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| - Maintenance Hanger - Karrde's Base - Myrkr This cleverly constructed structure sits only two stories above ground but is buried deeply within the ground to provide sufficient space for repairing any of the fleet's ships without making the hanger so tall it towers over the forest. The oversized skylight and hanger doors provide dual access to repair facilities, while a turret-like protrusion in the southeast corner houses the control tower for arriving and departing ships. Like the rest of the base, the maintenance hanger is clutter-free and clean, with equipment and materials stored neatly for rapid access...just in case. Declan: An intense fortyish man with dark hair just starting to grey at the temples. Of medium height and build, his whole being seems concentrated in the lines of his weathered face: urban, edged, and shadowed. His expression is usually one of almost Jedi serenity; but his eyes are always alert, and no detail is missed by their emerald gaze. He is dressed in a cream-colored linen tunic with bright crewelwork on the small stand-up collar, as well as along the front opening and the close-fitting sleeves. A well-worn utility belt and unfitted knee-high boots complete the outfit. He has a wearable data pad strapped to his left forearm, with a tiny display and keyboard on the inside of his wrist. Drew: Tall, leggy, blonde, Drew seems at a first glance. She is still young, somewhere mid to late twenties, and stands somewhere around 5'10". Her honey blonde, wavy hair usually seems wind-blown and frames her face in shoulder-length layers. Her bedroom eyes are of a grayish, peridot green, her skin is a peachy tan, and her nose is freckled. She has the kind of body an athlete would have, good shoulders, coltish legs, a narrow waist. Her cheeks have a constant blush to them, much like some who live in cold weather; her nose seems to have been broken sometime, it is a tad long and slightly hooked. She wears a standard spacer's outfit. Loose brown pants reinforced at the knee with darker leather, tucked into soft ankle boots, and a light blue, stretchy shirt under a a tan vest. Her hair is braided at the back of her head, Alderaanian-style. Jessalyn: The composure of this young human woman is probably the most striking thing about her. Though otherwise unassuming, her expression is one of surprising coherence and calm, belied only by the slightly mischievous gleam in her leaf green eyes. Shining dark red hair falls in unruly silken waves down to the middle of her back, framing her wide cheekbones and smooth, pale skin not as fragile as most redheads'. She is relatively tall for a human woman, with long-boned limbs and a natural grace amplified by her skills. Jessa is dressed in a drab green sleeveless shirt, and a pair of kakhi pants with plenty of pockets. Around her waist is a black leather utility belt. Her hair is held back from her face and clipped behind her head, though stray curling locks continue to fall into her eyes. The fit of her trousers and the sturdy brown suede boots on her legs emphasize her narrow waist and the long-legged rhythm of her strides. It's leisurely time around the Myrkr base - as the sky begins to darken, most operatives have retreated for rest or dinner. Most of the activity in the hangar comes from the tireless maintenance droids, zooming between the ships on their little tracks. Declan Rahn is hunched over the data terminal near the control tower entrance. Apparently he didn't decide to take his meal in the mess, chewing thoughtfully on the biscuits he while studying the scrolling stream of data. The sound of feminine laughter wafts over the cool early evening breezes before the two long-limbed women actually make their appearance, approaching from the direction of the mess hall, carrying on a conversation as they enjoy a leisurely after-dinner walk around the compound. Jessalyn is still chuckling and giving the blonde woman a wary look as they draw closer to the maintenance hangar -- then she notices Declan nearby, and stifles another giggle. "Hello, Mr. Rahn," she calls out when she regains her composure. Declan stops chewing on his biscuit and looks up from the backlit screen. "Hmmm, mwiss... Vwalios... mwiss Cwavallo..." are the words he manages the squeeze out of his full mouth. Embarrassed, he wipes the his hands on his tunic, rising to his usual stiff-backed posture - for those who are paying attention, the movement also masks the flick of the switch with which he turns off the screen. There's something about Declan that keeps making Drew stiffen. She straightens her back, hands clasped behind her, and she smiles up at Declan. "Evening," she says lightly, flicking an amused, or conspiratorial glance at Jessalyn. "How are you today, Mr. Rahn?" Jessa's lips are tugged by a threatening grin as they catch the usual stodgy Declan offguard, but she keeps her expression under control well enough, smiling pleasantly as they draw closer. She's not offended by any secrecy he may have in her presence; she's not a part of their organization, and she's not trying to spy on them, so it's well enough that they keep their strategies to themselves. She has enough trust in Karrde not to wonder about their true intentions. "It's a lovely evening, isn't it? I guess Orson hasn't recruited you yet for his theatre troupe." It is a sad fact that Declan is very much used to people being uncomfortable around him. It is an even sadder fact that in his Imperial days, he would actually cultivate those emotions in others. Nevertheless, some of the Karrde organization's congeniality has rubbed on of him and he _is_ sincerely trying to be friendly - but it takes effort to make his prompt reply sound as genuine as it is pleasant: "I'm all the better for seeing you, thanks for asking, miss Carvallo. A