A Peaceful Respite

Vas has worked the two kids into the ground. He had given them more mercy to them that anyone had shown him but they didn’t know that. Each complaint brought on a creative training exercise and when one failed they both got punished. Complaints had quickly ceased once the association had been made and when they had been finally allowed dinner the two made a fine impression of a vacuum cleaner.

The punk nudged them to their bunk before he could finally take a moment to relax and eat in peace. The food was a change of pace, it seemed forever since he had food that wasn't out of a bag or cooked protein paste.

Vas after cleaning and putting away his dishes casually checked the ship's halls confirming all was quiet. Seeing that all was clear he sat back down to smoke up. With the drog in the cargo bay, the young man had been hard-pressed to find places to relax and smoke. Jacy made it clear she wasn’t fond of the habit but had been considerate enough not to try to get him to stop. Even so, this resulted in his beloved habit being all that more joyful when he could squeeze it in.

Vas couldn’t help but sigh as he exhaled a plume of spice and smoke. What a trip.

“Mistah Vas?” Dorian Adler stood at the bottom of the stairs. In his hands were a bottle and 2 glasses. “Care fah some company?”

Vas stiffened worried for a moment it was Keller about to chastise him about the smoke. “Oh,” Vas said relaxing again seeing the Doc. “Yeah sure, you're up awful late.” He commented as the Doc took a seat. He figured by now everyone was down … except for Riley. Women rarely slept.

The medic settled in next to the crew chief. “Tha widow an’ Ah have taken up a nightly card game,” he replied. “Ah’m down by five credits so far. Drink?” he gestured with an empty glass.

Keller and Doc sure drank a lot.

“Nah I’m good.” Vas didn’t want a repeat of Keller. Not that Keller bruised his ego with the chuckled but he didn’t want to look like some unworldly kid in from of the Doc of all people. Sure Vas could hold his Sake or Fruit Wine but something about the hard whiskey these guys drank made him feel like a kid taking his first sip all over again.

Adler shrugged, then dipped a glass into his coat pocket. “A moment’s respite,” he saluted his mate with the other, before downing its’ contents. “How yah been holdin’ up?” he asked.

The young punk shrugged taking another pull from his black cigarette. “When it rains it pours.” Vas said shaking his head. “I’ll be fine. I always land on my feet.” He said with confidence. Vas didn’t want to go but very rarely has what he wanted had been considered.

“Been stuck down in tha infirmary these past two days,” Dorian nodded, “so news travels slow. Heard yah were headin’ fah greener pastures.” He sipped at a second glass of the whiskey, unconcerned with the silence that fell into gaps of their conversation. “What about that lovely companion of yours? She taggin’ along?”

“That’s a kind way to call the boot print the Lieutenant left on my ass.” Vas snorted taking a drag. “Jacy? Dunno, she thinks she can try to keep me on ship its sweet but Riley ain’t changing her mind any time ever.” Vas knew her type he served under all kinds of her type.

“I got no clue what Jacy plans to do.” He admitted. Vas didn’t expect her to walk off to the unknown with him but that didn’t mean things would be over between them. He hoped. It wasn’t something they really talk about all the way through yet. Though Vas figure no matter what they would make it work if she wanted.

Dorian stroked absently at his mustache. “Ah’ve worked alot of boats,” he said. “”Quit a bunch...got fired offa one. There’s generally another boat can always use some fresh talent. Ah don’t expect yah’ll be spending much time on tha Skyplex.”

He sipped at his drink. “Ah do appreciate Miss Jacy’s thought tah keep yah aboard. Might just look her up and see what she’s conjurin’. In tha meantime,” the doc turned to regard the punk, “haw yah fixed fah money?”

“I’ll get my pay when we land and then some, Keller owns me some for the clothes the Mama Drog tore up.” Vas recounted, Keller didn’t have much of a choice now and he HAD to pay Vas in full. “Should be more than enough to get what I need before I find another ship.”

He wonders if maybe this wasn’t a good thing. Had he gotten too comfortable here? He wasn’t exactly a wanted man but moving around couldn’t hurt. He hated feeling attached to the ship. He had a fondness for it. No use though crying of long spilled milk.

*Funny thing about ‘pay’ and ‘Keller’* Dornian mused in silence. *The two words rarely seemed to meet.* “If yah were lookin’ tah earn a bit more cash before walkin’ off,” he said, “Ah might have somethin’ that’d require yah expertise and an hour or so.” Dorian took another casual sip before fixing the boy with a sidelong glance. “Ah’m also paying fah some discretion on yah part...if yah interested.”

“My … expertise?” Vas blinked cluelessly. “You looking for advice on packing a cargo bay? Or getting fired?” He asked with a chuckle. It didn’t occur to him the one time incident of taking out a dirty cop would have had any kind of later repercussions. Lots of people knew how to brawl right?

“Suffice tah say,” Adler smiled, “that Ah’ve got a few captures Ah’m tryin’ tah make sense of. A man with yah particular skills might notice details or...handiwork signatures..that mah eye would blunder right past.” He paused to refill the glass. “If that appeals tah yah, Ah’d like tah take a few minutes tomorrow evenin’ tah study them together.”

Vas swallowed hard feeling a little uncomfortable. “I dunno if I would be much help to ya … seeing I spent a chunk of my life in a monastery.” He reminded.
“But I’m happy to try n’ help you any way I can though,” Vas added. He like the Doc so if he needed help he was there but Vas was walking a fine line here. Too much and it was a giveaway too little and he wasted the Doc’s time.

“Alright, then,” Dorian smiled as he took to his feet. “Kindly meet me in tha infirmary...aftah supper’d be fine. Ah won’t keep more’n an hour or two. And Mistah Vas,” Dorian paused to regard the punk. “Ah’m serious about discretion. *Dohn mah?*” The penetrating gaze soon broke into the medic’s usual smirk. “And so, to bed. Go get some rest, mah friend. Goodnight.” The doc dropped down the staircase toward the passenger dorms, and was soon gone, leaving the cargo bay to the crew chief.

“Ni de mimi shi wo de qiufan. Shui de hao. (Your secret is my prisoner. Sleep well.)” Vas said quietly before heading to bed himself.