Upon Silver Devil: Chapter Three

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[I can't say i've ever seen him drunk actually. I haven't seen him in nearly ten years.] Hmm that'd be interesting. [He got tall.] He smiled oddly, trying to make light of what was clearly pretty awkward and difficult.

Dawn smiled and glanced to him then looked to the movie again "Popcorn would be good, but there's only so much room on a ship this size."

"yeah. Being back here just brings home how cramped this ship IS. I dunno how we didn't all just kill each other here, there's no privacy at all." he'd grown to rather LIKE privacy actually. "and i'm pretty sure I ran out of candy." Damn, he should have packed more.

Dawn looked to Esk then chuckled softly "We are on a station, why not buy some more?"

"I don't wanna go back out there." Esk pointed out. "You saw how useless security is."

"Yeah, I still have to give a formal statement" Dawn said with a frown.

Esk made a face. "They can't force you. It's not like they weren't all witnesses." Bloody cowards. Eugh.

Dawn sighed and rubbed her eyes "I want those thugs to face justice"

"I don't think much of that exists in this place." Esk shook his head. "Places like this, the only law is whoever's strongest. Security aren't here to keep the peace, they're here to stop too much collateral damage."

Dawn sighed and closed her eyes "Should have killed them when I had the chance."

Esk looked up at Dawn from his chair. "You're not a killer, you're better than that."

Dawn looked up to him again "I have killed so many already, why wouldn't I be a killer?"

The delegation who had gone to see Hytar returned.

Tala sniffed the air. "I hope Dawn and Esk were safe in our absence."

Esk shook his head. "It's different when it's in war." He couldn't quite explain why but it was. "you're a doctor, and presumably you became one because you want to help save people right? "

Dawn nodded and sighed "Yeah, I did." She said softly.

Shane and Rigel returned with the group. Rigel went to the main area first then found a seat. "Who wants to go?" He asked straight out. He wouldn't let Dawn go and didn't think Esk would want to go with his father for that long.

James frowned. He really wanted to go, but at the same time, he was a medic and he had to stay with Dawn, since she was wounded.

"I will go where I am needed," Tala said.

Luka frowned. "this was my idea... by all rights, I should go." She didn't much like the idea, but she knew it was right.

Swarm bobbed up and down. "We are not much help in a fight, but we can be useful scouts. We will go or stay."

---

Esk nodded and looked back to the movie. "Don't become numb to it Dawn, you'll lose yourself." He didn't look at her.

Dawn looked at the screen again, frowning at it. "It's hard not to become numb to it all. It feels like it's either that or you feel too much."

~~~
Shane shook his head "We can't all go, but I volunteer too"

Rigel looked to Luka with a small frown. He didn't want her to go, but had nothing to keep her from going.

Esk nodded. "Yeah..." He could hear the others. "Sounds like everyone else is back."

---

Luka nodded, looking to Rigel. What was that frown about? She couldn't tell.

"Dawn must stay here, and so James must stay here," Tala said thoughtfully. "I should stay to make sure the new passengers will not be bothersome, perhaps."

James sighed and nodded. Yeah, he should stay here. Even if he was SO curious about this mission.

"Not necessarily." Rigel said then sighed softly. No, James wouldn't have to stay, though he was their only other medic. "We need enough crew to get back to Vestia, Dawn can't fight like she is, but the rest of us have a choice."

~~
Dawn nodded and looked to the door "What's going on out there?"

"I'll go find out." Esk got up, handing the tablet to Dawn.

---

Luka frowned. "Who has any real sway to stop Hytar from doing what he wants?"

"I should probably stay with Dawn, cause she's hurt," James said. "Kay would have me fired if I ditched my patient." Well maybe not fired, but he'd be pretty darn mad, no doubt about it.

"My great horns would strike fear into Hytar's heart," Tala proclaimed. "I could frighten him into following his directive."

Luka nodded. "Tala is pretty intimidating."

Swarm bobbed up and down. "Tala or Rigel would be the most obvious to go. Rigel signed the contract so has some sway, Tala has intimidation on her side." "very imtimidating."

Tala thought for a bit. "It might be wisest for all of us to go with Hytar," she said, "To travel across space in this old ship with naught but a skeleton crew, is to beg for misfortune to strike her. We may well be safer heading with an armed convoy into danger, than running from danger with an insufficient staff."

Esk walked into the main room. "Whats the point of hiring someone to do something if we're all gonna tag along?" He asked. Yeah he didn't wanna go with his father for anything.

"Plus the contract says we have to keep the kids safe, taking them along on the mission would not be keeping them safe." Rigel said.

"That is true," Tala said. Right, that contact. Darn. She shook her head, earring swinging with the motion. "We must ensure that the Silver Devil has enough crew to function. Without Luka, she will be down her best pilot. Without James, she will have no healthy medic. Without Rigel or I, she will have no leader. We must be sure she will not be an easy target for pirates."