It Ain't My Fault
Posted on Sun Feb 7th, 2021 @ 10:16am by Alden Loxley & Alison Bliss & Karen Dawson MD & James Thomson & Daiyu & Jonas Bailey & Kindra Graham
Mission:
Six Days to Santo
Location: Santo - Fortune's Echo
Timeline: Day 24 - Too Early in the Morning
A cool October ocean breeze was at their backs as the two men crossed the top of the cliff and approached the Firefly's big cargo door. It was, Alden noted happily, closed and secured, the ship quiet. Hopefully everyone had slept well, safe and sound inside the familiar old hulk. He looked to Whit beside him, lightly rubbed his visible bruises, traced a fingertip along that uneven cut above his left eye and grimaced. "Here goes nuthin'," Alden said.
Hand on the outer coded entry panel, the Echo's captain deliberately entered the wrong numbers three times, then stepped back, arms held out to his sides as he waited for the internal alarms to wail everyone awake with their ungodly siren song.
"Trust me," Alden told the Shepherd beside him. "It'll be safer this way."
Whit grinned at Alden's choice of tactics. "It's your rodeo, Captain Alden."
Kindra gasped and rolled out of her bunk naked, hands over her ears. "Jing tian dwohn di go shi!" Earthshaking shit, a hull breach? No, the ship was on the ground. A fire alarm? A warning of some kind?
She grabbed her robe and threaded her hands through the red silk sleeves doing her best to keep at least one ear covered. Kindra tied the belt around her waist, grabbed her bag, then stumbled out the door, hands over her ears. She didn't smell anything burning as she wound her way down the stairs to answer the siren call. Another crewmember joined her in the cargo bay, and it finally occurred to Kindra that someone like Howson could have set off an alarm from outside. "I suppose fireflies don't come equipped with a doorbell?"
Alison woke up hearing the alarm and sat up reaching for the gun before she was fully awake.
"Ung Jeong Jia Ching Jien Soh." She cursed and stood up. Putting away the gun, she grabbed short silk robe and tied it to cover her nude form, picked the faithful gun again, and barefoot rushed toward the ramp. It had better be something worth her rush or she might shoot whoever was trying to get in.
Moving nimbly past Kindra, she laughed.
"This isn't a cruise ship, my dear."
Daiyu ran screaming at the top of her lungs down the corridor into the cargo hold. Her hands were held over her ears as her vocal chords nearly began to harmonize with the alarm.
Kindra intercepted Daiyu by stepping into her path and holding her gently but firmly by the shoulders. She winced at the double onslaught of the alarm and the girl's high-pitched scream. "Shh, xiao mei mei, calm yourself," she soothed. "Whatever it is, Alison can handle it. And together we can help by staying back, out of the way."
"So. LOUD!" Daiyu cried. "Make it STOP!"
"I know it's loud. I'm sorry. I wish I could make it stop, but I don't know how. I'm sure someone will turn it off any moment," said Kindra in the most reassuring voice she could manage under the circumstances.
James had arrived amidst the affray but had hung back, opting to lazily sit atop one of the cargo containers, a bowie knife resting precariously over his legs. It as obvious he had just woken up like the rest of them, his hair was a next and he still had his short and tank top sleepwear on. As much as he was tempted to join Alison and check on Alden he figured he'd hang back and wait till things were more relaxed.
Jonas was the last one to arrive, to his own chagrin. The blaring siren had been enough to wake him up, but it was still too early in morning. He'd pulled on a pair of shorts, grabbed some flip-flops, and his gun. He paused on the catwalk when he saw what the whole fuss about and smiled. Alden was back.
As the airlock churned open and the cargo ramp finally descended, Alden rested a hand on Whit's shoulder and pointed to the first person to materialise into their view. "That," he told the Shepherd, quietly and with great authority so as to keep the words between the two of them, "is my First Mate, Alison. She's mad at me right now, but don't let that worry ya."
"Ali!" Alden called across the distance, beaming a smile from his filthy face as he hoped to head her off at the conversational pass. Maybe she wouldn't notice the marks or the stink, but he doubted he'd get off that easy. "Come meet our paying client, Lucius Whitaker."
