S2E10 - Greenleaf Skyplex Stopover

[Luke OMalley]

As Luke rounded more fully on the cargo bay entrance to the Ronin he found it wasn't just the diminutive man and the, well, thanks to the other men, Luke now could label the taller of the original pair the captain. Eyes the color of pale storm tossed sea inspected all four men in short order. All four had an air of danger to them and all four intricately different ways.

The captain immediately gave off that aura of casual danger, like a large cat.Content to smile and walk but ready to strike and maim at a moment's notice. He had fought men like him before and had developed a strong distaste for it.

The short man, Luke had not bothered to catch his name yet, didn't strike the sandy haired giant as physically intimidating but there was something beyond the surprised exclamation and startled expression on his face. His eyes had that wickedly intelligent gleam to them the sort that always made Like nervous when he say it growing up. Less nervous these days. But it was still there tickling at the back of his mind.

The next two were a little more predictable. Both were very capable looking. Luke still have himself favorable odds against one or the other in a fist fight and manageable odds against both at the same time even if that might have been a touch generous in his favor. The younger of the two looked like he would be more at home with a beer in hand and a spanner in the other, that said, Luke had seen what a spanner could do to a man when swung with a vengeance.

The second man, all dressed in somber black, was already shifting into a gun fighter's stance, coat pulled back and hand poised. There was no doubt in Luke's mind the other man could draw and drop him ages before Luke could even begin to pull his own pistol from the small of his back. He gave all four of them a wide open smile and followed Lin inside.

"Good to meetcha." Luke said in a rather general manner though his gaze had returned to Lin Kuei as he spoke. He spared a wink down at the man the captain had called Declan. "Cheers pal. Be seein' ya I guess." Luke gathered up his travel sackand looked over to the man called Chao. "What wit them techy types off you mind showin' me the ins and outs? Dun wan'ta be walkin' in on somm'in I shouln't."

[Mylena Yee]

The hard-soled slippers made a soft shuffling sound on the deck of the Ronin.  Mylena and Ava had gotten a few moments to know each other a little, and over-all she was pleased with the Captain's choice of roommate for her. She was of course smitten with Ava's beauty, but there was a kindness there that was equally appealing.  Their tastes were very much in line with one another's, understated and elegant.  After the last few personal items were put away, she ventured out of her room to explore the ship and to see about finding some water for Ava's electric tea kettle.

As she left her room, she made note of the nearest bathroom, and the closest crew dorm to the one she shared with Ava.  A cursory glance showed it to also be set up to be shared by 2, though it was currently empty. One bed had been recently disrupted, either by someone sitting on it, or by a bag placed on top for unpacking though.  She tucked that tidbit away. The other new crewman, Minato, the Captain had said.  Wonder where he'd gotten off to.

Based on the general layout she guessed that Travis and Michael were in a similar styled room on the other side of the corridor.  She'd plan to visit them later.  Michael had seemed like he'd wanted some time alone and she for one would respect his wishes, though she planned to ask him or Travis about some pistol training later.  Perhaps in exchange for the previously mentioned massage.

For now, she started down towards the cargo area, she wanted to see the workout area before she went up to the galley to scrounge up some bottle water if possible.

[Michael Becker]

Becker and Chao's Room

Glory. Good ol' Glory. It was good day when Michael Becker wasn't reminded of a ship called Glory. Sat on the bed which had been furthest from the door to his room, the Gunhand had to question the state of his mind. Here he was on a ship for the second time, and he couldn't remember the first. What else was he forgetting? And why couldnt he forget the things he wanted to?

Michael tucked into his waistline instinctively to procure a flask fo something that steadied his mind. Or unsteadied it, maybe that was the point. As he was about to drink, he heard the door opening and fumbled it. It slipped through his fingers, fell to the floor and was kicked under bed in a panic. Then he met Chao's offer.

"As it happens, I was just feeling thirsty." He managed a weak smile and received the cup with as some gratefulness he could muster. The two shared a quiet moment, one he felt would define their time aboard. He sipped on the liquid that didn't live up to the one he had hoped for. Soon Lin turned in, and indicated upcoming tasks for the pair. Mike questioned what he needed outside of the gun at his hip. Travis took his leave after Lin.

