Poker Face

Posted on Sun Sep 1st, 2019 @ 10:02am by Captain Rueben Gregnol & Commodore Ledeya ‘Ed’ Ehestri (*)

Mission: Mission 9 - Daucina
Location: Daucine - Snow Plains
Timeline: MD 10 14:00
1734 words - 3.5 OF Standard Post Measure

Tucker had made his way down to the shuttle bay and was waiting for the Captain to arrive. Rueben had contacted him and was looking for someone to ride along to meet with one of his business contacts on the surface and considering this was the first time he was being brought along on this kind of job he was looking forward to it. He'd gone for a more rugged cowboy look, with a pair of boots and a decent button up flannel shirt. It wasn't new, but it fit him well enough.

Having skipped the hat, he had gone with a fine leather belt and an oval belt buckle. The belt buckle was nickel and bronze with a barbed wire edge that wrapped around the edge, with a silver-tone filigree design. In the center was a bronze star with a bronze circle around it. On his belt he had his phaser, his knife and a flashlight should he need it. It was pretty standard wear for him.

"I am glad you dressed the part," Gregnol commented on as he looked the man over as he appeared in the shuttle bay. Gregnol was dressed in keeping with his old earth style of jeans and a battered leather jacket. It felt nice to be wearing it instead of the ship clothes he wore. He was glad to see that he had a phaser but he was hopeful it wasn't going to be needed.

"I'm a cowboy captain, you can take me off the ranch but can't take the ranch out of me," Tucker said with a charming grin. "So who are we going to meet and what are we trying to get out of em?"

"You and Robinson have to be friends." The man commented on before his expression turned dark. He hadn't wanted to admit anything until they were down on Daucina and the man couldn't back out. "Just a woman." The Captain admitted knowing fall well that the man's interest would be pipped even more by that prospect.

"He seems like a decent sorta fellow, and spent a lot of time with him," Tucker looked over at the Captain and arched one of his brows at his comment. "Oh, if you say it like that then she ain't just a woman."

Reuben shook his head quickly hearing the tone in the man's voice. "No, she certainly isn't just a woman. And someone my wife can't know about... and it isn't like that." He knew if Jeassaho knew before he went she would want to come along to see an old friend.

Tucker smirked at the man and shrugged, "I ain't one to judge captin'. I'm here to help you, cover you if you need it. Maybe charm some pretty, rich woman so we get a nice high paying job for the Rosie."

"You haven't met her yet," Gregnol whispered wisely as he jumped up into the shuttle. "Now do you want to drive or do I get to drive?" He asked heading to the pilot seats to start the pre-flight checks. It had been a while since he had done anything like that.

"That's true, I haven't met her yet," Tucker shrugged as he glanced over the shuttle controls. "I was red squad in the academy, I'm a damn good pilot. Probably be better if I take the con."

Gregnol sighed and moved to sit in the co-pilot seat annoyed. He knew the man was right but didn't mean he liked it at all. "Da Red Squad means nothing to me other than jumped up drivers." The man teased knowing he said that everything Tucker commented on it. "Just get us down there alive okay."

"Jumped up drivers?" Tucker's accent got a little thicker. He took a lot of pride in what he'd done in the academy, even if he was booted out of Starfleet. His mind shifted to the console in front of him as he finished going through the check. "Maybe you're thinking of Nova Squadron. Red Squad trains it's pilots to be the best and gives them a far more well-rounded education and practical experience."

"Definitely know who I am talking about. The security around them was a nightmare." The Captain assured with a small smirk at the man. He didn't have the best relationship with a lot of his crew seeming to be cold or aloof to them but he was trying to be a little more interactive with them.

Tucker laughed at that as the ship cleared the shuttle bay and increased thruster power to clear the ship. Once he was clear, he banked away from the ship and started heading for the planet. "The security part sounds about right I reckon. Had some great parties, beautiful girls..."

Gregnol said nothing as they arrived at an isolated landing padd and the ship was revealed to be one of only two there. The other being a Starfleet shuttle. "Into the belly of the beast." Gregnol murmured as a figure stood waiting by the vessel they had come in.

"And you get to go with me, how lucky for you," Tucker said with a grin, although his demeanour might have been a little playful, he was a vigilant and as watchful as ever. He did not like the idea of them meeting with someone from Starfleet.

