Reditus Magi

<Snip>
He didn't particularly feel like being friendly, but everyone looked so bedraggled and it sent a pang of empathy through him, they'd been through a lot, so he gave Jamie and White Wolf a tight lipped smile, Plisken’s shoulder a quick squeeze, and Artemis a nod, before exiting the bay.
Light glinted from one oiled buttock as he strode off.
</Snip>

Plisken watched Alex leave the cargo bay. He wasn’t acting out of the ordinary but something seemed different about him. Of course it might have been the fact that he was dressed in a loincloth and his skin shinning with oil. Plisken felt like chasing after him but it was perhaps better to leave him be. Cass, Jade and Katrina had dashed away to rescue Jay, whom Plisken had completely forgotten about until just now. It seemed like a long while since they’d set out to find a cure for his nanophage. Plisken’s medical skills were shoddy at best. It had been a long time since his basic medical training.
“Day dreaming again?” asked Jacky. Plisken smiled as he turned to talk to the scientist. Jacky was looking slightly bedraggled, much like the rest of the crew that milled about the cargo bay waiting for reports of Jay’s condition.
“I always am,” said Plisken as he padded his friend on the shoulder.
“It’s been a while since we fought those Huzzards, eh?” said Jacky, thinking back to those early days.
Plisken laughed, “The three smeg heads! We should do that again sometime.”
Plisken and Jacky parted ways, Plisken making his way to his quarters. The Thumper that Plisken-2 had given him back on the planet was still strapped onto his back. Plisken had felt reluctant to leave it behind; he may very well need it some day. Maybe Artemis could fix it up so that it works through dimensions.

Meanwhile

Plisken-2 strode through the Temple. Quite clearly a great battle had taken place, the palace now a shadow of its former glory.

<Snip>
The circle broke as Archmages released their grip on the Mage next to them, and everyone entered.
"It was good to see you again, Narcissa." He said to Cass as she approached.
And so, one by one, they entered. Everyone said their goodbyes to their alternates, or to those whom they had shared time with.
</Snip>

“Afternoon, Alex,” said Plisken-2 bitterly, finding little surprise that he would be near the centre of all this.
“Hey, Plisky!” purred Jaayday, seemingly attached to Alex.
“Miss,” said Plisken, quietly annoyed at her lack of manners.
Twalex seemed slightly annoyed, if not down right furious at Plisken-2’s arrival.
“What do you want, old man,” said Twalex, a little too viciously.
“Ohh, Lexi- don’t be rude to Old Mr. Plisky,” Jaayday said softly.
“Look, Alex,” said Plisken-2, not waiting for Twalex’s reply, “I only came to give you something.” Plisken-2 reached into his coat pocket and produced a silvery hip flask. He tossed it over to his former friend, who caught it before it fell to the ground.
Twalex opened the flask and proceeded to down the contents, “What’s the occasion?” he asked but Plisken-2 was already gone.

Meanwhile

Garth poured over some of computer read outs. Brittany had demanded information on Jay, which she could have easily got by herself seeing as the Blue Dwarf had been very nearly deserted during the crew’s adventures in dimensions but it was not wise to question a monarch. Garth, not knowing Jay very well, had only a few comments on the man. Of course Garth was far from compliant with Brittany’s requests at the best of times but she always had a way of getting what she needed from Gath anyway. A soft bleep from one of the consoles broke Garth’s thoughts. The beep indicated the arrival of Brittany, no doubt back from terrorising Garth’s crew mates. Hopefully her little excursion through time and space had not brought her to the Genesis Ark, which he hoped Plisken still had hidden away deep within the bowls of the Blue Dwarf. The portal opened up and the monarch stepped through, bringing someone with her.
“Hello Cass,” said Garth as the portal closed.

Meanwhile

Plisken stood under the shower as hot water poured over him. Sand and dust had dirted his skin and it had been a while since the last time he’d really had time to wash. The water stung his wounds, especially the open cut above his metal arm. Word had reached him, mainly by Holly, that Jay had recovered. Of course this was, in Plisken’s mind, over shadowed by the appearance of Brittany. She was bound to know that he was here now and probably more than a bit still pissed about the whole Ark thing. It was good then the he hadn’t suggested its use earlier, or Brittany might have found it. A sharp knock came on the glass of the shower door, interrupting Plisken’s thoughts. Plisken punched the shower control and wrapped a towel around him. The figure was hard to make out for the steam the clouded the glass but it was unmistakably a Skutter. Plisken slid the door open and looked down at the small blue droid. On a cart behind it were a pile of clean clothes. There was little point in wearing his guard’s jumpsuit anymore, not that it still fitted him very well anymore. The clothes the Skutter had brought were clean and crisp- white shirts and a black waistcoat, much like his alternative on the dessert planet. Perhaps these clothes would be more becoming of a man of his age. Still going to wear the hat and coat though.

After Plisken had dressed, he began to wander the corridors, trying to stay away from the overly bright pink room. He had the goal of bumping into Alex or Artemis or maybe even Seymour, who Plisken had yet to really talk to. But in truth, he just didn't want to sit in his room by himself.