Docking Bay 12 of Station 17, in low orbit above Dinomn, is cold.

Profit Margin has been docked for the best part of an hour, and those passengers who were disembarking here have left, fleeing into the warmer areas of the station.  The ship was then sealed again to hold the external chill at bay.

Jago sits on the Bridge, gazing at the thin layer of ice crystals on the bay walls, and the cold mist rolling across the deck.

The temperature controls out there have been set deliberately low, and for a reason.  That reason is the freighter which sits alongside the Margin, offloading a bulk shipment of refrigerated produce.

According to the information Ash has been able to obtain from the Port, some of the freighter's cargo containers have had a problem with their environmental systems, so the ship has had to keep it's own hold chilled down for the second half of the week in Jump.

The temperature aboard Profit Margin is, in most areas, a balmy 28°C, but it feels cold.  Yas sits at her gunnery station wearing gloves and sipping hot cocao.

"Remind me never to come here again." Jago remarks, loud enough to be heard by anybody in the general vicinity of the Bridge.

The silence hangs in the air, seeming to increase the imagined chill even further.

Jago glances at the latest bulletin from the Port Authority, and gives a satisfied laugh.  "They're moving the last container now.  Once it's on the refrigerated transport, the station can raise the temperature in the bay again.  Then the dockhands can come in and start unloading us."

He smiles, and the unlit cigar makes the journey from one side of his mouth to the other, then back again.  "Once we're unloaded, we can all go Portside.  It'll be nice to see what the place looks like, and stretch our legs.  Maybe grab something to eat somewhere we won't have to prepare it or wash up afterwards."

"Shui, make sure that Corlan, Eneris and Keryn know that it'll be safe for them to go ashore too.  Yas and Tylen, I'd like you two to work out some kind of escort duty for the passengers while they go shopping or whatever.  Ash, you'll be with me.  I'd like you to learn a bit more about finding cargoes."

Obviously daydreaming a bit, the thin ex-Scout gave the Captain an absent-minded nod when mandatory shore leave is authorized.

Then he snaps back to reality, when his name is mentioned specifically along side the phrase 'learn a bit more about finding cargoes'.  Ash isn't sure if that shows confidence in his abilities.  Or if the Captain is worried about something else and just wants to keep an eye on the newest crew member.  Irrespective, it is an offer that can't be refused.

"You got it, Boss." Ash notes to Jago, while rubbing his hands together in a vain gesture to keep his fingers warm.  He glances out one of the viewports at the rather chilly rather and looks thoughtful for a moment.  "I'd best grab my jacket then..." the lanky navigator remarks as he pushes away from his console and locks the session.

"Absolutely, Captain," Shui replies, stepping out to 'pen' a message to the various passengers.

~~ Good morning - we have docked in orbit, and the captain wishes it known that should you have a desire to examine the port, you can arrange a visit with the assistance of our security personnel.  The crew will be also be taking a short trip portside, so if you would wish to join one or all of us, please inform me at your earliest convenience. ~~

Jago smiles at Ash, "Not if you're coming with me.  I'm not going out there until the temperature is adjusted to a more comfortable level.  Besides, as far as I know, the rest of the station is kept much warmer."

Confinement to the ship, in addition to the usual week in Jump, seems to be bothering the passengers.  Within minutes, Corlan, Eneris and Keryn have all replied to Shui's message, requesting time ashore with crew members who can escort them, guide them, and assist them during their visit.

"What is this place like?  You got the stats?" Tylen calls across to Yas, as he starts to call up planetary details on his screens.

Yas studies the world profile which is flowing across her display, and sighs.  "Probably better to stay on the station.  Dinomn isn't exactly a garden spot, unless your idea of gardening is clearing snow and hacking through ice.  Temperature is more than a hundred and fifty degrees below freezing, and that's in the temperate regions, so called."

---

WORLD DETAILS

NAME:              Dinomn
HEX LOCATION:      1912
UWP:               B674632-9
PBG:               204
TRADE CODES:       Agricultural, Non-industrial
ALLEGIANCE:        Third Imperium
STELLAR DETAILS:   Primary Star: M8 VI

SATELLITE DETAILS: Number: 5

SIZE RELATED DETAILS
Basic World Type: Satellite - molten core
Diameter:  10,400 km  Density: 1.02  World Mass: 0.43  World Gravity: 0.765 G
Orbit Period: 123.477 Std days      Distance: 0.2 AU  Eccentricity: 0.001
Rotation Period: 150 Std hours      Axial Tilt: 26°   Seismic Stress Factor: 5.6

ATMOSPHERIC RELATED DETAILS
Composition: Standard oxygen-nitrogen mix, tainted with pollutants
Surface Pressure: 0.95 atm        Mean Temp: -155°C  Native Life: Yes
Terraforming - Atmospheric: No    Albedo: No         Greenhouse Effect: No
Weather Control: Yes

HYDROSPHERE RELATED DETAILS
Composition: Tainted liquid water
Hydrographic Percentage: 41%    Tectonic Plates: 3
Continents and Oceans:  6 major oceans, 13 minor oceans, 10 small seas.
Hydrographic Terraforming: No   Terrain Terraforming: No

POPULATION RELATED DETAILS
Total World Population: 2,000,000
Starports and Spaceports: B/B/D/F
Primary Cities:  4        Orbital Cities. Yes

Social Outlook:
    Progressiveness: Conservative, Advancing
    Aggressiveness:  Competitive, Militant
    Extensiveness:   Discordant, Friendly

Unusual Local Customs: Unusual foods eaten by enforcement figures.
                       Unusual leave-taking customs.

GOVERNMENT RELATED DETAILS
Representative Authority: Self-perpetuating Oligarchy, Several Councils.

LAW RELATED DETAILS                   TECHNOLOGY RELATED DETAILS
Uniformity of Law:     Undivided      Technology Profile:

Legal Profile: 2-36175                High Common Tech Level: 9
    Overall Law Level: 2              Low Common TL:          4
    Weapons Law level: 3              Energy TL:              9
    Trade Law level:   6              Computer/Robotics TL:   9
    Criminal Law:      1              Communications TL:      9
    Civil Law:         7              Medical TL:             9
    Personal Freedom:  5              Environment TL:         8
                                      Land Transport TL:      9
                                      Water Transport TL:     9
                                      Air Transport TL:       9
                                      Space Transport TL:     9
                                      Personal Military TL:   A
                                      Heavy Military TL:      A
                                      Novelty Tech Level:     A

RESOURCES AND GOODS
Natural Resources:      Agriculture, Crystals
Processed Resources:    Agroproducts
Manufactured Resources: Durables, Consumables, Weapons
Information Resources:  Recordings, Artforms, Software

---

Jago, meanwhile, forwards the latest TNS reports to the library databanks.  Only one story really stands out, amid the articles about the slow ebb and flow of the war, and the economic disruption and reduction in shipping caused by the combat, and that one has already been related by the Captain himself...

Regina/Regina (0306-A788889-A) Date: 302-1107

The office of the Duke denied reports that His Grace Norris, Duke of Regina, had died of a rare form of lung infection.  Although declining to answer questions on the Duke's condition, or to reveal the Duke's whereabouts, a spokesman for the Duke's seneschal stated that His Grace was in a safe location, and was recovering rapidly.

"You wouldn't deny me my armour, would you, Boss?" Ash responds when Jago informs him that no jackets will be necessary.  Even if the old oilskin duster is nothing more than a pittance against real bullets, it does act as figurative protection.

Besides, Ash is already through the doorway, by the time he responds.  Apparently, he isn't going anywhere without his oilskin jacket.

Jago shakes his head as Ash vanishes through the door.  He glances towards the gunnery stations, and comments, "He seems a bit keen, considering we won't be going anywhere for at least a couple of hours.  Anybody fancy an early lunch?  We could set the wall panels in the lounge to show a tropical beach, with waves lapping at a beach of emerald green sand, and three suns in the sky.  I'm feeling warmer just thinking about it."

"That works for me." Tylen agrees "There is nothing much to see out there and it just looks damned cold."  he flicks and pushes at controls on his screens, as he closes down all but the basic monitoring function then stands and stretches.  "Not really sure what the passengers are going to want ashore, apart from stretching their legs." he says morosely as he heads towards the lounge and Jago's promised beach scenes.

"Shall I invite the <DarkGreen>passengers to the lounge as well, Captain Lanza?" Shui inquires.  "We might be able to speak with them, and possibly answer Mr. Orgesh's curiosity about their desires.  And," </DarkGreen>she considers, "whether or not this station can meet said desires."

"No, let's just take a bit of time to relax and work out our own plans, Shui." Jago says, with a smile, "Plenty of time to talk to them later, once we have a better idea what we're planning to do with our time here."

The Captain reconfigures his control panel, works for a few seconds, then stands and stretches.  "For now, everybody is officially off-duty while we grab some lunch."

From the doorway to the Lounge comes the muted crash of waves on a beach, and the sounds of small animals...

Jago settles into his seat, placing a mug of coffee and doughnut on the table alongside him.  He gazes appreciatively at the waves rolling onto the green sand in the light of the triple suns.  He listens for a moment to the birdsong, before realising the the whistling calls seem to be coming from several small creatures that most resemble colourful mice, which are moving about in the trees.

One of the animals, coloured in vivid greens and reds, leaps from a branch, unfurling a pair of membranous wings, which allow it to flutter to the next tree.

Jago chuckles.  "I must remember to check where this is."

Off-duty has different meanings to different people.  Shui immediately moves to the galley, commencing work on some simple but healthy, refreshing lunches for the crew.  Jago, not surprisingly, receives a narrow-eyed look for his choice, and Shui ensures she plunks a small sandwich next to his plate.

Aside from that, she doesn't comment; Jago has made his opinions clear, and as the captain he has the right to refuse her recommendations.

"The view is certainly beautiful," she agrees, passing out coffee and cocoa to the various imbibers.  She, herself, is taking in a delicate tea.  Settling down with a light salad, Shui waves her hand toward the imagery.  "If possible, I should like to visit.  Though I doubt it would be on our route."

The galaxy is a very, very large place.

Tylen strolls into the lounge and helps himself to a cup of coffee and a small mountain of the sandwiches that Shui has prepared for lunch.  He eyes the doughnuts for a moment, before realising that there isn't enough room on the plate.  Perhaps later ...

"Green sand?  That just doesn't look right ...  Is the video working properly?    Wow, look at that thing go!" he grins as the mouse-bat launches itself from the tree.

Ash saunters into the lounge with his well-worn oilskin duster on and coffee mug in hand.  The lanky navigator tops the mug off with the blackest stuff he can find in the waiting thermally insulated pitchers.  He marvels silently at the efficiency of their on-board steward that the coffee isn't sludge or bitter but still strong and flavorful.  Especially given that Shui isn't an actual coffee drinker; he after catching her eye for a brief moment as she bustles about the lounge, Ash nods to her in silent appreciation and raises his mug.

Then he leans back against the counter to take in the view and the conversation, though he says little himself.  Placing his mug on the counter when the talk turns to vista and the chittering native rodents, the thin ex-Scout turns slightly green and rubs some of the smaller scars on his left hand for a moment.  It is more of a subconscious motion, as Ash seems slightly preoccupied with the fact that the small creatures remind him of chinchillas (well, with added wings).  And shoveling a couple hundred pounds of their droppings...

Jago sips at his coffee, but the doughnut remains untouched for the moment.  "It's certainly looks nicer than here.  And yes, the sand should be that colour.  Probably an odd mix of chemicals in the ground."

"If I had to guess, I'd go for copper, chromium, or nickel.  They can all be green, and they're more common than some of the other options, like vanadium." Saskia opines.

"I'll check when I'm looking for the name of the place." Jago says.  "In the mean time... we're probably going to be here for a few days.  Dinomn itself has a harsh climate, to say the least.  So Corlan, Eneris and Keryn can go planetside for brief visits, if they want, but I want all such excursions to be accompanied by at least one crew member for each passenger, and that crew member should have one of the long range comms.  If you want to go down there yourselves, don't go alone and make sure you have comms with you, just in case."

"Excursions on the station will probably be safer, for both the passengers and us.  But I'd still like some basic security protocols set up for all trips away from the ship.  This is an orbital city, which means it's big, and not all of it falls under the jurisdiction of Port Security.  So... suggestions?"

The doughnut must be poisoned, or something.  Jago still hasn't eaten any of it.

"Given the heavy metals noted by Ms. Blake, Mr. Orgesh; I would not advise consuming it," Shui chimes in, amused.  She pauses a moment at Ash's look, both eyebrows rising with the interpretation.  A pleased smile follows, and a small nod of her head; it is Shui's duty and pleasure to provide the best she can, and if the crew appreciates it, that most certainly is enough for her.

The planet itself doesn't seem terribly hospitable, but...personal comfort has always taken a back seat for Shui.  "I can certainly accompany anyone planetside, Captain Lanza," she states. "Given the lesser need for security personnel in that instance, perhaps it would be for the best, saving them for Dinomn.  If there are areas that are outside of Port Security, they would naturally more dangerous; should people wish to frequent them, they should be accompanied by Mr. Orgesh or Chief Crow." One eyebrow rises. "Or Mr. Tescali and Ms. Blake...with her fearsome pistol."

One look at it would likely scare off most casual criminals.

Having said that, Shui notes that Ash doesn't seem to sanguine himself at the moment.  Moving around the table, she slips up next to him. "Mr. Tescali?" the steward murmurs.  "Is there anything amiss?"

OOC: Shui has provided no doughnuts; any who have them have brought their own.  Hahahaha...

Jago gestures for Ash to sit down and join the others for lunch.

"Not hospitable at all." he agrees with Shui.  "The population isn't the highest, but it's still higher than I would have expected.  But the resources attract them - the place is rich with crystals of various sorts, and there are extensive heavy metal deposits on some of the other moons."

"If possible I'd like to... not discourage visits to the surface for the passengers, just not actively encourage them.  Security is a concern anyway, without the addition of hazardous environmental factors, and I'd like everybody, us included, to be able to relax for a few days."

Another sip of coffee.

"That said, if Corlan or Eneris decide they want to go down there, then we can't stop them, and we should have plans in place to protect them.  Keryn... well I think somebody should try to talk her out of visiting the surface if she asks.  Between the cold, the tainted atmosphere, and the occasional mild background radiation, I don't think it would be healthy for her.  Or her baby."

Tylen seems to still be fascinated by the green sand but half tracks the conversation "I suppose we will have to go with them if they want to go down to the surface." The gunner offers half-heartedly.  "Although I won't be upset if I don't get to see the wonders of this crystal laden  ...  paradise."

"Is there anything to leave the ship for?  Apart from a chance to stretch legs and get adifferent flavour of canned air?" he asks generally.  "I couldn't see anything particularly exciting", he adds quietly.

Shui takes small notations - mostly mentally, but a few on her dataglove.  "I can inform Keryn that, as the ship's medical officer I feel it would be a poor idea for her to travel to the planetary surface, that the health of her baby could be at risk.  She is a responsible person; I strongly doubt she would make that choice for simple curiosity."

Her eyebrow cocks at Tylen's question, and she nods her head in thought.  "They might have shops we have not seen before, offering crafts or art.  If you saw nothing, though..."  The steward sighs. "I should accompany our passengers if they leave, mind, along with the security." 

"Just skipping quickly through he planetary feeds ..." Tylen clarifies  how he had been looking for things of interest.

"Actually," Yas deadpans, "best not bring it up unless she suggests it.  I have, after all, taught her how to use a gun now."

"Nah, I'm just kidding about that.  But, let's not strike pre-emptive for something she may not even consider, but might if we do tell her not to go by giving her the idea that she could.  When and if the time comes, I'll talk to her.  She's like my d..."  Her eyes loses focus momentarily.  "My, uh... dear friend.  I'm the one who brought her on here, so I'm responsible, sort of, but I've gotten to know her fairly well too.  Plus, I do have more guns than she does."  She cracks a wide grin.

Jago smiles happily at the volunteers.  At least it looks like he won't have to put his foot down with a firm hand, so to speak, and tell Keryn that she's grounded.  Well, not grounded... quite the opposite in fact.

"Waiting until Keryn brings it up herself sounds like a good plan.  That way nobody has to shoot her down unless they really need to.  They won't look like they're telling her what to do, unless she comes up with the idea."

He hands Tylen a thin sheaf of printout.  "I anticipated you.  It's a list of attractions here, and down on the surface."

The lunch meeting lasts about an hour, and Jago and the crew sort out a few details for their stay at Dinomn...

