'A Better Title.' Part 2

POSTED BY: ebonezer
UPDATED: Thursday, May 12, 2005 14:20
VIEWED: 17383
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SOULOFSERENITY

Wednesday, December 29, 2004 9:32 PM

Soul wandered up onto the bridge. Sidere was detatched from the Alliance ship and they were continuing on their way to Banning with the Earth-that-was artifacts. Ebo was down in the kitchen with the others, so the bridge was empty for the moment. He settled down into the co-pilot's chair and stared out into the black.

He thought of his wife, then. Of his son. Of the fact that once again because of him, they had to move away from their friends and hide. All because of Soul.

Gorram...

He stared out into the black, willing away the thoughts and regrets that tore at him. He hated himself for what he had done in the past, but even more so now that he was trying to make his life right. Not because he didn't want to make things right, but because it seemed like every decision he made only seemed to make things worse for his family.

He shook his head. That wasn't why he had come to the bridge. He had no time to wallow in self pity. He needed to find out what was known about Adelei Niska, and exactly what they were getting themselves into on Banning.

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and focused on his implant. Just as Manti had said, it took him a second or two longer than normal to interface with the Cortex, but once he was in, he didn't sense the tracers that always followed his signal. Manti must have done good, he thought.

Time to go to work. He reached out with his mind into the vast expanse of the Cortex. So Niska, who are you?

______________________

But if your hand touches metal, I swear by my pretty floral bonnet, I will end you.

EBONEZER

Sunday, January 2, 2005 5:52 AM

Ebo trotted into the bridge to find Soul slumped in the co-pilots chair. She chirped a greeting but got no responce. She looked at him quizzicaly for a moment, then shugged and sat in her chair thinking the bridge was a wierd place to sleep but hey, she'd done it herself many a time.

She quietly hit buttons and fliped switches and to her horror found herself beggening to like the simple effeciancy of Sidere. "Piece of go-se," she mumbled as she reached for the com. She was about to speak into it when she realized that her voice echoing through the ship would probably wake Soul up. She didn't really want to wake Soul up, poor guy didn't look like he got a great deal of sleep. Besides, she figured there was a good change he'd kill her if she took him by surprise.

Instead she hit the auto-pilot and trotted down to the kitchen to tell Teela that they'd be landing soon.

-----------------------------------

Four out of five gynecologists recommend calling Ebo a girl.

MANTICHORUS

Thursday, January 6, 2005 3:33 PM

OC: I can't think of anything to add to the story, but I just thought I'd say happy belated birthday Soul, on some undisclosed date in December.

--------------------------------------------------
SAFFRON: "Durran... This isn't what it looks like..."
MAL: "Unless it looks like we're stealing your priceless Lassiter, 'cause that's what we're doing. Don't ask me about the gun, though, 'cause that's new."
DURRAN: "Well. I appreciate your honesty. Not, you know, a lot, but --"
--------------------------------------------------
The Doctor: "I loathe bus stations. Terrible places. Full of lost luggage and lost souls."

EBONEZER

Wednesday, January 12, 2005 5:45 AM

bump!

-----------------------------------

Four out of five gynecologists recommend calling Ebo a girl.

JAZAF

Saturday, January 15, 2005 5:25 AM

As Jazaf awoke he could feel ship entering the atmosphere. It was a slight rocking at first but then it escalated into a shakedown so fierce, Jazaf wondered if the vessel would hold.

'Glad I woke up before we entered the atmo.' Jazaf breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, turning his attention to his grumbling stomach he went to the kitchen. On his way there he passed Soul.

The man looked deep in thought, so Jazaf decided not to bother him. He just watched Soul walk back to his cabin.

Over the intercom system he could hear Ebo talk as if she were imitating a fellow pilot,
"Attention All Passengers, We are making our final approach on Banning and we will be landing in about 15 minutes. The Crew here on Sidere would like to thank you for choosing us above all others. Thank you and have a nice day."

Jazaf chuckled and shook his head as he continued to the kitchen.

---------------------------------------
Do you know what the chain of command is? It's the chain I go get and beat you with till you
understand who's in rutting command here.

SOULOFSERENITY

Tuesday, January 18, 2005 8:35 PM

Soul sat gingerly on the edge of his bed, everything he had just learned swirling around in his head. It was all a jumble of information, but none of it made much sense. It just all seemed like too much coincidence. Taking Wilkins on board, the showdown with the Alliance cruiser, Herald showing up in an attempt to capture Manti, the Earth-that-was cargo to Banning, the run in with the floating Alliance ship with Jazaf's "message" to Niska...just too much of a coincidence. They were attracting way too much attention.

What was going on?

He shook his head to try to gain some clarity. He focused on the info that he had been able to track down about Niska, and most of it cooberated what Jazaf had said earlier: twisted, demented, power hungry, and a stiffler for vengance. There were spotted reports of Niska's location over the past several years, but nothing for the last six months. Almost as if the Crime Lord had dissapeared...

No, that wasn't the case. Then what was the connection here? What was the common thread running through everything?

His head hurt. He heard Ebo saying that they were touching down on Banning, so he rose, grabbed his gear and headed to join the others at the airlock.

