Red Skies At Night, Old Rebels Unite.

[Alleycat]

​

Lavorn Beach, Laekia​

Entertainment District​

​

​

Relaxing at an outdoor tapcafe along the beachfront that wasn't too far from his hotel, Dirks enjoyed a cold ale and a plate of oysters. This was the dark-haired Rendili's first trip to Laekia and so far so good. He was doing security work in the area for his boss and decided to check this little ocean gem of a world out for himself.

Being a beach bum at heart, having a cold brew and catching the beautiful sunset made him homesick. If only Hutch had his surfboard, he'd be out there cutting the waves into the twilight. Funny how the draw to things familiar was strong.

Speaking of familiar... Hazel orbs locked on target to a fiery redhead, who was walking by. The woman sure looked like someone Hutchinson used to serve with in the Rebel Alliance of old. It couldn't be, could it? After all this time, here they were on the same planet.

"Hey Red!" Hutch called out using his old affectionate nickname for Dells, then raised his bottle of ale to her with one of his flyboy signature smiles plastered on his ruggedly handsome face; an invitation to join him written all over it.

Damn… She still looks good.

[member="Delila Castillon"]

 

[Delila Castillon]

Normally,she wasn't one to head out after work. At least, not anymore. So what was she doing out to begin with? Delila was still trying to figure that out herself. Reltooine Mining Corporation -- her bosses -- had sent herself and a group of the security team to keep an eye out on a site that was being delicately worked on. Laekia and Sanctum environmental officials had also been there, mostly as a thorn in her side. She was security, not information.


Lost in her own internal world, Delila was busy, mainly in search of a place to pig out....er....eat. So it was quite unusual to hear a familiar voice yell out a nickname for her. Turning, that voice was connected to the one and only [member="Dirks Hutchinson"] . She still wanted to punch him. A redhead rarely forgot and frankly she still wanted to gouge his eyes out for abandoning her best friend. Although it probably worked out for her friend....being married an' all now.


Delila made her way to where Dirks was sitting....reveling?....in booze and oysters.


"Hutch, nice to see you again. Small galaxy I suppose."

 

[Alleycat]

"Indeed it is… And believe me, the pleasure is all mine," Dirks replied, then stood up and pulled out a chair at his table for the redhead.

"Care to join me for dinner, Dells? The oysters are just an appetizer, and I'd really enjoy your company… That is if you don't have other plans?" the dark-haired Rendili smiled again. To say Hutch was flashing his puppy dog eyes would be a stretch, though the man was hoping she'd stay at least for a drink and chat, if not a full meal deal perhaps.

[member="Delila Castillon"]

 

[Delila Castillon]

[member="Dirks Hutchinson"]


"Uh....Thanks..." Taking her seat, the redhead motioned for another beer.Oysters were like little balls of snot with ocean water mixed in, at least in her opinion. Besides, at the rate she had crashed and burned most of her old connections it wouldn't be polite to wolf down credits upon credits worth of food only to end up in a pissing match later.


"I can join you for a bit." Delila didn't want to say her plans were to eat and then fall face first into her pillow back at the hotel. Exciting life and times she was living. Now that her drink had arrived, she could nod and just smile, or so was her mental plan anyways.


"Sooo....how're you?'

 

[Alleycat]

"Well every bit counts for something," Hutch quipped flashing a lopsided grin the redhead's way.

He was just about to respond to Delila's question when the waitress moseyed up to the table to take his or now their order. She was a pretty little thing, though Dirks behaved himself for the most part.

"I'll have your nerf ribeye, darlin', medium rare with sautéed mushrooms, baked potato with the works, and the mixed greens with your house dressing along with another cold brew please… And put whatever my companion here would like on my check as well," the dark-haired Rendili smiled as he handed the menu back to the waitress, then turned his attention back to the former Rebel general, who used to ride his ass all the time… Shouldn't that have been the other way around, just saying. Gods the woman had been frustrating, both in a good way and bad. Wonder if she's simmered down any after all this time?

Hutch finished off his current drink as he waited for Dells to place her order before speaking again.

