Meeting Again for the First Time (IC)

Jules arched her eyebrows as the strangers eyes lingered on her slightly to long. She didn’t actually overly mind as he didn’t leer and to her it was a compliment especially when she didn’t feel at her best, what with the peroxide blonde bed hair. He also seemed somewhat charming although Jules didn’t buy it, yet at least. She was not so easily swayed by nice words and a flashed smile.

She in turn sizes the stranger up although quickly and with no lingering, almost somewhat dismissively. He was sure of himself for a naked burgular. He also seemed to know Mr. Ken better than she as he’d used his full name which she hadn’t known. It looked like she wouldn’t have to shoot him or do worse afterall. Jules sighed and visibily relaxed although she kept her hand cannon ready.

“ok, you win for now, I won’t shoot you.” Jules replies, her killer big brown eyes catch some ambient light and seem to sparkle mischievously. Her attention is then drawn to floor as the scratching noise resumes.

“Well, what are you waiting for? I’ve got your six” she says waving her hand cannon at the strangers rear end.

Rhone flashes a quick glance towards the sudden sound where the rubber runner rests, but his attention is immediately back on Jules. Drawn to her eyes, Rhone stares into them a moment longer before hesitantly wrestling his gaze from the young woman. In the back of his mind, he was forced to admit this woman could give him a run for his money.

"Much appreciated, little darling." He responds to her first statement playfully.

After another lingering gaze, Rhone is pulled back to reality.  She had him dumbfounded twice now. The girl was good, and Rhone would wager her charm was one of her deadliest tools.

"Yes ma'm."  He says with a wide grin and a quick wink before turning his back to her and kneeling to the floor.

He listens closely, waiting for any change in the sound before proceeding to attempt to lift the runner.  Freeing his left hand, Rhone sets the blade nearby, while keeping his bolt pistol at the ready.

"Keep your distance, little darling...but give me a little light would ya?  Could be nothing, but i'd rather not bank on two people being compelled to investigate 'nothing' in the middle of the night."

The warning was sincere, as was his body language.  Wherever Jules was, Rhone positioned himself so that his body was between her and any potential threat from the source.

Rhone lifts the runner easily enough. He quickly discovers a trap door. As soon as he lifts up the runner enough to actually see the door, however, the scratching stops.

No one else in the establishment has, as of yet, been stirred by any of the noise you or the scratching has made.

Test:

Jules gifts the stranger a smile as she perhaps gets him on side, time would tell. The smile is warm, even in the darkness, and her legendary dimples come into play. Despite her attributes; the killer big brown eyes, the warm smile accompanied by dimples and her tall athletic frame she was actually quite plain. Her nose was almost sharp and pointed and her lips were thin, she wore no make-up and was a little dirty. Her only musk was her sweat and tears she had endured over the last few days.

The stranger was definitely a military man, his poise and actions were evidence of it. Jules had seen as much on the Bountiful Harvest the rouge trader ship. It had plenty of soldiers and enforcers who were often her patients. The stranger also stirred memories of her Tau friend, he called himself a Fire Warrior, she had had many lengthy discussions with him about his past and had been lucky on occasion to go with him on expeditions on to strange alien worlds.

As the scratching stops Jules focuses, she stood behind the stranger her gun now pointing upwards at 45 degrees so as not to bring her 'companion' into its firing line if she needed to use it. She had picked up much from her rough and tumble life from penal colony and beyound.

Jules peers over the strangers shoulder as he reaches to open the runner.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Awareness:

Jules spies the shotgun under the counter, she looks from it to the bolt pistol the stranger carried and decided not to mention it. Her eyes follow the bolt pistol up his muscular arm, up and over the strong shoulder and to his neck to his tattoo or as she considered it for a moment, more like a brand. A barcode? The inmates of Phyrr had something similar, the black stripes indicating their designation, crime and punishment. Although if you were on Phyrr it was life. Jules had been one of the extremely lucky ones.

-hmm, interesting-

Jules wondered what his name was but logic quickly asserted itself and she decided now was not the time for proper introductions...

Rhone studied the trap door a moment, smiling to himself. He could feel the girl's presence behind him, positioning herself tactically. The way she carried herself suggested she had definitely used a weapon before.  Her athletic frame had his attention for multiple reasons. Whoever she was, he would wager she was more than capable of holding her own.

Just behind the counter, the glint of the triple barreled shotgun caught his eye.  The sawn-off death dealer was a beautiful sight to Rhone...maybe Kenji would part with it for a fair price.  He looked back towards the woman a moment.  His subconscious picked something up as he studied her briefly, but he would revisit the thought later.  

