Unclear Concern [Jordan]

[Drusilla Pardieu]

Dru didn't stop leading Jordan away from the others until they were in the cargo bay and out of earshot. Stopping finally she turned to face the mechanic. The concern in her face was a little more clear now, but she didn't say anything at first, just looked at Jordan. Letting out a soft sigh she spoke, "Want to tell me what's got you crying and all kinds of emotional in there?"

She'd spotted perhaps some anger in her, some sadness too maybe. Dru wasn't one hundred percent sure on that point, but she did know that something was up. Ever since she'd been on the ship pretty much the girl was non-stop happy in some way. This was a definite change in character. Dru raised a questioning brow as she waited for Jordan to answer.

[Jordan Maxwell]

Jordan looked up at Dru, she wasn't sure what to tell this women. Her past as her past, and she was always taught never to truly speak on the matter. Her family was dead.

She sighed and looked down at her hands. "I just don't like Reaver's Dru." Still trying her old habits of self soothing, she began picking at a blister that formed on her right hand.

"They are an evil in this verse that should have been dealt with before they could attack planets, and ships, before their number grew so large. They deserve to be put out of their misery before it can on longer be fixed. I aim to kill them all before I die." Jordan looked up into her eyes. She could no longer hide the hate that lived behind them, nor could she hide her pain. It was still a fresh wound for her, one she never allowed to heal.

[Drusilla Pardieu]

Dru watched Jordan as she spoke, knowing that there was more to her issue with reavers than she explained. Sure Dru disliked reavers herself, but the kind of hate that the mechanic obviously held for them went deeper than just that they were evil. She stared back at the woman, holding her gaze in silence for a moment.

It was decided that she wouldn't push the issue with Jordan, they didn't have any kind of close-ness for Dru to expect anything from her. "Well, a good number of them were taken out years back, when the signal broadcasted. At least that's what I heard. Attacks aren't as common anymore, but do happen on occasion." There had been pain mixed into the anger that lived in Jordan's eyes, a run-in with reavers herself maybe. Though most didn't survive such encounters.

Dru sighed a little, "Is that why you took an interest in my weaponry?" Crossing her arms across her chest as she spoke. She didn't have an issue teaching the girl how to shoot properly, nor helping her choose weapons of her own. But the hunger for her revenge worried Dru a little, that it would consume Jordan completely. Then she wouldn't be much different from reavers.

[Jordan Maxwell]

Jordan took a minute to think over what Dru has asked her. Was that the reason she wanted to learn? Origionally no, she thought that it was something interesting, she never considered guns as an option before. In fact she hadn't thought about her revenge for a little while, she was focused on getting on a ship.

"Origionally no, I... I never thought about that until recently. I didn't have a real plan." She looked away from Dru. "I don't have a plan Dru... I have spent so much time just trying to get on a ship and get away from the terraforming groups.. I.." Jordan looked back to Dru. More tears were in her eyes, she felt like a failure, she was only 19 but she felt as though she could have been better prepared, she should be on her quest to help the verse.

Without another word, Jordan hugged Dru.

[Drusilla Pardieu]

Dru watched as Jordan thought before speaking, replying to her question. Her face was unreveiling of how she was feeling, but when Jordan looked back at her with the tears in her eyes..Dru's look softened. She felt bad, there was obviously something very painful that went so deep in the mechanic. Dropping her arms she ran a hand through her hair, "What about the terraf--"

With a gasp her words were interrupted and surprise ran through Dru's face as Jordan took ahold of her. Hugging her. She was at a loss, definitely an unusual situation for the mercenary. For a few moments she just stood there, unmoving, unsure what to do.

Slowly and obviously awkward Dru reached around Jordan, resting one hand on the mechanic's back and the other pet her hair. Really she had no idea what to say at this moment, so she just stood there and tried to be of some comfort. It occurred to the mercenary that she wasn't cut out for this situation, her voice came out a whisper, "Maybe I um should go get Trace..or Lars..?" Surely one of them would be better suited for this?

[Jordan Maxwell]

She sniffled and looked up at Dru and saw the look on her face. "I'm sorry Dru.." She slowly let go and slipped away from her. "I was sold to a terraforming group."

Jordan took a step back and started to bite her left thumbnail. "It was just after my 16th birthday, I spent just over two years on the moon"

She looked away from the mercenary and at her right hand again. She was uncomfortable with the situation of speaking to her, not because she was truly uncomfortable with Dru but because she had hidden this for so long she wasn't sure how to allow the truth out.

