Gone Fishin' (ORC, attention Sovereignty and Collective folks)

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Varik Ice"] [member="Lynnori Cruz"] [member="Tytos Ardik"] [member="Zedd Harkor"] [member="Tobias Zieba"] [member="Savoh Iaht"] [member="Alyson Halle"] [member="Nilia Saavilin"] [member="Zek Koth"] [member="Iona Immarya"] [member="Evoros"] [member="Jaya Tandris"] [member="Mara Kellarov"]

“Come fly with me,” Jorus murmured under his breath, more or less on key. “Let's fly, let's fly awaaaaay…”

He straightened his collar, settled his gun belt, and headed down the ramp. He'd landed the Wretched Hive in a cavernous docking bay that held half a dozen other ships, and room for more. By hook and by crook, he'd come up with comm channels for movers and shakers in the Collective and the Sovereignty - relatively friendly groups suffering from hard times. Rumor said the job market was full of quality contributors with Sov or Collective in their files.

The Collective knew their stuff, and the Sovereignty had real experience with the Maw and the Ancient Eye. Call it mercenary, but like any good salvager, Jorus Merrill was on the hunt for value.

Without further ado, he set up folding chairs, a table, and several bottles of beverage.

 

[Vaudin Miir]

He wasn't the most well known spacer in the galaxy but then you don't get far without keeping your head down. He strolled up his blasters low on his hips and grabbed a chair beside Jorus. He didn't know a great deal about the collective or the Sovereignty but he could spot a quality ship at a glance and a quality person with just a little more effort.

"Jorus." He said by way of greeting as he sat and held out a flask to his side, "Have a drink. It's just juma juice don't worry."

He leaned back and listened closely to his gut. He had a good feeling about this. He was sure that an open door would draw in a few new crew mates if nothing else. He hoped his gut was right and it wasn't just a craving for bar food.

[member="Jorus Merrill"]

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Vaudin Miir"]

What felt like a couple decades back, Vaud had been Jorus' apprentice, only one he'd ever trained. They both lived transient lives, ran into each other every few months. A broad grin broke over Jorus' face as he accepted the juma juice and slugged one back. "Good man."

A lot of history went into that drink. Between the two of them, they'd spent a few decades as raging alcoholics. Not good days, not by a long shot.

"Glad you could make it, man. Can always use a second set of eyes."

 

[Vaudin Miir]

"Yeah, well mine are prettier anyways." He said as he did his best to fake a straight face. "Especially without the red rims."

He leaned back in his chair glad to be beside the only Captain almost as good as he was. Well, better probably but that wasn't a thought for voicing. He had cut back on the drink, slowly, but cut back just the same. On one hand it made everything a lot more clear. On the other hand...it made everything a lot more clear.

He took out a datapad to check his messages, [member="Joza Perl"] hadn't sent him anything so he was pretty sure he wasn't in trouble but oddly he was getting more attached than he had planned. His secretary of state had sent about 500 (4) messages so he slipped out an old pair of reading glasses, he finally admitted he needed them, and set about reading. It wasn't easy getting old but at least he had his looks.

[member="Jorus Merrill"]

 

[Jaya Tandris]

From where the Wretched Hive had landed, the sound of a tune being whistled went from barely noticeable to very present, the increase in volume pair with the figure of a woman approaching the two already there. Jaya had received the message and decided she would be all too happy to lend a hand for another payday, not only for the credits but to finally get some action again. The Collective had been quiet which had left her with little to do, but luckily the opportunity for a change of pace had presented itself on a silver platter.

"Reckon you've got something with a kick? My first impressions are better when the edge is taken off." With a broad smile, completely oblivious to how such a question could be answered, Jaya walked up to the table and greeted the two with a nod before offering a handshake to who seemed to have been the one that sent out the invitation. "Name's Jaya Tandris, but people tend to call me Cupcake. Good to meet you."

[member="Vaudin Miir"] | [member="Jorus Merrill"]

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Jaya Tandris"]

Jorus ascribed to the ancient maxim of never shaking someone's hand sitting down. He half-rose, accepted the handshake firmly but without competition, and handed Jaya a can of lum.

"Have a seat, Tandris. Glad you could make it. I'm Jorus Merrill, and this is [member="Vaudin Miir"], an old friend of mine. We fly with the Outer Rim Coalition, and we're hiring." He took another slug of juma and returned Vaud's flask. "What's your skillset look like?"

 

[Jaya Tandris]

"That'll do just fine. Thank you," Jaya said as she took the drink. With can in hand she took one of the seats that had been set up and crossed her legs to get comfortable. "Jorus and Vaudin. Gotcha. I've been looking for something do to, so I'd be happy to lend a hand with anything you need done."

