Private Summer Internship

[Persephone Dashiell]

HYPERSPACE

Kiran Arlos
​

Idly, in the throws of hyperspace, she wondered why she didn't have her own personal vessel.

Persephone didn't fly, she was taking lessons with Makai's mother, but that was besides the point. Zee could fly. Zee took her nearly everywhere she needed to go. Yet it was always a rotating vessel. Never Myra's - apparently there had been an issue with it years ago and she was quite protective - but there were enough ships between the family businesses that she bounced around in.

Today was an Arceneau Trade freighter. Her summer internship with the company was in full swing, but so was a summer project for her educational journey. It had become the bright idea of her parents to combine the two. Persephone would join a crew mapping new hyperlanes and trying to find its collapse. While assisting the crew, she would be bouncing back to Thule and possibly a small planet called Haffrin. Information she had gleaned on Tython indicated a vast wealth of information somewhere in the area.

True? Always difficult to say. The more she dug the more it seemed there was a great deal built on half-truths and riddles. Or hidden deep to where only the most devout or highest up in the religion would be able to access. Which meant a lot of breaking into places she didn't belong in pursuit of the arts and sciences.

They were mere hours away from their first stop. No where near Haffrin, but then again this also was a internship trip.

 

[Kiran Arlos]

It wasn't too long ago that he was travelling from struggling, going from place to place to make a credit. Just so he would be able to eat and drink. On the occasion dodging a hunter here ore there. And he was aboard a Arceneau Trade Freighter. He showered and was provided some fresh clothes, they were of the same style that he was used to. It wasn't anything fancy, and that wasn't what he was looking for.

He figured Persephone Dashiell had maybe put in a good word for him, maybe.

Probably not.

Or perhaps they just took pity on him. Either way, it was working out good for him. He still had all of his things, and that was good enough for him. Most of his possessions were important to him. In particular he had a picture of his family, that was the most important.

He was assigned to assist Persephone directly with her task, do any leg work that was needed. Kiran did have a hand in that as he requested this particular detail. She was really the only person he had an acquaintance with other than Makai.

Freshly dressed and ready for work, however it seemed it would be a few hours before their next stop. He find a seat next to Persephone and sat down.

"Hey you, How's it going? You excited for the first stop?" Kiran inquired politely, showing Persie a small smile before looking ahead.

 

[Persephone Dashiell]

HYPERSPACE

"Hey you, How's it going? You excited for the first stop?" Kiran inquired politely, showing Persie a small smile before looking ahead.

Lost in her own thoughts, Persephone felt his presence sit next to her before really registering it. Their project was one out of her scope - charting a small 'backdoor' hyperlane for Arceneau Trade. Most years her internship had been fashion related - overseeing textile acquisiton for Browncoat Industrials line of armor. She was learning a different side of the business now, the one that raked in the most money. Persephone wasn't an idiot, she was put on this due to short staffing of the hyperlane crisis. Otherwise it might have been more textile work.

Finally she looked at the person next to her. The guy from Salar's Rest. She wasn't completely surprised to see him. Arceneau Trade and her adoptive parents respective companies were working to hire refugees and more younger sentients to grow in the business. Almost experimental like, but upheaval made it a perfect time to try.

"I'm doing alright, thank you."

Shoulders shrugged at the mention of their first stop.

"How have you been?"

Kiran Arlos

 

[Kiran Arlos]

"I'm doing alright, thank you."

"That's good to know, and its good to see you again my friend. I can call us friends right? Perhaps friendly acquittances at best." Kiran gave her a small smile and he shrugged his shoulders. It was quite strange their first meeting, and here they were once more. Kiran was just happy to be around someone who knew what they were talking about and who seemed pretty interesting.

"I'm doing well, I got accepted into this internship program. It's provided a good step for me, in the right direction. I've met some amazing people so far."

Kiran took a breath and leaned back into the chair.

"What's your story here? What do you plan on doing?"

Persephone Dashiell

 

[Persephone Dashiell]

"Friendly acquaintances is fine. This is our second meeting, it would be quite strange if we were friends at this point."

Persephone didn't know much about Kiran Arlos beyond the fact he liked to hang around ruins. Also that he was on the run. Persie didn't quite believe that one. It seemed something a teenage boy would tell a teenage girl to seem cool. It wasn't cool to her but each to their own, maybe someone told Kiran at one point it was.

Probably trying to get away.

