[JP] Marshall & Sienelis - Start as You Mean to Go On (Part I)
Jo Marshall
((Concourse Approach, Hai Tac Outpost))
::The long concourse stretched up towards the main outpost buildings, flanked on either side by various outbuildings that would house anything and everyone. It looked akin to a leg in the way it curved at a knee in the centre and opened up wider at the end. In the distance, giant spires of rock clustered and rose up above the buildings, the greenery of the moon extending as far as the edge of the dome and no further. All of it artificial. All maintained by a long list of questionable benefactors.
::Bear grunted with a frown of disquiet on his face, glancing around them. The aim was not to look suspicious, but he was suspicious, and doing a terrible job of hiding it.
::The faint whine of something broke the silence, the rolling of wheels against surface, until an Argo-style vehicle came zipping into view. One in the driving seat, another in the passenger, both looked as though they could use a good night in a decent bed. The high-powered phaser cannon mounted on the back wobbled as it approached, and the Romulan stared at it with an expression of granite.::
Sienelis: Tell me that's not our ride.
O. Marshall: I'd love to…
::Within the space of the sentiment, the four-wheeled buggy gunned into high-gear and slammed on the brakes in front of them, screeching with the sound of over-used and poorly maintained hydraulic pads.::
O. Marshall: ...but I think it might be.
Sienelis: ::A glower took root, and she muttered her response.:: Every minute an adventure.
::A low, guttural noise like gravel in a blender sounded from the Nausicaan squeezed into the passenger seat, with a face that looked like it'd been pasted on with a trowel. He glanced them up and down, then nodded to the Orion female sat behind the wheel with a non-verbal grunt.
::The green-skinned Orion, however, about a quarter of the size of the brute beside her, looked delicate in comparison. A smile that was possibly as poisonous as it was welcoming beamed their way, eyes lingering on Bear for a moment longer than Valesha, and Bear didn't have to be a scientist to guess why. Pheromone effect. Make him docile and compliant. Whether it worked on Romulans too was another thing.::
Lileh: Zuccaro's running late. Get in the back. ::Her immaculate eyebrow arched over a silver eye.:: Luggage?
Sienelis: We're travelling light.
::Or woefully underprepared, depending on your perspective. With a glance at her fellow fugitive, Valesha grabbed on to one of the buggy's struts, hauling herself up and into the rear of the vehicle. The screeching of tyres in the distance toward the outpost's main buildings echoed down the leg and Bear looked up at the noise. Another Argo-type buggy hurtling toward them. Taking hold of a strut, Bear jumped in the back beside Valesha and felt for the phaser close to his ribs.
::As soon as his feet landed inside, the Orion threw the shift into gear and took off at breakneck speed, narrowly missing the supporting arm of the Unicorn with inches to spare. Heart already kicking up a few notches at the immediate velocity, Bear shouted to the occupants in the front.::
O. Marshall: You've got a tail!
::Silver eyes flicked up to the rear-view mirror and slammed down hard on the rear brakes, careening the buggy into a left turn, throwing Bear and Valesha into the side of the cage with little to hang onto.::
Lileh: Nothing to worry about! Just sit tight! ::She grinned, unnervingly.:: Is this your first time to Hai Tac?
Sienelis: No. ::A literal half-truth; one of them had, one of them hadn't. She snapped the word out as she grabbed for something other than an annoying blond human to hold on to, fingers finding purchase on the struts of the roll cage.:: Why do we have a tail? *How*?
::Another non-verbal grunt from the Nausicaan sounded, along with the increasing whine of a phaser rifle he'd produced from somewhere on his massive person. Angling through the gap in what passed for seats, he didn't give a second's warning before sending a bolt of fire through the rear toward the chasing Argo coming up at a clip, prompting a strangled cry of surprise from Valesha.::
O. Marshall: What the HELL are you doing?
::Barely a glimmer of a glance his way, the Nausicaan lined up a second shot as Bear hazarded a look over his shoulder to the approaching vehicle -- a familiar Iotian in the driving seat, swerving the wheel to avoid the volley of green plasma barrelling his way. The blast impacted the ground in the empty space where the pursuing Argo had just moved out from, sending a spray of shale into the air.
::A third whine began and Bear grabbed hold of Vee's shoulder, forcing her down into the space between the floor and the seat as he grabbed onto the rifle and pushed up. Green discharge fired through the opening in the roof, momentarily confusing the Nausicaan, who then wasted no time in slipping out a dagger and tried to climb over the seats into the back.::
Sienelis: Marshall—
::She snarled his name through a clenched jaw, holding on for dear life as the buggy swung hard to the side, threatening to pitch out its passengers for the second time. The phaser rifle clattered into the footwells of the cab, and the knife in the Nausicaan's hand sank hilt-deep into the plastic upholstery of the chair in a badly-timed swing. Staring at it for a fraction of a second, the man let out a visceral noise that was halfway between a scream and a growl before lunging toward Bear, grabbing hold of the lapels of his jacket. Bear forced himself back, holding onto the Nausicaan's forearms for dear life as the weight of their grouchy friend pushed his torso over the seats, Valesha scrambling out of his way.
::Glancing back, heart in his face, the Iotian had gained on them with incredible speed, pulling up almost parallel to their side. The Orion's silver gaze shot toward it and grimaced, hands wrenching the wheel with enough force to drive their Argo into the path of the other.::
O. Marshall: Valesha! Get the damn driver!
::With a look barely shy of murderous — though it was unclear who exactly was the target of that sentiment — the Romulan grabbed on to the roll cage. Struggling to keep her balance as the buggy bounced and swerved, as well as avoiding the two wrestling men in the small space, she hauled herself up in incremental amounts. Not one to pass an opportunity presented, she grabbed hold of the knife and yanked it free, threading her other arm past the headrest and around the Orion's throat, shouting over the sound of two roaring engines and eight wheels chewing through the dirt.::
Sienelis: How about you let us off about now?
::Lip curling with ire that was almost palpable, the Orion slammed the brakes hard into the floor, causing the Argo to pitch forward and rise up on the front wheels, then crash back down again with a teeth-rattling jolt. The Nausicaan released Bear quickly, falling back against the rear of the passenger seat with a thud and a yelp. The aftermath of the ride from hell brought with it a single moment of silence as breathing was ragged, hearts pounded, and the gentle whine of a phaser rifle began.::
Zuccaro: I believe you picked up my passengers.
::Glowering, the Iotian stood off to the side of the Argo, having halted his own, phaser rifle in hand and bearing it down on the Orion with a fierce but somehow still pompous arrogance only he could pull off with eloquence.::
Zuccaro: Come on, kids. Let's go. Nice and easy, now.
::Valesha didn't let go of her would-be kidnapper, glancing over her shoulder toward Bear while pointing toward the second buggy. The man was familiar, but in the rush of the moment, she wasn't sure she believed her eyes. It didn't make sense that Iotian now wielding a rifle was the same one who served her and Caedan utterly ridiculous cocktails only a few weeks ago.::
Sienelis: Is *this* our ride?
O. Marshall: Yeah… ::Breathlessly, he hauled himself up out of the top of the Argo.:: This… this is him.
TBC...
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Orson Marshall
Fugitive
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Fugitive
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Oliver Zucarro
Former Barmen of the Songbird Lounge