Amarath holds up her left hand, "Apologies, Ladro. Heat of the moment, should've respected your authority. And, yeah, the whole Chilla-Hanna thing, I should've pushed harder on that."
Hosk asserts, "I don't know about Shade, but if we don't get paid, I don't get paid, Ladro. This is our ship, we took the job, and I karked up, too."
I try not to look as relieved as I feel. "I appreciate that, both of you. Sorry for the abrupt change of topics, but Hosk, did we manage to unload the fish?"
So... drop out of hyperspace at Yag'Dhul, hoping we weren't followed, fighting if need be. Contact Alanna somehow and get her the update as soon as possible, yell a little about being sent out with busted intel. Try to pick up some paying work, then head in the right direction to clear Sark's mining camp job, one way or the other.
"We'll need everyone back at stations as we come out of hyperspace, in case we were followed." I look at the countdown. "You've got an hour and twelve minutes. And yes, Squall, please take me to the med bay." I'm sure this fatigue and shakiness is just an after effect from the monster's paralytic slime. Of course it is.
Hosk nods, "Yeah, we moved them quick. I wasn't sure how long we'd have, so I didn't haggle for a great price, but we got what I expected."
Squall leads you to the med bay as Hosk and Amy head to their rooms to wait for a bit. Squall keeps looking at your arm, "How much sensation do you have? You should get some bacta on it. I'm glad you didn't seal it up with a gluestik like Amarath. That's... really unhealthy."
"Sensation's returning, bit by bit. Still couldn't aim my blaster, but I think I could hold it now, at least. And don't worry, I won't glue myself together unless my intestines are falling out." I'll try to argue against bacta, for cost reasons, but I'll give in if Squall's insistent.
"Five hundred. I think, if we wanted, we could maybe set up a trade for consumer goods there. You know, trinkets and poodoo. Little luxuries. They've got booze covered."
I submit to the bacta grudgingly. "You're going to have to be the one to talk to the Givin, if we need to. Pretty sure you're the only one onboard that could even begin to keep up. Is that okay?"
As Squall wraps your arm after applying bacta, "Okay? It would be my pleasure Captain. I haven't spoken with a Givin in years." Ze makes a tiny bit of small talk about how the Givin mix in formula an anecdotes and asides. Then, ze drops zir voice and says, "Listen, I know it's awful timing. But when I was wrapping up Amy, I got kind of a vibe off her. I think maybe she is interested. What do you think?"
I blink innocently. "Now, why would I do that? Making things difficult is a skill I've honed and practiced over years, Squally. Years. And you want me to give it up now?"
"We all have our special skills." Squall agrees. "If Amy plays her cards right, she might find out one of mine." Ze waggles her brows suggestively, fingers playing on your forearm.
The bacta has stabilized your arm and all feeling returns, which means a tiny stab of pain, too. In time it will be completely healed, probably a couple days.
Anyone else to check in with as you wait to come out of hyperspace?
I head back to the Captain's chair. Best view in the house. I'll make ready on shields and be sure everyone's at their station. Amy's on call to put out fires, literally or figuratively. Central, close to most possible boarding spots if it comes to that.
The Profit Margin slips out of hyperspace, coasting into Yag'Dhul space. Jojee orients the ship a hundred eighty degrees so Hosk and you (since you can control the forward-facing lasers) can get a bead on anything coming through.
After three minutes of waiting, with nothing coming through, you're hailed. What comes through is Basic in tone and speech, but nothing but numbers. Jojee patches through to the Engine Room and you get to hear Squall start spouting back answers, it falls into a back and forth rhythm, almost like a poem with call and response. Squall even giggles at one point, but comes right back with a numerical sequence.
Then, you see two ships, sleek and paired, come into normal space. It's the ships that followed you out of Iyuta, Ladro. Hosk is waiting for your order, soldier to the end.
"Stand by, Hosk. Going to attempt to talk to them first." I hail the ships directly. "Unknown ships, this is Gavon Cavi of the Margin of Error. I notice you've been following us. I assume you're lost and looking for directions?"
There's a minute pause. The Yag'Dhul transmission comes through, Squall starts to answer, but then on your channel, you hear in heavily accented Basic. "Captain Gavon Cavi. I am Huneen of the Longstrider. My sister is Pa' Ahnna of the Far Reacher. I see we are in... Yag'Dhul."
"Yes, we are in Yag'Dhul. What is your business with the Margin?" I know Hosk has a bead drawn on one or the other. Off the transmission. "Anyone familiar with a pair of sisters? Huneen and Pa'Ahnna? Ships are Longstrider and Far Reacher."
The transmission returns from Huneen, "Captain Gavon Cavi, we have no business with you. Please accept our apologies."
Meanwhile, Squall is chattering away with Yag'Dhul, But ze drops onto ship's comms with some urgency, "Captain, these other ships are NOT welcome in Yag'Dhul space. Something to do with warrants on them for taking a bounty on one of their Formulamastrixes. They are asking if we're affiliated."
It sounds like you're hoping to Seize the trust of Yag'Dhul by Force with this action, wouldn't you agree? Two to one is a tough fight, but Yag'Dhul backing you up will certainly put the odds in your favor.
And yes, they have some orbital laser platforms as well as automated ion cannons on asteroids in a nearby field.
Jojee may not be a combat pilot, but she's got the reflexes to be. She manages to make us a difficult target while keeping shots clear for Hosk and me.
Hosk kriffing unloads on the Longstrider, forcing the ship to break to your port-side. You fire on the Far Reacher and she breaks starboard, splitting your fire. Jojee thrusts forward to port and Hosk keeps firing on the Longstrider. You see sparks and small explosions along the sleek long bow of the starship.
The Profit Margin takes some fire from the Far Reacher, along the aft. The ship lurches to one side, but it feels like you've taken only minor damage. You hear Amarath calling out to Squall for instructions on where the fires are, and Squall has to break out of a series of numbers to answer her.
The starboard side of your field of vision lights up with laserfire as the Profit MArgin banks hard in pursuit of the Longstrider. You see the Far Reacher scoot across the windshield with fire sparking off the engines, ina n odd tailspin.
"Dwang! That is a LOT of guns! Yag'Dhul has our back!"
