The Stars Have Hope (Open)

[Saria Messoa]

The Crusty Boon bumbled its way towards the surface, lazily descending towards Onderon. The planet was dangerous, and Saria didn't know how she felt about coming here. But for a girl with few options, a few skills, and even fewer credits, this was pretty much the best place she could do right now. Besides, this was as far as her hunking YT-2000 could get her, and even with that, it was running on empty. She needed money for fuel. The young woman sighed as she eased the joystick downward, her stomach let out a hungry growl. And she needed the money for food too.

As the Boon settled on her aged props, several indicator lights flashed on the control panel. She needed money for repairs too.

With a baleful shake of her head, Saria rose to her feet. Somehow when she left Quillura, she thought her life would go differently instead of bumbling from planet to planet without much purpose. The said this planet was dangerous, and well, that was most of the galaxy. She hesitantly pulled the rusty DL-44 off her console and tucked it in her waistband. Saria didn't believe in violence, but growing up in the country she learned a thing or two about how to operate blasters.

"Let's just hope I don't have to use it," she murmured before stepping out onto the open landing platform.

The air was hot, and humid and the sun was horribly bright. Saria blinked a few times before stripping off her denim jacket and tying it around her waist. It was better, but still not perfect.

A thousand smells, sounds, and sights assaulted her as Saria stepped out into the street. But more than that, a thousand emotions sucker punched her in the gut. The girl grabbed the nearest object to steady herself against the overwhelming feelings. There were voices and languages screaming at her than Saria could have ever dreamed existed. Species from across the galaxy meandered the street, and trash littered the walkways. A few speeders hummed by, but most of the shoppers in this bazaar were on foot.

Most carried varying degrees of criminal elements about them, Saria swallowed with a twinge of fear at the overwhelming sense of hostility she felt from most around her.

"You got yourself in this mess, you can get yourself out," Saria assured herself.

She squared her shoulders and the young woman stepped out into the great, wide streets on the prowl for employment.

 

[Ashalah Ky]

Well, this was...not the worst backwater planet Koda had been on. Her job made her travel around planets like this a lot, the outer rim too. It wasn't the most...reputable of businesses sometimes, but she made it work. You kind of learned to ignore just exactly what you were shipping and not ask too many questions. Only things she needed to know were where is she going, when does she need to be there, and how much is she getting paid? She had set her cargo ferry down in the spaceport, grabbing a small bag that she slipped over her shoulder. Along with the blaster strapped to her thigh, she draped a cloak around her shoulders, pinning it closed over her chest. "Come on, Copper." She instructed the little R3 astromech, who gave a happy whistle and followed her down the gangplank. Once the two were off, the door slid shut and there was the clank of the auto-lock sliding into place. Confident that no thieves would be getting at her ship, Koda headed out to the streets of the market.

As she walked, she pulled a datapad from her bag, opening it to display information on her current shipment. "Good news, Cop, we're ahead of schedule." She smiled at the droid, who whistled again. "For once," Koda added in a murmur. She didn't like being late on shipments, and it wasn't something she was known for, but constantly being on the dot made it impossible to have any free time. She was glad their destination was just a few hyperjumps away from Onderon, now they could stop for supplies.

Koda was so focused on her datapad that she barely noticed approaching a figure, gripping onto a support post as if for dear life. However, Copper's warning beep alerted her and she looked up. She glanced at the droid, shrugging. Drunk people were not that uncommon in these worlds. But as the girl stood up and stepped out into the street, she was walking perfectly fine, not having the drunken, hobbling gait about her. Maybe she was sick?

Slipping the datapad away, Koda moved faster, slipping through a small group of people until she was behind the girl. "Hey miss, are you alright?" She spoke up, making sure she could be well heard over the crowd, but not shouting. She didn't want to startle the woman, yet she didn't want to cause a scene.

