Iscariot Ep 6: Signed, Sealed, Delivered.

[Evelyn Vell]

"Or we could just lug all this stuff with us... it'd be a good workout... Fine, Miss Voice of Reason, we'll drop off our things first." E.V. smiled, and was about to reply when the Captain came back over and, grabbing E.V.s hand, deposited some... gifts into it. She stared at the items not residing in her palm. "To get yourself something nice," the man said. While she appreciated the sentiment, there wasn't much "nice" she could buy with the couple coins, mint, lint, and candies. "Take care, ladies! Hope we'll do business again!" E.V. smiled a little oddly and game the captain a little wave as he left. Odd man, that Skybeard.

Briar leaned in, and Freya stood up on tip toes to see what glorious gifts they had been bestowed with. "What'd he giv-- shh!" Briars hand shot up as she listened to the announcement. E.V. could clearly see all thoughts of accommodations leaving the pretty blondes head. She smiled in resignation. Well, I do like a girl with some passion, and she certainly isn't lacking in that department... at least as far as flying goes. Freya pulled Vee's elbow lower to get a look at what she held, and then turned a fine set of puppy-dog eyes upward. "Fine, one now. You can have the other one later." She said with a chuckle.

The PA message finally ended, and Briar sprang into action. "Ándale. Let's go!" Briar waved for them to follow, and then ran off through the crowd without a backwards glance. Freya's grip on E.V.s hand tightened and she started off after Briar, tugging E.V. and her hastily grabbed bags along for the ride. E.V. did not miss how anxious Freya was while they made their way through the crowds, or the white-knuckled grip the girl had on her bag. Definitely not a fan of crowds... or maybe just of people. Vee couldn't really fault her for either of those things.

They broke out of the crowd into a little clear area around the Race Master and job board, and Vee could see some of the tension leaving Freya. "Actually, while I'm here, I was wond'rin, how does one go about becoming a shuttle racer? Is there an apprenticeship program, or..." E.V. smiled. She's got a one track mind, I swear. Vee stood back a few feet from Briar, waiting patiently for her to finish grilling the poor Race Master. "Can I race too?" Freya asked her. Vee laughed softly, but not in a dismissive way. "Not this time I think... unless you've been hiding some ridiculous piloting skills from us this whole time... but if that's something you're interested in I bet Briar would love to teach you how. Is that something you want to learn?" Not that Vee technically had any legal right to tell Freya she couldn't race.

[Lomari]

Location: Sector 3A - Velocity

Zeke nodded at her in greeting, then shut the door behind the two of them, staying on the outside. Inside, it was very much a pawn shop. The walls were made up of endless shelves covered in junk and treasure, all of it working like a maze to lead them eventually to a door in the back with two covered slits in the door.

Inside the back room, an array of monitors flickered with a shifting view of the station's many halls, shops, and the docks. There seemed to be a neigh endless array of little peeks into what everyone was up to. A man of short stature yanked open a drawer behind his desk, reaching around in the junk until he pulled out a small spray bottle labeled "Eau de Minthé."

He sprayed it on his neck, his wrists, across his check, and after a moment of consideration, into his open mouth. The bottle returned to the drawer and it was shut abruptly soon after. Then, another cabinet opened, a jar of hair oil found beneath a pile of papers. He dumped a dime sized portion into his palm, then rubbed them together and slid them over his less than thick hair, smoothing it back and giving it a glamorous sheen. The jar was tossed back into place and he hobbled over to the wall, turning the lights down to a romantic level, then grabbed a handful of fake flowers from an umbrella holder. With a quick press of a button, the room was filled with saxophone music.

A slit on the door at about waist level opened with a grinding noise, wild eyes looking out at Chips, then at Velocity, before sliding shut again. There was a moment of silence, and then, "Come in." Chips shrugged up at Velocity and pushed open the door, surprised that it was unlocked. The smell of mint and the saxophone music greeted them first. "Wait outside, kid," came the same male voice. When Chips left the room, he gave Velocity a thumbs up and shut the door. "Helloooooooo," Lil' Sebastian sat lounged on the chair behind his desk, his eyebrows waggling up and down as he looked Velocity over.  "A little bird told me you do some flying yourself."

Location: The Docks - E.V, Briar, Freya

"How do you do, Mister, I think your sign's misspelled."

The man opened his mouth to explain his sign, but the strange woman continued and his mouth snapped shut with an audible click. "So there's a race tonight, huh? Got any hot tips on who to look out for? I heard Marty Miller's a real contender. Heard he lost his last race, too, but y'know what? Everybody's got their bad days. I mean, it ain't like he dumped all his fuel and hurled off the track, right?" Well...

