Planet - Hera - Gambler's Run

[Hollywood Heidi]

Gambler's Run

Located on Hera, known for its gaming halls and saloons.

[Hollywood Heidi]

Wendy kept on the move, sticking to large groups or shadows and keeping watch below the brim of the hat left conveniently hanging from the horn of a saddle.  She kept a hold of her gun in one of her hands buried in the pockets of the duster, also conveniently left draped across the saddle.  Dumb move, leaving anything out in Gambler's Run.  She was lucky that she'd come across it before someone else had pinched the items.  With her hair twisted up into the hat and the overly large duster hiding her figure, nobody paid her any attention.


"This is Peter Pan looking for his lost girl. Do you have ears on? I have reached Neverland and I'm looking for safe harbour."

She was approaching the opposite side of Gambler's Run from where the Father Dure had landed as the call came through.  Wendy smirked.  Very clever, she thought as she reached up to activate the comm device in her ear.  "Welcome back to Neverland, Peter Pan.  The place isn't the same without you."

She looked at the establishments around her and smirked again as he eyes fell on the Pixie Lounge.  It was a place known well for it's beautiful dancers who possessed special "talents" for those with deep pockets.  It was owned and run by a former licensed companion who passed some of her training on to the girls she hired.  It was also conveniently located near one of the landing zones.

"May I suggest a visit to Tinkerbell?  One cannot fly on happy thoughts alone."

[Cavanaugh]

CAVANAUGH

"Roger that. I'll have boots on the ground inside of sixty. No sign of Captain Hook but I'll keep a weather eye open. We'll get you back in the air before you know it."

Tinkerbell. The name didn't ring any obvious bells but a quick run through the list of establishments planet side turned up only a few options and only one was close to a landing field. He threw the ship into a tight rolling turn, picked up a landing vector and had the Cobblestone Road II refueling inside of thirty minutes.

It was only a hop, skip and a jump to the Pixie Lounge. He scanned the mildly rowdy crowd looking for Wendy. He smiled at, but waved off the attention of, one of the dancing girls, who looked a little put out at being so quickly dismissed. Wendy was here somewhere. Likely she'd find him before he found her.

[Hollywood Heidi]

After slipping into the back room and borrowing one of the costumes, Wendy easily blended into the Pixie Lounge. She worked the room as she kept an eye on the entrance, grudgingly thankful for the companion training she'd had to endure. She remained on the floor level, avoiding the main stage and other raised platforms to avoid too much attention and to retain the little bit of self respect she could cling to in one of the stupid little costumes these women paraded around in.

Wendy smoothly brushed off invitations with the claim that her services had already been acquired for the night. Thankfully, this was a fancy establishment that had a 'hands-off the goods unless you paid for them' policy so she didn't have to endure any groping. A definite bonus as she wasn't sure she'd have been able to stop herself from breaking a groper's fingers and smashing in his face.

Finally spotting a familiar face, she worked her way over, chuckling to herself as the woman he'd waved off gave a little pout as she moved walked away. Wendy smirked beneath the thin veil as she came up next to Cavanaugh.

"May I interest you in a private show in your room or, perhaps, on your ship?" She fluttered her eyelashes with exaggeration.

[Cavanaugh]

Cavanaugh turned to dismiss the second eager contestant but stopped, his mouth open and one hand partially raised to wave off her attention. The hand hung in the air for a moment and his mouth opened and closed a few times like a gasping fish. He blushed furiously. "That's a little more of you than I'm used to seeing," he said with a chuckle, slipping one arm around Wendy's waist and pulling her close. "You're looking good. Give the choice, I'll opt for ship, if it's not too much extra. Have you got everything you need or do you need to pick up your toy bag?"

Most people wouldn't see anything amiss in their conversation but a trained eye could easily tell that they knew each other and not in a sexual way. Any of the good gamblers would have spotted their tells, if they were looking for them. Most of the gamblers wouldn't care. It was any others that might have seen something that he was worried about. If he had to start something to effect their escape, it wouldn't be the first brawl the place had seen.

[Hollywood Heidi]

"That's a little more of you than I'm used to seeing,"

"And a lot more than I'm used to showing," she said with a chuckle of her own.

"You're looking good. Give the choice, I'll opt for ship, if it's not too much extra. Have you got everything you need or do you need to pick up your toy bag?"