Becker dropped to the floor once he was alone, to retrieve the bear empty flask beneath his bunk. "Gorram it!" It was a whispered cry of frustration. As he swirled the last few dregs around in the metallic hold. He was here for sometime. He needed to know what else was on board to sooth his addiction. Mike made for the galley.

Galley

As others explored the ship, Mike explored the galley. Getting a good feel for their inventory and trying to gauge how their top shelf drinks held up.

[Travis Chao]

Travis nodded to the newcomers and replied to Luke. "Travis." He said simply, taking a more relaxed look, his eyes widened to normal. He really needed to speak to the captain about a head's up on what's coming. If offered a hand to shake he did so.

A moment passed and O'Malley seemed to think he was the one to get him to his bunk. Which was fine. "Sure, I got this Mr. Delmonte." Travis thought for another second while he then spoke to Luke. He had to set his mind as to which bunk the Captain had meant, 'below' the Captain had said. 'Ah, right.'

"Up then down." He gave a quick look at Monte, winked and nodded; then turned for the stairs. "This way Luke. I ain't had but the nickel tour myself as I just got hired on, but I think I got the gist of it." First name basis for fellow security folk, Monte was a ship officer as far as Travis was concerned, a Mister until told otherwise.

As they ascended the stairs Travis nodded to Mylena, "Miss Yee."
"This is Luke O'Malley. He's security. And ballast as needed." He gave them a moment before leading them forward.

Once past Mylena he said to Mylena, if passed a shut door. "Not sure of her function as such. Something about offering a massage." 

At the hall intersection, "That's me'n' Mike Becker bunked down left. He's security too. And the tech boys down to the right."

Then down the stairs.
"One of those rooms I reckon. Take a minute to get settled?"

[Ava Gray]

When Ava returned to the medbay, Reese was alone, and much calmer than she had been when Ava stepped out.  She took a seat opposite the girl and gently shared the news of what she had to look forward to as withdrawal began to kick in.  There were the first 72 hours of physical symptoms, which they could mitigate a bit with the drugs on hand, but there was little to be done medication-wise about the following two weeks.  Weeks which were going to be made rough by the paranoia, depression and anxiety which marked the mental phase of withdrawal from Delerium.

"We can help you with that as much as we can, but I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't point out that we're in orbit around Greenleaf, and they have some of the best recovery clinics in the 'verse here.  Even in the ER I worked on Sihnon, we'd recommend people to a clinic here to help with recovery.  They've got years of experience, and a very high success rate.  I'm sure Lin would get you a shuttle down there and cover the costs."  Ava neatly printed the information of the clinic on a piece of paper and handed it to Reese as Lin returned.

Ava slipped out to allow Reese and Lin to discuss the options in private.  She could hear voices from the direction of the cargo bay, but didn't have any duties there herself.  She considered briefly heading up to the galley to get out something for everyone to snack on, knowing how much Lin valued providing a bountiful table, but there was the chance that one of the new hires would be serving as an actual chef.  Better to let things get sorted out officially, Ava figured.  No pressing duties coming to mind, she figured the best thing to do would be to head to ops.  Doubtless everyone would be ending up there sooner rather than later, and she might as well beat the crowd.

The doctor curled up in a seat and flipped on the screen of the thin tablet containing her copy of Universal Anatomy, keying up the section on addiction and recovery.  Whether Reese decided to stay aboard or take the referral for the clinic dirtside, it never hurt to take the time to study.

[Luke OMalley]

Luke gave a solid nod to Travis as he gave his first name. They shook hands. Polite, firm, professional, but by no means cold. "Any guide's'ta be betta than wandern on me own I wager." That said he followed the other 'security' man up into what looked to be a general meeting of passageways. Luke gave a brilliant smile down at the cherubic faced woman introduced as Miss Yee. "Paid as ballast mind, security's justa fringe benny." As they moved down out of the passageway Luke passed a wink towards Miss Yee. "Pleasure meetin', see ye 'round dove."

