Sunburns & Hyperdrive Troubles

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

The bunkers entrance was shrouded in darkness, the sun having already arched over it and now pouring its light into the clearing. Kurt walked ahead of Kaile, his fingers laced around the flashlight as he slowly moved towards the huge double doors. There was a slight click as he turned on the flashlight, a bright beam of illumination cutting through the dark entrance of the bunkers inner chamber. The Courier motioned for Kaile to come closer, waving for her to come beside him.

She quickly moved there, tugging along with Kurt as they both stepped inside.

"Alright." He said more to himself than her as he swept the flashlight over the entrance. As they moved it became more and more obvious that the entrance of the bunker in fact some sort of loading ramp, a massive section of the floor slopped down and onto the flat and even ground, the walls raising high and the duracrete columns reaching up sparsely to hold up the ceilings. Kurt wandered down the ramp, taking Kaile with him.

They walked for a long time like that, escorting one another down the ramp for what seemed like an eternity.

"How far down does this go?" Kurt asked out loud, frowning slightly as he shone the flashlight all around them. "I didn't think the island had this much underground."

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

Kaile ambled along Kurt. She didn't have a flashlight, but she would periodically turn, walking backwards to check out the area behind them just in case. The deeper they went, the more she wanted to lit up her torch. But they didn't know if there were flammable fumes down here.

"Same... this," her voice panned, staring into the large corridor. Things seemed relatively empty. "This doesn't make sense. Unless there was a lift to reach to the bottom?"

They were walking at least five more minutes before the angle of their walk leveled off. It was then that Kaile received the sense of just how big this place really was. Everything was dark, but as she spoke, she could hear the echo of her voice.

"Okay... now what do we have here?" she peeked over Kurt's shoulder, following the beam of his flashlight as they came to a stop. The air was stale. No actual circulation. Whatever sort of air recyclers were offline. Maybe if they could find a generator or a power supply...

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

The room that they now found themselves in was massive, something of a storage space Kurt assumed.

The beam of the flashlight slowly panned around the room, until finally Kurt caught a glint of something. It was another metal panel, this time however it was not covered in rust or overgrowth, but instead a thick layer of dust. He motioned to Kaile and pulled her over with him, walking carefully to ensure that he didn't trip over anything. The beam of the flashlight stayed ahead of them, eventually settling on the metal panel in front of him. Unlike the one upstairs, this one did not have a lock.

"Hm." Kurt mused out loud, handing the flashlight over to Kaile.

"Hang on." Kurt said as he swung the metal panel open. The inside was populated with a mass of different wires and circuitry, a few switches and what appeared to be a main breaker that was flipped to the 'off' position. Kurt mused for a second, then slowly began to flip through all of the different switched. One by one he set them to the ready position. "Here goes nothing."

A shrug rolled over his shoulders, and The Courier flipped the main breaker.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

There was a low, spurting start of the main breaker. Along with a few sparks that had both Kurt and Kaile bringing their hands up to block them. However, it came along with a flicker. A flicker that spread across the ceiling of the vast storage chamber. That strobe like effect leveled off, and suddenly they were surrounded by light.

Kaile's jaw dropped.

"Oh my stars." her eyes practically bulged from their sockets. Slowly, she walked a few feet away from the pilot, as if she needed those extra few strides to really capture the breadth of the enormity of the main floor. This wasn't just a bunker. It was an underground facility that seemed to spread for as far as she could see.

There was a fine coating of dust that covered everything. Yet that didn't draw the attention away from the neat line of old Empire era ground vehicles neatly lined throughout the deck. There were even two large walkers, hunkered down as if merely resting, ready to go at a moments notice.

This was more than just your typical bunker. This was... "... holy feth Kurt."

Kaile wasn't looking at the Walkers, she was looking at the corridor down the hallway that lead to more chambers and a turbolift.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

So it was a weapons depot.

Or something of the sort.

Kurt didn't really know much about history, didn't really know much about anything at all, but he knew well enough to recognize machines and weapons of war when he saw them, knew well enough what this all meant and likely what it had been for. A soft whistle escaped from his lips as he looked at all that lay before them, his eyes wandering to the tanks, walkers, and even a few of the speeders that simply sat there covered in dust. It was clear that this was an entire base, an operational facility meant to begin the consecration of a war. Perhaps it had been put here by some Remnant, or perhaps it had been set as a preparation or something that would inevitably strike.

"It's an emergency facility." Kurt said, though he was still only half guessing. "Built in case they needed to go to war..."

He trailed off for a moment as he began to wander towards some of the vehicles. His fingers slowly laced around the metal, pads trailing along the hard edges of one of the repulsor tanks that sat neatly nesteled against the ground. "Look at them all, you could take an entire city..."

