Atomic Kitten, Atomic Blonde (D5, ME. Dak's)

[Dove Gray]

Getting away from the city certainly had its perks. Less noise. Less people. Less... stuff. It had been way too eventful of a day, and it wasn't even over yet.

Dak had said he'd fix something to eat, and she'd draw herself a bath in the meantime.

Which was what she needed. The icy cold waters did wonders to bring her temperature back down, easing the tenderness of her muscles. The blaster burns still hurt, but not so bad now. It would take just a little more time, but she'd recover from it soon enough. It was more bothersome to think of the holes in her outfit from that incident.

Had I known there would've been a fire, I would've worn a different outfit.

Picking up her now empty tumbler-glass, Dove slipped on her clothes again, and returned to check up on Dak.

[Dapper Dog]

It was a beautiful if a little rainy evening in this region.

OOC: Destiny flipped for good vibes only.

[Jurdak Surt]

Dak was putting the finishing touches on dinner using the vegetables he had left over from earlier it was nothing special just a stew with wild vegetables and the meat of a small woodland creature seasoned with only a handful of spices. It wouldnt win culinary awards but it was honest food and it was nutritious which is what Dove looked like she needed at that moment.

When she had arrived he could tell she had been in a fight and had ushered her in she smelled of smoke and had a blaster burn apparently he missed all the fun.

"Feeling better?" He asked When he heard her emerge from the refresher.

[Dove Gray]

"Mblergh," she responded first to the question as she slid her form into a chair. There was a snort of a laugh. "I've been better... I've also been way worse. Can't wait for this day to be over..." But she knew she'd have to get on with more work after this moment of respite.

"Am I being totally insane by saying that it was good to take a moment and just have a good ol' fashioned hit-job for a little while?"

[Dapper Dog]

Meanwhile in the darkness, "This is Thresh Zombie-6, positive identification of targets."

[Jurdak Surt]

"Mblergh," she responded first to the question as she slid her form into a chair. There was a snort of a laugh. "I've been better... I've also been way worse. Can't wait for this day to be over..." But she knew she'd have to get on with more work after this moment of respite.

"Am I being totally insane by saying that it was good to take a moment and just have a good ol' fashioned hit-job for a little while?"

Dak entered the room carrying two bowls of steaming stew chuckling he set one down in front of Dove and leaned over to kiss her forehead "Nothing wrong with wanting something simple." He said sliding into his own spot, there was a small frown "Though I just wish I could have been there to help."

[Dove Gray]

The affectionate gesture of kissing her forehead made her chuckle. Dak really seemed to like this sort of thing - intimacy, normalcy. She wasn't quite sure how she felt about it herself... sure, it was nice to put her guard down and relax a little, but Dove also knew she wasn't exactly girlfriend material.

Besides, who in their line of work could actually have something resembling normalcy in the long run?

"Nah, you would've hated it. Lots of smoke, indoors and cramped space. No place for a sniper."

[Jurdak Surt]

"Gah I miss my toys! Back in the day i had a scope that was perfect for that as long as they were along an outside facing wall. Gave an image of what was behind the wall and my buddy over there" he said nodding toward the rifle not too far out of range "can penetrate most walls unless they are made of really tough stuff."

Dak for his part did enjoy intimacy, especially with someone that, in his mind, could understand the life he's led. It wasnt so much normalcy he craved, he likewise understood that that was an improbability, but he enjoyed having someone around who could really get him. And yes, for government assassin turned hitman he was a rather affectionate person.

[Dove Gray]

"Oh, the toys," Dove joined in the lamention of all the things they both had lost. All the gadgets and gear they had lost or had been forced to give up after the war. "Stealth-suits, poison darts, the works... man, how I miss that."

Picking up the bowl of stew, she got ready to dig in. "Some of it broke down and couldn't get replaced after the war, no agency or anything but ourselves at the time... sad to say I also had to sell some of the more innocent stuff too, when things were at their worst."

[Dapper Dog]

In the dark places Thresh Zombie-6 said to the comm, “Target Besh-1 is engaged in intimate actions with Target Besh-2, do we have a kill command. Over.”

