[MillietheWarrior]

(Human form)

Balia took a tentative bite of the sandwich, smiling slightly as it exceeded her expectations. It was much better than she thought. She dusted a few crumbs off her white lab coat, knowing she only had a little while before she had to head back to the base, and ultimately, back to work. She was off on her lunch break, and for once, Balia had elected for some real food instead of the horrible, tasteless stuff they served in the cafeteria. She leaned back in her chair, one arm resting across her lap and the other lifting the sandwich for another bite. It’d been a few months since she’d come to the base to work with Ashlyn on a ‘top secret’ project. Balia was an intern who’d volunteered for the position; when she’d been chosen for it, she’d been ecstatic.

A chance to research genetics, DNA and cloning techniques? Who could pass up such a tempting offer? Of course, when she arrived, she was overwhelmed  by the sheer amount of men who inhabited the base. Needless to say, it was somewhat of a struggle to stay single. She giggled to herself at that thought; so far, she’d been able to deflect any and all attempts at being asked out on a ‘date.’ She felt she was getting rather good at gently letting them down. But Balia needed to focus on her work; she didn’t volunteer for the internship to meet men. She’d volunteered to learn, to study, and to help change people’s lives. Balia finished up her sandwich and lifted her cup of soda up to take a sip. She glanced down at the watch on her wrist; she still had twenty minutes before she had to head back.

Balia was a little disappointed to be heading back so soon. Lately, the base had been overflowing with outsiders that had been hired by the Republic, either to train the Clones, or to be battlefield consultants and weapons experts. It was beginning to feel a little cramped around there. Balia herself had never met any of these outside interlopers, and she hoped to keep it that way until she had to leave. She really didn’t need any distractions right now.

[1]

[Kallile]

Human Form

Arms folded over his mat-black and faded, musky pink armor, Shukur paced through the streets of a nearby town. He was beginning to think that he'd never been so bored in all his life. He was a Mando--a mercenary, a bounty hunter, anything he could possibly think of, he could be. But no, he'd been one of apparently quite a few who had gotten a call to this base...to train the Clones.

While his brother Tal was all for the idea (which, it seemed, had another purpose besides training) to be able to recruit worthy brethren into their clan, Shukur was far from it. The only thing interesting on this planet was something called 'the 80's"--which seemed like nothing more than years of party and revolution. That he liked.

Running a hand through his shortly cropped dark pink hair and down to his stubble-covered chin, he let out a sigh. He hoped Tal finished whatever he was planning and fast. He passed a small diner and instantly stopped and took a few steps back. There--he knew that woman in the lab-coat. She was from the base; one of those science nerd-girls trying to help the Clones. A rather predatory smirk fell over his face. Well...he could always make his own entertainment.

Strolling inside he took a seat directly beside the woman in the lab coat as he watched the lone waitress scramble around behind the bar to keep up with the cook. "What would you recommend?" He drawled to Balia, flashing her a toothy, suave smile.

[1]

[MillietheWarrior]

Balia was aware of two things; the first was that she was no longer alone, and the second was that the man who sat beside her was one of the Mando interlopers brought to the base to train the Clones. She shifted slightly in her seat, her dark magenta eyes sliding over to rest on the man who was sitting far too close for comfort. For a moment, she debated just getting up and leaving; but that would be a hassle for her, and she did not fancy going back to work early.

Her thoughts of escape were halted a moment later, however, when she realized he was speaking to her. Balia turned to regard him with a withering gaze, letting out an annoyed huff that she tried unsuccessfully to keep him from noticing. “I’d recommend that you move a seat or two down; you’re in my personal space,” she said, flashing him a frown that said she was not entirely pleased with his presence.

If he’d been a Clone, or anyone else for that matter, she might have either ignored him or had an inclination to strike up a conversation. As it was, he was an outsider, and certainly not one she wanted hanging around her; that smile of his had put her on edge. “So if you’d be so kind; I’d like to enjoy the rest of my lunch break in peace, thanks.” She lifted her soda and took another sip, hoping he’d take the very obvious hint and leave.

