Flisk yawned as he made his way through the Hammerhead Cruiser. He rubbed the sleeping sand from his eyes to clear them and wake them up.
It was the ship's "night" time right now. Most were still asleep in their cabins, leaving only the night watch on the bridge to monitor their progress through hyperspace.
It had been two days since they left the Lurmen colony. The recovery crews made it back with an excellent haul of military supplies and salvage from the separatist base. Most of the weapons were split and given to either the staff for protection or kept in reserve for when the engineers reprogram the B1 Battle Droids. The idea of using them as extra muscle is a good idea. They could be used in many situations to free up workloads and fill in specific jobs. Especially when the need to do battle comes and can be used as fodder.
The male Wolven was no fool. In just the short time he's been around his new Alpha/Captain. Ruby Rose was honestly a magnet for unique situations. Republic Officers, space battles, gangsters, Jedi!? Flisk had never seen a Jedi in person before they came aboard the Beacon nearly a week ago. Not even during his time in service with the Republic.
The thought of the young girl just makes him smile more. Being around Ruby won't be boring for any foreseeable future, and Flisk was just fine with that.
He headed for the Hanger to get a workout in. Some of the guys had taken one of the unused repair stations and turned it into an open gym, with wights and floor mat included. Doing a set of curls and lunges to get the blood flowing.
They were traveling to Corellia to meet an old acquaint of his and Lisa's tribe. Ther they will acquire more firepower for their journey into Mando territory. Something he wasn't too keen on going to, but he goes where his Alpha/Captain goes.
Entering the Hanger, the Wolven sees a single occupant moving around in the open area between bays.
His eyes went wide in awe as his jaw fell at what was before him.
Lately, Ruby has been having trouble sleeping. Thoughts of home and family kept her up and distracted. Truthfully, she didn't know what she was doing for the journey home. Such as getting herself involved with a war that wasn't hers, followed by owning a spaceship and leading a crew of formerly enslaved people and Republic vets. It was so world-building that she needed something to take the edge off.
In the past, training with Crescent Rose was always Ruby's go-to and seemed like a good idea.
Finding the Hanger devoid of life, she wiped out her baby and performed a few swings. Then she started a few practice katas. The usual things Uncle Qrow taught her to improve her stances when wielding a wide weapon like a scythe.
Then she started conducting forms that she made up during her time before and during Beacon. Her uncle Qrow and even her partner Weiss would encourage this as it was supposed to build a familiar bond with her weapon. Looking at her recordings in action made her look like she was performing an exotic dance somehow. The whole process was strangely therapeutic to do this once she fell into that zen state.
Once she felt comfortable with her feelings, Ruby came out of her "meditation" and collapsed Crescent Rose. When she looked up, however, the restful feeling was gone. Instead, Ruby felt much better as her blood rushed in her. Of course, she wasn't like Yang when she got into it for the fight to get a blood rush, but Ruby still enjoyed it nonetheless.
The young Huntress found that she was no longer alone and had an audience when she turned to leave. That audience being one Wolven standing just ten meters away with a look of jaw drop awe on his face. "Where did you learn to move like that?!"
Ruby blushed bashfully. "Umm...what do you mean?"
She looked embarrassed as Flisk walked up and threw a hand out. "You moved around swinging that giant scythe around like you knew what you were doing before doing it. If I didn't know it, I could mistake you for a Jedi. Is that normal where you come from?"
Ruby nodded. "It is when your training to be a Huntsman."
"And all of them are armed with Scythes and move like the Jedi?"
The teen shook her head and looked quite happy at the chance to talk about weapons. "Not everyone. Remnant is home to a near-infinite of different weapons. Fire swords, collapsing staffs, rocket launchers, just have to build it up to Huntsmen's standard."
She rubbed a hand on Crescent Rose and smiled at her trusted weapon. "My Uncle Qrow taught me how to build and use my scythe. I was complete garbage before, and now I'm all like- Watchaaaa!" Ruby said as she made a slashing motion with her hand.
Flisk brow rose in amusement. "I see...I came over here to get a workout before my shift in two hours. So why are you up this early? Figured you still be asleep." The teen shook her head.
"Couldn't sleep," Ruby answered. "I've been feeling restless, so I thought some training would tire me out."
"Not a bad thing from where I'm standing. If you're that good with that weapon, I'd love to see you dance in hand-to-hand." Flisk saw a very annoyed look on Ruby's face. "What's wrong?"
The girl looked embarrassed. "I'm absolutely terrible in hand to hand." This shocked the Wolven.
"What?!" His response surprised the teen. "You can't be serious? With how well you were swinging that weapon, you should be great in your style of CQB?"
