That woman has a lot to answer for.

Shen Jiutai: Well is anyone hungry? I'm going to make a pot of udon.

Li Mei: I'd love some.

Xiao Li Marshel: Yes please!

Kevin Cliffe: Sounds good!

Kevin Cliffe watches over the sensor array, looking over the passive with just enough active to find what they're looking for without looking like an electromagnetic flare to pirates, scavengers, Reavers, or the Alliance.

Xiao Li Marshel leans on the console, boredly.

Kevin Cliffe: Hopefully the magnetometer should twitch...or the geiger...

Xiao Li Marshel looks over her calculations again. "This *should* be the general area... 'less she got knocked off course."

Kevin Cliffe: Huh...I could try upping our radar, we might be able to get away with that.

<><>Long range sensors indicate something in close proximity to the coordinates given to Xiao Li<><>

Kevin Cliffe: Or not...Xiao, try nudging us...ten degrees up, fifteen starboard.

Xiao Li Marshel: On it.

Kevin Cliffe picks up the intercom... "Cap'n, got something."

Xiao Li Marshel: Cap'n, I think we found our derelict.

Kevin Cliffe: “I got a return on nav radar, and it's metal. Good one. Want me to ping it with active to check it out?” He eyeballs the distance on the holo, sets up a narrow beam millimeter wave, aims, and manually triggers a pulse...then back comes the return and... “You seeing this, Xiao?”

<><>As Raven comes within scanning range, thermal and electromagnetic scans indicate that she is a lifeless hulk<><>

Kevin Cliffe: Whoa...

Xiao Li Marshel: Yeah. No indications as to what put 'er on the drift...

Kevin Cliffe: Zero on kirlian, thermal, geiger's barely ticking, EM's only reading the reflected light...

Xiao Li Marshel: She'll be in visual range in a minute or so.

Kevin Cliffe: Cap'n, she looks like a ghost ship from the sensors... Either the reactor's got better shielding than anything out there or that thing is dead in space.

Rae Overholt: Speculation on what could do that to a ship then?

Roland Josephus lets out a long whistle, "Wonder what the salvage on her is?"

Xiao Li Marshel: Coming into visual range...

Rae Overholt: Well, long as it isn’t dangerous I say we take what we want.

<><>When Raven is close enough for a visual, a Mandell Class C transport (About twice the size of a Firefly) is seen floating in a small debris field. A large explosion has ripped the starboard containment plate off and all of the shuttles are missing.<><>

Kevin Cliffe: Holy crap...

Xiao Li Marshel: Gaoyang zhong de guyang... Cap'n, you might ought to see this...

Kevin Cliffe looks over the damage trying to figure out what could have caused it...

Rae Overholt runs up to the bridge and looks out the front of the ship. "For the love of, Anything else on radar? No other ships??"

Kevin Cliffe: “Well at least we know your calculations were right Xiao...and why the ship wasn't where we want it...” He examines the nav radar and all passive sensors for any other ships...

Gabriel Keats: "We gotta get suited up?"

Xiao Li Marshel: Looks like.

Kevin Cliffe: Yeah...that's a fusion core and those things don't explode unless something really goes wrong...

Rae Overholt: Think it was outside or inside?

Xiao Li Marshel: Even if there's atmo inside, I wouldn't wanna breathe that.

<><>Upon closer inspection it is apparent that the main cargo doors have been forced open, with evidence of small explosive charges having been used. The Cargo Bay is de-pressurized.<><>

Kevin Cliffe: Looks like it's been raided too...

Xiao Li Marshel pulls the ship closer, slowly. “Shit. This could be a bust after all.”

Rae Overholt: If anything’s left it'll be the locked down stuff. I'm thinking she knew it would be like this.

Kevin Cliffe torques up the gain on the passive sensors...this is looking really iffy already...

Rae Overholt looks a little disgruntled.

Xiao Li Marshel: Please tell me there ain't any life signs on board...

Rae Overholt: Doesn't look it.