After they had cleared their way from the galley and Travis gave his knowledge on the mysterious Miss Yee, Luke responded with a soft snort. "Dunnae, broad hadn'at look of sommen can take care 'erself." That said, Luke wouldn't be one to decline a massage.

Reaching the stairs Luke nodded along with Travis' explanations. So the ship had at least three folk for security. Interesting. This knowledge left him wondering what sort of work the captain had planned. "Cheers mate." He offered his hand to shake again before heading below to find a suitable bunk. It wasn't like he had much to unpack so the whole settling in process didn't take more than a handful of minutes. When he exited his new home he left behind the large knife that had been strapped to his thigh as well as the handgun that had been hiding at the small of his back.

The plan for now was to head back up towards a more populated part of the ship to glad hand a little more and properly meet the folks he would call crewmates. He had spotted an improvised gym in the cargo Bay and decided he'd look over that first.

[Mylena Yee]

Mylena smiled at the man in black as he ascended.  She stepped back to give him room to pass and then looked up at his shadow, and up, and up at the man who towered more than head and shoulders over her slender form.  She looked like she was going to say something, but the cat truly had her tongue. She just looked down shyly, offering him a proper bow of her head.  She managed to murmur his name, committing it to memory, but it came out as kind of a breathy sigh as she looked up once more and met those storm colored eyes.  Oh my, that smile and his unique accent certainly had her attention, never mind those muscles. She did have a weakness for pretty things afterall.

She stayed to the side as the men passed and head turned to admire the big man's backside as he went by.  A man like that certainly had presence.  She wondered about his security skills though.  Was he just dumb brute strength or did he have other talents? Certainly something to ponder as she found her composure and started down the stairs once more.  Given the eclectic crew the captain had acquired so far she'd wager there was more than meets the eye.

She was in her own thoughts as she continued down the stairs, looking forward to releasing some tension in the workout area.  Running forms always helped center mind and body.

[Minato Kaneshiro]

As the activity ramped up on the Ronin, Minato decided it may be time to move on to another location before someone walked in on him messing with the systems in the cockpit. Curiosity got the best of Minato though, he uploaded a piece of spyware into the Ronin's systems in order to make backups of the CCTV footage and other data that may be useful later.

He needed to socialize if he was going to be working with these people for any length of time. A welling pit of anxiety stirred up deep in Minato's stomach as though of the prospect. He liked machines more than people to tell the truth. At least he knew how to deal with machines at least. Minato took a couple quick breaths before leaving the cockpit and heading for the common room or whatever they called it.

Anyone that he may see on the way there, Minato will just promptly nod and continue on without saying much else. He does his best to slip into the common room unnoticed for now. People watching was a passion for him and it helped him learn how to approach people without making a gorram pigu of him. He noticed Mylena and a new crewmember Minato hadn't gotten information on just yet. While their attention was elsewhere, Minato attempted to slip into the room and back to a corner unnoticed pull out his datapad.

[Lin Kuei]

Lin had gotten Reese off of the ship. She needed help and he made it a point to push her the correct direction. The money was for a shuttle to take her to Deja Thoris down on Greenleaf. As there were sky taxis running every other hour, she should be on her way shortly. When the cargo bay finally shut, he turned around to the mostly new crew that was milling about at the top of the stairs to the main deck and nodded. "She was a former crew member from over a decade ago who needed some help. Many of Ronin's former crew have come back for aid now and again. Just seems to be the way things have worked out."

He was about to say something else when he felt his wrist communicator pulse. Quickening his step toward the stairwell, Lin made his way to the main deck and headed toward the bow. "Monty may be too busy getting things ready for takeoff. Declan, you can follow me and I'll point out your room." He continued walking forward until he reached the first hatchway in the middle of the ship and pointed to his right. "Declan, you are down there with our computer specialist, Minato. Ops is farther forward with the cockpit beyond that." He continued on leaving the diminutive pilot the chance to settle into his bunk.

