S2E6.2 - Hunter or Hunted

[Natascha Santiago-Negron]

It took about twenty minutes of nursing her drink (a girl had to pace herself, you know) before anything of not happened in that bar- and the hushed conversation happening in the corner drew her interest. Turning slightly, Nat gave a quick appraisal to the three strangers.

The newcomer was interesting- in a 'dark and mysterious' kind of way. Though the serious airs he was giving weren't exactly Nat's cup of drink.

The woman was clearly eyeing him up, too- Nat couldn't blame her. She wasn't half bad lookin' herself- when she stood, Nat got a good look at her legs. Nice.

The third guy was the one with all the stuff- something about that hat and face looked familiar, but Nat couldn't for the life of her place it. She'd hopped around from system to system for the past few years, and worked lots of jobs- it was a small universe. Maybe they crossed paths before?

The scene smelled of 'job interview', and Nat had a sneaking suspicion about what- though she wasn't quite sure. Time to take a gamble.

Downing the rest of her drink, Nat got up and strode over, grinning, "Don't suppose you folk are here on account of job prospects? Been waitin' a good twenty minutes on my interviewer, and I was startin' to suspect he got cold feet."

[Velocity Grey-Lambert]

Lin said: ".... Why would you be out roaming around the jungles of Greenleaf?"

"So that's where we are," Velocity thought, not having had access to that information today. She believed needed to come up with an answer; the fact that she didn't know the reason was not something that she wanted to reveal and imagination wasn't her strong suit. Bonnie had told her that lies based as much as possible on the truth were the best. Not that Bonnie was prone to lying but Velocity had never been good at even the whitest of polite lies and Bonnie had done her best to try to socialise her wife.

"Gravity got the better of me," Velocity replied with no hint of humour in her tone. "At least they landed before they kicked off those of us they didn't want to pay," Velocity added. It was stretching the truth as much as she was capable of; "us" was one, Velocity and "didn't want to pay" was an assumption. The truth was that Velocity didn't know.

Vega said: "Pilot, eh?"

Velocity merely nodded as she tucked in to the second course. It still didn't seem a lot but Velocity's standards, when it came to what constituted quantity of food, were very high. Quality, not so much; with a metabolism like hers she couldn't afford to be fussy on that count.

Lin said: "Vega, keep an eye on Velocity if you would...."

"What did he mean by that?" she wondered. There was the obvious "don't let her break anything" and the equally obvious "ensure she doesn't die of starvation or dehydration" but she was always concerned that there might be a third or a fourth interpretation.

Vega said: "You'll have to excuse the Captain, we've had a rough couple of days. My names Vega by the way. So, whats your story?"

It was one of those difficult questions that Velocity didn't like. The things she did remember, she usually didn't want to reveal and there were too many gaps in her memory to be able to tell anyone an adequate story. She knew what had happened that morning but her notebook hadn't given her any clues about anything prior to today; she knew there was a gap because the last entry in the notebook with a location wasn't anywhere near Greenleaf.

"What date is it today?" she asked.

[McKayla Langster]

The system analyst exhaled as she entered the bar. It wasnt that much cooler, but at least the sun wasnt beating down on her head. She removed her well worn cap and wipped off her brow, grateful that she kept her hair up as she could feel the sweat at the base of her neck. She glanced around the establishment, trying to decide how she would determine who the other applicants were. 
The place wasnt packed and she walked slowly to the bar, keeping an eye out for anyone who appeared to be from her side of the tracks. 

"A bit on the hot side of hell would ya say Miss?" Leroy smiled..."Care to join us, seems I'm buying the rounds." ....and with that Leroy finished off his whiskey and motioned to an empty seat.

McKayla's face went into shock at the stranger who invited her to a drink. She had noticed him, and the attractive woman he sat with, when she entered the building. Not the type she usually associated with, though honestly her associations had changed recently. She arched an eyebrow, preparing to give a scathing reply before being cut off by another person coming up to the table.

