Jump Space is, as always, featureless and uneventful.  Which, considering how worrying and/or lethal events in Jump Space tend to be, is just the way everybody likes it.

The first evening in Jump had been quiet, and all looks set for the rest of the journey to pass that way.

The passengers, all of them, have been served their breakfast, and now it is the crew's turn.  In the crew lounge, Captain Jago Lanza, health conscious as always, studies the labelling on a package of vitamin enriched, high fibre cereal before setting it aside and and continuing with his usual fried breakfast accompanied by an industrial grade solvent thinly disguised as coffee.

He's in a good mood this morning.  His talk with Yas the previous evening had gone well.  Better than it might have, all things considered.

"So, just in case any of you don't know yet," he announces, "Yas has agreed to train everybody, including me, in basic self defence.  The hold is going to serve as a classroom  for this.  Shui, after breakfast, can you go over and ask if any of our passengers would like to be involved?  They get a choice."

Shui ensures the others have their breakfast - as always, she ate several hours ago, allowing her to serve first the passengers then the crew without any distraction.  Sighing, she offers Jago a pointed look and taps meaningfully on the cereal package before turning a doleful stare on his coffee.

Why he prefers that swill is beyond her.  There's perfectly good stuff prepared, smooth and flavourful from being made in a pristine pot.

The Steward continues her efficient work, clearing away empty plates and replacing them with full ones, stacking the dirtied objects neatly in the sink for soaking.  She keeps a surreptitious watch on Keryn Taylor, impressed by the girl's fortitude, already venturing outside of her cabin despite the massive weight of the unfamiliar gravity.  One eyebrow rises, though, when Captain Lanza offers up the latest news.  A flick of the wrist dispels the holofield around her dataglove - currently set on a minor surgical procedure and visible to her eyes alone due to the wonders of holographic focal length - and is preparing her appreciation for Jago beginning an exercise regime (it takes more than a class or two to become proficient in any kind of defense) when he finishes.

"They get a choice."

Her mouth clamps shut, and for a long moment Shui stares through the Captain.  Then her sunny smile returns with nearly double the wattage.  "Of course, Captain Lanza.  It seems a useful skill to learn.  I shall speak to the passengers after breakfast," she echoes.

Collectiong a few more plates (including Tylen's still-full mug of coffee), the Steward moves to the sink, letting her hands take over the chore of washing and drying.  Mindless in their focus, they snag the nearby coffeepot, still steaming and half-full, and dump its contents into the recycler before beginning the process of cleaning the machine and preparing another pot.  All the while, Shui stares holes through the bulkhead, her stomach knotted, her brow suddenly cold with a patter of perspiration, her mind spinning in circles.

WhatdoIdowhatdoIdowhatdoIdo?

Lie?

Ridiculous.  She could no more lie to these people than she could shoot them.

But what, then?
This message was last edited by the player at 01:11, Wed 12 Jan 2011.

Yas puts a hand on Sushi's shoulder and asks, "What's on your mind, doc?"

She hopes that it is not the surgery, with the doctor part of Sushi claiming it is a simple deal.  But then, few things in life are simple and there is no such thing as a surgery without risks.  It is, however, always less risky than getting in the way of shrapnel.

Having made sure Teryn is fine she returned to have her breakfast when she noted the expression on the doctor's face, spurring her to initiate this inquiry.

"If you don't mind me asking," she adds and smiles slightly.

Shui's hands still their movement when Yasmine touches her shoulder.  For a heartbeat she stares blankly at the wall, then blinks away her fugue-state.  When she turns her head toward Yasmine, her smile is as bright as always, if a touch strained.  "Apologies, Yasmine...perhaps you might be able to assist me, I have some questions before I approach the passengers."

It's a dodge, but close enough to the conversation it might not seem as such.

"What do you plan to teach in these classes?"  She cocks her head slightly, considering - behind her smile, her mind races.  "Basic strikes for know-how, placement of such, avoidance strategies, one or two practical techniques?  Will there be contact, resistance training?  Use of weapons?"   With an effort, she keeps the questions slow and deliberate.

