recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Heroic Pants

The last of the fuel spill was scrubbed away. As it swirled down the drain, Marisol waved a dosimeter about the reactor deck. The little object clicked and chattered, but to her weary satisfaction, never sent the needle edging beyond the high end of normal. The mechanic saved the measurements before tapping the intercom. “Engineering. Chavez here,” she said. “Repairs are complete. Radiation levels are normal…only thing left contaminated is me. Starting the reactor now.”

A moment later, Lunar Veil’s heart was again beating. Her mechanic studied the readouts, fuzzy green numbers on her display shifting and varying as the boat’s systems all switched to her primary resource. She used the intercom once more. “Engineering, Chavez. Reactor’s online. We’re clear for main engine.”

“Miss Marisol,” came a drawling response. “Adler here. We need tah start yah treatment.”

“I’ve prepped the scrub site,” she answered. “Meet me in engineering. Wear a suit.”

“Copy.”

Marisol picked up her bathrobe before clambering back down to the reactor deck. A quick glance proved all the repairs were holding up. Exhaustion had taken hold, slowing her movements and dulling her senses as she prepared to strip off her clothing.

The leather pants caught her eye. She’d rescued them from the trash. Now, after being cut into pieces, they were rescuing the entire crew in their new role as ad hoc fuel line gaskets. Marisol folded the remnants together, then opened a supply cabinet to store them away.

Her first reaction to the scene before her was annoyance.

A tall drinking glass stood there, it’s rim oozing bluish oil in thick streams down its’ side. Beside it on the shelf lay the metal funnel, whose narrow tip bled the same viscous blue. *Hydraulic fluid,*Marisol’s eyes widened, ranging about the cabinet in disbelief of paranoia vindicated.

On a lower shelf, she found the gooey handprint. Though just a partial, the blue hydraulic fluid revealed a thumb, index and middle fingers, all splayed out above the heel of a palm. What inspired the slump in her shoulders was the size of the print, made by the tiniest little hand aboard the boat. “Oh, no,” Marisol sighed heavily. “Oh, no.”
Depressed as in

Dillon frowned, but surrendered his drink willingly. His following tone betrayed a bit of irritation at the prodding, however. Once Riley was gone, he pulled back his sleeves to reveal a series of healing almost-scars that still seemed deep. "Okay... When I say depressed, I mean suicidal. Like failed attempt, suicidal. I was... Interrupted, and nobody took it... Well." He pointed at the Ident Card. "He's my personal doctor. That enough detail for you?" He pulled the sleeves back up.

He thought about Riley's instructions. "No free rides".... What was his position, exactly? She'd said "three deck hands". Was that still his position, or did she think he wasn't staying? Was he surrendered to his fate?
Hell's Bells, What Smells? (Day 2 Early Morning)

*Bacon!*

Serena had stirred expecting to hear Mistah Doctah Adluh click-click-clacking at his keyboard, but instead the med bay was quiet, dark, and filled with the scent of bacon. There are worse ways to wake up, she decided.

The reclining table whirred at the press of a button, morphing into a chair. The pigtailed teenager stretched while yawning, but quickly swore as the pain killers were wearing off. "Guzizi..." She whispered, bringing her hands to her side. “Stupid tape.” Maybe Gil wasn’t so lucky to get tape after all. For one thing, it was sticky, which yes, was its charm, but what it stuck to was skin, meaning if you tugged on it, it hurt! For the other, it itched. She couldn’t wait for the tape to be gone, even if people did write on it.

Last night with Gil, she planned to use *discretion.* It was a fancy way of saying you should shut up about something. She still didn’t know where she stood, but, she giggled as her socked feet hit the floor, at least she can stand. Gil should be better today, going to some fancy hospital, and all she got was tape. Typical.

She padded down the hall following the scent of bacon, stopping when she heard voices. *Eavesdropping.* It was like *discretion*, only in reverse.

*“Tha black mold?” The voice of Mistah Doctah Adluh asked. "Yeva showed it tah me when Ah came in. We’re runnin’ a test culture…should have results when Ah get back.”*

*“Okay,” The voice of Marisol replied. “Elle found that last night. She and I popped a bunch of air duct grates. Lots of mold. We’ve got serious cleaning to do while we’re down.”*

Ugh. There was *always* serious cleaning to do on the Lunar Veil. Maybe that’s why it smelled so funny. She hoped she wasn’t going to get in trouble for not cleaning the vents. Crew Chief hadn’t mentioned it to her, so at least that was a good thing. The last thing she wanted to do was disappoint him.

*“Ah’d promised tah take yah tah lunch,” The Doctah offered. “Should we postpone?”*

Serena frowned. Last time it was Haddie, this time Black Mold. And Mistah Doctah Adluh said he’d take her to the High Spirit's festival, which Crew Chief said wasn't actually about ghosts and mushrooms. Plus, the drinking age was sixteen. SHE was sixteen. Some fair. They should call it *unfair*. She covered her mouth so she wouldn’t giggle at her own joke.

*“I don’t think so. Gotta rent the duct cleaning gear, which means we’re probably up early tomorrow to knock it out before upthrust. So, Yeva’s joining us too…right?”*

Serena’s tummy wasn’t in the mood much for bacon, what with the mold talk promise of extra work. She tiptoed down the hall to wish Roose luck before his operation.