Kurt suddenly came to a realization. All of this. The bunker. The tanks. The speeders. The...credit signs began to form in his eyes.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]


Kaile drew closer, moving off towards one of the walkers. Being in the Alliance and along with her time in the Pyre and the Rebellion, Kaile had more exposure to weapons of war.

"This must be late Remnant." She told him, moving to climb up on one particular speeder. Was it in working order. "Seems a bit creepy..." she told him honestly. "It's like they were just... left here. Forgotten."

With the way that the 'verse went, that was very likely. Politics got in the way. Coups. Governments rose and fell. The Gulag plague left it wide open for warlords and those who would try to make their own mark and carve a little empire.

Slipping inside, the Agent attempted to see if she could turn on the speeder.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

The Repulsor engines suddenly flared to life, causing Kurt to half jump back and away from the vehicle. His eyes opened wide and the credit signs that had been there a few moments ago suddenly got a hell of a lot bigger. The courier grinned, and then half began to bounce up and down as he tried to do math in his head. He wandered for half a second, looking at the scope and scale of the facility before he quickly ran over to Kaile and half jumped onto the side of the speeder.

"Kaile." Kurt said excitedly. "Kaile Kaile Kaile."

He said her name over and over again. "Do you know what this means?"

The buzzing of the repulsor engine burst through his ears, though it hardly obstructed his train of thought. There was an excitement to him now, one born of the fact of thought about what they could now do and waht they had the ability to accomplish.

"We're fething rich." His fingers began to fidget.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

"Well, looks like it is still operational.." the Lorrdian agent murmured, checking everything out. Still had a good bit of omph from the powercells.

"The powercells ain't all drained..."

Granted, that was when Kurt bounded over, chanting her name as if it would bring forth a djin to grant all of their wishes. To some degree, it had a measure of validity.

Kaile, bless her heart, wasn't the sort to have her mind wander straight towards credit signs or profit. No her mind was settled on why this was abandoned, if there was any danger, what Kurt and she could use to fix up the Messa. Maybe that was one of her more endearing qualities. There wasn't a selfish bone in her body, and if there was? Well, odds were it revolved around the scruffy-faced pilot bearing down on her with the excitement of a five year old youngling.

"Huh?" Kaile blinked at him, confused. The thick slash of her brows drew together. "How?" she blew her bangs away from her face, the tendrils flying in an arc above her only to flop back down.

Sometimes, it took a bit for Kaile to register things.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

"Kaile, if each one of these runs, hell, even if only a tenth of them still work, that means there's hundreds of vehicles down here. Each of these cost probably twenty thousand to forty thousand credits new, so maybe half that this old. None of them have ever been touched, thats not even to mention the tanks or the walkers." There were a lot of tanks. "There's going to be someone, actually no, there's going to be a lot of people that will want these."

Kurt could already list a few of them off the top of his head. "We're the only ones to have seen these things in...well probably centuries."

That meant that they were the only ones who knew about it, the only ones who could actually find the location.

"We can sell them." Kurt said simply. "Even if we only get ten thousand credits for each one that's well over three million credits."

For some people in the galaxy that wasn't a lot of money, but for Kurt and Kaile? That was enough to live off of for the rest of their lives. That was enough to give half away and still enjoy the rest of their time together in the galaxy. That enough to get enough blue frilly dresses to Fill the Messa four times over.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

The blood drained from her face. In hindsight, it would bring up a chuckle or two for the pair later, but at that moment, the startling realization knocked Kaile over with a feather. Her jaw fell again. Only to close, then open as if to say something.

With Kurt painting out exactly how this could turn out. What it would mean for them. It completely blew her away.

Oh my stars. Ohmystars!

"Ohmystars!" growing jubilation grew over her heartshaped face, and she gave a slight squeal. "Oh.. oh my stars. Th-three MILLION CREDITS?" That sum of money was just.. just unfathomable for Kaile. She had been scraping and counting credits for as long as she could remember. She did so with Kurt as well, pinching them and trying to get as far as she could while providing them healthy meals.

The hum of the speeder's engines would not contain her cries of excitement. This ecstatic need to lunge at Kurt filled her, and she went scooting over to the pilot, oblivious to the speeder's condition, and threw her arms around him.

"Are you serious?! Really? Really, Really?!" confirmation of that would land a kiss smack dab on his mouth.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

Kurt flailed, almost falling off the side of the speeder that he had been clinging to. His hand managed to hook onto one of the latches though, The Courier barely managing to catch himself before he took a fatal fall onto the ground below.

"Three million is on the low end." For all of this? They would be able to get so much more. With the amount of equipment in this bunker he wouldn't be surprised if they happened upon weapons and half a dozen other things. There was a lot money here, and Kurt and Kaile had claim to all of it. Salvaging rights they were called, and it was even more so because this planet was out of bonds of nearly every single galactic governments that existed here. This bunker, everything in here, it belonged to them.

