Ulic-Nox bobbed his head to the fast-paced Lapti Nek, a well-known Hutt song, in his spacesuit, working outside he had a splicer with the haul of the ship. "Ab quick zen ice fest, Jen with taster mo vey…." Ulic-Nox sung along with the music while it blared in his ears and inside freighter, Macross was sitting in the pilot's chair, wearing a faded red leather jacket with shoulder pads, a brown shirt, and gray pants, he was holding a rag cleaning a DE-10 made of dark metal with a wooden handle grip. He wore a leather string around his neck, dangling on it was a medallion, with an ancient carving on it. His brown hair was mixed with his tan skin as he scratched a short beard looking at a star chart. In the back of the ship a tall trandoshan in a faded orange shirt and white pilots vest, with black trousers that went past his knees were playing a game of holo chess across from an ancient Astro droid with multiple wires sticking out of its headpiece going into its body which had been heavily modified. The head and the main body was a T7 unit with R4 left leg and R6 right leg, his rear wheel had been replaced with a newer variant as well, with an improved hydraulic it had an extended arm out pressing the controls on the hole board making its rancor walk over to the Trandoshans mynock and smash it.
"Good move, very good move." The trandoshan said scratching his yellowish green scales. Sitting across from them, a brown robed Jawa with a tool belt was working on something that only it new, in the ships medical bay stood a white skinned Arkannian offshoot, her hair was pale as snow and so was her skin, she wore a white coat with silver pants as she was writing something on paper. In one f the crew quarters a broad shouldered advozse polishing a blaster pistol, he wore a dark purple jumpsuit with a green trim, and body armor over his chest and shoulders.
Outside, Ulic-Nox stood up dancing with the music in zero gravity he moved slower but still danced on top the Nightingale the freighter was a unique design, with a round body like a Corellian ship with two large engines in the back and four smaller ones in sets of two on the back, it had an XS-series sized cargo holds on the left and right side of the ship. With an extended nose around the bridge at the nose of the ship. It had visible armaments on the top and bottom, the back between the engines With heavy cannons and torpedo ports underneath the bridge. Its haul was gray without a paint job except for some faded brown markings on its top.
"Wok lapti nek seb not van, wah toc peg qui doz gee pig, enact, Goc jarraz has deg zorze zet…" Ulic-Nox mumbled on the outer haul. He finished up his work and saw something in the corner of his helmet, Ulic-Nox stood up letting the stars see his tan skin like Macross but turquoise eyes with blonde hair shaved on the sides tied in a short ponytail behind his head. He stood up and smiled seeing what it was, a flock of purrgil flying next to the freighter.
Macross closed his star chart inside and leaned up to the pilot seats dashboard "Lil Bro how's it coming out there?"
"Little brother?" Macross asked when he didn't get a response "Hey May, we got company." Ulic-Nox said as Macross saw the pod of purrgil fly around them. Ulic-Nox reached into his pocket and took out a book with a pen and started to sketch the purrgil quickly, and started to record flock as it passed by them walking close enough to one on the edge of his ship and reached out to it brushing his fingers on its hide before they flew off. The rest of the crew came out to see the pod fly past him.
Macross smiled too pressing a button on the ships intercom "Attention crew, but if you look out your nearest window you will see a pod of purrgil blessing out latest job."
The crew came to the bridge to see it, "Hey Ulic-Nox, get back inside we're going to make a jump to the next system." Macross said into the coms "Roger, Roger big brother." Ulic-Nox said heading to the airlock.
Inside the bridge, Macross turned is leather bound chair around to look at his crew, the Trandoshan, Offshoot, Jawa, Advosze and droids.
"Ladon how's the shipment?" He asked the lizard "We're good bossss, it'sss sssecure." The trandoshan said back his tongue hissing at the end of every word "Beatnik, engine status?" Macross asked the jawa who started to speak in its own language behind its hood throwing its hands in the air.
Macross nodded "Well this job will set us up nicely to buy ten of those, Hestia?"
"Dr. Hestia and what?" The offshoot woman asked him giving him a cold glance with pale gray eyes "How are we, anything to report?"
