How can one win, when Fools can be Kings?

[StarWriter]

Kyllan, strapped into his seat awaited the inevitable jump to hyperspace and sat a bit tense as the linked ships began to veer away from their previous orbit and the hum of the hyperdrives began to grow louder. It was not a simple thing to let someone else control his vessel, yet he quashed the instinctual apprehension and relaxed a bit. He heard the chime announcing the jump to lightspeed and then, inexplicably the hyperdrives began to power down. "Everything alright over there?" He'd ask over the comlink, only to hear the query a few moments later. "Yes, we're in and ready when you are."

"...My species is called Chadra-fan...Otherwise though I must ask more specifically what would you like to know?"

"Chadra-fan. Interesting. I can't say I have heard of your world before, but if you've only had interstellar travel for that short a time it's understandable." Her question caused his face to crinkle a bit as he struggle with a way to not be impolite. "Well, in all honesty, and I say this out of complete ignorance for your species so I hope you won't hold it against me. What descriptor would apply to you? Are you masculine, or feminine?" He was essentially asking Pippa for her gender, but given the wholly alien nature of her kind, it was quite difficult to determine that at a glance. Unlike with most of the other humanoid species in the galaxy. "I would be inclined to think you're a lady, considering all of the sweet aromas that seem to keep popping up around you. Am I correct?" He asked, hoping that his query was not too intrusive.

Feeling a bit awkward about that line of question he'd smile at Pippa. "At your leisure then. Whenever we're free I can give you a lesson or two and once we have a base I can set up a practice range for all of us to use. That way I can train everyone all at once."

Something she mentioned drifted back into his consciousness and he'd glance to her, brow raised quizzically. "Wait, you're from a watery planet? Then why did you seem to absolutely despise being on Pantalomin? I would think you'd feel more at home."

 

[Sangga]

"In place Captain Quint."

"Yes, we're in and ready when you are."

"I have this habit of not always thinking things through before I speak...So..Err..I'm sorry for earlier. I meant no offence when talking about your ship..." he pulled the twin saucer based ships round in a long arc around to re-face the jump direction, then powered down the sub-light drives. Inertia kept them drifting as his hand slowly drifted to the controls for the hyperdrive. His fingers tingled in anticipation and the the lever was pulled and the ships began to whine getting higher in pitch until they were even out of Pippa's hearing, at that point they then rocketed forward as the power was aloud to flow out and propel them into the light blue corona of faster than light travel. The ship's anti-inertia field kicked in as soon as the stars began to stream, they could remove their restraints once the corona swirled before them in the cockpit.

"That'd be that then... five hours or so." He undid his restraints and removed his hat to wipe his brow and rub his scalp. Turning to Alisha, her apology ringing in his ears as much as the cabin pressure. He raised on hand to ward off her sentiment. "Nothing harmed, other than Pride..." he pointed at her, "If you want to enter the Smuggler's life Kid, you need to work on how you talk. A loose thought can break a deal, cause a larger humanoid to rip your arms out of their sockets or put a blaster bolt through..." his finger tapped center of her brow. "...here." He smiled, it wasn't greasy there was a warmth behind it. His piercing blue eyes didn't show the warmth, they looked like ice in a glass. "Now... Buckethead might teach you some moves to use in a pinch, and Shortstack might know their way around a hydrospanner... but I'll offer you this..." The grin had continued through his analysis of the crew and how they'd all work together, but his look hardened again. His gaze unwavering, somehow sterner and colder than before. "I'll get you through deals, teach you how to play groups against each other and heck maybe give you some time at the controls of the Yoania."... he tapped a console. "If that's what you want? I mean, you wanna become a tech specialist or the next Queen of the Bucketheads; I'll understand." For a microsecond his face held a reflection of a dark thought, but he covered it up with another grin. "Not everyone stays, in fact nobody has, that's gotta be the strongest sign of what this life's like."

He got up and put his hat back on, the lighting causing a dullness of half shadow to cover his eyes. Two pinpricks of reflected light looked down at her in the chair. "Come one, no way we can leave those two alone... I doubt Buckethead appreciates Pippa's company as much as yours." He offered her a hand up from the chair. "I don't care what you do, providing it doesn't hamper the work, the moment it does..." he didn't continue, he'd been hard enough on her. "... you got promise Kid, don't mess it up." Once she was up he walked down the corridor, but headed to the Galley in the Bunk area. "I'll be over later... I'm hungry, so I'll bring some stuff over in a minute."

 

[Pippa]

"Am I correct?"
Pippa looks a little strangely at Kyllan. She looked more confused than concerned. "I am female, though I am not sure why I would hold that against you. However I hold no significant rank or title from my clan, so I am not a lady. Furthermore pheromone secretion is a communicative device rather than an indicative one. But I must apologise for that, I forget that not all other species have chemo-receptive olfactory senses and therefore cannot communicate through scent."

She held onto the seat straps for a moment as the hyper-drives engaged. She still wasn't particularly comfortable with the sensation, especially since she'd only experienced it a few times before now. She grimaced and waited for the inertial dampeners to balance the mass shadow of the ship and equalise the forces in play over the ships. Thankfully it did not take long.

