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Reality Fault

Realms: Hunter Logs

Part Seven: Stalking Shadow

Scarlet Chimera, berthed at Oblivion Falls
Skamandrios, submoon of Boros, moon of Adarra, Mishka Quadrant

Five Dragons and her entourage left the ship earlier. The ship has been restocked and refueled. The crew is now gathered in the commons, as this is their first chance to discuss Five Dragon's proposal since she left. Nigel isn't playing with a puzzle for once. His hands are shoved deep into his pockets as he not-quite-paces around the Commons. Solbiort settles back in her chair and puts her booted feet up on another, then sighs thoughtfully. "Hokay, let's review. On Morrigan, a moon of Adarra, there is a gravity conditioner vaiting for us to secretly pick it up and deliver it to Einsort. In exchange ve'll get the new pulse beacon ve vant so ve can go to Fleur-de-Croix to drop off the cryoboxes at the Indep facilities there. Anything I missed?"

Nigel shakes his head, "From what I overheard, that's just about right."

Solbiort nods and has a sip of her drink, then waves a hand, "Hokay. Qvestions, objections, vhatever -- anyvon?"

Elgyn taps his fingertips together thoughtfully. "It seems reasonable enough to me. Five Dragons came across as a plain dealer... plain dealer to us, anyway."

Raj says, "Hm. A gravity conditioner of questionable provenance for us to smuggle past Alliance patrols so we can acquire an almost certainly illegal ship registry. We're not much on running or fighting real gunboats. That leaves being sneaky. What are we going to have to sneak past? We don't know much about the situation near Einsort or here."

Nigel finally stops and perches on the edge of a table, fingers gripping the edge and thumbs drumming on the surface, "Well, it's a way to get the code. Which I ruttin' well think we're going to need."

Elgyn nods in agreement to Nigel. "I'd rather be caught with the conditioner than with our more sensitive cargo."

Solbiort nods again, "So if ve do this ve'll need to have them give us good info on sneaking around in that vicinity, ya?" Nigel shrugs, tactics not being his strong suit. He bounces a little on the table, peering up at the ceiling of the commons for all the world like he's not listening. Solbiort says, "Also it seems Five Dragons has Ranaka vell in hand, so hopefully no vorries there." She studies Elgyn a moment, then grins, adding, "But also no need to deliberately offend again, ya?" She waits a bit, then smiles into the silence, "Hokay, so ve're doing this, I take it."

Elgyn spreads his hands. "It was my understanding that simply refusing the job would bear no ill will... is there something I am not reading between the lines?"

Solbiort eyes Elgyn amusedly, "Tell me please you are not forgetting already our little talk earlier, ya?"

Elgyn's brow creases. "As I recall that was more about who should be sent to speak with Five Dragons, not about simply respectfully saying 'thanks but no thanks.'"

Raj says, "If the real goal is to deliver our 'cargo' to Fleur, and we think that requires the fake registry, I'm not sure we have too many other options, right? Not a lot of other folks selling this kinda thing."

Solbiort sighs at Elgyn's comment, then simply says, "Later, di-di, please." She turns to Raj, "True. I am thinking I vould like to have you and I go to the compound to inform them of this. I vant both folks there to not be dao cao jing she, hitting the grass to startle the snakes, and to be conflict-competent. Vould not go myself for lack of need to offend Ranaka, but currently ve are in the vrong on this so far, so if she chooses to over-react, ve vin. Likeliest ve von't even see her, but... ve'll see."

Raj says, "Do we have any reason to expect these folks to live up to their end of the deal if (and or when) we get back from this little trip? If we do this thing, what's to stop them from simply saying, 'Thanks so much!' and simply letting us live, and so on..."

Solbiort nods, "That is part of vhy I vant you along, Raj." She counts on her fingers, "Ve need them to not kill us all after the Einsort delivery, to give us the pulse beacon, and to not betray us later."

Raj blinks, "Well, thanks and like that, but I don't think I'm that imposing. I can dress nice, and play nice (or not), but Five Dragons is much bigger than that. If we take this we're pretty much at her mercy, don't you think?"

Solbiort says, "Ya, Raj... but you're better at the negotiating than anyone else here."

Nigel pushes off the table and resumes his pacing, "On the other hand... we'll owe her a favor for giving us the code for so cheap."

Solbiort shakes her head at Nigel, "Neh, she's said that'll clear the books vith us."

Raj says, "I dunno. She seems the type to like that -- folks owing her and such."

Solbiort says, "This is vhy I think I should go. If Five Dragons doesn't keep Ranaka on a short leash, and Ranaka blows up at us, ve vill not only owe Five Dragons nothing, but she vill be obligated by courtesy." She smiles ruefully, "She kept the hairpin so far. That's a good sign. The only vay I know of that she'll return it now is if she refuses us completely -- in vhich case ve flee immediately -- or she returns it vith a huge gift to prove greater generosity to obligate us. And frankly, if ve're going to owe her I vant to pick vhat ve get. Vouldn't mind more information about Einsort and Morrigan."

Raj nods, "Well need all the information they can give us on what we can expect to see between here and there. We'll have little time to confirm it, too."

Solbiort nods thoughtfully, "All right then, sooner the better, ya?"

Nigel is apparently playing Devil's Advocate, "Well, if she's not going to expect a favor, she could still be a really good contact to have..."

Solbiort nods to Nigel, "Definitely." She swings her booted feet to the floor and sits up, "So. Ve ready to do this thing? Any last vords?" Elgyn shakes his head, absently toying with his knife.

Nigel shrugs, smirking slightly, "Just point me where you need me."

Solbiort grins at Nigel, "Just be sure you know how to manipulate the sneaking stuffs, ya?"

Nigel pffts and waves that off, "I'm sure between Raj and me, we'll have it sitting up and begging."

Solbiort grins at Nigel, then looks deliberately at Molly and Raj, waiting for some response. Raj shrugs, "If this is what we're doing, we should be doing it."

Molly lets out a breath and nods. "Just say where you want me to be, Captain."

Solbiort nods, "Goot. Let's get moving then. Molly, help Nigel or Elgyn if they need it. Raj, you dress up pretty again and ve go, ya?"

The trip to Five Dragon's compound is fairly quick; it's right there in the town. Upon arrival at the walled park, they have apparently been observed, as the door opens as they approach and Liu is standing there bowing politely. "Thank you for coming," he says. "Five Dragons is more than happy to see you immediately. Please come in." Solbiort raises an eyebrow, but simply smiles and nods politely, leaving the talking to Raj. She has peace-bound her Suoshi autolock, but will surrender her weapons belt if they ask for it.

The compound is quite lovely, all in all, done in a traditional Chinese style of a scholar's garden. It is not large but it is quite comfortable and serene. Past a flowing brook and small pond with some variety of fish (which is most certainly not carp), Raj leads them to the main rooms of the compound. On the way there, across the short expanse of the brook, they pass Ranaka and a tall, olive-skinned man apparently in a training bout. Pausing a moment, Ranaka glances towards Liu, Raj, and Solbiort, and watches them walk past, her jaw working.

Solbiort glances curiously over, but says nothing. If Ranaka actually meets Solbiort's gaze, she gets a small nod. Ranaka's jaw clenches a little, but any response is cut off by a soft, sharp sound from her sparring partner. Her head whips around to glare at him, and they turn-to in what appears to be full contact wushu, taking all of Ranaka's attention. Solbiort smiles quietly as she paces along behind Raj. She wonders if Five Dragons did that deliberately to Ranaka.

Liu leads them to Five Dragons' wing of the home -- specifically to the bathhouse -- and raps on the doorframe. Five Dragons' voice calls, "Please come in with our guests, Liu." As the door slides open, Five Dragons is just slipping on a warm robe which almost but does not quite conceal the highly elaborate dragon tattoos which seem to cover her from neck to wrists. She has turned to the group, smiling quietly, by the time she ties off the robe, concealing the artwork. She bows slightly. "Thank you for coming; you are welcome here. My apologies; you caught me in the bath."

Solbiort bows politely at Five Dragons' courtesy of meeting them so -- from what she's been told it's a classic way to show the guest is trusted and can trust. She smiles internally... not only is Five Dragons a lovely woman, but Solbiort would be willing to bet platinum there are five dragons depicted in that lovely body-art.

Raj says, "Thank you for seeing us on short notice, madame. I would normally expect there would be a quite a lot of dickering and posturing over details, but from our prior discussion I'm guessing time is of the essence in delivering your cargo, so I'll be direct. Our Captain has decided to take on your cargo in exchange for the merchandise we discussed, should we be able to iron out a couple of details.

"First, as I'm sure you know, the Scarlet Chimera is not exactly a warship. We will be relying mostly on misdirection and stealth to make the delivery. Any information you can share with us on the nature and disposition of Alliance and local forces we might encounter would serve both our needs. Second, we have only just arrived at Skamandrios and were expecting some amount of berth-time to replenish our supplies, do some minor repairs, and take on other out-bound cargo. If you could help us discreetly arrange priority access to some of the supplies we need, it would help us be ready as quickly as possible.

"Last, if you'll pardon me being blunt, what assurances do you offer us that, once we have completed this trip, our agreement will simply not be terminated?" Solbiort smiles internally again, pleased. Raj was definitely the right choice as negotiator.

Five Dragons smiles a little. "I sense a bit of the Russian's style of negotiation about you. Excellent. Very well, in order then. We have a window of a few weeks. Liu will provide you with a timetable of Alliance and local law compliance patrols for the proposed route. What we are suggesting is to take legitimate cargo to Morrigan, and pick up the conditioner there. It will be in your manifest as 'asteroidal ore.' You will then travel to the gas giant Roshan -- the moon Barcelon, I believe -- it's all in the briefing Liu will give you -- but on the way there you will divert to Einsort. Deliver the GC unit, take on a load of genuine asteroidal ore. Then complete the trip to Barcelon, take up a cargo bound for Skamadrios, and return. Or not, as you prefer.

"Second, we will cover your maintenance and fuel expenses while here. And finally thirdly, we are willing to make use of a mutually acceptable escrow to hold on to the merchandise you want." She steps a little closer, saying seriously, "I would be remiss if I did not admit the Einsort operation is very important... to us. But truth be told we did not have any available vessels who stood a ghost of a chance of making the run. You do."

Solbiort nods thoughtfully, standing silently behind Raj with her arms folded. Raj's eyebrows elevate just a bit, but he shrugs and says, "That seems to address all of our questions and concerns, which makes me seriously doubt my preparations. Your proposed plan seems eminently workable. Let me make a few calls, and I'll have a short list of agents for your approval." He smiles and continues, "The Russians are direct if not subtle, almost the opposite of the Tong. It seemed to me the Russian style would be more appropriate here."

He adds, "I can assure you we take any delivery quite seriously, and will do our best to meet our commitments. I hope we will continue to be a valuable contractor in the future." He grins wickedly, "Word of mouth is the best reference, after all." Solbiort rolls her eyes and grins faintly at that. She knows a bit about her 'word of mouth' reputation.

Five Dragon's lips quirk. "Ah, good. You noticed we're not Tong." She nods. "If all goes well with the Einsort operation, I'll definitely be looking forward to working with your group again."

The trip back to the ship is quick and Ranaka-less, though with the ship remaining on Skamandrios for a little longer an encounter with that one is still not out of the question. On the way back to the ship Solbiort murmurs quietly to Raj as they walk, "So... who's the Russian whose negotiating style you are like?"

Raj mumbles back, "Not sure. I know quite a few, and I'm not sure who she knows," and shrugs, "it pays to be flexible." Solbiort chuckles quietly and doesn't pry any more.

On the Scarlet Chimera, on the Bridge, Nigel is spending some time reviewing how to change the geometry of the ship and how to reprogram the pulse beacon. Molly, for her part, is showing Elgyn how to operate the rail gun turret. She's not a spacecraft gunner -- improvised explosives are more her specialty -- but she knows enough to start bringing Elgyn up to speed.

Nigel has learned how to make the ship look roughly like a chopped-down Albatross transport and is just getting it to make a pretty good impersonation of a Flying Wombat. Molly is showing the basics of the turret controls to Elgyn. The stream of data on the terminal screen is just out of the corner of Elgyn's eye, but one item in particular catches his attention, and he makes Molly stop short in her lecture. A stream of characters is running across one of the windows on the screen, and the title of the window is, 'Incoming Message - Blind Cortex Routing.' Essentially someone sent a message to the ship via the Cortex -- that much Elgyn can figure out -- but the string of characters is indecipherable to him.

