Bound by Honor, Free by faith }{ (open to all)

[Ned Middleton]

Ned was about to respond to Ai -- how, she wasn't sure -- but the look on the doctor's face made any words freeze in her throat. She didn't understand why the woman would be so afraid of Ned saying that there was someone she missed, but all she could do was agree to keep silent.

"I won't say a word," she said. "But here, while we're alone, is there anything..."

She paused. Somewhere, a bird trilled. It was an unfamiliar song. Since leaving Osiris, Ned had heard so many different kinds of birds and only seen a fraction of them.

"I know what it's like to lose someone, too," she finished quietly.

[Ai Tsuchiya]

Ai slowly spoke to Ned not fully sure if she should be.

It's about keeping quiet but if 'they' founding out that you knew. I don't want anyone hurt because of what they knew. Anyone connected to the Blue Sun group would kill for the information of just knowing me. But this much I can tell you.......

Ai paused once again thinking what to exactly say. Slowing to a stop and turning Tsuchiya looked longingly at Ned.

He's not dead but missing the head stone here was his fated marker by the Blue Sun group to cover their activities. I saved him from the fate of a lab rat. Now he's gone missing and there is not a trace of him anywhere. I'm now wondering if they have him. I'm sorry Ned if this get you into trouble but most likely they won't care a bit.

Ai turned back and moved over to the very same head stone they had previously passed on the way up. Kneeling down she laid the roses on the stone and brushed a few fallen leaves from the base.

[Ned Middleton]

Ned was once again struck by just how little she knew. She had had this feeling several times since leaving home, often when she heard something connected to the war. She had heard, of course, about Miranda and rumors of what the government had done to some girl barely a year younger than Ned. Still, every time she heard about some new atrocity, it was like feeling a little bit of her childhood peel away from her skin and fall away.

"I hope you find him soon," she said, and suddenly felt a wave of annoyance at herself. She wished she could do more than just tell people she hoped things would work out for them before drifting out of their lives and never knowing. Not that she wanted to stay -- for all she knew, someone from her family was still looking for her. Even so, to be more than just a poet...

That thought gave her a little relief. "It's hardly likely the Alliance will look at me hard enough to put me in any danger. Even if my brother was with the Independents, I never fought in the war." She had wished, almost desperately, that she was old enough, but now she was content to see worlds being put back together. "Who would think a poet who sells caricatures to tourists would know something about anything?"

[Ai Tsuchiya]

---(occ---sorry for the lateness of the post been distracted.)

Ai nodded as they walked on for the majority of an hour at a slow pace. Getting near to the center of the valley Ai could see the event square. The square was a flattened stone slabbing area where the ground was glazed by the heavy bombardment. Closing in on the center they could see already the handy work of some of the locals.

Ai moved over to a box and opened it. On top was a solar collector which the lights were to connect too. Taking a forked pole Ai set to stringing the spool of lights in the box. The work was not hard just time consuming soon she finished one tree and went after another spool for another tree.

[Ned Middleton]

Once Ned saw how to set up the lights, she joined in, stringing them along trees and giving a hand to others when they seemed to be having some difficulty. No one seemed at all suspicious of her, which she at first thought was strange. Even though years had passed since the war, she had thought tensions would run deep in a place like this, but no one even looked at her askance.

Before long, her arms ached from stretching above her head and she was starting to feel the weariness in her legs from walking so long. It was a good sort of ache, though, and a good sort of weariness. She would sleep well tonight.

"It's strange," she said when she had a chance to pass near Ai. "I never thought a place like this would make me feel so peaceful."

[Ai Tsuchiya]

'All that come here do feel the same way once they spend a bit of time getting to know the locals.'

Ai continued to place the lights when a young red headed girl came by and offered cider to drink. Ai took two glasses and thanked her. Turning to Ned she smiled and winked.

'This is not just any cider. It cider from these trees and been aged for two years so it's got a kick. Apple cider vodka is a local festival drink for the workers and them only. So you'll see many helping out before the night is out. Drink up before it gets warm.'

Ai tries to sip her drink. The first taste hit her between the eyes. Shaking her head she caught her breath and then downed the rest. Coughing a bit as the cider vodka burned it's way through.

'I've used this stuff to mix with my meds and strengthen the effectiveness of it. I water it down for the little ones but still this stuff will kick the strongest guy in the sweet spot and drop him if he drinks to much.'

Now a bit wobbly on her feet she sat down and set the pack she was carrying and removed a droid and let it loose upon the lights and the tree before her. As she sat there her wobble got wider and wider till she fell over. Giggling she said.....

'Guess I should went slower. The drink is not my strongest subject as you can see, but thankfully it wears off in about three hours. Slllooowoooowwww nighty night till laddders.'

