Ask Naboo Road Rash

[Neeka Wren]

"These Rooti-Tootis are deceptive." Neeka declared. "They're so sweet that you don't know they pack a punch! Maybe that's why I like 'em." The fact that she was combating the gentle sway of the cantina by leaning against a table bolted into the ground augmented her statement. The tip of her nose was almost as pink as the fruity swirls in her booze.


As Kotru turned away from Round One he would see Neeka's brows pump and her grin spilling over the rim of her glass. "Aren't we just the two foremost galactic experts on Holodarts? We should go pro!"

Her next drink down and out, the Mandalorian settled then for some water and vague hope that the next day wouldn't bring too heavy a hangover...but it was a futile and fuzzy effort she'd barely even recall the next day. Her steps had the firm planting of someone trying very hard not to sway as she re-took her position for Round Two.


Neeka certainly had grouping. Unfortunately for her, the darts all hit the same low-scoring section. A frown tugged away her cheerful demeanor, but only briefly. She made way for Kotru, side-scooting until she was directly next to him while she sipped on her water.

"Mhmm. I get it- honest. I was like that a few years back- I had me a ship, too. Used to run jobs for folk out on the 'Rim until one went too wrong too fast." Neeka shrugged. "You ask me? Family is way better in the long run. Even if sometimes it doesn't seem to work out all the time.

"...annnnyyway- enough of my sappy-ness! What are you flyin' these days?"

@FreelanceGarbageMan

 

[Kotru Eabrod]

Seeing that flush of colour adorning her nose elicited a smirk from the Zabrak. "Well, it ain't no fuel but it looks like you're enjoyin' it." He replied smugly. "Just don't get too wasted, I ain't lookin' to carry you back home." A short laugh is given as he finishes his own glass, the sweet drink giving way to its sourness as the Zabrak smirked back.

"Eheheh! Might as well have invented the sport!" He reciprocated that same energy, cackling as he watches her stand up to take her own turn. The unsteady warrior's own throws unfortunately netted her only a couple extra points as the darts slapped into the board's outer rings.

PLAYER ONE:
102 PTS​

Standing up, Kotru would take his own turn. While he hadn't exactly noticed it by now, that steady warmth in his gut had been accompanied with a slight drift in his muscles as he moved them. His throw would be quite of the mark as a result, nailing the outer sections of the board before he moved back to his seat.

PLAYER TWO:
98 PTS​

Watching as the Mandalorian's previous spot was given up in favor of cozying right up to his side when he returned, letting Neeka get right into his personal space. The Zabrak would nod his head at her words, a thoughtful tightness in his lips accompanying the gesture. "Yeah, that checks I s'pose." He would reply. "I dunno, never really been much of a family man. Not that I had the chance, anyways."

The quick dismissal of such a sensitive subject for the Zabrak was quickly taken, nodding his head. "Ah, nothin' special. Just a regular old R-41 Starchaser. Kinda strapped for cash, so I gotta settle for a relic."

"Does what it's gotta, though. What about you?"

@Roobi

 

[Neeka Wren]

"Relic? Try classic!" The Mandalorian declared, jostling Kotru with her shoulder and laughing. "I thought Black Sun had basically made those things extinct! Must make it pretty unique nowadays. Me, I just fly an Akajor. Might as well be called 'Mando Shuttle'...buuuut I won't be surprised if you never heard of it."

Though the board declared the turn her's, Neeka lingered and spun a dart against her palm. The world swam pleasantly around her; the sounds of The Burst Booma faded into background noise until it was nothing more than a lingering bass and ambient lights. She was surprised when she suddenly realized that this was the first time in a long while that she had actually let herself have real fun again. Neeka had been far too serious for far too long, stuck as she was on her own regrets and failures.

"Honestly, the thing was a heap even back home. Fixed it up myself alongside the Balutar as a kinda meditation thing a couple years back. You ever done anything like that?"

Finally, the Mandalorian gave the dart a clumsy toss and it ended up just below the board, sticking out from the wall itself. She blinked twice at it and pressed her lips into a tight, thin line.


"Uh. Whoops. Wanna leave 'fore they make me pay for that? You could show me that relic you fly!"

@FreelanceGarbageMan

 

[Kotru Eabrod]

"Well, yeah! 'Course it's a classic, but it's still a design from a hundred years ago!" Kotru laughed as Neeka's shoulder bumped into his own. "Ehh, it ain't nothin' special. Just a cheap option for a starfighter. Doesn't pack a punch like any of those fancy Alliance craft, but it don't gotta. Flyin' on a budget here." As Neeka talked about her own craft, predictably, the Zabrak failed to recognize. "Aha, you're right. Not familiar. Sounds fancy, though."

He would lean back into the chair, feeling that pleasant warmth of alcohol in his gut and enjoying that buzz in his brain dissipating tension and leaving him in a relaxed state alongside the Mandalorian. His attention was caught all over again when Neeka spoke up again, nodding his head attentively as the limb tilted to look at her.