“You’ll be alright.” She promised the older man, before skipping off to tell Gil the same thing. “Sure as the snow is white! Or that the mold is black. I think that’s why the ship smells so funny.” As soon as she found the crew chief, she’d be sure to ask him.
Learning opportunity

Dillon wasn't the least bit squeamish during the procedure. He observed closely, paying attention to absolutely everything the dentist did and working things out in his head between what was said aloud.

This wasn't his passion. He didn't have a love for the medical field. He wasn't exactly fascinated by the procedure, but it still held his interest. He'd been raised to never pass up an opportunity to learn, so, rather than only being there as an extra set of hands, he payed attention. It was how he'd gained a good chunk of his medical knowledge: observing and paying attention to his surroundings, which tended to consist of all sorts of medical professionals. That, and occasionally skimming through the medical texts left lying around at home.

He'd never been forced into the field. Really, it was simply inevitable. He'd never been sent off to med school. He'd never been pressured to become a doctor... It was just skills and information he had been given.
Italian

Dillon accepted the candy from Haddie with a smile and a "Thank you." She was definitely growing on him, but he still kept his guard up concerning his bag and his pockets.

~

As it just so happened... Dillon was very fluent in Italian. Back on Ariel, one of his "family" members was a man who owned a very successful Italian restaurant. He took great pride in his heritage, and had a very large family. When a DNA test was done on Dillon, they were all delighted to find a sizable chunk of Italian in him. The restaurant wasn't their only business, however. In short, Dillon's Italian uncle taught him three things: Italian, Italian cooking, and how to shoot a gun.

He could confirm that the playbills were laughable, but made at least vague sense with an odd word or two out of place here and there.

Up on the catwalk, Dillon sat with his legs crossed rather than hanging down. He'd never been to the Opera. He had, however seen the Ariel City Orchestra a few dozen times. He loved the Orchestra. He could play just about every instrument in the Orchestra, and well. He honestly wanted to join the Orchestra. It was one of his very few ambitions, yet he'd never really voiced the desire. He had a deep love for instruments and music, yet he could never really picture himself playing in any kind of professional setting.

As the little crew settled with their perfect view, the anxious thought- "Perfect! Now how can this go horribly wrong?" -danced across his mind.

Haddie offered him some of her roasted nuts, (another nostalgic little pleasure of his many Orchestra trips), and he took a pinch of a few. "Thanks... Careful not to drop any," he whispered. "Don't lean over the side with them. We don't want any falling down to the stage."

Once the Orchestra began, he felt that warm tingle of nostalgia again. Gorramit, he loved the strings, but once that beautiful woman opened her mouth, he forgot all about the Orchestra.
Finally Boots off Ground

Thomas waited till they had cleared Atmo, then did a full systems check. Finding nothing even remotely close to being off he relaxed. *Beautiful, this baby will purr like a kitten now.*

Thomas finished cleaning up any grease, oil or misc parts laying around until the engine room was extremely clean and organized. Then he headed for the bridge.

Captain, Lt. I have done a full systems check and all of my systems are well within parameters. These engines should be set for a long time. I have cleaned and organized the engine room completely.

Thomas left the bridge and headed for his room where he layed down and took a well deserved rest.
Haddie, Haddie, Haddie (Day 5, Evening)

The cargo bay door was cracked a bit, so Serena could comfortably hear what was going on inside. She sat flush against the wall listening and trying to sort out her feelings. On one hand, there was the disappointment of having been given a chance to go to the solstice festival only to have it taken back. Worst part, she knew Vas was going to take Haddie with them, til she tried to leave on her own. On the other hand, she was more than slightly nervous for Haddie. Crew chief was plenty mad. She’d seen him mad on the Skyhook, but even now, ticked as he was, it was nothing close. Still, the tiny terror was getting more than an earful, causing the teen to physically cringe a few times.

Vas had let Haddie have it with both barrels giving the girl a serious dressing down. While Vas wasn't one to tell his voice was stern and sharp. It had basically boiled down if she was going to act like a child she would be treated as such. Haddie was out of chances and laid out some new rules. If she broke them she was out. It ended with a border to go to her room and stay there till he said she could come out.

The tiny terror stomped out red face a head dipped low enough that her hair covered her eyes and she stormed off to her room.

Vas huffed taking a seat at the table for a moment. They needed to pull the spare out with all the passengers to accommodate them in the galley.

Hopefully this would be the last time he had to deal with Haddie or Gill and their destructive rebelliousness.

Serena ducked behind the door as Haddie trudged past, the teen decided she’d check on her and her brother after she finished helping the crew chief with the bunks. Pulling herself to her feet, she grabbed the bowl of Ramen she’d heated for the crew chief and gingerly walked into the Cargo Bay. “Crew Chief?” She called, softly. “Made some noodles if you were still hungry.”

Vas sniffed the air smelling the ramen before the word noodle escaped the girl's lips. "Ramen? Yes. Yes please!" He said his mood taking a hard swing back.

Ramen, even the cheap stuff, fixed everything.
Laundry

In the bathroom, Dillon worked the blood out of his clothes and off of his skin fairly easily in the shower before it could dry.

