Fly Free or Die [IC thread]

[ShadowPlay]

Pact Worlds System
Abadius 16th, 324 AG​

The Pact Worlds are home to countless corporations, and those corporations thrive by exploiting labor. The Evgeniya-Jaimisson Corporation—officially known as EJ Corp, but referred to by its employees as "the Company"—is one of the worst. Known for its never-ending mission to industrialize space, the Company sends endless fleets of ships to mine valuable resources, transport cargo from one planet or system to another, and terraform planets from inhospitable hells into private paradises bought and sold by the galaxy's elite. EJ Corp manufactures everything from starships and mining equipment to space suits and ration packs. In fact, it's rare for an expedition to depart from the Pact Worlds without some kind of EJ Corp technology aboard.

Tarn Jaimisson founded the corporation that bore his name 50 years ago, but he was eventually bought out by the Evgeniya Corporation based on Vesk Prime. The new conglomerate doubled its focus on profit and expansion, vigorously stretching its tendrils beyond the Pact Worlds, throughout Near Space and deep into the Vast. The Company employs hundreds of thousands of people with little regard for their welfare. To them, they're just faceless numbers, piloting nameless spacecraft—and if one of them can't fulfill Company metrics, there's always someone else willing to step in and take their place.

The Company pays below-subsistence wages, relying on Pact Worlds charity and social safety nets to pick up the slack. Despite this, the Company still attracts workers through the empty promise of stock options and bonuses; not only do these never fully materialize, but attempting to cash in those bonuses incurs so many fees and taxes that anything leftover is a pittance. Sapients come to EJ Corp looking for honest work and an honest day's pay, but they get caught in a bureaucratic nightmare from which they can't escape. They might curse the Company, but they can't afford to quit.

This is the setting where we find the crew of the light freighter BD514, a small vessel owned and operated by the EJ Corp. The crew themselves are not the owners, but they lease the craft from the EJ Corp and receive payment on every completed job with a potential of a bonus based on the cargo condition and travel time.

 

[ShadowPlay]

Current Ship

BD514 TIER 1
Evgeniya-Jaimisson Company Transport
Small Light Freighter
Speed 8; Maneuverability good (turn 1); Drift 1
AC 16; TL 15
HP 40; DT —; CT 8
Shields Basic 40 (forward 10, port 10, starboard 10, aft 10)
Power Core Micron Ultra (80 PCU); Drift Engine Signal Basic; Systems basic medium-range sensors, crew quarters (common), mk 1 trinode, mk 3 defenses, mk 4 armor; Expansion Bays cargo hold (2), smuggler compartment
Modifiers +1 to any 3 checks per round, +2 Computers (sensors only), +1 Piloting; Complement 4 (minimum 1, maximum 6)

CREW
Captain: Vask - Bluff +1, Computers +0, Diplomacy +1, Engineering +0, Intimidation +5, Piloting +7, Sense Motive +2,
Engineer: Tabi - Engineering +8
Pilot: Drisala - Piloting +8
Science Officer: Gabby - Computers +7

Starships from the BD series are EJ Corp's smallest cargo haulers, and BD514 is a typical example; the Company has manufactured thousands of these identical ships, each marked with the ubiquitous Evgeniya-Jaimisson logo. These vessels are crewed by salaried employees who don't own their own ships, but rather lease them from the Company to fulfill shipping contracts throughout the Pact Worlds, Near Space, and the Vast. BD-series ships are built for ease of use, utility, and endurance, rather than comfort; all crew accommodations are shared, and it's virtually impossible to be alone while aboard. The single large common area is used for cooking, dining, and relaxation. A tour of the engineering room for a BD-series ship usually reveals patches and replacement parts several years old, and the interiors of these ships are notoriously noisy. On the other hand, the ship's computer is surprisingly advanced, and the controls are so straightforward that a few minutes of instruction is enough for a rookie pilot to get one off the ground. The ship is managed by TARN (Technical Automated Resource Network), an AI modeled on an idealized, paternal version of Tarn Jaimisson, the mysterious Company founder.