"Oh thats good. The internship program is great. Of course, one could argue its about molding impressionable minds to a corporations will....but it also has benefits. A double edged sword, much like anything in life."

When he asked for her story, Persie was relieved it wasn't her life story. She could easily fake her past but doing some cursory information on her childhood just seemed tiring in this moment.

"Looking for a lost library from the days of the Ashlan Crusade. That was supposed to be my main objective but thanks to family ties and my internship, we also have to chart hyperlane information. Typically thats not my scope but I guess since we are already in space they figured why not."

A small pause.

"Why are you here?"

 

[Kiran Arlos]

"Oh thats good. The internship program is great. Of course, one could argue its about molding impressionable minds to a corporations will....but it also has benefits. A double edged sword, much like anything in life."

"Looking for a lost library from the days of the Ashlan Crusade. That was supposed to be my main objective but thanks to family ties and my internship, we also have to chart hyperlane information. Typically thats not my scope but I guess since we are already in space they figured why not."

"Not so strange, people become friends easily all the time." Kiran spoke in an encouraging tone, but not to much as he didn't want to sound like a weirdo. He was just excited as she was the first person he actually had a decent interaction with. The rest of it was marred with disgust at his actions and Bounty hunters looking for their next score. He was keeping things pretty close to the chest, if she found out what he really did or was. He was afraid she might ask him to leave or never talk to him again.

"Yes, I've been learning a great deal through the program, although I don't expect to become involved in the corporate business, that isn't my thing. My talents lay elsewhere. And a lost library? That sounds interesting, and charting hyperlane information sounds complicated, at least to me anyway."

"Why are you here?"

"Well, honestly I came to help and I heard you were gonna be on this trip. So I figured it would be cool to join. Given our last venture which was solid and interesting. Why not venture out and have another, I could help you." The teen said with a small smile and encouraging nod as he looked from her and turned his attention towards the front.

Persephone Dashiell

 

[Persephone Dashiell]

"Well, honestly I came to help and I heard you were gonna be on this trip. So I figured it would be cool to join. Given our last venture which was solid and interesting. Why not venture out and have another, I could help you." The teen said with a small smile and encouraging nod as he looked from her and turned his attention towards the front.

Persephone looked at the boy. Her eyes narrowed slightly. Something was off. Alarm bells were going in her head, especially the last two lines. It was odd for him to say such a thing. Persie hadn't known many of the interns to pick their own assignments. Although it may make some sense to cater to their interests. Really ensure they wanted to remain with the company and foster a passion.

Yet....

"Did my parents pay you to come with me?" A small pause. "How much?"

It wouldn't be the first time. All of her friends were handpicked for her. Events carefully chosen.

 

[Kiran Arlos]

"Did my parents pay you to come with me?"

"How much?"

"What?" Kiran asked as he looked back over to her. "No, no one paid me anything. I'm here because I want to be." Kiran seemed a bit confused as her question and he shook his head.

"This isn't like that. And I wouldn't do that. I know we had a rocky start, but I truly would like to be your friend. I want to get to know you better." Kiran said with a calm and easy demeanor. As he looked forward again, and he wasn't sure if she should just tell her what happened, what better way to start the path of being friends than with the straight honest truth.

No matter how ugly it was?

"What can I tell you to have you believe me?"

Persephone Dashiell

 

[Persephone Dashiell]

"You're in the internship program, so technically you are getting paid to be here. However....I was speaking more on a 'bonus' type of level, hence the questions of if my parents had sent you."

Persephone didn't quite believe his answer. It was possible he was paid well to cover his tracks. Blue eyes looked him up and down, silently judging. Kiran Arlos had a story about being on the run or a runaway or something similar. Was it possible he was of a noble class in disguise? Son of a merchant? Adopted ward of a Duke? He didn't quite move like one. Not like she was used to. Yet he could be new to his role in a family, much like she was not too long ago.

I know we had a rocky start, but I truly would like to be your friend. I want to get to know you better.

"So you're being weird and stalking me? I'd much prefer for you to be paid to be my friend."

 

[Kiran Arlos]

"You're in the internship program, so technically you are getting paid to be here. However....I was speaking more on a 'bonus' type of level, hence the questions of if my parents had sent you."

"So you're being weird and stalking me? I'd much prefer for you to be paid to be my friend."

