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[b]Kwenn System,
Nova Retreat.[/b]
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"Alarmed observation: Are you certain how to use that spanner!?" The voice of HK-51 seemed somewhat nervous, perhaps even afraid. As Neia walked into the repair bay and leaned against the door threshold, seeing HK-51 prepped up on a workbench with Mochi working on his leg while Maaike had hooked some cables to his chest, tapping away rapidly on her personal computer. "Querry: Maaike Hanu, what are you doing, I feel strange. Clarification: I feel as if my optical sensors are 23.67% better than before."

Maaike let out a snort, "That is because I am uploading a new targeting program for you, which should improve your abilities significantly, you will be able to shoot even better than before." She frowned and shook her head, "I seem unable to delete your assassin pro-"

HK-51 moved so fast that Neia almost didn't register it as the assassin droid kicked Mochi away and then suddenly had one of his robotic hands wrapped around Maaike's neck, glaring into her eyes with his glowing photo-receptors. "Undisguised threat: If you tamper with my assassin protocols in any way or attempt to delete them, I will be forced to end your pitiful meatbag existence."

Neia decided to announce herself, stepping into the room and coughed, her hand on her blaster. "HK, let Maaike go, she was only trying to help you." The droid did not move and she pulled her blaster out. "HK-51, I said let her go. Or I will shoot you, Maaike was only, understandably so, worried that your assassin protocols might cause us troubles if say, the Republic scan you and detect the programming. Assassin droids are illegal in Republic space as you may recall."

HK-51 slowly turned his head but did not let go. "Curious observation: We are not in Republic space, this station is located within Hutt borders. The meatbag slugs at least appreciate fine quality assassin droids."

Sighing Neia patted her blaster against her leg and then slowly, showing HK what she was doing put the blaster back in her holster. "Yes we are, but I am going to send you, along with some others, to the Sarka system, which is located in Republic space, Maaike knew about this and just wanted to make sure there would be no troubles in case of a surprise republic scan if they come in contact with you, that is all."

HK-51 did not move for a while and then finally, almost seeming reluctant to do it, though it was hard to tell with a droid, let go of Maaike's neck who cursed as she took in deep breaths and staggered away from the droid. Mochi meanwhile had gotten up and with trembling hands placed his spanner back in his tool kit. "Well, your leg was successfully re-attached, I guess." He mutters and tidies up the workbench. The assassin droid meanwhile remained silent and then marched out of the room past Neia without as much sparing her a glance.

Once she was certain he was gone she turned back to Maaike and looked at her questioningly. "Ok what was that about, because I was making that up. Maaike? Why were you trying to tamper with his assassin protocols."

The Zabrak slicer was rubbing her sore throat and shrugged looking anywhere but Neia, after a while she let out a groan and looked at the floor. "Just thought it might be smart to look at those protocols and see if I could figure out if they could be altered or removed entirely. How was I supposed to know that he would react that way!" She went through her things and came out with a bottle of water taking some much needed gulps.

Neia meanwhile looked in the direction HK-51 had gone. "I think he sees those protocols as part of his identity, how would you react if someone made a off-hand comment about wiping away part of who and what you are?" Neia kept looking at Maaike who instead of replying looked away, seemingly embarrassed by it all. Shaking her head Neia left the room, now she felt like she needed to watch Maaike and HK-51 so those two wouldn't be trying to kill each other or something.

As she went out the two Dwarf Vornskr reared up their head and got on their feet, padding after her as she walked through the corridors of her station, pausing occasionally to make a chat with some of her people performing the various tasks and duties around her station. Eventually she made her way to the conference, walking in she saw Kiyla leaning back in one of the chairs with her feet propped up on the table while Gaarwarr and Vette were talking quietly, upon her entry their attention turned to her. Bahn and Ginna stopped on each side of Neia and she briefly scratched both of them behind the ears. "Thank you for coming, sorry to get you into service so soon after you got yourself out of the medical bay but I thought you might be getting a little crazy sitting still for so long."

The Twi'lek operative shrugged and grinned. "Well if you do have a mission then you won't hear me complain." She went to one of the seats and like Kiyla propped her feet on the table, placing her hands behind her head and looking hopeful.

She walked to the table and accessed some controls, a hologram of the galaxy came alive, she gestured and they zoomed in, showing her station. "The Nova Retreat, located in the Kwenn System." She smiled and zoomed out and then made a connecting line to another system a few grids over and zoomed in. "The Sarka system, the defiler, Zann's man, gave me information of a potentially rich asteroid field with all kinds of resources, potentially the presence of precious Nova rubies. The problem is that pirates, reportedly a small number are operating in the field in question." She sighed next and pinched her nose, "I asked various assets and contacts of mine to find any information about them. My spies and explorers knew nothing... my contacts on the trade routes and various spacer cantinas in and around the region... well they couldn't report anything because either they are dead or in prison. My smugglers however, well one of them came forward with some interesting information."

