recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Day 1 Afternoon - Guess who's coming to dinner

*"Anything you say,I'm indebted to you. And if I may ask for a favor as well... Please don't mention my last to anyone else, unless you have to, like the captain. I would rather folk not know. And my own room too. I'm a very private person.*

"Your last.... what?" Riley asked. "All I know is your first name, and that's because that guy called you Henry, and that he seems really fond of you. And of hugging. As far as your own room, you're a passenger, I'll make sure you get a decent room to yourself."

*"So what now?" Henry asked.*

"Now..." Riley replied. "We go make my engineer really happy. You sure you don't want the crew to know you're religious inclined? These Heat Exchangers literally will answer his prayers." Actually, Devron didn't seem the praying sort. He had proven to be more dedicated than she had pegged him for. No drinking on the job, no slacking off... a far cry from their last engineer.

Riley strapped the crate to the front of the mule, and made sure Henry was comfortable in the back. "You need anything else before we head back... Henry? That's what you prefer? If not, I think we should go and get those ribs fixed up. Do you have any belongings besides your two suits there?"
Day 2: Mid-Morning - The Hangover Part II

"Mornin'" the Captain said as chipper as he could muster after the previous night. His favored mug was missing, so he used his second favorite, the one with "Riley's, so keep your filthy rutting paws off" written in indelible ink. Pouring a cup of coffee, he raised the mug by way of greeting to both the nun and the passenger seated at the table. He looked perplexed for a moment, remembering vaguely a conversation shortly ago with his first up. His jaw hung open momentarily as he was about to mention it, but maybe the man simply changed his mind. Or maybe Dimitri convinced him of their new no refund policy. Taking a swig of the coffee he near choked, his eyes now wide awake and his brain feeling instantly sobered. The rest of him, he was fairly certain he'd swallowed a chunk of the sun.

"That ain't gonna be good coming out." He commented under his breath, his throat still burning from the liquid. Clearing his throat, he past Dillon on the way out. "Don't let the Lieutenant see you standing around. If I were you, I'd find something to clean, something to do, last man ended up scraping gunk from the garbage chutes with a toothbrush. And I'm fairly certain she liked him."

He took another sip as he headed to the engine room, with the same horrible reaction, making a gurgling and gagging sound as he drank it down. "Holy Rut, what is in this?" he asked no one in particular.
Favors

*“Final thing,” Adler said. “Ah did a lot ‘o’ work in the past few days with no arrangement. All those services charged ala carte would prob’ly earn me that trachea punch,” he grinned. “Ah know tha run tah Santo was a low payout. What say we just agree to a typical share value, tah be repaid in services? Nevah know when Ah might need a special run, or another gun tah back me up.”*

Riley swirled the last bit of tea in her mug, mulling over the Doc's words before downing the last of the foul liquid. "So we're clear," she began, narrowing her eyes, "this isn't an *or* option you're giving me is it? Throat punch *or* owe you a favor? I know where my druthers lie."

She contemplated further on what kind of run might come up that would require burning an expensive favor on. It couldn't be that bad, could it? And Dentist slash hired gun? Though the last part did make him slightly more interesting, hired guns were usually more Dmitri, less Dorian, and definitely not Dentist. There was definitely more to him than scraping tartar. She immediately pictured him back to back with another man, pistols raised, each taking ten steps before firing. Had he ever been slapped in the face with a white glove? But best way to make an enemy in this line of work is ask too many questions. Back to business.

She drummed her fingers against the papers on the table, weighing the options. Their current finances so it was best for the time being to stall. "I'll run your offer past the captain. His ship. He ain't fond of owing undisclosed favors." Truth be told, the captain owed undisclosed favors all the time, but neither Dorian nor the Captain needed to know that. "Out of curiosity, and that's all it is, strictly curiosity, why would a dentist need a gun to back him up? Hell of a way to collect on services, isn't it?"
Confusion

Haddie was confused. She had just finished smearing boot polish on the cabin door handles and was all set to deposit a small tub of iron filings in the Chiefs underwear drawer when the full extent of the recent activity on the ship had stopped her in her tracks.

Marisol had gone and was back and Vas had been angry with everyone and now he wasn't. Gill had been angry with Vas and now he was back to mooning over Serena and Lyen had left but then she hadn't. There had been a speech about her going and everything but she was here and not gone. The Doc had gone but now he was here and not gone and the man who came to be the new mechanic was now a pilot, but he was still a mechanic really but couldn't be one because now Marisol was the mechanic again.

She took a deep breath and shook her head. So where did that leave Drake if her were not the mechanic and Marisol was then should she still hate Drake? He had tried to be a mechanic when Marisol should have been but now he wasn't.

There was also a dog with three legs, which made no sense because everyone knew dogs had four legs. When had life gotten so confusing?

Her thought came back to Lyen. First she had pretended to be shot with the ketchup and all and now she had pretended to leave but had not. That last one was cruel. She looked down at the iron filings and decided Vas would keep as she made a bee line for the nuns underwear draw. Maybe she could pick up a few trinkets while she was sprinkling them in.
Keller goes Captaining (Day 3, Early Evening)

Captain Keller sat at his usual spot, head of the table for the second 'shift' of meals. Sure, passengers paid well, and it really weren't no skin off his nose if rooms were occupied or not, and for the most part, socializing wasn't much of a chore. He'd even established a small cadre of drinking buddies who 'retired' to the lounge at night to play some hands of tall card. Instead tonight as he choked down what he called "wharf-rat-tatooie" - he found himself clever - he was being henpecked.

