Ask Coruscant Rust or Bust

[Myrna Vel]

-Theme-
Coruscant, Lower Level Slums
19:42​

Low-level bass thumped down the narrow alley; down in these hard-times low levels, hardly any Rangers were gonna bother, and hardly any local police wanted to come around. Too many lowlifes in one square area, and for that, one particular drifter was grateful. Long red hair was pulled into a high ponytail, dressed in a black tank top, baggy cargo pants, heavy boots, and a synthleather jacket. Holos of bright neon danced and glinted over as she bent over her swoop, checking controllers one more time before drawing back, a smirk touching her lips.

"Not haf-bad fer a lil' junker, this baby," she lipped happily, smudging grease-spotted hands on her pants with a happy hum. Supposedly, the track where this speeder race was coming from was the real deal; no closed track, all freelane access, and the souped-up babies here gleamed with holo-detailing and smooth lines. Somethin' a low-level handygirl could appreciate... and pretty enough to make a loose hand wanna steal a couple keys.

But a low grumble muttered in her stomach, and a couple close racers chuckled. Heat blushed bright red on her cheeks, and she offered an embarrassed, cheeky smile. Helmet tucked under one arm, she hooked a thumb over her shoulder, giving a cheeky grin. "Hey boyos, if any of ya are feelin' lucky this race, I could use a lil' bit of a treater bite, yeah?" At the blank expressions she shrugged, pocketing her keys and snagging her datapad from the miniscule cargo space on it.

"No takers? Ya bunch o' cheapos," she grinned, and more laughter muttered. "Nah, girly, your big mouth can feed itself," commented one racer, a guy she knew from a ways back. Teala, Hapan male. He was cute in his way, but a real pain in the butt, and despite his upbringing, as smug as a blooded racer could be. "Yeah, yeah," she rolled her eyes, waving a hand. "If I wanned to waste a bunch o' credits on yer sorry butt, I'd bet on ya."

So saying, she turned on one heel, and put the other hand in her pocket. Time to scope out other racers she could bet on, maybe... and find a poor hole in the wall for some grub. Kriff, I'm karkin' starvin'. What's a gal gotta do to get some decent bites?

@TWD26

 

[Kenii Starblazer]

On the lower levels, no one gave a womp rat's arse who you were, Rangers barely patrolled the area and the police didn't bother to do much. Gangs were common in these parts, but not everyone was bad. Most people just wanted to make it through their day of work and to be able to rest and to enjoy the life they did have.

Kenii didn't have much of that in his life, all he really cared about was the thrill of the boost of a turbo afterburner and the whining sounds of a landspeeder's engine screaming down the empty highways of the night. He spent nearly every night down here, within the wide expansive parking lot that was nestled along the routes of the highway, hundreds of swoops and landspeeders were lined up perfectly, as drivers walked around and inspected various rides.

Kenii and his most recent squeeze sat on the hood of his landspeeder, eating some steamed rice that he took from his father's shop after his ship. The two of them had only been together for two weeks, and it didn't seem like it was going to last. His bright purple eyes would shift to see her glued to her holo-screen, typing away as she huffed.

"I think I'm gonna' hit the loop here shortly, you ridin' or you gonna sit out like a bump on an Endor Log?" He'd chuckle as he woofed down a bit of his rice.

"In this piece of schutta?" She scoffed, "I don't even see why you race in this scrap speeder..." She'd say with words filled with venom. Well this is going lovely, what a drag, I know she's talking to Ander again..might as well just go see him and his Junani Starstreaker T31. He'd sigh as he placed his bowl down on his hood, before reaching into his multicolored jacket to pull out a pack of smokes. His eyes drifted over the random group passing by, and someone caught his eyes.

He saw a red tightly pulled pony tail a few rows ahead talking to a few different drivers. She looks familiar, nah it can't be..tark it who gives a kriff. He'd hop of his speeder hood and would yell out over the parking lot, "Ayo Dotty!"

tag: @Killa Ree

 

[Myrna Vel]

"Ayo Dotty!"

