DonoSlane Excursions – A (potentially) hazardous cargo

Dramatis Personae:

Kirney Slane (human female from Coruscant)
Myn Donos (human male from Corellia)
Selan Donos (human male from Corellia – Myn's father - OC)
Jaleela Donos (human female from Corellia – Myn's mother - OC)
Kolot (modified Ewok male from Endor)
Rostek Horn (human male from Corellia)
Iella Wessiri (human female from Corellia)
Doman Beruss (human female from Corellia)

Timeframe: ~ six months after "X-Wing : Isard's Revenge"
Previous Stories: "Reevaluation"; "Putting down roots"

Coronet City
10.1 ABY

"Ow!" Jaleela almost dropped the spoon when her lips reminded her why trying too hot food was generally a bad idea. "Sithspit!"

"Shall Kolot try?"

Jaleela twisted her neck and shot the Ewok a wry look. "Remember when you wanted to try the gravy for the bantha steaks?"

Kolot gave a huff of righteous indignation. "Gravy was off. Took a while to season correctly."

"You don't say!" Myn's mother turned around and put her hands on her hips. "Your palatine is usually a lot better in tune than this. Or was there a particular reason why I did have to make new gravy 'cause you didn't leave enough?"

The Ewok raised his hands. "Not been Kolot's intention."

"In dubio pro reo, huh?" Jaleela narrowed her eyes but a corner of her lips rose to paint a smirk on her face. "I'll let you off the hook this time."

The Ewok bowed. "Kolot thanks, your honor."

She gave a snort of amusement and picked up a small plate from the sink. She put a spoonful of the steaming stew onto the plate and held it out to Kolot. "Here. Try it and tell me what you think."

He moved forward with a look of eagerness on his face and grabbed the plate from Jaleela's hand. A few noisy slurps later he smacked his lips with just as much ferocity and half-closed his eyes. "A bit on the bland side. Kolot thinks a pinch of the spice mix would be good."

She frowned slightly and dunked her spoon into the stew to try it herself. Taking a very careful sip she let it swirl around her tastebuds before swallowing. "Hmmm," she muttered and smacked her lips as well. "You're right. Tastes a bit flat. Needs some salt, too."

The Ewok tilted his head. "Isn't senior Donos on low-salt diet?"

"You know that?" Jaleela looked at him in surprise. "I didn't think he wanted anyone to know."

An all-too human grin formed on Kolot's face. "Complained too loudly about not able to eat salted crackers when watching Slingball on HoloNet. Cursed doctor six ways to Coruscant."

Myn's mother gave a low chuckle while she pried open the container with the spice mix. "Yes, he was rather annoyed at being told to take it easy for a while."

Kolot nodded. "Kirney told. Said Kolot should have eye on senior Donos, keep him from digging into salty snacks."

Jaleela guffawed and bit her lip to keep herself from laughing out loud. "So that's why he was so ticked off at you." She gave him a merry look over her shoulder, eyes twinkling, while she stirred the stew. "And I thought you'd eaten his dinner or something."

"Oh, Kolot did." He grinned again. "Did eat salted Warra nuts and left none to senior Donos."

Now Jaleela did burst out laughing. "You can do this anytime you want. Best way to do something about his health."

"Very well," the Ewok responded and rubbed his paws gleefully. "Provides soothing balm for two problems - Kolot's appetite and Selan's blood values."

Hammer blows from above interrupted them and made them look up at the ceiling. "Kolot cannot get used to noise," he said and shook his head. "Always thinks ceiling comes down any moment."

Myn's mother winced as the screech of the vibro-buzzsaw drifted through the house. "I am beginning to think Kirney had the right idea. I wish I'd taken her up on the offer to come along."

One story above the saw continued its painful song and Kolot put his paws over the ears. "Kolot no likes. Hurts ears."