Suddenly, as if he just got the punchline to a bad joke, Rhone shakes his head and sighs. He looks to Jules and in a low tone, begins mimicking a chicken.

"Bwock, bwock, bwock...."

"We may have just stumbled onto the source of Ken's eggs...what do you think?"



+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Awareness:

The strangers imitation meant nothing to her as she had never seen let alone heard a chicken 'bwock, bwock', but she understood that birds laid eggs so she made the connection that way.

-live stock, down there?-

Wouldn't it be unusual to have live stock on a space station, the costs and logistics didn't seem practical; at least to Jules. If Mr. Ken did have something like that down there then had something disturbed them.

She shrugged her shoulders at the strangers question.

"There is only one way to find out and I for one am not returning to bed until I know either way."

Rhone shrugs.  The thought of rummaging around through Mr. Ken's establishment was troubling, especially since the man had shown hospitality to Rhone, a complete stranger.  If not for Ken, Rhone would likely be wrestling in the alleys with the Arbites right about now.  Still, curiosity had a way of getting the best of him, and the girl was convincing enough. Something didn't feel right, and Rhone always trusted his gut.

"Fair enough, little darling. We'll take a peak.  Once we have peace of mind, that's it...back to bed. Agreed?"

He didn't wait for an answer.  

"Stick to me like glue, and shine that light over my shoulder.  I'm not about to have you get your eyes pecked out by potentially delicious flightless avian. My conscience is stretched thin as it is."

He turns to move forward, almost expecting her to follow without question.  Rhone stops briefly, looking back over his shoulder to Jules.

"Argus by the way..."

Jules quietly yawned, the thought of standing here much longer as her feet got cold was starting to get tiresome. She wanted to get back to her warm bed. She shrugged at the stranger’s request for light and tapped the rims of her photo glasses as he looked around, flashing him a quick smile in assurance for good measure. She appreciated him looking out for her, but she wasn’t a wet fish.

She rolls her eyes a little as he turns back yet again and introduces himself.

“Nice to meet you Argus, I’m Jules.” She replies a little waspishly “Shall I open that damned thing, or are you going to let my feet turn to icicles while you do it?”

She looks down at her bare feet and wiggles her toes at Argus.

Regardless of who takes the initiative to open the trap door, it does eventually get opened. A whoof of warmer air swooshes out, bringing with it a foreign smell. It was most likely the first time Jules had ever smelled it. If Argus ever had, it was years past.

Animals.

It was the smell of living, domesticated creatures. The sounds of scratching and thuds increased, but not loud enough to wake anyone else apparently. A narrow stairwell led down into a basement about half the size of the main dining floor. No doubt this entire space was originally meant for technical maintenance, as this was a space port. But Ken had taken advantage of the space as to leave the technical junk alone while making a clear investment to his business.

It was dark, but Jules' glow-globe easily lit the space.

Rhone had been right. This was a small hatchery of sorts. Mr. Ken's eggs were indeed as fresh as either patron had ever eaten. But his animals had seen better days...

40k "Chicken":

A dozen or so of them were sprawled out on the floor, their cages having been shorn open, their blood spattered across the floor and walls in spots. Some had been decimated in their cages. A hole in one of the walls gave a clue as to where the assailants had come from.

At the far wall, some five meters from Rhone, an epic battle was raging. An animal a cut above the rest with a large, regal crown on its head sqwaked defiantly as it was slowly surrounded by the enemy...

Cock Prince:

Assailants:

So caught up in their potential next kill, the "rats" have not noticed Jules or Rhone's entrance yet.

Jules placed her hand over her mouth at the stench, she almost retched a little at the stink of urine, shit and other smells that assaulted her. It was a relief it wasn’t anything worse.

She poked her head in to have a look and immediately recognised the giant rats; most imperial worlds had them. Her only real relevant experience of them was back on the penal colony, they were only really dangerous if cornered, or were extremely hungry or they were in large numbers. A combination of that made them more deadly or desperate. Due to her background Jules had experienced violence sometimes as a daily occurrence so the thought of getting dirty didn't worry her overly. The thought of these dirty probably disease ridden beasts biting her did though, but... she didn’t like the thought of them killing any more of Mr Ken’s chucks and she assumed Argus would help.

Her gaze swept the kitchen and locked on a large cleaver, it looked heavy and sharp. Just what she had in mind although she hoped to scare the ‘rats’ off.