[2]

[Kallile]

Leaning one elbow against the counter, Shukur made very sure that the lab-coat clad woman had to all but turn her back on him and eat over thin air to miss him. So she wanted to play this the cold shoulder way, huh? Well, he'd learned one thing in his life and that was if you took every little hint everyone gave you and went with it; you got no satisfaction in life.

Besides...he enjoyed the thrill of the chase. He was just setting the bait to see if she was worth the chase or if he should just take her down quickly and move on. So many lovely faces to see and so very little time in an average lifespan.

"Ah, well then, consider your space bubble popped. Name's Shukur...what might yours be?" Not that he really cared. She'd be a two week...maybe three week chase tops. He'd never need to remember for long. He leaned a little closer, watching her take a drink and try to go back to ignoring him.

"I am so kind...kind enough to provide you with a little afternoon entertainment, in fact."

[2]

[MillietheWarrior]

Balia had to all but lean back to avoid being even closer to the man as he leaned towards her. She sipped her coke nervously, eyes darting around the nearly deserted restaurant, and then back to the Mando. Why couldn’t they just leave her alone? She went off base for lunch to get away from them all, yet here it seemed one of them had followed her.

Balia drew her head back as he leaned towards her, and reached out a hand to rest to fingers delicately on his shoulder, as if he was a dirty washcloth she didn’t want to touch. “Yeah, I don’t think so,” she growled, narrowing dark, smoky eyes at him. “And I don’t need your name or any ‘entertainment.’ I think you leaving would be entertainment enough, thanks.” She set her coke down and grasped the arms of her chair, scooting it over with a few quick hops.

“You don’t need to know my name, because we’re not going to be acquainted. So yeah…scoot away, Mando boy. Not interested.” She waved her hand dismissively at him, leaning back in her chair. Balia grabbed her soda once more, closing her eyes as she slumped down and hoped no one noticed she’d been talking to a Mando; they’d think she was a freak.

[3]

[Kallile]

Leaning his head onto his fist, Shukur only grinned at his new target. He liked the spice in her voice and the fire in her eyes....and the fact that she herself was very, very easy to look at. The fact that she was shooting him down right off the bat didn't deter him; instead it solidified in his mind that he'd picked a worthy target to pursue. Any girl who would just throw herself into his arms was no fun, he'd found, and he got bored easily with them. But ones like this little lab-geek...they were his favorite.

"You haven't even heard my full proposition yet, labby." Shukur chided at her, grinning suavely. The two didn't exactly match--but he planned it that way. Women, more than anyone else, hated tones and facial features not matching. It made them think and wonder; it infuriated them. And a flustered woman was one who was much easier to keep talking. Any angry woman tended to have a lot to say...about most everything.

Not his favorite method of starting a chase by any means...but if the shoe fits...

[3]

[MillietheWarrior]

Balia’s eyes slowly slid back to Shukur, a dark, smoldering gaze that clearly said she wasn’t pleased with his persistence. Her gaze flickered up and down his face, silently infuriated by the wayward grin he had on his face. Everything he was saying was just itching to get under her skin; Balia had a feeling this wasn’t going to end well…or anytime soon, for that matter. She creased her brow, and turned away, hoping if she ignored him, he’d just leave. But she knew, before she’d even told him to get lost, that he wasn’t going anywhere.

She’d seen that look on a man’s face before, and she knew persistence when she saw it. “Don’t call me ‘labby,’” she said dangerously, taking a slow sip of her soda and considering walking out right then and there. But dang it if she wasn’t actually interested in what he had to say. “I don’t want to hear any propositions,” she muttered, rolling her eyes. “So you know…shoo, boy. Run on back home, or wherever it is your from.” She made a shooing motion with her hand, turning her head away from him so she couldn’t see the smirk on her face; sometimes she just made herself laugh.

