Ey up? (Landing day... times' got a bit wibbly...)

When the young kids were out of eyesight, Rowan started to double-time it back to his cabin. An hour was a tight time frame to gather all the parts and tools needed. Happily for him, his previous bought of organisation meant finding what he needed didn't take a whole lot of time. He loaded his sled with an appropriate assortment of parts and tools, as well as some extra gear should any other ships birthed at the docks be interested. Seemed a wasted opportunity to go all that way and not be prepared. Rowan would be able to remove, fix and fit most parts, save for the few more specialist things that needed their own particular tools, he didn't have the coin to be that well equipped.

As he pulled the tarp over his haul, Doodle nipped out of the cabin and clambered in amongst the bits and pieces. She seemed restless until Rowan added a small blanket, which small, snowy-furred creature happily snuggled into. The man rolled his eyes and secured the bungee cords. He hesitated then, thinking of his brief encounter with Marisol and whether it might be wise to arm oneself. Eventually he decided to do so, taking his Webley Service Revolver, loading it and tucking away in a shoulder holster. The folks from the Lunar Veil may well be the fine sort, but he was carting a decent chunk of gear, it wasn't a risk worth taking. That done he took up the slack on his sled and starting his trek to the docks.

Sure enough the Lunar Veil was not difficult to find, though Rowan wasn't entirely sure he understood why the teenage lass was so proud. It was probably twice as old as he was, and that was assuming it was one of the later series. Maybe it was a vintage thing? He'd be curious to see how the old gal was put together, but less secure about taking to space in her. She'd have to have been well looked after, perhaps she'd been overhauled on the inside?

Pushing his internal musings to the back of his mind, Rowan pulled his sled up to the Lunar Veil's open hold. He was about 5 minutes outside of the agreed hour's meetup. Military habits made that sit mighty uncomfortably with Rowan, he should be at least a quarter of an hour early. There was a sign seeking crew and passengers with instruction to go inside. He did so, his foot falls changing from the crunch of compacted snow to the clank of thick soles on metal. The shelter did little to abate the child of New Kasmir's frigid air.

"'Lo?" Rowan called out, he couldn't immediately see anyone. "Got some parts here, ordered up by your crew chief." That kid had better not have been gorram pulling his leg when he said that, otherwise Rowan was about look like a right arse.

“Hey Lieutenant. Delivery is here.” Vas called as he headed to the cargo bay so naturally he was the first to arrive.

Vas opened the cargo bay doors to let the man in. “Welcome to the Lunar Veil.”

Serena peered over the crew chief’s shoulder to see who was approaching as Riley chuckled at the theft of *her*line, happy to pass the torch to the crew chief.

Welcome to the Lunar Veil.

The doors of the Lunar Veil cargo hold opened and the punk-haired crew chief was there to welcome him.

"Appreciated." Rowan said to the welcoming, absentmindedly dusting the snow from his shoulders and kicking out the compacted frozen water from the tread of his boots. These were habits he'd gained from living on New Kasmir.

"Got most of what was on your list under the tarp." The former engineer said, getting down to business as he thumbed toward his sled. Camouflaged against the snow that had collected on the sled, was a small, furry white face. It quickly dropped back into the warmth of it's blanket. "Few extra bits n' pieces too,"
Rowan added with a shrug. "Just in case, like. I'm free to do some fitting if you need." He added, hoping the absence of their mechanic meant there was work to be done here.

He'd met Vas and Serena already, however Rowan had yet to be introduced to the stoic looking woman who'd joined them. "Rowan Fox." He said by way of introduction, as he held out his hand to Riley.

“Lieutenant Riley Thorne.” The lieutenant replied, taking the man’s hand and shaking it firmly. “Keller’s first up. Let’s take a look at what you brought, and talk credits.”

“Crew chief…” Serena whispered directly into Vas Jat’s ear. “I seen a rat!”

“Hm? What? Where? Leo ain’t allowed in the cargo bay … “ Vas said quickly looking around. Any excuse to rain hell on that horrible man! “ … or … were you talking about a literal rat?”

Serena whipped her head around at Leo’s name, but realized quickly the Crew Chief had misunderstood. “No, a rat, little ears, little nose, fangs, in the blanket.”

“Oh, poor fella, where is he? I’ll go evict him. Less you’re hungry.” One might have mistaken what he said for a joke. Only he wasn’t.

Serena pointed towards the sled. “I seen it on there.”

“If you got everything that was on the list…” Riley continued. “I think this is a pretty fair price.” She handed the peddler a note with a number suggesting the amount of credits. “The crew chief will want to inventory it first, of course, just to make sure everything seems to be in working, usable order.”

Her crew chief seemed to have already started fixated for whatever reason on the blanket covering the sled.

The haggard-looking engineer caught sight of the 'Lieutenant's' beret and found himself mighty curious. He'd spend most his post-Alliance existence trying to hide his former affiliation and yet here, Lt. Thorne expressed it openly. Unless this was some manner of fashion statement... he'd been outside of the changing seasons of polite society for some time, even so he found that concept difficult to believe. Still, given his dishonourable exit from the Alliance, he wasn't about to announce his past, but it was curious to know this ship offered harbour to a mix of people... and more than kids.  Perhaps there could be a place for him on the Lunar Veil after-all.