Dr. Hestia shook her head "A little shore leave wouldn't hurt." She said sarcastically.
"We keep doing jobs like this we won't even be able to afford the parking." The advosze said sullenly taking a seat arms crossed "Buur, as always your optimism. keeps this crew together." Macross replied, the horned alien just growled at him
Just then Ulic-Nox walked in, he had stripped out of his evo suit, the young boy had on a faded blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and a turquoise scarf and a black set of pants and grayish blue boots around his legs, over his shoulder he had a bag holding his sketchbook. He had fingerless gloves with leather grip "Someone say shorel eave?" Ulic-Nox asked smiling as he walked.
"How we looking little brother?" Macross asked him "Nav computers transponder is better than ever, how long till the Selucimi system, you beat him again Teeseven?" Ulic-Nox asked the droid who gave happy gloating beeping back to him "My droid." Ulic-Nox said scratching the back of the droids head.
"One jump away." Macross told him "Everyone get strapped in. Everyone took their seats in the bridge, Macross in the captain's chair, Ulic-Nox took his seat in the co pilot next to his brother. Dr. Hestia sat behind Macross and Ladon was behind Ulic-Nox, the droid, the Jawa named Beatnik started to stomp off to the back pulling open an extra seat insulting them in jawa.
Macross and everyone looked back at him "You want a seat, you buy a seat and install it you little hooded demon." Macross said as they started to make the jump "Hyperdrive is ready." Ulic-Nox told Macross.
"We're on our way." Macross said with a smile before they started to jump, stars stretched behind them as the the blue vortex of hyper speed appeared.
While they waited, Ulic-Nox reached into his pocket and pulled out his holocamera and looked the hologram of the purrgil, he started to sickle it across the images "Hey Ulic-Nox, you ever thought of publisssshing thossse holosss you take?" Ladon asked him from behind.
"What, so a bunch of Core snobs can snobs can see'em?" Ulic-Nox asked the trandoshan.
Ladon shrugged his scales "Jussst sssaying you could make a loud of credssss." The trandoshan pointed out.
Next to them, Macross rolled around in his chair to Dr. Hestia "About that shore leave, why not we stop by Scarif, enjoy some beaches?"
Hestia smiled at him with everyone else hearing him "We should pick up some gizika steaks before?" Ulic-Nox suggested.
"Amen to that." Ladon agreed.
The ships nav computer started to beep and beep letting them know they were about to arrive, when they dropped out of hyperspace the Nightengale came right into the middle of a massive space battle. T-Wings and Vulture droids were locked in blue and red laser combat as Republic cruisers blasted ad Separatists frigates with their cannons. "KARKING HELL!" Macross screamed as they flew into the battle, grabbing the controls pulling them up.
Everyone held on tight as the Nightengale soared into the dog fight dodging droid and clone ships. "Ladon tell me something, I thought the Reps and Seps weren't anywhere near this part."
"Pooda bosss, I don't know reportsss sssaid nobody suppossed to be here." The trandoshan snapped at him "To the guns, now!"The captain barked, Ladon, Beatnik and Hestia ran to the guns on each side of the ship, Ulic-Nox was about to go to the top gun when his brother grabbed him "No I need you here, Teeseven take the top turret." Macross said grabbing his medallion and kissing it for luck, he looked at it then tucked it under is shirt.
The Astro droid beeped in affirmation and sped to the back of the ship was a crossway hallway with two leaders, Ladon was already sinking into the bottom one, while Beatnik took the left and Hestia the right. Buur was heading to the back swearing as he did "You good for nothing lizard."
"Isss not my fault horn head." Ladon barked back to Buur as Teeseven's legs opened up to clamp onto the ladder and rolled itself up the top plugging into the turret.
"Don't start shooting till they shoot at us." Macross ordered "Are you serious!" Buur yelled into his head set, "And if they I don't know decide shoot us?" Buur asked him.
The Nightingale swerved around the fighters soaring past one of the Republic cruisers, aboard it the Admiral in command of the fleet saw it, he had brown hair and mustache on his lip "Where did that ship come from?" He asked.
