Who Do You Adore?

[Helly Reyne]

As Helly stared far too long at the five-hundred-gallon fish tank embedded in the wall of her hotel room on Zeltros, she contemplated where her life had led her. Being in a band was all she wanted as a kid. Performing in front of thousands gave her a rush like nothing else in the world, more potent than any spice in the galaxy. She loved it. Every minute of it. Every young person she filled with the spirit of rebellion was a victory in her eyes. It was the only reason she ever performed for empires, to let its people know that there was hope for something better even there when it looked too bleak to imagine.

The last thing she wanted was for those same young people to die in vain because she gave them a false hope. And really, that's all her music ever was. False hope and empty promises. She sold that to adolescents like a jewelry vendor sold the promise of beauty.

Her door swung open effortlessly as Freylen burst through. She hadn't even remembered to lock her door when she got there, having already been drinking for an hour. He took one look at Helly, her lifeless body slumped halfway down on her couch with a bottle held loosely in one hand, and he began rubbing his forehead.

"Come on," he said. "Get up. We're playing in half an hour and people are getting worried over at Club Blush." He turned on the overhead lights as Helly strained her eyes to adjust. "What are you drinking?"

"Rum..." she muttered, much to Freylen's chagrin.

"Of course it's rum..." he said to himself. "Of course it's rum. Couldn't have chosen cider today, could you?"

Helly screwed up her face as Freylen raised his voice, holding up a hand in an attempt to get him to quiet down. "Can you not?" she asked all too calmly.

"Not what, Helly? Not what? Try to do my job!? You're holding the rest of us back and you don't even care! And that's fine! It really is! But just give us a goddamn warning first, alright!? Either stand up and move your ass out to the club or give the word and I'll let everyone know that Hartlite is done because its frontwoman chose to be washed up."

Helly stood up, but not to walk out of her room. Instead, she stood herself mere inches away from Freylen, pushing three fingers into his chest as she spoke. "You wanna try being frontman? Go ahead. Come back to me in just one month of being the center of attention. 'Cause you know what comes with attention?" She started laughing desperately, her eyes beginning to redden. "All the degradation, humiliation, and contempt you could ask for. There are hundreds- hundreds of people out there doing whatever they can to ruin me. Forget about the ones who don't like our music. Forget about the ones who don't like me. These people are psychotic and that terrifies me. I've never been so afraid of anything in my life."

"Helly," Freylen interrupted, only furthering her frustration, "we knew what this was going to be. We talked about it as kids for crying out loud. You kept saying over and over that it's fine. You said you understood what this meant and that you'd be okay carrying that burden. You can't get cold feet now, not when we're at our peak. It's not fair to the others and it's not fair to the fans. They love you, Helly. It doesn't matter how many crazies there are in the galaxy, you've got a dedicated fanbase. That goes beyond Hartlite. They're your fans. And right now they're waiting for you to get out there and sing for them."

Running her fingers through her silvery bangs, she backed away from Freylen and exhaled, keeping her lungs empty before taking another breath. "Is the playlist tonight set in stone?"

"It's a little late to make changes," Freylen warned her.

"We open with Adore tonight," Helly demanded, looking Freylen right in the eyes once again. "I won't take no for an answer."

Freylen shrugged. "Then I guess it's not worth arguing."

"We're playing at a club, Frey," she reminded him, "not an amphitheater."

---

"Isn't she xenophobic?"​

"What are they doing on Zeltros?"​

"Is there gonna be a riot here, too?"​

​

It was as if she couldn't hear their whisperings in front of the stage. She expected nothing less, with all of the rumors making the rounds about her. The idea that she would be xenophobic with two non-human band members seemed nothing short of ridiculous to her, but that didn't stop people from somehow believing it. It wasn't even clear who started the rumor in the first place.

"Hello, hello, Zeltros," she said into her mic. The crowd before her was a swirl of pink, both from the lighting and the hue of their skin. Like any show she did, she made a cursory glance at their heads and wondered how many of them had come from off-planet. "Like the new hair?"

The audience cheered, with some going so far as to shout words of approval. It wasn't much, though... She had come to expect a roaring response about anything involving her appearance. Her fans loved when she talked about herself more than she was comfortable with. Regardless, she worked with it. Nothing could ever get her down when she was up there on stage, or at least she would never show it.