When Myn had unexpectedly returned to his home planet just three months ago he and Kirney had suddenly faced the problem of living accomodations. The tiny apartment she'd rented was barely big enough for herself and her two eternal companions and with rents at a ten-year peak she couldn't afford a larger flat. Myn's old room in the attic wasn't big enough for their needs, either, but then Selan had pointed out that the attic itself was a lot bigger - and mostly unused. On the downside they'd have to do some substantial changes in layout to gain access to the hithereto unused areas; which meant Myn's old room would have to be gutted despite having been renovated only recently.
But despite all the hurdles and discomforts they'd begun conducting the reconstruction immediately. First they'd moved the new furniture to a storage facility, the garage next to the house was far too small for it, and then they'd started to tear down the walls of Myn's childhood realm. And there the problems had started.
The house itself wasn't particularly old, just half a century, so structural decay wasn't a problem. However, when Myn's parents had bought it some thirty years ago the basic layout of the second floor had been the same as it was now and so they had no idea what to expect behind the walls. Already with the first breach they'd seen that this project would be a lot bigger and more expensive than they'd thought. The whole story was filthy, hardly surprising after decades of disuse, but the multitude of dividing walls in various states of completion, and in some cases disrepair, easily quadrupled the amount of rubble which they'd have to clear out. Apparently the previous owner had started his own reconstruction project - to what end they couldn't say but the layout was confusing and cramped - but had stopped somewhere along the way. After a moment of consternation they'd agreed to do things right and core the attic to make room for their own ideas. And this, tearing down walls, removing rubble and filth, had been the men's daily task for the best part of two months.

The shrill whine of the saw cut off and Kolot hesitantly took his paws from his ears. "That it?"

It wasn't. The sound of a hammer hitting something, once, twice, thundered through the house and then there was an enormous crash and the clatter of brickwork on a metal surface.

Jaleela pushed the drapes aside and saw a cloud of dust rising from the garbage container her husband had placed in their garden. "They're cutting the holes for the windows," she said as if talking to herself. Since the roof formed the two longer sides of the rectangular attic there was too little space for regular windows. To let light into the planned rooms Myn and Kirney had agreed to cut out sections of the roof and insert large slabs of transparisteel into the northern side while adding an outbuilding running along the whole southern side. "That must mean they've finally cleared out the rubble."

Kolot gave a snort. "Hope they not too tightfisted to buy multi-layer transparisteel. Kolot wants able to polarize. Would hate not to have some privacy."

Jaleela blinked. "You have an issue with your privacy?"

The Ewok sighed and looked at her with an expression that suggested extreme discomfort. "Kolot lived years in cage," he finally grumbled. "Or in cell with transparisteel walls. Never had privacy. Always watched, never alone." He waved his paw at the ceiling. "With just reflective transparisteel Kolot would feel watched all the time."

"Even though you wouldn't be watched?"

He nodded. "Yes."

Jaleela put down the spoon and took the pot from duramic stove top. "Have you told them?"

The Ewok suddenly looked even more uncomfortable. "No."

Myn's mother rolled her eyes. "Then how are they supposed to know? Humans aren't mind-readers, you know. Jedi excluded." She squatted down to look him in the face and punched his arm lightly. "I know you don't like thinking about your past, let alone talk about it, but unless you tell us what's bothering you we can't try to avoid it.
"There are times when you're confusing us, my little friend. Even Kirney, and that's saying something." She gave him a smile of encouragement. "We know it's better to leave you alone when you're in a snit, but we sometimes wonder if it was brought on by something we did. It's always a walk on eggshells around you since none of us is sure if we don't push one of your buttons."

The look he shot her was definitely dirty. "Kolot no got buttons. Kolot no round-capped trashcan."

"I don't think anyone could mistake you for an astromech," Jaleela quipped lightly and rose from her crouch. She darted a look at the chrono on the wall and felt her eyes widen. "My, look at the time. Almost noon."

"Lunchtime," the Ewok announced enthusiastically, his discomfort obviously forgotten.

"Now why did I know you'd say that?" Myn's mother raised an eyebrow. "Would you mind calling Myn and Selan while I set the table?"

Kolot nodded and left the kitchen.

Jaleela busied herself setting the table. Lunch was nothing fancy today, just a stew with some bread, so all she did was to place plates, spoons and a basket with slices of bread on the table, but she still took the time to arrange it as custom dictated. She'd just put down the table mat for the pot with the stew when her husband and son came into the kitchen.

"You sure it's watertight? The weather forecast mentioned rain showers in the evening," Myn asked his father and scratched a spot behind his ear. "Wouldn't want to risk water damage, would we?"

Selan rolled his eyes. "Yes, I'm sure. Look, it's not the first temporary seal I made. This one will hold."

His son shrugged. "Remember your bedroom is underneath that spot."

The older Donos shot him a look. "Cheeky."

Jaleela stepped into their path and crossed her arms. "Where do you think you're going?"