______________________

But if your hand touches metal, I swear by my pretty floral bonnet, I will end you.

EBONEZER

Tuesday, January 18, 2005 11:58 PM

"...Oh, and please put all tray tables and seat backs in their full and upright position," Ebo finished, then added as an afterthought, "It is costomary for passengers to tip the pilot. Money is best, but if you don't have any, she will accept sexual favors."

She hung up and wondered if she should warn them to hang onto something. Suddenly, the ship jumped and Ebo figured that they had probably figured that out already.

She landed and trotted down to the hold, whistling some tuneless song. She pushed a button on the control panel and took a deep breath of fresh air as the doors slid slowly open. Banning might not be an ideal vaction spot, but the air was sure nice.

The people, not so much.

As Ebo turned back towards the infirmary she heard the unmistakeable click and whir of a gun being cocked. Then another and a third.

"Son of a..." Ebo muttered and put her arms in the air. She slowly turned to face three ragged looking men poiting the buisness ends of their guns at her.

"Hi!" she said with fake cheerfulness.

The man in the center, a short guy in a hat grunted at her, "We've come for your cargo."

"What cargo?" Ebo asked, trying to be swave.

"That cargo," he jestured at the box lying open behind her, still open and with packaging poking out of the top.

"Oh! THAT cargo. Right..."

-----------------------------------

Four out of five gynecologists recommend calling Ebo a girl.

MANTICHORUS

Wednesday, January 19, 2005 2:28 PM

As the ship landed with a jolt, Mantichorus came groggily to. Out of habit, he checked his nose. Not bleeding. He looked up at the mirror. Nope, no caked-on blood. He'd just fallen asleep, like folk do. He stood up and stretched. Then he paused.

Voices.

He recognised one as Ebo's, but he didn't recognise the other. Grabbing his pouch, coat, and the revolver Soul'd given him, he went to march off to the cargo bay, when he paused.

Someone behind him.

He spun on the spot, and drew the gun ready. Soul started.

"What are you--"

Mantichorus put his finger to his lips, and then whispered. "I can hear voices. One of them's Ebo's, and the other ain't so friendly soundin'."

--------------------------------------------------
Barret: "I been here since the beginnin', an' I still don't know what the hell's goin' on either."
--------------------------------------------------
The Doctor: "I loathe bus stations. Terrible places. Full of lost luggage and lost souls."

JAZAF

Friday, January 21, 2005 7:55 AM

"Do you think they could be the contacts for the cargo?" Jazaf asked, just as soft.

Manti took a glance and then a second."Hey Jazaf you got something on your...." then made a brushing motion across his chin. "Oh." Jazaf wiped the rest of his snack from his face.

"Could be but they could just as easily want to take over the ship."

"Jazaf, you got a weapon?" Soul asked

"Yeah I got one"
"Then go get it and meet me and Manti above the cargo bay."
"Gotcha."

Jazaf headed back to his cabin. Once there he grabbed his Katana and strapped it across his lower back. Then he rummaged through his bag for a gun. As he checked his gun he noticed he had no bullets.

"Gorramit. I'll just have to ask one of the others for some ammo." Jazaf thought to himself as he headed back to the Cargo bay.

---------------------------------------
Do you know what the chain of command is? It's the chain I go get and beat you with till you
understand who's in rutting command here.

SOULOFSERENITY

Monday, January 31, 2005 9:32 PM

OOC: Hmm... Me thinks we need to get back into this, maybe spice it up a bit...Any newcomers wanna help us out here?

______________________________

The trio of Soul, Manti and Jazaf crouched at the top of the stairs that led from the forward hallway down onto the catwalk in the cargo bay. From their position, they could just see Ebo standing at the hatch. The gruff voices floated in, but they couldn't see the owners of the voices without risking being spotted themselves.

Jazaf looked over at Soul as he reloaded his gun with the bullets Manti had handed them. "So what do we do?"

Soul shrugged, something that he seemed to be doing alot of these days. "See if you can find Teela and Glico. Get Glico armed and and cover the hatch by the infirmary."

Jazaf nodded and quietly shuffled off.

"Are you sure that was smart?" Manti asked. "We don't even really know him."

Again, a shrug. "We'll find out shortly."

Manti shook his head. "We need to get a look down there, find out how many of them there are and how heavily they're armed."

"There's three of them, all ugly looking hwoon dahns."

Soul and Manti looked behind them to see Glico standing there, a .45 in her hand.

"How did you...?" Soul started to ask.

"I was in the infirmary when Ebo opened the airlock. Saw 'em then. Two of 'em got revolvers, the other one's armed with a shotgun."

Manti nodded, obviously impressed. "Okay, that helps."

Glico crouched down and peered down at Ebo. "I say we fly down the stairs and pray to God that we've got good aim."

"Yeah, if we want to risk getting Ebo killed," Soul said back.

Glico stuck out her tongue. "Spoil sport."

Soul turned to Manti and echoed Jazaf's question from earlier. "So what do we do?"

______________________

But if your hand touches metal, I swear by my pretty floral bonnet, I will end you.

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