Private On The Rocks

[Delilah Brujav]

Location: Kessel, Rock Bottom Tavern

This was rather a sad state of affairs. Delilah couldn't recall the last time she had time off, but with her ship in the yard for maintenance, she had time to kick back and relax for once in months. Sadly, Kessel was the closest place in the system she could have a drink at without the risk of being found by her own men. The Imperial attire had been left on board, and truth be told she felt alien without her military uniform; was she that unadapted to civilian life? Her casual clothing was nothing to look at, if anything she looked like some well off scavenger from Jakku. Entering the bar, she wasn't surprised to see several heads turn towards her.

Being a woman of such large statute, it was to be expected. She paid them no heed, only pushing on and past those who watched her, taking a spot at the bar as she rather desired a drink. "Get me a Ruby Blitz, on the rocks." She ordered, and the Rodian barkeep was all to eager to comply. Taking the drink, Delilah drank it like it was to be her last, knocking it out and putting the empty glass on the counter. "Just keep them coming." She stated, as she set several credits on the counter. She had come prepared for today. The times she got to actually enjoy herself was few and far between. She wouldn't have time to herself for a long while, and if she was going to survive the stress of command for another two years, she was really going to need it. The Rodian served her a second drink, which she took and began to drink almost immediately. She only paused when one of the miners' gaze lingered on her for just a tad longer than she liked. Setting her drink down, she raised an eyebrow to the man. "Never seen a woman before?" She asked, as she took another sip, only to be answered with silence. Being left to her own devices, the plan was to drink until she was numb, stagger back to her ship, and burn space til she was back home. But like in war, no plan ever survived direct combat with the enemy, Delilah just didn't know it yet. She didn't hate her life, but her existence was rather lack luster. She felt alone, isolated from her command and those around her. It was a terrible feeling, one that never seemed to go away. She had thought that feeling would have changed once she had her own vessel to command, but gave up on that idea size years ago. But now wasn't the time to think on her misery, no, today was to drink the woes away.

Panda98

 

[Karra Tor]

One of the downsides of Shi'ido physiology, at least in Karra's experience, was that you built no tolerance to alcohol since your body was constantly reshaping itself. Still, some of their species had a gift for holding their drink, and one of them must have passed it to her, because despite being halfway between the cork and the bottom, the Mandalorian Ale she was drinking had only really given her a light buzz. Not that she was complaining, she didn't like getting karkfaced, she just liked that mellow middle where you were set free from all the annoying anxiety and worry for a while. Made everything hit harder when it wore off, but it was worth it all the same. After the absolute nightmare scenario that was the Kessel Run, she needed this, and evidently she wasn't the only one.

The sound of the door drew Karra's eyes toward the newcomer, a tall, dark, and monochrome lady with arms that could probably make dents in a doonium hull. She didn't look too happy, but then again, most people came here to get rid of that look so it wasn't that surprising. The oglers and male gazers probably didn't help though, and Karra couldn't help but feel a little pang of guilt for not having accepted the stares when they were earlier directed at her. Even with all the shots she was downing, she probably didn't feel too comfortable here with the uneven ratio of men to women - something should be done about that.
"They're just hungry, doubly so since the first woman rejected them," She said, sliding from her stool and moving up a few seats next to her. "I mean, technically I'm not a woman, but I imagine when you spend all day mining something that either smells bad, makes you sick or goes into planet destroying starships, you like to take your mind off things however you can." She stretched out a hand, offering a friendly smile to the lady. "Karra."

Captain Delilah Brujav

 

[Delilah Brujav]

Truth be told, Delilah was used to the stares. It was like being on the bridge, except the stares didn't melt away upon being challenged; at least not initially. She was on her third shot when a stranger rolled up, trying to offer her some level of comfort for the annoyance at hand. Delilah threw a quick glance, seeing she was a short pudgy woman who did not fit in at all with the crowd here; she was far too cute to be here.

The explanation she was told not long after squeezed a grin out of the officer, as she set her glass down and looked to her. "Unless my eyes deceive me, you certainly seem to be a woman." It wasn't often someone approached her. In fact hardly anyone tried to start off a conversation with her now a days. She glanced to the hand offered to her, then to the woman extending. Delilah decided to go ahead and accept it, shaking the woman's hand firmly; though she didn't smile in kind. "Delilah." Another shot was poured out to her, which was not long for the world. "Excuse me for saying this, but place doesn't seem to suit you, so I'm guessing you're from off world?" She slammed down the forth shot, leaving the bartender to fill her up again. Karra would sense there was a lingering sadness buried deep inside the woman, one that she was burying deep with liquor. It would take quite a few more drinks before Delilah started to feel the booze take hold. At current she was just starting to feel the faintest bit of drunkenness taking hold, but it would be a bit before she was comfortablely tipsy.

