Mother's Little Helper
So, due to beauracracy and all the paperwork, its been a slow long...week of things getting set up. McGuire has his vitals and such checked for the planned tracking chip. Accountants are provided to sit down with both Kyoshiro and McGuire. A board of directors is being created for the Rim Spacestation Project and Nomadic Tribal Colonist talks.
And the request to visit the Senator has been met with resistance until now. She's in a remote, underground medical facility apparently and there's a small attachment of Alliance Soldiers who are on hand to escort those interested in seeing her, along with a skinny freckled young man named 'Toby' who sits in the shuttle with his two guests and fidgets idly with his datapad. <English>
McGuire clears his throat, elbowing Kyo slightly as he leans closer to the freckled young man, "Tell me, Toby, who did this to her?" He leans just a little bit closer, his tone all serious with that affermitive hint of athority in it. <English>
Kyoshiro sits quietly next to Fao and across from Toby. He can hear them speak as they take their ride. He's interested in that answer as well and he has asked those in higher positions if they'd allow him access to investigate her appartment but it's been met with just as much opposition as their requests to simply visit her. He glances to Fao then back to Toby with that single crimson eye of his. Yeah, he had an idea of maybe who but he had no proof. No certainty that it was Blue Sun. It could have easily have been another faction in government who didn't like Fao, him, or the Romany very much despite their effort in ridding the 'verse of legion. <English>
Toby seems to be startled a bit and he adjusts his glasses with a soft 'hmph'. He looks up and down and then back to the two, looking between them and leaning forward. "She received a message you know. I told her to send it to the abuse cortex support for political figures so it could be tracked, but she refused." He frowns and his nervous gaze shifts to a glare. "She received so many death threats...I think the last one about killing her if she treads upon the freedom that you two fought for with her Alliance Hoorara just stressed her out so much..." He worries his lip. "Maybe she had...too much to drink...I don't know. She was very stressed." He fidgets with his datapad and just barely keeps from sniffling. "Slipped, fell...its so sad." <English>
Kyoshiro looks upon Toby with a bit of a pause. "I get Death Threats often. I write them back and tell them to come talk it out with me. Sometimes they show up, most of the time they don't. Very few have end up dead, but there are some who have." He pauses for a long moment. "She was one of the only ones who believed in us and wanted us to come back into the fold. It's far too conspicuious that it happened on the night before Fao's sentancing where she was to deliver a speech sparring him from death." <English>
McGuire narrows his eye's and his tone darkens, "You have access to this message?" He feels like he wants to jump out of his skin at the man and shake him for the answer, but waits for the responce first. "The two judges where killed, so how can you sit there and say ..." Again, he catches himself. Only Kyo can feel the slight jerk in the man beside him that could end in a terrible way. A deep breath to calm himself, "...she slipped?" <English>
Toby actually draws back a bit as he looks between the two and he takes a deep breath. He looks out the shuttle window before looking back to the two men and then down at his lap. "Y-You don't understand. With her gone, they'd have had to do a retrial and then another retrial...and then another and keep doing it and th-then those people who support you all could like, free you in the hub bub." He sighs dreamily. "But thankfully she was super smart and saved her statement before hand." Then a look to McGuire. "Because she was found in the shower..." <English>
Kyoshiro raises an eyebrow. "Yeah, retrial, and retrrial, until we slip through the cracks and what ever entity staged this comes and swoops us up under the rug... I've played this game before Toby..." Maybe him and Fao were paranoid... maybe their experiances are inflating their persepective of the situation but at least they are being thorough. <English>
McGuire grinds his teeth and his tone becomes harsh, his face that of anger with a furrowed brow and if Kyo wasn't beside, who knows what would happen, "You didn't answer my question. Do you have access to the message." He pulls another deep breath, really trying to calm himself down. Kyo's seen this in the man before in battle, and the seat restrains really begin to tighten against the mans body. <English>
Toby just shakes his head again, and eyes the two men distrustfully, tapping something into his datapad. A voice message plays:
"Hello Senator. So, I hear things are going well...you've got all the dirty and evidence that you need to send a patriot and a hero to their death or worse public humiliation and disgrace. Well let me tell you, that's not going to happen. We've tried warning you. We've tried making you see that men like that are needed in this verse. You are striving for peace but peace is a lie you tell to make people bow to your will and I will not bow. Drop from this case and let them sentence him to death...so that we have reason to eliminate the scum or are against us. We will not warn you again."