His dinner guests each had an opinion, and to Keller - opinions they were the same as armpits. Everyone has two, and some of them stink more than others. The topic of conversation: That rooster-haired kid.

Keller wasn't sure what had riled everyone up, but Riley was going to have to keep a tighter lid on shit if he had to listen to crew drama from a bunch of biddies, busy-bodies and business people, all in a tizzy. *Tizzy,* he thought to himself, as he nodded, pretending to listen to Philip Lombard. *That sounds like titty. Think I'll watch me one of my movies tonight.*

Even pigtails demeanor had changed, making it painfully, almost embarrassingly obvious that she wasn't speaking to him, or at least when she wasn't reminding him that she wasn't speaking to him. It was actually a welcome respite when one of them religious fella's they were carting around came to speak to him as pigtails, with her nose out of joint, cleared the dishes from the table.

"Oh, hey, Two-Bit," the captain said by way of greeting.

"Tenzin," the monk politely corrected with a nod. "Might I have a word?"

"Depends," Keller replied. "Does the word have anything to do with the Rooster kid or the Redhead Hand?"

"No, sir, I'd actually like to talk to you, if I could, about Sister Lyen." The Captain's face must have conveyed the same blank expression he was drawing on the name. Sensing this, the monk continued. "She's a Bhikkhuni." Keller blinked.

*Did he say bikini?*

"A nun, she resides on this ship?" Tenzin tried.

"Pretty eyes like mine." Serena told him in an exasperated tone, and Keller nodded, *right, right, right. Practices yoga. Probably really flexible.*

"Thanks, Pigtails."

"Not speaking!" She replied, and the Captain rolled his eyes.

"Come," he said to the monk, leading him to the lounge so pigtails could pout in peace while doing dishes and he wouldn't have to hear about it. "We'll have a quick drink and you can tell me your issue with... " he snapped his fingers. *Shit, he just said it, too.*

"Sister Lyen?" The monk replied helpfully.

"Right. Sister Lyen. And then I have some pressing matters to attend to."

*Sorority Sisters - Sex on the Beach the Sequel.*
Howlin' at the Past

The darkness above was a million pinpricks of light shining through a blanket of black. The sound of festivities wore on into the evening, emanating from the bars and taverns, long shadows cast from lights along the boulevard. One foot in front of the other, the nun watched her slender feet find the path to the LV, but her mind was still on Athens with Bao. The bright kasaya she wore was a dim gray in the Skyplex's artificial light.

Hearty smells of stews and barbecue wafted from the storefronts and bazaar booths that had yet to tear down for the night. Quiet streets horded scattered piles of trash from the celebration; someone was singing a somber song from a backlit window facing north. Ly was reminded of when she found Keller on Santos, how she had felt propelled by the Verse. The kind words he had said for no reason at all, seeing the ship for the first time: home.

And there it was, much like it had been. A gentle giant, beckoning her inside, to pray and care for its many members. A safe haven. A howl came from inside the LV, a Drog pup learning the strength of its own voice. The pup was enough to break Ly from her complacency, and she rushed up the ramp to pet and nuzzle the Droggies. It took everything she had to keep a wide birth from the yewlings, as momma Drog may not appreciate them being fluffed just yet.

Drog kisses still drying on her cheek, Ly made her way the top of the cargo bay to dangle her legs and watch the view. Head on her arms, the pups started yowling once more, and Ly threw her head back to answer with a howl of her own.
Helpful

It didn't take long to cook the oats. He would've thrown in a little of this and a little of that, but the dentist had requested plain oats. He poured it all into a bowl and stirred it with a spoon to speed up the cooling a bit.

He returned to the med bay with it and set it out of the way on a counter. It was still pretty warm. It would need time to cool.

He stood by with his arms folded. "Did you need anything else?" he asked.
Day 2 almost there...: Emergency

Dillon finished up breakfast and a short existential discussion with Ly, grabbed Gill (and Haddie (with one eye strictly dedicated to her and her fingers)) and headed down to the engine room to assist Thomas with cleaning up some things, then maybe they split ways with Dillon helping Jacy in the kitchen (avoiding more talking than necessary (Jacy probably took off as soon as he took over and he took it as her avoiding work again)) and Gill and Haddie on house keeping duty.

He probably swung by Samson and reluctantly told him he'd agree to speak to him when he wasn't busy, trying to act like he is indeed very busy and responsible and relied upon. (Fully expecting Samson to be there on the way to Ezra)) that's a lot of parenthesise...

*He picked up the ship’s intercom mic. “Dillon Forst, Dillon Forst,” he said, “drop what’cha doing and come to tha infirmary. Right. Now.”*

Dillon put down a can, halfway through a crate and immediately made his way at a quick walk to the Med Bay.