"Takes some getting used to, I gotcha," she said with a smile as she began pacing along the edge of the stage. "One thing these wonderful people behind me do best is roll with the punches, and I've thrown plenty at them, I promise you. Hey Helly," she began impersonating, "What are these lyrics about? This doesn't seem like us. I tell them, y'know, music adapts- it evolves. We play it one time and they're all on board. I love it! I show them my new style, and... Not the same reaction! I don't know, I mean I absolutely adore it." She laughed with the audience and looked back to the other members of her band, Freylen, Raska, and Sandoru. Only Raska, the Codru-ji lead guitarist gave her the thumbs up, while the two guys merely looked off into the distance. She knew they had their doubts about the songs she presented to them for their newest album. It was a departure from their norm, softer and more pop, but it was necessary. People already knew punk rock Hartlite. They needed to be introduced to a new side of them.

But that was for a different time. On that night, she needed to stay punk rock.

Raska began playing the intro to Adore as the audience finally gave them the hype she had come to expect. "So tell me, Zeltros- and tell it to me loud-" Helly embraced the mic stand harshly, yelling into it, "Who do you adore!?"

---

[member="Joza Perl"]
[member="Errreembuhr"]

 

[Ayy'Seela]

Ayy didn't get to take much time off in her work; it wasn't typically something that a smuggler would do; go off for a holiday out of the blue, but nonetheless she was getting bored of staring at the walls of her ship or down the barrel of a blaster, while they had their charms it was starting to get dull, and being threatened at gunpoint should never feel dull.

So Ayy decided to take a break, stopping off at Zeltros she looked for things to do on the holonet when she found a concert that was going to happen. Music wasn't typically her thing but crowds and dancing meant a fun night out. She didn't recognize the name of the group, but then again she was always better at ships than bands. She sighed in annoyance as she noticed the tickets were practically sold out. Then again, not the only way to get tickets.

Ayy ended up outside the venue, a club by the looks of it. She waits outside for quite a while, until people started going in, where she waited until her moment came. Finally it happened, some busy looking businesswoman who just suddenly had something else to do. Ayy approached and bought her ticket off her, increased price by 10% of course. And now that was done she walked into the club, nice and early to get a good spot to watch. As the band arrived the lead singer spoke about a new hairstyle and other things that seemed odd to Ayy but probably made sense to the fans. When the music started, Ayy found herself tapping a foot to it as she established a rhythm, swaying her hips to the sound, though still not really getting into the audience participation part.

[member="Helly Reyne"]

 

[Errreembuhr]

Onderon had been a struggle. It had been a very long time since Errreembuhr himself had gotten personally involved in a conflict on the ground, preferring to organize things from a distance. But the war had been brought to him, and it was a rush he hadn't felt in years. Now, though, it was over, and he made his way back to New Plympto, though as soon as he'd seen that Hartlite had a scheduled performance on Zeltros, he ordered a ticket.

While his Coalition credentials would have gotten him special treatment at the spaceport, and likely a meeting with the Queen, he wasn't here on official business, and felt it inappropriate to use his position in such a way. To that end he found his shuttle left under guard, and a discreet ride to Club Blush. Well. As discreet as a Wookiee with a cybernetic chest rig and a droid at his side could be, at least.

"And you say this band is a favorite of the facility workers?" Talus asked as they sat in the taxi speeder, wind whipping through the Wookiee's fur. "I can't say I'm familiar with them."

"That's because you don't often listen to the radio." The Wookiee so missed speaking in his native language, as he often needed to use his translation device when in the presence of his peers in the Coalition, or allies. But with his droids he could do so, as they had translation devices of their own. "I've met this Helly Reyne once, but not in her position as the frontwoman of this band. She's an interesting one."

"Interesting how?"

"Her music. The teenagers and young adults like it, I can only assume because of the anti-establishment themes and encouragement of acting against oppression."

"Sir, did we not just leave a war-zone caused by rebellious folks? I would think that such ideas would be considered as threats by someone in your position."

"I doubt the rebels on Onderon were inspired by Hell's Rain."

"Hmm. I have not heard this song, so I will have to take your word for it."

"You'll hear it tonight, Talus. At least I hope so. It's one of my favorites."

While the droid and Wookiee pairing may have looked out of place among the natives of Zeltros, the line moved quickly, and as soon as he was inside Errreembuhr made straight for the bar. Hartlite was already on stage, playing a song he didn't recognize, but he had time to get accustomed with it as he asked the bartender whether or not they carried garrmorl or Thikkiian brandy.

