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Zaria thought on it for a moment; having somebody from the palace service her ship would guarantee quality, but could not guarantee their silence no matter how many credits she coughed up. She'd bankrupt herself trying to keep her secret under wraps. "Actually, I think Daniel might have somebody in mind, maybe an apprentice?" She smiled broadly at Daniel, hoping he was picking up what she was putting down. She needed somebody who could repair her ship and still be threatened into silence if the need arose.
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The èirinn flicked her tail, growing annoyed. Had Zaria not used someone before Daniel? He couldn't have been on the planet for very long; she'd visited him on Xenthras only two years ago. It spoke to how trustworthy he was that he'd earned such a high respect and appreciation so quickly, or to how easily he could be cowed. She preferred to think the former, but she suspected it was more likely the latter. Still, whoever repaired the ship wasn't her problem; she'd said she would pay for the repairs, but it would be up to the Terarn to find someone willing to do the actual repairs.
Daniel hesitated, fiddling with the slate. "I-I haven't been h-here long enough to have... have an apprentice." He paused, and the hunter gave his arm a gentle pat.
"It's okay if you don't know anyone. They'll figure something out."
He shook his head. "I-I do know... one guy. H-his name is Zoto. H-he's the one who h-helped me set up here." He glanced down at the èirinn, then glanced away and mumbled so quietly, even she had a hard time hearing him, standing as close as she was, "I d-don't like him."Phillipians 4:13 - I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
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"Zoto, huh?" she stroked her chin with two fingers. "I've heard the name floating around before; but I don't think I've ever met him before. Point me in his direction; I can arrange repairs with him while Zulo takes care of things at the palace." she fluffed up her own wings, mirroring what the prince had done. "I'll grab a bag as well; don't want to leave with only the clothes on my back." she flapped a few times to become airborne, then waited for Daniel's instructions. Flight, while a common thing among Terarns, was something of a special talent for Zaria. She much preferred it to walking, and as such would sometimes get blisters on her feet if she walked too far or too long.Last edited by amaterasu; 06-29-2020, 10:35 PM.Old Age of War stuff here:
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"I'll meet you at the spaceship," Zulo said to Zaria as they took flight. "Ring me when it's time to leave." With that, he took off on a gust that sent him speeding back towards the palace.Comment
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Daniel nodded, relieved he wouldn't be expected to guide Zaria to the other repairshop. "H-he's a Zora near the coast. J-just head n-north, you can't miss it." He thought for a moment, then added, "Th-there's a large scrap y-yard next door. I-I think he has a... a salvaged star ship there."
"We'll meet you back at my ship," the èirinn called. She tapped his arm. "You should pack up some stuff too. I'd rather not bring you back here, so whatever you want to take with you."
He grimaced, and turned to head into the shop. "I don't k-keep much," he mumbled.
She rolled her eyes behind his back. "I thought I broke you of that habit. You're not on Xiang anymore, you can keep however much you want. And if you really insist on coming back here, I won't force it."
He shrugged. "D-doesn't matter. I-I like to travel l-light." He pulled a worn bag from hiding and began putting various trinkets inside. Another bag, this one not as worn, was filled with his clothes. A few tools were added to his work apron, some hung from loops specifically designed for them. Then Daniel glanced around once more before making his way outside again. He'd use his slate to message the leasing office about dissolving his lease on the property; they'd take care of any remaining tools and scrap when they cleaned it out for the next owner. He turned to his mistress. "R-ready."
"If you're sure." She reached out and took one of the bags, ignoring his protests that he could carry it just fine. "I'll let you lead the way to the starport; we took the tug to get over here."Phillipians 4:13 - I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
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Zaria nodded once sharply, then flapped her arms hard and took off towards the Zora repairman. His shop was incredibly easy to find given the junked spaceship marker, and she spotted him tinkering with a project at a messy workbench. She landed gracefully and, despite her short height, found a way to look down on Zoto to establish her dominance. "Hello, I am Zaria, I understand you're a mechanic who can fix my ship without too many questions." she paused to wait for his response, then added quickly, "Daniel sent me. I need you to repair The Phoenix, and price is not an object."Old Age of War stuff here:
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If not for her own illicit dealings, Zaria might have never met a Zora more slimy than this. Oh, the smile he turned to her seemed genuine enough, and his voice when he spoke polite, but the aura around him was enough to warn honest folks that this was a dishonest fish. "I'd wondered how Daniel was getting along. Got too much work to handle himself, hmm? So he thought of his dear friend Zoto." He set his tinkerings aside and bowed to the Rito. "Of course I never ask questions. Who am I to wonder what sort of vessels I'm repairing, what tasks they're off to accomplish? Just a few measly credits and my memory turns just a little hazy on what I've been presented."
