She looked at the kid "Kid...I am just a shuttle pilot, but I've shot Vampics, Aqrans, and a few other things.  But you know what my first job was?  Tech Mechanic" She looked at him a moment "Go in as a cook.  Then practice and study, test, retest, practice more the....If you get good or lucky, or both, then you'll be a bad ass pilot to reckon with" she hoped he'd take the advice.  She could see the item Teela was looking at and picked it up off the counter.  She began looking over it carefully....very carefully.

"You try and fire that Sanri blaster at a Demon all you'll do is knock yourself silly and then the Demon will eat you. Alive. You'll be alive as it starts eating your liver." She ejected the magazine from her Vampic pistol before pulling it partially out of the holster and ejected the round in the chamber. She worked the slide a few times to verify it was unloaded and held it up with the slide locked back.

"Want to kill a demon? This will do it. The metal poisons them so put a few rounds in one and it will drop, fast and hard. Leave the Sanri blaster to the Sanri. Besides as a pilot you don't want to be put in a position of being on the ground shooting because that means you've been shot down and this," she pointed to her Blue Max, "doesn't make you immune to getting downed."

She quickly reloaded her sidearm and holstered it. "Stick with something that won't do that." She pushed at the bruise on his head.

 The   kid  winced,..i wonder if  i could get on the Hermes.. as a Civie..ya know?.. and then  work into the  crew  from there?.. do they do that?

Nikki shrigged.  She didn't know, she knew there were some civvies, but they were working to get from point A to point B.  She then glanced to Teela and Harry.  "You two have been aboard longer than I have"

Smiling as she posed for a couple of pictures with the kid, Harry would idly wonder how she'd managed to find herself back in the limelight again after spending so much of her early years desperately trying to outrun it. Then again at least she wasn't being chased and stalked by paparazzi looking take pictures of her doing something foolish this time around.

As the conversation turned back to that of the kids enlistment and the infamous Sanri blaster, Harry would offer Nikki an unsure look as she was asked whether the kid could sign on as a civie on the Hermes in order to enlist "hmm I don't know...I've never heard of a civie enlisting whilst on the Hermes...I mean there's a militia but..." gently biting her bottom lip in thought Harry would give the idea a bit of thought before cautiously venturing a suggestion "you have technical skills right? You could always sign on as ground crew, I know it's not combat but Rivets may be willing to take on an apprentice as he's been low on numbers since the Matterhorn" she said, though a lot of it would be down to whether Rivets would be willing to take him on "...once you've got some weapons training you may be able to transfer to SEC if that's what you want to do, though those guys are more impressed by marksmanship than firepower if you get my drift" in other words forget the damn blaster, buy a rifle and learn to shoot!

  The  kid  Nodded  rapidly  as each of the women spoke,..do you think you could get me  on the Hermes  to talk to them... I  mean.. I know  i could go through a recruiter... but i might  end up on  the Argo or something?...  I'd  really like to get on the Hermes?..  I eman?.. what's the worst that can happen?   If the CAptain says no?.. then ..i have to go the recruiter  route ?

 Sammy    rubbed the top of his  head, with his top left arm as he  listened to the Kid.


 ..right now?.. You'd be doign us a favor, getting him out of here...before he decides to try a plasma  weapon...

 ..You have plasma here!

 The  fellow   just shook his head,plasma is  illegal  kid.. at least for the ESN...

"Steady on there, if we just walked you onto the Hermes SEC would have our guts for garters" Harry said throwing up up hers hands in a manner that signalled for the kid to cool his jets before throwing the shopkeeper a look that told him that under no circumstances was he let this kid near plasma "look, I'll tell you what I'll do...I'll put a call through to Captain Rivets and see if he's happy to meet you on the docks or something for a chat, if he says no then I'm afraid that is it" she said, not wanting to get the kids hopes up that they'd get him a spot on the Hermes or that Rivets would even be interested in meeting him.

Leaving the kid with Nikki and Teela, who both had the their heads bowed over something that the Angel had found, Harry would move down to the back of the store before sending a comms call to Morris' Shed "Hi, this is Ensign Lynch is Captain Rivets around? As I'd like to ask him something"

  Captain Morris  sighed as he looked at the COM, then sat back down in his chair.

  ..Captain Morris....what?.. well  I will COM him, he  fussying  about  with  the Fighters...

….

 Rivets came one shortly,..hey Ensign,  Washington said  ye  wanted  ta Chat?

