Open Scrapheap Dreams

[Lyanna Mox]

Bracca​

The ground thundered as the wing finally came away from the destroyer in the distance. A slow motion drop until the metalwork thumped against the twisted ground. You could almost see the compression wave as it pulsed towards the platform, making it shake slightly. A couple of the gathered workers whistled, watching. For some, it never got old. As always, the talk was about scrap. Who'd be working that ship. How much bonus you could get from it. When the next ships were coming in. With war raging and Empires crumbling, Bracca was on tenterhooks.

Lyanna Mox wasn't paying much attention. Seen one ship getting cut, seen 'em all. She was there to get her scrip and go. Lining up in front of the foreman, she tapped her boot impatiently on the metal floor. Why was this line going so slooooooow? All around them, the sounds of distant cutting, wrenching and scrapping echoed, mixed with laughter and chatter. Finally, after what felt like an age, Lyanna moved to the front and was handed a chit by the grinning Foreman Droid.

"You were caught 'Slacking Off' on shift 8-Delta and 4-Eshen, Apprentice Mox," it said cheerfully. Lyanna didn't deign to reply, walking off with her chit in her pocket. With the scrip on that chit, she might just be able to afford half a snack pack from the Guild store. What a luxury.

As she moved off the platform and towards the mag-rail tracks, she paused to lean against a safety railing. Staring out into the distance, where the lazy sun glimmered on top of countless broken starships and busted tanks. Watching tiny droid specks float around and chart the wreckages. Seeing ships rise from other ports, criss-crossing the sky. She stared up at one, following it until it became too small to see, craning her neck up as she did.

Some day.

 

[Hera "The Joyful" Albion]

Stepping off the ramp of her ARC starfighter, Hera Albion sighed deeply. The planet of Bracca was a depressing place on the brightest of days in the Jedi's opinion. She understood why a scrapyard, such as this planet, was a necessary thing for the galaxy. However, when perfectly good ships came in to be scrapped because the previous owner, an individual or government, just couldn't afford the upkeep anymore, it made Hera's heart sink.

"Welcome to Bracca!" A chipper protocol droid greeted the Jedi on the landing pad. It looked as rough and rusted as any ship on this world, but Hera could tell just by listening that its voice modulator had been regularly maintained. "Please enjoy your stay, Jedi Councilor Albion. The Scrapper Guild has been informed of your arrival and a representative will be along in approximately twenty galactic standard hours. Please do not leave the landing pad until- oh- what are you-?"

Hera had maneuvered around behind the protocol droid and began disassembling the back panel. Accessing the hidden internals of the droid, Hera spoke, "Don't worry, I'm just fixing something-" The droid tried to protest, but fell silent as Hera turned it off. Reassembling the panel, she set the droid down in a safe spot and left the landing pad. She didn't want it stolen, but she also wouldn't have it monitoring her movements on this independent world.

Moving further away from her vessel and toward the scrapping yards, Hera attempted to go in the direction where she could see the most people. One of the local scrapping shifts would be getting off around this time, she reasoned from the great movement of people, and another group coming in to take their place. 'With any luck I'll be able to catch a few workers getting off shift, see what life is like for them.' Hera thought, eyeing a line of scrappers waiting to receive their payment scrip.

While Hera walked toward the line, it did not occur to the Jedi how truly out of place she must've looked. Wearing her green armor with two lightsabers clipped to her belt, the hilts barely concealed by a roughshod cloak, Hera almost would've looked more comfortable among a mercenary contingent than walking amongst scrappers. Red hair blowing in the wind, Hera adjusted the blackened goggles about her eyes and kept moving.

@Charndley

 

[Lyanna Mox]

Lyanna was too busy staring into the distance to notice anything out of the ordinary. But sure enough, the arrival of a strangely-attired person did not go unnoticed by the other workers. First there were stares; narrowed eyes and curious looks from the scrip line. Then came the whispers, pointed like vibroblades, as scrappers nodded and nudged their workmates to look at the red-haired woman.

