Operation: New age

[alexandra]

- Look at her, Peter! Isn't she a beauty?
- It certainly is, Vlad. The red dress makes her, how you say it, mysterious, yea...
- Not that, you useless crab! I'm talking about the ship.
- Oh, right... now that you put it this way, yeah, she's... big.

The two were looking on the window of Raluca's Arcadia, the Freeport's XV bar. Outside, the Rhea, a Jinkusu class colony ship was practicing defense and battle exercises. The huge body of the battleship was slowly moving in front of their eyes. It was quite a show but the two men were used to that kind of view.

One of them was Vlad Moinea, the executive officer of Rhea. He's known to his crew as "The man". The other one was a fellow trade captain, Peter Wellington. He's a bretonian but not just any kind of bretonian. He likes to identify himself with the gaians. Of course, there's nothing to link him to these people but that doesn't stop him.

- Can you believe that they gave her to that spoled little girl?
- Raluca? How old is she anyway?
- I'll be sincere and I'll tell you that I don't know and I don't care either... she's below 30 anyway.
- That young...
- I still think the ones that put here in that position received some pleasure for this decision.
- Aww... now imagine Elizabeth Tate and Raluca Kiss discussing the terms of receiving a Jinkusu...
- Alrignt, buddy, I think we had a bit too much whisky for one night.
- Maybe but there's something I don't understand. If you hate her this much, why don't you quit and try to find another Jinkusu?
- No, because, you see, the other captains enjoy their XOs. They have trust in each other and such a relation can't develop on spot.
- Well then, how did you end up on Raluca's ship?
- People say that she didn't even chose her own crew. I'd be amazed if she'd remember my name.
- Where is she now?
- Hell if I know. She can be on her whale or doing some stunts in the mine field around Corinth. I don't care. Actually, I don't think I saw her on the Jinkusu for a few months.
- You should try to make her cook.
- What?
- Seriously! If she starts cooking and she enjoys doing that, you can try to take her place.
- Defenetly a good idea, except the distraction part... make her cook, I mean what the hell, man?
- Well, you understand what I mean. Do you know the crew well?
- Better than she does anyway.
- And would they support you if you'd make the move?
- I think so...

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