What he expected in the Med Bay was another sudden emergency like with Gill that required extra hands. When he found no such thing there, just Dorain with no blood in sight, he was confused.
For the Food

Haddie was getting impatient. Gill was curled up asleep next to her in the duct, it had been a long day! She listened to the commotion down below, dinner had been interrupted. Something about them finding a ship adrift. She pushed that thought away it being too close to her own experiences. A flashback of the Alliance troops pulling them out of their hiding place only for them to nearly die through exposure. The endless waiting before that as the wreckage of the Reaver vessel had drifted through the black, and before that... she closed her eyes and forced it all away.

She could smell food. She could smell it and the crew we leaving. She made a decision, she would go down below and bring back food for her brother. He would not be happy but he would enjoy the meal.

Carefully she crept past him and pried open the grill, an opening just large enough for her to squeeze through. She crouched down low then and crept forward towards the mess hall. Her mouth was watering now as she anticipated the feast to come. The corridor opened up into the crews main eating area and there on the tables she saw the food. Baked goods, fresh fruit and veg and even a little meat. She was not sure her satchel could hold it all. Either way she had struck the jackpot.
Keller and his Captaining

Keller had made it a priority to make the rounds with the passengers for the past day and a half, and it, in his opinion, was exhausting. He was lively at two different dinner shifts, chatting it up and telling tales of sailing to this galaxy or that. He drank and had cigars with others, and Roose might have been a lousy cook -- but he was a hell of a bartender. People seemed to love his stories as well. He was, however happy that they were about to break atmo on Verbena, because that did mean a large chunk of them would be getting off.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking,” he said into the mic, unprompted by Riley. “We’re going to be breaking atmosphere in a few moments, so we once again ask that you return to and remain in your cabins until prompted to do otherwise by myself or by a member of our crew. The local time on Verbena is 12:00 noon, and the weather is…”

“HOT,” Riley called from the cockpit.

“Hot,” he parroted. “Those who are disembarking here, please make sure you take all of your belongings because otherwise, we’re off in 47 hours, they will ‘belong’ to us. Those staying aboard, our next stop will be Beaumonde as we make our way to Highgate. Please make sure you are onboad the ship because with or without you - we will take off, and your credits will not be refunded.

Once again, we hope you have enjoyed your time aboard, and if not, we remind you again, your credits will not be refunded. On behalf of the crew of the Lunar Veil, it was a pleasure having all of you aboard, except for you, Ms. Weber, personally I found you to be a giant pain in the ass.”

“Weber is with us til Beaumonde,” Riley reminded him.

“What?”

“If you check the manifest, she’s not slated to get off until Beaumonde.”

“Sonuvabitch.” He keyed the mic again. “I of course am just kidding. I look forward to seeing you and hearing more of your complaints about the ship once we take off for Beaumonde. If anyone needs assistance, please flag down a crew member, they’ll be happy to help and once again, we thank you for flying with the Lunar Veil.”
Interlude

Aello was really getting into the main understanding of the common procedures that can help repair a broken or cracked tooth. Dental bonding is a procedure done to repair cracked, chipped, discolored, decayed or gapped teeth. This composite bonding can last for up to 10 years. Crowns are some of the most common restorative treatments available. A crown acts as a cap that covers and protects your tooth, while at the same time improving its appearance. When ready, the permanent crown is then cemented to the remaining tooth structure. Veneers are great tooth covers like Porcelain veneers. And with proper care, the veneers can last up to 30 years so you don’t have to worry about replacing them regularly. Root canalling involves clearing out decayed tooth matter and removing the nerves. A tooth with a crack that has extended into the pulp can be treated with this method. Also if you have some sensitivity, swelling or toothache, you may need a root canal. If left untreated, such infection can spread leading to bone loss, abscess and other serious problems. The process works by first determining if the tooth is infected. If it is, an anesthesia is administered and then drilling into the tooth is done to remove the tooth’s pulp and nerve. The tooth is then sealed to prevent further infection and a crown can also be added to enhance the tooth’s strength. If your tooth has a crack that extends deep below the gum line, the tooth is no longer treatable and will need to be extracted. A dental implant is then used to replace it. Dental implants are securely placed into your jawbone for a lasting fit. Biocompatible titanium screws are drilled into the jawbone to act as root for the new tooth. Some time is allowed for the crews to fuse with the bone and form a lasting foundation. Impressions for your tooth are then taken and a tooth made to be fit on the screws.

She found it fascinating by how involved the world of Dentistry was as she almost forgot about Gill and Haddie. She looked up and put her pad in her bag to check on Gill for a fever and he seemed to be doing fine. She hypothesized that Gill and Haddie had a strong immune system due to living in a poor environment. Sometimes the body compensates by adapting and adjusting to increase its survival chances. After checking Gills vitals she gave him a small warm smile.

Aello: You are doing well Gill but I will need to monitor you all night. If you can make it through 24 hours without an infection then you can return to light duty till I confirm your wound healed. Haddie please let me know if he begins sweating or his skin gets hot and red. If he gets a fever we have to treat it quickly okay?

Then Aello went back to reading her E-Book on Dentistry.
Day 2: Early Morning - Give it a rest, Doc

Lyen had been quietly contemplating her untainted coffee while the mechanic came and went, and more interestingly, while the doctor and the patient discussed their business. Now, Ly wasn't nosey, per-say, but life with a bushel of other nuns sharpened her sense of when to pay attention. This one here was clearly unhappy that that one there was all the way out here, and clearly wanted to take him back to some other him who seemed to care more than the other, other himself. Lyen nodded sagely, biting her lip and allowing a celebratory stretch for putting the pieces together.

