Chapter one- Introductions

Bombs are going off on the planets surface- a great mushroom cloud raises into the atmosphere- spreading dust, ash and radiation for miles and miles around it. There are two ships hovering in orbit engaged in combat high above the planets raging surface firing on each other with huge guns mounted the noses of their small ships – dodging and weaving around each other and the debris that is constantly amassing. Bits of metal sparks fly every which way and are quickly consumed by the black void of space. One of the ships is a sleek model part of the F3-50 class, a rebellion vessel. The other resembles something closer to a sphere – GR-20- a Government vessel. The rebellion ship fires one last time, both ships nearly spent- and the other takes a heavy hit which leads it to begin spiraling out of control until it breaks apart in a huge explosion- pieces of debris flying outwards at full force, more than one connecting with the rebellion ship hard enough to send it lurching to the other side– but not hard enough to tear a hole in the hide of the beast.

Inside the ship, on the bridge, Captain Zachary Cossak bursts with a jubilant cry of victory- left arm pumping the air, right arm supporting his body weight with the help of a cane. He claps the person next to him on the back; everyone on the bridge is smiling excitedly. Lieutenant Jesse Braunson comes up behind Zack, his monstrous bulk moving with surprising quickness and ease – the two men envelope each other in a bear hug vigorous enough to break bones – “This is it Braun, today we go home.” Zack wheezes once released. Tyler Adams, the young pilot at the consol not far away, is grinning from oversized ear to ear. Zack limps to his side and claps him on the back as well.

“Good work son! We got those sons of bitches good.”

The celebrations rise in pitch and there are a couple hats thrown in the air– no one notices a young looking boy in a private’s uniform moving through them slowly towards Zacks’ side amid the festivities- he’s the only one not smiling – instead looking positively bleak. He whispers something urgently to Zack and the captain is handed a data pad which he reads over with increasing sobriety. In fact – his face seems to fall- his mouth opening for a moment and then drawing into a hard but quivering line. He reaches up and rubs his eyes. He peers over the edge of his hand at the data in complete disbelief.

“Captain? Is there a problem?” Jesse asks tentatively – he’s been under Zack for almost a decade – sometimes they have fought beside each other, occasionally fought with each other, and more than often fought back to back. When one is weak- the other knows.

“Assemble,” Zack pauses for a moment and has to clear his throat before he continues. Apprehension is rising in Jesses stomach with each ticking second. “Assemble the troops with family on Beta 12- every one of them to the mess.” Zack finishes and leaves the bridge, lurching, without so much of a glance backwards.

The ‘Mess’ is crowded with young men – scattered among them women as well – Zack stands at the head of two long tables and the troops stand at attention awaiting his words – Tyler is among them. He shifts uncomfortably, knows he shouldn’t, and snaps back as straight as he can, awaiting Zacks coming address. He is thinking that nothing anyone will say can shake his feeling of accomplishment and pride – but he is more wrong than he knows.

“When we received the distress call that brought us here – we were called away from our mission protecting beta 12.” Zack pauses again – not sure if he is physically able to continue – but he shifts his feet and plunges on. Has to get all this out- it’s his responsibility, it was his mistake. He needs to own up to it and at least deliver the news to his troops himself. He owes them that much. “Well it seems in our absence Beta 12 was attack. Headquarters were unable to dispatch reinforcements quickly enough to stop its destruction.” There is an unnatural hush that falls on the soldiers assembled, broken only by the collective intake of breath that must follow a long moment of silence. “Everything is gone.” Zack sighs no longer pretending to uphold the professional visage– “the planet’s been destroyed. Headquarters reports only a handful of survivors have been recovered thus far.”

One confused young soldier pipes up – “But we’ve been gone two days! Headquarters promised the planet would be covered again within hours!”

“Only takes a few to destroy an undefended planet.” Jesse tells him.

