H O R I Z O N // Sci-Fi // Literate (Accepting applicants!)

[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





Turning page after page on her novel, Vegas took notice to Alister and his meeting with Kramer and Locke had concluded and now he had gone to speak with the man who's name she had not gotten. She'd continue to read until yet another of the ship's inhabitants reached the bar. It was the same girl who had previously been traipsing around in her bra and panties. Vegas would offer a subtle smile but leave her to her business, until of course a stabbing struck the bartender and then she couldn't help but eavesdrop, whether she wanted to or not. She glanced over, the HUD on her glasses offering subtitles to the conversation as she watched the scene unveil. The young woman was looking for Virgil, to which Vegas wondered why anyone would ask to see. As the girl ventured to the back Vegas would return to her book to keep from staring.

She'd pull her drink close to her and keep it where she could see it while still appearing to put little thought to the world around her. But quite the contrary, she was actually quite aware of her surroundings. Vegas would feel the hair on the back of her neck stand up as she felt someone behind her. The commander would turn to look, to see one last crewman arrive to greet her. The man was tall with an average build, purple eyes, and black shaggy straight hair. He wore a white collared shirt and black slacks, he would have appeared better dressed than most had the shirt been pressed or tucked in. He looked like a mess. Vegas would feel a pang deep down in her chest. The man, was a fraction of who he once was. She would stand to her feet and grab him tight as he held her tightly in return. This was her captain's closest, if not only real friend. The abducted psychiatrist by the name of Dr. Maxwell C. Welsh.

"It's been too long Vegas." Max smiled as he moved to the bar and sat next to her. She could smell the alcohol on his breath, he was drunk before he got there. Vegas couldn't help but feel terrible for the man. He had always struggled with a teetering addiction to alcohol, but it seemed without the brutal honest words of their captain to keep him in check, he'd lost all direction and had fallen, much like a worm to the bottom of a tequila bottle, with little chance of ever getting himself out. This was what she dreaded coming back to. This was the fate she had no control over. This was what made her run away from the fragments of her crew, rather than ban together and set out to attack the extortionists that had taken her captain. It was watching this self destruction in his absence, stripping them of their faith, strength, and hope that did her in. She could not inspire like he could, she could not build morale like he did, she had none of his charisma skills, and the crew could all feel the void. With a forced smile and a heavy heart, Vegas looked over at Max, softening her eyes. "Max, it really is great to see you."

"My apologies for being the last to show. I had a promise I swore that I'd keep to Ti if ever such an event arose, and I wanted to make sure I followed through." The man would say, his hand shaking as he reached into his pocket to pull out a small black box. As soon as Vegas saw this, she reached over to him to keep him from going any further. "Max, this is neither the time, nor the place..."

"I gave him my word. That if he ever-"
"He's NOT dead."

Vegas took her drink and threw it back trying to keep from breaking character in a place like this. Max looked at her dumbfounded, putting everything away he'd reach around in his pockets for a cigarette, after finding one he'd light it and pause for a moment. He wasn't sure how to respond now.

"So, care to explain why that piece of information never reached the rest of the ship?" Max asked, dropping his nice guy act and presenting the true man she had come to know. As she began to speak she noticed the young woman return from her meeting with Virgil, she looked like she'd been ripped apart. Vegas would sigh and bring her tone to nothing short of a whisper. "Ti was, incarcerated. My research indicates by some person or faction within the Children of Olympus. I think they're using him as a bargaining chip between the Alliance and the Dominion. And see who's willing to jump higher for checkmate."

"And, instead of coming to us..."
"I took this on alone. I know you're thinking I'm in over my head. But what am I supposed to do?"
"Take over, that would be a good start... They need a leader."
"And that's what I'm trying to get."
"So, you'd rather fail because you never tried than fail because you tried your best? What sense does that make Vegas?"
"These men and women deserve better."

"I'm glad we can agree on that then..." Max would trail off, his words more venomous than Vegas expected them to be. Though she could see his point, she felt she had no choice, she couldn't change horses mid race. She was already this deep, and the kidnappers weren't going to let her just stop communication for her to rally together an uprising. That took time, allies, resources, money.

The man would reach over and take Vegas' hat from her, watching as her eyes softened and her face became more innocent looking. He'd place the cap back on her head and shake his.

"It's getting worse." He'd comment. "You're going to have to face reality eventually, you can't just 'wear a hat' so to speak, forever...Eventually you'll have to ask for someone to help, somewhere down the line."

With that the man stood up and left. He'd no more words to say to the commander, there was nothing he could do or say at this point that could change her mind, and before he lost his composure he would bow out.


Vegas sighed heavily at Max's departure. She'd stare off in some random direction as if there were words of wisdom written on those tattered ruddy walls. Noticing that the owner had peered his ugly head she locked eyes on him before blowing him off completely. She liked that he usually stayed in the back, he was crooked as the day was long. Looking down at her empty glass she groaned. Looking to her side the would take notice of the guard beside her, trying to pretend he wasn't listening to her previous conversation. She'd shake her head and chuckle.

"I suppose I'm wrong, aren't I?" She would assume he'd only heard the parts that were not whispered in the noisy bar. Her eyes would meet with the guard's half committed glance and she would grab onto her hat and sigh once more. "Don't.. answer that..."

Taking notice to the time she wondered if Devaro would have time for drinks. He was a busy and important man after all, she couldn't fault him for having more pressing things to attend to. She'd look over to Alister, alone, and hold quite a great deal of respect for him. She wished she could be that content in her loneliness. "Your captain is a remarkable man. I have a great deal of respect for him."






Mood: Lonely
Health: 100%
Song: Kamelot

[Space Candy]

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

XXXXXXXXDani let out a small giggle at Rhia's words. It seemed she though Daniella would be good with guns just based on her little show. It was absurd, but what other conclusion was she supposed to come to. Daniella wasn't about to explain herself though. "I think I'd be more comfortable with you. Pretty sure Blood would just laugh in my face." Her tone picked up a bit of dryness, and her eyes drifted back over to Christian. He'd bought himself a little something as well.
The trio continued on, Christian taking the lead as he searched for clothes. Daniella walked close to Rhia, keeping in step with her the best she could despite the difference in leg length. They stopped at some shop and Christian ventured in to look at the clothes while Dani stayed back with Rhia. The blonde kept her eye on Christian, listening in on the other people in the area to listen for anything fishy. But for now, even on Calypso, things seemed relatively calm...At least in their immediate vicinity. Christian came back to the two blondes shortly, and again they were off: this time in search of something else. They walked, and again stopped as Christian found what he was looking for.

Rolling her shoulders, Dani stuffed her small hands into the pockets of her jacket. She let out a sigh and glanced to Rhia. "I feel bad..." She muttered, shaking her head slightly. "He's here because he feels guilty, and I feel guilty because he's here. It's a vicious chocolate and vanilla swirl..." Dani bit the inside of her cheek and fell silent as her mind wandered. She focused on a few memories from her time at GenEx, including the first time she'd met Christian---his father had him wearing one of those hideous helmets that did nothing. The blonde smirked at the thought, simply because Christian had looked quite ridiculous...Dani moved her hands and ran them along her braid, smoothing it out absentmindedly. Her eyes wandered around. Calypso was more crowded than she had expected, but also as lively as it was dangerous. In the area they were now there were tons of little shops, as well as bars and street vendors selling snacks...
"Food...." Dani took a breath. She turned her head to look at Christian as he approached them again. He pushed his hand through his snowy locks and suggested heading back to the ship. Dani had been apprehensive about coming here, but now that she was out and about she was filled with curiosity...and slight hunger.

"Just a little longer...?" Dani tapped her fingers together. "I want greasy street vendor food----ooh! No. Let's get matching tattoos. All of us. Rhia, how bad does it hurt? Do you think I'm tough enough?" She grinned, becoming somewhat hyper at the thought of stuffing her face along with other things.




"Nate---"
"Would you look at the a** on---Ow!" Nate flinched as his good pal, Theo, slapped him upside the head. "What the hell was that for?!"
"Get your head out of the gutter and pay attention." Theo grumbled before grabbing Nate by the shoulder and turning him around forcefully. "I see a little rich kid. You know who that is?"
Nate raised his brows. "Of course I do. And look who he's got with him."
"Mhmm..." Theo nodded, a smirk coming to his features. "I think this might be our lucky day. Snagging both of them, alive of course, will be one hell of a payout..."
"No fun taking them alive. Too much work..." Nate rolled his eyes.
"You're a lazy piece of s**t, you know that? Come on guys..." The pair of men, along with some goons, moved in on their targets. With Dani distracted, she didn't hear their thoughts until it was too late.

"Oh, we could..." She stopped short as one of the men yanked her backwards by her backpack. Daniella slammed into a much taller, and broader figure. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and held her close. One target down, not that Dani was hard to take out. "I got 'er boss. Get the rich kid." Dani squirmed in the man's grasp and looked to Rhia and Christian as the other bounty hunters moved in on them.

"Hey Rhia, long time no see." Nate smirked as he moved closer to them. Rhia was tough, but she was outnumbered...and with a twiggy girl and a spoiled brat, the bounter hunters didn't think she had any sort of back up.
"Tell the Captain we're sorry for stealing his cargo. Those credits are just too good to pass up." Theo spoke calmly, pulling out a gun and pointing it to Rhia, hoping it would keep her in her place.

"Ow! s**t---"
Nate and Theo whipped around, staring angrily at one of their goons as he held his arm. Dani staggered away from him. "She ********' bit me!"
"Hey on second thought I think heading back to the ship would be a great idea!"