Instantly, that nickname caused her shoulders to stiffen and her jaw to clench. A name from her past that she'd endured from her brothers, from childhood bullies and local rivals on the Nal Yeshu circuit... and a name she loathed with about as much passion as a small body could.

Instantly, she whipped around, free hand on her hips and brown eyes bright with rage. "Alright, which of ya low-life slime-suckin' sleemos said that?! Was it you?!" She pointed at a near-Human, watching them flinch and look away. She snarled something, then... a pink boy.

Looked like some low-life schutta with a mouth about as big as his ego. She scowled, and stalked over, hunger temporarily forgotten. He had some small side piece that looked about as limp and weak as an overcooked noodle, but she ignored her for now, thrusting to point a finger at the new guy.

"Who the kriff ya think ya are, huh?!" She snarled, hand lowering to clench into a fist. "Nobody calls me that, ya hear? It's just a pignem--no... kark, what was it called..." she growled, clicking her fingers together. "Pigmentation! Ya tryin' to pick a fight with me, ya pink-skinned corner-hugger?!"

Her fist propped on her hip, shoulders tense and eyes flashing angrily. She fully expected a fight, not at all recognizing the easy, open face before her.

How times change when you grow up.

@TWD26

 

[Kenii Starblazer]

"Who the hell is that chemilizard kriffin' yelling at," Kenii's girl scoffed as she crossed her arms, pointing towards the little fire cracker, "I mean it looks like she pulled those clothes out of a trash compactor," her dagger of eyes would shoot over towards the Zeltron, "And who the schutta think you are, cathar-callin' this bargain crate knock off?"

Kenii would peer towards the two young women, his pink cheeks turning a dark shade of red, as he huffed. The girl's brown eyes and a bit of her accent reminded him of her, but he wasn't sure if he had lost a few processing units in his brain or if that was really her. "Well first of all," he'd huff as he pulled his smoke from his lips, "I've never seen your kriffin' arse around these parts.." His softer side would slowly appear, "But, you look familiar..like a friend of mine from Nal Yeshu, but forget about it shifter brains, you're clearly too spiced up to be her."

He'd turn to see his girl jumping off his car, "A friend?" Her face was furious, but Kenii knew she was looking for any excuse to dump his loser ass, "So this is where you spend your time when you're working, you're a tarkin' loser Kenii, and you always will be!" She began to walk off, phone in hand, already making calls--certainly to Ander no doubt.

"Yeah and well," his voice trailed away, he didn't have anything to respond with. Instead he'd turn back to see the girl was still there, "Who are you looking at?" It was clear he was frustrated and years of no ambition had amounted to a crappy landspeeder, a dead end job, and cheap dates.

tag: @Killa Ree

 

[Myrna Vel]

Chemilizard?

Bargain-crate?!

She was too angry to speak. For all of two seconds, she glared at that girl, that useless little lump of kark-knew-what bits, and nearly threw her helmet at the measly little slimer. But the girl was already stalking off, but when one name filtered through the few sparks she had left of a brain, her eyes went wide. Her jaw dropped... and for the first time in a long time, she felt something like...happiness.

"Kenii?! As in Kenii Starblazer? You pink-skinned, no-good dirty drifter!" she squealed, a smile instantly transforming the scowl into the widest grin any racer would've seen the small redhead sport. She thumped a fist to his shoulder, a playful punch really, perking a brow. "Ay, watch yer lang there, pretty boy," she clicked her tongue. "Looks like ya scored another lemon-type, yer girlfriends always been this sour?"

He looked different... he was definitely taller than her now. And... she had to suppress a bright blush.

Yeah, she could see him bein' pop with the ladies. Some things just weren't karkin' fair. "Haven't seen ya in ages, StarBoy," she spoke up, teasing him with his old nickname. "Where ya been all these years?"

@TWD26

 

[Kenii Starblazer]

There was no way in the force that this was Myr from Nal Yeshu, not because of the unlikely scenario of running into her on this planet of all places, but on the way she acted. He remembered a much more quiet and thoughtful Myra who often went along with his half brained schemes as kids. He'd bite down on the bottom of his lip as he watched her wide eye smile peer up towards him.

