It seemed to cut space like the fire of an oil lamp swung in a gentle air, even as it rested at the sequestered port landing beside the jungle. Haleen made barely a ripple in the flow of Nebari busily preparing the vessel while she approached and moved along its sides in admiration. At first she had admired the unmistakably Delvian vessel from a distance, but its passionate lines beckoned her to touch.
As she ran her hand along the surface of a shape suggesting a bowing wing ledge near mid center, her eyes carried upward. The vessel's top was a suggestion of a flat deck, not actually flat as much as it seemed so in its contrast to the balance of the ship, the hull streaming beneath in a sweeping shape, like a fine blade. Ascended above the vessel hull proper were two flat cylinder shapes, which, she found herself musing, the Nebari would not likely know the function of.
Haleen followed her hand to the bottom of the helm nose that rose up and jutted forth something more like the raising head of some sea mammal. Noises from within the vessel caught her attention, likely the sounds of the Nebari attempting repairs.
Slinking through the sharp oval entrance, Haleen's eyes searched the stripped interior with lazed expectation of finding traces of its former beauty. Most of what met her eyes was stripped to the metal framework and inner panels, damaged, filthy and corroding. Iachi appeared to be the only Nebari not loading supplies, being occupied with repairs to a damaged wall that had clearly been patched many times before.
Despite the loss of the comfortable, lavish fittings and décor, there were still faded reminders of what it once was. Fine tin trims of a copperish, golden bronze still lined areas that some scavenger or another neglected to try to peel off the glorious galleon.
Haleen drew in a breath of swelling pride at being aboard the bold craft, despite the fact that it had obviously seen more than its fair share of days. Her eyes swept across the crates of cargo lying loosely about the bay. Here and there, wispy black traces of a Delvian symbol were visible between the cargos. The meaning soon became clear, her hands drawing up absently to the sides of her head in prostrate poise of respect as she gazed upon the symbol.
Shian watched the Delvian from the corner of an eye as she placed another crate down on the floor. It wasn't that she thought of watching the exotic woman so much as feeling it would be amiss not to. Her attention lingered on Haleen even as she turned to walk from the bay; Haleen seemed to be approaching Iachi.
When she reached the ramp leading from the ship's bay, Shian smiled to herself; the unsettling Delvian woman could frell Iachi until they made the Port of Esuren for all it mattered to her. But the smile only lasted a few steps down the ramp before being turned into a subtle sneer. It was simply too worrisome to consider the fact that Iachi was much like his friend Nerri in that he may not be the best person to be looking after himself. Shian's tongue ran under the stud beneath her lower lip and she cast a moment's concerned glance back toward Iachi.
"Do you know this vessel?" Haleen posed the query to Iachi as she swayed up beside him. Haleen's eyes strayed lavishly over the lanky Nebari's lean body, sweaty and partly bared by the short-sleeved work shirt of rather thin light gray cloth partly covered by a black leathern open sleeveless vest, and loose, low-slung dark gray britches, their excessive length pooled at his feet.
"There may be rampant rumor to the contrary, but I can do some repair work," Iachi glanced to her, flashing his boyishly handsome charm.
Haleen's eyes lingered on the lead-like sheen Nebari lips could take where reflecting when taut, the middle of the man's lips taking on a frosty gloss between the light and his smile. "I know what the designer of this vessel was meaning. Do you believe you understand what was thought?"
"No. But I believe I do know that the designer doesn't want to know what I am thinking," he slightly grit his teeth at trying to weld a patch in place only to have it separate further with his attempts to place it better.
"Would that be odd?" Shian asked, appearing at his other side to hold the piece in place. He glanced at her before turning to the weld. Shian broke out a smile. "He's good with a welder but he doesn't usually break a sweat," Shian added.
"Sweat," Haleen noted with a downturn of the corners of her mouth, her face hovering just over Iachi's upper arm in apparent interest. "Fascinating animal responses," Haleen almost savagely added.
