It’s A Job, Trust Me

Posted on Sun Nov 11th, 2018 @ 2:25pm by Chief Engineer Mellicent Borden

Mission: Mission 8 - Shattered
Location: Middle of Nowhere
Timeline: Several Weeks Ago
1322 words - 2.6 OF Standard Post Measure

On:

From the next bar over, Mel watched as the events unfolded. Mack had picked another fight and this time he actually managed to walk away without much need for medical help. Mel picked up her mug of bear and slammed it down, as she placed the half-smoked cigar back in her mouth. Lining up her shot, she aimed the cue stick at its target and sent the last ball flying into the side corner pocket. She turned to her "guests" and smiled, "Wow," she giggled, "must be beginners’ luck." From behind her she heard the foot falls of her rather large friend and current bodyguard. "What’s the matter Mack, get your ass handed to you again," she asked?

"Little freaking pixy bit..," he plopped his entire frame into a small chair as he held his nose, "All I wanted was a dance and the psycho tramp tried to beat me up."

Mel laughed, "I've told you this anything horizontal is not a dance." She smiled to her guests as she set the cue stick down, "Five minutes guys," she turned her attention to Mack. After a few seconds of careful observation and without any warning, she grabbed his nose and tweaked it till she heard a pop, "There all set, and this time I didn't have to get out mister needle," she mocked in a childlike voice.

The 6 foot plus man didn't make a sound until Mel had finished. He looked up from his chair in a small still voice managed to whisper, "ouch...."

"Now where were we," she eyed the table, "Oh yes ..," she picked up the cue stick tapping a pocket, "8 ball, that pocket," she fired the ball off, banking it on two sides without even lining up the shot landing the ball in it's desired location.

One of the men sitting in the table nearest to them stood up in a hurry, "You lied, you crazy,..." he stopped as Mack stood up cracking his knuckles. "There 275 credits," the man slammed the credits on the table, "Freakin .., " he muttered as he stormed off muttering.

Mel picked up the credits as she took a deep breath; the room had suddenly filled with aroma that she hadn't smelled in a long time. Tossing Mack a few credits, "Mack go get us both a beer," she waited till he left to say anything. Still facing the table, she knew who it was. He still smelled of stale beer, grease, and trouble. "Whatever it is Saul," Mel stated, "the answer is no." She turned and rack up another round of pool. "Not interested!"

"Awww babe you haven't even heard my proposal," He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her pulling her close, giving her hair a sniff as he held her. "You still smell like whiskey.” Saul looked over his shoulder, “Hey Mack it’s good to see you again," he nodded as Mack approached them both. "It involves guns, fun, and the theft of a very sexy star ship," he stated.

Mel put her arm around his waist and smiled, "Ah Saul, you really know how to butter a girl up. You used my two favorite words, guns and sex." She smiled, "So what do you have in mind? And you can forget me calling you Captain, Boss, Sir, Your Highness, or any other "pet" name that pops into your little head," she muttered remembering how touchy-feely Saul liked to get. ".. oh, and Mack is coming with me, too," she added.

"Good, I've always liked Mack, he's fun to cuddle with," Saul winked at him before he kissed Mel's cheek. "I need a Engineer, but you've got to play nice with my First Mate. If you can't, this aint gonna work babe."

"Saul, you bastard," Mack muttered drinking his beer.

Mel looked Saul in the face for a brief moment and suddenly it was clear. She fiddled with the cue stick in her hand as she slowly started to turn red, then in one swift movement she snapped the cue stick in several pieces sending bits of wood flying everywhere. "If you think a kiss on the cheek is going to make me say yes," she tapped her forefinger on his cheek, "Your nuts. Not him, ever. Does he even know you are here?"

"Not so much," Saul made a face. "I know, I know I have to tell him before he sees you. But you have to promise me you'll play nice. We're going to be making some good credits with this job, it's huge. I'll put in some nice incentives. Might even let you bang the Captain," he winked.

From behind the two figures Mack pretended to heave, "sorry, something in my stomach," he gave Mel a wink.

"Play nice,” she looked at Mack.

“I can't promise, but be civil maybe," she stated as she let her fingers trace the contours of his chest, "As for the incentives Sweetie, I'll pick those." Mel wasn't into the idea of seeing her ex-husband again, or even working with Devon. It was odd that Saul hadn’t told Devon he was recruiting her; that fact wasn’t lost on her either. But she needed the money; plain and simple. This was a job, and Saul usually came through on his promise. She looked him over and grinned, “for this one I might have to make you pay up front,” she forced a smile.

"There’s another catch, we have to steal the ship from the Red Dragon Triad, and it's going to be dangerous. Hence the gun play," Saul smiled at her. "You in?"

"I guess," she added, "what’s the pay?"

"You guess?" Saul laughed softly and gave her a look? "Pay will be based on job performance. It won't be much but it'll be enough. I run a good ship, just look at the ol' Starsprite. Captain Rogers loved me."

"I guess," she stated.

Mack lifted his beer and a Romulan disruptor, "anything to give it to the Triad," he smiled trying to cut the tension.

"Tomorrow morning, warehouse district," Saul handed her an envelope and gave her a smile. "Just dispose of that when you're done, like normal. We'll stage and plan there."

Mel took the envelope from Saul give him a quick hug and nodded to Mack. As the two left the bar Mack couldn’t help but ask, “you sure about? You, Devon… trapped on a ship. Your last meeting wasn’t exactly friend, if I remember.”

Mel nodded, “it’s a job, trust me. It will work.”

=A Week Later=

Mack looked up from the bunk he was occupying, “So what now, Miss Trust-Me?”

Mel smirked, and sighed as she looked at the forcefield. Someone had tipped off the Federation as to their movements, and well things didn’t go as planned. “I’ll get us out of here, I have connections.”

“Your Daddy,” he mocked. “That man isn’t going to bail you out every time you end up in prison. He’s gotta be runnin out of favors by now.”

Mel walked over to the bunk and gave Mack a shove, as she laid down beside him. Resting her head on his chest, “When have I ever not come through… and Risa doesn’t count.”

“Beredda 3,” Mack asked?

“Hay, how was I suppose to know that…” Mel replied but was cut off.

“Q'onoS,” Mack laughed.

“Again, not my fault,” Mel snapped. “The Orions,” she slapped his shoulder.

“Risa,” he raised a hand before she could reply, “the second time.”

She gave Mack a hard shove, well as hard as she could anyways. She closed her eyes as Mack wrapped an arm around her. “I will work it out, and we will find a home soon, trust me.”

OFF::

Mellicent “Mel” Borden
Engineering Chief
SS Mary Rose

Mackenzie “Mack” Porter
Engineer
SS Mary Rose
(PNPC Borden)