His device pinged, and he saw that Daniel had sent over the schematics of the damaged Phoenix, as well as the scan done earlier that highlighted the various damaged sections. His eyebrow raised as he took it in and clucked his tongue. "My, my, you've been up to some dangerous doings. This won't be an easy fix. But of course, you know this, clever as you are." He lifted her gaze from the summary to look at her, and quoted a price significantly higher than what Daniel had initially offered.Phillipians 4:13 - I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
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Zaria felt herself shudder when the slimeball spoke; if there was a reason Daniel sent her to him, she hoped it was only because he could be bribed to keep his mouth shut. "That price is a load of shit and we both know it." she growled. "But no matter, I'm not the one who's going to be paying out of the beak for this repair." She pulled a communicator from her pocket and signaled the tow boat to bring The Phoenix to the scrapyard. She fluttered aboard and ducked below deck for a moment so she could grab the few valuables she dared to keep, as well as some spare clothes for her trip into space. There were various trinkets she didn't expect to see when she returned, given what she knew about Zoto, but trinkets could be replaced. The only thing she grabbed other than the essentials was a small piece of coral Zulo had gifted her when they were children. Most pieces died on contact, but this one had managed to keep some of its vibrant colour, and she treasured it moreso than her own life. She knew his marriage was imminent, and she had of course, heard it through the grapevine, but she wished she had heard it from him first. Not that she would bring up such a sensitive topic to the Prince - not unless she had more than a few drinks in her. Hurrying off so she didn't keep Xio and her "copilot" waiting, she made one more quick stop to Zoto and poked a finger in his chest. "If one thing is out of place on my ship, I will know about it." she said before taking off back towards Xio's ship. En route, she sent a message with her communicator to Zulo that she was on her way back to their departure point, and that the time to leave had arrived.Old Age of War stuff here:
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After he had finished his pastry, Sylvester took a long walk down the street checking out the sights of the city. It seemed like most of the Rito just flew through the air anyways, so the network of streets were a testament to the trading culture of the city. Numerous businesses lined streets where folks of all shapes and colors walked and rode.
As his walk took him to the outer part of the city, he noticed he was entering a rougher looking part of town that wasn't so organized. He had to be careful not to bump into anyone as he walked down a busy street where countless vendors advertised their wares from stalls. His hairs raised when he saw a behemoth mammoth-looking thing with 6 eyes pulling a carriage of questionable looking crops. The more he looked at the various alien races around him, the more he got the heebejeebies. He picked up the pace, speedwalking until he reached the coast. Instead of a shore, there was just a railing before a steep drop into the waves below. When he looked down, it appeared the city was atop some giant tubes that lined under the edges and kept it afloat. Now that he was at the water's edge, he could see how the city rolled on the water, though when he had been closer to the center he hadn't noticed any movement at all.
It appeared he had taken a wrong turn and ended up a ways away from the starport, but he could see its bridge just down the coast. His legs were tired from all the walking, and he wasn't ready to walk the rest of the way so he took a seat on an unoccupied bench that looked out on the waves. He was surprised to notice some distant sail ships. For a place so advanced, the ships seemed to be behind Earth ships.
He pulled out his pack of cigarettes to have a smoke, and remembered he had rolled a little cocktail for his adventure. He slid it out and lit it with his lighter, taking a few puffs. His morning brightened and the weight of lingering drowsiness lifted off his shoulders. He didn't notice anyone sit down beside him, so he was startled when someone spoke to him.
It was a Rito, speaking in his native language. Sylv didn't know what he said, but he seemed to be asking something. He offered the joint, since he was just about done with it.
The Rito took a puff as Sylv had done, avian pupils dilating cartoonishly. Then smoke spewed out of the poor bird's beak as he hacked through a fierce coughing fit.
Sylv watched on in astonishment, and smiled as the bird began to chuckle. "How is it?"
The bird didn't say anything but was nodding in contentment, still laughing.
"Say, could you fly me to the starport?" Sylv asked. He knew the bird wouldn't understand, but he pointed to the starport and gave his arms a half assed flap.