Each BD is issued a six-wheeled A4-series Company rig and two hovercarts for cargo-handling purposes. A "secure storage compartment" below the main deck is officially intended for overflow cargo, but the shape of the hull—combined with electronic countermeasures and shield diffraction patterns—creates a blind spot in this compartment where sensors can't easily reach; Company employees use this space to hide cargo that law enforcement might confiscate, such as hyperleaf and other drugs.

BD514 is unarmed. EJ Corp employees know weapons cost more than the Company is willing to pay, and both starship and crew are cheap, expendable, and easily replaced. Some crews who work together on the same BD-series transport for an extended period might make clandestine modifications, however, installing a turret-mounted particle beam in the secure storage area beneath the main deck. This substantially weakens the ship's armor and shield integrity, however, and increases its heat signature. For ships that have been customized in this way, reduce the AC by 2 and TL by 1, reduce shields to Basic 30 (forward 8, port 7, starboard 7, aft 8), remove the smuggler compartment, and add a light particle beam in a turret. Give the pilot and captain a gunnery bonus of +5 (1st level).

 

[ShadowPlay]

Castrovel​

The crew of BD514 had been tasked with picking up a load of 50 Ton of Yaro Berries from a local establishment called Prat's Produce and then transport them to the Hivemarked on Akiton where such berries go for 10 credits per bowl. The yaro berries are a delicate item to transport and must be delivered before they have time to spoil. The crew's contact with the Company, Tarika, has informed them that they will get an extra bonus on this routine job, if they manage to shave a few days off the traveling schedule.

That was why they had now entered the atmosphere of the homeworld of Lashunta, Formians and Elves. Castrovel was a planet of lush green forests and bright blue ocean. From space it looked calm and peaceful. And transporting berries from the Lashunta homeworld seemed like an easy way to make a good buck.

Rain was pouring down on the small freighter, BD514, over dark ocean as it sped toward the city of Qabarat, which was growing rapidly on the horizon. Though known as the Jewel of the Western Sea, little of the city sparkled in this weather. Qabarat lined the mouth of the Yaro River, which stretched past the city, into the foothills of the Stormshield Mountains beyond. Navigation beacons and the city's traffic control AI directed BD514 to a landing pad at Ship's End, the city's bustling starport.

From her position in the pilot seat, Drisella asked Vask. "Captain? Do you want me to put down this flying bucket somewhere?" Knowing the tiresome prejudice that she got from her fair skinned cousins, Dris being an exile drow, wasn't thrilled to visit the world where her race allegedly had originated thousands of years ago. Her only solace in that regard was that most elves kept to themselves in isolated communities on the planet.

 

[Lord DreamCrusher]

Vask shifted uncomfortably as his leaned over the captain's station. While he appreciated this opportunity that the company afforded, he certainly did not appreciate the cramped confines of the ship ill-suited for his stature. At twelve feet tall the shobhad was over double the average human in height and nearly ten times their average weight. He could barely squeeze through half of the doorways on the ship and only the main access hallways and the cargo holds were truly comfortable by his standards of space. Trying to sleep had been a troublesome task with the bunks as small as they were and using the lavatory was a whole different story. When it came to the bridge itself he had to alternate between standing hunched over his terminal and the chair, a seat that was far too small for him to ever hope of using, and sitting on the floor of which his torso was still long enough to grant him a clear view of all his screens though the hard metal was no more comfortable than standing.

"Here." He said while ensuring that she received the landing data that he could see from the local traffic control. "Sooner I can actually get outside and stretch my legs the better." His voice was coarse and rough, it rumbled from his throat even at his normal talking level and helped his naturally imposing figure be just a bit moreso. Though it was likely a bit harder to take him seriously with how ridiculous he looked while stuffed into the bridge. "Next time I see Tarika I'm going to remind her what it's like when something big is stuffed into too small of a space..." He grumbled that last line under his breath but, even still, everyone present on the bridge would be able to hear if they were paying any reasonable amount of attention.