The Longstrider is in your sights, Ladro. You could finish it off here and now. You're rather sure Amarath wouldn't lie about the danger they pose. What do you do?
You dial in the Longstrider, firing straight ahead as Jojee pilots the Profit Margin at it. The ship explodes in a hail of white fury as you zip through the pieces. The Longstrider is no more.
Hosk yells and whoops excitedly through the comms, "Great shot, Lad!"
"The Far Reacher is limping away. Cap, you want to pursue? The fight's out of her."
"Let her go. Hope she'll remember not to kriff with us in the future, whatever name we're using." Over the ship's comm, "Good work. Damage report soonest please, Squall."
"Yessir, Captain. I think I can get us permission to land on Yag'Dhul if you like. I'd like to give her a once over to make sure. Doesn't feel like she'd have trouble flying, though."
Jojee cuts off her mic and leans over, "Docking fees on Yag'Dhul aren't cheap. They have some serious gravity to contend with. I suggest we can limp back to Devaron."
"Any chance we can make a cred or ten between here and Devaron? We can't afford to deadhead back if there's any choice. Squall? Did our little display of decisive violence earn us any love?"
Squall comes back on the comms, "You know, Captain. They did seem more than eager to assist us once I notified them who was on our tail. You might be able to finagle either a reward or at least some favorable trade. I'm happy to act as interpreter. Just be advised... Givin are not very pretty."
I chuckle myself at the predictable response. I suppose it's not that different from what Amy does to him, but I don't pull it when the blasters are out. I'll unstrap and tour the damage myself while I wait for Squall to tell me what ze's arranged with the Givin.
As you do the walkabout, you walk by Amarath on her knees with a rag wiping away some of the flame retardant foam she sprayed on a panel that sparked up. Squall's on a headset comm rattling off numbers and switching to a weird, guttural language while ze is working away with zir spanner. Hosk stays in the turret, still waiting in case the Far Reacher returns. It doesn't.
Squall looks up from zir work, "It's not so bad, Captain. I'll need to do some rewiring and patching, and our filtration system will be working off the secondary power plant. I'd like to get a good look at her in dock before I give any official estimates for the work, but it'll be a few hundred credits at least. Good news is we've got landing clearance."
Squall puts her zir hydrospanner down on a tray, "There's a huge bureaucracy down there. I'm working on it." Ze slaps zir hands together, a kind of "Dusting off" motion, "Tell you what, Ladro. I'll get you a meeting. And if you get enough credits out of it, I'd like to spend a day here. Just one day. Some Givin I'd like to meet."
"That's a deal, Squall." I know exactly what we need to average in a day*, of course, to make The Plan work, but I'm not going to split hairs. Happy Squall pays off in the long run.
We cut to the Profit Margin docking with an orbital Yag'Dhul station. You were granted clearance to land there, which is cheaper, and much more comfortable than landing on planet. Hosk plans on hanging out in his quarters, as does Jojee. Amarath has offered to help Squall "with repairs and all", which is encouraging (well, it is for Squall).
You and Squall are walking out of the airlock onto the station. Ze's eager to check this place out, "This station is a rarity. Since Givin can survive in a vacuum, they don't put vent systems on their ships. They don't use navicomputers, either." Ze's practically skipping down the long corridor.
This space station is a wonder of design, using eight rotating doughnuts to produce artificial gravity. Each doughnut is on a different axis, so one can be walking along, and look up to another ring and see someone walking upside down. It's bizarre and a bit unsettling.
At the end of the corridor is a female Givin. She wears long white and purple robes, hiding all but her head and hands. She has secondary sexual characteristics, which is how you guess at the gender. As you come closer, passing through ribs of the corridors support structure, blocking rays of sunlight above you, she calls a greeting, which is a quadratic formula. Squall snorts a laugh and calls back another formula.
The Givin switches to Basic, "I am Nisil Nalas. Welcome, Captain Ladro Shade and Engineer Squall Onondb."
"Nisil Nalas, thank you for your welcome. I am sorry to limit you, but I am not as fluent in either mathematics or your linguistic usages as my Engineer is."
Nisil's face is expressionless as she responds, "It is alright, Captain. I have have met many different beings on this station. I have become accustomed to the peculiarities of foreigners."
Squall inclines her head, "The captain is gifted in many other pursuits, Nisil Nalas. He is also a close friend. Might I ask if Sladru Larr is still active within the Body Calculus?"
Nisil inclines her head, "He is. He has sent numbers of greeting to you, Squall Onondb. He called you the unknown number."
That gets a chuckle out of Squall. Ze looks over at you, "He's pretty conservative, doesn't believe you can choose your gender. Or choose to not identify one. Ones and zeroes, he would tell me."
"I appreciate your... flexibility, Nisil Nalas." When they move on to their jovial, calculus-and-gender-based conversation, I can only shrug (mentally, not physically). "One and zeroes can never cover the full ground. If nothing else, there's that imponderable square root of negative-one. I've wondered if they chose i to represent that, however many thousands of years ago, because I is equally unfathomable."
Nisil's eyes widen a bit, and she titters. Squall giggles along with her.
A moment later, Nisil says, to Squall, "You did not do him justice. He is very clever. Normally, Kiffar are very rude. Especially the clanless."
"He is I."
Nisil nods, then turns and begins walking along the corridor ahead of you. Squall urges you to follow. Without looking back at you, counting on the corridor to carry her voice, Nisil says, "It is my understanding that you may have proposals for us, Captain Shade?"
I follow, of course, trusting Squall's cues in this environment. "It is more that I'm hoping that you have a proposal for me, Nisil Nalas. It seems I have done you a favor, and I'm anxious to hear how the Givin intend to balance the equation. I know that's children's algebra, but my mind is not as attuned to the music of numbers as yours."
You see the back of her head as she inclines it in agreement. "There was loss. Unexpected loss of our number. The sisters subtracted one unjustly accused by laws that do not govern our body." She reaches the end of the corridor, which is an iris door that opens smoothly. Inside is a sea of white, a cavernous nexus point of the station, with lifts and escalators to and fro. The denizens of the station move in dizzying gravitational stunts. It is not unlike a madman's fever dream, the ways in which this station plays with what is up and what is down. They have to be showing off.