[[feel free to control the bounty hunters as you wish!]]

xxxxLocation :: Somewhere on Calypso
xxxxCompany :: Christian & Rhia....and some bounty hunters
xxxxHealth :: 100% - Uh oh...
xxxxTunes ::Pompeii - Michelle Montezeri

[Resounding Memory]

William Howard Braxton

"I don't want you to take me anywhere." Will’s face eased a little, though the concern was still present. He turned and looked at the wall across from them, contemplating his next move. Clearly, Alexei was not in the mood for talking or interacting with him, and he would respect that. For now, he was fine with just sitting there and letting her talk when she was ready. For now, he had time to spare for her. The rush was not on at this point, and if she needed to take a smoke to get back in the right mind frame where she would be useful, that was fine by him. As Virgil entered the room, he glanced over at her and saw her reaction. It was all he needed to see to figure it out.

As he watched Virgil talk to the new bartender, Will studied both of them. The new guy did not look the part of the normal bartender type and also had more advanced medical skills and equipment as well. Whoever this guy was, he was highly overqualified to be a mere bartender. Will would have to keep an eye on this man to see if he could find out more about him. Virgil, on the other hand, was someone Will had the displeasure of dealing with before. It had only been a handful of times, but he had hated every single one. Virgil had been high for most of them and had an annoying air of superiority about him. Now, it was clear Virgil was even worse scum than Will had thought. Will generally disliked the people his cover put him in contact with, but Virgil was one he felt an overwhelming urge to put a bullet in.

Will was a little surprised when Alexei leaned over and pulled his face in close; however, he stayed close to her. "Do you see that man talking to the guy behind the bar? His name is Virgil. He's the Bloodhound's owner, and a strong presence on Calypso. But he has enemies. Kill him. Kill him right here, and anyone else who tries to stop you, and I'll help you with whatever you want." With the last few words, Will was sold. He was not sure exactly who this woman was, but given what he did know of her, it was too good to pass up. He was about to respond when she kissed him. His eyes widened a bit, but he did not pull away immediately. It was a fast, but he could tell there was more to it than a quick peck. He leaned back and paused for a moment. He pulled out his datapad and quickly sent a message to Corsair. Have Quincy bring a toy box to the Bloodhound. With the message sent, he stood up and straightened his jacket. ”I expect you to hold up your end,” he said before walking towards Virgil.

As Will approached the Bloodhound’s owner, he could tell the man was not thrilled to see the smuggler approach. Even with the sunglasses, it was obvious he was displeased, probably because he had seen the kiss. The expression on his face quickly changed though, a small grin appearing and his face faking happiness. ”Well, well, well. Ben Hughes. What brings you to the Bloodhound?” Virgil asked as he greeted Will. He was putting on a show, just like Will did. He pretended to like the person he was talking to, making it look like he wanted your business. It was a decent act, but Will could see all the telltale features giving away it was an act. It was much like the performance Will put on, but the spy was far better at it than him.

”I’ve got some goods I think you’d be interested in. Let’s talk in your office,” Will suggested, hiding his despise for Virgil. Nodding in agreement, the two men left the bar and walked down the hall to the back room. Virgil let Will enter first and closed the door behind them, locking the door behind them. He then walked past Will and leaned against his desk, offering the smuggler chair. Will shook his head, choosing to remain standing instead.

”So, what do you want to talk to me about?” Virgil asked, his façade slipping a bit. The irritation snuck into his voice.

”Well, I picked up some goods-” Will spoke before he was cut off.

”Don’t bullshit me. I saw you two. You have something to say about the way I treat my associates?” Virgil said angrily, standing up and attempting to look as powerful as possible.

”Actually, yes. I’m surprised you haven’t tried to treat me that way. Am I not good enough for you?” Will said with a smirk, attempting to provoke the man.

”You smartass ********] Virgil roared as he lunged at Will. Will dodged to the side, avoiding the angry man. Virgil turned quickly, bringing a fist towards Will. Once again, the spy dodged, using the man’s momentum to throw him towards the desk. Virgil slammed into the desk, but before he could turn around, Will was behind him. Will grabbed the man’s arm and yanked it behind his back, pushing it just to the edge of the breaking point. He then pushed the man down, bending him over the desk. Virgil let out a grunt, as his head slammed against the desk. ”Let me go you b*****d!” he yelled, a small amount of spit flying out of his mouth.

”No,” Will replied coldly. With his free hand, he reached into his jacket and drew his pistol. ”Tell me, what makes you think you have the right to assault people?” he asked.

”I own this place. This is my house, and I’ll do whatever the ******** I want to whoever I want in my house,” Virgil replied, still seething.

”I see,” Will said, eyeing Virgil’s other hand. Virgil had his free hand palm down on the desk. In a quick motion, Will’s pistol slammed down on Virgil’s index finger with a crunch. The man cried out in pain as the pain shot through his body. ”Too bad that doesn’t give you the right to do what you did.”

”And who the hell gave you the right to break my finger in my bar?” Virgil grunted through barred teeth. Will rolled his eyes and crushed his middle finger. Virgil cried out in pain once again. [******** you!”

”Don’t try to turn the tables on me. I’ve heard it before, and I know the answer,” he said, an eerie level of calm in his voice. His face was devoid of emotion, almost bored. With a quick motion, he snapped the arm he had behind Virgil’s back. The man cried out in pain, which turned to surprise as Will threw him back and onto the floor. Virgil hit his head on a chair as he fell to the floor, landing on his broken arm. Stepping towards him, Will raised a foot and slammed it down on the Virgil’s groin. Will was certain by the agony on Virgil’s face that his manhood had been crushed. He let Virgil squirm for a few moments, letting the man absorb the pain he was in. Virgil recovered enough to look at Will, straining his head to make eye contact through his sunglasses.

”You think you can get away with this? You’ll be ******** dead soon. I know people, and they will bring the hammer down on your head so ******** hard you won’t know what hit you,” he said, forcing a grin through the pain. Will stared at him, unphased by the threat. ”When I get my hands on you,” Virgil started, his voice noticeably higher, ”you wi-” Will cut him off by putting a bullet between the man’s eyes, breaking his sunglasses at the bridge. The lenses fell to the side, revealing the now deceased man’s wide eyes. Holstering his pistol, he stepped over the corpse and expanding pool of blood and walked out the door. As he re-entered the bar, it was clear no one had heard. The room sound proofing on the room made sure no one knew the Bloodhound owner was dead.

”It’s done. If want to take anything from his office, now’s the time,” Will said as he took a seat next to Alexei. He was calm and looked like he had before he had gone back to Virgil’s office. His demeanor had returned to what it had been as well, giving off no indication he had just brutally murdered the Bloodhound’s owner.

Current Name: Ben Hughes

Status: Healthy
Location: Bloodhound Bar, Calypso
Current Objective: Remove Virgil, Recruit Help, Acquire the Telepath

[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


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



➤ shops of calypsoxx➤ dani and rhiaxx➤ rushed


Christian had to chuckle at Dani as she asked to be out a little longer. To try vendor food and then trying to get the three of them matching tattoo's. He gave Rhia an amused glance. She seemed to be on the same page as Christian and would rather not get a tattoo with little thought. "How bout just the food, you'll regret it but probably not as much as a tattoo," Christian suggested and started towards one of the street vendors.

His head snapped back as Dani was grabbed and he heard the other voices. Thugs and it seemed Dani and himself were the targets, Rhia seemed busy with the man pointing the gun at her. He had to act quickly. He had never been in a fight before, he only sparred with those that taught him martial arts. It was always controlled, no one would really get hurt in those. Accidents happened and Christian had come out with bruises and black eyes before. Those were the lest of his worries now. He had to remember his training. Aim for weak points, joint and pressure points. Get his enemy down and try to escape. Use no more force then needed, save his energy for when it came down to it.

His hands turned into fists and he slid his foot back to get in a position fit for his style, standing lightly on the balls of his feet and keeping his eyes on the others around him. They seemed surprised when he stepped into a fight position. "Ay, rich boy thinks he can fight ain't that cute," one of them taunted. Never underestimate your opponent it was a rule of martial arts, of fighting in general. They probably thought he wouldn't be able to defend himself at all, he would just be some spoiled rich kid. The man who taunted him was the first to go at Christian. He was using his weight and strength, he was slower then Christian. He dodged the blow and turned on his heel, snapping a kick into the back of the man's knee. Forcing him to fall to the ground, it was followed by a fluid kick to the temple. Knocking the man out.

The others seemed to grow serious. "Think that means something, your outnumbered kid," Christian looked over at Dani. She would have the most trouble keeping anyone off of her. Get to her, free up Rhia, and make their exit. There was an alley not far from them, they could use that to their advantage. "Lets just get this kid, he can't be too hard."

Dani stay light on your feet, aim for weak spots. Back of knees, ears, a good punch to the center of the chest will knock the wind out of them, hopefully she would pay attention to his thoughts, he would at least give her some idea on how to fight. The next two came at Christian. The heir stepped back but held his position. They two fought together that was much clear, it would be tough to work this out. One of them held a knife in their hand as well. Disarm the one with the knife first. He didn't have time to look for anything to defend himself with though. The two were already going after them.

To keep the man without the knife off of him for a moment, Christian kicked him in the gut, though he could feel the cut against his side as his guard was down. The man was still close, Christian grabbed the man's wrist and twisted it back until he heard the crack and the knife was dropped to the ground. With another turn, he slammed the man against the ground. Turning in time to block a punch from the man who he had kicked.

