Of space... and Time... (Jeremy Varin)

[Trinity Sundergotte]

It had been almost three days since Jeremy and Trin had had lunch. She still smiled thinking of the banter back and forth and the flirting she imagined he was doing. Whether he had been or not, she wasn't sure now. But in her mind it helped to ease the lonliness sometimes.

After three days, and remaining in her quarters to stay out from underfoot, she decided she would stop by the man's quarters to see if hehad done anything with the watch, yet. She was wearing dark blue denims and a deep blue jewel colored button up shirt. Short black boots and a black short leather jacket completed the outfit. Walking thru the halls of the ship she wondered absently how the Lady was doing. Perhaps tomorrow she would seek her out. If for no other reason than to see how she was and offer her an invitation to come by for tea some time.

--
Ten minutes later she was standing outside his quarters. Her mind began arguing about whether this such a good idea. Surely the man was busy. Following that line of thought, he probably wasn't even here. With that in mind, she pressed the chime beside the door. She barely waited a heartbeat before she turned to go. See, he's not here, her mind whispered... despite the fact she hadn't even given him enough time to open the door.

[Jeremy Varin]

There was a muffled call of 'Just a moment" that sounded from behind the closed door, but it wasn't long before the door whisked upwards to reveal a rather bedraggled Jeremy Varin. One hand came up to press the heel of his palm into his right eyes while the other peered groggily at the person who now seemed to be... retreating?

"Ms. Sundergotte... ?"

As if his appearance wasn't enough indication of the nap he'd been taking had had a stranglehold upon him, then his slightly cracked voice certainly punctuated the sight of a half-buttoned duty jacket and the off-white undershirt beneath. Bare feet shifted, as his off-hand hooked a thumb though the beltloop of his trousers.

[Trinity Sundergotte]

Trinity bit her lip as he opened the door. "Mr. Va...Jeremy.. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you. I should have checked..." She stammered her apology even as the color rose on her cheeks at seeing him all disheveled.

"Forgive me...I'll...ummm...I'll come back another time." She unclenched her fists when she realized, as her hand cramped, that she was fighting the urge to reach up and run her fingers thru his tussled hair. A brief flash of how he must look, sleeping, made the blush flash brighter a moment before she backed up and accidentally bumped someone.

"Sorry..." She murmured to them and then nodded back at Jeremy. "I'm sorry. I'll let you go back to sleep." She bit her lip still unable to turn and run like her mind was screaming for her to do.

[Jeremy Varin]

He allowed himself the barest moment of calm before trying to calm to rushed words of the his caller. It was a feat, to be sure, as his mind was still arrested by the cobwebs of sleep and a hasty awakening. Truth of the matter, he'd been napping on the small utilitarian sofa that his small quarters allowed. A single room that barely accommodated a sofa, bed, and work desk. Of course, he'd also filled the small bit of personal space he had with another work table for his hobbies. It wasn't anything that really warranted an appraising look, but it was what he liked, and what fit the requirements of his needs.

"No no, no worries," he couldn't help the smile that came unbidden to his features.

"No harm done," a yawn interrupted whatever else he had to say, and Jeremy stifled it with a hand.

"You just caught me in a bit of a nap, is all."

[Trinity Sundergotte]

Trinity bit her lip caught between flight and stammering out even more apologies. His smile was her undoing. For some reason, despite the fact he even admitted he was sleeping, she relaxed. "I was just tired of being cooped up. I'm sorry." She caught herself apologizing once more. "I should have called you first, seen if you were awake and wanting company."

She managed to step back towards him to allow another person passing the hallway to go unhindered behind her. It put her within arm's reach of the man. A soft smile finally played on her face as she relaxed a bit. Something about his proximity did that, and she had no idea why. "I can come back later if you want? I just thought I'd check up on my watch. I don't expect it yet, but I was curious if you had had a chance to look at it yet."

[Jeremy Varin]

A nod was given to the passing crewer, but it wasn't a moment later that his eyes tracked back to Ms. Sundergotte. She had the look of a scared flutterdeer, and it was enough to cause a soft expression to fall over his features. He couldn't help but step back and to the side, one arm shifting outward in a silent beckon.

"It's fine," again he tried to reassure her with words.

"Come in, and let's take a look at your chrono, yeh?"

[Trinity Sundergotte]

As he stepped back and offered her entrance to his quarters, she smiled and walked in beside him. Looking around the room, she smiled. "Thank you, Jeremy. I won't keep you long. I'm sure sleep is more precious than entertaining allowable stowaways." She laughed and moved aside so he could step around her.

Her eyes glanced around the room as she took in the tussled bed and casual set up. It was nice to see this side of him. She knew his ship was impeccable, and so was his uniform when she had seen him in it. The fact he relaxed in his personal space made him seem more personable. A small smile lit her face. "I love what you did with the place," she teased him.

