Mr. Starbourne, Samedy, and the Ninda siblings were already aboard the craft. R3D9 and NR-5-X1 were in the cargo bay overseeing the final restraints on the ‘Flame to secure it within the hold, which left Drex to bid the planet farewell by himself. He wasn’t bothered by this, grateful for his last moments alone to think.
The sun was low in the sky, creating the spectacular lightshow of dusk through the toxic air of Nar Dundo. Drex breathed in the toxic air and nearly wretched for the last time, he thought, and drew pleasure from that small comfort in their situation. The lights of the city were starting to grow brighter now that sunset had come. He took it as a farewell salutation and then began to ascend the ramp onto the Armistice. The sound of the cargo bay doors grinding closed filled his ears.
“Farewell Mr. Odagon,” Kirdah said from the platform behind him.
Drex jumped, thinking himself the last still outside, and turned to see the Bothan and her son. The wind was rippling her fur in waves, or so Drex thought, it could have also been an expression of her mood; he wasn’t sure. “Farewell,” he nodded to them, “and thank you for your hospitality.”
“It was my pleasure Mr. Odagon,” Kirdah responded, “and a very interesting one at that.”
From within the craft Mr. Starbourne and Mr. Dusk emerged and each bowed to their former hosts. “Forgive my manners Ms. Urka, we were running through the final flight check.”
“Forgiven,” Kirdah responded, “and do come back Mr. Starbourne. I’d love to discuss your politics and history at some future point.”
In response he gave a smile and a quick bow before turning and disappearing into the ship’s metal innards.
“Farewell Ms. Urka,” Samedy said, moving to stand beside Drex. “May the Force be with you.” He turned to Drex, “come on, let’s go.”
Drex took one last look at the Urkas. He could swear that Kirdah was puzzled, or deep in thought as he watched her fur and facial expression. Briefly, Drex wondered why she would be. Mrae looked bored, which Drex fully expected. He also imagined that the young Bothan was relieved to be rid of them. For some reason that thought amused him, and he chuckled before turning into the Armistice and hitting the button which started the access ramp retracting, and the outer door descending along the concave inner hull.
The Armistice was a much cleaner ship than the ‘Flame, that was evident right off the bat. As Drex moved deeper into the ship along the short corridor from the access hatch to the stairs, he noted that the walls still had off-white paneling on them which concealed the piles and cables which were so obviously exposed aboard the Ninda’s ship. The deck plating was made of orderly gray hexagonal plates fitted together. Blue-white track lighting on either side of the top of the corridors provided plenty of illumination. Drex had the impression he’d just walked into a hospital facility on Austeron rather than a ship sitting on a landing platform on a toxic Hutt-controlled planet. Even the air smelled antiseptic, though not unpleasant as it was tinted by a hint of incense as well.
Samedy Dusk was leading the way up the tightly winding stairs into the living section of the vessel. Drex followed, noting where the emergency equipment was stashed, and thankful for the markings along the floor which indicated where the escape pods might be found and the shortest route from where one was standing at any given time.
Once on the middle deck of the craft Samedy led Drex down a two and a half meter wide corridor lined with rectangular doors set back slightly in its walls. “These are the crew’s quarters, though I have to admit they don’t get much use.” Samedy spoke in a pleasant tone as he gestured to what he talked of. “The Nindas are in cabin one. I thought I might give you five here,” he stopped and stood before a door labeled with a neatly painted red number five on it.
“How many passengers can this ship carry?” Drex was curious.
“One-hundred,” Samedy chuckled, “though I don’t think it’s carried that many since it’s come into Starbourne’s hands. We converted a lot of the living space into cargo, it used to be able to carry a lot more than a hundred, but felt it best to keep at least some of its large passenger capacity. I don’t really know why, it’s just one of those things you do for whimsy, understand?”
Drex nodded, thinking it best not to encourage the man’s babbling.
“Anyway, here you go,” Samedy said keying the pad on the door-frame. “It’s set for general access now, so you can come and go as you please.”
From down the corridor Drex heard a familiar beeping. He turned to see R3D9 rolling along beside X1, who was at that time returning the squawking R3 had just given it. The pair of droids rolled right past Samedy and Drex, continuing their Binary argument down the corridor.
Drex chuckled abruptly.
“What are you laughing at?” Samedy asked.
“R3 was chewing X1 out for not having a contingency plan for being boarded,” Drex laughed. “I guess that would figure for a military droid. It’s funny when tech argues with itself isn’t it?”
“You can understand them?” Samedy asked incredulously.
“I used to be a droid supervisor,” Drex explained, “I guess I picked up Binary along the way.”
“Impressive,” Samedy said. “Anyways, as I was saying, you can come and go as you please here. It’s probably best to stay out of engineering, just because that’s ‘my area’ you know?”
“Of course,” Drex nodded, “I wouldn’t know what I would be doing there anyway.”
“Great,” Samedy smiled. “Basically kick back and relax then. We’ll be setting a course for Austeron shortly then.”
