Routes Reasoned.

[Marcus O'Terra]

Two hours after they'd left the Core System, Lulah had set them on a fast course to the Blue Sun System. Once they got closer, and after this meeting, they'd have a better idea. Until then it was enough.

He stood watch over the guard, still apparently unconscious from whatever Jay had given him. He'd have to see if it could be put into something sturdy.

Shut that train of thought, and exhaled. He'd told everyone to meet here. Now it was just a matter of what they said when the meeting began.

Marcus hadn't gotten a good idea of what their opinions where when he'd stunned the Fed. Noone seemed to have expected what Marcus had done, the Fed included: thankfully. Now he had the man's life on his hands.

How often had that turned out well for the person who depended on him?

[Jay Fuller]

Jay was, for once, the first one to get there. As soon as he had put the guy under and they had taken off, he hopped into the shower. Once he had cleaned himself of this shit-tastic day, he put on some dirty denim and a tank top. When he walked from his room to the infirmary, where Marcus was waiting, he stood next to the captain.

He didn't say anything as he, too, stared at the Fed. "After everything that's happened in the past three months..." he mumbled, "Marcus, what the hell are we doing?" His voice didn't sound accusing, it was as if he was legitimately looking for an answer. Maybe the captain would have a legit answer. He crossed his arms. After things had calmed down, the weight of what was happening began to fall on the medic's shoulders. He nearly cried when he was shower, not that he would ever admit that to anyone. There was something about the situation they were in that, to Jay, was more frightening than before -- even more than getting shot in the leg. At least then, everything happened so quickly that there was no time to think of what may or may not happen. This, however, was the exact opposite.

Even after Jay first put the Fed under, he could still feel his hands shaking. He was glad Ray was there at the time, or else he may not have been able to put on a brave face. There was something about being with someone that kept Jay calm. Or, at least some sense of the word. Had he been alone, he wasn't sure if he would be able to have done it. Jay thought it was wrong to keep someone on their deathbed heavily medicated -- doing it to someone who was alive and well, that was something outrageous.

Jay knew he would get into some shit when he joined the crew, but this was too much. In the shower, he had thought the entire situation over, and what might happen afterwards. Part of him wanted to hide under his covers until they landed, and then he could find passage back home. But that wouldn't do anything for anyone. Even through every situation he made up, he knew he would stick it out.

Jay turned when he heard footsteps enter the infirmary.

[Ilana Logan]

Ilana left the engine room and went to her bunk. She was a mess of confusion and indecision. Her mood hadn't been the greatest before the fed got there. After he got there.... it had just been on a downward spiral ever since. She was feeling very sour as she walked around her room, not knowing what the hell she was even doing there. She didn't need anything from her room. She just needed to calm down a bit.

Her hands were shaking. Her hands never shook. Not over something like this. Of course, the last time her boss had tasered a fed and then tied him up in the infirmary...."Oh wait, that's never happened before!" She said aloud, frustrated, to herself in the empty room. She thought she had cause to freak out for a minute or ten. I mean, they were either going to kill a man, or spend the rest of their lives in an alliance prison. Neither of those options were on her to do list, and the fact that she knew she'd kill him to save her own ass made her question everything about herself. Ilana didn't like questioning herself.

She sat down on the edge of her bed and stared down at her shaking hands, confused and wondering how to explain her point to the others. Normally, she didn't think things through before she started talking, and that had led to problems on more than one occasion. Thinking before speaking wasn't something she was particularly good at though. She always just said what was on her mind.

Fuck it, she thought. That's what I'll do.

She stood up, hands still shaking and went to her dresser. She pulled out all of the Kortine she had and put it in her little knapsack. If we kill him, the least we can do is make it painless, she thought. Other than the poison, the bag was empty at the moment. She slung it over her shoulder by the strap and climbed the ladder out of her bunk.

She made her way to the infirmary where the fed was being held in silence. She pushed all thoughts from her mind and shoved her hands in her pockets to hide their trembling. She straightened her spine, and gathered her resolve, as she walked through the infirmary doorway. Jay and Marcus were both there and she looked at both of them for a moment before averting her eyes.

She looked at the fed for a moment, wondering why he had to be such an asshole. If he had been at least halfway decent, none of this would have happened, she thought. She leaned against the counter, as far away from Jay and Marcus as she could get. Not because she didn't want to be near them specifically, but because she wasn't quite ready for this part of the process and she didn't want to be near anyone just then.

She looked down at the floor, staring at her boots, wondering exactly how they had gotten here. How it had come to this. It doesn't matter how we got here, how I got here. All that matters now is that we are here, and we have to deal with it, she thought to herself.

