EPISODE I - NINE: Standing Still Is Not an Option
Adria sashayed into Pluvio Kaab's, hands on her hips--trying to look fancy despite the flight gear she was still wearing. In all honesty, this was not the place for fancy, but she still liked to make an entrance. Dex followed behind her, stopping just inside the doorway to let his eyes adjust to the low light. Dom followed R4-G6 into the bar, keeping an eye or ear out in case the proprietor took issue with the astromech's presence in his establishment. Jai and Paloame casually sauntered in a few steps behind the rest and made themselves home at the first available table.
The joint was rather packed as workers came in after their shifts had ended. The piped in music grew louder as the place filled up. Most of the customers appeared to range in age between 26 and 45 years of age, but there were a few people who were clearly 20 to 30 years older than rest. The older citizens stuck to the corners of the room while the younger patrons congregated around the bar and near the entrance.
Paloame listened to the vapid exchanges of the younger workers. These were "victory kids", born after the fall of the Empire. They never knew the conflict between the Rebels and the Empire and they were a bit complacent and did whatever they wanted because that was freedom. Paloame wasn't impressed in the least. Jai, on the other hand, tapped into the conversation between a group of young men who were coming off shift from the stronghold.
The tall blond man in the grey jumpsuit and a rather impressively equipped utility belt appeared to be the alpha of his little pack. "I didn't think we were ever gonna get back here!"
"Yeah, tell me about it," the dark-haired one concurred. "When we lost power on the transport, I almost considered just jumping into the river with a flotation pack and riding it back into town."
Two of their cohorts started laughing.
Dark hair piped up, "What's so damn funny?"
The laughing continued until the one with the ruddy complexion offered, "Well, if you'd jumped in the river, it might've been the best you'd smelled in months!"
"Ha ha ha," dark hair responded sarcastically. "I don't smell that bad at the end of a day."
Alpha guffawed. "Maybe not at the end of the day, but you certainly smell pretty rank by the end of the week before they bring us back into town!"
Paloame and Jai couldn't take anymore. They got up with the drinks they bought and joined up with the rest of the group.
Adria narrowed her eyes as Paloame and Jai approached. She could read on Palo's face that she was clearly unimpressed by something. "Anything good?"
"Good?" Paloame mused. "Good... well, nothing much really unless you consider a conversation discussing how bad someone may or may not smell as something good."
Dom huffed a breath through his nose out of amusement and laughed. "Sounds like you're talking about us!"
Paloame begged to differ, "Maybe, but we're funny and they are not."
Dex grew a little bit impatient with everyone messing around. "That's great! Not as funny as us, but did you learn anything useful in the process?"
"Okay. Yeah, I guess we got a little roundabout intel," Jai casually piped up. "Apparently, the transport that runs the workers back and forth follows the river and that K'owan is downstream from wherever they get dropped off." Jai took another healthy swig of his beverage and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. He looked quizzically up at Dex and around at his fellow pilots, stopping back at Dex again. "What?"
Balagon shrugged and shook his head wearily. "Nothing."
"What?"
"A little less screwing around and a little more information. The clock is ticking and we still haven't fully got a clue what we're up against." Dex hoisted his pack onto his shoulder and headed for the door, still talking. "We still need to figure out the parking situation. We can't leave the shuttle at the pad and we can't take it with us."
Dom raised an eyebrow and nodded his head in the direction of the exit. The crew picked up their gear and followed their commander and R4-G6 out into the night.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
To everyone else around them, the conversation between the members of the ragtag group winding its way through the streets of K'owan would've seemed like arguing. To those who were familiar with them, it was merely the tone of a typical discussion. Still, it allowed Trickster Squadron to take a quicker pace as those around them did their best to stay out of the group's path. Speaking in vague and occasionally hushed words, Dex was able to sort out the details of what they needed to do with Leia's "borrowed" starcraft.
They arrived back at the landing pad to find an impatient Officer Paldy in almost the exact same spot they'd left him a few hours back. Dex's droid, ZP-QA, and the other astromechs managed to offload the bulk of the shipment that remained aboard the Blue Kaadu while they were wandering through the city.