Elgyn stiffens, his jaw tightening. "Nigel... Nigel, we may have a problem..." he grunts, tapping the fellow on the shoulder.

Nigel blinks, sitting up and looking around as if he's just waking up. The doctor/mechanic has the focus of many a very bright, nervous individual -- laser-tight when he's intensely focused, scattered as the stars when he's not. A second later what Elgyn says registers and he looks in the direction indicated, "Look at what?"

Elgyn rolls his eyes and takes the man by the shoulder, pointing Nigel at the screen in question. "That. Who the hell would be sending us a message?"

Nigel chews his bottom lip as he taps at a keyboard, brows going up, "Looks like we've got a message possibly meant for the Chimera's generous donors." Shaking his head, he mutters to himself, "The message is encoded... I might be able to suss it out, though." A moment later Nigel smirks at the machine, waving at the screens dismissively, "Yeah, it's definitely for the bastards that tried to blow us up. And they didn't even bother trying to hide the code book somewhere else... it may take me a few, but I'll get it makin' sense."

Elgyn's fingers twitch. "Very well... no rush, I guess..." he says uncertainly. "Unless you think somehow the Alliance could have figured out how to send a blind transmission to us?"

Nigel snorts, speaking just a bit slowly, "They sent it encoded in a code we have the book for... it's someone that knows a whole lot more about this ship than the Alliance seems to."

Elgyn nods. "Good point. How long do you think it will take? Molly and I don't want to be in your way..."

Nigel shrugs, "Dunno. Shouldn't be too long, but I can probably transfer it over to my personal terminal and muck about with it out of here if you need space."

Elgyn smiles and waves a hand. "Not at all... what you are doing is far more important. Our stuff can wait." He looks sidelong at Molly. "Perhaps instead you can practice cooking," he half teases.

Molly grimaces. "I swear, you'd not believe how similar gelignite is to pancake batter; anyone could have made that mistake...."

Nigel seems genuinely surprised as he says, "Something's wrong with Molly's cooking?"

Molly looks heavenward. "Thank Buddha someone thinks it's getting better!"

Elgyn just laughs. "Molly, I assure you I have a cast iron stomach... it's not me you have to worry about." He grins. And then the grin fades, and he sighs.

Molly misses the sigh. "Yes, I know. The Captain... well, so long as I stop confusing the peppercorn for gunpowder...."

Elgyn smiles, but the smile does not reach his eyes. "Well, anyway, let's give our master hacker some space..." Molly looks curiously at Elgyn as he ushers her out of the bridge, but makes no immediate comment.

By the time Raj and Solbiort return to the Scarlet Chimera, Nigel has finished decoding the message. He's waiting for the rest of the crew in the commons when they return from their bargaining mission. He skips right past 'hello' into "We -- well, really it was meant for the Chimera's previous crew -- got a message from someone signing themselves 'Tammuz,' telling us to keep our heads down."

Solbiort wanders in looking thoughtful, but looks up sharply at Nigel's announcement. "Ya? Vhat else?"

Elgyn seems almost disappointed. "All those characters just to say that? How boring. And not really helpful."

Nigel has his puzzle out, but he's just bouncing it on his palm, "Tammuz is probably another ship, and they're nervous enough about what they had on board that they said they were going to erase the ship's logs and files... oh, and something about them being attacked and it probably being the same ones that took out another ship."

Solbiort says, "Ah. Possibly one of the group vhich attacked Ariel?"

Raj nods, "That was my first thought as well."

Nigel says, "More than likely."

Molly bites her lip, thinking, then nodding once, "One of the other ships involved was called the Tammuz, yes."

Solbiort says, "Nigel, have you run a search through any available Alliance records of registered ships for a 'Tammuz'?"

Nigel shakes his head at the question, "Not yet, no. I can see what I can find if you want. Oh, and the gorram gits want us to make sure we bring back the general."

Solbiort nods slowly, "Did they say vhere?"

Molly facepalms. "Hundan," she mutters.

Raj laughs, "Oh! That's right rich! Do ya think they're really talking to us? You know, 'Keep your heads down and give us back the General!' and like that?"

Nigel snorts, "Not ruttin' likely. It was for Molly's old shipmates. They were still calling it the Fengwu."

Solbiort nods to Molly, "Go on. Vhy you say that?"

Molly looks a bit startled, as if she hadn't expected to be noticed saying that. "Er... 'scuse my language, please. I was just... saying that they're still bastards for calling Wintarsen 'the General' and such, as if there was still a war to be won."

Solbiort nods quietly, considers a moment, then says, "Vhat other ship names you remember, Corporal?" To Raj she nods a touch grimly, "Am vorrying about that, ya."

Nigel peers at Molly, "You telling me you really thought they just want him back to keep him all safe and sound?"

Solbiort says, "Nigel, you have full text of message, ya? Share, please?"

Elgyn's brow knits as he looks at Molly. "It doesn't necessarily mean anything. They could just be referring to him that way out of respect... or in case the message was intercepted," he says softly, not wanting to interrupt the others as he leans in.

Molly scrunches her brow a bit as she thinks. "Let me see... Fengwu, of course. Tammuz. Guilty Blade. Cincinnatus -- some real irony there -- that was it. All but Fengwu were involved in the initial attack and I didn't know any of them beyond their names." She glances to Nigel. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. My cell wasn't really as... bloody-minded as the others recruited for this operation, which is probably why we were shepherding the cryoboxes to the destination rather taking part in the breakout from Ariel Max-Sec."

Nigel pulls up a copy of it on his personal terminal, which he's brought out with him. Clearing his throat, he puts on his best "gruff military guy" voice and reads the message. Solbiort grins, listening. Nigel sounds not a bit like an actual gruff officer, but gets a passable grumpy, officious butler voice going on. "Fengwu -- maintain low provile. Our sip under attack by unknon forces. Might be same ones who took out Guilty Blade. Assault team dead. Info sanitized, erasing all logs now. Good Luck. Bring back the General. Let freedom ring. Tammuz."

Solbiort murmurs, "Holy crap." Molly looks a bit green at the end of the message.

Nigel smirks and turns away from the terminal, "I sort of got the feeling from that they mean to start the whole gorram mess all up again."

Solbiort says, "Looks like ve know vhat they meant, ya. Thanks, Nigel."

Raj says quietly, "You know, when the word gets out about who's got the ship, there's gonna be a whole lotta folks unhappy with us."

Solbiort nods to Raj, "Ayah."

Nigel says, "Oh, I'd say we're never invited to another Browncoat Winter Ball, ever."

Solbiort laughs! Elgyn groans, rubbing his temples. "Wong ba duhn," he mutters.

Solbiort says, "Hokay, ve got a real problem here. Don't have any issues vith the 'general' himself, but I'm sure not gonna help 'em start the var over."

Molly murmurs, sounding a little ill, "I don't want them to either, Captain."

Raj says, "Considering the shape they're in, I think they'd have trouble starting a game of checkers."

Solbiort nods to Raj, "Ya, but ve're leaping through all these hoops to vake 'em up." She drums her fingers thoughtfully for a moment... then shrugs. "Vell, for now ve're on course. Ve haf Vintarson and his man, and ve're doing vhat ve think is right. Ve'll carry on for now."

Elgyn looks up. "It might not be too bad, Captain... we are the ones that have him... perhaps it can be a talking point. Myself, I'd like to straighten them out..." he growls.

Solbiort chuckles quietly, then looks at Raj, "Tell them vhat you negotiated for us, Raj. Did nice job."

Raj says, "Well, I'm not sure how much negotiation went on, but I can tell you want the plan is. They're just pleased as punch we're taking their big machine to Einsort, and are giving us all sorts of help. We're taking a real cargo to Morrigan. We'll pick up the conditioner there in a box marked 'asteroidal ore' headed to Roshan, near Barcelon. On the way, we drop of the conditioner at Einsort, pick up some real ore, and finish the run to Barcelon. Then we can come back and pick up our payment. They're going to help us get all fixed up and ready to go, too, on their credit. It almost sounds easy, which really has me worried."

Elgyn smiles wryly. "Nothing about this has been easy since we started on this path. Why should things change?"

Solbiort nods, adding with pleasure, "They're covering our maintenance and fuel expenses vhile here, too. Very nice."

Raj says, "I've got a few calls to make, and I'll need to arrange a meet with Liu to pick up their intelligence. Anybody that knows anything about any of the places we're going, sing out. We need all the bits and pieces we can get..." Nigel sits back and lets the other folks work out the plan.

Solbiort shrugs to Raj. "Just the usual. Far as I know, Einsort is and alvays has been blackrock. Barcelon is moon of Roshan -- typical prairie und ocean blend for farmers, a few qvirks, nothing really to vorry about. Morrigan is port moon, handling refining and processing for mining in Adarra subsystem. Anything else?" She plays with her terminal a bit, then grins, "And look at this, vhat a coincidence -- Adarra and Roshan are approaching conjunction. Ve could claim engine difficulties or something."


Preparations are underway for the ship to make the trip to Morrigan. Five Dragons sends word that later in the day a courier would be bringing the data for the patrol routes and timetables. A few hours after noon, the courier does show up. It is Ranaka, dressed conservatively and carrying a briefcase, and not looking terribly happy. On the Chimera's Bridge, Solbiort raises an eyebrow at the sight, then grins faintly. "Hey, di-di... take a look at this."

Elgyn looks up from where he was familiarizing the controls Molly had been showing earlier. He blinks, then sighs. "One wonders if Five Dragons is hoping you have another diamond pin."

Solbiort laughs, rising to her feet, "That, or she's training her vild von to restraint?" Ranaka has already chimed the door anunciator, and while not looking impatient is not exactly bouncing for joy. Solbiort says, "Come, let's meet her." She raises an admonishing finger, "There should be no rising to any bait she throws out, you understand, di-di?"

Elgyn stiffens. "Of course not, Captain," he replies, seeming almost seriously chastised.

Solbiort grins, ruffling Elgyn's hair, "Easy, fierce von. Vasn't biting, just reminding." She pats his shoulder, then strides through the bridge's hatch and cheerfully slides down the ladder, "Let's see vhat she's got for us, eh?"

Solbiort undogs the door and swings it open, giving Ranaka a curious look, "Hoya." Elgyn follows in his Captain's wake, trying to draw on his inner calm as he stands just behind Solbiort when she finally opens the door, almost at attention.

Ranaka pauses for half a moment, looking at Solbiort with an unreadable expression. Her glance flickers over Solviort's shoulder to look at Elgyn briefly, before looking back at Solbiort. The first thing she says after so many years is nothing more elaborate than, "Five Dragons sent me over with the timetables and profiles for the operation." Her voice is a little tight, albeit neutral.

Solbiort nods, stepping back, "All right. Enter freely." Elgyn moves aside as well, though he finds himself studying Ranaka... wondering if she has changed at all in all this time.

Ranaka nods, taking in a bit of a breath, and stepping inside. Though she walks as a well-trained brawler, she's still wound up a bit tightly. "Thanks," she says grudgingly.

Solbiort nods amiably, slamming the door closed again. She turns to the others, politely stating, "Cousin, this is my huskarl Elgyn. Elgyn, this is my cousin Ranaka." She wonders a little curiously what titles -- if any -- Ranaka still can claim from their home.

Solbiort can feel Ranaka tensing a bit, before she says, "Not... quite." It's half grated out, and half hurt.

Solbiort tilts her head inquiringly. Hopefully this is a good thing, and there is... oh, dear. It's possible Ranaka's mothers disowned her. Guh... how to handle this... "Vell, vould you like some tea and ve can talk about it then?" Elgyn inclines his head impassively, making no remark to Ranaka's reply, though he does radiate a slight curiosity.

Ranaka's jaw works a little, and she lets out a breath. "Yes, please." She sounds much more normal, "Tea sounds very good."

Solbiort nods amiably again and leads off for the Officer's Lounge, "This vay, please." She knows Elgyn's good for discreet following and making sure nothing untoward happens.

A few moments later they're all settled with tea, and Ranaka's briefcase is sitting on the low table. Solbiort eyes her cousin up and down once, then grins mischievously, "A skirt, cousin? Isn't that for boys?" Elgyn lurks nearby, but behind Solbiort's back... so thankfully she does not see him roll his eyes.

The faint tremor of tension would look like it could break the teacup in half if it was in the hands of a larger woman. As it is Ranaka says simply (if a touch wryly), "Hmph, oh, of course, and no boy would be caught in fighting leathers." The reference to Elgyn is unmistakable, as she indicates him with a motion of her head. She adds with less humor, "And it's not 'cousin' anymore. Don't tell me you didn't know?" It's only half a statement, half a question.

