S1:Ep7 - Party On, Whitefall

[Lomari]

Previously on The Darling...

The docking clamps were finally locking onto the ship. They were safe on terra firma. Before the shit-shoveler could get up from his seat, Rian grabbed Albie by the arm.

"Everybody out except the kid....Why the hell are you chasing sheep around? Did the big guy save your life and now you have some sort of Golden Trail life-oath thing where you have to do what he says forever?"

Ship Time: 1438
Ship Location: Patience Docks - Whitefall

Outside the ship, a small group of strangers waited on horseback, their eyes on the Darling and their guns held idly across their laps. Behind them, someone was driving a hover mule with a large pen in the back, presumably for the sheep. Their leader, or so it seemed, sat side-saddle atop a large black horse, her wide brimmed hat blocking most of the sun from her already freckled skin. She toyed with a brown bag as she waited for the occupants of the ship to start unloading.

Beneath the ship, the clamps holding the Darling in place tightened and locked, a red light flashing quietly next to the mechanism.

[Rian Carpenter]

"Well?"

Rian was still holding onto the kid's arm. He let go.

"Sorry. Physical confrontation is one of three ways I know how to get someone's attention."

The fill-in Skipper pointed at the security displays and then tapped the screen where you could see the customers arriving.

"I'm comin' on strong here, shit-shoveler because this is going to have to be a quick job interview. You already passed the hardest part. You showed me you know how to do the job, and that you won't hesitate when that shit you were shoveling hits the fan. All you gotta do is say 'yes' or 'no.' Sheep or shepherd if I can be overly poetical about it."

He smirked. That sounded cool. Then he ruined it by remembering he needed to ask a couple more questions.

Can he shoot? Does he know his way around the engine compartment? Shit!

The acting captain was improvising a little beyond his thespian ability. Carpenter wasn't much more of a spacer than the young man he kept calling kid.

"Just think about it. I gotta go greet the customers. You can come with me or go with them. Or sit here and think about it, just don't steal the damned thing, the real Captain wouldn't kill me but he'd be just real sad and then I'd feel like shit then Tabby might not smile for the first time ever...You'd like it here."

With that, Rian patted Albie on the shoulder and made for the cargo bay. Time to unload some sheep, an author, and about four hundred pounds of human beef.

[Mattie Rooney]

Mattie was already standing about the cargo bay, anxious to receive some proper orders that hopefully involved her getting off the ship and stretching her legs. Having to keep out of Caraway's sight had interfered with the usual training routine she kept up during ship travel.

"Nice work, Boss," she greeted Rian when he appeared. "I'd say that was hands down your best landing so far. Been practicing in secret?"

She was genuinely impressed, perhaps even proud -- though some part of her was strangely annoyed at the sudden improvement.

"The sheep are happy too." She looked to the animals. They were much less rattled by the landing than she'd feared, although she could sense that they shared her eagerness to finally touch some grass. "Which is good because, y'know... we don't want a stampede in our hands."

[Viktor Söderberg]

The preacher had been overly cautious in buckling in AFTER the initial commotion and now was having a doozie of a time getting the blasted thing undone now they were planetside, unharmed.
Coming to terms with the fact that he might be stuck in this infernal jumpseat for the rest of eternity, he leaned his head back closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He gave the release latch one final pull. He was free from the seat. He must have been more shaken up by the turbulence than he'd realized.

He made his way to the railing outside the cargo bay and gave a wave to Mattie and Rian. He didn't think Rian would have a particular assignment for him for this job but he wanted to be around just in case. And if they were here long enough he thought he might do some exploring this time.