Private Catching Rides on Kesh

[Iona Starchaser]

Balun Dashiell
​

Somtimes when one rode the hyperlanes without a true destination, or ship, or credits, they wind up on planets they don't want to be on. Case in point ; Kesh. A typical Sith world, the young Jedi didn't feel completely comfortable staying long. Just because it was historically Sith didn't mean something bad was going to happen, she just preferred to get back in the Tingel Arm area. It was home after all.

Sighing, Iona dropped her name at the cantina and at the local spaceport that she was looking to trade work for passage back to the Tingel Arm. With the hefty amount of refugees leaving the Core, there was some stiff competition with others looking to do the same. Normally she could just go up to a crew, talk up her desired area of the galaxy she wanted to go to, and what she could do to help the crew. Even at sixteen, she was well versed in some vessel tasks and maintenance. A bonus, being smaller and skinnier she could squeeze into places on the ship others couldn't, which was a bonus.

Backpack slung on one shoulder, she decided to walk around the spaceport and check out the crews. Maybe one would be willing to speak to her.

 

[Balun Dashiell]

Location: Kesh Spaceport.
Starship: Liberty's Edge Clifford-Class Freighter.
Present Company: Chip & Luna.
Tag: Iona Starchaser .

​

The Liberty's Edge sat within one of the hangars of the Spaceport, the local pit crew and their droids moving back and forth with refuelling and maintenance while Balun sat upon the loading ramp, watching them.

The Tingel Arm had been busy of late, what with the formation of the new Coalition. He had been heavily involved with the recent reclamation of a Jedi Temple on Hurikane and the overwatch of volatile supplies transported across Targonn. For someone who had left the New Jedi Order in pursuit of his way of life, Balun had indeed found himself walking a similar path, although entirely independent of their rules and regulations.

Take the Liberty's Edge, a magnificent Freighter despite being 100% stolen. The IFF Tag had been forged by one of his more recent contacts and would hopefully do their part in hiding any red flags; It was a bit of a cocky move, but Balun figured testing it out on Kesh, closer to his new home on Maldra IV, would be a good quality check and a needed precaution.

Nearby, an overly excited Merqaal, Luna, ran circles around the BB-Model Astromech named Chip. Both were Balun's new companions, making him grin as he watched Luna try to play with the droid. The Astromech didn't seem to enjoy the game quite as much, yet he tolerated the little Merqaal as Luna was young and Balun had taken care of her.

Today seemed like a reasonably good day, where some downtime was just what Balun needed. He didn't have any urgent jobs that needed doing, and no one had yet called him for support. The Nest was still getting up and running thanks to the Tingel Arm Coalition, and he had done his part. Now he simply planned to make the most of the time while he had it. Doing absolutely as little as humanly possible.

 

[Iona Starchaser]

Iona made it a point today to walk down where the larger vessels were docked first. Typically she had better luck on small-time freighters, especially with old timers who needed her to do grunt work. Moving heavy objects and intensive maintenance. Which was fine with her, honing skills she would desperately need whenever she got her on vessel. Who knew when that was going to happen.

Head craned around, looking and searching, focused on everything but the path in front of her. Such was the nature of trying to 'feel out' the crews before actually asking for job in exchange for passage. It took a great deal of observation and feeling out with the Force to get an idea of who she could trust and not trust. Getting murdered in her sleep because she wanted to hitch hike across the galaxy wasn't high on her to-do list.

As a result of not paying attention,she missed the little creature playing with the droid. As the split-eared creature crossed in her path, Iona promptly fell over it. She tried to catch herself on the droid, only causing more of a disaster, falling face-first into the duracrete, trying to use her hands to break her fall.

Which only led to more cuts and scrapes as she landed with a very mortifying thud. It seemed the entire spaceport turned to look at her.

Balun Dashiell

 

[Balun Dashiell]

Iona Starchaser 's arrival came at an inopportune time as Balun had been staring down at the datapad in his lap; Luna and Chip were both off playing together and it was taking a while for the Liberty's Edge to be refuelled, thus he found himself reading the recent holo-news to see how things were going back in the Core Worlds, specifically looking for an update on how the clean-up and rebuilding were going on Coruscant since the calamitous invasion of the Dark Empire.

