Rianon Kardama
Member
Posts: 94 
Affiliation: 'Serenity' Crew Medic
Traffic Light: Orange
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Post by Rianon Kardama on Apr 13, 2016 20:38:22 GMT -8
This little storyline is being written to fill in the blanks of Rianon Kardama and Johnathan Castle's personal leave from the Serenity before the ship and her Captain pick up a Zabrak passenger on Iridonia. Rianon was feeling eager to head home to Corellia, as she had not been there in far too long. Johnathan had decided to take his leave with Rianon to be able to spend time with her off ship, and to see why she was so excited to go home.
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Rianon Kardama
Member
Posts: 94
Affiliation: 'Serenity' Crew Medic
Traffic Light: Orange
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Post by Rianon Kardama on Apr 13, 2016 20:50:44 GMT -8
Rianon had spent far too much time away from home this time. Unfortunately, this line of work didn't generally leave the ability to run off at a moment's notice. She was practically bouncing as she packed her bag for the stay on Corellia. She didn't really need to pack much, she still had a full closet at the house, but bringing nothing would look even more suspicious. She sang quietly to herself as she folded anther skirt to put into her bag.
"Black, black or black?" She muttered to herself as she dropped the skirt into the bag. Maybe this would be a good time to put a little more colour back into her wardrobe.
The visit to Corellia had been her idea. She was happy when Johnathan had decided to go with her, but now she was beginning to feel nervous. There was so much to tell him.
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Johnathan Castle [Retired]
The Organization
Machines got ta talkin'. I got ta listenin'. Ever since then, I've been fixin'.
Posts: 157 
Affiliation: Draykon Crew Mechanic/Bartender Extraordinaire/Organization Mechanic
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by Johnathan Castle [Retired] on Apr 13, 2016 21:23:33 GMT -8
The time spent on the Serenity with the crew and Captain had been time well spent, in Johnathan's mind. Nathan Reynolds had given him a job and a home. And Castle was okay with that. He was able to travel all over the galaxy, fixing anything and everything he could get his hands on. But some serious R 'n R was needed. He's been flying for too long. And with things going well with Rianon, he had decided to take his leave with her. Since Corellia was home to both of them, it made sense that he'd want some time off. Not that he had much on Corellia, but it gave him time to spend with Rianon, away from the prying eyes of the rest of the crew.
As these thoughts continued to flood his mind, Castle finished with the tune up on the Serenity's deflector shields.
During their last run in with pirates, the Serenity had taken a few well placed hits. And being the mechanical boy wonder, it was up to Castle to fix everything on the ship. With the Captain pushing so hard within the last few months, he had become real acquainted with the ship, learning a lot about her inner workings. The Captain had been a very smart man to pick this ship up. She may have looked like a dated Wayfarer on the outside, but on the inside, she was something special. Most of her inner components had been replaced with modified or highly illegal upgraded parts. And all these parts had been selected with such care and consideration. Each part affected the other, operating off of each other. It was truly a beautiful thing.
Castle wiped his grimy hands on a rag he had plucked from his back pocket. He stuck the rag back into his pocket and reached over, grabbing the access panel cover for the deflector shield housing. He tightened the screws back down, securing the panel in place.
"There. All buttoned up."
Castle crawled out from under the shield power unit and stood up. He plucked the rag from his back pocket again and wiped his hands down. as he left the engine room, he strode to the bridge just up the hall. He wanted to check in with the captain to see just how far away from Corellia they were. Upon entering the bridge, he found Captain Reynolds hunched over an astrogation map.
"Hey Captain. Deflectors are back up and operational. I fixed the coupler and repaired the broken wires. Should be as good as new....anyways, I was wondering how far out we were from Corellia?"
Castle waits for the Captain to lift his head and reply.