• Passengers going ashore should be escorted by at least one crew member per group, at all times.
  
  
• Crew can go ashore alone, but not down to the surface alone.
  
  
• Side arms and comms should be carried by all crew when going off the ship.
  
  
• Jago would like to be kept informed of the whereabouts of anybody going ashore, with regular reports.
  
  
• He doesn't specifically believe there'll be any trouble, but after the attack on the air-raft at Phlume, Jago wants to be safe, not sorry, and the surface would not be a nice place to be stranded in the case of an attack.

The meeting finishes, and Jago adds, "I want at least one crew member aboard at all times.  No matter what.  These are desperate times, and people are getting... well... desperate.  I don't want somebody stealing the ship because we got careless."

He glances at the chronometer on the wall above the kitchen bench.  "They should be here to unload us any time now.  I suppose we should go back on duty."

Side arms.  Ugh.  She'll have to clean hers and prepare it, a distasteful task.  Maybe ask Tylen...no.  She can't; old habits die hard.

"Always clean and ready your own weapons," her older brother notes, examining a thin-beam, long-range laser.

"Of course, Captain Lanza," Shui replies, blinking away the memory. "Please, everyone - leave the dishes.  We all have duties."  Slipping past Tylen, she offers him a small smile as she snags his plate.  "Perhaps we shall have a chance to find a restaurant...though heaven knows what sort they have here."

Raising her voice slightly again, she continues. "If crew wishes to go ashore at particular times, I am free to stay aboard to cover those times." She's certain that - given the length of stay and amount of crew - she can find time to explore with Tylen, regardless.  "I am familiar, at least, with most ship's systems -" oh, better clarify "- though I would not touch the engineering systems, only monitor and page Ms. Blake if anything occurred."

Ash listens to briefing quietly from Jago, a slight frown on his face.  Despite separate invitations from both the ship's captain and doctor to sit, he'd begged off and remained standing.  The hem of his duster flapped slightly in the on-board ventilation and the lanky navigator continued to nurse his black coffee (his third this meal - if anyone is counting).

He nodded in agreement with to Jago's orders, then took another sip from his travel mug.  "Right-o.  Sounds like the standard duty watches." Ash noted off-hand to the Captain and the rest of the crew, "I can take the watch after we get back from our cargo search, if no one else wants it."

Having grabbed a sandwich earlier, Ash finishes off the last bite and washes it down with yet another sip of coffee.  Wiping his face with a napkin, he notes to Jago, "Ready to go whenever you are, boss."  He punctuates the statement by tossing the used napkin in the waste bin and dusting off his hands.  Only after, it seems, that he's finished off all of the coffee in his mug, which Ash puts down in the sink to be washed.

Tylen looks up from the list of attractions that Jago handed him earlier.  ""Well, there are art galleries and some sort of Opera on the station, with mines and submarine tours planet-side ..."  he says grabbing the last little sandwich from his plate before Shui clears it.

"And there has to be a restaurant or two on the station," he agrees with the doctor.  "If we get an some idea of what the passengers want to do, then we can plan our time around that." he suggests to the others.

Jago nods, "Good point Tylen.  Shui?  Can you talk to the passengers and find out what they want to do?  Don't mention anything to Keryn about the surface.  And make it clear to all three of them that we'll try to let them do the things they'd like to do, but we don't know how long we'll be here, and there just might not be time to fit everything in."

"Keep a list, and I'll look at it when I get back from the brokers'.  If Keryn mentions going to the surface, just note it down, and let Yas know."

The Captain stands and stretches, "Give me a minute to grab a jacket and a computer, and I'll be with you Ash."  Then he adds, as he notices a look from Yas, "A gun and a comm too, of course."

"A gun?" Yas sighs and shakes her head, "I could never walk around that naked, except in my cabin, of course."

"I'll do my regular rounds on the ship for now, check up on a few things on the local 'net and decide whether I want to get off the Margin or not."

She briefly wonders if there are anywhere else other than a gun shop that would interest her, but failing to see what and why she discards that notion, albeit perhaps not completely without a sting of melancholy.  Security of the ship and crew is her life now.

"I'll start now, in fact," she says abruptly and gets up, heading toward the cargo bay area.  Duty to death, the Corps in what matters.  Except now the Corps is far fewer and closer.  That's all there is to it.  Then why do I feel as if something is missing?  With a sigh she opens the hatch to the hold, avoiding to look back.

Saskia nods her agreement with Yas.  "I know I don't want to get off the ship here.  Most times when I go ashore something frelling bad happens.  To me, not because of me.  I'll check, but I don't think they have anything here that would be worth the risk of me setting foot on the dock."

Jago nods his head.  "Well, that's up to you two, but the offer will be open until we're preparing to leave."

He steps out of the lounge, into his cabin, and returns a few seconds later pulling on a shoulder holster.  He then slips his jacket on over it and drops a comm into his pocket, after checking the battery first.

"Come on Ash, I'll show you how to make us rich."

"Looks like we get first run ashore then."  Tylen grins across at Shui.  "Meet you at the airlock in five minutes?" he asks, raising his eyebrow slightly.

"Fifteen," Shui replies to Tylen with a wry smile.  "I must first speak with the passengers, and let them know their choices and options.  Give them a chance to mull over the possibilities, as it were."  She bows to the captain.  "I will begin immediately, Captain Lanza."

With the dishes cleaned, and a small nod to Tylen, Shui immediately heads to the passenger cabins, starting with Keryn's.  As she walks, she 'pens' a missive.

~ All Passengers - While we have a limited time at this spaceport, shore leave is available.  I will be coming to your cabin to discuss this, but keep in mind the temporal constraints and the fact that your leave will require the presence of a crew member.

We will, of course, attempt to accommodate your wishes if at all possible! ~
This message was last edited by the player at 12:31, Mon 07 Nov 2016.

Jago leads Ash out of the ship and across the docking bay.  "Still a bit chilly out here." he remarks, pulling his jacket closer around him.  As they exit the bay, Jago points out a cargo crawler making its way towards the bay.

"That's the name of the buyer I sold our cargo to.  I'll call it in."  Pulling the comm from his pocket, he calls the ship, "Yas?  Tylen?  Looks like we have somebody coming to offload our cargo now.  They already transferred the credits, just see that they offlad it, and get out of there as fast as possible."

That done, Jago begins his lesson.  "Now, the thing with cargo, Ash, is that most ports are full of people who have plenty of it to offer.  The trick is to find the good stuff - the stuff that will generate the most profit for a run.  A good place to start looking is any kind of government run warehouse, like that one over there, they're usually honest, at least.  But not always."

Yas starts her security rounds in the interior of the ship...

Shui arrives at Keryn's cabin, where the young passenger smiles at her, "I was mostly planning on doing some studying and maybe take a look around the local shops.  So not really planning to leave Profit Margin very much.  I looked at the world information, and unless I find out they have something nice to buy down there, I won't be going.  Looks too cold for me."

Ash rubs his hands together to warm them gently.  Then the lanky navigator breathes into his cupped fists, savoring the warmth on his skin - however fleeting that feeling might be.

He nods to Jago's instruction about cargoes and the finance of trade.  "My father always told me," the navyman-turned-merchant notes off-hand, "that the key to stocks was to buy low and sell high..."  The real trick was likely knowing which was which and when was when.  "Presumably," he posits semi-rhetorically, "that requires a fair bit of homework on sources and destinations."  That type of research he never really minded; he probably should have brushed up on planetary entries involved here.

Ash couldn't help smirking slightly, when the Captain offers his paradoxical advice.  "I guess," he ventures, while running his hand through his close cropped hair, "that knowing who to trust requires something more than can be simply read in a book..."  He'd never considered himself the best judge of character.  But, there was always a chance to learn.

"Boss," Ash prompts Jago, "how much do you let your gut instinct guide you in purchases?"

Tylen raises his eyebrows and scowls slightly, and puts on the jacket with the 'security' markings.  Then with his revolver in its semi-miltary holster and the shotgun  slung across his body he heads down to the hold to manage the cargo.

On the way he sends Shui a quick message explaining that he will be delayed.

Shui nods along with Keryn's plans, finding them solid...and pleasantly within Jago's own ideas.  "Very good, Ms. Taylor.  I'm certain we will find an escort for you to the local shops - I believe Chief Crow professed an interest.  Please let me know - or her - when and if you would like to leave, and I will arrange something."

Beep on her dataglove - a quick check reveals Tylen's message.  She doesn't need to answer it now, not in the middle of her discussion with Keryn.

"Now that I'm here, was there anything else?"  One eyebrow cocks slightly. "Perhaps we should arrange another examination, to make sure everything is proceeding well."

They're perfectly painless and effortless, after all.

Tylen and Yas step out to the base of the ramp as a cargo crawler takes up position nearby, it's rear end  (and loading door) close to the ramp.  The driver swings out of the control pod, and checks a hand computer as he walks a few steps nearer, alongside the vehicle.  "Is this... ah, there you are...  Is this the Profit Margin?  I've got orders to collect some cargo from you for Caradis Factors."

Reaching the back of the vehicle, he starts tapping a code into a control panel.  "Sorry I'm a bit late.  We were told the bay was off-limits while they unloaded another ship.  Suppose it was that one over there.  Something to do with temperature sensitive cargo."

Keryn thinks for a moment, "I feel pretty good today.  But it can't do any harm to have a check-up.  And it shouldn't take long, should it?"

She looks around the cabin.  Books spread over the low, fold-down table next to the bunk.  More on the bed itself, and on the floor.  Scattered papers covered with tiny, neat handwriting.  Two of the galley's coffee mugs, one on the floor, filled with water, and one laying on its side, unwashed, on a shelf.  Clothes strewn across the bed an the floor.

"Sorry about the mess.  I was studying and forgot everything else."

Jago walks with Ash towards a large window which provides a view into a busy office, where at least a hundred people are seated at deska and consoles, usually in groups of two or three.  A sign above the window glows bright green, "DINOMN TRADE BUREAU".

A door to one side of the window gives access to a reception area, where an Aslan female, speaking mildly accented Anglic notes down Jago's details, and instructs the two men to take a seat near the window.

Jago chuckles at Ash's question, and slaps his stomach.  "I always listen to my gut, it has me outnumbered."  Then he sobers, "Instinct is important.  If I see something that looks good on the screen, but my gut tells me it isn't, I'll usually go with my gut and look for something else.  Not every time, but a good eight or nine times out of ten.  Especially now, with a war going on."

Ash nods to Jago's advice, agreeing amiably, "Good instincts will keep you alive."  His right knee twinges for a moment sympathetically; forcing the lanky navigator to wonder silently if his instincts are all that good.   No doubt that he is alive, but he's left a couple of pieces of himself on various battlefields.  And a couple of pieces with some chinchillas...

When directed by the Aslan clerk, he plops down next to Jago.  "Do those same ratios and instincts hold for passengers?" then with a slight turn of the head and a raised eyebrow, the thin ex-Scout prompts his boss, "And crew?"  Even if he suspects he knows the answer; he's seen the way the crew of Profit Margin interacts and seems to work well together.  That type of camaraderie and loyalty doesn't come quickly or easily.

"And there is always other cargo to ply.  Better safe than sorry, I reckon." Ash ventures.  It may be a cliche, but it also doesn't mean that it isn't true.  He purses his lips for a moment, well aware that falling back on ham-handed truisms is probably not helpful, "This could be a long training session, I wager."  He gives his captain a slight, self-deprecating smile, "I'm not sure that I quite have the right instincts this portion of the job..."  Which may not bode well for his prospects for a career as a merchant, in general.  The gaunt features of his thin face darken for a moment, his expression troubled.  "Why choose me, Boss?" Ash asks of Jago, "I would think that there are others in the crew that might be better suited as your backup on the trade front.  Or has everyone else on the crew already been through this and it is simply my turn?"

"With passengers, another factor comes in.  Cargo doesn't have to make a good impression, but if the passenger annoys me, he'll have to find another ship.  Same with crew... one chance to impress me, without rubbing me up the wrong way.  If crew or passenger doesn't annoy me, then instinct comes in.  If he does, then he doesn't get as far as instinct."

Jago sighs, "Why choose you?  I give everybody a chance at other jobs, as I get the opportunity.  This time it was your turn.  Next time something comes up, I might bring Yas or Tylen or Shui along.  If other people can handle this part of things from time to time, then I have cover in case I'm sick, or have something else to deal with.  Did you know, for example, that Saskia knows how to plot a Jump course?  She never does, mostly because Navigation scares her half to death, but she can do it, in an emergency."

"That's why you're here today.  I won't expect you to do this all the time, but it'd be nice if you could, in an emergency."

"Not to worry about any messes, Ms. Taylor," Shui reassures Keryn. "It is, after all, your cabin for the duration of the trip."  A slow nod of the head follows.  "And yes, a check-up won't take long at all.  Merely a short walk to my quarters, a brief time under the examination of a few machines, and you are finished.  If that is acceptable?"

She offers a small bow and turns a touch toward the door.  "Shall we?"  Her eyes fall on the media spread about the room. "And perhaps you can inform me how things are proceeding with your studies - clearly you are taking them very seriously."

Tylen takes his accustomed position at the top of the ramp and watches the driver, Yas and the area around them, while Yas check the driver's papers, the same as at every other port.

Keryn looks around the room and sighs.  "I don't suppose it'll tidy itself up, so there'll be just as much mess when I get back.  As long as it doesn't reproduce or something.  So we might as well go get the check-up done."

She follows Shui out the door and closes it, laughing, "Maybe I should leave it open?  That way somebody might steal the mess while I'm gone."

The driver opens the rear of the transport to reveal a hulking, vaguely humanoid robot, coloured in yellow and black stripes.  He activates the machine, which commences a series of movements designed to function as diagnostic tests for its systems.  After a couple of minutes, it begins to emit a continuous series of monotonous tones, while red lights start flashing on each shoulder and each hip.

It waits at the back of the transport while the driver goes inside Profit Margin's hold to attach marker tags to the cargo.  Once he has a handful in place, he comes back out and says, very clearly, "Robot HS-351.  Cargo marked.  Commence transfer to home vehicle.  Protocol three-five."

The robot starts up the ramp, hesitantly, pausing every few steps to scan its environment.  "Don't worry.  It's just looking for obstacles and plotting a safe route.  It'll get faster once it knows what's around it."

Jago waits patiently with Ash, until their vigil is interrupted by a Vargr dressed in an outfit which could have been considered somewhat stylish, if not for the garish red, yellow and lime green colours.  Jago regards the alien, and remembers that Vargr colour vision is not as sensitive as that of humans.  The colours are probably muted and tasteful to a Vargr.

"Excuse please.  One of you is Captain Lanza Jago?  I am to help find a cargo for your ship.  I am Brozzk."

Jago rises, "I'm Jago Lanza.  This is my assistant, Ash Tescali.  We're interested in cargo for Regina."

"Come to this way with me, please, Captain Lanz... Captain Jago Lanza."  Brozzk leads the way across the open office, until they reach an empty desk, where he asks Jago and Ash to be seated, before settling down himself.

The Vargr consults a terminal on the desk, "Your ship to carry forty tons can, and you go next to Regina...  Do you have preference on cargo type?  Some Captains will not to carry certain cargoes - food-stuffs or strongly fragrant chemicals, for examples."

Jago shakes his head, "No.  Nothing like that.  Ash... why don't you deal with this, and I'll just sit here and keep an eye on you?"

The robot emerges from the hold, carrying a tagged shipping container.  Yas and Tylen watch as it lumbers down the ramp.  "Isn't is something?  They're the latest thing." the driver explains.  "A year ago I would have needed a handful of labourers to unload a ship.  Now just me and him can handle it all."

"Oh, I quite like the old ways." Tylen says with a grin.  "I grew up in a star port, my dad used to do the refuelling.  That's all been automated now, but not until after he retired, fortunately. Sometimes, its nice to have a chat with real people, rather than just a bot that does as you tell it." The ex-scout muses, before changing the subject.

"Anyway, I was thinking of going out for a meal later.  Any decent restaurants around?  Shui likes a decent meal, when we are in port. They have to do vegetarian stuff though."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:28, Sun 04 Dec 2016.

Shui laughs along with Keryn's joke.  As they walk, she grows more pensive. "If you like," the Steward notes, "I can help you with the tidying.  I AM the ship's Steward, so it is in part my job."  She's not the ship's MAID, so tidying up someone's quarters before they leave isn't normally part of her duties, but she's willing to bend the rules for long-time passengers, once in a while.