Climbing down first ahead of Argus eager to help the poor defenceless animals Jules waves the blade in front of her “Oi! Git outta 'ere! Shoo!" she shouted at the beasts, keen to startle and scare them away.

The warm air was thick, but something about the smell was intrusive, yet comforting.  Rhone scans the room, taking in the layout of the "battlefield." Images of past combat operations flashed through his head, followed by the scene in front of him.  It was laughable to think he'd dispatched countless enemies of the Emperor, and was now staring down at a foe that merely threatened somebody's dinner.  Despite the less than dire circumstances, Ken's operation was in trouble, and Rhone wasn't about to let the old man's hospitality go unpaid.

Rhone mutters before he's cutoff by Jules' attempts to intimidate the beasts. " That has hand down, got to be.....Blondie, wait!! "


As Jules moved in and shouted, Rhone grunted and followed behind her.  There went the element of surprise...even though the concept of flanking and silently dispatching rats was a laughable one.  Rhone now stood next to Jules, tightly gripping the hilt of his imperial steel blade.  It was at this point, he was beginning to regret not putting on his boots.

"You heard the lady. Git, you fuzzy nutted turd nibblers!"

Rhone stared a death gaze at the rats.  If his men caught sight of his brutish frame and combat stance in this given scenario, they would likely be laughing for years to come. He glanced at the giant winged 'Ally' that he'd hoped to save. Without breaking his stoic gaze, Rhone muttered to Jules.  

"As I was saying...that has hands down, got to be the second largest cock in this room. Ready for operation chicken rescue?"

The rats turn at the sound of Jules' shooing. There are seven total surrounding the larger alpha bird. The distraction allows it to lash out, cutting the face of one of the rats with its sharp talons. It shrieks and glares back.

Three of the rats turn back to face it, spreading out to maximize their efficiency. He stood to its full height in an attempt at intimidation, but with all its grandeur, three-to-one odds were not in its favor.

The other three start moving toward Rhone and Jules. The creatures were about the size of small canines, weighing at least six to eight pounds. While not big enough to pose a threat on their own, a group of them could be deadly. Not to mention, there was no telling what diseases they carried.

Showing no fear at all in the face of Jules' attempt, they charge, teeth gnashing. Two charge Rhone's deliciously unguarded feet while the other goes for Jules. Jules is fortunate; the teeth narrowly miss her toes. Rhone sees that one of the rats has a real opportunity to bite down on him, however...

From Rhone I need:

In the back of the room, the rest of the vermin launch their attacks on the Cock, but cannot land a single hit. It rears back and strikes out again, cutting deeply into the throat of the one it had just attacked. It gurgles a bit and spasms on the ground before laying still.

+++
Cock Prince - 5m away, in CC w/3 rats.
Rats A (x3) - 5m away in CC w/Cock Prince
Rats B (x3) - 3m away
Rhone and Jules -

Jules does a double take at Rhone, was he cracking jokes and about the size of his..? It hardly seemed like the time or place. Jules was no prude but she disliked lewd jokes, a symptom of her hard upbringing and violence she and her mother faced. She let it slide, it was neither the time or place after all and Rhone wasn’t to know.

Rhome and the heavy almost gagging stench of the chicken coop was pushed to the back of her mind as she saw some of the rats turn and scurry towards them. She hefted the borrowed cleaver, it was heavy but the reach was poor she really wanted to stay away from the horrible things, the thought of their gnawing teeth and sharp little claws on her made her skin crawl.

As a rat attacks her she snatches back its target, her foot and slashes downwards with the blade which goes well wide of its mark.

Attack:

Rhône grunts a series of curses under his breath as the rodents teeth superficially sink into the meatiest portion of his muscled calf. He wasn’t concerned with being gored to death by rats. In small numbers, they were less of a nuisance than debating interplanetary politics with Stubbs. The real threat was the number of diseases the vermin carried.
Jerking his foot away from gnawing teeth, Rhône brings it crashing down almost as quickly, ultimately catching nothing but air and cold ground.

The three rats on Kenji's prize animal continue their attacks. Two have no chance of hitting, but they succeed in lower the Prince's guard for the third strike to land.
It cuts deeply into one of its legs and it squawks loudly in pain.

The Prince lashes out furiously, its long claws puncturing
through the eye and into the brain of one of the rats. It thrashes about in its death throes.

