I smile. "Squally, I know you'd move a mountain if I asked you to, and I believe you'd figure out the best way to do it, too. This doesn't have anything to do with my faith in you or your abilities. The decision is made, though. This isn't a negotiation."
Being captain isn't always pushing the big shiny button, unfortunately. I've already said what needs saying, and an apology would weaken the argument. "Anything that needs doing with the Margin while we're 'home', Squall? Let me know what I can do, okay?"
Squall resumes zir proper posture, "I've got some cleanup on the logs, FC found some things, showed me how to adjust a few others. The ship's in good shape, though."
"Glad to hear it. Do make sure to get a little R&R while we're here, okay? If things work out, our next 'job' is going to be taking a run straight at Sark, so I'll need everyone rested and ready."
Squall nods, agreeing without hesitation. Ze starts to go, but pauses, looks up at you, "Captain... is the thing I have going with Amarath a problem? Do you, ah, need me to stop or anything?"
It almost seems like Squall wants me to ask zir to stop. "Is it distracting you? Keeping you from doing your best work? As your captain, it doesn't seem like it. I trust you to put your ship and crew first." I meet zir eyes. "As your friend, though? Amy pushes boundaries constantly, has since she was young. I don't want to see you hurt. Do you think you should stop?"
Squall processes that, "I..." ze looks down for a moment, unsure of the words. "I like her. I... dwang, this is hard to say. But, I want to see her smile. And... happy. Like, she's been karked up for a while, and I know she's damaged. But... I am, too. It's... it's stupid. I should be fixing myself. I know."
I nod. "Squally, we're all karked up. Every last kriffing one of us. But you're right. You need to make sure that you don't lose sight of your own path." I put a hand on zir shoulder. "You know I'm here if you need me. But... I'm not going to put myself in the middle of your personal life. If you feel like being with Amy is too much of a risk, I'm happy to talk through it, but I'm not going to tell you what to do."
For a long moment, ze looks in your eyes, trying to read you, see the words for what they mean. Ze finally nods, "Alright. Thanks, Ladro." Ze steps closer, here in private, away from the crew, puts zir arms around you for a squeeze.
I do a walkthrough of the ship, listening to the familiar creaks and groans of her settling in for a rest, the ticking of the ventilation system. If I come across anyone, I greet them but move on unless they stop me. After my little tour, I set off for the Rainstick.
You come into the Rainstick and find Amarath and Jojee at a table with about four miners. Hosk is at a table with his bestest Bothan friend.
Jojee stands up when she sees you, raising her mug, "Oh captain, my captain! I saved you a....." She looks around at the seats, which are taken up by miners. "I almost saved you a seat!" She snickers.
Amarath kicks a chair hard enough for a portly guy to tumble out, onto his face. She points with her cyberarm, "Look, Ladro! I got you one!" She laughs at Jojee, "Looks like I win again, Purple!" They laugh, the miners laugh with them.
Hosk actually seems involved in a conversation with Lo Sei'Sei, but he gives you a nod. He's always alert.
I give them both a grin. We can afford a day of hangover, even if FC has a fix on Sark tonight. And we... I've earned a night off. Still not going to go too far on the Standard Galactic Drunkenness Scale, but also not going to worry about my crew or Amy. I help the displaced miner to his feet, but definitely take the chair.
With a lazy grin, Amarath quips, "Oh, you know. Who's the sexiest. The funniest. The smartest. Just "est". And I keep winning. Over. And over."
Jojee makes a dismissive gesture with her hand, "Amy's just torked off ever since she found out I'm a bonafide model." She bats her eyelashes and looks around at the miners. "Who would you fellas rather see in a Miss Geshix original? Me? Or... her?"
The miners laugh, a couple admit Jojee is who they'd rather see. One chubby one claims Amarath, which makes the cyborg scowl. One remains neutral, wisely. Jojee takes that as a victory, and Amy busies herself with her drink.
After a minute of drinks and joking around, Amarath looks at you, then does a head jerk like, "let's go talk".
"Sent the message out, like normal. Got one back. But it was too quick, came as soon as I opened the channel, which means it was waiting for me." She hands you a data crystal, "It's a set of coordinates and a date-time sequence, four days from now. I'll run the coordinates by Squally later."
"I'll take it, Amy. Much as I sometimes want your head to explode, spontaneously, I don't want it to happen because that sister-kriffer pushes the button. I've got this, you go back and keep being the -est."
