A Man and His Gun [Pre-game, Morning]

[Honorordeath]

A pair of Ortolan's excitedly squealed as they walked out from the hub of the spaceport and into the street of Noventa. To their right a Nautolan adventurer, strapped with gun belt and a smile that could kill. Another pair, but this one of two Twi'leks, walked slowly behind the Ortolans and gazed lovingly into one anothers eyes. The belly of the rutian Twi'lek of the pair was swollen and the male that accompanied her only parted from gazing upon her to look for what dangers might be set afoot in front of his new family. Be they dust mites or a pedestrian not looking the right way.

Each and every member of the transport that just landed inside had made their way out into the streets of Noventa. Into their own lives. Young, each and all of them, they had nothing but the hope of the future on their minds. Knowing that what this new world and new place in the freedom from the Empire held for each of their small little lives. Ones they hoped to live in peace for each and every day that would come.

So too, was it true, for the wanderer and his sidearm. Covered in trench coat and a wide brimmed hat he looked ahead to the horizon.

Just a man and his gun.

[Soren Lom]

A young girl with grease on her cheeks and hands sat at a small table just beyond the doors of the hangar with a container filled with blue-milk. She smiled warmly at the migrants as they walked on by, matching their hopeful thoughts with a bright beam of sunshine at the end of their journey.

She seemed to look intently at each face, and it was no different as the man with the blaster on his hip approached. She smiled warmly and nodded her head, "Good morning stranger."

[Honorordeath]

"Morning," the stranger replied, his voice was gruff. A quality that extended beyond just his voice but into his general appearance. Stubble, graying despite his relatively young age, appeared across his chin and jaw. Somewhere in his thirties he carried his weight high in his shoulders as he moved over toward the woman and inclined his hat in her direction. This man replaced the earlier arrivals joy and mirth with a calm and cool assurance of being.

"Not the captain of that ship, if that's what you were wonderin'," he added, resting his right hand on his thigh.

[Soren Lom]

She shook her head softly as she took on a close-lipped smile at his response, "Nope, wasn't looking for the captain. Lookin' for someone else... but no matter how often I come, they don't seem to show up."

She took a sip of her drink, "My name is Aily. Pleasure to meet you."

[Honorordeath]

"Walker," he replied shortly, finding himself a stool to pull up to the table. Laying his hands down atop it, right crossed atop his left. His eyes were hazel but more importantly they were hard.

"Did they say they would be coming?" he asked, shifting his trenchcoat forward over his hip and concealing his firearm as he sat, leaning into the table. "This person you said you're waiting for."

[Soren Lom]

Her eyes went down to her milk as her smile grew a bit tighter in the lips. After taking another drink she let out a breath through her nostrils and replied, "Not so much in words... But ya know... It's tough."

Her pink youthful eyes looked up into his hazel ones, "So what brings you to Noventa, Walker? Looking to put that sidearm to use?"

[Honorordeath]

With his right hand, pinkie and thumb, Walker removed his hat and placed it down upon the table in front of himself. Kicking up his right leg over his left knee he looked out over those still milling about doing their tasks. Dockworkers, passerby's, the workings of the city. Off into the sky to get what little of the horizon they might see from here.

"This was my home once," he said, sighing. Brushing a hand through his shoulder length head of hair that was swept back and away from his face. Held their by the time he spent wearing his hat. Graying of his hair was most prominent in his stubble and didn't seem to carry through to his head of hair so few strands of grey as it was. Placing the man somewhere in his thirties. Old, for someone in his line of work.

"Always hear what they say about returning home one day. How it's supposed to be good for you. I came to find out if there's really any truth to that," he said, looking back to the young woman before him.

[Soren Lom]

She nodded thoughtfully for a moment and then smiled, "Well, I can get you a drink to help with the homecoming if you'd like. Best to get started off on a good foot."

She smiled and motioned for the waiter at the little Kaff shop she was at, then as she waited for the waiter to arrive she asked, "So... how long you been away?"

