The trip out to Dantooine to drop off the.. cargo had been uneventful and Kiare expected the return trip to be equally so. It therefore came as quite the surprise when an old model escape pod appeared on the scan. She had put away the meal and settled into the chair to drop down her speed and approach the pod after careful scans had been made. One never knew what was was getting especially on the outer rim.
      After the pod was collected she reset her course and the ships previous speed was resumed before she grabbed up what was left of her meal and headed back to see what was in the pod. Probably nothing important, there rarely was, still one could never be sure.

      There was little power remaining within the pod, atleast from what sensors were showing. Just a random piece of space junk that could have been left over from any number of battles in the area over the years. Like most pods of this design, it's old and has blaster marks on the outter hull. The viewport is iced up from the inside. Readouts on the panels near the access port indicate life support barely functional. No thermal heators, and little air remaining. No holes in the hull, and there is pressure in the pod, so what is using the air? There are hash marks in the ice on the viewport from the inside. If each hash is a day, then the pod has been occupided for over a month.

      Having given the hull of the pod a once over and examined the readouts on the pods panel Kiare figures her best bet is just to open the blasted thing up. There is a brief thought that it could be something bad so she gets a blaster before opening the pod. There's a small hiss as the seal releases but it seems stuck so she's forced to pry at it.

      Finally the hatch comes open and inside the pod, no lights have power to them. The internal wiring has been ripped and canabalized, or maybe juryrigged. There is a figure sitting on the floor of the pod facing the entrance. All you can make out fore sure is that the figure is wearing black thermal boots like many pilots on both sides of the war wear in combat. And parts of a flight suit can be seen just from where the light hits his boots. Also black in color.

      More than she expected, but she doesn't even know if the figure is alive. A little more light on the subject is called for and she focuses a bit more light into the pod to see what kind of shape the... body? might be in.

      The body is in a sealed black flightsuit. From the neck down, it's almost identical to the suits worn by TIE pilots. but the light hits his face and his helmet covers only down to his nose. There is frost or ice on the person's face most likely from the harsh temperature. He looks dead for the most part, but what's that.. with the light on him, and the coldness of the air, you can see air escaping his nose. He's breathing barely. There is a pistol in his hand, a Kylan heavy blaster and it's pointed in the general direction of the door.

      Kiare leaves the light pointed into the pod and enters the pod slowly with a pair of heavy blankets. Man! Even in the warmed cargo bay of her own ship the inside of the pod is so cold goosebumps rise all up and down her legs. She approaches slowly, cautiously.

      Mark_Steele doesnt move, if he's consious, he doesnt let it show. The barrel of the gun is still pointed in the general direction of the entrance, but it looks more like it'd hit the side of the pod if it was fired. The pilot's gloved finger rests on the trigger guard instead of the actual trigger. A light can be seen blinking on a panel indicating that the air tanks are empty.

      Crouching down beside the figure she wraps one blanket around the man's shoulders, for that is what he's built like. The other is tucked around the front of him. "Who are you, stranger..." Shaking her head she rises and starts for the pod door intending to get something warm to drink for the man as well as another blanket. While she's about it she turns up the heat in the cargo bay to compensate for the cold of the pod. She may have to drop the poor fellow into her bath so she checks to be sure the water tank is full and heated before returning to the pod with a steaming mug.

      Mark_Steele's body starts to warm slowly as the woman tries to take care of him in his near frozen condition. His eyes crack open while she's gone from view and he tries to assess the situation. He cannot seem to move at all. The warm blanket felt good, and he decided to just enjoy being alive and having air again. But he cant seem to speak yet.

      Once more in the pod Kiare crouches near the seemingly frozen man. She is a little worried and she holds the steaming mug up near his face letting the heat from the liquid warm his skin. She would try to put it in his hands if she dared, but perhaps later, for now she just wants to make sure he's still alive. "Who are you? I wish I knew. Malaki would think me stupid for doing this. But it's not as if you can hurt me right now."