[Lulah Hayes]

Lulah had remained nestled in her seat on the bridge, inputting a very specific serious of co-ordinates that would programme the auto-pilot. Fortunately, most of it was automatic whenever a direction was coded in. She just liked to put her own little tweaks in here and there to ensure that they were running at the fastest capacity. Judging from their fast leap from Beaumonde to Sihnon, she was convinced that the engines could handle that little extra strain. Marcus had left her there a while ago, telling her to meet in the Infirmary with the rest of the crew in a few minutes. Personally, she'd rather just stay on the bridge and sit in the real pilot's seat for a while. Not that there was much to be doing with the yokel out in the middle of the 'verse. Still, it beat going anywhere near the unconscious fed. What if he suddenly woke up in the middle of their meeting!? Feds couldn't be trusted so long as their heart was still beating.

“Ugh. Better git goin' then,” she sighed to herself. Flicking all the co-piloting switches over to 'auto', Lulah doubled checked all the commands, and then pushed herself out of her comfy chair. With a full, wide stretch and a yawn, the red-head climbed the ladder back to the mid-point of the three deck bridge, and moved down the corridors at a not-so brisk pace as usual. When she reached the catwalk, she could see Ilana much further up ahead. Deciding not to call over to her since she was nearly at the Infirmary already, Lulah picked up her pace into a mild jog along the walkway. Turning the corner around the central lift, she only gradually slowed down as she reached the infirmary doors. A little exercise was always nice after sitting on her rear for so long.

As she walked through the doors, the usual smile had dropped from Lulah's face to be replaced by a more serious line. Her eye line immediately fell on the strapped-down fed lying on the med-bed almost directly opposite the door. It wasn't the first time that she'd seen a dead body, and probably wouldn't be the last either. But that was just the problem; the fed's heart was still beating on the scanner. In addition to that, the room was far too quiet for her liking. Looking across to Ilana, she noted the engineer's distancing. Then there was Jay, who unlike some people had actually manage to change out of the clothes he'd been wearing the last time she'd seen him. 'Lucky for some,' she grumbled to herself with mild envy. She on the other hand, hadn't made the time to retreat to her bunk since the Fed came on board. Then there was Marcus, standing watch over the dormant fed. 'He better have another stun gun ready,' Lulah thought to herself with an anxious twinge in her gut. Had he even told anyone about the conversation she'd overheard? Didn't seem like it.

“Auto-pilotin''s all set,” she announced. Her voice a notch quieter and less energetic than usual though. “So, uh... yup.” Rather awkwardly, she dug her hands in her fitted cargo-pant pockets, inhaled, and exhaled that audibly deep breath. Eyes falling on the feet of the fed, the navigator kept to the outskirts of the room. Deciding not to invade on anyone's personal space, a comfy, square chair in the corner looked welcoming enough for her to park her rear on. Once sat down, she re-arranged herself to nimbly cross both her legs, and rested her hands on her lap.

[Ray Hudson]

There were people in the universe who were privileged with choice. Their choice of dinner, of university, of career. One of their struggles involve analyzing their options and choosing to go down one of many paths. Their paths are never narrow but that wouldn't mean life would be easy. Raymond Hudson grew up as one of such people. He wasn't the most privileged child on Beaumonde but his family never struggled with money. His family was supportive and willing to put their children through any path they chose. So how was it that he's ended up here, in this situation? A boy who threw his entire future away and was now throwing dirt over his shoulder.

Ray was sitting in the lounge trying to think of what their choices were. He immediately wanted to point fingers but that was a pointless use of time. A fed in the infirmary and a crate full of narcotics and currency carcases. Wanting to take his mind off of the officer in custody Ray thought about the ashes of credits they now possessed. He couldn't believe that all of that precious cash could be gone. Ray wondered if they could make use of the Beaumonde Bonanza that they now owned and if Marcus would be opposed to disposing of it in a lucrative fashion. Ray was no expert on the drug trade but he knew a few people who might be able to help him. Ray's 'contact's' were half as useful as Morse's or Longstreet's and about half as loyal but it was still something. He would just hate to see it all go to waste.

Eventually Ray came back to thinking about the uniformed man's fate. He was unsure of what Marcus planned to do with him but if he were to guess, Marcus was more unsure than anyone else on the ship. The thought of killing the man made Ray's leg shake and his hands to wrap together. The more Ray thought about it the more blank his mind went. He was never an 'idea' man and he wasn't the most convincing man he knew. Ray knew what he wanted to do with the man but as he tried to hold onto that idea it would fall eeper into the darkness.

Executing an unarmed prisoner.

'You've done far worse.' accused the Guide.

Ray couldn't stomach it. He knew what he wanted but less certain of what they needed. Their choices were limited but Ray tended to let emotions guide him. He rarely went with what was needed and would immediately go into what he wanted. Ray finally came to terms with what they needed but as he expected, it did not line up with his desired. He checked the time and saw that it was about that time and he wasn't ready to bring up his choice to the rest of the group. He hoped for support, for someone to back him up. Jay, Lulah, anyone who could help him for Ray couldn't stand to be isolated at this crossroad. Ray was grateful for one thing, however.

They were privileged with a choice.

