Taking the lift back down to the ground floor, the three of you head out of the hotel. Viridian leads you a few blocks away to Green Street. That's what the sign says, though you don't seen anything green on the street, not even anything that's been painted green.

Although you don't pass any of the Widows, you always see one down the side streets, though you can't say if it's the same one.

About halfway down the block you come to Brock's, or so the sign says... a half-broken unlit neon sign. There isn't even a sign in the windows that say if it's open or closed.

"Well, Brock's doesn't look like much Viridian, think they're still opened?" he says as he looks at the door waiting for Viridian or RayJay to open it if it opened.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:38, Sat 18 Sept 2021.

While the others had been focused on their destination, this Brock's place, Rayjay couldn't help but notice the unnerving habit of the local Widows to always be visible down some side street or another, and given their uniform, it gave them a supernatural stalker feel which just increased the creep factor. "No idea Captain, but t'ose Widows get creepier by t'e street I swear."

"Pose no threat and you don't even notice them RayJay."

"Well Viridian? What do you think?"
This message was last edited by the player at 12:54, Sun 19 Sept 2021.

"Even if it's not open," Viridian explained as he tried the door handle, "Brock would open for us because we're clearly buyers, not sellers."

"This may be the only place in Known Space where you can buy stolen goods legally."

As expected, the door was unlocked and Viridian led the way into the store. The sales counter was immediately to the left of the door just like it had been the last time he was here. The face behind the counter wasn't Brock, though.

Walking into the shop, it looks like any other pawn shop if you've ever been in one. There are items on shelves, on counters, and hanging on the wall. The sales counter is just to the left of the door, and a woman is standing behind the counter.

The glass counter displays an assortment of jewelry and handgun weapons. Bigger weapons are hanging on the wall behind her.

"Viridian? I haven't seen you in, what? 10 years? No, more than that," she says. "What brings you back to Theev? And what can I do for you? Looking for some weaponry? No, that's not it--you know better than to start trouble around here."

"Why am I getting the impression that I'm not going to like this? Just because I had a crush on you when I was 7 doesn't mean I'm going to give you a discount now! Hell, you broke my heart! I may just charge you double! Or more!"

"Maybe, still creepy as can be." Rayjay argued light heartedly, doing his best to put the faceless station security out of his mind, for now.

Once inside the pawnshop however, Rayjay started to browse, doing his best to avoid the potential argument brewing between the proprietress and one of the crew, let alone between old contacts and potential ex-lovers. For the most part Rayjay was looking over the jewelry, being amply armed already.

Teddy 'shops' around the store, looking at the merchandise. He wished he had more money. They needed to sell some stuff or capture a prize or two and sell their cargos. Something personal and nice for Ingrid would be good.

Stella was a looker, Viridian could do a lot worse, she had her head on her shoulders too, taking over Brock's at such a young age.

Jewelry, guns, art, everything imaginable!

"Stella?" Viridian answers in surprise. "The last time I saw you, you were 7 years old! You've changed a lot! I would never have recognized you!"

"I hope nothing's happened to Brock?"

"I'd never expect you to give me a bargain. Your dad never did!"

"What we really want is information. Possibly a contact. I'm sure you already know we're new here. I've been gone for so long I doubt if anyone remembers me. I didn't quite move in those circles anyway. Not the 'entrepreneurs'."

Teddy follows RayJay and lets Viridian catch up with Stella, who knows. They might have another crew mate, but he doubted that very much! She was too slick for that to happen! "See anything you are interested in RayJay? She has a little bit of everything."
This message was last edited by the player at 14:05, Tue 21 Sept 2021.

"Indeed she does, gear wise I t'ink I am more t'an content, t'ough it is always nice to admire the pretty little t'ings in life, be t'ey jewels or damsels." Rayjay said with a chuckle, before asking a question of his own. "Find anyt'ing your own damsel might enjoy Captain?"

In reply to Rayjaynul Brown (msg # 11):

"She might like a necklace or a pin. Not sure I could afford it though. If you have to ask, you don't have enough."

"I wonder if she has a nice string of pearls or a diamond pendant." he says to RayJay. Maybe Stella would over hear them.

Theodore steps closer to Stella and Viridian to listen, she knew they came in together. He wondered how the others were doing.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:43, Sat 25 Sept 2021.

"No, Pop's okay," Stella replied. "He did have a health scare about a year ago, though. That's when he decided to retire. He still checks in on me, but he's gotten it down to about once a week."

"Other than checking up on me, he spends his time playing in a proto-jazz band. He had a few instruments in the shop here, and started dabbling with them. He's gotten pretty good on the bass and the rotuma."

"He also plays racquet ball now. It was either that or pool. Pool just wasn't that active. He kind of wanted to play golf, but you know how ridiculous that is around here."

"He's also started taking dance lessons... to impress his new girlfriend. I know! Hard to imagine, isn't it? Someone actually likes crotchety old Brock!"

"Not sure what you are into these days, Viridian, but you don't seem like the nasty stuff is your style. Never was back in the day."

"Would anybody remember you from the old days? Hmmmm. Maybe Clegg--he's still around. Owns the Black Dahlia restaurant three blocks over. Then there's Janko... only now he's Mister Jankovich. He's a bigwig in the Kallos Shipyard now, though deals mostly with shipping rather than the ships themselves. He's got an office in the Plankard building."

"You look respectable enough that he'd probably see you. I can always call his secretary, Ambrose Rifkin, and put in a good word. We dated for awhile two years ago. Parted as friends."

She then turns to Teddy.

"Sorry, no pearls today. Or ever, really. No place to grow them on this dustball. Got a string of mearls, though. Not as impressive, but still look nice. Only 50 credits. If you can squeeze out a bit more, there's a double string of sparkles for 200 credits."

Teddy pulls out his credit stick, he'd do the sparkles. "I'll take the Sparkles for my lady." he says with a smile, "I'm Captain Theodore McFarlane, captain of the Vultan, Viridian is my pilot."

"See captain, never 'urts to ask." Rayjay chuckled before introducing himself. "It is a pleasure to meet you Miss Stella, I am Rayjaynul Brown, gunner aboard t'e Vultan, and occasional body guard to our dear captain 'ere." He said with a bit of a flourish and bow before indicating Theodore with a small wave of his arm. "It is quite t'e shame we 'ave 'eard so little about you, I t'ink Viridian is afraid t'e rest of t'e crew might take a liking to you." He said with another deep hearty chuckle as he once more stood next to his captain, a little curious as to what kind of jewel these Sparkles entailed.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:23, Wed 29 Sept 2021.

