Octavia looked over the parts that the Scoundrel left. They would be
enough to get them to the nearest port. After looking at the star maps the
Captain had to agree that the nearest place was Port Lansing.
"Octavia, are you still working on those parts?" Roz asked entering the
engine room.
"Yes, Sir." Octavia answered. "I wanted to make sure that these parts
worked. I don't want us to be stranded at the mercy of the next ship that
comes by."
"Port Lansing, isn't exactly a safe place either." Roz corrected.
"Perhaps Captain, but it's better than empty space."
PORT LANSING
Octavia sat at a table watching the Captain and a few of the other crew
gambling. So far it was remaining a good quiet game. Perhaps no one would
get into trouble this time. Pulling her cloak around her she touched the
lightsaber at her side somehow feeling comfort at it's nearness.
"You cheated!" a man yelled rising to his feet. "I've heard about you so
called merchants."
"Let's not get bent out of shape, you opened the deck yourself, how could
I cheat?" Roz asked looking at Derk. He didn't like the way this was going,
if this so called person kept his anger up it was going to either end in a
fight or the local authorities being called, either way it would be bad.
"I don't know how you cheated, I just know that you did. I demand the
winnings from this hand."
Derk looked at the Captain then back to the man bellowing in rage. "If
that will keep you happy, then we are willing to redo the hand." Derk said
and sighed when Roz nodded in agreement.
The injured man looked at the two then to the other gathered around the
table. "They are willing to prove they haven't cheated, take the offer or
leave." a short alien growled. "We came here to relax, so sit down and let's
continue to play."
"Very well," the man said retaking his seat.
Octavia watched the exchange and slowly let her breath out never
realizing until that moment she had been holding her breath. Why did the
Captain always get himself into these situations? She sat back in the chair
and continued to watch the game. She thought of looking at the shops and the
other distractions this station had to offer. Yet, she didn't want to leave,
at least not yet. It was as if she was waiting on something or someone.
She couldn't figure out what she could be waiting for, after all all the
replacement parts had been delivered to the Electria and the droids were
installing them under close supervision. So she had no reason to be anxious;
so why was she?
Carefully Octavia glanced around the room, one thing she didn't want to
do was to attrack attention to herself, that was the last thing she wanted.
A short creature entered the cantina and looked around the room, nodded
to itself it walked over to the table where Roz and Derk sat playing cards.
"How much for your engineer?" it asked.
"Nothing, my engineer isn't for sale, she part of my crew, not a slave."
"Surely for a price you will give her up?" the creature pressed.
"Hey shrimp," one of the players yelled, "He's a merchant not a slave
dealer, now go away, we're in the middle of an intense game."
The short neck creature extended it's neck and looked at the people
around the table and the cards. "Very well, I'll go find this engineer for
myself."
"Good luck." Derk laughed. "She never leaves the ship, she loves the
engines too much, and after seeing you I can see why she prefers them."
"You have no idea who you have on your ship, I at least know her value."
Octavia lowered her hood and pulled her cloak tighter, it was the same
creature she had persuaded to leave the Captain alone, the same who thought
it knew what the cylinder on her belt from somewhere else. As much as she
was curious about knowing what it knew, Octavia had no desire to have
anything to do with it. Perhaps she needed to leave and not draw attention
to the Captain and to Derk.
Rising slowly to her feet she headed for the doorway and bumped into a
woman there. "Excuse me." Octavia whispered leaving the cantina. There was
something familiar about the woman, though she didn't know the stranger.
Rachel Summers looked at the figure as it left the Cantina then turned
and followed it.
***Rachel,,, your turn****