[Jeremy Varin]

"Well," he couldn't help the rumbled chuckle that escaped his lips, "... not much a body can really do with a one-room bunk."

And it was the truth. The single space was not large, but it had at least had a uniqueness to it that made it seem bigger than it really was. A bed along the far wall, the covers slightly mussed beneath an admittedly impressive view of space from the window above. The stars, rather than single pinpricks in a blanket of black velvet, were thin, streaking lines that only meant they were in hyperspace.

A small side table served as a nightstand, and a desk off to the side sat with a smattering of datapads and flimsis atop its' wooded surface. Along the opposite wall was a compact, utilitarian sofa and a low table - this one with a collection of small, precise tools laid out. The old pocket chrono rested in the centre.

"Still though, it's better than some of the places I've stayed."

He gestured to a closed door towards the back of the room.

"At least I've got my own fresher. Not many ships allow their crews to have them, so I count myself lucky."

His eyes soon enough returned to her, and moving to the sofa, he lowered himself to sit while giving a light pat the to cushion beside him.

"Sit."

[Trinity Sundergotte]

She took the joke at face value and smiled. "Well, I think this place is perfect." Having grown up in opulence, she actually found the tight space she and he had on the ship, as comforting. There were no useless things scattered around. Everything had a purpose, a place, and a reason. Unlike a mansion with several sitting rooms, multiple unused bedrooms and more nooks and crannies than any small family needed.

When he patted the cushion beside him, she smiled and moved to take the offered seat. With a hand space between them, she looked at his collections of tools on the table and shook her head. "I have absolutely no idea what most of those... ok, all of those are for." Shaking her head, she started to reach for the chrono then pulled her hand back. "I guess I thought it would be something as simple as taking it apart, replacing some spring or other then putting it back together." Her cheeks blushed as she realized how simplistic and naïve that outlook was.

[Jeremy Varin]

His smile only continued to radiate warmth.

"Sometimes that's all that it takes," came his admission.

"But, every so often there's a bit more that needs to be tended to."

Reaching out, his hands carefully went around the sides of the chrono, index fingers gently but firmly pressing against the sides before ever-so-slowly lifting up. The chrono's to circular frame came away, leaving the face beneath with its' hands and alien-scribed numbers. At least he guessed that those were what they were. Either way, a chrono was a rather singular beast, and no matter the symbol used to denote what the hours were, they meant mostly the same thing.

Setting the top frame aside, he shifted his right hand so that delicate fingers lifted the face.

Beneath was a precise cluster of embedded gears, all laid over one another.

"But this one's a bit different. Some of these gears," his left hand moved, a finger extending to try and point out the small contents, "... they're stripped and there are some missing teeth, even."

[Trinity Sundergotte]

Trin watched as the man moved with meticulous precision in removing the crystal and the rings to expose the inner workings of her father's ancient time piece. As he showed the gears, she nodded. "I never realized that's how it worked. I mean," she laughed as she realized how ignorant that sounded. "I mean, I knew it ran on parts, just not how."

Seeing the various cogs he spoke of, she could tell where parts of it were fine and other parts nearly worn smooth with decades of passing over, under and into one another. "So the trick is finding more wheels, that small," she laughed slightly, "and with the right spacing, to replace them with?" She shrugged teasing him. "Piece of cake, right?" She laughed slightly but had resigned herself to acceptance it would never run again.

Her hand rose to the table and hovered just near his own. "They are so delicate. It's a wonder anyone could figure it out at all." She was in awe of not just the mechanics of the chrono, but the feeling that while she merely saw wheels and pins, he saw the actual workings of the time piece and the mysteries she wasn't even aware of.

[Jeremy Varin]

He smiled at her words, continuing to delicately pull each piece out with a sureness born of experience.

"Lots of folks these days don't have the patience to sit and figure out old chrono timepieces, and so they think they're boring."

A shrug at that, as he took up a pair of thin tweezers to gain access to the thinner, almost minuscule inner workings. Each pin, shaft, stopper, and helt lever were removed until only the outer casing was left, empty and bereft of the internal organs that would turn it into the beating heart of timekeeping that it was.

"But, you'd be surprised how many folks still find interest in them," his head canted upward then, as his memory went through the sorts of replacement parts that he usually kept on hand. The tweezers were gently set down as he rose to stand, and moving over to his desk, Jeremy pulled open one of the larger bottom drawers. A hand reached in and he pulled out a gunmetal grey case.

His smile remained as he returned to the sofa.

"I might have a few of the pieces you need in here," he finished, giving the case an almost affectionate pat with his free hand.

[Trinity Sundergotte]

Trinity felt the absence of his warmth when he rose. Side affect of her lineage, feeling the heat of others... Especially in close proximity.