Kevin Cliffe eyeballs the thermal and kirlian readouts, trying to see if there are any life signs on board...“Thermal and kirlian negative. She's a hulk as far as I can tell.”

Gabriel Keats: "Kirlian. Ain't that a bunch of go se?" He swallows. "I ain't going on that thing unarmed."

Xiao Li Marshel: I ain't goin' on that thing period.

Rae Overholt: You dont have to Xiao Li.

Kevin Cliffe: Looks like whoever did this tried to self-destruct with the reactor underpowered.


Kevin Cliffe: Otherwise there'd probably be vapor...

Rae Overholt: We get one volunteer to suit up and check it out. If nobody's keen I'll do it.

Roland Josephus: Lessn’ they weren't trying to self-destruct...

Kevin Cliffe: Anyone else want to try to run the tac board? If so I'll go.

Rae Overholt: Who else can? She grins, "Could always have our companion go in and charm whatever might be left out."

Shen Jiutai: I'll go on over Cap'n, ain’t the first or last time I'll be takin’ a walk in the black...

Rae Overholt: Alright Shen. Suit up, keep radio contact.

Shen Jiutai heads to the cargo bay and opens the EV suit locker.

Kevin Cliffe: Cap'n...if you don't mind running without nav radar, I can turn off active. Less noise for people to find.

Xiao Li Marshel: "We did test the suits for leaks, right?" Xiao Li asks no one in particular.

Rae Overholt: Suits are good.

Gabriel Keats: "I ain't got a problem goin' in, if'n you want backup Shen."

Shen Jiutai: Thanks Gabe.

Gabriel Keats starts suiting up in the cargo bay near Shen.

Rae Overholt: No Kevin, I want you searching around us for whatever made that hole so it don’t make one in us.

Kevin Cliffe: I can do that with passive better. We'll see them first before we even give them a scent.

Rae Overholt: “Fine.” She heads down to the cargo bay to keep an eye on Shen and Gabe as they suit up incase they need any help.

Kevin Cliffe starts killing active, torquing up passive gain...with less noise, anything sneaking up on them should have a hard time avoiding them...plus, worst case scenario, they can always pop thermoptics...

Xiao Li Marshel stares at the ship, motionless except for her jaw working as she chews her gum.

Kevin Cliffe: Xiao...remember that pirate raid when I blew up my ship?

Xiao Li Marshel: You think I'd *forget*?

Gabriel Keats straps his guns on the outside of his suit.

Rae Overholt leans over and blows a kiss at Gabe's facseplate. "Be careful."

Shen Jiutai looks at Gabe's piece, "That thing got an O2 feeder?"

Kevin Cliffe: If this was a scuttle, it was a pretty poor one.

Roland Josephus: Well there ain't no tellin’ what happened.. Least ways not from here.

Xiao Li Marshel: Hm. Think someone's tryin' to make it *look* scuttled?

Gabriel Keats: "Used to. Ain't tested it in ages. Alliance issue."

Shen Jiutai secures the helmet to the suit and hits the pressure button.

Gabriel Keats: ::winks at Rae through the helmet::

Roland Josephus: Well .... Can't think of a reason someone'd care to drift out in the black with no air, heat, or O2."

Kevin Cliffe: If a ship like that self-destructs there's shrapnel and vapor. I really don't like this...

Rae Overholt nod and does her best to keep the worry off her face.

Shen Jiutai: "Shall we?" She gestures towards the airlock.

Gabriel Keats: "No time like the present..."

Rae Overholt nods at his words and is unable to keep the surprise and pleasure off her face.

Kevin Cliffe: Shen, Gabe, keep an eye out for things that go boom.

Shen Jiutai moves to the airlock door, and opens it for Gabe.

Gabriel Keats follows, keeping his eyes on the ground for the moment.

Kevin Cliffe does a tac watch over the sensors...it ain't foolproof, but no sensor suite is, and he's going to make sure they have a hard time sneaking up on them...

