6. Dancing Around the Charity Ball Subject

04-23-2011, 03:25 AM
Arianna

Ari came back to the hanger from the sims and laughed. It felt better on the ground and greasy than it did to be in a pilot in a cockpit. She moved to the toolbox cabinets, found her belt pouch and spano and headed towards Romon's bird. Had to keep the CO working. She went over every inch then headed down the line in the hanger.

Two hours later she was working on bird two when she began humming. The tune got her thinking... The Charity Ball was coming up. She would love to be a bird in a tree outside the window that night. To see the gowns, the jewels, the costumes. It never occurred to her that she would be inside with the rest. “Why not?” her mind asked. "Because, Tink, you are a grease monger. No one asks a woman with a spano to dance.” She laughed. As she rose from the landing gear she was working on and headed around the base of the fighter, she tried to dance. It was awkward, not in step and certainly not in tune with the humming. She held her arms out with the spano gripped between her fingers. Laughing and smiling like a loon as she made fun of herself in the solace of the hanger. Her voice was singsong as she played. “Oh Tink... the shine on your skin reminds me of the light off the moons of Endor.” Her false deep staccato voice was followed by a 'too high' pitched female response. "Oh Sir... it is jet fuel I must have missed after doing turn arounds on the fighters. How sweet you are to notice.”

The conversation was short, but continued. "And your perfume. Such a scent. Surely the flowers of Naboo cannot compare.” The female voice following. “Oh, kind Sir... it is hydraulic fluid. The red tint permeates all that I am and have.” Her laughter echoed through the hanger for the first time since the boys had flown from the hanger on maneuvers and knocked her on her butt. (1*) Anyone walking in would see the tough mechanic acting like she was strung out on some galactic drug and imagining things.





(1*) See thread titled “WAKE UP CALL, ROGUE STYLE” in NR TRAINING GROUNDS (http://www.sw-rpg.net/forums/showthread.php?t=28996)

04-26-2011, 10:52 PM
Arianna

Tink laughed. "I am Arianna, Tink to you pilots. I know who you are, but it doesn't surprise me that you don't know me." She lead Kelly to the small office she had off the hanger and nodded to a chair. "Sitting is a good thing once in a while. So please, enjoy. Sorry it's not the Officer's Lounge." She moved to the chilling unit and turned. "Want something to drink? I don't have much but if you want, I can come up with something." She laughed softly.

None of the pilots had ever hunted her down before. She had nodded to them as they climbed up and down ladders she held. And sometimes they murmured a 'thanks' when she said some new something or other had been added to enhance their aircraft. But she was like a shadow. Ever present but still invisible and ignored.

"So, I doubt you came just to sit in the hanger. Though if you came here to be rid of the journalist, I can see that. Sorry you have her following you around all the time." She held out a cold caffeine drink to Kelly and took a second for herself.

***

04-27-2011, 12:17 AM
Romon

Romon had a bit of free time on his hands and was going to go turn some wrenches on his bird. She was running like a dream, but there were a few little things that needed his attention. The two on the list for today where replace the bulb that let the right side of the gage showing hydraulic like pressure on the landing skid actuators and he wanted to pull off the lower access panel on the left side gage pod, something had vibrated loose and now made an annoying rattle noise when cruising at the sub lights at about 80% power. The harmonics running through the air frame at the specific power output being just right to cause the noise.

Neither complaint was serious. They would be considered "up gripes"-concerns or problems that were of a minor nature and would not affect the ability of the craft to fly or fight. A "down gripe" would be a concern that put the bird out of commission until resolved-a blown engine, a malfunctioning hyper drive. Up gripes were something you just learned to live with. With the fighters being flown as much as they were, especially in combat situations, things were going to brake. While the two issues Romon was going to look at today were minor indeed, they were annoying because they weren't right. When he was in the middle of combat, when everything was happening in the blink of an eye, anything out of the ordinary- a light that is supposed to be on that isn't, a strange rattle you are not used to hearing-can cause a split second distraction, and in a dog fight that could lead to you having a very bad day indeed.

Clad in some old jeans and a t shirt, cloths he didn't mind getting a little grease on, Romon entered the hanger. He didn't see anyone around, and figured if Tink was around she was probably doing some paper work in her officer. Figuring he would check in with her, just so that if he should happen to drop a hydrosapnner, the resulting clang of metal hitting the deck wouldn't giver her a heart attack...thouhgts of parts falling off of aircraft coming to mind.

