Breathe the Free Air (Conman)

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Varulla'aba took a deep breath and let it out again slowly, pinching herself to see if this was really a dream. Surely it couldn't be real, it had to be some kind of fantasy, some strange, surreal dream that would evaporate when she woke up.

The pinch didn't wake her up.

How was it that of all the people in the galaxy, it was a daft Twi'lek pilot named Doneeda who broke Var out of a maximum security Republic prison. How she did it Var had no idea, and the white Twi'lek doubted she would ever understand how in the universe Donnie always found a way to make the impossible possible. She had some kind of magical power to change reality, to do these bizarre things.

Varulla'aba felt acceptance of that fact now. There was no sense questioning it. Donnie had magic powers.

Var unfastened the straps of her seat and stood, clutching an orange coverall in both hands. It was her prison uniform, with that damned number on it. 5273. If she ever heard that number again...

The pale Twi'lek tossed it on the ground and gave it a good kick, sending it down the corridor of the Bucket, embracing the tank top and cargo pants she was wearing. Free clothing. All of a sudden, Var felt a giddy happiness. She wanted to break out into song or dance, to celebrate.

Var made sure Donnie wasn't doing anything important before darting up to her and giving her a massive hug without any warning. It was almost like some kind of bizarre martial arts attack centered on love and gratitude.

When Var finally broke the hug and took a step back, she was smiling more broadly than she ever had before.

"Thank you Donnie. Thank you, thank you, and thank you. I owe you everything."

[The Conman]

Donnie was in the back of the ship. Fixing it.

Again.

She'd just spent the better part of a month on Courscant, and put a few thousand into repairs either on Courscant or Tattooine. Yet, here she was, in the bowles of the ship, wrench in one hand, tablet in the other, and a small flashlight gripped between her teeth.

The Twi'lek wasn't displeased with her situation, not by a long shot. The fact she was still alive was somewhat astonishing, after the stunt she'd managed to pull back on Courscant. Breaking Var out had to be one of the most epic things she'd pulled in her life.

And to think, they'd barely made orbit before the ship broke. Donnie had had the chance to say "GET ON BOARD, NOW!" and that was about it before rushing to make orbit, then jumping to Hyperspace on a random vector.

Then hearing a rather loud bang followed by the ship dropping out again.

I totally inspire confidence...

She thought to herself, patching up the connections, hopefully well enough to limp to Zeltros or Mannan or some other freeport where she could set the ship down and repair it...Again.

The amazonian Twi'lek gave her work a once over, jiggling a few things with her hand to ensure they wouldn't come loose during the flight. Satisfied with her work, Donnie crawled back out through the access port and put the repair gear on a table in the cargo bay, then walked back into the main hall way, headed for the cockpit.

Then...Suddenly...

VAR!
Oh..



Donnie said, surprised by her typically Stoic companions sudden show of appreciation.

No Problem kid.

Donnie said simply, once Var had let go. She didn't really know what to say. She hadn't really even though about what would happen once she broke Var out.

And you don't owe me anything, howabout you make me a meal that actually includes "food" and we'll call it even?

Donnie asked with a smirk. She was " Culinarily Challenged", so to speak, and in Var's absence she'd been Surviving on a diet of Take Out and replicated meals. The upside was it was an educational experience, the downside was that the education was the fact that she learned that everything she ate went to her bum.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Var chuckled under her breath at Donnie calling her 'kid.' Apart from the fact Var had to be at least five years older, it was pretty clear which one of them was the Big Sister in this arrangement. As a matter of fact, it was pretty therapeutic for Var to take care of Donnie. It gave her something to do.

There was a special relationship there between them, a certain sisterhood. Just as Var had needed someone to help her on her path away from the Dark Side, Donnie surely needed someone to keep an eye on her. After all, youthful metabolism or no, she wasn't going to be able to eat fried food every day and still stay trim. In fact, she'd plumped up a little bit already.

Var made a mental note to include some form of vegetable in the next meal she made.

The pale Twi'lek nodded at the taller girl's request. That would certainly be in order, provided Var remembered her way around the Bucket's galley after her stint in prison. Of course the Bucket was kind of hard to forget.

"I'll do it," Var said. "But we need to stop off at some place that sells food. I checked the pantry, and a bottle of Corellian mustard and three crackers isn't something I can work with. And we can make preparations. It's a long way to Manaan, but that's where I want to go."

[The Conman]

Donnie nodded, considering their options. Mannan was kinda far, not entirely out of reach, but they'd need to stop for fuel. Given they'd have at least a day's head start on the Authorities, it'd be realistic to be able to stop at a Republic port. So long as Var stayed on the ship.

Donnie smirked. The Republic wouldn't be putting out an APB, that much was certain. They wouldn't be dumb enough to admit they'd lost a Sith from a maximum security facility, to a Freighter Pilot.

If we stop on Kuat we can get two birds stoned at once. I need to fix this thing, and we need food. Since it's a trade hub, both should be easy to get.