"Wait, you're from a watery planet? Then why did you seem to absolutely despise being on Pantalomin? I would think you'd feel more at home."
"Ah, I can understand your confusion. Chad while being a watery planet also has...had seven moons. This created extreme tidal patterns that often whipped the seas into dangerous storms. Drowning is the most common cause of death for my people, the ocean is a watery grave that swallows whole. I personally have increased issue with watery planets because they remind me of Chad and the circumstances under which I was forced to leave it."
Pippa's tone remained cheerful through out the conversation, many of the darker thins she said were always presented very matter-of-factly. She undid her harness and hopped back to her feet, preparing to have a good wander of the ships and her potential temporary new home.
"There was also something I wanted to ask you. I asked Alisha and she indicated that you were a human male. The file the bounty hunters kept on you indicated that you were Mandalorian. I am still unsure of the distinction between the two species, if in fact there is one. Could you perhaps clarify this for me?"

 

[Alisha D.]

Alisha felt a little awkward when the Captain didn't immediately respond to her apology. On the other hand, he was making the jump. Alisha instinctively paid close attention to the noises the ship was making. It was struggling a little bit, but other than that she didn't really hear anything unusual, so she felt it prudent not to mention anything. She also looked on in amazement as the blue flashes from the hyper space jump surrounded the ship momentarily. She loved it, and she felt no need in hiding that.

"Nothing harmed, other than Pride..." Alisha smiled in relief. Well at least he wasn't going to stay angry.

She understood what the captain was saying. She certainly didn't want to ruin any deal or cause unnecessarily violent situations when negotiating for anything, so she nodded in agreement at the Captain. She smirked slightly when he tapped her forehead..She didn't want to end up like that, for sure. She then observed his expressions..He was..hard to read at best. When he smiled, that didn't reach his eyes, Alisha wondered how one could do that..He made it look easy, almost instinctive. She gave him a quizzical look.

"If that's what you want? I mean, you wanna become a tech specialist or the next Queen of the Bucketheads; I'll understand." She could not help but chuckle at that.

"Queen of the bucketheads? No thanks..I don't fancy being the Queen of anything..But I will appreciate whatever you can teach me...and I will NOT leave" She smiled soflty, but her tone was quite final. She then nodded at his suggestion but blushed slightly at the implication. She listened on as the Captain offered a hand, which she took and stood up, then let go quickly.

"I don't care what you do, providing it doesn't hamper the work, the moment it does..."

Alisha shook her head, her expression sad slightly. She wasn't sad at implying that she could mess it up. She KNOWS she could, if she wasn't careful. But to her, it sounded like the man had been through a lot. She didn't want to put him through more.

"I won't mess it up captain..I will do my best. " She gave him a quick, decisive nod "Sure I'll see you in a bit. I think Kyllan also got some food on the Entendre..I am getting peckish myself." She rubbed her stomach a little, which was in fact starting to complain a bit, as she walked away and back on the Entendre. She walks back into the lounge, and seeing as both Pippa and Kyllan were still there, she waved her hand in greeting and smiled, in a slightly sheepish manner, the captain's words still in her head.

"Hello you two again! Kyllan, have you got some food on the ship? Me and the Captain are a bit hungry..he's getting some food from the Yoania and coming back here.Are you hungry Pippa? Err though I have no idea what you eat.." She bit her lower lip, almost embarassed by her lack of knowledge..again.. She didn't immediately sit down and looked around the lounge.

 

[StarWriter]

Kyllan felt the ships begin to turn and gazed out of the window before him as the stars shifted around them and then finally that tell tale blur of those infinite points of light as they entered hyperspace. He always did enjoy that transition, as a ship went from sublight to FTL speeds. Once they were at lightspeed, he'd pop the restraints open on his seat and then turn to face Pippa who sat beside him.

"Ah, I was referring to my lack of knowledge about your species. In some cases when a gender of a race is not readily evident by those outside their species I've seen people get a bit uppity about the fact that someone can't clearly tell that they're male or female. Just as it is no doubt obvious to those of your world, who is of what gender. But might not be obvious at first meeting someone not from your world. Especially given how...diverse our species are from one another." Kyllan smiled at his diminutive crew mate.

He would listen intently to the chiropteran as she explained to him the circumstances behind her aversion to water planets. "Wow, that can't be an easy place to live. I can understand your apprehension. Have you considered adding some manner of flotation or buoyancy system to your suit?" He asked, assuming, given her technical nature she likely already had. Kyllan himself wore a jetpack on his armor, so he was not only fond of the extra mobility but it had saved his life more than a few times. When she hopped out of her chair, he would rise from his and then proceed towards the lounge.

Pippa's query caught him off guard a bit, though he would chuckle and look back to her. "Well, I'm only half Mandolorian, technically since my father was from Corellia. However, Mandolorians aren't a different species. We're human just with a vastly different social and governmental structure. More militaristic. From what I recall from my history lessons, Mandalore was originally settled by people from Coruscant. We have a vastly different view of the universe but we are not biologically any different than any other human." He found the question intriguing.

"Hello you two again! Kyllan, have you got some food on the ship? Me and the Captain are a bit hungry..he's getting some food from the Yoania and coming back here.Are you hungry Pippa? Err though I have no idea what you eat.."

