Allowing the others to do the answering for her, Shui concentrates on getting them home.  If they need to go out again, so be it - she'll take their new passenger and whatever escort seems necessary.  But at the moment, she concentrates on patching up her earlier mistake by bringing the crew to its ship.

Saskia must be going into withdrawl by this point.

Fortunately Ash seems to be already planning the route to the older man's home, so if they do go out again, perhaps this little mishap can be avoided.  Almost there, her mind silently chants.  Almost there.

Somehow she manages to resist the enormous urge to speed up.

"Well, it's not much.  But it's important to me." Eneris explains, "Images of lost friends.  The only decent clothes I've got.  I live on this side of the checkpoint.  Don't have a fracking apartment, or anything like that.  Just live in an old storage locker near the far end of the docks."

He thinks for a moment, "I can ask your captain though.  Polite thing to do, and all that."


A few more minutes, and the air-raft veers onto an approach ramp, the far end of which is sealed by a heavy blast door bearing the lrgend, "Docking Bay 94".  Profit Margin lays on the other side of the door.  Home.

A brief pause while the entry code is keyed in, and then they are in the bay.  Looking at the ship.  Jago is sitting at the bottom of the ramp with Corlan DeSant.  The two men have a chess board set up on a crate between them.  Jago is down to his last three or four pieces, while Corlan has at least three times that left.

For some reason, Jago doesn't look confident.  As the air-raft pulls up, he stands, "Sorry Corlan, I've got some business to attend to.  Let's call this one a draw, shall we?  You've already beaten me twice in the last fifteen minutes.  A draw lets me preserve a little dignity."

Corlan chuckles, "Certainly, Captain.  But as the owner of a starship, you're hardly lacking in dignity."

Jago regards the people clambering out of the air-raft, "How did it go?  Any trouble?"

"No problems, Jago." Saskia confirms, choosing not to mention their slight diversion, after all, she wouldn't want Shui to lose her driving privileges over something so trivial, "Paperwork took a bit longer than expected because the cops were so busy, that's all."

She gives Jago an innocent smile, then gestures towards the stranger in their midst, "This is Eneris Armusezash.  Eneris, this is Captain Jago Lanza."

"Yep.  And the crowd din't riot at all, while the marines in battle dress were there." he adds laconically to Saskia's comments.   Climbing  down from the air raft he lets the shotgun dangle loosely in his hand as he asks after his gunnery partner.  "Any word from Yas yet?".

Shui grimaces at Jago's question, but does not contradict Saskia's version of events - the engineer is evidently being kind.  The doctor decides to corner the captain later to explain how she got them lost.

For now, the priority is the air-raft.  Settling it to the ground, the steward waits in the driver's seat for word whether or not she will be ferrying their new passenger to pick up his gear.  It only makes sense, and she can't see the captain denying the request...unless safety issues urge him otherwise.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:22, Tue 06 July 2010.

Jago studies Eneris briefly, but responds to Tylen's question before dealing with anything else, "She called in a while ago.  Said buying the suit was going to take a bit more time.  Funny, she never struck me as the type to get that interested in clothes shopping."

"Pleased to meat you, Mister Armusezash."  He extends a hand in greeting.  Then, "Corlan.  You'll be having some company for a bit, Eneris, here, will be occupying one of our passenger cabins for an extended time."

Eneris nods a greeting to Corlan, then asks Jago the question that's been occupying his mind, "Captain... I have some belongings I need to collect, holoimages and a change of clothes.  Physically it's not much, but it has sentimental attachments.  My place is about a klick from here, on the docks.  I need your permission to go and get my stuff."

Jago considers the request for a moment before replying, "Can you wait for a bit?  I still have crew out in the port, and I might need the air-raft in case she calls in.  Once she's back, you can go and fetch your stuff.  I promise we won't lift until you have it."

"Shui, leave the 'raft where it is for now.  It'll be going out again later anyway."

"For now, everybody grab a bite to eat.  Seems like it's been a long day.  I thought we could have a nice picnic down here under the bright... " he peers up at the bay roof, "... shiny grey metal sky.  Just for a change of scenery."

Ash nods to Jago, his expression does not betray the fact that everyone in the air-raft has likely seen the grey metal roof up close and personal.  He watches and waits for Shui to exit first, the tension from the last trip was readily apparent - and the return seemed no less stressful, if not in a different way.  So, he wants to make sure that their Doctor (and Steward) is no worse for the wear.  He gives Shui a crooked smile and offers her a hand up from her seat.

