| abstract
| - Barlov is currently standing near the landing area for public shuttles, impatiently checking a small gadget on his hand every now and then. Jared is walking out of the shuttle terminal, making his way across the landing area towards the Jackal. Swiftfoot pads down the Jackal's boarding ramp, paws in her pockets. She surveys the landing pad as if looking for someone, her ears flicking. The Demarian spots Barlov before too long, and heads over that way, waving and nodding at Jared as she passes by him. Zara follows after Swiftfoot, stalking down the ramp, an unlit cigarette between her lips. As she passes out of the shadow of the Jackal, she lights up, inhaling deeply and letting the smoke trickle out of the corner of her mouth, keeping a few paces behind the Demarian. Barlov turns to face the approaching Swiftfoot. He points to three other docked vessels in order. All three are currently being loaded by men dressed in grey, unmarked uniforms. "My men will begin to fill your ship with the supplies. One of them will accompany you in order to provide you with proper jump locations. You are not to ask him any questions. The moment you arrive there, do as you are told. Things should run smoothly enough." Jared nods his head in response to Swifty as she heads to Barlov. He moves over towards the Jackal's ramp, turning to look towards the others as he waits. "Understood," the Demarian responds, inclining her head politely. Her tail flicks once, and she looks over her shoulder at the Jackal for a moment, then returns her attention to the Ungstiri man in front of her. At Swiftfoot's agreement and a brisk signal from Barlov, the uniformed men begin to load various crates onto the Jackal as well. "The Artemis is running late. If your friends do not get here soon, we leave without them." LMS Artemis enters from outside. Zara says nothing, only continues smoking. She stands hipshot, pale eyes taking in the activity around the landing pad. At the news about the Artemis, and then the selfsame ship's arrival, a humourless smile touches her face. Men in unmarked grey uniforms are currently loading crates onto three vessels and the Jackal. Barlov and Swiftfoot are standing somewhere on the side, watching. "There is it. Get ready to push those crates in there," the former Kommissar tells his men. Mely's left hand rests lightly on Sidra's arm if she allows it. The woman walks slowly, but keeping pace with Sidra. Swiftfoot's brow furrows briefly, but her expression clears as the Artemis arrives. "Ah, good," she murmurs, nodding. The felinoid flicks an ear and looks back toward the ship again, then shifts her eyes to Zara, but doesn't comment further. Sidra leads the woman, at her left, following the crew filing off of the Artemis. Her eyes are on neither, however. Rather, they're busy taking in the sights around her. Zara lifts her metallic arm for the smouldering cigarette in the corner of her mouth, taking one long, deep drag. She returns the Demarian's glance with a blank expression, then goes back to watching the activity. The Artemis' crew gets only a passing glance, of less interest than the men in grey. Jack steps off of the Artemis, taking a look around the landing pad. He spots Barlov and Swiftfoot, pointing them out to the rest. "Arnassis, Ebon, that's the contact and Swiftfoot. Go talk with them, if you will. I'm gonna go back inside an' check the cargo they're puttin on, savvy? Anyone else that wants to help, can. Hey, blind lady." Jack reaches out to grab Mely's arm. "Let's get you back inside, yeah?" Lucius exits from the IND Jackal with a cigarette clasped beetween his finger, the deathstick being non-chalantely lifted to his lips about once every five seconds, as if he times it. The Martian man takes a look around the pad Ebon saunters out of the Artemis, the overhead lights reflecting off of her darkened visor as she looks around with casual interest. One hand rests lightly on the butt of her pistol as she follows behind Jack, "How many ships are we all takin' here? Looks like a small fleet goin' on." Althea follows the group disembarking the Artemis, eyes glancing around her. With a shake of her head, she refocuses when Jack starts talking. Glancing at their contact briefly, she nods to Jack. "Yeah, I'll help." Mely appears somewhat caught off guard by the subber grab at her arm, "da....of course." the