Smugglers Cove (Love2write and Silence)

Killian had barely showed her the room and the lady was asking questions. "Neither any of the rest of us. Nobody around here likes sharing a room. Bunch of big babies." Grumbling he pulled her door shut. "Alright the next spot." Walking back through the galley door he started down the stairs he led her to the engine room. "Hey Mike!" The older man lifted his head and shook it. Already seemed that the lady had found her way into the tour of the ship. Killian nodded to her. "Anyway this is where the engineer works. Engine room...imagine that."

Clearing his throat he started for the navigation room and then walked her back to the galley. "Then you work here." What he hadn't shown her was a few little rooms closer to his. Typically that was his part of the ship. Jokingly called the west wing. "Anyway if you have trouble finding something the crew can show you where I live." Picking his books up off the table he started for his room. Still he glanced over his shoulder at her a few times. Still felt strange to just let her wander around like a crew member and he didn't know her that well yet. They were all tough though and she wouldn't likely get away with much of anything.
 
Nights were the hardest for Star. Even as she lay on the hard bed, in the room that was to be her home for a while, she resisted closing her eyes. Too many dark dreams and memories waited for her in the neather world, or wherever her soul went when she slept. If she could stay awake forever, she would, but her body had other plans and soon the soothing whir of the engines lulls her active mind to sleep.
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It was 5am when she awoke with a start. For a moment, Star had no idea where she was or how she'd gotten there. It doesn't take long, however, for the memories of the days before to reassure her that she was safely aboard Killian's ship. Strange that she would think of this place as safe, though if she were honest that was how it felt despite the shenanigans of the crew.

She leaves her cabin, noting the alarm on her door. The light flashes rapidly and she smirks. Was she waking the Captain up by opening her door? Did she just send him into a panic that she was up to no good? Part of her hoped he was, just for the fun of it.

Star makes her way to the kitchen and brews a pot of coffee, setting down an extra cup on the table for the Captain's inevitable appearance.
 
Killian heard a little beep. It was way too early. Groaning he sat up in the bed a bit stiffly. Pulling a shirt over his head he slipped into his boots and groggily made his way for the door. Limping a little he started down the hall toward the engine room and then the navigation room before he got to the kitchen. He'd stayed up like usual to have a little time to himself and this was an ungodly hour.

His voice almost cut out when he spoke. "What the hell is this?" Taking up a seat he put a leg up on one bench across from himself. "Coffee at 5? That's ridiculous." It was his fault for setting the alarm and he figured she was doing this to see how long he lasted. Wasn't like she was even doing anything. And that extra cup seemed to indicate that she had expected him. Grunting he took a sip and nodded. "Its good."

A crackling sounded over the loudspeaker and he squinted as if it would make his hearing better. Sounded like they were being signaled. Setting the cup down he beckoned to her. "C'mon we'll take this one since we're already up." Walking unevenly on his feet he put a hand out to walk down the hall. The walls were shiny at about that level. It was common for him to run his hands along the walls wherever he walked. Reaching communications room turned on the receiver. Taking a seat he waited for another couple of moments before he heard it again and this time it came in loud and clear.

"RBG 73 Model A you are requested to prepare for boarding."

Killian pushed a red emergency button on the ship. "We don't have time for this." Rolling with the chair down the controllers he engaged the thrust and throttle to half speed and then shoved them to full speed after a few seconds. Only a few moments later the sounds of feet running in the halls sounded and the navigator charged into the room. Killian got out of the seat and ushered Star out. "C'mon we got other stuff to do." His work was going to be focused on changing courses in the map room. Jogging toward his side of the ship he threw the control room open and stared at the panels he at least had pretty good power. Sliding a headset on he took a deep breath. "Mike how we looking?" Nodding he made a mark on the board. "Ok we got full power then. Adam you see the marks on your side?...Perfect then we'll need to change course and remember to drop off the grid." It was always a risky move but, it typically worked.