"It just dropped out of hyperspace Admiral Yuralen?" One of the bridge crew said from the lower deck.
Back on the Nightengale own bridge Macross was doing his best to get out of the dog fight "I didn't think the Republic had made it out this far?" Ulic-Nox said watching the battle all around them,
"There pushing deeper and deeper into outer rim every day." Macross said pulling a hard right to avoid a swarm of vulture droids, they flew right through a busted separatist frigate that had shattered its haul and was in flames still, "Looks like this battle is almost over anyway, droids are taking a beating." Ladon told them.
Buur scoffed "Droids never make good soldiers, clones ain't much better."
"Clones got the worst end of this war, now keep your eyes out for an opening." Macross told them as they came out of the wreckage to see a Republic war ship rise up past them, he pulled up to avoid a collision forcing him to go back into the dogfight.
"Just like home." Ulic-Nox whispered as he looked out the window and saw something moving very fast towards them "Uh oh."
Macross looked over to see a black and yellow jedi starfighter heading straight for them, but it flew right past them with its pilot looking out at them as he flew by, "Ahsoka you got eyes on that freighter?" Anakin Skywalker asked his young Padawan, she flew up next to him in her own starfighter "Where'd it come from?"
"I don't know doesn't look like a separatist model?" Anakin said while they watched it soared around the fighters without taking a shot or ding from any of them "Hell of a pilot though?" Anakin smirked.
"Civilian?" Ahsoka asked him, ahead of them the Nightingale dodged a set of torpedos not meant for them before a vulture droids that was hit sent its left wing tight into the freighters side shaking it off course "Damn it all." Macross said as the ship shook suddenly getting rattled with laser fire on the top part of the haul.
Beatnik let out a howl in Jawa "What broke?" Macross asked his brother who looked at the ships computer "hyperdrive…"
"Still think this jobs easy?" Buur asked out loud in his seat he suddenly opened fire on any of the ships near them, droid or clone.
Macross and everyone else heard the shooting and looked back "What is that idiot doing he's going to get us killed, pull the power to his gun." He ordered Ulic-Nox who already did it.
"Probably a smuggler, go find out I'll mop this up, this battle is over." Anakin ordered her.
The Padawan pulled off away from him and followed the Nightingale and started to transmit to them. Aboard the bridge, Macross and Ulic-Nox looked at the blinking communications light "Does the holofeed still work?" Macross asked.
Ulic-Nox shook his head "No, but we have audio."
"Good." Macross said as he answered it "Attention freighter, you are not authorized to be here, identify yourself." Ahsoka said into her commas as she was behind in. Buur had his sights trained on her "I have her." Buur told back to Macross.
"Do not shoot, I repeat do not shoot you thick skinned idiot." Macross hissed at him before he answered Ahsoka.
"Yeah sorry about that Jedi, we'll be out of your hair as soon as possible ." Macross said back to her, Ahsoka didn't like the answer or rebuke of identification, suddenly a group of clone T wings appeared behind Ahsoka as she was getting a transmission "Commander Tano, I want that ship brought aboard the cruiser, I want to know how they got here." The small image of Admiral Yuralen appeared in front of her.
The girl nodded "Yes Admiral." Ahsoka said before she switched into attack position
Back on the Nightingale the crew saw the clone fighters start to surround them front to back and top to bottom "Attention freighter, you adjust your flight plan and follow us to our cruiser." She ordered. Macross's face stiffened when he heard it before he replied.
"I'm sure there's no need for that, we just took a wrong turn." He said, the clone ships didn't move from their flight plan around them "Bosss?" Ladon asked squeezing his controls claws on the trigger.
"I'm not sure if medical out ranks you here May, but I prefer not to die in the cold vacuum of space." Hestia added.
Ahsoka frowned at the answer she got, "Change your trajectory and follow us, your ship is damaged we can offer you repairs of you agree to come aboard." She said with a bit more force in her voice.
Macross looked at Ulic-Nox then at the clone fighters, Ulic-Nox shrugged "We do need to repair the hyperdrive." He whispered.