While his attention was down-turned, Luna was running guerilla tactics on the Astromech Droid. She would run at Chip in full flight and assail him with a series of softly padded strikes with her paws before leaping off and arcing around widely, lining the bb-model droid up for another run. It was, however, while she was darting about that she hadn't spotted the newcomer until the little Merqaal was standing, running straight at her legs, having to skid with her hind paws while trying to avoid slamming straight into the woman. Chip gave a loud machine-like shriek of warning, which alerted Balun to the sight as Iona Starchaser began to fall and Luna scrambled for freedom in an attempt not to be kicked, soon hurtling back towards the ship loading ramp with newfound speed the likes Balun had yet to see her move with before.

Tossing the datapad aside with little a thought for its safe-keeping, Balun got to his feet as Luna sprinted past him and disappeared into the Liberty's Edge. Chip managed to pick himself up and reorient himself while Bal' moved to approach, more concerned for the woman's well-being. "Are you alright?!" he asked as he jogged across the landing platform to where she and his droid were.

 

[Iona Starchaser]

If one looked closely, they would see she was blushing furiously underneath the pale green of her skin. Iona was currently on her back, staring up at the city sky as vessels passed. She had sadly tripped over some small, innocent creature, then a droid and it was just a clusterjam from there. If Jedi were supposed to be graceful, she wasn't it. Her bag had gone flying, landing a few meters away towards the vessel a young man was coming from.

Great, just great.

Now he was jogging in her direction, calling out.

No no no no.

Iona struggled to sit up and caught sight of the blonde-haired young man coming towards her. There as an immediate internal sigh ; why did she have to act like a complete and utter idiot in front of the cute ones? She was never mortified in front of the ugly, toothless spacers when something embarrassing happened.

"Ha...yeah...fine...."

Iona slowly picked herself up, dusting off her clothes. Her palms were scraped and bleeding from trying to catch herself but she had way worse. Like a recent blaster wound to her arm that a fellow Mirialan Jedi refused to give her bandages for. She was still upset by that, she ended up stealing some from a medical cart in the healing facility.

"How's your hound-thing? I didn't mean to trip over him, sorry....wasn't looking around."

Balun Dashiell

 

[Balun Dashiell]

"Don't worry about Luna; she'll be fine", Balun replied, moving to offer his hand, helping Iona Starchaser back to her feet if she decided to accept the gesture; "She's dealt with far worse. You're the one bleeding" he soon gestured to her hands, the scrapes and cuts that she had received in her tumble to the ground. Had Balun been keeping an eye on Luna and Chip more closely, he could have shouted out to give the three of them a better warning, but instead, he had been in his own world, absorbed by the datapad he had recently discarded.

"That's Chip" Balun soon gestured to the BB-Model Astromech Droid, who looked up at Iona and gave an apologetic chirp, followed by a whistle in greeting; "Luna ran off into the ship. She's a Merqaal, by the way," Balun pointed to the Liberty's Edge with a thumb raised over his shoulder, "And I'm Balun," he added with a sheepish smile.

"You don't look like one of the Tech Crew around here," he pointed out the obvious; she was young like him and didn't share their grease and grimy appearance. "You got a ship around here somewhere?" he would ask, glancing back towards the entrance to the Hangar that he had been assigned. Had she meant to wander in towards Liberty's Edge, or was that, too, something that she had done by mistake?

 

[Iona Starchaser]

She clasped Balun Dashiell 's hand gingerly as he helped her up, offering a quiet murmur of thanks as he did so. She was surprised he was so nice despite the fact she had tripped over his companion animal and droid. Sometimes the 'verse wasn't so kind.

"Bleeding? Oh. I'll be okay, don't worry about me."

Iona wasn't going to go through the bandage fiasco again. She would find somewhere to wash her hands and go from there. She could always steal a few more bandages if needed. Sharp eyes took in the droid and she offered a nod before turning back to the young man.