The rats on Rhone and Jules keep up their gnashing. Perhaps because of his uncovered feet, Rhone is bitten yet again while they find no purchase on Jules.

same as before for Rhone:

+++
+++
Cock Prince - 5m away, in CC w/3 rats; 1 wound
Rats A (x2) - 5m away in CC w/Cock Prince
Rats B (x3) - in CC w/R & J.
Rhone and Jules -

Jules snapped her feet back as the rat lunged forward. It was probably easier to kick at the thing but it looked large enough to bite a toe off so no way was she doing that. Things were not that desperate yet were they? She took a side long glance at Argus. Why hadn't he killed any yet, he'd looked capable enough.

She took another few swipes at the rat, it wasn't that she was clumsy but the small nature of the animal made her look so as her attacks go well wide of the mark.

Attack:

Caught between the brutal Orks, a separatist army, and the internal politics of the Astra Militarum, he had secured an ancient mechanicum weapon of mass destruction...and now....now he was stomping rats in a basement.

Recovering from his first attempt, Rhône jerks his foot away once again from the disease riddled teeth. This time, his foot comes crashing down again with more brutal force then before....

The bird lashes out at the remaining rats but his claws fly harmless above the rodent's head.

They gnash back with sharp teeth, but their resolve must be wavering as their numbers slowly drop. They both miss entirely.

One of the rats on dies with a squeal and a crunch of bones under Rhone's foot. The other two screech and attempt to tear into the humans' feet. This time Rhone doesn't get bitten, but Jules feels the bite keenly.

Jules reaction!:

+++
Cock Prince - 5m away, in CC w/3 rats; 1 wound
Rats A (x2) - 5m away in CC w/Cock Prince
Rats B (x2) - in CC w/R & J.
Rhone and Jules - in CC w/Rats B

Dodge & Toughness:

Jules lets out a yelp as the rat sinks its teeth into the flesh of her foot. Grimacing and gritting her teeth against pain she snaps her foot back away from danger. “Fucker!” she shouts in anger as she swings her cleaver at the rodent which yet again fails to find its mark.

Attack:

She glances yet again at Rhone and is at least relieved to see one of the rats dead. Her temper was up though, frustration showing on her face at her inability to deal with a singular rat and her lack of skill in a fight “Hurry up already” she snaps at Argus.

The prince slashes back once more, but anyone with a close eye can tell he's getting tired. It did just get bit. Perhaps there was a connection. Losing its strength aside, it still proves to be a formidable foe; a thrash of its foot cuts open the belly of one of the two remaining rats surrounding it.

The last rat around the prince goes for a bite, but is a bit too cautious and misses the mark.

Meanwhile, the last two go again for the would-be heroes. But before they can, Rhone stomps down again. This time blood and guts spit from both ends of the rat under the pressure.


+++
Cock Prince - 5m away, in CC w/1 rats; 1 wound
Rats A (x1) - 5m away in CC w/Cock Prince
Rats B (x1) - in CC w/R & J.
Rhone and Jules - in CC w/Rats B

With no help immediately coming from the stranger Jules quickly focuses back at the rat. With a look of steely determination on her face she sizes the rodent up, she'd time her blow for when it...

The rat pounced forward aiming for her toes again, but this time Jules timing was just right. It didn't matter to her if it was luck or skill.

Attack:

The cleaver was overkill, although with her sore foot Jules didn't think so. She looks down triumphantly at the two halves of the rat.

Jules' eventual triumph turns out to be a great one, as she kills the last rat threatening her and Rhone. That left one rat left in the room and it was squaring off with Kenji's exhausted looking animal.

The remaining rat lunges in, its teeth set to clamp down on the bird's neck with deadly force. Amazingly, the cock prince jerks to the right and the rat's teeth hit nothing but air. In a flash, its claws fly out once more. There is a squeal as the vermin is torn from scrote-to-throat.

The cock prince's chest heaves and it collapses onto the floor, surrounded by the bodies of its would-be killers.

Rhone lets out a sigh as he slides his barefoot on the floor, attempting to wipe off any vermin blood or entrails that happened to still be stuck to him. His eyes scan the room before he finally glances at Jules.

"You've got fire in you, that's for sure. They nibble on you?"

Rhone glances over towards the cock prince before turning back to Jules.

"If he doesn't pull through, I suppose he'll be breakfast. I'll come down here in the morning when i'm actually clothed and patch these holes up. It's the least I can do before I blow this joint. Oh, and thanks for not blowing my brains out in the hallway."

He winks to her.

Jules had already knelt down and was examining her foot when Rhone started to speak. She has a professional look to her as she examines the bite. Wriggling her toes to ensure tendons and muscle weren't injured. Prodding here and there. Taking a close look for any debris in the wound.

She looks up at Rhone with her big brown eyes "I'll live. A bit of antiseptic and I'll be grand."

