[IC] Aurora Dreams: A Firefly Story [M]

[AngelDellaNotte]

Aurora Dreams: A Firefly Story (https://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=92425)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DiWxcilWtU


The ship had landed a short time ago and the dock master had logged the ship into the Eavesdown docks. They weren't planning on being here long, just long enough to restock, take on some fairs and get information on a heist from the local 'businessman' Badger. Cori walked down from the living quarters into the hold looking like she had just woken up after having slept in her clothes. Which probably was because she had, she had passed out the night before barely making it to her bed. The last few nights she hadn't really slept her dreams plagued with visions of Du-Khang. She had taken a mixture of pills and whiskey to make sure she was knocked out to the point of her mind shutting down. It had worked through this morning she had quite a stomach ache and headache. She had avoided the kitchen just in case someone had made breakfast the thought of food making her sick. At the hatch she found the Captain standing there, making her think at first he was waiting for her until she noticed he was still talking to the dock master. “Ready to go see the rodent?” Cori said a Spanish accent evident in her voice, referring to Badger.

Michael was feeling pretty good when he woke up. The ship was landing on time like he'd planned and he was well rested. He was up early enough to make himself a decent breakfast and he was packed and ready by the time the ship touched down in port. By the time the ramp was down Michael had his weapons holstered, his tactical black poncho on and a welcoming smile on his face. The usual pleasantries were exchanged with the dock master, hello, how long are you here for, have payment, sign here. The captain had just finished scribbling his name when his first mate, and old childhood friend, came up behind him looking ragged. And he didn't even need to look up from his work to see it. "You look like shit Cor."

"Yeah? Well I feel like shit too." Cori said, digging through her jacket until she pulled out a half smoked cigar. A little more digging and she found a box of matches. She shook it hearing a single match jingling around, she fished it out and struck it against the box causing it to quickly lite and then fizzle out. "Puta madre" She growled then threw the box to the ground leaving the cigar in the corner of her lips as she started walking down the ramp of the ship. Cori had spent most of her recovery on Persephone so it only took her a few seconds to recognize where they were and adjust her direction toward Badger's. The morning light was bright in her eyes causing Cori to pull the brim of her hat low over her eyes. "So do you think this info Badger has is worth anything?"

Michael handed back the paperwork and sent the dock master on his way. “Honestly I never know with that fool.” Walking down the ramp, hand in his pockets, after Cori he closed it behind them. “Can’t hurts to find out. Who knows, could be the next big score.” As he passed he reached out and nudged her. When they locked eyes he point up. Floating above the brim of her hat was a dull gray zippo lighter he had pulled from his pocket. Michael didn’t shy away from his gift, he rather enjoyed it as it proved convenient sometimes. “You know you can always ask me for a light.” He didnt smoke but rather kept lighters and matches on him for such and occasion, to keep his first mate calm and happy. He needed all his crew’s heads on straight and focused.

Taking the lighter she lite the cigar and took a nice long puff of the cigar then handed the lighter back. "I don't trust the rat. He's only looking to make a profit for himself. What makes me wonder if it is so good why doesn't he use it himself. Why sell it?" Cori said, pulling her hat down again the bright light hurting her eyes. She was at the start of a very bad hang over but at least she was still mostly numb and her injuries weren't hurting. Just her head. As she walked down the street her eyes scanned the crowds and her hand feel to her pistol resting there should she need to draw it. The walk from their dock to Badger's was a short one and would only take a few minutes.

“Cause he’s a fucking coward slimeball.” Michael repocketed the lighter. “Doesn’t have the balls to do the jobs himself.” If it was one thing Michael couldn’t stand it was not being in the action. Even during the war he couldn’t sit back and just give orders. “If you want to shoot him be my guest. Just do it after we get the info and make sure his loyal band of idiots don’t fill us both full of holes. If we die, I’ll kill you myself.”

"I'll behave myself, not in the mood to get shot today." Cori said, as they turned into a row of shipping container buildings. They kept walking until they reached one on the end, the door to it was open and the moment they stepped inside they were met with several guards carrying long guns.

"You're early the boss is still having breakfast." One of the guards said, blocking their path with the barrel of his rifle.

"I don't care if he is still eating his gorram congee we have business with Badger." Cori said, "Now get out of our way."

"I don't eat that rice porridge crap, prefer me a proper breakfast." Badger called from the other room. "Let em in."

"You heard the man." Cori said, gesturing for the guards to step aside.

"Leave your weapons here." The guard said, as another reached for Cori's pistol.

"I wouldn't do that unless you want to bleed all over your boss' fine rugs." Cori said, looking down towards the rugs they were standing on and the knife in her hand pressed to the guard's wrist. All it would take was a flick of her wrist and she would slit his.

“Badger. My first mate is getting cranky. Surely you don’t think the two of us armed would be a problem against your mighty army? Come on I thought we were friends?” It was time to turn on the charm. If it was one thing he picked up on the core worlds it was diplomacy and how to kiss ass to get what you want. Flattery will get you everywhere after all. “It’s what? How many you got back there? Eight against two? “

She shot him a glare at the cranky remark not wanting to admit that it was true. Most mornings she woke up in a foul mood but today was even more so than usual. Still she would never admit that to Michael. She was so focused on Michael that she didn't see whatever gesture Badger made to the guards until they moved out of the way. Stepping past the guard she gave a satisfied smirk then walked into the room seeing Badger sitting at a table with a big pile of eggs and sausage before him. It took everything she had not to gag at the smell of the grease. She took a seat on a sofa across the room where she couldn't smell it as much but was still polite. "Fancy seeing you here Cori don't you warrant on Persephone? Something about assaulting a Alliance watch commander and resisting arrest?" Badger said, spooning a mouthful of eggs into his mouth.

"Perhaps, it's hard to keep track of all the warrants. Besides I'm sure the bastard deserved it." Cori said, kicking her legs up on a end table.

At the mention of the Alliance officer Michael turned to Cori and mouthed ‘really?’ With a final look that said ‘I can’t leave you alone for a minute’ he turned back to Badger, remaining standing. “So I heard you had a hit take for us. We got so free time, looking for work.”

Cori shrugged at Michael's look, there were quite a few times where she blacked out and got in trouble. Gods know there were enough times she woke up in some backwater jail with no idea how she ended up there. Most days she somehow managed to get home, it happening far more often with Michael looking out for her. The incident Badger was talking about could have happened during her recovery or one of the times the Aurora was in port. Or Badger could be talking out his ass, you never knew with the 'businessman'.

"Right I do, I've come across some information about a remote guidance system the Alliance has commissioned from Rhycom Industries. Nasty bit of tech from what my reports have said. With it they can make things really interesting for the planets in the outer rim still holding pointless ideas of revolution." Badger said, glancing over to Cori seeing if he could get a rise out of her. For her part Cori managed to not show much of a reaction other than clinching her fist.

"What's the catch?" Cori asked, releasing her fist a bit trying not to let him get to her. Michael was right they needed to play nice. It had been a while since they had a job that did little more than keep the Aurora in the skies.

“Rhycom always did like making new toys didn’t they?” Michael chuckled. “Consider me and my crew interested.” A job that could bring in some serious coin would be worth it. There was a list of things he wanted spruced up that had to be put off to pay for major needs and put food on the table. “Got any details for me?”

"Everything you need to know is on this data card." Badger said, pulling a small card from a box on the table. He held it out to Michael and then pulled it back. "I'm not in the charity business so it is going to cost you eight thousand platinum."

"Are you kidding? How do we know there aren't baby pictures of you on that thing?" Cori said standing up and walking to Badger, her general dislike for Badger influencing her doubt. She wouldn't put it past Badger to screw them over like that. However you didn't get the reputation Badger did by bad deals.

"I do have a sample for you." Badger said, pulling a data pad from the box and holding it out. Cori started to reach for it but he pulled it away and handed it to Michael. "Afraid it's a bit more than your comprehension. Takes a little more skill than pulling a trigger or sucker punching a unwitting officer."

Reaching out he grabbed the pad. Shooting a glance at Cori he started typing on the pad. Soon enough Michael let out a whistle. "Oh yeah pinpoint targeting. Projected payload delivery times...these are fast. This will definitely ruin someone's afternoon. Probably even their entire day." Michael handed the pad to Cori so she could take a look, he knew his first mate understood a thing or two. "We're in."

Badger smirked. "Just the sort of thing I'd expect out of the Survivor of the Deadwind Massacre." Now it was Michael's turn to clench his fist, his jaw tightening. A free hand, hidden by his poncho, went instinctively to his chest where the reminder of the incident lay forever on his skin. "Your plucky first mate isn't the only one I looked into. Just a reminder that I have a larger reach than you realize."

It took all he had to not grab the hand cannon on his leg and put a rather large hole in Badger's head, maybe even remove it entirely. "What...else, do you have for us?"

"Of course for an extra five hundred a piece I'll give you these five key cards." Badger said, reaching into his seemingly never ending box of goodies. "They will get you into the station the system is being designed on."

"You are out of your mind." Cori said, knowing Badger was testing them with this last move. That price was far too high for the value of the cards. Only a sucker would agree to the amount and Badger would be the only one to make out on the deal. "We'll give you five hundred for the lot." When Badger had first contacted them via wave with promise of a score Cori and Michael had discussed how much they were willing to pay for this promise. They had agreed on no more than nine thousand platinum so with the added price of the key cards they were still under.

Michael raised his hand to silence his first mate. "While I don't agree with her tone my first mate does have a point here Badger. No one in their right mind would pay that much and I doubt you'd find anyone out of their right mind to even take the job."

"Well what do I call you lot then?" Badger gave them a chuckle.

Michael smiled. "Clever. Clever. Walked into that one. Five hundred for the lot."

"You would call us crazy enough reign all kinds of hell on anyone who crossed us." Cori said, "After we get this guidance device, where do we unload it? A stolen Alliance guidance system isn't exactly something we can sell in the market."

"I have a seller lined up but they would prefer to remain anonymous for the time being." Badger said, resuming eating his breakfast. "Once it is stolen I imagine the Alliance is going to be quite upset they don't want to risk anything linking back to them." Cori didn't like the idea of not knowing they buyer but she could see the reasoning behind it.

"As long as it isn't Crazy Stan again. Guy tried to bight my middle finger off one time. That's my favorite finger." Michael looked to Cor. "Pay the man."

Reaching into a inside coat pocket Cori pulled out nine flat silver bars laying them on the table. They were stamped with the seal of Beylix, it was where they had come from before heading to met with Badger. The bars had come from a job transporting supplies from the out rim. After Badger was paid they left his 'offices' and started walking back to the Aurora. Cori was looking over the data pad as they walked. "The station is orbiting Airen a moon of Sihnon. We are going to need a good reason to be hanging around Sihnon."

"I'm sure if we put our heads together we can come up with something." Michael pulled up the hood to his poncho. "What worries me is how Badger gets his hands on some information. He definitely knows way to much about me, and you for that matter. Maybe we should plug some leaks after this job." The failed mission at Deadwind was supposed to be off the book, of course he only found out after he went looking. He hadn't even told Cori about it though he was sure she's at least heard of it. How an entire Independent LZ was just wiped out overnight. To take his mind off Badger and his threats Michael flipped through their recent purchase. "Ah shiny. We can pose as researchers."

"That gets us onto the station but we still need a reason to be near Sihnon." Cori said, not commenting on Badger's knowledge of them. He had only pointed it out to unnerve them and she wasn't about to let him get under her skin. "If only we had a companion on board. We could remain in orbit while she conducted her business on Sihnon."

"I've been wanting to bring one on for awhile. Hopefully our luck will change." Michael looked up at the Aurora in the distance. "We'll figure it out Cor. Like always. With my brains and skills and your....you...ness. We'll make it happen."

[Heson Shadowbane]

Junk already had her tools together, waiting for when the captain and the first mate left the ship. She had been up most of the night with the engine, making sure that it was going to be in tip top shape. That and it enjoyed being worked upon with Junk's hands and tools. She had been looking forward to landing and spending time in the port because for one thing she'd be able to work on the externals of the ship and she'd have a chance to see if new parts would be needed. And if she had time afterwards she'd go see the foreman of the dock, see about earning a few extra on the side touching up other ships.

It was her guilty hobby, working on other ships. She loved connecting with their workings, hearing their tales of travel. Of course she enjoyed the Aurora, but she was a still a ship hopper at heart and always looking for the next time she'd fancy another berth. As it was now though, she was enjoying the travels upon this ship even with the collection of people.

She watched Michael talk with the dock master and him and Cori walk off to their meeting. She kept watching till they had disappeared before picking up her kit and quickly running out of the ship to do her inspection and tune up. The excitement to work upon the outside of the ship helped her look over that her breakfast was just a protein bar she had in her room so she didn't have to deal with communal meals if she didn't want to. For now though, the ship was most important and she began her inspection with gusto while ready to touch up or add parts to her shopping list if needed.

[Nope]

This is ridiculous. The man on the floor was easily three times her size, and three times her smell. His head was shaved, and ink marred the scars across his scalp. His biceps were the size of beef sides. The point being, he was a Grade A Bad Dude and yet, he lay and whimpered like a child. The laceration wasnt even that deep. A few stitches. Frank grit her teeth and finished wrapping the wound with a strip of linen. If the bandage had actually come from a clean shirt, she could guarantee his full recovery, but as it were, they would have to see.
She sat back on her heels and gave her work a final look over.
The goon beside her nodded his approval, if thats what it was, and tossed a small sack of coins down beside her. She picked it up, weighing it in her hand. It was light, and she said so.
“You get paid based on the work, looked like a scratch to me.”
“I was called here to the land of misfit goons for an agreed on price. Im a doctor. A real, honest to stars doctor. I should be charging you four times this amount!”
The man’s eyes narrowed and Frank swallowed. Her frustration had pushed her off the edge of her manners and she had lost her tongue. She hardened her face. She concentrated on just how unreasonably ugly the man was instead of his obvious anger.
“Id kill you for less pay.”
“You could.” She forced herself to shrug nonchalantly. “But Badger knows Im the only person who has this much skill and a closed mouth. If you people want actual meds and real bandages, I need the money for it.”
What I really need is a way off this damn planet.
The goon seemed to consider it for a moment, aided by the whimpers of the man on the floor. Her eyes cast down with his.
“He’ll be fine. It was just a scratch, after all.”
“Ill talk to Badger when hes done.”
“I have other patients.”
“Hes got company.”
Frank was thinking of a retort about ‘company’. When she heard voices as a door opened. She peered around the corner to see a man and woman walking away, back toward her. The woman was carrying a data pad. She recalled an earlier conversation, overheard while treating a abscess about the use of the device, and its intention. If the people she saw now had gained control of it, theyd have a ship. They’d be heading out closer to the border planets, just where she needed to go. And by the looks of them, the passage might actually be affordable.
Of course, if they were doing business with Badger, she might be falling from the frying pan.
Quickly, she gathered up her bag, shoving everything in without the usual care. The sack of money she tucked into her pocket.
“Tell Badger Ill be in touch.”
The goon grunted. Frankie slung her pack over her shoulder and started after the pair. She kept them in sight and close enough to hear but far enough to just look like a casual walker, out for a stroll. Or so she hoped. Frankie was far from stealthy. She just needed enough information to make sure she wasnt going to get herself murdered. Or maybe that was preferable, she had yet to decide.

[Ushima]

Michael continued down the street with Cori, heading back to the ship. They would be in town for a few days but he still wanted to start prep for the job. And that meant taking inventory of what they had. It paid to know what equipment was available. “Hey Cor I-“ His sentence was cut off as a new feeling crashed over him. His sixth sense never specifically told him what was going on. More like it shoved him and say ‘hey asshole go that way and see what happens’, it worked and sometimes it doesn’t. “Hey Cor I’m gonna head this was and check something out. See you back at this ship!”

As they walked Cori picked up that they were being followed. Using the dirty windows of shops around them she was able to notice a young woman following them. It was hard to tell but she thought she had seen the woman at Badger's. Cori really didn't trust the man and wouldn't put it past him to send someone to follow them. Especially this girl, she didn't have the look of one of Badger's goons. Most of them were big tough guys or well looked like Cori. When Cori had started getting better and had began to make a name for herself on Persephone, Badger had approached her to work for him but she wasn't a hired thug and turned him down. It might be one of the reasons they didn't get along, Badger didn't like being told no. "We are being followed." Cori said, ignoring his comment about meeting up later.

“Yeah cool. Being followed. Great.” Michael brushed off the comment. They’ve been followed before. “Just don’t kill them it’ll cause problems for us.” He trusted Cori to handle things, she was one of the most capable people he knew.

She glared over at him as he seemed unimpressed that they were being followed. It was something that happened from time to time. Most often it was nothing but there was one time in the black markets on Osiris where being followed had turned into attempted murder. A couple of locals Cori had been playing cards with thought she had been cheating and felt they would make it right. Granted Cori had been cheating they couldn't prove it. The Aurora had to leave Osiris in a hurry after that. "I'm not being paranoid King! Remember that time on Osiris?" Cori said, to King's back as he waved. "Asshoke.”

[Lleona]

Mei, formerly known as Zhao Feiyan one of the top companions in the planet sihnon is still currently running and hiding. She boarded a ship towards Persephone to once again try her luck. The past planets she have been to make her feel very bummed since there was no potential customers she could take. Since because of her status, she find it beneath her to take customers that won't benefit her. She has her pride after all, she is not the kind of person to sell herself short.

After a few months of changing ships she finally arrived at persephone. She went to the companion guild at Persephone to try her luck. When she arrived there she received a quality accommodation even though she is not openly using her identity, the alias that the guild at sihnon gave her is considered top notch when compared at the companion's here in Persephone. So she took control of the Persephone companion guild in the shadow, not intruding at their business but manipulating the information hoping to find some interesting client that she could take.

Unbeknownst to her, it doesn't seem like to need to wait much longer. Luck was coming in her way and it is about hit her and take her for a roller coaster ride which she will surely enjoy.

[Q]

"Aargh! Aaargh!"

The red-clad thug tried to squirm away underneath a market stand. A frowning Fluke interrupted him by a firm step on his foot with her military-grade prostethic leg. She couldn't understand whatever came out of his mouth, but Fluke frowned again and reluctantly let him limp away. She shooed away the prying eyes and peered over the crowd looking for her partner in crime. Most of the fair citizens of Persephone City made way for Fluke's imposing short warm-black coupe, towering figure, broad shoulders and overall apathetic gaze. She sighed while she slung her dufflebag over her shoulder.

The Eavesdown market was busy this time of day - the fruits were fresh and unspoiled. It was their last stop before getting off this rock, but trouble had found her incapable friend before they could hitch a ride at the docks. The triads of Hwung-Zi were lifelong enemies of Qillaero Skiphning, her recently-met friend. Ever since he and some girl won a bike-race by playing dirty, they'd come after him for the prize money.

"Ugh."

Sometimes she wondered why she's still hoofing it with that clown. Sure, he was cool and wise, but his self-destructive nature didn't fit in Fluke's current predicament. For Fluke, proud sergeant of the Independence, the war wasn't over; her mind filled with hate, her triggerfinger ever-itchy and her disgust for utopian society near its bursting point. Perhaps she should just slip away on some boat and leave him a message.

She'd crossed the market. Fairly sure she hadn't missed him, she looked around the plaza. Now, where would that dude go..?

"Ah."

Her eyes locked on the Persephone companions guild. Qill was a friend to the place, though they'd never (ever) admit him among them. He moonlighted as manwhore, although a lowly one. He'd also sporadically indulge in companionship himself.


From the eyes of Qillaero, inside the Persephone Companions Guild:

Qillaero was hanging on the railing of the reception desk. The guild's interior was unlike typical Persephonian architecture. It nudged to the eastern tints of Sihnon while maintaining a french bordello-kinda-vibe. Very intriguing, Qill thought.

"I'm sorry, madame, I just need to chill for a while. Can't you have some new girl make me a bath or something?" he blabbered on before the madame could answer "I'll pay, happily."

The madame raised a finger to interrupt him, but to no avail.

"Or, you know, exchange expertise. Those prudes can learn from what we do in the slums, woman. Am I ri-"

A cold slap on the face finally cut off his monologue. The madame could finally react.

"Go upstairs! Double price, you heathen!"

[Griff]

Anika was staring at the ceiling of the medbay. She breathed in, smelling the harsh chemical scent of bleach, the tang of long-faded blood, and a slight floral scent, courtesy of the vase of wilted flowers sitting by the sink. Anika had long forgotten why she had them, and couldn't be bothered to throw them away. She couldn't be bothered to do most things, truthfully.

The bright white light above her operating table blinked. It did that from time to time. One day she had so little to do that she counted the number of times her light went out in an hour. It was 13 times. Was that lucky, or unlucky? Anika couldn't remember. All she knew is that her light was broken.

The ship was quiet. The smell of whiskey and cigar smoke had faded, so she figured that Cori and Michael left several minutes ago. Or hours. It didn't matter. Jun was still here, based on the occasional bursts of quick and quiet footsteps. She was like a mouse, and Anika found that entertaining.

Anika turned and prepared her medical bay like she did each morning. It was a very useful ritual, one that she can do with her eyes closed. The scalpel went there, the thread there, and the morphine locked away behind the miniature fridge (one she kept in case body parts needed to be stored). There was little she could do today besides wait. Her knees ached more than usual. Her brother used to call that a bad omen, but she had long stopped letting her thoughts turn to him. She looked back up at the ceiling, onto the ever-flickering light.

[Ushima]

Default Re: Firefly relationship request!
Michael left Cori to handle their pursuer. Cori was tough. One of the best fighters he knew. And normally he’d be right there to help. Osiris has gone pretty south in a hurry. But something was calling him and he had to oblige. Whatever it was it was strong this time while still remaining and mysterious and uninformative as always. “Ok what are you?”

Some time has passed since Mei left sihnon to hide. Luckily she didn't lack money. But her travel towards persophone was filled with boredom, so when she saw a pretty good client she tried to catch it, besides there's nothing wrong about having an extra income that she could use since it's pretty risky to use her old account.

While she was accompanying her new client a rough dirty man approached her and grabbed her hands.

"Ey there pretty lady! Why don't you accompany this brother? This brother can give you lot's of lovin hehehe"

Mei looked at man as he stared at her sleazily, eyes filled with lust. When the man spoke mei's beautiful face crumpled with a frown. The man was flying spittle everywhere! If it weren't for her veil some might got inside her mouth. Mei retrieved her hand and wipe it with a cloth.

"I'm sorry sir but as you can see, i'm currently entertaining a client."

She refused with a disatisfied tone and tried to lead her client away from the guy, but she was unsuccesful. The man grabbed her client's shoulder and gripped it roughly.

"I'm one of the people who run this place, if you know what is good for you boy you better SCRAM!"

The man shouted, which scared her client off. Mei watched her client flee in terror. She knew that the guy was a rich coward that's why she preyed on him. She bowed her head down, a shadow covering her face, anger began to radiate of her body. She gave the man in front of her a hard stare.

"Compensate me..."

She softly said, her anger rapidly rising to her boiling point.

"What was it pretty lady? Coming with me now?"

The man laughed disgustingly and reached for mei's arm to drag her to some motel to give her his "Lovin".

"I said compensate me you idiot!"

Mei raised her head eyes burning with fury as her hand flew to punch the man in front of her, momentarily forgetting her composure. It was her chance to have fun but that man ruined it. The man flew a few distance away from her. The man stared at mei in horror as the girl looked at her with a very scary smile as she approached him. He ordered the two goons that came with him to protect him. In her anger mei showed her initiation and began to tumble with the two goons.

Michael continued his journey down the street. He didn’t know what he was looking for. But he knew what he saw. Or more accurately what he ran into. Michael crashed into a woman who was in the middle of a tussle. Quickly he turned so he took the brunt of the fall, landing on his back. The woman, who Michael saw was rather attractive, landed on top of him, his arms wrapped securely around her to make sure she turned so he took the hit. “Well it seems I’ve interrupted. You boys don’t mind if I cut in with your lovely dance partner do I? Are you ok ma’am?”

"Oh no! they are getting away!!!"

Mei exclaimed in panic. It just took a minute for a few second for the man and his goon to flee. Then she remembered that the guy asked her a question and the she is still laying on top of him. Feeling a little indignant at his meddling. Leona bit her lips and pouted a little.

"Look at what you did, you let them get away. How are you going to pay me for my loss?"

Mei asked her tone slightly charming as she gazed at the man below her while placing her hand on his chin and tilted a little so both of their eyes can meet directly. She might have lost her fun earlier but it seems she can use the guy, after all he doesn't look shabby. He radiates the feeling of a military man, which is her third favorite kind of customer after politician and businessman.

“Well I do have many talents. Such as.” Michael turned his head, seeing the men booking it down the street. Letting one of his hands go from his impromptu cuddling partner Michael reached out with his mind. A wooden crate lifted off the ground and flew at the man. It struck him in legs, hard, causing him to flip and land on his face. Another, slightly heavier crate, struck him on the head. “I think I heard something rattling in his pockets. Maybe it’s a few pieces of platinum?”

"hmmm.... it seems so."

She answered with a hum not really trying to get out of her position. At the distance, dust can be seen flying everywhere with tons of man with all kind of appearance yelling and rushing at them. She could fight them but she lost the will to do so cause it was not interesting. So she once again face the man in front of her.

"It seems like your time to act as a hero finally came. Won't you be a dearie and take me away from this place since it will be a hassle to fight them all."

Mei leaned down and brought her mouth to his and whispered the worlds while slightly giggling.

"Unless you want to fight them for me and help clear this lady's troublesome predicament."

“Reinforcements.” Michael groaned. “Why do they always get reinforcements?” Michael sat up, hauling the woman up with him. “You all ruined a very nice moment we were having thank you!” The first man reached them. Michael ducked and tripped him. Then he grabbed his hand cannon and fired two shots into the air, then pointed it at the oncoming assault. The gun was loud and everyone within three blocks heard it. But it did cause everything to come to a stop. Michael leaned down and patted the man on the side, swiping something. “You ok down there buddy? Ok good. Let’s go my lady I believe we over stayed our welcome.” Michael grabbed her hand with his left and took off, not taking his gun off the enemies. “The name is Michael King by the way.”

"Mei smiled and let herself be pulled by the man that introduced himself as Michael King.

"I'm Mei, Just Mei."

She giggled as the both of them ran. The goons that were in shocked because of michael's action woke up and started to pursue the two once more. This is the first time that mei felt like this. She is always being pursued by giving her gifts and attention, right now she was being pursued for a different kind of reason. The feeling excited her.

"We better run faster hero, they are catching up."

She said, while giving a bell chime like laughter as she matched up Michael King's pace.

Deciding it was time to ditch their pursuers Michael kicked over a cabbage cart. Ignoring the cabbage man’s cries Michael pulled Mel down an alley while the gathering of goons dealt with the produce chaos. “My ship is just ahead.” At the end of the alley the Aurora came into view. “We’ll be safe here till the heat dies down and they forget about this.”

"That sounds like a good plan."

Mei replied, the smile on her face never fading as she follow the man towards his ship. The man seemed agreeable though when she scrutinized his appearance. It seems like her eyes didn't fail her. He really is a military man, though she doesn't know why a man like him is in Persephone, just from his body she can see that he has a well honed body. Well it's not her place to pry everybody has their own secrets.

“Here she is. The Aurora. Finest flying ship with attitude in the Verse.” Michael was all smiles as he lowered the cargo ramp. Once it was down he motioned for her to follow him inside. Michael took off his poncho, revealing even more of himself. His shotgun and numerous belts of ammo. To the bullets on his waist to the shells on the bandolier across his chest and the ones on his forearm pieces. Michael, like some of his crew, were combat veterans and well prepared. He gestured for her to take s seat somewhere in the cargo hold. “So Miss Mei. What brings you out to Persephone on this lovely day?”

[Griff]

The fourth time the light flickered a new pair of foot steps sounded in the cargo bay. It may have been Cori and Michael, but something was a bit different. She poked her head into the cargo bay. Michael was there, smiling (preening?) at someone new. Anika looked at the newcomer’s hair, her nails, and her clothing.

A companion, someone of wealth? Flushed, from drinking? Running? Intercourse? Given her profession, the latter more likely. Michael was in a similar state. He usually didn’t take risks, or pursue distractions on a job, however. She raised her eyebrow, and called out. “Have you been busy?” She allowed a sliver of incredulity and humor to enter her tone. Best not to appear too prying.

[Lleona]

"Hmmm well, i was just searching for some company. It's quite lonesome by myself."

Mei smiled as she replied not ruffled by a bit at the marathon like run that they experienced though her clothing was rumpled from what happened earlier. When Michael motioned for her to step inside the ship which she did. She observed the ship looking here and there and finally noticed that michael removed his poncho. She finally saw his whole body and saw that it was decorated with all kinds of weaponry.

"What a nice ship you have here."

She complimented as she touched the well maintained metal of the entrance of the ship.

"What about you Sir Michael. What leads you to try and save this lady with her troublesome predicament? You look quite heroic back there."

Mei laughed a little when she remembered the comical sight earlier. She was sure that those goons were looking for her right now. It seems like she need to find another place again. The problem was not that big but it's irritating to have conflict like those. Is it hard to ask to live her life as a companion in peace?. She unknowingly released a sigh wondering where should she go next.

She hope that her family is not having a hard time. That big shot should have let her family alone cause she was not there anymore. It's to bad that she couldn't send any messages cause it might be trace back to her. As she was thinking a voice sounded from a little further inside the ship. Since it was not referring to her, she remained quiet

[Q]

"Hey, pretty boy!"

Fluke's husky voice rang at the bordello. She expected Qillaero's head to pop out of the window a moment later, but not this time. He was clearly too preoccupied.

"Mh."

She walked on, towards the docks. Though she felt bad knowing he'd take her sudden disappearance hard, it was for the best; where she was going she couldn't bring him along. People had a habit of dying around her and Fluke aimed to keep this one living.

A little while later, the amazonian was strolling past the docked freighters. Save for a Peregrine-class, they were all a little ordinary - probably couldn't make it far. She turned the corner to another segment of the Eavesdown docks and instinctively rested her eyes on a Komodo. Couldn't count the times Fluke and her squad got hot-dropped out of those.

It was either the Komodo or the Peregrine, the more luxurious vessel she spotted earlier. Guessing at a typical Peregrine owner, it was most definitely going the direction she needed to go but she'd rather try the Komodo first and ask where they were heading. Little luck and she wouldn't have to keep up with some pretentious core-worlders.

