Alderaan - Love and Intrigue

Flying into the planet was quite the visual feast after having been on the swampy moon of Pantora for a long period of time. This was green, lush, and even for Nudimsu, a rather exquisite sight to see. The planet was green. Hadn't seen this much nature in a long time. As he gathered the coordinates of where to land the Turtle, he sort of stared around and took a deep sigh of relief. It was calming to see all the vibrant colors.

No wonder most Alderaanians were regarded as insufferable peaceniks. Such a place would relax anyone and put them off their guard. Not Nudimsu, however. Not after everything he had been thru. He had enough of grandstanding and supposed moral philosophies that got people needlessly killed after Bankor for so called honor and what have you. Besides, the flowers were probably growing over corpses of their own. Surely, there likely were others who paid the price of their pacifism on this planet, if not around them.

Equally savage beings, those in the Republic were. They only won out due to the barbarianism the Sith Empire espoused.

"We're approaching now. Hacha, you better have put your stuff away like I told you. I don't want to deal with stepping on screws again because you forgot to secure them." There was little feeling of warmth or playing around in his voice as Nudimsu spoke, flipping switches and pushing buttons while hitting up on the comms to talk to everyone while looking on a Durasay, likely nearby as his co-pilot.

"I won't lie; it's nice to be able to enter a planet and not worry about being shot at upon entry." There was one last small stare on the fields once more as the spaceport came into full view before he turned the ship and lifted up the landing gear. "Especially with us lacking a proper gunner."

The lush green of Alderaan held no appeal for Hacha, who was instead in the bowels of the Turtle checking the ship systems as the clutches of gravity clawed at his ship. It was standard procedure now, but he fussed over the ship like a mother wampa over her cubs.

"One time! One time, when we needed to go to emergency maneuvers. I guarantee you, the repair bills would have caused a great deal more pain than your foot if I hadn't gotten the thrusters realigned. I don't want to hear about a lack of gunner, I'm more than enough for a blue milk run like this. You could put a total amateur in the gunners seat and they'd have a better than even chance of hitting the target the way I've gotten our fire link systems running. And I am no amateur."

Hacha checks their power usage, getting a happy 'blerg' from the system. "Sublight systems are all reading in the green. Power draws are all within nominal output levels. Working on local gravity recalibrations. I don't suppose that you'd like to take her around the planet a few times so that we can compensate for polar variation, do you?"

While not a trained pilot, he had some degree of natural talent that aided in ensuring Nudimsu could focus on rentry. The older man was relaxed, flipping through switches, beginning the landing cycle.

"We can always call up some old friends, if we need a dedicated gunner." His voice cool, and mellow. A contrast to the clipped taciturn of the younger Chiss Captain, and the almost hyperactive tense of their Duros mechanic. "I think our empty cargo hold gas a greater chance of being valued, though."

The Pantoran's face was beginning to show signs of age. Lines at the edges of his eyes. His silver hair seemed to dull slightly. Yet there was still the fire of youth in his amber eyes, and that fierce determination set in his features.

The passage of time was apparent in the non-Chiss people, and Durasay did not share his cousin's apparent ability to keep their looks as they aged. Nudimsu, however, continued to look the way he did when they met each other at age 14. "Then consider it a lesson learnt, Hacha. Always be prepared for evasive maneuvers." He spoke again and proceeded to make his way down to the planet. He looked away, but a small smirk on his face appeared in his response to Hacha could be caught if looking at him at the right moment.

"Hopefully it won't come to that while we're here, but it depending on how this mission goes, there may be some hurt feelings when we leave. I would recommend we give someone a call to meet us when start to make our departure that we can trust, though I'm sure someone in the populace could be sufficient, if we do get the chance to employ ourselves here. Empty cargo space, as you say, could help pay the docking fees." He would have suggested contacting Craw off the bat, but he had been choosing the bottle over actual work of late. The thought of him being consumed by his own emotions and past of his family only made him more annoyed for reasons he'd rather not express.

The ship began to get steady as he considered it, flipping back on the comms. "We'll get to it after we land and figure out our bearings of this planet. They seem rather sensitive about ship travel in certain areas, according to the intel reports. Don't want to start upsetting their precious sensitives and make Durasay's job that much more difficult right off the bat." There was no snark in his voice again, merely a shaking of his head as he approached. It was a talk with the port authority after they landed.

The Turtle made its way in and was as smooth of a landing as it could ever be. He'd been improving his piloting skills during his time away, and it only got better as he got older. Chiss were trained to be the best, and it was getting to be the case with each passing year. The ship landed down, as more switches were flipped and buttons were pushed. "Speaking of jobs, how our are chances with this one, you think?" House drama was never something he could particularly grasp; if it were, he would still be with the Ascendency.