[Ned Middleton]

Ned took a cautious sip of the cider. The alcohol was sharp against her tongue and throat, but the next sip was a bit easier, and the third was easier still. I ought to be careful, she thought. I don't want to lose control too much. She was used to hearing the stereotype of the alcoholic poet but had never actually been drunk.

"Would you believe I haven't really had alcohol before this?" she asked, sitting beside Ai and taking another sip. Her tongue felt... looser somehow, easier to move. "I mean, all those times I could have and all the reason I've got, and I never had more than a glass of wine at a time."

When Ai fell to her side, Ned decided that she was drunk enough. Pleasant as she felt now, one of them had to be sensible. She set her glass aside and helped Ai to sit up again. "Even more of a lightweight than I am," she said, her words slurring a bit. "You're not even making sense. Do I have to put you to bed early tonight?" The idea of putting the woman to bed -- of Ned being the sensible one, even -- was so silly that she couldn't help laughing until tears came to her eyes.

[Corran Boid]

The crippled ship dropped the last ten feet with an unnerving and sickening crunch. The legs and belly of the ship folded up under it's self as Corran Boid touched down. Finally back on Hera a planet that was once his grave and his birth place now a true haven. Unbuckling and walking to the nearest secondary hatch the scout runner had given it's all to bringing him back from the hell he was in. A quick thought of Haven made him pause. The things he had to do to simple beings to leave the surface. Most of the final hours the madness of a reaver had hold upon him yet he still remembered seeing through those wicked eyes as with hands covered in blood he killed and slain any and all who got in his way.

The scout ship was stolen when a group of the players had found a weakness with in the fortress and gained access to the food weapons and transportation. Most were able to get on one ship while he kept cover for them to board. In thanks they left him leaving him to his death. Within his fragile mind broke again turning reaver. After a bloody hour or two he gained the scout ship and left for deep calming space.

But that was all behind him now he was on Hera and he knew too that the one love of his life was waiting for him here. So dropping the kill switches the kept the scout runnin' he left for the hospital. It was nearing twilight when he arrived where Ai his love was to work but a singular sign show him exactly where she and the rest of town was, the Valley of Serenity. Moving once more he headed for the lower portions of the valley.

He had been to one of the shindigs before so knowing most at this time was out or enjoying the setting sun from the glassed plains. Boid could see the solar lights in the apple orchards and he could hear the cheerful music playing loudly. With hoops and howlers he could tell that things were still the same and nothing had changed.

Nearing Ai's favorite area he looked for her. He saw another woman talking to what appeared to be herself but as Corran got near he could see another female laying on the ground. The other was now in a deeper shade so he could not tell whether it was Ai or not till she started singing her favorite song the Corran had gathered from his time battling in the valley.

Sing he could say was a bit over the top she more or less moaning and maiming the tune. Boid come into the lights of the apple trees and slapped when she some what stopped and passed out fully. Looking from Ai to the other female he bowed deeply and calming greeted her........

Sorry for interupting but Ai could never hold to much of the valley cider. Oh by the way I'm Boid, Corran Boid, Ai's friend.......and love of my life. Had she been waiting for me long I hope she wasn't to worried. The return trip had .....unexpected situations that came up that had to be dealt with. What is your loverly name love?

[Ned Middleton]

The appearance of a strange man distracted Ned from whatever she had been thinking about. Something about her brother and how he should have been here. He had deserved to see the end of this, even though it was such a sad end. When the man bowed to her, she grew even more flustered, and it was a moment before she could speak.

"I'm Ned. Ned Middleton. Not a lovely name, really, but it's nicer than what I had before." She knew she was babbling, but when she tried to stop her tongue, she could only start speaking on another subject. "Are you the one she was worried about? The missing one? Only she told me I'm not supposed to talk about it. Ai?" Ned turned to the other woman. "I can talk about it to him, right?"

[Corran Boid]

Laughing Corran looked from Ned to Ai.

'Don't worry Ai has always tried to look out for me but I think that they won't be looking anymore till thing that have just happened quiet down or forgotten.'

Corran moved over to Ai kneeling down he raised from the ground with his right hand. He tried to bring the other arm round but it was froze in place bent. With synth flesh missing and his cybernetic elbow joint locked in place by a knife blade that was broken off within. Leaning in he kisses her head gently. Looking over to Ned he smiles again.

'If she sauced herself then she read you as someone she could trust. For me that's enough and all I need to need to worry about. To many things have caused us trouble lately and.......

Corran shifts to sit on his left hip and removes his Newtech Dessert eagle and clips into the make-shift holster on his left leg which too was nearly exposed showing damage.

I'm getting a bit tired of all of it. Yet if wasn't for Ai here I would rain fire upon the sods. Still just might if they come after me again. With everything going on now no one from the core would be stupid enough to start anything here ever again.