Odd though it was to transition from one-time combat partners to a show of familiar intimacy, Wendy eased into the role and into his embrace. "Are you kidding?" she said as she looped an arm around his neck, giving the impression their conversation was of a whole other subject. "I could barely fit all of myself into this thing. I've got my bag stashed by the door," she said with a nod toward the door. "Just a few essentials." She leaned up on her toes as if to whisper a sweet nothing in his ear, "And my dignity."

Wendy stepped back and looped her arm through his as she steered him toward the door. She could sense the slight bit of awkwardness coming through the act and attempted to remedy it. "We're almost done," she said quietly as they walked. "They've stopped paying me much mind since it looks like my services were acquired but if it helps, pretend I'm someone else," she said with a laugh. "I won't take offense."

[Cavanaugh]

Cavanaugh chuckled. "You are a naughty girl, aren't you? Don't worry about me. The lights will be out and you can imagine that I'm somebody else too." He steered Wendy towards the door.

This was the dangerous part. Cavanaugh tried to look relaxed and casual but his nerves had suddenly gone on to high alert. This was a battlefield, one he was far from familiar with. Anyone could be an enemy or an innocent bystander and those conditions could change in a instant. Any mistake could lead to disaster. He flexed his fingers, trying to loosen them. The lights were suddenly too bright and the crowd too loud. His heart was racing. This was not the place he wanted to suffer a flashback.

"It's been a while," he said. "There might be a little bit of fumbling." It was as much to keep himself in character as to try and warn Wendy that he was starting to have a little trouble keeping a handle on things. Of course with her Companion training, she'd be able to pick up on the tension in his body and the slight strain in his voice. "We probably should have grabbed something to drink before we headed back to my ship."

[Hollywood Heidi]

Wendy felt him tensing and the muscles in his arm working. She glanced down to see his hands flexing and a quick read of his face showed he was battling some inner turmoil.

"I could use a drink," she said as she shifted them toward the bar. "My head is killing me." Though she could have continued on, it was the truth and she didn't want any argument. Besides, a little old fashioned pain killer couldn't hurt.

She gestured to the bartender. "Two shots of your strongest."

She settled Cav into one of the bar stools and stood behind him as she rubbed the tension from his shoulders and neck. Thankfully, this was a commonplace practice in a club that boasted their women were companion trained. Wendy gently massaged his temples in circles as she leaned close to his ear and spoke in a calm and soothing voice. "Deep, calming breaths. Focus. Stay with me." The drinks materialized and she settled into the seat next to him, pushing one of the drinks toward him as she studied him.

[Cavanaugh]

He probably should have kept his mouth shut. Wendy steered him away from the exit and towards the bar. Now there was some whiskey in a glass in front of him. He knew exactly how it would feel, trickling down his throat. Perhaps the familiar burn would settle his nerves. Perhaps it would light a fuse that would end with him taking a swing at a random stranger who just happened to bump into him the wrong way.

"Gānbēi," he said, tossing back the shot in one swallow. He tried to relax into the massage. "Only one though. Any more and I'll want to stay at the bar all night." Richard was well aware that he had a drinking problem. He kept the still running on his ship just so he didn't have to worry about where his next drink was coming from. Mostly he stayed sober but there were times where there just wasn't enough to drink.

"God, if you're this good with your hands, how good are you with everything else?" It was a question asked only half in character. Wendy WAS good with her hands and the alcohol was making him loosen up. They just might get out of the Pixie Lounge in one piece. He tapped the glass. "This stuff is a hell of a lot better than my home brew. You should try it some time. Blind drunk might take on a whole new meaning."

To his horror, the bartender mistook his tap for a refill request and before he could protest, his glass had been refilled.

[Hollywood Heidi]

"God, if you're this good with your hands, how good are you with everything else?"

Wendy laughed as she came around to sit in the seat next to him. "Best you not find out. I don't want to ruin you for other women," she said with a playful wink.

Wendy pulled off her veil and dropped it on the bar, wondering why she'd even bothered with it. If the Alliance comes 'round here with a mugshot, it better be of my cleavage, she thought wryly as she threw back her drink.


"This stuff is a hell of a lot better than my home brew. You should try it some time. Blind drunk might take on a whole new meaning."

"I may just take you up on that," she said as she massaged her temples. "My head's set to splitting."

