Upon Graceful Wings, We Soar...

[Drystan Marakos]

The overhead lighting burned bright, unceasingly illuminating the entire of the hanger bay - though the dark depths of unknown space lay just beyond, inside Nightshade's hangers was un-ending daylight and activity. Just off the turbolifts, the space opened up, allowing for a number of starfighters & smaller freighters to dock aboard the powerful Jedi Stealth Cruiser. Even at this time, there were a number of ships actively staffed... some being maintained, while others were being cleaned, outfitted, inspected, or even partied upon.

In one lonely corner, somewhat separated from most other ships, was Onyx Squadron's small staging area. There were a number of x-wings, each powerful starfighter lying dormant like ancient bats, and each one quiet... except, it seemed, for one.

Drystan's catlike footfalls were soundless as she peered down the line of starfighters, spying movement as well as hearing a *clang*; it would seem someone was tinkering with their ship... and Drystan had a pretty good guess who.

Quietly, she slipped from between X-Wing fusilage & wing to the next, finding herself walking up on a sight: tools & parts scattered about, with some lying on a dirty tarp. Beneath the x-wing, she spied a pair of feet sticking out. Smirking to herself, the blonde Jedi approached and knelt, watching the figure work, without saying anything.

 

[Allyson Locke]

[SIZE=10pt]There were a few places the Corellian could be easily found and the Hanger was one of them. Down time was rare especially in this day and age. There was a calming feeling for the woman when she found herself elbow deep into the beautiful engine that powered her favorite toy. A pair of ear buds filled her ears with music. Feet bounced to the beat as she tinkered away. It didn’t take long for the Corellian to come up for air, sliding out from underneath the X-Wing, she pulled off the black gloves and tossed them away. Her white tank top showed smudges of oil, the same for her deep navy pants, that hugged everything the right way. Allyson fixed her chestnut brown hair into a ponytail again as she hummed along with the song. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Out of habit, she dusted her hands off against the Corellian blood stripes she wore on nearly everything. The song was ramping up to her favorite part and she bobbed her head as she danced a little – she didn’t expect anyone else to be on this side of the hanger. Grabbing a nearby wrench she used it as a microphone and sang with all the passion she could muster, “Hiiighhwaaaayyy toooooo the danger zone!” The wrench soon became a guitar as she played along and then knelt and continued to be more into the song than anyone should probably be. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Laughing at herself, she untucked the white tank top and used it to wipe the sweat that had been building up on her nose. After she used the only clean part to wipe her face, she pulled at the tanktop fanning herself. All unknowing to her that someone was watching. [/SIZE]

[member="Drystan Marakos"]

 

[Drystan Marakos]

Drystan's hazel eyes were watchful as she spied Allyson's little song & dance, and she couldn't help but suppress a laugh. The musical number was familiar, and she couldn't help but mimic the line to herself - the "guitar" brought a smile to her face and she stepped from concealment, grabbing two wrenches from a nearby workbench and drumming (quite accurately) the drum beat to the song. She was standing in full view, and the loud raucus she created was enough to stir any quiet around them.

When the moment came for Drystan to cease drumming, whatever Allyson's reaction, the blonde-haired vixen would juggle the wrenches for a moment, sending them spiraling into the air like spinning silver, before expertly catching them and putting them down.

"My... don't you look like you're having fun." She would say, with a twinkle in her eye.

 

[Allyson Locke]

[SIZE=10pt]The jam session was a common thing for her, it helped her focus and forget the things that were happening outside of the hanger and her X-Wing. As Drystan revealed herself, the Corellian dropped her wrench and gasped. A hand moved over her chest as she forced a laugh masking her shock at seeing that she wasn’t alone. Pulling the earbuds out of her ears she looked at Drystan and went to wipe her face again. Though, this time she used the back of her hand. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“Ah yeah, I can’t help myself. This is my second favorite place to be.” Allyson smiled and patted the side of her X-Wing. Arms crossed over her chest as she looked around and then back towards the Jedi Knight. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“What brings you out to the hangers at this hour?” [/SIZE]

[member="Drystan Marakos"]

 

[Drystan Marakos]

Drystan had a grin on her face, delighting in Allyson's awkwardness. The jedi gave a soft laugh and leaned against one of the tool-chests beside her...

