Name: Andrea Dawson Gender: Female Occupation: Medic Personality: Andrea is very quiet and shy and often overlooked. Appearance: Andrea is small, standing only about 5’4” with shoulder length blonde hair that is often pulled back in a sloppy bun to keep it out of her face when she is working. Her eyes are light green and she has a very fair skin tone and soft features. Age: 23 Equipment: Andrea doesn’t use much shard technology, but she does have an AI named Melanie and she always carries with her a plain, brown shoulder bag which carries her medical equipment, a notebook, some pictures, money, and a water bottle. ----------- Andrea sat alone at a table near the bar, quietly watching the scene in front of her. She was pretty sure the eclectic group gathered together were here to look for Hawkins as well. They looked tough and battle scarred and much more experienced than she with anything to do with the outer rims. Of course they did...they were shard seekers. She had no idea how they would respond to her. As it was, they hadn't noticed her yet, which suited Andrea just fine. Jumping into situations wasn't her strong suit. Especially when they were so quick to act. Her green eyes widened as she watched the commontion after the self-proclaimed pirate accost someone as being a "spy." There didn't seem to be much need though, it's not like the Hawkins bussiness was strictly secret. No one was yelling it out of course, but it could be found out. "hello" Someone new stepped up to the bar, right past Andrea's table, his dark hair pulled up into a high ponytail. Another player. Andrea looked him over. Just as confident looking as the rest of them. She bit her lip, how she was going to become a part of this group, she had no idea, but she had to try. C'mon Andrea. You can do this. Still she sat and watched.
Eric Reese Eric looked up to see if the newcomer was the John they were waiting for. No, but he was interesting. Not quite dressed for the occasion. Whats in the bag? Eric wonders adjusting his spectacles to look for traces of shards or shard-tech...
Bear entered the bar. The hulking man filled the double doors as he stood taking in the scene. He had passed a terrified merchant that was gasping for breath on his way in and now the barkeep was eying that renegade Jax. “ROBERTS! If I hear even a breath of you stepping out of line on my mission I'll have you jettisoned on the first rock we pass with naught but your damned whip!” the seeker bellowed in his gruff tone. The large man's thick red beard shook when he talked. “I don't even know why they made me take you on this team.” John Billow's small piercing green eyes glared at the man knowingly. He knew exactly why the filthy pirate was on the mission, and he made sure that the understanding was mutual. He had no patience for a privateer's personal agenda, not when a seeker's life was on the line. “Now all you volunteers come your asses down so's I can get a count. I've yet to find a shuttle that can hold us all. Not a willing one anyway,” another deadly glare shot from under his furrowed brow. This time aimed at a scrawny man hunched over the bar. He wore a filthy gray duster, and sat with his large crooked nose staring at his drink. The long thing wisp of hair that attempted to cover his balding head drifted askew as he looked up at Billows and snorted before returning to his drink. “Now I wanna get going before the next cycle, tell me what we've got for skill here and bear in mind that any baggage will be left behind.” The large seeker walked heavily over to the table where most of the team had gathered and stood there waiting for a reply.
Eric Reese Eric was the first to reply, eager for someone to take charge of this chaos. "Engineer! Shard specialist! I got all I need right here," gesturing to the bulk on his left arm. Eric preferred to bring a few comforts along but he didn't want to start out on Bear's bad side, it was hard enough for a man like him to make it on the outer rim.
“Now I wanna get going before the next cycle, tell me what we've got for skill here and bear in mind that any baggage will be left behind.” Gerty raised an eyebrow, as she lit her cigarette, and breathed in deeply. So, they had to list their talents? Balls, that screwed her over. She'd only been on two previous missions, and even those had been within two thousand miles of the planet's atmosphere. She placed her few dollars back into her pocket, and pulled out a second cigarette, which she offered to the large red man. "Can't say I have any talents, other than having contacts. Would it help if I said I have a great personality?"
Flint Richards Flints greeting was met with only a few casual glances and barely a nod of the head. A girl roughly his own age met his gaze with an awkward tension that forced Flint to avert his eyes. The girl's eyes with their light green hue stuck in his mind as he found a seat at one of the tables. There was only a moments of idle conversation that passed between a few of the group before the big bearded man who - with a small stretch of the imagination - resembled his namesake. Like with most people i see, i began to size him up, his strengths and weaknesses if i was to meet him in hand-to-hand combat. it was something i did without a lot of conscious effort but it didn't take long to see that his lists of weaknesses would be quite short. -ego- was Flint's first assessment. he quickly took control of the situation and quelled the pirates fury with a growl that resembled english, too low for me to catch. “Now I wanna get going before the next cycle, tell me what we've got for skill here and bear in mind that any baggage will be left behind.” "Engineer! Shard specialist! I got all I need right here," Flint looked between the two and then to the arm proudly on display to Bear. The tree who tries to please another, does so for its own... his masters voice floated through his mind, and the final word seemed to fail him. Flint thought about speaking up, but "martial arts" did not seem to compete with the educated man with a metal arm, So he stayed quiet and instead glanced to his left to to capture another mental image of the girl with the green eyes.
