Private Looks Like Someone Needs A Ship

[Braekine Florithe]

Tags: Hilal Vizsla

Location: Gorko's Shipyard

Braekine Florithe was annoyed. Here she was, fixing up a ship in her off-time for some extra credits, and it just wouldn't work! The fracking hyperdrive fuse wouldn't make a connection with the power. This was supremely aggravating. Not only was she using her free time to do more work, but her work was becoming more difficult by the minute! She had already needed to replace several parts, including new alusteel plating for the lower right hull, new connectors for both wing engines, and new wiring for the steering. This was exactly what she needed. That was sarcasm, of course.

"Guess I need to go and get yet another fuse and some more wires" she said to no one in particular.

The job was taking way longer than Braekine had expected. It was just supposed to be a quick fixer-upper for a wealthy patron, and now it was turning into a full-scale retrofitting project. She really could use some help on this, but unfortunately, Gorko had sent all of his other mechanics to work on some bounty hunter's beat up A-Wing that needed to be souped-up and fixed as fast as possible. The bounty hunter was paying extra for this, and so Gorko had placed it as top priority. Speaking of Gorko, here he was now to examine her work.

"Braekine! Are you not done with this ship yet?" asked the overweight Rodian.

"No, Gorko. This ship was in terrible condition when you brought it into the workshop. I can't even believe it was flown here. I've had to replace several clusters of wires, fix both wing engines, replace most of the hull plating, and now the hyperdrive won't connect to the power. Could you spare at least one mechanic?"

Despite being slightly tyrannical in his position of power, Gorko could understand Braekine's predicament. He was once a lowly mechanic himself, after all.

"Fine. I'll send someone over as soon as I can. But you know that A-Wing needs to be finished within the hour. The ship you are working on has a much lengthier deadline, and therefore is lower priority."

"Just make sure I get some help, Gorko" grumbled Braekine as the Rodian walked away. Just then, a woman entered the repair yard.

"Handle the customer" Gorko called over his shoulder.

Braekine sighed and turned away from her work. She smoothed down her hair and approached the customer.

"Hello, welcome to Gorko's Shipyard. How can I help you?"

 

[Hilal Vizsla]

Current outfit

With her armor about 99.9 percent done, all Hilal needed was to pass the Bounty Hunter iniation which was sanctioned by the Bounty Hunter's Guild and acquiring a ship. Getting sponsored to join the Bounty Guild was tough, something she'll have to put off some other time. Buying a ship on the other hand.... was tricky. While it was easy to find a workable ship for Bounty Hunters, buying one especially Hilal's budget was going to be difficult to say the least. Thankfully after hours of research, Hilal found a place that suited her needs: Gorko's Shipyard. The young woman hopped on the first flight to the shipyard and was there in about three hours.

"Should I be honest about my situation?" Hilal muttered to herself adjusting the brim of her hat. "Doubtful these Shipyard salespeople will be so merciful towards a little girl. I'm gonna have to prove my worth here."

As always, Hilal will have to work twice as hard to prove herself. Not that she didn't mind, but it just gets irritating to do so all the damn time. All of that is about to change very soon. Hilal's rep throughout the Galaxy will be that of respect and people will be showering her with contracts. "Yes," Hilal said. "I'm looking for a Starship." she said handing the person her pad. "You'll find all of my preferred specs here as well as my budget."

Which was about 15,000 credits that Hilal took on a loan. She didn't like thinking of how she got that.

Braekine Florithe

 

[Braekine Florithe]

Hilal Vizsla

"You'll find all of my preferred specs here as well as my budget." said the Mandalorian as she handed Braekine a datapad.

The mechanic looked at the datapad. The specifications weren't too restrictive- the Mandalorian just wanted a fast, capable ship with some big laser cannons. Gorko's had plenty of those. In varying conditions, of course, but plenty nonetheless. There were several options to choose from- it just depended on the Mandalorian's budget. Braekine scrolled down a bit and found the figure of 15,000 credits. Gorko's had a few good ships that could fit that budget. Most of them were used starfighters, but there were a few small freighters that the Mandalorian might be interested in.

