Re: Arkadia System/Vilis (0407) Date: 234-1107 20.45
"Thank you, Captain," Shui replies, pleased with the compliment. She detests violence, hates killing, but that doesn't mean she's going to shirk at her work. No, it's all the more reason to work that much harder, to ensure that everything functions as smoothly as possible. Fewer people injured, that way. Fewer killed, possibly.
She eyes the other Captain as he steps out, carefully keeping herself out of his reach. He's broken, Shui thinks, but there's no sense in being foolish. The man remains what he is. Once he is just out of whisper-earshot, she begins her explanation to the Captain, all the while keeping an eye upon their guest.
"Captain Lanza, I might have mentioned this before. Please forgive me if I have. I have taken passage and work on many ships, to many worlds. And I have heard of such situations before. Rumors, of course, and not of this specific circumstance, but there will always be those who force others to do their dirty work for them." Another glance at the 'pirate'. "Of course, this does not remove culpability for the actions of those who...'knuckle under', I believe is the phrase."
She shifts slightly, and her lips thin. Shui's heartrate increases as her tension rises; she doesn't like talking about this, and wonders how to get through it without doing something she will regret. "I have a great deal of experience dealing with people, Captain Lanza," she begins slowly, feeling her way through this minefield. "As a Ship's Doctor, for example. I have to trust my instincts - instincts not based on nebulous hunches, but on observation of body language, intonation, stress tell-tales, and so forth. My analysis of our guest and his crew leads me to the conclusion that he is quite frightened and, more importantly, speaking the truth."