S1: Ep2 - War Hawks

Started by noseatbelts, July 05, 2021, 11:50:23 AM

Charity

Odette Crew - Away Team

"Bonnie? I thought....Bonnie!" Charity frowned, now wishing she had asked Jed to stay a little longer. He'd have known what to do with someone clearly in the middle of some kind of delusion or dissociation or some other issue. Charity placed Velocity's hand around her upper arm and patted it comfortingly with her free hand, the gems on her fingers glimmering in the station's glow. She'd clear things up for the poor girl once this nasty business was finished.

"That's right, you're safe now," she told the other woman, then paused and tilted her head to the side, her earrings chiming together softly. Well, she was as safe as one could be during a panic in a morally vague space station and while going to meet with the fence who she imagined ran most of the crime on said station. Shaking her head, Charity patted the girl's hand again and grimaced at the thought.

"Very good, sir. Mr. Sebastian is waiting for you all inside." Roger-Not-Roger informed them. The Captain stopped walking for a moment to stare at Little Sebastian's new assistant with frustration before finally turning and walking into the shop. Much like before, she had to carefully maneuver through the maze of junk before reaching the back office, her grip on Velocity strong to keep her from bumping into anything and hurting herself. Her embroidered skirts rustled with every step she took, the clicking of her heels echoing loud enough to make even Charity a little uncomfortable.

"Whatever shall I do with you," she muttered, looking up into the taller woman's face and chewing on her lower lip. She didn't feel right leaving her out here to wait, but she didn't think she'd be any safer inside with Sebastian. Charity looked in King's direction for guidance.
Dialogue Color: AntiqueWhite

Velocity Grey-Lambert

Odette Crew - Away Team

"That's right, you're safe now," The reassurance ensured that Velocity's delusion continued unabated, even as they approached Sebastian's shop.

"Very good, sir. Mr. Sebastian is waiting for you inside."

It was the same day and the memories were fresh enough to be available rather than having been flung into the dumpster that was her longer term memory by sleep. That didn't mean the memories were nicely ordered and so while the use of Sebastian's name should have been enough to bring Velocity out of her state, she was sufficiently deep that its effect was only enough to start a process that took the whole convoluted length of the shop to make any impact. Charity's firm grip and sure guidance were the only things that stopped Velocity and the violin strapped to her back impacting some other "priceless treasure" and sending it to its, and Velocity's, doom.

It was only when they stopped outside that door that she found some context.

"Chips!" Velocity thought and looked round expectantly, hoping to see her friend. He was nowhere to be seen and her focus turned to the woman who had her arm in a tight grip.

Velocity couldn't find a context for her. That Charity had rescued her in the corridor and guided her here was butting gently at her subconscious but the grip on her arm suggested to her that maybe the woman was an agent of Sebastian's commissioned to ensure that she arrived. That didn't gel with another memory of the park and a man summoning her unless she had got lost or diverted along the way. How long ago was that? she wondered.

"Whatever shall I do with you," the woman said, adding to Velocity's confusion.

"Who are you?" she demanded of Charity, her tone a mixture of confusion and accusation as she looked down at Charity's face.

Player: Clare
Characters: Beth

Cooper Brown

December 02, 2021, 03:25:05 PM #42 Last Edit: December 02, 2021, 03:28:08 PM by Cooper Brown
Home Team - Pele's room.
"That depends on what you want."

The nomad had an easy answer.

"Hands."

He waggled his calloused mitts at his sides.

"I only got the two, but presently I need three."

Mr. Brown gestured towards the engine room.

"Five minutes of your time. You just gotta hold a compressor housing in place. I understand if you can't or bloody well don't want to."

The expression on his face still would read of his stress fog. Somewhere close to a thousand-yard-stare he was completely at peace with the idea she was likely to say no. At least in Cooper's estimation. He'd gone on something of a rampage in front of the whole crew, revealing a side of himself he tried to actively suppress. The Cooper Brown standing in front of Pele right now was the version he wanted the crew to get to know. The mechanic, the follower of an obscure religion, the teetotaler, not the warrior.

Then Coop realized he'd made a gross error in protocol.

"Oh! And: Please. "

Akhsar King

December 08, 2021, 03:30:03 AM #43 Last Edit: December 08, 2021, 03:32:52 AM by Axe
King was not happy. Given "Roger"s demeanor of unworried amusement, he either knew the cause of all this, or was part of the cause. Which meant Sebastien was likely the source of whatever had everyone so agitated. The timing of whatever it was was entirely to coincidental. It had to have something to do with their arrival. Or at least King would be very surprised if it didn't. If he wanted them dead, trying to tie up loose ends, why wait? They had just landed in a secret private docking bay, a perfect place to neutralize them. Was it to cover their walk to Sebastiens shop? That didn't make much sense either. Sebastien effectively, or literally, owned the station. There was no reason King could think of except, perhaps, to rattle them.. but why do something that threw the entire station into a panicked mess? There were easier ways to rattle people.

He felt Charity's hand on his arm. "I don't recall them being this panicked the last time we were here, but perhaps this is normal?" King grimaced. "Nope, this is definitely not normal." he said, eyes momentarily boring a hole into the side of "Rogers" skull. After an amused look that just added to Kings irritation, Roger led them out into the station and in the direction of the pawn shop.

Going was smooth. The crowd parted around them, either due to Kings intimidating visage, or to Rogers presence. Likely a bit of both. They ground to a halt when their path was unexpectedly blocked by a tall, lanky woman, standing smack dab in the middle of their path. After a few second King was about to just cut a path around her and continue on, but Charity cleared her throat and stepped up beside him to talk to the woman. While she did so, Kings senses were all turned up to 11, eyes flowing and darting around them, head swiveling constantly looking anything that looked like a threat. "Dear, you are taking up the walking space here, are you quite alright? You look a little pale, and perhaps a little..." Charity trailed off, glancing up at King. He met her eyes for a moment. "We should keep moving." He said quietly enough that only she and Francis should have been able to hear him over the din of people.