"Well, I'm not. That was always Yang's thing."
"Yang... Your sister?"
Ruby nodded. "Her style is hand to hand like our dad while I followed behind our Uncle."
"Mumm...I see. Well, if you ever change your mind. I wouldn't be against giving you some pointers in defending yourself if you find yourself without a weapon."
Ruby opened her mouth to brush off the request. Then memories of her capture by the White Fang and Mercury stopping her at the Amity callosum. Both times she didn't have her weapon, and both times cost dire consequences, one being the breach of Vale and the other was Penny...
"Hey..." Flisk saw a figuratively dark shadow hang over the Alpha, and it was an...odd look for one who's usually a bright person. "...you still here?"
"Huh?" Ruby came out of her trance. "Oh! Yeah, just...unwelcomed memories. I'll think about your offer, Flisk. Thank you."
"No problem. Anyway, I'm going to get started on my workout. We should be near Corellia by mid-shift and meet with our new contact for what we need," he told her.
"Can't wait." Ruby smiled happily before taking her chance to leave.
Unknown to her, Flisk watched her go. Sniffing, the air filled with her sweat scent distracted him in the worst way before picking up the first dumbbell.
"Can't wait either," Flisk muttered before starting his reps.
Landing at a Corellian spaceport and disembarking its passengers disembark. One wearing a red hood looked on in wonder at the big ship yards in the distance with the big ships being built from the ground up.
"They sure build big around here, don't they?" Ruby said in wonder.
"They also build a lot of small stuff." Flisk, Lisa, and the Beacon's requisitions officer Kira Yoshikage walked behind her. "Their mainline stock freighters are second to none in the shipwright market, with Kuat Drive being a close second in terms of quantity." Flisk explaining.
Looking up, Ruby could see a lot of smaller ships flying to and from some places. The air traffic was nowhere near as bad as Coruscant, but she imagined it would complete well over Atlas standards and Weiss's Dust company.
"So, where do we find your friend?" Ruby asked.
"He's not our friend. Only a previous business associate that's been neutral towards our people," Flisk stated with a thump pointing at both himself and sister. Said sister then butted in and threw her two credits in.
"Anyway, Captain. Flisk and Yoshikage will go meet with our 'associate,'" She said with a bit of venom of the word, "While you and I will go searching for someone trustworthy to handle our treasury."
"Still don't know why I can't meet the guy," Ruby replied.
"Trust me, you don't," Lisa said with a bit of irritation that left no room for argument. She then dragged the teen with her into the nearby crowd.
Yoshikage huffed in mild humor. "Hard to believe she saw battle that one. With the amount of innocent feeling she gives off."
"Believe me, I know. Thou you have to admit it is a bit of fresh air that she cares more about her crew than some Republic officials did," Flisk responded before the two head off in a different direction.
"Thank you for your application, Miss Gale. But this is for a ship position, not a planetary one like you were hoping," Lisa politely said to the tall six-eyed bug alien across from the desk.
Gale chipped in her native language before leaving.
The Wolven turn to a nearby pillar. "She's gone, ma'am."
Ruby's head pooped out, her face a mix of fear and shame. "I'm sorry. Bugs sometimes freak me out and seeing one taller than my uncle brought out the worst in me. That doesn't make me a racist does it?" She asked/pleaded as she took a seat next to Lisa in the booth.
"No, something like that is quite common if you haven't spent the majority of one's life around other species," Lisa assured the young Captain. This was true on more isolated planets that didn't have much contact with the outside of their world. One or two species on a lone planet that wouldn't venture out and somehow be self-sufficient to not need outside help. Such places were rare these days as everyone is at least aware of everyone. But occasionally, there would be that odd tourist that ventures away from their home world to "explore" the galaxy. "Just need a bit more time for adjustment to the broader universe. Still a bit of shock in some areas, I imagine. So, the best way is to expose yourself to it all."
"Uge, now you're starting to sound like my sister," Ruby said in annoyance before smiling sadly. "Before Beacon, she'd try hard to push me to make friends where all I wanted to was tinker with weapons and fight monsters. I feel like it biting me in the but now."
"You'll get better with, Captain. Let's get back to finding a money person." Lisa waves off to get back on track.
"Yeah, wonder how the others are doing?"
"What do you mean you don't have any ships?! You're a ship merchant, Dew!" Fisk said with irritation. The source of it was the blueish black Tyridonion flapping in front of him.
Like most of his specie, he hovered around with his short flapping wings as he looked irritated at the upright wolf. He was probably better dressed than most of his kind as he wore a white tunic and silver trimmings.
"It's not like have ships to sell, Wolven. It's the ships your want I don't have," Dew responded.
