Bloody power converters! (MM, D4)

[Elaranu]

"But 34129BankFRI ~is~ mine. It like droid name. Functional and unique in the galaxy. How many others have a 'Lady Luck' of their own?"

By this point she was no longer cleaning, and he could tell he was somewhere above his head as he laid there in the compartment.

[Djanik]

"Too many."

He laughed.

"But it was... his Lady Luck."

Clicking a few switches, he saw the pleasing sight of 3 blue lights on the feeds. They were good.

Switching back to the Fusion Cutter, he tightened the beam to a tiny sliver, and tack welded the cable conduit cover into place.

"I suppose most folks find it easier to call their ship the... 'thunderbolt chaser' or something, than to say '3412... something Bank Fry'. Not everyone has a memory quite so sharp."

[Elaranu]

"I see. Well... I suppose I will have to learn to not quite understand. That is not something I am good at, I know. But I could start somewhere rather than nowehere."

Elaranu had put her own goggles on, and from her voice, it was clear she was quite close, actually right behind him watching him work.

[Djanik]

"Well, it doesn't really have a logic to it."

He hadn't noticed yet, intent as he was on listening and correctly doing the work.

"Maybe it's just to make it easier to refer to your own ship? It's faster to say 'Lady Luck' than 'my personal YT-1000.'

It was something he hadn't really thought about before. "Like, you could call your ship 'digits' and we'd know it was your ship, you know?"

[Elaranu]

"Digits? Why that?," she asked with considerable curiosity.

[Djanik]

"You've got that big transponder code made up, mostly of digits."

He chuckled. "Naming a ship isn't really a matter of logic, you could even call it 'the long transponder code' or something. Might get a laugh when you take it through customs.

Reaching down by his side, he felt around to try and find the hydro-spanner he had set down earlier.

[Elaranu]

"Well, I did not make that up. It is its registration. I am not concerned with inspiring emotions in others with my ship name, so I will pass on that notion. Still, if you think it is too hard to say or remember... well... I guess I do not mind if you give it a nickname. Or such."

[Djanik]

"Me?"

He was surprised, finally looking down to try and find the tool and jumping in surprise when he saw her so close.

Thumping his head a large input pipe running into the main compression turbine, he instinctively said, "Ow." as it impacted with a loud thunk.

Rubbing his forehead, he sputtered, "I wouldn't know... I mean, how could I pick something... appropriate?"

[Elaranu]

She'd been squatting on the balls of her feet, and she sat forward to a kneeling position in front of him, hands on her knees, "I do not know. You always seem to have ideas. I thought it would be easy for you."

[Djanik]

He wondered if Chiss blushed indigo like Pantorans, or if his face shifting hue wouldn't be something she picked up on.

Still, he tried to compose himself. "I guess, I mean, I could try, but normally it's... your ship. Would a name from me have any meaning?"

[Elaranu]

She tilted her head, "Would a picture someone else painted for you have any less meaning to you than one you painted yourself?"

[Djanik]

"It would depend... if the person was someone who mattered to me."

He wasn't sure how they had gotten here, and wasn't entirely sure how to proceed. No tactical briefing had covered this particular situation.

[Elaranu]

"You are good person, good companion. If you did not matter to me, I would not be here saying you can have nickname for ship. And if I did not matter to you, you would not be hitting of head and turning purple like tur'rel fish eggs, no?"

She just kind of knelt there looking at him.

[Djanik]

Djanik was speechless for a moment and the silence stretched, taut and fragile.

"You are right."

He took a slow breath. "You are perhaps the most fascinating woman I've ever met."

A memory stirred, and with it, a faint hint of melancholy.

"Also the most impenetrable."

Leaning back, resting his head against the interior of the power plant, pondered, "A ship name... tell me... how do your people choose names for their children?"

[Elaranu]

That got a long pause, with a hard stare. "...that is a complex question. I have not even told you my own name, after all. We Chiss rarely share such things with outsiders. I was always told they would not get all the subtleties."

[Djanik]

"I guess I might not."

He sighed. "I wasn't sure if I should ask your full name - but I don't feel like I could give your ship a fitting name without knowing what names mean for your people... for you."

Resting one arm on his knee, he added, "If it's not something you want to share, I understand. It is a... prying question."

[Elaranu]

"It is not so much prying, no. It is just feels unusual talking about such things with an outsider. Like talking about an illness with someone besides a doctor. But... I do think understanding is important. As to my name, it is Kisse'lara'nuruodo."

[Djanik]

"Kissae... lara... nuroodo..."

He tried.

It didn't come out quite right.

That, more than he expected, angered him. He wanted to say it right. "Kissilara'norudo..."

Kriff.

Turning it over in his head, he asked, "I hear... Elaranu, is that meant to be there?"

[Elaranu]

Her eyebrows went up a slight bit, "You caught that. Yes, that is intentional. Our outsider name is the end of our memory name, our quality name, and the beginning of our clan name. My father is Terath'enrali'nuruodo, and thus he is Thenralin. Or my father's brother; Mitth'raw'nuruodo becomes Thrawn. It is shorter and easier for outsiders to say, and emphasises our role in Chiss society with the quality name taking precedent."

[Djanik]

"Clan is clear... quality... less so, and memory?"

He puzzled over them in his mind.

"Memory... is it one you inherit, or is it unique?"

[Elaranu]

"Memory is chosen at birth, traditionally having to do with the child's birth. Maybe someone who died during the pregnancy, an important event, usual circumstances... that sort of thing. Kisse roughly translates to... I suppose 'apple blossoms'? The kisse only flower for one week a year, and they had just started blooming on my parents' ranch the day I was born. So with that they remember that day."

[Djanik]

That was lovely, and for a moment it brought back memories of his own home in the spring. The flowers on the hills before the rains.

Steepling his fingers, he rested his chin against them as he thought.

"A quality name, you had said your people assign paths based on aptitude - is it based upon that?"

Behind the goofy smile, apparently someone had been paying attention.

[Elaranu]

"Yes yes, more or less. Lara means 'learned woman', as opposed to Laraw, which is 'learned man'."

The pronunciation difference was quite subtle there.

"Needless to say many people have the same quality name. Which is why it is never used alone, except as a title. Which was the original reason behind what eventually became the outsider name; To stratify people by position but make each unique in how they were identified."

[Djanik]

"I see..."

He turned that over in his mind in silence for a longer time, thinking about that graveyard meeting, freighters, and possible meanings.

Resting his head back against the piping, he seemed lost in thought, eyes closed.

[Elaranu]

She looked at him a moment before deciding to leave him be, scootong back before getting up and turning around. Picking up her rag from the box she went over to the port thruster this time, starting to wipe it down.