The morning was late for everyone except Emkir, on the bridge and Ms. Vik, who'd been summoned to the port offices. Having taken the call and routed it to her stateroom, Emkir knew Inger was off the ship as his shift on the bridge stretched through extra hours. Soon, others stirred as they woke from the night's events. When he woke, Zach cleaned up, threw on some shipboard clothes and headed to the galley to cook breakfast. As was his habit when one else was moving, Zach cooked for the whole ship. After cooking and eating, he planned to do his regular exercise workout, grab a shower and dress for the day.
Zach was soon joined by Zimzod, who was unceremoniously dressed in a robe he'd thrown on. The knight very deliberately set to making himself, and only himself, a batch of coffee from his prized stash. This unwillingness to share the drink didn't bother Zach as the aroma of the brewing drink did enough to invigorate him. Zach made cut rate brew for the rest, from the beans Mikah had bought, and knew the aroma of Zimzod's beans would improve the experience for all of them. Zimzod finished brewing his coffee before Zach was done cooking, so he sat, enjoying the bitter flavor until he could grab breakfast. When Aiden woke, surprised he'd not been woken by the ship's alarms, he called to the bridge to see what was happening? He got a report from a very tired Emkir. After that, Emkir asked Aiden to take the bridge so he could sleep.
Aiden agreed, saying he needed to get washed, dressed and eat first. Emkir set the ship's comms to "all ship" and headed into the lounge to eat before going to bed. As Emkir ate, he told Mikah and all who asked that Ms. Vik was called to 'Baroness Executive Director' Wortman's office and was off ship. Eventually, Aiden joined them for his breakfast. By that time, Rol had wakened, done his morning routine and was having chow as he read the port news. Rol kept an eye out for news from Jae Tellona, though there was little but idle chatter from that system. The news was mostly about the disaster in Podesti and the containment and cure of the plague. Brian and Mikah also woke and were sharing breakfast.
As Mikah also read the news, she poured through the plague "wrap up". The Imperial Navy seemed intent on settling nerves about the disaster, saying the issue had been largely dealt with and a cure for the disease found. Citizens were told authorities were doing all that could be done to track down those involved in the crimes who'd not already been arrested. All were assured a cure for the disease was available to every person in-system, and citizens should go about their daily lives. They admitted the casualty numbers from Podesti and the two other affected arcologies were "devastating".
In a related story, a Council of Merchant Captains had been convened to protest that merchant ships had been held, in a continuing breach of their trade schedules. The select representatives of the council complained to the Admiralty that they were getting no information and no redress to losses they were sustaining. Grievances pointed to by the Council included the interdiction of all travel despite the limited area of effect of the so called "plague". Evidence was given that some ships had been allowed to leave the system while the Navy still refused to re-visit restrictions on the rest. Even after the stated fact that the crisis had passed. The Admiralty hadn't seen fit to reply to the charges of the council except to state that their complaints would be taken under review.
More NewsFrom outside the system, the top news items were:
Iderati (A887798-C N Ag Ri Cp 201 Im M9 V) Date: 091-1112
Thousands are expected to mourn the death of Interstellar Popular music performer Ardella Mestler who,
according to the date on the story, died just over three months ago while touring the Five Sisters
Subsector. The singer's death was unexpected and has had a huge effect on her fan base. No details
are included in this report of the cause of death though it is suggested to have been from other than
natural causes. 
Rhylanor (A434934-F 2 Hi Cap 810 M2 V6) Date: 150 - 1112
Senator Lord Sir Umdi Kudila, of the Rhylanor Subsector Senate, said he was on track for a planned
investigation of Natoko interdiction due to significant claims the world was attempting to violate
the Imperial ban on her ownership and use of military ships. The Senator cited evidence not made
public due to its classified nature but waswilling to confirm the evidence was specific and compelling.
Diplomatic members of the Natoko Systems Diplomatic mission to the subsector capital on Rhylanor
were quick to decry the charges claiming there is no such evidence and the Senate's rabid dogs
only claim to have classified information so they need not show they have no evidence at all.