"NIce to meet you Chip. You too Balun...Uh...I would offer my hand to shake but something tells me you probably don't want blood everywhere. It is a pleasure to meet you regardless. As I said, horribly sorry about your companion pet. I hope she doesn't harbor any resentment towards me. Or suddenly develops a hate for Mirialans."

Brows furrowed at his question. Crew? Oh, ground crew. As in, for the spaceport.

"No, I don't have a ship. I was looking for passage when I fell over your Luna. Just a lesson in watching where I am going, I was looking at the body language, the dynamics of the crew."

 

[Balun Dashiell]

"Bah! You're all good," Balun chuckled quietly, waving a hand in dismissal of her offer to shake his hand. It's less the blood and more I wouldn't want to hurt you," he grinned, turning around to stand alongside her and look back towards Liberty's Edge. Luna's pretty timid at the best of times, but she'll come around if she spends enough time with someone".

"Where are you looking to get to?" Balun soon enquired. Iona Starchaser 's need for a ship and his having one seemed pretty straightforward, and there was no hesitation in his mind when he figured he could help her out. "I get you don't know me at all, so feel free to shoot it down, but it's just me and the two little ones. There's plenty of room in the Liberty's Edge if you wanna ride somewhere?" He offered, showing his trust in her, neglecting to mention the fact that the Freighter was stolen from Locke & Key Mechanics.

"And if it makes you feel any better, I'm with the Tingel Arm Coalition. Previously with the New Jedi Order" he informed her, hoping to reassure the girl that he wasn't one of the dodgy characters one could commonly stumble across. He didn't know Iona anymore than she did Balun, so he couldn't have known she was a Force User like himself, but the reality was that, particularly for women who were on their own, the Galaxy could be a pretty rough place. Chit, Balun himself often had one eye over his shoulder.

"It's not going to be going outta my way to help ya' out".

 

[Iona Starchaser]

"Oh...that would be amazing. I can work off my passage. I'm well versed in ship repairs and preventive maintenance. Anything you need to get done I would be happy to do so, just make a list. I truly enjoy working on ships and droids and machines so I won't be an issue. You won't even hear me, I promise. Thank you Balun."

Right, should she say where she was from? Maybe.

"Oh, I was born and raised in the Tingel Arm. From a small Jedi sect called the Levantine Sanctum. So, don't worry. We're practically neighbors in this galaxy."

As they spoke, Iona paused to pick up her bag, slinging it back over her arm. She didn't want anyone to grab it. It had two sets of clothing, her lightsaber, ration packs, and a few other essential items in order to survive. Basically her entire nomadic life belonged in the bag, and it was essential for her to keep it close.

"As for where to go, I don't care. Just not on this planet. Anywhere you take me is apparently where the Force wills me. Or so I keep trying to tell myself. I am not picky. Can't be picky when you're paying off your passage through work. Like I said, I'll make myself useful and quiet. You dont have to worry."

Balun Dashiell

 

[Balun Dashiell]

Balun couldn't help but find himself curious about Iona Starchaser . Intrigued, even. Unless he was mistaken, she was very much a solo act, just as he was. Not in a negative way, but independent and not tied down to any particular place. Twelve months back, she might have even been a perfect fit for the crew he had tried to start, but time had passed, and Clan Terentatek hadn't panned out as Balun had hoped. Still, he couldn't help but wonder a bit more about her. She seemed insistent on working to pay off her transport, yet Balun was offering it for free—no strings attached.

"Work?" Balun repeated, sounding surprised and soon grinning to himself, "Naw, that's not how I do things. If anything, you'd be a Guest. I dunno. But nah, I'm not gonna make you work for anything" he laughed softly, soon starting to walk towards the Liberty's Edge. "The Ships got a few crew quarters to choose from, so you'll have privacy. The Cockpit seats six and she's got everything you could want regarding living abroad. It's no Yacht, but the ship's flasher than pretty much anything else I own," he explained.

