A Defiant 'Verse - In Character
POSTED BY: Defiant2thelast
UPDATED: Thursday, July 23, 2009 08:49
VIEWED: 32764
PAGE 5 of 10
"No thanks Linc, I'll have sugar though"
Dale cheekily intercepted, as he dropped down the kitchen stairway, before sitting next to Bucket.
Dale glanced quickly between Lincoln and the new lady, making his decision of whom to enquire to first.. Done
"Lincoln, can you tell us how soon we're making way, and what to?
Or will we be hearing that from our gallant leader?"
NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Jackie chose a chair next to the one Bargara had just vacated as he went to get her some coffee. Good to know her companions on the Defiant were mannerly, civil folk.
Like the rest of the lounge furniture, the chair was worn and nearly threadbare, and that was okay with her. It was clean enough.
She sat stiffly on the edge of the seat cushion, not quite at ease enough yet to completely let down her guard. Until liftoff, there was a chance the Defiant might be detained at the last minute by Mayor Flinders' brother-in-law, Sheriff Brock Rilen. He and his henchman might be right now searching for her, ship by ship.
The doc discretely flexed her left calf just enough to reassure herself that her little taser pistol was still strapped inside the leg of her baggy black pants, just above a scruffy boot top.
It's a rough 'verse out there, and a girl's gotta be prepared.
Bucket twitched in his seat, seemingly distracted, ignoring her for the most part. Jackie was just about to ask him what his job was, by way of making conversation, when Bargara called out from the galley kitchen.
"So the captain hired a Doc after all? Cream?"
She was just about to decline when another crewman appeared suddenly, startling her.
He answered Bargara's question instead, shooting Jackie an ironic grin as he planted himself in the chair next the blond fellow. "No thanks Linc, I'll have sugar though." He glanced at Bucket, then at her, then back to Bargara. "Lincoln, can you tell us how soon we're making way, and what to? Or will we be hearing that from our gallant leader?"
Jackie opened her mouth in order to share with them what the Captain had told her, but Bucket made a face at Dale and started in on him about sugar and Nuttella and cheese. His comments confused her some.
From the looks of the coating on the tongue Bucket stuck out at the new guy, he might be suffering from an acid imbalance. And from his dark-circled eyes and drooping mouth, she figured he desperately needed some rest.
She thought it best to bring it up confidentially to Bargara, him being first mate, and see what was the usual protocol on the Defiant regarding diagnosing the crewmen. She didn't want to step on any toes when she'd only just got on board.
Deciding to make an appearance of getting her own coffee, Jackie moved toward the galley kitchen, where Bargara was looking a bit annoyed with the new crewman. The one who'd suddenly appeared in the lounge requesting sugar in his brew.
Suddenly, Bucket leaped up, nearly bowling her over as he ran past her and jumped up on the counter next to where Bargara was pouring coffee. Obviously, the fellow wasn't as worn out as she'd first assumed. Hmm, she'd need to do some blood work to be sure how to treat his condition.
"Yeah," Bucket said to the darker man, "Where we going, Uncy Abe? Or does Fred over here know?" He waved toward Jackie.
Fred? Jackie turned around and glanced behind her, expecting to see someone new, but no one was there. As she turned back around, Bucket had a mangled sandwich in his hand. He tore into it with abandon and smashed a corner of it into his mouth, then chewed with his eyes closed as if in a state of bliss.
Jackie's eyes widened. She stole a glance at Bargara to see if his face indicated anything was out of the ordinary here. The first mate looked slightly amused.
Jackie cleared her throat loudly, half expecting to be interrupted again. "Actually, the Captain told me we're going to Aberdeen through Three Hills, but he didn't sound too firm about it." She sent Bargara a questioning glance to see if he'd confirm it or not.
As an afterthought, she added, "Who's Fred?"
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Dale was suddenly less jovial.
He was still happy. ish
But this was business. And business was hazardous.
"Three Hills eh Lincoln?"
He spoke with one raised brow.
He knew what business they were in, and he'd been following the war as close as possible through cortex waves, indep casts and good ole word o' mouth.
He knew well enough about Three Hills
NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
"Yes, Three Hills." Lincoln passed the Doc her coffee with a smile and leaned against the door frame between the galley kitchen and the small seating nook, a small flake of green paint falling to the scuffed steel-blue floor below. He made no move to pour a cup for Dale and glanced from him to the doctor and then down at his mug.
