13. Cotton Candy Clouds (LOL April Fools)

Bijuu Lord and Davis: Thank you, guys. I really appreciate it.

As the Y-not flew towards Alderaan, Tony stared blankly at the endless expanse of space zooming at him. Just a couple of years ago, such a sight would've sent him into the whirling depths of a panic attack. Thanos's attack and subsequent defeat were good for something, though. Tony now knew that space held nothing that he couldn't handle. He helped defeat the best of the best that space could throw him, the boss baddie, so he shouldn't be scared. But you had the Avengers , his subconscious told him.

Tony brushed it off. Ex-vengers, not Avengers. And that didn't matter. He didn't need the Ex-Vengers when he had the Y-not crew. At least, that was what he told himself. He didn't need to fear anything at this sector of space. Everything that could be found there had already been noted. There were no nasty surprises waiting for them.

Speaking of that, they needed a better name. The Y-astronauts? Toniaters? Y-fliers? He eventually settled with Y-nauts.

He felt a dull ache of pain when he realized he had no one to share that decision with. The crew probably wouldn't even like the name, given how juvenile it was.

Tilting the Y-not into an angular dive while in hyperspace, Tony thought of how the second meeting with Fett had gone. Fett had been waiting at the top of the stairwell, framed by the stars in the sky and the Y-not that hovered almost threateningly above them. In stark contrast to how agreeable and young he seemed back inside, the other bounty hunter had been armed and ready for a fight.

-I feel like you're going to pull over and snuff meTony eyed the blaster that he was met with with something that was not quite wariness. "Surprise! I didn't come up here to kill you," he couldn't resist saying sarcastically.

"Speak," Fett demanded.

Instantly on his guard, Tony snapped back, "I am speaking. You're the one giving one-word answers. Why don't you talk, for a change?" Tony knew before the words left his lips that it was the wrong thing to say. Fett went rigid and Tony recognized the look of deep-seated trauma. "Sorry," he apologized. "I'm a little on edge, right now."

Fett took a step back and Tony knew that if he didn't say anything, he'd never see the quiet younger man again. Pulling his blaster - a physical threat that Fett could monitor - off his belt, Tony tossed it lightly at Fett's feet and raised his arms in the universal surrender sign.

-I feel like you're going to pull over and snuff meTalking him down - not to be mistaken with 'taking him down' - had been no joke and it almost didn't work. Tony hadn't even been able to convince the much younger bounty hunter to ally himself with the crew or accept protection. It must have been confusing for Fett, without knowing the protectiveness Tony had always held for the youngsters of his chosen professions, whatever it may be at the time.

The man was no child, but Tony felt a duty to protect him nonetheless, most likely to his trepidatious, almost fearful demeanor. Tony didn't have much with him and he didn't think that Fett would wait for him to run to his workshop to grab something, so Tony just gave him the contents of his pocket.

Honestly, Tony hadn't meant to give them over. They were just prototypes that Tony were planning on trying out. He had no idea if they actually worked, but knowing himself as well as he did, Tony was rather certain they worked. The look in Fett's eyes told Tony that both of the gadgets he handed over would be stripped down and inspected for traps and tracers. Fett had reluctantly taken Tony's number, and even more reluctantly handed his over. Tony wasn't even sure if Fett had given him a real number or a fake one. He certainly wasn't looking to be friends, but at least Tony was sure they weren't enemies.

-I feel like you're going to pull over and snuff meFett stuffed the items inside one of his pockets, glancing at Tony, then the Y-not . Suddenly a blaster was in his hand. He shot something at Tony, smoky but decidedly non-lethal. Tony went down coughing to the sound of FRIDAY's angered cries.

"Calm down, Fri," Tony coughed out between hysterical giggles. "It's nonlethal. He just doesn't want to reveal all his cards."

Sure enough, Fett was long-gone by the time the smoke cleared. Not even the teammates around the perimeter, far from the smoke, were able to spot him fleeing.