The Race Master crossed his arms over his chest and stared hard at the woman, his nose scrunching up at the bridge and his jaw clenched. Marty losing was a bit of a touchy subject around here, as most people were convinced that he'd thrown the race to make some money. Of course, this wasn't something a newcomer would have been privy to, so he didn't snap at her just yet. And yet again, his mouth opened to respond, her voice stopping him in his tracks. A vein in his forehead throbbed.

"Actually, while I'm here, I was wond'rin, how does one go about becoming a shuttle racer? Is there an apprenticeship program, or..."

The question changed his demeanor entirely. The Race Meister smiled wide and leaned forward in his seat, "If you can fly a shuttle, you can join the races. Don't much matter to us if you're good or not, s'long as you sign the waver," he answered, leaning back again and looking the group of girls over curiously. "Find a group to sponsor you and loan you a ship, and you're good to go. Dewey seems desperate enough to accept some newbies, especially after his last endorsement. They won, but really, did they?" he asked, not bothering to explain what that meant. "But I doubt you'll be able to win against Leon. He's top dog with Marty's away," he continued to explain, finally answering her questions now that she'd shut up.

"So, you want to bet, or you want to race?" he asked, raising his brows and tilting his head to the side.  "And it's not misspelled..."

[Velocity Grey-Lambert]

Location: Sector 3A - Velocity

Velocity's feelings of unease increased further the deeper they went into the maze. She began to fear that she might not find her way out again and decided that keeping Chips within sight at all times would be prudent. Finally they arrived at a door. She let out a small cry of surprise at the sound of the slit in the door opening and her unease came close to real fear at the sight of the eyes that stared though it. "Another child?" she wondered, the slit being more at Chips' level than hers though to be fair, most things were closer to Chips' level than hers; most things were not designed to accommodate her six-foot nine height.

Chips pushed open the door and they started to enter, Velocity just behind him.

Lil' Sebastian: "Wait outside, kid."

Chips' dismissal caused her to realise with dismay that her plan to keep him in sight had just gone off the rails.

"Wait for me, Chips?" she asked and could only hope that he had heard before the door closed behind him.

There was a pungent smell of mint pervading the room and for a moment Velocity couldn't place it until she got further into the room and she realised that it was some perfume or deodorant that he had spray on himself presumably to cover up body odour; Velocity couldn't quite tell if he had been successful. Or perhaps it was the underlying odours in the room. He had flowers in his hand which she couldn't imagine were real though in the dim light she couldn't tell and there was saxophone music playing. She was suddenly glad of her full height.

Lil' Sebastian: "Hellooooooo."

"Hello, she replied diffidently, and tightened the grip on her violin case again. Between the case and her arms, the fact that she was Hur Bao Du¹ was completely hidden.

Lil' Sebastian: "A little bird told me you do some flying yourself."

If she had any idea that he might have been talking about a different sort of flying she gave no sign. She perhaps should have wondered how Lil' Sebastian knew that she was a pilot; as far as she was aware there had not been any communication between Chips and Lil' Sebastian. In truth, once her mind had latched on to piloting space ships, any other thoughts had been pushed completely out; there just wasn't the room.

"Fast couriers when I can, mid-bulk otherwise. I am certified on a number of ships, Hornets and Fireflies among them, she responded, then, after a brief pause added, "Do you have work for a pilot? Chips said that you might."



¹Hur Bao Du: Flat chested.

[Briar Williams]

Location: The Docks

Now that Briar had given the floor to the Race Master, she listened to him attentively without interrupting. He'd taken her tentative interest in shuttle racing and jumped straight to recruitment, a leap Briar herself hadn't been prepared for, not even with her wild and free spirit. Regardless, she made a mental note of this desperate Dewey guy and filed it for later.

"...But I doubt you'll be able to win against Leon. He's top dog with Marty's away."

"Right. Leon." Briar scrunched her nose in mild disapproval. She didn't really care for this Leon Lefevre fella. He had a smug look about him. Again, that had no bearing on whether he was a good racer worth betting on -- not to mention whether he actually was smug or just looked like it -- but Briar was not immune to the pratfalls of parasocial interaction. Far from it, in fact.

"So, you want to bet, or you want to race? And it's not misspelled..."

Briar took a second look at the sign to make sure she hadn't misread it the first time; she hadn't. "Nah, I'm pretty sure it is."

As for the question of whether she wanted to bet or race... She glanced over her shoulder at E.V. and Freya. Looking for sponsors and selling them on your skills sounded an awful lot like job hunting, and she wasn't really in the mood for that. She figured she deserved a little vacation, anyway. They all did.