"Get a load of this one-"

"-that some armor she's wear-"

"-hangin' off her damn waist like she's some Je-"

"- much you reckon it's worth?"

The line kept on shuffling forwards, with more mutterings passed up and down. In the midst of all those grungy, oil-stained cloaks and ragged work-wear, it was clear that Hera was not from there. The chatter passed from person to person, causing a little bit of a commotion, enough to distract Lyanna from her reverie and look back over her shoulder.

She caught sight of the woman moving, her red hair flickering in and out of view through the line. Didn't seem like much to Lyanna until she caught sight of the armor. It looked way more impressive than anything she'd seen on Bracca before. Nobody who stayed there for any period of time looked that impressive, or shiny. It drew the eye. It sparked imagination. Lyanna could only dream of what far flung place she'd come from, or where that armor had taken her.

Lyanna pulled away from the railing, following her along the platform. Weaving inbetween curious workers and management droids, hoping to see where she went, she formulated an idea in her head. She sped up, starting to jog over to where the woman was, waving to attract her attention.

"Hey! HEY!" Lyanna yelled, smiling and waving her arm. "Now I know you're new to Bracca. Need a guide?"

@Black Noise

 

[Hera "The Joyful" Albion]

Hera could hear the whispers of all those around her as she approached the lines. A Jedi Councilor's ears were far more powerful than most other beings, augmented by the Force when she wanted them to be. But she kept her mouth shut and her face neutral as if she heard nothing, choosing instead to keep walking the line. The Force did not bring any particular person to her eye or attention yet and she was about to begin walking away when-

"Hey! HEY!" A young woman off to Hera's right called out, waving her arm in Hera's direction as she jogged in the Jedi's direction. Smiling as the statement of Hera's foreignness came up, the Jedi responded gently, "Oh, was it that obvious? Yes please, I would greatly appreciate that."

Now this, the Force spoke to her to see. The latent abilities in this young woman were easily sensed by Hera, but she said nothing about it yet. It was not her place to say anything unless it was clear this girl wanted to know. Additionally, who starts a conversation like- 'Hi, you could be a Jedi!' Hera continued smiling as the thought crossed her mind and she moved to follow the girl.

"My name is Hera, from Arkania, what's your name." At the mention of her homeworld, Hera temporarily removed her blackened goggles to reveal two pupilless eyes, a fusion of milky white and green. It was a move more meant to prove her heritage than anything else, her hair still held its red dye and did not immediately give away what she was at the moment. 'Plus,' Hera reasoned, 'If I reveal a little about myself, perhaps I'll learn a little about this young woman.'

@Charndley

 

[Thel Xeros]

Thel looked over the vast expanse of junk, from his vantage point on the edge of the landing platform. The sheer scale of it was almost awe-inspiring. Remains of capital ships and battlecruisers stretched out to the horizon. Scrapyards and junk shops had been of interest to him as far back as he could remember. He had a passion for obtaining antiques and unusual ornaments. Scrapyards were great places to obtain such things.

Thel stepped off the landing platform and began to make his way down the walkway. He had spotted a group of what appeared to be scrappers, in the distance. They would surely know of some interesting objects. Thel had chosen to wear his usual black cloak which covered his robes of the same colour. The cloak helped keep his Lightsaber well concealed. He knew these were uncertain times for the Sith, so he wished to remain undetected; even on a backwater planet like Bracca.

As Thel approached the group of scrappers, he noticed a figure in the distance who didn’t quite fit in. They appeared to be wearing some sort of armour, but Thel couldn’t see anything more from where he was. He also spotted a smaller figure gesturing and waving in their direction. Something about the taller figure alerted his senses. He had an uneasy feeling. Having travelled some way to get to Bracca, he chose to put aside the feeling of doubt. He headed towards the nearest group of scrappers to see if they had any information regarding unusual objects, but he remained very much aware of the person who had alerted his senses.

 

[Lyanna Mox]

The stranger was polite! That bode well. Polite people were a lot easier to deal with and might be willing to give her a few credits for a tour. She actually get enough credits to eat properly today!