The bartender materialized and Cav's glass was refilled. She put her empty glass upside down and waved a hand over the now filled glass to signify no more. Wendy quickly snatched away the glass. "Can't have my knight in shining armor crashing his noble steed."

"Wendy? Wendy Carter?" Wendy nearly choked on the drink as her eyes automatically went to the voice. She shouldn't have looked. That was basic training 101 when undercover. Don't react to a name if you're currently going by another. But the shock of hearing that voice after all these years had caught her off guard and the sight of him caused her to look for a second too long. To the man, that second was confirmation and recognition.

It was him. Much older now but still the same man who had gladly sold his little girl to the Alliance, barely taking his eyes off the money to spare a last glance as she cried out for them. Her careful composure slipped as the flood of emotions overcame her. Hate. Anger. Betrayal. Hurt. All played across her features in a matter of seconds before she collected herself. She could see in the corner of her eye that he had pushed off his stool and was attempting to move through the crowds. The nerve of him. Had he no shame? No remorse? He should be avoiding ever running into her again, not pursuing her. Not shouting out her name from across the bar as if this was some kind of happy reunion.

"Time to go," she said as she slammed down her glass and grabbed the veil.

[Cavanaugh]

"Thanks for the save," Cavanaugh said, almost disappointed that Wendy had grabbed the glass. He knew why she'd done it though and she was right. He slipped off the bar stool and slid one arm around Wendy. "Want me to cause a diversion?" he asked, leaning close. "Cobblestone Road is in bay four. Door code is 1331. I'll meet you there in ten. Just say the word and I'll drop him like a bad habit."

He didn't know the man but he obviously knew Wendy and if she wanted off this rock then being recognized was not part of the game plan. It was a problem easily solved, even without killing the man, which was something Cav was loathe to do. He had enough blood on his hands and didn't want more.

If he'd been aware of it, the shaking and verging on a mental breakdown had suddenly gone. It had been replaced with a steadiness and a clinical calm. If it came to battle, he'd do what he always did; fight with everything he had.

[Hollywood Heidi]

"No," she said regrettably. "We shouldn't draw attention to ourselves."

What she wanted more than anything was to plant her own fist in the man's face. She'd imagined many different scenarios of what she'd do or say in the very slight chance she'd ever happen across her parents in this vast 'verse. Always with her showing them how strong she was. How small and insignificant and unimportant they were to her. Laugh in their faces if they dared try to ask her forgiveness. Regrettably, this once in a lifetime opportunity to face her father led to her having to run away. A sign of weakness.

Wendy pushed off the bar stool and put her arm around Cavanaugh as she steered them toward the exit.

"Wendy, Wendy it's me. It's your father."

She gritted her teeth and signaled to the bouncer already making his way toward the disturbance. Grabbing his arm as he approached, she said with quiet authority, "I don't know that man, nor am I interested in father-daughter role play. This establishment does not cater to immoral lowlifes such as he. He is disturbing my client and the other patrons and he is giving us a bad image."

The bouncer, now looking well and angry at the mention of tarnishing the image of the establishment gave her a single nod as he moved toward the man. She heard her father attempt to call her once more but her name ended on a wheeze signifying he'd received a gut punch. The corners of her lips twitched up in a smile and she was once again able to relax back into character.

"Not nearly as satisfying as getting to do that myself but it'll do for now," she said cheerily. "Mind grabbing my bag?" she said as they approached the door. "Behind the booth." She nodded to the booth nearest the door.

[Cavanaugh]

"Got it," Cavanaugh said, fishing the bag out from behind the booth. It was heavier than he expected but he wasn't about to ask what was in it. He was equally unwilling to ask if the man actually was Wendy's father. If she wanted to tell him she would. If she didn't, he wouldn't worry about it.

He would have preferred the temperature outside the Pixie Lounge to have been a little cooler; the the humidity wasn't helping Cavanaugh's rapidly changing state of mind. "This way," he said. "Bay four. We'll be off this rock before you know it."

There were few obstacles between them and his ship. Only a skeleton crew of security and administrators manned the landing field. None of them would likely be problematic. It was the random factors that would do them in. With his luck they would be hit by a truck, caught in a fire and if they managed to arrive safely at bay four, they would discover that a satellite had crash landed on the Cobblestone Road.

