Roll, Pitch, Yaw. [Kassey]

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The relatively short man gave a shrug of his shoulders, moving over to stand in front of her. His attention was mostly just on the ship, however, scanning the surfaces for wear and tear, trying to get a judge on the general condition. You could tell a lot about a person by what they chose to fly. He didn't get a choice, he was told what to fly, but folks with freighters... well, they put themselves in their ships.

Although he didn't see the woman and 'banged up trashy freighter' being linked together. Maybe he wasn't seeing something.

Who knew.

"I can't resist anything approaching not being bored out of my skull. Ruusan is basically Outer Rim, so not too much goes on here. You were the first of anything that came through in weeks. Been slowly going out of my mind out here, just hoping they'll transfer me towards the Core." He shook his head, lowering himself to a seat next to her, reaching up to run a hand through his dark hair.

"Figured at the very least I could steal some conversation from you. Better than going home and watching the holo."

[member="Kassey Daklin"]

 

[Julianna Nero]

It was then that Kassey no longer felt like he was the Republic fighter trying to either help her or take her down...he was just a guy who was bored and needed company. Upon hearing this, Kassey smiled and nodded. "Trust me, I totally understand. Before you came around, and..honestly, those pirates, too, I haven't really been the most sane person either. I think the only difference between me and you is that, you were slowly going out of your mind, and I was already there."

"Still there, actually." Kassey added that idea in with a raise of her finger as if she were making a point, but she knew exactly how he meant. How bored one could be. "For the sake of sanity, though, I do hope you get transferred if that's what you're wanting to do. People always preform best when around others, that's how I always viewed it."

She seemed happy that he took a seat next to her, however she stalled while she thought of something to say or to offer him. "Do you maybe want a drink, or something to eat? I might not have much but...I can't travel the galaxy dry, I know I have some whiskey in there."

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[member="Kassey Daklin"]

"That bored, huh?" He asks with a bit of a chuckle. "I mean, I'm around folk. Twombly, for instance. And there's an entire Wing here but... well, small town Ruusan is a wee bit too far down the 'nothing goes on here' category. Though I know I'll regret being transferred the moment the Sith roll out of the Core worlds to do Sith things." Sith and Republic, enemies forever. Sith were such a nasty lot.

He really did not envy the Jedi, considering how many of them wound up kidnapped.

"Didn't take you for type to stay dry for long." He says, with an approving nod of his head. "Whiskey is good, food ain't a bad idea either."

 

[Julianna Nero]

"Yup. That bored." Kassey replied to him and she had this shake of her head. "I find it best if I stay away from a whole bunch of people. Things are much, much easier in my opinion." Kassey always did like to have company, she was an attention seeker, a typical girl in the ways of getting what she wanted, but at the same time, things were just a lot less stressful when she was by herself.

"I don't have experience with Sith...well, not much experience anyway. I tend to stay away from Force Users, except on a special occasion." She told him with a little chuckle, and then she pulled herself up from the ramp. "You're absolutely right, I can't stay dry for long or else I'll be even crazier...and I think I have something to eat in here..somewhere." She wouldn't deny the company, since she really did like having someone to talk to, and he didn't seem much of a threat, anyway.

No harm in a little food and drink, right?

"If you don't mind me making some small talk conversation, what is there to do around here when you're not working, Lieutenant?" Kassey started to get the cabinet open and pull out the bottle of Ithorian Mist Whiskey. She pulled out two small cups, in their settled and protected place in case the ship got too jumpy, then she started to pour them each a drink.

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There came a faint huff as he pushed himself up from his sitting position. "Jedi aren't too bad. Still figuring themselves out, but the Sith are the nasty ones. They love not paying for their actions but get real ornery and swear eternal vengeance of you so much as make a snide remark back."

The man gave a shake of his head and a disbelieving chuckle.

It amused him to no end that she was unsure if she had food in her own ship. Then again, it had seen better days, so that likely had something to do with it. And there it was. Whiskey and cups.

"Drink. Dance. Gamble. Watch the holo. Think there's some gravball courts on base but I wouldn't count that in the list of things civvies can do in their free time. Ain't much. Base has most of it to try and keep us partially sane."