"Oh hey Captain I'm not sure if you can help or not but we met this lad on Anzio whose looking to enlist, and he'd like to serve on the Hermes...anyway I said that there might be a ground crew position" Harry said, making sure to emphasise the word might so that Rivets wouldn't get the wrong impression that she'd all but promised he'd get on "...now if that is the case would you be interested in talking to him and seeing if you'd be willing to take him on? I mean if the answer's no then that's fine, I've not made any promises to him I just thought I'd ask the question" at the end of the day it was Rivet's call as to whether or not to take the lad on, assuming of course that SEC cleared him, and so Harry would have no problem with breaking it gently to him if she was required to do so.

While Nikki waited with Teela and the others she took a better look at the item Teela was interested in.  Checking for any damage, repair work on it, any pitting or stains.  "This thing got authenticity papers?"

"It's not what I'm looking for, Nikki. It's authentic but not the time frame I seek. The owner was kind enough to check six more shops but none have any that are pre-landing. I may have to order and have it shipped to the Hermes," Teela told her.

 Rivets   was  quiet a moment then said,..well?.. Bring him  in?    Maybe   he'll be  happy  with the tour of   hanger Dec... we'll see  what he looks like..

  the Kid looked  and watched   with baited  breath.

"Okay....Maybe they can find one..Meanwhile you can research the other part of the Earth custom...picnicking" she handed the item back to the shopkeeper.  After a moment she moved back to the kid as they waited for Harry.

Trying her best to ignore the excited look on the kids face as she quietly waited to see how Rivets would respond, Harry would eventually smile with relief when the gruff Irishman told her to bring the kid on board for a tour and chat "Thank you Captain I'll let him know, See you soon" Disconnecting the call she would walk over to rejoin the girls "Today's your lucky day, the Captain wants me to bring you with us for a chat on the hangar dec" she said, bracing herself for another fanboy episode.

Assuming she was able to get a word in edge ways she would briefly turn her attention to Teela "did you find what you're looking for?" she asked, so as to gauge whether or not she needed to send the kid away and get him to meet them later once they had finished shopping.

 ..YES!!!!.. the   kick grabbed  the air  with us   arm and    pulled it in...

 ..Yhat would be it ..right.. I mean ..i get to talk to   Real  people and not just a recruiter..... guess what ever he would  say.... would  be the right way to go!

 yhe two  behind the counter  just shook there heads, the human saying,..I'm still not  sellign   you a Sanri Blaster.

She looked at Harry and Teela.  "Well...is there anything else we need to look for or go?If not we could head back and let Harry introduce our companion" she stated not knowing if Teela wanted to check less reputable places.

"I'm ready to go. We have just so much time and I'm not inclined to drag the two of you around into the bowels of the station for something we may not find at all," Teela replied, sounding somewhat resigned and a wee bit putout.

Moving over to stand beside the rather subdued Angel, Harry would place a comforting arm about Teela's shoulders as she softly spoke to her "Hey it was a nice idea but it's not the end of the world, we can always try again once we reach Etna...besides by then you'll have him wrapped around your little finger" Harry said with a chuckle, deciding to leave all the planning towards the picnic to Nikki seeing as she was more familiar with the whole countryside thing.

With the shopping trip brought to a close Harry would signal for the kid to follow them as they made their way out of the store "come along, you can sit in the back with me and Teela" she said with a cheerful smile knowing that with their driver no longer present that Nikki would be taking the wheel "so tell me kid, what do they call you?" she asked deciding that she'd better learn his name seeing as she was going to have to introduce him to Captain Rivets in a short while.

Nikki gave the shop keepers a bit of a wave for their time.   Moving with the group she gave Teela a smile "We'll find something.  And Harry is right... you got this and you got him.  He just don't know it yet" she gave the Angel a bit of a hip check for comfort.  Back at the car she again checked it over quickly just to make sure.  Only when satisfied did she let them in, she even checked to make sure their previous purchases were not heisted as well.  Finally then she would start the vehicle and begin the drive back to the docks.



====>  I'm driving, to the docks!

 Sitting in the Back, the Kid  was   grinning wildy,..THIS... is sooooo great!... Got Pics  with Hermes LAdies... gonna see The Hermes.. Gonna Talk  to  Rivets..um..Captain  O'rielly!...

