Three weeks. Three weeks, and not a job in sight. Jim Hawkins sighed and tapped his pencil absently against the inn table. Three weeks since he'd graduated the academy and still no one had offered his ship a commission. But why? He'd graduated in the top of his class, and though he may have been a bit green toward his new position as captain, he was hardly new to Spacing. He'd fought with pirates, for goodness sake! Okay, so maybe he only really fought with two pirates, one of whom ended up saving his life in the end. And so what if that last pirate was his best friend? It still counted damn it, so why wasn't he being hired?

He slammed his fist on the table and buried his face in his hands just as his mother, Sarah Hawkins, came swirling into the room. Bundled in her arms were piles of sopping wet clothing. She eyed Jim, noticed his mood and sighed.

"Honestly Jim, if you're that worried about getting a job, why don't you just go to Crescentia and rent yourself out there? Montressor isn't exactly the first place people think of when they want to hire a captain."

"Yeah, I know, but I want to stay here for a while! I've been gone four years mom; the least I can do is spend a few weeks with you."

Sarah smiled and walked over to her son. Twisting around so as not to smack him with wet laundry she lowered and planted a kiss on his forehead.

"Jim honey, I'm glad that you want to stay with us, but not if it makes you miserable! Go to Crescentia, find some work. There'll be plenty of time to spend together after you come back."

"But mom-"

"Besides, what about that guy you graduated with, Rene or something? Isn't he your first mate? What does he think?"

"Reynolds, and I think he wants to stay on ground as long as possible. He's terrified at the thought of his first mission. Can't say I blame him. Going it alone right out of school is not something most cadets do.

"Well, most cadets didn't help their entire crew escape an exploding planet their first time in space."

"Mom-"

She smiled at him. "Seriously Jim, get hired, find a crew and go have some fun. I'll be the first to congratulate you when you get back."

"You really don't-"

"No, I don't mind. Just say goodbye to everyone before you go. I'm going to hang this laundry. I'm out back if you need me."

She departed out the back door, leaving Jim alone to sort out his thoughts. Finally he pushed himself out of the chair, gave the room a wistful glance and headed up the stairs.

******

After two nights of harried packing, hasty goodbyes and generous words of encouragement Jim stood, luggage in hand, at the transport bay on Crescentia. He'd already arranged everything with Reynolds, and all that was left now was to wait for his fellow human to arrive. He didn't have to wait long, however; Jim had scarcely reached the end of the dock when someone latched onto his arm and he came face-to-face with a grinning teenager. Jim grinned as he recognized his first mate.

"Reno, what are you doing here? I wasn't expecting you for about two more hours!"

He brushed his bangs from his eyes. "Yeah, but my planet's so much farther away I got an early ride to get here. Turned out the solar winds weren't as bad as the news said they were gonna be, 'cause we got here alot earlier than I planned. I've been here since about seven or so. I went ahead and got us a room at an inn; I hope you don't mind."

"Oh no, that's fine. I don't think I could handle carrying this luggage for much longer. My hand's starting to spasm."

Reynolds grinned and relieved him of one of the heavier suitcases. He staggered as soon as his palm closed around the handle.

"Well what did you expect?" Jim asked. "My mom helped me pack! I think I have enough pairs of underwear in there to last me through the rest of my career."

They both laughed and Reynolds hailed a carriage to take them to the inn. As they neared it, Jim couldn't help but notice that the streets around the place didn't look at all reputable, nor did those who traversed them. He shrank back into the carriage and waited until they'd reached their destination, the Odetts Inn.

'This place is no Benbow' Were Jim's first thoughts as he set foot within the inn. He let out a whoosh of air as his nose caught whiff of the heavy, sweaty smell being given off by the closely packed patrons. The door closed behind them and Jim allowed himself a moment to adjust to the dim lighting before proceeding further. Much to his dismay, the Inn's patrons didn't look much better than they smelled; these were definitely not people he would want to meet alone at night. Reynolds saw the look on his face and winced.

