Everyone's a Critic--I Mean Pilot

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

[member="Gray Venasir"]


The mission that Lori had in mind wasn't a safe one. Could she get in trouble? Oh yes! Would it make her parents mad or worried? Yes on both counts! Could she get caught and put away in a cell? Oh yes! Those were quite possible too!

But it would be worth it.

If successful, she would save her parents from the trouble of needing to plan out the rescue themselves. If successful she could be labeled as a hero! If successful they could write songs about her and make movies!! Yeah!

Okay, that was getting a tad over excited. Lori didn't get recognition for much. Being the youngest, she wasn't given much responsibility, nor was she trusted to be able to handle herself in dangerous situations.

Or at least that was how it seemed....

So this mission was all about proving herself to others.

A little while ago she had put a call out for crew. Given what happened the last time when she hired people and lost half of them as soon as she let them know of their first mission; well, she wanted insurance this time. So the more the merrier.

Now she sat on a bench in one of Chasin City's parks, working on her jetpack while she waited for a possible hire to turn up. At least if no one showed, then the day wouldn't be a total loss. Tinkering with her jetpack was always fun for her.

 

[Gray Venasir]

Gray was walking down a street in Chasin City. He didn't know the name of this street, or anywhere else in the city for that matter. He had arrived on the planet only recently, and did not bother to learn much about it, as he knew he wouldn't stay there long. This planet was far from his usual places to be, even though it was among the Core Worlds. Gray preffered the parts further from the center, where the population usually were smaller, and the laws were easier to avoid.

But now he was here, on Commenor. As he understood it, Commenor had just been liberated from the sith. This was perfect for Gray. He had originaly come to these parts of the Galaxy to not be recognised; to disappear. He had found himself on bad terms with some sith in the Outer rims, and had to flee.

But when he had arrived in the Core worlds, he heard about the Liberation of Commenor, and thought he wouldn't find sith there, so he checked it out. But as soon as he had landed, he snatched up a call from someone on the planet. It sounded like a young woman, and it requested crew for a job. The call didn't give any details, or the parts of the call his broken holocom recieved, but Gray thought he at least could check it out.

Now, Gray had arrived at Chasin City's park, where he was supposed to meet the one from the call. There weren't many people around, only some old people taking a walk, which Gray was certain were not the one he was looking for. He walked a little further, and saw a teenage girl sitting on a bench, tinkering With a jetpack. She was the only one around it could have been. Gray walked over, and sat down on the other side of the bench, taking a holopad up, pretending to read.

"You the one looking for a crew?", he said in a low voice, making it look like, to anyone that might observe him, that he was only mumbling something to himself.

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori glanced up at [member="Gray Venasir"] as he walked passed her to sit on the bench. He didn't even look at her, so for a moment she just thought nothing of him and continued working on that finicky toggle switch.

She heard him speak then. Though it was low and quiet. For a second she had thought that her ears were playing tricks on her. But no. The words were very specific. Too specific.

Following his cue, she continued working on her jetpack while she spoke, not looking towards Gray at all. "I am. Are you looking for work?
Not every job that my crew will take will be a walk in the park. Some will involve battle."

 

[Gray Venasir]

Gray continued to look at the holopad, making it look like he was Reading something interesting. Gray was glad she also whispered when she spoke to him, it showed that she was proffesional. But she was still a teen. She couldn't have been in whatever business she was looking for crew to for a long time.

"Is there a safer and more secure place we can talk, or are you certain it is safe here? he whispered back. He knew nothing of this planet, or of the teen sitting beside him. He didn't know what kind of people were on the planet, if there was spies there, or if the teen had enemies they had to watch out for. So he thought it was best to talk in a more private place, if she didn't know someone wouldn't spy or eavesdrop in them. Being paranoid, and thinking ahead was what usualy kept one alive as a smuggler.

"If you need reasurement, I'm interested. And I've had troublesome work before."

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori looked up to the sky for a moment, as though she was contemplating something. Well, actually she was doing exactly that. Was it safe here? In the park? There didn't seem to be anyone following her or watching her. So it should be okay.

"This park is safe." She tucked her screwdriver behind her ear as one would a pencil. Then she got to her feet and slung on her jetpack. "We can go for a walk."

Lori led the way, not along any path, but just on the grass. It was softer on her feet then most paths anyways. She assumed that [member="Gray Venasir"] would follow her as he said that he was interested. "What sort of troublesome work? Are there any bounties on you?" Lori hadn't had any herself. But that's not to say that she wasn't hunted before.

 

[Gray Venasir]

When [member="Loreena Arenais"] said it was safe, Gray assumed she knew the city, at least to some degree. So he decided to believe her, but he didn't lower his guard. She suggested going for a walk in the park, which probably seemed more inconspicous than sitting on a bench, one Reading a holo, the other working on a jetpack. So he got up and followed her, walking on the grass. It felt nice.

"No bounties, but there are some people that I'm not on the good side of at the moment", he answered. "As to troublesome work, I've been a smuggler for nearly a decade now. It rarely is a walk in the park. You often need to use a blaster." He did not intend to reveal more of his past. Yet.

