[IC] The Lucidae

[Spud]

“Заткнись вам мать!” Viva snarled at him

"Viva watch your language ... I think ... we have guests" Noah said, keeping the bravado without pause. He hadn't a clue what Viva said, but assumed it was unpleasant. The situation was going from bad to worse when Loire walked right into an ambush, it didn't help Noah from a bartering standpoint either, he'd just given Naomi another captive to play with.

Loire let out a surprised yelp when he was caught entirely off guard by Taggart, it didn't help that he had no military training whatsoever. EVen if he'd seen it coming, he'd have been powerless, he couldn't have been more out of place amidst the crew if he tried. Noah's gaze zipped straight toward the doctor, if anyone was going to fuck this up, it had to be Loire, surely, or so Noah suspected. He was a civvie, he wasn't really part of the crew, he'd plead and tell Naomi whatever she wanted ot hear and land them all in it. Noah suddenly regretted not killing Loire those few days ago, it could have dug him out of a hole right now.

Loire didn't know what Naomi was talking about but he could tell she was dangerous and he was in no position to fight back, nor was Noah or Viva, and Valko was still high as a kite in the med bay. As bad as things were back on Noveria, this was actually a great deal worse.
"He's not with us." Noah said stiffly, if he'd actually felt anything for Loire, he'd have been hurt by the betrayed look the doctor gave him. He silently cursed himself for being so convincing, he actually had the doctor in the palm of his hand but he was of no use now.
"He's supposed to be a hostage, no one could replace Val, he's not here to stay, he's not part of the crew."

Loire couldn't argue on that ... he had been their hostage, but damn ... just moments ago Noah had said- ... He'd said so many things, it was a rather cruel betrayal. "I-I can't fight, I don't know how, I'm just a civilian I swear." Loire's voice didn't falter, but it was evident he was afraid. He raised his hands up, yielding to Naomi and her thugs, as if he could do any harm anyway.

"You heard him, he's not a threat and he's no use to you anyway," Noah was running out of ideas, any sudden move and anyones head could be blasted off and the only person who could patch them up was currently trapped in Naomi's clutches with a pistol pointed at him.
"Please, let me go." Loire pleaded, his scalp stinging where Naomi tugged his hair, he didn't dare move a muscle against her.

"Do we have a deal or not? 60/40 is a fair cut, stop messing around Naomi" Noah said, unfortunately, negotiation and patience were certainly not two of his strong points and he knew the longer they lingered, the more chances Naomi had to discover Val wasn't dead and once she figured out he'd lied ... well she'd certainly not accept a 60 percent cut thats for sure.

[Henwen]

Rolling off the bed, Valko moved to land noiselessly on his hands and knees; If there was one thing he knew, it was how to take a fall. Soldier crawling his way across the floor, he kept low and out of sight- making his way to the hall where he could get a look around. The plasma pistol lying just beside the small lounge’s couch was a big giveaway that all was not well (as if he hadn’t noticed), and snagging it he made his way to peek around the doorway.

Three large assailants- judging from the pair of bulky shoulders and shadows cast on the floor and the ugly mug of the spacer holding a gun aimed at the center of the cargo hold... Make that four, as a bombshell blonde currently had a grip on their new doc. From their positions, he could guess that both Noah and Viva had got themselves nabbed as well. Joy.

Quick assessment over, he pulled back and quickly scurried back to the medbay and out of sight. Getting to his feet he deliberated for a second, checking the pistol’s charges- a full set, excellent, with the sound of things out there, these delightful warm-body targets were looking for their cargo... so that killed the lower approach, as that would be the first place they’d check- frontal assault was out likewise for even more obvious reasons- damn Noah getting caught. He would have loved a chance to double team that blonde bitch for stepping on their turf...
But that was besides the point (and there was also Viva to consider too, their folks would never let him live it down if she got hurt on his watch).
If you can’t go through, go under and if you can’t do that... Well, nobody ever looks up, not even in space it turns out.

Putting the gun in his pants behind his back Valko reached up and undid the mesh covering that doubled as the ceiling and exposed the Lucidae’s upper rigging. With a silent hop he pulled himself up in a deadlift, the strain pulling at his stitches and his rest-fatigued muscles. A quick swing, and a tuck and he looped his legs up as well, hanging upside down before a twist had him upright in the rafters.

His teeth flashed briefly in the dark, the light coming up through the mesh casting odd shadows on his face. It would take but a moment to work his way around to the cargo bay, and then he’d not only have the benefit of an advantageous position in cover with a bird's- eye-view... he’d take these fuckers entirely by surprise as well before he shot them dead.

His favorite kind of surprise.