"Hey, don't look so down about the place! The rooms are nice and the food's pretty good. I know you live at a big inn on Montressor, but for those of us who lack that privilege this is a good place as far as cheap inns go. Trust me, it's fine."

"Define 'fine'" Jim muttered. Reynolds tugged him toward the stairs, and Jim reluctantly complied.

They found their room at the far end of the hallway. It was larger than Jim had expected, but definitely could have done with some more decoration. The walls were bare save for a tiny ship painting and the window, which offered little light from its view into an alleyway. Reynolds pointed him in the direction of the closet to put down his luggage, and Jim was all too glad to comply. It took a bit of maneuvering, but eventually Jim managed to squeeze all his belongings into the narrow space. When he was finished he gazed around the room one more time and shook his head again.

"Next time Reynolds, let me pick our accommodations."

"Hey, I said I was sorry."

"Yeah, I know… Hey, why don't we grab a bite to eat then go look for a printer or something?"

"Works for me."

The two of them left the inn in slightly damper spirits then when they'd arrived. Being in the open air did little to cheer Jim up; the location of their inn was poor at best, and walking the dank roads outside of it was even less pleasant. They wandered down the side road for a few minutes before arriving on the main street. This was a bit better than their inn's street; light flooded the roadway and the oppressive stench of packed crowds blended in with the scent of damp wood defrosting from its re-entry into the atmosphere.

After prodding bits of information out of a few passer-bys, the two managed to find the location of a print shop in the area. They strolled down the street, examining the buildings and enjoying the sunshine. Jim took deep breaths of the air and sighed contentedly.

"Hey, we're here." Jim looked up, his perfect moment ruined. Above them hung a sign announcing the store they'd stopped in front of to be the Rolen's Print Shoppe. As they went in, Jim's eye wandered over the window, which was plastered with posters from what the shop's earlier achievements. There were many wanted posters, and as he caught sight of a particular one he couldn't help but laugh. Sitting there smirking back at him was none other than the face of John Silver.

"What's so funny?" Reynolds asked.

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing."

They went in and found the owner snoozing behind the front desk. It took a bit of shouting and a shake or two, but eventually they roused him from his sleep and inquired the price of printing. After a bit of bargaining they had the price knocked down to a suitable level, and the order for the fliers was placed. The two left the print shop, resolving to pick up and start distributing their fliers as soon as possible.

*******

Four days later, Jim and Reynolds had managed to post almost all of their fliers. They'd tacked them on lampposts, slipped them by doorways, stuck them to walls with bubblegum- applied them with anything handy, and anywhere there was space. They were thoroughly exhausted, but it had been worth it. Someone would see the posters, and they would seek out the Odetts Inn to inquire about the two young men and their services. Easy, right?

And so they waited. And waited. And waited.

"This is starting to look kinda hopeless, Jim." Reynolds remarked as the two sat down to lunch their tenth day. A week had passed, and still no one arrived at the inn.

Jim sipped his cider and sighed. To be honest, he wasn't too pleased with the results of their efforts either.

"At this rate we'll have to go enlist at one of those job-seeking places." Reynolds took a few gulps of cider. "And you know how the rates are for those things- we'll wish we'd done it the hard way by the time we're finished paying the fees."

Jim set down his drink and shook his head. "I can't believe no one's come yet. We're both qualified!"


"Face it Jim, no one hires cadets straight out of school. I mean…really. We might get a tug job or something, but maybe we shouldn't keep our hopes up for a full-fledged voyage."

"Yeah, I guess you're right…but I really wanted to take the ship out for her first voyage..."

Reynolds reached over and patted his hand. "Hey, don't worry about it. With enough time and jobs, we'll have a good rep. and someone will commission us for a real voyage. Everyone's gotta start somewhere, right?"

"I guess." He took another sip of cider and let his gaze wander across the dining room. Out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of someone entering the inn, but he dismissed it.

