Angel simply smiles as Mittens says what she says, but once Mittens brings up being cooked alive, Angel nods and waits for Huff to lead the way inside. She is saving her voice for when she is indoors. Plus for all the replying Mittens did, Angel is kinda left with nothing more to add.

Though to Biggs commenting on the girls being able to handle themselves, she gives him an approving smile. "Thanks, Biggs..."

Admittedly, another reason she isn't saying much until entering the household is because she is busy going over how she will say things.

The party descend a flight of gentle, wide steps to find themselves in the shade and coolness of a domed entrance room. A battered security droid, which the girls recognise as a IG-86 sentinel droid, popular during the Clone Wars some fifteen years earlier, stands inside the entrance, armed with a Tof Soren slugthrower pistol. A pair of 6-2Aug2 hunting rifles hang on the wall behind, along with an assortment of tools, several ponchos and a blast helmet. On the floor beneath several sets of boots are lined up against the wall.

Windy can't help but grin as Mittens tries to find an appropriate title for him, and also at the memory coming to her 'rescue' earlier.

"I guess Senator Marstrap does sound pretty epic," he admits, lighting up, "And I'm pretty sure 'Senator of the Dune Sea' hasn't been taken yet."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:34, Fri 15 Feb 2019.

Deak grins at Mittens.

"You know, you're much cooler than most grown ups," he says as he scurries down the stairs behind her and Windy, "Why can't all grown ups be as epic as you?"

Huff raises an eyebrow at Mittens referring to herself in the third person, but then Biggs' has brought home stranger friends in the past. He seems much more approving of Angel.

"I look forward to meeting your parents," he says kindly to the girls, "Just head on through to the living quarters, and I'll get you some refreshments. They probably won't be up to your Core standard, I'm afraid, but I can assure you you'll have the best Tatooine can offer."

"Welcome home, master Biggs," the sentinel droid says politely as Biggs enters with Luke, bringing up the rear of the party.

Biggs chuckles at the droid.

"How many times have I told you, I-Gee? Just call me Biggs."

"As you say, master Biggs," replies the droid.

Biggs shakes his head as he follows after the girls.

"She is a nice ship," he agrees with Luke, "And thank you, Mittens. But a good leader is nothing without his 'squad', so I guess we all complement each other."

He still looks a little apprehensive about what 'magic tricks' Mittens might be planning, but hopes she just sticks to levitating herself on one foot and doesn't try making her blue milk do a zero gravity impersonation. To Angel he simply nods in acknowledgement of her thanks.

"You girls should find yourselves much more comfortable down here," he says as the entrance door slides closed at the top of the stairs behind them.

Luke smiles when someone finally agrees with him about the ship.  He's finding it a bit strange that more attention isn't being paid to her, but he's not going to complain.  After all, Huff probably won't appreciate the story about it being stolen from slavers.

Despite all What's-her-name's eccentricities, she occasionally makes a good point.  Like praising Biggs' leadership.

"You're too modest," Luke answers Biggs with a smirk, "You're going to be left behind in the title arms race at this rate.  If Windy's a senator, that's gotta make you Grand Krayt Dragon Overlord Over the Universe or something, right, What's-her-face?  Or are the titles you hand out deliberately upside-down where Deak winds up the most legendary warrior?  So what's my title?"

He's fully prepared to be teased with "executive seat warmer" or something.  That's fine.  He'll have a comeback ready before the words leave the silly girl's mouth.

Mits takes a deep breath of relief once in the cool air.  The grittiness of this fringe world is once again made apparent when the first thing she's greeted with in someone's home is a veritable arsenal complete with an assassin droid guard!  The girl's eyes go wide in a mixture of horror and rage.  Instincts to reach for the lightsaber are barely stopped before her one hand has had a chance to do more than drop to her belt and the other to raise defensively to ready a Force crush.

