(I) Prologue: The Deal.

(note that /ALL/ dialogue in this log is in Mierznykovy.)

Ungstir Landing Pad 

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.

The Mercy, she's on the pad, both loading ramps down and her boarding ramp lowered in the bargain. On her port side, laying on the ramp with his head in a panel, bad hat on his chest, Gena sets about making a monsterous shower of sparks, a welder applied liberally to a piece of conduit.

The bay behind him is a /mess/. It's also not a cargo bay anymore - what it's going to be is debatable. Panels are open, cables strewn in disarray, new jumpseats- still in plastic - piled at the ramp's base, new lighting replacing cargo loaders and overhead cranes.

Ace strides over from the Faux, looking over the new ship with interest, her gaze coming to rest on the engineer hard at work. Boots echoing on metal deck, she walks over to him, stopping close enough for conversation but not so close as to risk being within spark range. "Excuse me, but I'm looking for Dr. Andreovitch? Do you know where I could find him?"

The sparks, they stop abruptly, as the Ungstiri raises welder's goggles to peer out, blinking, at the voice. " Depends. Does he owe you money? " Carefully, the welder is adjusted to.. well.. 'off'.

Ace raises an eyebrow, "Not that I'm aware of, no. He sent me a message so I thought I would return it in person."

" Ah! Well, in that case, I can probably find him. " Gena sits up, carefully - that right leg he moves manually, as he holds out a calloused hand. " Do you mind? " His grin is wry. " Which message? "

The tall woman offers her hand to help the man up, "Meaning no offense, but I prefer to be discrete in my business dealings if you understand me." Her mouth quirks up into a hint of a smile, "Unless, of course, you would be him? Not that that means I would be any less discrete, but then the matter is your business, yes?"

Helping the fellow up is an exercise, one that has him laughing by the time he's balanced on both that stiff leg and the more traditionally functional one. " Sharp. Usually, I can keep someone going for a few hours, at least. " He shakes that hand with his calloused one before letting go. " Gennadiy Andreovitch, da, at your service. Gena, easier on us both, and it leaves the rest out of the way. And /you/.. I've met. In passing. You would be the Kapitan of the Faux. Ace. " He smiles, wryly. " I'm only sorry that it was under such trying times for you and your crew - but you're formally invited to the potato cannon party, when we manage to arrange it. I've several Nortons to launch at unsuspecting seabirds. Preferably on fire. "

Ace chuckles, "I admit, I recognized you from before when you were looking for work on the Athena. Didn't recognize you behind all of the sparks, but close up, you definitely looked familiar. As to Norton, if my crew ever gets close enough? Somehow, I think they will find a way to fire real ordinance from those potato cannons of yours." She shakes his hand in return and nods, "So, what is it the Faux can do for you, Dr. Andreovitch...Gena?" she corrects herself.

" ... a purely sentimental thing. " Gena limps, slow and careful, to his tools - fishing out a rag, mopping absently at forehead and neck as he turns back to the Kapitan. " I understand your crew does salvage operations? "

Ace says, "Da," Ace replies, putting her hands behind her back as they walked,  "My crew is very flexible and salvage is among the jobs we do well." She looks back up at the Mercy, "You cannot be in need of spare parts already, can you?"

Gena laughs warmly, "Nyet.." He shakes his head.. " And am not particularly interested in 'parts'. " He leans carefully on a low crate, taking the weight off of that bad leg. " You've been insytem? Do you remember a time when there was one more beacon, just before the ecliptic asteroid fields? Before the Nall.. 'liberation'." Ace shakes her head, "I'm sorry to say I do not,"  she explains,  "I fought during the Nall invasion and I received a very serious head injury which has affected my memory. I recall very little from before the Nall attacked. However,"  she continues,  "I learned to fly by taking a 'hopper in system and out, so I know the rocks of Ungstir very well. Are you looking for this beacon then?"

" It was called Paradise. Last fuel and repair station before the belt. Before the Liberation, it was my family's home. " Gena rests his hands at his sides, leaning still on that crate, regarding Ace seriously. " I'd thought it destroyed - and it was, in its own way. My sister, Nalya, told me another story - a story of Nall commandos and a.. cleansing in the pressure. I doubt it remains intact..but.. there are diaries. The records from the mainframe, family pictures and business going back three generations - all lost. " He shrugs. " now that I can afford to find them.. I cannot go myself. " Gena taps his bad leg - and it *thunks* of plastic.. " But I can pay to send a salvage team. "

Ace listens to Gena's story, her expression schooled and neutral, "Your sister, she is all you have left then?" she asks quietly.

" Nyet. Mother, Father, sister. We lost Kesha and Rustam, and my Mother's parents. It was less than some, more than others. " Gena's calm at that - an old pain shadowing his eyes for a moment. " .. if.. they are there, then I would recover them, too. They deserve to sleep in the Dark, not forgotten. "

Ace says, "That is good to hear," Ace replies,  "I knew many who were not so fortunate, but still, I am sorry for those you did lose. On behalf of my crew, I accept the job offer. All I need now would be the details of Paradise so I know what we should be looking for and where."

Gennadiy raises a hand. " Peace - you've not quoted a price, yet. And I've not offered one. Kapitan, let's be sure I can afford your stake, mm? "

Ace looks at the doctor, cocking her head a bit, "I told you. All I need are the details, doctor."