That bit about not wanting her to be blown up gets a serious, thankful nod, "Well, if you insist, Ladro. Girl's gotta keep Purple from getting too cocky." She heads back to her table.
I assume you head on to the ship, then? You catch Squall before ze is done with zir work.
"Squally, sorry for the delay, but I need to interpret these coordinates. They were waiting for Amy when she sent the 'job done' message to Sark. If you're anxious to get off-ship, I can take them to FC or the astromech, but I'd rather you took a look."
Ze stifles a yawn when you first come in, but what you share perks zir up, "Yes, of course." Ze inserts the data crystal into a reader and works at the controls, reading all the coordinates with practiced ease. "It's on M'Haeli, a two day trip from here. Hunh, there's a karking map encoded. From here to there. He knows where we are, Captain." Ze dials in further, "There are details about a small house in the upper class residential section of N'croth. Annnd, a passkey code. Dwang."
"That's really annoying. He was keeping tabs before because Jojee was reporting our location and destination to him. I really hope we don't have another leak, Squally. That might break my heart."
"There are many more options. One of the droids could have a transponder that they're unaware of. We could have picked up something at the mine that we haven't found. I have to operate under the assumption that my people aren't karking me over, Squall. We're in the end game, regardless, or at least I hope so."
Ze relaxes a bit, relieved. "Alright. I just.. sorry." Ze ponders for a moment, "I think it's safe to assume FC isn't in Sark's pocket, since he wanted it destroyed. I'll ask FC for some help checking for transponder feeds or signals. But, Captain, I don't think it's coming from the ship. I really don't."
"I understand, Squall. Do you want me to stick around? Are you going to join us at the Rainstick once your space heinie of a boss stops giving you more work to do?"
Squall laughs a little when you make your self-deprecating remark. Ze fidgets, a little, before answering, "No. I'm. It's okay, I've got it. I'll just be a bit. Go keep Jojee from making a fool out of herself."
I chuckle. "When Jojee's in the mood to make a fool of herself, a herd of bantha couldn't keep her from it. But I'll give it a shot. I'm sure Amy's not egging her on or anything. See you soon?" I'll head back to the bar.
When you make it back to the Rainstick (it's only been half an hour or so), you see Jojee has her top pulled up to expose her tight little tummy, and one of the miners is doing body shots off of her. The guy's smiling like a loon, slurping up some yellowy gelatinous drink from her as she giggles. She's reveling in the attention.
Amarath catches you coming in the place and bellows, "Ladrooooo! I'm up to four and you don't even knoooooow! Come drink from the pilot!" She holds up a big mug of greenish, phosphorescent drink. She's got her flesh arm around a burly young miner with a big, thick beard.
Jojee looks over, eyes dancing, "Nope! No touchy, Captain! Nope!" She reaches down to muss the miner's blond locks, then pulls him up for a kiss, right there on the table.
You catch Lenard watching her closely from the bar, like he's taking notes more than anything. Hosk is still chatting with Lo Sei'Sei, leaning in, looking at some datapad the official has brought out.
It's been a long trip and a strange one, and I did tell them to let off some steam. I'll head to the bar first, order something filling and an ale, then take the drink back to join Hosk and Lo Sei'Sei. "Greetings, Lo Sei'Sei. Do you mind if I join you? I'm not in a body-shots kind of mood."
He looks up from the datapad, which is covered in some strange language and pictographs. He doesn't look embarrassed, just surprised because he was engrossed. "Of course, Captain Shade." He looks over at Jojee for a second, chuckles, and offers a playful smile, "I thought troubleshooters and troublemakers specialized in such things."
"Perhaps sometimes, but I think drinking yellow goo out of my pilot's belly button might muddy the waters a little bit. Not that I wouldn't enjoy it while it was happening, mind you." I take a look at Hosk. "If you don't mind my asking, the two of you seem pretty deep in conversation. What's got you so engrossed?"
Hosk shifts a bit, not incredibly comfortable with talking. "Lo was showing me, ah, some old texts. It's, well, not that big of a deal."
"Not that big of a deal?" Lo Sei'Sei says with some indignation. "We're talking about heritage. We're talking about..."
"We're talking about our dead relatives. And the karking Empire." Hosk says abruptly. He looks over at you, then clarifies, "We both lost family members in the Battle of Korriban."
I see Hosk's discomfort. He's talked about his time as a merc, but I realize now I know less about his family than he knew about mine, before Kiffu. "I don't want to interrupt or intrude... I can certainly amuse myself."
