Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Podracing Performance

[Cotan Sar'andor]

"Kiss, you'd think having Asha back around and onboard would make it easier for me to sleep."

Cotan's droid burbled out in a questioning tone, moving to where it could see him. Cotan, for his part, had been busy wrenching a few bolts back down on the primary engine for his podracer. After rebuilding and reworking it from the speeder it used to be, he'd double, triple, quadruple, even quintuple checked it, nearly every night. Now, with the race he was going to perform in coming up in just a couple days, he was growing even more nervous. So, at five in the morning, he was awake and working on his podracer as quietly as possible, to avoid waking up either of his passengers.

"Yes, yes, I know you can check it for me and I don't have to bother with this," he grunted at the droid, tightening down the last bolt. The droid beeped at him a few more times. "And I know I should be asleep—" a low whistle interrupted him, making him roll his eyes. "And I know you can do this just as well as I can, if not better," he finished. He put the wrench back in his small tool box, while the various tools integral to K1-S5's frame started pulling back into their various ports.

The former Jedi leaned back, steadying himself on his elbows. As soon as he closed his eyes to enjoy the short moment of relaxation, he found himself getting nudged and pushed by his droid, who was clicking and whirring at him irately. "Oh, please, I'd just have to wake up in an hour anyways," he grumbled, pushing K1 backwards a bit. "Nor do I want to potentially sleep through an alarm, and have you, Asha, or Rhia trying to wake me up. I don't trust any of you not to mess with me." K1 rolled its photoreceptors in return, wheeling off towards the cockpit. As it left, a litany of annoyed clicks and buzzes were emanating from the droid's small frame. Cotan, for his part, just rubbed at his eyes and groaned. "At least I made sure to come to Tatooine two days early so that I could get acclimated..."

[member="Asha Hex"] [member="Rhia Kesyk"]

 

[Lief]

Ever since Nar Shaddaa, sleeping for Asha had been hit or miss.

Those first few weeks she had slept more than anyone had any right to, her body trying to make up for the fact that it was so defective, but as time went on she found it harder and harder to get a decent amount of hours in. Most nights she lay in bed, eyes closed as they mostly were these days, locked in thought. Or meditation. Or study. It depended, really, on just how alert she was.

Since coming aboard Cotan's ship, it had actually gotten a little better. Every few nights she had a solid six or so hours, the others tended to be less but still manageable, but for some reason as they made their way to Tatooine, she simply could not sleep.

The sound of clattering from down the hall had her opening her eyes. Usually she wouldn't ever allow herself to rise from the bed; she did not want to worry anyone, or wake them, or really allow her body to realize it was actually allowed to keep her awake as it had been doing. But that morning she slipped out of bed regardless, dressed in loose-fitting trousers and a tank top, and made her way down the hall to the cargo bay. K1-S5, or Kiss as the other two referred to him, was leaving just as she stepped inside.

As ever her movements were surprisingly quiet, light of foot, and for a moment or two she merely watched him as he fussed over the podracer. The way the light struck his features made her smile softly, and not wanting to break the magic of the moment she simply leaned against the door frame with crossed arms.

Looked as though she wasn't the only one struggling to sleep.

[member="Cotan Sar'andor"]

 

[Cotan Sar'andor]

It hadn't been particularly long before Cotan set back to work checking other parts of the podracer. The inertial dampeners, the shock couch, the microrepulsors—unlike some others he knew, Cotan was never able to afford all the parts new for his podracer. Nearly everything was salvage or bought used and refurbished, and Cotan didn't quite trust any of it fully yet. He'd only done a few test runs, never a full race; he didn't know yet how well the parts would stand up to stress like that.

So he kept checking every little system and piece of metal on his podracer, like a madman.

He had just gotten up and bent over to check the shield generators at the actual 'cabin' part of the podracer when he could sense one of the other members of his ship coming into the cargo hold; given how quiet they both moved and acted, he quickly came to the conclusion that it had to be Asha. He highly doubted Rhia would've been able to forego giving a greeting. Ignoring his passenger for the moment, he reached down further, plugging his datapad into the shield generators to do a diagnostic.