Leaning himself against a wall he took the cup when it was offered and downed a quick gulp. "So uh, let's see. Get drunk. Kriff. Hangover at formation tomorrow. That's what most folk do, though I don't blame them. Nothing to do but get drunk and screw."

[member="Kassey Daklin"]

 

[Julianna Nero]

It all made sense, but when he mentioned dance, she raised an eyebrow. "There's somewhere to dance around here? Shocking, only if I could do that." That was something Kassey was never good at....she could not dance. Or swim, but thankfully, they were doing neither of that today. As he continued to tell her about what there was to do around here, he told her to get drunk, kriff, and that just made her nod her head. "Get drunk and screw. Sounds like Tatooine. Just add in escape from the Sandpeople at sundown for a little thrill, and you have my teenage years right there."

Kassey took the cup and she took down a big drink at first, no use in starting out slow anyway. "I never had a problem with the Jedi in my time, I find them...commendable, but foolish. Fighting for a cause that I just don't get. There's always going to be turmoil, there is always going to be war, no matter what side they are on."

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"Yeah. S'called the bar. I can't dance either but when you're drunk you stop caring." He shrugged again. "Take it you swapped sand people for pirates and called it even." He said. She was older than him, he was fairly certain.

He was a fresh faced eighteen year old. Two years over being legal for everything in most systems. Still, she looked early twenties. Curious.

"Eh. I think the problem is people are joining the Order as adults. That's my perception, anyway." Another shrug, another gulp. "So what do you do? Run cargo?"

[member="Kassey Daklin"]

 

[Julianna Nero]

Kassey wasn't much older than him, standing at only a current 22, but she would never guess that he was 18, he did look older. But at the mention of the bar, she couldn't help but to chuckle and look down at her drink. "How true that statement is...when you're drunk, you really stop caring." Which was a situation that she found herself in more than once in her life....in fact, she probably lost count.

"Yeah, I traded the sand people in for...pirates, smugglers, syndicates and do-good factions or armies. I'm more of a rogue than anything. I do a lot of transporting, a little duchess of some-trades. I have the ship for transporting, but.it's looking like I'll need to save up for a new one, unless I can find a blasted good mechanic."

 

[Archive]

"Good for most days. Not so good for morning formation." He snorted, rubbing at his jawline for a moment or two before downing the last of the whiskey he'd been given. Best way to get through whiskey was to just get it over with. "Smuggler sort, then." Duchess of some-trades was either a dominatrix or a smuggler. She didn't seem the sort to have a dungeon this ship, so that meant the latter.

Her ship would likely be flagged by the next port. Republic always was curious about why pirates targeted some people over others. "Plenty of good open market freighters lying around. Pretty cheap too, so far as freighters go. Although CEC kinda got the shaft when Corellia was split in two."

Giving her a faint, semi-sad smile, he balled a hand into a fist and gave a tap to the wall. "This girl ain't got much left in the tank. She'll take out of you more than she gives you."

[member="Kassey Daklin"]

 

[Julianna Nero]

"Smuggler...well, yes if you want to put a label on it." Kassey smiled and she took another sip of her drink, and cringed a little. How she missed Corellian Brandy, the cheap imitators couldn't do it like they used to, or else, that was the idea that was placed inside of her head. "I do the things that make the money for me. I know a bit about electronics, I could make my way into slicing, but the problem with information handling is that you wear a big target on your back. And I sort of like my life too much to see it end just because I know some things."

Another big gulp of the drink, and Kassey debated on pouring yet another glass, but she knew that she did need to pace herself, even if it was just a little bit.

"The CEC made some pretty impressive ships. I just don't know cheap I want to go, and I know I can't sell this ship...she's all I got left." It's not like Kassey wanted to bust out the sob story and woe is me poodoo, but she loved this ship, so many memories, and all for her father, too. "If I was rich, I'd make this ship the fastest in the galaxy, but I'm not that lucky. I'll just have to make due until I can find another."

