20. En Route to Saturn

[Renekin Skywalker]

In the Galley (Everyone)

Guspatcho soup!

For the third time that week. The tomato harvest was something. The supplies from Dioxin for the trip helped supplement the V8 nature of the soup.

Three weeks into the 2-and-a-half-month trip, and the last of the larger Asteroids had finally faded from view. Outside the galley window was now an immoving blanket of stars, that promised never to change until the Galaxy had finished skirting across the solar plane to meet up with Staurn.

Jessica had been working on the gun while the rest of the ship went through its paces.

2 months to go, and another supper of vegetable soup.

"Next ship I buy will have room for..." Tawfeek paused, looking at the soup. "If not cows, then chickens... Or sheep and chickens."

He took a sip. "The onions help, though."

[kurff]

Galley then goes to Primary Aveonics bay:
"Cucumbers and lettuce wouldn't hurt. We could get some salad and have Cucumber sadwiches."the engineer added, "I had a thought regarding that Dominion situation..I see three choices. We join thoses in the dominion, those who do not wish to be dominion or gather all people who live in the space lanes and start up our own group."

"Earth and mars don't have much jurisdiction out here. We can set up some sort of trade network or get a station to grow food, Water gathering points and start up a mining operation in the asteroid belts for materials. We'd need a an astroids hollowed out to add manufacturing of suppies and ship parts as well." he mused, "All very doable given the belt has an abundance of minerals..possibly even some ice in some I'm guessing."

"I'm betting the number of us indepindent space travellers out here we could pull it off with a little effort." he paused.

"Convert a few asteroids to a repair and refuel station and we'd have a port if we can't find a friendly station to help out in that regard. How many free-lancers are out in the lanes anyway?" he asked outloud to no one in paticular.

"Ah that would be too much thinking and require too much co-ordnation I suppose. Well I'm off to engineering. jobs to do and all." he got up and left the room. as he did he adds.

"Since I'm told to look at the news which was rather lacking in any hard or useful information of any kind. Once we reach Saturn I'll need to get a hold of a few people I know to get an idea of whats going from my contacts." he stated as he left.

[dakota]

"Meat would be nice," McKenna said, leaning on one elbow while toying in her soup with her spoon, unable to hide her boredom. " I'd even settle for the dehydrated crap the military carries." She wouldn't let it go to waste, but she certainly wasn't going to enjoy it.

[Mierin]

Jessica eats the soup without complaint, happy to be getting a break. She'd spent most of her time in the workshop so it was good to get out every once in a while. Luckily she was making good progess on the project she was working on. "having animals onboard might be a bit messy." she says to Tawfeek with a smirk.

[Dome]

Flip takes a spoonful of the soup they had all come to despise, "chickens would be good. I hear there are at least a dozen different ways to cook eggs," he says with a little smirk wondering if anyone would pick up on his little joke.

"What would suck though would be if they got out, could you imagine trying to land, or enter orbit while swatting chickens off the controls?"

[Renekin Skywalker]

"I can now," Tawfeek said to Foreman. "Though, you are right. And the space foxes too, trying to raid the coup."

As Mensk tried to leave, Tawfeek waved for him to sit down.

"This really isn't a simple situation," Tawfeek  said. "Well, actually, it is. Just not one easy to live in. The Dominion is a with-us-or-against-us kind of place. In the end, every station, and possibly the big independent ships will have to pick a side. Anyone with the Dominion... Well, that's clear enough, but the one's that don't, well, they have to either declare themselves independent, like Mars, find a backer nation, preferably a big on on Earth, or confederate into their groups."

"And, for the ones that go with the Dominion, " he went on, "They will only serve other loyalists. Goodness knows what will happen if they don't. So, if look like we're on the wrong side, we're going to have a very hard time."

"As for space being big and empty, it works both ways," he continued. "Just as easily as privateers set up their bases, and so on, the Dominion buys them out, or extorts them or whatever, and the turn on the Dominion's enemies. And the Dominion could have their own Little fleet, harassing stations until they join the fold."