That was unless a shell hit. The ship shuttered and Killian was thrown to the side. Slightly stunned he pulled himself off the ground. "What's the damage?"
 
Star couldn't help but smirk as Killian had entered the kitchen with that grumpy tired look on his face. She hadn't missed his limp either. An old war wound probably. No doubt she'd hear the tale one of these days, if she lasted that long. She'd followed him to the bridge, feeling pretty good about herself when the Compliance Officers had shown up and ruined it all.

Star fought not to let her internal panic show outwardly as the shell hit the ship, throwing both her and Killian to the floor. She hurried to her feet, looking out nearby window. She saw smoke and air venting from the ship. "Looks like a hit on the starboard side. They almost got the shield generators." She warns. She looks at Killian with wide scared eyes, like a deer in the headlights. She couldn't get caught...not again. She'd rather die than get arrested. "What do you want me to do?" She urges him, desperate for a way to help.
 
Killian frowned at her and waved his hands around. He just needed her to be quiet for the moment. "Mike you still there?" He wasn't getting anything. "Adam?" Getting a response from Adam he spoke into the headset again. "I'm out of the control room. You go by instinct. I'm going to check on Mike." Star seemed rather insistent on doing something. "Start prepping the medical room." That was one thing he could think of that might be nice. They had gotten used to running as a crew of three for the most part and he wasn't sure where to put the girl for now. What he didn't have time for was a lot of thought to where she would go.

Charging into the engine room Killian only got a face full of smoke. The captain coughed a few times. "Mike!"

"What?" Yelling back from his spot the engineer was anxiously rubbing at a gear to get it cleared off and set on track again. "Kill I need your help over here."

"Something's wrong with the headset." Killian ran over to the section and put his hand wherever Mike pointed. "You couldn't hear me calling for check in."

Mike just nodded. "That's nice. Move your hand now." Sliding the gear into place he kicked the control back on for the thrust. "We need to get out of here before Adam does something wild." The two of them started out of the room holding onto handrail along the edges. It was there specifically because this was what happened at least once every few months.

As the two of them closed the door the ship took a sharp dive and it all went black. There was the distinct click of losing power to the headset too. Killian took one spot by the window and Mike to the other window. Both of them watched for a few minutes before Killian got up to walk into the communications room. They would have a few hours of life support before they would have to turn the engines back on. For the time it threw the compliance officers off. Gravitational pull had started to pull them closer to the system they just left and the asteroid belt.

There wasn't going to be enough time to lose the compliance. "Damn it. Fire it up Adam we're going to make a run." This was going to be a wild one.
 
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Prep the med-bay? Seriously? That's all he could think for her to do? Star had huffed in frustration but hurried off in that direction anyway. "Prep the medbay? I'm not a doctor...I'm a hacker." She grumbles. Her hand had just touched the handle to the medbay when the ship dove.
She yelps, holding onto the door frame for dear life. Moments later the ship evens out and everything when dark.
What the heck was the pilot trying to do? She changes course, heading to the cockpit. "Yo, Adam! What the heck!?" She plops into the seat next to him.
"Trying to lose the Compliance officers obviously. Clearly, you're not paying attention." Adam scoffs at her.
"They aren't going to be fooled by a little dive and disappear." She retorts.
"Yeah, well...its worked plenty of times before. We sure as hell weren't going to outrun them with the crap engines we have."
"I can agree with that." Star looks out the window, not seeing much but stars and smoke and...fuel?
Star looks down at the computer. Only the basic systems were available. Everything had been shut down to conceal them. She taps the screen, looking through the diagnostics.
"Hey, don't touch that!" Adam slaps at her hand.
"Shove off! Believe it or not, I actually know a thing or two about ships. Lived on them all my life."
"Yeah, well. You're not the pilot. I am!" Adam locks down the computer, keeping her from accessing it.
"Well, Pilot Adam...in case you hadn't noticed we're losing fuel." She points the diagnostic he'd just locked down. "We don't get that fixed, we aren't going anywhere when you power the ship back up.
Adam swears under his breath. "Get down to engineering and tell Mike. He'll get it sorted."

