Out in the Black: Alpha Panda

[Adlan]

Cole
Ormond & Lovett Store

On his way around town, 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.

Spotting a necklace made of silver and pink stones, Cole walked in to a typical rim world store, less over crowded than most, the shelves are neat, but not crowded, and the floor space is mostly bare. A cage to the left of the entrance holds a number of baby birds, odd ingredients and the ubiquitous home remedies found across the 'verse. Unlike most rim world towns, but along side most other stores in town, the junk pretties and fabbed jewels* are made with real silver.

The Two Sino Men who run the establishment are cheerfully bickering in thick Mandarin, and eager to sell, though they seem a little disappointed at your initial response.

Cole inspected the thing closely, making sure that it was the right choice. After a minute or so, he looks for someone working the store and called over.

"How much's this here necklace?"

"35 Silver." Say's one, and then with a grin. “A guy has to do what it takes to survive — and all the credits in the world won’t matter if you’re pushing up weeds, right? Hey! Lovett! You Tian Di Wu Yohn*!"
He turned to the other man, who looked like his kin of some sort.

"Stop playing with that Joo Fuen Chse* and do some work for a change!”


"Don't carry no silver. How many credits you take for it?"

Cole walked over to where the man was, carrying the necklace draped over the fingers of his offhand and held out before him as he still inspected it.

"2 Credits"

More Handsome and exuding a salesman's charm the apparent Lovett, the other man, pipes up and makes his way over. “I perfectly understand your concern, True — the price is high, but with the blockade on…."

He turns to his brother, or relation in some degree. “Mei Yong Ma Duh Tse Gu Yong*! Can’t you leave me alone for just one second? I happen to be with a customer, Dohn-ma*?”

He turns to Cole.
"Ignore my brother Sir, he doesn't realise the value of the stones, a rare mineral full of crystal powers and health some goodness, from the silver mine"

The soldier laughed at the men, "I don't know what kinda sideshow yokels you boys typically deal with, but that ship ain't gonna fly. I fig'ur this here necklace is worth about a tenth of a Cred and I don't buy no hogwash about no gorram 'crystal powers'."

He just now took his eyes off of the bauble and now let them come to rest on those of the man he was haggling with. "So I'll tell you what. I'll pay you a credit and you gimme back 200 silver - that's a 15 silver piece profit on your '35'. And that way, we can finish this business like gentlemen and put the subject of 'robbery' to rest... since that's what yer tryin' to pull."

Cole then allowed his main forearm to come to rest on the back of his pistol, his hand draped harmlessly forward of the sidearm... but with it close enough to get the point across.

"As you Wish. bái mù mán zi* He mutters under his breath, and takes your proffered 1 cred note (the worst, crinkly one you have). A small pile of gold and silver coins is proffered by the one who must be Ormund.


Cole smiled after the exchange was done and pocketed the necklace. He then made his way towards the exit.

"Much obliged, shu jhing huin."

The soldier then left the little shop, glad that neither of them had been dumb enough to draw down on him. Jack would've been extremely displeased with him if he had had to gun down two locals before they were even able to make the drop.

Spoiler: Translations

Show

*Fabbed, Fabricated**. Rim Slang.

* “Completely Useless”
* “Pool of Pig Droppings”


*Motherless goat of a Motherless goat.

*Understand.

*Stupid Foreign Barbarian


*- Incestuous Dirt-Pushers


**When you can control gravity, most jewels become very, very cheap. Real Diamonds ect. are worth more, but the only priceless ones are prized for their history, not their size.

[Adlan]

Jay
The Temple

This square building shines with bright paint and gilt trim on the otherwise dusty and brown street of a mining town. Inside is a single large room with a polished floor and an altar to Buddha at the far end. Burning incense fills the room with a spicy fragrance. A priest of this temple can be seen, sweeping with a simple broom.

Jay can be seen entering here, and leaving some time later.

[Chambers]

Jay

Do not dwell on the past. Jay adjusts the shoulder strap of his satchel and resists the urge to look back towards the temple. Do not dream of the future. Setting off down the street he makes his way through the dusty streets until he finds Cole and the others. "Everything went well?" He asks.

[Aneurin]

Jack
Alpha Panda, Captain's Cabin

Reaching out without realing he's doing it, Jack draws Sia in to a rough hug.

"They haven't won yet," he says huskily, his voice still thick with barely-controlled tears. "Not while we're still flying. So long as we know what they did, they'll never win. And we can't let them get away with it.

"If they'd just fought right and won, then it'd be over. Over and done. But they didn't - squadkillers were just the start. They'll get worse and worse if we let them be, if we let the rest of the 'verse forget,"

[Erasmas]

Cole
Frisco Town

Arriving back at the mule just a few minutes early, Cole nodded to Morgan with a broad smile on his face.

"Find everything you were looking for?"

[Creed]

Cole
Frisco Town

Arriving back at the mule just a few minutes early, Cole nodded to Morgan with a broad smile on his face.

"Find everything you were looking for?"