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Rianon Kardama
Member
Posts: 94
Affiliation: 'Serenity' Crew Medic
Traffic Light: Orange
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Post by Rianon Kardama on Apr 13, 2016 21:41:36 GMT -8
Time wasn't passing fast enough for Rianon. She thought that they would have been on Corellia already. Actually, she thought it would have taken her longer to pack. But the infirmary might need a quick once over...
She closed her bag and left it near the door of her room before heading to the infirmary to make sure everything was in order before she left. Hopefully no one would poke around in there while she was home. She hated having to reorganize the infirmary because someone had to go poking around. After making sure everything was secure she headed to the bridge to check where they were. As she neared the door she heard Castle ask the Captain for a time frame. She smiled and slipped into the room beside him.
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Nathan Caldwell [Retired]
Member
This character is retired, though permission has been given to be NPC'ed as needed.
Posts: 125
Affiliation: The First Order
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by Nathan Caldwell [Retired] on Apr 15, 2016 19:01:11 GMT -8
Nathan was pouring over a star chart, planning his next move after Corellia. He needed to find something. Their reserve of credits was running low. Lower than he'd like to admit. If he was to pick up the appropriate cargo, the next world that could hold promise would be Iridonia. Or he could visit Queen Keeta Fel of Trian. She always enjoyed the company of the Serenity and her crew. Castle entered the bridge and informed him of the repaired deflector shields. Reynolds nodded in approval.
"Good to hear. No deflectors makes us vulnerable. And I don't like being vulnerable, not in general."
As Nathan continued to study the chart, Castle then asked when they'd be on Corellia. He could tell the young man was eager to step foot back on his home world. And because of that, Nathan could relate to him. He had been born and raised on Corellia. To him, it was a second home. However, staying there too long attracted all kinds of unwanted attention. And as a rule, Nathan liked to avoid drawing attention to himself if he could. With Wash currently busy seeing to an issue in the cargo bay with Zoe, Nathan was on the bridge all by himself. As Castle posed his question to him, Rianon, the ship's miraculous healer, joined him. She was a truly gifted individual, as Nathan had discovered. Even with all his years of being a smuggler, he had never met a person who could heal wounds like she could. She was truly and artist within her trade, even is she was a little odd at times. Nathan looked up from the chart, then wandered over to the navigation console to the right of the pilot's seat. After a few seconds of scanning the screens, he turned to his two crew members and answered Castle's question.
"Shouldn't be more than an hour left on the trip. I'll have Wash inform you when we make our final approach..."
He went back to studying the star chart. Upon noticing the two members of his crew still standing there, he spoke up once more.
"You ain't on leave just yet, and I ain't payin' you to stand around. You both got jobs to do, so go do them. I'm busy doing Captain-y things."
And that was the one and only time he'd remind them they had work to do still. He wasn't one to beat around the bush when it came to keeping his ship running. He didn't like pushing his crew to do their jobs, but he wasn't paying them to stand around, as he had pointed out.
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Rianon Kardama
Member
Posts: 94
Affiliation: 'Serenity' Crew Medic
Traffic Light: Orange
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Post by Rianon Kardama on Apr 15, 2016 20:28:54 GMT -8
Rianon was happy to hear that they would be on Corellia in an hour. She was getting more eager to be on the planet with each passing minute. The Captain's comment about having to work for the next hour made her smile. Technically she should be working, but there was nothing for her to do. Unless Castle managed to hurt himself before they landed. Which was always a possibility. If she spent the next hour in the infirmary she could possibly limit the amount of damage that could be done in there while she was gone.
"Yes, sir. I'll go make sure the infirmary is buttoned up. I'll post some signs to minimize the damage. If Venom messes it up while I'm gone I'm not cleaning it up."