Teddy smiles at RayJay's remark, no, it never hurts to ask. He definitely liked his crew. They got along well and did their jobs well. And Ingrid. He had to please Ingrid!

In reply to Theodore McFarlane (msg # 18):

"So Viridian. You going to ask Stella out to catch up the years over dinner? The Sparkles are beautiful, almost like diamonds, how expensive are diamonds out here? I think Ingrid will be pleased. Sorry to prattle."
This message was last edited by the player at 12:58, Wed 29 Sept 2021.

"You don't listen too well, do you, Captain?" Viridian chided him. "You don't ask out your kid sister!"

"Besides, we just caught up."

"We've been hearing stories about this Admiral Wotsisnaim. Just wondering if we should be trying to make contact with him... grease a few wheels maybe."

"Does he really run the whole planet?"

"Hehehehe, touche! I didn't hear it that way. I heard what she said about loving you is all I heard. Touche. Darokyn is the Admiral's name. Is he running the show Stella? I knew him a long time ago."

It's been a good 15 years since I saw the Admiral. He really the one in charge, or is he just a big fish in the pond Stella?"
This message was last edited by the player at 16:07, Thu 30 Sept 2021.

"Don't know the Admiral personally," Stella replies. "Dad and I don't move in those lofty circles. And the Admiral's never visited our humble little shop... that I know of, anyway."

"I suppose it depends on what you're planning to do here. If you want to become part of the pirate community, then, yeah, I'd say make contact with him."

"As to whether he runs things... that's a bit harder to put a finger on. He's certainly a major player in the pirate hierarchy. He does influence things, but if he did something really stupid, the other pirates would turn on him in an instant. Pirates aren't particularly loyal to anyone but themselves. That just goes with the territory."

"At least, that's what I've heard. As it filters down to this level, it could get twisted around a lot, but it sounds like it's all solid."

"If you want to make contact with him, I'd say there are two ways. I could try passing you up the ladder. I could probably get you a meeting with Nif, and then she could pass you on to Old Dobber if you impress her enough. Old Dobber is kind of the custodian of the pirate hangout-slash-headquarters, assuming that such a thing actually exists. You'd have to have an even better reason for him to introduce you to Darokyn."

"The other way would be to keep asking about Darokyn at other shops, bars, hotels... do it enough, and Darokyn may come looking for you... to see who you are and why you are asking about him."

"Anyway, that's my two credits worth of info."

"Thank you, wise advice. Need anything else Viridian? RayJay? Questions. I don't know everything. Pass it up that we're asking about the Admiral I guess, we'll see which leaves fall from the tree. Thank you for the Sparkles too Stella, they're nice. "
This message was last edited by the player at 12:30, Sun 03 Oct 2021.

When they go outside, Teddy asks Viridian, "Where to next Viridian?"

Viridian considered the two options Stella had given them for a minutes, even trying to think of another way. Unfortunately, the ones he thought of were rather extreme.

"Thanks, Stella! It's been nice seeing you again. Maybe we can get together again before I leave. Love to see Brock again."

Once they were outside and walking down the street again, he spoke up again.

"I'm still not sure what we're trying to do here," he asked Teddy. "Are we actually trying to make contact with Darokyn? Or are we just trying to find out information on him?"

"If it's the former, we could just tell one of the Widows that we'd like to talk to him. I don't really know if that would get passed on to him or not."

"While the semi-direct approach of going up the ladder would be quicker, it might not be successful. And we'd be dancing in the dark, so to speak."

"I think asking around is more likely to get us what we want. If he's as good as everyone seems to think he is, then he'll figure out that we aren't incompetent but that we were carefully working an angle to get him to come to us. As newcomers, that makes more sense anyway than trying to get a direct meeting. Despite Varca's ideas, we don't have anything to offer to make it worth while for him to grant us an interview. Oh, sure, we've got a ship, but he's got more than enough. Without knowing what his game is, we can't very well give him something that'll help him win."

"Let's head for one of the bars. I doubt if Darokyn hangs out at any of them, except maybe the one at his hotel. And we'd never get into that one while he was there."

"Maybe start circling that area, get a bit closer with each inquiry."

"I saw Martigan's Belt was still open. We can start there. Remember, the lower class don't out in Upper City all that often. Generally, the ones that do are trying to climb out of Downside."

He led them down the street and around the corner to where Martigan's was on the opposite corner.

"To tell you the honest to gods truth, I have no plan and no idea what we're doing. I just run the ship and leave the details to you, Varca, and  Zhouth." he shrugs his shoulders, "I'm not a pirate or a Privateer."

"No captain, and t'at was a very informative two credits t'ey were." Rayjay remarked, though he didn't much care for the idea of the three of them continuing to ask around until the Admiral showed up, or more likely than not a representative of the Admiral who may or may not have orders to shoot the individual asking questions.

Whether they went outside before asking Miss Stella to put in a good word however would depend on whether or not they wanted to even try the ladder plan, but given Viridian's suggestion Rayjay was sure someone was going to get shot before the end of the day. Hopefully it wouldn't be them. "Well t'e two are not mutually exclusive right? We could 'ave Miss Stella put in t'e good word, t'en continue our questioning in t'e 'opes t'e Admiral doesn't assume we're 'ostile and send someone to silence us wit'out a second question." Rayjay said voicing his opinion on the potential dangers of the more direct way.

"Miss Stella is putting in the good word because I asked her to, What will happen I don't know. Martigan's Belt Viridian? Lead the way. We can get a drink at least."

Martigan's Belt is a typical bar, catering to local business men, though it's more the low end workers. It's a bit incongruous that the bar seems to have a nightly musical group that performs there. Turns out it's more of a pub that a bar, although a sports bar might have been an equivalent.

Bars don't normally serve food, other than beer nuts, while a sports bar or pub is more about the food and drinks are a side order.

At this time of day, there are only a few people in there and the band--Sixty Sense--doesn't play until the evening.

If there's a theme to the decor, it isn't obvious what it is.

The bar is L-shaped at the back with booths along both street sides and a few tables between booths and bar.

"Ah, good to 'ear." Rayjay corrected, having clearly missed the bit where the Captain asked Miss Stella to put in the good word for them. All the same the plan for poking around till the Admiral came looking, or more likely sent thugs to come looking on his behalf didn't seem all that great, but did seem to be the quickest means to get an audience with him.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:46, Mon 11 Oct 2021.

In reply to Rayjaynul Brown (msg # 31):

"Something to eat or drink? Bartender's know a lot, or are we done asking for information."

