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Day 10 [1900 hrs.] Connections

CONNECTIONS

Stardate 57582.3
March 20, 2381
1900 hrs.

[ Sera vers Aldnoah | The Ibai Besi Promenade | Aldea Prime | Epsilon Mynos III ]  @Numen
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Oh, how Sera regretted the fact that she couldn't bear arms inside the city.

Burn me, I should have known something was wrong. What antique dealer has three experts attending the trade, and then neither of them saying anything? Whenever she looked behind herself, she could see the three in the crowd, steadily gaining on her. They had just been hired muscles; henchmen that sought to claim the rest of the items she'd scavenged before she came to Starbase 84. Blast it... Think! If there is a tracker on me, I need time to find it, but if not, I have to get back to the Sabine, and hopefully loose them somewhere along the way...

As it were... she'd just noticed an opportunity.

With a grin, she veered off at an angle... and started running. She didn't have to look behind her to see the three following suit. She closed the distance, and she jumped on a red anti-grav scooter. She bleeped her communicator against the payment-unit and the slim vehicle levitated from the ground. Without delay, she twisted the throttle and the bike set off towards the skyward ramp, which would take her to the glassed walkways. She passed two Aldeans on the way up there, heard them cursing in her wake, but didn't turn around to look. At her velocity, she almost touched the ceiling of the walkway when she flew off the ramp, but the anti-grav units compensated for the impact of the landing - keeping her elevated and barely loosing any speed. Fire and ashes, where does this even lead to?

Pedestrians in the lane next to her whisked by as she leaned forward over the handles of the scooter, and the the loud humming noise of the scooter bounced off the glass tube's walls. Far below, the Ibai Besi and its promenade remained oblivious of the chase taking place above. The bronze light of the Aldean sunset cast everything in gold, but Sera had no mind to stop and admire the view, for she could hear three scooters following her. She dared a glance to confirm it, spotting them not far behind her. If I had my disruptor, I'd pick them off one by one...

It seemed her pursuers were of the same mind, only being after the satchel she had around her torso. She couldn't say she was surprised when yellow energy beams melted holes in the glass walls they were trapped within during the high-speed chase through the cityscape. Blast them, I need an exit!

She criss-crossed the width of the walkway to make it harder to hit her, even going into the pedestrian lane and forcing people to leap out of her way. With her teeth bared, she knew she was running out of options. If she'd worn her red exosuit she'd been able to power up the Sabine remotely and access it's transporter systems, beaming to safety. As it were, she had to get to the bay in which her ship sat... and- There! She saw the intersection, and made every effort to make it appear like she was going up the left ramp. With a glance back, she even decelerated a bit to make it harder for them to react to her feigning to take that option, and in the last moment, she switched to the right - speeding down towards the Promenade instead. She almost crashed into the wall in the process....

...but she managed to shake them off, at least temporarily.

Off the ramp and down on a street adjacent to the river promenade, she ditched the scooter since she didn't want the KDF enforcers after her as well. She set off running, and since she kept glancing back to see if the three had managed to turn their scooters around to follow her... she didn't see the shimmering light that appeared before her in the alleyway. Only in the last moment did she realise someone was standing in front of her, and she crashed into him.

Loosing all kind of orientation, Sera thought she might have rolled across the stone pavement after the collision, and she was sure she'd earned a few bruises. Irritated and not keen on the three henchmen catching up on her, she levelled her yellow eyes against the one who'd appeared right in her path. She bit back a few curses, knowing it was not the guy's fault.

"Burn you, are you okay?" she said, and began to look into her satchel to see if her merchandise was intact.

Re: Day 10 [1900 hrs.] Connections

Reply #1 –
[ Lt. JG Izar Bila Jahak Preloc |  The Ibai Besi Promenade | Aldea Prime | Epsilon Mynos III ]
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@Auctor Lucan

Bila stretched the hem of his jacket for the umpteenth time, trying to keep the garment correctly in place as it moved across the Promenade. However, the garment was determined to make that brief trip to the surface into a living hell, out of some bizarre textile conspiracy over some crime against fashion that he had committed years ago.  Not only did the hybrid feel uncomfortable and awkward about the odd shape of the Cardassian outfit, but it, far from fitting his body, made him look even taller and more slender, converting him into a sort of grey and annoyed depiction of the grim reaper. Furthermore, for some unknown reason, the garment was itchy, and it was causing rashes in places where the chemist NEVER thought they would appear. All this made him feel unsociable and cranky, and he just wished he could finish that off as soon as possible and get rid of that fiendish garment. A part of him had begun to realize why Parnak seemed to live in a perpetual state of anxiety and grumpiness. Probably his clothes made his life as miserable as it was for the hybrid at the time.

