The Mess Hall (Part 1) - Sshlalah and Thanica (Co-written by Harbertia and Dyelli Beybi)
Where Sshalah gives Thanica too much information on Ragon eating habits and Thanica worries about Sho...
The Ragon stood before the table, a bottle of Razlak in one hand- a pitcher in the other. She was now in a better looking tight grey suit as opposed to her bloodstained prison garb, some logo over the left side of her torso. Her expression was glum. It wasn't long ago that this place was rather cheerful, but after her encounter with Mihal she was realizing that things where not going to be as easy for her as that time here. Her hands where clean now, her bluish hide a bit more presentable. It was unlikely anyone would guess what she had finished doing before coming for a drink, and now it was all on her mind. She was able to think better now, but that simply allowed her to process everything. Sliding as best she could in the seats made for being far smaller, she began to pour Raz'lak into the pitcher- something to dampen her mind to give it focus.
Sshalah wasn't left for all that long. There was the sound of light, rapid footfall as someone trundled down the stairs. It was accompanied by whistling. Whoever it was could carry a tune and had apparently been listening to some of the human 'disco' music. Probably to Ssalah's surprise, the whistler turned out to be Thanica rather than one of the two humans. She froze momentarily as she hit the threshold, realising she wasn't alone. Being alone with the Ragon made her heart leap in her chest, but she was the Commander of the ship now and the Ragon had had a part in putting her there. She forced the fear back down, smiling instead, greeting them amiably, "Hello... I thought I was the only one here. You're not into gambling?"
Sshalah put on a weak smile to respond, not wanting a total repeat of what happened with Mihal; "I don't have any wealth to gamble." she said, "I'd be out there, but what I could put on the table I'd rather not." She put her hand to her chest to indicate herself and the suit, "This is all I have."
"Oh..." Thanica looked surprised for a moment, "I assumed you had some finances in those crates." she crossed the room, leaning up against the wall facing Sshalah, "I'll tell you what, if you want to, Carter is opening up the Captain's quarters in search of something to drink, feel free to loot whatever you want from in there... you know, provided it isn't stuff like the fuses that keep the consoles from exploding. I was hoping you'd be somewhere out there if something goes horrifically wrong with my plan. First because you are terrifying but second because nobody would expect us to be working together. Gives the advantage of surprise."
Sshalah stood up straighter, tilting her neck slightly; "I've been wanting to talk to you about this plan. What role I could play but, I was feeling more enthusiastic about it then. If I just need to hang out nearby that's- a lot easier for me. Saves preparations like costuming on my part and certainly would be a surprise." she nodded, "I can do that. I suppose I'll have some specific objective in such a moment- I- can carry you and carter both- appear to be some opportunistic one?"
"What I was imagining was we'll try to make the plan work without shooting anyone, but if someone gets wind of what I'm up to, and there's a reasonable chance they will, Carter and I probably won't get too far at shooting our own way out." Thanica replied, "That's why I am hoping to also have some hidden people in the crowd nearby, you included, who can even the odds a little. We'll be heavily outnumbered, so surprise is our best option."
The Dhasath paused for a moment before, somewhat impertinently, motioning towards the bottle Sshalah was nursing, "So, you going to offer me a drink?" she said, with a cheeky smile, "I could wait to see what Carter finds, but I don't actually know if he'll find anything at all."
Sshalah smiled and slid from the seat as best she could and rose fetch a glass- she remembered Thanica offering her a drink before and having the amount Sshalah would need to feel anything in mind. It was a modest cup for the Dhasath and upon her return ot the table she filled it- the bottle was now empty which brought a chuckle from Sshalah, "Guess we'll need more." she said. Walking back to get another bottle and returning again, the Ragon was in a less sombre mood as she spoke, "I'm wondering what he'll find as well." she said, "I imagine the Captain wasn't the nicest of persons." she said prying for some information as she reflected onthe scene she had come upon on the bridge- one dead captain, and Thanica penned by two Keillar- the two that had tried to avert their gaze form Sshalah on the bridge when she and Mihal came up with the drawer.
"Well he didn't like me." Thanica raised her glass in a salute of thanks, settling down in the seat opposite Sshalah. While she didn't show any signs of fear, a very large part of her was still, very logically, terrified of Sshalah. The animal part of her brain was screaming at her to run away, but she was the Commander now. She had obligations to the crew, "Wasn't a big fan of auxiliaries. Plenty of the Kiellar aren't." She shrugged as if to say that was just the way of the universe. She paused for a few moments before adding, "So, I have two very important questions I need to ask you. The first is, what is your name? I can't go around calling you 'Ragon' all the time."
The Ragon smiled, "Sshalah. Sshalah Krilin Ruul." she said with some hint of pleasure or pride awaiting the next question with some withheld from expression concern. She was pleased to have finally been able to share it with her.
