𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐑!

Pax blinks, his optics skipping into high gear as he reflexively scans the stranger before realizing he can’t check her likeness against any sort of Alliance database. His vision clouds unpleasantly and Pax blinks that away with a little shake of his head.

So he’s a bit on edge. It’s been a long few days. He’s hungry, he’s tired, he’s hot—and he doesn’t want to deal with this right now. He forces himself to take a deep breath.

“You shouldn’t be here,” he says, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

             the unfortunate luck of meeting the unfriendly one has inevitably caught up to her.    of course,    nina didn’t assume that any of them would be half as friendly as they have been so far.     she just got comfortable in knowing that most of them are,    and now she’s disappointed and doesn’t necessarily know how to respond. 

     “   oh,    i know that,   ”     she smiles,    still nervous,    still avoiding eye-contact.     “   but tell me,    when has being somewhere that you’re supposed to be brought about excitement ?   ”     she reasons,    finally glancing at him again.       her stubbornness doesn’t want to turn around,   but his cold stare certainly makes her reconsider.      “   uh,   you know,   i-i could help you.   ”

[ closed starter | @thehiredgvn ]

                 nina has been circling the ship,    watching the details of the external equipment with proximate curiosity.    it’s not that she has never been around an alliance ship,    it’s that she has never been    ‘   allowed   ’     to examine one and she can’t help but do it even though no one on the raider’s crew has technically allowed her to examine anything.     she assumes the lack of hostility speaks for itself. 

     when the ship door opens,    she startles and stands upright,    turning to face the person who decided to step out.    she wonders if they saw her through the security cameras--   assuming they’re not in disrepair--   and takes a few steps back.    regardless,    a big smile blooms on her lips.   it’s a nervous smile,   although nina isn’t sure why the person who steps out makes her nervous.    “   well,    hi !   ”      she greets,    watching the stranger.     there is something about him that causes her to break eye-contact.     “   i’m surprised your security cameras work !   ” 

They haven’t been entirely sure what to do with Themselves, stuck in this desert on Roame. If They were flying, They think there would be a more solid plan of action: back to the mission, maybe, if that is what the Captain wants. But here, They are stuck, motionless, little to do other than try to continue fixing the Eden.

They are working on a cracked exterior landing pylon when They are approached. Their eye – Their Indicator, They are calling it, to let the others know which of Them is currently at the wheel – flickers rapidly through numbers, finally settling.

Zero-Four beams back with a smile just as enthused. “Nope, not fake news at all! We’ve been in storage for a long time, but here we are! A bit worse for wear, admittedly.” Both Them and the Eden, They suppose. Their hands continue to work at fixing a fracture in the closest strut, moving jerkily. “I am Zero-Four! May I inquire why you are asking about the ship?”

               “   oh !   ”     nina exclaims when the screen over their eye socket begins to flicker,     watching closely until it stops at a number.    four--    huh,    she wonders what that means.    her answer comes along rather quickly,    and she nods along while she considers now what that means. 

     “   have you ?   ”     she lifts a brow,    and while she doesn’t want to be rude,    she casts a glance at the state the android’s body is in.     she begins to reach the conclusion that the android isn’t with the raiders,    at least not originally.    the ship seems to be in much the same condition--    they most likely took him    (   no,   took them,    nina’s sure,   )--     when they took the ship.     “   well,    you do look a bit ill,    but nothing that seems too dire !   ” 

     “    you can call me nina,   and i’m glad that you ask,   ”     she nods,     “   i wish to buy or trade parts,   ”      she replies straight-forwardly,    smiling at the other,     “   are you the mechanic of this ship ?   ” 

[ closed starter | @corinnv​ ]

[ closed starter | @sparrow-zero-three ]

            nina has seen her fair share of zombie androids,    but none that look quite as customized like the one in front of her.    her inherent curiosity moves her forth,    head tilting to extend her sight of the fractured droid that she can hear whirring from her distance.