Of course. I move out through the shop, thanking Miss Geshix on the way, and walk back to the Margin, to my quarters. I plug the datastick into my holovid projector.
An image flickers to life of Ahji Dar. She's wearing a flimsy, breezy halter top, looks casual.
"Hello, Ladro," she purrs. "I was very pleased to hear from you. I wanted to check in, with a little something special. I hope this finds you well. I am living well in a high rise on Fulluusub. I am taking a two month vacation after my last run. If you have some time, I would like to see you." She smiles that devious little smile she wears just for you. Then the transmission flickers off.
When I walk back out into the ship from my quarters, I have a smile on my face. I'll find Hosk and ask him to contact Miss Geshix about moving the goods we brought back.
Hosk gets to work on it with a quick, "Alright, Lad. I'm on it. You comin' by the Rainstick later?"
When you head by the Engine Room, you catch Amarath and Squall making out. It looks like Squally was working on post-flight checks and Amy came in and, well, made some moves on her.
Squall jumps when ze hears your voice, and quickly slips out of Amarath's arms, Ze stands up straight, "Uh, Captain, she's good. I'll have the repairs done by tonight.." Amarath makes a face at that. Squall ignores it, "I asked Jo to grab some parts for me, so as long as they're still open, which I assume, we're good to go tomorrow morning."
"Hey, Ladro," Amarath says as she leans against the wall, "You don't need Squall working all night, do you? It's totally your call, but I know for a fact Hosk is going out for drinks. Jojee, too"
Squall turns on her, a little irritated, "I want to fix the Profit Margin, Captain. Don't listen to Amy, okay? It won't take too long, just some part swaps, a bit of body work, some retouches, and she'll be assembly-line." Amarath rolls her eyes.
"Thanks, Squall. Amy... Squall has a job to do, and I appreciate that ze's good at it and dedicated to it. You don't work for me, but you are eating my food and breathing my air... why don't you spend some time coming up with a briefing on our special job. I'll buy a round at the Rainstick later, once everything's done."
"Already working on it, Ladro," Amarath quips as she pushes off the wall and walks out of the room. Over her shoulder, she says, "I'll hold you to that round."
I don't shake my head, but I'm tempted. "Squall, thanks for making the Margin your first priority. I'm not certain we'll be leaving in the morning, but it's important for us to be ready." I pause. "You're making me proud, Squally. I told Alanna that."
That recognition makes Squall grin. "Thanks, Captain." Ze gets back to work, "Amy's pretty zeng, but she's not sexier than my ship. No, wait... that sounds wrong. I mean... kark it, Captain. You know what I mean. Right?"
I crack a grin. "I know what you mean, Squall. I really do. And I love that you mean it." I move in to put my arm around her, give her shoulders a squeeze. "Need any help?"
Ze lays zir head on your shoulder for a second, enjoying the moment. "If you've got a few minutes, sure." Ze hands you a blowtorch and gets you working on a few little tasks.
Jojee shows up about a half hour later with a box of parts. She takes a few out and heads to the exterior of the ship for some of the body work. Do you stick around for the whole job?
Right now, there's no place I'd rather be than here, working with Jojee and Squall to give the Margin her beauty-rest shine. I chip in until the work's done or Squall kicks me out, whichever comes first.
With your help, the parts, Jojee doing the body work, you're able to get it done in about four hours. When you're done with the rewiring and internals and come out to check on Jojee's work, she's chatting with Hosk.
Squall and Jojee agree the work is done, and you can't disagree. Sure, there are a few scuff marks, but they were there before, or earned on the last trip, and they're pretty tiny. This is a ship is very good working order.
I assume you head off to the Rainstick. Amy's there already, she was drinking quietly at a table, munching on some fried whatnot, mostly keeping her from being bored, which she still is. Squall sits by her, Jojee sits across from her, Hosk takes the other side of Amarath, which means you get to sit between Jojee and Squall.
