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.