"I got your note Catie. I take it you have met our Lady in White?"
Catie started to nod, but suddenly caught herself and stopped, "Maybe. I'm not sure what I saw. By that name, she fits the description..." She looked up, "White is a difficult colour."

((Presuming a bit of confusion))

"White doesn't occur very much. Even if you consider what is called white flour, it's not a pure white. Smoke would be an explanation, but to take that particular form and maintain it?" Catie jumps to her feet, her eyes gleaming, "Something I can't explain. It's really intriguing. But, putting aside everything about the 'what', the part that confuses me is 'why'. Why does she appear?"

((Presuming an incomplete answer, along the lines of appearing with warnings or sometimes just appearing))

Catie frowned, "When she appeared to me, she visibly looked worried. She was reaching her hand out, and I almost touched it, but she vanished. Maybe it was a suggestion for me to be particularly careful. I am trying to be, but the situation is not clear, and that lack of knowledge is potentially the most dangerous thing about this situation..."

((Presuming a question about what situation exactly))

Catie folded the fan with a flick of her wrist and crossed her arms, "I can't speak in the definitive, but for Lilianna to make contact with a complete stranger, to trust them more than the people around her, that is incredibly suspicious. The feelings I get from her, her emotions... they don't fit. There's something more to this situation than just needing a private escort. I know we're not supposed to make it our business, but I don't feel like I can just let it go."

((Presuming a 'There is definitely more' and a bit of a synopsis to bring Catie up to date with the others, as well as a 'what contact?'))

Catie blinked then scratched at her cheek, "Somehow... it starts making a bit of sense. Nothing definitive, yet... from the void, an outline of a picture." She shook her head, "Of course, I could be wrong. Anyway, it was a note that the girl passed to me. A note asking for help."

Catie looks Stephanie in the eyes, "If I had to guess... she doesn't willingly want this marriage. That's making a number of assumptions, however, and the only thing I can try to do right now is get more information to get to the bottom of this."

She rubbed her forehead, "Naturally, it might turn out to be that case where it's better not to know, and you can't un-know after you know, but I'd rather find out I'm wrong. Finding evidence to prove correctness or disprove falsehood is a scientist's job."

Catie put the fan away, "Thank you, I just felt like I needed to talk to someone. I'm going to make some tea and take the tray up to the guest quarters. Perhaps I'll find out if I can get some more information that way... providing the means by which to obtain more notes. If not, well, the tea should help calm her nerves a bit. That girl seems so frazzled."

"I got your note Catie. I take it you have met our Lady in White?"

Catie started to nod, but suddenly caught herself and stopped, "Maybe. I'm not sure what I saw. By that name, she fits the description..." She looked up, "White is a difficult colour."

Form a metaphysical perspective or a fashion sense?" Stephanie asked no sure where Catie was going with this.

"White doesn't occur very much. Even if you consider what is called white flour, it's not a pure white. Smoke would be an explanation, but to take that particular form and maintain it?" Catie jumps to her feet, her eyes gleaming, "Something I can't explain. It's really intriguing. But, putting aside everything about the 'what', the part that confuses me is 'why'. Why does she appear?"

"Ah. Well the why depends on who you talk to about her. Could be that we have venting gas and it takes a shape that makes one think of a lady in white."

Catie frowned, "When she appeared to me, she visibly looked worried. She was reaching her hand out, and I almost touched it, but she vanished. Maybe it was a suggestion for me to be particularly careful. I am trying to be, but the situation is not clear, and that lack of knowledge is potentially the most dangerous thing about this situation..."

"Or you can go straight to the paranormal answer of a watchful ghost. Really Catie? is that where you are going as a scientist?"

Catie folded the fan with a flick of her wrist and crossed her arms, "I can't speak in the definitive, but for Lilianna to make contact with a complete stranger, to trust them more than the people around her, that is incredibly suspicious. The feelings I get from her, her emotions... they don't fit. There's something more to this situation than just needing a private escort. I know we're not supposed to make it our business, but I don't feel like I can just let it go."

Stephanie shook her head. Catie was changing topics in midsentence and that was hard to follow. "What do you mean seek contact with a complete stranger? Did she say something to you?"

Catie blinked then scratched at her cheek, "Somehow... it starts making a bit of sense. Nothing definitive, yet... from the void, an outline of a picture." She shook her head, "Of course, I could be wrong. Anyway, it was a note that the girl passed to me. A note asking for help." Catie looks Stephanie in the eyes, "If I had to guess... she doesn't willingly want this marriage. That's making a number of assumptions, however, and the only thing I can try to do right now is get more information to get to the bottom of this."

