New Day, New Job

Elena was in a good mood despite the lingering remnants of her hangover as she walked the snowy streets of Freedom Falls. Plenty of coffee and a nice, long shower with some good company did wonders in that regard. Her jacket still wasn't warm enough for Aite's harsh winter weather, but the options had been her own jacket or the arctic gear kept on the ship.

Freedom Falls seemed like an alright town. For the Terminus Systems anyway. The Club wasn't half bad. The sky was... something else. It was afternoon, although it didn't feel like it. Probably because she slept through the morning. It had been a while since the Jack had berthed for more than it took to transfer cargo and refuel. It was nice to have her feet on solid ground again.

She entered the spaceport, navigating past quarian hawkers and various travelers on her way towards the hangar that held the ship who's crew she was a part of, the MSV Jack of Diamonds. She was the most recent crew member, but she had found herself fitting in well with the others.

Upon entering the hangar she immediately spotted Wrench sitting atop the worn metal hulk that was the Jack. She was wearing Elena's welding mask, working on attaching a replacement hull-plate. They had accumulated some damage over the last few jobs, and it had finally become enough to necessitate a longer stay planetside.

Captain Lucy, who was overseeing the repairs from the ground, hands on her hips as she looked up at Wrench, turned as Elena entered, giving a wave and a smile. "Hey Elena, had a good night? Ya haven't been answerin' my messages!" she called out, butchering the pronunciation of her name as always. Judging by the grin tugging at her lips she already knew the answer.

"You know it, Roja! Spent the night with a squad of marines. Tell you all about it later!" she shouted back, flashing a grin and a thumbs up as she disappeared up the ramp of the ship.

She headed right for her workspace in the cargo hold, an area partly walled-off by crates that never really left the ship. Her welder, and the mask, was missing, of course, but everything else seemed to be as it should. She gave her omni-tool a few quick taps to start up some music, cleared some junk off the crate she favored as a footstool and kicked back in her worn old folding chair.

Her mind had just about started to drift back to the previous night when she heard the sound of someone else entering the hangar outside. She jumped back to her feet, her curiosity getting the better of her as she walked over to the ramp.

It was James. He waved to his wife as he approached, someone else in tow behind him. A short woman in a ragged, ill-fitting winter coat, with long, scraggly black hair. Elena didn't recognize her.

"I found us a new job!" he exclaimed with a smile, placing his hands on Lucy's shoulders and leaning in to give her a kiss. Elena breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Credits were running sort, especially after the last job went south, and she hadn't relished the thought of having to delay a payment.

Lucy returned the smile, exchanging a few whispered words with her husband before looking over his shoulder at the stranger. "Take it it's got somethin' to do with this one?"

James stepped aside, gesturing towards the woman, who bowed her head lightly in greeting, never really looking right at any of them. "This is Mingxia. We're going to rescue her daughter."