Got Caf!?

[Damon Riggs]

The galaxy was at war again. Some loved it, others hated it. Damon Riggs stayed away from it. The drumbeat of war had claimed the life of his best friend and found a way steal from him the only woman he had ever truly loved.

When the Smugglers Alliance dissolved, Riggs and Russo had joined with the Galactic Alliance. At the time they had been a small band of allies hoping to topple the One Sith and prevent the First Order from spreading its fascist propaganda across the system. Damon could not forget the harsh reality of war and left it behind. He had miscalculated in thinking Russo would leave with him. She did not, and he refused to stay. He left with them at an impasse. It had been a mistake, but both of them were stubborn. When a decision was made they clung to it. Alex kept flying her X-wing and Riggs went back to smuggling.

Riggs could never keep a good crew. Despite playing smuggler and salvager, the blue eyed captain still ran his ship like he had during his days in the Navy. Alex had certainly been the only pilot to put up with that.

Nar Shaddaa had become his haven of sorts. Coruscant was home, but his parents had been killed during the Sith invasion, and there was nothing there for him anymore. Of course these days there wasn’t much left for him either, except his ship which was always in the repair shop it seemed. The modified center cockpit YT-1300 was his home now, and he had grown accustomed to his lot in life.

It was in the hangar again for repairs. He couldn’t understand why things kept going wrong with it. Riggs assumed it could be the mechanic had a thing for him. The blonde lady was always there to work on his ship… or… maybe it was she had thing for his ship. Mechanics could be that way. Either way he was frustrated.

“Make sure she stays fixed this time huh? I can’t have her crapping out on me in the middle of job. Neither of us get paid that way,” he said in a gruff manner and walked out of the hangar into the shop. He was going to be there until the diagnostic was run anyway, so he might as well check out some of the overpriced care items for the ship.

It didn’t take the mechanic long to come out of the hangar bay. He needed to replace the power converter for his sublight engine!? That was not a cheap fix and could keep him grounded until he had the credits to pay it off. They haggled back and forth, and Damon was not succeeding at getting her drop the price any. He sighed and went to the caf machine… he wasn’t done trying.

[member="Alexandra Russo"]

 

[Alexandra Porte]

Alexandra Russo let out a heavy sigh after setting down her SoroSuub Horizon-class star yacht on it's landing struts in the assigned docking bay at the Deucalon Spaceport. The brandy-eyed brunette had just come from the Mid Rim planet of Monastary where yet again she left frustrated with a certain Jedi Master as he wouldn't commit one way or the other to their current relationship. She was beginning to lose all hope that it would ever amount to anything more than booty calls. Even as good as they were and as much as she cared for the man, the former Rogue Leader was getting too old to hang all her dreams on just that indulgence. The OCD Alleycat hated being in limbo and that is just where she was at the moment in her personal story. It wasn't really the Master Jedi's fault, just his undeterred devotion to the Force as it seemed. It would always come first. Alex respected being dutiful, understood it only too well, but sadly it meant getting the short stick for her. Could she live that way and still be happy?

Between her love life strife and work situation or more so lack of, Alex needed a distraction and well Smuggler's Moon sure enough could provide it. The mechanically-inclined pilot was looking for particular parts to help in finishing the upgrades to her refurbished ship. Like anything, it was a ongoing process dictated by time and flow of credits. The first she had a lot of, but the latter not so much. The Incom gig as an aeronautical consultant had dried up with the change of ownership, and with freelance work one had to be real picky. Any hoo, here was hoping to finding what she needed in this Hutt-run shadowport.

Exiting down the boarding ramp of Hope's Pride, heeled boots of the long-legged brunette dressed in spacer clothes clicked on the durasteel ramp. Alex paused for a moment as a copper-red astromech droid tried to follow her. "Rusty... I know you want to take a stroll with me, but I need you to stay with the ship for now," she said to her loyal R2 unit that had seen the pilot through the good and bad of most of her life. "I'll be fine, promise. Maybe I'll even get you some of that really good oil for your gyros while I'm out." A loving pat was given to her droid companion's dome top, then Alex continued out into the hangar bay.

When Alexandra got to the end of the hangar near the exit that lead out to the Promenade, the center-cockpit YT-1300 light freighter in the docking bay next to the mechanic's shop was one she only knew too well. The Inquisitor's Revenge belonged to [member="Damon Riggs"], or least it used to. A mess of emotions welled up in the Taanabian. Had it really been two years since the two had broke off their engagement?

The seasoned pilot pushed bittersweet thoughts away at how that relationship with the fleet captain turned smuggler had ended, then continued on her path passing by the shop's window without looking in...

Spoiler

https://youtu.be/lbKHx6NivzU​

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[Damon Riggs]

Riggs sighed as he let the machine dispense the cheapest tasting cup of caf on the moon. It all tasted the same no matter what shop you went to, and when things were running tight, Riggs had no room to complain that it was basically crap. There were some creamers in a dish at least, and without any thought he found himself pouring four creams into the black liquid, no sugar. He'd picked up the habit making coffee for his ex-fiance and never broke it. Some things just kept going when things fell apart, and this was one of them.

