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| - Landing Field - Ord Mantell The landing field-- dubbed Skywalker Field by the base personnel after the family of both famous Republic generals-- is dominated by a large, 500-meter square main landing pad built out of heavy-duty layers of permacrete and durasteel. This pad, in addition to being edged by large floodlights for nighttime operation, features a system of extendable heavy support structures and recessing bays that are capable of reconfiguring the pad's contours to form cradles for many of the Republic military's most common large starships. Most of the time, however, the pad is in a smooth, flat default configuration, and partitioned to serve as a combination parade ground and starfighter runway. To the east, a 2-km section of wilderness has been declared an approach zone, clear of buildings, save for a collection of heavy, unmanned support structures built into the ground that stretches for most of the length of the zone. The north and west edges of the pad are bordered by a row of five tall, elegant secondary pad structures, featuring a teired construction and flowing, curved supports. Each of these structures has four docking catwalks mid-way up the support legs-- two towards the main pad, and two facing away-- as well as a 100m rectangular pad spanning the top of the supports, with a third level above and away from the feild, comprised of a pair of 50m pads on their own supports. Each of these levels is serviced by a small airspeeder dock for passenger access, as well as access to a turbolift to the ground through the main supports. Finally, to the south sits the massive blast doors of the base's hangar, sunken into the sturdy rock of New Alderaan's cliffs. Here and there, one can also see the barrels of defense turrets dug into the cliff face, and the unmistakable bulk of a v190 Planet Defender ion cannon rises above the top of the cliff, a silent sentinel of the base and city below it. The sky is clear, with a gentle breeze blowing. A wispy, pinkish cloud occasionally appears overhead. -=========================================================================- It's been a very busy night since the events of the previous day. However, this is the New Republic's finest and things are starting to fall into place, into a more normal situation. The debris is nearly completely cleaned up, windows are currently being replaced, and people are walking the streets of New Alderaan/Ord Mantell and Solo Base without fear. And then there's Midshipman Di-Inaris. With the work done, she has promises to keep. "George the Fourth, go long, go long!" the woman shouts to a little MSE droid that scurries in what could be considered fear as it is chased by a large and lumbering power droid that almost seems perky and excited by the fact it gets to chase the small and wily droid. What has the New Republic unleased upon itself here? 2nd Combat Officer Alarod Kem approaches the landing field slowly, webbed hands hanging freely at his sides as he visually inspects the carnage from the night prior - something he had regrettably missed due to indoctrinational ceremonies he needed to go through to fully inprocess into his unit. Calm black eyes peer about the area, and fall upon the MSE droid being chased mercilessly by the bigger and slowly GNK power droid, a sight that forces a shallow grin to plague his face. Shaking his head, he continues onwards, heading towards the Midshipman who seemed to have something to do with the droids' activity. Laughing, Ti'Ilandria turns, looking over a datapad that a Petty Officer hands her, before signing off on something. "Good job," she notes, before wiping her hand on her hip. Darn that grease. Hazel eyes look after the GNK droids chasing George the Fourth across the Landing Field, before she moves towards a computer terminal and does some input herself. Then the Midshipman crawls underneath and pulls out her Handy-Dandy hydrospanner and starts knocking about some components. "Come on you piece of junk! Work! You will LIKE this upgrade, I KNOW you will. Come on!" she urges the terminal as her feet stick out from beneath the panel. That is a no, on spotting the Combat Officer approaching. As for the MSE and GNK droids, well, George the Fourth ducks and dodges, squealing as it stops dead as a lumbering beheamoth of a GNK gets in front of it. Backing up it narrowly dodges out of the way of another before rolling away. On the sidelines several other MSE droids all roll back and forth squeeking and hooting their cheers and jeers for their comrade. The Meri officer chuckles as the midshipman goes about her work. He turns to the see the power droid and the MSE still messing around, but his attention soon falls back upon the woman. He coughs softly, perhaps expelling a bit of dust that had come his way. He folds his arms and looks around the area, that long mane of braided hair that hangs from his head swishes a little bit as his attention falls back on her. "How's the repairs coming?" On no! Voices in her head again! Ty lets out a startled yelp as she sits up, banging her head on the inside of the terminal before she slides up from underneath the beast. Rubbing her forehead, and smearing grease all over it, the Midshipman looks up to peer at the officer's knees, before looking further up until she sees the ranking on the lapels. Rising, Ty offers a quick salute, before trying to wipe grease