Shen Jiutai steps into the airlock behind Gabe and secures the hatch.

Rae Overholt watches the lock close then dashes up to the bridge, "You guys got them?"

Kevin Cliffe checks the thermal passive and the transponders...

Gabriel Keats: "Well, this sure as hell ain't a five star place.…”

Kevin Cliffe: Got them, they're reading.

Shen Jiutai starts to hit the buttons that will take the airlock through it's decompression sequence. "Your suit giving you green lights?" she asks.

Gabriel Keats: "Yeah. I ain't having a problem. Just don't like the fit."

Kevin Cliffe: Just say the word and I can refit your suit for you, Gabe.

Shen Jiutai hits the big red button that vents all of the air out of the lock.

Gabriel Keats listens to the rushing of air, starts moving towards the door, preparing himself

Shen Jiutai: "Guess it's too late for some taylorin' Kevin...”

Gabriel Keats swallows at the silence that follows.

Shen Jiutai prys open the outdoor hatch.

Kevin Cliffe: It's not too late unless there's a big honkin' hole. And Gabe's still breathing, right? Gabe...stop holding your breath, you're scaring me.

Rae Overholt: You ain't comfortable Gabe you come back in.

Gabriel Keats continues to hold his breath for a moment, then laughs.

Roland Josephus: You all let the man work.. He's got enough to do without listenin’ to us jabber.

Shen Jiutai playfully slaps Gabe on the shoulder, with the result of flinging him hurling towards the floating hulk. She then jumps after him.

Kevin Cliffe: Relax, Gabe, if you end up on the drift, with these sensors, I can find a millimeter screw at three thousand klicks. We'll find you alive.

Xiao Li Marshel just keeps watching, silently

Gabriel Keats was trying to freak Kevin out. "Shen?"

Shen Jiutai: "Yeah?"

Gabriel Keats: "Preciate it if you didn't do that again."

Shen Jiutai: "OK"

Kevin Cliffe keeps sweeping the sensors, and also the transponders (suit trackers). “Ever done an EVA, Xiao?”

Xiao Li Marshel: Nope. And I don't intend to start now.

Gabriel Keats grabs hold of the ship as he hits it.

Rae Overholt: What'd you do Shen??

Shen Jiutai: "Nothin' Cap'n"

<><>Peering inside the Cargo bay, several pieces of large earth-moving equipment are secured just inside the door, still tied down and still intact. Obviously to large to fit through Raven’s cargo door, and perhaps too big for whomever had visited the wreck before.<><>

Gabriel Keats: "Well, that sure ain't useful." He starts looking around the usual hiding places, calm, methodical.

Kevin Cliffe: It's a good skill to learn. Maybe sometime the Cap'n'll let us drill in the cargo bay. Just turn the grav off. Hey, do those suits have helmet cams?

Rae Overholt: What you guys see? Don't look for cargo first, look for danger.

Shen Jiutai pulls herself inside the cargo bay, "Right."

Shen Jiutai: "See anything Gabe?'

Gabriel Keats: "Bunch of machines. Ain't anything we can use."

Kevin Cliffe: Maybe something somebody can use. What kind of machines?

Shen Jiutai: "They're all too big to fit in our bird.

Gabriel Keats: "The kind we ain't gonna fit on board.… something interesting over here... I'm gonna take a closer look."

<><>Towards the rear of the Cargo Bay there are several high-tech cases, all secured to the tie-in points with locking cables. At the end of the row someone has attempted to blast through the locking tie-down point with the result being a cluster of destroyed cases and portions of scanning gear floating throughout the hold.<><>

Xiao Li Marshel: Could we take 'em apart and bring 'em in in pieces?

<><>Long Range Proximity Sensors indicate another ship approaching, but still a long way out<><>

Kevin Cliffe: Contact!

Xiao Li Marshel: Shit.

Gabriel Keats: "This look fancy."