"If you can afford either, then I'd recommend both," Viridian answers. "It's always a good idea to get non-ship food. Makes you appreciate what you do get."

He looked at the menu on the wall behind the bar.

"Either pick something you know what it is or else something you don't care what it is. I'll have the chili and rice and a Loaded Smoothie." He had no idea what either of those things were made from... and didn't really want to know. At least the smoothie would have sufficient alcohol in it to make the food palatable... even if it wasn't.

"Unless we're ready to leave, you never stop asking questions... even if you don't like the answers you get. It's the only way you survive on Theev."

"I don't suppose the Admiral has ever stopped in here, has he?" he directs to the bartender.

In reply to Viridian Starfire (msg # 33):

Teddy orders chili and a cold beer. He puts his credits on the bar.

"Well we 'aven't met t'is Admiral of your's yet, so I don't suspect we are quite done asking around eit'er. And a meal is rarely ever a bad idea." Rayjay states before ordering something else other than chili, lest it give the three of them food poisoning or worse. "My good barman, I'd like a salad wit' a glass of wine, if you will." He said as he removed his helmet revealing that typical shit eating grin.

In reply to Rayjaynul Brown (msg # 35):

Teddy eats his chili and listens to everyone talk, waiting for something useful.

In reply to Theodore McFarlane (msg # 36):

"Suggestions? Viridian? RayJay? Shall we move on? Or go back to the Vultan?"

"You mean besides enjoying our fine meals? Not off t'e top of my 'ead, no. 'aven't t'e foggiest idea where to continue our search, but I suspect t'is sort of t'ing usually isn't done in just one day." Rayjay said with a shrug. "So per'aps a little patience is in order, if only to give our gears time to start turning?" He said enjoying his own meal, or at least trying to.

"You're starting to sound like a five-year old, Teddy!" Viridian replies. "Are we there yet? Are we there yet? We don't want to just make inquiries at bars but at restaurants and maybe some upscale businesses. I can't see the Admiral shopping at discount stores."

"If we ask outright, we're liable to send the wrong message to the Admiral. Our inquiries need to be... subtle. Like... we go into a jewelry shop and let it drop that Darokin recommended it. Or a clothing store... we say something like 'the Admiral would look good in this'."

When they're done eating, he'll lead them out into the streets again and start walking up and down some of them, stopping at a shop that catches anyone's eye.

"Hehehehehe, in some ways, I guess I am a five year old, sounds like a good plan. Just drop a line here and there and it will get back to him eventually."

"Lets try some upscale places next, where we can mention him once or twice and quickly move on. Unless you want another cold one. I could handle a beer as well."
This message was last edited by the player at 12:29, Tue 19 Oct 2021.

"Work, then play," Viridian answers.

As they were walking down one of the streets, he spotted a clothing store called Fifth Avenue even though it was on a street called Axon's Dodge.

It looked rather upscale by the looks of the suit and the tuxedo displayed in the window.

"These places always get me. You have to look upscale before you can go in and buy something that would make you look upscale! I wonder if they have delivery service? 'One size fits all' is no longer the joke it used to be. At this tech level, any suit is probably self adjusting to the wearer."

"So, let's say we're getting a suit for Captain Varca. We'll kick the idea around a bit and then decide that this isn't what he'd want."

He leads the others in the door and immediately starts looking around at all the items on display on shelves... not that any of it means anything to him.

In reply to Viridian Starfire (msg # 41):

Teddy follows. Not sure what Viridian has up his sleeve, he'll play along with it.

"See captain, just a bit of patience and fuel for our minds to work, and suddenly our astute companion 'as a brilliant plan. Of course I must admit, we'd probably fit in better among the 'igher end places if we weren't wearing our armor, but I'd quite like to keep myself bereft of bullet holes while we're 'ere. And 'oo knows, maybe we can find an upgrade or two while we're there?" Rayjay added with a chuckle after the pair had finished their meals.

Regarding the plan Rayjay nods in agreement. "Indeed, per'aps something flamboyant and befitting a soon to be Pirate Admiral?" The older gunner suggested with a throaty laugh.

In reply to Rayjaynul Brown (msg # 43):

"Varca would make a great pirate leader, me, not so much. I'm too wishy-washy. Hell Zhouth would make a good pirate leader, don't think I do much good for the image at all, not mean enough."

"Oh! Brilliant idea, Teddy!" Viridian suddenly blurts out.

"We're not trying to get a gift for the Admiral--we're buying a captain's outfit for Teddy! But, we don't want to upstage the Admiral! That gives us a valid reason to ask about him."

"Good job, Teddy. I knew there was a reason we made you captain!"

He promptly leads the others into one of the finer clothing stores.

"Yes, yes, I understand that," he begins babbling at Teddy as they enter the shop. "Nothing too flashy, but also nothing on the other end. Candy frosted metallic electric sky-blue pink is all fine and dandy for an aircar, but you don't want your uniform to look like that! True, it'd probably make it harder for someone to assassinate you because you'd be hard to look at, but it would also make it hard for your crew to... ummm, look at you... and take you seriously! No, really!"

"Scientific studies have shown that the cerebral cortex has a hard time processing exuberant and flashy colors. Gets back to the fight-or-flight instinct. Color usually means danger. With a helluva lot of training and conditioning, you can get over it, but it still can cause problems with you visual processor."

"The other end is looking too austere. An all black uniform would stand out almost as much as the pink one, making you look dark and sinister and dangerous. Could be a good thing most of the time, but not when we meet the Admiral."

"Possibly gray. Somewhat the same effect as black, just not as extreme. What are Drinax's colors again? Burgundy and gold? I suppose that would work on Drinax. Here... not so sure. Maybe a two-tone scheme... burgundy and navy blue, perhaps, with a few gold accents and accessories."

"My good man," he addresses the salesperson. "Our captain here would like a new uniform, one that would be suitable for meeting the Admiral. What was his name again, Captain Vespin?"

"What can you recommend? Nothing too flashy. Wouldn't want to upstage the Admiral now, would we?"

In reply to Viridian Starfire (msg # 45):

"How about Tan and Black? Tan with black accents and gold piping, like a planetary navy would wear? What do you suggest?" he asks the salesperson.

"But doesn't silver outrank gold in most navies?" Rayjay added from behind, thinking about what sort of uniforms a self proclaimed pirate king or admiral might wear. Perhaps reds, blacks, and golds, if they hadn't a sense of taste at all or an understanding of naval rank structure. "And what about navy blue? Generally can't go wrong with that color."