Nisil turns around, her back to the spectacle as she faces you, "What is it that you would want us to provide as recompense for your work? You did negate the Longstrider, after all."
"I don't ask recompense for doing what benefited me, only an understanding that the act benefited us both. Rather than reward, perhaps... a day for my Engineer to connect with zir acquaintances here, and a profitable cargo for Devaron, or some service you need performed that will fill my tanks and leave credits to pay off debts before they spiral out of control?"
Nisil considers for a moment. "If Squall Onondb wishes a day pass on the surface, this is easily arranged. As for cargo to Devaron, what would you require to maintain profitability?" She looks on you as if this is a test.
I lay it out. The math says 671.42857 and "change" per day, ideally. I'm assuming that the 5K creds from the Alliance are going back TO the Alliance, since the mission was a bust. "Given travel time, I need at least 4,889 credits to make this month work for me, at bare minimum. I give you that figure out of respect. I'm sure the bounty on your Formulamastrix was higher, given the reputation and defenses of this area of space."
"The bounty for our Formulamastrix was inconsequential in comparison to the loss of computational power due to his absence." Nisil asserts. "While you haven't returned him, as we did after posting the penalties that were levied. And the death of Huneen doesn't guarantee a future inconvenience won't occur. If anything, an exchange of funds to you as a result of her death would be nothing more than a bloodguild. You do not seem the sort to ask for such. Nor do I assert that this is your request, I'm merely laying out the components."
She considers for a moment. "Perhaps a profitable cargo could be a proper solution. I will pore over our current exportable listed items and see what could be transported to Devaron." She looks at you, "Do you wish to see the list to compile a suitable load, or would you accept a suggested cargo list?"
Squall doesn't butt in, but ze seems to think the suggested list is the way to go.
"I trust that you will reach an optimal solution without my interference, Nisil Nalas. I will accept the cargo you offer. I only hope that this is the first step in an increasing sequence. Please do arrange for my Engineer to have a pass."
With a gentle sweep of her left hand, Nisil Nalas says, "Your crew is welcome to the nexus of the station during your two standard day stay here. All secure areas of the station are clearly marked. There are several areas of note, they are documented on tourist guide datapads. Thank you for the opportunity to meet you, Captain Shade. Do you have any further questions?"
Nisil Nalas inclines her head to your thanks. She looks at Squall, "Squall Onondb, I will contact you shortly about the pass to the planet. I will arrange transport to the surface as well," then turns to head for a set of escalators, leaving you alone.
Squall reaches down to take your left hand in zirs, "Wow. Wasn't she impressive? I've never been to this station, Lah, I mean, Captain! I'm going to take a walk around. What about you?"
"I'd love to wander around with you Squall. First, though... let's go back to the ship and let the others know the situation." As we walk, I ask, "Is there anything we need to be cautious of, here? Laws, customs, that sort of thing."
Squall considers for a moment, then answers, "The system sits right on two trade routes, so standard laws apply for the most part. Punishments are normally twice as harsh, so we'd better tell Amarath to be careful, right? And there's nothing like, a uhm, red light district or anything."
I'm fairly tolerant of diverse appearances... it's a big galaxy. But I shudder at the thought of a Givin "red light district." "Thanks, Squally." When we get to the ship, I call everyone together. "We're on the station for two standard days. Feel free to wander around, but let's keep the ship as home base. Squall's going planetside for a bit. And listen, the laws are pretty standard here, but the penalties are harsh, so try not to get in trouble."
Jojee listens in, but replies, "I'm not going anywhere until this baby is completely repaired."
Amarath shrugs, "Givins are freaky. I'd rather stay on ship and eat free food, help out in the Engine Room." Squall grins a little.
Hosk chuckles, "Well, I'm heading out. Every station has at least one good bar. Ima go find it." He puts on his wide-brimmed hat and sticks an unlit deathstick in his mouth to go. He looks over at you, "What about you, lad? Coming or staying?"
"I'm going to go walkabout with Squall for a little. Ze understands these beings far better than I do. Let me know what you find, and I'll join you in a little, Hosk?"
Squall's eyes sparkle, happy to have the company. You both head out, walking slowly after Hosk, "I really appreciate you coming along, Captain." Ze slips an arm in the crook of yours, walks beside you. Do you flinch away or say anything?
Ze snickers, "They're not so different, just fixated on one way of thinking about the universe. They see math as the key to everything, so it influences every part of their culture. You and me, we consider ourselves more well-rounded, but lately, I wonder if they've got the right idea. Focus, you know? My monkey mind has been all over the map. I had no clarity, no purpose. I'm not saying advanced string theory is how I want to write poetry, but I am enjoying feeling like I'm the captain of my own ship, so to speak."
You head again through the iris, into the clean and chaotic environment of the nexus point of the station. Squall looks over the datapad ze picked up for visitors, picks a hoverlift and you both start moving down. Squall looks up at you, "And since I brought it up. How are you feeling about being the captain of your own ship?"
"I did it out of necessity, Squall. I mean, it was never my plan to go wildly in debt to a Hutt and incidentally become owner of a ship and a small business. But it feels... right. Even after the kark-up on Iyuta, I considered falling apart for a minute, but realized it was just a setback. My crew was alive and mostly unhurt. My ship was flying. Everything else can be fixed." I take a look at the signs in the hoverlift. Who expresses directions as complex derivatives? Not so different? "I'm grateful to you and Hosk and Jojee. More than I can express. I hope you know that. Amy, too. For as long as she's with us, she's crew."
With utter sincerity, Squall says "Well, I've served under a few captains now. Jaina was a top notch pilot, really organized, but she let her heart get in the way of running the ship. Kelborn was a hot mess, emphasis on the hot. She was exciting, and fun, and nearly ruined me. Leeadra was really great, at first. But then Cander happened and I got in the middle of it, which made it worse. It kept getting worse, like this inevitable downward spiral that I gave up and let myself slide down. I lost myself for a while, and you saved me." The lift stops on a level filled with bland shops with trinkets and consumables inside.
