Shadow of the Crimson Turtle

"Hey Boto, good to see you again. Hope everything is going well, I'm sure Vin here is being a wonderful host but I'm thirsty so if you want something while I'm headed that way just ask. How about you big guy? You want a cafe? Leb?" Drael bounces onto the deck looking full of energy and Pat's his friend on the shoulder before noting any orders and heading of to get his and possibly other drinks. As he goes he checks over the ship in passing running his hand over panels and cables as he goes, the smile never leaving his face. "Any news from the others yet?" He asks to either of the others.

Boto beams a broad toothy grin at Drael and gladly accepts the offer of a coffee, before continuing with his work.

"I'm good. Stopped by a cafe while I was out.  Thanks, Drael."   Vin replies, "But I haven't heard from anyone else yet."

Nils gives a double thumbs up back to Ceph, then whispers to Sovia and Habib, "Hey, wouldn't it be funny if we just flew away?"

As nobody seems to have any idea where the others are after he has made and served a drink for Boto Drael gets on his data pad and calls Ceph, looking to find out what is going on with them. "Hey there it's Drael, we are back on the ship getting g the transponder fixed, already done a deal to shift the Durasteel once this work is done so things are going well.whats up with you all?"

Sovia's lips curl in what must be a grin. "Funny, yes. Beneficial in the long term? Probably not."

Ceph swallows a lump in his throat before replying, “Copy that, any lead is better than what I have now. As I mentioned I’m traveling with some friends, useful ones including a couple jedi-types. It may take a little convincing but hopefully they can accompany me. Are you able to allocate some funds to make that convincing a little easier?” he asks hopefully 

Leb makes sure that Kreel, her socorran tailring friend is well at the ship and when she walks back out the little reptilian creature is perched on her shoulders, opening his little wings to strecht them.  She giggles and pets him a little bit before the little creature jumps off her shoulders and fly around the ship.  "You know that you won't need to worry about mynocks and other parasites while he is around don't you?" he says to Drael when he finishes his conversation. 

The datapad from Axos buzzes as new information is transferred to it. "You can collect one thousand credits from the bank where you found this datapad using the account details that I've just sent to you. There'll be more waiting for you on Jehda. Good luck Ceph." The line goes silent, and Ceph's compad begins to ring in his pocket as Drael calls him. Back on the Cut , Boto sits up from his work and looks about to see who's present. "So, who has an I.D. handy? I have to configure this little one to be in the captain's name."

"Oh let me help you with that" Drael steps forward slightly too eagerly his id nowhere in sight, "although I do all the flying and most of the talking our Captain is my charming companion over here." He gestures towards Lebenha waving her forward. "She will provide you with all the credentials you need, how was the cafe by the way?"

Vin stifles a 'what?' in his throat.  Drael was ceding control of their ship to a Jedi. 'While I oughta,' frustration welled up insides of him.  The end of his sentence escapes his lips as he walks away. "...ya bloody wanker," his native imperial accent seeping out with his anger.  It was barely a conscious effort to change it most of the time, but this was too much.  It felt like a stab in the back.

"What did you say?" Drael asks after him, hearing the tone more than the words, thinking he might have an idea of the issue. "Leb, will give you all the documents you need, I'm going to check in with my buddy there" he comments to Boto as he follows Vin out of the area. When they are far enough away he reaches out towards the ex soldier and then changes his mind settling for speeding up to put himself in front of his friend. "Hey, cool it man, what's the problem, did you want to have your name on the deeds to the mansion?" The little man is not angry, more curious.

For the briefest moment, Vin considered pulling his blaster on Drael - the anger swelling so badly.  Instead he just gives an hateful stare, "My problem is your signing the our ship over to the bloody Jedi." Vin motions angrily, but more hushed, "I thought we were gonna part ways with them after this was done.  Now we're gonna have the same kind of documentation... oi oh oh ho. .." the thought struck him and he now went for an even a quieter tone, trying to not be overheard by Boto. "You're being clever right now, ain't ya?"   The anger still there, but pulled back just outside of his voice.  Hoping Drael had the right answer, he might not be as good as Drael at he draw but he was still tough enough to finish this if his partner gave the wrong answer. 'Wow, piracy is quick to change a man...' Vin thought worriedly.