The message ends and Toby just looks even more distraught. "E-eta...4 minutes." <English>
McGuire sits back, putting the voice and message to memory. He pulls a breath and looks to Kyo, "The rutten freedom movement?" He askes confusion in his tone. He looks to Toby, "Sorry, didn't mean to intimidate you so. This is disturbing and I promise you I will find who did this." He looks out the view a moment to gather himself, running the voice through his perfect memory to see if he might know it. <English>
Kyoshiro listens carefully, a single ear perking and a brow raising. "Did you hear that?" He asks Fao in a bit of rhetorical way. "This piece of gusa wanted you to be a martyr so they could have an excuse to start a war. Thus being a hypocrite while accusing the Senator of using people for her own means when that's exatly what he wanted to do to you." He chuckles and shakes his head. "She had to have noticed that." Then to Fao, "Well... I'd certainly like him to know he's no friend of ours." <English>
Toby just looks a bit uncertain, shrugging a shoulder and hugging his datapad to his chest before they arrive at the medical compound. "The S-Senator was...is very smart. She liked you two. I...think she will be glad you are not mad at her." He scrambles out of the shuttle, the Alliance Military escort awaits the other two before leading them into a dark brown building and then...to an elevator with so much biometric security its insane. Toby scans his hand, then his eye, then somehow a saliva sample is taken before the doors to the lift finally open. <English>
McGuire follows close so as not to be left behind, "Thank you for allowing us access to see her. She is the one that saved my life back there. Her brilliance came through for me and I hold that in the highest regard." Stepping where ever Toby goes. <English>
Kyoshiro follows along silently, his thumbs through his belt loops, fingers tapping against his side. <English>
The little assistant just eyes McGuire and sighs, shaking his head. "I hope she lives to hear you say that yourself." Then they are met by two officials in white scrubs, nurses most probably who look at those gathered and instruct the soldiers to stay near the lift before turning so people can follow them.
They are lead into a hospital room with a single bed and lots of machines, laying on said bed...is Rochelle Ramirez. Her long black hair pooled out around her head like a halo with wires and such connected to her scalp and wrists, machines monitoring her vital signs and keeping her body alive. <English>
McGuire hides a slight gasp at the sight. He can see she's still alive, but is she awake enough to respond to their pressence and maybe questions. He steps closer to her. "Rochelle." He says softly, almost lovingly hurt at the condition she is in. He steps along side the bed, reaching in to touch her hand with his fingertips. "What have they done?" is whispered. <English>
Kyoshiro is the less empathetic one. Not that he didn't possess it. Instead he's looking over the monitors for a sign or anything reguarding fowl play. He looks to the Nurses, "Does she have any bruising or scarring?" He asks them before moving over towards the senator to inspect. Honestly, Feria shuld be doing this, or Anala but those were two people who could not bring on this mission. <English>
"Swelling. On the brain." A woman who looks alot like Rochelle, just slightly younger and with brown hair strides into the room, wearing a white coat over her dark blue scrubs and a pair of glasses, hair pulled back in a messy bun and she looks between the two. "Can I help you with anything?" Then he looks over to McGuire. "Technically she 'boozed up and drugged up and slipped and fell' but that's a load of horse manure and everybody knows it. Blunt force trauma to the back of the head, done /that/ well has to be-" The nurses glare at her and she glares right back. "But she /fell/ because the pussies sending her hatemail made her that nervous." <English>
Kyoshiro tenderly rubs a thumb across the cheek of the Senator after he finishes checking her over and as who would presumably be her sister enters to explain. "Finally... someone with some sense around here." He glances to Toby before looking to the Doctor, "I'm guessing you're related to the Senator... So I'm going to ask you... Do you want us to handle this?" <English>