At least the day was lovely, and the temperature surprisingly pleasant. The twilight sun warmed the few patches of skin that the wicked garment left in sight. It was nice to feel so warm after the permanent chill sensation that had always accompanied him on his space adventure. Yeah, the starships internal temperature had been adjusted to the needs of most of the humanoids on board, and of course, he wore the extra layer that the regulations required so as not be uncomfortable, but it was always that sensation that his face and hands were excessively exposed to some weird wintry environment. In contrast, Aldea resembled a resort town. Regardless of the itchy fabric and the reason he was there, Bila looked up and smiled, enjoying the pleasant afternoon and the leisurely atmosphere. He could get used to that.

The locals themselves also contributed to his peace of mind. Bila, unlike many of the other crew members, couldn't pose as an Aldean, but he had opted to pose as a half-Cardassian, originally from the Union, since it kept him away from involvement with Starfleet. The hybrid had only had to get rid of his earring and wear that annoying outfit to walk freely in the streets of Aldea Prime The Aldeans had not reacted the way Bila had feared. They hadn't exhibited suspicion or disgust or... anything that he had expected. He was simply another passerby, minding his own business. The shopkeepers had offered him their products, people had walked quietly by his side, immersed in their own affairs, in their lively conversations, in their peacefully wander. Bila was just an ordinary, faintly exotic-looking visitor, with his gray face and nose ridges, but neither threatening nor shady nor noticeable enough to merit a second glance. The chemist was just another face in the crowd and he was starting to enjoy the experience.

He was having so much pleasure in this, that for a few minutes he forgot why he had come down to the surface and the tracker that was buzzing silently in one of his trouser pockets. After a few minutes, however, the humming became so insistent that he had to take notice. Bila stepped away from the main avenue and into a small alleyway obscured by the adjacent buildings. He took the small device out of his pocket and switched it on, the light flashing like a beacon in the shadows of the small alley, blinded him briefly. Bila blinked a couple of times, as he got used to the dimness, narrowed his eyes and...

...of course he didn't hear her coming. Those damn Cardassian ears. She hit him, he lost his balance, the tracker flew out of his hands and rolled down to the main avenue where it got lost in the crowd's feet. Bila hissed, between pain and surprise. No, mostly in pain. What had bumped into him, a cannonball in humanoid form? The hybrid looked at the woman and yellow eyes stared back at him, surveying him with an intensity that claimed she could reduce him to ashes if she wished. Maybe she REALLY could do it.

“I... I'm ok. Mostly. Yeah," stammered the chemist as a reply to her inquiry, frightened out of his wits. He swallowed, mustered up some nerve, and tried to speak again. For her part she seemed more interested in peeking into one of the bags hanging over her chest. "I-I was looking for you, I..." he started to say before the words died on his lips. Bila looked over the woman's shoulder and frowned his eyeridges. He raised a hand and pointed to something over the woman's side. "Em-uh-- those are your friends? Because they don't seem very friendly," he mused as he recoiled slightly and tried to get back on his feet. "By the Prophets what were you..."

Re: Day 10 [1900 hrs.] Connections

Reply #2 –
[ Sera vers Aldnoah | The Ibai Besi Promenade | Aldea Prime | Epsilon Mynos III ]  @Numen
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Throwing a glance in the indicated direction, Sera's fiery eyes widened - seeing the three pursuers speeding towards them in the alleyway on their anti-grav scooters. The leading one raised his energy weapon towards them, while the lights from the overhead windows glimmered across the muzzle and his shaved head.

"Burn you, come on!" shouted Sera, and while she didn't give a speck of filthy sand about the Cardassian she'd bumped into, some manner of decency had her wrap her tattooed hand around the guy's collar and yank him in the direction from whence he'd come - the more narrow alleyway the best option of escape available. Flaring energy beams blasted the wall, nigh hitting them both, but Sera didn't look back, running once more. She'd let go of the guy's collar, and hoped he had the common sense to run along with her instead of staying behind to see if they'd care to spare him, even if he'd just become an eye-witness.