Braekine handed back the datapad, and took out a datapad of her own. She scrolled through Gorko's stock, looking for the freighters. Here they were. Three light freighters, two in decent condition, one missing a hyperdrive. Out of the two good ones, there was a faster ship with better armaments. The Mandalorian would probably be interested in the one.

Braekine opened up the file for that freighter, which was a XS-stock light freighter. It looked like a capable ship- decent shielding, two laser cannons on the top and the bottom of the ship, missile batteries, and two Soniver arms. This was a used craft, sure- but in its time, the XS was considered one of the best, most advanced ships in the galaxy. It was a pity this one was rusting away in a shipyard.

Braekine showed the customer the file on her datapad. "This is the best ship we have that would fit your budget. It's 18,000, not 15,000, but you can pay it in increments so that you have the money once you've earned it. If you want to take a look, it's right this way, Ms.-?"

 

[Hilal Vizsla]

Current outfit

A XS-Stock Light Freighter? Not bad, it wasn't great by any means by with some tinkering Hilal can make it better than it was. For now, though it was reliable which was some that Hilal needed for her Bounty Hunter contracts. Unfortunately, the freighter was 3,000 above her budget which was damn shame since now she owes another debt. "Hilal of clan Vizsla," the young woman stated pride laced within the tone of her voice. "So what's the interest rate of these incremental payments?"

The young woman had encountered these "too good to be true" payments before. It was a sure-fire way to get a person in debt, and Hilal despised debts of any kind. "What can I do to lower the price? Remove its HSG-67 laser canons? Maybe replace its Hyperdrive core with a cheaper one?"

She sighed. "Show me around the Freighter and I can make an assessment." She said. "I want that price marked down."

Braekine Florithe

 

[Braekine Florithe]

Hilal Vizsla

"So what's the interest rate of these incremental payments? What can I do to lower the price? Remove its HSG-67 laser canons? Maybe replace its Hyperdrive core with a cheaper one?" Hilal Vizsla asked. The Mandalorian obviously didn't want to pay more than the money she currently had. She was probably in debt.

"The rate of the incremental payments is 850 credits per month" replied Braekine. "But if you want to lower the overall price, I would recommend removing some of the included proton torpedoes, and rewiring the power cell fuses so that the engines use less overall power. That way you can use a cheaper power source. I can make the changes right now, if you want."

"Show me around the freighter and I can make an assessment. I want that price marked down" said Hilal.

Braekine took this as a yes. "I'll make those adjustments, while you check out the freighter. I'll turn on the power too, so that you can check out the systems."

She grabbed some wires, her toolbox, and another power cell, and walked up the ramp into the freighter. Gorko wouldn't like it if she made this ship cheaper, but Hilal might not buy a ship at all if it cost too much. Gorko wouldn't like it if he didn't make a profit, either.

 

[Hilal Vizsla]

Current outfit

850 credits per month?! That's barely what she made at the store this week! Hilal immediately shook her head when she said that. "No," Hilal stated plainly. "I want that price marked down, I can build replacements for the Hyperdrive core and the cannons. The cannons are there are just for show anyway.

If it comes down to it, Hilal can just bypass the compressor no big deal. Sure there was a chance that the ship will blow up it was like what? 1/100 chance? "Yeah do it," Hilal said. "Let's see what we got inside this bad girl."

Braekine Florithe

 

[Braekine Florithe]

Hilal Vizsla

Hilal seemed interested in the ship's systems, so Braekine pulled a lever and hopped up on the boarding ramp as it began to extend.

"I'll get the main power on" she called down to the Mandalorian. She walked through the hallway, checking the overhead lights as she went. For an old ship, the condition was remarkable. After she checked the lights, wall paneling, electronics, etc., she went to the cockpit.

After a few button presses, all of the systems turned on. Braekine began a short diagnostic on all of the ship's systems. Hyperdrive checked out, weapons and shields checked out, engines were good; pretty much everything was in decent working order. It would be a shame to replace these good parts for cheaper, lower quality options. Well, business is business.

