Im thinking that basic engineering is like our day and age basic mechanics. Everyone (well most everyone) knows how to replace a sparkplug/hyperdrive motivator. Actual broken stuff and modifications takes an engineer.<br/><br/>As for Farradin, I think maybe he just signed on at the last port. He was going ship to ship trying to sell basic needs like extra fuses and self sealing stembolts from his bag of junk when he heard the Capt and the Mando walk off talking about getting some folks when they got to the next place. Farradin slipped past them onto the ship and did some looking around. When they got back he was setting outside with a new (well...newish) sublight stabilizer. "Hey yo there Captaincy. I gots a really go-go shiny piece here for ya. You needs it." Long story short he bartered the part for passage using the time to show the Captain just how useful he could be. So basically he is on probationary hire :P