"She gave you a note? Can I see it?"

(assuming that Catie passes the note to Stephanie) The doctor looked down at the crumpled piece of paper and read the words within Help Me. Please Help Me
Catie rubbed her forehead, "Naturally, it might turn out to be that case where it's better not to know, and you can't un-know after you know, but I'd rather find out I'm wrong. Finding evidence to prove correctness or disprove falsehood is a scientist's job."

Catie put the fan away, "Thank you, I just felt like I needed to talk to someone. I'm going to make some tea and take the tray up to the guest quarters. Perhaps I'll find out if I can get some more information that way... providing the means by which to obtain more notes. If not, well, the tea should help calm her nerves a bit. That girl seems so frazzled."

"NO!" Stephanie said, a bit more forcefully than she expected. "No you do not want to do that right now, maybe later but ... ummm... Grace is right now searching the luggage for any dangers or surprises and she has auto-locked all the passengers doors. I know! But she has done this before and it has saved our life so trust me on this! If you go up there, they will quickly discover that. No, she is not going anywhere and neither is the Bodyguard. We need to show this to Jon and quickly. Come on, we will go find him and I can fill you in on the events that have occurred recently that may shed some light on this note.

(assuming Catie joins Stephanie and looks for Jon while letting Catie know about kidnapping/death threats on Lilianna and the not so subtle seduction of the captain.)

((Catie does show her the note))

"NO!"
Catie jumped, visibly surprised. She had gotten through her mind wave, and now was wondering if there was something she did wrong. Stephanie looked rather confused so maybe it wasn't entirely coherent... that wouldn't surprise Catie. She had been known to be less than coherent during one of her mind waves.

"No you do not want to do that right now, maybe later but ... ummm... Grace is right now searching the luggage for any dangers or surprises and she has auto-locked all the passengers doors."
Catie blinked, "Isn't that a bit..."

Stephanie continued, "I know! But she has done this before and it has saved our life so trust me on this! If you go up there, they will quickly discover that. No, she is not going anywhere and neither is the Bodyguard. We need to show this to Jon and quickly. Come on, we will go find him and I can fill you in on the events that have occurred recently that may shed some light on this note."
Catie nodded, "Okay. There are other things going on as well then? Somehow, I am not surprised..."

She will go with Stephanie to see if they can locate the potentially elusive and apparently popular-with-the-help Jon.

When JC opened the door Jon said, “You’re not going to believe what’s going on.”

(assume some comments from JC)

Jon told the PR man what Stephanie has discovered with the use of the doubles, the intrigue of this simple fare was mounting by the minute. Jon may worry too much but he wanted JC to know every angle of what was going on. The may have blushed a bit as told JC about Stephanie walking in on him and the wedding planner. Jon warned him that Asante could approach him and it was up to his best judgment how to handle it.

(Assume some comments form JC)

Jon was relieved to be sitting with JC, there was something about being able to talk to another man that just seemed easier. He had to admit to himself that he was hiding out a bit.

Jon was now even toying with the thought that Badger could be setting them up to take the fall while he played both sides. That business the brothers was up to could just as easily be for whoever was hunting Miss Lillian. He told JC his concerns just to get them off his chest, as they say a burden shared is lighter.
(Assume some comments)

“Well get some rest, we’ll have to take shifts at the helm and still keep an eye on things.” Jon left JC”s cabin and headed for his own, it would be good to relax and think things through. Jon took the lift up to the upper deck. Stepping out he saw Stephanie and Catie waiting outside his cabin.

“Wo Hu Chung Long.”(“crouching tiger, hidden dragon,” an expression for something dangerous.)

With Seth’s acceptance of the yanmianlin all JC could do was make one more check of the ship before take off. With everything looking to be secured the PR man took his normal spot during take off and made himself comfortable. Though he hoped for a normal trip in the Black he knew with the amount of threats on Fairchild’s head there was a good chance it could get hairy.

However there were times when JC liked it hairy and though he feared for the rest of the crew he did look forward to them to keep himself in practice with his skills. It was unfortunate that the hull of the Destiny was as it was with no hope of a gun range. However it was still home and for JC having been granted this ship as a home he was ok with that. As he was getting ready to doze, a state for JC of not fully asleep yet still getting rest, there was a knock on his door.

When JC opened the door he found Jon wait on the other side. As he moved out of the way to let the Captain enter Jon seemed wired up.

