Several days later...
YT-1210
Discus, somewhere in the Thaere Sector
“So this is it. What do you think Roger?” said Seela, sweeping her around to the cockpit of the craft.
The man eyed the controls curiously and stroked his salt and pepper goatee, “This is looking like more than I bargained for.”
The rutian twi'lek frowned, “What do you mean?”
“It's almost too nice of a ship,” replied the man, lightly rapping the hull, “though I'm not to sure about that droid the Confederate's gave me...”
“There's nothing wrong with that R6 unit, dad. The Confederate's thought you might need an extra hand if things get messy.”
“That's what concerns me. Don't get me wrong, it'll be nice to have a droid work on some of the repairs. But the fact that this is coming from the Confederates...”
“It has extra recording equipment and technology inside father, that's it. It's just to help make a better case in the courts...”
The aging man sighed, “That doesn't make me feel any better. Nor does that homing beacon...”
“It'll make me feel better. If something happens, we can people there to look out for you...” mused Seela, eying the man closer, “Now you're just griping for the sake of griping, aren't you?”
The many wryly grinned, “It is flattering to see you try show some concern for an old man like me...or at least pretend to show some...”
“Oh stop it, if you keep this up, there won't be much more concern coming your way. Maybe I'll just let Chordak know why you're really here.”
The man winced, “A little too close, dear. And your promise about him?”
“I will hold it, and the Confederates seem content with it...look Dad, they're not after him, they're after his bosses...”
“All right dear,” said Jess, glancing at his chrono, “I think it's time for you to go. Chordak wanted to see me as soon as I could. Would you tell that R6 to join me in the cockpit on your way out?”
She nodded, tiptoed up to the man, and gave a light peck on his cheeks, “Try not mess it up too much...”
“I'll try not to wreck your friends' ships,” promised the man slipping by to plop into the cushioned chair of the old freighter.
The woman disappeared behind the doors, leaving the man to gaze at the distant stars splattered across the void of space. He took in a deep breathe, noting an almost tropical, fermented smell, making him wonder what the ship had been carrying before its confiscation. Jess Braner idly rested his hand on the controls, hearing the tootle and whistle of the R6 droid before it wheeled in to take a spot next to the man. He turned towards it.
“Well, it's just you and me now,” said the man idly, watching Seela's sleek shuttle jet away back to Thaere Privo, “you ready to go?”
The droid whistled and made a series of bee-bop sounds.
“Me too,” agreed the man, slamming the control throttle forward.
The bright lines of superluminal travel flooded the viewport as his ship swiftly ran into the expanse of hyperspace.
Discus. What kind of a name is that for a ship like this? I guess it's roughly disk-shaped...wonder what surprises it holds besides the smuggling compartments and the missiles...hopefully nothing else too ridiculously. The man dozed off into sleep, his mind drifting off to lives lived in the past; when Seela and her sisters were little girls, and the love of his life clung to his side with that little smile of hers plastered on her face. The R6's whistling along with the early warning timer woke him quicker than a bucket of water splashed upon his face. His hands immediately went to the controls of the vessel, and his eyes glanced at the weaponry. He spared a glance at the countdown timer and breathed a sigh of relief.
Have I really been on the other side so much that I still expect that Interdictor years ago to pull me out again? The
Discus reverted to realspace among a series of asteroids on the edge of the LFA-509 system.
“Oh, this is going to be just like old times...for me bud, I won't say I know what you've been through...”
The man deftly swung the freighter into the field of rocks. It was a fairly sparse and ancient belt. He had little difficulty moving even a large tramp freighter like the
Discus through it, though he imagined it'd be much harder for a capital ship to move through it. His comlink crackled to blend into a smooth voice.
“You've got a better ship than I thought an old dog like you would get your hands on, Rogers.”
“It's Mr. Bran,” shot back the man, “what can I say Chordak, she's not quite the Oo-Ta Goo-Ta, but maybe I can her up to that level with a little work.”
“How did you get it?”
“Let's just say it's a gift for a very big favor someone owes me.”
“Sounds like quite the story...” said the distant rodian.
“Maybe I'll tell you all about it once we can get a drink together and catch up on good times. Want to shoot me the exact coordinates, now that I've made it this far. You can tell I'm not being tailed, can't you?”
“Yes, yes...well...Jess...I can't be too cautious. With the Cartel gone now, things in the area are going more respectable. The things we used to do and get away with, can easily get us imprisoned or killed without much thought.”
“The confederates?” questioned the man.
“Yes. Perhaps you're not so much out of the loop as I originally thought...”
“Oh, I don't know about that. I managed to save a certain person's rear from Confederate investigation...”
“And that's how you got the ship?”
“Well, that and a bit of blackmail and gambling.”
“You're a son of gun. But now you're close enough that you do not need more coordinates. Look to your seven. You see the glowing lights? I lit up the landing lights just for you. Just enter the cavern and land, and we'll get down to business, just like old times.”
“Sounds good Chordak.”
