5 - Dax's Journal

From the Audio Journal of Dax Holloway

01 April 4000 18:78pm

"So, I uh, I did a thing and now Cap's real mad at me. It, uh, it weren't a very good thing - but it got us the 8 credits that lady - Lisa... no Isa yeah that's it Isa, what she said she needed done. Well I got doin' it." Dax inhales here, his voice shaking a bit.

"Yeah, so, uh, drat. I killed him - the man from the holo. Burned him right up, and that didn't sit well with the Captain but here's the deal - he were shootin' at US! They shot Juni, again! Luckily she's gonna make a full recovery I been told. So I let 'em have hell in a handgun as payback and by golly did it work good! The range on this thing is almost un-real, oh yeah, "this thing" is the new handheld flamethrower the Cap gave me before this all went down..."

"Anyway more on the gun later, don't seem right singing its praises when I got in trouble fer doin' what I done. You see, I killed that man, and a couple of his friends... and probably another man - I mean I think that one was a woman actually but... Captain was mad that's the point here. He said something like, 'We ain't psycho murderers Dax!'"

"Shoot, even heard him curse and you don't hear Captain curse much. Not sure if he's a man of faith or just don't do it but that got me good when he used some foul language on me."

"Backing it up, we arrived on site and these folks had no clue we was there. Fog came in real thick-like and we tried sneaking up as best as we could but something tipped 'em off - probably me or Juniper since we was out front."

"They came out their little houses like death wasps come outta their nest - guns blazing once they could see us."

"We get to this point where they're taking a defensive position and Cap yells out to them, 'We just wanna talk!'"

"Almost worked too, their leader told them to stand down but then one of them heard Dravik coming around the flank and got spooked 'n shot Juni, poor Juni, so then I unleashed some holy fire that would make Silas proud."

"So, now I'm in trouble even though I'm the one that won the fight and killed half their forces! I mean, if a man is shooting at you, you got a right to defend yourself, right??"

"I don't know, so complicated out here in space. I know I done the right thing leaving the gang and tryin' to be a better man but back then if they wore red I shot 'em or slashed 'em. Simple. And I'm real good at shootin' 'em... and slashin' 'em too."

"Up here? It's all sorts of different but Cap's got a good head on them shoulders and a good heart. Just wish we wasn't in this mess, I gotta make it right. Maybe I can find some info on that Quintara business..."

"Anyway, I'm gonna get ready for some rest now. Last thing, something is up with that Dravik. He laid low this whole mission like he don't know how to use a gun but I seen it, I seen him use them guns! I wonder if he made that noise to spook them folks on purpose too... he were sneaking up so good I didn't see him then he just happens to kick a rock? Not buyin' it."

"Anyway, problem for another day. Thanks for listening to me ramble future me, or person goin' though my stuff when I'm space dust."

The recording ends with some rustling as Dax gets up and then abruptly ends as he begins walking somewhere on the ship.