Once he wringed out as much water as he could, he put it all back on, still cold and damp. He had a feeling there would be more blood coming, and it seemed a waste to get it on any of the clean clothes in his bag.

He dug around in said bag for something he'd purchased a few days prior. The gun wasn't in the best condition, but it was the best available at a decent price. It seemed in good enough shape, but he had yet to fire it. He loaded up the revolving chamber. He had yet to get a holster, but it wasn't exactly a priority.

If the Son on Yee were here and if they meant business, it meant a great opportunity to try out the thing.

~~~

Dillon, gun in hand, but lowered, with his finger off of the trigger, crept back out towards the cargo bay, but didn't enter it. He stayed just out of sight, listening for some kind of cue.
Getting Rileys Attention

Gill rounded the corner mop in hand and almost bumped into one of the passengers. Haddie slipped by him and made a reach for the woman's pockets and he pulled her back just in time.

"No, not on ship." he hissed and Haddie bobbed her tongue out at him.

The passenger was so engrossed in what was happening in the corridor beyond, she missed the entire exchange. Vas had another of the passengers pinned against the wall. Gill dropped his mop and ducked past the woman to get a better view. If the tables turned Vas might need help.

Haddie on the other hand scurried off in the opposite direction to find help. If Gill got involved he could get hurt... again. She found Riley walking away from the Galley and not knowing how to get her attention any other way she grabbed the damaged engine part from her satchel and hurled it at the woman.

It struck the woman square on the backside but rather than the desired yelp the woman turned calmly seeming to be unconcerned with the offending projectile or the sight of Haddie standing there. Haddie hesitated at the unusual reaction but then shrugged it off, Riley was an unusual woman. In fact she looked bored rather than angry! Still, Haddie flashed her a defiant grin and turned tail to run back towards the others.
Late

Dillon found himself settling well during the trip to Ezra. Both his emotional and physical health were stable as he got used to working.

Finally, he wound up with an actual task: helping Vas clean out and organize the storage room. Vas did the lifting, he did the cleaning.

Outside of working, he'd made a few dishes. Thankfully, there were plenty of potatoes, the cheap and easy crop with endless culinary potential.

~

The day they arrived on Ezra, it seemed Demitri's tinkering failed to wake him up as it usually did, and something must have happened with the alarm on his tablet, as it hadn't gone off. It was the landing and announcement that woke him.

He groaned a bit, hugging his pillow closer until he suddenly realized what it all meant. -He'd slept in. Late.

"Ah, shit..." He threw his blanket off and brought his feet to the floor where he hurried to tie his boots.

He still couldn't see clearly when he left the room and rushed past the med bay. He stopped, thinking briefly, and turned back, entering the med bay. He needed to grab his pills. If he didn't now, he'd likely forget them all day, which, long story very short, was bad. Really, he knew he ought to be taking them much more consistently, setting an alarm or something, but he... didn't have an excuse, really, but he'd worry about it later.

He popped in, found the place empty, and opened up a high cabinet to grab the bottles Samson had brought. He plucked out one of each, hurrying with the safety lids, and swallowed them dry before rushing out again, trying to smooth down the bed head he'd caught a glimpse of in the mirror over the med bay sink.

~

He tried not to seem as out of breath as he was when he arrived in the cargo bay, but only having one good lung, the good one being the backwards one, made things a little difficult.

"Sorry," he said without further explanation, choosing to stand by Vas. At least it seemed he wasn't the only one lagging behind.
Incoming?

Gill and Haddie sat strapped in as the ship hit atmo. He had managed to grab a few hours sleep after the last nights fiasco and had spent the whole time having rather vivid dreams of the impromptu audio porn the crew had been treated to. Only in his dreams it was not the Doc and Marisol is was... no he wasn't going there.... His cheeks grew red even as a shadow of the thought brushed his mind.

Haddie peered up at him with a questioning frown and he returned an embarrassed grin. Thank god she couldn't read minds or he would never live it down. Or could she? She seemed to be giving him a knowing look and that sly smile? No.. nope. He looked away the blush creeping around his neck and turning his ears bright pink.

He saw the old Cortex pad then sitting discarded on the side. It was flashing to indicate an incoming message. Quickly he snatched it up and flicked the screen to activate it. Who could be dialling in? He had forgotten which planet he had picked the damn thing up from... and so far he had only used it to mess around with a few games.

He stared down at the display, his heart suddenly in his mouth. It was in incoming visual transmission and it was for him... he glanced at Haddie who was peering at the screen with interest. She had seen his name there as well and she looked on with interest.

"How do they know its me?" his sister only shrugged in response. In a sudden panic he hit reject and shut down the pad, throwing down on the table. Who was trying to contact him? How had they reached that Cortex pad? His mind raced but he had no answers. Once they landed he would take the thing as far away from the ship as he could and scrap it.

He could not shake the feeling that it was the Alliance. He and Haddie were wanted, there was a small reward out for them. Maybe not so small after what he had done to Old Joe on Santo. He still had uncomfortable memories of the bones crunching as the old mans dog made a meal of his recently severed hand.

There was a sharp jolt as the ship landed.
