Supply Runs

[Jsc]

Monastery


It was still before sunrise and the air was cold as winter's own breath. An icy breeze rolled through the forest and caused the wind to rustle and shake with new glee. Kat stood nearer the landed corvette's on-ramp and let the steam of the vessel's near interior warm here. Halfway between the civilization of the modern starship and the wild unknown of Monastery herself. Even the dirt underneath her boots was mostly ice and cold stone. She rubbed her hands and sighed. This place was a far cry from Sullust. A black, black forest.

"Smoke?"

"Nah. I'm good."

An engineer descended the ramp and lit himself a cigarette. She had forgotten his name on the way over here. One of Palmer's crew for sure. He took a deep drag and let the heat of his mouth breath pit the hot smoke into the cold winter's air. Like an act of defiance against the wind.

"Almost sun up." He said quietly.

"Yeah. Almost."

She wasn't in the mood for talking.

The heat from the vessel rolled out against the dark morning air. They were still waiting for the last vehicle to arrive from the mountain retreat. Then they could load up and be on their way. Schedule had them out in Druckenwall in just under three hours. Might as well enjoy the cold air and real gravity while you could.

"Welp. Guess if you had to pick a planet. This one ain't so bad."

"Yeah. Guess so."

They took a minute to themselves now. Just taking it all in. The trees, the wind, the snow. It was nice to get a break from the dark blackness of space once and a while. Just let the reality of hard living sink in. Let your feet settle out the rocks.

Time past. Then the engineer put out his cigarette and stepped on it. Ssst. A crispy end to a frozen night. He sighed again to the cold winter's air. Kat just warmed her gloves and looked out into the dark horizon. Doing her best to remember that this was real air she was breathing. Not that polluted stuff they'd be enjoying in just a few hours. Spacer's life. Always enjoy the real world when you could.

"Headlights. Looks like our last transport is gonna make it after all."

"Yeah. Looks that way."

The wind continued to howl through the trees. Could almost see daybreak now. Almost.

"Welp. Enjoy the morning air. Better get back to it."

"Yeah. You too."

The solitary man walked back up the on-ramp and back into the ship. Leaving the crunching noise of the frosty dirt and stirring of the violent winds behind. Kat breathed out a long drag of her own warm sigh. They'd only been on-world for about forty minutes now. Just long enough to load up the bikes back onto the corvette and get ready to leave again. Supply run to Mercury Station and then back again by nightfall. Alas. They'd have missed all of the sunlight of the day by the time they got back. A cold and icy pity.

The headlights of the last civilian ATV crested the ridge nearby. That was her que. Break time's over. Better pack it in.

"Mmm. Almost time to go."

...

[member="Andy Khor"]

 

[Andy Khor]

Andy was sleeping in his ship, warm in his blankets, dreaming of being once again in a stage when something threw him to the floor swiftly "DUDE WAKE UP!" screamed Hex. Andy´s face crashed to the floor but he managed to got up "Apparently i didnt broke my nose so i´ll not sell you as scrap metal" "SHUT UP YOU GOTTA SEE THIS" Andy changed Hex operation system into an A.I more comfortable for him. So the robot was programed to have music taste and have less limits of action than other robots. A mistake he was about to make up once for all, but he was tired enough for turning on his laptop.

The musician got up rubbing his eyes tired because it was early in the morning, at least two hours before his alarm would wake him up. If he knew more about the force he would crash the droid with a single blow. "How did you managed to turn yourself up" "Auto on or off, duh. I was investigating all the signals that were passing by this remote planet. In Nal Hutta i could find out new information or updates. Just now i saw a signal about a new DJ table and ordered in an instant" "At least you didnt buy something useless... Wait...did you just said you bought that?" he was tired but in a moment his mind started to calculate how much would a new DJ table would cost. His was at least two years old, and was worth at least one good ship. A present one would cost more than that

"So now im poor" "Hey! You are nine hundred credits rich" said the droid. Andy knew that if it had the possibility to smile...

The main reason he was stuck in this planet for now was because his hammerhead corvette had its engine damaged and couldnt go into hyperspeed so it would take days going out of the system and reach to a planet were the equipment would be delivered. Even in a close planet "How do you solve the transportation problem if you arent an engineer droid?" "There is a ship going to a station were i told the company to send it there" "I have to run and ask if they can take me with them?" "They leave in a few minutes but if you hurry..." and thats why others programed a software of behavior to a droid.