Arriving in Ops, Lin double-checked the message he received and pulled up his login for the computer. The message had been from the nanites already in the system noting some kind of malware was placed onto the network. It had been quarantined within the system until he had given his approval. Lin typed in to have it deleted and it was quickly purged then logged back out of the system. Instantly, he knew who had done it but it would have to be addressed later. Pressing the button on the wall for the shipwide comm, Lin rattled off a command. "All crew be in the galley in ten minutes." He quickly moved from Ops to the galley himself. Upon arrival, Lin set about pulling out one of Victoria's premade dishes and heated it up -- homemade chicken and vegetable soup. As soon as it was ready, he fixed himself a bowl and put on a kettle for tea.

Once everyone had arrived, Lin indicated the soup. "A former XO of mine was an excellent cook. Feel free to grab a bowl. There is no protein bar in there but actual chicken and fresh vegetables from the hydroponics on board the ship." He quickly polished off his bowl of soup, washed it and stowed into drying rack. "So I'll talk some business while you eat. This is almost fully crewed at this point. Monty has been the mechanic for a while and is the second longest serving member of the crew at this point. Dr. Ava has proven to be an excellent addition as our doctor." He took a look around the galley before speaking again. "So just in case introductions were not made, we have Declan as our new pilot. Mike Becker, Travis Chao, Luke O'Malley and Mylena Yee for gunhands and combat while Minato Kaneshiro is handling electronics." Lin turned and pointed at the technician before continuing.

"For a little more than the past decade, this ship has been targeting the Nikola Kang crime organization. You will now be taking part in that endeavor. This is something of a personal matter for me so I take it personally we people act as obstacles in the way of completing this. Now, here is the bonus kicker in regards to the situation, the Alliance has granted Ronin, myself and any of my crew exemption from crimes related to targeting Nikola's organization. As a result, we have hit banks, casinos, and criminal businesses that are part of her organization. We have taken down a private casino on Pelorum on the edge of the Core and blown up a bank on Santo she was using to hide money. She has not been fond of this fight over the past decade which has resulted in her sending hit teams and, most recently, she sent three ships full of mercenaries to try and take us out. Obviously, they did not succeed and Monty and I had to repair the roof of Ronin was serious plating so it was space-worthy again." Lin let the information sink in for a moment or two before continuing. "If you wish to back out, now is the time. If not, the next stop is this ship heading to Three Hills to see a man who 'owns' a bank that actually belongs to Nikola. Any questions?" Lin took a slow long sip of his tea as he finished speaking.

[Ava Gray]

Ops

It was quiet in ops, though there was a bit of movement as Minato passed through.  Ava lifted her eyes as she caught sight of him exiting the cockpit in her peripheral vision, but he made no effort at eye contact and she took that as a sign that he wasn't looking to interact and turned her attention back to her reading.   A few minutes later, Lin arrived.  Ava flashed him a smile as he took a seat to handle a few things on the computer, going back to her own reading as he took care of his business.  When he announced the meeting in the galley, Ava toggled off her tablet and followed the captain to the upper level. 

Galley

Becker and Minato were there already, and the doctor gave a friendly nod to the computer technician.  She extended a hand of greeting toward the gunhand. "Sorry about earlier.  I think we missed out on introductions in the midst of everything.  I'm Ava; ship's doctor."

As Lin started heating up some soup, Ava set herself the task of collecting dishes and silverware for the new crew, setting everything on the counter where it'd be near the food and plainly visible to everyone who entered.  By the time she'd put out an array of cups for the tea, the rest of the crew was assembling, so she filled her own bowl and took a place at the table.

She'd heard the information about Ronin's history with Nikola before, so she spent the time during Lin's explanation watching the expressions of the newcomers, trying to gauge their reactions and get a feel for their personalities.  For her own part, her expression stayed professionally neutral throughout the briefing, though she broke away from her observations to focus on a slow drink of tea when Lin mentioned the recent attack by the mercenaries – her demeanor moving nominally more guarded until the captain began talking about the next job.  At that, she lifted her gaze to once again scan the various reactions.

[Newt Declan]

Newt, provided a sort of half tilted nod of acknowledgement to the Captain upon his orders to follow him. It was clearly apparent that Lin,had a schedule to meet and was determined not to have the task at hand dip to deeply into that schedule. Ships were always moving, parts always spinning, you either learned real quick to catch up or you got left behind. The depths of the Black weren't no place to try and make a square peg fit into a round hole.