Myn and Selan exchanged a perplexed glance. "Uh," Myn's father said before putting up a hopeful smile. "Lunch?"

Jaleela let her gaze travel from their faces to their feet and back. "Don't you think you've forgotten something?"

Again the two men exchanged a look, one of those You-got-any-idea-what-she's-talking-about? looks they had perfected through long years of practice. Then both gave a minuscule shrug.

"Can't think of anything, dear," Selan said.

She shot him a reproving look. "So, it's 'dear' now, is it? Won't help either of you, though. I won't let you sit on my table in the state you're in."

Before any of them could answer the front door opened and Kirney stumbled into the house laden with three large shopping bags. She dropped them and carelessly flung her jacket across a stool. "Got it," she announced and wiped sweat from her forehead. "The ferrocrete mix should be delivered tomorrow and I even managed to talk the sales agent into adding a droid crew to unload the bags so we won't have to struggle with them ourselves."

"Hey," Myn greeted her with a warm smile and moved to give her a kiss. But when he came closer she suddenly leaned back and wrinkled her nose. He furrowed his brow in confusion. "What?"

"In case you hadn't noticed, flyboy," Kirney said flippantly and held her nose, "you stink! Have you been wallowing in vermin excreta or something?"

Myn looked at the soiled front of his working jumpsuit and sniffed. "I don't smell anything."

Jaleela shoved her husband out of the kitchen. "Which is exactly what I've tried to tell you." She placed herself on the theshold of the kitchen door and crossed her arms. "I won't have you sit on the lunch table in the state you're in. It's shower and a change of clothes for the two of you."

Selan pulled the collar of his jumpsuit over his nose and inhaled. "I don't smell anything, either. You sure?"

"Be happy you not have Ewok nose," Kolot threw in with a look of disgust on his face as he waddled down the stairs. "Kolot would need oxygen therapy if worked up there."

"No further discussions," Jaleela ordered with a dictatorial tone. "Shower and change, both of you. And hurry or the stew will be cold."

"Me first," Selan said hastily and made a dash for the main 'fresher. He yanked the door open, moved inside and slammed it shut with the agility of a much younger man.

Kirney shook her head but smiled. "Sometimes he's such a silly billy. It's endearing, really."

"So you'd like me to be a little silly from time to time?" Myn inquired and winked roguishly.

"No, darling dear," his girlfriend drawled and elbowed him lightly. "I like you for your stoic attitude."

His retort was cut off by the chime of Kirney's comlink. She sighed and thumbed it on.

"Slane Transports. Captain Slane speaking. What can I do for you?"

Kirney turned away and lowered her head a bit as if she was strainging to hear the squawkings that came out of the tiny speaker.

"Yes, I'm on Corellia … No, that shouldn't … Yes, I know. … That's on the western side of the spaceport, isn't it? … Yes, yes I know. … Very well. I'll be there."

When she turned back around Kirney had a broad grin plastered across her face. "Sabacc," she announced and punched the air in delight.

Jaleela raised an eyebrow. "Business deal gone well?"

"Can't say, yet," the younger woman said evasively, but her grin didn't waver. "But if it's what I hope it is I might have a steady source of income for the forseeable future." She gave Myn a light slap on the arm. "I might even be able to put you to work, flyboy."

"That's good," Myn's mother said. "He's got to get used to working like common folks before he gets too comfortable as a stay-at-home."

Myn straightened and sent her a glare. "Are you saying that I'm lazy?"

"You are your father's son," she retorted with a mischievious smile. "If I didn't put him to work now and then he'd just enjoy being a pensioner by doing nothing."

Kirney shot a glance at her wrist chrono and made some mental calculations. "I hope Selan hurries. I've got to be at the Spaceport in two hours to meet the client."

"There might be problem," Kolot said and tilted his head. "Forgotten delivery for plant friends?"

Kirney looked at him dumbly. "Plant friends?"

"Ithorian seeds for Floral Society," the Ewok explained patiently. "Arranged delivery today. Forgotten this?"

Kirney paled. "Oh Sithspit! I had totally forgotten about that."

Myn put a hand on her shoulder. "Why don't you give me the parcel and I'll deliver it?"

She blinked, momentarily surprised by his offer. But then it was a good idea and would sort the problem for her. "Sure," she agreed and smiled in relief. "Just make sure you scrub yourself thoroughly."

He frowned in confusion. "Why that?"

"The parcel is for Rostek Horn."