[Hollywood Heidi]

She spared him another glance, seeing that he still seemed distracted. She was also painfully aware of the toll the run-in had had on her system. Remaining calm and keeping her adrenaline in check was important, especially now that she was running on low, spread out dosages.

"It couldn't be soon enough," she said under her breath.

***Wendy and Cav exit to Cobblestone Road II***

[Storyteller]

CHARLIE

Charlie scanned her surroundings from a dark corner of what she had been assured was one of the more respectable saloons on Hera. Still, the raucous gangs of cowboys, gamblers and saloon girls were not typical of the places she frequented on her own and she kept her guard up as she waited for the basic meal the establishment could offer. Her pack, containing only the most important things she could carry, was wedged between her and the wall to deter anyone who may pick her as an easy target.  

'Is this going to be my life from now on?' Not for the first time, she wondered what exactly she was doing. And once again, she had no answers. No destination. No plan. Nothing but trying to stay one step ahead and to keep them safe. The idea of her crew out there in the black without her caused her heart to ache but she knew that it was the only way. At least, for now. 'It won't be forever. Before you know it, you will be back on Hawkwing getting an earful from Tai for leaving in the first place.'

As much as she was sure she'd get that earful, she knew Hawkwing's recently promoted captain would ultimately understand her reasons. Might not like them, but would understand. Quickly, Charlie brushed away the tears that began to prick at her eyes. Now wasn't the time to think about those she left behind. She needed a plan beyond Hera. Transport. A place to go. 

She needed a way to disappear.

[The Jester Of Tortuga]

Carl 'Luc' Lucas

Luc sat near the back of the Saloon with his feet kicked up on a table, his purple stetson angled down cover his face and a mug of ale resting on the table. He watched over the patrons within the establishment mostly filled with drunks and gamblers or woman of the night just trying to get by all looking like they belong in a Saloon such as this on a planet with a reputation such as this. All but her, she sat in the corner with her back against the wall, far too the amount of baggage she possessed would suggest a tourist or someone making by on space rent but even then they cared to carry more what she carried with her was light and portable easy to get up and move with plus there was the emotional and metaphorical baggage she carried in the way she hung herself as she sat there watching the room from her darkened corner like a hawk. No she was running he recognized the symptoms all too well, flicking his stetson up and leaving his table in a cool sweep allowing his purple duster to move with the breeze of his movements he made his way over her darkened corner.

"Ma'am." Luc dipped his stetson as he approached her, she was young late teens or maybe early twenties and her eyes glittered with the light that fought its way towards her. "Ya'll mind if I sit with you a while?" he said sitting done anyway. Reaching in to his duster Luc pulled out a packet of cards and began to shuffle and deal them out between the two. Luc looked through the faded and worn cards as he wondered just how long she had been on the run and for how much longer she could remain before she was caught or dead. "Now I reckon one blends in more when playing cards at a gambling Saloon, Chuju."

[Storyteller]

CHARLIE

Charlie watched in alarm as a man from across the bar caught her eye and began to make his way over to her. Hesitantly, her right hand dipped below the table to hover over the pistol on her hip. Not that she wanted to use it. Shooting was never her first option. In fact, it wasn't usually even her second. But the crew of Hawkwing had always seemed to find trouble wherever they went and there had been more than a few times when she had to resort to firearms. Never like this though. 

Carefully she watched the man approach, tipping his unique purple stetson at her. 

"Ma'am." "Ya'll mind if I sit with you a while?"

Without a moment to wait for her response, the man sat. Charlie's didn't stray from her hip as she gauged the man, now pulling out a worn pack of playing cards and shuffling them like a pro. A gambler. She knew the signs, had seen them up close and very personal. Once again, her mind briefly turned to her crew but this time to a young gentleman with deep brown eyes, quick fingers and a disarmingly handsome smile. Before she could go too far down memory lane, the man in the purple stetson spoke up again.

"Now I reckon one blends in more when playing cards at a gambling Saloon, Chuju."

'Daisy, huh. I supposed I don't look much like a daisy right now...'

"Who said I was trying to blend in?" she asked, trying to seem much tougher than she actually was. A lightweight. An easy mark. Those were all things that she was used to being. Tai was tough for her. It scared Charlie that she didn't know quite how to function without her jei-jei's protection. "Just trying to get a meal, that's all. I don't have anything worth taking and I don't want any trouble..."

