|
A holographic terminal glows before Lavine, showing listings for employment opportunities. One is flashing red, spinning, twirling, with the word URGENT next to it. That listing is for a Gankri seeking to hire six freshly shaved Lotorian masseuses. Below THAT, you might notice an unpretentious listing that says Wanted: Thieving Thul Drippings.
Lavine is going through the display, selecting the option for Thieving Thul Drippings. "And so close to alliteration too." he comments drily.
The link connects Lavine with the image of someone's very hairy, recently soaked belly. It's being toweled vigorously. When the portly Lyiri realizes he's being watched, he hisses angrily, flings the towel out of frame and then crouches to glare at the camera: "I don't perform until..." His eyes narrow, then shift toward something out of frame. "OH! You're calling about the job."
"...Wossa litteration?" The question comes from the pilot's seat. One has to look either over or around the chair to spot the Later slouched down in it, "'Zat like throwin' stuff onna ground?" Kes has her boots up on the console, and peers over at Lavine. "Whatcha doin' over 'ere any... oh ew, now I gotta git Doc Hall ta scrub m'brain out."
"Yes. The job. Explain what it is." Lavine says to the Lyiri on the other end.
"...Wot Sabby said. Wot's litteration?" Eylie offers, the Timonae sat in a corner of the cockpit and looking like he's a bit grumpily trying not to take up very much space. It's awful hard when you're giant.
Markiel's eyes glow coppery gold. He explains quietly to the Later, "I believe it means the beginning of each word sounds the same or starts the same. And no, not a pretty sight." His eyes turn a little darker after seeing the image.
"Got a Lotorian scrapper who owes me some hard Hekayti creds," the Lyiri replies. "They call him Roundabout. He's no king of original thinking so that's what he calls his ship. Last I heard, he was making a run on some old starship wreckage around the Plosa Nebula. You go fetch Roundabout, dead or alive. I pay you 25,000 Hekkers."
"Done." Lavine says. Then he looks over at Kestrel, "Can you get us there?"
The Lyiri transmits coordinates to Lavine's holovid terminal, along with an identification code: X1YAL66Q.
Kestrel grins at Lavine. "D'pends. How many pieces y'wanna be in when ya 'rive?" She chortles gleefully and shoves herself upright in the seat. "Jest pullin' yer leg, chief. You betcha." The Later looks back at Eylie. "Say, you seen Josh? Thought 'e was comin' with... oh, Kanter's mercy, bet 'e's back inna back messin' with... uh... engineerin' stuff."
Swiping fingers through blonde locks as Josh pokes his head in from the aft with a small flashlight tucked behind a ear and grease stains on hands and clothes. "Sash, so not ma fault if'ah tha engin's pop cork." He notes as his nose twitches a little and he rubs the side of his nose, smearing grease there.
"Let's go, then." Lavine says to Kestrel. His eyes remain a dark green.
"Nop- uh... There 'e is, Sabby." Eylie replies, one hand raising to scritch gently at his temple. He eyes Josh, "IF we crash, i'ma blame you an' Sabby /equally/."
A slight orange enters Markiel's eyes at the prospect of Kestrel flying. "Did you train some more on piloting a ship, Kes?" he asks
"Hokay," the Later offers to Lavine, along with a shrug. "Long as 'ere's a fair share'a profits an' all." She smiles a little too sweetly, then starts... well. It -looks- like she's getting the ship ready to fly, anyway. Kestrel's a bit haphazard about it -- new ship and all. A glance goes toward Markiel. "You sayin' Mister Finch dunno how ta teach a girl ta fly?" Pause. "Josh, y'didn't start guttin' th'engines yet, didja?"
Comorro's downloaded starcharts will show that the Plosa Nebula is about five light years from her current location. The nebula is fringed by asteroid fields, with only a narrow gap here and there allowing salvager traffic inside. No capital ship could hope to get through intact.
"This will be interesting if she didn't learn well." Lavine comments. "I'll put two thousand on only minor damage."
