World in Chains - Part I

Ungstir

Rough hewn walls of iron and basalt, grooved by machinery used to carve this spaceport facility out of the glinting black and gray rock, rise on all sides and arches above of the broad pad that provides ample room for starships to rest during their stay on Ungstir.

Bright sulfurous lights seem to cast the chamber in permanent daylight despite the gloomy darkness and stars that loom beyond the huge portals, protected by the hazy shimmer of the prot's atmospheric containment fields. Through the force screens, silhouetted by the glow of the distant star Perseverance, one can make out the rolling, drifting shapes of rocks and planetoids - remnants of the world to which this chunk once belonged.

Squat, dark-haired technicians with pale skin and gruff demeanors move from ship to ship, checking fuel levels and mechanical fitness of the vessels. An archway leads out of the landing facility and into the city of Resilience, via the customs station.

Several large bays are set aside for ship maintenance and repair, serving as a general purpose drydock facility.

Innokentevna sits on a small packing crate, her heels banging on its side. She is looking at her datapad, and then looking to the Gray Horse, and then back to the pad with a dark frown. She taps the screen and peers at the display. "You .. you vere nyi mate for starsheeps ..."

Katriel wanders out from the customs station, heading towards the Outcast. But when she spies Katya, she alters course and heads in her direction instead. The Mystic is looking rather worse for the wear, more bruises and scrapes to show for her most recent misadventure. Still, she smiles cheerfully at Katya, giving her a wave as she approaches.

The Wolfsbane pulls up to the forefield keeping atmosphere and pressure to the rest of the landing pad and waits its turn before a tractor beams latches onto the ship and pulls it thru the series of magnetic fields before letting it go to spin on its gyro and the panels on the end of it's 'wings' fold over and the ship lands.

Innokentevna looks up, and then does a double take. She spies the battered mystic and immediately pushes herself off her packing crate. "Katriel ..." She quicksteps across the deck, her path swiftly moving to intercept the otherwoman. "Are you all right? Looks like you stumble't eento a den ov rockrats een gnavink season!"

Katriel tilts her head at Katya, and gives a rather bemused smile. "Funny you should say that," she says, a thread of humor weaving through her voice. "Since they seemed to look like bunnies to me at the time."

LeBeau emerges a few minutes later once the Wolf has settled into its assigned pad. HE takes in a deep breath and heads down teh ramp.

Innokentevna stops. She just stops and gives Katriel an odd look. "You mean z'oose funny leetle creatures vith long ears, z'at you see on zee holofishun shovs?" She pauses. "Zey got z'em on Antimone?"

Katriel shakes her head, and rubs her face with one hand. "Well, no-- or not really. It's kinda complicated," she explains with a sigh, frowning as she tries to organize her thoughts. "So, I wound up on Antimone, and Senator Crue asked me to go down in the caves again to see if I could find some sort of evidence of there being something down there-- which there is-- or was, not sure that it's all still down there," she says, words rambling a bit as she thinks. SHe shakes her head and frowns after a beat, going back to her main point. "But, anyway, there was this stuff down there, and umm, Mika says it was what made me think there were bunnies, instead of a bunch of Timonae and Ungstiri with the Nall." Her hand reaches into a pocket and pulls out something carefully wrapped in a napkin, which she holds out to Katya. "Don't actually touch it, or you'll probably see'em too," she cautions.

Tiaga enters the docks from the customs station.

LeBeau wanders for a few minutes around the pad before his direction takes him close enough to spot Katya and Katriel. He then approaches then "E'ening ladies."

Innokentevna carefully holds out her hands, to take the offered item. Cradling it, silent for now, she peers down with wide hazel eyes. And there isn't a pause, isn't a hesitation, before she carefully pulls the light paper away, to glance down for a moment, a heartbeat. Then just as quick she raises her gaze up to Katriel. "Vhat ees eet ... some sort ov halluceenogeeneec theenk?"

"It's some sort of fungus, that was growing on the walls of the cave," Kat answers, glancing at Remy and offering him a smile in greeting, before returning to the question. "And, it must have something in it that makes you see stuff, if you get it on your hands-- cuz, I was the only one to touch it, and I'm the only one who saw the bunnies-- and butterflies, too-- they were real pretty."

"Fungus dat makes yu see tings huh? Well Kat, I di no take yu fo da kinda person who would be ento dat sord o ting?" Remy says with a smile as he reaches over and ruffles Katriel's hair "Yu been behaving yerself an staying oud o trouble?"

A short ungstiri with dark-tinted skin steps out of the customs station. He lifts a hand and adjusts the collar of his ungstiri militia uniform, which is worn loose in an off-duty manner. Tiaga moves a few meters so as to be out of the way as anyone else coming through, then glances around the pad.

Innokentevna carefully wraps the fungus up, making sure it is kept in its protectve wrapping, securely. "Hoop, last theenk ve neet ees me seeink theenks. Probably see hoopin' Nall een pink ballerina costumes ..." The sample she carefully slips into an inside jacket pocket. "I'll take eet to zee clineec Katriel ... an sent eet to zee lab. Z'ey'll be able to see eef z'eres sometheenk strange een eet." She then pauses, looking back to the small woman. "Mite eet be because you are a Mysteec?"

The loudspeaker crackles and a calm, thickly accented voice speaks in a slow, matter-of-fact tone: "Sensors indicate incoming contact, nonresponsive, exceeding recommended approach speeds to Resilience. Vessel appears to be loose-stick. Collision possible."

Katriel blinks at Remy a bit confusedly. "Into what?" she asks, before nodding to Katya. "Yeah, I was hoping you might look at it for me," she agrees. And then listens to the announcement, and looks to Katya and Remy. "Is that bad? That's bad, right?"

LeBeau glances up at teh ceiling as the voice echos over the loudspeaker. "Dat does no soun goo" He states before turnign to look at Katya "AN jus wha sord o precautions do da milita an da shipping lanes hav fo dealing wit someting like a runaway ship?"

Mara enters the docks from the customs station.

The klaxon'd alarm call immediately catches the ungstiri whirlwind's attention. Snapping her jacket shut she spins, balanced upon the ball of her foot. She reaches out to try and snare Katriel's shirt sleeve, to tug hertowards the shelter ofthe far wall. "Geet out ov zee flite line ..." Her words are clipped, both suddenly strict and suddenly caring. "NOV. She herself then starts to sprint, towards one of the wall mounted emergency stations, seeking a medkit or a fire extinguisher as her gaze lifts to the portal force screens, hoping for the first sign of th incoming ship. She doesn't look to the cajun as she barks out a quick answer. "Ve brace ourselfs to help, da? Vhat else?"

The calm, matter-of-fact voice over the loudspeaker continues: "Vessel identified as Nall tri-prong fighter. Sensors indicate the vessel is damaged, but not loose-stick - repeat, NOT loose-stick. Adjustments to course suggest the fighter intends to land. Deceleration detected."

That announcement freezes the young Ungstiri on the spot, suddenly turning, eyes and expression dark. "Sveet Mozer Maybelliene ..."

LeBeau begins to move but not so quickly "Wha aboud launching a ship to help direc da figheder en. We could ad lease try an help id en"

"Oh, hoop." The small marine says with a grimace, breaking into a jog towards the nearest emergency station as well. He makes it halfway there before the updated announcement comes over the loudspeakers. "Hoop." He repeats again as he skids to a stop, then turns on one heel to place his feet solidly on the floor of the cavern. "This is not good."

Sechek enters the docks from the customs station.

Katriel moves obediently with Katya, as she is tugged over to the wall. She too looks out with wide eyes for any sign of the incoming vessel, frozen to her spot with the horrified attention of one looking for an impending train wreck. The announcement that the ship seems to be decelarating causes her to relax just a tad, looking over to Katya and away from the flight line.

Through the gap in the Resilience rock comes a Nall tri-prong fighter, its bulbous mottled green aft hull scored by energy blasts. The pilot is contained, cloaked within a tinted black bubble nestled between the sharply angled prongs, which jut forward. The fighter is still going faster than it should for a landing, but it does manage to get the landing gear down. However, the pilot is apparently unfamiliar with the controls. He angles the fighter's prongs down, causing the gear to catch on the rock of the landing field at a 45 degree angle. So, instead of acting as a skid, the gear causes the fighter to swing out of control and go into a roll, tumbling between the berthed ships and rolling ominously toward customs.

