5. Takeoff (or Fall Down)

Recap:

"NOT. YOURS." Gis's scaly fist pulled back, then flew forward with the strength and accuracy of one of Captain America's punches.

Tony closed his eyes.

*BANG*

Bone met metal and one of them had to give.

Tony turned his head to stare at Gis's fist next to his head. The metal of the wall had buckled under the force of the Saurin's punch, caving in around the fist. It was a cheap, flimsy metal plate, but still... Tony wasn't sure how well Extermis would have held against a direct hit to his skull Some things even enhanced healing wouldn't fix. He looked back at Gis.

"...Gis?" Tony asked. "You okay now, buddy?"

The Saurin was kneeling on the ground now, shuddering quietly.

Tony eyed him and shrugged. He nudged the reptilian alien with his boot. "Up you go, you little maniac. I can't carry you up, what? Fifty floors? What do I look like, a green rage monster? Come on." Tony kept poking the alien and doing all he could to generally be annoying as possible until Gis climbed to his feet. After all, Tony was if the firm opinion that if someone didn't kill you when they first get the chance, they weren't likely to do so later on. "Great!"

Tony turned on his heel and headed over to the inert gang members. He walked closer to the weird alien thing than he ever wanted to be, reaching over and flicking the FRIDAY-orb off the thing's skin with his middle finger and thumb. The FRIDAY-orb flew through the air, then looped back at Tony like a boomerang. Nope.

Shielding the gauntlet and pointing sternly at the orb, Tony told FRIDAY, "Don't you dare connect to the gauntlet. You're not getting anywhere near this work of art until you wash off."

Tony didn't know how a walnut-sized, flying technological orb could sulk, but FRIDAY pulled it off pretty well.

-That's not a hug. I'm just grabbing the door for youSomething changed that day. Tony wasn't sure what it was, but afterwards Gis actually listened to him. He didn't try to slip off or meet with one of his dastardly 'friends' or to do drugs or whatever teenagers did these days. Instead, he just followed Tony around, hovering over his shoulder when Tony started building something. He started to anticipate when Tony would need a certain tool and hold it out, like DUM-E, U, and BUTTER-FINGERS (and Harley and Peter, but no one was supposed to know that) used to do.

The first time Gis did it, Tony didn't realize until about five minutes after the fact. He froze for a moment, but quickly started moving again because he knew from experience that treating it like it was nothing out of the ordinary would make a repeat more likely. It was like cold water, the sudden realization that it was all over. But...

He didn't want to go back. Harley, he taught everything he could. Peter had a little more hero-ing to learn, but Rhodey was a better teacher anyway. Rhodey had a piece of SI cut out for him, able to fix War Machine and lawyer the pants off of anyone trying to sue or wanted ownership of War Machine. Happy was set for life, and Pepper had SI. He loved Pepper, yes, but she couldn't understand that he was Iron Man. To stop being Iron Man was to tear a piece of himself off. Tony was firmly of the opinion that loving someone meant loving all of them, both their good points and their flaws.

Here, no one knew who he was. He could get drunker than Thor and no one would bat an eyelid...well, unless it was an attempt to rob him blind, not that FRIDAY would allow a mugging.

No matter how much he could mess up, the media wouldn't care. Well, unless he really messed up. Even then, in a place like this, no one would care unless they were directly affected.

But, hey! Positive, gotta stay positive. Tony was turning over a new leaf. This was a second chance, and he wasn't messing this up. Not trusting people who shouldn't be trusted and no messing with things from outer space that he didn't understand, accidentally attracting alien attention and resulting in an alien invasion.

It was kind of...nice, actually.

Not the alien invasion thing, of course. Tony meant Gis. It was nice to reach that sort of harmony with someone.

While Tony started fixing a speeder bike that some giant teddy bear thing asked him to for some extra cash- well, credits-, he suddenly found himself talking about all the different parts and gears, and about how they all worked together almost seamlessly to get the bike into the air.

For his part, Gis watched carefully. It seemed like he was listening to what Tony was saying, like he actually cared about it. That was nice too.

-That's not a hug. I'm just grabbing the door for you-

"What's the kid doing here?" the manager asked crossly, jerking a thumb at Gis. The Saurin was sorting out the screws and nails. Tiring work, but someone had to do it.

"Don't you know? It's Take-Your-Kid-to-Work Day!" Tony exclaimed, clapping a friendly hand on the alien's shoulder.

