Beyond - Legends The Odd Couple [Mara, Borsk]

[ ]



?I don?t like this,? Mara Jade growled.

?No-one?s asking you to like it,? Borsk Fey?lya countered smoothly, leaning back in his seat and steepling his fingers, one side of his lip curling up in a smile as he looked at her across his desk. Over the three days they?d been on Nar Shadda, he?d learnt that nothing ruffled her metaphorical fur more effectively than cool, calm control.

?You?re a professional,? he continued, with an airy wave of one hand. ?And you?re being paid a more than generous retainer for your services.? He cocked an eyebrow. ?Or do you resent being employed by an alien??

?I resent being blackmailed by anybody,? Mara answered, with a stiff shrug. ?You know that I?m only here because of what you?re holding over Karrde and Skywalker.?

?You're the best,? he shrugged back. ?That's why I wanted you, and that?s why I made sure I got you. You should be flattered, really.?

?Oh? Really??

?Really,? he agreed. ?You don?t have to like this, you don?t have to like me ? you just have to do your job. And I?m confident that you?ll do it well. I?ve read our files on you, and the Empire?s, and a few of Karrde?s. You won?t let personal feelings get in the way.?

?Thanks,? she snarled, turning away, pacing across towards the row of tall, tinted windows that filled one wall of their rented apartment. ?I?ll try not to disappoint you.?

?I?m sure you won?t,? he nodded, following her with his eyes, noting the tension in her shoulders, the way her fingers curled into angry claws, and the lightness of her tread on the carpeted floor.

Her hackles are up, he thought, smiling at the idea. It was one phrase of human body-language that wasn?t that different from the Bothan equivalent ? but setting aside the semantics, that was exactly how he wanted her. She was a guard-dog, and you didn?t let your guard-dogs get comfortable or complacent. You kept them hungry and sharp, like naked blades.

?You were Palpatine?s guard-dog,? he remarked. ?What?s so bad about being mine for a few days??

In answer, she just folded her arms across her chest, and stared mutely out the window at the bright lights of the city, her back turned to him.

He let the silence settle in the room, pulling up his desktop repeater screen, checking his transmission log and glancing through the Bothan-language HNN ?feed, mentally decoding the three messages encrypted in the text for him.

The code was elegant in its simplicity. Any decrypt slicer or droid-brain could find a hundred similar messages in the page, some deliberately placed, but most simply the product of random chance. The trick lay in knowing where to look.

?We meet with the Hutt at oh-two-hundred,? he said eventually, his voice conversational, almost friendly. ?How do you want to handle it? You want to have another snoop around beforehand??

?No need,? she answered, without looking round. Her voice was flat and clipped ? not just distinctly human, but Imperial. That, too, was part of why he had selected her. ?There should be plenty of information on the local ?feeds ? more than I can safely get by snooping around myself, at any rate, and several different perspectives, which is always useful. I can collate it all from here in half the time it would take to do a physical recce, and without any of the risk or personal discomfort.?

?You do that, then,? he nodded, standing up. ?I?ll fix supper.?

?I?d rather?.? she began, but her voice trailed off. They?d had this discussion the night before, and the night before that ? and she already knew what he was going to say. Perhaps literally, considering her latent Force-sensitivity.

?They check the ?fresher waste,? he reminded her. ?You want to risk blowing our cover because you?d rather have Pashi noodles and Tranna nougat??

He smiled to see her clench her fists in response, but he was still slightly disappointed when she didn?t answer back.

She?s learning, he mused. Pretty soon, they would be playing by a new set of rules. But for now, he couldn?t pass

 

[Just when I think you can't get any crazier...you prove me wrong!

*tackles Thrawn in running hug*]

Elena

 

::gapes::

Er...wow. I'm very interested in this...and where it's going..

 

Her hackles are up, he thought



Are we up to a fic a day now? I suppose this one wasn't written for the interspecies shock value implied by the title either

YK note: I was humming the Odd Couple theme as I read this.

 

Defintely out there. Well done, though.
Myra

 

Elena: Hey!

But thanks!!

Mirax-Jade: ::gapes::

Er...wow. I'm very interested in this...and where it's going..

Thanks - I think. :8

Needless to say, Mara, Borsk and the TOS all have something against interspecies relationships... but the idea of putting them in awkward situations together just seemed like a lot of fun...

YK:

Hah!

Are we up to a fic a day now?

Well, Elena produced three yesterday - and one of those is up to three posts already!

I suppose this one wasn't written for the interspecies shock value implied by the title either

Mnope. That would be [Mara/Borsk], not [Mara, Borsk].

And since [Mara/Borsk] would be against the TOS, any scenes in which Mara & Borsk managed to outflank their own psychological blocks against any sort of romantic relationships with each other would have to be delivered by PM and/or added to an archive version at WOOKIEEHut...

