That is What I Call Good Company (Open)

[Estsha Delabeen]

(Mid-afternoon, CoCo Town Pom Plaza)

Estsha looked around her as she walked through the crowded plaza, carrying her datapad closely to her side. Her eyes searched for her favorite spot, a wave of nervous energy emanating from from her. She quietly whispered to herself in a sort of prayer, "Please don't be taken. Please don't be taken. Please don't be taken. Please don-" She let out a sigh of relief as no one was sitting at the table outside an old diner across the street from Pet's 'N' Pieces. She quickly sat down and placed her datapad on the table, pulling up the holographic HUD and scrolling through her files before selecting one.

A blueprint for a starship appeared in front of her and Estsha zoomed in on the part that was highlighted red. She expanded the ion engine and inspected the pieces carefully before editing the schematics of the reworked engine. She was trying to add a hyperdrive generator on the Leopold. She worked diligently and contently, oblivious to those around her, the lifeforms in groups of two or more, laughing, talking, drinking, eating together. She was completely enthralled with her work and her eyes sparkled with a fervor that could only be seen in one who loves what they do.

 

[Rose Lalonde]

An older woman, probably older than the slowly decreasing years of the average human life form, quietly sat in one of the tables surrounding the white haired woman who sat concentrated, working with a content passion. The light blonde haired figure quietly adjusted their silver lined, and fake gold coated mug away from their lips after taking a tiny lip of the warm steaming liquids from inside. She looked a tiny look around her surroundings, as usual, bustling with people skittering from one location to the next in a frantic pace.

Rose, the name of this woman, gave a tiny look at the woman's work. With a building curiosity slowly bubbling inside her, she scooted her lesser metal framed chair a little closer, taking a longer look. A ship, by the looks of it. She had some work with ships, though it may have not been all that much. With a hesitation, she softly spoke, as if she were scared of her own voice for the first few words. "That's a very nice ship you're constructing. May I ask of it's origins, or if not that, yours?"

[member="Estsha Delabeen"]

 

[Ala'Tir]

Ala'Tir wandered around the plaza, enthralled by all the fun, laughter, and happiness that was going on around him. This part of the city really was the party center of the planet, and even though those around him couldn't see it, the Gen'Dai carried a large smile on him as he walked through the crowd, taking in the atmosphere that the plaza had to it. But there was one who wasn't having fun like the others, instead highly focused on a datapad in her hands, seated on an old diner's table. She was a Human female, alone, and Ala'Tir thought that perhaps she was lonely and needed some company. He made it a personal mission to be her friend for tonight. Quickly buying a drink from one of the many vendors, something called juma juice, he approached the woman and asked her,"I'm sorry if I am interrupting your concentration, but why aren't you having fun with everyone else?", in his scratchy, monotone voice that the helmet's speakers created. Ala'Tir then took a seat next to her and waited for an answer.
[member="Rose Lalonde"] [member="Estsha Delabeen"]

 

[Estsha Delabeen]

[member="Rose Lalonde"] [member="Ala'Tir"]

Estsha jumped at the sudden, although quiet, voice of the slightly older woman sitting near her. Taking a quick deep breath she turned to face her. "Thank you. I designed and built it. The design is inspired by the Mandalorian transport shuttles, I used to ride them as a kid just for fun." She smiled fondly at her memories of talking to all the different pilots and learning about the ships' parts and how they worked. That was where her passion for mechanics and engineering came from: all those unsung heroes that nobody looked twice at.

Another voice, this one slightly mechanical, emerged from the constant background chatter that seemed to be directed at her. She turned around to see a Gen'Dai standing in front of her. Her eyes widened a bit at the ancient species but she quickly recovered and offered a polite smile. "Oh, don't worry about me. I come here every day. I'm working on my ship." She lifted her datapad to show the newcomer the schematics of the Leopold, like an excited child showing off a new piece of artwork. "I'm Estsha, by the way. Nice to meet you both."

 

[Rose Lalonde]

Rose gently quirked a brow at her unlikely attitude, almost glad she got to meet such an enthusiastic person after all the stress she put into being chased away by her words. She turned her chair around to formally sit in front of [member="Estsha Delabeen"] in a more polite manner than she had been addressing her with. Her eyes flickered to the robotic sounding voice of [member="Ala'Tir"] , keeping a surprised expression burrowed deep inside her for the moment. Her explorations deeper into the character could wait, for now, she was about to have a conversation with the sweet voice that previously spoke to her. "It's a pleasure to be knowing you, Estsha. My name would be Rose, for your curiosity's sake." She spoke with a smile, directing the last part also to the voice who butted in at the last moment.

