Private Unscheduled Maintenance

[Acier Moonbound]

O R D- M A N T E L L- C I T Y
O R D- M A N T E L L
M I D- R I M

O u t f i t: Mechanic Outfit​

The midday sun on Ord Mantell was a dull smear behind clouds and industrial haze, casting everything in a faint amber tint. The repair shop sat wedged between a run-down droid broker and a half-shuttered noodle stand, its sign flickering with a faulty backlight that buzzed when the wind hit right.

Inside, the air smelled of solder, dust, and oil baked into the walls. Sparking wires dangled from ceiling fixtures like metal vines, and half-gutted speeders and droids cluttered the space in various states of disassembly. It wasn't glamorous, but it was steady. Ace was right at home.

Ace was crouched beside the sparking repulsor plate, hydrospanner in one hand, elbow deep in carbon buildup. He squinted under the dim shop light, voice dry.

"Dotty, I need the torque clamp. Not the fusion cutter. The torque clamp."

A metallic clink came from behind him, followed by a high-pitched warble of protest as D4-TY waddled up, dragging a completely different tool. Again.

"No, that's a power coupler. Why do you even have that? Put it down. Gently--Dotty, no--"

The tool hit the floor with enough force to rattle the crate Ace was working on. He sighed, shaking his head and wiping his hand on his pants, looking at her with half a grin.

"You realize you're just making up for personality with chaos, right?"

Dotty emitted a series of beeps that sounded far too smug for a machine without a mouth. Ace chuckled despite himself and finally reached around to grab the clamp manually.

"If I get electrocuted because you wanted to be funny, you're paying my medical."

Dotty gave a chirp that might've been agreement, or a laugh. Honestly, Ace couldn't tell anymore. Dotty meant well but more often than not, had no idea what she was doing. Other times, he was unsure if she was just intentionally trying to make his life difficult out of some misplaced sense of entertainment.

Either way, she was the closest thing Ace had to a friend while on Ord Mantell. She was a pit droid belonging to the shop owner and Ace's boss - an Anzellan named Gribbo Tekk. Yes, the irony wasn't lost on him that he was taking orders from someone he dwarfed several times over.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers

The sound of the Sabercrest's engines came low and rough as it pulled into the alley beside the shop, sputtering slightly with each throttle like it was struggling to catch its breath. Valery eased off the bike with a quiet sigh, boots touching down on the oil-stained duracrete. The speeder's right stabilizer groaned in protest as it tilted slightly, smoke still hissing faintly from where the paneling had been scorched.

She muttered something under her breath and gave the chassis a light kick.

"Don't look at me like that," she said to the bike, as if it were sulking. "You're the one who decided to eat a boulder at full speed." With one last glance at the bent stabilizer, Valery stepped through the narrow doorway into the shop. The scent of scorched wires and engine grease hit her instantly, followed by the soft whine of servos and the sound of tools clinking in practiced rhythm.

She found him crouched over a sparking plate, grease on his sleeves, sarcasm already in the air. And Dotty, chirping proudly like she'd just solved galactic peace.

Valery leaned her shoulder against the doorframe, arms crossed and brow raised.

"Tell me you're not letting her near anything explosive again," she said dryly, nodding toward the pit droid. Her expression softened just a touch.

"Hey, Ace."

She stepped forward, glancing around the shop as she walked. "My speeder took a hit during the last mission. Stabilizer's shot, rear intake's rattling like it's got a mynock stuck in it, and the whole left side smells like something melted. Think you can take a look?" She paused beside him, giving Dotty a look that was almost conspiratorial.

"And maybe keep your assistant from reenacting a fireworks show."

Valery turned back to Ace, her tone lighter now.

"I also figured it was time I checked in on you. You know. Make sure Ord Mantell hasn't swallowed you whole."

Acier Moonbound ​

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Ace didn't look up right away. Not at the voice. Not at the speeder still ticking and hissing in the alley. Not even at the remark about Dotty and explosives.

He just muttered without turning, tightening the last bolt on the sparking plate. "She only blown up one thing this week. Progress."