Star jumps to her feet and races down to engineering. "Mike? Mike! You down here?" She calls.
 
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Killian was charting out alternate routes for Adam. "Alright we got the engines running." Muttering under his breath he peered out the window again. Their ship was smaller than the compliance officer's by quite a ways. He could always run them through the asteroid belt and then cut out and continue the journey. Made for a bumpy ride but, it was possible. "Adam I'm sending you the uh...plans. Proceed when ready."

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They would have to look at his headset later. Mike figured that Killian would make his rounds and he could ask for some help. Hopefully before they were in bigger trouble yet. About that time the girl came in yelling his name. "Where would I be you numbskull?" Wiping his forehead with the back of his hand he left a grease smear on it. "Where's the captain he send you down here to do his job for him?"

Didn't sound like the captain sent her at all. Grumbling he turned toward the fuel line. "Can you do any soddering?"
 
Star puts her hands on her hips. "You know, my name is Star...not numbskull. It wouldn't hurt you to be a little more polite." She picks up a soldering torch. "Yeah I can do some, but I'll have you know I came down here on my own initiative. Saw that there was a breach in our hull and that we were leaking fuel." She flicks her pink hair back and kneels next to hole in the fuel line, working carefully to repair it. "How long you been with the Captian anyway. You look like you should be retiring soon." She smirks at him teasingly.
 
Mike just glowered at her. "I call you anything I want. Same as captain." That was one thing that Mike always reserved a right to. Giving names as he pleased. Nobody else got away with it. Working on the larger section of the fuel leak he tried to keep any of the smoldering material that dropped from hitting her. It was plenty of reason to curse and swear if something did. More for her than himself. "You really ought to keep your hair back. One these days you'll get it caught in something or your gonna start it on fire."

All of them kept their hair above the ear for good reason. One crew member died in the engine room from such a case of hair in the gears and they couldn't get them out in time. At the girl's question he stopped his soldering. "Long enough. I was with him since the beginning of the business and I'm not anywhere near retiring, hussy."

As they were finishing the soldering Killian pushed the engine room door open and his face instantly clouded over. "What is she doing in here?"

Mike snapped right back. "Your job and she lies for you to. Said she come down here by her own initiative." Marching over to Killian he stared up into the man's green eyes and snarled. "Fine job you do getting a woman t..."

"I didn't send her down here. Just started making my rounds like usual." Killian leaned down slightly and growled at the engineer. Neither of them paid any notice to Star finishing off the work. "Wouldn't ask her to lie for me. You're my best damn engineer."

"The only one and your right I am the best!" By now their voices were almost echoing in the engine room.

Adam heard the commotion and sighed. As long as those two had been together he knew they didn't actually work that terribly well together. Any little thing and Mike would blow up. Killian was almost as bad and they would stand yelling at each other for a while. He'd never figured out how they survived working just the two of them when the smuggling first started.

Killian almost sputtered. "She finished your work damn it! What the hell are you standing here yelling at me for? Lucky that I even come down to check on your miserable excuse of a carcass."
 
Star appears behind them, popping a bubble made by her gum and flicking her hair to the side again. She held up the soldering torch, spinning it in her hand before setting it down on a nearby workbench. "Oh, don't stop yelling at one another on my account." She shrugs at them with a smirk. "Anybody hungry? I'm hungry." She pushes past them, hurrying upstairs to the kitchen.

She sighs to herself once she was out of view of the others. Mike thought she was an idiot and a pain in the ass, Adam didn't trust her as far as he could throw her and Killian just barely put up with her. I need my own ship. I need money...I need this bounty off my head. Star busies herself with the cooking, her hands working on their own while her mind was elsewhere. I'll be dead or imprisoned in a matter of days if I leave this crew. But I'll be miserable if I stay. Which is worse?

