Corellian Camp

[Kura Nuhok]

"If I were to decide that I wished to pursue you as my prey, Force Sprints would not be enough to save you," Kura replied teasingly. "My stamina would outlast even the fastest sprinter, and I would hunt you down until you had nowhere left to hide. In the end, if the mood so took me, I would make you beg for mercy, before devouring the very flesh from your bones." Her voice was light and mischievous, a note that she hadn't expected to hear again just yet, a note that she had felt belonged at home on Shili, with her people.

That said, she supposed that Kaz was "her people" now; another Jedi, one of her kind.

Okay, so maybe she shouldn't have turned the conversation to morality. Her own views on the subject were complex and difficult to explain at the best of times, as befitted a natural predator. "To you, that is a form of morality," she replied evenly, taking a sidelong glance at the young nobleman. "To people such as mine, that is simply survival. What I was referring to was more along the lines of... where do you blur the lines between black and white? Is life an ever-shifting palette of grey, or are there definite rights and wrongs for you?" In theory, a Jedi should reply to the latter. In practice... Kura wasn't so sure.

She tilted her chin up proudly as Kaz batted
aside her commentary on the future, and she pursed her lips almost disapprovingly as he spoke of her assignment to his mission as little more than an inconvenience to be dealt with. However, the smile that followed took the barb out of his words, and Kura gave him an almost disbelieving smile of her own as he described her as "beautiful" again, followed up by a potential purpose for her skills.

"Oh, is that how you see me, my lord" she teased. "The fierce, bloodthirsty Togruta, fit only to save the spoilt young nobleman from the big, nasty men who would come to harm him?" In truth, she had no doubt that she could fulfil the role of a bodyguard, if it came to it.

Kaz's frank admission that. every day, he doubted himself and his calling, knocked Kura for six. She frowned, wondering how on earth this bold, brash young man got through things. Then he gave the pearl of wisdom from his grandfather, and it suddenly dawned on her: it was nothing more than the way that the Togruta hunted akul, nothing different from how she was raised to be. She just had to learn to apply it in a different way. "You must think me extremely uncivilised and base," she stated flatly. "Many think that of the Togruta."

"Twenty five," she repeated, feeling a sliver of panic sliding down her spine. The ship was vast for such a small team, and Kura did much better in crowds than alone. The thought of wide, open space, with no people, was almost terrifying to her, and she swallowed deeply, taking a few steps in front of Kaz to hide her emotions. She regarded the ship carefully as he told her to do as he did, and she nodded, just the once. "I... feel better when I have things to do," she admitted, wondering how much he knew about her race. "And I cannot imagine that a Ranger would wish to be assigned to me. After all, I am of no import."

Turning, she cocked her head, and gazed at Kaz with a searing honesty. "I am afraid I will not live up to your expectations."

[Kaziki Halcyon]

"And when you awaken from that illusion? What then?" Kaz chuckled at the idea of sitting comfortably on a patch of grass watching her chase 'him' around in circles through an environment that existed only in her own mind. It'd be a little creepy to feed the Force into such a dynamic and well thought out fantasy of his demise and the fate of his mortal remains. He consciously skipped a joke about easier and more enjoyable ways to have him inside her. "Besides, catching up to me and subduing me are two separate tasks entirely. Each with its own level of difficulty."

He regarded her while she considered his response on morality. "It's a matter of morality for you too, your point of view just happens to be in such a place that the response seems a foregone conclusion. To other beings, other mindsets, such things aren't so simple. Even in our desperate times there are Jedi who refuse to carry a lightsaber, considering it a violent option that would endanger their personal dedication to peace through the Force. That being would think you immoral for causing the deaths of other creatures to sate a hunger that could be sated with a vegetarian diet. They'd think me a demon incarnate for perceiving conflict as a viable tool for change. Morality as a truth is a grand illusion as many of those truths depend greatly on our own points of view."

"But then, I've failed to answer the question for quibbling over the nature of reality. I don't think in black & white, nor shades of grey. I trust my instincts and act. If it feels wrong, it is wrong. I am too good at what I do, to capable of twisting perception, to trust myself with a more involved approach to right and wrong. I have a moral compass, it works, and I trust it." Kaz's eyes cast down but his stance and demeanor indicated he was actually looking inward. "... so far so good. I haven't taken to raping or pillaging and my occasional acts of piracy are in the name of a greater goal."