“You’re not going to believe what’s going on.”

“You forget Jon we both fought in the war and have traveled the Black together for awhile now, so try me.”

Jon told the PR man what Stephanie has discovered with the use of the doubles, the intrigue of this simple fare was mounting by the minute. Jon may worry too much but he wanted JC to know every angle of what was going on. The may have blushed a bit as told JC about Stephanie walking in on him and the wedding planner. Jon warned him that Asante could approach him and it was up to his best judgment how to handle it.

~Laughing~ “Well if she does come to me I’ll be sure to get her undressed. purely to check for concealed weapons of course”

Jon was relieved to be sitting with JC, there was something about being able to talk to another man that just seemed easier. He had to admit to himself that he was hiding out a bit.

Jon was now even toying with the thought that Badger could be setting them up to take the fall while he played both sides. That business the brothers was up to could just as easily be for whoever was hunting Miss Lillian. He told JC his concerns just to get them off his chest, as they say a burden shared is lighter.

“Well if the brothers are working for the ‘bad guys’ then the ‘bad guys’ are in a serious hiring slump. Either they are as they seem, a pair of amateurs, or they are some damn good actors. I’ll keep tabs on them for sure, get e’m to talk to me and so on. If they are faking stupidity I’ll try to get them to make a mistake.”

“Well get some rest, we’ll have to take shifts at the helm and still keep an eye on things.”

“You want me to fly this bird, Really? ~laughing~ Better check with Tess first before you have ME sit anywhere near HER seat. I enjoy my life, what little is left, and cleaning up the helm after she plasters my insides all over it will be a chore.”

With a smile on his face to show Jon he was only partly joking JC showed the captain out. However he had been serious about the brothers. If they were indeed conning everyone, JC would make a best effort to find out.

Alacrity - just changed the "Crows" to "JCs"

I have assume some conversation in this. You may repost it if you wish to rephrase anything I put in.

Destiny Cargo Bay, Day One of Journey. 3:10 AM ST
With the two finds being the only things of interest, Grace asked Angela without thinking about what she was asking, "You any good at breaking into luggage?"

Angela wasn't sure. She looked at the first case, the one with the picture frame and then at the other one with the device and noticed something right away. She checked all the cases then and then returned to Grace. "All these cases are unlocked except one," she said pointing to the case with the device. "All the combination locks are on the exact same numbers - I bet it is Lilianna's birthday too. Sloppy but she is a kid right?" Angela clicked open the case with the picture frame and the bolt snapped open easily. She reached inside cautiously and pulled out the package.

It was wrapped in a handmade Chantilly lace cloth that was old, browning in places due to age and handling over the years. It was wrapped well, so that you'd think it was an old family heirloom and there was nothing inside. Inside the lace was a picture in a simple wooden frame - also hand-made but more recent than the lace. It was a picture of Lilianna with a young man, close to her own age. The young was dressed like the garb of a ranch hand but the two of them are smiling holding hands across a wooden fence or a stall - like they were meeting in a horse stable or a barn. One thing was sure - this wasn't Templeton Colt Steele. On the back of the picture is written "Me and Daniel".

As Grace examined the photo and her mind flashed through certain deductions she could make based in the setting, the clothing and the fact that someone must have taken the picture who Lilianna trusted, Angela examined the locked case. "I'm sorry Grace but I cannot open this without setting off whatever security feature is built into the case. Funny she'd have one case with such high security and all the rest unlocked." Angela said plainly.

Grace handed the picture back to Angela, "Yeah, I expected that. Okay. re-wrap this so it looks undisturbed and put it back in the case. We need to find the Captain."


Destiny Captain's Quarters, Day One of Journey. 3:10 AM ST
Stepping out he saw Stephanie and Catie waiting outside his cabin. “Wo Hu Chung Long" Jon said aloud as he approached the ladies.

Stephanie smiled, "You choose this life of big damn heroes dear. Don't complain about it now." she said as they followed him into the quarters. Stephanie showed Jon the note that Catie received from Lilianna covertly and told the Captain about Grace and Angela's "inspection" of the luggage. The note didn't say much. Help me. Please help me.
"I do not think we should go in and confront the girl and the bodyguard this evening, "She looked at her multi-band, "Morning I mean. I think it would be prudent if we got Lilianna away from the bodyguard so she could talk."

Stephanie sighed heavily, "Never thought I would feel like I was happier when we were hauling manure."