"W-wow," Mits stutters through gritted teeth, trying to swallow the animal growl in her voice, "An IG.  Based on the Dark Knights of the Confederacy.  I've uh...  I have unpleasant memories of droids like these."

Sure hope Master doesn't get flashbacks from seeing this thing...  Nah.  He'll be fine.

She recovers in a heartbeat and smiles brightly.  "Glad it's on our side!"

To Huff, Mits nods eagerly.  "Thank you so much!  I feel like I could drink an ocean!  Oh that reminds me.  We were warned that we might want a tiny bit of brandy to keep from getting upset tummies from the local milk we enjoyed earlier, if that's not asking too much.  And please don't think that Angel and I will be in the least underwhelmed by your genuine hospitality."

To Biggs she smiles.  "You're welcome.  Well said.  So I'll have to disagree with Luke.  A man of character benefits greatly from modesty."

To Luke, Mits puts on a look of hard thought, rubbing her chin.  "'Starwalker?'  'The Steady?'  I'm not sure.  So I guess, 'The Enigma.'"

With a loving glance sent Angel's way, Mits answers the boys, "Thanks Deak.  I don't know how Mittens got so lucky as to have a friend like Angel.  Or meet such noble gentlemen as yourselves."

"Starwalker the Level." Angel offers. "It takes Grand Krayt Dragon Overlords of the Universe to impress this guy enough to show more than a serene expression or even distract him from daydreaming." she says with a smile to Luke. "An admirable trait when you have to keep an even temper."

Angel then looks in Deak's direction. "Mittens and I are not grownups just yet; we're 15 years old. But thanks for the compliment, Picon."

She looks around at the entrance room. She glances at the robot and at Mittens' reaction. Her expression briefly becomes one of concern and she moves to hide the fact Mitts' hand was reaching for anything, then puts an arm around her best buddy.

For a moment, Angel takes in a deep breath with a smile and closed eyes, enjoying the much cooler room. Then looks at Huff with a curious expression. Then listens as Mitts pretty much says to Huff what Angel is thinking, so she just smiles, shrugs and thumbs at Mitts. "What she said."

With that, she happily follows along to where the group will dine.

The room into which they are led is much larger than the entrance hall, and seems to a combined kitchen and dining area, separated by a sandstone bench between. Several rooms branch off from the room behind the white, plasteel table to their left. A battered computer rests on the table, beside which are scattered a datapad and a number of flimsies. Cooking utensils hand on the wall about the kitchen, while the wall on the dining room side is decorated with an assortment of hunting trophies, a couple of murals and a flat-holo of Huff and Biggs standing together, which looks to have been taken a couple of years earlier.

Huff frowns at Mittens' reaction to the droid, and the girls sense an uncharacteristic uneasiness in the rugged man's features. The expression lasts only a moment, and, ignoring Mittens' comment on the droid's history, he quickly moves into the dining room and over to the table to scoop up the datapad and flimsies, plonking them down on a plasteel dresser behind the table. He then does the same with the computer. By this time he seems to have recovered himself, and heads over to a conservator build into the wall of the kitchen, withdrawing from it a bottle filled with a golden-brown liquid, along with a couple of glasses.

"Corellian brandy," he informs the girls with a kind smile, "It isn't cheap to import, but worth every credit. And works wonders for an upset stomach."

He fills a pair of glasses, handing them to the girls, before returning to the conservator to take out a platter of bluish looking fruit, which he places in the centre of the table.

"Have you tried pika before?" he asks the girls, "Best fruit on Tatooine. Just have to make sure the Tuskens don't get to it first."

He then pours another glass of the brandy for Biggs, before glancing at Luke.

"What'll you have Luke? Brandy? Blue milk? Think I've even got some Jawa juice in there somewhere if you want some?"
This message was last edited by the player at 02:01, Thu 21 Feb 2019.

Deak's attention is instantly taken by the sight of the platter of pikas, and he scurries after Mittens, hovering at her shoulder as the platter is placed at the table before her.