I settle in to my spot. "I believe a round is in order?" I call the bartender over and hand him the bottle of the 'good stuff' I cadged from the goods we brought back from Devaron. "I don't know if you usually do bottle service, but it's worth a hundred credits to keep this flowing for the finest crew in the galaxy, and our fellow traveler. Are we good?"
The bartender tonight is a grizzled Iktotchi. He looks at the bottle approvingly, then back up at you, "We're grand, Captain."
As you head back to your table, he follows and fills five glasses with the "good stuff". Amarath and Hosk recognize the bottle, Hosk giving a low whistle of appreciation.
After the bartender pours his drink, Hosk picks up his glass, looks down at the liquid for a moment, "This... was worth the wait."
Amarath leaves hers on the table, but answers, "It better be. heh. Been a while, holding this table for y'all. Had to give a bunch of miners the Amy stare to keep it safe."
"Sorry you were bored, Amy. Maybe you should take up a hobby. I'm sure Miss Geshix would be happy to teach you to sew..." After that, I raise my glass. "To the good stuff."
"That's true, Hosk." I'm sipping my brandy, not quaffing it. "We've done some good work and kept our skins mostly intact. I think we're going to make a real run of it."
After a few sips of zir drink, Squall mentions, "You know... the asteroid field here is mineral rich. We could retrofit the Margin as a mineral collector. I mean, if that kind of monotonous work was interesting."
"I suppose we could, but that seems like a waste of talent to me. I think we all thrive on at least a little bit of risk, or we'd already be doing something monotonous." I order some more fried somethings, more for the salt than anything else.
Your comment about risk makes Amarath feel like you're on her side about something. "That's what I'm talking about! Mix it up, get your nose dirty, take chances. That's a good Kiffar right there. Mining? Bah,"
Yes, a few miners nearby overhear that. You think Amarath might've said it a bit louder than she intended.
"Inside voice, Amy. Inside voice. And risk only makes sense when there's a reward that's worth it. I'm not talking about jumping off cliffs or drinking Corellian brandy with Jojee, here."
That gets a snort from Jojee, "That risk is alllways worth it." She raises her glass, clinks it with Hosk.
Amarath takes a gulp, then continues, "Cliff diving has a kriffing reward. It's amazing." Squall is watching Amarath like ze sees a ticking time bomb, but says nothing.
"Amarath Shade," Hosk says slow and plain. "For one night, can you just keep it down and drink your free booze?" Amarath shrugs, then finishes her drink.
I move the conversation on. "Jojee, Miss Geshix was over the moon... over all the moons that you got her some orders on Devaron. I think you've made us a real friend. Stop by and see her when you have a minute, okay?"
"Well, Squall, that would be as soon as Amarath takes time out from her busy schedule of provoking my crew and the locals and briefs us on the details." That came out a bit harsher than I meant, but it's still better than cold-cocking Amy again.
Amarath gives you a tight, smart-alek smile, "Well, Ladro, I came here after I did my work, which was to call up details on the mining outfit we need to hammer." She pulls out a small holocrystal and sticks it into her cyberarm. A small holo pops up, blue and 3-D, a miniature of a planet. "This is Alabash. A young world on the far edge of the Fakir sector. It has a very active volcano system covering most of the planet's surface. The conditions there have been thought to make any activity impossible."
"Our good friend Sark has found out that there is a small contingent in the Imperial Resource Procurement Bureau, that's the ReProBu, who have set up a very profitable facility that's pulling in six hundred tons of high-grade alantium a month from an automated mining station."
Squall adds helpfully, "Alantium is an important component in starship hull manufacturing."
"That's unfortunate, but I'm most interested in why an I.I. 'Captain' would want us to take out an Imperial mining facility of that value. Is it just a deep, deep game, or is he actually working against the Empire?" This has been eating at me. "Amy, what's your impression of the jobs you've run for him to this point?"
Amarath pointedly looks away from Squall when she answers, "I iced a middleman on Dathomir, a trader. He had me mow down a ship's crew after they did a pick-up of some mind-altering drugs bound for Nar Shaddaa, then drop it with some Toydarians. Some boring security detail in the shebbs-end of space. And getting captured on Kiffar to hand a message to short and fuzzy here."