By this time Rhia used the distraction Christian was causing to get an upper hand on her side. Christian could focus on his fight for the moment, choosing to ignore the pain that was going through his side. Adrenaline rush they would call it, made someone react even better, be more in-tune with their instincts. The thugs main weakness was underestimating Christian. To see him fight back and do it well seemed to put them off a bit. The other man was easy take out. Leaving only the thug near Dani and Theo. Seeing as Dani would have very little knowledge of fighting, Christian ran towards the last thug. Ducking down to sweep out his ankles and dodge the oncoming punch. The man hit the ground hard enough to render him unconscious. Rhia seemed to take care of Nate and Theo by that time.

"Right lets get going," he grabbed Dani's wrist and cut into the alley. Letting Rhia take the lead to get them to somewhere safe, which he hoped would be the ship. It seemed the thugs who weren't out cold finally decided to pull out their guns as the trio their escape. Christian was gratefully they didn't pull them out earlier thought.

{[ i am so rusty on fighting scenes. i need to get my skills back. but look its a christian post from a hungover diet! WOOO! ]}

[Lysander the Poet]

As the poison slowly worked its way through his system, Alister Blood barely even noticed a thing. There were bouts of blurry vision, his head began to spin for a few short periods of time, he was sweating a little more than normal, but to anyone who wasn’t initiated in the use of poisons and drugs, it would look like he was simply intoxicated. The onset of symptoms was slow, delayed, as if it were intended to work over a period of time, far after Alister had left the bar behind...to go somewhere where nobody was around. The small black box in his pocket was still giving off its high powered tracking signal, which was even beginning to reach outside of Calypso by now, and slowly stretching beyond the Asteroid Belt. Alister now sat alone, in this booth, in the Bloodhound. He was satisfied so far with the punctuality of most of his payments, and was confident that Alexei could hold up her end of a bargain, unless she wanted the dangerous embrace of Alister Blood to become a lot more murderous than a few bite marks and bruises. With every beat of his heart, which most people would doubt truly existed if their knowledge of anatomy was comparable to a small child, the poison slipped into his drink was circulating back through his body, absorbing into his cells, and would eventually have further reaching actions. Reaching down to check that his pistol was secured, he briefly mused at the lessened sensation in his fingers, but brushed it off as the effects of alcohol. Rising from the booth, he shifted his way through the bar, and finally decided to take a seat next to his new admirer. The raven haired woman gave him a sideways glance and a coy smile.

”Could I get two cold ones, and one for the pretty lady right here? Whatever today’s specialty beer is…” Alister observed the man that had taken the bar after Alexei’s little episode, and sized him up quite easily. He had seen this type before, when he served in the Terran Marines, and as a pilot. The robot, the overall countenance of the man, he must have been a sort of medic, judging surgeon by the robot and the few surgical objects he could make out. Definitely not the usual bartender, and definitely not a bartender at all. Virgil, the proprietor, seemed to be looking for a new person to tend bar, and was prepared to give the man the job. Seems Virgil was just as blind and dumb as he was filthy and worthless. Alister didn’t enjoy many of his dealings with Virgil, most of them related to smuggling in and out illegal substances, many of which he served at his bar under various names. Part of Devaro’s little reform project for the station; banning quite a few substances that he felt were dangerous, or shouldn’t be consumed by a gang of mad pirates without supervision. It was a good idea, but Virgil was getting the stuff in anyway...potent drinks with known side effects. Like a simple drink that was appropriately nicknamed ‘Wrath’. Rumour had it that a group of Venusian science students mixed it up at a party, and while the alcohol content was through the roof, as well as the profit margin, when mixed into other drinks it created the necessary conditions in the body for intense, and instant, anger and ferocity. When drank pure, it had about a 50-50 chance to kill you. The other side of it was...well, you probably went completely batshit, killed everyone else in the room, went on a rampage, and then woke up in a gutter three days later covered in blood, urine, feces, and your own vomit.

So yeah, the bartender was definitely not a bartender, Virgil was a piece of scum, and whoever this woman was that had a sudden interest in Alister Blood, she was quite pleasing to the eye. As far as Alister knew, his first few hours on Calypso were going better than expected. Ah, the ignorance of such arrogant men. His fingers began to tingle, and as he placed them on the bar, he half-realized that the loss of sensation was getting worse. He drummed his fingers on the bar, impatiently waiting for his drinks. Devaro should almost be done with his little estimate for the repairs, and so it would almost be time to head out and figure out the damage, before attending to other business aboard the station, and eventually meeting back with his passengers to disseminate the overall plan. He was actually starting to believe it to be a miracle that nothing had gone wrong yet. Alexei was looking a bit worse for wear, and Vegas had her little confrontation, but overall things were looking good. And he had finally gotten rid of Ben.

---

Gun to her face, Rhia had smirked in reply to the pair, and casually put her hands up as a show of surrender, which got Nate and Theo both a little excited. This was a bad situation, but also part of the reason she assumed Alister had sent her with the two he thought least capable. If it were anyone else from the Persephone’s Crew, there might not have even been this moment of pause. ”It has been awhile, Nate. Did you ever find a doctor on this rock to put in a prosthetic? I figure it would have been mighty awkward, walking around with only one, after I accidentally crushed the other with my boot. Though, you did learn the lesson of keeping your hands to yourself, didn’t you lad?” Make them angry, put them slightly off guard, that was Rhia’s current plan. She was vastly outnumbered, and Dani had stowed her gun in her pack...would have been better if the girl had it somewhere she could have accessed it. Even someone who never fired a gun before could blow a few holes in this squad of goons. Then it happened...

Rhia admitted to herself, the kid could put up a fight. Unfortunately for Christian, if any of these idiots were even at an average level of intelligence, and weren’t afraid of killing some of their quarry, they would have pulled out their guns, and shot the trio down. Not all fights were going to happen like this one. Rhia had dealt with the likes of Nate and Theo before, and knew their way of fighting, their line of work...and that they were pretty moronic. Though, bold enough move from her, and they may get scared enough to risk firing off a couple shots and producing some kills. They also were familiar with Rhia, on many of her bad days. But as Christian flew into action, she knew she would have a moment. *Daniella continued to back away from her attacker. Now focusing on reading his mind, as well as others, it was easy enough for her to dodge oncoming attacks. Those brief seconds of knowing have her time to react, and not get punched. The blonde reached into the inner pocket of her jacket and pulled out her knife, fully intent on defending herself. But for a few seconds she became distracted by something. And that distraction was enough time for the thug to take hold of her wrist and steal the knife from her. The thug lunged at her, and Daniella rushed to the side. She didn't avoid the attack completely though, and her own blade sliced across her abdomen. The pain radiated, and Dani gritted her teeth before slamming one of her hands over it. It was around that time that Christian jumped in. He took the man out, leaving him unconscious.


Rhia grabbed Theo’s wrist, and twisted, shattering the bones, and causing him to open his grip, the gun falling to the ground. Following her first move with a swing of her elbow, she caved in his trachea, and then spun his body around, and held it around the now collapsed neck, using it as a shield, Nate reacting the way she expected, pulling out his own gun, while Christian made quick work of the others. He fired several shots, which were not successful in piercing both Theo’s armor, and Rhia’s. Once his clip had emptied, Rhia dropped the body, and swept his legs, knocking him to the ground. She simply brought her heavy, steel toed boot down on his skull, crushing a few of the irregular bones that made it up, and then drew her pistol, confirming that the other two were alright with a quick glance. She didn’t have time to make sure Christian’s victims were dead, as they ran from the scene. *As Christian gripped Daniella's free hand, she did her best not to wince as he drug her away. Her legs moved quickly, keeping up with him and Rhia.


”Keep your gun somewhere you can reach it, always. Never want to be taken off guard. And don’t always count on a fight going your way, kid. If even one of those goons decided that your value as a possible captive was null, they would have shot you down. Luckily, they probably thought first about the girl, and then decided they could take you once I was out of the way, or later on. Dumb as a sack of ********’ rocks, but they have a game that they love to play...and they really do love the chase.” The last little bit came out of her mouth as she heard footsteps behind them, and then saw one of the goons slide out in front of them, cutting off their path, stupid smirk on his face. He was quite impressed with his knowledge of Calypso’s streets, and was rewarded for his knowledge with a bullet between the eyes. Guiding them through the winding streets and passages of Calypso, eventually they came to the docking bay doors for Persephone, but found them shut tightly, a pair of ‘guards’ standing outside. ”Open the damn door. We need to get to our ship.” She ordered, the two guards lifting their rifles to challenge her, eyeing her pistol. ”Sorry Miss Dravyn, but we’ve got orders. Docking bay had to be locked down due to technical difficulties. Good thing yer captain had Captain Devaro send some mechanics in their to evaluate the ship. They’re stuck inside, but they’re working on the doors."

Rhia growled, but knew she shouldn’t push it. Those rifles looked mighty dangerous, and they were on the wrong side of this fight. She knew those bounty hunters were coming for them, and something about all this wasn’t right. ”We’ve got to get to Captain Blood or Captain Devaro...that’s the only other place we’ll be safe. Try and keep up.” Off they went once more, running through the streets of Calypso. This part of the station was more crowded, making navigation a pain...and any one of them could be an enemy. The best place to find either of the Captain’s would probably be the Bloodhound, and so Rhia began making her way towards the drinking establishment, her charges in tow.

---

Alister and his new lady friend were getting on quite well. She laughed at a few of his crude jokes, asked about some of his visible scars and tattoos, presented what seemed to be genuine interest, and the two even smoked a bit at the bar, taking in some more alcohol. Slowly, the poison in Alister’s drink was rendering him helpless. The sensation of feeling had begun to fade from more parts of his body, but he kept on drinking, and figured it was just the alcohol being particularly strong that day. Ben’s little meeting with Virgil, or at least what brief bit of it occurred in the room, went mostly unnoticed. The woman was practically all over Alister at this point, playfully kissing at his neck, running her fingers through his hair. ”Hey, how about we get out of here? This old bar is so...gross, and full of unsavory folks. Maybe we can just go back to my apartment, and have some real fun?” Alister grinned at the notion, and slid off his stool, following the woman out of the bar. As he followed her, his vision started to fade, and his body started feeling weak. His memory seemed to flash in and out, and the last thing he could clearly remember before blacking out was being pinned to the bed by the raven haired woman, who looked hungrily into his eyes.

