With the aid of the erstwhile pirates, the first group of cargo containers are secured in the hold, with no mishaps.  Harper's crew seem willing to do their share of the work, even if they have no real choice in the matter, and two of them prove to be particularly helpful in securing the salvage, indicating that they have some experience in this area.

Tylen's voice, distorted a little by the acoustics of a vaccsuit helmet, comes through clearly in the lounge, where the tea party continues.

"What's that?" Saskia wonders aloud.  She stands, looking towards the Bridge, then suggests, "Maybe I should get to Engineering.  Just in case."

Shui glances up as Saskia does, thin eyebrows drawing down.  "Not a warning alarm.  Why not remain seated, Ms. Blake?  I can have a look, see if I can puzzle out what the problem might be, and let you know if it requires any of your expertise."  The steward stands, replacing her tea on the table as she does, then heads to the door into the bridge.  "If it is anything more than reading a screen, that is...."

Jago’s scowl at being addressed as ‘Captain’ goes mostly un noticred behind the reflections on his face plate.

“Thank you Tylen. Everyone take an hour before heading out again.”

“Shui, the crew need refuelling, think you can organise something, don’t skimp on the ‘Harper’s’ people, they’ve earned their share.”

As he talks Jago closes the ramp and begins letting atmosphere back into the hold.

“Keep an eye on that gear everybody, look out for reactions to pressure or temperature rise, it’s been in sub zero vacuum for a long time.”
.

Atmosphere floods the hold, and water vapour condenses and freezes on the newly-loaded salvage, before starting to melt again, as the ship's systems work to bring the temperature up to something bearable for humans.

Banster's voice comes across the comms, "Jago, I've dropped the explosives off outside the Hound, for Jockram and Hegerich to look at.  They didn't kill me on the way back, so I'm guessing they're not too unstable"

"We have some heavy-duty mining cutters aboard... should make short work of that box.  Want me to fetch one over with me?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:22, Mon 04 Feb 2008.

Shui, staring down at Conrad's displays, blinks at Jago's request.  ++Understood...Mr. Lanza,++ she replies, catching herself in time.  ++I have further information,++ she continues, her eyes still on the small drama being played out on the screen before her.  ++Of the two Sword ships we have tracked, only one remains.  The other has been scuttled - thermonuclear charges, from what the sensors gather.  The second ship is moving off the elliptic of the system, on a rendezvous with the third Sword ship, the one lacking power and navigation.++  Presumably to do the same, Shui notes dispassionatly - a logical step for the soldiers aboard.

She shakes her head.

++We are well out of range of any threat from the destruction of Sword One,++ she finishes, moving back into the lounge.  Quickly, the Steward runs down the situation for Saskia and Yasmin as she moves to the food storage unit.  "And so, apparantly we have lost the chance to instigate an encounter between ourselves and the Sword ships," she finishes, keeping the relief out of her tone.  "Captain Lanza has requested I prepare a meal for our returning heroes as well."  Her eyebrow quirks.  "I can do so and continue to converse."

“That would be good Banster, we’ll be heading back in about an hour.”

“Thank you Shui, I’ll be through in a moment to take a look.”

Satisfied that all is well in the hold Jago waits for the pressure and temperature to come up before breaking the seals on his helmet.

“Good work everybody. You Harpers people will have to go back in your box for now but I’ll open up a second cabin for when you get back next time, as long as you continue to behave yourselves.”

“Tylen, would you do the honours please.”

That settled, Jago heads for the bridge, twisting off the suits gauntlets as he goes.

.

Tylen nodded,

"Will do boss."

He confirmed. He unscrewed his helmet, and motioned for the former Pirates to remove their own suits.

"Boss says you've earned a rest, which I reckon is fair. It's back to the lock up for you I'm afraid, but our good Doctor will rustle up some chow for you, probably better vittals than I managed earlier."

He smiled, but his hand remained close to the slung Carbine as he herded the prisoners back towards the makeshift Brig.

As Tylen escorts the prisoners back to the makeshift brig, Jago and Conrad make their way back into the crew lounge. where Shui is making a start on refreshments, while Yas and Saskia seem to be trying to hide something among the cushions on one of the couches...

The prisoners give Tylen no trouble whatsoever, and the one who had stayed behind because of his injured arm is sitting watching a documentary trivid, about Marine trainees at boot camp, when the door opens.

Corlan and Dhakhingzuel are in the passenger side lounge as Tylen passes through, going over Corlan's recordings of his field trip.  Both greet Tylen cheerfully as he makes his way back, having locked the pirates in again.

"Good day, Mister Orgesh."

The Vargr nods towards the locked cabin, with its reluctant occupants, "All good there?"

Conrad follows Jago through, removing his helmet and gauntlets as he goes.  With a smile to the ladies, he heads towards the bridge.

"Well now, let's take a look.  See what's goin' on out there."  He goes to his console, and starts making adjustments, muttering as he works.

A quick check reveals no Vargr trundling after Jago, so...  "Captain Lanza.  Mr. Dietz," Shui greets the two men, immediately turning to making their preferred drinks.  Coffee - hardly surprising around here.  "A pleasure to see you back aboard, safe and sound.  Hopefully the salvaging went well."

Jago’s regards Yasmin and Saskia through narrowed eyes but Shui deflects any questions with her greeting and he turns his gaze to her, “it went well thank you.”

“Are you trying to distract me from what those two are up to? I find I’m better off not knowing in most cases.”
.

Shui raises an eyebrow.  "Captain Lanza."  A small frown pulls down the corners of her mouth, totally unsupported by the amusement in her eyes.  "Are you suggesting I would not otherwise greet you in such a fashion?"  She turns back to the coffee, picking up Jago's mug and offering it to the Captain.  "I fear you seek subterfuge where none exists."