Morgan
Frisco Town

Morgan shrugs, then nods to the case of wine, then nods at Cole.

[Lentrax]

Sia
Jack's Quarters.

Oh! was all she could say as Jack pulled her in for a hug. After just a moment, she pushed him back down, and smiled as another tear rolled down her cheek.

Jack. You gorram idiot. You have got to have the worst sense of timing of anyone I have ever known. Get some rest. I need to clean myself up before everyone gets back, and starts thinking bad of you again.

She stands up, and sets the sword aside. Now you get some rest. Doctor's orders. Damn, we didn't even get to the punchline of the story. You remember? When Henry looked up at us, and said, "Yeah, but who's gonna feed the cat?"

Get some sleep, Cap. It'll do a 'verse of good.

Sia turned and walked off down the deck, heading for the quarters she shared with Cole. She really did need to get cleaned up. Wouldn't do at all, If he came back and seen that she'd been crying again. Or drinking.

Or worse yet, doing both with the Captain.

[Adlan]

Alpha Panda
A Quiet Spot on the Mountain.



An hour or more after sunset; the quiet night was lit by a sliver of shine from far off orbiting Jiangyin and disturbed only by the distant, unending rumble of a working mine and refinery.

Then, another noise can be heard, a vehicle approaching, with a big engine, running steady, not using all it's roar to move quickly, but using it's size to haul something of matching size.

Headlights can be seen reflecting off the rocks, and a clearly local built, half scavenged and half salvaged tanker, with several attachments hidden in the gloom, turns the corner. It stops, and the lights dim. The engine is cut down to an even quieter idle.

A Figure gets out of the cab and approaches the ship, looking into the low slung bridge's windows.

"Hello, Alpha Panda?" It's Balley Sackett, those who've heard his voice can recognise his particular gravel. "It's Balley Sackett."

[Erasmas]

Cole
Alpha Panda's Bridge

When the calls goes about concerning the approaching vessel, Cole made his way to the bridge. As he watches the man get out and hears his voice, the soldier turns to Jack.

"That's the guy, Captain. He's the one I talked to earlier in town."

[Yawielas]

Robyn, Alpha Panda Bridge


Robyn nods. "That's the man. And speakin' of, he's got quite a few parts set aside in his shop that we be needin'. Some more than others, but all very useful if we wanna keep flyin'."

[Aneurin]

Jack
Alpha Panda's Bridge

The earlier bleak despair and misery has been completely wiped from Jack now - or, at least, it's been walled out and left to howl to itself in some dark, distant corner of his mind until something breaks down the walls again. The nap helped, too.

Oh, and at some point he's going to have to go apologise to Sia for... well... for everything, really. And to thank her for being there - again.

For now, though, he's staring out of the bridge windows at the approaching vehicle.

"Right. Cole, you found him, so it's your show if you want it," he says, making half a move to get up before Robyn's words get to him.

"...when you say 'need', just how much do we need them?" he says, with a kind of dull horror in his tone.

Much as he loves the Panda so much for the post-Sturges refit was done with under-spec civilian parts which just refuse to play nicely with the previous military-over-spec refit she'd had when the Browncoats had gotten hold of her. In other words, when stuff does break it breaks pretty damn impressively.

[Erasmas]

Cole
Alpha Panda's Bridge

"Hell no, I don't wanna call the gorram shots! I hate making them kind of heung gi decisions." Cole stood up and backed away, as if that would excuse him of responsibility.

"I ain't got it in me to do the hard stuff, Jack. I'm just here to be shot at and to shoot back, if need be!"

[Creed]

Morgan
Alpha Panda's Bridge

Morgan nods in agreement at the second half of Cole's statement, scratching his chin pensively.

[Yawielas]

Robyn, Alpha Panda Bridge

Robyn looks at Jack. "Well....there's only so far a ship will fly on good will alone...There's one thing in particular I'd like to see to, the others can wait a little longer, but not indefinitely."

[Shadow_Elf]

Gregoire Reaufort
From his seat at the side of the bridge, Greg speaks up. "I'll play face if ya want me to, bossman. 'S what ya pay me for, anyway, though this Sackett fellow might ask t'deal direct with you."

[Chambers]

Jay

"Just in time." Jay says as he takes the hot teapot off the burner. Not a proper tea service but it's better than nothing. Must remember to send a thank you Wave to the temple for the usucha. Cups for the Captain and Balley Sacket sat on the tray on the kitchen table along with a small incense burner currently unlit and a few protein biscuits. On the counter top sat a washing bowl filled with cold water next to a smaller, empty bowl. Jay moved to the galley intercom and pressed it. "Captain, if you'd like to invite him aboard I've prepared tea for you and him. I'd be happy to present for both of you."

[Aneurin]

Jack
Alpha Panda's Bridge

He first laughs at Cole's refusal, and then scowls at Robyn's summary of the parts list.

