<a class="link link--external" href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/67/ba/d6/67bad6b09e26897151727e29ffe811e3.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank">Thomyris “Riz” Heroux</a><br/>Location: St. Anne<br/>Tagged: Donovan, Sonakshi Khan, Jin-Lai<br/><hr class="bbc-hr bbc-hr--3"/><br/>Not blaming her? That’s what it sure felt like, being shaken down like a common criminal. Someone in Donovan seemed to calm down and his hands felt warm against her cheeks when he cupped it. Her pulse was still blaring far above normal levels, not helped at all by Donovan’s accusations. Still, it felt good to be held, if even for a moment and her own hand followed after Donovan’s as it brushed some hair back, running over her face and rubbing her eyes, which incidentally made them even more blood shot. She still felt dizzy and though she wanted to tell Donovan everything at that moment, she figured it was best too to wait until she calmed down.<b>“Yes sir. A full debriefing.”</b>She repeated, acknowledging the order. Donovan got a call then from the Annie, which caused Thomyris to sigh in relief. At least not everyone was caught.<br/><br/>She followed Doctor Khan in helping remove Iona’s tall body over to the med-bay.<b>“I’m just shaken up. She got the worst of it.”</b>She explained, before allowing the doctor to examine her medically, obeying her commands wordlessly, her eyes moving to the left, then to the right, revealing the irritated veins at the corners and sides. To the offer of stress meds, she refused with a shake of her head and pursued lips. She didn’t trust that stuff. She had seen too many get hooked on it as a crutch too.<b>“Thank you doctor.”</b>She said, giving Sonakshi’s arm a brief squeeze as she moved to leave, a little limply but determined.<b>“And my offer still stands, if the Captain…needs anything. It’s the least I can do for her. See you soon.”</b>She beckoned and went off to return to the bay.<br/><br/>No, she wasn’t calmed down but neither was she willing to wait for her body and mind to recuperate. Lives were at risk because of her, of her debt and crimes. She had to face up to it soon and it was better to endure Donovan’s prospective wrath now rather than later. She returned to only find Donovan and Jin-Lai in the Loading Bay, the other crewmembers strangely absent. Her heart began to pound intensely within her chest again, fearing the worst for them.<i>And all because of me.</i><br/><br/>She joined Donovan and Jin-Lai, nodding to their cook in greeting and hearing her question. She let Donovan explain at first, waiting for an opening to give an explanation of what happened. She was still terrified of the blue skinned, orange eyed man, not easy to forget how he had put his hands and nearly split her in two from the violent shaking. Yet for the Captain’s sake, given what happened to her and possibly others, she found the bravery to look the First Mate in the eye.<br/><br/><b>“After we closed up the deal for our next consignment, a shipment of potash, we were approached by a woman who called herself Sandra Mung. It was clearly a fake name but she seemed to know what we were about and made us an offer that seemed profitable. The Captain was intrigued but it was an ambush. Once Sandra or whoever she was got us seated, another companion of hers arrived and stuck a gun to us. They said they were going to be rich once they took us in. I think…”</b>For a second, Thomyris trailed off in her debriefing, recalling how they had tried to take her rather than the Captain.<b>“They were after me. I…I owe a debt, of which can be collected by others. I’m sorry. I never told anyone about it. I put the Captain’s life, and all of yours, needlessly in danger.”</b><br/><br/><b>“And,”</b>she said, her tone going firm again, for while Thomyris might disregard her own life, she still felt a passionate desire to protect her fellow crew,<b> “I think there are more of them. And I think they know a lot about us and our business too. They approached us speaking of potassium scavengers, to supplement our cargo of potash. The chance meeting seems almost too convenient for my tastes. It was an ambush, planned in advance.”</b>She wasn’t asked for an analysis, but she gave one anyways, now watching Donovan to see what his reaction would be to her debriefing and confession.