"Monty? I'm Lin Kuei." He extended his hand in a strong handshake. "I'm expecting three others including a former ship Captain. Some people are not fond of my reputation around here so I'll need to grab them and go. Are you ready? The Beast is right outside." Lin nodded in Helena's direction as a way of saying hello.

So this was the captain she was looking for. And these were her....crewmates. She'd accompanied worse.
"I believe I'm one of the people you were expecting," she said formally.  She held out her hand, without so much as a smile,"McKayla, Computer Specialist."

McKayla noticed another woman approaching the group. She slid to the left as the woman came up, her head leaning as she caught a whiff of the drink the woman had been having. Strong. Made her kind of want one herself, but there was the issue of alcohol not being the best to drink in this heat.

"Don't suppose you folk are here on account of job prospects? Been waitin' a good twenty minutes on my interviewer, and I was startin' to suspect he got cold feet."

[Monty]

[Dexter's Cantina]

Leroy totally missed the man's approach having been distracted by the newcomer.

"Monty? I'm Lin Kuei." He extended his hand in a strong handshake. "I'm expecting three others including a former ship Captain. Some people are not fond of my reputation around here so I'll need to grab them and go. Are you ready? The Beast is right outside."

Offering a hardy handshake Leroy responded..."Call me Monty, Cap'n and I'm ready as ever....the Beast you say? ....sounds interesting." In an instant Leroy's quiet little table for two became the most popular spot in the bar. Truth be told it made him a tiny bit apprehensive. "It seems you've found them, best get a move on quickly."

[Lin Kuei]

Lin quickly made the handshakes all around with a firm grip. He looked at them each. "Monty, Helena, McKayla ..which makes you Natascha. Excellent. .. As I said, the Beast is right outside. If you will all throw your gear into the bed and strap it in, then we'll get out of here. Sun will be down in a few hours and I'd rather get back to the ship than be outside at night. The wildlife is not necessarily friendly. I'll give you more info on the way there."

With a quick gesture to give a sense of importance on them leaving, Lin dropped money on the table for the drinks and quickly walked outside to the 6 wheeled pickup truck. It had a long bed and a king cab to fit everybody. He figured they could all carry their own stuff and didn't need any help with it, even Monty.

Lin stepped up into the driver's seat and roared the Beast to life. He waited until everyone was aboard and their things were stowed before he stuck it in reverse. Wheeling it around, he punched the accelerator and roared out of the outpost. "We got roughly a three hour trip back to Ronin. I'll try to shave some of it off though."

[McKayla Langster]

McKayla followed the captain and the rest of the group out to the large vehicle. it appeared to be well kept and she couldnt help her fascination with the machinery. Mechanics was NEVER her specialty, however it intrigued her. The line between the mechanical and the technical was very slim and she wondered if she took the time to read up if her transition would be smooth. After putting the larger of her two bags in the bed, she walked around to the side of the vehicle, and then dropped to the ground to look underneath. Nothing obvious, but it was massive. The sheer power need just to move itself was large, not the mention its probable towing capacity.
"Impressive." she muttered to no one as she made her way over to the cab.  This was the part she hated. Who was she going to end up next to for the next several hours as they headed to the ship. Probably someone who wanted small talk. She hoped not. They weren't near any docks and she was sure it was going to take a while.
The captain seemed to not care and got himself situated. Which meant it was up to them to determine the seating arrangements. Maybe if she acted invisible, the others would treat her as such.

[Fey]

Helena gave a lazy salute and headed out of the bar toward the vehicle.  She didn't have much outside of a small bag with a change  of clothing and some ammunition. Helena tossed the bag into the vehicle and hoisted her self up to an open seat.  The woman in the beast already seemed quiet enough, which was just fine from Helena's point of view. She wasn't much for small talk anyhow, it was awkward and pointless. Helena took a seat next to the woman and nodded in her direction, but outside of that she kept quiet.