Bear walked through the swinging doors of the saloon, and immediately the pirate seemed to calm down, almost like if a father walked in on his misbehaving son. A good thing too, the immaturity in this place was beginning to stink. Bear had that effect on people - or rather, his reputation did. He was one of the most respected and legendary shard seekers in the universe. Gabrielle had met him before, but only briefly, and she doubted he would remember her. “Now I wanna get going before the next cycle, tell me what we've got for skill here and bear in mind that any baggage will be left behind.” The first to reply was the scientist beside her. "Engineer! Shard specialist! I got all I need right here," As she sat next to him, Gabrielle thought it was her turn to speak up. There were also a couple of unpleasant groans from behind the bar, obviously from the people Roberts had injured with his poor display of decision-making skills, who were in need of medical attention. "First Grade United Front Medic and experienced shard seeker. I have most of my supplies with me, but more on my shuttle. I could leave those behind if needed." She wondered if she should mention that she knew Hawkins personally. No, that might make her seem unsuitable for the mission - emotional attachments were never good. But then, why else was she here? Her focus quickly shifted from Bear to behind the bar. "If you don't mind, I need to see to the injured."
Rael Searwin Rael approached the bar from inside he could hear people shouting. He pulled the covering on his hand down and headed inside to look for the other shard seekers. "First Grade United Front Medic and experienced shard seeker. " Rael heard someone shout. He turned to look at the speaker it was a tanned black haired girl. She got up and headed away from the group as he approached. The group seemed to be mix of all-sorts, aside from the man like a bear he noticed one of them had a metal arm. Rael stepped into the circle holding out his hand to bear. "Rael Searwin, ex mercenary and one man digging machine." Bear shook his hand, he had a stong grip. "Ok, take a seat." Rael nodded and sat down next to the metal armed man.
Jax Roberts Jax grimaced at Bellows words. One of these days he was going to ring that mans neck, but for now he needed him to find that cursed Hawkins. This was the big score he’d always dreamed about, and if he played his cards right he could be set for life. “Don’t worry Bellows I’ll behave, so long as I get that full pardon we talked about.” Jax said, as he imperceptibly winks. “Me, I’m a man of many talents. I’m an expert in Item recovery, Security, and can handle just about any job on a Ship. Plus I make great eye candy for the ladies.” He give's the quiet blonde girl in the back a wolfish grin.
“Now I wanna get going before the next cycle, tell me what we've got for skill here and bear in mind that any baggage will be left behind.” Bear literally radiated a sense of intimidation. It was all Andrea could do to keep from shrinking back away from him as he walked by. It was obvious that she was not alone in feeling the power of Bear's presence throughout the room, but it was also clear that many of the people there were jumping for the chance to be a part of the mission. A young man with glasses and metal gadgets all along his arm jumped up almost immediately. "Engineer! Shard specialist! I got all I need right here," Andrea steeled herself to speak up, it was better to talk sooner rather than later. As her eyes flicked over the group of people, trying to decide if anyone else was a medic, she realized that she had not in fact gone unnoticed. The guy who had just walked in before Bear was looking at her. Her voice stuck in her throat as she once more met his eyes. Quickly she looked away as a dark haired, tanned woman spoke. "First Grade United Front Medic and experienced shard seeker. I have most of my supplies with me, but more on my shuttle. I could leave those behind if needed." "Rael Searwin, ex mercenary and one man digging machine." "Andrea Dawson, medic. Everything I need is with me." Andrea shot to her feet as she spoke, suprising herself. She hadn't intended to speak, but hearing there was another medic with shard seeking experience had spurred her to action. The other woman had gone over to the two men that had been injured in the tustle earlier. Quietly, her face slightly pink from everyone looking at her, Andrea walked around the tables to the other woman. "Do you need any help? I have supplies her in my bag."
