Private Shades of Red

[Cali Ziiva]

Location: Garde Noire, Illyria

A low thud rhythmically shook the ground. Those with their heads down or occupied in tasks about the camp could only rotate their heads in vain trying to discern the source, which direction it was coming from, and whether they needed to be concerned. A lack of people fleeing in terror or shouting in alarm, however, prevented anyone from panicking. Those curious enough, or simply with a view into the open area near the center of camp knew what was going on -- and that they was little cause for alarm.

After all, a pink woman wearing a hydraulic, power suit wasn't all that terrifying.

Long as the pink woman didn't start swinging the two tree truck thick, metal arms about. The driver... pilot... operator girl was being rather liberal with where those limbs went though. Its grips slid open and closed, and even twirled in circles as Cali slowly moved about the work area.

Naturally, she grinned and gave a massive robo-wave to the crowd. Just a crowd pleaser by nature.

Soon enough she stomped over to some heavy cargo needing relocated. With some deft finger work, the Zeltron clamped down on the pile and hoisted it into the air 'bout as easy as she snatch up a chocolate bar. A string of thuds followed the heavy machinery as she walked the material over to where it was needed, and carefully deposited where indicated.

After doing this several times, the construction was stationed off to the side for the pink operator to unstrap herself and hop down to the ground. Bright eyes bounced between a few curious and authority-types about the mine. "Really easy to use once you get the hang of it. Really dangerous though if you're not careful. Wouldn't want to hit anyone with those things," the Zeltron cautioned with a shake of her head. "Sure there's some big pieces to maintain or replace, but it's not super complicated. Keep it simple, right? Maybe keep a few spares on hand and make sure you have a qualified engineer -- like your resident Cutey here -- to service it. Won't have any problems, and you'll get tons done."

Oh, but Cali, a forklift works just fine. Uh, yeah, sure, if you need to move something in two planes. "This beauty'll let you move and manipulate things in all three dimensions! You can even turn it without assistance -- you know, within reason." Center of gravity was still a thing; get something too heavy and extended too far out and you'd be tipped over like anything else. Wasn't magick after all.

After a little chatting, Cali slipped away with a wave of her own. Almost time to meet with her Miraluka. Cali hadn't come all this way just to play with the boys and girls in the rock and mud. 'Course a tinkerer like herself didn't mind helping out either. Not quite the original idea concerning massive development on the planet, but since that hadn't happened Cali figured some targeted assistance for her Xoxo's people wouldn't get any complaints. Unless Cali spent the whole time working and not with her Miraluka, of course. Personal time made the trip worthwhile.

Kind of wished Xobos wasn't running around endangering herself alone all the time though. Even after her promotion it seemed little had changed. Really hadn't improved a Zeltron's view of the planet's reigning monarch.

Tag: Xobos Yakieer

 

[Xobos Yakieer]

Location: Garde Noire, Illyria
Mental state: Slowly waking.
Tags: | Cali Ziiva |

“No, that part of the wing should be cleaned out next. We spoke about making it into the guest quarters, yes? I don’t believe my apprentice will enjoy sleeping in the side room for too much longer.”

An exasperated sigh slipped past the lips of the Sieur, wanting very much to just be done with this conversation. She was sith, not some manor maid. The details of how the last parts of her manor were to be cleaned barely interested her enough to keep her engaged. This part of her charge, the menial details, might just kill her out of boredom before any assassin or enemy jedi would. All that Xobos wanted to do was grab her apprentice and go off to some unexplored world at the edge of the rim, train together and continue to strengthen their bond. Just like she and her master did. Yet she was stuck here, picking out colors for the drapes in the main lounge and adjusting the cleaning schedule.

There was one, very bright, very joyful light at the end of this tunnel. Cali Ziiva.

Honestly, it felt like the force had worked in a very weird way for them to have met. Xobos had been sent to a random planet to grab a prototype chocolate that had bacta healing properties built or baked or whatever into it. A simple and boring mission. What it then turned into was a meeting between a pink alien and a Miraluka that blossomed into a friendship that continued even into this day. Cali was almost certainly only there for the chocolate, but Xobos had never mentioned how happy she was that they had met. Training to become a sith had been a..dangerous, stressful time in her life, especially with how the voices never seemed to leave her alone. Cali had been a bright spot. Someone that Xobos could run to if things burned too hot. Weekends spent on Naboo had been incredible, and the recent trip to Zeltros would be one that that Miraluka would take to her grave as a happy memory.

Ever since she had gotten back to Illyria, she begun to think about how to strengthen their relationship further. Her charge on Illyria made it so that free time to visit her Zeltron was not readily at hand. But there were ways around it. Ways that Xobos planned on offering Cali the moment the time was right. She just hoped that that time would come while the other was here on a visit.

Thoughts of the future were interrupted by a splitting pain originating from behind her eyes, prompting her to clench her fist and gently rub at her temple. These migraines had become more and more typical in the past week. Something was coming. With how silent the voices had been since the incident in the tunnels, she couldn’t know what that event would be. Eventually the pain began to subside, and her eyes opened to see Sabatora looking at her with a curious expression. The great maalraas was barely a foot shorter than Xobos, so it took barely a dip of her chin to look the beast in the eyes. “I’m alright, sabatora. Come on…we have our guest to meet and show around.”

A shakey breath was let lose the moment the pain subsided fully, allowing the Miraluka the mental power to press forward. Cali would be back from her self tour of the mining equipment soon, and Xobos had every intention of meeting that presumably dirty Zeltron right in the front foyer before she could touch any of the new furniture.

