Alpha Panda, Serenity RPG IC

[Shadow_Elf]

Greg
Alpha Panda Bridge
The tactician nods. Nice talkin' t'ya, Jaydoubl'yuh. Knock em' dead, he says in parting, and the com goes dead. Like I said, nice fellow. I'm thinkin' he might be willin' t'convince the Alliance to let us slip if the job goes pear-shaped, Cap'n. Not that it will, jus' seems what with the claim jumpers and the M.O.P. an' all, this job's been more complicated'n advertised from the start. Wouldn't be surprised if somethin' else went wrong.

[Aneurin]

Jack
Alpha Panda's Bridge

Jack shakes his head slowly at Lei - even as the engines are firing up, the other craft is touching down.

"We'll stay muddy, Lei," he says, before giving the com his full attention.

"...huh. Well, this could be interesting," Jack blinks a few times, then turns to watch Cole and Morgan on their way as they skirt behind the distracted crowd. "Damned if I know what's going on, but it could be interesting. Know much else about him, Greg?"

[Shadow_Elf]

Greg
Alpha Panda Bridge
The man shrugs. Good guy, didn't like sittin' out the war. He thinks he's still fightin' the good fight now that he's an M.O.P. Whether he's gotten anywhere is anyun's guess. He's scrappy, but polite, an' from what I just saw, he's got a good memory an' he makes good on favours he owes. Hard t'look up a man's character on the Cortex, but I think he's pleasant enough.

[Erasmas]

Cole

Once he was ready, Cole sought to find Morgan and get this job over and done with before any further... entanglements tried to rear their ugly heads. When he found the silent man, he rechecked all of the safeties on his various guns and then hit the button to open the cargo hold. Stepping outside, he saw the crowd now paying attention to their much-anticipated guest.

"Now's a good time to skedaddle, while they've all got their eyeballs affixed to him."

[Adlan]

Act II




Balley Sacket's Mining Shop.
A balding man with huge shoulders glares at Morgan And Cole suspiciously from behind a workbench covered three layers deep with assorted mechanical parts. The walls of the shop and even parts of the ceiling are also cluttered with what looks like an explosion of technological junk. Also scattered about the room are several local townsfolk, either sitting on wooden kegs or leaning casually against a rare bare space on the wall. The echo of their laughter falls quickly to silence as, silhouetted in the bright glare of outsides sunshine, the large figures enter the room.

“Kin I help you fellers?” the man asks in grim tones.

Alpha Panda's Bridge
Those of Alpha Panda's complement who remain have had a treat from the bridge, a full speech from a MoP. What riveting entertainment for them. Of course, a mining town like Frisco is bound to have other amusements for a crew.

[Erasmas]

Cole
Balley Sacket's Mining Shop

Cole eyed the men gathered in the room, his mind instinctively planning out the best angles of attack... who to take down first... where to take cover... and his chances of making it out alive. The muscles in the forearm of his shooting arm twitched involuntarily. But, with any luck, they weren't going to need any of that. Even still; old habits die hard.

"Put yer gorram hackles down, you old codger. M'name's Jeremiah Coleman and I'm lookin' for Sacket. Got some business of a private matter to talk at him with. You him?"

[Space Lawyer]

Lei

Lei and Amiri stand in Alpha Panda's main hold, Lei with a hose and Amiri with a mop and bucket. They had cleaned practically the whole ship from top to bottom, avoiding only the personal cabins and crawl spaces. In some ways, it made little sense to do it then, given that the whole ship would probably get dusty again the second a stiff wind blew in through an open airlock. A clean ship is healthy ship though, and Lei wasn't about to let Alpha Panda get sick.

Lei herself was doing quite as well. As soon as she had gone outside to check the supply line connections, she had started sniffling. Even after being inside for a few hours, the symptoms had not entirely abated. Lei sprays the last of the reactant, which comes in contact with the cleaning fluid and creates a nice big fizzing foam, eating through the grease and grime that collects in every corner of a working ship. The acrid, astringent smell was quite a bit more pleasing than the smell of dust and sweat that lurked right outside the bulkheads. She gives a massive sneeze, nearly knocking the tiny woman off her feet, followed by a long, loud sniffle."Ugggghhh..."