"I'm always being clever, unless I'm being charming, but yes in this case clever. Obrim will look for the Cut, he wont find it, but he would be very interested in a captain Drael Kantabar flying around in a ship that looks remarkably like the one that disappeared in the attack on Endor station." The pilot hisses at Vin. Nobody will question it the way we have it set up now, and if we do need to go our separate ways it is still our ship and I wont have the slightest hesitation in taking it again. Now let's go and play nicely with the others, shall we." 

"You know you can only play nice with Jedi for so long before they are the ones in charge."   Vin warns, " but okay."  Vin relaxes and follows Drael back into the other room.

"It wont slip my mind, I trust your assessment my friend, but these are new times, looks like the jedi aren't what they once were.." Drael says quietly as they rejoin the others.

As they sit in the taxi watching Ceph make his precarious phone call, Nils remembers the other thing they'd been planning to ask Habib about. "Your cousin Jerome, do you know how much he charges for ID? Even roughly..."

Habib lights a cigar while they wait, the speeder swaying slightly in the air as he takes a long puff, then he turns to Nils and shrugs. "Depends. How good it need to be?"

"Um. I suppose good enough that I can arrive at a planet without them looking at me suspiciously?"

Habib tilts his head left and right, as though weighing the prospect in his head. "To pass customs and starport security? 500 credits."

Ceph pockets the datapad and walks to the edge of the slick platform. Another graceful leap sends him soaring through the air, and he pulls out his own buzzing compad in mid-flight. “One sec, hang on,” he responds as he literally hangs onto the side of the speeder for a moment before pulling himself in. “Things are good here too, Drael!” he emphasizes the name so the others in the car are fully looped in. “My employer has some work for us, even gave us an advance. Gotta run back by the bank and then get Nils’ ID sorted out before we head back to the ship.” He flashes his familiar optimistic grin at the others while he talks.

"That's great, Captain Leb will be giving the order to get us to drop this cargo off shortly and then well be free to come and meet up with you, we'll be in touch as soon as we can. Give us a call if you run into any trouble. Drael out." The little man winks at the jedi accompanying them as he finishes. 

Not withour surprise Lebenha gives the man her ID. While he is making the necessary arrangments she mutters to Drael "Are you sure?" but she smiles back to the technician when he gives her ID back.  She, still playing Drael's game but still confused says "What? uuh yes, of course... you may... proceed " Once the man leaves she grabs Drael by his arm. "What was that about? You know that there is an order to capture me now, right? Are you sure this was the smartest option? Do I need to learn to pilot now? " 

It takes Boto a good hour to get the transponder installed, and he stands with an expansive stretch once the work is complete, carefully gathering his tools. "You folks fly this here cargo over to Felix and we'll be right as rain! Will you be wanting any other work done when you're back?"

"Ah, Ceph! You made it back without falling! I wasn't sure you would! How did it go? Did you talk to your boss? Did he transfer you any money? I only ask because I was just talking to Habib about getting an ID and it sounds like it might be quite expensive. I've got some money, but... not enough. Apparently IDs cost a lot?"

“As a matter ‘a fact he did! We have to swing by that bank again before anything, but it should be enough to get you a new ID. Also, he wants us to go to Jehda, apparently he tracked these Grey Dawn guys back there. More money for us too if we do it; I wonder what the others will say.”

