The Enemy Within: A Pirate's Life For Me

Ebullience Wharf 

- New Luna -


 * This is a sun-bleached dock that extends almost a quarter mile into the choppy blue sea. Massive logs jut up from the water every ten feet or so on both sides of the dock, holding the palmbirch planks that run across it steady as can be. Tiny creamy yellow crustaceans dot the supports and the undersides of the planks, their calcium shells bonding to the wood. The sound of harsh bird cries can be heard in the distance. Dirty white Naturalon fiber ropes are wrapped around the wooden pilons, and many are connected to boats that line the Wharf. Mostly dominated by small freighter ships and sailboats, the dock every so often will berth a tugboat or transit ferry. In fact, at the end of the Wharf, a space has been painted on the wood in white paint that says, "Transit ships only". A post with a button on it sits to one side of the space, and dockhands often lounge around this area. The dock stretches back towards the Harbor, and the shore of this subtropical island.

The sun begins to set, producing magnificent colors on the horizon.

The wharf is a pretty busy little place. Work going on constantly, well, if this wasn't a Friday, then most likely. A single ship, The NLS Longbeach is currently moored alongside, with its ropework nice a pretty. A man, who appears to be in his early 30's, stands on the wharf nearby, appearing to be talking with someone on the ship itself.

Katriel ambles along the wharf, lavender eyes drinking in the colors of the setting sun. Humming softly to herself, she seems perfectly content to be out and about, lost in her own thoughts.

"If Mohammed can't go to the mountain," the man on the wharf comments to someone on the boat. He grins at the inaudible reply and then laughs a carefree casual laugh and nothing more than that. He raises his hand up to his ear, and then glances in the direction of the Mystic coming along the wharf. All of his motions are slow and casual, as if he was just raising his hand to scratch at his ear.

"Hmm hm hmmm hmmhmm," Katriel hums along, pausing at the edge of the planks to look out over the water. Shading her eyes a bit from the glare of the setting star, she looks up at one of the birds, tracking its lazy path overhead.

The man reaches down to get something from the other man in the wheelhouse, and then slowly stands back up. He slips it behind his back, and reaches up to his ear once more and removes an earbud. "Evenin' darlin'," he drawls as he wanders towards the Mystic. He offers a friendly smile and all that. "Nice night. Like the powers that be, would want it to be."

Katriel drops her hand back to her side, turning her gaze to the man as he addresses her. "Evenin'," she responds with a broad smile. "It is lovely-- I love watching sunsets. 'Specially ones over water. Like the sky just melts into the water," she agrees, nodding cheerfully.

The man gives a slow nod, and casually walks closer to Katriel. "Have you seen it from out at sea, miss?" He gives a faintly hopeful smile, and extends his hand. "Name's Christopher Hard. That down there, the Longbeach, she's my boat."

Katriel shakes her head, eyes automatically following the waving hand to the moored boat as she takes his hand. "Nope. Like to sometime, but haven't had the chance yet," she admits.

"We're about to cast off when I call my crew," Hard says, not seeming the least concerned about the lack of name. "We're just going out to do some fishing... You like seafood, yes? Nothing better than freshly caught seafood. You're perfectly welcome to join us aboard."

Nibbling on her lower lip, Katriel considers the offer. "Well... Are ya gonna be gone long? Tay'll get worried if I'm not back this evenin'," she explains, shifting her weight indecisively.

"We won't be go long, I promise you," Hard replies, with a friendly smile. Actually, he could have been a used car salesman in a past life. "Tay... As in Taeren M'nammran?" There's a slight arching his brow. "We'll give you some seafood, free of charge, just to take back to him."

Katriel nods, face brightening at the mention of the Timonae's full name. If he knows Tay, he must be a friend, right? Right. "That's really nice of you-- I'm sure he'll appreciate it," she responds still bobbing her head along. "Oh! I'm Katriel-- Kat, most folk call me," she tells him belatedly, eyes slightly wide as she realizes the mistake.

