Marked

[Toaster]

"You're cleared to dock. Approach airlock number two, hangar four."

"Copy that," Olivia muttered and terminated the channel to Ames' control tower. With a slight tap to the throttle, she nudged her ship towards the station, following the blinking lights that led her towards her docking bay like a trail of brightly colored candies.

The thought of setting foot on the freeport again sent a shudder of anticipation down her spine. The memories of her last visit were still fresh in her mind and none of them were particularly pleasant. She prayed to whatever power might be that she wouldn't find a squad of security guards waiting to detain her when she docked. As it seemed, her prayers were answered. As her fighter settled down on the deck, business around the bay continued as usual. A bustling of dock workers, crewmen, and pilots of various affiliations hurrying about, loading cargo, hauling fuel tanks, rinsing down scorch marks.

Olivia tugged at the flightsuit Moretti had given her the last time she was here. It still didn't fit her properly, despite the adjustments she had made to it on her journey to Kepler, but it didn't look quite as odd anymore. She carefully patted her breast pocket, feeling the small shape of the serpent token nestled within. Then she leapt out of the cockpit onto the steel floor of the station.

She was looking for Xenos. Apparently, any member of Moretti's particular 'Alliance' would do. But she preferred not to make contact with them in an area quite as busy as the hangars. She was hoping to keep any affiliation between herself and the terrorist group as quiet as possible - after all, she had a positive reputation with Liberty's law enforcement to maintain. Keeping her head low, she hurried out of the docking bay and into the station's corridors. They were packed with people, mostly hailing from Kusari. On her approach she had seen one of their super transports mooring to the freeport, atmosphere venting from numerous breaches in its hull. It must have been attacked on its way to Liberty, probably by the exact people she was looking to meet. Olivia hoped there wouldn't be any trouble between the Xenos and the 'foreigners,' at least while she was still aboard.

Squeezing herself through the throng, she found herself entering one of the habitation decks. It was far quieter here, most of its inhabitants at work elsewhere. Olivia took a deep breath of the freshly recycled air and looked around. Hallways split off in all directions but one of them led to a small plaza of sorts, kiosks lining the walls around it, a few Zoners and travelers standing around them, inspecting their wares and making idle chitchat. She glanced from group to group, her eyes scanning for any hints at who might be her potential contact.

A star and stripes. Red and grey, burnt and torn. They were stitched onto the boots of two men standing in the far corner, secluded from everyone else, talking quietly to one another. Olivia took another deep breath, steeling herself for the coming interaction. Then she squared her shoulders and strode straight towards them.

"Hey," she called out when she came within a few feet of the two Xenos. She reached into her pocket and retrieved the mark - a small red cobra, coiled up and presenting its fangs. Holding it out for them to see, she continued, "Your boss called me over."

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Olivia Sable