Ray was the last to arrive at the entrance of the infirmary. It seemed awkward and silent, the entire group uneasy. Ray sighed and looked at everyone, avoiding any eye contact. It was all morbid, the entire ship. The walls leaked with guilt and Ray felt denial attempting to be his savior. He never wanted his bare feet on the floor, never wanted to brush against a corridor or fall asleep on a couch by accident. He couldn't make a home out of the Chainless, he couldn't forgive himself if he did.

The silence was making things far worse and Ray didn't want to be the one to break it. "So..." Ray said, looking at the floor, immediately regretting opening his mouth. He left it at that, hoping Marcus would tell them the point of this meeting, despite everyone already knowing.

[Marcus O'Terra]

Jay hadn't said anything to Marcus since he had walked in. Jay had been looking over something at the time, and by the looks of the Fed, he was well under. After this they'd let him wake up, but keep him tied up and under guard for certain. Possibly gagged.

When Ilana walked in she looked sick. Marcus couldn't blame her. He felt like hell right now. This wasn't what he'd gotten into the mercenary business for. It's the sort of thing the nutters in Black Sand pulled. He just nodded at her and went back to staring at the Fed.

Lulah followed after and when she said that they had the heading locked in, Marcus knew he'd have to explain some of the plan to them. He mumbled a "Thanks." And took in her stance, if Ilana looked sick, Lulah was a step from hurling in the med bay.

When Ray arrived, Marcus was wondering if the man might just finish this debacle here. He wondered if this would be the straw that sent Ray packing. He couldn't blame him if it did.

The crew assembled before the subject of their despair, Marcus checked again that the man was unconscious; by all signs Marcus knew, the man was still out.

"Right. Good News first." He looked at Ray. "Morse has a contact whose covered our tracks. We were never on Sihnon today as far as the data shows." That might relieve some of their stress. He didn't doubt Lulah had listened in on the conversation.

"Now for the... matter at hand." He put his hand on his chin. "I've got an idea I'm chewing on, but if anyone has suggestions, doubts, nows the time." He held up a hand. "And if you want to scream at me or punch me, we'll handle that away from our prisoner."

He could see himself in the mirror, he looked like shit. His eyes were drawn and bagged; his lips were chapped where he'd been gnawing on them. He genuinely looked like hell.

[Ilana Logan]

Everyone piled into the room, but Ilana scarcely looked at any of them. She was too busy thinking, which was rarely a good thing for her. After everyone was assembled and as ready as they were gonna get, Marcus started talking and she looked up at him.


"Right. Good News first." He looked at Ray. "Morse has a contact whose covered our tracks. We were never on Sihnon today as far as the data shows."

She breathed a soft sigh of relief, but strangely, the news did little to ease the knot of tension in her gut. Marcus started talking again, "Now for the... matter at hand," He put his hand on his chin. "I've got an idea I'm chewing on, but if anyone has suggestions, doubts, nows the time." He held up a hand. "And if you want to scream at me or punch me, we'll handle that away from our prisoner."

She didnt' quite know what to say at first, but when she opened her mouth, the words just started to flow. "Well, he's out, and he ain't wakin' up anytime soon. We can't very well let him live. He knows who we all are, what ship we're on, and we'll all be no further away from jail than we were before you tasered him if he walks away from this. I suggest we poison him or shoot him while he's unconscious, and dump him."

There weren't really any other options. The only choice they had was how to kill him. It wouldn't make much difference in the end. He'd still be dead. But they would be safe, or as safe as people like them ever got, and that was really all that mattered to her at that point.

[Jay Fuller]

Marcus never responded. Jay sighed -- had he been ignored on purpose? He wondered what Marcus was planning with this guy. Jay ran over in his mind what they were going to do. They couldn't hurt him, could they? The mere thought of that sent Jay into a panic. He tightened his grip on his own arms as he leaned back on the counter. He saw Ilana walk in. She looked at them both. Jay met her eyes once, and she moved to the farthest side of the room. Jay looked back to Marcus, feeling a bit guilty. Why am I feeling guilty? I didn't knock him out. I didn't invite him onto the ship. I was just following orders. He glanced at the Fed. Wasn't I?

He looked up quickly when Lulah spoke. He kept forgetting that she was on the ship and he was still a little uncomfortable around her. When she walked in, she moved to another side of the room and sat down. Then, in came Ray. There was a pause before he said, "So..."

"Right. Good News first," Marcus began speaking. Jay looked up. "Morse has a contact whose covered our tracks. We were never on Sihnon today as far as the data shows." Jay raised an eyebrow. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it when he realized Marcus had more to say. He didn't see that as good news at all - there's still the matter of a missing Fed. Plus, nothing gets erased forever. The Alliance would find them one way or another, he was sure.

"Now for the...matter at hand. I've got an idea I'm chewing on, but if anyone has suggestions, doubts, now's the time. And if you want to scream at me or punch me, we'll handle that away from our prisoner."

