Cookies & Crew (Day 1 Evening)

After helping with the dishes the night wound down. He stretched yawn and ambled to his room debating if tonight they should use the cargo bay to start training since there would be more room. It was a good idea … they could get more done for sure. He did say he was going to teach to break falls tonight.

Serena kicked twice at the floor near the crew chief’s room, as he’d left the hatch open and if she learned anything at all from Captain Keller it was that you never climb down someone’s hatch without knocking. “Crew chief?” She called, closing her eyes to replay her conversation with Mr. Cortez in her head.

“Hey Serena!” Vas said popping up. “Since there’s more room in the cargo bay now you wanna practice there tonight?” He suggested. “It might make practice a bit easier too, no worrying about falling on stuff. Doc may not appreciate more head injuries. Just saying.”

“I was gonna say you ain’t got much in your room can be broken, but that sounds good on a account of *I* don’t want to get broken neither.” She replied, stifling a giggle.

“I have plenty of nice things in my room … like that little jade kitty on the shelf …. And … my table!” Okay maybe his room was a bit sparse. “Cargo Bay it is!” Vas said leading the charge. “So, did you think about the answer to the question today?”

“Uh-huh,” She replied chipperly, loping after him. “A lot about roosters and rooftops and honorability.”

Vas paused ready to ask about what the heck roosters and rooftops had to do with it but the sensible part of him waved a warning flag. Unless he wanted a two hour explanation he was going to have to let the question die. “And what did you come up with?”

“Honor only matters to everyone else. What good is honor if it gets you killed playing by everyone else’s rules?” She stated. “In a fight, Honah… Honor rather doesn’t mean nothing.”

Vas raised an eyebrow. “Honah? Ah dinna realize Doctah Adlah had such sentiments. Did he help you come up with that?” He asked playfully poking the sore spot on her forehead.

“Ow! No…” Serena admitted, rubbing the tender area between her eyes. “I didn’t know how to put what I wanted to say into words, or if it was the answer you were looking for, so I asked someone. But don’t worry - I didn’t say it was for you or say anything about training, like you said. I just wanted a second opinion on my opinion, on account of I didn’t think there was nothin’ wrong with fighting however you had to fight.”

Vas eyes the pigtailed student of his. “So who helped wordify your notion?” He asked curiously. The punk was hard pressed to think which crew member would fling such high ideals like honor onto the proverbial campfire like firewood.

“Mr. Cortez,” she said matter of fact. She skipped ahead to start stretching before any sort of falling took place.

Well that was a splash of cold water! “Cortez?” Vas said, stiffening. If his hair could stand on end without the help of some hair product it would have. “Why you asking the likes of him for help.” There was a bit of heat in his voice, though clearly not at Serena, Vas couldn’t help look over his shoulder like he was expecting the man to pop up around the corner shouting ‘Boo’.

“On account of I know what Mistah Doctah Adluh’s view is being a gunfighter and livin’ by a code and being obliged, and I don’t like to talk to Riley and Doctor Charcoal didn’t answer his door and Mrs. Meadows wouldn’t be much help, and Elle an’ me don’t get along and Gil would just want to make out, and Lyen would make me spell honor and write it down so who else could I really ask?” she replied in one breath. “Mr. Cortez likes to talk when I bring ‘em tea, and he always gives me cookies.”

“Cortez is a passenger … also you don’t really know him. You should …” Vas thought for a moment. “ … be cordial and business like but not friendly. You don’t wana get attached when has to go.” Vas said all but patting himself on the back thinking himself rather clever! *That should put an end to that.* He thought pleased with himself.

“But if I’m friendly, he might not wanna go and stay on longer, which means more money for the ship, right?” She asked, searching her brain for other reasons to not just be ‘cordial.’

“Why would he continue flying on a ship past his destination?” Vas pointed out estutly. “So there ain’t no reason to get so personal with the likes of him.”

“But--” Serena started, her shoulders dropping. “He’s nice to me. I mean, you’re the Crew Chief, if you just say be business like… Orders is orders even if they don’t make no sense.”

“I’m not saying it to be mean, I’m just looking out for you is all.” Vas said in a softer tone. “Call me paranoid or whatever but I am trying to do right by you.” He said with a pat on the top of her head.

Serena nodded, but the skip was gone from her step and she couldn’t hide her disappointment. On one hand, she was attached -- she *would* miss him when they got to Peloram, and if she started distancing now, she could practice missing him less, even if it meant giving up the best cookies in the verse. She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Was it ‘least the right answer?” She asked. “On account of I did figure it out mostly myself..”

“And that is why you are my Uchi-desh.” He said, pleased. “Since I gotta go out for a supply run, how ‘bout I get some of the trapping for cookies? I make a mean Chocolate Chip!” He offered to help her forget about Cortez and his cookies filled with sugary LIES!

“Sure!” She said, brightening, not only at the promise of cookies, but that she was his -- whatever the word was. She could always ask Mr. Cort-- or not. “What’s a Uchi-desh?”

“Oh! Uh … like … Favored student? Or like a … Top Student? It can mean a few other things too depending on the context.” He explained. Their talk had slowed their pace but finally when they arrived at the cargo bay they found plenty of room! It was a nice change! “Ya read for warm ups! With all this room now we can get some real cardio in!”

It was on the tip of her tongue to groan about the cardio, but, she decided that was definitely not something an Uchi-desh would do! The clouds were cast aside. Favored, top - they were all words that made her heart sing more than just do-re-mi. “All set, Crew Chief!”

“Arrite! Let’s get started!” He said starting the pace.