Viva closed her eyes in frustration dismay as their newest crewmember got snagged by Naomi’s goons. And still Noah just would Not Shut UP. His fierce denial that Loire was anyway associated with the crew would only make this crazy bitch more certain that he was lying- which he was. This situation was just getting worse and worse, goddamnit. They shouldn’t even Be in this situation, wouldn’t have ever been if it hadn’t been for that thrice damned Nth! THIS WAS ALL NOAH’S FAULT! And if they died because of this she was so going to haunt his ass.

"Do we have a deal or not? 60/40 is a fair cut, stop messing around Naomi" Noah said, unfortunately, negotiation and patience were certainly not two of his strong points and he knew the longer they lingered, the more chances Naomi had to discover Val wasn't dead and once she figured out he'd lied ... well she'd certainly not accept a 60 percent cut that's for sure.

“It seems that despite my efforts there is still a misunderstanding between us, Captain,” Naomi said as she looked up at Noah, a positively displeased look in her eye and her hand’s grip on Liore’s scalp tightened painfully. “The negotiations we are discussing was never over the Nth- cut or otherwise... and certainly nothing Fair.”

A manicured hand slid the skirt covering her thighs aside and she delicately plucked a wicked looking stiletto knife from it’s hiding place and flicked it open with practiced ease, “We are negotiating whether or not you can convince me that you value your lives enough for me to allow you to keep them.”

“And I must say Captain Noah, you have done a very good job of showing me exactly what you value. Your life, perhaps, but the lives of your companions...” the stiletto grazed its way down Liore’s cheek leaving a faint red line behind, ”No, not so much.”

“Still,” She continued, staring directly into Loire’s eyes where that secret gleam of madness could easily be seen hiding in their depths, her voice almost soft, “You’d be amazed what a few hours of agonizing screaming can do to sway someone’s priorities- if only to make it stop. And I do so love it when they beg.”

“I will have your entire shipment of Nth, Captain,” She said louder for all to hear, but still not breaking her unnerving gaze, “Whether or not I Have to bathe the whole of this vessel in blood to get it is immaterial. I could easily deliver the cargo to its rightful owner- ship and all for Sullivan to go scrabbling through your cold dead bodies to find it himself... and if it is NOT here like you so eagerly suggested well...” her smile was deadly, “He’ll be glad to see that I tied up at least one loose end for him permanently.”

[Spud]

Loire winced as Naomi dragged the blade across his cheek, the pain subtle enough to sting dreadfully, but not bad enough to make him yelp in pain. He sucked in a hissed breath. He immediately regretted ever considering Noah's suggestion of staying out here. Noah was bad news, it wasn't worth the risk, this woman would kill him and Noah wouldn't care.

"If we give you the Nth or the coordinates to find the Nth, you'll possibly spare our lives but you'll leave us floating out in space with no fuel and nothing to maintain the ships life support systems. Now I can't speak for Vee and our little civvie friend, but if you were to slit our throats here and now it would be a kinder and quicker death than slowly rotting away adrift in space on a dead ship." not that Noah's observation made anyone feel any better. "I also don't trust you to spare our lives if we did give you the cargo. How can I be certain you won't kill my crew?" Loire looked up at Noah with terrified eyes, was Noah actually considering ditching the cargo?

"Just give her what she wants, no amount of drug money is worth it if you're dead." Loire glared, he noticed one of the henchmen smirked, it would be clear to Naomi that Loire knew where the drugs were, but would he cave easily? "I know that" Noah bristled, "But its worth even less if she takes it and then kills us." he frowned but ... it was clear that he had nothing left to negotiate, she'd won either way.
"Let us finish our refuel, then I'll give you the Nth, just give us enough fuel to get off this rock and onto another job and don't harm my crew." he conceded. At the rate the ship was going, they didn't have enough parts and fuel to make it on another job, they'd have to sell the Lucidae for scrap and purchase a smaller ship, not that Noah was going to admit that, especially not to Naomi ... though he was more frightened of Viva than Naomi when it came to admitting they couldn't afford to run the ship anymore.

"Why can't we have a little fun with them first boss?" on of the thugs grunted, he made Loire feel queasy. "That one has pretty hair like a girl, been a while since I've seen a long haired girl but he could do. Taggart can have the feisty little one too"
"I want my crew unharmed, that means you take your hands off Loire and Viva." Noah said stiffly, Loire couldn't bare to look him in the eye.
"So are we agreed? You'll let us refuel, my crew goes unharmed and I give you the nth." Noah knew he'd get a royal bollacking from Viva once Naomi was gone but he was powerless to avoid it and powerless to do anything right now.