Truthful...while her greeting might distract Jago, she certainly had not planned it that way.

Tylen smiles,

"Hi to ya both. Yeah, the poor beggars seem happier in there than they were on their own boat."

He shakes his head,

"They were even grateful when I fed 'em the reconstituted goop that Jago stocks for emergencies. Man, you got to be really badly off to enjoy that stuff, it's worse than the survival rations in the Scouts."

Conrad gives a long, low whistle as he studies the sensor records for the last half hour, fast forwarded.  "Display time reference 235-1107 13:25 to 235-1107 13:35.  Playback speed times three.  Begin."

The computer follows Conrads instructions, then starts again as he commands, "Repeat."

This time, when it finishes, the Navigator changes his instructions, "Enhance Grid 32.4 by 17.6 by 12.1.  Repeat.  Step backwards, one minute intervals.  Begin."

After a couple of minutes, he hits the intercom stud, "Yas, Saskia?  Can y'all come on in here?  I need some opinions."
This message was last edited by the player at 16:35, Fri 15 Feb 2008.

Saskia is surprised when Conrad calls her, unsure why the man would want her advice on something.  If the ship had been in flight, she could have understood it, maybe.  But Profit Margin is sitting dirtside, (iceside, she corrects herself mentally) so it's not likely to be an engineering problem.

"I'm on my way." she replies.

Stepping through to the bridge, she asks, "What's the problem, Conrad?"

"They are cow-wards." Dhakhingzuel growls, glancing towards the brig door, "Their grat-it-tude will be because they live still, instead of being in Ounegsogh, the Hell of Cow-wards."

Corlsn chuckles at the Vargr, "I have tasted this ship's emergency rations, Dhakhingzuel.  They would be better off in a Vargr Hell."

She looks at her fellow passenger, and suddenly laughs, banging her palm, flat, on the table, "Then it is no more than they des-serve, yes?"

"Does the salvage operation go well, Mister Orgesh?" Corlan asks, politely.


On the crew side, Yas and Saskia head through to  talk to Conrad, leaving Jago and Shui alone in the Crew Lounge, for the moment.

Jago’s mouth curls into a quirky, sideways smile as he takes the coffee from Shui, “thanks,” he says taking a sip.

“You know I’m going to miss this when you’ve gone, I’ve never had a steward who makes coffee this good all of the time. I always get a decent Java but some people I’ve had could make it taste like dish water. Heck, with most of them I’ve resorted to making it myself when they wern't looking.”
.

Shui bows, a small fold from the waist.  When she straightens, she offers a small smile.  "You do me great honor, Captain Lanza," she returns, relieved to be able to offer him his proper title.  "My mother..."  Shui pauses, then cocks her head for a moment, her smile losing one of its sides.  "My mother taught me very well," she finishes, considering the man.

Embarassment touches her eyes.  "As for the matter of my leaving...I find myself in a peculiar situation, Captain.  I may have been overly hasty, premature in my decision, which puts us both in an awkward position."  For someone who carefully considers her every move, it is a mortifying admission.  "I find my situation has changed, somewhat.  Perhaps it is possible you have not yet filled my position aboard the ship?" she asks hopefully.  The question leaves a way out for Jago to refuse, should he so desire.

"Dren!  Those frelling fahrbot Swordies.  Fanatics, all of them."

Saskia studies the sensor data as it plays back on the monitor, and her face grows pale at what she sees, "They'd cut their own mivonks off, and eat them, raw, if they were ordered to."

A little more thought, and she calms down somewhat, "Makes me wonder what they thought they needed to hide that much."

"Yep, that's about what I figured too.  I guess they're up to somethin'." Conrad agrees with Saskia, "Well, not even countin' the whole declarin' war on their neighbors thing, obviously."

"Notice how they di'n't start to turn until they had themselves a confirmed kill though?  Wanted to be certain'd be my guess."

“Why Shui, I’d be delighted if you were able to stay with us, we all would.”

Jago beams happily, step forward to wrap Shui up in a big, old, friendly hug, but holds off at the last moment and lets his arms drop loosely into a slightly embarrassed silence.

“I’ll tell the others,” he says, “or would you rather?”

OOC
Sorry, thought I’d posted this ages ago.
.

Tylen turns to Corlan,

"Pretty much as expected on the Salvage front. It's a fairly mixed bag of stuff. If there's any serious profit to be made it will be in how Jago decides to market it. He's the trader of the outfit."

Tylen refrained from mentioning the explosives or the mysterious box in front of either of the passengers. What Jago information decided to release was up to him, and he trusted the Boss to make the best decision for everyone. Since the Vargr had technically chartered the ship there may be a share due to the Alien.

A small frown creases Shui's brow, and she cocks her head to the side for a moment.  Embarassment touches her cheeks - perhaps it is her own manner that puts the Captain off?  He stands before her, a forlorn figure, and she cannot let him continue to believe his feelings are unwelcome, nor their expression.

Stepping smoothly forward, she loops her arms around his neck and leans into him, cheek against his shoulder - for all of its delicacy, her hug is not an air-kissing A-frame, but a true continuation of his first, friendly reaction.  "Thank you, Captain Lanza," Shui whispers, giving him a gentle squeeze.  "I would be honored if you would let the others know."

How else to tell him how much the ship and crew have come to mean to her?

OOC - No problem, had that happen myself!  :D

"To be expected, I suppose.  If they had been engaging in piracy just before their mishap, they likely had little control over the cargo they were able to obtain." Corlan replies to the gunner, with a nod.

The retired businessman smiles, and continues, "Interesting though a visit to a genuine wrecked pirate vessel was, I must admit that I found the discovery that there are things capable of living, even on a desolate ice moon, such as this one, was the most fascinating part of the experience."