Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
Categories
- 965 All Categories
- 17 Games
- 1 aw2-mapbp
- 365 Richland
- SDHSR
- 4 two-detroits
- 96 aw2e-dvfp
- 53 ISS Tsiolkovsky
- 82 Fury
- Urban Shadows
- 24 LadyB
- 11 AnR
- 4 Junk World 2.0
- 68 PnR
- 23 DRYH
- Jeffland
- The Few
- 11 Other
- 11 General
- 576 Complete
- 12 burning-empires
- 8 aota-jam
- 17 Uncharted Worlds
- Uncharted
- 23 nullptr-veil
- 9 ajax-motw
- 2 tqy-am
- 52 NOVA
- 11 Serene Apocalypse
- jenn-soti
- 63 SWAW
- 13 Blades
- 2 Fall Of Magic
- 12 Generations
- 25 LA Monsters
- tqy
- 32 nupocalypse
- 120 Snowpocalypse
- 136 Junkworld XIII
- 27 Big Maul
- 6 ESC
- 1 Murderous Ghosts
- 17 ANN_pilot
[SWAW] Charon's Wall (8)
After two trips back and forth to Rutan 5, the "water ferry" jobs dry up (I know, I'm a riot). In fact, work dries up quite a bit after that. Did Lee tell you why? After kicking around for a month without much haul, you end up in the Maw Cluster after dropping off some fuel on Honoghr.
That's when things went bad. According to Squall, the Libation "threw a rod" while taking off from Honoghr, and your hyperdrive went kaput. Then it went to worse. The backup hyperdrive failed, too. Lee's super pissed. After discussing whether to park it on Honoghr and look for hyperdrives, Jojee talked Lee into traveling to Aduba-3 to repair the ship on a spaceport called Charon's Wall.
After ten days sub-light travel, you've finally come within an hour of Charon's Wall. The autochef is empty except for one kind of food. What is it? Who's delighted to be eating this stuff? What about you?
Sark has checked in with you twice. The first was to have you ferry a package to the Water Czar on your last trip to Rutan-5. The last bit of work was a pick-up of a package on Honoghr that you need to dispose of. What is the package, Ladro? Why do you still have it in your room?
What have you been up to for the last few weeks?
That's when things went bad. According to Squall, the Libation "threw a rod" while taking off from Honoghr, and your hyperdrive went kaput. Then it went to worse. The backup hyperdrive failed, too. Lee's super pissed. After discussing whether to park it on Honoghr and look for hyperdrives, Jojee talked Lee into traveling to Aduba-3 to repair the ship on a spaceport called Charon's Wall.
After ten days sub-light travel, you've finally come within an hour of Charon's Wall. The autochef is empty except for one kind of food. What is it? Who's delighted to be eating this stuff? What about you?
Sark has checked in with you twice. The first was to have you ferry a package to the Water Czar on your last trip to Rutan-5. The last bit of work was a pick-up of a package on Honoghr that you need to dispose of. What is the package, Ladro? Why do you still have it in your room?
What have you been up to for the last few weeks?
Comments
Lee's been off since she found out about Squall and Cander, which I'm sure I made worse by making sure he didn't return the ship to charm her out of it. That said, though, she's turned in on herself, curling around whatever hurt she's feeling instead of acting it out. I'm frankly worried, and so is Jojee. I think our dry spell has something to do with her state of mind. Her head's just not in the game.
I'm looking forward to docking at Charon's Wall. For two days, nothing but Hosk's karking fish dumplings, which is, or course, what he'd be eating most days anyway. The pleasure he takes in watching us make faces as we scoop another spoonful is unseemly, to say the least. And Seesk is getting a little listless without more iron.
That kriffing package Sark has me taking care of is intriguing. A locked case a bit bigger than a datapad. I have no idea what's in it, but I have an instinct that it might be worth looking inside. I'd like to check it out thoroughly, make sure it won't explode or send Sark a signal.
Hosk and I picked up some work on Honoghr, short-run surveillance on a business rival of a Noghri merchant. Other than that, it's been fallow for us, as well. Seesk and I have caught up on almost a year's worth of The Young and the Clanless.
As the Libation makes a wide turn, coming in for a landing, you can see other spacecraft below – but something is not right. Instead of being covered in lane markings, the spaceport’s landing area looks like a war zone. Large craters dot the surface and you can see huge piles of debris pushed off to the sides of each lane. As your ship angles up hard for its final approach, there is no time to change your mind – but you have to wonder if coming here was a good idea.
