zephyrite said:
"At last, the one called Gem." The freespacer said in a silky, yet sharp voice, one that conveyed her detachment from decorum. "I have wanted to speak to you. This one here with the name of Sabot was rude. He expressed that you, for some reason, did not seem to want a pilot. I thought that he may have been misrepresenting you and thus waited for you to arrive. Am I right to assume that you do indeed need one, or was your want for help insincere?" Kassi cocked her head, then smiled. "You may call me Kassiopea. What should I do in order to become one of the illustrious crew of the Horizon's Key?" She giggled softly.
The Commander looked at Kassi as the 'Spacer rattled off, just nodding slowly. When the girl finally took time to breathe, Gem just looked at Sabot.
Sabot was sitting on the tailgate of the truck and looking rather amused. When he saw Gem look at him, he shrugged. "She wanted to get a look inside th' ship. I just told 'er to wait 'til you came out 'ere since she didn' mention applying."
Gem smirked and turned back to Kassi. "Well, you're a lively one...but yeh got your facts twisted a wee bit. I do need a pilot. But Sabot there wasn' refusin' you the position. You need to apply for it, then I'll decide wheth'r y'r right for what I need ya for. If I think ya are, then good. If not, then I was gonna keep lookin'." She folded her arms and eyed Kassiopea. "D'ya have experience piloting vessels o' this size?"
-----
"Heeeeey, there, 'Cap'n Nemo'!" called a voice that would have made the soldier cringe. "Now now now, you would not happen to be trying to leave us, would you? Got your things all packed up and ready to go, I see, which is nice...you were just moving to another room, am I right?" A scarecrow of a man strode up behind Lance, clad in a Pisces Station security uniform. Messy straw-blonde hair stuck out at odd angles from under a beret hat, deep-set eyes sparkled like obsidian chips, and the spring in his step brought with it a touch of menace, as if he was a jack-in-the-box popping toward you.
"Hold on for a moment and listen to this amusing anecdote: I am sitting in my office, drinking my mealtime drink, and my computer buzzes me. Tells me that someone has been asking about you, about your 'service record'. 'But why would someone need information like that about a guy like him?' I ask myself." The man draped his arm around Lance's shoulder. "Well? What reason would that be, mate?"
The arm slid off Lance's should and swung down behind Lance...and planted a stunner tag between his shoulder blades. The security officer didn't miss a beat as he continued talking while the soldier slumped to the ground.
"You will like your new room, I think. Big front window, a nice place to sit and think. To reconsider abandoning your post without telling your superiors, yeah?"