Mara comes rushing onto the landing pad in a pair of medical scrubs and holding a medkit "what have we....Jesus

Its when the fighter starts tumbling thru the cavern in a very unconventional style of landing, LeBeau grabs up Katriel from her feet and starts to run with her towards a pile of waiting cargo skiffs to get both of them away from the impending wreakage.

"Eef he's comink een unter hees ovn pover ..." Innokntevna still snares out a medical kit from the wall recess. " ... ve RUN AVAY ..... HOOP!" Immediately turning again, the courier leaps, away from the incoming tumble of starfighter. Away and towards Katriel, between her and the incoming wreck, a block, a tackle to make sure her friend stays out of harm's path and Ungstir's bloody luck.

Sechek exits through customs, rifle in hands. He frowns at the commotion and then follows the crowd's eyes towards the approaching vessel. "Hoop," he mutters, briefly shocked to stillness. A few seconds later, he is running away from the ship's path of destruction.

The fighter is first rolling sideways, but then another landing gear catches and tips the vessel up and over, so it starts a sort of decelerating cartwheel, flinging bits of schrapnel in all directions, until it finally settles into a slide with its last unbroken prong aiming toward customs. The vessel comes to a scritching halt with the sharpened prong jabbing just inches behind Sechek's fleeing back.

Tiaga stands for a moment as the ship enters the landing cavern. A sudden voice behind him spurs the militiaman to action. "Get Away!" He shouts, spinning around and attempting to grab the woman who just arrived behind him in order to drag her along as he begins to run along the wall, away from the Customs area, which seems to be a bad place to stand right now.

Katriel is lifted up off her feet, right about the same time that Katya comes barreling down in a tackle, bringing them all down in a flailing tangle of legs and arms, as the Mystic lets out a strangled yelp of startled fear.

Mara halts forward progress until the think comes to a stop. She winces and closes her eyes at Secheks close call. She slowly resumes forward motion towards the ship "anybody know Nall medicine?" she asks in as loud a voice as she can muster

Sechek runs, avoiding the bits and pieces of junk landing everywhere. He does not even notice how close he comes to losing his head, gaze forth as he continues to move, even after the noise of the sliding ship comes to an end. It is only after a few moments that he stops and turns to assess the damage, immediately springing into action to help any wounded.

The best of times, the worst of times, the most confusing of times ... a tale of three worlds, Ungstiri, Lunite and Mystic tumbled on the deck. Innokentevna sprawls, her side and arm scraping against the metal deckplates. She catches her breath, placing her hand on someone's tummy to push herself up. hazel eyes dash sharp, seeking both LeBeau and Katriel. "You tvo all rite?" The words are spoken as she reaches for the medkit. Two awkward backward steps are taken, to make sure all is well ... before spinning and sprinting towards the crashed ship.

Katriel nods dazedly, picking herself up gingerly, adding only a few more bruises to her already battered form. She watches as Katya dashes off again, moving tentatively to follow after her.

LeBeau collapses under Katriel's weight and Katya's tackle push. After untangleing themselves Remy gives Katriel a once over to make sure she isn't bleeding or there are no limbs pointing in the wrong direction. He lokos over at Katya and smirks " 'm fine bu I don tink dis es da time to be copping a feel, do yu?" He asks as Katya's hand rest on his stomach.

The tinted black cockpit hisses open, like an ebon-lidded eye cracking wide, revealing not a Nall, but a scruffy-looking man cramped into the relatively tiny space inside that chamber. He's harnessed into a flight chair, with his knees up around his ears and his elbows held up and to the sides so he can grip the controls. The look on his face is one of sheer horror mingled with abject relief.

"Hooping Nall." The militiaman mutters, throwing his hands up over the back of his head as pieces of nall technology fly past him. "What do they have against Mat Ungstir, this time?"

"You vish ..." is the teasing call sent back to LeBeau, laced with fierce Rockhopper's humor. But as the man starts to extricate himself from the cockpit her pale face turns an even lighter shade. As the ambassador slides to a halt at the base of the starfighter ruin, she casts a sterner glare to the militiaman. "Oh Dantolov's Lofe ... you ton't geet eet to you offeecer ... zee Nall are goink to be lookink for z'eese missink starfighter." Innokentevna then looks up to the ... pilot. "Are you all rite ... you stay hoopin' put teel ve geet a look at you ... an just vho zee hoop are you?'

Sechek alters his course towards the fallen ship when the cockpit opens, rifle aimed down but held tightly. "Are you all right?" he asks the figure inside, frowning. "Zhat vas some fall you had there, comrade."

Katriel stops a little back from the ship, close enough that she can see there's no actual Nall inside. "At least there's no bunnies," is her whispered comment, as she peers up at the unexpected figure, watching the scene with worried intensity born of adrenaline with nowhere left to go.

Jean Kassar glances toward Katya, terrified. He throws his white-knuckled hands in the air and moans: "Don't kill me! Not a Nall! Not a Nall! Oh, my God! Oh, my God!" He gingerly lowers his legs. His knees pop audibly and his eyes roll. "Oh, I never thought I'd stretch them again," he groans. After a long sigh, he clutches the X of his seat harness and gazes up at the ceiling of the landing cavern. "My name is Jean Kassar. I am Sivadian. And very glad to be alive."

Mara just gapes for a moment and then lets out the breath she'd been holding as she rushes forward to asses the man's condition

Tiaga looks up as the dust settled, eying the man in the cockpit. "So now zee nall have an excuse to come here. Just as bad, or worse, da?" He shakes his head for a moment then moves to stand next to Sechek. "No... not a nall." He says flatly. "You are not hurt? What you doing in Nall ship, Sifadian?"

LeBeau crawls to his knees and dusts himself off after helping Katriel to her feet. "If he es sividian den yu migh wanna tell hem he took a wrong turn." He then lifts himself to his feet and moves towards Katya "Migh wanna eider gader up da pieces o da fighder to turn o'er to da Nall if day comming looking fo id. O yu migh wanna tow id oud ento space an blas id ento dus."

"Hoop, I vouldn't keel you efen eef you vere a Nall." Innokentevna answers quickly back, stepping aside so the real doctor can get a look at the Sivadian. She does, however give the starfighter a wconcerned glance. "Please tell me you peck't z'eese sheep up een a use't sheepyart, at a teep tiscount ..." She then snorts, looking back up to Kassar. Her voice deadpans. "But you brought her to Ungstir ... so I bet goot rubles ve are nyi goink to be z'at lucky, da?"

"I stole it," Jean Kassar confesses, cringing. "But I had very little choice in the matter. The haulers are far more spacious, but entirely too slow and conspicuous, and I might have killed many people." His mouth falls open. "Oh, my God! Did I hurt anyone? Is anyone injured? Killed? Oh, my God! So terrible. So terrible. I am sorry." He buries his face in his hands, sobbing exhaustedly.

Katriel frowns at the Sivadian. "I don't think so-- there was a warning before you actually got here," she says, trying to be reassuring, and stepping up closer to Katya. "Why'd you steal it?"

"Comrade, you should start givink us some answers, da," Sechek advises. "Eef you stole seez ship, zee owners vill want it back and that ees not good news, nyet. Now, stop zee cryink and get out of zee ship. Mind, am not askink. Am tellink. Get down from zhere and keep your hands from doink anythink too rash." He offers Jean Kassar a mirthless smile. "Velcome to Mat Ungstir."

Mara blinks at Tiaga "If you can tell he's fine just by looking sir, you have far better skills than I do. i suppose you'd care to treat him then" she says as she scans the weeping Sivadian as best she can considering his corrent position

Mika disembarks from the SVD Eos.

The thin ungstiri in the militia uniform steps forwards, reaching up to help the man calling himself Jean Kassar down, or perhaps grab him should Sechek's order not be followed. "Askink, not telling." He says to Mara's comment,t hen to LeBeau. "Then he can come down here, and tell us all about it, da?"