[Aneurin]

Jack
Alpha Panda's Bridge

The worst part of any mission is the waiting. Even flying through a hellstorm of enemy fire is better, because at least you can do something about it. Not that being shot at is fun or anything, but it's not boring either. Nope. Waiting. Not good.

But there are ways to pass the time.

"...an' that's me, Jaydoubl'yuh McLarren, goody-two shoes of th' 'lliance, all prim'n'proper-like these days an' mighty respect'ble. Not never been no down 'n dirty Browncoat or nothin'" Jack tells the cat, who is sat on the captain's console. She turns to Jack and treats him to a regal blink of her amber eyes, before turning back to watch the outside world through the bridge window.

He sighs. "You're no fun, you know that?"

With the boys out hunting for a contact, Amiri and Lei off doing something technical and the external sound pickup on the fritz again, there's not a lot else to do other than invent a speech for the unheard figure on the distant podium for the benefit of the cat.

[Creed]

Morgan
Balley Sacket's Mining Shop

While Cole talked, his companion looked around the room at the assembled townsfolk. Why were these men not welcoming their visitor from off-world? Morgan didn't like being surrounded any more than Cole did, as evidenced by the man's involuntary twitches, but Morgan had a more calm demeanor about him regarding the whole situation. But, on the inside, Morgan was scanning the crowd, looking for anything, a belt holster, or a bulge inside a coat, that could indicate a weapon.

[Adlan]

Balley Sacket's

As the two members of Alpha Panda's crew surveyed the group, they were gazed upon in return. The classic group of people with nothing better to do than hang around and engineering shop for the day. A miners, from the look of it, and a few well to does with the look of local bosses, whatever their official position was… …just hanging out with the boys at Balley's, no one is armed. Which on a border moon and in a mining town like Frisco means no rifles.

"I'm him, What Kinda Busisness, I don't know your face… you or the other big lug.

The self identified Balley leaned forwards across a workbench covered three layers deep with assorted mechanical parts. The walls and ceiling rafters hold what appears to be an explosion of technological junk and his pointing arm just misses leaning and hanging oddities.

"What Ship?" he indicates the crest on Cole's chest.

[Lentrax]

Sia
Alpha Panda interior

Not entirely sure what to do with herself, Sia goes off to see if she can find some decent clothes to wear to the dinner Cole promised her. Not that she has much, these past years since the war have been hard on the doctor. She could've settled down somewhere, some little moon or colony out of the way, where folks woulda given her food clothing and shelter just to keep them healthy...

But settling down would be pointless.

A lot of things are pointless without her...

Feeling sorry for yourself again?

Just missing you, my love.

Not too much, based on that hot piece you got in your bunk, 小心肝

Doesn't mean I'm over you.

Hey, I'm the one who's dead here. You keep going, you hear me?

As Sia is walking she hears Lei sneezing. Tracking down the young woman, Sia pops her head in.

"Allergies? I have some antihistamines in the medbay if you need them."

Spoiler

Show

小心肝: Little Darling.

[Erasmas]

Cole
Balley Sacket's Mining Shop

Looking down to see what he was indicating, Cole absentmindedly traced the outline of the emblem with his finger as he replied.

"Alpha Panda. And the business is a shipment; one that's sure to cool off any heated arguements.", Cole gave Morgan an accomplished smile, obviously bemused by his own 'clever' pun.

[Creed]

Morgan
Balley Sacket's Mining Shop

Morgan meets Cole's look with a raised eyebrow and rolls his eyes with his customary humorlessness. It was clever, he had to admit that, however.

[Adlan]

Amiri
"I got a Recipe from my Ma" Amiri was changing the screens on some of the air filters, coping with both the ice and now atmospheric dust. Clogged much like Lei's sinuses, a sure sign of someone who was probably born in the black.

"I used to get terrible bad land fever when I was young, took 6 months for me to get over it, and then I ain't got it since. But it's a sure cure. Menthol and Liquorice and Tincture of Capsicum mostly."

Amiri like many in the black, though rarely for one so educated, was a firm believer in the efficacy of old home remedies.

