Repayment 2

Posted on Sun Jan 1st, 2012 @ 11:15pm by Melody Johnson & Petty Officer First Class Tanner Willeg

1,222 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Mission 78 - Colonial Uprising
Location: SB400 Promenade
Timeline: Current..around 1300 hours

Melody met with her other applicant early that morning and by 1100 hours she had made her decision and she was ready to meet with Mirren...which she did at 1100 hours in the shadows of the Promenade stairway where he slipped her a pouch and a computer disk. When he had melted into the crowd, Melody stuffed the items into the pockets of her cargo pants and headed back to the Blaze where she stashed the pouch in the safe in the closet of her quarters and slipped the disk into the slot of the Blaze's computer in the cockpit. She reviewed the data then shut down the computer and headed back to the Promenade to look for Tanner.

One of the smaller shops in the forums was a small coffee-house, the building-front set back from the main strip where passer-by cut through the starbase. Tables for the cafe scattered both within the quiet confines of the shop walls, where those who wanted peace could sit and do as they please, and also outside along the path where it was often loud, busy and more ideal for people watching. Tanner sat at one of the tables outside, but she wasn't paying any mind to the traffic going through, except when someone in more of a rush than the others thought to cut between the tables to get through the throng and bumped into her.

The table in front of her hosted several PADDs, some spread out, screens blinking or glowing in their own silent symphony, others stacked and set far to one side, and an impressive collection of coffee mugs in a parade of primary colors, nothing in them but the last dregs of some very poorly made grounds in various states of growing coolness.

Melody spotted Tanner at an outside table of one of the small cafes and walked over to her. "Tanner? You busy?" She asked.

Raising her head at the sound of her name, Tanner rubbed a hand at the back of her neck, and set aside the PADD she'd been hovering over. "Not too busy."

Melody sat down across from Tanner. "Are you still interested in what we talked about yesterday?"

"Of course." Tanner skimmed the table and began shoving the mugs to one side, PADDs to the other to allow Melody room.

Melody smiled and said, "Good. If you could meet me in an hour at Docking Bay H Slip 214 I'll give you a tour of my ship."

"Looking forward to it." Despite the numerous PADDs, Tanner didn't make any note of the information. "Once I meet Blaze, it'll be far easier to pick out a gift."

"I warn you," Melody said standing up and smiling, "he's got expensive tastes. Besides. If you start showering him with gifts you'll spoil him and there'll be no living with him then." She laughed and added, "see you in an hour," turned and walked away. Melody went up to her tavern and informed her manager that her "leave of absence" would be starting sooner than she had thought, gathered a few of her belongings from the office and left O'Dell's. She returned to the Blaze and began preparing for their departure.

One hour later she walked to the end of the docking tube and informed the Dock Master that she was expecting company then returned to her ship to wait for Tanner.

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"What if someone comes looking for you? What do I tell them? I'm not prepared to deal with this. You can't do this to me!"

A handful of toiletries fell into a bag. Tanner rolled her eyes and sighed, "I already told you... nobody's going to come looking for me."

"But what if they do? What do.."
"Tell them the truth."
"But I don't know anything."
"Right. And if some one asks, which nobody will... that's what you say."
"I know you're leaving."

Tanner stopped, put her hands on the panicked science officer's shoulders, took a deep breath and willed her roommate to do the same. "Albert... calm down. Nobody will come looking for me. Nobody will ask about me. If, for some unknown reason anyone does, you can tell them everything you know, which is that I left, and I plan to return."

The nervous Talaxian took a breath, listened intently, then continued to ring his hands and follow Tanner as she wandered back and forth, dropping more items into the bag. "They'll want to interrogate me."

"They won't interrogate you." There wouldn't be reason. If there was, nobody would bother interrogating Albert. He was the worst liar she'd ever met.

"Why can't you just tell me where you're going? Then I won't have to worry."

"I'm going... on holiday." Technically, it was a holiday from her normal job, so that was true enough. "And you watched me pack an emergency kit, so there's no reason to worry."

"On holiday. Like vacation?"
"Exactly like."
"To a beach?"
"Maybe."
"I guess that's okay then."

Thank the gods. Slinging her bag over one shoulder, Tanner lifted a box and handed it to Albert. "And I've made you an emergency kit, too."

"You didn't have to..." Albert grabbed the box, already lifting the lid to peak inside. "Pie! It smells like... blackberry."

"Yep."
"I love blackberry pie."
"I know."
"You're coming back, right?"
"Yep."
"You're sure?"
"Would I leave all this stuff, if I wasn't coming back?"

Glancing around the room, Albert frowned, as though he couldn't find any reason someone would leave everything behind. "I guess not."

"Then I guess I'm coming back."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
"And if..."
"Nothing's going to happen."
"But... Can I... hmm."
"What?"
"If something happens, and you don't come back..."

Standing in the doorway, Tanner raised a brow, "I'm coming back."

"But if you don't, can I have the recipe for the pie?"

Tanner smiled, "Albert, if something terrible happens and I don't come back, you can have all the recipes."

"K then. Have fun on your vacation."

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Tanner had stopped to look out at the Blaze before entering the docking bay. Looking out the viewer from the upper deck, she'd noted that the hull was clean and appeared taken care of. Of course, the most important things about any ship couldn't be seen from the outside.

At the end of the concourse, she paused, taking a moment to listen to the sound of various shuttles and ships nearby. There wasn't much traffic. Tanner took the last couple of steps and boarded the Blaze, knowing that regardless of all else, it was one ship that was preparing to move.

One hour later the tour of the Blaze was over and Melody looked at Tanner. How soon can you be ready to leave?" She asked.

Tanner shrugged the bag off her shoulder, letting it slide to the floor. "Ready whenever you are."

Melody was a bit surprised by Tanner's eagerness. She thought to herself, "she acts like someone wanting to get away as quickly as possible. Like someone on the run." Melody understood that kind of motivation and, if it were true, it made her trust her new co-pilot a little bit more.

"Then stow your stuff in your quarters and join me in the cockpit when you're done," Melody said, then added, "oh. And Tanner? Welcome aboard."

Tanner smiled, "thanks. Good to be aboard."

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