The Hubris was a standard Destino cargo freighter, though the arrowhead-shaped bridge that jutted out from between the four wings indicated it was an older model. Picking their way through the scattered maintenance caddies and repair workstations that littered the dock, Kayl marveled at the hull as they drew closer: it had definitely been in some scrapes. Scoring of various shapes and sizes blanketed the large hull panels and even some of the viewing ports, which made him uneasy.

An android stood with its back to them, hands on hips and looking up at another above it laying stretched out on a scaffold. Sparks shot from behind a panel as it worked on the hull of the ship.

Solace strode ahead and addressed them. "Greetings, androids," she stated with her usual aloof, flat tone. “Do you represent the Hubris?”

The android on the ground turned at her voice and cocked its head. “I'll have you know," it admonished, "I am much more sophisticated than a low-functioning android. Mister Detrol, at your service.”

Kayl's jaw dropped at the uncharacteristic flippant response and for the first time ever, Kayl saw Solace's eyebrows lift in surprise.

Taken aback, she answered, "If that is your way of informing me that you're a symbiot, I must say it is quite rude."

He turned back around and waved his hand in dismissal. "Not my concern. My master overrode the standard etiquette controls and now I can be rude if I wish. And after such an insult, I do wish."

Solace's guarded expression immediately returned. Kayl himself remained openly shocked.

"Intriguing. Is that the case for your friend up there or are they discourteous as well?"

"She's worse than me, partner. Also she's not mecha, she's an organic." Detrol spun around again, obviously annoyed. "If you're here to misidentify us, you have done so most effectively and may leave. Unless you have some other business with us...?"

"We have cargo," Solace started. The word "cargo" had not but left her lips when immediately the symbiot's posture changed from perturbed to magnanimous, as if the word flipped a hidden switch.

“Oh, indeed?" he chirped brightly, "Yes, the Hubris boasts six fortified cargo bays and a weathered crew dedicated to-”

"Please," Solace held up her hand and cut him off in kind, “you don’t have to give me a pitch. I’ve done my research and I believe you have the capacity and the firepower to ensure the cargo makes destination safely.”

Detrol dipped his head in a short bow. “Ah, thank - wait,” he said abruptly, straightening and tilting his head to the side, “if that’s true then you’d know we have one of the worst reputations in the business.”

Kayl mused that if the symbiot had eyes on its faceplate, they would be squinting in suspicion. “Yes, meaning funds are low and your crew is desperate for any work - am I wrong?”

“That’s none of your business,” he replied cautiously. “Why would you take the risk?"

"Is there someone else I may speak with?" she deflected. She nodded to the one quietly working above them. "Perhaps she would be more helpful than you."

“Well I officially have an icky feeling about the direction of this chat. Tell me what your cargo is or I'll alert port authorities.”

A few seconds of silence, then Solace answered, “We are the cargo.” She nodded to include Kayl.

“You are the cargo."

"We are the cargo," she confirmed. The tinkering sounds of the other person above them suddenly stopped, amplifying the silence.

Finally the symbiot laughed. "Yeah, we're not that desperate. Or stupid."

Still, he did not end the conversation or turn them away. Solace took the unspoken queue. “The payment is fifty thousand Allied credits and ten thousand Undercoin."

Kayl’s eyes widened. She was offering everything they had to bargain with - even the money they got from selling the Specter ship.

Detrol snorted as he turned to unlatch the fuel line connection to the ship. "This ain't a non-profit liner, partner," he scoffed, but again did not end the negotiation.

"Plus," Solace gritted, "an immunity token."

The symbiot’s head swiveled towards her instantly, leaving his body to catch up seconds later as he dropped the fuel line to the floor. “For what system?”

Her voice lowered. “All of them.”

Detrol did not move a servo for so long that Kayl worried he had malfunctioned. The humanoid in the scaffolding dropped suddenly from above, landing on all fours behind the symbiot and then rising to stand. Now that she was closer he could see she was indeed organic, wearing an engineer's jumpsuit and a full ventilator helmet that obscured all her features - something that he knew would put Solace even more on edge.

“That’s an unbelievable claim, Thmien, you got proof?” the symbiot retorted cautiously, leaning forward slightly.

Solace let out an alarming guttural growl as her eyes fixated on the humanoid behind him, her glare as cold as obsidian ice. "That person behind you better be a crewmember," she warned.

"Well I think the risk is pretty equal here," Detrol answered, gesturing to Kayl, "if not slightly more in your favor, being two adult Thmiens."

Nobody moved for an eternity, the silent tension practically made the air sizzle and swelter around them. Kayl tried to support his guard by replicating her intimidating glare. Internally, his insides churned like a stormy sea as he desperately wished for the standoff to end - and preferably not in a fight.

Finally, Solace's jaw opened and she flashed the underside of her purple tongue, which had a metallic silver tattoo of a double helix that twisted perpetually. Kayl fought to keep his face blank, for this feature was news to him as well. Whatever the image signified, he knew that animated tattoos were almost impossible to acquire.

Again the symbiot seemed to halt completely as if buffering, while the humanoid waited silently behind him. At last, Detrol spoke and as he did, the heat seemed to dissipate as if blown away by a cool breeze.

"Yes, we do have crewmember positions available," he said brightly. Kayl was certain he heard a faint click sound from the symbiot's torso. "Thank you both for applying. Let's step into this engineering office here and sign the contracts." He gestured towards the small enclosed office module against the wall which held a simple drafting table and a few chairs. As they entered the room, from his periphery Kayl saw Detrol turn and quickly mumble something to the other crewmember, who nodded and remained in behind.