Once again, Jay was about to speak but Ilana beat him to it. She said her piece, suggesting that they should kill him and toss the body out of the ship. Jay looked at her, astonished. Not that he could call himself surprised. "Nǐ zài kāiwánxiào ba," he blurted out, "We can't kill him! I-I mean, look at him! Yeah, he tried fucking us over, but who the hell hasn't? H-He could have a wife, or kids! Parents, grandparents...We're sitting around here talking about what to do with him like he's some sub-human, piece of trash! And what--what the hell does it make us if we kill him?" He realized by now his voice had risen to a near shouting level, "No, this isn't happening. His life shouldn't mean less or more than ours! He's unarmed, he's unconscious, and I--" He clasped his hand over his mouth when he heard his own voice crack.

He inhaled deeply, gripping his lips tightly. He tried to regain his composure. He didn't like exploding in front of people. But this stress was all too much. And what was coming next? Jay wasn't too sure if he wanted to be here anymore. Maybe he should just shut up and stay quiet. He moved his hand slowly from his mouth and balled it into his fist. "If you decide to kill him," he finally said softly, "I'm not having anything to do with it."

- - - - - - - - - - -

Nǐ zài kāiwánxiào ba = You've gotta be kidding

[Ray Hudson]

When Marcus looked at Ray, he still avoided eye contact with him, instead Ray looked at his chin as he spoke. He informed him that Morse had a contact who had wiped any record of them being on Sihnon. Ray had an idea of who he was talking about as Ray was familiar with the eccentric Mr. Dishes. This was great news but they were hardly out of the storm because of it. Marcus then brought up the issue with the officer. He mentioned an idea that he was working over but he wanted outside opinions from the group.

Ray lightly groaned and looked back at the floor, unsure of what this guys odds were. Ilana spoke up and felt himself tighten up. She said that they couldn't let him live and Ray felt his mouth open slightly as he froze in place. "Jordan...no, we can't-" The young brunette pleaded before being cut off. Ilana listed her reasons, pointing out that the man knew who they were, what type of ship they flew and if they let him live than prison was probably their next stop. The corners of Ray's vision turned a murky grey and his breathing could be heard if one took the time to listen. "He's seen our faces and he knows our names-"Said Jordan, a suited man begging on his knees. Finally, Ilana suggested killing the man and getting rid of him. "This is different. This is different from all of it." Ray said to Jordan, locking eyes. "You know what's happening here."

Once Ilana was finished, Ray was in a daze. He felt a sense of deja vu and was beginning to wonder if he was in a dream. When he looked up, he expected to see the Kruger's and Moon but to his surprise he was in the Chainless' infirmary. He thought about what Ilana said and he felt the knot tighten. He couldn't let her kill him and part of him wondered why she wouldn't even consider letting him live. She didn't sound happy about it and Ray hoped she felt a little bit of remorse but that didn't change the fact that she wanted him dead. Ilana was talking about killing a man in his sleep while she stood in the room with his unconscious body. He needed to tell her what exactly she was suggesting but the words never left his mouth.

Ray listened as his words were coming out of Jay. He looked at Jay's flustered face with a look of surprise. He told them that they couldn't kill him and that the man might have a wife or even kids. "Please! Please, she's graduating...I promised!" The suited man whimpered, almost unintelligibly. Jay told them that they were treating him as if he were less than human and that his life shouldn't be worth less than their own. Ray remembered the sobbing man in a suit who was on his knees in the back of an all to familiar van. Jay finished by saying that he would have nothing to do with killing this man.

Ray was surprised and very impressed with Jay. He had shown some back bone and he had made a stand for what he believed in. He obviously cared about the value of human life and it was a very refreshing reminder that mercy might be able to survive in the black. Ray looked back at Ilana, trying to meet her eyes. "The kids right. You're talkin' about executing a prisoner."

Realizing that what he said may have sounded a little harsh, Ray thought about what Ilana was feeling. She looked nervous and everyone telling her that what she was suggesting was horrid wouldn't help that. Ray didn't want to just tell her that he thought she was wrong, he wanted her to believe that an alternative was possible. "Ilana." Ray said, softly, taking a step towards her. "I know that...you don't think we have a choice." Ray stopped next to the bed where the unconscious man lay. "That this is our only option," Ray pointed at the man before getting a little closer to her. "but if you do this...a few days from now the alternatives will come to you." Ray was now very close to Ilana. He wasn't directly in front of her but it was obvious that these words were just for her. "And when they do, you'll start to see him. In the streets, in the mirror, on the walls." Ray claimed. He was sounding more sincere than Ilana's probably ever experienced from him. Ray was clearly coming from a very real place and he sounded genuinely concerned.

An image of a dark room and a silhouettes accusing stare flashed into thought. A man was on his knees, begging the silhouette but a response was never given, driving the man to madness. 'They'll start in your dreams' Ray thought, stopping himself from sharing it with Ilana. Ray realized just what he was saying and he felt himself get embarrassed. He thought that he was probably not making sense and he hoped that they'd think the shock was just messing with his judgement.

"We're better than this. You're better than this." Ray finished, trying to make things a little less uncomfortable while also trying to convince Ilana that there were alternatives. He regret his wording but not his purpose.

