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[Terca]

When Elara entered the bay again and wandered through the tables to Frank the Cabal moved over to the sleeping Asari who had been treated for her leg wound. The problem with piercing cuts was that they tended to heal awkwardly if someone simply gobbed on a bunch of medigel. Instead it had to be layered on so that the muscle fibers would lay themselves in the correct fashion and not become stunted in their regrowth. Fortunately that was not a very long process nine times out of ten.

 

"You all have no idea just yet." Eteon mumbled under her breath, her words directed at the Commandos in general but probably heard by nobody. She clicked her mandibles twice before walking out of the room, more tired than before somehow.

[Redbelle]

Jess sat stiffly down on the couch and pulled her portable terminal out form under. "Got to get to work". She said mechanically. "Find my ship.... ready something for the Citadel......". She paused. "Finding my ship is going to be hard. It's very good at hiding in plain sight".

[Cainhurst Crow]

Vayne walked slowly as he came to his floor, a grim mood about him as he walked towards the place he felt was best to go to at the moment. Coming to jess stone's door, vayne paused as he heard shouting inside, from the captian herself.

 

Someone else was with her, and he had a hunch who. So vayne went to the wall opposite of the door and had a seat. This was what it was she needed, someone to act as an anchoring point, to guide her thoughts to what was important in all this. Someone or something to help her get her mind through the jungle of thoughts to the solid point she needed to reach.

 

So he waited patiently, for the noise to die down, and then a little more more after that.

[Redbelle]

Jess typed furiously. Each strike of the keyboard richoeting off as another was added in rapid succession. The door chime went off and she was about to call out when it went quiet again. Shrugging we went back to work but something nagged her.

 

She looked at the door.

 

"I put this place together as a place where we could all meet". She said idely to Morgan. "It was that, looking into the future habit.... Turian food's no good for us so in went the kitched there. Food means somewhere to eat it and in goes couch and table..... Monitor so we can stay up to date on what's happening.....". Sliding the terminal off her lap she walked over to the door, pulling off her helmet as she did and triggered the door to open and stay open.

 

She spotted Vayne immediately. "Don't just sit there like a lump. This side of the door or that side. Either way luv.... there are better seat's than the floor around here". She paused. The rest of their group had to be just as unhappy as she was..... well, maybe not but after that last mission......

 

Always a captain.

 

"Got food in the fridge if your hungry".

[Kel Riever]

(OOC: Just before RedBelle's last entry...)

Morgan tenderly rubbed the splatters off the gecko with the napkin and the thumb of the same hand holding it.  The Gecko began to drink droplets of water falling on it once the blood was cleared from its tiny, triangular head.  As the napkin became pink with the horrible residue, and the gecko became clean, it breathed heavily and closed its eyes, almost ready to fall asleep right in Morgan’s hand.  He let the Gecko go onto the floor, wrapped up the leftover ice in the napkin, and tossed the garbage in a nearby can.  The Gecko moved just under the couch by a leg, lay down, and went to sleep.

Jess was sitting next to Morgan, typing on her portable terminal.  It had to be hard to see through her cracked visor, or at least uncomfortable.  Without any abrupt movement, Morgan reached over to the clasps that attached the helmet to the rest of her suit, undid them so as not to interfere with her work, and in a moment where she stopped typing, pulled the helmet up and off with care.  After the helm was clear of her vision and head, Jess kept typing. 

Morgan smirked slightly.  “Of course you don’t want to talk, or share your feelings.  And you certainly can’t vent.  Privately.  To anyone.”

Without knowing if she got the joke, Morgan leaned back, out of Jess’ field of vision, watching her for a bit.  He had to give himself room to make mistakes with her, to have compassion for her, to be there for her when it wasn’t fun as much as when it was.  Morgan placed the sleek black and yellow helm with the cracked visor on the nearby table.  He was only beginning to know Jess.

Tragically, Morgan knew much more about the person who sent the containers.

A low toned message alert sounded from Morgan’s omni-tool.  It was a request for a video communication before the Audron hit the Relay.  The ship it was coming from was one of the evacuating freighters, the Lucky Seven, and the person requesting was Miss Priss.  It was marked ‘Urgent’.

[Kel Riever]

"Vayne," Morgan said.  "Perfect timing. I've got a call I have to take."

