All the Fixin's [sparrow]

[Mara]

[...from Of Geese and Gundarks]


Tatooine. Quite a far cry from Mygeeto, Ean Stenner, famed bounty hunter, was thinking to himself. From a cold and icy world to a dry and hot one. The large Corellian was gazing out his ship's viewport from his seat in the copilot's chair. Next to him was a spineless little Sullustan sent by his friend Major Grabben of the Sith Navy. It had been the second favor he had asked of the Rodian: someone to pilot his ship to the desert planet. Under the pretense that he would need the traveling time to plan and research, the major had agreed. Ean kept his secret lack of piloting skills close to his chest; very few people knew the bounty hunter's flaw.

But the first thing he had asked the Rodian major was for him to access spaceport records on Mygeeto. Lucky for Ean, the major had still been on planet following the Sith takeover of the icy world. It had taken mere moments for the bluish reptilian being to locate a few possibilities from the search parameters Ean had given him. And then after a little more inquiring, Ean had gotten what he needed: Sam's location. Foremost, the ship she was on with that blasted Jedi who had kidnapped her out of that bar.

And then with the ship found, Major Grabben finished the favor off by having a few of his lackeys place a tracking device onto the ship before it left. Wherever the Sundared Star went, the Trailblazer would follow. Not one to leave a stone unturned, Ean had also asked the major to check in with spaceport control, wanting to know the minute the suspect ship took off and, primarily, which flight plans they submitted. It would take a little time off his own travel time if he knew where they were going before they took off. Even with a tracking beacon, he would have to wait a while before he could follow. The most sophisticated equipment couldn't exactly be tracked through hyperspace, not with any accuracy.

And so Ean now found himself on Tatooine, his ship sitting in the private hangar of Greegar the Hutt, a personal friend of the bounty hunter and one of his former employers. It was mere coincidence that the Hutt was now at his Mos Espa palace, instead of at his other home on Nar Shaddaa, where Ean had originally worked for him. Though the beacon of the Sundared Star was showing nearby, Ean figured the prey would keep long enough for him to call on his old friend, catch up on the local gossip. It had been years since he had seen or spoken to the old Hutt.

Plus, there was probably no better place for him to retrofit his ship; he didn't want to fly around with Republic gray painted on the ship any longer. And he wanted better weapons systems. During the flight, in a rare spell that the Sullustan did not appear nervous, he had explained to Ean that most of the components of the ship were stock. Basically: bland and not very good. Ean no longer thought of the Trailblazer as a loner from Colonel Vinay. The colonel would understand if Ean took the ship. Especially if he had it replace some of his bounty payment. Fair deal, if he thought so himself.

Ean stood up as the Sullustan was completing the landing cycle, shutting down all nonessential systems. After the slight being was finished, the Corellian gave his temporary pilot a handful of credits and a gruff thanks, sending him on his way to find a public transport to bring him back to Major Grubben.

Alone again in the ship, Ean made his way back to the cabin he had claimed for his own. Not wanting to scare the Sullustan pilot too badly, he had removed his blaster and holster and tucked it away. Now he needed to retrieve it again. After fastening it around his hips, he quickly checked the pistol itself, making sure it was charged and ready. Satisfied, he exchanged his leather jacket for a simple worn nerf leather vest to wear over his white linen shirt. Today he had on a pair of black trousers, standing in slight contrast to his worn boots, no longer a shiny black themselves but more of a dark dusty gray.

He pulled out a drawer, pocketing a few items, like his ID and some credits, along with other odds and ends he might need, before he left the cabin and departed out of the ship. Standing a couple meters away, he surveyed it, knowing it would never look the same again. In a few hours, a day at the most, if Greegar's promise held, the ship would be one to be feared. Ean just needed to come up with a new name to finish the process, but that could wait.

A droid came shuffling towards him, its rusty gears squeaking as it came closer. Ean turned and waited for the mechanical being to come to him. He introduce himself and presented the proper information to the droid. The droid nodded, stating that at the moment his supreme majesty Greegar the Hutt was currently in a meeting, but that he would send someone down to see to his needs. Ean nodded and the droid left.

