"Ash," Nicole said looking over her shoulder as they went to warp. "Permission to leave the bridge?"
"I think you've earned it," Ash said with a grin as he looked back.
"Thanks." She stood and stepped out and headed back to the head, splashed some water on her face, and stepped back out of the closet. In the main room she found the Marines settling in Corran was asleep. She grabbed her Jacket and took several deep breaths before replicating two cups of coffee and walked back onto the bridge. "Here," she said handing Ash a cup of coffee. He'd moved to the pilots seat and she took the other.
"Thank you," Ash said, accepting the cup. He looked at the navigational display. "Assuming I've done my homework correctly," he started, "These multiple warp jumps should be enough to throw off any Mullurans looking for us."
"Didn't think making assumptions were your style," Nicole said with a shiver. Her eyes danced over the displays and varified the weapon board was still 'hot'. With a sigh she watched Ash's profile as he studied the nav computer.
Ash smiled. "I try not too," he said, without looking in her direction. "I do, however, try to make educated conclusions." He looked over at her. "One of the ones I'm not sure about yet is whether or not you're ready to be out in space by yourself yet."
"Excuse me?" She said hotly, and then added, "I may not be on your level...but I do okay." She took a sip of her coffee.
"I see." Ash took a sip of his coffee. "I'm not sure a Mr. Stephen Maruu shares your view."
Nicole sat silent and angry for some time before she could answer without sounding on the verge of tears. "Captain Maruu's issue had to do with the dust exposure...not my shipping abilities. He also believes because he was a starship captain that makes him, right."
She chewed on her lower lip then shook her hair loose from its band, "I'm an insystem cargo runner...and while I could learn a lot from the right person..."
Ash smiled. "Ahh, I see where this may be going." He finished his coffee and put the cup on the control panel. He turned to face Nicole. "I'll expect a resumé delivered to my store when we get back," Ash grinned with a cocky smile. He stood up, and picked up his coffee cup. "I think the first thing you'll need to learn is replicating a better cup of coffee," he joked.
Nicole stood hair loosely framing her face, eyes hard and hands fisted at her side, "What? Nerve? You think, I was going to ask you for help?" She thrust both hands against his chest, grinding her teeth and growling.
"It was obviously your intent," Ash replied, putting his hands up in a defensive posture. "I knew being the strong willed person you are that you didn't want to ask for help, so I made it so you didn't have to."
"Another assumption?" Nicole asked angrily.
"Educated conclusion," Ash corrected, shaking a finger. He left the bridge heading to the lounge.
Nicole watched the doors close and she kicked the base of the pilots chair before picking up her own cooling coffee and sitting back down... "Damn him." She watched the time til their first dropout and thought about what Captain Liteboughlt had said.
After four hours of hopping around, the Remmington was on the last of her evasion jumps. The Marines were up and about now, grabbing some food and eating in the lounge, busy watching the UFP News to see if there was any news of their most recent activities. Ash sat at one of the tables with Sergeants Corran and Hendricks. The three were talking about some of the finer points of horse racing on Risa when Nicole entered. A cat whistle was heard from across the room by Corporal Mullarky. "Dammit Mullarky, knock it off," Hendricks yelled. "Boy comes back from his first operation, not doing anything, and he's already the cock of the walk." Corran smiled, while Ash turned around in his chair.
"Good of you to join us, Ms. Shea. Hope you've thought about my job offer."
"Bite me!" She said securing her jacket closer around her, "I'm not hungry. I'm going below to check on my cargo."
"Ouch," Hendricks commented.
Ash turned back around in his chair to face Hendricks and Corran. "She's warming up to the idea. She just needs a little more time to think about it." Hendricks and Corran grinned as they returned to watching the news.
~Damn,~ Nicole thought. She was even colder down here then she'd been up above. She made her way around and found that the load was stable and that all monitoring systems checks were done again and was about to climb back up to the main deck; when her vision blurred, her mouth went dry and she couldn't stop shaking. After several deep breaths, focused, she climbed up and pushed the hatch open. She managed to close the hatch and give it a spin before resting her forehead on her knees and hugging them tight.
Her heart was pounding so hard she could feel it in her finger tips and all of the bright tale lights around the lounge flared and died as she tried to focus on them.
"Don't get me wrong," Corran said, taking a sip from his drink. "I'm a fan of racing too, but that doesn't mean it's the best leisure activity ever." Corran finished his drink and put it down on the table. As he sat back in his chair, a sense of cold and fear came over him. "Nicole is in trouble."
"What are you talking about?" Ash asked.