Kyllan's demeanor visibly brightened when he heard that melodic voice and would smile at Alisha when she returned to his ship. "Of course I have food, I always make sure to keep the galley stocked whenever possible. Besides, I'm usually the only person aboard that even eats food." He'd gesture to his two droids who were carrying on a conversation amongst one another in binary. Chatting about nothing and everything. Occasionally mentioning something that would need to be repaired or inspected later. He would stride over to the galley and open all the cabinets and pantry so the women could peruse through the food available. "I'm with Alisha on this Pippa. I don't know if I have anything edible or palatable to you here, so please make a list of your preferred foods and I will make it a point to procure some as soon as possible."

 

[Sangga]

Alone in the galley, he removed his hat, placing it atop the cold storage, and hung his duster on the back of one of the high stools. He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt to real his muscular forearms. His frame, far more revealed with the fitted waistcoat, seemed out of place in the galley; the Hapan military had lost a good, solid man to the Smuggler's life. He began rummaging in his cupboards, pulling out two different pans, one upright the other more like a bowl, a few glass bowls and then several vegetables and from the cold storage some cream and hard cheese. The hob was lit up and a saucepan of water and the wok were set down to heat up. He then set about chopping, dicing and running his knife through onions, greens and some herbs he'd bartered for on Onderon.

Some grain was poured into the boiling water and his masticated vegetation was added to warmed oil. The aroma swam through the air of the Yoania, eventually it'd permeate that of the Double Entendre if it wasn't impeded. After a while the Captain began humming a little tune that's melody was only short phrase that was repeated over and over with different pauses on what seemed like random notes, like a broken music box. With the liquid in the saucepan drained the part cooked grain was added to the wok and more steam plumed around the Captain. Finally cream was poured and the hard cheese was grated. The whole concoction was left to simmer away with the occasional stir while Hart tidied up the kitchen. A large bowl and four smaller bowls were gathered and the contents of the wok were poured out into the larger of the five receptacles.

He crossed the airlock haphazardly, arms full of crockery and utensils, until they were all placed on the lounge table with a sigh. "There... now, what are we talking about?" He leaned against the bulkhead his own bowl already full.

 

[Pippa]

"Have you considered adding some manner of flotation or buoyancy system to your suit?"
She hadn't. The tech most chadra-fan used to keep out the ocean either rose using liquid ballast and therefore inherently buoyant or fixed in place with pitons or anchors. She thought about it and concluded that a secondary emergency system designed to fire when the suit was out of power could be of great use if stranded in the deep with the oxygen tanks running low. She'd have to patch it first though, probably replace the front bulkhead.
"..we are not biologically any different than any other human."
"I see so it is planetary distinction, if then Mandalorian are not considered a sub-species then inter-breeding with other humans would be entirely possible if not simple. Thankyou Kyllan I was unaware of the convention of naming indigenous humans after their planet, I imagine this applies to a great number of other systems with disparate enough socio-economic structure to what ever is deemed the normality for human culture."

Pippa continued to walk to the lounge area where they met up with Alisha.
"Are you hungry Pippa? Err though I have no idea what you eat.."
"I don't know if I have anything edible or palatable to you here"
"I could eat, I am indeed hungry. Though do not concern yourselves, I am omnivorous and have both limited nutritional and calorific requirements compared to species of a more human size. Other than enjoying fruit for the ease with which is it prepared I have no strong likes or aversions to any food stuffs I have tried so far. I tend towards easy meals because I find the time it often takes to prepare anything complex is time that could be better spent, I have a supply of blended nutrition blocks I keep in my suit I am content to..."
Pippa suddenly stopped mid speech to sniff at the air, her sharp sense of smell identifying the aroma of the frying vegetables and could just make out the broken humming.
"It would appear that Captain Quint Hart is preparing something, I may go and ask him what it is that he is planning on eating."
Pippa began waddling towards the airlock but before she could leave the lounge, Quint wobbled in with armfuls of eating utensils and food. She watched his careful juggling act as he managed to set each thing down on the lounge table without dropping or breaking anything.
"There... now, what are we talking about?"
"Mostly about the differences between our respective species or that lack there of in certain cases, Kyllan was instructing me on the nature of Mandalorians and their relation to standard human culture. Which i find fascinating, I was not aware that some cultures were different enough that even without biologically diverse species present in them they still received monikers that would imply them to be of a different species."
She picked up a bowl and serving spoon from the assorted crockery.
"May I ask what it is that you have made, I like the way it smells. Also, may I have some?"

 

[Alisha D.]

"I could eat, I am indeed hungry. ..." Alisha could not help but smile at the Chandra fan. She found her very cute, not just very intelligent. There was a certain look of affection in Alisha's expression already. Alisha, after all, was the kind of girl that wore her heart on her sleeve, if she deemed it safe enough. But after Pippa mentioned it, she sniffed the air and nodded in agreement.

"Oh ye it does smell nice.."

Before Quint walked in, she walked to the food storage and opened them, looking to see what Kyllan had. Standard ship food. Alisha didn't mind, as long as she ate something, she wasn't fussy. When he walked in, the smell got stronger, and she turned to look at him. She waved with a friendly smile, his words still impressed in her mind, and let Pippa explained the topic. She smirked a little. It was funny how she was always so formal. She wondered briefly if that was something unique to her, or it was the species.

