Seed, Feed, and Contraband...

Out in the Rim when lookin' for work no better place then Eavesdown Docks on Persephone. If ya have a ship that'll fly and flexible morales, there be work to keep the crew fed and the ship in the air. Reason Icarus came a callin' from out in the Black. Ol' Captain Fickett had Zeke and the boys go scrounge up some work while he rectified some personal matters. Mad Braddock stays on the ship, plump goes white and gets the sweats on real ground some of the times. Figurin' he would get Icarus fuel'd and keep 'er runnin', just case. Lookin' for work means talkin' to "Mini" MacDougal. Right smart little fella when it comes to mischief and money. In fact he had a gorram milk run for the boys! Seems the fine folk in a little town called Sonora on Jiangyin needin' some farmin' supplies and such. 'Course job like this usually don't catch "Mini's" eyes, 'cept other folks on old Jiangyin plannin' on misbehavin'. So "Mini" thinks that Icarus can do the town a right service, while also armin' some folks. Zeke and "Mini" come to terms and shake on it. On the way back to the ship, they find the Captain. Seems the Captain was plannin' on settlin' matters with lead, when they arrived. He had his piece aim'd at another "job recruiter" named Badger. Zeke and Benjamin decide to take to the drink, while trying to understand Badger's plumb odd speak. In the end everyone left on their own feet, though none was shiny about the meetin'.
Well the boys couldn't find no fools needin' to go workin' the land out in Jiangyin before hittin' the Black. Braddock calculated a 17 day trip. All went well, the usual issues when ya have 5 men couped up in small quarters. Braddock had some "spells" hootin' and hollerin', James got mite tetchy 'bout the ship and his bunk mate. Ol' Zeke's dog left a few "treats" in various places on the ship. 'Course the others liked to return these gifts, usually under his pillow to find. Clint checked the Cortex on anythin' concerning Jiangyin. Not much came to say 'bout a rock way out in the middle of no where.
As they entered Atmo, Capt. figures time to split the crew some with the two jobs. Zeke took Braddock, Clint, and Benjamin out in the shuttle with the contraband. Peeled off in entry to help hide one's self and find a place to hunker down till night fall. The plan was at night fall, Zeke would make contact with those interested in the unwholesome goods. The Capt. and Jim landed Icarus and met with the local law, a man named Whitney. A bit doe eyed, but good enuff fella. Seems word from the Wave came through sayin' how some folks lookin' to be bad was gettin' some fire power.
So Ol' Capt. Fickett let Zeke know that the law was on to them. Seems like it may be time to rethink the plan. While Whitney honored the free fuel up, he did place a grav lock on the ship. Seems there are a couple ships here and either could be trouble, Icarus and another transport called Hannah Rose.

Nothing goes smooth out in the Black...

Here's How It Is

I reckon, I can tell ya about a little ship known in these here parts as Icarus and her crew. The Captain and owner of Icarus is one Samuel L. Fickett. During that great scuffle a few years back, Captain Fickett was better known as Colonel Fickett of the 76^th, fighting for the Independants. Yeah, I know most of ya think all ‘em officers own plantations, or run a big business. Well that ain’t how the sun falls for those who lose. Ol’ Fickett lost his farm, literally, but he had enuff schoolin' to see the writin' on the wall. He gathered up enuff cash and bought himself an ol’ Kwai Su Nyao class ship. Named it Icarus, after some ol’ yarn from Earth that Was, ‘bout some boy who don’t have a lick of sense. Fool don't listen to his Pa and gets plum burned up. Capt. always said “Gotta have more in your brainpan than that boy Icarus. Don’t fly to high and get on the Alliance radar, cus then ya gonna get burned, but don’t be flyin too low and fallin’ in with those who still think the wars still goin’. Cus they gonna pull you down into a heap a trouble. Best to stay right plum in the middle and keep workin’. Always keep workin’.”

Fickett’s a good man, though gettin’ long in the tooth. That bein’ said he’s got enuff schoolin’ to stay out of trouble and make a profit on that old tub.

Fickett’s first mate is a man called Zeke. Quiet fella, gets the job done. He fought in the war, no one sure which side. He don’t speak much ‘bout it. Though he’s first mate, Zeke usually don’t have two coins to rub together, and no one’s sure where all his loot goes neither. All in all the rest of the crew listens to ‘im and he listens to the Capt. That makes things all shiny!

Icarus’s pilot is one Raymond Braddock. Some say he plum flew out of his mama and into a cockpit. One of the brightest students in the flight academy, a right “topgun” durin’ the war. Pulled a Crazy Ivan at 13 and flew some of the craziest missions durin’ the war. Now I know ya all’s wondering how such a bright boy ends up flyin’ an old Kwai Su. Simple really - he’s a ruttin’ nutter! Fella can be right as rain one sec, and tearin’ a room apart while screamin’ like a caged coon cat the next! ‘Couse to help ease the sufferin’ he drinks like a catfish, for medical purposes only ‘course. That bein said, when the spirit ain’t in ‘im and he hasn’t been drinkin’ the tonic, he’s still a gorram demon behind the wheel.

A man named James Murdock keeps Icarus up in the air. He’s a bit tetchy when it comes to the ship. Comment on a loose wire or strange noise from the engine, and ya think you just told ‘im his baby girl looks like Ri shao gou shi bing. Hell it comes to fists if ya suggest he screwed up. ‘Course this all comes from his last work. There was a big blow up at his last job. Meain’ the ship plumb blew up. Perhaps it was the faulty grav converter like James says. Either way, he ain’t short on credits and now keeps Icarus flyin'.

In this line of work, always gonna need someone who can shoot straight and stitch ya up. Both of them things ‘ol Benjamin Logbren can do. Cussin comes second nature, as does shootin’ and fixin’. If it spits lead and has a trigger, ‘ol Benny can kill ya with it. Fixin’ a fella up after a scrape is why they pay ‘im the big bucks though. Not bad with a needle, had some learnin’ during the war. Don’t much follow the “Do no harm first” rule though.

As for the last fella on that old boat, not much to say. Don’t know his name, nuttin' on the Cortex 'bout 'im, hell don’t even know what the boy does on the ship. Kinda thing sends shivers boots from head.