"Stole eet?" Innokentevna's voice almost cracks. but then her head snaps back. "Hov far behint you are z'ey, gospadin ..." Her first thought is well grounded. The Rock. "Hov long to ve got?" She then, finally, looks down the flight line. "Relax .. you only took out hartvare. Hartvare can be replace't ... an you vere nice enough nyi to cleep a prospector's rockhopper ... z'ey are familee, nyi hartvare." She then looks to LeBeau, her head tilting. "Prisoner ... but zee Nall ton't keep ..." Her words just fall off, as she casts a dark glance back. "Just vhat vere you toink een Nall space."

Jean Kassar is busily unclasping himself from the flight seat of the Nall fighter after Sechek orders him down. Once his harness is unfastened, he swings his legs around over the left side of the seat and then drops onto the rock of the landing area. An explosion of pins and needles shimmers up his legs, which have fallen asleep during the voyage and now have blood rushing through them again. The newest menace to Ungstir pinwheels his arms but is unable to stop himself from falling on his ass. He seems relative untroubled by this indignity. He looks around at those watching him and says, simply, "I was a slave."

Katriel blinks owlishly at the man sitting on the ground. "A slave?" she echoes, having made her way to stand next to Katya, whom she glances at with a questioning, worried look.

Sechek frowns at Jean Kassar. "Slave," he echoes slowly, tasting the word. "Did not know zee Nall kept slaves, nyet. Much less Sivadian vones. How did you escape, comrade? And are zhey followink?"

Mara bends down to help Jean to his feet, eyes going wide as he speaks "but that's not poss.." she shakes her head apparently deciding to discard the thought for later "will someone help me get him up? And get the man some water for pity's sake"

A handful of cargo haulers and crewmen spill from the Eos as the airlock opens, and with them comes Mika. The captain's chin purplish, bruised, bandaged up, and she's damn near covered in scratches and bruises and bumps. Where at first she seemed a little distracted, green eyes can't help but arrow and lock onto the scene on the landing pad. She stands there, in the threshold of the dropship, for long moments -- perhaps trying to decide if what she's seeing is real -- then takes a few tenative steps onto the tarmac.

Kit disembarks from the UKT Gray Horse.

Innokentevna reaches out, to grab Kassar's other hand. "but zee nall ton't keep slafe ... eets deeshonourable ..." Her words are contemplative, as she helps pull the pilot back to his feet. "Z'ey kept prisoneers ov var ... but z'at's ... hov .. hov deet you ent up to be a slafe?"

"They keep hundreds of us, all Sivadians," Jean Kassar explains, rubbing his left leg with his hands, trying to massage the circulation back to normal. "We have been their slaves for more than three years. They used us to build their polydenum extraction facility on T'lask VII." He tilts his head, shaking his leg, testing the feeling in it, then he sighs and looks back toward Sechek. "About a dozen of us have tried to escape. I am the first to survive such an attempt." He waves Mara off. "Allow my blood to flow again. Allow me to reaccustom myself. It will pass. If you wish to help, I would be most grateful for a hot bowl of stew with coffee?"
 * real* meat and *real* vegetables, and perhaps coffee. Do you have real

Jean Kassar is currently sitting with his legs sprawled out beneath the wreckage of a Nall tri-prong fighter near customs - except only one prong remains intact. The vessel appears to have crash landed.

LeBeau places a hand on Katya's shoulder "Should ged da man some coffee an stew if dat es all he wans fo now. No madder if hes story es true o no he di jus hav a rough landing dat he es lucky to be walking away from."

Katriel shivers, rubbing her arms with her hands, listening to the Sivadian's story, frown only growing deeper on her forehead.

"Zee veracity of hees story ees still relevant," Sechek notes. "Eef he is lyink, zhat makes a common thief. And vone who stole from zee vorst possible people. You said your name ees Jean Kaspar? Vell, Mr. Kaspar, vee can get you some coffee, but in zeh meantime I vould like to know how you ended up as a slave for zee Nall. Vhat happens to you ees, however, not my decisionk." He glances at Innokentevna and waits.

"Ve hafe a pale eemeetashun ov coffee ..." Innokentevna snorts. "Ve treenk real tea here, da?" Her own prejudices show, as she takes a step back. She looks to LeBeau with a nod. "An a goot potatoe stev ees zee cure for any ailment, da? Mat Ungstir's recipe." She brightens at that. "Zough ..." Innokentevna swallows. "I got to sent a message to Sifat ..." Her eyes close, quiet. "An ve got to geef zee starfighter back to zee Nall. Somehov." White teeth are then set hard upon her lower lip, pressing so hard they turn white.

LeBeau approaches the Sivadian and looks down at him as he sits on the tarmac "Yu say yer name es Kaspar? Yu would no happen to hav an family we can contact do yu?"

Tiaga stares at Kassar for a moment, then shakes his head. "Vat are we going to do about this?" He sighs, not happy with the unlucky occurance, and then asks "You want food, da?" He gestures towards the customs area which the fighter nearly crashed into. "Vee take him and get him someting to eat, while he answers our questions? Zen we contact whoever we need to?"

"Th'... th' 'ell's goin' on?" Mika asks of the dockhand trying to usher her along toward Resilience customs. She cranes her neck, squinting, then finally tugs her arm hard enough to break free. "I gotta right t'know, dammit!"

Kit peeks through the hatch toward the group gathered on the tarmac, her hair still sopping wet and a hastily donned shirt similarly drenched around the collar from a shower. Deeming the situation to be contained, however, she soon slips the rest of the way out, dropping down to the landing pad and walking quickly toward Innokentevna.

Katriel is about to say something to Katya, when the familiar voice of an irate captain catches her attention, and she looks in her direction for a moment, before turning back. "I might could help tell if he's lying or not," she volunteers softly.

Jean Kassar raises a hand, shaking his head. "Destroy the fighter. Never allow it to be linked to your world. Dismantle it. Melt it down. But save the flight computer. It contains the coordinates for T'lask VII. You must get those to the Homeland Naval Service on Sivad. Our government must launch a rescue operation at once." He then glances toward Sechek and says, sighing, "Four years ago, the multiverse rift crisis was threatening to tear the universe apart. These strange alternate Castori bombed my city, Enaj, and a man named Arthur Pennington gathered many of us together and urged us to strike off to a new world. A distant world." He furrows his brow. "He meant well, but the man is a lunatic." He shakes his head, sighing. "Anyway, we ended up deep in Parallax space, on a planet that had been on none of our charts. We called it New Enaj. We started a colony. Pennington set up a transmitter station, sending queries back home to see if the crisis had passed. And that is how the Nall found us. They found us, and they found polydenum. So, to them, we were trespassers. To them, we had committed an act of war. So, they imprisoned us. They put us to work designing and building the extraction facility. Pennington, he's an engineer and architect by trade. He loved his work."

Sechek grimaces. "Zhose monsters." He mutters a string of curses in Mierznykovy, then reaches for his commlink and speaks into it. "Seez ees Ryadovoj Sechek. In zee landink field, da." He proceeds to report on the situation and briefly disconnects from the general conversation with Kassar.

Mara is still looking over kassar to asses his injuries shaking her head in disbelef "Forgive me sir but are you quite certain your in the right universe we've had other temporal anomalies though not near the parallax attmittedly"

"You knov ... z'at ees nyi goink to be a rescue meeshun ... eets goink to neet a hoopin' varfleet." There's a shake of her head as she steps aside. Katya's face brightens, though, as she spies a familiar form. "Kitt! Come ... see z'at fighter?" The Ungstiri deyvachka is on the move again, steps sure. "I got to sent a message to Sifat ... an ve neet zee compsytem, archifes an tatabase off z'at starfighter, efery file, lock stock an byte, da?"

Kit has been surveying the battered crewman and ship as she approaches, and tilts her head inquiringly at the courier's terse instructions. No verbal query is made as to the situation, however; simply a nod of the head and a brief, "I will need to fetch my tablet and tools," before she is quickly trotting back toward the Gray Horse, clambering inside.

LeBeau ruffles Katya's hair, knowing how much she doesn't like it "Yu seem to hav tings en han here. 'll go help Kit wid da ship's compuder, 'm still da bes pilod dis side o da multi verse, I tink I can figure oud da controls fo her." He smirks and moves over to join Kit...calling back to katya "Bu if dare es a cloak on dat ship I call dibs on id now"

"Da... you do dat." Tiaga mutters, shaking his head. He gestures to Kassar, then Mara. "You need help, Sifadian? We could get you off the ground here."