Her eyes narrow and she taps her lips.  "Perhaps I'll pick up a thing or two about what you're studying by helping you organize, as well.  So it won't be boring for me.  You can, if you would, tell me what you have learned." Her lips twitch into a smile. "In brief...for a layperson."

"Decent restaurants?"  The driver laughs, "You're asking the wrong man my friend.  I wouldn't know a decent restaurant if it jumped out in front of me and said, 'Hello, I'm a decent restaurant.'  I can point you to a couple of portside diners, if you want, but they're rated more on price and quantity than on quality.  And I know one of them would try to sell you fried groat as a vegetarian dish, based on the fact that groats are vegetarians."

Keryn nods thoughtfully.  "I'd appreciate a little help with the tidying.  Even if it's just somebody who sits there and makes sure I don't get distracted by an interesting text of logic matrix structure, or core memory architecture."

"I'm learning quite a lot.  This morning, when you arrived, for example, I'd been reading a comparative study of Dauchard cognitive modules and multi-parameter logic correlation nodes.  At lower technology levels the Dauchard modules are the more efficient component, but as processors get faster with better technology, the multi-parameter nodes slowly become better, until their performance far outstrips that of Dauchard modules.  Coupled with improvements in material conductivity and weight, this makes multi-parameter nodes the component of choice for massively parallel robot brains above a certain level of tech."

"Uh," Ash seems stunned for a moment when prompted to take the lead by Jago, though he eventually recovers, "yeah... yeah, that's right.  We have forty standard tons lading space.  And we're heading to Regina next."

"What do you have available within those parameters?" he asks, trying to keep his tone casual and even.  He makes a mental note to make sure there are no chinchillas on the list.

Even as he waits for the various information to be pulled up and collated, the lanky navigator leans over to the Captain and whispers quietly, "Do we want the entire bay filled with speculative cargo?  And, uh, are there budgetary constraints of some sort?"  It was unlikely that they'd see forty tons of radioactive isotopes on the market or anything of that sort, but it would be nice to know the parameters he was dealing with.

Jago closes his eyes and leans back, and replies just as quietly, "Good question.  The answer, unfortunately, depends on what he offers us.  Speculative cargo can be good, but it can, just as easily, be very bad.  Freight haulage pays a guaranteed flat rate, but you'll never get rich carrying it."

Brozzk looks away from the terminal, "I can to offer much choices, you have good luck.  There is three tons of zocci crystals, shipping as freight with ten percents premium for an armed transport.  The shipper wills to have it delivered to any Naval base at Regina.  Shipment can not be split."

"Also eighty tons of processed krill, frozen,  Again freight, at standard rate.  Shipper wills for it to move to Regina, but has not specific port.  This can to be split if needed."

"And thirty tons of construction equipment.  Also freight for Regina, with no specific port in the system."

The Vargr looks hopefully at Ash.  "Or will you to know list of speculative goods.?"

Keryn, encouraged by Shui's silence, starts into a long explanation of the parameters of robot logic and storage systems, full of terms like "gigabaud" and "teraquads" and "latent discrepancy correction"...

At the cargo ramp, the driver ducks inside to attach another batch of tags to the cargo...

There's quite a bit of information to process, and most of it is above Shui's head.  Some of it is HIGHLY above Shui's head.  She has...some knowledge of this kind of thing.  Very basics.  Enough to fumble through.  Enough to comprehend some of the meanings of some of the terms.  But not enough to understand their usage, how they synergize.

Not enough to grasp context.

"Well," Shui states in a momentary break, still continuing to assist with the tidying. "I am quite impressed.  Your library of knowledge - internal knowledge, Keryn - vastly surpasses my own.  I am but an operator; you, clearly, are entering the realm of technologist or even engineer." Her eyebrow cocks. "How long have you been studying this?  You could have quite a career before you."

Tylen grins at the man's description of the local restaurants and  leans back against the wall to watch him tag up more of the cargo.  "I'll have to find something away from the port then.  Bound to be something that's decent, even if it is a bit expensive.  One of the advantages of this job, is you don't spend much between ports."

"I haven't been studying it for long, not seriously.  Just a few weeks, since you helped me find the courses.  But I read up a lot on it when I was at home on Frenzie, though there wasn't really any way to study it seriously there.  There was a magazine I liked - Basic Robotics - that was published by a company on Frenzie, and aimed at the general public, but every so often it had more technical information."

She picks up a book and laughs, "There you are!"  On the floor, where the book had been laying, is a small silvery disc attached to a fine chain of a similar material.  "I've been looking for this for days."

"Oh, I'm sure there's a few nice places about.  This station is a city, after all, with more than ten thousand residents." the transport driver affirms, "But asking me to name them would be like asking this cargo lifter for a critical analysis of a work of art."

The robot makes a noncommittal whirring noise as it starts to move again.

"And it can't even speak."

"You seem to have come a long way in a short time," Shui points out.  "Either you have been studying non-stop - and I doubt that, as you still play cards with our other passengers - or you have a real talent in this department." As in, near-savant-level from the sound of things, but she doesn't say that.

The steward's brows draw together as she continues to assist with the organization.  Curiosity, unsurprisingly, has struck.  "And what would that necklace be?  If you do not mind me inquiring."

Tylen cocks his head and listens to the noises from the cargo lifter " ... A dash, a dot, two short, two long ... I don't know.  Perhaps we have got that wrong?" the ex scout responds laconically.

"Not really." Keryn replies, "I used to get books and magazines on Frenzie - Basic Robotics was one.  And Popular Cybernetics was another.  And way back there was one called 'Bots Monthly.  I got most issues of all of them and even built a couple of simple robots using parts and instructions that came with the magazines.  They could do idiot tasks like following you about, or following a track that you laid out on the floor."

"I got books from the public library too.  I've been studying this stuff for about ten years.  But only officially since you got me the books.  I was alreay interested in all of this, I just decided it was time to move up a level."

She holds the necklace up for Shui to see, "It's a good luck charm.  I've had it for years."  There is a faint design on the disk, worn almost smooth and nearly illegible.  Some sort of creature perhaps?

On the ramp, the cargo robot continues its work, watched by the driver and the two Security officers from Profit Margin.  The driver makes his way back to his transport and inspects the way the machine is loading the vehicle.

Yas cocks her head at Tylen, and waves an arm to indicate the station in general, "I bet a big place like this has some sort of tourist office, or something, where you could ask about nice restaurants.  Better than asking one random stranger on the docks if you want to impress Sushi."

Without waiting for an answer, Brozzk starts pulling up a list of speculative cargo.  He stops and looks at Ash.  "Will you to have limits on speculative cargo?  Maximum tonnage?  Cultural restrictions?  Environmental requirements?  Cargo only that you expect to sell at Regina?  Or will you to hold longer for sale at other places?"

"Just making a bit of casual conversation." the ex-scout responds with a shrug.  "It has got to be boring running around keeping an eye on a dumb-bot all day."

Yas considers this for a moment, stifling a yawn.  "True enough, I suppose.  It can't be much more exciting than standing here watching him keep an eye on it.  Even if he does get changes of scenery."

"Maybe if we opened fire on the 'bot it would give him some excitement?  At the very least it would give us something to laugh about."

The grin that spreads across her face suggests that she might not be serious about this idea.

"But as soon as he has gone we can get on with other stuff.  He just has to go find another ship to unload."

However, he cocks his head sideways and consider the bot for a moment.  "So one shot with a small bore pistol.  Where would you shoot it?" he replies playing the same hypothetical game.

Pursing her lips, Shui nods along with Keryn's explanations.  "Even so," she muses, "all of this has been self-taught.  Which is impressive, Ms. Taylor; ten years, fifteen years, twenty years, for some people there are skills that will ever remain out of reach.  You have managed to insert yourself into a rather advanced field, all on your own."

Leaning forward, she studies the pendant.  "Curious design," she murmurs. "Is that a symbol?  An image of something?  I fear I cannot quite make it out."  Her hand rises, adjusting her glasses.  No, no help there. "From whence does it come, Ms. Taylor?"

"I'd avoid the chest for a start.  Sure, that's probably where it's power system is, and most likely its brain - at this tech level a robot's brain is probably too big to fit in the head with the bulky sensors - but the torso's probably the best armoured part."

The Security Chief grins.  "I don't like the look of it, so I'd aim for the face.  Might knock out those big old fragile sensors.  The eyes look really delicate.  A blind robot is pretty useless."

"I could never make it out either." Keryn replies.  "The medal's really old, and the metal's quite soft, so the design is almost gone.  I've thought it was different things over the years.  A man with something on his back, for example, or a winged creature.  Sometimes I thought it was a machine, and other times just a random pattern that looks like something when the light is right."

She shrugs.  "I think I see what I feel like seeing, depending on my mood."

"As for where I got it.  It was a gift from my grandmother, just before she died.  It was her who told me it would bring me luck."

Brozzk swivels the display for Ash and Jago to look at.  "You can to see that we are having mostly minerals available.  Krill is the second commonest, and products of krill - krill patties, flavoured krill, powdered krill... "

Copper ingots: 25 tons: Bids accepted until 320-1107 12:00
Iron ore     : 40 tons: Cr5,800/ton.  Cr235,200 total
Izun crystals: 40 tons: Cr4,800/ton.  Cr192,000 total
Krill patties: 35 tons: Cr3,500/ton.  Cr122,500 total
Izun powder  :  3 tons: Cr4,000/ton.  Cr 12,000 total
Dried krill  : 15 tons: Cr3,000/ton.  Cr 45,000 total

The list continues, filling the display.

Ash looks at the display listing with the speculative cargo with a marked interest.  His eyes bulge slightly as they are numbers that he is not used to seeing.  At least not in his personal finances.  He glances at Jago, since the Captain has more information about amount of cash he is willing to front.  Ash knows that he doesn't have a megacredit lying around, burning a hole in his pocket.

As he reviews the options, his head tilts slightly.  "What type of crystal is 'izun'?" he asks.  The lanky navigator considers himself to be fairly well-read and well-educated, but is unfamiliar with that term.  "Is it exotic?  I mean native only to Dinomn?" he prompts, glancing at Jago to see if the merchant captain knows more about them.

He does reconfirm the Profit Margin's cargo capacity, "We can take up to forty tons.  Absolutely.  And would be willing to speculate up to that amount.  If the price is right, of course.  We don't have any cultural restrictions at this point."  He didn't see anything on the list that might be offensive to anyone on the crew that he knew of.  Minerals and krill didn't seem overtly contentious - unless of course, there were some sort of local religious overtones attached to 'zocci' or 'izun' that he was unaware of.

Ash ran his long fingers through his short cropped hair for a moment, "Seems like either the copper, iron, or izun might be of particular interest to us."  He glanced once more at Jago to see if the price points were acceptable, "Do we know who the seller for the ingots is?  And what are the particulars of their auction?  Boss, are we willing to wait four days for the results of that?"  It seemed a long time potentially, especially if they were to lose out; a contingency would need to be developed then.

Brozzk nods, "Izun is clear red crystal.  Being used in electronics as conductor which shut down when current too high, but not burn out.  Works fine when power level drops again.  Only found here, far as I'm knowing."

Jago looks at Ash, leans forward, and mutters, "Nothing there we can't afford, so far."  Then louder, "It's not the four day auction that bothers me there.  It's the fact that there'll be a delivery time to account for on top of that.  You have any information on that... er... Brozzk?"

"Fifty hours." replies the Vargr, "Dinomn Metal Holdings LIC is guaranteeing delivery within fifty hours after they is receives payment.  Anywhere in orbit or on ground."

"That's acceptable." and Jago leans back in his chair to let Ash take the lead again.

"Curious." Shui turns the pendant over and over in her fingers, struggling to find meaning.  She could ask Keryn if her grandmother ever told her about it...but clearly she hadn't, so why ask?  "It seems to be a lesson in life," she continues.  "Everything - aside from universal absolutes - is perspective."

A small smile lights her face as she hands it back. "It is always good to have something from whence we came, is it not?  A small reminder of your past, an anchor...and most importantly, a reminder of your grandmother."  The steward pauses. "Assuming you both were on good terms, of course." 

Tylen grins as he turns to Yas, "I might just go for the on / off safety switch ...."

"Oh yes, I always liked my grandmother." Keryn confirms, "And I like that about perspective.  I'll have to remember that."  She smiles and looks around the room.  "And from my perspective, this is a tidy cabin.  I think we're about done here."

Yas chuckles, "Nah... that's an old myth.  You shoot a switch, and ninety-nine times out of a hundred you'll just break the switch without turning the thing off.  All you'll probably do is make it so that you can't manually operate the switch any more.  Same with locks.  Shooting a lock doesn't  automatically unlock a door.  Or lock it either."

"Don't they teach you anything in the Scouts?"

Eventually the robot makes one last trip into the hold and returns with the final case.  The driver goes in to check, and emerges smiling.

"That's the lot.  All offloaded.  If I could just get some signatures?"

He holds out a stylus, and a clipboard, bearing a sheaf of papers.  "Top copy is yours, the rest are mine.  Sign here and here, with dates for both, then write your name clearly here, here, and here."

He waits a few moments for the required signatures, then turns to leave.  "Have a good day, friends."

The hold echoes emptily, and there is no longer any need for Tylen and Yas to stand guard.  They can close her up, and go back into the warmth.

Shui escorts Keryn to her cabin, with its medical facilities, wher she gives the girl a thorough check up. 

Ash considers the available cargoes, then opts to play it safe.  Twenty tons each, iron ore and izun crystals will cost a total of Cr213,600.  Both are on-station, with 25 hour delivery to Profit Margin guaranteed.

Brozzk prints out a contract.  "Is standard contracts.  Who is signing, please?"

Finished her examination, Shui informs Keryn of the good news.  "The pregnancy appears to be proceeding perfectly well," she quietly states.  "Any discomfort you feel is...well, for wont of a better term, 'normal'." Switching off her equipment, she shoots the young woman a sunny smile.  "I'm pleased.  Are you feeling prepared for the child?  Is there anything about which you'd like to speak?"

Keryn bites at her lower lip for a moment.  "Just... just one thing I need to ask." she says, hesitantly, before falling silent and shaking her head.  "I hope you won't be offended.  Would you mind, if the baby's a girl, if I name it Shui?"

"Everybody on the ship has been so kind to me, and I want to say thank you."

Tylen lets Yas sign the cargo manifests, and  waits to close the ship up once the Security Chief has done.

"So what next?" he asks on the way back onto the ship, "or can I go get a coffee?"

"Well, unless the Boss-man calls and tells us otherwise, I don't think we have anything that really needs doing just now." Yas replies after a brief pause for thought.

"You can take a break, if you want.  I'll finish my security checks first.  Don't like being so close to another ship."  She looks across the docking bay at their neighbour, and shakes her head.  "Not one little bit."

Tylen nods.  "I'll be in the lounge or on the bridge if you need me." with that he makes his way to the crew lounge to get a cup of coffee.

Shui's eyebrows rise.  "Name her..."  Slowly she sits down, reaching out to take Keryn's hand.  "I of course am not offended.  I am, in fact, extremely honoured.  Surprised, as well."  In truth, she would have expected 'Yasmine'.

"My goodness," the doctor whispers.  For an instant, a touch of nervousness spikes through her...but no.  'Shui' is acceptable; even if the unthinkable happens and Keryn meets someone from her family, they would not recognize the name.

"You have completely taken me by surprise, Ms. Taylor," she continues, still a touch poleaxed.  "And this is not easy to do."  A small laugh follows.  "An honour...I said that, did I not?" Blinking, the doctor squeezes Keryn's hand.  "You have me at a loss!"

The laughter has ceased, but the smile remains. "In the rural language spoken on my world, Shui means 'water'.  Does it remain acceptable with that in mind?"

Keryn smiles.  "Knowing the meaning of the name makes it even more acceptable.  Makes it more exotic, if you see what I mean?  It's not just a random series of sounds - it has an actual meaning.  Not like my name - if that has any meaning, beyond sounding pleasant to some people, nobody ever told m what it was."

She laughs.  "I met a Vargr on Frenzie once... I'd sneaked away to a part of the docks that I'd never been to before, and I ran into this Vargr.  I was about ten, and I think he was younger.  His family were Imperial citizens, so he spoke pretty good Anglic.  Anyway, his name was Gnourked, or something like that, I could never quite pronounce it.  But he told me that in the language of his grandparents' home world, it meant One Who Moves With Grace."

"I thought that was nice.  That his name meant something, and that his parents had told him the meaning."

Out in the port, Jago and Ash take their leave of the broker and start to head back,  After a few moments, Jago says, "You did well.  Picked a good cargo, with a bit of variety.  That way if we find the bottom has fallen out of the izun market, we'll have the iron to fall back on."