In the mean time, he leans over to Eneris to confer about locations and directions, briefly.

Then he stands and makes to follow the rest of the crew to Margin and, hopefully, a bit to eat.  Honestly, he hadn't realized how hungry he was.  It must have been all of the activity and tension.

"Of course, Captain Lanza." About to pull herself from the vehicle, Shui pauses at the sight of Ash's outstretched hand; with a small smile and a nod of the head, she takes it and levers herself free, dropping down to the tarmac and flexing her knees once. "Thank you, Mr. Tescali."  A small line appears between her brows for a moment.  "We still need to have a physical done," she reminds him.

Knowing his baseline could be critical for the upcoming months, if they're planning something risky.

At the Captain's 'suggestion' for everyone to eat, the Steward bobs her head and hurries inside, pausing at the hatchway.  "Mr. DeSant - I hope you left the captain with some of his dignity."  Following the greeting, she hurries for the galley, already calling up her memory of appropriate food to prepare for the various members of the crew.  One finger keys a holocontrol, linking her dataglove to the ship's intercom.  Shui makes certain to check the volume before speaking.

+ If there is something particular one desires for lunch, please let me know immediately. +

Saskia pats Eneris on the shoulder and gives him an encouraging smile.

"Jago?" she asks, "You have any preference which cabin you want Eneris in?  I was thinking Number 8.  That gives him and Corlan a bit of privacy, when the other cabins are empty, if they want it.  I could take him over there so he knows where it is."

"Eight sounds fine to me, Saskia." Jago responds, and then, as an afterthought, "Perhaps Corlan could help you.  He probably knows our passenger accommodation beter than we know it ourselves, what with the time he's spent living in it."

"I'd be glad to." Corlan DeSant replies, with a emphatic nod.  "Anything to help out."

As the various crew members head off to grab food, or show the new guest to his quarters, Jago is left standing alone in the bay.  He turns to watch as the last of his crew disappears into the ship, then turns his gaze upwards once more and clears his throat.

When he speaks, his voice is quiet, and tinged with anxiety...

"If there's anybody up there who keeps a special eye on tramp freighters, please don't let this turn out to be my stupidest decision of all time, including that one on Enaaka."

As Ash helps the doctor from her seat down to the ground and she mentions the physical, Ash nods in agreement, "Of course, Doctor.  At your earliest convenience."  He smiles a slightly crooked smile and then follows Shui onto the hanger floor and up the ramp.

Ash nods to Corlan, and then to Jago.  He asks off-hand, "Captain, have we settled on the destination for the next immediate stop?  Mirriam or System 728-907?  The astrogation calcuations are ready either way."  He waits for a moment for any answer, if there is any, and then moves up the ramp.

As for a lunch order, Ash has discovered that their Steward's choices are always much better than his.  So, he has stopped trying to specify anything; he has yet to be disappointed with anything that Shui has prepared.

"Hm?  What?  Oh, Mirriam, I reckon." Jago replies, after a brief distracted pause, "More people there than at 728-907, and a Navy facility in the system should reduce the chances of us running into trouble in space.  On the ground is another matter, what with no government and no law, but it might give Yas a chance to play with her new toy."

He ponders that for a moment, before adding, "Though with only about a thousand people on the whole planet, they've got plenty of room to run away from her.  Then again, she might enjoy the sport."

Inside the ship, Corlan and Saskia are showing Eneris to his quarters.  The veteran looks around the cabin, and finally nods, "It's nice.  Bunk looks comfy too.  Would've liked a window, mind."

Corlan smiles, "You have one.  Look."  He steps up to the wall control and shows how to call up a view of the outside world from the ship's external sensors.  "It's real time, and you can resize it to fill the whole wall if you want,  But I wouldn't recommend that.  I did it once and woke up as we were coming in for a landing one day.  For a minute I felt quite ill, and thought I was going to fall, until my brain started working properly."

"You can also set it to display pre-selected images.  Sometimes I use a  series of scenic views of my homeworld, Regina, to help me relax when I'm going to sleep.

"Thanks." Eneris responds, "That's impressive."

In the Crew Lounge, Shui prepares and serves a light meal, just to tide people over until dinner time.  Ash and Tylen collect their own food, and prepare back off the ship, for Jago's indoor picnic.