 

[Cali Ziiva]

Location: Garde Noire, Illyria

"Lovely Lady, Pink Girl is here," Cali called out as she slipped through the doors. Wasn't like they were at the castle or something. If Xobos thought Cali was going to be prim and proper even out of sight of everyone then her Miraluka had seriously deluded herself. Behaving in public was fine, and hardly a chore. At home though that just wasn't going to happen. Even in public away from Illyria might not happen.

Fact was the two probably had a lot they needed to iron out about this whole Sieur leading to Count thing Xobos had going on now. And how difficult it was to hook up with the cutey. Adron kept sending Xobos on missions, or Xobos kept busying herself with the typical Sith acquisition of knowledge and power... Like, Cali didn't want to rain on Xobos' parade or something, but those pursuits took up a lot of time.

Fortunately, Xobos wasn't so consumed by it all she'd forgotten the Zeltron. A little time on Zeltros with little interruption had been nice. Hadn't ended 'nice,' but it had still ended on an up note. Though it had led to another thing they needed to talk about. Maybe two. Not including the other things... Yeah, they kind of had a complicated relationship. Not that anyone probably knew that. Gossiped with idle speculation about, sure, but not knew.

Cali lifted both hands into the air to give herself a vertical stretch with a soft squeal of release. Maybe she should sit down? Probably find a bathroom. Take a shower or bath... Probably wasn't that dirty, but it'd feel nice. After she found her Miraluka though and figured out what they were going to do together.

Tag: Xobos Yakieer

 

[Xobos Yakieer]

Location: Garde Noire, Illyria
Mental state: Slowly waking.
Tags: | Cali Ziiva |

As was how it typically occurred, Xobos could hear Cali before actually seeing the Zeltron. And, like every time it occurred, that sing songy voice brought the slightest of smiles to the Miraluka’s face. Glancing down at the Maalraas at her side, she received a questioning look back up at her, one that managed to make her smile just a bit more. “You’ll like her. Promise. Behave yourself.” There was a low growl from Sabatora that earned her a glare from her master, before the slightest movement of a head nod. The beast would behave itself. At least, it should, if it knew what was good for it.

The dark purples and silvers of her manor’s decorations made it quite easy to pick out the bounding pink cutie the moment she turned the corner, her smile widening into a grin at the sight of the dirty Zeltron. Apparently she had been doing more than just giving herself a tour around the area, not that Xobos expected any differently. Curious nature, that Zeltron had. All the more reason to keep her closer, where she could keep an eye on her. “You were playing around with my machines, I see..” that grin never wavered as she moved closer, pulling the Zeltron into a hugging embrace despite the other’s grime.

Such an embrace only occurred every so often in the past few months, so xobos made it last as long as possible now. Her fists clenched into the Zeltron’s overalls, holding her close while her face buried in the sweet smelling skin of Cali’s neck. “I missed having you around..” The lady’s voice was husky, emotional, and all the more needy that her voice typically was. Moments like these were ones to saver, to hold close.

Eventually, her clutches released, letting the Zeltron move free. Taking a step back, sabatora took that as an opportunity to quickly fill the void between them. Motioning the to the beast that stood above Xobos’ hips, her eyes glanced from it to Cali. “I suppose I need to introduce you two. Cali, this is Sabatora. My..now loyal companion. She’s stayed mostly at the manor so far, but I believe I will begin to take her into combat with me moving forward.” All while speaking, a hand stroked along the Great Maalrass’ scaley back, easing the beast as it sniffed out the new intruder to the household.

 

[Cali Ziiva]

Location: Garde Noire, Illyria

Wide-eyed, the Zeltron watched her Miraluka saunter in. Soft giggles quickly followed Xobos embracing Cali. "That loader can lift three times the weight now," she crowed. Nothing wrong with a little tinkering. Looked like the place could use a Pink Girl's touch. Quite a busy little mine for the quaint town that Xobos had been given.

A broad smile spread across her lips as her eyes shut in the warm hug. Cali pulled Xobos in tight. Hadn't given her cleanliness a second's thought cause it'd been too long since she'd had the Miraluka in her arms. It was nice when they could just cuddle without dealing with some kind of threat or business or something. Seemed being granted a title by her mean Master hadn't freed up any more time either, so Cali was quite content to just stand there in her Xobos' arms. Cali's hand slid up to caress the back of Xobos' head as she replied with subdued cheer, "I'm always there for my Xoxo." Though she could certainly use more quality time with the pretty thing. Any jokes about dealing with the King though only got serious looks.

Bright eyes popped back open when Xobos stepped back just a bit. Hm, guess a break only helped make a repeat more pronounced. Better yet, they could relocate somewhere comfy. Maybe lay down with the Miraluka in her arms sipping wine or something.

Or be introduced to a rather large beast that had arrived. A few quick blinks, Cali's lips formed a ring as she regarded this Sabatora of Xobos'. Loyal companion? So not 'pet,' and obviously not 'steed' (you didn't bring those inside). Was it sentient? The Zeltron leaned forward and down a bit as her pink hair flopped to the left. "Hello there. I'm Cali. Pink and full of fun. I bet you like fun, huh?" Probably not the same kind of fun. Probably the kind of "fun" Xobos did. And probably exactly how these two had met.