"Y'know what, I'll get back to you on that. Have a good one," she bid the Race Master farewell with a smile and returned to her girls. "Sounds like they're desperate for new blood, but I dunno, I reckon that can wait. So... accommodations? Maybe some grub?"

[Freya]

Location: The Docks

"Not this time I think... unless you've been hiding some ridiculous piloting skills from us this whole time... but if that's something you're interested in I bet Briar would love to teach you how. Is that something you want to learn?"

Freya looked away from the Race man to eye E.V for a couple of seconds before she released the strap of her bag to wag her index finger at the woman, her other hand still clamped tightly in hers. "I can fly shuttles," she reminded her, grimacing visibly at herself. Even she knew that that had barely been 'flying' and had mostly been 'holding on for dear life while I hurtle in this direction'. She took the little candy she'd gotten from E.V out of her pocket and popped it into her mouth, her cheek full and making her look like a chipmunk.

"Sounds like they're desperate for new blood, but I dunno, I reckon that can wait. So... accommodations? Maybe some grub?" Brair announced when she'd returned from talking to the pink guy.

Freya moved the candy to the other cheek and smiled around it up at Briar, "I got grub," she told her, completely satisfied with stray candy as a meal. She'd have to work on the concept of eating proper food at the correct times. She did, however, reach out to prod at E.V's bag, her arm crossing over her chest and going under her own armpit to do so, her body twisted a bit so she wouldn't have to let go of E.V's hand. "Gotta put this away," she reminded them all.

[Lomari]

Location: The Docks - E.V, Briar, Freya

"Nah, I'm pretty sure it is."

The Race Master frowned at her and craned his neck to look up at his sign, brows furrowed and lips pursed in a straight line. His arms uncrossed and settled on his knees so he could look up at it better.

"Y'know what, I'll get back to you on that. Have a good one," Briar decided. The man looked back in her direction, equal parts annoyed and confused, but didn't try to call out to her or convince her of anything. When she'd walked away, his attention returned entirely to the sign above him.

Location: Sector 3A - Velocity

"Fast couriers when I can, mid-bulk otherwise. I am certified on a number of ships, Hornets and Fireflies among them...Do you have work for a pilot? Chips said that you might."

Sebastian slid from his chair and rounded the table, stopping an arms length away from Velocity and staring up up up at her face. He smirked and held the fake flower up to her, blocking his own face from view for a moment before he tilted them a little to continue smiling up at the poor woman.

"Highly qualified, I like that," he replied, reaching into his shirt front pocket and pulling out a cigar with he placed between his teeth. "And what kind of cargo has this winged masterpiece ferried before?" he asked, his words just as oiled as his hair. Sebastian pushed the flowers toward her again, then released them, either forcing her to take them or allow them to land on the ground at her feet.

"By the by, what is your name, canary?" he asked, stepping closer, perhaps as a test to see if she'd back up or stay put. Of course, he already knew her name, but he liked to see how much information people would give him on their own. There wasn't much that happened on Iscariot Station that Lil Sebastian wasn't privy to.

[Velocity Grey-Lambert]

Location: Sector 3A - Velocity

Velocity frowned at the man's antics; his behaviour was not something that she expected from an adult, especially when there were matters of business to discuss, specifically business relating to her getting behind the controls of a spaceship. She took a step back, increasing the distance between them again. Even so she felt uncomfortable with his proximity and wished that the desk was between them.

Lil' Sebastian: "Highly qualified, I like that. And what kind of cargo has this winged masterpiece ferried before?"

Velocity focused on his statement and question and did her best to ignore both the cigar, which she fervently hoped that he didn't light, and the flowers, which she made no attempt to either take or intercept. His reference to winged masterpieces was just confusing and she chose to ignore that too.

"That's the purser's or cargo manager's job, I just pilot," she replied. She knew she would have ferried many different passengers and cargoes, some of them very contentious, especially during the war but without consulting her notebook she didn't know and most of the more interesting ones wouldn't have been recorded anyway.

Lil' Sebastian: "By the by, what is your name, canary?"

As Sebastian moved forward, Velocity instinctively stepped back, maintaining the distance of two paces however far he advanced, until something in the room stopped or tripped her.

"I don't sing but I do play the violin," she responded, latching on to the last word and her mind taking her slightly off course for a moment before returning to the first part of the question, "Valerie Grey-L-l-lambert." She stuttered over the last part of her name as so often happened when uttering Bonnie's family name. It always came with a stab of grief that tripped up her tongue. Her left hand, the arm across the violin, was grasping her right upper arm and subconsciously she spread the fingers, isolating her ring finger from the others, making it more obvious that she was wearing both an engagement and a wedding ring. "But they call me Velocity."

