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[SWAW] Corellian Shipments (21)
Ladro,
I'm curious how things went during your absence from the Profit Margin. I'm sure you are, too, leaving Hosk in charge of the crew as you took a week long vacation. Why don't you roll+Cool for me?
Hosk got the crew two jobs:
Piracy (2-cred / embattled)
Cargo hauling (1-cred / bushwhacked)
On a 10+, you get profit from both gigs. On a 7–
9, you get profit from 1; and catastrophe from the other (your choice which one was blown). On a miss, catastrophe all around.
Once we know how the gigs went, we'll know how the pick-up is handled.
I'm curious how things went during your absence from the Profit Margin. I'm sure you are, too, leaving Hosk in charge of the crew as you took a week long vacation. Why don't you roll+Cool for me?
Hosk got the crew two jobs:
Piracy (2-cred / embattled)
Cargo hauling (1-cred / bushwhacked)
On a 10+, you get profit from both gigs. On a 7–
9, you get profit from 1; and catastrophe from the other (your choice which one was blown). On a miss, catastrophe all around.
Once we know how the gigs went, we'll know how the pick-up is handled.
Comments
(Rolled: 2d6+2. Rolls: 2, 1. Total: 5)
"It looks worse than it is, Lad." Hosk says for the third time.
Squall adds,"I've sealed those bays, and while yes, they're open to space, and yes, our cargo capacity is half standard, we're not in any danger. Uhm, right now."
Hosk nods, eager for Squall's assistance for once. "Right, and we flipped transponder codes in time, so the Imps didn't know it was us that hit that freighter. I'm helping with repairs. We all are." Amarath shakes her head no, like "kriff no, I'm not working in zero-G on ship repairs".
This is not what I expected, at all. For a few minutes, all I can do is stare. At my precious ship. At Hosk. Squall. Amarath.
Finally, I give Hosk the Mandaloran's contact information. "Take care of this. Find a way to get the kriffing cargo on board. Squall, wait an hour, then come show me the detailed repair plan. I'll be in my cabin."
I walk up the ramp without saying anything else.
"It wasn't Hosk's fault. We were lucky to get out of there in mostly one piece, Cap." Her tone is a bit worried, definitely still frustrated.
I open the door, but don't step back to let her in. "I don't think I can talk about this without losing it yet, Jo. Please give me some time."
She steps back when she sees you, looks away, "Oh. Sure, sure. I get it. Sorry, Cap." She turns and heads off.
Precisely an hour after you boarded the ship, the door chimes. I assume you let Squall enter. What are you doing when ze comes in?
Squall has a datapad with zir, ,"If we do the work at Gristone, it's going to cost us eight thousand for the body work. If we go to Devaron, I can work it down a couple thousand." Squall's got the parts list, itemized, with references to the forty different markets where ze has searched and top three for each. You also see Rana Mas has been working with zir on this. Which means Lee knows.
I'm sitting on the edge of the bed, as I have been for most of the hour. Trying to get myself in check. Trying not to blame Hosk, trying not to blame myself, trying to get to the point where I can re-establish some forward momentum.
My voice is still flat and tightly controlled when I respond. "Here to Corellia to Devaron. Can we do that, with cargo, in the condition she's in now? How much risk?" The cargo will pay for the repairs, with a bit left over that will just cover the lost time while I was having my romantic interlude.
Squall answers while reaching up to rub zir head, "We're leaking some fluids despite my fourth re-route. I can get it there, Captain, but if we have any trouble, well, it's going to be trouble."
"How long will repairs take, on Devaron?"
After scratching at zir face, Squall answers, "If it's just me, directing the crew, three weeks. If I can hire a couple engineers, I can do it in one, probably."
"Alright." I get on ship's comms. "Meeting now in the common area."
I stand and walk out to the common area, assuming Squall will follow.
Once everyone's there. "At some point, we'll go over what happened, see what we can learn from it, but I can't do that right now. We need repairs, and we need this cargo. First stop, Devaron. Squall, you have whatever you need to get us fully operational as quickly as possible. Time is literally money, so I'm willing to make that tradeoff. Once there, everyone, including me, will pitch in. After the repairs, Corellia to drop our cargo. Hosk, how soon will we be loaded?"
Hosk, ears drooping, his coat sweaty from hard work, replies crisply, "Half an hour to get it loaded. Locked down fifteen after."
Jojee adds "I can get her off the ground as soon as Hosk gives me the all clear."