Fluke walked up to the Komodo-class starship called 'Aurora' and patiently waited in front of the loading bay for someone to come out.

[Nope]

She watched them split. Now what? She felt strongly that the man headed away into the crowd was the captain, and yet she necessarily didnt want to encounter him alone. Better one on one, though, than two on one, right? On the other hand, the woman didn't look any better. Their voices had became lost in the bustle of the street, but something about the way the woman tensed gave Frank an uncomfortable itch. She may have not been as stealthy as she thought.
The familiar weight of the dagger at her hip was but little reassurance. Frank wasnt a fighter. She preferred discussion and information over violence. She had never had to use the weapon. The work she did among the degenerates was too useful to be robbed, or raped, or killed. Since she'd been working for Badger, she'd found the knife to be almost unneeded. He was a snake and a charlatan, yes, but he had a keen sense for business and knew where to place his bets. He took care of his own, as long as they remained useful.
For how long would she be useful?
This is not the life she wanted. This is not what she envisioned as a fresh and shiny new student at the University. The war had changed so many things. The worlds were tarnished by the blood and the anger and the fear. They stank with it, wilted from glorious communities into wastelands. The war had given people like Badger power.
Subconsciously, she'd flexed her fingers toward the knife, but with that last thought, she relaxed them. She would not aid the stains that spread across the galaxy. Her own blood would not salt the earth.
Not today.
Instead, she stepped out of the crowd, into a clearing where she'd be plainly seen. Frank knew she'd been noticed. There was no reason to continue the charade. She waited, eyed fixed on the woman she'd followed.

Standing where Michael had left her Cori paused for a moment while annoyed with the Captain leaving her to deal with their stalker. Glancing up at a window she noticed that the woman had given up what little stealth she had. Not that there had been much, perhaps it would have worked on someone else but the years in the war had given Cori a strong sense of paranoia. Anyone who could sneak up on you could kill you so it was best not to let anyone sneak up on you. She started walking again seeming at first to be heading back to the ship docks until she ducked into a alley. This alley lead into a dead end and really was not anywhere someone might be heading.

Once in the alley she walked to a darkened doorway and stood in the shadows drawing her pistol and holding it at her side as she waited to see if the woman would follow her or if she really had just been picking up on things that weren't there. Often Cori's instincts were right on and she was in danger but there had been just as many times where she had seen shadows following her. This time didn't feel like there was nothing there. This woman was following them she knew it. Now she just had to find out why and deal with it. Without killing anyone as King had said. The plans they had were too important to be found on them if anyone came investigating a dead body.

This was ridiculous. She had used that word so much since the war started. Bleeding, festering wounds were ridiculous, grown men calling out for their mothers was ridiculous. The shear amount of suffering was ridiculous. Her life had become ridiculous. The war made everything terrible.
Instead of confrontation, the woman walked away.
Frankie was on the verge of giving up. Accosting random people for a ride, ship or no, was dangerous. She felt the bulge of Badger's money in her pocket. He paid well, he kept her safe, and he wasnt to bad to look at. She could be doing worse.
A stranger knocked her from behind and she stumbled. The ground rose up to meet her and dust filled her lungs. Quickly, she scrambled to her feet, balling her fists. The person was gone, just some rude busybody without regard for anyone else. Just like every person on these stupid crowded planets.
She shouldnt be here. Not here. Not with ruffians and criminals. She was going to be someone. She was going to make Astair a proper name again, just like her father wanted.
In a flash of emotion, she spit into the dust. Where was father now?
Dead and rotting like countless others.
It was time to leave, whether the decision got her killed or not. It was time to take a risk.

Frankie searched the crowd for a glimpse of her target. She watched the woman taking steps that seemed too deliberate, calculated. So she did know, then.
Dusting the dirt from her clothing, Frank followed. It took some pushing and shoving through the throng of people but she soon began to gain ground.
She opened her mouth to call out, but in that instant the woman disappeared from her sight. Frankie stopped, confused. She surveyed the faces, the clothing, the buildings, searching. A small alley lay in shadow between two storefronts.
Some darker form moved within it before again disappearing from sight. Frankie approached the mouth of the alley but saw no further movement within. She heard nothing.
If she was wrong, she could wind up dead. If she was right....
Frankie put a hand on her dagger and stepped just inside the darkness.
"Hello?!" She called out. "I know you know...um, that I followed you. Probably from Badger's, but Im not-hes not- look, Im not a fighter, okay? Im a scholar." She sighed. She sounded like a git. She took her hand off the knife and held both of them up in surrender. "Im not going to try to fight you or anything. You'd probably kick my ass before I could draw. I was hoping to talk about your ship."

"There is no probably if I wanted to kill you then you would be dead before you knew what hit you. You'd have to ask your maker what the hell happened to you." Cori said, making it clear that option was still on the table as she stepped into the light showing that her pistol was aimed right at Frankie's fore head. The woman was rambling on and Cori could barely make sense of what she was saying. "Scholar huh? Not very bright are you? Following people like me can get you killed. So can associating with people like Badger. What's your business with him?" Cori asked, wondering if Badger had sent this girl along to spy. She wasn't his usual sort of agent but then again Cori and Michael would be able to pick them out in a heart beat. Perhaps a bumbling girl like this one would get past their guard. "Oh and put your hands down you look like an idiot."

Frankie felt her limbs grow cold at the sight of the gun and the woman's harsh words. Every decision she ever made ran through her mind at that moment, and she honestly couldnt think of any other way her life could have turned out. She'd just been doing the best she can with what was left.
"Badger-" She dropped her hands at the snap, but left them visible and away from her knife. "I dont have anything to do with Badger. I mean- I work-worked-for him. Kind of. BUT NOT IN THAT WAY!" She hastily clarified, hoping the unhinged woman wouldnt get the wrong idea. "I just needed work. Im a doctor. It-it was all I could get. I dont want to do work like that-for those people. I just want to go home. I have money. I can pay. Could-could you maybe put the gun down, or away from my face?"

Cori chuckled to herself and twirled the gun around her finger before dropping it in the holster though her hand stay right on the butt ready to draw and she was sure she could draw faster than this woman could get to her knife. The likelihood of this girl working for Badger as a spy was low given how her skin had gone pale at the sight of Cori's gun and her continued stammer. "Doctor eh? Well that's a bit more believable you don't look like the type of girl Badger whores. Tell me though what is a good doctor like you doing in the slums on a rock like this? I thought all you fancy medical type hung out on Ariel."

Frankie blanched at the word 'whore' and felt the heat of embarrassed at the nape of her neck. But the gun was away and she let her muscles loosen. Her shoulders dropped. Her past, or rather her father's, wasnt a secret. It was annoying to admit it but everyone always connected her eventually. There was no point in lying. She already looked bad enough. "My father was Abram Astair so if Im not laughed out of the interview, Im branded as a browncoat." She shrugged. "Gotts eat somehow."

"You say browncoat as if it were a bad thing." Cori said, wondering if Frankie was aware that she was wearing a brown coat. It wasn't a fashion statement as much as it was a statement of rebellion. Most people wouldn't be caught wearing a brown coat even if it wasn't the style of the military. There was a whole industry for dying brown coats another color. Cori however refused to give up the belief she had fought and lost so much for. Just because they lost the war didn't mean they weren't right. So Cori still wore her military jacket.

Abram Astair, she knew that name. Cori had never met the man but she knew who he was. Most rebels knew of the doctor's name. He saved many lives if this girl was his daughter he did enough for the cause for Cori to help her. "The Aurora isn't on a bus route. You go where we go. We don't exactly do requests unless it is to our benefit. Rent is two hundred platinum a week paid in advance. You'll be expected to help out on the ship. Cooking, cleaning, basic stuff. If you cross us I'll space you myself."

Frankie relaxed. She sighed. She was leaving. "Yeah, fine. Whatever." The price was reasonable, she had plenty, in that case, and she had a few things she could sell quickly in the dingy flat she'd been slumming in. Besides that, she had nothing she could not live without. " I have no problem with Browncoats, or rebels....or Alliance, to be honest. Everyone's guts are the same color. I should know, Ive stepped in enough of them." She adjusted the pack slung over her shoulder. "I have a few things to clear up, but if you tell me where the ship is docked, Ill head over once Im finished."

"Get your stuff in order then come to dock A-214, Komodo class ship called the Aurora. If I'm not there tell them Sutton signed off on you." Cori said, holding her hand out for the payment.

Frankie pulled the most recent of Badger's coin from her pocket. She knew it was a shoddy way of payment, the use of it pretty much outlawed. But its what she had on hand, and it could be exchanged for its worth. She weighed the pouch once more in her hand before dropping it into the waiting palm. "Hey, um, thanks. Ill-Ill see you there then."
She backed awkwardly out of the alley, not turning her back on Cori until she was well in the light.

[Dnafein]

Michelangelo shifted in his chair finding a more comfortable position; His feet rested on a powered down panel, next the remains of the Huevos Rancheros and Spanish there. Mikey made them on approach, before he needed to land the ship. His fingers plucked the strings of the guitar across his lap, filling the bridge with music. (https://youtu.be/qUNM5SVOJ5Q) The pilot played the first song his grandfather had taught him, one that was passed down from one generation to the next.

The pilot's eyes flickered to the indicator for the cargo bay door the first time it flickered. Thats Cori and Other Mike leaving Mikey thought to himself, his fingers dancing across the strings. The pilot closed his eyes and focused on the music, losing himself; It was almost like flying, and like flying things became simple to the pilot.

His mind drifted, even as his fingers did not. The music flowed and Michelangelo squirreled away the indicators that flashed as the ships mechanic took things offline to fix or to make adjustments. The pilot had yet to crack the shell around that one, her abilities would make for some truly memorable pranks.

His fingers stilled for a heartbeat, not enough to disrupt the song. Just enough for him to notice, and resume. His thoughts turning to his crewmates, trying to decide what he should pull next. And who he should pull it on.

Cori was off limits; The last time he pulled one over on her she threatened his guitar. Those words would normally lead to a fight, and following through on them would cause a duel to the death. Michelangelo had no desire to end his life however and so the surly woman was off limits.

The mechanic never reacted the way he expected. Sometimes she'd get furious over some tiny piece of the setup, and others she'd be covered in feathers and grease and saying thank you. The last mechanic he used that prank on slugged Michelangelo before throwing him off the ship.

The doc was almost as odd as Junk. The way the elder crew member just looked at Mikey could just alter his plans. Michelangelo found more than one prank fail spectacularly because he made a change; All because of that stare.

That back; the cargo bay door indicator lit again, the captain was back. And with a smile Michelangelo shifted into a quick dramatic strum. His feet hit the floor and the pilot stood, leaning the guitar against a bulkhead he left the cockpit. Mikey made his way to the kitchen, there was more Huevos down there.

[Ushima]

Michael chuckled. "I felt bad that I interrupted the beat down you were giving those guys. Which was marvelous by the way." Now that they were done running from the goon squad he had time to observe his new guest. She was quite beautiful. Long raven dark hair, flawless skin, heart shaped face and stunning eyes. Her voice was rather lovely to listen to as well. "But I'm no hero. Far from it actually." No, he's lied, cheated, stole and killed too many to ever truly be called a hero. Maybe to some. Those he's helped. Those who's lives he managed to improve marginally by delivering stolen supplies or eliminating threats on the outer rim. Even fending off the odd Reaver attack here and there. But did the good truly outweigh the bad? He didn't know but it was a discussion for another day. "But I guess if you want to call me something that's not the worst thing you can use. Been called all sorts of things."

A new voice entered their conversation. “Have you been busy?” Standing before them was an older Indian woman.

The captain faced the newcomer, giving her a smile, happy to see her. "Ah Anika. We got a job. And this is Mei. I sorta kinda ruined a smackdown she was laying on some fools. Lady Mei this is Anika. She's our doctor on board. Finest hands in the Verse. Can't count the number of times she's dug metal outta my sides." The proximity alarm beeped, someone was outside. "Excuse me. I'll give you a tour in a second Mei." Approaching the door control panel Michael hit the button to lower the ramp. Michael came face to face with a tough looking woman at the bottom of the ramp. Her face was set in a scowl. "Aw what's that look for? I haven't done anything yet." Michael crossed his arms, shaking his head. "Guess I'll get straight to it. I'm Michael King, the captain of this ship. How may I, and possibly my crew, be of assistance Miss?"

[Lleona]

Mei nodded and sent her greetings to the indian woman with a soft smile. It seemed like things are happening on the ship. Since things are about to get busy mei moved out of the way or at least tried to find a place near her where she can't bother the other people on the ship. She was wondering about what was happening but she would ask question later.

So her eyes wandered around the ship once more. Admiring the interior that her eyes can see, when she was done her eyes looked forward to the ships entrance wondering who is the other person that came. Mei touched the pipe and fan that was hanging on her hips wanting to take a little smoke, but it would felt rude if she did so she just refrained and just quietly stood there humming a little as she wait for the next happening and just decided to think about the person she met and the person that was introduced to her. For her king really seemed like a good guy, though she can feel that the guy think he is not base on his comment about the hero. But for her good and bad is not based from their action, but the interest as long there is no conflict of interest with her then it's considered good.

For Anika, she seemed to be a mysterious person. She looked almost looked like an innocent villager, but for the thing's she experienced so far added the time she worked as a companion, the more innocent they seem the more danger they held. But she is in no place to judge. So far the people she met from this ship seems pretty likable. But it's not like she could stay here, it was just coincidence that michael helped her. So maybe after he dealt with all the things he needed, mei might be able to get off.

hah....

She inwardly sighed she was a little bit jealous. Since they are all travelling with each other, while she needs to escape to some place later. What a pity. It might be great if she could join the crew of this ship. But that decision lies on the captain if he would invite her. It would be bad for a companion to show interest before the other.

[Q]

The bulky amazon was yawning a bit while she sat on some crates unloaded by the next ship. Poor Qillaero. She hoped she'd see him again, though not too soon. Her hand patted the dufflebag beside her. It wasn't very full. She could feel the outline of her high-grade battle rifle creating its shape. The gun might've been made before the war, but this was in a time when Alliance had funds to spare. Their successors were of lesser quality and lacked a build-in scope.

The feint clanks from the Aurora's hatch hinted there was someone coming. Fluke's head turned at King while she spat out her toothpick.

"Aw what's that look for? I haven't done anything yet." Michael crossed his arms, shaking his head. "Guess I'll get straight to it. I'm Michael King, the captain of this ship. How may I, and possibly my crew, be of assistance Miss?"

She took a brief moment to stare him down before she spoke. A husky and strong voice responded, tinted with an accent of New Zealand or something in the likes.

"Need to get some place."

She tilted her head a bit. This guy wasn't a browncoat. Judging by his posture, this career soldier would've known her by her feats if he was. She nudged her head upwards to the Komodo, a beacon of browncoat freedom.

"She's steady, cap'n. Quite the prize."

After giving King some time to splendor about his ship, she cut to the chase.

"Which way you flying, boy?"

[Nope]

Francis worked her way back toward where Badger kept his headquarters. The small flat in the dingy, rundown building was all she could afford on the meager existence she allowed herself while saving for a flight and a chance. There was a reason Badger chose this area for his offices. It was ripe with desperation. Easy pickings.
She stood at the door step, and gave the street a glance. There was never a moment here, that didnt involve someone that reported to the crime lord, or someone who would love a chance to. What would he say if he knew she was skipping out? He didnt own her, right? She just took his money sometimes...a lot of times.....all the time.
Seeing no one she recognized, she hastened through the door and up the stairs.

The place was sparse, but as clean as it could be. A small cot filled one corner, a quilt made by a village woman as payment to her father was all she had kept to ward away the chill. She lifted the corner of the blanket, feeling its rough seams between her fingers. It felt more like a hundred years than just over decade. She remembered the incident like a film she'd watched over and over in her mind.
The elderly woman was ill, as she always was at her age. And this time, there was little that could be done. But her father stayed by the woman's side, day and night. He treated her pain. He assisted in her washing and relieving needs. Francis had come when she could, cleaning and cooking, reading to her. And so, to occupy her still vibrant mind while her body failed, the old woman kept the little needle in her frail fingers and sewed.
A winter was coming, frost sparkling on the wind. It was then the blanket was finished and she'd placed a hand over the page Frankie was reading, gaining the girl's attention. Frank looked up from the book, to see the woman's eyes shiny dully.
"I made this for you dear." She rasped, patting the folded quilt. "My whole life is in this blanket." She pointed to a square, "This is a scrap from the dress I wore at my wedding. And this is a corner of a blanket I had made for my first born. But he was born still, like all the others. It never held a babe." A tear shimmered on her lashes, "At least not one of mine." The skeletal hand moved to take Frankie's. The girl felt the cold under her skin. "I wont live forever, not even through this night."
"Dont say that-" Frankie started, but the old woman waved away her comment.
"Theres an end to all things. Some sooner than others. Ive lived longer than any of my children, longer than my husband and anyone I have ever loved. I have no shame in this ending. It is a good one. One that you should hope for."
A cough shook the woman's body and Francis took the newly finished quilt and spread it over the others. She then went to the woodstove and added another log. She looked anxiously out the window for her father, but he had yet to return. He'd gone home to shave and bathe, leaving Frankie to tend to the woman.
Frank returned to the bedside.
The woman had lain back into her pillows, eyes closed. "Finish reading, dear, you have a good voice for stories."
Frankie nodded, opened the old fabric cover to where they'd paused and continued. She sunk into the words, watching the images they made in her head as she read. The fire burned in the woodstove, warming the small cabin.

By the time she finished, the woman's prediction had come true. Frankie closed the book. She tucked the woman in nicely, and cried until her father returned. He'd scooped her up and whispered into her hair, "It doesnt get any easier. Not in one year or a hundred."

Her father had carefully taken the quilt from the woman's body and folded it neatly, he pressed it into his daughter's hands. "All we can do now, is remember."

Francis wiped tears from her cheeks. She gathered up the quilt and shoved it deep within her satchel. Her father was gone, but he didnt have the ending worth hoping for. She wondered if he regretted the actions that lead to his death.
No. He would not have. And neither should she.
To some, Abram had redeemed his name, to others he was a traitor. But she knew the truth. He was an angel among men.

She packed a few changes of clothes, a small book of pictures and paper clippings, what textbooks she had left from the University and put on necklace given to her by a dying soldier in one of the many military hospitals. It was a small silver star, and his name had been Matthias Dirk, from Shadow. She would remember.

Francis gathered up what she had that was worth any credits, other jewelry, books, a second knife, a glass jar of unopened whisky and took it all down to the shop on the corner.
The keeper looked over her wares with a critical eye. She took notice of his tight lipped grimace and knew she'd be cheated.
"Twenty platinum." He sniped.
"Twenty?! That bottle is worth fifty on its own!"
"Twenty."
"Forty."
"Twenty."
"Thats unopened! That whiskey manufacturer doesnt even exist anymore!"
"Twenty."
Frankie took the bottle from the table with a swipe, "Fine. But you dont get the whiskey, you...stupid little man." She dropped the bottle in her bag and held out a hand for the payment. Slightly amused, the keeper dropped it on the counter. Francis' eyes narrowed. She picked it all up and tucked it away before spinning on her heel.

The shop door was a struggled to swing back open, but she got out onto the street with at least some dignity.
Unfortunately, whatever confidence she had had quickly dissipated. Badger stood across the street, flanked by two goons, whose faces only made Badger's looked better. So, she supposed, theres more than one reason to keep them around.
There would be no other reason for him to be standing exactly there, looking exactly here if he didnt already know. she sighed and crossed the street to him. There would be no point in running. The street was full of them.

"Ei there, love. Whats all this I hear then? Taking a trip?" A hand rimmed with dirty nails caressed the tip of her hair. She allowed it.
"Er...yeah, actually."
"Shame. I thought we were getting along so well, you and I. Do you not like my company? You know, that might hurt my feelings."
"Badger-" Francis refused to look at his hired hands and conscripted to talk to him only. "I-" She sighed. She dropped the bag to her feet and dug around for the whiskey. Her strict no drinking policy had worked out. The pressed it into his hands and swung the bag back onto her shoulder. "For the pain of my absence."
Badger studied the bottle. He adjusted the bowler on his head and nodded. "Until we meet again, then."
Francis nodded and moved to turn away, but the man grabbed her arm, turning her back toward him, "And we will meet again."

She pulled her arm out of his grip and walked away.
She knew he'd watch, so for her sake, as well as the crew of the ship she was boarding, she wound through the streets, taking her time here and there at stalls and store fronts.
She purchased a dripping honey cake and was licking the last of it from her fingers when she came in sight of the ship and the people standing around it.

The man she'd seen earlier was talking to another, this one the same form of intimidating as the others she'd met. She hesitated a moment before approaching. It was now or never, there was no way she was crawling back to Badger now.
Wiping the saliva and honey on her shirt front, she walked up to the two and waited until the burly woman stopped speaking before interjecting.
"Hi, uh, Sutton approved me. Or was it signed off? Approved?" She was rambling. "Right. Anyway. Yeah. Im Francis."

[Griff]

Anika shrugged at the captain’s answer, and smirked at his “finest hands in the verse” comment. She was going to speak again, but stopped herself when the cargo bay door opened again. Two more people. Soldier types, by the look of it. Great.

“I’ll be in my medbay.” She said to no one in particular, before walking back to her room. She went up to the communication system and set the destination to the cockpit, the kitchen, and the engine room, so it could be heard by Jun as well. “Michelangelo, expect guests. About three of them,” she hoped her accent didn’t sound too stern, but Anika knew it was hopeless to assume it didn’t, “A companion and two soldiers, or mercenaries. I wouldn’t try anything.”

Her joints ached again. Something was on the horizon. Anika made a mental note to check the stock of her medical supplies soon.

[Heson Shadowbane]

Out behind the ship was a bit of a ruckus, Junk having dove in and out of the cargo bay while no one was around to work on the ship's propulsion with some parts she grabbed. There were two boxes of parts in the bay, one labeled Junk's and the other crew. While part of the crew's wages went to the upkeep of the ship, Junk tended to spend most of her plat on parts herself. She was working with the parts she got out of her container, half sticking out of the port of the system as she fixed cables and replaced some tubing while making sure all the bolts were still firmly secure.

She smiled and petted the system. "I thought you'd like the tune up. Thank you for being patient with me..." She'd slip out of it with a wiggle, her hands, face, and overalls streaked with grease and oil. There were a few things upon the ship itself that could use some checking up on, but she wanted to make sure the outside was finished before they left port again. She started to make her way towards the ship's ramp and just froze. When did all these people get here? So many different faces.... She could already feel the trembling in her bones, the gaze that would turn to her.

So she just did the first thing she could in her panicked mind, run past them onto the ship. She kept her head low so she wouldn't make eye contact with any of them, cradling her tool kit that clanked with the tools inside. She wanted to go back to her engine room to hide, but she forced herself to head to the bathroom to at least wash the oil and grease off her hands and face.

[AngelDellaNotte]

Leaving Frankie she headed to the market deciding to stop by Xao Liang a local merchant that the crew often bought supplies from. His shop wasn't far from the alley she had been in. She found the man standing in his stall (https://i.pinimg.com/564x/f0/cc/65/f0cc6555bf98a9cdb6421d9e74884e01.jpg) talking with several teenage boys who worked for him. At the sight of her Liang sent the two boys away on errands. “Cori Sutton, heard Aurora was in port. You place order?” Liang said in broken English, shaking Cori's hand and bowing to her.

Cori returned the gesture, “Yeah, the usual for the ship but I would like to make an adjustment to my order.”

“Supplies at warehouse. Order won't be ready till tomorrow.” Liang said, moving behind the counter and pulling out a box and setting it before Cori. He opened it showing a variety pill bottles and medical supplies. “What you looking for?”

“I'll take three bottles of Hydrozapam, and a injector with three vials.” Cori said, seeing that he had what she wanted. Hydrozapam was a high level pain killer that could either be taken in pill format or as an injectble. It was even more potent when injected and some used it as a street drug to get high.

Liang removed the medications from the box and dropped them into a small bag, “You need gun too?” He said, lifting the tray out an removing a air jet injector, when Cori nodded he dropped the gun into the bag as well. “Regular rate for the ship supplies. Double your usual order.”

Cori let out a low growl the price was a fair one that was why she liked shopping with Liang but it was getting a little pricey to control the pain. Her body was building up a tolerance to the drugs. She dropped a couple bars of platinum on the counter along with the bag Frankie had given her before taking the bag and thanking Liang. She walked back to the docks stopping in the alley she had confronted Frankie in and sitting on the steps. She took the injector gun and loaded a dose pressing it against her neck and shooting it, the injection left a small red circle on the left side of her neck. The medicine worked quick and she could feel herself floating as the pain faded a bit. She sat on the steps for a while before getting up and walking back to the ship. Outside she saw a group of people standing there and caught what Frankie had just said. “Never seen her before.” Cori said, walking past them to the cargo bay but stopped and turned expecting to see Frankie freaking out. She walked over to her and clapped her on the shoulder, “I'm just screwing with ya. She's good to go.”

Looking to the others she spotted a woman who had the look of a companion to her. The grace and beauty that she carried herself with. It looked like Michael had found a companion for them to used to get close to Sihnon. She wasn't sure if Michael had talked her about the job yet and there was another stranger there so Cori didn't say anything. “Welcome to the Aurora, Cori Sutton the first mate.” Cori said, holding her hand out for Mei to shake. Then she turned to the other stranger and instantly recognized her. “Fluke, son of a bitch.” Cori said, balling her fist and throwing a punch at the soldier.

[Lleona]

Mei was able to see the person that michael king was talking to. The person seemed to be a woman with a bulky figure. She has a short black hair which was cut with a pixie style. The woman looked like she has a permanent frown on her face. Mei can feel dangerous vibe seeping out of her, but it's not out of bad intention it's more like an aura collected and hone in the battlefield, kinda like what michael king has. Though man's aura feels like a sheathed blade about to strike while the woman was like a blade already drawn out waiting to cut your head.

The second woman, was the person behind the toughish woman. The woman seemed to be near her age and stand's at 5'4 she seemed to have short red shopped hair and what look like to be emeraldish green eyes. The woman has an aura of a refined scholar and eye's that radiate intellect and curiosity, it's a pity that she is here in Persephone mei feel's like the woman is more suited in universities and colleges at the core.

The third woman that came has the same aura as the first woman. If the first woman has a fiery like temper this woman seemed to be the completer opposite. Her aura feels like an 1000 years old ice on top of the highest mountain, a sharp dagger closely held to your neck. Luckily all these woman radiates the feeling of sanity although the third one seemed to be holding on to it by a tiny thread. But oh well sane is sane as long they don't cause unnecessary fights.

When she was done observing the three, another woman run past her very quickly. She seemed to be like a mouse scurrying on her feet but mei found her adorable. It's rare to see that kid of people nowadays. Majority of the population, are scum, politician's and business man, jaded people, traumatized people and two peopled faces.

The third woman approached her and offered her hand for a shake towards her while introducing herself as cori sutton.

"I'm Mei nice to meet you Cori sutton."

Mei introduced herself rolling cori's name off her tongue, giving the woman a charming smile as she shaked her hand. After that she saw cori turned to the first woman, which she now knows was called fluke, with fist balled into a ready punch. Seeing the action Mei giggled since it was very unusual to greet a person like that. From what she learned about this people so far is that they don't seem to follow the usualness of the things in this world. Which for her is very interesting and entertaining.

[Ushima]

Michael watched the exchange at the bottom of the stairs with interest. Normally whenever he met someone Cori knew they tried shooting at her, and at him for being associated with her. He really needed to start making himself disappear whenever someone recognizes her instead of standing around next to her. While people were mingling at the bottom of the ramp Junk was sneaking back onto the ship. Michael gave their shy mechanic a nod as she brushed past him. Like him she had powers of her own, she could talk to the ship. It was a unique bunch they had on the ship. "So you two know each other? And you're not trying to kill each other?" Michael chuckled as he walked down the ramp a bit. "Well any friend of Cori that isn't out for her head is more than welcome." Then Michael turned to the other woman. "And Francis yes please come aboard." He ushered them inside, leaving the ramp down to let in some natural lighting. "Welcome to the Aurora." They were standing in the middle of the cargo bay. Currently we're preparing for a trip to Sihnon, that's where the work is taking us. If you have a specific destination you need we'll hit it afterwards. There are some rules for you passengers. We are not a pleasure crew. Which means you'll be asked to help out if need be. And, if the need arises, fight. Now we'll be sticking around for a day or two to gather supplies so use that time wisely." Michael finished his speech to the new comers and rejoined Mei. "So they are probably still looking for you. Might I suggest staying for lunch? More than likely call off the search after."

[Nope]

Frankie had gaped when Cori had claimed not to know her. Her mouth had fallen open, absent of words. She felt heat the heat of frustration just before the woman clapped her on the shoulder, the strength of it almost making her buckle. But with it came relief. She was still leaving.
Frank didnt have much experience with jests. Most jokes made in her presence were not really meant for her own laughter, rather the laughter of others. She'd been made the punchline. Again.

The Captain ushered them inside, and Frankie entered with her head bowed, trying to fade into the cargo. The ship was not as nice as the one that had transported her from Muir to Osiris. That one had been almost regal. Nor was it like the Alliance ship that has dumped her here from her last shift at a military hospital. This one looked well maintained, if clunky and smelled....well not any worse than Badger, she had to admit.

The Captain didnt ask anything of her that Cori hadnt already mentioned. Helping out, rules, all fine. What made her stop short and pay attention was his mention of fighting.
She snorted softly. They'd all be severely disappointed if they expected her to fight. The nearest to swinging a fist she'd ever done is waving to her mother. She'd never even held a gun. She'd avoided it successfully. She went an entire war without touching a firearm, or harming another person unjustly.
She thought that was commendable.
Something made her assume her present company would not.
She found herself studying the hydraulic brace Sutton wore. She wished she had the equipment to look into it further. To really get in there and see the affected nerves, the muscular degeneration...she shook the thought from her head. She felt as if even approaching the subject would be a rabbit hole. Keep to yourself. Just as you always have. The world was full of hard nosed criminals, all worse off than the last.
The way she saw it, everyone has a choice. They could let the things that happened ruin them and therefore they ruin others. OR they could learn from it all and help make the future better.
She was saddened and annoyed by those that chose the former, but in the end, she never blamed them. Some days, she didnt know how she went another day after the suffering she'd seen. She didnt think she would have had the strength to hold it together had she been in place to actually pull the trigger. That sort of trauma isnt healed and cant be ignored.
And in that moment, she felt sorry for them. All of them. Everyone who walked the streets with a grimace and a gun. And that included the people on this ship. She sighed. She missed home.
Now all she needed was her room and her books. And maybe sometime this year, she'd make it there.