 

[KalTammy]

"I don't know, sounds fun to me," said the chipper little Goblin half hidden in a proportionally oversized chair on the far side of the room. Less than a third of the size of their ccaptain, Gabby rather lacked the issue when it came to space. Even beyond that the shared spaces and lack of privacy on this boat was rather appreciated by the free-spirited scientist. She certainly wasn't shy given her outfit of choice, white silks in the Kalistocrat tradition, but almost transparent with how sheer they were, a deliberate mockery of her old life. This exposed the second skin beneath, the hue matching the green of her skin exactly, making her practically seem naked. Sometimes she left the undersuit off when she was being particularly teasing and wanting attention.

Gabby kept half an eye on her displays, figuring a routine landing shouldn't need much attention from her. Of course if things ended up not routine? Well she trusted that Drisella could keep them from crashing and burning.

 

[Lord DreamCrusher]

At Gabby's response Vask turned his head to eye her, the tiny little midget of an individual all but swallowed up by the chair she was sitting in, and huffed in amusement. "She's had the pleasure..." He let that word roll over his tongue like a purring growl for a moment before continuing. "... but I intend to give her the pain. She got me this job, it's her fault I'm stuck like fruit in a can. Kinky bitch will still probably like it though..."

Still, as his yellow eyes looked over the goblin's form he couldn't help but appreciate how curvaceous she was. Despite their difference in size he'd certainly be interested in seeing if she could handle him, not to say that Tani wasn't doing a decent job of helping him drain his balls. "Though if you want to find out how far you can stretch, I'll help you figure it out." Not now obviously, and maybe not in the foreseeable future even considering the tight deadline of their shipment, but he put the offer out there all the same in a teasing manner.

 

[ShadowPlay]

"I'll take her down Cap'n." Drisella was receiving the data from Vask. "What a wonderful weather to land in. Who in the name of Calistria ordered this downpour?"

As Drisella were working against the forces of nature to land the brick shaped spaceship, Tani from his seat looked at the captain. "Don't worry master. I will be there to massage your sore muscles and help you stretch whatever you need stretching." His high pitched tenor was almost singing the words.

Tani was wearing the bare minimum clothing in the form of the company issued coveralls that doubled as a makeshift spacesuit. Several tools were stuffed into the various pockets,making him always ready to fix whatever problem came up on the ship. Being Vask's slave he had learned to follow the huge fellow wherever he went, but finally setting down on a spaceship was amazing. For Tani the possibility to work on the tech in such a place as this was like being a kid in a candy store. "But maybe Tarkia just listened to what you use to say. It's tight but it's going to fit." He looked at his owner with large adoring eyes and a sweet smile.

The lack of visibility and the strong winds and downpour made the descend a bit rougher than Drisella had hoped. She was glad that she didn't own this ship as she was sure it got a few bumps and dents on the way down. Several things went flying as the ship was thrown hither and thither with a coffee mug going in one direction and a pen in the other.

As the ship finally settled on the ground Dris sighed. "Fuck that was rough. I'm sorry for the bumpy ride. Is everyone alright?" She looked at her crew mates. Tani was lying sprawled on the floor just before Vask's seat, with his big femboy ass and feet above his head.

---

Prat's Produce could be found a few miles from the starport, on Sprik Street. Fortunately, BD514 contained a vehicle called a cargo rig and a couple of hovercarts to help transport the goods.

Piloting roll

d20+9 = 13 Piloting (+1 from computer) - landing (DC 15)

 

[KalTammy]

Gabby turned to Vask, fluttering her lashes as she peered up at the enormous form of her captain. She'd certainly been imagining just how hung he might be under that suit, and she'd lingered to listen by the cabin door that Vask and Tani shared. "Oh my door is always open for you Captain." Her tone turning sultry as she made her promise. It'd be fun to enjoy some free time among this crew.

Her daydreaming was interrupted by the reality of turbulence and the dangers of storms. Light as she was, Gabby was easily tossed around, clinging to the arms of her chair as she was practically bounced by the violent shakes of the ship. She didn't fall out of her chair like poor Tani, but it'd certainly not been a comfortable landing. Sometimes she missed the luxurious life of her childhood, heaven forbid the rich and powerful ever had a landing that even spilled their cocktails.

