[video]

[kestreldawn]

[In frame: a young woman, seemingly in her early 20's, though the weariness of her gaze and the downward turn of her lips would suggest someone who's much older. Or, perhaps, someone young who's been forced to grow too much, too quickly. She doesn't say anything right away, looking like she's gathering her thoughts and is regretting having not done so before recording. She inhales a quiet breath, huffs it out through her nose.]

Jyn Erso here. [She clenches her jaw, purses her lips. She absent-mindedly taps her finger on the glowing tattoo under her skin.] The last thing I remember is - light. Bright light. Heat and energy and light. [Her gaze is unfocused, mind elsewhere as she remembers.] We'd been fighting, on Scarif. We - [Her voice hitches in her throat, which she tries to clear. When she speaks again, her voice is hoarse and worn.] I don't know if anyone got away. I don't know if anyone lived. But they'd followed me down to the beach. I'm the reason they - [Another breath through her nostrils as she steels her nerves and her eyes go cold.] The fact of the matter is, I'm here, and I'm not sure why. And all I really want to do right now is shoot the ever-living kriff out of something, preferably something inhuman and non-sentient, like a dummy. I'm in some place called - De Chima? It isn't its own planet, which is - that's a different story all together, and just - look, if anyone knows where I can find something like that, please let me know. [A few more seconds of silence before the video goes black.]

Comments

[action]

[kestreldawn]

[Most of the following five minutes are spent mentally, emotionally preparing herself for seeing K2 again. Some of it's trying to etch out the sound of his voice coming through the comm outside of the data vault. Some of it is peeking around the house to see if her room mates are around only to find she's alone.

She itches at where the tattoo is on her wrist, though it's more psychosomatic than real. She slips out of the door to be greeted with the sight of his gargantuan form, his spindly limbs, the familiar whirring of gears and mechanics.]

What the kriff is this place, am I right?

[action]

[reexamined]

Completely.

[He agrees, turning to look up at the sky. It's probably the only thing around that looks "normal."

As a reprogrammed Imperial droid, there's three places he's been for most of his existence. Rebel bases, Imperial bases, and all the shady backalley-filled planets in between. Nowhere that was ever just... nice and peaceful. There's no such thing as peaceful, with the line of work he was utilized for. But at the same time, due to both sets of his programming, he never exactly desired a peaceful situation anyway.

He glances back down to Jyn with a slight click of his machinery. She looks just like he last saw her, but less panicked, and not in a disguise.]

...The temperature here is moderate, and the atmosphere is that of a Type-1 planet. The population is mostly human- I haven't seen another droid, or even someone non-human, yet. Technology is advanced in some areas, but at a complete halt in others- like space travel. There has been notably no major encounters with outside species aside from imports.

[It's the kind of run-through he'd give Cassian, if they were on a mission... But he doesn't have anyone to tell it to now, besides Jyn. He thought maybe going through the motions would help things feel less unusual. Kind of helped.]

Did they give you a "job assignment" as well?

[kestreldawn]

OOC: Meant to ask you, Jyn has telepathy/memory reading abilities; are you okay with that? .. I wonder if it'd work on a droid, seeing as he doesn't have a 'brain.'

[She listens to his report, wondering if this might be a typical conversation between he and Cassian. It's information she doesn't really know what to do with, but she's grateful for it all the same. It's a sterile pile of facts.] It seems, with the few I've spoken to, that many here haven't heard of space travel at all. Someone called it 'science fiction,' in fact.

They did. I'm to be a Data Files Manager at a place called Devastation Records Industry or Company or something. [The tone of voice would clearly indicate how unenthused she is about this.] What did you get?

[reexamined]

[OOC: Yeah, that'd be fine!]

"Science Fiction?" Are they really that backwater here?

[It's rhetorical, because of course they are. Of all the planets for them to wind up on, it's one that doesn't even believe in advanced scientific development. Probably still wouldn't, even if he was standing there, about to slap them in the face.

At least Data File Manager sounds like something he could do. He gives her that "look" he gets again, and his tone is as absolutely dry as possible:]

Sports Commentator.

[He doesn't even know what Earth sports consist of.]

ACK i have no idea what happened! i never got this tag notif! sorry!

[kestreldawn]

[A voice floats into her consciousness - almost K2's, but not quite - talking rather gruffly about their current situation, their lack of technology, his lack of enthusiasm about his job, his confusion about Earth sports.

She blinks up at him, unsure of where this voice might be coming from - whether it's his, whether it's some side effect of being transported here. After a few more moments, she manages to release a semi-strained smile.]

Sounds like the perfect job for an ex-Imperial droid, don't you think? [Sarcasm, so much sarcasm.]

Np!!

[reexamined]

[Well that's an odd look she just gave him for a moment. But maybe she just does that. He's only know her for less than a week, in total. It's not enough time for him to have catalogued her average behaviors. He supposed he should start now.]

I think they have as much competence assigning me a job as I have in lying convincingly.

