Ash glances at Jago and smiles sheepishly, "Sorry, Cap... Boss.  I'm having some problems applying the correct filtering algorithm."  He purses his lips, know that it is a lame excuse.  Especially given the timing and the critical nature of the problem.  And "Ah" escapes his lips as a rogue factor of two gets caught and squashed in this pass of the calculations.  He confidences somewhat restored, Ash puts the finishing touches on yet another attempt to clear up the sensor data (his seventh or so, by his count - but, really who is keeping track?) - this time a simple, third power spline with some biases for local temperature and energy gradients and some clipping thresholds.  "I think that I finally have it, C- ... sir." he lets the Captain know first.

Still, Ash closes his eyes for a moment and crosses his fingers as he applies another filtered pass over the streaming sensor data.  With the sensor feed looking much cleaner, he starts to push the stream onto the main tactical displays and to the other crew stations in the ship...

"I seeee yoooouuu," the Security Chief whispers triumphantly to herself as she distinguishes the potential hostile through all the remains of the Vargr ship.

"Fuzzy guns?" Shui's eyebrows shoot up.  "I am...unfamiliar with military weaponry and jargon." She tries to make some sense of that - was Yasmine deliberately nicknaming a weapon, as was her wont with people, or had Keryn misheard?  The steward finally gives up, unable to decipher the code.  "Yes...plenty of problems back on your old home.  Between the radiation and the violence, no place for a woman expecting a child."

The doctor rocks on her feet a moment, deep in consideration.  "Your pardon, Ms. Taylor."  Some people can be prickly, and Shui rarely goes by the 'begging forgiveness is easier than asking permission' aphorism.  "You do not seem completely convinced your situation is better.  Might I ask why, or if there is anything I might do to alleviate worries or discomfort?  If I am overstepping my boundaries, please, merely say so."

"Thank you." Jago says as the data starts to appear on the tactical display, significantly clearer.  After a few moments his expression grows puzzled.  "Odd... "  He leans forward and wipes his sleeve across the display, just in case there's dirt or something confusing the situation, "Okay, as far as I can tell, it's just sitting there.  It powered up, but doesn't seem to be doing anything else.  Well, apart from the fact that it just starting to scan us with active sensors."

"Oh, and it's bigger than us, but I don't recognise this profile."  He calls up the library functions, and starts the computer running a search for something that matches the information they have.  "Anybody got any ideas what might be going on?"


Keryn is silent for a moment, then spreads her hands helplessly, "I don't know.  Maybe I'm a bit homesick."

Shui closes her eyes for a moment.  Homesick - she can understand that.  These days, home is a long-lost memory, little more, but at the beginning it was oh, so very difficult, even considering what she left behind.

She moves a step closer, lowering her voice.  "Do you regret leaving?  I am certain that the problems we left behind will sort themselves out, and I can see to it that you find your way back."  Oh, she doubts very much that Jago will be able to just turn the ship around and revisit any time in the next year, but Shui has more than enough funds to pay for a ticket to bring Keryn home.  With her baby.

Tylen doesn’t stop to think deeply about the problem, instead he reels off a number of scenarios that occur to him in response to Jago’s question.

”Well …  a damaged power supply coming back on line might indicate the ship was hit in a fire fight.  Or it might just have been laying low running diagnostics.  Or in might be waiting in ambush for ‘friends’ of what ever was blown up – or it may be some sort of  system defence ship that wasn’t listed.   What ever it is, if it was me in a scout ship, I would have been laying low to see what happened.  But if I thought I was being scanned by someone else – I would certainly want to know a lot about the ship that was scanning me.  Things like whether they had missiles or other weapons locked on to me …..

"Sorry, Sir." Ash says with a furrowed brow, "I don't recognize ship type.  It's power fluctuations mean that it could have been damaged in the previous fight, I suppose - or it could be faking it."  He starts to scan the various comm channels for any hailing signals, "I'm not hearing any chatter on any of the public lines.  They are not being very open."

Ash glances at Jago, "Should I try to hail the ship in question?  Although they are not transmitting a Signal GK, they could be having problems and may need our help..."  He knows it is a very remote possibility, but still can't be completely discounted.  Hailing the unknown ship could destroy whatever advantage they might currently have, though.

Saskia has a theory.  "Automated defense platform, maybe?" she suggests.  "Park one near the J-Point and program it to watch for enemy ships.  Something comes through, and while it's still waking up after the emergence, the defence platform hits it."

