Tia's Day Out
Locations
Tia’s Apartment
Western Starport
Gand's Workshop
Factions
Players
Tia O'Mandalorio (Laurie)
Sabbath Rune (Jack)
Gand (Frank)
NPCs
Short Public Excerpt/Summary
Tia leaves her apartments to run some errands - leaving Sabbath chasing her heels from where he's been lurking in her alleyway. She catches Lee as the Lieutenant goes off-shift, and the two bond over stims and booze. Finally, Tia pays Gand a visit at his workshop, and tries to convince him to share the data he collected during their last flight on the Vigil ship Auriga.
“All right, T. I’m heading out - I’ll be back later.” Tia waved as she closed the door to her apartment. She jumped on her speeder bike and purposefully began heading out toward her first destination. “Son of a...,” Sabbath cursed from the shadows of his alley, running out into the street, throwing his hands up in defeat. He knew he could protect her from a great many things, but he could not protect her from herself. “Should’ve anticipated something like this, Sabbath,” he chastised himself, then moved off after her, knowing he could not catch up. For a moment, he considered trying to See, but he remembered his talk with Threepio and felt.... no, he knew... that was what the droid meant by ‘creepy’. “The old fashioned way,” he muttered as he walked, trying to guess where she might go. He honestly had no idea. {Standing on the viaduct to the western starport} "Fer fuck's sake!" Lee punches the guardrail. "When is this shit hole of a city going to get regular mass transit?" She hated missing the construction workers heading back to The Hub. In the distance, Tia gives a whoop as she spots the Lieutenant. "Lee!" she hollers over the roar of the bike, revving it and skidding to a stop just past her. "There you are - I was hoping I might find you here! You're a difficult person to find after-hours, you know that? Where the hell do you even go?!" Tia grins and takes off her helmet. She's wearing an enormous, oversized jacket - the back proudly reads "Apex 10 Galactic Tour '76 Stick a Point in it!" "Whew! I knew that was yours! Man I hate forgetting who I borrow stuff from!" She jumps on the back of the speeder, whose repulsors groan with the unexpected second rider. "I just aim at The Hub and try not to miss. Funny you can at least bounce off the homeless dudes and their bottles of malt liquor (maybe it's engine degreaser?) until you get to a real bar." She taps Tia on the helmet. "What the heck is that for? You got a concussion?" "Watch it, watch it!" Tia screeches. "You'll break them, and I'll never get the mess out of the upholstery!" She shifts the back of her coat, and pulls out a small pack. She peers into it worriedly, and then breathes a sigh of relief. She mock scowls at Lee. "Any closer, and we both would have had a bad day!" With a flourish, she pulls a beer out of the pack and hands it to Lee. "As for the helmet - where's your sense of fashion?" She bats her eyes coyly. "You'd be surprised by how many people dig the biker look." "Woohoo! What's the point of not having DUI laws if you don't drink and drive?" She puts her fingernail under the cap and flips it open one-handed. "Absolutely Capital! To your health!" She gulps half the bottle. "Around the pilots, all I ever hear is 'Chicks dig scars.' so different animals I suspect." Tia grins. "All for you, Lieutenant." She gives a precise salute. She starts rummaging through the pack again. "There's more where that came from -" she pulls out two more bottles, then settles them back in the pack. "- Oh, and I think you forgot this." She tosses a piece of fabric back at Lee. When Lee opens it up, she sees that it's a black shirt. Written in steel grey across the front are the words, "Hit you with my best shot." There's just one problem - it's 2 sizes too small. Tia grins. "And yeah...that may be some wishful thinking from those pilots. But hey, everybody's gotta dream." "Novas and nerfherders, what is this my birthday?" She hops off the bike, shakes her head at the now empty bottle, then tosses it and her uniform jacket in the gulley. In her black T-shirt and tags, the sheer volume of scars on her skin is evident, even if well-healed. She pulls on the top which somehow fits? "Aw yeah, out of my monkey suit and me with a fresh can of red paint!" "Rockin' it!" Tia grins and gives her a fist bump, then hands her the second bottle.