[Kel Riever]

Morgan had to take the inter-ship communication at a terminal, which was fine as he didn’t want to disturb Jess no matter how urgent the call was.  Of course, as she had taken the XO’s prior quarters, there was a small terminal in the hall not far outside the room if he didn’t want to take the call in the room.

Even though the terminal in the hallway was less sophisticated, with inferior resolution, Morgan could see that Miss Priss had been sobbing when the live feed of her image came across.

“I was hoping you’d be with Jess,” Miss Priss said first.

“She’s tied up at the moment,”

“In a good way?” Miss Priss joked, and then started crying.  “I’m sorry, I wanted to thank you, Morgan, for killing Tardek’s brother.  I heard about it before we left.  You don’t know how much that batarian tortured me…”

“You don’t have to tell me the details.  It was a job and it needed to be done.”

“You’re right, Morgan…a deal is a deal…I refunded Jess my half of the fee for our rendezvous.  She’ll see it pop back up in her account.  And of course, thank you for getting me and Miss Dila off world too.”

“And Miss Shiana, did she make it?”

“No.”  Miss Priss put a hand to her face and cried.

Morgan felt his stomach sink.  Miss Priss said something unintelligible through her sobbing.  Morgan waited.

When she could speak well enough to be understood, Miss Priss said, “But not because of the attack.”

“What do you mean?”

Miss Priss heaved a deep breath.  “Before you came back to town, before the attack happened, Shiana’s body was found…behind Gullet’s.  She was murdered.”

Morgan shook his head.  “How?”

“Nobody saw it.  Nobody cares about people like us, sometimes.  I got a look at Shiana, I had to identify her.  It was some sort of blow to the back of her head.”

Words escaped Morgan.

Miss Priss breathed in to calm herself down.  “It’s…I know it isn’t your problem.  There are too many people out there in our line of work…It’s just…I guess I thought you and Jess should know.  It’s like…the last really good time we had was with you…”

Morgan leaned against the wall with his hand, put his head down and nodded.

“I somehow wish Dila and I were around with you two…I can’t lie, for safety as much as anything else.  I get scared, even though I know…I know the risks of what we do.  Sally’s Lucky Seven, she’s good, she’ll get us somewhere safe.  We’ll pick up the pieces.  Even though there won’t be anybody like Shiana.

“Maybe it’s me, Morgan, I’m used to rough people.  But I see it in you, I see that you care.  And you never know…somehow Jess, you and I will run into each other again.  Take care of yourself, and tell Jess I said the same to her.”

Morgan nodded again.

Miss Priss cut the line.

[Cainhurst Crow]

Vayne looked to the door with surprise as he stood up, not looking like he'd cleaned up at all from the mission, still in his armor even with all the dirt from duellos still on him. About the only thing gone was his helmet, still sitting on the floor of his shuttle.

 

He looked around curiously as he walked slowly in, givng morgan a nod as he moved to let him pass. "...I don't think I've ever been in this room." He commented as he looked about. He heard her comment about food, looking to the fridge curiously, "I'll pass, but thank you." he said, sounding a bit dull as he took a seat nearby, resting an arm on the table as his eyepatch side faced her, still looking about.

 

"You do this yourself?" he asked

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

In the Dilinaga Conference room, the four councilors met privately with only the Council Secretary present. The conference room was reconstructed after the Battle of the Citadel and restored to the condition it had since the Asari and Salarians first formed the Council. It is that old. The wooden conference room table was made from a tree from the jungles of Sur'Kesh, while the shape and wall art was Asari depicting the voyage of Matriarch Dilinaga leading the exodus to the stars. When the Turians arrived they added theirs depicting their first contact with the Volus and their arrival on the Citadel. The humans added art of their space program from Project Mercury to the first interstellar flight to discovery of the Mars archives and one depicting a partnership with the other three species on the Council.

 

Lead Councilor Tevos spoke first. "I received a report from Spectre Xanthe Remi concerning the situation on Duellos. It appears that another Spectre Deidrus Androkan assaulted an Asari military train using the Turian frigate Audron to drop troops, in this case mercenaries led by himself and other Turian military personnel, and caused it to lose its shipment of Silaris armor that was designated for Council Special Fleet. The Asari government has filed a protest against the Turians.