"We don't have a Take-Your-Kid-to-Work Day," the manager said blankly.

"Now we do! As your unofficial, co-manager-y second-in-command, I decree it so," Tony said, steering him off the landing strip.

"Take Your Kid to Work Week was actually half a standard year ago in Corellia," Suffee told Tony as he walked past. "It was akin to how you treat it: a learning experience for children, similar to an unpaid internship. However, in other planets in the Corellian sector, it has devolved to little more than a distraction, where children merely sat to the side for an entire day."

"Interesting," Tony said, noting the wistful tone in the Rodian's voice through the many lisps. "Were you from Corellia?"

"I was from Rodia, but I was raised in Corellia. It was where my father taught me to fix ships. One day, one day I shall return there, but for now, I work here with it in my heart," Suffee confirmed, tapping his chest.

"Ick. Emotions. Ugh. So, it must be tough, being so far from home and all," Tony said, grabbing a stool and swinging it next to the Rodian in preparation for a long, informative conversation. "How'd you get stuck on Nar Shaddaa? I know that Senn and Borr were with their family and got robbed and don't have enough to get a ride off, Galee's dad's a jerk, Greer and Kovlo was born here, and I'm not quite sure how Gis got here but it might have something to do with the fact his parents aren't here, but someone tossed me through time and space and I landed here," Tony listed.

Suffee studied Tony, perhaps trying to discover whether the last part was a lie or exaggeration, but Tony looked back unblinkingly. "Gambling," the Rodian finally admitted, ashamed. "I lost my family many credits. I made a contract to get them out of poverty. Contract over, but..." here, he shrugged, "no way off. I still gamble." Suffee didn't meet his eyes.

Tony clasped a hand on the Rodian's shoulder. "It gets better, though. I know you'll get through it. I wasn't a gambler, per se, but I was a risk-taker and an alcoholic. If I made it out okay, I'm sure you'll be fine."

-That's not a hug. I'm just grabbing the door for youTony walked into the Nest to find the odd sight of Gis and FRIDAY having a staring contest. The spare FRIDAY-Orb was hovering exactly three inches in front of Gis's snout. Gis was staring unwaveringly back at her.

"...Guys?" Tony asked. Neither of them looked at him. Tony stepped forward and waved a hand between them. "Kiddos?"

"The Saurin wants to become your student in all things violent," FRIDAY said.

Tony mused over that thought for a moment before turning to Gis, figuring the subject of the conversation would be able to explain better.

"Want. Learn. Fighting." Gis said, waving his talons. Tony eyed the sharp claws. Before he saw Gis overwhelmed by the Rodians and fought Gis, Tony had assumed the Trandoshan could fight. That assumption was definitely wrong. Muscles and height were nothing compared to experience, skill, and thought in a fight. Gis's strikes were sloppy. He was off-balance. He was a liability in a fight.

With that thought in mind, Tony agreed. "Okay, let's do this." He dragged the Trandoshan to his feet. "Ready position." Noticing Gis's confusion, Tony ordered, "Friday, translate." FRIDAY didn't answer.

"Kriffing piece of junk," Tony muttered, tapping his comm. FRIDAY gave a chirp, but didn't bother to answer any of Tony's queries. "Fine, be like that. Gis, go to -uh- start position. Starting position."

As a joke, Tony wanted to suddenly start a impromptu sparring match, but even he knew it was a bad idea to startle a flighty, mega-strong ex-gangster lizard. That first day was dedicated to the basics, like 'form' and 'balance,' or something. Tony had to admit that he enjoyed proving to Gis that his stance was terrible by simply pushing him over with a single hand.

"Something wrong, Fri?" Tony whispered after Gis went to sleep.

"Boss... What if he betrays you again, after you teach him everything?" FRIDAY asked quietly through the earpiece. She paused when Gis stirred slightly, despite the fact that he could not hear her. "What if he learns all your moves? What if he uses his new skills to take you down?"

Tony considered it. "I trust him," Tony finally answered.

"I don't," FRIDAY told Tony bluntly. "You trusted Steve Rogers too."

Tony couldn't help his flinch. FRIDAY's pointed silence said a lot, but Tony pushed past that. "Well, I trust you to have my back on this. Just... don't make assumptions. He's just a kid."

"Like what Rogers said about Wanda?" FRIDAY observed.