-I feel like you're going to pull over and snuff meAnd there was still Kristoff to think of.

The thought had his muscles stiffening and he froze, unable to finish the maneuver. The ship began subtly vibrating as the forces upon it increased in a way that couldn't be good, Tony only catching it due to his enhanced senses. FRIDAY, his dear daughter who would never betray him, caught the ship before it could go out of control, gently guiding it in a slow spiral that finished the basic evasive maneuver. It was a maneuver that even inexperienced Suffee could've done without any problems.

A deliberate scuff of cloth on metal had Tony numbly turning his head to look over the empty chairs in copilot and weapons stations to meet the eyes of Shoragg where he sat at the navigation station. "Anything wrong, boss?" the Rodian asked quietly, caught in the silence of what they chose as the night-cycle. Any other time, Tony would've laughed at Shoragg's use of the term 'boss,' a term that he had clearly picked up from FRIDAY. He would've shared the thought so Shoragg could've had a laugh too. Instead, Tony forced his head into a shake. Shoragg hesitated but turned back to his work.

The door slid open, Kovlo standing in the lowered lighting that spilled in from the corridor. "Felt the ship shake. Something wrong? Do you need me?"

Of course he felt it. Humans were pretty low on the sensitivity scale, with most species ranking above them. Tony was grateful that Shoragg shook his head in response, taking control of the situation. "No, just go back upstairs." Kovlo hesitated, glancing in the direction of the the sensors and communication stations, where he was supposed to be - it was technically his shift. "Friday has it under control," Shoragg reminded him.

"That I do!" FRIDAY said brightly, way too brightly for the night-cycle, judging from Kovlo and Shoragg's complementing cringes. "Sorry," FRIDAY apologized, lowering the tone of her voice.

"That's alright, Miss," Kovlo said, waving it away. "I'll be back in the bunk. Call if you need me." He turned and walked away, the doors sliding shut behind him.

Tony and Shoragg worked in silence, the Rodian's screen opened at the corner of Tony's, so that the human could help him with his calculations when the Rodian ran into trouble. The beeping of his console caused both of them to jerk, too deep in their work to notice the discreet countdown. Shoragg looked at the door with a frown - Greer was supposed to replace him for his shift.

"Mister Greer will be down momentarily. He was having trouble navigating the ship," FRIDAY informed them.

This finally made Tony crack a smile. For all of his hard work and eagerness to help, the man was terrible at finding his way around even the cargo hold . That was the reason why Tony had put him on navigation duty - to hopefully help him out with it. "Just go," Tony told Shoragg. "You've been here for hours, and I know you're tired. Greer will be right down."

"Two at the bridge at all times," the Rodian reminded him sternly.

"What am I, chopped liver?" FRIDAY asked. Shoragg paused, reviewing the datapad of Earth terms that FRIDAY had given all members of the ship. "Third page," she told him.

Finding it, Shoragg nodded to the main camera in the bridge. "My apologies, Miss Friday. I did not mean to imply that."

"No problem!" FRIDAY said. Shoragg left and Tony was all alone in the deserted room.

"What's taking Greer so long?"

"He tripped over a bag of flour. He is now kicking it and cursing it out," FRIDAY said, her tone telling him exactly what she thought of that. Tony would've been worried, but he knew that Greer was unusually disagreeable when woken up before morning. Taking his anger out on a bag of flour wasn't out of character. As acerbic as Greer could be when his beauty sleep was interrupted, he would never take his anger out on a living being.

"Tell me when he gets here." With that, Tony began completing the more advanced calculations, leaving simple ones to go over with the near-human.

FRIDAY pulsed the screen slightly, warning him that she was about to speak. "Boss, Kristoff is sending a transmission. Should I monitor and trace?" FRIDAY asked softly.

"No." Tony didn't look away from his work.

"Boss-" FRIDAY started.

"No, I'm done with this. Done." Instead of the anger or frustration that could've colored his tone, it was simply stated, reflecting the emptiness he felt inside. That probably alarmed his girl more than any emotion he could have used.