 

"Is it not bad enough that the planet was taken from the Systems Alliance for this project? Now you're fighting among yourselves for its resources?" Udina asked with anger.

 

"Spectre Androkan informed me that the armor was needed for his mission and that he tried to negotiate with Spectre Remi." Sparatus said.

 

"Why didn't Androkan contact The Council first?" Valern asked, "Where are they now?"

 

"Spectre Remi is aboard the Nefrane, and Spectre Androkan is still aboard the Audron." Tevos replied.

 

"Then summon both of them here," Udina said. "Heads are going to roll."

 

"Spectre Xanthe also informs me that she has two key witnesses aboard the freighter Zephyr, along with 9 refugees." Tevos said, "I shall issue an order for all three ships to arrive at The Citadel within the next 24 standard hours. Unless there are any objections, this meeting is adjourned."

[Redbelle]

Jess nodded. "Had help..... Anika..... She tore a hole in the wall letting out the seams and hit the coolent pipes. Good thing she was in armour or she'd have been a popsicle".

 

She looked down at where Vayne's feet were. "Mind Mr Bojangles. He tends to move around alot. Anika will want him back after....".

 

She had been about to say after she learned what had happened to their crew, but stopped. She had to focus on what she could do and not what she was powerless to prevent..... They were dead.

 

......

 

What was Oda's wife to be's name again?...... Gone. Something funny and exotic she remembered but trying to get her lip's to sound it out......

 

"Just so you know Vayne.... There is going to be alot of dead people when I find my ship. This isn't like the council races going to war. When I find my ship it's brutal, lethal efficiency. The Medusa is mine and I'm not interested in asking or talking about why or how..... I just want them dead. Bar any of my crew who might still be alive....". She added. Then swallowed as she realised what she had to do.

 

"I'll go through the crates..... later.....". Much much later. ".......and figure out if it's all or, if some are missing........".

 

Changethesubjectchangethesubjectchangethesubject.

 

"How'd the Asari on the ground go down? What happened after I hooked the straggler"?

[Cainhurst Crow]

Vayne listened as she spoke, nod saying a word or nodding, but clearly listening before he spoke.

 

"They surrendered, like Irina said they would..." Vayne said simply, eye closing as he recounted what happened, frowning occasionally, "I...went into a blood rage. Before that though...I became someone I used to be for a few minutes, left a bad taste in my mouth and set me off..." he said as he shock his head lightly, shaking out the useless memories.

 

"Things are a bit fuzzy, but those asari didn't seem to know the severity of what was going on. They were just guards, and we we're just robbers, and everything was so very simply and costless..." he said as he leaned back a bit, "Not that I blame them. This mission came barreling at them out of the blue, and they weren't even a part of it. Not until we made them one..." he said as he looked to captian stone.

 

"But I have a feeling that's not what you're interested to hear about..." vayne said as he leaned forward to look to jess, "You're likely looking for distractions. Things to focus your attention and, most likely, you're anger out on so it doesn't turn on the only other thing around..." he said as he pointed to his chest lightly, "In here...for things you had no control over, and things that had no right happening to you..."

 

"Wish I could tell you they were a bunch of wastes not deserving to live, and that they didn't deserve to live...but I;m not so sure." Vayne said with a shrug of his shoulders, "Doesn't matter though. There's something a bit more pressing on my mind at the moment. It's selfish but it's there..." he said as he turned his head, looking her eye to eye at last, and there was an understanding there.

 

"I think I know what you're going through...and all I can tell you is what helped me get through it..." he said as he let out a sigh, "Don't stop."

[Redbelle]

Jess's typing ceased... then she chuckled. "Just guards.... who lost their cargo....". She shook her head. "Either they'll be chewed out in private or paraded about in public.... or both....". She became very quiet then. "It.... hurt's.... It hurts alot. But I can't stop and grieve yet. I have an idea on how to show those four we captured just how much we hate them right now..... But..... it's not them I'm really mad at".