As she ran, listening to the progress of the three pursuers, she realised she'd not had the time to check on all her merchandise, and she could but hope nothing was damaged. What did it matter anyway, since what mattered profit when you were dead? She almost passed an askew gate that led to a small garden, but changed her running trajectory in time to dodge inside. She had to roll across the patchy grass to catch her balance, but once she was back on her feet she looked around for options. She saw an emergency escape ladder in the far corner, and set off towards it, meaning to use altitude to her advantage. She glanced behind herself to see if the innocent bystander was still with her, before she leapt up and grabbed the lowest rung of the emergency ladder - making it fold down into the grass. Barely wasting a breath, she began to climb up as quickly as possible, with the sound of grav scooters drawing closer.

Once up there, she caught movement in the gate to the garden below, and she met the eyes of one of the pursuers. He had decelerated his scooter and put a foot down, using both hands to aim against her with his hand weapon. Sera swore and ducked down, beginning to crawl towards the edge of the platform she was on. Once there, she gathered her feet below herself so that she might leap over the railing, ending up on the low wall to the adjacent garden. Another leap put that wall between herself and the shooter, after several beams had been fired into the latticework of the emergency ladder and into the stone wall. At the break-neck speed she was in whilst trying to escape, she had no idea if the other guy was still with her. She was already running.

The new garden was better kept, and the building entrance started to open - sliding doors parting for some resident. "Hey, you can't be he-" the old man began to say, but he had the sense to leap out of her way so that she didn't barrel into him. Without loosing any momentum, even though her lungs were burning and she could hardly breathe, she whisked by the man and ran for the exit on the other side of the ground level apartment. She grabbed what looked like a shoehorn in the antechamber before she pushed the door open, finding herself on a large street, with the setting sun in her eyes. She glanced behind her to see if anyone was following before she set off in across the street and into a new alleyway, meaning to shake off the pursuers to the best of her ability.

Two streets in, she set up an ambush with her acquired shoehorn, listening for the anti-grav scooters - eyes darting over the shadows in the new alleyway while she bid her time trying to regain her breath. Someone was coming, and she readied herself to strike. She leapt out, teeth bared, only to face....

Re: Day 10 [1900 hrs.] Connections

Reply #3 –
[ Lt. JG Izar Bila Jahak Preloc | The Ibai Besi Promenade | Aldea Prime | Epsilon Mynos III ]
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@Auctor Lucan


Bila was suddenly tossed aside by the woman, pulled back and forth like a rag doll, propelled forward in a direction he was unable to determine at first. For that first few seconds, he felt rightly outraged by the unfair mistreatment he was being subjected to... until an energy blast crashed into the nearest wall, dangerously close to where his head had been before. Needless to say, an incident which prompted him to put his hurt dignity on hold and focus his energies on running for his life. An admittedly wise decision, the chemist determined as he staggered, free of the woman's grasp, to then stumble and swing dangerously close to fall to his knees. A new shot was the only incentive he needed to regain his balance and begin running as fast as his legs and the ill-fitting garment he wore allowed him to.

The woman led him through the small maze of alleys to a small back garden. Bila tottered in a doorway one more time, skidding on the ground's pebbles, but this time he was unable to regain his footing. He fell, painfully rolling on a patch of orange turf and tumbling around twice before he landed flat on his stomach. The world revolved around his head, but the miserable half-Cardassian had no time to bemoan about his precarious situation. He crawled undignifiedly across the patch of grass, trying to reach the woman, but she kept leaping ahead of him, far out of reach. Obviously she was more than used to this kind of acrobatic exercise while Bila... Bila... Bila knew how to run for his life like a bat out of hell, but the whole thing of jumping gracefully like a lopp on the run... no, that was far from his area of expertise. However, he didn't have time to admire the feline grace with which the woman moved, since as soon as he returned to his feet, gunfire hummed again next to his gray ears.

"ku...ku-ku-ku" he croaked as he rushed to his feet. He was forced to run a couple of meters over hands and feet. Over him, the woman ran through a hanging catwalk and hopped over a wall, out of sight. Bila looked around wildly, cornered. Desperately, he plunged through a small doorway embedded in the wall, too small for a humanoid, and snaked through the narrow gap until he reached a small passageway just in time to see the fiery-eyed woman drop to the other side of a wall, a few feet to his right. Bila strode clumsily down the service alley, dodging smelly barrels and crates. With a groan, he hiked over a mountain of debris and leapt over the wall, only to fall awkwardly to the other side.