"Dad…"

"Friday, just leave it alone," Tony asked her pleadingly. FRIDAY obligingly directed new calculations at him, and Tony considered the discussion finished. "Twelve more hours until we reach Alderaan," Tony muttered, glancing at the clock.

-I feel like you're going to pull over and snuff meTheir entrance into the capital city of Alderaan was treated as a festivity. It seemed like every human who lived in Aldera was on the streets. Music filled the air and children laughed and chased each other between the many stalls that surrounded the streets. The tables themselves were laden with colorful baubles and bite-sized morsels. By the state of the decorations, this type of open partying didn't happen often on Alderaan.

Tony was fine with the attention, but the rest of the crew wasn't. Tony discreetly notified Prestor of this. Despite the elder Organa's reluctance, the impromptu parade was cut short, the lengthy speeders correcting their course to a more linear route to the palace. Over half of his crew had opted to stay back on the ship, pretending that they didn't exist, but for several members, there was no escape.

Due to being the co-captain, Suffee had to be there. He sat stiffly in the back, back straight and determinedly staring ahead. A muscle twitched in Shoragg's jaw. He was only there for his son, who had surprisingly volunteered. Bai-Gon waved mechanically, Greer grinned uneasily, and Kristoff glared daggers. The first had lost yet another bet, while the latter two had drawn the short straws and were forced to be there. Meanwhile, Gis and Hoviv were grinning savagely and waving at the crowds, locked in a battle for who could get the most attention. Galee beat them both, sitting prim and proper as a princess.

After an obligatory meeting and dinner with Queen Antilles and her court, Tony and his crew were taken in by the Organa's, where they met up with the rest of the crew. Bail pestered him for FRIDAY but was deflected when Gis, with all the tact of a rampaging bull, demanded a tour of the city. The poor Alderaanian eventually had to cart off Gis, Hoviv, Hoviv's younger sister, and the whole Aleena pack for a sightseeing trip. Tony could hear Gis and FRIDAY chortling and conspiring with each other over the earpiece link. He already felt sorry for the younger Organa.

"So," Tony began, "the reason I came here is to start up my company, the company you all heard me babble about on the news."

Prestor raised an eyebrow. "You are asking for land."

"No," Tony said emphatically. "I'm asking to rent land from you."

"Me," Prestor said flatly.

"Look, you've already paid your debt to me. The ship's awesome," Tony assured him.

"The Y-Not ," the Viceroy pronounced carefully. He pronounced it with a slight lilt that made it sound like 'Y-naut,' which sounded a lot better to Tony, sort of like a play on the word 'astronaut.' "Its maiden voyage is an unannounced visit to the home of the one who purchased it." It should bother Tony that the Alderaanian was keeping tabs on him, but Tony figured he should be flattered. He certainly was someone to keep an eye on.

"Say it backwards," Tony insisted, waggling his eyebrows. "Come on, say it!"

"Ton-why?" Prestor tried after a moment, waiting a moment before his eyes widened. "Tone-ee? Tony ? You named your starship after yourself?" His tone was wrought with disapproval. Tony tried not to let it bother himself so much.

"The name explains it. Why not?" Tony asked with a shrug and a grin. Prestor shook his head helplessly. Tony took control of the conversation again. "Anyways, I wasn't asking for you to just hand me over a plot of land. I want to rent it from you."

"What's in it for me, and what's in it for you? Without the flair and flattery, please."

Honestly, the bluntness was refreshing. "Alderaan's primary import is electronics, right? Well, imagine all the jobs a electronics company here would create. Think of all the-"

"Cut the dramatics," Prestor said sternly.

"Sorry, force of habit," Tony said with a wince. "Lowered prices for electronics, economic stimulation, local profits. For me, I get some protection from being based on a government that doesn't entirely hate me - long story," Tony said hastily at Prestor's interested look. "I get fair taxes and a government that isn't trying to steal my work. Mostly, protection, though. Most of the profits from SI will go to improving living conditions across the galaxy."