(assuming some input and conversation between Catie and Jon)
Suddenly there was a firm and distinct knocking on the door. Jon Knew from the staccato rhythm that it was Grace.

(assuming you let her in)

Grace and Angela entered the room. Grace looked twitchy - well more than usual. "Guess what we found Captain?"

"Hold On" Jon went to the communicator and keyed the Bridge and JC room. (Assuming a Y'all better come to my room now. We got a meeting happening)

"You choose this life of big damn heroes dear. Don't complain about it now." Stephanie said as they followed him into the quarters. She showed Jon the note that Catie received from Lilianna covertly and told the Captain about Grace and Angela's "inspection" of the luggage. The note didn't say much. “Help me. Please help me.” Jon furrowed his brow as he read the short note.

"I do not think we should go in and confront the girl and the bodyguard this evening, "Steph looked at her multi-band, "Morning I mean. I think it would be prudent if we got Lilianna away from the bodyguard so she could talk………..Never thought I would feel like I was happier when we were hauling manure."

“Well the way this going that could well be our future career. This is just supposed to be a quick run to deliver a few people to a wedding. We don’t need …..” Jon stopped as he heard a familiar rapping on the door. Grace had come to join the party. Jon open to the door and stressful looking Grace barged in followed a by a bemused looking Angela. Grace plopped herself down, "Guess what we found Captain?"

Seeing this might take a bit and most likely was stuff they all needed to know Jon raised his hand and stopped the engineer, "Hold On". Jon went to the communicator and keyed the Bridge and JC room. Tess, J.C. . Y'all better come to my room now. We got a meeting happening!”

Turning back to the room Jon started “How W’rin Bu Lai..” then Steph and Grace chimed in, “Whai W’rin Bu Jwo. “ (good luck don’t come, ….bad luck don’t leave.) . With his best deadpan expression Jon said, “Very funny.”

Soon the crew was huddled in Jon’s cabin, “Seems that Lillian may not be trusting her own folks, she slipped Catie a note asking for help. So something ain’t right there.” Looking over to Grace, “Now…your turn, wha’cha find?”

(Grace and Angela can tell the group what they found, then Tess and JC can ask questions and make comments.)

Jon listened to the group and then spoke up. “I’m going to need you folks to give me some real good reasons why we should get mixed up deeper in this mess. If this rich girl don’t want to marry this fella, well that ain’t our business, our business is to deliver her safe and sound. We get paid when she steps foot on the liner. That’s Badgers deal and he’ll have to stick to it.”

Jon could feel some heated stares.

Angela was happy to be helping Grace, even if she wasn't quite sure what she was supposed to be doing. The luggage had been easy enough to stack and re-stack as Grace x-rayed it, and it was easy enough to realize that most of the luggage wasn't locked. They all had the same combination of numbers set, so it was like Lilianna had unlocked them for packing and forgot to spin the rollers again to hide the combination.

Angela shook her head at that...she'd forgotten her whole life, but she was doing something, she focussed completely on it...no detail overlooked. Putting back the picture as if it had never been moved was easy, since Angela had noticed how the lace shawl was folded around it. She repeated the folding exactly the way she saw it in her mind, then carefully slipped it back into place among the packed clothes by touch - on top of the soft fuzzy thing but beneath the smooth slick material.

The case with the small device hidden inside was another matter. This one was locked and it was a much more complicated lock than a simple combination lock, and after thinking a moment, she knew it couldn't be opened without tools she simply didn't have. "I'm sorry Grace but I can't open this without setting off whatever security feature is built into the case. Funny she'd have one case with such high security and all the rest unlocked."

Now, in Jon's room, Angela simply sat as the others discussed what they'd found out. It didn't matter to her what Lilianna wanted or didn't want. She was told to do something, and Angela, well, she believed in doing what you were told.

Catie raised her hands in a noncommital gesture. "I think it's safe to say that this particular situation is quite volatile. Evidence, however, does point to a particular scenario... and it is not a pretty one. We can say with a high degree of confidence that Lilliana is not being happily wed. As I recall, it will take a few days to get there. As time progresses, it's almost guaranteed that she will get more desperate, regardless of any action on our part. What that will result in, well, I couldn't say at this point."

Catie crossed her arms and frowned, "However, there is something that does not fit. Arranged marriages are one thing, putting aside their morality for the moment, but it's entirely another for people to intentionally try to cover it up."