Charity's brows furrowed as she considered the situation for a moment. "Darn it all," she finally cursed, taking the tall woman's hand. "Well, let's at least get you out of the walkway, yes? Come on," she gestured at the woman's bag. King made an imperceptible growl of annoyance, not at Charity, but at the situation in general. He scooped up the womans bag and slung it over one shoulder. Roger darted out in front and they continued on.

The tall woman seems to be more than a little out of it, calling for someone named Bonnie. Maybe She'd gotten separated during the commotion. A short time later they arrived. Roger snapped at the man seemingly guarding the door, and the way was opened for them. "Mr. Sebastian is waiting for you all inside.". King glowered at the man as they filed past him into the maze like interior of the shop.

He followed Charity through the winding shelves, half expecting knife wielding thugs to spring out at them, and near the door at the back pf the shop their tall new friend seemed to snap out of her daze. Charity looked in King's direction for guidance at about the same time the woman spoke. "Who are you?" she demanded her voice conveying confusion and accusation in equal measure. King immediately took half a step forward, leaning on his cane and holding his other hand out to the side, palm out and nonthreatening, nearly knocking over a shelf of... antique cat sculptures? "Hey there, easy now, we're friendly." He said, forcing his voice to be calm, and his tone to be conversational. "You're in Little Sebastien's pawn shop. There's some kind of ruckus going on out there and everyone's running all over the place, you seemed like you were in a daze in the middle of the walkway so Cherry here pulled you along with us to get you out of danger." He pivoted and scooted to one side, leaving a path back to the door unobstructed. "We aren't holding you, you're free to take your bag and go if you want... but I'd advise staying inside until things calm down out there." He finished.
Dialogue Color: Olivedrab

noseatbelts

December 14, 2021, 09:09:36 AM #44 Last Edit: December 14, 2021, 09:18:45 AM by noseatbelts
Francis was the last to enter the pawn shop and hung back a bit, letting the others get closer to the back where Sebastian's office was. He grabbed Jairoger by the shoulder and got in his face when he thought it was clear. "Listen, I don't know who- if you think you can- that's my- I've only been gone- whatever your name- Sebastian won't-"

That had gone better in his head as he fumed on their way from the secret dock, all the way up the elevator, and to the shop. He hadn't even really noticed the commotion outside. But once Francis got his chance; he choked. His glare wasn't quite as effective with his words being so jumbled. What had happened to him? He used to be a cold-blooded killer.

Francis wasn't sure how he felt about it.

Jairaj looked at Francis impassively, a bemused smirk forming on his angular features. He checked to be sure no one was eavesdropping and japped a finger into Francis' chest. Your time is done, Frankie. This is my show now, and if you think I'm going to let endanger that, तुम अपने कमबख्त दिमाग से बाहर हो। मैं आपको नष्ट कर दूंगा। आपकी अंतड़ियां बाहर की तरफ होंगी। दर्द। ढेर सारा दर्द।. This is how Sebastian wants it. So this is how it is, got it?" For a pencil necked little dweeb, his intensity in this moment startled even a formerly cold-blooded killer like Francis. But not so much as Jairaj's abrupt return to courtesy, with a placcid smile. "We shouldn't keep Mr Sebastian waiting." Francis didn't need to speak the same language to know what Jairaj had said to him, and he swallowed the instinct to strike first, once in the throat.

Back at the door to Sebastian's office, Jairaj rushed around the group to open the door for everyone. "Mr. Sebastian! May I present Lady Vornbach and her retinue."

From behind his oversized desk, Sebastian turned in his chair and gave everyone a smile. "How's my favorite Captain doing?" He seemed calm. Chill to the fact that the station had erupted into chaos around him. It was off putting, to say the least.

Charity took a deep breath in through her mouth and out through her nose, her arms finding their way around King's elbow as they entered. "Mister Sebastian," she greeted politely, the wattage of her smile turned up to a hundred. "You flatter me," she added, feigning a girlish blush and a coy lowering of her chin. "I think you'll find that the rations have been delivered to near perfection," she told him, her brows lifting. "However, I do have some concerns," Charity added, starting with honey and hoping they wouldn't need to use a more bitter approach.

"Perfection, eh? That's now what I hear..." Sebastian held his hand out to Jairoger, who procured a cortex pad. Sebastian flipped it so that the crew of the Odette could see what appeared to be a News Wave about the brawl that had taken place on the Eavesdown Docks. There was no specific footage captured of any of their crew. His jovial nature melted away. "Now, I hired you to go where I couldn't go. If I wanted a fight in the MIDDLE of the GORRAMN EAVESDOWN DOCKS I woulda sent my regular guys. Then you bring a COP to MY station? You're lucky I don't send all of you down the RUTTIN GARBAGE SHOOT." It only took a moment for him to calm again. Sebastian took a deep breath and crossed around the desk to stand directly in front of Charity. He reached for her hand. "Now, I'd like to hear what your concerns are."

Francis opened his mouth, but Charity spoke first.

Her gaze lowered to the pad and she tried her hardest to keep her grimace purely internal. Her jaw clenched as he chastised (and threatened) them, and she released King's elbow just in case. Better for him to have full mobility during a tense situation like this one. She watched Sebastian move closer and instinctively set her hand in his, which she immediately kicked herself for. Her manners were going to be the end of her. Still, she took a deep breath and offered him another sweet smile.

"You're right. Our first outing was not as smooth as all would have preferred. I apologize for fibbing. Honesty is the best policy in relationships like ours, to be sure," she began, nodding a little and dipping her head in apology. The fact that they hadn't been outed publicly in the article was likely all that saved them from said 'garbage shoot'.

"That being said, if we had been able to better prepare for the sort of reception we would receive at Eavesdown docks, things might have been a little more refined. And quiet. I appreciate honesty as well, Sebastian," she told him, raising her brows.