Groaning in annoyance, the goblin hopped down from her chair, rubbing her generous rump. "Bruised my butt a bit, but that's nothing new. Hope that shaking didn't break anything on the ship." Gabby glances over to the mechanic in his undignified sprawl. "You okay down there?"

 

[Lord DreamCrusher]

For his part Vask was relatively unmoved. Oh sure, he'd smacked the ceiling and jabbed his legs against the console in front but he was kitted out in full, thick armor so he barely felt anything aside from his head of which was currently uncovered. Following the goblin's voice to the sight of his slave in such a compromised position made Vask huff a little. Outwardly it likely sounded like frustration to the untrained ear but it was a sign of mild amusement in truth.

"He's fine. I've put him in plenty of positions less comfortable than that." To accentuate his point the shobhad lifted the lower arm on his side and brought it down to slap Tani's upturned ass firmly before he moved to try and haul himself out of the bridge and towards one of the airlocks. "Pick yourselves up and get to work. Everyone to the rig. After that landing, I'm driving." That last bit as a small insult to Drisala's piloting perhaps but from his perspective it wasn't personal, just a slip up that he called her out on and wouldn't harp on in the future. This was their first trip together as a crew and while Vask knew Tani inside and out, literally, Drisala and Gabby were new faces; he wasn't really sure about their skills aside from the obvious crew positions the company had assigned them. "Just to be safe though Tani, I want you to check systems and do a visual sweep before we take off again. If anything did shake loose I don't want to find out when we are in space."

 

[ShadowPlay]

Drisala was only slightly annoyed by the comments from Vask. The large Shobhad didn't say anything that Dris wasn't cursing herself for. She should have taken greater care on the descend. However she had no intention of letting him know that he was right. Instead, she cursed under her breath, "By Azathoth. Try to fucking fly a shit ton of bricks through a storm. You should thank me for being alive at all."

But on the other hand, Gabby's comments humored Drisala. That little goblin seemed to be a nymphomaniac slut, just the kind of person Dris loved, and she started to appreciate the fact that the two of them shared one of the two room on the ship. Perhaps she could convince her green colleague to take part in shoot once they got back to Absalom Station. Stuffed Goblin Gabby would be such a catchy title.

From the floor Tani smiled as he began to untangle himself. "I'm more resilient than I look. Don't worry about me." He stood up and touched the captain's knee and with concern in his voice he said, "Did you hurt your head, Master? Do you want me to take a look at it." Lacking a licensed doctor, Tani had often patched Vask together, as he had both training and natural skills in that field. Tani ran his hands over a few screens at his engineering post and replied after a few moments. "Nothing seems to be out of order. But I'll do a visual check once we get back."

---

The trek to Sprik Street was uneventful. The large six wheeled company rig with its hover trailer attached was anything but fast and maneuverable, but at least it could carry the 50 tons of cargo that they needed to transport from Prat's Produce. What the crew knew about Prat's Produce was more or less what they could learn from the infosphere. That it was a small family owned grocery and distribution center specializing in off-world trade. The place was managed by Runo Prat.

Additional Infosphere information about the city of Qabarat

Qabarat - StarfinderWiki

starfinderwiki.com

The inside of the grocery exuded a cleanliness that was minimalistic, but not sterile. Rows of shelves and friendly aisle displays presented a wide variety of well-organized foodstuffs for purchase. Dozens of people—mostly lashuntas—go about their daily errands, selecting food and making (sometimes telepathic) conversation. Small, bright screens scattered about the store used flashy ads to announce the day's best deals and upcoming specials. To the right of the entrance, automated check-out lines supervised by a middle-aged lashunta woman, tallied up customer purchases.

 

[Lord DreamCrusher]

"I'm fine." Vask replied to Tani in regards to his head. While the slave was well concerned and obedient, excellent traits to have for his position, his eager nature often lent to overly doting upon his master. In some regards this was enjoyable to the shobhad, in others it was somewhat annoying. Still, Vask felt little need to curb the behavior overall since it wasn't too extreme. To some extent he'd gotten used to it by this point. After all, didn't many people enjoy having an excitable pet? Tani effectively filled a similar role.

