Only the Good

[Ledo G. Prent]

"Ev'ry millennia, dey 'ave one. Watch ova it ferra cent'ry."

A deep sense of shame came over Ledo's features.

"Ah figga'd Delia'd 'ave sold 't. She an' you'd been set fer life."

[James Prent]

"Hard to sell anything when you're dead," she said flatly, wrapping the chain around her hand and holding the stone/egg? in the center of her fist.

[Ledo G. Prent]

"Forgettabou' me, Jamesy."

Ledo closed his hands over her own fist, looking back.

"She needs yeh. All Ah'm doin' is stumb'lin ovah me own feet tryin' to put tings right."

[Sanis Prent]

"She gets a priceless Siren egg. I get frozen dewback mutton for Life Day."

I was talking to myself out of self defense against the ridiculous. Stealing a glance at the stone before James palmed it, it didn't look like much. Hell, I'd watched her wear it up until this moment and never looked twice.

"Old man, are you dying? Is that it? Are you hacking a lung? Space parasites? Some cosmic-sized shoe ready to drop and you're trying to make amends for being a jackass?"

He didn't rile. He didn't snark back.

"You know what? Fuck it. I'm in. I've traveled this far already. Might as well hear the punchline."

And the part I wasn't willing to admit. I missed this sort of thing. Didn't want to admit how close me and the old man came on that sort of thing I guess.

[James Prent]

James was ready to open her mouth and say how this was all bullshit, but then Ledo put his hands around hers. Sanis was talking, but she didn't hear him. The stone in her hand seemed to get warm, and the Force sparkled around it. She stared, enraptured, and felt drawn in toward it...

Vertigo overtook her, and she tipped sideways, Ledo's hands suddenly holding her up until Byl grabbed her shoulders. "I felt her," she gasped, eyes flying open as she pulled her hand away from her father. "The siren. I..." James dashed away a tear from her face, emotion overwhelming her. "I have to help her. You're right," she said to Ledo. "She's so lonely..."

[Byl Laprovik]

Byl held her steady, knowing from her sudden change that she'd pierced that mysterious veil of which he knew so little. Whatever she'd seen had thrown aside her skepticism so completely. He didn't even have to ask are you sure. It was there plain on her face.

The Rebel agent held his girl close. She'd been there for him so many times. He'd follow her into hell if need be.

"Whatever you've got on the people holding her, I'd like to see it."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Cirr stepped away from the bar. He may have been the one that needed the least convincing of answering Ledo's call, but he was no less resolute now.

"Old man, you'd best show me to yourr shjip. Thjis mjight be yourr mjissjion, but jyou'rre gonna need an engjineerr."

The Cizerack crossed his thick arms around his broad chest with authority.

"And jI'm the best cat forr the job."

[Ledo G. Prent]

Ledo nodded to both Byl and Cirr in understanding. Even to Sanis, who had seemingly thrown in despite every misgiving. His eyes moved back to James, still coming to grips with the discovery she'd made.

"Thank ya', Jamesy."

It was a small thing to say, but it was all he could give in repayment to her words.

[James Prent]

She pressed her lips together and wrinkled her nose. "Let's just get it done. Like Byl said - Oh," she rubbed her face a bit, her cheeks getting pink. "This is Byl. Uh, we're... he's my... anyway, jus' tell us whatcha know. I'm not flyin' blind into the dark o' space wi' you not knowin' where we're goin'."

James flagged down the bartender. "Gimme an Atomized Eopie." He nodded, and a bright blue shot appeared, with a layer of dark red on top. She picked it up and slammed it back.

[Ledo G. Prent]

"Cor..."

Ledo didn't miss a beat, pressing the flesh with Byl as he clapped a hand on the man's shoulder.

"S'yer den Jamesy's squeeze ain'tcha? Arrite den Sonny Jim, wirra gettalong famous-like. Good man, good man."

The group navigated to a table and away from the bar. It was time to lay down the basics.

"De Siren, she's 'ow'dya say de crown jewels offa right od-ee-ous cunt by de name 'f Siro Kerkalos. Zygarrian bloke. Gorra twiggish look t' him but dem Zygarrian's dey 'arder den beskar an' rut'less t' boot!"

