Beyond - Legends Captain and Pilot (Mara Jade DDC14) - cont'd in new thread

That is such a Mara thing! But poor Dankin, wants to fly so badly!

Great update!

 

earlybird-obi-wan Thanks! I originally planned this as a series of third-person one-shots. I thought making it Mara's diary would make it more about her, but it actually seems to have moved the focus onto Dankin in a weird way. I guess because so far Mara doesn't have too much to talk about other than her partner.

Nyota's Heart Thank you!!

Jedi_Lover Yikes, your husband sounds a bit scary! I'd say it's a good call, not letting him drive you around. Thanks for commenting!

Jade_Pilot Thanks!!

Kahara Yeah, backseat piloting has to be pretty annoying. I was trying to think of a starship equivalent to pushing the imaginary brake, but I didn't come up with anything. Thank you for your comments!

mavjade Thanks! Hopefully they'll work something out in the near future...

 

Entry 4

I gave in. When we came out of hyperspace at the supply station, as Dankin stood wistfully in the doorway, I said “Go ahead” and took a seat in the copilot’s station. You’d have thought I’d given the kid my kidney. If I hadn’t taken my seat so fast I think he might have tried to hug me.

He hopped into the pilot’s seat like a preteen who’s just been handed the keys to an airspeeder for the first time. I was a bit concerned that he might be nervous, or might try to impress me with fancy flying. Instead he simply flew proficiently and looked far too at home steering my ship.

I made a weak attempt to demonstrate for him just how annoying of a copilot he was. I stared intently at his hands on the controls and made slight adjustments to my controls. That took about 30 seconds to become painfully tedious and I don’t think he even noticed. I left the cockpit, deciding to finish up some paperwork while he took us in.

I wonder if I’ll ever get the pilot’s seat back.

 

LOL Nice of her to do that; but she probably won't. Or maybe Dankin will be satisfied with just the one time?

 

My oldest likes to remind me that next year he can get a learner's permit to drive. What a terrifying prospect.

I don't think Mara will get her pilot seat back.

 

men never notice. Dankin must be thrilled to be the pilot. Fun update

 

I'm with JL. Mara may not get her seat back!

 

Aww! See, I can see from her POV how this would be utterly annoying. But aww!

Naturally, he's totally unaware of her trying to show him how annoying his habits are. Hmm. Actually, in a way that's not as annoying as it could be -- the most aggravating are the people who are unable to tolerate their own faults in others, and refuse to admit that it's even the same thing. Everybody can tell one of those stories, probably. Dankin doesn't seem like that at least.

Mara's reluctant kindness, followed by regret, seems in character for where she is in her life. She doesn't want to share -- but she's got better instincts if she chooses to follow them. Give in to the marshmallow side, Mara. We have... umm, s'mores or something. With marshmallows.

 

Nyota's Heart No, I don't think Dankin will be satisfied with just once Thanks for commenting!

Jedi_Lover My oldest likes to remind me that next year he can get a learner's permit to drive. What a terrifying prospect. Yikes! Good luck with that! And you may be right about the pilot's seat...Thanks for commenting!

earlybird-obi-wan men never notice. They really don't, do they? Thanks for commenting!

Jade_Pilot Mara may not get her seat back! You may be right about that...Thanks for commenting!

Kahara the most aggravating are the people who are unable to tolerate their own faults in others, and refuse to admit that it's even the same thing. Good point! Mara could have it a lot worse.
Give in to the marshmallow side, Mara. We have... umm, s'mores or something. Nice! Thanks for commenting!

 

Entry 5

Our first conflict.