Her teasing question was easily answered. "No, that's not how I see you. It's how others can be convinced to see you, easily and to our advantage. Think of it as social camouflage and you'll have the right idea." The young Corellian regarded her expectantly while leaving silence in which she could consider the proposed tactic. "And that's just one game we can play to hide our intentions. The more such games we present, the more layers of distraction and misdirection we put between us and the Sith the longer it will take them to unravel our good deeds... if ever they do."

Her silence after his admission of questioning himself everyday amused him in some small way. Kaz waited in silence, respectfully allowing her all the time she desired to either finish digesting the facts he'd presented or to find something she wanted to change the subject of the conversation to. Kura's response earned her a raised eyebrow. "No, I do not," he responded just as flatly. "I am not many and there are those who thank their lucky stars for the fact." He quirked a smile at the last bit.

"Your quarters are across from mine, a mere dozen paces from the bridge. The bridge is usually pretty crowded, comparative to the actual size of the space, and you're always welcome to call on me. I enjoy the company and I can make you swear your entire family is in the room just as easily as I convinced you of that flower." Again, he neglected to tell her how difficult the flower trick was without a few mundane slight of hand tricks to preface it and condition the watcher. The illusions always seemed more amazing if he didn't go into the technical details with folks.

"There are activities, and most of us gather during journeys. No fun sitting in a room staring at a bulkhead all alone..." Kaz regarded her directly for a moment as she trashed herself to him. "I fear your opinion of yourself is lower than my opinion of you. See, now we've both acknowledged our fear. Just remember to leave yours here on Ossus when we lift off. Shall we?" He suddenly smiled like nothing in the world was wrong and started walking toward the Corroded Serpent.

[Kura Nuhok]

"Dependant on factors, it need not necessarily be an illusion," she replied darkly, a hint of a smile on her lips. "The Togruta - myself included - have ways of dealing with traitors, so..." She paused, letting that dark little smile grow into more of a genuine twinkle. "It is as important that you stay on my good side as it is for me to remain on yours." Kura laughed as Kaz asserted that she might not be able to subdue him. "I have been killing akul on my own since I was sixteen years old. There are many ways to subdue your prey... and that includes when the prey are more of the humanoid variety." There was a low, vibrant tease in her voice as she looked Kaz directly in the eye.

"You should hope that you never have to find out."

Kaz, it seemed, was able to talk at a thousand miles an hour, in an attempt to circumnavigate his way around any objections that she might have to his logic. Kura simply listened quietly, as she always did, taking on board the valid points he made, and dismissing the fallacies. He would likely never know the impact of any of his words on her, not precisely, and she preferred to keep it that way. Twitching her head to one side for a second or two, Kura shrugged her pack more firmly onto her back. "And what if I were to ever disagree with this 'moral compass' of yours," she asked quietly. "Or if you were to disagree with mine?"

Kura smirked. "People can clearly be persuaded of many things, as far as you are concerned," she replied with a light chuckle. "However, I see the wisdom of such a plan, and, if the occasion arises wherein I must play that role, then so be it." He was right: the Togruta were often mistaken for a bloodthirsty, fierce race, so why not use that to their advantage, as and when needed? "But do not expect me to bow to you, Kaziki Halcyon," she warned, a smile in place to indicate that she might not be completely serious. "Kura Huhok bows to no man."

She nodded as Kaz told her quite plainly that he didn't see her as uncivilised. "Thank you," she replied solemnly, nodding in acceptance. "I may not be so well versed in the more cultured and refined aspects of the universe, but I have pride in my heritage and my own culture." Very few seemed to understand that, it would appear.

Kura let out a sigh of abject relief as Kaz explained that her quarters were across from his, and near the bridge, which was always a hub of activity. "You do understand the Togruta," she replied with almost childish delight. "Although the standing invitation to call on you could be something you come to regret." The way he talked of making her feel that her family were there... it was a tempting proposition, even so soon into her time away from Shili.

