“Another medic wanting to quit,” Jago inclines his head wistfully towards the door once he’s sure that Shui is well out of earshot.

“OK, Dhakhingzuel. The guys that we picked up are not the ones who killed her brother. As far as I can work out they are well clear of the system by now and we have no means of trailing them so I guess we owe her a refund.”

“This wreck is probably the ship they went after, I was going to stick around and do a bit of salvage, but with those Swordies floating round the system it’s perhaps not wise so we’ll just take a few easily to move, high value items, and sell the location on to a salvage company.”

“There is a bounty on the Pirates here, but I’m reluctant to hand them over. They seem to be the victims rather than the perpetrators, though they could have handled it a lot better. Any way, we’ll go after that ship of theirs, turn it into an impressive pyrotechnic display, and hope that we can pick up the reward on the basis of that.”

“I’m kind of half hoping that we run into one of those sword ships on the way, but we’ll be hading back to Arkaida and I hope to make contact with the Shata Lunoqi to see if we can help in any way.”

“Practically, I’m thinking of eight hours down time, move the boxes, zap the Harper’s Dream then meet up with Shata Lunoqi. We’ll have to stand watches but I’ll do the first one and the Ore hand has proven to be an excellent watch dog.”

“I think that’s bought you up to speed, I’m sorry that we can’t avenge Dhakhingzuel’s brother but it’s just beyond our means.”

Saskia relaxes so much when Shui gives her the news that she actually staggers and has to steady herself against the wall.  "Thank you." she says quietly.

Then, a little louder, "Thank you.  You're a good friend, Shui.  I couldn't have given him a real explanation."

Yasmine would have won the Mr. Spock impression contest if she had been in one, as her eyebrow arches up in a perfect imitation of the to her unknown fictional character.

She glances at the door where Sushi is long gone and then shakes her head, turning back to Jago with a shrug.

"Clearly something does not agree with them.  We need a fighting doctor the next time!  Maybe that'll work out better, uh?" she says, sounding more unaffected than she really is.  Luckily Jago himself provides ample of distraction by switching subject.

"Yeah, these folks might be criminally stupid, or close to it, but not exactly hardened outlaws or even in the business on their own accord.  They've lost all they had except their lives, so they are better off than if they had refused, I suppose.  It's their lucky day they ran into us and not the cruiser, which brings me to an idea I have about that..."

"We'll hunt down their ship, of course, and then, I'll blast it with my plasma guns - leaving enough of it to allow any scout for future would-be pirates to easily pick up the radiation signature...  Then, we make a point of telling tall tales around nearby systems about how the Navy protecting this system, and how Arkadia kick not only Swordies but but blew away pirates as well.  No guarantee, but it would take pirates even more stupid than the lot we caught to try anything."

"We can also happen to mention that a Q-ship is left here to make sure they don't return - you know, looking like a regular trader, but packing a nasty surprise in the hold, be it a squadron of fighters or missile launchers taking up nearly the whole hold, with Marines living in the space not used.  I remember once, when I was on one of those, and...  Er, another time, perhaps..."

She grins at Jago and forces herself to change the subject, not wishing to bore him.

Then she leans forward and shakes a finger at him, but not in a lecturing fashion - more like getting another idea.  A bad sign, or...?

"You know, why not make sure we do meet a Swordie?  And not just any Swordie, but one linked to our guests?  They were to meet up with the freighter, remember, and hand over any cargo - so, let's pretend to be them.  We got the data we need in the crystals we retrieved; the codes that they were to send to identify themselves, and the system in which the meeting takes place.  If we get lucky we might even come across the pirates that did kill her brother.  Long shot, sure, but I'm sure she will see the issue before us, with the pirate gone from this system and all."

Shui smiles - she knew before that she made the right decision, but Saskia's reaction nails that home.  A tiny bit of effort for her, no more, but it means so much for the other woman.  Such is life.  "You are most welcome, Ms. Blake.  And I must thank you, as well, for allowing me to help."  It might sound ridiculous, but so many people in this universe refuse.  Pride, fear, any number of reasons.  How much better would things be if all people offered and accepted assistance?

"Your explanation was real, Ms. Blake," she continues, a touch more crisply.  "Jago would accept what others might not, coming from you - you have proved your worth to him, I think, and he is no fool.  There are more things in heaven and earth, Ms Blake, to paraphase, and Jago knows this."  She smiles again, and this time it lingers.  "Would you like something to drink?  I am about to make a meal for the crew and our guests."