Gabriella Escalante Gabriella knelt down beside the waiter behind the bar. The casualties were both groaning, obviously in pain, and slightly disoriented. She placed her hands below the waiter's jaw, turning his head this way and that. "Michael, I want an internal analysis, stat." She spoke to her AI as she strung the goggles from her belt around her head, an earpiece neatly placed over the right ear. An X-ray depiction of the man in front of her appeared in her rounded spectacles and Michael began to perform a reading, digits ticking away systemically in the bottom right of her view. It would only be a matter of seconds. "Do you need any help? I have supplies her in my bag." Gabriella heard the voice of the young girl who had piped up about being a medic as well. Without turning her head, she asked, "What sort of training do you have?"
John Bear Billows “People, we're going deep into Specter territory. I don't know what crazy hair brained idea David got in his head heading out that far alone, but I'll be damned if I let him stay out there.” Bear tapped the cigarette he had taken from the pink haired girl three times on the counter before notching it safely behind his ear. He paused and breathed loudly out his wide nostrils. He didn't see much so far that made him feel good about venturing out into hostile territory with these people, but he had little choice. At least one of the medics could prove useful and despite is dislike for the pirate, his talent and experience would be valuable. But the rest... He had been rescued himself from a desolate rock where his shuttle was ravaged by fyers. Since then he'd done his fair share of recovering stranded seekers, more dead than alive. For reasons he couldn't quite articulate he'd come to accept it as his duty and purpose. “Fine then, before we can start talking numbers we've got to figure out how to get from this rock to the outer rim. I haven't found a seeker yet with more than a three man skiff, and there's not a merchant in his right mind that will lend us something more substantial. Any ideas?”
Eric Reese From Bear's lack of interest in his eccentric shard-tech bracer Eric knew he hadn't quite earned his place on this voyage. He will prove himself useful somehow... "Well if we can at least get something that can hold us all I can get it to the Outer Rim. It will just take some ingenuitive use of rods and interstellar currents. I cant promise a soft landing, or take off for that matter, but we will get there." Eric ran numbers on his wrist mounted AI while speaking, "In fact I was on a mission with David when a specter blew our engine off completely. David piloted the dropping shuttle onto a nearby asteroid and that's when I first got the idea, once I explained it to David He was all for it. He went to work welding a steel plate from the floor onto the back end of the shuttle covering the gaping hole, while I fastened two tach rods to the top of the shuttle. A few spliced wires and impossibly complicated algorithms we had a sail capable of lifting the entire shuttle. From there it was just a matter of avoiding space debris and keeping within the channels until we could get to a more hospitable part of space." Eric failed to mention the extended use of overcharged shards resulted in them shattering a few light years short of their destination, ruining the few shards they retrieved on their voyage and costing them the only credits they had left buying shuttle tickets back to the planet where their voyage had originated. Im sure one of us has a shard large enough to sustain travel for that distance. Eric was embarrassed when he saw the skeptical faces gathered around Bear, "Perhaps a fully functioning ship would be a better idea..." He quickly turned around and ordered a Firespitter, surely this would be better than facing the seasoned Seekers to whom he just made a fool out of himself. These guys have been out there, they would never consider taking a half-assed ship out into Specter territory, no one other than Hawken.
Flint Richards There was a short pause after The Bear spoke as the group thought about the odds of finding a shuttle last minute. At least thats what Flint was thinking about, How did we get this group organised and not have a way off the ground? The man named Eric regaled the group with a short story that held Flints attention, although much of it went misunderstood. "Perhaps a fully functioning ship would be a better idea..." Another short pause. Although Flint had missed his chance with the original introductions, waiting to hear a little about everyone else, he now stood, slowly but with confidence. "Im Flint Richards, Martial Arts" he faltered for a second before adding "specialist." He felt as though calling himself a specialist was a little pretentious, and a short memory of being hit with a cane for wearing a black-belt before it was earned flashed through his mind, - oddly the memory was in third person - and so continued "Well - i know Martial Arts and i just wanted to know how this group was organised without having a ship to take us out." he then looked straight at Bear and asked with honesty "did you intend to steal one?"
"Gerty" Wingleton Gerty pursed her lips while the red man Bear spoke. Any ideas... This man was trying to weed out unlikely prospects with every word, and he was being very unsubtle about it. Three man Seeker ships? Gerty's was a one-man pod, with barely enough room for her, and she was almost a midget. Good luck trying to get anyone else in there. The geeky man at there table began to speak, but he'd lost Gerty by the third word. She didn't know technicals, and she doubted she would anytime soon. She watched the man dial on a wrist-brace he was wearing, then after a while fell silent. "Perhaps a fully functioning ship would be a better idea..." Another man stood, and called himself Flint. "Well - i know Martial Arts and I just wanted to know how this group was organised without having a ship to take us out. Did you intend to steal one?" Gerty's eyes lit up as Flint spoke. She pounded the table, and rose to her feet in one movement. The height difference between her and the rest standing was quite embarrassing. "Now you're talking!" She said, tapping Flint with a fist, "If they won't give us a ship the size we need, let's take it!" She flushed as she remembered that she hadn't introduced herself. "Gerty." She said distractedly, pointing at herself. She took another large pull from her cigarette, then grinned. "Anyway, I know some people who could hook you up with a ship, for the right price."
