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[Lysander the Poet]

[Lysander the Poet]

Calypso Station
The Asteroid Belt
Sol System
January 18, 2326
19:34 Galactic Standard Time

As Persephone dropped out of FTL, the asteroid belt stretched further than the eye could see. Somewhere, beyond this ring of rocks and dust, lay the red planet, Mars. Between here and there, however, lie more than just some space boulders. Pirate outposts, Dominion patrols, and a small Terran Naval outpost waited for them within the asteroid belt, their faces plastered against every wall in the sector on wanted posters, just like any other. Unlike the more civilized parts of the system however, most of the people who lived here were desperate for credits, and were almost as much of bloodthirsty, murdering maniacs as their prey was. The ship gently came to a slow, steady pace, weaving slowly into the belt, dodging a pair of large asteroids as they came into collision with each other. She glided back and forth between the large rocks, drifting ever towards the east, where Calypso station was nestled deep into its asteroid. The ship had to travel quite slow, almost too slow to register on the shipboard instruments. Dodging and weaving its way towards Calypso station was a challenge for an automated system, and only slightly less so for an artificial intelligence. Pilots who learned to fly manually in this sort of environment were some of the most skilled pilots in the system, such as the pilots who attended the Coalition Flighty Academy on Mars.

The careful click click click of someone loading rounds into a clip was the only sound that broke the silence. Perimeter sensors for Calypso Station lined the asteroids of the belt for hundreds of miles across in every direction, sensing any form of movement or any energy signatures. A pair of eyes scanned the monitor, blue glow cast over the dark room, as a full scan of an incoming ship transferred data onto the image. The ship was identified as the Persephone, and underneath, several pictures flickered onto the screen; wanted posters. Alister Blood, chief among them, worth a fortune, and of course on the Dominion’s watch list. The figure loading his gun grunted in recognition, as he tapped the screen a few times, opening a direct line to Admiral Halloran. ”Got a ping on Blood. Calypso Station. Going to move for apprehension. I’ve got one of Devaro’s Lieutenants in my pocket. They’re all old friends. More than willing to toss Blood over, once they saw how high the bounty was. Him and the girl are yours, along with the GenEx kid. The other smuggler is as good as dead. And the pretty one...she belongs to me. The Lethe are looking for her. Seems she escaped out of Kessel Station with valuable cargo, and they confirmed her identity from the posters, as being aboard ship with Blood. They wish to reacquire their assets. They’ll be on station in approximately ten hours, judging for navigation time and authorization. Gives some time for to set the trap. I expect payment to be prompt.”There was silence, followed by a group of beeps, signaling that the receiver of the call had disconnected. The man grunted again, not impressed with the Admiral’s manners.

The lights around the station flickered on, revealing the cavernous innards of the asteroid, countless bridges and sections of the station connected together, an enormous door making up the outer asteroid wall, containing the artificial atmosphere. At least a hundred smaller docking stations were built into the different parts of the station, and all the parts of the station were connected to a central supporting column that also served as an elevator. The station was waking up. For as many pirates and scumbags that lived on and ruled the station, there were a myriad of workers too, for maintenance and things. The day shift was starting, and the station came alive as people began to move through the tunnels and bridges and spaces of the station. As the workers moved down the passages, images flickered across the metallic walls. Advertisements for movies, shops, and services, and the occasional wanted posters that made up the system’s most wanted. Most plodded along, ignoring the screens, having seen them every single day of their lives. The great experiment of Calypso, trying to turn a pirate outpost into an almost normal station. The screen flickered over to the next display, a news bulletin.

”Breaking news today, in a story that has just fully been authorized to the public. Kessel Station, a space station established at the edge of our system by a group of rebels a few decades ago, has officially been claimed by forces of the Terran military. The station long served as a neutral ground between the Children of Olympus, Coalition of Terra, and the various pirate and mercenary groups. Reports indicate that the pirates aboard the station attempted to stage a coup, and take control of the station, prompting loyal Coalition forces to send out a distress call. Vice Admiral Kenneth Halloran, famous for his talent for extinguishing piracy in many sectors of our system, responded with a full Coalition battle group. According to the Admiral, by the time he arrived, the pirates, as well as Olympian forces, had assaulted most Coalition forces on station. The battle group quickly overpowered the combined enemy force, and secured the station, installing a garrison for safety of the region. The alleged leader of this ‘rebellion’ is one Alister Blood, a pirate who is infamous around the system for his various crimes, as well as several unknown accomplices, escaped the scene, using the battle group’s arrival and engagement of his forces as a distraction to not only escape the scene, but managed to kidnap Christian Bernet Junior, Heir to the GenEx corporation. Vice Admiral Halloran has assured us, as well as Mr. Bernet Senior, that he will do everything in his power to bring this outlaw to justice, and see the safe return of the young man. In sports news-”

The speed of communication around the system was incredible. Not that many aboard Calypso Station really cared. One of their own, supposedly rising up and trying to shoot up the oppressive Dominion scumbags they knew were running the show? True or not, it was nice to hear. And as the Persephone tripped a few of the perimeter sensors, nobody seemed alarmed. There wasn’t really anyone who saw the prize contained within. Not many, but there was one, his armor blacker than night, who stalked the passageways of the station, finger resting on his pistol. The scope was fine tuned, the safety was off, and it was loaded with a set of armor piercing rounds, laced with poison. He was ready to stalk his prey. And he wasn’t alone...his web was woven all around the station. And for these spiders, a fly was about to be caught in their web. It was feeding time.

[Space Candy]

xxxx"Speech."xxxxx"Thoughts."xxxxx"Others."

XXXXXXXXDaniella slid her eyes over to Nova, taking in her form for the first time. She had some odd modifications to say the least, and it seemed everyone at the table was doing their best not to stare. Dani knew that look, though she had received it for a reason that wasn't nearly as obvious. After a moment, Daniella stood and began to make her plate. She had waited a little bit, allowing others to get plates before her. It seemed like a polite thing to do, and it also would deter her from piling her own plate too high...Catching Nova's thought, Dani stepped carefully around her chair, leaving plenty of space between her dainty feet and Nova's tail. She listened intently to the conversation between Christian and Nova. So they knew each other from before. That was an interesting turn of events, and while Daniella was curious there was no way she would pry. It really wasn't any of her business. After making her plate she sat back down at the table, Rhia at her side. Rhia seemed tougher than nails, and Dani was happy that she seemed...well....she didn't hate her, so that was always a plus. She was a tough one to read though. Daniella hadn't been exposed to too many people while at GenEx, but she'd come across someone who was difficult to read before. Some people just had better defenses, though Dani wasn't sure why...

Dani glanced to Rhia out of the corner of her eye as Alister began talking. Daniella kept quiet, but paid attention to his words as she ate her food. It was good, better than most other things she'd been fed, and she did her best not to stuff her face too quickly. Instead she paced herself, trying to appear like a normal person instead of an escaped telepath. So Calypso wasn't safe, which didn't come as a huge shock to Dani. It seemed most places weren't safe. More than likely she would stay on the ship for this little pit stop...She was surprised, however, that Nova spoke to him. After talking, Alister left the dining area, leaving the odd arrangement to talk amongst themselves. Daniella didn't really plan on conversing with anyone though...at least not verbally. Slowly, she opened herself up, listening in on the various thoughts floating around. Dani caught a little bit from Nova, something about a stupid gamble. She took another bite before resting her grey orbs on Ben. "You could have opened with that statement you know. Instead of threatening to kill my only friend. Though I will admit it would have worked. Alister showing up ruined that for you though..." Daniella dropped her gaze and looked to her plate. She pushed her food around for a moment before glancing to Christian. Again, she linked with Ben. "Obviously you do not understand me. For most of my life I haven't had a choice about anything in it. Now that I'm out I am going to do what I want. I am on this ship because I chose to be. I do not care about hurting the Dominion, or GenEx. I just want to be free, and live my own life. How hard is that for you to understand? Just...Leave me alone." Her words would come across a bit harsh. It was obvious that Daniella did not plan on cooperating with Ben at all, making his mission to obtain her that much harder.