Gena considers. " Gena, please. I save 'Doktor' for those horrible academic meetings where people refuse to listen to you otherwise - and I'm a physicist. We're allowed to be unpretentious. " That's almost absent, as he thinks. " I can forward you a .. well, I can draft a blueprint based on memory, and it should be close. It is yours - ten thousand, I can offer for the search. Coordinates and other details? Easy - but it is likely there's no power, and no pressure. " He adds, thoughtfully. " Will pay bonus, too - based on what you are able to retrieve, if anything. Up to another twenty thousand - and I will privately insure the venture, too. Your equipment, and crew - well.. if something happens.. "

Ace shakes her head, "Blueprints, coordinates and any information regarding its orbit, that is all I need, Gena."

Gennadiy draws himself up straight - his expression oddly set. " Am /not/ hoopin' tourist. No free lunch, no risking lives and ships, not without payment. Take the Credits, Kapitan - and I'll hand over the data. " Friendly, regardless, he raises both hands. " And on that, I shall stand firm. Keesha would space me for even considering the notion. "

Ace says, "No, you are not a tourist," Ace replies, shaking her head again,  "I would charge a tourist a considerable amount of money, but this...how can I take your money for this?"

" By giving me your account codes and letting me forward the Creds. " Gena grins, impishly. " And then, letting me rave about how good you were at the job, regardless, to the envious ears of every salvager in Rockhopper's. "

Ace looks back to the new ship currently under whatever revisions the doctor had been doing, "You need all the credits you have for this new venture, Gena..." she sighs softly. "I do not need your money, but the good words? Those I could use these days."

" Mercy? Heaven knows - God created starships to be pits into which man drops money. " Gena rolls his eyes.. then pauses, taking a long moment to come to a decision. " I'm sorry I couldn't do more - we tried, you know. Seale.. dug his feet in, and made things.. difficult. "

Ace frowns as she lowers her head, "I am hoping soon that word will come out of G'ahnlo to clear us of one of the charges,"  she replies,  "But the other two? We cannot fix the damage their lies have done, especially since they confiscated the crates, but,"  she shrugs,  "We have survived and are rebounding, I think. Losing a port like New Luna has been difficult, but it could have been worse I suppose."

Gennadiy offers, quite seriously, " Da. We always survive - better than most. You do have friends, however, Kapitan - some you barely know. .. regardless, I'm glad you'll take the work. I'll get you both the advance and the details .. as soon as I can find my drawing materials in that mess. " A nod indicates the .. destroyed cargo bay behind him.

Once again, Ace's eyes turn towards the ship, "So do you intend to turn this into a research vessel?" she asks, raising an eyebrow. "Clearly you are not planning to haul cargo, and since you are a physicist, my best guess would be some sort of deep space science vessel?"

" Nyet - well, not exactly. " Gena's smile is wry and a bit... self-depreciating. " I have my own space aboard, certainly - but the Mercy.. she's a different dream. She's a medical vessel, self-funded.. or will be. A fully-equipped clinic, and trauma center in worst-case. " He looks up at the bay, speculatively. " .. the Arm, she needs people willing to help, sometimes. "

Ace says, "That is a very noble venture!" Ace seems pleasantly surprised, "Have you considered working in tandem with the Athena? Last I heard, Ranix was planning on setting up a free clinic on Tomin Kora."

" The Athena? I've offered - but Marlan seems more.... lost in her own strangeness than .. effective. " Gena shrugs. " I should thank her - if I'd not met her, and how she treated crew, and had that contract fall through - well, I'd not be sitting here now. " He seems speculative. " We'll go where we need to go - and Tee-Kay is not off of our destinations... or won't be, once I find someone willing to add shields to my beauty, here.. but somehow I doubt the Athena will be at all interested in our help, regardless. "

Ace frowns, "What contract?" she asks, clearly a bit confused, "And what did you see of how she treated her crew?"

" I put in two weeks of work on that ship, Kapitan - tuned in engines, even rerouted the port-side reaction control system. Walked away with not so much as a reccomendation. " Gena snorts. " I was asked to come to planning meetings.. and when I mentioned I was Kapitan of a separate vessel? I've heard nothing from her since. This - this is not professional. "

Ace says, "I am very sorry for that," she sighs,  "We do not have any medical personnel on board the Faux, but should you require assistance, please feel free to call upon us."

Gena raises a brow, surprised in turn. " .. I'll remember that. But such an offer always goes both ways. We can be anywhere in the Arm in forty minutes, Kapitan.. should you need us. "

Ace offers her hand, "I will keep that in mind, Gena. Contact us when you have what we need for the salvage operation and we will see what we can retrieve for you."

Gennadiy shakes, his own calloused hand offering a firm, friendly grip. " I will, Kapitan. And thank you. God keep you - and I'll talk to Seale, this week. Would you object to me pleading your case to him? "

Ace shakes her head, "I do not think that is wise, but thank you. You need as many allies as you can on such a venture as the Mercy, and I would hate to see you alienate New Luna on my behalf. Not to mention Seale, he is as deaf to such pleas as the UCC was when I came seeking their help in getting you freed from Sivad."

" Oh, I'm sure. But I'm not above creative blackmail - and, at the moment, he happens to need me. We'll see how it falls, mm? " Gena considers. " You ... thank you, Kapitan. " That is.. genuine, and heartfelt. " ..I've no idea how you came to know about that, but.. perhaps we've both allies we did not expect. "

Ace says, "I always try to keep abreast of such things," she says,  "I am only sorry that our efforts to find you and my attempt to persuade Ungstir to intervene both failed."

Gennadiy shakes his head. " Is /nothing/ to be sorry for - the RNS has its own agenda, and a vendetta against Ruin Pua. There was method to that, and I suspect .. well, nevermind. Only know that I appreciate your actions, more than I can adequately express. "

Ace says, "It was the least I could do. I will speak with you again soon, Gena. Good night."

Gennadiy nods, slowly. "Dobry vychyr, Kapitan - Spaciba."