Newt, pushed towards the stairs following closely on the heels of the Captain, as not to offer him any more delays. Just as Newt's foot touched the first step he stumbled, slightly falling  forward upon one knee. Of course at that moment as if following a prewritten manuscript of Newt's life, a cute girl  was coming down the stairs.  Embarrassment washed over him like a summer storm. Attempting to reclaim some ounce of confidence "That first step is a dosey. Pardon me, I've got to catch back up with Captain Lin."
Quickly stepping past the young lady descending the stairs, his head raced and his face felt hot.As he was a few steps ahead he paused, not quite sure why,he never acted like this. "Newt! My names Newt" Not waiting for a reply he quickened his pace  until he was inside the quarters Lin had pointed out.


The accommodations were pleasant enough, far better than some he'd been exposed to. Picking the side that appeared to be less fidgeted with he threw his pack atop the mattress. Newt's fingers barely commanded the worn zippers to open before he heard. "All crew be in the galley in 10 minutes."

Pulling the sleek firearm from the appendix holster it was cradled in, he examined the magazine. Confident that it would see him through any trouble, he reholstered, pulling his shirt back down in front.

The galley was already starting to come alive with other members of the crew as he approached. Lin, didn't waste time dishing up a meal nor the skinny of what it was the crew of Ronin were expected to do.

Newt, heard his father's voice echoing in his ears as if he were 16yrs old again. "Be polite, be professional, do your job,don't make waves,don't make trouble."

"Yes Sir." The words had just slipped out aloud past his lips. In front of a group of total strangers.

[Luke OMalley]

The time Luke had spent in his room had been short enough, only a few minutes. But he had unloaded is meager possessions onto the bed and had quickly and efficiently tucked them all away into the small drawers and cupboards he had available to him. His shotgun had gone into a shelf above the bed that, should Luke sit up, he could reach one handed. This handgun had gone under his pillow. The knife, on the the small nightstand beside his head. The rest of his clothes and toiletries had gone wherever had seemed convenient at the time and finally all his possessions were where he wanted them. Luke took a moment, sitting on his bed then laying back on it. For a ship's bunk it was rather nice. He actually fit. Mostly. It was definitely a leap and a bound above places he had paid to sleep before.

The captain's voice invited the lot of them to the galley to meet and talk. Arising Luke headed out of his cabin, climbing up the stairs and into the passageway that connected much of the ship together. Had Luke managed to make it down to the cargo bay as had been his original intentions at that point and to the small put together gym he probably would have stayed till he was cutting the ten minute meeting time rather closer than he would have liked without even noticing it. Fortunately for him he cross paths with Mylena, or as he only knew her for now, Miss Yee, instead. Grinning down the near foot and a half that separated their heights Luke gave a nod at the stairs that would lead up towards the galley itself. "Say dove, care ta catch a wee bite wit me? I'ear ta foods somethin' special roun'bouts an all." Grin still on his lips Luke turned and ascended the stairs towards the Galley.

And low and behold there was food, good food, available for them in the Galley. Luke helped himself to a bowl, passing friendly nods of greeting to those already in the room before taking a spot against a wall and blowing lightly on his soup. As the others entered the room Luke gave them as well the simple nods everyone else had received. Then Lin began to speak. Luke was decent at hiding his thoughts when he wanted to. But here, now, he wasn't particularly trying. His face shone with an almost childlike glee as their broad frame mission was set to light. They were to be selective privateers. Criminals with an Alliance mandate. It was almost too good to be true and he had to hold off opening chuckling. This ship, a chance meeting on the matrix and the luck to be on the right skyplex. It was a match made in heaven. Or as those opposing the Ronin were likely to find out come future entanglements, one made in hell.

After Lin finished Luke raised a hand, two fingers extended. "Ave Got two fer ya boss. Wat's 'ur shares lookin' at? Annall dis blastin' banks andae like yeh, we free an clean of the local polis or jus te big'n'baddies up in da black."