"Myrna..." He'd chuckle awkwardly, man it had been some time, "Uh...what happened?" He knew he was stomping into Rancor territory with this one, but he didn't have much to lose, it had been a decade since he had seen her and people change--they were basically strangers at this point, and Kenii didn't care to kriff them off. "It's just..you're kind of one fray wire away from being an IG-Droid," he'd nervously chuckle as he felt her hand punch into him, "Get a protocol change er' sumthin'...?"

He'd peer back towards where his now ex girlfriend had wandered off, but couldn't see her anywhere around, "She's not my girlfriend, just some chick you know how it goes.." He'd try to appear way cooler than he really was, as he leaned back on his rusted ride. "I've been on this rock Red, pops tried to make me sign up for the star-corps, but they drummed me out n' bout three seconds. so I'm just deliverin' and racin' these lousy slimos."

He'd bring his smoke back to his lips, "You look good Red, a bit unhinged, but good."

tag: @Killa Ree

 

[Myrna Vel]

She perked her brow higher when he mentioned she was off-key, personality wise. Was she really that bad...? Perhaps not, perhaps he was just gettin' soft from being around all these Core worlders. Being out of the Outer Rim could be like that. He looked like schutta, too-- seemed like the gigs he was working were mostly rust-burners. "Life's been a lil' tough, yeah," she shrugged, her brow lowering. "An' some days ya could hardly lift me from tha' dead."

She knew her dialect was odd, but he seemed to slip back into his easily enough. A slow smirk spread over her lips at his mentioning his former side snob; her lips twitched and she suppressed a cough. "Funny way to put a lie-in as no' a girlfriend," she teased, eyebrows waggling playfully.

The smile softened, then, at his comment, head tilted slightly. "Yer no' so bad to look at, yerself," she replied, chuckling. But with the tension gone... she could smell the steamed rice, and her mouth began to water. "For an' ol' bud, got any good chow?" she asked expectantly, grinning. "'Cuz I'm pret' certain I could eat tha' legs off a Bantha right now."

@TWD26

 

[Kenii Starblazer]

Kenii would toss his drag to the ground, crushing the embers with his feet--his brow raised as she spoke. "Whatcha' mean liftin' from the dead," he'd grumble, "Ya sum' sort o' weirdo Red er' you a..a.." He could really think of the word, "Corpsener..ya?" Some people just could never learn, though it didn't seem like Myrna was the brightest Mynock in the flock either.

"You saw her run off, she's probably gettin' with Aender and his stupid ride, she's just a credit hoppa', she just was an easy score n' well, looks like I'm on tha' market now," he'd chuckle as he slid his hands into his jacket pockets. "I got a couple women, I can think of," he'd say with a bit of a wink before turning away to watch a few of the speeders peel out of the parking lot.

What was she doing out here and why was she so hungry, his purple eyes would narrow as he shot out a snarky comment to the girl, "Ya' hungry, n' think I'll just give ya' some rice..." He'd huff as he turned to pick up the sealed bowl that was meant for his ex, "She didn't eat it, so have it, but you owe me..Credits are tough out here..."

tag: @Killa Ree

 

[Myrna Vel]

She rolled her eyes at his taking her literally. Just as she remembered... he was about as dense as a durasteel wall. And probably twice as stubborn. Thankfully some things didn't change... but his sour attitude was leaving a small dint on what was turnin' out to be a rather promising race. "Ain't none of the sort, dimwit," she commented back, head tilted slightly. "I'm dead tired, StarBoy; these circuits are all about the cred I can spare, ya git it?"

She snorted at his comment, brows steadily climbing. "Yeh, I ken jus' see 'em linin' up fer ya now, too." She made a point to look around slowly, and heard some others chuckling at her sassy comments. She gave him a wide grin though, his soft side was coming through. "Thanks much, pal," she said happily, snagging up the container before he could even begin to change his mind, and dug in.

"So..." she spoke between bites, brown eyes gazing up at him with a speculative glint. "Ya know the race starts in a few minutes, right?" She gestured to the other drivers that were already getting into their own buckets, giving him a small smirk. "Ya just part of the corner décor, or ya gonna make some street cred outta this rust-burner?" she teased, fully expecting him to have some oh-so-witty retort in return.