 

[Ala'Tir]

Ala'Tir cocked his head in suprise. How did she know he was a Gen'Dai? Well, it wasn't a big deal. He smiled at her and said,"It is a pleasure to meet you, Estsha. I am Ala'Tir. Please, enjoy this drink on me." He passed Estsha the drink and turned his attention to the older woman, to whom he bowed to. Looking at the Leopold, the Gen'Dai was rather impressed by the passion so clearly put into her work and in her voice. He had learned quite a few things on mechanics and repairs thanks to his curiosity aboard transport ships with his clan. Ala'Tir, in his youth, would help the ship's mechanics and ask questions, knowing that this skill might come in handy later. Drawing upon that knowledge, he looked at the Leopold with mechanical engineering set in mind, and noticed a glaring flaw: there was no hyperdrive. "Where is the hyperdrive, if I may ask? Or is this simply a planetary ship?" Everything else appeared perfect. It was rare to see such craft in a ship nowadays, with most companies opting to mass produce mediocre scrap piles with no customization whatsoever. This was different, however, and Ala'Tir was shocked to meet such a skilled woman in the most random of places.
[member="Estsha Delabeen"] [member="Rose Lalonde"]

 

[Estsha Delabeen]

[member="Ala'Tir"] @Rose Lalonde

Estsha smiled at the polite and proper tone of Rose's voice. It wasn't something one heard often so it was a fresh sense for her ears, although it made her a bit nervous as if she were in a situation that demanded propriety, which she did not excel at one bit. "Pleasure," she responded to the blonde woman's introduction.

Looking at the drink not passed to her hands. It was white in color and most likely alcoholic. Her face turned a light shade of pink in embarrassment and flattery. No one had ever bought her a drink before. "Thank you, sir. That is very kind of you." She took a quick sip of the strange drink and nodded her approval.

After hearing the comment on this missing hyperdrive, Estsha put down the drink. "I haven't yet built one. My ship is rather new and I don't quite have the materials for it yet. I'm planning a trip to Tattooine soon to see if I can get some discount parts from the Jawa. I don't quite trust the sellers here on Coruscant."

 

[Rose Lalonde]

Rose kept her smile as the strange woman spoke. She knew some of the people on Coruscant couldn't be trusted with ship parts, including herself. She just earlier sold a hunk of useless metal to a person for 12,000 credits, for crying out loud. She paused, then slowly nodded once the white haired woman finished her explanation of the hyperdrive, leaning in a bit closer, but not too close as to make a person uncomfortable. "If it means anything from a stranger, while the Jawa are quite loyal in their sales, I actually do have a single relation with a person who makes decent quality hyperdrives. If it's any help, I could sell it to you for an affordable price. Save you the trip, and the expensive of cleaning out all the sand." Of course this would probably lead to another snazzy hunk of metal with LED lights here and there, but her lying was on such a level that she had to trick herself into believing it wasn't true by the time the credits came rolling in.

[member="Estsha Delabeen"]

 

[Ala'Tir]

The Gen'Dai nodded and told Estsha, "I would recommend listening to the lady here and buying the part for a discount. A trip to Tatooine and the hyperdrive together would cost quite a lot. Although the Jawas are rather trustworthy, for the most part." Ala'Tir then turned to Rose and asked the older woman, "But who is your friend? Perhaps I know him." The ancient alien had quite a few contacts from all of his years of travelling, often relying on them for sustenance, as he rarely had a constant source of credits. At the thought of credits, the Gen'Dai instinctively turned to his wallet, checking how much money he had left after the shuttle fare and drink he bought...wait a second. Was it just Ala'Tir, or was he lacking a few credits? Searching the ground and the seat he was sitting on, he asked the two women, "Excuse me, ladies, but did either of you see me drop some credits? I'm afraid I might have misplaced them..."
[member="Rose Lalonde"] @Estha Delabeen

 

[Estsha Delabeen]

[member="Rose Lalonde"] [member="Ala'Tir"]

Estsha giggled. Here she was trying to avoid sales gimmicks and one fell right into her lap, not that she minded per se, Rose seemed a very nice woman. Perhaps it would be easier to just buy from her friend. "I appreciate your input, but I've already got my shuttle tickets for this evening. I don't mind the extra expense, most of my income goes towards parts anyway. Not to mention that buying a hyperdrive fully intact wouldn't do me much good in truly learning how they work." She smiled politely, hoping that she didn't seem like she just brushed off their advice.

Ala'Tir asked about his missing credits. Estsha quickly looked around. She hadn't been paying attention. Should she have been. "I'm afraid not. Perhaps you bought something you don't remember, or maybe something was more expensive than you expected," she offered, trying not to look distressed. Bad situations tended to leave strong negative emotions in Estsha's heart.

 

[Vinskk Revamp]

OOC: Sorry bout that. One second...

 

[Ala'Tir]

The Gen'Dai shrugged and put his wallet away. If they were gone, they were gone. He still had enough to get his next ride to wherever he was scheduled to go next. "Oh well. I'll earn some if I need to." Ala'Tir relaxed, seeming to be content to simply listen to the two women's conversation.
[member="Estsha Delabeen"] [member="Rose Lalonde"]

 

[Rose Lalonde]

Rose gently tilted her head, then slowly turned it away as her deal was refused. She slowly crossed her robed arms and nodded slowly, leaning in a bit closer to the woman. "Well, if you do wish to throw the tickets into the deal I'd be more than happy to sell them off to another, but your opinion is one worth respecting. I won't push it farther. I do wish you safe travels." Rose fumbled at her pockets for a moment, then gently leaned back into the chair, pulling a single piece of cloth to her chin for rubbing. Fancy people rubbing.

[member="Ala'Tir"] @Vinskk Revamp [member="Estsha Delabeen"]