In reply to Rayjaynul Brown (msg # 47):

"Gold outranks silver. Blue would work too, might look like a navy uniform."

"Greetings, Gentlebeings," the salesman says as he steps forward after assessing whether you were serious customers or just lookie-loos.

"Are you looking for a formal dress uniform for Captain McFarlane, or an ordinary dress uniform? Only formal dress uniforms use piping. Otherwise, it makes you look presumptive. And you definitely don't want a bright color as that not only draws attention to you but it makes you a target."

He then calls up a holographic image of Teddy just as he appears at the moment. He manipulates his wrist comm and the image is now dressed in a tan uniform.

"I would suggest adding a navy blue shoulder panel. Or black, if you prefer. Then perhaps top it off with a ballistic weave jacket in navy blue."

"Were you planning on wearing a hat with it? Or display any awards?"

In reply to StarMaster (msg # 49):

"Go with black over blue for the shoulder boards, I'll be displaying awards! Dark blue shoulder cape, or black Vir? RayJay? Give me feedback."
This message was last edited by the player at 15:21, Wed 03 Nov 2021.

"For a formal uniform I t'ink?" Rayjay said to the salesman before confirming with his Captain. "T'e Captain 'as a meeting wit' t'e Admiral after all." Before looking the display over.

"What sorts of 'ats do you 'ave?" Rayjay asked, curious if any would fit the display so far, with the mostly tan and navy blue uniform shown.

"A cape might be swanky, just for formal events of course. And I t'ink black, maybe wit' a navy blue lining would be best? 'elp add a little color wit'out looking two tone." He offered.

In reply to Rayjaynul Brown (msg # 51):

"HMMM, Excellent idea RayJay, a dark blue lining in a black cape for color! Excellent! Vir?"

"I guess that's okay," Viridian replies. "Not really my style. I'd probably go with a reversible cape. Maybe put stars on the inside."

"Apparently, they have a 3D haberdasher printer. They can print any type of hat you want. There are over 200 styles of hat! I know! How about a red fez? I'm pretty sure no one else will have one! People will be so busy staring at the fez they won't even notice the rest of your uniform."

"Do you actually have awards? The ribbons or medals for them? I don't think the ones given by Fat Oleb are going to impress anyone. Maybe those given by the crew. We never did decide on what the ribbons would look like. The printer can print them up here."

"Which is a rather amusing term. We still call it a printer, even though it's gone so far beyond that."

In reply to Viridian Starfire (msg # 53):

"Excellent Vir! I had a few from the Empire, they won't impress Darokyn though"

"I'm not exactly sure who'd be responsible for them... maybe the Purser? Or the Quartermaster?" Viridian replied.

"Not counting the Imperium medals, I think your count was up to ten."

"I was thinking red-and-gold for the Conspicuous Gallantry medal. Is red-and-green a bit much for the Christmas Campaign medal?"

"And then I was thinking black-silver-orange for the Distinguished Service Star."

In reply to Viridian Starfire (msg # 55):

"Ah, a man that keeps track of those around him! I bet you even know my birthday!"

"False glory aside, 'at wise I feel a lopsided beret might be best, portable and stylish. Could keep it red if you like t'e fez idea, ot'erwise somet'ing traditional? Or per'aps even 'istorical? A tri or bicorn per'aps?" Rayjay said with a smile imaging the captain looking something like a cross between modern and age of sail privateer.

In reply to Rayjaynul Brown (msg # 57):

"A red beret would be stylish. Good idea."

"How much for the uniform? I need it as soon as possible, can you deliver it to my ship? The Vultan? Give him the dock it's on Viridian, I can't remember the number."
This message was last edited by the player at 13:25, Fri 12 Nov 2021.

"Fez out. Baseball cap out. Good call on the beret, Rayjay," Viridian responds.

He gives the ship's docking bay to the proprietor, though it was doubtful if any business would let a minor thing like a lack of a bay number keep them from doing business.

"I'm kind of partial to a raspberry beret, but I suppose it should match the rest of the uniform. For formal attired, it should match the trim. For duty, it should match the base color."

After the purchase was made, the three of them headed out of the shop and on down the street to the next name-dropping location, which turned out to be a bakery.

"I don't remember this being here before. I'm not sure what it signifies. Even if the Admiral doesn't frequent Bolton's Bakery, it wouldn't surprise me if one of his aides or entourage didn't. That'd be a quick way to get word to the Admiral."

"Teddy... remember anything that the Admiral was partial to? How about a black velvet maple bacon donut cakes? Cosmic chocolate pie? Insidious root beer buns?"

In reply to Viridian Starfire (msg # 60):

"I like the Raspberry Beret, make it so."

He loved Bavarian Creme doughnuts, messy as they are, they're delicious."
This message was last edited by the player at 12:36, Tue 16 Nov 2021.

The custom uniform that was finally settled on for Teddy has a 1,500Cr price tag, but that included all the bells-and-whistles... medal ribbons, trim, beret, boots, and custom tailoring (which was done via laser scanning). It was all going to be made on the Zekron 3000 3D Fabric Printer right there in the shop.

The items displayed for sale in the bakery included doughnuts of many types, including a daily 'special' (which today was a strawberry creme filled doughnut), cookies, cakes, breads, and breakfast pastries. Other things could be ordered special.

When Ghent had decided to blow some steam on Theev after turning down the Captain's chair of one of the Merchant Marine's freighters, he wasn't expecting to let loose at the level of carousing he'd been living these last few days.

The dishevelled ex-1st Officer, squinted at the sudden change in lighting as he exited the building and into Theev's bustling streets with a girl on each arm, his shirt half-in and half-out of his trousers as he considered his next move. One of them spoke up in a dialect he didn't quite understand, and Ghent absentmindedly scratched at his 3 o'clock shadow where some red lipstick outed him as having been a little less formal with the ladies as he normally would have been.

As next moves went, all Ghent knew is that he was hungry. "Sorry, girly... I can't hear a thing after all that loud music. I have no idea what you're asking about, but the smell of fresh baked goods has me convinced that that's all I need right now.. Thanks," he said as the trio of them pushed past the patrons in the bakery.

He considered the day's special, grumbled about too many strawberries and not enough after 'booze-binge' remedies, so he decided to stumble towards the display case.

In reply to Ghent Bel-Andis (msg # 63):

"Pardon us, we were here first, please step away from there." Teddy looks to RayJay and Vir for confirmation. Though he did not wish to wreck the place, he was adamant about it.

"What is a Bavarian anyway? Besides a type of donut apparently." Rayjay asked, curious as to the origin of the word and what it signified besides something from Bavaria. Was it perhaps a species of crème filled donut loving aliens?