[member="Saria Messoa"]

 

[Tatya Zane]

Onderon. Once upon a time, the capital of the Galactic Republic, but that government had fallen, and so had the state of the planet. But then, it had never been much of a world to begin with. It had suffered, but now, there was opportunity. Tatya swaggered from down the gangplank of her ship, with her blade sheathed at her side and the pistol holstered on her hip.

She brushed a strand of hair from her face and slipped into the crowd, eyes prowling around for what she needed. They needed supplies and a buyer, who wouldn't mind some questionable provenance. They had liberated a cargo full of gemstones and spice from some traitor who had sided with the Sith. And well, rebellions needed money more than drugs.

Merchant stalls lined the streets and Tatya paused at each one to observe what they were selling and to gauge what they might be willing to pay for her cargo. Her eye settled on somebody who seemed out of place. It was a fetching young woman, who seemed far too innocent to be in this part of town.

Well, everyone ended up falling to the underworld eventually. Entropy, after all. All things move from order to chaos. She was a walking example of that.

 

[Br00ka]

Sam walked through the entrance of Onderon (or whats left of it), and kept walking through the streets looking at stalls and keeping his eyes out for anything peculiar. As Sam turned a corner a Dug took the blaster out of Sam's holster and ran off, Sam realized what just happened and chases him through the streets.

"This blaster will go for a lot" The Dug said. Sam couldn't keep up with the thief and decided to go to more dire methods, he Force Sprinted in front of the dug and drew his Saber. "Give my blaster back now, or you and my friend her can have a talk" Sam said as he moved the blade closer to the throat of the dug.

"OK, OK, Here have the stupid blaster back, I don't want no trouble" The Dug said as he handed over the blaster and walked off.

Sam puts his lightsaber away and looks up and everyone is looking at him. "What, is there something on my face?"

[member="Tatya Zane"] [member="Koda Zaylr"] [member="Saria Messoa"]

 

[Saria Messoa]

The wash of feelings was so loud and blaring it was hard for Saria to think or feel really anything. She didn't even have a chance to feel the person coming closer to her, amid the torrent of the thoughts and emotions.

​

"Hey miss, are you alright?"

The question made Saria's ears perk, she turned surprised, there didn't seem to be really anyone here worth their kindness or the sort to pay attention to farm girl in way over her head. She hadn't encountered many non-humans while on Qiilura, especially the more exotic varieties like this colorful Togruta followed by her little astro droid. Saria's surprise showed on her face as she gaped in surprise. After fifteen seconds, it was clear she was staring.

"Oh, uh," she stammered, blushing. Her farm accent came through strongly, "I just--just a lot for a farm girl like me to take in, all at once. Fresh off Qiilura and everything. Thanks," she gave a nervous smile. The lady had been nice enough to stop and ask her what was wrong, maybe she was the answer the young woman was looking for. Maybe somebody up there was looking out for her after all, "Hey, uh, I am kinda looking for work way out here. I can cook, clean, mend, I'm handy with medicine, and I know my way around a blaster," she shrugged, "Know anywhere I could start? Just enough for a meal, I mean. And maybe some fuel too."

Over across the street there was some hubbub about some human and a Dug fighting for some blaster or something. She glanced over, then quickly looked away as the conflicted ended and the winner looked around at the bystanders. The last thing she wanted was to be caught up in more of trouble unnecessarily.

[member="Koda Zaylr"] I [member="Tatya Zane"] I [member="Sam Tugnin"] ​

 

[Draconis Caesar]

Draconis meandered through the alleys of Onderon carefully, his hand always near the saber that rested underneath his white cloak. Onderon had become a dangerous place since the fall of the Republic and back alley muggings happened often. Still the alleys were also where the sick and poor resided and these were the people Draconis had been sent to heal. He walked to a man who appeared to be a veteran. He seemed ill and Draconis knew he had to do something for him. The padawan placed a hand to the man's chest and felt the sickness inside him. It was like a foreign invader that simply did not belong.

“Wha-what are you doing?” The man said weakly, but was in no state to resist.