[Vega Barnet]

Vega watched Velocity after he asked his question, she didn't seem to keen on answering, but then again it would probably be weirder if she'd busted out her lifes story. Not for the first time today, Vega contemplated how badly he needed a drink.

"What date is it today?"

Vega looked blank for a second, he'd actually forgotten what day it was. "Uhh, its Monday? No... Wednesday. I think. That'd make it the... 11th?"

[Monty]

[Dexter's Cantina]

----
"As I said, the Beast is right outside. If you will all throw your gear into the bed and strap it in, then we'll get out of here. Sun will be down in a few hours and I'd rather get back to the ship than be outside at night. The wildlife is not necessarily friendly. I'll give you more info on the way there."
----

Leroy let the Captain and the ladies lead the way, departing right quick was a smart plan as they had begun to garner some attention. Once everyone had their gear stowed Leroy unloaded his hand truck into the bed one item at a time which totaled four separate containers of various sizes, lastly he tossed up the cart.

Leroy admired the so called 'Beast', as the Captain so affectionately called her. Leroy thought of all forms of conveyance as She's, just an old habit he picked up from somewhere. "Nice rig ya have here Cap'n....first-rate I'd say." Leroy expressed as he peeked inside to find an open seat. Ronin's newly acquired Mechanic slipped into the Beast right next to McKayla. "If you don't mind Miss Langster." Leroy offered. "My apologies if I offend, it's been a long hot day." He ended with a playful smirk.

[Natascha Santiago-Negron]

"Impressive."

"I'll say," Nat agreed, looking over the rig, "What kinda horsepower is she packin'? Girl like her looks like she can handle a lot."

Tossing her pack in the back, Nat slid over the hood to the passenger side, calling out "Shotgun!" while everyone else had already piled into the back row. Might as well make it official, at least.

With the door shut and belts buckled, Nat leaned around to the other three passengers, eyeing Monty in particular.

"I've got the uncanny feelin' we've met before- said your name was Monty, right?"

She stuck out her hand, a wry grin plastered on her face, "Y'all can call me Nat if you've got a preference for brevity."

[McKayla Langster]

McKayla sat snug between the man and woman she'd first seen when she arrived at the bar. The woman seemed to realize she wasnt in the mood to talk, but the man...well...

""If you don't mind Miss Langster." Leroy offered. "My apologies if I offend, it's been a long hot day." --"

She stared and blinked at him twice, raising an eyebrow. What did he think, she was going to kick him out of the vehicle. She gave a sinister smile, only to again be interrupted by the woman riding shotgun. That's twice she was unable to tell this guy off.

"She stuck out her hand, a wry grin plastered on her face, "Y'all can call me Nat if you've got a preference for brevity."--"

Knowing the hand wasnt for her, she sat back and pulled out a small tablet while they drove. Scrolling, she kept herself up to date on the latest tech happenings in the verse. Her handle, 'Raven' was one of the top hackers on the Alliance radar. She had been forced to create the alias after her ousting from the firm. She often considered posting the file she had a copy of, but frankly she was a no one. No one would believe her. So she spent time building up her credentials in the tech world, making herself known to others. She would do it when the time was right.

Seeing nothing of interest, she shut down the device and leaned back.  At least the seats were comfortable.

[Ian Dugan]

Blaze-Three hours ago

Ian nodded at Abe and launched the shuttle.  He had to take it slow because if the extra weight and mass.  He arrived back at the new location of the Ronin just after Lin had left.

"Must not have been an emergency.  Lin just left."

He paused and continued.

"Let's land and get this cargo sorted.  We'll see what we're up against in the meantime."

He landed next to the ship, opened the doors and walked up the ramp.  He hit the All Comm.

"Vega.  We're back and need help unloading.  Where did Lin go.  Any idea?"

The sound of his voice almost boomed throughout the nearly empty ship.

"Man, I miss the Glory."