Hosk reaches over to put a furry hand over yours. "No, Lad. It's alright. I just..." His voice cracks a little. "I just heard. I didn't know my family was that deep in the Rebellion. And now... they're dead. Three cousins, a broodmate, my youngest sister. Then, they hunted down my brothers and my uncle after the fact. It was. It was a massacre." Lo Sei'Sei's ears droop in sadness for Hosk.
Hosk and I don't do affection or comfort, so I just say, "I'm sorry, Hosk. That's a lot of loss. Do you need some time? Should we try to... Listen, we don't need to always be chasing my problems and my life. We can make sure you get to where you need to be..."
Hosk pulls his hand back, puts it on his glass. He takes a drink before answering, "I haven't been close with my kin for a while. I, ah... I think I'll make a trip back to Bothawui soon, though."
Hosk nods, agreeing with the sentiment. After a few more drinks, he mentions heading back tot he ship to sleep it off. Do you try and convince him to stay or let him go?
So you stay at the table with Lo Sei'Sei or head to the bar? Lenard's at the bar, he's been watching you as well as the crew.
A few minutes later, Amarath stands up from the table on wobbly legs. She throws an arm around that bearded miner she'd been chatting with, and the two of them start walking out of the Rainstick together. Jojee, who is flitrting hardcore with the blonde guy, stops for a moment to watch them, but she doesn't do anything.
It's hard for me to hold back from cold-cocking both Amarath and the fuzzy miner, but I do. It's not my business, and it may help Squall make zir decision, even if ze gets hurt. I do have a quick flash-forward to Amy blaming me for not letting Squally get off the ship sooner.
When Hosk leaves, I give Lo Sei'Sie a polite nod and head to the bar. "Lenard, how are you tonight?"
I ponder. "Devaron's an easy enough run. On the way to and from a lot of places. I'll let you know next time we're headed that direction? Hopefully soon."
"Well," Lenard says. "We'll have another ready in a couple weeks. Don't keep me waiting too long, I'd like to stick with you, since I know we can trust you."
"Fair. If I'm not on the ground, Miss Geshix should usually at least know approximately when to expect the Margin back." I take a sip of my ale. "Thanks for the ale, by the way."
Lenard nods, like it's not a big deal for the ale, then turns back to watch Jojee. You see a very tired Squall come walking in the front door. Ze manages a small smile when ze sees you, then ze is looking over at Jojee. Jojee, for her part, is about to leave with that blonde. And maybe one of his friends, too, but that could just be coincidence. Seeing that, Squall peers about the bar, then comes over to sit by you.
"Hey Captain. Sorry it took so long." Ze orders a drink.
Squall got a clear drink, one that has a real kick to it. What's it called? Ze meets your salute with zir own glass, "Looks like Jojee's getting lucky. heh." Ze throws zir drink down.
I raise my eyebrow when Squall downs zir Viper Spit without blinking. I couldn't do it, myself. "Sure does. These miners don't know what they're in for with that one, I think." I'm ready for the Amy question, but I'm not going to volunteer.
Squall laughs at that, "No. She'll wear them out, I bet. She was griping about being lonely all the way home. I mean... if you call this place home." Ze taps the bar, asking for another drink.
At this point I'm just sipping my ale. "Yeah. We were gone for four weeks. That's a long time." I'm thinking about Ahji Dar now, hoping we can get things wrapped up while she's still taking her vacation.
"Yeah. Felt like forever." Ze gets the next Viper Spit, sips on it this time around. "What about you?" Ze doesn't look over, but you feel like ze means Ahji Dar.
"Stupid Sark. Cutting in on your Cathar time." Ze takes a bit more of a drink. There's a shift in zir posture, shoulders slump a bit more. "I think this Spit is making me sleepy, not drunk." Squall looks at the glass, takes another drink, puts it down.
"There's no shame in getting some rest, Squall. I think I'll head back soon, myself." It wasn't long ago - months? a year or two? - that there was very little more I wanted than to make enough creds to get drunk and kriffed when I had a night off, then start all over again the next day. It was easier, but I'm not sure it was as much fun as I thought it was.
Squall drains the rest of zir glass, puts it down on the bar softly. "Well, I'm done. Walk back with me?" Ze stands up, waits to see if you're coming or not.
Ze chuckles again, "Least I can do, Captain." Ze walks with you, close but never touching. The night has a bit of a chill on the air. Jojee is long gone, so is Amarath.
