First Reply Well-Timed Detour

[Chanoel Farver]

---

The ship she'd gotten from Jerec Asyr had one hell of a hyperdrive. Getting from one job to the next had become a breeze, so much so that she'd found herself with quite a bit of free time. She'd been heading rimward from Ukatis after a short archaeological dig ended with a distinct lack of interesting things. Nothing to complain about -- sometimes things ran dry. Still, the wanderlust grated at her soul.

Picking up a distress signal had made her day. Morbid, maybe, but it meant there was something to do, maybe something to find, someone to meet. There'd been no hesitation; she'd diverted her course after the very first ping.

She was slouched in the cockpit, tapping her foot to the music she had playing in the small common room, but when the proximity alarm sounded, she was already pulling the ship out of hyperspace.

if you want, you can be on Chanoel's ship -- she's the type to bring along hitchhikers or friendly passengers if they need a cheap transport. feel free to make up the specifics about,,, everything

 

[Maxirizuul]

Maxirizuul the Illuminator, self-proclaimed deity and supposed stellar voyager, was stuck.

Technically speaking he could leave at any time, but what was he supposed to do without a Vessel and worse yet star charts, drift about aimlessly until he stumbled onto civilisation? Curses. The computer had claimed to be calling for aid, but he was no fool. Space was vast and empty, this damnable hunk of metal as likely to attract vultures as helpers.

At least pirates might be persuaded - or forced - to help.

-Please do not kick the hyperdrive again, Maxirizuul.-

Stopping his pacing to glare at the thingie through which the computer could speak, Maxirizuul huffed loudly and some would say imperiously. "I only kicked it once - and that was to see if that would fix the issue." According to the computer, the odds of that happening were one to... two hundred thousand? Something like that. Worth a shot.

It had been either that or sit around doing nothing.

---

As Chanoel's vessel exited hyperspace, she would be treated with the sight of a slightly patchwork light freighter drifting through space in the general direction of a main-sequence star. Given the distances involved such a trip would surely take weeks. The vessel did not appear outwardly damaged, but it was clear it had seen better days.

Chanoel Farver​

 

[Chanoel Farver]

Maxirizuul
​

Chanoel booted up the sublight engines, pushing the Higher Love to glide over to the freighter she could just barely see against the glaring light of the distant star. Benefits of running around in what was basically a big starfighter -- even getting places at sublight speeds was quick. Still, she had enough time to enjoy the view of the little freighter drifting near the star. Things might be time sensitive, but there was beauty in the deep dark of space.

The ship didn't seem especially damaged. As far as she could tell, the power was on, too -- engines off, shields down. Worth a shot to reach out, so she booted up the comms to send a message.

<<"Hailing unidentified vessel. Unidentified vessel, please respond. This is the Higher Love, we've picked up your distress signal. Please respond, over.">> Best to make them think there was more than just her, in case this was a trap.

 

[Maxirizuul]

Spinning around, Maxirizuul adopted a defensive posture before realising that he had not, in fact, been snuck up on. The computer was simply relaying some sort of message. Straightening his back, he delivered a short but impressive speech with just the right amount of pathos, logos, and ethos. An oratory masterpiece in his less than humble opinion.

-Would you like me to hail the vessel back, Maxirizuul?-

Stuttering to a stop, he was silent for a long moment before eeking out a single "... yes." It would take maybe a minute for the vessel to get a response, in other words. A delay that could hopefully be explained away easily enough.

<<This is the, ah, unidentified vessel. I am Maxirizuul the Illuminator, source of the beacon that led you here.>> Calling it a distress signal was undignified. <<My vessel's superluminal propulsion systems are inert.>> Not exactly as inspired as it could be, but it contained the essentials. Damn the computer, it should have told him.

Chanoel Farver​

 

[Chanoel Farver]

Maxirizuul
​

She was halfway through getting her gear on when the response crackled through.

​

<<"Ah, okay.">> This guy sounded pretentious, and also like he didn't spend a lot of time on starships. It took her a moment to figure out what a 'superluminal propulsion system' was.

<<"Can't say I have a spare hyperdrive. What's the damage? Do you have anyone else aboard?">>

 

[Maxirizuul]

This time, Maxirizuul made abundantly sure that the communication device remained operational.

<<I am currently alone. The absence of a tech-worker has proven to be problematic.>> Squinting at the terminal, he did his best to remember the computer's diagnosis. <<The Thorisen field drive is damaged; without it this vessel cannot safely jump, or so the computer has informed me.>> The Thorsen field driver was, indeed, malfunctioning.

Kicking it had almost certainly not alleviated the problem.

Chanoel Farver​

 

[Chanoel Farver]

Maxirizuul
​

<<"Cool. I'll dock, see if I can give you a hand. Out.">>

She guided the Higher Love to the freighter's docking port, angling the fighter above the other ship. Once they were secure, she checked her gear one last time, before opening up the hatch and sliding down the ladder.

"Hello? Uh, Maxirizuul?" she called.

 

[Maxirizuul]

Stepping forward to greet the woman, Maxirizuul cut an imposing figure only partially spoiled by the near total absence of skills most spacers considered essential. Over two metres tall, he was clad in golden jewellery, face and body paint of the same colour, and luxurious silks meant to emphasise his muscular figure more than serve a practical purpose.

Despite the chilly metallic floor, he had opted to go shoeless.

"Greetings, Captain of the Higher Love. I am pleased that you answered my summons." That was one way of describing a distress call, certainly. "I trust you have some understanding of superluminal machinery?"