"Like how Peter is a kid," Tony corrected sternly.

"Boss-"

"Friday," Tony cut her off. "Enough."

FRIDAY fell silent. Tony winced. Was he too... He sounded like Howard. Should he give an explanation? Tell FRIDAY how... No. FRIDAY was smart. As an AI with mental capacities a human could not even dream of and a connection to the net, she would have long figured it out by now.

-That's not a hug. I'm just grabbing the door for you-

"Come on," Tony said firmly, plopping a basic transmitter in front of Gis. Gis looked at the transmitter, then up to where Tony was leaning over his shoulder. He gave a disgruntled grunt.

"I'm taking you as my sidekick-apprentice. That means everything: fighting, building stuff, making spontaneous combustions, smarming money out of businessmen..." Tony listed off.

"Just take it apart. It's easy!"

Gis lifted up his fist, and brought it down on the tiny device. It fell apart. The lizard looked expectantly at Tony. "Easy."

"Great..." Tony stared at the device, frowned, and crossed his arms. "Okay, then. Next lesson. Put it back together." He couldn't help but grin at the Saurin's dismayed hiss.

-That's not a hug. I'm just grabbing the door for youTony paced around a blindfolded Gis. He wasn't sure if this technique worked, but he just wanted to recreate the ninja training video from YouTube. Gis cocked his head, listening for Tony's steps. He gave a frustrated lunge. Tony merely stopped, watching in interest as nearly two hundred pounds of muscle soared two feet in front of him and tapping Gis on the side

as the Saurin crashed down. "Patience, lil' maniac. Try that again, and we'll try meditation again."

Gis let out a terrified whimper. "No meditate!"

Tony beckoned. "Up. Try that again."

-That's not a hug. I'm just grabbing the door for youTony watched the cursing man. He'd been there for over fifteen minutes. Tony pushed off the wall and approached, Gis trailing after him like a duckling. "Got a problem?" Tony asked warily.

"No!" the man shouted.

"Okay," Tony said, turning around and walking away. He leaned in closer to Gis. "When you meet a**holes like this, it's best to leave them to their problems, and then charge them double the price when they finally swallow their pride and ask for help.

-That's not a hug. I'm just grabbing the door for you-

"Why's the kid still here?"

Looking over, Tony said, "It's Take-Your-Kid-to-Work Day!" He blinked innocently up at the manager-whose-name-he-forgot, smarmy business smile on his lips. Next to him, Gis looked up from where he was wielding the cracked outer plates of a small repair drone. He eyed Tony and the manager, before following Tony's lead. Unfortunately, an 'innocent' look on a Trandoshan translated to something more like an 'I'm-hungry-and-want-to-eat-you' look for most species.

"Y-you said that last time!" The manager was doing surprisingly well ignoring his species' instinct to flee before a carnivorous predator alien. Tony mentally commended him for that.

"Doesn't make it any less true. It's still Take-Your-Kid-to-Work Day!"

"B-but!" the manager began protesting, only to be cut off by Tony's impeccable excuse.

"A day is the sun rising and setting. The sun hasn't risen yet," Tony informed him brightly.

"It's always night on this side of Nar Shaddaa!"

"Exactly," Tony said resolutely. He shooed the manager off, not letting the supervisor say another word. After he made sure that the alien was gone, he walked over to a large freighter. A starship of that size must have extra rooms. Tony knew from experience that large crews were a pain to maintain. People getting on and off at every stop, crewmembers that got lost at a port or getting into accidents, little problems like falling in love with a lady and abandoning ship... The possibilities were endless.

-That's not a hug. I'm just grabbing the door for you-

"Guess what I have!" Tony sang. He plopped the two tickets on Gis's hand. "We'll be leaving next week, at the latest!" Tony beamed.

"What," Gis grunted tonelessly, a frown on his face.

"I made a deal! We're spare crewmembers on Sui Nok. Pack your bags, we're getting off of this trashcan!" Gis just stared uncomprehendingly at him. With a sinking feeling, Tony realized he never told Gis of his plans of getting off the planet. He didn't even know if Gis wanted to tag along. "Shit. I didn't- Look, I got us a spot on a freighter. It's headed to Toydaria, then down the Nanth'ri Route to the 'Core World' or something. Come with me?"