After it had finished—and told him that everything was fine, just as it always did—he unplugged it, before straightening himself and stretching his back. "Enjoying the view?" he asked quietly, turning slightly—just enough to catch a glimpse of Asha in his peripheral vision. Knew it. His eyes flashed over to the chrono on the wall, showing that it was only a few minutes after K1 had left. "You're out of bed earlier than normal."

[member="Asha Hex"]

 

[Lief]

"I couldn't sleep," she confessed, with a soft shrug of her shoulders, stepping away from the doorway now that her cover had been blown. "And for the record, yes; it was a very nice view."

That smile which had lined her lips turned into a soft grin as she said those words, halting on the floor space directly between where Cotan now stood and where she had just been standing. Giving him enough room to breathe, as she typically did. Asha herself had been overwhelmed on numerous occasions in the past by individuals with no concept of personal space, though she knew that it was not something which would bother her quite so much in present company. He wasn't the kind to impose himself on her.

"You know," Asha began, stepping around to another side of the podracer and eyeing it up, "I don't think I've ever actually seen a podrace before. But I have heard a lot of horror stories. Promise me you'll look after yourself out there. I'd hate to have to leave Rhia with Kiss in order to rush the track. Not that I don't trust Kiss, of course." Only she had promised to keep an eye on the kid while the race was happening. And she was only as good as her promises.

She turned to face him then, eyes falling over the entirety of his face as though memorizing his features. The subtlest hint of a frown played at her lips, and throwing caution to the wind, despite her previous thoughts about personal space, she swiftly rounded the rest of the racer and came to a halt just before him.

"I mean it," she said, concern now lacing her tone, "I want you back in one piece. Please."

[member="Cotan Sar'andor"]

 

[Cotan Sar'andor]

Cotan watched with an eyebrow curiously raised as Asha made her way around the podracer, quickly inspecting it. He waited placidly while she made her full circle around it, before she stopped directly in front of him. Almost unconsciously, he raised his hands upwards, lightly resting them on her upper arms. "Don't worry too much about me," was his quiet response. "I was a Jedi Knight, after all. I know how to take care of myself in a fight or a race." Even while he tried to reassure her, he couldn't keep a small smile from tugging at his own lips; he couldn't deny that he liked having somebody around who was so concerned for him.

For a long moment he stood there, just taking in all of Asha's features, the same way she had just been doing. There were some scars, mainly from the bombing she'd been caught in the middle of, but Cotan really only noticed them due to the close proximity and the fact that they'd already been pointed out to him. His eyes quickly passed over them, taking in other details; her lightly dishevelled hair, after having been lying in bed unable to sleep, the soft contours of her face, and the eyes that she'd recently taken to keeping somewhat hidden—due both to their new sensitivity to light, and, Cotan was able to guess, Asha's own self-consciousness of their changed and injured nature.

Cotan, as one of his few redeeming features, didn't mind them at all; in the dimly-lit cargo hold, it'd take the pickiest person in the galaxy to care.

"You know, you look absolutely wonderful right out of bed," he said gently. It was a simple, honest compliment, and one that Cotan couldn't particularly keep himself from saying, even if he'd tried. He took one last look over Asha's face, before lightly stepping forward, pulling her in towards him. He wrapped his arms around her in a light hug, closing his eyes contentedly.

"Even if you should still be there."

[member="Asha Hex"]

 

[Lief]

They both knew Asha wasn't going to stop worrying, even if she pretended to.

As such she didn't actually give him an answer, instead she kept her eyes up at him unable to decide on whether or not she wanted to smile or frown. It was getting closer to the race, a few days out if she'd been keeping track of it properly, and each day she seemed to find another reason to feel concerned about it.

As if finding out Jorus Merrill is going to compete wasn't bad enough...

In the end, of course, she settled on a smile. It was soft, taking very little effort from her being that it came so naturally, as she stood there oblivious to the fact that she was being stared at just as much as she herself was staring. Admiring was probably the better word for it, on her part.

When the compliment came colour rose within her cheeks, her features - even those dulled eyes - lighting up beneath her embarrassment. His unexpected embrace was warm and comforting, and she practically melted into him before reciprocating it. She turned her head, cheek against his chest, and let out a soft sigh.

"You're the one who needs to sleep," she mumbled, though there wasn't really any fight beneath her tone, wishing she could help him to relax and rest even if only for a short time. Insomnia wasn't going to help the race, but beyond that he deserved a rest. In the months she'd been away he seemed to have picked up quite the series of responsibilities.