[member="Helly Reyne"] | [member="Ayy'Seela"] | [member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Helly Reyne]

"Is it so hard to be a - misery-free society now? Can't take this heart and wrench it dry - I wouldn't even know how. Just show me everything, I'll - fix all your problematic dreams."

Any non-Zeltron stuck out to her in the crowd, even as she was whipping her silver hair freely while trotting across the stage like she owned it. A Twi'lek wasn't all too uncommon, but a Wookiee cyborg was most certainly something she would remember. He was at the carnival, the only one there to realize who she was. Her manager might have been against it, but she wouldn't mind talking to him again backstage. She never listened to her manager anyway.

"Everybody wants to be adored - well - don't - they? Everybody feels like they're the on-ly one to walk this world. If you wanna be lonely, can't you just - leave - me - a-lone? Well, we can't have it both ways - we're just another part of the show!"

---

[member="Joza Perl"]
[member="Errreembuhr"]
[member="Ayy'Seela"]

 

[Luther Lewis]

"What do you mean I can't go in?" She protested to the burly man at the front door. "I mean that the venue is booked out and we aren't letting anyone in without an entry ticket" the man said, his face passive. Maxine growled in frustration. She needed this, badly. She was sick of eating cheap noodles, taking the cheap flights and the cheap everything. Once, she was a hit sensation, a star on the Holonet. Kind of. She had a following at least. Now all her leads (and funds) had run dry. She just needed one more big story, something that would bring in enough credits to revive her career as a journalist.

And what better to do that than an interview with [member="Helly Reyne"], Hartlite's Frontwoman?

As it was, it looked like she wasn't going to even get inside, let alone approach the woman. Looking left and right in desperation, Max finally found a solution. "Look out" she shouted suddenly. Pointing to the left of the bouncer. "Nice try, Lady" the surly man responded. "What, did you think I was born yesterd-" the man was interrupted by a drunken fan (to his left) swinging a beer bottle at his face. The crowd surged forward, pushing Maxine along. The rest of security swept in quickly, rounding up all but about six fans and Maxine herself. She retreated deeper into the club before they could follow.

- - - - -​

The music was loud, but good. Truth be told she hadn't seen the band live before, but had heard a few of their tunes. She had some of their songs on a playlist. She hadn't been able to smuggle in her camera equipment, so she was relying on a small hand-held camera/recorder. She subtly took a few pics, resolute that if she was to be escorted out she wouldn't leave with nothing. Frowning at the poor quality of the shot, she moved closer, using her elbows for good measure. Eventually she was able to get a decent pic from the bar.

She jumped a little as she took notice of the Wookie next to her. Hoping he didn't see her camera, she quickly stuffed it into her pocket. 'Act casual' she thought, leaning awkwardly at the bar. She peered at the hulking giant next to her, curious at what Wookies liked to drink. "Can I get you anything" the bartender asked next to her, making her jump for the second time. "Uhhhh" she said, flustered. "Is the water free?" The Zeltron gave her a weird look so she muttered "Never mind" and turned her attention back to the stage.

She had no idea how she was going to land this interview, but it was clear that Helly had no time for questions at the moment, so Max resigned herself to chill at the bar and cool off a little.

[member="Ayy'Seela"] | [member="Errreembuhr"] | [member="Joza Perl"]​

 

[Errreembuhr]

"I can't say I enjoy this music, Sir," the droid stated after a couple songs. "It's very loud. How do people listen to music this loud without permanently damaging their audio receptors."

"They're called ears, Talus." Errreembuhr was disappointed that no traditional Wookiee beverages were present here, but rum would do fine. He enjoyed the sweet taste compared to most others though it was somewhat weak. "On organic beings they're ears."

"Still. I worry this will damage my receptors."

"It won't. Mechanical receptors don't suffer the same negative effects that organic ears do. And I should know about yours specifically. I designed them myself."

An interlude at the bar a few feet away drew Errreembuhr's attention. What looked like a camera was in her hand, though when she noticed his attention she quickly put it away with a nervous expression. The bartender said nothing when she asked about the water, but as she turned around, the Wookiee got closer.

"Put her drink on my tab," he said after activating the translation device. "Whatever she'd like." The wookiee looked over to [member="Maxine"] giving her a nod. "Here for the concert, or are you a regular?"