For a moment, Hard's smile twists into something more sadistic, before he returns to his friendly smile. "Well Katriel, it's a pleasure to meet you." He raises a finger, as in the universal 'give me a minute' sign, as he digs out his commlink. "Guys, we're about to cast out. We've got a Miss Katriel as a passenger on board tonight... Please, look out for her on board." Then his attention returns completely to Katriel once again. "If you wish to board, we'll leave in about five. One of the crew said that he's going to let Tay know, just in case we're late and he starts to worry."

Katriel tilts her head to one side, watching Hard as he speaks into the commlink. "Oh, okay-- Or I could just comm him..." her hand pats her pocket, and then she frowns. A brief search of all her pockets comes up empty for the item. "Or, I would, except I forgot the silly thing," she says with an exasperrated quirk of her lips. "So, umm, yeah-- thanks," she says, slightly flustered at the discovery, but then bounces on down to the waiting ship.

The deck of the ship doesn't seem all that interesting. Just a navy grey decktread with painted white railings running all the way around. A bit of rust shows through here and there.

Behind Katriel's back Hard mouths to himself, 'Or the make the mountain come to you.' He then starts to wander down towards the decking of the ship, taking a moment to untuck his shirt to cover something over. "If you just want to head into the crew quarters, I'll give you a quick explanation of our health and safety on board this boat and inform you where our life jackets are kept, in case of us having to abandon ship. This ship is brillant, and there has never been a safer boat."

Katriel steps onto the ship, and then just stands still for a moment, feeling it rock beneath her feet. Bemused lavender eyes turn toward the ship's captain as he speaks, and there's the slightest flicker of apprehension when he mentions health and safety. "Oh-- life jackets?" she asks, brow creasing a moment as her brain tries to think of a spacesuit that's a jacket.

"Life jacket," Hard repeats, as he makes his way towards the hatch behind the wheelhouse. "You use them to keep afloat at sea. The sea, she's a cruel mistress and keeps all she takes. So we cheat her out of it. If it gets rough out there, make sure you're below decks... It's completely safe." He pulls open the metal door for Katriel to enter.

By this time, the crew of the Longbeach has started to slowly meander back. All seasoned sailors by the look of them, and from several different back grounds.

Katriel looks blankly at Hard for a moment, and then her mouth makes an O as it dawns on her. Starting for the hatch, she pauses a moment to ask, "But I can come back out, right, after you go over stuff?"

Hard slowly nods in agreement, and motions with his hand once more. "I stay down there until we're out of the break water, unlike the crew." He gives a nod to one of them who wanders past. "Unlike the crew, I don't have much expierence at sea. Have you taken anything for sea sickness yet?"

"Sea sickness?" Katriel echoes, smiling a little at the passing sailor. "I wasn't really 'specting to go on a boat," she tells him after a moment, shaking her head. "But, I do fine in zero G. Should be fine," she assures him confidently before slipping inside the hatch.

As soon as Katriel steps into the hatch, Hard closes the door behind them. There's several calls from outside, obviously about casting off the lines. "Ah, you should be fine then." he comments. "Would you like a cup of tea? A drink or anything?"

The crew quarters isn't a very elaborate affair, mainly consisting of a few bunks and a small kitchenette with a table to have meals at.

"If you're gonna have some, sure," Katriel responds, looking about the quarters curiously as she heads toward the kitchenette.

Hard makes his way behind Katriel, seeming to relax even more when the engines start to churn up the water. "Ah... And we're on our way," he comments, as he makes his way towards the kitchenette. He slips around the Mystic, heading towards the kettle in particular. That's switched on, and he goes about his usual takes of getting tea ready. Sugar is placed into both cups, and he smiles to himself during the task. "I only became the owner of this ship a month or so ago," he says, making idle conversation. "The owner was quite resentful to sell her... Shame really. But he was slipping behind on his transport schedule."

