Seven months.
I purr softly and hug the pillar as I look over the available funds. Seven months since I left the princess for the knights to deal with.
Seven months with nothing but moving cargo, making profits, and dealing with annoying, entitled passengers. At the very least I filtered most of those through Icri's unending patience. How that girl has managed to avoid going postal on them, I have no idea.
Either way, I have reason to feel pleased. Company funds just reached the level needed to actually pay off the debt to the Jedi. Well...other than the debt of honor to help them if needed.
With not a small sense of completion, I instruct the computer to wire the funds to them. Debt-free.
The ship is now 100% Mine.
Things are going well.
I slowly climb down from the pillar to head down to observe the rest of the cargo getting loaded. I look around the hangar. We are in an orbital station above Kashyyyk getting ready to move a shipment of computer chips to Coruscant. The Wookiees have always been good manufacturers of high-grade electronics, contrary to what you might think with their cities being located in trees and having a rather 'back to nature' look.
Either way, it's high-value cargo, worth more than my ship, and as such it's not only insured, but they also have to pay extra for the risk of a pirate attack.
Luckily they are a bit desperate as their normal transport had an accident during take-off and actually clipped the wall of the hangar and is undergoing a complete refit...and they HAVE to have the cargo moved. While my ship is hardly the only one on Kashyyyk able to take it, even with them needing to pay a premium, I'm still cheaper than the rest due to being able to take passengers.
Making my way over -and dodging the cargo droids assisting one of the hangars cargo cranes get a container on the magnetic transport band- I attract the attention of the Cargo Master "Mr. Mekak, how are we doing?"
He glances up at me before taking another look at his PAD "Thing's are going smoothly, Skipper. Barring any major disasters, we should be loaded up on schedule." before he ohs and thumbs something up on the PAD before handing it over "They want to send some kind of expert along for the ride as well. Personally I think it's somebody to keep an eye on the cargo."
I snort and hold the tiny PAD up to check the ID he logged "Well, considering the value I can't exactly blame them...and we do have some free cabins." before glancing at him "Payment?"
He grins and nods "Full price. Already cleared it with the XO."
Handing the PAD back again I nod "Very well, Carry on." before I make my way back into the ship to get some programming time in.
By now I have basically given up on trying to get their programming languages working for proper VI's so I'm recreating the one I was taught. It IS flexible enough to run on any hardware powerful enough but even so it is taking time to get right. Maybe in another few months, I will have ironed out the last of the bugs.
The journey to Coruscant was smooth. Little complaining from passengers, no pirates stealing the valuable cargo, nobody trying to kill us. The unload went smoothly and so did the loading of new cargo and I should have known things were going too well.
I was coiled around the pillar on the bridge when a transmission came in so I pulled it up on the hologram in front of me to see a small green being "Jedi Yoda. It is good to see you again." I greet him and he nods.
"Good to see you as well, it is. Working well, your ship is, hmm?" he asks and I nod.
"Very well. So what can I help the Jedi with?" and he nods
"Help, yes. Cargo you move to the Natsumi, system, you are?" and I frown. How he knew that I have no idea. The deal was only finalized a few hours ago for me to take a shipment of medical equipment to Natsumi Prime.
"I might..." I answer before the little green muppet nod
"Transport Jedi there, we like you to. Emergency it is not. Pay passenger fare we will."
I tilt my head slightly and then nod "I think that can be handled, we have a few cabins free. You are aware of the prices, though. This is not a normal transport..." and he hmmms.
"Know, we do. Willing to pay, we are. No other convenient transport there is...using own ship, even more expensive, it is." and I nod
"Very well, How many are there?" and he smiles
"Two. Apprentice and Master. Share cabin, they can...made of money, we are not." and then he chuckles, making me snort
"I think we can handle that. Please inform them we are lifting off in 20 hours." and he nods with a smile
"Inform them, I will." before closing the connection, leaving me looking at the empty bridge.
Jedi.
On my ship.
Now that's just freaking lovely...