Usually she didn't interject herself, but...

"To eat is only half the battle when one has to fight for their very freedom." The nun was rounding the doctor's side opposite the man in the kitchen. "You know, I find it much easier to take care of myself when I'm permitted to live in peace, don't you, Doctor? Did you come all this way to help, or to chide? Is it not better to let the ones we care for live their life their own way, or to force what we think is best upon them? Many times I've seen the Verse care for the ones we love when we are patient enough to listen--not only to our desires for them--but to the very ones themselves."

"Who can know you better than you know yourself." It was not a question.

Lyen adjusted her shawl absently, breaking the doctor's gaze to meet the man's.
Accounting (Afternoon)

Bolak took a long drag on his pipe. The room was cramped but it would do. He sat on the side of his bed, feet dangling and his injured hand held unconsciously to his chest. He had been working through his tally of credits and favours from his recent exchanges on New Kashmir and had just put the Cortex pad aside his accounting done for the day. Mr Mok sat on the deck his knees tucked to his chest and his Stetson gripped firmly on his lap. He had not been overly talkative since their return to the vessel which was unusual.

"Business taken care of down there?" Bolak asked.

Mok turned his hat slowly by the brim as he spoke, "All done and dusted, I called off the hounds. Though I can’t promise they’ll all take heed. The crew here drew blood, not to mention the kids and that won’t be forgotten quickly."

"Good good, best we can expect I suppose. The kids deserves a break. We know what went down at the Plex now and I am not a bloody bounty hunter to go dragging people in for questioning." Bolak took another long drag on his pipe and glanced down at his injured hand.

Mok laughed, "A bounty hunter? Not likely, you couldn’t overpower a kitten and you can't shoot worth shit."

"Interesting family they found up here." Bolak observed ignoring the barb.

"Are they? Can't say I took much notice. An ex fed and a bunch of rim world misfits as far as I can tell. Nothing unique."

"No I suppose not." Bolak replied as he tapped out the ash from his pipe, but there was a catch in his voice that indicated he did not agree at all.
Don't make me turn this ship around

"They hailed us, smartypants, to board the ship, looking for someone." The Captain shot back. "And I thought all the food from the Skyplex was used up on our journey with the honeymoon couple, before we went and picked up half a planet. How much did you go an' buy?" If there was anything the Captain hated, it was waste. That and extra consonants that didn't need to be in a name. Actually there was a whole list of things he hated, Riley usually kept pretty good tabs on them, alphabetically even.

He waved it off. Someday he'd regain control of his ship from overstepping pilots, inept deckhands, roosters and ... whatever that guy at the stove was making smelled amazing.

"Vas, you ain't that adorable, but I agree, I don't think thugs would come this far out of their way just to shave your head. Dimiti? You have anything you want to share with the class?"
I'm awake!

Riley, Dillon and the Captain were in the galley. The two Docs where fixing up Jacy’s face. Devron was either still asleep or in the engine room and Vas had no clue where the one huge Russian monster was. That left Vas, Gill and Haddie.

Since room space was still in flux Gill was laid out on the couch in the common area outside the infirmary. Haddie was acting as the boy's shadow of course.

Vas was bribed with some food and a cold pack for his face to help keep an eye on the kiddies. After getting some food though, to be honest, he was just tired at this point. So Vas was sprawled, languishing on the soft club chair trying hard not to just zonk out he knew if he did there was going to be no waking him for some time.
It's complicated

*“Well I’d hate to upset you nice pilot lady but something tells Dimitri that these cakes may be a bit too hot for you”*

Riley scowled. *Who does this guy think he is, calling me nice?*

“Maybe your hot cakes are a little lukewarm for my needs.” She replied, sifting through some of his wares. “But if you can figure out where I can get what I’m looking for, the Lunar Veil is down at the docks til morning. Slip 19. "

Returning to the Mule, she scanned the area for any signs of Gill and Haddie before trying to find another vendor for what she needed.

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Keller sat at the galley table and poured himself a drink. What he thought were a couple of missing teeth turned out to be something involving a cadaver, and employment with him sure as shit didn't include a dental plan.

He took another long sip of whiskey. Maybe the good dentist would like to do a little traveling, so they could pay off the debt. If not, they'd likely figure something out. They always did.
Aww shucks

Once Dimitri and vas had made their way back to the loading Bay and continued heaving box's about Dimitri looked on to the good doctors seen while taking stock on the manifest. He stared thickly as they exchanged good byes and they parted ways.

*“Patient ‘o’ mine paid me in fresh corn,” he said. “Anybody wanna help me shuck it? Ah didn’t think so.”*

Dimitri shook himself from it quickly as he quickly saw an opportunity.

"Well don't be so dismissive doctor, some of us enjoy some good shucking. You yourself seem the man who shucks around a lot"
He finished with a grin.
"I'll give you a hand once we finish up here, doctor.... Adled?"
Day one, late evening - Fame

Dillon had seen it. He was too far to hear, but he read the lips. She hadn't even seen Vas' face.

He felt a flare of anger heat up in his chest, but it dissipated just as quickly when he started to think about it.