@TWD26

 

[Kenii Starblazer]

She was totally judging him right now, the way her brows arched up and her brown eyes slightly narrowed, the Zeltron could just feel it. This wasn't the best way to start a greeting after a decade of not seeing someone, and he felt bad about it, but she didn't really seem to be much of the same person he knew back then, and the slacker seemed to not quite process at the moment that they weren't really kids anymore. "If yer' dead tired, you should rest, seriously it ain' much good fer' ya to be sulkin' around causin' fights," his old protective big brother mentality slowly reared its head once more.

"Ye' got a job, why ye' on Coruscant of all planets?" He'd ask as he watched her tear into the rice, and then she asked if he was going to race..Did she really even need to ask? Kenii Starblazer not racing the Yuwari Loop would be a sign that the galaxy was coming to an end. "Are ye' challengin' me?" He'd raise a brow as he made his way towards his beater. "Or ye' asking fer' a ride?"

tag: @Killa Ree

 

[Myrna Vel]

He was gonna lecture her on her lifestyle choices then, huh? Funny talk, a fresh kid like him thinkin' he had wisdom to dispel when he looked like a partially-drowned womp rat who went a couple rounds too many on a spinny. "No sulken' to'it," she replied brightly, the food practically inhaled as she gave him a happy grin. "M'work travels, Ken," she answered with a touch of pride, helmet at her feet as she stood to staring at him with pride. "I race fer fun; don' tell me ya've gotten rusty."

She was definitely teasing him now, giving a small wink in retaliation. At his question of whether she was going or not, she almost bounced along, scooping up her helmet with a whoop. "D'ya even hafta ax me?" she chuckled, eyes bright. "Looks like yer laidy fair's gone to bump and grind wit' anotha; least I can do is act co-op." She wasn't going to admit she was going to originally bet to make her next bout of creds stretch further than tomorrow.

But why would he need those deets, yeah?

@TWD26

 

[Kenii Starblazer]

The deadbeat Zeltron would smirk as he listened to her. She traveled for work? What the kriff was she, one of those big wig business types--Blackwell Engineer or sleazy Czerka salesman? He was just a food delivery guy, so he couldn't really compare to whatever big moves she was making in the galaxy. "Yeah well...I travel a lot for work too," he'd say in protest as he hopped over the side of his landspeeder and into the driver's seat. "I'm the best damn delivery driver this side of Coruscant."

Yeah that sounded way cooler in my head, kriff it..still works every time. He'd flick the engine alive on his rust beater, and slowly the machine would put to life. It cranked and shook a bit as the engine idled in position, he hated this thing, but one day he'd have the best ride this side of the galaxy.

"Look, do you really gotta mention that kriff...or put it that way?" He thought about what Aender was probably doing at this point, "Or you trying to salt a sea-slug?" He'd grip the wheel as he took a look over at his old friend, a soft smirk on his face. He loved the thrill of driving, and his carefree attitude would slowly melt away during the race. He wasn't good at much, but racing was his one true passion. "You might race fer' fun, but I race to win, Red."

tag: @Killa Ree

 

[Myrna Vel]

She laughed aloud at his comment of his work, sliding into her own seat with a practiced ease that only some drivers could seem to easily accomplish; She wasn't going to give a response just yet. Instead, she listened to the engine as it didn't so much roar to life as it... puttered.

Like an old man's greener speeder.

She suppressed a smile, biting her lower lip to keep from laughing. The race was gonna start any second... and he seemed in the zone. Two could play at that game. "Good. Then show me yer moves, StarBoy," she teased, settling further into her seat.

This was gonna be an interesting drive... and she was either gonna go back to her ship hungry, or flush enough with cred to get a halfway decent hotel and a hot meal in her.

@TWD26

 

[Kenii Starblazer]

She was totally judging his ride, he could see it on her face, just like so many others. This landspeeder was mostly kriff, but the deadbeat Zeltron considered it to be a secret sleeper. He had installed a supercharger belt, which provided more air density to the combustion engine on the speeder, and it would provide that classic high pitched whine when the engine accelerated. It wasn't much, but racing wasn't all about your rig, it was about the technical skill of the mind and the heart of the driver.