“No evacuation? Nothing?” another boy

Zack is barely standing – the side that uses the cane to support his weight looks overburdened – Jesse sees his weakness and moves strategically to his side- offering an arm for his Captain to lean on but Zack pushes away- shoving the data pad in his left hand at Jesse he stumbles out of the room “Finish with this.” He mutters as he goes and Jesse is left with fifty shaken cadets and officers looking at him for hope.

“I’m sorry.” He says quietly.

“My … my wife…” Tyler starts and Jesse hands the data pad to him.

“A list of the deceased counted thus far – pass it on.” The pitiful faces turned to him breaks his heart- Jesse didn’t have a family on Beta 12 – but he knows that only one or two of these cadets will have one after today. Maybe none. Tomorrow the reclamation will begin; maybe the planet itself will be salvageable- maybe not. But in any case they were going to go back and hopefully pick up the pieces. “Today” he tells them, “we make it home.”

Tyler looks down at the data pad in his shaking hand- the first three names on the list share a surname. Cossak. Walking away – Zack stumbles – his face a mess of concentration –

And he wakes up.

In his bunk – on his own star ship a million light years and an eternity from that moment. The moment he lost everything. He sighs – rubs his eyes- why can’t he get himself decent nights sleep for Gods sake? He knows he will not fall back to sleep tonight, so he sits up and swings his body around; he has to make a careful effort on account of his bad leg being soar. He sits for some time on the side of the bed like that with his head in his hands. And then he feels it.

Something strange- a tingling – a horrible sensation he can remember from a long time ago when a bomb went off and his right leg was torn from its socket at the hip – he looks down at his foot and sees that it’s turning black – purple splotches and decaying flesh- he reaches down and pulls up his pant leg- the decay is spreading- spreading – growing up his leg with a life of its own –

He wakes up in his bunk gasping.

He lies there gasping for an incredibly long time before catching his breath – he sits up like a flash and rips away the sheets of his bed to look at his leg- it’s fine. The flesh the same color as every morning when he wakes up gasping and knows that he will never get back to sleep. He gets out of bed and limps to the chair at the foot of it, sweeping up his shirt and pulling it on. He glimpses himself in the mirror and cant help but notice how haggard he is beginning to appear. He crosses to the small sink by the door and turns it on – splashing his face with water- he stands there leaning on the sink for a minute and breaths deeply.

“Captain- We’re setting down. Is Li expecting you?” the intercom busses to life and Zack punches a button to respond.

“Not yet he isn’t. I’ll be up in a minute.”

Zack makes his way through the sea of people with an air of purpose he reserves for business meetings and the military – since this doesn’t appear to be the latter it can be assumed that he is on an errand of business. He pauses only to avoid the slosh of a mans drink as he lumbers drunkenly between Zack and his destination- the empty bar stool next to the slender Asian man with the impressively waxed mustache. The captain straightens his jacket and continues to the seat.

“Li Chen?”

“Captain Cossak.” Li tips his chin with a wan smile that reminds Zack of a fairly large rodent. The reputable Asian businessman does not look pleased in any way shape or form – perhaps he is and is incapable of conveying it with those pinched angry features plastered and pinned in place.

Zack winces as he lifts a soar leg onto the stool- he gets a glance of this horrid expression on his companions face and raises a hand with spread fingers trying to look apologetic – for a man as apparently unconcerned with the world as Zack – this is difficult and unconvincing.

“You said you wanted to meet with me.”

“I don't generally discuss business in my off hours.” Li sneers back.

“For a Captain like myself” Zack allows with a small smile – “there are no off hours.”

Li Chen swivels in his stool – getting quickly down to the job at hand. He faces his now companion with eyes small above the frothy roof of his brew.

“Captain, I have some delicate supplies I need ferried to Mekka.”

Zacks eyes narrow – “Damn Li, you know I won’t go anywhere near there. I don't do Government jobs!” he puts on as offended an air as possible but leans in a little while he gathers information and makes a decision.

“It pays real well Zack – rebels wouldn’t be able to pay half of what I got lined up.”