Blue eyes looked out the window of the shop and spotted a familiar figure. The long sun-kissed brunette locks could placed anywhere, as could the sway of the hips he found himself being hypnotized by all over again. The captain had been paying more attention to them than the drink in his hand, and without warning felt the hot contents spill onto his shirt and burn. [color=b8860b]"Dammit that hurts,"[/COLOR] he said to no one in particular and set the caf down. He tried wiping the mess up with a towel that was on the counter, but the shirt was stained. Great... he was going to run out and try to catch up to Alex with a stain on his shirt. What an impression that would make.

Riggs tossed everything aside. The galaxy was so large that it was not unrealistic that this had been the first time he had seen her since they broke things off two years ago. He'd thought about reaching out, knowing she still had Gus' place on Tanaab, but he'd been too stubborn to admit he never thought she'd choose flying over him. That thought still stung, and almost made him stay in the shop, but he was drawn out, as he had been the day they had met on his ship all those years ago.

[color=b8860b]"Alex,"[/COLOR] he called out as he rushed out the door, [color-b8860b]"Alex, wait up."[/COLOR]

He was pretty sure she hadn't seen him standing in the window, and less sure if that would have made a difference. Still, Riggs wasn't going to let her walk by without at least a hello. They had a past, and one that hopefully meant they didn't have to ignore each other. His heart raced at the thought of talking to her again, and he found himself hoping she could give him more time than a simple hello. Riggs missed her, and he could really use her skilled hands in fixing his ship. At least when she fixed it, it stayed fixed.

[member="Alexandra Russo"]

 

[Alexandra Porte]

Alexandra was going down her mental checklist of things to get while out on her shopping run in the vertical city when a baritone voice, his unforgettable baritone voice, called out from behind the Taanabian. The long-legged brunette stopped in the corridor that connected the hangar bay to the Promenade, then turned her dark head back to see if indeed it was [member="Damon Riggs"].

A breath Alex didn't know she was holding let go as her brandy brown eyes met the ruggedly handsome captain's sapphire blue. The pilot's heart skipped a beat, but she didn't show any outward appearance of the momentary longing for her old flame as better sense prevailed allowing just a small smirk to play at the corners of her full lips noticing the fresh liquid stain on his shirt. Good to know some things never change.

"Well hello there," she offered friendly like, though no more no less. "Fancy meeting you here of all places. How have you been, Damon?"

 

[Damon Riggs]

When the woman stopped dead in her tracks, Riggs knew it was Alex. There was a boyish grin on his face that no matter how hard he tried he could not wipe away. Dammit the woman had always had that kind of power over him. The cool and suave captain was usually anything but when Alex was around. He still remembered how he managed to make her mad at him when they first met. Naturally it was because he reached his hand too far into her squadron's business, but Riggs had always been a Captain that liked control.

Her greeting was diplomatic, and Riggs couldn't blame her for that. They had parted ways mostly at his insistence she choose between her career or him. Riggs had always thought if he could go back and re-do that he would. The mistake had already been made though, and he wasn't going to dwell on it now.

"I'm okay... though apparently I still have a drinking problem," he chuckled as he held up his shirt. "Saw you out the window of the shop and spilled my caf... Damn mechanic in there never fixes my girl right. I think the tech has a thing for my ship."

Of course Riggs was rambling. He hadn't seen Alex in two years, and he didn't want her to just walk off. Truth be told, he missed her... missed them. In his mind they went together like four creams and caf. It was a cheesy thought, but fitting also.

"What about you? You doing well? You're looking great," Riggs couldn't help but say as his eyes wandered over her. Gods how much he missed her. "You staying on the moon long?

Damon had to toss the question out there at some point, and it might as well come out on the onset.

[member="Alexandra Russo"]

 

[Alexandra Porte]

The Taanabian chuckled softly at [member="Damon Riggs"]' remark about having a drinking problem. "It's the four creams... You never could quite handled them," she quipped back, stepping off to the side of the corridor as other pedestrians were wanting by the two as they continued to what, shoot the breeze? I guess that's what they were doing.

"Yeah, well gotta be mindful with Miss Blondie Pants there... That mechanic will bleed ya dry - one way or another, plus the parts are refurbished even though she says they are new. Might be why you keep breaking down so often. Though that is just my educated guess off the top of my head without actually getting my hands on your goods to see up close for myself," Alex grinned, then added when his face lit up. "Your ship components silly. You men are all alike."

Russo nodded friendly like to a passer by as Riggs asked how she was with a compliment thrown in to boot. And of course he fished for how long she'd be staying over. So typical of him on all accounts.