Alison, with hands folded behind her back, where she held the gun, watched Alden and the handsome man that was with him. Her body was seemingly relaxed with her long legs presenting alluringly from under short golden robe, on the top of the ramp.
"What is he paying with?" She asked Alden wryly but was looking at Lucius. "I thought you were in prison, how come this fine gentleman bothered to get you out and did not come directly to us here instead?"
Opening his mouth to answer, Alden closed it again as the Shepherd beside him verbally stepped in between them. He was intrigued to see this dynamic up close, given the time they needed to spend on the ship together, but Ali wasn't winning any prizes for her welcoming manner right now.
"My, aren't you made of questions?" Whit mused aloud. His smirk was a sly one. "Not sure why you'd assume I got him out of jail. Might be a touch of Providence, that one. I've been doing the Lord's work, which don't regularly send me wandering around the world hoping to stumble on the right ship." Nodding at Alden, he was more than willing to leave him to Ali's questioning. "Anywho, since I'm here now and all paid up, how's about somebody haul my trunk down yonder up into the cargo hold. These hands ain't as strong as they used to be."
"I haven't seen the money..." Alison pointed out moving her eyes on Alden but otherwise remaining motionless. "What's going on here, captain?"
"Ali," Alden said, directly and with frustration clear in his tone. "Can you please show our paying client, and a Shepherd no less, some respect? He's paid in advance, he's the person we were waiting for in the bar yesterday, and it's all agreed. Ghost charter," he reminded her pointedly. "Remember?" Then, to Whit, he added. "'Pologies for the harsh greeting there, Shepherd. Like I said, it'll be me, my pilot's mad at, not your good self."
Whit grinned at Alden and waggled his eyebrows as he left the captain to deliberate alone with the robed woman. "Been awhile since I've been on a Firefly," Whit said to no one in particular as he stepped around Ali. He propped his hands behind his neck so he could crane his head all the way back to stare at the catwalks and ceiling. "Each one is a little different. Like they were hand-built without a factory line. This one ain't bad at all."
Relief at seeing Alden, free and alive standing there with Whit, had rendered Kindra temporarily speechless. Now she came closer and held out her hand in greeting. "I must say, Shepherd Whit, it is a pure pleasure to see you again."
"If a Companion genuinely glad to see a Shepherd's return ain't evidence of God's own goodness, then, well, I don't know what is." Whit dipped his head in greeting toward Kindra, then as if wrestling with the notion before committing to it, he spread his arms to offer of a discreet hug.
Kindra stepped into the Shepherd's embrace and returned his hug with all the warmth and dignity of an old friend. Then she stepped back and adjusted her robe, aware that the reason for her failed search for nail varnish remover was plainly evident on her bared toes. "I genuinely appreciate your shepherdly acceptance, and your apparent ability to work miracles." She tilted her head in Alden's direction.
With a raised eyebrow and an upward nod, Alden acknowledged Kindra's unexpected presence. But of course, of course she'd seek his ship, his crew... she'd come to the jail hadn't she? But why... why was she on Santo? And why was she here now? Had she slept here? He remained on the ground outside for now, mind running thoughts as he watched her greet the Shepherd. Did they know each other too?
"Not a miracle worker." Whit chuckled with a glint in his eye. "Just a peacemaker." He'd returned the embrace once Kindra initiated, and neither did he linger nor pull away quickly. "I hear tell you plan to come along for the ride to Ghost."
She recalled their conversation of the day before. "Looking for that lost sheep, Shepherd? Since Fortune's Echo is headed to Ghost, that's where I'm going." Kindra glanced in Alden's direction, then gave the shepherd a rueful smile. "As long as Captain Loxley doesn't mind another paying passenger."
He stood there like a dumb idjit, simply taking all this in. Kindra with her painted toes. The smooth operator of a client he'd just walked here. James and Jonas lurking professionally. Alison fuming. Yup, home sweet home.
Alison wasn't surprised seeing that Kindra knew the shepherd. She eyed the handsome man, then glanced at Alden and shaking her head turned around. All that alarm blaring for nothing. She thought that it meant to be a sign or something but, it seemed like a misunderstanding. Barefoot blonde relaxed, secured the pistol, and walked back toward the stairs and not stopping headed back to her cabin. Whatever this was... Alden can deal with it especially that Kindra decided to run her presence through him anyway.