While he waited for Trano--inevitably the Hutt would send his trusty Trandoshan foreman out to see Ean--he walked around the spacious hangar, glancing at the other ships parked inside. Most of them were the Hutt's personal luxury yachts along with a couple more military-grade ones. Compared to the ship he had just arrived in, they were a lot more formidable-looking. But, hopefully, his ship's shortcomings would soon be remedied.

"Ahh... Ean... it has been too long." The Trandoshan's silky reptilian voice greeted Ean's ears before too long. The large man smiled and went over to greet the large being. It had been too long. Not since his first job a few years back, when he had first gotten into contract with the Hutt.

"Yes, it has," he answered, clasping the proffered hand. "You look well, Trano," he added, gesturing to the reptile's large middle.

Trano laughed as they turned to walk towards Ean's ship. "Yes, I am going soft. Greegar has given most of his tough jobs over to the young ones. To weed out the weak ones." At this, he winked over at the human.

Ean nodded with a smile. "Yes. Send them on a dangerous mission, and see if they come back. I understand." They stopped in front of the Trailblazer and Ean turned to face Trano. "Now, you said the ol' Hutt was in a meeting now?" Ean knew he could get away with calling Greegar that, not bothering to use any of his flaunty titles. One of the few who could and live.

"He is. But can I do anything for you? My master mentioned something about fixing your ship?" Trano cocked his head at Ean, a human trait he had learned from being around his employer and his guests all this time.

"Yeah, I'd like to upgrade it. You can supply the mechanics and the parts? I want to get started right away. I'll be leaving soon after I complete a couple errands here." Ean pulled out a list from his pocket and handed it to Trano. It listed the items he had found suitable to upgrade his ship with.

"Oh, going so soon after you got here? You must come again." The Trandoshan bobbed his head and laughed. "I will get your what you need. And I will send you in to Greegar when he is ready. Would you like to wait inside the palace?"

He considered the offer, but declined it. "No, I'll stay out here to supervise. Don't want these guys ruining my ship, Trano." The reptile's eyes sparkled in agreement. In reality, Ean was just hoping to learn some more about how a ship worked, not to just stand around and watch them work. But he couldn't let Greegar, or Trano, know that. Pretenses did wonder for the bounty hunter. "Thanks again, buddy."

Trano nodded and sauntered off to find the mechanics and parts from the list Ean gave him. Ean himself went back into the hatch to figure out a name for his "new" ship.


* * *

Half an hour later, Ean was startled from his thoughts by some banging on the side of his ship. The mechanics that Greegar had sent had arrived. When Ean got there, he greeted them before gesturing for them to start work immediately. To let them work more easily, he grabbed his datapad and set to work, ostensibly to supervise, sitting on a crate nearby in the hangar.

He barely glanced at the crew, figuring that if Greegar trusted them, he would be able to as well, not knowing that some of them might just be day workers, trucked in from the city for a few hours' pay. All in all, there was about a dozen of them, a Gran seeming to be the leader and the one employed by the Hutt. Ean put them out of his mind as they got to work, staring into his datapad, making sure he had programmed an alarm to sound if the tracking beacon on the Sundared Star ever moved.

[sparrow]

Beats being unemployed, Felze Zeng thought to himself as he fell in with the rest of the repair crew on their way to the docks. For some reason the Zeltron man had never been able to keep a steady job for the better part of the last decade. He was always hitchhiking around, doing odd jobs here and there, supplementing his income with a bit of gambling, which he seemed to be unusually lucky at, and then wasting it away on wine and other forms of alcohol. And then there was his computer. As slicer, Felze was always trying to add new bits and pieces to it, all manner of gizmos, to varying degrees of success. All of this meant he never really had much money on him.

So when shortly after arriving on Tatoonine and hearing that a local Hutt was hiring part-time mechanics, and paying well for it too, Felze was quick to sign up. He had been at it for over a week now. For the most part the work was quite pleasant, not too challenging but not too boring either.

The Gran leader of the bunch stopped him as he was about to follow the others outside the Hutt's complex. "You're not drunk again, Zeng, are you?" His three eyes turned to look at the wine pouch that hung on Felze's belt.