"What about your family? Is there not going to be anyone looking for you?" he soon asked, curious to know a bit more about her. "You said the Tingel Arm's where you're from. No parents?" he asked, taking care in his tone of voice not to sound invasive but more out of concern and consideration. "Boyfriend?" he added, not thinking about it enough to regret it until the words had left his mouth.

 

[Iona Starchaser]

Bag over one arm, they were talking towards the Liberty's Edge, talking more. It was probably a wise move for Balun Dashiell , they needed to get to know one another. If Iona had to guess, they were within about two years of age of one another, two adults-not-quite-adults out traveling the hyperlanes alone. The teenage Mirialan supposed that might increase in frequency with all the wars going on.

"I'm part of the Starchaser family. No one is going to look for me, they know I am out in the Tingel Arm. I'm trying to become a Warden of the Sky but....you have to find someone to train you. Wardens don't like to be found and well...it complicates things. I've been traveling and studying on my own with this holocron in my bag."

She laughed softly.

"So, no need to worry about seeing me on a wanted or missing persons report when you stop in the next spaceport."

She blushed a little at the next question.

"No, no boyfriend. What about you? Any jealous boyfriends I need to worry about?"

 

[Balun Dashiell]

Balun abruptly laughed when she asked him if he had any boyfriends who might cause her an issue. Shaking his head in amusement, he clearly smiled and replied, "Nah. It's just me and the Aquilian Rangers these days. Unless you count Luna, she can be pretty possessive," he added.

Iona Starchaser seemed pretty easy to talk to; she didn't give any telltale signs that there was more to the impression she was giving off. It was rather refreshing to meet someone and not have to question whether or not they were being genuine with him. However, Balun felt he needed to be upfront with her about the Liberty's Edge...

"As far as the ship goes...-And wanted persons. You should probably know she's hot," he gestured to the Clifford-Class Freighter.

"When I first left the New Jedi Order, I tried to form a crew of my own," he began to explain. "Well, it was meant to be a family for people who didn't have one. It seemed to be getting off to a good start, and after fifteen years of having to follow the rules and stuff, I guess I got a bit...Well, I stole it," he concluded, figuring it was best to just cut the bullchit and leave it how it was.

"Aside from tagging up chit about the Lightsworn, that's the worst thing I've done so...-You know, no need to worry about whether I'm going to screw you over or anything" stealing from an organisation like Locke & Key Mechanics, who could afford such a loss. It wasn't great, but it wasn't like he was taking from people who couldn't recover from it.

"The ships are less important, though; you mentioned the Wardens of the Sky? I've heard of them, and I'm pretty sure someone from the Tingel Arm Coalition knows of them. I can make some calls and see if we can track down any leads?".

 

[Iona Starchaser]

"So Luna is going to be really icy towards me ; first I trip over her, now I'm talking to her guy. I predict a lot of tension on this flight, I'll be sure to watch my back."

Balun Dashiell started explaining about how the ship was 'hot', code for stolen. Head cocked to the side a little, looking over Liberty's Edge as they drew closer. Iona appreciated that he was upfront about the vessel being stolen. She wasn't so much worried for herself. Worse they could do is get arrested by local authorities or brought in by a bounty hunter. She didn't expect to be shot clear out of the sky over a stolen ship ; not with what was going on in the universe now.

"Stolen? I assume you changed all the identification codes? Once we are underway and in hyperspace, you'll have to tell me the story about your failed crew. If you'd like, of course. There's no pressure."

It was more curiosity than anything. If Balun didn't want to give details, that was his business. He seemed alright though, nothing glaring she felt concerned about. Still, being a guest of sorts, she would still be giving wide berth and trying to stay in her guest cabin or down the maintenance hatch. Just because her fellow teenager stated she didn't need to work, didn't mean she wasn't going to still putz around.

"Here's the thing with Wardens, you don't find them, they find you. Then only if they want to. So that's why I've been travelling. The more I put myself out there maybe the quicker I run into someone. I can't hurt. I'm learning more than I would at a Temple either way."

 

[Balun Dashiell]

"Stolen? I assume you changed all the identification codes? Once we are underway and in hyperspace, you'll have to tell me the story about your failed crew. If you'd like, of course. There's no pressure."