The blonde took a breath and broke away from Ben. She didn't have anything else to say to him at the time. The slow murmurs came back...She looked around the table again, catching Christian's eye as he gave her a smile. Daniella returned the gesture, though her own was rather tight. "I still have that card you gave me earlier. Should I hold onto it for later?"
She waited around the table for a few moments, giving Christian time to answer her.
"Excuse me..." The telepath stood calmly and took care of her plate and began to head back to her cabin.

"I will see you in the morning alright? I need to lay down..." The thought was directed at Christian, her words gentle. With that, Daniella stepped cautiously down the hall back to her cabin. There were still guards outside of her door, which was a nice perk. She hadn't asked for them, but was still happy they were there, even if the guards didn't know her name. It didn't matter as long as they kept everyone else out...

Once inside her room, Dani took off her jeans an slid back into bed. She wanted to rest, and not be bothered with anyone...Especially Ben...


-

The next morning Daniella woke up early, just like every other day. Her years at the compound had wired her biological clock. She woke up at the same time every day, and tended to eat at the same time as well...Though that was slowly being changed. It seemed that her waking up schedule was still in tact though. The other guests still were asleep for the time being, but members of Alister's crew were up and running. They probably took shifts or something; Daniella doubted there was ever a moment where everyone was asleep at the same time. She pulled on her jeans and brushed her teeth before slipping her shoes on. So today they would be at Calyspo Station...And more than likely Dani would be staying on board for that endeavor. The blonde pursed her lips in thought as she wove her fingers through her hair, pulling the strands into a standard braid. After a moment she took a breath and opened her cabin door. The guards on either side glanced towards the center, probably surprised she was awake at that hour. Daniella looked at them cautiously, before taking a few steps out into the hall. She listening in on them, but didn't find anything too extraordinary.

Dani began walking down the hallway. She didn't have much of a plan on where she would be going. Really she just had an urge to explore and learn her surroundings better. She had been shown around briefly before by Rhia, but now it was time for her to look around on her own and gather her thoughts. Well...mostly alone. One of the guards who had been posted at Dani's door followed a few paces behind her. She spent a long time wandering aimlessly in around the ship, which was probably annoying the guard who was following her. Daniella didn't bother to check: she didn't want to know what he thought of her.
After a while, once she had finished exploring any area that wasn't out of her reach, Daniella made her way back to the dining area. Her guard was still trailing behind her. Dani stopped near the table and crossed her thin arms, picking at her bandages absentmindedly. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a breath. When she opened her eyes again, Daniella half expected to wake up back at GenEx, and for her adventure thus far to have been a wild dream.

Instead she was there. On a pirate ship, in her own clothes instead of that awful bodysuit, with no one trying to run tests and exercises on her. It was nice, and for a brief moment she almost forgot about the bounty on her head and all the wanted posters. That fleeting feeling of freedom that she yearned for so much finally felt within her grasp...Daniella bit the inside of her cheek, trying to think of some small town on some planet she could disappear in. The blonde turned her head, glancing to her guard over her shoulder. He didn't seem too interested in anything except doing his job, which was good in Dani's book...

xxxxLocation :: Dining area.
xxxxCompany :: Her guard.
xxxxHealth :: 100% - Hopeful, curious.
xxxxTunes ::Pompeii - Michelle Montezeri

[chibichick27]

Ʌℓεxεɪ Ϩαηʈɵɢɵℓ∂

"I need a FIX 'cuz I'm going down."

outfit // barely there!
stamina // 92% - sleepy and hungry
addiction status // satisfied

Slowly opening her eyes, Alexei felt like she was in a dream. Her mind was foggy, and the location unfamiliar. It would have been nice, actually, to stay like this, but after a minute of reality, she remembered everything that had occured and now she couldn't pretend anymore. She sat up, and heard a small sound next to her. Looking over, she saw Alister sleeping next to her. Most people looked so content when they were asleep, but he still carried that air of danger. She half-expected him to grab her arm if she tried to get out of the bed.

Memories of last night came back to her. The threatening gestures, the disappointment in her advance, the discussion of payment, and finally...Alexei smirked a little and rubbed her wrists. They were bruised, and she had a few deep-red bite marks littering her neck and chest. She preferred to be marked after a night like that. It made her feel like she accomplished something. Examining his sleeping body, she made note of every scar she had traced with her fingers or tongue. Apparently, she had even left her own bite mark on his upper chest. She considered that a small victory.

Alexei got up off of the bed quietly. She was sure Alister slept light--he seemed like the type to keep a knife and a gun under his pillow and have them both at someone's throat in a moment's notice. Alexei gathered her clothes up off of the floor and trudged into the bathroom. She washed her face clean of smudged makeup--making sure to immediately put her glasses on after she was done with her eyes--and then pulled a small bag out of her inner sweater pocket. Normally, she'd do a line right before or after sex, but she didn't dare let Alister know about that part of her. He'd be able to take advantage of it, and Alexei wasn't fond of that.

She did a line, put the cocaine away, and pulled on her bra and underwear. Her clothes felt a bit sweaty, and the last thing she wanted to do was put on dirty clothes. Maybe her adopted cabin would have someone's leftovers in it that she could sift through. Quickly running a comb through her hair, Alexei tucked her clothing underneath her arm and headed out of Alister's cabin.

It seemed to be incredibly early in the morning, from the atmosphere of the ship. No matter how the sky looked outside, people had this incredible ability to shape time within a location. If it was early in the morning, there'd be a heavy blanket of exhaustion, quiet, and sluggishness, with a lingering hint of coffee. Which was how the ship currently felt, actually.

Coffee sounds nice, actually... Alexei thought as she made her way to the dining area. She'd fix herself a quick cup before ducking back into her room. However, she had company. Daniella and her guards had already claimed the room. Alexei hadn't properly spoken to Daniella at all during this whole ordeal. The girl seemed to be attached to Christian at the hip. And, the fact that her name was right next to Alister Blood's on the announcement at Kessel Station meant that there was more to her than met the eye. Of course, the same could be said about all of them.

The cocaine had taken effect, and she felt pleasant and energetic. She hummed a little as she made her way past Daniella and fixed a cup of coffee. The brand was a terrible one, but what could one expect on a pirate ship? Gourmet usually went to the highest bidder. She managed to find herself a blueberry muffin--with actual blueberries--and, just to try her hand at this whole "socializing" thing, toasted two. After they were finished, Alexei popped them onto plates and she sat down with her coffee. She pushed a piping-hot muffin over to Daniella before leaning back and sipping her coffee. "For you," she said simply. She didn't like people, but hell, she'd probably not see this girl again after Calypso. Might as well say at least something to her.



O.O.C.: keep in mind, Alexei is still only in her bra and underwear.

_____________________________________

I, too, saw God through mud —
The mud that cracked on cheeks when wretches smiled.
War brought more glory to their eyes than blood,
And gave their laughs more glee than shakes a child.
Merry it was to laugh there —
Where death becomes absurd and life absurder.
For power was on us as we slashed bones bare
Not to feel sickness or remorse of murder.


- "Apologia Pro Poemate Meo", Wilfred Owen

_____________________________________

[Space Candy]

xxxx"Speech."xxxxx"Thoughts."xxxxx"Others."

XXXXXXXXDaniella tilted her head slightly as another person's thought about coffee caught her attention. It wasn't too long after that before Alexei entered the dining room. Dani turned her head to glance at the woman, and a faint hue of pink came to her cheeks as she noticed the woman's attire...or lack there of. Dani knew that the body was nothing to be embarrassed about logically, but she'd never actually been around someone who was so exposed male or female. And truthfully, she felt inadequate. Daniella was by no means flat-chested, but she was not nearly as well endowed at Alexei. She didn't have curvy hips and long legs. Daniella had her own subtle curves, but for the most part looked somewhat sickly. She blamed it on GenEx and their diet...Perhaps if she'd grown up normally and had normal meals she would have turned out differently.
Alexei's thoughts were jumbled and quick, like she was focusing on a million things at once. It was somewhat exhausting for Daniella to listen to, and she could tell that it wasn't quite natural.