Draconis could feel that the disease had spread throughout the man's body and he would need extensive care, care Draco was prepared to give him. With his hand to the man’s heart Draconis began to concentrate. He felt the disease and smothered it with the force. Slowly he smashed the illness until it was no more. The results were immediate and the man stood abruptly. He swayed a bit from the sudden rush and Draconis steadied him with an arm.

“Rest, you need rest,” Draco told him, but the man did not listen.

“You're a Jedi!” He said loudly and Draconis grimaced. He had not wanted his presence as a force user known. “Thank you master Jedi!” The man said earnestly “I am forever in your debt,” Draconis shrugged and laid the man back down to the ground.

“Think nothing of it, for now, you need rest. Also might their be some place I can stay?” Draconis asked the man hoping he might have some idea of where the nearest hostel was.

The man shook his head “Sorry master Jedi. I haven't the faintest clue,” He said.

“Please, do not call me master. I am only a padawan and of no greater stature than you or anyone else,” Draconis said and the homeless man nodded again. “I must be leaving, rest now friend,” Draconis said and placed a palm on the man's head.

Draco concentrated for a moment as he pierced the bums mind and then planted a seed of sleep. The man yawned, nodded for a final time, then fell into a deep slumber. Draconis smiled at the man and stood from his crouching position. The padawan raised his white hood and made his way into the adjacent street. He only wished he had more to give these people, but even so he had to find a place to stay for himself first.

[member="Sam Tugnin"] / [member="Tatya Zane"] / [member="Koda Zaylr"] / [member="Saria Messoa"]

 

[Ashalah Ky]

"A farm girl? All the way out here?" Koda tilted her head as the girl responded to her. She also noticed how she stared at the Togruta. She knew that she was exotic compared to this human, but staring? She must have seen aliens before. It was almost impossible to live in complete seclusion, isolated from every race but your own. Koda knew vaguely of her own race, isolated in Ryloth with barely any contact with others. But Koda was born on Coruscant, so she was raised around much diversity and distinction. She didn't share the same shock as the girl. However, what she said next put a little smile on her face. "Oh really? You've come a long way then looking for work." She put her hands on her hips casually, leaning back slightly to stretch her back. A slight commotion caught her attention and she glanced over at the scuffle, a hand drifting to her blaster, but not taking it out.

"We should get out of here. Don't want to draw unnecessary attention." She would begin to move through the market. Whether the girl followed or not was up to her, but Koda would keep glancing over her shoulder to make sure she wasn't lost in the ever-pressing throng of people. As they walked, Koda would begin to speak. "Sad thing is that was tame compared to some of the stuff I've seen. Backwater planets can get pretty crazy." She shrugged, gave the girl a warm smile. "My name's Koda. And this is Copper." She gave the astromech a loving pat on its dome and it whistled in greeting to Saria. "I might have just the thing for you. I transport cargo for different buyers. To be honest, I've never looked into hiring someone with that skillset, but there's only so much me and Cop can do."

[member="Saria Messoa"]

 

[Br00ka]

After dealing with that thieving Dug, Sam had lost all focus on what he was doing and started walking around aimlessly, until he bumped into a Thyrsian
"Oh, Sorry about that i wasn't watching where i was going" Sam apologized when he noticed the man holding on to something, that looked a little bit like a lightsaber.

[member="Tatya Zane"] [member="Koda Zaylr"] [member="Saria Messoa"] [member="Draconis Caesar"]

 

[Saria Messoa]

Saria gave a hapless shrug and a giggle at the Togruta's surprise, "I never said I could pilot... or navigate. I'm just good at other stuff," she blushed a little, "Honestly its kinda a surprise my little clunker made it here in one piece. Guess someone's looking out for me, huh?"

She brushed a few strands of brunette hair behind her ear as the lady said she had traveled a long way looking for work. As the colorful lady leaned back--Saria caught her self looking a little. She blushed and pushed the idea out of mind and focused on what she said. That wasn't really a way to repay someone who was willing to give her a little help out of this endless cycle she found herself in.

