Author: Drey'auc475
Rating: PG13 for now
Spoilers: season five
Setting/Season: Seefra system
A/N: I'm not sure what direction this story is going to go so some input would really be appreciated…
-----Chapter 1-----
Rhade and Beka sat at Harper's bar. He sipped a whisky and she, a martini. Rhade growled as the burning liquid slid down his throat.
"What a waste," he grumbled. "A full load of Guana beans, lost; a whole shipment of water, frozen; ten thousand, down the tubes."
"Tell me about it," Beka said, sipping her drink. She stared ahead at the wall. They had blown thousands of credits on that job, for such a small profit, and the job had been a bust. All their savings, gone… Dylan was going to kill her.
At that moment a stranger walked though the door, a woman. She sat at the bar, tugging on the cuffs of her coat, and ordered a drink.
She looked over her shoulder, scanning the room as though waiting for someone to arrive. She spied Beka and Rhade at the other end of the bar. Her eyes lingered on Rhade's bone blades, and roamed over his features, his broad shoulders…
She sipped her drink. She watched Beka for a moment, noticing her delicate hands, the muscles in her upper-arms, the blaster in its holster. She looked over her shoulder again and took another sip.
Rhade knocked back the rest of his drink and demanded a refill. The unknown woman dropped a few chips beside his glass. He looked up and met the woman's eyes, green like emeralds… she held his gaze, stern and serious, then cast them towards her drink as she drained it. She placed a few more chips on the bar and left, raising the hood of her dark tan coat against the storm that was brewing outside.
Rhade watched her leave, admiring her grace and figure. He turned his attention to his drink and took a large gulp of the fiery booze. He looked up, startled as a weight dropped onto his other shoulder, Beka had collapsed there, asleep.
Dylan walked towards Harper's bar from the hanger. He saw a cloaked figure leaving the bar, a stranger. Dylan always knew it was trouble when a stranger showed up. He stopped next to an empty water barrel and observed the figure. It stopped at the door, tugging at the sleeves of its coat. The figure looked both ways down the street and drew the cloak tighter around their person. That was when Dylan noticed something.
A strand of hair, black as coal, hanging over the person's shoulder. A very long strand of hair. It had to be a woman… who else could have such long hair. Then he noticed the weapon at her side, a force lance, red and gold of the Old Commonwealth. Dylan frowned as the figure headed straight across the road into the market.
Dylan was very confused, he didn't like being confused. What was someone from the old Commonwealth doing on Seefra? Had someone blown in from the Route of Ages by accident without the Andromeda knowing? How had she come to be there? Dylan decided to get his questions answered.
Instead of entering the bar, he followed the woman in the hooded coat.
She stopped at a stall selling water condensers. She bought three and told the stall vender that she would pick them up at the end of the day. She paid with outdated credit chips that still held value in the Seefra System.
She then went to a booth that sold thermal heaters and bought three. Dylan frowned. Why would someone buy water condensers and thermal heaters, especially on Seefra?
The stranger then continued around the market, browsing the wares, occasionally buying something that had no value to Dylan. Things like a pendant on a leather strap, a power pack for a nano-welder, a broken wrist-com, and several holo-novels. Each time the woman paid with the outdated credit chips, and always from the same pocket, though from where Dylan was her pocket looked empty.
The woman had traveled though the market and was now heading towards the hanger. Dylan followed at a distance. She entered the hanger and made her way towards the back, where Dylan knew the Maru was docked. The stranger headed towards her.
Trance and Doyle were standing outside near the air lock. Dylan hung back as the woman chatted to the two ladies. At this distance Dylan couldn't hear what was being said, but he did see the woman hand Trance and Doyle some items. They then nodded and the woman turned and began to head the way she had come, Dylan hid behind a fuel drum as she walked past and headed out onto the street again. Trance and Doyle went in the direction of Harper's bar.
-----TBC-----
Reviews are very welcome, as well as ideas. Please help!