"We'll all go over details later with the captain,"
He paused and considered the new Doc. Should he speak openly of their criminal activities in front of a newcomer? He decided to dance around the true nature of the job.
"but yeah. We've got some work to do and I know the Cap will want to get out of this place as soon as we can clear it."
Lincoln sipped his coffee and glanced back at Bucket, still slumped against the cupboards. He stared at his coffee and swung his feet idly.
"Bucket, I'll talk to the captain. I'm sure he wouldn't mind handling the take-off and flying for a bit. You get some sleep."
He looked back to the doc and grinned slightly, giving an almost subtle shake of the head. She squinted at him curiously and he shrugged, as if to tell her this was about par for the course. He was worried about his friend but knew he'd sleep it off and be back to his typical, only slightly less bouncy self. He cradled his coffee in both hands between sips and cleared his throat.
"So Doc, what brings you to book passage on this old hunk-o-junk?"
"Big.. big mug."
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
As relieved as she was to be leaving this planet behind, Jackie was starting to wonder just what exactly she'd gotten herself into.
On top of that, she hadn't prepared an answer for the perfectly reasonable question Bargara posed.
"So Doc, what brings you to book passage on this old hunk-o-junk?"
Jackie took a long sip of coffee -- it was pretty good stuff -- as she tried to think up a perfectly reasonable answer.
"I always wanted to take a ride on a Firefly."
The First Mate gave her a look that she interpreted as 'Sure, lady, whatever you say, but what's the real story?'
So quickly she added a lie. "My contract was up and I'm a free agent, so to speak. After two years in a backwater, I'm feelin' a mite restless. Need to find myself a bigger pond."
She slanted an uneasy look toward Bucket. "He really a pilot?"
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
He glanced at the jittery Bucket. Then back to Holliday and replied in all seriousness.
"The best."
He grinned and then finished his now lukewarm coffee in one large gulp. While setting the mug in the sink, he glanced at her bag and suitcase sitting on the deck.
"Did the captain assign you a room yet?"
Knowing Nathan he figured not but decided he'd ask anyway.
"Big.. big mug."
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
"No, he didn't. I wouldn't mind settling in if you're inclined to show me where I'll be bunking, Mr. Bargara."
Jackie followed the First Mate's example but slugging down what was left of her coffee and likewise putting her mug in the sink.
"That was some tasty java," she added politely. "Better'n what I've been used to."
The surge of caffeine had served to settle her nerves a little, and she wondered if they had anything stronger on board. Glancing down at the twitching pilot lumped near the galley floor -- dear gods, he was gonna fly the ship? -- she had a feeling she was going to need it.
"Bye, Fred," she heard him mumble.
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
"Alrighty, right this way then."
Lincoln reached for her luggage but she picked up her bag before he could lift it as well. Nodding to Dale and glancing once more at Bucket, he carried her suitcase and led her out the doorway to the main-deck aft hallway. Walking down the stairs to the passenger dorms and the mess that was the auxiliary storage, he apologized for the disheveled state. On many baseline '03s this section was used as a passenger lounge, but Nathan had taken to storing extra equipment and supplies, so as to save room in the cargo hold. There was however a faded rug, lending a hint of comfort to the utilitarian ship. He gestured towards the open door of one of the central berths.
"This one is about the cleanest, and not as cramped as most the others. As our new doctor you of course get the best."
He chuckled and set her case down inside the door, continuing to talk.
"Lavatory's just down there," He nodded towards the front of the hall. "We don't have much for passengers so shower schedule shouldn't be hard to work out. Captain doesn't like folks poking around the cargo hold or the engine room, or bridge. Not unescorted anyway, we aren't as strict as some boats as far as protocol goes but still, should be pretty straightforward. You need anything else let me know and I'll try my best. Dinner is at.. well, whatever time we eat, galley is of course at your full disposal at all hours."
He waited for a moment as she looked around the slightly musty smelling room.
"Infirmary is right out here, it's not much but we have the basics. Care to take a look now or leave that until later? You probably want to settle in."
He stood by the sliding door and waited for her response as she dubiously ran a finger over a dusty shelf recess.