Francis smiled and meant to help explain, but Sebastian beat him to it.

Sebastian stared at Charity, hard, deciding how he felt about the accusation she just laid at his feet. He smiled, which turned to a laugh. He pointed at her, a joking accusation. "Oh ho ho. Yoooouuu are well trained.`` Sebastian regarded Jairoger for a moment, then moseyed back behind the desk. He said to King. "What about you, handsome? You well trained, too? Don't like running drugs, how about Guns?"

Francis made as if to speak, but was cut off by King.

King had been tense when they entered the office, but at Sebastian's outburst the tension in his body eased. His muscles relaxing into that fluid state of readiness that any soldier was familiar with. Outwardly not much changed, a telltale lowering of the shoulders easily missed, or attributed to Charity releasing his elbow. He was ready for imminent violence. He hadn't expected to be addressed directly. He gazed levelly at Sebastian for a moment. "Trained enough to know that if you'd told us what we were actually transporting, and that there was the possibility of another party attempting to intercept us in transit, we would have approached the situation differently, thereby avoiding said fight in the middle of the docks." He said, his tone conversational and matter of fact. Like a soldier giving his opinion when asked for it by an officer. "And yes, guns would be preferable."

"G-guns? Wait no no no..." Francis stammered.

Charity tensed at the less polished way that King addressed the issue, then forced herself to relax. Despite the risk that came with it, she was thankful for his blunt honest. He didn't wrap his intentions in a deceptively pretty bow, and that made her feel safe. Maybe not at the current moment, but in general.

She nodded along with King's smuggling preference, her hands clasping together in front of her lap. "Yes, guns would be ideal, thank you," she echoed, leaving it at that. She figured offering him her standard array of compliments to his character might come off as too disingenuous and sour the mood.

"I do have one more small request, which I think you may have been expecting given your capable new assistant," she started, getting right to the point on this one. "I'd like to keep Francis on board, as an intermediary between the two of us. What better way to maintain a good working relationship than to have someone to bridge the gap?"

Francis looked at Jairoger beaming and suddenly wondered if that was actually what he wanted. But before he could decide for himself, it was decided for him.

"Done!" Sebastian clapped his hands and rubbed them together. "That it? Good. You leave immediately for Verbena. It's winter there, so pack warm. I've got a guy gonna meet you and give you the lay of the land. Roger will give you the details." It was only then that Sebastian seemed to notice the fourth fourth party standing at the back, though Velocity towered over the others. "What's she doing here?"

Resisting the urge to make any sort of celebratory noises, Charity chose instead to nod attentively as he laid out their next job. That was fast. She wagered that he already knew what she was going to ask of him before they'd even set foot in his office.

His sudden attention shift left her off balance and the Captain turned her head to look back in Velocity's direction. She felt a little guilty for having forgotten that she'd been swept in here with them.

"Ah," Charity began, looking back at Little Sebastian with a warm, almost maternal smile. "We ran into one another on the way here," she continued, pausing to mentally think things through. She'd accidentally put the woman in quite the bind. Given what she imagined Sebastian did all day on the station, having someone unrelated to his profession or on the 'outside' would have likely angered him and sent the strange woman straight to the garbage shoot. Especially having had her hear their entire conversation.

 Charity glanced up at King with an apologetic smile. She'd always been the type to take in stray animals, even when there was just no more room for more. "We had discussed her working with us ..." she stopped, her hands clapping together once in front of her chest, mirroring Sebastian's mannerisms unintentionally. "She's working with us."

Sebastian looked confused. Francis tried to catch his gaze, but Sebastian settled on Jairoger instead, who shrugged and nodded his approval. "Bah, whatever. I had a gig lined up for her driving a pleasure yacht, but if you want her, saves me from paying her myself. We done?" The look on Sebastian's face indicated that no matter Charity and Co's feelings on the matter, they were, in fact, done.

"Sebastian, if I could have a minute-" Francis tried as Jairoger ushered them out of the room. He got no response from the bossman, all the way to the outside of the pawn shop and back to the thoroughfare, where they were greeted with a door closing behind them and a stationwide announcement.


"ALLIANCE FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS CONCLUDED THEIR OPERATION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION..."

And like magic, the station came back to life. Shops reopened, people appeared as if from nowhere, and life resumed.


Post written in coordination with Axe and Lomari

Velocity Grey-Lambert

"Hey there, easy now, we're friendly....You're in Little Sebastien's pawn shop. There's some kind of ruckus going on out there and everyone's running all over the place, you seemed like you were in a daze in the middle of the walkway so Cherry here pulled you along with us to get you out of danger."

"Little Sebastian" rang a bell as it should have, Velocity having been there less than two hours previously but Velocity's brain was a more than a little dodgy and a stressful situation had intervened. "Does he have a job for me?" she wondered. The man carried on and the next word she picked up on was: "A daze?"

There was no time to dwell on it as the man was continuing to speak.

"We aren't holding you, you're free to take your bag and go if you want..."

"My bag!" she thought, having not noticed its absence until the man had brought it back to her attention but that thought was immediately overwhelmed by another: "My Violin!" For a moment she thought that she had lost track of that as well but the weight of it transmitted through the straps over her shoulders and the reassuring pressure on her back told her that it was where it should be.

"... but I'd advise staying inside until things calm down out there."

Finally the pieces came back together enough for Velocity to make out the shape of recent events, including the summons from Sebastian, the alert that had triggered her 'episode', and the woman's rescue of her. She made to reply in agreement to the man's final piece of advice but the whole retinue had moved into the office, drawing her with it.