Karra Tor

 

[Karra Tor]

She had a pretty firm grip, and really cool looking white hair, made her want to give the look a try again, but unfortunately, it really didn't suit this face, and Karra liked to have some consistency with her faces. The Jedi took a swig of her Ale as her new drinking buddy looked her up and down, eying the clearly untrue statement of her not being a woman...well, clearly to her at any rate.
"As a very dear and old friend once told me, the eyes can deceive, don't trust 'em, pluck them out!! Wait, no, scratch that last bit, eyes are still fun, you can look at beautiful nature worlds and ogle hot ladies and you can play sabacc with them," She slurred, thrusting her finger into the air dramatically. All the world was a stage after all, and the bar was the dress rehearsal where you could do all the silly kark.

She nodded in response to her first question, mulling over the answer in the few seconds it took for another quick swig. Couldn't well say she was a Jedi that just went on the Kessel Run from hell and was waiting for her ship to be repaired (and for Gonk to stop crapping oil). Technically, she didn't need to, she could just say the basics and it would be the truth, easy to conceal a lie in the truth if it was even a lie to begin with. "I'm only here a few days, waiting for my ship to be repaired and for my droid to stop pissing itself with fear at the prospect of playing Astromech again." She felt a small pang of guilt for her poor droid - he did get her through the Maw in one piece - but it didn't change the fact that not only did he volunteer, he enjoyed screwing with her on the flight, so he kinda deserved to stew in his fluid for a bit. "What about yourself? You're not a miner, you don't stink like Raxus Prime."

Truth be told, this Delilah seemed a bit melancholy, on the inside at least. Plenty of people drank to forget, and most decided to go the distance and drink themselves into the void, her included if the fifth shot being lined up was any indication. She could understand the drive to dull pain and flush out any bad memories but she never liked the idea of drinking to forget, it wasn't healing, at most, it was just sticking a little bit of Bacta on an ever-growing wound. Maybe she could get the poor lass to open up with a few more drinks...?

Captain Delilah Brujav

 

[Delilah Brujav]

The response was not one she had been expecting. Plucking eyes out and ogling at woman? Sounded like those nightsister legends she heard as a child. She chalked it up to drunken nonsense, everyone was guilty of it a one time or another. Delilah smiled ever so slightly at the woman, and her further statements only confirmed that she was indeed drunk. "I've never had much luck at either. The ogling or the sabacc." She responded, as the woman had managed to draw her attention now.

She seemed to be a freighter pilot, something of a mundane occupation, but a respectable one none the less. It was ironic that they seemed to be here for the exactly same reason. She chuckled at that, though if she was a betting woman she would guess her ship was the larger of the two. “Same here. My crew is such a mess, I can’t look away for a moment before something goes wrong, and even when you get droids they get quirks and don’t want to behave.” She shook her head, finishing off a fourth drink. She truly disliked her command staff. They acted so ridged and terrified around her, like expecting them to do their job was so much to ask. “Sounds like you need a new droid, though I understand that some people become attached to them, especially ones that they have had for a long time. What I wouldn’t give for an automated ship. Just leave it to myself to get everything done. Probably be better off.” Perhaps the alcohol was starting to take effect, as she was rambling now.

As she looked back to Karra as the woman asked about occupation and origins. Funny things is, even if Delilah was to tell the truth, she wouldn’t think the woman would believe her. “I was born on Bespin, been flying ever since I could sneak into a cockpit.” Which was all true, used to drive her mother crazy. “I don't know what I'd do if I lost my ship. Probably be stuck in here, drinking myself to death.” She mused, starting to feel that depressive sensation starting to creep out. She always felt like this when she drank, but typically she was confined to her quarters as to hide it from the rest of the crew. It would be more evident now with this stranger, but that didn't matter. No one on her ship would know about what went done in this bar today, and she took comfort in that. Her gaze fell to the freshly poured glass put down before her, as she knew just how little joy she was getting out of her job as time went on. There had to be more out there, she just didn't know where. This mountain of a woman looked awfully small now, at least to Karra.

Karra Tor

 

[Karra Tor]

If Karra was soberer, she probably would have been mortified at the look Delilah was giving her right now, that 'this woman is crazy and I should be reaching for my blaster' look she tended to give anyone else that she talked to for an extended period - quirky, they called them. Not that she could blame her, if she could hear some of the stuff she was saying, she would have felt reassured that being the quiet one in the room was for the best. Still, at least she was nice enough to roll with her on this, commenting that she didn't really have luck with either one.
"First rule of ogling and/or window shopping, never fool yourself into thinking it will be serious, just let yourself enjoy the view and relax, that way you draw less attention and give yourself a small break from the mundanity of modern spacefaring life," She explained, holding up her bottle and pointing at Delilah with a cheeky smile. "I don't want to be too perverted, but if you were on my ship, my last trip would have been stress-free for the most part."