Mind off and thinking about where to start on his bird, Romon walked to Tink's office, and seeing the door was cracked, knocked lightly with his knuckles as he pushed it gently open and walked inside saying; "Hey Tink, I am gonna go work..." pausing just for a second as the fact that he was interrupting a conversation in progress hit him, Romon smiled a little sheepishly. "Sorry ladies, I didn't mean to interrupt. I was just gonna let you know Tink that I am gonna mess around with a couple things on the bird. So if you need me I will be out there." Turning to head out the door, Romon flashed Kelly a smile and a wink. "Hey beautiful."

Romon started to head out of the office and back into the hanger. It was not that he was trying to be anti social by just bailing out, but he truly had not meant to interrupt what ever the two were talking about.

***

04-27-2011, 03:15 AM
Arianna

Tink looked at Romon as he pushed the door open and frowned. "Hmmm seems he shows up everywhere." She muttered to herself. Her smile radiated none the less and she nodded. "No worries. By the way, I already pulled that loose panel you mentioned last time you returned. It's on the deck and there is a temp cover on it. I think the fasteners need replacing. I have a droid working on the specs to see if there is a more efficient way to fasten those smaller panels. They seem more likely to shake loose than the larger ones." Looking to Kelly she smiled and nodded. "I've taken the liberty of doing it to your bird as well, Ma'am. I mean, no point in fixing one without fixing them all." She laughed.

Glancing back at Romon as he was about to leave, she caught his comment to Kelly. Smiling she pretended to ignore it. But the light in his eyes and the smile on his face was most definitely not put there because he was happy to be in the hanger. She looked at Kelly as the man left. "So the rumors are true? Well I'll be a wookie dancer. I am glad he found someone to make him happy. You both deserve it." She laughed and once more offered the lady a drink that was in her hand.

***

04-29-2011, 11:57 AM
Kelly

Kelly almost jumped when Romon walked in. She had been looking toward Tink, and hadn't heard him coming. Always on the alert, she swung around, saw it was him, and breathed a sigh of relief. Before she could say anything, he walked right back out again, for which she just stood standing there. "Heh... hey there hon." she answered, giving a a small half hearted wave.

She turned back to Arianna when he left, raising an eyebrow. "What rumors?" Kelly asked. She had thought it was sort of a known fact. What with her following him to all these meetings, balls, etc. "A... a wookiee dancer?"

Weird.

"He could have found any girl on this whole base to make him happy. Don't ask why he picked me, because I still haven't figured it out myself yet." Kelly said, brows furrowed for a moment. "Oh and thanks, about the whole... 'fastener' thing."

She drummed her fingers on the desk agitatedly, looking around the office. "How come no one knows about you? I didn't until just now."


***

04-30-2011, 07:35 PM
Arianna

Tink was relaxing, leaning on the counter as she toyed absently with one of her tools she had run her fingers over on the counter, obvious left there last time she had been in the office. When Kelly asked about the rumors, she laughed, “Following your Commanding Officer around is something many Executive Officers do.” She winked and laughed louder, “But trust me, the level of dedication has left many wondering and betting on how soon the quarters location for you both will be identical.”

Her doubts at her compatibility with Romon was almost mundane. Almost no woman says 'I am the perfect one for him. I know exactly why he chose me.' She almost laughed again but stopped short as the woman asked about her own anonymity.

“You aren't supposed to know about me.” Tink replied. She looked away from the woman and suddenly seemed very uncomfortable. “Your birds fly, they come back. They are fueled, fixed and ready to go again. If you do know me, it's because you had to hunt me down. The flight cards you all fill out with goods and bads of your missions... I read them, the mechanics and I fix them. And if I can, I work on ideas to better your performances. I pass them by Romon, he approves or denies the requests, the changes are made and life's cycle goes on.” She was suddenly very fidgety and self conscious as she looked back up and shrugged. “I guess I am supposed to be unseen and unknown. Like the cleaning droids and fuel skids. I do my job, no one bothers to look.” She shrugged again and looked back at the tool in her hand with feigned interest. Ten minutes from now she wouldn't be able to name the tool in her hand, but right now it was somehow comforting to fiddle with it.