Posted by Lieutenant Celina Rodriguez (Chief Tactical Officer) in Shuttle on route to Deltana V

Posted by Commander Ardashir “Jack” Creed (Executive Officer / CIO) in Shuttle on route to Deltana V

Posted by Lieutenant Celina Rodriguez (Chief Tactical Officer) in Shuttle on route to Deltana V
SNIP
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Camp on Deltana V
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“We just need to get settled, finish this up… and bolt. No need being here longer than we need… I don’t want a repeat of your trip to Yahni II, Klingon pleasure planet my ass… they tried to sell Celina and want to experiment on us.”

Creed, XO

“Yes but I looked good in that outfit and how does one learn anything unless they start to experiment,” she handed him a local lukewarm brew as she slapped his butt. Hopping onto a barrel, she let her feet dangle in small circles. The soft breeze stirred her hair so it had a beachy quality to it. She was as relaxed as if she were sitting in a five-star resort on Risa instead of a backwater world with dust for a landing pad and the need for medical prophylactics to protect from food poisoning.

“Experimenting can be fun…” he said with a small smirk as he took the drink as he sipped it, instantly spitting it out as he looked at her. “Is this even a real drink? Did they give us the mop water?”

“It’s salt water because I got us dirty martinis heavy on the extra dirty,” she struggled to get down her sip. Jack was right. The drink was sub standard but would probably knock them on thier butt.

“You know this place isn’t so bad,” she nudged his side with her shoulder making Jack bobble a bit. “I mean we are here. The weather is perfect. They have a beach. I don’t have a swimsuit. Hmm what is a girl to do,” she mused in a questioning tone with a sly smile. “Any ideas XO?”

“I think you are gonna keep your clothes on while passersby are here,” he said as he stuck his tongue out at her as he couldn’t help but feel a smirk on his face.

“I wasn’t planning on here baby,” she sipped her drink slowly using the straw. “I am sure with a desolate as this place is being the spaceport there has to be a cove somewhere that’s a bit more reclusive. We could do a little role play. I could be Seraphina the mermaid and you the dashing prince whose heart I have to steal. We could be a regular Disney movie with a talking fish and crab that you ultimately make into a fabulous New England Boil,” she broke out hysterically laughing. The absurdity of the fantasy she just created matched the absurdity of this place being a resort.

“Fine, this isn’t as bad as I thought.”

“Might I suggest a room for the evening,” a Barzan asked appearing from around the corner of the building they were waiting in front of. Barzan were easy to spot with the breathing apparatus attached to their jaw supplying them with the toxins their body needed to breathe off their homeworld. The woman was dressed in a long muslin white robe with a small green turtle embroidered on the stand-up collar.

Celina

“Yes please, two rooms…” Ardashir said as he looked over at Cesar. “You can be on your own,” he said as he was in no way going to share a room. He was going to enjoy what little time he could with Celina.

Creed, XO

“No problem,” Cesar spread his hands outward as he spoke in a relaxed gesture like he was pushing his problems away.

“Excellent. If you and the Mrs. would follow me please I will lead you to the commune,” the man gestured broadly in a direction. “I will send someone back for you friend later.” It might have been the booze but this guy seemed way too nice. Not like evenly genius nice but more smoking the old peace pipe nice.

Turning back to Cesar Jack eyed him with a harsh look as he began to do the I am watching sign with his two fingers. “You, stay, put. Don’t wander… you understand?” Jack said as he got up and began following Celina with the guy.

Taking Jack’s hand in hers,” Celina moved in the indicated direction. Following the path, the man indicated she came to an abrupt stop seeing their form of transportation. Instead of an actual vehicle was a large ostrich type bird. It was much larger than anything Celina had seen in a zoo standing almost two feet over Jack. It’s back was wide and flat with a saddle strapped to it. Sparing the briefest glance at Jack Celina licked her lips not sure what to say.

“Do not worry Missus. He is tame and his wings have been clipped so he can not fly away. I assure you he is safe and far more sure footed that a donkey or mule,” the man stride next to a mount gesturing Celina over.