However as soon as his mind began to solve such a deep and profound conundrum, another presented itself, this one in the form of some disheveled drunkard stumbling into the bakery and making their way to the head of the line, if there was even a line to begin with. "Indeed Captain, I know not t'e quality of baked goods 'ere, yet, but I doubt t'ey are wort' starting an incident over, wouldn't you agree, stranger?"
This message was last edited by the player at 19:01, Tue 16 Nov 2021.

"Ehh, what..?" came Ghent's response as he turned around to consider the other patrons. "... just looking at what else they 'ave on offer... you go right ahead and order," he added with a dismissive wave of the hand. 'I'm sure the store clerks know their business and who to serve next, by gods...' he added under his breath as he squinted at the various goods on offer.

He suddenly turned around, an idea suddenly striking him: "How's their coffee..? Do you know, mate?"

In reply to Ghent Bel-Andis (msg # 66):

"We just flew in today, never been here before" Teddy said shrugging his shoulders.

"Do you have Bavarian Cream Doughnuts?" he asked the clerk. "They have a yellow custard filling, not the white cream."

Viridian had listened to Teddy's response and then began looking over the displays. Like Rayjay, he didn't know what a 'Bavarian' was nor what sort of creme they made, so it was hard to tell if the shop sold something similar just under a different name.

"Custard? I once looked into it--did you know there are 17 different things that are called custard? Half of them are puffed-up whipped cream while the others are some sort of pudding. Ha! And even that term has many definitions."

"Ah, here we go! Doughnuts with creme fillings! Quite a variety. Strawberry creme, khaffay creme, hazelnut creme, peanut butter creme, chocolate creme... Mmmm. That sounds good. I'll take a dozen of those!"

"So, how long has this bakery been here?" he asked the proprietor.

Just at that point, someone else came into the shop. Viridian didn't pay much attention to them... until Teddy felt he had to challenge the man. With a sigh, he felt like Teddy was determined to start a fight here on Theev. Damage and death could result in them getting thrown off the planet... if they made it that far. He glanced out the shop window to see if a Black Widow was anywhere in sight--they had been keeping on their group.

Turning back to the newcomers, Viridian's eyes widened in surprise. It couldn't be... could it?

"I'll be damned! If it isn't Bell-book-and-candle himself! Hello, there Ghent! What brings you to Theev again? Didn't get into enough trouble last time?"

Teddy paused and looked again at the interloper. "You know this guy Vir?"

"I did once... a little matter of some gambling. He lost, I won," Viridian answers. "Well, we weren't playing against each other. I tried to warn him about overstaying his welcome and overplaying his hand."

"I have to admit... I've been leery about running into the Blackstorm gang again. Galt wasn't all too happy when I walked away with my winnings."

"B-book-and-candle-what-now...?" was all that Ghent managed to grasp before turning around from the pastry display case in confusion. 'I need my krifing wits about me,' Ghent thought with sudden alarm since he wasn't expecting any type of reunion.

He considered the people around him with one eye closed, his right hand shielding him from the store light's glare. Three sheets to the wind, he wasn't quick in figuring out who had spoken, but then some kind of recognition washed over him as he recognized Viridian, but wasn't sure where he had met him before.

"Just in Theev to wash down my dread at having quit my job with the Merchant Marines... though, I dare say, I've been in good hands since... right, ladies?" He grinned down towards one of the girls, one of them asian, and the other a brunette with blue eyes. "May-may and Jackie here hav' been showing me a good time..." He returned his gaze back to Viridian, and looked him over again, but shook his head.

"Right now, I couldn't recognize my own brother from a three-mast ship, mate... might you refresh my memory..?"

In reply to Viridian Starfire (msg # 70):

"Ahhh, a little thick is he, well, I don't like being told what to do either. Go ahead, get your doughnuts, we'll wait.

It is like a pudding custard that I'm talking about, with chocolate icing." he switches back the conversation.

Ghent ignored the thick comment the ex-marine quipped, unsure as he was that it was directed to him or that Galt person, but being between jobs now, he decided to show some of his magnanimousness shine through.

"Look, fellas..." he said as he turned around to the bakery clerk in attendance, "my friends and I would like a bulk order of your best pastries, khaffay / teas, and your big breakfast for me, please. I believe some wanted Raspberry Beret, Bavarian Creme doughnuts, and I believe the girls would like the strawberries. I'm sure we can get everyone something, so me and my friends here can catch-up. This one will be on me..."

He then slips closer to the clerk to hammer out a few more details.

In reply to Ghent Bel-Andis (msg # 73):

Teddy grabs a table that will hold them all so they could eat and catch up for Viridian and Ghent.

Viridian sure did get around, into the social circles of the strangest people that is, first the lovely Miss Stella, then the clothier, whose name escaped him, and now some washed out merchant marine and drunkard, a Ghent or something. "I see, t'ose donuts do sound quite sugar coma inducing." He said, not disliking donuts himself, but being his age he unfortunately had to watch what he ate, or else it'd come back to bite him sooner rather than later. Either case he hoped the Admiral would appreciate the gesture, once they were finally able to secure a meeting with him of course.

"If I was as sloshed as you, Ghent, I probably wouldn't remember me either!" Viridian quipped. "It's me, Viridian Starfire, though I'm not sure we ever exchanged surnames back then."

"You do remember that 3-day gambling session back in aught-7, right? Over on Nekrino? Your ship was doing the Palindrome Loop, as I recall."

"I told you to never draw to an inside straight. In spite of actually getting it, though, you still lost because Galt filled his higher straight. I mean, it's okay if you are just gambling for fun and don't really care how much money you lose. Bigwigs, hotshots and nobles do it all the time. That's not for the likes of you and me, though."

"Besides, I'm pretty sure Galt cheated. Don't know how he did it, but I suspect marked cards. Or the proverbial 'ace up his sleeve'."

"Come on over and join us. These are my crewmates... Rayjaynul Brown and Baron Captain Theodore McFarlane of the FTS Vultine out of Drinax."

As Viridian told everyone of their last night out, Ghent snatched one of the Kaffay cups being handed out and took a small cautious sip before pulling in a long overdue mouthful of stimulant. He felt its warmth down his throat and hit his empty stomach, and he gave out a long sigh of relief.

"Why is that first sip soooo krifing good after a night out?" he wondered out loud as he saluted Viridian and the others with the cup. "Pleased to make your acquaintances... hope you enjoy the pastries," he said as he meandered over to the reserved tables and sat down across from the man who had recognized him, "the last time I caroused as much as last night was like... a decade ago." The last was said hesitantly, as if he was counting backwards, trying to recollect events over the years.