Kravos sticks his tongue out at Eylie as he stays outside of the cockpit, leaning against the frame of the entrance way, and he absently shakes his head. "Nyet, ain't don' nuthin' big ta tha engin's. Sum' basic checks an' stuff." He drawls as he scratches his chin, "If tha lights go out, probably ah loose wire." He adds with a shrug.
"Still gonna blame you along wit' Sabby, and drag you into Maza's embrace with me. Ayup." Okay, maybe Eylie's a little bit more grumpy than is readily apparant. He reaches into his jacket to retrieve a flask etched with something or other in Shohobian, and takes a pull from it.
"Well, I haven't been able to learn more about Mister Finch, Miss." Markiel explains, then asks Kravos "Nothing big? Loose wire? Oh dear. Did you remember to close that lavatory exit? Wouldn't do so well to be trailing that stuff all the way to where we're going." Then to Lavine, his eyes sparkle with gold, "I'm not taking that bet."
Kestrel studies the star chart, her nose wrinkling. "Whatta 'Kari-cursed mess," she grouses. "Betcha s'only loons an' Low-tow-ri-ens what goes in 'ere." The Later shrugs and smiles. "Reckon we'll be in good com'pny 'en, yessir." She looks around the bridge briefly, peering around the Hekayti-sized seat to do so. "So, uh. Hang on and all 'at, 'ey?" It's a very short warning, to be sure, before she cycles up the engines.
"That's too bad." Lavine says to Markiel as he hangs on as Kes announces starting the ship up.
Eylohta seems pretty well grounded and relatively safe from battering, squished in his corner as he is. He grumps a bit to himself and takes another swig before the flask gets put away.
Markiel braces himself tight against a bulkhead as he says "At least we will be out of that annoying damper field."
Hey, the takeoff's not bad, and flying the ship in a straight line goes reasonably well. All in all, it's a fairly uneventful trip -- then again, most of it -is- spent in jump space.
During that time, Kes can be found with her boots up on the console. When the ship drops back into realspace at the edge of the nebula, she shoves herself upright in the seat again. "...Whatta 'Kari-cursed mess," she reiterates as she peers out at the view to the front of the ship.
"Any takers?" Lavine asks, "Okay, scans showing any signs of this ship?" he asks Kestrel. Sensors are pinging quite merrily as several large capital ships seem to be pursuing a smaller vessel that's skipping its way back and forth through the slow rolling asteroids - almost seeming to taunt the warships, which bear Koltkamir flag markings.
Markiel's eyes flash orange ringed with purple. He remarks "Now that's not something I expected to see.. Is that the ship we are going after? The one avoiding Fekretu's cronies?"
Eylohta unfortunately can't see much from where he's seated, but the commentary is enough to give him an understanding of what's going on - besides, he's not even looking at the front of the ship anyway, "...I din' even tell Naoi I was going on a bloody job." He mutters to himself. Grumpgrumpgrump.
Kestrel nods, looking over at the sensor display. She studies it closely for a few moments. "Uhm. Mebbies?" she says, the inflection clear on the fact that she's not clear. "'Ere's someone out 'ere baitin' Koltkamir ships, anyhows." The Later shrugs then. "Looks like s'th'one we's s'poseta be after, anyhows. So. Question for ya: we feel like tweakin' th'Zar's nose t'day on toppa makin' some money?"
"Do what you want, just don't get us killed." Lavine says, "We make the money first."
Kravos peers towards the direction of the viewport as he eases off the frame and drags fingers through his hair, "Gonna check ona tha engin's." He says as he scoots down the corridor towards engineering.
A harsh-sounding male voice broadcasts via comms in Hekayan: "Unidentified starship, stand ready for boarding and inspection." One of the capital ships breaks away from the pack going after the Roundabout. The smaller ship's pilot, apparently noting the decreased interest, takes his vessel on a relative dive toward the dusty core of the nebula - leaving Kestrel with the problem.