A sadness slipped onto Kura's face as Kaz tried to reassure her. "We are a proud race, Kaz, and I neither wish to let you - or my Master and my people - down. You have my total commitment, I swear to you." A smile slipped back into place as Kaz started to head towards the ship, and Kura quickly followed. "So... where is our first destination from here?"

[Kaziki Halcyon]

Kaz smiled indulgently. If his doom was one of those factors then it pretty much guaranteed there were going to be lots of illusions, lightning, lightsabers, and maybe even some downright mundane skulduggery from the big book of Corellian dirty tricks. It was probably best they didn't get into the specifics of treason requiring obligation in the first place and exactly where his loyalties lay. "I've been playing tag with the Sith Empire since I was thirteen... but I'm sure the two are much the same thing." His reassurance was probably not reassuring but that was the nature of one upsmanship.

"I should hope." Kaz agreed happily.

"What would you do if you thought any other Jedi was losing their way? Trust your instincts and act." Kaz was certain that if he went down that path talking him down wouldn't be likely. He was too clever and if he'd talked himself into a dark act (the reason he didn't talk to himself about matters of right and wrong in the first place) then he would have to be stopped, defeated, and then approached when the opportunity was past. In retrospect he could be turned back, he was a reasonable being and knew the ultimate failing of the unrepentant Sith. He could forgive himself given enough time relative to the act.

But it was all a dark possibility that Kaz liked to believe was unlikely. His ultimate goal, his highest ideal, had nothing to do with him or his wants. It had to do with the survival of the Jedi as guardians of peace and servants of the Force. What they should have been all along instead of... he calmed himself in the Force, returning to a smooth surface. "If I were to disagree with your actions I would do the same. Though I have an eye toward minimizing problems without losing any forward progress we've made toward the given goal."

Kaz smirked back. "You have no idea..." He was an expert at changing perceptions and reality was based on perception. He had the power, by proxy, to alter reality itself. It was an amusing concept, which was good because without the humor it would be a terrifying power that even he wouldn't want. Not as a Jedi at least. "Yours is a reputation we can make use of in many ways and roles, just the same as within certain circles being Corellian comes with its own perceived roles. I know I've driven a few people nuts by being an abysmal pilot amongst a people that are known for valuing such skills."

He didn't address her statement that she bowed to no man. That was dependent on role and he'd have to coach her on acting to such. Her thanks got a solemn nod of welcome, as he was still attempting to mirror her as much as possible. It made people comfortable, thus more open to alternate points of view. "I can teach you the finer points, at least enough to get other beings to ignore you so you can do your work while I do mine. Together we will put on a merry show. And we won't compromise who we are, I promise."

"I study, a lot. And when I found I'd have a partner I did my research as to whom that might be. Species, culture, your training history as much as I could get on it. You like being around people so you don't give much thought to seeing people around you, never go into a blind where someone following you would be odd. It fits with your species and upbringing, I have no intention of tormenting you any more than necessary. It's already going to take steely nerves just to put up with me when we have to do the two Jedi team stuff."

"Excellent Kura. Excellent." He smiled and led her up the boarding ramp of the vessel. "We need to make a stop on Corellia, then we'll be on to some adventure or another."

[Kura Nuhok]

Kura raised an exasperated eyebrow at Kaz as he tried to trump hunting an akul with toying with the Sith. "They are completely different disciplines, as well you know," she replied flatly, pursing her lips a little. "It would appear that we were each trained in our own fields from a young age, and, as such, each have certain strengths where the other might be lacking. Tracking and hunting are two such skills which I possess in abundance."

The philosophical question about what she might do if she felt another Jedi was losing his way made Kura pause for the thought, and she stole a glance at Kaz for a second. Was he, perhaps, talking about himself? "Of course I would act," she replied, her voice certain and strong. "I would be neglectful of my duties if I did not." A slight pause. "And I would be neglectful of the bond I have with my Jedi kin, also."

She nodded as Kaz assured her that he would do the same. "Then we must make sure that we are of one purpose, both in deed and in mind," she replied assertively. "If we ensure that, neither of us will be able to go far wrong." She meant it, too. She needed to know that Kaz had her back, as much as she would have his. To her, being partnered with another Jedi was almost a sacred bond, something that should be nurtured and treasured, something not to be taken lightly.

It was that sort of bond that she wanted to have with Kaz, no matter how hard she had to work at it.