"Ugh. Well, if we need them then we need them," he sighs and rubs the spot between his eyes. "Alright. See if you can wrangle a patch for the combat lockdown systems, too - I'm pretty sure it's just the automated beacon that's a bit wonky, but it was flaking out back at Lullabelle, and I could do with one of the things keeping me not-dead continuing to work,"

Jack turns to Greg as he speaks up and nods.

"Sure thing. It's all yours - just try and avoid another gunfight, hmm? Feel free to invite him back aboard after we've unloaded - I want anyone who's supplying us parts to like us a lot, got it?"

[Yawielas]

Robyn, Alpha Panda Bridge

Robyn nods to Jack, doin' a quick estimate in her head of just how much this is gonna cost. "I'll stop by the store later, pick up the necessities, if someone can supply me with credits. Mine got taken by that shee-niou ching-wah tsao duh liou mahng mayor that got me shanghaied."

[Creed]

Morgan
Alpha Panda Bridge

Morgan stands, then reaches into his pocket and pulls out a silver money clip. He walks over to Robyn, hands it to her with a shrug, and walks off the bridge.
The money clip is entirely made of credits, 150 of them to be exact, worth two and a half times that in platinum.

[Space Lawyer]

Lei
Alpha Panda Bridge

Lei looks up from her screen, where she had been observing the immediate surroundings. "He seems to be checking out alright, boss. I'm not seeing anything coming to get us at the moment."

[Aneurin]

Jack
Alpha Panda's Bridge

"Put your money away, Morgan. This one's on the owner," he says, pulling out his wallet, rifling through it and passing a charge card over to Robyn. "It's good for two hundred. PIN is the date she joined us - 2109,"

He glances around at the others and shrugs.

"She's a cat - she never spent her backpay on anything,"

[Creed]

Morgan
Alpha Panda

Morgan pokes his head back in the door to the bridge, takes his money clip, and holds it in his hand as he passes the captain, with a nod, as he leaves the bridge, saluting the man with the stack of bills.
The action, however, may make the captain aware of a small engraving, the symbol of the Alliance, stamped into the metal.

[Yawielas]

Robyn, Alpha Panda Bridge

Robyn handed the clip back to Morgan, then takes the charge card from Jack. "Shiny. Tell the captain I'll put it to the best use I can." She smiles.

[Adlan]

Alpha Panda
A Slightly Noisier Spot on the Mountain.

*Beep* *Beep*


*Beep* *Beep*

The tanker is now reversing, being directed by the silhouette of Balley Sackett, illuminated in the red glow of reversing lights.

[Aneurin]

Jack
Alpha Panda's Bridge

"Sure thing. Just remember; if anyone asks, your name's Cap'n Rogue and you sign your name with a paw print," Jack grins. He doesn't remark on the Alliance-stamped credits - it's a bit odd to see a lot of them togther, but, well, 'a bit odd' sums up half the crew these days, and Alliance credits aren't exactly rare.

"Actually, speaking of the cat, where is she?" he frowns slightly. The last place he saw her was on top of the stove. Presumably she'd moved when dinner was cooked, so her current whereabouts is a bit of a mystery.

[Shadow_Elf]

Gregoire Reaufort
Alpha Panda Exterior
The ship's ambassador steps outside just as the truck is reversin'. "Sorry fer the wait, folks, we was just discussin' matters of ship management while we had the crew all t'gether. Mighty impolite t'leave y'all hangin', and I do apologize." He grins, but the expression is probably hard to see in the half-light generated by Sackett's vehicles. "If y'all leave now, though, all this dang ice is gunna melt, and then our cargo bay'll flood. That ain't exactly good fer the ship, or so our mechanic tells me. Shall we git this show on the road, fellers?"

[Erasmas]

Cole
Alpha Panda's Exterior

He gave a wave to the man who was aiding the vehicle in backing up.

"Howdy, Mr. Sackett. Nice to see ya again."

[Space Lawyer]

Lei
Alpha Panda Bridge

Lei's voice crackles over the speakers. "Alright. Confirmation on the sky being clear. We've got a few hours before any curious party should be flying near overhead, and a full twelve before they should be looking real close to here. Just don't make a big racket, and we should be good."

[Adlan]

Alpha Panda Exterior
"Well, sure thing" Balley Sackett said, moving over to the Tanker and opening a panel on the side.
"Howdy ag'in" he said to Cole, passing him the wide metal hoop that soon revealed to be the end of a hose.

"If you ain't got a fitting that can take that size, I got a few others, including Alliance standard"

Turning back to Greg

"How'd you find our school teacher, quite a looker ain't she?"

[Shadow_Elf]

Gregoire Reaufort
Alpha Panda Exterior
The ship's ambassador has a confused expression for a moment. "I'm afraid I'm not acquainted with Frisco Town's schoolteacher, Mr. Sackett, so I'll have t'take yer word fer it." He then suddenly seems to realize something. "Seems my impoliteness knows no bounds, I haven't even proper introduced myself! Gregoire Reaufort, ship's ambassador. Guess I'm not rightly on my game t'night," he jokes, extending a hand for a handshake.