2218/Cruising for Pokemon

Cruising for Pokemon
Date of Scene:	12 May 2015
Location:	Pokemon-2
Synopsis:	Juno Eclipse takes Lute out over Fortree City, on the hunt for Pokémon.
Cast of Characters:	188, 428

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Lute (188) has posed:
It's a beautiful, sunny day in Fortree City. A gentle wind flies through the air. There are occasionally Pokémon flying through the air as well. Some Beautifly, some Swablu, and occasionally even a Tropius. People are busy walking through the wooden paths that connect the various tree houses together. Some children are even playing around, climbing some of the larger trees.

Lute himself stands on a wooden platform near the north side of town. It's rather large comparitively, big enough a ship could be landed on it. It's real purpose is as a landing platform for people flying in on Pokémon. Lute stands around casually, hands in his labcoat pocket. Though he normally doesn't wear a shirt under his labcoat, he actually has one on right now. A self-printed 'Team Jinx' T-shirt he had made earlier. To stroke Jinx's ego and try and get on... Well, not quite her good side. But her 'I don't need to kill you' side.

He waits for Juno. He hasn't told her much about what he needs her for. But, he's hiring her for a specific reason. Tracking hordes of Pokémon. Sure, he could do this on Giratina, but Giratina's presence is something that tends to scare things away. A spaceship, sadly, is less frightening to wild Pokémon than Giratina. And though he won't say this either, well. He does like spending time with his allies. And Juno has, in fact, showed interest in Pokémon before. So, hey, might as well bring her along.

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
Fortree City is a gem of natural engineering, working with nature wherever possible instead of trampling over it roughshod. It's a beautiful place, and quite unlike a lot of cities in the Imperial Core Worlds... but fortunately, Juno Eclipse is a consummate professional, and pretty scenery isn't enough to distract her from a five-star landing.

She's not flying the Rogue Shadow today, but instead the much smaller HSC Slice Hound, an Apex Starling-class ship from the Starbound Flotilla's world. It's a small, sleek transport about the size of a double-decker bus with quiet engines, no visible weaponry, and a sleek steel-grey hull. It also has a cargo hatch modified onto the back end, which slides open to admit Lute.

And a loudspeaker, which transmits Juno's neat, clipped, Corulag-accented voice.

[Whenever you're ready, hop in.]

Lute (188) has posed:
Lute casually walks aboard the ship as its hatch opens. He actually was unaware that Juno had another ship, but. Hey! This actually works better. Smaller is better, for this kind of thing. He walks through the cargo hold, moving towards the front of the ship. He goes through the hatch, moving to approach Juno herself. He stands behind her chair, placing a hand on the back of it as he looks over her shoulder at the console. He's being fairly casual, and not even trying to flirt with her as he talks to her!

"Hey. This should be fairly painless compared to, well. Some of the other things I hired you for. There have been some hordes of Pokémon on unusual migration paths. I've been wanting to follow them from the sky. Should be just to the west a bit. Near the river, in some of the really tall grass in that area. Bunch of bug type Pokémon. Be careful on the flight path though. Think there is a swarm of Butterfree in the sky in the area, which is really unusual. ...Might try to catch something, but really, this is more for science than anything."

He pulls his hand off the chair, stands back, and stretches a little. Smiling. His excitement is palpable. He's really into learning more about Pokémon.

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
The Slice Hound is a recent acquisition, and it still has something of that chemical cleaner smell to it, having been thoroughly repaired, repainted, and scrubbed down with industrial-strength solvents. There are two jumpseats bolted to either side behind the pilot's seat, fortunately, although they look like hasty additions, too. Not particularly comfortable, either, but at least it's a chair with something resembling a seatbelt.

"I've done worse," Juno replies, head tilting to glance at Lute from the corner of an eye. She's in her rogue's outfit, the everyman's smuggler outfit she prefers when working off the clock, or in unaffiliated situations. "Believe me. This can't be any worse than capturing three live rancor eggs, or..."

Something falls in her expression; something, for a very brief instant, that suggests there is a memory there that genuinely wounds her.

She pushes it aside with a forced smile.

"Have a seat. I'm afraid they're not the most comfortable chairs, but they should work, at least until I've had a chance to incorporate something else. Welcome to the HSC Slice Hound. I helped the Starbound Flotilla with a few missions, and this was one of the things they offered me after I helped them 'acquire' some data onboard a pirate base's computer core. I figured it wouldn't hurt to have something other than the Rogue Shadow to pilot; the Rogue Shadow isn't actually mine, anyway. It belongs to Inquisitor Starkiller."

She's keying in the controls even as she listens to his directions, hands steady and unwavering over them. The little ship hovers over the pad, before ascending and turning its nose westward.

"Science, is it? I can't argue with that," Juno throws over her shoulder. "You can tell me more about these Pokémon while we're en route; I'm afraid I really don't know much about them, other than the fact that they're creatures native to your world that you use in combat."

Lute (188) has posed:
Lute jumps into the chair, and sits back casually. His entire posture is fairly relaxed. Legs crossed, arms stretched out and resting on the back of the seat. He does use the seatbelt, but he doesn't seem all that concerned. It's fairly loosely on him. Yeah, he just trusts in Juno's piloting. Or he could just be reckless.

His eyes light up though. A chance to talk about Pokémon. Even for those from his world, he's really into Pokémon. Which is probably why he turned it into his main profession.

"Well. It's... hard to pick where to even start. There are so many different kinds of Pokémon, it's hard to sum them up easily. But let's see... Where to start. Well, perhaps, first off. Creatures for combat are only part of what they are. Some people use them as simple companions or friends. Some people use them for labor, even. Some even enter them in contests about physical appeal, like beauty contests or coolness contests. Almost everyone on the planet has at least one Pokémon, though few have more than one or two. Serious trainers will have many, though."

"Serious trainers... Well. Usually, they get the money to fund their training via tournaments, official battles, or even working for scientists. ...In fact, that's part of why I want to start a Pokémon Ranch. So I can have room to hold more Pokémon than I actually own myself. So I can pick new talent from new trainers, and set them out to capture Pokémon for me to research. Because, well... At the age of ten, you can count as a legal adult and travel across the land. ...Few actually do, though, and most wait til they're eighteen."

He pauses for a bit.

"...You following this? I can rant on this stuff for hours."

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
In her youth, Juno had cut her teeth on piloting starfighters through all sorts of unfavourable conditions. Handling a small transport ship is something she could almost do with her eyes closed. If she were Force-sensitive, that would certainly be within the realm of possibility.

She keeps her eyes forward, nimble fingers dancing over the controls. Avoiding a gathering of migrating Pokémon shouldn't be too difficult. She's already had a crack at modifying this ship, and it's been stripped down for agility and speed. It's more than capable of ducking and weaving as necessary, and she does so, well enough that it's not even too bumpy a ride.

"From what I gather, the term encompasses all the fauna and some of the flora of your world," Juno observes, eyes turning down to the instrument panels. A slight nudge to the control yoke eases the ship to port, weaving around a group of butterfly-like Pokémon. "With them being so culturally accepted, I'd guess that they've got to be about as common as that."

She glances back, but briefly, just enough to indicate she's still listening. "I follow. Go on; and tell me when we've gone far enough. I'm keeping it slow, since I don't have precise coordinates."

Lute (188) has posed:
Lute leans back, looking out the window. He spots the butterfly Pokémon that the ship is passing by, noting them with a smile, "Those are Beautifly. We're looking for Butterfree. All of the other Pokémon should be in the same area. ...Though. Hrm. Call this instinct or intuition, but head a little southwest now. I see some Beautifly up ahead some, and... If there is a group of Beautifly here, odds are the Butterfree are somewhere a bit further away. ...Butterfly are more purple bodies, with black and white wings, so you know. In fact... One second."

He pulls out his Pokédex, presses some keys, and flashes it to Juno. Showing off a picture of Butterfree.

He holds it up for a moment, and then continues speaking, "...Well. Not all fauna are Pokémon. We still have animals much like those on incarnations of Earth. Cows, deer, stuff like that. But, well... The population of humans on this world is smaller than on Earth. Partially because, well. Pokémon take up a lot of the same resources humans do. We have to share the world with them to survive." He ponders a bit. He considers mentioning Team Aqua and Magma, but... That's not really important right now.

"But yeah, they're culturally accepted. We just view them as... part of existence. There are some species that are a lot rarer, and less people are familiar with. Some legendary. But like, in day to day life, yeah, you'll encounter Pokémon constantly. Like, for example. Construction workers often have big bulky Pokémon like Machamp or Rhyhorn to help them out on the job. Chefs will have Pokémon helping them in the kitchen. Like maybe a fire type to help flambe the food, or even just a really cheerful Pokémon of another type who has a knack for cooking. Day cares will often have at least one Pokémon that's fairly soft to help watch the kids. Hell, there aren't any wars going on right now, but. Some decades back, people took Pokémon with them to war. Like there is this one gym leader, Lieutenant Surge? His electric Pokémon saved his life during combat."

As he mentions different Pokémon, he keeps flashing them on the Pokédex for Juno to see. He's very enthusiastic, almost like a kid as he talks about this. If Juno does shift to pilot a bit more south-west, a swarm of butterfree will be seen in the air. And since Lute is having so much fun talking about Pokémon, he's unlikely to notice immediately.

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
It takes a steady hand and cool head to pilot through a swarm of bugs without just mowing them over with the engines. Although she looks a bit tense, Juno is up to the task; her eyes are glued to the forward viewport, but every so often she gives a twitch of her head to indicate she's listening. A proper nod would be too much movement, and disorient her too much from her chosen trajectory.

"So, it sounds as though they're some sort of subspecies, or related somehow." Juno works her jaw muscles, as much to let off tension while avoiding bugs as to think it over. "Taxonomically similar, anyway..."

She glances over her shoulder when he flashes the Pokédex, although the look is too quick for details. Mostly what she gets is a brief impression of black, violet, and white.

"Hunh." Juno gives a thoughtful sound, even as she keys into the sensors, squinting briefly at the displays. The sensors are a lot mroe basic than the Rogue Shadow's, so it takes her a moment of squinting to register that what she's looking at isn't the same thing she's been avoiding. "Interesting. So, a little like the animals and domesticated species found throughout my galaxy. No Earth," she reminds him, "and I'm not really sure what a cow is, but there are deer on Alderaan. Small, red and gold, herbivorous. I think they have hooves, but I've never seen one outside an old holo article."

"But there are all sorts of species that various sentient races have domesticated for various functions. I'd always wanted a puppy when I was a child," she adds, with a grin that seems almost embarrassed. "For example, take the name of this ship. Slice hounds are another name for Corellian razor hounds. They're a little like dogs, but they're much bigger, trained as watchdogs and pets. Pretty smart, too, on the whole."

"That's pretty amazing, though. I've always been interested in xenobiology," she confesses, a little quietly; as though she were almost embarrassed to admit it. "It's not really a proper hobby for an Imperial, but the sheer variety of life throughout the galaxy – and now the multiverse – always fascinated me as a child. It still does. I love learning about things like that; these Pokémon things are pretty interesting to me."

Oh, look, something's different on the displays. Juno blinks at the data readings, before looking up through the forward viewport.

"...Hey." With one hand she keeps the ship flying steady, and with the other she reaches back to thwap Lute on the shoulder, and then point out the forward viewport.

Lute (188) has posed:
Lute nods a little at the talk about deer and Earth, "Yeah, know you're not from Earth, but. Since that is the world most known for its specific wildlife, and my planet is more known for Pokémon, it's an easier reference point. I mean, I say Earth, a lot of people know what I mean for the animals there. I say 'It has animals that aren't Pokémon', it's less clear."

Hearing Juno talk about her wanting a puppy, and being interest in Pokémon? Lute chuckles. He really doesn't know much about the Empire, but he's piecing things together. He is beginning to understand that they're probably a... bit xenophobic, maybe. Or at least, they want everyone conforming to a mindset of what is proper and what isn't. ...Or at least, only using things that are useful. A smile crosses his face.

"...You could always get a Pokémon, you know. There are some dog-like ones. And a number of them could be useful help on your ships."

And then Lute is thwapped on the shoulder. His eyes turn to look out the ship, and he smiles. Awesome! He pulls a small notebook and a pencil out of his pocket, and starts furiously jotting down notes.

"Oh man! These things are usually super rare in this region. They mostly stick to Kanto and Johto. The climate here is usually way too warm. ...what are they even eating here. Is that... HUH! Tropius fruit? —That's fruit grown on another Pokémon. ...Man. Maybe this is a rotating migration thing, that happens only every so many years..."