Velocity did her best to follow the verbal fencing that went on between Sebastian and the woman who had rescued her but there was too much subtext, too much prior knowledge required for Velocity's damaged brain to make proper sense of it. She did manage to pick up on the fact that the business drifted to the wrong side of the law. History had put her on the losing side of the conflict but her continuing position was that it was not the wrong side and a little bit of clandestine work that potentially continued to 'stick it' to the Alliance sat perhaps a little more comfortably with her than her late wife's parents might have liked. That she was more inclined to have more regard for her in-laws' opinion than her own parents' spoke to the alienation from her own family that her parent's attitude to her sexuality had caused.

"What's she doing here?" Sebastian's sudden demand cut through Velocity's thoughts and she looked around to see who Sebastian might be talking about. Despite her difficulty with situations involving more than a couple of people, she could work out that there was only one person Sebastian could be referring to and that was herself.

Again, before she could respond, the matter was taken out of her hands in an unexpected way.

"Ah, we ran into one another on the way here."

From Velocity's perspective, that much was true.

"We had discussed her working with us ... She's working with us."

Velocity's eyes focused more intently on Charity and she frowned, first trying to make sense of the words and then trying to remember if there had been any such discussion.

"Bah, whatever. I had a gig lined up for her driving a pleasure yacht, but if you want her, saves me from paying her myself. We done?"

"Twice now, she's rescued you," Bonnie's voice spoke in her mind.

Velocity took the hint and tried to position herself to thank the woman and to introduce herself but Sebastian's associate was manoeuvring them out of the pawn shop. Outside, the announcement and the abrupt bustle of the station coming back to life gave her what she felt was an opening; she approached her rescuer.

"Thank you," She started a little quietly, the quaver in her voice betraying her apprehension that the direct approach was causing her. "My....'

"No, Velocity! Bonnie's voice in her mind interrupted what Velocity had been starting to say."You'll blow her story." They were still just outside the pawn shop and there was always the possibility that there were listening devices. Velocity couldn't remember how many times Bonnie, while still alive, had intervened to stop Velocity from giving away too much.

Velocity's mouth shut suddenly and her normally pallid complexion took on a reddish hue as she blushed.


Dialogue Colour: Fuchsia

Player: Clare
Characters: Beth

Jedikiah Rembo

December 18, 2021, 09:59:59 AM #46 Last Edit: December 20, 2021, 02:09:01 PM by Jedikiah Rembo
Medical Recovery - Away Team - Jed

The Junior Guard looked at Jed sideways, fresh-faced and wide-eyed, he leaned in as if to share a secret. "I don't think so. It's my first week, so I haven't been here during a raid but the radio operator told me to hold my position so I don't know what's going on." He seemed to listen at his ear piece and gave Jed a look like 'wish me luck' and went back out the way they came.

'A Raid?' that was a bit informative, but yet Jedikiah doubted the surety of the guard's statement. Doubly doubtful that a new guard with one week's service time would be properly, or even improperly, informed.

 . . .

A triage nurse appeared, older and tired, holding an old cortex pad wrapped in a heavy protective case. It looked as if the thing had been handled a lot, so this must be the one they hand to patients. In fact, that's exactly what it was, because that's what she did to Jed. "Here. Fill this out for your friend. Bring it up to the counter when you're done." And she left without waiting to see if Jed had any questions.

Jed was alone with forms to fill out. There was no counter in sight.


With a polite smile Jed moved out of the way and filled in the data pad forms. He was as explicit as possible regarding the injuries of Darius Black. Yet for the sake of the crew he left out any details as to where, why, and irrelevant hows. No mention of ship, crew, or their assumed employer, Sebastian.

It seemed prudent.

When finished he found no one to be available to hand off the data pad. Instead he moved to the stretcher of Darius Black and left the data pad next to him. One last check to ensure the lawman didn't need any immediate medical attention. Then a slight movement of the stretcher to one of a bit more prominence and hopefully higher in their triage line.

 - an inquiry with an indifferent orderly allowed Jedikiah to 'procure' some much needed replacements for the Odette's medical supplies. An envelope with the 'attention to the director and some credits' to replace them. No other identification.

With what seemed near invisibility he began to take a leisurely stroll back to the elevator to reunite with the Odettes. He again considered a stop by his former Dojo. Again he turned back the temptation, it had been a very short lived endeavor. There was no need to pursue what could only be a diversion. His always slight smile broadened. The Odettes had grown on him, despite still being the new crew member and somehow distant outsider, he felt a sense to stick with them.

Curiosity or perhaps a very old rescuer notion; a little nod to himself. More adventure was the reason. Interesting people and a path few followed would always make for the road next traveled.

- There seemed little else. Jed headed by by a rather no direct route back to the ship. He watched actions of the 'emergency', curious about what might be going on but clearly decided to keep inquiries shut down.

Yang Style Tai Chi and Shaolin Kung Fu
 - And Medical Practitioner


Charity

"ALLIANCE FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS CONCLUDED THEIR OPERATION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION..."

Charity stood outside of Sebastian's pawn shop, her mind a whirlwind of concerns and hypothetical situations. The announcement broke through her mild stupor and she looked upward toward the disembodied voice, her hands sliding into the slits in the side of her dress that led to the interior pockets. So there had been something going on after all. Although the fact that it had been the Alliance paying the station a visit did settle her nerves on the matter somewhat.

"Thank you," the stranger began, pulling the Captain's attention away from the high ceilings and back to the present. Her brows rose slightly "My...." Velocity began, but quickly fell silent again. That was the most prudent course of action, in Charity's opinion.

With a slow shake of her head and a deep breath, the debutante looked first up at King, and then in Francis' direction. They'd done it. Somehow. They had avoided punishment for the fiasco that had been their last job, successfully switched their smuggling from drugs to guns (as if that was better), and had successfully kept Francis on board. And gained another crew member in the meantime. Sebastian had mentioned that he'd had her lined up to drive a pleasure boat, which had to mean that the was a pilot. How convenient. They had been severely lacking in that department, so this all seemed kismet.