As soon as Ceph is safely inside the speeder, Habib veers off, rapidly shedding altitude as he guns the engines to get some distance from the communications relay. Seconds later there's a deafening crack as the tower is struck by lightning. Surge protectors rapidly redirect the burst of energy away from the sensitive equipment, but it certainly doesn't look like a safe place to stand. "So, back to the bank?" Habib laughs happily as he sets off back towards the city. The return journey takes the taxi's meter to almost fifty credits, but the account details on Ceph's datapad grant the necessary account access at the bank, and the young man is soon the proud honour of one thousand Republic credits. Another quick ride across town, and Habib's speeder glides to a halt outside a seedy looking apartment block on one of the city's lower levels. "Okay, we here!" He declares in his typical happy-go-lucky manner as he powers down the vehicle and steps outside, glancing about. "Follow Habib and no look too hard at no one, ke?" The taxi driver kicks the bottom corner of the rusty door to the building and it slides open with a groan. Inside, the corridors look like they were once decorated in a pale-beige, but now dark brown stains periodically mar the walls and linoleum flooring. Muffled voices can be heard from several directions as Habib leads the trio through the maze of narrow corridors, until he arrives at the door he's looking for and raps sharply on it with the back of his knuckles. "Hey Jerome!" He shouts. "Habib got work for you!" The door slides open just a crack and a wide pair of beady eyes peers through the gap. "What you want now Habib?" Jerome demands rapidly, eyeing the others suspiciously. "They good for it?"

"Boto, meeting you has been an absolute pleasure, you've been a great help with the work and the recommendation, I'd live to have you do all sorts if modifications to the ship but sadly u can't afford to right now. I'll know where to look if I'm back in town with some credits in my pockets though." Drael Pat's the mechanic warmly on one of is shoulders and then calls over to the others "Looks like it's time to go drop the cargo off and get the cash part of the payment. Captain, shall we get underway when ready?" He asks Leb and as she nods in agreement the little man dashes off to the cockpit to make ready. Shortly afterwards Drael pilots the ship out of the hanger and at a leisurely pace begins the short trip to Greuter's, as the other two are assembled in the cockpit with him he makes small talk asking about what Vin has been up to before finally addressing the thornier issue of Leb being the captain "Ok, so clearly you've got your name on the deeds, so to speak but this ship is still very much Vin's and mine, and the only reason I didn't want my name on the documents is because some people we dont want finding us are better off thinking we are dead. I confess I didnt think about you being in trouble yourself, we are going to have to bluff our way through if it comes to it, maybe find one of us who isn't trying to hide themselves from something and get it changed to their name but for now let's get this done and then get back. We need to meet the others anyway." The brief conversation takes almost the whole flight and before long Drael is landing at an unloading platform. Droids and workers from Greuters appear and begin the unloading process under Vin's watchful stare while Drael collects the rest of the payment from the reception, spending more time flirting with Alice, but his heart isn't really in it and she seems to pick up on this, not being quite as friendly as before. Once the work is done Drael leaves with only a brief goodbye before flying back to their hanger far quieter than usual, as the fly he counts out the payment, splitting it in two and passing Vin half without comment. Touching down the pilot sits back in his red leather flight chair and idly recounts his credits, as they wait for the others to arrive.

"Don't you worry guys " assures Lebenha to both of them as they make their way to unload the cargo " I will not consider the ship my own, no matter what the register says this is your ship." she smiles and adds "There is the little issue of the cabin tough... the Captain cannot sleep anywhere, can't she? " 

"You're welcome to best room in the ship... Not mine."  Vin mused with a smile, primarily because his quarters next to the ramp helped him secure the ship. So surely she was gunning for Drael's more spacious cabin.

Leb smiles, clearly messing with both of them. "Oh I think that Drael's one would do just fine then... "

Ceph flashes a reassuring glance at his companions before stepping forward with a wide smile. “Yeah we’re good for it. Lookin to get a passable ID for this one.” He indicates Nils with a nod. “How much?”

Jerome glances from Habib to Ceph to Nils, watching each of the newcomers carefully. "Local or off-world?" He asks, still through the crack in the door.

"Off-world. Sadly we are just visiting your fine planet temporarily," replies Nils. He'd taken Habib's advice and had studiously avoided looking at the man who had been smoking a cigarra outside the apartment block as they'd entered, but had spent the rest of their short walk looking at everything else with curiosity - the contrast between the sterile constructions on his home planet and this area, apparently teeming with insectoid and rodentoid life, was fascinating.

Jerome slowly looks Nils up and down. "Half a grand, ke? I do good work. I no haggle."

"Can I see an example of your work?"

Jerome looks back over at Habib and stares at him. "This the kind of mother fucker you bringin' around now? Get the fuck outa here!" Habib shrugs and turns to Nils, pulling out his own wallet. A series of different IDs cascade down in a long concertina of transparent sleeves. Some of them even appear to be for government agencies. "Jerome can do it," he assures Nils.