I nod. Seem to be doing that a lot since the Margin landed. "Okay. Hosk, can I speed things up by lending a hand, or would I be in the way?"
Hosk answers quickly, "It's nearly done. Amy's helping, Lad. We've got it." Amarath shrugs, like "yeah, we've got it, you'd be in the way".
"Alright, then. Let us know when we can go." I pause, about to turn back toward my cabin, then say, "Thanks, all. We'll get this taken care of."
Hosk starts lockdown after twenty five minutes. He and Squall work together on securing cargo while Amarath finishes up with clean-up. Ten minutes later, the Profit Margin lifts off for space. You can fell it, Ladro. The ship shimmies a little. Her balance is a little off. Sure, Jojee keeps her steady, but it's like she's limping a little. There are parts of the main corridor where the light browns a bit. There's some scoring around some fixtures, looks like the electronics fried at some point. Some open panels near the common room where Squall hasn't gotten to them yet.
When do you join the crew for a meal? What have you been doing in the meantime?
Traditions are traditions. I'm in the captain's chair to push the button when we enter hyperspace, although I'm not chatty. After, I spend a few hours going over the books and compose an encoded message to Darkal with the Imperial news I overheard, to be sent when we're back in the real galaxy. Should have done that before we left, but I was distracted, to say the least.
Then yes, I'll meet the crew for dinner.
Amarath? She's chatty as ever. She has a bottle of brandy she is drinking from while cracking jokes, mostly telling old hunting stories. There's a bit more bluster, like she's filling the space with her own ego.
What about you?
I mostly let Amarath run with it. It's a little grating, but familiar, at least. At some point, when she pauses to breathe, I'll tell the story of the giant worms in the cavern. I emphasize the danger, but don't really feel the need to exaggerate much.
Squall is drawn in by your story, "That... was a vacation? I thought you just went for sex and dancing. That's crazy!" Ze laughs a little, then looks over at Amarath, who rolls her eyes and chuckles, too. Seems to break some of the tension.
Jojee pointedly does not look over at Hosk, "Glad it was a good time, Cap. I'm going to take the rest of mine up to the bridge." She picks up her half-eaten plate and heads out.
This is going to need some fixing, but the real cure is time and success, not wise words from a captain. I nod to Jojee, giving her permission to withdraw, then turn my attention back to my plate.
Amarath hops up from her seat to grab a glass, then comes back, pouring you some brandy, "Ladro, how'd you get this haul to Corellia? I thought you were away from work?" She picks up her glass and starts draining it. She is getting drunk, by the way.
"Ahji Dar and I were gambling at a place owned by an old friend of hers. Happened to come across a fellow that needed some cargo moved. Apparently I'm that good, that I can find work even when I'm on vacation." I grab the glass and take a hit of brandy. Not the highest quality, but it burns nicely going down.
Squall leans over to Amarath, putting zir head on Amy, looking at you across the table, "That's zeng, Captain. I'm glad you had some luck. Got to spend some time with Ahji Dar. How are things with her? Progressing?"
Hosk huffs a bit, then scoots back, getting up.
Apparently it's not going to be so easy waiting to deal with the bantha in the room. "Hosk, we might as well get this over with. Walk with me to my quarters?"
"Alright, Lad." Hosk says as he stands, following you.
We enter my quarters, and I set the door to privacy while indicating that Hosk should sit. "So tell me, Hosk. What happened? I know you feel responsible, but I need to understand all the story, what role everyone played."
Hosk comes in, heads over to take a seat. "It started off with a simple cargo haul to Duro. It was a time sensitive run, and we were stopped by some Imps on the Correllian Trade Spine. The delay caused our karking stuff to spoil, so we lost out on those credits." His tone shows his frustration. His ears droop, shoulders with them.
"Then Amy comes up with a hot lead for a sweet freighter headed to Talfaglio, loaded with dataware and gear that would be easy to move. We chase them down in the system, but a pair of TIEs came along. We got into a scrap, thought we'd made it through, but then a transport came out of hyperspace, and before I knew it, a dozen TIEs were swarming us. Jojee got us out, but well, you saw what happened.."
"So, all Imperial interference, from the first step to the last. Any idea where that came from? Once makes sense. Three times in three attempts... do you think they were targeting the Margin, in particular?"
Hosk thinks before he answers, but eventually shakes his head "no", "I don't think so, Lad. The stop on the way to Duro was a routine thing, looked like they set up a flotilla to flag ships down. We were in a line of detained ships in the middle of karking space. As for the TIE and then the transport. I'm pretty sure the first TIEs let out a distress call before I blew them away. It just happened right on top of each other. I don't know if the freighter headed to Talfaglio was a decoy, though.... it crossed my mind."
