While Palob is presumably doing a few pre-flight checks on Corellia and/or making more sad noises about the damage Zet’nuri did to his ship, the Twi’lek gestures Callia aside.

“Hey, um, are we cool?” She’s absently checking through her pockets as she asks the question, making sure her gear is where it belongs and reattaching her blaster pistol at her hip – she’d hidden it away while she was making fake business proposals for the Chiss Ascendency. “It got a little heated there for a minute, with the glitterstim spice.”

Callia follows after the Twi’lek, having remained quietly judgmental since they have landed the ship again.

“We will be fine. I am out of my element, clearly, but glitterstim is not something anyone in the galaxy should be ferrying about.” She tells Zet. “I am willing to make concessions but just remember what you are doing doesn’t affect only you.”

“Sorry.” Now that Zet isn’t right in the moment, buzzing with a combination of adrenaline and nerves, she’s able to muster up a sincere apology. “I didn’t forget. I don’t like to touch that stuff usually. I know it’s bad — it’s literally produced by slave labour.” She looks up at Callia’s face, satisfied with the state of all her hidden pockets. “But me and Santos also can’t really afford to be in debt to anyone else. Now we’re clear with Catrinna, and if we wanna work with her again, we did that so fast that we’ll have enough pull to say no next time to cargo we don’t want to move. I think we just broke a record!” In spite of the gravity of the situation, the thrill-seeking smuggler can’t keep the excitement out of her voice. Isn’t it cool Callia? ISN’T IT??

“Yes it is,” Callia agrees softly. “Most illegal spices are. Glitterstim just seems to be the worst of them.” It’s hard to stay judgemental and quiet around the excited Twi’lek. “Yes, I believe we did. Didn’t they say a uneventful run usually takes longer than that? I suppose now you will have a lot of clout amongst the smugglers on Corellia.”

“That’s right. We’ll practically be famous once word gets out. Santos and I can start making our money back and then we can all get to Nar Shaddaa and pay off our repairs and stop scrambling for any old job. Which means no more glitterstim. See?” It’s really probably not the first time Zet’s helped to smuggle drugs, given that she used to work for the Black Suns. That doesn’t mean she had to like it. “It’s not that I wasn’t hearing what you were saying. We just didn’t have time to argue by that point. You know, sometimes we smuggle for the powers of good. Like refugees or whatever. So it can all balance out in the end.”

There is always a justification for the next job. Callia doesn’t say a word as she studies Zet quietly. There is that silent judgement again. “I’m not positive that is how the balance of the universe works, Zet.” She wryly replies.

“Well you’d know more about that than me,” Zet says flippantly, not even squirming under the way Callia’s looking at her. It’s hardly the first time in her life some human has given her a dirty look and it won’t be the last. “If we’ve got to move cargo like that again is it better if you just don’t know about it?” Believe it or not, that sounds like a sincere question. This is Zet trying to figure out the best way to keep the peace.

Callia chuckles softly and shakes her head. “You want to apply a don’t ask, don’t tell policy?” She considers it thoughfully. “If you wish that is how we go about these things, then alright. I will try to remain purposefully ignorant.”

“But I mean, like I said, it’s not like we’re usually moving stuff like glitterstim.” Zet laughs a bit. “Uh, what about Santos? We’re sort of business partners so typically he needs to know what cargo he’s moving…”

“That will be up to you two, I suppose,” Callia replies. “It will be up to you and him what line you want to walk. There is always going to be a chance in this lifestyle leads down a dark path so just continue to be aware of that. Don’t let him go off on any revenge-based escapades or murderous rampages…though he doesn’t seem the sort.”

“Ha ha! Funny you should mention that…” Zet shifts her weight from foot to foot.

Callia tilts her head to the side, one eyebrow arching up. “Mention what? Murderous rampages?”

“Revenge-based escapades.” Some of the good humour leaves Zet’s eyes now. “Palob said he’s got something to deliver to a Nossk on Selonia. It’s a great big galaxy out there, so it’s totally possible that there’s more than one Nossk who just happens to do business with smugglers. But Santos’ ex-partner was named Nossk too.”

“Ex-partner…I assume it didn’t end well, then,” Callia murmurs. She tries to appear not too troubled by this new bit of information.

“That’s the guy he told you about on the Corellian Runner, who left him stranded on Nar Shaddaa.” Zet folds her arms, chewing on her lip. “Nossk beat the crap out of him and took all of his stuff. When I met Santos he was living on the street.” She doesn’t add that it was sort of by choice because he was hoarding every credit he could lay hands on to buy their new ship. “I kinda want to ask Palob about it once we get going, but I don’t know what’ll happen if Santos and Nossk are face to face again.”

Callia mulls it over quietly. “Well…you are there to ground him. I can step in if I need to. Hopefully it will not come to that, though. We may have to let Santos figure this out on his own, with as much guidance as we can.” The Jedi sounds like she’s viewing this as some sort of trial for the Chiss. “I will let you handle talking to Palob about it. I’m here if you need any assistance.”

Zet nods. Apparently her best friend’s mental health is one topic that will curb her exuberance. “I’ll try and get a word alone with Santos if I can. I’m not really sure if he knows what he’ll do. But it’s hard to predict that kind of thing until you’re face to face…”

“Yes, it is,” Callia muses. “You expect yourself to be strong and rely on the skills and knowledge you have, but sometimes emotion guides us in a way we cannot control.” She speaks, of course, from recent experience. “We will all be there to guide him in any way we can.”

“I’ll just stun him if he’s getting out of hand,” Zet replies without so much as batting an eye.

Callia cannot help but laugh. Its a slightly nervous laugh, aware that Zet is speaking somewhat seriously. “Hopefully it wont come to that.”

“Yeah… I think I’d have to hit him more than once to knock him down.” Zet winces. “And I don’t want to literally get between him and a Trandoshan.”

“Yes, that would be a dangerous place to be.” Callia agrees. “I will help, if it does come to that.”

Now Zet grins, flashing her pointy teeth. “I thought the point was to keep you two out of that kind of trouble. Didn’t you like my trick with the smoke bomb? That was dedicated to you.” She tosses her headtails with a feigned arrogance.

“I meant restraining them both, not hurting anyone,” The Jedi smirks. “It was a clever trick. I’m glad we also returned his spaceship to him. Palob does not seem like an awful fellow. A bit clueless and clearly a little too friendly, but not awful.”

“Yeah… it would’ve been hard to sell another stolen vehicle after all that anyway.” Zet… is … probably joking. “He’s being such a good sport about all this.” She glances back towards the ship. “I guess we should get on board soon, huh.”

Probably being the key word there. Callia just gives her a half-smirk. “I suppose we should.” She agrees. “I am going to check to see how Qurzer is doing. I will see you in a bit.”