A reunion at the Noodle House

[Delaney Bale]

Delaney’s dark eyes blinked open slowly, the first light of the day was streaming in through her thin curtains. Groggily she sat up and ran a hand through her short hair a few times, thoroughly messing it up. She stood from her bed (a sad and lumpy mattress on the floor) and began the search for clothing. After spotting a pair of cargo pants and a black tank top in one of her many clothing piles, she quickly dressed, grabbed her blaster and headed downstairs into the heart of the Noodle House.

The empty restaurant looked the same as it did every day; dusty, broken-down and worn out. In other words, it was perfect. Delaney walked over to the front door and unlocked it, even though her official business hours wouldn’t start for some time. Aside from her time spent cooking and maintaining the restaurant, she sold spice to a small group of regular customers. Though, today she didn’t have any standing appointments, but there was always the possibility for walk-in traffic. She figured that she would use the day to cook and start a new batch of spicy fermented cabbage (a popular side dish), and just go with the flow.

Del sauntered lazily into her small kitchen and pulled out a ball of dough that had been resting overnight. It would be a far stretch to call her a good cook, but if she did one thing well, it would be making noodles. It was a process that had been passed down to her by her father; she’d spent many hours sitting on the floor, just watching him. Making these noodles by hand was an art form; pulling the dough into ropes, twisting, and repeating until long threads were held between her hands. Sure, it would look complicated enough, but practiced hands made quick and easy work of the dough.

She worked silently; twisting finished batches of noodles into small bunches. Delaney filled her giant pot with water and set it on the burner, when she heard the tell-tale creaking of her the door opening. Her dark eyes narrowed, it was a bit early for her regulars to be coming in. She’d brought her blaster down with her, and now she fastened the holster around her waist, and let her apron fall over the top to conceal it. Delaney slowly rounded the corner and looked towards the door to see who had come in…

[member="Harland Gates"]

 

[Harland Gates]

Three Hours Earlier
Duros Sector

Some of the contacts outside of his normal routes had brought the spacer to the vertical city in order to obtain a rare 're-routed' shipment of Froond-class Hyperdrive parts. Notably the Duros sector was the place to find such a bounty, as their species was so well classified as the end all be all to the Galaxy's space explorer classification. While the Nyriaanan was an ace in the hot-seat; the level of experience these blue-skinned humanoids acquired would dwarf any contribution Hal had to the projects they were working on. The sheer fact that he had to land on the Smuggler's moon wasn't without it's consequences, but at least he was in line to get a worthwhile payload out of it. Not a simple cache of credits to add to the ever leaking sieve that was his bank account. This time the spacer had his green eyes on the enhanced capability that was once birthed on the planet of Hapes. How the unclassified hyperdrives got here - well it wasn't hard to guess with a name like the smuggler's moon. Gates wasn't a smuggler by trade, and really overcharged when it came to taking those kind of jobs - but he was certainly a pilot. The Wild Goose was also one of the fastest ships of it's size and weight do date, even with such an aged model. If he could push it beyond it's current capacity, well so much the better.

Working a deal with the local color was probably the easy part. A bit of swag, a splash of charm, and the right amount of credits went a long way - even for the bald engineers that were currently sussing out the delivery that had been shipped to their remote location. What Gates wasn't expecting was the unaligned pirates that had been stalking that shipment and went to port in order to secure it for themselves. Greedy! That however was the risk you took when trying to part ways of illegal merchandise from shady vendors. Despite the light security force they employed for just such an occasion, Hal had gotten himself well and truly stuck in the midst of a blaster brawl with one of the head engineers who hadn't wrapped his nimble fingers around a trigger since the Republic had a slug for a Chancellor. Barking out bolts of crimson across the landscape of a docking circle was not his idea of a fun evening, despite how much he could enjoy a good tussle. Honest folks in a cantina throwing shots was one thing, but an insurgent force attempting to take out his illegal score by force - that was an entirely different situation.