"Well I admit I don't think I'd even know where to start. But if you don't mind a shadow, is love to watch you try and fix it. I mean," she blushed and looked back at the pieces to hide her face, "I mean... Just for a little bit. I'm sure you prefer solitude to work. My father always did." The final sentence almost dropping with the hint that she wasn't happy that had been how it was.

But this was someone else. Someone like enough to offer to help. She would never begrudge him anything for that. As he sat back down, their thighs brushed. She shifted slightly, though reluctantly, to give him space. "You actually have extra parts... For this..." she pointed at the watch, "in there?" This time she couldn't help but laugh. "Surely you're teasing me. How? I mean, I can't imagine too many things on a ship having wheels and pins and..." the couldn't think of the other parts suddenly, "and... pieces that small, surely."

She hasn't known before that moment that such intricate and tiny things existed. Yet he had a collection? The amazement on her face was purely radiating.

[Jeremy Varin]

He allowed a chuckle, settling himself once more on the sofa while opening up the case. Small bins were removed from their hinged spots along the top to reveal a deeper tray that held shallow compartments, each one filled with a myriad of tiny parts. Screw, gears, winders, springs,nuts, all in miniature.

"The nice thing about people who work on chronos as a hobby," he carefully picked through one of the sections that held an assortment of toothed wheels, "... is that they've usually got the right parts."

Another studious look at the chrono as it lay spread open for all to see, and he went back to the case, this time picking through a smattering of weighted bearings.

"And if we don't have the right parts exctly, we usually have ways of making what we do have work."

Satisfied with his scrounging, Jeremy pushed the case lightly to the side so that he could bring the old chrono close.

"You know," he started as his hands moved in precise motions, "... I don't think I've ever brought anyone that wasn't the Captain back from Schwartzweld. Not even her daughter, and certainly not the old bookwolf, Karrnage. Though, that one always stays on the planet no matter what."

He blinked in sudden thought, angling his head to afford her a sidelong look.

"Did you even see him while you were there?"

[Trinity Sundergotte]

Trin watched him work. It fascinated her that such miniscule parts were in such abundance. "I guess Fate favors us both, then. Doesn't she? To give you something you enjoy doing, and me someone to help preserve my past."

She watched him a moment more till he started to mention the Captain's Manor and her appearance there. As he asked about seeing someone else, she shook her head. "I don't believe so. I mean, I sensed others had recently been in the house. But I only met the Droid."

Her heart was racing and she was suddenly glad he wasn't lupine. Otherwise, he would have surely heard her rapid pulse. As it was, it didn't occur to that their proximity would give. She reached out absently to touch one of the tiny discarded cogs he's pushed away.

After a moment or two of gathering her determination, she started to tell him her story. But she didn't look at him and the tiny great became the whole focus of her vision. "I'm sure you know the Captain well enough to know not a regular visitor to the house." Her awkwardness in the kitchen that would have confirmed it. "I traveled there sell out and claim my birthright. There's a plot of landa Manor house once not my family name. I had come to rebuild and claim it." The utter defeat in her voice was something almost palpable. "But it was gone. Not the land, I mean. But the house. Weeds and grass as high as my hips have overgrown the slight outline of a partial wall." Her breath shuddered with the memory as she continued. "I went into the nearby town to see what had occurred. But no one was there. So I went to the next town... It was the same. Everyone was gone, every... thing... was gone. My legacy, my history... All of it. Gone."

She slowly pushed the little spoked wheel back to where it had been. "The Captain found me in the middle of the town. It was late and she offered me shelter. The manor was closer than my shuttle." She folded her hands and set them in her lap. "My family is dead. I'm the last of my House. And the Captain is... was... kind enough to offer me a place here on the ship since I have no where else to go." She shrugged and smiled, but the light didn't quite some in her eyes like before. "So now you know. I'm an orphan with a secret and no idea who can know and who can't. I'm scared to slip and call the Captain Lady again. It seems like every time, and law, and warning I've ever been raised with are... wrong. And now I'm lost and I don't know what to do."

As she looked at Jeremy, she realized what she'd blurted out. "Forgive me! I didn't mean... I should go" She started to scoot across the couch to stand up without bumping the table.

[Jeremy Varin]

Her reaction to her own words was concerning, but Varin at least didn't let it show. Instead he swiftly deposited a small spring on the table before moving his hand. It fell on her shoulder with a firm grip.

"Don't go tucking your tail," his voice was a deep rumble, his features soft and understanding.

"Stay until I've finished, at least."

He gave her shoulder a squeeze, hoping to encourage her into not being so... so damned flighty.

"Remember. Steel in the spine."

[Trinity Sundergotte]

The young woman hadn't expected his touch. Though if asked, she wasn't sure what she expected. But his solid grip on her shoulder made her freeze. If he noticed, she had startled, just a little. Something told Jeremy this woman was either ridiculously sheltered, or something had happened to her.

With her face turned towards the door, he wouldn't see her close her eyes a moment to compose herself as his base voice ran down the spine he was speaking of.

