Mission Ain't all buttons and charts, little albatross

[Chloe Blake]

"Good. She'll like that. " The Warden told Trextan. It wasn't her business regarding what the pair did, but she couldn't help but want to ensure both were doing okay. It often made her think back to the time when Jorus and she patroled the Hydian together for a time.

So far as Coren and Kyra, well, that was another story.

"Out here in the wilds, one needs to hang on tight to folk who have your back," Chloe murmured with a nod, watching the crimson cornea of heat swim over the viewport and the ship as they exited the atmosphere. "Coren ain't no different. He's solid and true. An ask from him is an aye from me."

"Reckon getting out and about on this boat would do just fine for some adventure. Maybe see if there is any way I can help," turning towards Trextan, her soft blue eyes met the azure of his own.

"So what's her story? You seem familiar with her." It wasn't said to be a gossip, but more in terms of trying to understand if there was anything she should stay clear of or, perhaps, allow Chloe to understand Kyra better.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

Her point about those who had his backs sparked a thought. His network of people he could genuinely trust to hell him out of a bind was quite small.

"We've met a few times," Trextan explained. "I don't actually know a huge amount about where she came from. I was hoping I might find out a little more, but...I think she wants to look forward more than back."

He thought back to how optimistic and naive she had been the first time he had seen her. She had been with the Silver Jedi then.

"She was training to be a Jedi and had some bad times," he said. "She's nice, I like her. I think she really wants to do the right thing and have some independence."

That was all he felt was appropriate to say. He didn't know all that had come to pass. She had seemed changed by her brief captivity by a Sith cult.

"I think this trip will be good for her," he said, leaning back and offering a smile. He didn't think she'd been through the same difficulties as he had, but there were some parallels.

 

[Chloe Blake]

As Trextan Voidstalker wove his tale regarding what he felt comfortable telling Chloe about Kyra Perl , the Corellian Warden of the Sky gave a slight nod. She'd spun her chair towards Trextan's direction to look at him while he spoke, indicating that he had her full attention for the summary regarding Kyra.

Pieces of the puzzle were slowly coming together. It wasn't a full picture. Who knew if that was all? When the Jedi and a rough go at life come into play, it could make someone feel like the rug had been pulled out from their feet and lost. No different than Jannick, Trextan, or Choli. All in all, it meant that a certain aspect of healing required time and, perhaps, a rekindling of the whimsical and awe the galaxy had left to offer.

"Thank you for trustin' me with that, " Chloe replied, reaching up to tuck a strand of silver-streaked blonde hair behind her ear. "Well, I hope she feels comfortable enough here to relax and get herself situated. She may be keen on takin her cues from you, so don't feel you need to ask around before using what you like on the Hawk. You know what's good and what ain't. This boat is your home, and unless its one of those bits of nasty in the vault, everything is up for grabs here if ya'll got something you want to do or train in."

Returning her attention to the viewport, the space's dark expanse enveloped the ship's helm. Up ahead, a large space station lay, with the light reflecting off the sun at its back. It was an Arceneau Trade Station, stocked with the everyday goods spacers and travelers alike enjoyed, and then some.

"So you never did tell me how you end up makin' sure you got to where you needed to be on the 'Verre?" a chuckle came with that query, aware that while Trextan had picked up the basic skills to turn a wrench, piloting, on the other hand, had been a struggle.

 

[Kyra Perl]

Kyra scrunched her damp hair with a spare towel and shuffled her way back down the hall. Of all the toiletries she carried, a hair drier wasn't one of them. The layer of lotions and creams on her skin made her feel fresh.

She looked it, too, the red head shuffling her flip flops around the corner of the hall. There you are, her perk in energy seemed to say. She entered the cock pit quietly and pulled herself out a jump seat.

She was content to sit there quietly let them chatter, though Trextan might have once known her as the girl that gobbled up the air with words alone.