 

"I mean, I am angry with them and come the Citadel they'll wish they'd gone up with the train when I'm done. But it doesn't have to be that way..... They owe us. They owe us, the people who go missing from here on forth, and they owe their military for their screwup and I have Anika who knows more about proper soldiering than they do. Four commando's with a Last Action Hero fixation will prove handy if we ever get far enough into looking for the collectors. Anika can keep them in line. Show them how to use their heads before reaching for the final solution approach....". She tapped a few more key's and the work she'd been doing saved itself into her Omni-tool. "I'll go down there later. There's another prisoner I have to see... Maybe I can make those commando's see reason. If not"? She shrugged and tapped her Omni-tool. "Then it'll be revenge of an order of biblically galactic proportions". She gave a sardonic grin. "Revenge sure has a way of letting things come into perspective. Now then....". She cracked her knuckles and set about the terminal once more. "Let's see where you are my Medusa".

[Terca]

Elara was a good doctor and some might even say she was a great doctor. But she was most certainly not an easy doctor to be around. Especially if you had some form of contusion in the shape of a varren skull. Things like that were just baiting her. Eteon was hoping that Frank had nothing of the sort when she left him with the eccentric.

 

She made her way to the brig and retrieved the communications code from the guard on standby, memorizing it before incinerating the disposable tab it had been written on. She keyed it onto her omni-tool and sent a quick message which could be read by the commandos who were being kept in cells.

 

Commandos currently kept within the Audron. You are temporarily restrained to the brig however we will return you to Republic hands once we return to the Citadel. In that time I recommend you do not ****** of one Jess Silver or the Spectre on board as they can both be a bit high-strung. Your friend in medical is being treated for her injury and will be healed shortly.

 

That's all. Use your terminal to contact me should you have questions or concerns.

 

She sent the message off and balked a bit at its formality before thinking of where to head next. She wouldn't go speak with the Commandos just yet in person and Frank was going to be healing. That left the Aliens and the Commander. She was pretty sure one was going to be better conversation than the other. As long as they aren't talking about those crates. She shuddered a bit but was able to minimize it to a rolling of her shoulders. Some things you can't prepare for in Academies.

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Irina was really feeling out of it. Jess telling everyone she jumped down with the Asari, and didn’t know which side she was on. Crew and everyone on the ship glaring at her. She headed down to the brig.

 

“I’d like to see the Asari. Mira’s group if you don’t mind.” She told the guard.

 

The guard glared at her, opened the door to their cell. “You’ve got a visitor.” Then he turned to Irina. “I hope they tear you apart.”

 

“Well, f*ck me.” Irina said and turned to the Asari. “See? I tried to get the situation diffused without anyone getting killed, and look what happens. I might as well be in here. But Textbrain, why did you do it? Why did you blow the car? You could have gotten us all killed up there.”

 

“Orders, Irina. The way we rigged the explosives only the bottom of the car was going to blow out. Anyone on the top of the car was safe.” Mira said.

 

“Safe? I bloody fell!” Irina put her hand to her forehead.

 

 “Our job was to make sure that the cargo didn’t fall into enemy hands.” Mira replied.

 

“We weren’t the enemy, Textbrain,” Irina said, “We had sanction from a Council Spectre.”

 

“But we didn’t have clearance from our Council Spectre to let you have the cargo.” Mira said. “The fact that you had a Council Spectre, and the fact that you didn’t use lethal means, and also that you were there were the only reasons we didn’t use a lethal response. If he had Council approval why would he need to rob the train? He wouldn’t.”

 

“Again, I lost my bloody balance and fell. So did another. We could have died.” Irina said.

 

“We knew that two, maybe three of you would fall, but we’ve had extensive training maneuvering our grav chutes to catch fallers during rescue missions,” She said.

 

“When I heard your voices I didn’t want you guys to get hurt.” Irina said.

 

“Textbrain doesn’t get that sh*t, do you Textbrain?” Jenus said, “So tell me, Irina, why couldn’t he wait for Council approval?”

 

“I’m just a grunt, but I’ve heard rumors about entire human colonies disappearing. They think it’s Collectors doing it. And now this mess on Duellos with those things running around proves it, and that they’re doing more than just collecting.” Irina said.

 

“Man, that’s really f*cked,” Jenus said.

 

Irina continued. “Androkan said he tried negotiating with Xanthe, but Xanthe wouldn’t budge. So we ended up in a pissing contest between two Spectres. It’s their fault. And politicians don’t know sh*t from clay. But who ends up holding the shitcan? As usual, us grunts. Mark my words, Textbrain, you’re going down for that armor at the bottom of the canyon.”

 

 

“The Spectre will have my back.” Mira said.