"Not got everything..." He corrected Riley, nearly adding her rank out of sheer habit. "All save for the Neutron Regulator.  I got the parts to construct one, but I'd need to see the engine to gauge the spec. "

He took the note and looked bemused, rubbing the back of his own neck subconsciously. "Credit's aren't particularly useful out here. But if you have that in coin I reckon it's a fair price. Assuming you don't want any fitting, that is."

Inwardly he was begging her to let him rummage around the insides of the ship, or even the shuttle if need be. Until that moment he hadn't realised how desperate he was for some mental stimulation that went further than dragging bits of scrap across an icy wasteland whilst avoiding wolves. Less dangerous, more cerebral... it appealed a great deal.

Meanwhile Doodles had gotten restless again and popped her head out. She was used to people in general and held no fear of strangers. Her small, pink nose wiggled for a moment before she lolloped from her cosy blanket-nest, jumped down off the sled and scuttled to Rowan's feet. From there the small, white-furred mammal lifted up on her hind legs, looking about in an innocent manner.

“Oh … that?” Vas asked pointing to the fur-covered slinky. “Oh that ain’t no rat, it’s some kind polecat. Cute little buggers… didn’t know they even HAD polecats here but I’ll get the broom to nudge it back outside. Don’t want him getting into the guts of the ship and chewing on things.” Vas said reaching stepping away for a moment to get an animal sweeper.

“Hey, Rowen… hold still you don’t want that thing to bite ya …” Vas said getting ready to poke the little fuzz bucket.

Riley stepped aside, not changing the expression on her face, but visually not comfortable with the four-footed intruder.

“Don’t br…” Serena started to say but bit her tongue mid-sentence. The crew chief could do what he wanted with it.

“Don't what?” He asked wondering if she had a better idea. At some point, they were going to have to talk about why he did what he did in front of the Captian because she seemed to be taking it little to much to heart.

“Nothing, Crew Chief,” she replied with a shake of her head. “I was gonna suggest not braining him on the ship, but I thought better of it.”

“You’re in good company, you’re free to think freely kid. If there is ever question just ask since you going to be skittish over it.” Vas said a bit of a teasing edge to his tone. “Besides I wasn’t going to brain the little thing. Just nudge him back out.

“Uh-huh.” Serena added, quietly, an unsure element in her reply. “So Rowan Fox, did you think about what I said? Are you lookin’ for a ship?”

As a slight, albeit lop-sided smirk pulled upon Rowan's lips, a single eyebrow pushed upwards in surprise at the 'Lieutenants'... slight discomfort. He turned his face toward the kid with the gravity defying hair and broom, his subtle amusement all but wiped from his face.

"I'd be careful." Rowan warned, a solemn tone lending weight to his words. "The creatures of New Kasmir are mighty tough. Even the little ones."

Doodles looked about as ferocious as a stuffed doll, her dark eyes contrasted against the snowy while fur. Her head tilted to the side as she attempted to comprehend the situation.... when she figured out the broom was intended for her she darted away, squeaking indignantly as her undulating body scrambled up the Rowan's back. The animal dove into his hood and settling about his neck. Rowan laughed. It was a deep, genuine but not unkind sound. "Except for Doodles, of course, she's too lazy to be mean."

"As for ship seeking..." Rowan said, in response to Serena's prompting, but his focus swivelled to Thorne. He could have divulged his borderline outcast situation in Aurora Creek but decided against it. Made him look desperate and might reduce any potential negotiation on wages.  "...I'm interested. I'm an engineer and a decent shot. Those the kinda skill your captain's looking for?"

"...I'm interested. I'm an engineer and a decent shot. Those the kinda skill your captain's looking for?"

"Don't so much need hired guns." Riley replied, still wrapped up in inventory of all the items. “Maybe on occasion, some of the jobs we run might hit the grey scale in regards to legality.” *Like charcoal grey.* “If that’s gonna be a problem for you, then this ain’t the ship for you. You don’t get paid a flat wage, but you get a percentage of any job we take on, plus a finders fee if that job we take was found by you. Captain and I decide on the jobs, that’s our call, not yours. The smaller the crew the harder the work, but the larger the cut. We don't much ask questions about what we're hauling. Don't background check the crew. If you have lily white hands and are fixin' to keep them clean, this ain't your ship. This here is Vas Jat,” she waved a hand to the mohawk haired punk. “My right hand and the ship Crew Chief, meaning he gives the orders, you take the orders and we all get along.” Perhaps that part wasn’t made clear to the last mechanic when the Captain hired her, but then again, the Captain hired her. Clarity wasn’t his forte. “While we’re in the black, don’t expect much downtime because there won’t be much, the crew chief will clear you for shore leave when we hit port and what needs done gets done. Any questions, you can direct them to Jat. If you accept the terms and still want to come aboard, feel free to go grab your gear and we’ll get you a cabin. Ain’t promising you won’t have to share it, or that it won’t get moved around, so I don’t want to hear crying if you don’t like the accommodations. Rats and rodents will be exterminated, so you’re hired, it ain’t. If I see it again, I shoot it. We aren’t taking off for another four, five days, so you got time to mull it over. This how it is - no negotiations.”

She returned after a few moments with the agreed upon amount, in less than legal cash. “I’ll give you a few days to decide, less a better offer comes our way in the meantime. Lots of people looking to get off this rock. Jat, you and your deck get to puttin’ this away. I got somewhere I gotta be in the early morning.”

“Take the job.” Serena whispered to him after the Lieutenant turned her back. “It’s an a-may-zing ship.”