Tylen settles into the lounge, with a coffee, while Yas continues her security checks outside the ship.

Pleased that Keryn finds the name acceptable, Shui listens to her story.  "Such a beautiful name, indeed.  I will now most certainly research more about Vargr names.  Names have meaning beyond a label for a person in many cultures; I find it a shame that we have lost that in our own, more widespread one."  She sighs.  "I am certain that, like my own world, there exist places where other languages still flourish with humanity, and cultures where names hold more meaning."

Her brows draw together.  "But then...I am also certain that your name held meaning at one time.  Hold a moment..." Rapid movement on her dataglove allows her to access information encyclopaedias. "Your name may have a link with similar sounding names that hold the connotation of purity or pure.  Also 'dark'."  She smiles.  "Which is not necessarily a bad thing.  In my own culture, 'dark' is not associated with something evil.  Rather, it indicates depth, secrets, quiet..."

Her voice trails off, then she laughs.  "I ramble.  My apologies."

Ash glances back and Jago, giving his Captain a slight, self-deprecating smile.  "Thank you for saying so, Boss." the lanky navigator notes with more than a touch of incredulity creeping in, "But, I didn't do much there; you knew all the real numbers and were required to step in at the most crucial point."  He shrugs slightly, which causes the padded shoulders of his duster to exaggerate the motion, "I don't know if I have much trading instincts there."  It seemed to him that education and book knowledge would only carry one so far in the trading game; and Ash knew the score there.  He wasn't the brightest bulb on the tree - no matter how reasonably well-read he might (believe himself to) be.

It did seem that the Captain was in a charitable mood, so Ash decided to swing with it.  "So..." he ventures a touch tentatively, "is there a speculative fund or some such that is available to the crew?"  He knows that Jago owns the ship and that each captain chooses how to do such things.  Some rent space to enterprising employees, others have a communal fund, or profit share.  And still others offer no such arrangements or benefits, at all.  That was one of the prerogatives of being a Free Trader; the freedom to decide such things.

Ash sort of feels compelled to ask, though.  His assessment of the Profit Margin's captain is that he has good character, given his relationship and track record with the crew.  And it is obvious that Jago has done well for himself and could likely manage his money better than Ash could himself.  "I don't have much of a nest egg, but I would be willing to contribute what I can..."  He pauses thoughtfully, nervously rubbing his hands through his short hair for a moment,  " I ... I probably could even contribute a portion of my monthly salary to such a thing ...  Or, perhaps, rent space or expertise on the Profit Margin to help me invest my assets more wisely?"

Jago stops short, causing a woman walking close behind him to skip aside to avoid a collision.

"That's... not a bad idea."  He stands, staring into space for several seconds, his cigar moving from one side of his mouth to the other, then back again.  "It might give people a bit of interest, and some experience, in trading that could prove useful to the ship in future.  Like if you, or Saskia, or anybody, spot a speculative cargo that I don't see, but the experience of doing your own trading tells you it might be worth taking on."

He starts walking again.  "I could rent out a few blocks of the hold at standard freight price, and everybody can do what they want with their block.  Say a ton each to you five, at a thousand per Jump each.  But you can fill your ton with whatever you want, or team up to take advantage of a larger load."

"You'd all be responsible for dealing with your personal cargo - buying, selling, legalities and taxes - but I'm sure you can find a way to get some advice from a nearby helpful, lovable old Captain."

Keryn laughs, "You sound like my grandmother.  She used to tell me that words aren't just noises.  Every word, names included, represents the... the shape... of an idea, if you see what I mean?  We hear the word, and we see the shape of the idea behind it."

"So when somebody says your name, even if you aren't there, I understand that they mean you, and I know who you are, what you look like, and what you do."

With a sigh, for reasons unknown, Yas starts walking around Profit Margin, counter-clockwise.  The reason for the latter is quite obviously because she have more access to the weapons should she need to take cover behind one of the landing gears.

Her gaze alternates between the two ships, checking the Margin for any damage or foreign objects and the other for anything suspicious, even if it is only a decal out of place up to a cannon tracking her movement.

Everything appears to be within acceptable norms as she apparently nonchalant continues to walk around the Margin, her back now towards the other ship.  Of course it has almost all of her attention at the time, but she does not let it show.

"Words are curious things," Shui agrees. "We associate things to them.  Ideas, people, facts, lies...take the word 'plan'."  She smiles.  "It's a silly word, when you thing of the noise.  Say it and don't hear the idea, just the noise." She enunciates carefully. "Plan."  A small laugh follows.  "It sounds like the onomatopoeia of a lump of dough falling on the floor.  But the word...we don't hear that, we hear the complex idea."

Her smile grows pensive. "Language is born from thought, but it also creates thought.  You have heard of concepts in some languages that are not easily explained in other languages?  Words that are not easily translated?  People thinking in the one language actually think differently than in the other.  It transforms ideas, cultures, relationships."

Another laugh. "Complex thoughts, and too deep for my limited experience.  But interesting to consider.  I am pleased that 'Shui' means more than 'water' to you, is the end result.  And I am pleased that, should you have a daughter, it will come to mean her as well." 

Something from her new life she can pass along; indeed, the thing that began the new life: her new name.

"Well, if we're all finished here, I'll head back to my freshly cleaned cabin and carry on studying." Keryn gives a short bow, "Thank you for everything Shui.  Between you and the rest of the crew, I've always felt that I'm in safe hands."

She turns to leave the room, smiling.

Yas completes her circuit of the ship, and gives the other ship in the bay one of her looks.  There seems to be some activity over there now.  Two crew members have come out and started tinkering with one of the landing struts.

A third man is walking towards Yas, grinning.  He raises one hand to wave a casual greeting as he approaches.  "Morning Security Chief!"  He pauses at a respectful distance, "At least it's morning by our chronometer, no idea what time it is on your ship." 

Jago and Ash are almost back at the correct docking bay, having had to backtrack a little after a wrong turn - an error which Jago seems to find amusing.  "Here I am with a Navigator who can plot a course across a couple of parsecs with pinpoint accuracy, and we get lost on a short walk aboard a station!"

He stops again, "Hello!  What going on here then?"

Up ahead, three Vargr are arguing with a fourth in one of their innumerable dialects, their voices raised.  The fourth Vargr looks nervous, with his tail down and his ears flattened, and he seems to be trying to avoid the other three...

In Profit Margin's Lounge, Tylen hears Shui's door open, and sees Keryn step out of the Steward's cabin.

From the look of it, Ash would be interested in partaking of the Captain's proposal.  Assuming that Jago was willing to rent the space; it was obviously a potential hit to the Boss' own profit margin.

As for getting lost, he has a ready explanation for their predicament.  "Sorry, Boss." the Profit Margin's lanky navigator notes off-hand with a slight shrug, "But I can't see the stars from this accessway ..."  The deadpan statement is more than a touch roundabout and definitely playful in tone, knowing that the mistake was easily corrected.  Besides, Ash knows that they aren't in any rush and that the consequences of such a miscalculation wouldn't cause them to simply terminally re-materialize in a co-located region of space with other matter, unlike what your standard mis-jump might do to you.

He stops short, his brow furrowing when he sees the gaggle of vargr ahead.  Ash's first instinct had been to back away, but he fights hard to overcome that gut reaction.  He doesn't want to appear too cowardly in front of his new boss; even if seeing acts of vargr aggression bring back all-too-vivid flashbacks of a past life on an x-Boat route in the Sword Worlds.  "Er..." the thin ex-Scout notes, his thumbs running over his fingertips to feel the light sheen of perspiration gathering there, "maybe we should ..." and he begins to turn slightly as if to back away.

But, then he notices the uneven odds.  A more aggressive trio set upon one smaller, defensive individual.  And even though he doesn't speak any Gvegh (or any other Vargr dialect for that matter), Ash knows well enough about what defined 'aggressive behavior and tone' in the canine humanoids' lexicon.  So much so, that the gaunt navigator found that he can't look away.  Nor can he ignore the situation or the small voice in back of his mind.  The lanky ex-Scout and ex-junior naval officer purses his lips and then intones dutifully, "Maybe we should ask and find out..."  His tone had started a touch tentative, but then begins to resolve itself by becoming more steely and forceful as he seems to decide that intervention was likely to be the correct course of action here

Having followed Jago's lead back at the ship, Ash does have his autopistol and his blade on him.  But he purposefully doesn't brandish either of them at this point, keeping them tucked under away under the folds of his duster.  He sincerely hopes that the situation is simply a miscommunication of some sort.  "Is everything all right?" he calls out just loud enough for the canid quartet to hear him clearly as he slowly begins to approach them.  Even as he starts to close the distance, Ash tries to gauge dispositions and relationships of the pack as best he can, "Your 'discussion' is getting quite loud.  Loud enough to attract the local constabulary, I suspect ..."

His wrist computer begins to call up the local emergency numbers flashing them to the reticule over his left eye.  It is simply a precautionary measure, so that he can push them to his p-comm if the situation requires it.

As the man approaches and addresses her as Security Chief, Yas' eyes narrow and a hand casually ends up near her revolver.

"Who are you and what makes you think I'm this Security Chief?" she asks, not bothering to hide her suspicion in her voice.  She can think of a few different scenarios.  Either he is a stalker, with variants thereof, or he is almost too observant for his own good.  And that is just two options.

She looks him over, studying him.  Is he moving like someone used to using that gun, does he have more weapons on him, is he a distraction while others go around?  Maintaining her eyes on her she turns her head to allow her peripheral vision to detect any movement out of the corners on her eyes.

A far more pleasant notion would be that he approaches on a purely person level, even if it only for a drink at the bar.  This passing thought makes her study his face and eyes some more, trying to judge not only what kind of man he might be, but whether she likes what she sees or not, on a non-professional level.

But she is not going to drop her guard without more intelligence at hand first and she shakes it off, albeit without actually shaking.

"Easy, easy." the newcomer returns, with a grin, "I'm head of security on the Lady Luck there... " one thumb jerks over his shoulder to indicate the ship behind him, "... and I've been doing the job long enough to spot someone else doing the same.  Name's Carter, late of the 4518th Lift."

"I don't know how often you've been here, but I saw you checking over your ship, and thought I'd come over and talk to you.  Got some information, if you're interested?"


One of the more aggressive Vargr looks over his shoulder at Ash and Jago, before snapping, "Dzoghutz!  You to be stay outs this, Hoomaan!  This our concern.  Not your."

His two companions seize the more nervous alien.  At least they lower their voices, even if their attitudes remain decidedly aggressive...

"I figured that you were from Lady Luck, and not only from the fact that you're wearing the logo," Yas says with a grin, still eyeing him with a pinch of suspicion.  Did he just ask if I come here often? she muses and the lopsided grin grows ever so little.

"So, one of the Duke's army guys, eh?  Ex Marine, although you can never really leave the Corps, once heading up a unit you never heard of, now serving aboard the one and only Profit Margin, best of her kind."

She offers him a hand to shake, even if she is ready to punch with the other, should it be a trap even now.  "So, what's a housecarl like you doing in a port like this?" she teases, following along his possibly unintentional pick-up line.

Carter shakes Yas' hand and smiles.

"Got pensioned off after I took some shrapnel from an Ine Givar booby trap a few years ago."  He bends and rubs at his right knee.  "Can walk fine most days, but running is a problem.  Could have been worse." 

He shrugs.  "I got bored sitting about, so as soon as I healed up enough to walk I used some connections to get a job aboard the Lady."

"Anyhow, I just wanted to come and warn you that there are a couple of gangs around the docks that can give some trouble.  Not really that violent, but cargo has a habit of walking away when they're around."

As Ash watches, the timid looking Vargr suddenly laughs.  A jarring, insane-sounding laugh.  He reaches into his jacket and produces a blade, as the two larger Vargr release him.  "You will now drop that."  The Vargr who had spoken indicates Ash's wrist comp  "Or brother will cuts your neck deep-like.  Both you give to us all you credits and maybes you be all right Hoomaan."

Shui takes a few minutes to tidy up after Keryn leaves, then decides to see if anybody has left a mess in the Lounge while she was busy.  Stepping out into the Crew Lounge, she finds Tylen sitting with his shoes off, and his feet propped up on a chair, drinking coffee.

The Vargr fan out a little, moving to surround Jago and Ash.  Jago spreads his hands, trying to placate them, "Easy now... we don't have anything worth robbing, and definitely nothing worth getting arrested for.  We were just at a business meeting, that's all."

"You has nothings worth taking?  Then maybe we just hurts you for a fun."

Jago glances around, taking a look at all four Vargr and, incidentally, noticing that the corridor they're in seems otherwise deserted...

"Just thought I'd let you know about it anyhow.  One Security Officer to another." Carter continues, still smiling.  "I've been here a few times, and know my way around pretty well, if you need any help with directions, or information on the locals, or anything else."

"Those uniform shoes kill my feet." Tylen grins as Shui comes into the lounge.  "And knowing my luck, if I got changed a new load of cargo will  arrive, just as I get comfy.  So, I thought I would just chill for a bit."

Tylen is still wearing his formal 'Security' marked black uniform with a holstered pistol at his belt.  His shot gun is propped up on the side of his seat.

Shui cocks an eyebrow at the gunner.  "Heavy weaponry in the crew lounge?"  But she relents, moving to check the coffee machine out of habit. "Understandable, given the circumstances, Mr. Orgesh."  A small smile follows.  "Hopefully you WILL have a chance for a short break."

Moving to the table, herself, she takes a seat (eschewing for the moment any kind of libation). "Besides, after all of the hard work you have done, your exposed socks are far more dangerous than your weaponry...I jest, of course." Running her hands through her hair, she leans back.  "I could use a small break myself, perhaps."

Back forward, and her smile grows wry.  "Perhaps some time off the ship would be good.  The trick is arranging it - there are your duties, as you not.  And with all of the people here, I can hardly find time to think, Tylen."

Which, in the past, has been a blessing.

"Ahh.  This is the light stuff Shui, more for show than for any serious combat needs.  The heavy duty weaponry is still locked up ..."  he breaks off as he leans forwards sniffing mightily in the general direction of his feet.  "They aren't that bad ..." he says with enough of a grin to show that he hasn't taken the comment seriously at all.

"I guess we will have a better idea of the timetable when Jago gets back from organising the cargo.  Then, perhaps, we can sit down and work out a good time." he suggests as he leans back  in his seat and relaxes again.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:08, Mon 06 Mar 2017.

"The light stuff?"  Eyebrow two joins eyebrow one, and Shui studies the shotgun.  "I defer to your more experienced judgement," she offers dubiously.  It isn't, for example, some kind of charged particle spitter, so Tylen has a point.  But projectile and energy-throwers aren't her forte, and anything larger than a pistol looks heavy to her.

Her own snub pistol, carried occasionally to placate Jago, disturbs her.  Often.

"They certainly are not," she continues, with a wave at his feet.  She can't actually smell them from here. "A mild witticism, nothing more.  As for the timetable...one might hope.  Of course, I also require to be on-call for the passengers, depending on the time."  She taps a fingertip on her lips.  "I expect I can delegate that.  And they CAN survive for a time, being full-grown."  Eyebrow up again.  "For all that Messers DeSant and Armusezash can carry on when Ms. Taylor defeats them at cards."

Tylen starts to chuckle as Shui describes her charges as full grown and that they CAN survive on their own.  "Those two old buggers will always whinge when they lose. Although they can't be that worried about it, or they wouldn't keep playing against her, they know she is better than they are.  Corlan and Eneris  are just two old men who enjoy the company of a young woman.  It helps them remember that they were young once." and he can't help chuckling again at the thought.

"And they are two very competent men who, between them, have more experience  than the whole crew of the margin put together.  I am sure they would survive an evening without your attention - and they certainly wouldn't let anything happen to Keryn either."

"Any more coffee in there?" Tylen asks as he levers himself out of his seat and pads across to the coffee machine in his stockinged feet.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:36, Wed 08 Mar 2017.

"This ol' thing?!?" and he gestured towards his wrist comp.  "It barely works." he explained, pressing a couple of buttons as a show that the screen remained blank.  But, one of the buttons pressed did include the one to open a line on the common crew channel on the Profit Margin; given his experience with comms, he always created such shortcuts for a new crew.

It was a gamble though, as any link established depended on the local network when on station.  And this gamble required them to stall for time to get any response (assuming Yas or Tylen could track them down).  Stalling, which in such a dynamic situation might be difficult - if not downright dangerous.