"I hadn't really thought about it," Saria admitted. "I've just been focused on putting one foot in front of the other, living hand to mouth, ya know. I've done an odd job here and there but its time to find something more solid."

The young woman fell in after the pilot, walking half a pace behind her. That was tame huh? She'd hate to think of something more extreme. She shuttered at the thought.

"My name's Koda. And this is Copper. I might have just the thing for you. I transport cargo for different buyers. To be honest, I've never looked into hiring someone with that skillset, but there's only so much me and Cop can do."

"Well, I'm Saria, its good to meet you," the woman said with a cheerful smile. Having just the right thing sounded just slightly... ominous. She tried to side step it, "I can help with that, I guess. I does sort of depend on what it is."

Her stomach gave a menacing rumble.

"But I'm a fast learner," she added quickly, "I can pick things up pretty fast. And I am willing to try most anything."

[member="Koda Zaylr"] I [member="Tatya Zane"] I [member="Sam Tugnin"] I [member="Draconis Caesar"] ​

 

[Br00ka]

After Sam apologized to the Thyrsian he ran off into the shadows, he remembered what he had to do

 

[Ashalah Ky]

"If you're having some trouble with your ship, I could take a look at it. I'm a mechanic. Actually found Copper deactivated in a junk pile and fixed him up." She kept her hand on his dome, giving Saria a warm smile. "One foot in front of the other. That's a good way to look at things. Sometimes it's the only thing you can do." It was a twisted form of optimism, but it was true. Bad stuff happened, whether you liked it or not, but the only thing you could do sometimes was to just keep pushing through. It's how Koda lived. "Keep moving forward, that's what I say." She was happy she found someone who shared that sentiment. At her mentioning the vague-sounding job, Koda let out a laugh. "It's not as scary as you think! Just stop at different spaceports, pick up an order, fly it to another planet and drop it off. It can get sketchy here and there but you just learn to go with the flow, not ask too many questions."

"Trust me," she moved in close to Saria, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "You're safe with me. And there are a lot of great things about the job too. You get to travel the galaxy, been to places you never thought you'd see." She gestured in the air with her free hand, as if emphasizing her point. "And everyone kind of just ignores us cargo carriers so we're pretty safe in conflicts, being the neutral party and all." She took her arm away as she heard a familiar rumble. Without mentioning it, she moved towards a stand selling meat in all kinds of cuts. She set a handful of credits down in front of the Zabrak behind the table. "Two womp rat sticks, please." The clerk nodded, taking out two shish kabobs piled high with carved meat, still sizzling and steaming from the grill. He handed them to Koda, who in turn passed one to Saria. "Here you go!"

[member="Saria Messoa"]

 

[Saria Messoa]

"It does beat wallowing in self-pity," Saria agreed with a beaming smile. It was all she could do to remain optimistic some days, but that was all you needed.

"It's not as scary as you think! Just stop at different spaceports, pick up an order, fly it to another planet and drop it off. It can get sketchy here and there but you just learn to go with the flow, not ask too many questions."

Saria let out a sigh of relief, her shoulders visibly relaxing some at the explanation. "Well, that does make it better. The last thing I want is to get caught up in someone else's problems, especially right now. I'm not fond of politics or war. Especially war," she chuckled. "We try to keep to ourselves too often."

The woman wrapped her arm around Saria, she swallowed nervously at the contact, managing a shy smile. They were pretty much strangers, and even though she hadn't spent too long away from her homeworld, Saria had found that most people were more indifferent out here than back in her small farming town. Maybe there were pockets of hospitality and humanity out here after all.

"You're safe with me. And there are a lot of great things about the job too. You get to travel the galaxy, been to places you never thought you'd see. And everyone kind of just ignores us cargo carriers so we're pretty safe in conflicts, being the neutral party and all."

"Ok," Saria said, her eyes lighting up with a sense of promise, "I think I can do that. Sounds like fun to me."

