Bug Bomb - Part I

Port Cargo Hold 

The cargo hold is a massive utilitarian affair, a wide cavern framed by the reinforced bulkheads and deck access plates. Tie downs and anchor pins line entire space in a flexible grid, allowing all manner of cargo stored and secured. Hidden behind large access panels and equipment banks are the varied multi-purpose support equipment, to allow for a variety of transport environments. Above run several tracks for gantry cranes and transport equipment. High bay light fixtures march down the hold's length, while individually keyed conduit runs provide the only splash of color in this space. A large square loading platform is marked out on the deck, banded in black and yellow industrial striping and bordered by heavy duty hydraulic struts.

Zrt'kfr is currently perched in the gridwork of one of the gantry cranes, peering down at the cargo hold, gripping a couple of steel posts with his four clawed hands.

Marlan steps into the cargo bay, a datapadd in hand, she looks around the near empty cargo bay and spotting a crewman off half asleep in a corner heads in his direction. "Lewis." she calls out as she nears.

'Lewis', the young crewman sitting off in a corner perks up at the sound of Marlan's voice, groggily looking around for its source.

Quietly, casually, the Odarite crouched atop the gantry crane reaches up to an X-shaped bandolier strapped over his carapace and taps a button. This causes a click and a series of faint beeps as something is activated within the bandoliers. He then reaches over his upper carapace with two of his four clawed hands, snatching the dealbreaker from its clasp. With a rasping of steel on steel, he snicks the X-shaped weapon into its two component parts. And watches. And waits.

Marlan's gaze flicks upwards for an instant as the series of faint beeps call her attention. Whether its enough for her to notice the hiding Odarite isn't clear, "Yeah Captain?", Marlan's attention returns to the young man, "I had some requisitions...i know we're on a skeleton staff but think you could get these processed?"

"Kaptain Raknix," comes a clicky voice from above, atop the gantry crane. Lights gleam off the sharp-edged weapons and the dark carapace of the Odarite. "I hkave mky ownk rekuisitkion tko mkake."

Lewis looks up, surprised at the strange voice from above. Marlan follows suit, turning and looking up in an instant, until her eyes come to rest on the armed Odarite above. Her jaw sets, "Who the hell are you and what are you doing on my ship?" a pause, "Lewis, call security."

"I amk Zrt'kfr," the crouching Odarite replies. "Ankd I skeek ankswers." He tilts his rounded head. "I woulkd nkot callk skecurity. I mkight expklode." He uses one of his two free arms to point at the bandolier strapped across his chest.

Marlan's eyes never shift, "Lewis...hold off on that order...." a pause, "If you want answers...i've never been adverse to giving them. But i don't appreciate being threatened on my own ship. Now.....Zrt'kfr. If you wish to come down and speak...we can speak. But not like this."

"Iks nkot nekotiakble," the Odarite states. "Whekre iks Sikmoon? Whekre dkid Akthena gko?"

"You want answers...you won't get them if i'm dead." comes Marlan's reply, "Seems to me...your answers are non-negotiable."

"Ykou wkill nkot dkie, ifk ankswers I gket," Zrt'kfr states. "Bkut, ifk ekxplode, allk dkie. Nkot jkust ykou."

Marlan shakes her head, "Its a lousy trade...nothing to be gained by it." Marlan replies. She takes a few steps to the side, to lean back against a cargo pallet. Her eyes are lifted towards the Odarite, Lewis a few feet from her, "I propose a better trade. I give you your answers and you give me a few...then you leave my ship and we pretend this exchange never happened."

"Wke shkall skee," the Odarite perched atop the cargo gantry gridwork responds to the captain. He clutches two segments of a dealbreaker blade in two of his clawed hands. The other two hands rest near the X-shaped strapping of bandoliers across his carapace. The bandolier has a couple of blinking telltale lights on it. "Ikt dkepends okn ankswers. Zrt'kfr nkot wankt dkie. Bkut wkill, ifk mkust."

Through the doors comes a clattering and a clanking, followed by the shine of a flashlight tracing a line across the maze of conduits and wireways. A small chittering voice talks to his furry self, as he searches into the bay. "redzz redzzz redzz ... why they ran waterzz linezz through here, muzzt have talkzzz with shiptekzzz ... mite be leakingzzz all over zztuffzzz." A pauses, and sharp ears rise. "Doczzzz? You herezzz?"