Greetings

Henry was delighted someone seemed pleased to see him. "Henry, Henry Freeman... and it's a pleasure to meet you. I see you enjoyed my stew, many thanks to you for being so kind as to eat it without barfing. I know I'm no gourmet, but I'm sure I screwed that batch up. Brother Melkins at the Abbey always said that same recipe always tasted like *Mǎ fèn* (horse shit). I'm a passenger unless I can come with something useful to offer besides shit stew."
Double Talk

"I'm -- going to assume Devron's in this here box." The Captain said, proud of himself for catching on so quickly. He knocked on the top himself. "Sounds like you should stay put, son. Luckily the LV is outfitted for just such occasions. S'long as you stay put, no one's gonna find you. Tall man-" He pointed at Dmitri. "Help me get this stashed away."

The Captain had just finished re-setting the hinge on the hide-away-panel to stash Devron when Riley bounded onto the ship.

"*We have a problem."* They said in unison. *"The Alliance is coming."*Immediately following, they spoke over and inbetween each other, somehow making sense of what the other was saying.

"A man brought us a crate *Sir, I don’t what kind of job Serrano had planned for us,* and I’m not sure what’s going on but it seems that our engineer is *but whatever it is that Deckhand Henry I hired seemed* in some sort of trouble. *to make it go away so we owe him one.* The man that dropped the crate off said there was a Long Bow Cruiser *But while I was out,* raiding secret gambling dens and the search for certain Engineers *I was tailed and ran into Rex Nolan* and then he heavily implied the cargo itself was Deveron. *and he let me know the ship is going to get real purple real soon.*" They each took a moment and a breath considering what the other had said.

“You ran into Rex Nolan?”
*“I specifically said NOT to put ANYONE in a box.”* Riley glanced at Dimitri briefly, before she and the captain continued.

"I stashed him in one of the cut away bays *Rex Nolan said* so we only got one left*they’re not only looking for our engineer,* if we’re going to smuggle *but they got eyes on the quart and half pint*out anything on a less legal basis. *and I'm not sure why.* "

Another brief pause.

*"Plan?"*

"I’ll go make sure the engine room has that lived in look so there’s no way they'll want -- " *"Make sure Dimitri settled into some coveralls and convince him to speak only Russian so they think he’s -- "*

*"Our Engineer"*

"Lyen can set out some playing cards in the galley and deal us all in like we’re playing cards with absolutely nothing going on - and set out some whiskey and glassess so --" *"I’m going to go get the kids squared away and hid because I don’t know how much longer we got, but then we’ll walk through quick and make sure --"*

*"The alliance don’t get suspicious."*

They nodded to each other, the Captain heading to the engine room, and Riley off to find Gill and Haddie.
Does Nobody else Wear Comfy Sleepwear?

Jacy was pulled mightily to her feet by Riley who unlike Jacy, had rough and rugged hands. Clearly Riley was a hard worker and the real mover of things and crew aboard the Lunar Veil. Jacy gave Vas a pinch on the butt before skittering up the stairs to get cleaned up again. Even for her this was a new record for shortest length of time wearing any sleepwear. She sniffed the silk and pulled her nose away in disgust. They’d need to be washed; now probably wasn’t the proper time for that, though. She grabbed a pair of *off-duty still got booty* shorts and a matching top, but covered herself with a short robe and sat on the edge of the bed. Should she just stay put? Every attempt to help the crew seemed to result in some output of clumsiness which, believe it or not, was not typical of Jacy. She was quite coordinated and graceful when not slipping in piss or tripping over her own spacesuit. She wanted to see if there was anything she could do to help, but wasn’t sure what she’d be able to accomplish jumping back into things now. She had to admit she was exhausted and Dorian had told her she was off duty for the next cycle and was to get some rest. So she laid back on the flat, understuffed pillow and stared up at the ceiling for a few blinks before rolling over and falling asleep. With the hatch wide open and a mysterious ship dogging their trail through the Black.
I Do Love Our Little Talks - ( New Melbourne, Day 1 Very Late Night)

It hadn’t been all that long ago since his last interrogation.

Given the circumstances and tactics applied by his own compatriots, Dorian had to admit that the sterile coldness of his current surroundings were an improvement. The straightbacked metal chair upon which he sat was securely bolted to the deck, as was the heavy metal table before him. Adler himself was also securely bolted, the chain of his cuffs looped through a cast iron fitting on the table’s surface.

Grey table, grey chair, grey deck, grey bulkheads. The only variance in the motif was the floor to ceiling mirror he faced. Dorian scrutinized his reflection, noting the sleep tousled hair, the sleeveless undershirt, and the trousers he’d been given seconds to don before his latest odyssey was to begin. Doubtless, behind that plate glass were studious eyes, fixed upon him, and busy hands, checking off the behavioral boxes required before commencing the Alliance’s preferred methods of “information extraction.”

The medic offered a friendly smile toward his unseen hosts. “Ah love what yah’ve done with tha place.”
Haddies Up!

"Haddie!, Haddie, come see." Gill called over to his sister who was just rousing from her nap. She had slept through take off, a testament to just how tired she had been. Rolling over and sitting up she yawned and rubbed sleep from her eyes.

Gill was standing in the door way beckoning to her. She wondered what had got him so excited? Shrugging she hopped down on the ground and walked over to where he stood.

"They have Drog-Kryi on board." he shared with her with a broad grin. It took her a moment to register what he had said and then it hit her. Her face splitting into a wide smile she shook his arm, motioning for him to lead the way.