[Honorordeath]

"No need, shouldn't be holding up here too long as it is," he said, tapping his hand against the table. Looking over toward the shop, toward the young human female who bounced from customer to customer, having given her little nod to the pretty red head. From there he sat and just watched the life of this city for a moment.

"I've been away a long time, long long time," he said, returning his attention to the woman before him once more. "What is it you're hoping to find in this stranger Aily? I'm 'fraid I don't have much to give."

[Soren Lom]

She smiled and shook her head, "I'm not askin' much. For those of us who don't have a home to go back to, the people we know have to come to us instead is all."

[Honorordeath]

"Not so sure this place is home for me still, not yet, but I get your point," he said. "Few things bring a lass like yourself out this far, fewer still that have you lookin' back to the space port every time a new freighter comes in. Seems you're sittin' here waiting for the past to catch up with ya. Maybe think you'll get the head start on it if you sit right here waiting for it."

"They'll come, eventually. Past always has a way of catchin' up with you. Whether you sit here waitin' for it or just try to keep running. Always finds you in the end."

[Soren Lom]

She chuckled softly and nodded, "It's not all backwards thinking though... New faces, new conversations, new opportunities all come from being here where there's people comin' and going. Can't avoid the future just like ya can't avoid the past. I like to go out and meet it when it arrives."

[Honorordeath]

Walker regarded the woman for a moment, his hand rested out against the table. Foot traffic, pedestrians, walked just along the path behind him. An assortment of faces and emotions being portrayed. An excited young trio rushing off into the space port, a small cadre of children rushing through the street, a Togruta woman passing by alone.

Just as his lips parted to speak a young bubbly voice arrived from their side, "How'ya doin' today folks? Anything I can do you for? Perhaps some morning kaff, get yourselves a good start to this morning?" she smiled to Walker, "Work off some of those stiff spots from being on that freighter and all?" she winked.

Closing his hand into a soft fist against the table he shook his head, declining the offer. Looking to Aily, just as the young woman did as well.

[Soren Lom]

The young girl shook her head apologetically, "Sorry, I'm good too. I thought my friend might have wanted something when I called you over. Thanks for the milk from before though, it's way good."

Aily watched the man's reaction for a moment after the waitress walked away. She tilted her head slightly and asked, "You by chance lookin' for someone?"

[Honorordeath]

"Alll-right! Just let me know if you need anything, oh-kay?" she said with a wide smile before spinning about and prancing off.

Walker watched as the woman made her exit, a bit crestfallen. There wasn't anything outright in her demeanor to suggest it, of course, she was a properly bubbly serving girl but she still had to hold the weight of her annoyance somewhere and he found it resting in her shoulders when she walked away.

"Everyone's looking for someone," he said, returning himself to the conversation. "Lover, relative, partner, or a rival. Everyone's got someone on their mind."

[Soren Lom]

"Need any help finding someone? I got a few friends who could look around for ya." She said with a smile.

[Honorordeath]

"Is that what it is you do on this rock then, find people?" he asked, a curl showing in his lip but it was hardly something that could be called a smile.

[Soren Lom]

She chuckled merrily, "It is maybe one thing I do... but not the thing I do. The gear grease isn't a costume."

[Honorordeath]

"One part mechanic, one part finder of folk, and another part someone stuck behind. Though I reckon that doesn't make you much more different than the rest of us on that last account," he said, shifting his hand into the hair to flag down the waitress running about once more.

With a happy little nod, customary of the position, she acknowledged his request before finishing up what she was doing for another seated table.

"So that's your spill, finding yourself work off those who come through. How long you been working these parts girl? Such a wide array of services it's a wonder you haven't found yourself a cushier job someplace than can afford to put good food on your table more often than not. Not like around here. Though I suppose it's likely the City has come up in it's years since I've been here last. Noventa always has treated hard working folk well."

[Soren Lom]

She smiled softly and nodded her head, "It's been a few years now... and while cushy has its own appeal... cushy also in this town tends to bring with it certain... restrictions. I prefer a bit more uninhibited life to tell ya the truth. The kind of life where I get to say where I go an' what I do. Do enough work to get by, but spend my time how and where I'd like."