[member="Cotan Sar'andor"]

 

[Cotan Sar'andor]

"Now you're starting to sound like my droid."

Cotan dropped his head a little, his chin resting lightly on top of Asha's head. After having left Aaris III, he and Asha hadn't had enough moments like this. Not to say it was particularly surprising, given the presence of Cotan's apprentice on the ship, but that couldn't prevent Cotan from feeling somewhat disappointed in the fact.

He pulled away after a few more moments, looking back down at Asha's face. "Well, since neither of us are sleeping right now," he started, quickly glancing at the clock and back, "How about I go make us some tea?" Given the current time, he could come up with nothing much better to do. It wasn't like there was enough time for either of them to go back to sleep and feel rested.

"We'll just have to hope the smell of it doesn't wake Rhia up too early. I don't think I'm mentally ready for her yet today."

[member="Asha Hex"]

 

[Lief]

"Time seems to go too quickly these days," she whispered, with what sounded like a pout to boot, "Can't we just pause it for a little while? Spend a moment together that isn't overshadowed by duty?"

It was a selfish wish, and Asha knew it. Not the type of thing she'd usually say. It wasn't even as though she minded there was another on the ship, if anything she knew that having a student would be beneficial for Cotan, and that he'd do a world of good for his Padawan even if he doubted himself... It was simply that Asha had only just freed herself from the chains she'd knowingly placed upon herself, she was allowing herself to let go of the past, to be happy, and not to shirk from her feelings and emotions.

After a few moments of thought she finally nodded, peering up at him now that they were a little bit apart.

"Tea does sound lovely, though..." Maybe she could work on a blend to help them both sleep? She'd brought over a couple of her plants from the Prophet which were currently growing in her room, between those which provided her with tea leaves, and the more medicinal based ones, she knew she could figure something out...

Or maybe I'll just keep him company while he rests.

She didn't know what he'd make of that idea though, so she kept it to herself.

[member="Cotan Sar'andor"]

 

[Cotan Sar'andor]

Cotan's gentle smile was quickly replaced by a frown. His hands dropped from where they were resting, sliding until each held one of Asha's hands. "Some day soon, Asha," he said, his tone serious. "I promise. I know enough people between the ORC and what's left of the Alliance that I can drop Rhia off to learn with them for a day or two, and we can both have some time to relax." He looked into Asha's eyes for a moment more, before the urge of spontaneity over came him.

He leaned forward, his lips gently brushing against the woman's forehead—repaying the favour from Aaris III. After the fleeting kiss was complete, Cotan squeezed Asha's hands before he let go of them. "I'll go get the water started," he said simply, turning quickly and exiting the cargo hold.

A short walk later and he was in the galley, pulling out his kettle as quietly as possible. Within seconds it was full of water and heating up, set to boil in just a few minutes. Cotan rummaged in a cabinet for a moment before finding some of his own tea, setting the tin full of tea leaves on the counter next to the kettle. Then, Cotan sat down, thankful that the person he'd bought his ship from had chosen to go with cushioned, wall-mounted bench seats through most of the ship rather than just freestanding chairs.

Rubbing his eyes, he glanced at his chrono again. "Hopefully I stay awake long enough to even make the tea," he groaned despondently. Having fully sat down, he could already feel the lack of sleep he'd gotten trying to weigh him down into the seat; if only he could've felt so tired when he was trying to rest. "Let alone breakfast." While he knew fully well that Asha could take care of all of it just as well as he could, he took his hosting duties very seriously.

And there was no way he would allow himself to be found asleep in the galley by his apprentice.

[member="Asha Hex"]

 

[Lief]

The promise made was an unexpected one.

Cotan's tone was one of sincerity, and as he held her hands she could not help but turn of a soft crimson hue - at least in her cheeks, and the tips of her ears - flustered yet glowing. It seemed as though this morning was one where Asha's usually pale skin would not catch a break.

"I'd like that," she whispered, moments before he leaned in and softly kissed her forehead. To say that she was surprised would have been an understatement, even if she had been the one to first initiate it back in their little clearing, and when he hurried off to start on their tea she found herself incapable of moving for a solid few seconds. Unable to speak.