The woman took a good sip from her drink and swirled it around with her tongue for a moment before letting it go down her throat, letting out a content sigh. "Skillset?" A grin formed as she began to lean back. "First off, I can fix pretty much anything that has wiring. Or mod them. Modding them is more fun. I once installed a flamethrower into a roomba, it was surprisingly effective." The story was cut short by another quick sip. "I am also included with the ability to literally punch down walls. I've got a neat pair of gauntlets that can do some serious damage. So basically if you need anything either fixed or in a million little pieces, I'm your gal."

[member="Jorus Merrill"]

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Vaudin Miir"] [member="Jaya Tandris"]

"Another modder? Oh thank feth. I've been dying for competition." Jorus cracked a bottle of something mildly caffeinated and non-alcoholic. His stomach rumbled. Fortunately, here came the cavalry.

SAG-1, a little astromech-like thing with tank treads and curious binocular eyes, trundled down the ramp. It deposited four flat greasy boxes and breewheeped proudly. "Thanks, Saggy." Jorus slid a box down to Jaya, pried open another, and got to work on a slice of something savory and familiar.

"So you're a gear modder? Personal scale, [member="Triam Akovin"] style? Ever branch out into ships?"

 

[Julius Sedaire]

It wasn't often you saw Thyrsians in anything approaching their traditional armor that weren't in a group. [member="Khonsu Amon"] and his Golden Company, but the man who stood on the fringe of the meeting, watching in, was a curiosity in that while the stylings very very clearly drawn from that culture, the armor itself was archaic. Low-tech, even. Just what it appeared - plates of protective metal banded about his form, and a helmet concealing his face, with a long and tasseled spare like polearm in one hand. The polearm was a deviation, as were the Matukai devotional markings and symbols across certain parts of armor, and the almost copper like metal that encased his left arm in a stand out bit from shoulder to fingers.

Gingerly, he reached up and removed the helmet one-handed, revealing a face with a mild salt-n-pepper stubble and a shaved head with an ebon gleam to the skin, and the beginnings of age lining it. Hard, but not overly stern, and definitely a flash of intrigued curiosity. When he spoke, the almost lyrical cadence of Thyrsus rolled from his lips, marking him a native of his culture's birth world.

"A Coalition of Free Folk? And a woman who can break walls into bits? Now this, this has caught my eye... May I join this conversation?"

[member="Jorus Merrill"] | [member="Jaya Tandris"] | [member="Vaudin Miir"]

 

[Sor-Jan Xantha]

Kiara was a great location for sourcing scrap metal and used parts, but it wasn't the best for business.

So, the cat-eared droid had taken the show on the road. Or, the hyperlane anyway.

To be honest, he wasn't even certain just what planet he was on right now. He'd been hitchhiking with a spacer's toolkit in one hand since he'd left the Tarabba Sector. They'd land at a space port or refueling station, the cat-bot would get off, and then it was just a matter of looking for work before taking off again with the next freighter headed for...

...well, anywhere.

So now he was here. Where ever here was. But it was a space port. And there were ships. And ships always needed a good maintenance cat-droid-person-thing!

Plus, there were always GNK power droids lumbering around space ports. And those things were seriously old. So he could usually score a free recharge cycle off helping one out with some simple maintenance.

Case in point, the cub-bot was presently sitting on top of 4B-GE-6, legs kicking idly as his humanoid behavioral programming randomized the child-like droid's ambulatory movements to mimic that of a bored youngling. He was plugged into the droid, getting a free charge off the fact that he'd cleaned and lubricated the power droid's locomotive servos. It had taken, like, five minutes! And probably hadn't been done in at least five years...

As he charged, the boy's amber ocular sensors swept the docking bay for possible future customers. There was a star voyage freighter sitting off to one side. That was newer technology though, less likely to need a maintenance cat.

What he needed was someone flying a Corellian ship held together by spacer tape and a prayer. That was mechanic job security at its finest!

 

[RC 212]

[member="Jorus Merrill"]

Another lost soul wandered in and glanced around. Sharp black jacket, red trim, full blond beard with a mullet. He glanced left, and right and then strolled up to the table, thumbs tucked into his belt.

"Is this the Job fair for Pilots?" He asked, going right to the point.

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Jaya Tandris"] [member="Tyric"] [member="BB-4001A"] [member="Zok Stellaris"] [member="Vaudin Miir"]

"You can indeed," said Jorus to the big Thyrsian, and indicated an empty chair. "And yeah, job fair is close enough. Hi, folks: I'm Captain Merrill, and I'm hiring for and on behalf of the Outer Rim Coalition. We've got plenty of need for pilots, techs, and fighters - so tell me, folks." He rapped the tabletop and slid bottles of lum toward Zak and Tyric. "What's your skillset look like?"

That Cathar-looking kid over there...was he mainlined to a droid? The crap?

 

[RC 212]

[member="Jorus Merrill"]

He took a can and cracked it open, taking a deep sip.

"Well Mr.Merrill. I can fly, shoot and not ask too many questions. Sounds good to ya?"

...

"I fly an Interceptor, the SS Razorback. Don't ask how I got the original model though...."