“Well I don't work for them either. Now, do you have a job for me or not?”

Li takes a drink – some froth adhering to his mustache- and shakes his head. “Captain- there is no work for privateers anymore – you pick a side and you support it. Or hell – you can even get away with running both sides – long as you don't get caught – but sitting on the fence – you won’t fly long.”

“Been doing fine so far.” Now Zack really is offended. He’s made his mind up already and leans back a little, his mind already on to new and more promising prospects.

“And how long since your last your last job? How much your crew depending on you coming back from today with some coin in your pocket?”

Zack grimaces at that, it’s perfectly true of course, there’s no one in the world who knows the meaning of the word ‘broke’ quite like Zackary Cossak – he reaches over and takes Li Chens drink right out of his hands. Li’s eyes go wide and he opens his mouth to protest but Zack takes a good long draught and sets the glass back down in Li’s hands.

“Well this has been a lovely waste of my time.” Zack leans forward menacingly and Li has the decency to look properly frightened. “Now you go back to whatever hole it is you crawled out from under and tell your friends that I don't do Government runs – we clear?”

Li Chen looks disgustingly down at his contaminated beer and mutters something particularly nasty sounding in what Zack assumes to be mandarin.

“Don't expect me to ever offer you such a lucky break again!” he gets up from the stool – leaving the drink on the bar and straightening his jacket- strides off in a mildly dignified manner.

Zack takes this moment to scan his surroundings. Joss and Tyler are standing in a corner watching the exchanged – disappointment is playing clearly on their faces. How long till they refuse to follow him? Branch off on their own – make some real profit. Zack secretly dreads the day he watches them go. He shrugs apologetically for them – but they don't believe him any more than Li Chen did. Tyler moves off somewhere- probably to get his first drink of the night.

Zack sighs and begins scanning the bar for his first mate Jessie ‘Brawn’ Braunson. He doesn’t see him anywhere so he takes the bar in instead. It’s a structure of an odd shape – six sides, three bordered with the bar and stools, the farthest of these lined with glass bottles of varying shape and color, all the walls but this one paneled with video screens from vaulted ceiling to stony floor. There are large circular couches along two walls, these screened in with heavy curtains, and small round tables dot the remaining floor space. There is heavy smoke hanging in the air – muting and obscuring the vibrant red color of the décor. An add starts to play on the wall of screens featuring the mug of a beautiful young smiling woman- her image coming at him from every side and every angle.

“We- your Government – work hard to make sure you live a life of safety. So help us help you – pass bill 451.”

Zack can’t keep himself from scoffing and he turns back to the bar and Li’s abandoned drink. He picks it up and turns it around thoughtfully in his hand a couple times before taking a swig. With a wince- he moves his leg back onto the stool where it has slipped off unbidden.

“I couldn’t help overhearing,” a voice announces from Zacks right hand side – “but am I to understand that you run a privately owned vessel?”

Zack turns very slowly to reveal the owner of this voice – raising an eyebrow as a plain looking gentleman comes into focus beside him at the bar. The man is not unhandsome – his face is well sculpted and his eyes and hair are both a deep sort of brown – but his nose is crooked and his eyes small beneath overhanging brows. He has a mole on the left side of his face just inside the crease of his smile and he is too clean shaven to fit in at all at this bar or even this planet. He is wearing a plain grey business suit (did people even wear business suits anymore?) with no insignia nor identifying mark of any kind. Zack can’t help but feel intrigued.

“Freelance work for any who can pay. No Government, and no rebellion on my ship.”

“Well Captain…” The man leaves it hanging for Zack to fill in – he hesitates but decides it can’t to any harm.

“Cossak”

“Well Captain Cossak; I do believe you could be the very last honest man in this universe.”

Zack shrugs – “In my experience - there’s no such thing as an honest man- or else they went out with the earth. What do you need done?”