Returning Kaz's smirk as he hinted at just how much he could persuade anyone of anything, Kura give him a tilting, lilting smile. "I trust that you would not use this against your partner, not without... good reason," she countered, giving him a small show of teeth once more. "And I agree. We must make good use of our respective reputations wherever possible... even if that means that you must play slave to me." Her eyes sparkled with humour, the joke evident in her words. There was no situation she could think of in which a Corellian would be subservient to a Togruta, at least outside of the ranks of the Jedi order.

"I will rely on you to teach me well, Kaz," Kura said, gratitude colouring her tone, a nod emphasising her acceptance of his tuition. "And... I must be whoever I must be, to further our goal." It was said with a simple acceptance, one that would leave the young nobleman with no doubt as to how committed she was to their aims.

"It would appear that your research also leaves something to be desired, although it is largely accurate," she teased. "The rest... well, you will learn as I will learn." Following him up the ramp, Kura took one last glance at the bustling camp, almost wishing that they could stay there awhile to allow her to get to know her partner better. It was not to be, however, and Kaz announced that they had to travel to Corellia. "Very well, Kaz. Take me to your home." And, with that, she followed him into the bowels of the ship, mentally preparing herself for what was ahead.

It was clearly going to be a bumpy ride.

[Kaziki Halcyon]

Kaz led Kura up the loading ramp and through a cavernous storage area that was obviously were the bulk cargo freighter usually stored its bulk cargo. At that moment it was largely empty, Ossus exported little outside of Jedi guardians and sentinels. There were two items of note, however. A large landing shuttle that could be used for dropping cargo down to worlds that either didn't have a large enough order to justify putting the Corroded Serpent in an atmosphere or for worlds that didn't have appropriate landing facilities for the much larger ship. The fact that it could also be used to deploy a sizable assault team was a lovely secondary mission profile.

Next to it sat a blocky looking hover truck. It was designed in such a way that it could easily be deployed out the cargo ramp or dropped by the shuttle craft. In a peaceful galaxy it would be used to make deliveries and was armored enough to be considered capable of moving valuable cargo. It was also armored enough to operate as an armored vehicle for light assault duties, or the rapid removal of soldiers from the battlefield. It's secondary use being obscure enough that Kaz often operated it without notice even on very civilized worlds. The cargo bay also contained permanent storage containers designed to keep critical materials from being lost in the event of a hull breach. As well there were at least two marked machine shops off the cargo bay itself.

Kaz strolled through the area and straight for a turbolift door on the far side. It opened upon his approach and he walked straight in, waited for her to join him, and hit a button that shot them upward. It opened again at the end of a rather innocuous looking hallway, perfectly square with an open emergency bulkhead about every fifteen meters. Again, without hesitating Kaz began to stroll down the hallway, trusting Kura to follow him. They passed one crewman on the way, his blue uniform marking him as an actual member of the Rangers though not a full fledged Ranger himself. Kaz nodded and greeted the man as they passed. "Jakai." The man nodded back to Kaz and tipped his hat to Kura. "Sir. Ma'am," then continued on his way.

Kaz took them to the far end of the hallway, a sizable walk the majority of the length of the ship as the hall seemed to serve as a bit of a spine. "I've got the last door on the right, yours is the last on the left. Open yours, you can spit on mine... though I'd appreciate it if you didn't. Mess and all, plus I've already marked it." He shot her a grin. "The bridge is that last door, twenty paces hence. If you wish it you can find me here, there, or in the main cargo hold when time and opportunity allow me to train. The cargo hold and mess hall is where you'll find off duty crew members who aren't... you know... sleeping."

[Kura Nuhok]

Following quietly through the bowels of the ship, Kura couldn't help dwelling on how empty and lonely a shop of this size could be. While Jedi camp had prepared her to deal with loneliness far better than her own culture ever could, she was still far more at home in a crowd than she was on her own, or even with just one or two people around. it was just the way she was: culturally ingrained, the need to be part of a group, a team, was almost as natural and necessary as breathing.

Noting the landing shuttle and hover truck, Kura made mental notes on the ship's layout and facilities. She had an excellent memory, creating a map of the vessel as Kaz led her through it. It was simply one other thing that made her such a natural hunter. Okay, so space freighters weren't her natural hunting territory, but there was no rule that said that she couldn't use her skills to best effect, no matter her environment.