from her face, smearing it further instead. "Sir!" she offers, before glancing around. "Hey, George the Fourth, funtime's done, come on back. Fuzzy, Furry, Scratch and Sniff, playtime's over. Come back off the field. You had your break," she calls out to the droids, before looking at the Combat Officer. "Repairs are coming along well. We pulled an all nighter, Sir. Most of the repairs were superficial, Sir. Broken glass and dents, Sir. Windows are being replaced all across the city, not just on base. With permission, I've allowed most of the NCO's some sake-time, Sir. I was just finishing up on this terminal, before getting some myself, Sir." "At ease, midshipman. I am just here to see how things are going." He looks over his shoulder to see the droids all start to scurry back to work before his attention falls to the terminal and the woman repairing it. "This is your operation. You don't need my permission to do anything. Though, I would suggest that you indeed hurry up and give yourself some time to recover as well. There is no need to work this long on something that can be divided amongst shifts." He bends down to pick up fragments to some kind of circuitboard. "Oh, never you mind anything about that, that's irrepairable," notes Ti'Ilandria as she waves off the circuit-board. "That I found after a routine check when I noticed this old-girl wasn't working properly. So after cleanup was done, I dove in and gave a look. It's not a main board, but I think I gave her a near-heart attack by putting in some new and fan-dangled stuff and now she's just bein' shy, Sir," offers the Midshipman; though if the woman is joking or being serious is a bit hard to tell. Turning around, Ty presses a few buttons and toggles a switch before murmuring. "Boot, baby, boot. The new programming should work..." "Yes, well... maybe next time I will be available to take a part in making sure this is all prevented from happening again." He gestures about the area with his hands before folding them behind his back and taking a slow walk around the reminal, his eyes flying back and forth between objects on the floor and other varying sorts of debris. "Unfortunately I was unable to be tasked last night due to a very long indoctrination ceremony... had I not been required to be there, I would have been out here." "Oh, hey, don't beat yourself up about it, Sir," offers Ty, reaching up to run her non-greasy hand over the back of her neck, staring nervously at Alarod. Ain't this just awkward. "I mean, I was being chased around buy someone wanting my blaster with a big-huge wrench because I wouldn't give it up because it seems he was being controlled by some funky-freaky-Forceness. So... uh ... it's all good, eh?" she notes, sliding the hydrospanner away as the computer terminal starts to flash and hum to life. "There, that'a girl! See, Momma told'ya you'd like what I brought you!" Bending down, Ty starts to replace the service panel as she continues to talk. "The XO of Rogue Squadron showed up though with a wicked haymaker and saved my bacon, 'cause I really need to work on my shootin', blaster set for stun or not. Nearly shot up my little Venny!" she exclaims in obvious dismay. It's at this point that the GNK droids have moved to their spots and settle themselves down, and if a power droid could seem content, one might think they were. The MSE droids all scurry away, brush attachments still in place, to return to their normal duties. "I'm not beating myself up over it. I am disappointed, yes, but not to the point of self-disrespect." He bends down, toying with another piece of wreckage and kicking it away once he finds it is useless. "Good job. The terminal works now. You should go sleep now, so the medics aren't trying to fix -you- later." He chuckles a bit, the tall blue humanoid walking full circle and returning to her, hands still clasped professionally behind his back. "That is, if you can find relaxation somewhere. I am having a bit of difficulty myself... I thought about going to the range for some shooting. It calms me." A peek into the complex soul that is Alarod Kem, perhaps? Or maybe he was just a little... distraught lately? Ty blinks and starts to chase after the bit of debris is kicked away, even as one of the nearby MSE droids with the broom attachment starts to try to race Ty playfully towards it. "Oh, I'm still hopped up on sugar a bit. I'll probably read through news in the bunks before crashing into a dreamless sleep, Sir. And you get used to it, just having to turn yourself off. Though, I find reading helps, Sir. Or finding a hobby, Sir. The Shooting range might be a good hobby, Sir," she notes, glancing at the Combat Officer, before playing tug-o-war with the MSE droid and finally winning with a triumphant "A-HA!" as she raises the debris into the air. "I don't require much physical rest. At least, not as much as most humanoids. 