Starfinder: The Jade Regent Pt. 04

Sam snickered. "Nah, we are fine. We will take the cute animals as a peace offering though."

"You impressed us with your wit and bravery," Xata put in helpfully. "Does that count?"

"Nah, we figured they were aimed at evil jerks." Hana nodded sagely. "So they weren't aimed at us, so we were totally unhurt!' she said, moving over to pet his head gently, "So, ready to check out our ship?"

"Oooh!" Brash said. "I'm excited!" He said, swinging his tail even faster now.

Ami chuckled. "Yeah, once we're back on the ship, we can take off our helmets and give you nose rubs and stuff." She said, grinning.

"Oh my gosh!" Brash said. "And I promise, I won't get near any of your feet!" He nodded sagely as they started for the Sunwolf.

"...um...we're not going to step on you or anything," Ami said.

"Oh!" Brash gasped. "Well, to be fair, being stepped on wasn't as common as the kicking. It didn't hurt, cause, I'm a big strong dragon!" He paused, blushing. "It just I don't like it."

Ami's jaw was set once more and she had that I want to punch someone face on.

"I will murder anyone who lays a finger on this dragon," Rakain swore under his breath.

Hana winced as if she'd been slapped, "Well, we won't kick you either." She smiled, moving over to rub her nose against the dragon's nose, hugging him gently, moving slowly so she didn't scare him.

"Kicks?" Xata's expression darkened. "When we find your former crewmates, we might have to hurt their feelings. Just a little."

"Gasps! You're not wearing a helmet! Wait, why aren't you wearing a helmet?" Brash asked, sounding confused as he rubbed his nose against Hana's - even as they came back to the airlock of their ship. There was a moment of faint queasiness as they all remembered their ship was perpendicular - looking as if it was thrusting up and out of the floor, rather than landed before them.

"Because I'm an android! We can run around in space without suits because we're almost as cool as dragons." Hana nodded, smiling at him cheerfully, frowning slightly as she looked at the ship.

"I take it we are ready?" Sam asked.

"Hana's a cool machine person with a special soul inside her," Nora said, able to finally see Brash as they made it back to the ship. She broke into a wide smile and looked the pseudo-dragon over, "Waay cuter than through a vid feed." Nora coughed as she remembered Sam's question. She looked at the ship. "Yes. Should be. Alfie?"

"Ready ready," Rakain said.

"We are fully dislodged. Though, firing the forward thrusters may damage the stations' interior slightly," Alfie said, which made Brash gasp slightly, tensing in distress.

Hana smiled to Brash, "Don't worry. We kind of messed the station up already, so a bit more damage isn't as bad as it sounds."

Brash nodded. "Okay!" He said, relaxing. They stepped into the airlocks and the locks cycled with a faint whirr and they were once more brought onto the ship. Brash hopped off of Rakain's shoulder and immediately started to nose around the room, excitedly scampering left, then right, gasping at every new thing he saw.

Alfie blinked, her holographic form appearing from Nora's wrist computer. "Should I track this new, ah, entity?" she asked, sounding confused as Brash excitedly started to stick his head into the washing machine - which wasn't running, fortunately.

"Might be a good idea, Alfie," Rakain muttered. "Make sure he doesn't squeeze himself into a laser battery or something. Because I would be heartbroken if anything bad happened to him."

Brash drew his head back, then looked over. "This is very shiny!" He said, then bounced. "Can I live in it? It'd be like living in a cave made out of silver!"

"Hello Alfie, welcome to Hana's Habits. She will adopt almost anything." Sam teased as she made her way to the bridge.

"Be nice to him, Alife. He's.. kind of sensitive.." Hana said softly. She smiled to Brash, "We need it sometimes to make our clothing clean, but you can live in there when we're not using it." She said, grinning.

"Track him, sure. Not full permissions but guest ones." Nora said, keying a few buttons on her wrist with a smile. "And I'm sure nobody would be remiss inviting you to live here."

Alfie nodded. "Of course." She said as Brash excitedly climbed into the washing machine happily. He started to run along the inside - the inner rim of the washing machine clattering as he ran in it like a hamster wheel.