I was waiting for a comm from the supplier at our next pick-up. Well, first let me back up a bit. I’d called Karrde to check-in. We spoke less than ten minutes. Then Karrde spoke to Dankin, and said he would put Odonnl on the comm next. I leave the comm room to work on some cargo declarations, but I really needed to hear from the supplier before I can get anything done. I expected his call soon after I hung up with Karrde. After an hour with no incoming comm alerts, I think maybe the supplier’s flaked. Two hours and I’m getting mad. We’re stuck here, wasting time and burning fuel and the supplier still hasn’t commed. As we’re nearing the three hour mark I head to the comm room, ready to tell the supplier off and wondering how exactly I’m going to scramble to get a new load and stay on schedule. As I walk in Dankin’s already there. On the comm, still talking to Odonnl. Nearly three hours later, while I’m waiting to hear from the supplier, he’s taking up the line, chattering nonsense with someone who’s got absolutely nothing to do with the current assignment.

I immediately cut the comm. And then I laid into him. He gives the injured pitten look of course, with extra wide eyes, but I don’t even care. He sinks away from me, like he thinks I might hit him as I stop for breath.

“Sorry,” he squeaks. I see tears clinging to his lashes.

“Don’t even start,” I snap. I don’t have the time or patience for his apologies and excuses. “Just get out of here.”

He starts to comply, but hesitates after he’s passed me.

As I start dialing the comm he speaks, barely a whisper. “Don’t you ever get homesick?”

 

Aww! Dankin and Odonnl always seemed like they'd be best buddies in profic. You don't break up a team like that.

 

Gracious -- I can understand the business logistics of time etc., and keeping business and personal stuff separate. But Mara needs to realize that you don't get cooperation or anything else by running roughshod. I guess part of it is what Dankin and Revanfan implied: she doesn't have anyone to contact or care enough about. Naturally she doesn't realize that's behind it.

 

She shouldn't be harsh on Dankin. He is a good guy

 

I'm with Mara in this. Must feel like living with a teenager.

 

Hey!

But more seriously, they do have a job. Dankin couldn't have had a call-me later moment after the first half-hour or something?

 

This is fun! People are taking sides...

I'm glad to hear you say that. Dankin and Odonnl don't get too much play in profic, so I've always wondered if it was just my imagination that they were close friends. But not to worry - the Dankin/Mara partnership is only temporary, Dankin and Odonnl will be back together before too long. Thanks for commenting!

You make some good points. The partnership may be teaching Mara more than she bargained for. I think you might like the next entry a bit better... Thanks for commenting!

Agreed. Thanks for commenting!

True, though, to be fair, Dankin isn't too far out of the teenage years at this point. Thanks for commenting!

He probably should have, would have saved them both a lot of stress... Thanks for commenting, and for the likes!

 

Entry 6

I was still mad when I wrote the last entry. Still furious that Dankin could be so unfocused, so indifferent to the mission. And even more annoyed at his response, that he could seem so innocently blind-sided when I reprimanded him. He knew what he was getting into when he signed up for this, and he shouldn’t—

Oh, wait.

He didn’t sign up for this. I volunteered him. I’m sure he isn’t here against his will, Karrde wouldn’t have forced him if he didn’t want to come. But this is my assignment, he just got dragged along. Dragged along because Karrde thought I needed a remedial course in working with others.

Stang.

.

.

.

No, Dankin. I don’t get homesick.

I’ve never had a home. How could it make me sick?

But I know I’m not like other people, I’m not like you. You’re lucky to have a home. Friends, family who worry about you when you’re gone. That’s nothing to be ashamed of.


I found this on the table in the rec room, and I know you didn’t leave it out accidentally, Mara. I won’t apologize because I know you hate that, but, well . . . thanks.

And I hate to tell you, but I’m not the only one Karrde worries about. -D

 

Aww, at least she realized how badly she'd mistreated Dankin, and semi-apologized.

 

Love how she apologized to Dankin and his note back should have her thinking

 

Much better. At least they are knowing and understanding one another better. And of course Talon worries about Mara LOL I love how in the first part Mara is reconsidering and/or re-thinking despite herself. You have her growing pains just right Tarsier.