Then she seems to have second thoughts, "Though I'd expect something like that to be much smaller than us, probably not much bigger than a turret, a simple sensor array and targeting system, power plant, and a small fuel tank."

Profit Margin continues to accelerate towards the planet, the computer helpfully warning Jago that he is not on the plotted course, and suggesting changes which would compensate for this.  Jago ignores its advice, prefering to stick to the course revision that he started using after the "mysterious stranger" had powered up.

Eventually the computer chirps, and technical readouts start to flow across the screens at the two bridge consoles.  Jago peers at the displayed specs.  "According to this it's an express boat tender.  Strange.  We aren't on an X-boat route, so why would the Scouts have a tender parked here?"

"No, I don't regret it." Keryn shakes her head emphatically, perhaps a little too much so, "No clue when the trouble there will be sorted out, and until it is, Frenzie wouldn't be safe.  It doesn't even need to be a deliberate attack, all it would take is for something to be accidentally damaged, in a riot or something, and people could get hurt."

"Sold it off?" the scout suggests "Or even in use by someone on   'detached service'?" he suggests as Jago identifies the potential enemy as an  Express Boat tender "Or maybe just doing a runner like us?" he adds as an after thought.  "Although there was enough military around Frenzie that all sorts of ad hoc x-boat routes could have been  invented." he adds dryly.

Ash's brow furrows for a moment as Jago solicits suggestions for the X-Boat Tenders presence in system.  He shrugs and notes over the crew commlink, "Tenders are generally not detached duty vehicles as far as I am aware.  Too specialized a vehicle with limited jump capabilities." A brief pause as he mentally collates the two or three most likely scenarios to himself, "I would wager that the tender is either an old, abandoned asset from a previously attempt of a new route.  Or a privately acquired commodity - though it specialized function still makes that seem unlikely - unless it was converted."

"In which case," Ash notes with slight smile on his face and only a touch of irony, "both Ms. Blake and Mr. Ogresh could be right.  It might be an old x-Boat Tender - one that was originally here tasked for a new route which got bypassed.  The asset was not transferred out of system, but acquired by the locals and converted to their very own weapons platform..."

"It would seem a waste, though." Ash notes to himself more than anyone else, "A rather expensive waste.  As Ms. Blake notes, there are much cheaper alternatives."

Shui sits down next to their passenger and lets out a sigh.  "Yes, all very logical reasons to be regret-less." She stares at the wall, giving Keryn her space from scrutiny while staying close for company.  "I have many logical reasons to not be 'home', myself.  I make sure to repeat them to myself from time to time to keep them in mind...."

She slides a quick glance at the girl.  "Home is still home.  It does not to matter how long I am away.  Nor the reasons.  Nor the things preventing my return.  It still holds a piece of me, and I remember...everything."

The good and the bad both, and there was plenty of each before she left.

"Do you ever feel that way?" she asks.  Quietly.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:41, Tue 12 Apr 2011.

Jago watches the displays as he starts to pull Profit Margin  back onto the plotted course, "Whatever it's doing, and for whatever reason, it's not following us.  I'm going to risk taking us down to our selected landing spot."  The captain scrutinizes the nav display, and overlays the image with realtime sensor data on their destination.

"I don't know.  I suppose I do, but I've only been away for about a week." Keryn replies, and then an announcement comes over the shipwide channel, interrupting anything further she plans on saying.

"Ladies and gentlemen, you'll probably be pleased to hear that our projected landing point is close to this world's equator and the weather looks good."

"I don't know much about weather, it wasn't really a big thing on Frenzie.  What do you think he means when he says, 'good'?"

Jago switches off the intercom and goes back to the crew-only channel, "Meanwhile, stay alert everybody.  Something doesn't feel right here."

It sounds to Shui like Keryn isn't certain at all what she's feeling.  There could be any number of reasons, and puzzling through them would begin to be an interrogation, something she expects neither Keryn nor herself desires.  Better to just let it go - hopefully the girl will be more at ease and able to confide in Shui when she sorts things out.

"Weather..." Shui ponders for a moment.  "I expect he means it will be sunny - no clouds to occlude the light - with little rain or wind.  And warm."  She smiles.  "The sort of weather in which one could actually be comfortable out atop the ship.  I should start thinking about appropriate attire for you."