Cali's eyes turned up toward the Miraluka with a knowing, lidded smile. "Of course you will. Sabatora's probably bored guarding your chocolate all day. 'Sides, you could use someone you can trust watching your back." Presumably Sabatora could be trusted. 'Now loyal' was a bit of an odd phrase. Surely it wouldn't be as irate as an apprentice pushed too far in the Great Sith Tradition. Right? As Cali straightened up, she silently wished Xobos would let her help... but her cutey was always so protective.

Tag: Xobos Yakieer

 

[Xobos Yakieer]

Location: Garde Noire, Illyria
Mental state: Slowly waking.
Tags: | Cali Ziiva |

Oh, the pain that her Zeltron would feel when Xobos told her there was no secret storage of chocolate in the manor. Now when cali, hopefully, made her stay here, such a thing would change, of that Xobos had no doubt. But for now, no doors in this place, no secret book triggers, nothing of the sort would lead to a dungeon full of chocolate. No, Sabatora had much less..tasty things to guard. Her and her back, both of which were completely under her control by this point.

For now, there was more important matters to attend to, ones that started with grabbing the pink cuties hand and pulling her out of the entrance room. “C’mon now you. I have a surprise to show you.” Bracing for the explosion of happy words that would inevitably come from Cali, as well as the possible begging for her to tell her exactly what the surprise was, Xobos turned away with a tight lipped grin. She would not be spilling the beans. The surprise would be much, much better seen with her own eyes, instead of coming from the Sith.

Pulling her down the vast hallways of the manor, weaving in between the architects, painters, remodelers, designers, and other staff that filled seemingly every corner. The former king had left this estate quite run down, and there was no worse status symbol than a crumbling manor. In a time where people looked to the physical things in life with a more crucial eye than the non-physical, the crumbling stone of her manor made her grip on Garde Noire look weak. And that was despite the repertoire she had built with the mining guild. Xobos intended to change that, hence the numerous people that now graced the halls that had been sent by her master.

Say what you want about the man, but he knew how to decorate. Adron Malvern .

Even with their slow progress, certain places in the manor had already been finished with the minor details had begun to finalized. Xobos’ private suite, the front entrance, a few training rooms among them. There was..one other room that was fully furnished and ready to accommodate certain people. Well, one person in particular. Located in the private, smaller eastern wing of the manor, which is where the Miraluka pulled the Zeltron to was a single room.

That single room, revealed to Cali once Xobos pulled her inside, revealed itself to be quite the sight. A massive, plush bed took center stage in the middle of the room. It seemingly split the room in two, with one side looking much like a personal comfortable living space, complete with couches and a holoviewer, and the other looking almost like a workshop, including the best equipment Illyria could provide. On the living side, a door led to a personal restroom and closet area, both appropriately sized.

The intent of the room was obvious, and something that Xobos was extremely proud of, showed by her grin at watching for the Zeltron’s reaction. “I..hope it meets your standards. I know it’s not Naboo, but..”

 

[Cali Ziiva]

Location: Garde Noire, Illyria

"Eep," Cali squeaked as the Miraluka took hold of her hand and began moving quickly through the manor.

"My Xobos has a surprise? I mean," the Zeltron danced around a few tools and buckets along the way, "I'd say the amount of work you're putting into this place is already surprising. Like, things are looking great! Well, aside from the muted colors." A quick grin paused her remarks. "I know, I know, not everything can be 'eye sore' bright. Not my fault Zeltros is a bright place." The pink one giggled.

"So what are you going to show me? Is it, like, my own suit of armor so I can fight the evil, uh... you know, people." Actually, Cali was a bit unclear as to who Dark Side people like Xobos and Malvern considered evil or at least their opposition. Wasn't the Jedi like a bunch of zealots. Maybe they just want to finish setting up shop on this planet before thinking about expansion? "Or is it like a miniature waterfall of chocolate? Completely impractical, and a health inspector's worst nightmare, but..." Well, it would be a surprise.

"Ooh, is it your chambers?" 'Cause, you know, Xobos liked being all secretive about her personal time. Less prying eyes, more quality time!

When they slipped inside of a room, the pink woman paused for a moment to look one way and then the next. Xobos stood there expecting a reaction. Probably braced herself too. Smart move, except Cali didn't like being predictable, and that eagerness was just what a girl needed to take advantage of... Her handmade sure to keep firm hold of the Miraluka before Cali bounded toward the bed. She'd come up short and turn to encourage what she hoped was a caught-off-guard cutey that'd topple back first onto the plush accommodations.

Naturally, Cali would hop up to pin Xobos to the sheets before leaning down to nuzzle the woman's jaw. Giggles issued forth. "Videos to the right. Toys on the left. You in the middle. I like it. Especially the last part." Cali lifted her upper body up to smile down at Xobos. "I hope I'm not far from your chambers. After all, if I'm here I don't want to be far from you." They had enough time apart being on different worlds. Wouldn't be good to be apart on the same planet too.

Tag: Xobos Yakieer

 

[Xobos Yakieer]

Location: Phare de château, Illyria
Mental state: Slowly waking.
Tags: | Cali Ziiva |

No matter how much time she spent with Cali, the Zeltron always managed to surprise her with just how strong her grip could be when it was wrapped around something that she wanted. Whether that was Xobos’ hand or the wood of a chocolate treat, there was practically nothing that could separate the vice grip from whatever it was holding. Not that Xobos minded, at least, not often. Being suddenly pulled toward the bed, spun around, shoved onto the puffy sheets with a Zeltron suddenly squatting on her hips while grinning down at her did elect a mocking groan from her.