He leans forward a bit, smiling. Trying to get as close to the glass as possible. "—does this ship have sensors? Also could we get closer to the treeline below? Sometimes smaller Pokémon catch rides on the larger ones. Or follow the others. There have been rumor of some other odd Pokémon around here to. Oh man, wonder what it is."

Again, he sounds excited like a kid.

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
"It might carry a little more weight for someone who's from earth," Juno points out, affably. "I'm not. Corellia works, though that's not where I'm from. From what I've read, the two planets have fairly similar terrain and climates, and roughly equal surface water. Maybe there are a few more deserts on Earth, though. Corellia isn't that dry."

Leaning over to one side and glancing out the viewport, the pilot flicks a brief glance back at Lute. "A Pokémon? Maybe. You've seen what my day job entails, though. Are you sure it'd be responsible of me to have something I'd need to feed, water, and pay attention to? I can't even guarantee that I'm going to go home in one piece, most days."

She sounds genuinely concerned, too. She's generally a repsonsible person; while the idea of Pokémon is fascinating, and also appealing, she wouldn't want to endanger a critter just because she'd be a terrible PokéMom.

"Maybe..." Juno trails off, though, because Lute isn't listening any more. It's kind of cute the way he scribbles notes and displays an almost child-like enthusiasm for these creatures. She can't help a faint smile as she turns back the controls. That kind of enthusiasm reminds her of Galen, when he has some new shiny rock to study, or something new he can do to adjust his lightsabers.

Leaning back, she adjusts the ship's trim, letting it hover a bit for Lute to study. Cupping her chin in one hand, she props her elbow against the arm of her chair, smiling faintly as she watches him spaz about butterflies. At his urging, though, she reaches for the controls again, keying in the sensor commands and nudging the thrusters to bring it closer to the treeline.

"I can bring us down, sure. Not too close, though. The Slice Hound's good, and I've modified some of her thrusters and nosed up her agility a bit, but she's no Rogue Shadow." Juno does so, keeping an eye on the sensor readings and the treeline both. "Is this a type you've caught before, or are you just interested in them..." She shrugs, having no reasons to hypothesise. "And what sorts of Pokémon do you think would work for me, anyway? I'm curious to hear what you've got in mind."

Lute (188) has posed:
Lute shakes his head. His eyes barely go off of the Pokémon, but he at least glances at Juno on occasion. He keeps writing furiously, who knows what all he has to note. But, he speaks even as writing, "Haven't caught one of thsee before, no. But I've studied them. Butterfree. Start off as Caterpie, evolve pretty quickly into Metapod, and then become Butterfree. Fairly quick evolution, especially if they're active. They're one of the more common Pokémon in some regions, but as said, them being here is unusual. They're somewhat weak, but can be trained to be fairly powerful if you put the time and effort into it. Some of them even get psychic powers. Also, poisons and stuff like that."

Lute looks down, especially as the ship gets lower. His eyes widen a bit. "Wow, this is unusual..." he mutters. He actually turns to Juno for a second, "Hey, look down there. Might take some good eyes, because some of these Pokémon are tiny. but. There are a lot more Bug type Pokémon down there than usual. Some Scyther, Heracross, Spinarak, Ledyba... Hell, even some Joltik and Yanma, those are especially unusual for this region... And... AH. Okay. That explains it."

He writes more, sighing, "This one is... sadly not a fully natural occurance, it looks like. There are a shitload of Pokéblocks down there. Basically, candies made for Pokémon. All over the place. Someone probably decided 'Hey, I want to lure in some Pokémon', laid them all over the place, and didn't clean it up. ...At least, well. Know that it can have this type of environmental impact now. ...Looks like they almost ate all of it, so they should part after this is over."

He straightens up, sighing. Not really a super major scientific discovery, as he hoped. But, shrugging, he turns to Juno again, "...Honestly, for a Pokémon partner for you? Almost anything could work. Pokémon will, generally, form a bond with their partner. They'll grow to love the things you like. So getting a young, unevolved Pokémon would be a good bet for you, probably."

He ponders, looking down, "...I am so tempted to capture a lot of those things. I mean I don't realy need a lot of bug Pokémon, but even just seeing a Pokémon makes me want to catch it...."

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
"So they've got some kind of metamorphic capabilities, too." Juno risks a quick glance at the horde of butterflies out the starboard viewport, hooking an ankle around the base of her chair to lean over as far as she might dare to for a look at them. "There are a lot of insect species on Corellia and elsewhere that have distinct larval and adult stages, but this sounds different. And so many different abilities, too. That's fascinating."

She seems just as enthusiastic about it, watching the creatures with evident interest. There isn't quite anything like them in the galaxy she comes from, so the chance to flex her hobbyist xenobiologist muscles is always welcome. It isn't something she normally has the chance to indulge; that kind of open-mindedness isn't really encouraged within the Empire, and she's not inerested in a demotion via Force-choke.

"Oh—" It's with a surprised sound that she leans forward to see so many different species down below. Her eyes flit over the different species, and it's strangely gratifying to see so much sheer variety. She doesn't recognise any of them, or even know what they are, but she does make a point of filing away those details for future reference. Some of them are almost cute, despite being insects, which are traditionally not the sort of thing people find endearing – those little yellow spidery things are strangely adorable.

"Which ones are which? I don't recognise any of those. Show me," she adds, gesturing to the datapad-like device. "It's pretty safe to assume I have no experience with these Pokémon creatures... really, I don't."

Lute (188) has posed:
Lute pauses a bit, realizing. He speaks suddenly, realizing a mistake. He so often forgets some of the more obvious aspects of Pokémon that are unlike other creatures. They just seem... natural to him, after all. "OH. All of them change forms eventually. We call it Evolution, even though it isn't quite accurate. But like. How to put this... They start off in one form, and change to another, eventually. Some don't evolve, but like. Yeah. They mostly all get new forms. Like, my Tentacruel started as a Tentacruel, which basically means it moves from two tentacles, to a lot more, being fairly larger, and getting pincers."

He starts listing off the species, using his Pokédex to help show pictures of all of them to Juno as well. He even gives some basic info like type, basic moves, stuff like that as well. Of course, almost all of them are part bug type, but.

"Anyways... Even if you know nothing about them, they're pretty easy to raise. It's easy at least to have one as a just a pet though. They eat mostly the same sort of things humans, or animals, eat. Like the bugs mostly eat plants, though there are some carnivorous and omnivorous ones who eat meat. So basically the most you have to do for food is just that. ...Hell, would you like some of my old books on Pokémon? I have some training guides from my early days training. Most of them will help you through the basics that apply to all Pokémon, and then I have some for different species of Pokémon. Some are easier to raise than others, though. Like. Dragons are particularly wild, for example. Certain water, grass, or fire Pokémon are usually the easiest. But you can also find relatively easy to train flying, normal, or bug Pokémon."

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
"Right," Juno offers, a little dubiously.

Even as Lute explains the way Pokémon function, her mind is flicking through all sorts of things she's off-handedly studied on biology and zoology. None of it really meshes with the things he's telling her. Such is the multiverse, though, and she's long since learned to throw her hands up and go with it.

She shakes her head at the tail end of his explanation in a manner that suggests 'this doesn't make much sense out of context and the multiverse is weird.'

"Books? How quaint." The pilot grins. "I admit I'm more accustomed to databases and holotexts, but I'm sure I can clear some space in a spare locker for a few dead trees. Some people like to read physical volumes, but I usually prefer something that can interface with the Rogue Shadow's systems... I'll take them, though."

She leans back in her seat, half-watching the tableau of bug Pokémon far below. "Flying, normal, and bug types, hmm? Have you got any guides that explain more about the different types, too? That might be handy."

Lute (188) has posed:
Lute chuckles a little, shaking his head. Yeah, it's amazing how the Multiverse has such different tech levels. He ponders for a bit, about giving her a DVD on the matter. Buuuut... Eh. She probably has nothing to play it on.

"Sorry it's such an old format. But hey, at the least, should be a bit of a novelty for those who come and visit. Besides, maybe we could get them uploaded to a more advanced format sometime. Lots of good info on them."

And, as for the talk about the different types... He smiles. "Well. there are a lot of different types. I have a book on the basics though. But, well. You know how some worlds' mythology have Elements as important? Like Fire, Wind, Water, Earth? Sort of like that. Eighteen different types. Things like Fire, Water, Ice, Normal, Rock, Ground, Fairy, Dark, Psychic... Hell. Shitload of cool types. ...Though thinking on it, Electric type might be able to help power our ship in a pinch. They're basically living batteries."

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
"I don't mind too much. I hear people from different worlds like to curl up with a book to relax. Holonovels and holotexts are the same thing, for us; I just have a datapad instead of sheaves of bound paper." Juno shrugs one shoulder. "Like I said, I should be able to find some locker space to shove them in for the time being. I'm not using the Slice Hound for Confederate operations, since the Rogue Shadow outclasses it. I've been storing my personal effects aboard it, for the most part; I haven't got much of any other use for it other than low-impact outings like this."

In other words, jaunts in which she doesn't have to worry about the ship going down, exploding, randomly combusting, or otherwise coming to some ignoble end or another.

"Uh huh. Usually most worlds list four. Some list five. Some belief systems in my own galaxy fall back on systems like that, too... eighteen, though? That's a lot." She quirks a brow, glancing back at Lute. "Electric-type, hm? That does sound pretty useful. What have you got on those?"

Lute (188) has posed:
Lute chuckles, "Well. Never know. Some people out there are completely against books when they could use high tech stuff only. ...Though I guess most of those people are also those who wouldn't care about training primitive organic species or stuff like that too. So eh."

And as for Electric types, he actually pulls out a Pokéball. A Raichu appears from it. Lute smiles, petting him on the head. Raichu then leaps into Lute's arms, and he pets it. "Well. I know a lot about Electric types. But, since there are a huge number of them, the book will be best bet. Some of them go up to insane levels of voltage, and are even used as backup power supplies for hospitals. Hell, there have been experiments to combine them with vehicles, but it's more the vehicle tech that is lacking than they're ability to power something. But, the main thing with them is... Well. You will get electrocuted, at one point. They won't attack for no reason, and they won't hurt you enough to kill, but. They do shock when mad, sometimes."

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
"Maybe." Juno shrugs, even as she keeps her hand steady over the ship's controls.

The engines and thrusters are holding position, but the Slice Hound is not a particularly large or heavy ship. Turbulence or wind could throw them off, and she'd rather not have to fly through a storm of psychically-empowered butterflies. That sounds unpleasant.

She glances over her shoulder as he releases the Raichu, staring at the creature for a good half-second before remembering to look back at the viewport. "Huh. That's kind of cute, whatever it is. And noted, although the same could be said of a ship if you handle repairs incautiously." She grins, patting the Slice Hound. "I almost had a few nasty surprises while I was working on this one."

"Let me know when you're ready to move on to the next point, but..." She gestures, toward the multitude of insectile Pokémon below. "Tell me which ones are which. I'd like to know what I'm looking at, down there... I think I might be interested in an Electric-type, though. That could be useful, working with ships."

Lute (188) has posed:
Lute sighs, shaking his head a bit. There is a little bit of a frown on his face. Mostly, in dissapointment. "Well... The thing is, this is what I was hoping to check out. I thought it was going to be a big migration of Pokémon. And like, while this is unusual for them, the cause is just... simple."

He actually really looks let down. He had really wanted something new to write on. For many reasons. Large congregations of a single type of Pokémon? He was hoping maybe there was a more supernatural reason for it. But, no, just Pokéblocks.

But. After a brief pause, he turns, and smiles to Juno. He reaches into his pockets with both hands. Between each of his fingers, he holds a Pokéball. They're in the small 'storage' mode, as opposed to the larger 'use' mode. He grins.

"...Well. Since we're here. Let's at least try to catch something. Can you turn the ship around so the cargo hatch is facing them? I actually have some... ideas. We could catch a shitload of these Pokémon. Most of them will likely scatter when the attack actually begins, buuuut. Hey. We could capture a number of them I bet. ...Shame I don't have bait or we would lure them into the cargo hold even."

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
"Well, I suppose these things happen." Juno leans over to look down out the viewports, idly taking note of the swarms as she holds the ship steady. "You know, there was probably a rampage of those rancors when they got back to find their nests empty. I bet that might've been something to see. From a safe distance, anyway."

A very safe distance. From orbit, maybe. Rancors are truly a terrible thing to behold when they're in a rage, and they're pretty often in a rage for some reason or another. They have something of a reputation as furious, biological engines of destruction no matter what ecosystem they find themselves in.

She glances over as he withdraws several Pokéballs, demonstrating that these critters can definitely be caught. Juno blinks a bit as he offers to go on a bit of a Pokémon safari.

