The   Chief  nods  as he  works through the Vid Board.Well Ma'am?  we  don't have the same  amount of Civie s an ESN  ship has.. This Largran Hunk mof tim has   Med techs..about half  are  ESN.. and we have   about 100  who are colonists that earn some creds helping handling  our   cargo , supplies and al that.. they  only have  quarters  like  enlisted  folks, so there's no kids   with these people... almost  all of them are getting of f   at Bura.

 we have a  ...bit of a Rec Dec   Aft, , Not fancy like you guys have, but  it serves the  purpose... You can ask around over there?

"I'll do that.  Atleast it will let me stretch my legs and grab a drink too before having to fly back" She gave a smile.  she then began to wander off to locate where the civvies were.  Atleast her Mantis was secured and out of their way for now.
Nikki goes about to look over the civvies headed to Bura, asking some of the crew moving the heavy gear.  She also mentioned his name, Nathan McGaha.  Inwardly she noted their response on if they seemed to like him or not.

.. for the Most part, they all just gave a  shrug.  But as she  got deeper into the ship, towards the  engine rooms.. a  rather  large  area  had  been carved out, on what used to be   'birthing chambers"

  there were  stalls  lined up  and  about 20  or so tables on the  dec.. an other  20 or so  around the parameter.

  she  stood  in the entrance  way, the food  smelled good, some of the Civies looked shady..off in the  port corner sat...McGaha  and a woman,, thier backs to her,  with another Guy  talkign and LAughing

Nikki took her time.  Really looking at the food, as if deciding.  Surrepticiously (ooc: how ever it's spelled) she took a comm photo of the man they were with and sent it to Beth.  Finally she decided it was going to be now or never and moved a bit closer to them, with in earshot atleast and listened for a minute or two to get as much info as she could.  Turning to face their backs she stared a moment, acting surprised.  A smile on her face she then moved closer.  The man across from them could see her coming, but would be too late to react.  She poked him in the shoulder, a tad harder than a tap but not a jab "I heard you were in jail" she acted all innocent, or atleast 'ignorant'.

   As she approached , she heard a bit of  a southern tint  to the man's voice. The woman's  Voice was Light and Musical.. The  other  fellow   stoped his drinking  as he noticed  Nikki.

  Before he could  say anything..  Nikki  made  her  greeting.

 The Fellow   turned, at first   the eye   seemed to  be happy. But then  turned a bit Cold,As Nate said,well well... if it don't seem to be a bit backwoods , all the way out here....  his  smile was big, but there was no warmth in it.

 The woman turned, the  shape of her  ears  and  the  slight  tilt  to her eyes, showed her to be HAlf-Angel.. her beauty marred by a scar over her left eye.

 She had   a Duster on, but under it   was beat up Black tunic... Niki would seem the  same Under the other man's  overcoat...she  could  not Tell about  Nate as his shoudler   was only about 2/3s  churned.

 all thier  Dusters  were  well worn.. there were  patches here and there from repair  work? what caused the  damages , was unknown to  Nikki.

"Yep...we are all over the place"  she still smiled "Heard from Papaw about what happened.  Then saw you name pop up on Fiji.  Just wanted to give my condolences on your wife and kids" she looked purposefully sad saying it.  "Gonna try making a go here?  Been hearin' tobacco from here is prime"

   ... Tobacco..yeah.. our s grows  good on Bura and Astra...but the stuff they use   for cigars and  such..way better... peopel introduced  Pipes  to them too... works great.

 The Guy across from Nate, eyes Nikki up,all kinds of ways  to make  money here.. the bestways  don't take  any land....

 The woman smiles  her  angel smile,..you seem  seem to be  doing alright..you are in the Military.

"Big family, so needed money and they were paying" she smiled back with a nod.  Oh she knew what they were looking for  "Sorry, my manners.  Nikki Rutledge.  I used to babysit his kids now and then" She held her hand out to her.  She smiled at the man too.

  The Angel took Nikki's  hand,.....My Name is    SGT MAJ  KI-LA of the  Great Hunters.. we're..um... Bounty Hunters....

 The   other  Guy nods  as he  picks  bones  out of   what passes for a chicken..of sorts...M'names Beefie... I'm  First  mate  to  the  SGT MAJ  and  LT   Nate, here... we sorta  lost our  ride on Fuji... supposed  to be gettin' a new one opn Bura..

"Well.  Nice to meet ya both.  I hope to see you about Bura then.  McGaha...comm me and we'll see about getting together at a bar and remembering about home"  she gave a slight smile "Right now I gotta head back to the hangar Dec."

   Nate  Nodded to  Nikki,..sure thing.... thier  cities   are built into the tress and such.. hard to see  from the air, except  for the landing zones?..but  the capitol  has  a few hotspots   for people like us... I'll COM you when we settle in.