"Well, Ulls, there was that bottle of Corellian ale I polished off about half an hour ago..." Felze replied with a grin. "But I'm a zeltron, remember? I don't get drunk."

The gran gave him an expression that was the equivalent of a skeptical eyebrow raise, but he nodded and motioned for Felze to follow the others out. "So what's the job?" Felze asked.

"It's for a personal friend of the boss. Dynamic class. Maintenance and upgrades. Pretty standard stuff. I've assigned you to wiring."

[Mara]

((Not giving me much to work with, are ya?
Hope you're okay with my placement of Felze. ))


Ean sat on his cargo crate, datapad and stylus in hand, searching various parts of the holonet for what the rules and restrictions were for renaming a ship. Generally he wasn't much for rules and the long wait it usually took to follow them. But he had to waste time somehow; he might as well pretend he was working. Obviously, he wouldn't stay here the entire time the ship was being transformed; soon he would be called back by Trano to see Greegar.

For now, though, he was playing the concerned ship owner, glancing out of the corner of his eye at the dozen or so beings scrambling all over his ship. Hoping they knew what they were doing, despite the angry gesturing and yelling the Gran seemed to be doing at times. Ean didn't let it get to him too much, though. Greegar knew what would be in store for him if Ean was dissatisfied with the work on his ship. Their friendship could change in a hurry.

Pausing in his work, he looked up at the ship that he had "borrowed" from the Republic. He wasn't ever planning on giving it back. It was much easier to just keep it and modify it, instead of taking the time to drop it somewhere and pick up a new ride. Ean hadn't been with the 'Blazer longer but had gotten attached to it in a small way. Plus, it was about time the bounty hunter stopped hitching rides across the galaxy.

The upgrades had two purposes for him. One was the obvious one: now that Sam was no longer in his "employ," he wasn't sure who she was talking to. For all he knew, she had told her old boss, Major Borgonnia, that the bounty hunter was after her, and what ship he was currently using. Ean couldn't do much to change the overall look of the ship, but hopefully they wouldn't be expecting one with an upgraded hyperdrive, engine and weapons systems. Nor the fact that after everything was all done, he was having it painted completely in matte black, erasing all traces of Republic-issue gray. The longer he could remain hidden, the better.

And secondly, it was just common sense for him to want faster engines and better weapons. In his line of work especially. If he could get the ol' Dynamic-class to locations faster than most beings thought the ship would be able to travel, surprise would almost definitely help him.

He looked back down at his datapad. Time for the last remaining vestige of the Trailblazer to disappear. Its name. Ean had thought long and hard about what to name his ship. Lots of fearsome and awe-inspiring names had run through his mind. But in the end, he had chosen to be more sentimental. When he got right down to it all, he wouldn't be where he was without his mother. Not that she would approve of his current circumstances, but she did push him to be more than he thought he could be. To step above his current status. And so, with one press of his stylus, the Trailblazer disappeared, and Heleen's Hope was born.

With the registration complete, Ean smiled, satisfied with his choice. Now all he had to do was wait for his meeting with the Hutt. He knew ol' Greegar was a busy businessbeing and all, but usually he would make time in his schedule, rearranging it if need be, in order to see his favorite Corellian. Something big must be happening in that throne room. He shrugged and stood up. Perhaps it was time for a cursory inspection of his ship.

Tucking his datapad into his vest, he sauntered over to where his ship lay in pieces. Again, the Gran was yelling at some worker, something about "No, this one goes there; that one goes there!" Ean shook his head and made his way around to the back to check on what shape the engines were in. The mechanic still seemed to be removing the old ones, but he was happy to see a large box nearby labeled with the new engine. Again, the large man smiled. That Hutt is too good to me...

He made it over to the belly of the Hope, where the underside was being prepped for the attachment of the new blaster cannon, wires hanging every which way. Ean got a little closer and noticed half of a body, the bottom half, snugged up inside the new hole, hanging out with all the wires. He couldn't really tell what species the mechanic was; he was just content to watch the being work, crossing his arms over his chest.

