For a fraction of a second a little cloud of gloom condensed over our heads, lowering there like a miniature thundercloud, trying to dampen our spirits. It would have worked, too, except for good ol' K'kihl. My insectoid buddy turned to me with a clack of his mandibles and a clatter of tools, waving four of his appendages in the air.

"To Devil-May-Care go we must, so to the damage assessment can I attend."

It wasn't even close to a suggestion.

An aura of pressing urgency emanated from the Verpine with enough force to totally dispel the cloud from over our heads. I gave him, and then both of them, a widening smile.

"I suppose we can go back to the Blue Asteroid; it's a little place right next to the docking tarmac where the girls are sooo--"

I stopped with a gulp.

"Anyway, we'll be able to see my ship from there, and perhaps if we're lucky we can get out to inspect her personally. The authorities have been crawling like granite-slugs, and to be honest I haven't had much luck getting back to check on her.

"How does that sound? Or would you rather just go to my place?"

[ 10-24-2005 12:46 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Yaoksi Joao ]

--------------------

...maybe the fact that I'm the owner..."
...ONE of the owners, a little voice corrected.

"...of Eagle Enterprises will help. So if you'll just lead us on, we'll see if we can get in."

At this suggestion, the Verpine started moving, indicating once more that there was no suggestion involved in the matter. Yaoksi shrugged and then nodded in a particular direction, taking the lead through the streets of Priingsi til they at last reached a docking bay that was still swarming with various authorities...

...and a bunch of blown away ships. Aaron's jaw dropped, and with effort he closed it as a security official hurried to stop them.

"Look, we just want to get in to take a look at my buddy's ship and see what repairs need to be made on her," Aaron explained to the personnel.

He began to shake his head. "We've got a serious situation here, and we've got to ascertain just who and what..."

Aaron smiled sympathetically, and broke in with, "You know, if we can get a look at his ship, maybe we can gain some insight from the damages. After all, I'm sure knowing just what might have caused the explosion here might give you some tips on how to proceed with your investigation...

...and my company does specialize in both building and restoring ships." Pausing at that, Aaron reached in his bocket, and the security personnel began backing away suspiciously, reaching for his blaster.

Aaron raised a hand to indicate he meant no harm, and pulled out his Eagle Enterprises business card for the officer to see.

That grabbed his interest.

"If you let us get to my buddy's ship right now, I'll let you know what I can ascertain. If it'll take more than just a look, I'll let you know and you can get back with me via the frequency indicated on my card."

The security personnel cocked his head, motioned for them to wait a moment, and went to discuss matters with another security officer, probably a supervisor. Aaron saw him nod, and the original officer returned.

"It's a deal," the security personnel replied. "Besides, there might be others here who would like repairs on their ships, and we don't want them believing they will be denied the right to get them."

Aaron nodded as the security officer motioned them on their way inside the docking bay. Aaron somehow knew authorities would still be keeping an eye on them, just in case. But at least they could get a look and get started on Yaoksi's ship.

Aaron stepped into the docking bay, turning to Yaoksi. "So, the Devil is where?" he queried, falling silent then and waiting for the other man to lead on as the Verpine waited impatiently.

--------------------

It was K'kihl, homing in on my poor Devil like a sandcat homing in on a burrowing womprat.

I cast a look towards Barnes, shrugging a little, then hastened forward, coming to a stop in front of my ship. From the side we approached her the damage didn't seem too great; I knew that the brunt of the blast had impacted her on her starboard side.

From whence I heard a staccato beat as K'kihl worked his mandibles in anxiety and dismay.

Fending off my own dismay at the sight of my grounded angel, I turned to Aaron.

"Well--?" I started, stopping a moment to give him time to circumnavigate the ship himself. I walked along at his side in silence, letting the ship tell her own story in the tangle of circuits and wires and fuses which poked through the hull breaches here and there, until at last we came back to where we had started.