It was a beautiful park they were walking in. But as they walked, he realised they hadn't been introduced. He looked at the teen walking beside him. She couldn't have been in this kind of business for long, she was too young for that. But then again, so was he when he started. And she didn't look like the type to betray. So he concluded that he could trust her. "I'm Gray. Gray Venasir."

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori nodded as they walked. No bounties. That was a good thing. Getting on someone's bad side wasn't always that difficult to do. And he was a smuggler too! That was great to hear!

"Ever smuggle things in or out of First Order space? I can imagine that it wouldn't be easy." The First Order were quite strict, even at the best of times. Lori had ventured in their space once and was nearly arrested as she didn't have proper clearance. But once they had discovered who she was and who her parents are, she was released.

[member="Gray Venasir"] introduced himself then. Lori gave a bit of a half smile. He would be the second Gray that she knew. "I'm Lori.
Good to meet you." Of course she kept out her full name. Always did. It was easier that way, both for herself and those around her.

 

[Gray Venasir]

The teen introduced herself as Lori, but Gray guessed that wasn't her full name. But he hadn't used his full name either, though the chanses someone would get anything from hearing it was slight. There must have been a reason she didn't use her full name, and Gray respected that. He would let her decide what to tell him about herself, as he wasn't very happy about telling anyone about his past either. ​

​"The First Order? No, pretty sure I've never been to that part of the Galaxy. Tried to keep away from them, and never liked them. I'm guessing the job has something to do With The First Order?" ​Gray asked out of old habit, not showing all he understood. Smuggle something in First Order space was crazy. It was one of the strongest factions in the Galaxy, and they kept many and strong guards on everything of value. Basically, a suicide mission. And this was just what he'd heard. From Third degree Sources. In his experience, it tended to be worse than it sounded.

"You're right. It would not be easy."

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

She nodded in agreement. Lori was expecting there to be some trouble. But just how much trouble? That she couldn't say or guess it. Far better to be prepared for the worst than not.

"There are some people that need to be smuggled out from the Capital. I'm not sure if they'd be allowed to leave by regular means. It could be an easy mission, or it could be very hard.
Either way...it should be done quickly. The more time wasted, the worse it can get."

That's how it went in her mind, anyways. Lori didn't have the experience to know otherwise.

 

[Gray Venasir]

It was Clear that Lori didn't have too much experience. One never assumed a mission could be easy, it was always best to be prepared for worse than one thought. It was also not entierly true that things always got worse With time. It depended on the captors, and the importance of the prisoners.

"Smuggling People from the First Order you say? Who are these People, and how important are they?"

Gray hadn't decided if he would join in this mad suicidal rescue. On one hand, it was crazy. And the First Order wasn't someone you'd want to be enemies With. But on the other hand, it seemed a bit fun to pull this Wild rescue. And from the lookse of it, the Young smuggler walking beside him needed the help she could get. Especially from one who had stolen Things without People noticing since he was fourteen, as Gray had.

"And why do you want to rescue them? Do you know them personally, or feel obliged to rescue them? Or is it only for credits?"

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

"They are Commenori political people. I heard my parents talking about them. They work in Commenor's Embassy over there. Given...what happened here when we got our freedom back, you never know what the First Order could do to them. It's best to get them out of there."

That was her understanding, anyways. Lori knew that her Mom worried about others being taken hostage and used as bargaining chips. If all of the Commenori were home, then it'd be a lot easier and less stressful for her parents. How awesome it would be for Lori to bring them home and show her parents that there was no reason to worry! Maybe then they could see that she could handle such dangerous tasks and be good at it. Then they wouldn't worry about her so much either.

She looked over to [member="Gray Venasir"] . "So, are you in?"

 

[Gray Venasir]

"Political people" was a vague description of them, but it made clear their importence. They could easly be hurt or killed by the First Order, and would likely be if they were prisoners for too long. It seemed like a noble goal, and one you could get good credits from. This was a job Gray would gladly do, especially since he would get to attack the first order.

But there was one thing bothering him. Lori said that her parents were working in the Commenor's Embassy, but she tried to conceal her name. He didn't understand why that was, but he wouldn't pry into her reasons or her past, as he didn't like speaking of his own either. He trusted her, at least to some extent, and that was what's important.

He looked at her and extended a hand. "Yeah, I'm in. Will this be a one time thing, or are you interested in a more permanent crew?"

[member="Loreena Arenais"]

 

[Loreena Arenais-Valhoun]

Lori grinned as [member="Gray Venasir"] extended his hand. She placed her hand in his and gave it a hearty shake. Of course she was quite pleased that he had decided to join her on this venture, even though he was going to be paid well to do so. Credits or not, he was an extra body, an extra person with extra skills that could come in handy.

"I'm looking for a full time crew. But I know how tough that can be. I've lost some already that aren't wanting every type of mission that I throw at us or that we're hired for. Some people don't like too much danger, you know? Or to go into certain sectors of space. But that's okay. I understand. As long as I have enough crew at any given time, then that'll be good enough for me."

It was an honest answer to an honest question. She was no tyrant or slave driver. She had to learn that everyone was different and not everyone meshed well together as a crew. It was all part of the lessons that [member="Kaine Australis"] taught her about running a crew of her own.