YK note: I was humming the Odd Couple theme as I read this.

What happened to the electric lyre?

Mirax_Corran: Defintely out there. Well done, though.

Thanks!

- The Imperial Ewok

 

You are insane! (just kidding)

 

McEwok:

 

Very sneaky use of punctuation in the title there, I must say...

Great 'fic!

 

[review follows here ... ]


Edit:




Der gute Mann ... ähmm ... Ewok hat zu viel Zeit!!



[ ]




?I don?t like this,? Mara Jade growled.

Does she ever?


?No-one?s asking you to like it,? Borsk Fey?lya countered smoothly, leaning back in his seat and steepling his fingers, one side of his lip curling up in a smile as he looked at her across his desk. Over the three days they?d been on Nar Shadda, he?d learnt that nothing ruffled her metaphorical fur more effectively than cool, calm control.

what by all Hutt slime they are doing on Nar Shadda? !

metaphorical fur?
he should look that she doesn?t ruffle his fur


?You?re a professional,? he continued, with an airy wave of one hand. ?And you?re being paid a more than generous retainer for your services.? He cocked an eyebrow. ?Or do you resent being employed by an alien??

*blinks*




?I resent being blackmailed by anybody,? Mara answered, with a stiff shrug. ?You know that I?m only here because of what you?re holding over Karrde and Skywalker.?


Farmboy in trouble and that with Karrde? How did they manage that?
Mara must love them when she is working with that `furball´ ( )


?You're the best,? he shrugged back. ?That's why I wanted you, and that?s why I made sure I got you. You should be flattered, really.?

?Oh? Really??

*imagines Mara really annoyed*


?Really,? he agreed. ?You don?t have to like this, you don?t have to like me ? you just have to do your job. And I?m confident that you?ll do it well. I?ve read our files on you, and the Empire?s, and a few of Karrde?s. You won?t let personal feelings get in the way.?

?Thanks,? she snarled, turning away, pacing across towards the row of tall, tinted windows that filled one wall of their rented apartment. ?I?ll try not to disappoint you.?

Hah!


?I?m sure you won?t,? he nodded, following her with his eyes, noting the tension in her shoulders, the way her fingers curled into angry claws, and the lightness of her tread on the carpeted floor.


nice analogy ... um ... Bothan-thinking?


Her hackles are up, he thought, smiling at the idea. It was one phrase of human body-language that wasn?t that different from the Bothan equivalent ? but setting aside the semantics, that was exactly how he wanted her. She was a guard-dog, and you didn?t let your guard-dogs get comfortable or complacent. You kept them hungry and sharp, like naked blades.


a guard-dog?
a bit insulting... would I say


?You were Palpatine?s guard-dog,? he remarked. ?What?s so bad about being mine for a few days??


telling her?!


In answer, she just folded her arms across her chest, and stared mutely out the window at the bright lights of the city, her back turned to him.

He let the silence settle in the room, pulling up his desktop repeater screen, checking his transmission log and glancing through the Bothan-language HNN ?feed, mentally decoding the three messages encrypted in the text for him.

The code was elegant in its simplicity. Any decrypt slicer or droid-brain could find a hundred similar messages in the page, some deliberately placed, but most simply the product of random chance. The trick lay in knowing where to look.




?We meet with the Hutt at oh-two-hundred,? he said eventually, his voice conversational, almost friendly. ?How do you want to handle it? You want to have another snoop around beforehand??

?No need,? she answered, without looking round. Her voice was flat and clipped ? not just distinctly human, but Imperial.




That, too, was part of why he had selected her. ?There should be plenty of information on the local ?feeds ? more than I can safely get by snooping around myself, at any rate, and several different perspectives, which is always useful. I can collate it all from here in

 

Idrelle_Micoviani: You are insane! (just kidding)

You sure?

Spike: Is that all you have to say for yourself?!

Blended: Very sneaky use of punctuation in the title there, I must say...

Hey - it was meant to make it clear that this isn't a Mara/Borsk mushfic!!

Great 'fic!

Thanks!!

- The Imperial Ewok

 

[up this because of rev ]


~Mag~

 

LOL, this is very promising.

 

Is that all you have to say for yourself?!

I'm being mysterious, McEwok

 

Maggy: Does she ever?

Good question!

what by all Hutt slime they are doing on Nar Shadda? !

Business?

metaphorical fur?
he should look that she doesn?t ruffle his fur

Nope - that would be against the TOS...


Farmboy in trouble and that with Karrde? How did they manage that?
Mara must love them when she is working with that `furball´ ( )

Well, both of them have reputations to protect... and, I doubt Mara would ever call Borsk anything as mild as "furball"...

*imagines Mara really annoyed*

When is she not?!


nice analogy ... um ... Bothan-thinking?

More Borsk's response to his experience of human views of Bothans...


a guard-dog?
a bit insulting... would I say

It's what she was bred and trained for, though - isn't it?


telling her?!