Shian's eyes widened slightly, but her gaze grew more pointed. Haleen lifted her eyes to Shian, as if sensing her thoughts, a lazy amusement in her eyes. Shian grabbed at the stubble of hair stood at end at the nape of her neck and turned to work loading more cargo.
Haleen languidly followed Shian with her gaze for a few moments. Iachi smiled as he rested with his elbow against the ships cargo hold wall, resting the side of his head on his fist. Haleen seemed unnoticing as he stared down at the generous view of her breasts through her shirt.
"Are you open to all forms of... experiences?" he asked the plump cleavage. "It's a big enough ship to catch a place alone you know ... ah, how far are you going?"
"The Port of Esuren," Haleen narrowed her eyes lavishly as she set a foot on the bench running across the wall, drawing the bare knee across the outside of his thigh until she was nearly against him. She smiled as her hand came up and began to gently slide into the space between the latches of his jacket at his chest. "Hmm, you're a little on the frail side. Maybe we shouldn't. If I kill you the others will be too upset to take me."
"Oh," Iachi looked up into her red eyes as he ran the hand his head was resting on through his hair. "Kill me baby ..."
Haleen let out an amused breath as she slipped from him, drawing her attention to a thin crevasse between slates of the wall. "The fate of your previous vessel was oddly met," she stated as she drew her long fingers out towards the wedge, subtly tensing with some force until Iachi could hear something scattering within the crevasse like nails grating against metal. Soon little shrieks of terror and pain screeched from the crevasse as Haleen adjusted herself, leaning forward slightly with gaining interest on the thin crevasse. "It's not easy to acquire a Delvian vessel such as this one..."
"No ... ahhh," Iachi shook his head, gaping as he watched a thin, reddish creature suddenly curve its large flat head from out of the crevasse. A centipedal body with hundreds of little spikes for legs followed, writhing agonized as it shrieked. Haleen snatched the creature with astounding speed, pulling the rest of it out of the crevasse. Haleen held the creature up at nearly an arms' length to inspect it, as it snaked from side to side in obvious pain. "We just made arrangements with some... one through the temple, its not any indication of alliances if that's what you, ah... mean," Iachi shrugged as he took an involuntary step back. "You know how it goes, you get whatever you can get your hands on."
"But you wouldn't admit to have stolen it," Haleen observed to the strange, insectoid creature as she ran her other hand down its agonized body.
"This wreck? More like they stole from us," Iachi remarked sardonically in spite of the appalled stare wilting his face.
"Really?" she looked to him with a subtle undercurrent of dangerous displeasure. "A vessel like this one ... belongs to our own resistance. Not even our elders of Delvia would tolerate the existence of it if it weren't for the warriors guild. By right I could claim this ship from you."
Haleen curved her head, her red eyes delecting over Iachi from her lavish brow as she opened her mouth in tilt just beneath the creatures writhing end. Iachi swallowed, a look of distaste subtly straining his features as the Delvian woman then promptly sucked the tormented thing into her mouth like tucharan spaghetti. She barely even chewed, closing her eyes in relish of some kind of pleasure in partaking of the disturbing meal.
"Wykat's," she explained to Iachi before pausing to give her thumb a sucking lick. "Not as dangerous as some of the other metal-eating beasts but ... delicious for a pest."
"I'll take your word for it," Iachi winced his smile as Nerri set down a capsule with weighted exaggeration.
Nerri looked to Haleen, then to Iachi, with an apparent warning glance suggesting they should be finding a few capsules to load into the ship. All gazes were distracted by a ruckus, as Shian herded a large, purple and orange-plumed flightless bird from its uninvited stroll about the cargo hold and back out into the jungle. Iachi appeared to be somewhat beside himself, at least not reacting as if he'd noticed. Nerri nudged his head to Haleen. "Do you have some sort of intention to commandeer my vessel? Haleen ..." Nerri narrowed his gaze slightly, his face subtly raising.
