[ Wow, I bet you guys thought you would never see this huh. A new chapter! Basic explanations: Life's hard, harder without internet! Things get me busy but I didn't forget! ]

'You're giving up paradise' / 'running away isn't an answer' / 'thought you were better than this…' The half dozen voices still rang in her head, but not as loudly now. Maybe they were drown out by the sound of the ocean lapping against the vessel's hull or had just began to grow hoarse after all their protesting she was unsure, but none the less eternally grateful. Sam had taken a spot on the port side of the large war ship facing out into the seemingly endless ocean where some where on the other side she was convinced a new and better future awaited. Nerves still ate at her empty stomach but her excitement was ever growing as time passed. This was the right decision.

Without quite realizing it Samantha had started to smile and also gathered the attention of more than a few of her fellow shipmates, both staff and fellow travelers alike. That was something she chose to ignore rather than having to spend the rest of the trip threatening any over confident male who crossed her lines with emasculation. There were just too many to deal with and she did want to enjoy some of the ride after all.

The papers she'd retrieved from Fenix earlier remained neatly folded in the palm of her hand and occasionally tucked into the cargo pockets of her shorts. It was her golden ticket out of here but had somehow started to weigh more heavy as the day grew on. There was no turning back now and so once more she put the note away. She knew something for certain, when she reached Avengad there would be questions as to why she left Delta Squad so abruptly. Hoffman wouldn't pry much but Bernie would certainly be looking for a satisfactory explanation. It was time to start concocting a reasonable story that didn't feature Baird for when she arrived.

He was certainly still haunting her but Samantha wasn't mourning the loss as much anymore. She just needed a distraction until they set sail and there were plenty milling about above deck all around her. Turning her back to the railing and leaning into it the sea of eyes were quick to avert but one set a little slower than the others. He was young, maybe a few years her junior even, very tan with short black hair slicked in several directions and most intriguing to her, shirtless. The top he must have started out in was hanging out the back pocket of his pants while a burning cigarette hung from his lips. The kid couldn't have looked more nervous as she approached either.

"You got an extra one of those?" Sam asked. She didn't smoke, save for the occasional celebratory cigar Dizzy sometimes shared with her but now seemed like a good time to start.

Baird didn't much care for people that much was obvious but trying to make his way through the mass of civilian contractors and soldiers that cluttered Azura's cobblestone streets was not only not helping his disdain for them, but actually starting to make the Gear feel a bit claustrophobic. He felt like he was swimming up stream and the hurried run he'd left the garage in was now slowed to an awkward pace as he dodged, weaved around and bumped in to more people than he was willing to apologize too.

Even though the dock was almost on the other side of the island dozens of ships had surrounded the place now, they were constantly taking off and arriving. How was he going to find the one Sam was on in all of this? That question at the moment was far more important than what he would do and say to her once he had located it. If he ever did.

Frustrated Baird broke free of the crowd so he could catch his breath and hear himself think. Someone had to know where Sam was. Sure, Fenix probably did but he didn't want to have to explain himself to Sergeant and get mocked for it if he didn't have to. Duh! He put a finger to the wireless communications piece in his ear.

"Stroud, do you copy?" He huffed blue eyes nervously searching his surroundings, hoping there was some chance maybe he would find Sam here on the street. The chances of that were as likely as her coming to him and apologizing of course. There was no response which he knew was bullshit. Anya never didn't answer, unless she didn't want to. "Stroud, it's Baird! Answer me!"

There was a barely audible click from the other end. He knew she was there, and probably just as upset with him as Sam.

"Listen Stroud, -"

"No you listen, Damon," Anya's voice in his ear interrupted. "There is only one thing you had better called about, and it's not the damn genera-"

"Anya, shut up!" Baird hissed. "I need to know what ship Sam is on."

There was a short pause before she asked, "Why? Are you going to apologize to her?"

Damon Baird didn't apologize! Right? He realized he was grinding his teeth and replied through them, "Yeah something like that…"

"Pier 2, it's the UIR ship The Constant but you better hurry…" The pleasure in Stroud's voice was oozing through the earpiece as Baird pulled it out. Of course he would hurry.