Whatever mocking Xobos planned to do was quickly sniffed out when the ridiculously soft skin of the zeltron pressed up against her own, prompting a smile to slowly spread across her face. Despite the hard exterior, she missed this. Missed having her Zeltron close. Missed having the one person in this galaxy that truly seemed to care about her. Missed Cali so much that when the woman leaned up, a teasing whine slipped its way past her lips. The pink alien’s last words were answered with a soft shake of her head, then a nod toward the direction right out the door.

“I’m right across the hall. This wing is..more or less reserved, for ourselves. I wouldn’t let you be very far from me if..I was going to ask, what I am now.” Leaning up, Xobos shifted the Zeltron over so that she sat next to the woman, masked gaze at the same level as those eternally happy black eyes. There was a moments pause as she drew in a soft, shaky breath, preparing herself to relay the request that even she knew was one that could not be taken lightly. “Cali…I’m tired of you being so far from me constantly. With my new charge here on Illyria, I can’t leave this planet whenever I please anymore..” Her face contorted into a frown, an expression that she knew the Zeltron hated to see on her face.

Another shaky breath, another sigh, then a glance away as she spoke, unable to look Cali in the face while making the request. “I..want you to move here. To Illyria. Not full time, I understand you have your business to take care of, and I’ll do everything in my power to give you what you need to continue to run it here. But…I want you here. Where we can train together, be together, and where I don’t have to wonder about your health or safety.” That was it, the bomb request. Something that Xobos knew might not be the fairest. Eventually, her gaze made its way back up to Cali’s, searching for any emotion coming from them that might tip how she felt.

 

[Cali Ziiva]

"My Cute Miraluka is exceptionally smart too." The Zeltron extended a finger out to gently boop the tip of Xobos' nose. "We don't have to worry about waking the any guests." She'd probably have guards that'd keep people from ambling by 'in search of the bathroom' too, so even the possibility of being overheard was diminished. Which was good for Xobos' health, because the Dark Side Knight was terribly bashful about these things.

That was about all the pink woman got in before she went silent. Xobos did just suggest she had something... heavy to discussion. Apparently all of this was designed to lessen the 'blow' so to speak. That wasn't anxiety-inducing at all. And if the words weren't enough, Xobos shifting the Zeltron off and to the side so they could see eye-to-eye on equal seating certainly said 'serious matter.' Though Cali wasn't sure what could be that serious. Aside from... you know... her normal behavior while being on Illyria and Xobos' new found position possibly requiring a certain etiquette, and the complications therein. It wasn't that, was it? Cause that would be trouble. Despite her appropriately Zeltron culture inspired demeanor, Cali could 'behave' as others expected of their own for a time -- long enough to get a job done. Wasn't 'enjoyable' though. Especially on worlds run by prudes.

A blink followed Xobos' explanation for what would soon follow. Oh, huh, so, concern over long-distance relationship. Uh, yeah. Cali had kind of forgotten... well, they'd been doing this for so long now, she kind of thought things had reached their level, you know? Like, everything was fine. Actually there'd probably been a point when she stopped worrying about this because it hadn't come up sooner. Maybe she'd begun to think Xobos ascribed to the Zeltron way of interpersonnal relationships. Obviously not the case.

See, the thing most didn't appreciate was that Zeltrons weren't, well, monogamous. Kind of went hand-in-hand witht he belief that Zeltrons were promiscuous fornicators -- which was also a misunderstanding. They were a people that embraced 'carpe diem,' 'que cira, cira,' and so forth. Others said it, but the people of Zeltros lived it. Kind of part of their genetic code. So 'settling down' wasn't something almost any of them sought to do in life. So, long distance relationships? Not... really a thing, or a problem. Cause it didn't matter how much time passed; they were usually not bereft of company between visits.

Almost every other culture, however, had developed some form of long-term expectation of intimacy. Even if some of them believed one could have many instead of one being with another. Miraluka were obviously in that vast majority. So... yeah. Here they were then.

Cali continued to stare at Xobos even when the other woman broke eye contact. Xobos wanted her to move to Illyria. Wow, like, okay... that wasn't asking for like a jealous possession or contractual isolation, but from what Cali knew of relationships in other cultures that could be seen as a stepping stone in that direction. Then again, the thought of hanging around Xobos more often was nice. Like, she'd tried getting her to invite Cali along on missions or stuff more often. Mostly because Xobos seemed like she could use the help since her Master believed in letting her sink or swim. Even emotionally.

Moving from Naboo though was kind of a big request... Scenery was different. Culture was different. Obviously Locke & Key were headquartered out of Naboo. It wasn't a step down or anything, uh, per se. Just, kinda, not what Cali had expected to discuss today.

"Oh, Xo," Cali ever so gently pushed against the side of Xobos' shoulder, "it's Naboo. There's nothing to worry about regarding my health or safety. Least industrial world ever, and now the Capitol of the Confederacy." Aside from that assassination... Yes, Cali would conveniently not bring that up.

The smile on Cali's pink lips hadn't vanished, though it had slipped a bit when attentive curiosity followed Xobos getting her words out earlier. It had returned s she turned to look out over the interior of the room once more. Gosh, like, what should she say in response?