After a bit, Daniella turned her pink face away from Alexei and stared down at the table. She wasn't going to interrupt Alexei, and quietly hoped she would go about her business and leave. Dani shut her out for the time being, not wanting to catch any thoughts about her obvious endeavors from the night before. Especially not images, which sometimes showed up if the person had a particularly vivid imagination or thought...The blonde leaned on her hand, pushing her thin fingers through the top part of her hair gently. For a moment she was lost and thought, but snapped out of it as a toasted blueberry muffin entered her line of sight. Dani lifted her gaze from the muffin to Alexei, her grey eyes inspecting her. She could smell the coffee Alexei was drinking, something that she had heard of but never tasted. Daniella had been treated to a muffin a few times as a child before GenEx snatched her and her brother up. But it had been that long since she'd had one. The nostalgia hit her hard, and Daniella again stared at the muffin. A bit longer than she should have.
Daniella put her hands in her lap and looked to Alexei with a small smile. "Thank you. I haven't had one of these in a long time..." She mused softly before taking a bite. Again, Dani refrained herself from eating as ravenously as she wanted.

The silence between the two of them was awkward, and Daniella certainly wasn't the best at making small talk. Now that she had food, the fact that Alexei wasn't fully dressed didn't seem to bother her as much. The telepath picked the muffin apart gently with her fingers and cleared her throat. "So...Um...You have any plans for today?" Probably not the best thing to ask, but she didn't know what else to do in the situation. Not saying anything to her would be rude though, so she had to come up with something. Dani peeked at Alexei's goggles, wondering what kind of modifications she had. She pursed her lips briefly, and lowered her gaze back to her plate. The muffin had been destroyed by her fingers, and now it was just a pile of chunks and crumbs. Daniella plucked a decent sized piece of the bread and put it in her mouth, savoring the flavor.
Her mind wandered back to Kyle. Dani shut her eyes for a few seconds and sighed quietly. Kyle had been with her through a good chunk of her time at GenEx. When they'd told her he had been sent away Dani had been naive enough to believe. In reality he had been shot down in cold blood. No sympathy and no proper burial. Dani had no clue what they did with his body, but she did know why he had been taken down. Whatever they'd done to him had caused him to go insane. She'd found out herself through listening in on the guards as well as McLaughlin that Kyle had killed a good number of people on his rampage before being taken out. She felt an odd twinge in her chest---heartache for her fallen brother more than likely. The lump in her throat reminded her just how much she missed him.

Dani pushed those thoughts away before her eyes had a chance to get all watery. She didn't need to focus on that right now. For the time being all Dani needed to do was get to somewhere safe and disappear. Though, there was a little bit of her, somewhere deep in the recesses of her mind, that yearned for revenge. Daniella didn't like that part of herself. That little spot of darkness in an otherwise pure and gentle mind. But it was always there, nagging her...worrying her. Part of her feared it would eventually lead her to snap, much like Kyle had.
Daniella looked to Alexei through grey eyes and gave her a sweet smile, trying to pick herself up.

xxxxLocation :: Dining area.
xxxxCompany :: Alexei.
xxxxHealth :: 100% - Nostalgic, hungry.
xxxxTunes ::Pompeii - Michelle Montezeri

[Lysander the Poet]

Alister’s eyes snapped open, feeling movement from beside him. It took him a moment to playback recent events in his mind, as his hand shot for the knife tucked in his pillow case. His grip softened, and the muscles of his body relaxed as he realized the movement was merely Alexei pulling herself out of bed. He remained completely still, content with giving her the illusion that he may still be peacefully asleep. She milled around in the bathroom for a little while, before finally exiting the room without anything further. As soon as the door closed behind her, Alister swung his feet over, letting them bounce onto the cold metal beneath his feet. It was almost soothing, as he ran a hand through his perpetually messy hair. Almost with a smirk, his hand went to a rather fierce bite mark on his chest, and he cracked his neck, closing his eyes for a moment, taking in the new morning. His night had been quite therapeutic to say the least, and while he still expected this payment in full from the woman, he was at least in a better mood about, well, everything. They would arrive on Calypso Station today, and he brushed across several scars near his left shoulder, that looked as if they were from gunshots injuries; souvenirs from his last little trip to the pirate haven. Hopefully this time around, Devaro had better leashes for his rabid dogs. Rising from the bed slowly, he tossed aside the linens of his bed, and traipsed into the bathroom, his eyes adjusting to the lack of light within his cabin, before he went ahead and tapped the panel on the wall, turning the lights on, and turning on the shower, to scalding hot. Dropping to the floor, he went through a quick morning routine of basic exercises; push-ups, sit-ups, jumping jacks, and a myriad of other thing. With each push-up, his dog tags clinked and bounced off the metal floor. Over and over again they bounced off the floor, and after he was done, a minimal layer of sweat had formed over his body. Stepping into the steam filled bathroom, he let the scalding water burn away the layer of grime and sweat. About fifteen minutes later, he emerged from his cabin, sporting his worn jeans, a pair of boots, and a towel hanging around his neck.

As he wandered down the hallway, he messed with his hair, never able to find a way to style it other than the way it sat naturally. Toothbrush in hand, he went at his pearly whites, traveling down towards the cockpit. Passing by Daniella’s room, he only counted one guard. The other, who seemed to pick up on his captain’s curiosity, gave a sort of salute, and explained almost instantly. ”Johnson was escorting Miss Pearson around the ship, Captain. Makin’ sure she didn’t go unaware she shouldn’t.” Alister gave him a shrug as he walked by, still brushing his teeth, indicating that everything was well. Stopping by one of the community crew bathrooms, he washed out his mouth, and slid the toothbrush in his pocket, adjusting his belt, and the pistols he had holstered. He entered the cockpit, ducking down to make it through the slightly-too-small doorway, to find Rhia, sitting in the co-pilot seat, the holographic image of Persephone standing between the seats, arms crossed, slightly frustrated look on her face. ”And I’m telling you, First Mate Dravyn, that my calculations are perfect, my navigation flawless, and there is no need for you to manually pilot the ship. Quite frankly, doing so in the asteroid belt would not only be absurd, but probably get everyone on this ship killed.” Rhia merely growled in response, as it was becoming quite apparent that she was done dealing with the artificial intelligence. ”You girls getting along?” He inquired, already knowing the answer, but finding some sort of satisfaction that the shared irritation between the two women. Instead of replying, Rhia rose from her seat, and stormed off, mumbling something about getting some sleep.

”What’s her problem today, Persy?” Persephone uncrossed her arms, instead placing them on her hips, and sighed. ”Miss Dravyn is not satisfied with my ability to pilot us through difficult terrain such as this.” Alister gave a hearty chuckle, gazing out into the asteroid field, surveying their surroundings. ”She also has not slept since before we landed on Kessel Station, insistent on monitoring our progress.” Taking a moment to ruffle his hair a bit, and trying to find a point where he could finally see his reflection, he grinned at the AI. ”Don’t mind her. She’s just stubborn...yes, even after a few years. She’ll just never get used to it. Status report, before I try to grab some breakfast.” The image of Persephone shrank as a holographic map of the system appeared, zooming into the asteroid belt, and showed the location of the ship, relative to the location of Calypso Station. ”We should arrive at the station in around an hour. I already submitted for docking authorization, using your codes, as you specified, directly to Captain Devaro. He says you’ll have a small welcoming committee, and then he’ll immediately have the damage appraised, and give you a quote for repairs, as well as a timetable. He also took time to pass on information regarding increased Coalition patrols, which I suspect has something to do with Halloran. You two knew each other, according to your files, and so perhaps he has an inkling of where you would go…”

”That’s enough, Persephone. Just get us docked on that damn station. I don’t need to worry about Halloran right now. Calypso is dangerous enough.” With that, he stalked out of the cockpit, leaving his towel hanging on his chair, journeying off into the depths of the ship, making his way into the dining area. He made a beeline for the coffee, making himself a cup, and then rummaging through the freezer, and pouring a fair amount of whiskey into his coffee. Five minutes and a prepackaged meal of bacon and eggs being modified for consumption later, and he was carrying his plate and coffee to the table, sitting down into his seat before he noticed Alexei, Daniella, and Johnson, the guard. ”Go get some rest Johnson...I got the girl.” Johnson saluted, and ventured off to his bunk. Taking a few bites of his bacon, he casually glanced over at Daniella, and washed his food down with some coffee, realizing he was shirtless. He was actually more concerned about how his canvas of tattoos and scars would affect the girl’s perception of her safety on his ship, but there was also the fact that he was half-dressed, and it occurred to him that it may be a bit rude. ”Not often I have so many women floating around the ship.” He mentioned, taking another mouthful of whiskey-coffee. He didn’t even seem to be perturbed by the fact that Alexei was almost completely naked. Alister was pretty talented at shallow, meaningless sex, to the point where he didn’t even do as most men did, and celebrate his ‘conquests’. He didn't even so much as smile, or make any indication towards Alexei. He merely continued to eat his breakfast.