"Is Ahji Dar your mate? Are you, well, exclusive?" Squall asks. Then, ze looks over, eyes slightly widened, "I'm not hitting on you. I'm just asking." Ze turns back to face the path to the hangar.
It's a good question, and I try to hide my amusement at Squall's embarrassment at having asked it. "We have something unique, but it's not exclusive. We just can't guarantee how often we'll see each other, and we don't begrudge each other the physical comfort."
I shake my head in mock dismay. "Am I not allowed to have any mystery, Squall? But I will give you an answer. Alanna and I did not kriff... at the falls." And that's true, as far as it goes.
That gets a snicker. Squall shakes her head, "Too bad, Captain." Ze grins up at you as you head to the airlock entry, "It's a great place for kriffing." Ze ducks zir head in, trying to stay ahead of you, heads towards zir room.
I give Squall a little swat on the shoulder as ze moves in front of me, then relent with a laugh. "Sleep tight, Squally." On the way past my quarters, I walk past Hosk's, check to see if the light is on. If it is, I'll check in on him.
Squall isn't exactly chipper when ze heads into zir quarters, but you helped brighten zir spirits a little. Yes, the light's on in Hosks' quarters. I assume you knock. The door opens.
He's sitting on his bunk, one of the trunks he always lugs around is nearby, slightly open. There's a holocube on the bed beside him, it's off. He's got a bottle of whiskey on the table near his bed. No glass. His ears are drooping, his face fallen. "Need somethin, Lad?"
Hosk squints up at you for a long time. He's obviously pretty drunk. The fur on his cheeks is wet. He looks over at the chair by his work desk, where he normally cleans his guns, sometimes carves a bit. "Well.... if we're going to talk about that, then grab a seat. And a glass."
I'm so used to thinking, "Hosk's got my back." It's about time for me to get his, I think. I grab a glass, pour myself a few fingers of amber liquid that I can smell even before I put it to my lips, and sit in the chair he indicated. "I'm here."
It takes Hosks a few more drinks before he starts talking. He flips on the holocube. You see a picture of a group of eleven happy Bothans. You barely recognize a much younger Hosk, picking him out mostly by his nose. Plus, he's the shortest in the group, you note. "That was the last snapshot of the family before I left. Everyone... all of them, they sided with the Republic. I signed up with the Traders. More credits. I told them they were fools, Lad. Giving up hard currency for some kriffing ideal. The Republic was broken back then. And that was before the Emperor. My father and I... we had some hard words before I left. Swore I'd never go back. But now...." He swallows hard, takes another drink, then pushes himself back against the wall and closes his eyes.
He sniffs. "Why did they throw their lives away, Lad? For some kriffing cause. For the karking Force. For a dead Republic that should never come back!" He wipes at his eyes, then hunches over a little.
I resist the urge to touch him, to reach a hand out. "I've never been much on politics, until recently, when the Empire reached out and touched me personally. Why do you think they did it, Hosk? What was it that they really believed in?"
He sighs, rubs his forehead a bit, "Fair rule. Equality. Self.... self-determination. Kriffing concepts. Promises and lies." He takes a breath. "You went on that job for Alanna for your brother. Or whatever. I did it for credits. Now... I just want to take the Empire down."
I nod seriously. In the face of Hosk's losses, my motives for slowly drifting toward the rebel cause seem petty, trivial. "I think it must be like that for a lot of people. Tyrants fall under the weight of their deeds, not because of concepts. So, what are we going to do, Hosk? No matter what happens with Sark, I don't think I can go back to only worrying about the next K-Credit."
Sad as Hosk's loss makes me, there's something about his surety that's reassuring. "You're right. If we're going to be stirring up trouble, well, Amarath's good at that. Okay, I'm going to think on how to approach Jojee, Squall and Amy." I take a good look at my old friend. "Let me know if you need anything, Hosk. I've got your back."
Hosk gives you a solid look, "I know you are. It's why I'm still here, Lad." He takes another swig, then says, "I appreciate you stopping by, Lad. But I'm about done for the night."
Comments
I smile. "Squally, I know you'd move a mountain if I asked you to, and I believe you'd figure out the best way to do it, too. This doesn't have anything to do with my faith in you or your abilities. The decision is made, though. This isn't a negotiation."
Ze deflates a tiny bit, "Well... you're the captain. Okay."