lovely evening indeed, miss Valios - I haven't had a chance to speak to Mr. Tighe. I noticed from the log that he's been away on a brief but unscheduled trip into Myrkr's orbit." Jessa blinks, this time caught offguard herself. But then she chides herself for her paranoia, and smiles easily as she explains. "Oh, yes. The _Uwannabuyim had a few power nodes blown out, so we took it for a spin." She gestures with her hands as she looks up at the darkening violet sky, as if one of the bright starry specks visible above was the ship. "I started out as a flight tech, myself, so I was glad to help." One can almost see Declan make the mental note - 'power nodes blown, check with maintenance log'. No rest for the paranoid. Leaning back against the data terminal, he fixes his green eyes on Jessalyn. "You were a flight tech..?" he says, "How remarkable... I grew up with stories how Jedi were selected at birth and trained to Padawan even before they could speak. It never occurred to me that you had... how shall I put this? A carreer before your initiation, yes?" Jessa glances at Drew, not uncomfortable exactly, but a little self-conscious at the questioning. Sometimes it's hard for her to reconcile that she is a part of that same legendary Order that Declan speaks of, and she talks about her life a little hesitantly. "Yes, that's true. I had no idea that I even had the potential for Jedi training till I was twenty-five years old. Before that, I went to the Corellian Flight Academy, and worked as a technician for the New Republic," she explains. One of the maintenance droids hooks up a powerline to one of the parked Skipray Blastboats. It begins to power up with a loud whine that gradually fades into a buzz. Declan waits a moment for the noise to die down, before he says: "Tell me, miss Valios - how are the Jedi funded these days? Do they take contributions from sympathetic citizens like in the old times, or is it all New Republic sponsorship nowadays?" Only a mind as detached as his could associate the noble Jedi with revenue streams, but he seems truly curious about the reply. Jessa draws a breath to speak, though there is a troubled frown touching her brow as she does so, sliding her hands into her pockets. "There wasn't much of an Order the last time I was in contact with the Jedi Master," she confesses. "I imagine that he has probably trained others in my absence. However..." She restlessly moves her hands out of her pockets, folding her arms and tapping her fingers on her chin. "I know the New Republic was always willing to help where they could. And the Jedi Master's sister happens to have substantial offworld holdings from Alderaan." Declan seems to digest that for a few seconds. "The Rahn family was a big contributor to the Jedi cause once," he finally says in a soft voice, "My father was donating almost a quarter of his profits to the Council before it was... disbanded." It's a simple statement, but there is a depth of emotion behind it that he is unable or unwilling to express fully. Jessalyn's brows arch with surprise, but a measure of compassion softens her eyes as she takes in this bit of information. "Is that so? I never heard much about the Jedi before my time... I'd be fascinated to hear more about it." She smiles sincerely at Declan before glancing down at her hands. "Hopefully the New Jedi Order will return to its historical status... and learn from the lessons and mistakes of the Old." Declan hmms, rubbing a hand along his angular chin. "I mean no offense by saying this, miss Valios - but, for a change, I would like to see the Galaxy get along without the leadership of sorcerous individuals harnessing the Force. The Jedi Council was trying to be everywhere at once, keeping the peace, and the Old Republic grew to rely on it so much it couldn't survive after its fall. Then came Palpatine, Vader, and their Dark Side adepts... new philosophy, cruder methods, but still the need for control. Both attempts at controlling the Galaxy through magics failed - I say, let the citizens of all these worlds live their lives without having to look for omnipotent Force-wielders for salvation." Smiling ruefully, Jessa gives a small nod of her head, as if she perfectly understands the viewpoint offered by the man. "At times I wish that could be the case," she says with a soft sigh. "Certainly the conflicts between Jedi and Sith have done their damage upon the galaxy. But, sadly, there will always be those who wish to use the Force for their evil purposes. Without the balance of the Jedi, then we would only descend into another reign of Palpatine. Short of extinguishing every Force-sensitive being who's born...." She trails off, shuddering at that thought, not so different from the Jedi Purge which had nearly wiped them all out. "The Jedi seek not to control but merely to prevent the others from taking control..?" Declan muses, "I had not considered that. I see that you have taken up the responsibility of your calling with some reluctance - if you are representative of your peers, I'd this bodes well for the new Jedi order... one can not reconcile eagerness for power with selflessness." The compliment seems about as sincere as he can make it. Jessa bobs her head in agreement, giving a soft chuckle, and casting about for the right words to explain her perspective. "The Jedi strive to use the Force as a source of wisdom and defense," she says quietly. "We don't view ourselves as omnipotent beings trying to control the universe. We simply want to preserve and protect freedom and justice in the galaxy." Sensing perhaps that the conversation has gone a step further than they are ready to address, the Jedi glances around for Drew, and then smiles at Declan once more. "I must be getting inside. I hope to see you again, Mr. Rahn."
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