"Copy that jedi." He said in defeat, Ahsoka escorted the Nightingale to the republic cruiser, the other cruiser were everywhere as it made its landing. Its landing gear came out of both cargo hauls, with a ramp lowering down from the right side under the bridge. Admiral Yuralen was already there waiting with a squad of clone troopers including Captain Rex, across from them Anakin hopped out of his fighter and strode over to them admiring the ship, he gave an intrigued whistle as Ahsoka landed next to it and got out to greet them.
"Some catch you made snips?" Anakin said "I wouldn't say so looks like a piece of junk?" She said.
"Why isn't the ramp lowering?" Yuralen asked looking at the ship, it's exhaust was pouring out before it stopped.
"Should I get the men ready to breach General?" Rex asked Anakin, but he got his answer when the ship lowered its ramp, Macross walked out a blaster at his hip, both Buur and Ladon were behind him also sporting blasters there hips. Macross came out with a smile on his face hands up.
"Hi, how are you doing." He said lowering them "Are you the captain of this ship?" Yuralen asked him approaching hands behind his back with the Jedi and clones in two.
Macross nodded "I am, my name is Macross."
"Who are you, what are you doing here?" Ahsoka asked him, he glanced at her then back at the Admiral "We…" he said gesturing back to the crew fumbling with his words "Are just a couple of spacers, shipping some cargo from one port to the next?" He said rubbing his hands together.
Ladon walked up holding the holopad in his claws and offered it to the Admiral, "And tell me Captain, why is a cargo ship so far out here?"
"Good question, you see the hyperspace lanes here cross over so we dropped out to get in position to the next one over, cuts a couple days of our job." Macross told him before he looked over at Ahsoka "And your jedi here offered to help us repair since this whole cluster damaged it."
Admiral Yuralen gave Ahsoka a nasty glare at making such an offer without his consent, he brushed it off and looked back at Macross "We will help with repairs but we will need to inspect your cargo."
Macross smile disappeared "Oh don't worry we can fix it ourselves if you just leave the parts here."
"We'll still need to inspect your cargo to make sure it doesn't have a contraband, we will bring you the parts." Yuralen told him not budging but offering an ultimatum.
Macross hand was on his blaster but he let it to hold up his hand to the Admiral, "Deal Admiral, Mr. Quartermaster you want to get the manifest for him."
"I'd like to see the rest of your crew, our scanners indicated you had more than three lifeforms aboard." Yuralen said shaking his hand still, "Mr. Quartermaster tell everyone to get out of here." Macross ordered letting go of Yuralens hand.
"Yesss sssir." Ladon said heading back into the ship, he walked up the ramp passing by Hestia, Teeseven and Ulic-Nox "They want usss out." Ladon told them.
Hestia sighed shaking her head "Come on kid."
Teeseven beeped at Ulic-Nox who snickered "It's been that long since you were on a Republic Warship?"
"You did what?" Ulic-Nox asked walking out of the ships with the rest of the crew, Ladon following them out with the manifest in his claws and handed it to Captain Rex who was standing there with his men.
"I'll have to verify the cargo with my own eyes." Rex said up to him, Ladon snarled behind his fangs "Thisss way." He said gesturing for him to follow, behind them Beatnik ran around the ship getting most of the clones attention "What is that thing?" Ahsoka asked as it shouted in Jawa looking at the damage.
Anakin heard it and a smile appeared on his face "That's a jawa, I've never seen them off Tatooine, their traders and scavengers Ahsoka but they also know how to fix things."
Macross saw Beatnik running around the lower part of the ship, and already climb up on the landing gear with a splicer "Would you quit it with that Beatnik, their going to bring us the parts just tell me what we need." Macross said bending over to look up into the ship as Beatnik started to tell him what he needed while throwing out the useless parts making a mess as he went to work. Around the front of the ship Buur had found a crate to sit hunched over, Hestia walked over to him and leaned on the crate "You okay?"
"Don't like Republic, like Jedi less." Buur grumbled to her glaring at Anakin from across the hanger "Remember the job, try not to do anything stupid."