McGuire turns to the woman, "A strait answer. Thank you. Have they identified the insterment used to strike her? Is there someone assigned to his case that we can talk to?" He turns back to Rochelle, his hand never leaving the touch he mannaged through the hoses and tape on her hand. "If only I had our Readers her to read her mind." He can't believe he said that out loud in such a place, but he's doing good to keep his emotions in at this moment. <English>
The Doctor looks between the two. "Related to? Yeah. You could say that." The young woman moves to check another electronic chart before adjusting the dosage of some medication and shaking her head. There is a pause before she regards each man in turn, some suspicion. "Handle this?" She snickers and rolls her eyes. "This was handled the /moment/ she decided that 'instead of fighting the people who are fighting against the Alliance, lets hold their hands and braid their hair' blah blah blah. I told her, don't get into the politics of it, mama, its dangerous, mama. You aren't the beauty queen answering a question about social justice mama, you are a Senator and therefore a safe target for those put-" She pauses and looks between the two. "I can't share anything about the case...with you two, who are you?" <English>
McGuire looks to the Doctor and says, "You're her daughter. I'm Faoite McGuire, the man your mother saved from death, and this is Kyoshiro Mibu. We are on this case, weither you help us or not, so if you want to see whoever did this to her come to justice, share. I owe her my life, so it's only fitting I find who did this." His hand hasn't left hers, still standing beside the bed at her side. <English>
Kyoshiro dosn't have any more words seince Fao has pretty much said it. Though Kyo liked to get permission first despite things. He remains the strong and silent type here. <English>
The look that the doctor shoots McGuire would kill if it was a bullet and she just takes a deep breath, and then another, jaw setting. She finally just glances back to the woman in the bed and then the men. "You're a convicted criminal...and a possible criminal depending on how /your/ trial goes. Pretty sure also, its /your/ fault she's in here like this." But she's moving jerkily to a cabinent, slamming it open to retreive a notebook and a pencil, scribbling something down and rolling her eyes again as she mutters under her breath in Spanish. "I will have to pull some strings. And only reason I am pulling these strings is because you are right. Both of you owe her. I am flying to Osiris to meet with a pharmacist there in a couple of days." She writes down dates, times, and other details and holds out the piece of paper. "There's a prescription I found in her cabinent that was out of place, they may be able to answer my questions about what it is for." She is choosing her words carefully, after all..the nurses linger and walls do have ears. "I hear one of you has and one of you might end up with Community service. Well. I'll help you get your first hours." <English>
McGuire takes the paper and glances it, commiting it to his perfect memory. He holds it out to Kyo and says, "Thank you. May I know your name Doctor?" He removes his hand from the lovely lady in the bed to address the doctor before him. "I will use ever bit of my resorces to find out who did this. This I swear." His stance is that of respect and his words are genuine and sencer. <English>
"Out of place..." He thinks a moment giving a glance to Fao and whispering something in his ear. Pulling away from Fao he looks bacck to The Senators Daughter. "We are happy to help in any way." <English>
McGuire gives Kyo a silent nod, his attention still on the doctor. <English>
"Doctor Rojo." That's the only name she gives. Title and Last name. "And if you're late? I'm leaving your asses." A pause. "And don't go blabbing to a bunch of people about this. The last thing I need is a mob of adoring fans tailing after me when I'm trying to get stuff done." Then the doctor heads for the exit, brushing past a nurse with a shoulder check that leaves the man rubbing his arm. She has a different last name, and she's called the woman 'mom'...and the resemblance is uncanny, but there's never been mention of the Senator having children, but here Doctor Rojo is. She's old enough for Rochelle to have been quite young when she had her. <English>
McGuire looks around for his shadow, knowing she is not far away.