She paused a moment to try to organize her thoughts on the matter, "We know, for a fact, that the so called wedding planner purposefully tried to occupy our Captain's time. Considering that, I believe it was Angela who mentioned that the two other men did not exhibit displays of trained personnel, it's possible that they were actually provided to try to do the same towards other members of the crew. I recall that it was Jon, Angela, Tess and JC at the negotiation, right? Consider the 'wedding planner', the two men, and the bodyguard as the people to correspond to that."

Catie's pace sped up as she went, perhaps a bit of an indication of an underlying nervousness regarding either the whole situation or the missing information, "Of course I'm reaching the limits of what is safe to conjecture based on this considerable lack of key pieces of information but I believe it is a possibility that should be considered. Worst case scenario doesn't look very good but then worst case scenarios aren't called 'worst' for no reason. Either way I believe we need more information in order to decide whether a non-interference policy though the best option from an entirely business perspective might be detrimental in the long term for all involved parties."

Catie took a breath, "Sorry... I tend to talk faster when I get a bit nervous. Something here just does not add up. I don't want it to bite us when we're not expecting it."

Yet for all that she said, Catie kept her main suspicion internalized. She didn't have any proof to support her instinct, and even if it was true, there were limits as to what they could do at this point.

As Grace, scanned the luggage, a vague sense of disappointment was starting to hit her. There nothing exciting in the luggage. The only thing that had caught her eye was the small electronic device and the frame. Without thinking, Grace asked Angela, "You any good at breaking into luggage?"

Then Grace realized what she had just asked and mentally sighed. Her life had gotten so strange…Angela quickly opened the case except the one with the device.
"All these cases are unlocked except one," she said pointing to the case with the device. "All the combination locks are on the exact same numbers - I bet it is Lilianna's birthday too. Sloppy but she is a kid right?"

“Seriously? How dumb can she be?” questioned Grace as Angela handed her the picture. Grace examined the photo as Angela examined the locked case.

"I'm sorry Grace but I cannot open this without setting off whatever security feature is built into the case. Funny she'd have one case with such high security and all the rest unlocked." Angela said plainly.

Grace handed the picture back to Angela, "Yeah, I expected that. Okay. re-wrap this so it looks undisturbed and put it back in the case. We need to find the Captain."

The trip to the captain’s room was short but Grace’s mind was buzzing with ideas. What could that device be? Her natural instinct was bomb but that made no sense. They were being paid to deliver the passengers to the wedding. Her next idea that popped in her head was a tracker. That made sense as it would be a great way to make sure that the daughter was on the right track and if they were going to run off and hold her for ransom, it was a way to find them. The thought of the tracker was almost as scary to Grace as the thought of a bomb. Her instincts were screaming to get that thing out of the luggage and toss it out the air lock. However that would make it rather obvious that she had peaked.

By the time they had reached the room, Grace was very tense and about ready to turn around and go attack that luggage. She rapped rather hard on the door and Jon opened the door.
"Guess what we found Captain?" said Grace as she walked in. Jon raised his hand and stopped the engineer, "hold on". Jon went to the communicator and keyed the Bridge and JC room. Tess, J.C. Y'all better come to my room now. We got a meeting happening!”

Turning back to the room Jon started “How W’rin Bu Lai.” Grace couldn’t resist adding, “Whai W’rin Bu Jwo.” A deadpan Jon responded with, “Very funny.”

Soon the crew was huddled in Jon’s cabin, “Seems that Lillian may not be trusting her own folks, she slipped Catie a note asking for help. So something ain’t right there.” Looking over to Grace, “Now…your turn, wha’cha find?”

“On the minor side, Lillianna is in love with a ranch-hand and Seth knows about it, on the more important side, there is some sort of small electronic device in her luggage. I think it’s a tracker so The Baron can keep tracker of her.” said Grace rubbing her temples lightly, she could feel a headache coming on.

(OOC: Assuming some shocked reactions and someone wondering how she figured that out)

“We found a photo hidden in her luggage. Judging from the clothes and setting, it wasn’t hard to figure it out this was taken at her father’s ranch. It was obvious from the body language that they were in love and Seth was the one who took the photo. This photo is clearly personal and the only person who would be around her twenty four seven is Seth. As for the tracker, it’s my best guess. Its x-ray proofed, and it’s in the only luggage we can’t open, so I haven’t gotten a good look at it.” Grace explained.

(OOC: I will assume there will be some more interaction, I’ll add on if I need to.)

