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[Kel Riever]

While the table was breaking up, Menos and Lauren following Sally up a deck to the bridge, most everyone seemed to go their own way.  Kamau was lost in thought, seeming to analyze the game.  Cadi was one who stayed in the common area, however.  She eyed what looked to be a makeshift workout area, and while the free weights were fastened in to prevent a spill, there was a pull-up bar that grabbed her attention.  Arcadia jumped up, and went at it with vigor.

Menos and Lauren were guided to the fore of the freighter, where the bridge was located.  It was rather spacious, if not a bit on the older side by design.  Navigation was done at a console, not some large holo station. With an initial designe for civilian use and atmospheric entry, there were large, shaped overhead windows with quite a view.  The colossal relay was well within sight, invoking a bit of intimidation as well as impressing as a modern miracle of travel. 

"Grab a seat wherever it's open," Sally offered.  "Just don't touch any buttons."

The travel through the Relay happened a half hour later, and provided all the spectacle anyone would imagine it could be.  On the other side of the jump, the Lucky 7 put on a serious speed burn; the Relay dumped out in the Xe Cha system and the ship had to travel to the adjacent Kyzil system.  Even to a layman, there was a sense that the freighter was fast, much faster than most. 

Sally pulled up a small viewscreen with Parasc data, including an image.  The planet looked pale, almost white.  "It's a tiny rock, less than half the size of Earth or Sur'Kesh, but with a slower rotation, a day more than double the length of either two home planets as well.  I would recommend at least a little sleep before we arrive.  We're landing just past dawn, and that means daylight for quite some time.  Most of the natives have adjusted to the longer cycle so expect the activity to be constant for an extended period.  I'd take breaks when you need; some people don't realize how tired they get until they're falling off their feet."

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

"Thanks for the warning, Sally," Lauren said as she set her clock on her omni-tool to notify her so she could keep to a 24 standard hour sleep schedule. "I don't want to get on that exam week schedule I was on at university. Grueling. You can start making mistakes on minor tasks and not notice. Then next thing you know you mess up something big. I don't want that to happen."

[TheMajonese]

"You're lucky that we haven't played this game to the end", Naomi said to her brother and sneered, while the rest of the team got up from the card table. "If we had, you would have lost within one or two rounds..."

 

"But I didn't, that's what matters", Chris replied with a wink at her, which caused his sister to cross her arms and let out an insulted grunt, then he stood up from the table as well. "Not sure about you but I'm going to bed now." He headed to the door before he suddenly stopped and turned around again. "Don't try to break anything, okay?"

 

When he left Naomi waited for a moment to make sure that he didn't come back, then she opened her omni-tool and impatiently checked for any messages but to her frustration, she hadn't recieved anything since the Lucky Seven left the Citadel. She closed her omni-tool, crossed her arms again and stared at the ceiling while trying to sort her chaotic thoughts; a pointless undertaking.

 

After a while, she glanced to Cadi and watched the blue-haired woman doing pull-ups. Although Naomi still tried to avoid her whenever possible, Cadi's tattoo caught her attention. She was curious what it depicted and Naomi didn't realize and didn't care that she was openly staring at Cadi.

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Lauren went to the lav and took care of her personal hygiene, and flossed her teeth then went to her bed. She watched Naomi doing pullups, and connected portable reading lamp to the bunk and took out a book to read. It was by one of the greats, Stephen King, titled The Stand. It was a real book made of real paper that she picked up in a retro bookshop on Earth. Since paper recycling had become cheap and clean electronic versions had fallen out of favor with among some people. She was one of them.

[Cainhurst Crow]

The jump between the relays was always an interesting sight to watch, and menos was surprised to see such large windows as he sat in his seat, not touching anything. He turned to watch Lauren depart, giving a sympathetic nod to the young woman and her woes of college exams. A few years out of university, and Menos still remembered the burning of his fingers on overheated terminals, staying up to complete his thesis doc.

 

He turned his attention to sally and the rest of the crew, not having much else to speak on, "So this world, Duellos. I take it its first settlers were human." He said, curious as to why they had developed the accents they had, and peculiar quarks they maintained.

[Kel Riever]

"Well, here's the story," Sally said as she leaned back, kicked her legs up on a console with a jingle of her spurs, and gave Menos the long yarn about the planet once known as Duellos, first settled by humans, then host to competing interests, including the asari who had a secret military production base there, and finally to the insane creatures that overran the surface, forcing a mass evacuation and a fleet of ships to commence an orbital bombardment.  "I ain't ashamed to be alive, but I miss that place.  It was close to my heart, with all its problems.  Truth is, there wasn't no fleet needed to glass over the town.  Just the Destiny Ascension.  I have a bit of a love/hate for that ship.  It's so nice.  But she'd be better off in quarian hands, if I don't say so myself."

