It took Rick considerable effort not to strangle the kushiban with the hand closest to him the moment he turned black. Sweat beaded on his forehead from the strain. But he understood one thing.
"You can not feel..." the counter thought and added: "You turn off emotions?"
The familiar greenish sheen was already flowing over the luxurious fur the readiness to attack was just a demonstration of possible states.
"I can," Bus nodded. "And I often do. Especially in combat situations. It helps a lot not to make mistakes."
"Will you teach me?" it took concentration to keep his voice from turning from a question into a plea.
"Right now?" the alien looked around. "You should get back to normal first... Otherwise, the medicine might be worse than the disease..."
"Not now. Ever," Rick clarified, "when there's time. First, I really need to get back to normal. And get the ship settled."
"I'll teach you," Bus nodded. "Larius thinks it's best for you not to be alone for long for a few days."
"Maybe she's right," after a few seconds of silence, he still answered uncertainly. "Maybe. How do you feel about being scratched behind the ear?"
"And how do you feel about being scratched behind the ear?" the alien answered a question with a question.
"That's a complex question," Rick blushed, but only for a moment. "I'd say it all depends on who's scratching, but I don't have fur and I don't look like an exotic felinx."
"The fact that you're naked, I'll survive somehow," the kushiban magnanimously decided, slowly turning peach-colored. A feeling of amusement emanated from him.
"By my standards, you're naked now," Rick shook his head with a smile. "Sher gave me some herbs, it would be good to brew them after all."
"Larius will bring them soon," Bus informed him. "You gave her assignments yourself, and she can't create a doppelganger yet."
"Let her not rush," the counter again brought up the ship's schematic, studying possible hiding places for contraband. There were several options, but the most delicious one was near the captain's cabin. There, you could place a weapons locker with prohibited weapons, if they appeared, and the dimensions there were... impressive. It would just require completely redoing the power conduits in that part. But... It only sounded difficult. With the reactor shut down, it could be done in a couple of days.
"And how did you and Larius meet?" Rick realized that if he kept thinking, his head would spin. The feeling of a warm body on his legs felt good and pleasant, as if he hadn't spent half a dozen years alone with the stars.
"She picked me up when I was still a fry," the kushiban twitched his ears. "I was small, stupid. I wanted to fly. I climbed onto a ship, and got... into a nasty place. I was in a cage. She bought me out."
"Nda..." the idea of a new name, "Gale," became clearer and clearer, it remained to find out how the crew would perceive it. There was something grim, fatal about it... And at the same time... He wanted to put all this to his service.
"Lucky. Did she teach you everything?"
"No," the alien's fur flickered with a haze. "We both didn't know anything then. Later, we met a shaman, and he taught us. But different things."
"Different things," Rick repeated the word, "can you tell me what exactly?"
"We are very different in our abilities," Bus explained. "I even have different hands, not like yours. Everything she knows, I could learn too. But I'd hardly have to use it. There are things we both know. Controlling emotions. Attracting and repelling objects. Sensing danger. Searching in the Force... But I can't guess like she does, even if I understand how she does it. And she, for example, doesn't need my ability to stick to a wall and climb it. The weight and proportions are wrong, it's easier to learn to fly..."
"You can stick to a wall?" the counter involuntarily smiled. "You should also learn to spin webs. And you can scare imperial zoologists."
"Webs?" the alien was surprised. "Why? Larius has excellent thin cord."
"If you were a rare four-legged furry variety of arachnids," Rick smiled broadly, "unique."
From the attempt to laugh, two needles pierced his temples, the counter winced, pressing his fingers to his head.
The kushiban rose, easily climbing onto his shoulder, and settled there, his hind legs on his back, his front legs on his head. A light vibration from a barely audible purr dispelled the headache.
"Thank you," Rick sighed. He didn't want to show how... unprepared he was for such help. And at the same time, he didn't want to be alone, he needed someone close, someone of his own.
"And Larius can't do this," Bus snorted from above. "Again, it's a difference in weight. If she lies on your head, it's unlikely to get better."
"I can... relieve the pain," Rick gave a crooked smile, "but in this state... I don't even want to try. It might have the opposite effect."
"Easily," the kushiban agreed. "And you're lucky your partner knows how to break such connections... If he had been late, we would have had two connected. One a drug addict, and the other crazy."
"Partner," Rick chuckled, remembering something. "A couple of weeks ago, if he had fallen into my hands... I would have shot him. Without trial or investigation. And look how things turned out."
He wasn't sure about the connection. He could break the connection himself, in theory, and in general, maintaining consciousness in a pair requires effort and concentration, and if it were lost, he, in the same theory, should have just passed out. Like then, on the ship, with breathing.
"Alright, let's get back to our ship," he focused, "did you sense a bug on the control panel? Or was there something else?"