Over the ship's loudspeakers, Jojee says from the pilot's seat, "Pem said the Imps threw a tantrum here a few weeks ago, but I assumed he meant they did their normal routine, not bomb the place..." Her tone is a bit surprised, but she's isn't horrified.
Captain Leeadra responds from her perch at the Engine Room. She's been working with Squall very closely since both hyperdrives went down. "Well, we don't have the fuel reserves to go anywhere else. We land, check around, and if we can find a cheap hyperdrive, or enough parts to rebuild one of our own, then we do that. If not, we refuel and head back to kriffing Honoghr. Crew, I'm sure I don't need to tell you, but I'm telling you anyways, travel in pairs. This place looks dangerous."
I knock on Hosk's door. When he answers, I say, "Lots of opportunities, probably, in this chaos. You feel like going walkabout once we land, see what we can pick up?"
The door opens when you knock. Hosk is smoking a deathstick (he rarely smokes in his room), and rebuilding Squall's blaster pistol. He looks up from his squinty-eyed work and nods, "Aye, Lad. That sounds like a good idea. Should catch some work here, I'm sure. How bad is it down there?"
"Looks bad. Someone in the Imperial forces decided on maximum force. We'll have to keep sharp eyes out."
"Karking Imps." Hosk says as he slides the barrel back home on Squall's blaster. "You open to wetwork?" He arches a brow as he asks, curious about your reaction.
"Within limits. Not interested in killing a good being that's just in the way, but I can see my way clear to killing a sleemo, with another sleemo paying me enough to salve my conscience."
Hosk barks a harsh laugh, "There are no good beings, Lad. They're all sleemos." He continues putting Squall's blaster together. "Just us, right? No purple. No gray." He's more "confirming it" than demanding.
I'm used to Hosk's cynicism, and take it with the necessary grain of salt. He's right, of course, in his own way. "You and me, Hosk. No Jojee, no Squall. Been too long since we just did the job."
Some details on Charon's Wall:
As the name suggests, Charon’s Wall is a rather grim place. This spaceport sits at the base of a massive cliff, with its landing lanes radiating outward from the rock face in a sunburst pattern. Hangars and other buildings hug the cliff and tracks for the port’s shuttle network criss-cross the landing area. Everything from the architecture to the equipment feels out of date - which most of it is - and the port’s overall appearance is not helped by the fact that nearly everything is gray.
There is one more factor that makes Charon’s Wall (often just called “Charon’s”) even less welcoming: Only a few weeks ago, the port came under attack, leaving many of its facilities badly damaged. Despite the damage, Charon’s Wall is still a functional spaceport – for the most part. Given its dated technology, industrial appearance and now the recent damage, one might wonder why anyone would land at Charon’s Wall. The answer to that question is the same now as it was before the attack: Price.
Kilo for kilo, Charon’s Wall is one of the cheapest spaceports in the galaxy. There are no landing fees, and port services – hull work, repairs, restocking, hauling, etc. – are all provided at rock-bottom prices. There is also an added attraction, which frequent visitors sum up with the saying, “What’s outside the Wall, stays outside the Wall.” (The Wall, of course, is the cliff that looms over the spaceport.) This spacer’s adage refers to the devil-may-care attitude of the port’s owners and staff, who are focused on keeping Charon’s Wall from going out of business. It is not a smuggler’s haven (like the cursed spaceport of Trident Vespa, but there is a lawless quality to doing business at Charon’s Wall, and that is something many of its customers have come to value.
I've been here, never for more than a quick turnaround, though. Looking forward to exploring the seedy side of this seedy outpost. Once we land, Hosk and I take off to check out the Wall, look for some work. I check in with Leeadra, let her know we're off comms except for a recall-to-ship order.
much of the usable space is separated by craters, piles of debris and other obstacles. Ships tend to cluster together, creating islands of chaos surrounded by relative calm. Shuttle tracks criss-cross the landing area and occasionally a three-car train will rumble by, vibrating the permacrete.
Spaceport personnel in dark gray uniforms – which match the gray permacrete, gray cliff
face and gray equipment – are all around you loading and unloading ships and jogging from place to place. Also prominent are the mercenaries and guards that many of the larger ships have hired for protection. Over it all looms the shadow of the Wall, 500 feet high and spotted with blast craters.
When you head out into a dangerous place looking for work, roll+Cool. On a hit, you get paying work. On a 10+, it's a job you wouldn't mind doing.