"Um, well, you know... You know I like being with you. I try to tag along even when you try to slip away in the night somewhere 'dangerous.' So," her bright eyes turned back toward the Miraluka, "you know, I'd like to be close to you. But, uh, do you think Illyria has room for a pink girl like me on it? I can't promise I'll be the model Illyrian Princess. Not that I plan on making any trouble for my Miraluka." A light giggle followed though it was more to break the tension than express oblivious mirth. "So, if that's, like, okay... But what did you mean 'train together?'"

Tag: Xobos Yakieer

 

[Xobos Yakieer]

Location: Phare de château, Illyria
Mental state: Slowly waking.
Tags: | Cali Ziiva |

Zeltrons had quite an interesting way of looking at the galaxy, though Xobos had gotten used to the non-monogamy of Cali’s life. Having her move to Illyria was not her attempt at trying to control her, or keep her only to herself, but the Miraluka’s possibly vain attempt to get Cali in a place that she could feel more protective. Knowing Naboo was so far away, and not being able to see her did nothing for Xobos’ worries, despite them now being such an important planet for the Confederacy.

“I understand Naboo is safe..it’s..it’s not that I know that it isn’t. You are safe there. But..” She tried to explain, but words failed her. Letting a deep sigh exhale through her tightly clasped lips, the Miraluka stood, taking a few steps away with a look of deep contemplation now placed atop whatever hopeful look was once on her face. Perhaps she was asking too much. This may go against what Cali believed in. Was asking this completely ruining what the pair had built for so, so long?

Cali’s words were enough to prompt Xobos to turn back around to look at the Zeltron, a frown appearing on her face at how the other’s smile had fallen. When someone had a smile on their face so constantly, even the smallest of changes could be noticed. At least, by her. Xobos had spent enough time around the Zeltron to know when she was even the slightest bit unhappy. Or uncomfortable. Or whatever her question had made her.

Xobos’ gaze the other woman’s, a small smile appearing on her own face to go with the shaking her head in response. “I don’t expect you to be a princess, a sieur, even a noble..” Stepping toward Cali, the Miraluka knelt in front of her, resting her arms on the Zeltron’s thighs. “I want you to be you. Locke and Key mechanic, business extraordinaire, chocolate aficionado, everything that you are. But to just..base it from here. On Illyria. I’ll even help you start a shop here in town..or in the capital. I just…need you around more often. You don’t need to be here constantly, and I don’t want to take you away from your adventures..but you..” Another sigh, words escaping her yet again. She wasn’..good at this.

“You keep me..sane, Cali.”

 

[Cali Ziiva]

Cali stared at the blindfolded cutey as she knelt down and lay her arms down atop the Zeltron's legs. Obvious Xobos was taking this matter super seriously. Probably given it way too much thought and stressed how the pink one would take it. Naturally, Cali had done the opposite. Probably not the best decision either way, really, but that was life.

A soft giggle preceded Cali reaching out to cradle her Miraluka's face in her hands. "Adventures? Me?" She just went to work sites and vacations. Trouble found her, not the other way around. Unlike some people trained as Jedi Cali wasn't trying to right every wrong. Well, not because of morality. Well, not because of dogmatic morality. Zeltrons were kind of predisposed toward making everyone happy so yeah natural tendency toward Light Side knighting. Still, she wasn't leading a galactic rebellion or anything. Just.. kind of stumbled in on someone needing help and helped them. Not Cali's fault some people got upset and tried killing her over it.

"Xoxo," Cali paused to smile for a moment, "you're going to need to help me get all the customs papperwork and permits in order too. Some warehouse space for storage. You know, really sell this to John Locke ; we can totally make this make business sense."

Another giggle followed the 'business' response, which was really not as important as the emotional one. "I'll stay with my Miraluka. Don't blame me if I sneak into your bed, or kidnap you to mine. Two rooms is nice and flexible, but there's no need for us to be cold at night parted."

Tag: Xobos Yakieer

 

[Xobos Yakieer]

Location: Phare de château, Illyria
Mental state: Slowly waking.
Tags: | Cali Ziiva |

If Xobos could shed a tear, Cali’s business words would’ve probably brought them down her face. It wasn’t like she didn’t want to, or felt that she could’ve. Well, feeling is a relative term. Hard to know what crying feels like when your species is born without any eyes whatsoever. But if she did have eyes, tears of joy would definitely be flowing now. The Zeltron would just have to settle for a wide smile a kiss to the back of the hand instead. It was the best that the poor sithling could offer, after all.

Standing to her full height, Xobos gave Cali a slight smirk and a raise of the eyebrow in response to her less business like answer. “You must thing very highly of your jedi skills if you think you can just kidnap me to you bed on a nightly basis.” Giving the Zeltron’s hands a tug, she urged the other woman to stand with her. With her head, she motioned toward the doorway before starting, tugging the assumedly reluctant Zeltron along with her. There would be time for cuddles later. Now, there was one more surprise to give her new castle-mate.

“I had hoped you would say you could stay. And don’t worry, I’ll make sure that you get your warehouse space in the capital city. It would probably make my..master quite happy if you could bring Locke and Key to this planet. I know him and Mr. Locke have enjoyed their time together before.” She spoke while pulling Cali from the wing they’d be sleeping in, and instead down toward the back of the manor. There, they’d find a spiral staircase, heading down and down to some unknown room. A smirk stayed plastered to Xobos’ face, now standing at the very edge of the stairs.

“Go on,” she urged, moving to allow the pink alien to go first. “I want you to go see your lab.”

