Star Forge - Chapter 18

Shmi was truly a blessing. She managed to transform both cargo areas into relatively comfortable rooms. Simply keeping Anakin around her would have made the entire timeline completely different. She was patient, had a nearly endless catalogue of skills, and never seemed to lose hope. Anakin would have grown to be an amazing young man under her guidance.

Tali quickly made hers homely, but I kept mine sparse since I just needed bed. Of course, Anakin helped her decorate with various tools, droid parts, and some things that I didn't recognize. Mette, Anakin, and Tali became thick as thieves before we hit the Hyperspace Lane. I was glad that it distracted the Asari from her crush on me. It might not have vanished completely, but it was fine for now. Bo flirted with me as usual. She really kicked up the frequency when Mette was around. Thankfully, getting in touch with her contacts kept her busy for the most part.

Navigating the politics of the Hutts was annoying to say the least. There were a few assassin contracts on each of them, but the legitimacy was in question. Some were set by the target to flush out threats, others were bluff made while negotiating a deal, and the few that were solid had to be navigated with caution. The only positive was that each one paid rather well even after making sure to compensate those who helped along the way.

Logistics wasn't the only difficult part of the preparations. Killing a Hutt wasn't a simple matter. Normal blasters weren't enough to punch through the layers of hide, fat, and muscle. Even with access to my armory again I didn't have something that would work. Those that could punch through to the squishy center were too conspicuous. Going for the head was more complicated than it appeared. I remembered one Hutt that had half their skull blown off, survived, and patched the hole with cybernetics. It wouldn't matter if I just stormed the palace, but that was also a good way to die. I would probably have to do it once they caught on that I was eliminating all of the Hutts, just not a viable start.

Poison wasn't an option. They had robust biology that made finding one that worked difficult. It was a small list which made purchasing a viable dose obvious that the target was a Hutt. Taking inspiration from Leia and strangling one of the damn things was always an option. I would just need to get close enough to use the rope launcher in my gauntlet. Explosives were probably the best bet. A thermal detonator seemed to make Jabba squirm.

My lightsaber could work. It could cut through blast doors, so a Hutt wouldn't put up too much of an issue. Stab the slug, carve a couple of figure-eights and call it good. I didn't think salt would be helpful. It would be funny though.

I busied myself maintaining my gear. The cybernetic arm needed very little attention. I needed to send Padme another message of thanks when she wasn't busy. How much longer was she going to be queen? My armor needed some attention, as did my gauntlets. I didn't have those whistling birds. Those would be a nice. All I needed to find was a proper Mandalorian Armorer. Sure, I'd just pop a 'help wanted' ad at the next space station and see if it got any bites.

A spanner slipped through my fingers, bounced off the tip of my boot, and landed on top of my new mattress leaving a large streak of grease on the fresh cushion. It was more annoying than anything. I only needed the mattress if I wanted to sleep without wearing my armor. Like I was tonight since the internal circuitry needed some recalibration.

Damn.

I really needed to figure out how to get more space. This ship just wasn't enough room. I couldn't just pick up a new one with enough space. It was only going to get more complicated once I woke the commandos. I could probably get a bigger ship after killing a Hutt or two, but that was speculation. It was crazy that the Droid Control Ship had been completely run by droids.

My hand froze over the spanner.

That wasn't right. I'm an idiot. The Lucre Hulk Class Droid Control Ship was the same version that was used to blockade Naboo. It was the same one that Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon landed to meet with the Neimoidian Trade Federation in Episode One. No way that those space frogs would endure one ounce of rough living. Less so for the quarters for the bridge crew. Still, that meant I had been ignoring a viable resource this entire time.

I hurried to the fresher, swiped my key, and stepped into the warehouse. The interior had adapted to integrate the Droid Control ship. I had stopped paying attention once I saw that the factory and research area were ready.

"Excuse me," I said to the open air. "Would you please bring the living quarters from the Droid Control Ship here?"