"I'm doing alright… Got me a good job doing security work, though it involves traveling a lot. Tis why I'm here," he said, nodding a 'thanks' to the waitress as she brought their drink order and took away the empty oyster plate.

"So… How's Red? What have you been up to, hmm?"

[member="Delila Castillon"]

 

[Delila Castillon]

"I'll have the same" Hey, if the guy was shelling out the credits who was she to say no? Every woman should have such a motto in their life. In her opinion anyways. Sadly this broke her drought streak of someone else buying her dinner of the male variety. Here she had been hoping for some type of galactic record.



"Travelling for security business? Doesn't sound too shabby. Can't beat getting paid to see the galaxy, knock some heads together and earn credits all at the same time. Its like an old soldiers dream. I assume this is your first visit to Laekia then? I only say this because I don't see any hint of wet suit peeking out from your shirt."



Taking a sip of her beer, Delila shrugged at his question. Of course, he'd get the five cred version.



"A little of this, a little of that. For the last five years or so I've been working security for a mining corporation. Its a little wild out here so they need folks to keep an eye on the workers and product. It was a....shock....at first but now I enjoy being so far out from the hub of the 'verse. Certainly has its charms."

 

[Alleycat]

[member="Delila Castillon"]

"Yep… First time here. Laekia is not too bad so far," Dirks nodded as his salad appeared. "And who knows what I'm wearing underneath… " he grinned, then took a bite of the mixed greens with a smirk on his ruggedly handsome face.

Hutch listened to what Dells had been up to as he chewed. The redhead told him just enough, but not the whole picture. Typical. Delila had always kept things close to the vest and wanted to appear everything was good with her, but there was definitely something in her evading jade-colored eyes that said differently.

"Oh so now you like charm?" Dirks quipped, then continued, his fork setting up for another bite. "So what's the name of this mining company? Who knows, we may be collaborating together at some point."

 

[Delila Castillon]

A brow quirked at [member="Dirks Hutchinson"] . Perhaps if she was any other vapid female his words were supposed to cause her to swoon. Or tear off his clothes. Flirt perhaps? She was far too old for such games at this point in her life. Hell, maybe she was never into those games. A small mental shrug brought her back to focus.


"Reltooine Mining Corporation. I doubt we will be working together. What did you say you did....security? Yes, security and travelling. Sounds like you're the overly flirtatious head guard for a Princess or some other type of nobility. Maybe a politician. Definitely female though."


Delila speared her salad greens, perhaps with a little more force than was necessary.



"So, unless your Princess is buying out a mine, I doubt we'll be working together."

 

[Alleycat]

"Well I can see that somethings never change… Feisty as ever you still are, Red," he chuckled before taking a hearty swig from his ale glass.

So she was doing security work for a mining company… interesting, figures. Well if anything, Dells certainly was a consummate soldier. If the woman put as much passion into her job as into that salad of hers, marauders would never have a chance at jumping her that for sure. Geez… What did that poor lettuce ever do to her?!

"I wish! That sounds like the perfect gig for me… Naw, no princess sadly, though there is an exotic beauty involved. I actually work for someone we both are very well aquatinted with from the old days. Care to take a gander as to whom it is?"

It was hard to keep the grin off his face, so Hutch stuffed his mouth with a piece of juicy nerf steak instead to cover it.

[member="Delila Castillon"]

 

[Delila Castillon]

[member="Dirks Hutchinson"]



Delila thought for a short moment before shrugging. For all she knew this 'exotic beauty' that she had 'worked with before' could be some woman Dirks had a fling with and then she perhaps sat next to at some meeting. She didn't keep in contact with many folks so it could literally be anyone. Well....any female. No, she didn't want to guess either.



"No idea who it is. "

 

[Alleycat]

[member="Delila Castillon"]

"Gods, Red… You are just a barrel of fun tonight. I've certainly got my work cut out for me to see you smile at least once."

Dirks just shook his head with a soft chuckle as his fork scooped up some of the loaded baked potato, then slid the tastiness into his waiting mouth. As he chewed, the Rendili went back and forth in his mind how to spill the beans. He just decided to hit her square with it since she wasn't exactly in a mood to play the guessing game.