"And here I am now, with captain number four." Ze says it like it's a badge of courage. "You're able to delegate without micromanaging. You genuinely care about each of us, but you hold us to a reasonable standard. And you aren't afraid to get your hands dirty. That puts you at the top of my list, Captain.... Captain Shade." Ze grins at the end, like calling you "Shade" is weird in zir book
With a couple gestures across the datapad, Squall brings up a little 3-D image of the station and starts pointing out a few areas, "There's a great Observation Tower here. This station handles most of the extraplanetary diplomacy, so there's an entire sector for ambassadors on third level. Several museums, one's for fractals, it's awesome. Some shops, too, one has a bunch of mind games that look interesting. Ah, there is a night club, a casino, but I've heard it's super rigged. Anything catch your fancy?"
"I'll go where you want, Squall, except the night club and casino. Let's do the Fractal Museum first." If it's awesome, why not? Fractals are pretty kriffing mind boggling.
"I was hoping you'd want to try out the Fractal Museum!" Squall says excitedly. Ze grabs your hand and practically skips down the corridor to the museum.
The place is amazing, Ladro. The museum is a mix of hand painted designs based off fractals captured in specific moments to 3-D displays that interlock and weave in and out of each other. There are computer displays showing the math behind each of them. Several Givin stand nearby to "explain the formula" to anyone who asks.
This is enchanting. These images of fractals, abstract and yet so familiar, like seeing the repeating patterns of life frozen in all the colors of the spectrum. "They understand beauty, Squall, even if they insist on showing how the trick is done by exposing the math. This is... thank you."
Squall hugs you, zir trim body so small against your chest. Ze thrills at the thanks, "My pleasure, Captain."
As you're heading out of the museum, ze says, "I want to pick up some ale, or some brandy. Head back to the ship to work on repairs.... and maybe Amy, too." Ze gives you an impish grin.
I return the hug comfortably. "Have fun, Squall. Don't cross any wires that aren't supposed to be crossed. Let me know before you spend more than a few hundred credits, okay? I trust you, but I like to get the bad news up front. And... I owe Amy. She really showed up, back in those sewers. Owe Hosk and her an arm at least, if not my life. I'm still pretty sure some of her wires are crossed, but... Yeah, have fun. I'm going to see what kind of trouble Hosk is getting into."
Squall nods, "Sure, Captain. Even if it is a little over, I can cover it. Listen, I know this is a job for Hosk and Jojee. For me, it isn't. This is, well, it's where I'm meant to be. The credits are just nice to have." Ze leaves the guide datapad with you, makes zir way back towards the shop that sells intoxicants and then the Profit Margin.
You head out to find Hosk? You catch up to him at a little bar called Quartile. It's connected to the casino, and the trick at the bar itself is rolling cubes for what you pay for your drinks. Hosk is hot in the middle of a dice game with a chubby Rodian. There's a pair at the bar near him that you recognize. It's that Devaronian female with the goggles and her Wookie companion, who she called Chak. You last saw them on Nar Shaddaa. She doesn't notice you coming in, she's jabbering away at the quiet Wookie.
Chak certainly noticed us on that lift, back on the Smuggler's Moon, but I doubt the Devaronian can focus her eyes, given the speed her mouth is always moving. I join Hosk at the bar. "Won enough to buy me a drink yet, Hosk?"
Hosk gives you a head shake of greeting as the fat Rodian tosses cubes. "I thought the captain bought rounds?" He chuckles and waves at the bartender to pass you some cubes.
It's not so bad, a bit overly sweet. But you realize after a couple drinks that the sugary flavor masks some potent intoxicants. You back off, I assume. Hosk isn't drinking to get drunk, either. Well, no higher than three.
After a half hour of sitting and talking, mostly Hosk telling tales about the Clone Wars, the Devaronian female grabs the empty stool on your other side. She elbows you, trying to get your attention.
The Devaronian female looks up at you, the light of the bar glinting off her goggles, "My friend Chak over there says he knows you. I think he's mistaken. What do you think, stranger?" She's got a half-smile on her face, but she also has a gun belt on, too.
"Well," Kee begins. "I could lie and say I lost a bet with Chak. But really, it's just good business to chat with travelers from time to time. Especially ones who travel to Nar Shaddaa all the way to Yag'Dhul. Say, I never heard of the Profit Margin before. What's she like?" First trick of pilots, get them to crow about their ships.
"Just sold my soul for her a month ago. You'll be hearing plenty, I'm sure. She's a YV-560, well used but also well-loved. Enough space for cargo, enough speed to stretch out into a run when needed. With a good pilot, which I have, she's kriffing cherry."
Kee bounces her head along in an agreeable fashion as you extol the virtues of your ship. "Sounds cherry. The Liar's a YX-1980. Similar to the YV's, but I like that she's more modular. Still, can't argue with the style of the 560's. Sounds like she's worth a soul or two." Kee raises her glass to you, "To soul-worthy ships, and the souls who fly them."
After a few more drinks, she asks, "I heard you ran across a couple bounty hunters? Sisters?"
After washing down the last of her drink, Kee turns the glass over, sets it on the bar and motions for another. "I've heard of them. Nagai sisters, very good at their jobs, but they work for the Empire now, mostly. So I hate them." She spits on the floor, then grins at you.
"Well, there's one less of them working for the Empire now. Huneen and Longstrider are done for. Pa'Ahnna limped away." I'm not trying to sound self-satisfied, but a little of that probably creeps into my voice.
Kee's eyes widen, "Wow. That's zeng. I mean, the other sister will swear a bloodoath to kill you, but hey, that means she won't be taking much work for the Empire, so double zeng. Here, let me buy you a drink." She waves to the bartender, gets you a refill.
Yes, Hosk heard that. He turns around to look over at you, shakes his head as if it's probably true.
I shrug, trying for a nonchalant, "What's another blood oath?" kind of thing. My first sip of the new drink is more like a gulp, though. "So, what kind of business do you and Chak do?"
"We're in the transport business." Kee answers evasively. Then, she adds, "No questions asked kind of transport. Far and wide across the galaxy. Anything to keep moving, see new places, stay ahead of our last spot of trouble." She takes a big drink.
You notice Chak has stood up from his table and is walking over. Not quickly, not in some big hurry, but he's noticed or decided something.
Chak towers over you all, of course, being a Wookie. He's broad as well, which is rare for Wookies, only making them more dangerous. "Kee, you getting chummy? We're not talking payloads, are we?" Chak says in his native tongue.