Jean Kassar glances briefly toward Kitt. A faint smile at her efficiency, then he looks back to Katya. "T'lask VII is fairly remote. It does not warrant a full Nall fleet assignment. Two capital ships with complements of 20 fighters each." He then smiles wryly, jerking a thumb at the wreck above him. "Well, nineteen on one." He then inquires, "Is the Homeland Naval Service doing well? When we left, I believe they had the forces to match up against the Guardian Fleet. If they can take on that animal Neidermeyer, surely they can overwhelm the orbital forces at T'lask VII. The ground forces are nothing to scoff at, but they can be managed too, with proper preparation." He then looks up at Tiaga, grinning. "My legs are still all tingly. I'll sit right here, unless I am causing a safety obstruction, in which case I must ask that someone drag me out of the way."

Mika's eyes get wide for a moment, and a hand instinctively goes for her temple. Teeth clench. A gaze sweeps around, a searching one, finally locating their target and locking on. Her eyes roll; feet set course across the tarmac toward Katriel and the smoking tangle of confusion. Dockworkers protest, but it falls on deaf ears. "I told ya," she tells the Mystic as she approaches, "t'stay'n th' clinic. What, m'I gonna 'afta start chainin' y'down?" It's a vague prod, a little distant, as the human's attention is more focused on Kassar and the wreckage.

Sechek puts his commlink away. "Zee crew to clean this mess up vill coming along soon enough. Mr. Kaspar, do you the Naval Service vill just up and send two ships to rescue your friends? Do not think Sifad vants a var vith the Nall right now. Suppose it cannot be avoided, though. Slaves! Tcha! Zose monsters."

Kit is not long in returning; the tools of her trade are, apparently, always prepared for a quick move. A satchel is thrown over her shoulder and across her chest, puffed square by a small toolkit, while her favored data tablet is cradled protectively in one arm while she slides back down the boarding ladder. Without further ado, she is headed for the fighter, either ignorant of or ignoring LeBeau's self-volunteering.

Innokentevna looks back quietly. "No vorse z'an a prospector on a bat tay. You stay put .." She calls after Kittianna. "Breeng some coffee." She then reaches to her cargo pants and drags out her datapad. "Kat .. can you rustle up some foot for z'eese peelot? I theenk Kitt mite hafe some leftofers." She then looks at the battered starfighter. "I vish eet vas as easy as meltink eet tovn ... zee Nall, zey hafe tunnel fishun, da? But z'ey are ... nyi stupeet."

Mara smiles "are you certain you want to sit in the middle of the docks for heavens sake that can't be the best place to be in your present condition. I'm sure this fine marine and I can help get you somewhere more suitable while the ambassador makes contact with sivad

Katriel blinks at Mika, expression startled. "I'm with Katya," she answers simply, as if that is sufficient explanation for her wandering. "And, anyways, I stopped seeing bunnies and fireflies a few hours ago," she adds, with a shrug. Her attention remains mostly where everyone's is, however, so that when the Ungstiri instructs her to find some food she nods, and slips off towards the Gray Horse.

Fascinated by the work Kit's about to start on the fighter, Jean Kassar shakes his head at Mara. "I am fine here. I wish to see what is done." He looks toward Katya and says, "Do you not understand? The Nall do not want anyone to know about this camp. They will not come looking for this fighter. They will assume that it could not reach a civilized world before fuel ran out. And they would be right, based on Nall physiological requirements. I was able to survive without the heating system favored by the Nall." He tilts his head. "If you tell the Nall about this fighter, they will kill every man, woman and child in that camp. They are expendable, once that secrecy is exposed. I do not want my wife killed. I do not want to lose my son. Please. Just destroy it. But tell the HNS at once. They must act quickly."

LeBeau matches Kit's pace and moves to her side "Hey beaudiful, need any help?"

"Da. Monsters." Tiaga agrees with Sechek's appraisal. "Sifad vill not be happy to hear this." He bites his lower lip and looks worridly at the ship. "You do not think this will cause trouble for Mat Ungstir?" He asks, directing the question at Kassar. "I do no think we have much left for them to destroy. If anyone can deal with this, though, zee Ungstiri will."

"Eet von't. The Nall von't come lookink for seez ship," Sechek tells Tiaga. "And they can't afford to point fingers now that vee know vhere zee ship came from."

Mika neither listens to Kat's response nor acknowledges her departure. Instead, she's on tiptoes, leaning forward and swiveling her head to survey the scene, a wince twisting her face. "Jeezus," she mutters, then cocks her head, sliding a cigarette into her mouth. "Poor bastards."

Tiaga says, "Zamichatyel'na." The marine mutters, although he does not seem entirely reassured. "Let us hope you are right." Tiaga shakes his head. "Is not good, what the nall are doink.""

Kit's head lifts at the direction cast her way, and after a single, puzzled blink toward the courier, promptly glances over her shoulder to hand the responsibility to Katriel. "There should still be some coffee left on the heating plate," she calls back to the Mystic before eyeing LeBeau dubiously as she slips the satchel over her head. "No, but if you are offering, I will not decline. You can open up the casing so that I can get a direct interface."

Mara sighs "The RNS might not be in the best positition to" she stops herself perhaps judging the man's mental position fragile perhaps trying to convince herself "but when it's a fight for freedom there's always a way " she forces a smile

Jean Kassar blinks, then glances back toward Mara. "The *RNS*? What the bloody hell is the RNS?"

/////////// UNGSTIRIDATANET MAILSERVICE BEGIN ///////////

To: His Royal Majesty Richard Isherwood Dame Admiral MacKenzie

We have just recovered a pilot by the name of Jean Kassar, an explorer with an Arthur Pennington, who escaped a castori bombardment to a new world. Which was unfortunately, in the Parallax. They have been under Nall rule for the last few years, from what we have been told, in conditions similar to those labor camps that the Nall used to hold our prisoners of war. We are recovering the coordinates to that system as I speak. He says there are several hundred Sivadians still at the camp.

Walking the line between Sivad and Nall will not be easy. For in the end, it is Mat Ungstir I must serve, just as you must serve your people.

I wish you godspeed ... our port is open to you ... and there is a breath of time here available to you. While we determine what to do about this Nall starfighter.

rEkaterina Innokentevna Ambassador Ungstiri

/////////// UNGSTIRIDATANET MAILSERVICE END //////////

Katriel returns after a short while, mug of coffee in one hand, bowl of stew in the other, which she presents to the seated man with an encouraging smile. "Kit's a good cook," she assures him cheerfully.

LeBeau nods ever so sweetly to Kit and climbs up...well more like yoga bends as much of himself up into the cockpit as he can. "Mental node, ne'er try to steal a nall snub fighder. Now leds see, 'f I was a navcomp sysdem where would I be." The cajun then draws his blade from the sheath across the small of his back and attempts to pry open a console housing.

"Royal Naval Service," Sechek tells Jean Kassar, but allows someone else to explain.

"Who'n th' bloody 'ell doesn't know th' blinkin' RNS? Only make th' news every other goddamned day." After sending up the flag indicating that no, she has *not* been paying attention to a single thing that's been going on, Mika lights up her smoke. Shooting a glance at Kassar, she offers only this as explanation: "Y'know, Sivad?"

Jean Kassar stares first at Sechek, then at Mika. "Royal? What the hell? Someone up and named themselves king while I was gone?" He grimaces. "It's not a Castori, is it?"

Innokentevna stuffs her small compunit back into her cargo pants leg .. and as she does it blinks. It blinks loud. She stops, and slowly draws it out, peering at the screen.

/////////// UNGSTIRIDATANET MAILSERVICE BEGIN ///////////

Westshire Manor, Westshire, Sivad 1 September 3004

Ambassador Ekaterina Innokentevna Via Embassy of His Sivadian Majesty, Ungstir

Ambassador Innokentevna,

I must request most urgently that you forward the coordinates for the planet so that effective action may be taken. Furthermore, please put Mr. Kassar on transport to Sivad, soonest.

Ungstir will not be mentioned.

Richard R.

/////////// UNGSTIRIDATANET MAILSERVICE END///////////

Jean Kassar accepts the coffee and stew from Katriel. "Thank you." He sets the coffee on the rock between his legs, then starts spooning stew into his mouth. He closes his eyes and sighs contentedly. "That is excellent."