[Drusilla Pardieu]

When Jordan looked up at her and moved away Dru suddenly felt bad. She didn't know how to be the comforting type, which was obviously what the mechanic needed at the moment. She had tried though, and apparently failed. That feeling left her quickly though, as Jordan talked about how she'd been sold off. She always held a great dislike for the world of slave-trade. Could be because she had grown up on Pelorum, where if you were found to have any hand in the slave business you were killed for it. That planet was definitely not the place to be if you were a slaver. Bad for your health and all.


A mix of anger and sympathy crossed her face, "I'm sorry Jordan. No one should be an object to be sold." Dru could shoot every one of them and not bat an eye. At the moment that was exactly what she wanted to do. "I'll teach you to shoot, properly and true. If you want. We'll find you some weapons of your own as well." A slight smile from the mercenary, she had it in mind to track down those who treated Jordan so poorly. At least eventually.

[Jordan Maxwell]

Jordan tried to smile. "I would really like that Dru." Her hand moved up and wiped her cheeks and eyes again trying to calm herself some more. 'you have to stop this' she thought to herself.

"I managed to tick off a cargo ship by sneaking on it from that moon. They let me stay as long as i fixed the engine. At least I am here now... Dru.." Jordan finally noticed the look on Dru's face. "Where did you learn to fight?"

[Drusilla Pardieu]

Dru could see that Jordan was trying to put on a good attempt at smiling. Perhaps her cheery demeanor had just been a mask all along, an act to hide herself. "You've got alot to learn I can assure you of that, but I think I'm a decent teacher."

She nodded at Jordan's words, "That you are, and so am I. If anyone shows the intention of laying a hand on you they'll be regretting it with a bullet for sure." Dru couldn't explain her feelings at the moment, she felt protective of the mechanic and yet agreed to teach her to put herself in danger at the same time. At least with training she could handle herself.

"The Alliance. I was in the military for a few years, before they decided they didn't like me. Which is fine, don't much care for them either, cept the training was good." Dru shrugged, she had learned very little on her own, which was part of why she joined the Alliance.

[Jordan Maxwell]

"You were part of the Alliance?" Her hands closed and her happy front fell again and she looked down at the ground, not waiting to look at Dru, almost hoping it was a fake, something else. How could she feel a connection with someone that was part of the Alliance?

"After Lilac was destroyed, my home, the Alliance came to figure out what happened. They left us there, on the planet, there was only 15 of us or so.. They never gave up supplies, only said in the next few months to expect people to rebuild.. I had family, you know, on a different planet, they refused to take me, as well as a couple of other children. Said they were not transport ship, it was the groups problem.. All of us were sold a few days later. In trade for supplies for the adults that lived." She had never forgiven the whole system of the Alliance for that. Was it one person's fault it happened, no, it wasn't, she didn't hate the people, she hated the idea. A government that knew its people were hurting and left them to rot. Anyone who supported that..

[Lars Engström]

Lars Ran into the cargo bay and stopped at the top of the steps. "Alright, now what the hell is going on?" He didn't intend to shout, but his voice did anyway. "You have a great deal of explaining to do Jordan, starting with why you have what appears to be an unnaturally strong reaction whenever someone mentions reavers." He remained at the top of the steps, and looked down on the two women with a look of mixed fear and anger. "So what kind of things cause such a reaction I wonder," he said without giving them a chance to speak. "Well, by my reckoning only one thing does, and that is a feat that very few can boast of." He reached over to a locker that was just behind him, and opened it without taking his eyes off the two figure below him. He pulled out a pistol which he always had there for any emergency that might require one. He hated pistols, he hated guns in general, but there were times when they were the only thing that was useful. "Now I'm the one pointing a gun at people," He said, "and I am not afraid to use it if I have to." He narrowed his eyes and spoke with as much of a steady calm voice as he could manage. "So hows about you start telling me exactly what happened that brought you face to face with a reaver. Did you meet him at a bar? And why aren't you dead if you did?"

[Drusilla Pardieu]

"For a short time yes, is there a problem with that?" She looked at Jordan curiously. Her question answered with the mechanic's story. Dru understood then, her feelings toward the Alliance, which meant anyone affiliated with them. Despite the fact that she wasn't anymore might not matter much to her. "I understand the anger you hold against the Alliance, but I hope you don't hold what some qing wa cao de liu mang decided to do against me. Of course that's not to say I'm all good and fuzzy-wuzzy now..I do kill people for money after all." Dru shrugged a bit.