[Q]

Mid-way into Fluke's conversation with the captain, her words got interrupted by a fist mashing into her cheek.

"Argh! Blasted!"

She spat out some blood, gritted her teeth and looked at her assailant. A devious smile appeared - a rare sight on Fluke, even if the rest of the crew didn't know her yet.

"Suttoooon!"

She responded with a low tackle around the belt and enthusiastically returned the favor of face-punching. Someone perceptive could see Fluke's hesitant muscle movement; for instance, she used her fist to punch instead of her instinctive elbow-smash. It was getting obvious this was their way of greeting eachother, though rough-and-tumble.

"A-aaah, you dirty...!"

After Cori regained the upper hand and was shoving the palm of her hand where Fluke's bulletwounds had been, Fluke kicked her off with her metallic foot. She stood up, looking even worse for wear than she was before. Fluke gave Cori a half-assed salute.

"Nice coat, Corporal. I bet you're not as bored as last time I saw you."

-- --

When she was done shuffling around with her sister-in-arms, she picked up some pieces of the captain's speech. Two more days on Persephian soil and heading for Sihnon. The destination was perfect - it was right were she needed to go. Another night on Persephone however, slightly worrisome. It was likely Qillaero would come looking and the Komodo-class was her obvious first choice. Next to a Firefly, of course.

Still, she couldn't have asked for better transport. The crew looked nice and it was good to see Cori again. If she wasn't so burdened with winning the lost war, this could have a good time to recuperate. Alas, taking a rest wasn't in Fluke's mind. She was destined to suffer because of superfluous worries.

The captain only seemed like a real naive-looking alliance-vibes core-worlder. It didn't bother her directly, it's just peculiar that Sutton, of all browncoats, would team up with this clown. Hmm. It would be hard not to pry. Fluke was on a mission, though. She'd best keep her focus on the job, it was risky enough as it is.

[Lleona]

Mei's heart skipped a beat when she heard the word sihnon. It was here home, her family was still there. It was once her territory but that changed when she need to flee. She felt a little down cast at the though of her home. How may years has it been sine she left her home. Just hearing about it brings her nostalgia and homesickness. The feeling of wanted visit her family in sihnon bloomed, but she crushed it immediately as it rose. She doesn't want to bring any trouble to them.

While lost in her thought she still payed attention to the person called fluke and tori. It was entertaining to watch them threw a punch at it others unfortunately for her if she saw colleagues from her past, what the will be throwing were not their fist but honey coated words hidden with dagger. Companion's can sometimes be petty, they are so used in being loved and pleased that they can't get used of having some one more loved than they are. Most of the companion that she knew were narcissistic, unfortunately for her. She also developed some of that narcissistic tendencies because of her line of work. Snapping out from her thoughts. She saw King comes closer and offered her to stay for lunch.

"Thank you Sir Michael, it is pleasure to join you and your companions for lunch."

Mei's face bloomed with a smile and slightly bowed her head to michael king's way making some strand of black hair cover the side of her face. Bowing is the way that companion's show their gratitude other than lip service. Mei raised her hand and gathered the fallen strands then tucking it at the back of her ears.

"Would it be too much to request Sir Michael for a tour around your ship before lunch comes around?"

[Ushima]

“I’d love too. Besides,” Michael reaches into his pocket and pulled out a tiny sack of platinum, tossing it up and down a few times to make it make noise. “How else are you gonna get that goon’s coin” Smiling Michael turned to Cori. “Cor you handle the nickel and dime tour for the pax. I’m headed to the galley. Once everything is settled and I’ve set lunch out for our guests we’re having a team meeting to discuss details. Lady Mei if you want to get paid follow me please.” Giving her a wink he turned to lead her into the ship.

Mei giggled and follow Michael King. What a sly man he is, mirth filled her eyes at the man's action. It's quite unfortunate that she won't be touring with the other people, but this is fine the way it is. Never did she expect that she would be able to recoup her losses.” Hmmm So Sir Michael. What bring's you the idea of having your own ship?" Mei asked, trying to have an idle talk as they walk. She caught up to Michael king and tried to matched his pace while curiously looking around.

“Well to answer your question after the war I was a bit down on my luck. Family disowned me. Nearly all my contacts on the core worlds ran dry save for a few really really old friends.” Michael was giving her the slightly above nickel and dime tour. Guest quarters this way, Medical bay down here and so on. “I was a mercenary for awhile. Doing he jobs no one could be bothered to do. Until I won the Aurora here in a card game. Changed my life.” They Karen it to the kitchen and Michael pulled out a chair for Mei before opening the cabinets. “We don’t have a dedicated cook so we take turns. But what about you? What’s a lovely lady like yourself doing out this far? No husband looking for ya?

"Hahahah! Ah Husband? With my line of work sticking to only one lover is a big no no!" Mei brought her hand to cover her mouth and looked sideways while releasing bell chimes like laughter and giggles. She became a little bit teary from trying to hold those giggles from escaping. Mei took a deep breath and calmed herself down. "I'm sorry about that. Making you see a foolish scene of my self." She coughed a little to hide the embarrassment rising up. Her cheeks dusted with red tints from the earlier episode and also because of her embarrassment. “I don't know if you have guessed or noticed, But i work as a companion at the Persephone's Companion Guild." She added before sitting down at the chair offered.

Michael nearly dropped the lunch meat. He was making an assortment of sandwiches for everyone. “Wait you’re a companion? Like legit papers and everything?”

"Yes. I've been raised as one since i was five." Smiling lightly as she placed her arms on the table and lazily leaning her head on her hand like a cat as her charming eyes followed Michael King.

“What a coincidence.” Michael was all smiles as he set what he was holding down on the counter. “I’ve been looking for a companion to join our merry band of adventurers. And today I literally run into one.” Approaching the table Michael pulled out the chair across from her and sat down. “Mei, if I were to be so bold and ask this, would you be our companion? I know we don’t look like much and I’ll understand if you say no. I won’t take offense.”

Mei momentarily froze for a second before composing herself once more. She weighed the pros and cons on her mind. Since she was about to leave Persephone, she might as well join Michael king and his friend on their travel and from what she heard earlier they are heading towards Sihnon which is definitely a plus for her. She might not be able to visit her home directly but at least she will receive first class information from her family, she can also pay a visit to her mentor at the Sihnon's companion guild. "I will gladly take that offer. It will be a pleasure working for you, Captain." Mei replied while offering her free hand towards her new captain Michael King.

“Excellent. Then my lady I think we have an arrangement.” Michael took her extended hand and shook it before bringing it to his lips, kissing the backside of her hand. “I’ll announce you during our crew meeting, make you official.”

[Heson Shadowbane]

Junk looked at herself in the mirror, most of the black oil having gotten washed off and to be filtered through the ship's system. She'd be getting dirty again sooner or later, but it was always nice to feel clean. She exited the bathroom, glancing around to see if there was anyone around before scampering off to the engine room. It was time to go grab parts for maintenance aboard the ship itself, get proper parts to fix up things she cobbled a fix together for while they were between ports. She grabbed the list of expected parts she'd need with expected prices along with her own personal money stash.

List in hand, Junk left the engine room and closed her eyes to listen to the ship, whispering a question as she laid a hand upon the wall. After a few moments she would give a nod and head towards the galley. The ship told her the captain was there and she needed to get her ship shopping list approved with some of the ship's coin to get it. she spotted him making some sammiches, her tummy giving a grumble to remind her she had only a protein bar today, and almost froze when she saw someone new upon the ship.

She stared at her for a bit before giving her a timid wave. "Hn... Hi.... Captain?" And like that sure turned her attention away from her, holding the list to the captain. "P-Parts list. J-just... Approval to use ship funds for some of the.... Important things?" She tried to not stumble to much over her words, but speaking with actual people was hard for her. She couldn't feel them as well as she did machines.

[Dnafein]

Michelangelo had just finished reloading his plate when the docs words came over the galley's intercom. He tapped the fork to the side of his goggles in salute and shifted the remaining egg and rice meal slightly to one side incase someone wanted to cook something new. The pil8t did a quick calculation and nodded, he figured there was at least four plates left.

Slipping out of the kitchen he made his way through the ship, somehow managing to miss the path the captain took. The youth came to a rest overlooking the ship's hold. Leaning on a railing to eat, Mikey studied the two newcomers below.

The darker of the two was obviously one of the soldier types Anika mentioned. Between the vaguely stiff way she held herself, and the visible battle scars it was pretty apparent she wasn't the companion. The pilot decided he'd have to be careful studying her, though he could always hide behind Cori in the worst case scenario.

Scooping up a fork full of rice, eggs and salsa fresca Michelangelo turned his attention to the red head; And for the first time since meeting her thought the doc had made a mistake. There was no way this one was a companion, not with those baggy clothes. And she hardly looked like the mercenary type, between her lack of weaponry and vaguely nervous shifting. Honestly Michelangelo thought she looked vaguely nerdish.

He leaned against the railing and ate watching those below. He noted the absence of the doctor's companion and the captain, and wondered briefly if the captain had bought time; Before quickly dismissing it, if nothing else Cori would have killed Michael before the plat hit the companions hand. Anyway the ship always seemed to come first to Captain King, which was fine by Michelangelo. A finely tuned and cared for ship flew better.

[Griff]

Anika wandered out of the medbay and down the hallway, tired of being a hermit. She ought to speak with at least one of the new people on the ship, lest she get shot at later by one of the passengers for being an intruder. Stepping carefully down the hallway, she heard bits and pieces of conversation from the kitchen. Michael seemed to be offering the companion a position on our ship. Odd of him to offer it up so quickly, especially without a decent background check, but Anika supposed that men tended to let their common sense leave them around a beautiful woman. She knew that firsthand, from her younger years.

As she stepped into the kitchen, still careful to avoid making too loud of a sound, she watched as Jun handed her supply list to the captain. Anika made a mental note to readjust her list as well, an additional 3 passengers might put a bit of strain on her supply. Lovely.

“Good afternoon,” she called out, “it’s good to see new faces. Who else is expected to join us on this journey?”

[Lleona]

Mei's eyes filled with laughter at Michale King's response. She expected for the other to shake her hand to seal the deal, but it seems like the captain has other ideas in mind and took her hand to his lips and kissed it. What a very charming guy. Then a woman walked inside skittishly handling what seemed like a list to the captains. On her hip's mei saw different kind of tools, therefor she deduced that she might be a mechanic or something like that. She remembered that she was the woman that flashed by like a mouse earlier. She look and seems adorable which gave mei a very good first impression.

Then a second person came by. She also met this person at the entrance earlier, though she didn't have any conversation with this person.

She waved her hand to the both of them, with a small charming smile on her face, acknowledging their presence. Since they are also part of the crew it would be wise for her if she try to create connections and get along with them which she is glad to do so since getting along with people was in line with her job.

[Ushima]

Michael was surprised to see Junk, Normally their mechanic kept her head buried somewhere within the bowels of the ship, always taking something apart or putting something together. And he'd be the first to admit that without her he'd be a lot broker. Junk's skills kept them from having to spend excessive platinum on parts, allowing him to get the most out of the ship and not be left drifting in the black. "Lets see what we've got." Michael flipped through the list. "Hmm everything looks good to me here." Quickly he signed off on the list. "Ugh paperwork. Reminds me of the army. Spent more time filing reports than actual combat." Once he was done he passed the list back to Junk. "We're in port a few days so get what you can if not the rest can wait. We are also having a meeting soon once Cori gets done giving the passengers the tour. It's why I prepared lunch help yourself. Also since you're here allow me to introduce the lovely Miss Mei. She's our new companion. Mei this is Junk. She keeps the Aurora's heart beating. We'd be lost without her."

[AngelDellaNotte]

The Hydrozapam made it so Cori barely felt the beating that Fluke gave her and allowed her to give her just as good as one back. Their exchange must have looked strange to the others, the Captain didn't seem all that phased by it. Then again outbursts like this weren't uncommon for Cori. She spit out some blood as well, it landing right between Frankie's feet. “You'd look good in one too but then again if the Lt. couldn't get you in one I sure as hell ain't going to be able to. Hell I'd just be happy if you took a shower.” Cori said, slapping Fluke on that back pretty hard but in a friendly manner. She turned to King glaring at him for giving her the task of showing the passengers around the ship. Usually King or one of the other crewmen gave the tour, being as Cori wasn't the most friendly tour guide. “Fine, right this way.” Cori said, walking up the ramp not bothering to see who followed her. “As you've probably already figured out this is the cargo bay, unless you are a complete moron, then allow me to tell you it is a cargo bay. We stuff our crap here, food, supplies other goods that no you may not ask about. You have free reign of the cargo bay provided we don't have a job, then there is a pretty good chance it will be off limits. You'll know that the cargo bay is off limits by the door being locked.”

She walked over to a set of stairs limping up the stairs taking them one at a time. There was a time given her height that she would take stairs two at a time. Now she was lucky to even be able to climb them. It had taken months of therapy to be able to do it. Still she continued up not checking to see if the others followed. She stopped through a door at the top of the landing. It was a long hallway with two sets of stairs on either side in the middle, one leading up the other down. There were four rooms on each side of the hallway. “This is the living quarters each of you get a room. Feel free to take any room that doesn't have a label on the door.” Cori said, walking toward the stairs stopping at a door that had a piece of tape over the name plate, 'Yao Nu' was written on the tape. Cori swore under her breath and ripped the tape off. “Damn kid.” She said, crumpling up the tape wondering how long it had been on her door.

“These stairs leading down go to the engine room. There are no restrictions in the engine room however our mechanic Jun is easily spooked and has a mean throwing arm. Her projectile of choice is a wrench. You get hit by one of them don't come crying to me. Up these stairs is the galley and medical bay.” Cori said, making her way up the stairs and stopping at the landing again as she pointed out the two rooms. “If by chance you get hit with one of those wrenches our medic Anika will patch you up. Oh and please clean up any blood trails you leave.”

She pointed over to another set of stairs leading up, “These lead to the cockpit which is off limits to all passengers. I don't care what Mikey says you can't go up there.” Cori said, “Mikey by the way is our pilot, punk of a kid with bright red hair, can't miss him. Anyway that's it tour's over.” She walked past King, Mei and Jun grabbing a beer from the fridge as she dropped down on one of the sofa's in the galley.

[Q]

"Ah, please. The LT was a tosser!"

While Cori's tour went on, Fluke self-consciously sniffed under her armpits. "Nah..." And ruled out the option that she was actually smelling as bad as she was. After all, she didn't smell anything out of the ordinary.

After the tour, Fluke threw her duffle bag on the bed in the bunk closest to the cargo bay. It was unsure whether she'd been accepted aboard and what she'd pay, but she could always work something out with Sutton. At least they were flying in the right direction. Fluke picked up the crumpled piece of tape off the floor. 'Yao Nu', it said. Hmm. Her mandarin wasn't good enough, but she's sure it said something about 'woman'. She placed the piece of tape on her bunk door, unbeknownst of the irony.

Once in her bunk, she unpacked her partly-disassembled rifle and placed it on the small table next to her bed. After a few clicks and slaps it was good to go: her long barreled Alliance Tez-2, outfitted with scope, heat sink and rangefinder. Its most remarkable feature was its aerodynamic look. It eyed like something out of science fiction.

"Grmph." Fluke frowned. She was in need of something smaller (fearing the Tez-2's overpenetration on the Aurora) and she hurled some browncoat combat lingo at Cori up in the galley. Certainly all of the crew could hear it.

"SUTTOOON!"

"BEAK'S BAY WILL GO AWRY! GOT A SPARE TOHOKU-SWEEPER LEFT!?"

[Heson Shadowbane]

Junk just stood there as he went over the list. It wasn't the paperwork for the reason she had it. It was mainly just to keep herself from having to talk more than she had to. She was planning on scrambling out once she was given the okay to use the ship's credit for the parts, but it was cut short by him talking about a meeting they were going to have. She just gave a nod of her head, grabbing one of the sammiches from the counter.

She glanced over at Mei again as she took a bite of the food. She seemed about ready to say something when Cori barged in. It would soon be followed by a yelling from another part of the ship. Junk just gave a little whimper and tucked herself into a safe little corner after grabbing another sammich for herself. She really wanted to get out of there, get her shopping for parts done instead of being a part of a meeting.

[Nope]

Frankie followed dutifully on the tour. She picked the first empty room she saw and skipped out on the rest. She dropped her bag onto the bed. The room was small but comfortable.
She had little belongings but what she did have she pulled out.
The quilt she placed on the bed. She set her books upon shelves, along with the pictures in frames of wood. She burned a stick of incense to wash away the stench of the ship and the back alleys of Persephone.
She took a small satchel and book out and shoved the bag in a drawer under the bed.
She loosened the string on the satchel and removed what food she'd brought along. She opened the book and dropped back onto the bed. She settled the book into the crook of her knees and bit into the fruit.
Frankie had kept to herself at college, she had not went with the intention to. In fact, she'd been excited about the new city, new planet, and new opportunity to meet people. And there were so many people. People of every persuasion.
But it soon became clear that her hopes for socializing were ridiculous fantasies.
The first few months she went out, tried to join study groups, and attempted to talk to people in her classes and dorm. But everyone either ignored her, refused her, or straight out taunted her. After a while she finally lost her patience at a dorm party she had not been invited to but went to anyway. She had had a drink to try to fit in. She stood in the corner, watching others enjoy themselves, feeling nervous and questioning her decision, until she spotted a girl she had once shared a lab with, whom had treated her decently. She felt a surge of hope and approached.
She greeted the girl and her friend, smiling. The girl's eyebrows had lifted, looked her over and turned away. Frankie stood, surprised, staring at the girl's yellow hair tumbling down to her waist.
In frustration, Francis had thrown the bottle to the floor, gripped the girl's shoulder and spun her back around until they stood face to face.
"What the hell is wrong with me?!" She shouted, louder than she'd intended. The crowd around them had grown quiet and she felt as if hundred of eyes were on her, save the chatter and occasional laughs from the back of the room.
The girl had glanced around at the watching faces. Her eyes rested with finality on Francis. "Look," She had said, "everyone knows who you are. And no one wants to take that chance."
"What chance?" Francis asked softly, cold and exasperated.
"The chance that your name with ruin their's."
Stunned, Francis ran her gaze over those around her. Most smirked, some looked dazed, a few cringed. The girl was emotionless.
"Why dont you just go home?" She had said, not unkindly.
Francis had turned on her heel and marched from the room. She had since never spoken to another person outside of professionalism. And she wasnt about to start now, not until someone else made the first move.

[Q]

Fluke barged through the living quarters on the prowl for something. Her eyes chaotically shot around until they landed on Frankie through the doorway.

"You!"

She pointed at Frankie.

"You..."

Fluke's face was filled with frowny frustration.

"...Got any tweezers?"

With her, the smell of sweat and blood entered the room. It was a distinct scent, one normally smelled on the battlefield or Persephone's back alley doctor's offices.

[Nope]

Frankie glanced up to a clattering in the hall.
What now?
She hadnt exactly expected a silent trip but with another day on the planet, she figured the ship would have been mostly emptied of people until departure.
A figure blocked the light from the hall, another one of those imposing women. Not Sutton, though. The other one, who'd gave the first mate a tumble outside. Frankie curled her lip remembering the gob of spit and blood landing at her feet. Blood was fine, loose bowel was fine, vomit and pus was fine, but Frankie loathed spitters.
Their eyes met and the woman pointed and shouted. Frankie flinched.
...Got any tweezers?"

Frankie blinked. "What? Oh, uh, yeah."
She set the book aside, pulled the stashed bag from under the bed and removed a medical case. She unlatched its top, spread it open like a tackle box, and dug around for the tool. Finding it, she stood an carried it to the woman in the doorway.
Frankie wrinkled her nose at the woman's stench, one she knew too well, and handed her the tweezers. She looked ruffled from the bout, and scratches still seeped blood. The bruises were beginning to color nicely.
"I dont know how you soldier types enjoy getting beat to shit. Hold on."

Francis returned to the bag and came back with a small blue glass jar of salve. "This will clear that up, and the contusions...er,bruises, will be gone by tomorrow evening. It was my father's recipe. From a plant on muir."

She didnt add that the scent of it was fresh and pungent and would also dampen the woman's ripe odors. The salve was hard to make, and she had few bottles left but she was more than willing to sacrifice one for some fresh air and the good of them all.

[Q]

Fluke snatched the tweezers from Frankie's hand and hung against the door frame. She tilted one leg upwards, pulled off her combat boot and began fidgeting between her original foot and the metal extension. Fluke didn't have it as bad as Cori. Instead of stepping on a mine, she got shot in the foot. And instead of some second-grade browncoat hospital on Persephone, Fluke got treated on Ariel as a young Alliance marine before the war.

"I don't know how you soldier types enjoy getting beat to shit. Hold on."

Pff. 'Soldier types'. Like she knew.

"We're trying to live without fascism tailing our arse."
She paused, and then added a unnecessary insult. In retrospect a little superfluous, but Fluke was still at war, at least in her mind.
"If types like you don't have the guts to shoot some blasted core worlder, who the bloody hell will?"
With a firm pull, a copper wire got tweezed out of her part-machine foot. It didn't look so bad, but she hoped it wouldn't get infected.
"Ah, blastit..."

More occupied with her wound than intimidating some poor girl, Fluke looked a bit less aggressive. She gratefully took the small blue glass jar and dipped some of it on her foot. The tweezers, now covered with blood, got handed back to Frankie. It seemed Fluke didn't find the courtesy to wash them herself.

"Thanks."

[Nope]

Frankie accepted the tweezers, holding them by the end. She dropped them onto a table top and set about opening a bottle of sterilizer for cleaning.
Frank had dealt with enough in the war hospitals to know when someone was drugged by the violence. And it was addicting, she was sure, the adrenaline rush. The blood coursing fast through the body, heart hammering, the thrill.And after a while, some people were so completely changed by it, mind and soul, they saw no alternative.
So she'd ignored the woman's retort to her.
She poured the cleaner into a jar and dropped in the tweezers. Blood spread into the liquid in curling whips of red, softly turning the cleaner pink. Frankie dumped a little on her hands and rubbed it into her skin.
She turned again to the woman in the doorway. "You're welcome. Anytime. Oh, theres a mild narcotic in that." She pointed to the bottle. "Dont use to much at once."
Frank tried to think of another thing to say, she shuffled her feet but had nothing. "Is there anything else?"

[Q]

Fluke threw her a nod, heeded the warning and shook her head. Placing a toothpick between her teeth, she retreated back to her room.

"I'll be in my bunk."

Hm. Nice girl. Nice and weird. Fluke reminded herself to remember not to give Frankie a firearm.
Once in her room, the boredom kicked in; her one true enemy. She sat on her bed for half an hour. Her mind raced with memories from Shadow, Beylix, Sturges and Du-Khang. It was no wonder Fluke rather had her boots on the ground. Prolonged missions in space gave the mind time to question itself. To re-run all those missteps that could have saved browncoat lives - and re-fuel her hate for the alliance. Echoes of gunshots rang within Fluke's mind. She felt like she was back in the trench, this time during the battle of Sturges. It was the shortest battle of the Unification war, yet one of the bloodiest. Before the memories of her fallen comrades emerged, her temper quickly exorcised any thought about the war.

A loud clank could be hear from Fluke's room soon after. It was her fist meeting the wall. They both lost.

[Dnafein]

Michelangelo watched as Cori lead the two still in the bay off on a tour of the ship. He watched the empty bay for a few minutes as he finished eating. Gathering his plate and utensils he headed towards the galley; Stopping in the cockpit he flipped a switch, causing the inner cargo bay door to close. Keeping unwanted vermin, especially those in the employ of an unliked badger, from invading the ship.

Entering the galley the pilot froze, struck still first by beauty than by horror. “Madre mi dio,” Mikey started. “Jefe no.”

Rushing across the galley, neatly dropping his plate in the sink, Michelangelo pushed the back of his hand first to one covered pan then another. With a quick nod he gathered a clean plate, which he immediately layered with rice. Uncovering the second pan he expertly gathered a pair of eggs on laid them across the rice. The pilot then spooned additional ranchero sauce across the top of the eggs and rice. He spotted Junk in the back and nodded in her direction.

“Forgive the captain. His manners are at times, simple. A distinguished guest deserves a distinguished meal.” He set the plate before the companion, with a smile. “Huevo Rancheros Cardones; Old family recipe.”

“I'm Michelangelo Sanchez Villa-Lobos Cardones, Pilot.” Mikey gave a little bow, “And you must be the Lady Amaterasu, as your smile seems to light up the room.”

[Ushima]

Michael looked around the gathered crew. "Ok everyone who doesn't know I would like to first introduce our new companion. Second, we have a job."

"Hi thats me.” Mei added with a giggle and a wave when michael mentioned about the companion. She began observed each crew, wondering what is the personality of each. It would be lovely to get along with them and what kind of job does the captain took.

Cori looked Mei over finally getting a chance to see her, earlier she had been more focused on a friendly sparring match with Fluke. The woman was beautiful, then again all companions were, it was one of the job requirements. "Having a companion on board will get us into places in the core worlds alot easier. With the core worlds open it might be a good idea for a little more muscle as well. We picked up a soldier with our passenger. Fluke and I served in the war. She's an acquired taste but trust me she's good in a fight. I'd like to bring her on to the crew."

Michael scratched his chin. "We could use more fighters." It had been him and Cori being the main fighting force for so long. Having another gun on board would help. "If you think she'll be a good fit, we'll see how she handles on this job. It goes well, she'll get a full spot."

"A trial run, fair enough." Cori said, "King you want to pass the tablet around?" She was glad Michael had it not her it could have easily been damaged in her fight with Fluke. Thinking about it the medication in her pocket could have been damaged. She didn't check it right then not wanting someone to make a comment about it. She wasn't sure anyone would bit didn't feel like finding out. Judging by the fact her pocket wasn't wet it was still intact. "Basically we have been contracted to steal a fancy new guidance system from the Alliance. Well not directly from them but Rhycom the company designing it. The station is near Sihnon which is why we were in the market for a Companion. We'll launch an orbit around Airen while our companion conducts her business with the guild. From there we I'll infiltrate the research lab. I figure we can pose as researchers or Alliance soldiers. Both will be risky perhaps we can do a combo of both? What do you guys think?"

Michael pulled out the data pad and brought up the details, passing it around the table. “If I have to I’ll pull out my old uniform and dust it off. I could pose as an Alliance inspector with his personal team? Regulations are strict enough that surprise inspections happen all the time.”

[Griff]

Francis left her belongings in her assigned room. It hadnt been much to look at and fairly cramped, but she'd have to get used to it since it would be her home for God knows how long. It was more comfortable than the run down flat she'd lived in under the crime boss' employ, so at least that was a step up in the world.

She'd spread the comforter over the small bed and sat a couple pictures up where she could. Her family had had few taken, and her father had never bothered much with the technology. He'd always preferred to draw, and that's where she'd inherited her own talent. She had spent hours as a child, tracing over and copying her father's hand drawn anatomical diagrams. She hoped one day to take all that he'd done and publish it, if at any time she could use his name without repercussions.

Apparently, the ship had a medic so her skills wouldnt be needed. That was a partial relief, although she would have liked to work off the passage, she'd already given Cori the money and in exchange was getting the opportunity for some time to herself.

The war exploded in ferocity during her study and between classes, testing, and her volunteer shifts at military clinics, she couldnt remember a time when she'd slept in all those years.

And then directly after, being dumped almost penniless and her name dirtied passed redemption, she'd had to struggle to find a living. The past few years had been an everyday scratching.

And now, she had a chance to breath.

Her curiosity, however, was not as worn down as her mind. It nudged her toward the medbay. She wanted to look at actual sterile conditions again, and flex her knowledge.

The medbay was cold. It was always cold. Anika frowned at the chill on her skin, distracting her from her task. She was calculating how many more supplies the ship would need with the added passengers. Hopefully they didn’t attract as many injuries as the rest of the crew, but she knew that would be unlikely. She couldn’t tell if trouble was following the ship, or if it was following her. Either way, her skill as a medic was at least useful.

She was lost in thought when foot steps began to sound in the hallway outside the bay. They weren’t familiar, did they belong to a passenger? She assumed so. Continuing to look down at her notes, she called out, “Is anyone there?”

The accented voice made Francis hesitate just a moment. She needed to psych herself up to meet a new person. And she didnt particularly care to walk into an open doorway when she was expected, because usually the sight of her was a let down in comparison to whatever had been built up in the waiting party's mind.
But it was a long trip and a small ship. She had to deal with it now rather than let it fester.
Frankie took a breath and said as she entered, "Its-er-just me."
The woman she greeted was not what Frankie had expected for a medic during her walk to the medbay, but made sense based on the voice she'd heard call to her in the hall. Middle aged, with a stern but friendly face, at least to Frankie's perception, the medic was not intimidating as much as all the others she had met so far. It was a relief and she felt herself relax for the first time.

She put on what she hoped was an at least friendly smile, knowing it usually ended up awkward and lopsided and greeted the woman with a namaste, both hands together like a prayer and a soft bow, as she knew to be custom, "Im Francis. Or Frank, or Frankie, whichever you prefer. My father wasnt much for long names." She shivered. "Id forgotten how cold these places are."

Anika nodded, running her hands over her arms. “At least it makes it useful to store all the bodies.”

An awkward silence followed.

“Ah, that was a joke,” she grimaced, and stuck out her hand, “anyways, I am Anika Mehren. The ship’s medic and resident old woman."

The woman's joke took Frank by surprise and she struggled to regain her composure. The last thing she had expected was someone who shared her dry wit.
She snapped too when the woman confirmed it was joke, and she chuckled and stammered, "Yeah, yeah- I mean youre right."

Anika introduced herself, holding out her hand, and suddenly Frank felt uncomfortable that her Namaste had been to over the top. If Anika didnt use it than Frankie had made assumptions about the woman's heritage and practice, which Frankie likened to a slur. She covered her nervous guilt by clasping the woman's hand in a shake. "Have you been on the ship long?”