Tony said it all blithely, hoping to sound casual. As a businessman he was always aware of nervousness, using it to pick apart arguments and find out the heart of the matter, the hidden components entrepreneurs didn't want him to find out. He was usually a better actor than this, but... he really didn't want to lose Gis.

"'Kay," the Saurin said.

"Come again?" Tony asked.

"I come with," Gis stated.

"Oh, okay! That's great! In two hours, be ready at the shipyard. I'll turn in my resignation, sign in on the ship. Pack everything! But not the rags. No, leave them. What! N-"

After preventing Gis from bundling up his rags, time flew past in a blur. Tony scrawled a note, called his manager over intercom, and snuck into the office once the manager left. The message was tucked into a stack of papers to make it seem like it had been there for a while. Tony then ran out and accidentally bumped into the manager as he was leaving the building. He kept himself as vague but congratulatory as he could as he apologized for calling the wrong person. The crew was gathered and Tony quickly informed them that he was leaving.

After what seemed like no time at all, they were ready to go. Tony waved to the crew as he walked up the ramp with Gis. Senn darted up and dropped a small, colorfully wrapped present on top of the luggage that Gis somehow managed to carry all at once to Sui Nok. Gis craned his head after the Aleena, then looked to Tony in confusion. Tony only grinned at him. They were finally leaving.

"We ready?" Tony asked. He turned slowly in the cramped room that was given to them. It was small, but Tony could deal. He crouched down next to the bulkiest, most deformed bag.

Like he thought, it held all the little gadgets he was halfway finished with. "Good to finally get off the planet. No offense, but it sucked. Half the people were burglars and criminals, and the rest were all shady."

"Not my planet. Five years," Gis said, arranging their other bags along a wall.

"Five years on that planet? Wow. Why would you willingly..." Tony paused. There was something missing. "Gis? Where's the radio? Gis?"

Frowning, Gis gestured at the bag "Got all. In there."

"It's not there!"

"In here?" From there, the rest of his speech devolved into hisses and growls as Gis began unpacking the bags, showing Tony the contents. Tony pushed him aside and frantically shuffled through the rest of the luggage. It wasn't there.

"Friday! Translate!"

Understanding the situation, FRIDAY didn't pause, snapping out, "All of your finished projects are here. He left behind the scraps and everything he couldn't carry."

Tony uttered a low curse. "Gis, I'll be right back. I have to get it. Stay here." With that, he ran out of the room, through the halls, and down the ramp. Surprised exclamations followed him, but Tony ignored them. He didn't stop. They didn't matter. He just needed to get the radio.

Where the entrance of the Nest was, there was a piece of metal sloppily welded on. Gis must have spent a lot of time and effort hiding their home in case they needed somewhere to retreat to, but Tony didn't care. He hooked his fingers under the metal plate and pulled. The metal groaned, but it bent and gave away under his hands. Tony ripped it completely off the wall, crawling in.

The Nest was completely different from when he was there just two hours previously. It was completely empty, save for the rags that made up their separate 'beds.' They were stacked in a pile in the far corner. Everything else was simply gone.

Baffled, Tony squeezed out of the Nest, peering into the darkness below them. Did Gis throw everything out?

"Boss, I detected a large concentration of loose metal in the room," FRIDAY informed him. Tony looked back at the Nest. Surely she didn't mean in there. It was empty. A crackling sound, similar to a sigh over bad connection, emitted out of the earpiece. "It was concealed under bits of organic material. Cloth," she specified.

Tony didn't waste another second, twisting around and nearly diving into the hole. He threw aside the greasy fabric scraps on the top and the cleaner sheets on the bottom, revealing all the metal junk he and Gis had collected over the time they were there. In different circumstances, Tony would have commended how Gis hid their things, how not even a genius thought to look under such a mess.

He started picking up all the radio parts, but realized it was taking too long. "Five minutes until takeoff procedures commence," FRIDAY helpfully informed him. Tony immediately dropped the parts, sweeping them all into the sheet and wrapping it up. Slinging it over his shoulder, Tony bolted from the room. Baffled eyes followed as he made his way back.

"Hey! Wait up!" Tony yelled, sprinting into the shipyard. Construction workers and repair crews stopped, turning to stare at him.

The ship rose up into the air.

"No!" Tony was on the ramp now, yelling at the empty sky. "Arrg!"