Anakin turned to Ahsoka as the clones seemed to have everything under control "Ahsoka, keep an eye on these people I need to go report out Victory to the Chancellor and the Jedi Council." Anakin told her.
"Of course Master." Ahsoka said noticing Buurs mean glare giving him one back, Buur spat on the floor avoiding her gaze. Anakin left her in the hanger with the Nightingale's crew. Inside the ship, Captain Rex was with Ladon and two more clones checking out the cargo when Ahsoka made a quick call to him.
Holding up her wrist to her mouth she spoke "How's it coming Rex?"
"So far so good, should be done soon." Rex told her as she felt something nudge up against her, she looked behind her to see Teeseven looking up at her.
"Where'd you come from little guy?" She asked as it looked at her scanning her face it beeped at her tilting its plate like head a bit at her and beeped at her in "... Ashara Zavros, I think you have me confused?"
The droid made a retort before it scurried off back over to Ulic-Nox he'd wandered off from the Nightingale and sitting under the leg of the ship holding his sketchbook, it was a leather bound book with a leather clip on the edge to keep it sealed. Her brow cocked when she saw him, walking up from behind "What are you drawing?"
Ulic-Nox jumped to his feet and spun around dropping his book, "Where'd you… oh hi." He said seeing her bend over and pick up the book, she looked down to see he was drawing quick sketches of the clone troopers in there armor, one picture was a detailed sketch of a helmet.
"Sorry didn't mean to startle you, here." Ahsoka said offering him the book "T-thanks, and its alright I just was trying to remember the one with the blue marks on his helmet." Ulic-Nox told her, Teeseven beeped at him from the side getting his attention.
"Hmmm yeah I could see how you thought she looked like Ashara." He said back to the droid rubbing his head "Um who's Ashara?"
Ulic-Nox waved her off "Don't worry about, just someone Teeseven use to know."
"Was she a jedi?" Ahsoka asked "Yep." Ulic-Nox said making Ahsoka open her mouth then shut it "Droid gets around I see." She bent over and looked at the droids serial number it was so worn down she could barely read it "hmmm T7-O1…" Ahsoka's eyes got wide.
Looking back at Ulic-Nox standing up she noticed they were about the same height not counting her lekku, "Your droid is ancient, literally."
Teeseven answered for himself beeping at her rapidly, Ahsoka turned a different shade of orange, Ulic-Nox grabbed his mouth to stifle a laugh "Say that again droid and we'll be giving your master and upgraded model." Ahsoka hissed.
The Astro droid beeped at her again "Partner?" She asked looking at a blushing smiling Ulic-Nox "Oh yeah, Teeseven isn't my droid more like I'm his human-" when he saw her confusion "Look we're partners, plain and simple." He finished resting his hand on the droid's head.
She crossed her arms smirking in disbelief "How'd that happen?"
Ulic-Nox looked over to the broken parts Beatnik was throwing out of the ship before it dropped down its brown robe stained in black spots "See that jawa over there."
"Hard not to." Ahsoka said as it ran to the clones bringing up the crates of repair materials, they backed away as soon as Beatnik chucked a wrench at them starting to look through the crates for random parts.
"Well after my brother and I stopped by Tatooine to see a pod race, we found Beatnik on the run from some Hutt thugs he owed money, we helped square the debt and got him as a mechanic though he had a bunch of junk within he desperately wished to bring and trade, Teeseven was one of them but Beatnik never said he was able to fix him until I touched it." Ulic-Nox said, Teeseven happily made some droid speak to them "No you're not junk, you're right you're perfect." Ulic-Nox told the droid repeating what it had said.
Ahsoka looked at the droid scratching her chin "Teeseven, Teeseven that name sounds so familiar?"
"Well like you said he's an old droid, so… I'm Ulic-Nox." He said realizing he hadn't introduced himself "Ahsoka, Ahsoka Tano."