“I need transportation.” The man takes a sip of the beer that the bar tender has just brought him but recoils from it – obviously not used to the strength of the bitter brew. Definitely not from around here. “For my niece and I.”

“To?”

“Zion.”

There’s an uncomfortable beat where Zack mulls this over in his mind. He shakes his head and the man beside him shifts in his seat to better face the Captain.

“I’m not part of the rebellion.” He hurries to correct lest Zack make a hasty decision.

“Well in case you haven’t heard- Zion isn’t exactly the ideal vacation spot for those who don't wish to be blown to tiny bits.”

“We are not looking for a vacation sir,”

“Captain.”

“Captain. We’re trying to get somewhere safe. There- there’s a safe house on Zion see – we’ve been offered a space there.”

“You running from something?” Zack asks skeptically- his beer half way to his mouth and pausing.

“We’re all running from something, Captain. We just need safe passage. Please.”

Zack looks down into the murky depths of Li Chens’ glass imaging the possible outcomes of transporting the man and his niece to Zion. – Fiery explosion – large amounts of money – an extra early stop involving nothing even remotely close to Zion with only slightly smaller amounts of money. So the results are – death, money, or money.

“I can pay you well for your troubles.” The man clarifies tactfully.

Zack clenches his jaw and grinds his teeth back and forth twice before deciding – this being mostly a show to make the man beside him squirm for only a moment longer.

“Well Mr. …”

“Dr. Price.”

“Well Dr. Price; you and your niece are now officially passengers on the Atripo.”

Dr Price smiles a little as he rises from his bar stool. “Excellent – where is your ship?”

“A couple of blocks to the left – eaves town docking port – you can’t miss her.”

Price nods. “All right Captain – I’ll gather my niece and our things and meet you there within the hour.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

They shake hands, trying to read each other in the gloomy half light atmosphere of the bar. Their hands return to their sides.

Price smiles and walks out of the bar- Zack watches him go – a grey smudge against the red and gold backdrop- milling dark shapes obscuring the Dr. as he retreats through the writhing dancing forms. When he is out of sight Zack looks across the room at Joss – Tyler is beside her again – they seem to be involved in a moderately deep conversation – but have broken it off to look over at their Captain. They smile a little when they catch sight of the look of reassurance Zack is projecting. He wishes for a moment that he could freeze their faces – happy and proud- their belief in him restored for the moment. It is this reassurance that Zack strives for and craves. He feels very small and worthless without it. The realization that someone has taken the stool beside him once more causes him to look over at his first mate Jesse Braunson.

“Who was that?” Jesse asks.

“A Dr. Price.” Zack returns with an air of disinterest.

“Does he have us a job?”

“Of sorts.”

“More specifically?”

“He wants us to drop him and his niece off on Zion. Simple enough – just a transportation run.”

“We’re not some sort of ferry Zack- and Zion isn’t a good place for us right now; or – ever.”

Captain Cossak nods slowly, rubbing his eyes. “Better than Mekka at least. It shouldn’t be difficult – we drop them odd and we’re home free – an easy run with good pay.”

“That’s if Grimm doesn’t decide to pull us over. He’s probably dying to get the ship back by now.”

Zack shakes his head – “No; he gave us the Atripo fair and square – no way he’s getting her back.”

“Not like we really deserved a parting gift... I’m just saying Zack. He may not be so happy to see us.”

“Won’t be anything to see – we’ll be in and out in the space of a wink.”

Zack is being far too optimistic – he knows it – and can tell further by the look in that Jesse throws him – all doubt and uncertainty which isn’t exactly out of place in the times they are traversing.

Jossalyn is standing in small and out of the way corner of the bar. She is rocking back and forth on her heels and watching Tyler retreat through the blur of people to find himself another drink. For the moment it looks like things are going pretty well – Zack may have blown it with Li but at least something else seems to have landed in their laps- may even leave this place with a job. A little cash wouldn’t go unwelcome at this juncture considering the amount of time they’ve been without that sweet jingle in every step. She’s still thinking about the comforting tinkle of clinking coins when a young Asian fellow sidles up beside her. She quirks an eyebrow at him and he smiles.