A cold voice replied, “No. Observe, transmit images to Dictator-Actual.”

“Of course my Lord,” Thresh Zombie-6 replied.

[Jurdak Surt]

"Oh, the toys," Dove joined in the lamention of all the things they both had lost. All the gadgets and gear they had lost or had been forced to give up after the war. "Stealth-suits, poison darts, the works... man, how I miss that."

Picking up the bowl of stew, she got ready to dig in. "Some of it broke down and couldn't get replaced after the war, no agency or anything but ourselves at the time... sad to say I also had to sell some of the more innocent stuff too, when things were at their worst."

Dak nodded taking a few spoonfuls of his own stew while she spoke "Yeah once I was burned I didnt have anything, barely escaped with the clothes on my back. I checked a few safe houses I'd set up but since you know Republic intelligence became imperial intelligence they knew where all those places were and had them watched. Suffice it to say I had to go to the hutts to get a hold of that bad boy over there. Slowly getting stuff back but its tough."

He paused for a bit taking a bite and enjoying the light sound of the rain against the windows looking over to Dove and giving her a small smile "So times got rough for you too after huh?"

[Dove Gray]

Dove ate quickly, savoring the hearthiness of the meal. It wasn't fancy stuff, but it was filling, warm, and solid.

"Mm, well," she paused, wiping her mouth briefly. "With command assassinated and everything collapsing, and even my direct boss having to dig into their personal funds to carry on the good work... it was like working on a shoe-string budget for that while there. After her disappearance, I had to work on keeping afloat without that - that's what made me do bounty hunting work and the likes."

"The Hutts got a lot of hold on you, or...?"

[Jurdak Surt]

"Yeah I can imagine it wasnt easy but at least it was something. That old boss of yours the senator from the other night?" He asked.

At her other question he shrugged "Um not so much as they used to I've paid most of my debts and they dont call on me too often these days. It seems that Bankor has no shortage of people eager to help them out. But the obligation is there just sort of looming I guess."

[Dove Gray]

Dove nodded to confirm the identity of her employer. She just didn't really feel like dwelling on how she had failed the Senator - not only in taking so long to find her and free her, but also that the older woman had to live in the slums with an injured leg. New apartments didn't grow on trees, especially after the new surge of Aznuri refugees in the slums. She knew she needed to relocate, and todays hit-job money would help with that.

"So it seems, but when they're the only ones offering big cash jobs, that's what happens. Not everyone is made for being busy workerbees at the factory, and a lot are probably ex-military or intelligence after the war. It's easy to fall into that kind of work to stay afloat. That I managed to keep out of Hutt obligations meant cutting corners and taking smaller jobs."

[Jurdak Surt]

Dak nodded not pursuing the subject of the senator he had learned a bit about Dove and could tell when she didnt want to talk about something.

"Yeah just didnt think Bankor would be such a common place for people to go, I just ended up here by random chance, just spun the wheel and it landed on Bankor." He smiled "guess I'm kind of glad it did. For a lot of reasons." He cleared his throat "but yeah skills are only good for a handful of things plus I wouldnt survive getting a desk job or working in a kitchen ya know? Just not a life I'm built for."

[Dove Gray]

She laughed into her stew. "Yeah, I get ya. Working some nine to five desk-job... I dont think I could. As you say, simply not made for it. Makes me worried that when there's gonna be some kind of peace in the galaxy, there isn't gonna be any place for people like us."

At least Dove didn't like the thought of what she'd do in that kind of scenario. There was no place for people like her in a peaceful galaxy, with everything right.

[Jurdak Surt]

He chuckled as well "Yeah imagine me like wearing a suit and selling speeder insurance or something." He laughed and then shook his head.

"There will always be uses for people like us, either in the hands of the government or in the hands of those opposing them. I'm not smart but I know how people work, sentients arent capable of total peace I dont think. Always someone who wants a bigger share or wants to be in charge or crush threats to their authority."