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"Get a new ship, give it the same name, move on." The pilot says in a quiet voice. "It's pretty clear you're attached to her. You wouldn't keep using her if you weren't. Even a person in the most dire financial straits will replace something that needs replacing. But something is keeping you attached to it. Even if it could be just pride." A grin split his face, one arm folding across his chest to tuck under an arm.

"You do realize, though, that you're only gonna get more pirates breathing down your neck in a junker. It screams easy target. Not that you're easy. I wouldn't presume to say such a thing, but the appearance of being a quick throwover... it can be a powerful motivator."

He'd know. Dogfights almost universally revolved around diving in and taking out the already wounded foes.

[member="Kassey Daklin"]

 

[Julianna Nero]

He was right, she knew he was right, and he didn't even know her, which made it even harder for her to accept. "I have a lot of memories of this ship. I was basically raised here, between here and Tatooine, and I know how much harder it would be for me to just use it for scrap metal or something." She closed her eyes, as if she were hoping for some ship god to come and fix it miraculously for her.

"I think it's some pride, some memories, you know? I don't have much left of my origins, she is the last thing...however sad that sounds." Kassey just chuckled and found that now, even though it was just a few minutes later, found herself pouring that second drink for herself.

"What about you, Lieutenant?" Kassey asked curiously. "Where do you come from?"

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"Coruscant, actually. Now the Sith run it, and I'm left with nothing." He shrugged. The Sith had displaced a whole mess of folks when they invaded the Core worlds, and he still harbored a grudge against the Silver Jedi for their actions taken during the attack on Coruscant. He couldn't fault them for helping with the evacuation, but when it was clear the rest of the Jedi were losing the fight - the Republic Jedi - they should have allowed the Army to take over evacuation and gone to assist.

But they hadn't.

They had prized the lives of the fleeing over the lives of those left behind. That was their choice.

It was his choice to hold a grudge.

"Best way to move on is to cut all ties, you know?" He says, shaking his head. Setting the cup to one side, he undid his coat and pulled it off, throwing it over the back of a nearby chair. Folding his arms over his chest, he reached up to scratch at the back of his head momentarily. "Name's Declan, by the by. Declan Hayes." His lips quirked faintly. "But it's your ship and your life, I wouldn't presume to tell you how to live it. I should keep my mouth shut."

[member="Kassey Daklin"]

 

[Julianna Nero]

"Coruscant." Kassey said as she replaced the top on the bottle, and sat it aside. "Yeah these controlled planets can be rough, especially when you spent your life on them..." Kassey couldn't let go of her memories, and even though she faded off while she talked, she was really more or less still thinking about her ship. It might have been a little selfish of her, but she did not want to get rid of this ship

"You're right." Kassey took another sip of the whiskey. "It really is best to cut all of the ties, and just to move on. I know that it'll be hard, but..maybe I'll get another ship. Don't worry about presuming anything, I understand just what you mean. It's been a factor I've been debating with for a little while myself."

Declan, he said. That just made her nod and took another sip. "I like the sound of Lieutenant. But Declan, it's nice to meet you. I can't remember if I actually thanked you, at least properly, for taking down those interceptors, maybe it's not such a bad idea to be here for another night or two."

"Do you have a suggestion of a place I could get a ship for a good price?"

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"Funnily enough? The Holonet." He says, giving a smile. Moving over to take a seat in the chair his coat was thrown over, he leaned forward to power up her projector and began inputting the information necessary to bring up the Marketplace. The online shopping hub for everything that was legal, illegal, sometimes-not-entirely-legal and anything in between. You name it, you could probably find it.

It really was a fascinating concept. "If you wanna call me Lieutenant you can." He says, giving her a warm smile. "I doubt they'll send me up to deal with anymore pirates, though. Ground attack ships aren't supposed to fight attack craft. And no reason to thank me for following orders. But... here." He waved a hand as he scrolled through company listings.

"Mandal Hypernautics, Silk Holdings, CEC."

"Purchase through there. Not sure if they're delivered or picked up, but you've got a ship so I imagine a pickup wouldn't be difficult." Another smile, a flash of teeth. The compact, dark haired man was nothing but youthful exuberance.

