A Start

Gill watched the Alliance officer as he handed several stacks of paperwork over to a tetchy looking woman in a grey pencil skirt and jacket. She leafed through the first few pages and pulled a sour face before signing the top sheet and handing it back over. She peered over towards where they sat in the Alliance Crawler and Gill did not like the look in her eye.

Haddie gave him a prod in the ribs and pulled a face that told him she was not happy with the situation. Gill tried the door and it wouldn’t budge.

“Sorry Squid.” He said, “Looks like we are being handed over to the system.”

She shook her head and gave him a wide grin then began to rummage in the small leather satchel she kept hung about her neck. It had been their fathers back before… he watched in interest as she searched through the odds and ends she had collected in there and then with a look of triumph pulled out an Alliance ID Card. She handed it over to him and he stared down at it in disbelief.

“When did you?” he started to ask and then just shook his head.

Scrambling forward between the seats he found the crawler access panel and swiped the card through the activation slot.

“Activation Initiated.” Came a female voice from the panel and Gill leaned forward and clicked the release button to unlock the doors. “Security Disarmed.” Came the voice and the door clicked open. A small compartment also opened up near the driver’s seat and Gill stared inside to see a small black satchel. They would need money and supplies if they were going to make a run for it. He glanced out of the window and saw the adults still in deep conversation. With a shrug he snatched the satchel and both her and Haddie made their way out of the passenger side door.

They ran then and did not look back. He held his sisters hand tight as they made their way away from the promenade and through the central plaza. Coming to a quiet area near a large noodle bar they slowed to a walk and Haddie pointed to the bag he held with a questioning look. He felt a little guilty as he looked down at it, he had not stolen anything in his life.

“I thought we might need to buy food.” He explained as he peered inside. “Fhan Pi!” he cursed not believing his eyes.

Sure enough there was purse in there which he snatched out, but that was not what held his eye. Amongst the stolen belongings was a modified Regina six shooter.

Haddie snatched the bag down so she could see inside and her eyes grew wide. She made to reach for the gun and Gill pushed her hand away.

“Let’s get something to eat.” He said gesturing towards the noodle bar.

“Ching jin!” a fat noodle seller called out to them as they entered, “Please take a seat!”
he pointed towards an empty table giving them both a studied stare. “You eat yes? You have money?” he asked.

Gill shook the purse at him and ordered for himself and his sister. The food came quickly and they began to eat. Two Alliance soldiers came to a stop near the entrance and Gill sank into his chair. The pair we look intently around the restaurant and the fat host waddled over to speak with them.

“You want noodles?” Gill heard the man say but the soldiers were not here to eat. Gill slumped down beneath the table and pulled Haddie down with him. Emptying the satchel he had stolen he took the gun and put it into Haddies bag, he couldn’t just leave it here and he couldn’t keep carrying around the stolen satchel either.

Two feet appeared next to the table under which they were now crouched and the noodle mans face suddenly appeared peering down at them with a worried frown.

“Purple Pi gu, looking for two scrawny kids, I tell the gorram Lein Monn you not here.”

“Thanks.” Gill replied. The man give him a beaming smile and handed down their noodle bowls.

“Finish noodles, they will make you strong. Then leave through the back.” He pointed towards a door at the back of the noodle bar and gave a wink. “Dohn luh mah?”

“Yes thank you.” Gill answered. They did as they were told and then made their way out into a back alley leaving the stolen satchel behind.

“We need to get out of here, off the Skyplex.” Gill said as they walked out onto a wide greenway overlooking the Bazaar docks. Looking down he spotted the familiar shape of a Firefly Class transport ship. The loading bay was open and it appeared they were looking for crew and passengers. He wasn’t sure they would be good for either but if they could get on board and then avoid being thrown into the black for trespass they might just get out of here and onto a rock someplace else.

“Come on squid,” he said, “I have an idea.”

Around half an hour later they were hiding behind a crud load of empty cargo crates watching some military type sign up crew for the ship. “Lunar Veil” the sign read, his dads Firefly has been the Stardust, it had been older than this one and not as well kitted out but the layout appeared the same and he knew just where they could hide if he could get on board.

They watched as the woman in the beret dressed down a newcomer and when the other woman offered money she snatched it and squared up as if about to start a fight. Gill saw their chance and ushered Haddie forward. The two adults were too intent on their own conversation and did not see them creep alongside the ship and with a quick heave Gill lifted his sister up into the hold and then followed himself. One inside they kept to the outer hull and Gill took them around the edge of the cargo bay to a small ventilation port beneath engineering. Releasing a pressure valve on the outer hatched they climbed inside and closed the cover behind them. All they had to do now was wait.