“You ride with Captain Cossak?”

She throws Zack a disappointed glance from across the bar, turning to face the man with her hands on her hips. “What of it?”

“That man’s gonna get you all killed is what. Least that’s what my boss says.”

“That so?” Joss bites back a cruel retort, clipping her words viciously. This seems to edge the man on.

“Ya; he just turned down a perfectly good run just now.”

Joss feels the unmistakable itching of a twitch coming on.

“Oh he did, did he?

“Ya, stupid son of a-” He doesn’t get to finish this sentence too busy is he flying backwards from the force of Joss’s fist making contact with his face.

“No one insults the Captain.” She tells him absently with a single shake of said fist. “even if he is a little-”

She too is too busy to finish her sentence as at this point she is being slugged by another of Li Chens men coming to the rescue of the first.

Tyler appears with a drink in his hands- he sloshes down the brew and uses the half empty mug to hit Joss’s assailant over the head with as much force as he can muster. Joss ducks another punch from yet another of Li’s men but an innocent bystander getting to his feet from a table nearby takes the hit over Joss’s shoulder and is sent flying into one of his companions. This rouses both men to enter the fight and soon half the bar is involved in the ruckus. Tyler head-butts another opponent back into a table causing drinks so spill and anger to rise. Zack and Jesse, however, abstain from the fighting.

“Here we go again.” Zack sighs.

Jesse catches a flying bottle on its trajectory towards his head, drinks from its meager content and watches casually as Tyler finds himself off the ground in a strangle hold. Having finished with the bottle, Jesse tosses it to Tyler who frees himself by smashing it over the head of his assailant. He pauses to regain his breath and exchanges thumbs up with Jesse before ducking back into the fight on his way to team up with Jossalyn. Jesse leans back in his seat, glancing briefly at his Captain.

“So, you think this will go smoothly assuming we can avoid Grimm?”

“Why not? There’s no reason for it to take a rough turn, running into Jonathan or not.”

Jesse shrugs and looks to the left while Zack ducks a flying beer bottle that smashes against the wall to his right. Seeming not to care about the glass flecks lining his jacket collar, he lifts his head back up and brushes them off.

“Besides Jesse – Troy and Alli want kiddies, and Tyler and Jossalyn need a bit of soothing rest. Which is something we’ve all been without in quite awhile.”

“Just because we need it to go smooth doesn’t mean it will.” Jesse pauses to push an assailant away with a broad hand on the mans’ forehead. “Then again – it’s almost a guarantee that things will blow up in our faces.”

Zack sighs softly to himself. “They always seem to do that. Why do they always do that?” They both look back over at Tyler who is throwing quite a few good punches but also receiving more than his share and Joss who is lashing out with every available limb.

“Who do you want?” Zack asks,

“Ah,” Jesse decides, “I’ll take Joss.”

“Then let’s go before the cops show up – or one of those two gets themselves killed. Shall we?”

With that Zack and Jesse leave their seats, Zack in Tyler’s direction and Jesse in Joss’s. Zack comes up behind Tyler and taps him on the shoulder – Tyler whirls around wide eyed and ready.

“Duck.” Zack tells him firmly and Tyler – looking more than a little confused – complies with haste giving Zack the chance to throw a punch over Tyler’s shoulder which lays out an oncoming opponent. Tyler looks pretty awed but Zack grabs his arm and starts to pull him towards the exit.

Jesse appears like a shadow behind Joss’s assailant – all 210 pounds of him. Joss ducks a punch – coming back up smirking ruefully she points over the other mans shoulder and he very slowly turns – only to be promptly laid flat by a huge fist.

“Thanks!” Joss admonishes gratefully and begins to turn back to the fight but Jesse – sighing – picks her up by the neck of her jacket and carries her towards the exit.

“Hey!” She screams “I’m winning here!”