"Take your pick, find something affordable or that you like, go from there."

[member="Kassey Daklin"]

 

[Julianna Nero]

Kassey smiled, and she walked over to the chair that he sat in, along with her drink of course. She sat on the arm of the chair while he sat in the seat, and she watched as he searched through what there was to offer. She knew of a lot of different ships, but maybe, with his suggestions, she would be able to find something a little more efficient that just simple aesthetics.

He told her that she could keep calling him Lieutenant if she wanted to, and it was followed by that warm smile, to which she gave him one back. "Lieutenant it is." She would have fun with that, no doubt. And she honestly did appreciate his help and suggestions...the contact was just as good as she thought it would be, it could be hard going so long without anyone to talk to, especially Kassey who liked to talk a lot.

"I guess I have some research to do then. Move on, cut all ties, like you said I think that might be the best way to go. But thank you, again."

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"Not a problem. Glad to be of assistance. Again. Just this time with less near-death." That fighter had been all sorts of beat up by the time they'd gotten back. Just chock full of blaster scorch marks and missing armor sections. What a wreck. But it had flown just fine despite that, which was impressive. "I've never owned a ship of my own, so this is all the help I can reasonably be. I just get assigned a ship and taught how to fly it."

"But a Restored Jewel isn't the worst idea anyone has ever had."

His lips quirked faintly. "So, not to pry, really, but why don't you regale me with a memory of this ship. Maybe I can understand a fraction of what it means to you."

[member="Kassey Daklin"]

 

[Julianna Nero]

Kassey actually felt like she was making a new friend, and because he was interested in her ship and why it meant so much to her, she would go into detail still, without getting to emotionally invested in the conversation. That just made everyone uncomfortable. But as she sat there and thought to herself...only one, maybe two, were actually aware of her history with the ship.

"To make an extremely long story short...I was raised in this ship. We were a traveling family until I was about 10. Planet to planet we went on but we stayed in this ship...ate in this ship, played in this ship...my mother taught me how to read and write in this ship. If not for The Fair Jewel, I'd be dead...I escaped the grasp of some big bad crime syndicate that came after my father. This ship, is named after me. My father called me a Princess, said I was as precious as a Jewel."

"I guess it was longer than I thought. My apologies, Lieutenant" Kassey looked over at him with a smile before she downed the rest of the second glass. "This ship's made me money, hosted nights with my first boyfriend, got me out of pirates and smugglers, were me and my best friend spent our nights drinking and sharing stories. I guess it sounds kind of silly now that I say it out loud."

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"It's a home." He replies softly, giving a slow nod as he powered down the projector and sat back. "That I can understand." And it went without saying that sometimes you outgrew a home. It was rare for a child to live in the house they grew up in, even rarer still for them to spend the rest of their days there. But leaving that house, the one you knew, the one that defined your childhood.

That was as rough as it got.

Real rough.

Maybe she'd make that jump, and maybe she wouldn't. Her decision. But now he understood, at least somewhat. A knowing twitch moved his lips for a moment. "That's the thing about memories though. They're in the past. Make some new ones, with new people, in new places... and you'd be amazed what happens."

[member="Kassey Daklin"]

 

[Julianna Nero]

"It's a home," She repeated after him. My home.

Kassey looked down at her empty glass and she felt herself getting a little flustered. "Blast, I didn't think I'd be doing this today." She chuckled a little and stood up to her feet. "You need a refill? Let's get you a refill." Without even waiting for an answer, Kassey took his drink from his hand and walked back over to the counter to top off his drink and get herself another one. That's when she remembered that he said something about food.

"Food, food, yes you said you'd like something to eat. Unfortunately, I don't have much. I have a bag of..freeze dried fruit from Naboo, I usually keep it in stock. I also have some muffins...no meat or anything, I can't cook for the life of me, so I usually just snack." She was looking away from him while she rambled on a little, and after she capped off the bottle yet again, she spun around in place and looked at him.

"What would you do if you were me? If you had a ship like this, with all of the memories, and all of the things you've done in here....would you scrap it? Or keep it?"

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