[Lin Kuei]

Lin tore through the dirt outside of the outpost heading toward the edge of the mountain range a few miles away. "The Beast is pretty impressive overall. We found her and rebuilt most of her from the ground up. Had to get something special included by calling in a favor or two. Over five hundred horsepower and she can pull up to fifteen tons if needed but we have not had to get close to that yet." Lin looked over his shoulder and checked the side mirrors to make sure they were not being followed. He even leaned out of the driver's window to look up but did not see anyone.

Nodding in agreement that now was as good as any. "Hope all your stuff is secure." As soon as the Beast rounded the edge of the mountain near the jungle, Lin switched it to hover mode and left the ground. He climbed quickly until they were just above the tree tops and planted his foot hard on the accelerator causing the Beast to jolt forward as if propelled like a rocket. "So some info you all need to know. At the moment, Ronin is grounded. We were being chased and hounded by three ships. We managed to land in a rough spot near an isolated outpost. The mercenaries attempted to gain entrance to the ship and punched holes in the roof before trying gain entrance. None of them survived and we managed to cripple one of them. All three escaped but lost a lot of manpower in the process. ...

Now I have welded armor plating that we scrounged from what is left of the outpost on top of the holes to seal them. Power is fluctuating in non-essential areas of the ship. We obviously had some casualties and appreciate you all joining up to fill the holes. We will have our work cut out for us. One of the crew does have his own shuttle and he went scrounging around Greenleaf with another crew member. They should probably be there when we get back." Lin chuckled for a second then nodded. "With Helena on the crew, it will be three ship captains under one roof. Besides myself, the former ship captain of the Glory is on the crew. Should make for a good group. Any questions I can answer along the way?" Lin dodged around a tree that was higher than the rest of the canopy as he kept the accelerator down. They were starting to make some good time.

[Monty]

[On The Beast]

----
With the door shut and belts buckled, Nat leaned around to the other three passengers, eyeing Monty in particular."I've got the uncanny feelin' we've met before- said your name was Monty, right?"She stuck out her hand, a wry grin plastered on her face, "Y'all can call me Nat if you've got a preference for brevity."
----

Leroy at once recognized his old work associate... "Negron!" He blurted. "Damn isn't that you." He leaned forward grasping her outstretched hand with both of his. "Remind me to give you a big old ' Wharton Reclamation' barrel hug when we exit this here Beast." A big grin came across his face as he sat back. "Small Verse ain't it?" He directed his rhetorical question toward McKayla. Small Verse indeed ...He muttered as the Captain chimed in.

----
"The Beast is pretty impressive overall. We found her and rebuilt most of her from the ground up. Had to get something special included.....

[Natascha Santiago-Negron]

Nat's grin widened as the recognition finally settled in, "Yeah- yeah! Back on Beylix! Man, I probably shoulda recognized you sooner, but hey- you know what they say about traumatic brain injuries," she joked, absent-mindednly brushing a hand over the long, pale scar that travelled from her hairline past her temple.
As Lin went through the damage the Ronin's accumulated as of late, Nat let out a low whistle.
"Well, we certainly have our work 'cut out' for us, eh Monty?" She elbowed thin air as she gave a flat laugh at her lame pun.
"Y'know, cause they cut out bits of the- you know what? My genius is under appreciated, clearly."
Clearing her throat, she turned back towards the other two new arrivals.
"Alright, so- what are you two lovely ladies' stories?" She pointed at Helena, "Mr. Kuei here says you used to be a captain- that sounds pretty gorram shiny."

[Velocity Grey-Lambert]

Ronin's Galley

Velocity frowned and looked at the last entry in her notebook. Best case she had lost a couple of weeks but more likely she had lost 6 weeks or more and she had a horrible feeling she might have lost a year along the way. She wrote the day name and number down in her notebook.

"I don't think I want to know the month or the year," Velocity's voice was so quiet it was almost quiet enough to be a whisper.