---

Driving the rig through the rain was quite the experience and Vask couldn't help but be a bit in awe of the weather conditions. It was warmer here than his homeworld and he couldn't remember having seen rain upon Akiton; nearly all the water was trapped in snow and ice upon the mountains. Drisala might complain about the conditions but he rather loved it; it was new and exciting and exactly the sort of thing he was looking for compared to his work on Akiton. It almost made the cramped ship flight worth it, almost.

Stepping into the store and glancing around, it held a different layout and culture to be certain but not all that unusual to his eyes. Of course, he drew plenty of looks in kind for his stature and armored figure enough. This was not unusual to him of course, though this place seemed... softer by comparison. As if the people were less used to hardship, though perhaps his instincts could be proven wrong with time. Not to mess around too much with finding the manager he stepped over towards the middle-aged woman and attempted to flag her down in a casual manner. "Here for a pickup. Where is your manager?" Hopefully she could point them in the right direction. Wandering through narrow aisles was not what he wanted to be doing after the flight here. He'd have to be careful not to knock anything over.

 

[KalTammy]

"Don't worry, I appreciate your smooth hands working this big hunk, and we can even still walk!" Gabby couldn't help lay it on a bit thick, even if she admittedly was stretching the innuendo there. The point is she wanted to help the beautiful Drow feel appreciated, she liked everyone getting along when possible. She hoped the captain didn't end up being too abrasive in his dealings, but that remained to be seen.

---

Having spent most of her life in space in one form or another, rain was somewhat a novelty for Gabby. She liked the idea of rain, enjoyed her first time stepping out into a light spring shower, but this heavier storm was less to her liking. So the Goblin huddled in the rig, and did her best to use her taller companions as shields as she followed Vask inside the store. It was somewhat amusing seeing the large Shobhad navigate spaces designed for more standard humanoids. 'Gods help him if we ever go to a Ysoki settlement,' she thought, knowing that she'd be the one taking point in such a situation.

With him flagging down a worker, Gabby stepped up to the man's side, brushing her hair back to make herself presentable. She'd be here and ready to help her captain make any negotiations. While she officially was the science officer, she'd been groomed to work contracts and make deals, just because she left the family didn't mean she forgot her lessons.

 

[ShadowPlay]

"I can't guarantee you that you'll always be able to walk afterwards if you try to handle my big hunk." Drisala replied with a wink. The stretching of the innuendo was funny and the care to stoke her ego was appreciated.

---

The lashunta woman at the counter nodded at the odd party with a smile. This was Qabarat after all and you'd see all sorts of people, but this looked more like a joke in the making - A goblin, a drow, a lizard and a 12' shobhad enter a grocery store.

Inside the office, they found an older, stocky Lashunta male. He was wearing blue coveralls and sat behind a wooden desk covered in papers. He tapped furiously on a datapad while grumbling to himself, "Fucking shit. I shouldn't have downloaded that shirren porn". His most notable feature was a missing left antenna and a thin scar that began at his forehead and zigzags back along his scalp. He looked up, tossed the tablet aside, and asked in a polite but agitated voice, "What can I do for you?"

 

[Lord DreamCrusher]

Grunting a little as he squeezed into the back office that had been pointed out to them, Vask was honestly not phased by the battle damage on the man's face. Such injuries were common in the mercenary business and it was a wonder that he himself didn't have more than just a few scars here and there. Hanging back more towards the entrance rather than committing fully to the center of the room, hoping that this could be a quick exchange and that he didn't need to drown in documents and signatures, he responded more or less on equal terms to the man within. "You Runo? Here to pick up a shipment of Yaro Berries for the EJ Corp." He wouldn't even begin to bother trying to pronounce the full name of the company, he wasn't good with foreign tongues.