(Rolled: 2d6+2. Rolls: 5, 3. Total: 10)
U'Sewei reminds you of Taft Largo, actually. The sleemo you dealt with back on Nar Shaddaa. While they're both human, there's little likelihood that they're related. They just have a very similar look (read that as "slimy"). But work is work.
"Greets, beings." U'Sewei says when you approach him. He's dressed in a fuzzy jacket like you see, smoking where you shouldn't be smoking. His glasses appear to filter out some of the star's rays. "I got a job for ya. Perfect timing that you came along, I'm looking for somebody who aint broiled up in the politics o' this place. There's a couple families here that are squabbling over who should take over spaceship repair on Charon's. Things haven't risen above heated words, bribe attempts and some property damage, but my employers want to hit their rivals where it hurts worst - their reputation. There's a corp hauler in a bay on Charon's that the Ertu clan snagged. If those repairs go poorly, it will ruin the Ertu. You up for some sabotage?"
Hosk eyes the guy. He's giving him the 'I'm not impressed look', but you know Hosk well enough to know he's at least impressed by how up front this guy is, "What's the pay?"
"Our employer, who happens to be a well-connected Hutt, is offering three Cred. Since I did a not insignificant amount of donation and setup, my cut is one Cred, the other two go to you."
"I assume you have information about security? Any particular requests for what sort of sabotage? Don't want it to blow up in space with a full crew, I assume?"
U'Sewei looks to Hosk, pointing at you, "I knew I liked this guy. He's smart. This aint his first dance, is it?" He takes out his cigar and starts talking to you and gesturing with the cigar. "My employer's got some schematics on their freighter and some hot spots where you can cut lines and strip wires to make it look like shoddy work. And no harm to Xucphra Corporation employees if you can help it. They should all be off ship staying at rooms cliffside. Ertu clan has some local thugs watching over their section of the port. Sneaking past them is easiest, but hey, you guys got a diff'rent plan, go for it."
That cigar stinks as he waves it around. Hosk isn't giving me any of his silent "back off" tells, so I'll go a little farther, paying particular attention to U'Sewei's demeanor as well as his words.
"Makes sense, using outsiders for a job like this. We don't have any loyalties except to the pay. Also makes us disposable, though, right? Why should we trust that you're not just throwing some strangers to the wolves?"
But then U'Sewei holds up a hand, "Well, if you're disposable, so am I. I have a pretty high opinion of myself. I admit it does seem like a cakewalk, but after the Imps decided to blow this place half to the abyss, most folks have taken off if they weren't aligned. It's good pay, but not good enough for someone to travel here to do it. And my employer is insistent that he isn't directly involved, so I've got to farm this out." He looks at you both, "I can't pay you up front, that would look even more fishy. So what assurance do you need?"
(Rolled: 2d6+1. Rolls: 1, 1. Total: 3)
With a harsh tone, Hosk says low, his hand not too far from his blaster, "I want some assurance from the Hutt. He could be offering you three times as much. Hutts don't work cheap."
"You want to meet Hontu? Fine, fine, I'll get you on his floor later tonight. But that cuts some hours off the time to get the job done."
Hontu? What the... poodoo, this is going to be interesting. I hate interesting. I give Hosk a look, see if he caught it.
"Yeah, I'll have to go with my partner on this. I'd like to check in with the boss."
U'Sewei throws up his hands, "Alright, alright. You guys are too tricky." He shakes his head, "Sithspit, times are tight. I will double the pay, two for each of us. That's the whole thing. Even up, all around. Alright?"
Hosk doesn't seem convinced, but he'll let it go if you let it go.
Amazing! U'Sewei is using my imaginary Hutt! "Okay. Four for us, whatever for you. We'll take it. Give me the schematics and the details on the security, we'll take care of it."
"Good. I have a feeling about you beings. Shrewd, but not evil." U'Sewei says happily as he hands you a datacrystal, "Here's the details. I need to hear back on the channel we used for contact once this is done. The ship leaves port tomorrow."
"Got it." I toss the datacrystal in my hand. "We'll get back to you." I turn away, grateful to leave the malodorous cloud of his cigar smoke. Once Hosk and I are alone, "So, let's check this out, plan the job."
"Some days, I think maybe when I retire from the game, I'll be a fixer that You-say-we over there." Hosk remarks wryly. "Then... I remember I like myself."
"Yeah. I get that."
I look at the crystal's information. Time to make a plan.