Dotty gave a high-pitched, self-satisfied chirp and spun in a little circle before bumping into a fuel canister with a hollow clonk. Ace exhaled through his nose.

"Progress pending, actually."

When he finally turned toward the doorway, his gaze met Valery's and for just a second, the workshop didn't feel so loud. She leaned against the frame like she owned the space, arms crossed, eyebrow arched. He offered her a friendly smile, something he still wasn't used to doing yet.

"Hey, Val."

He wiped his hands on a grease-stained cloth and nodded once, slow. A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "You really trust me with your speeder? My boss charges extra for Jedi customers."

She stepped inside, her eyes already scanning the workshop like she was checking for signs of sabotage. Honestly? Fair. Ace squatted beside a crate, popped it open, and started fishing through a tray of parts.

"Rear intake's rattling, left side smells like burnt polysteel, stabilizer's shot..." he echoed from memory. "Sounds like you were in a warzone." He looked up. "You sure a relic like you can handle anymore firefights?" he teased.

Dotty waddled toward Valery, photoreceptor reflecting up at her with what Ace swore was artificial innocence.

"Careful," he said, tone dry. "She'll follow you home if you give her too much attention. She's as loyal as a tooka."

Then, after a moment passed, something quieter slipped through:

"Didn't think I'd see you again." He didn't say it like a complaint "Can't say I'm not unhappy to be wrong though."

He stood and grabbed a tool from the wall, rolling his shoulder as he walked toward the busted stabilizer outside. As he passed Valery, his voice dropped slightly still casual, but something a little more honest edged through:

"Thanks. For checking in. Ord Mantell's fine. Quiet. A lot more quieter than Denon, at least."

Then he stopped mid-step for a brief moment. glancing at her.

"Are you okay, though? You been keeping safe out there? The state of that speeder's got me thinking you haven't." he said, masking his concern with humor.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers

Valery grinned when he mentioned his boss charging extra. "Ace, come on," she said, stepping over a cluster of parts on the floor. "You'd give a discount for a friend, right? Especially one whose ride is currently coughing smoke in your alley." She arched a brow at him, half daring him to say otherwise, though the amusement in her tone gave her away. She didn't really expect special treatment, but it was too easy not to mess with him a little.

When he echoed her description of the damage, she rolled her eyes. "It wasn't a warzone, exactly. More like a very angry canyon. With rocks that didn't like me and people chasing me with weapons." She paused and gave him a sideways glance. "And yes, I can still handle myself. I might be ancient in Jedi years, but I'm not ready for retirement yet."

Dotty's arrival earned a faint chuckle. Valery crouched slightly and offered the little droid a pat on the head. "Don't worry, I won't bring you home. Not unless you swear off explosives. I have children at home who are dangerous enough with them." She straightened just as Ace walked past, catching that quieter note in his voice. Her expression shifted subtly.

"Here I am," she said with a smile. "I wouldn't miss this for anything."

When he asked if she was okay, her smirk returned, though this one had a faint edge behind it. "I'm never quite safe," she said, brushing a bit of dust from her sleeve. "But I manage. Comes with the job." She let that sit for a second, then stepped up beside him, eyes on the speeder just visible through the door.

"And honestly? It's kind of nice to drop into a place that isn't exploding. Even if Dotty is a walking hazard." A pause. Then, gently, with a small smile, "It's good to see you, Ace."

Acier Moonbound ​

 

[Acier Moonbound]

O u t f i t: Mechanic Outfit​

Ace shook his head at Valery's calrification. As if tumbling through a canyon with people trying to kill you was that much better than a warzone. Part of him felt like a doting father, or a doting... something upon feeling disapproval toward Valery's extracurricular activities. Well, if he had wanted to become a Jedi before - all hope of that had been squashed if this is what he was to expect of the lifestyle.

Or, maybe, Valery was an anomaly. After all, she was born in a whole 'nother time period. She clearly wasn't your average Jedi.

