Private Low-Ball

[Amani Serys]

Tython. A battle so chock full of personal tragedies, that Amani’s ship crashing and exploding into a billion pieces felt like a footnote, even in her own retelling of events.

Unfortunately, it was a rather important footnote as far as career longevity is concerned. She’d gotten around well enough with public transit and rides from others this far, but to return to her actual line of work, Amani was going to need a new ship all her own.

Cue her visit to Klöcksenburgh Station. A place she had only heard about by chance, but was conveniently close enough to her current dealings. Though the station itself was a little more concerned with the repairing of spacecraft, such markets were often popular with independent ship sellers as well. It seemed a good enough place to check, if nothing else.

Eventually, Amani stopped in front of what appeared to be an IG droid (already a bit of a red flag in her mind but hey) “Ahem. Uh, hi. I was told you were offering ships for sale? I might be in the market for one.” Had she picked up any tricks for haggling in the Outer Rim? It remained to be seen.

Ria the Cat​

 

[Ria the Cat]

The IG-88 droid's motors whirred as its servos articulated, it examined the person in front of them. "Master, it seems we have a customer." The droid announced and then continued, "indeed we may, perhaps, have ships that could suit your needs. First - which currency will you be using? Credits? Sovereigns? Talons perhaps? I regret to inform we do not accept virtual currencies." The droid appeared to lower itself slightly, and there appeared a small orange felinoid creature on its shoulder.

Standing upright once more, the feline's tail slowly moved, back and then forth. Its eyes settled on the person before them as if judging them. A steady gaze that did not waver even as the droid continued on. "Secondly are you seeking a large or small ship? Please note that we do not supply crews to the ships. Nor are we liable for any piracy that may or may not happen once you depart the station."

The feline jumped down to the booth's top and approached the customer plainly. A small mew from the cat, and the droid translated, "master wishes for you to lower your shoulder. Master would like to speak with you in private."

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

"Didn't know they have 'virtual currencies' now," Amani stifled a laugh, "Just credits, if that's all right." She pulled out a personal device to check her balance, doing a double take as she spotted the little cat which posted up on the droid's shoulder.

"Aww, they're so cute!" she leaned in a little closer, gazing at the cat with a doe-eyed pout, "Look at youuu." This would actually be the second time that Amani mistook a sapient being with a simple pet or cute animal. Not a lot, but weird that it's happened twice.

The droid brought her attention back, and she clarified, "On the smaller side. Something that can be operated solo, but with room for others, ideally."

The cat jumped down, and in tandem with the IG unit's explanation, Amani put two and two together. This was the master. "Oh." Her cheeks turned a darker shade of green as she lowered herself, offering her arm as a ramp. "...Hi?" She spoke, a bit confused still as to whether or not she was being duped or something.

Ria the Cat​

 

[Ria the Cat]

The cat's delicate paws tipped and tapped along the person's arm. The cat remained silent as they sniffed along the force user's face, gracefully the creature walked across the Jedi's shoulders. It arrived on the other side and softly perched there, lowering itself it spoke into the Jedi's ear. "You are an awfully long way from home," began the felinoid, "Jedi." It added after a beat, its tail slowly began to come to a stop and silence hung between them and then after a few more moments, it continued.

"Haven't seen you around here before, only Wardens of the Sky pass through here..." the feline's voice trailed off, "something smaller, mhmm?"

The orange creature jumped back down to the table, "well I suppose that's something we can do, something small but not too small."

"Well," Ria punctuated the sentence with her paw. She jumped back up to the droid's shoulder and remained there for the moment. The station's rewashed air and dust-ridden duracrete floor, coupled with the dim lights and soft neon glow added an ambiance to the place. "I might have a few things, depends, how much do you care about the ship's former owners?"

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani stood there awkwardly as a cat began whispering into her ear. It was a unique experience, dealing ships with the talking cat, but somehow not the strangest. The assessment of her Jedi status did manage more of an outward reaction, "That obvious?" She studied herself a moment to see if anything had given away her role.

The cat sprang off, and Amani was left to deliberation on what she had said. "Thaaat depends, I suppose. Care to enlighten me on some of these previous owners?"

Ria the Cat​

 

[Ria the Cat]

The cat didn't respond, right away, in fact, it stared at the other - eyes seemingly staring straight through to their soul. "Imperials." Was all that the feline mentioned, "small ship, not too big, works and has a few weapons - nothing fancy. It's old, outdated, but you could take it to any shipwright worth their weight in sodium." Then there was a long, long pause, "or there's this rather empty bucket, made for the ol' Outer Rim. No customers but it's a bit of an empty bucket."

