S2E6.2 - Hunter or Hunted

[Ava Gray]

"Pssssshh - the law..." Ava said with all the dismissive vitriol of a real criminal, but without the four letter word that would have made it a grammatically correct sentence.  There was a brief silence as she considered explaining her attitude, then she continued.  "It's the slacks, isn't it?  Real criminals don't wear slacks.  I need jeans, or something...  with cargo pockets and oil stains..."

Ava could now catch a new smell in the air.  The normal ship smell fell into the background as they drew near the food.  Ava had originally thought she was too upset to eat, but now that they'd nearly reached their dinner, her insides felt completely hollow and she thought perhaps she could manage after all.

[Luke Donovan]

"Now you're getting it," Luke chimed into the silence after her dismissal of the law. As for her clothing choice, well, Luke took the opportunity to give her a good look up and down. He quirked an eyebrow to show his approval of what he saw.

"I don't think you need to worry about that doc. Your look is definitely working for you. Although... if you did want to try some skin-tight leather I would endorse that..."

He gave her a cheeky grin, fully expecting a light slap or punch for such talk.

[Ava Gray]

"Oh, I'm sure you would!" Ava shot back, giving him a good humored glare, "But the idea is to get into less trouble..."  She shook her head, smiling just a touch.  The smile vanished quickly, washed away by a wave of guilt.  She'd watched people she worked with die only minutes ago and it seemed wrong to feel anything but grief.  It was survivor's guilt, she was fairly certain, though she wouldn't officially diagnose herself without referencing the relevant literature.  She could think of all the helpful things that she would say to another person in this situation, but the feelings still didn't change.  She frankly didn't know how to react right now, she didn't know what people would expect of her, she didn't even know what reaction she herself considered right or appropriate.

Ava did, however, know the kind of person she was.  She was the person who tried to make things easier for everyone else, who tried to smooth over rough patches and make others feel better, whether physically or emotionally.  She decided to take a note from Luke's attitude and be herself, and pssssh - what anyone else might think about it.

"I'll tell you what, though," she continued.  "You get this ship back in the air and fly me somewhere that sells things like that - and I will consider adding some leather to my wardrobe."  

They entered the galley and Ava nodded to Lin.  "Captain.  Is there anything particular you'd like me to be doing, preparation-wise?"

[Luke Donovan]

"Yes ma'am," Luke responded with a slightly wagging tongue at the idea that he just might get to see Ava in some kind of leathery get-up... if they could get Ronin running again and escape this mess with their lives and go somewhere that sold that stuff. Three very big ifs, but Luke was nothing if not an optimist.

When it came to hot girls in sexy clothes.

He wanted to savor the image in his head so he was a few seconds behind Ava when they entered into the galley. Luke gave the captain a quick nod of respect and then began digging through the food.

He noticed, again, that Adriana Lucy was not around. He had to make his own choice of meal, which wasn't a big deal it was just odd because Adriana Lucy was almost always there to give her opinion on any decision he was making. He stood for a moment, a different bundle of food in each hand. He knew what he preferred but without Adriana Lucy there to argue or agree with him, he was second-guessing himself... a feeling he was not enjoying.

[Lin Kuei]

Lin had been about to take another bite when the Doc and Luke showed up. "Actually, Doc, I want you to get some food in your system because there is no word on when we'll be able to eat next. Once you've had a good full meal, then it would be a good idea to catalog what we still have versus what we don't. Luke should be good to go on the engines. Hopefully, everyone else will take my advice to eat while we can."

In a longer glance, she seemed a little unsettled and not from Luke's presence either. "If you have any questions, feel free to ask them. Might as well get out in the open what we need to." Taking a bite of rolled up meat from his chopsticks, Lin started chewing slowly as if mulling over something. Taking a moment to stop eating, he sipped from a cup of tea before resuming.

[Ava Gray]

Ava nodded at Lin's instructions, but was a little relieved when the Captain proved open to questions.

"Well, I've been through the supplies in the medbay.  We seem to have what we need for the types of injuries we're likely to be dealing with.  I... am not sure I have the expertise to catalogue anything outside of the medbay..."  She grimaced briefly, a biproduct of trying to think outside the box rather than any sort of displeasure.  "There are several sets of apparantly perfectly functional body armor down, outside the ship...  I could collect and sterilize them for any of the crew who don't have a set of their own.  We've got both Abe and your other man on watch atop the ship; I could act as a second set of eyes while one of them gets some sleep - in case the attackers decide to make us wait...  Without knowing what the plan is beyond kill them, don't die, which I rather assume is the basis for any plan you'd come up with in this sort of situation, I don't really know what contributions I can make that would be the most beneficial." 

Reminding herself that she was supposed to eat, and that she could theoretically eat and think at the same time, she picked up a plate and began loading it up while listening to the Captain's response.

[Lin Kuei]

"Well, catalog what you can in the medbay. Getting and sterlizing that armor is not a bad plan. Even if no one wears them, they can be placed in tactical locations for additional protection. Lookouts switching is not a bad idea either and one I intend to take on myself." Lin took a sip of tea and continued as he gestured with his chopsticks. "We also need to build some additional protection in the cargo bay to slow people down. Another thing you could do is make sure everyone's ammo supply is set just as a precaution."

