[b][i]Natasha Zhang[/i][/b]

All but three of Natasha Zhang's crew had abandoned her, and of those three, one was a fratricidal maniac disliked even by others of his species and the other had a knack for reappearing and disappearing on his own time, such that he can be mistook for a Magus. As for the third... That guy was obsessed to the point where he scared her.

This meant that the supersoldiers she would meet with would have to fill in the crew's duties, and considering the fact that the medic had also abandoned them, the Xuanzang's captain also hoped that one of their future allies was a super-doctor. And also that the rumors of 'Child Spetnaz Magi' were exaggerations and that she was not going to be stuck in a babysitting job.

So the young-looking woman waited in front of the Xuanxang's opened airlocks and hatch, alone for now, all the while feeling a creeping dread at the back of her head...

[b][i]Ashton and Flame[/i][/b]

The Galactic Bazaar was a space station the size of Ireland, a megastructure which floated above the gas giant Xenadan. Chosen due to its proximity to no less than three wormholes -Spacewarpers were even rarer after The War - The Bazaar held everything one can ask for and every danger one did not want. And here was where the former child soldiers had chosen to come, wished well by their former captors. 

Even in the hangars, there were moving shuttles - The modern equivalent of the ancient food carts and mobile booths - which offered services from food and drink to beauty products or even various services left unsaid. As the motely group neared the Xuanxang's location, they encountered one of these shuttles, a brightly colored vehicle the size of a department store on 21st Century Earth. More ominously (for their wallets), it advertized sweets and 'street food'.

"Ashton," Flame Brooks spoke up, trying to be the voice of reason, "We don't have the time for this. We need to meet with our contact in a few hours. Plus, this could be a trap, and even if it isn't, we should practice being cautious." He turned to Nero and Avelyn, knowing full well that they did not have a sweet tooth, and said, "Can you two back me up on this? Our group cannot afford to be distracted by candy."

Ashton, however, was already talking with the propeitor of the 'shuttle' through his Omni-tool, and tried to defang Flame's argument by saying, "The Rau've lady running this also says she can bring us to where we want to go for a 100-Galactic Credit purchase. Travel will be smooth enough for us to eat along the way [i]and[/i] it'd be better than continuing to walk in a kilometers-long hangar or taking a transport vehicle anyway."

Noticing the obvious game Flame was playing, Ashton turned to Tarak, their unofficial leader, and opened his mouth, only to find Flame saying, "Fine, but we take turns eating just in case this turns out to be a trap somehow and just to keep in practice."

And with that, the door to the shuttle opened, allowing the group of friends inside a large shop + restaurant filled with shelves of brightly colored sweets and baked goods, as well as a set of tables close to a shuttle window. Another section held saltier meats and savory vegetables, most of them in stew form or in skewers (blunted to prevent a hazard). There were no intoxicants, which was just as well for Flame - He did not want the group poisoning their livers early. And finally, there were drinks equivalent ot coffee and hot chocolate, as well as those tiny marshmallows mixed into the syrup.

"All right, Folks," Ashton said as he pulled out his credit stick, "Let's dig in - I think that for our health, we should buy non-sugary sweets first, then stevia-equivalents in hot chocolate or coffee, then go to the 'meal' section to buy some meat and vegetables - We should make sure we don't eat too many fried foods. Mom used to be a nutritionist and I picked up a few things from her, things I still remember and may have even added to."

Flame rolled his eyes and said, "Tarak, I think you and I should use our Omni-Tools to test each foodstuff we get for poison or allergens. And of course, we should make sure to contact our, well, destination that she should not be afraid of a large shuttle coming to her ship and despositing a group of 'Child Marines'...

[b][i]Natasha Zhang[/i][/b]

Natasha received a message - Apparently, the rumors of 'Child Spetnaz Magi' were true after all, and because she was dealing with [i]children[/i], they were going to take a dining shuttle instead of a regular transport craft. Because candy. So she typed back to 'Flame' and possibly Tarak (who at least looked the part of a super soldier) :

[i]If you're going to dawdle, buy me some Milk Tea with fruit jelly and peanut-brittle-equivalents.[/i]

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