Rhylanor (A434934-F 2 Hi Cap 810 M2 V6) Date: 145-1112
Author Sir Jeremy Lewis announced the release of his book, "Crossing The Line" said to detail the
acts of plunder and massacres committed by the Zhodani during The Fifth Frontier War. Despite their
unquestionable loyalty to the Imperium, comments from noted critics and even members of the Admiralty
have not been kind to the book stating that Sir Jeremy is "simply playing the old saw suggesting the
Zhodani are to blame for all the Imperium's ills".
A Captain Sir Erik Albertina was even heard to comment at a party that, "...while the Zho are undoubtedly
a committed and intractable foe, Sir Jeremy's unhinged and blind anger controls him. The collateral
damage flowing from military action have many causes including blind luck of the draw some times." This
reporter could barely hear the rest of the conversation during which it seemed Captain Albertina described
a significant loss of civilian life when a destroyer lost power and crashed during a battle.
The Admiralty have not commented on the Captain's overheard remarks and
TNS has been unable to locate the Captain for further comments.
Sir Jeremy's publishers are sparing little expense in a gaudy, and some say explicit advertising campaign
for the book.
For their part, the only recently re-opened Zhodani Mission to the Spinward Marches High Command stated
that these comments were all that could be expected from authorities whose minds were closed on the subject
of a peaceful resolution to the issues between the Consulate and the Imperium in the marches.
Rhylanor (A434934-F 2 Hi Cap 810 M2 V6) Date: 149-1112
Gia Ubean faces Sir James Hendara in a Tech lawsuit deposition over robotic upgrades in the Rhylanor
System after a failure of various systems last year caused destruction of an estimated MCr 1.2 in
property and some loss of life.
Master Ubean is accused by Sir James of mishandling contracted work to upgrade a number of municipal
robotic control systems in the Ikhasha region of Rhylanor.
The Ikhasha region is little heard of out-system due to its lack of major tourist attractions compared
to the central military command regions, the Birthplace of Olav I and the infamous ancient artifact(the
only one acknowledged and exhibited by The Imperium).
Inthe (B575776-9 A Ag 423 F8 V) Date: 112-1112
Inthe Transport drivers overcharged riders by MCr .83 while protesting the rising tide of prices for
both in-state and intra-state transport. The Marquis of Inthe has had meetings with the heads of
transportation departments of all major nations on-world to investigate resolving this issue, punishing
the criminals as well as identifying and compensating all victims.
Glisten (A-000986-F 2 Hi NA In As Cp G 821v Im K9 V) Date: 080-1112
The Pavabid Choir has agreed to a subsector wide tour. This announced tour if the Spinward Marches
Sector will include all the sector's capital worlds and a a number of other Major ones as contracted.
Added to that will be those worlds the choir must travel through. No dates are yet announced however,
the details of the tour should soon be available with the performances expected to begin in six months
time.
Speculation is already ripe about the potential for violence given the extremist views of many groups
on how the population of Pavabid are held under the thumb of the "Sacred Brotherhood of Pavabid".
Unidentified commenters have been heard to say, "Heavenly voices and tones will surely flow as will
unheavenly blood."
The incident at the ship's bay was a minor note in the port's publicly posted activities blotter for the day before. Little detail was included and the event was listed as, "Resolved, but under investigation." Around 11am port time, Mikah gave up watching the news and started looking up what there was to do on this station on the port-web. Since they'd be held on-station by security for three days, Mikah preferred not to be bored. As she read, Inger called the ship to say she was on her way back. She didn't sound put out, and said she had word on the request to change the ship's name as well as Director Wortman's request to speak to Dame Mikah about the port fees the ship was accruing.