She turned and walked out of the room. She started plotting the sign locations and specific wording. It would have to be simple, yet condescending. Venom would love that. She laughed quietly to herself as she wrote up a sign for the drawer of needles. "Needles: the pointy things I use to sew you back together." She moved around the room labeling drawers and cupboards, occasionally opening one to label items within. Sedatives were labelled as "sleepy time drugs" and the cauterizing torch was "hot ouchy." As she moved around the room, Rianon took stock of what she would need to get while on Corellia. Her list was longer than she would have liked. Some things on the list were necessary, others were there as more of a "wish list." Things she would like to have, just in case. She stretched, took off her lab coat and walked back to her room, closing the infirmary door as she left. She entered her room and sat down on her bed, hoping that Wash would let them know that they were about to land on Corellia. There was so much she wanted to do and show Castle.
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Johnathan Castle [Retired]
The Organization
Machines got ta talkin'. I got ta listenin'. Ever since then, I've been fixin'.
Posts: 157
Affiliation: Draykon Crew Mechanic/Bartender Extraordinaire/Organization Mechanic
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by Johnathan Castle [Retired] on Apr 22, 2016 17:06:31 GMT -8
Castle smirked as the Captain dismissed them, and left the bridge. Upon leaving the bridge, Castle moved through the ship, past the Common Area, down the corridor past the passenger quarters and the infirmary. Upon entering the cargo bay, Castle turned to his right and went to his room. As he entered his room, he grabbed his towel from the rack and spun about. He then headed down to the refresher located at the other end of the bay. He was in high need of a good shower before they got to Corellia. And with roughly an hour to waste until they reached their destination, Castle had ample opportunity to scrub some of the grease and oil that soiled his hands.
Though he would by no means come completely clean, he would certainly be able to get the majority of it off. Maybe with this time off, he'd actually have clean hands and fingers by the time he came back to work. But, even if he did, he'd end up working on the ship again at some point and the vicious circle would start anew. People with his profession just settled for having semi-clean hands.
Castle entered the refresher, closing the door behind him. He paused by the mirror to look himself over as he removed his clothing. He was notorious for injuring himself and brushing it to the back of his mind until he was finished his task. Much to Rianon's disdain. She didn't appreciate having to pick out the dirt, grime or metal filings that often were associated with his various wounds. Once Castle was undressed, he stepped into the shower stall and turned the water on, allowing it to rinse away the stress of the day. After a few minutes of just standing under the water, Castle scrubbed himself down, rinsed off and exited the shower. Wrapped in just a towel, Castle gathered up his things and returned to his bunk, where he selected clean clothes and packed his bag for the upcoming visit to Corellia with Rianon.
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Nathan Caldwell [Retired]
Member
This character is retired, though permission has been given to be NPC'ed as needed.
Posts: 125
Affiliation: The First Order
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by Nathan Caldwell [Retired] on Apr 23, 2016 14:37:57 GMT -8
The Wayfarer-Class Medium Transport, Serenity exited hyperspace above the temperate world of Corellia. Sitting in the pilot's seat, Wash keyed the ship's intercom.
Attention travelers, we have arrived at Corellia and will be making our final approach. Next stop is the Coronet City spaceport. Local time should be in the A.M.
At that moment, Nathan chose to enter the bridge.
"Morning Wash. I trust our contact is aware of our arrival?"
As the expertly piloted the ship into Corellia's atmosphere, he spoke to the Captain.
"Yeah, Nate. Buck knows we are on our way. He's got the standard load of food stuffs and medical supplies bound for Iridonia this time. Aside from that, he didn't mention if he had any 'special' cargo. And I didn't feel like askin'."
Nathan merely nodded his head in acknowledgement.
"The less we know about Buck's 'special' cargo, the less chance we have of getting caught for doing something stupid."He pauses for a moment, then wanders over to stand behind Wash, looking out the viewport."Take us into the world, Wash. There's crime to be done."
Serenity accelerated towards the planet, heading for Coronet City Spaceport, where they would drop off Johnathan and Rianon, as well as pick up a few passengers, supplies and cargo from Buck's cache.
