Private Old World Blues

[Yuri Maji]

NAL HUTTA | BILBOUSA
TAGS: Acier Moonbound

---

LEFT HAND FREE​

Every now and again something would come up or something would go down that required the Hound to venture into the heart of Hutt Space. Their influence had greatly diminished over the years with infighting and external powers breaking the unification of the various syndicates. But that didn't mean there wasn't business to be had. If he wanted to get the money rolling, he needed to get his foot in the door for business before anyone else could.

Nothing was free on Nal Hutta and peace was good for business. The great inevitability for the sad existence of very being in the galaxy was war.

What else was there to do for a poor arms dealer than to than scoop while the credits rained?

Sitting outside the cantina, Yuri nursed his tumbler and kicked his feet up. An umbrella that was likely colourful a couple decades ago shielded him from the sun next to his table. His new shades rested easily on his muzzle and a cool grin rounded the smug picture off. Aside from the lucrative deal to sell some new guns to the Hutts, he was waiting for feedback on another deal that was far more personal. Golden eyes idly studied the passing crowd, his new glasses pinging every bounty and ne'er-do-well that passed him. He wasn't planetside for that, at least, but it was still fun to see the various characters that moved between the landing pads and the town.

Only desperate people came to Nal Hutta...

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Nal Hutta - Bilbousa

Equipment:
Vanguard Robes | Lightsaber | Shoto | Cybernetic Arm | Tic

The shuttle gave another tired shudder as it descended through Nal Hutta's atmosphere. Ace barely looked up from the diagnostics projected across the cockpit. The warning had been flashing for the better part of three hyperspace jumps now.

HYPERDRIVE COOLANT MANIFOLD: FAILURE IMMINENT

Tic chirped again, somehow managing to sound judgmental. Ace reached up and patted the little BD unit absentmindedly before nudging the throttles forward. The battered shuttle responded with all the enthusiasm of an asthmatic bantha, rattling hard enough to make one of the overhead panels vibrate loose before settling back into place.

The ship banked toward Bilbousa, the sprawling spaceport emerging through the haze of industry, swamp, and perpetual grime.

His route ultimately lay elsewhere. There was someone to meet on Odessen, along with work that couldn't afford unnecessary delays. But the old shuttle had made the decision for him somewhere between systems, the hyperdrive temperatures climbing a little higher with every jump until continuing without repairs became a gamble he wasn't willing to take.

The landing struts groaned as the shuttle settled onto a weathered pad. Ace shut the engines down before they could complain any louder and stepped out into the humid air, one hand absently adjusting the strap crossing his shoulder while Tic hopped down beside him with practiced ease.

The streets weren't much different from a hundred other places he'd passed through over the years. Merchants shouted, dockworkers argued, credits changed hands. Nobody cared who you were as long as you paid. Perfect.

Finding a replacement manifold shouldn't be difficult. Finding one that wasn't overpriced scrap masquerading as quality would be another matter entirely.

He started toward the market, weaving naturally through the flow of pedestrians. Old habits returned without thought. Eyes checked rooftops, reflections in windows, choke points, exits. Years in the Vergeworks had made crowds more like terrain instead of obstacles.

A familiar shape caught his attention. Canine, tall, eyes hidden behind a pair of dark glasses. Ace slowed almost imperceptibly as recognition tugged at the edge of his memory, but he couldn't place exactly who he was.

Best to avoid him.

Yuri Maji​

 

[Yuri Maji]

Another ship came in, this one a bit hotter than the rest. Yuri laughed to himself at the spectacle, probably a helpless schutta with a fault that was going to be more expensive to fix than it really was. He sat back and sipped his drink, adjusting his shades while enjoying the comfort of the ridiculous umbrella beside him.

He nearly missed it.

The stranger had already passed when he noticed the white dreads and ornery disposition. His glasses confirmed it and his hackles stood on end as a wave of anger rolled down his spine. It couldn't be him, it didn't make sense that he was here. The little squib was living the high life with his buddies in the core, what the hell was he doing on Nal Hutta? As quickly as it rose, Yuri shoved the irritation down to avoid the Kiffar's attention as he finished his drink. A handful of credits were left behind, no doubt to be picked up by someone who didn't work for the establishment. With practiced ease the Hound grabbed a coat and amalgamated into the flowing crowd to follow after the kid.