[Kallile]

A single eyebrow quirked out of place on Shukur's face at her equal persistence to get him to go away. She wasn't reacting quite as normally as he had expected her too...but then again he'd never given chase to the science-y or geeky types before. That only made her all the more appealing; she was an entirely new breed of woman to him and he wanted nothing more than to figure out just how long she could hold out on the chase. If she was dedicated enough to sit for hours and look at cells and formulas or whatever it was she did...Shukur guessed he was in for quite a thrilling chase.

"With comments like that you must not have met many good men." He drawled, not moving to make her look at him this time. He'd given her enough of that and she was still here. now he needed to keep her here with words and thought-provoking statements. "A man like me won't just 'shoo' at your bidding. We're a little more lack on our training."

He grinned, narrowing his eyes a little to further focus on what features of her face he could make out. "I think you might. You've been stuck in that lab since you got here...why go back so soon when there's an actual world out here to...study." His drawl was relentless and growing deeper and richer by the moment until it was almost intimate sounding.

[4]

[MillietheWarrior]

Balia raised an eyebrow, frowning slightly as she continued to persistently avoid his attention. She tucked a stray strand of curly pink hair behind her ear, grumbling under her breath. “I suppose, by that statement, you are implying that your one of these ‘good men’ I’m suppose to meet? Because from what I’ve seen of your mannerisms, facial features and the way your speaking to me, it seems to me that your classified as nothing more than a ‘typical male.’”

She uncrossed her legs and refolded them to get a bit more comfortable, sipping idly on her soda as she waited for him to take her comment and run off with it. Maybe if she kept this up, he’d get tired of her or frustrated enough to leave on his own, and she could enjoy the rest of her break in peace. “Mm-hm. I can see that. You must’ve skipped the lessons in ‘etiquette.’ When someone tells you to ‘go away,’ the polite thing to do is acquiesce to their request.” Her eyes strayed to his, and she turned her head slightly to stare at him, wondering exactly how he knew she spent most, if not all, of her time in the lab.

Her gaze narrowed, eyes glowing with annoyance, before she ‘humphed’ and twisted her head back around, hair falling over her shoulder. “So far, I haven’t seen anything worth studying,” she said primly. “And that hasn’t changed in the past few minutes, either. I honestly don’t know why your still talking to me, frankly. Don’t you have…targets to shoot, and Clones to teach? Why don’t you run off and do manly things; kill a bunny or something and leave me alone.”

[5]

[Kallile]

"That all depends on the men I'm guessing you've met before." He said with a suave grin, watching her with a nonchalant nature that he held with such ease and practice that it was unnerving. Well well, woman-kind proved him right again. Get them irritated and suddenly their tongues became very free. "Of course, if you prefer the 'bad boy' types, I can satisfy that desire as well."

He made a small "psh" noise and rose from his leaning position to motion with his hands towards his face. "Do you really think this is the product of some charm school? The only charm you need where I come from is knowing how to be merciful by killing quickly...and rescue the occasional damsel is distress."

He quirked his other eyebrow this time, regarding her with an amused grin. "And would you like me to bring that bunny back to you so you can study the insides of nature?" Inwardly, he was flinching a little at that. But, if she wanted to play this game, he'd have to keep up with her...and that meant moving up levels as she did. "Besides--it's a little Mando-congested at the base. I'm considering this my first self-appointed day off."

[5]

[MillietheWarrior]

“I prefer,” Balia drawled, snorting in annoyance. “If you and your act would wind down and just get lost. What part of ‘go away’ don’t you understand? Is it the whole phrase? Or just the 'go' part? I can explain it to you, if you like.” She turned to level him with a heated glare, dark magenta eyes blazing against a tanned face and framed by the dark pink curls of her loosely bound hair. She seemed utterly annoyed by him; Balia had a very short fuse when it came to people; she could spend hours on a single science project, and never so much as breath louder than necessary.