The girl gratefully took the food, it didn't last long in her hands, it had been quite a little while since she had a fair meal. She whipped the greases off her mouth with the back of her tan arm sheepishly, "Who knew business talk could make you so hungry, huh?" She discarded the skewer into a nearby pile of trash, "Yeah, the Crusty Boon isn't in good shape at all. I keep getting this flashy red light on the control panel when I land that looks like a coil and another one that looks like an orange diamond with an exclamation point in the middle. I can't find the owner's guide," she shrugged, "I'm guessing that's bad, right?" She jerked her thumb at the space station just a few blocks down from where she had been intercepted by the other lady, "She's just over there, docking bay 4 if you wanna take a look."

[member="Koda Zaylr"]​

 

[Ashalah Ky]

Koda watched Saria inhale her food as if she hadn't eaten in days. "Damn..." She muttered, a mischevious grin coming to her face. "Did you even chew that? You must have been starving." Poor thing, traveling alone with no food and a busted ship. Something must have really pushed her to take a long journey with little rations. Koda finished her own meal, but at a much slower pace than the other. She disposed of the stick after and wiped her hands off on her pants. "Hmmm, a coil and a triangle with an exclamation point." She thought for a moment, absentmindedly stroking one of the lekku that hung off her shoulder. "Yeah, I'll take a look at it. That's fairly close to my own ship."

When they got to docking bay 4, Koda would stare at whichever ship Saria indicated as hers. "Let's crack it open and see what we got." Once she entered the Boon, she'd begin to examine it, heading towards the cockpit. "The light that looks like a spring, that means that your landing gear is faulty. You're going to have to replace it. I'm surprised you're still in one piece. A few more landing with those and they'd snap right off and--" She spread her fingers out. "Boom."

She began to scan the floor panels. "Now there should be an access panel...Ah! Here it is!" Crouching down, she opened a grate on the floor, leading to a small crawl space under the floor. She would look around at the different tubes and flashing lights and buttons for a moment. "Well, there's your problem." Her head popped back up and she looked up at the droid. "Copper, can you find me a power wrench?" The droid gave a whistle, going off in search of the tool. When he found it, a little arm would pop out of a panel on his body and pick it up, bringing it back to his owner. "Thanks, bud."

Koda dropped back down into the ship and the sound of metal scraping together could be heard. "Your particle cap had come off and the cooling fluid was leaking. Your ship was literally overheating." She tightened the cap and popped back up, hoisting herself up and out of the space. "And once again...boom." She made the same motion with her hands, giving Saria a confident grin. Marking one of her pristine white cheeks was a splotch of oil that she either didn't notice or just didn't care. "All fixed!"

@Seria Messoa

 

[Saria Messoa]

Saria gave a nervous giggle at Koda's comment, "Well, I--I guess I was. It's been a while since I've had anything besides a ration cube or two a day. The larder's pretty bare now," she gave a rueful shrug, "the ship only came with so much food."

The young woman led Koda through the streets back to her rusty ship. When the loading ramp wheeze shut, Saria was glad she was clean person. The ship was a scrap bucket, that much was certain but at least it was tidy and clean, even if there was rust on almost everything.

"The light that looks like a spring, that means that your landing gear is faulty. You're going to have to replace it. I'm surprised you're still in one piece. A few more landing with those and they'd snap right off and--Boom."

Her soft brown eyes widened in surprise at the statement, "O-oh. Well, I'll put that on the top of the list of things to buy."

Saria pulled out her comm and made a note of it. As Koda got to work, Saria crossed her arms and watched her carefully. There'd come a day when nice people like here weren't around to help keep her up and running, when that day came, she had to be ready to start picking up the slack.

As Koda came back into view, Saria offered to help her to her feet.

"And once again...boom."