Sabbath stood at the intersection of ‘I’ve never been here before’ and ‘Where the hell am I?’ When his commlink chirped. He looked at it with aggravation, but his face became serious when he saw the priority message. A murder at the Valore’. He shook his head and started heading toward Tegrala territory. Tia was more street-smart and savvy than he would ever be. He had to do what he was having so much trouble doing. He had to let her live her life the way she knew how. She survived just fine before she ever met him. Unfortunately, since meeting him, and because of that, the threats were much greater. “This is Sabbath,” he spoke into the commlink. “En route.”
"I figured after that last party, you might want something a step above engine degreaser." Tia smirks. "The weak stuff works, but this is more fun." Lee looks scared for a split second as she reaches for the bottle before getting back on the speeder. She reflexively hits the cargo pants pocket on the left leg of her BDU's. She relaxes when she hears the telltale crinkle of the foil Vigil stims. "Can't leave base without that." She then hops back on the speeder. Tia looks enviously at Lee. "Cheater. I would have killed for one of those last week. TWO DAYS. I had a splitting headache for TWO FUCKING DAYS." Tia peers up at Lee with a plaintive look. "I don't suppose you have one of those to spare for a friend for emergencies, do you?" Lee looks at Tia as if she has two heads, "Do you honestly think I'd leave the base without at least six?" She pats the cargo pocket. "Always in my left pocket, in case I pass out or something.." Tia's mouth drops open, and then she pouts at Lee. "6 of them, she says! 6!" She shakes her head, silently laughing, then gives Lee exaggerated puppy eyes. "Does that mean that if I say pretty please, you could survive with 5?" She holds up her hands in an obviously melodramatic pleading gesture in front of her. Lee looks at the label on the bottle checking the proof. "Okay, I don't think I'm slurring my speech yet." She shakes her head, "Yeah!, Just take what you want. It's not like I pay for them or anything." She suddenly tilts her head, then has a look of realization. She reaches into her pocket, bows slightly in the saddle of the speeder and proffers one of the packets to Tia, "My manners escapeth me, my knight errant. I had forgotten to grant you-eth mine favors for rescuing me from that foul highwayman." Lee points across the roadway to the small womprat nosing the empty bottle. Tia squeals with delight, taking the proffered packet, and jumping up and down in a circle. With visible effort, she puts on a straight face and gives a courtly bow, bringing her left hand in front of her and sweeping her right hand up into the air with a flourish. "Oh, thank you, fairest damsel, for bestowing thy prized favors upon my lowly self. Forsooth, I am not worthy." She clutches the packet to her heart and dramatically throws her hand up against her forehead. She holds the ridiculous pose for a moment before dropping it all once. Bursting into laughter, she slides the stim into her pocket and jumps back onto the front of the bike in front of Lee. Grinning, she revs the engine and speeds off without warning, turning her head to call back to Lee. "Where to, my lady? Mine steed is at thy disposal." Lee reaches into her back pocket and pulls out a stained napkin with several names on it, more than half crossed out. "Dunno, I usually just pick one that I haven't been thrown out of yet." She waves the napkin and dramatically pokes her finger into it. She squints, turning the napkin upside down "Uh, Sarp's Exotic Confectioners and Hookah Lounge?" She looks at Tia "Does that mean hash and edibles???" and starts grinning. Tia laughs out loud. "Well, I think that answers what our destination is." She turns the speeder in the appropriate direction and floors it, calling over her shoulder, "Next time, tell me when you're going out to party - I'll bring my dancing shoes!" She glances at the controls and grimaces. "I'd join you tonight, but I can't - gotta run for an appointment, but I'm glad I was able to at least give you a lift and save you from marauding womprats!" Lee leans in hanging onto Tia, not for the first time Tia considers that the other woman's strength has to be augmented by technology. Over the rushing wind, she yells "If you see any syndicate guys on the way in, just get close enough and I'll kick 'em!" Tia lets out a wild laugh, revs the engine again, and zooms - until once more screeching to a halt, this time in front of a small establishment. A large sign hung over the door shows a flashing picture of a gum drop jammed into a large pipe and the word EXOTIC! in all caps. "Your stop, m'lady." Tia grins. Lee makes a dramatic bow as she dismounts the speeder. "Brave knight, I am indebted." She looks up and winks, "Really, as I'm always broke." Then stands back up, stretches, and cracks her back. "Time to see if I can go seven-for-seven. Thanks, Tee." Lee hits a stud behind her ear and Tia's comlink beeps. "That's my secure code. Only rings in my ear." She waves. "Give 'em hell, or a reasonable facsimile!" Tia gives Lee a wide grin, and another smart salute. "Roger that! Call me if you need an emergency extraction - I could always swing by and pick you up on my way back." She grins and waves, then speeds off once again, heading for her next destination.