"You wouldn't miss this for anything?" he echoed "Your standards must be really low. Don't you have more interesting people to hang out with?" Ace half-teased. Dry wit was his go-to defense mechanism, but also, while he appreciated seeing Valery again - he genuinley struggled to understand why she'd bother go out of her way to see him again.

He sighed. In the short time they came to know each other, Ace had developed a fondness for Valery - and with it, now came concern for her wellbeing. Her answer of 'never being quite safe' stirred a sense of uncomfortability in him. He didn't doubt her skill, he knew she had an entire army of Jedi behind her, and she'd probably survived worse. But, this feeling... of worrying about someone else, it was weird. He didn't like it, at all.

"It's... good to see you too." it almost sounded like a lie with how uncomfortable he sounded saying it, but in fact the discomfort meant the opposite.

Ace headed outside the door, eyes locked on the speeder just outside of it. The speeder sat there like a sulking animal, still ticking softly, its scorched plating catching the light in all the worst ways. Ace approached it with a faint grimace, like it had personally offended him.

"You weren't kidding…" he muttered under his breath, crouching beside the stabilizer and running a hand along the warped durasteel. The heat damage was obvious, but it was the rattle coming from the rear intake that really made him wince. "Blow air on this karkin' thing and it'll fall apart."

He pried open the side panel and was immediately greeted with the acrid smell of burnt wiring. Smoke curled lazily from inside. Dotty beeped cheerily and waddled into view, already dragging a battered crate of tools behind her. Ace took a hydrospanner without comment and got to work, slipping back into the rhythm that had kept him afloat these last few months.

"I been meaning to ask you..." he added after a few moments of quiet working "It's been bugging me ever since we met. You have to tell me more about this whole 'Jedi out of time' thing." his tongue poked out slightly, eyes steadily focused on the repairs "Like, where were you from? What was it like? How old are you really?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers

Valery chuckled, her arms folding lightly as she leaned a little against the doorway. "Helping someone is easy. You offer support, you show up, you do the work. But knowing if it mattered takes something else. You have to look back sometimes, even if it's a little uncomfortable. Otherwise, how do you really know if it made a difference?"

She watched as Ace crouched beside the speeder, tools already in hand. Her speeder was a mess, no denying it. The smoke, the rattling, the groan of warped metal... it all made her wince a little. But there was something reassuring about seeing him work. It gave her the confidence that it would turn out all right.

She stepped a little closer and tilted her head when he asked his question. The grin that followed was playful. "Were you really never taught not to ask a woman her age?" she teased, brow lifting in mock offense.

But then she laughed and gave him a proper answer. "I was born in 3631. Before the Battle of Yavin," she said, then paused. "So, yeah. That makes me old. Very old. These days, they call it the Old Republic era. Back then, it was just... life. Jedi and Sith everywhere, whole systems on the edge of war."

Her gaze lingered on the horizon for a second. Then she looked back at him and smiled again.

"Now here I am, standing in your alley, watching you fix my poor abused speeder. Time is funny like that."

Acier Moonbound ​

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Ord Mantell - Ord Mantell City

Equipment:
Mechanic Outfit

Acier nodded "I hear you. That makes sense." he agreed. Someone like Val? It totally sounded like something she'd do. Checking in on the little guy every so often.​

​

Ace's connection to the Force had grown since the two met, his gift of picking up on emotions - even small ones, seemed to be his most promising. The young mechanic could feel a faint ripple of distress from Valery. He smirked to himself. It didn't take a genius to know why.​

​

"Don't sweat it." he chuckled lightly "She's gonna be fine."​

​

As Ace listened to Valery tell him what her time was like, he continued as he adjusted a loose housing bracket. Acier scoffed in disbelief when he heard her mention she was born over 3000 years Before the Battle of Yavin. Even the Battle of Yavin was something he'd only learned about recently thanks to Aadihr Lidos - it was a crazy galaxy he lived in.​

​

However, part of him felt a little sad for Valery. All the people she knew and cared for from back then, they were all gone. Being from a whole other era, and now living your life away from all you knew? Wasn't that... hard? These thoughts prompted him to ask her himself:​