He didn't doubt that his prey would feel something was off. A safe distance and a clear mind was maintained as he slowly gained on the man. When the opportunity presented itself, he fired an ascension cable and zipped to the rooftops of the nearby buildings to gain some ground. Hung back, slow, a clear mind to evade the saber-slinger's infamous senses as best he could under the circumstances. Were he wearing his armour, he wouldn't have skipped a beat to drop the man, but for the moment he needed a more cautious approach.

The opportunity presented itself and the Hound dropped down from an overhang to blend into the populace once more. One dreg after the other, Yuri closed the distance until he had his pistol trained on the man. No warning, no spoiler, a stun bolt was fired to try and incapacitate the Kiffar and a half dozen more were loosed to make sure the little chakaar went done.

People scattered and the Hound moved, pistol at the ready to keep firing as he closed the distance.

Acier Moonbound

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Nal Hutta - Bilbousa

Equipment:
Vanguard Robes | Lightsaber | Shoto | Cybernetic Arm | Tic

Ace had barely covered another stretch of the market before he felt something familiar. It was subtle at first, little more than a quiet unease that settled somewhere beneath his ribs.

His pace never changed, but his attention sharpened. His eyes drifted across grimy transparisteel windows, polished hull plating, and the countless faces passing by in either direction. The Force whispered faintly at the edge of his awareness, offering no answers, only the certainty that something wasn't right.

He glanced over his shoulder. Nothing. Merchants argued over prices while dockworkers hauled cargo between loading platforms. A pair of Nikto shoved past each other in the street. Further back, a group of travelers disappeared into the endless tide of bodies moving through Bilbousa.

Ace faced forward again, but the feeling didn't leave. If anything, it grew heavier with every step. A familiar knot tightened in his stomach as instinct quietly urged him to stay alert. Whatever had caught his attention remained just beyond his perception.

Then the Force screamed. Ace threw himself into a roll without conscious thought. A blue stun bolt ripped through the space where he'd been standing an instant before and slammed into an unfortunate bystander sending nearby pedestrians into immediate panic.

By the time Ace came out of the roll, his lightsaber was already in his hand and ignited. Another volley raced toward him and he pivoted, blade moving almost faster than thought. The barrage met a wall of blue light as the stun bolts simply ceased to exist, breaking apart into crackling bursts as Ace's blade intercepted each shot with practiced efficiency.

The marketplace dissolved into chaos around them with the crowd rapidly clearing the line between shooter and target. Only then did Ace finally see him.

The tall canine figure stood with his pistol still raised, dark glasses concealing his eyes as he advanced through the dispersing crowd. Recognition tugged at the back of Ace's mind, but he still couldn't place it.

Tic needed no prompting. The little BD-unit bounded from the ground, scampering deftly up Ace's leg before climbing onto his back, settling comfortably against the harness between his shoulders as the droid had done countless times before.

Ace's expression hardened. Was this a bounty hunter? It was the only explanation that immediately made sense. His escape from High Republic custody hadn't exactly gone unnoticed, and there was no shortage of people willing to cash in on a fugitive.

His free hand shot forward with a wave of telekinetic pressure following close behind, surging toward the gunman with enough force to hurl him backwards.

"I don't have time for this." Ace muttered under his breath.

The push became the opening of his assault as he sprinted after it, blue blade held low before rising into a fluid strike aimed at closing the distance. Running would only invite pursuit, better to convince the hunter that this wasn't a fight worth continuing instead.

Yuri Maji​

 

[Yuri Maji]

The first shot was evaded and the next were blocked by the Sith's lightsaber. Yuri quickly sent a message to his freighter as he prepared to fight. Without his armour and the element of surprise gone, his job just became a lot more difficult. A faint rumble echoed in the distance, blending in with the screaming and scrambling of the crowd around them. The square slowly opened up until it was just the two of them facing each other.

A blast sent the Hound skidding backwards, claws and boots dug into the soft ground to keep his balance while a snarl ripped through the air. What was strange about his prey was the sheer amount of bounties popping up on Yuri's HUD as he watched him. Questions, however, were going to have to wait until this mess concluded.

Right now he had an angry Sith on his case.

Ace sprinted toward him with his blade at the ready and Yuri drew his vibroblade in preparation. The rumble grew louder until a massive beast landed behind Yuri. Glowing yellow scanners fixated on Ace while enough weapons to flatten the city locked on. Yuri couldn't help but form a faint smirk at the sheer relaxation he felt with Maybelle's presence behind him while careful steps cleared the firing line.