Some time later, Tia spotted the familiar wreckage of the abandoned apartment building Gand had converted into his workshop home. By reflex, she parked the bike somewhere safely out of sight - it’d been a long time since anyone had dared steal from her, but she’d never hear the end of it if she somehow...misplaced her bike. Leaving her helmet with the bike, Tia hoisted a large bag over her shoulder, then headed to the dilapidated opening that served as a door and peeked inside. The once abandoned shell of the apartment building had taken on it's own veritable ecosystem, thanks to Gand. With vines made of cable and steel growing out and crawling down the walls, and bushes made of scrap and iron scattered across the floor. Each door had been removed, a kudzu of cables connecting the entirety of the building. The sounds of insects replaced by the chirp of sparks, and welding. Steam occasionally pulses out of the tubing, with a loud, scalding bursts. And Tia must do all she can just to find proper footing, as she navigates the jungle of steel and steam. Placing each step carefully, so as not to damage any of the mechanical detritus scattered across the floor, Tia slowly walks into the opening hallway. Briefly, she seems to look around for something before visibly losing patience, turning up her collar-amp, cupping her hands around her mouth and calling out, "HELLOOO????? Is anybody home? Gand, you really need to install a doorbell down here or something!! Are you here?" If it was anyone else, such an act would be pointless, their voice drowned out by the symphony of sparks and hisses. But Tia's voice has a certain weight to it, that allows to punch through noise and reach wherver Gand is. After a moment a speaker on the wall comes to life, a muffled voice scratching through it. "Third," a sharp inhale. "Floor. Second...room from the right." Tia gives a thumbs up in the general direction of the speaker, on the off-chance that Gand had wired the place and could see it. Given the sheer weight of cables snaking across the walls, she figured there was at least an even chance that some of them were for surveillance. Weaving between the cords, she finally managed to spot the staircase in the corner, and scurried up the steps as quickly as she could manage. "Third floor, second roo...- oh, there you are!" Gand stops his work for a moment, putting down his arc welder. He pulls up his protective mask and turns to Tia. "So why does {inhale} Gand owe the pleasure of {inhale} your company?" Tia grins at Gand. "You really should install a door, y'know. Or at least a buzzer - then you can ask people that at the door and decide if you want to let them in." She winks, then walks over and looks at his workstation. "I was in the area and thought I'd drop by - I figured you probably don't get too many visitors out here. Whatcha working on?" Gand seems to ponder thought for a moment. Or at least that is a good way to excuse the silence as he looks at Tia, expressionlessly. He then looks down to the twisted heap of scrap. "Gand always figured that if people inhale needed Gand, then people would inhale find Gand. Right now Gand is just inhale working on a way to inhale reroute power to my workshop without relying on inhale This city's shoddy power infrastructure. "Gand would prefer if it {inhale} Gand's workshop was entirely {inhale} self-sufficient. Or as close as possible" Tia nods sympathetically at Gand. "Yeah, I remember you were looking for fuses the other day - did you manage to find enough? The power grid here is a piece of shit. Especially out here on the fringe - they don't really maintain it yet, and the thieves have largely stripped the wires. Honestly, I'm impressed that you even have this much up and running!" She gestures towards the space. "You really do have a knack for this kind of thing. Too bad there's only one of you." She grins. Gand gives her an apathetic shrug. "Unfortunately {inhale} Gand is just Gand. And Gand got Gand's fuses. But you are right. It took {inhale} Gand two entire days of work just to {inhale} get this place up and running. But {inhale} Gand has seen {inhale} Shittier scrap heaps. So Gand is {inhale} Fine." "You got this up and running in just two days?!" Tia shakes her head in awe. "Gand, that's amazing. You never cease to impress." She shakes her head and again looks around the room. "Do you know what you want to do with it when it's done?" She grins. "If it's ever fully done - I know you tinker types. My cousin's the same way" Gand blinks several times at her. "Gand is {inhale} Done building the