A little bell chimed, and a door appeared on the wall near the droid research lab. It was rich burgundy with gold accents and wide enough for the entire crew to walk side-by-side with room to spare. The door opened as I approached to reveal a richly decorated hallway. I braced myself as I walked up to the first door. It slid open with a faint hiss to show a luxury suite. Repeating the process showed me that there were thirty such rooms in total. The hall ended with five slightly smaller suites. Further down there were another twenty rooms, this time without the gold accents on the door, each with a triple-stack bunk and minimal amenities marked the crew area.

This entire time I could have fit the commandos and the crew with room to spare.

I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. Yep. I was an idiot. Just to rub salt in the wound there were even some cleaner droids puttering around.

+100
[Pity Points]
[Roll – Bank – Shop]

ROLL.

[COST: 100 FP]
[NAME: Beth Sanchez] (Casting - Sarah Chalke ala Scrubs season 1)
[Your very own Beth Smith, who never got together with Jerry or anyone else. She's a fresh college graduate and already seen some things. Handy with a gun, scary with a knife, and probably learned more through osmosis on adventures with her father than most people do their entire lives. She won't shy away when things get strange. She'll be a loyal companion… and maybe more.]
[Purchase – Dismiss – Bookmark]

Eh, what the hell. There was plenty of space now.

PURCHASE.
[Balance: 800 Forge Points]

A flickering green portal opened up beside me. Smoke and the smell of burning metal poured out of it a moment before a humanoid figure jumped through. They landed flat on the floor, pulling their foot out of the portal just in time before it flickered and vanished. The woman, now that I got a good look at her, was wearing a tight black body suit and a leather jacket. There was an empty holster on her hip as well as a sheath on her back. Both were empty.

"Really dad!?" She screamed hopping to her feet. "Fucking self-righteous asshole."

"Hello," I said.

She turned her attention to me and took in my appearance without some much as blinking.

"Hey," she said casually. "So, where are we? My dad said something about making a deal for my safety." She turned to where the portal had been. "LIKE I COULDN'T SAVE MYSELF!"

"Star Wars," I answered.

"Star Wars?" She looked around then at me. "How do you know that? I mean, you're an alien, isn't this supposed to be your home dimension?"

"Nope," I shrugged. "I woke up here a while ago. Originally from Earth. This isn't even my body."

"That's some shit," Beth muttered.

"Do you think he's going to come get you?" I asked.

I was on the fence about meeting Rick. Things never turned out how you wanted them when he was involved.

"Maybe in a few years," Beth shrugged. "It's not the first time I've been trapped in another dimension."

She took a moment and looked around. Her eyes glanced at the bunks for the crew then back the way I had come. Beth casually strolled over to the closest door that had the gold accent. She let a low whistle.

"Where is everyone?" She asked.

"On my ship," I replied. "This is kind of a…"

"A separate pocket dimension that you can access," Beth finished.

"Yes, well said," I chuckled. "I can't exactly have you pop out into the ship. Are you ok hanging out here for a while?"

"Lounge in a luxury apartment for a few days?" Beth said with groan. "I can make the sacrifice."

"Thanks," I chuckled. "I'm Kiskin, by the way."

"Beth," she replied. "Nice to meet you." She paused. "Any chance you've got an extra gun or two? I feel a little naked here."

"There's an armory down the hall, but the selection kind of sucks," I replied. "I'll get you a couple from my personal collection. Preferences?"

"Pistol or two," she replied. "An SMG if you got one. I don't supposed you have a blade?"

"I might be able to make a lightsaber," I offered.

"No thank you," she waved away the offer. "I don't have a way to reattach limbs." Beth cocked her head to the side. "Do you?"

"Nope," I held up my cybernetic arm and knocked on it to show the metal bones. "Had to get a stump replaced not too long ago."

"Woof," Beth said. "That sucks. Does it do any tricks?"

"No," I sighed, my shoulders slumped a little.

"Talk to you later, Red," Beth stepped into the suite. "I desperately need a shower."