Marlan nods slightly, "I can respect that." she replies, "So you want to know what happened to us?" she shakes her head, "Should ask the odarite ship that was chasing us down at the time, da. Hoopin smarter bunch then we where." she looks back up, "Sixmoon had us pull a ridiculous stunt...tore my spindrive in two, threw us into what i can only imagine was hiverspace and had the good fortune of dying in the process, saving me the trouble of having to kill him. If it hadn't been for my Chief Engineer we'd of never been able to fix the spindrive and get back here. Now for my an..." she shifts her attention to the door, "Stay where you are." she yells out.

Jordan steps into the cargo hold, removing the pulse pistol from her waist as she does so, and turns towards the storage locker, obviously intending to stow it. A flicker of motion and voices gets her attention and she starts to call back to Tryklynn, and then stops at Marlan's command to stay where she is, looking around the hold cautiously.

Zetral strolls in through he door a short distance behind Tryklynn. He snaps his gaze up into the darkness at Marlan's shout, one hand straying down towards the empty holster at his side. Even as he does this, there is a slight shifting in the purple hint of his cybernetic eye.

"Wkas okn Okdarite shkip," the figure atop the gantry gridwork replies to Marlan. "Paliskade. Thkis iks whkere ykou wkent, yeks?" His rounded head tilts and his mandibles click and clack as he stares down at the captain. "Hkave skeen mkap, yeks. Nko mkore lkies."

Marlan shrugs, her gaze now torn between the crewman at the door and the Odarite above, "If you've seen the map, then you know more then i do, da."

Jordan raises an eyebrow at Zet, and passes the pistol she was about to stow over to him. She finally looks up, and sees the Odarite, eyes narrowing at him.

"Ykou hkave bkeen," Zrt'kfr insists, pointing a clawed appendage at Marlan. "Wkant allk ykour rekorkds okf voykage. Wkant akny Kamirk tkechnoklogky."

Zetral accepts the pistol from Jordan, checking the charging indicator as he brings the weapon to bear on the Odarite, though he doesn't stick his finger into the trigger guard just yet.

"If i had any Kamir technology, you'd be doing me a favor by getting it the hell away from me." Marlan replies, "And there aren't any records. Now you want to tell me what the hell the Odarites interest is with this?" her tone roughens, mierznykovy accent thickening, "Because i've got to say..i'm getting tired of running into armed members of the guild, da. Especialyl when i've got no idea why."

Tryklynn padpapdapdpads through the crates, following the sound of the voices. Small black ears are perked, whiskers twitching, as the small figure waves through crates and bales. "Whatzzz diddzz we findzzz otzzz thizzz Palizzades?" The engineer sniorts. "No drydockzzz, no towerzzz to fallzzz apartzz on youzzz ... and no palizzzades. Broken zzpindrivezzz, metlt'd thruzzzter bellzz, cracked hull platezzz from foolizzh navigationzz ztuntzz. Wabt to zze? Can zzzhow you, yezyezyez. Kamir techzzzz ... baahphshaaa ... you wantzzz tradezz? Finezzz, here good offerzz. We tradezzz timezz at zzhipyardzz and equipmentzz for repairzz and refitzz. You can inzzpectzz zhipzz, an can have any Slaver-techzzz you can findzzz."

No longer armed, Jordan takes a small step away from Zetral, giving him space to move if he needs to. She then turns her attention back to the Odarite, hands fidgeting restlessly at her sides the only indication of her anxiousness. Noticing what she's doing, she crosses her arms firmly against her chest, preventing the movement.

Zrt'kfr tilts his head, swiveling so that his compound eyes fix on Zetral and the weapon aiming up at the gantry. "Pkull thke tkrigger akt ykour pkeril." His attention then returns to the captain. "Sokme Okdarites wankt tkechnolokgy tko beknefikt thkeir faktionk. Otherks wkant tko sktop tkechnolokgy fkrom fkalling inkto wkrong clawks."

Zetral keeps his pistol focussed on the Odarite, shooting a glance towards Marlan, "Captain, I'd shoot him if you want me to but, well..." He doesn't finish the thought, but it sounds as though he isn't very keen on pulling the trigger.

Tryklynn looks at his paws and wraps his tail around his own ankle. He then continues in his path, ending next to a set of service risers. "Tellzzz themzz, very eazzy to do. Cannot have technologiezzz to fall into wrong pawzzz, handzz or clawzz, whenzzz there izzz nonez for anyonezzz to have."

Marlan shifts her gaze to the growing contingent at the door and hesitates only an instant before replying, "Stow your weapons..." she turns her attention back to the Odarite, "This mess with Palliside has done enough damage to this ship, i won't have it be the cause for its destruction." she shakes her head, "And you? Where do you fall along those two camps? Either way you have to be aware that Palliside, if it even exists, is very unlikely the only place the Kamir lef traces of themselves."