"Okay, I'll just tell ya then… I'm the Security Chief for Salacia Consolidated," Hutch stated, letting that hang in the air for a moment while he took a sip of his ale to wash down his food.

"So my boss is [member="Judah Dashiell"], and his boss is [member="Thessa Kai"]… Oh and their boss is five year old Makai, who is a real cutie. I call him Squirt."

 

[Delila Castillon]

[member="Dirks Hutchinson"]



Delila was in the middle of chewing her steak when Dirks dropped the news. Of course she knew about Salacia Consolidated, it had been nothing years ago. Now there were heads of security and business trips? Very interesting. Just because she was security for a company didn't actually mean she paid attention to any of the business reports floating around the HoloNet.


"Congratulations on the job, sounds like a real nice one, although I'm sure you'll be having headaches soon enough."


As for her friend Thessa and her family, Delila hadn't seen them in a long,long time. Not since the heavily pregnant Galan came and busted her out of jail on Kaeshana. She had paid her friend the bail money back when the Tadpole was born, but the baby gift and credits were sent out via a parcel delivery.


Although she wanted to see her friend, it was best Delila didn't. It seemed every bridge she had burned down the minute she stepped foot onto it. Thessa was one person she didn't want to see go up in smoldering flames.


"Yeah, I am sure the Tadpole rules their life....not surprising. I'm sure Thessa was real happy to see you...talk about an awkward reunion."

 

[Alleycat]

[member="Delila Castillon"]

"Actually things went surprisingly smooth between us all… I even got a hug rather than a slap from Thee. Life is lookin' up!" he smiled, and genuinely too. Hutch was back amongst old friends and was a part of something meaningful once again. His life in general had a direction now and a job as Security Chief for Judah's company gave the Rendili some pride and no doubt would challenge him too. Flyboys had to grow up sometime… Well at least a little.

Dirks was silent for a bit as he chowed down on the delicious meal in front of him, then followed it all with a big swig of his ale. The Rendili wiped his mouth off, then sat back in his chair and just studied the red-haired woman sitting across from him. Dells wasn't telling the whole truth about how things were with her. It was written all over on her body language, and he didn't think it was all about him either. Something else was going on.

"So what's the real story with you, Red… I know there is more. If you need an ear, or a shoulder, or a punching bag I'm here for you… Well maybe not the punching bag. I remember you have rather hard fists." That last part was meant to be lighthearted, but in her bad mood, or was it just indifference, who knew. Women, huh?!

 

[Delila Castillon]

[member="Dirks Hutchinson"]



"No bloodshed? Huh, I was expecting at least a tidbit of violence."


Slowly chewing a piece of her steak, Delila looked at the man across from her as if he was crazy. Perhaps he was in her opinion. The punching bag option was extremely tempting, yet Dirks quickly shirked away from it. She had to admit, that was a bit disappointing. Now he was staring at her as if he was watching a nature documentary.


"I'm not sure what 'real story' you are talking about. Can't a girl enjoy her meal without getting hassled?"

 

[Alleycat]

[member="Delila Castillon"]

"Yeah I bet," Dirks chuckled.

"Naw, we're all good with things as they stand. It truly worked out for the best. [member="Judah Dashiell"] and [member="Thessa Kai"] really are happy and good together, and I rather enjoy playing the part of 'Unca Hutch'. It fits me."

Seeing what his friends had achieved did make Dirks think perhaps a bit harder on what he wanted in life. Having a kid of his own one day would be cool and get his mother off his back, but it had to be the right woman who understood the real him. And so far, other than Thee, he hadn't found that lady yet, or had he and didn't realize it.

Hutch finished off his ale, then wiped his mouth off and put the napkin on top of the table next to his finished off plate. Why did Red have to be so difficult? He was really trying here to make nice with her, but Dells had some seemingly big chip on her shoulder that just wouldn't allow her to make nice back. Oh well, her loss. It wasn't like he was trying to pick her up or anything.

"Sure, enjoy away… I'm just trying here to make a little conversation and offer some friendship to an old comrade is all. You know I wish you could find it within yourself to forgive me for my past transgressions so we could get past this elephant in the room between us though. Farmboy and Lil' Mano have, why can't you?"

