At his desk in his cabin, Jago keeps half an ear on the internal comms traffic while regarding the object in its stainless steel tray. Always changing in for and colour without rhyme or reason, undemanding and passive, for the most part, Jago had become rather fond of it and often held little one sided conversations with it, which it nothing else, helped him get his own thoughts in order. Whether he actually believed that it was a sentient being, or had the capacity to understand him, was still open to debate, and was occasionally the subject of such as Jago changed his mind on the matter as often as the object changed shape.

Right now, at the end of just such a one sided conversation, Jago had devised a plan of action.


“Conrad, thinking caps on. The Big Deal came out here three weeks ago looking for this wreck and got taken by pirates. The other day when we arrived, the Never Say Die was taken by pirates; you have the coordinates for that.”

“If it wasn’t the guys we have locked up in the state room, where are the culprits?”

“I know I’m making some assumptions here, but just go with it and do an analysis on that basis would you.”

Back aboard Profit Margin people move to go about their reguler duties, even though it's a little after one thirty in the morning.  Plenty of time for sleep, after the ship has moved out of potential danger.

Corlan returns to his cabin, where he will sleep, just as soon as the excitement wears off a little.  Dhakhingxuel is already asleep, her Vargr physiology forcing her to rest.  Shui has little in the way of duties to perform, though she did tell Saskia that she'd speak to Jago on the engineer's behalf.

Saskia, herself, is in her cabin, trying to avoid speaking to Jago on her own behalf.

Conrad is still working.  Before becoming a navigator on a commercial ship, he had put in some time with the Navy, and knows about long duty shifts.

Yas, having spoken to Conrad already, heads for her post, and pokes her head in on Tylen, just to see what's been happening with the prisoners, in her absence.

In his cabin, Jago makes some calls.

Shui, after leaving Saskia in her cabin, heads down to Jago's office.  She chimes the door upon arriving, waiting for a response.  After all, he could be busy.

She's willing to wait.  This is important - very much so.

"Well, now, based on what the prisoners told us, I don't reckon them other ships are in the system now." Conrad says, thoughtfully, moving Yas' search onto a side panel of his console, while he starts going over Jago's question.

"There most likely ain't enough traffic 'roun' here for a big operation, so I'd say they come in, play havoc for a while, then move along.  Either to find a new huntin' ground, or back to their home base.  Meanwhile, someone else takes over the operation here-abouts."

"In this here case, the new guys on the shift were the ones we caught.  Hey, maybe they were just' that - new guys.  I mean, they said they'd never done this before.  Maybe the new guys always get sent here, so they got less chance here of runnin' into somethin' they can't handle."

He chuckles, "'less'n' we're in the neighborhood, that is."

“OK, are you sure, I don’t want to claim the bounty for ‘ending the threat of piracy’ if there is still a predator in the system. Could you put together a package gun camera footage and any other ‘evidence’ we can present to the Heairach please, and include a plot of the Harpers Dream’s course.

“Come in,” he calls over his shoulder on hearing a knock at his door.

“Take a seat Shui, I’ll only be a second,” with a little grin and a wink to the medic, Jago thumbs the crew side intercom.

“Yasmin, the captain of this boat has to have a word with Dhakhingzue, is that me, or you?”

Shui slips into the room with a small bow for the Captain.  She settles herself comfortably in the chair to wait, giving him a nod in reply to his politeness.

Tylen suddenly remembers the prisoners and hurries to check on them once more. He returns to the compartment and opens the door, covering the room with his revolver.

"OK, all off you back against the wall with your hands where I can see 'em."

He says firmly, and waits for them to comply.

Yas chuckles as Tylen realises he has neglected his duty as a guard of the prisoners.  If it had been in the Service he would be facing severe reprimands, but here all he will get is potentially a bad conscience.

While he points his gun at the prisoners, she decides to reply to the skipper.

"Why, that would be me, of course.  Let's not shatter her illusions, shall we?" she replies jokingly and then adds, "I'll go talk to her once I am sure Tylen won't shoot anyone.  Anything in particular, or just an update on the situation?"

"Could you drop by and see me first please Yas, I want to run this by you in any case."

"So, Shui, how are things, what can I do for you," Jago asks, turning finaly towards his guest.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:40, Thu 06 Sept 2007.

"Sure thing.  Hey, Ty, try not to shoot all of them.  In fact, try not to shoot any of them," Yas replies, and then "advices" Tylen while still on the com, before she turns to head over to Jago's little office.

They may not buy it, the prisoners, but it might help to keep them calm and obedient, she figures.  But now it was time to see what the old man wanted.  Maybe time for another raise and promotion?

"Thank you, Captain Lanza," Shui replies.  "Things go reasonably well for me - in truth," she amends, "there was something about which I needed to speak to you regarding my own situation, but the pressing matter concerns Ms. Blake."

Shui leans forward slightly, steepling her fingers before her face.  "Ms. Blake is under extreme distress at the moment at the thought of investigating the other vessel.  Of course, she does not wish to disappoint you, and would never say so herself.  But I believe that to investigate the derelict would cause a sharp decline in her ability to maintain the Profit Margin."

Her frown deepens.  "In addition, Ms. Blake describes possible problems that may arise from her investigating the other ship.  While these issues may seem fantastical, I have seen sufficient medical impossibilities to give me respect when a professional speaks.  If Ms. Blake has concerns, then I do as well, beyond my worries for her state of mind."