Chanoel Farver ​

 

[Chanoel Farver]

Maxirizuul
​

This guy was not a spacer. Maxirizuul got a confused eyebrow-raise. Not for any reason in particular -- between the attire, the ship, and his words, there was a lot to be weirded out by.

"Uh, you can just call me Chanoel." She kept her right hand free, in case she needed to snap her pistol out. For a moment she just looked around their surroundings. This wasn't a model she recognized, but most older freighters were reasonably reliable.

"I'm not an expert," she admitted, "but I can take a look. Plus I've got a rigger table up there, if it comes down to it." She made a gesture, letting him lead to the hyperdrive.

"Any idea what damaged it?"

 

[Maxirizuul]

Nodding at her name, Maxirizuul kept the usual arrogant dismissiveness out of his expression - the last thing he needed was her taking offence and leaving. A willing helper might well be an ideal way of learning about the greater galaxy.

If he was to live up to his birthright, he needed to know more and quickly.

"This pleases me." He had no clue what a 'rigger table' was, but it sounded relevant. "It began to malfunction upon finishing a jump. This was only meant to be the briefest of stops, but the computer insists that continuing is unsafe." The very same entity had claimed to be incapable of resolving the issue without an 'astromech', much to his annoyance.

It had attempted to guide him through an examination, which had ended with him kicking it.

After that, the computer had treated him, him, as a child rather than the god he was.

Chanoel Farver​

 

[Chanoel Farver]

Maxirizuul
​

She was getting less and less keen to help him. At least he was making an effort to be nice, but the undertones of contempt and snobbishness were there. "Okay. Well, let's take a look," she said.

A little bit of walking and they were at the hyperdrive. Chanoel had always found them pretty cool-looking. One of the outer panels had a small dent in it, but aside from that, she couldn't tell at a glance what was wrong. "The Thorsen field driver isn't, like, technically gonna stop you from jumping, just a fair chance that when you do, you'll die." She paused a moment. "I don't know, I forget how it happens exactly. Dangerous, anyways."

She put down her toolbox, pulling out a multitool to start messing around.

"So, ah, Maxirizuul- am I saying that right? Where are you from?" She got to work as she started to chat.

 

[Maxirizuul]

"Yes, the computer said as much. It refuses to make the attempt unless 'manually overridden', as if I take orders from a mere machine." It was not entirely clear whether or not Maxirizuul really knew what 'manually overriden' meant.

If he did, he clearly had no clue how to actually do it. Not that he wanted to.

"Your pronunciation is adequate, lack of honorifics notwithstanding." Considering her question, he deflected. Imperiously, of course. "Nowhere you would have heard of. What of you, Chanoel of the Higher Love?" A distraction, yes, but for once he was at least a bit interested in her answer, if nothing else because it might shed some light on the state of the galaxy.

He could place nice to his helper, even if she was in all likelihood some sort of starfaring peasant.

A 'spacer', if the terminology he had learned from a peer held up in the modern era.

Chanoel Farver​

 

[Chanoel Farver]

Maxirizuul
​

Maxirizuul's response just led to more confusion. No honorifics? Nowhere she would've heard of? It garnered a half-concerned, half-suspicious glance, but Chanoel couldn't find any malice in his tone.

"Corellia," she replied. "But I travel a lot."

The field driver was a little more than damaged -- the steam and ominous electrical buzz that came with the thing as it slid out from the main hyperdrive was not a good sign.

"You didn't tell me how it got damaged," she said. She wasn't particularly looking for an answer, more just partial annoyance. "I don't think I can fix this."

 

[Maxirizuul]

Corellia. A world of starfarers and one of the few planets he had heard of. Excellent.

"The computer blames it on lacking maintenance, but that may be self-preservation speaking." He was certainly not above unmaking an automaton - feelings and self-preservation or not - over a major mistake. Unfortunately, he was by no means equipped to pilot the vessel without it and so had arrived at a standstill of sorts.

It would get what was coming to it eventually.

"That is unfortunate. I have little interest in staying here longer than necessary. It is undignified." Gazing at the spacer in a way that bordered on appraising, his look turned thoughtful. "So be it. You may offer me passage to civilised space."

She had not, in fact, offered. At least not yet. Maxirizuul seemed to take it for granted, however.

Chanoel Farver​

 

[Chanoel Farver]

Maxirizuul
​

"Okay, you know what- this shit is driving me crazy. What the fuck is up with your high-and-mighty act? What, you royalty somewhere? I literally do not care." She let out an irritated sigh. "You are so lucky I don't charge for this shit. If you really wanted to get rescued, you could've been, I don't know, courteous."

She collected her tools and started to walk back to the hatch. "Go get your shit and we'll go."

 

[Maxirizuul]

Royalty? He was no mere royalty. He was about to correct her, but she kept going, then moved to leave.

If she turned around before reaching the hatch, she would find Maxirizuul looking oddly puzzled. He was by no means used to mortals being so assertive; was their natural state not grovelling before their betters and begging for scraps?

No matter. There would be other, more servile beings aplenty - of that he was sure.

A while later, he was at the hatch luggage in hand. It might have been tempting to think his material assets limited, given how little his current silks covered, but that was far from the case. Each hand held a heavy, bulging bag whose contents made a heavy thud upon being dropped to the ground. Evidently, at least some of what they held was metallic.

"I am grateful for the assistance; it is unfortunate that you do not view that as an honour." Even for a non-apology, it was a bit limp. Maxirizuul seemed quite happy with it, however, given that he was already putting things in her ship.

Chanoel Farver ​