"I thought you I heard a Kashkuri accent," Sam half-observed and half-teased. She saw the boy's cheeks blush and tried to hide her own satisfied smile. Teasing was fun. "My mother was too. She was a translator actually which is how she met my father in Anvil Gate."

The kid, whose name happened to be Noah scrunched up his still slightly rosy face. "I hate that place."

"Hey! Watch your mouth.." She laughed.

"I'm sorry, but you've got that brick shit house of a Colonel stomping around all the time, and he's not even the worst of it … It's not even him that really scares me. It's his wife! That woman's stare could turn a man to stone," said Noah all too earnestly.

His candor made her continue to laugh, a bit of smoke pluming from her lips as she did. He hadn't taken his eyes off her since she'd approached. Out of everyone Noah still wondered why Sam was talking to him but made absolutely no complaints about it. She was gorgeous and he could feel the jealousy of his shipmates boiling up around them.

"That's Hoffman and Bernie and they're both really nice people once you get to know them," Sam protested.

"You know when people say that I've find it typically just means 'Oh they're a dick, but you'll get used to it.' "

"Nah, they're different honestly, but I know a lot of those sorts you're talking about too..

It wasn't too hard to observe the dark thoughts passing through her mind as her face started to harden a bit and she lost her light hearted demeanor for now. She leaned forward against the railing silently wondering where that dick she had gotten used to was and what he was even up to right now. Not missing her obviously. Noah could tell he was losing her interest and cleared his throat while continuing to try and not blow this whole unexplainable moment.

"Listen, whatever it is it's not my business but it's really probably not worth dwelling on," he advised timidly, hands folded behind his back. "We just reclaimed life on Sera, some asshole or whoever or whatever it is, is really insignificant in comparison don't you think?"

There was the faintest turning of her mouth's corners. She broke down and ribbed him, "Just my luck I find the one smart Gorasni soldier on this ship to try and bullshit."

"Smart? I'm practically just a friggin' custodian here," he undersold himself, pushing the toe of his boot against the ships deck. He could hear, or more correctly, feel the motor's starting to wurr to life deep in the belly of the beast they stood upon. "Looks like we're taking off soon. We should go down to the lower deck, you know, get a better view of the island."

"We?" Sam asked, very voice interested. She was starting to admire the brass on this kid too.

He wasn't sure he even had a chance with her, but Noah wasn't going to let an opportunity like this slip through his hands, it had been a long and lonely time on The Constant. She made him nervous and his reply came a bit stuttered. "Well you know, I just meant, if you wanted ..

This felt good, the whole moment and conversation. She'd been right to find herself a distraction, with a little help from her UIR rebound Baird could be just an ugly pothole in her past.

Oh fuck

Ooooh fuck me,

Fuck me…

"Fuck me!" Baird panted inaudibly. The docks hadn't seemed so far away but given his COG Armor, the intense heat, ever rising sun and the bustling nature of Azura he found himself well out of wind before he'd even made it half way there. Sweat was everywhere, hanging from his brow and nose dripping onto his parched lips mockingly and starting to pool in the bottom of his boots most unpleasantly. Did this stop him? Of course not, but it did start to hinder his progression as every ragged breath he tried to gasp just burnt his lungs and his legs were constantly shaking with exhaustion. It didn't matter, he'd crawl there if he had to Baird told himself. He'd crawl right back to her on his hands and knees if that's what it came down to. But it wouldn't.

The crowd ebbed and flowed around him, people seemingly more aware of each other's personal space in this mass for whatever reason as he approached the industrial pier now. He could see the dock and that it branched off several times, different ships parked at every one and people milling in and out. Anya said Sam was on The Constant, great… so he could either try and personally check every ship here or …

"Hey! I'm *huff* looking for the *huff* The Constant," Damon tried to authoritatively demand from the first lower ranking soldier he could find who tried to pass by. It was hard to appear intimidating though when one was half hunched over and on the verge of puking.

It was hard to tell if the kid was really smiling or if the smarmy tone in his voice was something Baird only thought he heard when he said with a chuckle, "Yeah. Ya see it?"

He pointed out to the ocean, to the silhouette of a ship several hundred yards away and counting. "Looks like ya just missed her buddy…."