"88, come, let us show this customer to the hangar."

"Of course, master."

The IG-88 droid lowered its shoulder and the cat climbed aboard. The droid motioned for the Jedi to follow them and closed down the booth before heading across the marketplace.

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

"Ah. That should be… alright." Could do a lot worse than Imperials. Amani chose not to inquire any further about the previous owners, or how the cat acquired such ships in the first place. Some things may be better left unanswered, if her time shopping in the Outer Rim had taught her anything.

"Sounds right up my alley. And my price range." Only one way to see for certain. She followed the droid through the marketplace, struggling to not bump into any passersby along the way to the hangar "If you don't mind my asking… how'd you get into this business?" In spite of her attempt at phrasing, the real meaning of the question was obviously more along the lines of "How is a cat selling me a ship right now?"

Ria the Cat​

 

[Ria the Cat]

"A little of this, little of that, cat's gotta make a living," remarked Ria as she sat upon the droid's shoulder. "Good." A comment to acknowledge the aforementioned agreement on an Imperial ship - not being too terrible. Crowds bustled to and fro as the mining station carried out its livelihood. The IG-88 droid's motors moved as it walked. "Master shall return, continue to follow me to the hangar, please." The feline dropped down from the droid's shoulders and disappeared into the crowd.​

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In truth, the cat was off - looking for a way to transform back into their human form.​

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In the meanwhile, the droid guided the Jedi through the crowd and into a private, quieter section of the station somewhere between the Freighters and the Residential districts. The hangar was marked 'Mew Noods Produce' and indeed upon entry it was a simple produce storage facility, but the droid activated a hidden panel and guided the Jedi through to the hangar. "Master has assembled these four ships for your viewing."​

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They were somewhere between the produce storage facility and the hangar itself, transparisteel fitted into a durasteel wall stood between them, with a door on the Jedi's right still locked for the moment. "The Corellian 1500 had been created upon the initial creation of the Corellian Confederation, a gift from Primo Victorian Shipwright." Began the droid, as it explained the five ships presented before the Jedi. This is the Starros, created initially by Republic-turned-Alliance pilot Frielle Kinniak, granddaughter of Fiolette Yvarro - a former First Order Admiral. " The Droid paused as it pressed a holographic button on the window.​

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"This is the Tachi, created by Primo Victorian upon the creation of the Outer Rim Coalition. This is the Bolt, one of the First Order's most reliable corvettes, and this is the Bercey, a light corvette that specializes in science, primarily the study of weather systems."​

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"Please, use this screen to study your selection of ships, Master shall be along shortly."​

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Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

There was little chance to really delve into the origins of this feline used ship seller before she was off. Alas, the cat would remain a mystery for now. Amani’s attention turned to the whirring servos of the 88 instead. Given the… reputation of said model, she still couldn’t help but run through the hypothetical possibility that it was going to take a hit out on her.

But before she was too distracted by such idle thoughts, they had arrived at the hangar entry. Amani spared a glance at the sign, Mew Noods Produce, and snorted in a bout of childishness, “Nudes?”

The droid paid no mind to the comment, and immediately went into a pitch for each ship. A nice little collection of freighters and corvettes for her perusal, each one earning a careful listen from Amani. Now it was just a matter of choosing one. She gave the information display two, three looks over, and awaited the master’s return.

Ria the Cat​

 

[Ria Misrani]

"And they said I would never amount to anything," joked Ria as she entered the booth. "Remind me to hand you one of our flyers on the way out." She slipped her hands into the pockets of her pants. "Ria Misrani, I hope this isn't too unsettling." She extended a hand out toward the Mirialan. "And before you ask," a hand to stop the Jedi for a moment, "yes I can transform back into the cat, no I will not do so right at this moment, and yes I am more than happy to let you get a tour of each ship."

Ria stepped around the Jedi and opened the door, "c'mon, no point in standing around here all day, numbers and words on a screen never quite compare to actually getting aboard." A slight pause as she set the droid to guard the entrance, "and it's Noods, like Noodles, not unsolicited crotch shots. Spent time down in Seoul, that little planet beside Dosuun. Great food, great people, should head out there at some point." Ria let the Jedi walk past her, "I'm at a slight disadvantage, never did catch your name. Or are Jedi forbidden from giving that out these days?"

