Overtime

[Makai Dashiell]

[member="Rosa Gunn"] | Teth | Silent Temple​

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A luxury-class yacht cut through the jungle, unintentionally stirring up birds and small creatures in its wake. A small circle against a set of cliffs and the Sirena was maneuvered towards the bottom of the towering geological structures. Vines and plants were poking up through the makeshift landing pad, looking as if they were threatening to grow over the vessel if he left it for too long. Double checking the systems, Makai shut down the Sirena and looked through the viewport, unable to see the towering temple built into the side of the cliffs.


Was he supposed to wait for someone? Yet the jungle beckoned him. Being half-Galan, heat and humidity were his lifeline.


Ramp was lowered, feet ambled out as humidity wrapped over him like a favorite blanket. A sound of nails clicking on metal behind him, a plaintive cry. Koa. The Loth-Cat was scurrying quickly, coming to move down the ramp with Makai. The little beast weaved between the already growing-too-fast teenagers feet, causing him to rock a little.


"Easy! Trying to break my legs?" A noise that sounded suspiciously like a snort of laughter. Not that Loth-Cats were capable of such a thing. "I'm going to send you to Ellie's house marked 'do not return'."


Iced-azure eyes took in the sights, jungle life once again making noise now that his vessel had powered down. The planet was oddly quiet. Teth wasn't far away from his own home on Mon Cal but he couldn't say he knew much about the place. Rumors swirled at one time it used to be a warlord hideaway.


Moving in the clearing, he finally looked up at the cliffs. A structure was built into them, complete with waterfall. It was a beautiful sight, a mix of nature and sentient made work. Eyes squinted against the sun and he wished he had brought his sunglasses out of the Sirena with him. It was hard to tell if anyone actually lived in the area. Cleaned up, vines removed but....didn't mean it wasn't more of a fallback shelter for someone in the area.


"I don't even know how we get up there Koa. Or if we're supposed to."


Makai was beginning to wonder why his Dad even sent him out here. Well, he knew why. Charity work for a foundation, something about he knew the two people from long ago. Maybe the charity was picking him up, not enough fuel to make the trip and they used the little jungle planet as a parking deck.

 

[Rosa Gunn]

The cry of a ships engines cut across the usual chatter of the jungle, making Rosa look up from her work with a small frown. A brief check of her schedule and she recalled mention of Judah's son coming to see her. Rising from her chair she padded to the terrace of her room and watched as the ship found a landing space in the jungle clearing. She supposed she should have given instructions for accessing the hangar that was still concealed by overhanging vines.

Abandoning her work she padded through the temple towards the turbo lifts to the lowest levels, the clean interior giving way to the old rancor brood stench that still linger in the lowest level. Try as she might, she was yet to find something to eradicate the filth they'd left behind. She ducked out of the concealed crevice into the jungle, tracking a path towards [member="Makai Dashiell"] 's ship.

Brushing her hair from her face, she ducked a low hanging branch and smiled, pausing for a moment to appreciate just how much he looked like his father. She wondered now, how long it had been since she'd seen Judah and a touch sadness passed over her that he could not make it himself.

"Hello Makai." she said stepping towards him.

 

[Makai Dashiell]

Koa jumped in and out of brush in the jungle, yips and growls reaching his ears every so often. No doubt the crazed Loth-Cat was busy chasing various lizards and small insects through the thick vegetation. Lizard scurried up a tree with Koa trying to follow only to immediately fall. Loth-Cats were more suited to open areas.


Makai chuckled at the antics, having given up on looking for some type of entrance. Unless he was supposed to swim underwater to some secret entrance or submerged cave. Perhaps thats why his Dad sent him along, he was the one that could breathe underwater after all.


Caught up in watching Koa, Makai was startled at the approach of a woman. One that knew his name. Eyes scanned for a ship other than his own. He didn't see one. It was as if [member="Rosa Gunn"] had appeared out of thin air. Mildly unnerving but there was a (hopefully) good explanation.


