“What do you mean you lost the ship?” yelled Rixik.

“It wasn’t my fault!” Kirya yelled back.

“How could you lose the Sirocco, Kirya?” Rixik repeated, pacing the cramped stateroom and pressing his fists to his forehead.

Corso stepped into his path, “Give the lady a break. Skavak had everyone fooled.”

Rixik shouldered him aside, “You stay out of it,” he snapped.

Corso refused to back down, “Make me.”

“That your hair, or did your mom drop you in a computer terminal?”

“Why you—“

“Oh for the love of—“ Kirya shoved the pair of them apart, “Fine, I’ll go down to engineering for a tape rule and we’ll measure. You—“ she poked a finger on Corso’s chest, pushing him back a step, “You’re not my mom. I don’t need protection. And you—“ she wheeled on Rixik, “Knock it off. Corso’s good people.” Kirya backed away from both of them, hands on her hips, “Now, I’d say ‘kiss and make up’, except that you’d kiss Corso like you do me just to see his reaction,” she concluded, giving Rixik a scathing look.

“Of course,” said Rixik, pretending to look innocent, “it would be hilarious.”

Kirya gave him a playful shove, “You’re incorrigible.”

“I am not. You should know,” he protested. He sat down heavily on the foot of the bed, head in his hands, “It’s just…Sirocco was everything we had, Kirya. We can’t make payments if we can’t haul freight. I suppose I should be glad it’s a corporate loan. They’ll at least holo a few times before sending in the Houk goons.” He looked up, glaring at Corso, “And if I’d have known those blasters were going to Rogun the Butcher I’d never have taken the job, not to mention letting my wife deliver them. Alone. That’s your buddy Viidu’s fault, isn’t it?”

Corso frowned, “Hey, Viidu’s dead, pal, he didn’t exactly get off scot-free. And it’s not like I have a job anymore.”

Kirya sat on the bed beside Rixik and wrapped her arms around him, “Corso knows some of Viidu’s contacts. He wants to get Skavak as much as we do. He’ll help us get the ship back.”

Rixik remained still, “I know some people too,” he said softly.

Kirya took his chin in her hand and turned his face to hers, “No. You promised.”

Rixik enfolded her hand with his, “I don’t like it either, but we might—“

“No,” she repeated, “We’ll go through Viidu’s people first and see what happens. Trust me. We’ll get Sirocco back. Everything will work out.”

“That’s why I love you. You’re so much more optimistic than I could ever be.”

“Mmm I just want your body,” she said, leaning in toward his lips. Rixik embraced her, pulling her partly onto his lap. They kissed, his one hand gently stroking the base of her lekku, the other pressed into her lower back.

Corso flushed and turned away, suddenly engrossed in the emergency evacuation procedures plaque posted by the hatch. After what felt like an eternity he cleared his throat, “Ah, you two, er, want some privacy or something?

Kirya snickered. Corso turned back to see the pair of them sitting side-by-side on the bed. “I win,” Kirya said with a smile.

Rixik tapped his chrono, “Five seconds. Just five more seconds,” he looked at Kirya, “I think that’s close enough to call it a tie.”

Kirya poked his chest, “I think you owe me an evening in the observation lounge. With nice clothes and dancing and everything.”

“Mmm then I win anyway,” Rixik said, giving her a peck on the cheek.

“You’re incorrigible.”

“Am not.”

Kirya stood up, “I’m going to see if the food on this tug is any good. There’s supposed to be a buffet on somewhere. I’ll leave you two to get a bit more acquainted.”

“Why, he staying?” asked Rixik.

Kirya kissed the top of his head, “I promised him a place on the crew when we get our ship back.”

“You did, huh?”

“Yep,” she said, slipping out of the room.

The door slid closed. Rixik raised one eyebrow, “So, what exactly did you do for her on Ord Mantell?” he asked.

Corso waved his hands, “Nothing like that, I swear. She needed some extra firepower going after the seps, so I volunteered to help her. That’s all,” he stared at his feet, shuffling from side to side, “I was taught to be nice to ladies. I couldn’t let her go up there by herself. Wouldn’t be right.”

“You give her that blaster too?”

“Flashy? Uh, yeah, I did.”

Silence fell in the room. Rixik drummed his fingers on his knee, “You named your blaster?” he asked.

“I…yeah I did. Skavak stole Torchy.”

“What do you call your shaver? Nick?”

“I only name—oh,” Corso grinned despite himself, “Got a knife called Hewie.”

“You’re a weird kid, Corso.”

“You named your ship, right? What’s the difference?” Corso asked.

“Ships are, well, ships,” said Rixik, “And you’re not on the crew. We don’t have a ship, so we can’t have a crew. I am not paying to crew a ship I don’t have.”

“Kirya said—“

“You help get Sirocco back and we’ll talk.”

Silence settled again in the stateroom. Corso broke it, “You really love her, don’t you?” he asked, “Kirya, I mean.”

“Kid,” said Rixik, standing, “Kirya’s the only thing in the whole universe I love. And Skavak hurt her. Screw the ship. He hurt Kirya.” The Twi’lek’s face set into hard lines, “When I catch up with him—and I will—I’m going to make that pustule-on-the-underside-of-a-Hutt wish he was never born. Then I think I’ll sell slivers of him to the highest bidder. Guy like Skavak, lots of people gonna want to own a piece of him.”

Corso coughed, “Wow. Uh, you do that to everyone who pisses you off?”

Rixik laughed, a genuine smile on his face, “Not anymore.” He stepped in close to Corso, “She’s sweet on you, I can see it. You’re like a flit-glider chick fallen out of its nest to her; all puffy feathers and big eyes. But just so we’re clear, I’m the senior husband, got it?”

Corso nodded quickly, “Clear,” he agreed.

“Good,” said Rixik, slapping him on the shoulder, “I’m going to go find the buffet.” He sauntered out of the stateroom.

Corso let out a breath. “Senior?” he said as Rixik’s words sunk in, “hey, what do you mean by senior husband?” he called, jogging out into the hallway.

I doubt anyone’s keeping track, but in case someone is: Kirya’s ship is usually Fifty Percent, which was the ship’s name on its original registry. She never bothered to change it. I have an (as yet uncompleted) story where she changed it to Sirocco after reconciling with her family. A reference to Ryloth’s heat storms—her father called her ‘his little heat storm’ since she would do what she wanted, and everyone better get out of her way. In this alternate universe, that reconciliation would take place sooner, so I changed the name accordingly. Yeah, ok, probably too much information.