 

“You really believe that?” Iole asked, “Man, you’re naïve. The higher ups f*ck with us all the time. We just do our jobs, and then they toss us aside when we’re no longer convenient. You were with us, Irina. We didn’t get the word to release that armor until after we blew the bottom of the car. Now it’s just wasted.”

 

“Yeah, you gotta help us, Irina. For old times,” Jenus said.

 

“Then you verify that I fell. I’m not going down for sabotaging a Spectre mission,” Irina said.

 

“I saw you go over.” Mira said.

 

“So you have my back?” Irina asked.

 

“Yes, I have your back,” Mira said.

 

“Then I have yours,” Irina replied, “I’d better get back to being glared at. I’m missing the cold stares, and then there’s the kid I rescued, Zenon. She probably got shipped out with the other refugees. That worries me. She needed stability.”

[Kel Riever]

Previously...( http://forum.bioware...res/?p=17001480 )

 

Cluster unknown, System unknown, aboard the Medusa

 

It had taken Jrudek some time to find the Captain’s cabin on board the Medusa. Iyana had called him to come long after the pirate ship’s capture, to work the helm and navigation systems with a series of settings she preferred.  That alone had taken him more time than he anticipated.  Travelling around the remodeled Medusa was both frightening and difficult, even for a batarian slaver such as himself.

Upon entering the cabin, Jrudek saw that it was apparently the only chamber in the ship that hadn’t been ‘converted’.  Iyana stood at an ornate table, with the contents of the sacked room piled on its surface.  The place was a wreck beyond that, with upholstery ripped and torn open, furniture flipped and split open, and wall panels opened and removed.

“I have set the automatic pilot to lock in onto the course you gave me when you command it to do so,” Jrudek reported. “As long as you are in range, you may activate it from your omni-tool.  Once set, security protocols will defend the autopilot and you will not be able to abort.”

“Excellent,” Iyana complimented, never taking her eyes off the table.  “Now help me find anything that is hidden in this room.”

Jrudek had to think what could possibly be left unsearched in the room.  Only the remaining wall panels came to mind, so he pulled out a utility kit from his belt and went over to a cluster of remaining panels.

“Palomine found a data cache hidden behind one of those panels,” Iyana continued.  “Well, I found it after Palomine was electrocuted when he tried to remove the panel.  That Jess Stone can be a very entertaining person with her defense systems and traps.”

That was Iyana’s way of warning Jrudek.  He made sure that his damping gloves were on.

“The cache has something on it regarding the Kings and Queens’ trading company,” Iyana spoke as if talking to Jrudek, but he knew she was really only talking to herself. “For a bucket, the Medusa is remarkably tripped out.  Luscious, being astoundingly incompetent, hasn’t helped me with any of it, however.  I need Garren to delve into the cache back on the Khukuri.”

Lifting one long, white leather boot, Iyana examined it analytically.  “Someone’s tall.”  She noted its make and speculated at why the footwear might be used.  “This is expensive.  The soles aren’t scuffed from normal wear.  Stone…likes to play in bed.  With someone tall.”

Rummaging through the pile, Iyana picked up a set of silvery, old-fashioned, handcuffs.  “How quaint.”  There was a box of loose credit chips for use in backwards worlds or amongst criminals.  She tossed it to the floor carelessly, spilling its contents.  A larger, black leather covered case was opened next, and Iyana pulled out what was undoubtedly a sex toy from the objects within its velvety interior.

Jrudek expected her to toss it away, or make some sort of derogatory comment regarding it.  If it had been someone else on the Khukuri, there were a few people who would have snagged it.  But the reaction from Iyana was nothing like he could have possibly anticipated.

Iyana stared at the toy, as if she didn’t understand it, even though Jrudek knew she was completely aware of what it was.  Her silence was palpable, and Jrudek felt as if every movement of his was creating intolerable sound, so he stopped moving.  For a minute, Iyana kept looking at the toy, and then she began a clicking in the back of her throat, steady, precise, and unnerving.  It was almost insect-like.

Whatever the sound was, Jrudek was no coward and the strange reaction gave him the creeps.

When Iyana spoke next, it was clear she was speaking to Jrudek, finally, though of what she said he could not understand, other than he was certain she spoke figuratively.

“This store men and women set on pleasure and pain, Jrudek, is the mark of the beast upon them, the mark of the beast from which they came.”