"Tell me more about the security detail, Amy. I don't mean to grill you, but I'm trying to put these pieces together, figure out what we know and how to get out from under this."
Without argument, Amarath answers, "No, I understand. Trying to figure out weak spots. It was on this broken planet called Anoth, not even on any star charts. But Sark knew about it, sitting on it for who knows why. There were a dozen mercs there, all cutthroat sleemos. The facility was ancient, inhospitable, and like I said, boring."
"Okay, here's what I think... we do the Alabash job, but try to minimize casualties. If it's going to take us weeks to get there, we need to find ways to make some credits on the way. I'll gladly take any suggestions. But there is a kriffing strange thread running through Sark's jobs, and I need to get to him, to unravel that. Or end him. Haven't decided yet." I pour another round of shots from the bottle.
"My vote," Hosk says after taking a belt, "is that we end that karking sleemo."
"No, Hosk," Squall interjects, "I think there's enough irregularities in what Sark's asking you two to do to at least indicate he's two timing the Empire."
"There will be a reckoning, Hosk. No one uses me, uses my friends and crew against me, without consequences. I don't care what their goals are." I've been watching Amy this whole time. Hosk has had my back since we decided not to kill each other, and I trust Jojee and Squall with my ship and my life. Amy? I wish I could be certain she won't sell us out before I get some answers and fix this.
Amarath Shade is going to murder Sark the first chance she gets. Not out of anger or a sense that he did her wrong. She doesn't want to look weak. Plus, she wants to impress all of you.
Amy isn't looking to sell us out. That's enough for now. "So, Hosk, we need to find a route to Alabash that minimizes our losses, can you help out with that? We can coordinate with Jojee and Squall on the most optimal route, see what lies along the way. I know cargo isn't exactly our 'mission statement', but it seems like the fastest way to get from here to there without losing our shirts on the way. Amy, if you have contacts along the path, it would be a big help to share, but I don't expect you to give away trade secrets."
"On it. I'll work with Squally to plot a course, then wiggle the line around whatever planets have some cargo listed."
Amarath shrugs, "Not sure what I can do for you, Ladro. My work's hunting bounties and getting in dust ups. If I get any contract work, I can slide you some credits to get me there and for any drop-off."
"Okay, that's work covered. Amy, you and I and Hosk can go over whatever details you have on the mine itself while we're en route. Now, though..." I raise my shot glass. "We still have over a half-bottle of the good stuff, and I'm not taking it back to the Margin. Let's try not to provoke the locals, though, okay?"
Jojee raises hers right away, "No fights! Just drinks!"
Squall looks to Amarath, then raises zir glass, "Here here. The ship's.... shipshape, and we've got no work tomorrow. Let's get blitzed our of our brains!"
Hosk gives you a look that says "I'll keep an eye on everyone". Amarath tosses her drink down her throat and slams it on the table for another hit.
I make a mental note to give Hosk a raise as soon as the Margin is out of the debt hole, then give him a nod. I fill the glasses that need it, then take one more shot before heading back to the Margin and sleep. Daddy needs his beauty rest.
Hosk sticks around, leaving his glass half empty (he's that kind of guy). Jojee is there, tossing them back. After the crew finishes the bottle, she's already waving at the Iktotchi for another round. Even though Squall talked about getting blitzed, you think ze will be heading back not long after you. Amy's already subtly flirting with zir.
I send a message, through our encrypted dead drop, to Ahji Dar. It's a holo, like hers. "Taking care of some business, so I won't likely join you for a while, but I will definitely be there, hopefully with a lighter heart and less on my mind." I also send a message to my brother, just text. "Hoping to be less entangled soon. You should make an effort with Alanna." The limits of our communications make it easy for me to make that cryptic.
Some time after your recording is complete and sent, you hear the giggling of Squall and Amy as they come into the ship. They head into Amy's room and the sound of their conversation is muffled, then stops. There are "other sounds" not long after, but it's pretty low.