At least by the laws of most exploration and treasure hunting guilds.

"There is a lot of money here Kaile." Kurt continued to explain. "We haven't even seen the half of it."

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

"Ohmystars, are you okay!?" Kaile had a fright when he went failing. She didn't actually push him THAT hard did she? All she was trying to do was hug him. Really, it seemed that anytime she wanted to embrace Kurt, he had the affinity of getting hurt. Maybe whatever higher being was out there was making a comedic point.

Note to self, do not excitedly hug Kurt for his longevity.

Thankfully, it seemed the pilot was unharmed. Kaile breathed a sigh of relief.

"But, but..." her hands would grip tightly along the edge of the speeder's door, hanging her head over to follow Kurt where he went off to. "Who would we even sell it too?" she asked. It wasn't like they could simply go to the Southern Systems Business Bazaar and auction it off. They had no way of transporting anything.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

He mused for a moment as he rubbed his rump. "I know a few people."

There were some Hutts on Tatooine that would love to have this hardware, A Rodian he knew had a connection, heck he was pretty sure that he could get in touch with the head of Sif and see if he knew anyone. Something like this...This was entirely new. It was an army for sale, or rather, the equipment needed to outfit and entire army. They could sell this to anyone they pleased and still make more money than they would never need. Kurt knew that from simply street logic.

"Grop The Hutt." Kurt said to her as he slowly began to wander back towards Kaile, watching all the vehicles and everything around them. "He's on Tatooine, as far as Hutts go he's mostly honest and fair, wouldn't screw me out of a deal in a million years."

Kurt had had his patronage as a pod-racer. The old slug was a crime lord, but as far as that was concerned he was one of the better. Leaning over he booped her nose with a wide grin. "Even if not Grop, there's a hundred others who will want all of this."

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

"A hutt?" Kaile bit her lip, the space between her brows furrowing. Hutts were not the sort of individuals Kaile was too keen on dealing with. There was history with that, and they were rather temperamental. Dealing with one from Tatooine wasn't her cup of tea. I don't know...she mused, her fingers tapping a small beat against the speeder door.

Turning around in her seat, the Lorrdian drew back, looking over at the speeder's control assembly. Leaning forward, she turned off the ignition. The engine's whine slowly waned from its drone. Bringing her hands to her lap, Kaile fiddled with her fingers. The slight click, click, click of her nervous snap of her fingernails against the other was audible in the growing silence.

"Grop the Hutt?" uncertainty clung heavily in her voice. "I don't know..."

Other thoughts came to her. What was to happen if others found out that Kurt and she knew about this place? What if something happened before they sold it?

"Maybe we should contact the Alliance..." came her hesitant start, not quite sure herself if that was a good idea to be honest.

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

He balked slightly, but only slightly. He knew that at heart Kaile was a good person, she wanted the best for everyone in the galaxy and wanted to make sure that everyone was okay. The idea of selling to a Crime Lord likely didn't appeal to that part of her, mostly because...well he was a crime lord, but the Alliance was no better, at least not when it came to this. These were at their very heart weapons of war, and they would be used for that purpose.

War.

A sigh escaped Kurt's lips, and slowly he moved into the speeder, hopping into the seat beside her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Look."

He began.

"I'm not saying we have to sell it." They didn't. These were war machines, and if Kaile didn't want to sell them if she didn't want to run the risk, then he would understand. He would be frustrated, but he respected her, loved her enough as a friend to be okay with that decision. "We can make money off this. Money enough to do whatever we want to The Messa, money enough to live off of for the rest of our lives. Nothing says we have to sell to Grop, nothing says we have to tell the Alliance, who would probably seize it anyway. We can look around, find the right buyer, maybe a Planetary Defense Force in the outer rim."

That didn't sound like a half bad idea, and as he said it he squeezed her shoulder. They wouldn't make as much money, but at least they would do some good.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

Kaile considered what Kurt said, biting her lower lip. Fingers would play with the other, interlocking and sliding apart. Shoulders seem to sink as it all sank in. This was big. Really big. For Kurt. For Me.

His arm drew her close in a side hug, enveloping her and tugging her to his side. With a sigh, she flopped her head against the ball of his shoulder. The scent of his musk tickled her nose, but she didn't mind. His words and his embrace managed to comfort her in a way nothing else seemed to. There was validity to his words.

Selling it to a criminal was not a path Kaile would like to take. The Alliance, well... He was right. They would simply seize it, re-purpose it for the war against the One Sith and the First Order. But... wasn't that what was best? She had been working so long with the Rebellion, then the Pyre, and finally the Alliance.

It made sense right?

