A/N: I am so sorry, shadow39, I guess I was just trying to anger you guys into reviewing. Lol. Thanks again for the review, arrow maker, reading your reviews make me feel good, and make me want to sit down and type like crazy. But here is is, folks, the long awaited chapter 7!
-Out of the Darkness-
Chapter 7: Swoop Bikes
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Canderous
I hadn't been working on the swoop bike long when Revan finally popped into the room. I was glad to finally see her, I had worried about her, wondering if she died in that bunk of hers after last night-which is strange, considering I can't remember the last time I worried about anyone. Damn you, Revan, you and your benevolence-you're beginning to make me soft. I took one good look at her-not bad considering she was totally smashed last night. She seemed to stagger along, her face still bore the marks from something she had been lying on-something that looked strangely looked ewok-shaped. I wasn't even going to ask. Her eyes were squinted, and she rubbed her temples in agony, trying to chase away the terrible headache that had arrived with the hangover. I tossed her a shiny plasteel thermos of kaffa, figuring she no doubt needed it more than I did.
"You look like hell," I remarked.
"You don't exactly look so good yourself, Ordo," her hoarse voice replied with a smile.
"Well, you shouldn't have drank so much if you were such a lightweight."
"Lightweight? Lightweight? Me? Excuse me if I'm wrong, but I wasn't the one passed out in the floor."
I laughed. I couldn't argue with that. I wiped the oil and grease on my hands on my hands off on my leg of my pants, as Revan began to down the thermos. She then plopped down, sitting backwards on a nearby chair, her legs straddling the seat's back, propping her elbows up on the edge, her face cupped in her hands, while she looked up at me and checked out the swoop bike. She must have just gotten out of the refresher unit-her hair was still wet, and though attempts had been made to pull the dark wavy mess out of her face, a few strands still rebelliously hung down in her face. She looked much like a child sitting there-Revan had this childlike side to her, curious and bubbly, and swoop racing somehow managed to bring out that side of her. Sure, it was annoying as hell, and sometimes I she would push me to the point that the thought of drugging her to sedate her a bit crossed my mind on more than one occasion, but this curiosity she found towards the bike usually lead to some of our greatest innovations ever.
"I fixed the plating-with all the dents and dings this baby should be more streamlined-making it a lot faster."
"Good job, Canderous, clever thinking, should probably be a bit more careful next time," she said with a laugh, s she ran her fingers over the swoops smooth hood, opening it and taking a good look at the engine, thoroughly examining it, as if she knew that something was there waiting, just sitting there for her to discover. She studied it with a strong focus, her eyes staring a hole through it as she chewed on her lip. In an instant, her expression changed, and she jumped up, mouth running a mile a minute.
"I've got it! First, we adjust the spill air doors! They're all wrong, the way we've got them pointed, all the hot air from the engines just blows right back into the vent that cools the engine off! We have to change that by about 24 degrees…then the wiring here is all crazy-if we rewire the transmission, and give it a new fuel injector ring, she'll be going faster than ever! The steering is also off by about 3 inches-I remembered that from the last race we had…."
We set of right to work, slaving over that swoop for hours, rewiring, adjusting, fine-tuning. Revan worked there with me, not stopping for a break even once until the job was done. It had always seemed so…so Mandalorian, of her. When we had finished, she collapsed, exhausted into the floor, her forehead leaning against the cold surface of the swoop bike, as she panted for breath. Slowly she relaxed, and stared at the floor, or rather, stared through the floor, off into space. She was drifting away from me now, off to god knows where, probably in deep thought of the upcoming decisions that would be wonderfully made for her. My loyalty to her would forever remain true, and I felt like now was a good a time as any to tell her such.
"Revan no matter where the Jedi council decides to send you, I will stay with you. It has been an honor and a privilege to fight alongside a warrior as powerful and strong as yourself, and I wish to stay, and lend my rifle when it is needed."
Revan suddenly snapped back to reality and smiled. "Thank you, Canderous, no matter what they do with me, there's no doubt in my mind that I'm gonna need all the help I can get."
She stood up and stretched, and tapped the hood of the swoop bike, as she stood, gathering her next words.
"Fine bit a work we did today, Canderous. I owe ya big. I just wish there was someway I could repay you…" she said, snatching up the plasteel thermos and walking away.
"You could start by getting naked!" I yelled hopefully. She responded by pitching the kaffa thermos at my face.
Over the ringing in my ears and the pounding of my head, I could hear her voice, a bit angry, yet still laughing yell back, "It'll snow on Tatooine, and HK-47 will cuddle gizkas before you'll see that, Canderous Ordo."
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A/N: and another chapter finished-yeah I know it's not too good-but just hang on for 2 more chapters-that's when things start happening. ^_^