"Oh you want last name too?" He asked her, she gave an obvious nod of sarcasm "Shan, Ulic-Nox Shan." meanwhile, up on the bridge Anakin was standing next to Admiral Yuralen in front of the ship's holoterminal. The bridge was abustle with clones in navel uniforms and troopers reporting to other fleets at the changing map.
In holographic form above the General and Admiral, was the Supreme Chancellor with Jedi Masters Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu and Yoda, "We are pleased to hear of your success in the system, what about this merchant ship?" Master Kenobi asked them.
"It doesn't appear on any official records, we thought it might be smugglers but Captain Rex hasn't found anything out of hate ordinary aboard their cargo so far." Anakin told him.
"Then we should probably release them Master Jedi, these seems like a small inconvenience for our fleet?" Chancellor Palpatine said to the Council members.
The Jedi thought it over for a second "That maybe Chancellor, Skywalker examine the ship thoroughly and run the faces of its crew through our records I want to know more about these 'merchants'." Mace ordered Anakin who gave a nod before they cut the transmission.
Skywalker turned to Admiral Yuralen who shared his concerned look "Corporal, do an X-ray of the ships interior scan for hidden compartments." Yuralen ordered a nearby bridge clone who knocked his head in confirmation.
Meanwhile back down in the hanger, Captain Rex walked down the ramp with Ladon behind him "Your cargo is cleared quartermaster, thank you for your compliance." Rex told Ladon while holding the datapad showing the manifest, he gave it back to Ladon who bowed in gratitude.
"To you asss well Captain, may the Force be with you." Rex and his brothers were a bit surprised at his courtesy "Never Wears a trandoshan say that." Rex chuckled back.
"Most have never met a trandossshan like me." Ladon hissed back between his fangs as the hangers security cameras scanned each of their faces back to the bridge.
Ladon face came up first in front of Anakin and the Admiral, the image scanned millions of trandoshans before a mug shot appeared "Ladon, an ex Trandoshan bounty hunter wanted in numerous systems but the reports claim he eighteen years ago?" Yuralen said next to Anakin who scratched his chin "Doesn't look like it, scan the others."
Hestia was still next to Buur waiting on the ship to be repaired, the cameras scanned both their faces for analysis and two more images appeared "Hestia Kree and Buur Gal, apparently washed out of the Arkannian Medical school after she stole an entire shipment of bacta, impressive?" Anakin said while Yuralen read Buur's profile "I'm glad you think so, this Buur Gal is a former mercenary disavowed by my word that's a lot of mercenary companies." Admiral Yuralen said reading the list with even a few bounties on him.
"Both of them have bounties on them, she's worth 20,000 credits and he's worth double?" Anakin said as the clone who had been ordered to scan the ship was almost done.
Back in the hanger, Macross was walking next to Beatnik as they sorted through the supplies the clones had brought him "No, no, no we need to a new cuplink not a transponder for the hyperdrive."
Beatnik snapped at him in jawa making Macross roll his eyes "Of course I know it's my ship." He said not knowing he was being scanned.
"Macross Shan and the Jawa known as Beatnik, there bounties are all cartel based." Anakin said reading the reports "Hutts, Black Sun, Spice Cartels these two have a nasty habit of stealing from just everyone, 60,000 each?" Anakin read.
Anakin and Yuralen shut if off looking to the clone in charge of scanning the ship "Anything inside the ship they didn't tell us about?" Anakin asked the clone, the trooper looked behind to them "Y-yes sir but you should come and see."
He walked over to the troopers screen and bent over looking at a holographic scan "Multiple hidden compartments, we're picking up multiple metal signatures from the, look like blasters rifles and heavy ordinance." Anakin's face turned grim standing up arms crossed "So they are Smugglers, what do you want to do Admiral."
Anakin didn't get an answer, Admiral Yuralen had pulled up Ulic's image through their system and was speechless "Admiral?" Anakin asked seeing the boys picture up on the holoscreen, there was no record of him other than his name Ulic-Nox Shan, no criminal past not even birthdate but a bounty worth more than all the others combined "One million?" Anakin read aloud looking at Admiral Yuralen.
"Give the command?" Admiral Yuralen said over to Anakin "Understood."