What if... What if this happened all the time? What if once in awhile someone would pop up claiming to be the famous Diva's rumored missing son? What if she was so sick of it that it had killed any ounce of hope she had? Her reaction would make sense then, right?

He signaled for Vas once the curtain closed, but Vas was too hurt to notice. Instead, he was the first to the boy's side. "Where's the dressing rooms?" he asked him urgently. "We're not done here."

Maybe he was wrong. Maybe there were other reasons and this wouldn't end well, but they had to try, right? They couldn't leave it at that.
Found the dog ... a few other things

Vas huffed hearing the announcement. “Are you freaking serious? Is it number 8 again?!” He groaned putting down the box. “Gill! Haddie!” He said loudly. Of course, they were nowhere nearby! That might have been helpful.

“Never mind I’ll hunt the dog down by myself.” He said impatiently as he detangled himself from the mound of boxes. Vas went the usual spots the massive escape artist had hid it self before. For whatever reason, number eight seemed to think the ENTIRE ship was its domain and refused being restricted to the cargo bay.
Vas was padding around the ship looking in every closet, nook, cranny, and storage area. He had been spending a great deal of time cleaning the ship giving how much shit was stuffing in the nooks and as such was getting to know all the little secret spots the ship contained.

“The hell could that dog have gone! Buddha help me if the captain miscounted.” He said searching room by room.

Recently with the crew changeover, there was a bunk change too. Add to the fact Vas had to keep a close eye on the dogs he had opted to give up his bunk in the crew quarters for one in the passenger bay next to the cargo bay. For now at least.
After searching all the rooms he opened the door to his new room, might as well be thorough. He only recently changed bunks so everything was still in a box and open duffle.

An … open … empty …

“Heeeeeeeyyyyyyy…” Vas said picking up the duffle and shaking out … nothing! It was empty! He clothes were gone! “the actual hell is going on? Who would take my shit!” He complained.

There was the familiar thud of a dog’s tail coming from under the bed.

“Awe you better not be getting your dog smell on my clothes!” Vas grumbled looking under the bed. Oh, the dog was there, pleased as punch too! Along with three little bundles of joy suckling milk. “That explains a lot now … you owe me a shirt now.” Vas added crossly to the dog. He … well, she simply gave him a proud happy look and put her head down clearly tired. “Yea you do that … I gotta get the Captain now …”
Leaving

"I guess that's all I can ask for," said Samson. "I've given you all I can... I shouldn't overstay my welcome. I have no need to stick around. When word of this reaches his father, I can't say what he'll decide, but hopefully this can last."

He held out a hand for shaking. "Good luck with all of your endeavors, then."

~

When Samson returned to his room, he found Dillon sitting on the bed hugging his knees. It was something he guessed Dillon usually did for comfort.

"It's all sorted," Samson told him. "For now. You have some time."

Dillon sighed. "Thank you, Samson..." he said weakly.
~

One more hug and some quick reassuring later, and Samson Merchante was gone. He didn't ask for a refund. The money was going to a good cause.
Gratitude

Dillon entered the room with a couple of mugs of onion broth. Gill looked up from a book he had been leafing through and sat up straight. Haddie was sitting in the far corner mourning her lost belongings and worrying over the alliance presence on the ship. She would be a nightmare to handle as long as that man was on board.

"Thanks for looking out for my sister back there." he said, taking the broth gratefully. He placed the other mug down for Haddie to grab later. To his surprise Haddie ran over and threw her arms around Dillon, giving him a hug.

Dillon looked as shocked as he was as Haddie let him go and snatched up her broth before returning to her corner. Gill shrugged, and took another long sip of his broth. He hoped she had not just done what he thought she had done...
Fetch!

Vas walked into the ship with Jacy on his arm as the Captain and Riley broke from their little huddle. Apparently, news traveled fast! The ship was a sudden buzz of activity so it seemed their return was well timed.

“Best I help get things squared for a hasty takeoff.” Vas said with a shrug. That’s when he noticed the ATV was not where it was supposed to be. “Hey Lieutenant, didn’t the Doc take the ATV?” He asked pointing to the empty space where it was normally parked.

"For Rut's sake! If HE ends up in a box, it best be to get buried. Jat, go see if you can find his ass, drag him home, drunk or not. He was headed for the Gold Strike. If the port's on lock down, I want everyone accounted for." Riley was not a happy pilot.

“Yes, Lieutenant. On it.” Vas said doing an about face and trotted back out into the unforgiving heat.

"What about me, Lieutenant?" Jacy asked as she watched Vas and his heiny walk away. She took her hat off and fanned her bosom. "If you're expecting Alliance troops I'm sure I can smooth talk one or two of them."
How many people wanna kick some ass? (Day 5, Evening)

Riley passed Haddie, the young girl looking like the cat that ate the canary. At least she wasn't covered in condiments, and as far as she could tell, the girl's brother wasn't floating around in space."Are you supposed to be out of bed this late?" The lieutenant asked, narrowing her eyes. The tiny terror trotted off, her steps forming a perfect iambic pentameter.

The lieutenant shrugged it off, but a commotion from the engine room caught her attention.