 

[Cali Ziiva]

Cali smiled and then looked up as Xobos rose to her feet. The Miraluka was happy again instead of all tensed up, which was good. Zeltrons were happiest when those around them were happy. Plus it wasn't something the pink woman disliked; it'd just been how sudden the entire subject had been brought up that caught Cali off guard. There were a few lingering matters to contemplate, but overall the decision hadn't been difficult.

"Jedi?" A blink followed the echo as Xobos began to haul Cali away from the plush bed. No doubt afraid of being tossed back on it. What did the other woman had in mind if not just cuddling? "Xoxoo, I'm not a Jedi. I was just trained by one. No, no, I think highly of my Gadget Girl skills." Whenever someone made a better lock, sooner or later someone came along to make a better pick. There was a statistically zero percent chance of Xobos being able to keep the Zeltron away -- when Cali felt like it. She wasn't unreasonable, after all. Sometimes people liked having a little alone time. Sometimes.

"They have? Well that's good, I guess," Cali commented with Xobos' reassurance of Adron and John getting along. Probably meant there wouldn't be a "you want to put a lab where?" screech. So the odds of success went up. "Bet people could use a good Engineer to fix their droids or stuff. Hey, maybe you could let the nobles know I can build them a fancy bodyguard droid. Or even a body-double droid. Those aren't easy, and I'll charge them enough so they can parade it about like a status symbol too." What? Cali knew business. Just because she partied hard didn't meant she didn't understand how her employers made money off the things she built or sold.

Wasn't much of a choice but to follow along with the Miraluka's whims at the moment. Xobos seemed to have a destination in mind, and not an ambling game of 'who is the leader?' Well, Cali didn't mind surprises, and Xobos was definitely in an upbeat mood. When they drew near, Xobos' remark drew a wide-eyed stare. Lab? This wasn't the Capitol. A little workspace on the grounds, maybe, but she figured that was going to be kept far and away with the business. Course that would separate them, but girls had to work, right?

The pink one moved forth to enter the 'lab' as requested. "Oooh," the Zeltron cooed. She immediately pivoted about to look at the Miraluka. "It's big enough I can probably assign a little space for my wardrobe too! Or, you know, upgrade your fighter." Cue grin. It was certainly a 'lab' and not merely a workspace. "Though I have to warn you, Xobliss. Last time someone gave me a place to work, the noise complaints started pouring in." Granted, building giant duck-sized sonic weapons and the sort did contribute to that.

Cali bounced over to give her Miraluka a hug. "I promise not to lose myself in work, but I'll totally make awesome things for you."

Tag: Xobos Yakieer

 

[Xobos Yakieer]

Location: Phare de château, Illyria
Mental state: Slowly waking.
Tags: | Cali Ziiva |

Cali always smelled of happiness and mischief. Honestly, Xobos wasn’t too sure how such a concoction of smell could exist. Maybe it was some sort of Zeltron pheromone that made it possible. All that the Miraluka knew was that whenever Cali managed to hug her, that smell made her feel as though everything was going to be alright. And judging by how she took to the new laboratory, everything was going just perfectly. “Heh, speaking of awesome things..”

Xobos took a step back from the hug, taking the pink cutie’s hand within her own, dragging her over to the side where a massive drill sat up against the wall. It looked to be in disrepair, with many of it’s smaller pieces strewn all about around the machine. There was even a mystery on how the thing even made it down into the laboratory, but that wasn’t something Xobos was about to address just yet. “This is a project I would hope you would work on. It’s one of only two major drills we have, and as you can see…” The Sieur kicked a stray bolt to make an point, but not too far. It was probably important, despite how small it was. “It’s in quite a big state of disrepair, and I was hoping that once you got settled in you’d take a look at it..?” There was a nervous smile on Xobos’ face at the moment, knowing the ask was quite big in of itself.

What Cali had said earlier actually dawned on the Miraluka at this point, prompting her to wave off the idea of a upgraded fighter. “I..actually don’t know how to dogfight. My vision doesn’t really make it easy for me to fly at all, so I honestly can’t imagine trying to sit and fight others while moving so fast..” Her vision just didn’t lend to it. She already saw the world much different than practically any other sentient, with less colors and more..depth. Flying already tended to make her sick, so dogfighting only lended itself to her depositing her dinner on the cockpit panels.

Still, it was a nice suggestion, and maybe she could convince Cali to just work on a speeder to make trips to the capital faster…if she was able to find time after actually fixing the massive drill, firstly. Getting that thing up and running again soon would be the priority.

 

[Cali Ziiva]

Doooubt. A drill was an awesome thing? Obviously her Xobos hadn't been properly introduced to some of Cali's toys. Like, sure, it was massive, but it was a drill. It spin, gouged into things, hauled broken things away, and away it went. It was a pretty simple machine comparatively speaking. Massive motor though. Very powerful. But it was just a big motor. Not like an intergalactic motor designed by incomprehensible alien intelligence. Granted, even then a motor was reasonably complicated. Just not like tiny motors, servos, and stuff you crammed into a droid; and not as complicated as a starship power core.

"You only have two?" The Zeltron was a bit surprised at the lack of drills given its importance to mining. Then again, they were big. Building a new one would take more time than simply repairing it. That much metal you'd have to source, then shape, temper, treat, and test. Quite a lot of time even if it was relatively simple in design. Suppose if her Xobos was down to just one then this wasn't 'awesome' like ohmygodinever, but more 'awesome' like pleaseohpleasethebusinessdependsonthis. Like awesome if Cali would do it.