"None in the least," Haleen spoke assuringly as she began to fill her pipe with a herbal mixture from a small pack at her belt. "But surely you have come to understand our position with the rest of Delvia if you know colony camps like this one. They do not appreciate our efforts, they think of us as renegades who should be regarded as such. If it weren't for the Helis'nidurai, the warriors guild, they could so easily just hand us over to our enemies or imprison us for criminal charges of their own."
"Sounds kind of familiar," Nerri gave a wry smirk as he side cast his eyes. "But your resistance isn't against Delvia."
Haleen sighed contemptibly in agreement as she packed the herbs into her pipe, drawing the stem up to her lips. She spied Nerri digging through crates for some item or other a few moments before continuing. "Long before Delvia decided to be a peaceful, harmonious people there was Helis'nidurai. It is our most ancient sect of warrior guardians. You're using incompatible weld, fair Nebari," Haleen absently remarked to Iachi. She turned her attention to setting a lighter to her smoke.
"What?" Iachi stared at his repairs, the welds losing cohesion from the damaged metal of the ship as he watched. He scratched the back of his head, interrupted by Silan placing armfuls of material analysis equipment onto the floor next to Iachi and walking back further into the ship. Iachi curled his upper lip at the prospect of having to use the mound of equipment to formulate a suitable weld. "Oh," he answered himself with his shoulders slumping.
Haleen abruptly returned her attention from lighting her smoke. "The warrious guild would be extinct if it weren't for the reality of the Goddess' recurring need of it to - sanctuary, warriors such as our resistance from even our own dignitaries and elders," she exhaled in a flat amusement at her own thoughts. "Though far be it from the conservative among Delvia to admit to such uncomfortable aspects of being... Hmm ... when you were around the temple, did you observe the dress of some of the guards posted during the celebrations? Some are fairly hardcore traditionalists, even in the Helis'nidurai. You'll see every member of the warriors guild that is the heart of the Helis'nidurai in traditional dress."
"I guess," Nerri looked away as he scratched at the back of his neck. "If you don't mind Haleen ... grab something will you? We've a megra to load still, and we've got to get moving."
"Of course," Haleen spoke with amusement as she prowled around Nerri, gazing down over him as she puffed life into the coals of her pipe. "You are a bold man to ride in a Delvian galleon, Nerri," she noted quietly. "It is a war ship after all."
Nerri coughed slightly at the swarm of smoke around his head, giving her a peculiar, suspicious look in the tilt of his head as he watched her leave ahead of him.
"Haleen," he called after her, gazing into her eyes without sway when she turned around. "I - believe the ones who helped us aquire this ship are still at the helm looking over repairs," he glanced around himself before he gave an off-handed shrug. "If you aren't so sure about my ownership, you can ask them."
Haleen smiled with great amusement on him, drawing in a long drag on her pipe and letting the smoke tendril from her nostrils before she turned and continued her her way to the helm instead of leaving.
"Eeeesh," Iachi commented, all but forgotten in a corner as he briskly began to rub off his hair and coat as if the bug Haleen had eaten was crawling all over him. Nerri sighed heavily. Iachi moved to dash past him, expecting the sudden launch of Nerri's foot as he kicked Iachi in the butt, sending him towards the loading ramp.
On a surface landing pad a grating pushed aside. Chiana poked her head out, giving a cautious gaze around before she tossed Rygel up. She came out next, wondering at the pad with a peculiar notice.
She gazed up as a myriad of stars greeted her vision. "Ryge, this isn't where we came in."
"Well it's definitely where we're leaving," he grumbled as he slowed, gazing over the different ships. "Just look for anything easy to snurch ..." he narrowed his eyes with an interested hum towards a Sebacean man loading cargo into his ship. "Like that one."
Chiana didn't seem to hear as she stared up, her elbows drawing back as she tilted her head in gaze on the night sky. She closed her eyes to the cool breeze that wrapped around her aching body, her lips parting as her entire body seemed to breath with a singular, subtle motion. The sudden realization of freedom was exhilarating, more as if she could forget her wounds and just fly out into the sector without any ship ... like the one Rygel was sneaking up on. Her head curved back around like a marionette on a string, a corner of her mouth twinging slack as she looked from him to the Sebacean he was nearing. The need to draw closer didn't bring her any hesitation. She more feared missing out on what Rygel would say and end up ...