Following Kaz into the turbo lift, Kura stood shoulder to shoulder with Kaz, her arm slightly brushing against his. If she were to grow used to his company in the way she must, personal space had to be something that was easily violated, and easily given back. "This is certainly a most impressive vessel," she said quietly, wanting to breach the silence that was growing rapidly more oppressive to her. Hustle and bustle were her lifelong companions, and she doubted that she would ever grow used to the silence of relative solitude.

Kaz looked utterly at home and completely at ease, as well he should. After all, he was the captain and master of all they currently surveyed, and it was clear that the crew and fellow travellers treated him with deference befitting such a status. An Antarian Ranger proved the point by nodding politely, and even addressing her as "ma'am", his hat tilted in respect. Kura merely smiled, not quite knowing the protocol in such a situation. Never one to stand on formality, it was her clear intention to have everyone addressing her by her first name in short order.

The corridor seemed neverending, and Kura followed Kaz, matching him stride for stride, her long, lithe legs easily keeping pace with the Corellian. Eventually, Kaz stopped outside of a door, gesturing to it. Kura nodded, a light smile playing on her lips. "You have my word, I will not spit on your door," she replied, mock solemnly. "However, I will not be held responsible for battering it down if the need arises."

A smirk crawled onto her lips as he explained where she might find him if he were not in his room, and she blinked once, twice, innocently. "It seems that you are taking great pains that I should know your whereabouts," she replied softly, an exaggeratedly innocent note in her voice. "It would seem that you almost wish to be disturbed. I am sure that I could manage that, if you so desire." It would be no hardship at all to call on him, in fact. She arced an eyebrow up.

"Please advise me... do you have a strict dress code from your passengers, or may I wear whatever pleases me?"

[Kaziki Halcyon]

"She'd better be. We spent a lot of credits both to make her as she is and to make sure the authorities didn't know about the modifications. Don't get me wrong, she's proven worth every chit and paid herself off no less than three times just on pirate bounties alone. She may look like an old rust bucket but she can go toe to toe with an Imperial picket ship and outrun the corvettes." He glanced at her for just a moment before returning his focus to the doors ahead of him. "I'm not much of a tech guy but I imagine our weapons officer and chief engineer would be happy to regale you with the details of the vessel's more fascinating details."

Kaz gave her a shallow bow as she threatened to bother him at whim. "I welcome the conversation, I often find space flight dreadfully boring. I don't care for the details of the task, have few enough skills of value on a vessel of this size, and even when one of my talents does come in handy I still find myself largely just staying out of the way. If you need me I am at your disposal. That's what partners are for, after all." The young Corellian gave a short chuckle. "Disturb away. I occasionally sleep, leaving most of my social skills outside a snuggle on standby, but other than that..." He shrugged, not feeling the need to restate himself.

He raised an eyebrow for a long moment before shrugging. "Try not to be too distracting, some of the Ranger Apprentices have a hard enough time focusing on their duties as is. Otherwise, knock yourself out."

[Kura Nuhok]

Kaz was clearly more than a little proud of his ship, and Kura smiled almost indulgently. If this is what the addition of an entitled young nobleman did for the cause of the Jedi, who was she to complain? "Remind me never to come between you and your ship," she teased. "I would not wish to find myself abandoned on some inhospitable planet, simply for accidentally insulting the Corroded Serpent!" Chuckling lightly, she shook her head. "If she is as impressive as you boast, I am certain that we shall acquit ourselves admirably."

Kura shook her head, holding her hands up in surrender as Kaz suggested she talk to the chief engineer in order to get more technical details about the ship. "I believe I shall be just fine with the information you have already given to me, Kaz," she laughed. "Although, if I ever feel the need to be bored to sleep one night, I shall certainly ask."

The bow amused her, and Kura mock-curtsied to Kaz in return. "Why, thank you, kind sir," she replied, an amused smile settled firmly in place as the young Corellian reassured her that she could disturb him at any time. "You may also call on me, if you wish. Perhaps we can keep one another amused, and stave off the boredom that partners space travel." While travelling with her Master, Kura had trained, trained, and trained some more. It might be interesting to experience a journey wherein her development as a Jedi was not the main focus.