His hands would flick the controls on the dash, and several different lights would begin to blink and dance across the board. A set of high charged music would begin to play from his console, but it was on the lowest volume setting possible, which probably seemed strange, but there was a method to the wacky Zeltron's madness.

Slowly he'd begin to feel the beat of the music as he took a deep breath--his pink slender fingers tapping against the leather of his wheel, as he felt the music begin to flow through his body, and slowly the old scrap would begin to pull out of the parking lot and up the ramp that lead to the highway. There is no greater feeling that the pit one feels building in their stomach before the race. I am nothing, but behind the wheel I am at peace...

tag: @Killa Ree

 

[Myrna Vel]

Well this was nostalgic. Seeing him change from a bitter, hard-faced kid to someone she recognized a little better; she remembered the days when she and Star used to race the other kids, on courses a bit less twisted than this slummier part of Coruscant. Her bravado began to fade as the music hummed beneath them, and she could feel the pulse of the beat slowly matching the tempo of her heart, her breathing just as focused.

Other speeders whined past, some better souped up than his little junker, but she was here because he needed a spotter. Speeder racing was different from swoops; without a partner you could be partially blind, especially in such a place where rangers crawled about as thick as thieves.

A long, slow smile curled on her lips as they rumbled closer to the starting line. Others waited at the light; she could see other couples, other singles, but no swoops.

3... 2... 1...

Go.

The light flashed green, and just like that, the lane was open and ready for a race. She braced herself against the dash, and dark brown eyes sparkled with delight. She lived for speed, for the race, and she could hardly wait to see how this grown-up version of Kenii got his own racing chops. If it was anything like their childhood, these other rust-eaters wouldn't stand a chance.

@TWD26

 

[Kenii Starblazer]

As Kenii drove, it was clear that he was most natural behind a wheel, everything about him was cool calm and collected, his purple eyes would narrow with an ice cold determination that was rarely seen in the young man. His arms were loose and fluid, and seemed to morph with the wheel, his knees slightly bent as he throttled the engine up the ramp and onto the highway. He would slowly fall in line with several other rolling speeders, four of them to be exact.

None of them were super-speeders by any means, but they could hold their own and the Zeltron new a couple of the racers were going to be a challenge. Ya-runi with his Yellow Sun Czerka CT-212z he's a credit-broker on the Financial sector, his speeder is elegant, but he drives with a rigged stance--elbows locked and one arm resting against the interior wall. Toz with her pink Auqauri C-3000, it's a small speeder that is full of kick and and a nasty after-burn, just like her attitude. Then there's Thraxton in his heavy Praxeum Ripjet, a muscle speeder that was more fit for a drag strip than it was the tight and narrow lanes of the loop..But I can't under estimate him, he's a maverick and his speeder has the most power in this race.

Kenii's mind had slowly drifted away from the present, and it was probably weird for Myr to be in the car with him so focused and almost unaware that she was even with him. Their speeder would rumble slowly as it built a gentle rolling speed towards the lights that lead onto the highway, all the others gently rolling ahead-Show Green.

This was always the part that got to him, the anticipation and the thrill, the light would flash and his foot would press down on the accelerator, and the rust bucket would come roaring with a loud supercharged whine, as the two would be pushed back into their seats. They were hanging behind Toz, as they zoomed onto the highway. First turn is up ahead, wide angled and enough space for three speeders to go abreast.

tag: @Killa Ree

 

[Myrna Vel]

She let out a whoop as it flipped to green, bracing against the seat when his own roared to life, gripping into the side console with an excited grin. His was by far the rustiest bucket she'd ever been co with, but hey, at least it ran with some halfway decent power beneath that ol' hood.

"Keep 'er inside, watch that pink gal," she muttered, mostly to herself, glancing out sideways. True to form, they fanned out in front of other speeders, whose angry honks and snarled curses were music to her ears. She laughed, long red hair shaking free and one fist shaking in the air. "Let's win this junket, StarBoy!" she cried out, not even seeming to realize the words pouring outta her mouth.