[Sir Dietary Supplement]

Ｃｈｒｉｓｔｉａｎ Ａｄａｍ Ｂｅｒｎｅｔxxxxxxthe heir to GenEx


xxxxxxxweep » for yourself, my man,
xxxxxxxxx☎ You'll never be what is in your heart
xx■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
♔ x x WEEP LITTLE LION MAN
xxxxxxxxxxxxYou're not as brave as you were at the start
xx↷ *)Rate yourself and rake yourself
xxxx ● ● Tak ⊹ e all the courage you have left
xxxxxxxxxxxxxWasted on fixing all the problems that you made in your own head


████████████████████████████████████████████████████████



➤ mess hallxx➤ dani, alexei, alisterxx➤ tired


Christian spent the better part of the evening catching up with Nova. Part of him envied her, she got to taste freedom that he would never get. Being the son and only child meant his place in the world was set from birth. He couldn't just hand off the company to someone not in the family, it would let too many people down. His family worked hard to get to where it was today and he couldn't just throw it away. Even if he wanted to travel and experience things like Nova did. He sadly never would. At the moment this was the most exciting thing to happen in his entire life and the irony of the situation was he was being labeled as kidnapped. His father would probably have a heart attack to know that Christian was on board willingly. None the less Nova's company was nice to have. It meant he didn't know just Daniella on board, made him feel a little more at ease. After talking for a while, they two parted ways to get some sleep before they arrived at their destination.

Waking up the next morning, Christian groaned a bit. The bed was no where as comfortable as his own. Pulling himself to the bathroom, Christian took a quick shower to wake himself up. He wanted a change of clothes, but lacked much luck in finding anything that would fit him. He would have to make do with what he had, keep his own clothes clean. Maybe wear something in the meantime and get his own cleaned. Either they or try to get something on the station, even if it wouldn't be what he would usually wear. He probably would want to try to fit in a bit more, at the moment he stuck out like a sore thumb. He was still wearing very high end clothes after all. Now was hardly the time to worry about his clothes though.

He would have to find Alister and figure out where to go from here. Calypso was not a place he wanted to be left on nor did he want to leave Dani on it. They would have to stay onboard longer and while money was no issue. Christian did want to set a destination. Somewhere Dani could settle down for a while and not have to fear GenEx or someone else coming after her. Until Christian took over the company he could not promise that she could be left alone, even after that he doubted they would just stop searching for her. He had met the people who ran the program many times. They didn't want to lose her, she was vital information to them, nothing more then results, successful results to be exact. He still wanted to do what he could to help Daniella get away from it all.

He dressed and adjusted his appearance, he had a habit to make sure looked his part in the world. Even in a more casual style of dressing, he still showed he was high class. The way he held himself up was a telltale sign he had money in his pockets. Probably not the best look to have on the station, but Christian had little plans on leaving the station. Though he did need to figure out a way to have contact with Ms. Holbrook to keep money flowing in his account. It would at least keep Alister from leaving him to burn somewhere.

Stepping out of his room he took note the guards were gone, which probably meant Dani was up and about already. However, Christian was still hardly awake. He was still working on finding his way around, he would work much better if he had some coffee in his system. His feet found his way to the mess hall, following the scent of food. Entering the mess hall he noticed Dani first, talking to Alexei. Who was lacking proper attire.

Christian cleared his throat and averted his gaze. That would be something he would have to get used to. Helping himself to a cup of coffee and breakfast, Christian took a seat next to Alister. "Morning," he said and took a sip of his coffee. "Before we land, I want to give you a heads up. Dani and myself will be sticking around for longer, from the sounds of it Calypso is no place for us. I would like to set a destination though, I just don't know any place that is outside the grasp of the Dominion..." but if anyone knew it would be Alister. Even if it would cost him a small fortune in the end, Christian was willing to pay it. Make up for the sins taken by his company against Dani and the others that were still stuck there.

His kept his gaze on his food or Alister. He wasn't used to being around nearly naked women like Alexei. While, he had slept with women before. It only happened a couple times and even that it was with his on again and off again girlfriend. His father wanted them to marry, she was the daughter of some big time banker. Which meant she also had money to her name. Even then, the only time they saw each other in such states was the comfort of the bedroom. To be so casual with showing so much skin, it was new to Christian. So, he did what he did best and focused on business.

[The Smut Peddler]

♚▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄N`O·V.A(`·.¸ Y ¸.·´)V.E·G´A S▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄♚

● Pirate
● Commander
● Lady Stratagem


“Those who restrain desire do so because theirs is weak enough to be restrained.” ~ William Blake



As Christian and Vegas’ conversation would wrap up, she would head off to her room and get ready to sleep. Once returning back to her room, Vegas began to ready herself for bed. Quickly disrobing in a haphazardly fashion one does when no one is looking Vegas pulled her head out of shirt and ventured to the bathroom for a brisk shower. She would pass over the light, as her bright green bio-luminescent spots would be enough light for her to see. She’d let the water stay at a mild temperature as she let the water from the spigot run down her bright hair and turn it dark and heavy. Her spots creating refractive lights to color the wall accenting beside the shower. Once the water was turned off, the young woman would dry and head towards the bed where a few of her things were kept. Reaching into a satchel where all her necessities were kept, and pulling out a white ruffle necked dress shirt that much like the coat she wore, was oversized on her lithe build.

With what was almost a fluid movement she would be wearing that ruffle necked shirt, bringing the long cuffs that covered her hands, she would bring them to her face and nuzzle in them. The smell reminding her of his cologne, his scent… of him.

Pulling her hands away with a warm reminiscent smile upon her face her eyes would grow wide as she would take notice a tear in the left cuff. Almost mechanically she would rush over to her satchel and start tossing things all asunder. The bag’s contents being strung about every corner of the bed, some falling onto the floor while others just strayed along the bed. Finally, Vegas would find what she was looking for, a small sewing kit. Unravelling the a spool of white thread Vegas nips the string and places both it and the tiny metal needle in her mouth. Twirling them around in her mouth she would walk over to her pile of discarded clothing and gather them, fold, and neatly placing them on a chair next to what she would assume was a makeshift vanity. Picking up the tractor beam she would place it atop the table and move over to the bed, straightening up the chaotic mess she’d unleashed from the structured confines of her bag. Finally she would pull the needle out of her mouth, fully threaded and begin to sew the small blemish on the shirt. Flopping down heavily on the bed and continuing to provide her job with her undivided attention, Vegas would finish, pulling tightly and snapping the loose end. Setting everything back in the kit she would lay back and relax, for the first time that entire day.

Stretching out Vegas would sit herself in the middle of a full size bed with no intension of sharing this night. She would take a pillow and pull it into an entangled embrace. Arms and legs woven around as her tail coiled under. She would breathe deeply, her eyes becoming quite heavy as she would begin to drift off. She would feel the soft brush against her ear, almost like a tender kiss and the soft hum of the ship’s workings churning deep down within it reminded her of that gentle breathing behind her, like white noise in the background. She’d remember the blue and green lights that would bounce along the walls and dance around the ceiling at night as they would sleep, and there she would fall asleep. Meeting him, being close if only for a single moment in time. A complete transcendence of falsehood, a memory at the wake of hope, was a dream. In this state, she watch herself as a small yellow canary, caged, being carried through a dark and dank place. She watched the channels as stalagtites and stalagmites would form around every turn, the dripping sound as blood trickled down from above. She would see the dried husks of every person she had seen perish propped against each wall. As terror struck her she would kick, scream, and fight to stay away. She did not want to face her most troubling demons. But there with a dimly light flashlight was bright yellow mining cap and wearing it was the rotted, putrid, corpse of her beloved. The air was getting thin, and the weight on her heart made her stomach sick. Panicked she would flap, scratch, and bite at the cage to be freed. There was no escape, and as she looked at the image before her, she notice the corpse beginning to disintegrate. Her heart would feel as though it were about to give out when the air became so thin that she would collapse. The sound of scattering around her as miners raced about. “Evacuate!” They would exclaim.

