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[the_force_abides]

"Korvas, my profitable friend!" Villie announces once the holocom connects. It had been a rough few days for Korvas; dodging pursuit with the kids since he hadn't been able to ditch the Wampa's Paw and get a new ride safely. Now he was depending on a Devaronian to help him out of this Rancor's pit of a situation. How desperate did you have to be to depend on a Devaronian for rescue? Of course, the key was to not let Villie know how desperate he was.

"Villie, it has been too long," Korvas answers while the kids kept their eyes on the long range sensors. They had proved to have a keen eye for incoming bounty hunters and so had saved themselves a lot of trouble. "I might be in the market for a new ship. Have anything in stock?"

"Of course! Many wonderful ships! Come in and we'll talk. How are wife and kids?"

"You'll be able to see for yourself. The kids are with me and Khaleen will be meeting up with us in a few hours."

"Uncle Villie can hardly wait," the holo says and Korvas couldn't quite tell if Villie was being sarcastic or not.

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[the_force_abides]

Later, once the kids were settled with a holovid and some snacks, Villie took Korvas out in a shuttle to look over the ships he had to offer. The first was old and beat up yet still remarkably preserved given it's age. The hammerhead shape wasn't missed on Korvas and he had to school his features at the sudden memories of his first trip to Ilum aboard The Crucible—when he had to hunt for his first lightsaber crystal—the ships were so similar.

Villie, catching some of Korvas' body language but misreading it, said, "Is beautiful ship yes? Found it floating, abandoned! I promise good price. Lots of room for family!"

"Tempting, but I think me flying that ship would be too much like thumbing my nose at the Empire."

"What do you mean?"

"That's an ancient Jedi ship, from the Old Republic. The first time an Imperial officer with half a brain saw that, I'd be boarded and asked a lot of uncomfortable questions. No old friend, you'll have to pawn that off on someone else. What's next?"

"Bah," Villie exclaimed in disgust. "Jedi always bad for business."

They cruised about and saw three more ships, all either too large or too noticeable for Korvas' tastes. Villie was getting impatient and ready to fly back for dinner, when Korvas spotted an old freighter (one of the Corellian YT series if Korvas wasn't mistaken) out by itself. "Wait, how about that one out there?"

Villie turned to look where Korvas was pointing and shook his head emphatically. "No, no. Not good. Bad business. Haunted ship. Abandoned deep in space and when boarded, found pilot wrapped up in cables and wires. Villie fix up and get ready to sell but then ship drift away from yard by self. I place droid to guard ship and keep where it should stay but find droid broken next day! Everytime I try to make good for sell, ship breaks. Bad business. So I use tractor tug and lock it down, maybe cut up for parts. Ship no drift now, but Villie can't sell to old friend. Bad for friend, bad for business. Bad for Villie if wife finds out Villie sold to Korvas."

"Haunted, huh? Well, let's go back. Khaleen should be arriving soon, let's see what she thinks of what's available."

"Yes, yes. Smart."

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Khaleen did arrive as promised, if not earlier, and after greeting her family sat with Korvas and VIllie to look over the ships.

"So this one's too big," she said pointing to each ship in turn with a bright smile, "this one is too small, and this one is just right?"

Korvas groaned at her humor but smiled just the same. "Yes, as you so childishly put it."

"Then what's the problem? Go with the one just right."

"No, no," Villie said worried and fearful. "'Just right' is haunted."

"Haunted?" She said, giving her husband a look to show how much she believed that. Korvas nodded in agreement. "Perhaps we can make peace with the spirits?"

"Looks like I'm spending the night on a haunted ship," Korvas said with an exaggerated sigh. "I think I'll take Korto with me. It will be good to spend time with him. And while we're dealing with spirits, how about you and Larin see what data you can mine from that old Jedi cruiser?"

"Oh girl's night!" Khaleen said triumphantly.

