[h1][colour=Red]Alanna[/colour] & [colour=EDC9AF]Orh’ruruur[/colour][/h1]

B1 after B1 stretched across the racking in front of her, it had taken Alanna over an hour to find and fix the single dislodged cable in the 3PO unit. And now she was on to the next order, several B1 droids brought in for Nanna to be reprogrammed as DishWashers. Even for a lady she cared very much for, the order was annoying, Alanna hated working on B1s, something fierce. They were built cheap and compact, fitting everything they could into the chest or head, but it was so densely packed with wires and plates that getting at one thing often necessitated taking three or more other components out. Add into it that these ones were basically rebuilt from scratch by Bannermen who had no clue what they were doing, after said Bannermen had blown them up in the first place. And this project was going to be a stressful one. And maybe if Nanna's Grandson would stop flirting with Alanna every time he came into the shop and actually listened to her, he might stop blowing them up so much if he wanted to give them as a gift to his grandmother.

[Colour=red][i]Do what you enjoy and you'll never work a day in your life… rubbish.[/i][/colour] Alanna thought to herself as she popped the chest plate on the first B1. Before she got to work she pressed a button on her wrist pad and music began flowing from various speakers in the ceiling of the shop. Alanna didn't pay attention to it much, it was just background noise that helped her concentrate, the radio today seemed to be playing something new from Flo'Rence & The Droid, not that Alanna could tell you what the song was called. Another hour passed and Alanna was so engrossed in her work that she didn't even notice another presence enter her shop, she pulled her head out of the torso of the last B1 and wiped her oil covered hands on her overalls before turning towards the door, jumping in shock at the… Tusken? Standing there. Why was there anyone coming in today? More importantly, why was a Sand Person in her shop? And why did it seem like he was talking to her?

Pressing the music button on her wrist pad the music turned off. [Colour=red]"Uhhhhh… sorry pal, if you're after an order we're not really [i]open[/i] today… ummm… do you… understand me?"[/colour]

He stared for a moment, processing the fact that…well, the shop had been noisy enough that she must have not heard him come in or what he’d said. For that matter, she probably hadn’t noticed the other formalities. Snorting inwardly at her surprise, and for that matter at her lack of awareness, something which…well, he wasn’t quite sure how she’d managed on Mandalore or really on any world. For that matter…the woman didn’t seem Mandalorian, either, but he hadn’t the experience to know who was and who wasn’t such. She definitely didn’t wear the armor. [i]Interesting[/i].

But she had said they weren’t open…though that would probably be ‘open for selling’. That wasn’t why he was there, and she did seem to be working on a number of projects. In the order of Orh’ruruur’s eyes he could see droids in various states of repair, many of the models he recognized from before. Perhaps she needed a hand…hopefully. In any case, of course there was the question of what in the dunes he was to do. Perhaps the simplest was the best, and the Tusken decided that if anything that was doing the act again.

[color=EDC9AF]”Yes, I understand you. Good morning. My name is Orh’ruruur.”[/color] With the ‘good morning’, he gave a slight bow. Considering it for a moment, the young Tusken added, [color=EDC9AF]”You are one of the few open mechanic shops...I would normally work with Chor, or Pulu, but they are both drunk and closed. I was…hoping to help? To learn how to fix.”[/color]

The Tusken spoke? The Tusken spoke… Basic, well basic with a translator but Basic nonetheless. Alanna had had very few encounters with Sand People in her life, the few times she had travelled to Tatooine for a contract she had, had Sable with her, Sable who spoke Tusken. This was an altogether different experience to that. He? She guessed it was a He anyway. He spoke Basic, He was seemingly polite and he was looking for… work. Well this certainly wasn't the way Alanna *thought* her day was going to go.

[Colour=Red]"Uhhhh, work? You're looking for… work?"[/colour] Alanna said, standing a bit straighter but still with a perplexed look on her face.