After a soft hum, the pink one stared at the Miraluka. "Disrepair, Xoxo? Someone partially disassembled it and then gave up. Fortunately, I'm not just a genius engineer, but given a little time I can tell exactly what parts are missing, which'll speed fixing and reassembling it. Probably going to need to order a few things though. You have a supplier already?" One should always ask. If Xobos had an arrangement with someone, Cali didn't want to unknowingly piss them off and cost the cutey more than the price for parts.

Cali stretched a hand out to gently touch the tip of Xobos' nose. "Your transport then. Bet you could use some secret compartments and maybe stronger shields, or faster engines, huh? Don't try telling me you don't get into trouble. We both know better." A few nods followed the Zeltron's pronouncement. "Plus I could always add a few perks to whatever your standard issue fighter is around here. Help keep competing nobles from thinking they can perform an 'aggressive takeover' of the mine?"

"But," hands on her hips, Cali turned to regard the drill again, "suppose I have to deal with this first. Are there people that can help me around here? Like, probably some corrosion they can help polish out. Metallurgical tests they can run. Probably help move heavy bits around. That kind of thing."

Tag: Xobos Yakieer

 

[Xobos Yakieer]

Location: Phare de château, Illyria
Mental state: Slowly waking.
Tags: | Cali Ziiva |

Well, it seemed as though Xobos had found another trick to getting Cali stuck on another subject. Just put an extremely broken piece of machinery in front of her and ask her to fix it. In truth, Xobos wasn’t even sure if the drill could be fixed at all. Being one of only two deep mining drills the providence had when she first arrived, they had been able to suffice with having just one to split between two mines. But with the third mine opening up very soon, they needed a second drill to bore through the tougher rock that the smaller drills just couldn’t get through. If Cali couldn’t get the big drill to work, it would probably mean another few days of delay before they could get started.

“It’s incredibly lucky that I have you around, to be honest. I’m really hoping you could fix it.” Xobos started toward the drill, running her hand over the massive bit when Cali’s question about extra hand clicked in her mind. Pulling her holocomm from her belt, the Miraluka began to put through a message. “Well, there are a few mechanics I could call in. They typically reside in the mining guild hall, but have been wanting a bigger lab to work in…” A few moments of silence followed while Xobos sent the message, obviously intent on making sure cali got every single thing that she needed. Had to be the supportive snuggle buddy, right?

Now a supped up speeder sounded really, really interesting to her. Pondering the thought, Xobos began to pace back and forth, thinking over the possibilities. “Secret compartments….stronger shields…maybe an emergency weapons system?” with each possibility her excitement began to grow, eventually looking back over to where the pink alien stood, now regarding the drill. “I could use a better speeder….as for a ‘standard’ fighter..” It seemed as though it was time to give Cali a little lesson in Illyiran military history while waiting for the engineers to come on in.

“You see, Illyria practically has no navy at all. From what I understand, our military power is very strong. Good army and tank power, but we have really no naval power. Outside of the viper gunships that are atmosphere bound, the only naval asset I can think of is the space station above our heads…” She knew it was a goal for her master to grow that part of the military eventually, but how soon that would occur was up to a variety of factors she wasn’t very privy to. Maybe Garde Noire had a part in the grand scheme. Adron never was very good at sharing his plans before putting them into action.

It was a few minutes later that a pair of short, stout engineers made their way into the lab lugging what looked to be two heavy tool boxes behind them. Xobos motioned them forward, turning back to Cali with a proud expression. “They’ll be here to help you as long as you need. How about you work for a while, then I take you to Le Renard et la plume for dinner?” The tavern might not have been the most romantic place on Illyria, but if Cali was going to be living here, might as well introduce her some of the local cuisine!

 

[Cali Ziiva]

"Hope?" Cali turned and pounced in closer to the Miraluka with her bright eyes peering up at the other woman. "Long as the shaft or the head aren't cracked this dirll will work again, Xoxo. Everything else can be replaced even if I have to cobble it together." From where the Zeltron stood proper Engineering wasn't a matter of hope, it was a matter of fact. Most had to contend themselves with hoping they hadn't overlooked something; Cali violated the natural laws of the universe and made sure she hadn't.

Probably why that was considered a Dark Side ability. Oh well, The Force hadn't complained so far.

A few blinks followed as Xobos fiddled about to send a message. "Mining Guild Hall? Sounds fancy. Visit someday?" A guild hall sounded important. Like, if she was sticking around the sort of important where a girl could meet people and strike up deals.

"Emergency weapons system?" Cali's head rotated to the side as she echoed the sentiment. "Well, I suppose if I can't enhance the power core any more than it already is, we could make it an emergency one." Seemed like any time you'd want a weapons system would always be an emergency. Probably had to do with the length of battle -- a few shots versus pewpewpewpewpewpewpewpewpew.

Another blink and her head flopped to the other side. "You guys have no ships?" No, the space station didn't count. You know what a space station was? An island in the middle of an ocean with land far out of sight. Better to have somewhere to sit down instead of drifting about bumping into things. Not exactly the greatest asset in a naval war considering the other gal could just... not go anywhere near your island. "Right, uh, Xoxo... maaaaybe you should whisper into your Big Boss' ear that a pink thing -- me -- can give your fancy pants machinists and engineers some designs." She had a few 'standard' plans laying around. And a few super-fighter kinds, but Cali hadn't tried building one yet so she'd be a bit hesitant to offer it up for mass construction just yet. Maybe later.