"You've got a shower over there, of course.  Water's recycled, obviously, but that's done by systems that I rebuilt, and I swear by my work.  Pure enough to drink." Saskia explains to Eneris, "But we keep drinking water in a separate cistern anyway."

She moves to the same control unit that Corlan had been demonstrating, "This set of sliders control environmentals.  Heat, light, air circulation."  The engineer taps each control in turn as she explains its function, "Gravitics.  You can vary gravity, in this cabin alone, plus or minus fifty percent compared to the rest of the ship.  We generally hold it to one standard G throughout the ship, but if you'd be more comfortable with something else in here, that's fine."

Tylen folds the stock on the shotgun and lets the short version ride comfortably on  its strap behind his back as he heads on board.  First stop is his cabin where he straps his gun belt around his waist, and checks each revolver to make sure that it is fully functional, fully loaded and secure in it holster.

For a moment he considers the Las Carbine, but decides to leave it where it is.  Trouble is more likely to come in the form  of a mob, rather than a concerted attack, and severe laser burns would likely be considered as 'going over the top'.  Anyway the sharp crack of a revolver discharge is more likely to slow someone down, that the almost silent buzz of a laser weapon.

Collecting his food Tylen nods his thanks towards Shui  "Anything else you want me to take down?" he asks before heading back outside.

Shui passes around the food to those who come to lunch, already mentally trying to work a schedule out for fitting in Ash's physical.  She's late with that - bothersome.  Worse still, she's only doing half her job; Saskia is doing the other half, getting their new 'guest' settled in.  Still, she knows the man better than the rest of them (a touch, but there it is) and is his 'contact' among them.  If she is happy to assist him, better that than a stranger.

She can fully introduce herself later.  And plan another physical, the doctor ruefully considers, doubting very much the older man will 'pass'.

At Tylen's question, she steps back to give the gunner a once-over.  Certainly he lives up to his position title.  "I think you are well-prepared, Mr. Ogresh," the steward replies with a slight smile.  "And thank you.  Beyond my bag -" nearly always at hand for the doctor "- I have nothing else, myself.  Now, we need only await our new guest."

"I was going to take mine down to Jago on the ramp." he says reminding Shui of the outdoor picnic that the captain had requested.  "I could always carry a plate for Jago, or a jug of coffee..." he adds hopefully.

I wonder what had been playing on  her mind ... he half asks himself  not that I'd mind ....  Nah ...  not on your own doorsteap ..... the half formed ideas shoot through his mind quickly, although his expression never changes from the polite smile it held earlier.

Shui blinks, her eyes widening.  "Oh, dear.  Thank you, Mr. Ogresh.  If you could be of assistance, I will certainly bring down some refreshments for Jago...and everyone else who cares to join him."  Flustered and flushing, the steward hurridly begins piling sandwiches and drinks on a pair of trays, mentally striving to sort out her priorities.  Thank goodness for Tylen and his reminder.

"I am afraid the drive appears to have...distracted me, Mr. Ogresh."  'Shaken up' might be a better turn of phrase - too long outside driving, the near-riot conditions, lost in near-riot conditions...  "I certainly have not been performing to expectations." She's babbling, and worse, that will sound like a fishing expedition for compliments.  Pausing, Shui closes her eyes, takes a deep breath and releases it, along with a chunk of tension.  "The situation on the station has me concerned," she admits, taking up one of the trays and waiting for him to grab the other.

"Hey, its all right." Tylen says taking the tray of sandwiches that she has left for him.  "Don't fret about it.  It was a hairy ride, but you drove good,  better than Yas would have done.  Last time she drove, we were hitting things left,  right and centre."  he says exaggerating the damage slightly in an attempt to make the steward doctor feel better about it.

"As for the situation on the station, none of us like it very much.." he pauses for a moment or two, "But some of us have more experience of this type of thing than others.  Hey, I bet Yas is in her element, suddenly 10 feet tall and almost unstoppable."  he adds with a grin  "And we will be away from  here, just as soon as Jago can get us all aboard and secured ..." he continues trying to assure Shui as they make their way back to the ramp  "We just need to get a big pot of coffee and we are all set."