[The Jester Of Tortuga]

Carl 'Luc' Lucas

"Who said I was trying to blend in?""Just trying to get a meal, that's all. I don't have anything worth taking and I don't want any trouble..."

Luc swapped some cards around in his hand before throwing two of them on to the table. "Shucks Chuju I know you dont have anything ne'er worth stealing cept maybe that gun at your hip you got trained on me. I see you travel light, easier to get on getting when trouble comes a knocking. Now I could give you a detailed list of all the things that give you away from the way you got your back to a wall with easy access to a door to  the way you hang yourself but the one thing yall cant fake to nobody..."

Luc picked up a couple of replacement cards and inserted them into his hand his peripherals searching the Saloon patriots eyeing up how long it would be until someone else noticed she didn't belong here.

"Yanlei chuju, yanlei."





OOC: Chuju = Daisy, Yanlei = Tears.

[Storyteller]

CHARLIE

"Shucks Chuju I know you dont have anything ne'er worth stealing cept maybe that gun at your hip you got trained on me. I see you travel light, easier to get on getting when trouble comes a knocking. Now I could give you a detailed list of all the things that give you away from the way you got your back to a wall with easy access to a door to the way you hang yourself but the one thing yall cant fake to nobody..."

She didn't notice she was being that obvious. A blush appeared on her cheeks as she realized he was right. Stupid rookie mistakes. But, technically, she was a stupid rookie at this. Flying, she knew. She could smoothly pilot anything from here to Boros and shave two days off the journey. She could hack into the most secure systems of Blue Sun and live to tell the tale. She could talk her way into an Alliance prison and break out her entire crew without a one of them being caught. But she couldn't non-chalantly sit in a bar and look like she belonged.

"Yanlei chuju, yanlei."

The cards still lay before her and Charlie finally drew her hand away from her pistol to reach down for them. Looking at them for a moment, she threw three onto the pile and picked up another three before speaking. "Okay. You got me. This isn't exactly my forte. So, what exactly is it that you want with me?"

[The Jester Of Tortuga]

Carl 'Luc' Lucas

"Okay. You got me. This isn't exactly my forte. So, what exactly is it that you want with me?"

"I would be more worried about what the yokels at the bar are fixin' to do with you, the big one who is uglier than home made lye soap hasn't taken his eyes of you but I suspect he thinks you are easy pickings compared to the ladies of the night this here establishment provides. I fold."

Luc collected up the cards and dealt them out again.

"As for me Chuju, I just wanna lend a hand and keep you from ending up on the wrong side of an Arkansas Toothpick. But why trust me right, I'm just a stranger with a stunning fashion sense. The name's Carl Lucas but ya'll can call me Luc, I just roam the Verse helping, if you want otherwise I will dip my hat and wish you the best of luck."

[Storyteller]

CHARLIE


"I would be more worried about what the yokels at the bar are fixin' to do with you, the big one who is uglier than home made lye soap hasn't taken his eyes of you but I suspect he thinks you are easy pickings compared to the ladies of the night this here establishment provides. I fold."

Charlie stole a glance towards the bar. The 'yokel' was easy enough to find and she felt a bit of shame that she hadn't noticed him sooner. Her nose crinkled in distaste as she picked up her new cards.

"As for me Chuju, I just wanna lend a hand and keep you from ending up on the wrong side of an Arkansas Toothpick. But why trust me right, I'm just a stranger with a stunning fashion sense. The name's Carl Lucas but ya'll can call me Luc, I just roam the Verse helping, if you want otherwise I will dip my hat and wish you the best of luck."

"Why?" she blurted out, quickly back pedaling when she realized how rude it must have sounded. "Not that I don't appreciate it, but I guess you can tell that I'm running from something. Trust is precious commodity right now and I haven't come across many folks who are just out to help others with nothing in it for them." She trashed two cards, picking up two new ones and shuffling around her hand. 

[The Jester Of Tortuga]

Carl 'Luc' Lucas

"Not that I don't appreciate it, but I guess you can tell that I'm running from something. Trust is precious commodity right now and I haven't come across many folks who are just out to help others with nothing in it for them."

Continuing with their fake game of cards Luc followed suit and answered her.