"Well, that's that," she finally said aloud, looking a little baffled herself. Still, her cherry lips turned up at the corners and she beamed at their newcomer. "Let's get you to the ship you'll be piloting, I think we have a lot to discuss with the crew, and we have your 'onboarding' to complete," she told Velocity with a wink, her hand hooking around King's elbow as she led them back toward the elevator they'd used to come up here. Of course, she relied on Francis and King to reroute her if she took any wrong turns. She really didn't know where she was going, after all.
Dialogue Color: AntiqueWhite

Francis Church

Sullen, Francis led the way back to the elevator as the crowds of stationeers returned to their posts; the Federal emergency take care of. He realized that Jairoger had somehow kept Sebastian calm throughout that whole endeavor; something Francis had never been able to do. Whenever there was a Federal raid, which wasn't often, Sebastian had nearly torn his office apart. One time, they'd dumped a bunch of contraband out the airlock only to discover it was a false alarm. Sebastian had tried to make Francis put on a space suit to retrieve it.

But now, the man who had taken Francis in and taught him all he knew about the criminal underworkings of the Verse, wouldn't even look him in the eye. He'd been replaced. Of course, he was free now to go with the Odette and keep being friends with them. That was better, right?

It should have been and yet...

Francis was still pouting as everyone wandered about the station, fulfilling errands and shopping and basically stretching their legs in the wake of their week in the Black. It would be about the same to Verbena, where they could restock and refuel and such, so no need to stock up for several weeks. Francis knew who they were going there to meet. He also knew it was a bad idea. But he didn't feel like divulging that just now. They didn't want to listen to him at the meeting, after all.

Back at the elevator, Francis swiped his key card to allow entry and exit to Sebastian's dock and was glad to see the good Doctor had arrived at about the same time. "All aboard. Next stop, our doom." He looked at everyone and forced a smile. "Kidding..."
Dialogue Color - MediumVioletRed

noseatbelts

The ladies and gentlemen of the Odette, old and new, lined up in the elevator as Francis punched in their destination. It was a short ride down to the dock and Odette awaited them; the refueling crew just wrapping up their efforts. Charity's Cortex Unit pinged with a new message from Jairoger, detailing their destination and the name of their contact. Tyson Hazard. Hopefully that was just his name and not what they were flying into.

Odette was merely picking up the goods and bringing them to a third location. In fact, the guns had already been delivered. They were picking up the payment, apparently, though what that was exactly was left vague. Not exactly what Sebastian had promised, but maybe that would be better.

How much trouble could it be to just pick up the payment?


Velocity Grey-Lambert

Odette Crew - Away team

"Well, that's that. Let's get you to the ship you'll be piloting, I think we have a lot to discuss with the crew, and we have your 'onboarding' to complete,

"She means it!" was Velocity's surprised thought, though, on reflection, she knew she shouldn't have been so surprised, Sebastian had given it his blessing, for what it was worth.

She let that thought go and remembering her manners, responded with, "Yes Ma'am,"

Though blissfully unaware of the details of the trouble the Odette's crew had encountered on their previous excursion, nonetheless, Velocity's feelings were a mixture of anxiety with respect to what she was getting into and anticipation as to what ship she would be flying; that she would be flying seemed a certainty though her anxiety cautioned that it could still be a ploy. Still, Sebastian had seemed to have been consistent with the information he had given both her and Charity, and Charity had confirmed her position as pilot.

The thought of running guns didn't faze her, even though she didn't know for what use the guns would be put. Running guns and other cargoes had been a major part of her life during the war, and she couldn't claim a moral highground in that endeavour over running such things now; in her experience the Independents had been as capable of misuse of weapons as the Alliance.

She did wonder if she would see Chips again. She wondered, too, if she would recognise him if she did. One thing was certain; she would have a lot of stuff to record in her diary before she went to bed and sleep once again obliterated her indexes into her memories. "Will I be aboard this ship long enough for there to be some hope of some information surviving sleep?" Paradoxically, it wasn't how to get from her cabin to the cockpit, or what to do when she got there, that ever got lost, just the people and the things that had happened.

For now she followed along, still clutching her bag, hoping anxiously that they didn't get separated, and using the time to assess those she had fallen in with.


Dialogue Colour: Fuchsia

Player: Clare
Characters: Beth

Jedikiah Rembo

January 27, 2022, 09:21:03 AM #51 Last Edit: January 27, 2022, 07:56:19 PM by Jedikiah Rembo
Jedikiah arrived just a moment before the rest of the crew arrived by elevator. An exchange of looks with Francis. Jed was a little surprised that he was still with them. There had been an inkling that their Sebastian representative might not be long for their crew.

"All aboard. Next stop, our doom." He looked at everyone and forced a smile. "Kidding..."

A smile was offered by Dr. Rembo at Francis. There was nothing to suggest Francis had been kidding. But then not knowing how serious to take Mr. Church was a puzzlement.

The crew was quiet. There was a new addition, unusual in stature, size, shape and color. And of greater interest than the woman's unusual physique was the violin case strapped onto her back.

'fascinating and always interesting.' Rembo had lived a long time. His crew, yes 'his' now, had added to the collection of eclectic souls.

The ship was ready to travel. Or nearly so.

Jedikiah waited calm and equally as quiet. Talk of the safe delivery of Lawman Black and his bag of newly acquired medical supplies could wait, if needed at all.

The Odettes seemed to have a purpose, another job. Taken without choice likely, but no excuses this time about it. The legality and morality was accepted. Given their previous adventure, there could be no reservations, surprise or shock at the direction their employer was sending them.

Yang Style Tai Chi and Shaolin Kung Fu
 - And Medical Practitioner


Akhsar King

January 28, 2022, 01:05:27 AM #52 Last Edit: January 28, 2022, 03:09:56 PM by Axe
"ALLIANCE FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS CONCLUDED THEIR OPERATION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION..."


King let out a sigh of relief as life returned to the station around them. So, just a happy coincidence that some Fed just happened to be running an OP just at the exact time they'd arrived. The Verse sure did like stressing him out with its sense of humor.