"Zip," Balagon called out. The droid wheeled over to him and chirped a rapid stream of beeps and hoots that recalled the cadence of his human peers. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know we were gone for a while, but you need to settle down." Emitting a quiet moan, ZP-QA rolled back a step. "I think we've got a better idea of where we're headed. I'm not sure that the terrain is going to be droid-friendly, but I am definitely going to need you. So listen: we're gonna send the rest of your friends up with the Kaadu and you're coming with us. Our first stop is to dump this junk someplace where people who can use it can get to it."
R4-G6 whistled to ZP-QA, who grunted something in return.
Dom stopped rifling through one of the crates and stood up to acknowledge his droid. "Yeah, good thinking, Arfour." He spun around to Balagon who was making sure none of the supplies they needed had gotten mixed into the dummy shipment. "Remember when we split up back at the plaza?" Dex nodded in reply. "We found a little courtyard with some vendor stalls in it. It looked like everyone had closed up for the day, so we could probably just head up there and leave 'em a gift."
"You don't think anyone is gonna see us?" asked Adria.
Browhar wrinkled his nose and shook his head. "If we keep everything tarped up on the skids, we can transport it up the alleyway and drop it around the corner."
"What about the skids?" countered Paloame. "We're not gonna leave them behind. Or are we?"
Jai shrugged at the thought of such a minor loss. "Skids are easy to replace. I don't think the general's gonna mind if we leave the skids if we bring the ship back in one piece."
"I agree," Dex huffed as he finished packing the necessities in his gear bag. "If we're all good here with what we need to take with us, let's send the shuttle up, get to the courtyard with our donations and make camp outside of town."
Dom patted R4-G6's dome and sent him up the ramp and into the ship. "Behave and don't wreck the ship. That might be our only way out of here, so wait for our signal."
Arfour grumbled something salty back to him.
"I'm aware that it's difficult to get a signal off the planet, but if it's necessary, we'll find a way."
The little astromech rolled up the ramp, chirping orders to his counterparts in the hold. Down at the foot of the ramp, Dom noticed Officer Paldy nervously wringing his hands as he watched the droids clearly preparing the ship for departure while the humans and the turquoise and grey astromech worked to take their provisions off the landing pad. Dom motioned to the others and Dex took the cue. He ambled over to Officer Paldy and the troopers to see if he could help them out.
"Hey, how's it going?" Balagon smiled reassuringly at Paldy and nodded at the troopers. He turned to the ship and quickly spun back to the trio, trying to impart a little information on them so they didn't start asking questions. "So... we're gonna take our shipment to the vendor." Dex quietly raised his hand to Paldy in a reassuring way. "We like it here and want to stay a couple days since we don't have any jobs scheduled. I thought it would be rude to park the shuttle on your pad and tie things up for you, so the droids are gonna take it up and return when we're ready to be picked up."
Officer Paldy was bereft of a reaction and stood with his mouth agape, confused expression plastered across his face. "Ah... ah... yes, of course," he stammered. "Very kind of you to be so aware of our needs."
Dex flashed a wide grin. "Yeah, of course!" He leaned in, whispering so only the officer and his white-armored stooges could hear him. "I'm a businessman as much as I'm a pilot, so I try to be sensitive to stuff like this. I know you're expected to turn things over pretty quickly and I don't want you to get into any trouble, so... you're welcome. You've been really helpful--understanding the whole thing about breaking in a new pilot and all, so this is the least I can do. You've been a lot of help."
Paldy stood a little straighter and his look relaxed. He returned a smile to Balagon and looked back to the rest of the group on the ground. "Enjoy your stay in K'owan. It's not much, but it is quaint and the hills are picturesque. It's probably not wise to head upstream along the river valley. It's a bit treacherous along the pass and you may encounter some dangerous wildlife." He paused, "and I would hate for your downtime to be ruined by the loss of a crew member." Dex copped a look of come again in response to the officer's recommendation. "Stick to the urbanized areas and I think you'll be alright. Downriver is safe as well and the view of the ocean off the coast can be quite nice if you have the time or interest."
"Thanks for that. I think we're good." Dex patted him on the shoulder and flipped back to his crew. "You guys ready?"
A grumbled mess of words emanated from the group. Balagon took that as a half-hearted affirmative. Adria nodded a smile at Paldy and briskly approached as he headed out of the security gate.
