The Heart Line Story [GUIDE | CIS]

[Magdalena Lethe]

She was making her way through the chamber, around the reactor to the power cores on either side. A bright glow determined the charge and functionality of the core - dimmer cores required swapping. Magda made her way to the first fading core plate and began the process of releasing the lock, "I swear sometimes I think the words I say to you go in one ear and right out the other..." she shook her head with a chuckle.

"They're coming from Ceto and meeting us there once they finish up their project with the Crusader's Way. It'll be about a month," lock released, she depressed the switch and pulled on the core - withdrawing the massive battery from its nest, "take out the ones I'm unlocking and load them onto the sled over there? They're too heavy for me to handle right now."

Still didn't have her strength back - not that Magda had been of above average strength to begin with.

"So..." beep boop beep, another core unlocked and pulled open, "you'll be working with Creia like normal to start and you two can develop the proper procedures for the teams for later. I'll be managing the platform teams, which will move in behind you and Creia after you've charted and marked the routes to begin assembling way-stations, platforms, and essential route hazard preventatives. Oh you should see the platforms CETO has developed for us, Izzy. They've implemented their Mynock buoys and our Beacon relays.

Magda was getting excited and nerdy again, which meant a babble-session was about to happen, "...and Atheema is developing a system of interlinking lane expositors that scan and communicate with one another on the status of their sector of the route. It'll automate lane hazard maintenance so things like debris or roving asteroid fields or mynock swarms can be cleared by drones. They'll also be able to relay route emergency signals to the nearest platform operatives so disabled ships can be quickly taken care of ... it's so exciting! We've been testing some of this equipment on Crusader's Way near Ceto and the reports have been very promising. I think we're on the verge of developing something really ...really...mm "

The appropriate word failed her.

 

[Magdalena Lethe]

[member="Mishel Kryze"]

Shelly took a moment before responding to the woman, seeming somewhat taken-aback by the lack of knowledge she had on what was, essentially, a budding partnership between GUIDE and the Confederacy. Perhaps word had yet to filter down through the ranks - CIS was a far larger entity than GUIDE. Word tended to travel a bit faster when there were less ears to fill.

The woman offered a cordial smile but didn't seem to find any humor in Mishel's words, "GUIDE? Well ... GUIDE stands for the Galactic United Information Database Enclave. I am, perhaps, not the best person to give you the pitch - I should think the Founder would do it best. As for the Heartline project, it is a new major hyperlane that GUIDE has partnered with the Confederacy to develop from Kamino out to Sullust. The company I represent is sponsoring the new tech development and creation for the hyperlane. What is it, exactly, that you represent from the Confederacy, Miss...?"

 

[Mishel Kryze]

"Kryze, uh... I'm uh, my sister is the Minister of Commerce and she thought I should be here," Mishel replied to the woman, "and thanks for the explanation or summary thereof, I guess."

The Director was at least upfront with her, the Jedi didn't press for any elaboration on the matter. "New hyperplane, huh? Well, Princess Leia can probably help out I suppose." But they probably had more suitable equipment at the least. Now she wondered if she was the hot seat to escort these guys around. Knowing her sister? Probably. "Sullust! Yes, I know... I know Sullust." A slight cough as she cleared her throat. "Right, so um, do I - I..." What does the Jedi-Not-Jedi-Crafter do with all this? It was definitely a new direction and even then she wasn't entirely sure why Alessandra sent her out other than probably something to do with her pregnancy. Ale wouldn't want to risk anything, and considering Mishel wasn't pregnant or even attempting to be... uh yeah. "I'm basically here to make sure you guys have everything you need, even got a fancy little um keycard around here..." She patted herself down. "Somewhere."

[member="Magdalena Lethe"]

 

[Isaiah Dashiell]

He nodded his head as Mags went on about the systems going into this project. All he knew was that he was there to fly, astrogate, and make sure people didn't die who actually knew what they were doing. He smiled though despite that. It was good to see her excited about anything after the last time he saw her.

"Revolutionary? Great? Amazing? " He shrugged and clapped a hand on her shoulder, still smiling.

"Either way I'm glad you got this thing together. It wouldn't be possible without you."

[member="Magdalena Lethe"]

 

[Magdalena Lethe]

Magda felt a smile stretch into her cheeks at his vocabulary suggestions. She wasn't sure if it was revolutionary per-say, but it was certainly something.

"Thanks," a glance to the hand on her shoulder, for once it wasn't awkward for her, "it's good to have a team and a mission again. I think I've finally figured out what it's all about now...I had some time to gather my thoughts, think about what you said back in the lab."

"And I had some help from a few others in Coalition space..." she briefly bit her lip, cringing in secrecy behind her mask visor, "I ran into Jorus Merrill and helped him patch up his ship."

 

[Isaiah Dashiell]

"I told you he was alive! But youuuu didn't want to belive me! I think you owe me a raise for treating me like a fool at the Bazaar." Izzy crossed his arms and scowled at Mags. Not only had she been gallivanting around the Galaxy without him apparently, but she was also out doing stars know what alone with Jorus Merrill. Well, at least he assumed she had been alone. He pivoted on his heel in mock anger and tapped his index finger on his bicep as if waiting for an apology.

