ACT I

SCENE 1

The stage is empty except for a few rows of dusky
seats, none which look clean and all of which are
empty, except for one.  It is occupied by a
slumped figure, sleeping and wearing a cloak with
a hood which is drawn to hide her face.  She is
dressed finely but looks uncomfortable in it.  She
is TYN, once a sky pirate and now a nobody.

SHIP WORKER:
C'mon you, end of the line.  Time to get out.

TYN:
Don't rush this.

SHIP WORKER:
Listen you-

TYN:
Your attention would be better spent outside.  Someone is
stealing your cargo.

TYN points off stage and instantly the SHIP WORKER
darts off, yelling.  She takes her time getting up
and rearranges her clothes, clearly not happy with
what she is wearing.  She finally gathers her bags and
walks off stage.  The rows of dusky seats are
cleared and a moon and the backs of buildings and
alleyways replace it.  TYN makes her way slowly but
with ease through the streets, silent and in
thought.  While she walks, voices are heard from
off-stage.

VERA:

(From off-stage.)
Melantha! How are you?

MELANTHA:

(From off-stage also.)
Vera? I'm fine, how are you? Is Theani and the baby
okay?

VERA:
We're all fine.  Bit of a scare last week but everything's
all good now.  ...Speaking of which... have you heard
from Tyn?

MELANTHA:
Not since she left for your place... no.

VERA:
Wait - she was with you first? I thought-

MELANTHA:
Yes.  ...It happened here, actually.  Their parting. 

VERA:
And you let it happen?

MELANTHA:
You said yourself maybe it was her time to go.

VERA:
Perhaps. But I never thought it would happen though.  ...That
idiot.  I bet he's regretting it.

MELANTHA:
I didn't think it would either and I wouldn't be so
sure he is.  He was different.  He was-

VERA:
So you don't know where she is?

MELANTHA:
I thought she was with you, to be honest.

VERA:
No, she's already moved on.  How long did she stay with you
for?

MELANTHA:
A week, if that.

VERA:
Same.

There is a silence as TYN pauses outside a
building and looks at it in half regret, half
interest.  She can't seem to enter the building but
she also can't seem to leave the street either.

VERA:
Well-

MELANTHA:
If I get in contact with her, I'll tell her to send a
comm to you at least.

VERA:
Same.  Have you spoken to Jairdan yet?

MELANTHA:
He wasn't exactly happy when he discovered I'd told Tyn
if she left him she could work with me for a while, so
no.

VERA:
Guess he won't want to hear from me either then.

MELANTHA:
He's already having trouble recording the finances so
it's not obvious what they're doing.  I'd suggest you
wait until he contacts you first, then he can't be
angry.

VERA:
I'm not doing the work she did. He'll have to fix his mistakes
by himself for once.

MELANTHA:
Nasty wake up call for him.

VERA:
He's 26 years old.  About time.  He still has Amelia
anyhow, she's nice enough.

MELANTHA:
But lacking.

VERA:
No Tyn for sure.  No me.  But he'll have to cope.

MELANTHA:
Will he?

VERA:
Will she?