Stardate 29-3 of the 203rd year in the Great Imperial Calendar

Tarv. It was my first time visiting this planet so I hadn't known too much. But I knew rumors. It was seen as a high class society by many, but the underground economy thrives here. The perfect place for cheap repairs and hands eager to be hired. I'm glad I knew about it or I would've spent all my money just making the repairs.

Arriving on the planet, it took a minute to find the proper landing spot. But if you need a tip, ask for Drat. Most people with connections to the underground, no matter what planet you're on, will understand that as code for wanting to enter. And lo and behold, I safely landed at a platform that connected to the underground. It really was an impressive planet, very well built up. Then the gates opened up to the underground and I saw it's true face. Dirty, dingy, disgusting, and perfect for hiding. Perfect to find people. Allow me to sum up my experiences here and the people I found:

“Hey! Careful with her! She's injured, I ain't paying for any more damages!” The downside of the cheap repair places is that they can get rough with your ship. But I only had to pay 150,000 for them to do it. It's worth it.

“Yees Captain, we'll be very careful with her. Kekehe.” The repair boss was a Glenk. Nasty little creatures they are, with squealing voices that'll irritate you to know end. Honest workers, as long as you treat them right. “And a little more for your services my good man.” I slipped him an extra 20,000. That'll keep him from stealing parts.

“Of course! Very good services indeed!” The grubber rubbed his hands together and ran off to the ship. He'll be efficient, which meant it was my time to find a crew.

Skipping forward to when I got to the bar, I was on the prowl looking for suitable candidates. My goal was to get a first mate and a mechanic to start, no droids this time. Looking around a bar, you can find all sorts of people, some good, some bad. I needed neither of those. I needed a competent. Someone who knew their way around a ship.

Looking around, it took a bit to find any good candidates. There was a Tulnsan fellow, but he didn't want to go, said he was “too good” for my ship. Then there was a Falt, good people, unfortunately they need a constant supply of water to survive and I don't have the funds to deal with that. A few more misses popped up but I kept on looking. Imagine my surprise when someone approached me.

“You looking for crew members?”

“Hm? How'd you know?”

“You've been going around the bar asking people about joining for the past 2 hours.” Ah, right. That would do it.

“So what? You interested in joining up? I don't take just anybody, I need someone with ship experience.” Though with how many people I'd gone through, I'll admit my standards were rather low at that point.

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“I've got experience, don't worry. I snuck aboard a ship when I was a kid and I've been working on em ever since. Done just about everything from cleaning to maintenance to fighting to navigating. I'll know any ship like the back of my hand.” A jack of all trades sort. He was pretty close to what I needed.

“And how long has that been? Can't tell the age of an Earthian like you.” Don't judge me, with how many species there are I can't know the aging rate of all of them.

“Nearly 8 years on the Great Imperial.” 8 years ain't bad. You'll be accepted as a captain in most fleets with 10, so he's pretty close. Perfect for a first mate.

“You’ll get a 10% cut on each mission, a little extra if you perform exceptionally well. All supplies will be taken care of by a ship fund. You get 100,000 upfront. Any questions?”

“Only one. What Captain and ship am I serving?” Few questions asked. I like that. You want to get a job adventuring? Don't ask questions. “Captain Calista Emless of The Soaring Flegalocky. What's the name of my first mate?”

“First mate Jack Lewis at your service.” He gave a salute, spit in his hand, and held it out. I gave him a firm shake in response. That sealed the deal. A spit and shake is one of the most widely acknowledged exchanges for formal agreements, at least among ruffians. I had my first proper crew member.

“Y'know, I never thought I would be working under a NSI. You guys are rarer than us Earthians.” Yes, I am a NSI. I know this may come as a shock to some but I am quite proud of it. There's not many NSIs who own a ship. You ever meet one, tell em I say hi. There's so few of us that we all know each other.

“Well get used to it. The ship is at Grinzo's Repair Shop. Pack up whatever you need and meet me there by 40. We'll need to be off by 42 to make it to Exla for the festival jobs. I will not tolerate being set back.” Making a good impression is important when you're a captain. Show how serious you are. It makes you look more professional.

“Yes Captain.” And he marched off to presumably grab his belongings. I sent him his 100,000 and went on my way.

I searched a little while longer but couldn't find anybody else. All the good mechanics were already taken. I was a bit downtrodden by that, but since it sounds like Jack has some mechanical experience we'll be able to manage. I headed back to the ship and called it a day.

And that’s where you find me now. It's 39:32, Jack should be arriving soon. The ship repairs are done and it is as good as new. That's a Glenk for you, damn good work. I imagine that the next time you'll hear from me will be in two days when we arrive on Exla. Signing off.

Definitions:

Earthians- My first mate is one of these guys. They were really self important when they made it into the intergalactic radar. Imagine their surprise when they discovered countless civilizations beat them to it. For the sake of knowing more I did some quick research on the planet. Its years are about .517 imperial standard. That is to say, their year is about .517 times as long as a Great Imperial year. Otherwise it's a rather boring planet. Peaceful, uneventful. Not many of them head out into the galaxy since being humbled upon their first entry. Too embarrassed I guess.

NSI- Stands for Non Standard Intelligent lifeform. Is used to refer to those, such as myself, who don't fit into the definition of what the Empire defines as a typical intelligent lifeform. That is to say, they stand, have arms, and consist of a solid form. Most NSIs are either liquid or gaseous entities. I myself am a gaseous entity from Ghosdara. We can solidify at will and have a vague shape that we can push ourselves into for the convenience of others' perceptions. I'll have you know that I am considered quite beautiful among my race. You just don't have the right senses to be able to distinguish my features. A useful note about NSIs, we are quite, quite difficult to kill. Don't have the standard weak points after all.