She hears footsteps approach the kitchen but doesn't turn to see who it is. "We in the clear yet?" Star asks?
 
Mike turned toward the woman and growled. "Out of my way." Snatching the torch from the work bench he started back to his area. He would have loved to grouse about the work but, it was good. Wasn't much he could say if anything about it.

"Food?" Killian stared at her. "What you talking about? Nobody around here eats breakfast."

"That's because you're the one who made the rule. Everyone needed a day off from cooking and so it was only 2 meals. I like 3 meals!" Mike yelled back and he took a welding glove off and threw it at Killian. "You get out of here too."

At the last bit of outburst from Mike the captain started to laugh and he rushed out of the room. Killian decided to make sure that Adam had the course all ready and then they could start the run. "So you think we can lose them in about half hour?"

Adam stared at him. "Maybe, why?"

"Well there may or may not be a breakfast to start the day." A smirk started to grow on Killian's face. "She's a damn good cook and I got her talked into taking care of our stomachs." Tapping Adam's shoulder he started back down the hallways and past the loading bay in the ship then over to the kitchen. As he stepped in Star asked a strange question. "Clear of what?" Just as he finished asking the question the ship made a sharp turn and he fell right out of the kitchen and into the railing overlooking the storage. "The hell! Adam!"
 
(Lol, Adam's losing them as fast as possible cause he wants breakfast. *cracking up- likes for making me laugh.)

Star yelps as the ship tilts sharply. She barely manages to catch herself on the bars around the counter and keep breakfast from flying off the stove. She hears the captain yelling at Adam and rolls her eyes. This ship needed a better pilot. The ship rights itself and she takes a moment to calm her breathing before resuming the breakfast. "I was going to ask if we were clear of the compliance officers yet, but from Adam's flying, I guess not." She calls to Killian. "Maybe I should put this away before we have hot food flying everywhere."
 
"That might be advisable for now." Killian called back to her. Wincing he turned to start making his way along the railing and hold onto it somewhere that she couldn't see him. Currently it felt like Adam had managed to help him bruise his spine. It would only take a few moments for the initial pain to wear off. The ship made almost impossibly tight turns and they were going fast enough Killian knew he didn't want to be watching what Adam was. It was erratic driving but, Adam was one of the best. He could get through a narrow spot where nobody else could.

It was less than half hour and Adam emerged from the room with a grin on his face. Both Killian and Mike had irritated scowls. The navigator started for the kitchen and he ignored the other two.

Killian and Mike as irritated as they were wanted to eat to so the three of them squeezed into the kitchen and took their places at the table. When the announcement came for the food they all got up to head into the kitchen to get served up. Though they were all casting dirty glares at one another through out the meal it was in relative silence save the humming from the captain.

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The captain collected the money from the buyer. He always liked this part of the job better. "Alright the girl and I will get the last two boxes out of the ship." Their buyer already had almost everything loaded. Seemed the buyer was a professional and Killian liked that. The faster the job was over with the better. Standing out here with boxes always made him nervous. Star had been at his side for most of it because Killian figured he might as well have her see how jobs were run. Besides she had a good mind for deal making.

While Killian and Star carried out the rest of the boxes Adam had returned to his room. The engines gave a little purr and Killian set the last box down. Just as he straightened up a man pointed a gun at him and fired.

Mike knew the signs. They'd been set up. Pushing the button to close the door he shook his head. "Sorry Cap we'll be back round in a few days. They set us up." If he didn't get the ship out now he and Adam wouldn't be doing any good at breaking Killian and Star out of jail or even coming back around to pick them up.

The little apology in the headset was exactly what Killian would have ordered. He laid still on the ground. It was probably a bounty hunter otherwise his ship would have been surrounded by now. However, they would be soon enough anyway. Bounty hunters were only a few minutes ahead of the law. A foot nudged him in the side a few times. Finally he felt the man begin to turn him over and Killian wrenched the gun from his hand and shot him. Getting to his knees he fired at the other two with guns and yelled. "Run!" He needed Star out of here. It would create enough distraction that he could get up and go find her later.
 