Both of Prestor's eyebrows raised. "You mean to use Alderaan as a shield. But… from what?"

"The Republic? Bounty hunters? Maybe even individual planets. I plan on helping mostly those on the Outer Rim, but I'm beginning to believe that I will get more pushback than I thought. There are many people who benefit off of the misery of others," Tony said, waving his arm around. "Truth is, I don't know yet."

"And you believe the awards would be worth the risks?" Prestor leaned back in his chair.

Shaking his head, Tony leaned forward and hit his palm lightly on the wooden table to punctuate his next sentence. "You're not listening . I don't know if there will be any more benefits to Alderaan than what I already said. I'm planning on raising living conditions on impoverished planets. The ruling classes might not like that, keeping the peasants uneducated to keep themselves at the top. That's where Alderaan comes in. No one would expect Alderaan of being the main base of this operation. Even if they somehow trace it back to Alderaan, you guys are part of the Core Worlds. Even without your fleet, they wouldn't dare attack. This whole thing isn't even illegal."

"You sound... dangerously like anarchist." Prestor tapped the tips of his fingers together, staring shrewdly at Tony. "And you want me to agree to this arrangement, an arrangement that wouldn't help my people, only people we will never see, in return for a mere pittance?"

Tony froze up. Did he misjudge Prestor? He seemed like someone who cared about the general population, but this wouldn't be the first time Tony had misjudged the character of a 'friend.' Politicians didn't get to where they were by pure charisma. There was only one thing he could do - tell the truth. Tony answered in the only way he could. "Yes."

A smile broke across Prestor's face and he nodded approvingly. "Glad we reached this understanding. I would be honored to help you in this endeavor."

-I feel like you're going to pull over and snuff meDespite his best efforts, Prestor seemed more bemused than anything at Tony's efforts at helping the galaxy. Tony had thought there were a few hundred planets in the Outer Rim. His surprise to know that there were literal thousands rivaled his reaction to finding out the number of Jedi that existed.

The sheer number was staggering. Thousands of planets. Trillions of people. An almost infinite amount of funds. This wasn't something that could be abolished in a lifetime. If Tony stopped to think about it, he would be filled with hopelessness, so he didn't. He wondered for a brief moment if Prestor was laughing at the futility of his efforts before dismissing that thought. If Prestor wanted to laugh, he would do it in Tony's face, not behind his back.

Still, he had to start somewhere. The Merchant of Death would sell death no more.

Tony was given a plot of land on a relatively uninhabited mountain range. There, Tony quickly hired a construction crew to build a facility that he and FRIDAY planned out on the trip there. Handing over the blueprints, Tony ordered them to build it to the exact specifications. Chewie, who felt like an outsider to the crew, despite Suffee's best efforts, decided to stay there for a while to monitor the progress. Tony felt bad about it, but was unable to convince the Wookie to come with them. The Wookie had brought up some points that Tony was forced to admit were quite true. With the types of bounties they went after, Chewie was like taking a bantha into a junkshop. He stood out and would hinder them.

Next, he stopped at some rickety warehouse and bought some machinery for cheap. He rigged up what he could and ordered several parts he couldn't find from a local parts dealer, knowing that Prestor would appreciate it.

Lastly, he sent some specs to a failing Alderaanian parts manufacturer, revitalizing the company with the large deal. After giving them some very specific instructions, the crew left to Naboo, ferrying some small but precious cargo as a some favor to Prestor. Tony wasn't sure what was in the crates, but FRIDAY assured them that none of them registered as 'toxic' or 'harmful' to the limited sensors on the ship. Tony made note to upgrade them but respected Prestor enough not to go snooping to see what was inside the crates.

Tony never realized how much Kristoff was present until he was actively trying to avoid the other man. Kristoff was always on the bridge, if not flying the Y-not himself, then training someone else to steer it. When he wasn't there, he always seemed to be in the kitchen that they used as a very cramped 'cafeteria.'

