A Chink In The Plans

[Val - Warning:Contains Sarcasm]

The ship had docked smoothly and impressively, considering its size. The docking ramp had lowered and the crew had begun descending. Kiqua stood at the bottom with an entourage of several dozen armed soldiers, and had her personal shields engaged just in case. As they began to reach the bottom of the ramp she stepped forward. Her white skin contrasted almost perfectly to the black of not only her own armor, but also her soldiers. She could not stand out more obviously unless she was on fire. She noticed one crew member with a portable computer, one that looked very expensive. Some sort of bug-like race that she had very rarely came into contact with in her experience in the Navy.

"Captain, I want you to lead a troop aboard that ship. Secure it, but make sure you don't aggrevate the locals." She nodded at one of her captains, ensuring he knew that she was serious about not being aggressive. Her crew knew by now that she could be a real bitch when her orders weren't followed correctly, and what's more is that she knew that they knew. She watched as the men filed aboard the ramp calmly and disappeared inside the ship. Guns were still trained on the crew that had disembarked as she stepped forward.

"I am Admiral Kiqua, welcome to my ship. I think it may be best if we exchange pleasantries aboard more secure quarters, so if you don't mind following me..." She glanced at them, noticing some of their members had rather odd items attached to their belts and such-like. "I hope you'll understand if we conduct a search for weapons at a slightly later date." she added as she led them from the hanger bay. Checking her shield was still pulsating.

[Xef'se]

As Xef'se calmly walked forward towards the Admiral, his Drones formed a neat parade line behind him and followed. "Don't mind the drones," he called to Kiqua, "They're not sentient, they just shoot and grab when I tell them to. If you have anything private to tell me, you don't have to worry about them."

He follows the Admiral, thinking about things like ships and weaponry.

[Anackis]

Someone else had boarded the ship, he felt their presence. Shi'tan did not get up or even consider wasting his time to investigate, soon he would be on Metellos. Soon he would have Kiela.

[Val - Warning:Contains Sarcasm]

The drones following her new 'guest' were worrying. Shoot when he told them to? She didn't like the sound of that. But they must be very advanced little things by looking at them. The guest seemed preoccupied in his own mind and she didn't bother answering him at the moment. She led the way with him and his crew to where they would be staying - several rooms which worked together in an apartment-style way. Place for relaxing, sleeping and cooking if needed. She guided them inside, holding their captain a moment.

"I'm going to take us into hyperspace. After that, you and I are going to be having a chat." She said, trying to be as non-threatening as possible. She left several soldiers standing by outside the room and returned to the bridge, whereupon her first order was to have them monitor the activity inside and report anything suspicious. The destination had already been programmed in and they were just awaiting the order from the admiral.
"Metellos, let's go."

[Xef'se]

Xef'se nodded as the Admiral left, then had his drones enter and secure the rooms using a quick radio signal. Once they had done so, he set up in a useful office-like room, putting his portable terminal on a desk and hooking it into the mainframe, bringing up ship schematics and other things about the ship he was on. Xef'se thought to himself, It may be bad manners but I'll be damned if I'm caught trying to escape in a maze I don't know when the fodder hits the fan, and knowing life, it will.

He studies the schematics for a while before shutting that file down and as an act of good faith, uploading a few weapon schematics into the mainframe. Might as well give them a taste of the honey.

[Val - Warning:Contains Sarcasm]

They had only just entered hyperspace when one of the officers monitoring the room called Kiqua over with an alert.
"They seem to be uploading something to our mainframe, admiral."
Kiqua squeezed her hands into a tight fist, utterly enraged at the nerve these pirates had, hacking through their files only minutes after being brought aboard and warned. "They'll bungee off Coruscant's tallest building for this. Without the rope." Several files came up on the list of new additions, and she watched for the reaction of the officer to see how serious this was. He didn't seem to be freaking out as badly as he should be.

"Well come on, damn it, how bad is it?"
"They... they don't appear to be infecting the mainframe. I don't think they're viruses, admiral." She blinked. Not viruses? Then what did they send? Ushering the officer away she made sure she was the only one viewing the terminal as she opened a random file from the list. A schematic came up, and not just a random schematic. This was a highly classified schematic, very advanced and probably very hard to develop. Why would the pirates be sending her this?
Some sort of bargaining chip, maybe? These guys really are useful. She closed the file, making sure to send the schematics off the mainframe and to her secured account.