Markiel looks over at Lavine and asks, "Think we could push a few asteroids, see if we can't scare those ships off before going deeper? Money first, of course. But cannot collect money if we don't live. Between the two of us, we might manage it." then to Kravos he yells "Don't do anything like take them offline! We will need those engines soon!"
"Mate, he ain't an idiot, ain't no need for 'at." Eylie mutters towards Markiel as he gets up, and ducks out of the cockpit - presumably to follow after Kravos.
"I dunno what inna name'a 'Kari's sixteenth level'a hell 'e jest said," Kes grumbles, taking the controls in earnest as the capital ship turns its attentions toward the new arrival. She jinks the ship at an angle, heading down and to starboard, toward the cover of the nearest asteroid field. "An' I ain't waitin' 'round ta find out, neither."
As Kestrel guides the ship down into the asteroid field, it takes a pounding from a couple of smaller asteroids. However, Kravos is able to hold it together thus far.
This next layer, Kestrel skillfully navigates the asteroids. Although, to be honest, she has a *little* help from Markiel, who nudges a rogue rock just before it can sideswipe their vessel.
It appears that the end is indeed nigh as two large rocks are barreling toward the ship from opposite directions and it seems that Kestrel won't be able to get the push from the thrusters that she needs to break out through the gap. Thanks to Markiel and Lavine, however, the rocks are nudged just far enough apart to grant the ship some wiggle room. She gets through and into the nebula, somewhat worse for wear.
Eyes orange and a little darkened for the moment at the slight strain from pushing away rocks, Markiel forces a grin at Lavine. "Lucky we worked together on that last one" he remarks, then just /stares/ at Kestrel. He complains "I thought you said you have been practicing!"
A muttering Timonae can be heard coming from engineering, Eylie bellowing before he actually gets to the cockpit, "Kravos would like it an awful lot if ya'd stop runnin' into rocks an' crap, Sabby." He appears in the doorway, adding, "...Please."
"This is getting rough here." Lavine comments, more focused on keeping asteroids from pummeling the ship.
"...Jest my luck ol' Saint Svajone hadda be on 'er coffee break," Kes grouses, hunched over the controls, and looking a bit the worse for wear herself. The Later keeps the ship (mostly) on course, heading into the nebula after their intended target. "Yeah yeah. Like m'daddy useta say, quitcherbitchen. Now ain't th'time," is offered, and rather distractedly at that.
The nebula is cluttered, perhaps not much surprise, with the wreckage of numerous vessels - large and small - that have failed to make the passage through to the nebula. Among them, close to the broken mile-long hulk of a sleekly curved ancient starship, is the spritely Roundabout. The Lotorian vessel pulls up along the starboard hull, where a massive breach has been blown out.
"Fine then, kes" Markiel grumps, as he focuses back on keeping any rocks away.
"I'll relay 'at message." Eylie offers to Kes as he heads back for engineering. One might hear him muttering about how he's not a 'bloody messenger'.
"Let's see if we can't get the jump on him." Lavine says, more interested in the target than the ship's damage at the moment. "Who *are* you people?" comes the angry chittering of a Lotorian over comms.
Kestrel snorts. "Dangit. I kin listen ta people bitch, 'r I kin fly. Ain't gonna try ta do both all at once." A nod is given toward Lavine. "What's yer plan 'en? An' what's 'e -sayin'-, fer th'love'a Irit's bitty skirt? Someone what talks 'at horse-talk say somethin' back, wouldja?"
Markiel nods at Lavine, "Looks like they saw us already. Way I see it, we could try to cloak the ship, and hope they thought they saw a ghost, or you talk to them." To kes he says "They are asking who we are."
"We're just avoiding Koltkamir vessels." Lavine says in Hekayan. "We took some damage to our life support. If you have a spare tank we'll pay well for it."
There's an extended pause. Then, finally: "You dropped in from FTL just in time to chezz me down into this nebula. Something tellzz me you'd find some other direction to run if you were running from the Koltkamir, yezz?"
