I carefully maneuver the section of hull plating into place via the welded-on handles while listening to my chief engineer's voice coming through my com system "A little up...a little more...stop. Now down...right...a bit left..." and carefully adjust my thrusters and then the plating slide into place "Ok, hold it there!" she says and starts to weld it in place.
Sighing I wait until it's in place before letting go "That's the last one. Finish the weld then we test the pressure." and I hear her answer with a "Hmmm hmm." and roll my eyes before starting to lazily float next to the ship, watching the planet. She is a brilliant engineer and tech but when she gets into something...
I shake my head and start to slowly circle the ship when her voice sounds through my speakers again "All is holding, Skipper. We got a good seal and pressure is up. Engineering is safe." and I nod.
"Got it. Now take a break or I'll order Tel'te to sit on you again until you do. I'm coming back inside." She chuckles.
"Got it, Captain. Nothing major left to do anyway until Skies return." and I close the channel before swooping around the Pearl to head for the hangar, we got the air shield up and running on when my sensors beep and draw attention to an approaching ship seconds before the com light up.
"Black Pearl, this is Clear Skies on approach. We got the parts we need." Commander Swan radios in and I trill happily before opening the channel.
"Welcome back, Commander. Hope they didn't rip you off too badly." She chuckles.
"Not that badly, we do have some cash left in the company funds even if these things were more expensive than I expected them to be. Hope you didn't close that hole yet though, because some of these things are rather big, they will never get through the corridors."
Oh for crying out loud...
Two weeks later, I coil up around the pillar newly moved from my quarters on Skies and installed on the bridge of the Pearl. Two weeks of hard work getting the hyperdrive working and a million other things needing to be fixed to make the Pearl capable of hyperjump, including a short-range transmitter.
Not a hypercom, just something to talk to other ships and docking controls.
"So Tel'te, think you can handle her?" She snorted.
"No problem, Skipper. I'm rated for heavy freighters and they are bigger than she is...just because I'm not as crazy as Cormac don't mean I can't handle this." as she leaned back into the main pilot seat.
I shake my head and open the com to Engineering "Miss Honor, ready in engineering?" It takes a second before she answers.
"Ready. Reactor and engines are all online and operating." I nodded.
"Very well. Keep an eye on them." I closed the com and switched it to contact the Skies.
"Clear Skies, this is the Black Pearl. We are ready for the trip to Coruscant." and a second later I hear Jack, the com officer of the Skies answer.
"Rodger that, Pearl. We are ready here as well. We will follow you out."
I trilled softly and gave the pillar a small squeeze "Miss Visa, set a course for Coruscant. Engines ahead slow."
She grinned and nodded "Course set for Coruscant, Engines ahead slow." and the ship moves for the first time in four thousand years, accelerating away from the ring around the planet.
I can feel the hum of the engines through the pillar as I open a com to engineering "How does it look?" I can almost hear Sarah Honor's grin.
"She's handling things just fine, purring sleepy Hutt." I blinked. I wasn't aware Hutts purred.
Shaking my head, I turn my attention back to the bridge as Tel'te glanced back at me "Hyperlimit reached, Skipper." I spread my feathers happily as she continued "Ready for hyper to Coruscant." I point forward.
"Engage."
Now if I could just find some Earl Grey...
Half a day later, we flashback into Coruscuant space and I finally relax slightly. She held...four thousand years of sitting there and all it took was a couple of weeks of work and she was ready to escape Einstein's cage again and she's purring like a...well, like a Hutt I guess.
Republic engineering sometimes kicks a massive amount of Goa'uld ass.
A few hours later, I meet with my XO on board the Skies after getting both ships docked to one of the orbital stations.
"Well, I got the ship registered as salvage and then to the company the last time I was here. Sir, so at the very least that's done." she says and takes a sip from her glass while leaning back in her chair in the empty food court. I nodded.
"I received a message that had been waiting from the Navy on our way to the station. They are coming to collect the remains tomorrow. So...how badly did the purchase of the parts hurt us?"
Samantha sighs and shake her head "Not as bad as it could have, but worse than I hoped. We have just under a hundred thousand credits left in the company funds...while we're not exactly broke, it's less of a buffer than I like if something breaks down. Now we need to pay the long time docking fees for the Pearl as well."
I frown but nod while eating a fruit "True...she is in good condition for her age, but she'll require a refit before we can use her. Anyway, can we afford it?" She shrugs.
"I have looked at our options, Captain and we have a few.
Option One is to Sell Clear Skies and use the money to refit the Pearl.
Option Two is to sell the Pearl and use the money to buy several light freighters and hire crews for them. Even as scrap she should get us at the very least two or three million...and she is working so we might get up to five or six. That's a fleet of light freighters. A new YT-1300 cost just over a hundred thousand in it's cheapest configuration.
Option Three is to keep her docked while we do jobs to collect enough cash for a refit, something that will take years.
Option Four is to take a loan."
I sighed and grumbled "I don't like any of those..." and she nods.
"Neither do I, sir. Personally, though, I dislike option Two the least. While we would lose the Pearl...it would give us a rather large amount of cash to work with and would let you expand the company."
Shaking my head, I ate another fruit and burr up my feathers "Yes it does...but so would selling the Skies. But I don't want to do that. I haven't owned her for long, but she has become home."
Samantha nods with a small smile "When I left the Navy I didn't think I would ever like a ship as much as I did that old corvette, but the Skies comes a close second."
I hmmed and nod as I finish up my meal "Well...I did promise the crew a vacation...heh, like six months ago. This time it's going to actually happen though and nothing shall get in the way as I am not tempting fate again. We are having it right here on Coruscant, not on Dac and you all get two weeks leave with full pay. The company can afford THAT much at least and you deserve it."
She gives me a smile and finishes her cup "Want me to call the crew for the announcement?" and I shake my head
"No need to bother them in the middle of the 'night'. I'll announce it tomorrow. I'll make my decision about the Pearl by the end of the two weeks, this requires some thinking time."