[Mylena Yee]

Mylena stepped back out of the Captain's way as he ascended the stairs, her eyes moving to the miniature man following behind.  She had seen such men before in the training camps.  One was small and misshapen, his body disproportioned and also lacking in mental faculties.  He was to be trained as entertainment for one of the wealthy houses.  He had something wrong with his lungs though, probably due to his shortened torso and passed in his sleep one night.  The other was more like the man the Captain called Declan.  Small but well built, though slenderer of bone structure.  He was trained in the clandestine arts to be used as an assassin.  His ability to get in and out of small places made him extremely valuable.

She nodded to the Captain as he passed. She looked down demurely and inclined her head politely in a slight bow at the man Declan.  After his time working at freeing slaves, he would recognize the behavior as one who has been trained to serve in the wealthy houses. She looked up though as he started to follow the Captain up the stairs and met his eyes briefly.  As their eyes locked, he took a knee, honoring her with a bow. He murmured something she didn't quite hear due to the blood suddenly pounding in her ears and smiled at her and it melted a tiny corner of her heart, as no free man had ever done her such an honor before.  She didn't take the time to introduce herself as Lin seemed to be on a mission with his smooth catlike stride and the pilot would likely have had to hurry to keep up before he paused to show her such respect. She just gave him a radiant smile before looking away shyly, a curtain of midnight hair hiding her delicate features. As he hurried up after the Captain, she heard him call back his name and she smiled again, head turning to follow after him with curious eyes.  She wondered which one of the cards represented this man in her future.

She stood in the stairway for a long moment after that brief meeting.  Neither moving up nor down.  She wondered about the fate that had brought her here.  The cosmic karma that had put her on this boat with this crew at this moment in time.  It was in contemplating what some might call fate or destiny or kismet that Luke found her, as he made his way up the stairs to answer the Captain's call.  At his friendly greeting she gave him a warm smile and nodded, following him up to the galley.  She seemed to lose her ability to talk around the brawler, something about his sheer size and obvious masculinity got her all twitterpated.

She could smell the soup before she arrived, her belly reminding her it had been hours since she'd eaten. Luke filled his bowl and picked a spot. She filled a small bowl and a cup of tea and took a spot near Ava if possible, eyes traveling over the rest of the assembled crew.  Some she had already met, the ones she hadn't she made a point to note names and occupations. She ate the soup, which was really good and then enjoyed her tea.  She discretely studied the crew through lowered lashes, drifting more often than not to the new pilot.

The Captain explained a little more about his mission and what they were up against.  It made the enemy card in her reading a bit more clear to her. The Dragon card, reversed. An enemy powerful and terrible, with wealth and a name that made others tremble.  But this power was corrupted and evil.  Now she had a name to put to the dragon and it was Nicola Kang. Even though the Captain didn't know know it yet, his fight was her fight too.  The cards had foretold it.

[Travis Chao]

He had he left his hat on his bunk, but Travis still had on his side arm. It seemed a bit presumptuous but as he sat at Ronin's dining table and ate the marvelous food. Or it did until the Captain provided the full explanation. Now he felt it was quite in order. There was no telling what sort of trouble might be popping up, an attack on the ship, an infiltration. A spy, or an assassin?

His expression was kept as warm and interested as he could. Only when Mylena Yee was mentioned as 'gunhand and combat' did he raise an eyebrow and make a small smile in her direction, with a nod if she noticed. don't we always make a fool with an assumption mister Chao? he said to himself.

Travis didn't have any questions straight off, though something nagged at him.

He pondered a bit about how what he had heard over the years fit it with what Captain Kuei was telling them. Of course it was no surprise the Alliance had privateers working on their behalf. He wasn't sure he approved, but then he was just the same on a smaller scale as a bounty hunter. And as for the Alliance or as Luke put it, and 'local police'. Tides and orbits shift in the verse, especially those of the Alliance and them that operate away from the core.

He looked around at the crew. Not sure where he fit in, just another gun?

And there was that itch digging at him now. Banks? Casinos?
Innocent cashiers? Them croupier card dealers? Not exactly criminals meriting the harsh hand of a pirate type situation.

Travis shifted in his chair, sat his spoon down and raised his hand just a bit to get the attention of the Captain after he finished with the other questions. When called upon he asked,

"With all due motives and prejudices set in a proper place Captain, just to what extent would we be making certain that other folk not associated with this Nikola Organization would be not in the,' what was that phrase? "the path of any of our collateral damages?"

