Lunch break

Posted on Sun Feb 6th, 2022 @ 9:59am by Flight Officer Tawshiikkyrr & Lieutenant Melvyn Kosta & Flight Officer Onyesonwu Zyd

Mission: Scoundrels, Cuttthroats and Rogues
Location: Hyperspace
Timeline: Day 2 at 2015

The Chal's galley was reasonably well equipped. Aside from a number of cupboards and storage units, it boasted a hot and cold drink synthesizer, a genuine honest-to-the-Emperor multi-functional oven and even something that looked like an electric cooking plate.

The difficulty was in finding one's bearings around this new, unknown - albeit well-organized - space. Melvyn suspected that making a mess would not help increase his popularity, so he took pains to put everything back the exact way he found it while he searched the galley for something decent to eat.

They had obviously resupplied recently as there seemed to be some fresh fruit and vegetables, in addition to a nice selection of spices and frozen or dried foods. He was generally speaking a decent cook but in the present case he was tired and hungry, so a cirilian noodle salad it would be. Or a simplified version of it, as the full dish could be made with varying levels of complexity.

A bit of fumbling was involved in finding the necessary pots, ingredients and appliances but soon enough water was boiling, long strands of pink pasta were cooking and Melvyn surprised himself humming under his breath as he sliced his greens into small pieces.

Tawshii strolled into the galley, raised his nose as if he hadn't smelled the dish the Imp was cooking from all the way across the ship and grizzled his apparent disapproval. He ignored his unwanted guest then, reached into the refrigeration unit and yanked out a shoulder sized hunk of wrapped meat. Pushing Melvyn out of the way with zero concern for politeness or the other man's in-progress snack, the big wookiee slotted a thick, battered-to-hell metal griddle pan out from a slot above the main counter and placed it on the already hot cooking plate.

While said pan began to heat up, Tawshii regarded the Imperial Officer with minor derision, grumbled something incoherent that didn't sound particularly friendly, then laughed.

The wookie's persistent hostility remained unsurprising - almost boring in its predictability in fact. This was his turf and he hated imperials ; it only made sense that he would establish dominance and show Melvyn exactly how unwelcome he was. And since Melvyn was in no position to challenge his extremely tall, muscular and volatile host, the next best thing he could do was stay out of his way. So he stepped aside when the wookie shoved him, and said nothing when he stomped on his foot, and thanked all that was holy for the fact that he was nearly done and the food mostly just needed to simmer a bit longer.

Tawshii's insults in Shiriiwook mattered little to Melvyn since he couldn't understand them, although he could venture guesses. He ignored the wookie's laughter. For all the hostility that he was dealing with, his situation was infinitely better than if he'd gotten caught by the Empire. He had to keep that in mind before he snapped and said something unwise to the unbearably smug wookie.

The Chal's owner and pilot focused his attention on his dinner rather than the Imp traitor he was currently hosting on board. Tawshii watched the charring of the outer coating of meat with a hunger that brought some rumblings from that stomach below all that long, shaggy fur. Conversation wasn't something the wookiee needed during these moments, whether his company had been friend or partial foe, his concentration was on the piece of dead animal about to become food.

When said large lump of meat had a charcoal coating all the way around, a few short minutes later, Tawshii took the entire griddle pan out of Melvyn's way, grabbed a large wide-mouthed unlabelled bottle that was three quarters full of a dark red sauce and turned to exit the galley with his feast.

Having delivered clothes to Kor'de'leia, Onye went to the galley to check on the activities of their other guest, and found Tawshii already there with Melvyn. She took a few moments to appreciate the amusing sight of the wookiee demonstrating just who's kitchen this was, and to smile at the man's predicament. But she had a couple of pressing questions she could not hold back. Onye had been there with Keskis when the commander discussed the Imperial defector with Kor. And last time she'd seen Tawshii was just as she and Haro were escaping the junk yard. "Tawshii, is Arco all right? And, uh… Did something happen at the Rebel Base on Nar Shaddaa?"

The human woman's arrival - what was her name again ? - defused some of the tension in the kitchen but only until she opened her mouth. Melvyn wondered who was Arco, but was careful to say nothing and show no interest. The rebels seemed to have accepted that he wasn't a spy but he wasn't keen to give them any reason to reconsider.

