Filling The Pages [Open]

[Sarah Cooper]

Sarah gave Sam a smirky grin as she joked about the medic. He seemed a rather gruff bloke, but she was sure he’d come around eventually. From what she’d gathered they’d been through a great ordeal.

“Be ready when you are Captain.” With that Sarah rushed off downstairs grabbed her duffle bag and heaved it over one shoulder. She carried her things to her room, the one closest to the engine room. Then dumped them unceremoniously there before getting out one of her tool boxes and heading down once more to the engine room where she got to work.

[Lars Engström]

Lars wasn't at all surprised when the knock at the door proved to be Lance. To be honest, he had been amazed to make it to his office before the medic had come after him. He was that sort of man. Lars was pretty sure he knew what was coming, but it was "What do you need Lance?" But the man was already explaining. Lars sat took his feet off the desk, sat up, and listened.

When Lance was finished the captain spoke. "He wasn't." Lars raised an eyebrow. "Is this your way of saying you aren't interested? Because I guess I should have told you: I wasn't asking." He smiled, and shook his head. "You know as well as I do you are the right guy for the job. And with... well... everything that has happened, I know I can trust you." He stood up, and offered his hand to shake.

"Besides. This way, I have you right nearby next time I need patched up." He winked, and headed for the door. "Now, I have to go make sure new Trace doesn't crash and kill us all." He paused at the door. "Good to have you on board Lance." He said, and then made to exit the room. "Close the door on your way out." He chuckled.

[Jeff Weston]

Weston smiled as Sam said for him to go with the 90. From that comment he knew where she stood when it came to fighting. Simple straight forward get it over with duels was fine with him. Holstering the sonic weapon Jeff turned and let every one get under way. The lift off was always exciting for him for it meant a clean slate. Anything was possible when it came to space and the travel there in.

For Jeff the worst thing was getting to the edge of it and having to turn back. Once the ship was has in had engine failure at the edge of atmo and then fell back into it. If he hadn't jumped ship he would have died with the rest of the group. Yet he trusted this ship and the crew that now was in control.

Walking past the med-room he looked in remembering the last crew. Patched up hurt and looking for a place of peace and calm. He wasn't just yet ready for the quiet life. Shaking it off he moved back into the cargo area and packed away his fire arms. Pulling over his footlocker he sat down on a near-by crate and opened the locker. Sighing he rumaged through the locker old clothes and shoes were the majority of what it held but in the bottom was a black case with a winged sword and a halo. Looking around he opened it his emotions became cold and hard as he stared at the equipment held withing.

A wicked looking long combat blade made from a rare piece of bullet proof metal. Like a hot knife through butter it would carve metal and flesh would be like wet toilet paper. A winged flight conversion kit, for high altitude decent, to make his combat suit just right for planet invasion or stealth missions that required the drop ship to explode or simply pass through the high atmo. The last and final thing was a small stack of vid-cards. These cards had the memories of the only one he ever cared for. Removing them he replaced the case and gathered the knife and his kit and returned to his bunk. After all they were about to take off for another jouney and anything was possible.

[Lance Howe]

"Not Interested" would be correct but probably not the way most would interpret that. Lance was completely apathetic about it. He wasn't looking for promotion or authority. He was a doctor not a leader. But then again there were benefits to having some higher level of power and maybe a slightly larger share of earnings to send home to his family. Still, it really wasn't enough of a perk to actually get the man to care all too much about the new job.

Lance took the captain's hand when it was offered. "Adds more legitimacy when I usurp and take the ship for myself." He was joking but said it coldly like he did most things. If he wasn't interested in being first mate then he probably wasn't going to be interested in captaining either. It's not like he had a mind for any of it either. He'd been "in the business" for only a few weeks now and would probably be best suited just selling any ship that came into his possession rather than starting an enterprise with it.

Both men having 'business' to attend to before the Star left Ariel, Lance followed the captain out and closed the door as instructed. Lars turned to the bridge while Lance walked aft to his things strewn about after his interesting experience on Ariel. Research papers, medical equipment, and souvenirs for the family back on St. Albans were scattered a few places and needed to be put in some sort of order.

[Sam Grady]

Grady's worldly goods were snagged up from the cargo bay floor, hoisted over her shoulder as she made for a bunk-- any bunk-- preferrably an empty one close to the bridge. Or the bridge itself. It didn't matter much to Sam. She passed the engine room again, then passed Cooper as she disappeared inside with a box of tools. Weston had been noted fiddling about with stuff in the 'bay, but despite the unsubtle, and mannerless pirate's ways, she hadn't wanted to pry. Besides, there was a ship she needed to get up in the air, with the assistance of her ship-stay-afloat partner, the grease monkette.

