Runaways Chapter 12 Another Day, Another Planet
"This is the Tydirium to Nar Utta spaceport, requesting a landing berth."
"Tydirium, this is Nar Utta. Landing and two days' berthing is four truguts, one trugut every day after."
Hux bit his lip. "Do you take Imperial credits?"
There was a rough laugh. "No-one round here takes Imp creds. That all you got?"
Hux glanced at Ben, who was guiding the shuttle in lazy loops around the spaceport while he negotiated, and looked nervous. "We're here to trade," Hux said, keeping his voice level. "We can pay credits up front, or truguts on departure."
"Put your ship up as security, and we can cut a deal," the port master offered.
Hux looked back at Ben, who nodded. "Acceptable. Please transmit your berth beacon ident."
There was a beep, and the comm panel displaced a ten-digit code for the beacon that would guide them to the right berth. Hux scanned, selected the right signal, and sent it across to Ben's helm. Ben nodded absently, and brought the shuttle down.
Hux rolled up his sleeves, leaving his knives clearly visible, and strapped his blaster holsters to his belt. "Confident, willing to shoot anyone who gets in my way," he muttered to himself.
"Cocky swagger," Ben suggested, nestling his blaster comfortably on his hip, but leaving the saber out of sight.
"Cocky swagger," Hux echoed, and swaggered cockily towards the boarding ramp.
"Not a swagger as much as prowl," he heard Ben mutter. "And that's not a really a look of 'Don't mess with me'. More 'I will tear your throat out with my teeth if you give me an excuse'."
Hux sighed. "Did you pack up the rifles earlier?"
"Yeah, but I left yours out," the preteen nodded.
"Good. That one's not for sale, so we can use it as a demonstration unit. Why don't you carry it? That'll give you two visible weapons."
Ben grinned. "It'll look so big on me. Sounds fun."
Hux smirked, and shouldered his backpack full of rifles. Ben slung the remaining one over his shoulder, and Hux dropped the boarding ramp. "Lock up after us," Hux muttered.
Nar Utta was dry and dusty. Most of it was completely uninhabitable, with the only settlement near the North Pole. There were a few homesteads further out, but Nar Utta was the only one worth mentioning. The sun was hot, something Hux had little experience of. He and Ben had both pulled out their lightest outfits, and left their jackets behind.
The port master was waiting for them, datapad in hand. "Crew complement?" he asked gruffly.
Hux fixed him with a hard look, then gave in. "Just two."
"Names?"
"Zander Ardeen," Hux said, giving the fake name he'd coined for his ballet classes. What to give for Ben… "And my cousin Ren."
"Zander…and Ren…Ardeen," the port master muttered. "Who can't pay their berthing charges."
Hux raised an eyebrow. "I'm perfectly willing to pay Imperial credits," he said. "I believe the exchange rate is ten credits per trugut."
"No one takes creds," the port master repeated. "If that's all you've got, I'll keep your shuttle."
Hux dropped one hand to a blaster meaningfully. "We have business with the broker Anat Potdrum."
The port master grunted. "He doesn't take creds either. What business do you have with him?"
"Our business," Hux growled.
"We're selling," Ben said quickly. Hux shot him a glance, but he knew these sorts of people better. He probably knew what he was doing.
"Right," the port master said, slightly sceptically. "Four truguts minimum. That'll give you two days. Then you've one more day on the standard charge of one trugut a day before it goes up to two. If you don't pay it all after ten days, you forfeit the shuttle."
"Ten days on the normal rate," Hux countered. "Twenty before confiscation."
"Four, and twelve."
"Eight and seventeen."
"Five and fifteen. Final offer."
Hux glanced at Ben, who nodded minutely. "We have a deal."
The port master tapped out the details into the datapad. "Thumb print."
Hux took the pad and read it over, scanning the terms. It all looked in order, so he pressed his thumb to the reader and drew out the stylus to sign. "I don't suppose you could direct us to Broker Potdrum?"
The port master reclaimed the datapad. "Main Street's right outside. Go left, third on the right, first left. Cantina called Yness. Most folks like him hang around there."
"Left, third right, first left, Yness," Hux echoed. "Nice doing business with you."
The port master snorted, and Hux swaggered (prowled) off, Ben following behind. "Didn't know you could barter," the younger boy hissed.
"Neither did I; I was improvising," Hux replied. "Worked though."
"Yeah, but I'm not sure he'll keep to it," Ben shrugged. "He'll accept payment if we get it soon enough, but I wouldn't be surprised if he tries to take the shuttle early."
"Is that likely?"
Ben shrugged. "If he doesn't see us in a day or two, he'll probably start making inquiries about selling it on. Most port masters prefer the neutrality of legitimate business, but aren't above a little gouging." He paused for a moment, shifting the rifle on his shoulder. "Where'd you get the names from?"
Hux twitched, just avoiding it turning into a full flinch. "It's a name I've used before. I had to make something up for you, and I figured that if it was something I misheard, you'd be more likely to respond to it. Sorry, I should have asked if you already had a pseudonym."
"No, it's fine. Good reasoning. I-"
"Meow."
They both froze at the unexpected sound. "Did you hear that?" Hux asked, frowning.
Ben tilted his head. "I thought I did…"
"Meow." There was a scuffling, and Hux looked down as something crashed into his foot.
It was a cat. Hux hadn't seen a real one before, but it wouldn't have been appropriate if he'd been a guest at someone's house and not known the difference between a pet and vermin. The creature climbing his boot was probably full-grown, being just under a foot from nose to the tip of the tail. It was a beautiful orange on top with a white underside. Its little claws pricked his leg as it climbed up.
Hux reached down, and carefully pulled it off his trousers. "Hello," he murmured. "Who do you belong to?"
"Hux? You do know it can't talk?" Ben said. He reached out, and gently rubbed the top of the cat's head.
Hux hummed. "Think we should ask at the cantina?"
Ben shrugged. "Suppose we could. We wouldn't want to offend anyone by stealing their pet. But he doesn't have a collar, so he might be a stray."
Hux set the cat on his shoulder, where it nuzzled his cheek. "Cute thing, isn't he? We better find his owner."
"Pity we can't keep him."
"Pity."
