<div class="floatleft">(https://i.gyazo.com/9ea13d30b837d1ce82925f57441b2016.jpg)</div>The Yellow King seemed to take a deep breath, holding it in, as the cowled head turned from one figure to the other in turn.<br/><br/><em>"Mandalorian.  Your kind are famous for honoring their word...  Unlike the deceitful tongues of the Jedi, if you make a promise, your people's reputation would have you keep to the spirit as well as the letter of the agreement.  What say you?  If I were to take you on as crew and provide you with passage off this accursed planet, would you serve loyally, even against mutiny from your fellow travellers?</em><br/><br/>He then turned to Tikva and Aria, wordlessly staring first at Tikva's reddish skin and high ridged brow, then at the pale presentation of Aria.<br/><br/><em>And of you?  Sorceror and Witch?  It has been some time since your kind have ventured out from the safety of your isolation.  The first has been particularly quiet.  Is she content to let the other one, the pale one here speak for you?"<br/></em><br/><br/>Addressing the Echani, the hooded figure spoke low but quite clearly.  There was a certain tone of amusement at her words of warning.<br/><br/><em>"She is neither my pet nor mine to control.  She is a queen in her own right.  You would do well to remember that, and address her with the respect a queen is due.  You pretend to know no fear, but fear is healthy and worth remembering, for it serves as a reminder that all things are eventually eclipsed, no matter how powerful they are.  Even the Jedi. But despite showing no fear, you know it well, and I can see by your tone and posture that you are no stranger to anger either.  Perhaps you will embrace both sooner than you surmise?"<br/></em><br/><br/><div class="floatright">(https://i.gyazo.com/1ec13d67cab7790f186a95a430dd0e8c.jpg)</div>The King then turned to Teslo, as if about to address him, but stopped just short of speaking.  For at that moment, the fiercest of the little kittens, the chocolate brown one, made its way before the aged tookah with the dark eyes.  The kitten gave a ferocious little display of bared teeth, arhed back, and a hiss of presence.<br/><br/>Just then, the little ginger-red and black kitten ambled forward and mewed with the most cheeerful little tone possible.  It trotted right up to the old tookah and began to press against the thick blue and grey fur, mewing and nuzzling, while pressing forward with forehead and paws.<br/><br/><div class="floatleft">(https://i.gyazo.com/943e88a21908eefc7cbb4f0c705fee7b.jpg)</div>The "Queen" seemed taken aback and perplexed at the friendly assault of the red kitten.  There was a curious posture of "WTF?!" from the feline creature, bfore its spine slackened and the alarmed tail relaxed.  In a second, it had gone from being a fierce and ill-tempered beast, to returning the nuzzles and purring in encouragement to the little creature.  Within the span of a few breaths, the entire litter had scampered up and begun to explore and climb all over the bigger tooka.  In a very dignified and matter-of-factly manner, the "Queen" gently grabbed the black kitten by the scruff of its neck in her mouth, and regally processed up the gangplank into the hold of the starship.  She then repeated this procession with each kitten in turn, taking them up gently in her jaws, and taking them all inside.<br/><br/><em>"The Queen has spoken it seems.  The kittens will be given safe passage of this world.  But you all...  You still don't have a guaranteed way off this world.  Yet her Majesty seems to accept that you are part of the kitten's retinue of servants.  If you swear to her that you will serve capably and loyally as crew, it seems I cannot argue with her.  But woe betide you if you prove untrue, for she is not a forgiving or merciful monarch..."</em>