Private Where the Engines Dream

[Nyra Kairo]

Objective: Show of the Drift
Location: Spaceport, Dantooine
Outfit: Carnival outfit
Tag: Saul Whesai

The sounds of the carnival faded with every step. Music dissolved into little more than distant echoes carried on the cool Dantooine breeze, replaced instead by the quieter rhythm of the spaceport after dark. Landing lights blinked across the duracrete, cargo loaders moved lazily between freighters, and the occasional ship lifted into the stars with a low, thunderous rumble.

Nyra walked a half step ahead, still riding the high of the evening. Every so often she caught herself bouncing slightly before forcing herself to slow down, only for the excitement to creep back moments later. The Matsu Ike plushie was tucked under one arm while her other hand held Saul's, fingers loosely intertwined.

"So..." She glanced back over her shoulder, a grin already forming. "I may have oversold this a little." The grin immediately widened. "...Actually, no. I definitely oversold it."

A soft laugh escaped her. "The Drift's fast—really fast—and I've customized her a lot. She might not stand up to military-grade ships, but she's impressive." She hesitated just a fraction, her smile turning a touch sheepish. "My actual engineering knowledge, though... that might be the part I oversold. But only because I really, really like showing people ships."

She stopped beside one of the larger landing pads where her freighter rested beneath the floodlights. The Kairo Drift looked every bit like a ship that spent far more time crossing the galaxy than sitting in pristine hangars. The hull bore the scars of years of travel beneath its distinctive white, magenta, and bronze paint scheme, the panels broken up by sponsor logos and Nyra's unmistakable branding. Powerful engines dominated the stern, oversized for a freighter of its class, while upgraded sensors, communications arrays, and countless custom modifications had gradually transformed what had once been an ordinary light freighter into something uniquely hers.

From the outside it wasn't sleek. It wasn't luxurious. It certainly wasn't subtle. It was practical, fast, comfortable, and impossible to mistake for anyone else's. Nyra's expression softened into unmistakable pride. "There she is." For a moment she simply admired the ship herself. "I've filmed aboard hundreds of ships over the years." Her eyes lingered on the familiar hull. "Some prettier than this one. Some newer. Some that probably cost more than entire cities." She smiled to herself. "But this one..."

She looked back toward Saul. "This one's home." She started up the boarding ramp, pausing near the entrance rather than disappearing inside immediately. "I should probably warn you now." One finger lifted dramatically. "I can talk about engines for... probably an unhealthy amount of time." Another finger joined it. "I have opinions about reactor tuning." A third. "And thrust-vector geometry."

She lowered her hand with an embarrassed laugh. "I mean—you're the engineer, so you probably know way more than I do." Her cheeks pinked slightly. "I just... really love this stuff." A brief pause. "So you definitely don't have to pretend to be impressed."

She smiled, a little sheepish. "...Though I might still be a little disappointed if you're not interested." The teasing smile returned before she stepped into the warmly lit interior.

The ship immediately felt lived in rather than merely occupied. The common area balanced comfort with function. A compact galley sat opposite a cozy lounge where camera gear and recording equipment were neatly stowed in custom-built compartments. Shelves displayed travel souvenirs collected from worlds across the galaxy, while soft magenta accent lighting gave the space a welcoming warmth that contrasted with the utilitarian bulkheads. It was equal parts home, office, studio, and transport.

Nyra gently set the Matsu Ike plushie onto one of the lounge seats. "You stay here." She pointed at it with mock seriousness. "No trying to steal the ship."

After giving the plushie a satisfied nod, she looked back toward Saul with a quiet laugh. "I suppose the grand tour should probably start where my priorities clearly are." She gestured toward the corridor leading aft. "The engines." There wasn't even the slightest hesitation. "They're my favorite part."

 

[Saul Whesai]

This woman really didn't tire out. The Cyborg tried his best to keep up while admiring his exictable new partner. Saul was happy that she was this excited, though. It meant that he hadn't disappointed her yet.

When she tried to apologize, Saul held his hand up to stop her as he smiled that big grin of his. "It's okay, I don't mind having any excited tour guide who loves her work, especially a smoking hot one I can kiss at any time". And Nyra was right; her ship certainly was impressive. His eyes couldn't help but look at the massive engines that gave the ship thrust, only wondering what kind of speed they could put out. And his guess was a lot. Everything about this ship seemed to represent her, the colors and logos. Even the engines seemed to match her energy.