[Lomari]

Location: Sector 3A - Velocity

"That's the purser's or cargo manager's job, I just pilot," she replied. Doesn't poke around into things, just does her job. That was a mark in her favor. No one liked a hired hand who tried to put their nose where it didn't belong. After handing off the flowers, to the floor it seemed, Sebastian also stopped taking note of them.

The last time she backed away from him, her body bumped into a little faux marble pedestal upon which was a large 'antique' vase. She introduced herself to him, all the while the vase was wobbling in a slow circle around its base, deciding whether or not to settle or to fall to the ground.

"But they call me Velocity," she finished, just as the vase made up its mind. With a scraping sound, it tilted all the way off its pedestal and crashed to the ground, shattering into several large pieces, the noise rising above the sound of the saxophone.

"Whoaaa. My mother gave me that!" Then, he smiled. "Nah, just kidding. I got it off a guy who owed me a lot less than it's worth," he explained, looking past the pilot at the antique, then turned on his heel and returned to his desk, turning the lights back up and turning off the music on his way there. He sat with a smile in his leather seat and steepled his fingers under his chin. "Jewish fella. With the tassels." Sebastian looked her over again, slowly and deliberately. "So now you owe me," he informed her, letting a long, clearly threatening silence fall between them.

"Just kidding! It was junk!" he exclaimed, his sleazy smile returning, a hint of danger just past the smile. The threat did not dissipate from the air. "shall we.... Get back to business?" he asked, setting his elbow on the table and then his chin on his palms.

[Velocity Grey-Lambert]

Location: Sector 3A - Velocity

It was just as well that Velocity felt the pedestal wobble, that she heard the noise as it thought about, and then finally did fall, and so had time to realise that there would be a sudden, loud noise and prepare herself for it. The horror of pending destruction about which she could do nothing gripped her heart like a frigid claw.

Lil' Sebastian: "Whoaaa. My mother gave me that!"

Velocity's eyes grew wider; it was bad enough breaking something that was valuable, worse when it had sentimental value. "I'm.... I'm s-s-sorry," she stuttered, her eyes wide with terror as her gaze shifted from the pieces on the floor to Sebastian's face.

"Another fine mess you have gotten yourself into, Velocity," she told herself.

"Hang tough, darling," came an answering echo from Bonnie. Bonnie who was strong everywhere that Velocity was weak, who could stand up to people, despite her physical stature, who knew how to navigate situations such as these.

Lil' Sebastian: "Nah, just kidding. I got it off a guy who owed me a lot less than it's worth,"

That made it a little better except for the fact that he clearly was the sort of man to take full advantage that could be got or engineered. She had seen that sort before; the one who had caused the death of Bonnie was such as him. The tears welled up in her eyes but she fought them down. She would do the memory of Bonnie a disservice if she broke now.

Lil' Sebastian:"Jewish fella. With the tassels."

It didn't mean anything to her though the thought that his remark might have racist undertones did cross her mind. She wasn't sure enough of herself to bring it up and the renewed grief didn't allow the freedom to do anything but focus on her own situation.

Lil' Sebastian: "So now you owe me,"

The tension grew in Velocity with the drawn out silence and it was all that she could do not to whimper. The fingers of her hands dug deeply into her upper arms as she fought for control. She wanted to run but she had seen the monitors, knew that there was nowhere to hide and, with no money to buy passage off the station, and with no expectation of getting a quick job as crew of any sort she was trapped.

Lil' Sebastian: "Just kidding! It was junk!"

That didn't do much to allay her fears. Even Velocity could read the feral cunning in his eyes, read the pleasure he would gain from the leverage he now felt he had over her.

Lil' Sebastian: "Shall we.... Get back to business?"

"What d-do you w-want from me?" she asked, feeling the weakness of her position and not having the skills to make the best of it.

[Evelyn Vell]

Freya wagged her finger at Vee. "I can fly shuttles," she said, grimacing at her own statement. E.V. gave her a knowing smile. "Ah yes, that is true. You've got me there." Just then Briar finished with the Race Man and returned to them.  "Sounds like they're desperate for new blood, but I dunno, I reckon that can wait. So... accommodations? Maybe some grub?" "I got grub," Freya piped up. Apparently satisfied with the candy. "Gotta put this away," Freya continued, pointing at E.V.s bags. E.V. nodded. "Yes, accommodations and stowing our things. After that, grub would be lovely. she said, flashing a smile at Briar before looking down at Freya again. "We need to get you some real food, a growing girl like you needs more than sugar alone! Not that I believed that when I was your age either." She said with a wink.