Saria's eyes widened again, "I guess I never realized how dangerous this could be. Thanks, I can't imagine what would have happened without your help." She noticed the speckle of oil on Koda's face. Saria extended one of her delicate fingers and gently wiped the grease away. She couldn't help but notice how soft the Tortugan's skin was to the touch. Saria blushed as she hastily looked away, retrieving a bandanna from her back pocket and cleaning the substance from her hand. When her embarrassment had subsided to more manageable levels, she looked up back at Koda, "Is there anything I can do to repay you? You kinda saved my life. And I know that I, well, don't have any money right now to pay you." Saria paused for a moment, "I know you just ate, but I can cook. I do know my way with that. And I am pretty good at cleaning and mending clothes if you need any of that," she wagged a finger, "I've heard spacers can be pretty hard on their socks."

[member="Koda Zaylr"]

 

[Ashalah Ky]

She felt the woman's fingers on her cheeks and she blinked, a bit confused as to what she was doing. Was there something on her face. Her gaze went down to Saria's hand as she wiped off the grease with a handkerchief. Yes, yes there was something. She chuckled at her messiness. "Whoops." However, when Saria mentioned payment, Koda shook her head. "Don't worry about paying me back. I was happy to help and save a life of someone as pretty as you." She smiled, taking in the girl's features for the first time. Soft brown hair, hazel eyes that seemed to glow in the overhead lights. The dimples that appeared with her wide smiles. As she listed off her skills, again, Koda nodded. "So you said. If you're really insistent, then you can repay me with work. And I can teach you some repair basics just so you know what to look for when things go south." She headed to the gangplank of the ship, Copper at her heels. "I just want to check out your landing gears."

She exited the ship, gripping one of the hydraulic lifts to help pivot her around and duck under the ship. She went up to the first landing gear and began checking out the hydraulics and wiring. She let out an 'oooooh' as she immediately found the problem. "Yeah, faulty wiring. And look at this." She tapped on one of the support beams that was almost snapped in half with rust and corrosion. "Until you get this replaced, you're not leaving this planet. But hey," she gave her a warm, optimistic smile. "At least you're in good company."

[member="Saria Messoa"]

 

[Saria Messoa]

"Well, I mean--I," Saria felt herself fumble over her words. As pretty as you. Was she hitting on her? Saria sort of hoped not, but at the same time, she sort of hoped she was. The empath could feel a something emanating from Togruta. She'd felt it a few times before, usually from guys, it was sort of like an interest feeling or a noticing. It somewhat weirded her out, but it wasn't negative, like so many other feelings she felt off others. Saria opened her mouth to reply, then closed it. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to say anything. She tried to not let anyone know what she could do, not even Fellhorel. Saria didn't want them to treat her differently because of that.

"I--thanks," she replied at last. "I mean I would like to. I'd hate to be a burden or for anyone to think I am a free loader. I can pull my own weight," well she couldn't, not in this state, but it helped her feel better to say she could.

And I can teach you some repair basics just so you know what to look for when things go south. I just want to check out your landing gears."

"Yeah, sure that'd be great," Saria perked up, she let out a slight giggle, "I need all that I can get."

She followed after Koda, hopping the short distance from the side of the loading ramp to the ground, a soft cloud of sand stirred up at her landing. Her shoulders sank slightly at the dismal news of the landing prop. "Yeah, your right. That's pretty bad. It could be worse, I could be alone--or with much worse company," it did look like there were some pretty horrible ones out there, and she had heard stories of how bad it could get on planets like this with raiders, cut purses, thieves, muggers, gangs, mobsters, and murderers. She winced with embarrassment at the state of her ship, sliding her hands along the shirt tied around her waist, "That bad for all of them, huh?"

[member="Koda Zaylr"]​

 

[Ashalah Ky]

"Ooh, I hope not." Koda let out a hiss through her teeth as she inspected the other two. "So how did you even get your ship this wrecked? Is it just old? You don't seem like a dangerous flyer to me, and there'd be way more damage if it went through a battle or two. This one's fine," she tapped the back gear before moving on to the last one. "Eh, this one's okay. There's some damage, but not enough to destroy itself on the next landing. Still, it shouldn't be ignored forever." She gave a little nod like she was confirming her answer. "You're looking at around 4000 credits to replace both." She went back over to where Saria stood at the first gear. "But I know you're a little strapped for cash at the moment, I'll tell you what."

