Mondder

Aldross sighed long and hard. Here was the business talk that he didn't really want any part in. He just wanted to take his ship and leave... yet something was pulling him here, though he wasn't sure what. He looked over at the zabrak, this time with confusion evident in his eyes.

"To be honest... I have no clue why I'm here, I just know that I need to be. And that lightsaber? It's not what you think - I'm no Jedi. It's a gift from my father, and I would like it back as soon as possible."

The young man gave a slight moan as he looked back down at his left arm. It was starting to feel worse, and much more painful... yet still he would have to deal with it, for now; his pride didn't let him ask for help.

"I'm sorry... I lost my father a long time ago, and that lightsaber is all I have left of him... just let me sign what I have to sign to get it back - please..."

Aldross looked over the list of options available to him - if they were going to fix him arm, he wasn't going to say no. He tried to be more practical in his approach, but some of these options almost excited him at the possibilities; a number of them wouldn't even be listed to the public in republic space. Still, all the young man really wanted was to be fixed up and get his things back, and find out whatever it was that called him here.

"Alright, let's see... I'll take this one."

Aldross leaned over with his right arm and pointed over to what looked like a normal human hand made of pure metal and carbon-fiber. It was a cybernetic arm that would graft itself on at the elbow; he could still retain all of his dexterity, and maybe even use it as a quick way to parry a vibrosword. That idea alone was exciting enough to help Aldross forget about some of his pain. He was even more curious as to why someone like this fully-armored doctor would even be willing to help him in the first place.

"Say... when this is all over..."

Aldross thought more about what he was going to say next. Maybe, just maybe, whatever brought him here was the need for a new start - a fresh start. Even were it not the case, then he might at least be able to pay these people back somehow... but for now, he decided it was best not to immediately involve himself. He would give them time to see that he wasn't as weak as he was when he came in.

"Nevermind. I'll take this cybernetic arm... and thank you - for saving my life."

Aldross bowed his head respectfully, yet still kept his eyes on Houn. He wanted to be respectful, sure, yet he had already shown these people enough weakness - he wasn't about to show any more.

Aldross looked down at his lap. There was no way that these people would accept his credits, not that he had enough of them to begin with. He swallowed hard before he spoke again.

"Well... what did you have in mind? I have credits, but... something tells me you guys don't take credits..."

The young man thought hard about how he was going to reply next; this limb that he would be getting would mean the difference between an easier, more fulfilling life and that of a horribly difficult one. He cleared his throat.

"I could work for you, until my debt is paid off - with a cybernetic limb, I would be of great help... and..."

Aldross sighed hard - it wasn't the best pitch, but it would save his life indefinitely - aside from the fact that there was something gnawing inside of him that begged him to stay on this planet. He would have to relent a lot of his freedoms, that much he knew - perhaps even relearn how to live among these people. He also felt that he owed this man in particular a great boon.

"Alright, look - I don't know how else to say this, but... but I want to help you, and I think that with my help, I can pay you and your people back ten fold. I'm not one for begging, so I won't... but I will ask nicely... Please, sir, let me offer you my service to pay you back."

Aldross let off a long, heavy sigh of relief. He gave the Mandalorian doctor a curt nod and held up his nub of a left arm in approval.

"Do whatever it takes to get me patched up doctor."

Aldross then lay back down in the bed, a wave of relief spreading over him. He would have a working left hand again and a reason to stick around - this was more than what he could have hoped for. A small smirk peeked out from the corner of his mouth as he closed his eyes and allowed himself to relax.

"And... thank you..."

Aldross sighed heavily. 30,000 credits was no small fee, and would take him a long time to pay off by himself. If he took the loan, the interest alone would be enough to trap him on Etti IV for a very long time. If he took the work agreement, he would have a limited range of what he could do there. He needed more time to deliberate what he was to do about his current dilemma... or maybe not.

"Which option allows me to have my lightsaber back? It's not for protection - it's sentimental. Go ahead and test it; it doesn't even work... well, at least I couldn't get it to work."

For what it was worth, Aldross wasn't lying. He wasn't able to get the lightsaber to work at all... but that was before he started to hear that echo before his first surgery, and that same echo was starting to resonate within his subconscious once again. Something told him to sign the contract with MMC, and this feeling he had was usually always right.

"Forget I asked. I'll take the second option: I'll work with MMC."

Aldross waved at the man upon his mention of surgery. He wasn't too keen on the weakness he'd shown before - now it was time to show his strengths.

"I'll take the test immediately."

The young man straightened up confidently towards the clerk, regarding him with a serious look. If Aldross was going to prove himself among these people, he wouldn't be able to leave any room for doubt. That, and for some reason, that resonating echo that Aldross could hear seemed to give him an uncanny luck, if nothing else. He could feel his fatigue slowly leave him as he listened to that echo. It became less distant as he listened for it... he was ready.

"If I'm going to be of use to you guys, then I'd better start right away."

