Snip

============
Orion Surface
============

Ally looked around hesitantly. The court order said she was not welcome on the planet however just mere hours after leaving Rico’s office, Ally had gotten a message. One she did not think she would ever get again. Ally could sit all day and curse the moment she met Lauren Shan but everything happened for a reason. At least that was what her mother always told her. So now Ally was on the planet but this time she had Rico with her so everything had to work out for the better. Rico just needed to get them past customs.

“What do you mean no?” Rico asked the woman at the security station, “I have leave clearance for two, all signed on the dotted line, plus, I am a Starfleet Security Chief, trust me.”

“Yes but she is not supposed to be here,” the large sassy woman said leaning back in her seat protested again to Rico.

“We ain’t gonna let ciminals or dangerous people just stroll on in like they own the place. Got enough of dat already to deal with,” Lucy huffed.

Rico looked back to Ally for a moment with a look indicating he was getting annoyed, for a planet that didn’t take laws seriously, Orion was already bugging him when they decided to take note of them. “How dangerous could she possibly be? I mean look at her, she’s not exactly Michael Myers is she? She’s with me, I’ll make sure she doesn’t get up to no good.”

Eyeing the blonde the handsome guy was with, Lucy Washington let out a hmm hmm hmm sound as she crossed her arms. “What you doin’ with that skinny white girl,” she eyed Rico again. “You know she ain’t gonna last five minutes here on the street dressed like some lost cheerleader from perfect town Earth.”

Lt. Ally Scott medical

“Exactly” Rico agreed pleasantly, making a point to avoid looking at Ally as he did so.

“Hey I can be dangerous and rebellious,” Ally said indignantly. “You juh,” she mumbled as Rico’s hand covered her mouth stopping her from speaking.

“She’s no threat at all, you know how the bureaucracy can be when it comes to legalities and people of dubious reputation acting as judges and lawyers, my beautiful, harmless and tougher than you think girlfriend just needs some away time with me to see the sights, we’re even going out to the rural areas to relax a little off grid. You know, a bit of camping, eat some sausages and beans on the fire and watch the stars. It’ll be very romantic, just press that button there and I’ll owe you a favor Lucy.”

“Campin’,” Lucy said looking at him like he had just grown three heads. “Did you jus say you were planning on camping. Love you know we can barely handle the rif raf in town. You head to the outskirts and lord knows what you are gonna find.”

================================
Across the stars on the USS Atlantis.....

“Rand,” Lauren snapped at her boyfriend whose feet were propped up on a console as he was reading a PaDD.

“Yes, my angel of delight?” Rand muttered, noting the tone that Lauren had used and wondering if it was about socks or a dinner date with their friends he had forgotten this time.

“You did do that thing I needed right,” Lauren looked at him with an eyebrow raised. “Things are going to be a bit uncomfortable for Miss Scott if you did not handle what needed to be handled,” she crossed her arms waiting for Rand to reply.

“Huh?” He said, and looked up from the PaDD. On it, was a recently acquired collection of early 21st Century comics about something called Dungeons and Dragons. While it was easily accessible as a holo-novel, Rand had found an odd kind of enjoyment in actually reading the pictures instead of acting them out himself in the holo-deck.

“Oh that? Not yet” he told her and sat up, putting the PaDD to one side. “Do you have any idea what kind of abuse of my authority that might be? Sure I can send through a temporary one, but you really want me to use my access to do that for someone you barely know? Is it really that important?” In the silence that followed, Lauren was able to impart to him, simply by looking at him, exactly how important it was for him to do what she had asked. If not for this Miss Scott and her muscle bound bodyguard, then absolutely for Rand’s own well being and ability to enjoy himself in his off duty time tonight, and every night for the foreseeable future if he really thought about it.

“Fine” he said, and leaned forward, tapping out a code into a particular section of his console and pressing the big green yes button. “There, it’s done. Happy now?”

“Maybe,” she said looking at Rand and trying not to smile. He so easily broke her will down to stay mad at him. She also knew that she woud owe him for this. “So did you finish your Ogre program,” she asked pulling the PaDD from his hand. Lauren knew what it was going to cost her for Rand to clear Ally Scott on Orion. Maybe if she agreed to it before he asked it would be less painful.

“You know I am not going to wear some elf costume that comes with a skirt long enough to barely cover my south forty as we frolic in the fields battling flying dragons that have stolen all the sheep from some poor farmer. At least tell me it will be a little less predictable where we battle some cyclops or werewolf to save a town?” Lauren actually had no idea what this Dungeon and Dragons thing was. Her mind could only picture crazy B-science fictions shows where the intrepid adventurers battled large wasps or sea monsters. She was acting as if this was going to be something she did under duress but secretly, Lauren was rather excited. After the Western shoot out where they met each other, Lauren had learned that while Rand tended to be the quieter one in the relationship, the man had a very vivid imagination.

===========================================
Across the stars and back at the Orion spaceport.....

Lucy Washington cast a glance at Ally and then back at Rico. “You know you are probably gonna starve. Girls that skinny can’t cook. Oh no they can’t but I make a mean biscuits and gravy for breakfast,” she said leaning over the counter with a seductive smirk showing assets that Ally would probably never possess. “Why don’t you get sleeping beauty settled into the local brig and while Starfleet runs the paperwork I can make you a Southern-style breakfast you ain’t ever gonna forget. Bacon, eggs, grits,” Lucy offered slowly drawing out each word. “Cause you know I’m talking ‘bout real grits and not that package stuff no self-respecting southern would touch. No Sir they would not,” she said with such conviction it sounded almost like a prayer at a religious meeting.

Lucy Washington Orion customs agent

Turning his head sideways a little to Ally, Rico whispered, “What in the heck are grits? They don’t sound good at all. Is that some kind of Klingon aphrodisiac thing cause I think this girl had extra before work today.”

Turning back to the buxom customs agent, Rico put on his most charming smile. “You have no idea how enticing that sounds, even the Grets” he told her and then leaned on the counter casually and crossed his arms. “Are you sure there’s nothing you can do for me to help me now?” he asked her, and managed to look a little sad while he did so, “I was really wanting to take Ally on a quiet little trip, just her and I, off the ship where we work. You know she’s a doctor? A kids doctor as well. Recently promoted, works hard helping the little ones, she deserves a break and a little time somewhere beautiful, every woman does. Come on Lucy, help me out while I’m trying to do the right thing. A little conviction and exile for nothing that serious in this hive full of scum and villainy isn’t even going to be noticed by anybody important. Why don’t you take another look at that file, and see what we can do? Please Lucy, for me? Think of the children.”

Lt Vanhall
CoS

“The ones you have or the ones you are plannin on makin’,” Lucy said with a smirk as she clicked a few buttons. The red box surrounding Ally’s photo disappeared and turned a solid green like Rico’s. “Now don’t ya be doin’ anything to make me regret this. I do not want to be called upon answerin’ questions about why you to are in the hooskal when she ain’t supposed to be here anyhow. Oh and I am gonna take you up on that favor,” Lucy winked at him.

Lt Ally scott medical