The second she started talking about her crew and droids, her mind turned back to Gonk and the little kriffer's madcap attempts at flying a few hours earlier. This woman clearly didn't understand just how crazy and chaotic the black dumpster was, so she turned in her stool and put her bottle down, her hands gesturing wildly as she began to speak, eyes laser focused on her new friend. "Ok, I need to explain just how useless and life endagering this little kark is, I don't have an astromech, a protocol droid, not even one of those little battle things or bouncy chicken walkers, I have a Gonk Droid...yeah, a Gonk Droid, he constantly smart-talks me every second of every day and has the gall to complain whenever I try to get him to be useful, only to complain when I let him gather dust." Memories of old conversations and arguments flickered through her mind, along with one or two occasionally pleasant recollections, few though they were. "Still, much as I hate him, he's been with me since I was a girl, and he tries his best, especially given all the modifications I've made to him over the years, little guy can sub in for an astro droid, a protocol droid, he even has a cup holder!" She emphasized the cup holder feature with so much wonder and whimsy that she almost forgot she was talking about a droid and got caught up in some drunken two second fantasy world.

Karra couldn't suppress a giggle as Delilah related her story, nodding along as she told it. It sounded like she was pretty much the same as her, a bit of a troublemaker when she was in the kiddy mood, with one major difference. "You're a braver kid than me, I couldn't even touch a ship when I was a kid, the thought of space travel made me feel sick, I thought it was like those old games where you spun in the chair and tried to walk in a straight line...no, I preferred to just swing around the trees and climb to the highest points I could and take holos of the forest. My guardian called me a little monkey." Oh, there was that sadness again, more pronounced in the Force, even through the drink's fog, and it seemed to ripple and distort all around that mention of her ship and crew. Maybe she was the type that lived for the job? Again, she could relate, but it took her 40 years to figure out what she was inevitably going to, best tell her now to save time later. "Take it from someone that used to be afraid of the entire world and focused on work, get out there and see people, even if it's just the one person, work is far from all there is in life, trust me, I know."

 

[Delilah Brujav]

Quirky would definitely be the word to go with for this woman. On her ship, Delilah would have had the woman thrown off her bridge for being so all over the place. But this wasn't her bridge, and she was here to decompress, so this was exactly what she needed. Something Karra said struck her, relaxing was never Delilah's strong suit. Like never. She didn't respond to what the woman said initially, but the following comment about how having herself on board would have made things less stressful. Her cheeks heated up, as she tried to hide her embarrassment behind drink number five. Obviously, she failed. She knew nearly every strategic and tactical maneuver capable by her ship and squadron, but flirtation was something she had no idea how to handle. "What makes you say that?" She asked, wondered what ordeal this woman had undergone. "You might have found my presence overbearing. Everyone else does it seems." She wasn't wrong, that was the most often complaint she got from the crew.

She listened to the woman's admiration for her plucky little droid, and Delilah could sympathize. She was like that with her old Tie Fighter, before she totaled it during her last operation as a commander. "As many faults as it might have, there is still sentimental value that can not be ignored. I understand that. I loved my first sky-hopper, and as much of a piece of scrap it was, I loved that thing." She recalled the first air speeder she had purchased, and she flew the hell out of it; right into the side of a mountain. "I was just determined, not braver I suppose. Once you understand the mechanics of it, it turns into a game of control. You use your instruments to overcome the efforts of gravity. It's an art in some ways. A delicate balance." Okay, yea, she was getting drunk. Delilah paused, looking down at her fingers as she felt the numbness crawling over her digits.

Karra's giggling snapped her out of it, as she looked to the woman and snorted, before covering her mouth. How unbecoming of her, but drink tended to have that effect. "I'm sorry, drinking brings this out of me. I'm typically far more collected." She found drink number six and drowned her sorrows in the glass, before looking back to the woman. "I'm not afraid of the world, I just...dislike it. I don't think I like people very much. Unintelligent, disorganized, chaotic. I feel like I'm the only sane person out there, trying to make sense of all the...flashing lights and junk traders running about in the dark." She shook her head, looking down at the empty glass, knowing that what she said was true. She was all alone in the void, the captain of a crew without a goal, waging a war against the forces of chaos. She probably sounded insane to her new drinking partner. Drink seven arrived not long after, as she was treated to a full glass of liquor, and the mindset to down it relatively quick.