Aldross sighed in mild annoyance. He was eager to begin, yet he wasn't about to oppose the man that literally stood between himself and freedom. The young man had been through a lot, and he was a bit famished from the whole ordeal.

"Alright, tomorrow then. I suppose it's pretty late."

An audible growl could be heard from the pit of Aldross' stomach. It was a clear indicator of his hunger, yet he was in no position to go pleading for a meal. Still, perhaps it wouldn't hurt to ask.

"Is there any way I could get something to eat...? If not, I'll be fine until morning..."

Aldross looked over his metal hand, studying its complexities as the clerk spoke to him. He wiggled his fingers a bit to test out their level of dexterity and motion. Aldross gave an open grin - he wasn't sure how, but he knew he was going to fit in just fine here. He looked over at the Clerk and bowed respectfully as he was lead off to his hotel room.

"Thank you for everything, sir - I really appreciate what you guys have done for me. Listen, I know it's not much, but..."

The young man then pulled out a small slip of paper and handed it over to the Clerk. It was a letter to Houn, the doctor responsible for giving Aldross his second chance at life. The letter wasn't anything fancy - just another thank you to the doctor, along with a promise to come to his aide the moment he would ever have need of it. Aldross wasn't one for begging, so "thank-you" notes aren't much of a strength. Still, he wanted to show his appreciation some way, so he made the doctor a promise to stay of Etti and use his arm for the good of the doctor's people.

"It's a letter, to the doctor. If you could deliver it for me, I would owe you one... besides the 30,000 that I still owe you..."

Aldross then favored the clerk with another bow; it was at this time the pair were interrupted by a hotel concierge. The worker brought a delicious-smelling plate full of more advanced Mandalorian cuisine. The young human smiled and took the plate graciously, setting it down upon a sizable table in the hotel room.

"Wow, this looks good. Yeah - I could definitely get used to working here..."

At this, Aldross allowed himself to relax. He rubbed his right hand over the joints that connected his new left arm to the bit of old - he felt sore. It was a long, exhausting day, and it was getting later by the second. He respectfully put his guests out and made short work of his food. With a good stretch and a yawn, Aldross found one delightfully comfortable king-sized bed. He threw himself down on the bed and bounced a bit from the impact - this day couldn't have been more reconstructive, not only to his body, but also his morale. Aldross was ready to pay these people back, and for once, he would do so happily... in time, the young man might even consider these people likened to his own - a family of sorts. He closed his eyes and smirked at the thought of himself in Mandalorian battle armor, slowly letting the darkness of sleep overtake him. It wouldn't be long at all before his own imaginings would come to fruition.

Despite the general good-feeling of the whole of this day, Aldross couldn't help but feel that something was off - this was going too well for him, and it couldn't all be from coincidence. Was there someone higher up pulling the strings on him? If there was, why? And what was that familiar echo, now growing more powerfully resonant as the man slept? Perhaps he might never know of it... yet for now, he was content to let himself sleep.

Aldross took a seat in one of the test cubicles. He sighed and shrugged his shoulders at the simplicity of some of his first questions. As he went on with his test at an above average pace, he was somewhat relieved to find that the test progressed into more adept problem solving. If there was one thing only in which Aldross excelled, it was problem solving, both mathematical and situational. The speed and precision that Aldross made during his written exams was uncanny - it was almost as if the test was designed specifically for him alone to finish at an accelerated pace. He completely aced both the mathematics and galactic basic questions, and made leaps and bounds above most other recruits in terms of more mechanical fields such as ship repair and weapon maintenance. When Aldross got up to inform the Instructor that he'd finished his whole written exam in less than an hour, he was almost shocked that none other than himself was completely done.

"Um... sir? I'm finished. You can check the discs at my station - everything has been answered thoroughly... is no one else done...?"

Aldross didn't need an answer to his last question; it was clear that some of these recruits weren't cut out for much, yet he at least expected one other to be on his level. He scanned the crowd and found that literally only one other recruit got up to finish. The rest of them weren't even half done with their tests... and that's when Aldross realized that neither was he. It was a much more simple version of the real test that he aced - the real test that he had yet to start. He continued his work and ignored his own outburst, setting about answering FAR more difficult problems than before. He was starting to answer a few here and there incorrectly, but over-all his pace was still on point and made him look exceptionally smart. His biggest anxiety over the test wasn't even this written portion; hand-to-hand combat had never been his strong suit, unless he had a melee weapon of some sort. His marksmanship wasn't too bad, but he was definitely more skilled with a vibroblade than a pistol, despite the regulation heavy blaster pistol that he carried on him - just in case he was ever in a bad spot and too far away to get a hit in edge-wise. With a renewed vigor, Aldross attacked the seemingly ever-ending bombardment of highly advanced material, answering to the best of his abilities. He was no genius, yet he knew a fair bit more than any of these recruits, with a few exceptions. Aldross was confident that he would impress at least somebody today, and he wouldn't stop until he did.