      Mark_Steele still cannot speak but he does manage to show that he's alive. His mouth opens but nothing can be heard from it. He raises his gun arm slowly with the blaster still firmly in his hand. It looks as tho he's trying to offer the gun but cannot seem to release it

      Kiare sets the mug down and carefully takes the hand seeking to warm it enough to help loosen the grip on the blaster. Her touch is gentle, and careful not wanting to hurt as she offers help.

      Mark_Steele manages to release the gun after Kiare helps to warm up his hand a bit. He manages to get a few words out, through a harsh and dry voice, "Get me out." it might have been a command but it sure didnt sound like one. As he starts moving, you notice that he's actually in a NR issue flightsuit.

      Picking up the mug she curls your fingers around it and then she moves in a little behind you to help support you and to hold you up as you move, managing to assist you as much as a person her size can. But then she's used to man-handling much larger people.

      Mark_Steele grunts as he starts to rise to his feet. Pain shoots through his legs, and that's the only thing he feels once weight is put back on them. "ahhh.." He managed to take a step towards the exit before his legs go limp and he starts to tumble out onto the cargo bay floor.

      Kiare drags you back enough that you don't fall flat on your face but she goes down hard on her backside to prevent it. Man.. that's gonna leave a bruise, not that the cold of the pod is really helping anything. She moves around once she's on her feet again and gets in under your arms and tries to half drag you out of the pod. She mutters darkly under her breath about size differences and her general lack of tallness.

      Mark_Steele manages to help you drag him out of the pod using his one half thawed arm to pull. He grumbles but is now free of the pod. "Need vacation.. beach.. " He slumps again but manages to just get the rest of the way out of the pod, and is half sitting, half laying on the hard deckplate of the cargo bay. Atleast it's warm. Using his good hand, he tries to get his helmet off, his visor has fogged up and he cannot see anymore through it. Mark manages to get the strap on the helmet unsnapped but cannot get it off his head. "give my helmet a good jerk, will ya?" Probably not the best idea.

      Kiare smirks at the orders and moves instead to wiggle the helmet carefully but firmly off. Afterall she doesn't want to take any more flesh than required. That done she wraps the blankets around you once more and refills the mug with hot drink and presses it back into your hands if only to continue warming them.

      Mark_Steele rolls his head around, stretching his neck slowly. He seems content to sit on the floor staring at his frost covered lower half. With his eyes only half opened, he speaks again, "Thank you." His head and body lean against you as he tries to catch his breath.

      Kiare rubs your shoulders and arms through the blanket, "You're just lucky I was passing by."

      Mark_Steele takes a sip from the mug and shivers before replying. "I was just enjoyin the view. So what's next, doc? you have an oven or something you can reheat me in?"

      Kiare laughs softly, "I've got a tub and some hot water. If you're up for a liquid defrosting, flyboy."

      Mark_Steele cracks a grin and looks up at you finally getting a good look, "first time I've been rescued by an attractive woman." He looks over his shoulder towards the rest of the ship, "You lead, I'll crawl. cause I cant walk."

      Kiare shakes her head, "No crawling here.." She moves around and helps get you half way up then she half drags you past the converted pod that has become her bedroom to the converted pod that houses the full bath amenities.

      Mark_Steele gets a reverse tour of the ship as he's dragged through the corridors to the refresher pod, "now I know what a popcicle feels like." You can guess that him being pulled around doesnt exactly feel good but he doesnt complain about it, he's alive. and that's a biggie.

      Once inside the second pod she sets you down on a chair and hits the buttons to start filling the tub with heated water. "Now. I'm gonna go make you some food and see if I can hunt up something for you to wear besides that ice."

      Mark_Steele weakly comments, "I'm out of style?" He bows his head towards her, "I'll be fine if I can thaw out correctly. I'm worried about my legs." He looks down at legs that used to work. "Man.. I cant even feel my ass." He sounds more frustrated than anything else.