"You can put your belongings in my ship, then lock this one up. We'll leave as soon as I get my own fuel and supplies, and you'll get a share the profits of the delivery I'm currently on." She smiled and patted the gear. "Don't worry about leaving your ship here. Besides, it's so ready for the scrap heap that if anybody tried to steal it, they'd get what's coming to them the second they try to land."

[member="Saria Messoa"]

 

[Saria Messoa]

"Well, it was like this when I bought it," Saria said with a pained smile. "I needed a ride off my homeworld,I figured buying a ride upfront would be better than paying to go everywhere I wanted. I didn't have a lot of funds to offer so I took the first thing I could get," She arched an eyebrow, frowning, "Do you think I got scammed?"

"You're looking at around 4000 credits to replace both. But I know you're a little strapped for cash at the moment, I'll tell you what. You can put your belongings in my ship, then lock this one up. We'll leave as soon as I get my own fuel and supplies, and you'll get a share the profits of the delivery I'm currently on."

Saria perked, her eyes visibly glinting with joy, "Thank you, yes. Of course. I'd gladly go with you just--just," she extended her hands, "wait here, I'll be five minutes."

Saria turned and bound up the loading ramp as fast as she could to her room. It wasn't often that someone got a second chance like this in life. It wasn't often that someone good came around to try and offer hope at a chance in life. Saria was seizing it with both hands. She could tell when people meant her harm, usually. Koda didn't feel feel that way. Koda felt secure. Good even. It was a nice change, and for now, Saria thought she could be ok with not being alone if that was the case.

Out of the closet she pulled a duffle bag, forcing it open. She didn't have much to pack, and what she did have consisted mostly of clothes and makeup. Layers of clothes piled inside, topped with a bag full of foundation, rue, mascara, and hair care products. On top of it all she placed her datapad and the ship's key card. With the bag full to overflowing, Saria struggled to zipped it back up and hoisted it, scurrying back down the ramp.

"I-I'm ready," she called out as her feet touched the bottom, "Let's do this."

Whenever Koda was ready, Saria would fall in line behind her and follow to the ship, and hopefully towards a better future.

[member="Koda Zaylr"]​

 

[Ashalah Ky]

"Well, it wasn't a scam." Koda crossed her arms casually over her chest and shrugged. "You just didn't get your credit's worth." She watched the woman turn into a bundle of joy and excitement, waving her hands in Koda's direction before running into her ship. "Oh no, take your time." When she was gone, she'd turn and crouch down in front of Copper, who gave a little whistle. "You excited for a new member of our crew buddy? We won't be so alone anymore. And we could take a lot of riskier shipments, teach her how to man the guns." She chuckled, patting the droid's dome. "I can't make you do everything. Your poor circuits will fry!"

Soon she heard the scurrying of feet, looking up as Saria reached the bottom, still bounding with nervous energy. "Alright," Koda got to her feet and gave her a smile. "Let's go. I can take your bag for you." Whether or not she accepted the offer, Koda would lead her to her ship. "Here she is, the Crimson Trawler. I know, not that big or shiny, but it gets the job done." Lifting her right arm, she pressed a button on the comm mounted into her gauntlet and the ship's plank began to lower from the bottom. "Here let me give you a tour."