He collapsed into another charming garden, quite lovely, a place that surely would have been ideal for a quiet chat and a tea if the afternoon had not turned south in such fashion. The hybrid took a second to catch his breath, yet the sound of the three Orion on his heels made him start moving anew, with a whimpering groan. This time, at least, his path was paved with a fanfare of outraged screams, so Bila was able to track the woman with ease. 

The rest of the trail became a blur of chambers and rooms, of aldeans shouting things that sounded far from friendly, of his legs entangled with some feline pet, until, the chemist didn't know how, he managed to get through the building and found himself coming out of it through an open window. A quick footstep noise made him become alert but instead of the Orion the one who appeared in the street was Sera, crossing a door just ten feet away from him. She turned right and ran away from him again. Bila leapt forward, pursuing her again, and ran as fast as he could, until his lungs began to burn due to lack of oxygen.

His vision began to blur. He felt a painful sting in his left side. The scientist stumbled again, bumping into his own feet, only to find Sera suddenly popping in front of him, armed with what looked like a vicious shoehorn. If their situation were not so desperate, it would be almost comical. In those moments, however, Bila couldn't appreciate the mirth of the moment, he could only try to stop himself. He failed catastrophically in his efforts and impacted violently against the woman. They both fell to the ground, tumbled uncontrollably, the shoehorn flew off and, in a perfect parable, it descended to painfully impact on his left eyeridge.

Perhaps he lost consciousness for a few seconds. But when the world took on a definite shape again, Bila was lying uncomfortably on top of the woman, in a way that made his cheeks blush with an intense sienna tone. Bila rolled away from her until he struck a wall and took advantage of the vertical surface to stand up, struggling to regain the few scraps of dignity that the persecution had left him.

"I..." he gasped, still breathless. ”... I... I just meant to... to get in touch with you... to assess your knowledge of the local gangland... I think... I think I have good evidence that you are well acquainted with it... or at least with the less friendly part of it" he managed to gush. Bila looked around nervously, before he added. "Let's move before they get our track back, I'd love to have a conversation without some green minions attempting to kill me, if possible... I'd rather deal with a low grade tea than face your friends again". The hybrid pointed to the exit of the alley with his chin. A small crowd of passers-by could be seen at the end of the street, just what they needed in order to throw the Orion off their trail for good.

Re: Day 10 [1900 hrs.] Connections

Reply #4 –
[ Sera vers Aldnoah | The Ibai Besi Promenade | Aldea Prime | Epsilon Mynos III ]  @Numen
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With her yellow eyes widening right before the impact, Sera's mouth opened to either tell the guy to stop or to let out some unintelligible sound of surprise. In retrospect, she had no flaming way of knowing what it would have been. All she did know that she was off her feet one second, and the next, the pavement hit her in the back and in her head. Scaly and grey skin was right up her face, and strangely enough, a coarse beard as well.

She had ended up with her legs spread wide open to accommodate his hips, and in any other situation - granted wee more attention to foreplay - she'd have acknowledged just how nicely he fit against her. As it were, she let out surprised yelp when the shoehorn hit the guy's head with a nasty sound, and then clattered loudly against the pavement next to her ear. The beardy snake-man was none too happy with it either, but it was Sera who let out a long string of curses in her native language, feeling the back of her head for blood. By the sands, the only consolation in the situation was that her hair had taken the edge of the impact.

"Burn you, get off," she hissed through her teeth, but he was already clamouring back to his feet, awkwardly using the wall next to them for assistance. He began to speak of his intentions and not liking the company she kept. Blast him, he thought she enjoyed being chased like a street rat or something? With a headache coming on, she got back on her feet and glared at him, but he did have a point in using the crowd to get out of sight. One thing was certain. She thought she'd seen him on the Theurgy at some point, so he was definitely a Starfleeter, and judging by his words, they needed connections that their fancy moral code wouldn't allow. "If you have no taste for my kind of tea, then I suggest you blast off and let me conduct my business in peace."

Still, she set her steps towards the end of the alley and got them into the crowd. She glanced towards the strange Cardassian while they shimmied through the crowd. "Bloody ashes, what's in it for me anyway? If I'm supposed to help you with something, did you have a proposition in mind, or did you think I'd help you out of the kindness of my flaming heart?"