A loud crash would wake Vegas from her nightmare as she’d found herself on the floor that morning, pillows, sheets and blankets all crashing down on top of her from her midnight run. She’d been having a lot of these dreams as of late, and she hated each one. Shaking her head to better wake up she would get to her feet. Groggily changing from her sleepwear to her clothes she would ready herself for the morning to come. Slipping the rings on her skin suit over her middle fingers to keep the suit in place she would slip over her fingerless gloves and tug them tight before fitting each digit into place. Ready and eager to adjourn to Calypso Vegas was quite happy to be departing. She was a little hungry and was incredibly eager to see someone on Calypso. They weren’t friends, but the malicious shrew in the Hell infested waters was possibly the finest fixer this side of the galaxy. She and Vegas hardly got along, but Vegas knew she could rely on her. She had, opportunities, she had knowledge, and she had information at reasonable prices.

Vegas composed herself and ventured out into the hallway, she would notice that almost everyone was awake but her. She must have overslept, but a night like that, and no one could really question why. Entering the mess hall Vegas would see people huddled around the table. She walked in, unfazed by Alexei’s attire, Vegas would actually give her a long hard once over before venturing to the kitchen to grab a blueberry muffin that was sitting there on the counter. It would not be her to make such a reckless move on a pirate ship, but she would be far from the one to berate the girl either. She’d take notice of the whiskey bottle and pour herself a shot. Kicking it back she’d follow the procedures she’d noticed by the captain make the night before and clean up her glassware before heading over to the table. Christian was there, seeming to advert his gaze, Dani would be painted a darker shade of pink than the night prior, and Alister was acting all “business as usual.”

There was an elephant In the room, and on a ship, this size, there was little room for one. So, Vegas smiled and cleaned her glasses with her shirt and she looked about the room. Addressing Alexei, she turn to her.

“Beautiful lingerie you have there, last time I saw a set that fine was when I was still living on Earth. Not often this far out you see fashion that savvy. A beautiful choice, for a beautiful girl.” With that she’d look over to Alister to speak business. She was a pirate and even she could admit she didn’t want to stay on Calypso. What was left of her crew lived there, and even then, that was not temptation enough to stay on the forsaken place. “Captain Blood, I had informed Rhia but I should inform you as well that I do plan to stay aboard past Calypso, but I do have a few errands to run there. And I have every intension of returning. How long will you be on Calypso, so as I may know how long I have to complete my tasks and return?”

Waiting on a response her hand would mindlessly fidget with the settings on her tractor beam belt buckle. Flicking a switch on the side up and down as she waited for a reply. She would notice Christian who kept his sights on Alister. She would have to chuckle a bit inside, he still had an embedded notion of decency. Something she had long since extracted from her mind. In fact, Vegas was used to sex appeal being used to exploit many a things. Selling rebuilt ships that her crew had “found” when poking around in uncharted areas, the entire female crew was expected to dress the part of a salesman. And by dress, that meant scantily clad bikinis or suits that left nothing to the imagination. Whatever would make the sale to the unlike chump who would buy a hunk of junk with a pretty paint job. It was nothing out of the ordinary, just another beautiful morning being a pirate.





Mood: Eager
Health: 100%
Song: Behind Closed Doors

[Resounding Memory]

William Howard Braxton

Will sat quietly on his bed, reflecting on Daniella’s message to him at dinner. He cursed Blood in his head for interrupting the grab. If things had gone well, he would not be aboard this ship, surrounded by people who knew he was not to be trusted. While he was used to the distrust, it was usually not so overtly hostile. The guards outside of Dani’s door always gave him dirty looks as he passed by. He simply looked past them, making his way wherever he was heading, which was mostly the dining area. He was ready to be off this metal hulk that seemed like it would crack open at any point. Will did not trust the ship would hold together. It creaked in ways that would get most ships decommissioned or dry docked for months to repair. The thought of getting vented out into space began to worm its way into his thoughts. They would all be sucked out, not dying fast enough as they were exposed to the harsh vacuum of space.

Realizing he was letting himself get wrapped up in irrational lines of thought, Will calmed his mind and took several deep breaths. He brought his focus back to the present, to surviving the rest of the ride. He was more concerned about avoiding Blood shooting him than someone on Calypso taking a shot at him. He could lay low long enough to get somewhere secure. He had been to Calypso Station before and had a few contacts he could call on once aboard. None were Terran Intelligence, but they could give him shelter until he could find someone more reliable to provide a haven from the bounty hunters and Dominion thugs. The latter of the two would likely be less of a concern than the former. Bounty hunters were naturally not the most welcome among pirates who had price tags for their heads, which was a decent amount of those who hid on Calypso Station. Still, the price on his head and the others would not deter those intent on collecting. Even one of their heads would make the trouble worth it. The Dominion clearly wanted them dead.

Opening his eyes, Will stood up from his bed and was about to leave when his datapad let out a light ding. Will quickly pulled it out and checked to make sure it was not a malfunction. A small grin appeared on his face as he saw the message. Corsair had indeed gotten the message and had tailed them here. He was now in range of sending a message through the Cornucopia’s communications array. Will’s ship was about fifteen minutes behind Alister’s, meaning he would be able to grab his gear and prepare for whatever was going to happen. Even if he ducked into somewhere relatively safe, he had no doubt someone would come for Blood and Dani. This ship was practically a gold mine, waiting for someone with the right equipment to come and snatch up the bounties. Will was not going to let anyone do that, at least not take Dani. She was not going to fall back into the hands of the Dominion, not if Will could help it. Though if he was going to keep her out of the Dominion’s hands, he would need help. Maybe he could convince someone here to help him if he found the right motivation.

Will erased the message and left his cabin, heading towards the dining area. Several people had already gathered, some more dressed than others. Will was wearing all his clothes, unlike Blood and Alexei. It was not hard to put two and two together. The marks from the night made it pretty clear they had spent some time having fun together. Will grabbed some food and took a seat at the table. As he did, he heard Christian talk about staying on until they find a safe place for Dani to hide from the Dominion. Will let out an amused “hmph” and took a quick sip of his water. ”You should know you don’t hide from the Dominion. You just run. Stay in one place for too long, and you’ll have Dominion goons swarming you before long,” Will said in a matter of fact way. While it was a bit rude, it was Will breaking through the Ben façade. He had seen a few get people picked up by the Dominion after thinking they were safe, and Terran Intelligence had many more on file. If this rich kid thought he would be safe anywhere, he had no idea what his father’s friends did.

Current Name: Ben Hughes

Status: Healthy
Location: Persephone's Dining Area
Current Objective: Survive and Try to Salvage the Mssion

[chibichick27]

Ʌℓεxεɪ Ϩαηʈɵɢɵℓ∂

"I need a FIX 'cuz I'm going down."

outfit // barely there!
stamina // 100% - full and relaxed
addiction status // satisfied

Daniella seemed to suffer from the same lack of social graces as Alexei. She ogled the muffin, as if she had never seen something so lovely before in her life. Considering that Daniella had tasked Alister Blood with getting her off of Kessel, and that she now had the galaxy coming after her, it didn't take a genius to figure out that Daniella was valuable to people in the 'you-know-things-we-don't-want-beyond-our-control' sort of way. Alexei had the fortune of just being a girl millions of credits in debt to a drug ring, and there wasn't anything particularly special about her beyond that. Well, now that she had a very important briefcase and pounds of lotos that hadn't made it to its destination, that probably threw a wrench in Alexei's comfort at being unimportant to the bigger picture.

"So...Um...You have any plans for today?" What a weird question to ask. Alexei let out a small snicker from the sheer idiocy of the question. Still, she couldn't blame the girl for trying to make small talk. It was what the black-haired girl had attempted to do minutes before. "I know some people on Calypso. I'll rendezvous with them," she replied simply. There was no need to go into detail about who those people were and why she knew them. She figured Daniella wasn't really that keen on knowing, anyway.

