Dag, Yo.

[Li Ho Fook]

After so much beer, pastry had, indeed, sounded good, and so Fook walked along, needing to take three steps for each one of Gradoona's, with a half-eaten blueberry cake donut in paw.

"Doesn't help when you're trying to shake some Krayt M22-T's through a plasma storm," the Wah added. "Especially when you just done snatched their boss, you feel me?"

Finishing off the donut, Fook reached into his pocket for his key fob, and clicked the well-worn button. With a very aftermarket doot-dweep!, the alarm system of the 36'th Chamber deactivated, and the micro-freighter's back hatch began to lower. "Gonna stow my shit and get my specs," Fook announced as he padded up and into the main hold. Moments later he emerged, free of his weapons belt and his bracers, now armed with a tool belt about his waist, a pair of gloves on his paws, and a pair of digital interface goggles hanging perched upon his brow.

"Let's get this big girl out of her knickers," he said with a smirk. No further warning was given before he took a quick hop-step forward, then launched into the air with a vertical leap which no being of his size should be able to possess, landing upon the ship's swollen side where he seemed to stick as if his paws were magnetic. Making no issue of the bizarre feat, Fook worked the cordless driver from his belt and set to work unfastening the main panel covering the damaged engine, clearly having done such work before. "You think the station has the right shit in stock to fix this? Picked Correllian because that shit is everywhere, yo. Not the illest premium, but it's common as Twi'lek strippers."

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

A Herglic boggling their eyes might not be picked up by most, as their eyes, even when boggled, weren't all that big. But boggle they did as Gradoona witnessed Fook's unlikely acrobatics. Geepers he's a spry fella. Shaking that thought aside, Gradoona clearly saw the next four steps ahead of where the Wah was headed, and she moved under the engine housing, ready to pull the damaged section free when the bolts gave.

"Well, depends aan how bad yoour penguin's cooked. If it's just a blown coupler, thoose aare credit a crate."

The Herglic mechanic tapped a thick finger against her beak as she thought.

"Praabably a warped impeller. Thoos'll goo if the feedback gets haat. Gaatcha covered there too."

Again, she sounded hypersonic. And she didn't like what she heard.

"Ya gaat somethin' all loosey-goosey in there. I know thaat already."

Gradoona's expression turned fairly even, which was near enough to a frown as a Herglic had. She tsked.

"See, I'm hooopin' it's naat deep structural fault. I keep hearin' stress damage somewhere, but the harmonics are bouncin' around. If the assembly's goobered, we're gonna need a new engine whoole hog."

[Li Ho Fook]

The high-pitched whirring of Fook's cordless driver turned into a growl as the final bolt came free, and he moved himself out of the way so that the damaged panel could be removed. What was exposed beneath brought a smile to neither of their faces.

A small stress fracture would have been simple enough to repair, but the damage was far from small. Pieces of engine casing clattered to the floor as the panel was removed, and scorch marks worked out in every direction from the gaping hole in the side of the engine. The impeller had gone, and decided to take out half of the critical systems with it. Forget repair, Fook was certainly looking at replacement.

"Daaaaaaag," the Wah groaned, finally releasing his hold on the hull so he could drop down to the floor. "That is mad whack, yo." Every part of him, from his ears to his tail, seemed to droop in surrender that he was in for a very, very expensive visit to the station.

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

"Ooh ya, she's a cooked penguin alright, fweee."

A damned good mechanic she certainly was, but this was a whole other level of trouble. She'd need to be a metallurgy wizard and have access to a proper foundry to put this right. If the housing was compromised, the whole system was done for. It was faster and simply cheaper to chuck the old unit for a new one.

The Wah was taking it about like she expected. No one really liked to know they'd have to replace a whole engine as opposed to a common component failure. Still, wasn't gonna get fixed any faster moping over a tragedy.

"Tell ya what. Let's just get this fella aaff the superstructure aaand we'll put a pin in that one. I'm suure we can get ya flyin' again."

[Li Ho Fook]

"She'll still fly with one engine," Fook pointed out. It was a hollow statement - factually accurate, but only just - and it did nothing to improve the Wah's mood. Paws slack at his side a moment longer, he then let his chest swell and fall with a sigh before nodding.

"Won't be the first time I've swapped engines on her," he then admitted. "Just hope there's another just chillin'. Shit costs mad paper, to order, y'feel me?"

Changing out the bit on his driver, Fook began to scale the side of his ship once more, wasting no more time in getting to work. "Station pay for scrap? Because this playa's got an abundance of that, now." His paws worked quickly and precisely, and the Wah seemed able to immediately know the precise order in which to remove the correct retaining bolts. Wiring looms were dispatched with ease, no hook tools needed when he used his claws to make short work of depressed clip fasteners, while fuel lines were disconnected only after automatic shutoff valves for minimal loss. Despite his cute, cuddly appearance, and odd pattern of speech, Li Ho Fook seemed a most adept mechanic. Either that or he had done this same job more times than he cared to admit.