It was safe to say that Kiran wasn't sure what to say anymore. Either this girl was extremely guarded, or she was being a jerk just to be a jerk. Kiran let out a small sigh as he shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. "Yes, getting paid to be here, but not be here with you. There are countless others things I could be doing with my time. I'm choosing to be here with you because I want too....."

Kiran voiced as calmly as he could, yet he was getting a tad bit flustered and frustrate. As he tended to get when he was telling the truth about things yet they didn't believe him.

"I'm not being weird, and I'm not stalking you. I just don't have anyone else." Kiran reached into his datapad and he brought up a picture of his family. "I once had a family. A father, mother, and siblings, a few years ago they were taken from me in the worst sort of ways. They were murdered, and their killer wasn't found. I went out of my way, to find them, all that were involved. And I killed them, to avenge my family."

Kiran let out a frustrated sigh, as he was disappointed it had to come to this, but what did he expect.

"That's why for all intents and purposes I am on the run and why I can't go home. I don't care if you don't believe me now. You've proven to be as ignorant as they were on Corellia." Kiran stormed off, walking down the hallway. He rubbed his hands together as he moved into the lounge area, luckily a few people were leaving and it was just him in their now. He shook his head, as the thoughts of his family started to swirl back into his mind again. The young teen paced back and forth for a moment, in a fit of anger he punched the cabinet door, breaking it in half.

"Oh chit...." He whispered through gritted teeth, his hand hurt like hell and was starting to bleed. He started to pick up the pieces and put them two the side.

"Stupid, stupid....." Kiran whispered as he ran his hand under the sink for a few moments, the cool water washing away the blood. Yet the cut was still bleeding as he reached for a towel to cover it, applying pressure.

Persephone Dashiell

 

[Persephone Dashiell]

As Persie looked at the picture of the family, her brow furrowed a bit. Not at the smiling, happy faces in the still holoimage but more the story Kiran Arlos was weaving. Finding the killers of one's family was logical and to be expected. That wasn't the issue. What Kiran said about being on the run struck her. If he had went and killed everyone involved in his family's murder, then there was little sense of being on the run. As in, there was no one left to run from if they were all dead.

"Sorry, I-"

Yet before she could question in terms of what happened, the teenager was up and having a fit, declaring she didn't believe him. Persephone did believe the story, but it seemed in this moment it wouldn't make much of a difference. His mind had been made up. That was when Kiran got up and left for the lounge. Persephone was not quick to follow. If there was one thing she hated more than pirates it was a man with a temper tantrum. Persie had seen enough black eyes on her Mama to know she would never entertain such a notion.

Hearing the crack, the teenager waited a moment before getting up, slowly moving to see what was broken. Only to come upon the sight of the teenage bleeding. Eyebrow perked, looking as if the boy had gotten a taste of his own medicine. Metal bulkheads tended to be an unforgiving opponent.

"You done?"

 

[Kiran Arlos]

"You done?"

"For the most part...." Kiran spoke without looking back to her. He already knew who it was and well perhaps to avoid the look of embarrassment he didn't turn around yet.

"Sorry about the outburst." He spoke finally turning around to face her. "My anger gets the best of me sometimes." He shrugged his shoulders and moved to take a seat near the table and sat down. More importantly he was just happy that she knew now.

Persephone Dashiell

 

[Persephone Dashiell]

"Clearly."

Which is all she would state on the subject. Besides, they had more important things to handle in this moment. Such as waiting quietly before emerging from hyperspace in order to find the coordinates needed on Thule. Although it was unclear if they would find what was needed on either planet. Or even this sector.

THULE

Hours later they emerged from hyperspace, the dry and arid planet of Thule. A former Sith stronghold, everything in orbit remained quiet. Sensors didn't indicate any hostile vessels just yet. As they emerged from hyperspace, Persephone went towards the bridge of the exploration vessel. Piloting droids were at work taking in coordinates and measurements of the surrounding atmospheres. As that was occuring, they were incrementally moving closer towards the planet.

Landing would be in short order.

Persephone was certain there would be no lost Moross library here. Quite anti-Sith, she couldn't see it being built unless it was a major 'fuck you' to spite the group. Yet a dangerous one. If Sith were to take the planet over again there would be no way to save valuable information. Yet they would still land and poke around.

"Sensors indicate a spaceport. Landing sequence enabled."

Landing was just as important as gathering mapping information. How big the starport was and how much weight and cargo it could handle would be critical for Arceneau Trade.

Kiran Arlos​