Star Wars Roleplay: Chaos

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Good Workers are in 'Short' Supply

Kay-Larr

Sphaera Tea Company Owner
@B'enor Benjeel

Kay had a lot to do to continue with her plans of fortifications of certain locations that for the moment remained secret. So little knew about them and that was all on purpose. Spies were everywhere, there were positions within her own government that still lay vacant since her return from captivity, and she was still trying to prevent herself from having a breakdown. All with the help of her doctor and a few others. Delegating her responsibilities was tough to do.

Right now was one of those moments that she could have left to someone else, but was taking care of herself. Kay sat at her desk and wrote up an advertisement. She needed a mechanic, and a good one. One that was brilliant with ships, didn't mind tight spaces and could keep their mouths shut when need be. Good help was hard to find these days. But she would interview them all herself. She needed to be able to read them and see them with her own eyes to be sure that they could be trusted with any top secret information.

With the ad sent out, she waited for the replies to come, as well as visits from the successful applicants.
 
“Hold up!” Ben yelled to his customized amalgamation of an astromech slicer droid, lovingly named, Shorty. Ben skid to a halt, nearly causing a traffic jam on the busy Coruscant walkway. He narrowly avoided a collision with the Bothen just behind him only through his sheer lack of size. Don’t tell him that, though.

“Hey, watch it! I’m walkin’ here” yelled the Bothan as he swerved around the two half-pints who were now staring at a digital advertisement lit-up across a small billboard on the side of a Young Lings’ All You Can Eat Specialty Buffet chain restaurant. Ben read the advertisement just before it was replaced with an advertisement for Shark Beauty Bar – For scale’s that are hard and shiny, turn to the Shark beauty bar, and be sure to try Killer Shark for Men.

Shorty chirped a question.

“Of course I didn’t stop for the Shark advertisement you sorry excuse for a portable trashcan.”

“Whist, whistle, wooooop?”

“Noooo, I don’t want to eat at Young Ling’s.” His stomach growled. He thought for a moment, “Okay, maybe later, I did hear their food was to die for, they’ve really been cutting down the competition all over Coruscant. It has to be good… Ah, you got me off topic. It was an advertisement for a mechanic job on Commenor. And, guess who was looking for help…”

“Whistle, boooop?”

“No.”

“Whistle, Whistle?”

“Nope.”

“Wooop, Whistle?”

“Not even close. It’s a figure of speech, you’re really not supposed to guess. Lady Kay! It’s Lady Kay!”

Shorty squeaked in surprise.

^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^​

A week later, in Chasin City on Commenor, Ben’s dusty and stained mechanic’s jumpsuit clashed with the slick, clean, modern waiting room in which he was lounging. Life was weird, he mused as he lay back in the chair.

It wasn’t long ago that he’d spent weeks hired by one of the galaxies’ foremost bounty hunters, not to capture or kill someone, but to find one woman – Lady Kay. That mission had quickly turned into one of the galaxies’ greatest wild Aiwha chases, with multiple false leads leading them into all manner of bizarre and dangerous situations. In the end, even these false leads eventually ran dry, forcing the Shark and Ben to dejectedly go their separate ways – the Shark one bounty hunter droid richer and Ben, well, richer richer. Now the woman they’d searched the galaxy for was sending out advertisements, and here he sat, in her waiting room, responding to one.

Life was weird.

“Mr. Benjeel, Lady Kay will see you now” called the secretary. Ben jumped out of his chair. He was uncharacteristically anxious. He’d never really interviewed for a job, bounty hunters and smugglers were rarely sticklers for bureaucracy and do-diligence, after all. That wasn’t the main reason, though, the real reason was that he was about to stand across the room from the formerly elusive Lady Kay.

The door slid open with efficient silence. Ben and Shorty stepped inside.

[member="Lady Kay"]
 

Kay-Larr

Sphaera Tea Company Owner
Manor%20House%20Library%20paneling%20Castle%20design.jpg


Kay was growing accustomed to the opening of doors, mostly in her office though. Elsewhere was a different story. She still suffered from some of the trauma caused by her months of captivity, doors opening around her being one of them. She was getting some help with her issues, but that would all take time.

@B'enor Benjeel and Shorty soon came in. They weren't quite what she was expecting, but then again, Commenor was home to all sorts of different visitors. Humans made up the majority of the population, but others were welcome as well.

Kay sat at her desk, contacts hid the yellow speckles of corruption in her eyes and her Force signature was shrunk to that of a small tree nut before Ben was even led inside. Her dress was black, like always. Ever since her return it was all that she would wear, almost as though she was in mourning. In some ways she was.

She gave the two a small smile and gestured to Ben to have a seat in the chair in front of her desk. "Afternoon. Can you start off by listing your areas of expertise? "
 
Ben and Shorty entered Lady Kay’s office, Shorty whistling in approval and awe. “You got that right pateessa. It’s sure good to be queen,” Ben said quietly out of the corner of his mouth. It was a little hard to believe that the Lady Kay, dressed in black, was sitting behind a handsome desk across the room from him, but there she was.

Well, that particular adventure was in the past now, and he had to think about his future. Not everyone could be royalty, after all. Plus, if her office and position said anything about the girth of her bank account, he was very interested in this job indeed.

