Dramaphone

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Sam Paige"]

Ben wasn't a touchy-feel guy.

It made him feel uncomfortable for the most part, because he never really knew what to do in that kind of situation. Similar to... when they first met and he hadn't been sure what to do afterwards. But this time it felt different, it was different and just for once the soldier hugged back - awkwardly and holding on for one second after Sam was already pulling out.

He quickly let go, flushing as well and coughing, averting his eyes.

"No, no... it's okay. It's fine." Ben looked back, shrugging and offering a rare smile- he almost never smiled. "I would be glad to help out, been feeling useless these past few months."

"So this helps."

His hands had nothing to do, so they quickly found something... anything, which was the cup of tea. He took a sip and smiled again against the mug, hiding the grin of satisfaction.

"I am unsure what I can do though? But I will help any way I can."

 

[Sam Paige]

She stared at him. As though, perhaps, he had sprouted an extra head.

"You? Useless?"

She considered Ben and Tegan two of the most capable, got it together people she knew. So to have him say he didn't know how he could help and that he'd been feeling useless, well, it was surprising to hear him say something like that. People like them.... they were strong, amazing really. She admired them, maybe, a little, envied.

They always seemed so sure of themselves. And she wondered what that might feel like. Even if just for a little while. And about something more than tools and engines.

"You're a Jedi," she said, a little incredulously. "How- I mean, um, yeah- how could you ever feel useless?"

She couldn't even comprehend it. The things they could do? She could only dream of.

[member="Benedict Ortega"]

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Sam Paige"]

He looked up then.

"Used to be." The correction came easily. "I left the order when they started to care more about scriptures than to actually win the war against the Darkside."

It wasn't something he kept secret, more often than not Ben didn't even realize his speech patterns moved back to the old days. Sometimes he didn't even realize that he said things that implied, because it seemed completely clear in his own mind.

He fought. He protected. He was Jedi, even if he wasn't in the Order anymore, right?

"I don't know, Sam, I am not good at much. Know how to hold a weapon, know how to swing it, know how to kill. Not much else." A shrug of the shoulders as he took another sip from his tea, while his thoughts were elsewhere for a moment. How many people would he have been able to save? If he had been better? Good at more than just the endless killing? If he knew how to repair a ship or a tool or even simply figured out how to inspire confidence and hope in others again.

"That..... sounds like a lot."

"No. What you do is a lot. The way you know your way around tech, repairing, fixing, mending? Magic. What I do is simple, basic and not worth much."

 

[Sam Paige]

"Hey."

That single word came as she reached out, just the tips of her fingers on his knee. She leaned in slightly, looking up at him, face earnest, trying to make sure he believed what she was about to say. It mattered.

"Don't say that," she said quietly. "Don't ever say that what you do isn't worth much. It protects people."

She paused, looking down at her lap for a second.

"Protected me."

Chewing on her lower lip, she looked up at him again.

"I didn't believe.... for a long time..... that what I did was worth anything either. But I know better. Now, I mean. I only thought that because other people told me that. But everyone's got something. And it's no less important. It's no less amazing. Okay? You are one of the bravest people I know. You're strong. And tough. And use that to help people. And I think that- that counts. For a lot."

It was a mouthful coming from her. And particularly firm, all things considered.

"Don't say it doesn't matter," she repeated. "It does."

[member="Benedict Ortega"]

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Sam Paige"]

Ben blinked.

His worry and moderate wallowing interrupted by words he hadn't expected from Sam. There was shame bubbling up at the core of his stomach when she mentioned how he had saved her - that did matter and wallowing in self-pity? Forgetting about the people he had helped? That wasn't worthy of them, wasn't worthy of the sacrifices others had made so that Ben could succeed.

"You are right." His hand curling around hers, giving it a soft squeeze before letting it go. The fact that she wasn't all that touchy-feely was enough reason not to linger too long.

Even if it felt nice.