Ash pursed his lips and shook his head ruefully.  "Now boys," the lanky navigator noted slowly, his voice quavering slightly and his hands upraised to show they had no weapon, "there is no need for those..." and he gestured slightly towards the drawn blades.

He pushed on with words, "Violence doesn't really solve anything.  You don't want to try and shiv us..."  The thin ex-Scout in the voluminous duster put his back to Jago's hoping that would allow him to concentrate on the vargr in front of him, as they started to circle.  Ash seemed loathe to draw any weapons, following Jago's lead.  Either that, or he really believed his words...

Jago continues talking, watching what Ash is up to out of the corner of his eye.  "I told you, we don't have anything.  You're probably better off than we are."

"Look, we're crew from a tramp freighter.  We've just come from a meeting aimed at earning us enough credits to keep operating.  Now, if you'd catch us a couple of months from now, then... "

"Be quiet Hoomaan!"  Another knife appears, this one in the lead Vargr's hand, "You!  Stop do that now!"  And that last is definitely aimed at Ash...

Carter looks up at the flank of Profit Margin.  "Nice ship.  Been with her long?" 

Tylen and Shui continue their conversation.

"Crap!" Tylen ejaculates as he dives back towards his chair and shoes, activating his com as he does so.

Hurriedly donning his shoes and grabbing his shotgun.  "What?" he asks hurriedly.

As Tylen pulls on his shoes, Saskia appears around the curve from the rear ward portion of the Lounge.  She's barefoot, as usual, and her hair looks dishevelled.  Her eyes are half closed.  She's carrying her glasses in one hand, and a comm in the other.  The latter she holds out towards Shui and Tylen.  It's emitting a cyclical alarm tone at a frequency which seems calculated to cause irritation...

"What the frell's going on?" she demands.  "That's the frelling crew emergency signal."

Then, looking around the room, "Where's Yas?"

"Dropping it now Hoomaan," the Vargr snarls, gesturing towards Ash's comp with the knife, "or we dropping you."

All of the aliens seem a little tense...

"Shi ...." Tylen exclaims as Saskia comes into the lounge and he realises there is no one in the bridge.  Keying his com he calls, "Yas!  Emergency!  It must be Jago and Ash.  Everyone else is here." he continues slightly out of breath as he brushes past the two women and runs towards the bridge to get to a control panel.  "I'm heading for the bridge, to see if I can get a fix.  If you head for the  station proper, I'll  update you with what I get."

With that the ex-scout settles into a chair and starts working on the signal.

It is hard to miss the guy likes to talk.  Yas have only interjected the occasional single syllable answer, sometimes not even a proper word.  When he finally starts to stop talking about himself her immediate relief is abruptly cut short by en emergency signal.

"Sorry, got to deal with this," she says and turns to check her comms, although she still keeps an eye on the talkative fellow, just in case it is connected.  What she heard did not sound good.

"Yeah, I heard it.  Do keep chatter to a minimum, and be speedy," she replies to Ty's interjection as she starts towards the station.  She need to know what is going on over there for as long as it is possible.

She pushes a button that will produce a sound as if from a time piece, hoping those on the other end will read it as an acknowledgement and be able to play it off in case of it rising any suspicions and perhaps play for time.

With that done she pulls out her guns one at a time to make sure they are ready to leap into action, in the end keeping the largest calibre revolver out.

"Maybe later, eh?  Name's Yas," she calls back toward Mr Talkative, not exactly sure why, seeing as he mostly talked about himself.

Carter nods, "Yes, maybe later." an he moves out of Yas' way, just in time to avoid being trampled as she heads for the exit.

Tylen slams down into one of the Bridge couches, and his fingers activate a control panel.  He summons up one of his preconfigured layouts and tries to track the source of the signal.  Data begins to flow onto a display screen. 

One of the Vargr has a snub pistol, which he's waving about very excitedly.

"You to drop device."  The device in question emits a musical chord.  "You to drop it NOW!"

Everybody, including Mr. Snub Pistol, is suddenly very still...

Tylen keys Yas and barks at his com,  "Out of the docking bay, hang a left, and keep going around the curve of the  corridor." Then activates the control to lower the cargo hatch,  grabs his shot gun and starts running.

"Shut the cargo hatch after me," he yells at Shui and Saskia as he runs past them on the way to follow Yas.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 19:40, Tue 14 Mar 2017.

Saskia palms the stud to seal the cargo ramp, yelling, "Keep us informed!" as Tylen makes his way across to the bay exit.  There isn't any sign of Yas though.

Jago raises his hands and steps forward, "Look.  Like I said, we don't really have anything worth taking, but you can have whatever we do have.  Just take it easy.  All right?"

The pistol wavers: Jago, Ash, Jago, Ash...

Yas hears footsteps behind her and looks over her shoulder to see Tylen coming up behind her.  The pair are approaching a spot where a smaller corridor branches off to the right, just a few metres in front of Yas, and a little further from Tylen.

There are two *cracks* ahead of them, so close together as to be almost indistinguishable... small calibre gunshots by the sound of it.  A Vargr comes running out of the corridor, fast, and drops something into a trash container as he heads away from Yas and Tylen.  There is a cacophony of howls, snarls and barks from the corridor.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:32, Sun 19 Mar 2017.

Everything had happened so fast.  Here he was trying to stall and draw things out.  With his hands raised, he'd been fumbling with the band to get his wrist computer off.

And then the sharp crack that can only be gunfire from a snub pistol.  Ash had flinched instinctively, his trick knee almost buckling.  The sound was still echoing his ears, given the proximity.   He took mental stock, trying to pinpoint any pain, when he saw the Captain hit the ground.  Oh, Infi... escaped Ash's lips.  Jago's been shot.

The lanky navigator hadn't even had the time to interpose himself.

"Captain..." he finally vocalizes, urgency dripping from his voice, "Aw, Crap."  The man is already down; Ash places one hand over the visibly darkening wound, trying to staunch the flow of blood from his chest and the other behind Jago's neck to cradle his head, "Boss, stay with me..."

Meanwhile, he looks to see if any of the other Vargr remain, pleading with anyone that is in ear shot.  "We need help!" the thin navigator cries out, his voice echoing down the hall, "Someone call emergency services!"  He'd do it, but he only has so many hands...

Tylen knows they are about in the right area and he knows he is not the best shot - that is Yas's expertise.  So instead of following the gunman, Tylen advances into the corridor that the Vagr exited - shotgun ready and cocked.

Shui has wasted no time*.  At Tylen and Saskia's alert, she immediately rose and headed for the medbay, triggering the comm on her dataglove.

++ All passengers, please remain in your rooms.  This is not a drill.  Remain in your rooms. ++

The last thing they need are the passengers coming running with questions and requests to assist.

Arriving at her office, she snags her black bag, nothing more, and immediately turns about.  Back to the hatch, then, where Saskia awaits.  No questions, here, and no requests.  "Ms. Blake, please ward the hatch."  That said, she opens it, takes a quick glance, and - if there is no danger obvious - heads out.

Another message sent as she hurries to the docking bay exit, this time on the crew channel. ++ Security personnel, medical officer is ready to assist at your discretion. ++

Without their directions, she has no idea where to go.

*heavy irony.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:29, Tue 21 Mar 2017.

"Watch your corners!" Yas calls back at Tylen as she watches the Vargr ditch something and move off.  As much as she would like to secure him as well, it is not the primary objective at the moment, but rather to secure the scene and take control.  She makes a mental note of where the object was ditch as she checks each corner before moving on.

"Please remain at the ship for now," she calls, quietly, over the comms to Sushi.  The last thing they need is another non-combatant to look out for.

She dares a peek around the corner, for a moment, to assess the situation and to come up with a strategy based upon these findings, should any adversary remain.  Time is of the essence, but risking more lives is pointless.

Shui's lips purse in a moue of exasperation.  ++ Yes ++ she returns, simple and clear, nothing more.  Whatever the situation, obviously Yasmine and Tylen do not need distractions of any kind, and she will not second-guess the people 'on the ground'.

But if she returns to the ship, she'll be another minute or so away from any injured people.

Decision made, Shui takes a quick glance around the hanger entrance.  It's not cluttered, but there is machinery, loading equipment, service equipment...certainly the terrain isn't barren.  Her lips thin, one corner twisting down, and she shrugs.  And moves.

Moments later, the hanger again becomes quiet and seemingly empty.

Tylen swings around the corner into the cross corridor, even as Yas yells a warning at him.

Ash is there, with two Vargr close to him.  Jago is down - dead or unconscious.

One of the Vargr is on the far side of Ash, and facing towards Tylen as he enters the corridor.  The alien has a pistol, and squeezes off a shot, even as the security officer realises that he shouldn't use his shotgun with Ash so close to the Vargr.

The round explodes against the wall close to Tylen... who doesn't see any immediate cover, short of dodging back around the corner.

Yas, hearing a new shot, looks carefully around the corner to assess the situation...

It is quick thinking time, no cover, no real way of backing out, a weapon in hand that isn't immediately useful, a flap top holster that stops a quick draw of the pistol.  But Yas round the corner. She'll be waiting for a shot.  Bit of bluff, a brass neck and hope Ash does as he's told.

Tylen continues to step around the  corner half across the corridor, trying to draw the Vagr's eyes away from the Yas corner.  "Hit the deck" he barks, eyes making brief contact with Ash, but then focusing on the Vagr as he brings the shotgun up ready to fire.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 18:09, Sun 26 Mar 2017.

Another shot fired.  No time to waste, this has to end now.  Yas pops out enough to have a clean shot, or two, using her default weapon - the .50 cal revolver.  Not only does it roar loud, but it will roar even louder for a Vargr.

As the shot rings out, making even her ear rings in the confined space, she starts shouting, in as loud and commanding voice as she can muster, which in all fairness is quite a bit.

"DROP THE GUN!  DROP IT!  DO IT!  NOW!!"

She does not even wait to see if she hit the Vargr or not, but keeps barking out orders, over and over.  Jago is down and if possible she rather not have anyone else down either, regardless of how much she would love to beat the pup to a pulp right now.  Killing can come far too easy.

The large calibre revolver roars in the smaller corridor, even as Ash drops close to Jago.

The Vargr duck, and one presses his wrists tight against his ears, still holding a knife in one hand.  The other yelps, and drops a snub-pistol on the deck, then covers his ears as the echo of the shot rolls down the passage.

"No shoot Hoomaan!  No shoot!" howls the alien with the knife.

Shui sits quietly in her place of concealment, waiting in case somebody has been hurt, and her services are called upon.

A man appears on the ramp of the other ship in the bay, followed by a second.  They stroll casually down to the bay floor, both are armed.  Shotguns.

They cross the floor, heading towards the bay exit.  Suddenly the footsteps stop, and one of them yells.  "You there!  Behind the atmosphere processors!  We are Lady Luck security!  We know you're there!  Come out with your hands where we can see them!  You have five seconds to comply, or we'll toss a grenade in there!"

"Then drop the knife.  NOW!"   Tylen instructs as he advances towards the Vagr with the knife, shotgun levelled.  However, he makes sure that he stay on the far side of the corridor and does not get between Yas and the Vagr at all.

Assuming they mean her, Shui carefully slips out from her cover, holding the bag up in one hand, the other open and empty of any threat.  "Shui Tiesi, Profit Margin Steward and Medical Officer," she calls out with a worried glance at the weaponry.  "I'm waiting for word of a firefight situation involving my crew nearby - I've been ordered to stay near the ship until that is contained, and thought it a better idea to remain in cover."

She glances up at the medical bag, then offers the men a strained smile.  She can't exactly blame them for their concern, though tossing of grenades does seem a trifle excessive. "Do either of you gentlemen know about this, and where it is taking place?  And if so...would you be willing to escort me?  I could have crew members injured."

"BACK UP!  AND KEEP THOSE HANDS ON YOUR HEADS!"

Keeping the sound levels high should ensure that the Vargr's kept their morale low, she reasons, and moves forward only when they move back to kick the gun back, while Tylen moves in to secure the blade.  Without taking her eyes of them - and even keeping her head on a swivel, should the runaway behind them return - she calls out to her crewmate, "Ash!  You OK?"

"So that's you're ship over there, and you're waiting for word on a fight, and you decided that the best way to get that information would be to skulk behind some processors and ask any total strangers who happened to discover you if they had heard anything?"

"What do you think, Roj?  Plausible?"

"I think we should just shoot her right now Chief."

The one addressed as "Chief" sighs, "See, we can't do that, because we've already called Port Security, and if they arrive and find a dead body, there'll be forms to fill out, statements to make, and we might have to take lunch a bit late."

"But you're right Roj, it sounds a bit iffy to me too.  Especially since there are a lot of thefts going on around the docks lately.  I guess we're just going to have to keep her here until PortSec show up and take her in for questioning.  Shouldn't be too long.  And we'll be on time for lunch."

In the corridor, there is a lot of shouting.  And a lot of confusion, most of it on the part of the Vargr, and almost all of it a result of the shouting.  A lot of the shouting seems contradictory, which increases the confusion as the Vargr try to comply with all the instructions.  So desperate are they to comply that the one who had originally held the gun even pulls a small folding knife out of his pocket and throws it on the deck.

The other also drops his knife, which is probably a good thing, since it lessens the chance that he'll stab himself in the head.

Ash gets to his knees, "I'm not hurt, but Jago's been shot."

Somewhere along the corridor a siren is coming closer...

Shui nods slowly.  "Very reasonable, gentlemen.  I understand your predicament."  She holds up her dataglove.  "My ID is here, and I can contact the Profit Margin if you wish.  I have been instructed by my security to remain here until they call me.  I chose to do so outside of my ship because if someone is injured, I did not want to wait, and I am in cover because I have no idea how far away the altercation is."

"And I am unarmed." 

That much is true - she doesn't even have the accursed snub pistol, it's still back in the drawer.

"By all means confirm with Port Security, and I have no issue with an escort," she continues, "but please allow me to at least go to my crewmember if I receive a call to assist!"

Ash looks shaken.  He's not in shock, having seen his share of violence - random or otherwise.  But, he does seem upset at how quickly the situation has turned.  He purses his lips and waving off any aid for himself, urges the others, "We need to get Shui here quick!"  His troubled gaze turns towards the prone figure of Jago once more and he kneels again, looking to staunch any blood flow.

"The captain needs serious medical attention..." he pleads with Tylen and Yas.  One blood stained finger stabs at his wrist computer and then uses the dication feature, "++Shui, The Captain's been shot.  Chest wound; I'm afraid to move him.  ETA?++"

Ash has no formal medical training.  Sure he has done a field dressing or two.  And he's read plenty of medical mysteries and seen plenty of medical documentary vids.  But, this is out of his league, he's pretty sure.

"You want me to get her?  Or shall I wait here and keep an eye on these two?" Tylen ask Yas, nodding towards Jago and Ash.

"No, you wait here until PortSec arrive - you don't go anywhere, and you don't call anybody.  We have no way of verifying your credentials, and no easy way of confirming that anybody you call is actually who you claim they are." the Chief holds his shotgun so that it points in the general direction of Shui's gut.  "Imperial regs give me the authority to hold anybody that I feel has been acting suspiciously in the vicinity of any ship that I serve on, until such time as a local law enforcement unit arrives to take control of the situation."

Ash kneels next to Jago and pulls aside the Captain's jacket, ignoring the large hole, with the scorched edges, in the front of it.  The jacket, with its armoured lining looks to have borne the brunt of the damage, but there is still a fair bit of blood.  At least Jago is still breathing. 

A hovercraft stops at the end of the corridor, and two Port Security officers step out, armed.  "Drop your weapons, and step aside!  What's going on here?"

Yas is about to answer both Ash and Tylen when the local law enforcement arrives.  She lifts her hands up, taking her finger off the trigger and placing it on the finger guard, as she speaks up with all the authority she can muster.

"I'm Yasmine Crow, security chief on Profit Margin.  Our captain has been shot, by these Vargrs.  Two others have fled.  I know basic first aid, let me help him until we contact and bring over proper medics, be it our doctor or your local EMS.  Either me or one of you, but he needs help now."

She fixes the officers with a steady look, hoping to drive home her point.

Taking his lead from Yas, Tylen allows the shotgun to drop, however it is still on the strap slung across his body and only falls to about waist height.

Perhaps for the first time, he is grateful that he is wearing the black uniform with security stencilled across it.

The two Port Security officers look over the situation, and one triggers a communicator attached to his helmet.  He turns away and starts to talk quietly.  The other looks at the two Vargr.