Rae Overholt: You guys hurry up in there and get out,

Gabriel Keats: "Dollars to donuts this is what'll fetch a price."

Rae Overholt: I'm going to get suited up and get out there to help them. It'll go faster.

Kevin Cliffe tries to get a course fix on the ship...and try to get anything from the passive...engine signature would help if they're close enough or loud enough...

Shen Jiutai pulls herself over to the tie-downs, "What was that combination?"

Xiao Li Marshel says the combination into the comm.

Rae Overholt rushes down, suits up and goes to help out Shen and Gabe. 'Hustle guys!'

Shen Jiutai: "Thanks," she fumbles with the lock.

Gabriel Keats gets ready to grab as many of the cases as he can.

Xiao Li Marshel: They headin' our way, Kevin?

Kevin Cliffe: That's what I'm trying to find out...

Shen Jiutai: "Yup, it worked." the first tie comes loose and She pushes a box at Gabe, hoping he'll catch it...

Gabriel Keats does, smoothly, as though he knew she was going to throw it.

Rae Overholt slowly makes her way to Shen and Gabe and takes as many cases as possible, looking for a manner to connect them. She finds a floating cable and begins to string them together so she can float them back.

:::.…….. spark.……..Radio communications.………...spurt.…….fizz.……...:::

Xiao Li Marshel looks nervously at Kevin. "Should we pick up? Or just pretend we ain't here?"

Kevin Cliffe: Cap'n's call...otherwise we hold.

Shen Jiutai undoes the second cable.

Rae Overholt: If you don’t have time shut her down and find some large debris to float by and hope they dont see ya.

Gabriel Keats follows Rae's example, starts gathering along the cable.

:::Firefly Classssssssssss.……...ort this.……...fied Reclamations.………. please identify.……………. provide salvage license number and registra.…………….:::

Kevin Cliffe: Oh ta ma de...

Xiao Li Marshel: Ta ma DE.

Gabriel Keats: "What? "

Kevin Cliffe: Cap'n, Unified Reclamations.

Xiao Li Marshel: Cap'n we got U-Rec on our pi gu!

Rae Overholt: “Get them papers ready Xiao Li. Make sure they're believable.”

Shen Jiutai ties some more crates together and goes for the last lock...

Xiao Li Marshel starts typing frantically, cursing a blue streak the whole time.

<><>As the last case is removed from its storage place, a small, dirty and worn rag doll floats free from behind it.<><>

Gabriel Keats starts moving everything he can grab to the cargo bay, then looks at the doll, face going stricken.

Kevin Cliffe looks at the sensor panel..."ta ma de...we were running gray, they knew we were here, or the ship was here, or they have some damn good sensors."

Rae Overholt feels the hair on the back of her neck rise. "I'm not liking this, lets double time it and get out!!"

Kevin Cliffe looks for locations on the ship...if he can get one, he wants shooting solutions just in case he has to arm and fire...

Gabriel Keats impulsively grabs the doll.

Xiao Li Marshel: Almost...

Roland Josephus: "Answer 'em but break it up.. Like we're having trouble receiving.. Soon as the they get aboard.. lets make ready to move...

<><>As Rae moves from the back of the cargo bay, a reflection catches her eye, she notices a port-hole on a hatch leading back into the ship.<><>

Rae Overholt spots a reflection and moves towards it, still feeling the hairs on her neck raising.

Shen Jiutai bundles the final crates and heads towards the exit, "Cap'n? something wrong?"

Kevin Cliffe: Unified Reclamations.… they're pretty much criminals, right? *grabs the comm and tries to get that sweet spot on the send-squeal button*

Roland Josephus: They ain't buddhist...

Xiao Li Marshel twiddles a few dials to gum up the signal, then punches the ship-to-ship comm.

Shen Jiutai: "Cap'n?"

Kevin Cliffe: "Contact...unable....*clicklyclicky* can't read...*clickyclicky* say again?"

