Life aboard La Comarca

[Leoro]

The cockpit of La Comarca creaked as the freighter eased out of cruise near the Cortez trade hub. One of the stabilizer panels gave its usual rattle. Ricardo Mendoza didn’t even glance at it. He knew that noise. It was old metal and stubborn bolts. It wasn’t a real problem.

He leaned forward in the pilot’s seat with his elbows on the scratched console. He scanned the nav feed as he approached the next trading lane. So far, the trade lane to Luxury Liner Hawaii was open and quiet. His cargo was simple: a full load of Liberty Ale. He had the proper permits to carry it, but that bit into his profit margin. Better to follow the rules and play it safe than end up with his cargo and ship impounded he figured.

From the corridor behind him, Chiqui floated in slow and sideways. The drone’s stabilizers gave a soft whine as it bumped into the frame and corrected with a little spin. One of its arms dangled at an awkward angle. Ricardo would have to fix that he thought to himself. The unit had started life as a hull clamp maintenance bot, but he had rebuilt it with spare parts. Now it followed him around like a half-drunk mechanic that never shut up.

“Chiqui. Music.”

The drone chirped. The speakers in the overhead panel hissed for a moment before Sonora Dinamita came on. The cumbia beat almost matched the hum of the engines. The ship felt more alive when the music was playing. It helped fill the quiet between ports.

Coco stirred below the console. The tiger striped kitty stretched lazily then settled back into her favorite spot near the heat vent. She ruled that spot, and Ricardo had long since learned not to question it.

La Comarca had served him and his family for a long time. Ricardo had welded patches over plasma burns and jury-rigged power conduits more times than he could count. Ricardo had been running cargo runs that barely broke even it seemed. It had been fine for a while. He enjoyed the freedom. But lately, he’d started thinking. Something steady wouldn’t be the worst thing. Deep Space Engineering was hiring. A pension, health coverage, dividends, and a place to dock without bribing the harbor master.

The idea kept creeping back in during these quiet flights. The trading lane gate lit up ahead. All systems were green. No contacts. Chiqui floated near the diagnostics panel, wiggling an arm like it had something to say. Coco didn’t stir. She knew the drill.

Ricardo shifted in his seat and checked the harness. He’d look into DSE or another company soon. He didn’t need excitement anymore. He needed something that paid on time. La Comarca jumped. The music kept playing.

*OOC: updated the character's name*