"Hello Gzagk.  Up to your usual tricks again?"  He glances down at Jago, then at Ash.  "Don't tell me... Gzagk and his gang faked a robbery, then attacked you when you tried to intervene, right?"

"Well Gazgk, this time it looks like you and your pack took things too far.  You'll be in real trouble now."

His partner turns back.  "Hovermed is two minutes out."

"You... Crow was it?  See if you can keep him comfortable until they get here."

Both officers start fitting the Vargr, none too gently, with restraints.

Lady Luck's Security Chief checks his wrist chronometer and looks, not unkindly, at Shui "They shouldn't be too long.  So why don't you tell me again why you were hiding here instead of, if that is your ship, going back aboard to wait for more information?"

"Another one legged it as we arrived," Tylen offers, turning towards the Port Security men "He dropped something in a bin around the corner.  We were too interested in getting here quickly, to worry about the one who was leaving the area."

"I can show one of you the way back there, if you like."

Shui is tense.  Not only from the firearms pointed at her - while the security doesn't seem to be planning to shoot her, they seem rather enthusiastic with their weapons - but from the issue of her crew.  She doesn't know what's happening.  She doesn't know who is hurt, if anyone.

Keeping her arms raised - it's becoming painful to hold up the medical bag at shoulder height, but with shotguns trained on her stomach she is loathe to give any offense - she again answers as best she can.  "I received a crew emergency signal, non-specific.  Ship's security left at a run, weapons in hand.  I am the ship's doctor - I secured my equipment and left the ship, comming security to request a location.  Our security chief told me to remain at the ship."

Deep breath.  "With those instructions, I remained here in the bay, outside the ship to save time if it became necessary to join them and administer medical aid.  Lacking information regarding the nature of the threat and the proximity, I hid.  It seemed prudent to do so while awaiting further instructions."
This message was last edited by the player at 14:25, Wed 05 Apr 2017.

"Crow, yes.  I am not sure, Sir, I got here after that, but in time to catch them, apart from the one who dumped something as he passed us, near the corner of the corridor," Yas replies to the officer and moves over to assist Jago.

"Did any of you send a message to Sushi?" she asks while assessing the extent of the injuries.  She has seen enough wounds in the field to do basic care, but she is no surgeon.

Tylen nods at the implied order, "I'll do it now,"and turns to his data glove.  Keying for  Shui and Saskia's personal coms he starts with little preamble, knowing thet will recognise both his voice and the coms nuumber.

"Jago has been shot, but it doesn't appear to be too bad. Yas is aadministering first aid.  We have Port Sec with us.  Do not try to make your way to us alone.  There is a fugitive Vagr in the area."

Ash nods ruefully to the Port Security officer's assessment of the circumstances.  "Yeah..." the lanky navigator notes with a touch of sheepishness and more than a touch of chagrin in his voice, "Yeah, that's pretty much how it happened..."  His voice cracks a little at the end, and he continues to cradle Jago's neck with his right hand, even as he shifts his position to make sure that Yas had full access to administer whatever first aid she can.  His other hand is still holding tightly onto Jago's.

He doesn't even look in con artist's direction at this point as preoccupied as he is with the injury to the Captain.  Well, that and the shame that Ash never seems to learn about the violent propensities of others.  He has plenty of scars to show that the universe has tried to teach him.

The thin ex-Scout takes in a deep breath, which causes his slight frame to shudder slightly.  Ash glances at both pairs of security that have arrived at this point, a thankful, if melancholy smile playing on his lips.  "Hold on, boss." he urges quietly, more for his own sake it seems, since Jago still appears unconscious, "Just a couple of minutes before they the medical team gets here..."

The Chief nods at Shui thoughtfully.  "Well, I have a couple of problems with your story."  He glances at the two large hatches connecting the bay to the rest of the station.  "But PortSec's on it's way, so this will be their business.  I'll just give them my report, that we ran a routine scan, and thermal imaging spotted you among the atmospheric processing equipment.  And then they can sort it out.  Until they show up, we can just wait here quietly."

Saskia replies to Tylen's call, "I don't know where Shui is.  She told me she was following you, and that I should close the hatch behind her.  Frell!  Just hit my frelling thumb with a torque actuator.  Isn't she with you?" 

Yas pulls Jago's jacket aside and then the still smouldering shirt.  Jago groans as she moves the shirt.  His eyes flicker open, and he looks up at her,  "Shui?  Are you wearing your hair differently?"  And then he tries to chuckle, which probably is not the best decision he's ever made.  He winces and coughs.  But at least the only blood so far seems to be on his chest.  He isn't coughing any up.


In the distance another siren can be heard getting louder.

The second Port Security Officer nods at Ash, "Well, these two will be coming with us.  They've got a record of minor assaults and petty theft, so I think that this time things won't go so well for them with the Magistrate."

"As you wish," Shui quietly states.  She's uncertain why he's repeating himself, and why he's asking questions if it's not his business and plans to simply give security a report.  She's also uncertain about what his problems - plural - are with her story, as what she describes is exactly what transpired.  Disbelief, she would understand, but specifics that do not fit?  However, she's not about to question the man with the large-bore weapon trained on her.

Somewhat strained, she holds position, arms up and bag in-hand, and waits.  There isn't anything else she can do.

Her dataglove pings, indicating someone is attempting to get in touch with her via comm; she glances at it, then away.  "You have informed me you will not permit outgoing calls - may I take an incoming one?  As I have noted, my crew is in an emergency situation and I am the medical officer."

It's unlikely they will, but she must try.  She does not, however, even twitch toward answering, mindful of the shotgun still pointed her way.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:49, Thu 06 Apr 2017.

"Yes, captain, I decided to try a different hairdo today.  Looks much better this way, no?  A busted collar bone, nothing major.  The armour saved you." Yas does her best - thus horribly bad - impression of the doctor.  Applying pressure on the wound she tries her best to not press too hard - although that is preferable to not pressing at all.  The EMS will be here soon, though, unless the sirens are unrelated.

"You all right there, Ash?" she asks, glancing at the navigator.  Not everyone is as used to combat as she is, luckily, but sometimes it does not sit well with the individual.

"That one was the wielder of the gun," she points out with a nod, to make sure the officers know it for certain.  There is, after all, a difference between pulling the trigger and watching someone else do it, even if both were part of the incident.

In the back of her head stirs the emotions she has learnt to suppress.  The urge to blow the head of the Vargr, the beat him to a pulp, to worry about Jago.  It will all come out in time, most likely once she is alone.  Washing it down the drain of the shower usually works.  Plus it is hard to see any potential tears in there.

"She didn't know where we were going, and she was told to stay with the ship?" Tylen responds to Saskia's comments.  "Use the computer to do a personal scan both on board and in the vicinity.  I'll get back as soon as I can."

With a sour look on his face, Tylen turns to the Port Sec men.  "Another of our crew members is missing, apparently she didn't follow instructions and stay on the ship.  I need to go and run the system checks to see if I can find out what happened, while Yas is attending to the Captain.

"Yas.  Shui is missing.  Will you be OK with Ask and Jago?"he calls across to the security chief before turning back to the Port Sec men.  "I can show you where the other one dropped something in a trash can on the way ...."

A fan of laser light sweeps across the corridor as the siren dies, and there is a second vehicle at the entrance, this one settling as its air cushion collapses below it.  The doors open, and two women hop out in yellow and white uniforms emblazoned with symbols that indicate their status as medics in most of the cultures most commonly seen on the station.

They hurry over to where Jago lays on the deck attended by Yas.  They urge the Security Officer to move aside and start working, carefully and efficiently.

Port Security move the two Vargr to their vehicle meanwhile, and one of them calls in a report.

One of the medics leans back and addresses Jago.  "Looks like mostly bruising, a little blood loss, and a fractured clavicle.  There shouldn't be any complications, but we'll take you to MedCentral to get you checked over, just to be on the safe side.  Do you think you can walk to the hovermed?"

Jago confirms that he hasn't been shot in the legs, and is helped gently to his feet.  "Would one of you like to ride to MedCentral with him?"

"Can somebody show me where the one who fled dumped... whatever it was?"  The PortSec officer looks expectantly from Yas to Tylen.

Meanwhile, at the docking bay, there is a loud bang as magnetic bolts release, and the pedestrian lock giving access to the station proper grinds open.  Two PortSec officers walk in, looking a little bored.  "Morning Carter.  What have you got for us this time?"

The Security Chief, apparently called Carter, explains the situation with little preamble.  "Hello Nellis.  Well, we ran a thermal scan of the bay a little while ago, and found this woman hiding behind the air processor there.  So I called it in, and held her here until you showed up."

The female officer looks Shui up and down, "Station policy requires that we place you under arrest and take you to Security Central before questioning you.  You have the right to remain silent.  Should you waive that right, anything you say may be used in evidence.  You have the right to legal representation.  Should you not have such, a lawyer can be appointed for you, should you so desire."

"What's your name please?  Also do you have any objection to being searched?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:17, Sun 09 Apr 2017.

Yas helps Jago get up on his feet and makes certain to support his, regardless whether he needs it or not.

"Ash, you want to go with the boss?" Yas asks, figuring he may need a moment as well as being the for Jago.

"Certainly, officer,"" she replies to the LEO and then turns to her fellow crew mate.  "Ty, it's on the way back, and I plan to get back there as well, then we can both look into where Sushi got off to.  Plus, I need to keep an eye on the Margin either way," she suggests, wonder what in the twin nebulas the good doctor is up to.

Tylen is quite happy to accompany the Security Chief back to The Margin, showing the  station security officers where the 'object' was dumped on the way.

However, with Yas to lead the way, Tylen gaets straight back on his Com to Saskia and starts issuing instructions to speed review the ship's video recordings of the hangar and the doorway,  looking to see if Shui left the hangar and, if she did, which way she went.

"Wait, wait.  Hold your mivonks a frelling minute.  I'm in the middle of tightening up a field compensator coil.  Delicate job.  Can't just drop it to rush off and do something else." grumbles Saskia, in response to Tylen's instructions.

Some of her anger could be due to her having hit the back of her head on the bottom of the plasma injection conduit.

Tylen responds immediately. "You're adjusting a field compensator coil while Shui is missing and Jago has been shot?  Riiiight ...."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:19, Sun 09 Apr 2017.

"Have you ever adjusted one?  I mean a proper one, not the substandard dren they have on a Type S." Saskia snaps, "I started it before any of that happened.  If I leave it just now then next time we take off we might all end up walking into the next system."

Shui complies with everything the officers ask, answers in the affirmative for the search, and offers up her identification (which includes her license for the medical stuff in her bags).  There really isn't anything else she can do at present.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:34, Mon 10 Apr 2017.

Jago is placed in the hovermed, and Ash is invited to sit with him.  The vehicle starts to move, and one of the crew begins work, checking vital signs, administering medication, and asking about Jago's general state of health under normal conditions.

During a pause in the questioning, the Captain asks Ash, "What about you?  Were you hurt?  I thought I heard more shots, but I could be wrong.  I was a bit confused I think."

The search is quick and fairly perfunctory.  After all, in order for a concealed weapon to be of any real use, it needs to be readily accessible.  The male PortSec officer finishes a quiet discussion with Carter, and accepts Shui's ID.  "This isn't standard for Dinomn system, it will need to be checked over.  They can do that at Security Central, while you're being questioned."

"I don't even know what some of this stuff is." interjects his partner, as she peers into Shui's bag.  "I mean, some of it looks like doctor's stuff, but the rest...?  This will need to be looked over too."

"So, if you could come with us to our vehicle?  Security Central will do their best to get this matter processed as quickly as possible."

The female officer takes hold of Shui's elbow, and the two lead her away...

Tylen and Yas move along as fast as they can, consistent with keeping an eye open for Shui.  Unfortunately they don't have any luck spotting her.

As they approach the docking bay, though, they notice one of the PortSec vehicles driving off, headed away from them along the line of docking bays...

Again, there is little Shui can do save offer the officers cooperation, including polite, direct, truthful answers to their questions.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:12, Tue 11 Apr 2017.

"Let's hope she isn't in trouble too.  Maybe her comm's down," Yas muses perplexed as they approach the Margin.  No one is around to ask outside, so she strides purposefully towards where the ramp will lower.

"Let's check if she's aboard, in case, Ty.  If not, go ahead and try the comms now and then, and whatever else you can think of, I got a couple of angles to try," she says to Tylen as she activates the ramp and before it starts making its familiar noise.  Perhaps What's-his-name from The-Other-Ship have seen or noticed something, what with him being security for them and all.

Tylen nods at Yas's decision and heads straight to The Margin's bridge. Settling into a work station he uses the ships computer and sensors to check inside the ship for signs of life and the identify who is where.  It might not be as good as a stem to stern search, but it will narrow down possibilities.

However, Sakia's words are still echoing around his head 'She told me she was following you, and that I should close the hatch behind her', which implied that she went outside.  So once the internal computer search is started, Tylen runs back though the hatch camera feed to see if Shui left the ship until he sees an image of the steward leaving.  Then he starts working on the external camera feeds.

Yas makes her way over to the Lady Luck to see if she can talk to Carter.  Maybe he saw something...

Tylen, meanwhile, starts running a sweep of the ship to see how many people are aboard...

At Security Central, Shui fins herself in a very clean room, seated on a white chair at a white table.  Most of her possessions, with the exception of her clothing, are currently sitting in a closed plastic box on the other side of the table, next to a woman who named herself as Senior Prefect Ashtel.

Ashtel is examining a transcription of Shui's statement, and a report by the arresting officers.  With a quiet grunt she looks up from the documents, opens the lid of the box and takes out Shui's dataglove in a clear plastic bag.  "What is this, please?"

Carter appears at the hatch as Yas starts up the ramp, "Hello Crow.  Everything all right with your emergency?  Oh, by the way, I caught a sneak thief hiding in the bay while you were away.  Told you they were about."

Tylen can account for all the life signs picked up by the scan.  So he switches to the exit cams.  Shui is clearly shown leaving the ship.  The problem is that the next step is likely to be the most time consuming... checking the external feeds for signs of where she went after disembarking.

"A dataglove," Shui quietly explains.  "A portable computer, essentially, with holographic controls.  It functions as a communications unit, as well.  It allows me to interface directly with my medical equipment, aboard the Profit Margin."

Checking the time stamp on the video feed, Tylen switches to an external monitor that covers the exit hatch at the same time stamp, fiddling with his data glove as he does so.

Then he starts queuing up the other camera feeds for the same time stamp -  pushes them all into screen windows and watches them at x10 speeds until he sees something happen.

Ash nods to Yasmine's request for him to accompany Jago, taking the proffered seat next to the Captain.  He'll need to make a statement anyways; having been present for the entire incident.  Plus, truth be told, he's feeling a touch shell-shocked himself; everything happened so fast.  And, ultimately, he feels partially responsible for the predicament that the group finds themselves in, of course.

"Well," he ventures to Jago's query about his well-being, "I don't think that I've been shot..."  His voice carries a touch of regret, not that he wants to be injured, but simply because the Captain was the unfortunate one.  Ash pats down his torso, partly for effect and partly just to verify the veracity of his own assertion.  "There were two 'booms'," he recalls, "but I suspect the second one was the explosion from the explosive round that hit your vest..."

At least, that is what he hopes.  Sort of.  That way no one else might be hurt; given the reality that at least one person is already hurt.

"Hey, uh," Yas replies, having forgotten his name already, and deciding at the last moment it is better to not say it than to get it wrong.  "Yeah, well, sort of.  Our captain got shot.  He'll be fine, thanks to his vest.  Some well-known Vargr's, clearly."

She sighs and does her best to not think about alternate scenarios where the vest does not provide protection.  It is in the past.

"Sneak thief, eh?" she echoes, "better than a trigger-happy robber, for sure."

"Any way, our doctor's gone missing in all this.  I told her to stand by on the ship, so I have no idea where she went.  No answer to the comm either.  Maybe you've seen her?  Almost one point seven tall, lean, probably got her doc bag with her."  Yas holds up a hand about five centimetres above herself, thereby flattening her hair a tad.

Carter frowns.  "No I haven't seen... wait.  Wait.  Got one of those fancy gloves?  Like a hand comp, but costs more?  Oh damn!  I think I might have had her arrested."

"I had our assistant Navi helping me out, and I got him to do a thermal sweep of the bay as a training exercise.  Anyway, we spotted somebody hiding behind the atmo pumps over there... I told you about all the trouble shipping's been having with thieves here, right?" he smiles nervously, "So I called PortSec and we held her here until they arrived to take her in.  I hope she's all right, you know how some of these local law enforcement departments can be."