================================================
"Big.. big mug."
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
*Due to the time it's taken for me to get my act together here, I'm quoting to show that it is still this time. Sorry!*
Quote:
Originally posted by yinyang:
Whatever conversation had happened at the ship's entrance was over, and the captain was headed Ainsley's way.
"Captain Rey," she said, stepping down the last few stairs onto the cargo bay floor. Her gaze flicked over to the woman he'd been talking to, curious, and then focused on Rey again. "The shuttle seems decent enough. What's your asking price?"
"Fourty platnium, we'll take credits, but it's less used on the rim. Fifty C' a week in that case."
Nathan measured Ainsley up as the Alliance type, which means credits. Seeing as the Alliance looked like it was winning the war, the idea was credits would be worth more afterwards. As a profiteer, Nathan hoped Ainsley didn't realise this.
Lincolnz: I'll have an explosion in my pants pocket when I get a text message now
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
This was all Little Lara’s fault. Shade stared into the slightly dirty glass of.. whatever it was, narrowing her eyes dangerously. Across the surface of the vaguely brownish liquid, she could see the image of herself, the skinny neck of a pretty and curvaceous woman gripped in her hands. The woman’s eyes bulging as she tried to beathe, with Shade’s rough hands tightening. She blinked, and smiling wryly to herself. Ok, so she wasn’t actually going to kill Lara. The woman was... useless, back-stabbing, and completely devoted to her own self-interest, but Shade had known that from the start. Shade had been the one to make the real mistake – trusting that little hu li jing in the first place.
She lifted the glass, swallowed the last of the liquid a little messily, and put it back down, pushing it away. It wasn’t strong enough, she realized with a frown. She wasn’t even warm, much less ‘feeling it’. That just...
Pissed her off.
Her warm brown eyes flickered around the dim room, nearly bare of targ-... other patrons. She frowned more, disappointed. No point in a fight... not with the few here. There was another option, one she’d been putting off. Work. Part of her felt immeasurably weary at the thought. Maybe she should head dirtside... find some place far away from anyone... but she knew better. She liked being around people, if not for the happy camaraderie when things were going well, then for the thrill of a good fight when they weren’t. As much as part of her wanted to avoid the whole rollercoaster of getting to know a new crew, she knew she’d never really be happy all alone. It just sounded... boring. When things went south, as they always did eventually, she’d find herself here again, somewhere else, and she’d make the same decision all over again. Things never changed.
With a heavy sigh, she pushed herself up away from the table, her lean form draped in the slightly too-big coat. The green tank top underneath was a little dingy, overworn and under washed, like most of her clothes. The pants were patched, and one leg needed to be hemmed, the edge ragged and frayed above her heel. Something was smudged along her right knee, something dark and sort of reddish brown. She snagged the flat brimmed hat off the table, jamming it down on her hair. She’d broken her last elastic, so her hair hung loose, brown over her shoulders and only a few shades cooler than the brown of her eyes. Eyes that promised trouble to anyone that offered her the merest excuse for a distracting brawl.
Heck, if she got in a real good fight, she could start looking for work tomorrow, right? She knew better as she strode through the place and out the door. No more excuses.
The streets of the skyplex got considerably more crowded as she made her way to the dockyard. She hated the jostle of the crowd. Her valuables – what there was of them – were safely stashed out of pickpocket reach, although she was always alert to the attempts. Kickin’ some no good pickpocket’s ass would work, and wouldn’t really even count as a delay... she couldn’t help but smile a nasty little smile to herself at that thought. She was as bad as a drug addict sometimes.
She knew there was still a little yellow around her left eye, the last fadings of a heck of a nice black eye. Her lip was almost completely healed. It was a good time to go job hunting, really. Other than the twinge from the old cracked rib, she barely even hurt. SO boring... she paused as she reached the ships, removing herself briefly from the flow of humanity to glance at those assembled. She didn’t read cortex job listings. She’d learned few people actually advertised for her sort of special function. More often you’d present yourself, inquire as to bunks, berths and possible employment, and things went from there. That is, if you didn’t already have a contact or a reference. Shade had found jobs every different way, and some ways she’d never thought of. She was just lucky she always seemed to be able to find one when she really needed it.
Time to s
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME