PT2: Persephone: Eavesdown Docks

[Rolemancer]

Mischief's landing gear came to rest on Persephone at long last, pad 37, the only one available nearest Southdown Abbey as Bell requested. Tara and Mattie were ready to hit the ground running, sadly not everyone shared their enthusiasm. The Carvers's had decided to stay with their ship, saving Lucky was not part of their agreement. The pilot as well choose her interests were better served staying ship board. Most of the others kept out of Tara's eyesight so as to avoid an awkward encounter. The only wildcard was Andes Maley, the gunman who worked security detail for Mischief.

[Tara Marx]

The cargo ramp slowly descended coming to a stop with a low thud and a cloud of dust. Tara slowly walked down to the edge stopping short of stepping off as she contemplated their next move. As soon as Mattie arrived they would be off with or without Mischief's help. The next step in Tara's strategy hinged heavily on finding Lucky, not just for the information she hoped he gleaned...but she had come to truly depend on the old Cowboy and without him all would be lost. Tara heard the clanking of footsteps from behind, turning she hoped to see Mattie.

[Andes Maley]

When it came apparent what Carvers' intentions were, Andes made his own decision. It wasn't right to take a job and then tuck tail and run at the first signs of problems. Then again, the Carvers probably had their own reasons and he wasnt one to pry. He stalked down the hall to the bow, poking his head in to see Emerson sitting in her seat. "You okay with this Blondie? I'm sure they could use someone with your talents." He paused a moment. "Take care of yourself."

Minutes later he was at the cargo ramp with a duffel of everything he owned. Although the strap was uncomfortable, it was not heavy. He saw Marx stop to discuss with the girl from the galley. When Marx did make eye contact with him, he just nodded his head. "I aim to fill the Carvers' contract, at least to this point. The whole transportin' thing may be harder for me to fulfill. I help you do this, and you don't breath a bad word about the Carvers."

[Mattie Rooney]

People often told Mattie that she was too mistrustful, that she ought to have a little more faith in people -- yet here she was, having her misgivings substantiated. The Carvers had initially agreed to help them rescue Lucky, only to back out at the last moment. She couldn't say she was exactly surprised. S'pose they didn't have a big enough stake in their business.

Now her and her Captain were on their own. Maybe it was better this way. Two's a pair, any more than that's a team, and Mattie wasn't much of a team player.

After packing up her humble belongings and bidding farewell to her crappy bunk, Mattie found Captain Marx in the cargo bay.

"So, what's our next move, Captain?" she asked. Before she got a response, she heard more footsteps and turned to see Maley approaching them.

Well I'll be damned, she thought. This was unexpected, but... she found herself appreciating his offer to help. Not that she was going to make a big deal out of it or anything. When he asked them not to badmouth the Carvers, her first instinct was to make a snarky comeback about them deserving it, but she held her tongue. That really wasn't important, there were more pressing issues at hand. She simply nodded quietly and turned back to Marx, waiting to hear her plan.

[Tara Marx]

"So, what's our next move, Captain?"

Tara was about to speak with Mattie when Andes stepped up and joined them. Tara was surprised to say the least..."Mister Maley, glad to have your support in this matter." She didn't know if he choose to on his own or sent by the Carvers, at this point it really didn't matter, they needed all the help they could get. "Well I'm thinking we'll hit the streets and ask around, carefully if possible. I should have a contact that hangs around the docks that could prove helpful, if we can locate her." Tara stepped off Mischief's ramp ready for whatever was waiting for her, this was a dangerous game that she acquired from Drogo and the stakes were death if you lose.

[Mattie Rooney]

Mattie nodded at Tara's plan and followed her down the ramp, but she wasn't very thrilled about the task at hand. She suddenly found herself wishing they could just skip the intel-gathering and jump straight into thrilling heroics.

"You really oughta do the talkin', Captain", she said apprehensively. "Askin' around carefully, well, that kind of stuff really ain't my strong suit."

It probably went without saying at this point; she'd been with Captain Marx just long enough for her to see that Mattie wasn't very good at being discreet in her interpersonal interactions. What she was good at, however, was spotting things; you didn't get to be this good of a markswoman without a sharp eye. As the trio dove into the signature hustle and bustle of the Eavesdown docks, Mattie scanned the crowd intently, looking for people of interest or signs of threat.

"This contact of yours, what's she look like?" she asked. "Does she have a favorite hangout?"

[Monte Furlong]

Monte Furlong, adventurer and man of antique knowledge, had arrived near Southdown Abbey in search of a particular item of value. Dressed pretty much in his typical cargo pants, suspenders and white long sleeve shirt, leather jacket and duel pistols in shoulder rig, he stood one one side of the local plaza watching the general public.