“Just a few years. Most crew have the need for a medic every once in a while,” She left out that her crew needed a medic nearly every day, “and what about you? What brings you on the Aurora?”

Francis had a feeling the woman was holding back just how often the crew on this particular ship ended up in medbay. She'd seen the most of them, trigger happy and quick to throw fists, the lot.
But if info wasnt offered, she wasnt going to pry.
She shrugged. "Id like to make it back home to Muir, eventually. But for now, I just wanted off that trash heap of a planet. You smell enough urine soaked drunks who got knifed trying to pick pocket and you just, you know, need some fresh air." Francis inhaled deeply, tasting the cool, clean air. "It has been a long while since Ive been in an actual med room." She paused a moment before continuing. "What made you choose this ship? I mean, no offense, but with your experience and....maturity." she said kindly, addressing Anika's age, "You could have an easy job in a center planet office. I mean, this just seems like a lot of...danger when you dont have to face it."

She chuckled at the maturity comment. “I spent most of my life in a small farming village on Prophet. There was no danger to speak of. After a time, I just grew bored. I took a leap of faith, and here I am. It gives me stories to tell, if nothing else.” Anika looked at Francis’ clothing and her stance. “And what about you? Are you the type to spend much time in a medroom like this one?”

She grimaced. "Not so much now, no. A degree doesn't get you very far these days does it?" She chuckled and shook her head. "You know, I'm just realizing, I could have changed my name ages ago and could have skipped-" she waved her hand to indicate the planet and the ship, "-all of this."
If she had, it would have defeated the purpose her father had instilled in her, for which she'd fought for with fervor. Clinging to that purpose, had landed her on Persephone and outcasted from the medical high society, however, and she didn't think her father had counted that, and his own death, in the original plans.

Anika nodded in sympathy. “If you decide to stay on for long, I could always use more help here,” she offered, “it’s hard to stitch two people up at once.” She chuckled. Francis reminded her of many of the medics she used to work with, the new ones, with both skill and a friendly demeanor. The older you get the more that goes away. Maybe someone less cynical than her would be a good help? If nothing else, Francis would probably have better bedside manner than she did.

Frankie felt herself relax. She gave the older woman a genuine grin. "Id like that."
She had skipped the lunch offered by the Captain, hoping to avoid meeting too many people at once. It would only upset her anxiety, and she was sure on a trip like this, and a ship of this size, they'd all end up knowing each other more than was comfortable anyway. Why rush?
"It would be nice to refresh some of my skill with the use of actual equipment. Ive been getting by on bourbon and bedsheets. Makes a decent death shroud, but not so much a bandage."
A flash of memory tugged at her mind. The light hearted joke had stolen her mind to somewhere she didnt want to go. Fingertips found the charm around her neck and her expression went slack as the wash of cries and scent of blood resurfaced. She'd been bright eyed and sheltered when the war came. The horror of it dampened any childish optimism that had remained. To many dead when she could do nothing. To many failures.
In a moment, she snapped out of it and smiled in an attempt to regain her composure. Her hands shook. "Anyway, give me a shout if you need a hand. Im sure Ill be around."
Frankie chuckled as she backed toward the door. She gave the woman a final wave before ducking out into the hall.
There, she leaned against the wall and took a few deep breaths to steady her nerves. An anxiety attack taunted the edges of her mind. She closed her eyes and pushed away the swimming vision, focusing instead on calming the pace of her heart.
After a moment, she swallowed, more calm, and started back toward her room. She could face them at supper, maybe. Not now.

[Q]

Fluke leaned against the wall next to the bulkhead leading to the cargo bay while King and Sutton spoke their piece. Though flattered with Cori's good word, she wasn't sure whether she would live up to the expectations. Rid anyone who dared to stand against the Aurora's crew? Sure! Taking orders from some pompous core-worlder, she couldn't promise.

When the tablet got passed to her hands, she inspected the plans. A Rhycom-build superlaser. It wasn't the first time she heard about this - browncoat resistance was terrified of this weapon. Maybe the Dust Devils' goals and those of the Aurora's crew would align. Maybe...

Fluke pushed herself off the wall and raised her hand, joining Cori, King, Michelangelo and the companion in their circle around the table.
"I'm familiar with purple-belly procedure."
She shot a subtle glare at Cori. If only the rest knew what trouble it gave her on Du-Khang.
"You get an extra uniform and I'm with you, cap'n."

She passed the tablet on to the next.
"Who's the buyer?"
The intimidating amazon kept her cool and insinuated she was okay with selling an alliance superweapon to some backwater crimelord, instead of blowing up the research lab and all of Airen with it if she had to. Perhaps Sutton could see through her pokerface, but unlikely. She looked a bit off herself.

[Dnafein]

Michelangelo nodded to the companion as the captain introduced her. He was slightly surprised when Cori mentioned having a friend, although on his second examination of her phrasing realized she never called the soldier such. “That must have been the dying cow that bellowed your name moments ago.” The youth said.

The pilot listened as the captain started the briefing and the planner in him shook his head. Mikey's pranks generally went off without a hitch cause he never just discussed the plans. The captain didn't even check on the cargo bays entrance before he started the discussion. Much less moved it to a smaller more monitorable room. He just started discussing it in front of an unknown, albeit beautiful, woman; Which even if she wasn't a spy, removed plausible deniability from her options should she be questioned.

Michelangelo shook his head at the woman's question when she moved from spying in the doorway to take the tablet. He turned to Sutton and raised an eyebrow at the suspicious behavior. Taking the tablet from Fluke, the youth scrolled through the information. “Should probably find out what the normal patrol route would be. Don't wanna run right into them on the way out.”

Mikey would take some time to look over the charts between Sihnon and Airen, he wouldn't really need them; But they'd be handy to have. “I have a cousin who works in air control on Sihnon,” The young Mr. Cardones had family members working everywhere throughout the rim. Among the core worlds they were rarer, but remained priceless sources of information. “I will drop him a line and see what he can share.”

[AngelDellaNotte]

Looking up from her beer she noticed Fluke was standing in the doorway when she spoke. The former soldier seemed to look over the tablet then volunteer for the mission. There was something about the glint in her eyes that was familiar to Cori. It was the same look Fluke got when she was about to do something either very heroic or very stupid, which one it was only being determined but the outcome. Fluke had the luck that more often than not it came out as heroic. Cori made a mental note to keep an eye on her but decided not to mention anything about it to King until she knew more. Could be that Fluke was just excited to get back into the fight. Cori had been the same way when she first signed on with a crew. Seeing Fluke now made her recall her requests for additional weapons, Fluke liked her big guns however smaller arms worked better in space. You didn't want to go blowing a hole in the side of the ship. "When we are done here I'll take you down to the armory to find you a new toy or two. Only on loan until you get something that isn't over kill." Cori said, the continued on about the mission. "That bastard Badger says the buyer doesn't want to be connected to the heist should it go sideways so he won't put us in contact until after we have the system. I don't like it but that's the way it is."

Mikey was next to look at the tablet and immediately started looking at the star charts. As much as she hated to admit the kid was good. And had family connections all over the verse. "Good idea kid you never know when we are gonna have to high tail it out. Best to have a clear path." Cori said.

[Heson Shadowbane]

Junk just frowned, hugging her knees up to herself in her little secluded corner as plans were made for the heist. "Y-you'll need me th-then won't you?" She didn't like getting off the ship. Even more so when it was getting off in a military place. Still, if they were going to be an inspection team, Junk was best suited for the inspection. Not to mention she had a way with locked systems.

Sure locked systems were a bit on the bitchy side, but she could usually coax them open. She had helped Cori and King do it on a mission before, although it was her unease and timidness that had eventually made the mission go sideways. "Should... Should I make sure that the mechanic suit is... Still in date? Or will you be okay?" She whimpered a bit and ducked her head down in her knees, glinty eyes peering over them.

[Ushima]

"Junk will have to come." Michael said, looking to the mechanic. "She's the only one who can take the module apart in the short window we'll have. I want to get in, grab it, and get out before anyone there decides they want to complain to someone about a surprise inspection." Engineers and researchers always like to talk an officer's ear off about something. "Last thing we need is the base finding out there is no surprise inspection. "So we get Junk in, she works her magic and talks to the device into coming with us, then we book it. Junk, the only ones you'll have to really talk to is me. Maybe Cori." Junk's nerves kept her on the ship most of the time when they were out in the verse, but this technical stuff was beyond him and the others. Michael was pretty sure the buyer would want the equipment intact, or else they'd be seeing a serious pay decrease. Maybe even none at all. He couldn't afford to let that happen.

"Young blood will keep the ship on standby while we go about our business on the space station. Just in case. Like always." Like most outlaws they didn't always make a clean getaway. Numerous times he's had to board the Aurora while under heavy gunfire. But it was fun none-the-less. "If Fluke is volunteering to be the second of my attaché and Junk is one of our engineers there is one more slot to fill in. Therefore I'm asking for volunteers." Michael pointed to their pilot. "Not you, don't be funny. You got a very important role. We're in town for two or three more days. Uniforms will have to be acquired. Cori go over with Fluke her cover ID. Seeing as you two are close faking camaraderie won't be necessary at all." Michael took one of the IDs and moved over to Junk. "Here's yours, study well, in the event someone tries making small talk and ask about your personal life while I'm not there to scare them away." Michael turned back to face his crew. "Any other questions? Concerns? Ideas?"

[Nope]

Frankie heard little noise from the rest of the ship. She assumed that now, it was finally empty of the rest of the crew, as they took advantage of the final days docked on world. She then felt free to move about the ship.
She wondered across halls, down to the cargo bay and back.
The murmur of voices met her ear.
She hesitated a moment before following. She was only a passager and nothing more. Anything going on on this ship wasn't her business and had nothing to do with her.
She's spent so many years careful to overhear nothing in the hospitals lest she be picked out for questioning. She wanted no part in the war.
It had been a more difficult task than one would think, sick and feverish men cried out anything and everything in thier delirium.
But this wasn't the war. And they had thier money. So what information could be worth more than that? Besides, if they were putting her in danger by proxy, she had a right to know. After all, this wasn't a simple transport ship. She knew that. But how much did she actually know about these people?
Zilch.
Frank traced the voices to a doorway and she leaned against the wall to listen, out of sight. Eavesdropping like a child was pathetic but she couldn't just march in like she belonged.
She heard words about a weapon and the tablet. She assumed it was the one she'd seen them leave Badger's with. So were they working FOR him or just using him for information? Badger isn't one to be used without him getting his own cut.
The things she heard made her brows furrow. Breaking and entering. Stealing. Identity fraud. Who the hell were these people and what in the hell had she gotten herself into?
What of the crew was caught in this little heist? Would she be arrested too? Probably.
It was clear they would do it. And Frank would be pacing the ship wondering if the authority was going to come onto the ship and take her away. She'd chew her nails to the quick.

Of course, they haven't left yet. She could leave. She probably wouldn't get her money back. But she could find another ship, after saving again. After working for Badger again. Or delivering babies that would die of starvation or neglect in a back alley within the month. Bandaging wounds of criminals. How is that better than this?
We'll meet again. He'd said. Ugh, why did he have to be so cliche?
He wasn't going to be right. Not this soon. She couldn't handle seeing that rat faced smirk at her return not a day after she'd left.
No. And she could not handle waiting to be arrested.

So it came as a great surprise, to herself, and she knew it shown on her face when the Captain asked for volunteers and she stepped into the room and said, "I'll do it!"
She glanced around at the faces present, swallowed, set her jaw and said more calmly, "I mean, I can help."

[Q]

Fluke took a look at her ID. She frowned.
"Aria Hauer?"

"Oh, hell."
She couldn't have thought of a more detestable cover-name. After reading Aria's short biography, she grew even more irritated. Her tired eyes narrowed with incomprehension.
"This cunt just stuck with satellite weaponry for the whole bloody war!"

Fluke turned her head back to the rest, refusing to read another word from Aria's printed biography.
"Hey, these purps better be wasted, or-"

She got interrupted by Frankie, who boldly offered her help. Fluke was intrigued and equally horrified on going on a mission with her. This was gonna be such a fucking mess, she knew it from the start. Didn't stop her from participating, though. A true browncoat remembered - and would do anything to prevent a second Shadow.

[Dnafein]

Michelangelo was about to make a suggestion when the other passenger burst into the room volunteering. The youth bit back both an oath and a joke asking if she passed Badger and the President of the Alliance on her way into the room. They really should think about closing doors.

Clearing his throat he said. “If your taking the passengers, you should have the doc on the bridge with me. If Junk can get their comms on an unencrypted channel the two of us can play microphone tag and try to tie them up in red tape.”

The pilot shrugged. “At the least, it might slow them down.”

[Griff]

She had been deep in thought for most of the meeting. The mission itself was simple. Take something from the alliance. The new bodies however, were unexpected variables. Francis entered the room, and she nodded in greeting, staring at the open door. She looked up at Michaelangelo’s suggestion, and nodded in assent. “I believe I know enough alliance terminology that I can, if nothing else, thoroughly confuse nearby soldiers.”

She frowned, and continued, “I’ll keep the medbay stocked and on standby. Try not to get shot. What should our protocol be if everything goes sour?”

[AngelDellaNotte]

Fluke coming in on their meeting didn't bother Cori as much as Frankie seeing as they were considering Fluke for a crew position. Still Cori didn't say anything and had to admit she was a little surprised that Frankie volunteered. She looked over to their doctor next, "If things go to hell we do like we always do, shoot back and run like hell. As for getting not getting shot I'll try but no promises." Cori laughed taking a drink then looked back to Frankie, "This isn't a field trip there very well is a chance you could get hurt or dead."

Frankie shrugged. She was just as surprised as the others that she stood among them. It was to late to back out now. "Its only marginally safer on the ship right? My names on the log now too, plus," she swallowed, saying quietly, "They never returned my father's body. I might- I dont know, I might get some sort of idea where- it-he is."

Michael eyed Frankie curiously. “You sure you’re up for that? I’d rather not put paying customers in the line of fire. Could you imagine the reputation if you got shot. We’d never get a passenger again Cor.”

"I fail to see a downside to that scenario." Cori said, arching an eyebrow to Frankie and giving her a look that didn't say if she was joking or not. Taking passengers on was a necessary evil in Cori's mind. She didn't like having the aboard but they paid the rent. There had been this one time they had taken on a gambler who would bet on anything and believed that bathing caused him bad luck. He used to burn incense all the time to cover the smell. He had been lucky they were planet side when she literally threw him off the ship. Though that probably had something to do with someone swapping her pain meds with a sedative. Still to this day she didn't know who had done that.

He was partially inclined to agree with his first mate. Passengers had a tendency to come with quirks; like the crazy lady who insisted she was his reincarnated wife. Never before has he moved around the ship that much trying to avoid her. “We don’t have a choice. They’ll be expecting to see at least two inspectors when we dock.” Michael turned to Frankie. “Alright you’re in. If at any time you want out before we get there speak up. Once we’re there though that’s it, you’re going in.”

"Suppose it wouldn't hurt that at least one of you can talk." Cori said, reaching over and patting Jun lightly on the shoulder. She knew the mechanic could barely speak to them there was no way she would be able to talk her way through a made up inspection. It would be hard enough for her just to make it through the check point on the station. "Don't worry I'll be right by your side the whole time ready to deck anyone that gives you a hard time." Cori said.

Then she turned to Frankie. "You might want to spend some time with Junk getting to know the techno babble. They are gonna expect you to know what you are talking about. Also Jun, the blue prints are on the tablet if you need to study them. You know get to know the girl before you sweet talk her and get intimate with her." She said, hoping to get a blush out of the mechanic and poking a little fun at her ability with machines.

"Alright." Michael spoke up, cutting off further teasing from Cori. "Make final plans everyone, we leave in two days."

[Heson Shadowbane]

Junk just glanced around at everyone as plans went around. Unencrypted coms should be doable. Teaching someone else tech jargon though... Her gaze flitted over the Frankie,already dreading the task of being forced to talk to them and teach them. That said, Cori was right. She'd barely be able to get out coherent words to the security on the station they'd run into. She let out a squeak as Cori's hand came down upon her shoulder, probably meant to be a comforting gesture. It didn't do much to comfort her, but having Cori for a bodyguard was comforting enough. It was nice when she was being kind like that.

At her teasing words though, Junk just picked up the tablet, gazing at her as she stood up. "I already have the engine of the ship for now. Besides, I hate weaponized tech..." She let off a small blush, either from Cori's teasing or what her words insinuated is the question though... She got out of her spot, scurrying along to the engine room where she slept. She was sure that they'd tell Frankie where she was so she would be forced to be teaching her terminology. Meanwhile she'll be studying up on those blueprints.

[Q]

"...Well, you're in command now, Sutton."
Fluke padded Cori on her back as she walked alongside her to the armory.
"You truly trust that core-worlder? Not screwing you off?"
She asked her out of interest, not as a mutinous inquiry. It wouldn't be the wisest plan to stir trouble on a spaceship and contrary to popular belief, Fluke was generally pretty level-headed. There were exceptions to the rule of 'shooting alliance on sight' but whenever the horrors of battle went down, she knew core-worlders tended to show their true colors and fall to greed, ego and other imperialistic tendencies.

"I've known King for a while and believe me he's been screwed over by the Alliance more than you would think." Cori said, stumbling a little as Fluke clapped her on the back. She thought how to let Fluke know she's known King most her life but didn't know how to do that without revealing who she was. There were very few people who knew Cori Sutton and Cordelia Sexton were the same person, hell perhaps it was only King. She just hoped Fluke didn't ask how they met, that would be a hard one to explain. "He's a good man. I trust him and so can you." They walked down the stairs leading to the cargo bay, Cori kept a couple crates of weapons in a smuggler's hole so they would have a variety of weapons should they need it.

Fluke raised her hands as to not press further. "Fine, Sutton, but he'll get on my nerves." She paused. "I'll play nice."

When they entered the cargo bay Cori lead them to a panel on the far side of the room. She had to push a few crates out of the way before getting to the wall. Then she pressed her hand against the wall it lighting up before sliding up to reveal a couple crates. The wall had a biometric lock keyed only to her and King. They didn't mind their passengers having their own weapons on board but wasn't about to let anyone have access to their extra weapons.

The two battle-worn women stood before some dusty and well-hidden crates. Fluke fished a Volcanic pistol out of the hidey-hole and stared at it repulsively. "You haven't got something more... automatic?"

"You haven't spent much time in space have you?" Cori said, looking down at the crate of old tech weapons, it was an assortment of pistols and old rifles. "Automatic weapons on a space ship can blow a hole in the side of the ship and that will sure as hell ruin your day." She moved to the other crate opening it up, this one was where they kept more of their modern weaponry.

Reaching in she pulled out a small stun gun that could easily fit into a pocket, thinking about giving it to Jun to use if things went bad. Granted they planned on someone being with her the whole time plans don't always go the way you want. She tucked the gun into her pocket to give to Jun later. "Though we probably should look the part." Cori said, picking up a standard issue Alliance pistol, there were a few of them in the crate, taken from soldiers she had picked fights with and won.

Fluke aimed down one of the alliance pistol's sights. "P-3's aren't bad, corporal." Unlike the single-actions preferred in the rimworlds, she knew alliance tech to be well-rifled, quick and semi-automatic - a byproduct of oppressive fascism, perhaps. "Pack less of a lethal punch." Fluke nudged her head at Cori's peacemakers.

"I like packing a punch. I shoot someone and they won't be getting back up." Cori said, resting her left hand on one of her guns as she dropped the P-3 in her coat pocket. She was left handed but could shoot with either. "Usually happens when I punch someone whose head isn't made of bricks." She laughed, most times when Cori and Fluke sparred they both ended up bruised and bleeding but both conscious. Now that they both had their weapons for the mission Cori closed the crates and the smuggler's cubby then moved boxes back.

Fluke let out a loud and manly laughter. "It'll do." She tucked the P-3 under her belt, lacking the luxury of a coat. "Hey, you sure about that girl joining the fray? The twitchy one, you know?" Fluke's tone was reluctant and compassionate. She'd already second-guessed Cori's judgement with the captain and unlike on Du-Khang, Fluke wasn't the one calling the shots here.

At the mention of Jun, Cori had to admit she was a little worried as well. The mechanic was good at what she did but going under cover that was another story. They had done it a couple times before and it was interesting to say the least and she had only been nicked once when it went bad forcing them to have to shoot their way out. "I'll admit that Jun is a wild card. We never know how it is going to go with her. Only thing for sure is that girl has a way with machines." Cori said, thinking her brace had never worked as good as it did after Jun fine tuned it.

"I'm not so worried about her." Fluke responded while navigating the Aurora's hallways. "She seems tactful." They were coming up on the dining room. "Rather the other twitchy one, but between you and me? We'll be bloody fine." After another firm pat on Cori's shoulder, Fluke retreated to her bunk.

(Co-post between AngeldellaNotta and Q)

[Dnafein]

After finishing up with Fluke Cori headed back up to the galley to work on the next part of the plan. They would need some Alliance uniforms and while they could be purchased on the black market she had a more cost effective way of getting them but would need some help, mainly the sort their pilot could provide. She noticed he wasn't in the galley anymore and thought she heard the strumming of his guitar coming from the cockpit so she went that way indeed finding him there. "Hey, flyboy I have a job for you."

“Un uh. “ Michelangelo started after the last note dissipated. “You remember what the Captain said last time I did your chores for you. And he wasn't even supposed to be the target.” Mikey tilted his head, still unable of figuring out how the doc knew about the prank.

“Anyways,” The pilot finished with a shrug. “I thought you wanted me to write Chewie?”

"Not exacty what I had in mind. I need someone with a set of skills we don't often encourage." Cori said, sitting down in the co-pilot chair and kicking her feet up on the dash. "We're going to need some Alliance uniforms for this mission to work. I was thinking you could be your charming self and get a few soldiers to follow you towards me where I will relieve them of their uniforms."


“I don't think it will be their uniforms they'll lose upon seeing you waiting for them.” Mikey said without thinking. “Why not just get them from Badger, or have you had enough of the King in the Gutter?”

Even as he asked his question, he was running through ideas on how to proceed. It’d be one thing to just pure some grunts to a clubbing and steal their clothes. Easily done, but sloppy and obviously reported. This would require something far too embarrassing to ever speak of. His fingers played (https://youtu.be/nBNRe9R587k) absentmindedly as he thought.

"I would prefer not to cut into our profits. Not to mention the less we deal with Badger the better. Best not to owe too much to the likes of him. " Cori said, looking out the window at the docks below. People were moving around, most people who worked the docks and the people who were docked there, however there were a number of soldiers walking around giving the appearance of law. Most were easily bought off to look the other way. "I had thought to just jump a few but I am sure you have a better idea."

“It would be faster,” Michelangelo said. “Like dropping a water balloon from a balcony. They get wet, but it's hardly a secret who did it.”

The youth drummed his fingers on his guitar’s body. “What we need is something that they will never want to breathe a word about. A week and it would be simple, a day and a half…”

His fingers stilled, and a smile started across his face. “We need alcohol. And some help from Doc.”

"Alcohol I can supply not problem." Cori said, looking over to the kid a brief sceptic look on her face. Mikey always seemed to be plotting something. "This isn't a ruse to get a bottle of my Earth That Was?" She kept a case of the bourbon under her bed, it was her favorite and the crew knew to stay away from it. She had other types of alcohol hidden throughout the ship that she didn't care as much if some went missing as long as whoever took it left some for her. "And what's the doc got to do with the plan?"

Mikey shook his head. “No, no, no.. Not just a bottle. We need a bar. One where they are comfortable enough to drink in uniform.”

The youth started to mod. “We'll need some livestock also. Yeah….” A grin started to spread, then fade as Michelangelo realized he couldn't claim responsibility. “The doc has an ingredient we'll need. One that makes me feel ill thinking about using.” Mikey shivered. “Want to go bar crawling or would you rather talk to the doc?”

Gods this boy was devious, Cori thought as her mind drifted to where he was going with this plan. She was glad that he had only ever played mostly harmless pranks on her. "Best that you go to the doc, it isn't likely that she is gonna give me anything." Cori said, knowing she had a very limited pull with Anika when it came to drugs. She could tell the truth that it was for the job but she had lied to the doctor enough to know she still might not believe her and Cori wouldn't blame her. Cori wasn't naive when it came to her vices, she was well aware that she was an addict and had come to terms with it. The drugs were the only thing that could get her through the physical pain and the alcohol through the psychological pain. "I know a few bars that the purple bellies like to hang out and there are a couple shops that keep pigs south of the downs."

[Ushima]

After the crew broke for the meeting Michael lead Mei through the ship. There was one destination in mind. The shuttles. Companions tended to operate out of one of the ship's shuttles. It acted as an office and personal vehicle for them to conduct business. The Aurora had two so he was ok with sparing one for Mei to use. "If you'll follow me Mei I'll show you to your quarters." It wasn't a far walk from the galley. He opened the door for her and allowed Mei to look around the shuttle. "Pretty standard as far as shuttles go but I'm sure it will suit your needs perfectly. We can go get your things later and allow you to decorate to your heart's content." Reaching into his pocket Michael pulled out the pouch of coin he swiped off the ruffians him and Mei fended off earlier. With a smirk he set it down on the shuttle's command console. "I believe this is yours. If you need anything come find me and I'll see what I can do to make your stay more pleasant. Now excuse me." With a warm smile and nod Michael left the ship's new companion alone in her new quarters. The captain glanced around the cargo bay. Everything seemed in order. "Hm the door is closed. Thought I left that open." Unlike most crews Michael had a ship that talked to their mechanic. No one got on the ship undetected, let alone up the ramp before they knew.

Michael returned to his quarters, leaving the door cracked a bit as he wasn't in the mood for or needed privacy. It was what you'd expect the captain's quarters to look like. Larger than the other rooms. A desk and private terminal sat in one corner with charts and maps cluttering the surface area. One wall was decked out with a few weapons. Michael took off his poncho and threw it over his chair. Taking the shotgun off his back he hung it back up on the wall. On the left side of the room was his bed. It easily fit two and was covered in a dark sheets with a red blanket. Mounted on the wall next to him was his two handed sword. It hung proudly in place. Oh how he dreamed of the day he used it in an actual fight instead of just practicing in the cargo bay. Cori could only give him so much of a challenge. There were shelves along the back wall that held various knick knacks. One such item was a glass case about a foot long. It was made out of wood and in it sat a dark purple material. Pinned to this material were various medals and commendations he had received while in the Alliance Army. And he was proud of them. All of them were earned with hard work and sacrifice, often at injury to himself, sometimes great injury. But all that was before he was cast aside and left to rot in a POW camp after Deadwind. With a heavy sigh he placed the medals back on their shelf.

With a pained grunt he crouched down by his bed. Reaching under it he grasped the handle of a black hard case and pulled it out into the open air of his quarters. Putting the combination in real quick he popped it open. Michael gave a reluctant sigh as he pulled out his old officer's dress uniform. Still in good condition as the day he was discharged. There was a hook on the wall and he hung it up. "How are we going to get two more of these?" Michael scratched his chin. It was a problem. They had to be out of here in a few days so getting two fakes, let alone any of high enough quality to fool anyone, wouldn't happen. "Which means having to steal them." That in of itself presented it's own challenges. "Damn nothing can ever be easy can it?" He had hoped that since he had quite literally stumbled into their new companion things might be lining up for them. But that didn't seem to be the case now. He'd have to strategize with his first mate the best course of action to get the uniforms. Jacking a passing patrol seemed risky, they didn't want to get the Aurora flagged in any way as it'd make travelling to the station all the more dangerous. With another sigh he laid back onto his bed, staring at the ceiling hoping to find the answers in the riveting.

[AngelDellaNotte]

Leaving the cockpit Cori headed down the stairs to her room, (https://i.pinimg.com/564x/da/6c/50/da6c50d9455790aea0de241961bf9da9.jpg) it wasn't much, one of the smaller set of quarters on the ship. She hadn't wanted anything bigger even though she had the option. It wasn't decorated with any personal items, Cori didn't own anything. During the war it wasn't possible to have material things, always shipping off from place to place having to carry whatever you owned. Then after leaving the Independent army Cori still hadn't collected anything. It was a far turn from her life before the war. She had so many things before that she couldn't name half of them. Material things just didn't hold the sway that they used to. The only thing she could say she cared about owning was her coat and guns. Stepping in front of a mirror she took that coat off dropping it on the bed and grabbing a clean shirt. She changed into a clean shirt and left her hat on the bed with the coat, dropping her gun belt there as well. She didn't like going without it but her idea to lure away a couple of Alliance soldiers would work before if she wasn't armed for war. She had a knife in her boot still and the gun she meant to give Jun fit in her pants pocket. In the nook that was her bathroom she pulled her hair out of it's tight braid and ran her fingers through it. Her hair had been wet when she pulled it back and now held a nice wave to it. Without her stetson and coat she looked like just another naive farm girl come to the city. Her look was just about done but needed one last touch, she reached up she unbuttoned two buttons on her shirt showing a fair amount of cleavage.

On the way out the ship she thought about stopping to talk to their new companion about the next item they needed to make this plan work but decided against it thinking she didn't know Mei and the companion likely hadn't gathered her things yet. Cori left the ship leaving a note telling Mikey she was going to the Black Orchard, a well known Alliance bar. But instead of heading south where the bar was she went north there being a detour she needed to make first. Cori found herself walking into a brothel, the workers here were a far cry from companions though they shared a similar profession.

Shortly after walking into the brothel a blonde woman (https://i.pinimg.com/564x/ee/aa/88/eeaa88ebdb8e66538ddaca154a6f2062.jpg) walked over to Cori a large smile on her face. She embraced Cori and kissed her deeply on the lips then stood there still holding Cori, “I had heard the Aurora was in port.” She said, twirling her fingertips through Cori's hair. It wasn't often that it was worn down and not covered by her hat. “And you dressed up for me.”

“Lucy, I'm not here for a social visit.” Cori said, resting her hands on Lucy's hips and pulling her closer, “Perhaps before we leave port we can have a little fun. I have a favor to ask of you. I need some yohimbe powder.”

“Yohimbe powder? I didn't think you were into that sort of thing.” Lucy asked. Yohimbe powder was made from the bark of a yohimbe tree and when ingested by men was a powerful aphrodisiac. Many brothels and companions carried the powder for their more timid customers.