“Oh…okay,” she replied fighting the urge to run back to the shuttle and wait there for her brother’s return. It was going to take a lot more role play than this to make Jack forgive her for pulling him on this adventure. Moving next to her avian transport, Celina put her foot into a stirrup.

Celina.

“You sure they are tame? They all look like they have key lime disease…” Jack said with a bit of trepidation as he began to mount the creature feeling a bit of uncertainty as he fond himself firm on its feathery back.

Creed, XO

Celina lifted her foot to slip on like Jack only the action was nothing like Jack. Her bird decided it was time to venture forward without its rider. A hop step forward meant Celina had to hop step forward. Groaning she caught her balance and attempted it only to have the mount hop step once again throwing off her rhythm. “Ugh stand still or I swear I will introduce you to Colonel Sanders,” she growled at the bird. His head swiveled pointing to black beady soulless eyes her way.

Punching off the ground a third time did the trick. She was now on her mount. Looking over at Jack she rolled her eyes. “Don’t say it Creed. When is the last time you saw a Puerto Rican on a six foot tall pigeon We are not a desert people like you.”

Celina

“I don’t know, I think it might suit you. It’s just like riding a very feathery horse… it’s more afraid of you than you are of it…” Jack said as he gently patted his bird on the side as it made a soft cooing sound.

“Its just because yours is a girl,” she rolled her eyes at Jack looking at the dewey eyed bird looking up at Jack. It was a look that she was used to seeing from just about any female of any species. She couldn’t refute it though. Jack had a way of turning his dark eyes onto you and making you turn into a puddle. With his ostrich it seemed to be more of the patting that gave the creature a dopey happy look right now.

“Besides, these people wouldn’t use them as animals to ride if they didn’t tame them. No one wants to ride the animal that is gonna eat you.” Jack countered as he began to learn to have the animal trot, though not in the direction he seemed to want to go.

“Ever see Alfred Hitchcock. I think it is more the pecking to death than eating we have to be concerned about hero,” she gestured down at her animal.

“No… no… the other way… the other way.” he said as he tried to get the reigns to move the bird but it seemed determined to trot near the food trow as it began to eat as a loud sigh could be heard from Jack. “I wonder what they taste like with 11 herbs and spices…”

Creed, XO

Celina let out a small laugh seeing Jack struggle with his mount. The creature had obviously found something far more interesting buried in the dirt. Luckily Jack had really good balance as the creature seemed to be hopping back and forth using one leg and then the other to scratch at a patch of ground. If Jack didn’t have good balance he would have been tossed off after the first hop. Instead Jack was starting to resemble a cowboy on a feathery bronco. “You need to pull back. Pull back,” the guide spoke and mimed what Jack needed to do in order to get his mount under control. “No…no like this,” he said exaggerating his motions so that the guide looked like he was about to fly off the mount the way he was flapping his arms.

“I am pulling…” Jack snarled as he kept trying to get the animal to pay attention. No matter how much he yanked though she seemed to not care, she just lifted her head to look at Jack then went right back in the ground looking for grub.

“Like this baby,” Celina could not help but poke fun at Creed as his mount seemed more intent pecking the ground than responding to the Creed’s command. She imitated the guide as she barely controlled her laughter. Jack was doing exactly as one would expect someone should do to control an animal they were riding on. His animal all of a sudden seemed to have developed a stubborn streak. The fact this was a bird and not a horse was just escalating the comedy factor because instead of making it raise its head, Jack’s actions were making it turn in a tight circle as it continued to dig. “You are not doing it right.”

“I am doing it right… she just doesn’t want to go on an adventure… she’s like your mom every time we try to go out. She just complains for an hour about how she doesn’t care then when you try to force her she was mad we didn’t go where she wanted.” Jack grumbled as he kept yanking hard as he got a minimal response from the bird. “I will cook you!” he shouted as he kept pulling to the side to try and get her head on the task at hand yet found himself in the same spot over and over again.