Moments later, Captain Devaro came strolling into the Bloodhound, and instantly patted Nova’s little guard on the shoulder, recognizing him as one of Alister’s crewmen. ”Ah, still faithfully watching over your charge. Good man. Go ahead and take a little bit of a break, have a few drinks. I’ll go ahead and watch over the little lady myself.” He gave the guard a casual wink and a smile, before sliding onto the stool next to Nova. ”Please, bartender, three fingers of your finest scotch, without the ice. And whatever the lady wants.” Captain Devaro glanced around the bar, as if he were looking for someone, and turned to Nova, huge grin still plastered on his face, ”Seems Alister found other business to attend to. I do hope you’re enjoying your stay so far, Commander. Seems your friends, at least some of them, are taking advantage of the establishment.” He made a vague gesture to Alexei and Ben. ”I wanted to deliver the news to Captain Blood as soon as possible, but I guess I’ll have to track him down again, first. Haven’t spoken to Kramer and Locke yet either...hmm.” He stroked his chin with curiosity for a moment. ”More to the point, however, it seems you may all have to remain here for a short amount of time. The repairs are going to take a little while, and my men have informed me we’re having some technical difficulties in several docking bays. Probably those damned power fluctuations. Of course, I’m willing to offer a set of my best available quarters to each of you, free of charge, since you and Alister are old friends of mine.”

* A bit of stuff written by Candy for this post, so that Dani could have some fun in the fight.

[Space Candy]

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

XXXXXXXXChristian's grip on her wrist was tight, but that slight pain was nothing compared to the burning sensation she was feeling from the gash across her abdomen. It made the memory of digging the tracking chip out of her arm look easy and painless. As best as she could, Dani kept her hand pressed over the wound while they ran. Running made it bleed more, and she didn't even know exactly how bad it was. The claret liquid soaked through her cheap T-shirt and ran along her slender fingers easily, but her jacket made it hard to see the wound unless one were looking at Dani from straight ahead. She fought back the pain, knowing she was lucky that this was all that had happened. Right now she didn't need to be complaining or crying. Survival was her first instinct, and Daniella would just have to wait until the right time to get some medical help.

She ran, listening to Rhia lecture them. And of course the Scott was right, Dani couldn't argue with that. She may have been smart, endearing even, but she was nowhere near prepared for the mess that she'd gotten herself into. She'd let her guard down and become too comfortable despite Blood's warning to her and the others. So stupid. "I'm sorry." Dani uttered to her through gritted teeth. But boy was she glad that Rhia was there, even if Christian had surprised her. Grey eyes drifted to the white haired male for a moment, and lowered to linger on his hand that was wrapped around her thing wrist. It looked so tiny compared to him, almost like it would snap. Dani knitted her brows together and looked up right as someone impeded their path. It was damn near instant that Rhia fired. The man was dead, and the only emotion Dani could feel was relief. They continued on, and eventually wound up at the docking bay. Good. They could get inside and Dani could get her stomach taken care of. Through the pain, Dani managed a small smile at the victory---but it faded quickly as Rhia was given information. The doors were shut, and there was no getting through them. Those round eyes stared at Rhia, a glimmer of desperation within, but she kept her mouth shut. She simply nodded as Rhia spoke. Again they were off, and Dani held her hand tightly to her abdomen. They wound through streets, and came to a crowded area. The pain and panic made it harder than usual for her to keep the thoughts out, and soon her mind was swarming with little fragments of conciousness. It made her head ache, and that paired with the bleeding wound on her stomach was making her feel quite nauseous...Running wasn't helping either.

Daniella looked up as they slowed near a building, and the sign read Bloodhound. Rhia led them inside quickly, and the place seemed pretty popular. Dani did a quick survey, but saw no Captain Blood. Alexei and Ben were there, but Dani didn't have time to concern herself with Ben or whatever he may have been planning. Alexei looked pretty bad though. Attempting to focus, Daniella managed to push everyone out of her brain. She caught her breath and glanced to Nova and Captain Devaro, if she remembered correctly...It seemed that he had just finished speaking to Nova before the Three Musketeer's barged into the building.
The telepath took a sharp breath and pulled her wrist out of Christian's grasp.

"Didn't know you could fight at all...Good job." She said to him lightheartedly, doing her best to make the situation less grim. Without the adrenaline, her pain only increased. Daniella winced, her brows knitting together briefly. She hunched ever so slightly, and slowly she pulled her hand away from her stomach. Pale skin covered in a layer of scarlet, her shirt darkly stained and damp...Dani felt kind of faint, but more from the loss of blood paired with running than from the sight of the blood itself. "Um..." Calmly, Dani's eyes lifted to meet Christian's. "I need a doctor." She said meekly, feeling even smaller than usual. The blonde turned her head and looked to Rhia, giving her an apologetic smile. She felt bad. Daniella was already asking a lot from them. She was a walking hazard, anyone around her would be drawn into her mess. Dani was a nuisance and she knew it. And she only felt worse for getting hurt and needing further attention...and now she was down a knife and had a gun that she didn't know how to use...

But if Daniella was good at anything besides reading minds it was keeping her composure. She bit the inside of her cheek and returned her hand to her stomach...

xxxxLocation :: Bloodhound
xxxxCompany :: Christian, Rhia, Nova, Gunnar, Alexei, & Ben
xxxxHealth :: 75% - 4 inch gash on lower right abdomen, bloodloss, exhaustion.
xxxxTunes ::Top Notch (Acoustic) - Manchester Orchestra

[Nebish]

The woman who had stabbed Gunnar's predecessor's hand returned from the back room. Gone was the fiery knife wielding bad a**; she looked more like a dog who had been beaten. Bruising. Disheveled hair. Obviously violence. Aggressor? No. Attitude suggests victim. Torn clothing. Likely cause: victim of sexual assault. Gunnar mumbled to himself. "What kind of animal would do something like that?" As if to answer his question Virgil came out of the back.

The man came up to Gunnar Confident. Owner? Definitely dangerous. The doctor stood ready to reach behind him and pull out his sidearm.

"I dunno who the hell you are, but if you know what you're doing, fine. As long as no one complains to me by the end of the day, you're hired."

Yes! I'd figured I could just keep my head down and steal the tips in a few hours, but a job? That's a stroke of good luck. I've got to buy that stab happy chick a drink. Virgil cast his gaze over his kingdom. The Martian girl shrunk back in her chair. No. I'm working for a god-damned monster. Don't play the hero, Gunnar. Calypso isn't a friendly place and there's no way you're going to last long on the streets. Be charming, make some friends, and get the ******** away from here.

After the blond gentleman led his new employer away, Gunnar poured himself a rocks glass full of rum. No way that piece of s**t weighs his bottles. And considering how he conducts himself, I wouldn't be surprised if the bar was just a front for something less savory. That thought didn't sit well with him. It wasn't long until he heard a soft thump from the office behind him. When Will exited alone, a smile came to the surgeon's lips. Good. I hope he knocked that son of a b***h out cold. Gunnar poured a couple of beers and put them in front of Alexei and Will, but didn't stay long enough to share words or overhear any conversation.

The evening passed and a Coalition Marine came up to the bar and sat next to a particularly attractive raven haired woman. He was obviously intoxicated. Speech slurred. Loss of precise motor function. Drunk? Seems slightly confused. Likely effects of nervous depressant. Still, recreational drug use was hardly uncommon among marines. Eventually he and his companion left together. Gunnar lifted his glass in salute as the man walked out the door and took a drink. Looks like he hit the jackpot tonight.

Not much later, the new bartender was flagged down by a customer. Holy crap. A captain. What's he doing in a seedy place like this? Gunnar poured the officer his scotch from a bottle on the top shelf. Have to make a good impression. What was that drink that got me laid all the time at university? He grabbed a glass and mixed together gin, juice, and a bit of tonic water making a pale pink drink. He placed the drinks in front of his patrons and dropped a black light LED into it. The tonic water lit up, glowing blue swirls wound their way through the pink liquid. Gunnar offered up a wink.

The door opened letting in a pair of women and a white haired young man. The smaller of the ladies looked pained. Her hand was pressed against a darkness spreading across her stomach. Gunnar ran around the bar and up to the group. "I'm a surgeon," he said before looking down at his apron. "I, uh, wear a lot of hats. Get her to the back and you can tell me what happened then."

He led the three of them behind the bar and toward the back office. Opening the door, he got a good look at his employer who left a good deal of his skull's contents on the wall behind him. "Not that way!" He slammed the door shut. Pausing for a moment he opened up a decent sized stock room. "Sara, antiseptic." Gunnar began washing his hands. "Somebody tell me what I'm dealing with."

[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





A name came from Virgil to identify the unusual blonde haired man from the ship, Ben Hughes. It seemed as if Ben had spoke with Alexei and came to her aid, Vegas would only smirk as the two walked behind her barstool and into the back. Whatever came of that brief encounter was worth celebrating, and probably less savage than her method of madness. Had it been her to go back with the parasite, the man would have been met with a glass catheter and a rubber mallet. Which was her favorite strategy for his kind, and had merit her with a reputation for “handling” predators. She was good at torture. Damn good. And igniting her flame only made the passion inside consume her.

