"Alright Sepitan, they're payin' you for one job, so get to it" Stryker said snidely as he tapped a final code into the console in front of him, transferring full control to the pilot. The rumble of the engines grew louder, and Stryker gripped the arms of his seat, still uneasy at travelling on a vessel that he wasn't in direct control of. Across from him, the Funganoid gripped the main thruster control and slid it to full. The engines hit their peak, giving a mighty roar that echoed throughout the belly of the beast. Stryker was pressed back against his seat as the Revenant leaped forward, rocketing out of the docking bay. Then came the [i]thwump[/i] and a great lurch forward as the ship exited the station's atmo-field. The sound of the engines suddenly lost to the vacuum of space, along with any semblance of gravity. Stryker cursed under his breath.
"Forgot the damn artificial gravity, engaging now" he tapped a trio of buttons on his console, and the weight of the world returned.

"Set course for Zargos System. The long way, don't wanna be detected early, and test the autopilot under full supervision before you even think of leaving this cockpit. I don't trust Dawson or any of his goddamn Alliance engineers as far as I could throw 'em. Need anything else- I'll be in my quarters. Oh, and congratulations for not killing us all"

Stryker grabbed his datapad and traipsed out of the cockpit, past the rows of gunner seats and the war room. Some of the crew hadn't left yet, he could hear their voices as he passed by the door of the circular room. Through the observation window into the med bay, he observed the Russian medic busying himself. Finally, he arrived at the rear of the command deck, on his right was the ladder leading up to the forward battery, an upper part of the command deck designated for control and maintenance of the main guns. On his left was his own cozy little corner of the ship. Punching in the access code Dawson gave him, the door slid open and Stryker slipped inside and re-locked it before anyone bothered him.

The cabin was nicer than expected. A large queen bed dominated the rear of the room, with a view out into the expanse situated above it. It wasn't a window obviously, just a relayed image from exterior sensors, but it was quite a sight all the same. A walled off section directly to his right led into his own private bathroom and shower. A desk with a full-functioning terminal sat off to the side, and opposite it, a closet and some shelving his armor and gear would fit comfortably on. He'd kept his battlesuit on the entire time, and it was starting to wear on him, just a bit. After stripping down to his civilian wear, Stryker settled in at the desk and prepared for a long session of studying his new team, planning out ways to tinker with the plan to suit their individual skillsets.

----------------

Down in his quarters, Grayson wasn't doing so well. Ever since they hit open space, the voices had been running a marathon all around his head. One told him to befriend this new crew, enjoy the ride while he could. Another told him to kill them all now, before they caused trouble. One said ride this job out, work off his sentence and another screamed to grab an escape pod and slip off to the deepest corner of the Deadzone. Old friends and enemies rose up out of the ether to offer opinions or spit in his face. Demons and half-formed things chanted in made-up languages. And far away, in the distance, unintelligible whispers, some sharp like a razor in the dark, some soft as a lover's kiss. Through it all he kept breathing, in and out, in and out.

And then nothing.

Exhale. Calm swept over him, everything was ok again. Everything except his stomach, which told him to get sustenance. Now.

Daniel made a beeline for the kitchen, passing by Hadrian the cook in the hall as he did so. Upon entry to the kitchen, he found the mysterious new crewmember there, apparently having the same idea.

He fumbled through the food stores and decided to strike up a dialog 
"We meet again. Arex right?"

[@Dark Light]