“Captains orders.” Jesse shrugs dropping Joss to her feet next to waiting Tyler and ushering them both out the exit and into the descending black of the night. The city is no longer alive on the surface- now decidedly dead and quiet but for the uproar issuing from within the bar. Zack rubs his hands together to ward off the chill that no one else feels and after pulling up his collar his hands dive into his pockets.

Joss stops her complaining after the rebuking eye he gives her and without a word they begin the short journey back to the ship.

Allison West pours over the data she’s printed from the electronic medical journals – she prefers to see it all out on paper before her – old fashioned perhaps – but it helps her to connect things by touching them and moving them around with her fingers. She blames this unlikely quirk on her mechanic husband – a long time ago he showed her the beauty of working with ones hands.

Today she is wondering if the old war wound which bothers her Captain so terribly isn’t in fact worsened by emotional stimuli rather than the physical. There’s just no reason that in such a technologically sophisticated century any wound should leave such a permanent and debilitating mark on a person. Perhaps the idea of the injury and the events which preceded it – She jumps bodily when her husband Troy’s face appears around the door frame. He’s grinning and holding his hands behind her back so she knows that some mischief is afoot.

Troy West is a quirky fellow in appearance and personality – he has an extraordinarily crooked nose – which is not so unusual for a man in his profession – and sad hazel green eyes which aren’t. His smile is also crooked and his hair is dark and long enough to keep his wife happy – she loves to have something to twist her fingers through.

“Whatcha doing?” he asks moving close and with a playful nip at her nose.

“Thinking.” She teases back – her finger making stops along his jaw and neck. “And what are you up to?”

“Just bringing a gift for my lovely wife. Have you seen her? She’s about your height- same colored eyes – but much prettier-”

“Better stop there, numbskull.”

“Is that a medical term?”

Allison is done teasing- she has a complete intolerance to surprises – and even less patience for long drawn out stalling. She puts her hands on her hips – the universal signal for compliance. Troy dips his head to hide his smirk and reaches up to take her hand, the other bending a braided cord of metal around her wrist and fastening it.

“I made it this morning.” He tells her.

Allison smiles softly, reaching over and pulling him to her with a hand behind his head. She already has four or five of these curious adornments – two bracelets, a necklace an anklet and a couple of rings including her wedding ring. He makes them out of bits of copper wire and spare parts, nuts, bolts, screws, some are braided, twisted or looped. They’re all beautiful – and all treasured – her wedding ring is made of a nut – the striations sanded off and replaced by simple engravings. They kiss and she whispers a thank you before they’re interrupted by the buzz of the intercom system.

“Allison – we got a couple of idiots here who will be needing your attentions.” Zack informs them, Alli pulls out of the embrace with all the focus of a professional.

“Do I need to come down there sir?” She buzzes back

“No – they can walk still.” And then directed to someone else – “though it’s a miracle the way you two get into fights that you survive at all – I’m sorry how old are you? Should I be calling your mothers?” The feed fades off and Allison shrugs absently as she clears away the papers. Troy sighs wistfully and slinks out of the room with only a single lingering glance back at his wife as she bustles about readying her equipment. On his way out he brushes passed Joss and Tyler coming in – both looking properly bruised and miserable. They nod in passing and steel themselves for Allison’s usual barrage of questions, however, she has become accustomed to these two and their constant need to hit something – she is oddly silent as they take their seats on the adjacent facing cots.

“Looks like you two attracted your share of attention tonight.” Is all she offers, turning Joss’s face upwards with the encouragement of a finger beneath her chin. Alli uses a sanitizer to clean the cut above Joss’s eyebrow- the girl winces a little at the chemicals touch.

“Ya – I would say we did.” She breaths cautiously – trying to read Allison’s expression.

“It wasn’t that bad Alli.” Tyler rushes “It just escalated is all – we didn’t even stick around long.”

“No doubt the captain had something to do with that.” Allison chides, passing a cold compression to Tyler with one hand and applying a small bandage to Joss’s head with the other.

