Songbird: Nightingale

The Net

As the Whirring of the engines began to dissipate, the Nightingale docked at The Net. Jay used his skills to ease in, with the slightest move, of his joystick, the ship moved centimeter by centimeter the oxygen couplings latched onto one another as the connection was made. The Net was the mystery of the galaxy. Massive and grand, that a Dunkleos class ship, looked like a spec on a screen. Its name was even a mystery, The Net was just what most folks called it. Some called it the Dream-catcher, others, others just steered clear of it all together. Some however see it as a land of dreams and opportunity, starting up towns and even whole cities. Trade and commerce were as common as crime and punishment on the Net. While Jay was with a smirk about himself at a successful docking, Noir, and his Conscience were on their way to deliver Barnes, and while entering Metro, the main port, a slum, run buy Big Business and one or two Homestead Appointed Governors, being a neutral zone from all governments.

Noir and his Conscience, Kathryn, walked about the place, which was in the large part a shanty town, Kathryn had a sense of nobility that was more prevalent than that of the Captain himself. Her skin was soft and fair, yet showed no weakness. Her jet black hair had seemed to be as deep as the black itself. She had maintained her beauty wherever she went, being the talk of whispers in every room she entered. She dressed as modest as her mama taught her, but not so modest to reserve her body, which was a rival to the most Shapely woman a man could ever know.

As the walked through the slum, children ran, with mama's and papa's yellin and screaming after them. Homemade jewelry lined the improvised shops in Metro's ghetto in the shopping district. Poor people smelled as such, but ironically, enough were kinder than the richest business man this side of Sagittarius A. The distant sounds of engines from ships in the dry dock, and the clamor of men and women shouting about fresh cabbage, beautiful jewels, and other commodities not seen outside.

While Noir was pushing Barnes in a wheel Barrel, Kathryn looked around at the jewelry, and smiling at the old woman who'd been selling it. She purchased a purple tiara, appropriate for a princess such as herself. As she paid for it she gave a genuine grin payed double, and walked to rejoin the Noir.

"My fearless leader! I think you'd enjoy the wonderful crown I bought for you" she uttered as she placed the tiara on his sweaty head.

With a smile he accepted it, hiding the fact of his own embarrassment, at wearing the piece. "How could I not? Princess as beautiful as yourself bestowing upon me, a common man who ain't got a penny to his name! Thank you your highness." Noir had said with a fondness for the goofy action of Kathryn. Whilst meeting Vickers at her ship. Clad in the all too familiar blue-grey Imperial Uniform, Vickers met them with a smile.

" Dìyù a! That's what I was expecting. you earned your Neos." as Noir Wheeled Barnes to Vickers ship, Kathryn hugged her, not in the way you'd hug your mom, but more like the hug you give your sister. Noir entered Vickers ship, along with a few fine young Imperial Privates.

"It's so nice to see you! I'm so happy you've moved this far in rank. A commodore isn't something light." Kathryn said with a smile.

"Oh its nothing!, just worked my ass off to get to this position, but enough 'bout me, you still hanging with that Jiāngyìng Noir?" joked Vickers.

" haha Yeah, he and I are still floatin' round the space ways, so tell me how are you and the mighty Xane doing?"

"He's making his way. Been in school on Voron, since the day i made Major. The boy needs a stable life not to have the threat of being shot outta the sky by a plasma bolt, or blown up by some rebel ipbm." Vickers slumped over a guard rail as she spoke, showing her misgiving over her decision over sending her son to school. As Kathryn began to speak she put her hand on her shoulder.

"Carmen...you did what you could, after that blood bath at Vigil, you knew what you needed to do to protect him. You'd seen the true reality of what being in the Navy means."

"Dìyù shì a, wǒ zuòle...that's why i put him with his grandparents, they..they know how to raise a kid better than me.." with a somber tone of self denial, Carmen Vickers, orated.

As Kathryn's eyes settled on a passenger carrier in the distance, she took hold of Carmen's hand, and as she turned to her, a tender smile made its way across her face. The kind of smile a mother gives a child after they're done hollering bout a fall they've taken, and gives them a kiss on their injury. Soon after, she hugged Carmen, tightly, as a tear fell down her cheek. Else where the captain had gotten lost on the Tribunal, Vickers ship.

"Damn big ship! Dàodǐ zài nǎ'er wǒ shì shuí? Damnit!" Matthias hit the bulkhead, as he wondered the halls, hoping to gather the attention of someone, anyone, to help him get off the ship.

Whilst wandering about the ship, Matthias stumbled upon the records room. The lights were out, Yet the distinctive glow of computer screens and data wires gave the eerie room a homely feel to it. As Noir walked into the room, his IDS pin, akin to a badge of sorts, with its Ray symbol lit up, providing a mag light allowing him to see. He crept along into the room past most of the computer and over to the data crux, reaching his hand out he touched a single piece of hardlight, and pulled up a file, it read:
"Inclosed: Archeological findings by Doctor REDACTED
"We have found much here in the Net. Evidence of its creators we have concluded that they were REDACTED of both the net and REDACTED... It's difficult to decode the numeric systems of this group of REDACTED. But I guess that's all that this job is for right? Decoding and finding new ways to create weapons. All in the great service of the Empire. Sheeesh yeah right....

This whole thing for some anchient armor? And goddamn shiny weapons? I wish I chose a differnet field of work..."

"...Son of a bitch...." Noir said in reply to the doctors message.

Included in the hardlight file was a map and other information on the artifacts and findings of the Empire. Noir immediately made a copy of the data, and his A.I. Companion, LOLLY saved it to Nightengale's main computer.

After all this ruckus, Kathryn and Vickers came into the room and flipped on the light switch, which to Matthais' suprize, caused him to hide the tiny piece of Glimmer behind himself and toss it back into the Data Crux.
"Whatchu doin Matt? Got your ass lost on this old bird again?"

Carmen inquired of him with a raised eye brow and a pseudo-smile. As they entered it was clear that Kathryn was also curious of the man's actions.

"Yeah just trying to find my way round...so my cash been transfered?"
Noir spoke with a certain haste in his tone that showed he wanted to change subjects, as Kathryn added an "our" to the statement about the cash, Vickers nodded and showed them out.

With a distrustful gaze Vickers and her crew departed on the Tribunal. As the ship left into space Noir turned to Kathryn with a grin, he grabbed her shoulders and held her, hugging her tightly and picked her up and spun her. To her shock she hugged back, and smiled
"Well now captain, I didn't know you missed me that much!" she joked.
"Kathryn we need a team" he said As he put her down. The Captain had a certain look in his eye, the look of a man who had his mind on a treasure. The light gleamed on Noir, giving shine on his idea. As he spoke of his idea, Kathryn began to grin, slowly, from ear to ear, they knew the payoff would be worth the risk.

"Alright this is how it is," Matt stood in the center of the cargo hold with the lights dimmed, and a holotable in the center, and a Dracon-89 war-pistol, a staple of the Scrappers, strapped to his side. He stood with an assured confidence, and his tone was that of man who meant business. As usual he dressed casually, only wearing a simple pair of brow workers trousers, a blue workers shirt and standard issue military mag-boots. " Way I see it is there is some kinda cash grab I aint seen the likes of since that salvage run at Ol'Deca after the explosion--" Kathryn had interrupted him as was custom