Kura raied an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest as Kaz warned her against being too distracting. "That might be unavoidable," she explained, a slight wary note to her voice. "Are you aware of the outfits in which the Togruta Jedi train and fight?"

[Kaziki Halcyon]

"Calm down now. I enjoy it for what it is, I'm not in love with it. She's an illusion in her own right and thus fits very well with my usual mode of operation. It's not like I designed her, named her, etc.. The Antarian's did that, my family just financed it in return for getting to use the vessel so long as we paid for the operating expenses during those uses." Kaz threw out a bit of defense. He liked the ship, found it suitable and even very clever in execution, but she wasn't his pride and joy by any stretch of the imagination. "Now, start messing around with my lightsaber collection and you can worry about being stranded on a deserted world."

Kaz nodded, mostly to himself, at her curtsies. "Not bad, not bad. A little coaching and a bit of practice and we might be able to upgrade you from bodyguard to courtesan." His tone indicated he was making a bit of a joke. Even he didn't consider that move a 'promotion' per se. In general he considered a bodyguard more useful though a spy in courtesan's clothing could get a great deal done in the proper circumstances... He brought himself back to the moment though with a mental note to keep that idea in mind. "Wait... what did you just say?" Kaz was almost certain she'd just propositioned him...

"I'm aware. We have a Twi'lek mechanic, a former dancer, and she favors a minimalist approach to fashion too. We aren't sticklers for uniforms I'm just saying that an eye toward practicality and decency can go a long way."

[Kura Nuhok]

The way that Kaz had been proudly telling her about the ship, Kura had been certain that he had had much more to do with her creation, fitting out, and overall design than he was now stating, and she raised an eyebrow. "Oh! I thought... from the way that you were talking about... Oh. Do not pay me any mind, then." It was at moments like this that her social gaucheness and general inexperience in matters other than those that concerned the Togruta shone through, and, once more, she felt like an uneducated child.

A small smile twitched at the corners of her lips as Kaz mentioned his lightsaber collection as his actual pride and joy. "I will be sure to remember that," she replied solemnly. a slight merry sparkle still playing in her eyes. "I have very little in the way of possessions, so cannot afford to take an undue amount of pride in anything." She hefted her pack slightly higher. "Everything I own, I carry with me. It suits me well enough."

Curtseying once more in response to Kaz's amusement, Kura frowned in confusion as Kaz appeared to misunderstand her next statement. "Perhaps we could train together, or talk, or... oh!" Suddenly, the creamy white markings on her face darkened almost enough to blend in with the reddish tones of her skin, and she cast her eyes down to the floor, shaking her head, her head tails animated and twitchy. "I... I did not mean..." Absolutely mortified to have been so utterly misunderstood, Kura took a hasty step away from Kaz, her skin burning with shame. "I am sorry if I have caused offence."

It was bad enough that members of her race were seen as predatory towards those they saw as food; to have been construed as predatory towards her new partner was nothing short of disgraceful, and she had only herself to blame.

"Very well, I shall remain robed," she stated quietly, the embarrassment at her accidental faux pas still slaking its way across her skin. "I do not wish to provide a distraction, or to cause any embarrassment." She finally found the courage to glance back at the Corellian, from whom she now stood at what she felt was a safe and respectable distance. "So... when do we depart for Corellia?" All business again, shielding herself from the tenuous personal connection that had been forging between she and her new partner. After all, if Kaz was so easily able to mistake her attempts at friendship as something else... who else might get the wrong idea?

[Kaziki Halcyon]

"Just trying to reassure you that she's a fine vessel. Piloting, ships, that sort of thing just doesn't attract me. I'm fascinated by more dynamic and harder to predict phenomenon. Like people." He raised an eyebrow as she went on to talk about only owning a few things like it was a better way to go, or that there was some honor in it. "I don't consider my pride undue, I earned every item in my collection. And so long as we don't allow attachment to make us do something less than wise... well, no problem being attached." That was one of the places where Kaz felt the Jedi of old had fallen very short. They'd had a problem with a single facet of their culture and attacked the entire social setting in an attempt to simply not face the problem, rather than growing to learn how to deal.

