Nar Shaddaa

Zanebry sat in a secluded booth at the Wonderland cafe, steam rolling off the cup of expensive coffee in front of him, it was a luxury but he thought he deserved it, and it was nice to drink something warm in the rain.

Taking a pull from his cigarette he placed it back in the ashtray before reaching for his cup of coffee, eyes on the data pad in his other hand and not on those around him. It seemed he'd have to find another way to get at Evangeline.

"Y-you shouldn't do that. It's bad for your health," Thera said as a way of announcing her presence.

He was about to take another drag when the mandolorian woman showed up, he stopped though, casually moving to puthe it out as he offered her a smile. "Quite right you are Thera."

He gesturedidn't for her to take the seat across from him. "Please join me though." He waited for her to get situated before he continued. "So, how is my Mandolorian lily today?"

She took the seat and smiled. "I, um, want to know what you were doing yesterday. I, well, saw you. You were wearing your hat."

"Coffee?" He asked as he mulled over how he was going to answer her. "I had business there yesterday." He offered at last. "The kind I don't typically talk about." He leaned back in the seat and looked her over carefully. "Is there a reason I should tell you more then that?"

"Well, I, well, don't like people poking into me or my associates. I really, really, don't like it, actually," she mumbled.

"Ah, so this is to be a warning then." He picked up his cup of coffee and took a sip. "If it helps, i wasn't looking into you or the clans." Well not yet at least.

"It was your companion I was interested in. Is that still a problem?"

"Evangeline. You, um, followed her then. She's too clever for her own good." She shifted in her seat and held out her hands. "I want to know why you're looking into her," she stated plainly, without the dainty mask.

"You said the reason yourself, she's a bit too clever for her own good." Taking off his hat he ran his hand through his hair. "She's up to something, and she has started to catch some people's attention. Could be it's nothing too dangerous, could be it's something that will get her killed, and with everything going on it the city, I'm thinking it's the latter."

"Either way I intend to find out, and if at all possible make sure she survives whatever she is doing."

Thera perked a brow. "Why do you care about her safety?"

"She helps keep things here running smoothly for one. Could you imagine what things would be like if something happened to her like what happened to Aris?" He offered her a smile. "Of course it doesn't hurt that she is pretty, and powerful. Mostly though it's that first one."

"Somebody hired you to look into her. Who?" She shook her head. "Somebody had to give you reason to investigate her."

"I'd prefer not to name anyone Thera, especially not in public." They were secluded enough in their both, but that didn't mean no one could be listening.

"Right." She brushed some loose hairs out of her face. "If she's up to something, how do you plan to 'save' her?"

"That depends upon a lot of different factors honestly, what she is doing, who with, as well as a few others. There is always the chance that there is nothing I can do, but I won't know for certain until I know more."

He took a sip of his coffee. "Out of curiosity, are you asking all this for her? Or out of your own concern?"

Thera leaned back in her chair and shrugged. "Hm, well, I dunno. I mean, it's kind of hard to say, you... you know?" She batted her eyelashes afterwards.

"I think I can understand." He replied his lips curling into a charming smile. "It does make me wonder when you are going to let me take you out shopping though." There was a small pause. "Or would you prefer dancing perhaps?"

"W-what? W-why do you want to take me, um, shopping?"

"Mostly because I enjoy your company." Under the table his foot slid forward and he tapped his shoe against her armored boot. "But also because I might like to see you in something besides these armored boots of yours."

He offered her a smile. "Not that they are bad boots or anything."

"I always wear my armor," she said, again breaking character for a bit. "Although, well," she started, her cheeks actually turning red. "Nevermind."

He raised a eyebrow for a moment before offering her a crooked smile. "Armor is something we all wear." He replied casually. Taking a moment to removes his gloves, revealing the scarred hands underneath. The likely weren't that impressive from a Mandolorians point of view, but they were there.

Picking up his cup of coffee he took a slow sip. "Still, my offer stands if you ever wish to take it up. We can probably even find a way to make it not dangerous."

"Maybe. I'll think about it," she said, her cheeks still red. She tapped her armored gloves against the table. "H-how did this, well, even come up?"

He offered her a toothy grin, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "Natural flow of conversation, how could I not ask you out after you dazzled me with those lovely eyes of yours."

"Was there something else you were wanting to ask though?"

Thera rolled her eyes. "Uhuh. Clever tactic, um, Zanebry. Anyways, well, um, what's your next move?"

"Perhaps, but I really was serious about the shopping."

Setting his cup back on the table he knit his fingers together. "That's just what I was considering, I think I'll have to approach things from another angle."