To Ky, nothing felt better after a long day chasing bounties than to take a seat and grab a drink at the nearest cantina. She never remembered the names of the small cantinas and outposts she frequented; with all the worlds she had visited -not to mention passing through the various cities dotting each of those worlds- the small haunts usually blended together until they all seemed the same. The Poison Pit became the Nexus became the Shifting Sands became...she couldn't even tell anymore. When her minds was on a target, her surroundings often passed in a blur.

This time, however, was an exception. This side-trip to Dromund Kaas had been brief, a quick stopover to do a favor for Crysta. Her former handler had asked for all due discretion in the task, which Ky was happy to provide. It was the least she could do to repay the woman who had guided her through the Great Hunt. Once the task was finished and her fee paid, Ky retired to the Nexus for her standard post-job drink. She sat in one corner of the cantina, alone for the first time since she had arrived on Hutta all those months ago. Normally, Mako joined her for these post-job drinking sessions, but the girl had declined the invitation in favor of running errands to restock the Mantis' provisions. Ky didn't argue, knowing all too well the importance of a well-stocked ship. In the past, she had had to tighten her belt on more than one occasion between jobs, so these rare boom times were good to take advantage of, lest the day come when the credits stopped flowing.

Looking around the cantina, Ky noticed it was largely empty. This really didn't surprise her. Dromund Kaas was not a heavily populated world, and the bulk of its population were Imperials. She was sure the busy life of an Imperial soldier or officer precluded sitting in a cantina drinking the day away, even if it was a well-lit and well-stocked one. Continuing to scan the room, she easily spotted Gault sitting at the bar; the one-horned Devaronian was apparently telling a story of some sort to the person sitting at his left elbow. Judging by his grandiose gestures, Ky silently wagered he was telling of their exploits, with a...heavy slant toward his contributions. She didn't care, as long as he did the jobs assigned to him he could tell whatever kind of exaggerated tales he wanted.

"Hey." The single word, followed by the scraping sound of a chair sliding against the floor, startled her out of her thoughts. She looked over to see Torian sitting diagonally across from her, drink in hand. She was glad the lighting in this corner of the cantina was such that it hid the slight blush on her cheeks, and she tried to put on a casual act.

"Torian?" she asked, taking another sip of her drink. "Where have you been? I haven't seen you all day. Even Mako had no idea where you ran off to."

"Didn't run off anywhere. Hiked out to the Mandalorian camp. Wanted to check things out for myself," Torian replied. He downed his drink in three gulps, then gestured to have another brought to him. "Thought I'd mentioned that to you. Sorry if I didn't."

She waved it off. "No need to apologize. You probably said something about it, but I was too wrapped up with helping Crysta to recall," she said. "I'm just glad you're back in one piece. What are your impressions of the encampment?"

He shrugged, picking up the drink as it was placed on the table. "Seems like a good camp," he said, taking another long swig from the glass. "Observed it from a distance. Didn't want to get too close, in case they were hostile."

"Does that happen often? Clans being hostile to members of another clan, I mean." She finished off her own drink, and gestured absently for another, attention still focused on the young Mandalorian warrior. Ever since her adoption after successfully completing the Great Hunt, she harbored a curiosity about the Mandalorian people, wanting to learn more about them. Torian seemed like the best person to learn from.

"From time to time. Rival clans don't always get along with each other. Sort of like rival bounty hunters, I wager."

She laughed a bit. "Safe bet," she replied. "If that were a real bet, you would be collecting right about now." Gingerly, she flexed the fingers on her right hand, feeling a flash of pain from her forearm. During her travels about the planet, she'd run into a rival hunter. Words were exchanged, threats issued, fighting began, and his vibroknife had found a weak spot in the armor on her forearm. Had it sunk in any deeper, she might have lost the arm completely. The Kolto was working, Mako had seen to that. But there were some things that only time could heal completely, a stab wound apparently being one of them.

She knew he was watching her. "How's the arm?" he asked.

She gave a small shrug. "Still attached," she replied. "It hasn't turned black and fallen off, so I think it'll be fine with time." She felt her heart race slightly when she noticed the small smile cross his lips. Try as she might, that smile always made her feel...strange. She focused her attention back on her arm, trying to hide the blush that tinged her cheeks.

She felt him watch her keenly. "Dressing need to be changed?" he asked. She shook her head no, Mako had already helped with that earlier. He nodded, but didn't say anything.

As they finished their drinks, they both fell quiet. Only the cantina music and voices of other patrons filled the silence that had sprung up between them. After several minutes, Torian spoke again. "Ever eaten Mandalorian food?" he asked. "At your adoption, maybe?"

"Couldn't say," she replied. "I was so overwhelmed with everything that was going on that I could have had some and don't recall. I've always meant to track some down, regardless."

He let out a soft laugh. "Understandable," he said. "All the activity surrounding the Great Hunt can be pretty intense. Now that things are a bit calmer, want to try it?"

Now it was her turn to laugh. She met his eyes with hers, one eyebrow raised. "Is that your way of asking me out?" she asked.

"Maybe," he said with a shrug. "Thought I might make you some tiingilar, see what you think."

Her head spun a bit as she considered his question. Of all the things she had expected him to ask her, a dinner date ranked pretty low on the list. She thought he would remain the same combat-focused individual he had been when they met, upholding honor and tradition above anything else. Did this mean his time spent with the crew was changing him? She didn't know, but she was willing to find out.

"Pick a time," she answered with a smile, "and we'll have dinner."

He returned her smile, this time more fully. "Good. Plan on it later," he said. "Think of it as a challenge. They say any woman who can survive a plate of tiingilar is a keeper."

"Oh, do they now?" Ky's tone was teasing. "And how did I miss this particular nugget of information? Had I known that a long time ago, it might have saved me some trouble, you know."

"I imagine it would have. I'll fix you some, soon as I can get back to the galley."

She was about to continue her thought when a wave of dizziness swept over her. The events of the past couple days were catching up to her, it seemed. She clutched her forehead in one hand, giving her head a brisk shake to clear it. "I think that's my cue to take it easy for a day or two," she said. "I should head back to the ship and get some rest."

"Good idea." Torian rose from his seat, offering a steadying hand. Ky began to wave it off, but when her knees buckled as she tried to stand, she decided to take his hand. He firmly gripped her shoulders, allowing her to acclimate to the change in posture, only letting go when she seemed steady on her feet. "I'm going to scout around a bit more," he said. "Should also pick up supplies for dinner. I'll be back to the ship in a couple hours." He gave a reassuring smile and a squeeze to her shoulder before he exited the cantina.

Gault appeared at her elbow almost instantaneously. "You two sure seem to be getting along," he said, keeping close in case she started to feel dizzy again. "He's a good kid, though he needs to loosen up here and there."

Ky nodded her agreement. "He's come a long way already," she replied. "The rest should come easy for him." She leaned back against the table as another wave of dizziness hit, though this one only lasted a few seconds.

"All right. I think that's a sign you need to head back," Gault aid, reaching for his comm. "I'm gonna radio Mako, see if she'll come give you a hand. By the way, the ship's mine if you die on me, right?"

Ky rolled her eyes. "I am not going to die," she replied. "Even if I were, you're a bit late. Already promised it to Mako. You want it after I'm dead, you'll have to take it up with her."