Dusk’s disbelief and consternation did not really register with Bandit. With fewer preconceived notions about how things out in the boundless depths of space ought to be, the android had a better grasp upon the fundamental absurdity of cosmic life and would not be so easily dismayed. Instead, an astute observation from Neri about the android’s incompatibility with headwear turned the her attention the plumber’s way. “Yup! You need some pilferin’ done, I’m yer gal. This ain’t a charity though, sunshine. You wanna put me to work, you’re gonna need to grease my wheels.” Bandit rubbed her two fingers against her thumb. “I ain’t workin’ for IOUs no more, either. From now on, folks gotta gimme their heads up front! Or cash, I guess. Straight to the ol’ deposit box, if ya don’t mind.” She tapped the rim of her gaping neck-hole.

Neri seemed to be under the impression that the marooned prisoners couldn’t traipse around the wasteland in their smallclothes, and honestly, Bandit didn’t follow her logic. What, pray tell, was stopping them? Bandit certainly wasn’t wearing much of anything, just her makeshift cape, which was a very recent addition. And she looked great! At least, nobody else had told her otherwise. When Castleton voiced his thoughts on the possible virtues of near-nakedness, Bandit nodded along. Or at least, she would have, if she had a head to nod with. [i]DANG IT.[/i] Between that and being unable to return Jane Marshall’s subtle head nod of respectful solidarity, Bandit needed to find herself a head, and pronto. For other reasons, too, although she couldn’t exactly remember why.

When Larce offered everyone a celebratory smoke, Bandit waved him off. “Nah, tryin’ to quit.”

The other prisoners’ introductions mostly rolled off Bandit’s mind (or lack thereof) like water off a duck’s back. Whether Kieller, Dhasath, Earthling, or otherwise, all the people she’d met in her life were transient, soon to vanish from her personal orbit and never reappear again. She had only so much random access memory, so if these people didn’t want to end up forgotten, they’d need to prove themselves worth remembering. Bandit did, however, somehow get a sense of Ruvulla’s inordinate scorn, a contempt born of odd familiarity. The android’s attention lingered for a moment on the Colonel’s steely face, trying to gauge her intense expression. That look made her skin(?) crawl. Did she maybe know something, something even Bandit herself did not? Probably not…that was an extreme logical leap, even for circuits as fried as hers. “Well, heatstroke ain’t a problem for me,” she muttered. “Not for a spell, at least.”

Although the android had zoned out due to Ruvulla’s disdainful scrutiny, tuning back into the convicts’ primary conversation indicated that some sort of alternative plan was in the works, spearheaded by the suave smoker. It sounded like they wanted to adopt a more discreet approach when it came to robbing the nearby town blind? That sounded a little like beating around the bush, but as long as it lined Bandit’s pockets, it couldn’t be all bad. That magic word ‘mining’ worked wonders for her, and it gave her a newfound appreciation for Larce. [i]WAIT, LARCE? AS IN LARCENY? IS THIS TYPECASTING?[/i]

Not everyone was fully on board with the plan, though. People began to hem and haw, pointing out flaws and suggesting alterations. Larce’s scheme quickly got so many holes poked in it that Moly was probably scared shipless. Neri even tried to call a civilized vote to get the gaggle of irritable killers, outlaws, and scallywags organized. Now that was optimism that Bandit couldn’t help but like! When multiple votes for a true honest approach were cast, though, the android sighed. Some people were making an awful lot of assumptions about how much of a team these misfits really were. There was that big lizard for instance, the scary woman rather preoccupied with the big lizard, and Mr. Gasbag. When a gruff but otherwise unidentifiable Kieller man started rattling off societal and historical exposition as a prelude to taking charge, Bandit’s attention quickly drifted toward the ridge that supposedly veiled a colony settlement. “Gettin’ bored real quick…”

When Vaehach’s bellow resounded over the group, it both jolted Bandit out of her reverie and gave her just the excuse she needed. “You got it, hoss!” Without further ado the android launched forward, her servos whirring as she took off in a headlong sprint that quickly ramped up to forty miles per hour. Clouds of dust flew as she raced away at top speed, headed straight toward the ridge. A little rock was no match for a TABS-EVA unit’s agility after all, even in-atmosphere. Once she overcame the terrain, her next stop was the town, with or without any of the other prisoners and their plans.