[Lomari]

Location: Sector 3A - Velocity

"What d-do you w-want from me?" she asked. Sebastan's brow rose and he stared silently as her for a moment. That was easier than he had anticipated.

"Don't worry, doll. I'm sure we can come to some sort of arrangement," he assured her, sliding back off his chair to come around the desk, a hand slapping down on its surface with a dull thud as he waggled his thick eyebrows at her.

"So listen. All you have to do is use those pretty little hands of yours..." he began, waddling back to where she was standing and reaching out in an attempt to take one of her hands in his, his seeming much hammier than hers when put so close together. "...to fly one of my ships here and there. Couple..." he paused, looking up at the ceiling and tilting his head left and right as he weighed the possibilities, "...dozen rides and you and me will be square. Might even give you a little spending money, too," he assured her, giving her a wink and bending down to attempt to place a smooch on the back of her hands as though he thought himself nobility.

"Maybe put something shiny around that long neck of yours," he added, staring up at her with a wide smile. When he'd finished his speil, he closed his eyes and puckered his lips, waiting down below for her to bend down and give him a kiss. Clearly, he'd read this situation entirely incorrectly, but there he was...waiting for something to happen, his face screwed up like a fish and his back straight to put him at his full 4′ 10″ height.

Location: The Docks - E.V, Briar, Freya

Not too far from where the group stood was the main exit that led to the shops and other sections of the ship (which consisted of an elevator that would take them up to the station's ring), as well as the main tubes that ran up and down the station, going to the Hub or the inner workings of the spinning beast.

According to a posted map near the dock's exits, Sector 3B was where most of the accommodations such a capsule hotels, motels, and hostels were located, along with more shops to peruse as well as a hair 'salon' (or, it could have been a butcher shop?) called Prime Cuts.

Sector 3A housed what looked to be a Companion House called The Lady Magdalene, a few eateries including an 'old world' diner, a security shop, an antique business, and other similar establishments.

There was a Karaoke bar and night club in Sector 3A, a café up in the HUB, as well as the medical war. The options were endless.

[Velocity Grey-Lambert]

Location: Sector 3A - Velocity

Lil' Sebastian: "Don't worry, doll. I'm sure we can come to some sort of arrangement,"

Velocity saw the movement of his hand in time to recognise that there would be a noise so she only let out a little squawk when the sound reached her, and didn't need scraping off the ceiling. It only took her a few moments to calm down so she was aware enough to hear his next words.

Lil' Sebastian: "So listen. All you have to do is use those pretty little hands of yours..."

This time as he approached, Velocity didn't back away and, misunderstanding his intent, she untangled her right arm from around her chest and put out her hand to shake his; that it was too early and that the terms had not yet been finalised was a feeling too vague to adequately impinge on Velocity's conscious mind.

Lil' Sebastian: " "...to fly one of my ships here and there. Couple......dozen rides and you and me will be square. Might even give you a little spending money, too,"

She wasn't watching his hand as he kissed the back of it; all she was aware of was the moisture from his lips and, fearing that she was about to interfere with something else, she snatched it back and rubbed the back of her hand on her trousers.

Lil' Sebastian: "Maybe put something shiny around that long neck of yours,"[/color]

Velocity shook her head. She didn't wear jewellery, her wedding and engagement rings being the one exception. Even a light necklace was too prone to chaffing her delicate skin but more to the point it had never interested her.

Velocity then watched in confusion as Sebastian puckered his lips and screwed up his eyes. That he was wanting to kiss her completely evaded her; she was a lesbian thorough-and-through, had only ever been attracted to one person and as far as she was aware (not a high bar), only one person had ever been attracted to her. In her more lucid moments, perhaps as a consequence of someone who knew of Bonnie asking her if she would find someone to share her life with, she had asked herself that question and it had come back in the negative. Bonnie had been a one-off, something that Velocity felt could never be repeated.

Realisation dawned!

"Are you alright?" She asked, her voice echoing her genuine concern. "Are you having a heart attack? Should I get a doctor?" Her voice started rising toward the end as her anxiety rose; she didn't know how to handle medical emergencies. There was no guile in her slender, elongated frame; her concern was genuine, even if his survival did mean potentially years of servitude.

