(@Metro) The Silver Lotus, a ship located within the Andromeda district, sliced through the icy blackness as it gate warped, bending space and time to travel to a new corner of the universe. The silence that surrounded it was deafening. On the ship, there was a much different picture. Derek Cantor spoke to his mouse, a small cactus mouse named Bernadette as he sat in his chair, restrained by safety strapped that kept him secure while the ship moved through the galaxies at speeds beyond recognition. “Don’t worry, Bern,” he said quietly. “It’s almost over.” Down in the storage hold, Trevor was also strapped in, although his frame was much less tense. He leaned his head back, exhaling slowly. It had been a week since they had docked at a station; he needed a smoke.
Alexander was in his own space, an organized workshop that held his tools, gears, and other necessities. He had strapped himself in, waiting with a small frown for the ride to slow down again. As for Amira, she somewhat liked the warp, watching things dart past at unimaginable speeds. The only thing that she didn't like was any turbulence. Juliet hated the turbulence as well, but mostly because it shook things about and made messes that she would have to clean up or knocked things out of order. She could deal with it, but it was just more than the usual. Basel waited patiently, his thin fingers folded carefully as he looked around in silence, waiting for the calm to return.
A rumble can from deep within the ship as it slowed to a stop, returning to normal speeds once more. The loudspeaker came to life, and the clear voice of Captain Lewis came through. "We have now detached from the Warp Belt and all personnel are free to return normal activities. There is a meeting in the Conference Room in 10 minutes; please be on time."
Alex looked up at the speaker, his eyes clear as he unclipped himself and got back to work for a bit, finishing up his last few projects before getting up to go to the conference room. Amira stood up once they were done. She didn't have much to do at the time so she decided to head over right away. Juliet was quick to her feet, looking around for things out of place and fixing them up again with furrowed brows. She fussed over things on her way to the conference. Basel was calm and cool, going back to his desk and checking on his things before heading out, his strides long and elegant.
Trevor rolled his neck as he walked into the conference room, the bones cracking as he sat down with a heavy sigh. He rested his head on his left hand, his blond hair slipping between his fingers. Generally considered handsome, Trevor had bright green eyes reminiscent of emeralds. He had an angular face and it seemed that his eyebrow was perpetually raised in a skeptical or critical manner. Derek entered next. He looked around for a moment before taking a seat at the back of the room. His posture was clean and straight and he steepled his fingers and rested his mouth against them, waiting patiently and quietly. The captain entered once everyone had gathered. She tucked her short brown hair behind her ear, considering the crew with golden eyes. Her goggles were perched on her head and she stood in front of them, not taking a seat. "Thank you for coming," she said, her voice quiet. "This shouldn't take too long."
Alex was in his seat, leaning back with crossed arms. He was quiet, simply watching the captain. Jules was sitting quietly. She never felt like an important member of the ship, so sitting at the conference table made her feel uncomfortable. Her hands were between her legs as she frowned. Basel was sitting casually, his leg crossed as he observed the members of the ship before his attention focused on Steph. Amira was nearly as tense as Derek, but her hands were folded in front of her as if she were a student at a desk.
"I have received word of a cargo drop," she told them, her brow raised. "The coordinates are rough, but the cargo is supposed to contain a shipment that we are to process. It is supposed to reward handsomely, but the instructions we have received are cryptic and difficult to interpret. I expect complete secrecy on your part, obviously, but given the... reclusive nature of the career of everyone in this room, I hardly think that would be a problem."
Basel looked up in interest, his head tilting slightly. "Cryptic? How are they cryptic?" He seemed genuinely curious, his eyes alight.
She hesitated, but her face was notoriously difficult to read and she proceeded without any further displays of concern. "Supposedly," she began, "this bounty would remove us from work for quite some time. We could afford the repairs on the ship, we could upgrade our machinery... we could take... a break, I suppose you could say. However, the message has no indication as to what the actual treasure is, or who it came from."
Jules paused, looking up at her with an err of uncertainty. "A break..?" Alex pursed his lips before speaking in a murmur. "That's big."
"It wouldn't be permanent, of course," Stephanie amended. "I hold the belief that a career in piracy only has one end. That being said, it would be nice to be able to make some improvements."
"The ship could use a few adjustments," Alex commented, his head leaning back. The only thing that seemed to get him talking was mechanics. Jules sighed worriedly, looking around at the crew members. "Well.." Basel pressed his hands together. "We ought to try it."
“That’s the plan,” she agreed with a small nod. “We’re quite close to the coordinates now, but as I say, the location is very vague. Keep your eyes sharp. You’re all dismissed.”
(Zoop!) Days had passed of trying to find the cargo drop. Stephanie's inscrutable demeanor was constant, but as time passed, the crew would get the impression that she was growing impatient. Trevor would go off on scouting missions, taking off in his pod to split with the rest of the crew to try to locate it separately. Even this approach didn't help. One evening, though, as the crew was winding down, the loudspeaker came to life. "We have located the drop," said the Captain, her voice clear across the board. “Prepare for contact.”
The voice over the loudspeaker stirred excitement. People bristled with movement they've been keeping still for the past few days. Amira was first to react, as she generally had a more hands on job. Alexander gathered a few trinkets he had made that might help his crewmates. The other two, Juliet and Basel, didn't have much to do in situations like these. The best they could provide was aid to the others.
The cargo drop was able to be seen through the windows of the ship. A muted orange container floated in the space and as the ship attached, it began to pull the container into the cargo hold. The crew gathered around the container. It was fairly large, about 6 or 7 feet tall, and it had airtight latches along the side. Stephanie drew her gun, resting a glove on the lock. "Alright. Everyone ready?"
She passed a hand over the lock and the container groaned as it swung open. Fog streamed out of the capsule. A young woman, likely no older that 23, was laying at the bottom of the container, dressed in exorbitantly elegant clothing, a long dress made of silvery silk. She was unconscious, her head tilted to the side with hair the color of ash falling around her face. Most noticeable were the tattoos that were dotted across her collarbones and fingers and wrist. As the top came off the container, they appeared almost to glow.
