Let's get crankin' girl.

[Eliza Steele]

​

Afterburner Cantina​

Worlport, Ord Mantell​

Eliza was minding the bar while the head bartender took a break. Well it exactly wasn't a break more the Corellisi's old man, [member="Remy Steele"], the co-owner of Afterburner with her, had asked Charlie Dog to do an errand for him so here the petite smuggler was filling mugs and pouring shots for other spacers and the like. She was actually itching to get back out there, but with her Wookiee co-pilot on leave to see his family, the Captain of the Corellian Dawn was grounded it seemed…

[member="Corvetta Salvo"]

 

[Corvetta Salvo]

The way things were going lately made the future look grim for the Lost Cause. That had been her dream ship--a beautifully scuffed and marred YT-2400. The only problem was that it was not outright hers, and it was getting more and more difficult to find help to run the ship solo. And while Corvetta had already been taking the occasional odd job even while partnered with her crew, the Lost Cause was seeming more and more aptly named as she began to stray further and further from routine work with her old crewmates. It was running her out of a job, and she needed jobs desperately. A space needs little more than a ship and the clothes on her back--but she needed a ship.

Bars, though--those were good places to find one. And Ord Mantell was about as good as any smuggler hive to find a great connection or two and sniff out a job aboard a junker of a freighter. The Afterburner Cantina was no establishment to be scoffed at, despite its ruddy appearance from the outside. Actually, that was what drew true flyboys and girls to a bar like this. It had character.

It also had some familiar proprietors, as the snazzy pilot would soon find out. Striding into the building with the same outfit as usual (her 'lucky' grease-stained cargo pants and equally grimy blouse), Corvetta grabbed a seat at the bar counter and waited for the barkeep to come her way.

[member="Eliza Steele"]

 

[Eliza Steele]

[member="Corvetta Salvo"]

Eliza had been shooting the breeze with another displaced Corellian spacer while she filled a couple of drafts for the Twi'lek barmaid when out of the corner of the Corellisi's eye a familiar pilot with unforgettable highlighted hair came into view sitting at the other end of the bar. The brunette quickly finished up the order and the conversation, then moved down the bar to where the Captain of the Last Cause was waiting to place her order.

"Well long time no see, girl… How the hell are you?" the petite smuggler greeted with a welcoming smile, then grabbed a shot glass and a bottle of the good whiskey from under the counter and poured the fellow Smugglers' Alliance member a drink to wet her whistle.

 

[Corvetta Salvo]

"Well, frak! Been too long, flygirl!" the pilot exclaimed, attention drawn from the taps to the familiar brunette sashaying her way. It had been quite some time since Corvetta had run into anyone from the old Smuggler's Alliance gang. Lots of faces just seemed to have vanished, and the sparky spacer had sadly not expected to ever see the likes of any of them again. She flashed a grin almost as wide as a Cheshire Cat's as her old friend stopped at her place and began pouring a drink for her without pause. "Service is good here!

"This your hole these days? Haven't seen you since we had that spider scuff..." Corvetta shivered, recalling how that episode did not end well for that crew--and Eliza had taken the worst of it. Was she grounded after that? The worst Corvy could imagine happening to a spacer was losing a ship. "Hope you're crankin' alright after that." Hopefully. Maybe she should add some consolation, just in case. She would feel awful if bringing all that up brought Eliza down. "This looks like a nice place, anyway."

[member="Eliza Steele"]

 

[Eliza Steele]

After pouring her fellow freighter pilot from the now disbanded Smugglers' Alliance a whiskey, Eliza poured herself a splash of the fine Corellian spirit as well. It was five o'clock somewhere, right?

"Damn straight, and only the best for the best!" the spirited Corellisi replied with a grin, then lifted her shot glass in a toast. "Here's to the good ol' days, and those who's fortunes have taken them elsewhere."

The petite smuggler threw a bar towel over her shoulder to hang there, then her booted foot came up to rest upon a crate down below the counter, elbow coming down to touch the bar top in a casual way.

"Trent and I went our separate ways, then he and his ship disappeared with the rapture. Just been figuring out how to make good credits in this crazy mixed up galaxy nowadays. Smuggling ain't like is used to be… And yeah I'm good. No ill-effects from those frelling spiders except I hate em even more," she answered with a disgusted shiver.

Eliza poured them each another shot, then put the private bottle back under the counter.

"Thanks… My old man and I co-own this place, though he's supposed to manning the joint while I'm his silent partner. He just happens to be out for a bit on other business so here I am… Change of pace from hauling. Not a bad gig for a day now and then. So how the hell are you? Been keeping out of mischief... Course with that crew of yours, it would be hard not too." she chuckled, then tipped the drink back.