It did not last long, of course, just enough for her to slowly lift up one hand to press against her forehead in disbelief. A sheepish smile tugged at the corners of her lips, and once she'd caught her breath she stepped out of the cargo bay, with one last glance over the potential death machine held within, and made her way down to the galley.

"Sweetheart," Asha groaned, upon seeing him in such a disheveled state, "rest. Let me tend to breakfast this once? I'll have tea before you in no time. What do you say?"

Of course she didn't exactly wait for him to give an answer before she set about doing exactly that anyway. He'd brought her aboard his ship, that meant she had to pull her weight every once in a while. Whether he liked it or not.

[member="Cotan Sar'andor"]

 

[Cotan Sar'andor]

Cotan rubbed at his eyes again when Asha came in. He glanced up at her as she spoke to him, before she chose not even to wait for a response before she started bustling about. "Oh, so I'm your sweetheart now?" he asked somewhat teasingly, after what she'd just called him. While she set about setting out the various items for breakfast, Cotan rose, pulling out a few cups to use for the tea—after all, he doubted that he and Asha would drink it all before Rhia was awake and ready for breakfast.

"Alright, you win, you can make breakfast," he said while gathering the tea accoutrements, adding a bit of melodramatically defeated tone into his voice. "But I already said I'd make the tea, so I'm still going to do that, dear." And, before Asha could tell him no, he did. He whipped out a pair of tea infusers, scooping the tea leaves into them, before setting them in two of the cups and pouring the hot water over each. Then, with a winning—albeit fairly tired—smile over at Asha, he sat back down, the cup on the table just in front of him.

Unfortunately, the present lack of having to force himself to stay awake to make breakfast meant that it was becoming harder to keep his head up and his eyes open. Somewhat giving into the tiredness—especially knowing that Asha would give him no end of grief if he didn't—he pushed his tea cup slightly out of the way, folding his arms on the table and resting his head on them. Just have to make sure to take the infuser out in a few minutes. He yawned quietly, shutting his eyes for a moment. "Anything you're particularly inclined to make?" he asked after a moment, half-opening his eyes again to glance over at Asha.

Or, rather, given the current orientation, really just her waist.

"I was thinking of flatcakes. I'm not sure if Rhia likes them or not—or if she's ever even had them—but it never hurts to try." His eyes fell closed again, and he gave another yawn.

"You don't think they'd be too sweet, do you?"

[member="Asha Hex"]

 

[Lief]

Definitely a day where she could not catch a break.

Asha hadn't even realized she'd used the term of endearment until Cotan reiterated it back at her. This time her whole face turned red, eyes wide, though within a few moments she broke it by lightly laughing to herself. "I guess you are," she offered with a shrug, as she set about pulling down some cooking utensils and a pan, deciding not to fight him on making the tea. It was his ship, after all, and were the tables reversed she would most definitely want to be making the tea herself. Even if she was nearing exhaustion.

"Promise me you'll take a nap, or something, in a little while? I can watch Rhia."

The question of breakfast was raised, and Asha realized then and there that she hadn't really decided yet.

"I was considering doing an omelette, pack it full of veggies and Rhia wouldn't even notice it was healthy." She pondered on what he had suggested, however, before shrugging her shoulders, "But flatcakes could be nice, even they can be dressed up with fruit. Sure, why not!"

With their breakfast in mind, Asha began to gather the various ingredients, mixing the dry, and the wet, separately, then slowly combining the two. As the frying pan heated up she turned around, seeing how Cotan was practically asleep, and decided that silence was probably for the best right now. Even if he only shut his eyes for five minutes while she made the flatcakes, that was better than nothing at all.

[member="Cotan Sar'andor"]

 

[Cotan Sar'andor]

"Mmmph."

Cotan's reply to the 'take a nap' command was entirely noncommittal.

"Just don't go heavy on the sugar. I don't want her bouncing off the bulkheads."

Unwilling to just start napping while he was sitting there, he rolled his head over to the side, opening his eyes a bit and watching Asha while she moved about cooking; even with the girl being now horizontal in his vision, he certainly couldn't say he minded the view. He yawned, a wave of tiredness washing back over him. His eyes started to close unconsciously, before Cotan violently jerked them back open. Don't fall asleep here, if Rhia finds you like this you'll never hear the end of it, Cotan.