Being captain isn't always pushing the big shiny button, unfortunately. I've already said what needs saying, and an apology would weaken the argument. "Anything that needs doing with the Margin while we're 'home', Squall? Let me know what I can do, okay?"
Squall resumes zir proper posture, "I've got some cleanup on the logs, FC found some things, showed me how to adjust a few others. The ship's in good shape, though."
"Glad to hear it. Do make sure to get a little R&R while we're here, okay? If things work out, our next 'job' is going to be taking a run straight at Sark, so I'll need everyone rested and ready."
Squall nods, agreeing without hesitation. Ze starts to go, but pauses, looks up at you, "Captain... is the thing I have going with Amarath a problem? Do you, ah, need me to stop or anything?"
It almost seems like Squall wants me to ask zir to stop. "Is it distracting you? Keeping you from doing your best work? As your captain, it doesn't seem like it. I trust you to put your ship and crew first." I meet zir eyes. "As your friend, though? Amy pushes boundaries constantly, has since she was young. I don't want to see you hurt. Do you think you should stop?"
Squall processes that, "I..." ze looks down for a moment, unsure of the words. "I like her. I... dwang, this is hard to say. But, I want to see her smile. And... happy. Like, she's been karked up for a while, and I know she's damaged. But... I am, too. It's... it's stupid. I should be fixing myself. I know."
I nod. "Squally, we're all karked up. Every last kriffing one of us. But you're right. You need to make sure that you don't lose sight of your own path." I put a hand on zir shoulder. "You know I'm here if you need me. But... I'm not going to put myself in the middle of your personal life. If you feel like being with Amy is too much of a risk, I'm happy to talk through it, but I'm not going to tell you what to do."
For a long moment, ze looks in your eyes, trying to read you, see the words for what they mean. Ze finally nods, "Alright. Thanks, Ladro." Ze steps closer, here in private, away from the crew, puts zir arms around you for a squeeze.
I hold zir for a long minute before giving zir a kiss on the forehead. "Squally, you're going to be okay. That's an order."
I do a walkthrough of the ship, listening to the familiar creaks and groans of her settling in for a rest, the ticking of the ventilation system. If I come across anyone, I greet them but move on unless they stop me. After my little tour, I set off for the Rainstick.
Jojee stands up when she sees you, raising her mug, "Oh captain, my captain! I saved you a....." She looks around at the seats, which are taken up by miners. "I almost saved you a seat!" She snickers.
Amarath kicks a chair hard enough for a portly guy to tumble out, onto his face. She points with her cyberarm, "Look, Ladro! I got you one!" She laughs at Jojee, "Looks like I win again, Purple!" They laugh, the miners laugh with them.
Hosk actually seems involved in a conversation with Lo Sei'Sei, but he gives you a nod. He's always alert.
I give them both a grin. We can afford a day of hangover, even if FC has a fix on Sark tonight. And we... I've earned a night off. Still not going to go too far on the Standard Galactic Drunkenness Scale, but also not going to worry about my crew or Amy. I help the displaced miner to his feet, but definitely take the chair.
"So... what is it that you keep winning, Amy?"
With a lazy grin, Amarath quips, "Oh, you know. Who's the sexiest. The funniest. The smartest. Just "est". And I keep winning. Over. And over."
Jojee makes a dismissive gesture with her hand, "Amy's just torked off ever since she found out I'm a bonafide model." She bats her eyelashes and looks around at the miners. "Who would you fellas rather see in a Miss Geshix original? Me? Or... her?"
The miners laugh, a couple admit Jojee is who they'd rather see. One chubby one claims Amarath, which makes the cyborg scowl. One remains neutral, wisely. Jojee takes that as a victory, and Amy busies herself with her drink.
After a minute of drinks and joking around, Amarath looks at you, then does a head jerk like, "let's go talk".
I stand up and follow Amarath once she does the same. Once she's got us where she wants, I ask, "What's up?"
"Sent the message out, like normal. Got one back. But it was too quick, came as soon as I opened the channel, which means it was waiting for me." She hands you a data crystal, "It's a set of coordinates and a date-time sequence, four days from now. I'll run the coordinates by Squally later."
"I'll take this back now, Amy. Don't worry, I won't delay Squall too much."
With a slight bit of annoyance, "Well Ladro, I can kriffing do it. What's a half hour?"
"I'll take it, Amy. Much as I sometimes want your head to explode, spontaneously, I don't want it to happen because that sister-kriffer pushes the button. I've got this, you go back and keep being the -est."