3 or 4 hours is plenty of sleep for people of my descent." He puts out bluntly, almost arrogantly if it weren't for the calm smile brought about his face as the woman tussles with the droid for control of that piece of debris. "Have you eaten yet? Perhaps you would accompany me to the dining facility. I've smelled what their brewing up over there and I must say, if I don't go over there to ease my hunger I will go to ease my curiousity." Frozen with the piece of circuit board debris held aloft with a triumphant grin on her face, Ty suddenly blinks. Hazel eyes turn to peer over at Alarod in confusion as she stands completely statuesque where she is. "Wha... ?" she asks, the MSE droid suddenly shifting to be pushing at the back of her foot as if encouraging her to go. "Me? Go ... with you?" From behind the Midshipman somewhere, several Petty Officer's start snickering before scurrying on with their duties. Clearing her throat, Ty lowers her arm only to swipe at her cheek with the fabric of her jumpsuit and then hop out of the way of the droid. "Okay, Okay! I'll go George the First. Now go... SHOO! Get to work ... cleaning or messagering or something," she offers with faint annoyance before tossing the piece of debris into a passing bin. "I ain't got grease on my face, do I?" Yes. Yes, she does. The young Meri chuckles softly, shaking his head pathetically as he folds his arms over his chest and briefly turns his gaze away from her. He looks back to her, grinning. "Yes. Yes, you do. All -over- your face." He turns to look at the snickering petty officers, and then the droid tapping at her foot. Did he say something? Was this perceived as some attempt at courting her? If it were, it was misunderstood. He turns a bit to face the exit. "I wouldn't worry about that. You are a mechanic after all, and these things happen. Let's go grab something to eat, then?" The young Meri chuckles softly, shaking his head pathetically as he folds his arms over his chest and briefly turns his gaze away from her. He looks back to her, grinning. "Yes. Yes, you do. All -over- your face." He turns to look at the snickering petty officers, and then the droid tapping at her foot. Did he say something? Was this perceived as some attempt at courting her? If it were, it was misunderstood. He turns a bit to face the exit. "I wouldn't worry about that. You are a mechanic after all, and these things happen. Let's go grab something to eat, then?" Now Ty starts furiously wiping at her face with the sleeves of both arms, trying to clean it up a bit. "Yeah, but if'n we're goin' to eat, I'll get grease in my food. I may be a bit o' a grease monkey, but that don't mean I like EATIN' it," she notes with a shake of her head, moving to follow Alarod. Hey, he's the one with rank, after all. Then the young woman starts wiping her hands down over her hips, to make certain they are somewhat clean and prepared for food, as well. No use cleaning your face, only to have your hands be dirty. "So, you were just gettin' here, Sir? Where are ya' transferin' in from, if'n I can ask?" Alarod laughs softly. "I came here from an outpost in the Outer rim. The outpost was just there gathering dust... we barely saw two Imperial presences a year... so they abandoned the outpost and I got reassigned to the 224th." He states, simply. It was just that - a simple reassignment. He had no tales of glory and valour to precede him, other than the fact that he was known in every unit he's been in to be a crackshot with any kind of blaster... but then again, it always seemed to come naturally to him, as he had only a small bit of training before joining the New Republic's military. "What about you? How long have you been here?" "Me? Oh, just a few days. Just graduated," notes Ty, motioning to her ranking, the proud Midshipman that she is. "Spacer born and bread, been all over this galaxy, never called a place my home, and proud of it," she notes as she walks along, stuffing her hands in the pockets of her jumpsuit now. "I suppose it was predetermined I'd be an engineer, what with my room being next to the engine room on the ship that was our little home, my parents and mine." Alarod opens the door to the dining facility, only to find it locked. "Closed. Darn." He sighs and looks in through the transparisteel door, trying to see if anyone was inside. "Must be someone else's cooking I was smelling. Oh well! Looks like it's another night of rations!" He grins, turning to look at her. "Maybe we could go shoot or something. I am not really hungry anyways...." There is a long hesitation as the look of concentration on Ty's face shows her thoughtful deliberation. Finally, at long last, the Midshipman finally shakes her head. "I actually should take you up on the suggestion of rest. I can feel the sugar can caff rush fading and any minute now I'm gonna get hit with fatigue like a tonne of transparisteel," she notes with a faint wry twist to her lips. "Look, I'll take you up on it another time, I could totally use the practice and the critique an the help. Sound like a deal?" she asks with an arch of her eyebrow upwards. "Alright then. Sounds like a plan." He nods, letting his hands clasp behind his back once more and bowing slightly at the waist. "Until next time, Midshipman. I will be sure to instruct your superiors on what an outstanding job you've done the next time I see one of them." He straightens his posture, and offering one more nod he moves around her, making his way for the range by himself. Well, that just leaves Ty standing there with her jaw all a-gape. Her, doing an outstanding job? And telling her superiors? And then... //WHAM// the fatigue hits her, and the Midshipman smiles and waves after Alarod. "Thank you, Sir!" she says sleepily before turning on her heel humming to herself. "Heh. Just wait 'til Venny hears about that. He'll be so proud to hear that..." she notes to herself as she heads off to her bunk.
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