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Rianon Kardama
Member
Posts: 94
Affiliation: 'Serenity' Crew Medic
Traffic Light: Orange
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Post by Rianon Kardama on Apr 23, 2016 18:43:41 GMT -8
Rianon smiled as Wash said that they were on their final approach. She threw on a light jacket and grabbed her bag. She closed the door to her room tightly behind her. She excitedly headed down the corridor toward the cargo bay. She trailed her hand along the door to the infirmary as she passed it. She set her bag down by the cargo bay door and waited for Castle to show up. She glanced over at the door to his room but decided to wait for him to come out instead of bugging him. She sighed impatiently as she waited. She really just wanted to get out into the city. She needed to stop at the Coronet City Medical Facility. She pulled out her list and added a couple new painkillers to it. They were new on the market, but she had connections.
Dr. Trevorak at the Coronet City Medical Facility was her best bet at getting everything on her list. That list had grown substantially and a few of the things on the list would pertain to specific species. She had a list of medicines and herbs the were geared specifically to Zabrak physiology. Venom was bound to hurt himself while she was gone, and she hated that idea. She had become rather fond of the crochety bugger, but he was a pain to attempt to treat. So was the Captain, though. Never thought it was as bad as it was. The two were quite a pair, but they would keep each other out of the worst kinds of trouble, hopefully.
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Johnathan Castle [Retired]
The Organization
Machines got ta talkin'. I got ta listenin'. Ever since then, I've been fixin'.
Posts: 157
Affiliation: Draykon Crew Mechanic/Bartender Extraordinaire/Organization Mechanic
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by Johnathan Castle [Retired] on Jun 1, 2016 11:55:44 GMT -8
Castle emerged from his room, some time after his shower. He was dressed in a plain black t-shirt and a pair of worn blue jeans. He stepped across the cargo bay to where Rianon was standing, carrying a duffel bag full of the things he would need while away from the ship. He stood silently beside Rianon as the ship settled on to the docking platform. As the ship settled, the cargo bay ramp extended, giving them occupants of the cargo bay a blast of crisp, clean fresh air, laced with the smells of the Spaceport. The scent of exhaust, food and other various smells wafted into the cargo bay. Castle inhaled deeply, enjoying the fresh air. He waited patiently for Rianon to step off the ship so he could follow her to wherever it was she needed to go.
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Rianon Kardama
Member
Posts: 94
Affiliation: 'Serenity' Crew Medic
Traffic Light: Orange
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Post by Rianon Kardama on Jun 1, 2016 17:41:30 GMT -8
Rianon smiled as she stepped off the ship. The sounds and smells of the spaceport hit her like a wave. She glanced back at Castle before heading toward the fringes of the spaceport and into the city.
"I'm not sure if you have any plans while we're on planet, but I need to stop at the Coronet City Medical Facility. The infirmary is running dangerously low on supplies and I won't get another opportunity to get everything on my list. After that I'd like to show you where I live on planet, if you're interested." She smiled hopefully at him."My house is just outside Doaba Guerfel in the northern Nomad Mountains."
She waited for his reply, shifting her bag from one arm to the other as she moved down the street.
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Johnathan Castle [Retired]
The Organization
Machines got ta talkin'. I got ta listenin'. Ever since then, I've been fixin'.
Posts: 157
Affiliation: Draykon Crew Mechanic/Bartender Extraordinaire/Organization Mechanic
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by Johnathan Castle [Retired] on Jul 12, 2016 17:16:01 GMT -8
Castle followed Rianon off of the ship and out into the spaceport, enjoying the smell of fresh air and the sounds of its inhabitants as they went about their daily activities. As he listened to her, he thought about his plans on Corellia.
Truth be told, he didn't have any. Corellia may have been his home at one point in time, but now, it was just another stop in his travels. He didn't necessarily dislike the place, but he wasn't in any rush to settle down here either.
After thinking for a few minutes, he replied to Rianon. He knew it sounded cheesy, but he didn't care. It was exactly how he felt at the moment.
"I am completely fine with going wherever you need to go. As long as I get to spend my time with you, I am happy."
