Tracking Party: Noodles

Posted on 05 Jun 2021 @ 7:57pm by Commander Calliope Zahn & Lieutenant Theodore Winslow

Mission: M2 - Sanctuary
Location: Stardust City, Freecloud
Timeline: BACKSTORY ~four months before the recovery of OC Immediately Following Tracking Party: Catch Up
1173 words - 2.3 OF Standard Post Measure

Indigo snorted at Bear and his mocking modesty as she made her way over to the vendor and the noodles that he was selling. The sugar rush from the cocktails that she had consumed had worn off ages ago leaving her with just a hankering for something full of protein and carbs like noodles so things were certainly aligning for her. She tossed her hair back and smiled at the vendor as the older man served two young men in front of her. “Four pots of earth style chicken noodles please.” She murmured as she got to the front of the queue. The man looked her up and down.

“Do not see many people dressed like that in the food district.” He commented.

“Well a girl and her cohabs have to eat after a night partying.” Indigo said, indicating where the other three stood by the car. “We have been separated from our friend. We had hoped he would turn up here.” She sighed softly.

“Oh?” The man wondered, shaking the wok behind the screen. It made the woman hungry as it smelled delicious. “Lots of people come here after a night out. Maybe I have seen him?” He offered. Indigo grinned and indicated to the trio that they should come over.

“This lovely man wants to see the picture of Messy. Do you have any pictures of him? I left my PADD in the car?” Indigo wondered.

Calliope and the rest approached and she held out a data display button, activating a holo his crewmates had taken earlier in their shore leave. “He’s the third one on the left. With the curly hair.”

The man looked at it thoughtfully, taking a few moments longer than Indigo liked before he finally said something. “Not seen him tonight but he was here a few nights back. Hungry and trying to pay with some off world credits. I would have accepted him but my husband does not like the exchange rate on them.” He shrugged. What was a spouse to do?

“Did he say anything else?” Bear asked, “Mention anything while he try to convince you to take the chips?”

“Nothing more than asking where he could get them exchanged. I suggested the Monsoon Casino. Not missing just tonight now is he?” The man said with a knowing smile as he handed over the old fashioned pots with noodles to them.

Indigo stepped back allowing them to ask more questions as she started to think about everything she knew about the Monsoon Casino. It was smaller than the Grand Hotel and Casino Doradus. Would be way easier to look around and get some point of direction but also run by non-freecs. They were less likely to want to help if Messier had ended up there.

Ryder took his bowl with a nod of thanks. “Did anyone else come around looking for him?”

“Not to me. Let me ask my husband.” The vendor went inside as Indigo started to tuck into the food. “Sol… Oyi… Sol. Some people are asking about that kid with the off world credits… yes the water credits.” Indigo laughed slightly; it sounded like a conversation with her parents.

“My parents do that.” She snorted to herself if any of them wondered what she was giggling at. She sobered up as the man came back.

“Sol says some Orion earlier this evening but he does not know where she went.” Well that was a small comfort to the blue haired woman.

Ryder leaned in to mutter to Calliope, “Sounds like someone is already ahead of us.”

“Good thing these noodles are to go,” she replied. Then she asked Indigo, “How far is the Monsoon Casino from here?”

“About two blocks over. Walking distance even in these shoes.” She commented almost tempted to go back to her car and grab her work boots but that would ruin the whole facade they had at the moment where they had a cover.

“Let’s see if the odds are in our favor.” Calliope waved to the noodle vendor, stuffing a generous tip in the jar. “Thanks!” His husband had been less helpful when they’d been there earlier, but something about the change in the time of day, the difference in personalities between the partners, and Indigo’s presence had made a second run at the stand far more productive. It had to work out to something like the difference between putting the same question to either her or Lance; they could be night and day sometimes.

Indigo nodded and started to lead the way through the streets to where the casino would be. It would still be open for hours so they had plenty of time to mooch about and discover where the crew man had gone off to before his Orion friends got to him first. “So how would you like to approach this?” She wondered, pulling her hood up as the snow started again. They had been lucky so far that it had been a clear night.

Calliope used one hand to pull her jacket close while she balanced her noodles with the other. Her legs were freezing. She looked to Bear for her security advice. “What do you think, Baranovski?”

“We have a look around,” Bear was already upending his bowl to get at the leftover broth on the bottom, “We start with currency exchange. See if anybody recognize him.”

“What can I say?” Ryder shrugged in apology to Indigo as he slurped some noodles. He was somewhat frustrated at street food and how indelicate you had to be when eating it. “We’re not Intel agents. Just fairly straight forward in our methods, I’m afraid. What approach might you recommend, Ms. Indigo?”

“No need to be apologetic. I do not need an approach. They do not bullshit the watchdog.” She said with a wink. “You want to do business here you behave. We have ways of sorting them.” She added darkly before shaking her head. “Your method is sound. Might make something of intelligent officer out of you yet.”

“That…” Ryder gulped some half chewed noodles and the lump going down his throat was visible in its track. “...does sound effective.”

“Zahnie?” Bear said as he tossed his empty bowl in a trash bin.

“Yeah?”

“Your noodles? You going to finish?”

“No, you can have the rest.” Calliope surrendered the bowl and then synced her walk with Indigo, dropping her voice to speak under her breath. “It’s best to keep Bear’s blood sugar up.”

Indigo smirked. She could relate to that, why she had been relieved they had ended up in a noodle bar. “Well if we have a good out come I’ll take you all for Freec burgers. Best things after a long night.” Indigo said. She was almost able to taste it now. It was something she liked after a night shift or a few beers with breakfast.

“With any luck,” said Calliope, “We’ll be picking one up for Mr. Messier too.”