Donnie mused, mentally planning her route to the place. After a few seconds her brain kicked in, and she looked at Var like she had three heads.

Hang on a sec...why Mannan? I understand going to a freeport, but why there?

She asked, fidgeting with her right leeku in the process.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Why Manaan?

Var had been thinking about where to go ever since leaving prison, her mind had not been idle. However the list of good hiding spots was pretty narrow actually. The Republic was far from safe as she would be a wanted fugitive, and the Sith Empire might very well have wanted her dead. Hutt space wasn't a safe place for a beautiful woman likely to be alone, and that left independent worlds.

Of all the independent worlds, one of the safest bets was Manaan. It was peaceful, it was neutral. And no one would dare to attack the only source of kolto in the galaxy.

It was going to be her safe haven.

"Donnie, I won't be safe anywhere else. The Republic will be after me, and maybe the Sith too. I have to get new documents, a new name... I need a fresh start, and I need to be somewhere safe. I have a good feeling about Manaan."

The Twi'lek woman leaned against the wall and stared at the ground.

"Right now you're the only one I can trust. I'm gonna need your help."

[The Conman]

The taller of the pair smirked and gave Var a joking jab to the shoulder.

When haven't you needed my help?

She said jokingly, signaling her satisfaction with Var's explanation. The reality was that Doneeda hadn't planned this far ahead. She kinda figured Var would know what to do once she got the woman out of jail, and was relieved to know she had a plan.

Doneeda needed to figure out how to cheer Var up, and she had just the way. With the ship fixed, and the computer hopefully having automatically resumed course, Donnie figured it'd be the perfect time to show Var her newest, most awesome, and completely useless invention.

The Amazonian Twi'lek dashed off without notice, and disapeared into the Galley. Inside, she rumaged around for a second before finding it, then dashed back to the hall where Var was.

Ok. So. This is my newest invention.

Donnie said, revealing a bottle...with a rubber glove stretched around the top and one of the fingers inside the opening.

Now, it may just look like a regular, useless plastic bottle with a rubber glove over it.

She paused for dramatic effect.

But really, it's much more, you'll see...

Donnie said, as she began to squeeze the plastic bottle.

As she did, the middle finger of the glove and her smirk grew at about the same rate.

YOU GET MIDDLE FINGER!

She said, probably too loudly, before going off into laughter.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Var raised both the eyebrows tattooed onto her face and suppressed a chuckle at Donnie's crack about her. Need help.

Well...

The somewhat sad truth was that Var did need Donnie's help, and often. The older Twi'lek hadn't truly wandered in the outside world, well, ever. The last time she'd been unattended had been as a young child stowing away on a ship, something she could still remember, albeit faintly.

Donnie was a guide, the one responsible for showing Var the ropes. Of course Var didn't need Donnie's help to cook or to clean, in fact the roles were reversed there. Var apparently had more domestic experience.

But still-

Var was suddenly distracted by a glove flashing her a rude sign, and belatedly she realized this was what Donnie had just been talking about. In response to the raucous laughter she had just one thing to say.

"Clearly Doneeda, you are one of the galaxy's foremost mechanical engineers. I suggest getting a patent on your invention, and selling it to Czerka. You'll make millions."

The sarcasm wasn't quite sardonic, but it was a little caustic. That was something Var couldn't help, a trait she couldn't just turn off like a light connected to a switch.

There were lasting aspects of her personality that weren't so positive.

[The Conman]

Doneeda's laughter stopped with Var's comment, though her grin remained.

With great power, comes great responsibility, I cannot, in good intention, prosper from the Glove Bottle Invention. To do so would be immoral.

Donnie said, as seriously as she could. Her grin returning after she did so.

The reality was that she should have expected something of the sort from Var, of all people. But, the Glove Bottle Invention was a complex and beautiful engineering marvel, she couldn't expect such plebian minds to understand it's subtle complexity and wonder.

The taller of the pair held out the G/B I, to Var.

I give unto you, Var...ith, this, the first of my Glove Bottle Inventions.

She paused, partially to figure out what to say, and partially for dramatic reasons.

GO FORTH! AND SHOW THE GALAXY THE WONDER...NAY...THE MAGICAL SPLENDOROUS JOY!

She nearly bellowed, in her most official voice, trying her best not to laugh again, as the entire time she was holding out the bottle, she'd been squeezing it.

[Lemur, The Kool-Aid Guy]

Var closed her eyes and slowly raised her palm to her forehead and rubbed her temples slowly. Really? Donnie was in full blown crazy mode it seemed.

Well, it was still better than prison.

But that didn't mean she had to deal with it.

"You have been alone too long," Var said matter-of-factly before turning and heading to the galley rather abruptly. Her tolerance for craziness wasn't too high at the moment.

Once she was in the room she sat at the bench and sipped a glass of water while staring at the very familiar wall. After a long second of silence she had just one thing to say.

"Well, I'm back."