I nodded and left her to take care of her business. She was an interesting lady. Surprisingly well adjusted all things considered. Though Star Wars was probably rather tame to her normal adventures if she was tagging along with her father.

Mette was doing a little jig when I stepped out of the fresher. I had just enough to swipe the key and reset the door before she dashed in. She probably didn't want access to the Warehouse. I chuckled as I made my way to my weapons cabinet. The flavor text for Beth's roll said she was loyal to me, so I didn't mind giving her a couple of blasters.

I used the door to the brig to drop off the guns, then went back to my impromptu camp.

"Damn it," I muttered.

The pillow still had grease on it.

~

"Hey, Red," Bo walked over to me. "Where were you?"

She didn't add that extra motion to her hips. I took that as a sign that Mette wasn't around. She loved teasing the young Asari. Mette was cute, but I felt like it would be taking advantage if I indulged her crush on me as she probably had a bit of hero worship on me.

"Fresher," I replied.

She shook her head.

"My contact finally got back to me," she said. "We've got a job."

"Thank you," I replied. "Did they give you any details?"

"Arok Besadii," she held out a data pad. "He's Currently on Arkanis, it's on the way to Tatooine so we won't have to alter course."

I looked over the data pad. He was there on some sort of business trip and staying as the guest of some local crime lord. There wasn't any information on the reason for his visit, but it didn't really matter. I wasn't sure if simply walking up to play the Mandalorian card would work with someone that actually knew what was going on. The data included an overhead shot of an island among a string of them. Each one had a few different buildings with their own landing pad and that had quite a few ships.

This would require an actual plan.

"Who is he visiting?" I asked.

"Empress Leeya," Bo answered.

"Empress," I muttered. "Of the planet?"

"The sector," she corrected. "They're called the Regency Worlds." Bo continued. "Arkanis, the capital, Issor, New Ator, Vasch, and Huldamun."

"Do we know if the Empress is on the planet?" I asked.

"She is," Bo replied.

"To recap," I said. "I need to find a way onto the island and kill Arok while the Empress is hosting him. Presumably, dealing with her guards and well as his all while somehow avoiding pissing off said Empress. Then, get off planet alive."

"Yes," Bo answered. "We do."

"I can work with that," I nodded.

This would be the perfect time to wake up the commandos. I leaned a bit to see behind her. The Fresher looked open again. Using it as the door to my Warehouse was going to make Bo curious. Was it worth hiding it from her? What exactly could she do with the information? I have a pocket dimension that only myself and the people I invite can enter. Telling her would mean I would need to let Tali in on it too.

"Excuse me," I stepped around her and headed to the kitchen area.

Shmi looked up from her task as I approached. Currently, she was teaching the B1s the difference between dicing and chopping ingredients. We were going to have the first kitchen fully staffed by repurposed battle droids judging from the way they hung on every word.

"Bee-Bee," she addressed the closest droid. "Take over."

I noticed someone had added a few stripes of blue and green along its chassis. Each one of the droids had their own little splash of color and pattern.

"Shmi," I inclined my head as she turned her attention to me. "I need your advice."

She motioned for me to follow to her quarters. I stepped inside after a moment when she didn't come back out. This was the first time I had been in any of the crew quarters, let alone her private room. She had decorated the place with some of the things she brought from Tatooine. I smiled when I noticed a few drawings that were clearly from Anakin. They were all done in shades of grease and had something to do with racing or ships.

"Yes?" She asked as the door closed.

"The private area," I started. "It would be better if we could all easily access it."

"But we have guests," she completed. "You aren't sure if you should trust them yet."

"I don't have an issue telling Tali. She's already attached to Anakin and Mette," I said. "It's Bo that I'm worried about. A tryst with her doesn't mean she's a loyal member of the crew."

Shmi nodded.

"You told that mercenary," Shmi countered.

"Then I had to stun her," I countered. "Then act like it was all something she thought up while she had a concussion."

"She reacted poorly," she sighed. "What can you do if this one does as well?"