Methodical
(Rolled: 2d6+2. Rolls: 4, 1. Total: 7)
We cut to the pair of you working your way around to one of the landing struts of The Incessant, a Corellian Engineering Corporation Action VI Transport model freighter. The ship looks like it's almost new, with no scoring from space battles and only minor scuffs from wear and tear in space.
After observing the ramp that leads into the hold, you got a feeling that it was too obvious and would have some internal cams, so you're going to climb up the strut to enter through an airlock. It's doubtful that Xucphra Corporation will have as much security on the ship outside the hold where the manifest lists tons of bacta stored inside.
Hosk is with you. Is he watching your six from outside or going in with you?
Why don't you give me an Act Under Fire to cover the approach and entry into the ship?
Hosk and I are going in together, under the theory that we might be able to move through our checklist of sabotage points a bit quicker.
Act Under Fire
(Rolled: 2d6+2. Rolls: 1, 2. Total: 5)
What do you do?
We wait until the droid is out of sight and then pop the pod open. I poke my head out, look left and right along the corridor.
You head into the corridor, Hosk on your heels. He's got his blaster out, extended into rifle-mode.
If you head in the opposite direction of the droid's path, you'll come in above the cargo hold and can head for the engine room. As long as there are no others on board, (other than the astromech droid, there are no other droids on The Incessant's registry), you should be clear sailing.
However, you'll need to keep an eye out for his return, and pick your spots. Why don't you read a charged situation here?
(Rolled: 2d6+1. Rolls: 1, 5. Total: 7)
Best route is straight ahead, fast and quiet.
Straight ahead it is, then, fast and quiet. Hosk and I head for the first pair of junction boxes marked on the map and start to work. It's slower than it would be if we just wanted to disable the ship. We're going for things that would be inconvenient, so it looks like the overhaul is sloppy. Wires in the back of a conduit, bolts that are awkward to reach.
If you get a 7-9, you can choose:
* you're discovered before you make it out of the hangar bay
* the handiwork is detectable
(Rolled: 2d6+3. Rolls: 1, 5. Total: 9)
You head back out the way you came. As you crawl back down the landing strut and hide in the shadows, you hear whistling. That's when you see someone from your past, from back home, walking up the ramp, onto The Incessant. Who is it?
I just catch a glimpse, but there's no doubt, and it's like a punch in the gut from a wookie. Farla. My sister.
Farla's dressed in the goldenrod jumpsuit with the insignia for Xucphra. She has a datapad in front of her, she doesn't look like a mechanic, maybe she's in comms or something on the bridge? What was her best subject in tutelage?
Hosk notices your reaction, but waits until the coast is clear before he asks in a low tone, "You also jumped out of your skull, Lad. Did you not think Kiffar worked for Xucphra?" Then, he chuckles lightly, "Or was that one of your many exes?"
I suppose there's no reason not to tell him. "No. It was my sister, Hosk. My kriffing sister."
Hosk's mouth drops, "Whoah... that's. What are the odds?" He shakes his head as you both enter a corridor outside the bay, "Thank the stars I didn't make a snide remark about how attractive she is... for a female with no fur. What are you going to do?"
"I have no idea, Hosk. None at all. Let's get a drink and talk about it." I'm on autopilot, Hosk leading the way with his infallible sense of where to find cheap intoxicants, even in a recent war zone.
Hosk grabs the first round, which is a rarity. You're set up at a comfortable booth against the force-sheid that serves as the window for an entire quarter of the bar. In fact, other than the stools sitting up by the bar, all the booths are front-row tickets for the show outside. The show is slow-moving, nothing too exciting. The starlight illuminates the ground below in soft hues.
Hosk takes a swig of his stout ale, "That's a kick in the berries, seeing your sister, hunh? When did you talk with her last? Things end on better terms than with your big brother?"
I sigh and take a sip of my own ale. "No terms at all. I just left. I'm guessing no one told her why. I don't know, Hosk. It might be cruel to contact her. Maybe I should just let them try to get under way. There's no danger, right?"
Hosk pauses mid drink, puts the mug down, "Danger or no danger, Lad. If you need closure, then you oughta go get it. Is that what you want? Or do you wanna make sure she's safe? You can run the schematics by Squally, ze can assure you of that. If that's what you need."
Kriff me. Hosk is sort of right. "I think maybe I don't need closure. I think... maybe I need to open something that's closed. Do you mind, as a friend, not a partner, do you mind taking the schematics to Squall and having zir check them out? I... have a call to make."