"Hah, that's great! You won't regret it!" Lyanna enthused, beaming at her new mark associate. "Well, I'm Lyanna but most people just call me Ly, and I'm from-" she started to say, before catching those strange, milky-white eyes. She stared for a couple of seconds, enough for the silence to be incredibly awkward.

"- uh... sorry I mean... I was born here. Bracca born and raised," Lyanna continued, like nothing had happened. Get a grip, last thing you want is your lunch money running away because you were too busy gawping at her eyes. She fixed the smile on her face as she held her hand out in front of them, leading the way.

"So, this is the landing platform, obviously. Pretty much the focal point of civilisation for a good couple hundred miles... you got your stores down there. They're mainly for Guild chits but you can probably get some good stuff for credits or crowns, if you have them." Lyanna moved towards the railing that overlooked this part of Bracca, out onto the endless fields of scrapped ships and walker-husks. As she walked to the railing itself, she brushed past some tall guy wearing all black. Someone's moody, she thought, as she smiled at them. "'Scuse me," she said before climbing up and turning back to Hera.

"No doubt you've heard of the many ruins, wrecks and rotting ships that cover Bracca but we've got so much more than you can imagine. If you look here," Lyanna said, turning and pointing out at the landscape of metal, "You can see some genuine wreckage from some battle between the Free Worlds whatever and the Sith, I think?" That's what she'd picked up from scrapper-talk, anyway. She didn't know anything about anything outside of scrap, really. Apparently the Sith were bad. And cheap, as well.

"You look out over there, you can just about make out the rail track there." Again, another point at some distant thing: a dull gleam of a line curling around the landscape. "Carries cargo around the planet and scrappers to our dorms and homes. They're a lot further out. Tell me if you're bored yet."

She's probably bored.

@Black Noise @DMCK

 

[Hera "The Joyful" Albion]

Hera watched every body movement, every twitch of the face, every pause in conversation from the young woman before her. Yet, upon Hera's own face, there was nothing but a gentle smile. Quietly, she followed Lyanna around and looked at every item and object pointed out to her. Of course, they passed by the man in black, and Hera affixed him with a quick glance before moving on.

A nonthreat, she decided.

Hera stopped at the section of the tour where the hulks and wrecks of vessels from the Free Worlds and Sith battles were being vivisected. Sighing deeply, she spoke, "Such a waste." Before smiling once more and turning back to Lyanna. Putting back on her blackened goggles, she allowed a mischievous look to cross her features.

"So-" She spoke to Lyanna, but seemed to be looking up past her now, "Do you think you could get me to your scrapper dorms and homes? I'd very much like to meet more people like you, and stay a little while at your place. I wouldn't want to impose, but I do have credits to compensate you for your time."

Credits Hera indeed had, more than she knew what to do with nowadays. Though she didn't carry it all with her, she certainly had enough money to change hundreds, if not thousands of people's lives. And that's exactly what she thought about doing at this moment. That, of course, and learning more about the scrapper Lyanna.

Hera could sense more than met the eye in her.

@DMCK @Charndley

 

[Thel Xeros]

The scrappers were an interesting assortment of characters. Even the ones who had just returned from a hard shift still displayed a lively sense of humour. Thel enjoyed the back and forth with them, even if he wasn’t getting much done. They were quite happy to quote ridiculous fees for speculative excursions to find objects they claimed they had seen. A short bearded one called out to him, waving his calloused hands to help get Thel’s attention. “You’re probably better off looking for one of them younger scrappers!” His voice was hoarse. “If you don’t want the benefit of our many years of experience and just want a cheap guide.” Thel smirked at the remark. “I’ll keep that in mind.” Credits weren’t really an issue for him, but he didn’t want to trek across a scrapheap without anything to show for it.