She scrunch the water from her curls and watched the station take shape, listening to his answer.

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

"So you never did tell me how you end up makin' sure you got to where you needed to be on the 'Verre?" a chuckle came with that query, aware that while Trextan had picked up the basic skills to turn a wrench, piloting, on the other hand, had been a struggle.

"Oh yeah, I picked up this old DG Unit. Fair to say it's barely got enough chips to make a conversation, but it can fly using a data spike just fine," Trextan replied.

He had learned to respect the sentience and independence of droids, but DG was certainly not a sophisticated droid.

Part of him was tempted to ask what nasties lived in the vaults. He would feel no temptation to try and find out on his own, but now he was curious.

Trextan offered Kyra a smile. He hadn't expected her to come back still towelling herself down.

"I can fly a little bit," he said. "There, er, were some concerned port authorities so...yeah..."

He looked a little sheepishly from Chloe to Kyra and back. It hardly reflected well on someone who wanted to be a Warden. Kyra had unfortunately been subjected to his terrible piloting.

"Been anywhere interesting since we last met?" he asked Kyra. "I think I'll get a sonic in a bit because someone may have used all the hot water..."

 

[Chloe Blake]

Chloe knew every creak and yawn of the Aurora, so Kyra Perl ’s soft tread did not go unnoticed. The Corellian shone a warm smile at the younger woman, glad to see that she was looking refreshed.

“Not a bad rig, right?” Chloe asked Kyra regarding the shower. “Hope the space is to your liking’. As for the water, don’t worry none. Got an on demand heater attached to it. It’s more the filtering process of the recycler takes time.”

Towards Trextan, her amusement only intensified, “ain’t nuthin’ wrong with using a DG unit to get you back and forth. Folk pick up things as they travel and there are other aspects of travelin’ that don’t require stearin’ a boat. Navigating. Crew. Medic or even just being security. Ain’t no shame in takin the time to see what you do best and perhaps you’ll get more comfortable pilotin’ as you go. If not, well, that is why they made pilotin’ droids.” She chuckled. Being a Warden didn’t mean one had to be a pilot. There were plenty opportunities as crew, a navigator, or hell, she’d even known a medic.

Curious to hear more about Kyra, she let the pair chat while directing the Aurora to the station.

 

[Kyra Perl]

Kyra flicked her hair at him, pomegranate scented water droplets flying through the air.

"All my dad has me do is pilot. People. Shipments. There were sheep once." But no, nothing fun, her tone seemed to say. "It's been a while since either of us have been back to the core." She shimmied the towel over her shoulders and let the her hair lay out over it. It would take a few hours until it dried naturally, but she was use to that.

She leaned forward and eyed the flight controls, checking to be sure she had a basic understanding over them. Could she fly this thing? Likely.

She leaned back and crossed her legs, leaving Chloe to it.

"Don't need three pilots on this ship."

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

"Oi!" he went, but Kyra would get nothing but a ripple of amusement from her empathic senses.

"I think if we had more than one person flying this thing it would be best if I didn't press any buttons," Trextan said.

He had enough trouble when he wasn't trying to coordinate with anyone else.

"Be nice not to have to do the flying then?" he asked Kyra. "We can have a bit more fun on this trip than your usual run?"

He didn't want her to enjoy this because Coren had chosen it for her. Force knew he had enough baggage in that direction. Trextan knew that she found some satisfaction in doing something that seemed like it would help people, but maybe she needed to sit around a table and enjoy some company for a change.

 

[Kyra Perl]

Kyra looked at Trextan like he had two heads.

"I'm sorry, did you just say the word 'fun'?" She cast a skeptical look between the two, then called out bluntly. "My dad set you up to this, didn't he."

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

Trextan turned and faced her directly. He lifted his right arm, flexing the obviously prosthetic fingers.

"I woke up after surgery with a war machine moulded to my body. Dad's choice. Took me a long time to decide that wasn't fair of him. I'm just saying, I wouldn't go behind your back and plot with your dad, alright?"