The ship was fairly large, more worthy of a three or four man crew than just a single Sebacean but Rygel assessed he must be alone apart from loading things into the cargo bay by himself, the ship was little more than a non-military cruiser. It was nearly too big of a ship for landing, more worthy of leaving by pod. Likely he had landed it to save him a few pod trips of loading much of the shipment Rygel could see of in the bay from where he stood. Rygel rubbed a finger along his earbrow, smiling as he edged his thronesled closer. A man with that much cargo, had to be a man of trade ... one just about to head somewhere to rid himself of it.
"Excuse me," Rygel cleared his throat, raising his hand for silence from Chiana as he heard her suck in her breath behind him. "But I've noticed you're planning for a fairly long trip yes? Might I assume, near the outreaches of this sector?"
The man glanced at them as he hefted a large case. "Yes ..."
"As it so happens," Rygel nodded his approval with a broad smile. "My companion and I are going that way but we've run into a very minor inconvenience towards the accessibility of our funds ..."
"I'm not taking passengers," the man narrowed his eyes with suspicion as he turned to bring a case into his ships cargo hold.
"I'm willing to ehh ..." Rygel glanced around swiftly with a weak smile as he followed. "Offer the services of my - girl slave. For your trouble of our - my transport."
Chiana hissed as if it could bring every dark mark Rygel was working up against himself into one venomous verbal attack. Rygel blinked, fear clear in his eyes as he nervously chuckled. Nesk narrowed his eyes on Chiana as she sharply turned her head to one side and jerked up the pulse pistol in her hand, aiming it at Nesk's face.
"Put that down!" Rygel growled. "Frelling yotz Chiana, just trust me!"
"Trust you?" Chiana cackled a bright laugh as she tocked her head at Nesk. "No you - you let us in that ship yeah? I think I've had enough fun playing it your way for one day Ryge."
Chiana tightened her lips into a small thin line with irritation as Rygel gave Nesk an uneasy chuckle. "Feisty as you see, but quite devoted."
"Shut up Rygel," she quipped, near to squeezing the trigger off and just taking the man's ship when his hand flashed over hers. Before she could blink in response to Nesk's sudden blur of action her pulse pistol was in his hand. Chiana gave a sharp shriek in protest with a twist of her head, burning with sudden anger she lashed out on Rygel with a wild swing of her fore-arm, catching him across the chest hard enough to send his throne sled back a step.
"She's bruised," Nesk noticed with an even calmness, seeming to be even mildly amused as he narrowed his eyes on Chiana.
"A minor ..." Rygel's smiled broadened as he searched for the right words. "Incident, I assure you. She's a fine - ah, servicer. I shall gravely regret parting with her uses. She can see into the future ..." Rygel smiled deviantly. "Enough to earn you a fair wage on your next venture here I'd gather ..."
"I see," Nesk smiled wryly to himself as he took Chiana's chin, forcing her to turn her head to him at an angle, studying the blackened bruise splashed across her face. "And supposedly you have won too many times I gather ... I'll take you as far as the Peacekeeper outpost I'm going to."
"Excellent," Rygel raised his head with an inhale through his nostrils, motioning to the remaining cargo to load. "Nebari, finish this loading."
Chiana cleared her throat, tears threatening her eyes as she swallowed. "Excuse me your eminence," she spoke through clenched teeth as she tocked her head to eye him beneath her brows. "But I think three or four bruised ribs ought to exempt me from this dren right now ..."
"Of course," Rygel gruffed as he returned his hand to rubbing his robe. "You should perhaps give them a couple - microts or something to recover."
Chiana narrowed her eyes with a dark, wry smile as she shook her head. "Oh I didn't mean mine."
"We'll be underway," Nesk nudged his head to the both of them as he picked up a case. Reluctantly Chiana picked up the one next to it and followed him into the docking bay.