"Shall we head to the bridge?" Ami asked, walking over to the washing machine and gently picking up Brash like he was a kitten, petting his back. "I want to see if we can get out of this station..." She grinned as Brash started to lick her face.

Rakain was struggling to maintain his stoic composure. He was a vesk, a brawny slab of meat who's purpose was kicking ass and protecting his friends. But a part of him wanted to steal Brash right out of Ami's arms and snuggle the little dragon forever. Xata smiled wistfully at Brash as she followed Ami to the bridge. He reminded her of, well, herself.

"I'll see if I can avoid making it worse." Sam said as she got into the pilot's seat again and started to plot a course out.

Ami Sat down in the captain's chair. She grinned. "This is the bridge." She said as Alfie appeared - still buck naked. Brash ooohed, loudly as he looked at the nude holographic halfling.

"She's very wise!" he said. "Clothing is dumb, and boobs are awesome!"

Ami snorted, quietly. "Sure he doesn't resemble Hana?" she asked as Sam's deft hands gently extracted them from the station - leaving a pair of scorched, red marks on the wall. They emerged into space and floated out before the side of the station - the Brineice Asteroid spread beneath them. Alfie cocked her head.

"Scanning," Alife said. "No surface life signs detected. Thermographic readings..." She paused. "Inconclusive. I believe someone...who...ah...is better at scanning should handle a secondary scan."

Nora keyed a few things, "I could give it a shot, though isn't that your station Hana?" The mechanic mumbled and shook her head as she set able keying buttons at her console.

"I can check it out." Hana said, snickering slightly as she moved to her console to look things over curiously. Xata moved to see if she could help or support.

"I think I can do it," Xata said. "Let me see..."

As Hana and Xata loomed over Nora's shoulders, she brought up the image of the scanner and each of them got a chance to look at it. The asteroid had a base sunken underneath the skin of the ice. It was a roughly rectangular metallic structure, with three doorways to launch ships from, all closed at the moment. But there were several readings that seemed to be airlocks!

"So, we can land a ways off, approach on foot, and sneak in!" Ami said.

"True. I could probably hack the airlock and keep it from alerting anyone it's being used." Nora said, leaning forward.

"Sounds exactly like what I was thinking." Hana said to Ami, smiling.

"Pass me the telemetry and I'll see if I can find a good spot." Sam requested.

Ami grinned, then pointed at Sam. "Make it so!" she said. The ship started to feather forward - Sam carefully darting forward towards the iceteroid. Well, iceplanetoid. It had once been an ocean after all. The ship darted down - then settled gently in a cratered chunk of ice. As it settled, they headed for the airlock.

"I'll come with!" Brash said, excitedly.

Ami glanced at the others, whispering to them. "Are you sure that's sa-" She started.

"After my nap!" Brash said, curling up and laying down on the carpeted floor. He started to snore loudly. Rakain stared at everyone else in the room, then calmly pointed at the snoozing Brash.

"I just want everyone in this room to know that I would die for this dragon," he said, seriously.

Hana snickered slightly, "Alfie, when he wakes up, could you make sure he knows we'd like him to protect the ship and then help keep him entertained? And make sure he knows we will come back." She nodded to Rakain, smiling.

"I am in complete agreement." Xata gave Brash a fond scratch behind the ears on the way past.

Ami smiled, cupping Rakain's cheek. "You big softie..." She said, sounding quietly proud. Brash kicked one leg and curled up again as he was petted.

"I can do this," Alfie said. "I have all twelve seasons of The Adventures of Celestia and Luna."

"Alfie, I'm sure you know how to keep a handle on a serpent or two." Sam teased, flirting with Alfie. She had fun playing with the ship's computer during the voyages.

Hana nodded, "Thanks." She said, smiling brightly. She looked down at the little dragon, sighing slightly and shaking her head as she headed for the door. The airlock doors opened and the group stepped out - cresting the ridge of the crater. Six adventurers, with pistols drawn and magic at the ready, clad in futuristic armor - looking out at the low ridge-line of the Brineice base.

Within was the source of the signal drawing pirates to Ami and Ami to pirates.

Within was the answer to yet another puzzle about Ami's history.

And within, most importantly...was a chance to punch someone who was mean to a cute dragon.

Right. In. The. Face.

TO BE CONTINUED