Looking over to the cock as Rhone mentions him she frowns. She was no vet but basics applied. Right?

Ignoring what else Rhone said Jule's attention immediately goes to the bird "Oh poor thing" she mutters quietly. "I'll see if I can help the little mite." She looks Rhone in the eyes "Be a dear and fetch my backpack from my room, there are things in it I might need." It was not a request.

Turning back to the bird Jule's coo's and hushes it trying to keep it calm. She approaches slowly.

Awareness:

As Jules approached the bird, she could see that it was hurt but definitely alive. Its large, feathered chest rose and fell rapidly as though it was still in the fight. Its eyes locked onto her with much more intelligence than the rats had in theirs, and it instinctively tried backing away, but it was no use. Exhaustion, and probably something from the rat's bite, kept it where it was.

Medicae:

Jules hears something coming from the wall to the right. It was the same wall that had the hole the rats had obviously used to gain entry...

He watched her examine herself with expertise.  Rhone smirked at what was either irony or downright divine intervention. Had he actually stumbled upon somebody with medical expertise? He frowns briefly, recalling the track record and lifespan of his last three medics.

Rhone catches Jules' gaze with his own as she glances up at him. His face was stern at first, but it slowly softened. There was something about those eyes.  This girl commanded a charm, and it was obvious she knew it.  Rhone stared cautiously at her through what he thought were narrowed eyes...he wouldn't be swayed.  It took him a full seven seconds before Argus Rhone realized he wasn't glaring at the girl at all, he was grinning while he looked at her. Get it together Argus.  He blinks rapidly before hearing the girl's order.

Did she just command him to fetch her bag, like he was some orderly? Argus Rhone hadn't fought and bled on numerous battlefields just to be given orders by some doe eyed runt.  His eyebrows furrowed...at least he thought they did.  In reality, his mouth hung open as he made ready to give her a peace of his mind...but fell short.  In a defeated defiance, Rhone grunted out the words.

"Yeah...just let me get some damn pants on."

The Sergeant strode away tall, his body language proud and strong, despite the fact he was running errands for the bright eyed stranger.

As Rhone moves back up into the kitchen area, the door leading from the dining room to Kenji's office slides open.

Kenji stands nearly naked, save for his underpants. The owner has cultivated a belly since his days of leading Guardsmen, but it looks hard as a rock. His rotundness projects an air of bull-strength rather than heart disease. In his hands was a reliable pump action shotgun.

With disheveled hair and confused eyes, he spots Rhone. He keeps the shotgun at the low-ready.

"What is going on? What am I hearing - did they come back?"

“They?”

Rhône keeps his bolt pistol down at his side, his trigger finger wagging far away from the weapon to indicate to the old man all is well.

“I heard a commotion coming from the grease trap. Your petting zoo was compromised. Vermin hit some of your livestock, but we managed to kill them off.”

Rhône’s own body was hard and tone from active duty, but as he looked at Kenji, he knew the old man was just as capable.

“Get some sleep Kenji. I’ll reinforce your livestock pen at zero four hundred. Everything is under control.”

Jules squatted down next to the bird and gave it a visual examination to start with, noting any obvious wounds and their severity. Prioritising what she would tend to once Rhone brought back her medi-kit. She then gently ran her finders along its limbs, both legs and wings feeling for any breaks and noting if the bird any reaction indicating hidden injuries.

Medicae:

Hmm… lets hope her antiseptics and antibiotics worked on the beast.

Jules swivelled to face the noise coming from the wall… “Hello?”

She slowly drew her hand cannon and pointed it at the hole… “hello?!” she said a little louder.

Kenji looked confused for a moment. "The feth-faces who tried to rob the joint earlier. Ah, of course you wouldn't know; you came after that." But then his eyes went wide. "Is my bird OK?"


Whether or not Rhone answers that question, Kenji moves down into the sub-level just as Rhone returns with Jules' medikit. He rushes over to her, leaning his shotgun against one of the cages and kicking a dead rat out of the way. He begins softly petting the Prince's head and speaking in a Gothic dialect neither of you can recognize.

"Daijoubu tori-ouji. Zenbu daijoubu desu."

He continues to pet the bird as Jules masterfully applies anticeptics and antibiotics. She is confident that she has done the best she can do, and that a creature as strong as this should have no trouble pulling through.

Demeanor:

+++

Nothing from the hole answered back and from her vantage point, she could see only darkness. Kenji looked up from his animal. Following Jules' eyes, he asked, "What do you hear?"