The old pirate lay down a flimsi with Siro Kerkalos' picture. Zygarrian aristocracy, he appeared somewhat as a dandy in a high collar and coiffed hair and sideburns set against felinoid ears and pronounced bony-ridged features.

"Dis Siro geeza, 'e gorrimself dis 'ere 'ow dey say...dacha. Big fuckoff mansion a toppa mesa out in de Zygarrian steppes where 'e can do wha'eva rich an' rut'less fucks do."

[Byl Laprovik]

Not knowing how to take the sudden heavy-handed hospitality other than with a firm handshake, Byl tried to be as affable as possible. He caught an incredulous look from James and as the old man turned his attention, he shrugged as if to say what?

That all evaporated when down to brass tacks. Immediately a look of dawning crossed Byl's face when introduced to the caper's antagonist.

"I know this man."

A face from dark days. Byl chewed on whatever words to say next regarding Siro Kerkalos.

"He's a slaver, and a powerful one."

[Sanis Prent]

"That's like saying Miranda Tarkin is into politics."

My old man was up one raging shit creek on this one.

"If it's human trafficking on the Hydian side of the rim, it's probably not going anywhere without this guy. He made a fortune off the Empire. Giving back a bit of it now that the galaxy is coming to its senses, but he's still a fucking menace."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Captain Quez remained darkly silent on the matter, tapping his broad chin with a claw tip as he looked at the photo alongside other photos presented of Kerkalos' dacha and finer bits of reconnaissance. Zygerria lay just beyond the Alliance's zone of influence at the far reaches of the Rim. The entire planet's deep history of warmongering and slaving was a perpetual back-biting threat. This wasn't going to be easy, no matter what.

[James Prent]

She was starting to feel pleasantly buzzed, and didn't protest when Byl steered her into a chair. "Trafficking in sentient life, Sanis, humans are a vast minority in the galaxy. Or do you actually mean humans?"

[Ledo G. Prent]

"Humans is mos'ly 'is forte."

Ledo grimly addressed James' confusion.

"Th' Empire 'ad a lotta enemies, po-litical-like. Course th' aliens they jus' sent 'em to be cheap labor theyselves, bu' the humans could jus' be sol' off to others who di'n't mind puttin' em to work. Enter Siro Kerkalos. He bought 'em up on th' cheap, an sol' em to jus' about anyone on th' outer rim who had a taste. The Skakoans, the Hutts, anyone. No tellin' 'ow many folks jus' disappeared."

[James Prent]

"Well, that's nice and creepy," she said. "So, bad guy who needs stopping an' a space whale. I still don't hear anythin' that sounds like a plan."

[Byl Laprovik]

"I know people in his organization, or at least people in his orbit. Could get us in close. If we pose as buyers, that might do it."

Byl spoke low, avoiding James' eye contact as he offered the revelation. It beat the idea of kicking the door down. And there was a possible upside.

"May be even that when we do end up pulling the wool over, we get a few people out of there to boot."

[Sanis Prent]

"I can handle that. We'll need skin in the game to make this look serious, and I can pull together enough spice to make Kerkalos take notice."

I could feel a pointed glance from Cirr to my side, and continued onward, addressing Byl.

"We get a meet set, make sure we have merchandise to look at, and arrange for face time."

Only now did I glance back to my former first mate.

"While we do that, you think you can get the wheels moving on our caper? You remember how to be a scoundrel still?"

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Cirrsseeto begrudgingly offered a toothed smile, his ears raising a little.

"jI haven't forrgotten my rroots. jI'll get jin wjith the old man and James to fjind ourr mjissjing whale and sorrt out how to move herr. Just need to make surre tjimjing jis rrjight - and prreparre forr a fjight jif jit's not."

[James Prent]

"Now this sounds like a plan." James sat back, the warm glow from the alcohol spreading into her arms and legs. She crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Do we just attach a tow cable to th' Dragon Siren an' pull it along, or is just releasing it into space good enough? Can she...find her way back home or somethin'?"

She sat up a little, scanning their table for any drinks the others might have forgotten about that she could swoop in and take care of for them.