RP: ISC Phoenix [Interlude 4] - A Hard Day's Night

[Blackbird Lore]

Strolling outside, Uriel gazed upward. What transpired was, to him, simply shocking. He'd never before seen anyone so publicly humiliated, let alone see it firsthand. Humiliation among Elysians came from verbal or physical conflict and one's one shortcomings. To have someone degrade you to such a level out in the open when you were already defeated and helpless...

Uriel could only wonder what sort of upbringing Enzo had endured as he made his best effort to seem indifferent and passive; just an inquisitive spectator and nothing more. Once Enzo made his way to street level, the Patrician tried to make sense of the rogue's last comment. The sunburn and bleach completed the picture: this clone was marked, at least for a brief period of time.

 

[ShotJon]

Zeta wasn't a fan of humiliation. It was much easier to kill someone to give a message. Or beat them until their face is purple. Not this.

Somebody would joke about how touching it is, but not her. She still understood why they did, she just didn't have to like it. Darn, she felt like lightning up another ciggy. She may even pick Nepleslian cigs, maybe some that don't smell like poo.

 

[Nevaraon]

Robert, after finishing off his opponent, had walked over to the bar and ordered the house special. Several of them in fact, so missed all of the conversation and the new mission. He was well into his third drink when he noticed everyone looking like they were ready to leave. He paid off his tab and walked over to the table. "Hey guys, whats going on over here?"

 

[TeslaTornado]

"Oh, nothin'." Vincent grunted in a guttural, yet airy tone. He pointed up towards the flagpole where Michael was hanging. "We hung a dumbass up from a flagpole. Poured beer in his hair. Rubbed his face with butter." The mercenary smirked. "'Making him recognizeable', Enzo said."

For the first time in what seemed like forever (literally, for him), Vincent laughed out loud. "Think I like that guy," he grunted.

 

[Luca]

Luca gave a quick salute to the flag he'd raised. Apparently Melissa had put a Nepleslian flag onto Michael's chair and when he hoisted him up, it unfurled and flapped in the wind.
As for Michael, it was safe to assume that he'd never try anything like this again, and would plan before doing something like this. As for the view, it was a nice one.

Looking out over the sun, which was only an hour or two away from setting, and it looked beautiful. The best thing was, though, that Michael would catch every ray of it. As for the chair he was tied to, that would last as well, since it was tied to the flagpole - instead of hanging Michael from it.

"So ends the saga of disproportionate retribution," Sebastian concluded with folded arms as he gave Uriel a pat on the back to ease the pain, "Hopefully he's learned never to try something like this ever again."
"Well it's not like I could just shoot him, what would that say about me?" Luca concluded aloud. He then moved in closer and whispered to his father, "Besides, I've got a reputation to keep as a happy-go-lucky screwball with guns. It's part of the shtick. Nobody takes me seriously until it's too late, remember?"

Sebastian's eyes widened and he turned for a moment, then nodded with a point, at a loss for words. He then stroked his chin. He made an exaggerated frown in Luca's direction.

"Now, who wants to head somewhere where the some of the population isn't looking to put holes in us?" Luca announced as he got the directions for the Hangar and pointed in their direction, "Along the way we might be able to get Enzo's ship back!"

"We need to get our things back from the hotel, though," John pointed out, "I left most of my stash in my room."
"And I left a few of my guns in my room, nothing too important, though," Luca nodded in agreement as he looked towards the hotel and started heading towards it.

"I wonder what's keeping Jim? I haven't seen him," Hitori was the first to point out that fact.
"Seiren, you saw him last, what is he fiddling with?" Anna asked by coming down to knee level and asking as nicely as she could, in near belittling fashion.

 

[ShotJon]

Finally! Getting out of here will be great. Only good thing about this planet is the shop Enzos uncles owns. Not that it had been ugly or something or the food was bad, it is just that everybody is trying to kill Luca. Otherwise that afternoon on the beach was quite fun. Lookin at grown adult persons playing like kids is always fun. Plus she got to drive that awesome beach-buggy.

Zeta turned to others and said. "You know, not that I want to be a bother, but I left Funky City jsut with what I had with me. I bought some clothing here at Enzo's. But there is still one kind of clothing I really need to buy and no they don't sell them in army surpluss store."

 

[Moogle]

The short inventor had been watching the 'flag' raising up to that point, resisting the urge to laugh like a hyena. But when Anna addressed him, he turned most of his attention to her (The rest of it being in the fact that he was fiddling around with the Utili-tool).

"Oh, Jim?" Seiren began, not at all sure who it was. But, he remembered after a minute and continued. "I think I left him with that bike back at the shop with all the guns. He'll probably be working on it all day if somebody doesn't get him. . ."

 

[Scot]

Panther stood to leave, leaving only a "I forgot something," while leaving the bar. He began to do some last minute shopping for some plants and sunning thing to keep them good for the trip into space.

The company would witness Panther's return if some trouble occurred, or by the time they return to the ship.

