"The Star is currently docked on landing platform 573A, Master Jo. Mistress Quin and I have all systems ready for your arrival."
Novak's Landing was a huge spaceport. It was home to thousands of species from tens of thousands of systems all across the galaxy. Everywhere you looked, you could see people of all shapes and sizes and colors.
Just on the short way back to the landing platform, the foursome of Nam Jo, Devan Pearce, Serrah, and Stegg Lennik encountered merchants and peddlers. Beggers and hitchhikers. Nobles and soldiers. Humans, Rodians, Ithorians, Niktos, Iotrans, Ishi Tib, Trandoshans, and even a Hutt followed closely by a trendy and overprotective entourage.
It truly was a melting pot of culture.
Their platform was located on a large tower called the Blackspire, which was home to dozens of freighters who frequented the spaceport. A lift took spacers from the ground to their respective berth, and was operated by a less-than-enthusiastic young human named Neth, who had been working it as long as Nam had been bringing the Star to the Blackspire. He nodded to the four as they entered and silently guided them up to their destination.
When they arrived at the top, there was the Nautolan Star. A stock Ghtroc 720 light freighter, the Star was little to behold. It was economical and trustworthy, but that was about as far as the praise for the ship could really go. The Ghtroc freighters were popular because of their complete mediocrity and ubiquity.
The boarding ramp for the ship was lowered, and the medical droid ZED stood at the foot of it, awaiting his crewmembers. Perched on top of a crate nearby was the Squib scavenger Quin, looking somber and frustrated.
The reason for her mood was the third person waiting for their arrival.
The Advozse Maeko Blite stood with them, arms crossed impatiently. His foot tapped the ground, like he'd been there far longer than he'd expected to and had somewhere urgent to get to.
Blite was Oro Rend's second-in-command, and a well-known hardcase. He wasn't unreasonable, as long as he was able to keep shipments running on time. He'd never come down on Nam Jo while the Devaronian had been under Rend's employment, so his appearance here was disconcerting.
As Blite saw Nam and his crew exiting the lift, he absent-mindedly ran a hand along the horn on the top of his head and approached them briskly.
"Finally, you're here, Jo. I've got an important assignment for you."
Blite pulled out his datapad, and inserted a datacard into the slot on the side, and began typing something onto it.
"Mr. Rend has something he needs you to deliver, as soon as you've finished your business with Icaron."
He pulled the datacard back out and handed it to the droid without even looking its direction.
"The coordinates on that datacard will lead you to a planet known as Tethla. It's a small world, farther along Rimma, that is mostly known because it is freezing cold, and has several scientific research stations located on it's northern pole. There is a man there you are to seek out, who will give you some very important cargo to transport back here to Thessp, and bringly directly to Mr. Rend."
Blite slid the datapad back into a pocket inside his jacket and crossed his arms across his chest.
"This is an extremely important job for Mr. Rend. It is not particularly time-sensitive, though it needs to be done as soon as your prior schedule allows it."
The Advozse began walking away from the ship, towards the lift.
"I don't need to tell you how important it is to keep the boss happy, do I, Jo? Also, please try and keep a bit lower profile. It doesn't look good for anybody for you to be picking fights with random street thugs. Even if you win."
With that, Blite entered the lift and was gone. For a moment, no one spoke. Eventually, it was the Squib, Quin, that broke the silence, in her normal, obnoxiously cheerful way.
"So, we're headed to Starforge to meet up with Icaron now, right boss?"