"What? 'We?' I'm just flying the ship for you," she offers. "I wouldn't want to get in the way of your research. You're the expert, after all." Juno glances back to the viewport, brow furrowing. "There's an awful lot of them, though. Can you actually catch them easily when they swarm like this?"

Lute (188) has posed:
A smile crosses Lute's face, as he starts making his way towards the hatch out of the cockpit. He tilts his head back, looking at Juno. "Oh, really, it'd be hard to catch all of them without a team. Buuuut... Well. I don't know how a spaceship compares to a car, but keep your foot just over the gas, just in case, alright? Don't worry. I have a plan. And... All I really need are Raichu and... HEY, come out, Savant!" A pause. "Oh, that's my Gardevoir's name."

And with that, the male Gardevoir comes out of its Pokéball on Lute's belt. And Ltue starts walking through the door. "If you have cameras that view back here, keep an eye out. The plan, basically, is that I'll snipe them off with Raichu, use my Gardevoir to lift them into catching range with Psychic Powers, and then catch as many as we can. They should scatter. They usually will flee as opposed to fight, especially since they're just after food. Not protecting their nests, or anything. And none of the really vicious Pokémon are here. Like, no Beedrill."

And he then keeps heading into the cargo hold, preparing for the hatch to open.

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
The pilot glances over her shoulder, expression a little dubious. She's different outside of her Imperial uniform; more casual, but there are still shadows under her eyes that suggest a lack of sleep. She twists to regard the Gardevoir, squinting a little.

Right. Yeah, that's not even remotely like anything she knows of. She's going to gloss over that a little bit.

"Rerouting camera feeds," she states crisply, reaching up to flick a series of switches overhead. She must have been working on the ship, as the cockpit looks like a smaller, scaled-down version of the Rogue Shadow's cockpit.

Beedrill, huh. Something tells her she probably doesn't want to know what that one's like.

She glances over her shoulder again; a push of a button slides open the hatch for him. "I'll hold the ship steady, then. Go when you're ready."

Lute (188) has posed:
As the hatch opens, Lute continues to hold the set of Pokéballs in his fingers. He sees the vast variety of Pokémon floating behind the ship. He's waiting a second. Waiting for the exact right moment. Watching the flight pattern of the Butterfree, of the Scyther that are closer to the ground. He needs to wait not for when they are in a tight cluster, but when they are about to be. And, as he times for just the right moment...

"THUNDER!"

the Raichu sends out a giantic bolt of lightning, straight forward. It hits right in the center of a cluster of the Butterfree, and then strikes further down towards the Scyther. After this bolt strikes, the Raichu keeps sending more and more bolts forward.

These, of course, are not the most powerful Pokémon. Even the Scyther are rather untrained, aside perhaps one or two. Most of the pokemon start to flee. A number of Pokémon are hit, including a lot on the ground.

And then the Gardevoir, knowing its job, starts lifting up the fallen Pokémon with its Psychic Powers. They're carried to the cargo hold, at which point Lute throws a Pokéball at them. This will be a good batch of a number of Pokémon. This is going smoothly!

...Except for a rumbling buzzing sound beginning to come from the trees themselves. On occasion, a flash of yellow and black stripes can be seen, but they're not coming out yet.

And the bee-like buzzing noise is getting louder and louder. Loud enough Lute can begin to hear it over the constant bolts of lightning.

Lute pauses.

"CLOSE THE HATCH CLOSE THE HATCH. START GOING!"

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
"Nyagh—!" Juno jerks in her seat at the sudden crack-BOOM of a thunderbolt at point blank range, twisting around in the same motion to see what just happened. Lute still seems to be conscious, though, and there's not a smoking hole in her ship, so presumably that was intentional.

When he mentioned picking them off, that's not quite what she had in mind.

At least the subsequent bolts aren't quite as bad, or maybe she's just expecting them; Juno focuses her attention back on the controls of the ship. She's piloted her way through worse before – through outright warzones in the interest of delivering and retrieving Starkiller from his missions, for starters.

She's reminded briefly of the shipyards over Nal Hutta, when he had been sent to dispatch General Rahm Kota. That had certainly been a warzone, with rebel activity and Imperial defenses both shooting at one another, explosions setting off dangerously close to the ship, and militia activity within the facility itself; neither had the Rogue Shadow been on Imperial radar, so she'd also had to contend with Imperials taking the odd potshot at the ship—

She doesn't even think. She slams the button controlling the hatch and shoves the throttle forward. "Grab onto something!"

And then, if he doesn't follow her advice, the force of gravity will slam Lute against the back wall of the ship as the Slice Hound noses up, sprinting westward where the ship had already been facing. The insects won't be able to follow so quickly, and it's not until she doesn't recognise their surroundings at all that she eases up.

A few seconds of silence tick by, broken only by the steady humming of the ion sublights.

"Everyone alive back there...?"

Lute (188) has posed:
Lute slams directly into the wall, completely flat against it. Even though he was ready for it, he couldn't prep for it enough. Even the filled Pokéballs on the floor slam straight into him, denting him all over. Making this worse, well. Lute is, technically, supposed to be on bedrest right now. He took a powerful attach from Kakarot the other day. And his clothing, including his T-shirt? Well. He is hiding a shitload of bandages and injuries with them. So, he is in a massive maount of pain.

His Pokémon, on the other hand? Well, his Gardevoir uses his psychic powers to stabilize himself, and the Raichu. So they don't go flying all over the place.

As the speed stabilizes, and the Beedrill haven o possible wa to catch up, Lute pries himself off the wall. Breathing heavily. Sitting on the floor. He feels at his injures. Well, he hasn't broken anything, at least. Or at least, none of the broken parts are much worse. He stumbles into the cockpit. In pain, but doing better than could be expected. And he smiles.

"...Well. We got away from the Beedrill. Which are basically giant bees with arm stingers about a foot long, so. Better than it could have been. Plus, caught a bunch of bug type Pokémon. These should either fetch a good price, help me in my research, or make good gifts to people."

His breathing is fairly heavy at the moment.

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
With one hand, Juno casually reaches up to flick a switch and set the thrusters to autopilot, maintaining a hover over the forest. With the other she grabs the back of her own chair, twists herself up to half-stand with a knee on the seat, and jabs a finger at the jumpseat behind the pilot's seat. Her blue eyes are suddenly hard.

"Sit down and stop aggravating your wounds." There's an undeniable air of command to her words; an echo of the uncompromising Imperial officer she used to put forth the facade of; the Black Eights' flight lead, leader of the most feared TIE fighter squadron in the galaxy. "And stop doing things that aggravate your wounds. You're supposed to be resting, and I daresay you're probably supposed to be resting in bed, not haring off after Pokémon."

Sighing, she straightens and checks the controls again. "Anyway, it looks like you've got what you came for, so if you don't have any objections, I'll be taking us back to the Citadel. You need medical attention."

Silence, as she keys in the course. She glances back over her shoulder, then, and raises a brow.

"So what did you get?"

Lute (188) has posed:
Lute moves to take the seat. Yeaaaah, the commanding tone... He really had to listen to that. If nothing else, Imperials are good at giving orders. He makes a note of this. He also makes a note that she is a bit better at catching small details than he thought. He leans back in the chair. His posture is a bit less relaxed than before.

"...Yeah. I overdid it. Hey, didn't realize there would be Beedrill sleeping in the trees. Did get a lot of Pokémon, though. ...But yeah, Citadel is the best next spot." A brief pause. "...And yeah. I'm supposed to be in bedrest at home right now. But I heard about this rumor and it was just waaay to awesome not to check out."

His Pokémon have been busy picking up the Pokéballs. They're bringing them to Lute, and he puts them in his labcoat pockets. Slowly, due to his injuries. "Well... Some Butterfree, some Joltik, a few Paras, a Scther... Fairly decent haul."

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
Although she's not a very efficient Imperial, Juno Eclipse is nonetheless very good at playing the part. She can affect a commanding air with the best of Imperial brass, even though she's somewhat left of centre in regards to the chain of command. Her posting aboard the Rogue Shadow has muddled her naval rank considerably; she answers directly to Lord Vader, as does Starkiller.

Her perception is quite good, though, and she has a knack for picking up on the details.

"It's the only next spot," Juno snaps, over her shoulder. "One of these days you're going to get yourself killed, ignoring medical orders like that. It's going to look really bad on my record if I have to bring a corpse back to the Citadel, you know."

It's hard to tell whether she's being sarcastic or serious, with a tone like that.

"Joltik?" she queries, arching a brow. "That sounds like some kind of extremely specific injury or something. And Scyther sounds like some maniac with a knife."

Lute (188) has posed:
Lute groans a little bit, "Alright, mom." He says it in a very sarcastic tone though. He obviously doesn't care all that much though. It's more teasing than anything. He leans back, looking at the ceiling. "...If I'm not trying my hardest, at all times, I feel like I'm failing myself. I know that if I die I can't contribute more, but... Fuck. I've been useless for years. I'm finally being considered useful. Gotta keep it up. Hell, being reckless is part of what makes me useful, too."

He lets his body relax a bit. The pain is letting up a bit, but still the bit of numbness. He does reach into the pocket again, pulling out two Pokéball. "First... Joltik." And, the tiny little electric spider appears. Lute quickly returns it, and pulls out another. "And... Scyther." Scyther, of course, is a lot bigger. And Lute keeps it out for a shorter length of time before returning it.

"...But yeah. Electric Spider, and praying mantis with scythes for arms. Both can be fairly tough opponents. I don't plan to train either, though. I've got things that fill the sort of rolls they have. Buuut... Hey, still can study them a bit."

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
"I'll plug you with a blaster bolt if it means you'll stay put and stop exacerbating your wounds," Juno snaps, although she doesn't look away from the controls. One gets the impression she really would... but then again, she's also a good actress. It's a necessary skill when one works for Darth Vader. "Don't make me do it."

As it is, she does stab a button with her forefinger, activating the restraints on his seat. No more getting up or being thrown about the cockpit.

"And I am not your mother. I've got a reputation to maintain, I'll have you know, and I won't have you ruining it." Hmph. Her tone softens, though, if only a little. "You're useful. Everybody's useful; everybody's good at something. Just don't overdo it, and you'll be fine."

She twists to glance back at the researcher, arching a brow again. "Electric spider? I've never seen an electric spider before. Or a mantis with scythes for arms. Actually, the only mantid I know of is the purple mantid. They're found on Tatooine, which is a place I make a point of avoiding wherever possible." She doesn't like deserts in the first place, and Tatooine has two suns. "Huh. How about those electric spiders? You were saying that an Electric-type might be useful to me... how big are they?"

Lute (188) has posed:
Lute lets out a small noise of surprise as the restraints activate. He is... really tempted to make a comment on her restraining him. Really tempted. But, the growing friendship keeps him from actually doing so. Plus the fact that she just got done threatening him.

"...Yeah, I'll stay still. And... I'll try not to overdo it too much in the future. ...Though I keep getting warned and keep ignoring it. Basically most of it is sudden impulses. Like fighting Kakarot. I mean, I really had no business challenging him. I did it mostly for my own pride and ego. But it was also a way to distract him from his actual goal. ...Like half the time my stupid choices work out."

At the least, he can speak with authority on the Pokémon. "Joltik are four inches tall. One of the smallest species of Pokémon. When they evolve to Galvantula, they get a couple feet tall. Despite their small size, they have... more electricity to them than most people realize. Probably not enough to power a ship for long if you hooked it up, but. Enough to help you in a pinch at least. They can also absorb electricity from things to store for later, too. Their webbing is conductive to electricity, too. Makes a good replacement for electrical wiring in a pinch. They can use non-electric web too, and can use both to make insulated electrical web. They're fairly mild tempered too. ...thinking of a Joltik, maybe? You don't have to pick it just because it's the first one you heard of. There are lots of types. But they could be useful to you."

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
Besides the disrespect that kind of comment might incur, there's also the chance that Juno might make good on her threat. She does usually keep a blaster in easy reach, regardless of what she's doing or which ship she's flying.

"Yes, you do constantly garner warnings, and you do constantly ignore them," Juno responds dryly. "Maybe they work half the time, but you still have to be careful. One of these days, they're not going to work, and things are going to go disastrously wrong, and then you'll be dead. The next thing you know, I'll be bringing your cooling corpse in to the Citadel, and then I'm going to have to explain why I have a dead Lute in my ship's cargo hold. And then," she adds, in a tone of mock exasperation, "there's the paperwork."