 

[Lamb]

"Well, since we're headed back to the hotel, I'm gonna go cause some trouble for Balloon-- I'm gonna see about snatching their guitarist's acoustic if he's got one." Enzo shouldered his bag and made for the door as he explained his planned musical theft, "After that, I'm gonna head straight for the ship and wait for someone to tell me where I'll be set up at until I can get my ship back. I don't mind sleeping in the cargo hold."

 

[Fian]

To Arin this seems to be a silly way to settle things, if getting killed the last time around didn't stop him from coming this time around, this mild humiliation certainly wouldn't. Then again just offing him outright didn't work the first time, and there are hardly any police presence out here to surrender him to. It appears that this Michael character will be a constant thorn on their side till further notice, how unlucky for her to be working for a famous adventurer with such dogged fans. Though to her, going to strange places and seeing strange things was worth this dangerous inconvenience.

She snapped a picture of the man with the best seat in the house. Maybe in the future she might forget where she put this photo, but she certainly wont forget this moment.

 

[TeslaTornado]

"Yeah, I have a fortress to dismantle in that hotel room." Vincent grunted. He wasn't exaggerating at all when he used 'fortress' to describe his hotel room: the room had been turned into a heavily fortified bolthole/security station for the hulking ID-Sol to keep a careful vigil over his captain and crew.

The hulking mercenary plodded off slowly towards the hotel, already going over the trap disabling method in his head. 'First, just take that ball of plastic explosive off the fuel main by removing the tripwire from behind the door...'

 

[Luca]

Everything was packed back into the suitcases and containers, or put onto their person somehow. The hotel rooms were left in a more or less similar state as to how they were before the crew of the Phoenix showed up. However, some of the rooms did smell of cordite, explosives material, and the occasional splash of blood. Nothing the cleaning crew couldn't deal with.

As Luca was leaving, he noticed a familiar microphone put in front of his face, with a camera hovering nearby.
"Mr. Pavone, we just got word that Senator Kreisen attacked you," Dan, the news guy from Channel 4 News shared his feelings on the recent attack this afternoon, "We're currently undergoing investigations, amid allegations of a shady past which has come to light."

"Senator?" Luca tilted his head, "Did he get into politics recently?"
"He was always in politics, but he must've kept this side of his life incredibly well concealed - until now, at least. What did you do to piss him off so much?"
"Long story," Luca just wanted to leave it at that and get off of the planet, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a holiday to continue before I have to go and save the Universe all again. I'd like to keep talking," He noticed someone staring at him coldly from a distance, "But I think that if I stay here any longer-"

That someone pulled a gun out of his pocket and levelled it at Luca. In reflex, he pulled out his gun and shot it out of the assassin's hands. He just crapped his pants and ran for it without another word.

"-The population might be affected. Shame, I really liked this place," A slightly more emotional side to Luca was revealed to the world as he downplayed his shooting ability by just walking away without another word. Dan and the cameraman were stunned. Meanwhile, Police were pursuing the assassin.

"News travels quick, doesn't it?" Sebastian rolled his eyes as the ISC Big Bird came into view. John was getting it open, "I just don't understand why we can't be kept alone."
"Relax dad, look on the bright side" Luca said as he patted the box in which the Freespacer's errand was to be delivered, "We're going somewhere where nobody really knows about. We'll be going through major spacelanes as well, so they'll be guarded heavily."

"What about the package?" Anna pointed it out as the crew moved back into the Big Bird, "Won't it be examined?"
Luca snapped his fingers, "I think Enzo can help me with that."

The interior of the Big Bird was just like any other respectable Vampire Class ship that belonged to a privateer. The cargo bay was converted into hasty living space, but a firing range was yet to be made, as shooting the furniture in there is generally frowned upon.

Allison and Crane, who were staying back to keep an eye on Nyezeh said their hellos and made their introductions as the lady who looks after the engines, and the chef, respectively.

 

[ShotJon]

Zeta followed everybody back to the hotel. The only things she had in her hotel room were her swim suits. She asked Arin if she could take them, if Zeta couldn't show up to the hotel. She then left Luca in Vincent's care and hurried to get what she needed before they would leave. One another day in same undies would probably kill her.

She quickly found a shop and chose enough to get around. After she got it packed, she shuffled next to her guns and other things which little shopkeeper lady didn't mind at all. Well, Nepleslila is Nepleslia. I bet that lady would be much more surprised if I had no gun at all.

As she was getting back to hotel some guy quickly ran out of it, pursued by few cops. Zeta caught up with others in front of the hotel. The buggy she left there was already gone. It was either snatched or her owner came to get it. It wasn't her problem anyway. She then followed the others back to ship.

 

[Lamb]

Enzo was leaning on the side of the doorway and enjoying his last cigarette until the next landing, all the while trying to pick the lock on the case for his soon-to-be-newly acquired acoustic guitar. His ears perked up when he heard his name come out of Luca's mouth. He looked up to see the crew members milling past him and making their way aboard the ship. He sat the guitar case on his bag just inside the cargo hold and caught up with Luca.

"Cap'n Pavone!" he said enthusiastically, "You rang? Oh, right! The package! Yeah, I gots to ax, why wouldya need to hide somethin' like that? There's nothins illegal about it-- unless of course nobody tolds me abouts the new laws regarding the transfers of cute little posters?"