​

"You say that so casually though. That was your home, right? Don't you miss it?" his eyes were still focused on the speeder.​

​

A soft spark jumped as he nudged a fusion spanner into place, muttering something under his breath when it slipped. He reached blindly for a hydro-clamp, Dotty passed it toward him, uncharacteristically helpful of her. He proceeded to lock it in.​

​

Ace continued "I couldn't imagine, everyone I ever knew. Gone. Then it's just me, alone in this new galaxy. How did you... how'd you cope?"​

​

He gave the final clamp a twist, and the panel hissed slightly as it settled back into alignment. It wasn't perfect, but it was definitely better than it was.​

​

Ace sat back on his heels, grease smudging the side of his cheek where he'd wiped his wrist. His eyes flicked toward Valery, a little hesitant now that the question had left his lips. For all his sarcasm and snark, the truth was: he wasn't sure he could have coped the way she had.​

​

"I guess I'm just wondering..." he added, quieter now "If you ever stopped feeling like a stranger in it all..."​

​

It hit him, for all these months he still wasn't much closer to finding out who his parents were, where he came from... who he was. He felt like a stranger to himself.​

​

"...'Cause I don't think I have."​

​

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers

Valery's gaze softened as she listened, her arms loosening at her sides while Ace worked. The question wasn't unexpected, but it still took her a moment to form a reply. She turned her head slightly, looking toward the edge of the alley where sunlight filtered down through narrow buildings.

"I did miss it," she said softly. "For a while, I couldn't think about the past without feeling that... pull. That ache. Everything I knew was gone, everyone I trained with, fought beside, laughed with. The shock of waking up here was like having the ground torn out from under me."

She let out a slow breath, remembering the first days. The confusion. The weight of being alone.

"But then I went back to the place I was raised. The old Enclave. I thought maybe seeing it would give me some sense of direction, or peace. Instead, I found ruins.Dust where memories used to live." Her voice grew quieter for a second. "But I wasn't alone there. I had met Kahlil in the city before traveling to the Enclave. A stranger, but he saw how lost I was and chose to stay. To help."

A faint smile tugged at her lips now. It reached her eyes, warm and distant.

"Now, he's my husband. We built something together. A life. A family. And that, more than anything else, is what made me feel like I wasn't a stranger anymore. Like I was exactly where I was supposed to be."

She glanced back at Ace.

"It doesn't mean it stopped hurting. But the pain became something I could carry. And it led me here. To you. To all of this. Sometimes... that has to be enough."

Her gaze lingered for a second longer before flicking down at the speeder. A smirk returned to her face.

"Looks like you gave this thing a second chance too. Not bad, Ace."

Acier Moonbound ​

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Ord Mantell - Ord Mantell City

Equipment:
Mechanic Outfit

In the moment it took for Valery to answer, Ace wondered if he had went too far. Pushed too much. This was only their second time meeting and he was already prying into her 3000 year old past? He may as well had asked her what her first kill was like - assuming she had.​

​

The temporary spiral was short-lived once she began to answer. It was what he'd expected, the first half at least. He could feel his chest tighten and feel heavy at the same time. It really must have been a horrible thing to experience - your entire life just gone in what must have felt like a night's sleep. Not only that, just waking up to a galaxy you no longer recognized.​

​

Ace parted his lips, to tell her he was sorry, but nothing came out. But he wouldn't need to. Val went on to reveal that after she'd woken up, she would meet the man she'd marry, start a family, build a whole new life for herself. Made her suffering, her pain, all worth it in a way. He smiled to himself after hearing that.​

​

He smiled quietly, looking down at the stabilizer unit in his hand. With a twist of the hydro-clamp, he locked the final bracket into place. The soft click echoed in the small alley like a period at the end of a sentence.​

​

He turned to her, meeting her fiery gaze. Softly, he said:​

​

"I'm glad you made it work. And, for what it's worth? Glad I met you too."​

​

It gave him hope in a way. If Valery could build something for herself after losing her entire life, maybe he could too. Whatever that life will be though, was a mystery.​