[Terca]

"Commander on deck." Announced the guard at the opening onto the bridge. Androkan was only a meter and a half away when the call was made but upon entering he was met with the rise of the people. He glanced around to find that instead of the guard, who he had thought was the one who announced his approach, it was the XO. He sent the man a questioning look to which the older Turian glanced away from.

 

"At ease, my arrival does not need to be punctuated." The comment was made with his normal authority and immediately the people on comms and navigation returned to work. Those on weapons were running diagnostics and systems modifications but were at ready as usual. He nodded his head in approval before taking his place to the side of the Galaxy map. He continued as if the pause hadn't been there. "We are mostly past formalities now." His voice was still formal despite the words though his voice was quieter. The Turians relaxed a bit, and he noted that. They had been on guard for some reason.

 

The brig was not the command deck and thus didn't have the same range of view but the many monitors which simulated windows did give a view of the shine of Relay travel before they came out into the openness of space. Almost immediately one of the comms monitors flashes with the council insignia for Spectres; the inner ring of the Citadel.

 

"Si-" The comms woman was about to finish before Deidrus cut her off.

 

"I know." He cut in. "Set us on a direct course for the next relay using FTL. The Council is expecting us."

[Cainhurst Crow]

Vayne let out a sigh and a nod, listening to her talk as he did.

 

"Did I ever tell you that I used to be a Captain?" Vayne asked simply, looking to jess as he spoke, "Used to being an optimal word for it, hell maybe even captain to. It was over 200 years ago, and we were just more or less a gang of marauding pricks, thought ourselves entitled to everything in the galaxy and looking to take it by force. But we were family, we looked out for one another, and we'd take a round for our fellow any day...then someone came along and took that all from me. Not brutal like what they did to you...but it cost me more then just a crew that day." He said as he pointed up to the eyepatch on his face.

 

"This is the part of the story I'd normally try and spin to make ya do the right thing. About how revenge doesn't help and it'll only make the pit worse...but I won't." Vayne said simply as he looked to her in the eye, "You, and your crew, deserve vengeance. Those people being harvested by collectors, deserve vengeance. The people suckered into the drowned aspire deserve vengeance...and I'll make damn well sure they get it, because that scale is one that deserves to be balanced."

 

"All I gotta ask you is this..." he said simply, head held down as he spoke, "Don't go unleashing your wrath on folks who wouldn't have had anything ta do with this circumstance aside...hold it in for those who deserve it. Those who are doing this deed...." he said as he closed his eye, "I carved a bloody path of vengeance from the attican to the terminus, from nassau to omega, and if there's one thing I regret...it's that I let things get too far, too damn fast..." he said as he looked to her again, pain in his voice as he spoke, but a determination as well.

 

"Don't stop remembering who actually did this...and don't go down the path I did...cause once you start lashing out at everyone and anyone who may have had a role to play...you won't be able to stop."

[Terca]

Eteon was walking down the hall to Jess' room when she caught the last sentence of Vayne's speech.

 

"Don't stop remembering who actually did this...and don't go down the path I did...cause once you start lashing out at everyone and anyone who may have had a role to play...you won't be able to stop."

 

It made her pause outside the door and lean against the connecting wall. So... They are thinking of vengeance? She couldn't say she was surprised since it looked like a number of Jess' crew was... Destroyed. Eteon supported that though the first part stuck with her a bit. 'Who actually did this'... So she was blaming the Asari for something. It made sense since Jess was horrified when the human had fallen down and was caught by one of the Commandos. She was out for blood instantaneously despite... I have no control over her actions. Eteon reminded herself. She was responsible for their wellbeing, not catering to their outbursts. Even if Eteon had been just as wiling to resort to violence she had restrained herself... Though that didn't mean at the time she was any less seething.

 

Either way... Killing Commandos isn't going to make this go away. But another form of punishment which was dressed as something else might work. We need biotics. We are completely swamped with tech but from our fight on Omega it seems that their chiton is strong enough to deal with most standard rounds. Biotics would work best and I can't do projectile work. The Commandos on the other hand.

 

The idea was stowed for now, pointless until they reached the Citadel. She stood against the wall thinking of vengeance for a short time, pondering the meaning in draining a life for other lives. She got nowhere.