"Trust will always be a precious commodity one can't afford to lose in The Ve... Humanity. We all have a past some aint done nothing for nothing while some done something for nothing and others too much for nothing."

Luc thought about all the faces he saw went he slept, thought about how every night he slept he woke up in a cold sweat sometimes screaming then thought about how all those faces use to have lives that he cut short.

"Hear tell some of us got stuff to make up for. I reckon I cant nearabout get enough redemption to erase my sins but a man can try. I have taken enough good outta this world so before I end up 6 feet under Imma try put as much good as I can into it. Besides chuju, you purdy much look like you could use the help."

[Storyteller]

CHARLIE


"Trust will always be a precious commodity one can't afford to lose in The Ve... Humanity. We all have a past some aint done nothing for nothing while some done something for nothing and others too much for nothing."

'Preaching to the choir.' Charlie thought, pausing for a moment in their false game as Luc continued.

"Hear tell some of us got stuff to make up for. I reckon I cant nearabout get enough redemption to erase my sins but a man can try. I have taken enough good outta this world so before I end up 6 feet under Imma try put as much good as I can into it. Besides chuju, you purdy much look like you could use the help."

He plead a good case. Right through, her heart went out to him. She believed him. It could be her biggest mistake yet. Tai wouldn't, not that fast. Not after all they'd been through. But there was something about how he spoke, something in his face that made Charlie want to trust him. She needed to know that there was good left in the Verse, other than just in the small band of misfits that crewed Hawkwing. And he was more than right, she sure as heck could use the help.

Thoughtfully, she placed her hand facedown onto the table. "I fold."

Whatever sins he may be atoning for, Luc may just be her savior. "So, where are we headed?" 

[The Jester Of Tortuga]

Carl 'Luc' Lucas

"So, where are we headed?"

Luc packed up his cards and put them back in his duster pocket.

"Anywhere you want to Chuju, I just tend to wander going wherever my feet may take me. Seeing as how you dont have a set of wings yourself looks like we will have to acquire some in a less the reputable fashion. Either we can try our luck at winning some through some honest misdirection or we take a more psychical and practical approach involving the ruffians eyeing you up from the bar."

Luc turned away to face the room taking it all in one last time.

"Either way Chuju I'm just táosè de."



OOC: Táosè de=Peachy

[Storyteller]

CHARLIE


"Anywhere you want to Chuju, I just tend to wander going wherever my feet may take me. Seeing as how you dont have a set of wings yourself looks like we will have to acquire some in a less the reputable fashion. Either we can try our luck at winning some through some honest misdirection or we take a more psychical and practical approach involving the ruffians eyeing you up from the bar."

"I'm game for whatever draws the least amount of attention. Trying to fly under the radar here..." She put her hand onto Luc's shoulder, trying to draw his attention. "Listen Luc, I feel like I need to warn you before you get too involved in all this mess." She swallowed hard before continuing. "I am running from someone pretty powerful. As in Alliance higher up. He can and will come after you if he finds out that you're helping me."

A stand-up guy, that Ellison Fairfield. A nothing for everything kinda guy who wouldn't think twice before sending Alliance officers to kill the entire crew of Hawkwing, his own daughter included. Luc needed to know what he was getting into.  

[The Jester Of Tortuga]

Carl 'Luc' Lucas

"I'm game for whatever draws the least amount of attention. Trying to fly under the radar here..."

"Then I suggest you follow my lead." Luc began to walk toward the exit before being stopped.

"Listen Luc, I feel like I need to warn you before you get too involved in all this mess.""I am running from someone pretty powerful. As in Alliance higher up. He can and will come after you if he finds out that you're helping me."

"Aww hell Chuju what have you gone and done?"

Lucas thought about all the Alliance he had crossed, hell he used to be one after all. Luc rubbed his mustache before shooting the girl a smile.

"Dont worry Chǒng'ér, we're all on there bad side for now just take solace in the fact that I'll be your Yuè jú."


OCC: Chong er=Darlin', Yue ju=Huckleberry.

[Storyteller]

CHARLIE

"Aww hell Chuju what have you gone and done?"

"I didn't do anything." Charlie replied, a little defensively. 'I was just born to the wrong family.' She watched carefully as Luc seemed to process his options. Uncomfortably, she shifted her pack on her shoulder and let her eyes wander. 'Yokel' seemed to have been distracted for the moment, chugging down a large tankard of something and getting more of it on his shirt than in his mouth. Charlie cringed and looked away quickly but some things could just never be unseen. Luc finally rubbed at his mustache, a smile spreading across his face.