The momentary jolt of alertness didn't suffice to keep his eyes fully open, and even reaching over and taking a sip of his tea didn't particularly invigorate him. Nor was he particularly cognizant enough to notice that the tea infuser was still sitting in it. He yawned again, even as his mind railed against the tiredness. Long nights are your thing by now, Cotan, don't let Asha mother you into tiredness!

Unfortunately, he quickly found that, despite his attempts to remain awake, he didn't even have enough strength to lift his head off of his arms.

...

And so, mentally yelling in defiance the whole while, the mighty Cotan Sar'andor fell into a deep slumber, to the wafting smell of frying flatcakes and black tea.

[member="Asha Hex"] [member="Rhia Kesyk"]

 

[Lief]

"Don't worry," she reassured him, as she listened to his attempts at remaining awake, "I know what I'm doing."

With her back presently toward him, Asha set about making the flatcakes. Back on Aurum she had been growing all manner of crops within her little garden, and though she had been absent some had flourished regardless. Berry bushes had taken over the bottom half of the yard, and before she left with Cotan she had brought a bunch of them with her. More than they realistically could eat, but it wasn't too often you could have such fresh produce on a ship. Most of the food stores were dedicated to dry goods.

Soon enough a stack of the flatcakes towered through the air, and so she set about grabbing the toppings. Carbosyrup, butter, fruit, and cream - something else that needed to be used up sooner rather than later - she brought it all to the table where Cotan was presently sleeping. She did not try to wake him, careful as she placed it down, and once she was finished, and three place settings made up, she turned her attention to the teacups.

Without much thought she removed the infusers, setting them aside, before turning toward the door where a pattering of footsteps had sounded. The girl looked fresh from the shower, which alarmed her slightly as Asha had not heard Rhia rise, much less scurry into the refresher.

[member="Cotan Sar'andor"]

 

[Lief]

Morning broke much in the way it always did, with Rhia waking up just ahead of her alarm.

Shutting it off before it made much of a racket the young girl slipped out of bed, gathered up her clothes - a fresh set, no less, brand new from Orax - and made her way out into the refresher across the hall. She could hear the soft rattling of pots and pans, the clinking of teacups, from down in the galley, which surprised her for only a moment. Of course the adults were up ahead of her, for some reason they seemed to never sleep.

Maybe they unlocked ways to do without it?

But then, why was Cotan always so sleepy early in the mornings? It was something her Master was quick to snap out of as the day pressed on, but he definitely looked as though he needed more rest than he was getting. Not that it mattered.

Into the shower she jumped, then she dressed and sorted out her hair. The process did not take her very long at all these days, and before she knew it she was skipping down the hallway toward the galley with a datapad and a real life book in her grasp.

Glorious scents drifted her way as she entered, with Asha - her Master's friend who was staying with them on the ship - turning to watch her as she slipped into a seat at the table. For a moment though her attention was solely fixed on Cotan, who had his head against the tabletop.

"Is he okay?"

As she saw his steady breathing, she realized he was probably just asleep. Good, that was good... Right?

"Oh, and good morning Miss Asha! Breakfast smells great!"

[member="Cotan Sar'andor"]

 

[Cotan Sar'andor]

Completely oblivious to the two people around him, Cotan snored.

[member="Asha Hex"] [member="Rhia Kesyk"]

 

[Lief]

"Quite okay," she reassured the girl, with a gentle smile, ushering her into her correct seat where a fair helping of the flatcakes - with healthier toppings than she'd thrown Cotan's way - awaited her. "Just closing his eyes a moment. I reckon he spent a little too long fixing up that Podracer of his. Muja juice? Or would you like some water?" As an afterthought, given that she herself didn't particularly enjoy the drink, she added, "Or there's blue milk in the cooler."

The look the girl gave her was one of both wonder and curiosity mixed together, which left Asha momentarily confused. While Rhia tried to wrap her head around whatever it was Asha had said which proved confusing, she stepped over to where Cotan lay and gently settled a hand to the top of his head in the hopes of softly rousing him. If it didn't work, then she wouldn't push it any further. Let the poor man sleep, she told herself, he'll scold you later for letting him close his eyes anyway.

Instead she slid into her own seat and took a quick sip of tea.

"Did you sleep well, Rhia? Seems you're the only one on this ship who wakes at a normal hour."