It did not take long for them to reach the cargo bay and the familiar sounds and smells of the animals had Haddies heart leaping in her chest. She ran over and fussed several of the creatures as the jumped up at the side of their pen. She made an eating sign to Gill and he shook his head.

"We already fed them, but you can do it next time." he offered, trying to head off her inevitable disappointment. "They will need exercising as well. Vas is working on a rota."

She continued to fuss the animals while Gill talked on. She only half listened as her update her on the crews activities. Grown ups we for the most part boring and the other part confusing so she paid little attention. That was until her told her about the change of mechanics.

"...her name is Chavez." he was explaining, "She seems alright."

Haddie turned to give her brother a level stare and from the look her returned he knew that meant trouble. He shook his head.

"Now Haddie, I know you liked Devron but he left and the ship needs a..." Haddie stalked off into the ship, "Haddie wait!"
Hot merch

"Hotcakes. I'm a fan of hotcakes, ever since I was a pilot with Alcott's 99th Division. You got what I'm looking for? Otherwise, 20 creds to point me to who does."

“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”

He said while shifting his broad frame better over his makeshift stool of a case.
A light tapping came from somewhere in the booth, ending abruptly prior to Dimitri giving a swift kick to the case beneath him.

His eyes scanned the women in front of him, looking for tells and ways to read. In business it doesn’t do well to sell to the wrong person, lest worse people follow asking questions. He shook the memories of bad fence gigs from his head with a slight nod and viewed the potential customer with a quizzical blank expression, leaning back slightly.
Getting to know you

Marisol - with the pretty name - went to clean up. “It’s okay, I’m not a reaver… yet.” Serena gave her a wide berth to pass, but not too wide, the Captain with the cowboy hat was nearby in a common area, still drinking the plum wine he got from what she remembered as the Reaver Truck. Drunks were usually easy to coerce, but many of them went from zero to irate really fast, and even if this wasn’t the Skyhook, staying on the good side of the captain and crew couldn’t hurt. Not doing so? Definitely might.

"Xiǎoxīn yīdiǎn (take heart little one)," the woman with the pretty eyes like hers said as she came close, but not too close. "Please come, sit. You must be hungry. We won't bite." Serena cowered, instantly picturing Vas Jat with his blood stained teeth spitting chunks of Adham to the floor. Even though she was fairly certain the pretty woman was speaking in jest, the fresh memory made her wince.

“Sheh Sheh (Thank you), just water is fine.” The girl in pigtails replied, “I won’t be any trouble.” She stifled a yawn as she filled a glass at the sink, then sat at the far end of the table, protectively holding the cup in both hands. It may have only been mid-day, but it was an eventful one that had started taking its toll.

“Lyen.” She said after a particularly long sip. “Crew Chief said you were a passenger? He wasn’t sure. We didn’t have-- well any, not on the Skyhook. We weren’t that kind of ship. Sampan class. Should I be doing anything for you?” The pretty woman chuckled again, and Serena’s stomach rumbled loudly enough to betray her words about just wanting water.

She picked at the food set before her, not wanting to seem ungrateful, but the tastes and textures were a lot different than she was used to. There was rice, that was familiar and likely safe enough, so she focused mainly on that.

The woman who identified herself as a nun was friendly and soothing, like putting a cold compress on a burn or walking into a warm room from the cold. So comforting she nearly forgot the fact that she was kidnapped. “You’re very pretty.” Serena offered as she guiltily discarded the unknown food as discreetly as possible before washing her dish and glass. “I hope we get along, and some time maybe you can show me how to twist my hair into pretty braids like yours?” She twirled a finger round a ponytail for emphasis. “But Crew Chief said to eat and get rest, so maybe another time soon.”
Lackeys and Lieutenants

Henry was glad he'd won. Lóng had proved more of an adversary than he'd planned and that rib would need mending. But he had more pressing matters at hand. Staring straight at the bar he saw Rex Nolan... one of Stefan Serrano's lackeys and Lieutenant.

He considered his options but before he could act, the crowd was on him. In typical fashion he'd be carried to the bar for a ceremonious shot of Lao's special brew. It was very good stuff, only used on special occasions like this, and he'd get a three-finger glass - everyone else a free shot, but only after he drank his.

Oh well... Time to pay the piper...

Up on their shoulders he went, the crowd chanting along as he went and he was ceremoniously placed on a special stool brought out for him - shiny brass and a jaded stone seat.

He heard Riley speak as he came up the flight of stairs from the ring...
 *"I can make decisions in his stead." She offered, regretting taking another pull from the bottle as much as she did choosing this bar. At least if she'd picked the Gold Strike, there'd be a hired gun presumably on the same side. She turned around and leaned her elbows on the bar. "What is it Stefan needs done?"*

Rex's eyes grew big as soon as Henry was sat down on the stool behind Riley. Ignoring her question, he smiled broadly, "Mason! Mason Atkins why I live and breathe!" And he walked passed Riley, causing her to turn toward Henry as he did.

Henry realized now was the time to switch gears...

"Rex, pleasure to see you as always. And how is Annabelle, that blonde beauty of yours? I see we have a mutual friend... join us for a drink...*Lieutenant*?"
Day 2 - T Minus 1 Hour - Just One Question

One thing about Dillon. He never made you wait.