"Miss Gunn I assume?" Blue-green scale speckled hand stretched out in greeting. "Dad says he apologizes for being unable to make it. I have roughly half his gene pool, I hope this makes up for his absence."

 

[Rosa Gunn]

Rosa smiled taking his extended hand. "It's Mrs, actually, but you can call me Rosa." The Loth cat caught her eye and she smiled, crouching down to tickle him behind the ears. "Not to worry about your father, I'll pin him down sooner or later, besides I'm sure you're more than capable of helping, regardless of whether you have half his gene pool or not." She stood up and nodded to his ship. "I'd seal her up if I were you or you might find a nest or three inside by the time you get back. I trust your journey was OK?"

She waited for him to secure his ship before beckoning him to follow her, ducking again under the low branch and towards the cliff face. From this angle, the entrance was well hidden, the crevice concealed by the rock face, she cast a reassuring smile back over her shoulder and disappeared into the entrance. Upon approach the face looked smooth but as Makai got closer he would realise it was stepped the crevice tucked behind the foremost rock face. HE would also notice on entrance the lingering stink.

"I'm sorry that you're first sight of inside the temple has to be here. We ousted a family of jungle rancors not too long ago and they've left the pace in something of a mess." There were still layers of mud caked up the stone corridors. Rosa led them through to its end where the turbo lift waited for them. "Still, it'll prove a useful escape route if ever there's a need." She sincerely hope they would not.

Once Makai and the Loth-Cat were safely inside, Rosa pulled the door shut and set the lift to take them up to the atrium. "Tell me, what has your father been up to?"

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

 

[Makai Dashiell]

[member="Rosa Gunn"]​

"Mrs? Beautiful ladies are always married, I should have known." There was a teasing, boyish grin at his own words. Unlike his father, he tended to be a bit more open in some regards. Probably a mix of being young and inexperienced with a different sense of humor. "My journey was fine,thank you. We don't live too far from here. Dac. So basically in the neighborhood."


Before locking the Sirena down, Makai grabbed a bookbag waiting by the ramp, pulling it on and hurrying to keep up with Mrs. Gunn. He didn't see a need to keep her waiting, especially since the woman knew his father. He didn't need a report back that he wasn't living up to the Dashiell name. There was a rocky face and an odd entrance into a smelly cave. An explanation about a rancor family and escape route followed as they moved towards a lift. Koa pawed at a few pieces of small bone, seemingly excited to be in a den of filth and death.


"Smells a little like rotting whale, when it washes up onto the beach. Stench drifts for miles....Hate to say it but I think I few elderly rancor died in here...Something definitely died in here..."


Lift doors closed, rancor-smell still seeping through. Not surprising. Koa settled down behind the both of them, beady eyes transfixed on the lights above them, listening to the motor as it pulled them upwards.


"Oh, this is Koa by the way....Hope you don't mind that I brought him along." Back to the subject of his father. "Raising me I suppose? I'm not sure when you two spoke last. Uh, there's the business, Salacia Consolidated. So I think its safe to say for a good portion of time its either been myself and the company Dad has focused on. Expanded quite a bit too...."


"How are you and.....well, a mystery person. Dad mentioned yourself and one unnamed other."

 

[Rosa Gunn]

"Not at all," she replied glancing down at the loth cat with a soft smile. "I'm sure there's plenty of critters he can entertain himself with." A sad smile passed her face as she wondered how long it had been since she had actually spoken to Judah. Years, that much she could be sure of. She'd lost touch with a great number of friends during her stint with the One Sith. Her recovery had not really granted her with much time to reach out for friends.

She was glad to know he was doing well at least. She smiled at Makai's question. "Well I can only assume that the mystery person you are referring too would be my husband Seydon." she chuckled "We're doing well, spend more time apart these days than we do together but, he is a Dunaan," she turned to face Makai fully and clarified. "A monster hunter, in short, so he is kept especially busy by his work. As for myself, I busy myself trying to fix what I can in a Galaxy broken by so much war. What did your father tell you about you coming here?"