Amber decided to sit and listen to the odd group of volunteers before she made herself part of the team. I can't be in a damn hurry and get myself in trouble. Some of them seemed normal enough, some experienced, others who seemed to be lying. She didn't know how to take the good with the bad. None of them really seemed likable at all to begin with, except maybe the one who was about to play poker, before the interruption. Amber spent the next few minutes more annoyed with the lack of card game than intent on listening to the crew, but she had really made her decision anyways. And being bugged enough by the AI that "this is your last chance, was enough to get her going anyways. She was going to have to steal to eat in the coming days otherwise. Fine. What's the worst that could happen? "Hey, how 'bout we just find a larger ship that needs a few repairs? Ya give me a day or two I can fix the engine good and get us goin', and then finish the repairs while on the way. Easy enough, yeh?" Seems a little more on the legal side as well. Which doesn't really matter to Amber, but it's better than being stuck in a jail again.
Jax Roberts Jax thought it was pretty convenient that Bellows forgot to mention he didn’t even have a ship. "If they won't give us a ship the size we need, let's take it!…Anyway, I know some people who could hook you up with a ship, for the right price." “Whoa hold on their pint size. The first way to get caught boosting a ship is to go around asking to buy a stolen ship. And I don’t care how well you know these supposed friends, we wouldn’t even make it out of this solar system.” "Hey, how 'bout we just find a larger ship that needs a few repairs? Ya give me a day or two I can fix the engine good and get us goin', and then finish the repairs while on the way. Easy enough, yeh?" “Now, I’m all for taking a ship, but we gotta be smart about It. There is a brand new ZZ228, beauty sitting down in Lent’s repair shop. And they only keep one guard stationed there for night shift.” Jax looks over at Amber and Eric. “If you and Egghead over there could fix the engine in about an hour. Then that would leave us plenty of time to get the ship out of here with out anybody noticing.”
Eric Reese "That's what I get for hanging out with pirates and thieves..." Eric mumbles into his drink. He gulps the rest and after a short pause while the burning eases Eric turns to the crowd, "We are going out to rescue David, that's a noble thing. Why tarnish that by stealing?" Eric was steadily becoming unsure of himself. These 'pirates and thieves' could easily kill him, and no one here would think twice about it. "Why don't we go talk to one of those corporate men and see if they can get us a ship in return for shards when we get back? I mean were going into Specter territory! There is a better chance of finding shards there than anywhere else in The Rim..."
"Why don't we go talk to one of those corporate men and see if they can get us a ship in return for shards when we get back? I mean were going into Specter territory! There is a better chance of finding shards there than anywhere else in The Rim..." "Agreed," blurted out Amber as he barely finished what he was saying. It was one of the only sensible things she'd heard while sitting in this ramshackle bar. "The last thing we need is get thrown in jail, or add bounty on our heads." But if I didn't have a job lined up that was worth the tie, maybe I would. What am I saying? I'm no bad ass. I'm just a bum. She slightly shook her head, but then caught herself and stopped. Amber smiled at Reese, letting him know that she was on his side, at least on this subject. Then she turned to Roberts. "Ya don't have tech people on board with the plan. Good luck gettin' out the atmosphere in your stolen ship." Amber finally faced the leader of the group. "I'm sure there's a large enough old beater we could get off the ground within the day at the earliest. Once we have him goin' I can shine him up and get it runnin' real nice. I thought a saw an old dock yard when I came in. Soun's like a good place to start lookin'." Maybe he'll listen to me. I really need the payoff, but I'm just not willing to go back to jail. I've disappointed the family name too many times already. And failed them even more.