Four inches tall? She quirks a brow at the description. That sounds strangely adorable, in spite of being what sounds like some kind of spidery creature. Fortunately she's not squeamish when it comes to insects. "That does sound like it could be useful, for repairs and patch jobs," she comments, thoughtful. The pilot takes one hand of the controls, rubbing at her jaw thoughtfully. "No, I'm not going to take any hasty decisions. Honestly, I shouldn't be keeping any sort of pet, but if it can help with the ship..."

She shrugs one shoulder, resignedly. "What about a—what was it, a Scyther...? Tell me about those."

Lute (188) has posed:
Lute leans back, sighing. Yeah. That's another thing that worries him. He's at his most useful when he's reckless. But, he has a number of people he cares about. A number of people who would miss him. And Juno is more worried about the paperwork. Just as he usually believes in her Imperial attitude? He's believing this is likely true. Maybe she isn't as much of a friend as he thought. Or perhaps she's just used to people dieing.

"Well, I'll try not to have you pick me up if I die. Hell, when I do go, I bet there will be a shitload of people who throw a huge party to celebrate. I'm getting more connections, but I'm still not.... well liked, let's say."

And then, the Scyther. "Well. They're four foot tall, with massive scythes on each arm. They're more predatory and prefer meat. Hard exoskeletons, and have wings for flight. Bug and Flying type, where as Joltik are Bug and Electric. They have some cool tricks for fighting with agility. When they evolve, they become the bug and steel Scizor, a metallic Pokémon who packs a punch. Claws instead of scythes on it. Less utility though. Scyther and Scizor are basically only good for fighting. Unless you need some lumber cut up or something."

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
"Hey, ease up on that long face. I'm joking," Juno comments, over her shoulder. "I sincerely doubt I'd be filing any paperwork on the matter. I just don't want to see you getting into something you can't get yourself out of, and if you keep taking wild risks like that, believe me, someday you will."

She looks forward again, adjusting the controls and keying in a course toward the nearest warpgate. "I've flow with hotshot TIE pilots before. Did you know? I was actually a TIE fighter pilot before I was assigned to the Rogue Shadow. And every one of those TIE pilots that behaved recklessly wound up crashing or being shot down." She tosses a glance over her shoulder at him, blue eyes solemn. "I don't want to see you wind up the same way. Crashing and burning. It's not heroic, there's no glory in it, and there's no reason for it."

Juno stares at him only long enough to ensure he's taken that in before she listens to his description, keying in a few final commands. "Prepare for lightspeed."

Once that's done with, the only thing left is to wait for the ship to arrive at its destination. She swivels her chair around, back hunched, elbows resting on her knees in what seems to be atypically relaxed posture for her. She does look tired, though, with those shadows under her eyes; the Empire must have her doing quite a bit of running around in the course of a normal day.

"That sounds like it could be useful for certain things, too, but I imagine if one of those got out of control, it wouldn't end well. Certainly not for whoever decided to take it into their keeping. I think I like the sound of Joltik better." She half-smiles. "Four inches tall makes it pretty easy to accompany you, too. It can just sit in a pocket, right?"

Lute (188) has posed:
Lute smiles, relaxing a bit. Yeah, Juno can read him pretty well. A sigh of relief. "Well. Don't worry. I have been making more... Calculated risks, let's say. I went a bit more on the risky side with Kakarot, but. I'll be careful. Plus, I know my body pretty well. These injuries are bad, but. This little outing isn't life threatening, even at worse. If the Beedrill had gotten to me, my Pokémon could have fought them off with ease. The biggest risk was the quick escape, and that was cause I imagine keeping the ship safe was a bigger priority in this instance."

He seems fairly comfortable with the shift to light speed. And more comfortable now that Juno can focus on him. Helps make it feel ike the risk is past. But, again, he is shown that he forgot to explain something else. Man. He really needs a beginners guide for this for her.

"...Well. Pokémon actually usually stay in a ball, but yeah, it could fit in your pocket even outside of it. The balls are small pieces of technology that can hold Pokémon of any size. Sadly, doesn't work on other creatures. But, with a Joltik, they're so small that they shouldn't be a problem even without the Pokéball. But, if you do get one, well. You can keep the Pokémon in the ball when it gets injured, to keep it in a sort of stasis until it can be healed."

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
The ancient art of reading people has become an important ability for the pilot. Knowing when to speak and when to hold her tongue has been an invaluable survival skill within Imperial hierarchy, particularly when one answers directly to Darth Vader; a man not known for his lenience or patience.

Even if she had not been dragged through the travesty that had been the Bombing of Callos, Starkiller himself had given her a significant clue towards Vader's disposition the very first time they'd met.

'Did Vader tell you that he killed our last pilot?'
'No. But I can only imagine he gave Lord Vader cause to do so.'

She had responded with cool neutrality, and admirable steadiness of nerves for what most probably would've taken as a death sentence. At the time, she'd just been insulted by his droid poking and prodding about her records; her indignation had kept her from mulling that over until much later.

Now, she considers it from time to time, but not because of her incompetence. No; as it stands now, she must guard her own emotions, lest they betray her. She's served the Empire all her life, but only in recent years has she grown disillusioned; only in recent years has she begun to suspect that the Empire, and the Emperor who leads it, aren't quite all they're cracked up to be.

Juno reaches up and rubs at her face in a gesture of obvious weariness, but whether physical or mental, it's hard to say. She's still listening, though, and she snorts at his statement.

"'Calculated risks.' That's something of an oxymoron, you know, but I suppose it's better than nothing. Maybe it's not a threatening trip in the grand scheme of things, but it's still setting you back, physically. Physical setbacks mean making stupid mistakes further down the line when you're not at your peak, and I find it only takes a split second to make a fatal mistake when you're dealing with life on a multiversal scale. Especially for those lucky few considered 'Elites.'"

Gesturing somewhat nebulously, she leans back and cups her chin in her hand, resting the elbow against the chair's arm. "Maybe. I'm not certain they can puncture this alloy, although I'll admit that I've not had the opportunity to analyse it in detail; I'm not certain how its structural integrity holds up against the Rogue Shadow." One hand curls into a fist, and she knocks on the framework near the cockpit. "To all outward appearances, though, it's fairly strong."

Her eyes hood as she listens to him explaining the facts of life, or at least the facts of Pokémon. "Hunh. And they willingly stay in these Pokéballs? That seems pretty restrictive. I can't imagine they'd enjoy it too much... ah, so that's why. That sounds useufl in a combat situation, although I'd be afraid of something that little getting itself killed."

"So..." She half-smiles. "I don't suppose I could convince you to part with one of those Joltiks, hmm?"

Lute (188) has posed:
"Calculated risk might be an oxymoron, but. Hey, it's true. If I can stand to gain enough through a risk, it's worth it. ...And that was one noblest risks. I mean. Hell. Saved a lot of people. I should be getting a fricking medal for this." He laughs a bit, and shakes his head, "But yeah I got it. I'll push myself less. I just... Well. Things keep coming up that keep needing these huge risks. Won't put myself at risk like that again. Seriously. Kakarot is... Out of my league. I really wish I were strong enough to fight him, even with my full force of Pokémon around. But I'm really not." A sigh of regret. It's been a long time since he has fought someone so far above him in power. It's disheartening. He has come so far, and yet... So far he can still go.

He lifts up his hands, making a measurement with them. It's much like oen would guess at the size of a fish. "Seen Beedrill stingers this big. And, remember. They fight other Pokémon. Which includes the steel type. So yeah, they can hurt steel with these things. Again, they're pretty nasty. They generally don't try to kill. They just wanna hurt things til they're left alone."

He pulls out the Pokéball of one of the Joltik. Smiling. Tossing it in his hand a bit. "They're... aware in there, but somewhat asleep. Many do prefer being outside most of the time, but it's fairly common that they're happy just as is. So don't worry too much about one being in here all the time. With one as small as Joltik, though... I wouldn't stress it too much, honestly."

A pause.

"...But you need to at least read the books first. I'll call Harp, have her get them ready for you. It should be a really fast read. But for Joltik, the main care requirements. A space to build a web for it to sleep on, if you let it sleep outside the Pokéball. Meat for food, mostly. Let it suck on electric outlets when you're docked, because it feeds on electricity to store up its power. And..."

Another pause. He looks at the ball, very carefully.

"...Treat it with care. That's the most important part. They're just as much a person as you or I are. With time, it'll grow to be one of your most trusting and loyal friends. A bond unlike you can have with anyone else."

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
"I suppose I'm not one to talk. Have you ever seen a TIE starfighters? They're notoriously cheap and unreliable, and they're not designed to land." Juno leans back in her chair, rubbing at one arm. "I had to take a calculated risk after a mission, once, and land my bomber after a mission; my engines had developed an unfortunate malfunction."

"I broke my arm in two places, and I broke my shoulder, too, trying to get out of the cockpit after it finally stopped skidding." Her smile is a little weary. "So I guess I'm not really one to talk about calculated risks."

"Things don't always need risks like that. There isn't much I'd risk my life for, short of saving another life... I'd never let myself be baited into a fight like that. I know I'm outclassed by most things in the multiverse," she explains, folding her arms behind her head and leaning back in her seat. Tilting her head up, she leans it against her folded arms, some of her hair falling at the motion. The whitish blonde is almost as pale as the white of her throat. "Hnnn. I don't know how you quantify that kind of thing, but I'm probably barely considered an Elite, or not one. I pilot ships. That's really it."

"Starkiller can shoot lightning from his fingertips, and he can carve a bull rancor apart with his lightsabers, but I'm just a pilot. It's all I've ever been, and it's all I'll ever be. I guess I'm happy with that, though... I do what I love." Her eyes slide closed. "I don't think there are a lot of people who can say that."

Her eye slides open at his measurement of Beedrill stingers, and she shudders a little before closing it again. "Good point. I'm glad I got the ship out of there, in that case."

"So it's like a miniaturised stasis chamber, then. That's good to know. I thought it might be unpleasant for them to be confined like that." She draws in a deep breath and lets it go, slowly, through her nose. "I wouldn't want to make something like that uncomfortable. It'd be like being kept in a prison cell, otherwise."

"Sure. Reading material. I do enjoy reading, you know," Juno comments, cracking one eye open and fixing Lute with almost languid regard. "I don't have much time for reading, but I'll make the time."

She falls silent at his quiet warning, both eyes opening to fix on him. Her regard is uncharacteristically serious, and something about it is almost melancholy.

Juno smiles, but the smile seems somehow sad. It doesn't quite reach her eyes.

"I imagine you can, actually, but I understand what you mean. Let me tell you something." She lets her arms drop, leaning forward to rest her elbows over her knees again, and fixing him with those blue eyes. "I have an interest in xenobiology because I have a respect for life. All life. Not just the pretty things, or the powerful things, but everything. Let me tell you something, Lute."

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
"I suppose I'm not one to talk. Have you ever seen a TIE starfighters? They're notoriously cheap and unreliable, and they're not designed to land." Juno leans back in her chair, rubbing at one arm. "I had to take a calculated risk after a mission, once, and land my bomber after a mission; my engines had developed an unfortunate malfunction."

"I broke my arm in two places, and I broke my shoulder, too, trying to get out of the cockpit after it finally stopped skidding." Her smile is a little weary. "So I guess I'm not really one to talk about calculated risks."

"Things don't always need risks like that. There isn't much I'd risk my life for, short of saving another life... I'd never let myself be baited into a fight like that. I know I'm outclassed by most things in the multiverse," she explains, folding her arms behind her head and leaning back in her seat. Tilting her head up, she leans it against her folded arms, some of her hair falling at the motion. The whitish blonde is almost as pale as the white of her throat. "Hnnn. I don't know how you quantify that kind of thing, but I'm probably barely considered an Elite, or not one. I pilot ships. That's really it."

"Starkiller can shoot lightning from his fingertips, and he can carve a bull rancor apart with his lightsabers, but I'm just a pilot. It's all I've ever been, and it's all I'll ever be. I guess I'm happy with that, though... I do what I love." Her eyes slide closed. "I don't think there are a lot of people who can say that."

Her eye slides open at his measurement of Beedrill stingers, and she shudders a little before closing it again. "Good point. I'm glad I got the ship out of there, in that case."

"So it's like a miniaturised stasis chamber, then. That's good to know. I thought it might be unpleasant for them to be confined like that." She draws in a deep breath and lets it go, slowly, through her nose. "I wouldn't want to make something like that uncomfortable. It'd be like being kept in a prison cell, otherwise."

"Sure. Reading material. I do enjoy reading, you know," Juno comments, cracking one eye open and fixing Lute with almost languid regard. "I don't have much time for reading, but I'll make the time."