Saskia glances at the chronometer on the wall above the door.  Two o'clock in the morning, Profit Margin time.  It's been a long day, and it's not over yet.  Not until she knows the ship is out of danger, and unlikely to be going anywhere in a hurry.

"Actually, I could do with something with plenty of caffeine in it."

With only three of Profit Margin's passenger staterooms occupied, Tylen has no problem finding bedding and mattress pads for the prisoners.  He leaves them discussing allocation of sleeping space.  They seem to be leaning towards letting the man with the broken arm have the bed, while the rest take spaces on the floor.

For vicious space-pirate scum, they seem to be very well behaved.

From his position in Ore Hound, now located about three hundred kilometres above Profit Margin, Banster discusses the situation with Conrad, and they set up a data link between their systems.  The two ships now effectively form a single sensor array, with a three hundred kilometre antenna.  Admittedly the resolution isn't great, but by cross-referencing the information they're receiving, they're able to gain some extra information about the three Sword World's ships.

Conrad watches the data flowing in from Ore Hound, then runs a program to correlate the stream from the other ship with their own.

When he has some figures to work with, he does some calculations, and hits the intercom stud to contact his captain.  "Sorry to interrupt y'all Jago, but I got some confirmation on Shata Lunoqi's playmates."

"Two of 'em have turned, and they're headin' this way.  One must be damaged though,  she's only makin' a touch over one gee.  The other's doin' better, but even so we've got us roun' 'bout seventy hours, that's seven-zero hours, 'fore she gets to the giant.  Plus whatever time it takes her to spot us and adjust her course.  The other'll be 'bout thirty hours after that."

A pause as he confirms some of his figures.  "The third ship's still got power, but  she's shut down her drives.  No idea why she'd do that, but she's on a course that'll take her up, an' way out of the ecliptic, so my guess'd be that she ain't doin' it voluntary-like.  Maybe makin' repairs or somethin'.  Sassy'd know better'n me."

"Looks like Shata Lunoqi mauled 'em, real good.  Remind me I owe Captain Giata a drink."

Jago smiles as Yasmin launches into her description of a propaganda war.

“I’ll make sure that you get a day or two shore leave before we go, you can tell people what you like, as long as it doesn’t interfere with our getting the prize money. Maybe we can even organize some official backing for the story if the authorities like the idea.”

Thoughts of seeking out the Swordie recruiting ship are met with a more serious expression, but Jago response is interrupted by the navigator’s announcement.

“Good work Conrad, I’ll be up there in a minuet or so.”

“I’ll consider your idea Yas, and let you know presently, meanwhile, go have a chat with Dhakhingzuel as we said, then get yourself some rest, we have a busy time ahead and I need you at your best. Better tell Dhakhingzuel that we will are probably in for a fight before we get her back to Arkadia,” he adds as he pulls himself to his feet and moves with her to the door.

"Well, then," Shui replies.  "Shall we adjourn to the galley?"  She really needs to be making those meals, and seeing to the 'guests'.  Crew and passengers take priority, of course, but their prisoners require food.

After holding the door for Saskia, she quickly heads for the Galley.

"Hey, trust me, it is far better if all of the crew do it.  I sure aren't going to run around everywhere alone to spread this," Yas says with a half serious grin, shaking her head slowly.  "Sure they'll like it.  They didn't have to deal with the 'vicious pirate scum', but they also won't have to have keep a post here or risk someone stumblign across any bits of the ship, screaming Naval Weapon.  Sure, it's the Navy, but even they know a good idea when they see one.  Well, most of the time..."

"As for the secret rendezvous, isn't that our objective here?  Plus, if we refuel before the meeting we can easily deal with the cargo ship and be gone before the rest knows what happen.  YOu can bet the Swordies will want to keep an eye on their system then, thus keeping at least a few troops busy elsewhere than on our side of the border, see," she explains further even as he leads her to the door.

"I'll talk to Dashing Fuel, don't you worry, boss.  Catch you later," she says in parting and waves a hand at him as she makes her way over to speak with the Vargr.

She spots Sushi in the hall and waves a hello to her as well.  On a hunch she calls out, "Hot cocoa!"

Then she moves on towards the passenger side where she nods to Tylen in passing.  "Anyone dead yet?"