Ash nods to the Captain when he gives the order to remain alert, "Aye, aye, boss."  Ash is sure that he has the same 'Friday the Thirteenth, Black cat' vibe from the situation that Jago is sensing.  It doesn't help that he feels that he has let the others down with his less than timely reaction speed in getting the sensor data filtered.   Precious seconds wasted, he chides himself, Seconds that may become all too important in the next few minutes.  Seconds that we could not really afford to lose...  A small plaintive sigh escapes his lips as all he can do is keep watch on the debris field and the ship that lies beyond.

Tylen swings his chair aimlessly as he sits watching the screens, alert for an sign of threat.

"Have you thought of asking them?" he suggests, although it might not be clear whether he is talking about the x-boat tender or the people who are supposed to be planet side.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:00, Mon 18 Apr 2011.

Jago consider's Tylen's suggestion for a moment, then responds, "I was really hoping to sneak in without being spotted.  Though if our friend there has spotted us, I suspect it's already sent a signal down to the planet about us."

He sighs, "Let's announce ourselves then, a nice low power transmission so we don't wake up everybody in the system, and see if somebody answers."

A moment later, and he is broadcasting a message, "This is the free trader Profit Margin, newly arrived from Frenzie, requesting traffic information."

He repeats the message twice, just for good measure, then mutters, "Will probably take them a while to answer.  With so few people living here, they probably don't have dedicated traffic control staff."

The ship edges back onto her proper course and resumes a more direct descent to the surface...

Keryn nods, "I don't have much with me in the way of clothes.  I packed pretty light, because I wanted to get to the docks quickly.  I thought I'd be able to buy more clothes on the ship."  She sighs, theatrically, and gives Shui a sheepish smile, "Stupid holodramas taught me everything I know about travelling!"

Ash continues to watch the boards, warily glancing back at the display with the debris field and the tentatively identified xBoat Tender on it.  As the continue to pull away from it, he relaxes visibly.  He figures that the more distance between the two ships, the more time the crew of the Profit Margin will have to react to whatever.

Focusing more on his displays with the primary communications channels, Ash notes to Jago, "I'm only reading the standard automated field transponder beacon, Si... er... Skipper."  Ash's brow furrows slightly, "A bit strange, given the circumstances - almost seems like no one is home...  I'm not hearing any in-system traffic or chatter either."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:16, Wed 20 Apr 2011.

"Not to worry, Ms. Taylor.  An easy mistake to make, you not having been aboard a ship before, but one reasonably easily rectified."  She hopes.  "We have clothing aboard - in various sizes -" certainly the three women are not identical "- and I should be able to find something."

One of her eyebrows crooks.  "I have some knowledge of sewing...laser sutures may be en vogue these days, but I have made do with more crude varients from time to time.  Once we find a space port, we will certainly take the time to outfit you.  Properly."  Her smile broadens.  "I would be most honored to accompany you shopping, and perhaps pick out a gift for you."

"Not that strange." Jago says, though he sounds far from convinced of it himself, "There's only a handful of people down there, maybe there really is nobody at the landing field just now.  This sort of place can't afford to employ somebody to sit about doing nothing all day.  They use a lot of automatics."

Time passes, a few minutes, and Jago announces over the crew channel, "We now have a clear line of sight between us and the bogey. So far it's made no hostile moves against us, other than powering up, and that's not really that hostile."

Keryn thanks Shui for the offer and reaches for the control which transforms one wall into a display screen.  A planet appears - swirls of white and grey cloud partly obscuring patterns of blue, green and brown.  "That's where we're going.  I pulled this from one of the ship's sensor feeds.  It's very colourful, isn't it?  Frenzie was all grey and brown."

Ash merely nods as Jago makes his rather stream of consciousness justification for why the system seems rather deserted despite all of the happenings in Frenzie and the news that must have reached this system as well, by now.  There isn't much to say, really - it is possible that the news was delayed getting here.  And that no one else has made it here from Frenzie yet.  Or that the natives aren't worried about much.  Or... well, something else is preoccupying their time.

When Jago notes that the Profit Margin and their contact near the jump point have clear LOS, Ash notes quietly and dutifully, "True, skipper.  Powering up is merely a prerequisite to doing something hostile..."  He realizes only too late that the crew comm line is still open and that he had not pressed the 'mute' button as he had wanted to.  Ash reddens; luckily, though only Jago can see him in that state.  Of course, he is sure that the others are well aware of his discomfort; it is readily apparent in his tone.  "Or... uh, something... um, friendly p-perhaps..." he stammers.

Tylen grinned at Ash's comments, although he didn't comment - deciding that Yas was senior and therefore had 'right of response' - if she wants it.  Anyway she enjoyed that sort of banter more than he did.