Kaz couldn't help it, it was the wrong reaction to their situation, but an intensely amused and genuine smile grew where a solemn expression should have been. She'd not propositioned him but her realization of just how she'd worded it was plain on her face. The blush was truly, madly, deeply endearing to Kaz and it brought that smile to his face just as preventable as her blush had come to hers. She stepped away and Kaz smoothly mirrored her move... only forward so they maintained the exact same distance. "Nonsense. There's no offense. Flattered, certainly. Maybe even a little curious. But definitely not offended."

He sighed. "Where what you like. I'm just asking you not give any of the boys a free peek at your naughty bits."

[Kura Nuhok]

"You have no need of reassuring me," Kura replied calmly. "I trust your judgment in this, much as I would ask you to trust my judgment when it comes to matters of the natural world." Kaz had provided her with a tangible demonstration of his powers, and she guessed she owed it to him to do the same. "I understand, however, that you may have reservations, so would be willing to demonstrate my powers to you at a suitable time." Plant Surge should provide an interesting enough display, and with the plant she had stashed in her pack, she would have ample opportunity, even on board ship.

"I can respect your pride in your possessions," she said quickly, wanting to defuse any potential point of conflict between them before it started. "It is just that I personally prefer to travel light." She paused for a few seconds. "Anything that I was unable to bring with me was divided up between my family before my departure from Shili." She would rather that what few belongings she had would be used well, rather than sitting on a space vessel, gathering dust.

Kura was utterly mortified that her words to Kaz had been so completely misconstrued, and shame coursed through her, even as the young Corellian matched her movements, and stepped closer again. There was almost nowhere else for her to move, so Kura did what she always did, and stood her ground in the face of adversity, the white markings on her skin still flushed and red. "I... I believe you misunderstood what I was attempting to say," she replied quietly, her voice little more than a whisper, despite her almost defiant stance. "I will ensure that I am clearer in my speech in future."

A slight lopsided smirk twitched onto Kura's lips as Kaz warned her not to display herself in an intimate fashion. "You have my word. I will ensure that my... naughty bits are covered at all times," she replied, a tentative tease coming back into her voice. "I simply find my robes - both Togruta and Jedi - too restrictive at times."

[Kaziki Halcyon]

"Alright, alright. We've gotten into a weird place far too fast with far too many misunderstandings. Let's try this again." Kaz held up his hands to forestall any protest. He felt like things were just all wrong between them and his laughing countenance hopefully showed there were no hard feelings. He stepped back and swept a most regal and courtly bow to her there in the hallway. "My name is Kaziki Halcyon, Jedi Knight. I also happen to function as Kaziki Horn, Earl of Kingfisher Bay, as well as Capt. Terrik when the need arises." He came up from his bow and offered her a grin.

"My understanding is that you are to be my partner, bringing our individual strengths to the grand game I play in the galaxy. All, of course, with the goal of bringing the Jedi to a point where they can face off with the Sith Empire on equal footing... or at least close enough to squeak out a victory. We can get into the particulars soon enough as your offer of training together screams of wisdom if we are to go sneaking about under the noses of what passes for trained Sith these days. Now, we seem to have worked out the dress code, our immediate relationship as equals, and the fact that I should knock before entering your rooms. Is there anything, anything at all, I can tell you about me, help you with, or otherwise point you in the proper direction of?"

[Kura Nuhok]

And there it was.

Simple as that, all the misunderstandings wiped away with a smile, a laugh and a bow, an attempt to start over. Kura was grateful to Kaz for that. "Your understandings are correct," she replied, a grateful smile slipping into place as she felt any tension slip away. "I am honoured to make your acquaintance." She did that little mock-curtsey again, before standing tall and proud once more. "My name is Kura Nuhok, and I am a Jedi Knight of the Togruta. I am to serve as your partner, and assist you in your goals. I am certain that we will be able to bring a successful conclusion to our mission."

Kura smiled lightly at Kaz as he asked her whether there was anything else that he could help her with, pausing for only a second before shaking her head. She had made enough of a fool of herself for the day, and she wasn't about to continue in that vein, lest her new partner think her completely incapable. "Not at present, but I shall be sure to ask if there is anything I can think of. Thank you for your kind welcome, Kaz."