The Basilisk let out a mechanical roar, her binary language translating to a number of profanities as she towered above them all. "The kark you doing on Nal Hutta, huh? Don't ya got a Core to terrorise?" He called out, pistol trained onto Ace. The bounties would be nice, but he was far more curious as to why everyone seemed to be after Ace all of a sudden.

Acier Moonbound

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Nal Hutta - Bilbousa

Equipment:
Vanguard Robes | Lightsaber | Shoto | Cybernetic Arm | Tic

The push struck home, but the canine warrior dug both boots into the ground as he was driven backwards, claws carving furrows through the soft earth before he finally arrested his momentum with a snarl. Ace's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Most people would've been sent sprawling.

Before he could capitalize, a low rumble rolled through the marketplace but Ace barely acknowledged it.

Tic did. The BD-unit's head snapped toward the sound as an urgent series of binary chirps burst from his vocabulator. Ace didn't hesitate. His gaze flicked past the gunman's shoulder just in time to see an enormous Basilisk War Droid descend behind him, its armored frame shaking the ground as it landed. Twin yellow photoreceptors immediately settled on him while weapon systems rotated into position with unsettling precision.

Outstanding.

Ace shifted his footing without taking his eyes off either opponent. His back foot slid back as his lightsaber rose into a high Djem So guard, the blue blade angled diagonally across his body. His posture settled naturally into one built to weather overwhelming force before returning it in kind.

The Basilisk let loose a string of colorful binary profanity. Ace understood every word, and so did Tic. Perched securely against Ace's back, the little BD-unit answered with an indignant volley of his own, his outraged chirps somehow managing to match the Basilisk's attitude despite the considerable difference in size.

Then the Mandalorian spoke and Ace's guard loosened.

"The Core...?"

For a moment, the fight disappeared beneath the realization. Nar Shaddaa and the assassination. Coruscant and the Mandalorian who'd chased him through the chaos. The pieces finally fell into place.

"...You." Ace exhaled slowly, lowering his lightsaber a fraction without extinguishing it. "I'm not with them anymore."

The admission left his mouth more easily than he expected.

"I'm just here for ship parts." He gave a brief glance toward the battered shuttle resting on the distant landing pad before returning his attention to Yuri. "Hyperdrive coolant manifold decided it was done with me halfway to where I'm supposed to be."

His eyes settled firmly on the Mandalorian again.

"I'm trying to stop them."

Silence followed. It was a risk. Everything Lorn and the Vanguard were building depended upon secrecy, and revealing even that much to someone affiliated outside of it could prove costly later.

But a pointless fight accomplished nothing. If Yuri believed him, they could both walk away. If he didn't...

Ace subtly tightened his grip on the lightsaber once more.

Yuri Maji​

 

[Yuri Maji]

There was a satisfaction to be found when someone squirmed at the sight of a Basilisk. He would always miss Baby, but Maybelle's sheer presence was hard to ignore... at least until Ace's BD-droid began to chirp back at the War Droid. Maybelle's obsessive personality matrix was on full display as she took a step forward, a series of mechanical whirs and binary drones were flung back at the tiny droid in a full-blown argument.

Yuri ignored it for the moment, he wasn't in the mood to get into another argument with Maybelle. He needed to fix that personality matrix someday...

"I'm not with them anymore."

"I'm just here for ship parts."

"Hyperdrive coolant manifold decided it was done with me halfway to where I'm supposed to be."

"I'm trying to stop them."

Yuri's golden eyes squinted behind his glasses, though Ace's explanation did at least prompt him to holster his gun for a moment. He could draw fast enough if needed. "That... that's not how this works." He argued with a confused shrug. "I ain't clued up on you guys' philosophy, but I know ya can't just wake up one day and decide to be a good guy." He continued as he leaned against Maybelle's leg. He wanted to keep arguing, but Ace's remark did a decent job of exciting Yuri's curiosity.

Stop them how? What was his game plan? Did he have any information of their operations?

"... Your reactor wall lining still good? Coolant break tends to scorch important bits." He asked with measured curiosity. He could break his nose as a better time, right now there was business to discuss.