<><>Peering through the port-hole requires shining her light inside, where she sees, behind the hatch over a half a dozen bodies floating in the pressurized cabin behind.<><>

Rae Overholt swears in chinese and turns back to the others. "Out, get out, I don't care if we get it, everyone out!"

:::Firefly Class Transport, the Mandell Class C transport is beyond the statute of limitations for legal owner recovery. You are engaged in an unauthorized salvage operation! Please power down your engines and prepare to be boarded!:::

Rae Overholt looks again through the glass, looking for signs of injury.

Gabriel Keats: "Cap?"

Kevin Cliffe: Cap'n, I think they want to board us. We got options.

Xiao Li Marshel: Qingwa cao de liumang...

<><>As she shines the light closer she sees that the bodies are those of children between the ages of 8 and 11, all in ratty urban clothes some are still wrapped in the blankets they were using to fight off the cold as they froze to death within the compartment.<><>

Shen Jiutai: "Cap'n?"

Rae Overholt: Back to the cargobay!

Gabriel Keats hustles to where Rae is.

Roland Josephus: Not with crew in the black we don't... Where are they?

Rae Overholt turns off her light and spins, blocking the window.

Xiao Li Marshel: You THINK they want to board us??

Kevin Cliffe: Roland, I mean our special tricks. I ain't talkin' about leaving crew behind. I'm talkin' about not being boarded.

Shen Jiutai pushes off and barrels out of the dead ship, rocketing towards Raven, towing crates in her wake.

Rae Overholt looks past Gabe, trying to keep her mind blank. "We're running out of time. Let's go."

Gabriel Keats looks at her, narrowing his eyes.

Rae Overholt shakes her head at him, eyes wide a moment.

Gabriel Keats starts hauling ass back to the ship, carrying what he can.

Kevin Cliffe: Cap'n, how much time do you need to recover to the lock?

Rae Overholt: “We're coming back now Kevin.” She turns and takes one last look, anger showing on her face before she makes her way back to the Raven with her own crates in tow.

Shen Jiutai spins as she nears the airlock, and allows the boxes to slam into the bulked, she then flings the door open and pushes the crates inside.

Kevin Cliffe: Permission to tell the U-reds to piss off?

Xiao Li Marshel reaches for the yoke, tensed and ready to go to hard burn at Rae's word.

Gabriel Keats keeps even with Rae

Roland Josephus: Easy Hoss.. Lets not tip our hand early.. Secret to good card playin’...

Kevin Cliffe: Why I'm askin' the cap'n, she's the one playin'.

Roland Josephus: Send 'em some more gibberish.

Shen Jiutai exits the airlock again to help her crew-mates as they near the ship. "Kevin, the Cap'n looks a little shook up..."

Kevin Cliffe clicks the comm again..."stop sign! Banana peel! flashlight! Dinka dinka dinka..." “That gibberish enough?”

Roland Josephus nods, "That will work.. They're trying to figure that out right now."

Rae Overholt enters the airlock and waits for the doors to close and pressurize so they can head in and lock down. “We don't want to be here. Can we make it if we burn?”

Gabriel Keats enters the airlock with Rae and grabs on to the wall.

Kevin Cliffe: Is everyone alive?

Gabriel Keats: "I ain't."

Shen Jiutai closes the hatch and the gravity comes back on.

Xiao Li Marshel: Not funny, Gabe.

Kevin Cliffe looks at the sensors trying to get the ship configuration... to see if they can outrun if they burn...

Kevin Cliffe: Right, so two crew and one zombie.

Gabriel Keats: "Just 'cause Shen ain't made the coffee yet don't mean I'm a zombie..."

Shen Jiutai: "I say we get the gorram hell out a here!!!""

Rae Overholt gives Gabe a haunted look before turning away. "Can we make it?"

Kevin Cliffe: They're hot but they're heavy, my guess is we can out-burn 'em.

Xiao Li Marshel: Ready to go on your word, Cap'n...

Rae Overholt: Go!

Xiao Li Marshel guns the throttle, “Everybody hang on!”