[Cknarf]

I've got an eye on you, doc.

Frank saw her preparing something out of the corner of his eye.  He turned his head slightly.

"Hey commando-" He said softly.  "Tell your friend-"

Elara appeared beside him, with a large needle.

Dammit

She stuck him with out hesitation, a smile on her face.

"How bout a little warning next time?"  He frowned.  "What the hell did you just inject me with?"

"Just a little sedative, is all." She replied as she turned away.

Frank turned his head back to the commando.  "Tell her I said thanks." 

Even though she may be the one who blasted the train in the first place...

Elara's sedative began to kick in, his vision blurred.

"The one with...  with the... golden..."  He fell asleep before he could finish his sentence.

[Redbelle]

"Hmmph. For someone who wonder's if they might have in charge of a crew.... you still have the right words about you...... Vayne..... Some people take the role of captain as a job. For other's it a calling and you know which you are when you become one. Because for those called to it.... it ends, when you die". Reaching up she punched Vayne in his armoured shoulder. "You still got it".

 

Jess brought her fist down and sighed. "Fine... Maybe things have been to much. And maybe things piled on top of..... the crates.....". It was easier calling them crates than the remains of her crew. ".....I'll think about what you said. But Irina, because I know it's Irina we're both talking about, needs to make a choice".

 

"Either she's prepared to take us as her crewmates or she's not. I've had to shoot alot of people in my time. Mostly one's who had it coming. Some.... I didn't want to.... but they put themselves between me and my crews best interests and first and foremost.... it's the crew that matters. Because they need to trust you. I'll talk to her and put that in front of her..... Life is unfair sometimes and you have to make a hard choice on nothing but your gut..... And sometimes it's wrong. Bottom line. Before this I would have done whatever needed to be done to keep her out of harm's way because in a world of ships and crew, when it's a choice of them, or us, there is.... no choice. She tried to choose them and us both. It doesn't work like that".

 

"Compared to the galaxy, we're in a small, tiny speck of a metal box. Insignificant to the rest of the galaxy as a whole. Sometimes your radio goes down. Or your engines pack up. And all you have is the small group of people with you in the same boat hauling alone in the galactic night. Space is dangerous and it will try to kill you. And it won't notice you when it does. We're not meant to be able to survive out here. The only thing's we can count on is what we bring with us, and the people around us. I want to give Irina my trust.... It's up to her if she can grab it.....".

 

Jess trailed off. Her eye's crinkling slightly as if something was starting to come up to the surface...... Something she'd forgotten to do......

 

"HOLY CRAP"! Jess jerked herself off the couch and took two step's, narrowly avoiding Me Bojangles who had taken that moment to make a dash towards the cooker, and managed to keep from squashing him as she pirroeted and managed to keep from falling over as she darted into the next room.

 

"See! This is why I don't get to freak out"! Her muffled voice came from inside the bedroom as clothe's started flying out of it. "This is why I have to keep focused because if I forget.....".

 

"AHA"! She crowed and emerged from the other room, holding aloft a chip like it was a prized trophy. She dropped to the coffee table and rammed it home in the terminal's data slot and the terminal's screen went blank. Then encryption came up and asked Jess for a password.

 

"Bojangles"! Jess said before looking down and saw that the aformentioned was now next to her knee and climbing up. She picked him up and placed him on the table. "You, Mr.... are living dangerously". She called on her comm. "Aelias! I need you to link my terminal to the communciation satalites".

 

"What's so important you can't....".

 

"It's an encrypted singal going into a encrypted signal".

 

A pause. "I'm not supposed too.....".

 

"Aelias.... My people need to know about my ship".

 

"Your people? But your crew....".

 

Jess's stomach lurched but she had something focus on now. "The company I run with. If the ship's been taken they need to know". Silence on the comm rained and Jess nearly begged when Aelias sighed. "Fine. Connecting you now".

 

Jess's terminal blinked and it showed the signal bars in the green. She started searching for the right frequencies".

[Terca]

More bubbly words coming from Jess roused Eteon from her pointless thoughts. She pulled herself off the wall and walked to the door and pressed the call button to let whoever was in know they had a visitor. Vayne and her were in there at least. Morgan possibly.