That bit about not wanting her to be blown up gets a serious, thankful nod, "Well, if you insist, Ladro. Girl's gotta keep Purple from getting too cocky." She heads back to her table.
I assume you head on to the ship, then? You catch Squall before ze is done with zir work.
"Squally, sorry for the delay, but I need to interpret these coordinates. They were waiting for Amy when she sent the 'job done' message to Sark. If you're anxious to get off-ship, I can take them to FC or the astromech, but I'd rather you took a look."
Ze stifles a yawn when you first come in, but what you share perks zir up, "Yes, of course." Ze inserts the data crystal into a reader and works at the controls, reading all the coordinates with practiced ease. "It's on M'Haeli, a two day trip from here. Hunh, there's a karking map encoded. From here to there. He knows where we are, Captain." Ze dials in further, "There are details about a small house in the upper class residential section of N'croth. Annnd, a passkey code. Dwang."
"That's really annoying. He was keeping tabs before because Jojee was reporting our location and destination to him. I really hope we don't have another leak, Squally. That might break my heart."
"It's not me." Squall says quickly. "I don't think Jojee's still ratting us out. Hosk? Amy?"
"There are many more options. One of the droids could have a transponder that they're unaware of. We could have picked up something at the mine that we haven't found. I have to operate under the assumption that my people aren't karking me over, Squall. We're in the end game, regardless, or at least I hope so."
Ze relaxes a bit, relieved. "Alright. I just.. sorry." Ze ponders for a moment, "I think it's safe to assume FC isn't in Sark's pocket, since he wanted it destroyed. I'll ask FC for some help checking for transponder feeds or signals. But, Captain, I don't think it's coming from the ship. I really don't."
"I understand, Squall. Do you want me to stick around? Are you going to join us at the Rainstick once your space heinie of a boss stops giving you more work to do?"
Squall laughs a little when you make your self-deprecating remark. Ze fidgets, a little, before answering, "No. I'm. It's okay, I've got it. I'll just be a bit. Go keep Jojee from making a fool out of herself."
I chuckle. "When Jojee's in the mood to make a fool of herself, a herd of bantha couldn't keep her from it. But I'll give it a shot. I'm sure Amy's not egging her on or anything. See you soon?" I'll head back to the bar.
I return to the Rainstick and order some food and an ale.
Amarath catches you coming in the place and bellows, "Ladrooooo! I'm up to four and you don't even knoooooow! Come drink from the pilot!" She holds up a big mug of greenish, phosphorescent drink. She's got her flesh arm around a burly young miner with a big, thick beard.
Jojee looks over, eyes dancing, "Nope! No touchy, Captain! Nope!" She reaches down to muss the miner's blond locks, then pulls him up for a kiss, right there on the table.
You catch Lenard watching her closely from the bar, like he's taking notes more than anything. Hosk is still chatting with Lo Sei'Sei, leaning in, looking at some datapad the official has brought out.
It's been a long trip and a strange one, and I did tell them to let off some steam. I'll head to the bar first, order something filling and an ale, then take the drink back to join Hosk and Lo Sei'Sei. "Greetings, Lo Sei'Sei. Do you mind if I join you? I'm not in a body-shots kind of mood."
He looks up from the datapad, which is covered in some strange language and pictographs. He doesn't look embarrassed, just surprised because he was engrossed. "Of course, Captain Shade." He looks over at Jojee for a second, chuckles, and offers a playful smile, "I thought troubleshooters and troublemakers specialized in such things."
"Perhaps sometimes, but I think drinking yellow goo out of my pilot's belly button might muddy the waters a little bit. Not that I wouldn't enjoy it while it was happening, mind you." I take a look at Hosk. "If you don't mind my asking, the two of you seem pretty deep in conversation. What's got you so engrossed?"
Hosk shifts a bit, not incredibly comfortable with talking. "Lo was showing me, ah, some old texts. It's, well, not that big of a deal."
"Not that big of a deal?" Lo Sei'Sei says with some indignation. "We're talking about heritage. We're talking about..."
"We're talking about our dead relatives. And the karking Empire." Hosk says abruptly. He looks over at you, then clarifies, "We both lost family members in the Battle of Korriban."
I see Hosk's discomfort. He's talked about his time as a merc, but I realize now I know less about his family than he knew about mine, before Kiffu. "I don't want to interrupt or intrude... I can certainly amuse myself."