She falls silent at his quiet warning, both eyes opening to fix on him. Her regard is uncharacteristically serious, and something about it is almost melancholy.

Juno smiles, but the smile seems somehow sad. It doesn't quite reach her eyes.

"I imagine you can, actually, but I understand what you mean. Let me tell you something." She lets her arms drop, leaning forward to rest her elbows over her knees again, and fixing him with those blue eyes. "I have an interest in xenobiology because I have a respect for life. All life. Not just the pretty things, or the powerful things, but everything. Let me tell you something, Lute."

"When I was still a TIE pilot, I was part of the Black Eight Squadron. It's one of the most feared TIE squadrons in the galaxy, under the direct command of Lord Vader. While I captained it, we were commanded to bomb the planet of Callos for some infraction or another. I'm to understand they'd been chafing under Imperial governance. Anyway, we went in and carried out our orders. I bombed the planet until it seemed like nothing could have survived the fire and smoke, and I did it all with a steady hand."

"When I asked for a degree of clemency from Lord Vader, I was instructed to make a precision strike against Callos' planetary reactor. I thought the facility would be equipped with failsafes to shut itself down if it sustained any damage, and so I did."

"I watched my bombs strike home. I watched the reactor – but it didn't shut down. The damage started a chain reaction that went out of control. Pollution spilled into the air, the sea, the very soil. It was a green world like Felucia, once, but all I left behind me was toxic sludge. The forests of Callos would never regrow; no one would ever survive that chemical winter."

Her voice is soft, by this point; her eyes haunted, and there's a bit too much light reflected in them, although she refuses to let those tears fall.

"I destroyed an entire planet, Lute, and that's why I can't have any disregard for life. I'd never wanted that. I had no idea what we had done until after the fact. No idea. An entire planet, with species that would never be catalogued, and people simply living out their daily lives..."

"I—I'm sorry. I didn't mean to dump all of that on you." Her head bows, shaking slowly. "But the point is that I can't treat it with anything but care. I wouldn't dream of treating it carelessly. Every life is worthy; from the biggest rancor to the smallest insect. Everything has a place. Everything, and everyone, is important."

Lute (188) has posed:
At this point? All Lute can really do is listen. It might be strange for many to even think, but Lute is amongst one of the most understanding members of the Confederacy. And, more and more, he's realizing something about Juno. There are usually two types of Confederates. Those who are there for their own goals, and those who are there through chance and circumstance and would chose something else otherwise. He's becoming fearful of which kind Juno might be. But, he can't really blame her. Ordering the death of an entire planet. While yes, there are often reasons he'd support such? Not supporting it weighs on a person.

And so, he does something. It's a bit risky, considering she hasn't had any proper training. In a situation like this, it'd be an incredible sign of trust. An incredible sign that he still thinks that she is a good person.

He tosses Joltik's Pokéball forward to Juno. Smiling.

"...Yeah. The Empire mindset doesn't really fit you, the more you tell. I'm assuming this ship isn't bugged or anything, or you'd definitely not be telling me this. Hell, probably one of the best advantages of having something that doesn't technically belong to them, huh? But yeah. I trust you to take care of it. I'll send the books your way. Keep them on this ship, preferably."

There is an incredibly determined look on Lute's face. Juno is his friend. It is one of the most natural bonds he has ever formed. Yes, he does regret it is not possible for it to go the romantic route. But at this point? Doesn't matter. If the Empire fucks with Juno? He'll be in their path. To him, that's even more important than the Empire and Confederates being connected, even if the Empire does have more resources.

"At the least, you make a damn fine Confederate, Juno."

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
There's something incredibly cathartic about telling the story of Callos. It's as though the planet might somehow be remembered, even if he's never sene it before, and never will. She remembers the forests streaking past under her TIE bomber, and the rain pattering against the starfighter's viewport. It had been a vibrant world, a green world; and it had been left a ruin of ash and mud in her wake.

Orders.

Duty.

She had questioned her duty to the Empire ever since that mission, and she'd barely been fresh-scrubbed from Callos when Vader had summoned her for an audience. He had ordered her to the Rogue Shadow, and she'd still been shell-shocked when she'd accepted her transfer.

Juno stays where she is after the end of her tale, elbows against her knees, back hunched, head bowed and staring at the floor. A deep breath through her nose to clear her sinuses; a swipe of one arm to hide the just-fallen tear she suddenly finds herself ashamed of, and when she looks up, she doesn't have time to do anything but react to something being thrown at her.

She holds up the capture pod, studying it with red-rimmed eyes and an expression of wonder; her gaze flits past it to Lute, questioning, but he seems to be set on his decision.

"No, it isn't." Juno finds herself smiling, wanly. "If it is, I'll probably be taken into custody when I return to the Core Worlds or the Empirical. Or shot for questioning orders, I suppose. I'm not sure if one is better than the other. The blaster bolt might be the kinder fate. But..." Her smile fades, and her expression turns solemn. "Don't repeat this. Anywhere. Pretend we never had that conversation." Those blue eyes settle on Lute, dead serious. "It might be my life on the line. I have reason to believe that may be the case, anyway. I don't... I just don't know any more."

Her head shakes, and she closes both hands around the tiny Pokéball, heaving a sigh as she slumps again.

"Thanks, Lute." Her voice is hoarse. By tone, she's smiling, but it sounds like it might be a bleak one; the wavering tone of someone drawing on every reserve of inner strength they have to put up a brave face in response to overwhelming despair. "I mean it. I don't... have that many friends. I mean, people I can really call friends, you know? Who I know would have my back. For what it's worth, you make a damned bloody fine Confederate, too... whatever that's supposed to be."

One thumb runs along the contour of the Pokéball, and she looks down to the little device. "Don't worry. I'll take good care of him. Or her." Juno shakes her head, ignoring some of her hair falling into her face; sticking to the track of the tear along one high cheekbone. "I wouldn't dare dream of it. We've taken this creature out of its home, so the least I can do is provide a life just as good for it as what it would have had." She looks up at him, uncertainty on her face; raw, for a moment, and unguarded. "Right?"

It seems the hotshot Confederate pilot isn't quite as invulnerable as she might have her allies believe – somehow, against all odds, he's found the biggest chink in her armour; the emotional wound that it seems she struggles, even now, to heal from.

Lute (188) has posed:
Lute relaxes as much as he can. He can be fairly dense, but even he can see when someone is spilling their heart out. Showing too much pity, showing too much emotion, in a situation like this? It can make the other person feel worse. He assumes Juno needs someone calm to talk to.

"Well. Honestly? Not sure what to suggest. I lucked out on a technicality when I got out of Team Rocket a while back, because I was never actually enrolled as a member. And while Team Rocket isn't as bad as the Empire, well. It's one of those 'for life' things. Usually. Empire sounds even more dangerous, though. Fuck, I've heard Vader talking on the radio ages back. He seemed like a jerk."

Lute lifts a hand to his chin, rubbing it gently. His eyes look down, narrowed with thought. This is a risky situation. Vader definitely has higher standing with the Confederacy than just a random pilot, but at the same time, he is considering. Does Juno have more friends than she might realize? More supporters? It, really, is a hard call what the best path going forward for Juno is. But, Lute's almost certain. Despite his previous statement, she actually doesn't like the Confederacy. He remembers back, to when Raven was in the Confederacy. When she abandoned it. That pissed him off. But, Raven was acting like a petulant child. It was for incredibly selfish reasons that she wanted out. This is completely different.

A decision is made, though.

"If you ever need any help, getting away from the Empire? Just. Let me know. I'll do whatever I can to help. Yeah, I'd be fighting against a Confederate ally, buuuut. I can do it in a careful manner where I won't get too blamed for it. Or at the least, my recent good behavior will balance it out."

He glances at the Pokéball, smiling, "At the least, though. For your Joltik? Yes, we took it out of its environment. But, most Pokémon want a partner. It helps them grow stronger, and develop themselves into more full individuals too. ...Plus, well. Get him or her loyal to you? And it'd be a good helper in a pinch. Keep them secret from the Empire."

A smirk. "And of course I won't tell anyone this. It's outright treasonous to your Empire. But hey, you're a lot more important to me than the Empire."

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
The idea of someone actively calling Vader a jerk is almost enough to make the pilot flinch. She half expects that the ship was compromised after all, and that there surely must be a fleet of Imperial guardsmen on their way here as they speak. Of course that's irrational, and even she recognises it as her own paranoia, but it may explain why she doesn't look particularly relaxed.

It may also explain the shadows under her eyes, or why she seems exhausted most of the time. Living like that is exhausting. It takes the vitality right out of a person and leaves very little behind.

There's no possibility of this ship having been tapped, though. She's never taken the Slice Hound into local space, nor has she docked it with any Imperial vessels. Ostensibly, it's just too inferior to the Rogue Shadow to justify for Inquisitorial work; secretly, she has no desire to expose herself to that possibility. Putting aside the irrational and treasonous thought that her superiors might turn on her, the Inquisitors have many enemies among their own number, willing to do anything to get ahead, including the sabotage of their fellows' equipment and death by "accidental" causes.

Taking a deep and cleansing breath, she swipes an arm over her eyes one last time, rubbing at her face as though to forget she had just bared some hidden part of her soul; a part that only one other person has ever seen or knows exists. "I'll keep doing what I've been doing. Inquisitor Starkiller still needs a pilot, and someone's got to keep the Rogue Shadow flying and spaceworthy."

"There isn't much to suggest." She leans her elbows on her knees again, Pokéball held lightly but carefully in her left hand. She turns her wrist to look down to it, but she looks up sharply when he makes his decision.

Juno studies him with that sharp gaze; so intensely it might even make him a little uneasy. The colour of her eyes is the blue of a summer sky, but the left is just a slightly more greyish colour – a mark of Medusa's handiwork when she'd almost lost the eye, and both mismatched eyes linger squarely on Lute. For a brief instant she almost seems to be weighing something, but the moment passes.

"No." She shakes her head. "I'm not going to leave the Empire. They don't suspect anything, and I'm not going to give them anything to suspect. I shouldn't have even told you any of this; that was stupid of me." Straightening, she looks down to the Pokéball, turning it this way and that in her fingers. "Even if I were to leave the Empire, I'd be a fugitive for the rest of my life. I've served directly under Lord Vader; I've been assigned to pilot for a man most of the Empire doesn't even know exists. I captained the most elite TIE fighter squadron in the galaxy." She laughs, softly; bitterly. "You don't just walk away from that, you know?"

"Besides... I know this is going to sound crazy, but I don't want to leave." She looks up at him again, clearly conflicted. "I..." And this time she does check herself, shaking her head and turning her head aside as though she'd been struck a physical blow. "I can't," she says, more softly. It's as though a door's closed; whatever she was about to say, she can't bring herself to speak it.

Instead, she sighs through her nose. "I have my reasons."

With that, she seems content to turn her mind to less troublesome things, like the tiny sphere in her hands. She lifts the Pokéball, eyeing it speculatively as she listens to his explanation on the nature of Pokémon, gaze flicking briefly to Lute when he suggests keeping the creature secret from the Empire.

"Best if it remains on this ship, then," she muses. "I haven't flown this ship into Imperial space. Inquisitor Starkiller is the only one who knows about it, and he can be trusted," she adds, with a quick look at Lute. "Anyway, I don't fly it as much. It isn't quite up to par. The Slice Hound is downright fragile compared to the Rogue Shadow."

Her eyes turn to the Pokéball again, thoughtful.

"How do I let it out...?"

Lute (188) has posed:
Lute shrugs a bit, "Well, if you don't plan to leave? No big deal. As long as you can live with the situation. ...It's stressing on you though. I mean. Very obviously stressing on you. And while I know you have to respond to a mission at the drop of a hat, well.... Maybe we can steal you some bonus time?" A pause. "...Hell, if you're allowed to do sidework for a fee for the Confederacy, maybe I can hire you to take me and several of your other friends, which I am sure you have, to a beach planet for a bit."

He just stares at Juno, right in the eyes for a bit. He isn't sure what is keeping her tied to the Empire. ...Someone there she loves? She seemed shocked when he insulted Vader. ...Secret Vader Fangirl? ...No that is unlikely. But, he won't guess at it yet. He'll let her tell him when she's ready. And so, he moves on to the Pokéball.

"See the button on it? Press it once, and it'll open. Press it again, and it'll recall the Pokémon. ...You might wanna think of a name for the little guy. Once we know what gender it is, at least. ...If you let it out, I could check."

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
"When it comes down to it, nobody really plans on anything." Juno gives a weary shrug at his assessment, though. She knows she's run ragged, and she knows she's reached the point where she can no longer hide it so easily. So long as she can continue to hide it from her superiors, that's all she really asks for; all she really prays for. Let them not see how much her service to them tears her apart.