"Not at all, Captain," Kee chirps, unfazed. "Rumors are true, he zapped Huneen!"
The Wookie peers at you, Ladro. <"Do you speak Wookie?">
Chak does that Wookie laugh. <"Your Wookie is rough, Kiffar. Speak Basic."> He doesn't sound like he disapproves that you can speak it, at least. <"The Bothan is a soldier. I know his bearing. He serves you?">
The Wookie looks over at Hosk, who glares right back at him. He answers you, <"That's how it works. Leaders serve. Captains serve more. You new to the work?">
Comments
Amarath holds up her left hand, "Apologies, Ladro. Heat of the moment, should've respected your authority. And, yeah, the whole Chilla-Hanna thing, I should've pushed harder on that."
Hosk asserts, "I don't know about Shade, but if we don't get paid, I don't get paid, Ladro. This is our ship, we took the job, and I karked up, too."
I try not to look as relieved as I feel. "I appreciate that, both of you. Sorry for the abrupt change of topics, but Hosk, did we manage to unload the fish?"
So... drop out of hyperspace at Yag'Dhul, hoping we weren't followed, fighting if need be. Contact Alanna somehow and get her the update as soon as possible, yell a little about being sent out with busted intel. Try to pick up some paying work, then head in the right direction to clear Sark's mining camp job, one way or the other.
"We'll need everyone back at stations as we come out of hyperspace, in case we were followed." I look at the countdown. "You've got an hour and twelve minutes. And yes, Squall, please take me to the med bay." I'm sure this fatigue and shakiness is just an after effect from the monster's paralytic slime. Of course it is.
Hosk nods, "Yeah, we moved them quick. I wasn't sure how long we'd have, so I didn't haggle for a great price, but we got what I expected."
Squall leads you to the med bay as Hosk and Amy head to their rooms to wait for a bit. Squall keeps looking at your arm, "How much sensation do you have? You should get some bacta on it. I'm glad you didn't seal it up with a gluestik like Amarath. That's... really unhealthy."
"Thanks, Hosk. What was the return?"
"Sensation's returning, bit by bit. Still couldn't aim my blaster, but I think I could hold it now, at least. And don't worry, I won't glue myself together unless my intestines are falling out." I'll try to argue against bacta, for cost reasons, but I'll give in if Squall's insistent.
"Five hundred. I think, if we wanted, we could maybe set up a trade for consumer goods there. You know, trinkets and poodoo. Little luxuries. They've got booze covered."
Squall insists on bacta, "to make sure".
I submit to the bacta grudgingly. "You're going to have to be the one to talk to the Givin, if we need to. Pretty sure you're the only one onboard that could even begin to keep up. Is that okay?"
As Squall wraps your arm after applying bacta, "Okay? It would be my pleasure Captain. I haven't spoken with a Givin in years." Ze makes a tiny bit of small talk about how the Givin mix in formula an anecdotes and asides. Then, ze drops zir voice and says, "Listen, I know it's awful timing. But when I was wrapping up Amy, I got kind of a vibe off her. I think maybe she is interested. What do you think?"
"Only one way to find out, Squally, and it's not by asking me."
"Oh, Ladro," Squall says as ze pats your uninjured arm. "You never make anything easy, do you?" Ze grins.
I blink innocently. "Now, why would I do that? Making things difficult is a skill I've honed and practiced over years, Squally. Years. And you want me to give it up now?"
"We all have our special skills." Squall agrees. "If Amy plays her cards right, she might find out one of mine." Ze waggles her brows suggestively, fingers playing on your forearm.
The bacta has stabilized your arm and all feeling returns, which means a tiny stab of pain, too. In time it will be completely healed, probably a couple days.
Anyone else to check in with as you wait to come out of hyperspace?
I head back to the Captain's chair. Best view in the house. I'll make ready on shields and be sure everyone's at their station. Amy's on call to put out fires, literally or figuratively. Central, close to most possible boarding spots if it comes to that.
After three minutes of waiting, with nothing coming through, you're hailed. What comes through is Basic in tone and speech, but nothing but numbers. Jojee patches through to the Engine Room and you get to hear Squall start spouting back answers, it falls into a back and forth rhythm, almost like a poem with call and response. Squall even giggles at one point, but comes right back with a numerical sequence.
Then, you see two ships, sleek and paired, come into normal space. It's the ships that followed you out of Iyuta, Ladro. Hosk is waiting for your order, soldier to the end.
What do you do?
"Stand by, Hosk. Going to attempt to talk to them first." I hail the ships directly. "Unknown ships, this is Gavon Cavi of the Margin of Error. I notice you've been following us. I assume you're lost and looking for directions?"
"Yes, we are in Yag'Dhul. What is your business with the Margin?" I know Hosk has a bead drawn on one or the other. Off the transmission. "Anyone familiar with a pair of sisters? Huneen and Pa'Ahnna? Ships are Longstrider and Far Reacher."
Amarath yells out from her seat right by Hosk and the turret gun, "Bad news, Ladro! Start shooting now!"
Meanwhile, Squall is chattering away with Yag'Dhul, But ze drops onto ship's comms with some urgency, "Captain, these other ships are NOT welcome in Yag'Dhul space. Something to do with warrants on them for taking a bounty on one of their Formulamastrixes. They are asking if we're affiliated."
No business with me, really? "Here's Yag'Dhul's answer, Squall. Hosk, take your shot." I line up on the Far Reacher, take the shot once I have it.
And yes, they have some orbital laser platforms as well as automated ion cannons on asteroids in a nearby field.
(Rolled: 2d6+1. Rolls: 3, 5. Total: 9)
Jojee may not be a combat pilot, but she's got the reflexes to be. She manages to make us a difficult target while keeping shots clear for Hosk and me.
Take definite hold.
Suffer little harm.
Impress, dismay, or frighten the sisters.
The Profit Margin takes some fire from the Far Reacher, along the aft. The ship lurches to one side, but it feels like you've taken only minor damage. You hear Amarath calling out to Squall for instructions on where the fires are, and Squall has to break out of a series of numbers to answer her.
The starboard side of your field of vision lights up with laserfire as the Profit MArgin banks hard in pursuit of the Longstrider. You see the Far Reacher scoot across the windshield with fire sparking off the engines, ina n odd tailspin.