Acier Moonbound

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Nal Hutta - Bilbousa

Equipment:
Vanguard Robes | Lightsaber | Shoto | Cybernetic Arm | Tic

Ace regarded him for another quiet moment. Then, slowly, he lowered his lightsaber until its tip pointed harmlessly toward the ground. He didn't deactivate it, but the shift in posture was unmistakable. When Yuri holstered his pistol, however temporarily, the immediate threat of another volley had passed.

The confusion in the Mandalorian's voice didn't surprise him. Silence lingered between them for a heartbeat.

"I'm not..." His eyes drifted toward the ground as he searched for words that felt honest. "...a good guy."

That much, at least, he refused to lie about. His gaze lifted to meet Yuri's once more.

"But... cin vhetin." The old Mando'a words carried more weight than any explanation he could've offered.

A fresh start.

"I need to atone." He continued. "Help fix the shit I helped cause."

That was all. No speeches, no excuses, or attempt to justify what he'd done. Just the truth.

The conversation shifted almost imperceptibly when Yuri asked about the shuttle. Ace blinked once before a faint, almost amused huff escaped through his nose. Without another word, he thumbed the activation switch.

The lightsaber gave a familiar hiss as the blue blade withdrew into the hilt. Behind him, Tic let out a questioning chirp. Ace made a small, reassuring motion with one hand without even looking back. The BD-unit settled, though not without another doubtful whistle toward Maybelle.

"Reactor lining's fine." Ace replied. "Caught it before it got that bad. The manifold's leaking around the seal, though. Every jump's bleeding coolant, so the drive keeps running hotter." He shrugged. "Figured replacing one part beat replacing the whole hyperdrive."

His eyes narrowed thoughtfully, then a moment passed before one eyebrow lifted.

"...You got a suggestion?"

Yuri Maji ​

 

[Yuri Maji]

Yuri scowled at the fabled Mando'a phrase, irritated over it for a multitude of reasons. "Don't speak Mando'a..." He grumbled to himself with a roll of his eyes, though he understood the sentiment. Probably better than most ever could. He was also not in the mood to get into a religious debate with Ace, whether he was Jedi or Sith... they were equally self-righteous.

He set his opinions on the guy aside for the moment to focus on helping him with his ship. Maybelle relaxed as well, lowering just a bit while her wings retracted. She still gave the little BD-unit as much of a stink-eye as a droid could, but she was docile for now.

"...You got a suggestion?"

Yuri hummed as a dastardly grin took hold. "Proposition, more like. You scratch my back, I scratch yours. I'll help you with your ship, you can help me with my problem." He spoke as he approached Ace, finally holding a hand out for him to shake. "Yuri Maji." He introduced himself after all these months.

"Let's get that ship of yours fixed. Lucky for you, I'm an engineer in training." He spoke with an unwavering smile, an indicator that he was planning something. He followed after Ace, matching his pace beside him while the toothy grin remained, took his time to find the right moment.

Finally he made his move.

At this close range, Yuri could get his payback for the money Ace cost him months ago. He'd grab the Jedi's shoulders and lurch forward to slam his forehead into the Kiffar's with enough force to knock him back. "That's for the money, schutta!" He taunted, the Basilisk behind him chuckling in mechanical binary at the spectacle.

Acier Moonbound

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Nal Hutta - Bilbousa

Equipment:
Vanguard Robes | Lightsaber | Shoto | Cybernetic Arm | Tic

Ace watched as the Basilisk's posture eased. Beside him, Tic let out a low, disgruntled series of chirps that sounded remarkably similar to a growl. The little BD-unit hadn't taken kindly to the Basilisk's earlier insults and seemed more than willing to continue the argument if given the opportunity. Ace simply clipped his lightsaber back to his belt.

The Shistavanen wanted something in return. That, at least, made sense. A favor for a favor. Credits. Repairs. Information. The galaxy rarely handed anything over for free, and Ace understood transactions far better than charity.

His eyes dropped to the hand Yuri offered, studying it for a moment before cautiously reaching out and taking it.

"...Ace." The introduction was simple.

The mention of engineering gave him pause. Ace knew his way around engines well enough to keep aging freighters alive long after most people would've scrapped them, but engineering was another level entirely. Mechanics repaired what already existed. Engineers built them. The gap was obvious.

With the immediate tension finally behind them, Ace turned back toward the landing pads. If Yuri was going to help, the shuttle itself would tell him far more than any description ever could.