 

[Jaya Tandris]

"I haven't done much with ships before apart from the occasional TLC for my own. I'd say my specialty lies with droids and more... unconvential things. You know, seemingly stupid pet projects that end up being much more useful than anticipated." All Jaya had to show were her gauntlets to prove her point. Or the weaponized roomba, that probably worked too. "Mostly personal stuff, though. People tend to need me more for breaking things rather than repair them. Generally pays better, too." Another sip from her drink.

The woman then moved her hand towards the box that had been sent her way and pried it open, helping herself to a bite. "Much appreciated," she said through her munching while nodding contently before letting out a 'hm' and swallowing. "By the by, what would the general job description look like? Tends to be useful info."

[member="Jorus Merrill"]

 

[Jaya Tandris]

double post oops

 

[Julius Sedaire]

Seating gingerly, as if someone acutely aware of size and strength, the chair groaned lightly under the Thyrsian as he took one of the boxes, sniffing it curiously, then taking a cautious bite, smiling contentedly. Well seasoned pepper beef was common in the Rim, and it was similar enough to a few dishes from home it made him nostalgic. The lum, oddly enough, set off the spice with sweet-bitter perfectly. He let the other two speak, then sat his helmet down, nodding to Jaya in agreement.

"Mostly combat... A number of years in the Sun Guard. Mercenary work. As well, a handful of years or so training under a master as a Matukai, now bearing the title of Adept. Like the young Miss I am very, very good at punching things. Though I try not to break them. I also find it amusing to let them try and break me. It makes me laugh."

Sip. Smile. Laugh. Chew. Sip. Speak.

"I am however, not terribly adept at ships and their technology. Or more intricate firearms. But I have lost very few battles, and never has my charge come to harm under my watch."

[member="Jaya Tandris"] | [member="Zok Stellaris"] |[member="Jorus Merrill"] | [member="BB-4001A"] | [member="Vaudin Miir"]

 

[Sor-Jan Xantha]

"I am however, not terribly adept at ships and their technology. Or more intricate firearms. But I have lost very few battles, and never has my charge come to harm under my watch."

The Cathar simulacrum's ears twitched.

A programmed response to his auditory filters picking up conversation about key words. Those being ships and technology. As his feline ears perked up, the cub-bot's head turned so that his ocular sensors were again evaluating the assembly of humanoids that were over toward where the star voyage freighter was parked.

Were these organics in search of people with mechanical talent?

He wasn't certain, but there wasn't a better option for looking for work, so the droid's logic processor calculated engaging the group as the most probable source of possible employment.

Disconnecting from the GNK, the small Cathar-like being hopped down from atop the tall power droid to approach where the group seemed gathered.

"Are you looking for someone adept at ships and technology?" the cub-bot inquired, his ears drooping and then perking back up again, as though expressing some sense of anxiety or interest. Introducing himself, the droid remarked, "BeeBee-Four-Zero-Zero-One-A, at your service. I can help with your repair or maintenance needs, with the quality you might have come to expect from an Archangel product!"

Seriously, he wasn't some Cybot Galactica piece of crap.

[member="Jaya Tandris"] | [member="Zok Stellaris"] | [member="Jorus Merrill"]​

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="BB-4001A"] [member="Tyric"] [member="Jaya Tandris"] [member="Zok Stellaris"]

"Fighter pilot, bodyguard, mechanic-slash-inventor, kitten replica droid...I feel like the four of you are about to walk into a bar. Or, possibly, get approached by a mysterious stranger in need of a team." He wiped his fingers on pants marked by faded Corellian bloodstream. "So here's the thing. I actually do need a crew to make sort of a sensitive run I can't do myself. Two engineers, a pilot, and a security chief oughta do the trick. Call it an audition: pull it off and there's a metric fethton more work where that came from."

He set his drink aside and plopped a rusty projector on the table. A tiny holo futzed to life: a triangular Star Destroyer.

"This is the Chimaera, named after Thrawn's boat. It was Ashin Varanin's flagship in the Sith Empire and the Lords of the Fringe. Invictus-class, heavily modified, nastiest piece of junk I've never worked on. Friends off mine spotted it a while back and narrowed its location down. A corp called RNS stuck it in a micronebula in the Naboo system. Once in a while they crew it up to scare someone or train people, but it spends half its time in drydock as a testbed or getting fixed. Maybe a hundred people aboard instead of twenty thousand ish.

"I'd be much obliged if you could steal it. I know that's a tall, risky order for some random folks I just met, but screw it. I've got reasons for doing it this way. You down?"

 

[RC 212]

[member="Jorus Merrill"]

"Thievery eh? Will I be flying Escort or main Pilot to a dropship?"

It was a good mission. Something risky, but lucrative and it kept him off the FO scanners for a bit. Also kept his mind off his past. Any work was good work.

 

[Jorus Merrill]

[member="Zok Stellaris"]

"Ideally? You'd be flying one of my light freighters on infiltration and dropoff duty - and playing getaway driver if they need it. You comfortable with that?"