Sans K'kihl. That worthy was still standing where he had stopped, clattering his mandibles to himself.

"Well--?" I began again, this time finishing with, "How long do you think this will take? Do you need your boys to come in and take a look-over as well, or have you gotten all you need for the moment?"

--------------------

He trailed, actually feeling sympapthy for Yaoksi plight. Damn, his poor ship...

"The boys could look her over, but I'm betting K'khil could give them a better run-through on what the ship needs since he knows her better. As for the time on this...

...ahhh...three weeks? Four? A couple of mouths..? I'm not certain."

Aaron paused, turning to K'khil and cocking a brow. The verpine was still clacking his mandibles in distress, but had begun shuffling through the equipment he had lugged along. "K'khil, what do you think?"

[ 10-23-2005 11:16 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aaron Barnes ]

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He used it at the moment to wave about for emphasis.

"Six weeks, repairs to effect," he clacked, turning to stare at them with his shining, multi-faceted eyes.

"Perhaps less, if of skill are those who with us have come. But ask I now--

"Where the materials to obtain will we? Who to pay; expensive this shall be, the breaches large are, and durasteel, not cheap it is.

"And-- where to repair? Shipyards has Sullust not, and much, much work to be done there is..."

He lowered his hydrospanner, cocking his head a bit to one side while he waited for a reply, even though every cell in his body literally itched to begin rerouting the computer circuits, which to be honest was about all he really could do at the moment, as skilled as he was.

He could, after all, do only so much with the raw material he was given.

[ 11-07-2005 01:34 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by K'kihl ]

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...and I think we'd all prefer that. And please, allow me to help defray most of the costs for this...

...consider it payback long overdue, if you will. We're gonna have to get a ship big enough to get the Devil out of here though, and that might take a bit of bargaining with our buddies back there. But the guy did say they didn't want ot deny anyone the right to get ship fixed...

...so maybe we can still work something out."

--------------------

I blinked, beginning to fidget, just a little bit as my mind raced to come up with a good enough reason to not go anywhere near the place where I had appropriated my ship to begin with.

My home.

Gads; Mums and Pop would be furious if I came waltzing home now...

I blinked again, now working my mouth a little bit like an opee out of water. Aaron turned a calm look my way, obviously waiting.

K'kihl just clattered his mandibles again.

I brightened as a lightbulb flashed on over my head.

"Hey... could I impose on you to, ahh-- just take Devil yourself to--"

Another thought interrupted, waving warning flags right and left.

Yaoksi, even if you stayed behind, don't you think that ship would be recognized?

"--well, how about Kuat? I mean, she's got-- er, specifications; look, I know Jaemus is a good shipyard, and of the two you mentioned it's the better; but Kuat is really the best when it comes to hulls, right K'kihl? Right? Remember what you used to tell me about the work on hulls they do there?"

Mentally crossing my fingers in the hopes I didn't appear too obvious in my desire to keep my ship as far away from Jaemus as possible, I turned to Aaron for a reply.

For K'kihl, bless his lil' ol cricketty carapace, had already turned away from me, clattering his disgust with my transparency.

[ 10-24-2005 12:43 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Yaoksi Joao ]

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...but Jaemus shipyards tend to be better at overall repair. Besides, Kuat is way in the core...and we're in the outer rim. Not to mention that we'll just be renting out the space at the shipyards. Otherwise, my guys will be working on the ship. Unless, of course, you'd prefer it to be differently..."

Aaron trailed, his brow still raised, not quite sure how to address Yaoksi suddenly unglued behavior. "What do you have against Jaemus shipyards anyway? After all, it'll be much easier getting the Devil a space there over Sluis Van or Kuat."

[ 10-24-2005 12:49 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aaron Barnes ]

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Damn, damn, damn.

"Look, Aaron; you don't mind if I call you that, do you? Anyway, look-- let's just say that I've been to Jaemus, and I didn't leave there under the friendliest of circumstances."