Andy took his blaster pistol and a jacket because it was cold as hell. It was still night and the sun wasnt even close to the horizon. The good news was that the roads had rocks so he didnt fall. He was close to the location market by Hex when he saw the corvette and a red headed woman. Once Andy arrived he tried to normalize his breath and then speak "Name is Andy, Andy Khor. Do you have a spot for me? I can pay you after we arrive there" he expected that the girl didnt ask how he knew about were she was travelling. Because of the hurry, he couldnt think of a good excuse "Chet happens" thought.

[member='Kat Rivers']

 

[Jsc]

Okay. So. Get this.

It's freezing outside and still minutes away from dawn when some... Nobody I guess, comes running out of the darkness and demanding passage on Palmer's ship. Okay. Now, not only is it a foreign planet, in a dead sector, and leagues away from anybodies home. But this guy is armed only with a blaster pistol and the dramatic slogan "chet happens".

Kat could do nothing but just stare at the poor guy for a moment. In the shimmering darkness of the early morning, his features were illuniated only by the ship's running lights and the faint trailings of the docked ATV. She could barely see the fellow yet his breathing was hard and rushed. As if he had just run here. Yes. Run. As in, came out of the pitch black of night without even so much as a vehicle to announce himself.

Naturally. She simply must say something.

"Um?"

Well. Say something girl.

"Hello."

Poor Andy probably couldn't even hear here over the brisk wind and the creaking trees. Heck. She could hardly hear herself over the inherent strangeness of the whole dark situation.

"Um. Would you... Um. Would you mind waiting here please? I'll just, go tell the Captain you're here."

She raised a glove to the night and nodded.

"And um. Don't do anything strange. ...Probably."

And so, perplexed as all get-out. Kat Rivers walked backwards up the loading ramp and into the ship. Turning only to eye the door controls and wondering if she should push the button that would lock poor Khor outside the bay forever.

She didn't however. Rather, she just told the loading crews to watch Andy for... Um. Well. Just watch him okay. Ugh.

...

It took only five minutes for Kat to return. Flanked by a tall human male in his late forties and wearing a brown duster coat. He looked every bit the cowboy he prided himself to be. Commander Palmer. Owner of the Glorious Sloan. The very corvette from which they now decended. He raised an eyebrow and shrugged to [member="Andy Khor"] ,

"So then. Now, Miss Rivers here tells me you came running out of the forest looking for a ride on this here ship eh? That sound about right partner?"

Yep. Very cowboy. Just awful.

Kat rubbed her cold hands together and eyed the pair suspiciously. Oh dear. Was the Captain really thinking about offering this strange man a ride to Druckenwall? Good grief.

 

[Andy Khor]

The girl was surprised when Andy arrived. He didnt expected other reaction from her, but he managed to dont laugh at her "What the heck" face. The good news was that she told him to wait a second, while he was being surrounded by some of the crew. Moments later she return with someone old that he suppose to be the captain of the ship. He advance slowly towards the captain to not alarm anyone and raised an arm to salute him "Name is Andy Khor sir, nice to meet you. Im in the need of a ship capable of going towards the nearest civilizated system. I would message by droid for the location of course"

"I can pay you with at least four thousand credits top. If the cost is high than that number, you can hire me for now, as I have knowledge in simple engineering" he wasnt the most intelligence kid on class but had a passion for the electronics. It would be better if he didnt pay for the lift, as he was low on cash. The freaking droid would pay for that, but Andy couldnt disguise his excitement. It was a newly DJ table and it was like candy for him.

"So what do you say?" At least the captain mentioned the last name of the brown haired girl. She didnt seemed too happy of the idea of accepting an stranger into the corvette. Andy too wouldnt let anyone unknown on his ship but he needed the transport. If the captain would negate his request, Hex would known its end.

[member='Kat Rivers']

 

[Jsc]

Captain Palmer seemed shocked at the high number Andy quoted him. Four thousand was a pretty hefty number for a plane ticket out to Druckenwall. Maybe not a pleasure cruise out to Korriban? But definitely a bit high for a quick jump across the pond. Needless to say. Kat continued to be completely confused with the whole situation. This wasn't standard procedure by any measure of her experience. Still. The old cowboy was only too happy to make some easy coin.