The spacer's leather was singed, his hair was a mess, and he's gotten a few scrapes from ducking behind durasteel tankards and storage bins that boasted a litany of sharp and rough edges. Hal took it for about a half an hour moving back and forth scrambling for cover, until he had the bright idea of using one of the disassembled core manifolds from the shipment, strapped to a detonator stick which had been labeled as inert in another pile of junk. A heave of the secured product into the air drew the attention before two crisp and clean blaster bolts barked out a reply, igniting the once defunct grenade and exploded the core to rain molten fire on the pirates until they scattered from the wreckage. The Duros was not at all pleased about losing that kind of product, but it was a small and worthy sacrifice to keep his skin intact. With both Hal and himself free from eminent blaster bolts, the engineer leaned back and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Fine Spacer, you got yourself the hyperdrive, I'll get it installed in our auxillery garage, Hutt controlled. Shouldn't be more than a few hours - but I assume they will be looking for you - as you do stick out. Where will you go?" He asked, the tone of slight concern on his lip-less face. Hal holstered the twin MT-14 blaster pistols beneath the red leather jacket and gave a shrug for a moment. A thoughtful pause etched on his visage before he offered up what he had been musing on.

"Noodles. I'm gonna get some noodles."

Presently
The Noodle House

Hair; finger combed. Face; a quick spritz of water to wash away some city grime. Jacket; a firm tug. The triple check was complete before he pushed aside the door and brandished his silhouette on the threshold, letting the light from outside filter in, and cast himself in enigmatic shadow across the restaurants's foyer. One arm pressing to the outside door frame, the other slung to his hips where his thumb and forefinger played against the edge of his leather belt. With vision that could outfox a shriek-hawk, Hal stared into the chasm of older architecture and run down dilapidation searching for the proprietor with somewhat keen interest. Nostalgia came in waves once he saw the house like hut in which he had spent sometime of his rebellious past. These walls told stories, and he knew a fair bit about them, but not enough to historically recount the decades of wear and tear. He hadn't come though to rehash the past of failed building code - but really to lay low and reconnect as it were with an old friend. That is if he could still call Del a friend. It'd been a while since he'd been back - or even sent a wave.

"The house special still standing, or did you finally finish that replacement recipe you've droned on about more times than I can count?" Hal said in his classic sarcastic tone, a matching smirk to wear an an expression of greeting once he slipped from the shadows and came within sight of Delaney Bale. The other hand came down to his belt, mirroring the action of the other, drumming his digits on the leather and giving a slight head cock to the side. He spent nearly seven years apart from his childhood best friend, and learned quickly that trying to hug someone after a sabbatical ended up with foul moods. Apparently he was attempting to learn from his mistakes, which was an entirely new thing to the Spacer. "Good to see the place is still around, but more concerned that you're still landlocked here." Far as he knew, Gates was the only person to ever take Del into the black and back again. Something he'd found a long time ago - there was no better pick up attempt than to take a girl who'd never seen the stars up close through a cosmic tourist trip in a personally owned space worthy vessel. It'd been a while since he last stepped foot in here, though the reasoning was pretty much the same that time as well.

[member="Delaney Bale"]

 

[Delaney Bale]

“Hal.” Delaney said in a neutral tone of voice, as she watched him emerge from the shadows. Years had passed since she’d last seen him. And yet, here he was walking into her life again, much in the same way he did the first time. It seemed that it was the way of Harland Gates to just simply appear out of thin air, as if he’d always been there, and always belonged. She stepped around the counter and crossed her arms, her stone like expression never breaking. “The house special still stands” As it always had, and always would. He knew full well that she had no plans to change her menu, but that didn’t change the fact that he had always liked to tease her about it.