 

[KalTammy]

Gabby's only difficulty in following was making sure she didn't get in Vask's way, a rather simple matter if she kept from staying too close to his legs. Once in the office though she would step around to stand more in view, not in hee captain's shadow. While it'd be easy to overlook her, she wasn't seeking that right now, as tempting as the idea might be in pushing her luck with some light theft.

 

[ShadowPlay]

The nodded at the large Shobhad. The hulking beast was scary in his own right, but being used to deal with all sorts of people it didn't seem to bother him. The little hot goblin however made him lick his lips and with a smile say. "Yeah. I'm Runo Prat. It's good you're here," the old man said, "but you'd better hurry. There's a lot to move, and those Yaro berries will spoil before too long. You've no idea how much this shipment means to me. I'm retiring after this. Thirty years running this place. Now it's Needa's turn. This shipment is my retirement plan, so please, be careful, okay?" His voice was genuine.

"But I have a small problem." He gestured helplessly at the tablet on the desk. "I need to file the change of ownership paperwork, but I can't get the damn thing to work! It was working fine for inventory last night, but now it's a mess."

Tani was standing close to Vask and whispered to him. "You want me to take a look at it Master? I might be able to get it working."

 

[Lord DreamCrusher]

While Vask didn't much personally care for the story given by the man, it was a fine sentiment and all but didn't much effect him personally considering all he had seen, heard, and even down in the service of others already, he did still meet the man's gaze and offer a small nod to assure him that this shipment was important to him too... just for different reasons. Elbowing Tani slightly as a little nudge, the shobhad gestured with his head towards the tablet. "Go take a look. See what you can do."

Vask himself had no real experience with computer systems and would happily designate the grunt work to his slave; that was the whole point of a slave after all. While Tani might have been bought up on account of his feminine appearance, the boy's skills with all things technological were a great boon to complement Vask's more battle-focused mentality. "Tani can probably fix it for you. While he does that, why don't you get us sorted on where to bring our rig around so we can start loading it up? As you say, time wasted is more risk of any spoiling."

 

[KalTammy]

Seeing the managers clear interest in her, Gabby fluttered eyes up at him, smiling sweetly so he'd know she'd noticed and appreciated the attention. Gabby was the sort of girl who liked attention wherever it came from, and she figured a little charm might help them out, she'd found very few situations where some seductive charm couldn't improve.

She'd pass Tani, giving the taller reptile a pat on the lower back. "Holla if you need any help sweetie." While she wasn't as skilled as the engineer, she certainly knew her way around computers. 'Surely he couldn't have gotten that many viruses from the porn?'

Sauntering on over towards Runo, she inserted herself into the talks, again playing on the man's clear interest. "I'm sure Mr Prat that you'll give us all the help your staff can offer in making this transfer go quickly and smoothly. All the better for you to enjoy your retirement, in any way you please." She winked up at him, though doubted things would go further than her flirty encouragements given their time constraints.

 

[ShadowPlay]

Tani nodded at Gabby's offer. "Thanks Gabby. I'll call if I need help." He didn't think he'd need it, if he couldn't crack the datapad, then he'd open the case and access the memory directly. But he hoped that it wouldn't come to that.

Runo was smiling at Gabby, focussing more of his attention on the hot goblin than on anyone else. "I'll make sure you get all the help you need. Wouldn't mind lending such a nice lady a hand or two." Prat said.

"I will look at the datapad. Master." Said the small lizard femboy. "I'm sure it's nothing serious." He took a quick look at the pad and to Runo he said. "Well it looks like it's locked with password and fingerprint. If you can give me those on my pad here." He fished his custom computer deck from a pocket in his coveralls. He held it for Runo to interact with it. The Lashunta paused for a moment before giving his access to Tani, returning his full attention to Gabby.

"So tell me. What is a beautiful young lady such as yourself doing with a crap outfit as EJ?" He asked Gabby. "I've never heard them being a good company for their employees."

Tani began fiddling with his compact computer tablet. He connected it to Prat's datapad and began to investigate. There was some quite agitated feather movements from him as he worked. In their time together, Vask had learned that when Tani was agitaged and frustrated, he cursed in his native feather sign language. It took longer than he had hoped - almost half a minute - but finally he had a result.