"Dwang! That is a LOT of guns! Yag'Dhul has our back!"
The Longstrider is in your sights, Ladro. You could finish it off here and now. You're rather sure Amarath wouldn't lie about the danger they pose. What do you do?
I take the shot. "Finish it."
Hosk yells and whoops excitedly through the comms, "Great shot, Lad!"
"The Far Reacher is limping away. Cap, you want to pursue? The fight's out of her."
"Let her go. Hope she'll remember not to kriff with us in the future, whatever name we're using." Over the ship's comm, "Good work. Damage report soonest please, Squall."
"Yessir, Captain. I think I can get us permission to land on Yag'Dhul if you like. I'd like to give her a once over to make sure. Doesn't feel like she'd have trouble flying, though."
Jojee cuts off her mic and leans over, "Docking fees on Yag'Dhul aren't cheap. They have some serious gravity to contend with. I suggest we can limp back to Devaron."
"Any chance we can make a cred or ten between here and Devaron? We can't afford to deadhead back if there's any choice. Squall? Did our little display of decisive violence earn us any love?"
Squall comes back on the comms, "You know, Captain. They did seem more than eager to assist us once I notified them who was on our tail. You might be able to finagle either a reward or at least some favorable trade. I'm happy to act as interpreter. Just be advised... Givin are not very pretty."
"Neither is Hosk, Squall, but I can still stomach talking to him most days. See what sort of meeting you can set up."
Hosk growls over the comms, "That WAS on an open channel, Lad." Squall titters at that. Even Jojee snickers, but she shuts off her mic again.
I chuckle myself at the predictable response. I suppose it's not that different from what Amy does to him, but I don't pull it when the blasters are out. I'll unstrap and tour the damage myself while I wait for Squall to tell me what ze's arranged with the Givin.
Squall looks up from zir work, "It's not so bad, Captain. I'll need to do some rewiring and patching, and our filtration system will be working off the secondary power plant. I'd like to get a good look at her in dock before I give any official estimates for the work, but it'll be a few hundred credits at least. Good news is we've got landing clearance."
"Clearance with a meeting arranged, or just clearance? That's a deep gravity well."
Squall puts her zir hydrospanner down on a tray, "There's a huge bureaucracy down there. I'm working on it." Ze slaps zir hands together, a kind of "Dusting off" motion, "Tell you what, Ladro. I'll get you a meeting. And if you get enough credits out of it, I'd like to spend a day here. Just one day. Some Givin I'd like to meet."
"That's a deal, Squall." I know exactly what we need to average in a day*, of course, to make The Plan work, but I'm not going to split hairs. Happy Squall pays off in the long run.
* That's 671 credits, give or take.
You and Squall are walking out of the airlock onto the station. Ze's eager to check this place out, "This station is a rarity. Since Givin can survive in a vacuum, they don't put vent systems on their ships. They don't use navicomputers, either." Ze's practically skipping down the long corridor.
This space station is a wonder of design, using eight rotating doughnuts to produce artificial gravity. Each doughnut is on a different axis, so one can be walking along, and look up to another ring and see someone walking upside down. It's bizarre and a bit unsettling.
At the end of the corridor is a female Givin. She wears long white and purple robes, hiding all but her head and hands. She has secondary sexual characteristics, which is how you guess at the gender. As you come closer, passing through ribs of the corridors support structure, blocking rays of sunlight above you, she calls a greeting, which is a quadratic formula. Squall snorts a laugh and calls back another formula.
The Givin switches to Basic, "I am Nisil Nalas. Welcome, Captain Ladro Shade and Engineer Squall Onondb."
"Nisil Nalas, thank you for your welcome. I am sorry to limit you, but I am not as fluent in either mathematics or your linguistic usages as my Engineer is."
Squall inclines her head, "The captain is gifted in many other pursuits, Nisil Nalas. He is also a close friend. Might I ask if Sladru Larr is still active within the Body Calculus?"
Nisil inclines her head, "He is. He has sent numbers of greeting to you, Squall Onondb. He called you the unknown number."
That gets a chuckle out of Squall. Ze looks over at you, "He's pretty conservative, doesn't believe you can choose your gender. Or choose to not identify one. Ones and zeroes, he would tell me."
"I appreciate your... flexibility, Nisil Nalas." When they move on to their jovial, calculus-and-gender-based conversation, I can only shrug (mentally, not physically). "One and zeroes can never cover the full ground. If nothing else, there's that imponderable square root of negative-one. I've wondered if they chose i to represent that, however many thousands of years ago, because I is equally unfathomable."
A moment later, Nisil says, to Squall, "You did not do him justice. He is very clever. Normally, Kiffar are very rude. Especially the clanless."
"He is I."
Nisil nods, then turns and begins walking along the corridor ahead of you. Squall urges you to follow. Without looking back at you, counting on the corridor to carry her voice, Nisil says, "It is my understanding that you may have proposals for us, Captain Shade?"
I follow, of course, trusting Squall's cues in this environment. "It is more that I'm hoping that you have a proposal for me, Nisil Nalas. It seems I have done you a favor, and I'm anxious to hear how the Givin intend to balance the equation. I know that's children's algebra, but my mind is not as attuned to the music of numbers as yours."
Nisil turns around, her back to the spectacle as she faces you, "What is it that you would want us to provide as recompense for your work? You did negate the Longstrider, after all."
"I don't ask recompense for doing what benefited me, only an understanding that the act benefited us both. Rather than reward, perhaps... a day for my Engineer to connect with zir acquaintances here, and a profitable cargo for Devaron, or some service you need performed that will fill my tanks and leave credits to pay off debts before they spiral out of control?"
I lay it out. The math says 671.42857 and "change" per day, ideally. I'm assuming that the 5K creds from the Alliance are going back TO the Alliance, since the mission was a bust. "Given travel time, I need at least 4,889 credits to make this month work for me, at bare minimum. I give you that figure out of respect. I'm sure the bounty on your Formulamastrix was higher, given the reputation and defenses of this area of space."
She considers for a moment. "Perhaps a profitable cargo could be a proper solution. I will pore over our current exportable listed items and see what could be transported to Devaron." She looks at you, "Do you wish to see the list to compile a suitable load, or would you accept a suggested cargo list?"