~ ~ ~ ~

Arcadia stopped momentarily for the jump, and caught Naomi watching her out of the corner of her eye.  The unusual feeling of being self-conscious overcame her, then she became annoyed at herself for whatever caused that reaction.  After the jump was cleared, Cadi went back at the pull up bar, this time with more determination.  She went aggressively to one hand pull ups, something she could actually manage with her physique.

When Cadi was done, she grabbed a cloth nearby and rubbed the sweat off her face and arms.  She sat on a bench against the wall, catching her breath and while at first she didn't look towards Naomi, eventually her eyes wandered towards the woman.  When Cadi finally matched Naomi's stare with her own, quiet gaze, she kept silently looking.

[TheMajonese]

Naomi had no idea why Cadi did this aggressive workout, so she kept watching, both confused and curious. But when Cadi turned to her, she suddenly realized how unconcealed she was watching the blue-haired woman and her face turned slightly red. After what happened on the hotel's parking lot a few days ago, she couldn't help but feel ashamed whenever Cadi was looking at her.

 

Naomi quickly pretended to look around in the room as if her staring at Cadi had been a coincidence but it was obvious that this was just a poor attempt to hide her initial curiousity. Visibly nervous she rubbed her still bandaged arm.

[Kel Riever]

Arcadia tilted her head a bit.  No one else much was around, and no one would overhear a quiet conversation.  Only Lauren, whose cabin door was open and only if voices were raised.

"Go on," Arcadia invited.  "Ask me what you wish to know.  There is nothing I would hide from you."

[TheMajonese]

At first Naomi didn't say anything, she looked as if Cadi had yelled at her. For a moment, she pondered whether it was better to just leave this room without saying anything but decided that this would look even more awkwardly than it already did. Her curiosity was struggling with the fear of making a fool of herself again. She tried to break the silence by starting a harmless conversation.

 

"Not bad...the workout I mean. You seem quite...ahm...fit..." Naomi felt the heat in her face and stared at the ceiling as if she could find any help there. Then she tried to sound as relaxed as possible when she asked: "How are you doing?"

[Kel Riever]

"I'm worried, I will admit," Cadi answered.  She hesitated, concern in her face becoming clear about going on.  "I worry that I will say the wrong thing and drive you away.  And worried if I say nothing, I will do the same."

For the first time since they had spoken, Naomi could see there was an uncertainty in Cadi's eyes.  Her stare was passive, withdrawn, rather unthreatening in fact.  It was odd, coming from the blue, steely eyes that exuded confidence as far as anyone had seen.  

Cadi held herself steady at Naomi, however, as if she had resolved for herself to accept whatever Naomi would do next.

[TheMajonese]

Naomi turned to the blue-haired woman in disbelief. "Drive me away?", she repeated and let out a short, joyless laugh. "How could you drive me away? I was just...trying to talk to you like a normal person!" The initial shyness was suddenly replaced by an offended tone. After looking at Cadi for a second, Naomi turned away again as if she was trying to escape those blue eyes and sighed. "I know what you're thinking..." There now was a deep bitterness in her voice when she spoke. She turned back to Cadi, a weird smile and a frightening look on her face.

 

"Oh, look at her, that embarrassing freak with the green eyes who always acts like an idiot and keeps talking ghosts just to get attention...", Naomi said with an unnaturally high voice and didn't even try to be quiet, then she spoke normally again. "You think I'm crazy, right?" 

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Lauren heard the conversation between Cadi and Naomi. She hadn't been reading much but rather watching Cadi doing pullups. She put down her book, got out of her bed and walked over to the doorway.

 

"Oh, look at her, that embarrassing freak with the green eyes who always acts like an idiot and keeps talking ghosts just to get attention...", Naomi said with an unnaturally high voice and didn't even try to be quiet, then she spoke normally again. "You think I'm crazy, right?"

 

Lauren raised her eyebrow. "So Naomi, what do you think? Do you think you're crazy? Because you wouldn't say that if you didn't doubt your sanity, which probably means you're quite sane, at least according to the psychological books I've read. But it doesn't mean that something isn't bothering you."
 

[Kel Riever]

Cadi glanced towards Lauren when she spoke, then looked at Naomi with a regret in that stare.  

"I wasn't thinking that at all," Arcadia said.  "I'm sorry I left you with that impression.

Arcadia looked like she wanted to say more, but grabbed the cloth she'd wiped herself with instead, perhaps feeling that the moment had passed where she could speak.  Cadi glanced between Lauren and Naomi, headed into her cabin, and closed the door quietly behind her.  

In her room, Cadi leaned up against the wall, listening briefly.  Then, sure she'd made a mistake with Naomi that she was likely unable to fix, she lay down on her bed and tried to shut her eyes for any kind of rest she could get before they touched down.  As unlikely as that seemed with what was now on her mind.