When you use the phrase "as a friend", his normal scowl softens. He puts the mug down, nods with a quick upturn of the corners of his mouth, "Of course, Lad. Whether we're working for a Hutt or a puff of smoke, it's a good idea to check things out." He takes the data crystal from you and stands, "No time as good as the present. Right, Lad?" The last bit was his own brand of a subtle needling for you to go see Farla. He pats you on the shoulder as he walks out of the bar, his mug unfinished.
She'll probably be on The Incessant still, you realize. Oh, and that Twi'Lek singer? She's giving you the eye.
What do you do?
If Hosk is leaving even part of a drink on the bar, he's either too drunk to keep drinking, or he feels it's important. I know it's the latter, since it was his first drink of the night.
I drink down what's in my mug, though. Not gulping, but quick. Then, I find the contact code for The Incessant. Make a call, and ask whoever answers to speak with Farla Vos.
Faerla answers the comm. "This is Farla Contu, of The Incessant." (yes, her last name was Vos the last you knew.
Kriff me. I freeze, for just a second, a thousand words that could never make a picture caught in my throat, jostling for position. Finally, I choke out, "Hey, Pooka." Childhood nickname, after her favorite character from a puppet-show holovid that she was obsessed with.
There is a long pause. If you hadn't heard a sharp intake of breath, you might've thought the connection was cut. Then, in a voice shattered by shock into a tone not unlike when she was much, much smaller, "Ladro?" You can tell she wants to say more, to ask more, but she's too afraid this isn't true to go any further with knowing.
My traitorous vocal cords still think they know better than me, so there's a pause on my end, too. I manage "Dada kidogo," (little sister), then clear my throat.
After a few seconds, "So, we're in the same place at the same time. Do you have the time to meet?"
Her reply is quick, "Daima na siku zote, ndugu yangu." ("Always and always, my brother"). She pauses, as if thinking where, then says in Basic, "I'm supposed to be running some checks on board. We fly out tomorrow... I could have a guest of course. Why don't you come see where I work now, ndugu? I'm... a junior engineer!"
That seems like a really bad idea, somehow, but now that I've made the call I'm not going to say no. "I'll stop by in a half hour, then. Can I bring you anything to eat or drink?"
Farla answers, "A half hour is great. It will give me a chance to make a dent." She pauses, then, "I don't need a drink. I'm purifying. But, I've got some aohi wafers I can share." Aohi wafers are a real treat for Farla, but she rarely eats them. Are they expensive or fattening? Or is there some other reason she rarely has them.
I haven't had an aohi wafer since I left Kiffu eleven cycles ago. Farla was 12, then, and they were one of her favorite things. She was at that age when females, especially, start to get self-conscious about their bodies, though, and Mother wouldn't buy the pricey treats for her, so she had to buy them with her own money. For six months, she ate exactly one of the honey-sweet, thin cookies every week, stretching out one package to last the entire time.
I have one more ale, then head back to The Incessant. I'll go through the front door this time, for a change.
Half an hour later, you're sitting with your little sister in the spacious lounge of The Incessant. The place has a hum to it, and yes, you saw that R5 unit again, but it whirred past, ignoring you.
Farla's still in her jumpsuit, but she looks like she freshened up. And yes, her datapad has lots of readouts on it, she has it on the table. As you each munch on wafers, she's all smiles, "I can't believe you're here! How did you end up on this pissbucket of a spaceport? Are you happy? Do you have someone? Your own ship? Sorry... sorry. I just... it's so great." She reaches a hand over to yours on the table and squeezes it.
When I left, I told Farla I was going to captain a ship someday, knowing it was a lie. It seems like my parents and my brother never told her the truth.
It looms so large in my mind, that last fight and my decision to leave, that it has become sort of an origin myth. Father an angry god, spouting fire. Mother wringing her hands and weeping. Darkal the firstborn, silent and disapproving.
The thing is, I just don't know... I can't remember what we were fighting about.
"No ship, Farla. I'm with an independent outfit, on a ship called The Libation. I help out, pick up my own work when we make landfall." I think about Ahji Dar. Do I have someone? "There's someone, yes, but... hey! What about you? How long have you been an Engineer? Do you like it?"
She leans in, hanging on every word, eyes wide, "That sounds exciting. I bet you're never bored." She grins when you admit there's someone, obviously happy for you, and amused at your hesitation.
