Hoth: Blood and Ice

The Sunset Dawn came in hot; as the parlance might go. Incorrectly used, though it might be. It was practically five minutes before launching into hyperspace that the beat-up old freighter came into the main hangar bay of the much bigger vessel, only punching the brakes at the very last moment and barely avoiding a collision in the process.

A person ignorant of piloting might consider it a display of seriously good flying skills; but others would have a different opinion that leaned more toward 'barely passeable'.

After setting down and dealing with an ear full from flight command, Layne headed out of her ship. For once, she wasn't dressed in her usual armor; opting for a simple black cloak affair. Here, at least, for now, she could relax and not worry about getting into any fights. Though that said, she did still have her lightsabers with her, at least.

Walking along a bit further into the ship, she sighed and then leaned on a railing that overlooked the hangar bay; trying to see if she could recognize any of the other ships docked there.

The tapping of feet on hull can be heard coming from the side at a leisurely pace. She likely felt him approaching first though honestly.

"Hello Layne."

His tone was pleasant and not forceful.

"Hello Darth Zero," she said, indeed sensing him before the sound reached her ears.

Her tone was that of someone making a bad joke because she knew it would annoy their friend without being meant to genuinely upset them. A little light teasing, maybe.

She wasn't sure she would consider Zeno a friend of course; in fact, she was pretty sure he wasn't. But whatever their past relationship had been like, Alderaan had at least made her able to stop seeing him as an enemy who was plotting to overthrow the republic, even if her natural instincts made her inclined to at least consider the possibility he *could* decide to tip back over into full-on evil.

But then, that was always a risk for herself, as well.

Still, she was comfortable enough with him to make bad jokes for the sake of the bad jokes.

"Have to admit, didn't expect to see you here."

“Man your ship gets worse and worse, cousin,” Daz joked as he made his approach. “I am pretty sure you lost some parts on that landing. Maybe trade it in… for well anything? Like this must be a traveling safety hazard, it can’t be up to Jedi safety codes.”

He acknowledged Daz with a head nod. He listened through the complaint and advice from the young man, then replied, "I don't know. If it's not scuffed up a bit people will think you're not afraid to use it creatively."

He then replied to Layne's admission of surprise. "It's been a bit since my last battle and there's a chance here. If not then that's fine but if it does have to happen I want to be here."

"It's Master Cousin, now, cousin," she quipped, apparently in the mood for it. She didn't really care about the title nor did she mind Daz's jokes. Maybe they rubbed off on her.

A small sigh. "I did consider trading it in, but there weren't any good deals around. I'm waiting for a 5% discount coupon offer, minimum."

And then a bit of quiet contemplation. "I'd have thought you wouldn't still be seeking out battle just for the sake of battle, Zeno. Doesn't your family need you? What if you end up dead just to deal with some petty frost-bound pirates?"

*Family*.

She gave a brief glance to Daz as her mind wandered to the dreams she'd been having. It was not improbable that either of them might briefly sense her conflicted emotions.

Daz smiled, “She’s a good ship… all the same.” He gave a nod of greeting to the noble lord and then added, “Something on your mind, Master Cousin?”

"I don't really anymore. But every once in a while the force will push me towards potential violence and chaos. So here I am. And it never hurts to have a family member or two along when so many other Alderaanian families have gathered."

He looks to Daz. "You can tell when she's thinking?"

"Yeah... we go way back," he said warmly. "Saved her life a few times, she never did put the spikes on her lightsaber though."

"No... no," she said, clearly having something on her mind as she totally forgot to hit back at that jab.

"Just...a feeling things are going to go wrong somehow. Or right perhaps, but by going wrong first. I don't know, I never did get the hang of seeing the future reliably."

She was spacing out a little as she said it; before snapping back into the moment, back to the quips and jokes.

"I told you those spikes were a stupid idea. Also, when did *you* save *my* life?"

“That time we went and did the thing with the big mouth of the Emperor? I saved your life,” he said proudly.

"So you feel the force saying something will go wrong, while I'm feeling like there might be violence? I'm sure that's just a coincidence."

He smirked at that.

"It figures that if she needed saving from anything it was her own mouth. Not much else can get in her way."

"Oh yeah, you did, I suppose," she made a show of being surprised at the fact he could come up with an example, "though I recall explicitly telling you to stay in the ship."

"And no," she switched back to the more serious topic, "not violence exactly. Well, *yes*, there's *maybe* violence, but... ugh... it's complicated. The violence is incidental, I guess. Not the main point. I just keep coming back to... long dead family."

In another corner of the hangar an average sized human was lovingly scraping particles of space dust and washing down some superficial charring from laser strikes.

"Kriff'n hell. Ah coulda swore tha' last shot wen' wide. Didn' even feel the hit through that plating." Garth muttered as he worked.

"The Force is trying to show you something, might as well listen," he responded.

"He's right. You have to let yourself see. It's a difficult thing to do. I think probably harder for you and I than a lot of others. We started out on a more kinetic path."

She raised a brow at Zeno. "I've always been able to give myself over to the Force. Ever since Korriban and Gerald."

There was no animosity there anymore; it was a long time ago, and they'd both changed.

"Besides, seeing isn't really the problem. I've been seeing rather a lot of it lately. Always the same dream. I think Hoth is where reality will catch up to the dream."

"You need better dreams," he teased.

"Reality doesn't catch up to dreams. It tramples them and then drifts on by. But it's funny how you dream of reality, which is the other half of that."

"Whatever happens, be it diplomacy or aggression, I'll be ready."

"Spoke like ah true Thul." Garth comments with a cheeky smile as he approaches the grouping and offers a nod of greeting.

"Lord Thul, lady jedi, an' the ever whizz Daz. Seems this missions attractin' peeps from all walks."

"Yeah," she said, to Daz, "could I borrow yours? I've always wanted to fall asleep and tell people to like and subscribe my dreams. Maybe get invited to be in a skit on Mr.Boobu's."

She then turned to Zeno. "But anyway, you know that isn't true. Not for people like us. You keep dreaming of the same thing over and over, it's bound to happen sooner or later. Maybe not exactly the same way, though. Still, it *might*."

And then a vaguely familiar face showed up. "Hello there."

"I'm already in a place where the dream is reality though. Don't have anything in my life that I don't want there. Even the uncomfortable things."

“You could not last five minutes in my boots,” Daz said to Layne. He then looked at Zeno and said, “You’re… I know your face, you’re that Thul dude, yeah married to the Duchess. Duke-Consort. Nice.”

“Master, you live a charmed life whatever it is will probably try to kill you. Someone will give you good advice, you’ll ignore it… you’ll ram your face through it like a nerf-bull in a museum and somehow come out the other side vindicated. Classic Master Layne adventure.”

Layne Hoshin wrote: ↑

Tue Aug 09, 2022 6:39 pm

And then a vaguely familiar face showed up. "Hello there."

"Master Jedi," he replies as he looks over the ship and wonders how she hasn't crashed and burned years ago.

"Glad t'see some...specialists on this here endeavour rather than just us Navy grunts."

"Is *that* how my adventures go? I remember them somewhat differently," she said with mild amusement, "But no, something tells me this time's different somehow. It feels just like... Korriban did. An end to one thing, and a beginning to another."

She shrugged. "Well, we'll see what happens, I suppose. If anything even does."

Layne gave a nod to Garth at his comment. "Don't worry, these are just going to be short negotiations, probably."