He'd barely taken a few steps before he noticed the toothy grin. It hadn't gone away. Ace narrowed his eyes slightly moments before the Mandalorian suddenly grabbed both of Ace's shoulders and drove his forehead forward. His head snapped back as he stumbled several steps, one hand immediately flying to his forehead.

Behind him, Tic exploded into an outraged barrage of binary obscenities, his vocabulator working overtime as his little shock prod snapped out with an angry crack.

"You fucking nerfherder..." Ace shot back, still rubbing his forehead. "Screw you and your money!"

Heat flared in his chest. For the briefest instant, the dark side seized the opportunity.

Break him.

It would've been effortless. Ace closed his eyes and a slow breath filled his lungs. Then another. The anger remained, but its teeth dulled as he forced it back into the corner of his mind where it belonged. When he opened his eyes again, the murderous impulse had passed.

"It's fine, Tic."

The BD-unit chirped another indignant protest.

"I know."

Ace lowered his hand from his forehead before resuming his walk toward the shuttle as though nothing had happened. After a few quiet steps, he glanced sideways at Yuri.

His voice had settled back into its usual even cadence. "What do you actually need help with anyway?"

Yuri Maji ​

 

[Yuri Maji]

The Hound's cheap shot landed perfectly and the laughter that came lingered for a bit. What surprised him, however, was the change in Ace's scent. Eyes narrowed and his hand idly drifted to his pistol. What was supposed to be a harmless prank quickly seemed to have resurfaced something within the Jedi. Not anger or annoyance, those smells were easy to notice... there was something else.

A familiar shift he had come to familiarize himself with in his brief encounters with Sith.

It disappeared as quickly as it came and Yuri relaxed. The demeaning grin was replaced with faint amusement as he instead focused on what Ace said. "Hey, gotta get ya back somehow. Between that job ya busted for me and Coruscant, the bank is on my case!" He quipped with a chuckle. Ace went on to ask about what the Hound needed... doing a stellar job of shutting him up for a change. He glanced at Ace and his droid for a while before shifting his gaze to Maybelle flying overhead. "Let's... get your ship fixed first, huh?" He suggested, his chipper demeanor now little more than a mask.

He held no more malice toward Ace, at least for the moment, and he was sure that he could feel it. But his "problem" would likely be a sensitive one to talk about.

Upon reaching the shuttle, Yuri spent a few moments to look it over. "Not great, not terrible... remind me to give you a discount coupon after this, get yourself a proper ship." He commented, following after Ace into the shuttle. Luckily Nal Hutta wasn't really the place to worry about the circumstances of the ship's procurement. Upon reaching the reactor, Yuri would begin to look it over. Between the smell and excess heat still lingering in the room, he was already thinking of a few options. His hands drifted and tugged at the few exposed parts to check the integrity.

"Spares and tools, whaddya got?" He asked, wiping his hands against his pants.

Acier Moonbound

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Nal Hutta - Bilbousa

Equipment:
Vanguard Robes | Lightsaber | Shoto | Cybernetic Arm | Tic

Ace sucked his teeth, rubbing the last of the ache from his forehead before dismissively waving Yuri's excuse away. Whether the headbutt actually balanced the scales was debatable, but arguing about it wasn't worth the effort.

Yuri's reluctance to answer the question, however, was. Ace caught the hesitation immediately. Whatever favor the Mandalorian wanted wasn't something he intended to spring on him just yet.

Suspicious. Still... the shuttle wasn't fixing itself.

"As long as it doesn't eat into my time." Ace said as they continued toward the landing pads. "I'm supposed to be meeting someone in a whole other system."

The battered shuttle came into view soon afterward. Ace watched quietly while Yuri circled it, inspecting the weathered hull with a practiced eye. His diagnosis was... unsurprising.

Ace folded his arms. "Trust me." He replied dryly. "If this were mine, it wouldn't even be in this condition."

Yuri's comment about another ship wasn't wrong. The Flickerfox was gone, lost during the fighting on Genarius, and while the Covenant had left him with access to a command dreadnought, the Wayward, showing up to routine supply runs in a warship the size of a small city tended to send the wrong message.

He really did need another ship.

Without another word, Ace led Yuri aboard. The shuttle's interior was cramped and well-worn, its bulkheads bearing the countless scratches and improvised repairs that came with years of hard use. The lingering warmth around the reactor compartment made the coolant issue immediately obvious.

Behind him, Tic muttered something under his breath in binary.