Looking to Ned Boid smiled and sighed. From her to the night sky he let his eyes wander. A gentle smile seemed some what out of place on his face as if years of sadness had trained his muscles to the constant frown. Now the sadness was breaking and a happy calm was just coming to the light of day.

[Ned Middleton]

Ned wasn't sure what to make of this man. He was gentle with Ai, and the woman clearly loved him, but he didn't seem much the type to need looking after. Even though his arm wouldn't move, he seemed dangerous and was certainly armed. With his talk of "raining fire", she ought to have been afraid (and she was), but his smile was, if not disarming, at least kind.

If she were sober, she would try to slip him into a poem or make a sketch. Right now, all she could think to do was take another sip of the cider. "You're not really what I was expecting. I mean, I don't really know what I was expecting, but you're kind of surprising." She was getting used to having her tongue run away with her. "Why's someone coming after you? Thought the war was over."

[Corran Boid]

Corran thought for quiet awhile finally answering a question he had asked himself many times over.

'The battle was over but not the war. The war is of power and control. The reavers were the first broken link in that attempt. Now they are the hindrance to total power and peace. So there are some who want every tech and knowledge for control of the wild ones. I had a past with the reavers that continue down to today. My mental state has been.......changed do to the exposure you could say of the terror from when I was young. One doctor told me that it was a mental blocking keeping what I saw, the terror and the pain, from coming up. I just think that if I had dealt with it instead of blocking it out or trying to hide would have been better off. Still past is past and I can't change it.'

Sighing Corran looked to Ned.

'So looking for some thing or hiding? Anyone coming to Hera is doing either one or the other.'

Boid knew that most that came here were looking for the answer to... 'why?', but they could never find it only thing this place could do is make you remember the past. The past is only helpful to those who knew what they were looking for. Either way Boid waited to see which kind of person Ned truly was.

[Ned Middleton]

The Reavers. Ned hadn't thought of them much lately, and she did her best never to. She never went far enough to be in danger of an encounter, and she never planned to. That Corran had met them and been changed by the encounter would certainly explain why he was so dangerous himself.

"Me?" It took Ned a moment to remember why she had come to Hera. "Not hiding. Just running. Ran off from home after my brother died in the war, 'cause I blamed Dad. He never made it to Serenity," she added. "Was killed some months before. I can't decide if I'm glad or not he didn't have to see the Browncoats fall."

[Corran Boid]

From her words he heard all that he needed to know, she was a kind soul. The spiced ale had one major effect to those drinking it. The drink gave them a loose tongue with truth in their heart. With that thought Boid replied to Ned.

Everyone runs hon, be it for every reason known. From family is the most common reason and the first to hurt the most went things go south. Do you have a mother and father still? As for your brother I'm glad he didn't make it here. No man or woman needed to have seen or went through what went on here. People died for every reason that the verse can make up. This place here and that crevice over there was where men died because they ran out of ammo and then food. A group of brown coats were there in the crevice and we were down here neither had and fresh supplies. They had ran our of food, we though had the trees but not the hill so we tossed them some apples from down here up there. They were so hungry they didn't check them and pop about three or four died from a class four grenade stuck into the center of the apples.

That memory still hangs upon me as a rotting corpus. Every day That I'm awake I try to right those wrongs I made in the name of unity and peace. This little flower found me here just up the ridge near the spring. Nearly dead and mad with the reaver hate she brought me back to the living. Gave me a second chance to put things right. It was almost to late for me to correct the errors and ask daily for forgiveness. When you get the next chance try some thing different, talk to them, your family. Work it out no matter if it take years at least your moving forward and backwards to try to hold on to the past.

It was about then that Adam Warner showed up. Looking slightly confused of who this new man was.

Ah hi. I'm Corran Boid, can you help me get Ai and .... Ned,...right back into town. They're a little sauced on apple spice wine.

Adam got the 'ah-ha' look and nodded it looked like he too had a bit to drink but thankfully not that out of it yet, plus Boid saw the barge floating just out of the lights that Warner had slowly floated on. Picking up Ai he lifted Ai even with his leg protesting in a mechanical whine. Hobbling over to the barge he laid Ai on one side of the flat bed and went back to help Adam and Ned to the barge.

[Ned Middleton]

"Still have a Mom and Dad last I checked," Ned said. "They were alive, anyhow. Not sure if they've been trying to find me."

It hurt a little to hear what happened at Serenity. She had only before heard vague details about what had happened at that battle, but hearing the full story, even slightly dulled as it was by the alcohol, made her glad that her brother had died when he did. No. She wished he had been wounded in one of his battles and had to come home, or better yet found a new home for the both of them.

When the new face came up, she peered at him curiously. "Don't need much help," she said after Corran walked off. "I can stand." To prove her point, she got shakily to her feet. Her first step nearly made her drop, and if the man hadn't caught her, she would have fallen. "Can't walk, but I can stand."