She retrieved a data crystal and slotted it in placed on the table, the view changed from the Sarka system to a part of the asteroid field, a green circle around one specific asteroid. "He apparently delivered some goods to the pirates in question, he didn't say what and I didn't ask but he did provide us with the location of their asteroid base. As well as information of what the pirates have, a Starbolt-class Assault Carrier with a, at least at the time when he delivered the goods, a full fighter compliment." She let that sink in and then continued. "It might be considered to some as 'overkill' because I want to send the Free Trade Gambit, Wroshyr Song and you Vette, also HK-51 will be coming along. I prefer you to reach a deal or otherwise negotiate with these pirates but if that is not a option, then you are to take them out and stake a claim on the asteroid field for my business ventures."

Kiyla brushed her lekku over her shoulder, frowning. "I don't get to fire my big gun? Aww."

She couldn't help but chuckle, shaking her head. "Sorry, Vette will be in overall charge, at least at first, I am hoping that she and Gaarwarr can use diplomacy to settle the matter, if that leads nowhere however, then you are in command and are allowed to go aggressively, try to capture the base and ship if it leads to that. That is why HK-51 will be along, he is a assassin droid so he can hunt like no other."

The wookiee grumbled, <"I hope it does not come to that.">

She smiled ruefully. "Neither do I, but if there is no other option then those pirates need to be cleared out, one way or another. You have to agree we would be doing the surrounding space a favour by removing a pirate threat."

The Wookiee jedi leaned forward, staring directly at Neia, speaking slowly, <"Perhaps, but we are doing it so you can stake a claim to a potentially resource rich asteroid field, so for our own gain. Be careful of the path you undertake Neia.">

The Twi'leks had goen quiet and looked at each other with expressions that Neia found difficult to read, she herself was also a bit shocked and surprised and after a moment snapped out of it, frowning as she looked at jedi. "I am aware Gaarwarr, will this mean this assignment is a problem for you to undertake?" The wookiee shook his head still looking thoughtfully at Neia, a bit unnerved by the jedi's stare she looked away and hashed out the final details before concluding the meeting and dismissing them all, she herself heading out quickly to get away from, to her eyes, accusing look of the Wookiee jedi. 

She went to the cantina for a drink, that is where two hours later her twin sister found her, elbows over the bar and raising her empty glass, speaking in slurred words for another drink. Her sister stepped forwards and placed her hand over the glass and shook her head at the bartender. "She's had enough."

"Heyyy.... I ssay when I, when I... have had enough, not yyou." Neia replied with a whine. "And I sayyy, yes I say, I want 'nother drink. Yess I do." She pouts and looks at her empty glass, sniffling.

Maia was looking worried as she took the seat next to her sister, wrapping a arm around her shoulders. "Ok, spill it, what is going on. You are definitely not yourself lately, you've been drinking a lot more than you usually do. People are starting to notice and are getting worried, including me."

Neia whined and buried her head in her arms on the bar, "Don wanna talk about it." She muttered. Her twin sister looked down her and with a sigh rolled her eyes before grabbing one of her sister's tentacles and gave it a quick yank. She let out a loud yelp of pain and reared her head back, looking angrily at her sister now, "Was that for!"

"Good, now that I have your attention." Her sister looked grim and serious, clearly not taking no for a answer. "You are going to tell me what's wrong or I will keep yanking your tentacles like when we were kids and this time you can't run to mom and dad, now start talking dammit, I am trying to be supportive and help you because you are clearly in a funk for some reason."

She whimpered and traced over her head, soothing the pain an d looked away, when she looked back Maia was still there, glaring at her. With a whine she rested her head back on her arms on the bar and sighed. "Fineee.... it's... I feel so judged lately..." She bit her lip and whimpered. "I had those people executed in cold blood... they wanted to blow up the station but I could have just let them go, instead I told my people to kill them. I am looking at myself in the mirror lately and I don't recognize me anymore... have I become cold? Heartless? Am I just another cruel business person in Hutt space not caring about who I hurt or drive out to earn a buck?" She whimpered and bit her lip.

Rolling her eyes Maia poked her sisters cheek. "You are not, ok you have had to make some tough decisions lately, anyone in your position has to make some of those eventually. But you did it to protect those in your employ, your friend, your family. That does not make you cruel or heartless. That makes you one of the few who got what it takes to make a tough decision for the greater whole to protect our little community. You are just only realizing that now I am guessing, so all I can say is. Tough, deal with it, the tough decisions won't go away and what will you do? Abandon it all or muddle through this and come back with your head held high because you will know that, despite making a difficult decision, you did what you had to do, to protect all of us."

Blinking she shook her head and looked at her sister oddly. "Since when did you become the reasonable one..." She muttered at which Maia just let out a snort of amusement. Neia smiled and nodded. "Yeah... ok, thanks Maia, you made things a whole lot clearer." She smiled at her sister, who smiled back and didn't break eye contact, after a while Neia's smile faltered and she sighed. "I'm still not allowed to get another drink, am I?"

Chuckling Maia got up and tugged at her sisters arm to also get up. "Nope, going to take you to your quarters so you can take a shower and then straight to bed and sleep it off, come on then." With a last whine Neia allowed herself to be hoisted off and dragged off to her chambers to sleep it off and see what the morning brings.