[Log] Homecoming

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Spaceport, Beaumonde
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Saienne, somewhat weary-looking and covered in a good coating of travel grime and dust, doesn't look too at home here in Beaumonde's glitter. Her ragged hat is crammed down on top of her head shading her face almost completely, and she has her duffel bag slung over her shoulder. Underneath a crooked arm she carries a wooden crate that has been covered over in a hessian sack. Sai weaves her way somewhat inelegantly through the crowd, a slight limp just detectable, and peers at the boards she passes them - searching for the right ship.


In amongst the tangled web of walkways and docking bays in the great spiraling space port reaching into the sky, Grace's distinctive form is flanked on either side by two large and looming cargo liners to either side of her. The shadows thrown across the cargo loading ramp are softened by the glow of fluorescent lighting along the concourse and illuminate the slight figure descending the ramp at an ambling pace, her brow furrowed and her gaze searching as it sweeps one way and then the other.


Lucinda pads after the Captain, all quick like. "Hey, Aradia..wait up. Can I come?" She sounds a bit anxious, like a kid asking to tag along to the toy store. Everything short of hopping foot to foot.


It is Lucinda's familar voice that guides Saienne to the correct berth, for as soon as she hears the doctor's words she is able to navigate between the liners to find Grace's current resting point. She looks up at the Corvette, her hat tilting backwards, and smiles a crooked smile. "Hello there," she murmurs quietly, presumably to the ship herself, and then marches smartly up the concourse towards home. The limp is less noticeable now that Saienne has a firm destination, but it hampers her slightly nonetheless. "Captain," she says evenly as she approaches the foot of the ramp, "Doctor."


Shaking her head as she glances up to Lucinda trotting down the ramp after her, Aradia says, "No I was just coming out to wait for..." Hearing Saienne's voice, she turns back around to the woman and says, "Saienne." Stepping to one side at the base of the ramp, she lifts a hand to touch Saienne's arm lightly as she says, "I got your wave. Are you okay?" Her gaze drifts to the covered crate as she asks, "Do you need me to get one of the boys out here to carry that in for you?"


Lu hasn't seen Saienne in a while, and therefore she simply must smile as politeness and friendliness dictates, even though Aradia seems a bit on the grim side. "Sai!" She says the woman's name as greeting, drawing up behind the Captain.


Saienne looks directly at the Captain - without smiling - and nods seriously once in response. "Been worse," she says, without rancour, "But that ain't really sayin' much." She shakes her head and frowns. "Why things ain't able to run smooth once in a while I really am at a loss to say." She heaves a heartfelt sigh, that happily is broken quickly by Lucinda's greeting, and Sai smiles slightly up at the doctor. "Hello Lucinda," she says, "You keepin' well?" A broader smile breaks out now, and Sai glances down and sideways at the crate under her arm - it is fairly small, and doesn't look to be too heavy. "Real nice of you to ask an' all, mind, Captain, but it ain't no bother - ain't got much in it, really." Another fluid shrug. "Just figured I'd take the opportunity of bein' here on Beaumonde to bring a few bits an' pieces back aboard."


Nodding, Aradia regards Saienne a moment before she says, "Fair enough. You want to take that on inside if you're done with your business out here?" Looking back up the ramp, she adds, "Don't expect to be here long. Managed to get a trade deal with a deadline taking us back to Persephone."


Lucinda takes a few steps away, making sure she's a good pace or two set aside from the pair before she pulls out a partially smoked cigar from behind her ear and a lighter out of her pocket. "Better now that I'm out in the fresh air. Can you linger long enough for the poor doc to get a quick smoke?" She asks Aradia lightly, though why she needs a chaperone is left to the silence.


"Oh, I surely am done on this particular rock, Captain." Saienne speaks with vehemence. "But my business? Well, I reckon that's another matter entirely." So saying, she tramps up into the cargo bay to get rid of her covered crate.


Aradia's brow quirks as she looks to the cigar in Lucinda's hand, shrugging her shoulder after a moment as she follows Saienne up the ramp to the top. Turning to lean back against one of the struts, she crosses one leg over the other at the ankle and folds her arms in front of her as she says, "We've got the time." Her gaze turning to Saienne, she adds, "You want to talk about it or would you prefer a stiff drink for now?"