“Close tha door,” Dorian said as the young man entered. “Lock it.” As Dillon complied, the medic, who’d regained some modicum of composure, said, “The deckhands an’ Dimitri are introducin’ themselves tah this doctah…Merchant? In about a minute they’re all gonna be at that door. Ah just heard a pretty amazing story about why this doctah Merchant is here. Hop up on tha table.”

He removed a stethoscope, and the ultrasound left behind by Aello. “Before Ah hear anythin’ this man is gonna say, Ah need tah hear from you. Dillon,” Dorian asked, “just how much do yah care ‘bout livin’?”
Leaving the LV? - Part 3

As soon as the soldiers started bursting in, there was some shooting between guards on the catwalks and Alliance soldiers. The shooting didn't last long as the overwhelming number of soldiers soon quieted all resistance. At the first sign of trouble, the dealer and other card players immediately tipped the table and hid, throwing all the money (Including Thomas' winnings) all over the place.

Thomas was grabbed by Danyar and pulled towards the main entrance as soldiers started rounding everyone up for questioning. As they approached, Danyar flashed his Identification to the soldiers guarding the entrance. "Commander Eddings, Stand aside this one is mine" The soldiers seeing an officers ID, and not really look close enough to see he was only an Engineer and not one of Authority in this situation, stood aside and let the two of them exit the facility.

As they exited, there were several troop transports and prison barges and several deceased persons. Danyar was leading him out the main gate when Thomas stopped and walked into the door on the right side of the gate. Once inside, Thomas looked over the weapons and found his sidearm.

"Thomas, what is all of this?"

"When you enter with a weapon, they take them and place them here. You as a member should know that." Thomas turns towards his friend. "Why are you really here? This raid isn't a coincidence nor is your finding me is it?"

"Thomas, your a difficult person to find, let alone your continued denial of my offers left me no choice. I knew many wanted people frequented the Pink Pussy Cat and many ships Engineers. Like I said, the Alliance needs engineers and those inside will be pushed into service. I got you out so you could join on your own, under your own conditions. You have no choice, you must join."

"So you knew I was here and they came looking for me and the others?"

"No, your being here was just luck. I figured others would know where to find you so I could get to you. No one knows you were here I made sure of that by getting you out when I did. Now, you can join without difficulties but, we must go before they start searching door to door."

Thomas stood there for a moment, not wanting to believe that his good friend of almost 25 years would betray him or the others like he did. It was at that moment that Thomas had to make one of the most difficult decisions of his life. He knew he would never work on an Alliance ship or a large ship with an Engineering crew.

Thomas took his sidearm, raised it to his friends head...."Thomas what are you doing? I saved you, you owe me?"

"No, I do not owe you, you betrayed me." With that Thomas slowly pulled the trigger and ended the friendship.

Quickly holstering his weapon, he grabbed a duffle bag, loaded it with as many weapons as he could and he ran. As it now stood, Thomas has no one in the univers he can call family or friend. No one he can trust. He ran a route that almost made him lost as he searched and found his way back to the ship with his loot of guns and loss of his best friend.
It's for the Children

*“Gill I know you’ll probably want to stay with your sister, Lyen I would consider it a kindness if you could watch over ‘em all? Hollar if you need me for anything … ships a wreak so …” Vas sighed figuring the rest was implied.*

*“It would help…a lot,” Dorian turned his own single eye upon Vas, Lyen, and Jacy, “if an adult watched ovah her in her room tonight. Ah would, but Ah’m about tah be indisposed fah a few hours.”*

Lyen took a step forward. "I'll stay with her," she said, as she placed a comforting hand on Haddie. "You won't be alone tonight, that way your brother can rest too." Having not spent much time around Haddie, she had only noticed that the girl wasn't as talkative as her brother, but with resting a priority, conversation wouldn't be expected. Tending to the sick was a regular part of her routine when she was in the monastery. She had sat many hours bedside, deep in prayer or feeding and cleaning those who couldn't fend for themselves.

She would stay with the girl until the doctor's prescribed hour was up, then she'd carefully escort her to her room.

While they had waited for her to wake up, the minutes had felt like hours. To Ly, it didn't feel like she would ever get used to the impending peril the Lunar Veil seemed to find, but she could feel the excitement of uncertainty on the back of her neck. The black seemed to hold its own mystery, and the LV fit in like a piece of the puzzle.
Is this thing on?

*“Tiān nǎ!” the mechanic exclaimed, stopping dead in her tracks. Marisol turned. Sure enough, Gill and Haddie were still in the galley.“Haddie,” the mechanic said. “Gill.” After both children had turned to face her, Marisol said “I need you to come with me. Now.”*

"What the blazes... " Keller asked. He took a new look at the Engineer, and he could see it, why the Doc was sweet on her, and after what he'd heard? He put it out of his mind, as it was it was close to laundry day, he was wearing a set of britches tighter than he'd liked to begin with. He turned his attention instead to the doctor who'd busied himself making that pot of coffee he was waiting on. Truth be told, he thought that the Hen-Leo was more the Doc's type - not that he was judging - but he had a new found appreciation for the man. Still, this was a ship, there were children afoot, and worse, he'd likely have to hear Riley's thoughts on fraternization and look how well that turned out for the Rooster kid. He didn't know if he had any more lucky hands of Tall Card in him.