"These are really good," he assures her, "If you need help finishing one, let me know."

"Do you have to be so obvious, Deak?" Windy reproves the younger boy, though he is unable to disguise the look of interest on his own face as he eyes the fruit.

Biggs chuckles at all the ridiculous titles being bandied around.

"I won't deny that Grand Krayt Dragon Overlord Over the Universe has a certain ring to it," he says to Luke playfully, "But I think just Biggs has a more down-to-earth ring to it," He nods graciously at Mittens' agreement, "See, 'What's-Her-Name' agrees with me."

He does frown uneasily at Mittens' reaction to the guard droid, sensing her tension, and also relaxes when she does.

"Confederacy, eh?" he says, glancing back with interest at the droid as they exit the entrance hall, "All I know is we purchased him from some jawas back when I was a kid. Wonder how he ended up all the way out here."

He then enters the room, and gives his father a curt nod of thanks as he takes the proffered glass of brandy.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:11, Thu 21 Feb 2019.

Luke is weirded out by Mittens' reaction to the droid.  And her weird light switch change in attitude when earlier she was in tears over something that you'd think to be far less traumatic as being on the business end of a fourth-degree droid.  He's subconsciously a tad annoyed with the girls kissing up to Huff, but it's consistent with the way they've acted so far at least.  Show them the least bit of decency and they act like you're the greatest hero in history.

But what really takes Luke off guard is the titles she offers for him.  After teasing her and daring her to strike back, this is what I get?  'Starwalker.'  I like the sound of that.  But what's this steady enigma stuff?  What you see is what you get with me.

Huff's unexpected offer of brandy snaps Luke out of his internal dialogue and he's not sure what to say.  Is this his way of recognizing Luke as an adult?  Is he just being generous because of the Coruscant girls?  Will he use it as blackmail later to get Luke to do some deliveries for free or else Aunt Beru will find out Luke's a drunk?  Maybe it'd be best to swallow his pride and go for the milk...

Sensing Luke's inner turmoil, Mits accepts the offered brandy, downs a sip, then offers the rest to Luke.  He accepts the offer, gives a shrug to Huff, then answers Biggs with a playful smile, "You're right.  'Master Biggs' has worked perfectly fine so far."

"Pika!" Mits echoes joyfully, "That sounds positively adorable!"

She snatches one up, tosses it from one hand to the other, "duplicates" it with slight of hand, and hands the duplicate to Windy.  ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuuhmq7lkWY )  "Mittens never had pika before.  Would you boys be so kind as to instruct her on the proper way to enjoy it?  Do you peel it like an orange?  Bite right in like an apple?  Carefully avoid a pit?"

With more duplication tricks Mits hands one to Deak and one to Angel.  Then while she waits for eating instructions she proceeds to juggle the one she kept for herself.  ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcrfBcylIp0 )

"IG lancer droids were more advanced than the Trade Federation's standard B1.  Painted black and armed with giant energy lances, they would ride into battle on swoop bikes, earning them the nickname 'Dark Knights.'  Though purportedly decommissioned after the war, many IG series droids found new purpose in security work... and assassination work.  Droids like these, along with armed thugs and other such nasty things, stood between me and my kidnapped father when I was little.  Lucky me, Angel and family took pity and helped me and my adopted grandpa rescue dad!"

Angel nods to Huff as he hands her the drink. "Thank you."

She gives Mitts a smile at her duplication tricks and accepts the pika Mittens hands her. Angel takes a seat and watches to see if there is, in fact, a "trick" to eating a Pika.

Angel chuckles. "Well we know Tank nicknamed Mittens "What's Her Name", but I have yet to receive a nickname too, Luke. So don't feel alone there."

Yeah, she knows if Tank were present, he'd say it is because "Angel" perfectly describes her. But Tank isn't present and Angel is curious if anyone will try for nicknaming her. Granted, nicknames are better when coming naturally.