Which is to say they're very bad at it, and there is a 98% chance I'm going to be fired within my first shift.

[kestreldawn]

This isn't what I normally do. [She suddenly retorts his thoughts, though to her, she thinks she's heard them out loud.] This - This isn't an average behavior of mine. I don't - I'm not sure what's happening.

At least there's a 2% chance of hope. You'd probably be rather good at it, if you tried. Entertaining, at the least.

[reexamined]

I didn't say that out loud.

[ Kay says suddenly, photoreceptors looking Jyn over once again, with an air of suspicion. ]

How did you know I was thinking that?

[kestreldawn]

You - You didn't? [Jyn furrows her brows as she considers him.] But - I heard you, I heard you speaking and saying -

I heard you.

[reexamined]

[ Kay tilts his head at her, and then rather than speaking out loud, very clearly projects: You're right Jyn, I learned how to lie in the past thirty-six seconds. ]

[kestreldawn]

Now you're just being difficult on purpose. I know you didn't learn how to lie in the past 36 seconds.

[reexamined]

I didn't say that out loud either, Jyn. You're reading my thoughts. The invasion of privacy I'm feeling right now is astronomical.

[kestreldawn]

What?! No - I'm - No, you said that! I heard it! I heard your voice!

[reexamined]

Would you like me to disable my vocabulator to demonstrate?

[kestreldawn]

[She frowns, folding her arms across her chest.] Fine.

[reexamined]

[ The droid pauses for a moment, and a few faint clicks can be heard. He's disabled it, and momentarily recalls a few times when he's had to for a mission with Cassian, over a year ago. It was too much of a concern at the time that he'd blab his way into breaking their cover, and it was easier to pretend his vocabulator was simply broken, so no one would ask him any questions.

I shouldn't have to prove this to you. You should just believe me. ]

[kestreldawn]

[Her eyes go wide as she backs away from him, knuckles now tapping at the side of her temple as she devolves into a panicked sort of pacing, back and forth and back again.] No, no, no ...

How is this happening? Why can I hear you? I don't want to hear your thoughts! I - I don't - AUGH!

[reexamined]

[ Another few clicks again, and he's put his voice back online. Responding via thoughts probably won't help the situation much. Not that she can seem to tell the difference, given his lack of mouth-movement. ]

And I'd rather you didn't hear them either, but here we are. Calm down.

[ Easy for him to say, right? ]

[kestreldawn]

Calm down. Easy enough for you to say. You're not suddenly collecting everyone's thoughts like a comm tower. [She eventually comes to a halt, arms folded tightly around her frame.] It feels invasive. I shouldn't be able to do this.

[reexamined]

[ She's still having a bit of a hard time, it seems. He's lucky that if he ever does experience any kind of intense emotion as a glitch, he can easily shut it down.

Still. Despite his usual position as an "enforcer," he's also found himself a bit in the role of "guardian." Mostly out of necessity, with Cassian. ]

If it's a new ability of yours, it surely has a range. Likely an uncontrolled one, but not helped by the presence of others. We should go inside.

[kestreldawn]

[She turns and heads back towards the door, leaving it open for him to follow as she heads deeper inside.] To be honest, I'm surprised I can read your "mind." I didn't think droids had brains - not like humans, anyway.

[reexamined]

Of course we have brains. If anything, my thoughts should be easier to read than ones from a human. Your thoughts are sent from a collective of cells connected through synapses, sending signals through your body. My "thought" signals can be traced from start to finish, and their response times documented.

[He continues, as he steps inside, and ducking a bit to get through the door.]

I've stopped my auxiliary thought processes, so I shouldn't trigger your ability now. But you can't go doing that when you're in public.

[kestreldawn]

My experience with droids hasn't been all that extensive. Not in a mechanical sort of way, anyway. [She thinks of Mac-Vee, thinks of the agricultural droids she'd had on Lah'mu. She'd never thought to tinker with them beyond their intended interactions.]

I can't go doing that - K2, you think I'm doing this on purpose? [She turns towards him, a very clear look in her eyes.]

[reexamined]

I think your reactions leave much to be desired.

[ Which was probably not the right thing to say. ]

I know it isn't on purpose. But having a mental collapse in public could wind up with you hospitalized. You're the only person here I know-

[ He pauses, rather abruptly, as if he wanted to stop himself from saying something. In another half second, he continues anyway.. ]

...And trust.

I would prefer it if you didn't wind up locked up somewhere.

[kestreldawn]

[She deadpans, though there's something to be said for the honesty he provides. She sort of gets, now, why Cassian preferred K2's company as opposed to humans. There's no hidden meanings, no underlying messages. It's refreshing.]

I wouldn't have a mental collapse; I think you're being sort of dram -- [Her voice trails off to silence at his admission of trust. She makes no attempt to hide her surprise.] I - Well. Then. That makes two of us. I've been a prisoner already; I don't want to be one again.