"Hold up." He said while grabbing his Keep Calm and Captain On mug from the cabinet. "I'm not one to tell two grown adults how to act, but Doc? Chiquita? No more "open mic" night...dohn mah?" He made a mental note to talk to Riley, somewhere along the line he was fairly certain they had a no kids rule for just this very reason.

"Cori Anders..." He said under his breath, a smile forming on his lips. As much trouble as the day was long, but well worth it.

Adding a shot of hair of the dog, and removing a stray hair of the drog - those beasts shed EVERYWHERE, ship had tumbleweeds of fur come night fall, he took his coffee up the steps to see his Lieutenant, and find out what exactly was going on.
Fah soh lah-

"Amituofo, Ms. Schnabel," Lyen said with a slight bow while balancing the tray of tea and bread, "Thank you for inviting me in. I've brought you some refreshment, please, help yourself." She placed the tray on a fold out surface from the wall of the cabin.

Lyen took a moment to take in the room. It was dark inside the small room, made darker by the widow's grieving clothing, and rooted in the center was the imposing form of the coffin. Ly considered what it might be like to be shut up in this space with only one's thoughts. Perhaps the widow Schnabel meditated, or, more likely, consigned herself to her grief. Comforting the family members left behind had been a common duty of the nuns in the Maya Brahma monastery, and was made easier only through the teachings of the Three Treasures.

"May I sit with you? I have found that, in grief, there is some comfort in company," finding a seat beside the woman, Lyen rested and folded her kasaya robes onto her lap.

On Athens, the Maya Brahma monastery and its inhabitants had shown her the meaning of communion and the fragility of life. She'd seen many born into the world--even served as midwife and caretaker. More, though, she had seen death and the aftermath of war brought poignancy and grief. Commonplace were wounds that could never be healed and losses that could never be forgotten. The Order of the Interverse had shown Lyen that the sangha, or the people with whom we share our spiritual lives, was one source of true healing.

"It was Rengetsu, a nun, who said:
'The impermenance of this floating world
I feel over and over
It is hardest to be the one left behind.'"

Her eyes glinted as she watched the widow Shnabel's face through her mourning veil.

"What set you on this journey, if you don't mind my asking?"
French Onion

Dillon couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at what Jacy had in her arms as she passed through. He wondered what, if any of it, complied with her liquid diet. He shrugged inwardly. If she wanted some of the soup he was making, she was more than welcome to it. He had the feeling she wouldn't be asking... He'd have to offer.

He could find her when the soup was done. Distracted by it once more, he set back to work on the meal.

He went ahead and filled a kettle for Vas's tea before he could take up the whole stove top with what was turning into a rather involved dish.

He found a pot, filled it with water, and added in the beef bullion and sprinkled in just a bit of flour to thicken the broth.

While the other two parts cooked, he broke up some bread.
Idle Talk

Aello nodded at Riley as she wasn't looking to get close anyway. Aello figured Riley wanted them to nod and behave till they reached their destination. Once in the Galley they saw Devron and a small girl. Aello nodded politely as she made her way to the cupboards to see what supplies they had. Since they were trying to be sparse on the supplies she made a few sandwiches from hodgeberry preserve and peanut-butter for those who asked. She then sat down and slowly ate her meager meal as she drank some re-filtered water. She looked at the others as she slowly ate. Vas was around 18 to 20 years old and looked like he had a rough life. Devron looked like a typical wrench hand, only armed. Riley looked and acted like an Alliance soldier. However the young girl seemed to be a stowaway. Apparently she had a brother somewhere on the ship, but Aello had yet to see him. As she looked around she noticed this ship was in better condition than the last one. For starters it didn't have a gaping hole in the hull. Aello wondered if this was a decent crew since they tolerated the two kids that stowed away on their ship. She felt for their situation but was in no position to help them out, since she was a dead woman walking if her identity was ever discovered.

"I have never been to Persephone before. What kind of place is it?"
Frying Pans and Fires

The Clover wasn’t a big ship but still a reliable workhorse. Sadly at the moment, she drifted in the emptiness of space. Clearly, something had gone awry as bits of the ship floated alongside and spark of electricity light up every so often. She was dead and adrift in the black.

Vas woke to flashing lights, alarms blaring; and a calm voice speaking in Mandarin issuing another warning. It made the poor kid want to fall back into blissful unconsciousness again! The boy groaned as he sat up a hand touching a tender spot on his head. The Clipper wobbled to his feet looking over the console of gauges and blinking lights. He blinked in return as a wave of despair hit him. Vas had no clue what was going on! It might as well be an alien language! The only reason he knew they were hemorrhaging air was because the calm voice issuing the warnings was SAYING so!

“AAhhh why do I have to be so CHWEN!” Vas cried out in despair. He really didn’t have much training outside his vocation so navigation or piloting was, at the time, not very important things to learn. “Why couldn’t they label shit for us dumb folk!”

He honestly had no clue what happened or what was going on! Vas had been asked to get the captains hat before they sat down for dinner and next thing he knew the whole ship rocked and here he was.
