Season Content notes: explicit sex

Skullfire was sorting invoices in her office when the comm came on. “Skullfire,” Zdenko’s voice came through the PA, “we got signal from the dock master — two people requesting entrance. Looks like some of our cargo.”

“Understood, Captain.” With a sigh, Skullfire closed up her workstation and made a note of where she was leaving off. If, fifteen years ago, anyone had told her that being a free trader involved so much paperwork, she would have stabbed them and run far, far away. Now she was the cargo master in charge of the paperwork.

She shook her head and went down to the bay. The personnel hatch was kept closed and locked at all times in dock — as was the cargo hatch, of course. Deep space hijacks may make thrilling tri-ds, but docked hijackings were the stuff of life for a free trader.

Unlocking the personnel hatch, she opened it to the sound of friends bickering playfully.

“Alright. One game. Just one,” said a firm but amused voice.

“Okay—,” the second voice cut off as the door fully opened, and Skullfire saw two young humans — their main difference being their hair — one was black and straight, the other brown and curly. “Oh!” continued the curly-haired one. “Hello! I’m Leigh, this is Carina.” She gestured to the straight-haired one. “We’re,” she coughed, “supposed to be meeting Dr. Moira Bevan at the Meadowsweet. This is the right place, right?”

Skullfire nodded, recognizing the names for the list Moira had given her. “Welcome to the Meadowsweet, Leigh and Carina. Come. I will show you the common area.”

The one named Carina grinned. “Thank you. If I may, you are a Syraquine?”

Skullfire blinked. Few humans knew her people well enough to recognize them on sight. “I am.”

Leigh hissed “Carina!”

Skullfire was surprised to see Carina look down and away, a human sign of embarrassment. “Sorry. There’s no polite way to ask that, I guess.”

“Please don’t mind Carina,” Leigh jumped in as Skullfire waved them into the ship. Standing around the docking bay talking while the door was open made any sensible cargo master uncomfortable. “She doesn’t come out of her books often. It’s nice to meet you!

“It is a reasonable question, and you are both here to learn, correct?” Skullfire led them through the cargo bay as they spoke, heading for the stairs to the common area.

“Well, yeah. But we’re supposed to be studying cultures, not individuals.” Leigh stopped to cough. “I considered psychology,” she coughed again a racking sound that did not strike Skullfire as healthy. “I like the broad sweep, you know? Big picture stuff.”

Carina frowned at Leigh. “Obviously. But I’ve never been to their planet. And…” she trailed off.

Skullfire wasn’t sure what to say to the human younglings, she had never truly understood human custom and was glad to deal only with her shipmates most of the time. Though again, being cargo master gave her the /most/ dealings with other humans.

When they reached the common area, Ezra was clattering around in the gallery. He didn’t seem to notice when they entered.

Leigh continued, speaking slowly as she caught her breath after the stairs. Definitely didn’t sound healthy. “And you shouldn’t be asking questions of people you haven’t even been properly introduced to yet.” She turned to Skullfire, “And now I’m being rude! Sorry. Don’t mean to ignore you or anything. It’s a bit overwhelming.”

“I said I’m sorry.” Carina pouted. “What’s your name? I should have asked earlier.”

“Skullfire Aranya. My fellow crew call me Skullfire, usually. And the one over there,” motions to where Ezra is clattering, “Is Ezra.”

Ezra’s head was stuck in a cabinet, and he didn’t seem to hear her. A moment later, and without looking around, he started yelling “Skullfire! Skullfire!”

“Right here, Ezra.” Skullfir walked up behind him and poked his back.

“Damnit, cat!” he grumbled, “Stop sneaking up on me like that. Where are my damn carbohydrates? I’m out of rice, pasta, bread, /and/ potatoes. where the hell are my supplies!”

Skullfire sighed. “They’ll be here when the dock finishes waking up.”

“What the hell? What am I supposed to make for lunch, then? We’ve got twice the crew and no food in stock!”

Leigh was staring wide-eyed, but something in her face seemed to indicate distress. Skullfire watched her concerned. “I don’t spin the planets ’round the stars. We have company.”

“What’d’ya mean company? We aren’t–“

Leigh started coughing and didn’t stop. Carina was hovering around her, acting afraid to touch her friend, so Skullfire kept her distance. The coughing just went on and on, the young woman’s brown face turning dark and tears flowing down her cheeks.

As soon as the coughing started, Ezra spun around: “Oh.”

Finally, the coughing trailed off. “Um… hi?”

Carina closed in on her friend, rubbing Leigh’s back “Hello, Ezra. I’m Carina and this is Leigh. We are two of Dr. Bevan’s students.”

“Ah, yeah. Welcome.” Ezra looked to Skullfire and mouthed, ‘Bevan?’

Skullfire mouthed ‘Moira’ back at him, angled so the students couldn’t see.

The two youngsters were close together still, Carina supporting Leigh, who looked like she was near to collapse.

Ezra blinked. “Um, do you need the med bay?” he paused, listening. “The cursing has stopped, probably safe to go back there.”

Skullfire watched Leigh carefully. Her color seemed to be returning to normal, but her breathing was still unsteady. “That might be wise, at least for now.”

Leigh stood fully and cleared her throat a few times. “It’s just cough, my asthma. The air here is dry.”

“You did bring your inhaler?” Carina asked.

Ezra sighed. “I can probably rig up a humidifier for your quarters, but ship air is always going to be dry.”

“Ah…” Leigh winced, “The inhaler’s in my bag. Packed.”

Skullfire “Then we should get you to your quarters. Carina, you can help her unpack?”

Carina nodded, not looking away from Leigh. “I just need to know where we’re staying.”

“Ezra, will you show them to quarters? I’ll check with the dock master about supplies.”

He nodded and waved toward the recently-cleared-out crew quarters.

“Yeah, sure. This way folks. Not much privacy shipboard, hope you don’t mind sharing bunks with the rest of your friends.”

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