[sparrow]

Removing his goggles after wrapping insulation around a newly soldered connection, Felze poked his head out from under the ship for a breath of air. It got quite stuffy down there after a while, especially with all the smoke, grease, and fumes.

He was done with this little section anyways. A few feet to his left, several of the crew members were busy removing the old stock side laser turret in order to install a shiny brand new one, and until they got that mechanically secure there wasn't going to be anything to wire in this part of the ship. A good a time as any for a short break.

Removing the flask from his belt, he took a big gulp of the liquid when he saw a large, grumpy-looking man staring at him with his arms crossed over his chest. He wasn't one of the works and Ulls certainly wouldn't have let any old stranger wander into the dock, which meant that the big guy had to be the owner of the ship, Ean Stenner. Felze had heard the name before, though he had little actual knowledge of the man, limited to a few claims by drunken people that Ean was a candidate for "People most likely to pull your arms off if you insulted their mother." It wasn't a whole lot to go off of.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" he asked.

[Mara]

Ean had raised his eyebrows in amusement when he saw the being take a nip from his flask after removing himself from his work on the wiring. The Zeltron looked a strange sight to him: grease streaked all over his clothing, goggles hanging around his neck. All the members of the pink-skinned species the bounty hunter had ever come across wouldn't even think of being caught dead in this type of situation. He briefly wondered if this one had run into a string of bad luck or just had the knack for mechanical things.

For a moment he thought about reporting the Zeltron for drinking on the job to Trano but then thought against it. He didn't seem to be drunk at the moment, or even the least bit tipsy. Ean recalled something about the species general resistance to alcoholic beverages, but what he knew most about them, apart from a sense of clueless arrogance in his experience, was their ability to manipulate their emotions and that of others. Luckily for Ean, he had made a living of being able to disguise his feelings and keep his mind relatively blank. So unless this Zeltron suddenly found him attractive and unleashed pheromones--Ean almost laughed out loud at the image--he was content to believe he would have the upper hand.

Forgoing his original comment about the man's drinking, he merely answered. "No, just keeping an eye on things. Can't be too careful nowadays." The Corellian let his words hang in the air an extra moment or two before he nodded his head towards the belly of the ship where the Zeltron had been working. He had obviously decided to take a break, judging from the flask, and Ean didn't think the Gran would begrudge the man a moment of bounty hunter's time. "Not too difficult, I hope?"

[sparrow]

He took another gulp before offering the flask to the other man. It seemed like the polite thing to do.

"Nah. Not at all. Dynamic's aren't very common when it comes to the insides they're all pretty standards. Besdies, can't do a whole lot right now until those guys over there," He pointed to a pair of men directing the lifting droid carrying a piece of what was going to be the new port-side laser turret, "Until they get the hardware secured. Even the best electrical system in the world won't do you good if the hardware ain't there." The reverse was also true, but he didn't really feel any particular need to say that.

He glanced back at the pieces of the new turret being installed. "So... expecting a fighting with this thing?"

[Mara]

He lifted his hand slightly, waving off the offer of a quick sip. Normally he probably would have imbibed, but right now Ean had a lot on his mind and didn't want it all jumbled up, more than it already was. He had to keep track of the work on his ship, figure out what he was going to talk to Greegar about... and decide how best to get back after Sam and the rogue Jedi. It wasn't that he couldn't handle his alcohol--Ean could drink with the best of 'em--but he just didn't want to take his chances. Especially with a Zeltron he just met.

Ean listened as the mechanic described to him what they were doing to his ship, nodding here and there throughout as if he understood exactly what the pink-skinned man was talking about. He got the general meaning, though, and felt satisfied with it, hoping that the rest of the upgrades and improvements would be going as smoothly. With any luck, he might be able to depart the planet before morning.

Following the Zeltron's eyes, he paused a moment before turning to him and answering his question. He wouldn't have bothered, generally, but he saw no reason right now to be impolite. Plus, the conversation was a good way of spending a few minutes until Trano called him into the throne room. He smiled, one that was not 100% a friendly gesture but not a mean smile either, "I like to be prepared."

