Private A Cold Day on Ziost

[Béatrice Luz]

Call it chance, call it coincidence, but whatever you want to call it, don't call it luck; that was her motto, and she lived by it. Béatrice, or Bea for short, was any number of words to describe someone, but she wasn't lucky, and she wasn't special. The force, as it was in the vast majority of the galaxy, hadn't gifted her with special powers, and she, like so many others, wasn't born into wealth or a family or circumstance that would put her in a position of advantage. She got by in the odd job here and there, eventually learning to service protocol droids to make a quick buck - usually sweet-talking her way into being able to do so in the first place.

In fact, it was to pick up a few things that she had found herself turning around and bumping right into someone else while she was trying to get into a better spot of natural light to see if the circuit board she had found on the shelf matched the one she had brought with her to replace. "Oh I'm so sorry!" She said, fumbling with the loose piece of hardware momentarily as she struggled not to let it drop from her hands. The shop they were in was rather small, a second-hand shop carrying all kinds of droid parts and computer bits, but she was fairly sure that she had never seen the woman before either,

Allyson Locke

 

[Allyson Locke]

//: Ziost //:
//: Béatrice Luz //:​

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Standing on a planet that had the history that Ziost had always made Allyson slightly uncomfortable. The world had been ravaged, devoured, and then through time reborn. Though with Allyson track record, it could find all those devastations happening at once the moment her boots hit the surface. Allyson wasn’t paranoid per se; she as just cautious, especially after everything that has happened to her. Her business on the planet was simple, do some scouting, find some parts for her gaming rig and probably get something to eat. With the Imperials marching towards Bastion, she didn’t have much time before all chaos broke loose.​

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Wrapping her leather jacket around her lithe frame, the Corellian walked down the pathway towards an old hardware shop. As much as she wanted to buy the latest and greatest - which was easily affordable with her salary from Locke & Key, Allyson found comfort in her usual dives into second-hand shops. With the Force at her fingertips and the affinity to mechu deru, she made some of the ugliest junk work eons better than the new stuff. Also, Allyson loved the antique look.​

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Stepping into the shop, she frowned and was reminded of the shop on Borleias. Cutting off the blonde from her heart, Allyson thought she would be able to stop the nagging emotion that clung to shops like this. It wasn’t as if she would ever see her again, but maybe the time needed to pass. Time healed all wounds, didn’t it?​

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As she pandered through the components, someone occupied with their find and accidentally bump into her. Looking around, she heard a soft voice apologize quickly. Allyson usually would be quick to dismiss it, but it was hard to deny a pretty face. The Corellian’s dashing smile was gentle yet had a curious sparkle to it. Holding her hand out, she was prepared to catch the board the woman held, but another moved near the small of her back in case the bump had thrown her off guard. “It’s okay, I should be sorry, places like this can be a bit cramped, eh?”​

 

[Béatrice Luz]

Living in an Empire controlled by Sith and rich bureaucrats meant a life of always looking away - neck bent, eyes down, shoulders slightly forward. A cog in the machine, they called it, and despite being the majority in such an expansive government the normal civilians like her always seemed to feel so small in comparison to the titanic personalities that ran their corner of the galaxy. She knew the moment a hand reached out behind her, catching her as she slipped, that she was dealing with someone who either had some crazy good reflexes or hand the upper hand in life - not that it was entirely a bad thing, Bea often wondered if her life would have been more interesting, if not easier, if there was a little bit of power in her day to day grind, but it was still a little intimidating whenever she ran into one of them.

Green eyes glanced up inadvertently, an instinct she couldn't control when she heard that voice. In the midst of her fumbling around with the things she'd been holding, she had tripped backwards and was caught smoothly by the stranger. It was easy for people who hung around those touched by the force to forget how rare they were in such a massive galaxy, and though Ziost certainly had its share of them the woman was the first Béatrice her personally ran into, figuratively speaking and otherwise. "No, no, I wasn't paying attention." She insisted with a weak smile, standing back up straight as quickly as she could, careful not to drop anything. "Are you.. here for parts?" She asked, spitting out a question she realized was rather dumb the moment it left her lips - she'd just said the first thing that came to mind while she tried to decide whether or not she should try to make real conversation.

"I'm Béatrice by the way, or Bea for short." She added - guess we're doing introductions now.

Allyson Locke

 

[Allyson Locke]

//: Ziost //:
//: Béatrice Luz //:​

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It was a good thing that Allyson had listened to her instincts. Catching the poor girl only saved her from more embarrassment. She paused for a moment and listened to the woman attempt to explain the situation. Allyson nodded and found herself hanging on every word as it stumbled out of Beatrice's mouth. Before answering, the Corellian remembered where her hand had remained and quickly pulled it back, shoving it back into her pocket as if nothing had ever happened. "Ah" She made an awkward sound and sighed softly - regaining any composure she could muster. ​

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"Parts?" Allyson questioned as she quickly had forgotten where she was standing. A glance around her surrounded provided a quick reminder, and the already fumbling Corellian now fumbled even harder. A soft chuckle and a slight shrug. "You could say that, but I have a feeling I won't be finding what I need here." Allyson would eventually remember why she came, but for now, she was enjoying the small conversation that had begun. ​

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Bea was the woman's name. It had a softness to it, something special. She had never heard a name like it, and as she stared watching Beatrice's lips move to form each letter and sound, Allyson felt her chest tighten slightly. The world moved oddly slower as she engrossed herself into the introductions. Blinking quickly, Allyson realized that silence had nestled its way leaving the brunette's opening hanging in the wind. ​

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A smile cracked, and Allyson had found her footing again. The dazzling Corellian charm bled off of her as she brushed back a few strands of her chocolate brown hair behind her ear. "Allyson. Allyson Locke - friends call me 'Lucky.'" Allyson offered her hand towards Beatrice as she stopped caring about what she had come into the shop for. "What sort of parts are you looking for? Maybe I can help." ​