His hand returned to his lap, his expression softened and he flashed an awkward smile.

"I haven't caught up with Chloe in a while and thought it would be nice to spend some time with you."

 

[Kyra Perl]

Kyra snorted, the skeptical look lingering. "You could always clone it," she deflected, the fingers on her right hand twitching. Never mind the costs or the time that went into such an endeavor, the order hadn't been able to offer her such options. It wasn't a usual route. And yet- Kyra had sunk everything into replacing her arm with an organic copy. Clearly that meant Trextan could have too.

For an empath she was awfully short sighted.

"What were you doing by Mantooine anyway? I sent that call out a 100 clicks, easy, but you were the only one to respond."

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

"Well...actually I'm quite happy with super strong invincible robot arm now..." he said, looking slightly abashed.

"...but that wasn't the point," he laughed. Fortunately for Kyra he had come to terms with the arm and not being able to afford an organic replacement.

She would still pick up a little pang of jealousy.

"I can barely even remember why I was close enough to pick it up. I reckon maybe carrying a parcel the wardens wanted moved. DG's circuits might have it if they're not rusted too bad."

"I wonder if I can tell which is which," he said. He looked at her arms. For a moment he thought to go and see if he could tell. Then with a sense of awkwardness mixed up in something a little warmer for her empathic senses he decided that post-shower wasn't the time.

"If Coren had been thinking if just fun he could have sent you to a theme park," Trextan added.

 

[Chloe Blake]

Chloe quietly smiled to herself as the pair chatted. While the storyteller in her had a tendency to be long winded, there were times when it was just best to sit back and listen.

It allowed her to see just how comfortable Kyra Perl and Trextan Voidstalker were with each other, the circumstances, and pick up on points of interest. Folk learned a lot by genuinely listening.

Very few knew or had the talent for it.

The flight to dock Arceaneau Trade wouldn’t take long. It should slow them to chat a little longer before she’ll start talking to the tower and confirm where to dock.

 

[Kyra Perl]

Kyra crossed her arms, the subtle scar line hidden under a sleeve. "Pretty sure his definition of fun is degreasing an engine," she grumbled, shutting down the conversation.

She still didn't quite buy that her father hadn't had a part in that encounter either but she let it go. At some point they'd have to learn to trust each other again, it was just hard to take that step. Her pride was at play.

"Anyway, I really am here just to get paid so," she pointed to the star map on one of the screens. "Why don't you let me know what shifts you want covered and I'll handle it."

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

He frowned for a moment. Trextan's first impulse was to push the point.

Trextan let it go. It was strange to see this from the other side. What was even more confusing was that he felt a touch of sympathy for Coren's side of this. He just wanted to help find her something to do with her time that might be more satisfying than a lone trip. Trextan had resented Jacen decided what his path was. In fact, on those first few days out of the Sith Academy he had attacked Jacen. That had been embarssinly ineffective against the hardened Jedi Master.

He had already started to let go of those feelings, but this situation made him examine them again. It offered him a sympathetic view into Kyra's feelings, but Trextan didn't know how to express that.

"Why don't we all head onto the station and get food and work out who is doing what there?" Trextan offered. "Pretty sure Chloe is used to flying solo, but I wouldn't mind picking up a few things along the way."

 

[Chloe Blake]

Hearing Trextan Voidstalker and Kyra Perl chat regarding responsibilities and the like was amusing. Still, the Corellian Warden did not miss the moments of tension that ebbed and flowed between the youthful pair. There were hurts there. Perhaps, some as deep as can be, still oozing and bleeding due to picking that scab repeatedly, worrying it so. Scars to discuss about once more trust had been established between

"Don't you worry none," Chloe answered the pair, flashing those baby blues in warmth.