Kyoshiro is busy attending with buisness and the buying/selling of cargo. Crates of Mid tech loaded for Osiris. <English>
And not far away would be exactly where she is. Red curls have been tamed into a smooth and tidy bun at the back of her head, though one might wonder how she manages it. She's dressed all in black -- a long sleeved black shirt, a short black jacket, black pants, snug fingerless black gloves, and black steel-toed boots with a bit of heel to them. And knives tucked into them as well. Everything about her appearance is neat, tidy, and decidedly -on duty-. A pair of katanas are at her back, as black as the clothes she wears, and a pair of guns are holstered one to the outside of either thigh -- also black. It's a running theme. <English>
McGuire thought he saw her, but can't make it out. He watches the cargo coming aboard, that familar feeling overcoming him and he smiles. For once, in a very long time, he feels young. <English>
Kyo hasn't noticed either, or maybe he has. Either way he's not drawing attention to her. "It's gota be them... there's no other way. They're pulling these strings for some reason. One way or another." He places a cigar between his lips and lights it. "I'm guna look for some disposable weapons in the lockup that dosn't require a license. I'm not risking my main gear out here with my sentancing still pending." <English>
McGuire says, "I left my gear on Deadwood, and according to my incarseration I can't have a gun, so make mine very disposable." He grins, "I just can't believe those gorram bastards wanted me dead. Just to start this ruttin war. Mother..." He almost bites his bottem lip. <English>
It could be argued by some that the best guard is one that is neither seen nor heard whilst serving her duties. She watches over the pair of them, even though only one of them happens to be her charge. A smile teases at the corners of her lips, and she shifts her weight to sidestep just a touch into the light, to make herself at least a bit easier to spot there. "What has to be whom?" Willow asks, one of her eyebrows quirking up into a delicate arch. "The logical answer is not always the correct answer," she offers, a thoughtful note coming to her voice. For Zank's benefit -- She's dressed all in black -- a long sleeved black shirt, a short black jacket, black pants, snug fingerless black gloves, and black steel-toed boots with a bit of heel to them. And knives tucked into them as well. Everything about her appearance is neat, tidy, and decidedly -on duty-. A pair of katanas are at her back, as black as the clothes she wears, and a pair of guns are holstered one to the outside of either thigh -- also black. It's a running theme. <English>
"Quing Long..." Kyoshiro says glancing to Willow as she makes herself noticable. He said the Blue Dragon in Chineses the name known for the Blue Sun system which the company who literally owns the government or parts of it is called. "An out of place perscription for the senator. A Letter from a Militant trying to convince her to back down. Trauma consistant with an assult and blunt force." He shakes his head. <English>
Zank appears at the top of the stairs looking down. "bout gorram time startin t' think the dam Feds was gonna blow me up on the pad and that y'all been strung up in the streets!" he says "no blood of course I mean no place for that here...all to shiny" he says descending the stairs. "So your message said I'm takin y'all to Deadwood...for good" he gets to the bottom of the stairs and finally notices Willow just outside the shadow. He pauses ever so briefly recognizing the women. His head tilts slightly a small grin pulling at his mouth. "was wondering where ya ran off to...found the med bay empty after we pulled ya from the field on Boros. shoulda figured ya wouldn't go far." he says. <English>
McGuire doesn't jump at the sudden voice form nowhere, he knows that voice. He says, "The whom is those that wanted to start the war with the Alliance. I don't honestly know who is left but someone wanted me to die at the hands of the Alliance to make me a marter. Who ever it is, killed the two judges over my case and hurt the Senator because she wouldn't back down. It was her writen statement that swayed my life and left me alive. So now we're meeting with the Senator's daughter on Osiris to get some answers, if we can." He turns to Kyo and says, "I check my meds and flushed them. They are all from Blue Sun." He turns to Zank, "The protesters would be the ones to try to blow us up Lines. They wanted me dead too." <English>
McGuire adds, "We're flying to Osiris. As long as Willow is with me, I can go." <English>
Zank blinks "An we're going to the second most secure alliance planet in known space becauuuse?" <English>
