Oh Cap'n, my Cap'n

[Zandra Tal'verda]

Zandra's room on board was smaller than her quarters back on Zax. Small, but more comfortable. And it didn't smell moldy and old. Zax was an ancient girl. It had been a miracle that she'd lasted that long, and once Zandra had saved up enough, she would do everything in her power to get her back up in the air again. For now.... This would be her home.

The Echani pirate had just finished recording another entry to her holodiary. She'd been keeping up with it at fairly irregular intervals, sending out certain recordings to Cals frequency, on the off chance that she might get through to him. It had been almost two years though, so the likelihood was getting slimmer by the day. She was hanging by a thread, waiting for the last fiber of hope to snap.

The pirate snuffed out her cigara and made her way down the hall. It was late. The rest of the crew was sleeping, but Zandra just... couldn't. She had the hardest time with sleep now, often wandering the halls of the ship like a pale ghost, well after the rest had gone to bed. She had to find something to do, something to occupy herself. She was the Cap'ns number two now, and that meant responsibility, that meant doing all the things the Cap'n just didn't have time for.

Like researching their next target.

She took up her datapad and settled down in the common room, muttering to herself as she scrolled through the schematics.

 

[Judah Lesan]

Thorn wasn't sleeping, not with all the creaking in the ship, and the fact now he had a crew he had no fething idea what he was going to do. Right, he had the battle dragon to claim, and that operation was going to take careful planning, planning he just didn't trust the whole crew with yet. He was still gettng to know them. Thorn had just run out of caf, he had to stay sober for now, and was headed to the common room for more. [member="Zandra Tal'verda"] was sitting there scrolling through something, and clearly just finished her cigara. Damn it smelled sweet.

"You wouldn't happen to have another one would you? Afraid I'm out of pipe tobacco for now..."

He continued to the caf machine, and poured a healthy mug full. Taking a sip right away he let out a satisfied sigh. It was hot, strong, and perfect. They were already down one mechanic, Kath was gone, personal stuff or something. She was young, and it might have been for the best. Still that left a hole.

"So here we are... everyone is a sleep except us. You really studying or is old demons back for a visit?"

 

[Zandra Tal'verda]

The Echani did not look up at the captain as she pulled a crushed pack of cigarettes out of her leather jacket pocket and held them out. With her other hand, the organic one, she was still scrolling through the schematics to the battle dragon.

"Workin'," she answered, "Lookin' into this dragon of yours. Figure, everythin' got a weak spot. I think I got an idea once we can figure out jus' what that is. Ain' my first time takin' on somethin' this big..."

She was humorless tonight, all focus. Someone had to work. And they needed to find a new mechanic. Sure, Zandra could probably do routine patches now and again when she needed to, but she was no expert. Not like Kath had been. Damn... Just one more thing to add to her list.

[member="Thorn"]

 

[Judah Lesan]

"Or we just steal my dad's," he said coyly. "Wait did I forget to mention I'm Hapan, and my family has served the Royal Navy for centuries. I bet we could just walk on and take it, though, I'm sure you have something fun up your sleeve."

He grabbed the pack of cigarettes and took one out. A match was proffered from the inside of his coat, and the cigarette lit. He took a long drag and blew out the smoke away from Zandra. She was a tough nut to crack, but Thorn was determined to, for the sake of the crew, and for his own sanity. If she was gonna be hard all the time it wasn't going to go well for morale. Zandra needed what the captain coukd give her, but he wasn't about to say it.

"Don't worry about finding a mechanic, I got a lead. I'm more concerned we get that battle dragon. We're outgunned by everyone coming after us, and we need something we can survive in."

[member="Zandra Tal'verda"]

 

[Zandra Tal'verda]

The Echani ran her cybernetic hand through her messy mane of white hair. So, this one was a spoiled rich kid, lookin' for some cheap thrills? Zandra actually cracked a tiny ghost of a smile. Well, well, well. Looked like they had something in common.

"I got somethin' in mind, if you got theater experience. It depends on us being able to stay in character. I love me a good heist."

She shrugged, zooming in on the engine room. If they could just.... no, no. They wanted to capture a working one, not blow it up. She exhaled out of her nose and kept looking.

"If you think you can jus' take one, it's better we do that," she sighed, "A captain's job is to find work, without unnecessarily sacrificing his crew. Sorry Cap. I can't let myself die jus' yet."