Crelsk trundles into the port cargo hold. His snout swivels in the direction of Marlan, and his eyes fix on the Odarite. Headspines rising, he begins reaching under his coat, then stops as his Captain orders. Nevertheless, he flexes his claws anxiously, tongue flicking in and out as he hisses to himself.

Jordan clenches her hands even with her arms crossed in front of her, jaw clenching, and does nothing.

"Wke akttempted tko shkoot ykour shkip fkrom thke sktars akt Tkomin Korka," Zrt'kfr replies to Marlan. "Gkuess whkich faktionk mkight dko skuch ka thking."

Marlan grins a bit, "Either." she replies, "Considering you already have the map and no real use for us." she leans up off her crate, "Now are we done? Because i can assure you my crew is only going to be willing to stand there for so long. And i personally am tiring of this."

Zetral nods, once, re-safing the pistol and sticking it into the holster at his side, even though it isn't actually his gun. His hand remains firmly on the grip, ready to redraw it at a moment.

Tryklynn looks up and blinks, whiskers twitching. "You wantzzz to knowzzz about Kamirzzz ..." There's a pause from the Lotorian. "I wazz bozz dockmazzter on Comorro ZZtazzhun for many yearzzz. I knowzz who you zzhouldzz talk to, yezyezyez."

"Ykou mkay bke lkying," the Odarite says, continuing to crouch on the gantry. The lethal curves of the detached dealbreakers are clutched in two of his hands. The explosive bandoliers are wrapped around his carapace. "Pkerhaps ikt iks bekst ikf dektonate. Jkust ikn caske."

Marlan shrugs, "You do that and they fire...you might reach it before they reach you but then...lady luck's been with us recently, da. Either way you're dead and true or not it doesn't matter. You walk out of here and atleast the choice of to believe me or not is still there."

Zetral hrms, softly, tilting his head off to the side. "I'd really rather you didn't." The pistol springs back into his hand, and is focussed once more upon the odarite, humming again as it unsafes.

"Ykou dko nkot ukndersktand," Zrt'kfr states, peering down at Marlan with compound eyes. "Thke ekxploskives arke aktivke. Sktraps arke lkinked tko mky vkital skigns. Ikf akm hkarmed, dektonation auktomaktic."

"Well then." Marlan repeats, "I don't see the point of continuing this conversation. I've told you what i have to say. If you want to believe it or not....well, thats your descicion. I'd like to ask you to make it though, because if you're going to be leaving this ship...i'd like to make sure that you leave it."

"Fkly shkip tko Okdari," Zrt'kfr demands. "Gkuild akllies wkill sktudy vkessel. Ikf tkelling tkruth, Zrt'kfr nkot dektonate."

Jordan curses softly under her breath, a low, barely audible running commentary on bugs and what she thinks of them.

Crelsk keeps his eyes trained on the Odarite, tail flicking back and forth in irritation.

Marlan snorts now, "You have to be kidding me. This ship's barely in any shape to fly anywhere."

Tryklynn puts his paws on his hips. "We getzzz drydockzzz berthzz, azzcezzz to gearzzz and zzecurity from other Guildzzz?"

Zrt'kfr glances down at the Lotorian. "Wke wkill proktect ykou fkrom rkival Gkuilders, ykes."

Marlan nods, "Fine. If that will end this once and for all." she turns to look at the others, "Report to the bridge, take our friend there with you. Take her to Odarite but be slow about it." she tilts her head towards Tryklynn, "Soon as we get there see what you can do about repairs." and then back to Zetral, "You have the conn, if you hae any questions, comm me."

Zetral nods, once, returning the pistol to the holster. "Well... I suppose that'll have to do then, won't it?"

Tryklynn waves his pawzz, looking back to the Odarite, his muzzle bobbing. "That partzzz. You wantzz to zee zzhipzz, makezz zzure not hidingzz anythingzz .. then drydockzz berth with full equipmentzz priveledgezzz ..." The lotorian the pauses. "An we let your Guildzz be agentzzz for materialzz zzalezzz for refitzz and repairzz. Will pay for high qualitiezzz partzz and ..." The lotorian's ears flatten. "... reazzonable commezzhunz."

Jordan shakes her head, continues her running commentary, and begins to head for the bridge. Her hands clench and unclench at her sides as she does.

Crelsk grunts, making a low grumbling sound in his throat. "I do not like this," he hisses to no one in particular.

Zrt'kfr bobs his rounded head at Tryklynn, mandibles snick-snacking. "Akceptable."

Zetral sighs, offering a very small nod. "I suppose that will have to work, then. I'll go and get ready for takeoff."