“Wait? Where is everyone!” Vas perked and went for the door. Of course! Maybe the pilot or captain or someone OTHER than him was still on the ship?! He gave a firm tug but the damn thing held fast. Vas frown grinding his teeth and gave another tug. “Awe COME … ON!” he growled planting a foot on the frame to pry it open. It was definitely jammed on the other side.

Vas hit the door in frustration. “Huen Dahn! Open up!” He shouted banging on the door. “Someone! Anyone! LET ME OUT!” His breath making clouds in the cooling air. “Ta Ma Duh.” Vas cursed. The situation was quickly getting worse.
Does this count as a Mission?!

“Captain Keller, you Stetson Stud,” Jacy flirted her way into the cargo hold. Yes, flirting was an actual means of locomotion for Jacy. Riley didn’t look pleased to see her at all, but that had been the case since the first time they set eyes on one another. Latest landing aside, which Jacy incorrectly attributed to Riley’s heavy hand, Jacy didn’t actually dislike Riley. Riley was a capable woman in ways Jacy would never be. Jacy could exert a certain power over men (and sometimes women) but Riley had real control. Like a sexy boot. Both women had deep reserves of discipline even if it was less apparent in one of them.

Jacy stepped next to Riley and gave Keller a wink and a twinkly finger wave. “If you’d prefer to call me Jacy when we’re alone and keep a professional La-loyd in front of the crew, I won’t mind.” Her other hand was at her thigh caressing the grip of her pistol suggestively. Riley made a cough of disgust and the Captain cleared his throat to disguise his Vas-esque beat red face. Fortunately the nosebleed did not make an appearance.

In the corner there were the sound of stirring as Dimitri climbed to his feet, still firmly zip tied at his hands and feet, but not hogtied. Jacy bit her lip as she considered the big man. Were they going to have trouble with him?
Leaving ON the LV

*"Don't need to know what it is, but need to know how secure it's gotta be. Hot ticket items, we don't need t'know what it is, but a head's up as to how hot would be polite."

oppa, business! Opportunity to prove worth and get guns!

"And by secure you mean, tied down, right? Or do you mean like him secure?" She said, thumb-pointing at Dimitri. Dimitri puffed out his chest slightlyLy was half-turned away from Dim, trying to watch Keller's face.*

*"Either way I can assure Dimitri can handle box. "

He smile cheeki breeki grin,

"Keller know I am great with boxes" he chuckled at his own joke and went to holster his weapon, flicking safety.*

*"Speaking of weapon and safety, captain, I require access to armory, and some resources to ah, better utilize talents" he looked at Keller's exasperated expression hopefully.

"It would help out us all, very much"*

###### ===============================================

Markel stood for a moment watching the exchange and smiling to himself. *Why exactly does Thomas want to be on this ship? They all seem nuts*

Well in lieu of recent events, like the Alliance parking a Long Bow Cruiser on the dark side of the planet, their raiding secret gambling dens and the search for certain Engineers Markel tapped the box looking at the Captain
This box is EXTREMELY hot. Appaently, the Alliance has a list of engineersAgain tapping the box and looking at the Captain that they are searching for to press into service on a secret project. I need this box to be loaded and taken off planet.

Now, I was also told to deliver this duffel bag to a Dimitri on this ship so I'm guessing that is you. The individual thought you might get some use out of this." He hands over the duffel bag that contains 15 assorted pistols and revolvers.

I'm not sure about payment but, the individual said you would take this crate for free to wherever you are going. I hope he was correct and I hope you get it loaded before the Alliance starts to search the ships. Have a nice day.

With that, he turns and walks away from the ship and down an alley.
It hurts when I do this...

Ly was struggling with a sealed can that would not give up the goods. The can opener was her first act, but the battered thing was having trouble keeping traction. That's when she had the bright idea of taking the largest knife to the tiny crease she'd made with the opener. The second act slid in well at first, sweat beading on her brow, but the angle wasn't right so she tightened her grip. A little more pressure and a twist...

First there was the red-hot tingle on the back of her neck, telling her this was a huge mistake. Then, well, then there was the welling of blood from the center of her palm. The can hit the ground, still stubbornly indifferent to her, and she'd instinctually retrieved the knife. The wound bled freely. Knife held perpendicular in one hand, the other spread wide, seconds passed as the shock set in. The bloody knife went onto the countertop, and without rags at hand, the nun pressed her other palm to the gash to stem the flow of blood.

The taste of pennies was welling up in her mouth, but gritting her teeth she put her elbow to the intercom.

"Doc, are you in the medbay? I think I need your help."

She didn't wait for a reply, the warm liquid filling her palms, beading around the edges. She was almost certain that she nicked something deep, but felt only a dull ache. It was silly to be so scared, but she could feel herself slipping into a steadily rising panic. It was with this bloody Namaste greeting that she found the Doc, eyebrows taut. Sweat on her forehead felt cold, and she attempted to breath out slowly, which took visible effort.

The medbay was a brilliantly clean place, whirring with machines and the doc himself sat at his equipment. Ly found the sterile smell comforting, like attention to detail incarnate. Her call had obviously caused him to expect her, as he was facing the door with a quizzical look.

"I was starting dinner and... well, the can-opener didn't work," more like it was a piece of junk, "so I got a knife, and.. I slipped." There were droplets of blood trailing her into the Doc's bay which only got worse when she squeezed her palms together to stop it in earnest.