Let her have another day.

"I am, actually." Juno straightens slowly, using her free hand to push her hair out of her face; scrubbing the last vestige of a tear-track off her cheek. She's back to her professional self, if not for the shadows under her eyes. There's nothing to be done about those, though, so she'll simply carry on and ignore them. "That's part of the agreement Inquisitor Starkiller and I have with the Confederacy."

"The Rogue Shadow and Inquisitor Starkiller are to be periodically made available for Confederate purposes, along with the standard grant of soldiers and resources to High Command. Remember when you went hunting for rancors?" She waves a hand somewhat dismissively. "That was one of those jobs. Technically I'm on-call for Confederate members as much as the Imperial Inquisition."

That doesn't leave a lot of time for herself, but she doesn't seem to mind that too much. She's held together this long.

"Button." She looks down, turning the Pokéball this way and that, before finding the button and giving it a good push with a thumb. "Well, let's see what we've got. Come on out," she says, somewhat dubiously, with a half-shrug.

Lute (188) has posed:
Lute looks Juno over. The stress on her is palpable. And while she isn't planning something, well... Yeah. She's ready if shit hits the fan. He leans back a bit, looking at the ceiling.

"...Well. As a member of the Confederacy, there is a mission I would like to hire you for, for an extended duration. An extended scouting mission searching for Fleet Daughters. ...We'll be stationed primarily at an exotic beach resort, and various other Confederates will be welcome to come and go at any time as well." A grin. "I was considering renting a beach house for the Elite Confederates for a lot of the Summer. But phrasing it as a mission will actualy get you some time there too, huh?"

When the button is pressed, the Joltik leaps out, and just start lookings straight up at Juno. It's being really quiet at the moment, but just staring at its new trainer. After a bit, though? It'll move against her abs, and start nuzzling her. Lute, for his part, is looking at it incredibly closely. And, after a moment, he speaks.

"...Well. Looks like it's a girl."

He doesn't make it clear how he could tell, but he just leans back again. "She's cute, at least. And seems to like you already. You'll have to name her. ...Also if you wanna pet her, you can. Just be soft, use one or two fingers, and rub backwards along its back, as opposed to forward. Spend some time bonding with her. ...I'll get you some training gear to start training, too, if you want. Basic stuff to help teach her how to fight, how to repair things, some toys and sweets, stuff like that. Help you bond with your new friend."

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
Some part of her had been ready ever since the Bombing of Callos. Juno's faith in the institution in which she served has been eroding ever since that living nightmare. It's possible that it's just paranoia on her part, but since then, she's had the inexplicable sensation of waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Possibly." Juno cants her head slightly to one side, mulling over the details. No doubt he can see the change come over her; the light-switch transition from emotional exhaustion to duty, so practised she likley isn't even aware she's doing it. "If you were interested in looking for them in reality, I could lend the Rogue Shadow's sensors to the effort. I'm sure you've noticed that the ship has powerful long-range arrays. I can't be certain whether I could attune the sensors to look for them, specifically, but a general search beneath the surface of an ocean wouldn't be outside the realm of its capabilities."

"More than that, the ship would allow you to track them at range, and you wouldn't need to give away your position. They've done serious damage to the ship, but if they didn't know the Rogue Shadow was coming, we could hide. I'm confident in the cloaking device," she states, with a dip of her head. "It's state of the art."

Bluh? Suddenly there is an adorable, affectionate tiny spider nuzzlign into her. Carefully, so carefully, she reaches down a hand for the little Joltick to climb aboard. Once it does, if it does, she lifts it until it's eye level, staring curiously at the little creature.

...

...Oh my God, it's so adorable it almost hurts. That's what her expression seems to say, anyway; the weariness and the care-worn set to her features melts away into a smile.

"Well, hello, there." Carefully, she reaches an index finger to rub the furry little critter along its back, as instructed. It's a little crackly and staticky; a little strange-feeling, but not an unwelcome sensation. "You're awfully cute, you know, but I'm not quite sure what to call you..."

She thinks for a few moments, even as she considers the issue of what to call the tiny electric spider. "Hmm."

"Piri." Juno half-smiles. "I had a friend in the academy like you. She was quick, and she was smart. I never knew where she was ultimately transferred to, but you make me think of her." Another pass of an index finger, and she holds her hand up to her shoulder, letting the little creature climb aboard. "I don't think there's any need to keep you in that capsule unless you want to. What do you say to that?"

And then, her attention flits to Lute. "If you like, then. I'll keep her here, aboard the Slice Hound." Where she'll be safe, but she doesn't say that out loud. "I have to be aboard this ship at least once a day at some point for maintenance, so it isn't as though I won't see her."

Lute (188) has posed:
As Juno goes into business mode, Lute just laughs, "Well. I would be looking for them. BUT. Seriously, the main point is just getting you to relax. Seriously. You need a break. But you're not the only one either. We've been dealing with some major shit recently. Some time off is good. ...But yeah, next time I need to go after them, I'll ask for your help. But still! Try to relax when I get this beach house worked out. Hell, bring a boyfriend if you have one." He's trying to make it clear that he assumes she in fact has someone, though he isn't verbalizing guesses at who. And then suddenly he gets a picture in his head of Darth Vader in beachwear. It takes all of his strength to hold back a snicker.

He's quiet as he watches the Joltik and her. The Joltik, for its part, will likely be fairly loving. Early stage Pokémon usually are. Lute looks around the ship a bit, though... This place isn't huge but. For a Pokémon like this, it should be enough. "...If you ever get insects living on the ship, she'll eat them, so you know. Try to get him outside on occasion too. But, hey, she might just grow to like space more than being on a planet. You never know, but odds are? She'll grow to like what you do."

A smile, "A meaningful name, though? That's good. It'll help you bond. I'm certain you'll take really good care of her, though. And she'll help take care of you." He ponders a bit. Sometimes, Pokémon start taking care of their owner as much as the other way around. And if this lil' Joltik will make things easier for Juno... Lute chuckles a bit, and then says, "...Though, we should introduce ourselves to her. Hi, Piri. I'm Lute. I helped catch you for your new trainer."

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
"I'd be hesitant to bring the ship in too close after the last time, but the Rogue Shadow's sensors could be used to track them from a distance." Juno curls her free hand into a fist, absently tapping clenched knuckles over her mouth in thought. "I could reconfigure the starboard array to search for any traces or samples that could be taken from them, if you're lucky enough to get hold of that..."

Her eyes lift, slowly. "Oh. Well, yes. I do relax from time to time, but the Inquisition keeps me busy when the Confederacy doesn't." When he urges her to bring a boyfriend, she just eyes him for a long moment; a guarded, neutral look that gives nothing away. She says nothing, though, and perhaps her silence speaks for her more eloquently than words.

Juno shakes her head, dismissively.

"I've lived most of my life in space; either training aboard a Star Destroyer, as part of the racks aboard a Star Destroyer, or more recently, piloting the Rogue Shadow." She shrugs. "I don't actually get to spend much time on planets, and when I'm in the business of taking Inquisitor Starkiller to missions, the closest I'll come is seeing what the sensors give me. I don't mind it so much."

"Most people never really acclimate to living in space. Capital ships and small ships alike configure their lighting to a wake cycle and a sleep cycle; during the sleep cycle, corridors are dimmed and lights that aren't needed are shut off." She gestures toward the sleek, streamlined lights set into the walls near the cockpit's ceiling. "It's not really a substitute for natural light, but it at least lets us have the illusion of a day-night cycle aboard a ship. I have the Rogue Shadow configured the same way if it's not being actively piloted. It's a twelve standard-hour shift for wake, and a twelve standard-hour shift for sleep."

Leaning back in her chair, she lifts the tiny Pokémon up, eyeing the creature with blue eyes – much like the Pokémon's eyes, too. "You really are cute, you know." Juno can't help a faint smile. "My name's Juno. Juno Eclipse. I'll be your new... trainer, I guess, but I'd like to think of it as friend."

Lute (188) has posed:
Lute nods a little. The talk about fighting the Fleet Daughters is really important to him. He's considered his fights against them quite a bit. Kakarot has been distracting him some, as have the Dragon Ball search. But this has constantly been in the back of his mind. "Yeah, keeping the ship away from them is for the best. You pilot transports more than full out war ships. I'll probably be bringing more power with me too. Other Confederate Elites. ...Possibly some sea based trap stuff. Do you feel comfortable transporting explosives?" This actually is a sudden flash of inspiration. He hadn't thought of using sea mines before due to the difficulty of transporting them. But with a spaceship....

He just remains blank as Juno tries to dismiss the whole 'boyfriend' thing completely. The fact she is being silent, as opposed to saying 'I don't have a boyfriend'? Well. That says enough. He is tempted not to prod her more, buuuuuut he speaks anyways, "...Well. If he doesn't want to come that's fine too."

The talk about living on space... she's mentioned some of this before. He shrugs a little, "Well. Pokémon are as adaptable as humans. She'll be happy here though, I'm sure. It's mostly about running around space, buuuuut. That'll be more important when she evolves. Again, starts small, but she'll get bigger. And... Yeah. Having a night cycle is good. Gives her some rest, too."

He just watches quietly as the two of them begin to bond. The Joltik is quiet at first, but that's common. It was just taken out of its habitat, and put into a new place, and has a trainer. It seems excited at least.

"...She'll start talking more later, most likely. Once she gets used to things. Pretty common for them to be shy at first. Lots of wild Pokémon never even talked to a human before. So. It'll be a learning experience for both of you."

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
"I believe I could pilot a warship if I needed to, but it's true that I prefer starfighters and transports. I've got a little more skill with starfighters, but I've gotten pretty well used to the Rogue Shadow." She shifts her weight in her chair, eyes hooding as she looks to the Slice Hound's controls and considers. "As you've found out, the hook with that is simple."

"Neither of these ships are engineered to take a lot of damage. For all that it might look dangerous, the Rogue Shadow was never designed with armanent in mind." She gestures nebulously with her free hand. "It has decent shielding, and it does have a single forward laser cannon, but that's as far as it goes. If it comes down to a confrontation, the Rogue Shadow's strength is its ability to evade and escape the immediate area."

She glances sideways, idly studying the Slice Hound's small cockpit. "I have a feeling this ship would hold up even more poorly. I've bypassed and removed the weapons entirely to feed the power back into the engines, and I suspect the shielding it does possess is minimal. I've not had the opportunity to do any thorough stress testing on the shielding or hull, yet."

"It would depend on the explosives, how well they're secured, and what sort of activation mechanism they use. I've transported dangerous materials in the Rogue Shadow's cargo hold before." Juno reaches up to rub at her jaw iwth her free hand, the gesture somewhat weary. "I'd need to see the payload for myself before I could say, but I can tell you now that the ship isn't equipped to carry them as ordinance. Like I said, it was never designed as a warship. It could be retrofitted, but I don't have the clearance to make that decision."

She falls silent, considering for a moment or two, and finally pulling a sour face in the Pokémon researcher's direction. "Now you're just being ridiculous. Why would I have a boyfriend? I barely have time to take care of myself, let alone spend time with someone else. I'm just not interested in you that way. Also, I'm to understand you're married." Her fingers drum on the arm of her chair, considering. "Those payloads, though... show me what you've got in mind, later, and I think I can figure out a way to transport them safely for Confederate operations. I'm still not too sure about this Abyssal and Fleet Daughter thing, since I don't know all the details, but if this is what you want..." She shrugs. If that's what you want, then that's what you'll get, the gesture seems to say.

"If she evolves, then I'll have no choice but to keep her someplace else. The Citadel is the only other place that comes to mind, although I'm not certain I trust that either." Juno sighs, reaching up and rubbing at her temple with one hand. "I'll just have to jump into that hyperlane when I come to it, I suppose."

"Talking?" Juno blinks once or twice. It seems that detail must've slipped her mind with everything else going on. "Oh. I see. Well, then I'll just have to make sure she's comfortable." One finger gently ruffles the spiky fur again, and Juno grins. "We'll have you repairing ships and helping me pilot in no time at all, hmm? Maybe you'll come to like hyperspace as much as I do."

Lute (188) has posed:
The trigger mechanism is the main part Lute is unsure of. He actually doesn't know how they activate. But he assumes they're made to be safe for transport. He considers a little more, "Well... I'm thinking mines placed in the sea. I know they're a thing. I need to do more research though."

The silence at the boyfriend bit, though? He just shrugs. "Hey, in general, I assume that if a girl isn't interested in me, part of the reason is usually they have someone else. Plus why else would you stick with the Empire? Sounds like it is more than just fear, and I'm sure you could find someone at some point, buuuut. Fine, I'll drop it. Not that huge of a deal anyways."

