"...And they go like you wouldn't believe it! It's like the starfighter version of a pod racer. Really fast, and really maneuverable." The Hutt said and emptied his glass.
I nodded "Sound like quite a nice ship. Too bad neither of us would fit in one..." I said as I bounced a fruit in my armored hand, before crushing it in my beak. While I declined anything to drink as I was flying back, I didn't say no to something to eat.
"I really should get around to watching a podrace at some point..." I then added as I tilted my head in thought. While illegal in large parts of the Republic, nobody really policed it out in the rim and nobody did anything about it in Hutt space.
Galuga coughed, choking on his drink as he sat up to stare at me like I was crazy "You have never seen a podrace?!"
I shook my head "I live on a ship, I need to go where the cargo takes me. It has never lined up so I arrive during the time of a race."
"A damn pity! Watching races is the best fun you can have without naked twi'lek dancers!" the Hutt laughed before he pointed at me "You know, you should buy a podracing team."
Blinking at the leap in logic I tilted my head "Why would I want a podracing team?"
He held his glass to the side and had it refilled by an almost naked twi'lek servant girl. Hutts. This one might be a bit eccentric..but sometimes he lines up with the stereotype perfectly.
"Advertisement. You have a shipping company. When the producing team you sponsor win, people connect that speed and safety with your company." the large slug-like alien said with a chuckle.
I thought that though for a moment before I shook my head "Good idea in theory, but only as long as my team wins and...doesn't crash."
He chuckled and shook his head "So don't crash and make sure you win." he started before a guard entered the room and walked in. The guard whispered something to the Hutt and handed him a datapad. Galuga looked down at the datapad before he handed it back to the guard "I'm sorry to say that it seems like we will be unable to do business, after all, my friend." he said.
"Your people couldn't find the location of my ship?" I asked and shifted my position on the Hutt resting platform.
He looked uncomfortable for a moment before he shook his head "They found it, but I can't give you the information. I'm not getting involved with those kind of people."
That surprised me. I stared at him for a moment before I asked "You own a block of Nar Shaddaa. You are a powerful player here. How do these people unnerve you?"
The Hutt grimaced "Power and money do not help you when you wake up with a blaster against your head. Take my advice, Captain Atreus. Leave this alone."
"Who are they?" I asked, tilting my head in curiosity.
Galuga simply shook his head.
XXXXXXXXXX
Of course, I didn't leave it alone.
I tightened my hold slightly around the pillar as Jack looked up from his console "Got them, Captain. Their transponder just popped back on. They just lifted off and are heading towards orbit."
"Do you have confirmation that it is actually our ship? They could have switched transponders." I asked as I shifted my wings, moving around the pillar so I could look over at him without stretching.
He frowned slightly and kept working for a couple of seconds, before he spun his chair around to face me "As sure as I can be. She just exited the atmosphere, and she read like a YT-1300 on sensors."
I nodded "Any sign that they know who we are?" I asked.
Jack shook his head "Not that I noticed. Unless they have their computer specifically set to search after company ships, there is no way they know we are here. We would be lost in the swarm."
For a moment I thought about going confronting them now but then I turned to Swan who was sitting in the navigator's seat, next to Cormac who was back in the piloting seat "Calculate their hyperspace vector and extrapolate possible destinations."
My second in command and the main pilot just nodded and focused on their instruments, leaving me to watch the Autumn Flower on the hologram in front of my pillar until they accelerated to hyperspeed.
"And...I think I got them, Captain." Swan said after a couple of moments "Unless they are going to the K'rek mining colony, they are going straight for Tori Prime. It's a trade asteroid in a dead system. My money is on the asteroid...it may be useless other than for its location along the hyperlane, but that's my best guess."
I tilted my head and pulled it up on the hologram "Hutt space, only half a day from here. Mr. Cormac set a course and get permission to leave the system. Maximum speed if you will. If at all possible, I want to drop out of hyper just behind them."
My old pilot shook his head "We are fast, Captain...but they have just as good of a hyperdrive as we. However, Tori Prime is deep in the system. We should be able to catch up with them on the way in." he said before he glanced back at me "The system has plenty of asteroids in it. Entering or exiting hyper anywhere but at the edge has a high risk of crashing into one. Been there a couple of times...the station is a busy dump, but the system is fun to navigate through."
Picking a fruit from my always hovering drone I flattened my feathers in annoyance. I believe it is time to see what that freighter has pulled me and my flock into.