"I'm well, and thanks. Retired finally from the military after a stint as Rogue Leader. Been doing freelance work mostly... and prolly just long enough to accomplish what I needed to." the brandy-eyed brunette answered. "I suppose though I could squeeze you in and take a look at your ship, for old times sake if you'd like. But you'd have to distract the blonde while I did... The woman's kinda territorial," she winked with a laugh.

 

[Damon Riggs]

Riggs smirked at the insinuation he couldn't hold his cream like it was alcohol and he some lightweight. The truth was they'd always been able to tease each other easily, and it still seemed to be that way. "You remember that time you thought I couldn't drink you under the table... that's a hangover neither of us will forget."

They had a past, history together. Those memories were their and Riggs had a hard time believing it had been two years. It seemed like they'd never been apart, and now he was kicking himself. All of their good times flooded his mind. They have put time and distance between them, they may have ended things, but the didn't mean Riggs didn't love her anymore. If he was honest with himself the reason he'd never gotten back to the top of his game was because he knew there was no one else he could ever be as happy with. He just couldn't do war anymore. Russo had seen it, maybe even accepted it, but in the end flying had been her choice. Riggs could have stayed, but he hadn't.

His grin widened at the insinuation of Russo hands all over the goods. She read him like an open book so there was no arguing. Sure he knew she meant the ship, but it didn't mean his mind didn't go there. That part of their relationship had always been good. Both of them knew it as it could be described as robust and healthy.

Blondie... that was another matter, and Russo had experience it seemed. "Yeah... let's avoid that plan. Been working hard at keeping the dipstick out of that oil pan..."

Was he going to admit that summed up his love life, never, but it had.

"No one has ever looked after my baby like you... I'm not going to say no," he said trying not to come off as desperate to have some more time with her. Riggs hadn't asked about other relationships, and he wasn't going to. They could part as friends, though he certainly was hoping this was his chance at making things work again. He'd always been a goner when it came to her eyes and sun kissed brunette locks. If Jenkins were still alive, he'd be ribbing him all over again. Some things never changed.

"If we get in there now, I can cancel the work order. I'll make it worth your while, I promise," he smiled with a light in his baby blues that Alex would find all too familiar.

[member="Alexandra Russo"]

 

[Alexandra Porte]

"Mhm... that one definitely was one for the books," she agreed to [member="Damon Riggs"]'s statement about the particular hangover the smuggler mentioned. Though the two had shared many over the time they were together, especially after finding each other again after the Battle of Coruscant.

Drinking had become a way for both to deal with the deaths of their friends and comrades, and for Alex her family as well she lost when just a teen; numbing them from the overwhelming pain and anguish. Survivor's guilt was at the heart of it. If one believed that cats have nine lives, Alleycat was on number three by now.

Russo had to stifle a snort from coming out in response to Riggs comment about his prospective sex life with the overzealous blonde mechanic. He had always been picky about his women... or at least that's what his executive officer used to complain about making it difficult to get his best friend out there having a good time when they were serving together in the Republic Navy.

"Well I treat ships like I'd like to be treated," the brunette grinned. Alex liked to be pampered, but not spoiled... she was just too independent for that.

Looking at her wrist chrono, brandy brown eyes flicked back to meet Damon's blue. "Well then, I guess we better do that. Is the ol'girl flyable? Prolly need to move her to a different docking bay."

 

[Damon Riggs]

Damon didn't need the reminder of how Alex liked to treat her ships. The man knew all too well as she had taken care of his ship better than anyone had since their break up. His mind was like a broken record on how dumb he'd been to let her go and force the issue. They had been amazing together, both had come back from the dead to give their romance a chance, and Riggs had just been dumb. There certain things that couldn't be undone, and he feared this was one of them. At least if she got his ship into working order again he could feel like things between them could be okay. Right, that was Riggs lying to himself. The captain couldn't look at her without thinking about what he wouldn't give to just be with her one more time.

Russo was more to him that a quick toss in the sheets though. He could press and work his charm, and he certainly knew how to get her going, but that wouldn't be fair or any less selfish than making her pick him or her career. In the end nature would have to take its course.

The thought of moving his ship made him crack a smirk.

"You're suggesting I steal my own ship right out from under the nose of that mechanic," he chuckled. "I told you I was trying to avoid that particular oil pan..." Riggs just needed to a good laugh with Russo, to at least know they could still make each other do that made him happy.

"She can still fly, but we have to hurry as she's on deck for repair."

His head nodded over to the bay where his ship was berthed. There wasn't much time between asking for a repair job and that mechanic getting her hands all over it. Maybe Riggs should have paid attention to her more, but like Jenkins had always said, Riggs was always focused on work over his love life. Jenkins had always been right about that too. He was doing it again, Riggs was, and he was lonely because of it. Back when Jenkins was still alive he had a friend at least, now Riggs didn't even have that...

"Still remember the passcode to her?"

Riggs started moving to the ship with Russo not far behind.

[member="Alexandra Russo"]