"Tell you what partner. You can pay me 900 credits for a ride out to Druckenwall. And then you can catch the next luxury liner out to Coruscant for all I care. Ha!"

He slapped his knees and smiled to himself.

"Welcome aboard the Glorious Sloan son. ...Now, come on then. Let's all get back aboard before we freeze our britches off eh, eh? Ha!"

Kat was stupefied. Even with all her Jedi powers she could never had predicated how things would have turned out in [member="Andy Khor"] 's favor. Worse yet, Palmer was halfway up the ramp when her quickly turned to her and smiled,

"Oh! And Kat. You're playing hostess for our new house guest. Get him settled in, yeah? You know the drill. Thanks sister. Much love, much sass. Woop woop."

"What!?" Kat gasped.

Now she was to play babysitter too! Good heavens. What a strange midnight morning this was turning out to be. And cold too.

Rivers turned to Andy and stood dumbfounded for a moment. Then finally managed to speak,

"Um. So yeah. ...Let's go I suppose. This way." She pointed up the entry ramp, "Anyway. I'm Doctor Rivers. That was Captain Palmer. We're heading out to Druckenwall for a supply run. I guess... Welcome aboard then. Cheers."

She gave a fake smile and shrugged. I guess we're doing this then. One more midnight ride out to Mercury Station, here we come.

Kat got to the top of the ramp herself before turning around and asking,

"Um. ...Who are you again?"

 

[Andy Khor]

If he was crazy he would´ve roar of joy. The captain gave him free entrance to the ship! Andy thanks him before he went back to the corvette. Andy send a message to Hex that he was would return with the DJ table in no time. The captain mention that miss Rivers would be his guide inside "Andy Khor, nice to meet you" he thought that Kat wouldnt succed as an actress, because she looked uncomfortable about Palmer decision and him being there. And he couldnt blame her about that.

"I know this is situation is abnormal and you dont approve this by far, i get that. But i need help, and i can return the favor someday without any problem" with that said he entered the ship, waiting for her on the corridor. Just in there he could see that the ship was large and width.

"Look at it as an investment. Enter because i dont have a jacket and its freezing" The sun wasnt even close to rise. One thing that Andy learned in his childhood from a bodyguard was to be respectfull and courteous without expecting anything back, something about the karma and things he didnt remember well. It was one of the reason Andy sometimes was being used without him even notice. Someone told him it was a positive and a negative thing.

[member='Kat Rivers']

 

[Jsc]

His name was [member="Andy Khor"] . Interesting.

"Well then Mr Khor. Allow me to remind you that there is nothing 'invested' in you at all, at this point. To be frank. You wanted a ride from Palmer and you got one. End of story. So, as far as I'm concerned. Everybodies square. And you don't owe anybody any favors."

Nine hundred credits wasn't exactly cheap either.

"Anyway. Come on. There's a free cabin this way."

Kat lead Andy through the long Corellian vessel and up to the living quarters. The hallways were small and the cabins even smaller. This was no luxury cruise liner. This ship was simply another refit of a once proud political cruiser. So let's just say 'boring' doesn't begin to describe it.

"Here you go. This one's yours."

She tapped the keypad and the door swished open.

"The fresher is down the hall and the crew lounge has the kitchen. You can have fresh coffee brought up and there's a vending machine down in cargo. Also. Palmer says you can visit the bridge but should you go near engineering he'll have you shot on sight. Just so we're clear. He doesn't like strays near his engines. It's a gimme."

Rivers folded her arms and nodded.

"So. Anything else? We arrive at Mercury Station in three hours. You good?"

 

[Andy Khor]

The only thing Andy thought at the time was that how bad he needed to communicate to Hex about where to deliver the cargo and if he could, to a close location of the landing point. Once he get the crate, Andy would return to the monastery and try it out.

Maybe Bethany would give him the thumbs up for a concert just on the outsides. Of course there would be no booze if she didnt approve, but he didnt think that people should get wasted to have fun. Music itself can make a depressive person into a happy one or someone quiet into the loudest on the room. It was like using the force, magic.