Vegas would take notice of Alister’s presence approaching the bar, and she would look over the new bartender at the same time. The man was, exceptionally clean. If anyone was worried about that. But with shorter life spans that pirates typically held, no one but him was worried about dying from salmonella. He didn’t fit in with this scene of conniving low lives. She’d notice Alister leave with the minx that had lead him there and depart. Vegas would only nod to him and smirk, as if to say, ‘way to go,’ as it appeared he was getting lucky tonight. She’d sigh heavily, slightly envious of his winning streak.

Not long after the young woman would notice another presence beside her, looking over her shoulder she started to reach for her chainsaw hild, afraid someone was going to be picking a fight with her chaperone. Casting a glare that alone could bury a man six under she registered that this was Captain Devaro and she relaxed quite a bit. Her face offering him a impish smile. Her cheeks had been painted a little red, but she could easily write it off as the booze. She notice her escort take off and Devaro taking his seat. He would make an order to the bartender and Vegas would follow in suit.

“And give me a scotch on the rocks…” She’d order, reaching into her pocket to pull out her wallet and toss a card out with another name. Somewhere, someone, off on Kessel Station, was probably realizing they were missing their credits. But with an extra appendage it was hard not to take a five finger discount on rude passers by. Vegas never let anyone buy her anything. She came from money, and never once wanted anyone to misconstrue her intensions for anything but what she wanted to convey. She had come to know many people who only liked her financial accompaniment, and had little desire to become one of those wallet sucking leeches herself. Captain Devaro was an accomplished man, she’d assume he’d have encountered many pirate wenches that wanted little more than his assets. But Vegas was interested in a different set of assets he possessed. Though she’d chide herself for even entertaining the thought she knew that her captain did not. In fact, while detained, they had an understanding. She would take notice of Alexei and Ben as Devaro pointed out that they were also taking in the atmosphere of the Bloodhound.

There was a breif pause as Vegas noticed the bartender bring over Devaro's drink and it had appeared he'd brought her something as well. But, not a scotch. She'd c**k a brow and tilt her head at the drink as the bartender dropped in a black light and it lit up like a God damned traffic light. She'd take the drink, swishing it for a moment and take a sip of it, her demeanor always reflecting that she was more than pleased with the kind gesture. What in Hell is this s**t? Gin? I ordered a drink not a God damned c**t cocktail...!

Vegas would take a drink of the concoction and smile over to Devaro. Her composure staying the same as she enjoyed his company.

“Some of the passengers on Captain Alister’s ship do seem to be taking an interest in the Bloodhound’s… distinct... blend of culture.” Vegas would think for a moment before responding. “This place has been a home away from home for me many a times. Being so nomadic, I admit, that’s a feat all its own.”

Vegas would look over to where Locke and Kramer had been with Alister, she’d think back on it and not be able to recall when they left or to where. She had been a little preoccupied at the time.

“I must apologies Captain, but I’ve no knowledge of their whereabouts either. I was, shall we say, ‘dancing’ with a darling ole bloke at the time.” Her expression would slowly crack into a much more devious one as she adjusted her cap. She would listen as Captain Devaro explained the situation with the ship. Which, really took a damper on her getting to that rhodium. While Vegas was typically not a greedy person, she knew that pick up would fetch her a fine bargaining chip with the kidnappers, and time was of the essence. Vegas would smile warmly, she couldn’t be mad at the messenger, he was doing everything he could. “I see, well, if they expect delays then it’s beyond my control. You’ve no need to fund my accommodations, I am more than happy to pay my dues.”

She would look over to the bartender, a little tipsy from her day filled with drinks, and her cheeks would brighten more so. Looking over to Captain Devaro she would offer a sly smirk as she brought her extended hand to slide along his calf over his knee and ‘walk’ her fingers inch by inch, down his thigh.

“If this is a cleaver ruse, handsome, you needn’t try so hard… Afterall, if captain has orders…" Her mouth was left slightly agape to allow her soft pink tongue to line her teeth before nipping the air between them, her lips coiling into a perverse yet still coy grin as the liquor had seemed to finally have taken its toll on her. Those lurid romance novels held some actual pertinence, offering the commander with quite the repertoire of tantalizing material to reenact. "...you make it so.”

Just then a commotion began at the door, it appeared more of the Persephone’s passengers were racing through the door. The girl known as Dani, Rhia, and her childhood friend Christian looked liked they’d quite the scuffle outside. Slipping off her chair Vegas would look to Devaro with concern in her eyes.

“I’m sorry Captain, but if you want this conversation to continue, you’ll have to cash in on a rain check.” She would head over to the group, her hand pulling out her laser chainsaw and starting it, the familiar light and dull buzz offering her some comfort as she used her free hand to flip the dial on the tractor beam to full force. She would walk over to the three, genuine concern in her eyes. “What happened? You guys look like you were running for your lives.”

Without a second to waste the bartender wrapped around the bar and over to the new arrivals. It had appeared that Dani was bleeding, Vegas' eyes widened as she started to wonder what exactly happened. The bartender would announce he was a surgeon and that he would bring her to the back. Vegas offered her shoulder and arm to prop Dani up and help guide her to the back. "Here, I'll help you, just lean on me."




Mood: Lusty/Worried
Health: 100%
Song: Candyman

[chibichick27]

Ʌℓεxεɪ Ϩαηʈɵɢɵℓ∂

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

outfit // Calypso
stamina // 78% - conflicted
addiction status // satisfied

Much to her relief, Ben accepted her offer. She had a plan--one that had originally been born of fury and revenge, but, as she had stewed it over while chewing on the end of her cigarette, the idea made more sense. And so, she did not look at Ben as he walked over to Virgil. She did not attempt to follow them, or even take a quick peek as they went back to Virgil's office. However, when she was sure they had gone, she immediately turned and stared straight through the wall of the bar, where the new bartender had gotten her a drink that appeared to be on the house--all the way through to Virgil's office, where she saw the heat signatures forming two clear bodies. While she believed Ben was capable of killing him, she wanted to keep eyes on them.

And then, it happened. Alexei had become used to watching fights through walls, from far away, and seeing not flesh and blood, but flashes of heat. She even understood that when a body died, their heat signature lowered significantly a few moments after death, as the blood started to go cold. And about ten minutes after they had stepped into the room, Virgil's body was doing just that.

A small smile spread across her face, and she took the cold beer and drank it down triumphantly. May the Furies pick your bones dry for all eternity, ********] Ben then came back and joined her. ”It’s done. If you want to take anything from his office, now’s the time," he told her in a calm voice, as if he had not just brutally revenge-killed someone in the next room. Alexei's eyes burned into him, and she saw his heart beating through his ribs. She then adjusted her vision back to normal. He had, on his brow, an incredibly thin layer of sweat from the fight. And by Aphrodite, she would give anything to tear his clothes off and give him the best night of his life, with the way he stared at her. She smirked, clearly revealing her thoughts to him through a lusty gaze.

Instead of kissing him again, however, she stood up and wordlessly went to the backroom. Cracking open the door, she saw Virgil's dead and slightly...traumatized...body lying on the floor. With a small sigh, she dug into her pocket and pulled out two byte-coins and placed them over his eyes. It was an Olympian tradition--that way, they could pay Charon to cross the River Styx. But, for someone who was a criminal, it was usually seen as justice to have the ones they wronged put the coins on their eyes, because essentially that person would be paying to have the one who wronged them tortured for all eternity in Hades. This was usually seen as a good alternative to revenge-killing. But both together? Alexei sort of enjoyed that.

Then, she went over to the safe. Her eyes revealed the heat against the number pads that were most pressed--and so, she opened the safe without trouble. Inside were a number of things--it certainly wasn't Virgil's only safe, but it was the one that had her lotos, and even a good amount of extra money. She shoveled it into her briefcase. Now, she carried 300,000 credits, and all of her lotos. Someone else on Calypso would want the lotos, or even another planet. Virgil had never been Lethe's favorite person, but he had been useful. She might not have been on the best terms with her masters right now, but a free 300,000 would be enough to get a bit more on their good side...as well as a good purchasing price for Czeslaw Romano. Two birds with one stone.

She came back to her seat, her briefcase heavier and her heart lighter. Alister seemed to be gone, probably off with the pretty peach at the bar, and Nova and Devaro were off in their own little corner. "Thank you," Alexei spoke sincerely to Ben. "You didn't have to do that for me. I know you want my help with something, but still. It was...a good thing you did." Feeling a little more confident, she smirked again at him, orange eyes traveling up and down his body. "Just letting you know, if you ever want to screw, I'm down. You seem like the 'I don't have sex unless it's for information', type. I'm the 'I don't have sex unless it'll be fun and you won't bother me too much' type. So, we could always compromise." She lit another cigarette and gave him a wink. "Now, what the hell is it you want me to help you with? I probably should have asked before agreeing, but too late now."

All of a sudden, the bar doors crashed open. Dramatic entrances were a normal occurrence at the Bloodhound, and most people didn't even pay attention. But, Alexei saw familiarity out of the corner of her eye. Daniella, Christian, and Rhia had joined them finally, but it wasn't under the circumstances Alexei had expected. No, Daniella was bleeding, and bleeding bad. Christian and Rhia looked roughed up, and Alexei knew something bad was happening. The bartender jumped at the opportunity, claiming to be a surgeon, and he, Rhia, Christian, and Nova helped Daniella to the back of the establishment. Hope they don't find Virgil, she thought with amusement.

Honestly, Alexei wasn't sure what to do. She liked Daniella a little, but she had no reason to care that she had gotten stabbed. It was not her concern. In fact, what concerned her was that Alister wasn't keeping a good enough eye on his investment. Sure, he had left Rhia in charge, and she was capable woman, but Alister was getting paid an awful lot to just disappear when danger came knocking. Where the hell was he?