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

 

[Makai Dashiell]

"Literal or figurative?" A slight pause. "Monster hunter that is."


Brows knit, trying to figure out what a Dunaan was in addition to monster hunter. Makai had two schools of thought on the issue. Either the man was hunting down dangerous beasts and creatures or there was something more dangerous - fugitives and general unsavory sentients.


"As for coming here...sort of. I'm to deliver the first set of credit donations in person" Head inclined slightly backwards to the pack on his back. "Then do what you ask of me. I'm assuming something along the lines of cheap, unpaid child labor."


Another boyish grin in her direction at his joke.


"Whatever you need done Mrs.Gunn just point me in that direction and I'll see what I can do."






[member="Rosa Gunn"]

 

[Rosa Gunn]

"Literal." she replied simply as the lift rattled to a stop, the door slid open unassisted here granting them entrance into the vast atrium. The high domed glass ceiling cast shafts of light over indoor gardens before them, as teeming with life as the jungle outside. Flowers of all colours were spread among the raised beds, vegetables ripe for picking trailed between them and in the centre of it all sat round stone table, encircled with benches.

Rosa stepped out and smiled. "Welcome to the Silent Temple, Makai. The first home of the Boolon Foundation." She led the way to the table and settled herself on one of the benches. "I think it seems a little unfair to use you as child labour if you don't really know what it is you're labouring for." she gestured at the bench opposite. "The aim of the Boolon Foundation is very simple, set up sanctuaries, like this one all over the galaxy, have them open to anyone and everyone who needs them. On top of this, I'm setting up self sufficient refugee settlements with the help of local governments in order to find a home for those who've been displaced by wars and give them an opportunity to start a new life. This sanctuary is, unfortunately, in a poor state of repair for the most part. The control chamber and most of the technology here is dated, but thanks to a friend of mine, functional. The rest is structural and cosmetic repair."

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

 

[Makai Dashiell]

"Silent Temple is probably literal too, right?"


Makai had mental images of studious Jedi monks walking around in silence, working on theories or new ways of reaching the Force. Seat was taken on the opposite bench, putting down his backpack next to him. Koa hopped up on the bench where [member="Rosa Gunn"] sat, begging for attention. Paw went to swipe at her thigh, as if to say 'hey, look at me!'.


Eyes drifted over the atrium, it seemed relatively repaired in this section. Makai would surmise that certain living areas would be finished already for those coming to visit and help with the progress. The labor part of his job didn't sound terrible. He did help his Dad build the house on Mon Cal after all. Despite being a rich kid, he did have a bit of skill.


"Sounds like a noble cause." Part of him was unsure of the safety of unguarded safe houses in certain sectors of space but he imagined there was a plan for such things. "No wonder Dad supports you. I can see why."


"Speaking of..." Makai opened the backpack and started to pull out neat bundles of credit chips. Two hundred in denominations totaling two million credits. Head nodded to the stack now resting in front of Miss Gunn. "...Dad wants you to know that is the first installment. He regrets not doing a bank transfer but we both figured you wouldn't want the attention from certain governments. Just in case they caught wind."

 

[Rosa Gunn]

Rosa's hand moved almost automatically to Koa's head, scratching him behind the ears and stroking him down his back, her attention however was on Makai. She looked down at the Loth-cat when he pawed her thigh and smiled, looking up again as Makai began to pile the credit chips upon the table. Her eyes widened as she counted quickly in her head. "The first instalment?...Sometimes I think your old man has more money than sense." she said with a laugh. "Thank you. It is greatly appreciated. But I will tell him that bank transfers are perfectly fine, the money doesn't stay in there long enough to cause issue."

Already the money in front of her was being allocated. There was enough there to complete repairs on the temple and begin to kit out on of the Foundations new medical ships, courtesy of Firemane. "Em-Dee!" she called. In response there was a hum of repulsors as a droid whizzed into the room. "Em-Dee, this is Makai." It turned its nose to Makai and dipped slightly in greeting.