"Actually, no, I never did", Balun admitted, not knowing what sort of process was required to switch out the current IFF Tags for fake ones; "Honestly, I'm not sure how, and I don't often fly this ship because of it. I prefer to use my Tri-Wing, but between Chip and Luna, I figured they'd have more room in the Liberty's Edge" he explained.

As the pair walked up the loading ramp and into the rear of the Clifford-Class Freighter, Balun glanced back to Iona Starchaser with a faint smile; "Yeah, sure, I'm happy to talk about them. It was a silly name, Clan Terentatek. I'd met a few people in similar positions as myself at the time—no family or place of belonging. I figured we could all make a crew and become our own family. But I'm not much of a leader, and without direction, we all sorta just went our own way," he admitted, his struggle with leadership evident.

As they moved through the Cargo Bay, Iona would likely notice the ten Speeder Bikes that were secured for transit. Balun hadn't needed to put them to use as of yet, but they were all shiny new and powerful vehicles. Once upon a time, he had imagined the clan all riding together, having fun and making a name for themselves.

"My folks left me with the New Jedi Order when I was a newborn. I know what it's like to go through life alone, so I figured, why not help some others out? Give them a place to call home, people they could trust and rely on when times were toughest. Hell, I even made a Clan Symbol that was pretty dope. It was a good idea at the time" he chuckled softly, soon reaching the ladder leading up to the higher floor of the Ship where the crew quarters, cockpit and personnel faculties would be found.

Balun would lead Iona to one of the personnel quarters, which had several bunks and tall lockers for personal belongings storage, a connected bathroom, and all the necessities. "I hope this works for you?" he glanced back to her, eyes lingering for but a moment. "I've got nowhere to be in a hurry so...-I'm happy to try and find these Wardens for you. I don't know much about them myself, only heard of them a couple of times. If no one in the Tingel Arm Coalition can help us out, maybe there are still some old members of the Rimward Trade League somewhere out there. The Warden's were a big thing with them, from what I've heard".

 

[Iona Starchaser]

"Actually, no, I never did", Balun admitted, not knowing what sort of process was required to switch out the current IFF Tags for fake ones; "Honestly, I'm not sure how, and I don't often fly this ship because of it.

"Really? I know how to do it. We need to hit a shadowport to buy what is needed. A good one wouldn't be cheap though, something to consider."

Trouble was Balun Dashiell was going to have to buy new codes. Iona could easily swap them out, the biggest issue was going to find someone 'trustworthy' who sold codes that weren't tied to other fake ships. A good slicer could make legitimate ones using shell corporations and registrar services. Knowing Balun was roughly her age and stealing things, credits may be thin. It was wise to only do it when he was ready.

"Maybe you can start the Clan again in the future. You have to admit teeangers and young adults can be fairly flakey. Don't give up entirely just yet."

She listened intently as they walked through the Liberty's Edge, almost an impromptu tour as the teenager was being shown to the guest cabin. Once they arrived she hung her back in the locker, it wasn't like she had much to steal and Balun wouldn't get far trapped on a ship with her. Door closed to the locker and she shrugged her shoulders.

"No need to go out of your way. Who knows, we may run into some interesting folks along the way. Lots of time to worry about the Wardens in the future. I'm not going to have you burn time just because of me. I'm just along for passage off this place, nothing more, nothing less. I'm here to help you out more than anything, just think of it as a favor I may trade in the future."

 

[Balun Dashiell]

"Really? I know how to do it. We need to hit a shadowport to buy what is needed. A good one wouldn't be cheap though, something to consider."

"Hm..." Balun murmured under his breath as he stood there leaning against the doorway into the personnel quarters, "I'm pretty broke. I've been so focused on the needs of the Coalition that I haven't been doing much for myself" he answered after some thought, "Maybe the Aquilian Rangers could lend me some credits, but I won't tell 'em what it's for. I don't think they'd approve" he chuckled. He didn't see them giving up the credits to falsify the IFF Tags. He had stolen the ship long before he had joined the Rangers, and he hadn't exactly been vocal about his misdeeds. The way Balun saw it, telling them would only cause suspicion towards him, and it wasn't like he was out causing trouble these days.

