on standby. She probably isn't coming." For the tenth time, the smuggler mentally kicks himself for choosing this location. Who in their right mind would actually come out here unless they had to? Still, he doesn't make any move to leave yet and instead continues to alternate his attention between the city in the distance and the sky overhead. The sandy dune of Tatooine are nothing strange to Liza and the fact that she was asked to come to the desert that hug then northern boundaries of Mos Eisley barely got her surprised. What did surprise her was the fact that Krackor got in touch with her at all and asked her to come see him. It took a while for her to get things cleared up enough to allow her the free time needed to make the trip out to the desert planet and then she had to secure some form of personal transportation once she landed, but she eventually arrives albeit a bit late. "I am sorry," she says once the borrowed swoop is powered down, "I had to make sure everything was alright before I could leave." Remaining seated on the 'bike', she turns so she sits sideways, now facing her friend. Holding out her arms, she offers the smuggler a hug. When the trail of dust following a swoop out of Mos Eisley is spotted, Krackor's hand drops to the rifle slung across his own bike's handlebars. He relaxes when he recognizes Liza and walks over when she powers down her vehicle. "I was starting to think you weren't coming." he says, leaning in close to speak into the woman's ear as he wraps his arms around her. After a moment, he lets go and steps back. "I'm glad you did, though. Here..." he reaches into his pocket with a smile. "..these are for you." he says, pulling his hand out and offering a stack of credits. "You won 'em fair and square." Liza hakes her head and smiles a bit, looking at him with obvious fondness. "I told you I'd come, Krackor. I may not always be on time but I'll always come if I say I will." The credits are looked at and she frowns, remembering the events that led to the exchange of creds. It seems so long ago and so much has happened between then and now and for a moment it feels like everything has blurred since then. "You don't need to, Krackor. But thank you." The money's held out on her upturned palm. "Hey, you won the bet and I don't back out of something like that." Krackor says with a smile. "Don't let anybody ever say that I'm not a man of my word." Still grinning, he tosses away the burned down nub of cigarra and pulls another one out of a pocket inside his coat. Once he has it lit, he blows a stream of smoke up towards the sky and watches it drift away. After a moment, he lowers his eyes again and looks directly at his friend. "I'm going away for a little while, Liza. Probably not for too long, but something's come up and I need to see it through. I know we've never really been on the same side...and I know we both agreed that we wouldn't hold back if it ever came to it, but the next time we see each other, things are going to be different. /I'm/ going to be different." Nodding, Liza pockets the funds. "No, you're definitely such, Krackor. A man of your word. Of honor." When he speaks she can feel the mood darken, even if just slightly, and she finds herself frowning, concerned. Krackor seems different -now-, not the same man who would be quick to crack a joke or even flirt with her. "Alright, I can handle not seeing you for a while since it isn't often we get to visit and I've gotten used to that fact but what do you mean things will be different?" She doesn't want to ask him how he feels he'll change, that something painful to think about and is something she tries to not bring up in hopes that he'll let it be. Krackor shrugs uncomfortably. "I can't really go into it. Its not like anybody is after me. I didn't kill anybody." he says with a grin, shooting a wink at the woman as he speaks. "Its just that I recently learned something about myself and now I've got to deal with it." He takes a drag on the cigarra and exhales slowly through his nose. "Anyway, I just wanted to let you know. I know we don't talk that often anymore, but I just wanted you to know." A knot of tension eats at Liza's gut and soon she is putting her hands on her stomach, her face growing pale. "Okay, Krackor. I won't press for details. But if you ever need my help, please don't hesitate in letting me know." Liza looks down and then away, finding herself suddenly teary and not wanting to upset him she tries to hide it. "It...It's another woman, isn't it?" She tries to joke with him but her voice wavers, betraying her and her emotions. Krackor barks a laugh at the question, despite the dark mood. "What? No, no...its nothing like that. Hell, I wish it was that simple!" He shakes his head and chuckles softly but within just a moment or two, he's serious again. "I trust you, Liza, and I care about you. That's why I'm telling you all this to begin with. Look...just between you and me...apparently something happened inside my head about five or six months ago. Anyway, now I'm being told I can use the Force." he laughs, but there's no humor in it. "I brushed it off, but things kept happening. I kept...seeing things. Feeling things. I talked to a guy I know and well, its true. Much as I hate it, its true and there's nothing I can do about it. Until I figure out some way to get out of it, to get out of everything, I'm stuck." Liza tries not to worry. Tries not to be upset but here she is, basically forced to sit and listen while Krackor draws this out and makes it all the worse with his dramatic pauses and theatrics and she's soon very grumpy. "Will you get to the farking po..." She says in the middle of something he's saying but it is cut short and she just stares at her friend. "The....oh." Frowning deeply, she looks at Krackor, her expression serious. "Well I am sure that the Jedi will be good to you." Yes, she's hoping it is their side he'll be going to because any other possibility would break her heart just thinking about it. "So, uhm...how long have you known?" Krackor arches a brow at