She caught Daniella giving her a smile from across the table. It took Alexei off guard, actually. To see innocence and beauty in that face--it made her long for her childhood, when even though life wasn't great, she had so much less to worry about in retrospect. Her family was back home, on Mars, and though they never asked about what she did, they had some idea. Alexei wanted nothing more than to be able to go back home, get some sort of normal job, and spend the rest of her days with them. Maybe there'd be a husband and a kid or two in the mix, too. That'd be nice. But, that wasn't possible right now.

A short time later, Alister joined them. He was shirtless. Alexei shamelessly stared at him as he fixed himself some alcoholic coffee and a meal before sitting down. Damn, he was so attractive. He made an off-handed comment about having a lot of women on the ship. Christian came down not too long after, and she noticed that he was doing everything in his power not to look at her. Honestly, she didn't understand people's embarrassment with nakedness. Alexei didn't see the need to get fully dressed for breakfast--until she had something to do, she liked wearing as little as possible. Nova, who had also arrived, seemed to understand this.
“Beautiful lingerie you have there, last time I saw a set that fine was when I was still living on Earth. Not often this far out you see fashion that savvy. A beautiful choice, for a beautiful girl.”

Alexei nodded in response. "Thanks. It's from the Alejandro Vanellan Intimates line," she replied, always knowing who had made her clothes. It was an important detail, she thought, and something she knew Christian would be able to appreciate. Even though he was wearing fairly typical clothing, he still carried himself in such a way that he could pass his clothes off as designer. "You should check out Vanellan's Fall Intimates line. It'd be perfect for your body type," she added to Nova.

When Ben arrived at the table, the atmosphere changed again. Once again, it was very clear that no one liked him. Alexei, as she had thought before, couldn't have cared less, but it began to irritate her that dialogue became so strained whenever he was in a room. They were all in a pretty shitty situation, so might as well open up. Besides, he'd probably be gone once they got to Calypso anyway. ”You should know you don’t hide from the Dominion. You just run. Stay in one place for too long, and you’ll have Dominion goons swarming you before long,” he said to Christian. Alexei nodded. "It's true. You need to be able to hide yourself very well if you want a chance to escape them," she added. Lethe had run-ins with the Dominion that ended very badly for both sides. She had been involved in a few firefights between the two, and she was surprised she wasn't dead from the encounters.

_____________________________________

I, too, saw God through mud —
The mud that cracked on cheeks when wretches smiled.
War brought more glory to their eyes than blood,
And gave their laughs more glee than shakes a child.
Merry it was to laugh there —
Where death becomes absurd and life absurder.
For power was on us as we slashed bones bare
Not to feel sickness or remorse of murder.


- "Apologia Pro Poemate Meo", Wilfred Owen

_____________________________________

[Lysander the Poet]

Once again the dining hall was full of activity, something that Alister still had to adjust to. He would be lying if he said that he wasn’t a little apprehensive about landing on Calypso. The folks there were unpredictable, even the ones that he somewhat trusted. That being said, he managed to continue biting off bits of his bacon, and taking large mouthfuls of his coffee-whiskey at regular intervals. Seeing Daniella talking to Alexei was a reassuring sight, however, as the young blonde was one of the most out of place aboard this ship. While he doubted she was really making friends, she seemed to be making the best of the entire situation, and he had an inkling that it was better than whatever situation she was running from. Speaking of people making the best of their situation, their was also Christian. Alister knew that he was probably uncomfortable, and longing for the usual comforts of being the son of someone rich and powerful, but to his credit, he hadn’t heard him complain, not even once. That was definitely a commendable feat. ”Morning, Junior.” He replied to Christian’s greeting, convincing himself somewhere that he could at least be dignified enough to give some sort of polite-ish response.

Nova joined them, and when her comments towards Alexei were made, Alister did casually give the barely dressed woman another once over, before forking in a bit of his eggs. Might as well give some casual admiration of the female anatomy, since someone else took the time to point it out. The fact that most of the room seemed to be uncomfortable with the mostly naked Alexei, and possibly even the half-dressed Captain, almost made Alister chuckle. The wonders of such a diverse group of passengers did not cease to amaze him. It was then that both Christian and Nova voiced their intentions on staying aboard the ship for continued travel, one of them requesting advice for a safe place to hide, and another looking for a time table for their trip to Calypso. Swallowing a mouthful of his breakfast, he leaned back in his chair, and thought for a moment. ”Can’t really say anywhere is too safe, Junior, especially for the predicament she seems to be in. I can take you anywhere you want to go in the system, and I’m willing to ask around, see if I can find you something, but it may only be temporary…” Alister had to almost stop himself from giving a small smirk to Ben when he spoke...for he definitely spoke the truth, and for a brief moment, Alister didn’t absolutely want to slit his throat. That feeling of not despising the mysterious smuggler passed, but the pirate couldn’t help but agree.

”He’s right, you know. I’ve been running from the Dominion for years, and there really is no place where you’ll be completely safe. Slowly, even the parts of the system that adhere to Coalition law will be corrupted, and controlled by the Dominion, like a puppet master pulling the strings. The politicians no longer run the show. For once, there is a great devil...the businessmen. The Board of Directors. Almost legendary in their mysterious status...some say that with a single word, they could cause financial collapse, spin this war out of control...do irreparable damage. And I believe it. They’ve got dangerous people in their deep pockets. Admiral Halloran, for one, who will hunt us, or at least me, as far as it will take. I wouldn’t doubt that he’s already hired bounty hunters, in addition to the soldiers at his command. But Calypso is a bunch of pirates. A den of thieves. It may not be a safe place, but it’s better than flying around on our last legs, waiting for Halloran to catch us. Like I said, Junior, I’ll see what I can do, but you may just be stuck ‘board this ship awhile. Luckily for you, I have reasonable rates for continued passage. Or you can make yourself useful, do some work around here, and I promise the impact on your trust fund will be...definitely manageable. Besides, you pay me to keep the girl safe, and as long as you keep paying me, that’s what I intend to do. We made a deal, a binding contract, so to speak. Until the money runs out, my word is my bond.”

Turning to Nova, scratched at his facial hair for a moment, giving her a serious look, thinking about his words carefully. ”Whatever errands you gave to perform should be done quickly, obviously. We don’t want to spend more time on Calypso than we have to. You know that better than most people along for this ride. I would insist, again, that anyone who has business to attend to aboard the station take someone with them, whether it be another passenger, or someone from the crew. Miss Pearson, your guard detail will be accompanying yourself and Mister Bernet if you choose to take in the sights. As for a timetable, I want to be out of Calypso, at most, within 24 hours. But we’ll have to wait until I get a quote on the repairs, and see what we can manage. Unless another Kessel Station scenario happens, as long as you transfer the credits for continued passage, Miss Vegas, I’ll be sure to wait for you. I would not wish being abandoned on Calypso for too long on my worst enemies...I’d sooner just slit their throats. I just mean...be careful out there, especially for any of the young women accompanying us on this voyage.” It was obvious that he meant Nova, Dani, and Alexei, and even more obvious at what he was indicating could happen if caught with your guard down on Calypso.

”We should be boarding the station within the hour. I’ve also been informed that we have a welcoming party, chiefly the man who runs the operations of Calypso, Captain Liam Devaro, an old friend of mine. He can hopefully get us a good deal for the ship repairs, and perhaps some supplies. I’ve also got a few deliveries to drop off on station. If anyone who is continuing on beyond Calypso requires anything, leave a list with either myself, Rhia, or the ship’s AI, Persephone, and we’ll see what we can do. Seems we’ll have a busy day aboard the station...lots of business to attend to.” He locked eyes with Alexei, referring to her promise of delivering a certain piece of human trash to the good pirate for part of her payment, in a semi-subtle manner.

[Space Candy]

xxxx"Speech."xxxxx"Thoughts."xxxxx"Others."

XXXXXXXXShe nodded at Alexei's response, but didn't bother asking any further questions. It was doubtful the dark haired woman would have answered them anyway...and Dani knew well enough that if she really wanted to find out she could. She ate some more of her food, pondering a few things, when Alister walked in. He was shirtless, but at least he had pants on. Dani turned red again, and mentally scolded herself for being so embarrassed. It was the human body, nothing to be ashamed of. Still, it was her first time being around a shirtless man and woman in her undergarments. And while they were fancy, Daniella didn't really want to see them...
Alister muttered something about not being use to so many women around, and Dani looked to him calmly. She didn't reply, but instead inspected his scars as the flush of red on her cheeks faded away. He must have been through some tough s**t: things that Daniella hoped to never see or find out. The scars were frightening, and almost unbelievable. How the hell had he survived through all that? Whatever the case, it only made Dani feel more assured that she was in good, although greedy, hands.

