Thanica Vari
Kylantha wrote:
Sho'chavuk
"I don't have any subjects, I'm just a crew member who was elected to help lead." she continued, and the Tz'ath listened, though he was having trouble containing himself as was evident by his lip-licking and teeth-grinding. It wasn't all too weird though, and he nodded every now and then to show he was still there. At some point he clasped his hands together and wrapped his tail around them as he grew more nervous, and thankfully Thanica seemed not to notice.
...
"U-uhm. Well, surely there are things that we will be collecting - material things - that we can keep, yes?" he asks gingerly. "O-of course freedom and survival are most excellent things, but you see I find myself equally interested in.. Spoils." he pauses, fiddling with the tip of his tail. "So.. I will gladly work with you and assist however I can, but I get to keep whatever I can get away with taking." then with quite some dignity in his voice, "Such is the law, after all." he says, forgetting that Tz'athi laws didn't apply to every other locale in the galaxy.
Thanica hid it well, but she'd noticed the signs of a predatory hunger in the newcomer.
Oh good... another one to look out for. Thanica hadn't survived for as long as she had by being easy pickings, but being trapped in the tight confines of a ship with creatures that would do her harm was risky; running or hiding were out of the question on the
Defiance. She just had to make sure there were potent motivators to not attack her.
"In case you hadn't noticed, we're criminals." she gave a short laugh, "I don't think the laws apply anymore." Certainly not some strange alien one that, from what she could see, existed purely as a pretext to go looting, "So, that being said, I don't care if you are a bit light fingered, provided you don't steal off the crew, don't horde something which might be essential to our survival and don't do anything that would put a mission in jeopardy.
"Oh," she paused before adding a last point, "and I will, personally, not be too happy if I think you are victimising the downtrodden; I'm a Dhasath, which I think you've already gathered." she smirked slightly at that, "We don't tend to like it when people pick on the weak. Reminds us too much of ourselves."
Chapter Three: Bad Moon Rising
Bridge of the Defiance, A few hours later Archelia, approaching the moon of Akaron
co-written by Dyelli Beybi and Arengin Union
I see a bad moon a-rising
I see trouble on the way
I see earthquakes and lightnin'
I see bad times today
There had been a lot of human technology in the hold, it seemed. Most of it was primitive and useless, though they had also found music devices, which, with the assistance of Rabaech, they had managed to interface relatively easily with the ship's on-board systems. Thanica had suggested they put some on. She was worried about Krystyn and thought it might do him some good, but having heard some of what was on their device, she found she also quite liked it. It appealed to her Dhasath ears, even if the other aliens on the ship thought it sounding like someone strangling a hazmot.
Once, the Dhasath had, apparently, had a musical culture, though that had died, along with most of them, when the Ragon had invaded. Perhaps this was what they had sounded like? While the music was pleasing, Thanica couldn't understand why the bands of human musicians had such odd names. Why, for instance, did clear water need reviving? Had someone done something to the water beforehand? And what did that have to do with a letter of credence?
As they left hyperspace on the final approach to their destination, she had fallen into her usual slouch in her pilot's station, one boot propped against the edge of the console though she couldn't help but tap it along to the tune they had buzzing through the bridge. Something about a 'bad moon on the rise', which was nonsense but seemed sort-of appropriate given Akaron's reputation.
Carter, for his part, was like a child playing with a gameboy for the first time in their life, totally enamoured with the intricacy of the ship’s multiple systems and functions as Thanica would show him from time to time what did what and he made sure to take mental notes as if he were back in flying school. His experience behind a cockpit meant very little compared to this new world, at most it’d be like a teenager trying to fly a commercial plane using their experience playing video games, at least it felt like that to him. The lyrics echoed all through the ship, his music player now connected to the ship and playing music totally unknown to the residents of the ship but to him it was rather soothing, a welcoming embrace that reminded him he was still human and an Earthling.
Don't go 'round tonight
It's bound to take your life
There's a bad moon on the rise
As Thanica piloted the ship now exiting hyperspace Carter remained seated at the co-pilot seat beside the Dhasath, the human would tilt his head following the beat of the music and at times murmuring the lyrics with a wide smile as he admired the view of what was Pleasure Heaven right outside the surface of Akaron, the bright lights coming from the space station shined into the
Defiance’s bridge window and Carter’s own eyes brightened with intensity as he was enchanted by such an unbelievable view of space he had never imagined.
“So this is Pleasure Heaven…” he asked with sarcasm, still murmuring the CCR song and trying to keep a level head as he broke from his trance with the view. “Let’s hope they raise the welcoming mat for us and not the blast us into the vacuum of space” he added while trying to get used to the Kiellar marine armor he was now wearing, the marks of the Command taken off and now with a dark blue color instead of the dark and orange it originally had. He gave a look at Thanica, and as the song continued he followed along with some of the lyrics.