Reynolds half-smiled and started to speak again when he suddenly he stopped and tilted his head toward the bar. Jim looked up also. He'd heard both Reynolds and his name spoken, and a quick glance told him that the speaker was the person who had entered the inn a moment before. The bartender pointed a hand toward their table and the person turned their head towards them. Jim nervously waved a hand toward the person, who immediately headed toward them.

"Just look at what she's holding!" Reynolds squealed. Indeed, on closer observation the person did have the figure of a woman, and rather nicely shaped one at that. And clutched in her fist was undeniably one of their job fliers.

"This is it, our first client!" Reynolds clapped his hands and drew himself up straight. Jim followed suit, and as an afterthought snagged a chair for their visitor. The woman sat down, and cattish eyes glittered at them from behind a hood.

"Are you Mister Hawkins and Mister Reynolds?" Her accent was thick, and her voice had a purring aspect to it.

"Um, yes, that's us." Reynolds managed to say. Jim could barely contain his excitement, and he prayed that it didn't show too obviously. He didn't want to seem any more immature than his resume already made him out to be.

"I 'ave a job for you then, Mister Hawkins. You are the captain, are you not?"

Jim nodded.

"Excellent. I am in need of someone to fetch a few…items for me. Pray tell, would it be too small a job for you to go and get them?"

Jim scratched his chin.

"I'll reward you handsomely, Mister Hawkins. It's such a small job…can you do it?"

"Well, exactly where are these items located?"

"They are in my ship…my old ship. It was destroyed in the Trocil asteroid belt, and I had aboard a worthy cargo."

"The Trocil asteroid belt? Are you nuts? At least ten ships a year get torn up in that place!" Reynolds slammed his palms on the table.

"Well, we- I mean, I- can't find anyone else willing to take the job. So will you, Mister Hawkins? I can even pay you up front, right now- I can only offer you several thousand at the moment, but if you require more I'd be willing to go up to ten." She fluttered her eyelashes at him.

"T…Ten…Ten thousand dollars?" Jim raised his eyebrows.

"Conference!" Reynolds hissed, and quickly he pulled Jim forward to bend below the table, and then quickly joined him.

"So whaddya say? Minus the life-threatening part, it is a simple job, and ten thousand would be more than enough to but better weapons for the ship. Then again, perhaps we should just go for the seven thousand. That way she won't go and tell people we overcharged her."

"Yeah, but that asteroid belt is dangerous. REALLY dangerous. We simply aren't equipped to handle it!"

"So we'll watch out for huge rocks flying our way. Really Reno, sometimes you worry too much! I say we take the job. It's easy money."

"I really don't like this Jim…"

"Hey, trust me. It'll be fine."

Reynolds glared at him for a few seconds and sighed. Jim grinned and resurfaced above the tabletop.

"We'll take the job."

She smiled and extended a slender, spotted hand, which Jim promptly shook.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to see the ship before you take off. Just to see what I'm putting my money on, you understand." The woman smiled at him.

"Oh of course! We can leave right away if you'd like."

"We can?" Reynolds muttered, glancing at his unfinished chicken.

"Well…we can leave after we've finished lunch. That is, if it's okay with you ma'am."

"Luni, please. And it's fine."

"Are you thirsty, hungry? We'll only be a few moments, but if you'd like something-"

"A glass of water, please."

Jim fetched the woman water and set it down before her. She thanked him and took sips of her water while Jim and Reynolds finished their lunch.

"Thank you, Mister Hawkins." She said when they had all finished. She raised her empty water glass slightly and set it back down the table.

"Don't mention it. So…let me show you the ship!"

A short carriage ride later, the three were outside the Third Quarter docks, aptly named for the section of Crescentia it served. Reynolds went to acquire the key for their dock gate from the harbormaster, and Jim started leading the woman toward their boat. They were only a few feet away from the gate when Reynolds came running up with the key. The gate was opened, the gangplank was raised and they were aboard the RLS Destiny.