"Captain that DOES smell very nice..." Alisha got closer and peeked curiously at what the Captain made, leaving the food storage cupboards open for the moment.

"May I ask what it is that you have made, I like the way it smells. Also, may I have some?"

Once again, she could not help smile at her short new friend. While waiting for the Captain to explain, she turned back to the cupboards, giving Kyllan a passing smile, feeling a slight flutter in her chest. She stopped for a few minutes and decided to simply get a standard ship ratio. She could cook, she almost always cooked the meals back on Tatooine, but food there was different. She'd have no idea on how to cook fresh meals with anything other than Tatooine ingredients.

"Kyllan just ..what DO you usually eat? I can cook but..well this is your ship and I don't want to use anything you don't want me to...Also I can probably only cook on Tatooine..anything else I'd have no idea.." She sighed.. "I have so much to learn about everything.." She gave him and the rest of the crew a smirk.

 

[StarWriter]

"I see so it is planetary distinction, if then Mandalorian are not considered a sub-species then inter-breeding with other humans would be entirely possible if not simple...."

Kyllan would chuckle a bit and nod. "Oh yes, We are more than capable of interbreeding." As was all too common with him, the smuggler would give her a wink and a grin. A bit of the lecherous rogue comping through for a moment.

"..with disparate enough socio-economic structure to what ever is deemed the normality for human culture." This would make him nod and wear a different sort of grin. "Ah, those from Mandalore are quite disparate from the rest of the galaxy. Clan based hierarchy with a Queen who rules over all. Warmongers and brutal, vicious savages with keen tactical minds and skilled in killing." Kyllan's expression would sour a bit, for everything he said was true of himself in a way, he had been raised a Mandaolorian so he was fully capable of everything they were. "Honor. Is a big thing among my people, though most outside of Mandalore would likely beg to differ. The reason people of Mandalore are feared is justified, we do enjoy our wars. More so, the fighting, the tactics, finding an enemy who can test our limits. Well, that's what mom would say. Thankfully I take after dad a bit more." He'd halfheartedly smile.

"I could eat, I am indeed hungry. Though do not concern yourselves, I am omnivorous..."
"Good to hear! Well, I just have standard ship rations and an entire crate of military rations in the hold. They rarely spoil and are nutritional enough o do in a pinch. Not overly palatable though. Generally." Kyllan's gaze would drift to Alisha when she and Pippa commented on the smell drifting in from the other ship. "Wow, that does smell good."

Looking to the airlock he'd see Hart enter and balancing the various dishes, setting them down before he could rise out of his seat to assist him. "Thank you captain. I admit I sorely lack any proficiency in cooking." Kyllan would sniff the air, taking in the pleasant aroma before claiming a bowl.

"Kyllan just ..what DO you usually eat? I can cook but..well this is your ship and I don't want to use anything you don't want me to...Also I can probably only cook on Tatooine..anything else I'd have no idea.." He'd look to her, smiling brightly and feeling a rapid drumbeat in his chest. "Rations mostly. And you don't have to ask Alisha. You're welcome to anything you want on my ship." For a moment there was an almost husky tone to his voice as if including himself in that statement.

"I have so much to learn about everything.." This would make his brow furrow and he'd nod. "We all have things to learn and we all have things to teach. I can help all of us be more prepared to protect ourselves. You and Alisha can help me at least, to improve my technical skills. I can't speak for you Captain Hart, I don't know how skilled you are in that aspect. But I'm sure you can assist us in learning to prepare food, in addition to the finer ways of smuggling. Though, I can help in that aspect as well. Been doing this for a while myself. I can share how to talk your way out of most situations so you don't have to rely on martial training where possible."

The Mandolorian smiled to all of them and would give Hart a nod. "Together we can be stronger than we are individually."

 

[Sangga]

"You are all most welcome to tuck into this. It's..." he had no idea what Pipa ate, he turned to Alisha. "...it's like Bantha and Rice stew. Without the Bantha, but with cream and cheese." Turning to Kyllan he thought for a moment, but maybe the Mandolorian had tried Bantha and Rice stew. He hadn't tried any Mandolorian cuisine, but he could cook. Bulking up with cheap cereal and making sure to grab fresh seasonings and herbs whenever you land. He'd tried at least one dish in every Starport he'd been to. He pulled out his twin-sticks and plucked a congealed clump of rice and chewing as he pondered on their previous conversation.

"Some species are not so different, but a minor change in breeding, leads to a new species that has truly split off from it's parent." He sounded like a lecturer from one of the great Colleges back on Hapes. He shook off the thought and shoveled in some more of the sticky rice dish. Swallowing a great mouthful he let out a sigh. "No doubt they've all asked about you already Shortstack. So I won't pry, I'd just like to say, There's more questions than answers I have on what you are and where you come from. I'll ask later on sometime, but if I can be bold... what are you?" He spooned some more rice from the main bowl once they'd all had some, as always he'd made more than enough. He's stark blue eyes stared across the table at Pipa, she seemed so different than her crew mates; a little bundle of phenomenal knowledge and talent. He surveyed his crew as he listened to Pipa. A Mandolorian of all people sat at the table, and one heck of a gifted youth. He'd normally associated with villains, daft robots and the occasional starry eyed young Kid. But for the first time in those five years he felt like he'd filled a long emptied hole, even older than his time away from Hapes.

