Alligences 1 – How Much !!!
by Soghla' Terri (Tell) Hope & HoD Ro' Matlh

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Title   How Much !!!
Mission   Alligences 1
Author(s)   Soghla' Terri (Tell) Hope & HoD Ro' Matlh
Posted   Wed May 26, 2010 @ 5:32pm
Location   Ubatti Shipyards
Tell changed out of her uniform and into pale tan coloured clothes with a head wrap. She preferred to blend in and not stand out in a crowd. She would prefer the enclosure of her engine room than the wide open and sometimes crowded spaces of ship ports and yards. This one was no different to the others she had been in but it was in one like this that she had first came across the FHew. It had been her life line in the storm and had now become her home and was reluctant to stray far from it.

She carried a large shoulder bag for those more interesting little bits and pieces that she would find along the way and would no doubt come in handy sometime.

The yards and the port was busy with many numbers of ships in and people from all over the galaxy. Ports like this one always seemed to share a common smell whether it was ship fuel, body odours or both, it was all the same to her. Tell felt vulnerable and edgy out in the open but at the same time her eyes were darting from one face to another in the hopes that she might find her brother Jamie. This was just another port of call, one of many, he could have passed through here, she would ask a few traders along the way if they had heard or seen any one by that name.

She found a trader she knew well and had worked for him once before joining the FHew. He had been a good boss and she afforded herself a rare smile when she saw him. He had grown tubbier over the last few years and his laugh was just as large as his belly was but his voice was as deep as the ocean and held such a resonant quality that when he sang, he held Tell enthralled. They had spent many a drunken singing session together. She watched him from a distance as he had made a good sale and pocketed the cash.

She made her way to his stall, his back was turned towards her so he hadn't seen her approach.

"Malcky you old fool" she shouted "I swear you have got bigger since the last time I saw you"

He turned round only half recognising the voice and was surprised to see her standing there.

"Well I'll goo to the bottom of ooour stairs!" he exclaimed "Tell, me old salty shipmate , you certainly are a sight for these old eyes and you scrub up pretty well too. Come ere me ole mucker."

He lifted her in a huge bear hug and laughed uproariously and then held her away from him. "Your far to thin Tell, far to thin. Ere lets have a sup a tea together and a good ole chat."

They walked off to the nearest canteen for a fry up and a mug of tea and a catch up over what's gone down over the last few years. Mostly they talked shop, there was nothing that Malcky didn't know about engines and had taught Tell everything he knew but after working for him for six months she needed to move on. Looking at him she could tell that there was something else on his mind.

"What's up" Tell asked as she drank her tea

"I'm getting to old for this now Tell" he admitted "I might just retire to a little place I have on Risa"

She nearly choked on her tea and then she playfully punched him on the arm. "That's not like you Malcky you said that your ship would see you out."

Malcky feined pain, rubbed his arm and looked at the young engineer and envied her youth.

"Take my ship Tell, have it its yours, you earned it" he told her "Just drop me off at Risa and you can have her"

"Malcky you have to be joking, and you know I don't like practical jokes. So drop the pretence and tell me what's going on with you?"

Malcky lay back with his arms folded across his chest and laughed. "Can't keep anything from you Tell can I. Nuthin's goin on 'cept my tired old bones wanting a rest and I got mesel a girl waitin on Risa for me."

He put his hands behind his head and was lost in thought thinking about the girl who was waiting for him. "You've always wanted your own ship Tell and now's your chance. It won't cost you a thing and it would make me very happy to know that the old 'Lady Hispaniola' would be in good hands."

"Pah" replied Tell "And forever be beholden to you. I know you to well Malcky you would put something in the small print where I would have to pay you something back what ever it would be and I'm not going to marry one of your sons if that's what your thinking. No I have a job, I'm an Engineer not a Starship Captain, I fix things, its the only thing I know how to do." and then she laughed and punched him on the arm again "That and singing drunken songs with you."

"Can't say I tried then" he sighed rubbing his other arm "What about a partnership then hmm? Your a damm fine engineer Tell but whoever cut your hair needs a good seein too, though in an odd kind of way it kinda works"

Tell shook her head "It would be worse than being married to you.... Have you seen or heard anything Malcky ..... about Jamie?"

"No nothin, you know I keep a look out, just in case. He'll turn up one day Tell, just like a bad penny."

"So Malcky I have a list for you." and she passed it over "I want a good price on those and she pointed to the top of the list, those for free and I'll pay a quarter of your cost on those and delivered free."

Malcky grumbled and complained as they walked back to his stall but he would do her a good deal. Tell checked over her merchandise. Malcky said he would deliver them with in the hour.

"Which ship are you on Tell"

"I'm on the Klingon vessel the FHew"

Malcky whistled through his teeth. "Working with Klingon's Tell? You must be desperate if your serving on that bucket of bolts...... " Seeing the look on her face he laughed. "But I'm sure the engine runs real sweet with you there." he added as an after thought.

After a few insults thrown at each other and a bear hug from Malcky that would have crushed her bones for the second time. He watched her leave and decided there and then to pack up and leave himself and be off this pig sty of a planet before the storm clouds gathered.

Tell wandered for a little while longer picking up a few bits and pieces here and there but always looking for Jamie's face in the crowd. She decided to return to the FHew but as Tell turned she saw a ship she recognised, which Tell had never hoped to see again. It caused her to scan the crowds quickly for a different face and with her heart pounding intensely in her brain, she made her way back to the protection of the Klingon ship and the confines of her engine room.