"I got all the systems up and running if you want to take a look" she called to Hilal.

As she walked back down the ramp, she ran her hand against the wall. Suddenly, her finger triggered a hidden latch, which opened a secret compartment in the floor. Braekine crouched down to examine it. The space was empty, but it was no doubt a compartment for smugglers to hide hidden goods in. This old ship was full of surprises. Now, where was Hilal? Braekine wanted to sell this ship and be done with this so that she could return to her original project. One of Gorko's rules was that if no work got done, no pay would be distributed. Well, while she waited, she might as well check out that faulty compressor that the diagnostic showed before. She grabbed her toolbox and headed off towards the engine room.

 

[Hilal Vizsla]

Current outfit

One thing that Hilal loved about Corellian Class Freighters was their reliability. The manufactures on that planet build the ships to last for at least a hundred years unlike others such as sorosubs which depreciates after about 20 years. The Corellian freighter may not be pretty but they get an average pilot from A to B in a reasonable amount of time and minimal amount of maintenance. The young woman strolled through the corridor checking out the hyperspace drive and the computer. The components are serviceable but it will do for now, Hilal can always mod them to be better in the future. Which is another thing she loved about Corellian Freighters: They're mod friendly.

"Hey Braekine!" Hilal said approaching the compressor. "The Compressor is faulty, I'm gonna try to fix it if you want." She really did not want to bypass the compressor. As tempting as it was due to the potential benefits such as higher hyperspace speed, it can also vaporize the entire ship. "Come on let's look at it," Hilal smiled.

Braekine Florithe

 

[Braekine Florithe]

Hilal Vizsla

"Sure. You wouldn't want a faulty compressor," replied Braekine. Unlike a lot of parts on a starship, a compressor is absolutely necessary. If you remove it, or it's faulty, it can fail at a critical time and land you in deep trouble.

Braekine grabbed her toolbox and followed the Mandalorian customer down the light freighter's hallway. In a few moments, they had reached the small hyperdrive chamber. The mechanic walked over to the compartment that held the compressor. She pressed a few buttons and opened up a door.

"Here it is. It seems to be in good working order" Braekine said. Then she thought back to what Hilal said earlier about marking the price down.

"But, you could replace it with a cheaper option. The percentage of risk doesn't really fluctuate much. That way you could get the price down a bit more, if you want"

Braekine, expecting the answer to be a "Yeah, sure" set to work removing the compressor.

 

[Hilal Vizsla]

Current outfit

"Indeed," Hilal said looking at the ignition line it looked fine to her at least from a surface level. While Braekine started to repair the compressor, Hilal started to access the computer accessing the Freighter's main frame. "Duralloy armor," Hilal said raising an eyebrow. "Not bad, it's halfway between Durasteel and Beskar." At least Hilal will have reliable hull armor if her shields go down.

"Deflector shield is....." Hilal searched for information regarding the shield generator. "Well average..... a Torpex Fore deflector can take a few hits from Turbolaser batteries before breaking. Will need to rely on its maneuverability since it can't tank hits. Gonna need to install more shield generators especially against concussion misses."

"I'll do myself," Hilal said to Braekine turning around to meet her gaze. "I would also like to remove one of the Lightning Guns that's attached onto ship. It's pretty redundant."

Hopefully that'll be enough. "Soooo," Hilal asked. "Will that cover it?"

Braekine Florithe

 

[Braekine Florithe]

Hilal Vizsla

"Yes, that just about does it," replied Braekine. She had done some mental calculations, and replacing the compressor with a cheaper one and removing one of the hull-mounted lightning guns would indeed bring the price down to something more desirable.

"Of course, removing a gun and changing the compressor won't bring it down to 15,000. But it does bring it down to about 15,800. With the incremental payments, you could take care of the 800 credits rather quickly and easily. Now, if you are ready to make the purchase, I will go remove the gun."

