Hoth: Blood and Ice

[Jan Melmoar]

With a happy hum Jan strides through the base looking for unusual prey. Even more unusually, despite her target being both small and by appearances furry, she had no intention of wearing them as a coat. Then again, it would be awfully warm...no no, wampa hide would do well enough.

So with a cheery expression and nods to the various nobles and officers she recognised, the Czerka woman went in search of Pipka.

[Pipka]

It didn't take long for Pipka to be found. His high pitched voice stood out among the Republic and Imperial residents of the base and his voice rang out often. He floated through the corridors, offering words of encouragement to those worker to bring the base back up to full operation and greetings to those like him without specific tasks to do.

He floats towards Jan, his large, blue thermal cloak hanging past his feet, a well stuffed pack and his flechette launcher that was almost as long as he was tall on his back.

"Hi there!" He offers with a grin and a wave.

[Jan Melmoar]

"Oh aren't you adorable! And your flechette launcher is so cute!"
Jan 'heroically' resists the urge to squat down and pet the heavily armed gunner's head.

"Pipka, right?" She extends a long hand. "I'm Jan, Jan Melmoar. You were on the...let's see..." She checks her commpad. "The Turtle, right? Shame about the pilot but you seemed to know what you were doing up there."
Cocking her head slightly.

"Can I ask what your story is? Mercenary? Traveling hero? Exiled noble? Or just explosion enthusiast?"

[Pipka]

"Oh, hi Miss Jan, it's been a bit since anyone said hi back. I guess they're all busy with the base. I offered to crawl into the ducts and clean them or whatever, but no one seemed interested yet. I'm real small, so I can fit into tighter places than most and..." He trails off, realizing he was going on a tangent.

"Oh yeah, sorry. I am Pipka, it's a pleasure to meet you. Nudimsu was fine after the landing, Hacha was the one that got banged up."

He thought about her question, what was his story, who was he? "I'm a crewmate on the Turtle," he responds proudly. "They had a pilot and a co-pilot and a mechanic, so I became their gunner. I mean, I do really like shooting big guns like my flechette launcher here, and especially Hacha's Sabot Cannon. I was a slave before, but now I'm a crewmate.

What about you? You look like an officer, but not one of those lazy officers that sit around while their soldiers do all the work, more like the ones that go off to war, fall in love with a Jedi... or Sith, and inspire the troops to rally and fight off the enemy." Pipka was of course referring to the plot of Jerri Organa's acclaimed A Farwell to Sabers.

[Jan Melmoar]

"Ah, an ex-slave? You've done very well for yourself...and so chipper too. Well dear, I think they're very foolish not letting you do what you do best, if I see the duct supervisor I shall let them know."
She makes a show of looking around.

"As for me, you're quite right, I'm not one of those lazy officers. Although I've been ordered around by a few in my time."
The Farewell to Sabers plot has Jan laughing merrily, even appearing to wipe a tear from her eye.

"Well, you know Pipka, you're more right than wrong on that. I've never inspired any troops but I did meet someone and go off to war. Oh and aren't all of Jerri's works good? They're something of a guilty pleasure of mine. I keep dragging my partner to watch them, that scene in episode 6 with the two identical saunas was hilarious."

She shakes her head at the memory.
"So this....Turtle. It seems like a lively crew...and not from Alderaan either. Can I ask what you're doing all the way out here on Hoth?"

[Pipka]

"Oh well, we kind of come from all over. They were on Alderaan a little bit before they found me and I joined up, but I've never been to Alderaan myself. I'm meeting a lot of their friends from there though.

But we go where the credits take us. They're paying us for something or another on this mission. I don't track that too well, I just wander around the Turtle and chat with the others until its time to eliminate some targets, that's where the fun begins.

Hey, you mentioned your partner, did you bring them with you?" He pauses and a look of worry comes across his face and he starts looking around, "Oh no, did they make it down from the Valorian okay? Were they injured in the landing? Are they still lost out in the wastes?" A dozen possible scenarios occur to Pipka, none of them positive.

[Jan Melmoar]

"It's always sensible to go where the credits are. Why would anyone want to be where there were no credits?"
Jan simply could not conceive of such a notion.

"My partner is alright Pipka, although it is sweet of you to ask. She was actually my co-pilot, and it would take more than a few pirate fighters to stop her. She's a being of vast cosmic darkness, but also lovely and just wonderful company. I'll let her you know wished her well."
That seems to trigger an idea in Jan's mind.

"You know, at some point you should come over for dinner. Obviously I'm sure you're completely loyal to your friends on the Turtle and wouldn't dream of working anywhere else. But in the future, if you did find yourself at a loose end...well, it would be good to have some other friends around now, wouldn't it?"

[Pipka]

Pipka looks relieved when Jan tells her that her partner was safe.

Her co-pilot partner... or her lover partner... or both! How exciting, two star-crossed lovers crossing the stars in search of adventure and romance. No wonder Jerri had such great stories, these Alderaanians lived such exciting lives. He was glad he wasn't on Chad anymore, nothing exciting happened there except for the tsunamis, and that was bad exciting.

"I'd love to have dinner with you, and you can never have enough friends. If you want to try my flechette launcher, we can go shoot it outside some. I don't think they'd want us using it in the base, Hacha got mad when I test fired it in the Turtle that one time." Or assets as Nudimsu would say, always cultivate your assets.

[Jan Melmoar]

Jan looks genuinely excited by the prospect of firing a flechette launcher with wild abandon.