He moves on to more talk about the Abyssals, though. "Well, for that, it's mostly a matter of a lot of factors. The Abyssals, to sum it up, are spirits of ships fallen in war, fighting those who had once used them. I don't know what changes this, but if something happens, they might turn into a Fleet Daughter. But, they can change back. I'd rather them be closer to their true form, which I think is the Abyssals. Plus, Abyssals are a lot more likely to ally with the Confederacy. So, it's a matter of bringing people back to what they really are, and gaining us more allies."

A brief pause.

"...Plus some of them are pretty darn cute. Even the monsterous ones. And I don't even mean in like a 'cute girl' way for all of them. Like Imima, the one I'm raising, is adorable and it's a chunk of metal with a mouth."

The talk of evolution causes Lute to shrug a bit, "Well, that should be a while out. And they have some control of it. If she doesn't want to evolve, she just won't. If you don't want her to evolve, you can tell her that, too. So don't worry too much about it. Besides, you're looking for a travelling companion and assistant as opposed to a combatant. Should help."

"And yeah, they talk. They say their names in various ways, but it translates cause it's their own language. I keep mine off the radio, usually. And some of them are just shy. Like, my Giratina has talked all of once to anyone who isn't me, for example? But he's a weird case."

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
"Floating mines? I could transport mines. It's safer than something like missiles, although there aren't a lot of ships that use them any more in the Imperial Navy. Blasters are more common, since most warheads just don't have the punch to get through a durasteel hull." Juno hoods her eyes, considering. "Mines might take them by surprised, though that would hinge on whether or not they could detect something like that. If I were them, I'd be keeping an eye out for hazards like that."

An index finger is jabbed squarely at Lute. "You know, sometimes, just because a woman isn't interested in you means a woman isn't interested in you. At least try to have some kind of modesty." She pauses a moment, and then smiles a nasty little shark-smile. "Girls like that. You might want to try it some time, Romeo."

It's not actually what she calls him, but there must be some kind of Romeo and Juliet equivalent in the galaxy, because that's what the word conveniently winds up translated as.

"Anyway, I barely have enough time to take care of myself, so it's not very sensible that I'd be wasting time with that kind of thing, especially when my day job is rather more on the lethal side than most. I'm serious about that. It would be unspeakably stupid of me to form attachments like that. Did you know? The Rogue Shadow had seven other pilots before me. Seven." She shrugs, as though resignedly. "Think on that one for a while. I'm smarter than your average TIE pilot; I wouldn't bother to form attachments I knew I couldn't keep. Why would I even do that to myself?"

Of course, it's terribly ironic throughout her rational, calm denial that she's gone and done exactly that. The irony isn't completely lost on her, and if she weren't so good at hiding her reactions, she might laugh at it.

Leaning sideways a bit, she cups her chin in her hand, elbow resting against the arm of the chair. Her eyes hood as she thinks on the Abyssals. "Maybe. But that's your side of the story, isn't it? Their side. I like to know all of the factors when I'm blundering into a situation, and I don't know the Fleet Daughters' side of things. It's hard to make an educated guess – there's no way to know for sure that the Abyssals are their 'true' form... but from what I've heard, it's less that one form is truer than the other, and more that it's two sides of the same coin. Two aspects."

She makes a thoughtful sound in the back of her throat. "And if you only think it's their true form... well, you might just be doing them a terrible disservice if you're not absolutely certain. I'm not going to say what you're doing is wrong, or right; but I'm going to say you should probably think about the consequences before you get into this too deeply."

"If there's one thing I've learned, it's that the universe just loves duality," she adds, a little bitterly. "Sith. Jedi. Dark Side. The Force. Imperial. Rebel. Planetside. Hyperspace. Selfish. Selfless." She shrugs. "I expect the multiverse isn't much different, when it comes down to it. I hate reducing things to such binaries, but that really seems to be the way things run, more often than not."

Sighing, she leans back in her chair again, mindful not to squish poor Piri, who... clambers up on top of Juno's head, perching in her hair. She looks up, although she couldn't possibly see the Pokémon; and grins.

"I think she approves," she murmurs. "I think I saw Giratina when you came to the Garlean parade. I wouldn't have thought they could be that big if I hadn't seen it personally. How big can Pokémon get, anyway? I imagine something that large must attract a lot of attention."

Lute (188) has posed:
Lute nods, considering. Yeaaah, they probably expect mines. But maybe.... Hrm. "...Well, traditional naval mines, I think they float under the water, and activate when a ship rubs against them. Since these girls are right on the surface, they'd be more obvious. Cloaking technology might work for them, but. That might be too expensive. ...Though maybe if I had them remote controlled. It'd be tricky and require proper timing, though."

The romance lecturing causes Lute to shrug, casually lifting his hands as he does so. A sort of 'Eh, so what' type thing. "Well, my strategy has been working a lot recently, plus a lot of the girls seem to like my confidence. But, I'll take your point. More modesty might be good. ...And I do know that not everyone who is female will be interested in me. Fuck, look at the Union women. They loathe me. But yeah, will take this into consideration. I'll try not to brag too much, and try to keep my ego under control."

A firm look is given to Juno, though. "Just because the bonds we form with others might be lost at any moment, it doesn't make them any less important. I might die any day, too. So could anyone in the Confederacy. Fuck, look at Medusa. Even the Union lost Tony Stark recently. Having these bonds gives us more reason to keep pushing forward. Even in war, you still need friends and allies. Yes, they might leave you one day, but. You'll be better for the time you spent with them."

He listens closely as Juno talks about the Abyssals. It's... somethign the Fleet Daughters tried to convey to him. But, they tried to do it with violence. Juno actually is getting him thinking on this a bit. But, as he looks at Juno, he sighs, "...Well. I'd be more willing to listen to their side if if they didn't try to kill me while explaining. So. Yeah."

He thinks back to the parade. Yeaaaah he did ride in on Giratina there. Lute just smiles at that. "...well. I was trying to impress Gaius. Wanna stay on his good side. Partially because, well. I've been getting close to one of his soldiers. I don't think he knows this yet, but. Who knows. Maybe he is watching closer than I think? But yeah. Pokémon can get huge. The biggest for size alone is Wailord, which is, well. The size of a whale. Most are around the size of a human or smaller, though."

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
"Naval mines, sure," Juno muses, "although they're not a common Imperial tactic. Breaking and creating orbital blockades are more common tactics in war; and most of the action rests pretty evenly between the capital ships and the starfighters. There's not much of a call for actual naval warfare, even on a world like Kamino, where there's largely nothing but surface water."

She drums her fingers on the arm of her chair, considering. "Imperial cloaking technology is actually quite rare. The Rogue Shadow is a one-of-a-kind ship, and if something happened to the cloaking device, I can guarantee you it would take days, lots of frustration, and very expensive resources to fix it. Not to mention it's one of the few engineering jobs I'd genuinely dread having to do." Stygium crystals aren't for the faint of heart; installing the fragile crystals without ruining them is a nerve-wracking affair.

Straightening, Juno returns that firm look with one of cool neutrality, but her expression is guarded. It's difficult to say what she might be thinking. She hides her reactions well.

Living in the Empire, resting on the knife's edge of disillusionment, it's a necessary survival skill.

In the end she can only shake her head, somewhat passively, but whether she agrees with him or argues the point, it's impossible to say.

On the Fleet Daughters and the Abyssals, she only falls silent, thinking for a moment. One can practically see the wheels in her head turning as she mulls over what few details she does know, and what off-handed scraps of conversation she's heard over various multiversal frequencies. Eventually she looks up.

"What if I tried to listen to their side for you? I have no stake in this, either way, other than to prevent either side from doing anything, well, hasty." She shrugs. "I don't necessarily know that they'd be more willing to speak to me, but it's worth the chance. If what they had to say wasn't the preconception you've come to on your own, though, would you actually take it into consideration? I think it could be worth a chance."

Sighing, she shakes her head and lets the matter go. Ultimately, there's not much she can do about it right now. "I can't recall the last time I was in full dress uniform. I find it insufferably stiff and uncomfortable, truth be told. Actually, I'm not even a formal officer, not really, but my position as a liason to the Confederacy affords me certain perks." She half-smiles, the expression slightly sarcastic. "It doesn't mean much to me, though. I'm happier when I have work to do. I don't handle pacing and preening that well." A fairly atypical officer, in that regard. "I can walk the walk if I have to, though, and I suppose that's what was needed of me right then."

"Whale? Oh, you mean a whaladon? That's impressive." Her brows arch. "I imagine there must not be that many of them, at that kind of size. And then we've got something as small as Piri, here." She reaches up, patting the little electric spider with an index finger. "Fascinating."

Lute (188) has posed:
The talk of cloaking and warfare causes Lute to ponder more. There has to be some weakness for the Fleet Daughters. He leans foward, considering. "Well. Makes sense you don't know naval combat. Space combat is different. ...Hell, can't even really use an orbital bombardment on them. They're too small of targets. And yeah, shouldn't be too surprised that a cloaking device is so rare and expensive. Maybe just... Hrm. Tons of underwater explosives, remote controlled. They might have sensors, though..."

He's somewhat hoping to come to a grand, sweeping startegy. But, he realizes that's unlikely. The Fleet Daughters will, most likely, need to be beaten the old fashioned way. IE, 'beat the crap out of them.' Still though, at the least, a good cloaked air transport should help with the surprise.

Unfortunately, Lute isn't really able to read into more of Junos looks. The complete neutrality is really hard to read. He isn't sure what she's thinking on this, at all. But, he can tell that it's not a subject to be broached all that much more. The subject of the Fleet Daughters, though... That causes a look of uncertainty on Lute's face. His lips narrow a bit as he looks down, contemplating.

"...Well. If you found more of their side, I might be interested. But the fact still remains that they're Union. And, the Union hates me as a target beyond many others. Odds are, even knowing their side, I'll still be forced to fight them. Might back off a bit, but. The connections with the Abyssal Fleet are useful... It's a tough call."

Lute chuckles a bit at the talk of the parade. "Yeah, I can tell you felt out of place. Why do you think I helped get you out of there so fast? I mean you told me the ship was your home, and the thought of being grounded over night must of been tough to deal with. Though I'm glad for myself. I'm expected to be unpredictable, so I can show up in informal clothing to most anything and people won't raise an eyebrow. One of the perks of not really having a superior aside the Confederacy itself."

"And yeah. No idea what a whaladon is, but probably similar. Hell, they might even be as big as this ship. I don't have a wailord, buuuut... I do have to deal with Mr. Crabs. Who can be a hassle due to his size."

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
"There's no point to naval combat when key strategic assets can be destroyed from orbit by a low atmospheric bombardment from several TIE squadrons. Star Destroyers bring them in, and there isn't a lot that can stand up to a Star Destroyer, armed to the teeth, supported by escort squadrons." Juno gestures faintly, as though indicating a massive quantity of things. "That's what the TIE's strength lies in. Their purpose is to attack in overwhelming number. Each squadron consists of twelve starfighters, and there are usually dozens of squadrons in a major planetary operation."

"Although they're supported by the capital ships, when it comes down to that, it's up to the TIE squadrons to perform. And they do, largely by overwhelming whatever they're gunning down. How do you stop a planetary invasion when there are more starfighters, whizzing about hither and yon, faster than you can count?" The pilot shrugs. "You don't. So, there's no point to traditional navies in the Galactic Empire, and there hasn't been for a very long time. They're nothing more than targets; sitting mynocks."

She sighs, leaning forward a little to rest an elbow on the arm of her chair, cupping her chin in her hand. It looks a bit silly with the Joltik perched in her hair, peering out from the odd strand of white-gold... strands which are starting to look distinctly frizzy where the little creature sits.

"I'll see what I can find out. It doesn't mean you need to drop your connections with the Abyssal Fleet, but it always pays to know everything you can about a situation." One hand flicks in a careless gesture. "At the very least, making an obvious effort to educate yourself about the situation can't hurt your reputation."

She considers for a moment, but eventually shakes her head. There's not much more she can say about it until she speaks with the Fleet Daughters themselves. Somehow she'll have to find the time to squeeze that in, and hope that they aren't of a mind to shoot first and ask questions later. Maybe they'll be more inclined to speak to a neutral mediator.

"I don't mind the pomp and circumstance required of an officer, but I felt a little out of place, there. A gut feeling, I suppose. The procession was certainly impressive, though." Juno chuckles. "I can imagine there must have been a few Imperial officers slowly turning green to watch the holonews feed and see me there in uniform, standing in as Confederate liason, and wishing they'd had that particular feather in their cap for their career."

