The Next Evening:
Riverche patiently waited outside of the unfamiliar office thinking over the last past thirty hours. Was this the best course of action? Did she miss something? Will they accept her story or will they see through it? What if she does not get the position? What was her backup plan? Taking in a deep breath, she told herself, “Relax, you got this.”
Thirty hours ago, she had walked out of Uji’s office with no idea of how to accomplish the large task he had laid in front of her. She quickly created a fake identification, Kassandra Rain, to go by for this mission and started to research Jovian Security, a small upstart on Selen, located in the city of Naruba. One article calling for applications for apprentices in the company’s droid shop stood out in her mind and quickly deciding it was the key to getting into the company. It was a very small article dated a few days prior and she doubted anyone would even try for it, since it was for a new company. Riverche quickly applied for the position using Kassandra’s information.
While she was waiting for their reply, Riverche looked through adds on cheap, studio apartments in the area. A handful of the studios looked promising, but she did not want to commit to viewing them until she heard from Jovian. Just as she was about to give up and try a new approach, Jovian sent her a message saying they were interested in her and wanted to meet her right away. With the time and location of the meeting set, Riverche spent the rest of the day finding possible places to stay, packing her backpack and going over droid manuals.
“Kassandra?” a middle aged humanoid male asked exiting the office. “Sorry, I am running a little late. I had some unexpected business to attend. I am Azmael Edgeworth, the head of the droid shop.”
“It’s OK. I—”
“Did you find the place OK? The directions weren’t to vague?”
“Yes, the directions were fine.”
“Relax, I would like to do this interview in the droid room, if you don’t mind. Follow me.” he began to lead the way down a long corridor. About four or five steps into their travel, he turned to Kassandra, “Tell me a little more about yourself.?”
The two continued to chat as they walked down the corridor to the stairs that lead down to an open shop bay. On the left side, speeders and small vehicles rested in various stages of repair. On the far wall, a cage spanned the entire wall. Behind the cage, various weapons and armor waited to be checked out. On the right, tools and workbenches surrounded a small door. Azmael approached the door and swiped a badge on the nearby pad.
Stepping in the room, Kassandra could see tools, droids, parts and manuals thrown throughout the room with no floor left untouched from the mess. “Welcome to the droid room. It’s a little messy and that is how I prefer it. Now on to the interview. I have a few questions designed to test the extent of your knowledge and the first one is over here.” Pointing at a table, filled with droid parts, against the wall.
For the next couple of hours, Azmael lead Kassandra from one test to the next. More then once, she knew that she couldn’t identify the part or what it was for. Overall, she felt she did very good in the end. “Well,” Azmael began, “you know your Astromech’s and Protocol droids, which is good. However, we do need to work on your knowledge of combat droids.”
“Combat droids? We? What?”
“Welcome to Jovian. You start tomorrow in the morning. Here is your temporary card.” Azmael informed Kassandra, handing her a small card. “Report straight to this room do not wonder throughout the building. The bosses do not like people to be out of their stations.”
“Let me walk you out!”
The rest of the day, Kassandra spent at the bar in the small restaurant under the studio she was renting for the next two weeks. The elderly Selenian, Jude, who ran the place was more then eager to rent the upstairs room to her. Jude had told her that it would be nice to have another person around to help out and to talk with in the evenings . All of Jude’s kids has gone their own directions and her husband died a few years ago leaving her to run the place by herself. “So?”
Kassandra looked up from her datapad to see Jude standing on the other side of the counter. “What? Sorry, I–”
“So, did you get the position? How did the interview go?” The old lady inquired. “Don’t leave an old lady in suspense.”
A smile crossed Kassandra’s face as she answered Jude’s questions, “I got the job. The interview was a test of my skills, no awkward questions that you would expect in an interview. I start tomorrow morning.”
“Good! Good!” Jude’s eyes slowly focused on a group of four entering the restaurant. “Do you mind helping me out for a bit?”
“What do you need?”
Jude finished filling four glasses and sat four menus on a tray. “Take this to their table, please.”
Kassandra smiled grabbing the tray, “Sure.”
Before she even got to the table, Kassandra could tell the group of men were going to be very interesting. The topic of discussion started out with an excitement over their last job and quickly changed to what they wanted to do for the night. The men sat quietly as Kassandra placed a glass and a menu in front of each one. As the last glass was placed, one of them started to snicker as his neighborer jabbed him in the side.
A soft warm breath tickled the back of Kassandra’s neck. Without thinking, she spun around planting the tray smack on the nose of the last member of the group. Horrified that she just hit an invisible customer, Kassandra started to apologize, “I am so sorry. I didn’t–”
He held up a single hand to silence her rambling. “I know better then to sneak up on an armed combatant.” The four men seated at the table couldn’t contain their laughter any longer, distracting the late comer. “Enough!..”
Kassandra returned to the bar to get a drink and menu for the late member. She heard him continue to lecture the men “…I am your superior and you will show me respect both on and off the job. Do you understand?”
In unison they replied, “Yes, sir.”
A gloved hand touched Kassandra as she started to pick up the newly filled glass. “Hey, Jude! Five house specials.” He informed her over the counter.
“Coming right up.” Jude replied.
“The name is Caspian. And what am I to call you?” Laying the menus on the counter.
“Kassandra.”
Taking the glass out of her hand, “Kassandra, interesting name. You wouldn’t be the same Kassandra that just got hired as a droid apprentice?”
“I am!” Stepping away from the bar.
Griping her hand again a bit more tighter, “I want to know. Why did you say that you were a Human instead of a Miraluka? And why are you working in this restaurant?”
“Kassandra, food up!” Jude exclaimed from the kitchen.
“It is easier to explain a blind Human than a Miraluka to individuals who have not seen or heard of them. I am working here to pay off my down payment for the room I am renting. I need to get your order.”
“Yes, of course. We’ll talk more latter. Get back to work.”