“Yes yes she is correct,” the guide said pointing to Celina in a slightly encouraging tone. “You do it like this. This,” he imitated the exact gesture Creed was trying. “Show her who is in command. Make her see who is the boss. Give her a good tug on the reins. You need her head up,” the guide pointed to the ostrich-like creature who was highly intent on digging some morsel of probably food out from the soft dirt mound she was poking at like a woodpecker. “If you must hit her on the rump as you pull back to get her attention,” the guide suggested. “Give her a good crack and then in a strong firm voice announce, “Ermaline obey me. Head up. Do as I say,” the guide’s slight accent made the words roll off his tongue like he was directing some bizarre Shakespearean play instead of guiding this couple to the camp a few miles away.

“I will shoot you…” Jack in an angry tone as he looked at the guide with fiery eyes. “There is plenty of water around here to hide bodies… don’t test me.” Jack snapped as he went back to the bird as he began to get some traction with her but only for small brief moments before they were back looking for more bugs. “Oh come on… I have seen infants obey better…” Jack mumbled to himself feeling more annoyed as the time went on.

“Oh god,” Celina could not stifle the laughing anymore clapping a hand over his mouth as tears formed in her eyes. She would have sold her soul for a recording device right now. Seeing Jack fighting with an oversized chicken hell-bent on finishing its lunch paired with the polar opposite advice of the guide was almost more than she could take.

“Deep voice,” the guide rolled his hand out in front of him as if demonstrating what he needed Jack to do. “With me..Emmaline obeys me. Try it as your pull. Emmaline,”

Pulling his phaser from his pocket he pointed it at the guide with a look of pure malice… “One more word… one more… I will stun your ass and leave you here to be pecked to death by your own birds.” Jack said as he felt everything boiling over.

“I’m sorry,” Celina began to apologize as tears of laughter rolled down her cheeks. “I wish I was a better person but I am not.” Laughing was wrong but everything so far about today was like a bizarre dream. She would be without a brother after this trip. Jack would kill Cesar but at this moment, she realized why she loved him so much. Jack would do anything in the universe for her including battling a seven-foot chicken.

“Pecked to death by your own birds,” she doubled over laughing letting out a very unlady like snort. No matter how this trip went, Celina was going to rank it as one of the best vacations ever.

Celina

“Laugh it up fuzzball I’ll shoot you too....” Jack said as he put the phaser pistol back on his hip as he began to finally get traction from the bird as she moved and began to turn where he ordered. “See… violence solves everything,” Jack said with a smirk back at Celina as he shook his head. He felt momentarily flustered he lost his cool with the guide, pulling weapons was not something he did lightly but right now in this warm forsaken place Jack felt more like a famed pirate than a Starfleet officer.

Creed, XO

“No..no I don’t think it does,” the guide said holding up a finger. “A gentle loving tone will,” he began what would have been a long monologue. Luckily for Jack and Celina apparently the birds did not want to hear the speech again either. As the man began his soft speech with the dance like had gestures, the ostrich like creature let out a loud curdling screech and took off at what could only be considered a brisk trot down the dirt path. Jack’s mount took an early lead. Either she was worried about meeting a future in a red and white stripped bucket or knew at the end of the path was a tasty morsel she did not have to struggle for in the dirt. Thirty to forty seconds later, Celina’s mount pulled along side Jack. The path was wide enough to allow to of the birds to travel side by side. Celina let a long few seconds pass before she looked at Jack. His start might not have been graceful but now he was cantering along down the path as if he had ridden this creature all his life.

“Woah woah woah…” Jack said as he held to the reins as they began bursting down. He was surprised at just how fast the bird was as he began trotting along at breakneck speed. “Come on slow down,” he shouted as he pulled down on the reins as he got the bird to begin to come back to a steady trot as they went down the trail.

