From all appearances Mr. Starbourne and Mr. Dusk were honest, hard working men trying to make their way in the Galaxy. They also moved more like Dietrich did than most people Drex knew. There was also the puzzling matter of why they would want to help him to consider. However, despite his misgivings, Drex found himself growing to trust and perhaps even like these two gentlemen whose interaction with each other was both playful and respectful at the same time.
It had been Mr. Dusk’s suggestion to bring the Z-95 into the arched hull of the Armistice. At 80 meters long, and with a cargo capacity of over a thousand tons the Z-95’s mere 50 ton mass fit easily within. They could’ve crammed the Brightstar’s Flame in too if they had been so inclined, but that vessel was down at one of Kridah’s illicit repair facilities at the moment being fixed from their terrific crash-arrival.
The Armistice was an impressive ship only in its size, and only that when one was standing beside it. Apparently her make had once been mass cargo and passenger liners providing public transit across the Galaxy. They had slowly been phased out over the years, and bought by companies and collectors. She had an arched fuselage ending in a rounded face at one end, and three powerful ion engines at the other. A few windows scattered her faded red skin along the sides, and seven large rectangular window-slits crossed her fore section like a visor from some archaic armor. She was flat across the bottom, and rested on seven landing-feet which composed her gear meant for that purpose. She had been red all over save for her face and the rings around the turbines, but now she was faded and dark-red with rings of gray. It was also apparent from her patch-work style plating that she’d been modified and repaired at least a few times. Drex had seen similar jobs on those rare occasions he had to be at the starport on Austeron.
“Foul smelling air, isn’t it?” Mr. Starbourne said walking up beside Drex.
Drex coughed, choking on it as though to make the point. “Yes, it is not a pleasant stench at all. Thank you, I feel I should say. I have to admit I’m still not sure why you’re helping me though.”
“It’s its own reward,” Mr. Starbourne responded. “This Galaxy doesn’t have enough people left in it who believe that. I try to be one of them.”
“There still has to be some angle you’re working,” Drex retorted.
“Does there?” Mr. Starbourne rebutted with a coy smile.
They were standing on one of the landing platforms atop the building in which Kirdah had her office. All around them similar pads atop towering monuments of Hutt power dominated this part of the city’s skyline. The wind here blew without end, howling away as though offended at what the structures had done in obstructing it’s path. Across the horizon, the sun was setting, turning the eternally overcast sky orange and green.
There was a hissing sound behind them as the turbolift released its contents to join them on the pad. From out of its now open cylindrical face strode Lyaia and Oz, clad in the same clothing that Drex had always seen them in, only now it was clean. The pair walked over to where Mr. Starbourne and Drex were standing.
Lyaia looked up at Trek Starbourne, looking him dead in the eye. “Thank you,” she said somewhat stiffly in Basic.
“My pleasure,” Mr. Starbourne returned and took a quick and shallow bow towards her.
“How are you two doing?” Drex asked. This was the first he’d seen them since waking up.
“We’re ok,” Lyaia responded, squinting in the bright light of sunset. “I’ve never seen a sunset before.”
Drex was surprised until he remembered that these two were very rarely out of the metal environs of a starship. A quick glance at Oz revealed that the boy was equally as mystified by the rotation of the planet beneath him as was Lyaia. Both were staring and squinting at the bright disk of light near the horizon between the towers.
There was a loud sound of metal on metal, of something heavy settling into place from within the bay of the Armistice. A few moments later Samedy Dusk came striding out from within the ship’s belly and jumped down onto the landing platform.
“All set!” He exclaimed happily and brought himself up to Mr. Starbourne’s side.
“Good job Mr. Dusk,” Mr. Starbourne said with a smile. Behind him there was a bewildered series of beeps and whistles.
“Oops!” Mr. Dusk exclaimed and jogged over to hoist R3D9 down from the cargo bay’s lip.
The turbolift doors slid closed and a sound of the car dropping back into the building could be heard thereafter.
As Samedy was finishing placing R3D9 on the surface of the landing pad, a second set of beeps sounded from within the ship. Drex’s eyes widened a bit as a squat droid roughly the same height as R3, came rolling up to the edge of the cargo bay. It had a square head, an urn shaped body, and two large treds upon which it rolled. The three tool arms dangling off of its central body combined with the antenna extending up from its squared head identified it as an NR-5 series repair droid. Drex knew the line well. They were highly reliable and intelligent. Though they did have the problem of breaking down in dusty environments, they were superb repair droids in the sanitized environment of a starship, and capable of speech to boot.
“I’m sorry X1,” Samedy said to the droid, “I know we’re low on fuel. I’ll have some more put in as soon as I get the chance.”
"That's what you said the last time we ran out prematurely Master Dusk," the droid responded in a neutral tone.
“I won’t forget like last time,” Samedy exclaimed, “I promise!”
"Of course not Master," the droid commented, and rolled back into the confines of the ship.
“You best not to forget the fuel,” Mr. Starbourne said in a serious tone, though he was still smiling.
Samedy shrugged, his face was a mask of guilt.
“Is that your droid engineer? Has Mr. Dusk forgotten the fuel before?” Lyaia asked Mr. Starbourne.
“Yes,” Starbourne responded simply, then turned to the turbolift.
The gesture seemed odd to Drex until the lift slid open and Kirdah Urka strode out onto the platform. Drex did a double take between Starbourne and Kirdah before shaking off the creepy feeling which just traveled down his back.
“Your ship will be ready in four days,” Kirdah said walking over to Lyaia and the rest. Samedy and R3 joined them.
“In the meantime," she continued, "why don't I ask my son to show you all around Cedrekharon?"
"Thank you," Mr. Starbourne began, "but I believe Mr. Dusk and myself have work to do tonight with the ship."
Drex gave Mr. Starbourne a look of puzzlement, and then turned his attention back to Kirdah. "I'll take you up on that," he said cheerfully.
Lyaia seemed uncertain, then caught sight of Oz's depressed look and made a decision. "We'll go too," she said with increasing confidence.
"Excellent," Kirdah smiled the toothy, almost predatory smile of her race. "Follow me," she said casually.
"Samedy," Mr. Starbourne said as he watched the two Duros, the Bothan, and his fellow human head off towards the turbolift. "This should be the beginnings of a very interesting adventure."
"If by interesting you mean 'life threatening' I'd agree," he said lightheartedly.
"All adventures are life threatening," Mr. Starbourne responded, "that's why they're adventures."
Samedy shrugged and nodded his head. "I'll start making the Armistice combat ready."
"Don't forget the fuel," Starbourne returned as he headed for the ship's entry ramp.
"Yeah yeah," Samedy responded throwing up his hands.