Drex’s expression grew concerned, “I’m hesitant to return to my home without an army at my back. It was the point of my mission, and my friend got caught and is probably being tortured over it. Don’t you or Mr. Starbourne know of anywhere we could go to get some mercenaries at least?”
Samedy sighed and relaxed his shoulders. “Don’t worry about it. You’ll be surprised at what Mars-“ Samedy abruptly cut himself off.
“What?” Drex asked, having caught the slip but not understanding it.
“Um,” Samedy said, backing up slowly, “I should get to the bridge. You just settle in and enjoy the ride.”
“But the mercenaries,” Drex began, following Samedy’s retreat. “We must be able to get help somewhere.”
“You’ve already found more help than you know.” Samedy spoke softly, trying to sound reassuring, “get some rest.”
Drex resisted screwing his face up into a look of consternation, and resigned himself to his fate. He pressed a button on the panel on the doorframe of his room. The door slid smoothly aside, revealing the small but comfortable cabin beyond the threshold.
“Thanks,” Drex said, moving into the two by three meter room.
“Don’t mention it,” Samedy said, smiling once more, and heading towards the bridge.
The ship’s engines powered up a moment later, sending shudders through the vessel and causing the walls to hum in time with the pulse of energy.
Samedy reached the bridge a few moments later. Its double doors slid away to reveal the heavily modified bridge. Foremost were the window-slits through which Samedy could see the city sliding away below them, and the sickly sky growing to encompass more and more of the view. Aft from the windows were the three control boards that he and Starbourne had installed when they modified the ship to include five droid-brains which managed most of the ship’s functions, allowing for a crew of three instead of eight.
The control boards were placed in a triangular formation so that the base of the triangle would be facing the windows. In the seat before the panel at the triangle’s apex sat Starbourne, guiding the ship from the dock atop the building, and proceeding on its repulsorlifts space-ward. NR-5-X1 rested beside the starboard panel, plugged into an access jack on the side. Samedy moved to the port side panel and sat down in the beige seat before it. Around them, lining the walls and even the ceiling, were banks of computers and unmanned terminals with their blinking and flashing indicators which reported everything the droid brains thought and did.
“He’s still not accepting that we,” Starbourne began, “the two of us can actually help him.”
“He was going on about hiring mercs this time,” Samedy responded as he put on the headset attached by a thin white cord to the panel before him. “I think we’re going to have to show him instead of tell him.”
“Of course,” Starbourne nodded, “that’s how it usually is. Do you think we can trust him?”
“With the secret?” Samedy asked while punching in co-ordinates to the navi-computer. “Not sure he’s ready yet. Then and again,” Samedy thought a moment, “I doubt he’d either freak that bad or run around telling people.”
“It’ll come out eventually,” Starbourne responded, “ok, she’s all yours.”
“When are you going to learn to fly?” Samedy laughed, transferring helm-control to his board. “X1, where’s your friend?”
Through the windows, the green-gray sky was turning steadily darker.
GONE TO REJOIN ITS MASTER scrolled across Samedy’s screen.
“How are you two getting along?”
IT IS AN INTERESTING CONVERSATIONALIST, THOUGH OVERLY CRITICAL IN MILITARY MATTERS.
“You have to expect that X1, it’s a military droid after all.”
TRUTH.
The sky outside had become a sea of tiny lights, and one bright object off to their starboard side.
“There’s our friend’s friend,” Starbourne said, pointing at the warship in high orbit. “So far she’s not taken notice of us.”
“And why should she right? We’re just a couple of independent traders coming away from a Hutt world with a cargo-bay full of junk.” Samedy chuckled.
“She’s scanning us,” Starbourne said, adjusting the sensors from his board.
“Nothing amiss here,” Samedy said to those who could not hear him.
“Eighteen seconds to jump point,” Starbourne read off his panel, “and counting.”
IMBICILE, YOU FORGOT TO REFUEL AGAIN! “Huh?” Samedy read his panel and felt the blood drain from his face. “Oh by the Force!”
Starbourne nodded, “I knew you would. Not a word Samedy, you always forget. Where’s the nearest refueling station?”
“On the way?” Samedy questioned, then began scrolling through navigational charts on his monitor. “Expansion Region, near the Hydian Way, a deep space station called ‘Hedonna’, it’s not listed as an official refueling port but it says it does have the capability.”
“I suppose that means fuel is negotiable there? Any other option?” Starbourne raised an eyebrow.
“Not without returning to the planet or going out of our way,” Samedy shrugged. “We have enough fuel to get us to Hedonna at least.”
“I wouldn’t want to return to the planet and get Durgo even more upset,” Starbourne contemplated, “Hedonna it is then. What’s our ETA?”
“Give me a minute,” Samedy responded, and a minute later, “seventy-two hours.”
“A good amount of time,” Starbourne said, “let’s go then.”
“Yes sir,” Samedy responded and set the co-ordinates. “Maybe we can negotiate for updated star-charts too?”
Starbourne’s eyebrow came up again.
Samedy smirked, and gave the command to the computer.
Outside, stars became star-lines, and with a flare of the engines they were enveloped in the mottled plane of hyperspace.