"Mhm. It feels good to spend some time just cleaning up and touching up somethin'." He agreed. Although, his reasons were different. It was a mix of neccesary repairs for the low-quality craft, and a way for him to stay active when waiting.

It had always been hard for him to sit still, preferring sensation and excitement rather than peace.

Thunk!

"Ooohoho, you missed that by a kilometer!" Kotru cackled when he watched the dart completely missed, smirking to Neeka when her expression narrowed out. "Yeah- Yeah, let's juice 'fore they realize what's up. C'mon." As their drinks had been paid for as they were delivered, there was no bill to handle. The Zabrak quickly led the two of them out from The Burst Booma and back into the Nabooian streets. It seemed a bit quieter so much later in the afternoon.

A short walk would eventually lead the two of them back to the speeder, still stuck underneath the rags that had been cast over them. Kotru would yank the cloth up, casting it aside as he looked over to the Mandalorian. "Yeah, you completely whiffed that last dart. Think I'll drive again."

@Roobi

 

[Neeka Wren]

"No complaints here!" She declared, laughing. "I do enjoy not being a stain on the road. Just 'member about the kick. Those Rootis are coming back to haunt me already!"

Neeka took hold of the helm she'd left behind, thanking her stars that no one had bothered to check under the sheet in their absence. Losing her speeder would have been highly annoying. Losing her helmet would have been devastating.

She brushed stray fibers from the T-shaped pool of black and drunkenly recalled the first time she'd held the armor in her hands. It was a chrysalis of her new reality; the transformative shell that represented a complete change in her life. Yet tonight had proved to the Mandalorian that she was still the same girl from Nar Shaddaa trying to make her way through the galaxy, though now Neeka felt renewed both in resolve of who she was and what she must do.

----​

The high-speed winds drove tiny, dull pins into her cheeks as they tore back across the highway, but it was a strange sort of rejuvenating pain at least for Neeka. She'd opted to keep the helmet off for this very reason and found herself rising up on the back of the Balutar until she was half-standing with one hand on Kotru's shoulder and the other clenched into a fist at her side. A smile kept her lips bent the whole ride through.

A brief thought of wariness for either the authorities or more of the patch-sporting thugs flashed through the warrior's mind as they were pulling into the spaceport, but it was short-lived. They'd been hiding out for hours and now the sun had vanished behind Theed's mountains, leaving them illuminated solely by myriad of lights installed into the high ceilings and walls. Late night travelers moved sparsely around them, giving the two plenty of room for their lingering rowdiness.

"Sooo...which one is you? Also, forgot to mention: my shuttle's got no hyperdrive. Took the public one here...so uhh- alright if I crash here? Something tells me I wouldn't like the options for rooms that I could scrounge up at this hour."

@FreelanceGarbageMan

 

[Kotru Eabrod]

"Alrighty! 'Member, keep your arms, legs and feet inside'a the vehicle at all times." The Zabrak smirked back, swinging one leg over the Balutar and letting the engine rumble to life. "Yeah, I know. Gotta be nice and careful with the throttle. I'll be sure to take it easy for that poor haunted gut of yours."

With that brief tease and cackle from Kotru, he slowly lifted the swoop of the ground. A light tap of the throttle, and a short turn sent them on their way. The pair had been hiding out for much longer than even he had realized, the sunlit streets replaced with a golden glow from lightpoles overhead that shone down in circles as the Zabrak would make his way back up to the highway.

---

The ride back to the spaceport was relatively quiet, save for the sound of billowing wind across their eardrums. Unlike the previous high-speed chase however, it had been much less severe and adrenaline-pumping. Kotru had matched his speed to the nearby traffic, piloting the swoop without the desires of a psyched-up maniac like he was earlier that day. The fluttering air had barely even allowed him to notice the sensation of his shoulder beign used as support, only realizing when he had stopped at a red light.

An amused huff escaped his lips, and a light pat was given to the drunken warrior's hand.

Before long, the two had arrived at the local starport and the Balutar was locked up in the park. "Bay 35. 'Course, my ship's probably still under repair. Ain't got much room in it anyhows." Kotru spoke as he walked, hands resting in his pockets. "Thank whatever's out there for the attached hotel. Only got a single bed though, I can just take the couch. You had more, probably gonna need it in the mornin'."

The pair would pass through the spaceport without incident, eventually arriving at a building beside the countless hangars and making their way to a door that shared the bay of his ship. Like the Zabrak had said, the room was as simple as they came. A door presumably led into the bedroom, a small table on one end of the room, a kitchen setup and another door to a refresher, no doubt.

"Just uh... make yourself comfortable, I s'pose. Not sure if you're lookin' to clock out immediately or if you wanna talk about anythin' to wind down." Kotru would unclip his holster from his belt, tossing it onto the table.

 

[Neeka Wren]

Any hope she might have had of getting an up-close look at the classic vessel were dashed not just by the repairs being done upon it, but by the sway in Neeka's step that told her the alcohol had had a stronger effect than she'd thought. She staggered as the door hissed open and they entered the sparse quarters, stabling herself against his shoulder with a snorting laugh.