[member="Corvetta Salvo"]

 

[Corvetta Salvo]

It had been too long since Corvetta had lounged at a bar with a good friend, and she was already enjoying this chance meeting to the fullest. She lifted her shot glass in celebration like Eliza and downed it all with a swift tip back of her head. The stuff was a little stronger and initially sharper than she usually drank, but the aftertaste was great. "Here's to all of them!"

Including Jace. "Frak. I haven't shunted with a good crew in ages. They're all dyin' off on us..." She remembered that day she first met him and how it led to greater things, however short it may have lasted. He was a better leader than she was (The pilot honestly did not believe she had a leadership sort of bone in her body.), and while she was often credited with assembling their little smuggling society, Corvetta knew Captain Trent to be the real man behind the curtain. It was his original idea, after all. "I miss that, ya know? We had a good thing going for a while, there. Ain't had an anchored mate for a few years now. Smugglers getting busted a lot more with the Sithies figurin' out the resistance runs." She shook her head, aware of how grim the outlook was for their kind.

"I've been doin' alright. Like I said, lost my crew an' all. Nothing like Jace, but they all just dust on their own way eventually. It's lonely these days. I pick up crewman for a haul or two, but they're gone after that." The lifelong spacer realized just how dark she was sounding. It was not like her to be so down about things. Usually she was the life of the party--or at least a good but awkward supplement to one. The years, though--they had gradually taken a lot away from her. She was still the Corvetta everyone knew, but her friends? They had changed--or disappeared completely. "On the interesting side, my cousin's got elected to be leader of the Republic and all that. So I'm related to a famous person for real now. Plus she has a kid. It's great, 'cause they're about the only family I got."

[member="Eliza Steele"]

 

[Eliza Steele]

[member="Corvetta Salvo"]

"Yeah… Jece was pretty good to work with, and not bad in other areas too, but all good things have to come to an end sometime," Lizzy replied with a bittersweet tone. The brunette pulled the bar towel off her shoulder and picked up a clean ale mug from the drying rack under the counter, then began to wipe it off. Once done, she put it on the shelf and grabbed another. Mindless, boring work… Steele needed more excitement.

"I have a Wookiee co-pilot now along with my ol' LE repair series droid Leebu, though right now Rahly is on leave as he has a newborn back home. So, if you want to tool around with me you're welcome to… " the petite smuggler said flashing a lopsided grin Corvetta's way. "Cuz us girls need to keep our crank on."

 

[Corvetta Salvo]

Corvetta leaned in after her second shot, arms crossed and resting on the countertop. Eliza had her attention at 'crank'. "Well, what's the load?" she grinned, brushing her colorful hair back over her shoulder. Actually, never mind the question. They both needed action, so why delay--especially when you can pull it off with an old friend. "Frakkit, I'm in. And you don't have to pay me in anything but drinks.

"Just tell me when we're scheduled."

[member="Eliza Steele"]

 

[Eliza Steele]

OCC: Sorry… Didn't get the tag.
---

"Well the drinks come out of [member="Remy Steele"]'s account, so I'm all for that!," Eliza laughed, then extended her hand across the bar to [member="Corvetta Salvo"]. "Welcome aboard. Captain Salvo," the brunette smiled, then gave the bartender at the other end of the bar a look he was all too familiar with.

"I've got this… You girls go run a long," the grizzled older man nodded with a knowing grin.

"Thanks, Charlie Dog… Tell my old man when you see him I've gone crankin'."

The petite smuggler grabbed her things from behind the counter, then motioned for Corvetta to follow her outside to a speeder that was parked in the alleyway.

"I'll give you a quick tour of the Corellian Dawn, then we can check the Underground's job board to find something to our liking. What are you in the mood for? There's usually humanitarian aid, bacta, weapons that need smuggled in somewhere, or perhaps even a spice run for old times sake?" she asked, then pulled out and drove towards the starport.

 

[Corvetta Salvo]

Corvetta took Eliza's hand vigorously, always happy to get a job with a good friend. And she was more than excited that there actually would be some alcohol involved. Not on the job, of course. Okay, maybe a few drinks on the job. We are talking about Corvetta, after all! "Thanks, bud!" she said, nodding to Remy in turn. This was going to be a blast.

She jogged behind Eliza and swung herself into the other girl's speeder like a pro from one of those old holo series about good ol' Tatooine boys getting chased by the corrupt cops. Well, she liked to think that was what her maneuver looked like. Either way, she got into the seat without a hitch. "Whatever's up your lane, 'Liza. I'm just here for the fun." The pilot propped her goggles over her eyes for once and let the wind whip through her colorful hair. It reminded her of all that talk about 'girlfriends' and having a good time that she never had truly experienced for herself. Hanging out--it felt good, even if it was just for a while until they could get to work. "Pick a job out of a hat, for all I care!"

[member="Eliza Steele"]