Innokentevna looks from her datapad and then to Kassar and then to the datapad again. She blinks once and then asks the refugee a simple question. "Can you eat on zee run."

"Richard Ishervood," Sechek explains, glancing off at the people now filing through customs to help clean up the landing field. "Am not sure how eet goes, exactly, but am thinkink he after a vote, zeh people of Sifad chose to appoint heem as ruler."

Melody disembarks from the UKT Gray Horse.

While the Lunite is prying at the nav console, Kit circles around the cockpit, eyeing the structure for handholds before quickly pulling herself up to a position opposite LeBeau, wedging herself neatly so that she can leave her hands free to work with the tablet. As she begins setting up the programs she plans on using, she asks in aside, "Are you done, yet?"

The refugee sets down his stew, takes a sip of his coffee, then looks up at Innokentevna. "On the run? Where are we running to? Sivad?"

Katriel steps back, a pleased smile on her face as he eats. Her eyes track to Katya as she asks her question, and she frowns puzzledly. "What's wrong?"

"Z'eese gentleman ..." Innokentevna nods, crossing her arms and cradling the small computer in them, "He has got an autience vith Hees Majesty, Tsar Richart Ishervoot."

Mika frowns, the tip of her cigarette slanting downward with the expression. A sort of puzzled, concerned look is directed to Sechek, but loosens as it travels to Katya. "Great. S'get 'im some 'istory books t'crack 'long th' way."

With an jerk and some amount of strength LeBeau prys up the housing cover on the control console. "I tink dat should do id fo ya, dat es unless yu need somewhere else to plug yerself ento"

Tiaga blinks. "An audience?" He repeats. "Zat was quick. You goink to take him to Sifad, then?"

"King Richard," Jean Kassar tests on his tongue. "King Richard," he tries again, this time putting the emphasis on the "king." Once more, he says, "King Richard." The emphasis falls now on "Richard." He sighs, shakes his head. "Well, I didn't vote for him," he grumbles finally, sets aside his coffee cup and stands. He wobbles a little, but steadies himself by holding his arms out to his sides. Once he's stable, he leans over to pick up the bowl and the cup. He huffs as he straightens. "Sivad it is, then."

From the decompressing hatch of the Gray Horse comes a certain brunette researcher, hair let down this evening and her attire changed to evening "bum-around-the-'house'" attire. She wears short gray shorts and a simple white t-shirt that says 'Family Ees Hoopink Goot,' across the front and 'Da' on the back. Melody climbs the ship's ladder and hops onto the landing deck.

Katriel quietly bites her lip in the background, observing the Sivadian unhappily now.

"He veell geet zee coortinates as soon as ve geet z'em, da?" Innokentevna then lifts her head as she looks to the Nall ship. "hoop ... zee fates hate me." her arms cross as she looks t the long sleek starfightr, her eyes narrowing. her eyes close, as she looksto kassar. "You vant a leeft ... ortake a shuttle?"

Kit does not immediately reply, instead, simply leaning over to examine the interior of the navcomp. Reaching for her satchel, her hands sort unerringly through its contents, retrieving a flashlight which she flicks on, extending an arm to gingerly sort through the maze of wires and electronic components. "Hmph," she finally mutters. "Can nothing be easy with them?"

"I would much rather go to Sivad with the coordinates in hand, and I do not think it would be wise for me to travel on a public shuttle," Jean Kassar observes to Innokentevna. "It would be best, I think, to carry such important cargo privately, if at all possible."

Mara smiles as she sees the man upright "An audience with the king. Quite an accomplishment i would say. well, i should be getting back to the hospital'

LeBeau smirks as he looks over teh other controls on the in the Nall cockpit. A pilots instinct allowing him to pick out certain control even if they are labeled in Nall. "Don complain, yu migh hack ento da compuder an id all be en Nall. Dat would jus spoil yer day den wouldn' id?"

Melody's hazel eyes glance around aimlessly until spotting the figure of Katya, and halting on the courier. She cups highlighted hair behind her ears as she starts in motion toward her fiancee. "Katya...?" She tentatively questions three paces away, reaching out with a olive-skinned hand to squeeze the Ambassador's arm.

A loud *KER-THUNK* and then a yelp are heard from the direction of the Eos. Mika ducks her head, familiar with the sound, and swings around to regard a cargohauler that has dropped a crate on one of his co-workers. "Goddamnit!" she barks to him, "be more bloody careful! Th' tea ain't 'urt, is't?!" She doesn't wait for an answer, her glare shifting into an irritated eyeroll as she looks back to the crash site.

Innokentevna looks back over her shoulder to the Specialist approaching. She can't help but to let the hint of a smile and a brightness return for a littl bit. "Meloty ..." She nods. And then closes her eyes. "Kitt neets a hant geetink eenforashun out ov zee nall fiter, da? An zen z'eese gentleman neets a rite to Sifat, fast as posseeble." The ungstiri's words are short, clipped, as she then lets her gaze glide out to the darkness a handful of meters beyond. "An z'en ... ve hafe to talk to zee Nall."

Jean Kassar pales, shaking his head. "No! You cannot talk to the Nall! If you talk to them, they will murder my wife and son. They will murder all of them! Are you not listening? Are you not hearing? Has nothing I said registered with you?"

Sechek looks between Kassar and Innokentevna, then shakes his head and starts away to join a small unit of soldiers otherwise occupied with helping clear some of the rubble.

Mara heads into the city through the customs station.

Kit turns a decidedly unhappy glare upon LeBeau before sniffing ignoring him imperiously. Diving once again into the navcomp's interior, flashlight clenched between her teeth while a screwdriver and wirestripper occupies her hands, she works industriously at the console's guts for a good handful of minutes before she finally emerges with a satisfied sigh, dropping the tools onto the canted seat before pecking away at her tablet again. "Katya," she calls across the space between them. "I am preparing to do an information dump via directional transmissions burst. I will be setting up the Gray Horse as receiver if you do not mind. While there are no ships within line of sight beyond the Gray Horse, please ensure that there is no one with an open comm walking in between in the meantime."

Tiaga frowns slightly, "Vat are we goink to say to them?" He asks, glancing at the ship. "These are nall... What makes you think they will not attack us again?" The marine sets his jaw, and looks around the landing cavern. "I do not know if we can hide this... but I do not think the nall will be reasonable, da?"  Mara has disconnected.  Mara has disconnected.  He ain't heavy, he's Neilson says, "Anyone here a fan of the Prodigals?" "I don't understand..." Melody is lost, unable to catch up with the gap in information between what it is Jean's talking about and the orders her captain is giving. She reluctantly begins to slide away from the conversation, however, finding that aiding Kittianna takes precedence as her main concern. Katya's an Ambassador. Usually good with the diplomacy. Even if it is 'Ungstiri Diplomacy.' The analytical Specialist heads her way to Kit, waiting and then saying, "I can help if you need it..."

LeBeau powers up the main computer on the fighter as he looks to Kit. "Leds see if I can help yu oud a bid. 'll try to decipher wha I can an ged da compuder to cycle thru da fligh dada. Id should make id easier fo yu to pick oud da dada if ids actively being displayed. Ifn odding else I migh stumble upon the coordinade by acciden"

"Well, unless someone 'ere wants t'buy some tea," Mika drawls, "I don't think there's any reason fer me t'be goose-neckin' any longer. 'ave fun'n Sivad. An' remember, when y'meet th' 'ead 'oncho, make sure y'tell 'im 'Moncrief says 'ello.' Best way t'get'n 'is good side. Ta." The captain turns, flicks ash to the ground, and returns to the commotion around her own ship, which seems to be presently centered around prying the crate from the squashed crewhand. Sechek has disconnected.