​

Then he stood, brushing off his hands on the rag tucked at his hip.​

​

"Hey, if there's one thing I'm good at. It's fixing things that break." Ace flashed her a cocky grin "So, we taking this for a test run or not?"​

​

Dotty beeped enthusiastically, jumping up and down slightly. She turned to Valery and nodded repeatedly and aggressively. Looks like she wanted to come too.​

​

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers

Valery arched an eyebrow at the grin he flashed her, the edges of her own mouth tugging upward in response. Whatever weight had been there before, it had settled.

"I would say after all that work, it would be a shame not to," she said, her voice carrying a note of amusement. "Besides, you promised me a smooth ride. Time to see if you were bluffing."

She stepped around to the side of the speeder and ran a hand lightly along the newly aligned panel. The frame still bore signs of its former damage, but it had been stabilized. Her gaze flicked down at Dotty and she let out a small laugh. "Alright, alright. You can come too. But if this thing starts sparking again, I'm blaming both of you."

With a light motion, Valery swung a leg over and settled into the seat behind the controls, then looked back at Ace.

"You ready, Ace? Let's see what this thing can really do."

Acier Moonbound ​

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Ord Mantell - Ord Mantell City

Equipment:
Mechanic Outfit

Ace gave an exaggerated sigh as he placed his tools back in the toolbox, handing it to Dotty and then gesturing for her to take it back inside. Then he turned to face Valery, playfully shaking his head and tutting.​

​

"Oh, ye of little faith. I put my blood, sweat, and probably a little spinal fluid into fixing your ride, and all I get is shade and threats of blame."​

​

Still, the smirk didn't leave his face. He stepped up beside the bike, running a hand over the stabilizer casing with a mechanic's pride.​

​

"You know, this is a hell of a speeder. SVT-36 Sabercrest, right?" He whistled low. "Advanced repulsorlift array, high-output engine block, modular hardpoint system… this thing was built to move. If this is one of the perks of being a Jedi... I might reconsider things." ​

​

His gaze flicked toward Dotty, who had returned. Still visibly excited, she made her way to Valery's speeder and clambered on to her shoulder. As if it was her birthright. Ace glared at her playfully, pointing and shaking his finger at her.​

​

"You heard her, Dot. One spark and we're both scrap."​

​

Dotty beeped a cheerful tone that Ace chose to interpret as "I accept my fate." With a small hop, he slid behind behind Valery and waited for her to flick the ignition switch. When she did, the speeder would purr to life. Low, clean, smooth, and no hitches or no whines.​

​

Realizing he'd need to hang on, Ace, after some deliberation - awkwardly wrapped his arms around her waist. Ace leaned in slightly, just enough to be heard over the hum. His voice dipped into something between confidence and mischief.​

​

"Alright, Grandmaster Jedi. Wow me."​

​

Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers

Valery tilted her head slightly at his comment, the smirk tugging at her lips returning in full. "It's not a Jedi perk," she said, flicking a switch on the console as lights flickered to life. "It's a husband perk. He's the one who commissioned it." She gave the controls a gentle pull and listened to the hum of the engine settle into a steady rhythm.

"Though," she added, glancing back at him, "He also kind of wrecked my last one, so really, it evens out." She felt him shift behind her, arms wrapping around her waist. Only once he had settled in did she let her grin widen.

"Hold on, mechanic."

Her fingers tightened on the controls and, without warning, she launched the speeder forward.

The engine responded exactly as promised. Vlean, smooth, and powerful. No sputters, no drag, and no more issues. Just speed as they cut across the open stretch ahead like the machine had never been touched by damage at all.

She laughed over her shoulder, wind pulling at her hair as the city blurred past them.

"What do you think?"