Andy was distracted by his own thoughts, so he missed the last part of what Kat said. Either way Andy simply responded "Ok. I´ll stay in my room for now. I´ll go to the bridge in a few minutes. I want to rest for an hour, my droid woke me up after only three hours of sleep. If i need something i´ll contact you" said entering his cabin and closing the door behind him. The radio on his wrist had no signal, although he tried to configurate the connection into the one used currently in the ship but the signal didnt even change.

After a few minutes, Andy was getting desperate, so he investigate a panel on the wall and searched for a map of the ship. If he followed the corridor passing the engine room, he would reach the communication an connect his radio with it, finally sending a message to Hex.

Andy walked out of the room, remembering what was his path. There was nobody on sight, although it was a big ship with probably a lot of crew. It wasnt like he would want to avoid anyone, so he walked without any problem, with his headphones on and his blaster hanging on his belt. He was listening to a playlist of Future House that Hex bought.

[member='Kat Rivers']

 

[Jsc]

Kat sighed with relief as the door closed before her. [member="Andy Khor"] was tucked away safe and sound now. Giving her leave to return to Palmer's side and report.

"So?" The Captain muttered as Rivers entered the bridge, "How's our new guest holding up?"

"He seems tired and a bit baffled to be honest. But at this hour I can't really blame him."

Palmer shrugged, "Sure. I guess. He tell you anything about why he wanted a ride?"

"No. Not really. Though, he is a chatty fellow. I suppose you could just ask."

"Pfft. Nevermind it then. If your Jedi sense didn't detect anything, then it's fine."

Kat seemed startled and then shrugged herself,

"You realize that Sith Lords always hide their presence in the Force, yes? My 'Jedi Senses' are about as useful as your ship's scanners right about now."

Palmer blinked a few times and then shook his head.

"What's wrong with my ship's sensors?"

"Ugh. Nothing. Nevermind."

Kat rubbed her forehead and then turned about,

"I'm going to lay down for a nap. Ships all yours Captain."

"Um. Okay. Night night then."

Kat could only shake her head as she returned to her cabin. Three hours it was then. Perfect time for a nap.

 

[Andy Khor]

"Alright. Im getting close" with his hands on his pockets he reach a control panel on the middle of a corridor "Damn this ship is like a puzzle...the freaking comunication room should be here" in the screen showed his position on a map of the ship.

In a few minutes he reach room and enter, as the door opened just as he got close. There were a few of the crew in there, sitting on their chairs doing their jobs. Andy knocked, but everyone were unaware of his presence, as they had headphones listening to every transmition. Seen that nobody noticed he just approach a free computer and connect a cable from his bracelet.

The screen showed a signal on the monastery, Hex managed to send a message "Yo. How are they treating you?" "They dont have an spa" "If i didnt understand sarcasm... Well im downloading the navigation system of the ship" If someone was checking how his heart rate was going, that person would be alarmed to see that the heart didnt pump for a few seconds. Or maybe that it went fast, Andy didnt notice or care about it.

Hex wasnt a droid good at hacking as it always did the simple way of entering the system and taking any data out. One time they had to leave a planet because an alarm from a bank started to ring. The droid entered the system and the antivirus find him. If he didnt managed to escape as early as possible someone would have recognize Andy and put a bounty on his head.

Now Hex maybe alarmed the whole ship, and a simple hack alarm on a ship could be catastrophic for everyone.

[member='Kat Rivers']

 

[Jsc]

The door slide open to Kat's quarters and she left herself gasp a sigh of relief. Thank goodness. Finally some shut eye. It had been awhile since she'd slept last. Space time was strange like that. It could really mess with your biological clock if you let it. Luckily, cat naps helped.

Kat kicked her bunk and then fell into it. Ahh. Almost perfect gravity. Nice.

"Three hours till Mercury Station. Night night."

It was bedtime.

[member="Andy Khor"]

 

[Andy Khor]

A guy from comms got near him and shut down the signal from that computer. Andy was surprised but relief that it didnt got worse than that...as far as he knew "I know you are the newbie but dont do that" "Copy that..." Andy simply got up and walked away. At least he´d sent the location before being shut down. It was at least a miracle they didnt do anything more than a warning. Once he arrived to the corridor he was out to his room. At least the hack of Hex passed by some of the crew but he didnt knew if it was unnoticed by smugglers or pirates near them.