[sparrow]

On Zeltrons nobody would refuse the offer of a drink... ever. Felze hadn't returned to Zeltros in over a decade, but he still had to remind himself sometimes that things worked a bit differently in other parts of the galaxy.

He nodded at the man's answer. A very understandable mindset. The man was a bounty hunter after all, and to a bounty hunter a good ship was extremely important. Felze himself was similarly paranoid regarding his datapad, the most important tool of any slicer. Over the years been he had upgrading it with various bits and pieces, such a device that would give anyone whose fingerprints didn't match his a nasty electrical shock, and a reinforced casing the likely subsequent drop to the ground. Hopefully those wouldn't be used often, but it was good to be prepared.

"Zeng, we're done here," one of men at the turret called. "You're up!"

"Better get back to work," he muttered, returning the flask to his belt and putting his goggles back on. He walked over to the man, who pointed out the areas that needed his work. "Why so fast? I thought you guys were being paid by the hour..."

[Mara]

Ean nodded as he watched the Zeltron mechanic head back to work. It had been a nice chat, but he was glad to see that the Gran was being quite the slave driver to get his ship fixed up and ready to leave as soon as possible. Despite some important meeting he had deemed more important than seeing Ean right away, the Hutt was a good friend and hated to disappoint them, lest he gain an enemy instead.

He stared off at the ship for another moment before sauntering back to the other side of the hangar to wait for Trano to retrieve him. Though, he obviously couldn't get anywhere in at least an hour or two, he wanted to get in there and talk with Greegar. Ean was hoping for some inside information and not just a little catch-up session with his old boss. Perhaps he would have heard of this silly rouge Jedi running around Tatooine. The Hutt did own a large portion of it, whether legally or illegally, personally or through shell companies.

Thinking again of the reason he had originally come to this sand-blasted planet, Ean reached into his vest for his datapad. The beacon was still showing the Sundared Star in the same place. Somewhere in the area of Mos Espa. Obviously they were here for something; otherwise, he didn't think they would have come all the way here from Mygeeto. As far as he could find in his limited search on the flight in, Ean didn't find any connections between this Ryn Sundar or Samantha to anything on Tatooine. So whatever they were doing, it wasn't personal.

Either way, the beacon wasn't moving, and Ean felt it would probably keep for a while longer, at least long enough for him to have a talk with Greegar. A chat that hopefully would begin soon. He folded his arms over his chest and stood off to the side surveying the work going on around his ship. Slowly but surely it was beginning to look more complete and not as much of a shell. Still, though, there were a few more unopened crates, mechanisms to still be installed. And then there was the paint. But if pressed, Ean would probably forgo the matte black and do it later, but hopefully that wouldn't be needed. His prey was still just a few hundred blocks away from his current position.

He was just thinking of going to have a look at the ship to see if anyone was home, if it could even be that easy to grab back Sam, when her heard the lumbering steps of the Trandoshan Trano coming his way. Ean turned around and grinned. "Finally, Trano! Greegar is free?"

"Yes, my boy, the Gloriousness that is Greegar the Hutt and all that other blasted nonsense." He chuckled as he came closer to the human. "His other meeting has concluded, and he is excited to see you again."

"It's mutual, Trano. Catch up on old times, you know?"

He wouldn't have thought it possible, but the Trandoshan winked at Ean in a knowing way. Too much time with humans, he thought, shaking his head slightly.

"Follow me..."

Ean obliged and followed the forebeing out of the hangar and into the main part of the palace, through to the throne room. On the way, he just sort of gazed relaxingly at all the trappings and decorations the Hutt had put up around the huge home he had made here on Tatooine. The Corellian had simpler tastes, but he couldn't help but admire some of the expensive items that adorned the walls or were actually part of the walls.

Coming into the throne room, though, he had a moment of deja vu; Greegar had set it up almost exactly like his dual one on Nar Shaddaa, down to the last detail. He wasn't sure if the Hutt was stuck in his ways or simply enjoyed the look and wanted to repeat it. Ean didn't care; at least it made the large spacious room seem a little homey.