 

Wait. This is a locked door. I could just jump through. She shrugged to herself and waited. It was more polite to not jump into someone's abode when they were doing something. She still wanted to chat though since most the Turians on the ship were on the quartz end of the hard-ass scale. While she waited for someone to come to the door (Eventually she would just hop through) she checked her messages. Turned out none of the Commandos had taken up her offer. Didn't surprise her in the least.

[Redbelle]

At last! She found one that pinged back a return signal and she tuned in, the encryption key's matched. Jess licked her lips and called in. "This is Captain Silver. Who am I addressing"?

 

There was a few clicks on the line as encryption ran, squirted the message into the network, delivered it, brought the response.....

 

"Silver hun? Hmm hmmmm this is Foxy baby".

 

Jess covered her face in her hands. Oh grud no.... Why'd it have to be HIM!!

 

"Captain Fox. The Medusa's been.....".

 

"Foxy baby honey! You know what I like to be called"!

 

Jess grit her teeth together and took a deep breath. Eying Vayne on the couch and spotting Eteon through the open doors. At least Morgan wasn't around to see this.

 

"Foxy.... baby....". She ground out. "This is Silver. The Medusa has been comprimised. Crew's dead and the ship's location isn't known. Get the message out to the other Kings and Queen's. They need to change all the security blocks in case whoever has it tries to.....".

 

"They took yoooour ship? Hmm Hmmmm honey that's soooo unlike you"! There came a large intake of breath and Fox continued. "Don't tell me....... The rumour's about you and the Spectre are true"?

 

"It's..... complicated".

 

"That he stole your heart and you ran off into the wide blue yonder? With a Turian lover who finally knew how to push your buttons"?

 

"YOU SHUT YOUR MOUTH"!!! Jess roared back at him.

 

"Huh..... Sounds like I hit a nerve".

 

Jess took a deep breath. "Look Fox...."!

 

"Foxy.....".

 

"Look Foxy baby, honey, sugar, sweetie..... I need you to tell the other's what I told you. They'll know what to do. I'm sending you a new encryption key. Give it to them. Get the Medusa off the network! Pull it's support and if you find it.... let me know".

 

"Anything for you sweetie".

[Kel Riever]

Morgan was so absorbed he barely noticed Eteon pass.

And apparently Eteon was so absorbed, she didn’t notice Morgan logging off the communication terminal in the hall outside Jess’ cabin.

The turian woman was staring at the door silently, apparently in thought.

Morgan went to the door and opened it.  He hadn’t locked it when he left to talk to Miss Priss.

“I think it’s safe to come in,” Morgan said to Eteon, “Or you’ll know it isn’t quickly.”  He stepped inside.

Jess was excited about something, apparently along the lines of taking care of her ship.  Vayne had done the trick, maybe, or simply throwing herself into the task had done it.

Morgan avoided looking at any of the people present directly.  He sat down on the far end of the couch doing his best to disappear in the action.  He didn’t want to tell Jess about Miss Shiana at the moment, and so kept to himself.

[Terca]

"Eh?" Eteon hadn't noticed Morgan at all but did follow him through the door into Jess' hold. Vayne was quiet while Jess looked to be getting off the comms. "Thank you." She said somewhat embarrassed though her stride didn't show it as she entered the cabin.

 

She sat herself down between Morgan and Jess. The former seemed to be a bit... Out of sorts with how quiet he was but then again she had only known him to be as such. So she leaned back and spoke to the room.

 

"So... What are we going to do at the Citadel?" Her voice was a bit airy to try and play as if the tension around their arrival there didn't exist. "Largest station in the galaxy and seat of the powers that be. There has to be something there we can do while the Spectres play politics."

[Redbelle]

"I know a great place called the Captain's Table....". Jess began..... Then stopped. "Never mind.... Look, I don't know what's waiting for us at the Citadel but.... I'd really rather not..... be there..... for long".

 

Jess looked at the other's in the room and then back at Eteon. "There's only one thing I can think of that would make me want to go to that place.... The reason you laid out when we first met. I want to know why you thought I was that Babylon girl.... And I want that data scrubbed. You saw the crates? Think what kind of risk the Spectre's are putting that family in now"!

 

Jess took a breath. "I don't appreciate having to look out for these folk to on top of my own people.... Look how well that went! I need Deidrus to call off whoever's slipping him his information. Then plant a boot in his backside and tell him to get his facts right before he start's throwing dead girls names around".