He took out a small ball from his pocket and place it in the center of his palm. Andy did this when something wild could´ve or would happen. With a straight sight to the ball, he tried to move it or levitate it or whatever Bethany told him to do. The ball had to be moved and Andy havent managed in his seven tries "Two month ago, i stopped a ceiling from falling in mid air but to move a stupid rock its impossible. It has to be a joke or maybe im not meant to be a Jedi"

Just a few minutes in that he gave up and kept the ball away. Maybe something with his health? A virus of somekind? He went towards a control panel and search for the medic office. He felt like a twelve year kid, but he was new with this kind of situation, and was tired about it. Once he arrive, he just knocked to see if she/he was awake. What would he say to the doctor? "Hey do you know of a sickness that cant let me use the force?" thought.

[member='Kat Rivers']

 

[Jsc]

While [member="Andy Khor"] spoke with the ship's medical officer, three hours past quickly. The ship dropped out of Lightspeed inside the Drunkenwall system. Mercury Station was now only fifteen minutes away.

Kat had woken up a minutes earlier and was now busy fiddling with her hair in the fresher. The captain announced their arrival in-system over the intercom. Good. Perhaps now was a good time to go have a look.

She finished her hair and slipped her coat back on. Then headed down to the ship's salon for a better view out the windows. Some people say space all looks the same but. Kat vehemently disagreed. From nebula, to constellation, to the sheer number of planetary variations. To poor Doctor Rivers, everything in space was always a new adventure.

She remained standing at the salon's window as the ship approached the space station. Not much longer now.

 

[Andy Khor]

There was a loud noise outside on the corridor. A table flew away, landing in the middle of the room without hurting anyone. The next thing went flying through the room and into the wall, crashing in pieces "Sorry sorry!" said Andy passing with his headsets on. He had both his hands raised walking slowly. He had at least half a dozen of various things levitating around him.

"Apparently i can only active the force while i listen to music" said walking slowly in the room. He took out his headset and the objects felt to the ground.

A few minutes ago he was sitting in the waiting room after a couple of medic exams, while the doctor brought back the results. For boredom he put his headsets on and played a song. He tried one last time to move the ball, while it was laying in the center of his hand and it actually moved. He got up of the excitement as the ball levitated. Andy moved his hand forward thinking in throwing the ball against the wall. Instead every furniture went flying and crashed at the wall, breaking everything.

In the present Andy was standing on the entrance of the salon, surprised to see that he was capable of doing those things, although afraid would be also an exact word "And sorry for the destroyed furniture, i will write a check or something..."

[member='Kat Rivers']

 

[Jsc]

Once again Kat found herself staring at what must be, the strangest man in the world.

He now claimed to be able to use Jedi telekinetics while listening to music. Not just that either. His skill and powers seemed completely unchecked as well. The poor fool had destroyed the salon's table. Nay. Captain Palmer's table. Good heavens, was he trying to get himself killed?

"What in chaos is wrong with you!" Kat gasped, "This isn't some dumb pleasure cruise! Are you trying to get yourself thrown out an airlock!?"

She marched, furious, over to the salon's door and closed it. Sssp. Then she locked the door. Now nobody else could bother them as she sorted this mess out.

"Do you realize that if anybody else had..."

Suddenly the intercom buzzed with Captain Palmer's voice,

~ "HEY! What in chaos is going on down there! Did somebody just fire off a blaster!?" ~

Kat quickly answered it,

"No no. We're alright down here Captain. Nothing to report. Um, sir. We're fine. We're fine. ...Um. How are you?"

~ "What the frell Kat? I can hear your voice ya know. Don't make me come down there." ~

"Uhh. It's nothing sir. We're quite alright. I'll be with you in a moment. Logging off now."

She killed the com and opened the wiring box. Disabling the speaker system for good now. There. No more intercom. Kat spun around towards Andy once more,

"Damn it all man. You just about got me fired. Now. ...What on earth do you have to say for yourself!?"

[member="Andy Khor"]

 

[Andy Khor]

After everything that happened, and Kat destroying the comm panel, he just knew things just turned red. "In my defense, i didnt know why this...MOMENTS AGO I WASNT EVEN ABLE TO MOVE A FREAKING BALL!" That was the only thing Andy said at the time, failing to calm himself down. He scratched his head for a moment getting his ideas straight.