Christian greeted the trio upon entering the area. Daniella slid her eyes over to him and gave him a casual close-lipped smile. "Morning. Did you have a good time catching up with your friend?" She was aware it would have been alright to ask the question out loud. Still, Dani was so use to speaking to Christian this was that it was her first instinct to do so. That and she had more gaul with her inner voice than her real one. The blonde watched him. Christian was asking the question Dani should have asked yesterday. She herself didn't have a clue where she was headed, or how long she would be on board. She bit the inside of her cheek and tapped her fingers gently on the table. Nova came in next, and it seemed she was not too fazed by Alexei's attire. She actually complimented it, and while Dani was unfamiliar with designers or things of that nature she could appreciate how the words exchanged between Nova and Alexei calmed the air. It was such an out of place, casual, conversation. It threw Dani off guard for a moment, but eventually Nova turned to Alister and it was all back to business. Alister responded, and Dani didn't like the words he had said...

Daniella glanced to Ben as he took a seat. It didn't take him long to pipe in on the conversation. As much as Dani hated to admit it, he was correct...and somewhat more forceful than he usually was. Sure, Dani knew his real tone from the incident at Kessel Station. Whatever facade he had been holding up, Dani wasn't buying it. She knew a little bit more about him than most---like the fact he wanted to take her somewhere that would put her to work against the Dominion. But as far as who he was working for she wasn't sure. And he definitely didn't have Dani's opinions on the situation on his mind. He had an objective: end of story.
Alexei chimed in, adding a bit more to what Ben had said.
Moving her hands to her lap, Dani wound her fingers together nervously as Alister elaborated on the situation. Again she felt guilty that Christian was there, and that it was his money being spent...But if he wasn't around Dani's credits would have only gotten her as far as Calypso and that wouldn't have been good. At the mention of their 'contract' Dani felt a little bit relieved. Even if it was based solely on him being paid, Alister had already done his part so far in keeping her safe.

As he replied to Nova, Dani glanced at Ben again. She was about to start digging around in his brain when Alister spoke to her again. Calmly, she looked back to the shirtless brute and nodded at his comment. Truthfully, she didn't plan on getting off of the ship while they were on Calypso. But Daniella had come to learn that things didn't always go according to plan. Alister's words scared her though---even without her telepathy it was easy enough to see what he was getting at. Under the table, Daniella clenched her hands as her thoughts lead back to Gregory McLaughlin: AKA the man who had made it his personal mission to make Dani's life thus far a living hell. She wouldn't have been surprised if he was in contact with Halloran by now. Absentmindedly she ran a hand across her stomach before pushing her thoughts away. There was more than one reason as to why she had left, but the main one was that she wanted her freedom. Even out of the GenEx complex, she was realizing that freedom was something she'd never truly have. There would always be someone looking for her. Unless...

"I didn't spend years planning my escape just to be caught again, or to be used by someone else." She said. Her tone was colder than usual, and didn't quite suit her. Daniella glanced to Ben, the latter part of her sentence being directed at him. "I will get somewhere and lay low. I'll relocate when I have to..." Dani moved her gaze back to Alister, giving him a pointed look. It was possible that she would call on him again in the future if she ever needed him again. She just needed to keep moving. As soon as she could find somewhere to hide for a little while she better she would feel.
The telepath leaned back in her chair, her hands still resting in her lap. In her mind, there was a little bit of a plan working. It was just pieces for the time being, but hopefully she could pull it all together into a cohesive plot...Dani looked to Christian and bit the inside of her cheek. Silently she hoped their time on Calypso would be as short as possible. She didn't want to stay there any longer than they needed to. Even Alister was eager to leave quickly---obviously it was not the place for her. At least she, Christian, and Alister were on the same page regarding that...

xxxxLocation :: Dining area.
xxxxCompany :: Alexei, Christian, Alister, Nova, Ben.
xxxxHealth :: 100% - Irritated, devious.
xxxxTunes ::Pompeii - Michelle Montezeri

[Sir Dietary Supplement]

Ｃｈｒｉｓｔｉａｎ Ａｄａｍ Ｂｅｒｎｅｔxxxxxxthe heir to GenEx


xxxxxxxweep » for yourself, my man,
xxxxxxxxx☎ You'll never be what is in your heart
xx■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
♔ x x WEEP LITTLE LION MAN
xxxxxxxxxxxxYou're not as brave as you were at the start
xx↷ *)Rate yourself and rake yourself
xxxx ● ● Tak ⊹ e all the courage you have left
xxxxxxxxxxxxxWasted on fixing all the problems that you made in your own head


████████████████████████████████████████████████████████



➤ mess hallxx➤ dani, alexei, alister, nova, benxx➤ tired


Christian knew that getting Dani somewhere safe would be next to impossible. As long as she stayed off the radar she could survive a while. If she even got lost to him it would be even better. "I know finding something will be hard, but money can buy a lot here. I have seen that much," and money was the most powerful weapon that Christian had. As Ben chimed in, Christian scoffed a bit. The others agreed with him, but Christian knew far more about the Dominion and everything they could do. He had met all the members, he had been to dinners and parties. He was even starting to sit in on meetings, his father was stepping down in the next year or two. Which would give Christian a seat on that very board.

"And I know far more about the Dominion and the board then anyone in this room. I've been dealing with them my entire life and sooner or later. Whether I want to or not, I will be a member of that very board," he could care less if they knew his position. He was one of the few faces that the world knew of. Once he took over he would be the only board member that had their face and name shown. Most feared the public because of the actions they took. "Money will always buy power and powerful men. However, it is also their weakness. Those same men can be bought out and used against them," but that kind of money was beyond Christian's grasp. Bounty hunters could be paid off, but men like Admiral Halloran were another story. Taking a sip of his coffee he looked over at Dani as she voiced off. A small smile crawling over his lips, it was nice to here her make a stand for herself.

His eyes went to Ben a man he did not trust in any way possible. His intentions were hidden, but it was clear that they had something to do with Dani. As long as Alister was around it seemed he wasn't going to try anything brash, but Christian could always hope. It would probably getting himself killed and it would be one less problem to worry about. Alister seemed to keep warnings of not heading being on the station alone. So he would travel with Dani and her guard. At least he could get a few supplies, clothes and a way to keep in contact with Ms. Holbrook. He would have to share that information with Alister privately, having someone on the inside could be promising to him. "We will stay to agreement then, I will keep your payment going as long as you keep your end of the bargain. Protection and finding someplace where Dani can be for a bit. After that I can easily throw GenEx off her trail with a few anonymous sources."

He took another bite from his breakfast. "But discussion of payment and other services I can offer can be discussed in private, as business is always best discussed that way," one thing he did learn from his father. No third party should know the business of the two. Even if Dani was part of it, she had very little to barter with. Which left business to Christian and once he got a chance he would settle it. One discussion and come to an agreement with Alister. After that no changes would be made, unless extreme circumstances happened.

"None the less. I do thank you for what you are doing and even more so for not asking questions," curiosity was a hard thing to fight after all and he hadn't heard Alister ask anything towards Dani or her situation. But, given the circumstances at some point the details might have to be shared. She was just as high wanted as Alister himself, certainly it was pulling curiosity. It seemed the only other in the room that knew anything about it was Ben, which was not a good thing. He didn't seem to have intentions on taking her back to GenEx either, which meant he was working for someone else. "In the meantime I will try my best to hold my weight around here, but leave me out of the kitchen, otherwise I would just burn it down."

{[ this god damn writers block....hope my posts are okay. the feel lackluster to me. maybe we just need some action XD ]}

[The Smut Peddler]

♚▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄N`O·V.A(`·.¸ Y ¸.·´)V.E·G´A S▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄▀▄♚

● Pirate
● Commander
● Lady Stratagem


“Those who restrain desire do so because theirs is weak enough to be restrained.” ~ William Blake




Sitting at the table, Vegas began to work on her breakfast. The muffin was considerably moist and got the job done for filling her empty stomach right. She would quietly watch as the others around her spoke. Christian was concerned with a place to dock Dani safely. She’d wonder why that was important. She’d gather this girl was very important to him, but the reason was unclear. She’d assume it was romantic. Nonetheless it was clear that she was running from the Dominion. She could relate to the concept, but only as an abstract.