"It's worth considering. Still not sure we're free of the influence of 'Captain Sark' and his Imperial cover. Anything stand out as exceptional? If not, I'm absolutely willing to chalk it up to a random Imperial kriffing."
It's obvious Hosk has thought about this one, "FC didn't give us a heads up that there was a traffic stop. You'd think it would know, right? It wasn't along for the ride, sent along that new astromech it programmed. FC's busy working on its own agenda or whatever, but I know it knew where we were headed. There shouldn't have been a surprise waiting for us. I keep thinking that. I confronted FC, but it said that by the time it was aware of the stoppage, we had already taken off. And, well, if the freighter was bait, then either Amy set us up, which I don't believe. Or, her sources set us up."
I nod thougtfully. "I'll keep an eye out, ask some questions of my own. Hosk, I want you to know that you did good work under hard circumstances. I'm heartbroken over the damage to the Margin, but I'm not angry. Not at you or the crew, certainly."
Hosk peers at you for a second, then looks down."I appreciate your trust, Lad. But I karked up. We lost creds on my watch. I wanted to be the Margin's First Mate, Lad. That can't happen if I can't run the ship in your absence."
I nod. "I admire that you're taking responsibility, Hosk. Just don't turn that into blame and let it make you second-guess too much. I depend on you. You're the only counterweight to this shipful of crazy females."
Hosk huffs a laugh. "Don't I know it, Lad. This kriffing ship is weird when you aren't around. Amy and Squall are bunking together, Jojee's still drinking like a fish and hooking up with three different miners whenever we go back to Gristone. Grumpy when she's off that rock. And you know I know grumpy." He shakes his head, "Guess that's the long way of saying... glad you're back." His upper lip curls into a bit of a grin.
"It's good to be back." I realize how true that is, despite the fact that I already miss Ahji Dar with an almost physical pang. "I'll check in with Jojee. It's strange for her not to want to be flying."
"Good luck. Though, she seems to open up to you more than anyone else." He stands up, thinking this is the end of the meeting. "Need anything?"
"Not for the moment. We'll get the Margin humming again soon. Thanks, Hosk."
I wonder briefly if it appears weak that I haven't raised my voice or raked anyone over the coals.
When Squall asks if you're going to visit Alanna, what do you tell her?
Anything you want to do before the Profit Margin lands on Devaron?
When Squall asks about Alanna, I realize (belatedly) that I can pass off my Imperial tidbit to her directly rather than risking communication directly with Darkal. "I'll visit her, yes. And don't look at me like that. I've got some information for her. Want me to bring her to the ship so you have some time to say hello?"
En route, I'm working as hard as anyone at the interior work that can be done while we're under way. I go to bed tired and wake up sore. I'll spell Jojee when she needs me to, and at one point I join her in the cockpit shortly after her shift starts.
"Jo, what's going on with you?"
Jojee shifts back in her seat to face you. She takes a second to move around, like maybe she was stuck in a pose and got a bit cramped. "What? Nothing. Just doing my thing. Why?"
"I love you, Jo, but cut the poodoo. Something's going on, and it's not just this setback. I thought you loved flying? Why do you always manage to be hungover when we lift off from Gristone? I'm worried that I'm losing you."
For a moment, Jojee just closes her eyes, exhales through her nose. "You're not losing me. Is karking Squally putting poodoo in your head? Ze needs to mind her own business. I'm doing the job, yeah? Right? I am, right, Cap?"
"Keep it cool, Jojee. You're doing the job great, and no-one is putting poodoo in my head. I'm worried about my friend, not my pilot. You don't seem happy. Why would you think Squall is telling tales?"
That gets Jojee a little fired up. She looks right at you, "Oh, come on. Squally's been in my business ever since she started up with Amy. And Hosk's, too! She's kriffing insufferable, always nosing around..." But Jojee's face breaks a bit, her voice trails off, she looks back at the sea of streaking stars buzzing by in hyperspace.
"Lenard Simril, you remember him? That miner who has us haul off that Guerrerite. He's offered me a ship, Cap. My own ship." She continues watching the stars, not saying any more.
What do you do?
Ouch. I keep my voice calm. "Captain or owner?"
Still not looking, "Captain, eventually owner. Kind of a lease to own thing. I'd pay down the debt until it was mine." She looks over to you finally, "Kinda like this deal, you know?"