"I could... keep doing that? Smuggle these people out will be dangerous, we will be going into enemy territory often... I could make sure that everyone stays as safe as possible."

That was as much as he could offer.

"Be your driver maybe." Lips curled in a smile as he joked about it.

 

[Sam Paige]

Withdrawing her hand, Sam shook her head.

"No way. You'll scratch my ship."

She smiled at him. But she was also entirely serious.

"The first part though," she added, cupping her hands around the cup of caf. Even if she wasn't going to drink any, it was comfortably warm. "It would be good. To. You know." She paused awkwardly, cause even she realized that no, he didn't know.

"To know you have my back."

She knew, logically, that it wasn't going to be all like her gram's stories. She did, and if he'd said anything to that affect, she would have nodded with earnestness. But the knowing and the glowing hot fire of nervous excitement in the pit of her soul were two separate animals entirely.

[member="Benedict Ortega"]

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Sam Paige"]

Ben smirked.

"Excuse me, I will have you know I am an -excellent- pilot." He go finished his cup of tea and sighed contently for a moment. "Haven't ever crashed a ship, unless it needed to crash." Except that one time on Balmorra.

But they didn't talk about Balmorra.

"You ready to go? You been stirring that cup of cat for a while now." A quick glance at her plate told him she had finished a fair amount.

Enough that Ben didn't need to worry about her suddenly dropping.

"Back to your ship, so we can discuss this in more depth?

 

[Sam Paige]

She nodded, paying the bill without thinking about it or consulting him, and standing. Sam had never really, technically told Ben that her family was the very definition of 'stupid rich'. It didn't really occur to her to, in all honesty. Having credits available to do whatever she wanted with was just normal to her- she knew other people couldn't simply do that, she wasn't that level of naïve- but it just didn't even strike her as something worth mentioning.

She didn't realize that the fact that she wore grease stained coveralls and slept in a hammock on her ship set up a very different state of affairs to someone looking in from the outside. She didn't do those things because she needed to. She just liked to.

They headed back to the bay, not really talking but both being pretty okay with that. The corridors had gotten more crowded and noisy since they'd gone to eat, and it make conversation (especially at Sam volumes) difficult anyway.

It wasn't the only thing that had changed either.

Sam pulled up short when they turned into the docking bay. A trio of larger than comfortable sentients were lounging around the freighter. One of them sprawled out on a cargo crate, casually throwing a knife into the air. The other two-

Sam frowned and started marching determinedly toward the pair.

"L-leave him a-alone," she stammered out, loud enough for them to hear her.

The Trandoshan holding a clearly distressed Pinch upside down chuffed in laughter. The near human (not too near if we were being honest) laughed. It wasn't a particularly pleasant sound.

"Hey Red. Don't worry. Didn't hurt your friend. But he was rude when we showed up to pay you a visit." He spread his hands in a helpless sort of gesture, but his grin was a hard slash across his face. "Gotta teach your droid some manners."

[member="Benedict Ortega"]

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Sam Paige"]

He would have left a generous tip to make up for the fact that Sam paid for the both of them... but the waitress had pissed him off with her condescension.

So Ben simply followed along, leaving the place behind.

The rest of the walking trip was done in companionable silence. Ben had a lot of things on his mind - most of it centered around the business he'd have to figure out back home. There were things to handle: from the people he knew to the apartment and beyond. Probably figure out a way to get his saving into a different bank that had beter coverage around these parts- this wasn't like the old days where the InterGalactic Banking Clan stood strong behind every transaction made.

And he didn't want to just walk around with a small fortune of cash.

"L-leave him a-alone," Ben blinked and looked up from his thoughts. From there it was instinct- his hand reached out, curling around soft shoulder and pulled her back a fraction, before stepping around her and to the front of the situation.

"Hey Red. Don't worry. Didn't hurt your friend. But he was rude when we showed up to pay you a visit. Gotta teach your droid some manners."

Ortega tilted his head, free hand already close enough to the blaster covered by his coat.