[Ilana Logan]

Jay looked at Ilana, appalled. "Nǐ zài kāiwánxiào ba," he blurted out, "We can't kill him! I-I mean, look at him! Yeah, he tried fucking us over, but who the hell hasn't? H-He could have a wife, or kids! Parents, grandparents...We're sitting around here talking about what to do with him like he's some sub-human, piece of trash! And what--what the hell does it make us if we kill him?" He was nearly shouting by the time he finished, and Ilana looked at him with sympathy in her eyes. "No, this isn't happening. His life shouldn't mean less or more than ours! He's unarmed, he's unconscious, and I--" His voice cracked at the end and his clapped his hand over his mouth.

He looked as though he were trying to compose himself, and Ilana felt for the kid, but what choice did they really have. She understood his anger, and she didn't blame him for it. When he started speaking again, she listened carefully, as he was speaking softly, "If you decide to kill him, I'm not having anything to do with it." She didn't blame him for that either.

Ray's voice brought Ilana's eyes to him. "The kids right. You're talkin' about executing a prisoner."

Ilana looked down at the floor then. She knew the horror of what she was suggesting. Sure he was a prick, but he was just doing his job. She knew that. Killing them to save their asses wasn't the same thing as killing someone because they were trying to kill you. This wasn't self defense, this was murder. Murder in an act of self-preservation sure, but it was still murder. Before she could answer and say any of that though, Ray started talking again, and she looked up to meet his eyes, as much as she didn't want to.

"Ilana." Ray said, softly, taking a step towards her. "I know that...you don't think we have a choice." Ray stopped walking when he got to the infirmary bed, where the fed lay sleeping. "That this is our only option," Ray pointed at the man before taking another step toward her. "but if you do this...a few days from now the alternatives will come to you." Ray had no gotten very close to her. He wasn't right in her face, but it was clear that he wasn't talking to anyone but her. "And when they do, you'll start to see him. In the streets, in the mirror, on the walls." Ray added. He sounded sincere, his tone was soft, understanding. She'd never heard Ray talk like this, not to anyone, let alone her. He hated her. He couldn't have surprised her more if he'd slapped her in the face. But he hadn't. He'd spoken with compassion and caring. He sounded like he really meant what he said, and like he really knew what he was talking about, which led her to believe that he had done this before.

Ray's tone and sincerity, had made Ilana feel as though he really had slapped her in the face. Her face burned with the feeling. When he spoke again, she physically flinched away from his words. "We're better than this. You're better than this." Ray finished.

The room was suddenly very hot to her. She felt as though she was going to be sick. Her eyes dropped back to her feet and she fought the gorge rising in her. She turned her back to the group and gripped the counter hard, leaning heavily on the ledge, breathing in short gasps. After a moment, she managed to fight back the urge to paint her shoes a different color.

Without moving, still leaning on the counter, gripping the edge like it was the only thing holding her to the floor, she answered Ray softly, without anger or accusation, "You think I don't know that? You think I don't know that his face will be burned into my memory for the rest of my life? That I think I'll never walk into the galley and see him at the coffee pot instead of you or Jay? That I'll just forget about it because I know I did the right thing?"

She paused briefly. Her voice hadn't gotten any higher, but it was starting to shake. She took a deep breath to get the shake from her voice, and turned around. She spoke softly, talking to Ray only, but she was loud enough that the others could hear. "I know that I'm suggesting a horrible thing here, but what else is there? I know it's not the right thing. I don't know that there is a right thing here. Can we leave him on a backwater moon naked, but alive, with no money and no means of contact or transportation for the mere hope that he won't ever get off that planet? Do we beat him within an inch of his life and just hope he never remembers anything about us, then leave him somewhere to be found by his peers? Both of those things leave us a big chance of winding up in prison. The whole reason Marcus tasered him was to avoid that. Don't think I agree with his decision wholeheartedly, because I don't. I understand why he did it, but it's not what I would have done. I don't want to go to prison for the rest of my life, especially not for something I didn't even do. I get the reason for the concern Ray, I and truly appreciate it."

She searched his eyes for a moment, knowing that he had said in a few days, after they had done the unspeakable, that they would think of other options. He had to have thought of something after he had been put in that position, assuming he actually had been put in it. She went on softly, If you have a suggestion that doesn't involve us going to prison, and this man still gets to live, I'm more than willing to hear it."

[Marcus O'Terra]

Marcus felt his gut double over again as Ilana spoke. It was the cold and pragmatic answer. The sort he'd seen once or twice during the war. Not the kind you wanted to live with but the sort that kept you breathing. There was pain in Ilana's voice, and he hoped that she didn't want this. She couldn't have.

Marcus didn't let his face betray him any more, but the sickness in his chest was taking the color from his skin. He wondered, catching sight of his pale face in the mirror, if he was bleeding somewhere internally.

