Working Together

Posted on Fri Dec 16th, 2022 @ 6:52am by Legate Imik S'Niohun [Lia Taylor]

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: From Jefferies Tube to Shuttle Bay
Timeline: MD 3 - 02:30-03:30
1910 words - 3.8 OF Standard Post Measure

Previously:

Sean rubbed the stubble on his chin as he thought. “‘Less systems come ba’ online, we’re gonna lose life s’port soon. We ‘ave no way of knowin’ if the Commodore ordered evacuation. ‘Ell! She migh’ e’en be dead wit this damage. May be bes’ ta fin’ a way off?” His last statement was a question to prove for Imik’s opinion.

Glancing at the console, Imik pointed to the Shuttle bay. "I would head here Chief, you could board a shuttle while I find my fighter. Once clear you might be able to beam survivors onto the shuttle, and my fighter would provide protection." She then mind walked in the general direction of the Shuttle bay, it proved reasonably clear for some distance. Returning, Imik turned to face O'Keefe, "I have walked towards the Shuttle bay, and it seems clear for most of the way. Only one or two difficult places, but we can get through if we work together."

“Aye!” Sean agreed, stretching forth his hand for a friendly shake. “It be a pleasure working’ aside ye.”

——————————

/ON/

Sean looked about them. He could see some of the circuitry had been damaged by something. It almost seemed as if there had been a power overload and caused several live wires to be exposed. He knew they would need to be careful around them.

“Okay Leg…,” he caught himself about to call her Leggy S’Niohun, “er, Legate S’Niohun!” Leggy did fit her. In more ways than one.

The Chief's hiccup in his response made Imik glance at him, she again scanned his mind and then shook her head. *Human males seem to have only one thing on their mind* she decided.

He led Imik to a companionway and looked downwards. Strange name: Companionway. Sean was happy he had such a beautiful companion with him on this adventure. He was about to say, “I’ll go down first and you can follow,” but remembered her seeming modesty when her skirt accidentally rose above her shapely arse.

“We should be able to reach the deck we need down these. After you, Legate,” Sean offered with a smile, believing he was being gentlemanly.

Moving forward, Imik started down. "My body is not for one such as you Chief, Ojnas males are somewhat larger than Human males. Your fantasies will have to remain simply that, a fantasy." Reaching the bottom Imik could see how badly damaged the vessel truly was, "Chief, be careful in your decent. This passageway has much damage and bare electrical wires."

He had begun the evening drinking away his sorrows over the failed relationship with Etrara. When she had attempted to take her life, he blamed himself for causing the confusion within her at the moment. He couldn’t understand a goddess, such as a woman, attempting such a feat because of a man. Of course, by drinking away his sorrow, he wasn’t enjoying life, such as he had been up to this point.

The importance of enjoying life was slowly coming back to him. He had Leggy Imik to thank for that. She reminded him that’s life had to do with the three W’s, not just one. Women, whiskey, and weapons were the atoms of Sean’s world. The building blocks of life.

Sean slowly lowered himself on the companionway. He glanced about at the extensive damage on this deck and shook his head. What the ‘ell did all this damage? There had been hull breeches with this far no signs of attack. It was a single event, as O’Keefe recollected, looking back at the sudden lurch of the ship, which sent Sean flying over a table and into Imik’s embrace. Or rather, with Imik in his clutches.

It was as if the Elysium had collided with something. It would have to be something undetectable. A Klingon or Romulan cloaked ship? No, even those could be detected with the Federations knowledge and technology.

“All I kin say in answer to ye,” O’Keefe managed with a grin, “is thank ye! I owe ye me grat’tude fer jogging’ me mem’ry o’ what life be about. I was up there drowning’ me sorrows. Ye reminded me tha’ life be meant ta live. Yer a fine wan, Legate!”

O'Keefe's sudden comment caught Imik by surprise, "I thank you Chief, I think. All I have done for you is talk, nothing more." She moved forward slowly, but her skirt began to catch on ragged edges. She couldn't remove it as her under garments didn't really cover her completely, so she now shortened it to just below her knees.

O’Keefe chuckled. “Damn ye fate! Now ye be toyin’ wit me!” he stated, as he followed behind.

One thought had occurred to him that he wouldn’t mention. Sean had never flown before. Growing up, his friend Yuto Yamoshita was a pilot, so O’Keefe never felt the need. He had watched Yuto on most of their ventures. How hard could it be.

Another thought came to him, which he would venture to ask. “Uh, Legate?” he probed, “‘ow are we gonna get th’ bay ta open up? The pow’r be out.”

"In answer to that question Chief, I will use my fighters weapons to blast a way out. I forgot to ask you, have you piloted a shuttle close to a starship before?"
Imik continued to lead but the companion way was slowly getting tighter, "I think we may have to exit this shaft at the next available hatch, I can not imagine either of us making it further."