His contact was running late, and he still wasn't all that sure about the level of confidence in this particular venture. He was always looking for that one juicy piece that might fit in his puzzle, but that sometimes led him on many a wild goose hunt.

Maybe this time will be the exception. I sure hope so; too many false leads these days.

[Tara Marx]

"This contact of yours, what's she look like?......Does she have a favorite hangout?"

Tara thought about how to answer that as it occurred to her she had never seen this person. All contacts have been through secure text only channels. "Well I've never seen her before, I'm hoping she spots us." Her voice didn't sound too convincing. They moved along the Docks past the ships and into the main plaza where various merchants were plying their wares. The place was a cornucopia of goods and food, some legal and some not so legal, by Alliance standards.

[Andes Maley]

Andes turned a way to cough, he couldn't believe what he had just heard. This entire thing now hinged on someone recognizing them. He adjusted his duffel hanging over his shoulder and turned back to the two ladies. "Seems like a long shot." He commented honestly. Changing the subject to get his mind off of the predicament. "I need to find a locker to store this in." Referring to his bag, "There is a storage desk that I trust not too far from here if you would follow me. I used it the last time I was here."

Andes led the way down various aisles until he come to the storage company he was looking for. "Hey there darlin." he offered to the woman working the desk. "I need to secure this bag here for, I dont know, maybe a week." Taking out his cred chip, "I will pay in advance." The transaction was done and he took his claim slip. Free from the burden, he felt much more optimistic about their chances. "Well ladies, now what?" His trademark smile back.

[Tara Marx]

"Well ladies, now what?"

Tara looked up and down the street. "Well we won't totally depend on the 'Long Shot' as you say. We know where Lucky sent his message from...Sweet Lucy's Pub." She motioned in a particular direction. "It should be that way, a few blocks I would imagine." The group cautiously made their way toward the pub. Tara hated to admit it but it was a long shot, like finding a needle in a haystack. The village area away from the docks was a smorgasbord of shops and dwellings, Lucky could be in any one of them or for that matter off world by now.

[Mattie Rooney]

Mattie took Andes' word for the storage company's trustworthiness and dropped off most of her stuff as well, keeping her guns on her. A gunfight was an unlikely scenario in a crowded place with an Alliance presence, but she still wasn't too keen on parting with Daisy unless it was an absolute necessity. She shared Andes' hang-ups about the task of finding a contact without knowing what she looked like, but she held her tongue, and soon Tara suggested a plan that sounded as good as anything they had to go by.

When the trio entered the pub, Mattie was struck by a brief sensation of deja vu. It reminded her of the one where she and Lucky had had some drinks and a chat back when they'd first met, although that may have just been the circumstances coloring her perception of the place. All watering holes in the Eavesdown vicinity were pretty much the same, just varying levels of dingy, and this was on the particularly unpleasant end of the spectrum in her opinion.

The bartender was a heavyset man in his forties who looked neither sweet nor like a Lucy. He was deep in conversation with a rather voluptuous female patron, and when Mattie approached the bar counter, he showed no signs of noticing her. She cleared her throat a few times, each time a little louder and more aggressive than the last one. When he still refused to acknowledge her presence, she raised her voice.

"Hey!"

The bartender let out an exasperated sigh and turned to look at her, and she suddenly realized she didn't really know how to go about this.

"We're lookin' for a guy," she said. "A cowboy. Blond, wonky nose, kinda dumb-lookin'. Ring any bells?"

[Monte Furlong]

Monte crossed the plaza toward the spacer's bar tucked into the curve of the avenue. Maybe my contact is hiding in there. Wouldn't put it past him to try to go underground when there is so much more to do here.

Shaking his head, he strode purposefully forward, dodging the two kids playing chase, and the group of two women and a man as they entered the pub ahead of him.

"We're lookin' for a guy," she said. "A cowboy. Blond, wonky nose, kinda dumb-lookin'. Ring any bells?" the woman in front said to the heavy set barkeep.

Monte stepped off to one side, curious, but being polite about not being too obvious.

[Tara Marx]

"HEY! ....We're lookin' for a guy, a cowboy. Blond, wonky nose, kinda dumb-lookin'. Ring any bells?"

The large sweaty barkeep looked them over as he drew closer. "Well I might 'ave seen a guy or maybe I didn't see 'em, who's askin' and what's it worth ta ya?!" He spoke loudly as spittle sprayed across the bar top. He glanced back at the fleshy blond and winked putting the final touch on showing off his tough guy side.

Tara stepped up close..."His friends are looking for him and we feel he might have run into a bit of trouble in your fine establishment here." She paused as she took a look around the room, it was the dive of dive's. "As for what it's worth..." Before she finished she had an auto-loader to his throat. "How about we don't mess the place up with your brains...Dohn-luh-mah?"