Innokentevna looks back to Kassar, her gaze darkening to steel, gray and still. her breath frosts on the cool air as she slowly turns. melody can feel the muscles in her arm tese, like springs of metal tightening. "Da ... you hafe a vife ... chiltren ... a chilt. But look behint you. I hafe a Rock full ov people ... an efery one ov z'em someone fazer, someone's mozer ... someone vife, someone's husbant, some one's chilt ..." There is a pause, a choke. " ... or someone's brozer. But you are lucky .. Sifat ees safe on zee ozer ent ov zee stars ... you ton't hafe zee Nall right next toor an zee only theenk keepink z'em zere ees a fence built upon bloot an a common dees like, vith both sites vaitink for zee ozer to make zee feerst meestake .. zee excuse zee Nall can use to tear z'at fence tovn. A peace sign't vith. My. Brozer's. Bloot." The courier then looks back, eyes narrowing. "zee kvestshun, gospadin .. ees nyi only hov totell z'em .. but vhen to tell z'em. Ve von't hoopin' lie ... but ve can be stubborn. Vich just mite geef your fleet, eef eets as goot as I knov z'ey are ... vhat you really neet." A breath. "Time."

Jean Kassar frowns, shaking his head. "Please, yes, give them time. Give the Home...the Royal Naval Service time. That is all I ask. All I can ask, I know. But..." His voice trails off. He occupies himself now by watching Kit work on acquiring the data.

Kit peers over the cockpit's siding toward the Specialist, and she nods curtly. "Gray Horse will be receiving the entire database from this fighter's navcomp in a moment. While we attempt to sort through some of the data here, perhaps you could do the same with the copied set there." After a resigned look toward LeBeau, she sighs and nods before returning her attention to the tablet. "Do so. Transmission ready...sending now," she says after a final tap at the screen.

Katriel shifts uncomfortably, still listening quietly in the background lavendar eyes clouded with worry.

Innokentevna rests back on her heels then, noding down to Kassar. "Vorse comes to vorse, ve sent zee fiter back to Nalhom." The courier shrugs her shoulders. "Z'ey can't complain eef eet takes us a beet to fint a transport z'at ees not alreaty schetule't." Innokentevna's words then fade off, as she looks to the runaway slave. "Vhat vas zee name ov zee Nall runnink zee camp? Vhat hatch vere z'ey from?"

"I never learned it," Kassar replies, shaking his head. "I cannot speak Naliese, and they made it a point not to speak their names around us. If anyone knows, it would be Pennington." He grimaces, then spits on the stone after uttering that name. "He is their pet."

Melody nods a couple times to show her willingness to cooperate and coordinate the data filter. "Sure, yeah... All my stuff's in the Gray Horse anyway, so... okay... I'll go there and review the copied set." She returns to their ship in a light hurry, passing by Katriel and flashing a forced smile to the Mystic.

Katriel returns the passing Specialist's smile, her own unforced, but rapidly fading from her face. She tracks the woman as she disappears into the Gray Horse, and then sighs, returning her attention to the crashed ship and its recent pilot.

Innokentevna leans back, then, against the Specialist that stands behind her. Its a soft movemnt, seeking a grounding and anchorage .. and then almost stumbles as she turns and heads back to their ship. She shakes her head and thencontinues. "Hoop ... eet voult be too much to hope eets a compeetink hatch z'an zee current Vox ... I hate poleeteecs. Espeshally Nall poleeteecs. Zeres nofer any vinnink z'ere." She takes a step away, and then nods to a small scout ship just down the line. "Z'ats your rite home ... hope you like rollercoasters." She then nods to Kittianna, back at the starfighter. "Theenk you can tecifer eet on zee treep from here to Sifat?"

Mika is doing her best to feign disinterest at this point, but it's hard not to nurse some sort of curiosity. The crash-landing of an escaped Nall slave isn't exactly an everyday occurrence, and the Hyperion's captain isn't exactly discreet. As she checks off items on her datapad with her stylus, a lengthy glance occasionally wanders from the cargo lots to the downed ship and the people filing into the Grey Horse.

Innokentevna slowly starts backing towards the Gray horse, casting a glance to both Katriel and Lebeau. "You vant to join us? I ton't theenk z'eese ees ofer by a longshot."

Mika is doing her best to feign disinterest at this point, but it's hard not to nurse some sort of curiosity. The crash-landing of an escaped Nall slave isn't exactly an everyday occurrence, and the Hyperion's captain isn't exactly discreet. As she checks off items on her datapad with her stylus, a lengthy glance occasionally wanders from the cargo lots to the downed ship and the people filing into the Grey Horse. (repose, JIC)

Katriel swallows, looking at Katya, and backs up a step. "No-- I think, umm, I think Tay needs me here," she replies awkwardly, not meeting her friend's eyes.

"Of course," Kit responds placidly, scanning a few last lines before putting the tablet in standby with a touch. "The translation programs will need time to run, anyway. Are we to leave now?" she asks, more rhetorically than not as she catches the courier's movements and invitation. Stowing her tools away again and slinging the satchel over her shoulder, she nods to LeBeau in thanks and acknowledgement before slithering back down to the tarmac.

LeBeau finishes his cycle of the Nall fighter's navcomp and has his attention drawn back towards Katya "Sur if yu don min. BU fo safety sake how aboud if I brign da Wolf along as escourd. We really don know if our new frien here was no followed. An no offense bu if we ged ento a figh I don know how much da Horse can take."

Jean Kassar boards the UKT Gray Horse.

Innokentevna looks to Katriel, steel eyes sure. "katriel .. eef zere ees a slafe camp, an eef z'ere ees an acshun .. z'ere are a lot ov folks vho are goink to be neetink hlp." There's a pause, quiet. "You ton't hafe to geet off zee sheep, da? Gray horse ees alvays ... a piece ov Ungstir."

Katriel bites her lip, shifting feet displaying her unease, and then reluctantly nods. "I guess, maybe that would be okay," she finally answers softly, wrapping her arms around her middle and hugging herself for a moment. No mention of just why that makes any difference at all, as to whether she's needed on the Outcast or not.

Mika's head suddenly snaps up in alarm, evidence that she has indeed been paying attention. "'ey -- WAIT a minute," she protests. "Yer gonna-- Kat. Does th' word 'Nall' mean anythin' t'ya? Think REALLY BLINKIN' 'ARD 'BOUT THAT."

"Da ... come .. stay next to me, an veel geetthrough z'eese da. Hafen't lost a Mysteec yet ..." Innokentevna then clambers up the boarding ladder to the ship. "Come on... sooner ve go .. sooner ve leaf." At the top rung she holds on and pauses. "Hoop Mika ... she's trafelink vith an Ungstiri deyvachka ... eet's zee hoopin' Nall z'at are outnumber't."

Cockpit 

Windowless and cramped, this tight compartment provides a pair of in-line acceleration couches only for a diminuitive pilot and communications officer. Data from outside the craft is relayed to the cockpit occupants via a holographic heads-up display, providing both a view from the ship and supplemental graphic navigation, trajectory and tactical information overlays. The acceleration couches are mounted upon gyroscopic devices which allow them to twist and rotate with the ship during acceleration and maneuvering.

Melody sits strapped in to one of the chairs, torso leaning over her terminal splay and tapping across it with a fervent speed that doesn't match her concerned expression. Hands working on their own. Ariel headbutts the Specialist's arm, perched on the woman's lap.

>> Outside the Ship: LeBeau boards the UKT Wolfsbane. >> Outside the Ship: Katriel turns her attention to Mika and she nods sadly. "I just did," she answers softly, and then climbs the ladder up after Katya. >> Outside the Ship: Katriel boards the UKT Gray Horse.

>> Outside the Ship: The Gray Horses drives suddenly grumble, raising to a dull roar as Katriel enters the ship. >> Outside the Ship: With a soft puff of attitude jets the UKT Gray Horse rises just off the deck, drawing its landing gear back up into its hull. >> Outside the Ship: "Idiots," Mika snarls, glaring back down at her work.

UKT Gray Horse Intercom Broadcast --- Innokentevna -- >>>> From the Cockpit : Make sure you folks are een your accelerashun couches, ve are about toaccelerate outbount .. next stop Sifat.

>> Outside the Ship: With a hard swing the Gray Horse pivots from the flightline, already accelerating as she heads outsystem.

Innokentevna looks to Melody, as she settles into the forward cockpit chair, driven, her expression sure and firm. She snaps out the toggles and switches, bringing the ship's systems online. "Meloty ... ve shall neet z'ose coortinates before ve heet Sifat space ...

>> Outside the Ship: The UKT Wolfsbane follows suit, trailing only seconds behind the Gray Horse as it thunders thru the rocky cavern out into the star speckled blackness of space. >> Outside the Ship: Powering up and vectoring upwards, the UKT Gray Horse departs the Resilience docks.