And with that, Castle shifted his duffel bag on his shoulder and continued to walk with Rianon.
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Nathan Caldwell [Retired]
Member
This character is retired, though permission has been given to be NPC'ed as needed.
Posts: 125
Affiliation: The First Order
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by Nathan Caldwell [Retired] on Jul 12, 2016 17:51:14 GMT -8
Coronet City Spaceport. Corellia.
With the departure of Castle and Rianon, and the conclusion of his business with 'Buck', Reynolds and his remaining crew members were ready to depart Corellia. The cargo was loaded up on Serenity and the destination as set. They were to travel to Iridonia to drop off their cargo. And hopefully pick up passengers.
On the bridge of Serenity.
Nathan strode onto the bridge of the ship, as Wash was powering it up.
"Take us out of the world, Wash. Plot a course for Iridonia and get us there as fast as you can. This cargo is burning a hole in my hull."
Wash nodded.
"Yes sir. We will be on our way shortly."
Nathan turned about and departed the bridge. He needed some rest before they got to Iridonia. He had a feeling that things were going to get hectic within the next few weeks.
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Rianon Kardama
Member
Posts: 94
Affiliation: 'Serenity' Crew Medic
Traffic Light: Orange
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Post by Rianon Kardama on Jul 12, 2016 19:23:20 GMT -8
Rianon smiled at Johnathan's answer. And headed toward the heart of the city.Thankfully it wasn't a long walk. They were soon nearing the Medical facility. Rianon walked up the front steps and into the reception area. She approached the reception desk and squared her shoulders.
"Lady Kardama! It is good to see you."
"Is Doctor Trevorak in? We have business to discuss."
"He's in his office. I can bring you to him."
Rianon turned to Johnathan with a smile.
"I'll just be a couple minutes. All I have to do is give him the list. I'll be back before you know it."
She left her bags with Johnathan and followed the receptionist to Dr. Trevorak's office. She was led down a brightly lit hallway and left at the office door. She took a deep breath and knocked.
"Come in."
Rianon opened the door and smiled at the Doctor. He looked up from his desk and gave his head a quick shake, like he couldn't really believe what he was seeing.
"Lady Kardama. To what do I owe this pleasure?"
"I have a list of medical supplies that I need as soon as possible. My infirmary is terrifyingly low on a few of them. I want everything on that list. If there is something you can't get, let me know immediately."
The Doctor took the list from Rianon and scanned it quickly.
"These shouldn't be a problem. I can have them delivered to Ellesmere Hall in two days."
"Not the Hall. Send everything to Shadow Manor."
Doctor Trevorak blinked in confusion but nodded his understanding. Rianon turned back to the door and walked swiftly down the hall. She arrived back in the reception area not five minutes after she had left it. She had the receptionist call for a landspeeder to take them to Doaba Guerfel. She smiled at Johnathan as she reached for her bag.
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Johnathan Castle [Retired]
The Organization
Machines got ta talkin'. I got ta listenin'. Ever since then, I've been fixin'.
Posts: 157
Affiliation: Draykon Crew Mechanic/Bartender Extraordinaire/Organization Mechanic
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by Johnathan Castle [Retired] on Jul 12, 2016 19:44:52 GMT -8
Castle followed Rianon to the Medical Facility. He found it slightly odd that she was so easily welcomed, but thought nothing of it, as she had mentioned that she had done a few rotations in the clinic on Corellia a while back. What was curious was how quickly she was in and out with whatever it was she needed. As she returned and the two of them strode out of the Medical Facility, Castle raised a question.
"That was awful quick. What was that all about?"
Despite the fact that they were so quick, Castle was still curious as to what she had planned for the two of them while they were on the planet.