“I’m going to need you folks to give me some real good reasons why we should get mixed up deeper in this mess. If this rich girl don’t want to marry this fella, well that ain’t our business, our business is to deliver her safe and sound. We get paid when she steps foot on the liner. That’s Badgers deal and he’ll have to stick to it.” Said Jon

“Well, Captain, I hate to break it to you, but last time, we got paid to deliver some wine and not to ask questions. And you remember how that ended. Personally speaking, I don’t really care about that girl, but ignorance isn’t bliss. I think we should try and learn as much as we can so we can be prepared for when trouble hits. I’d rather know what to expect then wait for them tell us when they think it’s convenient for them. As the saying goes: knowledge is power.”

As Jc listened he said nothing, hell what could he say after all. At the moment there was not much he could do right now but follow Jon’s orders. Looking to the Captain he raised his eyes and waited for such.

“I’m going to need you folks to give me some real good reasons why we should get mixed up deeper in this mess. If this rich girl don’t want to marry this fella, well that ain’t our business, our business is to deliver her safe and sound. We get paid when she steps foot on the liner. That’s Badgers deal and he’ll have to stick to it.”

Catching Jon’s eye he nodded his understanding and moved to start cleaning and preping his guns...............

“Well, Captain, I hate to break it to you, but last time, we got paid to deliver some wine and not to ask questions. And you remember how that ended. Personally speaking, I don’t really care about that girl, but ignorance isn’t bliss. I think we should try and learn as much as we can so we can be prepared for when trouble hits. I’d rather know what to expect then wait for them tell us when they think it’s convenient for them. As the saying goes: knowledge is power.”
Jon whirled on Grace,” Don’t you EVER think I’ve forgot what happened.. …I lost two good people..my ship. ….above all I’d thought I’d lost you…… We weren’t ignorant…..you’d check that cask …We all knew that we were taking a risk……The only thing we could have done was take it back. Is that what you want?..We take the Princess back to Badger?…That will keep you all safe…and we can safely deliver cow s*** from then on…..Don’t you think I’ve haven’t already thought of doing just that?”

Breathing heavily Jon looked around the room, “I also know you ain’t here to be safe, but there ain’t no job or cargo worth more to me than you’all….So if you want to turn around I’ll do it….I ain’t saying we stop listening and watching but we ain’t ever go’na know everything. So we just keep doing the job we were hired to do and cover each other’s backs.”

“Well, Captain, I hate to break it to you, but last time, we got paid to deliver some wine and not to ask questions. And you remember how that ended. Personally speaking, I don’t really care about that girl, but ignorance isn’t bliss. I think we should try and learn as much as we can so we can be prepared for when trouble hits. I’d rather know what to expect then wait for them tell us when they think it’s convenient for them. As the saying goes: knowledge is power.” Grace said

Jon whirled on Grace,” Don’t you EVER think I’ve forgot what happened.. …I lost two good people..my ship. ….above all I’d thought I’d lost you…… We weren’t ignorant…..you’d check that cask …We all knew that we were taking a risk……The only thing we could have done was take it back. Is that what you want?..We take the Princess back to Badger?…That will keep you all safe…and we can safely deliver cow dung from then on…..Don’t you think I’ve haven’t already thought of doing just that? “I also know you ain’t here to be safe, but there ain’t no job or cargo worth more to me than you’all….So if you want to turn around I’ll do it….I ain’t saying we stop listening and watching but we ain’t ever go’na know everything. So we just keep doing the job we were hired to do and cover each other’s backs.”

Grace did not flinch from the heat of the Captain’s retort. She never did. She stared back at the captain with a face plain as protein paste and said, “I was talking about gathering Intel, I wasn’t talking about going back like a Tou xiang Huai dan.”

Tess stepped in quickly, “Whoa. Okay. That’s enough both of you. The wound is pretty fresh but we gonna pick at it over and over it ain’t never gonna to heal. Captain’s right though, we took this job and we need to see our way to the end. I’d like nothing more than to ruffle Mr. Steele’s feathers but we need to keep flying and keep eating. I’m rather fond of doing both. Yet, Grace has the right idea too. Forewarned is forearmed as they used to say and i think we need as much forearming as we can muster.”

(assuming some responses)

“So Miss Princess has glommed onto Catie here so why don’t we use that? We are in the Black together for five days so I bet Catie can get the Princess alone for a spell. JC? Maybe you can chat up this her Seth and see what he likes, maybe keep him distracted for a bit. He looks like the type that works out.” She then smiled a mischievous grin, “Then Jon here can pump the Wedding planner for information.”