      Kiare points to the tub, "You need to get out of them and into the tub before I get back or I'll have to put you in there myself." She winks and heads for the door intending on gathering a blanket and heating it for you to wrap up in once you're done bathing.

      Mark_Steele nods his head slowly towards the unfamiliar woman that dragged him out of the pod then looks at the tub next to him. He tilts his head to the side then looks down at his flightsuit. He reaches down to unseal his boots but cannot seem to get them loose using his one good hand. Thinking for a few moments, he attempts again with no success then, as you come back in, you see him with a combat knife in his hand and again leaning down to 'work' on his boots. "This might work." He says to himself.

      Kiare tsktsks sharply as she reenters, "There will be none of that. You'll just have to suffer being stripped down and dropped into the tub, flyboy." She crouches down after setting a bowl of soup beside you, "Eat while I get you out of these things." Then she goes to work on the boots. It takes a few moments but the first comes off and then a short time later the other follows. She rubs your feet with her hands to warm them as best she can and she checks the temperature of the water with an elbow before shutting off the flow into the tub.

      Mark_Steele doesnt want to be a problem or a bother but it's too late for that, so he decides not to look hostile, and hands over the knife handle to the woman. "I'm in no shape to cause trouble miss, but most freighter skippers I know require all weapons before boarding.. I have another pistol under my jacket, left arm." He doesnt seem to care about being undressed, since he's unable to feel anything below his waist.

      Kiare tosses the knife over into a corner, then the pistol follows as she helps you out of your jacket, "I'm not a freighter skipper and you don't look to be in any condition to be anything but trouble, dear." The jacket is tossed aside with the boots and she starts on the flight suit.

      Mark_Steele nods his head, "Understood ma'am." He winces as the boots get peeled off his feet, and then the jacket. The flightsuit should be alittle easier. It's got one zipper that goes from the throat to the crotch so it might not be much trouble. "So what do you do?"

      Kiare shrugs, "A little of this a little of that." She reaches for the zipper and the pauses, "Since I'm going to be getting to know you so well.." There's a little snicker in there but she hides it, "My name is Kiare.. Kiare Quinn." Given your position you might have even heard of her since she's been around for longer than you've been missing, but then maybe where information came from was not something that concerned you.

      Mark_Steele lets a slight smile escape onto his face as you make your comments. Unlike most pilots in the NR, this flightsuit has no ID or name stiched into the fabric. "Nice to meet you Miss Quinn." He doesnt volunteer any information about his name tho, since he's never heard of this woman before. "So where are we headed?"

      Kiare keeps her eyes on your shoulders as she unzips the flight suit and peels it down, "Calamari. I've got a meeting there and I'm running a little late."

      Mark_Steele raises his legs one at a time using his good arm and helps you get the flightsuit off his body. He's only wearing his thin formfitting shorts now. His legs are still very pale as he speaks with you, "What's on Calamari? Aside from a Republic Shipyard and base"

      Kiare speaks as if it were an everyday topic, "The Crusader. That's where I'm headed. Admiral Farnsworth is expecting me back to continue what was started."

      Mark_Steele nods his head slowly, then looks at his legs again, then to the tub, "I wonder if it'd be better to take off my shorts as well, or to leave em on and try this. What do you think doc?" He seems worried about the state of his frozen form.

      Kiare shrugs, "Seems to me that they won't really be in the way and they allow you some modesty at least for now." She moves in beside you, "Now.. if we just swing your legs over into the water like this..." She works at helping you get them into the tub.

      Mark_Steele nods slowly and puts one arm around you for support while he swings his legs over, "Just dont hold it against me if you fall in while trying to help me." His voice is still weak. Unfortunatly he's using his not so good arm to help push towards the tub and he's not entirely stable.

      Kiare helps you into the tub and it seems to be only the sheer force of will that she doesn't end up in the tub on top of you. "Well.. You're in. You should begin to unthaw." She points out the buttons, "To drain the water, to refill use these and this one will raise the temperature." She presses a different button, "This one will keep the tub warm for a little while longer, but you'll probably still need to change the water."