"Hello Makai. I am Em-Dee-El two."

"Em-Dee is one of about thirty droids-"

"Thirty three to be precise."

"-that are helping with the restoration. They need a little bit of direction as they can be quite excitable. Em-Dee, can you take these to my room please?"

"Certainly Master Gunn." A small tractor beam stretched from the droid encapsulating the credits and he whizzed away again. Rosa watched him go, a smile on her face. "Its like having a large group overly helpful children, if you don't give them something to do, the try to do everything for you. Whether they are capable or not. They are, however, sensitive. I made a promise to their maker that they'd be treated as equals, as such, she's given them limited emotions, they do not respond well to a voice raised in anger."

She rose from the bench, "Come, I'll show you where you'll be staying."

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

 

[Makai Dashiell]

Embarrassment flushed his face, although Miss [member="Rosa Gunn"] was taking it in stride. Who knew about a bank transfer? Both Dashiell men had been worried about slicers and the potential sniffing around from Sith and slavers. While his Dad wasn't entirely paranoid, there was still a bit of concern to be had.


"Sorry, I will let him know....As for having more money than sense, probably. He's not the type of guy for flashy things so I guess that saves a few credits here and there."


Eyes took in the droid. Makai had been fascinated since a child. Miss Gunn said to treat them as equals, which wouldn't be a problem for him. He'd probably end up engaging several in conversation by morning.


"Hi Em-Dee-El Two. Pleasure to meet you."


Hand grabbed his bookbag, pulling it back on. Koa jumped off the bench and was hot on Miss Gunn's heels. The half-Galan rolled his eyes slightly, moving along the corridors. Hand ran along a large piece of stone block,marveling at the architecture, wondering who moved such large pieces here in the first place.


"Is anyone else here besides us and the droids?"

 

[Rosa Gunn]

"For the most part, it'll just be us." she shot him a sideways smirk "though don't get any ideas. [member="Seydon"] or [member="Kaili Talith"] might drop in and help where they can." she shrugged "I am, if honest, unable to know for sure."

They passed by an adjacent corridor, another MDL-2 droids drifted from it behind them, fixated by the Koa who plodded happily at Rosa's heel, hovering low to get a better look at it. Rosa who'd become so accustomed to them drifting through paid it little mind, other than to glance and smile at it in greeting.

"So, when your dad isn't hiring you out as cheap labour, what else do you get up to?"

There was a distinct hum or a tractor beam being engaged, Rosa's face dropped, and she stopped and spun round in time to see the Janitor droid hoisting the Loth cat into the air.

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

 

[Makai Dashiell]

[member="Rosa Gunn"]


"Don't worry Mrs. Gunn, I've got enough girl trouble to last me through the end of the year."


Thoughts drifted to [member="Myra Elspeth"] for a moment. He should probably message her later on considering he jumped almost immediately from Bespin to his cheap labor job. Makai should have invited her out but something told him Mrs. Gunn didn't need two starry-eyed teenagers to look after.


"Just what a normal teenage half-Galan does. Surfing, sailing. Learning the family busi-"


Words came to a halt when Koa started to screech loudly. Makai thought Mrs.Gunn had stepped on the creature, a hazard that happened often when the Loth-cat was underfoot. Turning the cat was suspended in mid-air, the janitors droids curious about the pet.


"If you guys are going to take him would you mind bathing him too? Don't think the metal would scratch unlike my arms."


Koa yowled again, only this time a bit more pitifully.

 

[Rosa Gunn]

"Em-Dee," she said, trying not to laugh at Makai's cruel teasing of his pet, butnthe droid was not listening. He'd heard Makai and only him.

"Bathing? Like washing up?" The loth cat was hoisted a little higher as if being raised to eye level for closer inspection. "Em-Dee would be happy to!"

To droid whizzed away, howling loth cat in tow. "Oh dear." Rosa said biting her lip. "I hope they don't drown him. Poor thing."