"That's poo do, Dew. I know for a long time you've got a small fleet of Corvettes you've got stashed away for protentional buyers. Mainly of the Corillian military types you've sold to PDFs like you have with my people, what happened to them?"
"Lost, destroyed, or stolen. Take your pick, Black." Dew picked up a datapad and shoved it to Flisk. Taking it and looking over the info made him raise an eyebrow.
"You lost over fifty ships in a raid?" He said in a surprised tone. The info was a manifest of the number of ships Dew had in hiding that he had hidden from before the attack and included the aftermath casualties. Like many of his trade, they don't store all his merchandise on big industrial worlds with a police force that could rade warehouses with a signed warrant. Keeping them in space and out of the planet's authority range kept the seeder sides of business intact. Just with the added risk of someone finding your stash. Which apparently happened to Dew here. Someone jumped in on the location of where Dew kept his high-end ships he used for selling to those like PDFs or his clan.
Dew had a fleet more extensive than Flisk thought he possessed in his manifest. 12 CR70 corvettes, all destroyed. 3 CR90 corvettes, two destroyed, and one damaged. 15 Gozanti class cruisers, 8 lost, two damaged, and five unaccounted for possibly stolen. YT-1300, SX stock freighters, the list went on.
"How did this happen?" Flisk handed the datapad back.
"Trade Federation blokes have always been after my business and their other competitors. Since this civil war started within the Republic, they've been hounding down on hurting their competition."
"But why?"
Dew waved his hand off as he picked up another datapad. "Who knows, only after getting half my fleet escaping by the skin of their teeth did they get hit by a pirate gang not hours later, making me lose more money. All I have left is either in repair yards or being recycled to pay the ones in the yards. So even if I wanted to sell you any ships you asked..."
"...they'll be poor quality then what we need," Flisk finished. "Damn."
"Why are you asking for my ships?" Dew flapped closer and eyed Flisk. "Last I heard from your people's clan had enough ships, and you were in the Republic military, and I see no Republic uniform. That means you are going out on your own, yes? Looking to do a bit private contracting work, I thinks?" Dew motions his hand down Flisk's attire. Grinning smartly, he pulls out another datapad from a nearby stack.
Keeping his face neutral, with no ships to sell to them, they undoubtedly need more work. Even if it meant with this slime. Flisk asked what the fly alien had to offer. "Possibly... what's the job?"
Dew hands him the info. "The Trade Federation destroyed my ships, but the Pirates captured some of them. And didn't take out all my homing beacons I jacked into each of my vessels. They are hold up on a world at the edge of the mid rim."
"The job is simple. Take out the Pirates, and whatever starships or stuff they have left intact is yours," he bargained.
Looking between Dew and the datapad offered to him. The job wasn't anything as simple as it could be. Fighting pirates was never easy to deal with, and this group had the skills to board ships and take them. Typically the Republic would handle this but is currently occupied. Then there's Ruby...
"I'll take this up with my Captain, Dew. No promises." Flisk took the info and left.
"By the way, how's that cute sister of yours? Haven't seen her pretty face in a good while?" Dew said in a tone that didn't have the best intent.
The former commando twitched towards his blaster before forcing his anger down and speeding up out of the office they were in. He soon met up with Kira bargaining with another employer. Seeing him walk out, she moved away from her current deal to meet with him.
"Any luck?" She asked him as they exited the store.
Flisk hands her the info. "My contact has fallen on poor times. Much of his stock was lost to pirates stealing from him."
"A problem that seems to become more common these days." Kira shifted through the info on the pirates. "Think we should take the job?"
"It would be difficult with just us and our lone cruiser. Did you fair any better?" Kira smiled sweetly, which unnerved the Wolven, and handed him a receipt. "What's this?"
"There for the purchase of two YT-1300fps, brand new. Showed off a few five-ounce bottles of our coaxium, and they were wrapped around my little finger. Got their control codes and should be on their way to the Beacon. Also got some fighter-grade concussion missile launchers for a bargain. Figure we can mount them on the ships for some extra firepower."
Never a dull moment indeed...
The Beacon's first officer and requisitions officer walked up to their transport back to their ship to see their Captain and COM specialist talking to a pair of new faces.
The individuals were quickly identified as both male and female Zabraks from the small horn crowns striking out from their heads. Six in total from in each potion pointed up or back. Flisk assumed this was their new crew members to fill their financial situation, wearing brown and dull traveler clothing and a set of bags nearby.
The red reaper spotted the two approach and waved to them.
"Flisk, Kira! Come over here and meet your new crew members."