Truth be told, Castle was curious as to how Rianon was able to zip in and out of the Medical Facilty. But we wasn't going to press her. He was just happy to be spending time with her. After spending so much time with her, he came to admire her medical talents. She was truly gifted when it came to healing people. He admired and respected that. And they he really started getting to know her, and he found himself starting to develop feelings for her. Though he had never fully admitted to true extent of his feelings for her, she knew he definitely liked her. Being with her on Corellia now, he had a chance to be with just her. Get to truly know her. And that's all he wanted. In truth, he loved her. And he hoped that she, in turn, would share his feelings. Only time would tell if she did. He had never really been in love with someone before, or at least not like this. And he was curious to see where it would lead the two of them.
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Rianon Kardama
Member
Posts: 94
Affiliation: 'Serenity' Crew Medic
Traffic Light: Orange
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Post by Rianon Kardama on Jul 15, 2016 21:06:47 GMT -8
Rianon smiled at Johnathan's question.
"There are things you are going to learn about me in the next couple hours, or days, that might change what you think of me. The reason I can walk into this place and request anything I want and have it handed to me on a silver platter is because my family funded the majority of the original build."
She walked down to street level as the land speeder she ordered pulled up. She put her bags into the back and waited for Johnathan to catch up.
"It will take a couple hours to get to my house. I can have you set up in a guest room if you don't feel comfortable staying with me. It's up to you."
She slid into the front seat and reached over to type their destination into the nav computer. She quickly punched in Shadow Manor, Doaba Guerfel. She glanced over at Johnathan to gauge his reaction to their destination.
"If you want to bail out, now would be the time."
Rianon hoped that she wasn't scaring Johnathan off. Telling him about the Medical Facility was just the beginning. It was a small thing compared to what would be waiting for them in the mountains. She was falling for him and was scared that he would think of her differently after he learned the truth. But he had to know, or they would never really be together. Rianon desperately needed him to be okay with her life so she could ask him to be a real part of it. She hoped that it wouldn't be as daunting as she feared it to be.
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Johnathan Castle [Retired]
The Organization
Machines got ta talkin'. I got ta listenin'. Ever since then, I've been fixin'.
Posts: 157
Affiliation: Draykon Crew Mechanic/Bartender Extraordinaire/Organization Mechanic
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by Johnathan Castle [Retired] on Jul 15, 2016 22:20:10 GMT -8
Castle walked with Rianon, listening intently as she spoke.
As she answered his question, more questions were racing through his mind as she spoke. His head was spinning, and he wasn't exactly sure of what his next move was. He did know what he wanted her. And every part of her. See, Johnathan was the type of person to make a decision and follow through with it, regardless of the consequences. Good or bad, he made his decisions and he rarely ever regretted them or second guessed himself. And this was just another one of those times. He needed to make a decision and commit to it. And if he wanted Rianon to be in his life and be more involved with him than she currently was, his only obvious choice was to continue to spend time with her.
He walked up to the speeder and tossed his duffel bag in.
"So, if your family helped fund the majority of this Medical Facility, then needless to say you don't have to worry about credits. And if that is the case, then why have you jumped in with the Captain and his crew? It doesn't make sense. I come from a broken home. The old man was an abusive drunk and after my siblings died, she lost the will to live, leaving me stuck with the old man. I shipped out with Captain Reynolds because he offered me a home in exchange for my skills. But, if there is more to be explained, then I will save my questions for later. For now, let's just go see the big fanciful mansion you've got."
And with that, Castle double checked that his and Rianon's bags were secured, then he hopped into the speeder with her.
There was no turning back. Castle wasn't easily scared off by things. Having working in several seedy spaceports in his day, it took a lot more than vaguely ominous statements to push him away. And being a mechanic, he was always compelled to try and fix things. So by that, perhaps with knowing Rianon better, he could essentially fix her? He didn't know, but either way, he was committed to his current course of action. Only time would tell if this time he would regret it.
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Rianon Kardama
Member
Posts: 94
Affiliation: 'Serenity' Crew Medic
Traffic Light: Orange
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Post by Rianon Kardama on Jul 15, 2016 23:06:57 GMT -8
Rianon smiled as Johnathan jumped in beside her. His questions were obvious ones. Ones that she could answer. She set the speeder into motion as she answered him.