Tony knew that his recent suspicion of Kristoff meant that his mind was naturally taking everything Kristoff did out of context, but he couldn't help it. Even as a genius, his mind fell into the traps that normal people did. He wasn't a robot, after all.

Kristoff's chuckles grated on him, sounding almost mocking. The card tricks he sometimes pulled were a sore reminder that the man used to hustle people for money and recounts of his smuggling days now sounded like reckless endangerment instead of startling bravery. And the whistling had to go.

On an average day, Tony would see Kristoff a grand minimum of twice a day, and that was with locking himself in the workshop and bribing Gis to bring him food, with Gis did with a look that said he clearly thought Tony was an idiot but was humoring him.

Tony knew that his paranoia had reached a peak when he started wondering whether or not the look Gis gave him when he brought food meant that the Saurin had added something suspicious to it. He made a resolution to spend more time out of those two rooms.

The door to the bridge was open when Tony popped out of the captain's quarters after a few days in hyperspace. It was impossible to tell what time it was - there was no star to spin around, and the point was moot anyways. Who cared, when the day lengths varied and a ship could visit three consecutive planets in the height of their light-cycles without taking a break?

"Alright, who changed the coordinates?" Tony heard Suffee ask as he turned to walk down the hall and up the stairs to get some breakfast. Tony abruptly did an about-face and marched into the bridge. Someone messing around the systems was definitely his problem.

"It wasn't me," Bai-Gon objected to the pointed question.

"Right!" Quinton agreed. "T'was like that when we got here for our shift!"

Looking over his shoulder, Suffee caught sight of him. "Tony!" he exclaimed, eyes darting from the starmap to Tony. "Did you change the coordinates?"

"Nope. Why would I? I don't know Naboo from Mars. They're all the same to me, really," Tony answered, smirking and shaking his head self-deprecatingly. "Where are we headed now?" he asked, peering over the Rodian's shoulder as he typed 'Mars' into the search box. Other than a dish that somehow looked southern despite being alien, there were zero hits.

"Actually, boss, the destination wasn't changed. We're still headed to Naboo. It's just that we're headed to Geonosis afterwards," FRIDAY chimed in. "The person who changed it..." she trailed off, hesitating. Suffee turned to the cousins again, eyes narrowed. Seeing this, the two men immediately began protesting their innocence. Then, the door slid open behind Tony.

"It was me, actually." Kristoff.

Suffee crossed his arms and tapped his foot on the floor impatiently, but it was Bai-Gon who talked first. "Not cool, man!" he complained. "The cap blamed me for it." Kristoff gave Tony a side-glance. "The other cap, Captain Suffee," Bai-gon corrected.

"It's my turn to pick," Kristoff reminded them.

Tony eyed the closest camera. " It's true, boss. Kristoff has never chosen our destination before, and his chosen destination is quite close, so by the rules we set in the beginning, he's allowed to direct the Y-not to Geonosis, " Friday confirmed.

Correctly interpreting Tony's introspective silence as disapproval, Kristoff said coaxingly, "It's just a little off your route to Ryloth. Just land over there for a few days, enjoy the sights… Hey, you're starting to look a little pale from all your time in a ship. How about you go tan a bit under the nice, warm, Geonosis sun, whatever they call it?"

"It certainly doesn't look welcoming," Suffee said, flicking through pictures of sandy deserts and barren rock fields.

"Hey, you can just drop me off on the way to Ryloth and pick me up when you get bac-" Kristoff started.

"But certainly much more welcoming than Ryloth," Suffee finished. At Tony's betrayed glance, Suffee shrugged and said, "I say it as I see it. Very violent desert planet gladiatorial games versus a very druggy mining planet where you can get taken as a slave without warning? Tough choice, but I'd rather die fast than slow, if you catch my drift."

Tony gave him a long look. "That was… incredibly morbid, actually. Hey Fri, does this galaxy have antidepressants?"