Gabriel Keats waits for the airlock to pressurize as he grabs tight to a railing.

Kevin Cliffe hadn't armed the guns, but he makes damn sure that there's no power to 'em...'cuz they need it all for this burn.

Xiao Li Marshel: Rol, get your ass back to the engine room, I need all the power we got!

Rae Overholt holds tightly and braces, trying not to rocket into Gabe and Shen.

Gabriel Keats grips the doll he grabbed.

Xiao Li Marshel: Roland, I mean NOW!

Roland Josephus: You want me to get out and push.. You got full power... use it...

Kevin Cliffe checks proximity sensors.

Shen Jiutai finishes the sequence and opens the hatch.

Kevin Cliffe: Rear window clear on my screen, Xiao...

Xiao Li Marshel: Don't wanna count on that...

Kevin Cliffe: Right...

Shen Jiutai pulls her crates into the bay, then removes her helmet, "What's wrong Cap'n, you look white as a ghost." She says as she helps Rae with her crates.

Rae Overholt tumbles into the cargo bay after Shen and makes her way to the side and attempts to remove her suit.

Xiao Li Marshel: And no cover either... Kevin, can we risk the thermoptics?

Kevin Cliffe: We can if we slow down.

Roland Josephus: Well first question is are they givin’ chase?"

Rae Overholt stands there, helmet under her arm and looking grim.

Shen Jiutai starts to help Rae out of her suit, glancing at Gabe.

Kevin Cliffe checks proximity for ANY ships... "sensors say we're clear."

Xiao Li Marshel hits the comm. "Cap'n, Kevin says we're all clear. Permission to cut speed?"

Rae Overholt: Not yet.

Gabriel Keats: 'Yeah, Shen?"

Rae Overholt sets the helmet carefully aside and lets Shen help her out of the rest of her suit.

Gabriel Keats takes off his helmet.


Kevin Cliffe: Hope we don't eat all our plasma on this burn...

Rae Overholt curses again.

Xiao Li Marshel mutters under her breath, "C'mon, girl, you can do it..."

Rae Overholt: That woman has a lot to answer for.

Gabriel Keats: "Bao bei?"

Shen Jiutai gathers Rae's suit up and carries it to the locker, she then goes and starts helping Gabe who is already mostly out of his suit.

Rae Overholt: What do we know about that ship? I want whatever info you got pulled up on it Xiao Li. Soon as you cut speed. Anyone see any identifiers on it?

Xiao Li Marshel: Can I slow down now?

Kevin Cliffe tries scrolling back the sensor buffers...

Rae Overholt: Yes.

Kevin Cliffe: Transport for hire...

Xiao Li Marshel pulls back on the throttle. They're no longer at hard burn but are still going faster than average.

Kevin Cliffe: Commercial registry.

Rae Overholt: Find what you can about the last to hire it. Has to be a trail. Has to be.

Kevin Cliffe: What about our cargo?

Rae Overholt says a rude word followed by "the cargo."

Kevin Cliffe: I'm more interested about what it is and where it's going than how much we got. Like, what the hell we almost got humped for.

Roland Josephus: Looked like Terraformers...

Rae Overholt: I'm more interested in who almost got us humped.

Roland Josephus: Earthmovers... big ones.

Kevin Cliffe: Colonists?

Roland Josephus: Could be.

Kevin Cliffe: So the secured cargo...

Shen Jiutai: "What did she say about the lables?"

<><>The shipping labels on the cases read: “Wallace’s Mining Consortium, Ezra, Georgia System”<><>

Shen Jiutai takes a deep breath... "Ezra..."

Kevin Cliffe hauls ass down from the bridge and to the cargo bay...

Xiao Li Marshel puts the ship on autopilot and leans over to the Cortex console.

Rae Overholt: What's all that tell us folks?

Kevin Cliffe: Cap'n, permission to open one of the cases? Maybe get a clue as to what we got ourselves into?

Rae Overholt: Careful.