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

"Ooh suure, I'll go aan get the dolly soo we can weigh her up. We'll caamp ya a quarter cred per kilo."

It wasn't much, but that was a lot better than he was going to find with anyone this close to the Gordian reach. Gradoona helped him along, but it didn't take much as she watched him check down the disassembly work. She reached for a control guide to steer a repulsor hoist over the Wah as he continued to remove the stricken engine.

"Get her aan the chains and I'll take a peek at a replacement."

The Herglic took a few hefty strides over to the shop computer, set away from the work floor. She punched up a few lines of serial designation, queuing up the exact model of Corothrust ZR-4 that Fook was equipped with. The results weren't bad, but maybe not what he was looking for.

"Soo, we gaat a pair aaf Corothrust ZA-3's. Doon't gaat another ZR-4 aan hand, buut, I'm lookin at the specs and the power plant numbers..."

She whistled through her blowhole as she flipped through layers of technical schematics.

"Soo it'd be a trade aaff. Loower taap end speed, but ya'd pick up better handling and the pair's a good 80 kilos lighter."

[Li Ho Fook]

There seemed to be no limit to the little furball's agility as he clung to improbably handholds, and balanced on precarious perches while disconnecting the engine. The chains took only moments to hook up, and once they had gone taut, Fook attacked the few remaining bolts mounting the engine to his ship's support frame. The final bolt came free, and Fook clung to the chain as he stood on the engine, swinging away from the ship along with it.

"ZA-3?" his voice carried concern. "Then I'll have to replace both engines instead of the one, yo. And lower speed ain't my thing, dig? Was need for speed that blew that one out. Ain't no ZR-4's in the area at all? This playa would rather chill a day or two instead of slummin' his engines, dawg."

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

The Herglic weighed over the possibilities as she downed another pair of doughnuts.

"Lemme see here. Soo...nothin' matchin' spec is comin' aan cargo delivery for the next day or two."

She offered a shrug, which was a tiny gesture from a creature with no neck.

"It's naat a caammon part for Alliance requisition, buuut..."

A few more keystrokes.

"Cooould special oorder ya one. Looks like they gaat one at the Cizerack depot aan Kepaa Brens."

Gradoona fwaaaahed, followed by punctuated clicks.

"Ooh dear, naat a great price. Still suure as heck cheaper than two fresh nacelles, yaknoo."

[Li Ho Fook]

The Wah could not resist some playful acrobatics upon the suspended engine before clambering down its side, and hanging from its edge, then dropping to the floor with uncanny grace.

"How much paper we talkin, yo?" he asked. Shedding his gloves into his tool belt, Fook padded over to the terminal where Gradoona stood, though he couldn't quite see the monitor around her. At all.

"And, how far out is that? This playa don't trade skin much with the Ciz, I don't know their game. They don't pay a playa well for a job well done, y'dig?"

Between the four thousand he received from the Trandoshan job, his meager savings, and what little he'd get from his scrapped nacelle, Fook began to wonder if he could even afford it at all, or if he was going to have to limp along on one thruster until his next big payday. On the plus side, he'd just scored free help removing his current engine, so they couldn't possibly bill him for that. Though, while his mind was still on the business at hand, his eyes seemed unable to resist drifting toward Gradoona's backside.

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

"They want nine-fifty."

Gradoona pointedly pressed her beak shut, and huffed from her blowhole.

"Thats easy a 25% markup. They knoow what they gaat. Not like CoroThrust makes that model anymoore anyhoo. The goood news is that that includes delivery. These gals do business with the real movers oover aat Royal Cana'daari, soo they ship here once a day at least. Pretty no-naansense outfit, soo it's almost worth the cost."

[Li Ho Fook]

"Nine-fitty!"

The Wah's jaw hung open in outrage for a moment, before it clamped shut, lower lip curled in a sneer. "Dag, yo. That is mad whack." His black eyes glanced back up at the gaping hole where his engine had been. Nine hundred and fifty credits would at least get him going, again, and if he was getting free labor, it was technically a deal.

"Fine. Let's get that shit ordered. I got the paper. Guess it means I'm gon' be stuck here for a day, at least, though. Anything ill to do, around this joint, dawg?"

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

Gradoona began keying in the order, text chatting in real time with a customer service rep at Kepaa Brens.

"Welllll, ya mean besiiiides suds and smashball?"