Acier Moonbound ​

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Ord Mantell - Ord Mantell City

Equipment:
Mechanic Outfit

Ace didn't even get the chance to make a sarcastic comment about husbands and exploding speeders before the world turned into a blur. The moment the speeder jolted forward, his arms instinctively tightened around Valery's waist and he pressed his cheek into her back. After a few moments he relaxed, pulling away and taking in the sights, a low, surprised chuckle escaped him.

"'Kay! Guess we're doing this!"

The wind ripped past his face as buildings stretched into streaks of light and motion. But the ride? Smooth. Silky smooth. It purred like a wild thing just barely leashed, fast, tight, responsive. Ace could feel the craftsmanship, feel the way his own tweaks were holding up under the strain, and it lit something in his chest. He grinned, a wide, genuine grin that he didn't realize he was wearing until Valery shouted back at him.

"What do I think?" he called out over the wind. "I think I need to get your husband to buy me one of these!"

He leaned slightly to the side, letting himself ride the motion. Not as a passenger, but as a mechanic feeling the life of the machine he'd mended. After a moment, he said, a little quieter:

"…Real talk? She runs like a dream." then, because he couldn't help himself: "What'll it take to get you to let me drive this one day?"

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Outfit: Jedi Jumpsuit
Weapons: Blasters | Lightsabers

Valery laughed, the sound carried by the wind as the speeder banked gently into a wide curve. She glanced over her shoulder just enough to catch the look on his face and grinned.

"Is that your way of asking for the keys?" she called out, teasing in her tone.

The speeder surged forward a bit more before she eased off, letting it level out across a long, open stretch of land. With a quick shift of her hands, she slowed the vehicle and brought it into a hover.

She turned in her seat to face him, one brow lifted.

"You want to drive?" she asked, the grin never quite fading. "Because I'll let you. But only if you actually know how to steer one of these things. No stalling, no frying the repulsorlift, and definitely no crashing into anything valuable. That includes me."

Valery scooted forward just enough to make room.

"So?" she prompted, eyes glittering. "You in?"

Acier Moonbound ​

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Ord Mantell - Ord Mantell City

Equipment:
Mechanic Outfit

Ace blinked at her. "Wait, seriously?"​

​

For a second, he looked like someone just handed him a lightsaber and told him to go nuts. But then he caught himself, cleared his throat, straightened his posture, and leaned back like he hadn't just lit up like a streetlamp.​

​

"I mean... obviously." He scoffed, playing it cool. "I am a mechanic, y'know. These things practically talk to me."​

​

Ace had experience driving speeder bikes before, this shouldn't be a problem... 'cept maybe that the Razorcrest was maybe a hundred times faster than your standard speeder.​

​

He slid forward to take the controls, hands hovering just above them, but hesitated briefly as Valery shifted behind him. There was a slight pause, just enough for him to register her presence at his back. All of it. Ace sat up a little straighter. Maybe too straight.​

​

"…Y'know, no pressure," he muttered, awkwardly clearing his throat, "but uh… you're kinda right there. Just… being very Jedi about it."​

​

He didn't elaborate. He didn't need to. The faint pink coloring his ears said enough. Shaking it off, he wrapped his fingers around the controls, grateful for the distraction.​

​

With a low hum, the bike responded to his touch. No jolt. No stutter. Just smooth movement, like the machine knew who was at the helm now. The speeder slipped forward, picking up speed as Ace let it glide through the stretch of open terrain. He didn't go full throttle, not yet, but he tested the responsiveness like a musician reacquainting himself with a fine instrument.​

​

"See?" he called over the wind, flashing a glance back that was definitely not aimed too low. "I know what I'm doing." he grinned.​

​

They sped along the outskirts, city lights behind them, sun starting to dip behind distant rooftops. The breeze whipped against his face, strands of white dreads flicking across his brow, and for a moment, everything felt... light. Free.​

​

Ace wasn't sure why, but there was something about this moment felt rare. Like a snapshot in a life that never paused long enough to hold onto things.​

​

"You know," he said over his shoulder, tone casual but sincere, "A guy could get used to this." He smirked again but this time, it was softer. Less of a shield. More of a thank you.​

​

-END-​

Valery Noble​

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