[member="Helly Reyne"] | [member="Joza Perl"] | [member="Ayy'Seela"]

 

[Helly Reyne]

As the instrumentals played out the rest of the song, Helly abruptly began walking to the left side of the stage where she picked up a brown bottle from her bag on the steps leading up. She watched Freylen's expression sour as she returned to her place in front of her mic stand, guzzling down the mix of rum and punch with a bit of a dance to her step. The crowd, of course, loved it, although she could see the rare concerned parent giving pause, making her laugh through her nose.

"When did Hartlite get infested with families?" she spoke into the mic just barely after swallowing. "This ain't no mother/daughter band, y'all." She heard the laughter erupt as the last bit of Adore finally ended.

"Helly-"

She lifted a hand to stop Freylen before he could finish whatever thought couldn't wait to escape his tongue. "When I first envisioned this band," she continued, "I thought we were gonna be up here spitting blood at the audience at the start of every show. We're renegades and we were gonna act like renegades. I just..." She took another swig. "I just can't comprehend why there are families here. How'd you even get in? This is a nightclub! Is Hartlite so family-friendly that they made an exception for tonight? Let me put a big, fat parental guidance warning on this concert, then."

Lifting the bottle to her lips once more, she let the rum fill her mouth before spitting it out above the audience, which was received by the loudest cheering of that night so far.

"I thought I'd share!" she yelled with a hearty laugh over the deafening response. Near the front of the crowd was a Zeltron man yelling and grabbing at his groin. Her confidence waned, barely able to hide the scowl forming across her face. "This next song," she said, averting her eyes from the offending man, "was one of the first I ever wrote. Of course, it would have ended up sounding like a pile of garbage without Freylen's help, but I was so proud back then of every song I made. Terrified that nobody would like it, but still so proud. It's called Hollow-Heart." She feigned a humbled response when she was met with cheering at the sound of the familiar title, laughing a little in her tipsy state.

Sandoru started up the beat, followed by a slow, somber melody. Before it was her time to open her mouth, she took one last look at the audience, at [member="Errreembuhr"] in specific. He looked as though he was speaking to someone, though she couldn't quite make out who among those shorter than the wookiee. She wondered for her own sake if she could trust him with something. He knew droids well, after all...

"Your heart... can light a fire. Your heart... is something sacred. Teach me... how I can fill- my- own." As the instrumentals began a harder, louder pace, Helly took a deep breath as she always did during that part of the song, making it audible for the audience to hear. It hadn't started as a piece of dramatics for her fans, but rather because the song was legitimately difficult for her to get through. It made for a great opener, but there were times she simply couldn't jump right into it.

---

[member="Maxine"]
[member="Ayy'Seela"]
[member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Ayy'Seela]

Ayy had to admit; she wasn't often a fan of musicians, but this [member="Helly Reyne"] had the kind of attitude that she liked, an attitude similar to her own. "Perhaps I should go into music." Ayy mutters to herself as she listens to the rant from the singer about the parents bringing their children in; it did seem weird how many did that, Ayy supposed it was little Timmy's thing to do to seem all tough. Liking the big person music. She couldn't help but giggle at the points the singer was making, they were very apt, but also entertainingly blunt. Although Ayy wasn't a huge fan of the drink spitting, she just assumed it was all part of the theatrics. However what she really wasn't a fan of was the Zeltron next to her, who in his sort of lustful or perhaps drunk state, went to grab Ayy; and she wasn't going to be allowing that as she swung an uppercut towards his jaw, shaking her head. "No touching the display unless you have credits to buy the space hun." she turned back to continue to watch the concert, noting the impressive shift in tone this band could achieve.

 

[Luther Lewis]

As a kid, Maxine had thought Wookies were much like giant teddy bears, both in temperament and fluffiness. When she first started an internship at the local station, she saw clip of a Wookie ripping the limbs of a Nexu. Now she held them in a kind of reverence she reserved solely for super-adorable predators.

"Corellian Ale, thanks" she said to the bartender. She didn't want anything strong; she'd need a clear head for the interview. Besides, she didn't want to spend a lot of a pricey drink when the money wasn't hers. She turned back to [member="Errreembuhr"], her neck letting out an uncomfortable click as she looked up. He was a fascinating individual, the cybernetics made him much more intimidating and (regrettably) less adorable. Nevertheless, she was a fan of those who bought her drinks.