Solbiort regards Ranaka thoughtfully, then simply says, "I haven't been home in the last five years, Ranaka. Vhy don't you tell me."

Ranaka arches a brow over her teacup. "Oh? I see. It's been almost that long... they exiled me, Solbiort. As a 'bad example.'"

Solbiort sighs softly, nods once, and has a sip of tea. Not much she can add to that, really. She considers a moment, then says carefully, "You are doing hokay now, I take it?" Elgyn resists the urge to comment... and finds it easier than he expected. He continues to watch thoughtfully.

Ranaka has another sip, then sets the tea cup down. "Relatively. Well, that's not true. Doing very well now, actually. Five Dragons and her son are good people to work for. Took a while to find them, though. A while and a lot of fights." She grimaces. "If I'm supposed to be this 'bad example' of Alliance influence on Midgaard, what is it supposed to say when one gets arrested for a few friendly brawls by the selfsame Alliance?"

Solbiort grins cheerfully, "They're jealous of your fighting prowess?" She chuckles, then runs her finger thoughtfully around the edge of her teacup, thinking. After a moment she says, "Vas the boy hokay vhen you left?"

Ranaka rolls her eyes. "Not hardly. It took a little while, but eventually I was getting pounded into the dust fairly readily. By boys, no less." She is quiet for a moment, before picking up the tea again. "He was better," she says. "Taken in by a matron from another family. They made me bring him to her before sending me out of Jormungnr's subsystem."

Solbiort sits up, looking puzzled, "Hold on, vhat's this about pounding into dust?" She pauses, then makes the connection, "Oooh... no von at your back, got it." She settles back in her chair again, politely not commenting further on the unlikelihood of a valkyrie alone, with no one beside her.

Ranaka finishes the tea. "Pretty much. One loudmouth and half a dozen women -- and men -- will do that if you torque them off enough. Beat down enough people and they come back with friends. Well... most of them come back with friends, anyway."

Solbiort sips tea silently for several moments, thinking... no need to rub in the abnormal (to a Midgaardian) lack of friends to stand with. She decides to change the subject somewhat, and curiously asks, "So Five Dragons sends you here deliberately, ya? Vhat you looking for?"

Ranaka smirks a little. "Beats me, Solbiort. Probably to make sure that all her talks about 'respecting these contractors' sunk in. Yeah, she kind of noticed I wasn't ecstatic to see a Midgaardian again, let alone you two."

Solbiort raises an eyebrow at the smirk -- one more of those and she's going to play title games with the girl. She just waits silently for further explanation. Elgyn is sure, if Nigel were here, and knew the whole story, he'd come up with the loveliest snarky responses to all of this. Sadly, such wit escapes him right now, and he wouldn't be able to say them anyway. What a shame... he thinks... though to be honest, he's not sure he'd enjoy it right now. It all just seems so... sad.

Ranaka lets out a breath, the snark evaporating. "Seeing you and him again brought back a lot of memories I'd wanted to just forget. It was humbling enough being kicked out of Midgaard's holdings, being beaten down -- without fail after the first six or so times -- just added to it. They kept saying that I had learned bad habits in the Alliance, bad ways of treating people, so they sent me back there. All the time they were pontificating I was thinking, 'well, Solbiort fought for the Alliance, and she didn't come back as a 'bad example.' So what was I to make of that?"

Ranaka shakes her head. "A few years ago, Liu kicked my butt in a brawl when I was a drunken wreck. He's a damn fast and agile boy; if he wasn't Five Dragon's son- er, well." She recovers somewhat. "But apparently I made just barely enough of an impression that he convinced Five Dragons to take me on at the start of her operations here." She spreads her hands. "There. Not much more to say. I'm still working out where the hell it all went wrong, even if I was that cause of my own damn downfall, but there's not much to be done for it now, is there? There's no going back to the home you knew."

Solbiort growls quietly, "I fought for them. I didn't bring them home vith me, girl." Elgyn shakes his head... he wonders if Ranaka understands now the reason the ruling families gave was just a convenient excuse -- a way to put it without losing face.

Ranaka bristles a little, but keeps level. "Well, that's true. In a way, though, I'm glad I'm not there anymore." She looks away. "I don't have to see what comes after my screw-up. I'm pretty sure I won't be the last -- I hope I am, I hope Midgaard stays the way it was before... before the Alliance, before me. But I don't think it will." She adds, a little reluctantly, "Not unless every last person who sets foot off of Midgaard is like you, or gets exiled."

Solbiort snorts amusedly, still bristling a bit herself as well, "Did you think our mothers haven't been planning how to handle the Alliance for a very long time already? I still don't know vhat you vere thinking. Vhy did you beat that poor boy?"

Elgyn finally speaks up. "It wouldn't hurt to have more women like the Captain."

Solbiort blinks, then gives Elgyn a faintly amused sideways glance, "You're nice, di-di, but don't have to say that."

Elgyn looks calmly at Solbiort. "You should know, Captain, that I never say anything unless I feel it's worth saying." Solbiort chuckles, then settles back and regards Ranaka thoughtfully, wondering if she even has an answer.

Ranaka looks back at Solbiort, her own ire rising again. "I didn't see the Border Moons doing too good a job at handling the Alliance." She half-glances at Elgyn, "You're still damn loyal, at that. Which says something. No, it wouldn't hurt." She looks back at Solbiort, "As for what I was thinking, I don't know myself. I lost control; it was unbecoming and improper. There, I said it again. What, you want to beat yet another apology out of me, too?"

Solbiort snaps, "I didn't get one the first time, so don't give me that guilt trip! I just asked vhat you vere thinking, vhy you do it. And you know perfectly well Border moons aren't as tech or as prepared as ve are. Hela, they can't even build their own ships! And leave my huskarl out of this!" She takes a deep breath, then sets her teacup down. Quietly she says, "I vould really, really like to know vhy you do that. That is all."

Elgyn blinks at Ranaka, bemused by both her agreement with him and her response to Solbiort. When Solbiort's temper rises, he wonders if he will have to remind her to remain calm...but then she brings it back under control, and Elgyn relaxes an iota.

Ranaka snarls back, "Oh, guilt trip, right. You didn't even think that there might be others to have their turn with me? You honestly believed that you were the only one to lay into me until I was a bloody pulp? Fine. I'll leave it at that. But you're not the one I needed to apologize to for what I did. I said it before, I'll repeat it: I lost control, it was unbecoming, improper, and it didn't take anybody to beat that into me." She pauses. "Now, anyway. I did have a hell of a lot of time to reflect on things."

Solbiort settles back in her chair, puts her booted feet up on the low table, and glowers at Ranaka. "Look, shuh muh if you got beat up a lot, but it's not like I asked folks to do that. I saw vhat vas happening, I hit you, the boy vas taken care of, I vas done. Did you ever apologize to the boy? You vant to vail about other folks picking fights vith you, you go right ahead -- but not on my ship, you got that?"

Ranaka shakes her head, letting out a breath. "Impossible. Yes, I did. Before and well after I realized it was wrong."

Solbiort sits up so fast her booted feet make a sharp retort on the floor, "But did you mean it, tzao-gao! That boy loved you!" She snarls, "And just don't try to give me any crap about boys not feeling emotions the vay ve do!"

Ranaka matches the move, shouting back, "Yes, ta me da, you damn conceited bitch, I fucking well meant it and I loved him too!"

"Captain," Elgyn interrupts softly.

Solbiort sits very still, glaring at Ranaka... then settles back in her chair again, muttering "Sorry, di-di." She watches Ranaka after the outburst, sitting calmly and silently. Ranaka is actually shaking, glaring at Solbiort for several moments. Then she takes in a slow breath and sits back with unexaggerated calm, returning the gaze with worn neutrality. Solbiort waits until Ranaka's breathing is a bit slower and calmer, then says politely, "More tea?"

Ranaka blinks -- but only once -- before she shakes her head and says calmly, "No; thank you, though."

Solbiort nods, serving herself, then sitting back and sipping the tea. After a moment she murmurs, "It is unlikely I vill be returning to Midgaard any time soon. However, if you had a message you vished delivered, I vill be happy to do so."

Ranaka shakes her head again. "No, thank you again, but I... send word back now and then. I don't get replies, of course, but... well. Messages are sent. Thank you for offering."

Solbiort says, "Vell enough." She sips her tea, then studies Ranaka thoughtfully, "So, do you not let Liu know of your feelings because he is the son of Five Dragons, or because you are vorried about a repeat of vhat happened before?" Elgyn blinks, startled by Solbiort's sudden assertion...but revisiting the conversation, he supposes he can see where such assumptions can be drawn.

Ranaka makes a soft sound. "The former more than the latter. He really is quite good at fighting; if you get a chance you should spar with him. But beyond that... no, I'm not really worried about a repeat of that. As Five Dragons' son, he's one of the more... eligible bachelors in Skamandrios's underworld. Though I doubt Five Dragons would seek to marry him off in an arranged marriage, she's pulled stranger surprises before. Besides. If I have those feelings for someone again I want to make sure I'm being honest with myself." She considers a little. "But it shouldn't be put off for much longer, I imagine."

Solbiort nods quietly, somewhat relieved at the answer. "I am glad to hear you are not vorried about a repeat... although I admit I vould be more likely to fall for the mother than the son." She chuckles softly, then falls silent as she sips her tea, her gaze far away.

Ranaka smiles a little. "She's certainly attractive; she's got an incredible head on her shoulders. And the body art is simply gorgeous to behold."

Solbiort nods, "Indeed." She finishes her tea, setting the cup down, then sighs, "Vell. Vhat information do you have for us?"

Ranaka nods, opening the briefcase. "There are four Alliance cruisers assigned to the Mishka Quadrant: the Zeiss, the Dortmunder, the Ch'iang Ku, and the El Alamein. The Zeiss is in a quasi-ballistic patrol route which passes through the Fujisan subsystem on these dates..." What follows is a reasonably professional briefing -- at least equal to those Solbiort had gotten from intel officers in the War -- regarding the patrol routes of the major Alliance military forces, and several of the smaller law compliance ships, in the quadrant. It is followed by a more detailed operational breakdown of the plan, including contact information for the Morrigan pickup and instructions for how to get to the as-yet unnamed base on Einsort and communicate with them using no waves or Cortex, only signal lamps.

Solbiort raises an amused eyebrow at the request for signal lamps, but simply murmurs, "Di-di, make sure ve have them in stock." Elgyn listens intently... while in the past, he's tended to leave details like this up to Solbiort, he pays closer attention now. He grunts in response to her request. Solbiort will also thank Ranaka for the briefing and check if there's anything else she needs to tell them.

Ranaka provides, "They recommended something on the order of million-candlepower lamps, one or two, and old flashing-light signal code. The identification sequence is in the chips." She then shakes her head. "There's nothing else. If your people go over the information and have any questions, have someone come by the compound."

Solbiort nods thoughtfully, gathering up all the informational chips and tucking them neatly away. She studies Ranaka for a bit, chin on one fist, then simply says, "You are happy now?"

Ranaka pauses for a moment in closing the briefcase, then closes it. "Yes. Yes, I am." She looks at Solbiort curiously, then grins a little. "And you, Chang Fei?" she asks, as if she can tell the answer.

Solbiort laughs, rising -- she knows that question translates roughly as 'With all the gleeful madness you've committed, do I really need to ask if you are happy?' "Need not ask, mei-mei. Got my ship, got my crew, got my family, life is good, eh?" She grins mischievously, "Come, ve valk you out. Ride vell your vinds, and good fortune vith your pretty, agile boy!"

Ranaka looks a little startled at the name given her, but relaxes visibly then, smiling. "Thank you. I know you heard it from Liu and from Five Dragons, but... from me, good luck. On this job, and... and in everything you do." She glances at Elgyn. "Everything you both do."

Elgyn gazes back. "I think Five Dragons saw and understood more than I expected," he finally says. Solbiort raises an amused eyebrow at Elgyn, but says nothing.

Ranaka thinks a bit upon that, and smiles a little. "Well. I'm trying not to let her down." She nods politely to the two, before letting herself be walked out.

Solbiort will thank Ranaka and politely walk her out, closing the heavy hatchway portal behind her. Then she turns and looks at Elgyn, her eyes dancing with amusement, "So, vhat you think, di-di?"

Elgyn looks back, his eyes calm pools. "I think the past is a poison if left to fester, Captain. We could all use some healing."

Solbiort laughs, waving a hand as she heads back towards the bridge, "Neh, silly, I mean about now. Vhat did you expect Five Dragons to see and understand, that she surpassed? Hmm... mental note: I must spend no time around Liu."

