Ganet strolls in, sizes up the situation, and strolls off towards the hatch.

"You can continue shennanigans. I'll see about getting us a holochess board."

Ignoring the commotion, Mandall spots a free hammock and decides that as long as there's no flying, it doesn't need his attention. Consequently, he goes for a short powernap.

Ah, sleep.

Can't get enough of that.

Ganet takes a stroll through the hangar pit and up three stories to the bustling expanse of surface docks. Nar Shaddaa's pale dawn is still a few hours away, but the traffic is getting fairly heavy. Behemoth freighters float gently past Ganet into their cavernous berths below him.

Outside the docks, all manner of predators stalk the Vertical City's handrailless streets. The most common, of course, are the swindlers - looking to make a quick buck off the newcomer, would-be badass, or the easily intimidated. The second type are the spice dealers, the prostitutes, the pimps. The third type aren't interested in "deals" of any sort.

It's this third type that Ganet runs into. Arms full with the long, flat box containing the (presumably in working order) holochess table, he notices the first one. The Gran had been following him since he left the shop. It's the Kubaz that catches him by surprise - a gloved hand holding a blaster pistol snakes out from a black alley between two shops and the anteater proboscis gurgles a warning in Huttese. "Into the alley, fancy-pants. Don't try nothin' and you won't get hurt."

Aurelia leaves her fighter locked and secured and joins the rest of the crew on the main freighter. She wanders off, only to appear again awhile later when she hears gunshots. The weapons malfunction has her looking a combination of annoyed, surprised and...really good.

She's changed cloths completely, flightsuit replaced with a royal blue dress that Cas recognizes as one of several "liberated" from an Imperal Moff's household for just such under cover missions, although it's been given a lower cut and a slit up one leg since the last time she saw it. Along with the outfit are the earrings, necklace and dueling sword she took earlier. It's definitely the first time any of them have seen Aurelia "cleaned up", and she looks vaugely more exotic...probably because it's also the first time they've seen her in makeup.

Jorm smiles as he looks up from his conversation with Ty. His mind is abuzz with all of the preparations to be made and the possibility of some sleep. But all of those thoughts vanish and the smile on his face is replaced by his impersonation of Cletus the Slack Jawed Yokel as he spies Aurelia coming down the corridor, "Um..wow..." he stammers as she approaches. "You look like you're ready for action...umm..I mean ready to get down to business...er...I mean ready to carry on with the mission."

"Ah Hell," he mutters. "I'll be in my bunk."

Eritram is sitting in a corner with his trusty (and rusty) datapad, reading up on Hapian customs. That's when he sees Aurelia stroll into the room...and he is shocked.

"If I didn't know better I'd say you are right out of the royal families on my home planet." His face goes grim for a second when he mentions his planet, but after a split second he brightens up again.

"What's with the sword though? You could actually hurt someone with that."

Aurelia inclines her head slightly and smiles.

"That is the point." She walks over and taps about two paragraphs down on the data pad. "Pirate Princes, without fail, travel with a consort. Should our employers come calling, we need someone who looks the part. We've got a very thin story to go on, and the first rule of hiring mercinaries is to check on the crew while the captain is away. And if a Hapian doesn't answer the door..." she shrugs. "It's not good."

She sits, crossing her legs carefully after moving the sword. "The sword is there for show...it's a symbol of wealth. Impoverished mercinaries are suspect mercinaries. And, given the women in our crew, I'm the only one that fits the bill."

Jorm pauses and listens to Aurelia's explanation. The datapads that he needs and left in his bunk will have to wait a moment.

She sighs softly. "It is however a pain for working. Someone else is going to have to repair our...freelance gunnery range."

Eritram listens to her explanations and cannot help but notice,

"Wasn't it Cats job to hang at my arm?"

Or do I get both?

She chuckles softly.

"My good Prince should have read his datapad earlier. I said he always travels with a consort....not only a consort. It's unseemly to not keep at least one Hapian lady nearby, but considering it is a Hutt we're dealing with, and Hapian customs all considered, having a beautiful and extremely dangerous body guard on your arm as well would not be unexpected."

"It's good to be the king."

Quote:

"It's good to be the king."

"Indeed it is. For that idea you get some of my wine." With a quick look in Jorms' direction he adds, "Not on duty of course"

"Now, if you'd let me go on reading. I am sure someone will be able to give you a hand with any repairs."

Jorm looks Aurelia up and down one more time. Of course she's dressed like that for the mission, there's no way she'd...

With a smile he says "I don't suppose you found somewhere on or in that get up to hide a commlink so we can keep you wired? Hrmm..we might have better luck finding a place on Eritram."

Quote:

"Indeed it is. For that idea you get some of my wine." With a quick look in Jorms' direction he adds, "Not on duty of course"

Clapping Eritram on the shoulder he says, "Unfortunately, as a part of your cover, you may be forced to drink delicious wine and eat exotic food all while on duty. I know it's a tough job, but I think you're up to it."

Quote:

She sighs softly. "It is however a pain for working. Someone else is going to have to repair our...freelance gunnery range."

He turns back to Aurelia and bows in an overly formal fashion. "Madam, your humble grease monkey lives to serve. Your wonderous personage shall set neither foot nor bottom on a ship that is not in perfect running order."

"Anyway, Ty and I should really get to work. Cat, Mandall, I want the two of you to head into whatever cesspool serves as a watering hole for pilots and see what kind of information you can dig up. Look for Ganet on your way there and make sure that he isn't in any trouble. Murdock, it would be greatly appreciated if you would patrol the hangar and discourage unwanted visitors."

Back to the ships for me. Jorm thinks as he exits the ship looking back at Aurelia and Eritram for a moment.

Ty follows Jorm without a word, already planning a series of small flames on the wings and underwing engines of his fighter.

At the mention of Ganet, the commlink crackles.

"--fine way to get the drop on a man, I'll give you that. Do you have to pay Leeko's Lectronics rent for that alley?"

At Jorm's latest orders, Calsera glances over at Mandall. "I think we're up to that." She rises and snatches up her flight jacket, swinging it over her shoulder.

Just then, she hears Ganet's voice over the commlink. "That sounds like trouble. Ready Mandall?" Her eyes flash to Aurelia and Jorm. "If any of you can triangulate his position, let us know in-transit."

With that, she's out the door and headed toward the interior of the complex.

Mandall glances up from his nap.

"Huh? What? Oh, Ganet's in trouble. Must be Tuesday."

He jumps up from the hammock, then strolls over to Calsera.

"If you can't get a good fix, just tell us which city sector to nuke in retaliation."

Eritram is not too concerned by the fractured comlink transmission.

"I guess you don't need me to save him from some thugs."
Turning to Aurelia,

"You need some more practice to be totally believable. See, you walk like a commoner. There's not enough arrogance in the way you behave. Arrogance is key."

"Murdock, since we now know that there's trouble I would like you with Cat and Mandall. And remember, no disintegration."

fanchergw wrote:

"If any of you can triangulate his position, let us know in-transit."

Jorm heads to the nearest comm station. "No need for triangulation. Just a map of the complex. Let's see Leeko's Lectronics..."

Aihal the Silent wrote:

"Murdock, since we now know that there's trouble I would like you with Cat and Mandall. And remember, no disintegration."

"As you wish."

Murdock flexes his retractable gun ports, checking their sight alignments before proceeding outside.