“It's not for me.” Cori said, leaning into Lucy and whispering in her ear “I need it for a job.” Lucy knew what sort of person Cori was and what she did for a living but Cori never gave her the details of her work. She never bothered pressing Cori about it either knowing she wouldn't get anything from the soldier.

“I see, you are going to owe me though.” Lucy said, reaching into her shirt and pulling out a small bag dropping it in Cori's hand. “And I expect payment soon.”

“Of course.” Cori said, pressing a kiss to Lucy's lips and then leaving the brothel. She headed south to toward the Black Orchid to sit and people watch until Mikey arrived. She planned on finding a table in the corner where she could pick out their marks.

[Nope]

Frankie's ears rang. She had slowly side stepped away from the door as the conversation had drastically spiraled out of control.
What are you doing!? What is wrong with you!? Her mind screamed.
She cringed at the looks the crew gave her.
And they had a right to give them, she supposed. They were all war hardened, rough and tumble, social outcasts with a world of experience. Even the pilot, younger than she, felt older as far as experience went.
She had zero knowledge of fighting tactic, nor had she ever been in a fight.
She'd been punched once, by a delirious soldier. And she'd help wrestle a few for injections. And once, she watched a man's leg sawn off on the edge of the battlefield.
But she's never thrown a punch herself. Nor did she ever plan to.
So why the hell was she doing this now?

She glanced at the mechanic as she was instructed to seek out an education. Francis nodded slightly in response, although the woman seemed to purposely attempt to not acknowledge her presence.
The mechanic was a mouse. Quietly there, among everyone, barely noticeable.
Francis felt herself flush at the thought of the conversation she would have to have with her. Francis had the impression every conversation with the mechanic was awkward in some fashion.

As the meeting concluded, everyone dispersed. But Francis stood, still in awe of her decisions, and frozen by fear.
The mechanic disappeared. Francis didnt have the courage to go after here just yet, and she was regretting giving Badger that bottle of alcohol.

Finally, Francis left.
She moved back toward her room to regroup. She felt the lump of the dagger she carried against her hip. She'd never used it.
In fact, she had not wanted it. It had been a gift, or sorts, from Badger. A peace offering?
Youll need this around my....acquaintances. Just, precautionary, of course.

What would she do if the plan went south? Fight? Rat them all out?
She shivered.
She had no idea.

[Ushima]

Michael sighed, pushing himself up off his bed. Laying in bed was getting him nowhere. Grabbing his weapon off the wall and putting his poncho back on he left his quarters. Looking around the ship for Cori he didn't find her. Instead he found the note she left. "Headed to the Black Orchard. Gāisǐ de." At least he knew where she was. Pocketing the note he headed back to the cargo bay. Approaching the shuttles he docked on Mei's door. "Hope its to your liking. I think enough time has passed that we can go gather your things."

Mei was getting used to the room given to her. It's not comparable to her former abode but somehow she felt more at ease here. She heard the room of her door opened and it revealed Michael. "Thank you, I find this room really comfy." She replied with a satisfied look on her face. She walked towards Michael till she was in front of him and looked up with a coy expression and pushed herself a little towards him, making them chest to chest. "I guess i owe you a favor for bringing me here even though i lost some business because of you. But that will be for later so let's go and get my things captain." Mei drawled out with a seductive hint in her tone while rolling the words of her tongue for the last part.

Michael's face darkened. "I'll be sure to cash in on that later." Michael adjusted the collar on his shirt, suddenly finding it very warm. "After you. We'll get your things taken care of and sent to the ship. Then I think a trip to the Black Orchard. Cori is there and I want to head off any trouble she might cause."

"That sounds like a plan" Mei seperated from the heated captain with a giggle and waked out of the room she was given. When she saw that Michael is still not out yet she turned back and released a laughter. "What are you waiting for captain? Let's get going, I’m pretty excited to spend some time with your first mate.”

“Well that makes one of us it seems.” With a smirk Michael left the shuttle and followed after the companion. “She’s interesting to get along with but a good friend once you do.” But in the end the Cori he knew now was a lot different from the one he knew back in the day. Even he was still learning new things. Michael hit the button to lower the ramp and descended it with Mei in tow. “Alright my lady where did you abandon your things?” He closed the door behind them. “Lead on.”

"Well i left my things at the Persephone's companion guild." Mei replied as she walked towards the direction where the guild is located. "Hmmmm...I might trouble you to carry some heavy accessories that I use for my job. But I don't think it would be a problem for you." Mei added as she giggled while giving a quick heated glance at Michael's built body, a small smirk dancing at her lips before staring once more towards where she is walking.

“The guild huh? It’s funny. I literally run into the answer to my problems and I still end up there.” Chuckling at the predicament he followed after Mei. His eyes scanned the area for threats but Michael was confident they were in the clear. “Need me to carry things? Shouldn’t be too much of a problem. After all it is a Captain’s duty to help his crew in times of struggle.”

After walking for a few minutes the two of them finally arrived at the front of the Persophone's companion guild. She immediately went inside and dragged Michael towards her room. Her room was designed based on the traditional rooms of her lineage. The floor was covered with tatami and was designed simply. Fortunately for her, she never took her things out so she saved some time packing. After folding the other clothes left aside, she faced Michael and pointed the mid-sized clothing box. “That is the box you will be carrying." She stated while picking up some clothes for her to change."Do you mind if I take a quick shower. Our earlier predicament kinda got me sweaty. Of course you can join if you want." She asked with a teasing voice while sending a flirtatious wink his way.

If Michael had been drinking he’d no doubt do a spit take. “Oh my.” He pulled at his collar again. “That’s...that’s quite the invitation.” Honestly he didn’t know what to think. They had been flirting the entire day.

"Should i take it as silence means yes?" She walked towards him and place both of her hands on his chest and slightly pushed it upwards till both of her arms were slung on his shoulder and her body pressed against him once more.

That was all it took. Michael's arms were around her waist and he lifted her into his arms. Staring into her eyes he had a smoldering look as his hands were secured on her butt to keep her from slipping back down. Mei's hands tugged at his poncho up and off him, discarding it onto the floor and her lips found sanctuary on his neck and collar as Michael walked into the shower.

A gasp of surprise left her mouth when he first picked her up also making her clothes disheveled revealing her white milky skin and collarbone. Seeing that the captain seems up for it she leaned down and nibbled his neck before kissing her way up to his lips. She hovered her lips first on top of his before teasingly kissed down and bites his lower lips playfully. The aura in the shower room became heated and got the two lost in their desire the door that was swung earlier slowly closed down as the two got swept away into a very private moment.

[Dnafein]

Michelangelo watched Cori leave the cockpit and leaned back strumming his guitar idily. He ran through the plan multiple times and each time it was as sound as the first. A report of missing uniforms draws attention, and someone who's too embarrassed to report the loss never does. And corpses draw more attention than missing uniforms. So this was indeed the best way. Unfortunately that meant Mikey had to either explain the plan to the doc or pull a fast one on her.

Taking a deep breath he set his guitar down and headed into the ship. Reaching the medbay he popped his head in and saw it empty. Relief flooded the youth as he quickly moved in and pulled the door shut behind him. Locking it he moved to the doc's medicine cabinet and quickly pulled out a lockpick. His deft fingers moved quickly and the pilot had the door open. Michelangelo quickly shifted the bottles looking for a particular label. Finally finding it he pulled it out and popped the lid off. Slipping about 10 from his bottle into his pocket he recapped the bottle and put it back.

The youth closed and relocked the cabinet then unlocked and exited the medbay. As innocent as he could he made his way off the ship after reading the note Cori left him. Moving through the streets looking for the place Michelangelo hummed quietly to himself, trying to recall the most patriotic songs of the alliance. Something to distract and entertain. As he entered the bar and his eyes scanned the tables Mikey felt his stomach jump. Something it always did when pulling a prank, as excitement mixed with fear. A feeling he always got when pulling a stunt in the sky.

[Heson Shadowbane]

Junk had crawled up into the hammock she had set up in the engine room. She did have herself a bed stuck into a corner, but she did prefer the hammock. Mainly for the rocking motion that she sometimes got from the ship. She had the tablet laying on her belly, fingers upon the screen as she looked up at the ceiling. She was muttering softly to herself, pausing occasionally like she was having some sort of conversation with someone. It was like this for a few minutes before she finally sat up, turning the tablet off. As she got out of the hammock she gave the engine a stroke along it and dropped down to the ground.

She opened up her door and glanced around with a little frown. She didn't want to, but she needed to find.... Whoever it was and teach them about the lingo she'd need to know. She had no idea where she was and with everyone else seeming to have scramed, it seemed that she probably wasn't told that Junk was roomed with the engine. Was she gonna have to search the ship herself for the new person? What if she ran into the person that was like Cori? She didn't want to deal with another person that might punch at the drop of a hat. So Junk just stayed there in the doorway, contenting herself with her glancing around the hallway from the door.

[Nope]

Frank had walked the way back to her room and grabbed a small notebook and pen. To big for her pocket, she held them awkwardly, like a high school freshman on the first day of school. She hesitated at her door, glancing back at her stuff in the tiny room.
If she thought to long on how she ended up here, she might lose her mind....and her nerves.

Better now than later. She didnt know what she was going to have to learn, how much of it there was to know, but she was well aware of the time constraint.
Francis cleared her throat, squared her shoulders and started toward down the halls, looking for the quiet mechanic.
She remembered the engine room mentioned on the tour, and the cockpit and the cargo bay.
She wondered in the general direction for a several minutes, feeling more an more unsure of herself.
Watch Sutton, or the Captain catch me wondering like a idiot. She thought.
It was all she needed, more humiliation.

Grumbling to herself, Frankie turned a corner.
Before her was the woman's small figure in the doorway. Frankie edged closer, slowly, feeling her palms dampen. She knew she'd be noticed eventually but she didnt want to just show up next to her in some awkward surprise.
Frankie cleared her throat.
"Hey." She said a few feet away, "You do the, uh, engine biz, right? Im your new student...such as it is."
She tried on a weak smile, but didnt even feel convinced herself that it succeeded.

[AngelDellaNotte]

Sitting in her corner Cori ordered a whiskey paying the bar keep to leave the bottle so she could serve herself. It would work well when she was ready to drug the two unfortunate soldiers whose uniforms they were going to sell. With her pouring the drinks she could easily slip either the sedative or Yohimbe powder into the drink. Her eyes fell on a pair of soldiers standing next to the bar. They were ensigns judging by the belt that ran across their chests and the berets tucked into the belt. Even if she didn't have her Independent training to recognize the ranks, growing up she had been around enough soldiers to know what was what. She glanced over to the door seeing it open and Michelangelo walk in heading to a table close to hers but not the same one. He was close enough for them to speak without being seen together. "By the bar. Those two are so green it almost isn't fair." Cori said, lowly taking a sip of her drink.

“Second thoughts?” Michelangelo asked in a similar voice as he made his spot at the table comfortable. His eyes quickly studied the two indicated; Easy targets normally don't appeal to the pilot as the challenge made the pranks worthwhile. However in this, easy is safer and safer is better. He raised a hand to the barkeep beyond them ordering a drink.

"Not at all." Cori said, holding her hand out for the sedative. "I did say almost. These bastards deserve whatever they got coming to them and more. You of all people should know the kind of assholes the Alliance are." She chuckled thinking of what was going to happen to the two of them. They were green but they had that smug better than you look to them. Cori had to admit this might be more satisfying than just beating the crap out of them.

Michael threw his poncho over himself after redressing. Thankfully his hood and collar covered the marks Mei left on his neck and shoulder. He was feeling much more relaxed as he carried the box with her back to the ship. "Ok we're dropping this off and headed back out." Lowering the ramp Michael set Mei's things just inside before closing it again. The Black Orchard was easy to find and the two entered the establishment. "I see them over there." Michael started moving toward the two with Mei in tow.

Cori saw King and Mei walk into the bar, she stood grabbing her bottle and headed over to the pair. As she got closer she noticed King's hair was wet and Mei's looked like it had been blown dried recently. Her eye brow arched at King as she walked right past him and embraced Mei kissing her on both cheeks then the lips, "Darling so good to see you." She said, her Spanish accent disappearing and being replaced with that of a Southern belle. She linked her arm in Mei's no doubt leading a very confused companion away from the captain and to the bar. Before breaking eye contact with King she nodded over to where Michelangelo was sitting.

They reached the bar and Cori positioned them right next to the two Alliance soldiers bumping lightly into one of them with her bottom. She set her bottle down on the counter and looked to the bartender, "Two glasses for my friend and I." She said, her arm resting on Mei's and stroking it softly. "You know darling I must say I am mighty appreciative of you schooling me in the arts of love. As much as my father would disapprove I do believe it is going to help me find a husband. A girl must know how to keep her man happy." Cori said, loud enough to force the two soldiers to eavesdrop on them hopping that Mei would pick up on what she was doing and play along. She was springing this on Mei with no warning but when she had seen the companion walk in with King the idea popped in her head and was surely to draw the soldiers to them. King wouldn't approve of it but it was too late to back out now. So in a way she had blind sided him as well, granted he should have been expecting it from Cori. She always was the sort to act first and not care about the consequences.

Michelangelo quickly scooped the majority of the pills from his pocket, discreetly handing them to Cori. Sitting at his table the youth pondered the best way to get the young purple bellies to his table and the drinks flowing. Smiling at the waitress who brought him his drink Mikey paid her, anything further was interrupted by Cori’s sudden beeline. Following her movements with his eyes the pilot ordered a beer from the waitress.

“Fancy seeing you here.” Michelangelo said as the Captain joined him, the waitress setting the beer before Michael.

"Cori is out and about in an Alliance owned establishment. That usually means I have a mess to talk her out of and or pay people to look the other way." Michael had a drink of his own. "So do you want to fill me in on what's going on or is this another surprise the captain deals and I have to just watch and react?"

Mei was a little bit confused when Cori dragged her and acted around her like they were friends for a long time. When Cori talked she was once again shocked and felt like something was amiss. Since she was now part of the crew she gave Cori the benefit of the doubt.

"Oh shush you! There's no need to thank me, I'm always glad to share my experiences, especially the ones that involved night time activities."

Mei replied letting out an alluring laughter as she flipped her loose hair to the side and giving the soldiers, which she saw Cori giving a peek, shy glances. Mei wondered of she read Cori's intention right. If ever she was wrong she can easily correct it.

Cori smiled and patted Mei lightly on the arm signalling she was on the right path. Her feeling about Mei had been right and she picked up her intention. Mei had been in the meeting and knew they would need uniforms. Acting like this made Cori think back to her life before the war, more carefree. This was hardly the first time she had played stupid, in her old life it was something she did often as powerful people like to feel superior. Cordelia Sexton had been an expert at tricking people into what she wanted. She poured a couple of glasses pushing one to Mei as she picked up her own and took a drink. Then she let out a playful giggle that was your typical drunk girl laugh. The few drinks she had was no where near what it took to get her drunk but she could fake it. The injection she had taken earlier was doing a fine job of keeping her high and playing a drunk ditz was easy. Without it she would have worked harder on her acting as her default these days was moody, broody and angry.

"Oh playing with you has just been marvelous and I have enjoyed it so much. But when are we going to get to play with a boy or two? I am supposed to be learning how to get a husband." Cori laughed then playfully smacked Mei's shoulder and staggered back a bit like she was was uneasy on her feet. Taking a step back she knocked into one of the soldiers. "If I didn't know better I would think you were taking advantage of me."



“Hold on a second.” Mikey said, motioning for the captain to sit, “Are you saying that you think Cori needs a babysitter?”

Michelangelo leaned back suddenly hurt. “Are you saying you don't think I would be a good babysitter?”

Michael nearly spit out his drink as he watched Cori. "She's not seriously doing that is she?"

“You avoided my questions.” Mikey saided faking insult. “I will not answer yours. Not without a bigger cut.”

Michael cast the young pilot an annoyed look. "No I don't. I think you need a babysitter young blood."

Mei saw that Cori bumped into one of the soldiers confirming her hunch that this persons seemed to be their targets. She stood up and went to the guards with a coyish smile her eyes appeared to have little haze in it making her appear like she was a little bit tipsy. Mei placed her hand on top of the soldiers shoulder slowly sliding it down sensually to the side of his arm, her eyes tracing the soldiers trained body.

"I'm sorry mister soldier, my friend didn't mean it. She was just feeling a little lonely. Can I bother you to forgive us?"

Mei looked up her tongue slowly licked her lips making it appear glossy and inviting alluring the two soldier because she seemed like she was begging for attention. The two soldier chuckled having their interest caught by Mei making the two focus on the girls in front of them.

"If we ever offended Mr soldier, my friend and I are willing to offer anything just to apologize."

She added tilting her head to the side a little while drawling her words out, her cheeks became red as she made her eyes looked like it was burning with wanton desire. From the eyes of the two soldiers she can clearly see that the two fancied them and that she already got them hooked in their trap. Continuing with her act she chided Cori like a little child from her mistake in front of the two while giving the soldiers an inviting glance paired with a sexy smirk.


Gods, the woman was good. The two soldiers had to be turned on by the sight of Mei's performance, Cori sure knew she was. Being with a companion was unlike anything else. They were trained in the art of pleasure and the heights they could take someone to were amazing. It had been some time since Cori had sought out the services of a companion not since before the war. It was a little out of her price range. She was sure her account was still on the companion rolls and it would be charged to her father but it would also give away where she was. Cori wasn't about to give that away. No doubt her mother would send someone to bring her back to New Cardiff. She put her best pout on her face looking at Mei then the soldiers. "Perhaps you would like to join us?" Cori said, holding up the bottle up.

"We're not on duty again until tomorrow morning so why not." One of the soldiers said, gesturing to the barkeep for a couple more glasses. His friend smiled and wrapped on arm around each of the girl's waists guiding them over a table. It wasn't in the area of Michelangelo and King but in clear view of them. While they walked Cori discreetly poured the Yohimbe powder and sedatives into the bottle, swirling it around to mix it. The four of them came to the table where the two men sat down.

Cori leaned into Mei acting like she lost her balance again, she pressed a kiss to Mei's neck as a clumsy attempt to cover her stumble and whispered in her ear, "Don't drink from the bottle." Before sitting herself down on one of the soldier's laps and filling two more glasses.

Mei heard Cori's warning loud and clear. She shot the other girl an amused teasing look. She copied Cori and also sat down at the others lap, intentionally grinding down at the other while she tried to make herself comfortable, making the soldier grunt a little bit from the teasing. Mei can feel that a certain part of the soldier was reacting making her release a knowing smile at soldier.The soldier's face heated up as the desire from his lower half kept rising at her hidden ministrations. Mei took one of the glass and brought it closer to the soldier.

"Care for a drink Mr soldier? I really find it a turn on especially when a man can drink well."

Mei then leaned down till her mouth was leveled with the man's ear while finally passing the drink in the soldiers hand. The soldier gripped the glass as his free hand snaked towards Mei's waist and gripped a little tightly trying to control himself from ravaging the woman in his lap already.

"It really turns me wild in bed."

She added nibbling down the soldiers ear before letting go moving her head a little further from the soldiers head and sending him a flirtatious glance as her fingers played with the soldiers uniform.

It didn't take very long for the two soldiers to finish of the bottle neither one of them noticing that Cori and Mei had barely touched their own. The sedatives would be kicking in quite soon and Cori could tell sitting on the soldier's lap that the Yohimbe powder already had. They would need to get them out of the bar before they passed out. "Say, why don't we get out of here and go somewhere a little more private. I've got a room just up the road." Cori said, removing herself from the lap of the soldiers and holding her hand out. Before they left the bar they walked passed King and Michelangelo, Cori gesturing to the bottle for one of them to pick it up before following.

The four of them stumbled down the road the two soldiers leaning heavily on the ladies. They were almost to one of the farms when the soldier hanging on Cori fell over. His friend stumbled over to him and slapped him on the face a couple of times, "Damn fool can't hold his own liquor. Oh well means I get both of you to myself." He said, standing up and pulling Mei to him fondling her as he did.

He tried to reach for Cori but she pulled away. "Bun tyen-shung duh ee-dway-ro." Cori muttered. "Will you pass out already?"

"What?" The soldier was barely able to say before Cori decked him causing him to let go of Mei and fall top of his friend.

"Guess I did get a few blows in." Cori said, kicking the fallen soldier a couple of times.

Michelangelo casually watched the womenfolk as they worked the marks. He took small drinks to keep from getting buzzed, but he ordered a second drink for himself. “You should relax Captain. Have some faith in your crew.”

Mikey knuckled his forehead as Cori passed. He waited a moment before going to grab the bottle, beating the waitress with a small smirk. He offered a shrug before heading back to the captain. “Early day tomorrow, skip should head out now.”


Once Mikey secured the bottle in his grasp he stood up exited the Black Orchard, following after his first mate and companion, Youngblood in tow. He caught up in time to see Cori deliver several kicks to one of the men who was down. “Cori!” Michael barked. “Enough.” The captain crouched down next to him, examining the damage. “It’s bad enough we’re stealing their shit but if we return them damaged we’ll be in a lot more trouble. I can only talk us out of so much shit.” After checking to see if nothing was broken and satisfied with the light bruising he stood back up, he looked at Cori. “You good?”

Michelangelo shook his head. “Lets get them outta sight.” He said grabbing the boots of one of them and dragging him towards a nearby darkened alcove. “Hurry up. Sooner we're done the better.”

"The bastards deserve it." Cori said, helping Michelangelo drag the soldiers out of site. Luckily they passed out right next to a pig farm. It took a little maneuvering them to remove their clothing and put them in a compromising position inside the pig pen. When they woke up later they won't be reporting any sort of theft. Cori doubted they would even try to brag about the women they had hooked up with. "Trust me King you won't be talking your way out of anything because these soldiers are going to see to it that this incident never happened." Cori said, taking the uniforms and folding them up before sticking them in a bag she had brought. "Kid, remind me not to piss you off any time soon."

[Heson Shadowbane]

Junk gave a nod at Frankie as she came up, her own face not showing anything about it. "Jun Kae. Junk for short." She kept her voice soft and she held up a finger as she ducked into the engine room. She grabbed herself a rather large bag along with the shopping list for the ship. She figured a bit of on hand experience with the equipment would make for better teaching than to teach her herself. Plus the dock master could impart his wisdom as well. Grabbing a stash of her own plat along with the credit log for the ship itself she came back to the door. "Going to get parts. Do teaching there."

She rubbed the back of her neck, glancing up at Frankie before sliding around her, waving for her to follow before she lowered her head down. It made the small mechanic look even smaller as she lead Frankie from the ship and to the parts yard that the dockmaster ran. Speaking of which, as she approaching a man on the fat side of heavy came out of the building set near the entrance to the yard. wiping his hands as he came over with a smile. "Ahh Junk mah girl. Haven't seen you in cycles! I got some enterprising crews looking for a good caretaker of their ship if you're interested...."

Junk was already shaking her head at him, pulling out her list. "Still on Aurora... She still needs me. The crew runs the poor thing hard sometimes... Need shoping. Also have a student." She glanced back over at Frankie, the fat man tucking the rag into his oil stained work outfit before reaching a hand out to Frankie to shake.

"Another junker apprentice eh? I'm Leo, I've worked with Junk for quite a while. She's a prodigy. I gots a bit before another ship comes in for a fix up so I can help out for a bit. Not the first time Junk's gone and prepared a replacement for when she's movin on." Junk actually glared up at Leo who just grinned and raised his hands in surrender. "I meant it in goodness Junk. You care about the ships and make sure it will have someone to treat it right. So how about it? A crash course while we take care of the ship's parts list?"

[AngelDellaNotte]

Cori stood in her quarters, the Aurora had taken off a couple hours ago when it was morning on Persephone. She hadn't slept on the ship the night before, true to her word to Lucy about coming back before they left the planet and staying at the brothel. It had cost her a fair amount but was what she needed to mellow out before a mission. She was standing wearing one of the uniforms they had stolen. It was a little big on her and would need some taking in. She would have to stop by the doctor later and see if she could help out. Stitching clothes had to be easier than a stitching up a body. Cori hated the site of herself in the mirror wearing an Alliance's uniform. She never was much for uniforms wearing the Independence uniform since it at least stood something worth a damn. She supposed that was why she still wore her coat. Leaving her room she walked through the ship toward the medical bay hoping the doctor was up already.

The image staring back at him was one he hadn’t seen in a long time. Michael has blown the dust off his Alliance uniform and tried it on. His medals shined in the light of his quarters. It was as snug as it used to be, he’s lost a bit of weight since leaving the core worlds. Turning to inspect the sides he noticed a small tear that could easily be stitched up. “Damn.” Knowing there was something in the medical bay Michael left his quarters, uniform still on, and walked down the hall toward his destination. Along the way he bumped into Cori. “Oh, hey Cor.” Michael noticed she too was in her “borrowed” uniform. “Having problems fitting in it as well?”

"The ensign we took this off was a bit taller than me." Cori said, gesturing to her pants that were dragging on the ground. "Was hoping the doc could shorten them up a bit. Gods know that woman has stitched me up enough times. I figured she could help me out. What about you? Put on a few extra pounds?' Cori laughed.

“I got a small tear. Probably when I was hauling it around after....well after everything.” Before he got his hands on the Aurora he jumped around a lot and his belongings weren’t always handled with the upmost care. “Just a simple stitch.” The two we’re walking to the medbay. “I know it must kill ya to wear that but just keep telling yourself it’ll hurt them and help out some people on the frontier.”

They walked one of the vacant rooms where Cori pulled Michael into it wanting to talk for a bit away from prying ears. Once inside she pulled the door closed and sat down on the edge of a desk that was built into the wall. "Yeah, I know doesn't mean I have to like it." She said, then paused for a moment thinking that this wasn't the first time she had worn a Alliance uniform. When her father had signed her up for the academy he had her fitted with his personal tailor. "You know my father would love the sight of this."

”I remember how much he was smiling.” Michael shook his head. “You’d have thought he made another deal or something.” He knew how much Cori hated that life. How much she wanted to do her own thing. Even when their parents set them up on their first date she ran off with another girl. Which was fine with him he wasn’t much for it. But seeing his ex-fiancée, his old friend, in an Alliance uniform he could tell that life would never be for her. “Best thing I can tell you is keep doing shit your pops wouldn’t approve of. Other than that you doing ok? Got anything on your mind? Must’ve dragged me in here for a reason and I’m pretty sure your man isn’t around so we have to fake make out again.”

"Just this brings back memories. Ones honestly are best forgotten. You know somedays I almost forget she existed." Cori said, sounding like she was talking about someone else rather than herself. Don't get her wrong she missed the life of luxury, having everything she wanted but it came with strings she hadn't actually been free. Life sucked out here on the rim but least she had her freedom. "I figured this is shaking me up it must be you as well. I guess I just want to say I'm here if you need me. But I'm not kissing you. Hate to break it to you but you are a horrible kisser. Oh and it was my mum who set us up."

”Hey you got young inexperienced me. I’ve come a long way. Not that you’ll ever know so believe me or not I don’t care.” Michael smiled at his old friend. “At least you know I’d have been a good husband. But this is stiring up some stuff.” Michael knew he should tell her. “My last stint in the Alliance did not go well. After they deemed me a failure for the Reader Program they sent me on my way to die. I don’t know what you know of Deadwind but I was the only survivor, from both sides.” Michael unbuttoned his shirt and held it open, showing a large scar. He didn’t care if someone saw it but he didn’t make it a habit of putting it on display. “After I got this I blacked out and woke up a P.O.W. My family disowned me for that.” Michael was reliving the events that led him down his path for the last few years. One bad event after another. His life of luxury, gone. Family, he was deemed an embarrassment for being captured and few, if any, person in the core worlds want anything to do with him. Any Alliance officer who recognized him
Would give him a hard time. “So I’m with you when I say let’s get this done quick, get paid, the get drunk.”

"I had heard rumors." Cori said, no one really knew what happened on Deadwind except those who were there but there were many rumors. "Least your family stopped hunting you down. Every now and then I get drunk and wonder what's going on back home so I look on the data link. You know my mother crafted this whole story about how I am on Bernadette in one of monasteries finding myself. Guess that was better than having the press find out her daughter is a browncoat. I can't imagine what that would do for her career." Every so often one of the detectives her mom sent to find her and bring her home would come close. Before joining the Aurora she had been on Muir and one made contact with her. Luckily she had been using an alias since Cori Sutton had a warrant on Muir. When she lost him, he no doubt ran back to her mother with news of Corine McGee. "You ever wonder what would have happened if we did get married? I doubt the Alliance would have sent the son in law of Victoria Sexton on a suicide mission."

Michael buttoned up his uniform again. “I thought about it once or twice. Didn’t seem so bad spending the rest of my days with my friend. Trust me I could’ve done so much worse for a wife. You don’t know this but after you left ma tried to arrange something with the Falkreth’s daughter. Not Jeanette. The big one Bernadette.”

"Old man Falkreth must have thought it would be the only one of his daughters getting married." Cori laughed, thinking about the trader who was way outclassed in New Cardiff. He had tried to do everything he could to advance. A political marriage was the easiest way. "King, I know you fancied Jeanette but trust me that was never gonna happen. Wrong team. Now there was a girl who could kiss. Was such a damn tease though, I never made it pass kissing." Cori stood up from the desk and walked across the room straightening Michael's jacket. "You always did look handsome in a uniform. Don't look at me like that, I may not be attracted to you but I know you are a good looking guy. Bernadette would have been a lucky girl."

”Must I be cursed to like unavailable women.” Michael chuckles as Cori straightened his uniform. “No need to explain Cor. Just hearing it is nice.” He returned the favor and straightened out her uniform. “There. Finest soldier under my command. I can always count on my first mate.” His arms stayed on his shoulder and he thought about it for a moment. Michael pulled Cori into a hug.

Returning the hug Cori stood there for a moment, Michael was one of the only things she could say she had really missed from her old life. He understood her and just let her be herself, not like everyone else who pretended she was something else. She supposed that was why she always rebelled with her parents, out of spite. Bumping into him and joining the Aurora had been a good thing. After a few seconds she pulled back and had a little flustered look on her face. She was sure the hug was meant to have just been a quick on. Playfully pushing Michael to the door she said, "Come on don't get all sappy on me, I'm way to sober. We should go see if they doc is in."