Marcus genuinely had missed what Jay had said earlier but his outburst caught Marcus full in the face. His eyes genuinely watered at his words. What was that old saying? From the mouths of children comes truth? He's no child but he's innocent of all this. His words rang hard and Marcus looked to the man's hands, wondering if there had been a ring on his finger. Were feds allowed to wear that sort of stuff on duty? "Thank you, Jay." He mumbled, a smile on his face.

He was still off balance when Ray spoke up. His description of guilt was vivid for Marcus. He'd felt that every day of his life since the events of the Hardtack. Burt's death didn't balance all the innocent people he'd let loose to their deaths.

He should have thought it out, should have waited for Burts to come round a corner and then blast him before he could draw or duck into cover. He should have done that.

Now he had to think, what should he do here. What to say. How to act. A single man would live or die by Marcus's actions.

Ilana spoke right back, and it was clear that she didn't want this any more than the rest of them. She ran off a list of hopeful plans and something crystalized in Marcus's mind. No creds, ID, or weapons, it would be a long while before he got back to the core.

Months maybe, and in that time what would he see? The real world of the rim and the life people lived. The idea had all kinds of merit to it.

"Yeah," Marcus finally spoke up again. Loud enough they all could hear. "He could back to the core. After weeks of working his fingers to the bone, though do you think he'd remember everything clear as day? After all the crap he'd see on the way back, do you think he'd care?"

He just might, but it'd be a long while till then.

"Deadwood is on the way to our destination. Merchants don't pass through there often enough for him to get easy transit off. Feds are barely there at all. We strip him and point him at some back woods town and he'll be alive, and his life'll be in his own hands after that."

He looked around at the crew. "I'm done killing people for the sake of my own convenience. There's a route we can follow that doesn't require his death; I'm going to take it."

The knot in his gut was coming loose and he was able to look over his crew with a strong smile. He'd wished he could have heard Lulah's opinon, but he'd already formed a heading as it was, and he didn't think she'd refuse the idea.

[Lulah Hayes]

The tension in the room made Lulah swallow hard at the nervous lump in her throat. She didn't like this situation one bit, but they were here and they were stuck in the mud until someone figured out a way to tag the whole crew with a 'get out of jail free' card. So as Marcus opened out the floor for questions and suggestions, she looked with wide and attentive eyes and ears to each member of the crew who spoke up. First to Ilana, whose opinions she admittedly agreed with at first. The easy solution was to just shoot the bugger, or space him, or both, and let the embrace of the 'verse be his tomb. At least until he floated into some other ship, but then, he was their problem. When Ilana finished though, the sudden outburst of Jay almost made Lulah jump.

"We can't kill him!” 'Why the heck not?' Her glaring eyes demanded, while her mouth chewed on some invisible gum. “I-I mean, look at him!” She looked, and all she saw was a purple-bellied fed. Sure, he might have a wife and kids somewhere but, who the heck didn't? Did they, as in the alliance, care about those families when they killed all the Browncoat fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers in the war? No. This was fair game, wasn't it? He would've shot them after all if he had the chance. Maybe?... Lulah heaved a sighed breath through her nose. What good was there in thinking about all that? The fact was, he would've done the same if not worse to them. They were just beating him to the chase.

Jay's voice cracked, and Lulah had to purse her lips very tightly together to stop from laughing outright at him. It was mostly a nervous reaction though; not malicious or mocking or... well maybe a little. 'No-one's expectin' you t'do it or nothin'. Pansy.' She rolled her eyes to herself. Of course, she was hardly going to 'do it' either...

Next was Ray, whose opinion startled her a little. She thought he of all people, being a meat-head, but offer to handle it. So, her jaw gradually dropped, as he started to talk Ilana out of it. Lulah wasn't exactly convinced that she'd be seeing the fed again if he was just straight-up killed, but then, she wasn't going to be the one doing it. And yes, she had killed a man before. But he had it coming to him, and she certainly did see his face in mirrors or anything. At least.... not for a while now. To be frank, the memory was very repressed. It had been an accident though, so maybe that made a big difference? Wasn't like she had the expertise to sit down and right an essay on it.

"We're better than this. You're better than this." Now she bit her lip. That was a little... harsh, wasn't it? Fidgeting on the stool-like chair, she pulled her knee up, hugged it with one arm, and rested her chin on it. For once, her expression was serious. Thoughtful even, as she stared ahead at the feet of the fed ahead of her. Even as Ilana cracked under the pressure of the decision, Lulah kept her focus fixed ahead. They were each suggesting things that she'd never really thought about. Maybe she'd just seen too many people die, and been forced to make an excuse up for each of them just to make herself feel better. Maybe she was just too used to a 'numbed down' way of seeing things thanks to her old captain. So, that made her a bad person? Her saddened gaze lowered; now she just felt plain awful. Obviously this crew were on a whole other level compared to her last one.

Even with the voice of Marcus reaching out loud enough for all of them, Lulah stared at the floor. She was listening of course, but the 'beep' of the fed's heart monitor seemed louder than anything else in the room. Only at the mention of Deadwood did her brows twitch under narrowed eyes. Wait... what? They were just gonna maroon the fed instead, and hope for the best? That sounded... dangerous.