It was clear that Hal hadn’t changed much, at least not on the surface. Sure, he had filled out just a bit, but that was just the way age and time changed everyone. That casual bravado was still present, as was that annoyingly cocky smirk. Just the way she remembered him. Most people would be glad to see a familiar face, but she wasn’t sure she could say she was happy to see him. Then again, it had been a long time since she’d been happy, perhaps she’d just forgotten how it felt.

“Landlocked?” She laughed, but it wasn’t because she was amused. “I haven’t got any reason to go off world.” She could easily afford to hire someone to cart her about the galaxy, but why bother when your contacts and business were all located in one place? Delaney was a creature of habit; she wore the same style, cut her hair the same way, ate the same thing every day, and went about her business as she always did. She had enjoyed the times spent on Hal’s ship, but that wasn’t the kind of thing that thrilled her anymore. She liked to feel the ground beneath her feet, it was stable and unchanging.

“Take a seat.” She motioned to his favorite table before slipping into the kitchen. Delaney prepared noodles in a simple broth; a meal that was quick, easy, and satisfying. She couldn’t deny that there was a certain awkwardness inside her, due to certain feelings she once had for Hal. There had been words left unsaid, and feelings unexpressed due to his sudden departure. Of course, now she would never openly acknowledge the existence of those feelings. They were in the past, and they would stay there. Delaney pushed her thoughts away as she brought the two bowls of noodles to the table, maintaining an air of indifference. She unceremoniously set a bowl down in front of Hal, followed by a set of utensils. “I take it you didn’t come all this way for my cooking.” She said, peering across the table at him.

[member="Harland Gates"]

 

[Harland Gates]

What could be seen, and what was -- two sides of Gates that weren't as much of a perfect fit as they had been before. His time away from Naboo, away from the Jedi, and away from a life he was trained for had forged a path that was far more rugged and self-centric. He'd learned to fight for himself, instead of for others, to put his needs ahead of the common good, and to get out when things got too hot. Few could call the man a coward, as he took care of his fights first hand, but he wasn't far from ducking out if he felt things getting in the way of his own priorities. Suffice to say that after the last few months, some of those views had started to skew and change. He wasn't on any kind of atonement mission just yet, but the ability to actually give a damn about someone other than himself had become a bit stronger. The spacer that Del knew, he was still there for the most part, but there were parts of him that were coming to light that even he didn't really want to admit. Thankfully ignoring responsibility, and shunning feelings of maturity were well within his grasp.

"No reason to..?" He paused for a moment looking at Del as if she had just admitted to being a mental patient. Shifting posture pointed his nose in the direction of the door before returning gaze to her very casual appearance. Pairing the next words out of his mouth with the jab of his thumb in the direction of the entrance. "...have you even been outside?" He asked, though the question was laced in rhetoric. This was Nar Shaddaa the cesspool of the Galaxy, and literally twice as filthy. Despite having a rather lively night-life and some decent grub here and there, Hal only came here for a few notable things - none of which were reasons to stay. Living on Nar Shaddaa or any planet wasn't for him, he longed for the open expanse of the diamond laden void. A land-lover Gates was not. Jade green eyes rested on her own as the seat was offered, having, it seemed, a standing reservation for a single table that he'd been at several times in the past. "I forgot how much you don't like change." Gates admitted while the woman sauntered away towards the kitchen to prep a something to eat. A quick check of his commlink gave him an update on the time-frame for his ship upgrade before he'd focus his attention for the time towards his reunion with Bale.

Hal was no stranger to the ladies of various varieties - and though he had his preference, there was something unique about the people he had a past with. Del was no exception in that list. Despite the casual attire and lifestyle of rather meager means, she was a challenge. Someone who wasn't going to suck in every word he said as gospel or fall for his handsome smile at the drop of a hat. He liked that affect on women, but he also admired when they could actually stand on their own two feet. Del had issues, no doubts there, and with both her parents out of the picture, he knew she was living in the pattern of a loop created by them. He knew how much this place meant to her, and he could relate with a few things of his own, which is why he never brought up the idea more than once that she should let it go. That wouldn't be fair of him, and it'd likely just stick more muck and mire in their history than needed to be there.