After hearing that, Sir Brian decided to read up on all things related to the Octagon Society, before heading out to explore the station. This was a huge chance to explore the left-over relic of a long bankrupted but significantly storied society. He also privately wondered what secrets might be uncovered by the "properly educated" and oriented mind? Also reading the news, Rol let his interest lead him into the social events on the station. Putting on his lightest kit, Rol went out to be a tourist. Having relieved Emkir on the bridge, Aiden put his time to good use. Keeping an eye on the sensors, security and systems readouts, he cracked open his notes and data, continuing his studies in interstellar navigation. Zach and Zimzod chose to work on their gunnery training, though Zimzod planned to head out and explore the station eventually too. Since he couldn't head out in armor, Zimzod planned to wear a ship jumpsuit, carrying his blade and a few wire ties "just in case".
Ms. Vik got back to the ship, and found Mikah as she read up on a gallery listing on the station-web. The gallery was a specialized display of the minerals and gemstones of the Risek System. The blurb described the hall as, "containing a wide variety of samples of the gems and minerals found naturally on Risek Prime." It included a number of on-web forums describing the various geologic, solar and radiation based processes effecting the surface and deep crust of the world. Mikah was very excited to explore the gallery, but set an investigation aside as Inger updated her. The first thing Ms. Vik explained was that the Navy transmitted the crew's request to change the ship's name to the port, as the Navy didn't handle such actions.
Because this was related to the ship Ms. Vik was aboard, it was flagged and forwarded to "Dessie's" office. That Ms. Vik was comfortable referring to Baroness Director Wortman by her first name was something Mikah noticed, though she didn't ask Inger about it. Now that the Director had the paperwork, they could proceed through her office on that at a cost of Cr 100. Mikah told Inger they had changed their minds on the name and decided to call it the "Hotel California". The reference was obscure, and Ms. Vik had no idea what it meant but accepted the decision. Inger then turned to the more serious matter of port fees.
She pointed out that it was normal for a port to charge around Cr 1,000 for the first week, or part thereof, for any ship to use a berth at their facility. And some ports charged wildly differing amounts. This port offered a "quick service" fee to ships docking for one day at Cr 300. The Pilot Error had docked under that category the day before. With the period extended for the investigation, port offices 'would' automatically upgrade that to the weekly fee. But Dessie had put a hold on that, keeping the charge at Cr 300 and assuming the ship would docked as scheduled, in three days.
Inger did say the port would hit them with a fee of Cr 150 for emergency services and response, which was not negotiable. But, in the end, the ship would save money. Mikah wasn't particularly happy about either charge, but was happy they would save money. After she explained the topics, Ms. Vik told Mikah Director Wortman preferred them to resolve the paperwork and other issues personally, in an appointment. Mikah told Ms. Vik to set an appointment for the next day and Inger agreed.
Burning TimeIn his cabin, Emkir tried to get to sleep but found he couldn't. Finally giving up, he threw on a ship's jumpsuit and went out on the station hunting a chance to win some money back. Despite his exhaustion, he was sure he could find an underhanded game in a back stall or "unmaintained sector" of the station. About the same time, Mikah saw Brian getting up from his research on the SPA station and stopped him. She forced Brian to submit to an impromptu "medical examination" of his obviously bruised and broken nose. Making sure the physical examination was none too gentle, to remind him of his having abandoned her in the air lock.
She finished up asking, "Ok, do we know why this happened?" Brian responded saying, "I have my suspicions". Mikah then challenged, "Maybe you should verbalize them so I know that you know what you did wrong?" Brian said, "I am sorry, but it was dangerous and I saw no value in it. I want to not run, but when things get deadly I gotta weigh the costs." Mikah warned, "If you ever run away like that again, I'm gonna shoot you and if you ever disobey an order again, I am gonna shoot you". He said, "Well, I'll do my best and I am sorry I ran".
After finishing with Mikah, Brian hoped he couldd get to research the older less-travelled parts of the station and its older sections. Brian headed out to uncover new secrets on the station, left behind by the Octagon Society. Letting him go about his explorations, Mikah geared up and headed for the docks. She first wanted to pick up a small fighting knife, legal on stations like this, and then go check out the gallery on Minerals of Risek. Once inside customs, Mikah found a store with just the right weapon and paid Cr 25 for a small knife and sheath.