"I always did take my time with the Merchant fleet rather seriously...! And you did say I should loosen up, so I came back here for some serious down time," he conceded, and then considered Viridian again. "I hope you're better at avoiding trouble than you were back in the day..! I think I remember a few girls who weren't too happy at the time..!"

In reply to Ghent Bel-Andis (msg # 77):

Teddy sipped his coffee too, he dipped a donut in the coffee as well, it was good!

"The only trouble I had with women was them wanting to put their brand on me," Viridian quips back.

"Time was never right. I still had a few wild oats to sow. Still sowing."

"So, how about you? Were you married to the fleet? Or did some buxom beauty manage to throw a rope around you? And these two lovelies are... research?"

Ghent laughed good naturedly at the 'still sowing' and raised his cup in a solemn salute to Viridian not settling down. That jived with what he remembered of the man, "Nah... can't say many a woman want a man who's gone 9 months of the year to help her raise children," Ghent gave way by explanation, "these two are just here to lift my spirits while I figure out my next move. Speaking of which, you look like you've come about with a crew? What are you folks working on now if you don't mind my asking?"
This message was last edited by the player at 15:22, Mon 22 Nov 2021.

In reply to Ghent Bel-Andis (msg # 80):

OOC: Now, just why would all of you suddenly visualize a certain red-eyed glare, after Ghent asks this ...?   ^_^

ooc: allergies?

OOC: Nah, Vespexers just have red eyes.

"Quite the brazen question you 'ave t'ere, but currently we are enjoying a snack and ordering some for later. T'e rest is up to our wonderful captain to divulge, if 'e wants to of course." Rayjay said, taking a sip of his own coffee while listening intently to all the questions the newcomer was making, particularly those regarding their current business dealings.

"Just introducing ourselves here at the moment"

In the grand scheme of things, it was probably too early to explain that scheme to Ghent, but since Redthane's raid already seemed to be common knowledge, there could only be two possibilities for their interest in him: join or recruit him, or capture him (either for a reward or for the Admiral). There might actually be a third--revenge, but that didn't seem important.

"Besides doing a little bit of speculative trading and maybe improving conditions on some of these backwater worlds here in the Gap," Viridian responded, "we're looking for a pirate named Redthane. If you've heard of him, you wouldn't happen to know where we could find him, would you?"

He seemed to recall that Ghent had been a bit naive when they'd last met, but it now seemed as if the years of Merchant Marine service had hardened him up a bit, made him more cynical. He knew that Oleb and Varca had these 'glorious' albeit imaginative plans, and if they ever came to fruition, people like Ghent would be needed, so it didn't hurt to sow a few seeds now.

Heck, it sounded like he was looking for a ride off of Theev. Then again, just about everyone was. Theev wasn't like most planets... where frequent trade ships were the norm and you always find a berth going somewhere. On Theev, if you bought a ticket, it was usually one way to Hell (and not the planet Hell).

"Speculative trading I can help with, they don't hand off the captain's chair to just any Tom, Dick and Jerry with deep pockets," Ghent said after a bit. "I turned them down because of some legal shenanigans they pulled off. Now, typically in that line of business we try to steer clear of pirates the likes of Redthane, since it normally jeopardizes the profits from the trading, which share holders don't typically forgive (or forget about)."

The man considered them a while as he took a few bites of the warm breakfast that was now before him; a mix of breakfast potatoes, an omelette with a lot of veggies, all sandwiched between two flat crêpes, topped with a drizzle of syrup. If anything, Ghent liked his sweet and salty combinations, and was probably the type who enjoyed exotic foods from all over.

"The art to avoiding a pirate is usually knowing where he might be next," he said between two bites, a small grin crossing his face, "but we can't always be sure, eh?" He seemed to grow pensive a bit, as if trying to recollect something.

10:15, Today: Ghent Bel-Andis rolled 11 using 2d6+3.  Streetwise + Int. Info on Redthane in order to avoid / find him.

"Do tell Ghent! If you can figure out where everyone is it would make it easier on us."

Ghent doesn't know enough about Theev to point out any place on the planet where a pirate might hide, especially since the only habitation is Blacksand (city).

He's got an idea about where a ship might hide, though.

"If it were me with a warrant on my head, I doubt that I would be hiding on Theev proper, all things considered -- too easy for the authorities to bog me down, when I need time to breath. As a ship's captain, I'd be looking for a place to refuel and plan my next move, but with Theev and other inhabited worlds off-limits, then an uninhabited world with water sources is my next best option. Like a moon around a gas giant," Ghent offered after a bit.

"Hmmm, not a bad idea, send in 'spies' like Miria to scout the situation, but keep yourself out of it."

"I imagine you're not far off," Ghent nodded in agreement. "That said, depends if you want to grab the pirate in his nest, or take a stab at his right hand... I'm just not sure how we'd find out where Miria would be, or what shuttle/ship they might have have travelled in," he added trying to be helpful. "They could also have contacts, or bought off someone in the docking office to keep them off the books," he added, "might be worth a visit."
This message was last edited by the player at 03:28, Sun 28 Nov 2021.

"So you think they're hiding on a moon in system? We do have good sensors. What are the chances of finding them Viridian? Slim to none?"

"If you are looking for a needle in a haystack, it helps to be sure you are looking in the right haystack," Viridian answers.

"It doesn't do any good if the needle isn't there in the first place."

"Since we're here on Theev already, if Miria is here, then we should make an effort to find her before we go gallivanting off on a different wild goose chase."

In reply to Viridian Starfire (msg # 93):

Teddy nodded agreement to Viridian's statement.

Ghent looked as the girls went to the washroom together. "Not just a goose chase, but they'd have the tactical advantage since they're in their nest," Ghent cautioned when he was sure they had left. "However, if you could catch his lieutenant, or maybe find their ship... we could track it, or... maybe commandeer it, and catch him in his nest with his pants down." The convoy captain seemed more awake now. "Either way, it starts on the ground. Sounds like you have some fun ahead of ya'all," he said with a laugh.

In reply to Ghent Bel-Andis (msg # 95):

"Yeah. We're going to have to make changes on the ship, running out of room. Looks like Ingrid might be forced to move in with me to make room for passengers and crew." he says with a grin to Vir and RayJay.

"The rooms are all set up double occupancy... except the captain's quarters, of course," Viridian answered. "Well, technically, they were designed for that, but the... users were more about space. Kind of odd considering they were spending a lot of time in tight quarters in space anyway."