Ace glanced back. "Behave."

The little BD-unit answered with a reluctant chirp before settling onto a nearby crate, though his photoreceptors never strayed far from Yuri.

When Yuri asked about tools and spares, Ace answered without needing to think.

"Basic toolkit. Torque drivers, sealant, spare coolant lines, replacement clamps..." He gave the reactor another glance. "Didn't have room to carry a spare manifold. If I did..."

Well, he wouldn't be in his current predicament.

Leaving Yuri to continue his inspection, Ace disappeared into one of the storage lockers near the rear of the shuttle. A few moments later he returned carrying a worn tool case alongside the parts he'd mentioned, setting everything down within easy reach beside the open reactor housing.

"Whatever you need. And if you need help..."

The rest didn't need to be said.

Yuri Maji ​

 

[Yuri Maji]

Ace gave the rundown on what they had to work with, though a click of the Hound's tongue indicated his thoughts on it all. He looked the tools over for a bit then looked back at the broken reactor... and finally decided to hand the toolkit back to Ace. "Gimme a minute." He marched out of the shuttle and back to his ship, returning with a toolbox and a few other possible parts they would potentially need.

Powering the shuttle down properly, Yuri got to work on opening it all up to get to the problematic areas. Ace was fully utilized to hand things over, hold parts in place or simply to hold the flashlight for the Hound... accompanied by all the colourful words one would expect in such a situation. "Can see you never worked on a speeder with your old man, karkin' hell. A karkin' Miraluka holds a flashlight straighter." He grumbled as he wrenched on a particularly stiff bolt. "Can... brutalize people and... sack worlds... yoka to ban..." With a hard smack it finally came loose. "But can't fix a ship..." He finished with his rant, holding another panel out for Ace to take while Yuri took the flashlight.

A muffled laugh rumbled from his maw, though he gave a satisfied nod. "Reactor's good, stuff's still all there. No scorching on the injectors, regulators still look good. Yeah, easy fix." He concluded. "New manifold, new lines and fitments... condensation lines got knocked too." He set it all aside to look at Ace. "I got spare lines and links. Just need the manifold." He turned to leave, pausing only to wait for Ace. "Luckily you stopped in time, coolant break ain't something ya wanna kark with. If the blast don't kill you, the radiation will." He spoke as he wiped his hands down.

The mischievous grin returned with a sidelong look at him. "So... Kiffar's got a date, huh?" He began with a tone that could already tell his companion of where the conversation was going.

Acier Moonbound

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Nal Hutta - Bilbousa

Equipment:
Vanguard Robes | Lightsaber | Shoto | Cybernetic Arm | Tic

Ace watched Yuri disappear back toward his own ship before quietly accepting the returned toolkit.

Fair enough. What he'd packed was never meant to support major repairs. It was a field kit, enough tools and spare parts to keep a ship limping from one system to the next. Replacing an entire coolant manifold was well beyond that. Fortunately, Yuri seemed to have come prepared.

Once the reactor housing was opened, Ace settled into the less glamorous role of assistant. He handed over tools, held components in place when asked, and, much to Yuri's apparent dissatisfaction, operated the flashlight.

The criticism started almost immediately. Ace's jaw tightened. He held the light exactly where he thought it needed to be, only for Yuri to complain again. And again.

Ace resisted the urge to sigh. Mira had never complained once when they'd worked on ships together. As far as he was concerned, Yuri was just being deliberately difficult because he enjoyed winding people up.

Still... there wasn't much point arguing with the schutta. So Ace bit his tongue and kept passing tools, holding panels, and angling the flashlight wherever Yuri barked next. The sooner the repair was finished, the sooner they could both move on.

When Yuri finally stepped back from the reactor and delivered his diagnosis, Ace pushed himself upright and brushed the dust from his hands.

"Sure. Call it luck."

Yuri's grin returned. He'd known Yuri for all of a few scattered encounters, but by now he'd already learned that particular smile usually meant he was about to say something irritating.

Right on cue. Ace rolled his eyes.

"I'm not Kiffar. You a Nelvaanian?" He said, a hint of passive aggression in his tone. He dismissed Yuri's second assumption with a wave of his hand. "And it's just business."

That much was true. Since Fatine, thoughts of dating or romance hadn't even crossed his mind. Whatever Yuri was trying to imply, he was well off the mark. Even if it was just teasing.

