Lt. Ceciri Ariadust - Upon our prey we steal
Koihime Nakamura
((Shuttlecraft Shadow, Ashworth Station))
Ceciri set the shuttle down with some careful precision, working to drag up the woman she had been before Starfleet.
Orrey: Once we get in there you two go off and find someone that may have the information we need. ::He turned to his officers,:: Split up, give them time to work. Try not to start any bar brawls.
Ariadust: Got it, boss.
Ceciri's normal Federation standard had been replaced with a Cygnian drawl, drawn out vowels and a few consonants. And she had significantly relaxed. Anyone who knew her would know that she had a temper, and she was actually pulling from there.
G'var: I trust you want to get your precious drive back, ::she cocked her head,:: and some payback on this Captain Marths character?
Josett: Do you? ::She gave the woman an impish grin.:: I think that says more about you than it does us.
.oO ... Oo.
Ceciri sighed as she got out of the shuttle with the two pirates. She could see the various locals and 'merchants' eyeing the shuttle.
.oO Rule 3 - Starfleet sticks out like a sore thumb. Avoid them in these ports. Oo
This might sound counterintiutive to most sentients, but it came down to the rule of thumb that if you need dire help, running to sentients being watched by local station security, and probably half a dozen crews was.. well, likely to shorten your lifespan. And G'var was doing the briefing *now*, outside the shuttle and not en-route? When they were being watched?
.oO And this is why: I swear the Academy trains observance *out* of sentients. Oo.
Ceciri just checked her pockets a bit, having replicated the Cygnian equivialnt to the Starfleet standard or pulled them out of storage, so she had battered and well repaired gear. Not that she expected to fool many people directly, but the point was to lengthen the time before she had to start making on-the-fly decisions.
G'var: I want everyone checking in one-hour intervals. ::Then a second finger,:: show no fear while you are out there, places like these prey on weakness. ::Now a third and Lena wondered if she intended to use all ten digits,:: play your parts, we are able crewmen looking for a ship. ::She closed her fist.:: If you get backed into a corner and can't talk your way out... fight. Respect here is earned not given.
Ceciri sighed, she had a communicator on her, of course, just not one of Starfleet make. It was set up to interact with the badges that most of the others had, and she had enabled the feature that would allow the Veritas to track it, but an hour's check?
Josett: Fine advice. ::She clapped her hands together,, lifting up on her toes and peering across the docks.:: Absolutely won't get you into any trouble at all.
.oO Not one bit. Oo. Getting into fights brought attention to yourself. G'Var wasn't wrong, but you had to be careful about who you picked fights with, and in stations like this, expect a network of friends.
In any case, Ceciri didn't hang around to hear the rest of this. She gently pulled on Quall's sleeve, and the two set off, narrowly dodging the watchmen. If she was lucky, there would be a "merchant" from Universal Exports here she could run into, and if not, she would just have to work out the right way to go about it.
.oO Rule 4 - Information is gold. Spend it sparingly. Oo.
As they entered a darkened corridor towards the marketplace, Ceciri did speak up, her tone low. She was scanning the area around her, but as subtly as she could manage.
Ariadust: I'm going to claim you as a skilled doctor who saved my life, hence why I'm hauling you around. I can't give you a full rundown, so keep on the ball.
Quall: Response
Ariadust: If you have to act to 'betray' me, try not to hurt me. ::wry::
((Marketplace, Ashworth Station.))
Ceciri noted, oddly, the activity level wasn't quite what she expected. Oddly quieter. The Veritas's crusade must be showing some effect, then. Still, she didn't see the Universal Exports people anywhere, but she did spot a Cygnian shop, and detoured there. Well. "shop" was saying quite a bit, as it was effectively an enclosed modern shanty that could be vacated quickly. So, if everyone is leaving the shuttle, she expected someone - probably their new "friends" - to fence it, and that was a high risk/reward question. But that wasn't her job, so she had to trust that the others were doing their part.
Thankfully, she didn't directly recognize the other Cygnian - except for the fact that Ceciri was pretty sure that she was a member of the Hakshri clan. Still, she looked around. There were some signs that the merchandise was.. acquired less than legally, and she spotted them here.
Granted, it's not like you were here to buy, stores like this served as a front for fences, and that is what she was looking for. Of course, the two of them were getting glances, some hostile. Ceciri kept a hand vaguely near the disruptor, and strode up to the person watching the store. This effort of maintaining an older gait, anger closer to the surface - it would eat at her eventually.
.oO Rule 5 - Most pirates, while seeking profit, do understand reward vs investment. Don't look like you have anything on you, and don't suggest you have anything on you. Be directly indirect. Oo.
Ariadust: May you walk in the untrod path. ::Ceciri all but purred:: I'm looking to see where I should go if I'm interested in seeking.. alternate employment.
The woman raised her eye, and Ceciri felt the others sharpen a bit. Starfleet often didn't have deserters, but the few who did were.. well, they inevitably got names from themselves. Normally, she wouldn't have even picked this method, but 'be obvious when you can't be stealthy'.
Hakshri: May your gaze forever be on the forbidden star. Not often we see people who ::beat:: may be seeking other employment. Some of them like to have a reference.
.oO Rule 0 - Know when to break all of these rules. Oo
Ariadust: ::a bit of a feral smile:: Well, I'd say the people trying to sell the shuttle is a good reference. ::wry:: It'll probably be gone before I know it.
Quall: Response
The Cygnian woman behind the counter gave Quall an inscrutable look for a moment, but Ceciri was pretty sure she had drawn the conclusion Ceciri wanted - Quall was very fresh, and had either been forced to quit Starfleet or just found it wasn’t for them. Hopefully Quall picked up on that. She might be good with a disruptor, but a running firefight would end badly for all involved, especially if it had actual station security.
Hakshri: Indeed.. The 'Nova's Last Kiss' is a good place to find employment, especially for daughters of the stellar fairies.
Ceciri, with a bit of effort, kept her reaction from reaching her face beyond the face she wanted to project - interest, with a bit of visible concern at the direct hit, which is what the broker - not a fence, this woman was a broker - probably expected. It was also pretty natural, just toning it down by a lot.
Quall: Response
TAG/TBC
? Ceciri Ariadust
Freighter? Pilot
USS Veritas
C239112CA0