Squall doesn't butt in, but ze seems to think the suggested list is the way to go.
"I trust that you will reach an optimal solution without my interference, Nisil Nalas. I will accept the cargo you offer. I only hope that this is the first step in an increasing sequence. Please do arrange for my Engineer to have a pass."
"No questions for now, Nisil Nalas. Thank you for your hospitality."
Squall reaches down to take your left hand in zirs, "Wow. Wasn't she impressive? I've never been to this station, Lah, I mean, Captain! I'm going to take a walk around. What about you?"
"I'd love to wander around with you Squall. First, though... let's go back to the ship and let the others know the situation." As we walk, I ask, "Is there anything we need to be cautious of, here? Laws, customs, that sort of thing."
Squall considers for a moment, then answers, "The system sits right on two trade routes, so standard laws apply for the most part. Punishments are normally twice as harsh, so we'd better tell Amarath to be careful, right? And there's nothing like, a uhm, red light district or anything."
I'm fairly tolerant of diverse appearances... it's a big galaxy. But I shudder at the thought of a Givin "red light district." "Thanks, Squally." When we get to the ship, I call everyone together. "We're on the station for two standard days. Feel free to wander around, but let's keep the ship as home base. Squall's going planetside for a bit. And listen, the laws are pretty standard here, but the penalties are harsh, so try not to get in trouble."
Jojee listens in, but replies, "I'm not going anywhere until this baby is completely repaired."
Amarath shrugs, "Givins are freaky. I'd rather stay on ship and eat free food, help out in the Engine Room." Squall grins a little.
Hosk chuckles, "Well, I'm heading out. Every station has at least one good bar. Ima go find it." He puts on his wide-brimmed hat and sticks an unlit deathstick in his mouth to go. He looks over at you, "What about you, lad? Coming or staying?"
"I'm going to go walkabout with Squall for a little. Ze understands these beings far better than I do. Let me know what you find, and I'll join you in a little, Hosk?"
Squall's eyes sparkle, happy to have the company. You both head out, walking slowly after Hosk, "I really appreciate you coming along, Captain." Ze slips an arm in the crook of yours, walks beside you. Do you flinch away or say anything?
I start walking a little straighter, like a Core World dandy on a promenade, and give Squall a wink.
"I appreciate you sharing the time. I know you're excited to see this place, and the Givin have me out of my depth a little."
Ze snickers, "They're not so different, just fixated on one way of thinking about the universe. They see math as the key to everything, so it influences every part of their culture. You and me, we consider ourselves more well-rounded, but lately, I wonder if they've got the right idea. Focus, you know? My monkey mind has been all over the map. I had no clarity, no purpose. I'm not saying advanced string theory is how I want to write poetry, but I am enjoying feeling like I'm the captain of my own ship, so to speak."
You head again through the iris, into the clean and chaotic environment of the nexus point of the station. Squall looks over the datapad ze picked up for visitors, picks a hoverlift and you both start moving down. Squall looks up at you, "And since I brought it up. How are you feeling about being the captain of your own ship?"
"I did it out of necessity, Squall. I mean, it was never my plan to go wildly in debt to a Hutt and incidentally become owner of a ship and a small business. But it feels... right. Even after the kark-up on Iyuta, I considered falling apart for a minute, but realized it was just a setback. My crew was alive and mostly unhurt. My ship was flying. Everything else can be fixed." I take a look at the signs in the hoverlift. Who expresses directions as complex derivatives? Not so different? "I'm grateful to you and Hosk and Jojee. More than I can express. I hope you know that. Amy, too. For as long as she's with us, she's crew."
With utter sincerity, Squall says "Well, I've served under a few captains now. Jaina was a top notch pilot, really organized, but she let her heart get in the way of running the ship. Kelborn was a hot mess, emphasis on the hot. She was exciting, and fun, and nearly ruined me. Leeadra was really great, at first. But then Cander happened and I got in the middle of it, which made it worse. It kept getting worse, like this inevitable downward spiral that I gave up and let myself slide down. I lost myself for a while, and you saved me." The lift stops on a level filled with bland shops with trinkets and consumables inside.
"And here I am now, with captain number four." Ze says it like it's a badge of courage. "You're able to delegate without micromanaging. You genuinely care about each of us, but you hold us to a reasonable standard. And you aren't afraid to get your hands dirty. That puts you at the top of my list, Captain.... Captain Shade." Ze grins at the end, like calling you "Shade" is weird in zir book
"That means a lot, Squall." And it does. "So is there anything actually interesting on that tourist guide? Show me the good stuff, Engineer!"
With a couple gestures across the datapad, Squall brings up a little 3-D image of the station and starts pointing out a few areas, "There's a great Observation Tower here. This station handles most of the extraplanetary diplomacy, so there's an entire sector for ambassadors on third level. Several museums, one's for fractals, it's awesome. Some shops, too, one has a bunch of mind games that look interesting. Ah, there is a night club, a casino, but I've heard it's super rigged. Anything catch your fancy?"
"I'll go where you want, Squall, except the night club and casino. Let's do the Fractal Museum first." If it's awesome, why not? Fractals are pretty kriffing mind boggling.
"I was hoping you'd want to try out the Fractal Museum!" Squall says excitedly. Ze grabs your hand and practically skips down the corridor to the museum.
The place is amazing, Ladro. The museum is a mix of hand painted designs based off fractals captured in specific moments to 3-D displays that interlock and weave in and out of each other. There are computer displays showing the math behind each of them. Several Givin stand nearby to "explain the formula" to anyone who asks.
This is enchanting. These images of fractals, abstract and yet so familiar, like seeing the repeating patterns of life frozen in all the colors of the spectrum. "They understand beauty, Squall, even if they insist on showing how the trick is done by exposing the math. This is... thank you."
Squall hugs you, zir trim body so small against your chest. Ze thrills at the thanks, "My pleasure, Captain."
As you're heading out of the museum, ze says, "I want to pick up some ale, or some brandy. Head back to the ship to work on repairs.... and maybe Amy, too." Ze gives you an impish grin.
