Sumtin unusual 'bout Mako. It's one of these days - she has one of these faces on her. Weak grin? Lousy mask. Y'know. Like when you come home and the akky doggy acts funny and won't look you in the eye. You know he's tryin and hide somethin, and it smells funny.

Not in the mood for her to punch my buttons. Not today. Not yesterday. Not next week. Not ever.
Umkay, I have a short fuse all right.

"What?!"

She jus stares at me with that cheesy-uneasy face, tryin to say sumtin.
Sumtin happenin' here. And what it is ain't exactly clear.

I *know* I didn't do anything *bad*. Not today. Not yet. Sumtin yesterday? Nah. Would of given me the old Hydian-no-no in the bunk. And well... we had a wild time last night, and then some. So... not me. I think.
But then again I'm not thinking too straight. Ooh, my head. My liver hates Nar Shaddaa.
Okay, actually, my liver hates me. But it hates me even more when my butt is on Narsh.

"Tell me already. What is it!"

She gives up. Was gonna yell and stuff anyways so let's get over it and be friggin' done with it.

"Hun... you're not gonna like this"

I growl. Really. In the morning, my already raspy voice really starts to sound like rattling of asteroid debris, shaken, not stirred. Sure as hell hope we're never under attack while I'm snoring. Nerfherding crew wouldn't even hear me croak an order.

Little Mako. She can't help looking at the holo. It's flashing. New messages.

A couple heavy strides an' am reading the damn thing.

"WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Punched the console so hard it left a dent, and some damn circuits flickered and stopped working. You know, the stuff that activates when that other stuff beeps... nevermind.
One more dent.

"Like HELL I'm paying that!!!!! It's more then a mont's bounty!!!"

"There we go again...", a carefree voice from downstairs let slip.

"SHUT THE PHRIK UP, GAULT"

"Okay, okaaay... but it's not like I didn't warn you boss. Gotta count them!"


Banthafriggin spacer. How did he know?

"Hey, BRAINIAC. Right now have a half mind to collect the boon on you after all. Zip it. Now."

"Yeah you do that! And all mandos from here to Theta come after us. Hmmm. Wonder what the price tag would be... what's the rate for cheating on the great hunt and all that, this month?"

Dammit. It' as if the eejit was a talking nose. Dude thinks through his nose. Was so hammered once I even pictured him as a walking red nose. With little legs, and horns. On top of a hill of credit chips. Impersonating a rooster. Why am I even remembering this? Dawn damage's not helpin'. Last night is kinda sketchy now that I think of it. (Kinda sexy too, mmm...)

Anyway, he's lucky Torian is not on ship to hear that. Sent the kid to that cantina full o' gorgeous twileks. Why is the blasted devo not with him?

"Go space yourself, buddy.", I snort.



"Hun... calm down. We can afford it.", Mako chances.

"Like hell we can! I'm not paying a hundred grand!!"

"It's not like we're chasing accountants on Hutta anymore... held by Gammos that can't shoot straight. Those dread masters don't die cheap."

"Yeah..."

"Plus, hun... it's our lifestyle here. You know what? It's your... signature!"

With this she has me laughing. Throat clearing already. Mood too. Mind should follow anytime soon.

"Phrikin' A! That's my signature! Hey buddy! You've been jangoed! BOOM"

Laughed some more.
Gotta love my bad axe laughter. Them ladies luuuv it. My kinda ladies I mean. L'il Mako does.

"Damn. 100 grand. That much??"

"Hun... this is from Merr-Sonn alone"

"Merr-Sonn of a gun!!! You kiddin' me??!!""
Man, sometimes, I just keep 'em rollin'. Like I'm on barrage mode! HAR HAR HAR

"Yes. There's this whole other bunch too."

"Damn! Woman, give me some good news!"

She grins, glitter in her eye.

"Well... do have some good news! Remember I found this broker in the Industrial sector last time?"

"Yeah..."

"Well we're officialy buying wholesale! So that's a flat 12 % discount, plus totally handsome perks. Instead of 300 grand we're paying two-twenty, and best part is, in three installements. And the stuff is pristine."

"No way! That's my Mako!"

Now she's really smiling. Something in that smile makes my day.

"K. Lemme check that list out"

"Here's."


"Hun. I know how you like to finish them off with a missile salvo. But we really really REALLY need to cut down on fireworks. Otherwise all we'll have left to throw at them is that ugly Houk that's been freeloading since Belsavis..."

"Damn. I'll really think twice before popping a rocket now."

"It's not like I'm not telling you everytime..."

"Told U too!", shouted a nose from downstairs.

"Who would of figured? Should of gone powertech. Or pyro, at least. Torching stuff is way cheaper."

"But where's the fun in that? You get to showcase the whole arsenal this side of gree space"

"Heheh! That's my girl."

"Anytime, big boy!"

"We'll also need to cut down on kolto, missy."

"What? You can't be serious. No can do."

"It's the friggin' first item on the list! 36k units!"

"Any less than that, and you won't be needing anything anymore hun"

*Growl.*
"Mako you need to stop plastering me every time I get the littlest scratch!"

"Hey! Not my fault if we need the cloud going! The probes need to keep up with your pace! And speaking of PTs you *really* need to stop charging heavy droids on Oricon whenever you see one guarding a stash! Ever since you got that experimental Czerka gizmo you've been acting like you have a portable sky shield on your head!"

"Well it DOES absorb a lot of incoming..."

"Yeah, for a lousy six seconds, and whenever it wants! You want a PT shield? Get a PT suit! But you can't swell the quake and skip it too!"

Friggin hate when she thinks she can yell at ME and get away with it.
Friggin hate it even more when she yells at me and she's right.

"Hun," she continues, "You can't carry a full shield generator on top of all the ammo and hidden missile tubes on you. There isn't one millimeter left for anything more. For phrik's sake, you want a heavy generator, you'd need Skadge to run at your side carrying it! He'd be useful for once..."

"OKAY! OKAY! I'll be "more careful"! We need those stashes though. Tell you what. Next time, I stun the big droid right away. Then you zap the stupid dread guard. The rest of the suckers charge. Freeze nade. Then I toast them bomber style. I'll be careful not to wake the bucket o' bolts."

"Works for me."

"Great. But you ALSO need to stop plastering me with greens when I'm ok. And while we're there, LOS'ing the suckers is one thing, but remaining behind your rock while they're on a bumpfest with my butt is LOS'ing ME. THAT's when I need the damn kolto! Not when I'm half dead kissing the dirt and my own butt smells of barbecue!"

"Okay, FINE! FINE!"

"C'mere babe. I need you by my side, y'know that."

I open my arms, hug her. She squeezes me. Hard. Pressing her little face against my torso. For once, not armored. Damn. What's that in my chest? Shut up, old ticker. She'll notice. I smell her hair. It's like the moment lasts forever. Part of me wishes it did.


"Speaking of Skadge... we really need more room to stockpile that arsenal hun. Hint hint?"

"Yeah... tell you what, next time we go to Belsa, he's getting "heavily refreshed" at the prison cantina. And in for a little surprise when the booze wears off. Deal?"

"Deal!"