"The ship is close to land. Maybe we can get out at the moment we land" Andy whisper to himself, remembering he checked the entire ship on the control panel hours before. He knew the plans, and...he left the comms opened for Hex before he left to the medics office "I screw up..." said kicking some table legs away and watching in the control panel if anyone was approaching through the corridor. After seeing it empty he returned to Kat.

"...but i dont know if the captain is going to kill us for broken furniture and if he did, well my plan would be to enable the engines and escape in a pod. Got a better idea or...." the ´or´ was leaving him at his mercy. That would be a funny story to tell, although he wouldnt be able to count it.

[member='Kat Rivers']

 

[Jsc]

Kat grew even more concerned the more Andy talked. Now he wanted to escape? What the frell!?

"Escape? What are you on about? You don't think I'd let you just walk away from this? Look at all you've done!?"

Madness. Madness. Just what kind of vagabond was she was talking to? Goodness.

"No. Nevermind. Just shut up. Don't say another word."

Kat took a moment to calm herself down. Using the old battle meditations to calm herself back into the present. There. At peace. Much better. Now she could think.

"Ah. This is such a mess. ...But yes. You and I will be leaving this ship as soon as we land. Blast it all. Now it looks like I'll have to babysit you so you don't blow up a whole planet. Umph. Ridiculous."

Kat shook her head. What was she going to do now. [member="Andy Khor"] had just made himself her problem. Great. Just great.

"Now. How did this happen? Why are you throwing tables around and smashing things? Surly you must see the folly in destroying another man's ship? Especially after he gave you a ride on it? Goodness."

 

[Andy Khor]

Andy lifted his hands and took a look at his palms "Well i think that it was the music or something like that" said pointing his arm towards a furniture and it didnt move for a centimeter, just like always. He knew he was a force user but with concentration or with help of a master, he couldnt use the force at his will.

He remembered that it worked when his headsets were playing music, so he put it on once again. "Well i did this and then..." His arm pointed the same furniture, but he tried to move it, it went flying towards him.

Andy managed to evade it at the last second. The other stuff in the room started to tremble dangerously, others were levitating for a few centimeters, other were a meter up of the air. He took out the headsets as quick as he could, throwing them away, and it all stopped moving or crashed in the floor. Andy got up a little scared, but at least alive.

[member='Kat Rivers']

 

[Jsc]

"For the love..."

Kat reached out her hand and stopped any more furniture from smashing into things. This was getting out of hand fast.

"...Stop listening to music then!"

She used her own Force abilities to quickly rearrange the room back to normal. Well, sorta. This place had already been messed up pretty good.

"Okay. There. Much better."

Rivers turned back to scowl at Andy.

"Okay. So a few things. One, the Force does not respond to music. So obviously it's you. Yes, you respond to the music. Which appears to be triggering a massive telekinetic burst in your subconscious activators. Which, kark it all, is completely unheard of in all of Jedi history. Ugh. So... It's probable that you have a mental condition. Either that or the music is triggering some repressed memory or trauma, which is causing these outbursts. Well. Either that or you're just messing with me."

She shook her head. What a mess indeed.

"Fine. I guess that means you're barred from listening to music at all, until we get off the ship. Do you have ear plugs? Something can keep you from sensing acoustic stimuli or blocks sound entirely?"

Kat then reached out across the room and grabbed Andy's headset in the Force. Then she crushed it. *snap*

[member="Andy Khor"]

 

[Andy Khor]

This time he heard everything Kat said, without interrupting her or getting distracted with his own thoughts. At the end he was about to speak when his headset was taken away "What are you..." she snap it, throwing it away. Andy gasped "Alright i got you fire, and you broke my stuff, although i dont think that count as a debt settled for you"

"And why would i be destroying property that doesnt belong to me like this? What would i be winning?" he walked into the middle of the room kicking the remaining parts of his headsets away. It would be hard to find that model again.

Andy remembered that in the Sanctuary, all they talk about is that you need to be concentrated to use the force, but he just couldnt "So this is a trauma of somekind? Can it be fixed?" in this time he remembered everything he felt, but the music needed to be less intense.

Maybe trying to search for different types of music, something that could send the vibrations necessary for him to use the force, but in the way he wanted. Other times, he could listen to music, but now he knew that if he tried to use the force, this kind of situation would happen and he wouldnt be able to control it.

[member='Kat Rivers']