“What the hell?” She asked, as the passenger Wargrave swung a wrench in her direction. Riley ducked and countered with a punch to the throat, followed by one to the solar plexus and a kick to the groin. Wargrave wasn’t sure what to clutch as he fell to the deck. One well placed boot stomp and the man was out cold.
Dram-o-rama

Vas had felt far away and numb. Not the numb of the deliberate cutting off of one's emotions but rather the numbness of having been struck so hard your nerves were still catching up. You knew the pain would come eventually.

*Jacy moved around to stand in front of Vas and looked up into his face. “Vas, sugarbear, listen to me. We will find out why your mother said those things. There’s more than one reason it could be and it won’t do you any good to speculate on it now. Let’s get back to the ship, open one of these bottles of booze Shanky swiped, start doing shots and cry this whole thing out. But back on the ship, yeah?”*

Jacy brought Vas back to Santo with a gentleness he rarely ever got. He nodded absently.

“Yea. Let’s just go back.” He had been disowned twice in a single life time. He didn’t have it in him to pick a fight with a woman who didn’t want him. Hell, he didn’t have much fight at all right now in that department.

The walk back for Vas was just a long haze and at some point he had fished out some coin for what he had originally needed, but fact was he wasn’t really there at the moment. It was only a small relief when they finally got back to ship, right now it was the closest thing he had to a home and he wasn’t sure if that was a depressing thought or not.

Jacy tugged the troupe along to the galley where Vas gave a dispassionate wave to the Doc and Pilot before taking a seat himself. Before he knew it Jacy had slid a cup with some brown sharp smelling liquid. Whiskey. Okay sure he KNEW what it was but he had never drunk it before. He sniffed it making a face and looked between Jacy and Dillon to see if they were going to drink too.

It was about then more drama decided to unfold. Well shit. When it rained it poured right? Vas watch the back a forth go on blankly. Clearly Dan-llon was going to be as blue and morose as Vas tonight. The numbed punk leaned forward poked poor Dan-llon to get his attention and slid a cup Dillon’s way.

“Fuck it, ammirite. Kai Pay or Salud …” Vas said holding a cup up and waited for the boy to join in. Last Vas heard kid didn’t have any issue with his liver or kidney so one shot wasn’t going to kill him. Not today at least.

“You two joining in on this?” He asked the pilot and the Doc.
Let me Kvass you a question

Lyen had just discarded her gloves and mask when Dimitri entered the medbay with his 'kvass.' With a smile, Lyen shook her head at the offer, "He'll be okay until we reach Valentine, and that's something. No drink for me, thank you."

Dorian stirred and, even in his condition, asked about the girl, Haddie. "She'll be fine for now. She's resting and I'll check on her shortly. You did good work, saving that little girl." Her hand was resting on his shoulder, appreciatively.

At the prospect of drink, Dorian had risen up and caused some alarm. Fighting the urge to help him onto the table, Lyen watched cautiously, as someone would watch a teetering child. Then, finally, he had achieved his ascendancy. And, open for all the world to see, was the boldest man in the room showing his brass. Vas was there a moment later to apprise him of the situation.

Lyen stifled a chuckle as the doctor whipped his robe and hemmed. Even in his drugged state, Dorian was just the same.

Finally, the drink had done its duty, as she thought it might, and Dorian was horizontal on the table. Lyen retrieved a small pillow from beneath the exam table and lifted his head for it. Suddenly, that one eye was fixed on her own in earnest, and he began to say something it seemed he'd been trying to say all day. Lyen cocked her head to hear, but the man had surrendered to sleep. That was alright, after all, he'd single-handedly guided a surgery on himself. He deserved the rest.

As she had promised the sleeping figure, she took her leave to check on Haddie, nodding at the others as she left.
Don't you go dying on us Haddie!

Jacy stepped into the medical bay and slid in close to the table. “Aw, poor Haddie dear,” Jacy’s voice was full of sympathy and her eyes were wet as she cocked her head to look at the young girl lying upon the table. She stepped back out of the way and only then noticed Dorian’s well beaten face and his sinking eye socket. It was not a pleasant sight. She’d seen him when he returned to the ship with Vas’ aid, but the swelling had progressed and it was clear something was going on that wasn’t going to get better. Jacy looked around for something useful to do while Vas briefly filled her in on Haddie’s plight.

“What treatment have you deemed necessary for the child, Doctor Adler? Bring her down gently with a mild chlopatemine drip?” In Jacy’s capacity as a young woman who worked with rich men in an attempt to nudge them towards more satisfying courses for the remained of their lives, she’d seen many who overindulged with the alcohol and harder drugs. Rapid detox and cold turkey withdraw were the first and only steps she’d take with those men and despite the cost it racked up, they kept her services booked for weeks as she eased them through it. She arranged for professionals and medical staff to handle the real transition, but she had a knack for rewarding positive behaviour in ways that encouraged their continued sobriety. To her knowledge most of them remained sober for good.
Eyes open mouth shut

Vas blinked as he was recruited to push the girl, he didn’t catch her name but the Cap kept calling her La-Loyde or something. It was very confusing. His heart skipped a beat when he realized he was going to be stepping foot off the ship. He had tried to get a word in but that worked out none too well and just accepted the risk.

