And I raise mine. "To the Libation, and to the fact that we're friends. And yes, partners, however that happened." Time to get back to the Libation and hand Lee her new engineer.
"I've got a good candidate, name of Rana Mas Lesob. He's a bit of a scoundrel, and a lot of a talker, but he knows his stuff and it seems like he can think on his feet. He's an older Duros, and has knocked around a lot in his day. You're going to hate him at first, but he'll be able to pull your space-heinie out of the fire on-planet as well as doing the job in the Engine Room."
She grins a little at "space heinie", then nods, "Thanks, Ladro. I really appreciate it." She pauses for a moment, looking at you, then asks, "Ladro... what we've got going. Does it work for you? It's like everyone is falling apart right now. I don't know who I can count on anymore. I guess I'm asking, are we good? Is there something I need to be doing for... for you?" And you see it, that little look she gives of needing a little reassurance. It sneaks in after she's had a fit of anger, and you know it. How does it make you feel?
I'm used to seeing that look after she's been screaming at me, not when she's working her way out of being angry at others. It reminds me of our fights, sure, but also of the time we were together. There were good moments. Really good moments. Many of them immediately following seeing that look.
I push it aside.
"Lee, you're a decent captain. You learned a lot from your uncle, but you're never going to be entirely on your own feet until you've got your own crew. One you hired. So here's what I think, since you asked. Hire Rana Mas on my say-so, for now, because we need an engineer quick. Tell him it's a trial run, though, and once we drop the spice, think about starting fresh. You hired Seesk, and she's a virtuoso. Think really hard about letting Jojee go to chase the dream of having her own ship. Interview a few other engineers if you don't like how Rana Mas works out."
I think for a second about what I'm about to say. "A ship doesn't need a captain, Lee. A crew does, and you can't have anyone on your crew because you feel obligated to."
Leeadra listens to your advice, watching you closely, studying you, "She told you her dreams, huh? I didn't think she'd share that with you. Took me forever before she told me." She seems surprised, a little disappointed that something she thought was just for her, isn't. It's obvious she still thinks Jojee's her best friend.
Finally, she nods, "After this spice deal, I'll pay everyone, let Squall go... and I guess Jojee can go, too. If that's what she wants. And Rana Mas can be my trial basis engineer. But you know I'm a better engineer than I am a pilot, and I'll be watching him."
Lee looks down at her desk for a moment, reflective. Tramp freighters have turnover, that's a known thing. But this is significant. Jojee was her lifeline, her friend. Now, you've confirmed what she'd feared. "I wasn't trying to get rich quick, Ladro," she says without meeting your eyes. "We've got no nest egg anymore. I burned through it keeping us afloat when the Empire put the squeeze on legit trade for small timers. I know it torqued Jojee. But, I didn't... I didn't see many other options. I mean, honestly, sometimes your rent's the only thing keeping supplies in the autochef."
Poodoo. There's a lot of things that I could say right now, but so few of them will actually help Leeadra in this precise moment.
I pull Leeadra into a hug. "Lee, I'll never stop loving you, you know? I'll help however I can, but in the end, you are the Captain of the Libation. You asked what I need from you. What do you need from me?"
You pull her into a hug, not so different than the one she gave you not so long ago. She melts into it, savors it, could suck the marrow out of this moment. How long has it been since someone reached out to her?
And the last one who did, it was Cander.
She lets you hug her, awash with emotions, but not crying. Just surrendering to it for a delicious moment. When she squeezes in that way that says "it's enough" or at least "I'm moving slightly away", hard to tell, she slips back, looking into your eyes.
When she opens her mouth, you can hear her say "Don't leave me." But she doesn't. She licks her lips and says, "Just... keep being my friend. I mean, there's more I could ask, right? But it's not fair. To you. Or me. We never were meant to be. But what we had was pretty memorable. And now... well, you're a pretty great guy when we aren't together, Ladro. I think sometimes I was the one who drove you away. Like... well, like I drive everybody away. Eventually."
Oh, Lee. "You didn't drive me away, Lee. You know I'm never going to stop loving you, right, and I'll always help out when you need me. I may not always be here, on the Libation, though. This whole family thing is really making me think about what's next."
Her left hand is on your hip, she's still so close there. The revelation that you're leaving, or thinking of it, you see it scares her a little. From the loss of companionship to the loss of credits. She looks like she's drowning for just a moment. But she pushes it down, nods. "If... if you need a ride to Kiffu, I'd be happy to fly you once the spice is delivered."
She breaks the contact, she has to. Walking over towards the door, waiting before it opens. "I should... work on pre-flights. I'll see if this Rana Mas is half as good as you say. And Ladro, thanks."
Thanks. Right. Thanks for saddling her with a load of spice, planning to leave, encouraging Jojee to do the same. "No need for thanks." I move behind her before the door opens, put my hands on her shoulders and kiss the top of her head. "You've got this, Lee. You're going to be fine."
I try to sound more confident of that than I really am.
She turns back around, slowly moves up to brush her lips against yours. It's sweet, not a come-on, "I'll be alright. I can do this. It's zeng, Ladro." She says it as much for her benefit as yours. Then she breaks contact and heads out the door.