"Don't care who you are or your business, put the droid down and start marching outta here."

 

[Sam Paige]

"Hey, we're all friends here," he said, his tone relaxed and just this side of friendly. But there was a glint in his eyes.

"Isn't that right Red? Just here to keep an eye out on her. We make sure no one messes with her, she let's us borrow tools. It's mutually beneficial. It'd be a shame if someone came in and did something here...."

Even with the friendly tones, it was clear that the situation was not one of pals being pals. Sam gritted her teeth, but nodded. He laughed.

"See? All friends here. But don't worry, we were about to leave anyway. When did you say that pneumatic press was coming in, Red?"

"Um. C-couple days."

He nodded congenially, then motioned to the trandoshan. He moved as though he were going to drop Pinch from shoulder height- no small fall for a mouse droid- Even though Ben had pushed her back, Sam stepped in again, holding out her hands.

"G-give him to m-me. Please."

The near human, clearly the leader, or at least the mouth piece, nodded when the trandoshan glanced at him for confirmation. He loomed over her for a moment, then dropped the droid into her hands, still from too high for it to be easy for either of them- certainly too high for good faith. She caught him though, pulling the droid in against her chest and stepping immediately back.

"See ya when the part comes in, Red," the leader said with a smile and a wink.

[member="Benedict Ortega"]

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Sam Paige"]

Ben was about to step in front of the thug, but Sam tugged at his arm.

Stealthy enough that the thugs wouldn't notice (or so she hoped) but with enough force to know she meant it. The near-human did notice though, the feint twitch, the sudden abandonment of the movement and the scowl on Ben's face. "Don't play the hero here, guy, we got a very reasonable and clean arrangement here."

Smile turned half an inch ugly.

"No sense in making it dirty."

Then they were gone, leaving Ben and Sam to themselves. The former Jedi looked back over his shoulder. There was a thoughtful expression on his face, shoulders hunched just slightly to express anger.

"They got a lot of your things.... borrowed?" Ben asked then, looking back to Sam and the little mouse droid.

 

[Sam Paige]

When he looked back at her, he'd find her talking quietly to Pinch.

Beeeewop?

"No, I'm glad they didn't hurt you. You could have zapped him."

Pekang?

"I know what I said, but that would have been okay. But it's also okay if sometimes you don't get someone mad, if they can really hurt you, you know? It's not always worth it. But. If you'd wanted to, I wouldn't have been mad."

Bzmamp!

"Yeah he would have deserved it."

She looked up at Ben, arms wrapped around the foul mouthed little droid like he was a wounded puppy.

"Um. Some. Not too much? It's not a big deal. As long as they don't know if I need something or not., it's fine."

If they knew she was actively using something and claimed it, that was annoying. She'd gotten better at making it look like she needed something else, a different tool than she actually did, whenever they came around. It kept the stuff that would be inconvenient to wait for a replacement for safe.

[member="Benedict Ortega"]

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Sam Paige"]

Some of her logic concerned him.

But Ben had to remind himself that they were fundamentally two different kinds of people. Whereas he would rather fight and perhaps die, she didn't have the same training he had. She wasn't broken, nothing inside of her shattered and roughly patched together for functional instead of aesthetic. So, the former Jedi couldn't judge it.

"Who are they?" Sam would know- smart, resourceful, those were the traits he had noticed the first week when they started talking again.

He respected her for her intelligence.

"Gang? Corporate thugs?" Could be either or could be both. Etti had a nifty way of blurring the lines when it came to this sort of thing. Already his mind was churning with what to do next. Military favoured first strike capabilities.

Next time they would come with more now that he was here.

 

[Sam Paige]

"Freelance shippers," she answered with a shrug, putting Pinch down carefully. The little droid rolled back and forth for a moment, then zipped up the ramp into the ship. But he didn't vanish, instead lurking in the doorway.

"But they take almost. Um. Exclusively corporate jobs? Some sort of connection- they find out about, the, um, contracts before they hit the boards? They have. A lot - of friends. Around here."