Trano left him at the doorway with a nod. Ean gave him a soft pat with his thanks before he walked the long distance to the Hutt's dais on the other side where he sat, smoking a hookah pipe. At the sound of Ean's footsteps on his marbled floor, he looked in his direction. After a moment of uncertainty, a smile crossed Greegar's face. << Ean, my boy! I haven't seen you in years. What brings you here to Tatooine? >>

"Well, Greegar, just a little hunting, you know." Ean grinned. The Hutt knew full well why he was here; he had summarized his situation upon reaching the sandy planet's orbit. But the Hutt was a stickler for his formalities, though they might be. "I want to thank you for getting to my ship so quickly."

The Hutt waved a stubby hand. << Don't think about it. It was my pleasure for such a good... friend. >> He chuckled, something more akin to rumbling thunder.

Ean smiled. "Despite so, I would like to pay you an extra bonus if your men can finish before sunset. I'd like to get moving, if I can, as soon as possible. You know how it is... time is money."

<< Yes, yes... >> Greegar nodded in assent. << I know full well. >> He waved Ean to a nearby chair and continued after he had seated himself.

<< Now, you said you wanted what information I had regarding this... Ryn Sundar? Something that I could not dispatch over comm... >>


* * *

Ean stormed into the hangar after his meeting with Greegar. He was very unhappy, to say the least. They had exchanged a few pleasantries, but then the Hutt had gotten to the heart of the matter. He did indeed know the duo he was tracking, especially the rogue Jedi.... a Jedi who had apparently just turned bounty hunter and was working for Greegar now, at least for one job. How this Hutt, his friend, could have kept this information from him this long was completely beyond Ean's comprehension. He understood Greegar was a businessbeing with his own business to conduct, but to deceive him? And let them escape, when he was in the same palace as they were! It was inconceivable.

He had contained his anger during the meeting, seething inwardly. But now he wanted to hurt something or someone. Take his frustration out on something. But upon reaching the inside of the hangar where the Hope was being worked on, he found all the air release from his lungs. It wouldn't do any good for him to beat the mechanics to a pulp; Greegar had been true enough to his word to order them to work double-time to get the ship finished up for his 'good friend Ean.' Ean huffed. A good friend who worked for himself first and foremost.

At any rate, he had gotten more information out of the Hutt than he had probably been willing to give, before he realized how badly Ean wanted to find the woman traveling with his new employee. Apparently they were headed to Zeltros on a mission for Greegar. Knowing that now, he would have to change his plans slightly. Instead of going out to the city now to find the Sundared Star to look for Sam, he would just fly to Zeltros to intercept them as soon as his ship was spaceworthy.

Still, though, he kept the beacon active on his datapad, so he would know exactly when they left, and how much of a head-start they had on him. If any at all.

However, there was still the problem of him not having a pilot. He had sent the Sullustan he had used to get to Tatooine back to Mygeeto. Ean would have to ask Greegar for someone who could... No, that wouldn't do. No matter how subtle he was about it, he wouldn't be able to bluff past Greegar about his lack of skill in the piloting area. No, he would have to find another way.

He absentmindedly scanned the room in front of him, his eyes resting in his ship and the workers surrounding it. Ean caught sight of the Zeltron man he had talked to earlier. He was a mechanic.... he was sure to know his way around a ship, right? At any rate, the being could help him once they reached Zeltros. Ean himself had only been there rather briefly; he could use someone more versed in the culture, to give him an edge over the Sundar man and Sam. This simple contract for the Republic government to capture Major Borgonia was taking a lot longer than he thought. He needed to end it, and soon.

Ean stalked over to his ship, finding the Zeltron man deep in some cavity or other. He cleared his throat, and when that didn't work, he spoke up, loudly. "You there. Got any place to be after tonight?"

[sparrow]

"Not now, Ulls, I'm almost done here," Felze responded, assuming that the noise outside was coming from the old Gran deciding once again to remind everyone to work faster. "Maybe if you spent less time bugging us we'd actually be able to get something done!"

Suddenly the throat-clearing outside became a shout, surprising the Zeltron that he banged his head against a piece of piping. Wait,... that definitely wasn't the Gran's voice.... Crawling out from the ship, he rubbed his head and had a look at just who it was. "Oh, it's you...," he said, recognizing Ean. "You mean after we finish working on your ship? No, I don't think I do... ... Why?"