His shoulders sank a few notches as some of the stress ebbed out of them. There was still plenty of tension there that he would need to work out later... Maybe a nice hot shower once they were safely off the station. He tilted his head to one side and then the other, eliciting a satisfying crack each time, and looked around. He exchanged looks with Charity, and gave their new pilot a once over glance. They certainly had an odd way of acquiring crew, no mistake about that.

"Well." King said, clearing his throat. "That went well. There is a tiny bit of shopping I need to do before we leave, shouldn't take long. Think there's time enough to do that on the way back to the ship? I'd really like to be better prepared for our next job." He finished, looking around hopefully. With a favorable consensus, Charity hooked her arm into his elbow as Francis led the way towards the markets.

It was a relatively short list. All the gear he'd picked up on Newhall, which felt like a lifetime ago, was likely still on the Wushu. Whatever had ended up happening to it. He wanted a couple training items that would be helpful in the coming lessons with Charity, as well as some added firepower and protection. While he certainly couldn't secure them a tank, he could manage a couple rifles with extra mags, a few handguns, and maybe some light body armor.


------


With their shopping and general leg stretching concluded, Francis led the way back to the elevators. Once there the Doc rejoined them, Francis swiped his card and off they went. "All aboard. Next stop, our doom... Kidding..." King did not miss the fact that the mans smile seemed more than a little forced, and he raised a questioning eyebrow at him. Kings hands now occupied with a couple duffel-bags, he shifted slightly to take some weight off his still healing foot. He wondered if he or Charity should check in with Francis once they got underway. It seemed like everything had gone according to plan in the meeting with Sebastian, but maybe the Francis-Replacement had shaken Francis-Prime. "Well, doom wouldn't be surprising given our track record, but hey at least we'd be expecting it this time. Not to mention more prepared to avert it." He said with a chuckle and a slight shake of the bag containing the firearms and bullet-resistant vests he'd purchased.
Dialogue Color: Olivedrab

Charity

January 29, 2022, 11:57:42 AM #53 Last Edit: January 29, 2022, 02:23:07 PM by Axe
"All aboard. Next stop, our doom...Kidding..." Francis joked as they entered the elevator, all back together again after their individual missions and shopping excursion. She'd picked up another set of clothing that was more appropriate for her upcoming lessons with King on how to use weaponry and take care of herself, as well as some trinkets and decorations for the ship. Unsurprisingly, they hadn't had any dresses that met her high expectations for clothing so she'd have to look elsewhere to replace what had been lost on WuShu.

"Well, doom wouldn't be surprising given our track record, but hey at least we'd be expecting it this time. Not to mention more prepared to avert it." King said with a chuckle

The Captain listened half-heartedly as the crew talked to one another on the way down. She stared down at her glimmering and compact cortex unit at the message with their Contact's name and Destination, her gaze scanning over the information about the job. She wondered if everything was included here or if Sebastian had had JaiRoger omit anything. The doors to the elevator opened and Charity looked up, relieved to see their ship right where they'd left it.

Clearing her throat, the debutante walked out of the elevator first and led the way to the ship, her heels clicking as she walked up the ramp and back into the relative safety of the Odette. Once everyone was in, she shut the exit ramp's doors behind them. Charity paused. Nodding her chin downward, the Captain pressed the ship's comms system with one hand, her things tucked in the elbow of the other arm. They were mostly all gathered, so no better time than the present to get them all up to speed.

"We've returned," she said first, to Coop and Pele, wherever they were on the ship. "We have reached an understanding with our generous employer, and have been gifted a new job. We will be heading to Fort McClellan on Verbena to meet with our contact Mister Hazard and pick up payment for a shipment Mister Sebastian sent them. It should be an easy enough pickup. We've also picked up a new crew mate! A dedicated pilot. She and I will be on the bridge if any of you wish to meet her. And our Francis has decided to stay on board! Oh, and keep in mind, it's winter on Verbena now, so we'll need to be ready for that...That's all," she finished, releasing the comms button and nodding to herself and the crew that was with her by the doors. She smiled and took a deep breath, reaching out to usher Velocity along with her.

"We can drop your things off in your quarters and meet the rest of the crew..." she started, walking up the ramp from the primary airlock and exit ramp to the foyer. "...Right after I show you to the bridge. I know things are a little rushed, and I am sorry for that, but I do think it might be best if we get ourselves off of the station before making ourselves comfortable, no?" she asked, walking up the steps to the bridge. The upper deck was home to the Bridge and what was labeled as Engineering, and was likely where Velocity would be most of the time, if she decided she wanted to stay with them. Stepping out of the taller woman's way, she gestured toward the bridge and the console, "Why don't you get yourself familiar with Odette and when you're ready, take us out," she suggested, smiling warmly up at Velocity. "Welcome aboard," she added.
Dialogue Color: AntiqueWhite

Velocity Grey-Lambert

"Well, doom wouldn't be surprising given our track record, but hey at least we'd be expecting it this time. Not to mention more prepared to avert it." King said.

Velocity looked at King with sudden concern, her eyes growing round as she contemplated the statement and wondered anew what she had gotten herself into but then the lift door opened to reveal the ship that she would be flying and all thoughts of pending doom vanished as she was absorbed by the beauty of the ship in front of her. Of all the ships that Velocity had been expecting, the Kestrel Class she had seen on the monitor in Sebastian's office, and then from the observation deck coming slowly into dock, had not been one of them.

"Oh, My!" Velocity breathed, her heart aflutter.

She would have stopped to admire the vessel, what she could see of it but the tide of the crew drew her onwards and the only thing that she did glimpse was the ship's name, "Odette", and her mind immediately jumped to the ballet, one she could have watched over and over, and Tchaikovsky's music from the ballet was among her favourites to listen to. She played some of it too but it was an orchestral work so most of it didn't really suit solo violin.