Emkir left as Mikah and Brian talked, and chased his own quest. The main directory of the concourse pointed out a number of registered and likely gambling houses. But they were too legal and clean for his tastes. Emkir wanted a dirty little place behind the scenes and games that were "more exciting than legal". Alone on the docks, Emkir passed a group of vargr spacers and had a flash back to the fight on Inthe. So, Emkir decided he wanted to get something legal to defend himself with on the docks. The local restrictions were "knives only", so he went looking for a knife.
Selling The ATVSitting on the bridge, Aiden got a call to the ship from a man who identified himself as "Mr. Raina Aiudi", representing Naagshia Miisi Enterprises. He asked to speak to the ship's supernumery of cargo. Assuming the man meant the ship's supercargo, Aiden comm'd Zach, who was in the ship's crew lounge working on his gunnery training. Once transferred, the man re-introduced himself as an agent for Naagshia Miisi Enterprises, and said he'd learned their ship had an ATV in speculative cargo. He asked if the Captain was selling the cargo in this port? Zach said they were planning to sell the ATV at their ship's next stop. As he spoke, Zimzod overheard Zach's side of the conversation.
The agent bid Cr 25,000 for the vehicle, which sold "on average" for Cr 30,000 on the open market. Zach said this price was too low and they haggled back and forth as Zimzod listened to Zach. The agent eventually upped his bid to Cr 30,000. Zach had him hold, and then asked Zimzod what he thought about the deal? The former marine was against the deal saying, "We'll get double that for it on Jae Tellona." Zach debated the point with him, and the short conversation ran along Zach's failures to make significant earnings from Zimzod and the former marine's lack of merchant background from Zach.
Eventually, Ms. Vik, who was still in the lounge having breakfast, said, "You know... There's no guarantee the ATV will go for any special price on Jae Tellona." Zimzod stuck to his opinion and pushed Zach to get Mikah into the conversation. Mikah, who had already left for the docks, wanted to know how it was that the agent even knew they had the ATV in cargo? As they talked, it was asked if the ATV had special modifications, such as radiation protection, which would make it extremely valuable in this system. Zach did a quick check finding there was nothing special about the ATV. In fact, it might even be worth a bit less than the average price.
Familiar with merchant cargo procedures, Zach explained that any cargoes registered with the port were put on the port's merchanter registry to foster activity in the port. This usually helped merchant captains, saving them the need to advertise cargoes for sale while in port. When the Skipping Stone transferred registered cargo to their ship, the port changed the ship assignments on the cargo in the registry. Zach gave his estimated value of the ATV and the value of selling now to a willing buyer, rather than the risk of hauling it to Jae Tellona. Zimzod grudgingly went along when Mikah told Zach to, with Ms. Vik's permission, sell off the ATV for the best price he could get from the agent. Ms. Vik agreed, so long as the money was split in the manner the crew agreed to in the Inthe System.
Mikah, who'd prefer the entire amount went into ship's funds, agreed to Inger's request and Zach picked up the comms with the trader, Mr. Aiudi. Again, they haggled and Zach tried his best to push the price to KCr 35 but could only get up to KCr 31. But, once the sale was agreed to, the man brightened and said he could send his crew to pick the cargo up. That saved both parties the costs of the station moving the cargo. Once the papers were approved on both sides, Zach sent a copy to the port's Merchanter Support Offices to officially register the deal.
Hearing the whole thing, Zimzod realized they needed to either let the movers into the cargo bay to get the ATV or move it into the berth themselves. He asked Zach if there was a way to move the cargo container? Zach thought before remembering the ship had nothing when they took control of it. The lifters they'd need would cost tens of thousands of credits, so he said they couldn't move it until the team arrived. He only suggested that they could pay fees to the port to do it? Zimzod thought that was nearly as bad as the first option regarding ship's security as he realized they'd have to trust someone. Accepting that, they both went back to training until the cargo crew arrived from Naagshia Miisi Enterprises.