She would pause from her morning snack as Ben began to speak. Her eyes glancing over at the man to offer him her attention. He would scoff, damning the idea of finding a place where one was safe from the dominion. It would even appear that Alister agreed about this. Vegas on the other hand, believed differently. Waiting for a break in conversation she spoke to Ben, keeping her eyes preoccupied by her moist and blueberry filled muffin while making her rebuttal.

“You’re absolutely right, you don’t hide. Much like anything in life, hiding presents a chase. You needn’t give them more kerosene to add to this fire.” She would tear the muffin in half. “You are a human being, not a lemming. Running will only make things worse. What you need is to hide in the wide open. Always the safest of hiding places. When they know you have forgotten to fear them, then the hunter becomes the hunted. One only hides in broad daylight when he has something to level the playing field… learn to fake that, and you can never be caught.”

Vegas knew quite a bit about tactics, and if someone wanted her opinion on the matter she’d offer it. But Dominion or not, this was a game in her head. She would be placing pieces of muffin down on the table as though they were placeholders in her head of the situation to paint a pretty vivid image. This girl was important to Christian and as a sign of good will she would help in any way she could. It was the least she could do for her childhood friend.

“You have a point there Christian, money is their weakness. And the only way to stop them is with it. They fear not making more money, but, if you shift that fear to something else…”

She would pause, collecting herself, her eyes closed a moment as she plotted things out in her head.

“Attempt to sabotage their assets with an obvious and poor theft attempt, preferably from a source they feel confident is safe. At that point, you have shifted their fear, because no longer are these stuffed shirts afraid of not making more money, they’re afraid of loosing what they already have. Now, you have made them question their decision making. Weakening them mentally, the brain naturally tries to auto-correct by drawing parallels to bad decisions and current affairs. Once there the ball is in your court. Then, bring them to the conclusion that their previous investments were poor, and let them absolve their affiliation with the board. Without leaning on one another, they are simply business men, alone. Divide and concur, always, without a doubt the best tactic.”

She would look around, shake her head and begin to turn red. Chuckling she would clean up her mess and smile at the group. “My apologies everyone, I’ve stepped over my boundaries again haven’t I? It’s really none of my business and I should leave you all to your own devices.”


Looking over she would smile back over to Alexei. It was kind for Alexei to compliment the lanky pink haired woman. The compliment fell on deaf ears however, as Vegas thought very little of her “body type” other than awkward. Unbeknownst to her was a model’s figure, very tall, very long, and very lithe. She would take no offense at Alexei’s words however, and she knew how to take a compliment. “Thank you, you’re too kind. If you have plans to stay onboard, perhaps you could show me more of this collection?”

Vegas wasn’t very girly, the only make up she ever wore was when she had to cover up a cut, scrape, or shiner from being too obvious after a fight. Otherwise, she wore none. And dressing like a lady, she knew even less of. She’d left earth when she was a young teen, where most girls she knew were charging up their father’s credits loans sky high with this season’s cutest fashions; she was out cracking skulls and high-jacking ships.

Looking over to Alister once he’d responded to her request, she paused. She wanted to listen to this crucial tidbit without interruption. Alister expected no more than 24 hours, which was far more time than she’d wanted or needed to gallivant around on Calypso. Vegas would smirk at Alister’s comment about credits carrying her where she needed to go. He was a simple man, transparent, like any good pirate should be. “What’s wrong Captain, afraid you will come to collect on a bad debt with me?”

She shot him a devious smirk as her eyes seemed to toy with those words. “This may come across arrogant, but I’ve no intentions of being indebted to you Captain, I’m by far more valuable on merit alone than the toll for this ferry. I’ve nothing to gain by making an enemy of you.”

Vegas would take Alister's words without batting an eye. Calypso was a very dangerous place, but she'd fear little of his implications. While it was nothing to be taken lightly, her experiences left her with the notion that any crime was a crime she'd prefer not happen to her, but, short of murder, none really held any higher weight than any other. That, and if anyone tried anything she had the best defense a person could carry. She'd shift in her seat as the tractor beam belt buckle clanked against the button on her coat. She'd coil her lips up at the sound of it there.

"I am happy to venture out alone. But if you request that I be chaperoned, I would not dream of going against Captain's orders..."





Mood: Eager
Health: 100%
Song: Boss's Daughter

[chibichick27]

Ʌℓεxεɪ Ϩαηʈɵɢɵℓ∂

"I need a FIX 'cuz I'm going down."

outfit // Calypso
stamina // 100% - ready
addiction status // satisfied

For once, someone else agreed with what Ben had said about the Dominion. Alister had thrown in some extra details, as well as laid out the dangers that people--particularly women--would face while on Calypso. Alexei took the warning and deposited it into the "already knew that" section of her brain. She had been to Calypso a few times before, on Lethe business, though it wasn't a place she was usually sent, for that particular reason. Women were able to be just as equal as men in being ruthless and murderous on the station, but those who didn't have respect were always going to be targeted. Alexei frowned, and thought about an incident at Calypso when she was seventeen. She bit her lip. Why the hell did I think stepping into the Bloodhound was a good idea? she thought, remembering the dirty bar located only a few miles from the Lethe hideout and grimacing.

Deciding not to dwell on past matters, she stood up and brought her coffee and muffin to the kitchen. Alister had made a mention of "business" to her. That meant Czeslaw Romano. She didn't consider herself to be the luckiest girl in the galaxy (if she had been, she would have never been on Kessel Station when all of that s**t went down), but Czeslaw was on Calypso right now, and that was a blessing in disguise. She could go to the Lethe front, have a few words with the people there, get Czeslaw out, and have Alister take him.

Alexei noticed that everyone had gotten some sort of resolve in the moments she'd been gone putting away her dishes. Daniella and Christian, especially. Alexei took note that Christian's face, when hardened with determination and seriousness, look particularly handsome in comparison to the soft and gentlemanly features he usually sported. She wondered for a little bit what he looked like naked, before Nova interrupted her thoughts with an offer to go catalog-surfing. Her keyPC had bookmarks for a lot of fashion lines, so that wouldn't be a problem at all.

Daniella seemed to suffer from the same lack of social graces as Alexei. She ogled the muffin, as if she had never seen something so lovely before in her life. Considering that Daniella had tasked Alister Blood with getting her off of Kessel, and that she now had the galaxy coming after her, it didn't take a genius to figure out that Daniella was valuable to people in the 'you-know-things-we-don't-want-beyond-our-control' sort of way. Alexei had the fortune of just being a girl millions of credits in debt to a drug ring, and there wasn't anything particularly special about her beyond that. Well, now that she had a very important briefcase and pounds of lotos that hadn't made it to its destination, that probably threw a wrench in Alexei's comfort at being unimportant to the bigger picture. "Of course. I can forward you a few links if you'd like. They're a little pricey, but I'm sure you won't have a problem with that," she replied. It then occured to her that she hadn't had a conversation like this--a girly, regular conversation--with anyone for as long as she could remember. It was kinda nice, actually.

Alexei then took her leave and headed back to her makeshift room. She opened the closet and sorted through all of the women's clothes she could find. Finally, she made do with a grey turtleneck (which didn't cover all of her love-bites, but close enough), ripped black shorts, and tights. She even managed to procure a new pair of boots, and some lipstick. The boots gave her some extra height, making her nearly six feet tall, which would come with an advantage once they got to Calypso.

She then proceeded to smoke a few cigarettes and do a line of cocaine, sitting in the quiet of her room. When she felt ready, she grabbed her briefcase, knife, and gun, and headed back into the kitchen, taking a seat.

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I, too, saw God through mud —
The mud that cracked on cheeks when wretches smiled.
War brought more glory to their eyes than blood,
And gave their laughs more glee than shakes a child.
Merry it was to laugh there —
Where death becomes absurd and life absurder.
For power was on us as we slashed bones bare
Not to feel sickness or remorse of murder.


- "Apologia Pro Poemate Meo", Wilfred Owen

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