You ask about her work and she leans back, the smile still there, "I'm almost done with my first year on The Incessant after I went through school back home. Can you believe Baba paid for it? I never hoped he would. I don't know how long it will take to rise above Junior Engineer, but it's zeng sometimes, boring others. Like now, checking all the checks that were already checked." She sighs, pushing the datapad over, "See, we ran into an asteroid field in this system, and Captain Janus decided to stop over and get repairs here. Our logs didn't show that this place had seen the hateful end of the Empire, so it's been a real surprise getting working done. And Captain Janus doesn't trust the repair crew, mostly because they worked so cheap."
She looks at you, all serious, "But I have a feeling about them, Ladro. I know these people did a good job. I know they didn't kark it up." She stops, a hand jumping from touching yours to cover her mouth, "Oof, sorry. I mean. I know they did the job well. You know?"
"I'm glad it's going well, Farla, and not surprised Father paid for school. You've always been the brains in the family."
When she talks about having a feeling, I feel a twinge, but I've gotten good at hiding twinges. It's an essential job skill, really. "Which outfit's working on the ship?"
She doesn't pick up on the twinge. "Ertu clan." she answers it casually. "Although the captain took a bid from some Hutt's crew, too. He said the Hutt's guys seemed slimy, big surprise, right? Why do you ask? Know Ertu?" She straightens, "Is she on their crew, Ladro? Your... someone?" She's terribly interested in your love life. Is that a new thing?
Farla's been fixated on my love life since you could hardly even call it a love life. "Just curious, the Libation's down for some repairs, too, and I trust your gut. And no, she's not working here on the Wall. She's another independent operator. A very good one."
Turn it around, Ladro. "How about you? Anyone special in your life?"
When you ask her is she has anyone special, Farla practically shines like a beacon. She's been waiting for you to ask that, you can tell right away. She nods happily, "Sion Contu, my husband. He helped me get on The Incessant after we met when I was in Academy. He's really smart, Ladro. And thoughtful. So precise. He's good looking, too, but I'm sure you don't care about that." She grins, sort of looks up in the air a little.
I smile happily. "He'd better be good looking, Farla. You've grown up beautiful. Brains and beauty, when you've got a brother like me that looks like the back end of a bantha and thinks like one, too." I reach out and take a hand in both of mine, look her in the eye.
"I'm sorry, Farla. Sorry I wasn't there to see you grow up, get married. I love you, you know that, right?"
Your self-deprecation falls on deaf ears, as if she just doesn't understand that language. When you hold your sister's hands and apologize, her eyes grow wet, she scans from eye to eye, reading you, the words filling something previously empty in her. She nods, the tears leaking, "I forgive you, Ladro. Daima na siku zote. I'm just so happy that the twins brought us back together!"
She laughs a little then pulls a hand from yours to wipe at her tears, "You have to meet Sion. Yes? Can you?"
Kriff me. Meeting the husband? Why not. "Sure. I'd love to. Hope he measures up, though."
She sniffs, removing her other hand to wipe at her eyes, "Oh, I'm sure you'll find something to dislike. You're my brother." She snickers. "That's your job. I won't tell you Darkal loves him, because I know that would affect your first impression." She smiles, finally collected, lets out a little breath, like "it's settled".
She starts to get up, "I've got a little more work to do. Can you stay for a bit, then we can go meet him? I'll comm ahead to let him know. You can stay in my quarters while I wrap up my checks. Zeng?"
Why do metaphors about gravity and orbits always occur to me when relationships are involved? I feel myself being pulled toward family, like a comet returning toward its star from a long elliptical orbit, approaching from its lonely, distant aphelia. I wonder if this orbit will plunge me into the sun, or send me off in a trajectory that leads me inexorably away.
"Sure. I'll relax in your quarters. Or, I could follow you around and ask you stupid questions about your job. Either way."
Farla snickers, "Ooh! I vote for stupid questions. I'll try to use really technical words so I sound as smart as you say I am. Besides, my quarters are pretty tiny, so it's not like you'd have much to do in there. I mostly just sleep there when I have to. Regs state Sion and I cannot share the same quarters. Officially." She rolls her eyes at that.
I chuckle. "Regs are always going to be karked up, when it comes down to the details. Alright. Lead on, Junior Engineer."
After about twenty minutes, you see a human walking towards the pair of you.
"Farla." he calls warmly. "Is this Ladro?" He sounds cordial. When Farla nods, he comes up to offer you a hand. He isn't wearing the jumpsuit Farla is. In fact, he's in civilian garb. "It is good to meet my wife's favorite brother..."