“Now that is a very fine offer Pipka. You may of course fire my disrupter rifle when you do. A different sort of destruction but I’m sure you will appreciate it.”
The rep very nearly rubs her hands together in glee.

“Yes, so let me know. And maybe we’ll be attacked by some wampas, that could be fun.”
Happy thoughts, happy thoughts.
“Perhaps a patrol sometime? Otherwise I’m sure there will be opportunities.”

[Pipka]

"I'd be happy to go on a patrol with you, it would be nice to get out and see more of the planet.

I brought an entrencher with me, I heard about this thing called a snow fort I want to try to build... after I finish my patrol of course, duty first. Then, after I build it, we could blast it apart.

But I should mention, it may be a little awkward to fire my launcher, I have a custom grip for my little hands, but I do have a nice harness to make it easier to wield."

[Jan Melmoar]

Gasp!

"Build a snow fort...and then blow it up. Pipka, where have you been all my life? Evidently thinking great forts. Yes, we shall definitely do that. A welcome break from the tedium. Perhaps we can find some suitable blasting charges as well, and of course we need to find a suitably tall design to knock over."

Jan waves away concerns about the grip.
"I do have long and dare I say, delicate fingers, but I've never met a weapon I couldn't fire, well except for those using patented Czerka genelock technology."
She flashes a smile.

"I bet the harness helps, why did you decide to opt for larger weapons? It seems difficult given your height, but I completely understand if you were interested in the biggest boom."

[Pipka]

Pipka becomes even more excited at the prospect of build a snow fort after seeing Jan's interest, but practices extreme self-restraint to focus on what she is saying.

"Well, I had never fired a weapon until I joined the Turtle, they don't let slaves have anything like that. So I learned how to shoot on the ship's guns. Then when I started going off the ship, I needed something to take and I tried Hacha's launcher and liked it, so they got me one of my own."

He begins speaking more passionately as goes on.

"Now if I had my druthers I might like to try something a bit bigger even, more like what would be on a ship, what they call a crew served weapon system. My thoughts are, I can save up to buy a small droid, maybe a strong, little DUM pit droid, and have it carry the system while I operate it. Since you mentioned Czerka, I want to give their Model 134a, the 'Buzzsaw' rotary cannon, a try. It can put thousands of rounds down range in a second. Then there's the Sidewinder and the Staccato Lightning. But the really rare one I want to try out, one I'll probably never see, is the Verpine Heavy Shatter Rifle. That would be a real treat to test fire."

[Jan Melmoar]

"Really? My, you are a natural. It takes most of us a lifetime to become truly proficient with such weapons."
She listens with interest as Pipka lists some particularly devastating weaponry.

"Well obviously The Buzzsaw is a classic weapon and its aesthetics are gorgeous. The model 134a is particularly good, it comes with an anti-gamming lubricant guaranteed for up to 8 hours of continuous firing, and then there's the modular scope system for when you need to take out flying targets. I do hope you buy Czerka. But, I'm a professional, the Sidewinder and Lightning have their benefits too, I just think it's important to be happy with what you have."

Her eyebrow raises slightly at the last item.
"Yes, the verpine rifle....it's like the holy grail of weaponry. So delicate....but so deadly. An artisanal piece, I've never actually fired one myself, one of my great regrets. But one day, you mustn't give up hope. There are those of us with the necessary access to procure such weapons. And worst comes to worst."
The eyebrow raise turns into a waggle.
"One could simply...find such a rifle and then take it, if it was for a good cause. I imagine you and The Turtle are no strangers to such things."

[Pipka]

"Sure, we occasionally 'work in logistics', but I don't know if I'd want to procure goods from the type of person that has a Verpine Heavy Shatter Rifle.

You need to pick your clients and your targets carefully." He says with sincerity and a tone that suggest he is repeating something he has heard on several occasions.

[Jan Melmoar]

"Now Pipka, there are two kinds of people in the universe. People who take the shot, and people who don't. Caution is all well and good but if you spend your whole life deciding it's too risky to take what you really want, well then you'll just be another 'could-have-been'."
She squats down to look them in the eye and puts a hand on Pipka's shoulder.

"You have talent, and a big gun. If you work hard and smart you can do whatever you want, and if that's a verpine rifle you go get yourself a verpine rifle. And if people come after you, you use that rifle."

[Pipka]

It took only a fleeting moment of contemplation for Pipka to come to a decision, "You're right. I always tell others that things work out how they're supposed to.

I mean, look at me. I could be sitting on Chad with my clan, watching the waters every day, waiting for the next big wave to come and take us all. Instead I was taken away and made into a slave. I could've been angry at my captors for making me labor away. Instead I worked hard, got stronger, and learned some good skills. And now, I could give up on ever owing a Verpine Heavy Shatter Rifle, but I'm not going to. I'm going to keep working hard, keep an eye out for when I come across one, and get it... one way or another."

He stands a little taller and a little more confident.

[Jan Melmoar]

Jan beams.

"Quite so! Quite so Pipka! You're not defined by where you come from or who your parents are. All that matters is who you are right now, and what you can do."

She stands with a long stretch.

"What a delightful conversation, I'm so glad I decided to look you up. We must talk again later. But for now I must be returning to the ship, Luci will stay up all night pondering the mind-shattering powers of the universe if nobody stops her. It has been a pleasure Pipka, until we meet again?"

[Pipka]

"Yes, I look forward to it. I enjoyed chatting with you."

[OOC] Thanks for the scene.

[Jan Melmoar]

(( Likewise Thanks for the scene and the RP!))