Start at the very beginning

Posted on Saturday June 8th, 2019 @ 19:54 hours by Mayterial Droz & Andressa Dreik

Mission: Pixie Dust
Location: Outpost J19
Timeline: MD04 - 1430 hours
1137 words - 2.3 OF Standard Post Measure

Andi had been on the outpost for a few days, trying to decide what her next move was going to be. There were several ships in the area, plenty of opportunities, hell she could even just stay on the outpost and coast for a while. It wouldn't be difficult to make ends meet, especially if she was clever. She'd done well the night before playing cards. It wouldn't take long for her to get into the games that paid worth a damn.

Interestingly enough though, it had been the scuttlebutt about a ship looking for crew that had caught her attention. The fact that it came up in 'those' circles would usually be a good sign that they weren't as straight laced and vanilla as most of the ships that seemed to be around right now. Maybe it was a sign. At least, that's what she had taken it as, which is why she was now tracking down the Captain, Mayterial.

The card rooms were normally a great place for May to be, but without Meghan it just wasn't the same. May had only hovered around two tables before deciding to not try her hand at a table and squander what little nest egg she had on these people. It wasn't a game she wanted to be playing emotionally, or with the slight buzz she had cultivated during the course of the day. She sauntered back down to the airlock where the Fawkes was docked.

"Captain Droz?" Andi called after her, breaking into a slow jog to catch up to the other woman. "You are Captain Droz, aren't you?" she asked, pursing her lips momentarily. She was sure this was the person that had been pointed out to her in the card room, but in a place like this reality was that one could never be entirely too careful.

May looked over her shoulder, had a moment where she had to decide whether to confirm or deny, and decided to go the honest route, "I am." she put out a hand to shake that of the woman closing in on her, "and who do I have the pleasure of meeting?" She gave a warm smile and awaited the introduction.

"Andi," she replied, deciding to keep it simple as she took the other woman's hand and shook it firmly. "I'll get to the point. I need a job, I need out of here, and scuttlebutt in the card room was that you're looking to hire."

Mayterial took a moment to look the woman up and down, "So, what kind of a job are you looking for?" she seemed a bit hesitant to take this thing at face value. "What's your relevant work experience?"

With a quick laugh, Andi shook her head. "Looks can be deceiving. I've been on freighters and civilian ships for the last few years. I've done about everything I can do. I just spent 8 months as the first mate on the Nikita but I've dabbled all over. I'm not fussy, I'll take anything."

Slowly May nodded along at the tl;dr version of Andi's resume "Why did you leave the Nikita?" She made a mental note to reach out to the Captain of the Nikita to get a reference.

Andi hesitated momentarily. "The current Captain is set to retire and his son is taking over. I don't have any desire to work with him again. Plus they're headed back toward Earth, and, well, I don't really have any desire to go back there any time soon. So it's this or going back to being a dabo girl," she finished with a grin.

May took another glance at the woman in front of her, "You do have all the right qualifications to be a dabo girl." the fact that she didn't want to go back to Earth was also something that piqued her interest, "Your boss taught you how to skim something extra off the top with the extra drunk ones?"

Andi laughed. "Oh, my Avo taught me that when I was like ten," she replied with a grin. "My boss in the lounge was far too self involved with his bit of fluff on the side and avoiding his wretch of a wife to care what we did, so long as we turned profit at the end of the day," she shrugged like it really wasn't that big of a deal.

May frowned a bit at the untranslated word, "I don't think I'm familiar with 'Avo', but they sound wise." she looked around a bit, and as if asking about a secret added "how can I be sure your Avo didn't teach you anything about scamming innocent Freighter Captains."

"Oh, she did... know your mark, be confident, act quickly and never bite the hand that feeds you, else you end up on the wrong side of the airlock," Andi replied with a shrug.

"Wise woman, this Avo. I should probably meet her sometime." May looked around again, she needed to make sure that there wasn't something else up, that this woman was alone and that her intentions where honest. "My First Mate rode off into the sunset with the love of her life," there was some bitterness in her voice, "so you've come at a very opportune moment. That is if the retiring Nikita Captain will vouch for you."

"He will, I have no doubt of that at all," Andi replied with a quick smile. "Though I suggest if you want to talk to him, around fifteen hundred hours is the best time while he's on the outpost. He has a bit of a thing for cards and liquor. By fifteen hundred he's had enough that his tongue is loose but he still has all his faculties, and likely hasn't lost all his money yet."

May nodded a bit, "Well, let's just say I'll get back to you after speaking to this man" he sounded like someone after her own heart. Though to be fair she usually avoided drinking during the workday hours. "How quickly can you move in? Any affairs out here you need to sort out?"

"Immediately, and none. I've already cleared my stuff from the Nikita, I'm in accommodations on the outpost, and given that I'd rather not stay there any longer than I have to, I've not unpacked. I can be available the moment you want me." Andi said with an easy grin. "Just say the word."

"Well Miss Andi, I'll get back to you once I've talked to your previous boss." Mayterial stepped up to the woman and put out a hand in greeting.

Taking her hand again, Andi smiled. "Thank you," was all she said before turning and disappearing along the corridor she had come from.

[OFF]

Mayterial Droz
Captain

&

Andressa 'Andi' Dreik
Potential First Mate

S.S. Fawkes