I heaved a sigh, mentally seeing my repairs going up in smoke, leaving me stranded here on this hellhole of a planet with a beautiful but totally nonfunctional husk of a ship for company.

[ 10-24-2005 12:56 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Yaoksi Joao ]

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...and decided it'd be better not to push matters any further. If Yaoksi wanted to explain, he would. And if he didn't...

...well, okay. "Allright," Aaron replied, raising hands in surrender, "If you can get me somewhere a bit more private than this bustling tarmac, I can see what strings I might be able to pull to get the Devil into Sluis Van. And if you can get me a good bottle of Whyrene's Reserve to add to a quiet space...

...I just might even be able to get a ship in here to get the Devil out and to the shipyards for repair."

[ 10-24-2005 12:59 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aaron Barnes ]

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Bless the gods who look after such fools as I...

"Deal!" I answered brightly, speaking a touch overly loud to cover up K'kihl's disapproving clattering. I placed a comradely hand on Barnes' shoulder.

"C'mon, I've got a little place not far from here, and I just happen to keep it stocked with Whyrene's..."

Feeling tons lighter, I pulled Aaron along, leading him past the scowling and bustling security people who immediately ran over to make certain that whatever meagre evidence they had found concerning the explosion had not been disturbed by our little inspection.

A recalcitrant, protesting Verpine in tow, we departed the hangar, moving quickly through the maze of Piringiisi, and soon came to my little apartment. I led them inside, and went to pour a couple shots of Whyrene's for Aaron and me. K'kihl, I knew, never drank. He just went off to study the specs of Devil which he had somehow managed to obtain.

I indicated the 'phone, and handed Barnes his drink.

"Make yourself at home, please," I said, plopping myself down in my favorite chair and taking a long swig from my glass.

[ 10-24-2005 01:09 AM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Yaoksi Joao ]

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... EE had her own ships that acted in this function, going to various locales to pick up ships the company had been contracted to repair and/or build from either shipyards or planets. About a standard hour after Aaron began working on getting the Devil to Sluis Van, Aaron had a ship he knew he could get to Sullust.

So then it was down to the most difficult part of this whole ordeal: getting Sullustan authorities to let the cargo ship in. Contacting Sullustan docking authorities, Aaron worked up the best professional explanation for the arrival of the cargo ship.

Including incentives for the Sullustan authorities to choose to be more cooperative.

"This is Captain Aaron Barnes, owner of Eagle Enterprises. I am contracting for ship repairs for persons whose ships have been damaged in the explosion in the docking bay; I have already discussed the one contract I have already procured with personnel at that location and have been permitted to deal with my consumer's ship in return for any information I may incur in repairing this yacht. Because of the extent of the damage, I am having to bring in a large cargo ship to carry the yacht off Sullust and to the Sluis Van shipyards; I would be glad to accomadate any other persons seeking to have their ships repaired by carrying them out on this same cargo ship. I am hoping that this offer will allow the expense of this strange event to be somewhat lessened; I am willing to transport ships off-planet for a reasonable fee with your approval. Please contact me at this frequency..."

He paused, punching in a frequency and sending it to the authorities.

"And I will be with you shortly as to the time of the cargo ship's arrival, should this be approved. At any rate, the cargo ship will shortly be in transit. We only wait your permission for landing her. Captain Barnes, out."

Closing the connection at that, Aaron gave sigh of relief, heading back for his abandoned Whyrene's Reserve and drinking the remainder of it as he headed over to where Yaoksi still sat. Taking a seat in a nearby couch, Aaron sat back, cocking a brow Yaoksi way. "We're all set, provided Sullustan air traffic control lets the cargo ship in. Hopefully with the possibility of the cargo ship assisting others with damaged vehicles, it will be worth their while."

Aaron paused a moment at this, frowning. "I wonder what the hell is going on for an explosion like that to happen on Sullust, of all places. After all, I recall that the reason Terrin and Galen ever settled here was the fact that it was a good, out of the way hidey-hole for them."