"I'll do that" she began waving her good byes "Later Gator" she began wandering off back to the hangar.  She looked to see if any others were in the same dusters.  She also looked at a few of the stalls and in general tried to look 'innocent and ignoorant'.  Once back in the hangar she tightened up the suit to get back into the mantis.

 she  saw one other  'duster' male , chattign up  an Argus crew woman... and  another  Duster  close to  the retangle   window , drinking a  drink and looking out at the passing stars...

  On the HAnger Dec, The Chief  met her and said,..checked it  over , Ma'am... damn thing looks  fresh out of the Box... that nose   paint might be  older!...Um..if you don't mind  me askin'.. your  name  is  Rutledge..the  name under  the cockpit  is  Monne..and , Ma'am..if you don't mind me sayin'..you don't look like a Black Thunder....

  he looks at his  Vidbaord   and  taps it.....if it weren't  for the LC's Name  on here.. I'd  Have to call Fuji?

"I'm just doing a shakedown as ordered by my LC.  He said I needed more flight time with the mantis"  she shrugged  "I noticed a lot of people in worn black dusters.....who are they?" a note of curiosity in her voice "Don't look like colonists"

  The chief  shrugged,..like most of the captured  ships?.. we only carry  'colonists' who can work or  fill some spots...The  people  with the Dusters  are Mercs... so  thier  'pay' is a ride to Bura, since they lost  thier  ship.... Losts of   Mercs   goign there.. some  lokign for  crews.. Some  selling ship..I bet that New  Captain of the Burian  fleet will be snapping up some of them, if nothing esle, to use  as  scouts..

 ..I don't like them much... only Mercs  i trust is them EMS  folks..all the others?  just in it  for the creds.

Strapped in she helmeted up "Well, thanks for the stop over" She began running through the checklist for start up.  soon she was moving to the static field and back home.

  The Chief Nods to teh  Dec  Boss  who  opens the outside  curtain of the staic  field  to let her out.

still new she moved carefully.  once out the field and all was green she made her way back to the Hermes.  giving the mantis another bit of a shakedown on the way back.  Once back within the Hermes's sphere of control she called in to get approval to land.  "Hermes contol, this is Mantis 'Black Thunder'.  Ensign Rutledge piloting, requesting vector for approach to land from shakedown" she would line up and await for instructions then land in Hangar bay.

 The Dec Boss  answered,..Clear to Land, Rutledge... Hanger Bay !..shuttle hanger... take her  all the way back..

 a Green Light  lit up abover  the   1st HAnger Bay door.

"Got it" she moved in slowly.  keeping an eye out to keep from hitting any one or thing.  eventually being waved into the berth.  Setting it down she began shut down procedures "'Black Thunder' shakedown complete" she signed off popping he CD for Rivets and all to check their testings.  Hopefully she might even get to be a fighter pilot faster, with this practice.


===> Hangar dec

(( Transports  from the Hermes to Bura for  Palace Ball)


 Rivets    walked  across  the   big area to check on the   securing of the  Bins. there  were   many seats  in  towards the Bow..  the stern was     empty except  for the two storage  containers..   Windows  had  been added for those  who used the transports  to get  back and forth.

 Finding Sarah  , he smiled waved  her to the Window. we  don't  get ta  see  the Fleet like this   too often ....all  those ships, spread out like a sea of steel...

 he points   to  scores  of   dots    heading from  ships , and even more  heading into  'the core' of the fleet to load  and unload goods,..That there's the Balence.... durin' a fight.. we  try to keep 'em all safe..... when it  quite, they  have ta  work the ahrdest. loading  up.   inloading..sellin' and Buyin'.... Make  me glad    I'm on a warship!

Sarah smiles at Rivets as he joined her, and pointed out the fleet. "Yeah, its beautiful in it's own deadly way. Terrifying too at that. I'd hate to assault or defend with the Fleet this close in."

She observes the merchant ships and comments, "hopefully we'll have to deal with less of those complicating factors given how often we'll be able to return to Bura unlike the Delta Fleet."

  Rivets  Looked  out over The Black.yeah?   Lass,  you'll have yer own bit of sailign ta  do...  Between her and   halfway to  Etna, and Fuji.. gott  keep and eye out   for   the  Vera, Verians   and them Roussians  have showed thier  heads  fer a  while..so you'll be  sailin' about, that's  fer sure.

------>>>> From Hanger Dec

 Lizzy will follow Beth and then she will say,Excuse me Lt Morrow,  first you look amazing love the dress. I wish to legally change my last name to my Mom's maiden name and drop my asshole Father's name, Captain Si told me too see you Ma'am.

Aye that will be the case I'm well aware of the range we will be patrolling still there's hope we aren't kept too busy and can rotate patrols in and out of orbit to resupply and trade.
Might just be a pipe dream, time and the enemy will tell.

She sighs a little, you may be right, we'll be stuck between those two trouble makers. I'm still working on Staffing, finding a flag captain, and working out how to organize task forces to allow for the most comprehensive coverage of the sector