“Wasn’t even our fault.” Joss tells her – “it was one of Li’s men talking about the captain that got me riled…”

“So you punched him?” Allison asks – moving her attention to Tyler and his purpling shiner.

Joss blinks once. “Well … ya.”

“You do know there are other ways to solve disagreements don't you?”

Tyler has the decency to look chastened – but Jossalyn is indignant.

“You sound like Zack.” She gets to her feet - Tyler follows suit, applying the compress to his face, the both of them leave the room.

Allison sighs and pulls her plastic gloves off with a snap.

Zack and Jesse are waiting for Dr. Price and his niece in the cargo bay. Jesse is rocking back and forth on his heels with his hands behind his back, looking terribly uncomfortable. Zack, on the other hand, is perfectly calm and patient, standing with his arms crossed. Troy almost oblivious to the situation is also present – but busying himself standing on a stack of crates, tightening some bolts along the inner belly of the Atripo.

“So you know what kind of Dr. this guy is?” Troy asks.

It occurs to Zack now that this was something he should have asked.

“No. I don't. But he looked like he was in medicine at least.”

“Looks can be deceiving.” Troy reminds in a sing song voice.

Zack, although he knows Troy is right, rolls his eyes – he does this not because of what Troy has said, but simply because he is used to rolling his eyes when Troy speaks. He takes the time to look at his mechanic. “It’s a week to get to Zion, Troy. I’m sure we’ll learn something about the man.”

The last three words of Zacks sentence were directed to Troy, but the captains dark brown eyes have swiveled in his head to see the rest of his crew coming down the stairs. Alli nods her curly brown head at Zack before crossing to her husband. Troy uses a cloth to quickly clean his hands before jumping off the containers to put an arm around his wife. Jossalyn hops up onto a box, a blank look on her face. Tyler leans on his side next to Joss, guilt in his brown eyes. He only looks at his captain for a moment before looking down and rubbing the back of his neck anxiously. He’s obviously remorseful- this isn’t the first time he and Joss have gotten in a scuffle that they could have avoided. For Joss this is one matter- she’s never been formally trained – but Tyler was a soldier – he can tell by the way Zack and Alli both looked at him.

Zack turns his attention back to the open cargo bay doors seeing Price leading a tall dark figure up the ramp and into the Atripo’s interior. It’s not until she is standing right in front of him that Zack gets a good look at Dr. Prices’ niece. She’s a beautiful young woman with pale, perfect skin, full lips, long black hair and stunning blue eyes, though he can barely see them the way she’s staring at the floor.

“Captain.” Price acknowledges him coolly.

“Doctor.” Zack nods, “Welcome aboard my ship, the Atripo. This is my fine crew.”

Tyler looks up at the doctor, but his gaze soon fixes upon the woman. He lowers the hand still hovering at the back of his neck to his side as he gapes at her. She looks strikingly familiar to Nadine, only darker hair and perhaps bluer eyes. The voice of the captain fades into the metal walls for a near eternity. She doesn’t look at him, but it’s not a care of his. He ignores what sounds like his name for the first time, the second, but not the third.

“Tyler!”

Tyler jumps and looks at Zack who looks to be asking are you here? Zack continues his sentence as he slowly turns back to the doctor.

“Is our pilot, and a fine one at that; though I promise on average slightly more alert.” Zack re-crosses his arms. “You’re turn.”

“Ok,” Price clears his throat “well, I’m Dr. Mathew Price, and this is my niece, Eden.”

“Eden,” Joss smiles, “I like it.”

Zack glances at her quizzically.

“She’s not exactly sociable.” Price explains when Eden doesn’t respond.

“Why?” Zack straightens to look at Price, “She shy?”

Price shakes his head, “No. Blind, deaf and dumb I’m afraid. Rest assured she won’t be a problem this trip.”