The forward view becomes a wash of shimmering silver as the spindrive field wraps about the ship, allowing it hyperaccelerate outbounds ... >> Outside the Ship: The shimmering field of the UKT Gray Horse's spindrive wraps around the starship, as it suddenly accelerates outbound in streak of deep ultramarine, on a trajectory to Sivad ...

UKT Gray Horse Intercom Broadcast --- Innokentevna -- >>>> From the Cockpit : Jump transeeshun mate ... ve shall be arrifink een Sifat een thirtyfife meenutes ...

Melody continues working through the transferred data, fingertips drumming on keypads. "I'm trying to get them..." She assures the captain as the two of them fall into 'professional roles.' The girl splits between maintaining watch over her Communication Display and reworking the received data copy.

An indicator on the comm system alerts you that the Wolf is hailing.

Mid Bay 

Cool white light drifts down from panels set in the ceiling of this spacious bay, which serves as work area and general quarters for the ship's small crew. Eight meters by eight meters square, with a ceiling no more than two meters high, two back to back acceleration couches fill the center of the space. Long and narror portals grant views outside the vessel, looking up through the ship's dorsal surface. Four bunk niches are set into the wall, two portside and two starboard. Beneath each are a set of cabinets and lockers for storage of personal gear, Against the forward wall a set of stainless door panels conceal a built-in efficiency galley, including small refrigerator and microcooker. Aft, a sliding panel hides the entrance to the compact hygiene unit.

Two sturdy hatches lead out of the midbay. Forward to the central airlock and aft to the ship's engineering compartment.

Jean Kassar is settled into the acceleration couch. He's got his bowl of stew in his lap. His coffee cup sits in a protective receptacle to keep it from spilling. He spoons another mouthful of stew into his mouth. "This really is good stew."

Katriel is strapped into an acceleration couch, an anxious expression clear on her face. She turns her head to Jean and nods, giving him a smile anyway. "Kit knows how to cook really well-- just don't eat the marshmallow creme," she cautions, a mischievious expression flickering to life for a brief moment, before fading away again.

The intercom snaps to life the image of pilot on it. She isleaning back, the silvered spindrive bubble seen in the background through the ship's holographic viewscreen. "Da ... zee marshmallov creme ees Meloty's." There's a light tease in her words ... heard even over the speaker. She then asks, "Hov long ago deet zee Nall fint your colony, gospadin Kassar?"

Jean Kassar blinks, looks up at the intercom speaker as he hears the question. He drops his spoon in the stew and replies, "A little more than three years."

The intercomp also displayed Melody seated before her Comm console. One of the researcher's hands flicks out to the right to tap in a few command keys, the other still working to filter through data information. Blip-blip. She tunes the array to the Wolf. "This is the Gray Horse, Communications Specialist Melody speaking."

"Melody's?" Kit interjects with a scandalized air before she glares between the Specialist and the courier. "If she has her own, there is no need to dip into *my* supply," she asserts beneath her breath as she resolutely returns her attention to decoding what had been downloaded from the Nall fighter.

Katriel grins a little at Kit's outrage, before her eyes return to the escaped slave. "That must've been just awful," she says softly, voice sympathetic.

LeBeau's distintive voice comes across the comm line "So uh Katya, jus wha es da plan here. We jus ask fo an audience wit da king an tell hem dat we hav da location o a Nall world populaded wit Sivadian slave dat need repatriation. 've heard some storys be e'en knowing dis one migh be true how do we really hav da king take us seriously?"

"The Nall on T'lask VII do not mistreat the prisoners unnecessarily," Jean Kassar replies to Katriel. "But, yes, being held captive, forced to build a polydenum extraction facility, forced to service extractory bots within tunnels veined with radioactive materials ..." He shudders. He nods. "Not pleasant."

The courier's attention is caught as her head turns. She can see to be lening back, speaking tothe Specialist somewhere behind her. "Leenk zee Volf's commchannel to our eentercom..." A pause, quiet. "Spasiba, lofe ..." She then replies so all can here. "Makes eet easy vhen zee Tsar has alreaty eenfite't you ... z'ats vhy ve are takink Gray horse ... zee rekvest vas one as soon as posseeble." She then turns her attention back to the intercom screen. "Hoop ... hoop z'ats just about zee same time ze Ungstiri vorkcamps vere form't. Too close to be a coeencetent ...'

Katriel nods to Jean, shoulders hunching as LeBeau mentions Sivad, as if trying to make herself extra small.

"Wh... a Nall world with Sivadian slaves...?" Melody murmurs, dumbstruck and pale, but ditifully abandons the conversation in favor of performing what is asked: to link the Wolf to their intercom. She weaves through screens and patterned key-touch formations. Chirp! The sound of success. "Mister LeBeau, you just have to accept the interface..." She then returns to the present, frowning slightly with a glance toward Katya. The hologram feline (Ariel) hops off the Specialist's lap.

The commline crackles to life again as LeBeau responds. "Dat ad lease makes id a bid easier to see hem, bu no any easier to convince hem. Remember hes governemen was jus deposed a few weeks ago fo a few days. An we ar gonna be asking hem to take actions which migh sen wha e'er pard o an empire he has lef ento war with da Nall."

As is typical of her, Kit remains largely silent through the conversation unless she is called upon directly, though she is not ignorant of what is said. Quite the opposite; she tilts her head every so often at some key point, her fingers pausing in their play across the instrumentation as she absorbs it fully before continuing in her work.

"Fife meenutes to transeeshun." Innokentevna calls acrossthe intercom. "Z'e'fe hat a spot ov trouble vith s're ovn Boromov-Vannabe ... so expect to see a beet ov construcshun, da?" There's a quiet contemplation. "Zee Nall, you sait nyi fery many. Hov much ov a splash veell z'eese hafe mate? Enough to breeng a carrier to zee planet?"

Jean Kassar shakes his head. "No. As I said, I believe they will dismiss the fighter as lost. Based on the standard specs and usage settings, it would never have made that journey. I had to sacrifice certain systems - such as the heating, comms and short range sensors just to stretch long enough to get as far as I did."

Katriel remains silent, though like Kit, it's quite apparent that she is listening with quiet intensity to every word spoken, as well as studying every inflection, every subtle gesture brought across through the intercom.

The accelergtion couches suddenly swing backwrds as the ship transitions back to real space .. and when the ship's drives kick on its like being hit by a sledgehammer ... or being on a rollercoaster at full acceleration. the small starship gallops, scraming down to Sivad's Independnce Dome at full speed. As she drives her ship insystem the courier considers. "Zere's a chance ... as long as a carrier toesn't shov up ... Gray Horse coult sneak een an out an nyi be detect't."

"There *are* two capital ships kept routinely in orbit of T'lask VII," Kassar replies. "They would not leave it entirely defenseless. But, I mean that they would not summon additional reinforcements simply because they lost one fighter."

The intercom then shows Katya leaning back towards the Specialists workstation. "An spasiba, lofe ... kharosho vork, an rite on time too."

Katriel winces at the sudden deceleration, squeezing her eyes shut until the roller-coaster ride is over.

The intercom also shows one fiercely blushing Melody, hand on the side of her face and glancing nervously away at the compliment. "Yeah... you're welcome."

The intercom also shows one fiercely blushing Melody, hand on the side of her face and glancing nervously away at the compliment. "Yeah... you're welcome." She manages faintly.

There is the lightest soft whumf, but the true sign that the ship has landed is the sudden banking of her oversized drives, the thunnder suddenly much much less. "velcome home, gospadin kassar." Comes the call across the intercom. "An' nyet ... I vas theenkink ov beink abletotay beneaf z'ere sensor scans, da?"

By now so used to the Gray Horse's exaggerated movements, Kit braces herself to counteract whichever forces might be in play at the time with hardly a though, continuing to play with various modules even as she tilts one way and then the other.

Jean Kassar unfastens his harness. "Are the coordinates prepared for transmission to the ..." His tongue is *still* troubled over this word. "King?"

To answer kassar's question the hatch opens, and the courier enters. Between two fingers she holds upa data chip. "Rite here. personally, I vouldn't trust z'eese to any broatcast transmeeshun. But here ..." Innokentevna holds it out. "You can geef z'eese to your Tsar ... vith zee copleements ov Kittianna an' Meloty."