Jonas had slowly made his way down the stairs and onto the cargo bay floor with others. "That's the loudest doorbell I've ever heard. Might wanna get that looked at."
"Wasn't sure you guys wouldn't shoot on sight, way yesterday went down," Alden said, half-heartedly joking as he strolled up the cargo ramp, dragging Whit's trunk along with him. His gaze tracked from Jonas and James to follow Ali's exit path for a moment, then he shrugged that physical statement off with a weary sigh, mustered up a bright smile and pushed the Shepherd's trunk against Jonas' choice of crates.
"Y'all alright?" He asked the two men first, concern in his gaze as he did so. "One of you move this up to the free crew room for the Shepherd for me."
James nodded in reply to Alden's question before jumping up to his feet, tucking his knife into the band of his shorts. "Sure thing, Cousin, glad to have you home," He said smiling as he clapped Alden on the shoulder before collecting as much luggage as he could carry and making for the Shepherds new roo.
His eyes asked his second question of them first - What's the story with Kindra? - but then Alden turned to finally answer the Companion's own.
"Ghost's pop'lar all of a sudden," Alden told them both with a wonky grin. "Am I missing something here?" He didn't really expect an answer of any depth in that regard. "And, no, of course I don't mind another paying customer taking the trip," he stated evenly for Kindra. "But I figure Ali's offered you a free ride already?
Sleep snarls were all in Karen's hair, but seeing Alden out of prison? She did not care about appearances. She gave a genuine smile to him as she leaned in the doorway that led to the infirmary.
A mildly pained, but warmly offered openmouthed grin shot back at the Echo's resident physician, and Alden's body reminded him that he needed to go speak to her later, hopefully grab some pain meds.
Content that things were well and good once more, Karen walked back towards the dorms to finish her rest.
Kindra paused with the momentary appearance of the doctor, then replied to Alden. "Alison offered me a free ride, but I insisted on paying." She didn't feel comfortable taking advantage of any lingering sense of indebtedness Alden and Alison might feel toward her, but she also didn't want to offend them. Her smile was genuine and hopeful. "We can argue about it later if you'd like, after you've gotten some rest."
Alden canted his head to the side at this revelation, but nodded. Maybe it was better to let that one be between Ali and Kindra, he didn't need to argue the details if both women were content with said deal. Besides, seeing the Companion again was pulling up a whole bunch of emotions Alden was definitely too exhausted to deal with right now.
"Maybe not argue," he suggested with a worried look. "Maybe discuss. Over food. After a shower." That elicited a facial expression that mixed guilt and wistful memories. "I mean, I need a shower.. cos.. yeah... Might grab some shut-eye too." He cast a look over to James and Jonas again. "You want anything from town, grab it now, then get to stowing stuff for take-off." He cycled a weary breath, then added. "Please."
Yup, definitely needed some quality time with hot water and a bunk.
Daiyu came rushing from the galley with a covered tray in hand. "Captain!" she squealed merrily. "I made you dinner!" She stopped short when she got downwind of him. "Ugh! You smell like Alison looks. Let me go put this up in your bunk. It will be waiting for you after you wash yourself."
That fuzzy warm feeling he felt whenever someone else made him food was overtly apparent on Alden's filthy face as Daiyu announced the best gift anyone could hope for after a night away somewhere dark. He took a step closer to the young woman and hit her with all the smile he had left. "Thank you, Mei Mei," Alden said with heartfelt affection. "Best welcome home, ever." A pause and he pointed in the direction of the internal steps. "Lead the way."
Kindra watched Alden make his way up the steps with Daiyu, the scar-faced girl he'd risked his life and freedom to protect, to eat the meal she'd prepared for him. Kindra recalled another ship and warm anpan buns shared with a handsome pilot so charming she broke all her companion rules. Short term joy at the cost of long term hurt. She leaned against the open cargo door and looked out at Santo, thoughtfully considering her immediate options. Not until she was chilled through by the cool October morning, did she return to her assigned room to meditate on fate, and chance, and balance in the 'verse.
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