[Minato Kaneshiro]

Minato closely watched everyone as they entered the galley. He waved to Dr. Gray as nodded to him in pasting. The rest of the crew, Minato watched them with intrigue as they entered. Minato needed to mingle so he could get to know the rest of the crew but that would come soon enough. He listened to the captain's debriefing as he took notes on his data pads. Even indirectly working for the Alliance made Minato nervous to say the least. He knew he would have to stay cool though. Things would work out in the end for sure.

Minato had heard of this Nikola in passing in some of his past jobs. He wasn't sure where or when he may have heard it though. He was never one to ask too many questions about his jobs because that tended to draw unwanted attention. While everyone was talking about the job, Minato decided that it was a good idea to start collecting what information that he could. First, he needed to know who he was dealing with so he logged into the cortex and started browsing to find what he could on Nikola Kang. Once he quickly saved what he could for later then searched for what he could find on Three Hills and whatever banks that he could find.

[Monty]

Leroy slipped into the galley as the Captain began his discourse. Undoubtedly the mechanic already knew what their mission was and had been. Not that he was one for revenge but Kuei had been good to him, trusting him explicitly with keeping Ronin flying. Plus where else was he to go at this point and taking down a gangster seemed like a perfectly good excuse to stick around. Leroy fetched a bowl and filled it with hot soup and with a hand full of crackers took a seat. He listened and watched the new crew as the Captain spoke and took questions. If Leroy had been a praying man he would be imploring god above that the three new gunhands would be staying on for the foreseeable future.

[Ava Gray]

Ava knew that there was a good chance there would be new crew members beyond those she'd seen briefly before being diverted to the medbay, but even still, the first unknown face to enter the galley was a surprise – though due to his height rather than his face.  Ava's eyes started to widen, but immediately a chiding voice spoke in her head.

Why do we look at people?

It was a companion's voice, a gentle woman who had taught a class on psychology and social graces.  A gentle breeze blew in from curtained windows, carrying the smell of spring honeysuckle.  The woman moved through the room gracefully, silk shawl trailing from her arms.  "Not to focus on their outward self.  We don't look to see height or weight, hair color or age.  We don't focus on the physical self, whether its beauties or its imperfections.  When we look at a person, it is to try and see their true self, who they are on the inside."

The memory came and went in a flash and Ava immediately schooled her expression, focusing in on the diminutive man's face, working to read in his features - in his eyes - something of his personality.  Without conscious thought, her lips curved up gently.  There was something about the man that made a good impression.

She didn't have much time to consider what that was, because a second stranger entered the room shortly behind him.

Why do we look at people? 

For the second time in even fewer minutes, the memory kicked up, this time at the sight of a man who Ava had to lift her gaze significantly to take in.  She pushed the memory aside, hiding her surprise behind a nod that was friendly but brief, for she quickly looked to see if Mylena had joined them yet.  Her bunkmate was in the giant's shadow, and Ava caught the woman's gaze, then flicked her eyes to the tattooed man and back, as if to ask if her friend was seeing the same thing she was.  Ava lifted a questioning eyebrow, the tarot reading that had been spoken of earlier at the forefront of her thoughts.  She scooted to the side as Mylena collected her meal, leaving plenty of room for her to sit.  She gave a bemused smile to the woman, her eyes flicking once more to the giant, though now clearly wasn't the time to discuss the potential implications.

Monty was given a quick wiggle of her fingers, the only greeting that could be easily conveyed without distracting from the captain's briefing.  She listened to the proffered questions given at Lin's invitation, Travis in particular receiving her thoughtful gaze.  The question, she decided, was a sign of good character.  She remained quiet herself, letting the others discuss the details.

[Mylena Yee]

She had exchanged significant glances with Ava over Luke, both of them thinking the same thing about her card reading and how the big man seemed to fulfill one of the cards.  Though sometimes things weren't always what they seemed.

She noticed the smile and nod that Travis bestowed upon her, inclining her head in a polite semi-bow though the smile she gave him seemed friendlier than the formal bow might indicate.