Lucinda brings the oldfashioned lighter to life with a flick of her thumb on the flint wheel. "Figure I'd start nurturing a new vice." She says with a sidelong smile sent back up the ramp. She stands at the end, puffing life into the cigar by drawing the flame against the flammable.


"Don't go temptin' me," replies Saienne to Aradia, "But sippin' on usquebaugh ain't likely to make me very productive an' I reckon I need to be capable of rational thought right about now." She shakes her head, and bends to settle the little crate on the deck near the bay doors. She straightens, turning her head to regard Lucinda. "Ain't nothin' but the mildest of vices, that one, I reckon." She looks at the Captain again. "I could talk from here to Sihnon if you gave me the chance." Instead, she reaches a long-fingered hand into one of her many pockets and pulls out a little black box. It's the black box she's been carrying with her all along. "Suffice to say I din't manage to get the job done, an' that's both a puzzle an' problem to me."


"Well we're only going so far as Persephone, I'm afraid," Aradia says with a quiet chuckle to Saienne then pushing off from the strut and turning back toward the top of the ramp. "I need to make some preparations for flight though so you can talk my ear off after that, alright?" Wrinkling her nose up with a grin, Aradia teases Lucinda as she says, "Don't you know what those things do for your health, doctor?" before adding as she disappears into the cargo bay, still grinning, "Not to mention the smell."


Saienne is standing at the top of Grace's ramp, all bundled up and grimy with dust and dirt from travelling. She is looking out of the cargo doors towards the glitter of New Dunsmuir, one hand on her hip. By her feet is a small crate covered with a hessian cloth. Lucinda is standing further down the ramp - smoking a fragrant cigar.


Josephine appears at the top of Grace's ramp, nearly brushing shoulders with the Captain as they pass each other by. The little woman winces a bit as she looks around the area. "This place always makes me dizzy," she murmurs before stopping short in her tracks. "Well if it isn't Saienne Olaeno!" she declares with a warm smile. "It's been forever!" And if the recently absent courier doesn't obviously object, she's going to find herself in a hug.


Lucinda isn't really alone, there are two other crew members nearby, so she thinks its perfectly acceptable if she takes a few more strides towards the end of the ramp. Rolling the cigar between her thumb and forefinger, she takes another puff and sends it out into the atmosphere, still smiling at Aradia's words even now that the woman has disappeared. The smile only widens when she hears Jo's voice and her always exuberant greetings.


"Well, hell, that ain't no good. Reckon I'll barely get a third of the story told by then..." Evidently Saienne hasn't entirely lost her sense of humour, and she flashes a crooked grin at Ara as she departs. "I should speak with you anyhow, Captain." A shrug. "I ain't got much of an idea what's goin' on at present, but it surely don't feel right..." Josephine's greeting stops her musings, however, and she turns to the other woman with a fond smile - and certainly no objections, obvious or otherwise. "Well, ain't that a sweet greetin', Josephine. Pleased as punch to see you again, an' all. Everythin' fine an' dandy hereabouts?" she asks, waving towards the belly of the ship with an expansive gesture - half a careful eye kept on the doctor and her progress towards the bottom of the ramp.


Josephine doesn't try to suffocate the woman or anything. Saienne just gets a nice, warm, welcoming hug. "Oh, everything's fine an' dandy indeed!" she announces, even mimicking the other woman's accent. "Except that you weren't around, and that was kind of sad. But..all is well, now." She waves cheerfully to Lucinda. "Hi Lu!" Then she turns back to Saienne. "You doing okay? Happy? Well-fed?" she frets in her motherly way, looking her over.


Hatch comes wanding down the ramp of Grace, hands shoved into his pockets to glance over the apparent gathering taking place here. "Hoi! How we all doing here.. oh looks like we picked us up a stray again. Tell you, be careful sometimes they bite or get clingy." So says the first mate with a broad grin.