Once she had finished her treatments Jules sits back away from the bird and Mr. Ken.

"I think our patient will pull through." she smiles at the bird before move her attention to Mr. Ken "The wounds themsleves are superfical, infection is the main concern but as I've cleaned him up we should be good." she places a small bottle of antisceptic in the noodle bar owners hand. "Clean the wounds once a day."

Her attention is then drawn to her own foot as she recalls she also needed to be treated. The wound actually looked relevatly clean but better to be safe then sorry. As she works quickly on that, dabbing antisceptic on the wound she looks up at Mr. Ken "oh the noise? I suspect it might have been you getting up perhaps. It sounded like footfall from inside the wall there." she cleaned a little more before looking back up as a thought occured to her "oh... no one would have let these rats in would they, do you have rivals?"

"Hold that thought Kenji...we're going to talk about this robbery...excuse me for a moment though. We've got a cock to tend to"

Rhone find's Jules' room easily enough.  He grab's her kit and begins to exit before rolling his eyes. Retrieving one more thing from her room, he makes a quick stop at his own temporary quarters.  Grabbing his trousers, Rhone tosses them over his shoulder, as well as his drop holster and sheathe.  Still half naked,the sergeant returns downstairs and drops Jules' bag next to her on the floor, followed by two boots.

"Your highness..."

He smirks.

"Hate for your feet to turn to icicles."

He emphasizes the last word, exaggerating her comment from earlier.

****************************************************************

Hopping on one foot, Rhone finishes pulling on his  BDU's as Jules' goes to work on the prized animal. Securing his webbing, he slides the bolt pistol into it's holster on his upper thigh and secures the imperial steel blade into a sheathe on his right lower leg.

Rhone approaches Kenji and Jules with his hands folded across his chest as he listens to their conversation. Still bootless and shirtless, Rhone looks between the two of them a moment.  The lighting offers a better glimpse of his scarred and tattooed body. Between his shoulders was a rather large, stylized piece depicting the Aquila.  The back of his neck was marked with a barcode and a less artistic, a far more somber depiction of the imperial Aquila. A brand of shame more than a piece of pride, the imperial eagle was blindfolded and bound in chains. His right bicep depicted a lion between two stylized lasguns.  Finally, on his right pectoral was a laurel with two names in the center..."Mirna" and "Iona".  

"You had intruders recently, Kenji?"

Jules hears the thudding fading away off and to the right. Though just at about the same time, she hears it growing again in volume come from the left....

+++

Kenji gently picks his bird up and sets it back down in its cage. He began gathering the dead hens. It was a shame, but enough had survived for the prince to fertilize their eggs and replenish their ranks. If meat could be salvaged, he would have a new special for the next day.

"Yeah. Some local bangers were thinking of holding up the place. We had eyes on them as soon as they walked in, but then Jules here stepped in and sent them running with their tails between their legs. Quite a sight."

He replied to Jules. "Rivals? No, nothing like that. Maybe friendly competition, but that's just the restaurant game. All of us are in it together and we help each other out. This isn't the first time we've had the odd Ratto in here, but never this many. Never like this."

Rhône arched an eyebrow and glanced at Jules once Kenji finished recalling the recent robbery attempt. The girl wasn’t necessarily the thing nightmares were made of...what could she have possibly done to spook the local gangers?

Rhône rubbed his beard as he continued listening, contemplating Kenji’s last statement. An influx of vermin, accompanied by an ominous lockdown of the entire port...could be coincidence, but in Rhone’s experience...coincidence was a luxury.

“You know just as well as I do Kenji, when the locals get restless...somethin’s brewing. If those rats weren’t dumped off to interfere with your noodle op, something nearby has got to have them spooked...or starving. Have customers been talking about anything out of the ordinary lately?”

Rhône knew ordinary was a relative term on a star port, but maybe Kenji could provide some insight into the events leading to the curfew.

Jules smiles warmly up at Rhone for the gift of her boots. That was nice. After applying a plaster to her injured foot she puts them on and immediately starts to freel more confident now her toes were protected. Although she was more interested in keeping her naked feet of the dirty floor now the rats were dealt with.

She blushes as Kenji mentions the situation at the bar with the gang. Looking a little sheepish "oh, I just lied to them. Calculated risk to defuse the situation without anyone gettin' hurt." despite the blush there is a little glint in her eye, she was proud of what she had done. Putting one up on the bullies of the world.

"I suppose someone could have done me like that." He points to the hole in the wall. "It's chewed though, look." He's quite right. The dry wall and thin metal planks had chew marks all around the outer edges. The rats may have very well been starving and the smell of a potential meal forced them in here.