day Gand {inhale} dies. Gand's mind cannot {inhale} Stop." He waves and gestures to the cables and scrap. "This is just how {inhale} Gand thinks, works and lives." Tia chuckles. "Why am I not surprised? You should see Zeke's workshop - you'd like it. He's missing the wires, but I can never make it in without tripping over the gears and pressure valves he's collected over the year." She smiles fondly. "I remember one time he found part of an old mouse droid in a junkyard. He stuck it in a corner and forgot about it. Then one day, years later, I walk into his workshop and I'm talking with him, and the mouse droid shows up and gives him a cappuccino." She shakes her head. "His coffee maker broke, he stumbled across the droid, and he completely reconfigured the damn thing in a night. It even keeps the cup heated - and can add whipped cream." "You see, that is why {inhale} Gand always has so many parts. You never know when {inhale} you are going to need {inhale} A coffee pot./p] Tia grins at Gand and nods. "Zeke was always just picking a little bit of this here, a little bit of that there - always said it would turn out to be useful eventually, and he was usually right. Man, he would've loved to see both of those crazy ships we were on - I mean, a living ship and a ship with a super-sonic hyperdrive? He would've been like a kid in a candy store." Gand nods, and inhales sharply. "Yes. Gand has seen more wild technology in the past month than {inhale} Gand has seen in a decade. This is {inhale} half the reason Gand is still here. As long as there is {inhale} Something for Gand to learn, and to make, Gand will {inhale} remain." Tia nods seriously. "It is amazing how much action has been going on here - especially for such a new, backwater planet. A good place to be to catch the latest shiny developments." She grins. "Are you really going to try to reverse engineer the Auriga? That sounds like one hell of a pet project." Gand shrugs his shoulders half heartedly. "Honestly, {inhale} Gand doesn't think Gand is good enough. But {inhale} it gives Gand something to do. To {inhale} work on. It has been a while since Gand was {inhale} this excited" Tia nods again. "It's always important to keep excitement in your life. Nothing worse than being bored!" Tia leans back. "If anybody can do it, you can." She shakes her head. "I mean...I don't know how you figured out that living ship so quickly. And I can't believe you actually managed to stay conscious to gather those readings on the Auriga!" Tia shudders. "No regrets - I'm glad I was asleep for that, based on what I've heard." She smiles wistfully. "That's the kind of stuff Zeke always loved, though - the impossible stuff." Gand shrugs again. "Gand was only using {inhale} The data given to him by the admiral. The rest was just {inhale} an educated guess and forming paralells with with systems and designs." Gand looks past her to the pipe she is leaning on. "Gand would be careful though, hot steam should run through that in 45 seconds." "But this Zeke friend of yours sounds {inhale} interesting." Tia chuckles and takes a step to the side. "Thanks for the warning. And yeah - he is." She smiles fondly, then suddenly perks up as if she's had an idea. Biting her lip, she says, "I don't suppose you'd be willing to share the data you collected? I'm sure he'd love to take a look..." "Who knows? Maybe he'd have an idea or two to share. I could always ask him." She smiles hopefully. "Gand was not told it was entirely confidential. But Gand would still like to meet him before Gand gives up {inhale} Anything. Gand..." He thinks for a moment. "Gand does not usually work well {inhale} with others in the long term." Tia looks disappointed. "Well, phooey. He's off-world and he has a hard time getting away. I can ask him when he can stop by, but he's probably up to his eyebrows in whatever project he's working on. Damn." She pauses, then gives Gand a pleading look, "You know me, though..." "It's so rare I get to surprise Zeke with anything cool - sadly, the mechanics and tech genes passed me by." "And we seemed to work pretty well together, these past times off-world. Maybe I could find you some extra help that could work for you." Gand does seem to think this over for a long time. "Yes, {inhale} Gand does guess so. Gand will {inhale} tell you what. Give Zeke my {inhale} Holo signal and we can talk that {inhale} way. If you vouch for him I can {inhale} at least do that much." Tia adjusts the bag on her shoulder. Tia gives Gand an apologetic look. "I can....work on it, but....well, it takes some doing