He held up a hand defensively, almost reflexively without a thought. Of course, those would be the things that might concern such a ship owner, the very concept of a Tusken…or really any being, Orh’ruruur supposed, asking for work. They would want to know the cost of such, the trade of it, just as was the trade with the smugglers before. [color=EDC9AF]”You don’t have to pay me. I just…want hands-on experience in fixing. Made beings isn’t something I would want, no, but…similar pieces to speeders, yes? Or parts of starships.”[/color]

The Tusken paused, considering that…he may want to explain further, as it were, unless she dismissed him so offhandedly as others had before. [color=EDC9AF]”They say teachers and rooms, data-slates…that is how you learn, but I study with my hands.”[/color]

Alanna eyed the Tusken suspiciously, her first instinct was, as always, Hutt. The word screamed around her head like a Star Fighter. But a Tusken wouldn't work for a Hutt right? [Colour=red]"Hmmmm. OK, humour me if you will. Two questions; You mentioned some other names so what experience do you have? And secondly, how long are you sticking around for? Forgive me if I seem horribly ignorant but I didn't think Tuskens settled anywhere for too long."[/Colour]

[color=EDC9AF]”Speeder bike mechanics. They helped me…with my swoop, a bit. Repulsorlift engines, wiring, that.”[/color] He pronounced some words- speeder bike, swoop, repulsorlift -with a sudden, severe difference, almost as though he was parroting a technical manual which, Orh’ruruur supposed, he in fact was. The Tusken had taken severe steps to ensure that such technical words he knew and knew absolutely, which was unsurprising considering his focus upon that field. There was nothing he disliked more than not understanding what another was saying in the midst of a discussion. He barely noticed her suspicion, it seemed so normal.

Swallowing at her second half of the question, he cocked his head amid his answer. [color=EDC9AF]”A month or so. I’m…not exactly settled here. Just learning, before I bring it back.”[/color]

A month or so? Alanna could work with that. Besides she'd just keep Sable close at hand until he was gone. It had taken her over six months to feel comfortable having Vex and Vax around the shop and they were recommended by Nanna. [Colour=red]"Alright sure, I can respect having the balls to walk into a strangers shop and ask for work. In terms of payment, I don't want you to go empty handed. I could pay you on commision at least. Again I'm probably horribly ignorant at this but, are credits OK? Or would you prefer something else?”[/colour]

[i]Respect having the balls to walk into a strangers shop[/i]. He wasn’t entirely certain on the meaning of the phrase, though something indicated it was brave enough. At least that was good. That she was willing to pay was…also good. Knowledge was good, but knowledge and credits was even better. He smiled halfway under his mask, nodding slightly at the idea. [i]Horribly ignorant at this[/i], truly so. It was almost funny. That he wasn’t entirely familiar with the concept of ‘on commision’ was not something the Tusken was exceptionally eager to express. Whatever he was paid, he was paid, that much was enough in his view. [color=EDC9AF]”Thank you, credits are fine. The spaceport charges…notably for ‘berthing’.”[/color]

Alanna nodded at the Spaceport comment. [Colour=red]"mmm. I swear they put the charges up whenever the bosses want a new speeder… Anyway, before I set you loose on something, do you have any questions? I'm Alanna by the way, figure I should get that out, I own this place. There are a couple others who work here but if you stay you'll meet them later. I'm going to apologise now because I speak two languages and Tusken isn't one of them. Is there another name I could call you? Or a shortened one perhaps? Because there's no way I can pronounce your full name.”[/colour]

[i]Alanna[/i]. It was a name, he supposed, and had little thought besides on it as the last comment drew far more attention in his inward thoughts. A shorter name? He’d never considered that. Then again, Chor and Pulu had simply called him as he was, Tusken, and that had never been confusing for another. He snorted briefly at the concept. [color=EDC9AF]”Just ‘Tusken’ is fine. It will be…rare for that to mean another. If you dislike that…well, I am not sure. It would be ‘of your making’.”[/color] He paused to consider any questions he might have, anything which might present difficulties here or there. No, there didn’t seem to be any. As the Tusken spoke his pronouncement of the name almost sounded like two words, a disjoined thing. [color=EDC9AF]”I do not think I have any questions, Alanna.”[/color]

Hmmm, [i]Tusken[/i] if he was comfortable with it then fair enough, she didn't like being called [i]Twi’Lek[/i] but it was what it was. [Colour=red]"Ok well… that was easy… uhhh. You said you had experience on speeders and bikes right? There's one in the corner over there.[/colour] She pointed to the white and red striped bike over the oil pit in the back corner of the shop. [Colour=red]"I hate working on those things and can't figure out why the repulsor lift isn't working. Take a look, if you can figure it out you can stick around."[/colour]

Bowing briefly, he set off to the white-and-red speeder bike. The repulsorlift, the repulsorlift…it was mounted in the usual place, aft on the bike, and the Tusken set himself down low to the ground to try and diagnose the specific problem whether it be some miswired section or improperly installed component. They all seemed to have a generally similar layout, and soon enough Orh’ruruur found himself humming away.