If her merchandise in her satchel was damaged from the collision and the fall, then Sera would make sure the Starfleeters compensated her for it, so it might be the clumsy snake-beard might owe her already. With her teeth bared and whilst glancing behind them from time to time, Sera pushed towards a new alley on the far side of the busy street. "What's your name anyway?" she asked, feeling the headache doing no favours for her mood. The klutz didn't know how lucky he ought to consider himself that she was unarmed...

Re: Day 10 [1900 hrs.] Connections

Reply #5 –
[ Lt. JG Izar Bila Jahak Preloc | The Ibai Besi Promenade | Aldea Prime | Epsilon Mynos III ]
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@Auctor Lucan


Of course, the woman asked for compensation for her help, something to be expected from a person who earned her money by plundering the ruins of other cultures. Bila's eyeridges descended subtly upon his forehead as he pondered the proposal he was about to make. It was risky, but the hybrid had little to trade. He had lost everything he had with the Cayuga's departure and the little he could offer was, at the very least, a deal of dubious morality. But this whole affair moved along that delicate line between decency and immorality so that Bila could not suddenly develop scruples that would prevent him from doing what he had come to do.

What was it the Vulcans used to say? The common welfare is more important than an individual's, or something like that. He was doing what he needed to do for the benefit of Federation and his colleagues on the Theurgy, he wanted that in order to help in the fight against the Parasites. His justification for all that shady business was sound. For sure.

"I'm chemist up there" he said, pointing to the sky. Above, barely visible through the distortion of the atmosphere, the PAldea Prime Orbital Drydocks glittered faintly. There was no need that the Cardassian half said anything else, he was confident that his walking partner was keen enough to grasp the meaning of his words. As he made his way through the crowd smoothly, he wrinkled his now non-ridged nose briefly and kept talking in a hushed voice. "I've security clearance to synthesize and replicate certain quantities of restricted materials, materials that can yield substantial profit to someone who is savvy enough to know to whom they should be sold." The corners of the hybrid's mouth tightened slightly, but, except for that tiny detail, his expression remained deliberately neutral, even mildly smug.

"I also own a unique object from the time when Cardassia ruled over Bajor. A relic carved out of Neklythe, a rare metal that can only be found in small quantities in a few mines on Cardassia Prime." The mere fact of offering that object as payment for the services he needed made Bila's heart shrink in his chest. The hybrid held his hand to his now naked ear and stroked the spot where the jewel had been held until shortly before he descended to the planet. The Prophets would know how to forgive him for that. Again.  "This is a unique jewel of priceless value" He kept luring her.

"And, as for my name, for the time being, you may call me Jahak. Jahak Preloc."

Re: Day 10 [1900 hrs.] Connections

Reply #6 –
[ Sera vers Aldnoah | The Ibai Besi Promenade | Aldea Prime | Epsilon Mynos III ]  @Numen
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At last, they made it into the alley, and where it was the darkest - between two windowless buildings - Sera turned to face the Starfleeter. "Since you were the one to seek me out, I guess I don't need to make any blasted introductions," she said sourly, the headache yet to subside. She rubbed the back of her head one last time, took a deep breath, and folded her arms underneath her chest whilst she regarded the Cardassian with the beard. Did he have Bajoran nose ridges? She supposed that might explain the beard, not having seen many snakemen with bears on their faces.

"Neklythe, you say," she mused, her yellow eyes turning back to the street they'd left behind in thought, but also making sure they had really shaken off their pursuit. "Yeah, I think I could find a buyer for that little trinket, but given my current little predicament, I think I'll need more than that..."

She turned back and considered the possibilities with chemicals. She really wasn't in the market for selling illegal substances, even if it was lucrative. Then again... even legal substances might have demand... if you had the right kind of buyers available. She'd have to ask around to see what the Aldean black market had demand for, be it aphrodisiacs or creams that were believed to make them younger-looking. Making a decision, she tilted her chin back and laid out her terms.

"I'll tell you what, give me until tomorrow to source the market for chemical substances and I will send you a list with what I need to make this happen. As for whatever you Starfleeters need, I am guessing it has to do with the repairs of your ship, or this parasite-mission of yours? I'll need more information if I'm to help you out. It's not like every Orion here is the same. Some are worse than the guys back there, but they are quite resourceful."

She usually didn't broker deals with criminals, preferring so sell things to antique dealers and museums, but such were short in supply on Aldea. Or well... they were mostly just to ignorant to see the value of her goods. The Syndicate could, however, offer far more lucrative business opportunities.

Yet apparently, perhaps the Theurgy might be the ones to truly restore her cash-flow, her funds having run low since Starbase 84.