Maybe the ship wasn't luxurious, but it certainly knew what it was and what it wasn't. That was something Saul could admire. It was a hot rod that could outrun anything. What caught Saul's attention more was his date saying that she had filmed hundreds of ships. At 22, he wondered how she could have been aboard so many in such a short time. Had she owned all of them? The Cyborg knew this streaming stuff must be profitable for her to be out on her own like this, but not buy a new ship every week profitable. Still, it seemed like their stories were similar in more ways than one.

As Nyra stopped on the ramp, Saul's arms laced around her as she apologized and jabbered on about how they didn't have to share the same interests. Finally, Saul just put a finger to her lips and said, "I love that you're interested in your ship, and I want to hear every rant you can give just because I get to spend time with you. So yes, I'll be interested in your ship's engine output as much as you are." Only after the Cyborg made sure she understood he was happy just to be here with her did he let her go. Saul had to show her the love the Streamer needed after all.

If this was his ship, this is how he would set it up. Except without all the camera equipment and a different shade of mood lighting. "Comfy..." Saul couldn't help but grin as he looked on as she put her plushie in her place. He gently put his Zeltron plush next to it to hers to give it some company. "Have fun you two." As Nyra gestured her way to the engines like a little kid wanting to show offher new toy, the Cybrog just shook his head, chuckling as he let her pull him along. Right now, Saul couldn't think of anything better.

Nyra Kairo

 

[Nyra Kairo]

Objective: Show of the Drift
Location: Spaceport, Dantooine
Outfit: Carnival outfit
Tag: Saul Whesai

Nyra's cheeks immediately warmed at Saul's casual mention of kissing her. A bright giggle escaped before she could stop it. "Oh? So that's how I'll know the tour is getting boring?" She looked back over her shoulder with a mischievous grin. "You'll just interrupt me so we can make out for a little while?" Another laugh followed, light and musical, as she gave his hand a playful squeeze. "I'll have to keep an eye out for that."

She barely had time to recover before Saul's arms settled comfortably around her. The embrace drew an instinctive smile from her lips. It was surprising how quickly it had begun to feel... natural. Comfortable. Like she'd known exactly where she belonged the moment he slipped his arm around her. Then his finger rested gently against her lips. Nyra stopped speaking immediately.

She blinked up at him with wide, innocent brown eyes, patiently listening as he assured her that he genuinely wanted to hear every rambling thought she had about her ship simply because it meant spending more time with her. By the time he finished, her smile had softened into something warmer than before. She nodded once.

"Okay." The single word came quietly, but there was unmistakable happiness behind it. "Then I won't hold back." The grin returned almost immediately. "You might regret saying that after the first twenty minutes."

Inside the ship, she watched Saul carefully place his Zeltron plush beside the Matsu Ike plush. Nyra clasped both hands together against her chest. "Aww..." She giggled. "I hope they don't start conspiring against us." She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the pair. "They've got that look."

With one final amused glance at the stuffed duo, she happily led Saul deeper into the ship. The corridor gradually narrowed as the ambient lighting shifted from the warm comfort of the living space to the cleaner illumination of the engineering section. The steady heartbeat of the engines became more noticeable here—a deep, reassuring hum that resonated gently through the deck plating.

Nyra visibly brightened the moment the engine room came into view. Unlike the rest of the ship, engineering bore the unmistakable signs of constant tinkering. Access panels had been opened and resealed countless times, labels had been neatly replaced with handwritten notes, and several maintenance tools sat organized on a nearby workbench. The massive hyperdrive assembly occupied the center of the compartment while the paired sublight engines stretched aft, surrounded by an intricate web of conduits, cooling manifolds, and power regulators.

She spread her arms dramatically. "My favorite room." There was genuine affection in her voice. "So, officially..." she began, stepping toward one of the engine housings, "...the Drift uses a custom twin-engine configuration built around heavily modified NX-77 drives."

She glanced back at Saul. "They're not the biggest engines you can buy, and they're definitely not military surplus." Her smile widened. "But they're ridiculously efficient." She rested a hand against the polished housing. "I commissioned them from a little engineering company on Brentaal. Tiny operation. They mostly built racing components and experimental civilian engines."

Nyra chuckled. "They thought I was completely insane when I walked in asking for 'the fastest thing that'll still let me haul camera equipment.'" She shrugged innocently. "They did it anyway."

Her fingers lightly traced one of the coolant lines. "They completely redesigned the thrust-vector assemblies, upgraded the cooling systems, and helped rebalance the power distribution so the hyperdrive wouldn't throw a tantrum every time I pushed the sublights."

She looked back toward Saul, smiling with unmistakable pride. "She's still just a freighter." Her hand gave the engine housing a gentle pat. "But she can surprise a lot of ships that think they're faster."