That said, It is Tylen's job, as a gunner,  to prepare as if everything in sight might be hostile - so he was aware of Line of Sight issues before Jago commented.  His weapon systems had the  potential target identified and locked some time previously, and were now tracking targeting probabilities and obstructions for him.  Exactly the same as any gunnery station aboard the X-Boat tender would be doing to Profit Margin.

However, that doesn't mean that the systems are completely focused on the potential target.  Other displays show scans of the area that show other vessels and highlight  anythat 'suddenly' appear on the scene - and they are set to be sensitive enough that they will spot small devices, such as missiles, powering up or moving as well.

Other parts of the display are running systems that might help detect debris, or even mines before they come close  enough to activate.  A separate section shows concentrations of communication activity, and there are other minor systems that display data about all sorts of strange things that might, sometimes, indicate a target.

While most systems have visual tell-tales, there are a couple with warning sounds as well and the sound systems are designed to superimpose those noises  over the comms and music channels to ensure that he doesn't miss them.

At the moment Tylen is listening to the Breezes movements of Calakinstein's Sea Symphonies.  These consist of light string music, combined with wave like rhythms, synthesised whale song with a woodwind counterpoint  to represent the breeze itself - he finds it relaxes him and bring back vague memories of his youth.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:30, Mon 25 Apr 2011.

"Worlds are so different, everywhere we go," Shui murmurs, taking a closer look.  "This one has oceans of water in which we can swim, breathable air, forests, earth, and clouds swirling above the landmass and water."  She taps a finger on her lips, thoughtfully. "I have seen brilliant emerald seas of gold and cyanide, atmospheres deep red with vaporized nitric acids and irons, 'forests' of slow-growing crystals, and deep blue clouds of boiling copper."

She waves a hand at the viewscreen.  "There is something about these ones, though, with these colours - they tug at my spirit, whispering of planets where we can set foot, breathe the air, run our fingers through the soil." Her smile deepens.  "They call out 'home'."

The eyes of the first gunner began to close in a blink.

"...clear line of sight..."


"We have a clear line of sight to the enemy.  They are still dormant.  Get out of here, now."

The voice of captain of the corvette carried down the corridor to where the two marines brought up the rear of the column.


"...no hostile moves..."


"Enemy powering up, Sir!"

A rush of adrenaline went through the young female marine and she glanced back at her squad mate.

"Punch it and keep an eye on them!"

The looks she got back from him told her all she needed to know.  Yes, what they did was wrong, yes, it did not matter, yes, he still loved her.

"Still no hostile moves, Sir!"


The eye reached their fully closed state and began to open again.

"...merely a prerequisite..."


"No, it is merely a prerequisite to join."

A couple of year ago, eighteen years old, joining the Marines against her parents wishes.  But she heard the call and could not resist.

They hardly spoke to her after that.

"They're powering up their main gun!  They're tracking us, Sir!"

"Evasive manoeuvres!  Everyone, hang on to something!"

The heart pounded in her chest and she tore her gaze from the man she loved.


"...something... um, friendly p-perhaps..."


"So what do you suggest?"

It had been a year since she asked him that and he had stammered his answer.

"Uh, I, eh, dunno.  Something, um, friendly...  Perhaps?"

They had gotten friendly indeed, cutting the sparring session short.

"Taking fire!"

The blast hit her from behind, sending her flying into her squad mates up ahead.  Buried deep within her back was shards of twisted metal.  The scars, external as well as internal, would never fully heal and she would never look upon her first love ever again.


Eyes wide open again, the head of security aboard the free trader Profit Margin scowled without really knowing why.

Home.  This is my home.  My family.

Her back gave her a shot of pain and she grunted silently, annoyed at the random thought that had entered her head.

"Still nothing." Jago reports, even though the absence of both enemy fire and any sign of contact with the surface is entirely obvious.  "No reason to change our plans just yet.  Everybody keep an eye on the other ship, just in case, at least until we hit atmosphere.  I don't think it's capable of carrying anything made for a decent orbital bombardment, so we should be safe with a few kilometres of atmosphere overhead."

"Home, to me, is... was... an airless rock." explains Keryn, "This is pretty, but I have no real idea what to expect.  I've seen images, and heard audio recordings, but that's it.  They don't tell you about temperatures and smells, and other things too, I suppose.  In theory I know what it's like down there, but I don't really know what it's like."

She smiles, "Hopefully it will be fun finding out, and nothing will eat me."