“So on a scale of one to ten how long does my brother have before you choke the life out of him,” she smiled. The only reason Cesar hadn’t been killed up to now was that under all the chaos was a genuinely nice guy. The old saying trouble finds you were coined for Cesar Rodriguez. Whatever he had gotten himself into, somehow Cesar would land on his feet. It was just those around him that might end up flat on their butts.

“Cesar is the least of my concerns right now… pray I don’t start looking back his way,” Jack said with a wink as he began to pat the bird as he began to get it at a decent trod. Someone was gonna dies today, or something, he thought as he looked down at the bird as it seemed to have found some civility in its breakneck speeds.

Ten minutes turned into an hour yet the soft breeze from the ocean paired with the sweeping coastal vista helped pass the time. One could replicate this in a holodeck but the spontaneity of the moment could never be seized. The fast unexpected gust of wind tousling your hair when you weren’t expecting it, the scent of flowers mixed with the ocean spray every once in a while on a breeze made you feel alive. The rush of excitement knowing anything could happen made moments like this special. This was not a program. This was life in all its unexpected wonder. As the trio crested the hill, Celina’s smile began to falter some as she saw what passed as accommodations on this planet.

The lodgings that they had been promised were nothing more than a few sticks covered with scraps of striped cloth. A Bedouin tent would have been a five-star accommodation compared to the rows of rooms that seemed to be where they expected Jack and Celina to sleep for the next night or two. Small dust devils kicked up a spiral tornado of sand light debris making the ground semi hazy from their vantage point on the hill. Several people at the camp looked up at them. They were all dressed like the guide in long white linen robes that had a small green turtle embroidered on the over the right breast. It was the only decoration they wore besides the twine rope that served as a belt. A large metal pot over an open fire was in the dead center of the camp.

“Aādanyini āmet’ahu,” the guide yelled out in a happy tone. His comment was reciprocated by a chorus of happy yells and cheers. Several people hugged and a few others shook hands.

“That’s.... a bit unique,” Jack said with a raised eyebrow as he wondered what the greeting was for. He hadn’t heard anything like that, and he wasn’t quite sure what it might have meant.

“Jack, you do still have that phaser handy if they plan to use the eleven herbs and spices on us right,” Celina looked at Jack more than a bit concerned by the site. The mounts did not pause for long on the top of the hill knowing their food was in the encampment below.

Celina CTO

“Where do you think I placed it? Daddy never leaves home without Mr. sparky,” he said as he patted his chest to indicate the weapons resting place.

“Oh God did you just say Dahhhh deee,” she looked at him wide-eyed as the shiver coursed visibly enough through her body for Jack to see it. This phrase told her two things. One was that Jack still had a hint of humor to him today but two was his temper was tettering. He knew the term would make her laugh but still feel the squirmy sensation down her spine that was often associated with being in trouble. The Mr. Sparky term was also a double entendre but right now Jack was still talking and she was recovering from the familial taunting.

“Besides I like them a bit more… Nadia here is a fine beast… she shant be eaten today…” he said with a smug look and wink at Celina as he saw her face and began to realize he hadn’t been meaning the birds.

“You need to stop saying that. How well would you take to some making cooking references to a family pet,” she looked around as if they were talking about a classified topic.

“What these yokels? I highly doubt they are going to start cooking us… I think,” he said as he did admit this all felt a bit weird. It was so far out of the way, why he wasn’t quite sure. “Cesar said he did know them right?”

Creed, XO

“Well yes but, whoa whoa whoa whoa” she responded and immediately stopped. Her face took on a quizzical expression that quickly morphed into one eyebrow being raised and the crossing of her arms over her chest. “You did naught,” she drew out the world slipping into a thick Puerto Rican accent as she did when she became feisty, “just name that bird thing after maih mah ther?” She waited long enough with a pause for most men to think they were supposed to reply yet Jack was not any man. He had been her boyfriend for enough years to know he had started the old Latina woodchipper up which was her mouth. “Mai mah ther is not a seven foot tall stubborn foul,” she leaned back some staring at him. “When…when has she ever been like that…thing,” she pointed to the creature.