"Steel in the spine..." She managed to murmur before opening hey eyes and smiling as she turned back to face him. "Steel in the spine, huh?" She was flushed, but probably more from embarrassment than anything else. His invitation to stay ran thru her mind. She should go... Go to her quarters.. Leave him be... Stop being a whining pest.

But she didn't. Moving back beside him, careful not to let their legs touch this time, she nodded. "I'll stay." As her heart slowed from the sudden panic and flight mode she had been in, she nodded slightly. "Thank you, Jeremy."

[Jeremy Varin]

His hold on her shoulder turned into a gentle pat as his hand came away, and he returned his attentions to the old chrono. A few moments of thought, and her gently slid it so that it was in front of her.

"How about you fix it? I'll tell you what to do, so don't worry about breaking anything."

His now-free hand plucked the spring back up, and his other held up a small, delicate pair of pliers for her to take.

"Here, take these."

[Trinity Sundergotte]

Trinity couldn't believe she was sitting here, watching him piece her past back together, literally. As he patted her back, she smiled slightly. "Thanks..."

Watching him slide the chrono towards her made her eyes widen. Both hands rose as if fending off a blow. "No... I couldn't... I mean... I..." Her lip slid between her teeth as she took the small pair of pliers in her hand. With hands much smaller than his, she had a new appreciation for the man's coordination with the small tools. She looked at the pliers and then at him. "Steel in the spine... right?" This time the laugh was a bit more relaxed.

She took a deep breath, adjusted the pliers in her hand and nodded. "Ok... I can do this." She looked up and smiled. "With your help!" This time the laugh was once more genuine and relaxed.

[Jeremy Varin]

She was relaxing, which was a good sign.

"I'll certainly be helping," he chuckled the words out.

This bit of her history was important to her, he had suspicion enough of that. But, there was also the feeling that it would be that much more special if she was the one to piece things back together. He knew he'd appreciate the chance to repair his own past. Maybe that was why he'd made her take the reigns in this little endeavor.

"Ok. Now, that worn-out gear there," he made sure that she knew exactly which one he was talking about, "... that's the one you'll want to pull out first."

She did exactly as he instructed, and he gave a nod as the damaged piece was deposited to the side.

"Good. The spring that's still nestled in there, you're going to need to unscrew the locking pin with this... " his free hand reached out to take up the tiniest of spanners, and he pressed it into the palm of her free hand.

"Don't worry, it won't pop out. The pin just keeps it from shifting; once you remove that, you can lift the spring out easy as you please."

[Trinity Sundergotte]

Trinity moved the wheels and cogs and springs and pins as Jeremy instructed. She laughed as she missed something and bit her lip as she concentrated on others. At one point she lifted a lower gear and two came up together. But Jeremy reassured her that the two were next to come off, so no harm had been done.

It took some time, by which point she was close enough to him for their legs to be against one another, again. Soon she set the final wheel down and looked into the emptiness of the time piece. Glancing around at the myriad of pieces and the small, pristine sets he had placed each one in, it amazed her enough to comment as she handed him the pliers. "I never would have guessed that all those," she nodded to the pieces, "fit into that." She looked at the empty watch bezel.

He hadn't asked, but Trin felt a need to tell him about the precious heirloom before them. "The watch had been given to my great great-grandfather before he left our home world. His Lord had given it to him as a reminder that 'in time' things could return to how they were." A finger reached out to lightly trace the edge of the watch. "I bet neither of them imagined how much time would pass. The Chrono was broken during a fight my grandfather was in. Hunters had tracked our family down. Grandfather and my mother were out hunting. He sacrificed himself so my mother could escape. But she hadn't run home. She circled back and found him, dead. She took his watch and House Signet and home to my father's family estate. They were engaged to be married. He was from a Lesser House. Marrying my mother gave our House strength, and their House prestige. My mother gave it to my father on their wedding night as a symbol that all her time was now his." She moved her hands to clasp them in her lap as her eyes rose to meet his. "I took it from his body the night Hunters claimed my family bloodline once again."

She hasn't meant to blurt it all out. But once begin, it couldn't be stopped. But despite the tragedy of it, the steel he had spoken of earlier, was certainly evident now. Whatever the Hunters had done, she had it set on her mind that she wouldn't let it happen again.

Once more a smile crept up her face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bother you with history lessons or hysterics of family tragedies. I guess I just wanted to say it's precious to me and means more than you know that you're doing this. I'll never be able to repay you, you know." She laughed at the final words knowing it was true. There was no value she could place on what he was doing for her.

[Jeremy Varin]

"Every little thing in this galaxy has value for someone," he smiled in answer, "... and for some it's old chronos that have deep family history."