She does note that Deak either didn't notice her comment about being 15, or just completely ignored her in favor of idolizing Mittens. A practice Angel simply cannot blame Deak for.

Angel is happy to see both Mittens and Huff quickly get over Mitts' reaction to the droid. But she is also a bit happier she never did part with her gun. Nor did Huff insist on Angel disarming. This situation is quite ideal. "So, Mister Darklighter, tell us about what you do?"

She is SO happy that Biggs told her this is a good button to push on Huff. Not only does it arm her with making Huff happy, but it means she can easily distract Huff from digging too much into how the girls got here and whatnot. Or so she hopes. But if it comes to that, Angel is already mentally preparing for how best to answer him.

Windy seems quite delighted by the sleight of hand trick, though whether this is because of the 'magic' itself or simply because it has earned him a free pika is less clear. He claps his hands excitedly and accepts the proffered fruit.

"That's so epic!" he exclaims, "Yeah, the trick with pika is breaking through the skin. The seeds are all on the underside of the skin, so no pits once you're through. Here," he places his pika on the table and pushes it down as hard as he can while rolling it about. After a few moments he seems satisfied, and panting slightly, he jams a finger in and begins to peel off the skin.

"That's the easiest way to do it," he explains, "Tears the inside away from the skin so it comes off quite easy."

Deak accepts his with an excited giggle and quickly slams his on the table with such force that it sends a tremor through the plasteel. He quickly sends Huff a guilty glance before quietly rolling his fruit around in a similar fashion to Windy.

"You officially just passed Biggs on the epicness charts," he whispers to Mittens as he begins to peel is own fruit.

He frowns in consideration of Angel's nickname question. At length his face lights up.

"Ooh, 'What's-Her-Name's Sidekick'," he suggests, clapping his hands triumphantly.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:49, Mon 11 Mar 2019.

Huff does not appear to have an ulterior motive for offering Luke the brandy, though you can never be sure with Huff. He gives Luke a kind smile as he puts the brandy away once more. He also seems pleased to see the girls so delighted by the pika, and gives a suitably impressed nod and clap in response to Mitten's magic trick. He does send Deak a scowl when the boy slams his pika on the table. This scowl morphs into a look of wariness when Mitten talks about the IG Lancer droids of the Clone Wars, especially their function as assassins.

His concern seems to be swiftly forgotten when Angel asks her question, however. It appears Biggs was not lying when he spoke of his father's interests.

"I'm a moisture farmer," he answers proudly, "Though to be more accurate you might call me more of a moisture trader than farmer. I oversee several farms in these parts, and coordinate the transportation and sale of their moisture both locally and off-world. Though most of the past year it feels like I've spent more time upgrading vaporators than actually selling moisture. Still, I suppose a bright young girl like yourself has better things to do than listen to an old man drone on about vaporators."

Biggs seems momentarily concerned by Mitten's magic trick, but when is clear that none present suspect anything unnatural about it he relaxes. For all he knows there is nothing unnatural about it, but he's learnt not to make assumptions when it comes to Mittens.

He grins back at Luke.

"Indeed it has," he replies.

Given that Windy seems to have the education of pika consumption well in hand he is content not to interfere. He leans back against the bench, taking a sip of his brandy while watching the boys.

He also seems to sense his father's uneasiness, and frowns, but seems relieved when Angel turns the talk away from the droid and onto vaporators. He gives her a small nod of approval.

Luke is trying to act all casual while taking a sip of the brandy, like the fire in his mouth and throat isn't bothering him in the least.  He gives a nod of acknowledgement to Angel, and puts on a thoughtful look like he's trying to come up with a good nickname for her when in reality he's just trying to let the burning die down.  When the topic of vaporators is brought up, Luke can only roll his eyes in disapproval of the boring topic.  He gets more than enough of that topic at home.

"Deadeye," he offers at last, raising his glass to Angel.