"Alright. I'm in." Tani said. "There's a firewall here - looks like space goblin code. I need to get past it." His feather moved in excited patterns. "And there we go. I've set a new password for you Mr. Prat." He sighed and scribbled the password down for Runo - GoblinGabby.

Runo was grateful for the assistance with his datapad. "Keep your eye out on your way back to Ship's End," he told the group. "I'd heard some people talk of goblins out there." He looked at Gabby with an appologetic smile, "You know bad goblins. But I didn't think much of it. If you're right, and they're the ones who hacked my files, well, I don't know what they're up to, but it's criminal, that's for sure."

"Once the sale has been completed on Akiton, I'll be paid as well. So I hope you take good care of this shipment." Runo said. "If one of you want to help me with the paperwork." He smiled at Gabby. "Then you can start loading the crates."

---

Dice rolls

1d20+8+5 = 14 (natural one1) Computers (DC 17) - +5 from fingerprint included.
Retry: 1d20+8+5 = 17 Computers (DC 17) - +5 from fingerprint included.
1d20+4 = 15 Perception (Tani)
1d20+8+5 = 29 Computers - firewall

 

[KalTammy]

"Oh you know, a girl's got to eat and sometimes opportunity can be a fickle thing." Also having a well connected Kalistocrat family blacklisting her from most respectable options did rather narrow things down if she wanted to get off of Absalon Station. "It gives me a chance to see the stars and meet interesting folk, until a better oppertunity comes around!"

Gabby listened with half an ear as Tani talked through the problem, though her focus mainly stayed on Runo. She nodded half heartedly at his warning, only for it to suddenly click why he was specifying the type of Goblin. Having been adopted and raised outside her species, she sometimes kind of forgot about the rest of her supposed kin. She laughed it off, a small sweet chuckle as she lightly patted Runo's leg as she took to walking by his side. "Oh don't you worry, I'm sure we can handle any of those brutes. But thank you for the warning sweetie."

She'd glance back to Vask as Runo spoke of paperwork, not wanting to overstep her bounds with her new commander. "Do you mind if I take care of this? I'm sure my help in loading wouldn't count for much." Not that she was opposed to manual labor, getting her hands dirty felt good for sheer reasons of spite. But she was certainly the weakest of the team.

 

[Lord DreamCrusher]

Vask crossed his upper set of arms over his chest as he watched the exchange play out. He had intended to explain that this payday was just as important to them as it was to him but now such things hardly mattered with a curvaceous goblin chatting the man up. He cast a sidelong glance down to Drisala to see her reaction to all this, though he expected she was much more comfortable with extended small talk, and ultimately just did his best to let everything play out until Tani got the pad fixed up and things could get moving again.

"We will keep an eye out for them." He chimed in in regards to the potential for a goblin ambush. It was at this point that Gabby brought up the topic of helping with the documents. Runo worded it strangely as 'paperwork' of which he didn't understand but could piece together the overall intention at the least. "Very well. But don't think you can get out of helping with labor all the time." If someone needed to help then surely the goblin was the best choice. It made sense considering her stature after all. Nevertheless a part of him felt the need to ensure this didn't set a precedent for the future; the expectation that she could always find some out to avoid loading and unloading to some degree.

---

When the three of them were outside and ready to get to the loading of the trailer Vask couldn't help but bringing up the potential for an ambush while eyeing the cargo rig and trying to figure out how it would be best to defend it in such a case. "I want everyone to stay focused when we drive back. While I don't care about Runo's retirement plan, if we fuck up this shipment it's our asses in the fire. To that end I'm giving you a shot to redeem yourself Drisala. You'll be driving us back." While he'd no doubt that her plasma bolter could inflict more serious injuries on a single target than his arc caster, his weapon of choice was better suited to groups of enemies. He doubted goblins would attack in anything less than numbers and would prefer that he could react more quickly should something like that happen. Course, could just be nothing to worry about but he hadn't survived this far by being complacent and naive.

