The crew of the Pretio risking their lives in This Week's Episode
Abel initially teased him about missing the opportunity to go on another rich guy safari for the Ivory Gazelle Safari. He then admitted that he just hired a new crew, since the old one, save his pilot, the Yazirian Yast Rin-Blank, had been trampled to death in an Ivory Gazelee stampede.
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| Abel Norrum |
"What's up with you Ne'vets, my old pal?"
"We're training monkey butlers."
"Monkey Say-What-Now?"
"We acquired a few monkeys that were extra for some medical experiments or something. We discovered they're quite adapt at learning basic skills. We've got one reloading ammo."
"A weapons tech, interesting. What do they eat?"
"Chicken wings."
Abel was concerned, "Are they supposed to eat flesh?"
"Probably not, but they can stay busy working while we're at the bar."
Abel was somehow satisfied with that answer, "The economy is doing well, we're allowed to have custom monkeys. How's the crew?"
"We lost Tarrie, then Wookie. He even took one of the monkeys."
Abel agreed to look for leads on a co-pilot, "A competent one. Tarrie was pretty competent. He didn't get sucked out the cockpit like the other one you had."
"Abel, you called a few weeks back about your sister."
"Not my sistah, Tarrie's sistah. Have you checked the news?"
"That was her???"
"Thousands dead. She's one bad girl. She doesn't know where you guys live, does she."
"Okay Abel, gotta run!"
Ne'vets caught the rest of the crew up to speed with the Prolek/Savvn family drama and recommended a distant safari on the fringes of the galaxy.
"I'm still not confident that Tarrie was actually dead," Duk'k protested, "and anyway, what sort of bounty does the Empire have on her."
Ne'vets didn't worry about a bounty, "Knowing our luck, she's already hiding in our cellar without us even knowing."
Duk'k was incredulous, "Now it's bad enough five minutes ago I didn't know Tarrie had a sister, but who was going to tell me we have a cellar?"
Evus popped his head into the room, "I heard Latorna's name, is she here?"
"Evus, were you in contact with Latorna at all?"
"A couple times... After I left the group."
"Evus!!!! Did you help her blow up the shipyard?"
"I knew she was up to something big, but I didn't know it was going to the shipyard."
"Does anyone know who you were when you were with her."
"Some guys from her organization saw me. If she needs to lay low, this would be a great place for her to hide."
"IT CERTAINLY WOULD NOT! And don't contact her anymore... from here. Evus....Have you had carnal relations with Tarrie's sister?"
"I don't feel comfortable answering that question."
"I'm just ensuring that if we take a three, four year long safari on the fringes of the galaxy, that you won't leave in the middle and bring her back."
"Okay, I would like to see her again."
Ne'vets decided the conversation had run its course, and decided recruitment for new crew members on Takodana would be his next priority. He set up flyers at Maz's Castle for a pilots/mechanics/field medics and to set up inquiries to visit the ranch.
A day or two later, Ne'vets poured through his leads trying to ensure some distance from Latorna. It may have been too soon to contact the Lisani Corporation so soon, but he did recall his earlier message from a Mark Oberlates.
It took a day or two to reach out to him. Oberlates had been a basic client years ago, to get his boy a pet. His boy, Sergei was all grown up and was taking a gap year before starting up in the family business. Sergei had travelled to a recently re-discovered world of Ruie. Ruie had fractured into multiple nations and it appeared that he had run afoul with one of them and had been imprisoned. He had already sent an advisor and a substantial bribe to one of the other countries, but there had been zero progress. The senior Oberlates mentioned some ancient alien ruins that had interested Sergei, but the crew was far more interested in the 20k to rescue him, dead or alive.
Ne'vets pushed for more details and uncovered some preliminary agreements Sergei had reached with one of the countries before he went the Neevlethorn, the nation with the alien ruins, and who ultimately imprisoned him.
Ne'vets agreed to the terms, updated the team, and awaited the necessary forms.
A few days later, Ne'vets was up in the loft office, pouring through data, when Poonk, the ranch hand / servant came stumbling up the stairs.
"Boss, boss, boss, boss, there's a whole lotta people outside."
Ne'vets ran over the window, apparently their were a number of speeder bikes peeling off back down the access road, and dozens of individuals scrambling into the woods. The blaster fire that was chasing them off was coming from the porch.
Poonk climbed up to see out the window, "That's new. All those guys just showed up for the job."
Ne'vets ran down stairs to hear a rap at the front door, and Duk'k answering it, blaster in hand.
On the porch was a single woman in body armor, resting a blaster rifle on her hip
"Where's my karking brother!"
Duk'k felt inquisitive, "And you are?"
"Latorna Savvn, and you are???"
"Let me go get the boss... Ne'vets it's for you!!!"
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