Star hadn't been idle though. The moment the first shot had rang out she'd attacked the closest hunter. He hadn't been expecting her to move so quickly, and it cost him his life. She'd grabbed the hunter's gun shot him in the head then dodged around the bounty hunter's ship while the 2nd one shot at her.

The hunter stalked towards her, bullets ricocheting off the metal of the ship. Killian took down his shooter and sat up, shooting at the hunter attacking Star, forcing him to duck into cover.

"Run!"

Run? She wanted too. More than anything...but a strange sense of loyalty to this crew had begun emerge. She'd been with them nearly two weeks now and while half of that had been spent in a cell, she'd still begun to like them. The hunter turned his gun on Killian. The Captain was exposed, barely having made it to his feet, he was an open target. Star took a few shots at the remaining bounty hunter to draw his attention back to her and give Killian time to find cover or take down the double-crosser once and for all.
 
With the spare moment Killian rolled behind one of the boxes and shot at the dealer. Of course his buyer was probably recently caught by the alliance members and he was probably going to try and catch a few more smugglers. Couldn't have the ring broke so the best thing was to kill the snoop before somebody did get caught and tune the compliance officers into all the little details of routes and other areas that the smugglers used.

As the adrenaline still pumped through his veins he jumped up and tackled the last of their opponents. The bounty hunter had obviously failed to pay attention to all his surroundings. The captain grabbed the mans neck and wrenched it to the side. Barely catching his balance his let the body fall and then shoved the girl further into the alley. "C'mon we need to move."

Killian started to noticed a throb in his shoulder and some throbbing that went down his arm. He hadn't noticed it till now. It probably had to do with the adrenaline at the time he was shot. Bringing a hand up he held onto his shoulder. A trickle of blood started to seep through and run over his fingers. "Agh..." Glancing at the blood he frowned. It had been a while since somebody had been good enough to actually get him. Catching a look from Star he growled. "Keep moving. We need to get at least 5 miles away from here before the compliance officers land."
 
"We're not going to make it five miles if you keep bleeding like that." Star replies. She runs ahead of him, scouting the area and the buildings around them. The drop had taken place in an old quarantined section of the city. There were red 'X''s on all the houses that had been affected, but from the dead silence she was hearing and the thick layer of dust everywhere, she guessed the warnings had been put long ago. Hopefully whatever had caused this place to be quarantined had long died out.

About two miles out she found an drug store with broken windows and destroyed locks. Looked like people had come through and scavenged whatever they could during the quarantine. "Here, in here." She waves him over. She couldn't help but notice he'd slowed down a bit and the pained crease in his forehead had gotten tighter. She immediately began rummaging through the store looking for any medical supplies that had been left behind.
 
Killian shot her a look. "Well I don't see anyplace good to stop." Grumbling a little under his breath he continued walking behind her. Star was running around like a chicken that got its head cut off. He couldn't see any rhyme or reason to it. Then again he knew he was getting a little foggy in the brain. In an attempt to ease the pain he walked a little slower and tried to be sure that he walked with solid and gentle steps. No reason to jar his shoulder when he didn't have to.

It felt like they should have been 10 miles away. Finally Star was stopping at some old drug store. Killian nodded and wordlessly followed her inside. Finding a decent looking place to sit he perched himself on the chair and leaned against the wall. By now his whole hand was covered in blood and if it wasn't for the constant trickle it would have dried. Instead it was starting to get sticky. He could feel the blood all the way down to his leg. When he had a chance to clean up he was pretty sure it was going to be a mess.

Relaxing for just a moment he closed his eyes. The captain immediately bolted upright when he felt hands on his shoulder and yowled. "Ow, that hurt!"
 