Braekine brandished a datapad. "You'll find the specifics here. Just sign at the bottom, transfer the credits, and the XS is all yours. You can use it immediately after the purchase, but after I take off the cannon, of course."

The mechanic grabbed her toolbox, stepped through a hatch, and walked below the ship. She took out a saw and a drill, and set to work removing the bottom laser cannon.

 

[Hilal Vizsla]

Current outfit

"Very well then," Hilal huffed not happy at the fact that she'll be in more debt but the money is something that's manageable. "I can pay you 15,000 upfront and will be on a....."

Hilal gagged not wanting to say those dreaded words. "Payment plan," she said. The young woman followed Braekine as she began to dislodge the laser cannon. "So how long have you've been an engineer?" Hilal asked while checking out the ship's computer. "You seem to know your stuff, It's refreshing to talk to someone who knows tech as much as I do. Let me tell ya the amount of times that I have dumb down what I'm sayimg just so my customers can understand their specs is frustrating."

Braekine Florithe

 

[Braekine Florithe]

Hilal Vizsla

"Well," Braekine began, "I've been interested in engines since I was little, and my main job is Chief Engineer for Rogue Squadron. This is just a side job for more money, really. Anyway, I have a lot of experience, and I've been doing this for a while. So I can understand how you feel. To be honest, I've dealt with many annoying customers, and I just totally lose my cool."

She kept talking as she removed some bolts. "You seem like you know your stuff too. We have a lot in common. To tell the truth, I haven't had any fun in a long time, and you look like an adventurous kind of person. You want to go get some drinks after this?"

Braekine kept removing bolts as she waited for the response. She hoped Hilal would say yes; she needed a friend. Sure, the Rogue Squadron pilots were nice, but they didn't understand her as well as Hilal seemed to.

 

[Hilal Vizsla]

Current outfit

"Rogue Squadron?" Hilal said looking at the computer. "So you're an engineer for the Galactic Alliance huh?" Hilal wasn't a fan of the Alliance mainly because they housed the stinking Jedi as well as the fact they feel like they're the shining beacon of hope in the Galaxy and all that chit. Hah! The only things the Alliance had bought ever since they've formed a decade ago was death and destruction. Of course, the bastards were laying claim onto the once CIS controlled planets claiming to bring some of that "democracy". Thankfully Braekine Florithe didn't share the ideals of the Alliance or at least not outwardly.

"Hah! You wouldn't know how many times I've wanted to shoot a customer because he was pissing me off." Hilal said giggling. "Just look at a customer the wrong way and they'll go on rants saying: I need to speak to your manager. I'm like: Hey you ass! I'm my own manager, I never needed a boss to help me! What you see in my store, I've worked to get!"

The young woman blushed when Braekine said she was an adventurous person and wanted to hang out. "Me?!" She giggled nervously. "I-I never had someone offer me to go for drinks before!" Hilal was underaged but it didn't matter, she wanted to have some fun and a woman whom she just met was already clicking with Hilal. They definitely had a lot in common. "Sure! Where we're headed!" she said smiling.

 

[Braekine Florithe]

Hilal Vizsla

Braekine was glad that Hilal said yes. She was a bit lonely, and needed a friend, and the Mandalorian seemed like she really understood her.

"Sure! Where we're headed?" Hilal asked.

Braekine had a certain place in mind: "I was thinking Spango's. It's a cantina not to far from here, something like a five-minute walk. Their drinks are top-rate, and they have daily dart tournaments. It's a fun place."

Then Braekine thought about the ship, and how Gorko would want her to finish selling the light freighter. Should she continue her duties?

Feth Gorko. He could go torch his bottom with a hydro-spanner. She had been working hard all week, and she deserved a break. She was going to Spango's.

"We can finish up with the ship later- the dart tournament is starting soon. C'mon, let's get going! Bet I'll crush you on the dartboard!"

Braekine walked away from the ship, laughing with Hilal. It felt good to have a friend- especially one who understood her. Hopefully, they could have many more adventures together. But for now- it was time to have some fun.

End of thread.