"Inform me when we're 2 minutes from reentry." she ordered, leaving the bridge to return to the company of the pirates. They seemed to be more informed than their attire would suggest. These weren't rogue operatives or random smugglers, these were trained specialists. Intelligent. Not like the pirates she used to fight at all, and therefore likely not just pirates. There was something strange about them. She arrived at the room once more, signalling two guards to occupy the room with her. They guarded the entrance as she addressed the occupants. She gave a slight smile.

"I got your present."

[Xef'se]

"I knew you would. Just an act of good faith. We never intended to be pirates, we just stumbled upon the... job," Xef'se pulls up a folder on his terminal and gestures Kiqua over, "We were the best of the best in the Roche asteroid field. A research corps that made gadgets, ship designs, weaponry. The higher-ups among the Verpine considered us a threat to their power, and attempted to have us summarily executed. We escaped into that ship back there and have drifted ever since."

Smiling slightly, he looks at the Admiral, "This may be a chance for some battle-wearied Verpine to finally go back to what they signed on for. We may appear to be pirates and warriors, and technically we are, but it's all due to circumstance. But now, that should change," he thinks fondly of the times he has had in his ship, "I'll stay with the Fused Power-Coil though, I've grown attached to her, and I personally find a thrill in commanding a warship. You can understand, right Admiral?"

[Val - Warning:Contains Sarcasm]

Kiqua smiled. "A warship? Why captain, what ever could you mean?" She laughed a little, glad to hear that she wouldn't actually have to be executing these men. It would be such a terrible waste of skill and prowess. She thought back to the small ship docked in the hanger bay.
"When you say you'd prefer to stay on your ship, did you mean within the hanger or following mine?" She didn't mind either way, but at least as long as he was in the hanger she had a peace of mind that she wasn't going to wake up with explosives rigged to the entire hull. And he was close by if, and likely when, she needed the services of his specialists.

If you want aboard my crew, you have simply to ask. I have only just received men from Corellia. Soldiers, that is. And I have the crew roster just sitting in my office waiting to be handed in to for the quarterly review. Now... on a ship of tens of thousands, do you think I'd be able to add a few names without notice? She gave a sly smile. These guys weren't the only intelligent ones around here.

[Xef'se]

Xef'se smiled as good as a Verpine could, "My men and I would like to maintain Corporate autonomy, as we are the Xef'se Alin Research Corps, after all. However, we would be honored to work closely with your crew, both in research and engineering, as well as when the time comes for battle. This would be most satisfactory, as we could maintain the agility that comes only from an independent party without military or political bureaucracy to go through."

He pulled up a file on his portable terminal with a few taps, and quickly typed in a few paragraphs outlining a research and development contract. He took out a stylus and signed his name on a line, then turned to Kiqua again, "This contract would hire our services out to the Republic Navy, both as scientists and as technicians and engineers. Our ship and headquarters, the Fused Power-Coil, would operate out of this ship, and would be available in case of emergency. We would be stationed in the hangar for easy access. All of this for a nominal fee payed by the Republic Navy. I believe that you, as an Admiral, should have suitable authority to either accept this agreement or send it to those who can. If you need to relay it, feel free to send one of the schematics I sent to you as proof of our skill."

After this clever legal-work, Xef'se thought to himself, I hope that she accepts... I'd really hate to go through military bureaucracy to get access to the goods I want.

[Val - Warning:Contains Sarcasm]

Kiqua didn't really need to be asked twice about this. Schematics to some of the most advanced weaponry available, and a specialist group working for her, and she didn't even have to pay for it. And there was unlikely to be anything he'd want in return that she couldn't easily get her hands on. Besides, if the Navy was willing to pay that little bit extra for their services they'd be repayed ten times over with the efficiency of the Eminance's crew.

She signed her initials on the contract rather willingly, glad to seal such a beneficial deal for herself.
"Calling Admiral An'pide to bridge. Metallos in two minutes."
Kiqua nodded as a sign of her need to disappear rather quickly, followed by her two escorts. She quickly ordered several of the guards from the post to find more productive things to do. She arrived at the bridge minutes later, just as the planet began to fill their screens. There it was, their destination. She pulled up an Ensign.
"Go to the Ambassador's room and inform him of our arrival."

Move to The Illusion of Simplicity