"I was always comin' back," Saienne says, with mock-affrontery. She nods, in response to Jo's question - although it is a somewhat lacklustre gesture. "Well enough," she says, smiling slightly. "Happy would be goin' too far. Perplexed'd be closer the mark." And she does look tired - a tightening round the eyes and a deeping of the crowsfeet and all the grime one might expect on someone who has been travelling. When Hatch makes his comment, Saienne turns to him with an exaggerated frown: "Well, ain't that nice? Balanced out Josephine's kindnesses all neatly." Then she glances down at herself, dubiously. "Although I reckon I can see somewhat of your point, Hatch. I surely do need to get myself cleaned up." She frowns, and tips her hat off her head so that it is dangled from one hand. "But before all that, I brung you all a little somethin'." She stoops, then, to rustle the hessian cover off the crate and reveal a bundle of fruit and vegetables - nothing fancy, and not a lot, but enough for a meal or two."


Thank ya Sai, and if I didn't miss yah I'd of said nothing at all." Hatch continues to meander forward till he's standing before the woman and her precious cargo. "Thats good of you to bring for the crew, now all I want myself is a hug, and a hello. Yah were missed there ma'am, welcome home."


Josephine makes a sound that can only be descibed as a 'squee of joy' upon seeing the bundle of fruits and vegetables. "Oh! How lovely! Wow! Are those radishes? Thank you so much, Saienne!" She claps her hands happily, even jumping up and down a few times, before she eyes Hatch sternly. "Hey, wait, were you making fun of my Larry?" she asks him, but with the light of mischief in her eyes. (exciting repose)


Lucinda finally snubs out the cigar having finished the last of that particular precious stash, and meanders back up with ramp where everyone else is gathered. "Radishes?" She comments, having heard only snippets of the conversation, lost in thought as she was. Indeed the Doctor now seems some what somber if the line forming between her eyebrows is any indication.


"You sure about that?" Saienne asks Hatch, hanging back still. "I ain't at my most fragrant..." But she grins her crooked grin soon enough, and obliges - although she winces slightly as she puts a little too much weight on her right foot. "An' I missed y'all, an' all," she says, with honesty. "Found myself wishin' on your company more than once these past few weeks, I can tell you." She shakes her head and frowns. "Ain't hardly been up this ramp more than half an hour an' already I can feel whole atmospheres of worry dissipatin'." She blinks once and looks out to Beaumonde. "Reckon that's what home is?" She looks out at the planet for a long moment, and then turns inwards to the cargo bay and the collection of people. "An I brung you somethin' an all, Josephine. On account of missin' your birthday." A pause, and she pulls a little wooden box out from amidst the leeks and apples - offering it to Jo. "T'ain't hardly nothin', really. Just a little piece I picked up on Newhall as I was passin' through."


Hatch could really care less about the fragrence of Sai, considering most of this week he's been up to his elbows in chicken shi... yeah. Two hundred and fifty tons of poultry, he'd been busy along with quite a few of the rest of the crew. "Homes wear the heart is, some folks disagree with me on that but eh I ain't to worried about that. An now that your back you can settle in and help me settle in these tech parts." Hatch chuckles evily.


Kael seems to have appeared from the engine room of all places, making his way towards the hatch as Lucind was making her way in. His feet land solidly on the decking as he comments towards the group in general, "Radishes? What's this about radishes?" His brow furrows a little and he looks around, checking to see if it was a reference to the cargo. His mouth pushes up into a slight frown and he mutters, "Temptin' to snag me some... been a long time since I had a fresh one."


Josephine forgets about Hatch's thinly veiled Larry-directed insult (or the joke of it, at least), as she shuffles her feet and actually blushes a bit. "You knew about my birthday too?" Apparently all this birthday stuff is fairly new to her. "Aw, gee, Sai.." she says shyly, as she accepts the wooden box with both hands and a bow of her head. "I should..open it now? Sai brought us some fruits and veggies," she explains to Kael, with a smile. "Isn't that great of her?"


Lucinda flicks the flint wheel on the lighter a few more times in a distracted sort of nervous habit, "Thanks, Sai." She offers in way of gratitude for the fresh fare. She finds a cargo crate and hauls herself ontop of it, sticking close now to the gathered masses but isn't saying or contributing much to the conversation.