As they sat there eating a meal he'd repaired, for a second or two he'd drift of into the comfort that only family provided, that moment when your guard could well and truly drop. That pearlescent grin spread across his face again as he looked down at his bowl of half finished rice. "You lot ain't half bad you know?" He punched Kyllan on the arm, his strong right arm maybe a little too strong for an affectionate biff, but his hand reminded him of what an idiot he was.

 

[Pippa]

"..and we all have things to teach.."
"I am certainly willing to try and instruct others in fields that I hold a degree of competency however I have historically made a poor teacher. I pick things up much faster than I can express to others. I have also found that some people have had difficulty following my reasoning or logic in and academic setting. it was a cause for much argument at Rhute Laboratories." There was a moment of nostalgic melancholia to her words but it rapidly vanished.
"Together we can be stronger than we are individually."
"This statement is as factually accurate as the strength of my believe in its unassailable truth. A clan is stronger than a wanderer, a home is more powerful than a place." She chirped happily and scooped up a bowl of the captain's cream, cheese and rice stew. She thoughtfully tasted the creamy broth. The tangy cheese motes blended well with the plainer rice grains, the mixture expanding to a delicate and blended texture through the cream and the heat. I reminded Pippa of a creamed cheese dish from chad that involved melting cheese curds down into a thick paste to eat with compacted cereal bars.
"This is good Captain Quint Hart, I commend you on your cooking." She raised the bowl towards him slightly giving a nod, before continuing to devour the helping in the bowl.

"..but if I can be bold... what are you?"
Pippa looked up confused for a second, "Everyone keeps asking about boldness and seem to be worried about over-stepping boundaries. I am not sure what boundaries you are worried about trespassing on but I can assure you, there is little to nothing any of you could say to enrage or offend me. I see little point in spending the limited time we have on our galactic adventures in worrying about such things. Certainly on my home planet traits like curiosity, scientific or otherwise, were cherished and encouraged. For without curiosity there is no progress and progress is the key to survival. Though to answer your question Captain Quint Hart, I am a Chadra-fan. My race is somewhat rare in this or any part of the galaxy due to our planets relative complexity and our lack of interstellar travel until recently. As far as I am aware there are only two others of my kind that escaped our home-world of Chad." She stopped to scoff down the rest of the food and then she proceeded to stand slightly awkwardly with the dirty bowl.
"If there is anything else any of you wish to know about me do not hesitate to ask, I find such discussions fascinating. I am also anxious to know more about all of you. For example I have ascertained that Kyllan and Alisha are both humans albeit with different cultural upbringings. As for you Captain Quint Hart, I do not know what you are, but I am given to believe that you are not also human based on the significant differences in the chemicals that make up your scent as compared to Alisha and Kyllan."

 

[Alisha D.]

"Together we can be stronger than we are individually "

Alisha would smile brightly at Kyllan, her eyes showing a certain twinkle to them. She had to look away quickly though, for fear of losing her breath again. She then nodded both to Kyllan and Pippa, expressing her strong agreement with both their views. Despite her somewhat lonely upbringing, she was always a firm believer in team work. That is what her father taught her as well as her skills as a mechanic, after all. She was so happy to finally have found what seemed to be the making of a great team, she could not help but being quite cheerful at this moment.

After another brief look in the store cupboard, she decided to get out a standard ratio (she is not a fussy eater) and sat at the table, next to Kyllan, close enough that their legs are touching. Before tucking into her ratio, she took a spoonful of the Captains bowl, and a wide grin showed on her face as the flavours mixed in her mouth.

"Sooo good!" She exclaims enthusiastically. "Dam, a captain and a cook? You must be popular with the ladies..." she snickers softly, not thinking of any possible consequence of that statement on Kyllan, and proceeds to eat the remaining food on her ratio while listening to the conversation around her. Pippa's discourse never seem to cease to amaze her. She seemed so full of knowledge and good will, Alisha almost wondered how it is possible to have such great amount of both in such a small individual. She was certainly glad to have her on the team.

"You lot ain't half bad you know?"

She giggles at the captains statement, feeling rather pleased that he would think so. She then looks in amazement as Pippa asks the Captain.

"Oh so...you're not human then?" She finishes her ratio and puts down the cutlery, curiosity finally decided to show as she looks to Quint for a response.

 

[StarWriter]

"You lot ain't half bad you know?" This would bring a smile to Kyllan's face, one that would quickly turn to an amused grin. "Careful you old codger, lest we start to think your rough facade is just that."

"I am certainly willing to try..." Kyllan's gaze would shift to Pippa. "Well, don't worry about that Pip. I can't speak for the others but I've always learned best by doing and observing. Just promise to keep me from frying myself and we'll do just fine." The cheerful Mandolorian would give her a wink and a grin, then look to Alisha noting the twinkle in her eyes. The way she looked at him caused his heart to skip a beat. Damn if those eyes aren't like stars.

Pulling himself out of his musings for a moment he'd glance about the lounge and smile. It was always nice to be apart of something greater than oneself and given what he'd seen thus far of this group, they were going to do just fine.