(assuming some protest from Jon and Stephanie shaking her head firmly)

“I’m kidding. Jon can make some inquiries and try playing sly with her to see if she wants more than his body. C’mon. It is late or early as you may want to call it and we all need sleep. See what tomorrow brings us with some luck.”

(some closing comments from crew if any)

The meeting was over and everyone filed out of the room to their quarters or their station. Stephanie stayed behind with Jon, closing the door behind them.

“Well Jon.” She said, “What shall we do now?” she said as she lowered the lighting in the room. “I believe I owe you an apology or two?”

Destiny Day Two of Journey. 9:00 am ST
The brothers were the first to stir in the morning although the other three were not far behind. The passengers were not well rested, as is often the case with the first night on a ship. The brothers still looked rather grim and Rick was wondering about eating arrangements and the galley.

“We serve ourselves or do you do sit down meals here?” Rick asked as he started to go through the cupboards. AJ sat down and waved at his brother to stop what he was doing. Rick shrugged and sat down beside his brother.

Lilianna and Seth came down in a bit of a state – in fact, they were arguing.

“I will not stay in that room for five days Seth! No! Forget it!”

“Miss Fairchild, it is a secure room and your safety is ....”

“I don’t care. I will not stay there. I can’t take a walk off this ship last I heard so I WILL walk around. I WILL talk to other people and I will not be your prisoner!”

Seth face turns red and her words act like a slap to his face. “I am sorry Lil... Miss Fairchild. I was not attempting to make you my prisoner. I apologize if my zeal for your protection made you feel that way.”

Lilianna sighed heavily, “I know you are Seth but please, no one knows I am here except the people on this ship and my step-father. I think I am safe. And stop with the Miss Fairchild stuff. You called me Lilianna before.”

The two of them sat down at the table beside the Simon brothers. Lilianna said hello to the boys pleasantly. Soon after that the Asante came to the galley as well, dressed in another power business suit that hid the soldering hotness that Jon knew lay underneath. She smiled and said hello to everyone and asked if there was coffee.

Tess stepped in quickly, “Whoa. Okay. That’s enough both of you. The wound is pretty fresh but we gonna pick at it over and over it ain’t never gonna to heal. Captain’s right though, we took this job and we need to see our way to the end. I’d like nothing more than to ruffle Mr. Steele’s feathers but we need to keep flying and keep eating. I’m rather fond of doing both. Yet, Grace has the right idea too. Forewarned is forearmed as they used to say and i think we need as much forearming as we can muster.”
Catie nodded, "My sentiments exactly. We're lacking information necessary to make any informed action."

“So Miss Princess has glommed onto Catie here so why don’t we use that? We are in the Black together for five days so I bet Catie can get the Princess alone for a spell."
Catie nods, "I'll certainly try to. The presence of the others seems to put her on her guard."

"JC? Maybe you can chat up this her Seth and see what he likes, maybe keep him distracted for a bit. He looks like the type that works out.” She then smiled a mischievous grin, “Then Jon here can pump the Wedding planner for information.”
Catie had to stifle a chuckle at Tess's comment.

As the impromptu meeting came to a closure, Catie noted aloud, "A line of inquiry that might be worth looking into, perhaps we're approaching the situation from the wrong angle. If Lilianna isn't happy, then it's unlikely it's for her benefit or feelings, but rather for his benefit. We might be able to find something from that side."

With no other addendum that she could think of offhand, Catie left and returned to her quarters. It wouldn't be a long sleep, but between schooling and long working hours, it was something she was acclimated to.

* * *

Day 2
Catie got up when her alarm said to. On planet this would have been around sunrise, but in the black, there was no reliable sun to wake her, and so the alarm was necessary.

From her luggage she pulled out clothes she used during one of her waitress jobs, gave them an ironing after seeing the creases in them from packing, and put them on. A light blue blouse paired with black modest-length skirt, and blue-grey v-neck cardigan. For makeup she only went with a bit of foundation to even her skin tone.

She knew she was up a bit early, but she had set her alarm up slightly earlier than normal for the other meeting. Catie waited outside of Angela's door, having assumed that's where Tess would meet her.

((She'll wait for a bit, and if neither make an appearance she'll just surmise that it was forgotten, which is understandable given what happened the other day, and return to her quarters to unpack a bit more during the period of time when other people get up))

Making her way to the galley, she murmured under her breath, "F14E7A13", before she gave a curtsey, seeing customers already present, "Good morning." She will walk around to everyone seated and ask, "Tea or coffee? And any allergies I should be aware of?"