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani turned at the sound of a voice, only to be greeted by an entirely new figure. As quick as Ria was to defuse any confusion, the situation nonetheless earned a look of amused perplexity from the mirialan. She took the woman’s hand, “That’s a good enough explanation for me.” Often best to let sleeping dogs lie. Or cats, in this case.

“I assumed as much. I’ll have to visit sometime,” She chuckled again, in reference to the name. Nice to have confirmed, though, she supposed.

Until now, the mention of her name had never crossed her mind, “Amani. Amani Serys. Last I checked, there was nothing in the Code keeping us from that yet.” She smirked, well aware of the strict reputation.

Ria Misrani​

 

[Ria Misrani]

"Ah, good to know, with so many burlap brigades running around - it's always hard to keep track," remarked Ria as she flipped the hangar's lights on. Each ship sat on its own small rotating platform, for the moment none of them rotated, security drones and droids roamed and at times floated overhead. "So, anything catch your fancy, or are we alone in a hangar on a floating rock in the void for fun?" Quipped the blonde as she spun on her heel and looked at the Mirialan. "I am happy to accompany you, it'll be like an episode of Outer Rim Boss - only without the cameras."

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

“A few years ago and you probably would’ve caught me wearing that burlap,” Amani was able to poke fun at her old mentalities when it came to being a Jedi.

She spared each ship another glance before poking a finger at two of them, “I’d like a look at the 1500, aaand the Starros.” Those two had caught her eye the most, “By all means, lead the way.”

Ria Misrani​

 

[Ria Misrani]

"Really?" Ria asked with a raised brow, "who-da thunk."​

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Followed up with a quick, sly, wink as the blonde led Amani toward the 1500 and the Starros. "Both are hard to find these days, given their very limited production only a handful of either were produced by Primo Victorian." First up the 1500, as Eighty-eight mentioned it was created as a gift for the newly founded Corellian Confederation, so only the founding members were gifted the ship. It was and is bare-bones, but this was done on purpose so that the owners could do what they wanted with the ship."​

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Her reflection glided across the clean, durasteel floor, from her pocket she withdrew the small data chip and slid it into the ship's locking mechanism. "Open says me," quipped Ria as she took a few steps back and the 1500's butterfly door opened up and the ramp unfolded. "Yeah that never gets old, c'mon," she waved the Jedi onto the ship. "The 1500 was created with the spirit of the Millenium Falcon, a light freighter that can probably knock the lights out of Kessel Run. Moderate arms and defense, but high on speed, and of course given that it was a limited run - Primo Victorian didn't skimp on the interior."​

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"Luxury is preem," Ria did her best showgirl motion toward the luxurious interior. "So at best she'll only look like a rust bucket on the outside."​

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"We're in the main hold, engine room, and cargo down the ladder there, and there is a separate loading ramp that you can activate once inside the cargo hold, can hold enough to keep you going for at least three months out in deep space. Definitely wanna keep all your stations in order. Cockpit is up this way, there's a small galley just over there, and by galley I mean kitchenette - there's the captain's quarters up this way, and a guest room, so like I said you can have up to four, five if you have a droid."​

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Ducking down as she got into the cockpit, "a little tight up here, but we have the pilot, co-pilot slash navigator, and this seat can manage all tactical systems, so weapons, defense, and the like - meanwhile. This seat is the engineer's hot seat they can see everything that's happening in the engine room and short of having to resort to manual override they should be able to handle everything from up here."​

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Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

Amani took in the sights with a sense of awe. From the outside alone it was bigger and fancier than anything she had owned in the past (though that wasn't exactly a high bar to cross).

The interior widened that gap all the more. "Oooh," she gawked at the luxurious style, trailing behind Ria as she lingered on the details. They moved on to the cockpit, and Amani gave each section a look over as they came up. She nodded in approval, "It all seems really great," In truth, just about anything that wasn't a centuries-old rust bucket would have impressed her. Calculations could practically be seen running through her mind before she spoke again, with a hint of uncertainty this time, "Is it also as expensive as it seems?"

Ria Misrani​

 

[Ria Misrani]

"I'm not all about credits, credits are a dime a dozen, might just trade out favors and barter for other things later on, but let's get a look at the Starros," replied Ria reassuring the Jedi that credits wouldn't really be a problem. "You burlap types don't really carry around a lot of cash, well, unless you're of the former-Jedi types." She led Amani out of the 1500 and across the hangar floor. "Starros was developed by Kinniak as mentioned, part of their old Corellian-based company before she sold it up hyperspace to her grandmother. Funnily enough, an Imperial-owned company doesn't really turn out Corellian or Republic-based designs."