The bird laughed even harder and hopped up, flapping his wings to hover over Sylv. He grabbed on like he had done before, though now he had already payed his fare, or so he hoped. Then his heart sunk when the Rito took off twice as fast as his last taxi had been. It soon became apparent that this Rito was incredibly affected, though he wasn't sure if it was impaired or enhanced by the weed and uppers it had smoked. They sped thru the sky and were back at the starport in a matter of minutes.
When he landed at the entrance to Xio's ship, the bird hovered and looked back at him, chirping and doing the "smoking" gesture. Sylv took a moment to process what this might mean.
"Oh," he said in surprise when he realized the Rito wanted more. "Pay me." He opened his palm and pointed at it, asking for money. The rito did something with his wrist band that caused a very gentle vibration on Sylv's indicating that he received some credits. He didn't know how much money it was in Earth terms, but he halted with his hands, telling the Rito to stay outside. Sylv quickly went to the back of the ship and into his car, scrambling together an assorted drug bag for the Rito. Just as he handed it off and said goodbye to the Rito outside, he noticed Xio approaching. He turned and walked back on the ship, sitting down in the copilot chair and hoping she hadn't watched him deal drugs from her ship.
In perfect timing, Zulo's communicator beeped. He had just finished packing some luggage and having a surprisingly easy chat with his father, though he had to throw in some lies to help his case. He pulled on a straw hat and a vacation shirt with bright plant patterns and breezy fabric. Both had been gifts from the leisurely Mohai people. He laughed at the way he looked in the mirror. Without his regal garb, nobody was going to recognize him. Still, he kept royal garments in case he did any diplomacy abroad, and strapped his spear to his suitcase so he wouldn't feel defenseless. He leapt out his window and passed his suitcase and hat to his feet claws, flapping off towards the starport.
When he arrived, he spotted Xio's ship and touched down to meet the others.Last edited by Peeps; 12-09-2020, 04:13 PM.Comment
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Daniel frowned as they entered the starport, quickly recognizing his mistress' ship, but not the alien running aboard. "D-dragon? Did you p-pick up a-?"
Before he could finish, she shook her head. "Of course not, Zaffre. And he's not a stowaway either; he's from the last planet I was on called Earth. About the same tech level as your home of Xiang, only they haven't realized there's other life out here yet." She frowned as she remembered she'd ordered Sylvester to stay aboard the ship. Had he gotten himself into trouble? A quick glance around alleviated that concern; no police forces or disgruntled aliens were running around. Just one of the Terarns who was flying away with a small bag. Her frown turned to one of confusion as she realized she had no idea how he could have made any kind of transaction; that she had seen he didn't process a ID cuff. She flicked her tail, deciding that was a concern to figure out later.
After the pair entered the cargo bay, she saw Daniel giving the car a questioning look and chuckled. "That's one of the vehicles from Earth. Sylvester insisted on bringing it. I'm sure if you asked him about it, he'd be willing to show you how it worked. Just don't run it on the ship; from what little I could tell, it seems to use a combustion engine."
"Don't want to ruin the life support," Daniel mumbled agreement, already moving to give the vehicle a visual inspection.
She grinned, knowing his tension was already starting to relax with a mechanical puzzle to solve. "When Zaria and Zulo arrive, send them up to Medy, would you? I'd imagine their species are already in its databanks, but I'd prefer not to take something off-world that I shouldn't." He waved acknowledgement, still focused on the car. She chuckled and made her way up to the cockpit, where Sylvester was waiting. She had to hide a grin as she saw how innocent he was attempting to look. She reached over and pointed at one of the controls. "If you'd hit this, it would have pinged me so you could let me know you were leaving my ship unattended," she commented. She spotted the ID band and flicked her tail. He definitely hadn't had one before, so he must have found a way to set an identity and a credit line. She didn't want to even begin to imagine how he'd done that or what he'd done in order to have credits to begin with.
Instead, she sat at her controls, beginning the pre-flight checklist. Not something that needed done this moment; while the Terarns' natural flight was faster than her and Daniel's walking, it would still take the pair a little bit to gather what they needed and return to the space port.Phillipians 4:13 - I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
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When Zulo and Zaria each arrived at the ship, they found Daniel still investigating the car. He somehow managed to wriggle his bulk underneath and was investigating the undercarriage of the vehicle, nearly entirely focused on trying to understand the strange machine. He dutifully sent them down the corridor towards the medical bay, when the droid examined each. Rito were indeed already in its databanks, so it didn't require all the various tests and samples it had taken from Sylvester. It simply gave each a quick health scan to confirm they weren't carriers of any kind, then sent each up towards the cockpit.