Melody grips the edge of her console to keep herself steady during the landing. But she too is used to these movements and maneuvers, accustomed to them over the years. The researcher then busily unfastens the latches and buckles, slipping out and off the intercom screen... to stand behind Katya.

Jean Kassar bows to Innokentevna, then takes the chip in his hand. He stares at the miniature lifeboat for all the souls still trapped on T'lask VII, and then his dark-ringed eyes return to the courier's face. "You promise to give them time?"

Katriel cracks her eyes open, and then breaths a sigh of relief as there's no further movement from the ship. Looking at the hatch leading to the airlock, and to Sivad, her expression is wary as she loosens the straps holding her to the couch.

Kit is not too long in following Melody out into the mid bay, waiting impassively for farewells to be made while the luminous form of the holographic ship's companion drifts near the ceiling of the corridor, blinking wide saucer eyes at the strange passengers.

"Mite just take a look an see myself ... to make sure all ees on zee up an up." The young woman shrugs her shoulders, a simple philosophic gesture. "Feerst. Z'eese sorts ov theenks take time to vork out, espeshally eef I hafe to call a Citien's Committee meetink to deescuss eet. Zey can go on an on an on for hours ... or tays ... ve are an argumentateef bunch, da."

Katriel pulls her knees up to her chest, sitting pensively on the couch, eyes watching everyone in silent anxiety-- until she spot Ariel. Wide eyes nearly mirror the holographic projection's, as she watches it drift along.

"Good luck," Kit offers with uncharacteristic graciousness, watching Kassar descend out of sight. As she speaks, Ariel makes a last scan of the bay before swooping around in a languid bank, ending perched atop Melody's head, the wide flaps of its connective membranes almost enfolding it like a hood.

"Da ... hafe goot luck an gotspeet ..." Innokentevna seaks to the closed hatch. She leans back then, against the tall Specialeest behint her. "Z'eese ... z'eese ees far from ofer ... an eets nyi goink to ent vell."

Melody lightly smiles to Kassar as he leaves, nodding an acceptance for his expressed gratitude. She offers a slight wave. "Hehe... Ariel." She intones to the holographic feline as it drapes across her head, hazel-green eyes trying in vain to look at the avatar. Her hands reach up to "touch" the cat, mimicing a petting motion. Hands that soon change places to wrap around a courier when the Ungstiri leans against her, hugging a squeeze. "We'll do the best we can..."

Placing her hands atop Melody's, the small courier is a perfect fit against her fiancee. "Nyi for Sifat, nyi for zee Nall, an nyi for anyone gettink caught een betveen ... vhere ve are. On one hant, ve are Sifat's only tepentble frients ..." Eyes of hazel close, very tired. "On zee ozer hant .. z'ey are nyi Ungstiri ... an ve pay't too much for zee peace betveen us an zee Nall."

Katriel shivers, hugging her knees to her tighter. "Maybe everything will be fine, and his family and everyone will get freed..." she says, looking at Katya and Melody. "At least they have a chance now," she adds after a moment, shaking her head slightly. Her shoulders hunch, again trying to make herself as small and insignificant as possible.

Kit frowns absently as she watches Ariel's actions, eyeing the ship's daemon and Melody by association for a moment before she untucks her tablet from beneath her elbow and studies it intently.

Innokentevna slowly opens her eyes, and then she looks across to the mystic, her head tilting, just a bit. "You are een zee same sheep, zee same bay ... zee same place as Meloty. Rite nov I am een my home ..." She pats the hands that wrap about her. "An you are een her an Kittianna's home ... zee Gray Horse. To you theenk I am goink to let anytheenk or anyone hurt you here?" She paues and then looks up, rolling her head to spy the hologram. "An Ariel too."

"I don't know... But it's not worth a war between Ungstiri and the Nall. Sivad's kind of my home... but what has it done for us?" Melody shrugs weakly, hands patting the courier's lighter pair. "Not too much, right? I mean, I'm not saying one war is better than another... it's just, I don't want the Nall to come and ruin everything that Ungstir worked to be." It's something that correlates to herself, her own growth. To be destroyed after so much change and change left to go... would be horrible.

Katriel smiles weakly at Katya. "I don't want to cause you, or Melody or Kit or Ariel to have some trouble cuz of me," she replies, biting at her lip. "But, if I just stay here, inside, I'm sure things'll be just fine," she says, trying to sound positive about that, but her eyes stray to the hatch anyway.

Innokentevna smiles quietly as Melody speaks. "Besites, eets our Home. Yours too ..." and she closes her yes, leaning a bit against the other woman, and for a momnt, just a moment finly seems as young as she really is. "Kassar toesn't unterstant ... efery vort ve speak, efery acshun ve take ... eet means ... life or teath for zee folks on zee Rock. Z'ey come feerst ..." She then blinks, and flushes. "Okay z'ats nyi true. Meloty comes feerst." The courier then opens her eyes, takes a soft inhallation and then reaches to the side. From Dina's bunk she snares a stuffed animal. A big silver leopardish cat. This she just tosses to the huddled Mystic.

Katriel blinks, startled by the sudden arrival of the large, plush animal. Taking it in her hands, she examines it for a moment as if not exactly certain of just what to do with it, and then tries stroking its fur experimentally. A moment of that, and she tucks it in between her knees and her chest, hugging its softness to her. Her eyes seek out Katya's and gives her a little smile of appreciation, "Thanks."

Melody chuckles softly, awkwardly to the correction that her fiancee makes - about her coming first. It's a compliment that flatters her, but she doesn't view it as anything more in the fact of their grave situation. "I wouldn't be the Ambassador's attache if I didn't care for Ungstir... And you." Her nose crinkles, jostling her glasses. "You're not trouble... you're a friend. It's... different."

Kit tries to remain politely interested in the conversation, until it becomes clear that Innokentevna has fallen once again into her well-practiced role of reassurance to possible converts. Not so much disinterested as already knowing the sentiments espoused by heart, she drifts past the group on her way to the galley to poke amongst the shelves.

Ariel, seeing a fellow being sailing - however briefly - through the air, abruptly snaps up from its perch with wide ears swiveling, and unfurls its 'wings' to glide over toward the Mystic. Waddling in delight, the ship's companion does an odd dance in mid-air - as if waddling across solid ground instead of complete emptiness - and explores the stuffed animal with gentle pats of its paws all around.

"Kittianna ... ess Ariel gettink smarter?" through slitted eyes, she watches the holographic creature ivstigate the stuffed animal. She then smiles and adds. "Ariel ... ees becomink our eenterface to zee Gray Horse's computer system, da? An no vorries ... tonite ve sleep here ... tomorrov, ve probably fly. Indefatiguable ees to beg to lant here anyvays."

Melody yawns at the talk of sleep, watching after Ariel and then returning her showered attention on Katya. "Yeah... I am getting a little tired." She rocks from side to side with the courier wrapped up in her arms and vice versa.

Katriel looks positively enchanted by the holograph, dragging her eyes from it long enough to look up to Katya and nod, before returning to her study of Ariel. "Is it Kit's?" she asks, after another moment of study, glancing to where the data specialist is poking through sheleves.

"Of course. I have never stopped working on it," Kit asserts as she settles upon a box of her favorite crackers, shaking the box to check the level of its contents before taking it out of its home in the cabinets. "It is the ship's," she says in response to the Mystic, popping one of the wafers into her mouth. "I simply develop it."

Ariel crouches down to give the stuffed leopard one last, curious scrutiny, before springing back up into the air, letting itself drift upon non-existent breezes toward another corner of the room, there to cling to the spur of a cabinet to busily clean itself.

Innokentevna takes a few slow steps forward, before collapsing into one of the bunk niches. She doesn't let Melody remove her hug however, the small woman drawing the other into a tumble in their bed. it is completely caste, however ... or a better word is innocent. A pillow shared, hands clasped, and just safe knowing the other is nearby. One eye opens, to look back to Katriel. "Take Marly's bunk z'ere ... eets free an more comfy z'an ze couch. Da svidaniya, da?" And eyes closing she completes her good nights, "Spakoyniy nochyee, Kitt ... an spakoyniy nochyee, Meloty." She whispers the last, the one name her evening prayer.