Private Pinging Lights and Paddles

[Saul Whesai]

The metallic ball ran up the chute before falling into a labyrinth of different levels. When the ball fell to the bottom, the paddles Saul controlled paddles boosted it back up to the start. Pinball was almost hypnotic to him, and he was halfway decent at it. While settling in at his new job at SI, he still had too much free time on his hands for his liking, so here he was, trying to make a little legacy in one of the dark corners of what seemed to be the largest arcade in the galaxy.

The electronic announcement of "New High Score! New High Score! New High Score!" would come from his machine as he willed himself to just get a couple more points. He couldn't let anyone beat him at his own game. If anyone approached, they would see a pale young man in a graphic tee with a see-through version of the T-65 X-wing under worn overalls with a ball cap covering his dark purple hair. The stick of a lollipop in his mouth, his eyes tracked the ball as it made the display light up with each piece of the board it bounced off. "Come on... Just give me a little more of a buffer zone... I need this score to stay up here for a long time to come..."

Isola Delaine

 

[Isola Delaine]

Tag: Saul Whesai

The lights flickered neon blue across her boots as Izzy stepped into the arcade, hands buried deep in the pockets of her jacket. It was loud in that oddly comforting way—beeps, synth hits, the rattle of credits dropping into machines. A hum of distraction. Noise she didn’t have to think through.

She didn’t come here to compete. Or to win anything. She just… didn’t want to be alone tonight.

Silver eyes scanned the room slowly. She took in the blinking cabinets, the old pinball machines, the kids chasing each other between rows like the galaxy hadn’t ended three times already. And then, toward the back—someone locked into a game. Pinball. Classic. Something about the quiet focus on his face made her slow her step.

She leaned against a nearby machine, watching the game without announcing herself. After a moment, she spoke, voice low and dry.

"Ball three’s always the heartbreak."

 

[Saul Whesai]

Just a little longer... He just needed to stay alive for a little longer... His eyes were locked in with a focus he didn't even have when repairing spacecraft. At least until the voice that sounded like it had come up from the crypts of Korriban surprised the bejesus out of him, making him jerk away from the machine in surprise. With a gasp of air that represented his soul leaving what was left of his body, he stumbled back into a bank of Retro Arcade machines behind him, his glowing eyes taking a few seconds to take stock of the tall ginger-haired woman who was probably trying to figure out what weirdo she had decided to talk to tonight.

That was until he remembered his game rapidly heading toward a "Game Over" as the metallic ball rolled toward the bottom of the machine. His body tensed before his metal legs propelled him forward, trying to reach the buttons for the paddles before the ball escaped for good. It was a good effort, with his hand hitting the button just in time... hitting the ball onto the other paddle and sliding down into the pit, laughing at his efforts.

The Android couldn't help but groan as he lay his head against the machine's glass, the Empire's dark music coming out from the machine. He had failed in his task to save the galaxy, though he had gotten farther than his other tries. He could understand Ginger's quote now as his heart was in tatters. "Aint that the truth..." Glancing at his new conversational partner, he slowly started to regain his senses and move away from the machine to let her have a turn. "Sorry, did you want a go? I'm Saul by the way." His eyes met her silver orbs as he wondered if she would look past his augmented ghoul-like state or would run at the first opportunity.

Isola Delaine