As soon as he was aboard, Jim felt an odd sense of relief, though he didn't know he'd been worried in the first place. He clasped his hands behind his back and glanced at Reynolds, who lagged behind. Catching the look Reynolds raised his eyebrows and quickly dashed next to Jim, assuming the role and posture of first mate. Jim grinned and extending a hand bade their customer to examine the ship.

"As you can see ma'am, the Destiny is a brand new ship. New sails, fresh paint, not a barnacle in sight- in fact, I received her straight out of the ship maker's."

"She's beautiful." The woman murmured, running her fingers over the railing.

"Yes, she's great alright- at least, she will be great. I must admit this will be my first voyage with her."

The woman smiled and waved away the comment. "Think nothing of it, Mister Hawkins. Pray tell, how much room is in the brig? It's an awful lot aboard that ship, and I'd hate to send you out for two trips."

"Well, how much cargo did your ships brig hold?"

"Oh, about six thousand pounds. She was not a big ship. The cargo's mostly in crates."

Jim laughed. "Trust me, six thousand is nothing to the Destiny. We can easily fit that much down there."

"I am glad to hear it."

"Anything else you'd like to know?"

"Hm…well, there is one thing. Tell me Mister Hawkins, what is the condition of your weapons system?"

"My weapons system? Why do you ask?"

"Oh, well, there are a lot of asteroids out there, and having a good pair of guns will come in handy for getting rid of the nastier ones."

"Well…the Destiny comes with standard commercial guns. We'll upgrade to the more powerful models as soon as we have the money to."

"Hm…"

Abruptly the woman turned and headed toward the gangplank. Jim and Reynolds exchanged glances and quickly followed.

"Is there a problem miss?" Jim asked, eyes wide.

"What? Oh, no, no problem. You're hired. This is exactly the kind of boat I was looking for- for the retrieving, I mean. How soon can you leave?"

"Well, to find a crew might take some time- say, in about five days?"

"Five days. Fine. Good luck, boys. I will check the ship schedules and find out when you are arriving. Be at your inn the following day and I will come claim my goods. Fare you well."

"Hey wait, don't you want to give us some contact information or something?" Jim said, dashing down the plank after her.

"No." She said, and forced her way into the crowd, blending in seamlessly with the multitudes.

Reynolds came up next to Jim. "Now what was that all about?"

"Weird." Jim muttered. Perhaps Reynolds had been right in not wanting to take the job. But it was too late to back out now; the woman had paid them during the carriage ride, and with no way to find her Jim was duty bound to fulfill her request. He ran a hand through his bangs and sighed.

"We'll just have to keep our guard up." He said.

"Jim Hawkins, there's nothing too dangerous for you is there?"

"Trust me, when you've lived through what I've lived through, everything else seems like kids stuff."

Reynolds shook his head. "One day Hawkins, you're going to get me killed."

Jim laughed and gently shook Reynolds' shoulders."

"One day Reno, you're going to learn to loosen up. We're almost there, but not quite."

"Ha ha ha. Hey, while we're here we might as well checkup the ship then go find somewhere to hire a crew."

"Fine by me! Ready, soon-to-be First Mate Reynolds?"

"Aye, Captain Hawkins!"

Laughing, they set off to examine the ship.

*****

*Gnaws fingernails* Gah, I'm so nervous! My first TP fanfic! Believe it or not, this fic has been under more scrutiny by myself than anything else I've ever written- I didn't post this chapter until after my third revision of it. I'd really appreciate constructive criticism, because I hope to do something different with this story than with my other works- exactly what I'm not sure, but it will be different!

Other than that, I'd just like to note that I'm not doing any phonetic dialect in this story, or if I do I'll use it sparingly. I'd actually spent quite a bit of time practicing writing pirate-lingo, but I've decided that it is a bit distracting to read, so I'm going to try doing it a different way instead. Pirates will be popping up from time to time, (of course they will, it's a TP fic!) so please tell me whether or not you think my take on the dialect works. All feedback extremely appreciated for this. Thank you in advance!