“Are you sure? When she forces us to go to mass I swear if she flaps her arms she is taking off, like six of these…” Jack paused as he patted the bird on the side, “…had to be plucked to make just one of her outfits.”

“Since when have you minded going to mass,” she looked at him with an open mouth. Apparently, there was a lot Celina was going to learn about Jack this trip. Shaking her head as if to clear that thought away, Celina refocused her gaze on Jack. “You know what I am going to put a pin in that thought and we are just going to circle around back to this later,” she mimed what she said ending in a finger swirl.

“Oh don’t you dare put words in my mouth, I said she could flap her wings after mass… I never said I hated it. I quite enjoy it when you chant for three hours and then have an old man feed you slowly… it’s like a really drawn out dinner and a show.” Jack said as he winked at her. The truth was he never minded going with her, he loved any time he could ever spend with Celina. Even her family he loved to be with, but he was used to such a smaller brood. He only had a half dozen aunt and uncles and three cousins. Immediate family only as his sister and her daughter. On the flip, Celina’s family had a brood the size of a small army.

“ibakihini na ፡፡ selami inilaleni,” the guide interjected gesturing for the couple to follow him deeper into the camp.

“Oh no no no,” she wagged a finger at the guide as she slid off the bird. “He is gonna tell me when my mom looked like and acted like this overstuffed chicken?” The guide looked between Celina and Jack not sure what to do. These two were not what Cesare had promised.

“I never said overstuffed, just feathered… your mom is kinda hot for her age, gives me hope for the future… but come on moosh even you have to admit she has a penchant for the feather dresses,” he said as he looked over, smirking slightly as she got worked up. Most men would be scared but he knew just where to touch her to make her melt and she wouldn’t stay mad for long.

“One feathered dress,” she gave Jack the ‘you are so in the dog house’ look. “One dress with a feather accent,” she stressed the last word still sending him a death glare, “does not equal my mother is a big bird.”

“One dress, and like twenty-three boa’s, hell she gave you a boa nightie for Christmas and said it was a gift for us both… which still crept me out am just saying.” Ardashir countered, knowing it was far more than just one item.

“It didn’t seem to slow you down that night,” she taunted him.

“Oh let’s be honest moosh you could have been in a burlap’s sack and it wouldn’t have stopped me… I mean have you looked at yourself?” Jack asked as he slung his bag over his back as he followed the man.

“We have refreshments and we can explain the dee,” the guide tried to alter the conversation to something productive yet the saviors seemed more intent on battling each other than the pirates.

“Stuff your refreshments,” she snapped at the guide focusing gaze completely on Jack who seemed to be more intent on poking the bear than making up with it.

“While we are on her stupid gifts… remember the feather poncho? Think made you look like a damn emo Disney villain, I felt like you should be stealing children for some spell.”

“It was a shawl and not a poncho you idiot,” she gasped drawing back some as if Jack had just insulted her. “Is that why you were calling me Angie. You thought I looked like some Maleficient knock off. Is that why you and those kids were chuckling?” To be fair, Celina hated that shawl but there was no way she was ever going to say that now. It would just reinforce Jack’s stance feathers on clothes were stupid and annoying

“Oh come on hon, my niece was terrified when you wore it and kept asking if you were the fairest one of them all,” he asked as he looked back, knowing she would find the humor even if she didn’t admit it.

“And what about the hats? My god, I have never seen so many… she wears… and tries to get you to wear them” he said as he looked over at her as if he was going to dare her to counter him.

Celina opened her mouth to snap out a reply but Jack’s command gaze snapped it closed. Of all the things Jack commented about he was not wrong about the hats. Each one had either an obnoxiously large flower or plump feather which Celina only was reminded how ridiculous she looked when she put it on, took it off, or stared in a mirror. “What am I supposed to do when she give it as a gift,” was her only come back.

“Then when she gave me a feather dress cause she thought Ardashir was a Native American name… that was awkward… like… my last name is Ardashir Creed… when has that ever sounded Native American?” he asked as he began to get off the bird as he grabbed a water flask from his pouch as he tossed it her way. He knew this weather always dehydrated her, should could be mad but he wasn’t going to let her pass out either.