 

Wow, at three hours of taking up the signal I think I'd be peeved as well. But the reason made sense, especially if Dankin hadn't been away from his friends for that long in a while. It's good that Mara and Dankin are both trying. I liked Mara's note (especially where she said "I’ve never had a home. How could it make me sick?") and that Dankin was able to interpret it and reply the way he did. It's so easy to think the worst of people when you're in conflict, so it's interesting that he has the understanding not to do that. Meanwhile, Mara is the one who seems to be aware of the demands of the real world -- messages for the business need to be taken care of! It looks like it may be a lucky balance of qualities that they have.

 

Revanfan1 This is Mara we are talking about, a semi-apology is pretty good!

earlybird-obi-wan Yes, I think this experience will give her lots to think about.

Nyota's Heart Thanks, I'm glad you liked that entry better!

Kahara especially if Dankin hadn't been away from his friends for that long in a while. I would say this is the longest Dankin has ever been away from Karrde and Odonnl. One of the challenges of the diary is that there's a lot going on that's not on the page because either it has to do with Dankin and Mara doesn't know about it, or Mara just doesn't think it's important enough to write down. I'm not sure I've quite figured out how to handle that very well.
t's so easy to think the worst of people when you're in conflict, so it's interesting that he has the understanding not to do that. I think of Dankin as very sensitive, but also able to roll with the punches and always looking for the bright side.

 

I still think Mara was within her rights to take Dankin's head off, but I do love his gentle nature.

 

Jade_Pilot Dankin is a sweetheart

---

Entry 7

Well, that was awkward.

A little background information: Karrde told me that Dankin and I should pretend to be in a relationship when we met with contacts. I believe that, rather than telling Lando I couldn’t stand the thought of being trapped on a ship with him for weeks at a time, Karrde suggested to Lando that I’d been insistent on a new partner because I was madly in love with that partner. I wasn’t too concerned about it at first, this isn’t the first time I’ve been required to pretend to be involved with someone I wasn’t. But my previous fake love interests weren’t quite like Dankin.

I’ve suspected for a while that Dankin has a slight crush on me. I don’t really mind, anything that makes him more likely to follow my orders can only be a good thing. I’ve also surmised that he doesn’t have a lot of experience in the romance department. Also a good thing, it keeps him focused on his work and means he doesn’t have much reason to object to working late. I’m not sure if it’s the crush or the lack of experience (and I’m sure our recent conflict isn’t helping anything) but when I briefly tried to hold his hand as we approached the contact, it was clammy and shaky and I swear I could hear his pulse pounding in my own ears. I immediately dropped his hand and put some distance between us. Our contact on this planet was a Gamorrean, and I knew she wasn’t likely to be keenly attuned to the finer aspects of human relationships. We could practice our fake relationship display later on.

I introduced myself to the Gamorrean, a big female with two babies clinging to her back. She didn’t speak Basic, but my Gamorrean is fair, at least as far as trading parlance. I introduced Dankin as my first mate. She made a comment about how I’m a bit old for a first mate, but I didn’t think much of it, I know Gamorreans are extremely matriarchal, and maybe she thought I should have more than one man working for me.

Everything was going fine with the supply negotiation, but as things were finishing up she started making more personal queries. I answered quickly and politely, just trying to get out of there as soon as possible. She asked if I have pups (No), she asked if I’m expecting pups (Definitely not), then she gave Dankin a strange look. Perhaps it’s time for a second mate, she said. And suddenly I saw a whole different connotation to her “first mate” comment.

Before we met the contact I was under the impression Dankin didn’t speak Gamorrean. But he had just a hint of a smirk when she asked me about pups and he flushed slightly at this last comment.

I told the Gamorrean we were behind schedule and need to get going. Indeed you are, she said. Without warning, she grabbed Dankin with one hand, me with the other, and crushed us together. I have a good feeling you will conceive your first pups tonight.

Dankin blushed fiercely and I resisted the urge to pummel the Gamorrean.

Later, I commed Karrde to request that we not have to deal with any more Gamorreans anytime soon. He said not to worry—our next stop is the Jedi Academy.

Great. There’s no way our fake relationship could be awkward there.

 

People are now giving me odd looks. I don't care.