"So, what are we looking at?"
    The question was poised by Renya as she stood behind her twin engineers, staring at the blueprints from Balthier's moogle mechanic tacked to the wall. At various points smaller notes had been pinned to it detailing the various translations and measurements conversions that were made in deciphering of the magitech schematics. Renya's own mechanical skills were mainly limited to guns and the art of lockpicking so most of it was just garbled jargon to her.

    "We are looking at," Maven responsed, the raccoon's tail twitching with barely held composure, "a technological thematic that is, despite it's divergence into more metaphysical principles, not unlike that of our world."
    "So retrofittin' construction for Balthier's inquiry ain't that farfetched," Magnum continued, his less elaborate tone being one of the things that distinguished him from his more intellectual yet eccentric sister. "But."
    "Com'n mates," Renya all but whined as she took a step back. "Ye know I dislike buts." A pause. "Well those kind. Lindsey's got a nice one beneath that puffy tail o--"
    In contrast to the differences both Twins facepalm in unison as Renya started on one of her fanciful tangents. "Captain, focus for a moment." Maven picked up a quill dipped in red ink and scrawled a big X over one of their notes. "There is one critical component that we lack the current resources of. The aetheric channels will require lodestone to produce a proper electrostatic coating."
    "Which we had plenty of," Magnum grumbles, "Until -someone- decided she needed the aether bellows of her organ refurbished."
    Renya just faintly whistled in mock innocence as the duo turned their heads just enough to glare at her, granted it was more out of teasing amongst familiars than actual anger. They had gotten use to the vixen's tendancy to go off on frivilous seeming fancies for the sake of her own amusement. Most of the crew, as long as they got some excitement in their spirits and some gold in their coffers, just accepted the eccentricities as part of serving the so-called Pirate Princess. Eventually though she got back to business. "The transport we'd raided those rocks from had been from Calderado..."
    "Aye," the Twins chimed in unison. "Though I doubt we'd be so lucky to cross one again with little hassle from the Imperial Navy patrols," Magnum continued afterwards.
    "There's always the Black Marke--" The rest of Maven's remark was muffled as Magnum slapped a hand over her mouth and shakes his head a few times.
    "While there is no doubt Ms. Muzaji could likely get her greasy mitts on some, we'd stand to lose on the deal to her.. finder fees."
    "True," Renya agreed with him. Only to make his ears wilt back when she continued with a drawn out "Buuuuut... She might know a better route we can lay raid to; out smuggle some smugglers."
    "And still wring every extra dubloon out of ye she can for the info," Magnum spat. "The stripebacked scallywag. Is it worth it?"
    "Aye, it would," Renya countered as she tapped her chin. "Better to make allies out of fellow pirates than enemies." Some friendly competition, sure, but she hardly needed more enemies after her tail.
    "And would keep us in a position as go-between should they need future... unorthadox services." Maven mused. Magnum just shook his head, knowing he wasn't going to talk either of them out of it, and he was too loyal to not go along with whatever scheme the Captain concocted.

    By that point Renya had already turned and started to walk out of the engineering deck, tail swishing with amusing thoughts behind her. Unlike the gunner she liked confering with their contact in the Deadlight black market, scoundrel to scoundrel. It was an entertaining dance of charm and barter for both of them; Muzaji claimed to run a 'legit' trade business but had her fingers coiled in all the darker corners of commerce. Time to pay another old friend a visit...