"I was speaking about now, Captain. I doubt she sent Ranaka here to teach her a lesson, but rather to finally tend to old wounds," Elgyn explains.

Solbiort says, "Mmm, makes good sense. Vonder if they'll ever forgive her back home." She smiles at Elgyn, adding, "Why so terse, di-di? Something vrong?"

Elgyn shakes his head. "Merely reflecting on the fact that I have -- as one of my comrades once said -- many miles to go before I sleep, Captain," he says enigmatically, giving her a nod before returning to his duties.

Solbiort rolls her eyes amusedly, settling down behind the pilot's board as she murmurs quietly to herself, "Vell, I had fun!"


It's the next day, and the rest of the crew have reviewed the information chips brought over by Ranaka from Five Dragons. Elgyn is on the bridge, since there's nothing in particular left for him to worry about concerning Five Dragons. Further, he wishes to better grasp the gunnery training he received from Molly previously. He's going slowly over the board of the left main gun, recalling the procedure without actually activating the weapon, working to ingrain it into his memory.

He's wavering between two buttons, not sure which comes next, when a hand comes over his shoulder and a cheerful voice murmurs, "That one next, di-di. Hit this one, and your pilot vill curse you to Niflheim."

Elgyn sighs ruefully. "They all look alike, Captain. We didn't exactly have a lot of control panels growing up," he comments, turning to look at her with a small smile.

He turns to find her leaning interestedly over his shoulder. She grins, drawing back enough that he can turn without hitting her with his head, and as she does so her thick scarlet braid slides over her arm and down across his shoulder. "It's all right, di-di... new things take time."

Elgyn nods. "They do at that, Captain," he agrees softly. He then pushes whatever he's thinking to the side. "Is there something that needs my attention?" He grins then, "I need to be the guinea pig again for Molly's cooking, maybe?"

Solbiort chuckles, crossing her arms on the back of the chair and bending enough she can rest her chin on them, so she ends up almost eye to eye with Elgyn, "Neh, nothing that terrifying!" She grins, "Just vondering how you feeling now you have chance to talk to Ranaka. Better now?"

Elgyn appears to consider it. "I would say that I had not felt bad prior to this meeting, but hearing her talk aided me in... processing my feelings in regard to what had happened. It is well, and I find I wish her success in turning her life around," he muses.

Solbiort nods thoughtfully, "Glad to hear it." She considers a moment also, then murmurs, "And do you now feel more... comfortable being around her? Do you understand she's not representative of Midgaard?"

Elgyn looks at Solbiort levelly. "I do not expect I ever thought that, Captain." Solbiort raises an eyebrow and smiles faintly. "Do you doubt me, Captain?" Elgyn queries.

Solbiort says, "I vould not say that. I vould instead inquire as to vhere your apparent hatred of my homeland comes from."

Elgyn sighs, looking away. He knew this was coming. "Captain, I do not hate your homeland, any more than I hated the Alliance simply based on their cultural mores. Do I have issues with certain ingrained precepts of your people? Certainly. But do not make it out to be more than that." Solbiort mms thoughtfully, straightening and flipping her braid back over her shoulder as she regards Elgyn.

Elgyn's irritation flares up slightly. "Captain, when you think of me, what do you consider me to be?" he says bluntly. If she's going to be this way... "Am I a whole person? Am I some boy with pretensions of grandeur, or am I your equal? The equal of Ranaka, or any woman?"

Solbiort raises an eyebrow again, "Vhy are you getting upset?"

Elgyn starts to retort, but it dies on his lips. "I am upset, Captain, because no man on your world would ever deign to ask that question. They are in their 'place,' and they are happy there. I am upset, Captain, because if I were to bring you home to Ulundi you would be honored beyond all measure for attaining a height few women ever achieve -- but on your world..." He sighs. "No, that is not fair. Not all there would treat me as any other man. But it only serves to cement home my disquiet."

Solbiort raises an eyebrow again, leaning back against a wall and folding her arms. "They vould not ask that question, di-di, because it isn't relevant to them. They know they are whole. Vhy vould they vorry about vhether or not they are 'really' complete? Vhy are you upset that they don't vant vhat you think they should vant?" She starts to say more, then pauses thoughtfully to see Elgyn's reaction -- if any.

"Because their happiness, their completeness, depends far too much on how the women respond to them," Elgyn says after a moment. "Granted, I was only there a few days, but all the time I was there it seemed all they could ever focus on was that. How they could attract a woman, how they could keep a woman, that the reason for another's discontent was because there was no woman that cared for him. It would seem to never occur to them to be happy in themselves, to strive to be something that did not focus on the happiness of another."

Solbiort laughs! "Ah, my little firebrand. So, you vill start vith Midgaard, instead of all the myriad planets vhere vomen are treated vith even less respect than boys are treated on Midgaard? Tell me, vhy is that? Is it because it calls into question this thing boys in the Alliance call 'manhood'?"

Elgyn groans. "You put words in my mouth, Captain. Do you think I am less pleased that such rampant inequality is so prevalent everywhere I go? But there is nothing that I can do in either case, except one on one. The same as you. The only reason I give Midgaard anymore weight than anything else is that you do not come from anywhere else."

Solbiort raises her eyebrow again and grins ruefully, "Vait, let me be sure I have this right, please, di-di. You saw one aberrant person on Midgaard, who got that vay from being in the Alliance. You saw a great many people who vere on the whole happy vith vhere they vere, and who had people who cared for them, and who vere safe and varm and fed and cared for... but you feel Midgaard is a bad place regardless because the boys there don't behave the vay you vant, and because you don't get treated the vay you vant. But vhen I ask you vhy you denigrate my home, you tell me I put vords in your mouth?!"

Solbiort takes a long breath, then continues, her emerald eyes flashing, "And yet I have never -- not once! -said vord von about a vorld vhere a small boy is left irresponsibly orphaned by his parents both simply taking off to go fight in a var... vhere an entire holding does nothing to stop that poor boy from taking off to go fight in the same var before he vas completely grown... vhere a young girl is beaten to death by someone who purports to love her and no one intervened! And in the end, the only person who does anything about that vile murder -- is you, her underage sibling!"

Solbiort straightens abruptly, muttering, "Need a drink," and stalks off the bridge. Elgyn is left in the stifling quiet, shocked into immobility by Solbiort's tirade. He can hear Solbiort's boot steps clanging hollowly along the upper level catwalk, then turning an abrupt left and sharply clicking with military precision down the walkway to the Officer's Lounge. He sits there for a time, then finally gets up, following in her wake and standing in the Lounge door solemnly to see what she's about.

Solbiort is settling down into one of the chairs, crossing one booted ankle across the other knee. She waves at the other chair across from her without looking at Elgyn. Her voice is sharp, but not angry, "Sit down, di-di. Tea'll be ready in a minute."

Elgyn is surprised... he was almost sure she meant something alcoholic. He hesitates, then sits. "You oversimplify, Captain... but your point is well made."

Solbiort says, "No more than you do about my home. But I am glad you can see point."

Elgyn folds his hands on the table. "It is unfair to look at your home though the prism of my own experience, Captain."

Solbiort rises a moment later and silently makes tea, using the process to shed the last of her irritation. She sets a cup in front of Elgyn, then sits back down relaxedly, the same as before. She blows gently on her tea, studying Elgyn across the mug, then says simply, "Ya."

Elgyn looks at the tea, staring at the eddies in the steaming liquid as he gingerly picks up the cup. "I am sorry, Captain. It was not my intent to offend you," he finally says softly.

Solbiort says, "I know. Vhich is vhy I'm having tea here vith you, instead of having a real drink and picking a fight in some bar to cheer up." She grins quietly and sips her tea.

"That is, I admit, a relief. There should at least be one bar in the 'verse that you haven't caused major property damage in," he murmurs, the teacup concealing a smile."

Solbiort chuckles, then considers a moment. "It's also vhy ve're having this talk. If you veren't family, I'd have had blood by now." She eyes Elgyn thoughtfully, then says calmly, "Think it might be vise to consider whose home you're denigrating next time, di-di. You think so too?"

Elgyn's eyes meet Solbiort's. "It will never happen again, Captain."

Solbiort says gently, "Sheh-sheh, di-di. Over time it is hurtful."

Elgyn is quiet again, studying Solbiort, the way her hair frames her face as she sips from her tea. "Captain..." he begins. Solbiort mms inquiringly, looking up at Elgyn from her own contemplation of her tea. Elgyn starts to speak, and then shakes his head, "Nothing."

Solbiort raises an eyebrow, smiling faintly again, "Not fair, di-di."

"Life rarely is, Captain," Elgyn replies, feeling yet again that yawning gulf between them, and wondering if she feels it too.

Solbiort sighs softly, then says, "Ve are not all of life, di-di -- ve are supposed to be family, und somezing is bothering you. Tell me, please, vhat you vere going to say?"

"I merely did not want to break my promise seconds after speaking it, Captain," Elgyn explains. "It was just my concern that I might never be completely comfortable with Midgaard. You have said that it is now my home too... but I wonder that I would ever be able to see it as so."

Solbiort gives one small nod of her head, "I know. Not planning on forcing you to go there, di-di." She sighs softly. "Not sure vhere to go to retire, really... you must not like your home much, or you'd vant to go back and show me off to the folks you love same as I vanted vith you on Midg-" She cuts off, her gaze sharpening as she thinks furiously. Finally she murmurs softly, "Ahhh... so ka now. Shuh muh. I vas a fool."

Elgyn looks puzzled. "Captain?"

Solbiort says, "Mm?"

Elgyn says, "I am... just not following your train of logic. What is it you think? You do not think I am ashamed of you, do you? I assure you, it is quite the opposite."

Solbiort says, "Really? Vhy you never vish to go home then? Must have somevon you vant to have remember you, after all, even if there aren't nice, close holdings of folks there."

Elgyn sighs. "Captain, I... I am not sure I would be welcome there," he finally says.

Solbiort says, "Vhy? Because of me? Vhat you mean before about honoring -- you really telling me part of a family can be truly honored vhile the people they care about, the family they love and protect, that loves and protects them back -- can be just disregarded? Vhat kind of honor is that, di-di? Vhy vould I even want that, if they're going to treat people I care about as if they're not velcome?!"

Elgyn slams his fist on the table. "It's not you, Solbiort! It's me! I have no name!" he shouts. He trails off, seeming ashamed. "I have... no name."

Solbiort looks blank for a moment... then rises and sets her teacup down and sits down next to Elgyn, putting an arm around him. "Don't know vhat you mean, but you have earned name to me."

Elgyn shakes his head. "I told you once that when a boy or girl comes of age, there is a ceremony... where in addition to the name that was given, they seek out the name that is inside them. But I... I never went through that rite. The idea of following my mother and father into battle burned too hotly in me. I was sent with an elder, who would have helped me complete my Ascent... but he died in a surprise attack. I was left alone, and yet still I had hope. I would make myself a man in battle, and I would return victorious with my parents, and none would doubt my worthiness to be called a man. But there was death, and defeat. Do you now understand how broken I was when you found me on the field of battle?" he says softly.

Solbiort sighs and simply sits and holds Elgyn, sharing warmth. She finally murmurs, "You still feel broken, di-di? Ve go to your home and demand they put right vhat they broke, if so."

Elgyn shakes his head. "I... I don't know. I had thought I had moved beyond this, that I was a different man. But inside... there is still the boy, weighted down by the rocks..." Solbiort nods silently, calmly rubbing Elgyn's shoulders while he thinks. Elgyn shakes his head again, leaning on her, comforted by her presence, her embrace. "I think, perhaps, there is yet more poisonous past to be healed, Solbiort," he ventures finally.

Solbiort smiles ruefully, hugging Elgyn gently. "Maybe a little, ya. Ve'll get there, though." She's silent a moment, then finally says softly, "Vhy you never tell me this, di-di? How I can help if I never know vhat's hurting?"

"You made me forget the hurts, Captain. With you, I never felt unwhole," he whispers.

Solbiort smiles quietly, leaning her cheek against the top of Elgyn's head as she hugs him. She's silent a moment, then chuckles softly, "Ah, di-di... how I fly avay vhen you so neatly take the vind out from my vings?" She sighs, then murmurs wistfully, so quietly he might not hear, "Vhat a sveinhross you might haff been..."

Elgyn was about to respond when his too, too sensitive ears picked out that last part. Were he any less fluent in Solbiort's native tongue, he might never have understood the implications in her words. But he does, and it takes his breath away. "Captain... I could never ground you. I'm but a feather on your wing, getting pulled along for the ride," he chuckles, trying to cover his startlement.