Rol's Brush With The LawIn the terminal shops, Rol had been perusing the aisles of a store selling general merchandise, looking for anything that struck his interest, when he was rudely shoulder bumped by another shopper. Immediately, the other man stopped and apologized, making a great effort to be sure Rol's duster wasn't disheveled and that he was ok. Realizing what was likely happening, Rol reached for his pockets, to safeguard his valuables, to have his hand meet the would-be pickpocket's! Knowing he was caught, the thief backed off to flee but Rol grabbed his hand trying to hold him. The sudden grab wasn't firm, and the pick pocket pulled loose as he turned to flee.
Rol sprinted after the man, and tackled him in the aisle. As the man went down, he suddenly screamed that he was being attacked as he tried to turn the tables on Rol. The thief collapsed to the floor in an embryonic pose, screaming for help against "his attacker" as Rol rose to stand over the criminal. The customers and staff in the shop all seemed caught in shock as they looked up and around, trying to understand what was happening? As this unfolded, Rol decided he was safe keeping the criminal in place and waiting for station security.
When a two-man security team arrived, they cut through the store, demanding Rol let the man stand while also demanding ID's. Rol handed his ident off and, after a short attempt at blustering, the criminal did too. All the same, the thief accused them of favoring the spacer against an established and respected member of the community. Ever the professionals, the security team separated duties as one man went over the documents and the other watched to be sure no one bolted. There was a pause as the first checked the surrendered Idents. He finished as a second security team arrived, and one of those appeared higher in rank. Still, they didn't interrupt the proceedings. The first officer asked both Rol and the presumed stationer to come to offices and work the issue out.
Rol agreed, and said the station's security cameras should show the truth. Allowing him to finish his statement, the ranking security officer told Rol the camera feeds would be consulted once they were in offices and could resolve the issue quietly. Rol accepted this and calmly went with the officers as did the stationer. But as soon as the pick pocket saw his opportunity, as they passed through corridors crowded with shoppers, he bolted into a packed concourse in the shopping sector. The Security "Sergeant" held up, advising Rol to stay with him as two of the other three officers broke after the fleeing man. The security man told Rol, "Please come this way. Obviously, things have changed, but we'd appreciate you coming with us to complete a report. Rol agreed and went with them.
A Glittering Hole In The WallAs Emkir wandered into the port shopping concourse past customs, he found a store with knives and other station-legal toys. Spending the minimum time shopping, he chose a decent and serviceable large fighting knife for Cr 45. Emkir hung the scabbard from his belt in an easy to reach location. With a defensive weapon he could use as a short sword, though lacking the skill, Emkir went looking for the less reputable games he might do better at than the casinos. Searching for rogues among the crowd, Emkir found a man he convinced to direct him. The man took him off the concourse, into those halls which led to offices and storage or service rooms. As they traveled, the passages degraded in quality, less clean and maintained, finally meeting two other men in what appeared to be a darkened dead end.
The two stopped Emkir and his guide, and demand Emkir surrender his newly bought knife. Facing three on one, Emkir feared he'd walked into a trap but saw no other options. Removing the knife from its scabbard, Emkir moved to hand it off, but one of the pair opened a sliding door to expose a dimly lit cupboard with weapons piled in it. For the briefest of fleeting instances, Emkir considered dropping his knife into the cupboard and drawing back an "upgrade" from the pile. But he quickly reconsidered, knowing this wasn't optional. With the knife safely stored, the pair demanded Emkir stand spread eagle in the dim light. They scanned him to prove he wasn't still armed before stepping aside to reveal the barest hint of a door beyond. As the two stepped aside, and one raised a guiding hand, the former Admiral stepped into the door.