[Benjamin Street]

Location: ISG's private Docking bay

Benji had been on Iscariot for a little over 30 hours. He had spent most of that time shoulder deep in the engine of the racing shuttle he would be flying for the Iscariot Shipping Group in the race later in the evening. It was a good shuttle, and Benji was confident that he had a strong chance of winning. This wasn't the first time Ben had competed in shuttle races, but it was the first time he had been hired to do so. ISG wanted to increase its standing within the power structure of Iscariot Station, and apparently their shuttle winning the race would do that, even if the pilot was technically a hired outsider. "Well, I think that about does it." Benji said as he pressed the last engine part into place with an audible *click*. "Finito." "Finalmente! Ora possiamo riposare.*" Roberto Salvatore said from his reclined position on a stack of crates. Laura Salvatore scoffed and threw a freshly used grease rag at him. "Grande sciocco!* Yes, that's some real hard work you've been doing keeping that crate from floating away." She said it with a smile, her and her brother were always teasing and tormenting each-other. Ben just smiled and shook his head. "Up you get big guy, you can help us put the casing back on. Andiamo!"

One of ISG's mechanics was standing a little ways off glowering at them. "I still cant believe they let you mess with our shuttle like that. Ain't right." Ben grinned at the man. "Your boss wants me to win, and to do that I need to know exactly how far I can push her. If you've got a problem with it, take it up with Müller, he's the one who OK'd it." The mechanic grumbled something and walked away. "I dont think he likes us very much." Said Rob, as he almost effortlessly picked up a very heavy piece of engine shielding and maneuvered it into place. Roberto Salvatore was tall, nearly 6 feet, with broad muscular shoulders. He had a good-natured and gentle manor, and could probably beat just about anyone on the station in a fight, Ben included. All of Bens surrogate family, the Salvatore-Flynns, were good in a fight, but Rob understood martial arts like Ben understood flying. Ben had stopped counting the number of black-belts Rob held. Most people were also surprised to learn that he had a degree in astrophysics.

"We did take apart his toy, and put it back together better than he could. People don't tend to like it when you show them up like that." Laura reminded. Laura Salvatore was a firecracker. She knew engines better than most, from star-ships all the way down to vintage combustion engines. She was definitely the wild child of the family, the kind of woman you either had to keep pace with, or get out of her way. She could also read the rest of them like open books, it was rare that she missed a signal, and would ruthlessly try to any of them up if they were feeling down.

Ben chuckled, yawned expressively, and checked his watch. "Oh! Actually, can you two finish putting the hull plates on? I need to go invite an old friend to watch me fly. I promise I will be back for final system checks." Rob grunted as he muscled another plate into place, and Laura stuck out her tongue. "Go on! God forbid anyone miss seeing you smoke these i cosiddetti corridori*. Maybe we'll get to finally meet this fancy Captain of yours later eh?" Ben clasped his hands and bowed in mock thanks, and then hurriedly left the docking bay before Laura threw something at him.

---

Location: The Docks/The Lady Magdalene

Ben liked Iscariot Station. It, like many other rimward stations, was a melting pot. The diversity of folk was astounding, so many people from all walks of life, all with their own unique stories. It was the kind of place that you walk into a bar, stay there the entire day, and not find a single pair of people with similar stories. Or at least that was mostly true. The local crime elements did tend to hire a lot of the typical "Goon" as their security, and somehow those types were always remarkably similar.

He made his way out of the private docks and into the passenger area. It looked like a transport had just offloaded some people. He threaded his way through them, passing a very attractive blonde, redhead, and their young daughter standing near the Race Meister. A short walk later he stepped into the lift up to the Hub, and another short walk brought him to the main ring. He quickly made his way to his hotel room, and changed into a fresh set of clothes. Dark dress shirt, clean jeans, and his customary jacket. Now that he looked suitable, he made his way to his destination, The Lady Magdalene. Iscariot's very own Companion House. He walked through the door, and felt like he had entered another world. The rich crimson that dominated the color scheme, the fancy furniture, and the coils of incense... if he hadn't just walked through the door he would swear they were planet side somewhere. He was so impressed by the decor that he almost missed the stunning receptionist asking if she could help him. He grinned a little sheepishly. "Ah, yes. Buon pomeriggio, er, good afternoon. I don't have an appointment, but I am here to see Elena Marseille? If she isn't busy. I don't believe she is expecting me, but if you could tell her that her XO is here to see her?" Ben said, giving her his most genuine smile.






_{Finally. Now we can rest.*
Big fool.*
These so-called racers*}

[Lomari]

Location: Sector 3A - Velocity

"Are you alright?" She asked, her voice echoing her genuine concern. "Are you having a heart attack? Should I get a doctor?"

Sebastian opened his eyes and stated up at her for a moment, his lips still puckered, busy brows furrowed. Then, his head recoiled a bit and he cleared his throat, a ham fist balled up in front of his mouth to muffle the sound. "Ah, hah hah, no, I'm alright!" he assured her, backing up a few steps and moving to lean against the front of his desk.