"I'd think that would be a good thing, Jojee. Why are you acting like a gundark that fell off the wrong side of the bed?"
She looks back at the stars, chewing on the inside of her cheek. It's a nervous habit she's almost quit. "I refused him, Cap. Told him no." Her shoulders slump a bit, "I've been telling myself he was sketchy, the deal was rough. That I'd make credits on the Profit Margin, get a better ship. They're all good reasons..."
Why don't you Read a Person here?
(Rolled: 2d6+1. Rolls: 5, 1. Total: 7)
I stand and move behind Jojee's chair, putting my hands on her shoulders. "Jo, for what it's worth, I'm glad you made the choice you did. Personally, yes, because it would break my heart to see someone else in this chair. But also because Simril's a miner, not a businessman, and his whole model depends on the corporation not discovering that there's guerrerite to be had on Gristone. And they are going to figure that out, eventually. He's playing against time, and time always wins."
Your touch causes her to tense for a moment, but she forces herself to relax as you talk. "I know. And the ship was in really bad shape, too. I mean, Squall would've loved to have a big project like that, but the thing was karked." She seems relieved now, your assurance gives her some ground to stand on. "Time's beating me, too, though. It will be years before I can even front enough credits for a loan. And my rates will be awful. I feel like... like this is all I'm going to get. And it's great, please don't get upset, it's just... not what I told myself I was headed for. You know?"
I release her shoulders with a squeeze and move back to my own chair. "We'll get you there, Jojee. The galaxy isn't going to be content for any of us to take a predictable journey, I think. You'll have what you dream of, in the end."
"Yeah, facing down those Imps was a big lesson in how messed up the galaxy is right now. I'm glad I'm with the crew. Even if I have been a bitch lately."
"Thanks for talking with me, Jo. Want me to bring you some klava?" I stand.
Smiling as she turns back to the console, "Yes, please."
The ship lands safely at a hangar bar not far from your last trip here. Have you communicated with Alanna to set up a meeting? Squall is on the wire with the labor board already, ze's got some engineers lined up. The parts were ordered ahead, so now it's a waiting game for the parts to be delivered to the bay, the engineers to arrive, then it is time for work.
Doing anything on planet?
I'm assuming Squall doesn't need me around with actual professionals on hand, but I'll help with the ship in whatever way I can. I've already arranged to meet with Alanna at a cafe near the hangar. I'll invite her back to say hello to Squall afterwards. Other than that, I'm mostly just trying to stay out of trouble.
She rises when you come into the small alcove with your table. It's big enough for more than two, she didn't assume a level of intimacy between you. She moves forward to hug you hello, a kiss on the cheek, "Greetings, Ladro. Come, come, sit." She takes a seat beside you. "What brings you to Devaron? How are you and the crew?"
As we end the hug, I slip the encrypted datachip with my overheard information into Alanna's hand (and a precis about the resolution of the situation with Sark, with very little detail), then sit and answer her question.
"We're here for repairs. Truth told, we're not having our finest moment." I fill her in on what happened to the ship while I was away. "The ship will be fine. Squall's got things well in hand, but it's expensive and time-consuming. And time-consuming means it's even more expensive. There's also some relationship friction as a result, but time will heal that as well, I think."
Alanna orders a small bottle of Nabooan wine for the both of you to share. When the server leaves, she asks politely, "Anything I can help with?"
"Nothing particular. I bet Squally would love to see you though, even though ze's busy. Maybe stop by the hangar with me after we leave here?"
"Of course. I'd love to catch up, and I won't stay in the way." Alanna answers, then takes a bite of the small crackers provided as an appetizer. "I'm glad Squall's doing well, so happy for zir." She'll fall to polite topics, but you can tell there's something she's thinking about in the back of her mind.
I'll chat for a bit before I ask. "Seems like you've got something on your mind, Alanna. Anything you'd care to share?"
Alanna's mouth quirks a bit as she considers, "On my way here, I got a message that Lens Reekeene was captured. She's one of the leaders of the Roughnecks, a unit I'm pretty proud to have helped in the past, who've helped me several times. I put a call out to a few cells, but I haven't heard anything back. I'm worried."
"The Margin is grounded for about a week, and I've got a delivery to make, after, or a Hutt's might well feed me to one of his nastier pets, but I'll help if I can."
"Well... I could get hold of a ship, if you're willing to fly it. It would cost you a few days, if you need to leave in a week, I'm afraid."
"How much do you know? Can I do this with two?" Hosk might actually see this sort of thing as a treat.