Twin chocolate brown eyes drew up to look at Kurt when he mentioned perhaps to a Plantary Defense Force. Now that... that didn't seem so bad.

"Really?" came her hesitant query. The click, click, click of Kaile playing with her nails started up again. "Like... like a planet who might need it to help defend itself?" now that didn't sound so bad at all.

But it wouldn't likely make them as much as selling it to Grop the Hutt...

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

His fingers drummed against her shoulder. "Yeah."

There was just a tinge of disappointment to his voice, but it wasn't really anything to be concerned about. Selling to a planetary defense force wouldn't be the worst thing in the galaxy, it just meant that they would make a little less money. Instead of twenty million credits they would make ten, instead of three they would make one and a half. That was fine, they would still have more than enough money to do whatever they pleased with, just a small paycut.

"Yeah." He repeated again. "There's plenty of those, worlds that need a military."

Oh that was certainly true, especially with the One Sith still around. "We won't get as much money, but it'll still be more than enough for us to do whatever we want with, and we'll do some good in the process."

That was the explanation he told himself again.

When one grew up poor, at least relatively so, it was difficult to imagine the kind of money that they were talking about. There wasn't much difference between one million and two million credits, not for rich folk anyway, but for people like Kaile and Kurt? Well that different hurt, at least for Kurt it did.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

He was disappointed.

It wasn't just in his voice, but also in subtle ripples over his body. As she had been watching his face, Kaile caught the slight tension of his jaw, the glimpse of a grimace. He would have preferred to have sold it to Grop the Hutt. They'd have likely cashed in for more credits too. For Kaile, that never was really an issue.

Having enough food to put on the table and do what she needed to do was nice. Extra tips when working tables were even better. Life taught her to scrape for every credit and to make the most of it. To stretch it as far as she could. Kaile didn't need three million credits. She didn't even need one.
It would be nice yes, but for someone who hadn't ever had that much to begin with... it was hard to miss what one didn't have in the first place.

Even now, the idea that they could sell this all for credits was surreal to her.

Fingers would fret, locking together an tightening into a small grip. Kaile lowered her head, her eyes falling to her hands, inspecting the slightly dirty nails. At the small bit of callouses that were there on the palms of her hands.

They could sell it to a Planetary Defense Force, but... Well. How many really were able to afford that. Maybe that was the difference that made Kaile who she was.

Parting her lips, she began a bit hesitantly. Her voice was low, cautious. "Most won't have that sort of money though... not with how things been going on."

This was likely the part that Kurt would start feeling it in his belly. Perhaps, that sickening sensation of just what Kaile would say next.

Then again, would he really be surprised?

"... we don't really need the money Kurt."

 

[Kurt Meyer]

[member="Kaileann Vera"]

His stomach dropped.

Instantly he knew that she was right.

Kaile was like that horribly kind person that one kept around because they were fun, but the moment you wanted to get into trouble they reminded you that it would hurt someones feelings and you shouldn't do it. Were they children and Kurt up to no good, Kurt was entirely sure that Kaile would have been the girl to say no the entire time then later take the blame for all of the actions. She was the epitome of a goody two shoes. She was like the ultimate teachers pet.

"Uggggggggggggggh." The noise echoed throughout the entire bunker.

He didn't want to do it.

He didn't want to give it all away.

He wouldn't.

Kurt absolutely refused to give it all away for nothing. "Fine."

"BUT!" The Courier interjected before she could get too happy or carried away. "We don't give it away entirely for free. We get enough credits to one, get a brand new hyperdrive. Two, redo the Messa's hull, and three, enough money to last us the rest of the year."

That was more than generous. At most all of that would cost about two hundred and fifty thousand credits, even the poorest outer rim world with a government would be able to afford that.

 

[Kaile Vera]

[member="Kurt Meyer"]

The smile that frosted Kaile's lips was like summer and spring put together. The corners of her eyes crinkled, the apples of her cheeks high with the flash of dimples in between.

Her hands reached out to take one of his own, "Okay. That's fine." she told him, brightening. "Enough money for the rest of the year is more than enough for you and me! And the Messa." Getting a new hypderdrive is what she wanted to begin with. And a new hull would do them just fine. They didn't really need for much, Kurt and she. They had everything they ever really wanted.

Anything more was just strawberries and blue frilly dresses. Nice, and make one feel as if they were walking on Cloud Nine, but they weren't necessary for Kaile or Kurt to live their life. As long as she had Bobo and Kurt with her... I don't need anything else.

"We can always look through everything first," she also added. "Reckon if we found it, then we own it... so.. we get first dibs right?" her brown eyes would search his blue, trying to cheer him up. This bothered him, made him struggle with it. He really didn't want to but it warmed her heart that Kurt was willing to do it.

He might be a scoundrel, but he had a heart of gold.