Crelsk lumbers into the main corridor, headspines lowering slightly.

Tryklynn crosses his arms then and nods, looking back to the Odarite. "Good Tradezz ... good tradezz." he then turns his attention back to the conduits. "Now come downzzz, take off bombzzz. Lazzzt thing any zztarzzhipzz needzz izzz live bomb when zzzpindrive kickzzz in, yezyezyez?" The engineer then turns and lets his flashlight follow a hot water line. "MNOwzzz ... you can zztayzz here. But mite getzzz real wetzzz juzzt before lunch.

There is a dull grumbling as the ship's primary systems slowly power up.

The air starts circulating and a gentle hum can be heard as life support is activated.

There is a loud roar as the ship's stardrive comes online.

Zrt'kfr hefts the dealbreaker segments, arcs his arms so the weapons go behind his back, and then he snaps them together in the clasp attached to his carapace. That done, he springs from his crouch atop the gantry and lands with a clattering thump next to the Lotorian. "Bkomb sktays. Skecurity." His wings flutter briefly and he stalks toward the exit.

Tryklynn points towards engineering next door where the big engines have started to roar. "Thenzzz better findzzz real zzecurezzz plazzez to zzitzz. Would notzzz wantzzz azzidentzz to ruinzz eutherzzz of ourzz invezztmentzz." The lotorian then pauses. His ears rise. And he creeps forward. "Here." he whispers. "Fifteen cratezzzz ... bezzzt qualitiezz. Royal purplezzz cloth. Will tradezzz ..." A beat, a pause, a sparkle building in beady little eyes. " ... real cheapzz!"

Zrt'kfr flicks his compound eyes toward the crates. Considers. Then looks back at the Lotorian. "Ifk skurvive, perkhaps." And, with that, he vanishes into the corridor.

Bridge 

Compact and smoothly efficient, the bridge of the Athena is crafted in a double tier of concentric workstations. One enters low, rising up a tall ship's ladder into the center of the primary station well. On this level the three main consoles are nooked, their monitors stacked in rigid rows beneath the polycomposite viewscreen panels, a chaos of rainbow telltales reflecting off each brightly polished surface. The portside workstation monitors the ship's engineering functions, mirrored on the starboard side by the ship's armscomp console. Forward, central, is the sharp "u" of the navigator's station. Behind, on the upper tier, overlooking the whole of the bridge is the captain's command station.

Cool white light illuminates the space, from recessed fixtures hidden against the ship's structural framing. The flooring is set with modular metal panels, providing access to the avionics, computer and other flight systems concealed below. A narrow gangway leads aft and down to the ship's main corridor.

Jordan sits back in her seat, and glares around the bridge at nothing in particular.

Zetral is seated in the navigation console, leaning back as the computer guides the ship through hyperspace.

Zrt'kfr stalks onto the bridge, his dealbreaker weapon now clasped together against his back. He still wears the blinking explosive bandolier.

Tryklynn padpadpadpas in after the Odarite. " ... bezzzt purple cloth thizzz zzide of Nexuzz. Look real goodzzz, complimentzz carapaze." He then scrambles towards the center station and clamberss up into it. "Eazzzy tripzz, to thizz Odari plazze, yezyezyez."

Jordan finds a target for her glare once the Odarite steps onto the bridge, fingers tapping irritatedly along the side of her console.

Zetral offers a nod over his shoulder to Tryk, "Yeah, it should be."

Crelsk sits in front of the weapons console, tapping away.

Zrt'kfr stops near an auxiliary console not far from Jordan's position. He settles into the chair, rests a clawed appendage on the bulky cube of the console, and then swivels the chair so he can face Jordan. His mandibles snap together for a moment and then spread once more. The bandolier strapped across his carapace continues to blink ominously as his compound eyes reflect myriad copies of the irritated Jordan.

Faced directly with the Odarite, Jordan's face smooths out into blankness, her eyes wintery. She crosses her arms against her chest, and waits.

Crelsk flicks his tail as he hits a few buttons on the weapons console, silent aside from the low grumbling noise he makes.

Mazzonnoz slides into the bridge, his face neutral, the one-armed Timonae's manner nonchalant as he gives the room a casual once-over.

Zrt'kfr says absolutely nothing as he maintains a stony, implacable stare at Jordan. However, in what might be a mimicking of her own gesture of defiance, he crosses both sets of arms over his front carapace.

Zetral grunts as he looks up at Noz. "Hey. We're taking the Odarite with the bomb strapped to him to Odari, where we're going to use his drydock, and let his people look us over for Kamir technology."

Jordan's expression flickers for a moment, lips twitching upwards as Zrt'kfr mimics her with his arms. She clamps down on her jaw firmly however, and the moment passes.