Frowning at that, Aaron eyed his empty glass. "Any chance I could have some more of this stuff?" he queried then, pointing to the glass with his free hand for emphasis.

--------------------

Yaoksi ol pirate, you're gonna have to tell him. You can't just go tiptoeing around like this the entire time Devil is being repaired; there are too many loose ends, too many potential wild cannons...

Too many ways he could discover your background, and how would that make you look then?

I frowned to myself as I replaced the cap on the bottle, held that bottle a moment in my hands in apparent study.

Funny how that short time, first with Cella, then Terrin and then Nassy, and most particularly when I was being Daddy to little Thea, can change a guy. I hadn't run goods since--

I blinked in shock.

--since well over a couple years. Maybe more.

I thought of Rico, and the war bustling around my innards grew more intense.

Blast it all anyway!

I slammed the bottle down and turned back to Aaron, glasses in hand. Handing him his, I went to my comfy chair and sat down with a little sigh.

Before I could change my mind about it I burst into song: who I was, what I had done, how I had come to be "owner" of Devil-May-Care and what I did to maintain my life...

All the dark, illegitimate portions of my life flowed out of me like oil, and surprise surprise...

I was feeling better and better about myself as I went along.

Then I switched gears, explaining about Cella, Nassy, how I had met Terrin, how I had finally come to Sullust with Thea, how I had run a legitimate one-man shipping business from here, just squeaking by to make ends meet...

...and finally wound up with my brief "acquaintanceship" with Rico, and the unfortunate series of events which followed.

"So, there you have it," I finished, toying idly with my glass, wondering if Aaron was still going to come through for me or not.

[ 10-24-2005 01:03 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Yaoksi Joao ]

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"Guess you weren't aware my former partner-- and good friend--was a smuggler as well. Terrin ran and owned EE for several years with the smuggler and spotty past still in him...

...that is, until he brought Galen aboard the Hornett. I knew the day he turned so legit he was really in love with her," Aaron mused, pausing for a second, realizing how good it felt to have a buddy confide in him again, realizing how much he had really missed this sort of thing. "You know," he then continued with, "I came here looking for a break from all I was dealing with back on the Hornett, and maybe I didn't know just how much I really did need a break. Don't ever be embarassed about your past...

...I figure it's what we do in the here and now which is really important. Terrin was a smuggler with a good heart buried underneath...

...and he trusted you. Considering just how wary and suspicious he could be, that says alot concerning his belief that you had a good heart as well. And I know after all you did for them that you truly do. It's too bad you've all been broken apart the way you have. If I could just find Galen and the boys..."

Aaron trailed, frowning once more, taking another swig of the Whyrene's...

...and then breaking out with an explanation of his own regarding Galen's disappearance, followed by Jasyn and Matt's, of his sending Shawn Petrolu and the team off to find them on K'eel Doba...

...and of Terrin's all-too-untimely death.

[ 10-24-2005 01:24 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Aaron Barnes ]

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“Well,” I said. “I used to have a nice freighter, with everything I own tied up in it.”

OK, well, maybe not everything. I mean, I did have that little place in the woods on whatever the hell planet I bought it on. But hey, close enough.

“That is, until I got a job to deliver some goods that turned out to be pretty damned volatile. Now if you ask me on a good day, I’d say it was an accident. But sister, this has been one heck of a bad day. You’re the brightest thing this day has seen.”

Hey, I wasn’t lying.

“But you see out there, that’s all that’s left of my ship, my business, and my life. Now I’m left with a huge payback on that ship, and insurance won’t even touch what I still owe. And the goons who wanted me to deliver that junk are gone with the wind. Aw, hell. You don’t wanna listen to my sob story.”

I put on a face that woulda made a kitten cry, and looked the nice lady straight in the eye.

--------------------

"So you just do random jobs, or you work for someone?"