Female Zabak looked and smiled brightly at them. "Hi, there! You must be this Wolven's sister Lisa spoke about. I'm Anson Schwimmer, and this is my husband Bolt. We're the new financial team."
"We have to say, we're looking forward to this new adventure we find ourselves a part of," the Zabark Bolt said as he stood alongside his wife.
Lizas waved her hand over to the ship. "Now that we're all here. Let's get you two settled into your new jobs, and Flisk and Kira can tell us about any new ships they have for us."
The six piled into the ship and broke orbit to the Beacon. Along the way, the Zabark couple told them of their background. The two had both set out from their family homes to make their own livings in the universe. Bolt as a traveling financial advisor and Anson as a mercenary. The two met one day while both employed within the same group and hit it off. The pair taught one another their trades, Bolt learning to fight professionally and Anson on how to handle financial problems. They soon got together and are now happy together. Both were excited about the new adventure Ruby presented them and the challenges it brought.
When they landed, they headed for the conference room, where they were met by the other department heads. Flisk and Kira told the success of acquiring new supply ships, failure to get the heavy ships they need, and a possible new job to tactically catch new ones.
"A couple of stock freighters isn't much in terms of firepower," Jefferson bluntly stated.
The newest member in the group, Bolt, was quick to counter. "But are helpful in other endeavors, like cargo transportation to generate more money for our marry band."
"And scouting runs. They could be more easily looked over than a warship with their smaller profile. Also, they're new ships and haven't been profiled by any major factions," Flisk added.
The red-cloaked Captain sighed. "At least it's something. Having extra ships for lighting our workloads will help. So, this job Dew offered to us. Can we trust it?" Ruby asked her first officer.
"Dew has always been honest when it comes to his trade. It's how he's stayed in business and why my people go to him for ships. They're the real deal and get things done, so I trust his intel. I just don't like where the ships are currently at."
"Where are they then?"
Flisk tapped a few commands on the holo emitter, and the image of a gray moon orbiting around a sickly green planet came to view. The world was very familiar to the galactic natives, except for one.
"Where's is this place?"
Her first officer was quick to explain. "That's Nar Shadda, Captain, the Smugglers moon, and it is the largest moon orbiting Nal Hutta, the home world of the Huts. Nar Shadda is like Coruscant because the whole planet is covered in an overgrown city, only more rundown and filthier. Plus, this world is outside Republic jurisdiction as it is owned by the Hut cartels. So lawless practices include smuggling, drug running, and slave trafficking."
This info shook the Remnant native. "They do that?!" Ruby said, applauded by some worlds that would do such a thing.
"It's a sad thing that happens in neutral worlds outside the Republic's eyes. Too few are willing to make a difference these days, and those that do are killed off by whoever disrupted their business." Veena said, thorough gritted teeth.
"Some syndicates are just too strong to handle by themselves. And before you choose to direct your anger at them, Captain. They have the manpower, ships, and funds to take on and win against our ragtag team with numbers alone." Flisk cuts in and looks at Ruby.
The thought of just doing nothing while such evil goes on in the galaxy was foreign to Ruby, and always acted with the best intentions of helping others. Just look to her team back at Beacon, helping Blake with her past in the White Fang and lending an ear to Weiss with her daddy issues. To hold back on fighting the bad guys...
"Set a course for the Smugglers moon, Flisk."
"Ruby?" Everyone looked and saw the sharpness of her silver eyes like a fire had just been set ablaze.
"If we can't put the galaxy's criminals and put them in the jails they deserve to be in, then we will take away their ability to do so. Head for where the Pirates are based and take the ships they stole. Do to them what they did to others. It's not stealing if they are criminals, right? So I'm sure the Republic could turn a blind eye to this."
Those who were former military looked at each other and nodded or shrugged their shoulders at the logic. If they were liberated out of slavery or pirate hands, the Republic tended to look the other way. Only asking that they re-licensed the ships for the new owners.
"Dose hat means we're taking the job, Captain?" Jefferson asked with a hint of excitement.
"We get there and see where the ships are located and plan from there," the Captain responded much to the pilot's rising joy.
"We're going to the scum of the galaxy to commit on others who break laws regularly. I like it," Julia said with mischief in her tone.
The Wolven twins looked at each other, with Flisk shaking his head in slight worry.
"Never dull..."
Yes readers, I back with another chapter for all you happy readers. Been busy of late with writing another Star Wars story. "Jedi of the Isles" a Star Wars X Ole House story that took into the top ten favs list and follows list in the Owl House crossover Tap. But took a quick break to get back into the RWBY verse for another chapter for all you awesome readers. Give it a look and leave a comment.
No action in this chapter sadly which will change next time when Ruby and her patchwork crew goes to the Smugglers moon.