The Later just shakes her head a bit, Kes pretty clearly oblivious to the contents of the conversation.
Markiel just looks on, clearly biting back on saying anything and allowing Lavine to deal with this.
"They'd be insane to follow us down here, same with you." Lavine says. "Look, we can pay you four thousand right now for the support, and another ten after. In currency so you don't have to worry about it being traced."
"I don't buy it," the Lotorian replies over comms. "You're tracking me, yezz? Tinasa send you, yezz? How much he offer? Big Hekkerzzz, yezz?"
Kestrel just waits patiently. Sort of. Patient for her, anyway. "...Gotta 'member ta pick up a horse dictionary," she muses quietly, mostly to herself from the look of things.
Eylohta is holding a flashlight, for Kravos. /Hardly/ the activity he had in mind coming on this adventure.
Markiel chuckles, eyes gold flecked as he whispers "They won't believe we have blown life support, and Lavine here is trying to convince them."
Lavine deactivates the 'send' side of the comm and comments to the crew, "Start heading in. Arm weapons if you have them." then he reactivates it, "Look, I don't know about some price on your head, and I don't have time to answer to you. We have a problem, and you're either going to help us solve it or we'll take you down with us, so it's decision time. You going to accept my deal or not?"
"So we don' runnin' into ta rocks?" Josh's voice comes over the interal coms. The sound of sparks and hisses are heard from his section and unintelligable garble squleches over the com. "Eyli', ov'r 'ere..." The Ungstiri works on keeping the ship together.
After some silent deliberation, the Roundabout's thrusters flare to life and the ship arcs away from the alien wreckage. "Notzzz!" It appears the Lotorian is determined to lead the pursuers on a chase through a new obstacle course.
"Yeah, now we's gonna be runnin' inta ships!" Kes replies over the comms gleefully. The Later snickers, seemingly finding herself extremely amusing, then starts a steep dive toward the Lotorian's ship. "Someone what ain't flyin' handle weapons, wouldja? S'over 'ere somewheres." Her head is nodded briefly to the panel on the port side of her.
"Go ahead, leave, take your chances with the Koltkamir." Lavine says. Then he deactivates send again, "Head in towards the wreckage, we can see about salvaging that instead of the bounty if he isn't cooperative."
"I should have left a bloody note." Eylie laments as he moves to shine the light where Josh has indicated, "Sure it woulda take me ferever t'write the bloody thing, but at least she wouldn't haunt me in t'fuckin' afterlife."
Markiel asks, "I guess, I was looking forward to buying some better equipment. Think we could drag the ship back to us? Although it is kind of far out."
"That'zzz mine!" comes the furious response from the Roundabout, which jerks a sharp arc back toward the derelict alien wreckage. "All mine! Not yourzzz! I find! I keep! That izz way of thingzz!"
"We can't leave until we get that life support assistance." Lavine says. "Otherwise we'll just take it from here."
The Roundabout is undoubtedly armed: Twin pulse cannons on either side of the command bubble. "See if can breathe vacuum, yezz?" The Lotorian opens fire.
Kravos grunts as he wipes bangs out of his eyes and sets to work reconnection wires, tubes, and such. "Ah'ca, don't ya worry Eyli'. Unless Kes' slams us..." He presses his thumb to the comm call button and barks, "Oi! Nu crashin' us inta ships 'tiher! I ain't even gotta ah chanc' ta fix'er!"
"Sonova bumbler," Kes curses, jerking the ship suddenly to starboard and slamming on the accelerators as the Roundabout fires. It's a narrow miss at best, really, the two ships still passing -very- close to each other as the attacking vessel roars past. "Someone git on 'em 'Kari-cursed guns!"
"She best not." Eylie grumbles just before the ship jerks to avoid the shots being fired at it. Luckily, the massive Timmie is rather nimble, and he avoids doing himself any harm.
