Starport -- Shesharile-5
Built upon the crumbling wharves of an old sea-port, this sprawling complex of ferrocrete and durasteel landing bays and hangars serves as the major starport for Shesharile-5. The facilities are crude but functional with repair hangars, warehouse buildings, and a battered control tower surrounding the cracked and pock-marked surface of the landing tarmac. A low line of transparisteel buildings mark the starport terminal: gateway to the rest of Shesharile-5. The charred ruins of the old Imperial Garrison lie to the east on an island across the bay from the starport, only the rickety remains of a suspension bridge connect it to the mainland now. To the northwest, against the backdrop of the city skyline, rises the massive Ferini Swoop Arena. The acrid, bitter tang of the air tells you you shouldn't spend too long outside without a breathmask.
A steady flow of spacers, droids, and "tourists" move through the starport, almost all of them looking rather unsavory. Repulsor-trucks lumber in and out of the warehouse complex, past crews of dockworkers half-heartedly loading and unloading freighters. Squads of Shesh-Corp police patrol here around the clock, making sure the starport is secure.
Contents:
Kynes
Little Cricket
Shadowblade
Korben
Rogue Luck
Dark Valkyr
Catharsis
Dog Star
Mandrake
Shattered Paradigm
Cold Revenge
Deviant Nature
Billboard
Enigma
Winter Angel II
Dark Phoenix
Supernova
Tantive
WED-15 #6306
Stealth
Stingray
Flaming Skrit
Stellar Noire
Azure Awakening
Blue Fate
Omen
MSE-6 #15743
Police Squad S4
Electric Billboard
Obvious exits:
<GA> leads to Front Lobby -- Gateway Repairs and Upgrades -- Shesharile-5.
<ST> leads to Starport Terminal -- Shesharile-5.
<RE> leads to Shesharile-5 Ship Repair.
<WC> leads to Warehouse Complex -- Shesharile-5.
Vince walks down the ramp of the Dark Valkyr
A short, compact woman with pale skin and a delicate frame, Kynes seems to contain boundless energy with her bright, inquisitive grey eyes and quick, restless movements. Soft, full black curls tickle at her elfin face, tumbling past her slight shoulders to cling to the backs of her arms. Her dusty, many-pocketed pants and shirt have a military-surplus look about them, with darker spots showing where insignia were removed. The outer jacket hangs open to reveal a dark red, snug vest. About her neck hangs a simple loop of string, suspending the polished inner skeleton of a shell, the cord passing through one of the intricate whorls. Scuffed and battered boots peek out from beneath the rolled-up cuffs of her pants.
Carrying:
Sketchbook
Hunting-blaster
Bracelet
Korben nods, "The latter. It's a recording droid...actually, its probably Spot 7, because I've been through so many of em. Ya know, not everyone likes to get their picture taken."
Vince strolls down the ramp of the Dark Valkyr, whistling as he walks, which sounds a bit odd under his breathmask. He stops at the bottom, and hits the control to raise the ramp again, and then looks around the port.
Kynes nods vigorously in agreement, eyes widening for a moment. "I know! Some of them don't even like to have their picture drawn. I couple times I had to tear pictures out of my sketchbook to give to their insistant owners."
Korben chuckles, "I hope you charged them for you handiwork?" He knows she wouldn't have...just small talk. He extends a hand, "I'm Korben Sacto, reporter for the Cluster Informer."
Vince begins walking towards the terminal, whistling as he walks. He passes near to the pair, eying the floating droid a moment.
Kynes absently dusts her hand off on her pants, though it's questionable which is dirtier, to grasp Korben's briefly but firmly. "I'm Kynes, professional vagabond. And that's," she turns her head and points at her ship, "the Little Cricket." As she turns back around, she spots the whistling Vince, and quirks a smile.
Korben looks past her to the ship, and ahs, "Nice ship." He stands up now, uncomfortable to be sitting while everyone else stands. He thinks of something to say now, "So what do you think of the wonderful work done to the city?" He motions behind him, where in the distance, you can see whole sections of the city gone from the attacks. "I'm guessing you came from another planet in the cluster...I haven't heard any news lately...have any other planets been hit since Shesharile-5?
Vince seems more intriged than anything else by the bot, and stops his walk. He catches sight of the grinning Kynes on the other side of it, and returns the grin, "Evenin'."