"No, I don't worry about credits. What the Captain pays me I keep to the side and try to funnel as much of it back into the ship as possible. That's what paid for what I asked for today. I joined the crew because I needed to get off planet for a while. Things happened and I didn't handle it very well. If you have more questions, feel free to ask. You're only going to get more confused. And yes, I live in a large fanciful mansion. But we call it Shadow Manor. My grandfather's idea because 'Kardama' means 'shadow'."
She knew that Johnathan was going to have a lot of questions if he chose to go with her. But she also had a question of her own.
"You didn't answer me about your accommodations at the Manor. Do you want to be in guest quarters, or not?"
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Johnathan Castle [Retired]
The Organization
Machines got ta talkin'. I got ta listenin'. Ever since then, I've been fixin'.
Posts: 157
Affiliation: Draykon Crew Mechanic/Bartender Extraordinaire/Organization Mechanic
Traffic Light: Green
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Post by Johnathan Castle [Retired] on Jul 15, 2016 23:16:11 GMT -8
Castle watched Rianon carefully as she spoke.
As she spoke, she did answer some question, but at the same time, more were raised. In due time, he would get the answer he sought. As for her question, he didn't know exactly how to answer it. A big part of him wanted to be in the same room as her, and a part of him didn't. He didn't want to rush into this without carefully considering how each action would ultimately affect them.
Castle grinned as he spoke.
"I'm fairly certain you already know the answer to that question, darlin'."
He glanced at her and shot her a lopsided grin, the trademark of being a Corellian.
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Rianon Kardama
Member
Posts: 94
Affiliation: 'Serenity' Crew Medic
Traffic Light: Orange
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Post by Rianon Kardama on Jul 16, 2016 12:29:21 GMT -8
The next couple of hours passed quickly for Rianon. The closer they got to Doaba Guerfel, the more excited she became. But with that excitement came trepidation.
The speeder brought them to the gates of Shadow Manor. The Manor house can't actually be seen from the road, so Rianon would have to wait a little longer to see Johnathan's reaction. She hopped out and grabbed her bags.
"The speeder doesn't need to come onto the grounds. The autopilot will bring it back to a rental place in the city. Grab your stuff Johnny Boy, we have a bit of a walk ahead of us."
She shouldered her bags and keyed in the rental place in Doaba Guerfel. She walked over to the control panel for the gate and typed in her passcode. In doing so the staff would be notified of her return. The gate swung open and Rianon paused just inside the gate.
"You coming, or what?"
The driveway was edged with trees so tall that they intertwined above the path. The staff had clearly let nothing slip while she was gone. Every tree was trimmed and healthy. After a few minutes of walking through the trees it opened up to the beautifully manicured lawns leading to the Manor. The Manor house itself was a masterpiece of stone and glass. Marble pillars bordered the front door. The driveway made a circle in front of the house. In the middle of the circle was a massive marble fountain. The fountain had always been one of Rianon's favourite spots.
"My Father added the fountain after I was born. I used to swim in it as a little girl."
She smiled at Johnathan as she reached the front steps. Before she made it to the door it flew open and Rianon was almost tackled to the ground.
"You're back! It's been so long."
Rianon laughed and stepped back from her friend.
"I know. But I needed time. Cheri, this is Johnathan Castle. Castle, this is Cheri Lacroix. Cheri has been my friend for most of my life."
Cheri smoothed the front of her uniform.
"I'm also her Ladyship's handmaiden when she's home. It is nice to meet you Mr. Castle. Come in, come in. Leave your bags, Jaxon will bring them up later. There are refreshments in the small library. Ring if you need anything."
Cheri gave Rianon another quick hug and disappeared down the marble hallway.
"I hope I haven't scared you off yet."
She dropped her bags and moved toward the door on her right. She opened the door and waited for Johnathan to catch up.
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