Katriel stumbles a bit as the boat starts to move and takes a rather hasty seat at the table. "Oh, that's too bad... It must be hard to lose your ship-- like loosin' your home," she comments, shaking her head a little. "The 'verse works in mysterious ways sometimes," she declares, watching the man as he makes the tea. "Like me meetin' you-- who'd'a guessed I'd just bump into a friend of Tay's out here," she says with a grin.

"Yes," Hard replies, with a slow nod. "It's surprising who you meet on the wharfs..." He doesn't turn around, but continues waiting for the kettle to boil. "But that's the ocean for you."

"That's the 'verse for ya," Katriel corrects with a quick shake of her head, lavender eyes bright. "Never can tell what tomorrow'll bring."

The kettle starts to boil and starts to whistle. "Certainly true, every day is a new adventure," he remarks, as he takes the kettle off the boil and starts to pour the tea. He pours a little bit of cold water in, just to make them drinkable straight away, before putting the tops on top of the mugs, and then makes his way out to give Katriel hers. "It's good tea, it's from Ungstir. Drink up."

Katriel blinks a bit at the mug as it's passed to her, noting the lid. "Thanks," she responds a little absently, intent on her inspection of the mug. "So it won't spill, right?" she asks, indicating the lid before taking a sip.

"No, it won't spill," Hard promises, as he makes his own way over to his own cup. He takes it hand, but doesn't sip from it. His other hand slips behind his back and he leans up against the bench. "Is that a good cup of tea? I hope it is."

Katriel smiles appreciatively and nods, taking another sip. "Yep, it's great," she tells him. "I bet Katya would like it, if she were here," she adds, trying to assure him the tea is good, since he seems so concerned on it. "So, what'd you do before you got the boat?" she wonders.

"I was a... Diplomat of sorts," Hard vaguely replies, with a sly grin. "But with things as they are, well... Certain things leads to different things." He places his own cup down, and then puts his other hand on the side. The man watches Katriel like a hawk. "Say... Are you getting sleepy? You feel like your limbs are starting to weigh you down? Need to close your eyes and rest?"

Katriel blinks at the man, trying to bring his slowly blurring form into focus as she lowers the mug to the table. "I... Why are you blurry?" she asks, confusion creasing her forehead. "What's happening?" she wonders, the words slurring a bit as she slumps back in the chair.

"No hard feelings Katriel," Hard comments in fluent Shohobi, his accent even being down pact. "I simply slipped a sedative in your tea... It's a chemical designed to be a relaxant for Zangali." He turns and pulls the top of his own mug and pours it down the sink. "You'll be fine... Trust me, I'm a PANL chemist."

Katriel stares at Hard, the words taking longer to penetrate through the fuzziness settling over her brain, and then she shakes her head. "No-- no... You don' unnerstan," she tries to explain, forcing her eyes to stay open. "'m sick-- drugs're bad," she insists even as her head begins to drop back against the chair. "Jor...sin..." she mumbles at him before her eyes finally close, and it's lights out.

P.A.N.L. Quarters

- New Luna -


 * After entering through a heafty metal door, the inside of the P.A.N.L. Quarters is filled with bunks and lockers. Complete with personal effects, pictures of loved ones and other nicknacks. Along each side of the white plascrete walls, rest double high bunks, with a foot locker at the foot of each bunk. A barred door rests down the back, with a desk nearby, which is manned all hours of the day. A soft breeze blows through the area, being put out by an air-conditioner mounted to the wall.

The P.A.N.L. quarters is a hive of activity, a constant hustle and bustle of personel moving around the area. They're armed with a variety of different weapons, ranging from pipe rifles, to more advanced plasma rifles. They're uniforms are a rather dull green, which could almost be described to a colour that matches the undergrowth outside. There's one bed in particular, which seems to having a bit of attention around it. Katriel's bed, where she's been handcuffed. One person in particular stands there, yellow uniform, a male Timonae. "She'll live," he replies, rather cooly and casually as he looks towards the Chemist. "If you want her too, Mister Hart."