Hosk reaches over to put a furry hand over yours. "No, Lad. It's alright. I just..." His voice cracks a little. "I just heard. I didn't know my family was that deep in the Rebellion. And now... they're dead. Three cousins, a broodmate, my youngest sister. Then, they hunted down my brothers and my uncle after the fact. It was. It was a massacre." Lo Sei'Sei's ears droop in sadness for Hosk.
Hosk and I don't do affection or comfort, so I just say, "I'm sorry, Hosk. That's a lot of loss. Do you need some time? Should we try to... Listen, we don't need to always be chasing my problems and my life. We can make sure you get to where you need to be..."
Hosk pulls his hand back, puts it on his glass. He takes a drink before answering, "I haven't been close with my kin for a while. I, ah... I think I'll make a trip back to Bothawui soon, though."
I take a sip of my own ale. "We'll make that happen, Hosk."
I let Hosk go. It's not a time for me to force liquor on him and 'make' him party, and I need someone to be rested tomorrow. "Sleep well, friend."
A few minutes later, Amarath stands up from the table on wobbly legs. She throws an arm around that bearded miner she'd been chatting with, and the two of them start walking out of the Rainstick together. Jojee, who is flitrting hardcore with the blonde guy, stops for a moment to watch them, but she doesn't do anything.
It's hard for me to hold back from cold-cocking both Amarath and the fuzzy miner, but I do. It's not my business, and it may help Squall make zir decision, even if ze gets hurt. I do have a quick flash-forward to Amy blaming me for not letting Squally get off the ship sooner.
When Hosk leaves, I give Lo Sei'Sie a polite nod and head to the bar. "Lenard, how are you tonight?"
He motions to the bartender to refill your glass along with his. "Good. We did well on that shipment. Wondering when you'd be up for another?"
I ponder. "Devaron's an easy enough run. On the way to and from a lot of places. I'll let you know next time we're headed that direction? Hopefully soon."
"Well," Lenard says. "We'll have another ready in a couple weeks. Don't keep me waiting too long, I'd like to stick with you, since I know we can trust you."
"Fair. If I'm not on the ground, Miss Geshix should usually at least know approximately when to expect the Margin back." I take a sip of my ale. "Thanks for the ale, by the way."
"Hey Captain. Sorry it took so long." Ze orders a drink.
"Thanks for taking the time, Squall." When zir drink arrives, I raise mine in salute.
Squall got a clear drink, one that has a real kick to it. What's it called? Ze meets your salute with zir own glass, "Looks like Jojee's getting lucky. heh." Ze throws zir drink down.
I raise my eyebrow when Squall downs zir Viper Spit without blinking. I couldn't do it, myself. "Sure does. These miners don't know what they're in for with that one, I think." I'm ready for the Amy question, but I'm not going to volunteer.
Squall laughs at that, "No. She'll wear them out, I bet. She was griping about being lonely all the way home. I mean... if you call this place home." Ze taps the bar, asking for another drink.
At this point I'm just sipping my ale. "Yeah. We were gone for four weeks. That's a long time." I'm thinking about Ahji Dar now, hoping we can get things wrapped up while she's still taking her vacation.
"Yeah. Felt like forever." Ze gets the next Viper Spit, sips on it this time around. "What about you?" Ze doesn't look over, but you feel like ze means Ahji Dar.
"Way too long, Squally. Way too long... I'm hoping we can justify a run that lets me rendezvous with Ahji Dar very soon."
"Stupid Sark. Cutting in on your Cathar time." Ze takes a bit more of a drink. There's a shift in zir posture, shoulders slump a bit more. "I think this Spit is making me sleepy, not drunk." Squall looks at the glass, takes another drink, puts it down.
"There's no shame in getting some rest, Squall. I think I'll head back soon, myself." It wasn't long ago - months? a year or two? - that there was very little more I wanted than to make enough creds to get drunk and kriffed when I had a night off, then start all over again the next day. It was easier, but I'm not sure it was as much fun as I thought it was.
Squall drains the rest of zir glass, puts it down on the bar softly. "Well, I'm done. Walk back with me?" Ze stands up, waits to see if you're coming or not.
I stand, as well. I've got some thinking to do about Sark and what his message should be telling me. "Happy to, Squall. You can be my bodyguard."
Ze chuckles again, "Least I can do, Captain." Ze walks with you, close but never touching. The night has a bit of a chill on the air. Jojee is long gone, so is Amarath.
