Logged Sept. 8, 2001
Logged by Ashton
Titled:  Checking Out
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Characters: 
Ashton 
Merina 
Dejah Thoris 
Moira
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Hotel Lobby -- Trade City 
        This hotel is both a hotel and a casino. In the lobby, which is richly 
carpeted and gaudily furnished, you can hear the sounds of gamblers shouting to 
Lady Luck from the casino, through the doors to the east. On the west wall, is 
an elevator that takes patrons up to the upper levels, where the hotel rooms are 
located. A protocol droid stands behind the lobby desk, waiting patiently to 
serve you.

Merina walks out from the elevator into the lobby. As she crosses the lobby, she 
begins winding a large scarf around her head, fashioning it into a hood. Her 
expression is unreadable, but she looks tired. It's been a long day, and dealing 
with that box that was delivered this morning has pushed her closer to a 
precipice she'd been spending a great deal of mental energy trying to avoid. She 
reaches into a pocket of her cloak and brings something out. She studies it a 
moment, and then, with a heavy sigh, secrets it back away into a pocket. Those 
two women were helpful last night, but now she needs to figure out her next 
step.

Ashton is standing by the check-in desk as Merina exits the elevator, mentally 
going through the information he and the others have gathered so far. It really 
did look like they had garnered all the information here that they could. It was 
time to move on. He looks up as the elevator doors open and is not really 
surprised to see Merina step out. Due to his concern for her safety, he has 
ingrained her Force presence into his mind and can sense her approach in non-
crowded situations. The Knight steps away from the desk and moves to intercept 
Merina. He wears an apologetic smile on his face. "Hi..."

Merina stops mid wind. Mild surprise is evident on her face, she did not expect 
to see Ashton. She'd not seen him since that night over at the cantina when Tai 
had taken ill. Despite the assurances from Moira and Kastanje, she still feels 
responsible for Tai. Certainly it was clear to her that Ashton did. She manages 
a smile, but it is a bit awkward. She knows what he's come to tell her, and 
she's prepared for it. "Hi" she returns, a hesitancy evident in her voice. She 
wonders how to begin to apologize, and what possible difference it could make.

"Merina... I wanted to talk to you about the other night," the Knight says, a 
bit too directly. "About that whole scene in the cantina..." Ashton gestures 
towards a small seating area in the lobby, a bit off the beaten path.

Merina's smile widens a bit, though it is forced. Here it comes. She crosses her 
arms tightly across herself, as though she is chilled, though it is only a sign 
of her own discomfiture. She takes a breath and gives one resolute nod. She 
inclines her head toward the seating area indicated, and begins to move in that 
direction. She finds it hard to swallow suddenly. "Yeah" she says in an exhale. 
"I guess we need to talk about that, don't we?" her voice is brittle. She feels 
apprehension flood every nerve. She shuts her eyes, takes a deep breath and 
manages a smile. She can do this.

Ashton leads Merina over to the sofa, gesturing for her to sit down. He takes a 
seat on the sofa as well, turning to her with his hands clasped together on his 
knees. "Look, I'm not too certain what happened the other night, but I think we 
got our wires crossed," he begins, flashing a glance up at Merina 
apologetically. "I talked to Kast and she told me what had happened... she also 
said you thought I was upset with you..." The Knight is perfectly comfortable 
outwardly, but he feels pretty bad about the entire mix-up and it does show on 
his facial features if one is astute enough to pick up on that. "At the time you 
were 'avoiding' me because you thought I might be mad at you, I figured being 
here had upset you and you blamed me for it. For bringing you here... So I 
thought you were mad at me." He looks back at Merina, an eyebrow arched 
slightly, and wonders if that made any sense.

Dejah Thoris steps into the hotel lobby and glances around. She spots Merina 
talking with Ashton and her eyes narrow a bit.

Merina blinks in stunned silence at this revelation. It is not at all what she 
expects to hear. A small half laugh issues from her throat. She searches for 
words "You thought *I* was cross with *you*?" She shakes her head. "I had no 
reason to be, being back here is no cause for anger." She is still trying to 
accept what he has said. "I thought you were angry with me about letting Tai get 
himself into such a predicament. It certainly didn't look good, and I know I 
could have prevented it" She looks down at her own hands. Her gaze goes back up 
to Ashton. She pauses for a moment. It hasn't really all sunk in. "No, I'm not 
cross at all, and I understand if" she swallows "if" she can't continue. She 
just asks again. "you thought I was angry with you?"

Dejah Thoris' hand drifts to her waist, where she rubs her side -- or so it 
appears from a distance. She approaches the droid at the front desk and has a 
soft conversation with it.

Ashton raises an eyebrow at Merina and his apologetic look is soon replaced by 
his usual, easy smile. "That?" He shakes his head slowly, "You're not to blame 
for Tai Jinn's actions, Merina... ever. He's a young man that is responsible for 
his own actions. It was a learning experience for him, and I can guarantee one 
that will make him think twice about accepting any drink given to him. I know he 
looks young, but he is quite capable of taking care of himself..." His smile 
fades as something tugs at his subconscious, but with this week's happenings, he 
isn't surprised. After all, he'd already run into two Sith on the planet, 
including one who claimed to be the Sith Lord of the Krath.