Tylen grins,

"Not yet you bloodthirsty Jar-Head! Our guests seem pretty peaceful, almost civilised."

He shakes his head,

"Fear's a funny thing, faced with the same problem I'd've abandonded ship some place near an inhabited planet and sold my story to the News Feeds, mebbe made enough back to get me another ship. These guys let the Pirates control them with fear, made 'em do stuff they must 've hated."

He shakes his head again.

"Me?  Blood-thirsty?  It wasn't me who tried to blow them up, Ore-Hound," the Jar-Head replies with a crooked smirk.

"Yeah, you can say that again.  Me, being a jar-head, would have died resisting, or trying to escape or whatever.  But a lot of folks aren't that hard-headed, more like groats, easily herded.  Of course, those folks make poor pirates too, as we can see," she says, shaking her head at the thoughts that rushes through her head.

"Still, these are lucky, the boss wants to let them go once we're away.  Any why not, they've lost everything, including their self-respect I bet, so it's a second chance.  They've got to live with what they've done, and that's not always easy," she continues, as if unable to stop talking for once.  But the she grows a bit dark and shakes her head briskly.

"Nuff yappin', now.  I got to talk to our Vargr passenger.  Catch you later," she rounds off and raises a hand to him before stepping over to rap on the door of said passenger.

"Indeed, Ms. Crow," Shui replies to Yasmin's call.  She shrugs helplessly to Saskia.  "Always there is more, is there not?  I suspect it is the same with every position aboard a ship."  A small frown.  "Perhaps even moreso in engineering."

Entering the galley, Shui starts with coffee, then begins the work on the cocoa.  Not exactly a difficult set of tasks.

Yas hits the buzzer by the door of Dhakhingzuel's cabin, and... nothing happens.  Well, the buzzer sounds, but there is no response.  At least for several long seconds...

Then a sleepy-sounding voice issues from the speaker.  "Grrnohk zhadzugh khovarr tedz."  It seems to be badly slurred, but then again, who can tell with any of the Vargr languages?

There are no signs of life from the door of the Number 8 cabin, where (if Tylen is to be believed) the pirates are settling down for possibly the dullest slumber party in the entire history of Humaniti.  Corlan's door is closed, and the "Do not disturb" tell-tale is glowing a happy red.

That leaves Yas, and something which sounds almost exactly the way Ridge used to, about half way through his first evening in any port.  But with far less profanity, so far.


In the galley, Tylen finds Shui and Saskia preparing drinks.  As if by magic, Jago appears.  Actually, he's on his way to the Bridge, where Conrad is still comparing data with Ore Hound's sensors...

Saskia has, at least, the decency to blush scarlet when she spots Jago coming out of his cabin.  Not quite able to bring herself to look at him, she speaks up, her voice full of misery, "I'm sorry, Jago.  I just couldn't do it."

She tries to find something else to add.  Eventually she hits on, "We were just making coffee.  You want one?"

"This is your captain speaking, please open your door and let us talk, thank you," Yas says in her best regular-line announcement voice and raps another couple of knocks just to ensure the canine-oid that she is not dreaming; the captain is indeed knocking on her door.

“Yea, a coffee would be good,” Jago says, “and we’ll just forget about that other ship, I wouldn’t have asked if I’d realised how you felt. The idea was probably to ambitious anyway, we are going to raid the hulk for stuff that’s easy to move, then sell the location to a proper salvage company.”

Jago takes the coffee when it’s offered and cradles it in his hands where his unlit cigar sticks out between his fingers like the stalk on a cherry.

“We also have a couple of damaged Swordies heading this way,” he goes on, seeing that most of the crew are here, “I’m thinking about springing an ambush from behind this little snowball. I’m just on my way to talk it through with Conrad. Could you make him a coffee please Shui, I’ll take it through with me.”

“Any way, first order of business is that everyone gets some rest so, baring emergencies and necessary routines, you are all off duty for the next eight hours.”

"Ghazheutz'dak!" the voice replies, a little louder, and sounding somehow... crisper, as far as Yas can tell, considering that most Vargr words sound like a very angry animal, with a bad cold.

"One tsegk... ah... moment, Captain."  It's more like two moments, but the door opens, to reveal Dhakhingzuel dressed in loose fitting trousers, and a sleeveless shirt which she is still in the process of straightening.  The latter item appears to be backwards, and inside-out, unless Vargr generally have the labels in their clothes on the outside-front of the collar.