It wasn't clear if she meant actual friends, or people they pushed around and who were 'nice' because it was less costly than standing up to them. She wasn't entirely sure herself all the time which were which, honestly, that line seemed to blur considerably depending on the day.

"Degan, the one who did the, um. He's the. He talked, he's the captain of the Star Skipper. Docking bay 6-A. YT-1210.... three cylinder engines, where the 1200 just have two- otherwise virtually the same, but I can hear a weird hitch in the Skipper's secondary cylinder when she takes off and comes in, so I always know when they come into port. They should fix that, I think it's something in the internal stabilizers and if they're not careful it'll go when they are trying to land and they'll drop right out of the sky and find themselves flat on their rear ends-"

She could go on like that for half an hour without coming up for air if no one stopped her.

[member="Benedict Ortega"]

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Sam Paige"]

...she did go on for half an hour without coming up for air because Benedict didn't stop her.

Instead he soaked it all up, eyes an inch thoughtful and if Sam had been paying better attention she might have noticed it. But instead they walked up the ramp and Ortega took in all the details of the customized engines, what the issue was, how to fix it and more specifically how it would get worse the longer they went on without a repair. By the time Sam was done they had already entered the engine room of her current ship, she would suddenly look up from rooting around the complicated machinery, cheeks blushed red as the girl realized how long she had been talking for. The stammered apologies were already on her lip, but this time Ben did stop her, right in her tracks with a hand raised an inch.

"I know you want to apologize, but it's completely fine." He smiled softly, before shrugging. "It was interesting and besides, I encouraged you with the little questions in between."

They had coaxed out necessary details, but mixed in with other less relevant (to him) questions to throw her off if she started suspecting something.

Benedict remembered the girl, sobbing in his arms, in the alley. Even in the end she had been concerned of the idea that he might have killed the thug - for that reason Ben did not think it was likely she would be approving of what he was planning now.

 

[Sam Paige]

It was embaressing, but she also appreciated Ben.... he rarely interrupted her, even when she was being a stuttering mess or rambling about things like engines. It made it easier to talk to him about normal things, because the underlying anxiety of wondering when he was going to get impatient or bored was less of a concern. Only one other person in her life had ever given her their full attention, no matter how long it took her to get an idea out. She didn't blame them for it, she even understood- she knew how difficult it could be (the rest of her family had not be shy with that criticism, growing up).

"Do. Do you want to see the mods I made? To this ship? If we're going to be doing this. Um. Together."

He nodded.

"That's a good idea."

It was clear that she wasn't done yet. She expected to be in about a week, she explained, showing him all of the ways she'd found to maximize hidden space. There was a chance they'd be smuggling people, she knew, and she'd worked hard to take into account those needs in case they were boarded. The necessary additions to move upwards of 50 people at a time were also hidden- panels with secret catches in the cargo bay. Crates with false bottoms. For anything less than a full scanner crew or someone talking apart the bulkheads themselves, the freighter looked like it had a crew of no more than four or five- but she showed him everything that allowed it to, for short times at least, support ten times that number.

"Haven't named it yet," she murmured, when they made it back to the engine room. There were obvious crew berths, but she'd strung her hammock up in here anyway.

"What..... what do you think?"

[member="Benedict Ortega"]

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Sam Paige"]

"I think it's amazing what you have done here on your own, Sam." He chuckled softly after that. "Don't even really need me- maybe I will just teach you how to punch someone's face in and let you handle this on your own." The soft smile playing on his lips would tell her that he was just messing about, just not about the teaching part.

He wouldn't let her handle this herself.

Not because Ben didn't think she could do excellent alone, but because he believed in this cause as much as she did.

"Show me the mechanism again of the hidden compartment?" She nodded with enthusiasm. One of them was half-disassembled, giving them access to the innards.