Solbiort flushes, faintly relieved Elgyn can't see her face, and doesn't say anything immediately. Instead she takes a slow breath, lets it out just as slowly, then says calmly, "Is not grounding so much, di-di. Is more... lifting because present, ya?"

Elgyn chuckles. "I would like to think that, Captain." He blinks then, and gently worms from Solbiort's embrace. "Wait here," he interrupts her protest, and then dashes from the lounge. Solbiort settles back, looking a bit puzzled.

He returns so quickly it's a wonder he didn't twist his ankle -- obviously tense as he holds something behind his back. "I was going to have them decorated, but I wanted to wait till we were going to be in port a while... after the problems with Liu and Ranaka though, I wanted to..." He quickly realizes he's not going to be able to finish a sentence properly, and just shows what he has hidden. They're not so much hairpins as hair sticks: two gleaming, polished rods of high-quality steel ending in a wicked point on each. "Just in case you met another like the bastard from Bellerophon," he explains, a little tickled with his alliteration.

Solbiort blinks, leaning forward to see what Elgyn has -- then lighting up as she realizes, "Oh! Elgyn, they're beautiful little veapons!" She'll take them gently from his fingers if he lets her, examining them closely, "Vonderbar! Now I nefer be vithout veapons -- how lovely!" She looks up at him, her eyes shining with pleasure, then rises smoothly and gives him a tight hug, "Sheh-sheh so much, di-di!"

Elgyn embraces her back a little clumsily, still addled as he processes what she had said earlier. But he quiets his rattled nerves, for now only taking comfort in the simple joy of his Captain. "Thank the pirates, too. Was having a hard time getting a proper point without access to a machine shop," he finally jokes.

Solbiort laughs, hugging more tightly once, then releasing enough to beam down at him, "You're a vonder, you know that?" She grins, then takes a moment to carefully tuck her hair neatly up with the pins, then turns around, "Vhat you think? Stays hidden that they're veapons?"

Elgyn slides his fingers over those flaming red locks. "As long as you continue to have hair like a raging inferno, Captain. I'd still feel better if I could find a good jeweler, though..." he murmurs critically.

Solbiort chuckles, "Eh, vell, not much to do about the hair, I fear." She looks around, saying thoughtfully, "Bet somevon at Five Dragons vould know von? Vhat you need jeweler for?"

Elgyn touches the tips of the stilettos. "I was thinking... maybe a thin spiral of gold... or a pommel with a stone or two... something worthy of what you gave up," he explains ruefully.

Solbiort smiles quietly down at Elgyn, "I gave up nothing of real value, di-di. Like I told Ranaka: got ship, crew, family, and honor. Vhat more important than that?"

Elgyn looks back, thoughts simmering in the dark man's brainpan. "Nothing you won't eventually get anyway, Captain," he muses.

Solbiort gives Elgyn a faintly incredulous, amused look, "And just vhat is that supposed to mean, di-di?!"

Elgyn chuckles. "My people back home would say you have the luck of the warrior, Captain. Look at what you have accomplished, what you have gained, merely by happenstance. Look at what more you have obtained, through concerted effort. If there is anything more that would make you happy, I feel quite certain in thinking it will eventually be yours."

Solbiort's expression shifts two or three times as Elgyn speaks, as if she's not sure whether to be amused, flattered, or disbelieving! Finally she just grins, "Eh, it'd be nice if I got vhat I vanted, but I'm not holding my breath. So... luck of the varrior? Vhat's that?"

Elgyn's expression is thoughtful, as if trying to figure out how to explain it. "We believe our ancestors watch us, guide us, in the world beyond. As much as we train our bodies and our minds to be a coherent fighting force, there is an epitome that we ever strive for, something that is beyond both body and mind. A stillness, where we can tap into the wisdom of those gone before. For those who have attained this, we say they have Kral'k'torsha. 'Luck of the warrior' is the layman's term for it... it loses something in translation."

Solbiort considers a moment, then nods slowly, "All right... I think I understand." She thinks a bit more, then curiously asks, "So do you have it too, di-di? How do you know vhether or not you have it?"

Elgyn shakes his head. "I am not so conceited. Is it something I have strived for? ...constantly. But I am still far too much in my head, far too much in my body. Your muttir, the Lady Veleda, is one who is very in tune with it... and you have gained some of that from her teachings, I believe."

Solbiort looks a bit puzzled, "Too much in... your body? Vhere else vould you be, di-di? I... think I do not understand?"

Elgyn says, "This is, of course, just my opinion. Usually these things are decided by the clan leaders. Often they become leaders themselves, or their most trusted advisors."

Solbiort looks more confused, "The clan leaders become leaders themselves? Er... vhat?" She settles back down in her chair, curiously watching Elgyn as she starts unbraiding her heavy, thick braid into a cascade of fiery hair down her front.

Elgyn laughs. "No, no... let me see... I mean that this sort of ability is often a sign that one was meant to lead. As a result, those with Kral'k'torsha often aspire to lead a clan... though others have preferred to serve, rather than lead -- to be the strong right hand."

Solbiort says, "Ah! Got it. So, vhat you mean about being in your body? You are not in the moment, like a varrior, if you have varrior's luck? Isn't that... lessening of the varrior spirit if so? And vhy is it conceited?"

Elgyn goes on to explain, trying to not get distracted by Solbiort's fiery mane... she is distracting enough under the best of times, and these last few moments have been a strain on his facilities. "I merely mean... those with Kral'k'torsha are destined for great things. It can be blinding, sometimes, striving for this stillness. It can lead to hubris. But the irony is... those who truly have tapped into it are wise enough to avoid that trap."

Solbiort considers as she runs her fingers through her bright scarlet hair, straightening it and shaking out the last of the plaiting. She looks up as Nigel walks in and smiles, "Hoya, Nigel di-di. How goes?" She looks thoughtfully at Elgyn, adding, "So it sounds like this... kral-k-torsha -- is that right? -sounds much like varrior's 'no mind,' vhen training and knowledge guides the hand before thought. Ya?"

Elgyn appears to be in the middle of something, pacing. "A good warrior has trained the body. He knows his strength, he knows the power and the weakness of what he is capable of. He has trained the mind, to be the hand that wields the body to its best end. But for all that, it is still a concerted effort: the mind must focus, the body must be honed. There is an activeness of thought involved in fighting to know where to strike, how hard, and all that sort of thing."

Solbiort raises an eyebrow, but simply listens interestedly as she absently combs with her fingers through her hair, enjoying the sensual feel of it as she's thinking. She murmurs softly to Nigel, "Hot tea over there, di-di -- help yourself?"

Elgyn snaps his fingers. "Something very close, Captain. It is where there is no disconnect between thought and act... indeed, there is no thought at all, only pure action. In that moment, a warrior can touch the ancients."

Solbiort says, "Ah, ya, that makes sense then. Is vhat ve call 'no mind,' vhen you flow through your enemies like Sister Vind."

Nigel wanders through, looking possibly the calmest anyone on the ship has ever seen him. His hands are in his pockets and he's almost grinning, "Evening. Tea'd go down a treat." The man is almost ambling as he wanders that direction.

Solbiort curiously watches Nigel for a moment, then smiles, "Good news?"

Elgyn looks in Nigel's direction. "Maybe he has a hot date with a Tong computer," he suggests, smiling.

Solbiort laughs! "Hope not. Five Dragons vould be upset to find Tong on her planetoid." She puts two small stainless steel hairpins into her mouth, then starts weaving her long, wavy scarlet hair into a slightly more complicated braid than usual.

Nigel snorts, plopping in as much sugar-like substance in his tea as he can without turning it solid, "This is the least stressful two hours I've had since the attack at Demeter."

Solbiort grins at Nigel, her fingers swiftly plaiting in the small decorations as well. Around the hairpins she cheerfully mumbles, "Vell, ve can vix vat if 'ou vant?"

Nigel looks horrified at Solbiort's suggestion, "Perish the gorram thought, captain." He finds a seat, though it's on the floor, and sips at the extremely sweet tea.

Elgyn sits back down, picking up his teacup. "And how have you been spending this leisure time, pray tell?" he queries, absently watching Solbiort with her hair. "Do you need assistance, Captain?"

Solbiort glances at Elgyn and grins, "Ya, iv ve braid 'oming out straight?" She turns her head so he can see it better. At Nigel's horror she laughs softly and carefully past the sharp hairpins, then murmurs, "'ou're vun, Nigel di-di. So vhat you 'een up to, mm?"

Elgyn shakes his head. "No, captain, you've got it..." He stands again then, placing his hands on hers, trying to help her guide the pins into proper position. "It's tilting left..."

Nigel arches a brow and snorts quietly, "What in the name of all that's shiny does di-di actually mean?" He watches Elgyn assisting with the hairpins, looking thoughtful.

Elgyn smiles. "Little brother...The Captain likes a large family..."

Solbiort pauses in her regard of Nigel to concentrate on her hair a moment. "Hnh, 'o 'eft? Feh." She blinks at Nigel, then grins, letting go of her failed first attempt at the new braid and taking the hairpins out of her mouth. Her grin gets mischievous as she says, "Like he said, bao bay... 'little brother.'" She shakes her head, loosening her hair to try again, "Feh. Red may be good luck vhere I come from, but it can be a real hwoon dahn to keep out of the face!" Then she sighs, "All right, Elgyn, I try again. Tell me if I get it right?" She starts plaiting more slowly this time, trying to keep the ornaments in their new order tidy and straight, and glancing curiously over at Nigel as she does so. "On your homeworld, there is varrior ethic? Large families? How many siblings you have, hm?" The stainless steel hairpins sit on the low table in front of Solbiort, gleaming faintly in the light.

Elgyn nods, keeping careful watch. "Steady as she goes, Captain..." he notes with an undercurrent of amusement. Solbiort chuckles.

Nigel laughs aloud, "Warrior ethic? Captain, I was raised on Londinium. The closest you come to a warrior ethic is ruttin' polo. And I have two little sisters." He snorts.

Solbiort looks even more curious. "Polo -- vhat is, please? And how old you are? Your family let you roam alone like this? Don't they vorry for you?" She pauses in her weaving of her plait and adds, "Hand me one hairpin please, Elgyn?"

Nigel looks seriously astonished, "Let me roam? If they had their way, I'd be up to my elbows in neurosurgery on Osiris." He sips the tea for a moment, then gets up and puts some more sweetener in it, "Polo is... well... it's got horses and balls and big ruttin' mallets."

Elgyn takes one, places it gingerly in her hand. "Are you experienced with this sort of weapon, Captain? I will be happy to offer my services if you are not?" he queries in an aside.

Solbiort gives Nigel a confused look, then is distracted by Elgyn. "Know how to use hairpins, but never short knife vork, neh, sorry. Help vould be good if you don't mind? Moment, though..." she glances back at Nigel, "Takes balls to play polo? Ah... like... vhat's it called... jousting?" She considers, then adds, "Isn't that hard on poor horses though?" Elgyn looks like he's stifling a laugh. Solbiort raises an amused eyebrow at Elgyn, "Vhat? Translation difficulty again?"

Nigel does an admirable job of not laughing aloud, but it's obvious he's having to work, "Not exactly those sorts of balls, Cap. Actual balls... people ride the horses and use big ruttin' mallets to smack the balls around, trying to get them into goals..."

Solbiort listens interestedly, and rapidly looks like she also is politely trying not to laugh. "Ah. Of course. So, sounds like close, small families on your homeworld, ya?"

Nigel says, "Well, the small part is just about right."

Solbiort says, "Huh, interesting. Extended families live together then?"

Elgyn leans on a raised knee that's planted on a chair. "What's the dark of it, doc? Did you operate on your father and misplace his spleen?" he suggests. Solbiort blinks startledly at Elgyn, then grins and neatly tucks the hairpin into her hair. A careful shake of her head demonstrates it's set firmly, and she goes back to plaiting the rest of the glossy scarlet mane.

Nigel pulls his knees up, looking as if he's having to figure out how to explain it, "Really it's sort of disconnected."

Solbiort says, "His spleen?! Ah, metaphor. Go on?"

Nigel eyes Elgyn, finishing off his mug of tea but keeping the mug itself in his hands, "The dark of it is that I never wanted to be a doctor, but my folks wanted me to be one. I got the education, concentrated on bionics and prosthetics, and got the shiny hell off that rock as soon as I'd paid them back."

Solbiort tilts her head thoughtfully, regarding Nigel, "Goot for you for repaying family. Vhat you vant now to do?"