"Interesting.  Don't think I've ever seen anything quite like it before."  Ashtel puts the dataglove down, with what might be a touch of regret.  Her left hand lingers on the bag as her right lifts up the top document on the stack.  A quick glance at it, then, "Profit Margin?  The other ship in the bay with Lady Luck.  Right."

She steeples her hands before her, and stares directly into Shui's eyes.  "Here's the thing.  We've had a lot of crime around the docks recently, and we're making every effort to clamp down on it.  So when Kehr Carter called in a report that he had discovered somebody acting oddly in a docking bay, we had to respond.  Especially so since the Lady Luck is expecting an extremely valuable consignment to be delivered to that bay later today."

"Now, Kehra Tiesi, Kehr Carter has a bit of a reputation on this station.  Let's just say he... worries... about things.  A lot.  Your bag checks out, it is filled with medical equipment, and you have your... what did you call it?  A dataglove?  None of these things have been reported stolen.  In fact a lot of them could not have been manufactured here, in this system.  So we have to accept that they do, in fact, belong to you.  Your ID says your licensed to use some of them too - the ones that require licenses."

"Add to that that you have given consistent statements since your arrest, but not so consistent that they seem... rehearsed.  And, as I said, Kehr Carter has reported a lot of incidents lately.  So I'm inclined to give you the benefit of the doubt in this case."

"Unless you have anything to add, I can release you with just a warning.  Kehr Carter felt that your behaviour in the docking bay was strange enough to warrant concern, and we have had incidents in the past where ships' security personnel have reacted to perceived threats to their vessels with deadly force.  The regulations of this station permit this, as long as ships' personnel have genuine concerns about security or safety."

Jago groans, "Snub pistols.  Always thought they were two small to do any real damage, but tanj!  I think I'd rather be shot with Yas' scattergun."

He makes an attempt to sit up, and stops almost immediately.  "Actually it's quite comfortable just laying here.  Think I'll stay where I am for now."

"Wish I had a cigar."  A long sigh, and a wince of pain.  "Or some Choco-bacon.  I bet they don't sell it here though.  I suspect that Shui has been secretly lobbying to get it banned across the whole Imperium.  She's a good doctor, but she worries too much about peoples' health."

Another painful sigh.  "Typical.  I stopped smoking fifteen years ago, on doctor's orders.  I'm trying to cut down on the Choco-bacon, and other stuff that's bad for me.  And then I got shot."

Tylen waits and watches Video scroll.

Yas' face goes from surprise mixed with confusion to disbelief and amusement.  Once the other Security Chief - Lucky, in her head now - finishes, she burst out laughing.

"You're telling me she hid, outside the ship?!"  She puts her palms over her face and drags them down in an attempt to smooth out the grin plastered all over it.  It fails.

"What were you thinking, Sushi?" she chuckles, the lopsided grin still ruling her visage.  "That solves that mystery then," she says shaking her head slowly.  "Next time I'll be sure to tell her to wait inside the frelling ship. She'll hear this for some time."

"Hey all, our Doc's been arrested for... heh... suspicious practice..." she reports over the crew comm, chuckles and all.  "Ty, maybe you can check with the local law enforcement, I'll be right there."

"Well, best go for my second rescue today then," she says with a wink at Lucky.

The monitor, with a little judicious cutting between cameras, shows a peculiar sequence of events.

Shui leaves the ship, and goes across to the bay exit.  But she stops there and looks to be having a conversation over her dataglove.  Then she ducks in behind some environmental machinery.

Shortly afterwards two men in civilian clothing leave the other ship in the bay and approach the machinery carrying shotguns, and Shui emerges with her hands up.  There is a discussion, and the bay hatch opens, admitting two people in the now-familiar Port Security uniforms.

They speak to everybody present and one of them, a woman, searches Shui.  Then the Port Security officers escort Shui out of the bay, while the two personnel from the other ship head back there.

And then after a brief pause, the hatch opens again, and Yas and Tylen enter...

"Yep.  Your mates over there turned her into the local security patrols for some reason." Tylen responds to Yas's call dryly.  "It is amazing what you can find out when you watch your sensor feeds."  Tylen adds, hoping that the security man over there can here him.

"I just called Shui with out any response, but I'll try again.  What number did those guys call for security, I might as well make sure I get the same office ..." he says leaving the line open.

While he is talking to Yas he places another call, from the ship, to Shui's data glove, and flicks through screens looking for contact  details for the local security force.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:01, Sat 15 Apr 2017.

Carter nods, "Yes, thats exactly what happened.  She said something about being worried about getting attacked.  In a secured area.  It sounded suspicious to me, so I decided to leave it for PortSec to sort out.  I'd already called them anyway."

"Yeah, isn't it amazing, Ty?  Like how someone hides right next to their own ship," Yas replies deadpan, winking at Lucky.

"Those two are, well, involved.  To what degree I don't even want to know.  He's a bit protective, evidently," she chuckles and then shrugs, "I understand your actions.  I'd do the exact same thing.  I'm sure she's safe with the local law either way until we can get her back to us."

"Any way, duty calls, take care now and keep your eyes peeled for sneak thieves."

With a wave of her hand in parting Yas turns back toward the Margin, shaking her head and chortling all the way.

If there is no reply from Shui's com, Tylen puts in a call to Security Central.

"Best not to get hit with either one, Boss." Ash ventures rather ruefully to Jago, as the latter muses about which firearm wound hurts less.  His right hand moves to his right leg, rubbing it unconsciously in sympathy; a slightly enigmatic and slightly pained look crosses his gaunt features.

He can only nod to the Captain's ramblings with respect to his dietary and lifestyle restrictions that have been 'strongly suggested' by their ship's doctor.  Ash is extremely careful not to say anything about the extra bacon nicked by Jago at any meal featuring it.  Nor is he all that inclined to defend Shui per se; he definitely sees the irony in the situation.  It did seem to him that few free traders necessarily died of chronic illnesses or old age.  Not that one shouldn't try to plan for it, but the odds weren't always the best.

Anyways, he'd played his part and that overshadowed his thoughts for the moment.  "Still," the thin navigator for the Profit Margin ventures, "it would have been nice to have Shui here to tend to you."  Ship's doctors had their uses.

"Shot at" he offers as a slightly correction, tapping the armoured vest that appears to have taken most of the brunt of the explosion.  The acrid smell of vaporizing amides and poly-carbonate layers still tickling his nose.  "Without this baby," Ash wagers, "you'd have lost a lot of weight, right quick."  Perhaps fatally so...  In his experience, most who have an 'up close and personal' encounter with an explosive round don't live to tell the tale.

He pauses for a pregnant moment before speaking again. "I..." Ash notes with more than a touch of guild in his voice, "I am sorry to have put you in harm's way, Boss.  It was rash of me.  And it turned out to be for nothing."  Even if they were trying to do the right thing.  And even if it was random who got shot, it still wasn't a Good Thing™.

"I completely understand, Senior Prefect Kehra," Shui replies after listening through the entire speech without interruption. "Better for them to be safe than sorry, I bear no ill-will.  And I appreciate your understanding, as well.  My only regret is that I was not free to assist my crew, were I needed." She bends forward in her chair, a slight bow.  "Thank you."

"Security Central." comes a rapid response to Tylen's call, "How can we help you?"

Jago sighs and winces.  "Don't worry Ash.  As long as you learned something from it, then it's all good.  Nobody died.  Maybe I'll end up with an impressive scar, and I can tell people that I got it during the war."

"Tanj!  I wish I had a cigar."

"I'm sorry Crow!  Never meant to be bothering your crew.  Honestly thought she was a thief waiting for a chance to pilfer something from the... from the cargo deliveries."  Carter seems nervous, as he apologises to Yas.

"You'll be able to leave as soon as we've processed the documentation, and  have your signature on it."  Ashtel picks up the dataglove again, turning the clear plastic bag over and examining the device inside from different angles.  "Wonder if there's anywhere nearby that would ship one of these here.  Could be useful in my line of work.  I don't suppose you'd consider selling it, would you?"

"Thank you, Senior Prefect."  A pained look crosses her face; the woman has been decent, and Shui detests disappointing people. "Sadly, the dataglove is far too useful for my work as ship's doctor and interfacing with the equipment.  If I were certain to go to a port next where one might be found, I would be happy to offer it, but..."  Another bow. "I can research, of course, and send you the results of such - I know the proper companies and subsidiaries, it might be more easy for me."

One never knows.

Another question, this time from her. "I don't suppose you are aware of any problems with other members of the Profit Margin crew?" she inquires, worried. "It was a crew emergency alarm, concerning something off the ship, to which I was responding.  And I have no idea what transpired."
This message was last edited by the player at 13:13, Thu 20 Apr 2017.

"Hello Security central this is Ship's Security Officer Ogresh of The Profit Margin.  A couple of your officers visited our docking bay and left with our ship's Doctor, I wanted to know if she is available to return to the ship yet." Tylen goes on to supply the bay number and the number from the security vehicle, if he could see it.

"Oh, as I said, I'd done the same.  Don't sweat it," Yas says with a chuckle and a grin at Mr Something-or-other.  She gives him a once over and then turns and waves, walking back to the Margin.

"Don't be a stranger now!" she calls over her shoulder before walking up the ramp to check whether there has been any progress made on locating the errant doctor.

Carter waves a hand in Yas' general direction as she makes her way back to the Margin.  The last thing she sees as she enters the ship is him, still standing at Lady Luck's hatch, talking to somebody via a communicator.

There is a brief pause, and then Security Central comes back on the channel, "Hello Officer Orgesh.  One of our Prefects is currently interviewing somebody who claimed to be your ship's medic.  I'm afraid that I can't give you any further information at this time, as I just don't have it."

Ashtel sighs, "No, didn't think so.  If I had one of these, I probably wouldn't want to sell it either."

Shui's question brings a blank stare, then, "Not that I've heard.  I can check though."  She pushes herself up from her chair and walks over to an intercom panel set in the wall.  Standing between Shui and the panel she does something with her hand - possibly entering an access code.  Then she speaks quietly, and waits for a reply.  Shui can only make out the words "Profit Margin" and "incident", while the response from the speaker is either too distorted to hear clearly, or in another language.

Seating herself at the table again, Ashtel says nothing for a few seconds, then, "There was an incident, an attempted robbery.  Shots were fired, and your Captain is currently receiving attention at MedCentral.  The perpetrators have been arrested.  The officers who were called to the incident reported that the Captain received first aid at the scene, and was able to speak, and even joke a little, as he was transferred to a hovermed."
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:33, Sun 23 Apr 2017.

"Can you arrange for our medic to call the ship as soon as she is available? Or for your prefect to call us? Our captain was ambushed and shot, in an attempted mugging, on the way back to the ship earlier, and we would like to send an escort to make sure that our medic arrives back here safely."  Tylen responds.

However, knowing that Shui is currently with a Security Officer reassures him somewhat.  It also means that there is no risk to Shui if her Comm goes off at an inappropriate time.  Consequently,  he users the ships computer to send a message to her com, and then call until it gets a response.  He records a short message asking Shui to call the ship as soon as she is able.

Shui appears calm.  She isn't.  Inside, her gut is twisting as she awaits word.  When it comes, it's worse and better than she expected, both.

A long moment passes as she sits quietly, parsing the information received.  Then Shui releases a shuddering sigh; while her body never quite 'slumps', there's a hint of that in the change of posture.  "Thank you, Senior Prefect," she finally states.  People hurt.  Possibly almost killed, but possibly Jago is in recovery.  Bad...and good.  "I am...I am pleased to hear Captain Lanza seems to have not been seriously injured."

Seems.  He could easily have developed some kind of complications.

One hand rises to swipe the shine from her forehead.  "You have been most kind, in ferreting out that information.  Again, my thanks."  Now her fingers itch; she wants to be THERE, at whatever hospital to which they have taken Jago.  Shui is fully aware that the doctors will be more skilled than she, herself, but still.  She needs to see for herself.

"We'll pass on a message for you as soon as we can."

"No problem.  I can understand why you might be concerned."

The intercom chimes, and Ashtel pushes herself away from the table again to go and answer it.  A brief conversation, and she returns to the table.

She puts the dataglove back in the box, then places the papers on top before picking up the whole lot.

"Come with me please.  You're free to go, but the front desk needs a signature for your property."

Then she leads the way out of the door, and into the maze of corridors that seems to be the bulk of Security Central.

Jago sighs, "I wonder how long they plan to keep me in here.  A stay in a medical facility wasn't on my itinerary for my visit to Dinomn."

"She is still at Security Central." Tylen uses his data glove to update Yas, "Being interviewed by a prefect.  They have agreed to ask her to call us, I told them we would want to make sure she had an escort, oif she was going to be walking around out there."

Message sent, he settles down in his seat and starts fiddling with the controls.  He pulls up the camera feeds and sets markers against various points and fiddles with the recording mode to track movement around the dock area like a CCTV system.  Just in case the fella in the next berth is right about petty thieves and stock pilfering.

Shui is more than happy to follow the Senior Prefect, and put this situation behind her.  Off she goes, after the officer, tension again beginning to build.  How IS Jago?  Has he responded to the medical care?  Has his situation deteriorated?

Ash chuckled, "Well, getting shot wasn't on the agenda either..."  He smiled slightly ruefully, "So, it's poor planning on our part all around."

He pats the captain gently on the shoulder.  "You stay put." says Navigator Obvious, while he stands and brushes off his duster for a moment, "Let me go and see if I can find out how long they intend to keep us..."  He doesn't say it, but sometimes hospital staff want you to be under observation for days at a time; not an idea that Ash relishes.  He trundles off to find a staff nurse that might be able to tell him when they might be able to go.

Ash leaves the room and looks about for anybody who can answer his questions.  As luck (or perhaps good design) would have it, there is a nurses' station just a few metres down the corridor.  The nurse on duty checks the records on his console.

"You can go whenever you like, but Kehr Lanza will need to stay here for at least 24 hours.  He has a relatively minor injury, but we need to check that he doesn't have a reaction to his medication.  We usually set a minimum of 24 hours observation.  Added to that, he'll need regular doses of Quatranalgesan and Synthetic chondroitin to help with the pain and augment bone knitting during those 24 hours."

"Good work Ty.  Hopefully Sushi will be back soon.  Unless she does a Saskia, and picks a fight with a port cop." Yas makes sure the ramp is closed and locked.  "We're secure out here.  You can stand down for now."

Shui signs the requisite paperwork, which turns out to require no fewer than four copies of her signature.  "Do you need a ride back to your ship?  Or anywhere else for that matter?" Ashtel asks, as Shui pushes the finishe documents back across the counter.

"Senior Prefect, the crew of Profit Margin would like you, or Kehra Tiesi, to contact them as soon as possible." the officer behind the desk interrupts.

Shui considers.  She'd normally demur, but she would like to get back to the ship as soon as possible.  And if the Senior Prefect is offering...

...then comes the interruption.

"Oh." Shui slowly nods.  "Senior Prefect, I would appreciate that ride back to the ship - you have been most helpful, thank you - but I do need to contact my people as soon as possible to determine the situation."

"Iepra, get somebody to bring a vehicle around to take Kehra Tiesi to Docking Bay 12, as soon as possible."

"Yes, Senior Prefect." the officer at the desk says, setting the papers in a neat stack for processing after the vehicle has been ordered.  A quick call, and, "A vehicle will be here in three minutes Khera."

"If you'll excuse me, I have work to do.  You can wait here for your transport.  Your dataglove's communication system should work from here.  This part of the station is not shielded."

"Thank you very much, Senior Prefect," Shui replies with a bow.  "For everything.  I wish you the best."

That said, and with the Senior Prefect leaving the area, she immediately tests her dataglove's connection.  Should she find it working, the steward immediately contacts the ship.

+ Shui, reporting in. + The next question follows without preamble.  + What is Captain Lanza's situation? +

Ash nods slowly to the nurses instructions, his brow furrowed in thought.  He didn't think that Jago (as per his previous statements) or the rest of the crew was going to like the timing.  But, sitting on the information wasn't going to improve the situation.  His fingers began to work his wrist computer, typing in the medications that the nurse had listed.  The thin navigator double-checked his spelling with the health care professional before thanking her profusely for her time and patience.  He also confirms their location so that he can inform the other crew members as necessary.

Then he retreated back to Jago's room to relate his findings to the Captain.  "Well, boss..." Ash started rather tentatively, "there is a twenty-four hour observation period for the medications they gave ... are giving ... you."  He was starting to list out the drugs they'd given him, while also pulling up any public information that might be on the data sheets for said medications.  It was then that he noticed Shui's missive coming over the crew channel.