The hangar was quiet, the only thing that could be heard aside from Ria's voice was the hum-drum of rewashed air cycling through it. The Starros had a simple ramp and door. "Got room for a speeder, isn't nearly as fancy but gets the job done, can probably hold a few more people in here, a lot more people she's roughly three times the size of the 1500." She paused a moment as they walked aboard the Starros. "You get more customizable rooms here, a few more rooms for crew, droids, weapons, lots of cargo space - could probably survive for a year in deep space if you plan it all right, or about six months if you have a crew of four."

"Won't be able to park her nearly as well as the 1500 though, you're looking at 140 meters versus 48 meters, so that might be of some consideration. Starros is fast too, doesn't have much in the way of guns but she's got a thick skin."

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

Right. It wasn't uncommon for exchanges in the Outer Rim to be about a lot more than credits. But in this case that probably would work out better for Amani, provided this saleswoman wasn't hiding some ulterior motive. "Yeah. Jedi isn't the most lucrative job out there." She admitted with a bit of a chuckle, "Think I've made more in a few years as a spacer than I ever did from Order stipends." Less of an issue when the temple provides pretty much every accommodation anyway, but it didn't allow for much extravagance or variety.

She followed Ria onto the next ship, the Starros. "No kidding," The size difference was distinct, and again further amplified by her own experience with smaller ships. More than enough space for her, especially if most of the time would it would be occupied by her and her alone. Amani examined each detail like a fine art critic, then took a moment to consider the options.

"They're both nice… Mkay. I think of the two, I find myself leading towards the Corellian." A bit more manageable in size while still having enough space for her cargo, plus a bit of a more luxurious interior. "That seems more my speed. But it also wouldn't hurt to explore all my options. At least, if you think they might catch the interest of a medical transporter?" She deferred to Ria's judgement on the matter, letter her experience take the lead over Amani's complete lack thereof.

Ria Misrani​

 

[Ria Misrani]

Ria laughed in return, Amani's admittance that the Jedi didn't really make money. It was an honest admission, "sounds about right."

The pair stood aboard the Starros, with nothing but the hum of the rewashers pushing the recycled air through the hangar coupled with the natural hum of a mining station. The Vertical City native watched as the Jedi examined everything in fine detail. When the Mirialan had come to a decision, the blonde replied, "it is an excellent boat and you can always make adjustments later on."

"Medical transport, huh?" The rhetorical question hung in the air only for a moment, "transport with or without guns?"

"Because, I can definitely help with that, would need just a little more information." Ria motioned for Amani to follow her as they disembarked the Starros. "We can head into my office upstairs, I can show you... more of what I have access to, but they're not all here of course."

Amani Serys​

 

[Amani Serys]

"Oh, well, perhaps I should clarify the ship itself doesn't need to be a medical transport, just something that can transport medical supplies where they need to go; Which, obviously either of these would fit that description." Amani rephrased herself a bit awkwardly, rubbing the nape of her neck. Still a genuine medical ship might be better suited to her specialized needs. Wouldn't hurt to see what else was in stock.

"But, if you have something a little more dedicated to my niche, then I'd certainly be interested in taking a look, at least." She nodded, following Ria out of the Starros and back into the hangar.

"And, with guns, would probably be preferred," She chuckled knowingly, "You know how it can be out there." Better to have defenses on the chance they might be needed.

Ria Misrani​

 

[Ria Misrani]

"Depending on how much, the Starros might be the better call, otherwise the 1500 should be able to discreetly get what you need to where it needs to be..." Ria paused a moment, "y'know that sounded better in my head." She remained silent for the next minute or so - listening to Amani Serys as they spoke. "Well," there Ria started but then stopped, "mhmmm... This might be a bit out of my scope." She knew who could get the Jedi the items she needed but... "Listen, I can get you the freighter, but medical boats are a bit harder to come by - but not impossible."​

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"I can get you over to a contact of mine, but fair warning. You're dealing with Southern Imperials, and no not any Confederacy contact. First Order, it's more or less which you want to approach. Grumpy buckets, sassy pants or disgraced moff," remarked Ria of her three contacts, "they're all related but out of the three, sassy pants and the disgraced moff might have an easier go at getting what you need. Not that the buckets wouldn't be able to, just might be a bit more of a challenge - however, nevertheless exciting."​

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"Starros and 1500 both have guns, plus you can get the ships modified fairly easily around these parts."​

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"And as mentioned, you can save your credits. I'll uh, consider it a favor."​

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