"Kismet?" she wondered though with Francis expression of Doom and King's follow-up she wasn't quite prepared to wager which way the Fates were playing their hand.

The sound of the airlock closing behind them, followed by Charity's announcement, drew her out of her reverie, her mind grasping at the mention of winter on Verbana. "I hope I don't have to leave the ship," she thought, giving an involuntary shiver; her clothing was designed for protection from casual bumps, not from the cold.

"We can drop your things off in your quarters and meet the rest of the crew...right after I show you to the bridge. Charity said.

Once again she found herself manoeuvred by Charity but the direction was that of the bridge which suited her very well.

"I know things are a little rushed, and I am sorry for that, but I do think it might be best if we get ourselves off of the station before making ourselves comfortable, no?"

"Yes Ma'am," Velocity responded enthusiastically; she had never liked stations and, in her view, the only good view of a station was from the rear facing cameras as the ship sped away. Unless Bonnie was on it, of course but Bonnie wouldn't be on any station ever again.

"Why don't you get yourself familiar with Odette and when you're ready, take us out," Charity suggested. "Welcome aboard."

But Velocity was already in motion, putting her bag down and shrugging out of her violin case before sliding with unlikely grace into the Pilot's chair.

"Thank you," Velocity remembered, belatedly, to say.

The awkward, lanky, socially inept woman with a memory like swiss cheese, had abruptly vanished and in its place was a confident, focused pilot. Hands flew over the controls, first a cold re-familiarisation with the location of all of the important items followed, very quickly, with a near-perfect series of rapid switch toggling that turned on the displays and brought the various systems online.

"Ready when you are, Captain," she said after what, objectively, was a very short period of time though subjectively, for Velocity, it had seemed like she had taken forever to work out where everything was.

Then, "Is there somewhere safer I can leave these?" she asked, indicating her bag and violin. "I am uncomfortable with unrestrained items while manoeuvring, especially in the vicinity of space stations."


Dialogue Colour: Fuchsia

Player: Clare
Characters: Beth

Cooper Brown

Cooper Brown marched down the hallway of Odette, wiping the grease off his hands with a rag. The engine upgrades were complete. For today at least. Any time he spent around Pele, he became profoundly more aware of how filthy he was. Though like clockwork, he'd surely end up covered in something else before the day was out. If it wasn't engine grime, it was human gore.

Arriving in the cockpit to greet the new pilot and the Captain, he caught her just at the end of asking the pilot, or ordering her in her unique way, to get them off this hive of villainy.

"G'day Cap..."

He turned his gaze slightly to address the new pilot, and her violin. But the former soldier and current grease-magnet suddenly locked up a bit. Brown took on a new characteristic Charity likely hadn't seen yet. Nervousness. He cleared his throat and added in his distinct aussie accent:

"Pleasure to meet you..."

He knew where she could store her personal effects but again froze. This was embarrassing. But also for reasons Coop didn't want to come within a mile of untangling at the moment.

"I'll go make sure the engine's tiptop for takeoff... yeah."

If Cooper Brown could have left smoke trails as he left the room he would have. Whatever possessed Cooper Brown today he wasn't feeling any more chatty than usual. And so far the crew of Odette had only really seen two moods from Coop: casual or violent.

Pele Kesher

Not long after Cooper had stormed off the bridge, Pele appeared in a flowing burgundy dress which was definitely not what she'd been wearing when Charity and her entourage had left the ship. The scent of soap and freshly applied perfume surrounding her suggested this change of outfit had been accompanied by a shower. Pele hoped she was the only one who could smell the metallic whiff of engine grease underneath her signature cloud of white florals.

"I trust you put your foot down with Mr Sebastian, Miss Charity? Or will this job be 'easy' in the same sense as the previous one was 'above board'?" Pele's honeyed veneer of passive-aggressive politeness was even thinner than usual, and it was quite evident something had her in a particularly prickly mood. Before she could throw any more incriminating shade at her captain, her gaze fell onto Velocity, as if she was just now noticing the seven-foot woman also in the room.

"You must be the new pilot." She gave the newcomer a quick once-over and looked like she wanted to say something, but held her tongue, her jaw clenching ever so slightly as she did so. She turned back to Charity, a tense smile spreading on her face. "Splendid. I suppose that means Aquamarine Reyes can properly retire. Speaking of which... excuse me."

The socialite turned on her heels and exited the room just as swiftly -- if more gracefully  -- as Cooper had done moments earlier.

Charity

Location: The Bridge

"Ready when you are, Captain...Is there somewhere safer I can leave these? I am uncomfortable with unrestrained items while maneuvering, especially in the vicinity of space stations."

Before she could answer, Mister Cooper joined them on the bridge. Charity smiled in his direction, her gaze lowering to the grease covered rag before returning to his face.

"G'day Cap," he greeted. A blush crept up Charity's neck at the title. She still wasn't used to people calling her that and felt both proud and terrified whenever someone reminded her that she was indeed the Captain of this vessel and these people. That was a lot of responsibility and she felt like she might have already lost their trust and confidence after their first mission together. Her hands joined in front of her lap and she took a deep breath. She just had to work hard to be a better Captain for them.

"Happy to be back, Mister Cooper. This is our new pilot..." she paused and her eyes widened. She didn't know their new crewmates name. Everything had been so rushed and getting out of Sebastian's shop had been so high on her list of priorities that they'd never gotten around to the pleasantries and introductions. Luckily for her, Cooper didn't seem to want to stick around long enough to notice her blunder.

"...Pleasure to meet you...I'll go make sure the engine's tiptop for takeoff... yeah," he told them, then hightailed it off the bridge. Charity's hands unclasped and she stared after him with a confused frown. Before she could wonder what that had been about, Pele glided onto the bridge like a whirlwind of rose petals in her burgundy dress.