Popping some more food into his mouth, Lin quickly chewed away. Tapping the comm, he spoke clearly. "This is the Captain. I'll be heading up to the roof to relieve Vega and Abe shortly. I want to make sure everyone gets their fill of the food because undoubtedly there will be no time later." Switching it off, he took a sip of tea before continuing the discussion on hand. "Luke, how are things coming with the engine?"

[Luke Donovan]

Luke figured 'rutt it' and just started eating. It didn't much matter what food he chose; all Victoria's cooking was amazing. But seriously, where was his sister?

The Captain asked him a question then and, unfortunately, Luke didn't eat and talk with the manners that Lin did. Luke answered with a mouth half-full of lamb risotto, "Engine's not the problem, Captain."

He swallowed and took a bite of the best bread he'd ever had - Victoria's homemade brown.

"It's the fuel lines." he continued, still chewing. "They all need to be replaced."

He swallowed then and thankfully refrained from taking another bite as he concluded his report.

"And there's a couple hull breaches I can't make space-worthy without some parts. The smugglers gave us a, well, it was a pretty go-se deal but they have - uh... Had the parts we need but seeing as how they're not going to be swinging by with the goods any time soon... We're not going anywhere off-world, let's put it that way."

[Ava Gray]

Ava nodded at Lin's orders.  "Yes, sir."  It was a relief to know that someone was looking ahead and planning for what was coming their way.  While she didn't have the knowledge base to judge the merits of the steps Lin laid out, it all sounded really good to her.  She took a seat and started to eat.

Luke's comment about the smuggler's deal being go-se got him a vicious glare.  Given that only Ava and Michael hadn't paid for that deal with their lives, it seemed to Ava that, if anything, the smugglers had undercharged for the merchandise.  She quickly dropped her gaze back to her food, certain that an argument over the matter wouldn't help anyone at this point, but found it was harder now to make herself eat.  Still, she wanted to hear Lin's plan for dealing with their lack of transport to the outpost, so she busied herself putting together a few bits and pieces to take with her for when the manual labor in her immediate future got her appetite back up.

[Lin Kuei]

It had been a couple of days since the meal in the galley. Lin had taken on a full sixteen hour watch on the roof of the ship for the preceding day in order to give both Vega and Abe the chance to get some food and rest. The mercenaries had not left but had not attacked again. They seemed to content to have hit the outpost instead. It was not something anyone had probably survived and communications with it were still down. Being alone on the roof had given him time to think on things and there had been much to think about.

When his shift had ended, he made his way back into the galley and grabbed the last of the food that had been refrigerated and was still able to be eaten for a meal. Heading downstairs, Lin entered his quarters, set about lighting some incense then grabbed a several restless hours of sleep. He had been up for two days and needed it by this point. After waking, he lit some more incense and fell into a deep meditation. The need to refocus occupied his thoughts more than anything.

It took a few hours to refocus before moving from his position in his cabin. Exiting, he had substantially more energy than before. Making a quick inspection of the ship, he wanted to see how everyone was doing and quickly got on the comm. "This is the Captain. I want everyone to meet me in main hallway of the ship near the engine." Once all had arrived, he would go into their next plan.

"The way I see it, they are waiting for us to lift off more than anything. The ship is too crippled right now to fly so they are waiting. However, we can fix the Beast and get it up and running enough to get the most basic parts we may need at the smuggler's outpost. The fuel lines that are damaged, a couple of armor plates, some more food, more medicine and possibly even enough fuel for us to move the ship from its current location to the outpost where we can better access to supplies. Speak freely and give your thoughts."

[Luke Donovan]

Luke spent the couple days working to get the ship as close to fixed as humanly possible. He also took his share on watch as well. Any remaining time was spent sleeping or eating.


When it came to the Captain's plan, Luke had one thing to say. He tried to keep the pride out of his voice as he informed Lin, "The Beast is ready to roll, Captain. I've made sure of that."

[Vega Barnet]

Vega had spent the last couple days going back and forth between standing watch and sleeping. When Lin called everyone to the main hallway he was fully rested. He listened to what Lin had to say and thought for a moment, and added his 2 cents after Luke confirmed the readiness of the Beast.

"Splitting our forces is dangerous. Its very possible the baddies are sitting up there waiting for us to do something just like that so they have better odds at capturing us. Either hit the Beast crew when they're out in the open, or hit the ship again while the Beast crew is gone. In our current situation its a terrible tactical decision. That being said, I don't think we really have a choice. We cant sit here forever. They'll starve us out or they'll get backup, either way we'll be humped. Going for the outpost is really our only shot at the moment, so it gets my vote."