"I don't need antidepressants."

"The most widely used antidepressant derived from ryll, a relatively mild spice that coincidentally mined on Ryloth." Dozens of files appeared before him an Tony flipped off of

"Huh, that's awfully convenient," Tony said slowly. "How much is it worth?"

"It's illegal for non-medical companies to mine and use," FRIDAY chided him. "Besides, the effects closely mirror that of cannabis."

"Right. Now I'm starting to understand why it's illegal. Suff'? Don't get into that sort of thing. We'll get you through this hard, hard time t-" "I am not depressed, and if you continue insisting that I am, I'll take back the scraps you liberated from Prestor's junkyard," Suffee threatened.

"Can we just get to the point?" Kristoff asked. "I promise that it'll be a quick trip, five days on Geonosis, tops. I have to contact Chewie after this, so…?" He looked pleadingly at Tony.

Running his fingers through his hair, Tony answered, "Ryloth first."

Normally, Kristoff would have agreed with Tony, trusting the implication that they would go to Geonesis right after Ryloth. However, in this case, Kristoff asked for a verbal promise. Tony agreed and gave him his word that they would go after he finished what he was trying to do on Ryloth. The very fact that this promise was needed stunned the other three members of the crew, but while Bai-Gon and Quinton opted to keep quiet about it, Suffee decided to speak out. "What happened this time?"

"Nothing!" two voices rang out at the same time.

Kristoff slipped next to him and answered, "Just a simple miscommunication."

"Nothing to worry about," Tony continued.

"Which translates to 'we really messed up' and 'run away screaming,'" Suffee told them.

"We'll be fine," Tony assured him.

Suffee looked unconvinced but gave a slow nod. The fragile peace was broken when Bai-Gon turned to his cousin and bet, "Fifty credits say this blows up spectacularly in our faces."

-I feel like you're going to pull over and snuff meOn Naboo, Tony and his crew didn't get a second glance from the nobles of Naboo. They didn't even warrant a visit from a Handmaiden. A security officer - not even the head of security - bustled around the cargo hold, made a call with several people, then took the crates without pomp. Y-nauts were reluctantly given a twelve-hour permission slip to stay on Naboo and sternly informed that they must be long-gone by the time it hit zero.

When Senn expressed some interest in exploring, they were assigned a guide who was a Handmaiden-in-training, as if the general populace needed protection from them. Tony was disappointed, having expected people that resembled Luna Lovegood.

Apologetically, the friendly guide that they were assigned explained to them that, as a peace-loving planet, they found the Y-not 'mildly offensive' and 'a bit old-fashioned.' That didn't mean much to Tony; having been raised in politics, he read between the lines easily enough. The people of Naboo saw their well-armored ship and showy cannons and immediately stereotyped them as uncouth, disrespectful warmongers. Fair enough. Bounty hunting meant that their job could basically be described as 'flying around, looking for trouble." At least they weren't calling his crew 'the Merchants of Death.'

The Aleena darted into the crowd, determined to see as much as they could before time ran out, but the rest of the crew was put silent by the nonverbal disapproval that radiated from almost all of the Naboo. When the time came for them to leave, they did so without complaint.

They reached Ryloth without incident. After restricting the underaged beings in the crew onto the ship, Tony repeatedly warned the rest of the Y-nauts to stick in pairs at the very least and to stay on the main roads. Then, he headed out to do what he had wanted to for a long time.

-I feel like you're going to pull over and snuff me-

#SawSomethingStrange #WhatIsThis #FlyingRedDroid #LegitArsenalMovingAcrossRyloth

Check this out. Saw it blasting away from the mines as I was driving my speeder away from the Nabat. Is it just me, or is it rather well-equipped for a drone? Here's to hoping it's not dangerous.

[image.420]

-RylothRises

TS

[Site correction: #IronMan]

TS

#TechnicalHelp #IronMan

[RylothRises] I took the liberty of editing your hashtag for you for a more fitting one.

-HisGirlFRIDAY