Which promptly slipped out of the way, rolling on tiny wheels with a metallic creaking sound. Before Drystan even had a chance to respond, she hit the floor with a muffled *Oof*. At that, Drystan immediately started laughing and picking herself up from the floor of the hanger bay.

"Well... Making a fool out of myself, I guess..." She laughed.

"Well, I was just... you know... bored... Decided to come down and see what was happening." She smiled and nodded toward Allyson's X-Wing and the tools & parts strewn about.

"You um... must work down here a lot. My x-wing is just down the row, but I've never been much of a tinkerer." The Sentinel was taking an interest in Allyson's work, seemingly quite curious as she knelt, picking up a random part from the floor and examining it.

 

[Allyson Locke]

[SIZE=10pt]Allyson blinked quickly as the Jedi slipped against the toolbox that wasn’t quite secured. Seeing that the woman was okay, Allyson did her best to stifle a laugh and offer her hand. “Its fine, I tend to make a fool of myself on several occasions. Good to know not all Jedi are the images of absolute grace.” Laughter ensued after her joke, but it was made in good faith. Drystan poked at the parts that laid scattered about. There was an organized mess that only the Corellian could decipher. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“Ahaha, Yeah I’m down here a lot. Its relaxing. Um, machines and technology are comforting to me.” Remembering now that she was connected to the Force like a typical Force user, she was able to explain it much better. “I feel connected to the machines, like Jedi or other Force users are connected to everything else.” Allyson laughed remembering her childhood of talking to the ships. “The buzzing and the life that comes from them feels normal.” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]She knew this was because of her proficiency with Mechu Deru, but beyond her feeling comfortable, machines were easy to understand. They didn’t hide anything, and everything was straight forward. Taking things apart and fitting them back to make improvements or to make them work again eased and calmed the Corellian. “I like to go fast – mmm guess I just like the adrenaline, so I’m always trying to make her faster.” Patting the X-Wing she smiled. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“You should try it sometime, would help with your boredom” Allyson used a wrench to point at Drystan. “How are you liking being back in your own skin?” the Corellian knew what it was like to be undercover and being someone else. It was nice to have another person to talk about these things with, someone other than her usual partner. “You seem to be adjusting well, for the most part.” As she shoved a component into the X-Wing’s open panel, the Corellian gave Drystan a soft smile. [/SIZE]

[member="Drystan Marakos"]

 

[Drystan Marakos]

Drystan joined in laughing at Allyson's joke about ungraceful Jedi, enjoying a chance to laugh at herself. Her leg felt a little sore, her ego less-so. While there were some Jedi in the Galaxy who believed themselves to be a "Chosen One" of some kind or another, she did not. In fact, she sometimes relished the fact that she was, for lack of a better word, expendable. It made many of her darker memories easier to handle.

The Sentinel listened to Allyson explain her connection with Machines, finding it fascinating. "I've... actually never seen or heard of that ability before... A deep connection with machines, to the level that they're "alive" to you. It's... fascinating. I've known some Jedi who commune with animals in ways most others cannot match, but... never machines."

Drystan gave a small laugh, melodic and easy on the ears, as Allyson explained her need for speed. "I can appreciate that... I always got a greater rush from my work, personally, but it seems like you're in your element." Hazel eyes regarded the Correllian pilot with a level of respect and curiousity. Drystan gave a grin, perfect teeth sparkling in the lights of the hanger. "Maybe I will... but you'd have to give me some pointers. I can take apart and put together most weapons in the Galaxy, as well as explosives, Holoprojectors, and Mainframes... but I've never tinkered with a ship."

Drystan had turned her head to survey the organized Chaos strewn about when Allyson asked her "The Question" - For a moment, Drystan seemed to tense up, but immediately relaxed... When those hazel eyes turned back to Allyson, they seemed not only to be watching the woman, but seeing through her... Seeing inside her.

"It's..." Drystan began, before she shifted and stood. "Been a pleasant change, actually. My last two assignments took me places I never thought I'd go, and returning to the Order meant returning to a Galaxy entirely different than the one I'd left." Drystan paused long enough to push a cowling away with her foot, and when she looked at Allyson again, the far-away look was gone. "To be honest, I'm still adjusting... but The order has welcomed me back with open arms, and I'm starting to feel like I'm home."

Drystan took a few steps closer, curious what [member="Allyson Locke"] was doing. "What about you?" She asked, peering inside the small space where the pilot worked. "How long have you been... you?" The small joke was a private one between fellow Shadows such as them; always someone else, and never you.