"OK, so to be clear I am keeping my room, and as Vin likes to sleep in one of the store cupboards you can have the other big room, seeing as you are the captain, in name only, obviously. Now let's see where the others are and catch up with them." Drael looks eager to rejoin the others and meet up.

"Thank you, my friend," Nils replies to Habib, leaning in for a closer look at some of the identities Habib apparently possesses. Realizing he doesn't actually know what a valid ID looks like, he just peers at them closely, nodding thoughtfully, before pulling back and saying, "Yes. OK. Good. 500 credits, OK."

Jerome nods and steps back from the door. There's a series of rattling and clanking noises from the far side and it opens sufficiently to allow entry. The interior of Jerome's apartment is filled with technological junk of all kinds. It's haphazard and chaotic and yet surprisingly advanced at the same time. He leads Nils through to a small room with three out of four walls empty of gadgets and painted a bright blue, indicating to sit on a stool in the middle.

Sovia stands behind Nils giving him a reassuring nod. She leans down and whispers, "If they intend to hurt us, I will sense it. We are not in danger for now."

Nils, who had not even considered the possibility that his friend or their new acquaintance might mean them harm, is slightly taken aback by Sovia's whispered suggestion, and just whispers back, "Ah. Good to know?" Following Jerome into the room, Nils peers with interest at the various technological trinkets, before sitting down on the stool. "This is a nice setup you have!" , he says conversationally. "I presume making an ID is more complex than just taking a photo? And is this all for IDs, or do you do other things here too?"

"Woah, hold the fucking door, Drael. I don't get a say in this?  Being by the ramp is one of the easiest ways to secure the ship." Flustered, "I mean have had worse places to sleep." 

"This just for the HD holo," Jerome explains as he tweaks some settings on a datapad. "Hold still." There's a high-pitched whine, and a broadband laser sweeps over Nils, recording the holo-image. "This take a little time. Yo u wait?"

Ceph follows inside, nodding at Sovia's comment and clearly grateful for the Draethos' abilities. As Nils sits for his picture, Ceph stands by watchfully, almost like a parent. "Bout how long?" Ceph asks, not trying to press but clearly feeling a bit rushed as he knows the others are likely waiting on them. "Habib, you know anywhere I can buy a blaster real quick? Nothin fancy."

"Jerome work best when it quiet, " Habib tells Ceph with a grin, "follow Habib." The taxi driver starts to lead Ceph away, but then leans back to stick his head around the door. "YO JEROME!" "WHAT?!" "IMA SHOW THE KID THE CLOSET!" "YOU BREAK IT, YOU FUCKIN' BUY IT!" Habib looks back to Ceph and shrugs with a chuckle, before leading him between stacks of tech across the apartment. The enter what looks like a bedroom, on the far side of which is an unassuming looking closet. Habib crosses to the door and kicks the bottom corner. A keypad slides out of the wall alongside and he quickly keys in several digits, causing the closet doors to slide open with a hiss. Inside is a veritable arsenal of weaponry. "This kind of thing what you looking for?" Habib asks, tossing Ceph a blaster pistol.

Ceph smiles at the exchange. While his own parents had spent most of their time working, he had practically been adopted by the loud and colorful families of some of his gang. Some things were universal it seemed. The nostalgia-smile turns into an open grin however as Habib opens up 'the closet'. His eyes go wide, not leaving the assortment of firepower even as he catches the blaster. "Habib, you're a miracle-worker. Uhm I..." his eyes are still glued to the bigger and flashier fare, but he finally pulls away and looks down at the much more concealable option in his hands. "Yeah. This is exactly what I need. How much?"

Habib appears to pause and consider. "For you, my friend? Two hundred credits," he offers.

“Sounds good to me!” He offers his hand to shake before transferring the credits.

Leb smiles to both men and says.  "Don't you worry I was just messing with you. I can keep my quarters, no need to make any arrangements, but I've never been a Captain before, not even in name, so you two better start to teach me how to pilot the ship and the basis of how to keep it flying, in case I need to play that role without you around..."