"Hah," says Saienne, "I knew there was an ulterior motive. Ain't hardly been here five minutes an' already you want me haulin' things - heavy things, I ain't got no doubt - hither an' thither." But the grumble is not in earnest, and she drops her hat to the ground near the crate, rolls up her sleeves, and just about looks ready to work. "Help yourself, Kael - an' it ain't no bother, Lucinda. I reckon there'll be enough to go round -" she glances to Josephine "- although you might want to consult with the cook before takin' your pick." She nods then to Josephine's query. "Now, or later. Whenever you want to really." She smiles, but uncharacteristically shyly, perhaps starting to feel some of the weight of the attention her return has afforded her. "It is yours to open when you want to." She looks up at Hatch. "What am I carryin', then?"


The first mates commentary had nothing to do with Larry, more so the dusty woman who showed up on the door step. Not that he'll expain that at the given moment, he's not to worried about it. He does however step over to press an had to the small of Jo's and mentions, "Yeah, Sai's missed a few things.. she's got a bit of catching up to do. I'm sure we've all got things to tell her... but talk first, mebbie a good long shower, then work later. We got time. Anyhoo I'm pretty darn curious whats in this box myself?"


"Ooooo, fruits and veggies. Ya know, speaking of fruit, that tangerine juice is quite good." Kael quirks a bit of an eyebrow at Lu, having seen her snub it out not too long before. His mouth pulls into more of a grin as he continues his saunter in the groups directions, stopping next to he crate that Lucinda is perching upon and giving a look up to her. A quiet word before his view is directed towards the group again. "By all means, tell me what's init as well. Sounds interestin'."


Josephine looks entirely all kinds of happy as she holds the little wooden box in her hands very carefully, loving it for the gift that it is without knowing what is inside. "Well, whatever apples you folks don't eat right off, I can probably make a pie or some sort of appley cake..." Her mind is already racing as to various baking ideas with which she can delight her fellow crewmembers. But all the pleading brings her back to reality, and she also, very mindfully, takes the focus off of poor tired Saienne for a brief moment. "Okay," she gives in to all the requests, with a grin, as she opens her gift with care. Inside the box, cushioned in straw, is a sunny yellow teacup with a deep orange saucer. The inside of the cup is painted with the thin thread-like leaves and bright bobbing flowers of a field full of daffodils. "Ooooooooooo..." breathes Josephine, eloquently. "Wow..this is..so..lovely...Sai!" She even looks a little teary-eyed about it. "Thank you!"


Lucinda leans forward a bit, resting her elbows on the meat of her thighs as she comments back quietly to Kael before: "Hey, Sai..c'mere a second?" She asks, her brow still deeply furrowed enough to show the peaks and valleys of wrinkles.


Saienne takes a step back from Jo and Hatch - she knows what's in the box already after all - and smiles fondly - if lopsidedly - at the pair of them. "Daffodils," she says quietly, looking at the little yellow cup. "Ain't nothin' quite so special as the humble daffodil." Sai looks up as Lucinda calls her name. "Everythin' all right," she asks, turning from the gathering and looking at the doctor. She takes a couple of steps towards the crate the doctor is sitting on, favouring her left leg as she walks.


Lips pressing firmply together Hatch nods a few times as he looks into the box, "Aye, got to agree there Sai. It's lovely." He breaks into a broad warm smile quietly once again speaking his thanks before taking a step back and turning to go and check over the cargo manifest one more time.


Kael gives a gently whisper back up to Lucinda before grinning widely between Saienne and Josephine. He leans back upon the crate that Lucinda is sitting upon, gently resting his hand nearest to her on her knee. He gives a gentle squeeze and turns towards Hatch then. "Hey.. I think some of those lessons are starting to pay off.. gettin' some of it down, but I think it'll still be a while yet 'fore I really start gettin' it."


Josephine seems mostly left alone now with her teacup, what with Sai going to talk to Lucinda and Kael while Hatch goes to review the manifest. She studies the delicate teacup for a long moment, appreciating the details and the general happiness of such a lovely item.