"Something in the Force, related to the ship," the kushiban twitched his tail. "I'm not an electronics expert. It... smelled."
"Smelled..." the guy brought up an image of the node that remained in the panel on the holoprojector, "a bug was here. With a memory card."
"So it was designed for the card to be replaced," the alien replied thoughtfully. "From my limited knowledge, this type of bug is the hardest to find."
"The card wasn't replaced," the guy shrugged, "they can be found, they still consume energy if they don't have their own power cells. But... Such a ship has too many of its own, natural, leaks. What's interesting is why there are bugs on a peaceful merchant, as the former owner of the ship presented himself."
"Was the card clean?" the kushiban clarified.
"No, it's with Nick," he pursed his lips, "I was counting on him to review the recordings on it while I dealt with the Arkonian."
"He'll look," the tail twitched again. "The previous owner might not have known about the bugs... And why did you want to shoot your partner?"
"That's in the past," Rick chuckled. "He wasn't a partner then, but he was too big an unknown factor. And I thought he had dragged me into some scam. And I had just gotten out of a complete... dead end. And the easiest way to break something is to eliminate the instigator."
"No person, no problem?" a snort came from above. "Wasteful, in my opinion. But I don't know everything, and I can't judge... When he ran in, he was black."
"He has..." he had to choose his words carefully, "some difficulties with the Dark Side. Small ones, but they exist."
"Well, if these are small, then I'm already a bright spirit," the kushiban snorted. "But I won't turn my back on him without fear. As long as his woman shines on him, he will choose the bright paths."
"It's precisely because of the woman's presence that the problems are small," Rick said this as if brushing off the first part of Bus's sentence, "did you see the Lethan?"
"The slave? Of course, I saw her," the warm fluffy body pressed on his head, but the weight wasn't unpleasant. "Pretty by your standards."
"I meant, what was she doing when you saw her," the word "slave" made him cringe.
"Peeking through the door," Bus waved his tail. "Then she ran away."
"When?!" the surprise was weak only because he didn't want to waste energy on it.
"When they were pinning you to the floor," the kushiban explained.
"Yeah," Rick sighed, "she needs to be found, who knows what she might think of."
"Look for her?" the alien merged back onto his lap. "Or do you want to do it yourself?"
"Look for her," the guy grinned, through the Force, "I'm afraid the sight of a weak captain won't delight her much."
The claws clicked dully on the floor, the fluffy tail flashed in the doorway.
Sher waited until the effect of the tranquilizer fully manifested, without releasing the Arkonian's hand from hers. When the alien's pulse stopped beating so strongly against her finger, and her breathing became rare and calm, she took her hand away and sat next to her for a little longer. Her breathing remained even, so she could leave Shai alone for a while.
Sher carefully walked to the exit of the cabin and turned back at the threshold. She had two or three hours. The main thing was that the captain wouldn't object to her intention. Shai's cabin door closed slowly and silently. Not at all like she had opened it when she heard Bus's howl.
She hurried down the corridor to the cockpit. The captain should be there. And, perhaps…
But she forbade herself to think about Nick now, so the smile that flashed in her eyes remained somewhere in her heart, which didn't care about any prohibitions…
"Cap?" first her head with an unbraided braid peeked into the cockpit.
"Yes?" Rick was busy trying to find surveillance systems, video or audio, inside the ship. It was unknown if the previous owner had installed them, but it was worth trying.
"Cap," Sher repeated, appearing in the cockpit entirely. "Are you here alone?"
A slight disappointment was evident in her tone. But it was entirely due to the fact that the captain had been left unsupervised.
"Did you drink the potion?" she asked sternly.
"No," Rick, while no one was looking, put one foot back on the floor and leaned back in the chair, pretending that he had always sat like this and loved sitting like this, "I haven't had it made yet. Bus ran off to get Veymi."
Sher approached Rick and looked closely into his eyes.
"Is it still that bad, cap?" Sher asked softly. The question sounded more like a statement of fact. "And the medicine doesn't help you much either, when..." she didn't elaborate further. Confirmation of what she suspected would have to wait a little longer, until the captain felt better.
"I didn't want to bother you, cap, but I have something to do," she sighed. "Could you allow me to go get a hemosorption apparatus for my partner? The apparatus belongs to me. And it's needed for Shai right now. And I'll definitely remind you about the potion," she added quickly to disguise the name, pronounced not in a masculine way.
She didn't want to burden the captain with extra problems right now. But she couldn't not ask for permission to travel.
"Sher, the problem is more psychological," Rick smiled, "sit down, don't be nervous. I'm better."
It was just completely unclear why he, a convinced loner, had such a strong urge to snuggle up to a girl... He hadn't fallen in love, had he? A crooked smile played on his face. That would be a surprise for Nick...