"Dont worry Chǒng'ér, we're all on there bad side for now just take solace in the fact that I'll be your Yuè jú."

He sure had a strange way of speaking. After she left Osiris, it had taken Charlie some time to become used to the type of speech and phrases typical of the Black and the planets out on the boarder and rim. But Luc spoke differently than that and she couldn't quite place his accent. Whatever it was, it's lilt was a comfort. 

She grinned back at his acceptance, fairly relieved that she would no longer be alone. "Well then, Huckleberry, I will defer to your skills in situations such as this. I'm much better at flying ships than," her voice dropped to a whisper, "Stealing them." 

[The Jester Of Tortuga]

Carl 'Luc' Lucas



"Well then, Huckleberry, I will defer to your skills in situations such as this. I'm much better at flying ships than, Stealing them."

Luc shot her a wink and a smile before grabbing her behind the scruff of her neck and dragging toward the yokels at the bar. Hold her in front of him he looked the biggest and ugliest one up and down,

"Just caught this here Zhège wúlài fixin' to take off with a thunderbird class outside, that wouldn't belong to any of you now would, I have a hankering for a nice reward before watching what they do with this here Zhège wúlài." Luc bend down and sniffed along her neck selling his act.

"Unfortnately for us we be flyin' with wren but we would gladly take her off your hands." The yokel ran his finger tips along his gut while licking his lips.

"Shǎn liàng." Luc smiled a short crooked smile "Tell you what, I can't track down the owner you can have her to do what you will." and with that Luc dragged her off outside. Once far enough a way he let her go "Sorry I had to go and use you like that Chuju, but I had to sell the act, now we know what they be flyin. Will be easy enough to take, just keep on walking like you own the place, like you belong and any security or what pass for it will not bother a hollaring."

Luc made a b line towards the ships, wren class nothing facing or eye catching they could slip pass unnoticed through a lot of systems if need be.

[Storyteller]

CHARLIE

"Unfortnately for us we be flyin' with wren but we would gladly take her off your hands."

Bile rose up in her throat as 'Yokel' stared at her like he was a starving man and she was the last filet mignon in the 'Verse. Disgusting. She truly hoped that Luc knew what he was doing else she would be in serious niou fun. Once they were out the door with no further incident, far from the prying eyes of the shǎzi in the saloon, she sent a glare in Luc's direction. As if anticipating what she was about to say, he quickly spoke up but with far little actual apology in his voice.

"Sorry I had to go and use you like that Chuju, but I had to sell the act, now we know what they be flyin. Will be easy enough to take, just keep on walking like you own the place, like you belong and any security or what pass for it will not bother a hollaring."

"This isn't exactly my first rodeo." Charlie mumbled under her breath, doing exactly that. That had been the first thing that Ken and Tai had tried to teach her when they brought the nyen ching-duh aboard. Hawkwing often made legal runs but they went where the work was and that often lead them to more...disreputable jobs. Charlie always overlooked that fact, taking comfort in the fact that her captain wasn't a morally corrupt man. The jobs might'ent always been legal but they weren't going to the more evil crime lords for business. "You got a plan once we get off this rock? Guessin' those fellas won't be drunk forever. They're gonna be missing it sometime and then we might be getting a bit of trouble."




niou fun- cow poop
shǎzi- idiots
nyen ching-duh- young one

[The Jester Of Tortuga]

Carl 'Luc' Lucas



"You got a plan once we get off this rock? Guessin' those fellas won't be drunk forever. They're gonna be missing it sometime and then we might be getting a bit of trouble."

"Some how people like you an me are always in some kind of máfan kùnjìng. Now flying ain't nowhere ne'er my strong suit but I figure I should be able to get us into Newhope where it getting passage should be but no thing. Course it's just an idea we can go any which way chuju, all depends on who you are trying to avoid."

Luc calmly walked over towards the Wren class ship be intended to procure for the cause his purple coat swaying in a gentle breeze.

"So now you tell me, we have an entire verse in which to lose those of your prior máfan kùnjìng, where do you begin?"






Máfan kùnjìng = Troublesome predicament