He heard quiet shuffling behind him and turned with a scowl, ready to tell whatever worker off. Of course, when he turned around, he didn't find a human, Rodian, or any of the usual species. "Gis? What are you doing here? Why aren't you on the ship?"

"You not make it back in time," Gis grunted crossly, dropping their luggage. "I get off." Behind him, the crew, led by Suffee, crowed around Tony, shuffling awkwardly.

Tony stared. He wasn't sure exactly what he thought would happen, but their bags held more than enough money to get Gis started wherever he wanted. Gis could have taken the credits and started a new life. "I... Thank you, Gis." Tony said gratefully. "Hug it out?" He opened his arms wide.

Gis snorted, plopping a handful of credits onto Tony's hand instead. "Refund," he grunted in explanation. "Sell to Senn family."

"Good call," Tony muttered with a nod. "I'll just tell the manager that I was actually turning in a resignation form for Senn and Borr, not me." He shuffled away, hands in pockets. They'll just have to find a different way off the planet.

-That's not a hug. I'm just grabbing the door for you-

"Boss?" FRIDAY asked.

"Yeah, Fri?" Tony asked, putting his wrench down and straightening in preparation to run and fix whatever FRIDAY wanted to warn him of. Automatically, his eyes searched for Gis. The Trandoshan was nowhere to be seen. "What did Gis do this time?" Tony asked causally, pushing down the pang of worry in his chest. He thought that he helped Gis, that everything was okay now.

"Gis is currently two starships over, delivering rations," FRIDAY reported. Tony's eyes flicked over to the said starship, watching as a small, tractor-like speeder loaded crates into the cargo hold of a decently-sized ship. Tony shook his head, envious of the Saurin being inside a ship, out of the polluted air and inside a more controlled environment.

Noticing FRIDAY's pause, Tony answered, "Just got worried for a sec. Go on."

"The starship Black Comet in Bay Two corresponds to stolen Corellian transport White Meteor."

"Wow, can you get any less original?" Tony scoffed. Realizing that FRIDAY was pointedly waiting for an apology, Tony answered, "Yeah, yeah, sorry Fri. So the ship is stolen, just like seventy-five percent of the ships on Nar Shaddaa. Carry on."

"Additionally, the captain is a known fugitive with several Republic bounties, wanted dead or alive."

Tony considered this. "And what does it have to do with us? The shipyard has a policy of serving everyone, and it's not like the authorities will arrest them. Actually, are there even authorities on this planet?"

"Nar Shaddaa is a moon," FRIDAY corrected.

Tony waved her off.

"There are bounties on several of the smugglers on that ship for multiple counts of piracy, thief, and various other crimes against multiple..." Tony rolled his eyes. As if he didn't pass dozens of those on his way to the shipyard every day. FRIDAY stopped as Tony picked up the wrench and continued fixing the console. Tony made a 'continue' motion with his hand. "A total of two thousands credits," FRIDAY added reluctantly.

"A credit is more or less a dollar. We're risking our lives against an unknown number of criminals, on a planet - moon - full of criminals, for two thousand dollars that we can get for working honestly for a few weeks. We don't even have a bounty hunter's permit." Tony stopped and seriously stared at the panel where he installed one of FRIDAY's sensors. "Cut the bullshit. Tell me why you want to attack this particular ship so much." He picked up the next bolt and held it up to the console, measuring it with his eyes.

"I don't approve of what they smuggle," FRIDAY answered after a moment.

"FRIDAY."

"...There are nearly a hundred chained humanoids in the cargo hold." FRIDAY muttered.

The metal in Tony's hand warped.

"Friday?" FRIDAY gave a confirmative beep. "Call the crew over. I think we should initiate a hostile takeover."

-That's not a hug. I'm just grabbing the door for youI was going to end the chapter right here, but...

Galee approached the ship from the side, eyelashes fluttering and hips swaying. "Hello," she crooned to the guard sitting at the foot of the ramp, shifting so most of her weight was on one foot. The man looked up and down her body before turning fully towards the much younger human.

"Well, hell-o, beautiful," the man leered, leaning over her.

Biting his lip at the disrespect towards one of his crewmembers, Tony raced up the ramp, Suffee and Shoragg at his heels. Suffee's blaster gave a clink as it glanced off the side of the entrance. The three trespassers froze. The guard was turning around. Tony yanked the two Rodians into the entrance room and completely out of view.