Nigel makes a very wide sweeping motion with his hand and then pushes up to his feet, "This is what I want to do..." He pours himself another mug of tea, this time pulling out a small metal flask from one of his pockets.

Elgyn nudges Solbiort. "Like you said, Captain... married to his work." His eyes twinkle. "Or at least there's a steamy affair going on."

Solbiort smiles with quiet affection, watching Nigel, "Hey, I can understand that. Nothing like a pretty little ship to light my fire, as the song goes."

Nigel keeps a very serious expression on his face as he looks at Elgyn, "No. I learned that the hard way. Those parts are sharp."

Solbiort snorts amusedly, then takes a thoughtful breath as she runs her fingers over the part of her plait on the back of her head, then nods, "All right, think I got it now, di-di. Straight?"

Elgyn runs his fingers over Solbiort's hair, giving it the once over. "Perfect," he murmurs almost inaudibly, his eyes soft.

Solbiort nods, pleased, "Goot! Vill ask for training later for pins, please, ya?"

Nigel can't keep his face straight for very long, "Seriously, yes, I am married to my work... I couldn't have picked a better ship if I'd gone shopping..." He pours a generous slug of something amber colored into his tea, doing his very best to let Elgyn and the captain have what seems even to him to be a rather private moment.

Solbiort grins at Nigel as she waits for Elgyn's reply, "Glad to hear you are happy to have Chimera to care for. So vhat you vould change -- or add? Got list?"

Elgyn doesn't even notice Nigel's behavior... though when Solbiort speaks, the veil slides back into place, his expression blank. "I am, as always, at your service, Captain," he says more loudly. Solbiort raises an eyebrow, glancing over her shoulder curiously at Elgyn for a moment... then she just smiles and settles back in the chair comfortably, flipping the braid over the back of the chair behind her, where it hangs swaying slowly.

Nigel wanders over toward the captain and first mate, holding the flask up in offer, "I actually do have a list... I'll have to show it to you. I want more cameras..." Solbiort nods thoughtfully, watching Nigel, and shifts so he can sit nearby if he wishes. She accepts the flask from him, sniffing curiously at it. Nigel chuckles, one corner of his mouth twitchy, "It's whisky." It smells slightly sharp and a little like smoke.

Solbiort brightens, "Ah! Goot schtuff." She takes a healthy slug, then holds the flask up to Elgyn behind her as she savors the mouthful. A moment later she swallows and takes a deep breath, her voice almost as smoky as the drink, "Mmm... ver' nice, Nigel, sheh-sheh."

Nigel bobs his head slightly, "Much welcome." He leans back, sipping his laced tea.

Elgyn takes the flask warily and, after watching Solbiort's reaction, discreetly misplaces it. Solbiort sighs, lacing her fingers behind her head and sliding relaxedly down in the chair enough to cross her ankles on the low table. "I miss good mead. No von makes a decent honey mead out here in the Alliance!" She sighs, her eyes dreamily half closed as she reminisces, then grins ruefully, "Ah, vell... live among barbarians, love life among them, ya? So, Nigel, vhat else you vant?"

Nigel smirks, "I want a life sized platinum statue of me and three harem girls." He chuckles a bit, "I'll get you the list. It's sort of long." He thinks for a second, "I don't want platinum harem girls, though."

Solbiort laughs aloud, then grins wickedly at Nigel, "Sure, pretty! -as soon as I get everything I vant too, ya?"

Elgyn snorts. "Somehow, I can't picture you with a harem, Doctor..." he comments, watching Solbiort warily... and absently sniffing the flask curiously, wondering what's in... "Gah! You could strip the varnish off a footlocker with this!" he oaths.

Solbiort chuckles again, this time at Elgyn's comment, "Tcha, show some respect for good liquor, Elgyn di-di!" She grins lazily, licking her lips, "Is the goot schtuff!"

Nigel chuckles and looks around, looking amused, "I might have to smack you if you try that. That's aged fifteen years..."

Solbiort nods amusedly, "Thought so." She glances up at Elgyn standing behind her and grins again, "Hey, if you gonna be rude to it, pass it back to those who appreciate it, ya?"

Elgyn groans. "Not with the doctor present. He's the one that's supposed to patch you up, remember?" He tries to give the flask back to him, instead...

Solbiort chuckles lazily again, "Hey, I nefer hurt folks accidentally. Any hurts I do are deliberate, und I haff neh reason to vant ill to our pretty mech-boy!" She reaches out casually for the flask, although Elgyn manages to keep it just out of her reach. Solbiort tchs amusedly at Elgyn, then looks at Nigel, "Von more, or you vant it back now?"

Nigel takes the flask and tips another bit into his mug before handing it to the captain. "Whisky is meant to be shared."

Elgyn groans. "Don't encourage her, Nigel..." But he doesn't try to take the flask back this time. He does take a step back, though.

Solbiort chuckles again, glancing mischievously sideways at Elgyn from under her scarlet bangs, "Couldn't haff said it better myself!" She has another healthy slug, then sighs contentedly. "Mmm... there's a thought." She tilts her head back to look up at Elgyn, then realizes he's shifted and turns to look, "Di-di? Vhat, you don't like sharing?"

Elgyn just chuckles wryly. "I just think you like sharing a little too much, Captain..."

Solbiort raises a very amused eyebrow and drawls dryly, "You don't know the haff of it!" She settles back in the chair, still grinning mischievously.

Nigel cranes his head around to peer at Elgyn a little bit, expression puzzled, "Something wrong?"

Elgyn shakes his head at Nigel. "Not at all, Doctor. But dealing with the aftermath of a drunk Vagnerian is not my idea of a good time," he half-teases, nudging Solbiort. "I was incredibly relieved that you pulled yourself together so quickly when I called you about the bureaucrats showing up..."

Solbiort's laugh is half a cough, half a snort, and she mutters amusedly, "Vasn't drinking then, di-di!"

Elgyn blinks. "Really? I must have misunderstood. What were you doing?"

Solbiort tilts her head back with another drink, then sighs happily, "Vas stealing smooches!" She adds amusedly, "Must really like you, to let you interrupt, ya?"

Nigel snorts and stands up, brushing off the fronts of his coveralls, "I think I am going to retire." He motions to the flask, "Just drop that off tomorrow."

Elgyn's smile fades just slightly. "Mmm... anyway... I suppose I should get back to almost blowing up the ship." He goes to the door he entered. "When you want to go to bed, Captain, just snore loudly..." he calls back in amusement.

Solbiort grins and waves cheerfully at Nigel, "Sheh-sheh! I bring somezing to share next time, ya?" She raises a curious eyebrow at Elgyn, but doesn't stop him leaving if he wishes to. Nigel sketches a little salute in response as he shuffles on off. Solbiort sighs a bit wistfully once she's alone in the room, studying the flask she's holding. "Ah, vell. Can save for sharing later." She carefully caps it, then rises smoothly -- it's clear she's hardly affected at all by the amount she's drunk so far. She wanders out of the Lounge, murmuring thoughtfully, "Vonder if there's a goot bar in town somevhere...?"


It's a short while later, and Solbiort has indeed found a nice, dark little bar or inn. She looks around from the table she's settled herself at, pleased at the prospect of a good drink and a fun fight before the night is over! The bar is relatively nice -- it definitely caters to the dock crowd, mostly stevedores and dock-wallopers, but there are also a number of toughs, apparently confident enough in themselves (and their buddies at their back) to relax in this type of place. Solbiort gets more than a few looks as she strides in -- some wary, some appreciative, some (mostly the blurry ones) narrowing at 'yet another outsider' walking into a bar with an established clientele.

Solbiort grins, stretching her arms over her head and cracking her knuckles. Looks like a good crowd! Should be a nice evening. She's settled at a table where she can put her back to a wall, then orders something... something to suit her current mood, she thinks. Smoky, strong, perhaps a bit sharp. She's feeling very... elemental tonight. Very sensual, very alive, slightly fey from the whisky. Sex and fighting are, she thinks, the nicest ways she knows of to most fully celebrate and experience life!

For the time being, the bar appears to be fairly insular. Solbiort can sense the tension rising a bit, though, as another clearly off-worlder group of toughs -- mercs or fighters belonging to a transport involved in the "small packages trade" -- meanders in, being a bit loud. Solbiort tilts her head thoughtfully, gauging their demeanor and likely response to a friendly challenge. Hm... lot of toughs in here tonight. Curious, but nothing to worry about, she decides. She has a sip of her whisky, savoring the smoky burn down the back of her throat, and leans back to enjoy the moment. She'll finish her fine drink before causing any sort of ruckus. Be a shame to waste something almost as old as she is, after all!

Almost on cue, a spirited argument breaks out on the other side of the bar. 'Spirited' in this case means raised voices but no thrown fists just yet. Near as Solbiort can tell it's regarding the existence or non-existence of Reavers -- a rather popular topic. Solbiort grins, her eyes lighting up. Sounds promising! She picks up her glass and meanders over thataways.

As is typical, "They do not!" "They do too!" is the summation of it. As Solbiort approaches, an older spacer -- or at least he once was a spacer, he's rather ratty and worn to be one currently -- loudly announces that he actually saw Reavers once. "It was off in Burnham Quad," he intones, managing to briefly enrapture his audience. "'Way before ya heard the stories of their first attack on Lilac. They was on a ship painted red with blood, crowned wi' thorn-vines of bones, and they came down outta the sky with fire and hail, and raided Bullshire-"

"Bullshyte" is probably the nicest jeer that gets directed at the guy for that. Solbiort's pretty sure there's a moon or submoon out in Burnham that's called Bullshire, but it's hard to keep track of the hundreds of moons in the 'Verse. Undaunted, the man continues: "An' they -- we was watchin' from a hillock 'bout two miles away -- an' they rounded up the good Alliance-fearin' folk and started ta demand obedience ta them, an' those which didn't, they threw ta th' wolves-"

He's interrupted again by both sides of the argument, one asserting that his story is so transparent as to be blatantly, insulting false; and the other side stating Reavers don't act that way. Oh, yes, there's also more than a little gesturing that's starting to get into people's "personal space." Solbiort grins broadly, leaning against a wall and watching things develop as she hears the competing stories. She tosses back the last of her drink so it's not wasted, then pulls a stool over with one booted heel, settling on it to listen. She has to admit to herself she's never heard of Reavers demanding obedience. How could the old guy hear what they were demanding if he was some two clicks away, too?

The old man raises his voice a bit more, almost snarling. "I seen 'em! An' nothin' you say can change it! They was there, I know it, and when they shot the judge and the sheriff in cold blood-"

"What, they didn't eat them?" "Hu che, hundan!" "Gao yang zhong de gu-yang!" "Shut yer yapper!"

Solbiort grins again, then effortlessly raises her voice to cut across the tumult, "I haf seen them." In the momentary quiet she adds, "Vas ze regular Hera-Newhall run. Ve vere lucky -- saw zem first on long-range." She waves a hand, "Distinctive scanner trail from the defective engines... und ve saw zem up close vhile ve vere hiding in ze asteroid belt. Dizgusting vay to treat a goot ship, vhat zey do." She grins challengingly, her eyes bright.

The old man grunts in the quiet. "The ones I saw, they wasn't hidin'-" "Hu che, Grandfather, your story's a crock." "You're the one who shuts up right this instant, boy! I ain't done yet!" "You sure are, what with her story, faker!" At that, of course, the inevitable happens. When the old man launches into some ramble about a 'Reaver noble' one drunken spacer reaches over to cuff him... and bumps into someone else. Who shoves back, landing the would-be cuffer on a third person. Who gets decked. "No fighting...! " the bartender shouts, belatedly and way too late. One bottle of Ng-Ka-Pei lands on someone's head, stools are thrown to the side and it is most decidedly on.

Solbiort laughs delightedly, wading in with pleasure. She's nice enough to yank the old guy out of the way, but then she gleefully joins in. The old man has enough time to go, "What? I was getting to the best part..." before being deposited behind the bar with the bartender -- and then it's total chaos. Bottles of perfectly good Ng-Ka-Pei and Bartley's are thrown all asunder, quickly followed by bodies. Solbiort notices the windows were replaced some time ago by holo-screens -- as one patron sails through the holo and the 'glass' doesn't shatter. The mirror over one of the tables isn't so lucky, though.

Solbiort tosses aside someone heading for the confused grandfather, ducks a swung stool, and straightens up with a fist to the jaw for the guy with the bottle who's next to him. She leans sideways as another fist shoots over her shoulder, missing her and clobbering the stool swinger. Someone collides heavily with her, causing her to grunt and stagger slightly, then laugh again as she lashes out with one boot and knocks the feet out from her new attacker. Her emerald eyes sparkle with delight as she liberally uses her fists and feet and weight to wade through the ruckus, and in the dim light her fiery hair catches occasional glints as she spins and whirls and charges. Her happily bellowed battle cry is almost lost in the noise and furor -- she's having a wonderful time!