Kravos seems on the verge of saying something, yet the sudden movement of the ship sends him stumbling one direction, then another and right into the engineering console. Clack! His head bounces once off it and it beeps as he seems to hit it just so, it begins to fall into mainntenance mode as Josh slumps to floor of the engineering room.. Out like a light.
Lavine notices the thrusters go offline and into diagnostic mode. Quickly he takes out a cord, unveals a datajack behind the back of his neck and plugs it in, plugging the other end into the ship systems. It takes him a few seconds, but he manages to deactivate the diagnostic and bring the thrusters back online.
Markiel is just bracing himself and looking around to see if he could throw anything for now, "If only there was some way I could help. I'm only good at fighting, not this..." he grumbles.
Over comms, the Lotorian aboard the Roundabout says, "I think you not do so well, yezz?" The spry vessel arcs around, closing for another attack. Then it slows. "Tinasa send you. You want me for bounty. You want big ship for salvagezzz. I make you offer."
"Keep going towards the wreckage. If we get between him and the salvage he'll be less inclined to fire at it." Lavine says to Kestrel. "Twenty thousand and a life support module and we can just forget about that price on your head you informed us about."
Eylohta is midst asking if Kravos will be okay, when CLACK! Okay. Clearly the Ungstiri is /not/ okay. Gathering Josh up in his arms, Eylie sighs and starts heading back towards the cockpit.
The Roundabout angles so it can lock weapons on the derelict. If he can't have it... "I gotz better offerzz. We race, yezz! I win, you go away. I losezz, you get me. You get salvagezzz. Yezz?"
Kestrel starts moving between the derelict and the Roundabout... only to be outmaneuvered. She sighs then, and shakes her head. "Sorry." Her feet swing back and forth above the floor like those of a restless child.
"We need that life support module first." Lavine replies. "If you want to blow up that ship, risk a fight with us and then try to escape that fleet waiting outside, feel free. Otherwise stand down."
"You win, I tellzz you where to getzz breathy module, yezz," the Lotorian answers. "Don't gotta spare. Need spacezzz for reliczzz!"
Markiel takes sympanthy for Kestrel and kneels down near her, but still out of her way if she has to pilot. He whispers a running transalation to her, then remarks to Lavine, "If we race, we could use our abilities."
Eylohta appears in the doorway then, "Er... Sabby? Josh kinda knocked 'imself out." The Timonae frowns at that, looking down to the man in his arms, "If one of ya knows first aid er summat, 'at'd be helpful."
"We'll land on the vessel if you don't have one." Lavine says. "I'm not in the mood to negotiate when I have crew facing death. So you come down, help us get the module, watch us so you can get everything else, then we race."
"...Ship's already been pummeled halfway ta shit an' back by rocks, an' 'e wants ta race?" Kes asks, eyeing Markiel dubiously. "Mayaswell jest give up an' go now." She shakes her head irritably. Her irritation only grows as Josh is brought forward, the Later scrubbing a hand over her face. "...Ech..." (re)
Markiel jumps up after hearing Kravos is injured, and starts to work on him. After a short while, Markiel brings Kravos back to the waking world. He forces a grin at him, "Welcome back, sleepyhead."
Sensors start pinging again. Although the Koltkamir capital ships are unable to make their way through the asteroid field, roughly a dozen of their fighters have survived the passage. And now they're closing in. "Forget thizzz," the Lotorian hisses, breaking weapons lock and firing thrusters, taking his ship up and over the top hull of the alien wreckage.
"Back into the field." Lavine says. "We'll try and outmaneuver there." then he looks over at Kravos, "Back to engineering, we'll need you there."
Kravos blinks slowly as he is brought to and he blinks up at Eylo and Mark, nose twitching as he grins faintly, "Ya two ar' tha second most sexi'st bein's ever." Awake, still disoriented as he blinks up at Eylo and Mark. "Wuh? Thought was down 'here..." He mutters as he peers at Lavine as he works through the fog of his brain. He shakes his head and blinks some more, adjusting brain waves.
Markiel sighs. "I do not think we will survive this, Lavine." He remarks, "I'll do my best to take them out though, if you will work with me."