[Adlan]

Balley Sacket's Mining Shop

Balley Sackett also raised his eyebrows, sternly saying, “Comet Ice is an illegal commodity in this town, fellers — and anyone who so much as talks about selling same will most likely be turned over to the feds for the ree-ward.”


Then he winked at the Intimidating 'ships hands' in the shop and added “On the other hand, if someone were to land with a cargo hold full of ‘containers’ not specifying exactly what was in them, mind you... and could tell me just who sent them ‘containers’ ...well, then I reckon I might be in the market.”

[Space Lawyer]

Lei
Cargo Hold

"Allergies? I have some antihistamines in the medbay if you need them."

Lei gives a sniffle. "Buhhh, yes please. This place is making me sick." She rubs her nose. "I've always hated going dirtside. All this dirt and gravity, and they always stare funny at me. Not my fault I wasn't born and raised here."

[Aneurin]

Jack
Alpha Panda's Bridge

While Jack's body may be staring out over the crowds with a distant look in its eyes, it is clear that his mind is far, far away. After long moments of silence, he turns to the cat.

"You know, it was a dustball like this that you were born on," he says at last. "I think so, anyway. That's where Saving Grace was refitted for me, and that's the ship you stowed away on. First trip out of the world and we started hearing scratching sounds from the vents - couldn't work out what in the world it was," he smiles slightly at the cat, who ignores him. "Had half the crew convinced the ship was haunted. Then we caught sight of you - this tiny, half-starved, all-wild kitten. Took us a week to get you to even eat anything. But she kept at it, every single day. Wouldn't dream of leaving you to starve,"

Jack reaches out a hand and fondly ruffle's Rogue's ears, and she responds with a deep, rolling purr.

"Damn glad she did. You've been a good friend over the years. I honestly think you're all that kept me alive after Sturges - if the only life I'd had to care for back then was my own, well..." he shakes his head. "I'd probably still be there now. I know I've not said this before, but thank you," Jack stares sincerely into Rogue's eyes, as she turns to see why the stroking has stopped. "I'll get Lei to buy you a some fresh fish next time we go shopping,"

With his free hand, he runs a hand along the top of the captain's console and says aloud to the room at large;

"And as for you, my darling girl, soon you'll be free again. Bought back from that loathsome thug Badger and able to plough the Black as you will. We'll have you refitted, everything fixed up and retuned - you'll fly like you're new again, or better if you like. Maybe we'll fly out beyond the Edge, away from this purple hell and see what there is out amongst the stars, farther than anyone's ever gone before, to where we can be free forever,"

He slumps back suddenly, all the energy of a moment ago gone.

"That's how she wanted to live," he whispers into the emptiness.

[Shadow_Elf]

Greg
Private Cargo Container, Cargo Hold
Gregoire exits his private container, closing and locking the door behind him. He pats the container lovingly for a moment, and then makes his way to towards the bridge to hear what is left of Jaydubbl'yuh's speech. On his way up, he comes upon Lei and Amiri's quest to scourge the ship clean of debris and detritus. A smile graces the older man's lips. Doc, Lei, Amiri, he says by way of greeting, miming the doffing of a hat that is not there. Clean ship's a healthy one, they always told us. Soldiers are notoriously bad housekeepers, though, so cleanliness fell top me to maintain, such as it were. You three need a hand with any a' this? Seems unjust-like that two fine ladies are scrubbin' the floors while a lazy layabout like myself galliva- erm, moseys, through the halls aimlessly.

[Erasmas]

Cole
Balley Sacket's Mining Shop

Cole smiled, "Now, now... none in our party done mentioned a thing about no 'comet ice', Mr. Sacket. That would be mighty gorram irresponsible - someone transporting 150 tons of that kind of stuff all the way here from some place like... oh, I dunno... the Lullabelle Mine."

[Lentrax]

Sia
Medbay

Sia puts her injector away, having just given Lei a boost of antihistamines.

"Should do it. Let me know if your allergies act up again while we're dirtside. You spacers are a bit more sensitive to these things."

[Adlan]

Balley Sacket's Mining Shop
"Well, that's mighty sensible of you… Partner. I expect I'll see you at your ship this 'eve then.