With a shattering of silver starbursts, the spindrive field collapses, returning the ship to normal space.

Tryklynn stretches out on the most comfy chair and points. "Zeee ... Odari, yezyezyez." Tryklynn nods to the Odatire. "Now ... who do we contactzzz, for landingzz clearanzzez and finding berthzzz, yezyezyez?"

Jordan doesn't actually shift her gaze away from the insectoid in front of her, but her eyes glaze over as she uses her jack to scan the local space.

Zetral becomes instantly alert as the ship drops out of hyperspace, and he guides the ship towards a high orbit.

Zrt'kfr keeps his attention fixed on Jordan, but replies to Tryklynn: "Skend ckodeword 'Alkpha-Fkour' ankd inkdicate inktent tko lkand ikn Bkerth Tkwelve, bkut aktuakly tkaxi tko Bkerth Tken."

"That's a neat device you have there," Noz says, attempting to keep his voice cool. He glances across at Tryklynn. "Tryk, why is there an Odarite with what looks like a bomb on his chest inside the bridge?"

"It *is* a bomb," Crelsk comments, not looking up from his station.

Zetral picks up a mic, thumbing a couple of switches on the edge of the navigation console, slaving one of the screens into the comm mode. "This is the UKT Athena, intending to land in Berth Twelve, code word Alpha-Four, requesting landing clearance."

No longer having to keep track of local space, Jordan snaps the datacord free from its jack, eyes refocusing on the Odarite. She stows the datacord, and then resumes the exact same position and demeanor that she had before.

Crelsk taps a couple of keys, and then swivels around to look at the others on the Bridge.

Tryklynn looks to Mazzanozz, sprawled comfortably on the command chair. The Lotorian bobs his snout. "Made tradezzz ... drydockzz time, repairzzz and material agentzz for refitzz, yezyezyez ..." He then nods to the Odarite. "he izzz agentzz, getzz to look for Kamir artifactzz that aren't here, and doezzn't blow himzzelf upzz."

Zetral guides the ship down, juking sideways a distance above the surface to settle the vessel down into Berth Ten. As soon as the landing struts thump against the ground he rises, and says, "Well, I think that I am going to go hit the hay. My shift has been over for a while now..."

Mazzonnoz turns to look at Zetral. "Sounds like someone let the Odarite gain leverage on the deal that shouldn't have been allowed," He says, eyes narrowing.

"Captain Ranix is aware of this arrangement, Mister Noz," Crelsk says, standing up from his seat.

Zetral snorts, shaking his head. "Don't look at me. Somebody let him stow away in the cargo bay, and then activate the bomb. Still, I agree with the Rockrat. It's a good deal."

Zrt'kfr continues staring at Jordan, arms crossed. Finally, he does the next best thing to blinking - a physical impossibility. He stands, untangles his four arms, and then turns his attention from the science officer. He shifts his gaze toward the Timonae. "Ikt iks gkood dkeal, ikf tkelling tkruth."

Mazzonnoz shrugs. "Yes, I suppose it is," Noz says. "But that you were allowed entry speaks ill of our ability to avoid surprises in the future." The Timonae shrugs. "Lin does as she will, I suppose."

Jordan relaxes slightly as Zrt'kfr turns his attention away. Biting the inside of her cheek, she turns her attention onto the entire bridge, watching the byplay between Noz and Zetral silently.

Zetral offers a small nod. "Might want to talk to the security folks about that." He adds, before stepping out into the corridor.

Through viewports granting sight of the landing berth, several more Odarites can be seen bounding into view. Armed with detached dealbreaker blades, they move into positions around the Athena. They make no move to board, and instead stand with their backs to the vessel. It would appear they are more intent on guarding the vessel than invading it. Soon after their arrival, an Odarite tech crew arrives, pushing several hoverpallets piled with equipment and supplies.

Crelsk grunts as Zetral exits, then starts walking in the general vicinity of Noz, tail flicking about warily. "Mister Noz, perhaps we should leave these guilders to their work." He nods his snout to the door, which he walks through to the Main Corridor.

Tryklynn claps his paws together as he sees the equipment arrive. he then bounds out of his chair and nods to the ship's officers. "Zee, good tradezz ... can now really really fixezz zzhipzz, yezyezyez!"

Jordan pinches the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes for just a moment, and then returns to watching everyone on the bridge.

Zrt'kfr starts toward one of the computer consoles. He swings his compound eyes toward Tryklynn. "Whkich okf thkese wkill gkrant akcess tko mkission lkogs?"

Jordan grits her teeth, and follows after Noz.