"This area used to be some kind of technological something or other. I don't know what it did, but the ad-mech decommissioned this room long before my time and it was just empty space. Those of us who own spots here long ago put up walls to mark our territory, but this is all connected. I mean, it's a space station after all. Those rats could have come from anywhere."

The sound Jules alone hears picks up again. It was getting close.

Rhône shrugs.

“They’re dead. Not concerned where they came from. I’m more interested in what you implied was an influx in their numbers. They’re rats, they may as well appear out of thin air. Life goes on. All I’m suggesting is if you feel the numbers are out of the ordinary....then I’d trust you trusting your gut instinct.”

Kenji shrugs. "Probably hungry. I did give them a helluva buffet. Right now my gut is telling me to get this cleaned up and get an early start on the day tomorrow."

He starts heading back up stairs, dead animals in hand. A few of his staff have woken and come down to see the commotion. He offers those who want extra pay to stay awake and start cleaning the birds. A few decide to take the offer, while others head back upstairs to sleep, leaving Rhone and Jules alone again in the animal hold.

Jules watched Mr. Ken go, what a nice man. Stretching and then stifling a yawn she looks at her chrono. It was still early, still time for some more shut eye. Despite being slightly wired from the fight she still wanted to sleep, she was bone tired and you didn’t miss an opportunity of a safe spot to put your head down. Besides with the curfew still in place nobody was going anywhere yet.

“Well sweetie” she addressed Rhone “I have some more sleep to catch up on, it would be nice to chat so hopefully you’ll still be about in a few hours, but a girl needs her sleep”

Rhone grins

"It was a pleasure meeting you Miss Jules.  I wouldn't mind swapping stories after some shut eye.  Dream well little daring"

He winks to her before turning to address Kenji's workers. Rhone takes a commanding stance, his chest high and his hands placed on his hips. His commanding voice booms, clear and deep.

"Gentlemen, My name is Argus Rhone.  I'm of the mind with a little coordination, focus and elbow grease, we can get this egg operation safe and secure well before day cycle begins.  You boys want to salvage some sleep don't you? Now I can't offer you a damn thing other than job security and a quiet night once this job is finished.  Any of you without evening duties who are willing, and who value this noodle bar would find it beneficial to help me.  As for the rest of you...any of you without evening duties who value your beauty sleep would find it beneficial to assist me, because I guar-an-tee gentlemen, i'm about to make an Ork's orgy worth of noise down here.  The sooner i'm done, the sooner you can get some shut eye. "


He was soldier first, and the dictation of his words fully expressed that...but Rhone was a natural leader, with charm hard to resist.

"I need supplies and tools at the ready.  Somebody standby with blunt weapon in case any of those whiskered little fucks decide to return for seconds.  Let's move boys, we don't have all night!"

Command test:

Jules lay in her bed and wondered if she'd get any sleep what with all the noise coming from the noodle bar. She'd picked up the orders Rhone had given so this time it wasn't unknown noises in the night but the workers going about the repairs and clean up that kept her awake.

Jules pouts a little in irritation. Perhaps they'd be quick about their work, in the mean time she should plan for tomorrow.

-Prioity One: get off the station. I could try and stow away which is not ideal. I could try book passage on a transport, but if news had got out of my crime I might be picked up.

Gah. What else? What about my more immediate concerns?-

She looked about the small cupboard because lets be honest thats what it was even if it did have a bed in it.

-Still, its warm and dry and Mr. Ken owes me. A base of operations while I sort myself out would be very useful. A bit of a sob story and a few winning smiles with dimples and I'll be grand.-

Jules was tired and despite the noises she drifted off while she hatched plans for the morrow.

The workers look at one another and then turn at Rhone's effective command. Those in the front stop and look at Kenji who gives them a nod to proceed. Rhone was right after all - who could sleep with the repairs taking place anyways?

They get to work diligently. A torch was brought out to first cut away the thing metal that was chewed through before a patch could be welded into place. Rhone hardly has to do much, as the group of four men began their work. The others cleaned up the mess. The rats were thrown into a waste incediary and the blood and offal had to be mopped up.

Yamazaki, a tall member of staff was just finishing his torch-cuts when a noise beyond caught his attention. Turning off the torch, he looked at his comrades who just shrugged and took off their goggles. Cautiously he peered his head inside the hole.

Beyond was a corridor wide enough a single body to move down. To the right, it went on and on, eventually lost to steam. To the left....