No foolish babbling, Shui.

A furrow appears between her thin brows.  Panic has subsided (for the moment) with thought, and now the doctor begins to consider other issues.  "And...your surgery.  How will we schedule that if you must teach classes?"

Saskia is happily eating her usual breakfast - toast and a marmalade made of some sort of fruit, whose name escapes her.  And coffee of course, just like Jago.  Except that she wouldn't touch the sludge that Jago drinks.  She's seen the pitting on the spoon.

Then Jago makes his announcement.

"Wait.  What?  You want us to learn to defend ourselves?  Isn't that why we have Yas and Tylen?"

The Navy had, naturally, given her some basic training when she joined up.  But that was years ago.  When she transferred to Engineering she found that she had far more important things to do with her hands than hurting people.  And that the most efficient martial art is an orbital bombardment.

"Do we have a choice too?" she asks, her voice quiet and forlorn.

"Apologies?  What for?" Yas asks but then waves a hand, "Ah, never mind, I'm just going to show some basic things, nothing fancy.  How to break away if someone grabs you, good spots to attack if all else fails and such.  Contact will probably be needed for some of the stuff, but I'll be the dummy in those cases.  No weapons, but tips about such, improvised ones," Yas says, and watches Sushi's face with inteest.

"So, no, the surgery won't stop me.  It'll just be good-to-know stuff in case the first strategy fails - the get the heck outta there," she continues on a bit further and glances over at Sassy.

"No you don't," she answers and chuckles.

Tylen shrugs at the announcement that he is to do self defence training, if nothing else it would pass the time away while there were in jump.

While he had been given some very basic self defence training n the scouts it was nothing really to write home about.  Thinking back he remembered the lessons, he had always been better at dodging out of the way of physical contact rather than getting caught up in  a toe to toe fight.  He hadn't been strong enough to break holds easily, and since the accident he ran out of breath way too quickly for a real fight.

Tylen goes to dunk his pancake in his coffee, then frowns as he realises that his mug is missing.  Left with a dry pancake in his hand, Tylen takes  a small bite and the starts chewing, although the look on his face shows it isn't exactly to his taste.  Shooting Shui a confused look he asks "What happened to the coffee?"

Then he takes another, uncharacteristically,  small bite from his pancake as he waits for her the stewards response.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:00, Thu 13 Jan 2011.

Shui slowly nods along with Yasmine's description of activities.  Of course they will need some training to allow for basic strikes - most peoples' knowledge of how to even throw a simple punch was woeful - and repetative practice, but it seems as if the class would be...safe.  For her.  She hopes.  Numerous emotions flicker across her face - concern, distaste, agreement, a hint of nausea, and, curiously enough, a touch of interest.

When Yasmine finishes, the Steward purses her lips thoughtfully.  "A well-rounded curriculum.  Thank you for the explanation."  Her tone is a touch wooden, with all that rampages through her head, but her weak smile is genuine.

At Saskia's despairing query, she turns a commiserating look on the engineer - sadly, Yasmine's reply confirms the mandatory nature of this course.  "A short course only, Ms. Blake," she reiterates, hoping it might mitigate some of Saskia's misery.  Then Tylen's grievence registers.  Coffee?  She looks down at the sink, recognizing the gunner's mug instantly.  "Oh!  Mr. Orgesh, that was my fault."  Wash-rinse, and dry a moment later fixes half that problem, but there's nothing that can be done to speed up the machine.  Vexed with herself, Shui bites her lip.  "My deepest apologies, Mr. Ogresh.  I will have another cup for you, momentarily."

It's not hard to see the man is less-than-satisfied with the lack of beverage.  Embarrassed, Shui glances around the table to ensure she hasn't stolen from anyone else.

"That's all right." Tylen says with a bit of a smile.  "I thought you looked a bit distracted." he continues  looking across at the steward.

After a moments  thought he adds, "I am sure that Yas won't let you get hurt though." he says reaching across the table for some  syrup for his pancake.