So far he didn't seem to work for anyone but himself but you never know in the smuggling business.

"How much exactly do you owe on your mangled ship anyways? Sorry for being so nosey, but I might be able to help you out."

She looks him squarely in the eyes. Letting him become somewhat lost in her lavender eyes like someone without a map or navicomputer in a nebula.

She waits for his answer as she glances about the place again and takes another sip of her drink.

--------------------

This is not going well so far there where zero responces to my message. I'll have to find another way to get a job. Bored out of my mind i would listen in on the conversations around me none of which where interesting except the one between a female fallean and a human male. Mostly it was a polite exchange of words the human male explaining how his ship was destroyed in the explosion at the spaceport.

I was almost feeling sorry for him until he pointed out that his cargo had been the cause of the explosion. That idiot he almost killed me in that and costed me a good 8000 credits for the IFF mask that I was working on. Unable to contain my anger I walked over to him.

"Wait so you are the loser that almost got me killed in the explosion today, thanks to you I lost almost all my credits, my ride back to the Run, and my paycheck because that explosion killed the man who owed my 8000 credits for one of the best IFF maskes I ever came up with."

--------------------

She watched the anger poor out of the Ryn as if someone had blasted a hole in a dam. Captian Rico seemed rather suprised as well to the interruption.

His eyes wide and his words jumbled from the conversation he and Aelly were just recently having.

Waiting for the Ryn to take a breathe aelly introduced herself.

"Hello there. I'm Aelly Ssyn and you are?"

--------------------

Realising that she snapped at the pair and might be drawing unwanted attention Link took a moment to center her thoughts and replied in a more controlled voice.

"I'm sorry Miss Ssyn that I reacted like that as for my name everyone just calls me link."

--------------------

"I've heard the name Link before. Link is supposed to be one of the greatest slicers in the galaxy. Are you this same person?"

For a moment she was actually supprised that if this truly was The Link she could possibly know who aelly truly was. Although Aelly has done aalot to keep her name ties to Black Sun very hush hush.

"Perhaps I can buy you a drink to help you calm down a bit?"

--------------------

Galaxies greatest slicer I like the sound of that. Seeing an empty stool near the pair I sat down carefully as to not crush my tail. Thats the thing i hate about booths and chairs in places like these they where built for everyone but ryn's.

"And for your offer no thanks i'm not thirsty right now."

--------------------

"I am sorry to hear of your misfortune. Where you employed for some reason or another before the mishap?"

A subtle nod accepted Link's denial of the drink offer. Though being thirty herself she took a sip of her drink.

--------------------

At least i still have that program that could get me some credits fast.

"And now I'm stuck here with little credits, at least in paper form but luckly all of my equipment survived."

--------------------

The talents of this Link character seem to go beyond just slicing computers and datapads.

She tried to keep her voice low enough that only those close by could hear her. No need in attracting any unwanted attention afterall.

"I take it you're are currently unemployed then?"

--------------------

"Maybe I should have been more clear about the IFF. An IFF or Identify Friend or Foe is esientially a ships transponder. It constantly sends out a signal of the ships name, ship class, and position; its the device that lets you see other ships on your radar and other things. As for the IFF it is a military term, hardwired into a ships targeting computers is a set of IFF codes for ships it can't target without the proper overides, for instance a new republic star destroyer wouldn't be able to target a new republic transport without these overides."

Now this was the whole beuty of how to exploit the IFF.

"How an IFF mask works is it changes the information a transponder gives out, most smugglers and bounty hunters use them to change their ships name to avoid local security. Mine take it a step further, I managed to create an IFF mask that makes the ship to appear a diplomatic vessel for the new republic essentially allowing it to bypass most security and avoid scans by military vessels in new republic space, short of a blockade anyways."

Taking a brief pause to catch her breath Link continued.

"And on my employment status, thanks to the bomb squad reject I have none."

--------------------