Within, Emkir found a secret gaming den, complete with rowdy tables and gaming systems busy with the blood, sweat and the wagers of his fellow vermin. Like termites in a hidden hole, eaten or rotted from the wood, the illegal gaming den twisted with knots of activity. Moving from knot to knot, at first to get a feel for the games, Emkir finally let some of the weariness guide him as he sat and laid coin on table. Recognizing he was tired, Emkir committed himself to playing the games lightly and conserving his remaining cash if he couldn't increase it.
Gems, Gowns And GlyphsMikah found the display of Risek minerals easily, and spent a number of hours enjoying and learning from the displays and samples. She learned that almost all samples from the surface were rich in radiation, except those from the deepest drilled core samples. The most rare were translucent gemstones which rarely came up, embedded in mining core samples. Such stones were often of extreme cost for their rarity. Eventually Mikah finished up in the inevitable souvenir shop where she spent Cr 45 on a handful of polished and unpolished stones. She was disappointed that no actual translucent gemstones were sold there. These remained for the jewelry shops, due to their extreme cost. Done with the display, Mikah went out to window shop along the station's many concourses. She considered that she had only one gown in her stateroom as they were getting closer to Rhylanor. She knew they would likely have to attend many parties and functions.
Considering buying a gown, Mikah checked a concourse guide and did some specialized searches in the station data engine. She was quickly given a list of shops and clothiers with a menu of costs from high to quick. As she read that, she recalled the aphorism, "Quick, Good, Reasonable: Choose two." Making her choice, Mikah decided to check into a somewhat higher priced haute couture designer. When she got to the shop, Mikah found it was a very elegant looking space where it turned out one of the "rooms" was a body scanner. The process she found was that she would work with the designer on taking a design from scan to light-brush altered finished gown. The deal was that Mikah would pay ten percent of the gown's cost up front and the rest if she wanted the gown made. The estimate she paid in advance was Cr 250 and she returned to the ship with a printout.
While Mikah was doing her bit as tourist and shopper, Sir Brian was engaged in a vastly different exploration. Long fascinated by legends, myths and their histories, Brian spent his time exploring through those passages and less modern sections of the station he could reach as a tourist, and in the time available. With a Cr 10 guide bought on the main concourses and his expertise, Brian eventually uncovered a number of features including a mosaic, with script written in a language he didn't recognize. He took several pictures to work on later, along with the other puzzles he'd collected in his travels. Also along his travels, Brian found a local eatery favored by the port residents and workers where he spent Cr 10 on food.
Cash And TourisimIn the ship, Zach did more work at his training, until there was a buzz from the entry to the ship's berth. Checking a screen, he could see there were a group of what appeared to be ship's crew. Securing from the training, Zach went down to the entrance and saw their jumpsuits had patches from the ship "Aga-Pito". When he comm'd through the barrier, they said they were there to get the ATV agreed to and transfer payment. Since they didn't have identification from Naagshia Miisi Enterprises, Zach asked them for that and documentation. They turned over their documents, and Zach checked the details before letting them into the berth.
As he was opening the berth, he called to Zimzod from the ship, to join him watching the men. Once they entered the berth, Zach led them to the ship's cargo doors and activated the controls as he watched for Zimzod. The team began setting up their gear and Zimzod arrived as they worked. Zach connected his comp to the station and confirmed both that there was a ship named "Aga-Pito" in port and it was owned by Naagshia Miisi Enterprises. Soon, the team connected their grav-lifters to the container and moved it out of the bay into the berth. There, they could more easily access the container's documentation pad. Sparking up the pad, they confirmed the details of the cargo.
With that done, the leader of the team used his hand computer to release the funds into a station-provided holding account for the berth. Zach quickly moved the payment to the ship's account. He expected that the funds would be shared out to the crew, including himself, once everyone returned to the ship. With the transfer done and the team from the Aga-Pito and the container out of the berth, Zach returned to the lounge for a snack before more gunnery simulations.