[Chris Carver]

Guilt didn't sit easily with Mrs Carver. She had wanted to help, having more of a social conscience and less timidity when dealing with the more interesting interchanges between people of differing opinions. She also felt that rescuing Lucky was in spirit of agreement they had with Tara, if not strictly in the letter. She had had a robust discussion with her husband on the matter and, with significant reluctance had agreed to stay behind and ensure that the ship was as ready as possible to leave quickly.

But the guilt remained, as did the concern that it was bad for morale if she took the cautious route. Conscience won but there was still the matter of how to tell Addison that she was going to help. Courageous in so many ways, confronting Mr Carver was not something she found easy.

So she didn't tell her husband, instead quietly arming up and slipping out of the cargo hatch when Addison was busy elsewhere. It put her a few minutes behind the rest but

Chris was privy to where Tara had intended to start and so made her way to Sweet Lucy's Pub quickly,  hoping that she hadn't missed them.

Opening the door, she stepped inside and looked around, searching for the now familiar faces.

[Andes Maley]

The small hairs the back of Andes' neck stood upright. Andes had survived a long time in the black by recognizing the gift of fear and heeding it. His left hand slowly went down to his hand canon during the distraction caused by Tara and undid the safety strap. Cautiously he turned around, scanning the patrons for the source of the premonition. Nothing.

He continued his scan towards the doorway. Someone was standing in the frame, the sunlight pouring in around the figure temporarily blinded Andes and washed out the features of the person. He squinted to regain his sight and then it donned on him, there was only one person who wore a hat that ugly. "I will be right back, we have company." He noted through grin. He strode quickly up the stairs to confront the person.

"Captain. I'm glad you made it." He offered his hand to Captain Carver.

[Monte Furlong]

Monte watched the interplay between the others and the new arrival. Seemed they were all in the same crew, and looking for someone, a cowboy type, which would also coincide with the description he had for his own contact.

He waited for the one woman talking with the barman before interjecting.

“Wouldn’t it be Lucky if you and I were looking for the same gentleman?”

He put on a cheerful grin to disarm any hostility, hoping his cautious use of the name would only disguise it from someone NOT looking for him.

[Tara Marx]

Tara could feel someone moving in, she didn't turn to look figuring Mattie had her back. Then the newcomer spoke, Tara's ears perked up but she never took her eyes off the barkeep.

"Wouldn't it be Lucky if you and I were looking for the same gentleman?"

Tara smiled..."It would be dumb lucky for sure." she interjected. Tara lowered her weapon and tossed three platinums on the counter. "For your trouble good sir, no harm no foul." She hoped he'd scoop up the coinage and just let bygones be bygones. The burly fellow took but a second to snatch up the coins..."I'll let it pass this time, don't bother me again." He gruffed and turned away to another customer.

Tara then turned to the stranger and held out her hand in a greeting..."Tara Marx is the name and this here is Mattie." Tara looked for Andes only to see him near the door with the Captain surprisingly. "I have a couple more over by the door as well." She was anxious to hear if he truly had any intel on the whereabouts of Mister Cyril Leland Wade, aka Lucky.

[Monte Furlong]

Monte touched his finger to the brim of his hat and nodded. "Nice to meet you both. I'm Monte Furlong. I was just waiting on an acquaintance who seems to be a no-show. When I heard you describe him, I figured I'd offer my assistance. Perhaps together we could pool resources to track him down."

He turned slightly on the stool so he was facing them directly. The barkeep came by and Monte tapped the counter, where a moment later, a mug of amber liquid appeared.

[Mattie Rooney]

Mattie held back a smirk when Captain Marx stepped in and held the bratty bartender at gunpoint. Much like Mattie, she wasn't willing to take any crap from him, although Mattie had to admit that Tara handled the no-crap-taking with a lot more style than she would've. Mattie's way would've involved less witty threats and a lot more raised voices and spittle flying on both sides. This was probably for the best.

She perked up when a man by the counter entered the conversation. It took her a moment longer than Tara to realize what he was getting at. When it did click, she wasn't quite as quick to warm up to the stranger. Just because he was looking for the same guy they were didn't mean they were on the same side.

"...When I heard you describe him, I figured I'd offer my assistance. Perhaps together we could pool resources to track him down."

Mattie took a step forward, but lingered by Tara's side as not to butt into the captain's business too much. She eyed the stranger up and down suspiciously, trying to get a read on what he was up to.

"Why, whaddya want with him?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.

[Monte Furlong]

"Why, whaddya want with him?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.

Monte nodded at the other woman, letting his smile deflect her obvious hostility. He took this moment to lift the beer mug and take a long draft of the bitter drink. As he set the glass back down on the counter, his tongue licked several drops from his upper lip. The smile returned.

"Just was supposed to meet. I have some sensitive information for him, but it looks like he's running late."