It didn't sit right with her. She stood up, then sat back down. Why did it matter? If Alister Blood died, she wouldn't have to worry about paying him back for his goddamn shuttle service. He wouldn't come after her. She would just go back to her life with Lethe, sell the drugs, and bring whatever the hell was in the data drive to Zeus. Maybe Zeus would be so grateful, he'd pardon her, and she could go back to playing with her little cousin and having lemonade with her father.

She then looked at Christian. Just how much money was his ransom worth? If Alister was dead, he'd be easy pickings.

But those words Alister had said to her that night before, as if teaching her how to be strong...as if wanting to see her grow and succeed...

[********] she said audibly, irritated at all of her thoughts.

_____________________________________

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]

The dim lights of the room faded into view as Alister Blood started to feel a tingling sensation return to his body, nerve by nerve. It hit him slowly, but he managed to force his eyelids part of the way open, before even the dim light caught the lens of his eye, and felt as if it had almost blinded him. It was as if he had been suffering from sleep paralysis. While there was no outward indications, his heart did beat a little faster, and something akin to fear welled up in him. He couldn’t control his own body...a prisoner in his own skin, and it scared the s**t out of him. But, he had also started piecing together events in his brain, at least some of them. Pretty stranger buys him a drink...he practically ignored the effects, ordering a couple more...cozying up...getting to know all the superficial little bullshit about the attractive woman at the bar. To be quite honest, his little adventure with Alexei had even had a part in his desire for another warm body to share a bed with for a little bit of entertainment that he wasn’t going to have to pay for. Alister Blood didn’t usually sleep with every woman he met, even a lot of the attractive ones, but he had slept with enough women in his time to know he enjoyed a good ******** time. Something about the raven haired woman at the bar had been even more appealing than just her beauty...it was probably something in the drink. A complex cocktail of a paralytic poison, slow acting, plus some psychological, aphrodisiac components. Her words had wormed their way into his brain, so honeyed and sweet. The mere suggestion of going home with her had been all the urging he needed. For anyone else, this poison would have probably been the end. But it hadn’t been long for Alister. His body had begun to react to the poison, systematically filtering it out. One of the benefits of being a Terran Marine; genetic enhancement package, part of every Marine’s asskicking, and one of the features was resistant to poison and disease.

Warmth was returning to his body, and ever so gently, he tugged at his wrist, and of course, the cold metal of restraints barred his movement. He tried the same with his ankles, and came to the same conclusion. The sound in the room was still muffled, the effects of the poison still wearing off completely, but his ears slowly adjusted, and he caught the voice of a woman in the next room. ”That was the deal you proposed; you bring me Blood, I drug him and keep him comfortable, boost the tracking signal, and Halloran flies in, takes Blood, kills all the good for nothing filth on this station, and we fly out of here richer than kings. Don’t you try and ******** cheat me, you pirate b*****d. Every bounty hunter on this station is gunning for Blood, the GenEx Kid, and the girl. Just one of those bounties could set someone for life. Now, it’s your turn to do some of the ******** actual work. Is everything ready?” The woman sounded angry, and it took a few seconds before a reply came, the voice sounding oddly familiar to Alister, though it could have just been the drugs. ”We’ve got the station sealed up tight. Massive malfunctions to the docking bays, we’ve said. Docking bay 13 is all set up for Blood’s transfer to Admiral Halloran. We’ve already dispatched someone to help you transport him. Everything goes right, you’ll be gone before the blood starts to flow. And you’ll be a rich woman. Just don’t be late for the retrieval. Halloran has killed for a lot less, especially concerning Blood.” Alister knew the second voice...it was a man’s voice...he had heard it recently...but still, couldn’t quite place it. Soft footsteps lightly echoed through the room as the bounty hunter entered, still dressed as she had been for the beginning of their apartment encounter; pretty much naked, except for a pistol holstered at her thigh. She sighed as she looked down at him, but a small smile crawled across her lips. ”Thought you would have put up more of a challenge...at least you’re good in bed, even succumbing to a high strength paralytic.”

She leaned down, and grabbed Alister by the throat. He needed to act as if the drug were still affecting him...he couldn’t react...even as she ran a tongue up his neck, and forced her tongue down his throat. He couldn’t help it...he returned the sentiment, and her eyes grew wide, realizing he was conscious. There was a small ‘crack’ as his thumb broke, and he grabbed the key to the restrains from it’s place on a chain around her neck, breaking the chain. By the time she reacted, he had already freed his other hand, and gave her a solid punch to the side of the head, sending her tumbling off the bed, onto the hard floor. He quickly freed himself from the ankle restraints, but turned to find a pistol sitting in his face, which made him smirk. ”You’re not going to shoot me, darlin’. I’m worth too much money for that.” She brought back her arm, smashing the pistol into his face, breaking his nose, a spurt of blood splashing onto the bed. He casually reached up and wiped away some of the blood, muttering under his breath, ”My move, then.” He grabbed her by the wrist, twisting the appendage until it gave him a reassuring snap, and the pistol fell from her grip. He grabbed it as it fell, only to have it kicked out of his hand, and across the room. His own pistols were sitting nearby on a table, and he eyed them for a moment, trying to think this through. His armor was sitting by the door, and his clothing was in a pile at the foot of the bed. Standing up to his full height, still holding the woman’s broken wrist, he grabbed her by the throat, and tossed her across the room, her head slamming into the wall hard enough to leave a dent. Hopefully, she had been knocked unconscious, even for a few moments.

He pulled his clothes on, slinging his holstered pistols around his waist, and eyed his armor. He wouldn’t have any time to suit up, but he could grab it on his way out. Curiosity was getting the better of him, however, as he pulled on his jacket, feeling for the small black box in his pocket, sighing with relief that his cargo hadn’t been stolen. Who the hell had this bounty hunter b***h been talking to? And even more importantly...Halloran was on his way to the station. If he had been picked up by a bounty hunter, who knows what sort of trouble Christian and Daniella were in at the moment. Rhia was only one woman, and a tough one at that, but even she had her limits. His musing was interrupted by the shriek of a banshee, as the hunter charged at him. The tackle came at full force, knocking Alister back onto the bed, and the woman mercilessly brought her fists colliding with his face. A swift knee to the gut brought pause to the assault, and Alister rolled over, pinning his foe to the bed. ”Sorry, I prefer to be on top, b***h.” She shot towards him, sinking her teeth into his neck, and he grabbed her by the throat in response, beginning to crush her windpipe. The blood seeped across her face, and eventually she let go of him, and he pinned her to the bed by her throat as well. ”Someone is a bit kinky.” He taunted, and she spat a mouthful of blood into his face. ”I don’t have time for your games...who are you working with? Besides Halloran, of course.” She began to cackle in response to his question, convincing him to resume the crushing grip on her throat to silence her for a moment. ”One more time...who the ******** are you working with?” She struggled against him, but Alister was a lot bigger than she was, and a lot stronger.

[******** you, Blood.” She managed, as she pulled her legs in as far as she could, and gave him a hard kick to the chest, sending him toppling back towards the door. She jumped off the bed, landing on the ground in a roll, and grabbing her pistol, coming up in a crouched position, laser sight set between his eyes. ”Bounty isn’t worth it...you’ll just kill me, unless I kill you.” Two gunshots, and her body fell to the ground, blood cascading from her wounds, the pair of Alister’s pistols smoking in the dark. ”Got at least some of that right, sweetheart.” Now that the immediate threat was dead, he took the time to armor up, and continue his investigation of the apartment. The place was pretty clean, for a Calypso apartment, obviously not really lived in, just a temporary den for the bounty hunter. Her computer terminal had been wiped after use, and there was nothing else to point to who she had been speaking to...until there was a knock at the door. Cautiously, Alister approached the doorway, and looked through the peep hole, spotting a group of burly men, hired muscle. They knocked again, and after a couple seconds of no response, the big lead man turned to the others, and nodded. Alister shifted backwards as the door was blown apart in front of him, and a whole group of armed goons stormed in. Alister didn’t like the odds, and turned to the opposite side of the apartment, taking note of the window that made up the entire far wall. Smiling at his new company, he tossed a few grenades into their midst, as they opened fire, and charged towards the glass, leaping into the window, it shattering around him as his grenades exploded, ripping apart the rest of the apartment. He made a violent, rolling landing on a roof below, and proceeded to leap down from building to building until he made it to street level. The explosion had drawn too much attention, and he had to move quickly. Back to the Bloodhound, then...if he could make it halfway across the station without another incident.

[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


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



➤ the bloodhound calypsoxx➤ dani, rhia, nova, alexei, ben, surgeonxx➤ worried/overwhelmed


They were lucky, Christian had known that much. Whether the men just wanted the payment too much to not have the risk of killing either Dani or himself, or if they were dumb enough to think he wouldn't know a single thing about defending himself. Either way, he was just thankful to get away from where the fight happened, and prayed they lost the thugs in the crowds. He might of not been the best Christian around, but that wasn't to say he wouldn't ask the big guy for a bit of luck every now and then. Though, he didn't seem to give any today as the docking station was closed. Something about technical difficulties. It hardly matched up to Christian, it seemed fishy. They didn't have time to ask questions, Rhia knew that much as she was quick to leave. Christian and Dani tailing behind.

The trio reached the 'sanctuary' of the Bloodhound. A bar that his father probably would of seen shut down instead of having his son hide out in it. None, the less he wasn't here to say no. Christian had to keep himself alive, even if it meant doing things he wasn't comfortable with. Things like fighting, he would still have to grasp that part of this life. He had just gotten into a fight, he had gotten out of it with very little injuries. A small cut on his side, but it was nothing to worry about. Just clean and bandage it, hardly deep enough to need any other treatment.