“I hope you got your things together I hope you are quite prepared to die Look's like we're in for nasty weather One eye is taken for an eye” He sang right in tune with the voices of CCR to a rather perplexed Thanica, though Carter found the song with such a welcoming grace, since it reminded him of home, he didn’t quite think of the lyrics which didn’t sound all too comforting. "That's a classic..." Carter said resting his head on his seat.
Thanica gave Carter an amused look, "I'm not quite prepared to die just yet." she commented dryly.
Carter chuckled as barely realized how the lyrics of the song were not the most positive and considering what Thanica and him were about to get into it was not the best for motivation to sing to the lyrics of it. “Neither am I…” He said with a now more serious tone as he looked through the consoles, trying to not touch anything despite temptations.
Thanica had changed again on the journey to the station, trading what she was wearing for an almost identical black tank top and cargo trousers. This pair, though, was noticeably more snugly fitted. To add to the look she had also pulled on a black jacket of some form of alien leather and let her hair down to cascade in dark waves across her shoulders. It was a slight adjustment to her look, designed to draw the attention of anyone interested in Dhasath females without making it obvious that was what she was doing and without making her look like anything other than the pirate she now was. If she was going to try to distract some alien pervert while they robbed him of his money she was going to do it properly. She was still being treated as a commodity, but this made a pleasant change from aliens wanting her as a light snack between meals.
"I wouldn't worry. We're just another unarmed trader as far as they are concerned."she continued, taking over the controls manually as she eased the vessel towards the station," Yes, it is obvious we are flying a stolen Kiellar Command vessel, but Command doesn't have jurisdiction out here and I'm sure they've seen worse. Mind you, if a Command warship did show up looking for us they'd probably hand us over without a second thought, particularly if there was a reward in it, which there would be. Pays to stay alert."
For a few moments she turned her attention to the communications system as they negotiated somewhere to dock. After a couple of minutes they were given permission to dock at 'Pylon D' and she switched the comms back off.
"Armour looks good." she commented to Carter as the ship slid towards the pylon, "Did you want to play bodyguard our heist?" she asked before reminding Carter, "If you do, keep the helmet on. Don't want them thinking they've got multiple Dhasath in the net, particularly since they don't!"
“Well thank you kindly,” Carter said with a smirk as he showed off his newly painted over armor, it was definitely an improvement over the white sweaty space tank top and the chest cuff rig. He then eyed Thanica from head to toes, she looked professional and prepared, like a true commander would, but her Dhasath features made her unlike any human commander Carter had ever served with, she wasn’t human after all but at times it was hard to remember.
He then heard what she asked, he began to think about what decision to make. Someone needed to stay with the ship but without any knowledge about piloting it he and Krystyn were useless for the meantime, and he was sure some people would remain in the ship to guard it. He looked at the armor’s helmet, a bright orange tint on the visor.
Putting on the newly painted helmet, it now covered his face, the human Captain looked over at Thanica and gave an answer, “You’ve got your muscle Commander.”
He then gave a thumbs up as he sat back into the co pilot seat, it was likely the gesture left Thanica a bit perplexed. Carter for his part was both excited but also nervous, he didn't know what he was about to get into but he had to eventually face it, best to do it now.
Thanica looked slightly mystified, self-consciously copying the 'thumbs up' gesture... Then laughed, shaking her head in confusion. "When we dock the others can all filter out into the population, drink, gamble, whatever they want to do." she said, getting straight back to outlining the plan again as she guided the ship to the allocated docking pylon. She didn't sound nervous, but her repetition of details gave it away, "We'll stay on the ship so that we aren't seen with the rest of them when we disembark. If they're really suspicious and study the security footage, I'm sure our hosts can figure out the connection but I'm gambling they won't go to the effort."
There was a dull clunking sound that echoed through the walls of the ship as they made contact with the pylon. It was followed by a whooshing sound as an the gangway to the station was flooded with breathable atmosphere, though only those lurking in the cargo bay, near the airlock, would hear that one.
She reached for the intercom unit, speaking across the ship to everyone onboard, "
We have now arrived at 'Pleasure Haven', head out, relax, have fun but not so much that you forget your role in the game to come. If you catch a disease... Don't tell me! Report to the Medbay."
She clicked the system off again, turning to Carter, "So... Fancy a drink?" she suggested.
Keeping silent for a bit, still taking in the new world, Carter then turned to Thanica, "Sure, I could use one." And with that he rose from his seat, standing tall he waited for her.
"You think they'd have whiskey here, some Black Daniel would surely be nice right about now," he jokingly remarked, he again failed to realize Thanica nor anyone except for Krystyn understood what he was yarping about.
There was a long pause from Thanica, who looked like she was desperately trying to figure out what 'Black Daniel' was... before eventually (correctly) concluding it was a human thing, "Will Raz'lak do?" she suggested instead. Raz'lak and water seemed to e the only two options on the
Defiance.