 

[Scot]

Panther had waited around the docking area still in his hoody outfit until he picked up Luca's scent and followed him up the ship from behind Enzo. He glanced up to look at the ship, but did not find it impressive, though the Nagual part of him did make him curious how the ship work. While the Kohanian pondered the various ways one could either enter or make a kill by sneaking on the hull, he pulled off the top of the hood as he entered the ship so it would stop rubbing against his ears.

"Hmph, the iron bird looked better on the outside," scuffed Panther as he took a glance around, the ship obviously not suited to his tastes.

 

[Blackbird Lore]

Uriel was one of the first back to the ship, more than happy to be rid of his room in that hotel. He figured he might very well be sharing sleeping space aboard this craft, but at least it'd safe.... er. Who was he kidding? In the last twenty-four hours he'd witnessed four attempts on Luca's life; more if you considered each clone as an independent assailant.

This was going to be some interesting business, traveling with Captain Pavone. There would certainly be no lack of conflict and adversity. For a moment, as he got his things settled, he wondered if he would even have a chance to do that which he had joined this crew to do: learn. There were many races and nationalities present on this ship, and there was much he could explore simply by speaking to his peers. Perhaps travel wouldn't be nearly as dire as he had anticipated.

 

[Luca]

Somewhere, a Guitarist was wondering where his practice guitar went.

The interior of the Big Bird had some cargo which consisted of beds - it would be easy enough to turn the beds, tables, lockers and such into extra living space for the additional crew members, since the designated sleep areas were not exactly made to handle more than 12 people.
Fortunately, the extra 7 crew members could be fitted comfortably into a makeshift living space in the cargo bay. Meanwhile, Nyezeh was still recovering in the Medical office and had a bed to herself.

Luca made a quick headcheck, and noted that nobody was missing or otherwise absent. It was now time to head towards Drift.
"Alright then, John," He was sitting in the captains chair, and swivelled around and passed the note with the Coordinates to Drift stamped to them, "Can you think of a way here?"

The place in question was between the Three Sisters, and E4, within the Shirawaka no Iori 4th Fleet defence perimeter. John took a look at his space map.
"Freehold Factory, then to Neue Jaspis, and we follow the Two Jaspis Spacelane, turning at the Crossroads towards galactic south and past CSEIA," He plotted without pause, punching the calculations in, "We then follow the 5XF/Nataria Spaceline eastwards. Hopefully we'll be able to hitch a ride alongside some Logistics ships heading that way - and if we're quick, we'll hit the Defence network in no time and we'll be green from there."

"How long will that be?" Luca asked as John started to warm up the engines.

"Approximately fourteen days. If you'll excuse me, I've got some clearances to make," He donned a headset and started getting his bearings, his departure vector and other information he should know - namely to be very careful. After that, he took off and started flying towards space. Once he breached atmosphere, he gave everyone a moment to breathe.

"Everybody ready?" He asked over the intercom, "Be prepared to entertain yourselves for the fourteen days or so - it'll be a while, and I'm going to have to stay here, or get a rotation going."

John detailed the main jobs to rotate on: Piloting, Keeping an eye on the Engines, Weapons, and Communication.
Ideally, everyone would take shifts and sleep or relax when they weren't on.

"...we're going to have to keep an eye out on each other to keep this ship running, and to make sure we can stave off any attackers," John detailed over the Intercom, "But for any of you that can't help me out, why not help yourselves by practising, or sparring with each other, or whatever you punchy, shooty, knifey types like? We have two, maybe three lovely medics on hand."

Jimmy and Anna were staying in the med bay, keeping an eye on Nyezeh, who'd been taken good care of during the break. She was recovering slowly.

 

[Moogle]

Seiren had explored the crew compartment of the ship, rather enthralled that he was riding in something other than a passenger shuttle. Of course, this quickly became a side-interest when he realized that he had guns to work on. So, he headed to the area that would be the shooting gallery with various knick-knacks and scraps of metal in a satchel that he carried. Then, the inventor began to rework the contraption that was already on his arm (housing the screwdriver) into something to work for the Little Killer.

 

[Lamb]

Shortly after John finished his announcement, Ezno arrived on the bridge with his new guitar in hand. Somewhere, a broken guitar case was wondering where its guitar was. He patted John lightly on the shoulder as he took a chair next to him and started tuning the instrument.

"I'm here for my first rotation as communications officer." he mentioned, a casual air in his voice as if he had always been a communications officer aboard a large craft. "I'm also here on account ofs my inabilitys to gets along with others. I'm not sure what I think about Hairball or Bird-boy, an' I'm not too swift to find out either... Whadaya like more: Jazz, or folk?

 

[Blackbird Lore]

With his things put in their proper place, Uriel's first venture was to the cockpit. He was a pilot at heart after his years in the military, and was more than curious to see just how different- or similar- a Nepleslian setup would be. As he entered, Luca was exiting. The Patrician was completely silent, arms crossed over his chest as he listened to John speak over the intercom. When all was said and done, he moved closer to the pilot's seat. "I can aid you in flying; I've a history with spacecrafts. I just need to familiarize myself with the layout."