"There's plenty to do on this boat. I've rigged it with slave circuits so I can do it with one, but this ol' girl purrs like the Nexu who took the cream with a full crew of six." she informed them that there would be plenty of work to share around.

"Ain't just piloting by normals means either." she began in that whimsical singsong, her voice a delighted twang hinting of wonder.

"You think folks learned to fly on their own? How else do you reckon our ancestors took to burning lights in the sky? Ain't just about machines-- just like chartin' them stars." she added, her blonde eyebrows arching upwards in a mischievous expression.

"Ya'll ever hear the tales about the Oswaft or Star Dragons?" the draw of her voice was almost hypnotic.

 

[Kyra Perl]

"Oswaft?" Kyra echoed, leaving forward to scoop a wayward sandal back onto her foot. She could feel Trextan's genuine intention but that didn't mean she had to like it-- or even give it two thoughts!

Just because she was an empath, and zeltron to boot, didn't mean she always had to put others comfort first. She gave a bitter internal bristle at her own internal pressures, angry at herself has she cast him a concerned glance.

She hadn't been too mean there, had she?

She bristled again and stood up for the station.

"Are you talking about that force navigating thing my dad likes to do?"

 

[Trextan Voidstalker]

A crew of six was twice what they had and Trextan was still a barely competent space. If violence was required, then Trextan was capable of applying it rather directly and efficiently. It was the "getting to the people who need help" part of being a Warden that he was less capable in.

Trextan leaned forward in his chair. Kyra was clearly going through her own stuff. She hadn't attacked her own father for trying to help - in his own and potentially misguided way. Better than he had managed.

"Not that all of us are great at piloting by normal means," Trextan mused, but he fell into silence to listen to Chloe's explanation.

 

[Chloe Blake]

Kyra Perl Trextan Voidstalker

Grabbing a handheld comm from the wall, Chloe flipped a toggle on the communications panel and switched to an open channel. A press with her thumb and she activated the comm.

[ Arceneau Trade Station - Laekia, this is the Aurora Hawk, seeking permission to dock on Leth - Nine - Two - Four. ]

A pause and then confirmation, [ Aurora Hawk, you are confirmed for docking at Leth - Nine - Two - Four. Good to have you. Enjoy your stay. ]

A wide grin and Chloe returned the cheerful welcome, [ Roger that, Arceneau Trade Station - Laekia. Good to be back. ]

The Warden released the transmission and quickly retook the helm. At Kyra's inquisitive query, Chloe gave a widening smile. "Not quite. The Oswaft are a sentient species that make their home within the ThonBoka nebula. " she began to explain.

"They are natural hyperspace travelers. Imagine a Neebray with a transparent body and an average wingspan of up to seven hundred meters. They took to traveling space like Giju took to swimming. " A nostalgic expression grew over Chloe's face, extending her affable smile.

"They can speak by emitting microwaves with an information-dense language but are hilarious at Dad puns-- Especially over a game of Sabaac. " While Oswaft found tasks like deciphering encrypted communications trivial, Chloe had a grand time with Mahatma and sharing stories.

"Learned quite a bit regarding Hyperspace travel from Mahatma. Perhaps it can help both of you, too."

 

[Kyra Perl]

"You can hear microwaves?" Kyra echoed back, the once ditzy student taking her words at face value. Her blue eyes jumped to woman's ears but found no obvious signs of modification.

She frowned in puzzlement, then repeated back out to herself. "They can play Sabaac?" She didn't know which one was more unrealistic. She shook her head and turned from the room, her towel flaring out across her shoulders like a cape.

"But the rooms." She mused privately, engrossed by the mental image of such large creatures at play. "How can they fit?" She left them without another word and dropped her towel off in her room. The flip flops were traded back for the thick boots.

She rejoined the hall with a shuffle of her feet and conveniently left all electronics behind.

Oops, forgot my credits. Pay you back later, she practiced in her head. Her knees buckled as she felt the ship lock into the dock.