"Nicole is in trouble," Corran repeated. "I'm an El Aurian, I tend to pick up on these things," he said matter-of-factly.
Ash walked over and tapped a communications panel. "Computer, located Nicole Shea."
[Nicole Shea is outside of Cargo Bay One.]
Ash looked over at Corran and Hendricks, and the three ran down the hallway.
Nicole shook her head and focused again and realized it wasn't the lounge but the airlock. Oh shit. She stood spun the wheel and stepped back into the cargo bay and walked shaking around and back the way she'd come when all three guys raced though the hatch. She crossed her arms over her chest; her heart racing and the cold sweat under the jacket refused to make eye contact with any of them. "What's the emergency?"
"I believe you know what it is," Corran replied.
She moved to push past the three-some wanting to get someplace warm. When both elbows were grasped, she shook her head and looked at Corran, "I don't know what you're talking about...now, let go of me!"
Corran smiled. "Relax. We're just trying to help."
"Fine, lets go topside and you can help me get warm." She pulled an arm free from Hendricks' grip, and started her way topside again.
As the group arrived back in the lounge, Nicole sat in a chair in the corner, knees against her chest. The guys their seats again to catch the news. Sergeant Hendricks walked over to Nicole and took a seat at the table next to her. "Got something here that could warm you up." He reached down into his leg pocket and pulled out a flask. "It's good stuff."
"Uh," she scrubbed her face with both hands and noticed that the conversation around her was lighter then when she went below. "I...uh..." he placed the flask in her hand and held both lightly, "ok, maybe a sip."
Nicole coughed after taking a sip from the flask. Hendricks chuckled. "Pretty strong stuff," he commented wryly. Nicole shook her head in agreement after regaining her breath. "I don't wanna sound like some kinda damned preacher, but I recommend finding some help darlin'."
Nicole rested her forehead down on her knees and huddled inside her jacket, "I'll be fine...it must be some delayed reaction to a dust exposure...its nothing." She felt a hand resting on her back rubbing her shoulder. She took a deep breath as a shudder ran though her. "Thanks though."
"No problem." Hendricks gave her shoulder a squeeze before he headed back over towards the couch with the other Marines.
The remaining few hours past uneventfully. Ash made his way back to the bridge. Nicole took a seat at the pilot's couch while Ash sat in the command chair. As the viewscreen came to life, Starbase 901 over Serenity came into view. "Damned if that isn't a pretty sight." Nicole nodded in agreement as they were eventually hailed by the station.
[Remmington, you are cleared to mooring twenty. Welcome back.]
"Thank you Nine-oh-one. Remmington out." He looked over to Nicole. "Take us in Ms. Shea."
Nicole smiled and easily guided the Remington into its slip and started the shut down routine. She wanted nothing better then to return to her own ship. "Ash," she said while he shut down his side of the board.
"What?" he asked.
"I already have a job; I work for Yukon Plastics. How can I do both? Any ideas?"
Ash grinned. "I take it that you're accepting my job offer?"
"It's good to have alternatives, Mr. Lightboughlt."
"Truer words have never been spoken." Ash quickly checked his chair display to make sure all of the umbilical connections were made to the station. "I will talk to Colonel Tarik about employing you on a part time to full time basis. In the mean time, I must say that it has been a pleasure working with you, Ms. Shea." Ash extended his artificial right hand.
She took his hand, and smiled, "I will send my resume to your shop, and I have enjoyed this trip too."
"Excellent." Ash lead her to the airlock and escorted her off the ship. The five Marines were soon to follow, carrying their gear. They stood around for a few moments talking with Ash before heading back to Marine Country. Ash exhaled. The past few days had been really trying, and he was glad that they were over.
Nicole walked across the space dock, coded onto her ship and entered. She hooked her PADD into the ships computer and transmitted the resume to his office, stripped off her jacket, and laid down on her bed. "Oh, shit." She sat up and touched the controls on the desk, "Space dock control patch Shea26 to the Remmington."
[This is the Remmington. Captain Ashton Liteboughlt speaking.]
"Captain Liteboughlt, this is Nicole, and I think I forgot something on your ship."
[What have you left behind?]
Embarresed she closed her eyes and said, "Don't laugh, but my cargo."
Unbeknowest to Nicole, Ash grinned. [Not to worry my dear. Commander K'Tag has already been notified and is sending someone to pick up your cargo. He told me he will be in contact with you about payment.]
"Sorry, I don't know where my heads been. Thank you."
Ash smiled. Well, he thought, no one said training a cargo captain was easy.
Nicole broke the link and laid back down and fell instantly to sleep, with only a thought that she should have checked her log for messages.