"Let's just get the manifold and get this over with."

Without waiting for a response, Ace brushed past the Shistavanen and stepped down the shuttle's ramp.

The walk through Bilbousa was noticeably quieter than before. The bustle of the spaceport filled the silence instead. Ace kept his attention forward, saying nothing as they made their way toward the nearest supplier dealing in hyperdrive components.

Fortunately, Bilbousa wasn't lacking in mechanics' shops. After a brief search, and a price that made Ace briefly question whether stealing the manifold would've been cheaper, he left with the replacement component tucked securely beneath one arm.

With the manifold finally in hand, Ace turned back toward the landing pads, leading Yuri through the crowded streets once more toward the waiting shuttle.

Yuri Maji​

 

[Yuri Maji]

A hearty laugh burst from the Hound at Ace's remark. Enough of a laugh to fold him over and halt his steps, it took a few moments to regain his composure before he could look at the Jedi again, though a series of snickers still persisted. "I karkin' hope not. This mug's way too pretty." He finally chirped back. It was safe to say that he was getting on the Jedi's nerves... he was loving every moment of it.

He would have done worse if he didn't actually need his new companion.

Finding replacement parts were a breeze, at least. Nal Hutta was crawling with various shops and bays, the place was a little slice of heaven in its own twisted way for anyone who wanted to do a custom job. Some of the shops would even likely remember the Hound from previous visits, something he was planning on using in this particular situation. When they found the part they were looking for, Yuri gently pressed Ace's handful of credits away and took the lead. With a cool grin and smooth talking, he chipped away at the shopkeeper until they reached a satisfactory number. He set the credits down and flashed a wink at the Jedi.

With the spare part in hand, Yuri picked up a few other bits and pieces for them to use before following Ace back to his shuttle. Once they were in the privacy of the ship, he decided to propose his side of the deal. "So, you cut ties with the Covenant, huh?" He began as he started to repair the busted reactor. "I was hopin' to pick your brain for some details on 'em." He elaborated, sparing a glance as his hydrospanner tightened a bolt. "Don't know what your order or the Republic is planning on doin', but I got a few friends who wouldn't mind causin' some trouble." He set the tools down to measure a line, his attention between Ace and the parts.

Acier Moonbound

 

[Acier Moonbound]

Location: Nal Hutta - Bilbousa

Equipment:
Vanguard Robes | Lightsaber | Shoto | Cybernetic Arm | Tic

By the time they returned to the shuttle, the end was finally in sight. Another hour or two, if everything went smoothly, and Ace could finally leave Bilbousa behind. Frankly, that prospect alone was enough motivation to tolerate the Shistavanen a little longer.

As Yuri got back to work, his voice broke the steady rhythm of tools against durasteel. Ace didn't look up immediately. He simply gave a single nod, the quiet acknowledgment serving as his answer while he passed over the next tool Yuri needed.

Behind them, Tic perched atop a storage crate. The little BD-unit watched the repair in silence, occasionally tilting his head as Yuri worked before letting out a soft, thoughtful chirp to himself.

So it was information he wanted. With hindsight, it made sense. The last time Ace had seen him, he'd been fighting against the Covenant on Coruscant.

Even so, he hesitated. Arris' words on Corellia still lingered in the back of his mind.

Keep in mind... anything that weakens the Covenant puts people at risk.

He'd walked away from her regardless, but she'd been right about one thing. Not everyone wearing black robes deserved to become collateral damage. There were people within the Covenant he'd fought beside, and later realized he'd come to genuinely care about. Whatever happened next, he refused to forget that.

It was one thing to volunteer information to the Vanguard. He trusted Lorn to weigh every decision carefully, to distinguish legitimate military targets from needless bloodshed.

Yuri... Yuri was still an unknown. Competent and capable, sure, but also the sort of man who settled old scores with surprise headbutts. That wasn't exactly reassuring.

"Jedi aren't my Order." Ace corrected quietly, glancing up from the reactor compartment. The distinction mattered more than he cared to explain.

Then Yuri mentioned friends, and Ace's attention sharpened almost imperceptibly.

"What friends are these?"

The question hung between them while Yuri continued working. Ace didn't rush him for an answer. Instead, he watched the engineer fit the new components into place before speaking again.

"As for picking my brain..." He paused, considering the words carefully. "Long as it's within reason."

That was as much as he was willing to promise for now.

Yuri Maji​