Cali stared at the two peeps, then at Xobos, and then she gave the Miraluka a nice, tight hug. "Alright. But you better come get me when it's time because I can totally lose track when I start working. And don't try the whole 'I didn't want to disturb you' cuteness either. I mean, look at this thing," she drew back and gave an enthusiastic wave at the drill, "it isn't going anywhere." Didn't even need to worry about someone stealing it -- after all, it was on Xobos' estate so stealing something that big from under her watch was pretty ridiculous to contemplate.

If Xobos did leave them to it, Cali would merrily introduce herself to the two new faces and describe how they'd set to work organizing the mess. Had to figure out what was missing or in too poor condition to even consider reusing it. Then they could order parts, start cleaning what they'd keep, and organize it ready for the big haul. 'Course before they'd leave for food, Cali would invite them to stake out some work areas -- aside from the one she'd already designated as her own, of course.

Tag: Xobos Yakieer

 

[Xobos Yakieer]

Location: Phare de château, Illyria
Mental state: Slowly waking.
Tags: | Cali Ziiva |

There was no questioning Cali’s intuition with mechanics. Be it a speeder, some sort of electrical wiring in a building, or, hell, even a mining drill, there was something about the Zeltron that just allowed her to see how everything was supposed to be. It was a skill Xobos had never seen before, and had never been introduced to after. Of course, she had met master builders in her master’s castle, and while they were impressive in their own rights, this was something different. The force was allowing Cali to see completed objects even in their disarray. Not only that, but it extended to the creation of objects as well. Just a fascinating skill to have, and one that Xobos would’ve been more than excited to observe fuller had it not been for some pressing matters of her own that needed to be attended to.

Embracing the hug with a fire that had rarely been seen in the Miraluka, she gripped onto the back of the Zeltron’s dress for just a half moment longer than she might have normally. To have the woman here, safe, and to be staying for longer than she could have hoped for sent a ping of joy throughout her body. It was..it was a good thing to finally have her Cali here with her. No more wondering of when they’d see each other next. Her mental stabilizer was here. With her.

Stepping back, she took into account the questions that had been asked beforehand, giving Cali a little smile as she turned to leave. “I’ll take you to the Guild Hall tonight after dinner. As for our navy…” The smile fell slightly, but not too noticeably. Adron liked to do things his way. “I’ll mention it to my master. Any help we can get with design and production would be extremely helpful. However,” Pausing, she made a motion to the room around them, signifying where they stood. Garde Noire, her providence, and her people, had a role to play. “This providence could be a very big part of the plan. If we are to get it back on schedule..Garde could be a big part of Illyria’s prosperity.”

Leaving their conversation at that, Xobos bowed her head toward the workers and her dear friend, turning to stride out of the laboratory, with Sabatora following closely behind her. Up they strode the circle staircase, having a mind about her to grab a quick snack to eat to power her through the next few hours of mining talks. If Cali could fix that drill, there was a good chance that four mines could be open before the end of the month, and the construction on the factory could begin in earnest….

And that’s just what she did. A few hours passed with talks being less than interesting, but completed none the less. By the time Xobos looked up as the final foreman had left, the night sky had been painted a shade of orange and red that would rival any masterstrokes painting. She allowed the sight to spread it’s peace throughout her body, then stood, starting Sabatora from where she slept off to the side. “C’mon now. Let’s grab our bouncy alien and get some real food. I’m sure that Orchelm will have some meat set aside for you as well.”

The walk back to the laboratory from her office was a short one, perhaps made even shorter by the brisk walking pace she employed to get there. As she neared the staircase, the sounds of mechanical whirring could easily be heard emitting from below, prompting a little chuckle from the Sieur. Cali had gotten straight to work, it seemed.

 

[Cali Ziiva]

A round rump stuck up into the air as the pink woman's upper body was stuck inside the top of the motor mount. It shook to the left. It shook to the right. Then it shook all over with a few strained grunts in accompaniment. Just then her pink tufts popped out followed by some mechanical part clutched in both hands.

A few steps back from inertia followed, but before she neared the edge, Cali pivoted about. The Zeltron held it out before her in triumph with a toothy grin. And then her eyes widened, the object drooped, and she let out a small cry, "Whoa!" It was a bit heavier than she first thought. Probably the adrenaline and half a second before gravity and muscular strain pointed out she wasn't the strongest person on the planet.

Her two assistants bunched up at the end of the walkway ready to receive it. Cali slowly ambled over toward them trying to keep the weight on her legs more than her back as she did so. "Guess we need a cart or something." A drawn out sigh followed the pair accepting the load to haul it away for inspection elsewhere.

As they hauled it away, Cali took the opportunity to pluck her water bottle out of a hanging utility belt. She pivoted around so she could lean back against the walkway railing; left arm propped atop the railing, and right giving the bottle a squeeze to squirt the water into her mouth. Didn't have a mirror to tell how messy she might be. Best not to stick her face close to the bottle.

Certainly had been a busy evening. As she contemplated how hungry she'd gotten, her bright gaze found a Miralukan cutey entering the lab. Cali shoved the bottle away and scampered down from the motor to meet Xobos on the floor.

"Sir Xoxo! And Saba too," Cali called out as she hit the ground. "Hey, guys, take a break when you're up to it!" A brief distraction to give the pair the opportunity to grab their own grub when they felt like it. Then her attention was back on the pair. "Cause I'm totally clocking out with such an alluring Knight heading my way."

Tag: Xobos Yakieer