As they got closer Gregnol stopped and waited for the figure who wasn't wearing a Starfleet uniform and certainly carried herself with the aloofness of Starfleet. "Tucker meet Ledeya Ehestri, Commanding Officer of the USS Cosmos and Task group Commander of 72-B. Did I get that correct?"He asked.

Ledeya smiled a little and nodded. "You got all correct for a man who is dead," Ledeya commented on looking at Tucker wondering what he was doing there.

"Ledeya," Tucker said with a nod her direction. He glanced over at the shuttle but was still on alert. "Nice you meet you darlin'. The name is Tucker Youngblood, just a simple operations officer working for a dead man. Least I was right Capt'n, she is pretty."

"You are insufferable Gregnol. Why did you summon me of all people? You know intelligence is wanting your ass arrested if we see you as they want to talk about the dimensional incursion that happened." Gregnol raised an eyebrow at the fact the woman knew about that. "Of course we know. It's an unknown universe." The woman added not letting on that she was, in fact, lying no one outside of her and her senior crew knew of it yet.

"Are you going to arrest me?" Gregnol added simply knowing he would be in and out within the house. Intelligence didn't really want him, they just liked him to think they did.

"She's gonna have to arrest us all I reckon," Tucker pipped up again. "Capt wasn't the only one that crossed over to the other side. Not like we chose to go over either."

Ledeya looked at the man who was piping up and smirked. "We should play poker sometimes but you approached me for a reason Gregnol?" Ledeya wondered softly as she looked at the Captain.

"I need you to arrange for Selina to get taken back to Starfleet." The man needed the pregnant woman off his ship. He loved having the woman there, it was like old times sometimes but he needed to know she was safe. Rosie was the place to bring up a child, she was falling apart for one thing.

Tucker arched one of his brows, he knew Selina in passing but really hadn't spent a lot of time with her. At this point, he felt his presence should be felt but not heard. There wasn't really anything he could add at this point in the conversation.

Ledeya nodded. "Was that all you needed?" The woman wondered looking at Tucker offering a kinder smile. The man wasn't needed but she knew why he had been brought.

"We need safe passage out of the system," Gregnol smirked a little. There were more than just the Cosmos on the Starbase above. It would only take one of them to look into the ship a little more and he would be in trouble. "Anyone else catches us I'll be in a little bit of trouble."

"Your ship is on a do not touch listing," Ledeya admitted, not having wanted to but she couldn't lie.

Now that was an interesting bit of information and not like Starfleet. Why wouldn't they want to talk to them? If they knew about the cross over there was little holding them back. "On who's order? That don't seem right."

"Above my clearance even as Task Group Commander." The woman answered with a shrug. She didn't care who gave the order, she followed it. Gregnol held his tongue, he knew exactly where it was coming from but some secrets were better left unsaid.

Tucker's hand rested on his firearm before he looked between the two of them and shook his head. "That's pretty shady Captain, don't need any of the Starfleet brass pokin' around and makin' our lives difficult."

"I don't think anyone other than me cares for your operations Mister Youngblood. If I wanted to make your life difficult I would have arrested you already and I wouldn't have come out of uniform." Ledeya said honesty. She wasn't the type to arrest old friends and more so if they were on a do not touch listing.

"We are safe. But I think we are finished here." Reuben decreed as Ledeya held out a PADD to him. "Thanks." He said indicating to Youngblood that they could leave.

"I meant what I said about poker Mister Youngblood. Call me." Ledeya threw over her shoulder as the small woman turned to leave herself.

"I wouldn't want to rob you of all your money now! That wouldn't be very gentlemanly of me," Tucker shot her a smirk. "But maybe I'll do that next time we find ourselves around each other."

"She's the best poker player I have ever met Tucker. You most likely will be robbed." Gregnol said to the man grinning. Ledeya Ehestri didn't loose at much at all.

OFF::

Captain Ledeya ‘Ed’ Ehestri
Commanding Officer
USS Cosmos / TG 72-B
(PNPC Gregnol)

Reuben Gregnol
Captain
SS Mary Rose

Tucker Youngblood
Chief Operations
SS Mary Rose