By the time they arrived and took seats, the huntress had long since finished her preflight checklist. She instructed them both, and Sylvester, to secure themselves to their seats, and turned on the intercom long enough to warn Daniel to likewise secure himself. He pinged her with confirmation of his readiness, and she began the process of exiting the atmosphere. Launching from a platform designed for spaceships like hers was certainly easier than it had been launching from her crash site back on Earth, but it was by no means any less astounding to her passengers. Arguably, it was more astounding, as there was none of the shakiness produced by the tricky removal of the ship from its own debris field, nor was she gentle about bringing up the speed. A comparatively smoother, yet quicker jump, and the ship was in orbit. She couldn't help the grin spreading across her face at the easy response of her ship, and plotted a course for her original destination. Then she turned her seat around to look at Zaria. "So. Any ideas where a trafficker would go to lay low after shaking a bounty hunter?Phillipians 4:13 - I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
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Zaria made a show of pretending she wasn't a wanted pirate back on the planet they'd just left. "If I was a trafficker, which I'm not saying that I am, I would try to find either a po-dunk backwater planet that nobody would think to look for." she began. "But I also know that's the oldest trick in the book and that's the easiest way to get yourself caught. Dogface is probably trying to blend into a big city with a dense population, preferably with other Canis. So, I would put my credits on a planet like Medius; too many people to know who you've seen and who you haven't." She leaned back a bit in her seat and put her arms behind her head. "There, or Delphina. Lots of seedy folks there, and I imagine if he has a bounty this big, he's got a gang of cronies at his disposal that he probably met and recruits there."Old Age of War stuff here:
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The hunter flicked her tail in a mixture of amusement and irritation. The sooner the Terarn stopped denying her pirating activities while assisting in the bounty, the easier it would be for them all. After all, she wasn't interested in pirates; only if they were murderers as well as thieves did she look at those bounties. Same as with smugglers; making a little money off people who didn't want to pay the proper taxes wasn't a crime in her opinion. Traffickers, on the other hand...
She turned back around, typing commands into her console. "I doubt he'd find his way to Medius," she commented, not even bothering to bring up the planet's data on her screen. She'd been to the planet often enough to collect bounties. "There's enough surveillance from the various droids, cameras, and police and military forces that he wouldn't risk it. And there'd be no point, what he deals in is so illegal over there, he'd be arrested in a heartbeat for trying. Delphina, though..."
She studied the various data entries that came up with her search, grimacing over some. She'd heard of Delphina, but never been herself. It made sense as a place to lay low. She'd been fortunate enough not to resort to checking there before, however. She really didn't want to now, but given its comparative nearness, it was as safe a bet as any. She checked her readings and grimaced. "It's as good a place as any to start. It'll be quite a few hours until we get there, though. Might as well relax." She activated the warp drive and auto pilot, then undid her safety harness and stood, stretching. "I'm going to catch some sleep. Feel free to have the run of the ship; just don't mess with anything you don't know. Any questions, Daniel'll know the answer, or you can ping my tablet. And you," she jabbed a finger towards Sylvester, "don't touch." With that she strode down the corridor and climbed to the lower deck, heading towards her sleeping quarters. Her tablet was already synched to wake her up when they were within an hour of arrival.Phillipians 4:13 - I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
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Zulo smirked as Zaria continued pretending to be an upstanding citizen. He had gotten so many complaints and reports about her activities over the years it wasn't even funny. Yet he had always defended her by slipping such reports under the rug every time.
His smirk disappeared when Xio decided on paying the backwater planet a visit. It didn't sound like a place a prince should be, but he hung on to the memory of his own pirate days. Xio seemed slightly pirate like to him, and the more he thought about it, the more he realized this was his chance at getting back to his glory days. He pleasantly spoke to Zaria when Xio had retired.
"It's about time we sailed together again. How has the world been treating you, old friend?"
After introducing himself to the Ritos, Sylvester followed Xio down the ship, eager to repeat the night on Earth.
"Wanna hear a bedtime story?" he joked as they got to her quarters.Last edited by Peeps; 07-18-2020, 11:45 PM.Comment
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She paused, the sliding door to her room open. She turned to Sylvester with a frown. "Bedtime story?" she repeated. "Like the legends and fables told to littens?" She had of course enjoyed those nights with her antaihd had told them tales before settling her and her sisters down for bed. But while some were factual history, most were legends, exaggerations or outright myths from the past. She still held many dear, though, and it made her wonder if Earth had any such fantasies that would be entertaining to hear.Phillipians 4:13 - I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
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