The Ice Spectre glided in and set down in the designated docking bay, settling down on the duracrete landing pad with just the slightest hint of a bounce.
"Take it easy with my ship there, Ace," Diana said, grinning and giving Raezyr a playful nudge.
"Are you kidding?" He replied. "I could land this piece of space junk on running tauntaun and the it wouldn't even know I was there."
"Raez, you know how I hate to side with Di," Trychon said apprehensively, "but we all know you wouldn't know a tauntaun if you were swallowed by one."
Raezyr thought about that for a moment, then shuddered. "I don't even want to think about that. Those things smell bad enough on the outside."
Rhox just rolled her eyes, shook her head and headed back to her quarters to grab her gear. Dianna suggested the half-brothers do the same and meet on the landing pad. Before following Rhox to their shared quarters, she reminded the boys that this was Alderaan, and they routinely scanned for energy weapons. If they were caught with unregistered lightsabers or blasters they'd most likely be thrown in prison.
"I think we can take care of ourselves. We once fought off an entire army single-handedly," Trychon objected.
Dianna chuckled. "Shut up, Trych."
Raezyr stood up and stretched after sitting for so long at the controls. "While we all know that Trych is full of go-se 99% of the time, this one is actually true."
Dianna looked back and forth at the brothers serious faces for a moment, not sure whether they were pulling her leg or not. Finally she shook her head. "Just leave the Sith toys this time, alright? Alderaan's a peaceful planet. They don't like people bringing weapons, and we don't need the attention it would bring if you got caught, dong ma?"
She left before they could object again, as she knew they would. She didn't really care what they had to say as long as they listened. Dianna was beginning to grow her contacts once again despite her wanted status here in the Core, and she couldn't afford to have these two screw things up.
She opened the door to her quarters and stepped in. The ship had been modified to carry mostly cargo, and since most of the time she had at most one other crew member with her on a run, she had converted all but two cabins to extra cargo space.
Rhox was just sliding a dagger into each of her calf-high boots. She stood up and flipped her hair over her shoulder, then pulled it back tightly into a pony-tail. "Captain, may I speak frankly with you?"
"Of course, Rhox," Dianna replied. "You're my security officer. I'll listen to anything you have to say."
"What the hell are you doing with those... Sith?" she asked, twisting her mouth and nearly spitting the last word as if she were trying to get rid of a bad taste in her mouth.
Dianna sighed. "I know you haven't had a really good experience with the Sith, and I was pretty apprehensive at first, but I try to take people at face value. They've claimed the Sith are misunderstood and have been given a bad rap by a few bad apples, and so far, they've done nothing but prove that statement correct. They've lived up to their word and they've done a lot for me and the entire crew. You need to give them a chance."
"Captain, it's been my experience that if a Sith is being nice to you, he or she is using you or wants something from you, or you have something that they can't take from you by force," Rhox explained, crossing her arms across her chest. "And I've never seen an exception to the rule."
"All I know is that Zanz, my former security officer and first mate, a man I looked up to and thought of as a father-figure, once thought the same way you do about these two," Dianna said. "In the end, it was he who ended up making off with a dozen lifetime's worth of aurodium and left the rest of us holding the bag. If it hadn't been for the Sith, you wouldn't be here because I would have had to disband the Kingsmen and sell everything I own to try and repay a slimy Hutt."
Rhox snorted. "I heard that story, Cap. Let me guess, it was probably those two Sith who came up with the idea for that heist, wasn't it?"
"I don't see what that has to do with anything, but yes... it was."
"If I had to guess, I'd bet that they worked some angle. It wouldn't surprise me to find out that they ended up with all that money somehow anyway, blamed your loyalest crew member and got rid of the only person who might question them about it in one fell swoop. Then they come swooping in with an 'investment,' using the money that was rightfully yours anyway to do it, and now they own you, lock, stock and barrel," Rhox said smugly.
"Own me?" Dianna's jaw dropped. "You think they own me?"
"No." Rhox's face went a little flush, realizing she'd overstepped not by insulting the brothers, but by insulting her boss. "You know what I mean. I know they seem nice, but I wouldn't put that sort of deception beyond any Sith."
"And if they were just some random Sith who'd hired me to do a job for them, you'd probably be right. Hell, I'll even grant you that possibility given the fact that we'd gone to them looking for some help finding jobs." Dianna paused to let that small concession sink in. "It doesn't explain the half dozen times they've come to my... our aid. Let me tell you more, and you go ahead and give me your theories."
Rhox simply stared back defiantly.
Dianna began. "The time they rescued half my crew from a rival who'd kidnapped them, wiping out my rival in the process? A long time thorn in my side?"
When no response seemed to be forthcoming, she continued. "How about the time that they went with me to confront a Hutt on Nar Shadaa, where they're very wanted, just so that I wouldn't give up my base?" Another pause. "No theory on that? They nearly lost an apprentice on that mission, and from what they tell me, he's still recovering, and may never be the same."
"Well, I..."
"Or how about when these two Sith," Dianna spat the word as an insult the way her officer had. "Took my side and backed me up over their two Sith friends, including a friend of mine who I've known since long before he was a Sith?"
Dianna let that sink in as well. "We haven't heard from them since. I suppose that's a ruse as well?" Dianna put her hands on her hips. "Don't worry, Rhox... I'm not mad at you, and you can continue to voice any concern you may have, but I'd appreciate it if you avoid calling me stupid when you don't know everything."
"Understood, Ma'am. I'm sorry it came out like that."
"And please try to play nice with them unless you have a real reason not to. They aren't like the Sith you've known... but, " Dianna paused briefly to collect her thoughts. "You don't want to be on their bad side either. I've seen people who ended up on their bad side before. Don't let that be you."
Dianna walked out of the room, suddenly a perfect picture of calm again. Maybe she was telling the truth about not really being mad, but Rhox could tell she touched a nerve by pushing the issue on her former first mate. She wondered if her captain's last pause had been to avoid using the phrase 'or you'll end up like Zanz.'
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