But when confronted with an annoyingly persistent man who wouldn’t take no for an answer, she found that her patience was no longer infinite. “I don’t know what kind of women you’ve met in the past, but talking about ‘killing people’ is not a turn on, I can guarantee you that.” She paused, flashing him a dark frown, teeth grinding together. “And I am not a damsel in distress. The only ‘distress’ that’s going on here, is the distress your causing me. Why don’t you go annoy someone who likes to be annoyed?”

She shuddered, nearly dropping her soda as she shot him a dark, disgusted look. “Your sick. Why would I want to study a bunny’s insides? They’re not as interesting as the Clones. Now those genes…” She smiled somewhat dreamily, as if forgetting he was there. “Those are worth exploring. All those DNA strands and sequences…so many mysteries to unravel…”

[6]

[Kallile]

Shoulders shaking in a light chuckle, Shukur listened to her talking, telling him off for the things he was saying. Well, what did she expect to hear from a full-blooded Mandalorian? Granted, he didn't know what she knew about any culture beyond how much scientific advancements they'd made. Though, if she were really so into the Clones, he would hope she knew where their blood even came from.

Even if, in Shukur's eyes, it had been a completely shameful sell-out move.


"Should I put out a notice that we need one brave soul to sacrifice his life for the greater good of science and study? I'm sure they'll all love that." He said in an amused tone as he watched her sip away at her soda. "If you're so infatuated, why not dine with them instead of out here in the middle of no where?"

[6]

[MillietheWarrior]

Balia rolled her eyes at him, grumbling under her breath. “I’m sure they would. You men are all the same,” she snorted, lifting herself off the chair. She might as well start walking back, at least to get away from this idiot. Men didn’t seem to know how to take ‘no’ for an answer. Apparently, they didn’t know what the phrase ‘go away’ meant either.

“I don’t want to eat with them; I want to study their genetics. That doesn’t mean I need to spend every waking moment hanging around them. Besides, I came here for a little peace and quiet; not to be followed by another male.” She growled softly and turned to glare at him. “So if you don’t mind, I’m going back to the base…alone. Why don’t you stick around here and hit on some poor, unsuspecting woman and leave me be?” She whirled with a flip of her hair and strode out the door, her soda still clutched tightly in her hand.

[7]

[Kallile]

Shukur elected not to answer her, or even make a real acknowledgment that she'd spoken. He liked to call this part 'setting the hook'; in which he seemed to relent and the woman in question got a false sense of winning. After which, he would gladly prove them wrong and start on breaking down their defenses again.

So he watched her exit the diner and held up two fingers for the waitress. When she came by he ordered a small soda and leaned back against the bar. He watched the lab coat and shock of pink hair disappear around the corner as he downed half his soda.

~*~

It was about five minutes later, but Shukur had an easy time tracking down Baila. After all, it wasn't like many women in the world had brilliant pink hair. Or pranced around in lab coats in public. Siddling up beside her he grinned smugly down at her. "I just remembered," he drawled out "that I do have a class to teach. Guess we have a common destination."

[7]

[MillietheWarrior]

Balia was quite happy to manage the rest of the walk on her own. Once or twice she glanced over her shoulder, just to be sure that he wasn’t following her as she rounded the path that would take her back to the base. When no head of dark pink hair appeared, she figured she was in the clear. But when heavy boot steps sounded behind her, Balia squeezed her eyes shut and growled softly; she didn’t dare turn to look, because she knew the moment she did, he would be there.

Of course, he saved her the trouble of turning around by sidling up close to her; she could almost feel the smirk on his face. Her smoky magenta eyes slowly drifted up to settle on him, and she made a disappointed noise in the back of her throat. “Of course you ‘just remembered,’” she muttered under her breath. “-How convenient for you. How about you walk on by and leave me alone, Mando-boy? I definitely don’t want you walking behind me. Besides, you have a longer stride.”

She slowed her pace for emphasis. “So go on. Get. And if anyone asks, you and I never met, we don’t know each other, and we are not employed at the same base. I don’t want to be associated with a common thug, thanks.” She swirled her soda around in her cup; he had about five seconds to get lost or she couldn’t be responsible for what her annoyance might make her do.