”Yes ma’am. We got some sewing to do.” Michael laughed as he slung an arm around Cori’s shoulders.

[MidKnight]

A crew was tied up and placed together in a center of the cargo hull. Surrounded by a couple of armed men with masks. One woman walked up to the crew and looked at each one. "What's the take?" She asked the others.

"Money, weapons and a whole lotta nice documents we could use."

She nodded her head slowly. "Not bad." She takes a deep breath and exhales slowly. "But we don't want the government on our tails about this. Once the cargo is aboard our ship....scuttle this one."

"What about the crew?" One masked man asked.

She reached for her revolver, pulls the thumb back and shoots one of the crew members in the head. "What crew?" She replied and walked away. As she turned the others aimed their rifles and opened fire. "We were hired to kill and take goods gentleman. No witnesses."

Another man quickly approaches the woman with a concern expression. "We just picked up several ships heading our way."

"Feds?" She stopped and stared at the man.

"No...their ID's aren't showing on the scanner."

"Crap...Pirates." The ship shook from a hard hit. Several of the crates moved and flew in the room. "What the hell was that?" She looked up and listened carefully as the ship made an awe weary sound. The sound of metal clamping with a loud thud. "Damn, they're boarding the ship." She reached for her rifle and pulled the slide. "Get back to the ship! Arm the explosives!" She hollered.

Gun fire broke the silence as several of her men fell on the ground. She looked to see the pirates armed to the teeth. She aimed her rifle at the ragged men who clothes looked torn and dirty. Puling the trigger several times, shooting at the men who killed hers in return. "Go!" She hollered at the last man who hid behind some crates.

She turned quickly to the docking doors. She heard more gunfire and soon a man's cry for help. She ignored the plea and kept moving. She found the detonator by the door and picked it up. She looked back at the scene to see another man getting beaten up to a pulp. She tears her gaze and gets inside of her ship while being shot at from other pirates.

Closing the door behind her and locking it. She rushed to the pilot seat to get away from the situation. The seat was empty as she sat down and started flipping switches and takes control rod. As the ship pulled away from the other, she leans over to see the pirate ship approaching her and fired several shots. The ship was hit but minor damage. "I hate pirates." She muttered as she reached for the detonator and pushed the red button.

The government ship exploded and the pirate ship was caught in the blast. But not fast enough to fire off a random shot which hit her ship's engine as it flee'd. "Oh no no no no no no no!" She pushed the throttle to get away further and the ship moved quickly as it can at light speed. But the engines were failing and sputtered in fire and smoke. The ship eventually stopped and started drifting in space. She hits the console several times. "Damn it!" She groans in disappointment of what just happened.

Getting out of the seat to check her own cargo hull to find only one crate and it was filled with money. She took her time to count which was just a few thousand...and a quarter. She looked at the damage area of her ship and realized she could not fix it with her hands but the tools were missing as well. "Guess I can't trust my own guys." She was glad to see them gunned down like animals.

Several hours and she was bored. But the sound of an alarm blaring she checked the statues of her ship. Critical damage in the engine which was leaking fuel. She groans and head bumped the console gently several times. "Give me a break." She got on the radio and checked the channel system. "May Day May Day, This is Jade Connors aboard the
the Navarino. My ships engine is in critical situation and fuel leaking badly. Is anyone on this channel?" She waited and repeated the same phrase. "Please I need help is anyone out there?"

[Heson Shadowbane]

Junk and Frankie had spent the day at the yard, Leo helping to fill in the blanks when Junk went silent. It wasn’t a perfect lesson, but a cram session of Alliance parts and tech would have to do. Maybe Junk would give some pop quizzes while in transit.

Back on the ship after they had left, Junk had gone rummaging around in her trunk, pulling out an Alliance Navy Engineer Corp uniform. She didn’t talk much about her previous berths, or at all really. However, she had done a stint upon an alliance vessel at one point. She had even been there long enough to be promoted once. She probably could’ve gone far if she hadn’t attracted the wrong attention. As it stood, she had been lucky enough to feel the wanderlust move her to another ship and she knew it. She didn’t let this bother her though, getting into the outfit without a worry at all.

All suited up, she silently made her way to the galley like the ghost of the ship. She was sitting down in her usual corner of the room, a bowl of sugary cereal set on the table. She ate silently, not drawing attention to herself per usual. At least until she heard something that made her drop her spoon into the bowl as she let out a little whimper. “It’s in pain... dying...” She got this out moments before the mayday message would arrive and she’d just hug her legs up to her.

[Nope]

Frankie had felt weary about leaving the ship. She wasnt a fighter, so she didnt take threats lightly. She wanted to be off the planet and away from Badger. Funny, he hadnt bothered her so much while she was taking his money. But now that she'd snubbed him, she felt exceedingly anxious the longer she lingered.
But she followed Junk anyway, holding her notebook, feeling even more out of place. She tried to keep her glancing around to a minimum.

Frankie was polite when Leo introduced himself. He had a pleasant demeanor, although his hands were speckled with grease. She drew her palm down the leg of her pants after the shake, calmly, as not to be rude.
Throughout the next hour or so, she nodded, asked questions, and jotted down notes.
Junk seemed to be at home among all the....well, junk. Her shoulders seemed to unknit a little further. Frankie left her be, like she assumed Junk wanted, and followed Leo through the mess and parts she knew absolutely nothing about.

There had been a small shop on her home planet, servicing mostly older model ships and pods. She spent very little time around it or its people.
Her planet had been almost a step back in time. Few ships came around, there was very little reason too. Most the people needed was made or harvested on planet.
Going to Uni had been somewhat of a culture shock, although her parents had tried to prepare her. There was just so much of....so much of everything.

The longer Leo talked the more and more Frankie began to realize she was lost. And confused by everything being said. She tried to connect it all to something. But nothing would come.
And then he held up a part, he said its name, and talked about its purpose. He mentioned casually it grew very hot during use.
And she thought, "I bet the burns from that are a glorious mess.
At once, it clicked. She glanced back over her list and imagined the injuries each thing would cause. She might not be able to remember how things affected a ship, but she could always remember how things affected a person.

Her lesson was renewed with vigor as the explanations fell into place in her mind.
After ward, as she and Junk walked back toward the ship, both carrying crates of parts for the Aurora, Frankie felt in such a good mood she decided the Badger knew she was still on planet and if he wanted to hinder her leaving, he would have already. She also decided that since he hadnt, he wasnt going to.
She felt the hint of a smile on her lips.
The sun was out.
Junk was pretty okay as far as people to get stuck with on a ship.
Good day.

Back on the ship, Frankie thanked Junk, brandishing her notebook and saying she had plenty to study, before heading off to her room.
She tossed the notebook on the bed and removed her shoes. The metal of the floor felt cold under her feet. Cold, but more alive than before.
Frankie looked around at the walls surrounding her and said, "Theres a whole lot of ways you could really mess up a body." She smirked. "But you dont, do you? Thanks."
She didnt think the ship would say anything back, nor that it had heard her.
But it did no harm to either of them. And no one was around to chastise her for talking to a hunk of metal.

If no one found her first, she was going to have to go in search of the uniform she'd wear during the heist. She'd check with the pilot first, as he was the less likely to punch her in the face for no damn reason.

[Dnafein]

Before they left Michelangelo had sent off his heavily coded letter to his cousin, the youth still marveled by the amount of things you could hide in a letter with a functioning recipe. Being able to plan out the ships route allowed the youth to give his cousin a place to send a response. The ships last stop for refueling would hold the answers Mikey asked for.

Once they were in the air and on course the pilot had little to do but relax. And so he did, strumming his guitar and watching the stars drift. Occasionally he'd cook a meal and contribute to the chores aboard the ship. The majority of his time however was spent in the cockpit, and Mikey was fine with that. At least until the interruption.

"May Day May Day, This is Jade Connors aboard the Navarino. My ships engine is in critical situation and fuel leaking badly. Is anyone on this channel?"

“Mierda.” Michelangelo said. He flipped a switch his voice echoed through the ship's intercom. “Captain to the bridge, con rapidez.”

Michelangelo recorded what he could of the message, and started to triangulate it. Knowing the captain, the sooner Mikey had that info the better.

[Q]

The amazonian's battle-scarred arms stretched in the confines of her room. She'd never liked being shipboard. Too little influence on the situation, she thought. When it came down to it, her life was now more in the hands of the silent mechanic and the young pilot rather than her physical prowess. And to be fair, that pilot did seem a little naggy. Focused on the helm, but self-absorbed without a doubt. Perhaps it was his alliance smug he picked up from flight academy, or wherever that boy learned to fly. Fluke sighed. She couldn't trust herself to be unbiased, not since the war. It usually didn't matter, but she was on a spaceship with at least two people she didn't seem to share ideologies with. She had to remind herself the war was over.

The war...

She crackled her shoulders thinking about it and a large frown appeared on her face. She had always remained calm in battle, but it were days of leisure when the Alliance's footprint became visible. Her determination came from a bitter place. In more ways than one she was in desperate need for something to release her from her deathmarch to revolution, but she had given up hope long ago.

[AngelDellaNotte]

As they walked out of the room, Cori could hear Michelangelo on the intercom sounding a little stressed. They were still about a day and half away from the station being able to get one more sleep before the mission. Whatever set the pilot off wasn't mission related so it could only be something standing in their way. With how risky this mission was they didn't need anything getting in the way. "Ching-wah tsao duh liou mahng. What now?" Cori said, redirecting their path away from the med bay and to the cock pit. As they walked she brushed past Frankie doing little to acknowledge her and not even noticing Junk, though that wasn't unusual the mechanic was good at blending in with the ship.

Michael entered the bridge and looked across the screens. "What have you got for me young blood? This better be life or death for someone."

Michelangelo answered by turning the volume of the mayday up. "Does this count Jefe?" The pilot said with a shrug. "It's not far from our route. is likely trouble no matter what we do about it."

"Let someone else pick them up we don't need to be picking up any strays right now." Cori said, thinking about the mission. They had no idea who this Jade Connors was. The less people that knew about what they were doing the better. "There has to be another ship out here let them deal with her."

"Indeed it does count." Michael moved over to the copilot seat and pressed a few buttons on the console. "Nothing on long range. We're the only ones out here. No telling when a life line will scurry by. We're going." If anything they could drop her somewhere on their way to the core. Michael grabbed the radio and pushed the button to talk. "Navarino this is the Captain of the Aurora. We're on our way. Are you ok? How many other survivors?"

After repeating the phrase once more she could hear static and someone's voice replying her back. She leans back a little and looked through the open windows to get a better view of the Aurora. "Only pilot to fly this bucket. I had a small crew with me but we was attacked by pirates. My crew didn't make it and my ship is about to be a giant fireball in seconds." She moved quickly to a pile of clothes and rushed to change out her current bloody clothes. The blood wasn't hers but the man she shot. "Plus the fuel line is-" there was a small burst of explosion from the engine cutting her radio off. "Dammit!"

Cori looked out the window to the ship noticing the explosion coming from the engine. The ship could blow up at any moment. "Why are we going to risk our lives for this again?" Cori asked, "That thing is gonna blow and any second. I say get the Aurora as far away as we can. No sense risking her or a shuttle on a fool's errand."

Michael saw the engines spark and flames shoot out the side. "Wángbā dàn. Ms. Connors we're on our way. Can you get to the shuttle or cargo bay?" He turned and fixed Cori with a look. "I'm not letting anyone die without trying to save them. I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing I sat back and did nothing. And deep down I think you'd feel the same. Bring us in closer Mikey to minimize the shuttle's travel time."

She shot an equal look right back at King, despite their little trip down memory lane she wasn't in the greatest of mood, she had slept pretty well at the brothel but had still woke up with a back ache. Without saying anything she left the cockpit stopping by her room to grab her pistols and her rifle along with some extra ammo for both. Then she went to the shuttle that wasn't being rented and sat down checking her weapons.

Her eyes turned to the fire the burst into the hallway area. She moved quicker when sparks came flying out of the consoles, smoke filled the rooms causing Jade to suffocate just a little. Pressing a button to open a door that leads to an escape pod. Once it opens, Jade grabbed what she needed to use. Her weapons, clothes and the small chest filled with cash. She wasn't sure if she should have kept it or let it burn with the ship. Once she had what she needed, Jade quickly moved inside and pressed another button behind her, closing the door between the pod and the ship. Leaping to the seat and hits the "Eject." Button hard with her fist. The pod shoots out from the side and moves fast and quickly from the timely explosion. Searching around in the pod she finds a radio still intact. "Captain of the Aurora...this is Jade. I managed to get out in time...now can you please pick me up? I have some cash for your hospitality."

Michelangelo started to kove the ship closer to the other. His fingers moving smoothly across the controls. Suddenly he spun the ship away and tapped the thrusters nudging them away from the blast, clued kn to its imminent burst by the launch of the pod.

"Eh, Jefe," Mikey started, "If you and Cori suit up, and clear the bay i can grab the pod no problem." He finished his suggestion with a shrug.


"Negative fly boy, we'll pull her in with the shuttle. I'm still not liking the idea of this. If it's a trap only two of us are gonna die. But hey if we do you can have my whiskey." Cori said, though in truth she hated wearing the space suits. First she didn't like the idea only a thin layer protecting you from the vacuum of space and second she had to wear a suit too big to fit her brace into it. She kept meaning to ask Junk to make a magnetic attachment for her boot so she could wear it on the outside of the suit.

"Glad I won't be the only one doing all the heroics." Michael set the radio down and left the bridge, throwing an order to keep the ship a safe distance from the Navarino. Quickly he grabbed his weapons, even his sword, and joined Cori in the shuttle. Shoving his hand cannon into his holster he slid into the pilot seat. "Shuttle two departing." With the usual jerk of the shuttle disconnect Michael flew the ship forward. "Connors this is the Aurora shuttle, you just said the magic words. We're gonna tractor beam you back to the Aurora."

Michelangelo didn't have to do much in the way of keeping his home safely out of harms way. Space is fairly big after all; Still his hanss hovered over the controls, even as his eyes watched his scanners. Trouble generally follows trouble.

It didn't take King long to lock in the escape pod and tow it to one of the airlocks. They secured it then returned the shuttle pod to the dock. Cori lead the way to the air lock and made sure they had a good seal before opening the airlocks door. She had her rifle in hand as she kicked the escape pod door, her boot making a metallic clank against the door. "We got a good seal open the pod door Connors and come out with your hands up." Cori said, cocking her rifle and holding it at the ready.

Michael pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Starting off on this foot huh? All right, I'll indulge." He was standing off to the side, foot propped up and his right arm draped across it as he leaned forward. His gun was held in his right hand and his sword hung on his left hip. "Ms. Connors I promise my first mate is just being over cautious, which I appreciate. You're safe now."

"So am I." She grabbed her shotgun and cocked it once and aimed it at the door. "First you rescue me...now you wanna rob me?" She hid behind the seat and waited a little more. "Should have known you government assholes were coming and you ain't taking me alive that's for certain. So how about you guys put your guns down with your hands up and I won't kill you?"

"You seem a bit confused that you are in a position to demand anything." Cori said, staring at the pod door her finger on the trigger of the rifle ready to shoot. "We ain't gonna rob you and keep in mind we can easily drop your ass back in space." She turned back to King, "Told you this was a bad idea but no you've always got to go play hero."

"Hey hey hey." Michael knocked on the door with his gun. "None of that now. We're not government assholes. Now you said you'd tip us, that's fine. We don't want the rest of your stuff." He looked over at Cori, not forgetting her hero comment. "Sorry I don't want people to needlessly die. Ms. Connors, we're all friends here. What can I do to prove we're not gonna shoot you and take your stuff?"

She thought about it for a moment. Then came to a conclusion. "Drop your guns...and put your hands in the air...and I'll do the same." She carefully got up from the seat. "All the weapons." She reached for her rifle and tossed it outside along with her pistol and the shotgun she was holding and finally her broadsword. "I'm coming out!" Taking slowly steps outside with her hands up her eyes to the floor and finally stopped at the entrance of the pod. "This is a fine welcome party." Than smirked once she looked at the Captain but her eyes slowly gazed to the woman.

As the woman stepped out of the pod Cori lowered her gun so it wasn't pointing directly at Jade but it would only take a second to be trained back on her. They were close enough that aiming wasn't really needed. It was possible that Jade had been attacked by pirates but it was just as possible that she was a pirate and this was a trap. Knowing that King was better at talking Cori let him take the lead in figuring out which Jade was. Should something need shot or punch Cori was your girl but talking that was King's thing.

"She's always like that don't mind her. You get used to it." Michael holstered his hand cannon. "Before we proceed how about you tell us what happened? How'd your ship get in such a state? Pirates? Reavers?"

"I was on a job and apparently pirates decided to interrupt my job." She turned back inside the pod to find the chest and her bag. "Now please may I have something to eat?" She looked around "I haven't ate anything for quite a while. I'll tell ya everything you want to know. Okay?"

Finally feeling like Jade wasn't going attack them she lowered her rifle to her side then guided her to to galley. On the way she tossed the rifle into her room but kept her pistol belt on. It looked strange over the Alliance uniform as most Alliance soldiers used standard issue weapons and they weren't the style of her pistols. Once in the galley she walked over to the refrigerator grabbing some of Micheal's leftover breakfast from yesterday then dropping it before Jade. She also grabbed a beer and cracked it open, drinking it as she leaned against the wall. "What kind of job?"

[MidKnight]

Following the other woman she would have expected a armed group hiding somewheres in the ship. Though she was glad there was none. Continuing to be cautiously with the other who followed she still felt odd. Observing the woman whom brought her a plate, Jade inhales slowly with a hiss. "Frozen grub." Then smiled, "I like it." She sits down and started eating the meal.

Her ears perked up whenever the woman questioned about her job. She picked the eggs with her fork and placed them in her mouth. Munching slowly her eyes looked up to meet hers. Thinking about her next reply. It brought some memories from her teacher when she first became a hitman.

In her past. She was breathing very hard and her body was shaking. Her body was numb but felt pain. There was a sound of a whip and a scream after. "Pain is a feeling that you must endure in your most crisis situation." A voice filled the room. "You must become stronger after each whip." A whip sound filled the air and another scream along with it. "When tortured for information. You must forget your past...instead find a way out."

The girl heard the slithering sound of the whip ready to strike again. Turning quickly to grab the whip only to be struck with another. The girl groaned in pain and fell on the ground.

"But most importantly...expect the unexpected." A man appeared and stood over the girl. "Fail these...you'll be dead in seconds."

After reminiscing her past she looked up again and smiled. "I was with a crew, that traded with the a Government cargo ship. We usually sell goods and such but while we were conducting business. Pirates found us and started attacking fast. I barely made it out while my crew was killed." She takes a piece of bacon and chomped it down hard. "The pirates somehow blown up the cargo ship along with their own ship." She laughed softly. "A bunch of dumbasses anyways." She picked up another piece of bacon but stopped. She slowly turned to her side to see a woman sitting on the bench with her. She jumped in shock and looked at the others. "How long as she been there?!"

[Heson Shadowbane]

Junk had just been sitting there this whole time, legs up on the bench for her to hug with her cereal forgotten before her. The dying engine had kept her in that spot, hearing it scream till it’s bitter end. Even once it was silenced with it’s destruction, Junk just remained in her spot. She almost missed the people filling in with the newcomer. She usually had the spot in this corner of the galley to herself.

Finally she had been noticed, still just staring at the new person.”You let it die painfully.” Yup, that was the first words from the mechanic in the alliance outfit. “Should’ve granted it peace. Core fuel dump once he couldn’t go any more, let the drift carry you instead of trying to keep the broken running without ability to fix...” Her words were soft spoken, but there was hard emotion in them. King would probably even notice the slight trembling that Junk had to her. It wasn’t an engine or machine she knew about, but still it had affected her. She didn’t move from her spot, remaining there with her now too soggy cereal still floating in her bowl.

[Nope]

Frankie opened her eyes. They were knit together with some goo that she scrubbed at with the back of her hand. Her stomach rumbled, reminding her it had been more than a day that she'd had a full meal.
The nap she'd taken had made her mind feel heavy. She felt worse instead of better.
She rolled over to face the photo that lay across the room. He had been broad shouldered and thick with muscle. His glossy black hair had fell in curls over bright green eyes.
His smile was a lopsided mess of amusement that made her heart flush even now. It was a snapshot of a memory.
Francis frowned.
She didn't know what he looked like now, all these years later. He had been a great friend but never wanted more, even if she desperately had.
Instead he'd married a backwoods girl whose father owned the largest bean harvesting operation on Muir. She was blond and thin with a crap attitude and no interest in any of the things he liked.
Last she heard they had two sons.

Frankie sat up, she rubbed at the red hair that would never lay as perfect as Marybelle kept hers. She looked at the photo again. She really should get over it.
"I hope you got fat." She said to him.

She flipped open a mirror she'd lain on the shelf and tried in vain to flatten the hair that had stuck itself straight up from the side of her head during her nap.
It sprung back into a mess after every pass of her hand. Her eyes were red and swollen with sleep. She bore into her reflection for a moment, thinking unkind thoughts before snapping the mirror shut and left the tiny room, forgetting her shoes, and taking on the rough ship floors barefoot.
She wore the same clothes as the day before, now rumpled and creased.
She rubbed at her face in attempts to wake herself up further.

She made her way to the mess, on her own thoughts, the world around her shut out.
There had to be something to eat somewhere.

Her stomach rumbled again. She took a step toward the doorway, catching the metal frame with a bare toe and sending herself tumbling theough the doorway into the galley. "Fucking hell!"
Her head bounced violently off the floor and she lay dizzy for the fleetests of seconds, allowing the pain to subside before she got to her feet, rubbing at the goose egg that would soon sprout under her hair. "Are you kidding me?!" She snapped as she stood. "I can't even fucking walk, no wonder I'm fucking alone. Jesus H!"

She stopped dead. Before her stood a couple of people that already cared little for her, the mechanic she had hoped had at least been okay with her, and some new face. Frankie blinked.

"Who the hell is this now?!" She snapped. "We're in fucking space...where did- oh nevermind! Nevermind!"
She threw up her hands, and ignoring them all, limped to the cupboard, dug angrily for a meal bar and bit off a chunk, mumbling through chewing, "I don't even underatand this crap. Just wanted food. Random space people now....."
She chewed hard as if the clenching of her teeth would give answers and stalked from the room.

In the hall, she turned, and started toward the only place she knew to look for a pilot.

[Griff]

Time had been passing in a blur. It seems each time she blinked an hour had passed. Is this what happens when you get old? She snorted at the thought. She had spent time preparing medkits, but there comes a point when you’ve made too many. There weren’t enough people on the ship to justify making fifty, so she smothered her urge to make more. She had been fiddling with an extra scalpel for an hour, flipping it through her fingers, making a game out of seeing how close she could get it to her flesh without it striking.

God, she hadn’t been this bored in a long time.

She pulled herself out of her trance, looking down at the knife in her hand. What was she even doing? That was irresponsible, unsafe, just...why? Who was she, her brother? She chuckled, even as her eyes darkened at the memory. She had chastised him for even less in the past.

Shaking her head, Anika stepped outside. She needed “fresh air”. She could hear someone stomping and muttering under their breath. She crept towards the noise and found herself by the kitchen. There was a new voice. What had she missed? It was embarrassing that she hadn’t noticed. Stepping into the kitchen, she plastered a smile onto her face.

“Good...afternoon?” She guessed, turning towards Cori, she added, “the medbay is...operational.” Anika hesitated to say ‘ready’ as not to seem suspicious to this new passenger. A young woman, looking shocked. A young woman who just happens to find her way here, instead of anywhere else in infinite space. Alright. She stuck out her hand and looked into the eyes of the new guest, “Anika Mehren. Medic.”

[Ushima]

Michael followed Cori and Jade into the galley. As their new guest sat down at the table and give food Michael went over to their refrigeration until. Reaching inside it he pulled out a bottle of beer. Turning around and leaning against the counter, lacking any opener, he drew his sword. The cap popped off and rolled across the floor. "Sucks that a bunch of idiots destroyed your ship." Michael sheathed his sword and took a sip of beer. He wouldn't know what to do with himself if anything happened to the Aurora. For a ship he won in a card game on some backwater world he was mighty attached to it. It provided him and his crew semi-stable income.

Jade jumped up from the ship. "How long as she been there?!"

Michael pushed himself off the counter. "That's Junk. Bit of a ghost sometimes but she's the mechanic, best one in the galaxy if you ask me." Approaching Junk he placed a hand on her back, soothingly letting running it up and down. "Bit of a warning, she can speak to machines. Your ship was crying out at the end. And she's not the only one on board with abilities." The bottle cap floated up off the ground, crossing the table and dropped itself into the trash bin. "Hope that's okay with you?" Some people he's come across saw powers as unnatural and it's lead to interesting encounters. Like being tried for witchcraft and nearly set on fire. That was fun. Before he could continue speaking Frankie stumbling through the halls caught all their attention. The girl was cursing and stomping off. "You alright?" Michael yelled after her but she was gone. "Okay good talk. So...how about we get you situated with a room? I'm sure you're exhausted after your ordeal."

[Q]

Fluke strolled out of her bunk underway to the refrigerator. Her eyes briefly locked with Jade's. A hireling? In deep space? She wasn't very enthusiastic about it. Then again, she wasn't really a people-person outside of the field. When she arrived at the fridge, she took out the first of her three green apples, bought at the Eavesdown docks.

Fluke sat down in the darkest, furthest corner of the common room. The bench smelled like engine oil. Junk's favorite spot, probably. Her boot-strapped bowie (which wasn't as huge as one might think) sliced into the apple, carefully scanning it for surprises - whether it be worms or pomegranates. Slice after slice, the amazonian munched the green apple away.

[MidKnight]

She listened to the woman sitting next to her. How she detailed about the destruction of her ship and how she felt about it's final ending. "A ship is a ship." She replied. "If I had tools on board I would have fixed her up and she be running like shiny." Still feeling a bit guilty about how she answered with bitterness. Placing the cold piece of bacon in her mouth again and chewing slowly while another person entered the Galley. Rather observing the woman who entered and complained rather loudly than the others. It was odd to see someone who did not know what happened.

Her attention turned when another person entered the Galley. 'How many people can fit on this ship?' She thought as her eyes looked around for any others. She looked back to the woman again to see her hand extended out. Introducing herself the ship medical personal. Jade reached out as well and gives a slight squeeze. "Jade Connors...Entrepreneur."

Finishing her meal and gives a soft exhale of relief she looked to the captain who spoke once more. Introducing the woman next to her as "Junk" Who can read ships. Her hunch was right about the woman. A Reader of sorts. Which was very rare and yet very cautious about their ability. Though it still caught her off guard when she sees the bottle cap moving on it's own towards the trash can. Another person with strange ability. She smiled slightly and looked to the others. "Funny." Her eyes turned to the captain with the spoon in her hand. "I thought I was the only freak." She picked up the spoon with one hand and twirls the spoon around her finger on the other hand. Afterwards she pulled on it to straighten it out and set it on the table.

Her head looked to another who entered only this one didn't say anything except looked at her while eating an apple. Scanning the piece of fruit with a tool Jade scoffed and smiled. "It's a piece of fruit...usually they would turn odd color when they spoil." She hinted. "Or has a bunch of holes." She inhales sharply while picking up her things. "So...where is this little comfort of comfort is?" She asked with a smile still on her face. Before she followed the captain she took a step close to Cori. "Don't ever threaten me with a gun...you're not the only one doing all the pointing." She smiled as she took her leave.

[AngelDellaNotte]

Jade scoffed at Fluke's examination of the apple and Cori knew exactly why she was doing it. "Ever hear of a Griswald apple?" Cori said, taking a step closer to Jade and picking up the spoon. "The Alliance used them during the war. Take an ordinary apple and implant a Griswald grenade inside then leave them out for starving independent troops to find. Bite into and boom. After you've watched your Lt get blown to bits you get a little paranoid or you lose the taste for apples."

Shortly after joining the war Cori had witnessed just that. They had ran out of food a couple of days before. The Lt had taken a squad to look for food and came back with a case of fresh apples. He had been so proud of his find that he ignored the Sergeant Major's warning for caution. They never did find his dog tags. Cori hadn't eaten an apple since that day.

Before Jade left room Cori walked over to her and tucked the spoon into her pocket patting it closed. She leaned in real close the whispered, "I don't need a gun to threaten you." She stepped back and let King show her to the rooms. "Hey doctor I could use a little tailoring help and you're the closest thing we got."

[Nope]

Michelangelo sat in the cockpit, his guitar leaned against the bulkhead nearby. The pilot's fingers hovered near the ships controls, his eyes carefully watching the sensor displays. He recalled the words of his Abuela about pirates. "Once you think the last pirate is gone, another shows up."

Having been on both sides of a raid he knows the truth of those words. And so while the Captain and Sutton dealt with the newcomer, Mikey watched for the scavengers coming along to pick the bones clean.

Frankie finished the bar, licking the last of the melted coating off her fingers. She never was one much for cooking. It had not ever been a skill that she needed. Her mother cooked at home, her school provided meals, and once she was alone, in her own derelict apartment, she had not had access to a working stove.
She ate when she could, or whatever was closest when she was hungry. More often than not, it was some sort of sweetened cheap food that kept her just on the other side of starving and made her a little more plump than she cared to be.
She drew her wet, sticky fingers down the front of her shirt and turned a corner toward the cockpit.

She didn't feel in the mood to be anxious about her life decisions. In fact, it might be anxiety itself that was chasing her mood.
Or maybe she was adjusting.
Perhaps this is why everyone is so miserable. she thought. Perhaps she was only beginning to fit in.

Frankie rubbed again at the sore place on her head, trying to ignore the throbbing that had set in.
She stepped into the cockpit to see the young man's attention on the display. She cleared her throat.

"Hey, so do I need a uniform or something for this crime? Or...

Michelangelo spun, a hand darting under his console before the words and the person standing there registered. He pulled his hand back and sighed. "Jesus, give a guy some warning..."

Glancing back at the displays he noted that the Aurora was swiftly moving away from what remained of the ship she had moved to help. "Wha- Uniforms?" Mikey's eyebrows drew down as he was thinking. "Eh, remind me what your part's supposed to be?"


