A Defiant 'Verse - In Character
POSTED BY: Defiant2thelast
UPDATED: Thursday, July 23, 2009 08:49
VIEWED: 32764
PAGE 3 of 10
Nathan extended a hand to Ainsley. Fatigue was starting to set in, and he decided to cut to the chase so he could head to his rack, despite his first instinct of delaying it for a more intricate approach at a later date. No, that’d probably ruin his chances at a deal.
“Please to meet’ya. I’ll take it you’ll want to see the bird before giving numbers, so shuttle’s the starboard one.” Nathan took a brief pause to think about what he was doing. “Lincoln can show you around. I’ll be down here once you are ready to talk figures.”
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Dale and Bucket finally reached the Defiant. He was quite tired now, having been walking and then running most of the day, and finally having to support Bucket much of the way back after he almost good on his prediction about passing out. As they trudged up the cargo bay ramp Dale idly noted Bucket had been wiping his sticky orange flecks off his face onto Dales shirt.
He didnt really whether he was more annoyed, exasperated or endeared by it. Such is life.
Towards the back of the cargo bay he saw Nathan, looking as weary as Dale felt, learning against a the stairway.
Dale couldnt be bothered yet enquiring about any jobs, passengers or such, and simply dropped Bucket at the stairs before stumbling down the stairs towards his bunk.
What a day
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He led Ainsley up the stairs and onto the catwalk. Standing aside as he does, Lincoln opens the airlock to the dim lit shuttle.
"Right this way, ma'am. It's a little dusty."
He follows her inside the starboard shuttle and moves toward the cockpit at the bow of the small ovoid craft.
"We don't use her much but she flies. A few of the bulkheads have been refurbished and the pilots seat is custom, someone must have put a lot of spins on her once upon a time. But whoever it was certainly kept her jiǒng."
He shows her the shuttles various hatches and controls and points out the cramped yet decent facilities in the back of the craft. He then heads back to the hatchway and lets her take her time with her own inspection.
"Guys, I know Kung Fu."
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Bold blue letters on the side of the ship read DEFIANT.
A corner of Jackie’s mouth quirked up, amused. Well that kinda fits, don't it? she thought. Defying my contract, defying the Mayor, defying my oath as a physician to do no harm.
She shifted the grip on her suitcase handle, her hand starting to sweat. I might shoulda defied Flinders a little harder and put that bastard out of everybody’s misery.
But then, she wasn't a murderer. She thought of Flinders again, lying motionless on her floor. She'd defended herself, that's all.
She might as well have struck an Alliance official, for all the trouble she'd be in once he woke up.
Looking up at the Firefly, she wondered if it might be her means to a new life. Was it coincidental that this particular model, Danny's favorite, happened to show up at the Thebarton Sky Plex docks on the day that she’d desperately need a quick getaway?
Nope. She didn’t believe in coincidence.
Jackie whispered, "Thanks for the tip, Danny," and she prayed they were taking on passengers or at least in need of a medic. If not, she’d just have to convince them.
She took a long breath for courage, glancing around one more time to make sure she hadn't been followed, relieved that none of the mayor's men were anywhere in sight.
She walked to the bottom of the loading ramp, her back straight, chin held high, medical bag in one hand, suitcase in the other, trying to look cool, confident, and not like the fugitive from justice she felt she was tonight.
Someone was standing at the far end of the cargo bay but the light was dim.
"Hello," she called loudly. "I'm Dr. Holliday. Anybody home?"
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It seemed like he was a pretty popular man today. In a week here at this station not a soul worth a second glance had been interested in his Firefly. Now he had two in as many minutes.
“Yeah, we’re still here.”
Nathan walked the length of the cargo bay towards the doctor.
“I’m Captain Rey. So you be looking for a wage or a passage on my boat?”
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Jackie set down her bag and suitcase, safeguarding them between her scuffed boots. It was a necessary precaution against Sky Plex thieves. She extended her hand to him.
Captain Rey's grip was strong, not slack and patronizing nor rough and intimidating. She took that as a good sign.
"Nǐhǎo, Captain. Jaclyn Holliday, M.D. Uh, would it be all right if we go inside to talk?" She tried to keep her tone light and nerves to a minimum, but couldn't help wondering if the mayor's men were hot on her trail.
"Wage or passage? Answer me that first."
It was a fair question, she supposed, deciding to tell him as little as possible. No need to set herself up for any more trouble.
"Well, I guess that's up to you," she replied. "What's your next port of call?"
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“With the work.” Nathan took a pause for breath. “Plans current are to Aberdeen through Three Hills, but it’s all subject to change Doc’. With the work.”
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Back in the passenger dorms, Dale found himself inexplicably awake oncemore. Tired, exhausted and weary, yes, but not sleepy.
He'd have to occupy himself with something till he did. Usually he'd read one of Bucket's numerous books, but he couldnt be bothered walking.
Besides, they looked to be taking on passengers, so he'd might as well tidy up, move all his things from their nooks that were dispersed throughout the rear area, into just one of the rooms.
He'd found that each room had a certain, well, suitability for doing things. A reading room, a sleeping room, a thinking and drawing room. It was kinda disappointing to loose the right to the areas he'd designated.
Sure would be good to have someone down here with him though. The ship could be awful lonely down here.
He'd almost moved to one of the crew bunks earlier on, but then he and the captain'd fought about delivering landmines to the independents.
He'd held off the move to the crew bunks.
He'd held off the move to becoming crew.
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Ainsley examined the shuttle carefully, but there wasn’t much to see. Besides the pilot’s chair, the only furnishing was a simple cot; and to her eyes, it seemed more comfortable to fall asleep in the chair.
She went over to sit down in the seat, swiveling around to the front and examining the controls. Almost all the buttons, switches, and displays were in the standard place, so flying would be easy. Then, turning to examine the rest of the shuttle again, she thought of the price she’d be willing to pay for a monthly rent. She’d start at a much lower number, of course, because that’s how bargaining worked, but it was good to set limits.
Now all that was left was to speak to the captain. Ainsley rose from the chair and headed out of the shuttle to the cargo bay. Back out on the catwalk, she paused for a moment, her eyes idly wandering around until her glance rested on Captain Rey. He was speaking with someone at the entrance. Not wanting to disturb him, she waited a few moments, watching them, before beginning to descend the stairway.
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Lincoln left his spot next to the shuttle's hatchway as Ainsley descended the stairs to the cargo hold's lower level. He took note of the captain below, speaking with yet another woman. He considered heading down to see what was up but thought better of it and left Nathan to deal with it. There didn't seem to be any tension in the air and he felt comfortable that there wouldn't be trouble this evening. He took a last glance at Nathan and turned, catching sight of Bucket slumped on the metal stairs. He rolled his eyes and decided to brew some coffee later, certain the pilot would need a cup or ten before his shift. He rubbed his bristly chin and left, heading toward the stairway leading to the main deck's forward corridor.
Moments later he entered the galley, currently quiet and with lights dimmed. In the center a long, ovoid table of wood and steel stood, surrounded by a motley collection of chairs and stools. He headed to the kitchen nook and took out a large canister of coffee, the white can emblazoned with a vivid Blue Sun logo.
"Guys, I know Kung Fu."
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