 

[ShadowPlay]

"The cargo is out in the back." Prat said to Vask. He was smiling at Vask's decision of letting Gabby help him sign the documents. There was truly some merit to his claim that the cargo had to be signed over to the crew before he could release it. If it was going to take a long time and needing special attention from a more than willing goblin, well... that was a whole other matter. Runo smiled at Gabby and gestured at the couch in the office, "Please take a seat dear. I'll bring everything you need in just a second."

---

Outside the crew got their first real experience of being an interplanetary cargo hauler. There was 50 ton of berries, in neat crates of 50-lb. sealed crates. They were going to be loaded onto the rig, a task that would take hours for the three of them. Luckily, Vask's size made the task somewhat easier, him being able to move more mass around but the fact that they were on Castrovel didn't help anything. The gravity on Akiton would have been more forgiving.

Drisala shrugged at Vask bringing up the rough landing again. "I don't need to redeem myself to you or anyone else, Vask. You are alive. That's more than you would have if anybody else had flown that crate down in this weather." She wasn't even mad at his bickering over the landing, just a little annoyed. In truth she was more worried about the potential of an attack by goblins. Even if they were feeble creatures, they had a knack for technology and always arrived in numbers. They would have to be careful and it might turn out violently. "But sure, I'll drive us back. Just be sure to be on the lookout for trouble. Those green buggers can be sneaky as hell." She looked at the two thousand crates. "But none of that is relevant until we get this load on the rig."

Tani was taken aback by the amount of cargo. "Oh my. Master? Why don't we have a cargo lifter or something? Why hasn't the company provided us with that?"

 

[KalTammy]

"Wouldn't dream of skipping all the hard-stuff Skipper." Which beyond just being another innuendo was true, she did like a bit of hard work. Give one last parting wink she turned and followed Runo to his office.

Once inside she'd hop up onto the couch, rather used to having to climb up onto furniture designed for taller species. Settling down and elegantly crossing her legs, she'd watch Runo as he prepared whatever documents she'd need to sign.

 

[Lord DreamCrusher]

"Perhaps. Or maybe your ego prevents you from accepting that failure should be met with redoubled efforts?" His youth as effectively a tribal had instilled upon him the beliefs that people should be hardened and strong to survive, that strength of body and will was the natural way. His time as a mercenary in the city states had proven just how weak most other individuals were by his opinion, not necessarily lacking of skills but of conviction. "If you believe your words so true then should I attempt the takeoff instead when we depart? Rest assured that I will own up to my mistakes when they happen and not flee from them."

Nevertheless there was little point to continue this debate right now with such work ahead of them. While menial labor for others was taboo to his culture Vask was the captain at this point and could stomach such things with the understanding that he worked for himself in this instance, even if the company might argue otherwise. He stepped forward to begin loading the crates immediately, responding only to Tani's complaint with his own reasoning. "Would you even know how to use a powered suit if we had one?" Vask had longed to get training in such things as he reveled in the potential for destruction they held but such opportunities had not been made available to him yet.

 

[ShadowPlay]

Drisala rolled her eyes. That guy just wouldn't let go. "Sure old man. But no thanks. I'd rather live than have you in the pilot seat." She might have been a youngster, but that didn't mean that she didn't know her shit. Instead of debating the whole stupid issue, she turned, "I'm bringing the rig around so we don't have to haul those crates as far."

While Drisala was getting the truck, Tani was looking at the boxes with dismay. They weighed more than half his body weight. "I have no training in it. But I think I'd do better than without." He said to his owner.

Even for Vask with his size this was going to be a lot of work. After all, he himself and everything else weighed three times as much on Castrovel as he did on his home planet. There was no doubt that this was going to take hours to finish.

---

Runo gathered his datapad and went to Gabby. He stopped right in front of her with a smile on his lips. "Don't let anyone say otherwise. Administrative work can be very hard." He said as he handed her the datapad. "I just need you to sign here." Right in front of her, in his coveralls, was a large bulge that seemed to be growing at the second. "It's going to take hours for your colleagues to load the cargo. Why don't we get a little more comfortable?"