Hired by a bounty hunter, now applying to be hired by a queen? His career had sure taken a strange turn. Life was weird.

Ben sat in the chair across from Lady Kay, an act that actually had the uncommon effect of increasing his height. “Afternoon. Can you start off by listing your areas of expertise?”

“Umm, afternoon to you too… your… majesty,” he responded awkwardly, high society not exactly being his natural environment. He was always much more comfortable packed into a backwater cantina, surrounding himself with all manner of scum and villainy. He cleared his throat, “Well, I’m glad you asked.”

I should’ve had that Mad Mrelf before I came, worked on my last interview.

“I’m an engineer and slicer. I’m particularly good with spacecraft, but I also have experience with droids,” he motioned to Shorty, “as you can see,” he then leaned in and whispered, “I could’ve done better.”

Shorty hissed a rebuke.

“I’ve helped smuggle Wookie slaves to freedom. Worked on military craft and specialty yachts. I’ve repaired countless smuggler ships… Um.. no one that would dare smuggle products in or out of Commenor, of course. I’ve customized a spice dealer’s vessel so well that,” Ben chuckled to himself, “there were a few times even he couldn’t find his spice. You should’ve seen him pulling up floor grates. And… you know, he wasn’t interested in dealing anywhere near hear. Promise… I’ve been hired by Hutt’s and bounty hunter’s alike for my slicer skills… there was one particular bounty hunter looking for someone, we got into some seriously weird stuff. I won’t bore you with the details, though. Suffice to say, I’m not just a pretty brain, I can take care of myself too when things get hairy… Um.. your majesty…”

[member="Lady Kay"]
 

Kay-Larr

Sphaera Tea Company Owner
Kay wasn't born into royalty, but she supposed that not everyone knew that. Her claim to the throne has been less than a year so far. So it was amusing to say the least, when people acted nervous around her.

Ben and Shorty were equally as amusing. She had to smile at some of Ben's quips and assurances that he had not partaken in any illegal activities in her borders.

His skills were very notable as well, if they were true. People can talk a big game, but their actual work has to speak for them.

"And how are you when it comes to working on top secret projects? I have to know that those under my employ are trustworthy." Her eyes went from Ben to Shorty. "And that goes for you too."
 
“Secret projects?” Ben couldn’t help but chuckle, “I’m a slicer, your majesty, a slicer is worth nothing if he can’t keep what he discovers to himself. More than that, I spent most of my career in the underground working for smugglers, cartels, Hutts, and even bounty hunters… you don’t stick around long if you can’t keep what you know to yourself. It’s part of my job description. It’s all I know.”

Shorty whistled a confirmation.

“As for him,” he tilted his head toward Shorty, “He never shuts up, I know.”

Shorty interjected.

“But, his programing would never allow him to reveal classified information. Not even if he were hacked,” Ben leaned in again and put a hand up to block the view of his mouth from Shorty, he whispered, “He doesn’t know this, but if he were ever compromised, he’d fry his own circuits before anyone got anything. Don’t tell him though….”

Shorty's dome swiveled around to watch the conversation.

“I don’t think he’d react well if he knew that.”

He leaned back into the chair, “So… my… lady… you never have to worry about us talking. Not even under pain of death,” He gave Kay a conspiratorial wink.

[member="Lady Kay"]
 

Kay-Larr

Sphaera Tea Company Owner
Kay studied Ben and Shorty while she listened to the former talk. She gave them a small smile, nodding her approval. "Good. Very good. I shall get you two working on the ship factory's systems, make sure everything is up and running smoothly. There are other droids and men working inside, but I want to be sure that there are no bugs in the system. Once you finish with that, I'll review your work and then perhaps move you to....bigger projects."

And a bigger paycheque as her Head Engineer. It was best not to get him too excited yet.
 
Hmm… bigger projects? After spending most of his life as a slicer and glorified mechanic, he hadn’t entered the interview hoping for anything more than, well that, to be hired as a glorified mechanic. Maybe working on fighters, or installing equipment into frigates, or debugging standard software routines etc. Not that he wasn’t capable of more, much more, than that, he just never expected to be hired by a legitimate organization for anything more. Scruffy looking mechanics were overlooked by governments and corporations for anything higher than grease-monkey. That's just how it was.

The job he’d been hired for sounded good, especially because he was nearly always perpetually broke after gambling – and loosing – and drinking his paychecks away. Not that he has a problem. He can stop anytime. Really. Anytime. He just doesn’t want to. But he could. So he was usally desperate for any paycheck, but the potential for bigger projects, well, that got him excited.

He began to squirm in his seat wanting to get started. He wanted to prove what he could do.

“Thank you your, my, lady, queen, majesty… Kay, if you point Shorty and I to the ship factory, we’ll get started right away!”

[member="Lady Kay"]
 

Kay-Larr

Sphaera Tea Company Owner
Kay nodded, glad that Ben and Shorty seemed eager to get things underway. It was a great quality to have. Perhaps this could be the best job that they were ever to have? Loyalty was hard to find these days. It was precious.

"The ship factory is on the east side of Chasin City. I'll inform the staff to have transport ready for you. Be sure to take your belongings as you'll have lodging there. Good day to you both."

She gestured for them to go and then sent messages to her staff. Transport was prepared right outside of the Palace gates to take Ben and Shorty to their new home.
 

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