Play Safe and just a small amount

"Well I'm smart enough to know you could always find another specialist, maybe they'll be as good as me." You reply with a smile. "However I also know that you and your crew likely won't want someone waltzing in and helping themselves and that doing just that can sour a deal like this." You continue as you play with the olives on the stick from your empty glass.

"Very true." Jacque says in a natural tone as his yellow eyes look you up and down, his face remaining neutral and stern.

"So I'm not going to ask for a percentage of whatever it is you have, I only need enough to make my first week or two a bit more comfortable on whatever planet we end up on. Just enough for a reasonable room and some change for food and maybe equipment." You say as you look into Jacque's eyes and extend you own hand.

"A most reasonable rate." Jacque says with a smile reappearing on his face, as he takes your hands and shakes it.

"Well the less I involve myself with your deal further the happier I feel everyone will be, seen far too many people get lost by greed. This way by asking for a fixed amount before I know the cargo or any value that could be attached to it, then there's no back and forth arguing which leads to someone getting spaced." You say as you pick up the cocktail stick with your other hand and eat the olives.

"That would be an unfortunate thing to have to do to someone as pretty as you miss..." Jacque begins as he takes up his glass and pauses for a moment.

"Val." You say with a polite nod.

"Well Val, for the wisdom you've shown by not getting greedy I think I might be able to throw in a little extra." Jacque says with a smile as he drains the small glass and lets out a sigh as the amber liquid travels down his throat warming his insides as it travels. " I have a few connections in the various planets which I could introduce you to should you find yourself in need of offloading some goods for credits, and who might also stock tools of interest to you." Jacque says with a smile as he lowers the glass onto the bar.

"That would be great, well then shall we head to your ship?" You ask with a smile.

"Of course, you can survey the workload and we can be out of orbit within a few hours once my crew is ready." Jacque says as you both stand up from the stools as the bartender comes over and collects the glasses.

"Oh by the way you two might want to use the rear exit, word is that some off world law types are poking around on a tip about a fugitive and some leads for a smuggler." The barkeep says as she smiles at you both and gestures to the door which said staff only on it.

"Thanks for the tip." Jacque says as he slides a credit chip over to the buxom bartender.

"Just remember to leave good feedback for us on the captain's log." The barkeep says with a smile as she takes the chip and deposits it between her large boobs before turning to tend to some patrons further down the bar.

Jacque takes the lead and you follow his as you walk off towards the door the barkeep pointed out. "So the captains log?" You ask as you squeeze between two tables where a lucky crewman had one hand inside a dark skinned girl as she kissed him squirming on his fingers while his other hand rested on a mop of brunette hair that bobbed up and down below the table on the crewman cock.

"Yes, a guide captains and crew use to get to know the best taverns in any port for the services they provide, both on the book and off of course." Jacque says with a smile as he opens the door and steps into the corridor behind as you quickly follow.

The corridor was lit with a blue light which made it harder to make out features of the people you passed as you follow Jacque. You notice a good number of people entwined with each other in various stages of undress enjoying each others company as biology compels, including a few risk takers who were balls deep in a couple of what you assumed had to be locals, but due to having to squeeze past as you them as they were changing positions, but due to the juices coated on the cocks they glimmered in the light, allowing you to see they were forgoing protection. You had a fairly good idea that the locals would be protected, at least if they were professionals they would be, but that doesn't mean they can't carry, something too many people learn the hard way it seems, given the queues you'd see at the local clinics when picking up a few preventatives and shots yourself. You slip past the crewmen, although one seemed to have a pair of boobs which is just another example of the strange and wonderful thing people could do with gene mods these days, too occupied to notice you, as you continue on hoping you'd get out into the open soon, as the corridor seemed to carry the scent of sex and sweat the further in you got.

Thankfully your hope is realized as after passing numerous doorways and displays, including someone jerking off into a large vat of some sort of stewed meat which led you to make a mental note to never piss off the catering staff at a starport, you reach a doorway which Jacque slowly opens to check the surroundings before turning to you the door still open a crack behind him as the slightly sweet scent of air permeated with various fuels and mechanical grease slip through. "Looks like we're good and as much as it pains me to suggest this you might want to change into something a bit less noticeable, that is smart fiber is it not?" Jacque asks as he eyes up your clothing enjoying your supple frame for a moment before returning his gaze to your eye level with a smile.