She led Saria onto the ship, immediately coming to an area with doors on all three sides of them. Koda pointed to the one to her left. "That's the starboard dorm, got two rooms to choose from there, but there's another cabin area on the other side so let's wait until the end before you check out which one fits your fancy." She pointed to the door in front of them. "That's one of our cargo holds. This way." She led her through the door to the right, which opened into a large room with a crescent-shaped lounger and a circular table, the wall next to the door lined with storage compartments and food preparation devices. There was a very narrow door next to the compartments, indicating a closet or pantry of sorts. "Here's the lounge." She moved forward a few feet before turning left, going into a door that opened to a corridor, also lined with doors, but they were more spread out than in the main entrance. "Door on the right is the med bay, the door on the left leads to the first cargo hold." She pointed to the ladder next to the cargo hold that led up into a round opening in the ceiling. "That will take you up to the turret. I'll be training you on that." She shrugged rather nonchalantly. "Don't get me wrong, we may be a neutral shipping crew, but stuff happens. Usually pirates or smugglers, people who want to steal our clients' goods and use them for their purposes. Just think of it as a safety precaution." She kept moving, nodding to the door at the end of the hallway. "That's the engine room."

She turned right next, going into a short corridor that curved to the right. As she walked along, she pointed to a door on the left, the only door in the curved hall. "Here's our second cargo hold." The curved hall would open up quickly. To the right was the lounge they had just seen, and Koda pointed left. "Those are the other two dorm rooms. Closest one to the lounge is mine." She led her back into the lounge, veering left towards another door. The door led to a corridor, which opened on the right into an alcove filled with computers and chairs. "This is the comm room." The corridor continued straight until they were standing in the cockpit. "And you should know what this is."

Koda smiled. "I know that was a lot to take in, so feel free to explore and claim a room while we've escaped the atmosphere. You can just drop your things in the lounge when we pass through it again, and then we'll get those supplies. Was there anything you needed to get? This is our last stop before heading to the drop point, which is a few hours of hyperspace."

[member="Saria Messoa"]
map for reference

 

[Saria Messoa]

At the offer to carry her bag, Saria declined. It wasn't that she didn't trust Koda or anything, she was about to step on a ship with her to who knows were to deliver who knew what to who knew what. She just wanted to be able to feel a little more self-reliant than she really was right now.

The Ship was, well nice. Aged, but in better condition than Saria's. Of course, that wasn't too much of a surprise, considering that Koda actually knew what she was doing on her ship. It was a little--well messier than Saria kept her's. But Saria was sure she'd fix that. When Koda mentioned the turrets, Saria's eyes widened slightly in a combination of shock and--well fear. So much for peaceful. She swallowed it down and nodded. The last thing she wanted Koda to think was she had just taken some weakling on as her crew member, "Uh, right. Sure. I can do that."

"And you should know what this is."

"Oh a kitchen, my favorite!" Saria exclaimed, clapping her hands with joy. She let out a playful giggle and gave Koda's arm a gentle shove, "Yes, of course. The important, business end of things."

She looked back at the hall leading to the dorms, "I don't really see a reason to not take the room closest to you. I'm not shy--well I am," she giggled and winked, "but not too shy," oh God, was she flirting? Saria quickly turned on her heel before she could blush and called over her shoulder, "I'll go get unpacked and changed, don't wait up for me too much."

The young woman tossed her duffle bag on the bed of her new room. First things first, she untied her jacket and tossed it in a pre-existing pile of dirty clothes in the corner. She guessed they were Koda's--at least Saria hoped they were. That'd be awkward otherwise. It took a little while to unpack, and when she was done, Saria turned and looked the room over. The energy just wasn't right. It was off, just a bit. It needed some tidying.

She grabbed the pile of dirty laundry and tossed it in her now-empty duffle bag, along with a few discarded bags of chips and snack foods. That would change. She swept some crumbs into the pile too off the bunk and swapped the sheets, replacing them with a spare under the bed.

"That's a start," she muttered to herself.

Did she dare go into Koda's room and clean it? A better question was, did she dare not? She stepped into the hall, grabbing some of the discarded clothes and wrapper along the hallway. The struggle continued after Saria put the dirty clothes in the wash and tossed the trash into the compactor along the way. The energy already was feeling better, but judging by the icky she could feel coming from Koda's room--Saria couldn't contain herself. And besides, she wanted to be a help and make things easier.

"You will thank me later, Koda," she murmured before venturing into the room with steeled nerves. What's the worst that can happen, right?

[member="Koda Zaylr"]​