"Everyone keeps asking about boldness and seem to be worried about over-stepping boundaries." This would get him to look back to the chiropteran. "Consider that a matter of propriety Pip. Especially when dealing with unknown quantities, many people often will make such a statement as a preface to their query. Which often is a bit direct. Some find offense to such blunt curiosity. Hence the need to apologize for the impropriety." He'd smile at the eloquent mechanic and then resume munching on the delightful meal in front of him.

"Dam, a captain and a cook? You must be popular with the ladies..." Hearing this Kyllan' would inadvertently swallow a bit of his food down the wrong windpipe and fall into a coughing fit for a moment. For a brief moment afterwards he bore a pained expression on his face that had nothing to do with choking on his food. Which surprised him most of all. Kyllan wasn't the possessive type, nor was he made jealous easily and yet here he was scowling into his bowl for a moemnt before he regained his composure.

When she inquired about Hart's heritage he would look up, curious as well.

 

[Sangga]

Hart had taken one huge mouthful when his species came up. So did the creamy rice, in that it was coughed up. Was it that much of an issue? Did they not think he was useful, regardless of his species... he was Hart no matter what he was, right? He looked at the crew before him, eating his food and travelling to another new world for credits and adventure. So why not tell them? Why be so shocked at the question, he'd just been asking Pippa? He placed his bowl down and wiped a few kernels from the corner of his mouth. Leaning back and scratching the nape of his neck, he inhaled deeply. The arching back showing the width of his muscular structure off as much as the fitted waistcoat. As he exhaled he leaned forward again.

"Now then, I suppose you told me yours..." he nodded respectfully to Pippa. "...I'm a Hapan, a near-human... hence the similarities." His gaze caught Alisha's and he stared at her. His eyes almost hardened before her, his shoulders set forward slightly with is hands dropping below the table. "But for a few... remember my spectacles? Who wears dark lenses in dimly lit bars and cantinas?" His head turned slightly his eyes squinting as he asked the question, but his gaze never breaking from hers. He looked as if he'd lunge at her, but something was holding him back, like a chained Kath Hound.

"Hapes is a collection of thirty-or-so planets with the highest concentration of stars I've never seen elsewhere. So night's not really a thing..." Something was off with the Captain. This wasn't everything, he had something against Alisha all of a sudden, or was it deeper? He glanced between Kyllan and Pippa and moved back normally his grin would crack open but instead his brilliantly blue eyes stared at the crew. His eyes sayed on Kyllan now... there was no telling how much she had wrapped him around her finger. "History lesson, the Hapan were slaves to pirates or more importantly we are descended from the most attractive female human slaves the Lorell Raiders had." He raised his hands up to the side of his face, for the first time in his explanation he let out a smile; it held no humour. "Hence my roguish good looks." He picked up a grain of rice from the rim of his bowl. "The Lorell raiders became such a problem that some thousand years ago, the Jedi wiped out the male, militant pirates and liberated the slaves..." He crushed the grain between his thumb and forefinger.

"So-" he was cut off by his holo-communicator flashing and vibrating. He rose up and bowed his head to them, ensuring to bow lower to Alisha, forcing himself to not instinctively drop to a knee. "Sorry, excuse me." He lit up the communicator and walked away to the lounge of the Yoania. They'd have seen a thin, non-human humanoid with some markings on his face. "Neroka, you Gakker..." the captain at least seem pleased to see him, but given his ability to lie and bluff in Pazaak, it could be a front. "... look, some friends and mine are heading to Taanab to lie low... we'll need to land in the jungle and will need a guide to get us through the Jungle... there are four of us and three droids... surely a capable guy like you could manage it?" Hart didn't seem overly confident, but then he seemed to always hold some confidence in reserve.

 

[Pippa]

"Just promise to keep me from frying myself and we'll do just fine."
"I will endeavour to create a situation where I can in all good conscience make that promise."

"Some find offense to such blunt curiosity."
"Ah, that would explain a great many exchanges I have had in the past. I am not sure how to meter my curiosity. I often find that I only know that a boundary exists long after I have crossed it, though I will do my utmost to ensure that this is a rarity."

Pippa listened to Quint's answer to her query. She noted the strange temperature surges across his skin of there the course of the speech and could tell that for what ever reason he was struggling with the topic, but in particular was struggling with Alisha. She had not noticed a significant conflict between them before but made a mental note to pay closer attention to the situation. She carefully put her dirty bowl back on the table with the other implements and waited until quint took his call before speaking again.

"I had not heard of Hapans before now, I may need to do some reading. On another note it has come to my attention that you Kyllan refer to Captain Quint Hart's age with high frequency. Based on what knowledge I have of human biology and theoretically by extension near-human biology, the two of you should have comparable life spans and by the rigidity of the cellular structure of your skin and percentage of muscular weight you both seem to carry I would predict you to have a similar age in galactic standard years. Though I do confess I have not found myself to be the best judge of ages especially when many humanoids make heavy use of rejuvenating products such as aesthetic cosmetics to artificially alter the appearance of their ages. A process I do not understand either I might add. Something else I have come to realise is that my life expectancy is significantly shorter than the 'human' standard. Anyway, I am going to find some rough metal stock to repair my walker, if we are heading into jungle I want it to be weather proofed for monsoon rains."