Monty, she had not met but she could make a good guess he was the ships mechanic.  He was awarded a polite incline of head and a small smile as well after seeing Ava's friendly finger waggle.  If Ava thought well of him, that was good enough in Mylena's book.

She hadn't really met Minato either and her almond shaped eyes studied him as he searched the cortex. That way she could get a feel for him without being obvious about it.

Yet over and over her eyes would drift back to the pilot. Since there all to brief meeting on the stairway she felt drawn to him in a way she couldn't understand.  This was something to be explored later to be sure.

As Luke and Travis both asked their questions, she evaluated them each once more.  The questions themselves telling her something of each man.  She was looking forward to hearing the Captain's response.  And later to girl time with Ava, there were things she wanted to talk about with her roommate.

[Newt Declan]

The crew meeting with the Captain went well by all observations. A hearty meal shared,breaking of bread if you will,a layed back presence displayed by most. The crew had been forged rather quickly from available resources, but each brought an array of strengths along with them.

Newt, tried to stay focused as Captain Lin, spoke to everyone gathered, but caught himself numerous times, glancing in the direction of the young lady whom he met upon the stairs. Something about her, just drew his attention more than most ladies he'd encountered throughout his travels.
" A spark in the Black", as Chef Renaud used to say on Oasis.

As the meeting and meal came to an end he politely excused himself from the crew. Newt, was eager to examine the cockpit of his new home, for if he was to pilot such a beast he needed to introduce himself and shake hands.

[Lin Kuei]

Lin had finished relating enough information regarding the ship, her crew, its history and the current mission without passing along everything in itemized form. It would have been unnecessary to do so. It was still important to take on whatever questions they had before Ronin left the dock of the Greenleaf Skyplex.

"Ave Got two fer ya boss. Wat's 'ur shares lookin' at? Annall dis blastin' banks andae like yeh, we free an clean of the local polis or jus te big'n'baddies up in da black."

"We are not targeting local law unless we have proof they are Nikola's payroll. As for the money, unless I say otherwise, any we take goes into this ship's future missions. If you decide to leave after a certain time, I give a generous severance package for you to make your way with. The money taken is focused on staying fueled, fed, staying alive and accomplishing mission towards getting new information necessary to succeed at achieving this ship's mission. I have been known to allow people to grab a few handfuls for themselves if I know we can get away with the extra." Lin fixed Luke with a quick stare before moving on to the next question. He might be one that needs to be kept an eye on.

"With all due motives and prejudices set in a proper place Captain, just to what extent would we be making certain that other folk not associated with this Nikola Organization would be not in the,' what was that phrase? "the path of any of our collateral damages?"

"Valid point, Travis. In the case of casinos and banks, we have usually pushed them off into the corner and out of the way. Of course, if they draw sidearms or choose to attack, then they become fair game. If we can leave them alive, I'd prefer it but there are times where it is necessary to send a more difficult message. We have been able to mitigate some things in the past like hitting a bank in the middle of the night instead of daylight." Chao's reputation had preceded him somewhat and his expertise was proven from his bounty hunter record. Looking to incapacitate rather than kill was a good plan. Besides, it allowed the story of what happened to be passed on that much more easily.

There had not been any more questions asked after that. Lin nodded as if to affirm it briefly, possibly to himself. He quickly cleaned up his bowl and teacup in the sink then set them aside to dry. Catching movement toward the door out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Declan making for the exit. Lin stepped in behind him on the stairwell down. "Best go take a look at your new seat and make sure everything is within easy reach."

Once they made it to Ops and then forward to the cockpit, Lin slid into the co-pilot's seat he had been using as his piloting seat to allow Declan to occupy the primary seat. Almost everything was in easy enough reach, the ship designers must have had prepped just in case someone was smaller than normal for the fit. Lin already knew the cargo bay doors were shut but he could not be one hundred percent sure on Declan's ability so it was best to be in the cockpit for the separation from the Skyplex as a precaution. "Let's get underway towards Three Hills." Lin tagged the intercom. "Okay, folks, we are going to be on our way in just a moment. Monty, if you would not mind being in the engine room for this."