Hoth: Blood and Ice

Once Pipka was done feeding, cleaning, and milking the goats, he makes his way to the mess with a churn of fresh goats' milk, after a quick stop at the refresher.

His stand is already setup and prepped, waiting for Pipka to bring the fruits of his labors and for the patrons.

The selection had expanded, he had arranged with Sergeant Dereegs to provide some goat cheese scones, cheese danishes, and to run an omelette station in tandem. He also had a carafe of caf ready for those who wanted something stronger.

She greeted him warmly as she worked the kitchen, "You keep comin' in here and workin'. I might have to start payin' you... of course when they start payin' me first!"

Aphr had decided to make her way to the kitchens for some breakfast, wrapped up as always. So seeing a sign up saying 'a hug for a mug' certainly confused her.

She looked around, before focusing her vision on the two in the room.

"What's this?"

[Twi'leki] "Oh, a new customer, I don't usually see you here this early in the morning. I've got Hoth Chocolate for the low low price of a hug," he says, pointing up at the sign and then extending his arms, "and we've also got caf, some baked goods, and Sgt. Dereegs is making omelettes to order over there."

There was a look of surprise when the little (and it was very rare that Aphr could call someone else little) creature spoke in Twi'leki!

"Well aren't you adorable little one" Aphr said, a smile growing on her face "one hug for a Hoth Chocolate? If both are warming then I'll happily accept such a great offer" she moved forward, kneeling down slightly to give the Chadra-Fan a hug.

Pipka happily accepts his hug and pours a mug of Hoth chocolate for Aphr. "My name's Pipka by the way." He says, point to his nametag. "I've seen you around the base, but I don't think we've formally met."

Aphr happily accepted the drink, holding it close but not drinking it right away.

"We haven't, I'm Aphr. Was all this your idea Pipka? It's a really good idea to improve morale, I'm surprised I hadn't heard about it before now."

He grins from ear to ear. Well he was already grinning from ear to ear, but he continues to grin.

"Thank you, I know that hot chocolate always makes me feel better, morning, noon, or night. Plus it's so chilly around here.

Everybody is working so hard to cooperate and get along without slaughtering one another, that I thought I had to do my part in bringing them together. It's really nice to see a people from both sides talking over mug of caf or hot chocolate, splitting a baked good, or talking about their favorite omelette fillings. Mine is goat cheese."

"Trust me I've been suffering through this cold weather more than most. You might have a repeat customer if you're going to be here every day" Aphr said with a small chuckle, finding somewhere to sit down near the cute little creature.

"I'm amazed we've managed to get so far with only minor disagreements. I didn't think it would last 5 days, let alone the 20 or so it's been. Likely for the best though, with what is waiting for us outside turning on each other would have just made it easier for them to swoop in and wipe everyone out."

There was a pause before she added "when i was younger, like a lot younger, my mother used to make an omelette with honey on it and some other really sweet things. Fruit as well actually thinking on it more. That was wonderful.." there was a small smile on the Twi'leks face, for a brief moment, before it vanished and she shook her head "not had anything like since."

"We have our regulars." Pipka responds with a note of pride, patting the ever diligent Petunia.

"I think, given the right circumstances, or even just removed from the wrong ones, people tend to get along just fine.

We have fruit, but I haven't seen any honey yet. I kept bees at one of my owners' properties a long time ago. If you managed to get some from Junktown or somewhere, I'd be happy to take care of them in hydroponics and collect honey for you." Pipka offers, as if it were easy to go out on an ice planet and collect a hive of bees. But, stranger things have happened.

"I think it's more necessity than anything else. There are a lot of combustible personalities here, but I prefer to keep out of the way and just do my thing. Might be why you've not heard much of me" Aphr grinned, before shaking her head.

"I'm not sure I want to brave the blizzards just for honey. Plus I'm not sure I want to remember my parents, so ignore that request. I'll instead go for your favourite, see how good it is. Want to join me for some breakfast?"

He looks around the mess hall before raising his arms to mimic lekku, [Twi'leki] "Well, I won't turn down breakfast with a beautiful lady. "

He calls out to Sgt. Dereegs, "Sarge, two omelettes, Pipka style please." He looks to Aphr, then to himself, then back to Aphr, "Make one a double actually, if you would be so kind."

Aphr laughed, giving the little guy a smile.

"Aren't you sweet? And calling me a lady as well! If I didn't know better I might think you were after something! Come, sit! Tell me about yourself. What brought you to this frozen soon to be war zone?"

Pipka pulls up a chair and climbs up into it, "Well, I came here on the Turtle with the Republic Humanitarian Mission. We were paid for security and extra leverage in negotiations. I mostly shoot the cannons on the ship if and when we need to. If by some miracle we don't need to, I just stand around and watch the others do their thing.

Since we've extended our stay here, I've become something of a rancher." He gestures towards his goat Petunia who is busily munch on some feed by the hot chocolate station.

"What about you, what brought you to Hoth?" He sips on his own Hoth chocolate while listening attentively.

"I came with the Imperial delegation as I'm sure you're aware, cleaning up the issue with these so-called pirates. However, there's more happening. The Force, it's bringing everyone here to face something bigger. That's why I'm here, following my visions. Following what's going on."

Aphr brought her cup up to finally take a small sip.

"It's all coming to a head, and the galaxy will never be the same."

Excusing optimism, Pipka replies, "I'm sure everything will work out just fine. Every second, the Galaxy is changing is changing around us. All we can do is go with the flow as the Big Green Fish taught us.

Look at me, I was taken from my home on Chad, swept away to work as a slave, then made a crewmate aboard one of the best ships in the Galaxy, and finally landing here to gather my little tribe of goats and raise then and care for them.

Plus have you seen all the Sith and Jedi here, working together in peace. If things aren't exactly how their supposed to be, then I'm a grumpy Wookie."

Big green fish?

"You're really a bundle of hope aren't you? Maybe you're right, you certainly don't look like a grumpy wookie and I've met a few of those in my time" Aphr chuckled "maybe the peace can be kept until we leave, maybe someone will finally go too far. I would be careful either way, although you're doing a great job spreading cheer with these" she raised a cup to Pipka.