"No, not a regular. I usually can't afford the drinks, let alone entry" She replied truthfully. "I saved up for a ticket when I saw that Hartlite was performing, so I could finally see them live” she continued, not as truthfully. She was glad she got in without paying, the price of entry would have made her funds even tighter for the next couple of weeks. Her eyes travelled back to [member="Helly Reyne"], who was acting just as cool as Max thought she did singing alone in the shower. "Yeah, longtime fan. I love.." she tried to remember the title. "...this song" she finished lamely. Truth be told, she just had Hartlite's songs on a loop in a playlist and never bothered to remember the titles.

"What about you? Are you a regular? Mister...ummm..." She slapped her forehead at her own foolishness. "I haven't even introduced myself! I'm Maxine! Or Max, if you like" She stuck her hand out to shake, only slightly worried the wookie would crush it in his grip.

|[member="Ayy'Seela"]|

 

[Errreembuhr]

"Errreembuhr," he replied, reaching for [member="Maxine"] and her outstretched hand. He learned long ago that attempting a handshake as most humans and near-humans do with his strength was very dangerous, and instead he placed a hand over hers, touching it with a light push down. "I must admit I've only grown to know their work recently, but it is a favorite among some that I know."

Admittedly, he didn't recognize the song they were playing now, but the on-stage antics of [member="Helly Reyne"] were indeed interesting. If that was her idea of sharing alcohol then surely she must be of a culture he was unfamiliar with. Or perhaps someone in the crowd had earned her ire.

"In any event I was lucky to acquire a ticket at the last minute, I'm on my way from Onderon to New Plympto."

[member="Ayy'Seela"] | [member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Helly Reyne]

As the song concluded, all of its ups and downs performed at her best, and as much as she was relieved to get through it without a hitch, she couldn't help but think of her father the entire time. What few memories she had of him were all nice, but she knew better than to trust her memories. They could lie to her as easily as her father could.

Hollow-Heart had been dedicated to him, but it wasn't referring to him in that regard. When she first wrote it in one of the worst conditions she had ever been in, she could only see the old man in reverence, and she could only see herself as having lost her heart. She had grown since then. She knew her memories had been tampered with in some way- they had to be. And yet the song remained. An ode to lost faith, if anything.

Fatigue had set in after the song, leaving her far more tired than she would have expected. It was a familiar fatigue, one that would only set in if she had been careless. She turned away from the crowd for a moment, frantically adjusting the bracelet on her left arm discreetly so that none of the other band members could see what she was doing. A notch in the bracelet was slightly popped open by one of her nails as she peeked inside it carefully.

6%

"Oh..." she whispered under her breath.

"Is your bracelet bothering you?" Raska asked, taking a step closer to her.

"The bracelet is fine," she replied quickly with a short, nervous laugh. "Let's keep it going with the next song, yeah?"

Raska gave her an uncertain nod as she went back to her own mic stand for backup vocals.

Turning back around, Helly awaited the next song, Climb, to begin, taking a deep breath. She was so stupid. It had been so long since she forgot to take care of herself, and on the night of a concert, of course...

---

[member="Errreembuhr"] | [member="Maxine"] | [member="Ayy'Seela"]

 

[Luther Lewis]

She bounced in her chair to the song, an easy task due to her light weight. She was also a 'lightwieght' in an entirely different sense. That one ale had gone quickly to her head and was giving a pleasant buzz. She watched [member="Helly Reyne"] take a short break and check something on her wrist. Max took a moment to consider her situation. Her brow furrowed, but she couldn't see a way to get backstage without seeming like a crazy fan. She didn't particularly want to be tased, tackled or arrested (in her experience, it usually followed that order) and became horrified at imagery of her being escorted out of the club, jabbering about an interview like a madwoman.

The immediate future was depressing her, so she decided to go over her questions for the interview. Did she dare bring up the xenophobic rumors? She chewed on that thought for a while before dismissing it. Rumor would always be rumor, and half a dozen journalist had already 'claimed' to know the truth, despite never speaking to Helly once. Besides, Max didn't like spinning stories like that. Sure, she'd get a boost of traffic for the site, but she'd also never land an interview with a Rockstar again.