Her retelling of the old timepiece's origin was deep and filled with underlying sentiment that was both spoken and unspoken, and it was those parts that had no verbal telling that tugged at him. There was more to everything that Trinity was saying - that much was apparent from the nature of the Captain and the shared species these two were a part of. But he wasn't one to press too far into things, and so he simply listened and did his best to understand.

At least Ms. Sundergotte was easier to suss out than the Captain; not to mention she was more talkative than his commanding officer, as well.

This mention of Hunters was interesting, but he didn't poke more into that subject; who knew how sensitive it was.

Instead, Varin began to assemble the necessary parts for putting back into the chrono.

"Don't worry about repayments, Ma'am. It's just as well that I get to have a gander at an old bit of a chrono. Call it sated curiosity," he smiled.

"Besides," he couldn't help the chuckle that tumbled out, "... I'm pretty sure the Captain would appreciate it if no life-debts were sworn on her ship."

[Trinity Sundergotte]

Trin couldn't help but laugh. "Well, perhaps a life debt is a bit much. You are right. So how about simply a dinner debt? I'm sure there is a place where I can talk a cook or two into letting me use a real kitchen. I can't make anything fancy, but I am sure I can make something palatable enough to pass for dinner, sometime." She smiled. "And please, just call me Trinity... or Trin. I'm no soldier, like the La... I mean like the Captain. There is no need to call me Ma'am."

Trin watched in fascination as he set the cogs and other pieces in a precise pattern close at hand. "I'm guessing you are going to tell me how to put these back in, right?" She laughed and bit her lip, reaching up to press a strand of hair behind her ear.

[Jeremy Varin]

"And ruin the fun of watching you stumble through it all?"

He was teasing at this point, his smile genuine and warm.

"Here," his free hand lifted up a small pair of tweezers, handing them to her.

"You'll need these, and this - " he also held out a needle for her to take.

"... you'd be surprised how handy they are."

Rolling his shoulders, Varin allowed himself to lean forward a slight bit so that he could point to each and every part.

"Now. Take this, and put it here," he made sure that his finger was solidly pointing to the empty spot in the very bottom of the chrono without touching.

[Trinity Sundergotte]

It didn't escape Trin's notice that Jeremy didn't comment on a dinner pay back. But that was fine, she was enjoying herself. Or rather... she was until he reminded her that she was going to be the one to rebuild the chrono.

She took the given tools, the tweezers in her right, needle in her left. "Wow... all these years I avoided fine needlework and you are the one who gets miniature tools in my hand. My mother would thank you a million times over." She laughed and looked towards the pieces he was referring to. "This one?"

As he nodded, she picked up the tiny cog with a pin in the middle of it and laid it in the bottom of the watch body.

Piece by piece, little by little, the cogs, pins, wheels and pieces were slowly put in. After about 30 minutes, though it felt like hours already, Trin sat back and rolled her neck. "I need a minute." She laughed softly and laid the tools down ever so carefully and flexed her cramping fingers. "I can see why you enjoy this," she motioned to the large number of pieces still to be placed. "It's like a giant puzzle, but in a small package. I had no idea this much went into such a small space." She shook her head and turned to him. "Though I admit, I still have no clue how all those pieces work to make it keep time. Seems an odd piece of machinery to do something so trivial."

[Jeremy Varin]

He smiled as she took a moment to relax.

"Each little piece compels the other to move, which in turn drives the next. Everything in here depends on the part that came before it, which is why it's so important to make sure that when you start, you do it correctly."

A reassuring smile, and he turned his attention to her handiwork. It was as it should be, everything placed precisely, and he gave an approving nod to no one in particular.

"All of this looks perfect," he rumbled, letting his eyes continue to inspect the timepiece.

Taking up the small tools that she set down, he began to continue the work, but paused as he remembered a small, almost inconsequential gear that he'd pulled from the old chrono while taking it apart. It had been fairly worn down, the wafer-thin teeth worn heavily. It had taken him a fair bit of time to repair it, but in the end he knew that his efforts had been successful. He also had a suspicion as to what it was meant for, and Jeremy set the tweezers and needle back down before getting to his feet.

"I forgot," stepping around the low caf table, he moved once more to his workbench.

"There was a piece in there that I'd never seen before. It was pretty banged up, but nothing a little bit of elbow lubricant can't fix."

A solitary set of small shelf-drawers was accessed, and he pulled open the tab of one of the drawers. Careful fingers pulled out a tiny cog that looked insignificant at best.

"I asked the Captain about it, since what it turns is a plate that has a small hole in it. The base face of your chrono has a lot of stuff on it. The numbers for the time of day of course, but it's also got a lot of flourishes and a border of individual designs that I wasn't sure what they meant. Which was why I asked her. Guess they're supposed to mean the changing seasons on your homeworld."

He returned, once more sitting down with his prize in tow. It wouldn't be placed in with the rest of the chrono's inner workings until the face had been set it, and so he set the piece slightly to the side.