The Chief seemed to agree. His shoulders were broad, so he had to twist sideways in some areas just to squeeze through. He was enjoying the view from behind when her question and statement broke his focus.

“Er…,” Sean stammered, “It be gettin’ tigh’, so yea we shoul’ go down agin. To answer yer ques’ion, no, I ain’t exactly flown a craf’ afore. I ‘ave seen a friend do so. I think I coul’ swing it. ‘Ow hard Can it be?”

Imik closed her eye's and began to regret asking the question, "Very difficult indeed Chief, perhaps I will only use the fighter to make an exit and fly the shuttle myself. You can operate a transporter Chief?"

Now there was something that was familiar to O’Keefe. He had learned to do that in a past post. They would often need to transport people that were deemed dangerous from their cell in the brig straight to their hearing.

A grin enveloped his face as he answered, “Now tha’ I kin ‘andle,” his eyes wandered to her backside, then quickly he averted the gaze. “Won’ the ‘ole in the door cause a vacuum? ‘Ow will ye avoi’ bein’ sucked ou’ in space?”

He thought it was a good question. He’d hate to lose someone as mesmerizing as the Leggy One.

"You will be in the shuttle Chief, I will be in my fighter. Once the doors have been removed, you will beam me back to the shuttle. Both vessels will be clamped to the deck, so shouldn't move." She now picked up a strange word, a word the Chief kept using. "Chief, just who is the Leggy One?"

Shite! I fergo’ she kin read me mind! Stop thinkin’! While O’Keefe was thinking to himself, he wasn’t watching where he was going and didn’t realize the Legate had momentarily stopped. He abruptly bumped into her.

“Aye! Tha’ be a good plan.” He was enlisted, which was good, because O’Keefe didn’t like making plans, unless it dealt with one or preferably more of the three W’s.

Sean still needed to explain himself. Being smack dab right up against her made this extremely difficult. “Uh…ye are, Legate. It be a play on yer ti’le and yer shapely legs. I ‘ave a ‘abit o’ gi’in people a nickname.”

Imik now looked at O'Keefe squarely in the eye's, "Nickname, a name given to one you feel affection or kinship with. I have heard of this practice, I am honoured you feel I deserve such a reward." She bowed and then stood back slightly, "But I request you only use that name when I am present, and we are alone. We Ojnas can be a jealous race, and affection with another is closely guarded." She again smiled hoping the O'Keefe understood her joke, she knew she wasn't that good at making or telling them.

Affe’tion? ‘Onored? A smile creased widely across O’Keefe’s face. “Ye go’ a deal!” Sean affirmed, believing the Legate was as attracted to him as he was of her.

Turning around, imik now stepped off in the direction of the shuttle bay. She'd picked up on O'Keefe's mistake in his belief, but had given up ever getting through to this demented Human.

Sean continue to follow the Legate. “So,” O’Keefe confidently stated, “after all this is over, why don’t we get together and have dinner sometime?”

Of course, they would both need to come through this catastrophe alive. They would. Sean would see to it. She’d make it through as long as he was by her side. They had to survive this.

Sean began to wonder if anyone else were still alive aboard the ship. Robert was back at the lounge storage area. Sean couldn’t guarantee he was still alive. As far as O’Keefe knew, it was just he and Leggy Imik. It fitted that they were equally attracted to each other.

Imik now placed her answer into O'Keefe's brain, *Diplomatic duties and the risk of starting a diplomatic incident prevent me from joining you in any endeavour, sorry Chief*. She hoped the direct link would finally get this Human to understand.

Sean heard the voice, but didn’t hear it. It seemed to be the same sultry voice, but it emanated from inside his mind, not from an outward stimulation. The Chief shook his head, a bit confused at this. Was this what Captain Taylor warned him about?

Then the subject of the I terminal message hit him. Diplomatic incident? Since when is dinner a diplomatic incident?

O’Keefe shook his head again, attempting to clear out the confusion. “Eh…Leggy…I was tol’ I shoul’ not be lin’in’ with ye. I’m no’ sure w’at tha’ means, but if tha’ li’tle dem’nstration be it, ‘ow bad can it be?”

Turning to face the Chief, Imik shook her head. "We are not linked Human, your species is unable to survive the mental difficulty involved. What you experienced was simply a psychic message, telepathy I think you Humans call it." She then raised her hand, "Wait! I can feel others close by, I believe there are survivors somewhere close." Imik then closed her eye's and mind walked towards the mental emanations, opening her eye's she looked back at O'Keefe. "We are not alone, there are others."

“Lead on Great Leggy One,” O’Keefe stated with a smirk. “I’d follow ye ta da end o’ th’ un’verse.”

Finding a exit, Imik now pushed and slowly it opened. As she exited the companionway, she saw three people standing there. "I am Legate Imik, who are you?"

TBC in "Shuttlebay"