She had enough experience as a waitress to know the basic pleasantries, but there was more than one reason to take that role now. If she was perceived as a mere servant, there was a decent likelihood that they would not be as guarded around her. This went to all of the guests, but particularly Lilliana, who was her primary target, so to speak. In addition, she got to get acquainted with some of their tastes, regardless of what else they said, which may give some insight into their personalities. Lastly, she liked cooking, and this would allow her to get more acquainted with the Destiny's galley.

“Don’t you EVER think I’ve forgot what happened.. …I lost two good people. My ship. ….above all I’d thought I’d lost you…… We weren’t ignorant…..you’d check that cask …We all knew that we were taking a risk……The only thing we could have done was take it back. Is that what you want? We take the Princess back to Badger?…That will keep you all safe…and we can safely deliver cow dung from then on…..Don’t you think I’ve haven’t already thought of doing just that? “I also know you ain’t here to be safe, but there ain’t no job or cargo worth more to me than you’all….So if you want to turn around I’ll do it….I ain’t saying we stop listening and watching but we ain’t ever go’na know everything. So we just keep doing the job we were hired to do and cover each other’s backs.”

Grace was unaffected by the Captain’s retort. It would take more than that to make her back down. She stared back at the Captain with a straight face and said, “I was talking about gathering Intel, I wasn’t talking about going back like a Tou xiang Huai dan.”

Tess stepped in quickly, “Whoa. Okay. That’s enough both of you. The wound is pretty fresh but we gonna pick at it over and over it ain’t never gonna to heal. Captain’s right though, we took this job and we need to see our way to the end. I’d like nothing more than to ruffle Mr. Steele’s feathers but we need to keep flying and keep eating. I’m rather fond of doing both. Yet, Grace has the right idea too. Forewarned is forearmed as they used to say and I think we need as much forearming as we can muster.”

Catie immediately piped up with, "My sentiments exactly. We're lacking information necessary to make any informed action."
Grace face flickered with annoyance but she stayed silent.

“So Miss Princess has glommed onto Catie here so why don’t we use that? We are in the Black together for five days so I bet Catie can get the Princess alone for a spell.

Catie nods, "I'll certainly try to. The presence of the others seems to put her on her guard”

“If I was being forced to marry a guy against my will, I would be on my guard as well.” muttered Grace under her breath.

“JC? Maybe you can chat up this her Seth and see what he likes, maybe keep him distracted for a bit. He looks like the type that works out.” She then smiled a mischievous grin, “Then Jon here can pump the Wedding planner for information.”

Grace snorted, tying her best to not laugh at the Captain’s expense.

“I’m kidding. Jon can make some inquiries and try playing sly with her to see if she wants more than his body. C’mon. It is late or early as you may want to call it and we all need sleep. See what tomorrow brings us with some luck.”
The meeting shortly came to a close at this point in time. Grace waited little before apologizing to Jon for her choice of words. She knew she had chosen her words poorly and she rather not have either of them got to bed still angry at each other.

(OOC: Assuming Jon forgives her or wasn’t even hurt by her words)

Soon Grace was left in her room, with still some energy to burn. The mechanic ended up digging out one her old math book and ended up falling asleep on her textbook, her dreams later filled with complicated math equations where half the equations were in Greek and the bloody x value eluded her.

Day 2
Grace ended up waking much later then everyone else. It was nine thirty when she awoke and her stomach growled. Forgetting that there were passengers, Grace changed into a clean t-shirt and pulled her messy hair into a ponytail and headed to the kitchen to get some coffee and some oatmeal.
By the time she got there, everyone including the guests were already sitting and had begun to eat. Grace looked at the guest in sleepy confusion, before remembering why they were there. Grace sighed before continuing on her way to food. She had already walked in, better to grab her coffee and oatmeal, and then leave, then leave the room instantly upon seeing the guests.

(OOC: Assuming someone calls out a greeting or makes a comment about her finally being awake)

Grace gave a slight wave as she poured herself some of the now lukewarm coffee. She took a gulp of coffee before rummaging around to find the oatmeal and kettle. Soon enough, she had her oatmeal and she took her bowl to the table and purposely sat as far from the guest as humanly possible. Then she starting eating, ignoring any stares that she received from passengers. As soon as she had a good excuse, she was going to leave.

(OOC: I am going to ended it here but if interactions happen, I will post back. Right now, Grace is really groggy and is on auto-pilot. If people have cooked and served the steaks, Grace will take her portion assuming no one ate it while she was still asleep)