I return the hug comfortably. "Have fun, Squall. Don't cross any wires that aren't supposed to be crossed. Let me know before you spend more than a few hundred credits, okay? I trust you, but I like to get the bad news up front. And... I owe Amy. She really showed up, back in those sewers. Owe Hosk and her an arm at least, if not my life. I'm still pretty sure some of her wires are crossed, but... Yeah, have fun. I'm going to see what kind of trouble Hosk is getting into."
Squall nods, "Sure, Captain. Even if it is a little over, I can cover it. Listen, I know this is a job for Hosk and Jojee. For me, it isn't. This is, well, it's where I'm meant to be. The credits are just nice to have." Ze leaves the guide datapad with you, makes zir way back towards the shop that sells intoxicants and then the Profit Margin.
You head out to find Hosk? You catch up to him at a little bar called Quartile. It's connected to the casino, and the trick at the bar itself is rolling cubes for what you pay for your drinks. Hosk is hot in the middle of a dice game with a chubby Rodian. There's a pair at the bar near him that you recognize. It's that Devaronian female with the goggles and her Wookie companion, who she called Chak. You last saw them on Nar Shaddaa. She doesn't notice you coming in, she's jabbering away at the quiet Wookie.
Chak certainly noticed us on that lift, back on the Smuggler's Moon, but I doubt the Devaronian can focus her eyes, given the speed her mouth is always moving. I join Hosk at the bar. "Won enough to buy me a drink yet, Hosk?"
Hosk gives you a head shake of greeting as the fat Rodian tosses cubes. "I thought the captain bought rounds?" He chuckles and waves at the bartender to pass you some cubes.
"Think about gambling where the people speak in math, Hosk." I shake my head, but toss the dice anyway.
Hosk snorts, "Why do you think I'm dicing against a Rodian?"
Your dice come up 3 and 4. The bartender pushes forward a thick, bluish liquid in a wide glass.
I'm not going for any level on the Standard Galactic Drunkenness Scale tonight, but I'll take a sip of the blue sludge. For the taste, as it were.
After a half hour of sitting and talking, mostly Hosk telling tales about the Clone Wars, the Devaronian female grabs the empty stool on your other side. She elbows you, trying to get your attention.
I turn. "Yes?"
The Devaronian female looks up at you, the light of the bar glinting off her goggles, "My friend Chak over there says he knows you. I think he's mistaken. What do you think, stranger?" She's got a half-smile on her face, but she also has a gun belt on, too.
"I recall seeing the two of you, yes. Months back, but you're a distinctive pair. Don't recall Chak from before that, though."
She offers a hand. "Call me Kee. Chak and I fly the Grinning Liar."
I accept the hand, give her a firm shake. "Ladro Shade. The Profit Margin."
Kee squeezes your hand. "What brings you to Yag'Dhul?"
"Currents. Fractal kriffing from the universe. You?"
Kee arches her brows, considers it for a moment, then answers, "We're looking for a Givin engineer."
"That would be a coup, for sure. So, if I'm not being rude, why poke me in the ribs?"
"Well," Kee begins. "I could lie and say I lost a bet with Chak. But really, it's just good business to chat with travelers from time to time. Especially ones who travel to Nar Shaddaa all the way to Yag'Dhul. Say, I never heard of the Profit Margin before. What's she like?" First trick of pilots, get them to crow about their ships.
"Just sold my soul for her a month ago. You'll be hearing plenty, I'm sure. She's a YV-560, well used but also well-loved. Enough space for cargo, enough speed to stretch out into a run when needed. With a good pilot, which I have, she's kriffing cherry."
Kee bounces her head along in an agreeable fashion as you extol the virtues of your ship. "Sounds cherry. The Liar's a YX-1980. Similar to the YV's, but I like that she's more modular. Still, can't argue with the style of the 560's. Sounds like she's worth a soul or two." Kee raises her glass to you, "To soul-worthy ships, and the souls who fly them."
After a few more drinks, she asks, "I heard you ran across a couple bounty hunters? Sisters?"
I meet Kee's toast. "Yes, we did. Huneen and Pa'Ahnna. It was quite a scrap. Have you heard of them?"
After washing down the last of her drink, Kee turns the glass over, sets it on the bar and motions for another. "I've heard of them. Nagai sisters, very good at their jobs, but they work for the Empire now, mostly. So I hate them." She spits on the floor, then grins at you.
"Well, there's one less of them working for the Empire now. Huneen and Longstrider are done for. Pa'Ahnna limped away." I'm not trying to sound self-satisfied, but a little of that probably creeps into my voice.
Kee's eyes widen, "Wow. That's zeng. I mean, the other sister will swear a bloodoath to kill you, but hey, that means she won't be taking much work for the Empire, so double zeng. Here, let me buy you a drink." She waves to the bartender, gets you a refill.
Yes, Hosk heard that. He turns around to look over at you, shakes his head as if it's probably true.
I shrug, trying for a nonchalant, "What's another blood oath?" kind of thing. My first sip of the new drink is more like a gulp, though. "So, what kind of business do you and Chak do?"
"We're in the transport business." Kee answers evasively. Then, she adds, "No questions asked kind of transport. Far and wide across the galaxy. Anything to keep moving, see new places, stay ahead of our last spot of trouble." She takes a big drink.
You notice Chak has stood up from his table and is walking over. Not quickly, not in some big hurry, but he's noticed or decided something.
"I get that. Forward momentum is good." I turn slightly to keep Chak in my line of sight, and wait for him to arrive.
Chak towers over you all, of course, being a Wookie. He's broad as well, which is rare for Wookies, only making them more dangerous.
"Kee, you getting chummy? We're not talking payloads, are we?" Chak says in his native tongue.
"Not at all, Captain," Kee chirps, unfazed. "Rumors are true, he zapped Huneen!"
The Wookie peers at you, Ladro. <"Do you speak Wookie?">
<"A bit. It hurts my throat, though.">
Chak does that Wookie laugh. <"Your Wookie is rough, Kiffar. Speak Basic."> He doesn't sound like he disapproves that you can speak it, at least. <"The Bothan is a soldier. I know his bearing. He serves you?">
"Hosk is a soldier, yes. He is on my crew, so I serve him as much as he serves me. That's how it works, isn't it?"
The Wookie looks over at Hosk, who glares right back at him. He answers you, <"That's how it works. Leaders serve. Captains serve more. You new to the work?">