Then Lars came running in mouth blaring and demanding of Jordan. Dru's eyes went cold and angry as she stared at the man. It wasn't the mercenary's place to tell the mechanic's story, but it wasn't his place to demand it from her either. "Now I don't think she has anything to explain to you, Lars. An' I don't recall inviting you to our conversation either." Her voice was stern and came out with the clear hint of anger. When he pulled out a gun and pointed it in their direction, Dru didn't hesitate. She stepped in front of Jordan, blocking any attempt Lars might make to shoot her.

She cursed at herself mentally for not having her own guns on her, having left them behind. If they got through this she wouldn't make that mistake again, not ever on this ship. "You aren't some god amongst men who can go about demanding things from people. Even if they are on your crew. You might ought to look to the fact that you're pointing a gun at us. That don't bode well for your future." Dru didn't appreciate anyone threatening her or someone she might care about, even if the concern to Jordan was only slight. The fact of the matter was it was there, and very unexpected considering it usually took the mercenary a long while to have any feelings toward another person. Safer that way.

----------
qing wa cao de liu mang = Frog-humpin' son of a bitch

[Lars Engström]

"Nowhere did it cross my mind that I was some God, as you put it." Said Lars. He was shocked by Dru's move, since when did she care about anyone like that? "I know I ain't a God, hell I am as far from it as you can get, but that doesn't change the fact that if she has been through that sort of thing... you know what that could mean." Lars was unable to simply say what he meant, if there was one thing that scared him more than anything else it was reavers. He knew what they could do, and he didn't have any kind thoughts to letting that happen.
"Dru," He said, regaining some control of his voice, "I know full well who I am pointing this gun at, and it wasn't you till you made it that way." He paused. "Now I have no desire to use this thing if I don't have to, but for the love of all that is holy will someone tell me what is going on?" He stopped himself, before he started to shout again. "Look all I know is that reavers only leave survivors for one reason, and from what i have gathered, she survived a reaver attack. So what else am I supposed to think?" He stopped again. "I don't look fondly on getting killed in my sleep, she hasn't done that yet, so I am all manner of confused, but if nobody answers my questions then we won't be getting anywhere."
He realized that she was right however. He put the gun back in the locker, and closed the door.
He raised his voice and spoke again to Jordan, "So let's try this again shall we? No guns, just an honest question. What is this all about?"

[Jordan Maxwell]

Jordan was noticeably shaken. Her whole body seemed to tremble, and when it was too much she exploded.

"I was on Lilac," she began screaming almost instantly. "I was left behind in the bank when my father ran outside to try and escape. The guard trapped us all inside of a hidden vault, locking us all inside for two days. We listened to the screams for a day and a half when we came out the town was gone, everyone was dead!" Tears flowed from her eyes and she looked up to Dru, she felt trapped, attacked, and alone.

She stopped screaming and just glared at Lars. "Are you happy now?" She growled at him with anger. It wasn't telling him that angered her, but how it came out that did. She had a right to her past, and yes, it affected the crew, well it could have affected the crew at a time when they encountered the reavers, but for now, it was something she wanted to keep inside of herself, she hadn't decided who she could trust with it yet.

[Drusilla Pardieu]

Dru had heard the stories, the things people said about survivors of reaver attacks. She knew what Lars was suggesting, but she had seen no sign of that in Jordan. A grin crossed her lips, but her eyes still showed the anger she was feeling, "You shouldn't be pointing that at anyone here, least of all Jordan. Especially since you have no idea what you're walking in on." Dru let him continue, crossing her arms across her chest again. She made sure to stay in front of Jordan while he had the gun in their direction.

She relaxed a little when Lars finally put away the gun, but stayed put. Glancing back at Jordan she could tell this was all rough for her. As Dru went to turn completely now that the threat of gunfire was over, Jordan exploded at Lars' demands. Dusilla's face softened as she screamed about what had happened to her. There were no words that the mercenary could offer her at this point, the only thing she did was reach out slowly, taking hold of Jordan's upper arm. Dru squeezed gently, trying to be of some comfort. The sympathy was clear in her face as she looked at her, the anger was still present, but was in no way directed at Jordan.