Riley Parker, you picking this up?

Hey, what's up Neville? How's the grind?

Oh, it's going.
Paid off mom's debt thanks to the Silver Rush.
She's actually in the black, if you can believe that.

Whoa, for real?
Hot damn, that's great news, man.
You gonna be stopping near LA? I can totally buy to celebrate that.

Nah, you know how it is. Still on the haul.
How's your thing working out with Synth?
Crew chief, right?

Yeah, for corpsec and some of the smaller transports.
It's California you know, so, Rogues and Xenos, but we don't see much here just up the gravwell.
When I clock out, it's all LA nightlife when I catch my surface shuttle.

It's going smooth then?

Well... smooth as it can.
If I'm honest, I think I've been passed over for promotion twice now.
Think you can imagine why.

Yeah.
"From the Pitt."
****ing boulderbrain rich kid execs, girl.

Too right.
Pay's still ok and I got my benefits, but it's not like I can find another job here in Cali.
This placement was just too good.
Kind of dealing with it, because what can you do.

Actually, it's sort of why I called.
I don't know what the feds'll think of it as far as keeping your benefits.
But you thought about going freelancer?

Like serving on a hauler full-time?
Wow... I haven't really. That was always your thing, you know?
And, like, the lanes can be dangerous.
You see how many reports come in across the sector about pirate cruisers?

Yeah, you got to be nimble, no doubt about that.
But it ain't that different to running on our old Pelly troop carriers.
Hell, I'm still driving the one Castle set me up with.

You and that Junker lady, right? Topeaka?

Yeah, well... she bit it during the Silver Rush.
Just me and the bot now.

Oh sh**. What happened?

Cardamine withdrawal.
****ing IMG took her dosage at gunpoint and said "be smarter next time".
Well, there wasn't no next time.
Some ship named Silver Supplier, who I'd love to cap someday.
She died on our way back to Liberty to try and get a new dose.
It was all bull****.

Damn, man...
That's real.
I'm sorry.
You know I'm probably not as good of a mechanic, if that's what you're looking for.
Not sure those are shoes I can fill.

You're alright, and so am I.
We'd share the load.
And you're a better dealmaker than me, always wringing new parts and gear outta the fleet.
I'm gonna need that, since I got plans for this enterprise.
Need people I can rely on to make it happen.

And I'm one of those?

Well, the other nineteen people I asked from B company already turned me down.

You- shut up!
That's because they can't survive your dad humor, you old fart.

Aaah, oh you ain't seen nothing yet.

Ahah... you know... alright, lemme think about it.
I got to make arrangements for my family and figure out what the paperwork looks like, all that jazz.

It's all good, I get it.
I get you on-board, we'll be going bigger and better places, so the money side'll shake out all right eventually.

And its not confirmed, all right?
We still have to talk terms, but come by when you're in Cali, and I'll treat you, ok?

Sounds tight.
Pick a bar that's got good onion rings, will you?
Call you when I'm in-system

Alright, man.
Peace out.

See ya.

Hey Neville, are you in Liberty right now?

Yeah, what's up?
Yeah, just dropped off some iridium with Detroit.
Good payday.
Just cooling off on Newark right now.

Nice.
So I thought about it, like I said I would.
Made all the arrangements.
Think I'm on-board.
I don't want to be stuck shuttling up and down to Riverside forever.

See I KNEW you couldn't stay away.
That's damn great news Riley.
Be good to have someone I actually trust around here.

Come on.
Rocco doesn't count?

The bot?
Alright yeah, I guess Rocco counts.
I'm actually going to need your help with something big.

Oh boy.
What'd you sign me up for?

Well.
That Taro Yamada guy got there first but.
Made us some big opportunity in Galileo.
Pulled some big profit hiring out to Samura and Kishiro.
Without the other knowing, you know.
Whoever had guns on the field at the time, basically.
Even stole one of their depots to sell for hard cash after a fight.
They were all distracted.
Huge windfall.

You were definitely right about the job not being for the faint of heart.
Sounds like you're begging trouble to find you.
Okay.
So what's this have to do with me?

Well that money I made didn't sit around.
Million credits and a little more. Was the score of a lifetime.
I took that, bought out the contract on the Zoara.
Not paying dues to Castle anymore.
Bastard milked me good, but he's happy.
The rest?
Trekked out to the Omegas and bought a whole damn frigate.

You had all that money and you didn't retire.
Instead you bought a FRIGATE.
God now that's getting carried away.
Hot damn, man.
So I'm going to be working on a ship the size of my whole hab block?

Better than that.
I need your help finding good crew.
We're gonna need somewhere around... twenty, twenty five people.
Maybe more, maybe less.
I don't really want to break the bank on aftermarket automation.
Prefer having bodies on board.
And I want officers to at least be people we know.
You still talk to anyone else from the Ohio?

Ok Christ, this is one hell of a first day boss.
Uhhhh...
Yeah, I still talk to some of the deck crew guys.
But most of them are still in the service.
I can shop around but we're not going to be swimming in applicants.
You better scare up a place we can pick up freelance crew.
Lot of stations and spaceports out there with hopefuls I bet.

Yeah.
Hopefuls without a brain cell between 'em.

Hey, I can't work miracles.
You work your angle and I'll try to come through for you on the officers, 'kay?

Sounds good.
Thanks for pitching in.
Big ask, I know.
Especially after I talked you up about the Pelican.
Wasn't lying about those bigger and better things, though.

Yeah, no kidding!
A whole frigate.
Independently run.
That's a great gig.

If we can get the sucker off the ground running.
It's got basic flight and weapons control, so I can fly back from out in the weeds to Newark.
After that I'll come swing by to Riverside and do some real planning.

Copy that boss.
Relay back with you if anyone else bites.

Smooth.
Later, Riley.

Bye.