Her ruminations continued, as she absentmindedly tapped her foot to the rhythm of the song. She managed to narrow down a few quick-fire questions, but she realized with dismay that the chances of approaching Helly were unlikely. Maybe she could corner another member of the band after the gig. She'd take any scrap of information, as she was sick of her growling stomach.

|[member="Errreembuhr"] |[member="Ayy'Seela"]|

 

[Errreembuhr]

Errreembuhr noticed the behavior of the woman beside him at the bar, but inquired not as to the reasoning. What he was interested in inquiring about, however, was Helly's behavior up on stage. There wasn't any observable devices there aside from a bracelet, and from her expression, it was quite important. In his previous meeting with her he hadn't noticed any similar behavior, but it was certainly intriguing.

As they continued with the next song he wondered if he'd get a chance to get backstage and speak with her. Perhaps see if the band was planning a show on New Plympto anytime soon. The idea to purchase a slew of tickets and give them out to his employees to improve morale wasn't one he could ignore, and he had to admit, he found himself enjoying her music.

Of course Talus seemed to be quite the opposite.

"Are you certain this is the same singer you met at the carnival, Sir?" the droid asked, its robotic voice lacking in emotion as was typical.

The Wookiee nodded. "Very sure, Talus. Her hair is different, and her demeanor much more... liberated, however that is a typical thing for her image. Many musicians to something similar, where they keep their on-stage personas separate from their real lives."

He got up, moving towards the stage to get a better look at the individual changes to her look, finding it interesting how bright she portrayed herself on stage.

[member="Maxine"] | [member="Helly Reyne"] | [member="Ayy'Seela"] | [member="Joza Perl"]

 

[Helly Reyne]

Glistening with sweat and on reserves, Helly finished her last song of the night, Hell's Rain, and couldn't close out quickly enough.

"You're amazing, Zeltros!" she yelled. "Thank you so much for being a part of Hartlite today! You always have a place in our hearts and we'll always adore each and every one of you!" Even though she needed to get backstage immediately, she still stared out at the crowd with an almost childlike wonder to her beaming smile, keeping her sunglasses on to make some rude gestures at the audience, almost a Hartlite tradition.

Backstage, her sunglasses had come off, her smile faded, and a compartment all to herself to recharge. It always took it out of her to perform, and everyone she worked with was aware of the alone time she needed after she was done with a concert. She wished she didn't need that time, but she couldn't recover on her own. It was the limitations of synthetic parts.

Several different outlets were hooked up to several different body parts of hers, all hooked up to her personal power supplies. Nobody knew that she was mostly a construct of human engineering, not even Freylen, and she would have liked to keep it that way, but she wasn't as tech savvy as her father. She didn't know how her own body worked, only how to keep it running. She needed an expert, as her parts weren't going to repair themselves. She had been depressed for many reasons, but knowing that her own body was slowly deteriorating didn't need to be one of them for long.

Helly had asked a member of her security to escort [member="Errreembuhr"] backstage to meet with her in private, and she could only wait and see what that security member would bring now that she had nearly returned.

---

[member="Maxine"] | [member="Ayy'Seela"]

 

[Errreembuhr]

The Wookiee had been taken by surprise when one of Hartlite's security members came to speak with him after the show, but he accepted the offer, rising from his seat. As he did, he looked to [member="Maxine"] as he recalled her saying she was a huge fan of the band. "Would you like to come with?" he asked, trying to keep his volume down. "I'm sure the band would be excited to meet as big of a fan as yourself."

[member="Helly Reyne"] | [member="Ayy'Seela"]

 

[Luther Lewis]

Security members were approaching, which broke a sweat out of Maxine's brow. She considered making a break for it, but realised that would paint her as guilty. Instead she hid behind the Wookie, hoping they wouldn't notice her.

The uttered a gasp in surprise as they invited [member="Errreembuhr"] backstage. Did the Wookie know [member="Helly Reyne"]? The woman became more and more fascinating as Max learned more about her. Errreembuhr turned towards Max, asking her if she wanted to accompany him. She paused for a moment, eyes wide, before a massive grin broke across her face. She hugged him and said "You are my new favourite person in the galaxy. Yes of course! Let’s go now!" She released the hug, embarrassed at her tactile nature. The feeling passed quickly as security escorted them towards the back. One of the guards frowned at her, probably matching her face from the front. She looked away and the guard said nothing.