Comments
And I raise mine. "To the Libation, and to the fact that we're friends. And yes, partners, however that happened." Time to get back to the Libation and hand Lee her new engineer.
"Tell me what you found, Ladro."
"I've got a good candidate, name of Rana Mas Lesob. He's a bit of a scoundrel, and a lot of a talker, but he knows his stuff and it seems like he can think on his feet. He's an older Duros, and has knocked around a lot in his day. You're going to hate him at first, but he'll be able to pull your space-heinie out of the fire on-planet as well as doing the job in the Engine Room."
She grins a little at "space heinie", then nods, "Thanks, Ladro. I really appreciate it." She pauses for a moment, looking at you, then asks, "Ladro... what we've got going. Does it work for you? It's like everyone is falling apart right now. I don't know who I can count on anymore. I guess I'm asking, are we good? Is there something I need to be doing for... for you?" And you see it, that little look she gives of needing a little reassurance. It sneaks in after she's had a fit of anger, and you know it. How does it make you feel?
And what do you do?
I'm used to seeing that look after she's been screaming at me, not when she's working her way out of being angry at others. It reminds me of our fights, sure, but also of the time we were together. There were good moments. Really good moments. Many of them immediately following seeing that look.
I push it aside.
"Lee, you're a decent captain. You learned a lot from your uncle, but you're never going to be entirely on your own feet until you've got your own crew. One you hired. So here's what I think, since you asked. Hire Rana Mas on my say-so, for now, because we need an engineer quick. Tell him it's a trial run, though, and once we drop the spice, think about starting fresh. You hired Seesk, and she's a virtuoso. Think really hard about letting Jojee go to chase the dream of having her own ship. Interview a few other engineers if you don't like how Rana Mas works out."
I think for a second about what I'm about to say. "A ship doesn't need a captain, Lee. A crew does, and you can't have anyone on your crew because you feel obligated to."
Leeadra listens to your advice, watching you closely, studying you, "She told you her dreams, huh? I didn't think she'd share that with you. Took me forever before she told me." She seems surprised, a little disappointed that something she thought was just for her, isn't. It's obvious she still thinks Jojee's her best friend.
Finally, she nods, "After this spice deal, I'll pay everyone, let Squall go... and I guess Jojee can go, too. If that's what she wants. And Rana Mas can be my trial basis engineer. But you know I'm a better engineer than I am a pilot, and I'll be watching him."
Lee looks down at her desk for a moment, reflective. Tramp freighters have turnover, that's a known thing. But this is significant. Jojee was her lifeline, her friend. Now, you've confirmed what she'd feared. "I wasn't trying to get rich quick, Ladro," she says without meeting your eyes. "We've got no nest egg anymore. I burned through it keeping us afloat when the Empire put the squeeze on legit trade for small timers. I know it torqued Jojee. But, I didn't... I didn't see many other options. I mean, honestly, sometimes your rent's the only thing keeping supplies in the autochef."
Poodoo. There's a lot of things that I could say right now, but so few of them will actually help Leeadra in this precise moment.
I pull Leeadra into a hug. "Lee, I'll never stop loving you, you know? I'll help however I can, but in the end, you are the Captain of the Libation. You asked what I need from you. What do you need from me?"
You pull her into a hug, not so different than the one she gave you not so long ago. She melts into it, savors it, could suck the marrow out of this moment. How long has it been since someone reached out to her?
And the last one who did, it was Cander.
She lets you hug her, awash with emotions, but not crying. Just surrendering to it for a delicious moment. When she squeezes in that way that says "it's enough" or at least "I'm moving slightly away", hard to tell, she slips back, looking into your eyes.
When she opens her mouth, you can hear her say "Don't leave me." But she doesn't. She licks her lips and says, "Just... keep being my friend. I mean, there's more I could ask, right? But it's not fair. To you. Or me. We never were meant to be. But what we had was pretty memorable. And now... well, you're a pretty great guy when we aren't together, Ladro. I think sometimes I was the one who drove you away. Like... well, like I drive everybody away. Eventually."
Oh, Lee. "You didn't drive me away, Lee. You know I'm never going to stop loving you, right, and I'll always help out when you need me. I may not always be here, on the Libation, though. This whole family thing is really making me think about what's next."
Her left hand is on your hip, she's still so close there. The revelation that you're leaving, or thinking of it, you see it scares her a little. From the loss of companionship to the loss of credits. She looks like she's drowning for just a moment. But she pushes it down, nods. "If... if you need a ride to Kiffu, I'd be happy to fly you once the spice is delivered."
She breaks the contact, she has to. Walking over towards the door, waiting before it opens. "I should... work on pre-flights. I'll see if this Rana Mas is half as good as you say. And Ladro, thanks."
Thanks. Right. Thanks for saddling her with a load of spice, planning to leave, encouraging Jojee to do the same. "No need for thanks." I move behind her before the door opens, put my hands on her shoulders and kiss the top of her head. "You've got this, Lee. You're going to be fine."
I try to sound more confident of that than I really am.
She turns back around, slowly moves up to brush her lips against yours. It's sweet, not a come-on, "I'll be alright. I can do this. It's zeng, Ladro." She says it as much for her benefit as yours. Then she breaks contact and heads out the door.
--END SESSION--