In the wee hours, you hear a singing Jojee coming in. She's talking to Hosk, drunk off her shebbs and pretty happy about it. She ends up in the common room for a while, talking loudly with Hosk. After maybe a half hour, she heads to bed, then so does Hosk.
Comments
Of course. I move out through the shop, thanking Miss Geshix on the way, and walk back to the Margin, to my quarters. I plug the datastick into my holovid projector.
"Hello, Ladro," she purrs. "I was very pleased to hear from you. I wanted to check in, with a little something special. I hope this finds you well. I am living well in a high rise on Fulluusub. I am taking a two month vacation after my last run. If you have some time, I would like to see you." She smiles that devious little smile she wears just for you. Then the transmission flickers off.
When I walk back out into the ship from my quarters, I have a smile on my face. I'll find Hosk and ask him to contact Miss Geshix about moving the goods we brought back.
Hosk gets to work on it with a quick, "Alright, Lad. I'm on it. You comin' by the Rainstick later?"
When you head by the Engine Room, you catch Amarath and Squall making out. It looks like Squally was working on post-flight checks and Amy came in and, well, made some moves on her.
I clear my throat. "How's our baby, Squall? What's the plan for finishing the repairs?"
Squall jumps when ze hears your voice, and quickly slips out of Amarath's arms, Ze stands up straight, "Uh, Captain, she's good. I'll have the repairs done by tonight.." Amarath makes a face at that. Squall ignores it, "I asked Jo to grab some parts for me, so as long as they're still open, which I assume, we're good to go tomorrow morning."
"Hey, Ladro," Amarath says as she leans against the wall, "You don't need Squall working all night, do you? It's totally your call, but I know for a fact Hosk is going out for drinks. Jojee, too"
Squall turns on her, a little irritated, "I want to fix the Profit Margin, Captain. Don't listen to Amy, okay? It won't take too long, just some part swaps, a bit of body work, some retouches, and she'll be assembly-line." Amarath rolls her eyes.
"Thanks, Squall. Amy... Squall has a job to do, and I appreciate that ze's good at it and dedicated to it. You don't work for me, but you are eating my food and breathing my air... why don't you spend some time coming up with a briefing on our special job. I'll buy a round at the Rainstick later, once everything's done."
"Already working on it, Ladro," Amarath quips as she pushes off the wall and walks out of the room. Over her shoulder, she says, "I'll hold you to that round."
I don't shake my head, but I'm tempted. "Squall, thanks for making the Margin your first priority. I'm not certain we'll be leaving in the morning, but it's important for us to be ready." I pause. "You're making me proud, Squally. I told Alanna that."
That recognition makes Squall grin. "Thanks, Captain." Ze gets back to work, "Amy's pretty zeng, but she's not sexier than my ship. No, wait... that sounds wrong. I mean... kark it, Captain. You know what I mean. Right?"
I crack a grin. "I know what you mean, Squall. I really do. And I love that you mean it." I move in to put my arm around her, give her shoulders a squeeze. "Need any help?"
Ze lays zir head on your shoulder for a second, enjoying the moment. "If you've got a few minutes, sure." Ze hands you a blowtorch and gets you working on a few little tasks.
Jojee shows up about a half hour later with a box of parts. She takes a few out and heads to the exterior of the ship for some of the body work. Do you stick around for the whole job?
Right now, there's no place I'd rather be than here, working with Jojee and Squall to give the Margin her beauty-rest shine. I chip in until the work's done or Squall kicks me out, whichever comes first.
"So, how are we doing? First round at the Rainstick is on me, once I know we're done with the needful."
I assume you head off to the Rainstick. Amy's there already, she was drinking quietly at a table, munching on some fried whatnot, mostly keeping her from being bored, which she still is. Squall sits by her, Jojee sits across from her, Hosk takes the other side of Amarath, which means you get to sit between Jojee and Squall.
I settle in to my spot. "I believe a round is in order?" I call the bartender over and hand him the bottle of the 'good stuff' I cadged from the goods we brought back from Devaron. "I don't know if you usually do bottle service, but it's worth a hundred credits to keep this flowing for the finest crew in the galaxy, and our fellow traveler. Are we good?"