Kevin Cliffe looks over one of the intact cases, looking for any locks...digging a penknife from his pocket, carefully probing and looking for tripwires...

Shen Jiutai: Careful, we don't want them claiming we damaged the goods!

Kevin Cliffe: gah...Shen...I'm trying to be precise here.

Shen Jiutai shuts up and looks at her feet..."Um, Cap'n... if'n we're going to Ezra, there's something I gotta tell ya..."

Rae Overholt: Spit it out Shen.

Kevin Cliffe opens the case..."ta ma de..."

Shen Jiutai swallows, "Well remember how I told ya I was workin' for Niska when I killed Chen?"

Rae Overholt: yeah

Xiao Li Marshel fidgets restlessly in her seat.

Shen Jiutai: "Um, well.. he was too..."

Rae Overholt: What, he was too what??

Xiao Li Marshel heads down the stairs into the cargo bay. "Kev, I figger if they were chasin' us we'd know it by... now..."

Shen Jiutai: "Working for Niska"

Kevin Cliffe: I've seen configurations like this in class...this is a high-resolution excitation ore scanner.

Shen Jiutai: "It's kinda the reason I went to ground."

Xiao Li Marshel trails off as she sees the insignia on the lid of the crate Fionn has opened.

Kevin Cliffe: Wait, Niska? Hang on...where have I heard that before?

Xiao Li Marshel just stands on the catwalk, staring, face white as a sheet.

Kevin Cliffe: Xiao, what is it?

Rae Overholt: Ok, everyone. Someone better fill me in on what exactly is going on and why you all look about like I feel right now.

Xiao Li Marshel: Can't be... no... he's *dead,* dammit, he has to be...

Kevin Cliffe: Who is?

Roland Josephus crosses his arms across his chest, and glances from person to person as they speak.

Xiao Li Marshel his hyperventilating, clutching the railing hard enough to turn her knuckles white.

Rae Overholt: Who has to be?

Kevin Cliffe: Xiao, what's the matter?

Kevin Cliffe: Xiao, LOOK AT ME!

Rae Overholt runs up to Xiao li and kneels down, looking at her, "Calm down Xiao li. Tell me what's going on."

Shen Jiutai looks to Xiao Li, glad to have the distraction from her own bombshell.

Xiao Li Marshel shakes her head, still hyperventilating.

Kevin Cliffe has a feeling that priority one is to get her to calm down before asking questions...

Xiao Li Marshel: That's--he's--he's DEAD. The colony went up in smoke, he can't be still--

Rae Overholt: Well, maybe someone is using his name. Who is he?

Kevin Cliffe: Xiao... Xiao, clear your head. Take a deep breath, okay?

Xiao Li Marshel takes a deep, shuddering breath, then lets it out.

Shen Jiutai: things begin to dawn on Shen, "I think I know Cap'n."

Xiao Li Marshel: Wallace. Rohan Wallace.

Kevin Cliffe: That's better... Who's he?

Rae Overholt looks to Shen. "Want to fill me in on this Rohan Wallace?"

Shen Jiutai: the Hudon that 'owned' her.

Rae Overholt nods, “Take it this is a slavery moon.”

Shen Jiutai: Parts of it are, yeah...

Xiao Li Marshel: But it can't be. Whole colony got razed to the ground at the end of th' war, he CAN'T have made it out...

Rae Overholt: Yeah, reckon thats what was on that ship then.

Kevin Cliffe: Slaves?

Xiao Li Marshel sags to her knees on the catwalk.

Kevin Cliffe kneels down beside her...

Rae Overholt puts an arm around Xiao Li and leans her head on top of hers and rocks them.

Xiao Li Marshel tenses at her touch, then relaxes into her, crying softly

Kevin Cliffe: No...wait a second. That sensor's a high-res scanner. Why would you put that kind of hardware in the hands of someone you were using rather than paying?

Xiao Li Marshel: Not again... he can't still be doing it... it's not f-fair...