Lucinda tilts her head, giving a vague hitch of her chin and downward glance indicating Sai's left side. "Was about to ask you the same." Its all said with a hint of a smile, though the doctorly concern still shadows her appearance and gives her a slightly more stern look than she's like.


Saienne looks down at her own foot, and then looks back up at Lucinda with an expression of apprehension. "Ah," she says, mildly, and then nods. "Well, as you heard me tellin' the Captain earlier, things didn't go entirely to plan." A pause, and a frown. "Or even slightly to plan, to be straight an' true. Got myself all... tangled up."


Hatch once satisfied with the manifest and the clipboard is hung back on the peg he makes his way over to sneak his arms back around Jo's middle. "Do I detect a need for room for a new collection?"


Kael gives a glance over in Hatch's direction, giving a grin at seeing the two and then turns his attention back to Sai. His shoulders give a slight rise and fall in a shrug as he actually says back to her, "Well.. glad ya made it back at all then. We've seen more then a couple people lately that seem ta have had the same problem." His smile lightens a little, turning more into more of a smirk.


Josephine wraps one of her arms over Hatch's, keeping a secure hold on her teacup box. "I never even really had stuff before, much less /collections/ of stuff," she reminds him. "Besides, a teacup is for drinking tea, not gathering dust..right?" She quiets a bit as she listens to Saienne's words with notable concern.


"Little of both." Hatch comments, comfortably standing behind Jo, "Glad to hear your learning things Kael, same thing though. Keep at the basics till they become close to instinct.. then progress onward." Yeah he's a little slow on the uptake today, thoughts are kinda elsewhere.


Lucinda slips a hand over Kael's as it rests on her knee. "Well, when you're settled back in I'll be happy to take a look at for you. Meaning if I don't see you in the Med bay before I go to bed tonight, I'm dragging you down there kicking and screaming first thing in the morning." Her words are tempered with a growing smile, the furrow slowly receeding.


Saienne looks down at the cold deck and sighs at Kael's comment. "Lot of it goin' around, so folk seem to be sayin'. Folk are... jumpy, out there. Ain't no inklin' why." She reaches one hand up to scrub at the back of her stubbled head. "Suffice to say a simple drop turned real complicated in the space of about five minutes an' I still ain't got no clear understandin' of why." She shrugs, perplexed, but then nods smartly at Lucinda. "Right you are, doctor. I ain't about to defy that order." A crooked grin. "An' it hurts somewhat an' all, so I reckon it'd be in my best interests to come an' see you sooner rather than later."


Hatch having jumped well ahead in his thoughts, quietly settles against Jo's back for a moment closeing his eyes.


"Yep," Kael comments back towards Hatch, "That's generally how it works, eh? All about the basics, then the rest." His mouth is pulling into a bit of a grin again as he attention is, once again, diverted elsewhere. The hand over his doesn't go unnoticed though and in return, there's another gentle squeeze of Lucinda's knee. "Ya got that right, Sai." Kael comments back to her, his friendly gaze returning to her, "Ya should see some of the stuff they say 'bout stab wound, gun shots 'n' the like. Been sneakin' a peak at Lu's books, quite the interestin' read."


Josephine finds it prudent to simply listen a while to what other people are saying for a while as she hugs both Hatch's arm and her little box, basking in the pleasant company of her fellow crewmembers. Of course, her gaze strays over to the waiting bunch of fruits and vegetables as she continues to ponder how everyone will be well fed.


Lucinda nods to Saienne. "Sooner then." She says quietly, still studying the woman for a moment as if she can physically access her wound without so much as removing the woman's boot.


If someone so covered in grime could be perceived to pale, then Saienne would be paling. As it is, she merely blinks in Kael's direction and says quietly: "Well I ain't been shot this time round, the stars an' their sisters be thanked." She looks up the steps that lead to the commons and the bunks, and turns back to Hatch. "If it's all right with y'all I reckon I'll take that shower right about now..? I'm mightily bored of bein' this grubby. Happens every time I set out on a trip an' I ain't never got used to the feelin' - nor the particular fragrance - yet." She sets off towards the steps but, on Lucinda's parting word, turns and looks back over her shoulder. "Sooner," she agrees, before making a mildly painful-looking way up the steps and into the commons.