"Hmmm," the multi-colored woman placed a hand on her hips. "I would actually like to leave the ship but not come with. I have some friends on the planet that might be able to help us out. And," she bit her lip, "if I bring you two," she gestures to Issa and Nathan, "they won't help. Let's just say they..." her eyes divert.

"Operate outside the law." Androw finished.

He assumed that was the direction the woman was going and, as she nervously nodded, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's fine. So long as you don't get roped into their mishaps, I don't see any harm in having shady friends." As Tasi kept her frown in tow, the human smirked and playfully elbowed her. "Hey now, I'm one of those shady people. We're not all that bad."

Her grin returned, as did her perky attitude. "Yeah, I guess you're right. It's just... these are some good friends." That sad face returns--clearly whatever these people did were enough to truly bother her to the core.

"We can't all walk a righteous path. Take it from someone who's lost everything. The line between black and white doesn't exist for people like us. We don't know right from wrong, black from white. We live in a world of gray."

There conversation would have continued but Galerow got a call on his device which he used to excuse himself from the room.

"I like him," Tasi said with a smile. "If he pans out to be useful, we might need to think about bringing him on-board full-time." She smirked. "Of course, that's if he can pass the tests." She shot a wink at Nathan, though it's meaning was lost.

-----

When they arrived, Tasi was first to leave the ship. "I'll keep you on the comm. If I run into issues, I'll be sure to send out my SOS. But I don't think I'll have troubles. When I'm done, I'll come back to the ship." And just like that, she ran off into the crowd.

Androw, shaking his head, turned to Nathan. "She's an interesting one."

Straightening his posture, his flicked his eyes to the man beside him. "And," he growled, "I owe you an apology." Sizing the man up, Androw nodded his head lightly, reaffirming his actions. "I should have been less defensive during your questioning and securing. I know it's not a valid excuse, but after all these years, I just can't separate that day from today. No matter who the hands belong to, it'll always bring back the night I lost her."

He paused and stared blankly out into the crowd before them. "I panicked and lost it. And I'm sorry. It... it won't happen again."

Not uttering another word, Androw stepped off the platform and down onto the docks. The place was surprisingly packed. The stench was godawful too. The smell of caked on sweat lingered in the air, as did the weathered scent of musk and mold. It smelled like a slum and, from the looks, it was one. The faces and attire of those out on this dock were tattered and wore. They looked as if this was their only means of life. That waiting for ships gave them hope. Too bad that wasn't the case. They had no mission, no job. These people were scurrying around for nothing.

And then it all stopped. As he walked further down the dock he began to feel eyes fall on him. It was unnerving. Why were all these...

"It's... it's you." A woman pulled from the crowd. "You've... you've come."

Androw's eyes darted to the manged boy beside her. His eyes were dry and losing their color. The way his skin was falling off him and the brittle look of his hair were dead giveaways to a rather wicked diseases. His lips, crackled and bleeding. His nose, torn and black. Everything... everything about him was horrific, like something straight out of a horror movie.

"A blood transfusion," he muttered. It was the only way to save the boy's life, assuming it wasn't too late.

"My father and my son are the same blood type," she began.

A grimaced crossed Androw's face as Nathan and Issa now stood nearby. "The boy's dying. On his last leg. I received a message a few months back from a woman on this planet requesting aid. However," he turned his back to the woman and looked Issa in the eye, "if I do what she asks, I lose my license to practice. It is illegal on this planet to commit assisted suicide." To bring Nathan up to speed (and perhaps Issa), he continued. "The grandfather would ultimately die. I would need to drain all his blood and take his heart out and put it in the boy. The boy, assuming his body can handle it, would have a 70-30 chance of living. It's usually higher, closer to 95-5, but the level of decay is unnerving in this case. There's no guarantee he'd make it a year, even if I helped."

Androw ran a hand through his hair. "It's your call, though. I'm here to assist you--not to perform illegal, pro-bono work."

A frown marred his face. He hated to put this kind of responsibility on Issa but as far as he was concerned, Issa was his boss until otherwise stated.