"I won't stop you from calling your friends," Tawfeek said. "But nothing happens on this ship without my say. Especially if it makes us look like we're taking sides. Does everyone get that?"

[kurff]

"I didn't survive in the company by being foolish enough to take stupid risks. I only intend on finding out which companies and factions are taking which sides. And on the off chance a few are looking to avoid both sides they make good friends to have in times like this." Mengsk grinned.

"Personally would be nice avoid earth or mars...but lacking a proper water and manufacturing source out here will need to go to someone. Even if its a Pirate militia or Rogue interest I'd like to know which are safe and which aren't. Telling by the engine tech on that Explorer my old boss probably chose the dominion...even if only to keep his ass out of a sling..or worse from getting a seat on the next Explorer should they decide to pack it full of undesirables they capture." he adds. It was a scary implication, but a very real strategy to send way problems into space.

[dakota]

"Do you think it will come to civil war?" McKenna asked, still toying with her hated soup. "People will do crazy things to avoid being force into a situation like that, including fight back. If it comes to that, we may have to pick a side, Captain, whether we want to or not."

[kurff]

"Unless someone can eliminate the power base of the Dominion movement...It is possible. Given the Dominion wants to win favor they may try and conceal or dress up their efforts from the public." Mengsk thought outoud.

"McKenna's right. we will eventually have to pick one. whether at the end of starships cannon in the empty of space or when we get no job offers because they all think were spies for the enemy." he adds

[Dome]

Flip shrugs, "depends on force. If both sides feel they have enough force, then they may be willing to go to war. Or the Dominion may be like the religious zealots of old. We have to join or be ready to be burnt at the stake. I think its too soon to tell. Maybe by the time we finally hit Saturn there will be more information out there."

Flip takes one last spoonful of the soup before pushing it away, "I'm done, I can't take another spoon of this stuff right now. When we hit Saturn I'm gonna buy some military rations."

He glances at MJ, since their chat on the bridge at the asteroid, they haven't really had any time to continue where they left off. He also wasn't sure if she spoke to Jess about where they stand.

"Got anything else growing down in Hydroponics Doctor," he asks MJ.

[kurff]

Per: [dice=20]
Initiative: [dice=20]
JiC: [dice=20][dice=100]

"That and not all wars are faught on the feild of battle. the amount of damage a well placed sabateur can do is rather frightnening. Now I have calls to prepare and messages to write. If there is anything you need me I'll be in the avionics bay finishing that last upgrade.

The perceptive one will note he did not touch the soup and was more concerned with his datapad. which had a list names and companies. Most with a (D) and some with a (R) a few had (F).[rand=540335451410987499200873963593782249645817772036749038416017413]

[dakota]

"Bet my old man is waiving a Dominion banner already." McKenna sputtered beforeshe realized someone was talking to her. " Oh, yeah, but the tomatoes are the only thing ripe now, and we have a bumper crop. give it a day or two and we'll have some lettuce and maybe a cucumber or two." She couldn't help but give Flip a puzzled look and his formality all of a sudden.

[Renekin Skywalker]

"And so begins the salad days," Tawfeek says. "If we're lucky, we'll be able to zip back and forth, and stay with the private businesses. I'm more concerned about not getting shot for wearing the wrong-coloured shirt."

He glanced over at Jessica, as he had some soup, forcing it down.

"Speaking of all this, will we be ready for a working test by the time we get to Saturn?" he asked her.

[kurff]

"Don't worry captain, I'll be careful. As I said we won't be the only free thinkers out here so I'll try and find them first. and avoid any dominion allies if its possible on my parts sources list." then he started out.

Once out the mess hall if he was allowed to leave he kept the lits on him and made his way to Avionics as he did.

[Dome]

"Zip," Flip asks in a sarcastic tone. "I feel like we are just zipping by as it is."