The fight continues for about fifteen minutes before out of the corner of her eye Solbiort spots black suits wading into the fray from outside, and stun batons starting to be swung. Interesting that the bartender called on Five Dragons' people rather than the police. Solbiort raises an eyebrow, but grins anyways. It was a nice fight while it lasted, and she got a good 15 minutes out of it! She backs away from the fighting if she can, breathing hard and wiping away a trickle of blood from a split lip with the back of one hand.

After a few minutes -- apparently nobody wants to mess with Five Dragons' folks -- and more than a few roughly-swung stun-batons, there are only a few twitching bodies on the floor, and the rest of the more rambunctious are being dragged away posthaste by less drunk buddies. The ones on the floor who don't have buddies are roughly roused and thrown out. Shortly thereafter Solbiort sees Liu walk in, looking faintly irritated. Solbiort absently uses her free hand to shove someone past her, keeping their inertia going so they hurtle by her instead of impacting. She's curious as to what the Five Dragons folks will do once the fight has stopped, but she's more than willing to split out the back if necessary... until she sees Liu. She blinks, then grins, watching with interest how Ranaka's heart-interest will behave.

Liu just shakes his head, before turning to one of the other suits and saying something to her. She goes and starts to have a long, long conversation with the bartender. Liu is about to leave when his eye falls on Solbiort. He blinks a little in surprise, then approaches her, looking a little wry. "Well, Captain, so very unexpected finding you here."

Solbiort grins mischievously even as she nods politely down at the smaller man, "Likevise, Lieutenant! Missed a nice fight." Her eyes glitter wickedly as she adds innocently, "Buy you a drink?"

Liu's comment is deadpan, "So I hear. I'm glad to see you were not one of the... holdouts." He glances over at the ones being tossed out. "People should know when the party is over," he murmurs. He looks back to Solbiort. "A drink? Certainly, thank you. But not here, I don't think. The bartender has probably had more than enough excitement for one night."

Even disheveled, with gleaming strands of hair escaping her braid, one set of knuckles bloody, and her vest half unlaced, there is a strong, graceful poise to Solbiort. She looks perfectly at ease, as ready to fall back into the fight as to have a polite chat with Liu... except for that dangerously fey gleam in her eyes, and the wicked grin as she accepts his offer. "Lead the vay, Lieutenant! Zis is your town, zo I'll trust your judgment on vhere vould be goot."

Liu arches a brow, and clears his throat a little. "Ah, thank you, captain." As he walks with Solbiort out of the bar, he gives brief instructions to a couple of his people. When out of earshot of them he murmurs, "I see your reputation as 'Mad Red' is well deserved."

Solbiort casually tucks her hair back behind one ear, "Mmm? Vhy you say so? Alvays vondered about zat myself. After all, alvays head for bar fights vith autolock und knife peace-bonded. Don't vant anyvon to get really hurt, you know? So... vhat's mad about zat, I alvays vonder?"

Liu chuckles softly. "I think it's more a reputation for causing or reveling in chaos, which is unusual in one who once served what could be considered to be the final expression of order in human history."

Solbiort laughs, stretching her arms over her head again as she walks, "Final expression? Neh, neh, I zertainly hope not! Chaos is life, und ve need order to come und tidy us up again after ve haf lovely vild party, ya?" She grins at Liu, her emerald eyes bright as she adds, "Sometimes chaos chust comes und finds me, too." She shrugs with elaborate innocence, "Vhat's a valkyrie to do vhen zat happens? Gots ta ride ze virlvind!"

Liu makes a quiet sound. "Forgive me, I just find that rather fascinating coming from a former Alliance officer. If it is not too impertinent of me to ask, is that why you left the service?"

Solbiort shrugs and grins, "Could be." She gently bumps his shoulder with her own, "Come on, Lieutenant... surely sometimes even you feel ze need to be a little vild, to experience life as fully as possible? Sex und fighting are most risky vays to do so zat I know of... und tonight vas better to go find goot fight!" She grins cheerfully at him, "Und yourself?"

Liu smiles a bit. "Five Dragons 'owns' Oblivion Falls in much the same way most underworld figures 'own' their towns or cities of residence. In order to be taken seriously, 'no excrement in the front yard,' so to speak. Bar fights tend to, shall we say, lower property values. Still, it helps relieve tension. We've had more than a few fighters wander into Oblivion Falls this past week. I'm not surprised a fight broke out, least of all in that bar; what surprised me was finding you there.

Solbiort says, "Eh? Vhy so?" She laughs throatily, her eyes and teeth gleaming in the light of the passing street globes, "Vhat, surely you not zink I afraid to risk?!" She gets a mischievous look, "Or is it you are afraid to risk?"

Liu laughs. "To risk? No, I do not think you are afraid, and I am not either. I had thought, though, with your straits, that you would be keeping a low profile all in all." He grins teasingly, "Unless that was a 'low profile' for you...."

Solbiort looks innocent, "Me? Soul of discretion!" She laughs throatily again, enjoying herself as she waves an arm, "How more proper can I get? Hafink nice decorous drink viz son of Fife Dragons! Vhich reminds me... vhere is zis nice decorous drink, eh? Am thinking I can drink you under table at this rate!"

Liu laughs. "A few streets over. A little closer to the compound so not as many non-residents go there. But it should still be mostly to your liking."

Solbiort beams, lengthening her stride in anticipation, "Glad to hear it!" She grins over her shoulder at the younger man, "Zo, gotta ask -- vhat you zhink is my liking, mmm?"

Liu smiles back wryly. "Something not unlike where we just were -- a place that doesn't put on airs and has a clientele that doesn't either."

Solbiort grins again, her bright eyes glowing almost lambent in the dim light, "Sounds good to me, ya. Can do the hoity-toity, but is not much fun."

Liu nods. "We're not terribly fond of shindigs and soirees either, but sometimes they're called for. Of course they're sometimes even more dangerous than these places...." Speaking of which, the two are now standing in front of a place that has a budget bigger than the last bar's by perhaps a hair's breadth.

Solbiort stands with her hands on her hips, staring up at the (slightly shabby) sign, then nods once firmly, "Hokay, looks goot to me! Let's go in." She pushes the door open, holding it for Liu while she assesses the crowd, and murmurs, "Eh, depends. Only reason Fergusen von vas dangerous vas because ze boy vas vorried about his 'manhood' zhingie!"

Liu gracefully accepts the door. "Hmm? Fergusen?"

Solbiort glances down at Liu as he walks in past her, then grins, realizing the young man is not teasing her about the party she got the hairpins from -- and at which she almost got killed. "Ah. Nozzing, nozzing! So, zey haf any mead here, or only beers und ale?"

Liu says, "Oh, this is one of your other exploits, isn't it? Ah... I don't think they have mead, actually. The only place to find that here on Skamandrios is a bit... hoity-toity."

Solbiort laughs! "Ve pass, zen, ya." She looks around and with adroitness born of long experience picks a good table to settle at so there's a place for both of them. Then she looks around with beaming interest, waving over a cute young thing to place an order. "Nihao! I am goink to drink zis young man under ze table, und ze loser is goink to pay for ze drinks." She glances over at Liu, her grin delightedly challenging, "Vhat's your poison, pretty?"

Both Liu and the rather indeterminate-gender cute one blink at Solbiort -- only Liu turns it into a challenging grin. "Are you sure, Captain? I've been all but raised on rice beer since I was old enough to understand it's never a good idea to be made drunk at a business meeting."

Solbiort beams, "Vonderbar! Und I also have been drinking since childhood!" She turns to the cute one, "Beer! But none of zat silly rice schtuff -- real beer, like Zum Schneider or Heffenweizen!"

The waitperson umms, trying to think of the right local brew. "Schwartzbrau Goldleber, Cas," Liu says cheerfully. "It's Germanic, but considered the most potent ale this side of Heinlein, Captain."

Solbiort brightens, "Oh, ya, zat is goot!" She makes shooing gestures at the waiter, "Two, shoo, shoo, hurry! Dying of thirst here!" Cas scuttles off, returning a few moments later with two large bottles of dark glass with labels that are entirely gold foil but for the small Blue Sun logo in the corner. Solbiort sighs happily, waving expansively at Liu, "Can do the honors!" She watches him opening bottles, then grins mischievously, "Zo, vhy you sayink soirees more dancherous, mm?"

Liu grins, opening both bottles with relatively practiced ease. "Those affairs tend to be contests of will and influence. One misspoken word can cost dearly, and an inadvertent snub can cause problems for rival... factions for many months afterward. Spilling a drink can be misconstrued as a challenge to a feud of some sort."

Solbiort says, "Ah, zo you veren't speaking of actually being shot at or anyzing; so ka."

"Not usually." He sets both bottles down in the center of the table. "Though there have been a few incidents. The Tongs tend to enjoy blades at such gatherings, while some Syndicate toughs, I think, have ongoing contests to see how many autolocks they can carry semi-concealed."

Solbiort politely picks a bottle, pours a glass, waits until Liu is ready, and then has a long, slow, savoring drink. She enjoys the cold, creamy head; the thick feel in her mouth; and the cool sensation of the beer sliding smoothly down her throat. At Liu's words she chuckles, then sets the glass down with a happy sigh. "Silly boys und zeir toys."

Liu laughs softly, also taking a pull of the beer. "Some of the Tongs have it right, I think, that the individual human is themself a weapon. Still, even without enough Suoshi autolocks and hand repeaters to arm a company of Alliance marshals, soirees usually mean conversations and meetings where there are double- or triple-layered meanings to every word. Fortunately most of the Syndicate meets aren't that subtle."

Solbiort smiles challengingly, her eyes bright, and starts matching Liu drink for drink. She'll chat disarmingly with him about nothing much, she's happy to talk to him about his mother or Ranaka... but mostly she's cheerfully testing their drinking capabilities against each other. She is also smart enough, however, to make sure the bartender knows to keep them well supplied with large mugs of water too. Every time they finish a bottle, she makes sure they both have a long draught of water. At one point she curiously asks, "Zo, how you meet my co- er, mei-mei Ranaka?"

Liu makes a quiet sound before lowering the large mug of water, in between draughts. His voice is only slightly slurred. "She came to Oblivion Falls after having suffered some sort of... humbling on Enyo. She was still full of fight, though bitter. She got into a fight, and it so happened Five Dragons was in the restaurant the fight broke out in." He shrugs a little lopsidedly. "Five Dragons was about to kick her off the world when she decided to give Ranaka an interview. At the time Ranaka was probably one of the best fighters in Five Dragons' rather young organization, and it was Noug who came up with the idea that Ranaka could 'pose' as Five Dragons in public. Nothing against her, but Five Dragons is much better at battles of wits than physical fights -- which is not good when thwarting assassination attempts."

Solbiort chuckles, "Ya, und Ranaka is more ze fighter type -- oh, ya!" Her own voice is a low, smoky rumble of pleasure, "Mmm, you are right, svai-boy -- zis is ver' goot beer!" She has another long, relaxed swig, then settles back in the chair, "Zo vhat happen zat she schtupid enough to start fight in front of handsome voman like your mutti?"

Liu grins quietly. "Why, thank you, captain. Her first reaction was to toss Ranaka out of the restaurant. That didn't go over with Ranaka too well, and a few hours later she was a bit drunk and confronted us on our way back to the compound." He lifts his shoulders a little. "Though Ranaka was roughed up a bit, Five Dragons defused the situation and offered Ranaka a position once she saw that Ranaka was capable, just... misdirected. As an aside, Ranaka hasn't touched any strong drink since that night."

Solbiort laughs delightedly, "Ah, ya, zat is my cousin -- as determined as otumlas in breeding season!" She grins, patting Liu's hand gently, "Is goot of you to take her in, gif her family again. Sheh-sheh. 'Nozzer beer? Und vhy she start fight in ze first place, eh? If vere me, vould be all busy vatching svai-boys und elegant visindakona -- not messing up goot dinner!"

"Yes, sure. I can handle some more, I think," he adds, grinning. "Mm, she had an argument with a ship rep she was trying to get passage off-world from. I gather the rep made some sort of indecent comment a few moments before Ranaka broke her jaw. Of course, that started a fight with the rep's bodyguards."

Solbiort aaahs and nods sagely, "Yah, zat so ka. Vonder vhy ze rep make stupid comment in restaurant, zo?"