Ben looked over her shoulders as she slowly explained every part of it. It was fascinating in its own way- he was never much of a techie, but Sam had a way of getting into the meat of things, bringing it simple enough that you could wrap your head around it. At some point she had stopped talking, Ben blinked and looked down and just noticed how close in proximity they actually were right now

She had turned around to say something.

Pretty eyes.... "Oh. Uh. Sorry." He took a step back. "Didn't mean to.. you know. Uh. Take up your space that much."

He felt awkward.

Scratching at his chin he tried to find a way to get out of it. "So, uh.. where am I gonna sleep anyway? Hammock is a bit too tight for the both of us, I reckon."

Try to unwrap the problem by- feth, why did he say that?? Oh Forcenabbit.

 

[Sam Paige]

"So it's a double pressure plate, see? If someone presses just the one spot," she leaned into one corner of the panel to demonstrate, "nothing happens. Same with the other corner. But if you..... press..... both...."

Stretching her arms wide, she pushed in and the panel depressed slightly then popped back out, allowing someone to swing it open.

"That way someone looking for a secret panel won't be able to just accidentally find it-" she continued turning around and looking up at him- and stopping midsentence. Blinked at him. Didn't realize until he was already apologizing and stepping back just what the look on his face was for-

AND BLINKED AGAIN.

If it was possible for a blink to create an audible sound, this one would have.

"I. There are. I mean. I showed you- Er. Any of the. You know. Crew. Bunks I mean. My hammock isn't, um, er, for more than. For tw- I mean. It's. Just. Um. Me. Sam. We aren't- I mean- you don't want to- we haven't- um, five."

Even with his step back they were still standing close enough that it was suddenly imperative that every capillary in her face dilated and her cheeks burned red. But she didn't move.

"There are five crew bunks."

[member="Benedict Ortega"]

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Sam Paige"]

It went from awkwardness to anxiety to horror as she took his words seriously.

Feth, feth, feth.

"I." Ben blinked. "Um." There was the nod coming from him, accepting what she had just said while trying to filter out what she had just said. "I think that maybe-"

Yes.

"I think I am going to go check out those bunks, yes?"

"Um. Yes. OK."

Firm nod again as his cheeks reddened as well, before he turned around and walked out of the engine room. The doors hissed shut and his boots stomped across the surface of the floor. He did not realize that the metal pipes and surroundings was a perfect conduit to relay what he was saying across the corridor back to the engine room.

It went something like this: "areyoukiddingme?whydidyousaythat?ughyouarehopeless.sheisgoingtothinkyouareanidiot. becauseyouareanidiot! whosaysthingslikethat???"

Some of it was muffled, but when he arrived at the bunks it would suddenly crystallize clear for her.

Because there was a vent connecting the two of them. "-gonna like you. Just a blunt club, force's sake."

 

[Sam Paige]

Things went from a little uncomfortable (which, in fairness, was the normal baseline for Sam) to painfully confusing in a very short span. She blinked at his retreating back, then turned to look at Pinch.

Bzmap!

"No," she mumbled, pushing the panel up and down slightly.

"Besides. I don't like how that pneumatic pump is working. I'm going to fix it before I forget."

Pinch blatted at her but didn't argue. Sam never forgot what had to be done on the ship. Some nights she couldn't sleep because the list just cycled through her head again and again and she had to get up and take care of something that no longer seemed possible to wait a moment longer. It didn't know why she wasn't going after him, but it definitely wasn't the pneumatic pump.

Pinch didn't get humans.

Of course, Ben and Sam weren't doing much of a better job in that department.

The mumbling echoes started a moment after Sam started fiddling with the parts. She didn't think much of it at first- she'd told him about that problem- or she'd told him about how she'd sound proofed the hidden cubbies and assumed he understood why- either way, she figured he knew she could hear him.

Until she actually parsed the words and then she paused, frowning slightly. Maybe he'd forgotten about the traveling sound.

She focused furiously on the task at hand. Trying, very hard, not to listen.

[member="Benedict Ortega"]