She takes a deep breath.  "It is my professional reccomendation, as the ship's medical officer, that Ms. Blake not investigate the wreck."

Tylen checks the prisoners, who are just as much a bunch of villainous desperadoes as they ever were.  Which is to say, not very.  They all follow Tylen's instructions to the letter  when the gunner opens the door to check on them.  They appear to be behaving themselves, though they look less than ecstatic, as the full truth of their situation is starting to sink in...

Yas arrives at Jago's door to find it closed.

Inside, Shui and Jago are discussing Saskia, while the woman in question is in her own cabin, hoping that Shui can talk Jago into not letting her set foot off Profit Margin, at least while they are on this snowball.

On the Bridge, Conrad starts collating the sensor data, targeting information, and course data that he has regarding Harper's Dream.  He also starts putting together a file on the wreck, just in case.  As he works, the long range sensors show that Shata Lunoqi is still at Arkadia, while the three remaining Sword Worlds ships are moving out from the planet, all of them at about four gees.

“Well, of course, if she doesn’t want to go, she doesn’t need to. I’ve never maked anyone do stuff that they don’t want to. I must say though, that I’m a little disappointed that she didn’t feel able to tell me herself, after all this time I thought that we had a better understanding than that.”

“What about you and your situation?”

Rare as it is to find the door closed, Yas raps on it to let him know she is there and then waits.  Never know what is going on in there, and perhaps best to leave it at fiction rather than fact.

"Thank you Captain," Shui replies, relieved that Jago is the man she expected him to be - understanding.  "Truthfully, I had to work the reason for her fear from her.  Ms. Blake simply did not wish to disappoint you, and was balanced between going and risking herself and her ship, and refusing your request.  I merely made things easier for her."

"As for myself -"  there comes a knock at the door.  "-this will only take a moment, Captain.  Some issues of a personal nature have come up, and I'm afraid my presence is required elsewhere."  She sighs, full of regret.  The doctor had hoped that this ship would be the place for her, but....  "I fear that the next time we make planetfall, I will be forced to take passage elsewhere.  I apologize greatly for the inconvenience."

Jago’s eyes flick rapidly from Shui to the door where some one is waiting, and back to Shui. “I won’t try to stop you of course, but we’ll be sorry if you leave. We will have a proper talk before then, perhaps I can talk you out of it, or at least I can say goodbye properly.”

Jago smiles warmly then calls towards the door, “come in!”

"Certainly, Captain.  I look forward to it."  Shui rises with a small bow - the discussion is over the nonce.  She understands that completely; Jago will need time to think, time to consider his options, time to marshal arguments, should he have any.  And then there is the person at the door.  One cannot simply leave them in the hallway.

Her own smile is true as she steps back to the door, moving aside for whomever awaits without to come in at the Captain's call.

Having assured himself that the prisoners are still secure, Tylen locks them back in then heads towards the galley, for water and food. The Prisoners will have to be fed, despite their crimes. He selects a pack of rather bland and boring dehydrated meals that Jago must have bought cheap, that none of the crew really like, and sets about preparing them.

As she hears the call from inside, Yas opens the door and nearly runs into Sushi.  Something about their expressions gives her the impression that something is going on, question is what.  None of her business, unless it concerns her, and if so, Jago will no doubt enlighten her in a moment.

"Hey, Sushi, look good, as usual.  Hope I didn't interrupt, the boss asked for my presence, and when he says jump..." she tells the doctor and winks before moving past, into the room.

"You rang?" she asks Jago and leans down to support herself on the back of the chair, arms and legs straight.

"Thank you, Ms. Crow."  Shui offers another of her small smiles.  "No interruption, of course.  Excuse me."

She slips away, walking quickly down the hall to Saskia's room, where she chimes the door, waiting for for a response.

Placing the bowls of goop upon a tray, Tylen returned to the makeshift prison. He triggered the intercom before opening the door.

"OK people, you know the drill, back up against the far wall, facing away from the door please or you don't get your lunch!"

He gave them a few moments before opening the door, the tray in his right hand and a revolver in his left.

The prisoners look too tired to give Tylen any trouble. and gladly accept their bowls of instant sludge.  One of the men starts shovelling it down straight away, before he's even sat down again.  Between mouthfuls, he comments, "This is good.  Groat, isn't it?"

He genuinely seems to be enjoying it, as do the others, which perhaps says more for the quality of food they're used to, than for the quality of the food Tylen is giving them.

The door slides open, and Saskia is there, her hopeful smile fading a little as she sees Shui waiting outside.  She steps aside, allowing the other woman entry to the cabin.

"You've come to tell me that Jago insists that I have to go over there, haven't you?"

Tylen acknowledged the Pirates comments,

"Your guess is as good as mine pal."

He replied.

He waited until they had eaten, then collected the bowls and utensils.

"You look beat. I'll see if I can scare up some bedding and you can sack out."

He left, making sure the door was once again secure and alarmed and went in search of the Steward.

Shui immediately shakes her head - some people might consider now the time for a joke, and under other circumstances Shui might agree, but not now.  Saskia is on the edge of desperation.  "No, Ms. Blake."  She smiles, stepping into the cabin, letting the door shut, and places a hand on Saskia's forearm.  "Not at all.  To paraphrase, Captain Lanza told me that he certainly did not wish to force anyone to do something they found objectionable."

She smiles, relieved that she has been able to assist.  "He did, however, hope that in the future you would come to see him yourself.  I explained that I volunteered this, though, making certain he knew that you did not come to me, and did not ask."