Merina smiles a little herself as he says this, but she still feels awkward and 
uncomfortable. She looks past Ashton, and notices Dejah Thoris at the reception 
desk. "but you didn't want.." she begins to protest, but then lets it drop. "So 
I'm not angry with you and you're not angry with me." It doesn't answer her 
other questions, and she is afraid to ask them, and does not even know how to 
begin. She puts a hand in her pocket and fidgets with something. She looks at 
him, and as is ever her ploy, changes the subject. "so then you saw Kast got a 
new cloak to replace the one Tai took?" If he's going to drop his quest to help 
her, she'll know soon enough. She won't ask.

Dejah Thoris reaches across the counter and takes something the protocol droid 
hands her -- perhaps a message or something the front desk was holding for her. 
Then she turns back around, looking once again at Merina with narrowed, clever 
eyes.

Ashton gets that face that every man does when the woman he likes makes a change 
and he's too ignorant to compliment her on it. "Umm, yeah, I did..." he flashes 
a quick smile to cover the slip-up. "Looks like you ladies found plenty to do 
yesterday while I was out of the city." he nods upwards, as if gesturing to the 
upper rooms. "From what Moira and Kast told me, it looks like we've discovered 
the fate of the Ocicat... and without too much more information than we had 
before." He pauses to contemplate for a moment. "So I guess we move on... find 
the origin of the cargo and find out what it was and where or who it was 
intended for."

Merina spares Ashton a small grin as he responds to her. She knows well enough 
what that look means, and she's inwardly pleased that he liked her choice for 
Tanya. It did look stunning on her. Her expression changes to one of puzzlement 
as he continues to speak. "Yes. I figure Ric has the cargo somewhere then, 
because Screee" she pales, shakes her head and again, changes the subject. "we? 
we move on?" she is surprised. This is unexpected "Umm, we, er I know what the 
cargo was. At least I know what I was told what it was before.." she stops 
again. How much was there she hadn't told him? She needs some sort of excuse to 
get around this before she unravels completely. She catches Dejah's glance. "ah, 
see her there? She was sort of helping me as well..."

Dejah Thoris slowly approaches the two, and eyes Ashton much the way she might 
eye a large insect crawling across her dinner plate. She says simply, "Hello, 
Merina."

Turning in his seat, Ashton takes in Dejah for the first time he can recall. 
She's probably been around before, but must not have caught his attention if she 
had. "Really?" he says to Merina questioningly. He doesn't give Dejah the once 
over she's probably already given him when he wasn't looking. Instead he looks 
into the eyes. He notes the disdain in her look and wonders how he offended this 
one. Seems he's on a roll right now. "Afternoon," he offers in greeting to the 
woman. "Appreciate any help you've been able to offer... thanks..." He doesn't 
seem too suspicious of her. Everyone has been giving him the disdainful look 
here, since he's definitely not a local.

Dejah Thoris says smoothly, in a way that almost sounds as if it were a mild 
reprimand from the tone -- despite the neutral words -- "Merina seems, for the 
most part, not to have needed my help."

Merina is at a loss for words. So she decides an introduction. "Ashton, this is 
Dejah Thoris, Dejah this is Ashton Quince" for some reason, she dispenses with 
the formality of titles, not that Dejah has one, but because she errs on the 
side that prudent silence is wise.

Dejah Thoris inclines her head slightly toward Ashton.

Ashton nods to Dejah smoothly. "Well, that doesn't make your offer to help any 
less appreciated." The Knight looks over at Merina for a moment, and then back 
to Dejah, noting he isn't exactly needed here as Dejah and Merina seem to know 
one another. Good time to get the bags. He rises from his seat. "Well, it was a 
pleasure to meet you, Dejah Thoris," he says, inclining his head and then he 
turns to Merina. "I'll go get Moira and the rest of our things... we should be 
leaving this afternoon."

Dejah Thoris says, "Oh, are you leaving again so soon, Merina?"

Merina sighs. There is was, despite what she'd thought she'd heard earlier, 
there it was "you'll be leaving? Alright. Thank you for your help." She looks at 
Dejah, and then looks at Ashton. She's confused.

Merina thinks .oO(oh but I do want back off this snowball...)

Ashton stops dead in his tracks as he's walking away, casting a worried look 
back at Merina. "Umm, I meant we, as in all of us, Merina." he says with a grin. 
"We'll wait for you to get your stuff together and we'll get it back to 
Perave..'" he hopes that sets her mind at ease...


Dejah Thoris nods and says, "Well, I hope you find whatever it is you are 
looking for. I must go." Then she heads out of the hotel.

Merina is surprised, but obvious relief spread across her face. "Alright. I'll 
be there then. I've not much to collect"
Merina thinks .oO(I'm going to have to tell him the rest of what I know...)

Ashton nods then as Dejah leaves, and waits for Merina to catch up on their way 
to the elevator. "Collect Moira and Rruka, and our stuff... we can be out of the 
system in a couple of hours," he says as he calls the elevator, turning to give 
Merina another of his patented reassurance smiles.

Moira Brennan steps off the elevator, looking fairly cheerful. Getting sleep 
will do that for you. The girl is wearing her coat and the new gloves, so 
apparently she's on her way out into the freezing air of the planet. Actually, 
she's pulling the gloves on as she makes her way towards the doors, and as a 
consequence isn't looking where she's going. She almost bumps into Ashton as a 
result. "Oh! Hello." she exclaims.

Ashton steps back from the lift as Moira just about bounces out of the lift. His 
reassuring smile becomes one of amusement. He lifts his hand up and gestures 
Moira back into the lift. "Come on... we're getting our stuff... time to leave 
this ice ball."

END OF LOG