He was pulled out of his thoughts as Dani spoke, though his eyes quickly fell to her side, she was wounded. It was pretty serious from the looks of it. He took a step over to her, helping her keep balance. Eying the man who was just behind the bar, stating he was a surgeon. Christian would of been hesitant, but they couldn't risk it. Any sort of medical knowledge would be helpful, Christian's was rather limited. He knew more about the business aspect of it, rather then actual medical practices. Nova soon joined them, helping get Dani to the backroom where the man could help her.

Once Dani was settled, Christian looked over at the surgeon who wanted to know what happened. Stating that people were seeking the 'bounties' on them, wouldn't be the best way to explain it. "We just got jumped by some thugs, they probably saw us buy a few things, thinking we had credits," a robbery attempt, didn't seem like that farfetched of an idea in a place like that. He glanced over at Dani and sighed heavily. Maybe he should of tried to help her out more. Instead of just being the third party, he could of tried more. He could of found someone trustworthy to help her right after her escape. Christian stepped back to let the surgeon do his job.

He leaned against a stack of boxes and ran a hand through his hair. This was getting a bit overwhelming. He hadn't given himself proper time to react to his current situation. He was aiding a fugitive by paying him to get a genetic experiment away from the hands of his father's company. He was in a place where any could easily kill him, or betray them to get the pay that would set them for life. It was hard to figure out who he could trust at this point. If he really could have so much trust in a man like Alister Blood. If this so called surgeon was really helping them or had something more up his sleeves. Then worrying about men like Ben always lingering around.

He missed the order he had back home. Where everything was particularly set up for him. The people he dealt with were easy to read, he knew their intentions. Here, everyone was a mystery. Even Nova left plenty of questions around her. He just didn't pry, he was relieved she was around. Hoping he could still place his trust in her, if things hit the fan. She could be someone to aid them. Though, she had her own troubles and Christian knew that. He didn't want to burden her with that what if situation. So it was shoved to the back of his head. He didn't need to worry about. It was best to think the moment. Dani needed help right now, she was getting that help.

Still, this was all overwhelming. Christian looked over at Nova. "Guess that training I had finally came in handy, huh?" he muttered with a forced laugh. Lowering his hand to his own wound, he cringed slightly. It wasn't bad, but he still wanted to clean it out and get a bandage over it. "Want to give me a hand, mine is minor I just need to clean it out."

Hopefully if any trouble did follow them it would be dealt with. Christian had briefly seen the man who greeted them when they first got to the station. Captain Devaro. "I don't think I could get used to this like you did. I'm starting to miss the boring business work."

[Space Candy]

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

XXXXXXXX Daniella's eyes lifted as the bartender stepped out, claiming to be a surgeon. She pursed her lips for a moment, reading him to make sure he wasn't lying to her. At the mention of wearing a lot of hats, Dani managed a small smile. Painfully, she shrugged off her backpack as well as her jacket and passed it off to Rhia. The nice dark spot on her shirt continued to grow, which surely wasn't a pleasant sight to anyone. She was more than surprised when Nova left Devaro's side and came to assist her. The blonde took her arm, keeping her already bloodied hand over the wound in an attempt to not make a huge mess. "Thanks..." Dani's voice was soft, but genuine. She was a walking hazard, and frankly she was surprised everyone was still putting up with her. Nova asked what happened, but thankfully Christian was prepared with an answer. The smaller female simply nodded along with his words.

With Nova's help, she finally made it to the back of the Bloodhound, Mr. Surgeon not too far. Talk about a lucky break for a change...She hadn't bothered glaring at Ben or saying something snide---he wasn't important right now in her mind. Dani was more focused on not bleeding to death. The telepath watched Gunnar as he opened one door and quickly shut it, and if she wasn't in so much pain she may very well have laughed at his antics. She pressed her hand on her wound and the group made their way to another room that Gunnar deemed appropriate. Dani glanced to Christian as he mentioned his own wound, requesting Nova's help. She released the pink haired woman's arm and took a few steps back, giving them space.

She was beginning to feel a bit dizzy, but managed to take a few steps towards her newly found doctor as he washed his hands. At least that was a good sign. The stock room was fairly cluttered, but it was better than nothing---and really if she'd been taking into an actual operating room she may have had a panic attack. Daniella hated doctors, and scientist, and experiments, and needles, and scalpels...Her heart race increased, and she tried to calm herself down. Tried to remind herself that this person was simply there to help her out, and not to experiment on her...
Dani rested against some of the boxes in the room and gently lifted her shirt, wincing as the fabric peeled away from the wound it had been pressed against. Her mid-drift exposed, it was clear to anyone just how skinny she was. Since her escape Dani had been eating more than she had been allowed before, but that didn't mean the weight would just appear suddenly. Dani herself could tell that she'd gained a little bit of weight, but her hip bones still pressed against her skin a little too much. Her eyes inspected the wound---it was fairly deep from what she could tell. All she could hope for was that it wasn't too deep.

Feeling faint, Daniella looked over to Gunnar and cleared her throat. "I tried to move, but wasn't fast enough..." She tried to explain quietly. Truthfully, listening to Christian's thoughts was what had distracted her from evading her attacker...not that she would tell him that, or blame him. It was her own fault for not paying attention to both things at the same time.
She just wanted this to be over, and to get some sleep...

xxxxLocation :: Bloodhound
xxxxCompany :: Christian, Rhia, Nova, Gunnar
xxxxHealth :: 70% - 4 inch gash on lower right abdomen, bloodloss, exhaustion.
xxxxTunes ::Top Notch (Acoustic) - Manchester Orchestra

[Resounding Memory]

William Howard Braxton

Will caught Alexei staring at him after he returned to the bar from his quick job for her. She held the stare for a few moments before giving him a smirk. He had seen that kind of smirk before, both directed at him and others. He could tell her mind was drifting towards engaging in explicit activities. He turned his head and looked at her, an eyebrow raised for a moment as he waited for her next move. Fortunately, she got up and simply left him to loot whatever she desired from Virgil’s office. It would not surprise him if she came back with all of the credits the man kept. Surely he had to keep a large amount stored on site to pay for any illegal goods he wanted for himself or others. Will had only caught brief glimpses of the contents of Virgil’s safe and expected it to have numerous valuables inside worth snagging before whatever passed for law enforcement confiscated it.

After she left, Will turned around to face the crowd, keeping an eye on the patrons. It was nice to see Nova was no longer making a ruckus, though it was curious to see her and Captain Devaro conversing. First she had a history with Christian, now she was chatting with the chief official on Calypso. Whoever this woman was, she was very well connected. Will was surprised he could not recall more about her, but there were plenty of people in the underworld he had never encountered or read a file on before. The newly hired bartender continued about his duties, even providing Will and Alexei beers. Of course, Will did not drink it due to his past with the bar. While the man seemed to be a better person than most in the establishment, he could not take chances right now. As for the rest of the crowd, it seemed like the standard crowd a bar like the Bloodhound would attract. Will wondered for a moment what would become of the Bloodhound and the regulars after they found out Virgil died. Would they go on to another bar, or would they continue to come here assuming it stayed open?

Whatever Alexei grabbed from the office did not take too long, as she returned only a few minutes later. As she sat down, he returned his gaze to her. When she thanked him for removing Virgil, he simply nodded and replied, ”Well, it seemed profitable for both of us, so I couldn’t pass that up.” She then went on to talk about their reasons for having sex. She had guessed his motivations and stated her rather obvious reasons. She was very casual about sex, which could be seen as good or bad, depending on who you asked. ”Well, since you promised to tell me everything already, I don’t see much of a need right now,” he said, giving her a small smirk of his own.

Before he could respond to her next question about what they were going to do, Danielle, Christian, and Rhia barged into the bar. Will swore in his mind as he noticed Danielle was bleeding. Her being valuable without everyone knowing it was a double-edged sword. While it made it easy for him to nab her without too much trouble from those who did not suspect her, it also made her susceptible to being killed by the scum of Calypso. Fortunately, the bartender claimed to be a surgeon and took Dani back down the hall to treat her. Will wondered if they would do anything about Virgil, hoping they would not make the others aware. The last thing he needed was everyone at the bar looking at him and Alexei with suspicion. For now, they needed to blend.

Will felt a buzz in his jacket, pulling his attention away from thinking about Dani. Reaching into his jacket, he retrieved his datapad and saw a message. Quincy was waiting out back and had everything ready. Standing up from his seat, he motioned for Alexei to follow him. ”Come on. I’ll fill you in on what you’re going to do outside,” he said. He then made his way out of the Bloodhound and around back to a secluded area. There stood a droid with a crate, keeping an eye out to make sure no one happened up on the spot. As Will approached, the droid turned to face him.

”Hello, sir. I have brought your ‘toy box’ as you requested,” the droid said in a refined British accent.

”Thank you, Quincy,” Will replied. Quincy stepped aside and watched Will open the box before looking around again. Inside the crate was Will’s armor, weapons, and gear. After a quick check of everything, Will stripped down to his underwear before quickly donning the armor, expect for the helmet. He then retrieved his pistol from his jacket and slid it into the hip holster. Reaching into the box, he then pulled out his carbine and slid it onto his back. With his weapons secure, he finished grabbing his gear. Once he was fully outfitted, he put his clothes inside the crate and retrieved his helmet. Standing up, he tucked it underneath his arm and looked at Alexei. ”We’re going to be grabbing Daniella. You are not to kill her and avoid harming her unless absolutely necessary. She’s very valuable to very important people,” he said, dropping his “Ben” demeanor for his cold self. Quincy reached into the crate and retrieved an assault rifle and ammunition, sealing the crate when he had everything he needed. The droid then stood beside Will, its blank face “looking” at Alexei. ”Follow my lead and protect the girl. Deal with anyone who gets in your way,” Will instructed as he raised and slid his helmet on. The suit sealed and ran a quick diagnostic of the system, everything signaling it was ready.