"There's always the hot-bunking trick... one person assigned to the room is always on duty."

"And the bridge chairs are pretty luxurious, especially the captain's chair. Easy enough to sleep there when the captain isn't sitting in it."

He'd introduced Teddy as the Captain, so didn't feel he needed to make any other clarification.

"If you are at loose ends, Ghent, interested in tagging along with us? Assuming you want to get off this planet. Everyone else wants to."

Ghent's eyes shot up when Viridian offered that he tag along, "You know what? I've been playing it standard for too long, I think stirring up a bit of adventure is exactly what the doctor ordered." He looked at Teddy, "besides, it'll be all fun what with not needing me to step into the captain's chair and all, though I gather I might sleepwalk into a nice spacious bunk..."
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 17:15, Thu 02 Dec 2021.

"Move on to another shop, or head back to Vultan? We got no leads."

"Always 'appy to be an excuse for you and Miss Sigar to get closer Captain." Rayjay teased though he wasn't terribly aware of just how many crew mates he had currently, but ignorant or not the idea of hot bunking rarely appealed.

"That was only our secondary goal," Viridian reminded Teddy.

"Our main purpose was to sow some seeds of interest for Admiral Darokin. While we've done that, somewhat, I think one or two more stops will assure that."

"Let's see... pawn shop, clothing store, bake shop... what else is likely to accomplish that?"

In reply to Viridian Starfire (msg # 101):

"I know nothing about the upper area, we're following you!" he said with a note of a grin.

Ghent looked confused, "I thought you wanted the pirate... what's this shopping list? To butter up Admiral Darokin? You trying to convince him to bolster your forces when you drop on Redthane, what?"

"Well a Captain is allowed to want many t'ings, be it a meeting wit' someone important, the 'ead of a rival, or a mountain of treasure; how 'e gets it is up to 'im and 'is crew. To t'at end somewhere else t'e Admiral might frequent certainly wouldn't 'urt, t'ough I 'aven't a clue as where t'e Admiral might wander. May'ap a gentleman's club? If a station like t'is one 'as a fine 'otel, it wouldn't be impossible, no?" Rayjay suggested with a brought mischievous grin.

"Been trying to think of some place, but while I can think of a lot of shops, I just can't see the Admiral frequenting any of them," Viridian answers.

"I was thinking of a weapons shop, but couldn't see him going there. He'd send someone to get whatever he needed. Still, might be good place to name drop."

"A sports bar or, as Rayjay said, a gentlemen's club. Never heard of any of the latter here. But, then again, I never moved in those circles. What exactly do they offer? Besides good food? Can't quite see the Admiral going there, though."

"But... that led me to think of a decent upscale restaurant. He might not go there for the ambience, but there might be a certain food that he likes. I'll call up the local directory and see what's around here."

"Teddy, can you recall anything that the Admiral was particularly fond of? Key lime pie? Banana bread pudding? Orange truffles? Anything?"

He used his comm to call up a restaurant directory and scanned through the options, hoping something would catch his eye.

"No, it's been 20 years, he liked steak and potatoes, Pumpkin Pie, he dearly loved his daughter, but she got married and gave him grandkids as far as I know."

“You’re in luck lads. Just so happens that I know a few captain watering holes,” Ghent said with a grin. “I was actually trying to get an invitation to one of the most exclusive clubs planet side: Talbot's — a 'gentlemen's club' like your friend mentioned, but by invitation only. Some friendly gambling, great food, secure meeting rooms... and the establishment’s protection (or retribution),” Ghent said waving his hands airily. “You don’t want to cause trouble there, because the rich and powerful don’t forgive and forget. I was at the Copper Saloon last night — a strange mix of sports bar, some gambling, entertainment, and just a general place to hang out with 'friends'. Another place where the Admiral might let down his hair at would be the Blue Diamond restaurant, which caters to middle and upper class people. The upper level is for the rich and powerful and important people. Supposed to have the best food on the planet. Can prepare anything, like pumpkin pie, by request.”
This message was last edited by the player at 13:39, Sun 05 Dec 2021.

"You're hired Ghent." Teddy said with a smile. "Blue Diamond or Copper Saloon? Ghent can lead the way if Vir doesn't know."

“I agree, the Blue Diamond seems like the easiest and likeliest place to find your admiral,” Ghent said with a smile, “the perfect place to start, what? Might be easier to call ahead and ask about ‘our reservation’ so as to be there at the right time.”
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 14:02, Sun 05 Dec 2021.

"I don't have their number, if you do, by all means."

Ghent shrugged and conjured up some tinted glasses from his coat pocket, and put them on. He kept a finger on the right side of the glasses, as if he were adjusting them, but then started talking to no one in particular: "Ahhh, hello..! How are you..? Good thanks! I'm lieutenant Smith. Admiral Darokin wanted to double check that his table was still reserved? Can you please confirm the details for me? I just want to make sure we don't have any last minute conflicts on our end. Thank you..! Er, why yes... happy to hold."

In reply to Ghent Bel-Andis (msg # 111):

Teddy smiled and nodded approvingly Very good! he thought.

"Were you talking about a reservation for today, Lieutenant Smith?" comes the reply. "Because I don't see anything on our books. Could it have been made under a third party's name?"

"I do show a reservation for an Ad Darokyn tomorrow at 8pm. Would that be the one you are referring to? Could have have gotten the days mixed up... either placed the reservation wrong or perhaps you forgot which day it was?"

"We still have tables open for this evening, if that's what you meant."

"Oh perfect! No no, tomorrow at 8pm is still in his calendar, so it works," Ghent said as he looked at the others, "he'll see you then. Thank you again!"

"Well-played, Ghent!" Viridian said. "That should have been you, though, Teddy. How'd you ever get to be an officer without that kind of confidence?"

His last contact with Ghent had been too many years and too many parsecs ago, so he'd been reluctant to just blurt out their business to him, particularly out in public. Now that he had a feel for him, it seemed okay to let him in on things.

"The rest of our crew is looking for a lead on Miria. Redthane led a raid on Torpol and they've put a price on his head. To be honest, I don't think they are expecting anyone to ever claim it. It's just too damn hard to find a pirate when you want one! Ha-ha."

"Redthane also has a price on his head from Darokyn. We want to make sure we don't get on the Admiral's bad side. We're not actually looking to meet with the Admiral. Rather, we're name-dropping to try and get Darokyn to arrange a meeting with us... probably at gunpoint."