McGuire can't help but laugh. Years seems to fade from the old mans body and expressions. "Ain't it grand." <English>
Kyoshiro just shakes his head as he checks the straps securing the crates of High Tech in the Cargo Hold of the Jia. <English>
"Ah, yes," Willow says softly, inclining her head slightly towards Kyoshiro. She considers a moment, and then she lifts one of her shoulders in a faint shrug. "It is plausible. They do have the power and the reach that would be required for such things, and the particular tactics aren't beyond them either," she adds, her hands slipping to her back to rest there. Then her green gaze turns to Zank, and she tilts her head a touch to one side. Then she inclines her head towards him, a smile turning at the corners of her lips. "There were things that required my attention. But, like a bad penny, I always end up turning up again," she comments, a flicker of amusement threading her words. Then her attention slides over to Fao, and she chuckles softly before giving a faint shake of her head. "There are always those who would seek to make war with the Alliance. Answers are often elusive, I have learned," she says softly, a thoughtful note to her voice. Then she blinks at him, her posture straightening slightly. "Having medications that were created by Blue Sun does not mean they are tainted or bad for you. I will have them replaced forthwith, Faoite. If you die on my watch because of your own foolishness, I swear to all the Gods in the 'Verse that I will revive your ass just to kill you my own damn self," she states, giving a sharp nod to him. Take that! Then she looks back to Zank and gives a nod to him. "Indeed! There is a change in destination. Osiris. I assure you, any threat will be neutralized," she adds, a smile quirking at the corners of her lips. <English>
"I told him to check them, not to throw them out. Just... we'll make sure they come from Bar Valo instead of Blue Sun. Off brand, alright?" Kyoshiro compromises. He must have gotten them replaced when the did the medical check up on him. He was orginally on the Bar Valo stuff but switched to Blue Sun. This was obvious at some point to those who were close. "Right... well... about those weapons..." He heads up the stairs towards the common area. <English>
Zank listens to the exchange. And as people go to move about he rolls his eyes. "again why Osris and no one better say cause of the cherry blossoms" <English>
Kyoshiro echo's, "It's because of the Cherry Blossoms..." And then he's gone. <English>
McGuire starts up the spirral staircase and laughs aloud. "The Senator was hurt and drugged, which were found by her daughter a doctor. She's flying to Osiris and wants us to meet her there to inquire about these drugs. The mystery is who hurt the Senator in order to have me killed instead of let go to be on parrol for life. The message left to the Senator stated as much and I wish I had my hands on the original recording. No IP address, so we're following the good doctor to Osiris to find out more about this drug." He reaches the catwalk and begins to march to the commons. <English>
Zank speaks "we can never just take a win" he says and sighs "alright...let's go." Zank is at home on battlefields and in space craft he has done more heroic/ stupid stuff in his life than he cares to admit but the Core systems make him all kinds of cranky. He looks at Willow "you might have to wait in line for a chance to re kill him if I have a say in it" <English>
"It could have been many different people who wished that outcome. There have been mobs of people protesting all over the planet. Any number of them could have arranged something," Willow comments, wrinkling her nose slightly. She watches McGuire for a moment as he climbs the stairs, and then she turns her gaze over to Zank. "That's because finding a clean win is difficult," she offers, lifting one of her shoulders in a faint shrug. She chuckles softly at his words, then winks at him. "I might be able to let you take my spot," she comments, a flicker of amusement in her voice. <English>
<Jia>
Kyoshiro walks in, the sound of a slide on a pistol being pulled back. He throws an old Valities suit towards Fao and places down a loaded Sig Saur p220 with two reloads of APR ammo. "You have two reloads of APR and one full mag of Standard round point. So make it count and keep it out of site. That's all I could find for Armor for you. Won't miss it if we loose it. It's not Ascension but it's better that it's not just incase." <English>
Zank nods "don't bother me either long as they don't follow or blow us up right here" he says "least it would be quick" he says and just stairs at the black for the first time in what seems like ages it's just quiet. "kinda miss this...moving cargo when I worst threat was how many credits were we gonna walk away with...keep the kitchen stocked and crew fed and bag full" he grins "not that Savin the verse ant fun." <English>