[Dove Gray]

"Yeah, you're right about that. Good for us, then, that sentients are so frakked up," she laughed a little bitterly over that. "So... you'd be the insurance-salesman. What would I be? The secretary who is terrible at her job, but stays on with the company because the boss can't get enough of me?" It was clear from her tone she was merely joking around with the idea of the two of them having to get 'good honest jobs'.

"Nah..." Dove said after a moment of thinking it over, "I'd probably just go be a musician or something. At least that I can live with."

[Jurdak Surt]

"Yeah youd be set beautiful, great voice, and can play?" He set his bowl down and framed Dove holding his fingers in a rectangle "yup you got star quality Dove." He said chuckling

"and I dont know I'm sure I could get a job as security or" he chuckled "law enforcement but nah I doubt I could handle it. People like us we werent made for it, we dont do it to serve, or because theres nothing else we can do. We do it cause we like it, the thrill, the life or death odds, travelling seeing new places. Knowing what you're doing matters in a big picture." He said thoughtfully.

[Dove Gray]

"Kriff," she cursed, but she was smiling. And then she was laughing.

"You're damn right about that. The normal folks, they don't understand it... we're almost like adrenaline-junkies. We thrive on that thrill and danger. We're not good little soldiers either." Though Dove suspected Dak could much easier find a place in the military, or similar structures, than she could. "Though you and I do have different kinds of training, background, and skill-sets."

[Jurdak Surt]

"Well sure to a degree, you took life when you had to I did it as my mission more often than not. Didnt relish that part but.......got used to it I guess? I dont know just sort of get numb to it after a while I guess." He said swirling his stew around but a small smile settled onto his lips "but yeah, I'm glad to have someone that really gets it. I dont know this life can get....lonely. like I have friends and people to talk to but they dont really understand me. What I've been through. Why I keep a blaster under my pillow." He reined himself in "sorry that was a little much." He said and took a bite of stew.

[Dove Gray]

"Yeah..." she replied softly. Mia helped keep her grounded, but she didn't understand the little things. Surprisingly, Petrus probably understood it better of the ones she were close friends with.

"It's good to have others who understand. In some way. But even we are different ones. You probably joined up because you felt a duty to the Republic, and let me guess, you were picked out in basic as having talent for a different kind of fieldwork rather than just being a soldier?"

[Jurdak Surt]

He nodded "they saw potiential in me." He chuckled "and lets be honest I wouldnt have made a very good soldier. Too much free thinking, problems with authority, ect. Plus while this body looks good" he joked "it wasnt built for soldiering."

He let out a breath "as for why I joined......there was a lot there. Sure a little because I believed in what we were doing but I also was just......bored? With school and family and life. It felt kind of hollow i guess."

[Dove Gray]

Dove grinned. "It would be a shame to hide it away under some military armor or uniform. Even if a uniform can make most sentients dashing." Most, not all.

"How boring could it have been, to leave it all behind?" Having no family and nothing as mundane as school in her past, it wasn't something she felt she could understand or connect to. "Could've gone on to become a... I dunno, a doctor or something? You got a steady enough hand for surgery at least. Even if you don't have the smarts." She gave him a playful wink.

[Jurdak Surt]

He chuckled "Oh I looked incredible in my dress blues dont get me wrong but lugging heavy gear through war theaters and digging trenches and the like? No thank you."

He paused at her question looking deep into his stew for a few moments "It was just missing something......I feel bad saying it now that they are gone but I never felt fulfilled living with them. My dad was a merchant and my mom she took care of the kids. But my blood ran hot, I needed something that was missing."

He set his bowl down and took a drink "During that first mission, that first takedown I felt it, the rush, later I lost my lunch thinking about it but I felt whole? Like inward doing what I was meant to. Stalking prey, making the kill, I was good at it and I liked it. At least in those early days."

He leaned back against the couch and his head fell back looking at the ceiling "normal life....it wasnt just boring. It felt.....it felt like a cage. I felt trapped and intelligence work....it made me feel free. It wasnt long till I grew restless while on leave, i loved being out there more than home, no the field was my home, my fellow operatives and my handler had become my family."

He shook his head and looked to Dove "What about you? How did you end up working for CIS? Why did you do it?"