“Because you know my mother has a strong accent,” Celina threw up her hands. “I mean how many times did you ask me when you first met her ‘uh babe was that english or spanish,” she imitated the posed question in a very bad parody for Jack.

“Oh come on, I understand you just fine.” Jack stated, knowing that wasn’t at all her point.

“So,”

“So if I can understand you then how can she always sound like that. I love your mom… I truly do. I think you believe I don’t but it just isn’t true. I am just saying it doesn’t take effort… if I start slipping into Farsi I always translate too… I mean you learned it, and I learned Spanish… why can’t she?”

“You can’t understand her because she drops her consonants or mixes them up. Like when Lynn broke up with Cesare because my mother kept calling her Lean instead of Lynn. I mean yes she was a bit…study but Lynn kept thinking her accent was my mom telling her to lose weight every time she called out ‘Lean you want more flan,” she spoke and then leaned in slightly as if coaxing the connection to now fly of his mouth. Seeing it was not going to happen, Celina threw up her hands. “¿Cómo puedes ser tan listo y estúpido al mismo tiempo?” Jack had her so frustrated she was now code switching between languages. “Ugh…Creed is Cree because she drops the D sound. So when you say I am Jack Creed she heard Jack Cree as in the Indian Cree....from Canada and Montana. So the feather dress was her accepting your cultural heritage,” she gave a little head bob as if to say shoot and scores winning the argument.

“Oh yes, because there are so many Cree running around. There have been only a few thousand Cree left and they moved from Earth to a new colony… on top of that why on Earth would my last name be my race? Should I start calling you Celina Peurto Rico?” he countered.

“That’s it,” she threw up her hands. “You’re not sleeping in my tent,” Celina began to walk towards the camp.

“How long have you to been married,” the guide asked as he watched Celina move with a purpose only angry women possessed, “and will you be needing separate tents?”

Celina

“Officially? Just engaged… unofficially, feels like fricking forever man.” Ardashir said as he reached into his pocket as he handed his credit chip for him to use to pay for their rides. “And no, we are not sleeping in separate rooms… she needs to learn when she is WRONG,” Jack said as he elevated the last word loud enough for Celina to hear.

Creed, XO

“Oh, espera hasta esta noche. Verás quién está equivocado porque no hay forma de que te acerques,” Celina began to rant in Spanish as she always did when they began to fight. The words would have had more impact if Celina had been focused more on her footing than verbiage. A loose spot of gravel underfoot stopped her tirade as the tacical officer went down hard on her rump sliding down half the hill.

“شما می دانید که نمی توانید در برابر من مقاومت کنید ، من محبوب شما هستم.” Jack countered as he smirked as he turned around watching her fall as he couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “Oh, Allah please tell me you have a video of that… there has to be video around here.” Jack said looking around hoping they had this recorded.

“Be careful of loose footing,” the guide called out as Celina landed at the bottom of the hill. Standing Celina shot a firey look back at Jack and the guide. Instead of replying, she reached down grabbing the first rock she could find lobbing it at the men on the top of the incline to the camp. It found it’s marked nailing the guide in the shin hard enough to sting. “Owwwww,” he called out followed by a string of what was probably profanity in his native tongue. “Are you sure you don’t want separate tents,” he asked Jack on last time before starting to move down the small incline with the ostrich-like creatures.

Celina CTO

Following the trail of broken twigs, Jack made his way down catching up to Celina “We’ll be fine…” Jack said as he caught up to Celina as he began to dust her off. “Come here moosh…” Jack said softly as he began to help pick her up. Kissing her cheek Jack let her wrap her arm around him. “Come on moosh baby, let’s get to the tent and I can get you fixed up… I’m sorry too… you’re mom is amazing… I love her… but I love you more,” he said as helped bend her leg as he let her climb up into his arms.

Creed, XO