Chapter Text
Coronet City
(9.8 ABY - 3 months post "Isard's Revenge")
Closing her thick jacket she watched the last two flatbed cargo skimmers disappear in the general direction of the spaceport's main storage facility and shivered. Temperatures had dropped a good ten to fifteen degrees in the past few days, from 'almost cold' to 'decidedly freezing', and an icy wind swept across the flat duracrete surface of the tarmac.
"Hate cold. Reminds me of the cage."
She cast a glance over her shoulder and saw Kolot pulling his favorite blanket around his shoulders. He seemed to shiver in the cold breeze.
"You've got fur," she said with a puzzled frown. "You shouldn't be cold."
He shrugged, a completely human gesture and again she was struck by just how far he'd been pushed away from his Ewok origins, and muttered, "Toxins frayed nerves. Have cold feet in space, too." His stomach rumbled, a deep growl that was audible even over the cacophony of noises a busy spaceport could create.
"But apparently they omitted your middle section," Kirney quipped and raised an eyebrow. "Your appetite is worse than anything I've ever seen and that says a lot."
The Ewok affectionately patted his stomach. "Kolot still growing. Needs energy."
That drew an un-ladylike snort. "The only direction you'll grow in is your width if you keep eating this much."
He looked at her and she could see a twinkle in his strange black eyes. "Kolot no needs to impress females. No need for training."
The look she shot him was mock venomous. "You think I'm trying to impress males with my looks?"
Kolot shook his head. "Not several. Just one." His eyes twinkled again and he added, "Besides males are already reading Kirney's palm."
She sent him a withering glare, one which bounced off without any apparent effect, and half-threatened, "For that quip alone I'll put you on half rations for the next week."
He glared back. "Kirney evil."
"And don't you forget it," she retorted with a wicked grin. She looked up the ship's lowered boarding ramp and banged a fist against the hull. "Tonin," she yelled into the ship. "Where are you?"
A decidedly irritated squawk answered her, followed by a litany of beeps, whistles and hoots which betrayed agitation.
"Come on out, Squirt. I don't want to stand around in the cold here any longer than necessary."
The round-capped astromech rolled down the ramp and squealed.
Kirney cast a quick glance at his monitor for a translation, as much practice she had deciphering his binary speech she wasn't able to get most of what the little droid said, and crossed her arms. "Clamp down on your vocabulator, Tonin. You were built for ops in hard vacuum and freezing cold, I wasn't. Put a bit of speed on, will you?"
Tonin rolled off the ramp so that Kirney could close it and twittered sharply.
She narrowed her green eyes at the astromech. "What did I say about vocabulators?"
The droid blatted something rude, swiveled around and moved off towards the main flight terminal. Humans had no idea how strenuous a task keeping oneself functional was for an astromech. He needed an oil bath … badly.
Kirney rolled her eyes and punched the lock-down code into the keypad to secure the ship. It wasn't the simplistic lock she'd frowned at two years ago. She'd enhanced security greatly, adding layers of defenses against attacks of even the most skilled of slicers. Of course being a master slicer myself has helped immensely, she thought smugly and stifled a grin. Anyone who'd try to steal her beloved ship would be in for a surprise.
She looked up at the high fin rising above the ridge line of the hull and felt pride at the sight. The Fair Trade was a good ship, especially after their multitude of modifications. They'd removed the concussion missile launcher and the ion cannons, no need to antagonize overzealous government officials with an armament like this, enhanced the tiny chamber and the bunk she slept in, tweaked the sublight engines and hyperdrive as well as reconfigured the hold to allow for more cargo to be transported.
Kolot's voice drew her from her musings. "What time?"
She cast a quick glance at her wrist chrono, but the blasted thing didn't make sense for it showed just after midnight. "Sith," she swore. "It's still on Hapan time. I forgot to set it back to Corellian time."
The Ewok scowled. "We better hurry. Need to shop for supplies. Shops close this evening for a whole week."
"Huh?" Kirney didn't understand. "Why that?"
He simply looked at her. "Forgotten Midwinter Festival?"
She slapped her forehead with her palm. "Oh Sithspit! That's this weekend? I thought it was the one after."
"Nope." The Ewok shook his head. "This one. Kirney better move or shops will be closed. We need food."
"But not much," she said with a smirk. "You're on half rations, remember?" Then she laughed at his indignant huff and picked up a parcel she'd placed at her feet. "Let's get going then. I'll drop your off at home since I need to deliver this to Myn's parents. Take a look into the cooling unit and make a list of things we need to buy."
Kolot moved to her side as they made their way over to the main terminal, looked at the parcel and tilted his head curiously. "What this?"
"Something Myn's father wanted," she explained. "Two bales of Hapan silk for his wife as Midwinter gift."
"Ah. So when Kirney left spaceport cantina at Hapes she went looking for this."
"Yup." She patted the packaged cloth and flashed Kolot a proud smile. "Took a bit of haggling but in the end the vendor decided that selling it for the price he charges locals was a brilliant idea."
The Ewok chuckled. "Threatened him, did you? Thought Kirney would be more diplomatic."
"Tonin's the resident diplomat," she teased. Her merriment died and she half-snarled, "After dealing with those stuck-up Hapan trade officials my stock of diplomacy was drained."
"Kolot begins to understand why better stay on ship most of the time." He shook his head ruefully. "Kolot no patience. Afraid someone would have died already if Kolot had to deal with all those people."
Kirney gave him a friendly shove. "And you wonder why I refuse to give you a blaster?"
The Ewok snorted and fell silent.
* * *