woman replies with a hint of unsurity. "Lead the way, please." Ren Arnassis chuckles. "More, t'better." Arnassis tugs his goggles up and the bandana down, around his neck. He heads towards Swiftfoot and Barlov, gesturing for Ebon to follow. "Evenin'," he greets the pair, an ironic snarl curling his lip as he approaches the Demarian. "Looks like we're in t'same shit, fer the moment," he says to her, then nods to Barlov. "Jack said yer the man to talk to about tonight." Barlov watches patiently as the crews begin to load crates onto the Artemis. It seems work on the other ships is finished. "We will be departing as soon as the last one is ready," he tells the Demarian. "The flight should prove otherwise uneventful." Arnassis is given a quick glance. "Yes. Like I told the Jackals, one of my men will go with you in order to provide jump locations. He is not to be addressed or questioned in any way. If such a thing happens, the deal is off. Let him do his work and ignore his presence. Do as you are told once we arrive and things will go smoothly." Ebon sketches a half asses salute to Jack as he leaves and she follows beside Arnassis, "Hey, Swifty, thanks again for the referral even if this does look like a cake walk." She nods to Barlov, "No questions asked, you got it," she adds, a southern lilt to her electronically filtered voice. Upon hearing the Ungstiri and Swiftfoot's voices, the only ones he really can recognize from the distance, Lucius smiles a bit to himself and approaches the Demarian's location at a fair pace. His cigarette is lowered down and forgotten about for the moment. "Hrh, looks like," Swiftfoot says, eyes narrowing slightly at Ren's 'greeting'. She eyes Barlov for a moment then. "Ask me no questions, I'll tell you no lies," the Demarian murmurs softly, her tail flicking. She then blinks at the ebon-armored figure, nodding. "No prroblem, chief. Always happy to help out an acquaintance." She takes a moment to look over the rest of the people on the landing pad, ears forward and golden eyes wide. Zara stares down the pair from the Artemis as they approach, though just as quickly, a glance dismisses them and she murmurs something under her breath to the Demarian. She sucks her cigarette down to a stub, then puts it out in the palm of her prosthetic, tucking away the end somewhere around her person. She nods her head back in the direction of the Jackal, pursing her lips slightly. From the depths of the Jackal comes a suited figure, that of the Jackal's gunsmith known as Malion. He takes his first step outside the airlock, and passes a glance towards the sky, well he would if it wasn't Ungstir, so instead he gets a nice view of the cavern's ceiling. A puzzled look comes across his face, and then he proceeds down the ramp, tucking his hands into the pockets of his jacket. Sidra merely watches the progress for the moment, lost in taking it all in, as it were. "Understandings are the base of all successful deals," Barlov notes. He nods approvingly as the last of the crates is loaded into the Artemis' cargo hold. "Board your ships. My men should be waiting on each bridge by now. No time to waste." "Oh. Well, looks like we're going the other way." Lucius notes to himself, waving to Swifty with a slight smirk. However, he then turns around and heads back onto the Jackal, motioning for Mal to come too if he will. "Against the rules to do a sweep of the cargo bay?" Ebon asks, looking to the Ungstiri and then back to Swifty. Zara turns around without waiting for a response to her quiet query, prowling back to the Jackal and thumping up the ramp, passing both Lucius and Malion in the process. Sidra shrugs to herself as she walks back to the Artemis, her head down as she seems lost in her own thoughts. Malion looks to Lucius and the mass of people, and then over his shoulder to the Jackal. The gunsmith follows in after Lucius and Zara, boarding the Jackal. Swiftfoot nods, turning abruptly and padding up the Jackal's boarding ramp, heading into the airlock with a final flirt of her tail. "I'm sure it's been done already by now, but go ahead," Barlov says and strides in the direction of another ship. Ebon nods and trots over to jump up the ramp as it rises, letting it carry her into the belly of the Artemis, "At least gotta /look/ like ah'm doin' my job," she laughs.
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)