Tawshii didn't have a free hand with which to perform his usual gentle ruffle of Onye's hair or sign a response to her questions, so he led the way from galley to common area, the circular space just beyond that kitchen space and adopted a seat at the small table. There was enough room for up to four normal sized folk or two and a wookiee to sit at the eating area, a round table skirted by a padded O-shaped sofa.

Onye wondered how much longer Tawshii would haze Melvyn, and recalled the information about him she'd retrieved in Keskis' office. "This is Tawshii's ship, the Tobuk Chal Lanna. My name is Onyesonwu, but you can call me Onye. A cautionary welcome to you, Melvyn Kosta from Onderon, cousin to Elo Kosta, ex-Imperial officer who gave up command of the 311th squadron to rebel against the empire." She gave Melvyn a reassuring nod, then followed Tawshi out of the kitchen.

It was nice to meet someone who was at least neutral to him, rather than hostile. Melvyn nodded back to the woman and managed a tense smile. Her way of adressing him was interesting ; or perhaps she was making a point to the wookie ? Either way, he made a note to try and get to know her better when he got the chance. Making friends was something of a priority.

Once his food was placed down before him, Tawshii regarded Onye with a friendly look and grizzled a few words that were accompanied by swift signing using long, furry fingers.

Arco in trouble. Money trouble only. Will need pay back Hutts. But they need him alive. We owe him favour again. There was a pause, and Tawshii added. Yes. Something happened. Then he lifted his hunk of chargrilled meat and sunk his teeth hungrily into the thickest part. Once the meat was in his mouth the big fella upended the sauce bottle after it to sling a quick coating of its contents into the fray, then began to chew happily.

Normally, watching her wookiee father-figure consume a hunk of meat in his unorthodox-for-humans but typical style would have made Onye laugh or at least brought a smile to her face. But she was thinking about their Ardennian friend. I wish we could have brought Arco with us, I worry for him, she signed. Tawshii hadn't really answered her other question. The rebel base – was it raided by the Imperials?

Arco survive okay. Signed Tawshii when he had a hand free. He wiped his fingers on a cloth and reached out to ruffle Onye's hair with a paternal affection. Worry more for Arco if he with us.An amused grunt in between tearing off strips of meat and Tawshii added more by way of a low growl which Onye could translate to implying Arco owed money to more than just the Hutts. And the Hutts at least had need for him alive.

Now alone in the kitchen, Melvyn emptied the water from his pot of pasta and tossed in the rest of his ingredients. He'd even found a sauce that looked promising in one of the cupboards. Once his plate was ready he picked up his plate, left the rest of the food on the counter for Kor or anyone else who might fancy some, and after only a minute hesitation made his way to the common area. He figured if they didn't want him there, they'd kick him out soon enough.

He came in to find Onye and Tawshii exchanging rapid hand signs, punctuated only by the occasional grunt. Whether that was because they were more comfortable talking in this language, or to prevent unwanted guests from overhearing, he couldn't tell. Melvyn sat quietly, as far from the two as he could to give them privacy. As soon as Kor was done he would hit the shower, but in the meantime he was very, very hungry.

Onye drew her knees up to her chest, and leaned against Tawshii. She wasn't especially close to most of the individual rebels at the base on Nar Shaddaa, they weren't family like Haro and Tawshii. But there had been allies she'd known and respected, like the commander, and the loss of even one rebel base was a blow to the rebellion itself. Grieving was a luxury they might not have in the future, so she accepted the moment of calm afforded her, and shed silent tears for the dead.

Wiping his left hand on a cloth, Tawshii reached outwards to encompass Onye's upper body in warm, furry firm wookiee arm, neither pulling her closer or squeezing. He simply wrapped her in a supportive gesture of pure familial love and continued eating, slowly and contentedly. This wasn't the first loss the wookiee had experienced in his life, it wasn't the worst and it certainly wouldn't be the last. No one he considered family had been lost. It wasn't that Tawshii didn't care, but there was nothing he could do about it, so there was no sense in wasting effort in anything besides moving on and continuing to fight.

A wandering rumble of noise told Onye the following in simple, emotive words. Base overrun. People gone. Which meant either dead and definitely at least captured and/or tortured - Tawshii had no way of knowing. Worry not needed. Tawshii keep Onye safe with life. Always.

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