"So, we got a deal, toots?" he asked, his demeaner back to what it had been when she'd entered, the man seemingly unphased by her rejection, his hands spread wide on either side of his torso as he waited for her official answer.

A light lit up on his desk and for half a moment, the little man turned to look at the wall of monitors. One of them, mostly an expanse of black with the occasional blip of light, showed a ship approaching the station and he glanced over at a large clock on the wall, then nodded. Again, he turned his attention toward Velocity.

Location: The Lady Magdalene - Ben

"Ah, yes. Buon pomeriggio, er, good afternoon. I don't have an appointment, but I am here to see Elena Marseille? If she isn't busy. I don't believe she is expecting me, but if you could tell her that her XO is here to see her?"

The woman at the front desk, a vision in sky blue, her blonde hair in a perfect braided crown, smiled warmly (and a little knowingly) at their new guest. Fleur stepped around the desk and reached out to gently set her hand on his elbow, moving to begin leading him toward a waiting room further in.

"I've heard a little bit about you," she told him, looking up into his face as they walked down the crimson lined hall toward a rich door that might have been real (or as close to real) mahogany. "You're just as dashing as I'd imagined," she complimented, releasing his arm to push the door open for him.

"If you'll wait in here, I'll fetch the Madame for you," she assured him, her hand gesturing gracefully toward a red chaise lounge situated in the center of the room beside a wood table, upon which were silver trays of snacks (kept fresh often) and a pitcher of fresh, ice water, the ice clicking and cracking in the container refreshingly. Once he'd entered the room, she shut the door again and the clicking of her heels informed him of her departure.

[Elena]

Location: The Lady Magdalene

A few moments later, another pair of heels made their way down the hall toward the door, the clicking rhythmic and relaxed. The door opened again and Elena Marseille entered, pausing in the doorway to look at him with a pleased smile, her eyes twinkling. "It's been a while," she noted, her voice like melted chocolate.

The Companion shut the door behind him and moved to sit next to the pilot and her former XO, the black lace of her dress shimmering in the candle light, little gems embroidered into the floral designs. "I'm happy to see you," she assured him, one hand settling on her lap while the other gestured toward the water and snacks, "Would you like a drink? Or perhaps something a little harder than water?" she asked, tilting her head in question. Her free hand idly lifted from her lap to smooth over her already impeccably styled waves, her attention focused fully on Ben.

She hadn't been expecting him, and while she was happy to see him, seeing people from her past without explanation did tend to make her worry a little. She hoped he was alright. She hoped all of her crew was alright. They'd been together for such a short amount of time, but she did miss them.

[Hercules Holliday]

Noodle Shop

Holliday looked at the message he'd typed on his cortex pad for a moment before deciding he was satisfied with it, and hit send. There was a scant level of encryption on it, enough to protect himself from a casual user, but not enough to stop an experienced hacker. This was small potatoes, anyways, so if someone really wanted to know he'd sent "Update on inventory. Meet at Station Commons in twenty minutes." to his first real client on Iscariot Station, well then, by all means, they could know it. He hopped off of his cot, which seemed to groan with pleasure at being released from his weight. Holliday tried not to take it personally as he slid into his shoes.

Coat. Keys. Gun. Gum. Smokes. Wallet - he remembered it this time. And lighter... where the hell was his lighter? Hadn't seen it in a while. He found a pack of matches and figured that would do. He liked the snap anyway, but resolved to replace the more reliable lighter as soon as possible.

Exiting his room, he called out to Gary, "Be back later." to the cook's back, who didn't care.

Out in the hustle bustle of the Station, Holliday looked left, then right, deciding which way to go. Left was in the general direction of the Station Commons, where his rendezvous was meant to take place. Right would take him to the elevator and down a floor to something that might be fun. Holliday smiled and went right.

Prime Cuts

It had been a few days since Holliday had been back to the barber shop. He owed the proprietor a debt and he intended to make good on it. The door chime announced his entrance, but he decided to help it along. "Knock knock!" He said with a smile, tossing Orville a wink.

[Moira Chambers]

Location: Prime Cuts

"Update on inventory. Meet at Station Commons in twenty minutes."

Moira ruminated on the message displayed on the screen of her cortex pad, a half-finished glass of wine in her other hand. That was quick, quicker than she'd expected. After she'd sent out the wave scouting the black market for an implant for Octavia, she'd been prepared to wait for days, if not weeks, to even be contacted by a potential supplier, but here they were, ready to discuss the deal in person.

Moira sipped on the wine as she tried to figure out her response. The possibility of this being a trap had naturally crossed her mind, although she doubted it. As far as black market wares that the Feds might want to keep an eye on went, a single hearing implant seemed pretty low on the list.

