Coming to Terms, unable to recruit Luca

Longtime player of this series but forum newb, sorry if this is in wrong section. I searched and found some similar issues reported years ago but no cause was identified.

I completed Coming to Terms a while back. Normally Luca is fired as a result (I used the diplomacy options to get him to void the contract). However, when I enter the VTC building, the firing event doesn't occur. The VTC offical who fires him just says "Not now!" if you click on him and you can converse with Luca - he is miffed and says "I'll be lucky if Governor Alvari lets me manage the kitchen, much less another contract of value." (Luca presses his temples and sighs.)

Subsequent attempts to talk to Luca yield "This room stifles already. Must you crowd it further?" to which I can respond "Farewell". 

And that's it.

Was going to buy a galleon. Pretty annoyed the only pure Boatswain is unavailable to me. 

I've done some quests in unusual order, so maybe related to that. I did Hasongo but haven't done Storms of Poko Kahara. 

Any solution to this or I need to find Ponamu Bird-Scorned?

Alternatively is there a console command to put Luca on my crew?