"Well, I didn't actually tell them it's not a thing. The others have just sorta been off doing their own thing. That and I had a couple of people meet with us to see what we were about, but they decided not to jump on board" Balun shrugged. He had been disappointed at the time, and were it not for the Coalition, he'd probably still feel like direction was absent in his life. "If they turn back up, I've got no worries putting the effort in, but it's not something I can lead if no one's gonna follow, you know?" he voiced his thoughts on the Clan. Balun had his heart set on it at the time, but he had since found a cause worth fighting for. And those who required his particular skills.

"I've got a place on Maldra IV that they've been told about if they decide to chase me up. In the meantime, where should we head to first?" he would soon ask, turning the conversation back towards their present needs. "Did you have any idea of where you wanted to go once you'd found a ride off of Kesh?" he gave her a slight lift of his head, a half nod to offer their next destination to her to decide. Iona Starchaser made it seem like she wasn't in a rush to go anywhere, and while Balun didn't mind that at all, he did want to help her somehow. She seemed like a nice person, first impressions and all.

 

[Iona Starchaser]

"No credits? I completely understand. Once you get the funds, let me know, I'd be happy to install. Especially since you're giving me a ride, I need to repay you somehow."

Plus, she enjoyed it. Wouldn't be a Starchaser if she wasn't good at working in the underbelly of a ship. Part of her had been tempted to join some kind of defense force as a mechanic, enjoy a quiet and stationary life for a little while. Yet she enjoyed the spacelanes and the thrill of being on the galaxy. It was part of the reason she couldn't stay still at any Jedi Academy.

"I think plenty of people would follow, maybe you just had the wrong folks. Maybe you should start small. Small, like one person."

Iona hooked a thumb in her own direction in case she wasn't being clear. She meant herself, obviously. It wasn't as if there was anyone else in the room and she certainly wasn't speaking of Luna.

"I don't have an agenda, I just wanted to get off Kesh. Part of being a Warden is traveling the hyperlanes and helping out where needed. I think the Force says you need my help. You just dont know it yet. So, you lead, I follow. I can't say I won't follow blindly, but I won't overly challenge either unless I think its called for."

Maybe this is what she needed for a little bit. To assist someone without a crew, who felt they couldn't lead. Balun Dashiell seemed plenty ambitious, he reminded her of herself in some ways. They wanted to make an impact on the galaxy, just in vastly different ways. Besides, she wanted to know more, to know more about the Clan and what made the teenager create it beyond needing a home.

There was a story there.

"So Captain, what is our first assignment?"

 

[Balun Dashiell]

"I think plenty of people would follow, maybe you just had the wrong folks. Maybe you should start small. Small, like one person."

Iona hooked a thumb in her own direction in case she wasn't being clear. She meant herself, obviously. It wasn't as if there was anyone else in the room and she certainly wasn't speaking of Luna.

"You?" Balun stared back at Iona Starchaser a little surprised. She hadn't known him for long at all yet she was already asking to be a part of this Clan idea of his. "I mean, I'm not going to turn you away but you've got a family. I guess it'd be like a crew of friends, for you" he shrugged, offering a small smile. "I could set my sights a bit higher and take anyone who'll join, rather than just orphans like me".

Truth be told, she'd probably fit in well with Nouqai Veil and Pitie , provided she didn't mind Nouqai being a Darksider. Balun was biased given that she was his best friend and they'd been raised by the New Jedi Order together. Pitié on the other hand was more willing than woman, but that's what made her so authentic, someone new and entirely raw, with none of the Galaxies societal influences or expectations. Lúthien Tinúviel was still an uncertainty, and Balun hadn't seen much of him since their first meeting.

"There's three others. Maybe we could track them down. I reckon they'd like you" He grinned to her. Neither of them really knew too much about one another, but from first impressions, things were looking good. Personally, Balun was pleased to simply meet someone new. He needed all the friends he could get. Iona Starchaser seemed friendly, and for some reason willingly trusted Balun despite knowing little about him. Perhaps it was his demeanor or something in his presence that she could read in the Force. "Clan or not though, I'm keen to hang with you. You seem like a nice, chill person" he complimented her.