"Kind of got attached." Hal replied with a smirk riding his face. "That work-study program we had going there got me hooked - though not enough to keep washing dishes." What he graciously referred to as the work-study program had amounted to a total of three days he spent doing some dishes for a few credits back when he was really out of touch with the concept of gambling debt. He still had the itch, and often found himself rationalizing situations that were certainly better left untried. Maybe that was the reason they let him do some work around the place, with what Del's dad went through in his own gambling problems - her mom apparently saw some kind of redemption for him when her husband didn't get any. "Some local color down in Duros. Apparently you're not supposed to piss-off and nearly evaporate pirates - who knew?" He gave a shrug and slid the chopsticks into the broth, snaking the pasta around the lean beams of wood to fork a selection into his mouth.

[member="Delaney Bale"]

 

[Delaney Bale]

The work-study program, Hal’s words brought back fond memories, but they were touched by a hint of sadness. Del didn’t like to look back; it only served to make her heart feel heavy. Such feelings were always the start of lonely evenings spent drinking too much rice liquor. But no matter how tough and unaffected she liked to appear, deep down she longed for those days. During those 3 days, she felt that her friendship with Hal had blossomed. Even though she had been determined to dislike him, his charm won her over in the end, a fact that she still found mildly annoying. Del would always have a soft spot reserved for Hal, men like him were something of a rarity on Nar Shaddaa. “Well, you’re always welcome to take up your old post.” Del said, a smirk tugging at the edges of her mouth.

Even though Nar Shaddaa was a cesspool of villainy, Del hadn’t run into much trouble here. However, the risk of trouble was always present, especially being in the spice trade. It’s true that she dealt to some shady figures, but she didn’t count herself among their numbers. Spice was only a job; it wasn’t a vices. Despite the fact that she didn’t feel like she fit in very well, Del had never really considered leaving. Especially now that she had a small group of regular patrons, it was the beginning of a reputation, and that could go a long way here. But she couldn’t ignore the fact that perhaps Hal’s timing was perfect. Recently an old friend had reached out to her and asked that she visit him on Coruscant, and she could easily hire Hal to take her. Of course, it would mean having to close down the restaurant temporarily, and it would also mean that she would have to venture outside. There were always pluses and minuses to consider.

She deftly lifted a few strands of noodles with the ends of her chopsticks and slurped them down, in a very unladylike fashion. Her gaze shifted upwards when Hal spoke again, it wasn’t surprising that he’d found trouble in the Duros Sector, it was nearly impossible to avoid in a place like that. “Hmm, sounds like you’ve had an exciting morning.” She shook her head and took another bite of noodles. “So you’ll probably be skipping off world in a hurry. Where will you go?” She tilted her head, gently setting her chopsticks down on the table. It felt strange to be speaking during her morning meal; after all, it had been quite some time since she’d shared a proper meal with anyone.

[member="Harland Gates"]

 

[Harland Gates]

Gates had just been cutting his teeth in the Galaxy when he first stepped into this hole-in-the-wall restaurant. It'd been a little while since he had abandoned the Jedi Order, and despite his reluctance to speak about his past back then (or ever), there were still some old habits that died hard. His emotions got the better of him often, and though he liked to play through the course with humor, more than a few times, he had given in to the urges he had to suppress while under the watchful eyes of his Masters. It was a new world of things he had always wanted to try, and more than a few times turned the twenty something rogue into an awkward teenager. Those rough edges had been sanded down and buffed out for the most part now. A slew of bad relationships and one night stands had caused the spacer to be more of a lady killer than being tossed around by the ladies. Though he still had his moments where they'd get the better of him. Del was one of the first real friends he managed to get in the Galaxy after he left Coruscant. He had contacts by that time, but not real friends.