Balley Sacket's face now bore a wide grin, which didn't improve it much. The locals grinned too, all in on the joke. Even out here on the rim, Badger set up solid deals.

[Erasmas]

Cole
Balley Sacket's Mining Shop

"We look to see you then."

Cole gives a curt nod and then makes his way back out into the street. Once Morgan caught up to him, he turned his path back towards the Panda and spoke in hushed tones.

"I'm not sure I trust this feller any more'n I trust Badger."

[Creed]

Morgan
Balley Sacket's Mining Shop

Morgan shrugs, then reassuringly pats the pistol on his hip. He then starts off down the street, back towards the ship.

[Space Lawyer]

Lei

With a 谢谢 to Sia, Lei walks out of the medbay. Just more sensitive, huh? More like most planets are gravity wells that have special attraction for bad smells and worse people.

Lei makes her way back to her cabin. She slides out one of the drawers, and takes out a new outfit, a simple white tank-top cargo pants, and a jacket. Underneath the last item a distinctive purple catches her eye. She slams the drawer shut. A large pair of sunglasses and a pistol on her hip completes the look. She exits via the main hatch, and starts a walk around town. It wouldn't do to stay shut up. Lei was better than that.

谢谢 = thank you

[Erasmas]

Cole
In Town

On his way back to the ship, the soldier did some light window-shopping, trying both to find a nice place to take Sia later for dinner... plus a little trinket or two that he thought she might find pretty.

[Lentrax]

Sia
Private Bunk

Sia goes through what few clothes she has left. Years of floating from ship to ship paying her way through treating crew and passengers has left her with little in the way of spare money. Its been all she can do to keep her licenses up to date with the Alliance so she can buy medicine from cheap legitimate vendors and avoid the risky business of the black market.

Pausing, she holds a violet dress up in front of a mirror, inspecting her reflection.

Too formal. Onto the pile with the rest goes the garment.

She holds up a light blue shirt, then a red one, then a back dress that does little to cover much of anything.

Maybe later for that one... If Cole behaves...

Then she comes to a pink dress. Holding it up, she smiles as it brings back memories, but she banishes them before they lead to the bad.

Perfect.

She dons the dress, finds a piar of shoes to go with it, then heads to the bridge to let Jack know she was heading to meet Cole.

[Creed]

Morgan
In Town

Morgan turned halfway, looking at Cole press up against a windowed storefront, his eyes glossing over the objects displayed within. He calmly reached within his coat, glanced around, and withdrew a small, heavy envelope from within.

He walked swiftly down the street to the post office, his eyes occasionally darting back to make sure that Cole was still preoccupied with his shopping, and slipped the envelope into the post-box out front, before giving the metal tin a silent pat.

His work here finished, the mute mercenary returned to his original spot, a few feet behind Cole, with little more than the envelope and a few boot prints marking that he'd ever moved to begin with.

[Aneurin]

Jack
Alpha Panda's Bridge

As Sia arrives on the bridge, Jack's started singing a song that became popular shortly after the War - much to the disgust of the cat who is attempting to stare him into silence without much success.

"...Billy, don't be a hero, don't be a fool with your life..." he sings softly, still leaning back on the captain's chair with his feet on the console.

"What's up, Doc?" he says, swirling round and dropping his feet from the console. He runs an eye over her outfit. "Out shopping, huh? Well, be careful out there. Place seems friendly enough, but so do lots of place that aren't,"

[Shadow_Elf]

Greg
Alpha Panda Corridors
With Lei headed out, Greg takes that to mean that they were pretty much done the cleaning before he arrived. Well, if y'all need me, I think I'll head out an' catch the tag end ah Jaydubbl'yuh's speech. With that, Greg fetches a duster, fedora and sunglasses, the latter as much for the dust as the sunshine, and heads out to listen to the end of the MOP's speech.

[Adlan]

Amiri
As Lei left for town, Amiri looked out of the hatch. Only when she left his field of view did he return to the cleaning. They said the way to a man's heart was through his stomach. But the heart of a pilot was their ship. Amiri was going to turn all his skill and expertise to Alpha Panda's service.


But for now, cleaning would have to do, and he'd do it very well.