As they passed through the threshold that led to the back of the stage, Max's nerves grew. Who would Helly react to another person backstage? Not only that, but someone who revealed herself to be a part of the press? She took a few deep breaths, reassuring herself that the worst that would happen was that she was kicked out.

|[member="Ayy'Seela"]|

 

[Helly Reyne]

As she exited her private, curtained-off space backstage, a cleaning droid came to pack everything she had used to charge her parts back to a reasonable amount. She was stretching her neck and shoulders when she saw the unmistakable figure of [member="Errreembuhr"] walking towards her just as she had requested. But there was someone else brought back with him, a human woman. Perhaps she was his assistant or colleague, or perhaps she was just a fan who managed to convince her way backstage. Either way, she wasn't about to reveal her secrets in front of a stranger.

She still wore the same outfit she had on stage, a white crop top and black slacks, though her sunglasses had been raised above her forehead. The area was shared by the rest of the band, their manager, and their crew, but she always made sure to have plenty of room for herself wherever she went, and so the dimly lit backstage was little more than the three of them, plus the security that watched from afar.

"Good to see you again, Ember," she said to the Wookiee, reaching out to shake his hand even though her eyes were solely on Maxine. "Who's this that came with you? Have we met?"

 

[Errreembuhr]

It wasn't a common thing for the Wookiee, going backstage for an event like this. It was even far more uncommon for him to even be at such an event, but it was certainly interesting. The crowd had begun to disperse as the guard led the pair of them to the back, Talus having been commanded to wait near the bar for him and not cause a scene. Hopefully it wasn't too complicated for the battle droid, but he had confidence in his companion.

Speaking of companions, [member="Maxine"] seemed nearly ecstatic at the prospect. When they arrived at the back, [member="Helly Reyne"] appeared put off by his bringing someone other than himself.

Reaching out to gently push down on her hand as he'd done earlier with Maxine, Errreembuhr replied, "It's a pleasure to see you again as well, Miss Reyne. This is a friend, a fan of yours as well." He stepped aside to allow Maxine to introduce herself.

 

[Luther Lewis]

Her nerves were worse now and she was doing that thing now, where she trembled ever so slightly. Hopefully it would pass unnoticed by the others or be put down to excitement. "Indeed, huge fan, Miss Reyne" she said. Her voice, fortunately, came out confident and unbroken. "Maxine. I'm a correspondent for local news stations and a site on the Holonet" she held up her Press ID, prompting a few uncomfortable shuffles from nearby guards. One frowned and crossed his arms. Clearly, he was waiting for [member="Helly Reyne"] to order her kicked out.

"I was wondering if you have time for a quick interview. Don't worry, nothing's recording yet" she held up her camera/recorder to show it was off. "Highly irregular I know. I apologize for the deception, but it's been a while since you've done an interview and it would be good if we could clear the air about some rumors surrounding Hartlite" Max finished.

She hated putting on the professional tone. She would have much preferred meeting the star as a fan but, then again, she also needed to eat. She kept a friendly smile plastered to her face, but her heart was hammering. She'd gone too far, approaching Helly like this was a recipe for trouble.

"We could always schedule it for another day" Max added casually. "I imagine you are tired after your performance" The woman had certainly seemed tired by her last song. She didn't look so worn out up close though. Weird.

| [member="Errreembuhr"] | ​

 

[Helly Reyne]

Helly raised a hand over her face, exhaling as she let it fall down beneath her chin. "Haven't had a good time with press lately. You tell them one thing, they tell everyone else the worst of that one thing. 'How can we make Helly's story more marketable?' I don't aim to be marketable, I aim to be a person and a musician. And I'll do your interview, don't you worry about that, but we do it on my terms. And if you break those terms, then I will have someone come to break you."

She stepped back for a moment, collecting herself. That was the last thing she needed to tell a journalist...

"Sorry. I'll do your interview," she repeated herself more calmly. "I've done plenty interviews in the past by experts. Are you sure you're up for this?" If it could help to clear her name of the ridiculous accusations of xenophobia or inciting riots, then maybe it would be worthwhile, even if this girl wasn't exactly a big name. It was rather because she seemed so new to an opportunity like this that she was even going to give her a shot. The big names were only out to shock her fans and reinforce what's been said on every other speculative news source.

She looked to [member="Errreembuhr"] and said, "I'll need to talk to you after this. Actually, interview him, too. And my lead guitarist. They'll let you know exactly how "xenophobic" I am."

---

[member="Maxine"]