[TheMajonese]

Naomi winced when she  heard Lauren's voice and turned to her, too surprised to actually speak. And when Cadi eventually left the room, Naomi decided to avoid any further talking. The only people who knew about what happened a few days ago were her brother and Cadi, and she wanted to make sure it stayed like that.

 

She tried to look harmless when she stood up and approached Lauren with a smile but her eyes were cold. "I got to say, you have a pretty face, Lauren..." Then Naomi lowered her voice a bit. "And if you want to keep it, you should forget about what you just heard. Got that?"

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Lauren didn't back down. She walked around Naomi. "Such hostility from someone who is supposed to be on the same team. You sound like a girl who ran with a gang threatening members of the team. Ditch the attitude with me because it doesn't work. It's not who you are, and you know it." she said and ended up face to face with Naomi when she finished the last words.

[TheMajonese]

For a second, Naomi wanted to grab her knife but instead she let out a snarl. With every word, Lauren managed to make make her even more angry and her feelings demanded to break out.

 

"It's not who I am?", she echoed in disbelief. "Seems you know a lot more about me than I do..." Even before the last word came out of her mouth, Naomi did a reckless headbutt, releasing all the frustration, pain and anger of the past weeks. She put so much more force into that sudden attack than necessary and felt a sharp pain in her forehead as well as her neck. She immediately realized that this was going too far but instead of looking after Lauren, she used one arm to shove the woman aside while covering her forehead with the other hand.

 

"Just get out of my way...!"

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Lauren's forehead was bleeding, and she was staggered for a second but regained her balance, her aura flared. It was on. She grabbed Naomi around her midsection and drove her back hard slamming her into the wall. "Do that again and I'll smear the walls with you!"

[Cknarf]

Kurik had been wandering a bit. Something about his assigned cabin didn't smell right, and he wasn't about to stick around for that stank.

 

"...and I'll smear the walls with you!"

 

He heard the tail end of somethin' going on. Sounded like the newest recruit had some beef with someone else.  He thought about going to investigate, but he really didn't feel like dealing any crazy Earth b*tches right now. He had enough of that at his last job.

 

"Nah." Kurik changed directions, and continued his walk in another direction.

[TheMajonese]

Naomi shook her head to get rid of the brief dizziness, the pain however remained. "Stop your empty threats and leave me alone...", she rasped and placed her left forearm in front of Lauren's throat and then used her whole body to push the other woman aside. Again she wanted to grab her knife, turn around and...Naomi stumbled towards the cabin of her and her brother as if she was trying to retreat to a safe place. She feared what could happen if this was going any longer and she lost control again...

 

"Just leave...!" This time her voice sounded almost pleading.

[Cainhurst Crow]

"Well, here's the story," Sally said as she leaned back, kicked her legs up on a console with a jingle of her spurs, and gave Menos the long yarn about the planet once known as Duellos, first settled by humans, then host to competing interests, including the asari who had a secret military production base there, and finally to the insane creatures that overran the surface, forcing a mass evacuation and a fleet of ships to commence an orbital bombardment.  "I ain't ashamed to be alive, but I miss that place.  It was close to my heart, with all its problems.  Truth is, there wasn't no fleet needed to glass over the town.  Just the Destiny Ascension.  I have a bit of a love/hate for that ship.  It's so nice.  But she'd be better off in quarian hands, if I don't say so myself."
 

 

"Wow, that's just...damn." Was all menos could say after hearing about the whole situation that unfolded on duellos. It was the type of thing you'd expect from an STG worse case scenario drill, in fact even more so. Most simulation didn't factor cult-created genetically augmented monsters into their planet glassing situations.

 

Hearing the comment though, made him raise a brow, "The Destiny Ascension? You really want that over-blown gun on thrusters?" He asked, not helping but to shake his head at that, "No offense to the asari, but that ships not exactly a good and balanced build." He'd been taught in the STG, how the destiny ascension was an example of psychological intimidation, and that like many other psychological intimidations, really amounted to nothing but a bad design spun as a good design.

 

After all, what kind of massive ship invested most of its resource into the massive fire power, and none into things like shields and thrusters.

[Kel Riever]

Sally shrugged and was about to answer, when a blinking red light went off on her console.  "What kind of stir is going on in the quarters?"  She sat up and moved to enlarge her display.

~ ~ ~ ~

 

When the hit against the wall caused both Lauren and Naomi to come to a split second stop, in the next split second, they each felt someone else’s hand on each of their wrists.

Both Naomi and Lauren, having more than a bit of military hand to hand training as Vanguards, had an idea of what was coming next, and an ‘Oh s**t’ moment in their minds when with so much attention on each other, they were unable to stop it.