"Is Ahji Dar your mate? Are you, well, exclusive?" Squall asks. Then, ze looks over, eyes slightly widened, "I'm not hitting on you. I'm just asking." Ze turns back to face the path to the hangar.
It's a good question, and I try to hide my amusement at Squall's embarrassment at having asked it. "We have something unique, but it's not exclusive. We just can't guarantee how often we'll see each other, and we don't begrudge each other the physical comfort."
"Since I'm being nosy." Squall says, dropping zir voice a little, "Did you and Alanna kriff at the Falls?" Ze grins, a little twinkle in zir eyes.
I shake my head in mock dismay. "Am I not allowed to have any mystery, Squall? But I will give you an answer. Alanna and I did not kriff... at the falls." And that's true, as far as it goes.
That gets a snicker. Squall shakes her head, "Too bad, Captain." Ze grins up at you as you head to the airlock entry, "It's a great place for kriffing." Ze ducks zir head in, trying to stay ahead of you, heads towards zir room.
I give Squall a little swat on the shoulder as ze moves in front of me, then relent with a laugh. "Sleep tight, Squally." On the way past my quarters, I walk past Hosk's, check to see if the light is on. If it is, I'll check in on him.
He's sitting on his bunk, one of the trunks he always lugs around is nearby, slightly open. There's a holocube on the bed beside him, it's off. He's got a bottle of whiskey on the table near his bed. No glass. His ears are drooping, his face fallen. "Need somethin, Lad?"
I shake my head. "Do you? I know we're not big with the sharing, you and I, but if you want to talk, maybe tell me about your people?"
Hosk squints up at you for a long time. He's obviously pretty drunk. The fur on his cheeks is wet. He looks over at the chair by his work desk, where he normally cleans his guns, sometimes carves a bit. "Well.... if we're going to talk about that, then grab a seat. And a glass."
I'm so used to thinking, "Hosk's got my back." It's about time for me to get his, I think. I grab a glass, pour myself a few fingers of amber liquid that I can smell even before I put it to my lips, and sit in the chair he indicated. "I'm here."
It takes Hosks a few more drinks before he starts talking. He flips on the holocube. You see a picture of a group of eleven happy Bothans. You barely recognize a much younger Hosk, picking him out mostly by his nose. Plus, he's the shortest in the group, you note. "That was the last snapshot of the family before I left. Everyone... all of them, they sided with the Republic. I signed up with the Traders. More credits. I told them they were fools, Lad. Giving up hard currency for some kriffing ideal. The Republic was broken back then. And that was before the Emperor. My father and I... we had some hard words before I left. Swore I'd never go back. But now...." He swallows hard, takes another drink, then pushes himself back against the wall and closes his eyes.
He sniffs. "Why did they throw their lives away, Lad? For some kriffing cause. For the karking Force. For a dead Republic that should never come back!" He wipes at his eyes, then hunches over a little.
I resist the urge to touch him, to reach a hand out. "I've never been much on politics, until recently, when the Empire reached out and touched me personally. Why do you think they did it, Hosk? What was it that they really believed in?"
He sighs, rubs his forehead a bit, "Fair rule. Equality. Self.... self-determination. Kriffing concepts. Promises and lies." He takes a breath. "You went on that job for Alanna for your brother. Or whatever. I did it for credits. Now... I just want to take the Empire down."
I nod seriously. In the face of Hosk's losses, my motives for slowly drifting toward the rebel cause seem petty, trivial. "I think it must be like that for a lot of people. Tyrants fall under the weight of their deeds, not because of concepts. So, what are we going to do, Hosk? No matter what happens with Sark, I don't think I can go back to only worrying about the next K-Credit."
He nods, "It will be dangerous. We'll have to count on the crew. And... I think we should keep kriffing Amy on board. We'll need her."
Sad as Hosk's loss makes me, there's something about his surety that's reassuring. "You're right. If we're going to be stirring up trouble, well, Amarath's good at that. Okay, I'm going to think on how to approach Jojee, Squall and Amy." I take a good look at my old friend. "Let me know if you need anything, Hosk. I've got your back."
Hosk gives you a solid look, "I know you are. It's why I'm still here, Lad." He takes another swig, then says, "I appreciate you stopping by, Lad. But I'm about done for the night."
I nod, finish my whiskey, and take my leave. "Good night, Hosk." Time for me to get some sleep. Big days ahead.