"Mmmm," Shui thoughtfully agrees with Tylen.  "I suppose I could have done worse," she continues, unwilling to cast aspirations upon Yasmine's driving skills.  She glances up at the tall Scout.  "We arrived without serious incident, and no injuries among the crew - what more should I hope for?"

Her lips twitch slightly when the scout switches to discussion of the station and its woes.  "I fear my own experience with this sort of circumstances is -"

- very unpleasant -

"- nonexistent," the steward smoothly lies.  "I...dislike violence - you may have noticed."  A small, ironic laugh follows.  "And while I do not wish for you to have to resort to it, I am certainly pleased for your protection, Mr. Ogresh.  And that of Giant Yasmine," she adds, one eyebrow arching high at the image presented.

Frightening.

"I will be well pleased to put this chaos behind me, in exchange for the familiar bustle of our ship in transit."  Another glance up at the tall man, this time with a smile replacing her tension.  "Of course, one thing I can provide is the coffee."

"None of us like violence much." he says trying hard not to think of Yas, "But if there is any violence happening, I would rather we were doing it, rather than someone else doing it to us." Tylen says sagely as he sets the sandwiches down.  The smile has more to do with the thought of coffee than with the thought of violence, but may not be completely clear from his expression.

Shui places her own tray down next to the one Tylen has carried, and stares bleakly out over the landing field.  For a long moment, she remains silent, a stray breeze catching a lock of hair and teasing it loose.  With a slow, smooth gesture, the doctor brushes it back.

"I understand, Mr. Ogresh," she finally says, her voice nearly a whisper.  "I understand the desire to protect.  A worthwhile goal, far better than that of those who would do violence out of fear.  Or to take."  The breeze flows by again, dislodging the errant lock; her hand moves in response, still smoothly, but not slowly.  Caught, the hair is again returned to its place, and Shui glances up at the man standing beside her, her eyes blindly staring through him.

"Please forgive me, Mr. Ogresh, if I pray you will never have to kill to protect me."

She blinks, and her brows furrow as her gaze focuses.  "And I pray I will never have to treat a serious injury on you - there are enough scars as it is, and I hope to see no more.  You have enough for four men your age."  Her smile is weak but genuine, and gains strength by the moment.

"And fortuitous luck, I have here a carafe of freshly prepared coffee..."

"I never did a lot of praying." the tall man replies laconically, "Although I can agree with both of those sentiments." he continues as he reaches for a coffee.

"Praying helps, sometimes," Shui notes, taking a small sandwich for herself.  After a moment, she pours a half-cup of coffee.  "Of course, one often wonders to whom to pray.  I pray to the universe at large, not being of any particular denomination." She sniffs the coffee doubtfully.  A single taste of the bitter liquid, and her face screws up for an instant before smoothing.

"I must confess, I am in awe of the bravery of coffee drinkers."  Another sip; another similar reaction.  The Steward keys her dataglove, linking with the ship's intercom.

+ As the Captain requested a picnic, Mr. Ogresh and I have delivered.  The food is prepared and ready on the ramp. +

Outside, Jago is back in his chair, gazing at the parked air-raft.  His expression is one of deep contemplation (well, that or acute indigestion), and he doesn't seem to hear people returning until they are almost upon him.

"Ah... there you are." he says, shaking his head to clear the cobwebs, "Sorry, I was parsecs away.  Pull up a crate or something, and sit down.  I was thinking about the 'raft, and it occurred to me that it was aboard Profit Margin when I bought her, and probably for some time before that."

"Maybe now that the old girl has a few credits to her name, I should think about getting a new 'raft.  Maybe something with a demountable pintel for a weapon.  If we're going into places where people aren't always friendly, it could be useful to have something a bit more scary than bad language to keep them away.  The ship's guns are probably a bit too much for crowd control."

Eneris nods, and peers at the controls as they are explained to him, and then Shui's voice echoes around the cabin, "That's good.  I'm fracking famished.  Belly keeps asking if my throat's been slit."

"It can keep you on your toes." Tylen responds, half saluting the steward with his coffee cup, "But you get used to it."

But then he is distracted by Jago's comments.  "How about an enclosed one?" Tylen suggests contemplating the air raft "with smoke canisters or something?  That  would work for crowd control.  Or were you going all Yas on us and thinking of heavy machine guns?"  he says well aware that the Head of Security is away from the ship at the moment, and can't argue back.  "Or perhaps both?  Give us the best of both worlds." he concludes.