I admit I'm a little faint-hearted, but I promise I usually have a little
more stamina than that. It's just. he surprised me, that's all. -Diary of
Baka Ma'lik
A soft knock on the closed boarding ramp told Janua that somebody was ready to talk to the crew, or maybe even Jess Jess herself. The navigator pushed in the comlink to the outside. "What do you want?"
An annoyed voice came back to her along with the few sounds of the nearly lifeless landing bay. "Let me in. I want to speak to everyone in your . uh. ship."
She thought a moment. There was no way any Imperials were going to be allowed anywhere on her employer's prized possession. Maybe a compromise could be reached.
"Stay where you are. We'll come out." Whoever was out there, he seemed content with that. "Hey everybody," she yelled down the hall, "get over here. They want to see us." A few seconds later, everyone had assembled by the door except for Baka, who finally got there as Janua put the ramp down. Jess Jess readied herself for another brush with prejudice.
And to the crew's astonishment, there was General Dalpiez himself, alone, with only a few stormtroopers guarding the door to the turbolift.
Dalpiez responded to the obvious speechlessness of the crew by talking first. "Captain Cadyue, I am terribly sorry about how we met earlier. I hope I can make it up to you by taking you on a tour of our fine installation."
Janua thought her Gungan friend was going to faint, but instead, it was Baka. Fortunately, the Imperial ignored her companion's unconsciousness.
Jess Jess thought for a moment then turned toward her second in command. She whispered, "Jan, I'm going to want you to watch the ship. Don't let them come in. If they want the stuff, take everything out to them. I don't want one crate aboard when we leave. Hopefully this won't take long." She then turned to Dantien. "Clipper can stand it on the ship for a while longer, I guess. Unless," she said, carefully raising her voice, "this kind officer would allow me to bring my pet." Her friend took the hint and left to fetch the vornskr's harness and leash. Giving her full attention to her tour guide, she instantly verified that he had been listening.
In fact, he seemed to be getting a bit impatient, having to listen to them converse amongst themselves, seeming to forget that he was even there. "Excuse me. Your pet?" Obviously no one had told him that they had a "harmless" traveling companion.
Janua stepped forward and smiled, showing a threatening display of very sharp teeth. "I believe Jess was about to introduce you to him last time you came. He's merely our ship's guard. No one to worry about."
An uncertain look crossed the dignified man's face as he considered this. He was about to realize how real the threat had been. "As long as he remains under control, he will be allowed to join us." *Besides,* he thought, *I'll have those security officers with me. They can take him for sure.* He sighed, and seemed a bit worried about what might happen. As they waited in silence for Dantien to come back, the night shift crew went back to bed after dragging Baka to the lounge. Not too long later, Clipper finally came around the corner, pulling Dantien behind him. A smile came across Janua and Jess Jess's faces. Contrarily, horror appeared on Dalpiez's. The captain got a firm grip on her pet's leash then walked off the ship, her merriness quickly turning into uncertainty.
"I guess we'll be going now," the general commented nervously as they walked toward the turbolift. "What is that thing anyway?"
Behind them, the boarding ramp shut, the day shift crew presumably taking guard positions. "Clipper is a vornskr, a Force-sensitive creature from Myrkr. They eat reptilian creatures called ysalamiri. They actually get fiercer and more protective when you bob their tails, as Clipper's is." Everything was true except that last bit. Vornskrs really got much tamer once their tails were bobbed, but this Kurt Dalpiez didn't need to know that.
Baka Ma'lik
A soft knock on the closed boarding ramp told Janua that somebody was ready to talk to the crew, or maybe even Jess Jess herself. The navigator pushed in the comlink to the outside. "What do you want?"
An annoyed voice came back to her along with the few sounds of the nearly lifeless landing bay. "Let me in. I want to speak to everyone in your . uh. ship."
She thought a moment. There was no way any Imperials were going to be allowed anywhere on her employer's prized possession. Maybe a compromise could be reached.
"Stay where you are. We'll come out." Whoever was out there, he seemed content with that. "Hey everybody," she yelled down the hall, "get over here. They want to see us." A few seconds later, everyone had assembled by the door except for Baka, who finally got there as Janua put the ramp down. Jess Jess readied herself for another brush with prejudice.
And to the crew's astonishment, there was General Dalpiez himself, alone, with only a few stormtroopers guarding the door to the turbolift.
Dalpiez responded to the obvious speechlessness of the crew by talking first. "Captain Cadyue, I am terribly sorry about how we met earlier. I hope I can make it up to you by taking you on a tour of our fine installation."
Janua thought her Gungan friend was going to faint, but instead, it was Baka. Fortunately, the Imperial ignored her companion's unconsciousness.
Jess Jess thought for a moment then turned toward her second in command. She whispered, "Jan, I'm going to want you to watch the ship. Don't let them come in. If they want the stuff, take everything out to them. I don't want one crate aboard when we leave. Hopefully this won't take long." She then turned to Dantien. "Clipper can stand it on the ship for a while longer, I guess. Unless," she said, carefully raising her voice, "this kind officer would allow me to bring my pet." Her friend took the hint and left to fetch the vornskr's harness and leash. Giving her full attention to her tour guide, she instantly verified that he had been listening.
In fact, he seemed to be getting a bit impatient, having to listen to them converse amongst themselves, seeming to forget that he was even there. "Excuse me. Your pet?" Obviously no one had told him that they had a "harmless" traveling companion.
Janua stepped forward and smiled, showing a threatening display of very sharp teeth. "I believe Jess was about to introduce you to him last time you came. He's merely our ship's guard. No one to worry about."
An uncertain look crossed the dignified man's face as he considered this. He was about to realize how real the threat had been. "As long as he remains under control, he will be allowed to join us." *Besides,* he thought, *I'll have those security officers with me. They can take him for sure.* He sighed, and seemed a bit worried about what might happen. As they waited in silence for Dantien to come back, the night shift crew went back to bed after dragging Baka to the lounge. Not too long later, Clipper finally came around the corner, pulling Dantien behind him. A smile came across Janua and Jess Jess's faces. Contrarily, horror appeared on Dalpiez's. The captain got a firm grip on her pet's leash then walked off the ship, her merriness quickly turning into uncertainty.
"I guess we'll be going now," the general commented nervously as they walked toward the turbolift. "What is that thing anyway?"
Behind them, the boarding ramp shut, the day shift crew presumably taking guard positions. "Clipper is a vornskr, a Force-sensitive creature from Myrkr. They eat reptilian creatures called ysalamiri. They actually get fiercer and more protective when you bob their tails, as Clipper's is." Everything was true except that last bit. Vornskrs really got much tamer once their tails were bobbed, but this Kurt Dalpiez didn't need to know that.