"s'not a bad setup, really! They sure do make things nice 'n clean on this planet. This would be a luxury suite on most places I end up!" Neeka guffawed her way to the couch where she removed Kotru's jacket and draped it as carefully as she could over the back, patting it like it had been a helpful companion. "But...yeah. Look, I wanted to just say thanks again. Not just for saving my hide back there, but for reminding me what it’s like to let loose. So…yeah. Thanks. Whew! Okay- mushy bits over. Time to pass out.”


The Drunken Mandalorian then wobbled her way to an upright position where she could make her way to the offered bedroom. The room spun far too fast for her to argue anything and it continued it’s chaotic course even as she flung herself onto the simple mattress with little regard for any of the usual comforting rituals.The ensuing sleep was a sweaty, fitful one with dreams of Rodians on speeders throwing darts at her while she waded through a Rooti-Tooti river.



Neeka woke with the streams of sunlight pouring through the slats of the window and she grunted her way out of bed. Her hair was stuck to odd places upon her skull. Her mouth tasted like a Jawa’s boot. Her stomach was doing flips like it was being paid. She was all the way to the refresher when the night before broke through in a hazy blur and she whirled about to face the couch, an apology already on her lips.


“Oh, osik- sorry.”

@FreelanceGarbageMan

 

[Kotru Eabrod]

"Heh, seriously? I just sleep in my cockpit most'a the time. But since the techs needed access to the controls for recal', that wasn't really going to be a thing."

Spinning on a heel and letting his sense of balance collapse against the couch's cushions much like the Zabrak, he rolled his shoulders and folded his arms. "Hey. S'cool, sister. Thanks for playin' along with both our fight and for not just goin' all serious on me when it was all said 'n done. Go pass out." His hand hand moved as he spoke, a wave of his fingers indicating that Neeka was more than clear enough to waltz out of the room and into the bed.

As for Kotru? He was already in bed.

Technically.

Throwing his jacket over his front as if it were a makeshift blanket, the pilot folded his arms together and let his head tilt forward slightly. It took a while, but his eyelids would eventually drift shut and remain closed as his consciousness dissipated into a peaceful rest. Like the countless time he had done so before, his position remained upright with the slight parting of his lips letting the Zabrak breathe.

When he woke, the usual crick in his neck from such a position was alleviated with a backwards stretch of his head. The resulting tilt led him straight into one of the sunbeams from the window that consumed his vision with a bright flash as he sat up. A hand swiped at the sleep in his eyes, wiping the grogginess away as he heard some kind of apology to his right. A brief surge in adrenaline followed, almost forgetting about his Mandalorian guest. His memories of last night were hazy, but just enough to remember his new friend.

"Err.. what for? Woke m'self up, so yer' cool.." That drawl was further amplified with the remnants of his sleep slurring his speech further as Kotru yawned into his palm.

@Roobi

 

[Neeka Wren]

The water was barely doing anything against the fury of the leathery taste in her mouth. Neeka tried to review all the hangover cures she'd comes across during her years as a spacer, but none of them were appealing. Some were various ingestions of pickled substances, the thought of which made her even queasier. The classic raw egg? Here on Naboo it might even end up being from some protected species and then she'd be running from the cops all over again. She even knew of a famous bounty hunter that liked to combine the egg with gin, pepper, and hot sauce. The very thought of scarfing that down nearly sent her running back to the refresher.

The hungover Mando sighed and ran a hand back through hair that had sweat dried in it, making it stiffer than usual. She pinched the bridge of her nose with two fingers to try and futilely hold back the throbbing. She was gonna be feeling this one all the way back to Krownest.


"Listen..." Neeka said, looking for the appropriate words that would not make her sound too mushy. "Last night, I had a great time. Better time than I've had in quite a while. I honestly hope we can do it again some time, yeah?"

"'cept for now I gotta get goin'...there's some business here that I've been putting off for far too long. Family stuff, ya know. Real personal. Maybe I could call ya after, or you could call me sometime?"


The Mandalorian transferred her cup of water to her other hand and offered Kotru a hand and a genuine smile.

@FreelanceGarbageMan

 

[Kotru Eabrod]

Smacking his tongue to the roof of his mouth a few times, the Zabrak tasted the remnants of last night having long since faded. The familiar ache of alcohol sits in his head with dull waves, slowing his senses and weighing his eyelids down a bit. Maybe a bit longer would do him some good...

Either that or some breakfast.

Hearing the request for his attention, Kotru lifted his head again and lazily tilted it to the side to meet Neeka's own light blue gaze. When she found her words, they still sounded mushy to the Zabrak's all too casual ears. "Eheh, awfully soft soundin' for a Mandy'." He commented with a smug twist in his grin, reaching a hand out and taking hers in a brief and tight singular shake. The joking twist gradually dissipated after.

"Yeah, got some stuff you gotta sort on your own. I feel ya'. Always lookin' to cause more trouble though, we'll hit eachother up at some point. Stay safe out there."

@Roobi