"I can't see how anything you said to the restaurant would get back to the Admiral, but we should probably go to dinner there ourselves tonight. Maybe with the whole crew. We can let drop a few hints about the Admiral. It wouldn't surprise me if he showed up in the middle of the meal to... chat."

"Good thing that the gent at the other end had already hung up then," Ghent said as he put down the glasses, a wolfish grin crossing his face. He thought of playing Viridian along, but Ghent was too honest to actually try to drag a deception on too long with an old comrade.

"Well, now you can choose between surprising him, or him surprising you. Frankly, I think a man like that would be more impressed by someone with the balls to drop on him unannounced, with some intel to provide. Going in empty handed and name dropping will only piss the man off in my opinion. One of the two options looks (and feels) more 'professional', and is likely to win a bit more good favour. Especially if your other friends have a tail on Miria."

"I wish Ingrid was here right now!" he says to no one in particular.

Rayjay reassuringly pats his captain on the back. "T'ere t'ere captain, I'm sure she's just as eager to return to you as you are to 'er. But unfortunately, we still 'ave some t'ings t'at need doing." He says with a soft chuckle.

"She is way more socially adaptable than I am. The Admiral would love her! That's all. It has been awhile since I dated his daughter. I'm sure he remembers me though."

"Sounds to me like you need some time with MayMay," Ghent said sympathetically.

"Huh? Mayday? What is that? I'm engaged to Ingrid, we're getting married. Someday."

"Can't wait to meet her then," the other man answered, "so this admiral... has a daughter? Do tell how that went...!" Ghent wondered how that must have been like, or dating someone on your crew. He never could allow himself to play favourites while in command, so he'd always felt it improper to date a crew-mate, but now that he wasn't in charge, he wasn't sure. Not like the opportunity would present itself anyway.

"It was okay, I was on his staff for 2 years and met her there. He never showed favorites, in fact he drove me harder to make sure I could cut it. I never made Admiral, but I was a full Captain. Twenty-four years in the IN. I dated her for about a year and then she moved to someone prettier" he said with a grin.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:57, Fri 10 Dec 2021.

"Maybe Ms. Sigar is better spoken t'an yourself, but t'e Admiral knows you not 'er which tends to be t'e deciding factor in securing an audience in t'e first place." Rayjay said to reassure the captain was the man for the job, he just needed a bit more confidence in himself.

"That's true, to him she is just a pretty face! Though it has been awhile since I was on his staff, he will remember me. Fondly or not, he will remember."

"So, what's the plan then?" Ghent asked, wondering if they preferred name dropping to get the Admiral's attention, or if they'd simply ask for reservations at the Blue Diamond for around the same time, and that they'd try to contact him at his own table.

In reply to Ghent Bel-Andis (msg # 126):

"Reservations gentlemen? Tomorrow at the Blue Diamond at 8:00? As close to the Admiral as we can get."

In reply to Theodore McFarlane (msg # 127):

"Go ahead and make a reservation for us tomorrow Viridian, close to the Admiral so he notices us. 8:00, we'll bring a few others too."

"Are we talking eight 'undred, or twenty 'undred t'ere? If t'e former I assume t'e Admiral enjoys t'eir breakfast selections?" Rayjay asked, finding it a bit odd that such a fancy looking restaurant would be open at such a time let alone have breakfast options, but he looked forward to it all the same.

In reply to Rayjaynul Brown (msg # 129):

"2000 hours, 8 pm."
This message was last edited by the player at 15:33, Sat 18 Dec 2021.

They were newcomers to the planet... city... restaurant... it was pretty much all the same thing, so he wasn't expecting to be able to get a table near the Admiral's table. That was assuming they knew where the Admiral was going to sit. They didn't have enough information to know if the Admiral had a regular schedule or a regular table.

Hell, not even he knew enough about the Blue Diamond to know the table layout, and that was assuming it hadn't changed in the past ten years.

He used his comm to connect with the Blue Diamond's interweb site and booked a reservation for 2000 hours the next day. For 7. He wasn't sure who was going to be showing up on their part, but he didn't think it was a good idea to bring Krssh along.

"Okay, we're all set for tomorrow," he informs the others. "It can't hurt to name drop at one or two more shops. If word gets back to Darokin, he might initiate contact with us."

"It'll be up to Varca to decide what we tell the Admiral or what we ask."

He added the last for Ghent's benefit.

They continued walking up and down the streets, getting a better sense of the layout of the streets if nothing else.

"We put in a good day today, lets go back to the Vultan for the rest of the day and evening where it is reasonably safe. We can plan in peace and without fear."

Ghent nodded, but waited for the others to lead the way seeing he didn't know where the group was staying.

In reply to Ghent Bel-Andis (msg # 133):

Teddy had Viridian take the lead to take them back. He was slightly lost with all the alleys and turns they took.

Followed up the rear, keeping semi-alert as they made their way back to the very fine hotel, making a show of their equipment as well as attempting to set up a roundabout meeting with the Captain's former Imperial contact had left the old man rather worn out, but ever the military man, even if he was not a marine, dictated he keep an eye and ear out for danger till they were at least confident they weren't being followed by some would be assassin. "It is fortunate at least one of us knows t'e way back, all t'ese 'alls look alike to me." He remarked, genuinely lost in this station.

"The actual shops may change over the course of 20 years, but the streets pretty much stay the same here," Viridian agrees as he leads everyone back to the hotel.

"This place isn't really big on urban renewal. To them, that just means build another building on top of existing ones... until it collapses."

Back at the hotel, he flops onto one of the easy chairs in the hotel room after grabbing a bottle of graptha from the mini-fridge.

"Maybe we should secure the door better. It occurs to me that someone might decide to pay us a visit... unannounced, as it were. It might be the Admiral, but I'm not inclined to be surprised."

In reply to Viridian Starfire (msg # 136):

"Where to Viridian, the ship? We put ourselves out there enough today, we'll see the Admiral tomorrow."

"I wasn't planning on going anywhere else today," Viridian replies, "unless it was another restaurant, even if it's only the one here in the hotel."

"I was sort of thinking of just ordering room service."

"We should wait until the others get back, though, and see what they want to do."

"Speaking of t'e ship, maybe we should call t'em and see 'ow t'ey are doing, and make sure t'ey aren't asleep on watch?" Rayjay suggested helpfully, even if it had only been a single day they were still very much in a pirate port so a little caution could go a long way.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:25, Thu 20 Jan 2022.

In reply to Rayjaynul Brown (msg # 139):

When you check in, Collyn informs you all is quiet for now, nothing going on that he is aware of. For now.