She seems unsure about the complement, "The message was intercepted from an Imperial probe. I scrambled it, so it should buy some time. Lens must have put up a fight because the message said the capturing vessel was damaged and set down on Flankers. The sun in that system is going nova. Based on my calcs, if you leave in the next three hours from Devoran, once you arrive, you'll have nearly four standard days before the entire system is gone forever."
Alanna sits up, pulling out a small data crystal, "There used to be a standard garrison there, but it was scuttled in advance of the sun going nova. I' d wager that's where Lens is being held until the Empire sends reinforcements. I'm not sure how much time I've bought you, but the sensors on Iyuta don't show any activity headed that way. Yet." She clears her throat a little, "If you want to pick up some mercs for the op, I'll bankroll you."
Given Hosk's suspicions about Amarath, the friction of bringing her with us might not be worth the benefit of her skills. "Mercs works for me. Three hours isn't much time, but I'm sure Hosk can sort through the possibilities. Let's do this."
Alanna finishes her drink, "Good. I'll let you know if any of the cells get back to me, but for now, the op is yours. I know the Roughnecks will love you forever if you save their boss's hide, and any credits you save from hiring the mercs are yours." She keys in payment for the food. "I know Hosk can check with the guild on Devaron to bulk up. I really appreciate this, Ladro." She reaches a hand over to yours, offering her thanks.
I take her hand and give it a squeeze. "Let's head back to the hangar so you can say hi to Squally, and I'll get Hosk on it."
As you come upon the hangar, she slips away from your grasp, concerned for seeing Squall and not wanting to complicate matters. Squall's outside the ship, working on some spit welding the interior as a huge crane is lowering the replacement hull section. There's an Ugnaut and a female Devaronian there working on it with zir. Squall pops off her seat for a break to speak with Alanna.
Hosk gets to work looking for a team as quick as he's able. With half an hour, a Keshiri male comes strolling into your hangar.
"Hello, I'm looking for Captain Ladro Vos." the Keshiri says with an easy smile. "I'm Pemithe Navi. I hear you're looking for a team of, ah, security specialists. This is your lucky day."
What do you do?
I enjoy the closeness. Alanna is special. Beautiful and tough, but with a good heart beneath it all. I certainly don't rule out the possibility that the two of us will have another moment sometime in the future, but I'm not seeking it out, especially with Ahji Dar so recent in my memory.
I'll take Navi to sit down with Hosk and talk. "How long have you been in the business, Navi?"
"You can call me Pem." he says with a smile as you three sit down.
Hosk holds up a hand, Do you mean cousin Pem?"
Pem Navi grins, "My reputations proceeds me, I see. What stories did lil Jojee tell you about me?"
Hosk chuckles, You sure you want to know?"
"Hah... perhaps after we conclude negotiations," Pem responds smoothly. Then to your question, he answers, "We've been working together for five cycles, but our team lead and Strike Leader are both ex-Mandalorian military with five cycles on top of that."
"How many are you, and how soon are you available? Hosk, I assume you've already done some vetting on this team?" Jojee's cousin. Interesting.
Pem answers quickly, all smiles, "That's what's great, Captain. We've got seven bodies on Devaron, just got off an op, really fortunate for us both. It's a Cred per warm body for the op. I recommend a minimum of four. We've got a ship, I understand that's part of the request, that comes with the work, but fuel and supplies will be part of the expenses, of course."
Hosk answers, "They're a hitter team, did work for Hutts and a few merchant guilds, security and some other work that we don't need. They're good at what they do. The only other team I found was Vina Zon and Vurtigan."
Well, there's no time like the present, as baba used to say. "Let me get the lady with the creds, and we'll nail this down, then." I step out and motion to Alanna.
"Pem? What are you doing here?" She runs down the gangway and straight up to hug him, practically jumping in his arms.
Pem picks her up easily and squeezes her once, then answers as he sets her back down, "Oh, you know me, cuz. I've got a nose for work. Gonna help out your captain with a problem."
Alanna answers her comm, "Yes, Ladro? Any luck?."
"Costs are 4-Cred for four warm bodies and the ship. Fuel and supplies on top. Would be great to make something for Hosk and myself, as well." I can't start giving away work with the ship in repairs, wouldn't be smart.
Without hesitating, she answers, "I can front five thousand now, and I'll see about getting something together for you and Hosk afterwards. Does that work?"
"Of course. Let me know when the money's ready. Hosk and I will go grab our guys and talk it through."