Her yellow eye strayed to the guy's brow. "Sorry about that, by the way. Does it hurt?"

Why did she care? Were these flaming Starfleeters rubbing off on her?

Re: Day 10 [1900 hrs.] Connections

Reply #7 –
[ Lt. JG Izar Bila Jahak Preloc | The Ibai Besi Promenade | Aldea Prime | Epsilon Mynos III ]
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@Auctor Lucan



The woman, initially, didn't seem too enthusiastic about his proposal. And she even allowed herself to protest about the difference in knowledge that Bila had about her and that she did not have about him. It was a fair point, the hybrid knew he had to play all the cards he had to his advantage and he, better than anyone else, knew that information was power... and Sera seemed to agree with that adage too.

She turned her back to him as she pondered his offer, her arms crossed under her bosom in a way that only emphasized her attributes. The chemist took advantage of this short pause to lean against one of the walls in the gloomy alley and give his battered muscles some rest. Now, with the adrenaline quickly draining out of his system, he began to notice the consequences of the crazy flight in which he had been involved. His muscles were throbbing. His lungs were burning. He felt an uncomfortable sting in his side. Bruises and scratches hurt here and there throughout his anatomy. But the worst of all, was the pain in his eyedidge. Jahak palpated the area carefully, which gave him a pang of pain that blurred his vision. That was going to require a visit to the nurse's office and the answering of a few uncomfortable questions.

At last, Sera spun around to face him again, reluctantly interested on his offer. Bila greeted her with a smug smirk. She didn't have to know how much that whole running was taking its toll on him and how miserable he felt at the time. The yellow-eyed woman asked him what he wanted in return for all that business.

"Kemocite" he simply retorted, but without informing her of the dangerous nature of the compound. "As refined as possible, at least 450 grams, but the more you can get, the better. Ideally, you should get 1175 grams of good grade for me. Or more" Bila struggled to not sound desperate, but the moment the words left his lips he knew he had failed in his endeavour. He rubbed his eyes with a tired gesture. He regretted it immediately, as he brushed lightly against the injured ridge. "And yes, I need it for 'that parasite-mission of ours'. It is important. It's really important." He stressed the words vehemently. It probably cost him more money in the short term, but he needed that Sera realized how critical was that she obtain that material for him.

The next thing the Caroôn asked was a surprise for sure. The first thing was an apology. Then a question about his condition. Jahak chucked humorlessly, but a genuine smile slipped from his lips briefly. "It hurts as if the Prophets had decided to pour their rage over my head," he finally confessed, as he reached back into the tender area. A mistake, once again. He squinted a hurting eye. "But I won't die for this, I've been worse." He assured.


As he blinked a couple of times, like a nocturnal animal dazzled by a sudden flash of light, Bila glanced back at the woman, his expression less concealed, more relaxed. "What about you? You got a pretty nasty blow too."

Re: Day 10 [1900 hrs.] Connections

Reply #8 –
[ Sera vers Aldnoah | The Ibai Besi Promenade | Aldea Prime | Epsilon Mynos III ]  @Numen
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Having been pondering the likelihood of acquiring kemocite on Aldea, the question of her well-being caught Sera by surprise. 

"Oh, blast it, I'm fine," she said and rubbed the back of her head, looking down the path whence they'd come as if she expected to see her pursuers any moment. In all honesty, she had mixed feelings about the Theurgy crew and their mission. Sure, she could understand how it might be a priority, this mission of theirs, but what could she really do to help besides in terms of what they just asked for? She was just a profiteering scavenger, more likely to be in it for the spoils than some kind of 'greater good'. This threat with parasites possessing people and inciting war for shits and giggles on their behalf, it felt like something Starfleet were best equipped to handle, not her.

Sighing, she looked back at the chemist-in-disguise in front of her, put her gloved hands on her hips and gave him a quick smile.

"All right 'Jahak', you have yourself a deal," she said, but then she reached forth and tapped him on his ridged nose with her finger, "but only if you have me beamed to my ship. Your transporter officer should be able to find the Sabine on sensors, right? Get me there, so that this fine errand-girl of yours is kept safe from other Orions... such that may just be around the corner for all I know. Consider it a handshake, if you will, on this deal."

As if she just realised it, she snapped her fingers. "Oh, burn me, I also need permanent docking clearance with the shipyards and your ship's upper bay, as well as an on-call transporter comm line to get me out of trouble. See, in case I need to disappear in the midst of this little mission, I want safe haven up there with you Starfleeters. While exciting, I really don't want to run through these streets again."