 

[Allyson Locke]

[SIZE=10pt]Hazel eyes matched Hazel eyes that held scattered blue flakes as Allyson listened to Drystan’s explanation of coming back into the fold. It was nice to hear that she was adjusting well. Back in the SIS there had been terrible stories of agents not being able to come back, they had lost themselves in the field and needed to be released or eased out of it. Some didn’t even return. Allyson remembered a man she had grown close to, he mentored her and he had gone deep into a cartel on Nar Shaddaa. Shuddering, she remembered having to claim his belongings. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]The question was posed back at her. Unlike Drystan, Allyson’s jobs were short and dealt with worlds she had been a part of already. The difference was – Allyson had lost herself. It wasn’t her choice, it was the mission and she got it done. Amnesia was her tormentor as she still found herself finding blanks in her past. All in all, she was mostly herself and had collected her life back – still some faces didn’t make sense to her, but she was able to cope. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Not being the type to completely share her past, she shrugged and busied her hands with the X-Wing. “A few months. I made the move from the Alliance and came to the Silver Rest for a bit.” Looked over at Drystan she smiled and shrugged. “I liked it so much, I worked with Jyoti a lot while with the Alliance – so when she offered me a job it was an easy move.” A soft smile crossed her face as she spoke fondly of the General. She knelt and tucked the panel back onto the engine. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“As for working on machines, I’m always around if you want to tinker a bit, you are right what I do, how the Force speaks to me is pretty different compared to others. It makes things interesting.” Musing over some of what Drystan said, Allyson shrugs “Welcome home by the way.” [/SIZE]

[member="Drystan Marakos"]

 

[Drystan Marakos]

As Allyson explained how she'd come to the Order, Drystan listened curiously. At the mention of Jyoti, Drystan muttered, half to herself, "It certainly seems like she's brought everyone together..."

Drystan could sense her companion was the quiet type... And if she stretched out her senses enough, it was plain to see that Allyson was at war with herself in much the same way Drystan surely was; perhaps in a different manner, but a war just the same.

In their profession, Sacrifice was the of the Highest Order; to gain the power they wielded, to go anywhere & become anyone, an Agent had to be capable of sacrificing everything... including their very own sense of Identity, Morals, personal safety, and mental health. There was no returning to the way "things used to be" once an Agent had earned their stripes - they were required to be fluid, capable of making hard decisions, and of always placing the mission first... To be Selfish as an Agent was to bring down everything. That was why beings such as them suffered so... because their lives had been sacrificed to the Altar of the Greater Good long ago.

Drystan gave a smile, accepting Allyson's attitude purely for what it was; someone just like her, trying to cope as best they could.

"Thanks... I guess I've never really known much of a home. But I'm falling in love with it."

"Can you... explain how you happened upon that particular ability? Working so easily with machines? I have nowhere to be, if you've got the time."

 

[Allyson Locke]

[SIZE=10pt]Allyson once more used her shirt to wipe her face, she wiped her hands on her shirt and then fixed her shirt. Arms cross in front of her as she looked around. It was a moment to practice, so she used the force to pull one of the wheeled stools, stopping it next to Drystan. There was a smile on her face, pleased with herself as she took her own seat and scooted the stool closer to Drystan. She had caught a little of what the woman spoke to herself. There was a reason why she was a good little spy. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]Musing over the question the woman posed, Allyson shrugged. “I’ve always been around ships. I liked watching them fly off.” She didn’t go deep into her past. She disliked thinking about it, the pain felt fresh every time she thought about it. Though very slowly, she began to accept what had happened even if she had thrown something good away. Something that she promised would never happen again. Thinking of her past in a lighter sense, Allyson chuckled, her laughter seemed sincere and playful. The Corellian was always light hearted despite everything, she was unpredictable – but her work spoke for itself. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]“Ah the ships have a voice. They speak to you and they can tell you what’s wrong. They tell you if they want to go fast, slow, there’s a heart and a soul in there.” Allyson looked at her fighter and nodded. “I know my fighter wants to go fast, so I make her fast. She hates being held down, which is why I remove most of the safety features that the crew puts on. They hinder her.” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10pt]The Corellian leaned back slightly as she figured she probably sounded crazy. A hand rubbed her temple and she laughed again. “I sound insane don’t I? [/SIZE]

[member="Drystan Marakos"]