[Lin Kuei]

"Okay folks, we'll mount up. I'll handle the driving. Doc, your choice to stay here or come along. I can fit 5 comfortably enough in the cab. We may end up having to bring back survivors to help get the ship in the air and defend it while we are working. We have enough dried food and water to last long enough to get to some safety. Mount up if you are coming along." Lin quickly made his way down to the truck and climbed into the cab. Turning the engine over, he waited for those to climb aboard that were going. "Victoria's in charge until I get back." With that said, he rolled the truck out of the ship with the lights off and stayed that way until the Beast had gotten them far enough away from the ship.

[Abenette Kelker]

The news about the outpost had been dreadful, Abe had no idea how the doc was doing.  After all, these folks had been friends of hers.

Thankfully, she was also rested and her ribs felt very much better.  The tremor she had experienced in her hand had disappeared.  It was probably the let down of all the adrenaline that had been pumping through her body.

"I'll go.  You will need someone who is good at using the minimum of ammo," she said as she volunteered.  "Plus, I am little.  I could get into some tight spaces if need be."

Abe didn't know how many others were going, but at least she made her bid.

[Lin Kuei]

When all who were coming and climbed aboard the Beast, Lin turned the engine over and slowly rolled it out of the ship over the rubble in an effort to create as little noise as possible. Relying strictly on the moonlight to see, he turned the truck toward the outpost and softly pressed the accelerator. They needed to get some ground covered as quickly and quietly as possible. It was not until they were a few miles away.

As soon as they rounded the edge of one of the mountains, Lin jumped on the comm back to the ship. "So far so good, we've made it a few miles out and no sign of anyone following. Only about twenty to thirty more miles to go until we hit the outpost and salvage what we can. Stay tight and keep a lookout on those raiders." Now if they could make it and return with a minimum of fuss, then things may turn a bit more shiny for the future.

[Abenette Kelker]

Abe felt a little nauseous as she armed herself for the away team, but she grabbed a couple of saltines in the galley and munched on them as she went down to the Beast.  She downed a small bottle of water as she stood outside the craft and felt her stomach unravel.

Good.

She jumped in, her body armed with Dude, Sam and Tiny Tim.  Wyatt was slung over her shoulder and any conceivable pocket she had was stocked with rounds for any of them.  She found a seat and sat, staying quiet as they left the ship.  Looking back, she couldn't help but notice how weak it looked.  Such a fine ship.  It was sad.  But when they got these parts?  They could get it up into the air and out of this mess.

They rode in silence for a good stretch of time before Lin called back to the ship.

"So far so good, we've made it a few miles out and no sign of anyone following. Only about twenty to thirty more miles to go until we hit the outpost and salvage what we can. Stay tight and keep a lookout on those raiders."

She couldn't wait.  She needed some activity.  She was a bit on edge.

[Luke Donovan]

Luke of course volunteered to go to the outpost. He was still having some pain and was technically supposed to be taking it easy but deep down he was always raring for a fight. If Adriana Lucy had argued he would have told her he needed to go because he was the one who would most easily recognise the parts they needed. However, Adriana Lucy had still not appeared. It was kind of nice not having her argue with him and try to get him to stay. On the other hand, her absence was becoming unnerving. Luke didn't feel like himself so as he climbed into the beast he was even broodier than usual.

[Lin Kuei]

As they started to clear distance from rounding the edge of the mountains, Lin finished talking on the comm and promptly pressed his foot down on the accelerator. The Beast lurched forward and quickly responded with a tremendous boost of speed. Lin hoped the ships that had been hovering overhead did not choose to follow.

Behind them, the dust trail was starting to rise from the ground. Lin spoke loud enough for the others to hear. "Keep an eye out in case they follow. The sooner we can get there and get working the better off we'll be. ... Once we arrive, let's secure any additional ammunition then move on to the parts we'll need." Lin kept his foot down on the accelerator.

[Vega Barnet]

Vega had elected to join the away team and was now sitting in the bed of The Beast, enjoying the ride as much as he could while still keeping a watchful eye out. He was a bit apprehensive. Best case scenario the bad guys wouldn't notice them leave, and would continue to hold off for their reinforcements. Worst case by the time they returned the baddies would have hit and taken the ship. But this was their only play, and sometimes you just had to toss the Hail Mary and hope for the best.

[Lin Kuei]

It took only about twenty minutes for the outpost to come into view. Lin rolled to a stop and watched it from a distance in pale moonlight. Nothing seemed to be moving except some tentflaps in the wind. From the vantage point, the bodies could be easily seen and whoever was responsible was long gone.

Looking over his shoulder toward the valley where Ronin was resting, he could see the ships still hovering over their home. It looked silent from a distance with no lights or sound echoes or anything else looking like it was disturbing the area. Lin got on the comm. "We've arrived. We'll be as quick as we can and return with the most needed items."

Pressing the accelerator down, the Beast rolled into the now destroyed outpost and stopped abruptly. "Abe, Vega, secure the area and grab any additional ammo we might need. Luke, start looking for the mechanic parts we'll need to get the ship running enough to get here. I'll see if I can find any food or medical supplies. Meet back in twenty to regroup and reassess." With that said, he killed the Beast and exited the cab heading toward what looked like a ship's galley that had been repositioned on the ground.