"What was that about?" she demanded. "Why is he smiling?"
Dex stopped and blazed a contented smile. "I was charming. People respond to that." Adria rolled her eyes again and pushed him forward into motion toward town.
R4-G6 whistled to ZP-QA, who grunted something in return.
Dom stopped rifling through one of the crates and stood up to acknowledge his droid. "Yeah, good thinking, Arfour." He spun around to Balagon who was making sure none of the supplies they needed had gotten mixed into the dummy shipment. "Remember when we split up back at the plaza?" Dex nodded in reply. "We found a little courtyard with some vendor stalls in it. It looked like everyone had closed up for the day, so we could probably just head up there and leave 'em a gift."
"You don't think anyone is gonna see us?" asked Adria.
Browhar wrinkled his nose and shook his head. "If we keep everything tarped up on the skids, we can transport it up the alleyway and drop it around the corner."
"What about the skids?" countered Paloame. "We're not gonna leave them behind. Or are we?"
Jai shrugged at the thought of such a minor loss. "Skids are easy to replace. I don't think the general's gonna mind if we leave the skids if we bring the ship back in one piece."
"I agree," Dex huffed as he finished packing the necessities in his gear bag. "If we're all good here with what we need to take with us, let's send the shuttle up, get to the courtyard with our donations and make camp outside of town."
Dom patted R4-G6's dome and sent him up the ramp and into the ship. "Behave and don't wreck the ship. That might be our only way out of here, so wait for our signal."
Arfour grumbled something salty back to him.
"I'm aware that it's difficult to get a signal off the planet, but if it's necessary, we'll find a way."
The little astromech rolled up the ramp, chirping orders to his counterparts in the hold. Down at the foot of the ramp, Dom noticed Officer Paldy nervously wringing his hands as he watched the droids clearly preparing the ship for departure while the humans and the turquoise and grey astromech worked to take their provisions off the landing pad. Dom motioned to the others and Dex took the cue. He ambled over to Officer Paldy and the troopers to see if he could help them out.
"Hey, how's it going?" Balagon smiled reassuringly at Paldy and nodded at the troopers. He turned to the ship and quickly spun back to the trio, trying to impart a little information on them so they didn't start asking questions. "So... we're gonna take our shipment to the vendor." Dex quietly raised his hand to Paldy in a reassuring way. "We like it here and want to stay a couple days since we don't have any jobs scheduled. I thought it would be rude to park the shuttle on your pad and tie things up for you, so the droids are gonna take it up and return when we're ready to be picked up."
Officer Paldy was bereft of a reaction and stood with his mouth agape, confused expression plastered across his face. "Ah... ah... yes, of course," he stammered. "Very kind of you to be so aware of our needs."
Dex flashed a wide grin. "Yeah, of course!" He leaned in, whispering so only the officer and his white-armored stooges could hear him. "I'm a businessman as much as I'm a pilot, so I try to be sensitive to stuff like this. I know you're expected to turn things over pretty quickly and I don't want you to get into any trouble, so... you're welcome. You've been really helpful--understanding the whole thing about breaking in a new pilot and all, so this is the least I can do. You've been a lot of help."
Paldy stood a little straighter and his look relaxed. He returned a smile to Balagon and looked back to the rest of the group on the ground. "Enjoy your stay in K'owan. It's not much, but it is quaint and the hills are picturesque. It's probably not wise to head upstream along the river valley. It's a bit treacherous along the pass and you may encounter some dangerous wildlife." He paused, "and I would hate for your downtime to be ruined by the loss of a crew member." Dex copped a look of come again in response to the officer's recommendation. "Stick to the urbanized areas and I think you'll be alright. Downriver is safe as well and the view of the ocean off the coast can be quite nice if you have the time or interest."
"Thanks for that. I think we're good." Dex patted him on the shoulder and flipped back to his crew. "You guys ready?"
A grumbled mess of words emanated from the group. Balagon took that as a half-hearted affirmative. Adria nodded a smile at Paldy and briskly approached as he headed out of the security gate.
"What was that about?" she demanded. "Why is he smiling?"
Dex stopped and blazed a contented smile. "I was charming. People respond to that." Adria rolled her eyes again and pushed him forward into motion toward town.