As you head back to your table, he follows and fills five glasses with the "good stuff". Amarath and Hosk recognize the bottle, Hosk giving a low whistle of appreciation.
After the bartender pours his drink, Hosk picks up his glass, looks down at the liquid for a moment, "This... was worth the wait."
Amarath leaves hers on the table, but answers, "It better be. heh. Been a while, holding this table for y'all. Had to give a bunch of miners the Amy stare to keep it safe."
"Sorry you were bored, Amy. Maybe you should take up a hobby. I'm sure Miss Geshix would be happy to teach you to sew..." After that, I raise my glass. "To the good stuff."
After he downs his glass in a long gulp, Hosk says, "Not a half bad crew you got here, Lad."
"That's true, Hosk." I'm sipping my brandy, not quaffing it. "We've done some good work and kept our skins mostly intact. I think we're going to make a real run of it."
After a few sips of zir drink, Squall mentions, "You know... the asteroid field here is mineral rich. We could retrofit the Margin as a mineral collector. I mean, if that kind of monotonous work was interesting."
"I suppose we could, but that seems like a waste of talent to me. I think we all thrive on at least a little bit of risk, or we'd already be doing something monotonous." I order some more fried somethings, more for the salt than anything else.
Your comment about risk makes Amarath feel like you're on her side about something.
"That's what I'm talking about! Mix it up, get your nose dirty, take chances. That's a good Kiffar right there. Mining? Bah,"
Yes, a few miners nearby overhear that. You think Amarath might've said it a bit louder than she intended.
"Inside voice, Amy. Inside voice. And risk only makes sense when there's a reward that's worth it. I'm not talking about jumping off cliffs or drinking Corellian brandy with Jojee, here."
That gets a snort from Jojee, "That risk is alllways worth it." She raises her glass, clinks it with Hosk.
Amarath takes a gulp, then continues, "Cliff diving has a kriffing reward. It's amazing." Squall is watching Amarath like ze sees a ticking time bomb, but says nothing.
"Amarath Shade," Hosk says slow and plain. "For one night, can you just keep it down and drink your free booze?" Amarath shrugs, then finishes her drink.
I move the conversation on. "Jojee, Miss Geshix was over the moon... over all the moons that you got her some orders on Devaron. I think you've made us a real friend. Stop by and see her when you have a minute, okay?"
That piques Amarath's interest, "How did you get that crazy old bat orders, Jo?"
Jojee squares her shoulders like she's prepping for a martial arts match, "I wore a dress she made for some people on Devaron."
Amarath grins and looks Jojee up and down for a second, "What do you charge? To model?" Squall frowns a little at that.
Jojee scoffs, "You can't afford me, Amy. Don't even think about it." Hosk shakes his head, a witness to an oncoming war.
Trying to get things moving on, Squall asks, "When's our next mission, Captain?"
"Well, Squall, that would be as soon as Amarath takes time out from her busy schedule of provoking my crew and the locals and briefs us on the details." That came out a bit harsher than I meant, but it's still better than cold-cocking Amy again.
Amarath gives you a tight, smart-alek smile, "Well, Ladro, I came here after I did my work, which was to call up details on the mining outfit we need to hammer." She pulls out a small holocrystal and sticks it into her cyberarm. A small holo pops up, blue and 3-D, a miniature of a planet. "This is Alabash. A young world on the far edge of the Fakir sector. It has a very active volcano system covering most of the planet's surface. The conditions there have been thought to make any activity impossible."
"Our good friend Sark has found out that there is a small contingent in the Imperial Resource Procurement Bureau, that's the ReProBu, who have set up a very profitable facility that's pulling in six hundred tons of high-grade alantium a month from an automated mining station."
Squall adds helpfully, "Alantium is an important component in starship hull manufacturing."
"Poodoo, Cap. The Fakir Sector is on the other side of Iyuta, probably a couple weeks from here."
"That's unfortunate, but I'm most interested in why an I.I. 'Captain' would want us to take out an Imperial mining facility of that value. Is it just a deep, deep game, or is he actually working against the Empire?" This has been eating at me. "Amy, what's your impression of the jobs you've run for him to this point?"