"The House game is all over my head, to be honest. I'm honestly not sure what the stake is Dur, but as much as I hate to say it, them fighting each other is profitable enough for me. Probably best one with sneaking and oneupsmanship rather than actual blaster fire, but while I like our hold, I would imagine that if they wanted a massive cargo hold, they would pick some lumbering tug. Our beauty is faster than the average freighter, and handles like a patrol boat to boot. Blockade running, or some other business that takes her into harms way is more likely business"

Hacha unplugs the link to the terminal that he is jacked into. "There. Our systems should be calibrated to the local conditions, barring a storm or something of that nature. I'll probably be trolling the port for make work to keep myself busy until we right the right kind of trouble"

"It sounds about right." Nudimsu nodded his head and stared around. "Well, saves us a step, but I'll get what I can from the port authority in after we settle. Be important to know more about this planet, in case we need to make more evasive maneuvers." He gave a deep breath as he unbuckled himself, being sure the ship was secured. "I don't doubt you'll be able to find work in such a place; maybe you'll be able to settle up the docking fees before we leave. Assuming, of course, the Pantoran government isn't funding this trip, of course." His eyes jet over to Durasay with a look. Probably could have talked more about this trip on the way, but even with the years he's spent improving on his small talk, it was something he never could think of to initiate.

"I have a contact with one of the Houses here. This being their family's holding should make that convenient." There was a slight smile aa he finished the check out procedures from the copilot seat.

No longer a Senator, and no war to fight, the Pantoran was dressed casually. Simple black jacket against a white tunic. The tunic tucked into cargo trousers, finished with his trusty riding boots.

No need for the stuffy noble regalia yet.

His smile turned to a fierce smirk. "Like Hacha said, a blue milk run. Should be profitable."

"Well, one less thing to worry about." He nodded and strapped up his gear, all the same. Taking off the G-Suit and getting into regular clothes, he stared at his belongings as he finished sorting. "Know anything about how these Houses work, then, since you have the connections? Be good to get a jump on anything they might pull." Chiss Houses at least have the dignity of leaving murder off the table in our dealings; I'm sure such things are not off the table in such lesser forms of government control.

"I did what I could on research before arriving, not to mention my...talks with Lyseil Panteer back on Bankor about the subject" That was a kind way of putting their interactions, a clear sign he was showing great progress in his social understanding of other humans. Still, Nudimsu did not necessarily dislike Lyseil.

The things she was competent in were very informative and useful in the right circumstances; she was by and large a valuable person to know. However, in things she was not, she was one of the only few people who managed to make his brain throb in pain after talking to for long periods. She was also one of the few people that he just couldn't find the energy to criticize her for being so...her. Limited social contact was the best solution to dealing with Lyseil . Still, her presence her would be useful to them, as she would be someone they could potentially trust...

"Don't suppose if you are aware if she will be here for this celebration, do you?"

"I'm not aware." He replied, making his way from the cockpit down the hall to the crew quarters. "It's a big planet. I wouldn't be suprised but I can't say for certain if we would see her or no." The door slid open, and the Pantoran stepped in. His room was well organized, without too much ornamentation. Two display pieces, his noble regalia, and his armor, next to a tidy desk. Looking over his bunk, he picked up his gear.

Keeping the internal comm on, he continued. "It's a Democratic Monarchy. And the Houses are more or less peaceful. Handled things in committee. Shouldn't be anything cutthroat, really."

"Oh wait, this is Princess Sparkles we're talking about here?" Hacha shudders. "I mean, good taste in guns, but huhhhhhhhhhhh"

The Duros looks on warily. "If every on this planet is that perky, Daddy is going to need is special whiskey juice"

"Lyseil..." he pauses again, groaning for a moment. "...If I had to say something non-critical of her, Hacha, was someone without guile; I did not doubt her intentions for a moment. With so many humans the way they are, it was rather...well, refreshing, actually, to see such a thing." He shook his head and continued to prepare.

Her heat signatures on her face never wavered in a ill way when she spoke; it was honest conviction.

"Regardless, I should at least check with her House beforehand to see if she is here. If not, probably best to stick with those you know and can rely on for now. In the Ascendency, we always dealt with things in committee as well, though we lacked the rather insufferable practice of a monarchy to maintain things. The ego of having a crown on your head, I imagine, must make this queen rather hard to maintain."

Finishing getting into his civies, he strapped his blaster into his holster and gave a deep breath. "Though, I will hold my judgement of these royals until I see them. War may be on the horizon for this planet, and it would not behoove me to think so little of them so quickly as to potentially taint my view as to what must be done to prevent it."