~What could go wrong? Not like anyone knows I’m here right? What are the chances of running into another Dragon’s Claw?~ He said giving himself a pep talk as the moved on out the ship. ~I mean they only own HALF of the port and it’s not like the local Sun On Yee would even know who I am! I ain’t exactly walking around shirtless!~ Vas convinced himself. ~Even on the off chance some Red Pole ass hole gives me a hard time … I can show them the error of their way.~ The punk though confidently.

Still he tried not to be too twitchy but he just could not stop his eyes scanning around looking for a red sash, a flash of gang signed … anything.

~God I need a smoke.~ He bemoaned inwardly as they entered the brothel. Vas hadn’t even time to move his stuff (the little he had) much less grab his smokes.

*"Hold up, you sure, Doc? This ain't exactly the most hygienic of places, if'n you know what I mean. Ain't you got any sort of office to work in? If not, we have some space back on our ship. This one here's lost a few teeth, which is a damn shame because she was right easy on the eyes. Not that you aren't yourself, ma'am!" He added to a lookie-loo call girl who was shy more than a few teeth herself. The Captain tipped his hat to her and she batted eyelashes his way. "I'd be much obliged if you saw to it to fix her up."*
It's alright

*Dorian: “Fortunately, yah’re none tha worse fah wear. Ah can give yah somethin’ fah pain, if you wish.”*

"Nah, I'm good and I appreciate the care. I...I'm not sure how this goes, having never seen a doc, medic or witch doctor before... but what do I owe you?" Henry asked.

"And as far as pain, the wine will do me fine, but thank you. I'm going to go rest and try and come up with a way to make amends to everyone. I think I'm at least partly to blame, so no need to get the captain involved. Thanks again doc," Henry said and showed himself out.

Henry headed out, taking the quietest route back to his cabin. He had to figure this out. Sure, Ezra would work, but it would be much harder than he wanted in the transition to a new life.
 *What to do?*
Day 2: Morning - Freedom and Folly

"I'm Lyen," she said, after the doctor left.

"I hope I didn't offend you by sticking my nose where it doesn't belong, but it looked like you had some things on your mind. I don't often make gestures, but it seemed like an unfair fight." Ly pursed her lips. She remembered being controlled, in fact, how it fueled her longing to sink deeper into her own personal hell.

"In any case, you can tell me to mind my own business, but I'm drawn to balance and you look like you could use some." She gave the young man a wink, then sipped her coffee.

It was messy championing for someone else's sense of self. Even assuming they wanted to be free to choose for themselves could be a harmful assumption. But it was worth the opportunity, Lyen told herself. This young man felt a little battered, a little lost. Knowing nothing about him didn't change the feeling she had felt a hundred times before while ministering. We are all broken in one way or another, and a little kindness or care could go a long way.

She caught herself; it was tempting to fall into a rhythm that replaced the actual young man before her with the countless others she had met and assumed fell into a similar situation. Helping people had this pitfall: one begins to fill a role regardless of encountering the unique human in front of them. This tiny war raged between sips of bitter coffee.
Day 1 nightish- Options... Or not.

Before he could get a word in, Jacy was gone. "Well..." said Dillon. "I was thinking... I already offered getting tickets... Those are already pricey, so I wouldn't mind if we took a quick trip to buy something decent to wear.... Guess we don't have time, though..." he trailed off.

They made their way to the side door and before long, the door opened. "Huh. Well, let's hope our luck lasts." He politely held the door open while the others hurried inside.
Haddies Haul

Haddie sat behind a large crate in the Cargo Bay examining her haul. She had the leather satchel open on her lap and her various treasures spaced out on the floor before her.

She ran her hands over each item in a silent inventory. From the market, she had a scarf made with a thin pretty fabric she had never seen before and a pocket watch. From the bad man's truck, she had the screwdriver and a small hip flask. Picking the latter up she unscrewed the flask lid and wrinkled her nose at the smell. And from the ship, so far she had the painkillers she had been given in the Med Bay and a small wrench she had picked up on the way to the Cargo Bay.

With a nod of approval, she returned each item to her satchel, leaving only the scarf which she wrapped around her own neck.
Down Time...

Gill was exhausted. Helping Devron had been fun, but hard. He and Haddie had returned to their room to rest up before eating and Haddie was sifting through the large bag of swag she had received in payment for her work. Gill looked over to see her playing with a Cortex pad.

"I don't think you should have that." Gill held out his hand to take it and she bobbed her tongue out and held it away from him. He sighed.

"Look hand it over and I'll see if I can get it working."

Haddie eyed him warily for a moment before handing the pad over and Gill tried to switch it on. Nothing. He stared at it for a moment before reaching over towards Haddies stash. She pushed his hand away and he grinned.

"I just need something to wire this up with power." she relented and he searched through the pile of oddments to find what he needed. Several minutes later he had the pad wired into the ships mains and with another flick of the on switch it came to life.

"I wonder who's this was?" Gill mused as the loading screen flickered from green to blue. Haddie smiled as the pad played a short tune and then spoke,

"Hello, voice recognition activated. Please present ID to continue."

Gill jumped with excitement before scrambling around to find one of the Hacked ID cards stolen from Old Joe. Rubbing it on his trouser leg to ensure it was clean he slotted it into the side of the pad.

"Welcome Mr Falcon." said the pad.

"Voice recognition!" Gill said to Haddie, "That's so cool!" she gave him a flat stare and he shrugged, "Ok, its cool for me." Haddie shook her head and motioned toward the pad.