Having had lunch after returning to the ship, Ms. Vik talked with Mikah. They decided she'd call the station offices to set up an appointment with Dessie for 11 am the next day. Once that was done, Inger decided to do what she'd intended on that long past morning in the Porozlo System when she retired. She grabbed her camera, and a few items from her stateroom, and headed onto the station to be a tourist.
After giving his report in the security offices, Rol went back to shopping before returning to the ship for dinner. He window shopped weapons and survival gear for anything to improve his reactions to the unexpected. Rol first found a survival knife he could justify buying, and spent Cr 100 on the tool. Next, he found a shop carrying the materials needed to repair combat composite. He bought a 2x2 feet sheet for his supplies for Cr 50.
In the ship's bridge, Aiden also made plans as he searched the station-web for anything of interest to do. While he was looking for stylish mechanical weapons, Aiden found a listed gallery of captured Zhodani hand weapons. Aiden was very interested in this and decided to visit it once his stint on bridge duty was done. Meanwhile, at the tables, Emkir was having a bad afternoon and realized his wits were not helping him. Having lost Cr 40, Emkir decided to leave off chasing bad money with good and headed back to the ship after retrieving his knife. Again, his hopes rose as he thought they'd let him reach into the cupboard to pull an 'upgrade'. But that wasn't the way it was done. One of the door guards retrieved his knife even as he was exiting the hall, and he had it handed to him as he passed them to return to the docks.
Dinner Comes And GoesAs dinner time neared on the ship, Zach set to cooking for the crew as they returned. Foregoing the promising scent, Emkir just hit his stateroom and collapsed in bed. When she arrived, Mikah first stowed her new stones in her gem and mineral collection in her stateroom. She set a drawing in her desk of the gown design she contracted a haute couture designer to create. She'd had her body scanned in 3D for the designer and they agreed the designer would deliver a "visually stunning" black gown of classic cut with a spray of sparkling "starlet" material the next day. The gown, with a set of accessories she had selected, cost her Cr 2,500 and was being made from the finest in breathing fabrics which the designer had in her studio. Mikah wanted the drawings hidden, not only for a surprise factor, but because the drawings also revealed the in-built and camouflaged panels for discreetly carrying a hand gun or accessing a thigh scabbard.
Once Mikah stowed her purchases, she came out to relax until the cooking was done. Rol also stored what he bought in his stateroom before joining the others in the lounge for chow. Taking a break from the bridge as the others returned, Aiden joined them in the lounge and looked for Emkir, hoping for relief so he could be a tourist. Not seeing the Admiral, Aiden's heart dropped as he asked who wanted to take over bridge duty? Zimzod volunteered, but Mikah vetoed that quickly as he was not flight qualified. She then considered her position before, less quickly, saying she'd do it. Mikah took the bridge once she'd eaten, but it wasn't what she wanted to do with her evening. As they ate, the crew discussed the money from the ATV sale and the Cr 31,000 was broken up as they'd agreed on Inthe. Ship's funds got Cr 9,304, Mikah and Zimzod each got Cr 7,362 and the rest got shares of Cr 1,162.
After eating, Zimzod checked the station-web for merchant bars and found one in startown that was likely to be what he wanted. After dinner was digested a bit, Zimzod said he planned to head out. Aiden said he could join Zimzod later, as he was going to check out a display. Zimzod asked what kind of display and Aiden said it was a hall of captured Zhodani weapons. Aiden left to enjoy the collection in his standard kit, but without weapons. Zach and Zimzod went to clubs on the port but Zimzod made sure they were different clubs. Zach wasn't out for anything special and set aside his money so he was only carrying Cr 500. Ms. Vik spent the evening seeing the sights before returning to the ship at a cost of Cr 30. Zimzod went to the merchant bar with a menacing smile to raise a little hell. On the bridge, Mikah relaxed and gave herself a pedicure. Emkir slept as Brian dug deeper into research on the computer, looking into the things he had found on the station and making plans for the next day.
_________________________________________________________________________ Next: Waiting To Leave