Lauren was pulled way off balance, got dragged in a half circle, felt her arm twist and then she had to let herself be thrown to prevent herself from getting her wrist broken.  She went flying heels over head, through the door to her cabin, until she landed upside down in her bunk with a crash.

Naomi was also rocked off balance, unable to control herself, for the duration of the maneuver executed on Lauren.  She had the time to see that who was interceding was Arcadia.  Cadi had simply pulled off her olive fatigues, leaving her in her tank top and black panties for sleep, which she apparently had not had the briefest moment for as the escalation occurred so rapidly.  When she watched Lauren flying no less than five meters through the air in a near horizontal trajectory, the thought occurred to her too late that she was next.  Naomi was ten centimeters taller than Arcadia, but the steel blue eyes stared into her deeply as suddenly her height became a weapon against her.  She went onto Cadi’s shoulder, still flung around so much that she couldn’t counter, and then went soaring.

Chris, who was coming out his door with no hesitation, saw his sister head up, but arcing towards him with her back to him.  He caught her with a solid, “Ooomph!” and staggered back into his room from the velocity at which his sibling came.  Chris kept his feet, however, and had Naomi in his arms.

“Go to bed!” Arcadia gazed back and forth between Naomi and Lauren.  Neither was hurt at all, but the ease at which each had been manipulated was shocking for both.  Cadi did not look angry, but being half dressed did not take anything away from her deadly serious expression.  Presuming the affair to be over, but ready for anything, Arcadia straightened up.  “We all need a rest.”

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

Lauren glared at Naomi. "What's your problem? I just came in here to talk. You threaten me. You head butt me. This isn't over," she said and walked back to her quarters.

[Cainhurst Crow]

Menos stared at the spectacle in surprise as he saw the fight, and its breaking up. He looked to sally and sheepishly smiled, "Humans, am I right? Always a riot..." He said, giving a bit of a forced chuckle, which died quickly, "...we're not usually this bad, I swear."

[TheMajonese]

With a bad feeling, Chris closed the door of the twins' cabin and turned to his sister. When he saw the look on her face, he figured what happened, even without knowing the details.

 

 

 

For a few moments, everything was quiet, then the others could hear two voices, yelling at each other and getting increasingly louder as if they tried to drown the other voice, until all of a sudden, it became quiet again.

[Kel Riever]

The Lucky 7 finished its high velocity journey to Parasc ahead of schedule.  From a distance, the small planet seemed light tan in color, the victim of several crater strikes.  As the ship got closer, the color seemed less uniform, with patches of grey intermixed with the tan, and vast stretches of smoother terrain on the side of the heavenly body rotating into daylight.  Several, low orbit mini asteroids had to be avoided, and the trajectory for entry was more complicated than most approaches.

Menos was the only member of Stormhammer on the bridge when the entry to atmosphere was made, but the large windows gave an excellent view of everything.  There was little chatter between ground and ship, other than basic identification and confirmation of flight path.  One point Menos noted was the distinct lack of any cloud cover whatsoever; Parasc was devoid of water as well as life.  The Lucky 7 descended quickly until it was low to the surface, passing over a terrain that indeed appeared like salt flats, though they certainly weren't formed by any ancient ocean or perhaps had nothing to do with salt at all. 

Sally was enjoying the flight close to the surface.  "Low gravity world.  You're gonna feel like you can lift the world when you step off."

Com chatter picked up at that moment.  "Lucky 7, maintain your approach to Palladium Controls starport.  You are to put down in Bay Four, alongside the Koehler's Brigade transport.  The starport is open to atmosphere, so please prepare crew and passengers for appropriate attire on disembark."

"Affirmative Control," Sally replied, "Gonna need standard unload assistance, refuel, the works.  We've got one Stormhammer merc company aboard and a host of supplies to keep you going.  What's the contact for Stormhammer, so I can direct 'em to where they need to go."

"Saba V'Siliou will meet them when they disembark and will inform them of everything.  Let them know to bring all belongings for their travel from the star port, and again, remind them of proper environtmental attire."

"Will do, Control.  Sally out."

"All is one."

It took only another five minutes as the jagged foothills of a mountain range reached closer before the lit spires of landing guides could be seen.  The starport seemed shallow to the surface at first, then the approach revealed it had quite high walls, smooth, light grey and austere in their image.  The bays were slightly angled and rectangular, open to the sky with no shield.  As the Lucky 7 moved to make its touchdown, most of the port was lost out the window, but then a larger freighter came into view, adjacent to Sally's ship.  It was bulkier despite its atmospheric capability, orange-yellow in color, and had an emblem clearly visible on its side: a pair of crossed swords behind a modern helm, painted in gunmetal, but outlined in dark red.

There was the feeling of hydraulics catching the weight of the Lucky 7 on its skids and an immediate cycling of the ship's air.  "Last stop," Sally said cheerfully, "Everybody out!"