Thel had been so caught up in talking that he had forgotten about the figure in the distance who had given him a bad feeling. Turning away from the group he had been chatting with, he almost turned straight into a young woman. “Scuse me.” She smiled at him as she said it. He gave a slight smile in return. Just as he looked up, he locked eyes with a woman. It was the woman he had seen before; the one who had alerted his senses. They glanced at each other for what could have only been a second, as they weaved through the crowd. Thel stopped and glanced back as she walked away with the younger woman. He turned back, ready to move on with his search for a scrapper to act as a guide. However, something was stopping him. His curiosity had been piqued.

Thel made his way back through the crowd. Eventually, after weaving through a number of people, he spotted the two women. They were talking. The shorter one had a slight build. Her ragged clothes very much fitted in with the scrappers. He couldn’t quite determine the species of the one who caught his attention. Her armour was now more clearly visible, though it was partially obscured by a tattered cloak. As he walked towards them, he could feel her presence in the force. It was strong. However, he no longer felt uneasy. Her presence was tranquil. He approached them. Being quite a bit taller than them, he was a somewhat looming figure. “Excuse me, I am sorry to bother you both.” His voice was soft. He gave a slight bow of his head to them both, as a gesture of respect. “I was looking for someone who might be willing to show me around. I do have credits.” He peered down at them both. As friendly as his greeting had been, his slightly unusual appearance could be unsettling. His dark sunken eyes were nearly black, and his skin was almost unnaturally pale.

 

[Lyanna Mox]

The woman seemed quite sad as she stared out at the wrecks. Lyanna could understand. They'd mostly been pilfered of their valuable scraps, which was rather disappointing. They wouldn't get her off this rock.

"You wanna see the dorms?" Lyanna asked Hera, looking up in disbelief. Right behind her, there were ship frames and wrecks that were decades old. There was technology in there from a hundred different conflicts! You could find valuable boards out there! Or at least, you could rip the wiring out and get some bonus credits. What was so interesting at the dorms? There was just a lot of people and not a lot of space. Some bad food too, if you were lucky.

"You absolutely sure you wanna see them? Or stay there?" But she wouldn't question it for long, especially when there was the opportunity for credits. "I mean, I'll probably need to ask my folks buuuuuuuut, sure. We'll just need to get a tram over there. It's a bit of a distance away."

She was about to lead Hera towards the tram line when the other figure approached them. The gentleness of the voice took Lyanna by surprise, as she turned to stare up at the dark cloak, pale skin and deep, black eyes. "Uhhhh..." she found herself saying, the man's words barely filtering into her thoughts. Seemed like the day for strange, pale people coming to Bracca.

"Um... well, normally I would but I've kinda already agreed to take this lady here somewhere," Lyanna said, pointing her thumb towards Hera. "I mean, you're more than welcome to come along, we're heading to the Flats." With that, Lyanna held out her hand, in case he agreed to it. Hey, you gotta earn your creds somehow.

Whether or not the strange man decided to join them, Lyanna would nod towards the platform, pointing to a particular berth. "It's about fifteen minutes or so along this line!" she yelled over the din of the trains. "Find a space to sit, might get a little bit cosy!" As the train arrived, groups of tired, oil-stained and grumpy workers filed on, muttering incessantly about every day grievances.

@Black Noise @DMCK

 

[Thel Xeros]

Thel did not have much experience with the light side of the force. Previously, the notion of interacting with someone who used it would have seemed ridiculous. But now he was in the presence of such a person, his curiosity had got the better of him. “That would be fine.” The young one seemed polite. He gave her a gentle smile. Reaching out, he shook her hand. The force. The force radiated from her. How had he not sensed it before? Perhaps the other one’s presence had acted as a distraction. His mind turned to the other woman. She must have sensed the younger woman’s presence in the force.

The young woman led them towards a train. Thel was used to such means of transportation. He had spent a long time travelling through the outer rim, where trains were fairly common. The train was full to the brim with scrappers. They were worn out, grease stained and irritable. He settled in for the journey.

Thel hadn’t forgotten his reason for coming to the planet. If nothing came of his excursion with the two others, he could perhaps find someone out on the flats who would be willing to lead him to an object of interest amongst the scrapheaps. It seemed a no-lose situation.

@Black Noise @Charndley