If he wasn't watching, though, that slick guy in the yellow was gonna fantail 'em with his pipe to their left, and on their right an aggressive sleemo was honking and thrusting a digit out towards them, honking angrily.

I mean... rood.

@TWD26

 

[Kenii Starblazer]

"Keep your head in the car," he'd grunt, though the tone didn't come across as malice. Instead, it was out of concern for her own safety as their rust junker went screaming down the highway. He had skipped ahead of the yellow sedan and the pink coupe for a moment, but they would slowly catch up to his fast jump.

He could feel the yellow landspeeder cutting in and taking an offensive interior turn, which pushed him to the middle of the lane, with the pink speeder flying up towards him. He would have to give the position up or risk getting run off the street, that was the sensible thing to do, but Kenii wasn't sensible and he wasn't going to give up the road so simple.

Instead, he would snap the handbreak on his speeder as he jerked the wheel towards the inner car as he let go of both the break and the accelerator, "Hold on..." The back of the speeder would slowly begin to kick out towards the wider part of the turn as they whipped around the turn, his nose and body protecting the interior turn from getting over turned.

Through the rearview he could see that the pink coup would slam on their own brakes before pulling off to the side with a honk. The Zeltron would have a slight sneer on his face as he stabilized his wheel back into the middle. There was just two more to go and two more turns before they could claim the prize. "Name another sleemo that has these skills baby...You can't."

tag: @Killa Ree

 

[Myrna Vel]

At least the kid still kept his skills.

She grinned when he snapped at her to get down; justifiable fear, but she weren't dead yet, was she? Nah, she lived by ta' seat o' her pants and rode like it too, and seeing him run from a slouchy grunge kid to a speedracer was a tantalizing combination. Her heart beat hard and fast, and she leaned into the turn as the speeder drifted sideways, giving a smirk to their companions. "Haven't died yet, Star," she called out over the roaring, brown eyes sparklin'. But she slumped further into her seat anyways, no hard feat considering her size.

She was young an' felt immortal. Wha' was ta harm in that?

"Dontcha get too full o' hot air, now," she cautioned, eyes narrowing for the sideview, "ya gotta sideswiper who wants ta ride yer side fer the next coupla twists." The Ripjet, previously taking fourth in this quad, roared as though to punctuate what she said. Theirs was a straight stretch for now, his strength and considering the lack of traffic, their weakness.

"Yer good, Ken, an' if you play well, I migh' even getcha drinks on me." She smirked at him, even though it was unseen, and then a flirty wink.

What?

Seeing him so focused was kina hot.

@TWD26

 

[Kenii Starblazer]

"I don't die Red, I drive," he would shoot his purple eyes towards her, his pupils narrowed and sharp as he was in the zone. He hadn't realized how much the two of them had aged since they saw each other ten years earlier. She was a grown woman now, and her flowing red hair and soft brown eyes stuck out to him. Keep your eyes on the road.

He would shift back forward to peer towards the muscle speeder shooting past them, as it attempted to catch the nimble CT coup that was pulling ahead. "This kriff is going to get a whole bunch of racers killed...or worse--civilians." The Ripject fishtailed ahead of them, kicking up grime and smoke in the front of their viewport, which caused the young Zeltron to swerve to the outer lane.

"I'm looking forward to those drinks," their speeder would kick forward with full intensity as the zoomed down the straight away in their little beater. Their speeder's engine whined and cranked as it hit the max rev cycle as they came in towards the second to last turn.

The Ripjet which had the inside pass would see them coming, and would pull wide and across the lanes, and if Kenii did nothing to stop it, then Myr's whole end would be wrecked into the muscle speeder's dirty tactic. Sorry...but, kriff this. He'd jerk his wheel to the left as he slammed on the breaks, which yanked them to a rolling stop. He'd watch as the muscle speeder peeled off, and his stomach sank. There was no winning now, and Myr would probably see him as some sort of loser.

"That kriffin' sleek for brains, two timin', droid drivin' son of a kriff...you'd get disqualified for that in the Grand Speeder Tour..." He'd peer towards Red with a sigh, it was clear he didn't take well to losing. "I hope you didn't bet on me.."

tag: @Killa Ree