[member="Thorn"]

 

[Judah Lesan]

"Well I'll need help. Best I can be is a distraction while the rest of the crew is taking the ship. We don't have to take my dad's and better off if we don't since he can track it. You think we can get a new one, one that doesn't have its tracker in yet?"

He looked to her. She had a plan. The caf was sipped again, and that followed with another drag on the cigarette. He sat next to her and looked over the schematics with her and pointed to the engine room. She'd been looking there earlier.

"That's where they put the tracker. If we can get there before they do, then we got a battle dragon they can't hunt down."

Thorn grinned and looked at her.

"What was your plan anyway?"

[member="Zandra Tal'verda"]

 

[Zandra Tal'verda]

That... was not bad idea. Much less risky. The Echani set the datapad down on her lap, pulled out another cigarette and lit it.

"My plan?" she said, blowing smoke out through her nostrils, "It was more of a ghost of an idea. We all get fake I.D's, get jobs on board, stage a takeover from the inside when the time is just right. I've done it before."

She shrugged. She liked his idea better, honestly, but maybe there was a way to marry the two ideas? She smirked. Already working together? It was like working with Cal all over again...

[member="Thorn"]

 

[Judah Lesan]

"No reason we can't do both. My face is known, but the rest of th'crew isn't. Couls always plant ye in ahead of time that way ye all are there for when I need ye."

He'd figure out a way for both plans to work, but maybe that could wait. It wasn't like they were in a hurry. Well maybe they were as the ship kept falling apart. Either way, [member="Zandra Tal'verda"] needed a diversion from all the work and the planning. The worry and stress was written all over her face. Forget the caf. It was time for something to drink. Frak being the captain, and the responsible one. He walked back to the cabinet and pulled out a couple of glasses and a bottle of rum.

"You look like ye need some rum in ya. Put the work down, and forget responsiblity for now. It's a crying shame you and I are the least drunk members of th'crew right now. C'mon get drunk with me... we can finish the planning later."

 

[Zandra Tal'verda]

The Echani normally would be all for slacking, but since she'd lost her hand, she felt a very real and very serious change. Started to question things in her life. Who was she? Why did she live the way she did? Should she go back to mandalore? Or go back to the world of the Echani? Take her place as the new heir to the Fenni clan? Or should she stay and lead from behind?

"Ya tryin' ta get me drunk, Cap?" she asked, amused, "Cuz you know yer charms won't be workin' on me. I'm a married woman."

She was starting to question even that much though. Was she still married? Did her marriage count anymore by Mandalorians standards if she hadn't seen her husband in almost 2 years? Truth was... Zandra was lonely. And she certainly wasn't getting younger.

[member="Thorn"]

 

[Judah Lesan]

"I asked you to get drunk with me, not frak with me. Though I wouldn't be past it," he said with a wink then sat down on the couch. He was teasing her more than anything. "Ye look like he need to relax an'I was offering a way to do that. Didn't know ye had a husband. He run off on ya or something?"

Maybe the booze was a bad idea. Either way, there was something on her chest she needed to get off, and it wasn't her boobs, though those were very nice. Thorn was just trying to be the good captain who was there for his crew. Morale was just as important as anything.

"Don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but it might help. Ye been puting in to the work so much. Might just want to relax. I can work over those schematics."

He offered to take them for her. They could still talk while he looked.

[member="Zandra Tal'verda"]

 

[Zandra Tal'verda]

The Echani woulda punched him right in that pretty face were he not her captain. Even she had rules. Cap'n came before her own comfort. It was the way to keep peace. She took his flirting with little more than a weary scowl. She passed over the tablet, snatched up the bottle, opened it and took a nice long swig right out of it. When she lowered the bottle at last, she felt... calm again.
The liquid life seeped through her veins again. Drinking! Ah! Yes! That explained why she was so miserable. She was sober.

"The... rapture thing," she explained, passing the bottle over so she could light up another cigarette, "He disappeared when everyone else did. But he never came back."

She leaned back, taking a long drag, then blowing a thick smoke ring towards the ceiling. She watched it drift higher and higher until it hit the ceiling and vanished.

"Two years almost. I been countin' the days. My daughter says 'es off with another woman. Prolly got another family too. My son says he's more likely dead than cheatin'. I think, well, thought he might still be alive somewhere. Startin' ta get hard to believe that. "

And if he were alive, what was keeping him from her? Didn't he remember her? Didn't he still love her?

She was starting to think she answer was no.

[member="Thorn"]