And with that she pottered off around the ships to find any unused metal she could forge into a new front plate and failing that any extraneous metal she could pull from existing systems without compromising their function or integrity. After a few hours of careful tinkering and pottering she had gathered enough material to make a new plate and had a substantial list of small functional improvements she'd need to make to the two ships, in the case of the Yoania the kind that would not be outwardly noticed. She then set up a temporary workshop in the hold of the Yoania around her lashed walker and set to work on the repairs.

 

[Alisha D.]

Alisha looked to Kyllan concerned when he coughed up a little...She looks to him apologetically, now realise that her joke could have bad a negative effect...she patted his back a few times as an attempt to help him swallow. She almost found it sweet the way he reacted...was he jealous?

"Sorry..just a joke.." She smiled reassuringly at him, with a certain sweet look to her, before returning to her own food and listening to the Captain...but then realized, once more, that her curiosity might have done more harm than good.

The sudden change in the way Quint looked at her actually frightened her. What did she do to deserve that? It wasn't as if she implied anything by asking his species, it absolutely didn't matter to her what he was. It's who a person is that counts. Then why was he looking at her like he could attack her at any second? She stopped eating, and instinctively leaned back and looked back at Quint in alarm...for some reason she found it hard to look away, his gaze was so persistent. His explanation actually explained quite a few things, including his squinting..however she still didn't understand how he could judge her for being a female according to his species history. Made no sense to her, though she would mostly understand if he hated all Jedi.

When he received the call and walked out, Alisha was relieved and slumped back onto the lounge chair. She was showing a mixture of concern and annoyance. It wasn't her fault she was born like that, and it isn't as if she never had trouble with people judging by her look. As she watched Pippa walk out again, She pushed her tray away from her, and her face turned sad.

"I give up. I always say the wrong thing..." She sighs, and stares vacantly at the table in front of her, feeling rather empty.

 

[StarWriter]

Camaraderie. A word that described something Kyllan had little to no experience. Of course, he got along famously with his family and they had a few misadventures when he was younger, yet what was at present happening around him was something he rarely ever got to indulge in. Good conversation. Company among, if not friends, crewmates or comrades in arms or crime as it were. A pleasant enough sensation that he hoped to feel more of in the future with this band of rabble rousers they had become.

"Now then, I suppose you told me yours..." As he wolfed down the deliciousness contained within the small bowl in front of him he listened to the conversation, eager to discover more about his new compatriots.

"...I'm a Hapan, a near-human... hence the similarities." His gaze caught Alisha's and he stared at her. His eyes almost hardened before her, his shoulders set forward slightly with is hands dropping below the table.

Kyllan happened to glance over at his fellow captain as he began to regale them of his heritage. It was at that moment he noted the look in Hart's eyes and whom it was directed towards and a lifetime of martial training and reflexes kicked in. The spoon in his right hand settled into the bowl, spinning somewhat from the swiftness with which he brought his hand down beneath the table. Each of his heavy Sunspear blasters had a hand that rested on their grips and for a moment there was a dark, protective glean in his gaze. A gaze that was locked on Quint.

Of course it was about that time that Hart looked in his direction and their gazes would lock. For the first time since their meeting Kyllan held a killer expression. Something that would be a source of regret for him as soon as he realized it. Of course, those weapons remained holstered as restraint won the day and he shifted his attention to Pippa.

"I had not heard of Hapans before now, I may need to do some reading. On another note it has come to my attention that you Kyllan refer to Captain Quint Hart's age with high frequency. Based on what knowledge I have of human biology and theoretically by extension near-human biology, the two of you should have comparable life spans and by the rigidity of the cellular structure of your skin and percentage of muscular weight you both seem to carry I would predict you to have a similar age in galactic standard years....."

"Yes, well. It's mostly meant in retort to his proclivity to refer to me as Buckethead." For a moment there was a hint of joviality to him.

"I give up. I always say the wrong thing..."

Hearing this Kyllan would quickly scoot closer to Alisha and slide an arm around her shoulders to comfort her. "I have no idea what..that..was about but I don't think it was entirely...your fault. We're all more or less still strangers to one another. I'm sure we all have parts of our selves that might be a bit intimidating to one another, frightening even and who knows what might set us off." In a moment of wisdom he would calm himself and focus on her.

 

[Kaylon Neroka]

"Neroka, you Gakker..."

He'd heard worse greetings. More often than not they were deserved for one reason or another. With eyes looking over the familiar face of Hart, the Hapan's expression looked glad to see him and his own face cracked a slight smile in return. The yellow tattoos upon his face, akin to a pair of symmetrically mirrored lightning bolts stretched. He hadn't expected to see his like again, not for a while at least.

"Nice to hear from you too Hart."

"...look, some friends and mine are heading to Taanab to lie low..." That was an interesting turn to the conversation he hadn't expected. Nestled underneath the shelter of the fauna and flora native to that very world, the downpour which had rendered the world around him glossy and slick with moisture led him to clutch the holo-communicator all the more firmly. The smile wavered slightly.

It was a lot to demand out of the blue from the Hapan, but he gave voice to no objection. His own pleas for help hadn't exactly gone amiss when he'd last come to Hart. He did however wonder how the conversation might have turned out had he not been in the region of the planet. Never forgetting the debt still owed, if Hart was calling it in now of all times, well, he would be in no position to refuse.