She stared blankly while the pilot startled. She caught his hand move out of the corner of her eye. She tensed but relaxed soon after when he addressed her.
She scratched the back of her neck. She thought she had given him warning. Did he want her knock? She'd cleared her throat. It wasn't her fault she didn't stomp around like some angry rhinoceros like the rest of the miserable sacks of angst on this ship. "I'll knock next time." She muttered.

When he asked about her role in the heist, Frankie narrowed her eyes tightly and looked up toward the ceiling, thinking. "Some sort of ....tech? I just got a crash course in ships. So...I'm sure that has something to do with it.

“That's right,” Mikey said with a nod. “You're our second tech. Uhhh…”

The pilot leaned back as he thought, swiveling back and forth as he dove through his memories. “Coveralls would probably work best; Don't want grease on your uniform after all…” He added teasingly. “Jun should have some fairly clean purple ones.”

Michelangelo frowned studying the woman before him. Even as he did he realized two things, so asked. “How's your sewing?”

Frankie shrugged. "If flesh and fabric are anything alike, I'll manage."

From the corner of her eye she noted a guitar. "You play?" She asked, motioning to the instrument. "

“You'll likely need to take in the coveralls a bit. And we'll need to find the right patches for both you and Junk.” Michelangelo explained.

An eyebrow quirked, and a charming smile appeared on his face as she asked about his guitar. “As often as I can.” He answered. “Why do you ask?”

"Oh, I picked up some piano from my father." She waved away the comment. "If we survive this thing and find one, we could start the lamest band ever."
She smiled.

"I'll keep an eye out for one." Mikey said with a smile. "Better go talk to Jun about those coveralls." He added after a moment, "Sooner you have it, sooner you can hem it."


"Right." Frankie gave a nod, a wave, and ducked out of the room.
She felt better some, as she walked down the hall, she had had a positive connection with someone on the ship. That was three she could assume at least tolerated her presence. The Doc, the Pilot, and the Mechanic.
That was more than usually cared to be around her. She wondered why. She wasn't threatening, or rude. Or ugly....she wasnt ugly, right?
Why do people feel so uncomfortable around ugly people anyway? Ugly doesn't necessarily mean awful or evil. What is ugly? How do you judge it? Personal preference, probably. Or social? Both.
"In not ugly." She said aloud, brushing the back of her neck with her hand. "I'm...awkward."

She walked past the galley, saw everyone still in the room, but preparing to depart, and decided to wait until Junk was alone again before asking about the coveralls.
Frankie had done enough to embarrass herself in front of all those people for one day.

[Griff]

Anika frowned at the new passenger’s posturing. Only an idiot would threaten someone as obviously armed as Sutton. Her eyes narrowed and followed the passenger as she left the room.

She was shaken out of her stare by Sutton. Chuckling, she said, “I suppose I could give it a try. My brother always said I should stick to fixing people. Unlike clothes, people tend to scream at you when you’re doing something wrong.”

“I’ve never complained about your patch jobs doc. Sure they hurt like hell but you got a clean stitch.” Cori said, propping her good leg up on a bench gesturing to the pants she was wearing which were rolled up a couple of cuffs. Cori was tall for a woman but the soldier she had taken the suit from had been over six feet. Lucky for her the soldier carried his height in his legs so only the pants were too big and the coat fit. “Just need the hem taken up a couple inches.”

Anika frowned in thought. “Okay, so, I’ll pin it here…” she trailed off, rummaging through her pockets for various stickin’ needles. Sliding various sized sharp bits into the pant leg, she looked up, “I guess we can get started, here’s to hoping you don’t regret it.”

When repositioned from her comfortable corner, Fluke sat down next to Anika and Cori. Still biting on the last bits of apple, she cold-stared at the bulkhead King and Jade left through. “Odd place to pick up hitchhikers.” She shifted down the bench, careful not to get in Anika’s way. “I don’t like her.” Fluke was, obviously, more talking to Sutton than anyone else. She did seem less tense in Anika’s presence.

Anika looked up, grunting in agreement. She may have been forcing her way into the conversation, but she wanted her opinion known. A pin slipped out of place. She hastily corrected it. Moving the needle she had held between her teeth to the side, she said, muffled, “Many things are suspicious. Don’t trust anyone who can move metal with their mind.” Frowning, she turned her head slightly, “That reminds me, Jun, are you alright?”

Junk just gave a small nod, even as she hugged her knees up to her. Her gaze was fixed upon the newcomer as she left the galley, her poker face up so she didn’t really show off anything of how she felt about the person. However, with those that had been on the ship with Junk probably already understood how she was really feeling.

Looking down at Anika and her pants Cori was a little surprised to see a hypodermic needle sticking out of the cuff of her pants. Well Anika was a doctor not a seamstress and beggars can't be choosers. So long as she didn't get stuck with them. She glanced over to Fluke, “I'm not exactly thrilled about it either but King is in one of his hero moods.” Cori said, “Hey Fluke you mind lifting up the cushion you are sitting on and giving me the bottle in there?” Cori had liquor and pills stashed all over the ship. Mostly she didn't care who knew where they were unless someone drank the last of it without replacing it.

With neither question nor delay, Fluke handed Cori the bottle. Her gaze on the bulkhead finally broke. “He does that often, doesn’t he?” She said lightheartedly.

“Yeah, he does a bit too often for my liking.” Cori said, taking a drink straight from the bottle. King was one of the good ones, she had to admit that. Even when they were kids he was always helping others out. Sometimes she wondered how he had come from the Core Worlds, he didn't quite fit in. Her on the other hand she had been born into the life of privilege and enjoyed it. Sometimes she wondered herself why she had given it up. What's that old saying about getting a taste of the other side? She couldn't stand all the hypocrisy anymore. “I have to admit his heroism has pulled my ass out of the fire a few times. I know I would have let my dumb ass sit in jail after some of the crap I've pulled.”

Despite Fluke initially disliking King, she could empathize with Cori. In their years for the independence, men like that were exactly what they inspired to be. It was unfortunate that most of the browncoats weren’t really the brightest bunch, nor very empathic. And those who were quickly fell to shellshock or worse.

Anika grinned, proud of her work. “It’s all pinned up. Now, strip!” She paused, and cringed, “Please? Oh and, I’d move your leg slowly.” She hadn’t encountered anything new in the longest time, which was both exciting and pathetic. “How do you both know each other, again? I don’t believe I ever asked about the specifics of your relationship.”

Sitting down Cori found a seat next to Jun and set the bottle on the table before the mechanic. She then reached down and started unbuckling her brace, once all the clasps were undone she dropped the brace on the table getting a loud thunk. She didn't look at Jun but figured she was giving her a dirty look for not treating the hardware better. “Relationship? Never been there, Fluke ain't my type you know I like my women a little more feminine, doc.” Cori said, kicking her boot off then lifting her hips up and shimming her pants off. Since she wasn't wearing her brace she wouldn't have the strength to stand on her leg. It took a little work but soon she was sitting there in the top half of the uniform and a pair of spandex shorts. “We served in the war together.” She said, picking the bottle back up and taking another drink then offering a drink to Jun even though she figured the mechanic would refuse.

Junk shook her head at the offered bottle, instead dragging the brace over to her. She grabbed some tools off her alliance issue tool belt and went to work upon it. Sure it was working pretty good as it was, but Junk always had a mind to improve things. She took a section of the brace apart to work upon it. New bolts and screws came from her pockets as she replaced old bits, and gave it a nice little polish with an oily rag. “Not bad… Strong.”

Anika grabbed the pants, and took the needle out from between her lips. “Ah, acquaintances then. I’m always glad to see more trustworthy people on this vessel.” She pulled out the sewing thread, much thinner and more breakable than what she was used to, and pushed the needle through the fabric. She pulled the needle up. The thread snapped. Next time, she would use less force. Cloth was less dense, and a completely different texture than human flesh. Anika enjoyed the challenge, and at her second go was able to stitch it without it breaking. She stitched all around the hem and tied it off, pleased with her work.

Fluke grinned at Cori’s answer and nodded along with the doc’s response. “Used to be the platoon’s drill sergeant.” She remembered a far less brass version of Cori, early into the battle on Du-Khang. “Corporal Sutton was our best sapper.” Fluke intercepted Cori’s drink and took a swig before setting it back down in front of the mechanic. “Until she stepped on a bloody landmine.” Rude chuckling followed, but Fluke knew the roughness of her words would only help lighten the mood. After all, by then she was lying shot-up and screaming in some trench herself.

“Nasty business, combat. Never spares the pretty ones.” Anika muttered. The second pant leg was finished slightly quicker than the first. And only a few of the pins had fallen out! She tried not to grin, but let a small smile leak through. “How is this?”

“Yeah, yeah I got myself blown up, damn mine couldn't even do the job right.But if I remember correctly you were lying in a ditch with a few extra holes in you.” Cori said, closing her eyes briefly. She joke about it now but when she had woke up in the hospital she often wondered why the mine hadn't killed her. She sure as hell didn't want to be alive, she was always in pain and Conrad was her fault. She didn't deserve to live. In the hospital she had bought a gun off of one of Badger’s men but didn't have the courage to finish the bomb’s job. Shortly after that a medic gave her the brace. When she left the hospital she was determined to drink herself to death or be killed in a fight. Least until King came along.

Fluke held up three fingers in return, reminding Cori of the alliance tanks she single-handedly stopped in their tracks to the 57th Overlander’s holdout. But eh, she didn’t like to brag. Besides, what were once heroics are now mere reminders of a bloody past and their ever-present fight against oppression.

Picking up the pants Cori wiggled into them it being easier this time without all the needles sticking out. She held onto the table and pulled herself into a standing position. Most of her weight was on her good leg and the table. Looking down she noticed that the left leg was perfect even if the stitches looked a little odd. The right leg however hung about an inch lower than the other. Cori laughed and wondered if the doctor had measured wrong or accounted for the brace. One of the reasons she always hurt was because of the brace lifting her right leg a little higher than the left. The pants looked off now but with the brace on they would be perfect.

Junk had put the brace all back together by the time the doc finished up the pants. She gave it a polish and gave the moving bits of it a dabbing of lubricant. However, the final touch she had put upon it was an Alliance sticker. Considering what their current job was she had decided it might be good to put on it, leaving it to where Cori could easily pull it off after the mission. She slide it back over to Cori, tapping on the sticker so that she’d notice. She might even notice it was placed right where Junk had bedazzled a smiley face once. She wiped her hands clean upon her Alliance engineer outfit and gave a small nod to Cori and the others.

Cori dropped back down to the seat, the strain of standing on her own being too much. She was out of breath and starting to hurt. It took a few moments for her to compose herself and a few drinks off the bottle. Then she finally noticed Jun had been tinkering with her brace. Sneaky little mechanic. Her fingers tapped on the Alliance sticker and she laughed. There were scratch marks around it where Cori had used her knife to pry off the pink sparkling gems. She had been pissed at the time but had to admit now it was pretty funny. Still to this day she wondered if Michelangelo had put Jun up to doing it but neither was talking. “I liked the smiley better.” Cori said, then put the brace and her boot back on. “Thanks,” she said, her comment geared to both Jun and Anika.

[AngelDellaNotte]

Cori stood up ignoring the pain that shot through her leg and back from standing without the brace. She took another drink from the bottle then left the room leaving the bottle behind for Fluke and whoever else wanted it. She walked through the ship to her room where she changed back into her regular clothes leaving the Alliance uniform hanging up. Next she walked to her dresser where the injection gun was lying. She picked it up thinking about taking a dose for the pain. They were on the eve of a mission though and she didn't want the drugs clouding her mind. However the pain was intense. She would need to do something before tomorrow. Setting the injection gun back down she remembered they had a companion on the ship and they were well trained in the art of massage. Perhaps she could pay Mei to help her out.

She left her room walking back to the shuttles where she knocked on Mei's door. After a moment the companion opened it and welcomed her in. There wasn't much in the shuttle but Mei had decorated with some of the things she had brought from the guild. Cori had been willing to pay for the massage but Mei refused to take any money. The massage had been amazing and Cori felt better than she had in a long time. The medication and alcohol never really took the pain away it was more like it just made her not care about it. After the massage some of the tension was gone and she truly felt better. It was nice too, as Mei had worked they had chatted and Cori opened up to Mei a bit. They didn't really talk about anything specific but it wasn't really small talk either. It just felt like they had known each other for years.

Past experience with companion's caused Cori to act on muscle memory and after the massage was over she had kissed Mei. When Mei didn't stop her or pull away kissing had turned into more and a while later they were lying in Mei's bed cuddling, drinking tea and talking some more. Cori had fallen asleep in Mei's shuttle and spent the night there.

[Ushima]

Michael King led Jade through the halls of the ship toward the guest quarters. Again I apologize for Cori. She's just doing her job and making sure everyone on board is safe. She thinks I'm a little too trusting. Too much of a nice guy. But there is one thing I'd like to know now that it's just you and me. Any of that story real?"

She slightly nodded in agreement with a grim look. "Understandable." She added. "But still I don't like being threatened just for being stranded. A dead give away when you're running away from something." Then smirked. She stopped and looked at the captain in the eye. Thinking he is far smarter then she had thought. "Well...half of it...I was...robbing it." Her face turned a little pale. "I'm a actually something you should not have on this ship to be more understandable."

Michael stopped in his tracks. Sighing he pinched the bridge of his nose. "God damn it I'm never gonna hear the end of this." If Cori found out he let a thief on board because he had to take the morale high ground she'd throw it in his face every chance she got for at least six months. Probably more. They did not need a thief on board while they were trying to pull off their heist job. "...wait a minute..." He scratched his chin. "How good are you?"

She stood there and her smile disappeared. "Between you and me?....I'm a contract hitman." She took a step back. "I take jobs that needs killing." Then raised both her hands up quickly. "No need to fret now I only take contracts that take out the baddies okay?" She felt a little nervous. "Now unlike your crew I was never in the war...was too gorram young for that." She sighs softly. "But I did steal when I was in my teens and was damn good at it too...or so I was told."

"A hitman too? Fuck." Michael sighed again and continued walking. "Lucky you missed out on the war. Some of us are vets. Cori was an Independent and I was in the Alliance, till they tried to have me killed. You'll fine no love for government here. But if you're as good as you say we might have use for you if you're looking for employment. How good are you at hacking Alliance systems?"

"I'm a contract killer not a hacker." She tilted her head and scratched the side of her head for a moment. "Maybe a thing or two about bypassing Alliance databases. But remember I'm not a pro!" She lied. She felt it was enough to inform the captain about her trade and did not need to inform anything else. She gives a soft sigh and reached for her chest and opened it looking for the money. She hid her stash from the captain and pulled out at least five hundred and handed it out to the captain. "Here's for your hospitality once again." She smirked and licked her teeth while looking at the captain from head to toe. "You got work for me?" She asked. "Who do you need dead?"

He took the money and pocketed it quickly. "I'm old school. If I want someone dead I do it myself." Michael led the hitman to an empty room. "Here's where you'll be staying. Not much but at least it isn't on fire and about to explode. You'll be limited around the ship. Call if you need anything. Food. Bathroom. That sort of thing.

"I have only one question. What's the job?" She asked while setting her things in and looking around. "So I need an escort around the ship because now you know who I am correct?" She asked again but moved around the room and touched the walls with her hand. "You don't need to worry about a thing...if I wanted you dead I would have done it in the mess hall." She smirked. "I'm kidding." She wasn't. She had ideas how to kill the two instantly with the fork and the twisted spoon.

"Oh just ripping off an Alliance research station." Michael looked at his nails as if to say the job was no big deal. "They have something that'll make life miserable for other people and someone else decided it'd be a bad idea if they finish the project." And he'd enjoy ripping off the Alliance. "That sate your curiosity?"

She stood there thinking for a moment and looked at the captain again. "Putting a thorn to the Alliance side?" She smirked. "Sounds like fun to me." She walked over to her belongings and opened the chest. "It's an odd coincidence that your gonna mess with Alliance when I was one step ahead of you." She reached inside and found a document that she found with the money. "I did plan on selling this piece of document to a certain person I know of." She waved the folded document in the air. "But with a little extra percent in my share...I could let you take it off my hands."

Michael eyed the document, eyebrow raised in curiosity. "Mind telling me what it is exactly? Before I decide if it's worth my time and money since I'm going to be paying you out of my share if it's that good." He couldn't short any of his crew to fork over their cut for this, if this turns out to be anything at all.

She let's out a soft sigh and placed the document back in the chest and closed. "Codes." She stated. Placing her elbow on the top shelf next to the chest. "Codes that can get you in and out of certain areas like the supply areas where they store food and medical items." Then she folded her arms. "It could save you time from hacking into a high security facility that could locate you in seconds." She reached for her bag and found her clothes. Picking her clean clothes she looked at the captain once more. "Or I could keep it to myself and get dropped off somewhere. Sell it to a higher bidder." She pulled a shirt out of the bag. "Its up to you." She started undressing herself.

"I'll think about it. Now it has been an interesting talk but I have to get back to captaining." Michael made his way to the door. "Make yourself comfortable. We'll be back with dinner but if you need anything you can call us on that terminal. See you later Ms. Connors." With that Michael closed the door and locked it, letting out another sigh. "Another woman on board....I need more male friends." Shaking his head, a small smile on his face at the joke, he returned to his duties.

[Q]

(Co-post by Griff, J'Von and Q. Authors are self-explanatory.)

Fluke took a swig out of the bottle of liquor. It was about half-full; Cori had drank most of it. “Say, doc…” She put on her most compassionate face, which honestly wasn’t very compassionate. “You’re from the core, right?” She paused. “Do you like it there?”

Anika hesitated. “I wasn’t born in the core, but I spent a lot of time there with my brother. I don’t know if ‘like it’ is an accurate sentiment. There was never much choice in my life, so I am greatly enjoying the freedom of being out of alliance space. I did however like being with my brother, so I’ll appreciate the time I spent with him in the core, rather than what it was.”

As she took another try at the hard liquor, Fluke remained silent. There was little to disagree with and even if there was, she knew the doc was no pushover. “What does your brother do?”

“Did.” Anika grimaced. “He was a merchant, shipping cargo around mostly. He vanished on one of his runs. Reavers, probably.” She let her eyes close for a moment. “I don’t really like to think about it much. After he was gone I packed up and started wandering, eventually found my way here.”

“Well.” Fluke took yet another sip at the mentioning of reavers. Not a small one, either. “They’re lucky to have you, doc.” The bottle was almost empty. Fluke sighed. She would have to get Cori a new one next port.

Jade was sitting on her bunk checking her things once more before looking at the terminal King had mentioned. After changing into fresh clothes and yet her stomach rumble. Either the cold breakfast was not enough or was causing something else. She gets up from her bunk and walked over to the terminal and pressed the button. She hits it several times wondering if anybody was gonna answer her. “Hello?” She spoke on the mic. “Anybody home?” She continued pushing the button until she could hear another voice. “I’m getting hungry in here... very hungry. I paid for nicety.” She sighs roughly and looked at the door. She frowned for a second and gives a quick kick.

Anika and Fluke paused their conversation at the newcomer’s outburst. Raising her eyebrows, she grabbed an apple off of the table and tossed it to Fluke, shrugging. “Shall we?”

After a long pause, a few firm knocks sounded on the door. “We got you a bloody apple. Happy?” Fluke, annoyed by Jade’s annoying requests, was back to her permanent frown. And Anika had just softened her up! The bunk door opened. A bulky figure handed Jade a green apple and a knife. The smelly marine remained leaning against the doorpost until Jade had finished, suspicious of this deep-space hitchhiker.

Anika stood in the doorway next to Fluke. The irate passenger grabbed the apple from her. “Do you need anything else? Do you have any injuries?”

Once the door opened. She stopped and looked at the person who entered. It was the girl who was eating an apple from earlier. Looking at the offer Jade only scoffed and grabbed the apple and knife. Her nostrils filled with a toxic aroma and yet familiar. “Smells like you been drinking.” She placed the apple on the bunk and twirled the knife with her hand. Slicing the apple into forces with precise and a strong cut. “I’m gonna guess the whole bar?” She asked curiously as she eats one slice. “And I'm gonna guess this is dinner?” She chewed loudly and scoffed again. “Think I was better being blown to pieces.” She looked at the knife and twirled it with her hand again. “So...who the hell are you?” But her attention to the medical doctor Anika.Whom asked her a question. She looked at her from head to toe. “Only this.” She showed her the apple. “Is this how you treat people?” She shakes her head and scoffed. “A apple? A five star dinner.”

Anika took a deep breath. “My apologies. However, I’d imagine it’s better than nothing. We can try to get you more soon.” She looked at the young woman, whose attitude was so horrible. What makes someone like this? The woman was able to move metal with her mind, it gave Anika a few guesses on how she developed those skills. None of them particularly kind. One of them much less so.

Fluke looked at the bottle in her hand behind the door. There was maybe a shot left. “Just a bit.” Quite forcefully, she slammed the bottle on Jade’s table and left it there. “Listen, girl, you better watch your tone.” Fluke ignored most of her other questions and remained stoic. Her eyes fell upon Jade’s crate; probably filled with the money she’s so kind to share. “We have an airlock, you know.”

Jade smirked at the woman and looked at the bottle. She quickly grabbed the bottle and held it close. “You know drinking is a bad habit to have.” Squeezing slightly until the glass cracked and then shattered in pieces. “You got an air lock?.” She takes a step closer. “I got two fists you know.” Her eyes dead serious as she kept her gaze on the woman. “For someone who is pretty your an ass.” She takes the knife in the other hand stabbed the table hard. Very hard. She stood close to the point she could smell the taste of alcohol on her own breath. Making her think of her own drinking days.

Anika frowned, and felt her arm go up reflexively to stop the knife from stabbing the table, but she held it back and bit her tongue.

Fluke’s frown grew colder and colder. The arrogance! She stood perplexed. Drinking was a mere vice to her, often only to celebrate the dead. Assumptive, this one. Fluke’s forehead swiftly smashed against Jade’s nose. Before long, there was some distance between them. The amazonian was unleashed! Her brawling stance was on; legs wide, arms up and her braid trailing down her shoulder, bouncing at each hop. “You ‘gonna be chill, girl?” The grin on her face told Jade that she’d never submit. “Or you ‘gonna try and cut me?”

Her head jerked back and felt a sudden pain in her nose. Her hand reached up to check it but no blood. She looked at the woman who was in a fighting stance. “Your on.” Jade smiled and licked her lips. Jade positioned herself and moved around the tall woman. “You're gonna regret this.” She takes a step forward with a hard right hook.

Anika rushed forward, only a step needed to get in front of Fluke and catch the swing. A loud thwack sounded from the impact of Jade’s fist on her hand. She held it firmly. Anika’s teeth were gritted. “Please, you’ve been on this ship for a few hours and you’re already attacking the crew members? Horrible manners.” Her eyebrows were pulled down, glaring at the newcomer.

Fluke quickly aided the doctor’s attempt at defuse. The situation was all a bit messy and it started to feel somewhat crowded in Jade’s room. All sorts of shelves came tumbling down while Anika and Fluke’s combined lady-power forced the foulmouth into a corner. When they briefly overcame Jade, Fluke pushed Anika out of the room as gently as possible. Didn’t want to hurt the good doc, of course. With her free leg she closed the door behind her, but did expose her back while doing so. It left the two femme fatales in intense close-quarters.

Jade moved back a few steps as she felt the power between the two. She observe the tall one pushed the doctor out of the room. Seeing a window opportunity she took it by rushing towards her and jumped to the side. Grabbing the armor with one hand and neck area with the other, her feet felt the wall and pushed hard against it. Shoving the woman against the opposite wall to strike at her side while remaining on her back like an animal. Her arm moved back and forth several times and her fist kept hitting the armor weak spot and the other held near the neck area. Keeping a tight grip.

Fluke’s pretty amazonian head smashed into the wall. She tried to get Jade off her back with her arms a few times, but eventually resorted to brute violence and smashed the entirety of her back body (with Jade still on it) against the opposing mirror. Bloodied glass cluttered down on the floor. “Chill it!” She shouted when she regained the upper hand and held an authoritarian finger up to intimidate Jade into submission.

Once her back hit the mirror and both her arms whipped back letting go of the woman. She felt her feet touch the ground but sharp pain in her back. She looked at the glass pieces on the ground with blood stains. Her eyes gazed back up only to see the woman's finger pointing at her face and telling her to 'Chill it.’ She stopped in confusion of what that meant. “Then back off.” She muttered keeping her fists closed.

“Fine!” Fluke’s fist re-opened the bulkhead. She straightened her jaw and brushed past Anika while pointing at Jade over her shoulder. “New patient, doc.” The room was in ruins. Sharp pieces of mirror on the floor, fallen books, broken shelves… It was a sight to behold. And that only in the brief time the door was closed! As a final symbol of her discontent, she kicked the Aurora’s interior with her prosthetic - one far less flimsy than poor Cori’s. “Blasted cutthroats!” The clank echoed throughout the ship.

Anika snorted. She had been fuming after being locked out of the room, and they expected her to treat them? They could nurse their own wounds. “I’ll be letting the captain know. In the meantime,” Anika closed and locked the door, “no one who attacks crewmembers is allowed to wander the ship unsupervised.”

[MidKnight]

Once the door shut and locked from the outside. Jade walked up to the door and gives it a hard punch leaving a small dent in the middle. Frustrated and adrenaline still kicking in her system she was breathing a little hard from the hard crush. She looked at the ground and looked at some of the broken mirror pieces and sees the blood still fresh. She groaned as she felt a slight pinch in her back. She carefully reached behind her back trying to feel for cuts. She felt some pieces of the mirror still attached to her and large shards pierced into her skin. She hissed quietly as she pulled each shard out and tossed it on the ground.

Picking up her bag on the ground she searched inside and pulled several shirts out. She reached for her previous shirt and ripped it in half. Using one as a bandage and the other half as a cover. Wrapping the shirt around her body and felt the cuts being pressured she let's out a soft sigh.

From there she kicked some of the broken glass away from her bunk and moved the shelves near the corner of the room. Finally laying on her bunk but mainly on her back to keep pressure on the cuts and minor wounds. She hissed at each pressure she felt and each one stung like a bee. She was able to relax and sighs heavily. But she kept a smile on her lips from the aftermath of beating a woman who was a couple inches taller than her. "Yup. I still got it." She placed both her hands behind the back of her head and lifted one leg over and crossed over her other leg. Her eyes closed and in minutes drifted to sleep.

[AngelDellaNotte]

[Deleted for continuity]

[Nope]

(A co-post with King, Fluke, Dr. Mehren and Frank)

Taking stock of munitions was never an exciting time for anyone. But they were going head first into trouble and that meant a possibility of combat. And combat meant a need for bullets and medical supplies. But as the captain was walking to the medical bay to take stock of everything to get a more up-to-date he soon realized something was happening. He didn’t even make it all the way to his destination. Michael was stopped outside his newest passenger’s room. “What the hell is going on?”

Fluke was flexing her muscles, still groaning and pumped-up with adrenaline. “She’s bad stuff, cap!” She gestured towards Jade’s room, shaking her head along with it. While Fluke knew she was pushing her authoritarian limits, she couldn’t help but add her own suggestion. “You’d be smart to space the jien-huo.” She pulled her finger back from King’s chest and walked towards the dining area with a slight limp. Seconds later, one of the Aurora’s ceramic plates could be heard cluttering on the floor.

Anika stood in the hallway, her arms crossed. She tonelessly reported, “We were sitting in the kitchen when Jade called over the intercom that she was hungry. We brought an apple. Jade and Fluke began to argue and I was unsuccessful in diffusing the situation. They locked me out and fought.” She allowed a bit of frustration to leak into her voice, “I think that about covers it. Oh, and Jade stabbed the table.” Anika sulked, just a tiny bit. She liked the furniture on the ship.

“That was a good table.” Michael set his datapad down. “So you guys brought her an apple when she was hungry.” Being captain, and at times a decent human being, sometimes sucked. As a leader he had to examine all sides, get all the information. “Why did Fluke start an argument?”

“Jade was unhappy with my choice of sustenance, Fluke was slightly inebriated. She told Jade to watch her tone, making the first threat that we have an airlock. Jade pulled a knife, Fluke headbutted her. I tried to intervene but was pushed out of the room.” Suddenly, the closed passenger door dented outwards with a loud bang, from Jade punching the door. Anika frowned further, “I believe my opinion on the passenger is clear. Too many holes in her story and too much property damage.”

An explosion and a scream. Frankie jerked awake, sweat beading on her forehead. Her shirt felt damp and clung to her skin. She gasped for breath, trying to still the beating of her heart. She swallowed. The commotion continued. But no longer in her mind. Now it was real, not a nightmare. Odd, she’d hardly realized she’d fallen asleep. Frankie decided to thumb through her book on psychology. There had to be more than depression for the reason she had been sleeping so often. The voices down the hall were muffled but still loud. There came a crash and a slam. Frank slipped from her bed and padded down the hall. Fluke walked away as Frank approached the Captain and the Doc. She noted the pained expressions between them and Anika’s remark. Frankie glanced between them and replied, “I mean, neither of you actually believed anything she told you right? I guarantee you there’s a corpse pile on that ship.”

Anika chuckled. “Not much of a ship left to check.”

“Well yeah. I wouldn't just leave my mess in space either, where anyone could find it. I'd get rid of it.” Frankie shook her head. “With her around, If I had anything valuable it would be up my butt or in my gut.” She colored, realizing the statement she’d just made, realizing she’d heard it before from one of Badger’s men. “Excuse me.” She mumbled, pushing past the two and turning toward the galley.

She entered to find the obvious other party to whatever had occurred, evident by the disarray of her features and clothing. “Its hard being the badass on a tuna can full of badasses, huh?” She asked. “Use that salve I gave you.”

“Very.” Fluke nodded along. She looked up to Frankie with an icepack against her head. “I hate being stuck in tuna cans.” The Aurora’s engines hummed through the walls and Fluke figured it must be coming close to the central planets by now. “Been to the Core before?” Whilst making conversation, she began to take off her combat armor’s shoulder padding. The armor itself was very well-crafted. Not as high-tech as the current Alliance standard, but it didn’t have the bulkiness of the outer planet’s designs. It was trinket from her tour-cut short as an Alliance marine and with some patches and re-works, it survived the entirety of the war. But this probably wasn’t on Frankie’s mind, it was more the smell that slowly filled the room. It resembled the stench that one smells when removing a cask from a broken arm. Suffice to say, wasn’t good.