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

 

[Makai Dashiell]

[member="Rosa Gunn"]



Eyes widened slightly at the mention of drowning his beloved pet. Makai knew Koa was aging, he had had the Loth-cat since age eight. In reality he knew he pet wasn't going to live forever but it wasn't a truth he wanted to face today. Especially for such a spry and healthy creature.


"Uhm....Excuse me, I'll be right back..."


Backpack left on the floor, the teenage half-Galan took off at a full sprint down the hall after the janitor droids.

 

[Rosa Gunn]

Rosa chuckled as Makai took off, his regret in teasing evident on his face. Rosa did not really believe that the droids would drown Koa, but it was a valuable lesson to learn from the get go. The janitor droids were fresh off the production line, learning new things every day and jokes or sarcasm was an entirely new concept to them. They took things, very literally.

Scooping up his rucksack, she moved on towards the dormitories, another MD droid caught up with her, taking the sack from her hand and hovering along with her. "Thank you Em-Dee, could you find Makai for me, make sure he doesn't get lost please."

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

 

[Makai Dashiell]

[member="Rosa Gunn"]



It took a moment to catch up with the janitor droids. They were surprisingly fast making him wonder about who the manufacturer was - briefly. Once he had caught up to the industrious droids there was a long explanation about jokes and sarcasm and the subtle inflections of the basic language. After stating several times Loth-cats do not need bathing and brief biological run down, Koa had returned to him.


Loth-cat was perched on his shoulders, riding in style. Makai had tried making the creature follow him but clearly he was going to make his owner suffer for his joke to begin with. The teenage boy was lost in the corridors, slowly wandering along until another janitor droid stumbled upon him.


"We suspected you would get lost. Follow me."


Of course, Em-Dee took off at a breakneck pace...

 

[Rosa Gunn]

Rosa looked round as Makai's running feet echoed up the corridor, catching her up. She frowned at the janitor droid as it drew level with her. "This one isn't fast, Master Gunn." it told her in a matter of fact tone. Rosa shook her head in dismay. "He's fast enough, your problem is simply that you are too fast. You need to move at their pace not yours."

"You keep up with us, Master Gunn."

"That's because I'm a Jedi."

"This one does not understand."

Rosa sighed and waved him away. "I'll explain later." she told him as Makai drew level with her as well.

"Are you alright? Would you like a moment to catch your breath?"

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

 

[Makai Dashiell]

Makai found himself growing amused with the janitor droids once more, watching the exchange between Em-Dee and [member="Rosa Gunn"] .During his time at the Silent Temple he was going to have to remind himself that these droids were more literal than most - and more willing to act on a literal suggestion. Koa merely gave the droids a wary glance.


"No Mrs. Gunn, I'm fine. Altitude isn't too high or anything here..."


Desert mountain? He'd be all but dead. They were headed back to the dormitories once again. Makai reached over and took his rucksack, not expecting Mrs.Gunn to be carrying his things for him.

 

[Rosa Gunn]

Rosa released her grip on the bag and led them further down the corridor. A few remaining piles of rubble were being tended to by a group of five janitor droids, each carrying chunks of stones away to be stored for later use or disposed of. Rosa was proud of what they'd achieved so far. The walls had been freshly rendered, the plant life that had crept across doors and walls was back under control, restricted to certain areas of wall where they could do little damage.

Rosa came to an abrupt halt, stopping outside a door on their left and palming the panel for the doors which slid open smoothly to reveal the where Makai would be staying. The quarters weren't lavishly decorated, simplicity was key, but the furniture was good quality. He'd a four poster bed to himself, in his room, lounge space with access to a terrace, a small bathroom and a kitchenette. She gestured for him to enter before her.

"Your kitchen should be fully stocked with the basics. I'd offer to cook for you but I live of ration packs and any attempts to cook would only poison you. If you want to contact anyone to stay with you I've no complaints, only that you make sure they're aware that this, for now, is a need to know location only."

[member="Makai Dashiell"]