"I will come your way right now with the credits. Be there soon."
While we wait for Alanna, I pull the crew together someplace private. "Hosk and I are going to take on a little side job while the Margin is getting patched up. Squall, please keep coordinating repairs as needed. Jojee, try looking around for a second cargo to Corellia when Squall doesn't need you, please. Amy, you're in charge of security. There are a lot of strangers running around our baby, and I want to make sure she's safe. Any questions?"
Amarath seems happy with being in charge of security, "I'll keep them all safe, Ladro." She puts an arm around Squall, who is literally still sweating a bit even now.
"No questions, Captain. Just be safe, you two." Squall looks pointedly at Hosk, who nods grimly.
"Squally, my middle name is Safety." Before Hosk and I head out, I pull Jojee aside for a quick one-on-one. "Listen, Jo, I hate to do this, but I need you to babysit a little. Just check in with Squall, keep an eye on Amy, do what you can to keep everyone out of trouble? Repairs should be done for a few days by the time we get back. We'll all celebrate together then."
Jojee nods like she's following along, "You worried Squally will work herself to death? I've got you covered. Oh, and Cap... don't bet or gamble with Pem. It never ends well." She pats your shoulder, "Tell Jazz I said hello.'
"I will. And thanks for the advice about your cousin. Take care, Jo." I grab my go bag and Hosk and head for the merc's ship.
Pem gestures to the red-headed female human who is wearing silver Mandalorian battle armor, "Captain Vos, this is our Team Lead..."
"I can speak for myself, Pem," the woman says, moving up to offer you a hand. She grips your forearm in greeting. "I'm Kelborn Visla. You can call me Kelb. Thanks for offering us the work, Captain."
She turns to wave a lazy hand towards her team, a finger stopping on the male human, "That's my Strike Leader Jaster Ordo."
This must be Jazz. He gives you a head nod of hello, his arms still crossed.
"And our fourth member for this op is... well, you can call her Nill." she gestures to the other female:
Nill gives one slow nod of greeting, never blinking. She looks like the kind of person who blends in really well.
Kelb continues, "The rest of the team will be taking furlough. Are you ready to board now?"
"Absolutely. Thank you, Kelb." I follow up the ramp and into the Nova Whisper.
Kelb leads you and Hosk to your bunks. You're sharing the quarters nearest the refresher. She lets you get settled, advising takeoff is in five minutes. She's the pilot, it seems.
Jaster sticks around after Kelb leaves to spin up the Whisper "I can tell you're a soldier there, Hosk. What about you, Captain? You don't look military." There's an easy stance to Jazz, he looks like he could throw a punch anytime he wanted.
I give a slow grin. "No soldier here. Plenty of fights under my belt, but I'm more about the less organized sorts of mayhem." I realize I probably need to establish my bonafides if this team is going to follow my lead when the hammer comes down, so I continue, making eye contact with Hosk first. Part apology and part request to back my play. "I pulled Hosk out of an Imperial jail, didn't I?"
Hosk nods, then gives Jazz a level look, "Lad didn't need some kriffing sergeant to teach him how to fight and lead. He's the best partner I've ever had, as well as the best captain. Plus... he's paying you guys top cred."
Jazz chuckles, "Oh, I'm pretty sure we'll earn it, Hosk. The Imps don't like losing prisoners."
How much does this team know about Lens, by the way?
Before we enter hyperspace? Not much. Then... as much as I do.
"Well, this sounds like fun. Lens, you say? She's one serious pilot. No wonder the Imps took some casualties catching her. Are you a Reb, Captain Vos?" The question doesn't sound like an accusation. Pem is disinterested in the answer, but Nill is watching you intently.
A glance to Hosk. "I suppose I am, Kelb. Surprises me as much as anyone."
Kelb huffs a laugh, "We've done a couple ops for Akbar before he became a big muckity muck. If the Alliance gets what they're after, then people like us will be obsolete..."
"Not karking likely." Jazz interjects. "New boss'll be the same as the old boss."
Kelb purses her lips, "Jaster old buddy, you never know. As for me? I'm good with becoming a washed up old battlehorse." Pem chuckles at that, but Kelb doesn't crack a smile. Nill excuses herself from the table, heads off to her quarters.
Hosk has been watching Kelb closely this conversation. He leans forward, asking, "You don't look old enough to have fought in the Clone Wars, but I swear you look familiar somehow..."
Pem cuts in suddenly, "Hey, pretty faces always seem to crop up, old fellow. I'm sure it's a case of, ah, mistaken identity."