I Promise It's No Anniversary Celebration! [Haldon]

[Saranka]

"Right back where we started, uh?" Saranka smirked because that very much felt like this. "Except this time, we're sitting on the same duracrete bunk!" The drop off was supposed to be easy. Some mechanical parts to a small colony on the planet Tancon in the Outer Rim. That had been without counting that the local security had decided to kick any smuggler or assorted professional outlaw from the area.

That was how Saranka and her partner Haldon had landed in a prison cell. Sighing, the blonde looked at the akk dog at their feet. "Maybe we should have bitten them, what do you think, buddy?" Max woofed a little and she petted him.

"I hope we can get out of here sooner than later." She suddenly laughed and patted her partner's thigh. "Maybe we should have checked the calendar. Maybe the powers that be realized it was the anniversary of our first encounter or something!"

[Haldon Kor]

Brown eyes closed, Haldon sat slumped on the bench with the back of his head leaning back against the wall behind him. He smiled, listening without comment as Saranka filled the quiet with her conjectures on what they could've done and why this might've happened.

"Way to take a girl out for a good time, huh? Back to the scene of the crime, as they say. Oops, maybe not the best wording for this locale," he chuckled.

Maxx woofed in agreement.

"So, twenty-five credits says we're stuck 'til breakfast. Whaddya think?"

[Saranka]

Saranka laughed at Haldon's quip. "Or is that the payback for the sewer trip a few months ago?" Time had passed since this dreaded journey to Kheedar where she had had to put her father out of misery. At least, this travel had also allowed for Haldon and her to admit their feelings for each other out in the open.

"I think you're right. I warn you, I'll be starving when we hit town for breakfast then!"

At this moment, one of the guards arrived. "Can't you three shut the hell up?!" The blonder quirked a brow at him. "Well, if you hadn't locked us up, we'd be chattering out of this place. Just saying!"

[Haldon Kor]

Haldon snickered at Saranka's retort to the guard.

"Smart mouth," the cop replied. "Word of advice - don't mouth off to the tribunal that's going to hear your case. Might want to muzzle her, dude."

Haldon bristled. "Maxx is a he, not a she."

"Talking about the girl."

He jumped up then, looking angry. But, what good was that while he was being the electronic cell's door? If he touched the shimmering pink wall (that he couldn't see), he'd get a bad shock.

"Sit down, dummy. Tribunal'll be calling you up soon enough."

[Saranka]

"Frakker." Saranka muttered under her breath at the idiotic guard. She'd have happily punched him, if it hadn't been for the electronic cell door. She hated those. She preferred old fashioned bars, so much more practical and friendlier.

"Keep going like that and you'll regret it, I promise." She growled at the guard before reaching out to Haldon. "Should we make plans for that moisture farm this time?" She asked in hope to lighten the mood a little.

She leaned close to him so only him could hear what she had to say. "I still have copy of all the official paperwork of this delivery. I hope it helps our case."

[Haldon Kor]

Haldon sighed and sat back down when Saranka reached out to him. Maxx growled from his prone position on the cell floor.

"Moisture farm sounds great, babe," he replied.

He nodded when Sar referenced the paperwork. Haldon hoped that it would clear up this mess. But, knowing their hot-headed natures, if the tribunal was ridiculous, what sort of mess would they end up in then?

[Saranka]

Haldon and her had already gone through crazy situations, but she had a bad feeling about this one. She could come up with ideas to get out of bad places, but she needed to have freedom of movement for this. Being stuck in jail wasn't helping one bit.

They were taken out of their cells long hours later and escorted to some audience room. She didn't get how it was in another aisle of the same huge building. She refrained from commenting though.

"No lawyer, uh? I guess it'll cost us less then." She realized as they were taken to sit down, waiting for the judge or whatever it was in this situation, to speak.

[Haldon Kor]

First rule of thumb when in an uncomfortable, stressful situation? Keep the big dog on a short leash! Maxx was unhappy at being so close to his master, but Haldon was not going to take any chances with his trusty seeing-eye akk dog. If only he could keep the same sort of check on his girlfriend; Haldon really worried that the tribunal would say something to annoy Saranka and then they'd be in even deeper poodoo!

"You are brought before us on a charge of illicit smuggling," the first judge said.