Karra Tor

 

[Karra Tor]

Aw, she was getting all flustered, she was so cuuuuuuuute. Karra was liking her more and more; a bit shy, likes a drink, rolls with the crap that comes out of her mouth, etc. It made her wonder what she was like when she was sober, especially given the streak of self-deprecation she was determined to hoist on herself. She didn't find her overbearing at all, but then again, they weren't on a bridge. It made sense for her to act that way though, running a ship wasn't exactly a simple science, even with all the advances made for over a millennium, you needed discipline, attentiveness, competence, otherwise, you would just be stepping into a metal coffin.
"Hey," She said firmly, looking her square in the eye now. "Don't beat yourself up for being a bit overbearing, you're a captain, right? You just want to make sure things are running smoothly, you know how easy it is for one thing that's out of place to completely wreck a ship. That said, you should have faith in your crew too if they've earned it, loyalty and camaraderie are important things when ensuring a healthy work environment and ethic." She said all of this knowing full well her crew consisted of her and a droid, but she didn't fly very often, so she didn't really need to take her own advice in that regard.

As Delilah started to delve into more personal territory, Karra found herself lowering her drink and leaning on the bar, staring intently at her as she laid some of her worldly woes bare. She was still a healer at the end of the day, mental health was just as important as physical health.
"Hmm...overbearing presence, a seeming fixation with control over your surroundings, a dislike of the world and it's inherent chaos...if you don't mind me asking, did you ever suffer from a loss of control as a kid? It feels like a lot of your life and job revolves around wrangling some form of control, and safety, out of your life." It was to the point and bold, sure, but she had reason to feel it was a pretty prudent question. Life in of itself was chaotic and unpredictable, even Jedi could not see the future with any certainty, it was important to roll with the flow when it reared it's head and make the most of what you can get if you wanted to find some semblance of peace in your short time on this plane of existence.

 

[Delilah Brujav]

Delilah gave the woman a side eye as she gave advice on captaining, and she understood the misconception. While being a captain was a life style, there was also a difference in leading a crew and leading as a military leader. If only she could trust the crew, trust those beneath her to do their jobs; but she found that often she just could not. It was sad, but true. At least Karra understood where she was coming from, she only sought to keep the crew safe and their mission completed. "If only I could say they earned such trust, then maybe I could sleep sounder at night. That would be something." She commented, circling her finger around the rim of the drink, her thoughts lingering on the words she had just said. "As is, I find I can not trust them, nor can I get another crew. They are crippled with indecision, and when I find the work they have left afterwards, it is messy and unorganized. Absolutely maddening." That was the truth. Delilah couldn't stand her own command crew, and truth be told she didn't comprehend how they even function. "And I don't like getting close to my crew. People talk, and office politics aboard a close quarters environment is not only against regulations, but also creates disharmony among the crew."Delilah glanced back to the woman, smirking just a tad. "Besides, not a single one is as..." She caught herself before she said something dumb, and found a more proper word that wouldn't be taken as flirtation. "Attentive as you." This was also true, no one on her staff was pleasant to talk to, and they all walked about as if Delilah had a knife ready to pounce on them with.

The captain paused as Karra pushed into more personal matters, something that caused Delilah to drop her head ever so slightly. She never liked talking about her life, about her past, especially not her childhood, but what Karra was hinting at made a great deal of sense. She was silent for a moment, her eyes looking to drink number seven, before drinking it and putting the glass away. Oh where to begin. "I don't usually tell people this, but yes." She sighed, sitting up and turning to face Karra, her eyes looking onto the dark brown orbs before her. "I was born on Bespin, that's true. But my father was a drunk, abusive. Beat myself and my mother for several years. My mother was crafty though, stole his wallet one night and we ran off world, and never looked back. It was rough living for some time, had to work at the shipyards to get enough credits for our sake." She chewed on the inside of her lip, as she thought a tad harder; perhaps she was a control freak, that could explain it. "So yes, perhaps that's it. Having that level of control assures safety, that I won't need to keep my guard off." She felt something stinging in her eye and swiped at it, squashing the bit of moisture before it could make itself known; but Karra would already know what that was. Was she truly that desperate? So scared of the world outside her cockpit? She didn't think so, but then again she certainly enjoyed the control. That made her feel rather....well depressed. "Never in all my life had I considered that as being a factor." Her military career had become her armor against the galaxy, a shield to tell herself how above she was against others. What a sad state of affairs. "I need another drink." Shot number eight arrived just on time, and Delilah drank it rather quickly.

Karra Tor