[member="Cotan Sar'andor"]

 

[Lief]

Podracer.

That word stuck out to Rhia more than anything else the woman had said. That wasn't to say she was so rude as to not listen once that word left her mouth, no even in her dumbfounded state she managed to politely request "Blue milk, please," - saving the muja juice for later, of course - yet she was rather distracted. As she shuffled across into the correct seat, and spied the flatcakes, her stomach grumbled, yet before she took so much as a single bite of the meal she pulled down one of the datapads, her personal one which had been connected to the holonet with a child filter, and typed in that word.

Podracer.

Noun/ A form of repulsorcraft built for racing.

Her eyes darted all over the page, drinking in as much information as she could possibly unearth while her mouth hung open. Asha's question had her momentarily look up, and with her other hand she started to carve out pieces from the flatcake, though in perhaps a show of rudeness not usually seen from Rhia she looked almost immediately back down at the holopage.

"Mhm!" she responded, detached from the conversation, as both excitement and concern washed over her expression. "Seven hundred kilometers per hour? Do these people want to die?" The next words she read only emphasized that point; death was a common occurrence.

"And there's one of these death machines here on the ship?"

For a moment there Rhia looked disgusted, before she suddenly dropped down the datapad and looked up at Asha, then across to a sleeping Cotan.

"Sorry."

Pursing her lips, to try and calm down her frantic mind, Rhia took her very first bite of the flatcakes and almost immediately her pupils began to dilate.

[member="Cotan Sar'andor"]

 

[Cotan Sar'andor]

Cotan unconsciously reached up at the touch of a hand on his head, his fingers lightly grasping at the ones resting in his hair. The shake and movement of Asha sitting down next to him, combined with the sounds of talking, served to start rousing him from his slumber. Moderately bleary-eyed he started to lift his head, blinking to get reaccustomed to the light. "Die?" he mumbled, not quite sure where the conversation was at. His eyes noticed Rhia, and he frowned slightly to himself, releasing Asha's hand and starting to fully straighten himself. "You couldn't've woken me—"

"And there's one of these death machines here on the ship?"

Moderately surprised at Rhia's tone, he turned back to her, as she gave out a quick apology and took a bite. "It's not a death machine," he replied, a bit peevishly, before noticing the odd reaction Rhia had to the bite of the flatcakes. Starting to cut his own, he raised an eyebrow at how quickly the girl's eyes went from normal to 'oh-my-goodness' levels of dialated.

That's not normal.

Cotan leaned over to Asha, keeping an eye on Rhia while his lips came within a couple inches of the woman's ear. "Those fruits you brought along aren't overripe, are they?" he asked in a conspiratorial whisper. "Not starting to ferment, or anything? Or has the carbosyrup gone bad?" Hopefully she was just really, really surprised at how good Asha's cooking was. That would be better than anything happening that would make him wish he'd gone up to grab Rhia some blue milk or something like that rather than sitting there to watch what was playing out.

[member="Asha Hex"] [member="Rhia Kesyk"]

 

[Lief]

And there it was, the reason that the girl was distracted.

Good Force, why do I always put my foot in my mouth?

"It's okay," Asha said, with a soothing voice, as the girl jumped all over the place regarding the sport of Podracing, "Cotan knows what he's doing." I hope. "And it's really not as bad as they make it out to be." Most of the time.

Truth be told, Asha had just as many reservations as Rhia did about the whole thing but she knew that he was his own person capable of making his own decisions. She'd asked for him to remain cautious, and she would be sitting on the sidelines herself when the time came ready to jump into action if anything went south. She doubted this would reassure the girl, however.

Thankfully Cotan began to stir. While she wanted him to sleep, the fact that she'd unintentionally flustered his Padawan made her feel more than a little bit awkward. She squeezed his fingers gently, gingerly smiling an apology his way, before that smile turned into a frown at his whispered question.

"What? No. And I didn't even give her syrup... Why?"

Asha glanced across to where the girl sat, squirming in her seat and eyes far from their normal state. Almost immediately Asha pushed herself out of the booth with worry, her medical mind going haywire trying to figure out what could have gone wrong.

One thing was certain to her: Rhia had likely ingested something she shouldn't have. But she couldn't for the life of her figure out what.

"But... They're just flatcakes..."

[member="Cotan Sar'andor"]