The duffel was tossed across a bunk, barely even looking within the door, but just enough to know it wasn't owned. She was up on the bridge before Lars had finished his conversation with Lance, and upon his entry he'd find something rather odd. Well, not odd for a pilot. To look at Sam, to hear her and to know her, she didn't seem too focused on anything. No amount of seriousness unless she was really pissed off. What could be seen was a woman moving about the area fluidly, with a machine-like practise that put her into auto-pilot in a sense. Flesh, and spidery, dark metal digits were automatically going to controls. Checking the systems, their flight path, their permission to take off-- not that Sam ever liked nor cared to ask-- and just about anything else before she grabbed up the comm, and keyed it into the engine room.

"Y'all set up down there, Coop?" The pilot asked, holding the receiver with one hand, and flicking pre-flight switches with the other. She had said this was her thing, right? Sam didn't lie when it came to flying. Whatever she wasn't good at, or even fair at-- flying was the one skill she knew she excelled in.

Because she loved it. And put all her time and effort into it. And now? This moment right here? Getting to fly again after so, so long-- well, actually not that long. But this was on the side of 'permanent position'. The last thing Sam wanted was to lose that.

"Everythin's lookin' good on my end." She announced, both towards the comm, and for the Captain who had probably joined her by now.

[Sarah Cooper]

Sarah was in her element. There wasn’t much she had to do to the engine, she sure was a beauty, but she fixed her up good so that it was a bit more efficient. It was all second nature to her really. She hummed as she worked.

Soon the turbine roared to life and gave her the familiar smooth purr she was looking for as it whirled around. She watched it, her face lit up in a blissful kind of nature like a kid seeing space for the first time. Hearing Sam’s voice over the comms broke her from her reverie.

She hurriedly rushed over to the comm, it slipped a few times in her hand before she could get proper hold of it, “Everything’s ready and good to go down here,” she said her hands and clothes already smudged with grease and dirt. “We’re all set Captain,” she added.

[Jeff Weston]

In silence Weston suited up in his battle armor. With all the locks and latches clipped and snapped he looked down at this bed where lay his helm and the vid cards. Picking up both one in the left and the other in the right, he touched the lower right corner and the vid came alive. The pic was dark and shakey yet clear as the day it was taken was a gentle gruff voice telling him to lay down and look at the stars.

The voice was young very young. They were at the time about 17 years old. The quiet breathing was broken by a giggle and then a face filled the vid card wild and beautiful. Her haunting green eyes were sharpened by the flaming red hair. Biting her lip she took the card and showed a young Jeff. Asking Jeff she had him divert his eyes away and blush.

So you said some thing ealier today that would shock everyone. What was it?

Heather always like to pull his chain, none harder now that she found out Jeff like her and made a slip of the tonge and said as much.

Shutting it off he tossed it into a corner with the others. Sliding on the helm he twisted it with a hiss it sealed shut and clicked with locks. Snatching the P90s he latched one to his back the others to his right hip. Slipping out of his room he moved forward of the ship stopping at the engine room he looked in for a breif second. He watched her and listened to her hum. Turning away and taking three steps toward the bridge he stoped and looked back. Shaking off an odd feeling from the past he made for the bridge.

[Lars Engström]

Lars arrived on the bridge as Sam and Sarah finished up their business. He smiled slightly, and then spoke. "Well, lets get the hell out of here." He stepped off to the side as things began to come to life.

Watching out the window as the ship lifted off, he felt a painful mix of joy and sorrow. Leaving behind his friends, heading off with replacements. He wondered for a moment if he should have stayed, but then shook off the thought. It didn't suit him, staying around and being all grief stricken.

Well, he mused silently, here we are again. He continued to watch as the sky grew darker and darker. Soon they would break away from the solidness of the planet, and be where he longed to be more than anything. Free.

There was a bump, and Lars tensed slightly. "Cool it Trac... Sam." He caught himself mid word, and tried to change direction. He didn't know if she caught it, but she probably had. "No need to shake us to pieces you know." He shook his head, and moved away from the window. He hovered over the co pilot seat for a moment, debating whether to sit or not. He made up his mind, and sat. Kicking his feet up, he closed his eyes and simply listened to the sound of the ship. It was good to be in the air again.