He has his reasons...

that sounds as if he were training a dog...

*hits forehead*

*grimaces face*

he is calling her his guard-dog... no wonder he is speaking that way

It takes two to tango, though - doesn't it...

um ... to much fur in it?

Nahh - it's actually entirely palatable...

I asume this goes after the motto `Borsk is doing what is best for Borsk´?

Hmm... but what is "best for Borsk"?

I always read him as a flexible realist, passionately committed to cynical, corrupt democracy as the least-worst political option...

and there is a saying... `Was sich liebt das neckt sich´
it seams to work one way currently

Umm... "neckt"?

Luke must be sooooo pleased that his beloved works with that furball ... um ... Fey`lya

Hah!

In truth, Luke has no idea - she's not his "beloved" at this point in time, either...

Looking forward what you are doing with this ?fic, Wollknäuel

Yub yub!!

DarthIshtar: LOL, this is very promising.

Y'think? Thanks!

Spike: I'm being mysterious McEwok

Don't you mean "I'm being mysterious, McEwok "?

But either way, Isn't that my job...?

Leona: He may have her blackmailed, may have told her she doesn't nned to like the job or him but if he keeps up with lines like ?You were Palpatine?s guard-dog,? he remarked. ?What?s so bad about being mine for a few days?? ... she's one female cannoid who'll turn and bite him good.

... and both of them would enjoy it?

Nice start.

Thanks!

- The Imperial Ewok

 

you blind blind Ewok
it is already posted... go looking




it's to be found seven posts up

~Mag~

 

Don't you mean "I'm being mysterious, McEwok?

That's what I said...*shifty look*

 

mmmpunctuation.

... Wonderful story.

 

Sweeeeeeeeeet.

 

So ? the analysis.

They?ve been on Nar Shada for three days. He?s meeting a Hutt extremely early in the morning. She?s his security guard. He has dirt on both Karrde and Skywalker ? which is damn near amazing in itself; Karrde keeps himself squeaky clean and Luke is, uh?Luke). Probably set before the Thrawn duology. They have a cover and someone is feeding him information in code.

?They check the ?fresher waste,? he reminded her. ?You want to risk blowing our cover because you?d rather have Pashi noodles and Tranna nougat??

The cover probably means that Mara is pretending not to be there, and they eat the same food to cover that up. Pretty smart, actually.

And he?s playing a game and changing the rules midway?

Elena

 

Mags: Oh? Whoops!!

Spike: That's what I said...*shifty look*

Y'think?

djcati: mmmpunctuation.

Thank you...

... Wonderful story.

Well, you would like it!

TCR: Sweeeeeeeeeet.

You too, huh?

Elena: So ? the analysis.

Accept no substitutes?

They?ve been on Nar Shada for three days. He?s meeting a Hutt extremely early in the morning. She?s his security guard. He has dirt on both Karrde and Skywalker ? which is damn near amazing in itself; Karrde keeps himself squeaky clean and Luke is, uh?Luke). Probably set before the Thrawn duology. They have a cover and someone is feeding him information in code.

Yep. Thanks for the summary!

The cover probably means that Mara is pretending not to be there, and they eat the same food to cover that up. Pretty smart, actually.

Not quite - at least I hadn't planned it to be quite that...

And he?s playing a game and changing the rules midway?

Yep - I might adopt your rationale for the food thing, too...

- The Imperial Ewok

 

TMcE:


Good question!

Yub Yub


Nope - that would be against the TOS...



what are you thinking



um... meant kicking his butt? There he can get his fur ruffled too




Well, both of them have reputations to protect... and, I doubt Mara would ever call Borsk anything as mild as "furball"...

so seen


When is she not?!

um... there is a time on Dantooine with a blue eyed Jedi then she is not


It's what she was bred and trained for, though - isn't it?

FACPOV?


It takes two to tango, though - doesn't it...

not guard-dog rather lap-dog


Hmm... but what is "best for Borsk"?

um... that was best for Borsk is?!


I always read him as a flexible realist, passionately committed to cynical, corrupt democracy as the least-worst political option...


I read him as a sneaky little Bothan who has the great ability to twist and turn all to a favor for him till the end ... there he gambled a bit too high...


>and there is a saying... `Was sich liebt das neckt sich´
it seams to work one way currently <

Umm... "neckt"?

I take it `neckt´ you couldn?t translate proberly...

um...

sloppy said... tease, coquettish


Mags:



!




it was only a question of time till I get myself another nickname ...


Oh? Whoops!!

but you found it ... was suitable for Easter, it was a bit hidden




~Mag~

 

Sometimes I think you do this just for the attention, McEwok

After all, the whole story seems rather pointless with a , instead of a /

Except for those who don't know the difference

 

Nice. Very nice. I don't even like Borsk's character and I was entertained.