McGuire pulls a deep breath and is home. He looks natural and content behind the wheel. Glancing the cockpit briefly, he says, "Only pills from Blue Sun were for blood sugar. And I haven't been taking them because the Core has the best orange juice in the 'verse." He takes the offered gear and says, "Thank you Mibu." Setting ships course to auto and undoing his seat belts. Rising up, he begins to strip to put on the armor. He looks at Zank, "We're not saving the 'verse, just finding the killers of those judges and who bashed the Senators head in." <English>
McGuire gets the armor on and starts to dress again. "Not many hidy holes for this gun Mibu. Shoulder strap holster might do it if I keep my vest open. Gorram fancy duds don't make much room for gussa like that." <English>
Kyoshiro opens up his greatcoast and shows off the 18.5 inched barreled shotgun with the folded stock he's got tucked away in there. "You'll figure something out..." <English>
Zank grins "small victories then" he says "what's this senators story? who we suspect?" he asks then look at Kyos display "we occupying a place?" <English> Willow turns her gaze towards Kyoshiro, one of her eyebrows quirking upwards a touch. Then she chuckles softly, her attention slipping over to Zank. "I doubt they will blow us up. They will have greater enemies than they wish to face if they end up being responsible for my death," she says, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. She steps over to Zank, lifting a hand to place it on one of his shoulders and give a reassuring squeeze there. "Then you'll have to get used to moving cargo again. Won't you?" she asks, with a certain amount of amusement coming to her words, her eyes showing a sparkle. "Keep the crew fed, and the kitchen stocked," she adds. <English>
McGuire begins to chuckle. "I'm glad you didn't have court today." He sits back down and checks course with a smile. "Come to think of it, they didn't assign me my tracker yet either." He looks to Willow with a sudden oops expression. "Don't tell." <English>
"Might need too, never know. I ant taking it out less I need it and it don't require a license so. I'm not worried." Kyoshiro says and chuckles to Fao before glancing to Willow with a smirk. <English>
McGuire says, "The Senator. It was her words, in a statement read because someone bashed her in the head and filled her full of drugs to make it look like she slipped on the shower, that saved my life. Treason is treason in any war or non war situation, and the penalty for treason is death. Because of her writen statement, I was saved, so I owe her. I owe her my life. As for who did it, I'd say Rodney, but I can't be sure." <English>
Zank looks over at Willow as she squeeze his shoulder "maybe not just yet...but someday maybe" he says then listens to Fao. He raises a brow at the name Rodney "really?" he says "where the hell he been hiding?" he says "dam man stole a ship then disappears...New browncoats my ass more like brown trousers..." he says <English>
McGuire says, "He set me up for the fall. Did a damned good job of it too. It would kind of figure he'd try to complete the job for the benifit of a new war." <English>
"Frames us not once, but twice, now this. Seems to be his style. Didn't figure that sack of gusa as a master of subterfuge." Kyoshiro says with a shaks of his head before turning and heading back aft. "I'll have his head one day... just another name to the list..." And that list was growing day by day it seemed. <English> McGuire nods his complete understanding. <English>
McGuire says, "Osiris one hundred fifty clicks and closing. Prepar for landing. Going to have to call this one in." <English>
McGuire reaches up and takes the mic down. He keys it, "Cargo transport Jia on approach with Med Tec, asking permission to land." He flips the stealth off so the port can get a reading. <English>
McGuire says, "One hundred clicks and closing." <English>
McGuire looks out the view at all the Alliance ships out there and stays calm and cool. "Jia cargo transport on approach, come in Osiris port." <English>
McGuire says, "Fifty clicks." <English>
Over the com, "Jia transport, this is Osiris flight command. Procced on course to docking bay alpha, your cargo will over due." <English>
McGuire says on th mic, "Roger Osiris flight command." <English>
Willow wrinkles her nose slightly, then shakes her head. "There is no need to go dark, you realize. You have a high level operative on board who happens to have clearance. I could commandeer the vessel if I truly wished to do so," she points out, arching an eyebrow slightly. Then she looks over to Fao. "You don't need your tracker. They assigned you me," she points out, a smile tugging her lips. <English>