[Mara]

He waited patiently, well, as patiently as he could, trying to keep from tapping his foot, as the Zeltron slowly realized he was being spoken to by the bounty hunter. Ean wasn't sure what to think of the man being nonchalant to the fact that the owner of the ship he was working on was speaking to. But he didn't have time to dwell on it; he had more important things to attend to.

Ean nodded at the Zeltron's response. He would have thought it providence that the mechanic would be free to travel with him, but the Corellian just chalked it up to good luck. Luck he could take with him to any sabaac tournament and score big with. Nodding his head in the direction of his ship, he asked another question. "Think you can fly this? I am in need of a... " he hesitated to say it, but Ean could think of nothing else to call him. "A partner for my next trip."

[sparrow]

Felze blinked in surprise. That was... unexpected. "That depends on your definition of fly," he said, raising an eyebrow. Too many people meant different things with that term these days. "It's not 'can dogfight four pirate starfighters at once while not spilling any wine from an open cup,' is it?" You'd be surprised on how many people imply that when looking for a pilot... "But if what you want is just someone who can navigate a ship from one planet to the next, not crash into any random comets on the way, and is able to parallel park at the starport, then sure, I can fly."

[Mara]

Ean allowed himself a small smile at the Zeltron's words. He really hoped it wouldn't come to any fancy maneuvering like that, at least not right away. For now his only plan was to get to Zeltros and intercept the Sundared Star so he could talk to Sam. And just plain figure things out for his search for the AWOL Major Borgonia. If this mechanic could just get his ship in space and pointed towards his destination, that was all he really needed. Anything else would be bonus.

He nodded at the pink-skinned mechanic. Ean just hoped he wasn't taking too big of a chance by bringing an almost complete stranger on board with him. To fly his newly upgraded ship. And go on a dangerous mission, no less. It wasn't as if this was someone Greegar or Trano personally vouched for; he was just a day worked picked up from the dusty streets. "Good. Then I'll see you on board the moment she's space-worthy."

Reaching into his jacket and turning around to check on the Star's location, something else came to Ean's thoughts, perhaps something he might need to apprise the young Zeltron about. He looked back over his shoulder. "Don't worry; you'll be paid a worthwhile sum. Hope you don't have a problem with returning to Zeltros." With that, Ean went on his way again, standing off in a corner to fiddle with his datapad. Hopefully he could get enough of a headstart on the runaway duo.

[sparrow]

That certainly was... unexpected. Zeltros... That explained what the man had come to him instead of picking out any of the dozen pilots that would be roaming around the neighboring cantinas at any given time. No, Felze didn't have any problem going to Zeltrons. He had almost forgotten about the place. It had been nearly decade since he had last set foot on its soil.

When he had left Zeltron all those years ago, Felze had told his mother that he was going out to make his fortune. In the slicing field, he was considered pretty good, and his luck at dice often put him finances on the positive side. But for some reason, almost every time he'd be starting to do well, something would happen, like that first pirate crew he was on. Everything seemed like smooth sailing, until the captain had gotten a bit too greedy and fallen into an ambush set up by Republic law enforcement. And then there was that second crew, which had seemed to dissolve before it had even gotten off the ground. He should've known that there was no way that rouge mandalorians, gray jedi, and old feeorins could be expected to get along.

He sighed and took another sip from his flask. Oh, that was probably another reason why he never seemed to have much money.

Felze Zeng as a slicer, gambler, scoundrel,... and a momma's boy. Suffice to say, he wasn't too thrilled at the possibility of seeing his mother again as anything but a rich man. Then again, it's a very big planet, so the chances me actually bumping into her are quite small. And knowing mum, she'd probably be too drunk to recognize me even if she did see me.

So no, he had no problems with going to Zeltros, especially if he wasn't the one paying for the trip.

The old gran seemed to be shouting at him again, so Felze went back to work.

[Mara]

So far, so good. His prey was still well within his sights, somewhere close by the palace. His ship was even closer to being completed. And now Ean had someone to come with him on the flight over to Zeltros, more obviously as a guide, more surreptitiously as his pilot. After everything that had happened in the last week or so, the Corellian was finally feeling like his luck might be changing.