"I have to admit, it's been a learning experience."

[Trinity Sundergotte]

Trinity backed a little to let him look at her work. "I just did what you told me to," she laughed and watched him move across the room.

As he spoke of the extras on the watch, she frowned. "I imagine there is something in my book about it. I can't imagine their meaning isn't listed someplace. I'd be happy to share once I know." She smiled then added, "I mean, if you want. Don't want to bore you, though." She laughed nervously.

As he sat back down, she realized how close they were and scooted back a few inches to give him room. "I don't know how it was a learning experience. Aren't they all put together the same way? I mean, at least the ones like this?" She pointed to the piece on the table.

[Jeremy Varin]

His smile only seemed to grow then, as Jeremy let a laugh escape.

"Well, most old chronos are, but this one is different. The basics are the same, but it's got a bit more built in that I'd not really ever seen before."

Leaning forward a small bit, he beckoned for her to join him in another round of inspection. The tweezers were taken up, but rather than actually using them to pick something up, he used them to point out certain pieces.

"This right here," the tips hovered a whisper's edge over a plain looking cog that seemed much the same as all the others inset behind it, "... it's for driving the seasonal plate, and these... " the tweezers shifted so that they were over another set of small stop tabs, "... these are for counting the hours of daylight on... "

He paused then, trying to remember what the Captain had called it. He momentarily drew a blank, and opted for trying to explain.

"... a planet. Apparently it's small, and hardly ever sees the sun. The Captain said it was a graveyard world, where the dead were taken. She also said there was a monument there, a gate of sorts- " the name returned, and he let out a tchah sound from between his teeth.

"Weit-fält. The Captain called it Weit-fält."

[Trinity Sundergotte]

Trinity leaned closer, their shoulders nearly pressed together, as she looked at the pieces of the chrono as he pointed them out. "Seasons and days.." she murmured trying to made sense of it.

When he mentioned Weit-fält she frowned slightly. "It itches the back of my head like I'm supposed to know what it is. But honestly I don't remember." Her apology was a bit more sincere as if she was truly upset to disappointment him with lack of additional knowledge.

Leaning back, breaking their close contact, she shook her head slightly. "Why would someone need to mark days and seasons? I mean, I can tell that today is spring, I know in two more full moons that it will be summer. Why would you need a mechanical piece to tell you that? And especially on a dark planet that's half forgotten?" While there was a small undertone of laughter in her voice, her mind was trying to figure out why her family, her father in particular, treasured the oddity with such reverence. And why he was so adamant that she keep it close, like the family tome.

[Jeremy Varin]

"Good question," he gave her a sideways glance before turning his eyes back fully to the chrono.

"Some things I guess are very important for one reason or another. The reasons for this one," he gave a light tap to the chrono, "... you'd probably have to ask the Captain about. She's much more qualified to answer that bit of questioning than I am."

He sat for a moment longer, then let both hands fall to his knees in a show of energy. He used the motion to propel himself upwards to stand.

"But, all of that is lost on me. What isn't though, is a good lunch."

He smiled down at her.

"You hungry?"

[Trinity Sundergotte]

Trinity sat back and pondered the idea a bit. "I'll go look for her later. I don't want to intrude on her when she's working." She laughed realizing that on the ship, the woman would always be working. "Well, not in the middle of something, anyway."

Lunch... Trin had come down just to say hi and hadn't really had much since waking. Nodding at his query, she smiled once more, a hand moving to brush hair from her face as she watched him move. His fluidity reminded her of her shape shifting kind. If she hadn't known better, she may have thought he was part kin in some way or another. "I could certainly eat," she said and nodded.

[Jeremy Varin]

"Well good!"

Moving away, closer to a pile of as-yet-to-be-washed clothes that rested unceremoniously on the floor beside a small chair, he dug through to the bottom before finding a pair of old sneakers. He slipped them over his feet without thought, making sure that they were secure enough before straightening back up. He rolled his shoulders.

"Because I'm starving."

Another wink was sent her way, and stepping to the door, his hand swiped over the palm reader, opening it in swift fashion.

"Thankfully the ship's wondrously delightful cook has a stellar lunch menu."

Still he smiled, and with a gentlemanly gesture, bade her first exit.

[Trinity Sundergotte]

Trin laughed and rose. "I admit I haven't been in the dining hall but a couple times. The quick food trays for the shift personnel have been sufficient." In truth, she had felt out of place amongst the crew. Without a real purpose, other than passenger, it seemed odd to mingle with folks who all had a job to go on the great behemoth of a ship.

She smiled and nodded as he offered her to go first, "Thank you, Sir," she laughed and headed into the hall and waited before they turned towards one of the common rooms. "So do you have a recommendation for lunch, Jeremy?" She nodded now and then to others as they passed them.