John Bear Billows RIP "Well - i know Martial Arts and I just wanted to know how this group was organised without having a ship to take us out. Did you intend to steal one?" a steely looking man with a ponytail spoke up from near the bar. "Now you're talking!" interjected the pink haired girl, "If they won't give us a ship the size we need, let's take it! Anyway, I know some people who could hook you up with a ship, for the right price." Another girl spoke up, "Hey, how 'bout we just find a larger ship that needs a few repairs? Ya give me a day or two I can fix the engine good and get us goin', and then finish the repairs while on the way. Easy enough, yeh?" “Now, I’m all for taking a ship, but we gotta be smart about It. There is a brand new ZZ228, beauty sitting down in Lent’s repair shop. And they only keep one guard stationed there for night shift.”* Jax looks over at Amber and Eric. “If you and Egghead over there could fix the engine in about an hour. Then that would leave us plenty of time to get the ship out of here with out anybody noticing.” "Why don't we go talk to one of those corporate men and see if they can get us a ship in return for shards when we get back? I mean were going into Specter territory! There is a better chance of finding shards there than anywhere else in The Rim..." “Cuz they'd rather have the shards AND the ship, kid,” the egghead reminded Bear of a kid Hawkin's had once mentioned while drunk. He seemed to have some scruples, perhaps he could be of use. The thin balding man in the gray duster stood abruptly and walked out of the bar while making an obvious attempt to avoid eye contact with the group. Bear grimaced. He looked over at Jax and growled, “Well, it looks like your in good company. Are these friends of yours?” "I'm sure there's a large enough old beater we could get off the ground within the day at the earliest. Once we have him goin' I can shine him up and get it runnin' real nice. I thought a saw an old dock yard when I came in. Soun's like a good place to start lookin'.” added in the brunette again. “I'm with the techies, but if we had more time to prepare perhaps we could fix something up, but we only got the beacon this morning. I for one...” piercing sirens interrupted Bear's words. Every ear in the seeker rendezvous instantly perked and hundreds of eyes looked to the sky. “SPECTERS INCOMING!!” came a shout from outside the bar as chaos erupted in the streets. “EVERYBODY OUT!” bellowed the bar keep. “Damn it!,” muttered Bear. This locale for the trade gathering was supposed to be out of the way where specters wouldn't find it. They'd never attacked this far from the outer rim before. “Everybody save your own skins today; I'll put out a beacon to regroup on within 16 hours. Now get the ...” I screeching sound interrupted the man again. The sound grew so quickly that no one had time to react. Something tore through the bar canopy and detonated in a crater behind Billows knocking him violently off his feet. As the legendary seeker rose a glowing effigy shot into the air from within the crater. The specter pounced on Bear knocking him to the ground again. Green shard crystals encased in yellow glowing field energy gripped and pinned him to the ground. Like a savage ape the creature raised a hand of immolating energy and shard and thrust it through the shard harness of the seeker, cauterizing a wound straight through the man's chest. It retracted holding Bear's major shard aloft with a piercing cry of victory that sounded like a strange blend of an electromagnetic ringing and the cry of a savage beast. For a brief moment time stood still as the death of the great “Bear” Billows sank in on everyone. But the inorganic creature wouldn't wait for any grief and leapt at the man with the large purple shard on his forearm.
"Gerty" Wingleton “SPECTERS INCOMING!!” “EVERYBODY OUT!” "Oh, shit!" Gerty dived to the ground, as the action ensued. Something had taken out Bear, and was charging for them. Gerty crawled away to where she'd left her pack by the bar. She placed a hand inside, and felt a small wave of relief feeling the contents were still in it. She shouldered the pack, and was about to make a run for it, when a chair sent flying from the Specter hit her in the back. "No." She said, hearing the tinkling of shattered glass within her pack, and felt the pricks of several needles on her skin, "No no NO!" She threw the pack to the ground, and immediately ducked as another chair was sent flying. This was getting out of hand! Why couldn't the Seeker agency have given her a damn gun?!
Jax Roberts “SPECTERS INCOMING!!” “EVERYBODY OUT!” Jax jumped up ready for a fight. He saw the specter that had killed Bellows run towards Eric. As Jax moved to intervene, he saw a bright flash to his right. Jax ducked just in time as a glowing claw sliced the air above his head. A multicolored specter stood before him, its body pulsed with the energy of multiple shards. A calm rage had come over Jax as he stood to face the creature. Snap! Jax’s whip shined with red energy as he slashed at the creature. Jax swung his whip at the creature in a complicated pattern of movements. His speed picked up until it was just a blur light followed by the sound of a ringing snap as the whip made contact. An incomprehensible rage was fuelling him, as beads of sweat poured down his face. The creature was backing up under this onslaught and victory seemed near. The bar had become smoky, and Jax stopped swinging his whip to see the damage done. As the smoke drifted the creature stood up, with only a few singe marks on its shard ridden body. It let out a “Roar!” as it began to charge Jax. “How the heck did I get myself into this one?” Jax mumbled as he braced himself for impact.