Kestrel sighs. "Lucky fer y'all I already know where m'goin' so I don' mind too much if'n I die," the Later grouses, shaking her head as she directs the ship back into the asteroid field.
The Koltkamir fighters pursue, but only eight of them make it through the first layer of asteroids leading back beyond the nebula. A few are smashed by the slow rolling asteroids. Your ship, following the path of the bolting Roundabout, is battered but holds together thanks to Kravos.
Markiel notices what Lavine is doing, and attempts to assist, eyes also glowing dark grey.
Eylohta purrs down to Kravos at the compliment, Josh given a gentle squeeze - a small show of affection for the Ungstiri, "Righ'." Back to engineering they go - and get to in time for Josh to work some magic, clearly. Ahem.
Lavine and Markiel focus their energies, creating the illusion of an asteroid where there isn't one. This causes two of the Koltkamir fighters to veer into each other in panicked maneuvering, blowing them apart. Another two spin off in their own evasive actions, only to find themselves colliding with *real* rocks. Only four fighters remain as the second layer of asteroids closes in.
Another rough patch for Kestrel, but Kravos keeps the ship together. Only three of the Koltkamir vessels survive transit through the second layer.
Kravos mmms as he is carried down to the engineering and once there, he seems more himself as he wiggles out of Eylo's arms. Patting the Timmie's upper arm, "Thanks." He murmurs and tucks a flashlight between his teeth, handing one to Eylo as well, and he sets to work.. No one is trashing his ship, unless it is him.. Tink, tink.. Fzzt, fzzt.. The Ungstiri works intently.
Lavine continues to focus, "Crash them." is all he says, switching to Auk this time.
One of the Koltkamir pilots seems to suddenly lose control of his fighter. It jerks starboard and hammers into an asteroid. Only two left.
"'Course." Eylie replies to Kravos, the Timonae offering a little smile as he takes the flashlight to resume his previous duties of Engineering assistant, "Sabby's murder m' if'n I din' look after you too, I reckon. 'Course, you better look after
Maybe Saint Svajone finally came back from her coffee break. Maybe Kestrel is finally getting used to the way the ship handles. Either way, her frantic ducking and weaving actually manages an effect this time -- an effect other than smashing the ship into asteroids, even. The Later finally manages to guide the battered ship out of the asteroid field, cutting back toward open space to jump.
Open space is hard to find what with the Koltkamir capital ships waiting for the quarry to be urged out of the asteroid field by the two remaining fighters. Over comms, in Hekayan, comes a sharp, guttural voice as the ship shudders from the field of a tractor beam locking on: "Fleet Commander Bokren wants a word with you."
Kravos grunts about the flashlight between his teeth as a flash of sparks flare before him, head turning away some from the flash, and he growls some. Resynching the wires by hand and shifting to a different location in the room for more work. Jerking once as the tractor beam latches on.. "Aww, hoop..." He goes over to the engineering console and blinks once, he sets to work..
Eylohta holds that flashlight dutifully! He doesn't at /all/ understand what Kravos is doing, his expression somewhat dumbfounded.
Markiel says in Auk, his mind clearly strained from all that work, "You want to talk to them? I do not have much faith in my diplomacy."
Kestrel, for her part stops for a moment, blinking and visibly paling. "JOSH!" is screeched into the internal comms. "WE DO NOT WANNA HAVE A 'KARI-CURSED TEA PARTY WITH VARD, GIT US TH'HELL OUTTA 'ERE!" She works the controls frantically as the tractor beam's grip slips, attempting to jump out.
"Ah'cha! Way ah'ad of ya!" Josh barks as he hits the comms and silences them as he works, kicking the console once with a growled. "Break ya hoopin'.. Woot!" The tractor breaks and Josh slumps against the console some. He looks about the room with a twitch of his nose and he exhales slowly. "Now, I gots mor' work ta do.." He doesn't sound disappointed though.
Return to the year 2651...