  My Name's LuKe?.. Luke  Standson?...  They call me Lucky?.. Don't know why?... Sure  feel likeit Now!...

Teela looked at both of her friends with eyes that were a bright silver, made even more so by the slight sheen of happy tears. "Thank you both for being such good friends," she said with a smile.

"Come on, Lucky. Today might be the start of something new and wonderful for you." She told him as they drove back to the docks.

 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< From SEC

  as they scanned out, Sims  was at the    boarding ramp,..Hey Call... Ma'am...  he gave harry a Nod of respect, but no salute since she was in nher dress.

 ..Shoey  came in  in that Dark Blue  air car?.. He said if anyone needs  a ride to take it... Unless you wanna  taxi or  a rental..but hey? savign creds  is  saving Creds?

 ..Thanks   Sims. we'll take it.. More cr3eds to spend on the  Station!

 ..be careful...a dn..Ma'am.. Nice  dress... he winked   as   he     went  back to the  little desk  on the inside.

  Will  Opened the door  for her then went around to  drive, They  lifted off, he hit the    navigator,..Show me..'Paris Burning".. a  second or so Later   a  red Light  light up   on the Other Core  and   he    sped off in the direction...

 ..supsoed to have  great  food... and dancing?.. there's a  Vid  Building down the block too?.. so.. we can do  just  about everyhting?

---> SEC

"Thank you Sims" Harry replied, returning the troopers wink and a compliment with a smile as she followed Will to the waiting air car. After setting up the navigation system for the restaurant the pair of them would speed off into the station with Harry listening as Will described the place "That sounds exactly like what I need right about now" she said with a sigh, with a night of dinner and dancing being preferable to a bottle of vodka "I'll tell you all about it when we get there but needless to say I didn't get the best of news from Beth" she continued in a weary voice as she glanced down at the picture in her lap, still unsure as to how she felt about the situation.

   Will frowned,yeah.. well..here's a tip?.. If  beth is lookign for Info.. she's gonna find it.. but she doesn't  dig  with a spade.. she digs with  a  MFing  Steamshovel...  so..you get everything..good..bad.. indifferent?

   he let it  go  allowing  HArry  what every  thoughts she   had...

 10 Minutes  out of a 'suggested' 12 minute  drive, they pulled into   the parkign Dec  next to the    "Paris Burning"..   an mechanical    Effile Towner woud catch  fire  and  tilt  over.. the  right  itself and do it  all over again.

 They walked   to the  entrance from around the  parkign dec.....I..um...I'm  sorry  I didn't  change? Still got the Off duty stuff on...  You should have had  better  with you , dressed like that.

  Entering the  palce the smell of Real Cooked  food.. not that the rec dec was   bad.. but  this was    real   food..outside the ship!

   the  waiters  were dressed like   French peasants   with  caps and Mustaches The women  dress like  peasant Girls..   blouses  baring shoulders  and   bare feet.. They were    seated  with a   vase  of   mini-french bread   loaves  and  Real Butter  in a small stone crock.

 The woman smiled, ..I will start you out   with drinks.. Qui?  Then   come back with them, while you study the menu?

  Um... I'll start with a  Glass of Cola?....   I'll have a  wine with  my Meal?... she  wrote  that on her  Vidpad, then looked at   Harry.

 there was a whole  section of french food,  and a tiny section of  'American ' Burgers and such... desert was reaching out to the reader's eyes..promising delight and 1000s  of calories.

"yeah you're telling me...I hadn't even recovered from the first piece of news before she hit me with two more" Harry quietly responded as Will wove the car through Anzio's traffic before heading down onto the parking Deck that was next door to the restaurant. It was during the short walk to the entrance that Will would apologise for not thinking to change and that she deserved better "Don't be silly, you look absolutely fine...besides I'm not exactly the respectable type" she said whilst casting the tattooed flesh of her bare arm a quick glance before quietly giggling.

After being seated by a waitress dressed in traditional French peasants attire Harry would resist the urge to say double vodka when asked what she would like to drink with her instead opting for a glass of white wine. It was as she was perusing the menu that she would quietly explain the situation with her parents as well as her older sister's kidnapping to Will, though she made sure to omit any details concerning what the Light's Out operatives were currently doing about it lest the wrong person should overhear her "...and that's not all...it would appear that I have an adoptive sister" she said, sliding the picture of Abby across the table for Will to see "Needless to say, my head's all over the place at the minute and I'm trying really hard not to do something stupid"