"Do you need to leave urgently? I've sent everyone to their compartments, and I'm not letting you go alone," he wasn't going to remind her of what had happened earlier.
Sher looked around and sat in the neighboring chair.
"I have time now, while Shai is under the influence of the drug," she explained. "And Orri is always at the clinic at this time. And I don't need escorts, cap!" Sher protested. "I understand your doubts, Rick, but you can just fly there and back by summoned car while Shai is sleeping."
She somehow managed to avoid mentioning Shai's gender in conversation.
"And I'm not visiting a Hutt. I'm going to my partner. He's greedy, but cowardly," Sher finished.
"Sher, if something happens to you," Rick shook his head with a smile. "And Nick will twist my head off later. And in my condition, I won't be able to do anything against him."
The mention of Nick, and in connection with her, made her fair skin blush.
"What are you saying, cap?" she managed to cope with embarrassment, though not very quickly. "Why should something happen to me again? This was the first incident in two years. And that was only because I was in a hurry."
Bus interrupted the explanations. The kushiban appeared in the doorway, his long ears pressed back, his chubby face showing serious astonishment.
"Uh... Excuse me for interrupting. I found Veymi, cap. She's in your cabin. She's locked herself in and doesn't want to come out. And she promises she'll shoot."
"Bantha poodoo..." Rick frowned, considering his options. "She won't shoot. She's terrified of weapons..."
He had to think fast, but hope that nothing serious had happened still flickered.
"Sher, is the ban on stimulants still in effect?" he asked the doctor.
"Absolutely," he hadn't managed to soften the doctor. "What's wrong with Veymi?"
"Most likely, she misunderstood the situation in Shai's cabin," Rick shrugged. "Alright, I'll get to the cabin. Sher, prepare sedatives just in case, Bus, you tell me your dialogue for now. Word for word."
"I can't do it word for word," the kushiban objected. "I can't scream like that. My vocal cords are different."
"Then word for word," Rick got up with effort. He had to cover these fifteen meters at any cost.
"Veymi?" Bus reproduced. "Rick asked me to join him... Get out!!!" his voice broke into a desperate cry. "I saw what you did to him! If you come near the door, I'll shoot!.. And so on," the kushiban finished calmly.
"A good actor died in you," Rick gave a crooked smile, hobbling towards the door.
"You live and don't know that you're carrying a dead man inside you," the alien grumbled, trying not to get underfoot. "Thanks for enlightening me..."
"Where are you going alone, cap?" Sher asked in a determined tone. "I'll escort you, and then I'll run for the injector. Lean on me, Rick."
Now, from such a colorful narrative in person, it was clear what the girl was afraid of. Yes, the situation through Veymi's eyes really looked terrifying. There was something to be afraid of.
"I'll get there myself, Sher" Rick said this gently, but in a way that made it clear: he would really do it. "The injector isn't needed, pills? Or a tincture..."
He walked next to the bulkhead, so he could lean on it if necessary.
Sher took a few steps beside him, unnoticed by Rick, her gaze tracking his unsteady gait. Insisting was superfluous. He was, after all, responsible for the entire crew, so he could assess his own condition.
"Alright, cap, be careful," Sher surrendered.
A fleeting touch of his jacket by a fluffy tail made her look down.
"You should talk to her..."
She would definitely do it at the first opportunity, Sher promised herself, following the kushiban with her gaze, and went to get the medicine.
"Sedatives coming right up!" this was said on the run. But she would still grab the injector. Just in case.
"Get out!" Bus, as it turned out, accurately conveyed Veymi's voice.
"Veymi," Rick said this insinuatingly, his voice not loud, but thanks to the bulkheads quite resonant, "why aren't you letting me into my cabin?"
There was a crash behind the door. Judging by the sound, something heavy fell. Then there was a pause. The Lethan's voice sounded right at the door:
"If you're Rick, where did we meet?"
"I hope you didn't break anything there," Rick sighed. "In Muhi's office, next to his office. You were standing on the balcony, I think."
The lock clicked, the door opened. A tearful Twi'lek appeared on the threshold. At the sight of the captain, she dropped the blaster, sobbed, and clung to his neck.
Due to the unexpected display of emotion, Rick almost fell directly onto the girl, but the bulkhead and a timely extended hand saved him, keeping the structure of two creatures on their feet.
With his other hand, he hugged the girl, gently patting her between the shoulder blades.
"What's wrong?" He spoke gently, but realizing that he would only stand like this for another twenty seconds, and then he would collapse on the floor. In the best case. "Everything is fine."
"I thought..." Veymi's words broke through the sobs. "I thought they killed you..."
"What's your opinion of the team," he smiled through the effort, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead from the strain. "No, they didn't kill me, but you'll finish me off now..."
Squeaking in fright, the girl released the captain and stepped back, looking at him anxiously.