Rae Overholt: Reckon we'll do our best to stop him this time Xiao Li.

Kevin Cliffe: What was he doing?

Rae Overholt: Slavery.

Kevin Cliffe: “That much I got.” He tries to keep from saying that through gritted teeth...not impatient...but the look in his eyes isn't fear, its rage.

Shen Jiutai: what did you see over there Cap'n?

Rae Overholt: “The rest doesn’t matter right now.” She shakes her head at Shen, "The usual. Dead space."

Shen Jiutai nods

Kevin Cliffe: Gorram slavers.... Brand new earth-movers, brand new survey sensors, all they need are the bodies. Looks like someone's going for a startup operation.

Rae Overholt: Well let's not help them out.

Kevin Cliffe: I vote we shut them down.

Rae Overholt: We'll see if'n we can.

Xiao Li Marshel swallows hard and pushes away from Rae. " 'm okay."

Roland Josephus: And the mice decided to bell the cat... Shut who down? How many? Where? And ain't we got some cases to deliver?

Kevin Cliffe: So our client was selling hardware to a slave colony, then?

Rae Overholt: Or our client is the slave colony.

Roland Josephus: Now how do we know that?

Kevin Cliffe: Maybe we need to do some research. We've got some clues. And this is new hardware, maybe we can look up the serial numbers. Plus the ship, the registry, all that stuff. See who are targets are before we start picken' em?

Xiao Li Marshel: I'll start diggin'.

Kevin Cliffe: I'll help. Guns ain't gonna be much use until we know where to shoot.

Xiao Li Marshel: And if that liumang is still alive and running slaves, I swear I'll slit his throat myself.

Kevin Cliffe: We find him, I'll be sure you have the knife.

Rae Overholt nods and releases Xiao li, standing. "Well, let's get working, we don’t have much time."

Kevin Cliffe: Anyone want any armoring done, gun-work, make a list.

Shen Jiutai: "Cap'n, when Niska put that sky-plex around Ezra, after the war, I think he got heavily involved in the local industry..."

Rae Overholt nods, listening.

Shen Jiutai: "We might not want to go in there guns-ablazing"

Rae Overholt: I agree, sneaky has always suited us.

Kevin Cliffe: Xiao, you going to be okay?

Roland Josephus: What about the contract we already took money for?

Xiao Li Marshel rubs her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt. "I'll live."

Rae Overholt: Well, we have two weeks till we get back in distance of anything. We got time.

Shen Jiutai: And I kinda want to avoid calling attention to myself while we're there, Niska ain't exactly the forgivin' kind...

Kevin Cliffe: Niska... does he have anything to do with the dragons?

Shen Jiutai: I think he eats Dragons for lunch.

Kevin Cliffe: I've heard the name before. But that's about all I've heard.

Shen Jiutai: He rules the Georgian System from his cat-bird's seat on that sky-plex... and he has had the need for some assassins off world as well... that's what I was...

Kevin Cliffe: What's his business?

Rae Overholt: Anything twisted

Kevin Cliffe: How twisted?

Rae Overholt: Not much is beyond him.

Kevin Cliffe: Like Shan Yu twisted?

Shen Jiutai nods.

Rae Overholt: Yeah. Like Shan Yu twisted.

Kevin Cliffe: Okay, so, avoid if possible, then... Although I don't know about you, but if he tries to do to me what the Dragons did... I wonder if he has a belt that I can take as a trophy...

Rae Overholt: Well, take whatever you like as long as you can take your life with you.

Kevin Cliffe hopes the others know that he wouldn't try anything so outlandishly stupid...but he would not be a pushover. He'd had enough of that.

Shen Jiutai thinks back on her days working for Niska, “Chen and I were a great pair, man, the stuff we did in the war... if only he'd kept his pants on around other women...”

Xiao Li Marshel: I'm... gonna need a few minutes alone...

Rae Overholt: Well, let's all get started then.

Kevin Cliffe: On it.