"I don't know what to ask it.. er, how are you?"

"I am fine. How are you?" came the instant response.

"Excellent." Gill said.

"Shall we play a game?" asked the pad.

"Love to!" Gill agreed.

"Very good here is a list." the screen filled with a list of available games and Gill scrolled through as Haddie lost interest and began to sort through her belongings.

"Let's play chess." Gill chose from near the top of the list.

"Alright." the screen changed to a chess board and a small question mark appeared in the bottom right hand corner.

"Which side do you want?"

"White..."

So intent was Gill on the game that he did not notice the small red light next to the camera feed flicker on as someone patched in through the Cortex.
Good Deeds for the Day

“Mistah Vas,” Dorian said as he tapped at the door frame. The boy jumped, reaching instinctively to conceal both a pocket and his own crotch at once. The deep flush of his cheeks told the medic volumes about the fact Jacy had come calling. “Sorry Ah’m late,” he apologized as he squatted next to the embarrassed teenager. “Had another patient. Now, about these pups.”
Adler made a show of looking at the sleeping newborns, offering pretty banal commentary to fill the conversational gap.

“No runts? Good. They all latch ontah tha teat? Perfect. Good thinkin’ on that puppy box,” he added. “Mama’s doin’ a good job, but she’s a big girl.”

Yet, the punk remained silent, but for an occasional nervous glance or a nod to his remarks. *Poor kid,* he thought. One’s ‘first time’ was typically a private affair to be savored, or perhaps regretted, in the silence of one’s own repose. Unfortunately, he gathered the impression that Vas’ paramour had seen fit to announce their upcoming intimacy to others on the crew.

He remembered the first time a woman had shared herself with him. Dorian, a skinny, vaguely healthy fifteen year old, had found himself a willing accomplice in fourteen year old Amanda Polk, whose family owned the southernmost spread in the valley. While his father delivered Amanda’s little brother Isaac in the family’s house, the tobacco drying barn became the scene of the young couple’s first step into adulthood. It hadn’t been the stuff of song or poem. As Dorian recalled, it was awkward, a bit daunting, and for a moment, alarming. Over the following summer their technique had improved with practice, at least until Amanda’s older brothers discovered them and subsequently whipped the tar out of Dorian.

He stifled a chuckle. “Mistah Vas,” Adler said as he rose to his feet, “Mama dog chose your bunk to lie beneath with her brood. That’s a good sign. She’s comfortable with yah. Ah’d just as soon leave her in here with tha pups, if that’s not too big a problem. Kindly think on it.” In the doorway, he turned. “One last thing,” he offered. “Miss Jacy mentioned somethin’ about nosebleeds? If yah want, c’mon by tha infirmary and we’ll see how yah nose healed up. See yah ‘round,” he smiled, before taking his leave.

*Well,* Dorian thought as he dropped the bag in his room, *that’s enough good deed doin’ fah one day. Time fah a drink.*
I told you so

The Captain didn't think much about the med-bay. He was under the impression that if he Captain'd good enough, there really shouldn't be much need for a med bay, except for the usual, mechanic cutting up a hand needing stitches, crew getting into a brawl on unification day and needing stitches, and Riley had plenty of practice at stitches. If they had a sono what's it, he didn't know and as he didn't need any of his innards looked at, he didn't rightly plan on stocking one if it weren't already there. He was hopin' the good doctor... dentists was considered doctors, weren't they? would have his own clinic nearby, it'd be a damn shame to waste a trip to the Lucky Cat. He turned to tell Riley to take them back to the ship, but spinning around all he saw was that new kid that was pushing the wheelchair carrying a bunch of ice.

"We... hired you, right?" He asked, trying to remember. Keller was pretty sure they did, but didn't wait for an answer. "Your first assignment is making sure La-Loyd gets fixed up. Do what the good Doctodentist says, and keep an eye on the medic with the high tech equipment when you get back to the Veil, think you can handle that?" The Captain looked around the casino. "I have some urgent business needs attending."

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Riley and Devron, with the help of Gill, loaded up the mule with the cargo that needed delivered. She took care to make sure he was packing, things had a tendency to go sideways when dealing with what she assumed was the black market. If not, why was the woman paying so much extra for transport? It was a damned good question, but then speaking of damning, the Captain sometimes employed this 'no questions asked' philosophy. More than once it'd gotten them in a world of trouble.

Since there were four crates, the MF-813 was the better choice. It would be harder to maneuver, but it'd save time and they'd all fit aboard with the cargo.

It seemed like they missed out some excitement, a small Aliance patrol was dragging some poor sap out of the market, and he weren't none too happy about it. Riley made sure to give them the right of way. As far as the drop? It went as well as could be expected. The recipient of course had NO idea that this was a Credits-on-delivery. As he made a phone call to confirm he had to pay for half the transport, Riley wore her best I-told-you-so look the entire time, wasted because Devron wasn't around for that initial argument. With that finally settled, Riley handed Devron his take from the drop off.

"In case you need it with your 'friends.' As for me? I'm starved." By then the Mach had fully worn off, reminding Riley that it'd been too long since she last ate. "I think I'm going to go get me some of them hotcakes that the large fellow is hollering about."