As for the person having some ulterior motive... did she care? Not particularly. Worst case scenario, she'd just wasted some time chasing a dead end. She finished her drink and typed a response.

"K. I'll wear a red scarf."

---

"Knock knock!"

It was a quiet day at the salon, not a customer in sight when Holliday entered. Orville looked up from the gardening magazine he was perusing at the register, and a visible look of apprehension passed his face when he recognized the nosy guy from a few days ago. Before he could say anything, Moira appeared, looking only marginally less tightly wound than the last time Holliday had visited the place. Her hair was slowly coming undone from the sensible bun at the nape of her neck, and she was wearing a burgundy neck scarf.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Holliday." The greeting was formal, almost monotone; Moira couldn't muster up much warmth in her voice upon seeing the man. He'd been a pain to get rid of the first time around, and the last thing she needed right now was to get stuck dodging his attempts at... small-talk? Interrogation? Being a pain in her pi-gu for the hell of it? Maybe she was being too harsh with him, but she didn't like the way he looked at her.

"Just a second." She ushered Orville away from the register; he stepped to the side, but kept his gaze firmly fixed on Holliday as Moira ducked behind the counter. She soon re-emerged, clutching a cigarette lighter in one hand and reaching out the other one, waiting for payment before returning the collateral. She just wanted to get this over and done with as soon as possible.

[Briar Williams]

Location: The Docks

Briar smiled to herself at E.V. and Freya's exchange. She was happy the other woman was tagging along: she seemed to have better rapport with Freya, who was very different from how Briar was at her age and therefore something of an enigma to the pilot. This whole outing was feeling a little like a family vacation, which was not something she was used to but not entirely unpleasant. At least for the time being.

Briar walked up to the map and poked around it, looking for the accommodations among the flood of services offered by the station. Yē sū, this place is huge! She could probably spend a good week or two just messing around the station if it weren't for the pesky question of money. Shush, we'll worry about that later.

"Well, the capsule hotel's probably our cheapest option, but I ain't sure I like that," she mused, tapping her chin with her index finger. "Kinda feels like you're inside one of those fridges at the mortuary. Plus, no room for a pillow fight."

At that last part, she glanced at E.V., flashing her a coy little smile that might have been intended as flirtatious or just cute; Briar wasn't really sure herself, but the seemingly endless possibilities offered by the station were putting her in a giddy, careless mindset.

[Velocity Grey-Lambert]

Location: Sector 3A - Velocity

Lil' Sebastian: "Ah, hah hah, no, I'm alright! .... So, we got a deal, toots?"

It was probably not something to be celebrated, given the circumstances but it at least ensured that Velocity wouldn't have to put her non-existent first aid skills to the test, she wouldn't have to try to work out how to get through to the station emergency services, and she wouldn't have to answer any difficult questions. So, relieved that Sebastian was okay, reinforced by a subconscious relief that he hadn't tried to push his attention on her more firmly, Velocity didn't hesitate. "Yes, Mr Sebastian," she replied meekly.

Velocity looked up in the direction of Sebastian's gaze and watched as the ship approached and her mind clicked up a gear as it focused on flying again and what it was that she might be flying.

Faster and so much more streamlined than the mid-bulks she usually ended up flying; it looked a good. "I wouldn't mind flying that," she thought.

"Kestrel class, she breathed.

"Is that the one you want me to fly? she asked hopefully.

[Freya]

Location: The Docks

"We need to get you some real food.."

Freya looked up at E.V with clear doubt, not seeing the need for anything other than what she'd been given, but not arguing the matter either. She had to admit that while she was sure she knew a lot more about being a stowaway than they did, they probably knew more about other normal things than she did. Something she thought would lend well to a balanced exchange of information and skills. The girl raised a brow at the woman and chomped down on the candy with a crunch for emphasis of her skepticism, however. Then, she smiled.

Now that they were at the map, Freya watched Briar look through all of their options, her eyes wide at the seemingly endless information presented to them. To keep herself from getting overwhelmed, she looked upward toward the high ceiling of the docks, her eyes widening all the more. Bad idea. It felt like the ceiling went on forever, the tubes and wiring and machinations making it seem like they were inside a giant's ribcage. With an audible gulp, Freya shook her head and decided it was safer to stare down at her feet.

"Well, the capsule hotel's probably our cheapest option...Kinda feels like you're inside one of those fridges at the mortuary..." Briar told them after she'd looked the map over. "What's a capsule hotel?" Freya asked, not having been familiar with fancy things like that. Although she'd likely have enjoyed spending the night in a capsule, as similar as it was to hiding in the vents of ships.