You regret ditching your cloak now, but it's not like you could of stashed it on you with the few things dear to you secreted in various hidden pockets about your person there was no place to keep it and besides it would be like a beacon when walking in the open, rather than helping blur you movements through the shadows in people's peripheral vision. "Yeah it is, give me a second I can work it into a basic jumpsuit, you got a spare hat I can borrow?" You ask as you begin to command the smart fiber into the less flattering outfit, and finding that you'll have to merge the smart fibers into one as the various materials refuse to stretch over on and other. You were aware that this was a possibility as you'd had them for a while and that being the disposable kinds the nanites within where running out of energy as unlike the more expensive smart fibers which can recharge via kinetic energy transfer by the wearer or even recharging from starlight yours was a disposable kind that only lasted about a year. It was something you were aware of but had planned to get stuck in an outfit you'd happily wear on occasions, not the sad gray jumpsuit you ended up with as connect the fibers to allow the nanites to pull together and complete the outfit. "Well I'm changed but the nanites are dead so here's hoping we don't get caught and need to change outfits." You say as you look up at Jacque who nods sympathetically as he hands you a black cap with a ships name on it.

"A shame, but when we next land I can point you towards a merchant who should be able to supply you some new smart fiber attire." Jacque says with a smile as you don the cap, and adjust your long red hair as best you can to obscure your face from the sides. Thankfully the walk to Jacque's ship is an uneventful one as you pass through numerous workshops where various people in protective gear were welding bits of metal and scanning various components while trying to yell over the loud machinery and robots doing all the serious manual labor.

Jacque's ship which you learned was called the Enduring Mule was an interesting ship, a light freighter by all accounts, but you notice a few things missing or out of place, thanks to you various liaisons with engineering sorts and your own tours on ships where you helped maintain odds and ends, when you are led inside through the cargo bay. One thing you quickly notices is certain area's of the ship have thick energy cables where the power requirement should be low, but then you spy a few large crates with various warning plastered in all manner of dialects and it confirms your suspicions that this freighter is armed, it would explain the need for such power demand, although truth be told you are not surprised given the owner.

"A lot of firepower for a light freighter." You comment as you pass a couple of crew who eye you with suspicion as they haul a large crate and set it down on top of another.

"Well there's no laws against the weapons we have fitted, and it's always fun to see the look on the pirate's face when they try and board thinking us to be unarmed." Jacque says with a grin on his face.

"Of course, and they're just well hidden to keep the clients from getting spooked, and space can be a dangerous place." You reply with your own smile as the two crew that we're eyeing you up to stop and watch you as Jacque turns to you his face taking on the stern look he had in the tavern when you haggled for some pay, and you begin to wonder if your words might have struck a nerve.

"You understand how things work, are you sure you've not worked this type of job before?" Jacque says with a broad smile and a hearty chuckle, which much to your relief, you hear echoed by the two crew who were watching you.

"Positive, I'm just a quick learner." You reply with a smile and laugh to try and shift the nerves that built up from the silence from earlier.

"Well then perhaps there is a future you did not see in our business, you mechanical skills seem to extend beyond security." Jacque says as the two crew approach you, one is a very muscular woman with her black hair shaved into a mohawk and various tattoo's and piercings on her fair skinned face, while the other crew member is a slimmer man with short blonder hair. "This here is my pilot Ant." Jacque says as he gestures to the slim man. "This lovely lady is Viper, she's our ships trouble shooter." Jacque says with a grin as Viper nods at you.

"Pleased to meet you both, I'm Val, and I think there's some locks you guys need me to crack." You say and you offer you hand out. Ant takes it a shakes it, and then Viper takes it and practically crushes your hand with her firm grip as she grins at you.

"Good to meet you, lets hope you're better than the last person we got to try and crack these cases open." Viper says in a mischevious tone, as you look over to Jacque who nods.

"Yes, we can only hope, speaking of which, Val I'll show you where you'll be sleeping and working while we travel." Jaque says as he turns back and leads you further into the ship, which is fairly small with the bulk being taken up by the engines and cargo area. The room itself is actually larger than you anticipated with a decent looking bunk, and what appears to be a hygiene area, which is basically a big sink with a flannel to allow you to at least keep clean, and in private to, which bar given a proper bath is the best you could hope for, and still better than you had in some places you squatted in. The other noticeable part of the room is a large desk with a holo terminal built into it, as well as some impressive looking tools and large metal crate around a meter in every dimension with a fairly intricate looking lock on the top of it.

"I take it this is one of the units I need to crack." You ask as you move over to it and run your fingers over the metal crate, and examining what appears to be the locking mechanisms.

"It is, there are some files on our last guy's attempt which you might find of some use, just don't do what he did." Jacque says as he tries to use a foot to get rid of a perfectly meter square scorch mark on the floor with two footprint indentations.

"Ok so they got some booby traps, well unlike your last guy, I'll study them a good while before poking it, so I should be good." You reply with a smile as Jacque nods as turns to leave back out into the doorway.

"Well next meals in a few hours, but we'll let you know on the intercom, one of us will come find you and give you a quick tour of the crew area before we eat." Jacque says as he leaves, you look up and nod to him before walking over to the desk and begin to see what tools and information your unfortunate predecessor had to work with.