Nonetheless, there was a pause before he responded, mulling over the tone to approach the request with, not to be snide but rather because the request was of such a broad scope that almost anything could happen.

"Taanab's a big place. You'll have to come in steady if you don't want to overlook some of the more well-known landing points. But if you're laying low I can think of-"

"We'll need to land in the jungle and will need a guide to get us through the Jungle... there are four of us and three droids..."

He stopped, thinking over the new information. There was definite intrigue in the request, though he would be surprised if Hart ever asked for anything typical of him. It narrowed his options, but simply navigating the jungles was no small matter for those not used to the terrain, and he didn't enjoy entertaining the idea of leading a band of outlaws through the jungle. That would have to be something he reviewed when he'd meet Hart again in person.
Even so, it wouldn't leave even fewer options if he was still flying his freighter. But in Neroka's experience, he'd seen trickier arrivals. It took a moment for him to realise yet again he was letting silence fill the pause in the conversation.

"Surely a capable guy like you could manage it?"

It didn't sound like a goad, it sounded too genuine. But he always reminded himself he was speaking to a savant at the right tables.

"...Dare I ask whose gambling tables you've made yourself unwelcome to this time? And what kind of droids are we talking about? Anything I need to keep an eye on, or are we talking extra baggage that'll need wrapping up and carrying?" The comment sounded as snide as he'd hoped not to be, but frankly it was a genuine concern, even if he really would be keeping an eye on them.
Looking about himself, still perched on a boulder, and beneath the shelter of a branch of broad leaves; he every so often had to prevent himself from slipping down its curved surface toward the waterlogged mud and gnarled roots below.
There were always better surfaces to sit on, sheltered branches he could climb and lay across, perhaps even a cave somewhere, but he'd failed to reach anywhere else that'd remain dry in the region he'd settled in, and to move now would be to suffer the elements more than he'd need. His boulder would do for now.
It hadn't stopped raining for the best part of a day and depending wherever it was Hart was fleeing from, they might just miss the turn of bad weather. But he'd spent the last four years getting by on wishful thinking. Why anyone not accustomed to the landscape would want to visit the verdant jungle on Taanab for any period of time was beyond him, but it was a statement he'd been telling himself months before.
His answer was always the same: He could do worse.

 

[Sangga]

"...Dare I ask whose gambling tables you've made yourself unwelcome to this time? And what kind of droids are we talking about? Anything I need to keep an eye on, or are we talking extra baggage that'll need wrapping up and carrying?" He shook his head, the grin that had spread acrods his face did not falter.

"Now come on Hotshot, you know me better than to make you an accomplice. Let's just say that I'll owe you, instead of you owing me if you can set us up with some cover." He rubbed his jawline and winked to the communicator. "Two astromechs and a pit droid... I imagine the two rollers will stay with the ships... I can't even begin to predict what the Toadstool will do." An alert began sounding in the Yoania's cockpit, he turned to see the navi-computer flashing. "We'll come in over the canopy as soon as we can... keep your lids open for two conjoined freighter twins." He hung up and stormed toward the cockpit, they were due to drop out of hyperspace in five minutes.

Making the necessary adjustments for the ship and preparing to decelerate, Hart then opened comms to the Double Entendre's cockpit. "All right passengers, we're about to come out of hyperspace, please endeavour to ensure that all items are stowed away safely and that you strap down and shut up for the next fiversion minutes." Staring out into the maelstrom of hyperspace he waited for a signal and the navi-computer gave one five minutes later. They needed to drop out now. He slowed down the hyperdrives as smoothly as he could, and they were back in orbit around another planet's outer orbit.

 

[Pippa]

Pippa finished up the last weld and buttoned in the last few joints. As she stepped back to admire her handiwork and to consider applying paint for additional water proofing and consistency she heard the general call for the hyperspace deceleration. She shoved as much of the loose material and tools as she could under a tarpaulin and lashed it down before popping into the already secured walker. She felt the pressure of the massive deceleration as it pushed her back into her cockpit seat and then it was abruptly over. She did a once over on the on-board electrics of her walker while she was there but popped back out to find a view port. Looking out into space she could see the blue and green ball that they were aiming for. She counted the cloud swirls and calculated weather patterns. She was already worried about the amount of rainfall there appeared to be on the surface and if the length of the clouds were anything to be judged but there were storm like winds in much of the northern hemisphere. Grumpily she poked at an intercom.

"Taanab looks very wet I would recommend heavy weather gear if you have it." She said on general call to both ships.

She then went back to her walker and started to apply coats of paint with a small sprayer to the newly welded areas to proof them against the rain. She certainly didn't want this thing falling apart in the middle of a storm, that kind of thing is exactly why she built it in the first place. After a few minutes and several coats of contact drying paint she and her walker were almost ready to face the wild jungles of the planet below. She strapped up her gear and put her spare stuff in the crush depth canisters. Checking both her weapons were fully loaded and all her belongings were completely stored she returned to the intercom.

"Ready to disembark when you are I will strap myself in for a jungle landing." She proceeded to clamber back into her still lashed walker and waited for the ships to reach the surface.