Amarath pointedly looks away from Squall when she answers, "I iced a middleman on Dathomir, a trader. He had me mow down a ship's crew after they did a pick-up of some mind-altering drugs bound for Nar Shaddaa, then drop it with some Toydarians. Some boring security detail in the shebbs-end of space. And getting captured on Kiffar to hand a message to short and fuzzy here."
"Tell me more about the security detail, Amy. I don't mean to grill you, but I'm trying to put these pieces together, figure out what we know and how to get out from under this."
Without argument, Amarath answers, "No, I understand. Trying to figure out weak spots. It was on this broken planet called Anoth, not even on any star charts. But Sark knew about it, sitting on it for who knows why. There were a dozen mercs there, all cutthroat sleemos. The facility was ancient, inhospitable, and like I said, boring."
"Okay, here's what I think... we do the Alabash job, but try to minimize casualties. If it's going to take us weeks to get there, we need to find ways to make some credits on the way. I'll gladly take any suggestions. But there is a kriffing strange thread running through Sark's jobs, and I need to get to him, to unravel that. Or end him. Haven't decided yet." I pour another round of shots from the bottle.
"My vote," Hosk says after taking a belt, "is that we end that karking sleemo."
"No, Hosk," Squall interjects, "I think there's enough irregularities in what Sark's asking you two to do to at least indicate he's two timing the Empire."
"There will be a reckoning, Hosk. No one uses me, uses my friends and crew against me, without consequences. I don't care what their goals are." I've been watching Amy this whole time. Hosk has had my back since we decided not to kill each other, and I trust Jojee and Squall with my ship and my life. Amy? I wish I could be certain she won't sell us out before I get some answers and fix this.
What does she intend to do?
Amy isn't looking to sell us out. That's enough for now. "So, Hosk, we need to find a route to Alabash that minimizes our losses, can you help out with that? We can coordinate with Jojee and Squall on the most optimal route, see what lies along the way. I know cargo isn't exactly our 'mission statement', but it seems like the fastest way to get from here to there without losing our shirts on the way. Amy, if you have contacts along the path, it would be a big help to share, but I don't expect you to give away trade secrets."
"On it. I'll work with Squally to plot a course, then wiggle the line around whatever planets have some cargo listed."
Amarath shrugs, "Not sure what I can do for you, Ladro. My work's hunting bounties and getting in dust ups. If I get any contract work, I can slide you some credits to get me there and for any drop-off."
"Okay, that's work covered. Amy, you and I and Hosk can go over whatever details you have on the mine itself while we're en route. Now, though..." I raise my shot glass. "We still have over a half-bottle of the good stuff, and I'm not taking it back to the Margin. Let's try not to provoke the locals, though, okay?"
Jojee raises hers right away, "No fights! Just drinks!"
Squall looks to Amarath, then raises zir glass, "Here here. The ship's.... shipshape, and we've got no work tomorrow. Let's get blitzed our of our brains!"
Hosk gives you a look that says "I'll keep an eye on everyone". Amarath tosses her drink down her throat and slams it on the table for another hit.
I make a mental note to give Hosk a raise as soon as the Margin is out of the debt hole, then give him a nod. I fill the glasses that need it, then take one more shot before heading back to the Margin and sleep. Daddy needs his beauty rest.
Anything you do at the ship before bed?
I send a message, through our encrypted dead drop, to Ahji Dar. It's a holo, like hers. "Taking care of some business, so I won't likely join you for a while, but I will definitely be there, hopefully with a lighter heart and less on my mind." I also send a message to my brother, just text. "Hoping to be less entangled soon. You should make an effort with Alanna." The limits of our communications make it easy for me to make that cryptic.
In the wee hours, you hear a singing Jojee coming in. She's talking to Hosk, drunk off her shebbs and pretty happy about it. She ends up in the common room for a while, talking loudly with Hosk. After maybe a half hour, she heads to bed, then so does Hosk.
--END SESSION--