Current Name: Ben Hughes

Status: Healthy
Location: Secluded Alley Outside the Bloodhound, Calypso
Current Objective: Secure the Telepath

[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





Vegas walked Dani down the hall and through the back, trying to keep her from having to use much of her weight to walk and letting her lean as much as she could on her. If she were physically more capable, she would have carried the girl, but Vegas was limited there. Vegas stopped dead in her tracks when Gunnar negated Virgil's room and the pink haired woman couldn't help but smirk. Ding dong, the d**k is dead. She'd laugh inwardly, the thought of that low life being gone was music to her ears.

Once reaching the stock room, Dani would seem to pull away from Vegas and Vegas in return would try to help her get situated. Vegas would immediately start looking for broken down boxes, tablecloths, bar towels, anything for Dani to be able to lay on without laying on the filthy floor. Finding very little Vegas felt the shift of her oversized coat, and she paused, gripping tightly to the collar and sighing.

I can't, it's... Vegas would look at the wall the surgeon was washing up at and glance at herself in the mirror and then over to Christian. Don't be so selfish! This is his girl we're talking about. How would you feel if she died of an infection from laying on some filthy floor? It's just a coat... Trembling, she would start to remove her oversized red coat and splay it out on the floor for Dani to lay.

She would then search for a bottle of Everclear and pull it down off a shelf. With some of the highest alcohol content in the room, she assumed it'd be pretty sterile. She'd walk over to the surgeon/bartender and set the bottle down next to where he was washing his hands. Continuing to move back to the others, Vegas would start to adjust her tractor beam belt revealing a second more suitable brown leather belt. She'd pull it off and snap it in front of her as it was folded in half, making a hideous cracking sound. She'd stand before Dani and offer it to her.

"Here sugar." She'd smile soft and kindly. "I'm sure you're gonna wanna have this. Unless you like the idea of biting off your own tongue off."

Vegas, was all too familiar with the pain associated with backroom surgeries and temp fix work. She hated those herself, but she'd learned from what she felt was some of the best when it came to working with very little to clean up a fallen comrade. The surgeon was a new concept though, she'd rarely seen them as typically this sort of work was preformed by other less mangled allies, that much like her had minimal emergency survival education. Vegas' green eyes looked at the morbid damage done to the blonde haired woman's abdomen, she'd smile and try to keep the girl calm.

"Everything's going to be fine."
Damn, that looks BAD.


Once Dani was settled Vegas looked over to Christian, who also looked like he'd been hit up pretty hard. Vegas smiled to him as he spoke and she nodded to his request. She'd chuckle in good spirit as he mentioned training. "Well, there's a difference in what they show you in practice and going up against an actual assailant. There's a different mentality, different rules, different wagers to make."

Vegas would grab another bottle of Everclear as well as a bottle of rum. Handing Christian the bottle of rum Vegas would look around but still find herself with no towels or cloths, she'd sigh inwardly as she tore a small remnant off the bottom of her burnt orange shirt and stuck it in the Everclear bottle before taking it out and getting into close contact with Christian, her eyes peering into his in her semi-drunken stupor. "Well, let's see the damages."

The lithe pink haired woman would be shaken to her core when reminded about her past. She didn't let Nova out when it was business. But it reminded the commander of who she was before the piracy, before all the lawless rampages and pillages. While never really shaken by anyone, the commander was taken aback. Her eyes would become empty and lifeless as she was only made more acutely aware of the differences between them now. How they were worlds apart. Regret, was what they called it. She'd regret who she had became.

"You miss it because you fit in there. I never really had that. But my ban of brothers, they accepted me, for me. No more honest men are there than pirates. They've no reason to lie to you. I didn't have to pretend to be some wind-up doll that preformed on command, I wasn't known for being my father's daughter. I was known for being..."

She'd pause as she'd hang on that word with a bit of bitterness in her mouth. "Me."






Mood: Drunk/Worried/Depressed
Health: 100%
Song: Never Surrender

[chibichick27]

Ʌℓεxεɪ Ϩαηʈɵɢɵℓ∂

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

outfit // Calypso
stamina // 93% - ready
addiction status // satisfied

Alexei put her cigarette out on the barroom table and followed Ben outside. She remained cautious, for even though he had helped her kill Virgil, there was always a tugging instinct in the back of her head to not trust anyone, ever, unless their name ended in Santogold. They ended up in a secluded area outside of the Bloodhound, and Alexei kept her hand gently rested against her gun, just in case. However, all that was there to greet her was a droid, who spoke in a funny accent. She didn't really know where it was from, but she knew it was a popular thing to program droids with different accents and mannerisms from planets far away, or ages past.

Quincy had provided Ben with a crate of armor, and he stripped down right there in the alley. Alexei watched him as he did so, unashamedly taking in his various states of nakedness with no small pleasure. While he had rejected her initial offer of sex, she hoped that when their mission was said and done, they could unwind in the best way possible.

In full armor, Ben looked like a completely different person. That's when the request finally came to light. ”We’re going to be grabbing Daniella. You are not to kill her and avoid harming her unless absolutely necessary. She’s very valuable to very important people." His voice had changed; now, it was cold, ready, and unrelenting. She realized just what sort of person he was, just from that moment--someone beyond just a smuggler, someone with connections, and important ones at that. Alexei had been taught to recognize a person's true colors the moment they were shown.

A conflict rose within the raven-haired girl's heart. She owed Alister Blood for saving her from Kessel Station, and she had promised him Czeslaw Romano. However, Daniella was under Alister's protection because of Christian's money. Therefore, if she tried to take Daniella, she would be going directly against Alister, which would probably make him even angrier than he had been when she told him she couldn't pay him back up front. And then, she had just told Ben that she'd do whatever she wanted for him as long as Virgil met his end. However, by taking Daniella, to who knows who, she would get compensation that would help her lessen her burden with Lethe. And, after that, she could deliver the briefcase to Zeus. Sure, she'd have to deal with Alister Blood, Christian, and possibly Nova, but she still had Lethe backing her. While she was in trouble with them, she was now important because of her new mission. And though she was just a bodyguard, her eyes were such an investment that they made her more than just a grunt member of the organization. Being selected as Maiachev's personal bodyguard for the past four years had not been easy.

Finally, Alexei nodded. "Fine. The girl's hurt, anyway, so it should not be too much trouble. Christian will not let her go without a fight, though. I haven't judged his fighting ability, but if Nova is loyal to them, she'll defend them. Rhia--Rhia will certainly be the biggest obstacle in the room. I don't know about Devaro, but he might be too honorable to let us do our business. And who even knows if the surgeon can fight. He might be trouble as well." She turned towards the building and stared through the wall, locating their room. "They are holed up in a stock room two doors down from Virgil's room. It's not a large room, so fighting in it will be cramped. However, there's a vent. I don't go into fights directly, so I'll crawl into the vent and attack them from above when you give the signal. Say, 'Arachne', and I'll leave the vent." Alexei began to scale the building, catching her foot on a jutted brick. "If Alister Blood returns, he's going to immediately defend his investment."

She paused about halfway up the building, taking a moment to sit in a small alcove that had been barred off from the inside. She pulled out her cellphone and sent out a message on Lethe's backup line--the Calypso sector. Quickly typing in a message on her keyPC at the same time, she made sure she had 300,000 credits transferred to Lethe's account via her credit card.

The message read:
Here's three hundred. I had a successful sale, but there was a catch. Virgil got himself killed by somebody with a vendetta, so I just took back the lotos, and some profits. Rest assured, the product's safe with me. By the way, I need you to get Romano to the Bloodhound. Put him, bound and gagged, in the Virgil's office. I need an Unnamed to keep him safe, for a man named Alister Blood. Blood is anti-Olympian, but he helped me on Kessel Station, which in turn helped Zeus. I owe him this one thing.

Alexei sent it, knowing that someone would be reading it and replying in minutes. Lethe was very efficient that way, having people dedicated to message-reading. The Unnamed were the silent soldiers of Lethe--eunuchs, usually, and gifts from The Children of Olympus, who also utilized them heavily. They were heavily trained in battle, and also had no tongues, rendering them unable to speak. They acted as powerful foot soldiers, whose only purpose was to guard, kill, maim, or escort whoever they had been assigned to. In fact, Alexei had already messaged for several Unnamed to install themselves around Calypso in order to create chaos, should a chase ensue.

"I have some people who...work with me..." she wasn't sure if that was quite correct, but she continued anyway, "who will make sure it is absolute hell for anyone to follow us, should we find ourselves running. They will provide distractions and will make sure no harm comes to us in their zones."

With that, Alexei continued climbing until she reached the appropriate vent. "I will not be at the vent grate, rather, I will be a few feet to the left of it, so do not worry about them noticing me." Another benefit to having her eyes was that she could remain in a completely secluded area, with no windows or light, and still be able to see.

"I will help you take Daniella, and then, if you want my help from then on, I expect compensation. May the Gods give you their blessing." Finally, she crawled into the vent and headed to where Daniella, Christian, Nova, and the surgeon were. As she settled into her spot, she checked her phone and keyPC. All was a go on the Unnamed front. And Czeslaw Romano was on his way to Virgil's little brain-splattered office.

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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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