To Haldon, the being sounded at least 150 years old. He wondered what the tribunal looked like, what species they were, and what they actually felt about small-time merchants like they were.

"How do you plead?" came the voice of the second judge, sounding female but no less ancient.

[Saranka]

The expression "illicit smuggling" made Saranka close to growling at once. She managed to keep quiet and not to roll her eyes. It was very trying for the feisty blonde who wasn't the most diplomatic person under the bloody sun.

When asked how they pleaded, the female smuggler sighed. They were all old and didn't look all that wise. They were mostly human, at least in looks. She knew they hadn't done anything wrong but she doubted it'd fly well.

She looked at her partner, wondering what the hell would happen, before she looked at the judges. She had an almost sheepish expression, which was very rare with her.

"Guilty, your honor." She didn't know why she was taking this direction, but she hoped it might help appease the whole thing. If not, well, they'd find a way out anyway.

[Haldon Kor]

Oh frell. We should've talked about this before we came down here.

Haldon audibly gulped and waited for how the tribunal would take an admission of guilt from them. At his feet, Maxx whined nervously, bouncing off their agitation.

"With your confession and guilty plea, the process will be that much smoother. Thank you..."

"That doesn't sound so bad--" Haldon started to whisper.

"...and so, we can proceed to your very public execution tomorrow at dawn. Let the record stand," the female judge finished.

"--or maybe it does."

[Saranka]

The announcement of their upcoming execution made Saranka turn pale as death. "Frell..." She muttered under her breath. Once again, she was frelling things up, it seemed. And this time, she had no bloody idea of how they would be able to pull through.

Yet, she kept silent as she tried hard to figure something out. Haldon, Maxx and her were taken back to their cell. The guard suddenly spoke. "Good job on pleading guilty. The execution is decent contrary to the mandatory torture interrogation that goes for people not pleading guilty."

That wasn't very reassuring. The blond smuggler sighed and couldn't sit down as they were in the cell. "I'm..." She was about to apologize when someone else showed up at their cell. "Well, well, well... You might just be what I need, you two."

Saranka was close to be snappy but she kept her mouth shut. She had already said enough today.

[Zatara Dantes]

Zatara's hazel eyes took in the pathetic sight of the two smugglers he'd been sent to retrieve. According to the recent addition to their files, the idiots had actually plead guilty and gave themselves death sentences. He'd arrived just in time to save their necks.

"These are the pair," he confirmed to the guard.

"Lucky us!" the guard cheered. "Let 'em be your problem them, Mr. Dorman."

Z grinned. The file had said the girl was a smart mouth and the dog howled a lot. The bearded dude was the straight man of the group, evidently.

"Fees are paid, so they can be released into my custody, correct?" Zatara asked, speaking as if the trio wasn't right in front of them.

"And to that, I say lucky you," the guard chuckled. "Be careful. She bits and might be rabid. Girl, not the akk dog."

[Saranka]

Saranka observed the exchange between the stranger and the guards. She kept silent. She didn't even quip or yell back when the guy made a lame joke about her temper. Frankly, pleading guilty had at least avoided them torture, even if it had been a death sentence instead.

She didn't trust this new guy, but she wasn't going to complain. As long as they got out, it meant they'd have a better chance at escaping this whole ordeal. Yet, she didn't have her hopes up.

She continued to be silent - a rarity for her - as they were escorted out. She stuck close to Haldon out of habit.

Once they were on their way to wherever, she looked at this "Mr. Dorman". "Thanks for bailing us out. How are we meant to repay you?" She was genuinely grateful, but she was no idiot. She bet that there was a price to this.

[Haldon Kor]

Haldon, too, had stayed quiet through the exchange. For his part, it was because he could not believe his ears.

This can't be him. But, it sure as frell sounds like him!

"He made creds off me years ago," Haldon said, looking toward where he thought Darman Dorman was. "In the racing accident that took my sight. He had bet against me and made a fortune as a result."

[Zatara Dantes]

Z could hardly deny the charge. That was exactly what had transpired. What Haldon failed to mention was that, with his gambling earnings, he'd made quiet contributions toward the then-young racer's care. Maybe Haldon never knew; it was hard to say.

"You remember me by name or by voice?" he asked.