A Call for Aid
01 Oct 2021Anden Beliam
The smell of recycled air fills my senses as my boots maglock to the floor. Burnell Station in Sol has always felt quaint and welcoming. Near running down the boarding ramp, Kalia rushes past me, bee lining for the lift doors. “Comm me when you’re ready to go!” She says smiling.
I don’t have to ask where she’s going to be. It’ll be the bar. I sigh and give her a quick two finger salute and chuckle to myself. I go under the Halestorm and check the xeno sensor stability. It’s locked in well enough, though tacking a few stability slags wouldn’t hurt.
“Hey, Beliam.” I hear a voice I know well from behind me.
“How is the crew doing,Rick?” I ask as he stops beside me.
Rick is the search and rescue rep for Burnell. The crew I just had off loaded for care and rehab will hopefully be back to sailing the black soon. They had been brought in from a wing of wrecked Cobras and a Krait. A freaking Krait of all things and the sight of the Mk2 near broke my heart. That and I still didn’t know how or what had attacked them so far above the plane.
“They’ll be all right.” He says with that resolute strength he always shows, but let’s out a sigh, “Though I’m glad you got them back when you did. If it had been much longer...”
I nod, not needing to hear the rest, “That’s good to hear. If anyone can get them back out there, it’ll be you. Hell, why do you think I come out to this rink-a-dink station?”
“The booze and the news?” Rick says chuckling.
“Yeah, you got me there. Speaking of which, let me get ya drink. You could probably use a drink after everything.” I offer, cleaning the slag points of the scanner base.
“Normally I’d say no. But what the hell.” He replies, his laugh sincere as he claps me on the shoulder.
::::At the Bar:::
The finishing notes of the bourbon begin to fade away, leaving a taste of toasted caramel. I sigh and take another sip. At the view port I can hear Kalia’s laugh ring like a bell as she jokes with a couple other for hire crew pilots. She had been a bit of risk to hire on, but she had held her own in all of the battles and conflicts we had been in. She had become so much a part of my life with Hale that I felt a little pull in my stomach hearing her laugh. That was not a place I wanted to go. It definitely was not a good idea to form attachments like with your one other crew member. Wasn’t it?
“You off to your real home away from home after you’re done here?” Rick asks, nursing a beer.
“Yeah, there, reload and then out again.” I nod, taking another sip.
“Where are you heading out this time? Gonna finally make that trip to the Sag?” Rick asks, downing the rest of his drink.
“Nah, got a comm from Massiah. Apparently there is a prison in need of some help….out in...gods if I can’t remember.”
I pull up and flick through my messages, “There, HIP 16217.”
I shrug, thinking that was the last place I would normally go out to help with something. Rick nods slowly. His eyes go distant as if thinking of something disastrous event from his past.
“That’s out...out near Pleiades systems. Yeah?”
It was my turn to nod. If it was a prison, calling for help that close to ‘goid territory and space, there was a chance for some encounters with ‘em.
“You thinking what I think you’re thinking?” I ask.
“You tell me. After that mess with them in Cornsar...let’s just say I wouldn’t be surprised. Anyway, better you than me. Though,...if you find any…” He begins to say.
“You’re sure to get another visit from me if I do. I’ll let you get back to the treatments.” I say, downing the rest of the drink.
Flicking my comm to Kalia I can hear the small chime from her comms muffled through the chatting and the laughter of the bar. I can hear her offer quick goodbyes then speed off in the direction to the lifts. She was becoming a dedicated crew member, one that brought her own quirks that made life more full and interesting aboard the Halestorm.
“All right. Well, my friend,” I say, taking his hand in farewell, “Stay safe.”
“You as well.” He says, then turns on his heel to go back to his facility.
As I take the lift back to my hangar, I begin to feel a little tension and tingle at the back of my neck. Gods above...if they ‘goids are attacking a prison facility, what could that mean. I flick a message to Hale to begin preflight checks and warm up the drives.
Everyone tells you it’s a dangerous place out there in the black. Every time I’ve come out on top for better or worse. Got my crew and my ship. Time to take to the stars again.