She did a once-over then, picking her words to sweeten the addendum of the deal. "By the way... Chemist? Really? You certainly don't strike me as lab-rodent. If you were just a scientist, you'd never been able to keep up with me back there. Surely you must be the must fit scientist I've seen in a while."

With her yellow eyes gleaming, she just made her bold little grin emphasise her meaning. No lie, certainly. The black Human named Okafor had also been an alleged scientist as well, and far too fit for his profession, but this mix of Bajoran and 'Dassian was more intriguing by far.

Re: Day 10 [1900 hrs.] Connections

Reply #9 –
[ Lt. JG Izar Bila Jahak Preloc | The Ibai Besi Promenade | Aldea Prime | Epsilon Mynos III ]
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@Auctor Lucan

Bila pouted his mouth, deeply insulted by the Caroôn's harsh reply. Nevertheless, this sign of how annoyed he had felt lasted barely a second on his grey features. So, when the woman ceased to peer down the alley, he had already resumed his mask of petulant smugness.

An utterance that was short-lived as she tapped his ridged nose. Bila was not a great fan of physical contact and if there was a way to disarm him and leave him defenceless that was the way to do it. So while Sera was settling her terms to the agreement, Bila wrinkled his nose in annoyance and sought to step back a little to get rid of the undesirable contact. But the narrow alleyway did little to help him get away, and when the woman had barely stretched out her arm to keep on with her emphatic finger on his nose, his back hit one of the crumbling walls.

"OK, I think I can get you transported to your ship, maybe with a slight detour through one of the transport rooms on the Theurgy, but I think a little trip is better than meeting your green friends again, right?" He teased her swallowing loudly. His Adam's apple moved ostensibly as he did so.

"The other stuff... I might need a little more time to arrange it, ask for some favours, talk to the right people..." The chemist raised an eye ridge as his gaze ran up and down on the woman. "I see the advantages of having around someone with a moral code... more lax than Fleet standards, but not every officer has my sensibility on these matters. If you don't bring me a good pile of kemocite, you're going to owe me a favour. A BIG one. Do you realize that?"

And then came the insult. The definitive blow. How she dared to mess with chemistry. "Listen, Missy, tease me whatever you want, but don't EVER screw with my job. Chemistry is the PERFECT science," he remarked, as he stretched a threatening finger out in front of her nose in much the same way as the woman had done before. He stared up at her for a few seconds before he continued talking. Without lowering his menacing finger, evidently. " Also, take a good look at me, I'm half-Bajoran. If I hadn't learned to run like a bat out of hell I wouldn't have survived a decade on Bajor."

Bila stepped aside, grasped the lapels of his garment and pulled them out to smooth out any wrinkles with a gesture of offended dignity. "We lab-rodents may not be as brawny as security peeps or pilots, but I can guarantee that I am fit enough to be able to save my own scales. Furthermore!...." The hybrid added lifting his scruffy chin with a snobby air. "I obviously have the best genetics on my behalf," he said, pointing to his gauntly figure.

Re: Day 10 [1900 hrs.] Connections

Reply #10 –
[ Sera vers Aldnoah | The Ibai Besi Promenade | Aldea Prime | Epsilon Mynos III ]  @Numen
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Ruefully, Sera had taken a half a step back and folded her tattooed arms underneath her chest, observing the prickly scientist during his rant. She could not quite keep the smirk off her face as she regarded him, and as for his ending statement, she replied in stride.

"Obviously..." She didn't supplement the word with the sarcasm it deserved, because he was quite right. She had nothing derogative to say about his frame. On the contrary, her tone was that of an affirmation. She tilted her head a bit, and raised her yellow eyes to his. "And burn me, I think I can come up with one of two ways I might be able to compensate you, should you find the amount of kemocite lacking. I think you might like it, actually..."

A noise in the crowd they'd left behind cut her off for elaborating, and she immediately drew the conclusion that her pursuers might be on to her after all. After checking the direction from whence they came, and she'd confirmed the movement suggesting that people were leaping out of the way from something, Sera directed her fiery stare to the chemist.

"Now would be a good time to make that brief stop on the Theurgy, scientist," she suggested, stating the obvious while their time was running really, really short.

In a shimmer of light in the alley, both an escape and an accord had been made.

- FIN
 
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