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The ship's air was slightly stale but you could tell it had been cycling, at least on a minimal setting. The deck lights were active, which gave the ship an eerie feeling and odd noises seemed to be just at the fringes of Korvas and Korto's awareness; little taps, chitters, and thumps. Likely just the noises of the systems needed to keep the ship in minimal stasis, right?

And it was warm, comfortably warm, not the barely-above-freezing of a derelict ship kept at minimal power. Curious.

"Well, let's check out the cockpit and rooms, then get settled. We've a lot of work ahead of us," Korvas said to his son with a smile. For his part, Korto just nodded and tried not to look scared of the ship.

"Fear is good Korto," Korvas said and mentally smirked at the apoplexy his memory of Master Yoda was having at those words. "It wakens us to danger but we cannot let it rule our thoughts. It is a guide, not a leader."

"Yes, Father," the boy said, taking a little comfort in his father's words. "We should turn up the lights so we can work easier."

"Of course."

Hours later, after a full systems check and a walkthrough of all quarters, Korvas was even more convinced this was the ship for them. All was in great shape, despite the ship's obvious age. The systems seemed to be in nearly factory condition, if not better, and there was no sign of any vermin. The crew quarters were worn, but in well cared for way, the Navcom was a good one and the hyperdrive was upgraded from the factory default. There was even extra shielding and armaments. Best yet, there was no sign of any haunting.

Of course, things change.

They were woken by a loud shriek that sent Korto into the air as he leap from his bed. The lights had gone out (even the deck lamps) and there was an odd flickering about them. Korvas looked about to make sure his son was safe before holstering his blaster.

"Korto, take a deep breath and remember what I said about fear. Now, tell me what you see?"

Exhaling another calming breath, Korto looked around to look for what his father wanted him to see. Small lights were flashing, not the ships lights which were off. The lights at first seemed all about them but then he noticed they were only in their chamber and the corridor which lead to the airlock. Weird. "Are the lights making a path?"

"Good work! Now sit," Korvas replied, sitting himself, before calling out. "We've come to negotiate and hope to have much to offer. May we speak?"

Korto looked at his father as if he were insane but was surprised when there was cursing, followed by one of the lights approaching them from nearby. Soon, a small humanoid stood before them, though still shadowed in the dark, lit only by the glowing streaks of facial markings and the plasma of the small pole arm it carried. "How you not get scared like other bigun? This our home, not yours!"

"Because I listened," Korvas said with a calm smile. "There is much space here and I think you shared it with a 'bigun' before yes?"

"Yes," the small figure agreed. "But he got sick and died. We wrapped him as is proper but couldn't fly ship. You fly ship?"

"We could. We could bring food and much more. Things you require, things you want. I imaging food isn't so good with the ship sitting still."

"No, food getting bad. You leave clan alone if you move in?"

"Better than that, I'll help your clan grow strong and wise. I have my own family, together we can be strong and grow."

"Yes, yes. Maybe we can work together," the little man said and gestured for the lights to be turned on as the negotiations set about in earnest.

[the_force_abides]

The next day all parties of the Vos family met up on their new ship, the kids immediately raced off to claim their own quarters.

"I was thinking," Korvas said, taking Khaleen into his arms, "this ship could be a home for the kids and it's big enough, we could install some docking clamps for yours so we could fly together more often. There's plenty of room and I think we'd all be safer together rather than splitting our time up planetside somewhere."

"Why husband, I do believe you are asking me to move in with you?"

"That is exactly what I am asking. The holosystem here is pretty good, too, so we can keep the kids training up. Food stores will last months, and..." He answered before Khaleen silenced him with a finger.

"You don't need to sell it to me," she said with a laugh. "Though I think I'll trade for that 'too small' craft. It'd be better for fuel consumption and docking than my current vessel."

"So what should we call our new home?"

"Something vicious to warn the unwary but something that is our home as well...how about Dragon's Den?"

"Perfect," he said, bending to kiss her.

"Perfect," she murmured after their kiss ended. "But we'll have to make those adjustments later. I've some cargo and a job that needs finishing first."

"How about you transfer the cargo and we'll take the Dragon's Den for a test drive?"