Journal 4/26/12

I took Hiri back to Cia's hangar.

After we saw her off with the new CMO, Iorthan, Cia and I went into the hab unit for drinks and cake. Cia seemed worried about Hiri, of course. I am too. No matter how much you tell yourself that the Republic, or the alliance, or Eva, or whoever has things they can do to help fix it, it's...

Seeing Hiri like that is ugly. She just does what you say and it makes you feel dirty.

We didn't talk too much about that, though. Cia went to that concert with Charlie Etay. Said being around him was restful. Sounds promising, really.

It'd been too long since I'd seen Cami, too. She's got her hands on a Caldari Frigate sim, Because of Falcon she says. She heard - Cia told her about Sara. Sara being gone, I mean. Which got us onto the topic of her worrying about me, and Sella, and Demen. I don't blame her, with Mitch and Sara both gone.

All I could tell her was that Cia and Silver are safe pilots. Course, safe for pilots doesn't really mean the same as safe for everyone else.

Once Cami was gone, Cia wanted to know how I was. I told her. I'm fine, or better. Hiri gave me the tools, after all, before all this. The ways to think about things. I think it's working fine.

Journal 4/25/12

Ran the op to get Hiri back. It went well - very well. Clearly the place out, freed plenty of others while we were at it, and we got Hiri. Mostly CJ, and Ashar, and Esna, and some others I don't know.

We got Hiri out, but it doesn't feel like we won. They dosed her with Vitoxin. She was like a different person. High as the fucking stars on Vitoc. They're supposed to have ways to make it not so bad, in the Republic. I'm sure they'll be able to help her. I think once I see her, back the way she was, back to being Hiri, even if it isn't easy for her. I'll feel like we won then. At least, won one battle.

Feels like we should have been faster.

Journal 4/18/12

I was on my way to help with the Hiri thing. Cia was taking me. Us, really. Demen, Saer, a few others. We happened across a transport, working for a company linked with illegal slaving.

We went in to get prisoners, and we did. We lost a good man. He chose it, he knew the risks, and hell, it happens. Still, it hurts, to lose someone to those rank fucking amateurs. It's been a while since I ran an operation in person like that and lost someone. I'd almost forgotten. Too much time keeping ships running, I guess.

I started asking the prisoners questions on the ship, but Cia could see into the cargo-hold of course. She knew, maybe, in an abstract way, what that would involve. She doesn't need to see herself. It's not the kind of thing she should be exposed to. The kind of thing I want to expose her to.

After we docked we got what we needed. Well, a start. Narrowed it down to a constellation.

Journal 4/14/12

Report from Sergeant Jadat, on the Debreth situation. Ended up being a bit of a mess, but much less than it could have been. Everything seems to be in hand, and Santee... didn't see as much as he might have.

Journal 4/11/12

Had a birthday dinner, over at Cia's. Just me and Cia and Cami, with Silver busy. Well, that's who I thought would be there, but Cia had a surprise for me.

First thing first, though. Cami got my a beautiful box, which apparently Pierre made. Inside are seeds, without names. Mystery seeds. I'm looking forward to trying to figure out what they are as they grow. They all have instructions for taking care of them, of course.

Cia's surprise was a bit different: Charlie Etay was there. Guess he got that vacation time. I wasn't really very subtle when I was dropping hints about how good looking he was and all that - Cia thought I was interested in him. He is far to pretty, and maybe a bit delicate for my tastes.

The dinner was lovely, if a bit confused all around, with me trying to get Cia alone with him, and her trying the same thing, and both of us talking each other up to him. I'm glad that Cami takes my advice about talking to police seriously, too, but she is having trouble making an exception for Charlie.

Anyway, it still went ok, I think. I explained to Cia, afterward, too. She didn't seem unhappy with the idea of maybe a date with Charlie.

The food was great, of course.

Journal 4/5/12

Charlie Etay's partner, Elienne Desorlay, called me today. Worried about Charlie getting involved with Cia.

I told her I thought Charlie might be good for Cia. Decent, solid, honest, all that stuff.

I told her Cia'd be good for Charlie, podder or no. Extolled Cia's virtues.

I didn't mention that relationships with podders get messy more often than not. That not getting involved with them is a personal rule of mine. How easy it is for people near them to get hurt - though that part she seemed to know, a little.

In the end, she agreed not to stand in the way. Agreed to give it a chance. Figure that's all that's needed : A chance. Then it works out, or it doesn't.

Journal 4/4/12

I went by to see Nualla before we left Debreth.

I asked her about the place, the black lake. She thought it was just a story. Said that in the oldest memories, she just remembered it being a story.

She wants to go down. Says the people have been down there long enough - and I don't think I can argue with that. Don't want her going on her own, I'll send let Demen know he should help her. Make sure she's safe.

Journal 4/3/12b

That policeman, Charlie Etay, he's on-planet. Or he was, might have left already. Happened to pull a case here where the locals wanted an SCID consult. I saw him outside Cia's place.

He looked cold, and he was off-duty, so I invited him in, for a bit of tea. He seems like a nice young man. Bit too pretty, but mellow. Stable, I think. Honest - maybe excessively so.

All-in-all alright, for a cop.

Cia 'loaned' him one of Jorion's coats - what with the weather.

I might have been a bit heavy handed in dropping hints that she might see what she can do to see that he gets a bit more vacation time, if she has strings she can pull in the Fed - with him using his up on the investigation in the Republic. Give him a chance to return the coat.

He's a little too pretty for me.

Journal 4/3/12

Silver and I went down to Debreth, to go - I think it's called 'sugaring'? Anyway, it's how they make syrup. They get the sap out of trees and boil it. Who knew that's where syrup came from?

Silver involved in a snowball fight was pretty great, to start with. Even if I ended up with snow down my collar - so did he. And Cami and Cia, too. It was good to see Cia happy. Running, healthy, nothing hanging over her.

Back to the syrup though: Some of it, they boil longer, and then pour on the snow and it makes a sort of toffee! It's delicious. A bit sticky, I'll probably have to dip my hands in solvent when we get back to the ship to get the very last bits of it out of all the little nooks and crannies, but it was worth it. More than worth it.

Journal 4/2/12

Silver had a meeting with Morar. He's snooping. Some measures will need to be taken.

Need a CTO.