"Don't tell him THAT" Farla says as she playfully slaps his shoulder. "He's already conceited enough. Don't let him fool you. He makes jokes at his own expense, but he's actually very cocky."
"Regardless," Sion says, "I am glad to meet you."
"And don't let Farla fool you, Sion. I've had a lot of the cocky knocked out of me since I saw her last." Handshake? Sure, handshake. I hold out my hand briefly, then decide it's not sufficient. I pull him into a brief, manly hug, complete with backslapping.
"So, what's your position here?"
Sion squeezes you once when you hug him, and stiffens a little when you slap his back, but his eyes seem more relaxed when he pulls back. Speaking of eyes, you can't help but notice the two scars running over his left eye. They're not new, but they're definitely not ancient. His left eye seems functional, though. "I'm just a sailor. I haul stuff, I clean things they need cleaning. Sometimes, I fill in where they need a body..."
"Sion! You are such a dirty liar," Farla says, slapping his chest lightly as she moves up to kiss his cheek. She leans against him in a comfortable manner and turns to you, "Sion is having fun with you, Ladro. He's Head of Security for The Incessant." She rubs his chest a little, he offers a quick smile of admission. She adds, "He bested Darkal in a tazzir match! Can you believe it?"
"It was luck." Sion says. "Your brother is faster, and better trained. He's really amazing. I couldn't repeat that performance, I assure you." He takes a moment to look at you, Ladro. It's one of those "sizing you up" moments. He asks casually, "What brought you to Charon's Wall, Ladro? Running from something? Or to it?"
So, my sister is running checklists and not finding our sabotage. Her husband is the Head of Security for the ship, who didn't catch Hosk and me sneaking onto the ship to perform the sabotage. Great. And he beat Darkal in tazzir, something I never managed.
Tazzir is fast. The curved, basket-like kikapu accelerates the small leather mbira, ball, to ridiculous speeds as it bounces off the walls of the court. Injuries are frequent, most often from a small, hard ball making contact with flesh at 300 kilometers per hour. If Farla's husband bested Darkal, he's quite a specimen, luck or no.
"What brought me? Our ship needed some attention, and we didn't know the Empire had thrown a tantrum, so we came here."
Sion nods grimly, a snarl that causes his scars to move. "The Empire has no business out here. They're always making messes they never bother to clean up." He crosses his arms, "Used to be, you could make a case for their presence in the Core and Mid, but even that's a stretch anymore."
Your sister has eyes for Sion now, eyes of caring. She's seen him through pain, you see that plain as day, "We'll keep the suns at our backs and fly where we may, Sion." He relaxes a little at that.
Sion shifts out of his angry stance, changing subjects, "Haven't seen any notable freighters up top. You in some quick little transport, Ladro? Anything I might have heard of?"
Farla's connection with her husband is obvious, and obviously deep. A bond that's been tested, and found to be secure. And his position on the Empire is more than fine with me.
"I'm sure it's nothing you've heard of. I'm off the Serendipitous Libation. We're in for some hyperdrive loving-care."
"Here?" Farla asks, "That's awful. I can't imagine they'll have much to offer..."
"Don't judge too harshly, Far." Sion chides in a gentle manner, "Never sell an Outer Rim yard short. If some Coreworld had been bombed this badly, everyone would have pulled up stakes and flown to Zeltos for a holiday. But these folk dug in and they're making do." He looks at you, Ladro, "I bet the Libation is a fine ship."
Kriff me, I like this guy. "She gets the job done. Our cargo-master recently figured out a way for us to haul a couple tons of water, when it was needed. She's not special, in and of herself, but the crew makes her special. You understand that, I'm sure."
Farla brightens like she found a hidden puzzle piece, "The cargo-master! Is that your someone, Ladro? I see how you talk about her, she's the one..."
Sion holds up a hand, interrupting your sister gently, "Ladro, was she always such a matchmaker? I swear, she spends half her free time on ship talking about who is having secret romances, who should be having them, trying to arrange conversations. If it were up to her, the whole crew would be much more involved with each other than they probably should." He shakes his head, like this is a thing he had learned to find humor in. "It's like I tell her, some regs are poodoo, but most of them are there for a reason. Fraternization among the crew can cause problems. And yes, I'm completely the exception to the rule." He laughs at the end, a genuine and rare laugh from him.
I laugh out loud when Farla speculates about Seesk. "No, Farla. Seesk, our Trandoshan cargomaster, is not my 'someone'."
After Sion says his bit, I respond, "Sion, she's always been like this. She used to pick two dolls and put them in a box together so they could have 'alone time,' not that she had any idea what that really meant."