“Huh,” Zack carefully considers this new development. He takes a deep breath and looks back at Price. “Well my crew has to get back to their jobs as we got plenty of errands to run…”

“Errands? What sort of Errands?” Price interrupts.

“Just a couple of stops for supplies and unpaid debts... That’s all. You don't need to tag along for anything, nor will we be very long, but a crews’ got to eat.” He rocks back a little – “speaking of unpaid…”

“250, 000 credits.” Dr Price says, “You get the other half one we reach Zion.”

“Fair deal.” Zack says as he shakes Price’s hand. “Our first mate Jesse will show you both to your room.”

“Thank you.” Price says as he picks up their suitcases. He smiles softly to the rest of the crew while lightly pushing Eden up the stairs behind Jesse, the rest of the crew watch them for a moment before turning to the captain as he gives his orders.

“All right, Troy, Alli, you know your duties. Joss, Tyler, set us a course for Borrows. We got ourselves some money to claim.”

“I’ll ready the bandages.” Alli sighs.

Jesse leads the two passengers up a flight of stairs and they enter the cockpit. He turns back to speak to Price but Eden is between them and for a moment he meets her icy blue eyes. Her stare is vacant but intelligent and he is almost stopped dead in his tracks. That is until he realizes she is staring at some point just above his head – not really at him at all. He can’t stop the hairs on the back of his neck rising. He looks to Price.

“The cockpit obviously.” No quaver in his voice – no sign of second thoughts – “You may want to stay clear of here while Tyler and Joss are flying – they need all the concentration they can get.” He motions down the hall directly behind the stairs. “That way is the kitchen and common area – you have full run of that – and past it engineering and the infirmary. Best not go that way unless you need something from Alli. Hopefully you won’t make any visits to her during your stay.”

He turns to the right of the stairs – there’s a num-pad on a wall and an ID scanner. “Through here is the guest rooms – we’ll keep them unlocked for now but at night Zack likes things to be secure. So no midnight snacks unless you have this with you.” He hands Price a small square piece of plastic with a bar code on it. “Just scan it through like this,” he swipes the card across the scanner – “and it’ll open.” The door obeys without a qualm.

“You are expecting to be boarded?” Price asks – half in jest. Jesse steps through the door.

“Days like these – you never can be sure.”

The hall that has been revealed behind the door is curved to fit the belly of the ship and accommodate the large kitchen area in the middle of the structure. Doors line the right side of this hall as far as Price can see. He follows his guide into the hallway and they stop just outside the third door.

“This will be your room for the duration of your stay – it’s a double – so there are two beds- closets and storage – and a sink to wash up in.” He passes another piece of plastic across another scanner and this door hisses open. Jesse steps aside and Price steps through the threshold tentatively – the room is large – two beds along the back wall – a large closet to the left and in the right corner next to the door a sing protrudes from the wall and beneath it an oddly shaped cupboard – probably a pullout toiler and waste receptacle.

“It seems quite,” he searches for a word –“orderly.”

“All the rooms here were once soldier barracks – the Atripo originally served the military. Like our Captain and a few of us did. They retired her once a new model emerged – something a little sleeker I suppose – a little faster – and Zack rescued her from the junk heap. She’s been flying with him ever since.”

“And the Government doesn’t flag her down as a Rebellion ship?”

“We had her Rebellion tag removed – she reads as a privately owned ship when scanned- and that she is.”

“But you didn’t bother removing the internal security system?”

“It’s like I said.” Jesse moves aside to allow Eden entrance- she glides into the room and finds her way to one of the beds. Jesse and Price both watch her curiously as they talk – only after great length does Jesse turn back to the doctor and meet his eyes. “You never know who you can trust.” He turns abruptly and exits – calling back to the doctor over his shoulder –“Dinners in 10, Doc.”

Dr. Price sighs and drops the two bags he’s been carrying onto the second bed. He looks up at Eden who is watching him intently and allows himself a soft smile.

“Well my dear,” he tells her softly, “the games begin.”

She blinks quietly. But says nothing.