A Rose for

The vehicle barely fit into the main bay of the Tico Sisters Transport Repair Shop, its sleek lines glittering in the early morning light. Rose waved the tow truck off and turned to the tall, cloaked figure waiting to speak to her. At this hour they were the only ones in the shop, and Rose was dying to get back to her coffee, but she looked instead to her client, hoping to get the details about this job first.

Then the owner of the Thunderstrike MLE flipped her hood back, revealing herself as a glorious blonde build like an old Republic watchtower—tall, elegant, and slightly dangerous.

Rose blinked.

"As you can see it's not working. Can you repair it?" came the low voice.

Rose wasn't sure she could speak without squeaking especially now but she tried. "Uh yeah, if I can get the parts—"

"Whatever you need," the blonde goddess handed over an Onyx card (an Onyx card! Rose had HEARD about those but seeing a REAL one!) and added, "How long?"

"Ah, I'd need to run some diagnostics first, do an inspection—"

"Then I'll get out of your way."

An hour later, Rose looked over the Thunderstrike, taking in a deep breath as she wiped her hands on her overalls. Through the window to the waiting area, she saw the blonde at the one table, bent over a portal screen, studying something in numbered columns. Probably company finances, Rose thought. Stuff a CEO or a CFO would deal with. Had to be, to afford a fancy ride like a Thunderstrike MLE.

Then the woman looked up. One little curl tumbled into her eyes, and she impatiently pushed it aside. Rose felt the rush of a blush race over her cheeks because . . . well because the blonde.

Rose moved to the door, pulling it open.

"Well?"

"The four-dimensional gearbox is stripped," Rose told her. "Someone replaced the original geo-wheels with jury-rigged piece of cr—well, a bad one that chewed through the gears. I can replace them with beskar tipped flywheels from Haktor but it will take a few days for them to get here."

The blonde's mouth twisted a little. "Ah. And once you have them?"

"Another two days at most—I want to be sure you aren't going to have trouble with it again," Rose replied. "We're thorough here."

That got her a quick smile. "Your reputation does precede you," the blonde admitted. "I wasn't sure I could trust Finn's recommendation at first."

"Finn?" Rose perked up. "Is he still flying around on that old Glideforce 8?"

"He is," the blonde nodded. "Buzzed my office window last week, cheeky bastard."

Rose laughed, picturing it. Finn was generally a lot more careful about flying than Poe was, but he still had a mischievous streak all his own. "Yeah, I can see that."

"A good worker, but not always prudent," the blonde sighed. She held out a hand. "I'm Seladora Phasma, of Alliance Investments."

"Rose Tico, of, well, here," Rose replied, feeling more heat. Phasma's hand engulfed hers as they shook, and the warmth felt wonderful.

"All right then. I will leave my beloved MLE with you and go deal with a lot of very naughty numbers crossing my desk today. May I call you this afternoon for an update?"

"Uuuh, yes, sure! Of course!" Rose replied, well-aware she sounded like she was a seven-year-old but in fairness it was hard to concentrate on anything other than the charisma radiating off the other woman.

Seladora smiled, staring at Rose until it finally dawned on the mechanic what she was waiting for. "Oh! Yes, the code . . ." She heard herself rattling it off, realizing it wasn't the shop code.

It was her personal code.

Seladora gave her a direct look, a gaze somehow sharp, soft and confused, so Rose improvised. "Yes that's a personal one but I practically LIVE here and sometimes when we get busy we can't hear the Comm out in the bay and this is important so I wouldn't want to miss a call from you . . . "she trailed off, wishing her damned mouth would stop talking now.

But Seladora nodded. "Very sensible. I look forward to talking to you again."

On her way back to Alliance Investments, Seladora Phasma let herself consider the mechanic she'd just met, overlaying her own impressions on Finn's enthusiastic description. ("Rose is good, the BEST I've seen with anything that rolls, flies or launches, Ma'am. She could get an AT-AT up in the air if you gave her enough tools!") Only time would tell if Finn's hyperbole would prove true, but Seladora suspected it would. She'd felt the calluses on Rose's hand; seen the rime under her fingernails. Clearly Rose was a woman unafraid to get into the guts of a vehicle which was good news for the MLE to be sure.

Maybe not so good for me though, she admitted to herself. Besides being a top-rate mechanic, Rose Tico was also very . . . cute. That flyaway hair; those merry eyes. It wasn't fair to run into someone who looked like they knew how to have fun, especially when it had been ages since she herself had had any.

Seladora understood that running Alliance was a full-time job and a half; that hard work was the hallmark of the upper management there but still . . . briefly she imagined sitting on a blanket with Rose, eating thin meat pies together and tossing scraps to the sea wings out over the Bronze Sea. Just a day in each other's company with nothing more pressing than whether to take a walk together down the shoreline or splash about in the tidepools.

She sighed. Silly of course—Rose might well be bonded to someone, or part of a Declared Family the way Finn, Poe and Rey were. And there wasn't any way to ask, really. The girl was doing a job, not looking for anything more than payment for that.

But still . . . Seladora knew she'd be seeing Rose Tico at least once more, and that helped her feel better about the rest of the day. Once at the central plaza, she headed up to her office only to be waylaid by Hux.

To be honest he always looked annoyed but today more than usual, his impatient gaze dropping to her feet. "Good lord, tell me you didn't walk all the way back from the shop!"

"I did and stop fretting. What's got you so rattled?"

Hux pursed his lips. "I've just gotten my invitation to the Serene Miffo's Life Entangle Ceremony. You probably did too if you'd ever check your comm."

Seladora stopped. "They've set a date? They've been negotiating for years!"

"Yes well the stars aligned, lots of money was passed around and we have about a month to join them out on that resort on Cantonica. I can't believe we're going to have to show in force but there you have it," Hux snapped. "Hectan is over the moons about it."

Hectan was Huxs' current partner and possibly the most patient being in the universe as far as Seladora was concerned. It helped that Hectan was a Twi'lek and more than capable of dealing with Hux in all his fussy ways.

"A month, you said?" Seladora asked, mentally considering her calendar. An Entanglement Ceremony would mean a new outfit, probably in green, at least three Home gifts and possibly a Blossom Promise . . . that last would truly be difficult, she knew. Hux would have it easy with Hectan, and the Gleesome Threesome as she called Poe, Finn and Rey would have each other . . . "They're not calling for a Blossom Promise, are they?"

Hux shot her a slightly pitying look. "It's the House of Miffo-of COURSE they're going to call for one and ohhhhh . . ." he trailed off, looking embarrassed. "Well, this is awkward."

"Not for you," Seladora pointed out, and gave a shrug. "It's all right. There are always people at these things who don't or can't make the promise."

"You don't think they'll take it as an insult, or lose faith in Alliance Investments, do you? I don't want our ratings to drop! The Miffo account is a cornerstone for us, Seladora! You need to find some way to partner up before then. I'll send some feelers out-"

Seladora reached out and let her hands drop heavily on Hux's shoulders; he froze mid-sentence, looking at her.

"Nooo. I don't need you or Hectan trying to hook me up with someone before the ceremony. Alliance will have the two of you to represent us," she told him firmly.

"That's the bare minimum," Hux whined. "I know it's only been a few years since Xebba died, but there has to be someone you can stand with!"

"Stop it. Another word and I'll move your office to Anaxes. Do you understand me?"

Hux sulked. It was an expression she was all too familiar with, but it also meant she'd won this round. He drew himself up, gave a curt nod and added, "Fine. I suppose it will have to do."

She nodded back and they went up to the offices, neither one speaking the entire trip.