"I can't pass it off as a concussion," I muttered. "I would prefer to keep her alive."

"You'll have to take the chance," she said paused, her posture subtly shifting to something stronger than she projected. "I will not allow her to endanger my son."

"I understand," I replied. "If it comes to that, you and Anakin are more important. All of the crew is."

"It looks like you have your answer," she softened again, giving me a gentle smile.

"Thank you, Shmi," I turned to open the door. "I appreciate your advice."

I stepped back out into the ship and took a deep breath. No time like the present. Instead of heading directly back to Bo I swung by the other cargo bay to find Tali. She had a disassembled droid stretched out in front of her. It had been meticulously taken apart with its pieces removed but nearby almost like she was putting together a model. The strangest part of it was that the head was still active having been temporarily strapped to the top of an astromech.

"Hello, Captain," the droid greeted him.

"Hello," I paused. "Beedle?"

"You remember!" The droid shouted.

"I'll do my best," I replied. "You and your companions are part of the crew."

The droid let out something akin to a wail. A moment later the astromech the droid-head was riding rolled over to me and leaned into my stomach.

"It's ok," I said patting the head. "What's going on here?"

"Oh," Beedle stopped their crying instantly. "Tali is examining my construction. She promised to put it all back together once she was finished."

"Tali," I called.

The Quarian didn't seem to hear me. She was muttering under her breath, lost in her own thought. I searched the rest of the area to find Anakin showing Mette various methods of how to fix something I didn't recognize. Damn, I missed the HUD from my helmet. The automated maintenance still had another hour or so before it was finished.

I moved closer to Tali, then stopped when I was within arm's reach. She didn't notice me. I tapped her on the shoulder. She grabbed a piece of the disassembled droid and raised it over her head as she turned to face me. Her battle-cry died in her throat as she realized who I was.

"Sorry, Captain," Tali fumbled to put the piece back on the table.

"Call me Kiskin, or Red," I chuckled. "That seems to be catching."

"Ok… Red," she said the name like she was tasting it. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No," I shook my head. "I have something I need to show you now that you're part of the crew."

She perked up at that.

"Come with me," I left the cargo area with her a step behind me.

"Red," Bo furrowed her eyebrows as she saw me approach. "What's going on?"

"I'm trusting you," I let out a sigh. "Follow me."

She shrugged then began to walk beside me. Tali took that as a sign and moved up to be on my other side. They both looked a little confused when I led the to the door to my quarters. Reading Tali's expression was difficult, but not impossible thanks to my many hours playing Mass Effect.

I summoned my key and swiped it on the door controls.

"Before I show you this," I paused. "I am putting a lot of trust in both of you. When I open this door we're allies, and we keep each other's secrets."

"Stop being so dramatic," Bo rolled her eyes.

"Way to ruin the moment," I teased as I opened the door. "This is how I survived Alderaan."

They both gawked as it revealed the open stretch of my Warehouse. Even more surprising was the sight of Beth walking around in only a T-Shirt, panties, and a belt-holster. Her hair was pulled back into a pony-tail while she was snacking on some sort of food I didn't recognize. Star Wars had a habit of making commonplace things look more complicated than they were. For all I knew, the protein bar thing she was eating was actually a compressed hamburger.

"Hey," Beth waved. "Who are they?"

"Who are we?" Bo scoffed. "Who the shab is she?"

+100 FP
[The Other, Other Woman]
+100 FP
[You Are Being Dramatic]
+100
[I Believe the term is Chuunibyo]
[Roll – Bank – Shop]

This was going to get complicated. Better to get this done before things really kick off.

ROLL.

[COST: 100]
[SKILL: Demolitions]
[You gain a natural affinity for explosives. You know everything there is to know about mines, bombs, and grenades. You can easily make and disarm explosives and any explosive weapon you use will deal slightly more damage.]
[Purchase – Dismiss – Bookmark]

PURCHASE.

[Balance: 1000 Forge Points]