She starts to explain what a whaladon is, but eventually shakes her head and turns, punching in a command on the pilot's console and bringing up a general galactic database entry.

It calls up a very whale-like creature, with a length of up to thirty meters; very nearly half the length of the Rogue Shadow from stem to stern. "These. They're found on the water-world of Mon Calamari. They're sentient, too; they have a fascinating culture, although I haven't had much opportunity to study it." Such open-mindedness is also frowned on by the human-centric Empire. "I'm not sure what foreign relations with them are like, though." Her expression falls, slightly. "It was illegal to hunt them, but once the Empire occupied Mon Calamari, those laws were repealed." She exhales, almost angrily. "Sentients."

Lute (188) has posed:
Lute listens intently to the TIE-fighter talk. Space combat is... something he plans to learn soon. He listens, though. Big target ship, supported by many smaller ships. Smaller ships are almost more important. Hrrm. "...Well. I do need to prepare for space combat. At some point, I need to meet with that Zwei person. She offered to help me construct power armor for Mr. Crabs. Possibly usable in space. ...Part of my quest to be useful. If I can't fight in space, I'm left out of a lot of battles, huh? Fuck, maybe I should just learn to pilot a mobile suit or something, too. Learn ships, combat robots, stuff like that. Find way to get my Pokémon spaceborn, maybe."

Lute just nods as Juno finishes talking about the Abyssal Fleet. He has little else to say on that matter either. He isn't particularly hopeful, either. But. The Fleet Daughters keep saying things about Samar manipulating him. is there truth to that? He'll brush it off for now, though. Some manipulation of him is to be expected. It still helps his allies either way.

The parade celebration is more pleasant of talk, though. And so he smiles at that. "Well. Glad it at least made some people jealous. Though that can be dangerous too, if they wanna get back at you for that. Still though... That was a lot of pomp and circumstance. Glad I could turn a few heads, though. In case you couldn't tell, I'm a bit of an attention whore. Like everyone to be looking at me all the time."

With the picture of the Whaladon up, he just stares for a second, pondering. A baffled look is on Lute's face, though, as he learns they are hunted now. "...They're sentient and hunted? ...That's... Wow. That's pretty unforgivable. And a waste. It's really pretty terrible. I just... Wow. No wonder you hate the Empire." He's just taken aback. He has no idea what else he can say.

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
"Zwei? I've heard her on the broadband from time to time, but I haven't spoken to her personally. I'm to understand her world is quite technological, though, and she's... not a droid, but some kind of construct, maybe." Juno glances aside to look out the viewport, watching the forests drifting below. "Not so much as you think. I'd say I do more work with the Confederacy in atmospheric conditions than in vacuum."

The idea of spaceborne Pokémon is just strange, though, and she finds herself tilting her head at that. "You'd probably need some awfully specialised equipment for that, I'd think... that's not to mention potential tactics. I suppose it's something to look into later on down the line," she concedes, somewhat dubiously.

"I'm sure there's no shortage of reasons someone like me wouldn't be disliked in the Imperial Navy." Juno's soft smile is nonetheless a little sour. "Women aren't looked on favourably in the Imperial military branches. A competent woman is liked even less. Just by doing what I do, I'm sure I've rubbed an awful lot of noses in the dirt. It took just about everything I had to manage the Black Eights, and if I hadn't had a few of them on my side, I'm not certain whether I could have or not... but I wouldn't worry about me. I'm just a pilot, you know? I prefer when people aren't paying attention to me. It lets me do my job a little easier..."

"I—I don't hate the Empire." Juno hastily raises her hands, almost flailing them in her hasty defense. "I just—um—I just don't trust certain people in it, that's... that's all."

Okay, yeah, that doesn't sound much better. She sighs, and casts Lute something of a helpless look. Its meaning is clear enough: Now do you see what I'm trying to say?

It's about all she can do, because if she opens her mouth, anything that comes out will be fairly damning.

Lute (188) has posed:
Lute nods as Zwei is talked about, "I met Zwei... Once, and Zwei is complicated. They actually have two bodies, and I think the voice on the broadband is their combined full mind? They're... alien. But, Mr. Crabs is incredibly alien. He was originally made as a weapon of war. And while I view him as a friend first... If I'm going to upgrade his combat capabilities? I should use someone who knows what they're doing, and similarly alien but more benevolent."

Lute just listens to the points about the Imperial Navy. He wants to say a lot about this. Honestly, in a lot of ways, he's a feminist. Yes, he flirts with women relentlessly. But, he actually views them as better than men in a lot of ways. Smarter, wiser. He's the type to treat a woman as a more dangerous opponent than a man, usually. So, hearing that the Empire dislikes women in its ranks? Yeah. Another tick against them.

And then Juno starts hastily defending herself. Lute looks at her. Calmly. "...I won't tell anyone. I can tell, though. I'm... better at reading others than most would think. You're in a tough spot. Hell, I'd offer you a hug, but I don't want you shooting me. You're incredibly strong to be dealing with the situation you're in."

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
"I'd wondered. The effect is a little unnerving, to be honest." Juno hoods her eyes, resting her chin in her hand and looking out to the forest canopy below. "The idea of something alien just doesn't bother me that much. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of different races and species of sentients in the galaxy. Knowing there are other people who aren't human out there is just another fact of life, to me."

Her eyes hood even further, not quite closed, but close to it. She doesn't answer him right away, closing her eyes and resting a hand over her eyes, even as he says he won't tell anyone. For a moment all she can do is listen to him make his observation, too tired to even protest.

In fact, she doesn't even seem to be working her way up to an argument.

She's too tired to.

"Yeah." Her voice is weary; unspeakably weary. She draws in a breath and lets it go in a long, only slightly unsteady sigh. "Thanks, Lute. It'll work out. It always does. I'm still flying and I haven't been shot for disobeying orders just yet. In the meantime I can keep myself busy searching for these Fleet Daughters of yours, and drowning myself in Pokémon information. It's a start."

Lute (188) has posed:
Lute just listens for a bit. He's getting a bit tired too, but. He has to keep listening. Juno is a lot more caring than he thought. More open. And the Empire, more xenophobic. And Juno is getting more open and honest to him.

He leans back, smiling. This... It's really tough for her. And she wants to move on. And so he nods, and smiles. "Well. Yeah. Keep busy. If they ever do catch you for disobeying orders? Let me know, and I'll help you get out of it. And if you ever need help with dealing with this shit? Let me know, okay? ...I'll make a point of hiring you for missions you can get more behind too, if you want. I know you wanna be a professional and act happy with all of it, but. Too much stress and you'll break. Trust me."

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
It's possible the pilot's been operating under such consistent strain and exhaustion that she doesn't really have any point of reference for normalcy. She's served the Empire for most of her life, and while she had been relatively content in that service, it's never been the same since the Bombing of Callos. That single act was enough to shake her out of her complacency, and open her eyes to what the Empire had become – or had perhaps, she's since suspected, had always been.

She offers a somewhat apologetic smile, forgetting for a moment the Pokémon that appears to have nested in her hair. At least it blends in, somewhat, aside from the tiny concentration of static where the odd strand sticks out.

"If they ever do accuse me of disobeying orders, they'll probably shoot me before you have the opportunity to intervene," Juno points out, matter-of-factly. She doesn't sound particularly afraid of the possibility. It's a fact of life. "I want to say Inquisitor Starkiller's third pilot was executed by Lord Vader for tardiness, but it may have been the fourth. Maybe I'll ask him. I like to have my details straight. Seven pilots," she adds, shaking her head. "Seven."

With a great big sigh, somewhere between a release of tension and a wordless admission of her exhaustion, she leans forward and rests her elbows over her knees. "Thanks. And I know that. I..."

"I think I've always had my suspicions. It wasn't until Callos that I knew they were confirmed. My mother died when I was very young. The official holonews feeds claimed she was caught in the crossfire between Imperial and rebel forces, but I'm starting to wonder if it wasn't something else. She wasn't as pro-Imperial as my father, and it's from her that I learned to like xenobiology, and appreciate things different from the norm. I wonder, sometimes, if she was executed."

She sighs, shaking her head. "I know. And... thanks, Lute." She looks up, meeting the Pokémon trainer's eyes. "It means a lot to me. I mean that."

Lute (188) has posed:
Lute's eyes just look straight into Juno's for a bit. But then, he looks at the Joltik. There is one thing he knows about Pokémon: They are there to support people, and people are there to support him back. This Joltik is listening to the whole conversation. And, he smiles at it. The fact it hasn't shown any protest to joining someone who might die? That... That's a good sign.

"...Seven is a lot of pilots. But. You might be able to get some legal protection in the Confederacy. Like, if the Confederacy puts you on a 'do not kill' list, not much they can do, right?" Lute's optimistic, at least. He isn't sure this would work though, but. The leadership of the Confederacy generally rewards loyalty. But... They also do things just as terrible as the Empire. Even Lute himself is horrible, and he knows it. He criticized the pointless hunting of the whaladon, but... He has killed so many. And he knows it.

He heard about her mother before. He looks down. He wants to say something to calm her thoughts. But, with what she said, odds are, it's true. She was executed, in Lute's mind. Lute looks up, and into her eyes again.

"If you do try and find a way out? ...Well. Take as much data from the Empire as possible. Schematics for ships, weapons, things like that. And then give it to the Confederacy. It's the sort of thing the Confederacy would take as a great sign of respect."

A pause. "...And really. Don't mention this. No need to thank me. We're friends. This is the sort of things friends do for eachother, alright?"

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
"Is one pilot worth the alliance of an entire galaxy-spanning entity, capable of providing massive amounts of resources very nearly beyond the level of even my comprehension?" Juno raises a brow, pinning Lute with an inquisitive look. "I sincerely doubt the Confederacy would decide to chuck aside the alliance of a massive institution like that which is, I might add, most probably chock-full of multiple Elites, for the sake of one woman who's likely barely a borderline Elite herself."

She shrugs, somewhat resignedly. "It's simple mathematics, Lute. The odds aren't in my favour, but I accepted that a long time ago. I make my own odds where I have to. No. I think it would be better for me if you forgot we had this conversation. Say nothing of it to anyone. I mean it," she adds, with another look. "I'm not a terribly trusting person by nature. Don't make me regret it."

"Would they? Or would they take it as the desperate actions of a mercenary, one whose loyalty can never be truly guaranteed? No. I think, if it ever comes to that, my best chances are to do my level best to disappear. And pray that I can do exactly that."

She's silent for a moment at his reassurance.

"Yeah. Yeah, Lute, I suppose it is." She sighs, pushing herself to her feet, careful not to dislodge the Joltik still clinging to her hair. "Come on, Piri. I'd better get some sleep, while I can. This ship's yours. Lute, I'll take you wherever you want to go, and then I'm going to take the Slice Hound back to the Citadel." One hand raises to let the Joltik climb aboard, carefully holding the tiny creature. "I can let Piri hide aboard the Slice Hound, and I'll make a point of visiting this ship whenever I can."

Lute (188) has posed:
Lute leans forward a bit. Smiling. "...I think you don't get how strong bonds of friendship can be. I also don't think you understand that they could work something out for you to resign without the Empire killing you, to make it end better for all involved. ...But. I'm still on your side on this one. Need to dissapear, I'll help you."

A determined look on his face. "Worst case? I'll seek out the Dragon Balls. No idea if they'd work. But I'd give it a shot. Alright?"

He leans back a bit, smiling, "...Well. I better get back to the Citadel for our next stop. And... Well. I can buy you some time there. We can tell the Empire that you had to fill out some paperwork related to the mission and the cargo you carried for me, and you had to be kept long due to it. That work for you?"

Juno Eclipse (428) has posed:
"And I think you may be underestimating the Empire, and the lengths it's willing to go to have things the way it prefers." Juno sighs. "I'm not going to argue that point, though. I have no reason to foul things up or do anything hasty. There's no sense borrowing trouble for myself. I'll carry on as I have. I suppose I'm just tired."

Turning back to the controls, she shakes her head, focusing on keying in a new course, this time to take them back to the heart of Confederate territory.

"I only intend to take it one day at a time. That's all I can do. I'll take you up on that offer, and maybe I can get a little sleep in the meantime. I won't have any Imperial work if I'm on Confederate business; so far as I can see, the Empire wants to keep relations with the Empire running smoothly."

She takes a moment to check and double-check her course, before firing the engines and taking the ship up towards the next warpgate waypoint.

"And... thanks, Lute." A half-smile, although she never looks away from the viewport. "I appreciate it. And I suppose I owe you one, if you're ever in a bind."