Ticket to Ride

Posted on Sun Jul 12th, 2009 @ 4:53pm by Lillian Merricks & Walter Jones

1,081 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Session One - Jailhouse Rock
Location: Starbase 376
Timeline: Present

ON:

Running; that's all she did, now, and all she would ever do. Lillian could only run from Starfleet and the Federation and hope that, maybe one day they will just leave her alone. She is too distraught, too discouraged to tell anyone of what happened during that damned operation - no matter what classified information she had, who would want a cranky, middle-aged woman anyway? It seemed more than she knew, if Starfleet kept on pursuing her.

She was the last one left. Everyone else seemed to have given up on running, and they turned themselves in - but not Lillian. No, not her. She had been running for a year and a half now, and she had still managed to evade the grasp of the Federation. Now, as she arrived by cargo ship on this Starbase, it was her last, desperate gamble to either find her a way out of the Quadrant, or at least a safe haven of which to rest and recoup from her flight. But first she had to find her way onto the base.

The ship docked, and knowing that there were two security check-points for a ship such as this, she donned not only her stolen Breen mask and uniform, but she also slipped her cloak and hood and what was left of her supplies under the suit. There was a Breen member registered to the crew of the vessel, but only because she had paid the Captain the last of the latinum she had procured. This was it. Once she got past these check-points, she had to find a way out, or be captured.

***

A half hour later, Lillian found herself roaming the promenade of the small base. People were coming and going everywhere, and Lillian with her cloak and hood on her head blended into the crowd fine. There was nothing odd, since everyone was so different in the galaxy.

*What am I now to offer to someone for a blasted way out of here? I have no money, I only have my brain - but who is going to believe some ragged, tired, middle-aged woman was once a Starfleet Captain. I have some valuable knowledge I could offer, but hell, those civilian commanders just make me angry sometimes...*

Unknown to Lillian, she had only one way out, and that was with a certain commanding officer a little way away from where Lillian herself was located.

Jones was sitting at the station bar waiting for the bartender to bring him his two drinks. He found it soothing to have a drink before heading out in to space. Even though the artificial gravity on the ship had been tuned and adjusted it still gave him a headache. He smiled as the bartender brought his two rum and slugs over and sat them down. Walter leaned back on the cafe chair that rested near the entrance and people watched for a few moments. It was interesting to see the people coming and going, wondering where they came from, what they where doing there. He took another sip when a woman caught his eye. She seemed about his age but she looked tired, lost, and like she needed a drink. He took his feet off the other chair and called to her.

"Hey... you.. umm..." He pointed towards Lillian.. "Care to join me for a drink?." It was refreshing to see another human out here closer to his age.

Lillian turned to him with a scowl on her face.

"Pally, I don't care how nice you are or how good you are with the ladies, because unless you're a freighter captain, then I suggest you stop your venture and be gone."

"Turns out I am nice, not very good with the ladies, AND a freighter captain. So take you pick, but the drink is still on the table." Jones kind of smiled at her and moved the second glass towards the edge of the table. "Just looking for someone to have this other drink so I don't have to down it."

"I prefer not to drink, but in times like these..." she trailed off, and taking the glass she downed the thing in two gulps, ignoring the burning sensation running down her throat.

"So you're a freighter captain, aye? You don't look like much," she said with a shrug as she pushed her glass away. "But beside the fact, I'm looking for some quiet passage, if you will. I need a place too, let's just say, recoup and stay out of the light for a little bit, or a straight passage out of the quadrant."

Jones gave her a quick look up and down. "Well we aren't going out of the quadrant for a little while but I can offer you a bed and place to stay. Reasonable too.. and depending on how quiet you like it sounds like we might be right up your ally.." Jones finished the rest of the drink and slid it to the middle of the table. "Because of the nature of our work, we try and avoid as much trouble as possible."

"If you take me on board, we can avoid trouble, I believe. The reasonable charges you speak of, well, they may have to be dealt with in a different fashion. I offer you work, and my knowledge. I was a somewhat different and slightly more... important person within Starfleet. And, of course, I can do some manual labor. I just want a ticket-to-ride and a bed, and no trouble will come of it."

Lillian smirked as she saw the man figuring out the best way to dispose of her. Then she piped up, running her finger around the edge of her glass, "Of course, if I am guaranteed passage, this up-to-date information on Starfleet ship movements could be... dug up, I suppose."

She was willing to do anything to get on that ship. She took a quick look around and realized that this man, who now seemed more or less a decent, well-to-do, though unlikely freighter captain, was her only hope of safety.

"Well, I've got a spare bunk, I'll take you on and keep it on the down. We can talk about repayment at a later time." The captain stood up and extended his hand to the woman. "I'm Walter Jones, captain of the SS Warden."

Shaking the man's hand, she thought, *Well that was easier than expected*.

It seems she had a way out.

OFF

 

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