Yamazaki fell back from the hole, a fountain of blood shooting from his face. The glimpse of a dark figure could be seen rushing by briefly.

Rhône worked alongside Kenji’s staff, holding sheets of metal in place while welds were completed. He maintained conversation as they worked, weather they returned the words or not.

Rhône dropped what he was doing as the tall man fell back, covered in blood. At first he wondered what shitty luck could have befallen the poor bastard. Had the man cut into some pressurized pipe?

Rhône rushed over just in time to catch the glimpse of a humanoid shape, moving beyond the wall. Instinctually, his lips pressed together to form the words “medic”, but he stopped and unholstered his bolt pistol. He assessed the situation just as fast as he began barking orders.

“Man down! You, run upstairs and fetch me that girl. Tell her to get her ass down here and bring her kit! You...help me drag him out out of here!”

Rhône wasted no time as he rushed over to Yamazaki. There was no time to check for vitals. With the amount of blood, the man could be dead or dying...the objective was all the same. Rhône takes a deep breath and squats. Hooking his left arm under the man’s left armpit, Rhone brings his arm dacross the man’s chest, his large hand gripping as close to the opposite shoulder as he can. With another deep breath, Rhône grunts and begins dragging the wounded worker away from where he fell. Never taking his eye off the breach in the wall, his right hand hovers just to the side, his bolt pistol at the ready.

“Leave me a lamp, and then get the hell out of here! Fall back and let Kenji know we’ve got hostile intruders down here!”

Rhones barked orders started to rouse Jules although she didn’t fully snap awake until the door to her cupboard banged open…

“Yam’s hurt, please come.”

The urgency of the workers voice told Jules that she did need to come quickly, and it was likely not going to be good.

Swinging her legs out of bed she slides her feet into her boots although she leaves lacing them, everything else she owned was in her backpack so she grabbed that on her way out. As she was hustled down the corridor by the worried worker she considered if trying to bunk down here for a few days was a good idea. This noodle bar seemed to attract trouble, or was it her?

The noodle bar was a small place so it had perhaps taken Jules thirty seconds to get to the injured man from the moment whatever had happened to him had happened. Her focus is fully on ‘Yam’ as she seems him and Jules casts a critical eye over his injury?

“What happened?” she asks to anyone present while she worked.

Medicae:

The workers in the basement try to help as best they can, but this was clearly a more serious wound than they were capable of dealing with. Blood pooled around his head from a laceration that had taken out his left eye and continued down to his neck. As bad as the face looked, it was the neck wound that was truly concerning.

Jules knew immediately that the man's carotid artery had been hit. Try as she might to save him, there was simply nothing she could do.

She worked on him in vain regardless; it was part of her character. When he finally stopped breathing, she heard Kenji make his way down the stairs.

"Chikushou! Nanda?! Wh-what in the warp happened?"

Another worker replied immediately. "Something from the wall. He looked in and fell back like this!"

Kenji moved to his man, taking a knee and cradling his bloody head in his lap. For the first time, he seemed at a loss for words. His look of surprise and shock war off and he was already moving back upstairs, barking orders. In moments, he returned, triple-barrel shotgun in hand.

"Kuso Ama... shindeimasu! Oi. Mizuhashi! Grab the torch and cut that hole out; this fucker will die."

Jules looks at her hands as Kenji mourns Yamazaki. They were covered in the dead mans blood. She'd known immediately that she couldn't have saved him but it still saddened her, perhaps if she'd done something different. She knew she was kidding herself.

Wiping the blood away as best she could Jules places a hand gently on Kenji's shoulder "I'm sorry, there was nothing I could do." before standing and stepping back respectfully to give Kenji a moment.

Jules paled as they learnt it was something hiding in the walls. She had heard something. Guilt gripped her "Oh, I'm so, so sorry. I did hear something, I... I should have trusted myself." Jules was tough, there were no tears but she was clearly upset by the revelation.

Her evident emotion was fleeting though. She'd think it over a 1000 times later. Over thinking it. For now a look of steely determination shows on her face at Kenji's threat. "I will come with you, its the least I can do."

Rhône knew nothing about Yamazaki, but he did know what it was like to lose a man under his command. Kenji would be our for blood...Rhône knew this because that’s exactly the mindset he’d be in. The grizzled Sergeant raised his bolt pistol towards the breach in the wall and peered into the darkness.

“I know you want vengeance Kenji, but you aren’t necessarily in your prime. Just give me a lamp and leave the bastard to me.”

He glances over at Jules.

“You suspect these could be the same clowns you said you sent running home earlier?”