Nesk brought Chiana and Rygel into a cell in his ship. Chiana slid down the wall to sitting down, trembles coming violently over her as her voice escaped through her nostrils in a frightened, ragged moan.
The sound of escaping gas filled the cluttered cell as Nesk closed the cell door and briskly stepped away. The sound was soon followed by the very distinctive smell of one of Rygel's helium farts.
"Rygel!" She rasped as her trembling hands slipped from clasping the loose top of her bodice. She gasped to herself. "I'm gonna get up ... and then I'm going to kill you!" She clenched her fist, slamming it against the wall for the emphasis she didn't dare scream out above their whispers. "So - so you better start screaming while you got the chance."
"Chiana," he spoke quickly. "Allow me to explain ... this is no fault of mine damn you! If those guards hadn't forced me ..."
"Yhuuaaa!" Chiana shrieked as she kicked a capsule, sending it sailing across the cell. She caught sight of Rygel, staring at him wildly as she snarled her face. She suddenly cackled a laugh as she gave a sharp tock of her head. "Yeah fek, you know what you're gonna do now Rygel?"
"Please!" Rygel pleaded desperately as he tried to scamper back, raising his hand at her. "Mercy! I'll pay anything! Help! Help! Mad Nebari!"
Chiana's expression seemed to drop, gaping at him in a wild daze as she slowly tilted her head to the other shoulder. Rygel promptly shuffled into one of the capsules and clamped it shut behind him. Chiana curled her lip as she kicked the capsule, sending it rolling into the back wall.
She turned away with a new, avid interest on the cell door and its lock. After some urgent inspection of the lock and door, exhaustion began weighting her. At length, she sat on the only cot to the room, feeling as if she were drowning into her exhaustion as she laid her head down. It seemed like she hadn't even closed her eyes good enough yet when the cell door opened. Chiana raised her head, her eyes unseen from the long strands of dirty hair as Nesk squatted down and quietly set two trays of food on the floor.
She could feel more than see him step up in front of her where she sat up on the small cot. His hand came to her face, his fingers holding her chin as he slightly raised and tilted her head at the same time to scrutinize the dark bruises on her face. "You're healing very quickly." She didn't answer him as his hand lifted until she stood, remaining distant as his fingers brushed down her neck. "Do you enjoy being roughed up this way?"
She looked to his eyes, staring into a cold hardness there as his hands came to loosening her belt. "Not particularly," she breathed with a low tilt of her head, her lips drawing very close to his own. "I can be allot more pleasing in other ways."
"Most slave girls can," he seemed to smile as he pushed her to sitting back down on the cot. She backed up against the wall, drawing her foot up across it as she turned her attention to him withdrawing something from the small of his back. He abruptly stopped as Rygel made a muffled whimper from somewhere.
"Is someone there?"
"Yes?" Nesk turned to the clutter in the room, searching until a light tap came from one of the capsules.
"I'm locked in!"
"... Your servant is most devoted to you isn't she?" Nesk asked, not really expecting an answer as he began to pry the capsule open. Rygel clasped his little hands to his eyes, whimpering as light filled the capsule and Nesk hefted him out.
"Just, just an accident," Rygel stammered. "I locked myself in on accident."
"Did you ..."
"Yes," Rygel slowly lowered his hands, looking to Chiana as she took two food trays Nesk left to the floor and quickly brought them closer to her cot in crouch. She began to stuff the contents into her mouth by the handfulls, paying no attention to Nesk and Rygel as the Hynerian watched her longingly. "Is that my food too?"
"It was," Nesk smirked to himself as he stood.
"Wait!" Rygel shouted after him as he began to leave. "I - I ..."
"Want your own cell?" Nesk asked expectantly as he turned his gaze again to the crouching Chiana, eating like a half starved wild animal. "Unfortunately I don't have another."
"What," Rygel began to breath in short breaths. "What did you intend to do with me?"
Nesk looked down at him as he rested his hand on the cell door. He remained unanswering as he stepped back and closed it. Rygel turned back around, sucking in his breath as he watched Chiana turn to the contents of his food tray.