"None of this Captain stuff though. Call me Balun...-Or Bale, if you gotta. But if we're running together, we're partners" He smirked, giving her a confident nod before waving for her to accompany him as he turned back for the corridor and started to make his way towards the head of the Clifford-Class Freighter, the cockpit.

Reaching the Cockpit, it was a large room with six seats lining the sides and primary controls. One Pilot was all that was needed to fly the ship, but a co-pilot always helped, and then there was space for four additional crew for communications, offensive and defensive armaments, shields and sensor readings and all the rest. Luna could be seen curled up on the Co-Pilots chair to the left of Balun's seat. "Sorry sweetheart" Balun spoke as he picked Luna up and held him in his arms, "That's Iona's seat now, you can sit with me" he spoke softly to the Merqaal, moving to take up his position at the helm and gestured to the seat beside him; "Welcome to your new home away from home".

 

[Iona Starchaser]

"Welcome to your new home away from home".

"Thanks Captain Bale."

Iona smirked, purposefully being a pain in the behind. At first, she hadn't been sure if Balun Dashiell was going to take her seriously. Yes, she had a family but that didn't mean she was just going to go running back to them. Perhaps if she was in his position there would be reservations as well. Balun didn't have anyone it seemed ; they drifted in and out of his life.

"Co-pilot. I've been elevated in position. I expected shields and sensor readings."

Hand ran along the console before sitting, adjusting her chair and getting a good feel. She didn't want to have to take off on the fly and not be comfortable. That was critical in her opinion.If she couldn't do her job effectively, perhaps they might get shot out of the sky. A dramatic take, but she was a teenage girl after all.

"Where were you headed before I showed up? Maybe that is our first stop? Or do we find your friends? Or we go make credits? This is my first time on a crew not as a maintenance person, so forgive me for being slightly clueless on the entire process."

 

[Balun Dashiell]

Balun chuckled, shaking his head. "This is gonna be a thing now, huh?" He gave her the side-eye, though his lips curled into a smirk. "I'll have to think up a title for you then...." he added, soon turning back to the controls. Reaching up above his head, Balun flicked several switches forward. The ship's cockpit lit up, and the controls all powered on. "We'll head back to The Nest first," he answered, giving his best plan for the future. "If we're going to partner up, you might as well see where I'm holed up in case we get separated".

The Nest, a colossal underground facility, held a significant place in Balun's journey. Cleared out with the aid of the Aquilian Rangers, it was a former Republic Base of the top-secret variety. However, it had been left to the mercy of time until Balun and his squad arrived. The spacers, pirates, and other inhabitants had made it their home, but their neglect had taken its toll. It was only when Balun and his team took charge that The Nest received the care it so desperately needed.

The Liberty's Edge rumbled to life, the engines firing and power channelled throughout all systems as Balun started to chart their course to Maldra IV. "Maldra IV is on the edge of the Tingle Arm. You may know it already, but that's our destination. We'll jump through the Daiyu and Selia Systems, and then we'll be in the Shadola Sector, where Maldra IV is," Balun explained while lining up their route on the navigation terminal. Once they entered hyperspace, it would be hours before they reached their destination. Plenty of time to chat and get to know each other better.

"Alright, Co-Pilot, let the Station control know we're ready, and I'll guide us on our journey," Balun instructed, flashing Iona Starchaser with a grateful grin. Having someone else to share the piloting duties was a welcome relief for Balun. It promised a smoother ride, with less for him to worry about.

As soon as they were given clearance, the Clifford-Class Freighter would fire up, departing the Spaceport and surging up through Kesh's atmosphere. The rumbling of the ship's thrusters would gradually diminish as they entered zero gravity, and soon enough, Balun would initiate the Hyperdrive, pressing forward on the throttle and opening up the starlings, the distant specks of light becoming streams of brilliance, the Freighter snapping into FTL Flight.