[Jeremy Varin]

Anything that the old Kaleesh woman Idiri prepared was leaps and bounds above the quality of the old auto-chefs that had once populated the mess hall, and Jeremy had more than a few recommendations to give. Of course, it all depended upon what they'd been able to pick up on their last stop at Jovan, and whatever the Captain and Idiri had managed to wrangle from not only Alliance stocks, but from the Cizerack livestock merchants as well. It always seemed a delicate balance of finding the right long-term ingredients for the sorts of foods that would feed a ship for months at a time. It was one that the old Lupine and the old Kaleesh seemed well capable of though, and there never seemed to be an end to the sorts of delightful food being sent out from the mess hall kitchen. Whether it was spiced nuna skewers with brown juba rice and lenfel gravy, or vegetable medleys covered in explosively tasty curry sauces, or even hunks of roasted dewback cubes in a hearty stew, there was really no end to what Idiri could make.

He set a casual pace, sending a few gestures of greeting to those that passed.

"Honestly, it's what Naani has on the menu for the day."

It was strange, Idiri Su'ul Ahan'war was as crusty and no-nonsense as she was warm and inviting at times, and had - after the first few weeks of her settling into her new position as the ship's cook, insisted that most all aboard call her 'Naani'. The Captain had said it was an affectionate honorific of sorts, but Jeremy had had no desire to question further; so long as the food kept coming.

"We're about a month away from our next stop at Jovan, so she's probably starting to begin her rationing."

He sidestepped another crewer that passed by.

"My guess is that it'll be something along the lines of steamed redtail mynock chunks over twice-fried juba rice; or maybe even spicy jakrab nuggets with some buttered flat bread and mixed tuber pickle."

Up ahead, a waifish, wisp of a woman rounded the bend in the corridor. In one hand was a paper bag, clutched tightly as she was focusing on the datapad in her other hand. Her seemingly oversized coveralls smelled of ozone and lubricant, and a smudge of oil could be seen on one cheek. The welding goggles perched over her forehead and overladen toolbelt only rounded out the picture of a mechanic fully taken over by the subject matter of her job.

At least she looked up in time to spot the two, her pale silver eyes widening.

"Oh!"

Jeremy gave a genial smile even as she seemed to fumble with giving a harried salute.

"No need for that, Lakali."

"Sorry Sir, just looking over the repulsor modulation software that we installed into your shuttle... "

"Is that so?"

"Oh yes. It's rather interesting, as I've never seen anything quite like it before. This new Verpine tech is just - "

He held up a hand to stop her, and she blinked in mild confusion; usually he was keen to hear her thoughts on the modifications she made to his favored nu-class shuttle.

"No need to get into all of that, Lakali. But... "

His eyes traveled down to pointedly stare at the bag she held.

"... what does Naani have, today?"

"Oh!"

There was an instant lift to the half-Arkanian's features as she let her gaze sweep from him to the young woman at his side.

"It's a good one today," she started, "... seared shaak belly and fried tuber shreds with onions and creamed asa peas! She also has some tuber stew and crust-bread left over from yesterday, if you want that."

He gave a smile, first to Lakali, and then shifted his head to look at Trinity.

"Sounds good, yeah?"

[Trinity Sundergotte]

Trinity followed Jeremy listening to him absently comment on the various dishes he'd had in the past. With the admission that meals we're truly up to Cook's discretion, she laughed. "I've never had half of the things you just mentioned. But I'm adventurous enough to try anything...I think. Well, 'maybe' anything."

As the distracted woman came towards them, Trinity adjusted her pace slightly so she could step out of the way if the woman kept coming. She'd been distracted like that before and knew that sometimes even a plascrete wall wasn't noticed, much less a couple of people in the middle of the corridor.

When the woman acknowledged Jeremy, Trinity did take half a step to the side to give them a moment. Apparently the woman was a mechanic of his and she had monopolized Jeremy enough that she feared he had neglected his duties to keep her amused.

As Jeremy stopped the woman's report, Trinity took a breath, about to excuse herself. Lakali obviously had something to discuss and she was intruding. But then Jeremy asked about the food and Trinity held her goodbye of a moment. Lakali's rendering of the limited menu still made the lupine realize she hadn't eaten in a while. Jeremy's gaze made her smile and nod. "I've never had...sha..shaak belly, is it? But I'll trust your decision on that," she nodded her comment to the mechanic. Clasping her hands before her so Lakali wouldn't feel obligated to shake hands, she nodded back at the woman. "I'm Trinity, by the way. It seems even in the far reaches of space, men sometimes forget introductions." She winked to the other woman as she hoped Lakali wasn't running scenarios of her and Jeremy thru mind. It was obvious, to Trin, that the mechanic admired Jeremy. She just hoped she wasn't stepping in the middle of something with her meal time with Jeremy.

[Jeremy Varin]

Lakali's silver eyes shifted to the young woman, and instantly a smile spread across her face as she let out a laugh. She gave a soft closed-fist nudge to Varin's arm.