Kynes leans towards Vince to whisper loudly, "It's called Spot." She looks back at Korben, frowning slightly as he mentions work being done to the city. Looking past him, her face clearly shows her surprise and dismay. "Oohh... Umm... other systems since? I don't really know... I'm afraid my hobby is hermitism. Parts of Yelsain were looking very sad the other day," she adds, trying to be helpful. She looks rather embarassed, keeping her gaze far off on the city.
Korben looks ovcer to Vince and extends a hand, "Korben Sacto, nice to meet ya." Pleasantries exchanged, he looks back to Kynes, "I should head over there soon then, and to Adarlon, if it already hasn't been hit." He pauses looking to them both, "I'm sorry, but you'll both have to excuse me now, for I have a meeting to attend." He pauses, "Both of you, have a safe evening."
Vince looks back to the bot, and ahs, nodding, a grin noticable under his breathmask. "'K." He looks at the bot for another moment, and then comments to Korben, "Da Yelsain military compound wuz made inta a crater, dey evakked everybudy to Adarlon, las' I knew, an' dey's all safe. Nice bot ya got der. How ya control it.." he then takes Korben's hand, and grins, gripping with strength. "Nice ta meecha, I'm Vince. 'ave a good one."
Korben has disconnected.
Kynes watches Korben and Spot leave with a little sigh. She looks up at Vince with a confused smile, eyes flickering restlessly. "So, I'm a little vague on this whole mass destruction thing. Has someone with a large space vessel gone insane?"
Vince grunts, "Ain't 'xactly sure maself, an' I wuz stuck here when it happened. B'lieve it wuz da Imps an' da Church, hit here, same as Yelsain.
Kynes sighs, putting her hands on her hips. She glares at the ground by their feet with a resolute pout. "Well, I'll have to figure out what's going on. No one warned me about this, and I find it very disturbing that I don't have any friends on that side of the fence--whichever side it was."
Vince grins at bit at the woman's attitude. "So where ya frum, if not here?
Kynes lifts one shoulder in a careless shrug. "Who knows?" she says breezily. "I live on my ship, but I've never been able to remember where I'm 'from'." She looks him over curiously. "You're a mech?"
Vince grins, patting his tool belt. "Ayup. Which one of dese babies is yurs?" he motions to the rows of ships.
Kynes points proudly to the Little Cricket, an average freighter. "The Little Cricket. See, it hops from place to place, just like a cricket."
Vince nods, looking the ship over with an expert eye. "Nice little boat. An' a betta name dan I culda come up wit." He looks back to its owner. "An' whuts yur name?
Kynes smiles warmly up at Vince, somehow more flattered by his mild compliment than a non-Mech's. "I'm Kynes," she says, flashing a grin as she makes a little bow of greeting, flicking errant curls back over her shoulder as she straightens up.
Vince grins at this bow of greeting. "Nice ta meecha. I'm Vince." he attempts to copy the bow, and pulls it off with little grace, causing a hydrospanner to fall out of his vest pocket as he does so.
Kynes giggles softly, crouching down to scoop up the gadget. Looking up at him with hydrospanner in hand, she teases, "Lose something?"
Vince grimaces, and snatches the tool. He says mock-grumpily, "Can't do nuttin ta impress da ladies 'round here.
Kynes glances around in mock confusion. "Ladies? What ladies?" She winks at him, rather ineptly. Frowning at her failed attempt, she tries to wink again.. and again.. her eyebrows drawn together in fierce concentration.
Vince grins, winking with practiced ease. "Der's sumtin I kin beat ya at.
Kynes bares her teeth in a playful growl. She tries one last time, her other eyelid flickering closed in a most stubborn way. "Can you do this?" she challenges, lifting one eyebrow. "Eh?"
Vince hrms, looking up to try and watch as his forehead twitches with effort, and both eyebrows shoot up. He grunts. "Eh, not quite. But dat ain't useful." He settles his eyebrows down again, looking back to Kynes with a lopsided grin. "Hey, wanna go git a drink?
Kynes folds her arms over her chest. "And winking is?" She shakes her head at his offer with a regretful smile.
Kynes folds her arms over her chest. "And winking is?" She shakes her head at his offer with a regretful smile. "After several weeks with only my ship for company, the cantina is the last place I want to go. I'll see you around, though," she says with a jaunty wave, taking a few steps backwards before turning and heading to her ship.
Vince looks tragically disappointed. "Eh, don't see whut people got 'gainst cantina company. Yeah, see you some other time." he waves, giving her a grin again.