to get Zeke's attention. He can be rather...focused." She grimaces. "Usually, I have to hit him up with something exciting - or just physically drop by - to get him to come up for air." Tia looks thoughtful, then snaps her fingers. "I've got it! What if I can get you some help now? Then, if you'd be willing to trust me with the data, I can pass it on to Zeke - I'm sure it would get his attention, and I can give him your Holo signal then. In the meantime..." She swings the large bag in front of herself and starts rummaging around in it. After a moment, she pulls something out. She sets a mechanical hunk of metal in front of her, then taps its nose. After a moment, it unfolds into a small DUM-series pit droid. It squawks a few times, and cants its head at Tia. She smiles fondly at it, then pulls a gear out of her pocket. It leans forward eagerly, and when she holds it out towards the little droid, it quickly snatches out of her hand as though it were a cookie, jumping up and down in glee. Grinning, Tia looks over at Gand. "This is DUM-PLN." She pronounces it like "dumplin'." "Poor thing's been bored to tears." She watches Gand. Gand blinks several times at it. "Gand appreciates the {inhale} Offer. But {inhale} the best Gand can do is for you to {inhale} Mention that Gand have the data to peak his interest. Gand doesn't think {inhale} It right to just {inhale} Give it away." "Gand trusts you but {inhale} Gand has much to think about" Tia chews on her lip. "Well....I wouldn't want you to do anything you're uncomfortable with." She sighs. "If only I was better with computers - I would've tried to gather it myself for Zeke." "You shouldn't {inhale} feel bad. You can do a lot of things that {inhale} Gand can't do" Tia smiles sadly at Gand. "I understand, Gand - but I think Dum-PLN would like you. He's been bored silly - he's one of those that likes a challenge. And gears." She grins and tosses another gear to DUM-PLN, who catches it out of the air, and then goes back to clutching it to his chest. "I think he'd like it here - and he'd sure make it faster for you to move some of your plans for this place forward." She smiles again at Gand. "Think about it. You've got my com - call me if you ever want to talk. I'll try reaching out to Zeke, but..." She shakes her head. "I swear, sometimes it takes a small explosion to get him to pick up his calls." Gand takes out a grenade and offers it "If you need explosions. Gand has {inhale} grenades." Tia chuckles. "I appreciate that, Gand, but I think I'm probably better off leaving those to the experts. I'd be too afraid that I'd end up blowing myself up on accident." She grins. "That said, I'll keep your offer in mind the next time I need something exploded." She leans forward and holds out a hand to the droid. DUM-PLN briefly clutches the gears to his chest, but after Tia gives him a stern look, he deflates a little bit and puts them in her hand. Tia smiles indulgently at him and says, "Don't worry, buddy, I'll give you more later - but for now, we've gotta get back on the bike." The little droid perks slightly and shrugs its shoulder. With an apologetic smile, Tia reaches out and presses its nose. Once again, the droid folds down to its portable form, and Tia carefully places him back in her bag. Carefully getting back to her feet, Tia looks back to Gand with a regretful smile. If Gand could have facial expressions he would smile at her. Instead he gives her a thumbs up. "Gand is sorry Gand couldn't {inhale} Help. If you need {inhale} Anything else please tell {inhale} Gand." Tia smiles sadly at Gand. "I'll catch you later, Gand. Again - you know where to find me. Let me know if you change your mind." Once more, she slings the bag over her shoulder. She waves over her shoulder as she again picks her way down the stairs and out the "door" to her bike. Sighing in disappointment, she kicks her bike into gear and back towards her apartment....not knowing the terrible call awaiting her when she arrives. Her day is about to get a whole lot worse.
“T! We’ve got a problem!,” Sabbath was startled awake by Tia’s shout, punctuated by the slamming of a door. Only hours ago, he was in the understructure of the city trying to capture a lightning wielding assassin with a lightsaber. Sabbath winced at the still tender burns as he ran. But, he ignored that pain and charged across the street. He felt last night was painfully challenging... not knowing the terrible challenges awaiting when he arrives. His day is about to get a whole lot worse.
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