“Y'know....E-Even if we do go an' jus'... leave him on Haven. We'll still be tossin' him over to folk who might jus' go on an' kill him for us anyway. Jus' sayin's'all.” She shrugged, finally lifting her eyes to look directly at the Captain. “I mean... Can't we leave somethin' on him that screams Alliance? Plenty o' mean ol' smuggler's out there who don't give a rat's arse 'bout bein' the better person or nothin' like that.” Sure would help her sleep better knowing that he was completely no longer any of their problem either. At last, she smiled. Her sense of humour lightening her mood.

“Oh-oh! I got it! Or! We'll be seein' him again in oh... ah dunno... a month... a year? 'Cept he'll be smugglin' from us this time 'round. Hah! Imagine that; Purple-belly gone sour. Better hope he don't remember any of us when he comes sneakin' onboard the ship again.”

[Jay Fuller]

Jay glanced at Marcus once he was finished talking. He was surprised at Marcus' response, but he didn't give one back. He moved to lean back on the counter, his eyes staring at his feet. He listened as Ray convinced Ilana against her original decision. Jay clenched his upper arms as he listened to Ray speak. He couldn't imagine experiencing killing someone, let alone the aftermath that Ray described. Ilana said they had no other choice. He sighed.

He didn't agree, but she had a valid point. Jay didn't necessarily want to go to prison either. They were caught with drugs, so there was little chance that they would get off. When Lulah explained her idea, Jay glanced around. It wasn't a terrible idea...but Jay knew he couldn't live well with that either. If that particular scenario played out, they may not have pulled the trigger but they were essentially pinning him on the bullseye. Jay didn't suppress a glare at Lulah's last comment. He didn't speak, however. For now, he opted to keep his mouth shut.

[Ilana Logan]

While Ilana was waiting for Ray to say something, Marcus spoke up instead. "Yeah. He could back to the core. After weeks of working his fingers to the bone, though do you think he'd remember everything clear as day? After all the crap he'd see on the way back, do you think he'd care?"

Ilana's mouth fell open slightly, thinking of the sheer idiocy of that plan. Marcus went on though, "Deadwood is on the way to our destination. Merchants don't pass through there often enough for him to get easy transit off. Feds are barely there at all. We strip him and point him at some back woods town and he'll be alive, and his life'll be in his own hands after that. I'm done killing people for the sake of my own convenience. There's a route we can follow that doesn't require his death; I'm going to take it."

He actually smiled. Ilana didn't know what to think. She'd been joking when she said that. She'd said it as a way to make them think about how there was no other option, not to get the captain to agree with her. That plan was stupid. It would come back to bite them all in the ass, and she knew it.

“Y'know....E-Even if we do go an' jus'... leave him on Haven. We'll still be tossin' him over to folk who might jus' go on an' kill him for us anyway. Jus' sayin's'all,” Lulah spoke up, finally. “I mean... Can't we leave somethin' on him that screams Alliance? Plenty o' mean ol' smuggler's out there who don't give a rat's arse 'bout bein' the better person or nothin' like that.” Then she smiled and went on. “Oh-oh! I got it! Or! We'll be seein' him again in oh... ah dunno... a month... a year? 'Cept he'll be smugglin' from us this time 'round. Hah! Imagine that; Purple-belly gone sour. Better hope he don't remember any of us when he comes sneakin' onboard the ship again.”

Ilana gave Lulah a look that suggested she thought the girl had been dropped as an infant one too many times. Then she sighed heavily and let out a string of curses that sounded something along the lines of "Gǒupì tā mā de xiǎobiàn gāisǐ dì dìyù." It made no sense as a sentence, but as individual words, it was simple cursing.

"Are you fucking mad?" She asked Marcus in a voice that suggested she thought he was an idiot. "I wasn't being serious when I suggested that. It was a way to get you to understand the gravity of what's going on here. If you think he's going to be dumped naked on the rim and when he finally gets out of there he'll be a changed man just because he's seen the life they really lead out there, you are a whole mess of stupid. You forget the kind of person he's starting out as."

She pointed at the unconscious man on the table and went on, "This is not just a gorram fed! He's the kind of fed that gave them the reputation they have right now. I've met feds that weren't half bad, but this guy? This guy is the kind that would have framed us if he hadn't found anything on our ship to stick us with. Fed's like him are the reason that my father and sisters fought in the war. There's no way in hell this man will get stuck out on the rim and, as Lulah pointed out, live to tell about it AND let us go because he understands us now. He'll come after us with a vengence just because we left his ass there. He'll get us all the death penalty for it."

She meant every word she said, and she knew it to be true. She knew what would happen if they did what Marcus suggested. If they left that man alive, they'd all be sleeping with one eye open until this man hunted them down for what they did to him. She'd go back to Roman before she spent her life that way.