"I've no idea. I can only imagine the rep thought Ranaka wouldn't retaliate or throw down in a restaurant."

Solbiort says, "Huh." She ponders a bit, then grins mischievously, "Vas ze ship rep svai too?" She pours more beer for both of them, cheerfully topping both glasses off.

Liu chuckles softly. "Maybe. Admittedly I only got a good look at her after Ranaka hauled back and hit her. She... ah, wasn't in terribly good shape after that...."

Solbiort says, "Ach, vhat a vaste. Vonder vhy Ranaka didn't just tumble her?"

"'Tumble'?"

Solbiort cheerfully explains, "Haf zex viz!"

Liu ohs! "I get the impression that sex with the rep was not what the rep was implying. I could be entirely wrong, though. Ranaka doesn't speak much of that night; she's somewhat... embarrassed by the incident."

Solbiort says, "Huh, really? Vonder vhat vas so indecent." She has another hefty swig, then grins, "Vell, vould be rude to ask. She got enough problems vizzout me pressing her about some jien hwo (cheap floozy)." She refills Liu's glass, then has another savoring swallow of beer. She tilts her head, her emerald eyes bright as she studies the smaller and younger man. Is he fading a little? Better keep him talking a bit more or the night will be over too soon! She asks, "Zo, tell me vhy your jing-tsai (splendid) mutti is out here und not holding court on Oziris? Handsome lady like her could haf pick of courtiers, am zinkink!"

After a bit Liu is starting to get a little blurry-eyed. "Centrals, she'd have to be part of the system. Have to be Tong if she wanted to do anything shady, and government or economic noble if legit. She never had the cash money to be economic nobility, or the connections to be gov'ment. And she couldn't be Tong. So... out here she came...."

Solbiort nods understandingly. "Vhy not Tong? Vould zink zey love beautiful lady like her?"

Liu's grin is most definitely lopsided. "Can't say," he says; his accent is most definitely not Mandarin. "That's Mom's -- er, Five Dragons's tale to tell someday. Made me promise not to say."

Solbiort says, "Zey all fong luh (loopy in the head) anyvays." Her tone is firmly dismissive of all Tong, and she continues, "How zey zink zomevon like her cui shou bu ji (not good enough), I nefer understand. Zo she vait until you grown und can help before starting? Make zense... bu ru hu xue, yan de hu zi (nothing ventured, nothing gained), after all. Vhere you from?"

Liu raises his glass to all the Mandarin being thrown at him. "Sorta. She waited until then before starting here on Skamandrios. Before then was the War, 'course." He takes another, only moderately shaky pull of the beer. "Bernadette -- long, long time since I been there, though. After I was born, packed up and moved to Persephone for a time."

Solbiort says, "Really? Why all ze mofink?" She growls slightly at mention of Persephone, but doesn't interrupt Liu's reply. Instead she trails a finger languidly around the lip of her mug, dreamily murmuring, "She haf zuch beautiful skin... vhere she get all zose amazing tattoos?"

Liu shakes his head, "She jus' wan'ed to loose the past is all. She never spoke much; mus' have somethin' to do with the Tongs since she hates them, too. The tattoos she got sometime during the War." And with that he blinks and slurs, "I think you won. Tell Cas... put it on... tab." And with a *THUD* he passes out.

Solbiort blinks owlishly at Liu... then sits back with a crow of delight, "Ha, bao bay, tell me ban men nong fu (teach my grandmother to suck eggs)!" She beams at the unconscious young man for a moment, then leans forward and gently pats his head, "Neh vorry, svai-boy, I take goot care of you." She looks up and bellows for Cas. When the startled young girl appears next to her, Soli takes her hand and pats it, "You ver' svai too, but vhat I really need right now is biiig big mug of vater, pliss! Neh, make it two!" Cas, still a bit intimidated, delivers the aforementioned water.

Solbiort will gently try to awaken Liu (gently for a drunken valkyrie), but soon realizes it's a lost cause. "Huh. Vell, hope you listen to me und drink all ze vater I tell you, svai, or you have gwai of headache tomorrow!" She beams and thanks Cas, then drinks the water herself. After that she smacks her lips happily, tosses several plat to Cas, "Keep the rest -- you ver' nice to keep us vell supplied, bao bay!" then rises and carefully slings the unconscious younger man over her shoulder. As she does so she mumbles, "Nefer say I vas ungenerous to svai-boys, ya?"

Solbiort heads out the door with careful, slow steps, singing quietly to herself in her native tongue. It's probably just as well she's not speaking the local language, as the song is a bit bawdy even for Midgaard! She continues slowly along the streets towards the compound, humming and occasionally singing snatches of the verses she still remembers, careful not to bounce poor Liu's head on her back. When she gets to Five Dragons' home she cheerfully pats Liu's rear with her free hand, "Zee? Zafe und zound, chust like I promise!" then steps forward and hammers on the door with her fist, "Hoya, anyvon avake?! Open ze door!"

There is silence for a few minutes, then the door clicks as it is unlatched and opens a crack, revealing nothing but darkness beyond. After a moment the door is swung wide, revealing a man who looks similar to but younger than Liu. "Good gods!" he exclaims softly. "What happened ?!"

Solbiort beams amiably, only slurring a bit, "Niiii-hao!" She strides in, "Happened: ver' goot night! Vhere is Ranaka, pliss?"

The young man blinks a little. "A good nigh-? Oh, faith, I see. Whew... I was worried there'd been a hit or some... thing...." At mention of Ranaka he blinks, and looks around. "Ranaka? She's sleeping, I think."

Solbiort laughs, "Vell zen, vake her up! Gots zomevon needs zome help, ya?" She looks around, then at the young man, "Vhich vay?" The man umms, then points down the hallway to the left of the entrance inside the main building. Solbiort pats Liu's rear gently again, "Hokay, almozt to bed!" and heads that way, calling to the gateman, "Zend ofer Ranaka, ya? Tell her Mad Red needs a hand!" The young man bobs his head and goes off, securing the door behind Solbiort.

Solbiort is singing quietly to herself again (not wishing to startle someone on guard) as she goes, looking for some likely doorway. If she meets anyone she'll cheerfully inquire as to where Liu's rooms are, "...pliss?" After only running into a few guards -- and noticing more than a few discrete security cameras -- she finally gets to Liu's somewhat sparse but snug and comfortable room. Solbiort brightens, "Ah! Home again -- zoon you znug like ze bugs!" She carefully dumps Liu's limp form onto the bed, then stands there thoughtfully regarding him. "Hmm... vait for Ranaka, I zink... zhen off und avay, ya!" She looks around, hoping to find some water or something to leave for him on the bedside table before she goes.

Very shortly Solbiort hears stomping coming up from the hall. "Why the hell is she over here, Yuan? Augh, what in the world could she-" And the door opens and Ranaka in a robe is standing there, blinking as she takes in Solbiort and Liu. "Gnrk...?"

Solbiort beams delightedly, "Mei-mei! Here you go! Svai-boy all ready for you to rezcue from big bad dancherous me!" She leans in and murmurs confidentially, "Boys lofe zhat 'vaking up in ze arms of zeir rezcuer' zhing, you know!" Then she straightens, slaps Ranaka's shoulder companionably, and adds, "Gotta go! Haf goot night!" She slips out the door to head for the main gateway, happily singing her bawdy song to herself again.

Ranaka is still standing there, one eye twitching, trying to figure out what to say or think. "Gnrk..." she repeats. The younger man walks with Solbiort out to the door, glancing behind him at Ranaka still standing at the door to Liu's room. Should Solbiort glance back, she notices this incredibly huge blush starting to form upon her cousin's face, and a 'I know what I WANT to do, but I know it's what I SHOULDN'T do...' look.

Solbiort chuckles in spite of herself at Ranaka's reaction -- she thinks it's cute! She beams at the young man next to her, "Vell, vhat's your name, Yuan, ya? Been lofely night for me. You haf goot night also, ya?"

Yuan coughs a little, slightly self-consciously. "Ah... you as well, Captain... good night..." Solbiort chuckles, slapping him companionably on the shoulder also -- then apologizing as she accidentally knocks him sideways. She makes sure he's standing just fine on his own, then pauses, glancing back once a bit wistfully, looking searchingly deep into the darkness of the house. Then she sighs softly, smiles and shakes her head ruefully. She waves and heads out the main gate.

Solbiort arrives in the docking bay, lustily bellowing an extremely naughty Midgaardian song generally sung only by drunken valkyrior. However, she tries to hush up once she's aboard the Chimera, chuckling quietly to herself as she weaves carefully down the walkways to her room. Elgyn intercepts her on route, gently giving her support. "Did you leave anyone standing, Captain?" he queries in wry amusment, knowing full well where she's been and what she's likely been up to.

Solbiort blinks muzzily down at Elgyn... then beams, "Di-di Elgyn! Vhat you doin' here? Shouldn't you be in bed?" She looks around with near-sighted interest, "Ve are in ze ship, ya?" She happily ruffles his hair, then adds, "Neh, not a von ztanding! Even Liu under ze table... but neh vorries, left him in Ranaka's hands, ya."

Elgyn rolls his eyes good-naturedly. "I stayed up, Captain, just in case you gave a call or would need bailing out of the local..." He blinks. "A whatawhat?"

Solbiort says, "Huh? Oh! Neh, is svai-boy Liu zhey call, not polisse." She giggles, patting Elgyn's shoulder, then leaning a bit on him, "Mei-mei Ranaka zho svai vhen she blush!"

Elgyn grimaces... Soli's accent gets even thicker when she's drunk, and it's harder to understand what she's saying as a result. But he generally puzzles it out. "I see. You didn't do anything we'll regret in the morning, then, I hope?" he grunts as he helps her into heir shared cabin.

Solbiort rumbles happily, "Don' zhink zo, svai-di-di, unless you vanted Liu for yourself?"

Elgyn rolls his eyes again. "No, I think I'll live without pairing off with Liu, especially considering I rattled my saber at him..." He just chuckles, putting her on the bed. "I should get you some water..."

Solbiort giggles at Elgyn, "Vhat, you two vant to cross zabers? Vhy, di-di, how unexpected -- you getting naughty!" She yawns hugely, fumbling with one boot in an attempt to remove it, then adds, "Had plenty vater, pretty-pretty. Zit und talk viz me a bit instead? You got anyzing to drink?" Soli is disheveled, her scarlet hair well on its way to completely escaping her braid, the lacing on her vest half torn away, and one set of knuckles is bloody. Nevertheless when she grins cheerfully at Elgyn, her eyes shine brightly with emerald mischief, and she practically exudes sensual pleasure -- she's in a very good mood!

Elgyn just chuckles and shakes his head. "You know better than that, Captain... I'd be more likely to have a Companion stowed in my gear than alcohol..." he replies. This is a common enough occurrence that he easily slips back into his typical role... helping her off with her boots as it seems clear she's a little too muddled to manage on her own. As a result of this being a common occurrence, it mutes his response to the look in Solbiort's eyes... even after today's earlier revelation.

Solbiort sighs a bit wistfully, straightening her legs so he can remove her boots more easily, "Vould like a Companion tonight." She muses a moment, then rumbles with a quiet smile, "Vouldn't haf minded meeting ze Dragon Lady tonight eizzer... mmmm!" She tilts her head thoughtfully, regarding Elgyn, "Vhat you zink of her, pretty?"

Elgyn considers. "Five Dragons? I like her well enough... seems a decent sort, though it remains to be seen just how decent..."

Solbiort grins, flopping bonelessly back onto her bed in a graceful sprawl, her arms behind her head and her scarlet mane spilling across the pillow, "Zhink she's jing-tsai?"

"I don't know her well enough to know that, Captain... it's her actions that will speak loudest in the days to come. At the moment she's just another employer..." Elgyn responds calmly, watching her squirm on the sheets with quiet eyes.

Solbiort hmms thoughtfully, her gaze far away as she considers. Finally she shrugs and smoothly rolls to her feet -- Elgyn can see she's throwing off the alcohol already. Having the constitution of a horse doesn't hurt any, of course... she heads for the shower, tossing her vest onto a nearby chair, "Pfah! Burning up in here... gonna take cold shower, di-di." She glances over her shoulder at him, a fey grin on her lips, "Vanna scrub my back?" She laughs, slipping into the little cubicle, and a moment later starts singing again as her pants are tossed out too.

It doesn't help that Elgyn is standing in just the wrong place, and ends up with pants flopped on his head as a result. "I think I'll just go to bed, Captain." he informs her pants.

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Last modified: 2006-Mar-04 21:02:19

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