"This one? He's just an old Core-world bumpkin with no real manners."

For his part, Jeremy gave a light scoff, then a half-step back with a slightly raised hand in supplication.

"Reeda Lakali, this is Ms. Sundergotte - " His eyes went to Trinity.

"Trinity, this is Reeda Lakali. You won't find a better mechanic than her, this side of the galaxy."

[Trinity Sundergotte]

Trinity relaxed as Lakali smiled. It made her feel better that the woman didn't primp and preen over her familiarity with Jeremy. "I wouldn't say old..." she laughed and winked at the man who had been kind to her when no one else had reached out.

"Please, call me Trinity. And I fear my only claim to fame is the ability to be completely lost and useless on a floating ship in space." She glanced around and mock shock lit her face. "Oh look! The perfect situation." She nodded once more to the woman. "I'll keep your skills in mind next time I need a shuttle. I fear I am pretty useless around mechanical things." She was coming to realize that while she had had an amazing education, it lacked anything that made her useful in real life. She could keep books and looks over statistics. And she was great at research. But something told her that on a ship like this, those skills were probably duplicated several times over in both personnel and computer banks.

[Jeremy Varin]

She was being modest, and Jeremy smiled easily, the crow's feet at the edges of his eyes crinkling.

"Either way, I'm sure it's nothing you need to worry about right now."

Lakali too offered a smile, tucking her datapad under one arm.

"Captain is usually a patient gal, so don't fret. If you're here, she's got her reasons for keeping you aboard."

Turning to Trinity, Jeremy nodded as he deftly stepped to the other side of his mechanic.

"Can't argue with that," he chuckled.

Lakali used the opening to gesture with her now-free hand.

"Best get to the galley. Don't know how much longer Naani will have today's menu."

[Trinity Sundergotte]

"You're kind to say so. Thank you." Trinity saw Jeremy's smile and wanted to slug him. If nothing else, at least she wasn't feeling ignored.

"I am sure you're right. If nothing else, I heard strays are good luck on deep space ships." As Jeremy stepped aside, Trinity nodded. "I'll hurry him along. Would be embarrassing to show me where to eat only to have it all gone."

Trinity nodded respectfully at Lakali. "It was nice to meet you. I'm sure if you aren't in a restricted area, I'll see you in my random wanderings."

She moved past the girl to stand by Jeremy. She hasn't wanted to dismiss woman out of hand, but she felt her stomach growl and worried the others would hear.

[Trinity Sundergotte]

BUMP???

[Jeremy Varin]

A last farewell to Lakali, and Jeremy pushed his way fully into the mess hall.

It was a tidy, well-kept area with tables and possessed the sort of scents and sounds that one would expect to find in a grandmother's kitchen, strangely enough. Heady aromas of spice and cooking meats, and of course the occasional burst of chattering from Idiri Su'ul Ahan'war, chiding her converted B-1 battledroid sous chef in her native tongue. A metal ladle could be heard then, knocking against either a pot or Bone's head; both were a common occurrence.

Leading the way to the main serving counter, Jeremy grabbed two trays from a pile, handing one to the young Lupine girl.

"She acts mean," he winked, " ...but you'll never find a better cook."

[Idiri Su'ul Ahan'war]

"Tacha, an'gahawari!"

The ladle had been brandished as though it was a vibroblade, and sent to connect with the back of Bone's head as Idiri chastised the damnable thing for letting a small saucepot overboil slightly. It wasn't ruined, but it wasn't how she would've wanted it to be prepared. Her recipes were sacred and holy, and sometimes her droid helper was simply incapable of following standard directions. It was no wonder the droid armies lost so many of their ranks during the Clone Wars.

The sound of two trays being picked up distracted her thankfully, and the old Kaleesh woman snapped her head toward the counter.

Varin. The shuttle-man.

"Being late for lunch," she admonished, "... not proper manners."

The sight of a girl with him was curious, and her deep gaze descended on the young one with a measure of scrutiny.

"Bringing... so'anlawri awr'aka... younglings? Is Captain making daycare of her ship, now?"

Without waiting for an answer from Varin, she angled her head, addressing the girl.

"What is name, girl."

[Trinity Sundergotte]

Trin did a double take as she heard metal on metal and the... whatever the cook was, finally turned to them both.

As the insult was tossed her way, she clenched the tray tighter. Apparently, in her mind, she could insult herself, but no one else could. When the question was placed to her, she managed to straighten up slightly. "I'm Trinity. Trinity Sundergotte." She was going to add that she was a guest of the Captain, but it seemed like bragging. And she wasn't exactly sure if she was a guest, or merely being tolerated. Better to be safe than sorry.

"It's my fault we are late. I didn't realize there were specific times for meals. My apologies." She didn't back down, but she didn't posture, either.