He had a feeling he'd be able to milk this. Maybe guilt her into a slight pay raise? No, no, no that wouldn't do. Maybe she knew the man on a more intimate level now and could get Izzy some super advanced chop shop ship. He'd heard the Wretched Hive made some fast starships. Then the idea of her being that close to him began to make him feel itchy inside and he quashed that thought like a roach. At least he'd been able to finally get in his 'I told you so' after all this time.

"I'll take cash or transfer," he said, nose pointed into the air. Or a date. The thought crossed his mind, but he quashed that too.

 

[Magdalena Lethe]

"Indeed?" Shelly watched the woman, unsmiling, "...well met, Miss Kryze. I am certain the Founder will be most pleased to discuss your role in the project moving forward. If you'll follow me, I'll take you to her."

Shelista folded her datapad and set off to the boarding ramp, leading the way into the GUIDE ship.


~~~

Magda paused as she unlocked another energy core and half-turned to apologize to him ... but instead scoffed.

"A raise? Don't be ridiculous," shifting on her heel, she turned to face him fully, planting a hand on her hip and gesturing towards his back, "First, as I recall, you were the one that guzzled down that bottle of vodka in the 5-star restaurant, caused a scene and irrepairably embarrassed me in front of a highly-respected GUIDE sponsor and every other potential sponsor within five hundred meters."

Did he just happen to forget about that? Maybe he had been too drunk to remember. Ffff.

"Second, you already got a raise with your promotion - effective once the other team arrives next month. Third, I can't afford to give you another raise, we're running on fumes financially as it is. If it weren't for-"

Shelly, presently standing before Isaiah, cleared her throat from the doorway.

Magda, who couldn't see Shelly through Izzy's larger figure, scowled, "Don't ahem me, Isaiah Dashiell, you know damn well what sort of hole GUIDE is in right now-"

"Miss Lethe," Shelly spoke up, "a representative of the Confederacy is here to speak with you."

[member="Isaiah Dashiell"] [member="Mishel Kryze"]

 

[Mishel Kryze]

Mishel fought the urge to correct her that it was Missus, but she let it slide and followed the Director.

She quietly looked around and surveyed the fringes, where the actual natives lived. They were still surrounded by construction equipment and what passed for favelas here, shanty towns abound. The smell of noodle bars, accompanied by the aroma of various broths and pit meat stands arrived to tease those here. It all seemed to fade behind the not-so-Jedi, Jedi as she followed up the boarding ramp and to the GUIDE Ship. Mishel started to look around the place as the Director quietly cleared her throat, but between the conversation and the man's lumbering form it may have been hard to hear or even see the woman. Then, Director Shelly as it were made her presence known and referred to a, Miss Lethe.

"Hi," Mishel said matter-of-factly, "names Mishel Kryze, sent here by Minister [member="Alessandra Creed"] to uh, help, or um, yeah - help. I guess."

[member="Magdalena Lethe"] | [member="Isaiah Dashiell"]

 

[Isaiah Dashiell]

Sponsor? What sponsor was she talking about? There were a lot of things he didn't remember about that night, but he would have remembered something...THAT important. He hoped at least. Wait, did she mean the tadpole? She was starting to get audibly upset at his joke and he needed to defuse the situation fast. He turned to face her, his arms open in what he hoped was a friendly gesture.

"You mean the tadpole? Nah, he was fiiiiine!" He winced. Maybe that wasn't the best thing to have said. Luckily Shelly spoke up before things got too serious. She used his full name. When was the last time she did that? Either way there was someone new being added to the team, someone from the Confederacy.

He stepped away from that particularly sticky situation and stepped in front of Mishel. She looked...capable, easy on the eyes, and not like she was about to bit his head off.

"Hi, Commander Isaiah Dashiell," he puffed out his chest a little when he through in the rank title. It sounded right, but he had no idea if that was even the proper rank he had now. "I'm leading one of the teams on this expedition of ours. Good to meet you miss..." he let the sentence trail off to let her finish it for him and put out his hand for her to shake.

[member="Mishel Kryze"] [member="Magdalena Lethe"]

 

[Magdalena Lethe]

"What?! Don't call him that! He's a Sponsor-" and then Izzy turned his back on her which, ooohhhhh was she being tested on patience today. Magda gave a short pause at the sound of Shelly's voice and the announcement of a Confederacy Representative. Shet.

The GUIDE Founder's hands twitched upwards to brush through what would have been her hair except she didn't have any and, oh yeah, she was stuck in an enviro-suit. They settled on awkwardly straightening the hood over her head instead and pressed herself bodily forward around Izzy's side to interject, "Ah-Senior Pathfinder," she forcibly corrected him, swatting over her shoulder at his puffed-out chest, "the Fleet Commander is Captain Ra of the Beacon of Broadcast at Ceto."

Shelly maintained a deadpan stare at the both of them, visibly resisting the urge to roll her eyes as Izzy regrettably informed the entire room that he'd not been listening at all when [member="Mishel Kryze"] introduced herself with her name.

"Kryze," Shelly filled in for him, "Miss Kryze."

"Welcome aboard Miss Kryze," Magda smiled behind her tinted visor and offered a gloved hand to shake, "I'm Magdalena Lethe, Founder of GUIDE. Very pleased to be working with the Confederacy on this amazing project."