"Oh Bonnie, I so need you now," she breathed, her voice now a whisper. Her eyes misted and a single tear rolled down her cheek and, after remaining suspended for a moment, fell silently to the notebook.

For a moment she stared, unseeing, at the notebook then, with a shudder, she dragged herself together and looked up at Vega.

"So what's your role on the ship?" she asked because that seemed the most important question right then. She immediately thought of another question and because she didn't trust herself to remember it, she vocalised it too: "The man who brought me in. What's his name and what does he do?"

She wrote down 'Vega' and then held her pen hovering next to it, waiting for his response.

[Fey]

Helena couldn't help but chuckle as Lin railed off the list of issues with his ship. Man am I glad I don't have to deal with that go se. She thought to herself. Life as a captain certainly wasn't an easy one. No personal life, time, space, or much of anything really.  It was all about taking care of everyone else, all the time, and their neediness.

"Alright, so- what are you two lovely ladies' stories?" She pointed at Helena, "Mr. Kuei here says you used to be a captain- that sounds pretty gorram shiny."

She looked at Natascha and smirked, "Yea something like that...I was promoted when my captain died, on account of him choking on his own blood...Someone poisoned him when we picked up a job."  It was a long and unfortunate story where yet another person she cared for died and she could do nothing about it.  It brought back feelings she tended to bury of Billy, Seth, her parents. Helena looked out the window and gritted her back teeth, her face becoming flush wish anger and sadness.

But she kept those feelings to herself, no need dredging up the past. Helena closed her eyes and let a slow calming breath out through her nose, she turned back to Natascha,

"And what is that you do?"

[McKayla Langster]

Oh man, this crew was going to drive her mad. The only one who seemed normal was the woman next to her, the others...well she just had to stare. Like kids reuniting at school after a vacation. These people seemed to have that close knit vibe and she was feeling sick because of it. Close knit just meant easier to betray.
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes as the woman and the annoying man got excited at their shared history. She was near to screaming when the woman told her lame joke. How in the hell did she get here. Maybe she should have just went to prison. At least in prison she didnt have to feign friendliness.

"Alright, so- what are you two lovely ladies' stories?" She pointed at Helena, "Mr. Kuei here says you used to be a captain- that sounds pretty gorram shiny."

Finally something concrete. Work and skills. That was something she could find interest in. Always good to know what your coworkers were capable of. Never know when you need to make use of their skill in a pinch.
She frowned at the woman's tale of her captain dying. Something in her eyes told McKayla there was more to the story, but didnt look like the redhead was sharing.

"And what is that you do?"

Yes what did the woman upfront do, other than tell lame jokes.

[Natascha Santiago-Negron]

"And what is that you do?"

"My fair share, I'd say," Nat said, tapping her chin as she looked off into the middle distance, "Mainly piloting- also a good amount of mechanical work, Monty here can attest to that. Shootin' when I gotta."

With that she made a pair of pistols with her hands, quietly going "Bang, bang!" to emphasize her point.

"I've had a lot of work of all sorts over the past few years, so you pick up a lot of skills. So you know- don't worry. The ship'll be safe in my hands." She finished, with a reassuring wink.

'So long as no one turns mutinous in the middle of the black,' She thought for a moment, before mentally punching that thought into submission and setting it aside. No- there wasn't gonna be another Chipman situation here. No way.

[Monty]

[The Beast]

As the ladies chatted on, Leroy was fixated by a few particular words the captain had spoken.

'Now I have welded armor plating that we scrounged from what is left of the outpost on top of the holes to seal them. Power is fluctuating in non-essential areas of the ship.'

Already in his head Ronin's chief engineer began to run a repair synopsis on the tiny bit of information he was given. Sure things could be worse and or better than he was told but for now all he could do was be ready to work. He eased back in the seat and tried to get some rest while he could, when the Beast next stopped it'll be balls to the walls for sure.