That is, if the rogue Jedi and Sam were actually on that ship. That thought swept through his mind as he stared unseeingly into his datapad, the homing beacon signal still blinking in the corner. Ean doubted that the blind hero would leave his ship behind. Greegar seemed convinced that they would be using it to get to Zeltros to take care of some business for the Hutt. But there was a small chance.... No, Ean shook the idea from his head. He had to stay positive.

He put the datapad away, knowing that if the ship moved a meter he'd know. Instead he just sat there with his arms crossed, watching the Gran and his workers, including the Zeltron newly recruited to his 'team' as they scrambled all over the hangar and his ship, Heleen's Hope, putting it back together again along with some extra... better pieces.

Ean had an odd sense of pride while watching his ship. In his life since leaving Corellia, or even since leaving his father's house, he had had credits to spare and wasn't short on possessions or the ability to possess them. But for some reason, this one seemed different to him. The ship was more than just an object to him. It was his life... his new home away from home. A place for him to finally belong after years of wandering the galaxy and residing in hotels. He smiled; perhaps this was just the uplift he needed to get back on track.

His glance happened upon the Zeltron mechanic. Again, he wondered if he was making a mistake in gaining the use of his piloting skills. But Ean didn't have any other choice, so it was a risk he had to take. And if anything happened, he could just shove the being in a locked cabin and put the ship on autopilot, hoping for the best. Hoping the name of his mother would watch over him.

Leaning back against a crate, he folded his hands behind his head, content, for now, to just wait and watch. But soon, very soon, he would be on the hunt again.


* * *


The work had taken a bit longer than expected, but finally his ship was ready. As the mechanics had been painting it its new matte black and finishing up the last-minute installs, Ean had begun pacing up and down the side of the hangar. He was eager to be on his way. And not a moment too soon. His datapad had alerted him to movement on the Sundared Star. It was still on Tatooine but moving. The bounty hunter's guess was that it would be departing soon for Zeltros. Ean had never seen the ship in person, just on fuzzy holocam security footage, but he had the utmost confidence that his ship was faster and more armed, now with its upgrades. The rogue Jedi Ryn might be leaving first, but Ean was sure to get to Zeltros first.

Soon everyone had left either back to their homes for the night or in the case of the Gran, back inside the palace to touch base with Greegar. Ean once again thanked his friend, despite being so short on information earlier, through his foreman Trano the Trandoshan. He and Trano shared a bit of gossip for a few minutes, than parted ways with a heavy handshake. He turned around, finally, surveying his ship now that it was completely done and ready for take-off.

Picking up the things he had taken off the ship, he went looking for the Zeltron who was now apart of his meager crew of two. He didn't see the being in the main part of the hangar and so went aboard the Hope, assuming he was inside already. Ean smiled; someone who could take orders. Quite the refreshing opposite after dealing with Sam.

He felt a small pang of regret thinking about the former blond, wishing things had gone better. If they hadn't gone into that cantina. If he hadn't started a fight. If she hadn't abandoned him. If he hadn't kidnapped her in the first place. The list went on and on. But that was the past, and Ean had to put all his "what ifs" where they belonged: in the past. All that mattered now was getting back in touch with Sam. Preferably to bring her back on board. At the very least to apologize and give her the key to the storage unit back on Coruscant, filled with her things.

Slapping the ramp release as he got inside, he listened to the whine of the servos as it slide inside and his ship closed up. Beautiful. Ean headed to the cockpit then, figuring to check in with his new pilot before going to his cabin for some research. Maybe some food. Or a nap. He had been running low on sleep for quite some time now. Something he didn't usually need a lot of, but would get whenever time allowed for it.

Ean came to stand next to the copilot's chair. "I want to leave as soon as we get clearance, which Greegar should be helping with." He glanced at the Zeltron. "Let me know when we reach Zeltros. I'll be able to give you a better location for our landing by then." And with that, he went aft to his cabin. Time for a little shut-eye.


[to Tying Up Loose Ends...]