"Shh!" She urges him, putting a hand on his mouth. Star slowly takes it away. "Do you want to attract attention? Here..." She'd found some painkillers, not that they'd do much but...it was better than nothing.

While he popped them in his mouth, she pulled back his jacket and cut through the fabric of his shirt, wincing at the sight of the wound. "Put your hand down, its in the way." She orders softly, reaching down and grabbing the medical wipes and bandages she found. She did her best to clean the wound and tape bandages to it, reprimanding him every time he made a noise above a whisper.

"Sorry...I don't know much about medicine and I don't dare risk trying to pull that bullet out. I'd probably do more damage than good." Once she finished she wipes her hands and puts remaining supplies in a bag she found. "You good to walk? We still have a couple miles to go before we're in the clear?"
 
Killian was half tempted to bite her hand. He didn't want it there but, she made sense. "Well then don't touch me when I'm resting." Growling under his breath he took the pills from her. He didn't know if they were advil or anything stronger. Hopefully it was the latter. The captain winced when she pulled the jacket and he moved his hand but only to put it over the shoulder soon as she cut the shirt.

Reluctantly moving his hand he let her prod with the medical wipes. Drawing a sharp breath his eyes flashed at her. The wipes stung. "Ah..haha...." It wasn't really so much a laugh as it was his way of trying not to make other growls. "You get shot and tell me...Ow." It was only bandaging and Killian nodded when she apologized for her lack of knowledge. The captain closed his eyes again for a brief moment. He wasn't going to be able to sleep right now but, he didn't want to walk. They had to anyway. "Yeah let's move." Pushing away from the wall he held his hand over the shoulder again.

By the end of the 3 miles he felt like his shoulder was going to explode. "One more mile." Gritting his teeth he nodded to her. "I want out of this district." Whatever it was marked off for he didn't want to possibly get sick from it.

At last they came to a small area that wasn't marked for quarantine. Picking an alley he stumbled into it and slumped against the building. "We'll stay here for a few hours and then move on. Probably need to get out of the city and into the country for the guys to pick us up." Sliding his back down the wall he finally dropped to a squat and then put his legs out in front of himself. "Wake me up in a little bit."
 
Star watched him drift off to sleep before getting up and searching for anything that could help them. There wasn't much here. Scavengers no doubt had come through this area. She didn't like how silent it was. It made her nervous. There should have at least been the echo of distant traffic or the whirring of ships above their heads. But there was nothing, no sign of life anywhere. What could've made people abandon an entire city. Did whatever was in quarantine make it past the barrier get into the rest of the city? The thought makes her shudder.

Star found a blanket and lay it over Killian before returning to her own scavenging. She found a box of filled water bottles...but she didn't trust those not to be infected with something so she ignored them. Canned food, also not guaranteed to be safe. A creak beneath her feet causes her to stop and look down. There was a hatch, leading to a cellar beneath her. A good place as any to find supplies. She reaches down and pulls open the hatch. An overwhelming stench of decay causes her to reel back, gagging and coughing. "Oh, god." At the base of the steps she could see three decaying bodies huddled together. Each one wearing a gas mask. She shuts the hatch just as quickly as she had opened it. An airborne pandemic then...lovely.

Star returns back to Killian. Beads of sweat had begun to form on his forehead. She bends down, checking his pulse. Even and strong, but his skin was hot to the touch. Clearly his body was trying to fight off an infection, do doubt from the bullet...hopefully that's all it was. Otherwise, they were both dead. She sighs. They had to get out of here. A flatbed trolley at the end of the alley catches her eye. She hurries towards it. She could push Killian on this, make some head way out of the city. She pulls it back to where Killian was sleeping then searches the remaining houses for anything else of use. She found flashlights, firestarters, vaccum sealed jerky and few other things, including a map.

It had been a little over an hour at this point. She arranges the pillows and blankets she had found on the trolley then kneels by Killian. "Hey, Killian. Time to wake up, Captain." She taps his cheek having a bottle of water ready for him in her hand.
 
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