"Hold on a moment, sweetheart," the guard said, footsteps sending vibrations up the ramp as Tony sliced the Keypad open.

"Wait!" Galee cried out, her much lighter footsteps running up the ramp.

"Just a second. We'll have all day to-oh!" The man's voice was cut off in a muffled sound of surprise. He gave a quiet groan.

Tony hurriedly yanked out his gauntlet's modified cables. Time to test out his new upgrades. Holding them up to the opened keypad, Tony could see that they were the wrong shape, but Tony had used a malleable alloy. It took a second of twisting and bending, but Tony was able to connect FRIDAY to the keypad next to the door. It opened and Tony signaled the rest of the crew in. The two FRIDAY-Orbs flew ahead.

Just as they slipped in, Tony turned around to make sure Galee was alright. He winced to see her snogging the smuggler. She eyed him angrily. With their lips still locked, she lifted her free hand and made an explicit sign. Tony raised his hands and backed away. Raging women were never to be trifled with.

They reached a T-intersection. "Left to controls, right for cargo hold," said FRIDAY over the group's earpieces, accurately predicting and answering Tony's question.

Nodding in thanks, Tony silently divided the group into two: one group led by him to take over the starship, the other, led by Suffee, to free the prisoners and prevent them from being taken as hostages.

Honestly, Tony was more of a 'take out the bad guys and let the hostages deal with the last one' kind of guy, but something told him that the prisoners (slaves) would need a lot more than that kind of attitude. He was hoping Suffee's calm demeanor and the group of less threatening-looking crewmembers would suffice, though he left Gis with them. It was likely that storming the cockpit and crew quarters would be more dangerous, and Tony didn't want Gis near that.

It was... disappointing really. Half of the crew was gone, presumably to eat, drink, gamble, and have relations with the local females after a long flight. Those that were leftover were simply too spread out to warn each other. FRIDAY alone took out a dozen slavers with the orbs before Tony and his team ran into a single one.

"Team Suffee, do you copy? Our side of the ship is secure." Tony asked, tapping his earpiece.

"Team Tony, we hear you loud and clear," Greer answered. "Could you help us with the people in the hold? I think one of them's either an idiot or trying to start a riot. I'm not sure which, but either way, it's not a good thing."

Tony chewed on his lip. "Why don't you have Gis do it? Isn't he there with you?"

Greer hesitated and Charell chimed in instead. "Greer was afraid he would scare the prisoners, so Gis's waiting outside."

Narrowing his eyes, Tony snapped out, "We'll be having words about this after." He signaled to FRIDAY. "Can you sign me up for the Bounty Hunters' Guild? Make it look like I've been a member for a couple days now."

"Already started, boss."

Turning to Shoragg, Tony asked, "Is it safe to turn the slavers in on Nar Shaddaa?"

"Better not," Shoragg answered. "Too much chance of getting robbed on the way back, and the slavers without a bounty will get off pretty easily. Slavery isn't quite a crime in Hutt space."

"Slave trade? Here?" Tony muttered, turning horrified eyes to the windows. This couldn't go on. He ran through the logistics of an entire slaving network. It seemed to be common knowledge here, but did that simply mean the Republic didn't know, or that it didn't care? Either way, the system that was going on wasn't working. Something had to change. The Republic hadn't changed for centuries, if not millennia. Luckily, Tony was a futurist. Change was what he did. If the system refused to change, he'd make them change.

"Tony? What now?" Charell asked.

Well, the first step was to get off the planet. The second would be to get attention, gain a following, but it couldn't be rushed. He tapped the earpiece, signaling FRIDAY to open the line to his entire group. "Crew, this is your captain speaking. I've claimed this ship on the behalf of liberty and justice, and I ask you to join me on this grand adventure to bring freedom to all!"

"What?" Greer deadpanned.

"Seriously, though," Tony continued, "I'm taking over this ship. We're releasing the prisoners on a few planets of their choice. I need a crew to run this thing, and I have a feeling you guys are qualified. I know none of you like Nar Shaddaa, and I'm offering you a ride off this rock. You don't have to stick with me, though it'd be greatly appreciated. I can drop you off wherever."

There was dead silence. Out of the corner of his eye, Tony could spot Shoragg, Quinton, and Bai-Gon exchanging glances.

"Captain, I think I speak for us all when I say that we'd be honored to join you for this first leg of your trip," came Suffee's amused voice.