[Marcus O'Terra]

Marcus could feel the tension in Jay ebb just a little. He was probably grateful that he was heard and agreed with. Marcus could relate. It was good to know things were easing back a bit. Honestly, he was worried about Ilana's reaction but Lulah speaking up distracted him.

Her words sounded more sarcastic than legitimately hopeful. She had good reason to doubt it. But there had to be another nail. Something else to seal this plan down. Otherwise the panel unfastened would shear off and tear them all a final one.

Ilana's explanation was, reasonable. The Fed was probably as bad as she was saying he was. Marcus's plan was naive at best. As it was. If he was a purple belly bones to balls, no amount of the real rim was going to change him.

He'd wear a mask sure enough. Hell he might even get some kind of job as a spy for it. Provided they believed he was who he said he was once he got back to the core. And why wouldn't they? Once he did get back, they'd do a whole battery of tests, finger prints, DNA, blood work to prove he was him.

Wait.

Blood work.

"OH...." Marcus had a smile on his face and leaned out of the door way of the infirmary. Over the edge of the catwalk he could just barely see the opening the Fed had discovered.

"That drug we have down there..." Marcus looked at Jay. "What does it do exactly? And how long does it leave a 'mark' if someone were to test for it? Someone using core tech."

This was a last ditch sort of fail safe. If the man came back from being AWOL with drugs in his gut, hallucinogens, talking about a ship that there's no record of ever being there. Well even if they don't arrest him for having the drugs. He wouldn't be able to work as a full fed anymore.

He'd have earned his way to the Core, or near enough, at that point. He'd either live his own damn life or give up and die. He might try and come after them, but not without the backing of the Feds.

[Jay Fuller]

Jay looked up at Marcus when he mentioned his plan. He thought for a minute. He had taken a course on drugs and their affects when in med school. "I...I'm not sure, I took a class on it," he said, "It's been a few years and frankly, I didn't pay attention...But, with current medical techniques, especially in the Core, it would be detectable in his system for a long time. Months, maybe years."

He began to pick up on what Marcus was planning. "So you're saying we drug him up a bit, then send him back to the planet. Since we're off the record, the Fed's will pick this one up and he'll get hit with the drug charge." He looked from one member of the crew to the other, "That could work." A small smile danced across his face, though more of relief than actual happiness.

He wanted to know what the rest of the crew thought.

[Marcus O'Terra]

Marcus smiled as Jay's words confirmed this latest trap door in his plan. If the Fed didn't have a change of heart, his story of mad rim rebels smuggling drugs and kidnapping Federal officers seemed HIGHLY doubtful.

It would certainly invalidate his testimony, and that's all they'd have against him. Marcus smiled. "And isn't that a nice bit of revenge?" Marcus looks to Ilana. "He tries to ruin us, but if he stays to his purple belly ways, it'll ruin him. He looked at the man. "He won't even know about it, if we does him while he's asleep. Keep the dose light."

Marcus smiled, relief that killing this man was no longer a necessity bloomed all over his face. "Any objections at this point?"

[Ilana Logan]

Ilana didn't know what to say. What Marcus was suggesting was so insane that it might actually work. Then again, it might just get them all killed. The idea wasn't really a bad one, but she didn't think it was a good one either. She knew that whether the plan succeeded or not, she would spend the rest of her life looking over her shoulder, wondering when or if he was coming for her.

Her opinion wouldn't matter much at this point anyway. Marcus and Jay had their minds made up. No matter what she said now, it would not sway them. She thought for a long moment, trying to think of something to say. Marcus was talking about revenge on this man, and it was funny to her. They weren't getting revenge on him. The most they would be doing is postponing the inevitable.

They just didn't seem to understand what some of those alliance types were like. There were more than a few just like him, and they would be more than willing to believe some hairbrained story about being kidnapped and drugged. With more belief would come more questioning. With more questioning would come investigation. Sure, they'd covered their tracks, but information like that always had a way of being found, no matter what lengths one goes to to destroy it.

She sighed heavily, wondering why she didn't just say everything she'd thought. Convince them they were making a grave error in judgement. Her voice had shaken earlier when she'd spoken, but it was clear now. "It doesn't matter. No matter what we do, how good we cover our tracks, we all would do well to sleep with one eye open so long as he's breathing. That idea I had, about leaving him naked on a backwater moon? That was just to get you to realize what kind of situation we're in here. If we leave him alive, we might as well land on Londonium right now, invite a whole brigade of alliance officers in here, show them where everything is, and bend over while we wait to get fucked by every one of them. What you're suggesting.... someone will believe him. It only takes the right someone to start an investigation. I don't want to kill someone that isn't currently trying to kill me, but I'm not going to prison either."

She wasn't even sure why she'd bothered in that moment. She knew they'd never listen. They wouldn't hear anything she said, except the part about killing. The reason for it would be lost in their emotions. She wanted to get out of that room. Nothing she said in there was going to make a difference. The only one who seemed to agree with her was Lulah, and that could change at any second, given their relationship, if you could call it that. Instead, she stood there, and waited for someone to misinterpret everything she'd just said.