[Day 10, Open]

[dendarii]

Who: MILES NAISMITH (dendarii)
When: Late on Day 10
Where: Near the Ruined Hull (and inside too)
What: Miles' canonmates are missing, so he's gone to search for them. Will involve ship exploration too.

[ The first day his fellow mercenaries had gone missing, Miles had been worried but not too alarmed. It's a big planet and they have a lot of ground to cover. Miles had just stuck to the outskirts of some of the ship-exploring groups instead, kept an eye out for his friends, and continued onwards.

The second day, Miles had been a bit more frantic. Splitting off to search when he could, carefully hoarding some extra supplies in case one of them came back exhausted or injured. They couldn't possibly stay away for long. Not both of them.

Today ... he's just short of panicked. There's been no sign whatsoever - and neither of his friends are exactly nondescript people. Surely their presence would be obvious. Surely ...

He approaches anyone in the area who will give him a moment, trying not to look as horribly panicked as he feels. ]

Have you seen an eight foot tall wolf woman or a hermaphrodite anywhere? [ His voice shakes, barely. ] I - they came in with me, but I can't find them ...

[ And his next step is to delve deep into the ship to search for them there. ]

Comments

[adamance]

I think most people wouldn't be able to identify the latter by a glance, [she points out. Lexa's noticed their disappearances already. When Rhys had mentioned his own trouble, she had realized that he wasn't alone. Seeing Miles without those closest to him had drawn her eye.]

They aren't the only ones who've disappeared. [She chooses the word "disappeared" for a reason. While it may be that they've died or they've been lost to some other fate, her people know the act of being stolen.

Interestingly enough, it had been Bel who suggested that they might be here under someone else's care. It was a conversation that's influenced many of her thoughts and decisions since then.]

[dendarii]

[ He's not nearly as self-confident without his two bodyguards here to back him up. It's all the more apparent he's a small guy pretty damn far from home like this. He's concerned about them first and foremost, but Lexa's comment makes him frown too. ]

Who else, then? Are there no hints for their whereabouts either?

[adamance]

A man named Jack. From what we could discern, there was no sign. Can you recall if your people are the type to set out on their own with little assistance? [Or without him. Lexa leaves that part unsaid, as she doesn't mean to threaten what confidence he has (or doesn't have) even further.]

[dendarii]

[ Miles has to think about that. ]

Independently, yes. But not just - without me. We'd have talked first, surely.

[adamance]

Bel and I concluded that we may be here for someone else's amusement. If not, then it may be that we're ... investments. [Lexa does not like broaching this with him.]

As such, whatever reason we are here, that same reason may be behind any disappearances. Whoever it is, they could be watching.

[dendarii]

[ A theory they'd discussed with Miles as well. He shivers. ]

If it mean they're alive, it may be a mercy. Or not.

[adamance]

It depends on what they were taken for. [Lexa is likely the worst person to console someone in a time of loss, but at least she's moved beyond telling someone that their lingering feelings over lost ones are just an inherent weakness. #charactergrowth]

For now, we can hope that they are in another place being sent down a different path. Like with many things here, we have no evidence to assume or conclude the worst, even if our imaginations may grow active.

[dendarii]

[ Thanks, Lexa. You're the best. ]

... Mm. I can only hope so at this point. It is possible they found the rest of our mercenary fleet as well.

[adamance]

[After a beat, she raises her eyebrows at him.]

What kind of fleet would they be without their leader?

[Or maybe leadership isn't as special where he comes from.]

[resnipstance]

... Taura? ... Wait, you can't find her?

[dendarii]

[ Miles shakes his head. ]

Not at all. She's usually quite difficult to miss.

[resnipstance]

[That's true enough.]

... Is it possible that she and your other friend went looking for food and water further afield?

[dendarii]

Of course it's possible. But I haven't seen them in three days now.

[resnipstance]

... Oh.

I mean-- three days doesn't necessarily mean anything ... Taura is pretty durable. ... But it is concerning.

[dendarii]

[ Miles is silent for a moment at that, his worry nearly palpable. ]

They wouldn't leave me for three days. Not without telling me.

[resnipstance]

[Ahsoka bites her bottom lip. The worst part is, inwardly, she agrees.]

... I wish you'd said something sooner.

[dendarii]

[ It's just a fact at this point. He's too small and delicate and vulnerable to be on his own for long. ]

It - it seemed natural enough the first day. The second, I thought they might have just gotten lost in the ship somewhere.

[boldlyemoting]

[There's been a lot going on, so Miles will have to forgive Bones if the doctor looks kind of tired on approach. He's honestly still a little concerned about how Miles will do in continued wilderness survival than anything. Bones: always ready to nag.

The question takes him back a bit, though.]

A wolf woman seems like she would stand out. ...Haven't been giving people the right examinations to identify the other.

[dendarii]

[ The doctor does look tired. Miles can't really blame him, all things considered. Miles himself is rather ashen even beyond what he would be given the situation. His seizure had not been pleasant... ]

Taura is ... extremely distinctive. Bel less so, but - well, they're both a bit unusual.

[boldlyemoting]

[Unusual would be right, though it's weirdly a sort of typical unusual. They are varieties of humanoids! This is the sort of strange McCoy prefers dealing in.

These aren't just any humanoids, though. These are the mercenaries Miles talks about, right? He rubs the back of his head, trying to remember if he's talked to a Bel.]

They wouldn't go haring off on their own, would they?

[dendarii]

Not without warning me. Not both of them.

[ And not with Miles in his current state. One maybe, but not both ... ]

[boldlyemoting]

[Well. That feels a little dire. McCoy's speech is slow, clearly trying not to cause a problem by saying the wrong thing.]

They're well-trained, aren't they? Hopefully more than a little common sense between the two.

[dendarii]

More common sense than me. Which is why I didn't think they'd both go off.

[boldlyemoting]

Hard to say. You might want to take this with a grain of salt, but it isn't unheard of for officers to need to take some initiative.

[Better than assuming they've been eaten by critters, or something. Isn't it?]

[dendarii]

[ It is, but ... Miles starts to pace. ]

I know. I know, dammit, but - I want them to come back.