"I am sorry.  I sleeped."  Her fur, which usually lays smooth and flat, is distictly dishevelled, with tufts sticking out in all directions, both on her head, and on her exposed arms.  She is barefoot, her black claws scratching across the carpet as she shuffles back to admit the "Captain".

"Of course, Captain," Shui replies, busying herself with the cups but taking the time to throw a gratified look his way.  This is a fine ship, she considers, with fine people - Jago's treatment of Saskia is evidence of that fact.  But a whisper in her thoughts tells her she has been aboard long enough, she has left tracks across the stars for those on her trail.  Time to move on - for them, as much as for her.

It cetainly won't be easy, though.

The idea of an ambush, though, turns her stomach.  More dead, on either side.  She closes her eyes for a long moment, wishing she knew how to pray.

The coffee goes to Jago, served as he desires, and she turns back to preparing.  "I will require some rest, yes.  But before that, Captain, I wish to see to everyone, ensure they are well-fed and in fine enough condition, as well as verify the stability of the emergency suits."  She tries a smile, but it comes to her small, sad.  "I must also ensure the medbay is properly prepared."

“You go ahead Shui, you know what your doing.” Jago says, taking Conrad’s coffee and turning away towards the bridge, “and less of the ‘Captain’ please he adds as he disappears through the narrow passage, “try Jago, or Skipper, or Boss, or Pal, _{or Mate, or Wobble Belly, or Di……..}

“Shui made you a Coffee Conrad,” Jago says as he enters the Bridge and places it near by.

“Now tell me, have those swodies seen us yet, and is there any chance of slipping quietly behind this ice ball before they do?”

“Also, what about the Ore Hound, same two questions?”

"Sorry to disturb you, but I felt you wanted to know this," Yas says with a small smile and steps inside.  Closing the door she then begins to explain the situation to the Vargr, that these were not the guilty and that the guilty might get away - she can give no guarantees.  She also suggest her story to the Vargr, proposing that it will keep the incident that killed her brother from repeating, at least in this system.

In short, apart from posing as the captain, she tells the truth as it is.

"So, there you have it.  I will give you a full refund if you want," she suggests, since it was not much to start with, "but I promise you if it is within my power, I will find and stop the guilty.  Which reminds me, there are two Sword ships, damaged, heading this way.  In effect, they are the ones behind your brothers death, and we plan to make sure these two aren't allowed to limp home.  That is, you should be prepare for combat in a while."

"Coffee's good, thanks." Conrad accepts the mug with a grateful smile.  "If'n they've spotted us, they're not talkin' 'bout it none.  I'd guess they ain't, though.  We knew where they were at, mainly since they were throwin' a lot of power round over there.  They were runnin' their drives hot, throwin' tac nukes, an' firin' energy weapons.  Addin' to that, Captain Giata was usin' plenty of very harsh language over the comms."

"All made 'em kinda hard to miss."

Conrad takes a sip of coffee, "Now, we've been sittin' over here, quiet as rocks the whole time.  Ore Hound too.  Only been usin' minimal power on comms, passive sensors only."

"Not sure 'bout an ambush.  End of the day, they're warships.  Plus, we're sittin' purty far out from the gas giant, which is where they'll be headin', I reckon.  If'n it were me out there, I'd be lookin' to scoop some fuel, an' run for it."

Quietly Tylen cleaned the dishes and stowed them away. He had overheard the comments regarding the swordies, and he supported Jago in his plan to intercept the damaged craft. He poured himself a cup of the stewards excellent coffee and sat down. If they were to go into action again soon he wanted to be refreshed.

OOC - Somehow missed Tylen being in the lounge.

IC -

"That went well," Shui notes to Saskia.  She continues preparations, finally finishing the cocoa for Yasmin, then turns to Tylen.  "Mr. Ogresh.  Thank you for the dishes - am I to assume you have fed our guests?"

"Sure Doc, I issued them with some bedding and left 'em to it."

He shook his head,

"It looks like those guys have been living pretty close to the knuckle, they wolfed that reconstituted goop from the emergency stores like it was cordon bleu cooking. Fit's in with their story of being almost flat broke when they were coerced into piracy."

He sipped his coffee and smiled.

"Good Java Doc."