the woman's mention of the Jedi. "You think I'd fit in with them? Robes aren't really my thing and I've never liked the color brown much." He shakes his head and flicks the remainder of the second cigarra into the sand. "I haven't known long. A couple of months of wondering and then it was confirmed a few days ago. Guy I know says he can help me out, but it might take awhile. I just wanted to let you know in case you don't hear anything from me in awhile. Longer than usual, I guess." "If there was ever a time I wish you'd lie to me, this is it." Liza slips off of the swoop fully now and she steps over towards him, her steps made difficult thanks to the weight of her heavy boots and the shifting sand beneath them. "'Guy'...poodoo, Krackor, you might as well just come clean and tell me the rest of this all. Who is he?" Once close enough to the smuggler, Liza hugs him, not giving a hoot, two hollars or a womp rat's tail about if he'll like her doing so. If there's anything he has owed her it's this. "This is going to complicate things even more, you do realize, yes? More than things were before, of course." Yeah, they've never had a simple friendship but this is going to make it all the worse on them. As Liza strides over and hugs him, Krackor wraps own his arms around the woman and squeezes. "Sweetheart, either you want me to lie or you don't. Listen, I'm sure I don't have to name any names. I got a feeling you already have an idea or two. Maybe its better if we leave it at that." He leans back slightly to look his friend in the eye. "Don't worry about me. I've been in worse situations than this and managed to scrape my way out. I think I can get through whatever's in store for me." Liza pauses and then snorts at him, not wanting to be corrected although she finds herself unable to not chuckle at the same time. "Well, it's just that I...hell, I wish that I could plead ignorance now and pretend you're off on some grand adventure." There's a pause so that she can take a breath and then she shakes her head. "Malign's a dangerous man and those who work for him are no better. You're going to be in danger every single time you're around them and I can't keep you safe if you fight with them." There's the war the Empire is raging against the NSO, after all, and Liza does have her duties to attend to. "You'll need to find a way to stay out of all that poodoo. Don't fly for him. Don't do anything for him. By the Maker, just run away..." "Honey, I knew Malign back before everyone was calling him that. I know what he can do, but I know that he knows I'm worth too much to throw away. Least, I hope he does." He chuckles softly. "To be honest, I was looking for a way out of his order before all of this happened. But now I guess I'm stuck with them for a little longer. But don't worry. As soon as I'm able, I'll get out and it'll be easy livin' again." Yep. Easy living dodging customs from one end of the galaxy to the other. Nodding, Liza relaxes a bit. At least he knows and isn't some kind of 'follow Malign to the end' fanatic like some of those she has heard about, one of those willing to die for the man and his desires. There's still a twinge of concern however as she considers something; Malign will most likely dig his claws into Krackor and any effort made by him to get away just might be rendered impossible as a result. "If you need my help, let me know. I will come to you as fast as possible and do what I can to lend aid." Krackor's hugged again and then she kisses him on the cheek. "Why the hell can't you learn to do stuff the easy way?" "The easy way isn't as fun." Krackor replies with a grin. "Besides, if I learn to use it, maybe the Force could come in handy for business once I get back out on my own." Raising one hand and holding it in front of Liza, he appears to concentrate on the woman's eyes. When he opens his mouth to speak, his voice is calm. "Next time we make a bet, you want to let me win." A grin spoils his joke before he can go any farther with it. "Worth a try anyway, right?" His arms go back around the woman to give her another squeeze. "Don't worry about me too much. You'll be the first to know if I run into trouble." "Hey now, no using that Force stuff on me," Liza warns just as playfully. "Otherwise I'll sic my boyfriend on you and let him deal with you and your witchways." Laughing, she gives him one more peck and another squeeze for good measure before stepping back to lean against the body of the vehicle she arrived upon. "Wow. Never would I have thought that we'd be having this discussion. I'd say that everything has changed but I refuse to let it. I don't want things to change for us. Maybe I'm in denial but I won't. You're one of the few real friends I have and I won't lose you." "Can't say I ever expected to be having this conversation with you, either. With anybody." He laughs and lets go of the woman somewhat reluctantly. "Oh you won't be losing me, honey. And nothing is going to change. I'll still be the same guy. Ain't nothing in this galaxy that's been able to change me so far. This is only a bump in the hyperlane for me." "I hope so, Krackor. I really, truly hope so." Sighing, the speeder is mounted but she leaves it turned off for now while she says goodbye. "I should be going back, Krackor. But I'll find a way to keep in touch with you as soon as I can. Take care of yourself, hun. Promise me that." Not able to stand hearing him say goodbye as well, Liza powers up the bike with the flip of a switch or two and starts to pull away, watching her friend's face while she fights tears. Krackor smiles at Liza as she says her goodbye. When she powers up the speeder and heads back towards the city, he raises his hand to offer a wave. "See you around, Liza." Smiling sadly, he mounts his own bike and powers it up. "D2," he speaks into a comlink, "I'm heading back to the ship. Lets get out of here." Gripping the handlebars, he revs the engine and sends a spray of sand into the air as he speeds deeper into the desert.
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