"I trust you put your foot down with Mr Sebastian, Miss Charity? Or will this job be 'easy' in the same sense as the previous one was 'above board'?" she asked. Charity opened her mouth to answer, pausing when Pele moved on to their new pilot.

"You must be the new pilot. Splendid. I suppose that means Aquamarine Reyes can properly retire. Speaking of which... excuse me." And with that, she too was gone. The Captain's brows furrowed and her hands settled on her hips as she stared at the empty space where Cooper and then Pele had been. What in the 'verse had all that been about? She sighed heavily, knowing she'd have to deal with whatever was going on sooner or later, although she figured Pele would need to be spoken to first.

"I apologize," she said to the pilot, wincing a little at her crew's apparent lack of manners. "I think in the chaos of the station, we may have missed out on getting to know one another. You may call me Charity, or Captain Charity, you already met King, our XO, and Francis, our other XO, back at Little Sebastian's. Mister Cooper, our mechanic, was the nervous gentleman who ran out of here a moment ago, and Miss Pele, our...public relations, was the lovely woman who just left," she told her."And who would you be?" she asked warmly, her brows raised in question.

"Oh, and, yes, I can have these taken to your cabin. For now, we can stow them away here in this cabinet. Would that be alright?" she asked, reaching down toward the bags and pausing before touching them to make sure she had permission first.
Dialogue Color: AntiqueWhite

Velocity Grey-Lambert

February 05, 2022, 02:02:53 PM #58 Last Edit: February 05, 2022, 02:05:14 PM by Velocity Grey-Lambert
Location: The Bridge

"G'day Cap... Pleasure to meet you... I'll go make sure the engine's tiptop for takeoff... yeah." The crew member was gone before Velocity could respond and before she could gather even the vaguest impression of him other than the smell of the engine room that he had brought in with him.

"I trust you put your foot down with Mr Sebastian, Miss Charity? Or will this job be 'easy' in the same sense as the previous one was 'above board'? .... You must be the new pilot. Splendid. I suppose that means Aquamarine Reyes can properly retire. Speaking of which... excuse me."

It seemed to be a meme, a rapid entry, rapid, cryptic speech, and an equally rapid departure, giving Velocity no chance to respond or work out what was meant.

"I apologize, I think in the chaos of the station, we may have missed out on getting to know one another. You may call me Charity, or Captain Charity, you already met King, our XO, and Francis, our other XO, back at Little Sebastian's. Mister Cooper, our mechanic, was the nervous gentleman who ran out of here a moment ago, and Miss Pele, our...public relations, was the lovely woman who just left," she told her."And who would you be?"

Bewildered by the rush of crew through the bridge, Velocity struggled to keep up with what Charity was saying to her. She got the captain's name but she didn't have the time or the capacity to make the connections between names and people for the others. Even Pele and Cooper had got mixed up and she was not at all convinced that she would use the correct names. Her confident, competent manor that had suddenly arrived with her assuming the Pilot's Chair, just as abruptly disintegrated.

"Hello, C-captain Ch-charity," she stuttered, opting for the slightly more formal means of address. "I'm Velocity Grey-Lambert,". Velocity paused for a moment, and then continued, "Actually it's Valerie Elizabeth Grey-Lambert, they just call me Velocity. I think it was because my initials before I got..." Another pause as she swallowed the lump that came to her throat, "...married... were V E L and they thought I walked fast and flew faster. It sort of stuck."

Velocity blushed as she realised that she had run on longer than was necessary; had offered explanation where none was probably sought or desired.

Fortunately Charity distracted her by responding to her earlier question: "Oh, and, yes, I can have these taken to your cabin. For now, we can stow them away here in this cabinet. Would that be alright?" Charity offered.

"That's okay, I can do that," she replied, her voice becoming a little surer as she sought to prevent Charity from touching her violin. She meant that she could out the bag and violin in the cabinet, belatedly realising that there had been two things that that could refer to.

"You need to trust, silly girl," Bonnie admonished gently. "The Captain asked permission, that's not nothing,"

"Yes, thank you," she said gratefully after a pause but it would be all she could do from too obviously watching like a hawk if and when Charity put her violin in the cabinet.

"But I can take them to my cabin when we are safely in the Black," she added, because trusting the Captain was one thing, trusting crew she hadn't really met was another.


Dialogue Colour: Fuchsia

Player: Clare
Characters: Beth

Jedikiah Rembo

February 12, 2022, 03:13:56 PM #59 Last Edit: February 12, 2022, 03:16:29 PM by Jedikiah Rembo
Dr. Rembo stowed medical supplies and medicines in the Sick Bay. He took another couple minutes to stand calmly and clear his mind.

Then he stepped out into the Foyer as Cooper Brown came down the stairs from the upper deck. The man had an unusual fluster or out sort look to him. His eyes focused on internal thoughts. Jedikiah offered a very slight bow that was easily politely ignored or unseen if the engineer was truly distracted from such an observation.

Brown was followed by Pele Kesher, who's function he still remained somewhat unsure. It wasn't unusual for a small crew to have a certain X Factor. Faceman, or in her case of course woman, seemed the obvious. Or someone of skills required that had not been more directly called upon. She entered the Foyer with her usual calm style and grace. Nothing out of sorts there. For her he gave a more polite bow than he had with Cooper. "Miss Kesher." He said in way of greeting, and as she went about her way he headed up the steps.

Jedikiah stepped into the bridge missing Velocity's introduction but as she stowed her gear. One piece being a very high quality violin case. He waited a moment to be recognized and hopefully introduced.

When offered a chance to speak to the Captain, "Captain Charity," he started with a easy tone of sincere respect, yet a friendly manner.
"Lawman is in good hands." It seemed that she would have a concern. Maybe not.
"And I'll send you a new inventory of medical items I procured."

He was curious about the pilot but would not linger. Duties were required for their exit that did not require him.
Yang Style Tai Chi and Shaolin Kung Fu
 - And Medical Practitioner


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