Ash ran his long fingers through his short-cropped hair before he started to narrate as he typed up what he understood to be both the prognosis and the treatment.  ++Captain was shot at close range during attempted robbery.  Wearing vest, but received broken ribs and significant bruising.  At the station's MedCentral for 24-hour observation in case of adverse reaction to medications; being given periodic doses of Quatranalgesan and synthetic Chondroitin; a pain-killer and an enhanced bone repair recovery drug.++

Still sitting at his panel, Tylen sees Shui's message as soon as it comes in and responds immediately.

Jago is with local meds.  Broken Clavicle and bruises but walking.  Do you need an escort home?
This message was last edited by the player at 21:49, Thu 04 May 2017.

At Security Central, Shui thinks about the information she's getting. 

As she checks the information, an officer approaches the counter, then comes over to her after a brief conversation with the duty officer.

"Kehra Tiesi?" he enquires, "I'm to take you back to your ship."

Jago scowls, and starts chewing on his non-existent cigar.  He stops, with an angry shake of his head, "Damn!  Oh well, can't be helped I suppose.  My shirt is ruined, of course.  Can you arrange for somebody to bring a clean one in for me Ash?"

Yas pats Tylen on the shoulder and gestures towards his work with the security monitors, still showing on the display while he talks to Shui.  She gives him the ages-old "thumbs up" signal of approval.

Receiving both messages, Shui takes a moment to process.  The captain is receiving off-world medication; this is interesting but, outside of any fees, of little import.  The interruption by the officer focuses her attention upon him.

"Thank you, Officer...?" she replies, hoping for a name.  "I am ready to proceed.  One of my crew is suffering a medical emergency, and I'll need to reply to a message as we go."

Once they begin walking, and it would no longer be rude, she does just that.

+ Thank you, Mr. Orgesh, Mr. Tescali.  It seems Captain Lanza is receiving appropriate care.  The police are escorting me back to the ship, at which point I would like an escort from ship's security to visit Captain Lanza...should security concur. +

Finished typing, she continues walking...and a wave of sudden nausea floods her.  Jago shot?  Saved by his vest?  So close, so very close.  And Jago had been out with Ash.

+ Are you well, Mr. Tescali? + 

The officer, who gives his name as Enigaakam, escorts Shui to a vehicle similar to the one she arrived in - a lightly armoured, four seat vehicle which appears to use a magnetic field to hover four or five centimetres above the smooth deck.

Once they are inside, he starts driving, and speaks to Shui over his shoulder.  "I heard you met Kher Carter, Khera?  I have some advice for you... watch out for him.  He has a reputation on this orbital.  Others too, from what we hear.  Let's just say that he can be... over-zealous... when it comes to protecting his ship, and its crew and cargo."

"Every time he comes here, he has a new incident to report.  Even if he has to go out of his way to find one."

Awaiting return on her messaging, Shui ponders the officer's words.  "I see.  Thank you, Officer Enigaakam, for more than the drive.  I shall show more caution dealing with Mr. Carter in the future, and will warn my shipmates to do so as well.  Without naming any names," she quickly notes.  "How curious.  And disturbing."

She presses her lips together.  "Of course, I am now concerned for the future.  While he did not use his weapons, I worry about a misunderstanding with an innocent where he feels provoked."

As for the man's reasons, Shui cannot begin to guess.  Overzealous protectiveness of his ship due to a past incident?  Actual paranoia?  Need for attention?  Desire for power?  A simple string of unfortunate coincidences?  Who can say?  Judgement, she considers, is beyond her.  And she will refrain.

"As long as a person is not acting suspiciously, they should be fine." Enigaakam assures Shui.  "While he has reported a large number of incidents, they've almost always been a result of somebody behaving in a manner that doesn't fit expectations."

The vehicle slows to a halt.  "Here we are.  Docking Bay 12."

"Which, sadly, would include myself in this situation," Shui admits.  Responsibility does certainly in part lie with her.  It seems likely that Captain Carter's issue is more with a general nervousness or overly focused concern.  She could label it paranoia, but for one it doesn't seem to have gone so far, and for another she's hardly a licensed professional...and finally, she has only met the man once.

But probably no maliciousness?  She can agree with that.

"Thank you, Officer Enigaakam." Still seated - and in the front, if allowed, for Shui does not feel at ease with being driven about as if someone of import - the steward offers a small bow.  "You have been most helpful, but in the matter of the drive and the cautionary information."

Ash thought for a pregnant moment as Shui's missive came over the crew channel.  Am I well? the lanky ex-Scout hesitated for the briefest of seconds, the ship's doctor always had interesting phrasing.  He was physically unhurt, which only left a more in-depth mental evaluation.  But there hadn't been the time nor necessity for that.  ++I++ he broke the silence and his own reverie, ++am all right.  Perhaps a touch shaken, but nothing more than that.++  And so, he left it at that.

Any regrets or recriminations about the situation, either avoidance or outcome, would have to wait.

++I'll be coming back to the Profit Margin forthwith; the Captain has asked for a change of clothes.++ he added after a moment, registering Jago's request for a new shirt.  Grabbing stuff for Jago was the least that Ash could do in this case.  The Captain might as well be comfortable if he was really going to be require to remain under observation for twenty-four hours or more.  "A change of clothes... got it." he pulled open another note on his wrist comp and tapped in the start of a list, "Is there anything else that you need or want, that I can bring back?"

He stood and was straightening his duster then looked thoughtful for a moment, "Um, Boss?  Who has access to your quarters?"  I mean he was sure that Saskia could probably hack the system.  Even he might be able to do it as well, but it probably wasn't called for in this case...

Jago starts giving Ash a list of things to bring in for him - clothes, something to read (Trade and Commerce Quarterly), toiletries - then adds, "Yas has the key code to my quarters, but the door probably isn't locked anyway."

Tylen responds to Shui's message about returning to the ship with a Port Security escort.  "One of us can meet you at the bay entrance, if you like, to avoid potential issues with unfriendly neighbours.  Just let us know when you get here."

+ That seems wise, Mr. Orgesh, + Shui replies, stepping out of the vehicle. + I have actually arrived. +  Leaning back in, she thanks the officer - again - and waits politely for him to drive off before turning toward the docking bay.

She'll wait.

Tylen raises his eyes skywards, as Shui tells him that she has arrived.  His scanning cameras tell him that she hasn't entered the hangar, so she must be waiting outside the docking bay.

Still i his security uniform he leaves the bridge at a run, keying his com for Yas as he goes.  "Shui is outside." and continues down the ramp  and across the docking bay to the entrance.

Shui waits for the vehicle to drive off, but it doesn't.  Clearly Enigaakam is a stickler for duty - having been ordered to deliver his charge to Docking Bay 12, he is going to watch long enough to ensure that she enters safely...

At least he doesn't insist on walking her in, as if he were an anxious parent on Shui's first day at EduCentral.

While Tylen crosses to the bay door to act as an escort, Yas follows him as far as the foot of the ramp, ready to provide backup, should it be required.  And, incidentally, to watch the open entrance to the ship...

Tylen opens the pedestrian access, eschewing the much more massive vehicle entrance.  Still, a klaxon blares repeatedly, and rotating amber hazard lights start to flash on both sides of the door as it begins to noisily roll aside, admitting warmer air from the station's interior to the still somewhat chilly docking bay.  Moisture starts to condense on the metal deck.
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:54, Sun 21 May 2017.

Arriving at the docking bay entrance, Shui waits for her pickup.  All of this mess, just because of a foolish decision on her part.  Well, she's not going to second-guess it now - it made sense at the time, a few seconds possibly meaning a life saved and no knowledge that the other ship would be doing regular scans of the docking bay and then considering her a threat.

But she's not taking a chance, now.  Better to wait for identifiable ship's security.

She hears the distant hooting of the access, then the door begins to open.  "Mr. Orgesh," the steward states with some relief.  "It is most certainly a pleasure to see you."

"And you." he grins at the stewardess.  "Lets get you inside before the idiot from next door comes visiting." He adds ushering her towards The Margin.  "He can't be much of a security man, if he didn't bother to check his cameras back, once he thought he had seen something wrong."

Shaking her head, Shui enters the bay and follows Tylen's lead. "I must apologize for this.  Had I chosen differently, all of this could have been avoided.  I appreciate you coming to meet me here - I have no desire to speak to anyone from the other ship, at present." Awkward, to say the least.  And, Shui realizes, worse.

While she can understand the series of events that led to here, there remains the gut-deep fear she felt when faced shotguns levelled at her stomach in the hands of people who considered thrown grenades to be a viable tactic for use against an unknown.  Fear that, upon thought of facing them again, turns to anger.

"I would vastly prefer to simply enter into the ship as swiftly as possible," she continues, knowing - from experience - that the other ship was likely keeping tabs on the movement in the bay even now.

Standing still like a statue with her arms folded across her chest, Yas watches the entrance and the two of the crew that is over there.  She does not move or look away at all even as they begin to make their way back.  On her hips is one big revolver and leaning against her leg is the scattergun, but it is a "safe" bet she is packing more heat.

And it's over... Tylen escorts Shui across to the ship, while Yas stands watch at the ramp.  The pair go into the ship and, after one last survey of the bay, Yas also enters and closes the cargo access behind her.

The ramp lifts with its customary screech, and the shooting of the locking bolts is almost as good as slamming a door in the face of anybody who might be observing the bay...

Jago hesitates for a moment, then seems to reach a decision, "I need you to keep this secret, Ash.  There's a cooler in the bottom of the closet in my cabin, with a few packs of chocobacon in it.  Take one out and bring it back here - but don't trust anybody else to do it, and don't tell them about the cooler."

Finally within the ship, Shui slowly sags against the cargo bay's bulkhead.  "Thank goodness.  And thank you, Mr. Orgesh, Ms. Crow."  In her distress, Shui reverts to her customary manner of speech without realizing it.

For an instant, her eyes slowly close; a moment later, they snap open. "Captain Lanza.  Is there any news?  Have we been sent a medical report?  They must send a medical report.  I think."  Her mind races, running over the laws.  She'll need to look it up, but the norm on many worlds is for the crewmember's ship to receive such a report, due to travel issues and the fact that the person in question is not a citizen of the world.

Tylen tosses Yas a 'look' as Shui sags against the bulkhead, but grins when she suddenly starts worrying about Jago.  "Why don't you contact them now you are back and you can chase them up on it?" he says encouraging the doctor to do something that will keep her business like.  Any other, more personal, comfort and support will have to wait until later.

"And I have something I want to try out ..." he adds with a big grin.

"Absolutely, Mr. Orgesh.  A very fine idea."  Immediately, Shui begins keying her dataglove in a search for the medical center and its call numbers.  There comes a short pause when Tylen's next words finally seep into her racing mind.

One eyebrow rises slightly. "Something...you wish to try out?" the steward hesitantly inquires, still hunting for the proper information.

Tylen just grins at Shui.  "Yeah!  I have The Margin's cameras scanning the docking bay and  recording movements, we should, for example, be able to easily pull back images of us walking back to the ship. And I should be able to see what matey-boy next door has been up to when I feel like it. Now I just want to see if I can tweak that a little bit ..."

Oh, dear.

"Mr. Orgesh, please not on my account," Shui hastens to state. "Things did certainly go in an odd direction, but it could have been much worse -" she could have been flat-out shot, for example "- and I have no wish to begin a feud with another ship that could lead to both crews suffering."

Her lips press tightly together. "I...have heard that the neighbouring captain is swift to interpret situations in the worst possible light, if not invent such situations, and does not hesitate to immediately call them to the attention of the local law enforcement.  He also seems very quick to point weapons and threaten their use.  I am not saying he carries sole responsibility for what transpired, but I do not wish any further unpleasantness."

Especially the sort that could end with one of Profit Margin's people back in the hands of the authorities...or the hospital, with a similar (or worse) wound to Jago's.

"Oh, no one is going to get hurt and I'm not even going to antagonise him.  Doubt I'll even meet him." the Ex-scout says with a grin, "However, I trust him about as far as I can throw him.  He clearly isn't much of a security officer if he didn't watch his cameras back before he came to detain you, and something just doesn't ring right. Too eager to get the locals involved  ... " Tylen trails off without finishing the thought.

"And," he adds as an after thought, "if someone does coming in pilfering, I wouldn't want to leave it to him."

"Actually." Yas says, "He called the authorities because he's had problems with thefts from docking bays on this station recently.  So as soon as his thermal sensors spotted somebody acting suspiciously - hiding behind some machinery by all accounts - he reported it to Port Security immediately and moved to prevent the suspect escaping."

"As his ship's Security Chief he has the authority to do it.  I'd have done the same, and I wouldn't have wasted time checking cameras first either, if I'd caught somebody in the act.  That could wait until after the Law had carted them away.  It's my job to protect my ship and its crew, cargo and passengers first, using whatever means I have at my disposal, it's Port Security's job to deal with the paperwork, and conduct an investigation.  After all, they're the ones who might still be stuck with the prisoner after the ship has moved on.  They're the ones who have the time to do a proper investigation.  Shui's back here, and that's an end to it.  Probably the best end we can expect."

She sighs, "Anyway, what he did was not as out of line as what we did - charging across the station with guns drawn to rescue Jago and Ash.  Outside of this docking bay we didn't really have the authority to do that.  Port Security could have shut us away and erased the door codes, if they wanted to."

"It's a good job I have a crew I can rely on while I'm in here." Jago ruminates happily, "I can stay here for a while, I think, and I know that there'll be no problems back at the Margin.  Just bring me the things I asked for."

Relieved that things did not proceed as badly as they could have for her shipmates, Shui merely listens to Yasmine's explanation.  When the Security Chief finishes, the steward merely nods.  "Of course, I will leave all matters of security to yourself and Mr. Orgesh."  It's their business, not hers, how to go about dealing with such matters; Shui is only peripherally familiar, in any case, having focused mostly on circumvention...not to mention being woefully out of practice.

"I am pleased, however, that nobody else was harmed during this altercation," she quietly concludes.

Once she has a call number for the medical area, she puts in said call, inquiring - officially, as the ship's medical officer - as to Jago's current condition.

Shui manages to find the contact codes without difficulty.  The medical facility is set up for ease of contact.

A short while later, she has information about Jago's condition.

"Kher Lanza is comfortable and stable.  He is in no danger at the moment but, because of the medication he's been prescribed, we have to keep him under observation for 24 hours.  Do you have any message you would like us to relay to him?"

Ash simply nods as Jago confides in his guilty edible pleasure, bringing him into the conspiracy of silence.  He's obviously not proud of it, but the lanky navigator does know who pays his salary.  At least, up until the presumed impending coronary blockage, which his actions would presumably be facilitating.  He sighed slightly and ran his fingers through his hair for a moment, before committing the choco-bacon to his list (but only mentally, as he couldn't actually put it on the list).

"Got it, Boss." Ash noted simply as he made for the door, "shouldn't take me too long ..."

Before heading out of the clinic, Ash stops by nurse's station to see if they can call him a cab or other transport to their docking berth.  Only once en route to the Profit Margin does he ping the rest of the crew to let them know that he is on his way and that he intends to return to visit the Captain with a care package.

The cab, looking like a slightly smaller, stripped-down version of the air/raft drops Ash outside the docking bay, and he makes his way inside.

There seems to be some activity at the other ship - the cargo door is open, though there is not currently any cargo in sight.  Two armed men appear to be standing watch over the aperture.  Three more people,dressed in high visibility jumpsuits are sitting on the access ramp, talking quietly among themselves.

Ash enters the code to open up the Margin, then goes into the ship and closes the ramp behind him...

"Absolutely," Shui replies, relieved at the reasoning. "Please let him know I shall come to see him as soon as security deems it appropriate."  She glances up at both Yasmine and Tylen.  "I am certain that will be soon."

Abruptly the door opens, and Shui's eyebrow rise.  "Please excuse me," she requests of the medical facility before logging off. "Ah, Mr. Tescali," the steward continues, surveying him for injuries as he enters. "One trusts you are well?  I had no reports of injuries to your person, but it's always wise to ask...."

Ash assures Shui that he's fine, though he does confess to having been a little shaken by the incident, which he describes in some detail - the Vargr in distress who had turned out to be an ally of the group attacking him, and the bait in a cunningly planned trap, the demand for valuables, the gunshot, and the rescue.

"But really, I'm not hurt, and the shock was short-lived.  I've just come to pick up some clean clothes, and some magazines for Jago."