"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Sshalah Krilin Ruul." Thanica replied with a slight incline of the head, "The other question is, have you thought about what kind of supplies we can get in to keep you fed over the voyage? I'm assuming we can pick up some kind of livestock on one of these stations about this moon." there were a number of jokes Thanica was tempted to tell at that point, mostly because, as important as the topic was, it made her uncomfortable... all of them were in poor taste though so she held her tongue.
"You are truly most generous." Said Sshalah her eyes with some emotion, slightly watering. "I don't, need to eat often- just once a weak- a large meal. 65 kilograms to 80. Something shorter then I am about-" she she raised her hand to either side of her jaw and then lowed it to the table and extended it by half her hand's length on either side, "-that wide. I don't like having to tear things apart and find it cleaner if I can get it down easily. The quitter it is the better so something that doesn't squeal would be nice. I primarily ate marine mammals back home which made a delightful chirping sound. Though the creature can be land dwelling, cylindrical shaped is a bonus. But not to the extent of being longer then I am- I can eat such but I don't want to be hindered in movement nor to have to tear it in half. Water is nice, but Raz'lak's better. That sauce you mentioned- I'd like that. It makes it easier and adds some spice to the experience."
"Marine mammals might be a bit difficult to store on the ship." Thanica remarked dryly, before adding, sounding quite stunned, "That's... a lot of food." Sshalah was giving her quite a lot of mechanical information on Ragon feeding habits. It was fascinating, in a horrifying way. She took a big swig of the Raz'lak Sshalah had poured for her, "Huh, well it's even more reason not to go for me." she added, grinning, a little maniacally, at her own joke, "I'm a bit on the small side. Wouldn't really satisfy... by the way, do you have any idea what the little furry creature is that Vrondich said eats metal? I haven't seen anything like him before."
Sshalah nodded, "A pest." she said, she remembered him from the bridge earlier, and seemed quite annoyed, "That thing is a Tza'thi- the most deceptive creature in Ragon space. A vile terror. The only way to eat one is to kill it, you can't any other way and even then they are bland and sit from what I've heard. I wouldn't touch it's diseased hide-" she was now aggressive as opposed to annoyed, "-it's best left here on this criminal moon where it can cause the scum here pain. If it doesn't eat us it'll eat the ship and kill both us and it as it did to others before." she said with a scowl "The thing has no mind, it's some lesser beast that mimics civility." She poured another glass for Thanica before filling her pitcher.
"Ah yes, I thought I sensed another predator." Thanica remarked, sipping thoughtfully at her drink, "However, I feel we need to give it a chance. We'll see if it can behave. If it goes for me, and I suspect it would be me, I will shoot it until it stops moving."
Sshalah shook her head; "Unless you have a heavy gun, it will be no use- it will get up. Fire, Lightening, railguns- it would not be to us a pest if so, easily dealt with." she said. The creatures where known to take two or more hits from a heavy object to be crushed and their capacity to lift 5 times their weight made it difficult to find any object heavy enough to crush them.
That made Thanica look distinctly alarmed, "Right, so I can't stop it and it might want to eat me. Excellent. Glad I checked." she took a big swig of raz'lak, "Anyway... returning to stuff I might, potentially, be able to do something about. If you don't mind me asking, you were looking a bit glum when I walked in. Is there some trouble?"
Sshalah exhaled some of her frustration away, "I know not if you recall our conversation." she began, "your comment that I could have 'sugar coated' that a bit more. There is a Keillar, Mihal, he brought the drawer with Carter and co.'s belongings to the bridge. We met in the hold. We found amusement in speculating on what the Huemann's had and how they live. I asked why he was being so nice. He told me that he felt I deserve a chance because, he was not aware that I had eaten anyone. I was as with you, entirely honest with him. Enlightening him on the reality and he lost his composure. I didn't explain the circumstance to him, and know having a true friend is better than a false- but after everyone seemed so- welcoming of me here." she said glancing around the mess hall, "It brought to my attention that I will not be so fortunate in regards to everyone. Brought me back down, I suppose as it did with him, to the reality. I still want to treat him well, I enjoy the words we shared and how easy he had become, but I'm coming to terms with the fact that I've failed the chance he was giving me. Unlike you, he was less accepting. I suppose having been hunted before you understand more than he that such is nature's way." she said echoing something she herself had heard not too long ago, "that doesn't mean we can't be polite about it. Such is civility."
Some of this might well have been the drink talking, it seemed to hit Thanica very quickly, but she gave a small laugh that she tried to block with her free hand, "Sorry... I'm not laughing at you; I'm deeply impressed and somewhat disturbed by how well you understand me. Do you realise that other species can use Dhasath organs to produce narcotics? And even if I meet an alien who genuinely doesn't want to eat me or use me to make a powder to shove up their nose, there's a chance they know someone who does and who is willing to pay to. Every non-Dhasath in the galaxy is a potential threat to my life. So if you say you're happy not to hunt me for now, that is as good as I ever get." it was a pretty dark assessment her place in the world and probably went a long way to explaining why she seemed to like Carter so much... "Although on the bright side." Thanica added, her tone immediately turning flippant again, "I'm worth way more than any of the rest of you lot on this ship!"