She thought they had a pretty good time with that, but then again, it wasn't like she was, how'd he say? Ill. Gradoona haauuumed, absently scratching her head in thought as her tongue curled through her open grin.

"After payday, whenever I get a wild hair, yaknoo, I spend a roll or two oover aat the blaab races. It's holorecoorded from Umgul yaknoo, but the winning's still spend good. Asiiide from thaaat, well..."

She gave the little fuzzball a look. He sure talked a big game. And his ship was weird, but it wasn't a paper penguin, either.

"...there's a few dance clubs, mooostly Cizerack yaknoo. Gradoona here's all two left feet, and they're naat soo nimble. There's the tea room, which is naat baaad, but that's a little too frisky. Lessee. Shatterstar's gaat a laat of good word of mouth, but kiinda out of my price range."

[Li Ho Fook]

Holorecorded blob races. Not exactly the peak of fun, but, from the sounds of it, it was at least a place to start on Jovan. Rule one of a sick night, start small, and finish large. This Shatterstar place, whatever it was, was clearly on the ticket to end the night. Rubbing his fuzzy chin, the Wah considered his options carefully, as well as his bankroll. The engine was a setback, yes, but he'd not a good bash in at least a month, and that was far, far too long. No, short on funds or not, Li Ho Fook needed a mad night out.

"Yo, you and me both took in some paper on that smashball game. Wanna double that or more, dawg? This playa ain't no fool at the blob races, you dig?"

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

"Ooh, suure."

Gradoona paused, suddenly a dawning bit of recollection on her beak.

"Aaactually, I foorgaat, Monmoo's gaat the real deal foor live races just recently. Heck, we could catcha gaander in person!"

[Li Ho Fook]

The wah's semi-rounded ears swiveled up front and center immediately. "Yo, live blob races? I am down, homie. I am mad down."

Within fifteen minutes the odd couple strolled through the doors of "Da Blob Place," and Fook wasted no time in lacing his fingers together, turning his palms out, and cracking his knuckles. "Aw hell yeah, dawg, this is what I'm talkin' bout," he announced with an approving bob of his head. "Yo, waitress," he then called out. "Gimme the most ridiculous drink you got, girl. Grandmaster in the house."

As she went off to get her drink, Fook surveyed the landscape of the establishment. It was bigger than expected, and the course appeared genuine, even after a close inspection. There weren't too many patrons, but those that were there were of the right races to flash some serious cash. Leaning back, he whispered loudly up to Gradoona. "We don't bet the first race, we just watch, feel me? See how the paper gets played, see who's rollin', who's pinched. Know your enemy, and all that shit."

[Captain Monmoo]

Everything is goen so good at da Blob Place, berry nice, lots of customers and nosa una complaining. The blobs were small, but fast, and the track dat dominated the middle of the place was a hopping place. The next race was about to start, and Monmoo was practically paddlewompy in beer because a server had called in sick. Hesa was running back and forth from the bar to the track, helping out where hesa could, but his hailu were floppy and had knocked over una or duey drinks in his rush.

Oh well, disa stuff happened sometimes.

Hesa saw Gradoona belly up to the track, in all the glory of the ome-goosa, and hesa hurried over. "Hello dalee! welcome, welcome, yousa came at a good time, berry busy, race about to start! What can mesa get for yousa?"

The track was laid out as a figure ate-a, all the obstacles copied from the big ones on umgul, just about duey-dees smaller. Hesa look over it as hesa waiting for desa to order.

translation here

[Gradoona Pod-Floewander]

Gradoona stepped up to the fore with her exciteable companion, giving a nod (a profound motion for a Herglic) as he spoke. She clacked, clicked, and whistled as he explained the opening strategy, which was generally a pretty good one.

"You gaat it. Guess I doon't miind sittin' out one match."

Still, it was tough to resist putting at least a trifle on one of the blobs just to satisfy the craving for endorphins. Herglics were natural aficionados of games of luck and chance. She peered into the individual pens separating one blob from the other on the track. Her hypersonic senses could tell her a little about the contestants in terms of their viscosity. Too much and they would have difficulty with speed. Too little and they might not negotiate obstacles as efficiently. Each entry had been fed an algae nutrient solution with a temporary dye, making it easy to tell one from the other.

While Fook got his order tended by the waitress, the proprietor singled out Gradoona as a repeat customer.

"Oh hiiiya Cap'n Monmoo. Ooh I'll haave the uusual."

Her usual being a pitcher of beer and a bucket of prawns. For a start, anyway.

She returned her attention to the starting line, and then to her own betting kiosk, where she plinked down a modest 20 credit pittance on the green blob. Turning back to the Wah, she grinned big.

"Ooh just a little warmup bet woon't hurt!"