 

[Delila Castillon]

[member="Dirks Hutchinson"]


Slowly, Delila set down her fork. Napkin came up and wiped her mouth before joining the fork. Her sea-green gaze narrowed, leveling with the gaze of the ex-Flyboy in front of her. Where did he even think of these things? Talk about an over sized ego. Relax already.


"Dirks, take a look around you." Delila paused a moment, motioning to their general surroundings. "Does it look as if the 'verse is revolving around you? No. Do you think my every waking moment is dedicated to thinking about your ex-relationship with my friend? No. Do you think my attitude is based on this? Not at all. Not everything in this galaxy is about you sweetheart."


"Just because you expect women to fall into your arms breathless, telling their life story, don't expect me to. If you ever thought I would then you must have imagined a different Delila all those years ago."


The redhead paused to fumble around, pulling out two twenty-cred chips and placing them on the table. Chair scraped against the wooden decking of the establishment. The sunset did look nice. Shame she had to go. Maybe tomorrow night when things were a little less crowded.


"Enjoy your dinner Dirks." There was a slight pause. "Congratulations as well, I'm sure you'll do swimmingly."

 

[Alleycat]

[member="Delila Castillon"]

Wow… Really?!

Dirks was stunned, well not really, at the redhead's outburst. Delila was always wound tightly, but he hadn't anticipated that tight. Where time had mellowed and smoothed over the roguish Rendili, it seemed to have only made Red well bolder and more bitter. As far as friends… They had never actually been buddy buddy, just tolerated each other really for the good of the team and their mutual friend [member="Thessa Kai"]. Why then did her dishing on him hurt to an extent? Were some of those things Dells spat out true? Maybe… but Hutch honestly was just trying to be friendly; be a friend… without benefits even! Obviously, there was no hope in rehabilitating this relationship. He wasn't going to beat a dead horse. It was what it was at least in her eyes.

"Sorry you see things that way. I only wish you the best. Take care of yourself, Red," Hutch just offered solemnly as he watched Delila huff from his company.

 

[Delila Castillon]

[member="Dirks Hutchinson"]



Walking away, back to Dirks, Delila wiped the moisture from her eyes. Did she particularly want to do that? No. She had decided awhile ago it was best to be alone. Keep her old ties at more than arms length. The redhead had put herself in imposed exile and burnt nearly every bridge to the ground.



Dirks was probably one of the last ones. She didn't hate the guy in the slightest but it was easier to pretend she did rather than show real emotion. Or tell someone about her rough patches. It was best for everyone she stay in her little corner of the backwater universe, fading away and becoming a distant memory.


Sniffling and wiping her eyes again, Delila made her way back to the hotel RMC had put her up in. It was best to turn in, to become numb to what her life had become.

 

[Alleycat]

[member="Delila Castillon"]

Gods the woman walked fast. The redhead had already covered three city blocks before he caught up with her near what probably was her hotel. Dirks knew he was crazy for running off after Delila, but something in him couldn't just leave things the way they were between them. Dells was holding something inside that was burning a hole in her soul. The Rendili beach bum had done the same thing after losing [member="Thessa Kai"] for good. The loving intervention of his father was the only thing that had saved the former flyboy/solder from obliterating himself from this galaxy.

"Red… Red! Hold up," Hutch called out as his long legs carried him quickly through the hotel lobby to the turbolift that she had just stepped into.

 

[Delila Castillon]

Delila hit the button on the turbolift to take her up the nine stories to her room. Busy trying to remember her room number, she pulled the card out of her pocket to glance at it again. She had noticed someone getting on out of the corner of her eye, but frankly Dells was lost in her own world. Until she looked up at her fellow turbolift mate.


[member="Dirks Hutchinson"] . What was he doing here? Knowing her luck, they probably were put up in the same hotel. Red-rimmed eyes took him in, looking completely confused. She wiped at her face, trying to fix it up a little.


"What are you doing here? Wait....let me guess, the universe decided to be funny and we're in rooms across from one another."