"I suppose you'd want me to bus some tables too? Got an exception patch right here." Hal tapped the curve of his shoulder, indicating with a two finger gesture towards the captain's patch that was merged with the spacer leather of his jacket. "Captain now." Sure it was a crew of one, and he really had never been in any military outfit to actually earn that rank, but if you had a ship, that was really all that mattered. Not to mention this was probably the worst kind of rank pull ever in recorded holo-history, but he'd shrug it off with the humor that was going between them, even if Del wasn't showing it. He hurt her, and he knew it, same was the story with a lot of people in the past few years. Harland had never been very good at keeping a good reputation with people that were actually decent with him. Really the only thing you could count on him to be was reliable with a job. He saw it through, and he finished what he started, but beyond that it was a real crap shoot.

Despite the look of the place, this old recipe still hit the spot. A good filling meal that wasn't too heavy, or bland, which was impressive enough given how little time it took to prep. Noodles wasn't his first choice for a five-star meal, but it did the trick, and didn't taste at all bad going down. Evidence of this by the mouthfuls of noodles he was devouring while in the company of his old friend. They'd been a pair if he had stuck around longer, something that had initially scared him and one of the main reasons he had taken off. Gates had a lot of commitment issues. Shifting his green eyed gaze towards Del when she asked where he'd be heading and how quickly he'd get there, a small brow crease appeared before he swallowed another bite.

"Trying to get rid of me already, Del? Say it ain't so?" He asked with a smirk, jabbing both chopsticks in her direction before getting a napkin to dab his lips. "Actually got a few standard hours to kill before my bird is ready to soar again." Reclining back in the chair, one hand resting over the ridge of the back in a very relaxed pose. "Feel like stamping your dance card for ol' time sake?"

[member="Delaney Bale"]

 

[Delaney Bale]

In Del’s book the first step to happiness (or at least less crankiness) was a full stomach. She had wasted no time in scarfing down her noodles and draining the broth. She was so used to the flavor of her cooking, that she hardly even noticed it anymore. Normally she would have just wiped her mouth with the back of her sleeve but seeing as how she had a guest, she used her napkin for once. She balanced her pair of chopsticks across the top of the bowl and sat back, feeling satisfied, as though she’d just accomplished something great. Her eyes found Hal again when he mentioned that he had a few hours to kill.

“Dance card?” Del asked with a grin. “I guess that could be fun.” When she saw him reclining rather casually, she shook her head, he was already making himself at home. Her hand shot across the small table and grabbed hold of his jacket. She proceeded to pull him forward, leveling all four of the chair’s legs steadily on the ground. “Don’t do that, my chairs can’t take it.” Broken chairs meant that she had to take the time to fix them, something she disliked greatly. Sure, she could easily afford to refurnish the restaurant, but that would mean even more work. Besides, this was the same furniture that her father had purchased, seemed an awful shame to toss it out like it had no meaning.

Pushing up from her chair she leaned her head from side to side a few times, stretching her neck. Perhaps it really was time to invest in a proper bed. She grabbed their bowls and started off towards the kitchen. “Just a sec, Captain. Gotta take care of the dishes.” She said, with emphasis on his new title. The dishes in the sink were already piled up quite precariously, and had been waiting there patiently for a couple days now. Del stood there for a moment and added their bowls to the pile, one more day couldn’t hurt. She removed her apron and tossed it onto the counter, she may not have been glamorous, but she was ready to go nonetheless.

“You got a place in mind?” she asked, walking out of the kitchen, moving towards her old friend. There was certainly no shortage of clubs on Nar Shaddaa, you could find one around nearly every corner. All of the clubs were fans of dim lighting, made the patrons feel at home, and it was also a great way to make a person lose all track of time. The two of them out on the streets, it would be a bit of a blast from the past. She only wondered if they would end up getting into as much trouble as they did back then… there was only one way to find out.

[member="Harland Gates"]