“I have. Several times. I was a medic during the war-” As she spoke, the scent of things best forgotten reached her. She hesitated for a moment, remembered their last conversation when the stench had permeated her room, then she sucked up her tolerance and beat down the will to gag. “-and made several tours of military hospitals. You know, biological warfare is a sin against humanity.” She said, not unkindly, in regard to the smell. “You dont want to kill the enemy before you kill the enemy.”

“I ‘ear that.” Fluke’s second shoulderpad dropped on the ground. Her muscular arms were covered with battlescars; some more absurd that others. With the sleeves removed, her suit’s thermo-layer turned off and goosebumps began to cover her strong amazonian arms.

Frankie hesitated, waiting for more conversation from the woman and nodded awkwardly at her reply. “Okay then.”
She had come into the galley hoping for more food, but found herself unable to want to stomach anything due to the smell. She wondered if she could market the Fluke Diet, because just being around her made appetites evaporate. She could make millions. And do what with it?
Frankie cocked her head, she walked into the cook range and begin sorting through the provisions, putting together a light meal. Her thoughts were her own. She leaned against the counter to eat, far enough out of the smell to be able to breathe. Anything she had would mean nothing after she was dead.
So what was the point? What was the point to even living? She couldnt be with the man she wanted, or live where she wanted. She had zero chance at the life her father had wanted for her. And going home would not yield what she hoped. She had joined this ship to get home. But what was the point? Just to see him and his wife and crotch goblins all happy and crap? It would break her even further. She would never be what her father wanted. She’d never have that life…...her father’s image of a life.
Frankie frowned. Something within her budded, blossomed, and then died all at once and she no longer felt nervous about the heist.
Because she was at least doing something. She was living some life completely different from any she would have made for herself. All her decisions until now had been what her father had wanted. That was his time. Thats was his time there. Now it was her time. It was her time right here.

[AngelDellaNotte]

Michael stalked through the corridors looking for his first mate. “Where the dìyú is she?” He grumbled as he checked everywhere. For a brief moment he thought about asking Junk where she was but the mechanic seemed busy doing...whatever it was she was doing. Plus he didn’t want Junk to think she was only useful as a paging service to find people. “Galley is a busy. Medbay too. That leaves bridge, which I doubt, or cargo bay and shuttles.” With a quick turn the captain started towards the cargo hold.

Waking up Cori had an arm draped over her waist. She carefully extracted herself from the bed somehow managing to do it without the other woman. Next task was finding her clothes. Her pants, and shirt we're nicely folded on a table from where she had left them from her massage. The leg brace was also leaning against the table. Finding her undergarments were a little harder to find. Especially with the lights off since Cori didn't want to wake Mei. She found her tank top and shorts on the floor under the bed. A short while later later she was dressed and thinking about waking Mei up. Neither of them had planned last night it had just happened. Cori wasn't sure if she wanted to talk about it or not.

“Cori! Yo we got shit to do!” Michael yelled as he entered the cargo bay. He was looking behind crates and under tarps. Wouldn’t be the first time he’s found her in unique places.

"Crap" Cori hissed under her breath. Michael was making her walk of shame that much worse. She flipped the outside camera on making it so she could see part of the cargo bay. She could see Micheal on the far side of the bay. If she was lucky she could creep out of the shuttle and back to her room. That was the best case scenario. What was more likely was she would be caught in the cargo bay. If she was lucky she could convince him she had passed out here. It certainly wouldn't have been the first time she had done that. While Michael had his back to the shuttle she flipped the camera off and stepped out of the shuttle. Guess that decided whether or not she was gonna wake Mei up.

An average size ball fell out of a crate and bounced near Michael’s feet. They had two hoops set up in the cargo bay to provide entertainment and excersize for the crew. This ball floated up into the air and flew across the cargo bay, striking the panel. It hit the door control and shut it. Michael turned around and saw his first officer. “So you’re why my spider sense told me to close the door.” He looked Cori up and down. “You look like more shit than usual. You ok?”

She looked down at her clothes seeing they were a little dirty, she had been wearing them the last couple of days and they probably could stand to be washed. Damn Fluke's bad habits we're wearing off on her. Despite how she looked Cori actually felt really good. The massage she had was working miracles. Having a companion on board could have it's advantages. Not to mention she enjoyed much more than the massage last night. "I'm fine. Ready for the mission, Captain." Cori said, hoping he wouldn't pick up on her good mood and would assume she had passed out in the cargo bay.

“Hmmm.” He scratched his chin. “Seems the outer appearance is deceiving. Please keep up good hygiene. Unless you want to wear a suit like your friend and keep it trapped inside.” Michael’s face grimaced at the thought. One of the things that held over from the core worlds, being clean. “Anyway, I’ve been looking all over. What were you doing here? We gotta start preparing.”

"Uh, must have come down here for something last night and fell asleep. I can't really remember." Cori said rubbing her neck where she was completely unaware there was a red mark, not really able to come up with a good excuse. Damn why couldn't she have just made it to her room without being seen? One of the bad things about being close to Michael is he knew when she was lying. That was why she refused to play cards with him, she was sure she didn't have any tells yet he always knew when she was bluffing.

Michael smirked. “Got a little something on your neck there Cor.” He laughed as he hit the door open button, kicking the ball back into the cargo bay. Could he really blame her though? He’d done the same thing. Put in a solid couple hours before they left he companions guild to go steal Alliance uniforms. Michael pulled down his own collar, he had a few marks still visible but they were fading, the other were long gone.

"Really I just went for a massage and one thing led to another." Cori said, though she had to admit last night felt like more than just a hook up, though she didn't know what it was." She followed him out of the cargo bay. "Michelangelo got us in orbit around the planet?" She said, changing the subject. They were hoping to set up an orbit above the guild headquarters a little before it was dawn on the planet so Mei would have a couple hours to get ready and go down. It really didn't matter what time they hit the station as it ran around the clock. Actually it would be better to hit it when it was the 'night' crew as they tended to run with a smaller and less experience staff.

“She kinda just threw herself at me.” Michael replied as they moved through the ship. “We’re in orbit. Already got screened security. Told them we have a companion on board.”

"It was kinda the other way around and she didn't stop me." Cori said, not really wanting to talk about it. "I should probably get changed then I'll meet you in the galley with the others." She went back to her room and took a quick shower, put the uniform on then headed to the galley. The others were there including Jade who was having something to eat. All of them who were boarding the station had some sort of uniform on. "Okay, this is it. We'll let Mei head down to the planet then we will take one of the other shuttles to the station. Mikey we'll need you in the cockpit monitoring the radio, and keeping us updated. Doc, hopefully we won't need your services but I imagine you have the med bay prepared. We will also need you to keep an eye on our guest."

"As long as we stick to our roles and act like we're supposed to be there, everything will be fine." Michael said to reassure everyone. "We proceed with the inspection. Nab the device. And we're out. Got it?"

"Those of you how are familiar with the Alliance know how much they are a stickler for their rules and regulations so King as the ranking officer will do all the talking. The rest of keep our traps shut unless someone speaks directly to us." Cori said, she showed confidence on the outside but inside she was cringing knowing it would be hard for her. She often had gotten in trouble while in the army for opening her mouth at the wrong time.

“I think I can muster up enough bark to make their heads spin while we do our thing.” Michael had on a confident smirk. “This is a research base after all. They’re not use to strict military protocol. Most of the soldiers assigned here to oversee the contracts would have gone soft without command constantly looking over their shoulders. That’s exactly what we wants. Any questions before we get started?”

[Q]

Fluke raised her hand. "Should I bring the Tez-2?" She was ofcourse talking about her high-grade longrifle. It wasn't that uncommon to see it in the hands of alliance spec-ops and since this was a black-inked inspection... Hmm. Her lower lip protruded in a sulky pout. Perhaps its overpenetrative capabilities were unprofessional with all that tech around. "And grenades?"

Despite her being determent to bring unnecessary firepower, she did look proper in an alliance uniform. It was nicely worn over her battle armor and her stance simulated a typical obedient alliance marine. She had been one, after all. Only thing she was missing was a military cap, but eh, those things weren't regulation anyway.

[MidKnight]

Jade was sleeping on her stomach with one arm as a pillow and the other laying in front of her. The cloth on her back was slighty red from the mirror glass but stopped bleeding for some time now. She moaned from her slumber and frowned when she moved a little. She moved her mouth licking the inside as though she was eating peanut butter.

The sound of the lock opening interrupted her slumber. She winched from the noise and groaned in annoyance once her eyes caught the light shining her room. She moans again and looked away from the light and breathes heavily. A voice filled the room telling Jade to get up and head down to the Galley. Jade nodded and breathes heavily once more before getting up and taking her clothes off. Her made shift bandage came off sticking from her dried blood skin and she hissed a little from the cuts. Tossing the bloody gauze to the corner of the room and left it there. She searched for her bag and picked it off the ground. Digging inside she finds only a white long sleeve shirt, a black vest and black pants. Sighs in disappointment about her choice of clothing or what was left of them. She had no choice to dress what she was dressed before and tied her hair in a ponytail with a few bangs hanging in the front.

Making her way to the Galley she finds a plate of decent food on the table and was told it was for her. She didn't say anything except moving to the seat and bringing the plate to her. Finally, actual food for her to eat instead of a single apple. Taking the fork and stabbed the meal a couple times. Listening to the duo talk about the big job they had planned. She frowned at the words.

"Doc, hopefully we won't need your services but I imagine you have the med bay prepared. We will also need you to keep an eye on our guest."


She dropped her fork and looked at the two. "Well...I guess you don't need my help or my documents after all." She looked to King with a concern look and leans back into her chair. "Is it because I beat the hútú dàn in a fight?" She pointed over her shoulder with her thumb pointing towards Fluke then looked at her with a glance. "You're infiltrating into a high secured facility. I don't think bringing grenades is what you would call...'subtle.'" She scoffed and leans back into her chair with her arms folded on her chest.

[Dnafein]

Michelangelo shook his head at the jabs. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to drop a few passengers off after the job was done. He thought to himself, before speaking. "Should probably do a final uniform inspection before we approach. They shouldn't be worn until we get ready to land anyway."

Mikey shrugged at Michael, "Junk and Frankie are gonna need the appropriate patches. I might have something, but anything extra would probably make it look a bit more.. Real?"

[AngelDellaNotte]

On the Bridge of the Aurora stood King, Cori and Jade while Michelangelo sat in his pilot seat. The others were down in the cargo bay ready to depart once the clearance was given. The original plan had been to bluff their way onto the station however with the codes Jade provided they should work getting them on. “This better work Connors or my threat of spacing you won't be a threat.” Cori said, still not warming up to their castaway.

“Alliance transport 347, hold position while clearance is authorized.” A voice said, from the comms. They had transmitted the codes a few minutes ago. The Aurora's ID tags had been spoofed to show they were in an alliance ship. It was a bit of tech that they used often, that allowed them to conceal who they were. “Scans indicated you are in a Komodo class ship. Not many of those left. I hear they can be real fancy. Sort of a luxury yacht.”

“My commander comes from an affluent family he likes his comfort.” Cori said, dropping her Rim accent and picking up one more suited to the Core worlds. “I am sure you are familiar with the type. Self entitled blow hards.” She glanced over to King with a smirk on her face.

“Worked for a few of those myself. Your codes are checking out however my deck officer has concerns as there are no inspections scheduled for this week.” The comms officer said.

She stood there. Watching as they worked through the plan. She glanced over to Cori about her threat. Still wearing her black and white suit and hair tied in a ponytail with a few bangs in front. Normally she would make a threat herself. Instead she had her arms crossed on her chest and leaned to one leg for comfort.

She listened carefully to the two as Cori conversed in a different tone. Her finger tapped on her arm still waiting for the codes to clear. Once she heard the magical words she relaxed a little and looked to Cori. “Guess you will have to space me some other time.” she smirked with her hand on hip. She slightly hissed a little while taking a deep breath and looked to King. “And what is my role?” She asked curiously. “Kill a few guards sniffing around?” Jade was curious about her job since none had told her what to do yet. Even she was thumped on they had planned other than what King had told her. “Or do you rather I find a requisition form and counterfeit it to bring guns and a bunch of other things aboard?” She joked and looked to the windows. “But that'll cost extra.”


“Cost extra? Like the repairs to the room you are staying in are going to cost?” Cori said, having heard about the brawl Fluke had gotten into. It really didn't surprise that Fluke had started something with Jade, there was a reason women like her joined the military. Cori had to admit she hadn't been much of a fighter when she was younger but had come to realize she enjoyed it after enlisting.

“No need for forms. An officer and his attaché are allowed weapons.” Michael stepped forward, time for his performance. “This is Captain Endeavor. Wake everyone up it’s time for Command’s favorite game. And guess what? You lot won. Your prize? Surprise inspection.”

“Aw come on.” He heard someone huff in the background.

“What was that? Want me to fail you all right now and rotate you out to sanitation on one of the rim world garrisons?” It was one of the least favored details. Being so far out meant certain regulations went ignored and the further out you got things got messy. And weird.

“No sir!” The man they were originally talking to replied. “I’m sure your orders are...well, in order.” Then he hissed. “Shut the fuck up you idiot.” Michael smirked, shaking his head. “Stand by for docking clearance.”


The comm line cut out then the operator staying off the line until they were close enough to dock and no doubt getting ready for the inspection. Since the end of the war the Alliance had a lot of soldiers and not enough for them to do so stations like this had soldiers without clear jobs and bored soldiers could mean plenty of mischief to go around. Before being shipped out Cori had been on a universal planet for closet to six weeks as they waited for transportation. A couple of the soldiers had worked up a still and started making their own liquor. Cori had never tasted anything so foul before nor had she gotten drunk off just one drink. Their commander had been okay will it but his boss had been furious when he found it and had run the platoon for hours. That had been the first time Cori had run while hungover and had stopped more times than she could count to lose her lunch.

“Take us in Mikey, keep her ready to leave in case things go as they usually do and we need to leave in a hurry.” Cori said.

“Certainly,” Michelangelo started his fingers gliding over the controls effortlessly. The Aurora smoothly maneuvering into position. “Don't forget to load your guns with bullets in case you need to pull the trigger.” He finished with a touch of sarcasm.

There was a dull clang as the airlocks grabbed each other, Mikey's fingers reducing the ship's engines down to a soft purr. There was no strain on either airlock as the ship perfectly matched the stations movements. The pilot leaned back smugly, another perfect dock under his belt. “Don't forget the souvenirs this time, eh?” Michelangelo finished.


Jade watched as the ship moved in place and in perfection position. She was amazed with the pilot’s skill. She smirked and looked through the main window before taking her leave. “How does a tooth sound?” She replied to his jest. Walking towards her room she looked to Cori before attempting to change. “Just tell your dog to stay on leash. She should be glad she left with just a minor head wound.”

She walked away and returned to her little rent a room and grabbed the garments which showed alliance colors. “This is ridiculous.” She muttered to herself and started undressing. Minutes passed and she walked out of the room looking rather spiffy in a uniform as though she belonged.

“Looks good on you.” Michael said as he eyed Jade. “Just remember no killing if we have too. Last thing we need is an entire station coming down on us. Yeah it’s a research station but we’re still outnumbered four to one.

The radio clicked to life. “Captain Endeavor this is Rhycom CT you’re clear to dock at pad twenty one.”

“Copy that twenty one, two one. Better have everything in order.” With that said Michael flipped it from the comm radio to the internal ship PA. “Boarding team meet at the docking ring. Game is on.” He let the radio go and let it fling back on it’s cord and swing in place against the wall and left the bridge. “Lets go people!”


When they reached the cargo bay everyone was assembled those going aboard the station were wearing their uniforms. Despite the rag tag crew they were they actually looked like a proper Alliance crew. “Alright, Fluke and Connors you two are with King. Fluke you are his security detail and Connors you are his valet.” Cori wasn’t happy to be taking Jade on the mission but she had given them the access codes. Least as Michael's valet she couldn’t get into too much trouble. Hopefully King could keep the two of them from killing each other. “Junk you and Frankie will be with me. Get to the device, remove it and we’ll get the hell off the station.”

[Nope]

Frankie had stood, shifting from foot to foot nervously, wiping her hands down the legs of her borrowed clothing every few seconds to wick away the heavy damp. Her heart was pounding loudly in her ears.
She had said little up until this moment and didnt think any words would ever come from her lips again. Her throat was thick with the tightness of anxiety.
She glanced around at the others. They seemed fairly calm, as if this was a trip to the library. Francis knew she would be immediately give them away, just by the beads of nervous sweat moistening the back of her collar and making it scratch against her skin.
She cleared her throat.
Get it together!

The last time she felt so nervous was the during the war, when she'd seen her first serious war deformation. The man was laying limbless, spurting blood through the dodgy bandaging, a laceration to the scalp had peeled away the back of the man's hair that flapped open when he was thrown onto the cot, revealing bone. Spinal fluid leaked from his ears, dripping onto the mess at her feet.
A tightly wrapped scrap of cloth was all that was holding his intestine from bursting forth through the deep cut through his torso. Burns obscured his face, melding flesh with uniform and bone, making a blistered, red and black mass that weeped with yellow pus. The bastard was in so much pain all he could manage was a moaning whimper, like the sound the dead make when haunting the wind.
Frankie had felt bile rise in her throat as her stomach churned but not at the wounds, at the sheer fact that someone had placed this helpless life in her lap, had called her 'doctor' seriously for the first time and expected her to help.
She had felt the cold tremors in her fingertips and knew that despite everything she could do with what she had, in the end, what would have been more useful to the unfortunate soul would have been a merciful overdose of opiates.

When the Captain appeared with the questionable mystery space flotsam, Jade, and then Cori, Frankie swallowed hard and straightened her back to a ridge posture of confidence.
Cori called her and Junk to her and Frankie jammed her clammy fists tight into her pockets and nodded hard, not trusting herself to say anything.
She'd left her hip dagger in her room, beneath the pillow on her bed, and was entering this unarmed and clueless.
Keep your mouth shut, your eyes open, and your pee in your bladder. Frankie said to herself.

[Heson Shadowbane]

Junk for her part looking like the proper Alliance engineer. Her uniform may be a year or two old, but Not much changes with Alliance uniforms. The plat always stands strong in decisions. She had herself stood up straighter in the uniform, her tools seeming organized for once upon her tool belt. There was even an Alliance issue tool box that she was carrying, mostly holding junked parts that they can toss out for room to store the device or store it in parts if needed. She didn't have the Alliance issued pistol, instead having her manual revolver in her holster, snapped shut to keep it from drawing attention.

She gave a proper Alliance salute to the captain and Cori, probably making them wonder how much time she had spent serving on an alliance vessel combined with the other facts like her own uniform with her name and rank on it. "Aye Captain. We...We will commence with th-the inspection pr-promptly." She straightened her tool belt and straightened up her uniform before nodded that she was prepared to go.

[Q]

At the cargo bay, the ever-vigilant amazon was eyeing Jade as she returned wearing alliance colors. Fluke's own purplish-gray Alliance overalls fell right over her combat armor and her Tez-2 rifle was slung over her shoulder. She looked ready for an all-out firefight, unlike the rest of the uniformed 'inspection crew'. On the bridge crew's request, she had refrained from bringing any grenades.

The only thing missing was a military cap. She preferred helmets, of course, but she'd lost her old alliance bucket on Du-Khang. Those purple-bellied pretenders always did aim high. Perhaps she could sneakily snatch one aboard the research center.

Done messing around, she walked up to the captain and fell in to his left. She took a peek at her nameplate. "Aria Hauer, reporting for duty." A frowny half-assed salute followed, and it became clear she was equally excited for the prospect of adventure as repulsed to be wearing the symbol of galactic oppression. "Let's get a move on, shall we?"

[MidKnight]

Jade listened to her newly role as she firmly pressed the clothing on her to look flat and did not leave a single wrinkle in sight. Her head tilted up to hear the word 'Valet.' and scoffed as her duty assignment. "Great." She muttered. "Shall I get you a drink now or later?" She asked with a little attitude. She followed behind Fluke, the tall woman whom she managed to over power in her quarters. Standing behind King and next to Fluke she had felt the need to punch again but restrained herself from doing so.

She had a hat in her pocket and pulled it out and placed it on her head. She checked the lining with her two fingers placed on her nose bridge to properly wear the hat. Once that was done she looked around at the others and waited while placing her arms behind her back and feet passed her shoulder. "Ready." She muttered.

[Ushima]

Michael entered the cargo bay as the ship jostled with the docking clamps engaging. “Show time people. Game faces on.” The bay opened and Michael stepped out. Immediately he was met by the station commander.

“Captain Endeavor, welcome. What a lovely surprise. I am Administrator Ginsburg.” Ginsburg was an older man with graying hair, bald spot in the back.

Michael waves him off. “No need to lie. I know we aren’t a welcome sight. But we have a job to do. This is my entourage.”

As the doors opened Cori straightening her uniform, ensuring it looked right despite how wrong it felt. Michael spoke with the station administrator a bit the usual banter that that went back an forth among officer flexing. "We'll need to confirm your clearances. If you would sir?" An aid from beside Ginsburg said, holding out a card reader. Cori moved first taking one of the access cards they had bought from Badger from her pocket and swiping it on the card reader. This was the moment of truth if Badger sold them actual cards or if he had scammed them. The card reader blinked green and an image of Cori appeared with the name Lieutenant Hazel Gonzalez. "All clear Lt. Gonzalez." The aid said, then looked to Michael and the others.

Michael let out an internal sigh of relief as Cori's fake ID came up on the scan. He was glad Badger came through, and sad he didn't have a reason to put a few rounds in the prick. Moving his hand away from his gun he used it to retrieve his ID. "Here."

Swiping the ID the attendant handed it back to him. "Here you are Captain."

"Thank you." He pocketed it. "We almost done here?"

"Almost." Ginsburg replied. "What would you like to see first?"

Michael scratched his chin. "We can see your files. Then I can take our mechanic to see your project. What do you think LT?"

One by each of them scanned their cards, each one clearing with the alias Badger had rigged for the cards. Cori tried not to appear like she was holding her breath as each card was scanned. She never fully trusted Badger as he always did what was best for him. Cori surely knew she had pissed him off more times than she could count. Finally after the last one had scanned she returned her breathing to normal. They all had worked. "Perhaps it would be best if you covered the paperwork while I took our mechanics to equipment. Divide and conquer. After all we all are on a time table. We still have three more stations to inspect before the end of the week." Cori said. The less time they spent on this station the less chance of something going wrong and being discovered as frauds.

She then recalled that they were posing as Alliance soldiers who were big on formalities and technically she was lower ranking than him. Oh the Aurora they never really pushed rank despite there being a chain of command. Michael never really pressed that he was the Captain and she the first mate unless Cori was being a horse's ass. Depending on how drunk or high she was it usually involved a few punches being thrown as well. "Sir." She added, nodding her head to him respectfully.

Michael nodded to Cori. "Excellent idea Lieutenant. Need to keep on schedule. I'll go to the main office with Ginsburg and check their files. You go make sure their techs are following protocol."

"I'll have my assistant Anderson here lead your people if that's ok?" Ginsburg called up an over eager young assistant who was just looking for the chance to prove herself. "Shall we proceed?"

"We shall." Michael stopped next to Cori, looking at the assistant and then back to his first mate. "Try not to make her cry ok?"

"No promises, sir." Cori said, looking the girl up and down. She was young by the looks of her barely nineteen and fresh from the academy. To get a position like an assistant on a research station she had to of known someone. No doubt she was from a prominent family from the Core. "Fluke and Hesson with me."

She gestured for the assistant to lead the way. As they walked Cori was next to Anderson letting the other two follow behind. She may not be an Alliance solder but she certainly knew how to carry herself like one. All those years of charm school and living with a military father paying on. Anderson definitely looked intermediated. She kept looking to Cori and then back to where they were walking. Each time she glanced at the brace on Cori's leg. "Ma'am did you serve in the war" Anderson asked.

"What you really want to know is did this happen in the war?" Cori said, reaching down and tapping on her leg. It was sore but thanks to Mei's massage and the injections it was bearable. "Yes, and if you are smart that is all you ask."

With a nod of his head in the other direction Michael gave a silent order for the other two to follow behind him. "I'm sure you'll find everything in order Captain." Ginsburg assured Michael.

"I better." Michael played up looking around the station as they walked towards the main office. "The last thing I'm sure you want is sanctions for not following protocol." Ginsburg paled slightly at the mention of fines. He always took a bit of joy in taking the wind out of someone's sails. "But we'll see." The inside of the main office was loaded with terminals in a semi circle, all before a large screen on the wall. "Give my tech access to all the required files. You two, go over it with a fine tooth comb and notify me if you see any discrepancies. Be sure to take your time." The longer they distracted the station administrator the more time Cori had to nab their target.

[MidKnight]

She frowned when the others had swiped their ID Badges across the scanner and each one had a picture of themselves with different names. She looked to the others and thought about the ID she was given. She takes a deep breath and quickly reached into her pocket with a badge she had kept since her first time sneaking into an Alliance facility. The name "Jesse Valaria." appeared and her face with a slight smile. It was luck that her title was "Assistant."

She followed King like a pet would. Though her mind wondered as she looked around the facility. Keeping track and doing her best to remember which hallways they used. In case if this had gone sour.

Once they arrived in the main terminal area. Connors looked around and examined most of the terminals that was operational.

"Give my tech access to all the required files. You two, go over it with a fine tooth comb and notify me if you see any discrepancies. Be sure to take your time."

She smirked her lips and closed her eyes a little tight. 'Damn.' She said in her thoughts. Then placed the smile back on her face. "Yes sir." She said with a little aggression. She walked over to one of the terminals and started going through some files and checked some other things while she was at it. Her typing was fast and decisive of what she was looking for. Though the majority if it was looking at random pages of non-classified information.

[AngelDellaNotte]

Anderson led them through the winding corridors of the station all the while Cori made a mental know of each turn should they have to make their way back in a hurry. Knowing how their missions usually went it was a good possibility of just that happening. After a short walk they ended up in a laboratory, there were about six technicians in the room working on various terminals and stations. Cori looked around noticing there were four guards also stationed in the room. “My people will need the room, all nonessential leave.” Cori said, in her best authoritarian voice though no one moved except to look at Anderson.

“Do as the lieutenant says.” Anderson said, causing all but two technicians and two guards leave.

Cori gestured for Frankie and Junk to get to work. The two geeks started 'inspecting' the machine but in reality they were looking for ways to remove the device without setting off any alarms. Not to mention alerting those left in the room. That was were Cori came in, she took a closer look at the guards. They were older, and by the looks of both had served in the war. Ignoring Anderson she walked over to the two soldiers leaning against the wall. She noticed a ribbon on the chest of both of their uniforms for Serenity Battle. Reaching into her coat pocket she pulled out a flask holding it out to the two soldiers, “I see a couple heroes of Serenity and I have to offer them a drink.” Cori said, despising the words as they left her mouth.

“You serve in the battle?” One of the guards said, taking the flask from her and taking a swig. He had barely swallowed the liquid when he let out a deep cough. “Strong stuff.”

“Not on Serenity. I got hemmed up in Du-Khang side lined me for the rest of the war.” Cori said, motioning down to her leg. “I've heard all kinds of stories though and would love to hear more.”

“You probably have a few good ones from Du-Khang.” The second soldier said, taking the flask from the other before having a drink himself. The two soldiers passed it back and forth for a while trading war stories, it was a good sized flask and had some very strong St. Albans vodka in it. The miners on the planet distilled the vodka and it was some of the most potent liquor in the verse. Cori had won a case of it in a poker game the last time they had been on St. Albans. Her trip there hadn't started out well as she picked a fight with on of the locals but after a good tussle she won the favor of the miners for showing them a good match. Micheal had been pissed at first but had enjoyed the benefits that being friends with the miners had given them.

While the two soldiers quickly got drunk on the vodka Cori watched the two technicians who both seemed to be taking advantage of the unscheduled break. They were huddled around a coffee pot paying no attention to Frankie, Junk or Cori. Allowing Junk to slowly work on unhooking the machine. Something Junk did caused the device to beep drawing the attention of the technicians. “Hey what the hell are you doing?” One of the technicians said, moving closer to Junk who as always was tongue tided around strangers.

Cori walked across the room lightly pushing the technician back away from Junk. “It's beyond your clearance.” Cori said, hoping that would be enough to get him to back off.

“Like hell it is. She's disconnecting the device.” The technician said.

“Damnit.” Cori muttered then headbutted the technician knocking him to the ground. She reached into her sleeve and pulled out a knife sending it flying across the room into the neck of one of the guard's throat as he was reaching for a panic button. Thankfully he dropped to the ground before he was able to hit it. With a groan she lunged across the room to the other soldier punching him in the face. He was so drunk that it only took one hit to knock him out. She then turned to the other tech and Anderson holding her a pistol on each of them. “Up against the wall and you might get out of this alive.” Cori said.

Both Frankie and Junk had stopped working on the device, standing there watching Cori take out the guards. “Hurry up and get back to work.” Cori hissed not liking how this was quickly going sideways. She tied up everyone who was still alive being sure to gag each of them. By the time she was done Junk and Frankie had removed the device. A small silver orb about the size of a basketball. She tossed Junk a bag and instructed her to put the device in it. “Alright we are going to act like none of this happened and met up with the others to get the hell off this station. Hopefully before anyone else realized what we've done.”

They left the room and Cori paused at the door looking to Junk. “Can you rig this panel to malfunction and not let anyone in?” The mechanic nodded and quickly went to work. Cori tapped a communication device on her wrist opening a channel to Micheal's ear piece. “King, we got the device but it wasn't a smooth as we would like. Our cover isn't blown yet but it will be soon.”

[Q]

Fluke's bulky legs barely fitted under the desks. Her typing was about as smooth as one might expect from a veteran guerilla, but she made up for it with her knowledge of alliance regulation. The first thing to check were the bulkheads; the doors leading to the mess hall in particular. Surely there would be... Yes! An unscheduled lunchbreak. Oh, how bad she felt to screw them over with a 5-Z. It was a known weakness in alliance regs; even those fascists themselves thought it went too far.

Fluke only needed to remind herself it was the alliance they were screwing over. Rules could be ignored, but bombardements must be avenged. And so, with fiery eyes, she turned to her superior. "Captain! We've got another five-zet. Possible resistance sabotage." Hah! If only they knew...