Happy To See Me?

Posted on Fri Jun 1st, 2012 @ 1:49pm by Major Patrick Smith & Lieutenant Commander Leto

Mission: Sections of the Delta Quadrant
Location: Hanger Bay 2
Timeline: Shortly after the Return of the USS Hammond

Nenita was antsy. Li and Sakkath, and all the rest, had returned from the Takei, but now Sakkath was in Sickbay. All she’d gotten from Li was a short note that read:

We’re back, problem solved, Sakkath’s status unknown. Will be in Sickbay.

Well hell, that was clear as mud. She drummed her fingers on her desk, considering. Nick was down on the planet and Patrick was off in the new wormhole, headed to parts unknown. They had no idea where that thing led. So, for now, the Intel offices were empty. And quiet made her antsy.

The beep of the computer sounded.

=^= Notification: The Blackbird is docking in hangarbay two =^=

Ahh, bless the computer. The alert she’d set up had finally borne fruit. Nenita was out of the offices in a flash.

* * * Hangar Bay Two * * *

The trip through the wormhole had been a surprise for Pat. He hadn’t expected in a million years to fly out the other side and have the Hammond and her escort land up exactly where the gate had been. After passing on some information to Command about conditions for small craft and some possible methods of correction he set off back in the Blackbird leaving the Hammond behind, getting to try a few practical lessons on the solutions he had just given over.

Now landing in hangar bay two, one of Starfleet’s more secure bays, he saw standing there the all familiar face of Nenita. Groaning slightly he had a strange feeling that he may be in trouble. After a quick land and shut down he walked back through the rear door onto the base’s solid deck.

Nenita closed the distance between them in a second. “So, just take off and fly into an unknown wormhole, no idea where it would lead, if it led anywhere, and no way to know if you’d get back...and you thought this was a good idea why?”

“I missed you too?” Pat replied with a grin. “I’m a pilot. We like to fly to dangerous places.”

She balled up her fist and slammed it into his arm. She was surprisingly strong for her slim build. “You are intel, not a fighter pilot now,” she sniffed. “Nor are you a kamikaze.” She glared at him for a moment then turned and began to stalk back across the deck.

“Yea but its amazing what you can spy when you’re floating outside the window of someone’s quarters,” he answered innocently as she stalked away. He hadn’t but figured that would get her to stop at least. “Plus dangerous flying makes for the best aerobatics. Especially in high gravity worlds.”

“I’m sure it does and I hope you had fun.” Two steps later, she stopped mid-stride. “What the hell did you say?”

“You’d have heard had you not been walking away from me,” he jibed. “So why don’t you come back and we can finish chatting properly?”

She scowled at him but in the end, she did turn and walk slowly back to look up at Patrick with her best ‘you are in SO much trouble’ look.

“Were you looking in my windows?”

“Nope. But I knew that’d stop you.” He smiled and shrugged. “Besides I’m not the looking in the windows kind of guy. Much easier ways to woo the ladies than stalking them.”

“Pity, you should’ve been.” She smiled finally. “Ladies? Since when? Choose your next words carefully.”

“Since I stopped being at risk of getting rammed in space by a useless newbie or getting shot down by someone with a massive gun on their ship. Being a Pilot usually doesn’t leave a lot of time for that kind of thing as Holbridge would have testified,” he answered.

She raised her eyebrow at him and poked him in the chest. “It’s the plural I take issue with.” Taking hold of his flight jacket, she pulled him down till his face was level with her. Slowly, she leaned in till their lips were almost touching and spoke in a sultry whisper. “So tell me, darling, what did you find in the wormhole?”

“I found something pretty amazing on my way back through the Hammond missed.” He turned sideways leaning his face beside hers turning both to look out the bay doors. “A little spot where you can sit a small craft with no turbulence, and watch time and space go by while you think.”

“Really....and what would you think about there, hmm?”

Pat pulled away and looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “Now now you don’t think I’m just going to spill do you? I’d like to think it’d take a bit more than just asking to get out what goes on in this noggin,” he said pointing at his head.

“So what would it take? I can be very persuasive when I want to be.” She smiled at him again, knowing full well he was familiar with her vast array of ‘influential’ techniques.

“Oh well you know what they say, ‘The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach,’” Pat replied. “Cept I’m an adrenaline junky, so you’ll probably have to come up with something better than that.”

“Isn’t adrenaline the thing for pilots?” She paused as the hangar bay doors opened, then stepped through them. “Though there have been times and situations that gave me a heavy dose of it too. So tell me, what was it like in there? In the wormhole?”

“Bumpy. Very very bumpy. I’d really not recommend taking anything smaller than a runabout through otherwise you’d be liable to come out smushed into a bulkhead. We had to get the Hammond’s entire wing to fly in a line behind her,” Pat explained. “Looked like a trail of ducklings.”

“At least we’re not cut off.” The turbolift arrived and she led the way inside. “Not that I plan a vacation on the other side too soon. Intell.” She directed the lift. “You got a message too, you know who has been asking about you.”

“If I got paid I’d rather bet it was Suresh. What does that greaseball want this time?” Nine asked the disgust obvious on his face.

“Lazan only said he was asking for you, and a warning that he’s in a mood. So you’ve been warned.” Nenita frowned a moment. “But let him stew for another day. He’s not had Li around either. Some things came up while you were gone.”

“Oh? What kind of things?” Pat ask his face lighting up a bit with interest.

“A blast from her past that caused some...issues. Sakkath has been in Sickbay for a few days and till he’s up and around, or at least at home, she’s taking a little time off.Or she is supposed to, let’s put it that way.” The lift paused until Nita entered the code for the Intell area, then resumed.

“Well sometimes people need a rest. I’ll drop down and see Lazan to see if there’s anything I can do and see what kind of mood Suresh is in. First though I plan to sleep,” Pat said as he yawned.

“You need it, Paddy. Do your check-in, then I am going to kick your ass off our deck. As much as it pains me to say, I don’t want to see your handsome mug for at least twelve hours. Sir.” She winked at him.

“Ach since when the hell have you sirred me. Meh ok I’ll do the check in and head to sleep. Do us a favour and make sure I get up though. Have the computer play something loud,” he asked knowing she’d have something pretty ridiculous for that.

“Oh I will, trust me on that.” Nenita smiled. She was going to have some fun with this one, no doubt.

**********

Lt. Patrick Smith
Lt.(jg) Nenita Quidley
Intelligence Officers