Sion chuckles once, "The big mystery is revealed." He looks to Farla who smiles, then to you, "After our fight, I told her I needed some alone time. It ended... differently than I expected."
Farla snickers. "We made up, didn't we?"
He shrugs, but says nothing more. Thankfully.
"Farla, Sion, I really ought to get back to the Libation and check in." I shake Sion's hand, this time, and pull Farla into a long hug.
"Our tour ends in a standard month. Sion's coming back home with me to Kiffu for a few weeks." She looks at you with pleading eyes, not asking if you'd be there. Not out loud.
I'll give them my ident codes and promise to be in touch when I can. When she doesn't quite ask if I'll come to Kiffu, though, I freeze, my heart in my throat. "I'm not sure mama and baba would be thrilled to see me, Farla. It might be better for everyone if I stayed away."
I mean it, but some part of me that's been dark for a long time has started to glow a little, and that part really hopes she can convince me.
She hugs you, then pulls back, looking into your eyes with sudden intensity and devotion, "Ndugu, I love you. But you are so blind to Baba and Mama. They miss you. Every day. There is hurt, yes. But there is also love." She kisses your cheek, then stands at the base of the ramp as you leave The Incessant for the second time tonight.
It's very early now. You haven't been paid, but that won't come until after the ship has trouble. You could easily catch some sleep.
What do you do?
Farla swirls through my mind like the dal-flower perfume Mama used to wear, as I make my way back to the Libation. I'll check in with Squall first, ask if ze's had the chance to look over those schematics.
"Sleemos, you need to be kriffing careful with this. It's not a science, it's an art. And my art says it need two degrees this way"
Leeadra waves you over, then asks quietly, "Hey, Ladro. Pretty late. You alright?" She looks at you, peering, then asks, curiously "Did something happen to you?"
I start to shrug, blow off the question. That would be my usual response. But, Lee's actually engaging with me for the first time in weeks, and that seems to deserve more. "I ran into my sister, Lee." She knows me well enough to know that there's a lot going on behind that simple sentence.
Lee's mouth drops open in this naked moment of surprise. You know her well enough to see her work through a couple different responses before she pulls you into the corridor outside the Engine Room and asks, "How did that go? Is she alright?"
"She's amazing, Lee. Grown up and so beautiful. She's an engineer on a corp ship, married to their Head of Security, who seems like a great guy and obviously loves her fiercely."
I'm saying these upbeat things, but the heart is a traitor. I realize as I finish that tears are running down my face. "Kriff me, Lee. My sister. Just..." I stutter to a halt.
Her voice is soft, cracks a little with emotion, "It's okay, Ladro. It's okay." She doesn't offer advice, she may not even comprehend all that's hitting you. But she offers more than she's given anyone since Cander cheated on her.
I accept the hug, the touch, her words of comfort. I'm not sobbing, but the tears continue for what seems like a long time. Finally, I straighten, pull a strip of silk that has sometimes been a blindfold from my belt pouch, and dry my face.
Tucking it back away, I look at Lee and suddenly know something without a doubt, and a mix of hope and dread nearly chokes me. I manage to get out, "I... I have to go home, Lee. Kriff me, I have to go home."
She breaks contact when you start wiping your eyes, looking back towards Squall and the mechanics, giving you space to recover. When you tell her you have to go home, she looks back at you, nods. It's a quick nod, reflexive, not the nod of calculation, just pure emotion, "Then you should go home. Do you... want to hire a transport?" She quirks a half smile. She's never been great at making jokes.
I smile back. "I'm sure I can find someone to haul me across the galaxy." Then, after a moment's thought, "Farla said she'll be back on Kiffu for a while after her tour ends in a standard month. Does that give us time to hopscotch around to Kiffu, pick up some cargoes, so it's not just a straight run?"
Lee nods, "Best part of this job. It's the travel. We can get you back home in a standard month, Ladro. Might mean some dicey work in parts. But that's the life, right?" She offers a bigger smile. She kriffing loves this life. It's just the crew that drags her down sometimes.
I step forward and hug Lee again, briefly. "Thank you Lee." She knows I'm thanking her for everything. For listening, for the comfort, for the help. "Listen, I'm going to change my mind about this a hundred times. Ignore me, okay? Even if you and Jojee have to drug me, tie me up, and drop me on the doorstep, get me home."
As soon as I say that, I wish I hadn't, wish I'd left myself an out, somehow.