DMHT3

=Chapter 3=
==Dead Man's Hand: A Taste Of Ashes==
Sweet Water VI, Orbit
Coventry Province
Lyran Commonwealth
5 July 3057
Had anyone been around the, they might have detected the arrival of the Primae Noctis... but nobody had any reason to be that far out. Not when there were far more profitable systems to explore. As such, nobody saw the battered old Merchant class JumpShip narrowly avoid missing the pirate point between the Ice Giant and one of its larger moons, or it detach a trio of DropShips, that began a steady burn for the systems sole inhabited planet, using a passing comet for cover.
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Militia Headquarters
Sweet Water
Coventry Province
Federated Commonwealth
5th July, 3057
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"..And what time do you call this?" Kelso asked playfully as Joker stepped into the meeting room.
"Well, it's not like the meeting can start without me." the younger woman shrugged, filling a coffee cup from the pot provided and taking her seat, "Rank has its privileges and all."
"I don't know: this is the... I've lost count of how many times you've been late this last year." Scilicorn faked a look of shock, "You've not been... walking out with a young man, have you?"
There was a moment of silence, then everyone started laughing.
"Seriously, though, Boss, you're spending more and more time at Alex's." Scilicorn continued, "Don't get me wrong. We all think he's a stand-up guy and all. Only had to have Jay threaten him the once..."
"He breaks your heart." Aung rumbled, cracking his knuckles, a sound more akin to cracking walnuts, "I break his everything."
"He got the message loud and clear." Scilicorn smiled, "But, and we're asking as your friends here... how serious is it?"
"It's... serious." Joker admitted, "He's asked me to move in with him."
The room fell silent again, the others exchanging looks.
''
"Boss, we've been talking, between ourselves." Kelso lent forward, "About when our contract ends..."
The color drained from Joker's face.
"I..." she started, then suddenly realized that she didn't know what to say.
"Lot of people out there, still looking for someone willing to dive into the occupation zones." Kelso continued, looking around to make sure that the others were in agreement, "And we've decided that the money's good... but the Clans are starting to wise up. It's starting to get a bit too hot to operate there."
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"What Bobbie is trying to say is," Aung took over, "there are worse places than this to settle down."
"We've been running since Tamar... running from what we know we saw, regardless of what the doc's said." Scilicorn nodded, "No of us have wanted to admit it, but it's the truth. But we can only run so far and sooner or later even our luck will run out. When it does, I like the idea of making my stand for something I care about."
"We followed you into hell, Joker." Kelso smiled, "If you say we stay, we stay."
Joker say and looked at her team, then to the fifth member of the meeting, who had thus far remained silent.
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"What about you and the others, Dane?" She asked the DropShip captain, "What do you have to say on the matter?"
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"Cargo is cargo. Always going to be someone looking to have some moved from Point A to Point B." he shrugged, "And it would be a damn sight less risky than ferrying you lot from one bad idea to the next. Not that we would not miss you, but we will survive."
''
"I never realized that you were such a romantic." Kelso smiled at him, then turned back to her commander, "Look, we're not looking for you to make a decision here and now, but just know we're with you to the end."
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